The Incense Monopoly Order

Chapter 54 The whole story
"In such a critical moment, saving the lady was my first instinct, and I dare not take credit for it." Shang Mingshu said beautifully and modestly, "Now that my family is innocent, the murderer's motive is clear. They intend to frame us and put our family to death!

Who holds such a deep grudge against my family? Who easily obtained the map of Mr. Shi's gardens? Who has seen my golden beads? Who pushed my second sister into being a suspect?..."

Shang Mingshu did not point out Shi Houqiong and her daughter, and faced their questioning word by word with confidence.

"Sir, I absolutely did not intentionally frame Madam Shang Er." Shi Qingyu was the first to speak out. "I was unaware that my slight disagreement with Madam Shang Er gave such a vicious and murderous person an opportunity to take advantage of me."

"To torture those who lie in court will tell you who is right and who is wrong!" County Magistrate Chu sneered.

Prefect He ignored Shi Qingyu's cry for injustice. Wen Yan was dragged back after being beaten with twenty sticks. His back was covered in blood and his handsome face was as pale as paper. He looked a little dazed. The yamen runner poured a basin of cold water on him, and he regained a little clarity of mind.

"Mr. Wen, I would like to ask you, who instructed you to frame the Shang sisters with the garden painting?" Prefect He directly convicted Wen Yan.

Wen Yan wanted to argue, but Prefect He, seeing he showed no remorse, slammed the gavel and said, "Mr. Wen, if you dare to deceive me again, I will beat you to pieces!"

A slight throbbing pain amidst the numbness on his back made Wen Yan's scalp numb, even though he hadn't suffered hardship in many years. His lips moved for a long time, and then he suddenly burst into tears. While sobbing, he said, "A man who claimed to be the steward of the Shi family came to see me..."

"You are slandering me--" Shi Qingyu's eyebrows were raised, and her face was full of gloom.

Shi Houqiong reached out to stop Shi Qingyu, but he remained as steady as a rock.

Prefect He looked at Shi Houqiong for a moment, then turned and told Wen Yan: "Go on."

Wen Yan seemed lost for a moment, lost in thought as to what he was talking about. After a moment of daze, he looked as if he had lost all hope. "A man claiming to be the Shi family's steward came to me and wanted to work with me to frame the Shang family. At that time, I learned that a noble from the capital was coming here, so I repeatedly asked Mr. Shang to recommend me, but he always evaded me, and I felt resentful..."

I know very well that Madam Shang San is very clever. If I follow the steward's plan and replace the tea leaves that Madam Shang Er uses for the tea competition with Caoxi tea that is roasted with poison, I will be easily discovered.

The student expressed his concerns. Although Shi Guanshi scoffed at the student's words, he came up with another vicious plan. He ordered the student to inform Master Shang that night to gain his trust. Shi Guanshi knew Master Shang's character very well. Given Master Shang's honest character, he would definitely report such matters to the prefect.

Regarding the dock incident, the Lord, though not entirely convinced, would certainly deploy personnel to keep an eye on the tea plants. This was a diversionary tactic, allowing them to infiltrate and drug the officials.

The students have confessed everything they know, and they refuse to reveal a single word about the rest."

There is no need to say much about the rest. Many things are clear at a glance. Mu Xiaoniang is a spy arranged by others.

"Could you please draw the Manager Shi you mentioned?" Magistrate He frowned as he looked at Wen Yan lying on the ground in a puddle of mud.

"Sir...student...student..." Wen Yan wanted to say he could, but his hands couldn't control the trembling. He hated his incompetence and embarrassment.

"Sir," Shang Wenshu, her face pale and tears dried, suddenly spoke, "I learned painting from Mr. Wen. Why don't you let Mr. Wen dictate and I paint?"

Magistrate He thought for a moment and asked Shang Wenshu and the most skilled painter in the government office to listen to Wen Yan's oral description of the painