After I stopped being a lady from a rich family, I fought all over the capital

Chapter 369 Eternal Fall into the Abyss
"You will be forever condemned to the deepest hell, with no possibility of reincarnation!"

When Song Lan said those words with a cold expression, Liu Songyue felt as if the sky had collapsed.

Before she could even react hysterically, she suddenly felt her vision go black and fainted.

As she fell, she was still thinking: Why? Why should she? Her children were the ones who were murdered, the innocent victims, so why should they be the ones to bear all the blame in the end?
unfair!
This is simply not fair!
Liu Songyue fell to the ground, and for a long while, no one dared to go forward to help her up.

As if suddenly snapping out of their daze, everyone stared blankly for a long time before exclaiming, "Help! Help!"

The princess gave a wink to the attendants beside her, and soon someone quietly stepped forward and carried Liu Songyue away.

By the time the Xue family head realized what was happening and tried to stop them, it was too late.

Liu Songyue has already been carried away.

He was about to say something more when Jiao Bubai, with a cold face, stepped forward and sternly rebuked him: "Patriarch Xue! This is what you meant by not recognizing me! You've really fooled me terribly!"

The Xue family head's face immediately turned ugly, and he was eager to get rid of Jiao Bubai to avoid further entanglement.

But Jiao Bubai is not someone he can just shake off.

Before he could say anything, Jiao Bubai's questioning words came straight at him.

"Master Xue, you haven't forgotten, have you? When I brought people to your residence to inquire whether those arsonists who dared to set fire to the capital were members of your Xue family, you insisted that you didn't know them at all."

Jiao Bubai sneered: "They even went so far as to call out everyone in the mansion to identify the person, wasting our entire day without even giving us a sip of hot water."

"But they all said they didn't know him..."

He paused, glancing meaningfully in the direction Liu Songyue was about to leave.

"Is this what Patriarch Xue kept saying—that he didn't know them, wasn't aware of them, and didn't understand them?"

"Patriarch Xue!"

Jiao Bubai stared coldly at the Xue family head: "Now, you should give me a reasonable explanation, shouldn't you?"

"Everyone here just heard clearly what the eldest young mistress of the Xue family said."

"How else do you want to deny it?"

"Why not say it in front of everyone, let everyone hear it, let everyone judge, and see whether what you say is reasonable, or what you, the eldest young mistress of the Xue family, say is true!"

The head of the Xue family had a cold face, with an expression that said, "I don't have time to argue with you." He said, "I don't know what Lord Jiao is talking about."

"When Lord Jiao asked us to cooperate, our Xue family didn't utter a single word of objection and cooperated obediently."

He took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm: "It was because Lord Jiao himself couldn't find anything out that he left in the end, following the rules."

"Is Lord Jiao now denying that he previously made a wrong judgment?"

"Or perhaps, Lord Jiao... ah, no! Jingzhao Prefecture, is it possible that your Jingzhao Prefecture's judgments are always so inconsistent, changing from morning to evening, and so easily swayed by rumors, with no certainty whatsoever?"

The Xue family head's words, which turned the tables on everyone, made them question their own existence.

They were all wondering if they were fools.
With such a flawed explanation, does Patriarch Xue really think they'll believe it after hearing it?

Jiao Bubai was so angry he laughed.

"Why does Patriarch Xue have to turn the tables and avoid the important issues?"

"All you need to do is tell me, were those people arrested by my Jingzhao Prefecture who intended to set fire to the Jingzhao Prefecture servants of your Xue family?"

Just as the head of the Xue family was about to deny it, Jiao Bubai spoke up first: "Head of the Xue family should think it over before speaking! Everyone heard clearly what the eldest young mistress of the Xue family said just now."

The head of the Xue family didn't take it seriously.

He flicked his sleeve and sneered, "It's just the ravings of a madwoman. Does Lord Jiao really believe such insane words?"

"I believe that everyone here is clear-headed."

The head of the Xue family swept his gaze over everyone present, still stubbornly insisting, "Of course, we will have our own judgment, enough to distinguish right from wrong."

"We would never jump to conclusions based on mere rumors and needlessly tarnish the reputation of innocent people!"

Jiao Bubai chuckled: "So, Patriarch Xue still insists that those who intended to set fire to the capital were not servants of your Xue family."

"Of course not."

The head of the Xue family sneered: "I'm not crazy. Why would I send the servants of the Xue family to set fire to the Jingzhao Prefecture? And by sheer coincidence, they were caught before they could even act. You found an absurd excuse to search my Xue family, and in the end, you found nothing... Yet now, you want to use this crime to slander my Xue family."

"Lord Jiao! Aren't you being a little too obvious about your intentions?"

His expression was serious, and he looked righteous, fearless, and upright.

"Of course, my Xue family is not as powerful as your Jingzhao Prefecture, which can convict people without any evidence."

"Moreover, if you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext."

"Whatever Lord Jiao says goes!"

Jiao Bubai sneered: "Since the Xue family head has been accused, and the eldest young mistress of the Xue family has testified, it seems that this matter needs to be investigated in more detail. If the Xue family head has really been wronged, it will be good to clear his name as soon as possible."

“I believe that if these people are indeed servants of the Xue family, then besides the Xue family members, there should also be other neighbors, relatives and friends who have seen these people.”

"And their household registration certificates."

"We'll eventually get to the bottom of this."

Before Patriarch Xue could say anything more, Jiao Bubai smiled and said, "Patriarch Xue may not be willing to provide the identities of these people, but these people are willing to go through fire and water for Patriarch Xue and grit their teeth. It doesn't matter."

"I believe that the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xue family will be willing to tell more of the truth."

The Xue family head, who had been relatively calm, could no longer remain calm.

His expression changed drastically, and he opened his mouth several times, but no words came out.

What else is there to say in this situation?

Anyone with discerning eyes can see who is right and who is wrong! Who is telling the truth and who is lying!
People couldn't help but sigh.

I was quite surprised. Could it be that the Xue family has been cursed by someone?

Otherwise, why would he have acted like he was out of his mind and set fire to the Jingzhao Prefecture?

Could it be that he really sees someone in his family has become a powerful regional official, amassing an army and wanting to rebel?
But that's not quite right.

If they really wanted to cause trouble, they should have picked a few trusted confidants, and they should have been quick and skilled in martial arts. Why would they have picked a few clumsy good-for-nothings who were suppressed as soon as they showed their faces?
"Arson at the Jingzhao Prefecture?"

The young emperor's expression darkened slightly. He glanced at Jiao Bubai, then turned his gaze to the Prefect of Jingzhao.

"When did this happen? How come I've never heard of it?"

His voice, unreadable, deepened: "Under the very nose of the Emperor, someone dares to be so audacious—is this not a provocation?"

The Prefect of Jingzhao glared at Jiao Bubai, then hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to report! A few days ago, someone did indeed go to Jingzhao Prefecture with flint, kerosene, and other items, intending to set fire to the place."

"However, this is the capital city, a place of great importance, under the emperor's nose. How can we allow these petty scoundrels to act so recklessly!"

The Prefect of Jingzhao said with a righteous expression, "Look, those people were just about to make their move and burn the bodies of the victims who were about to undergo autopsies when they were captured."

"Those thieves are incredibly audacious! They actually dressed up as servants of the Xue family and paraded around the streets. They didn't even bother to put on an act!"

“Originally, we didn’t think these people were really servants of the Xue family. After all, what murderer would dare to be so blatant, wearing the master’s clothes and running out to commit arson and murder?”

When the Prefect of Jingzhao said this, he specifically glanced at the head of the Xue family.

"However, in order to be rigorous, even though the evidence presented to us is blatantly framing us, the people of Jingzhao Prefecture will still follow the rules and conduct a routine inquiry at the Xue family."

"I didn't expect that going to the Xue family would actually uncover so many clues!"

"Although the servants of the Xue family all seemed to have been warned and kept their mouths shut, speaking with one voice, even the most meticulous plans can have flaws. They never considered that the more perfect the plan seemed, the more flaws it would actually reveal!"

The young emperor frowned: "What clue?"

The Prefect of Jingzhao bowed slightly to the young emperor: "This matter involves several young girls in the capital who died suddenly at the same time, suspected to be caused by evil spirits!"

He briefly recounted to the young emperor the story of how several people had gone to the Changsheng Temple with Xue Wan some time ago, only to die suddenly upon their return.

"...We take this matter very seriously."

After finishing his sentence, the Prefect of Jingzhao sighed, "But I never expected that the thieves would be so cunning and treacherous!"

"Originally, we only suspected that these people had all been in contact with Xue Wan, the eldest daughter of the Xue family, before the incident."

"In addition, the bodies of these people have only just been moved to the morgue of the Jingzhao Prefecture, in preparation for investigating the detailed cause of death."

"Immediately, thieves dressed as servants of the Xue family brazenly came to the Jingzhao Prefecture to set fire, attempting to destroy the evidence. This is far too suspicious."

The Prefect of the Capital scoffed: "At first, we did think that there couldn't possibly be someone so stupid as to commit a crime without any attempt to conceal it, openly wearing clothes with distinctive features."

"And the fact that they immediately learned of the crime and tried to destroy the evidence right after it happened is too much of a coincidence."

"Especially when all the evidence seems to point to the Xue family, it would be too foolish for the Xue family to do this."

"That's incredibly audacious!"

"This is utterly disregard for the laws of our dynasty!"

The Prefect of Jingzhao paused slightly, glancing at the head of the Xue family: "A normal person would think that no one would be so foolish, and I guess the head of the Xue family thinks so too."

"That's why he deliberately acted very cooperative from beginning to end, trying to clear his name in this way."

"It was precisely because of the openness and honesty of the Xue family head and the Xue family that we were misled."

"We never expected this either. It's not that these people are stupid! It's that the mastermind and the mastermind behind these people who ordered them to commit arson and violence are too unscrupulous. They think they can cover up everything, so they are so bold as to commit arson and violence without any scruples, right under the emperor's nose and in broad daylight!"

The governor of Jingzhao spoke with a resounding voice, even carrying a hint of gritted teeth.

"However, our people from the Jingzhao Prefecture encountered tremendous obstacles during the investigation."

"Even if these people were dressed as servants of the Xue family, even if some members of the Xue family clearly recognized these people and knew their identities as servants in the courtyard of Xue Wan, the eldest daughter of the Xue family, they still gritted their teeth, disregarded the law, and brazenly gave false testimony!"

The young emperor frowned again: "But didn't you just say that the Xue family head and his servants were very cooperative with your Jingzhao Prefecture's investigation and evidence collection?"

The Prefect of Jingzhao wished he could shed a tear of bitterness: "That's why our investigation has stalled."

"The Xue family claims they are cooperating with the investigation, but it's more accurate to say they are deliberately causing trouble."

"They all seemed to be cooperating, but not a single word of truth came out of their mouths."

"Because we couldn't find any evidence to convict the Xue family, we had no choice but to put the matter on hold. Unexpectedly, at this time, the Xue family also made no attempt to hide their actions, coercing and bribing the families of the victims to block the Jingzhao Prefecture and insist on taking the bodies of the victims back for burial..."

At this point, the Prefect of Jingzhao choked up instantly: "Your Majesty! This old minister is guilty! This old minister has truly failed your trust and expectations."

"Even if we know that the Xue family is behind all of this, even if we know that the families of these victims will cause trouble in Jingzhao Prefecture, it's all because the Xue family's steward went to these people's homes."

"But we are frustrated by the lack of any substantial evidence to prove it, and can only watch helplessly as they distort the truth and confuse right and wrong."

"If it weren't for the eldest young mistress of the Xue family coming forward to testify today, I'm afraid this matter would have really been left unresolved, allowing the Xue family to get away with it!"

The young emperor frowned: "What do you mean by that?"

"Could it be that after the victims' families took the bodies back, they did something else? And under the direction of the Xue family...?"

The Prefect of Jingzhao immediately shouted, "Your Majesty is wise!"

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Just as His Majesty predicted, the Xue family coerced and bribed the families of the victims, inducing them to block the Jingzhao Prefecture and cause trouble, determined to bring the bodies of the victims back for burial even at the cost of their lives."

The Prefect of Jingzhao said, glancing at the head of the Xue family, "The head of the Xue family shouldn't deny this, right?"

“You showed off and gloated in front of me.”

The Prefect of Jingzhao was in tears, looking as if he had suffered a great injustice and could not contain his emotions.

“We originally only thought that these people were the victims’ families. Since they wanted to take the body back for burial, we should respect the deceased’s wishes and, while searching for clues and evidence, also consider the feelings of the victims’ families.”

"But I never expected..."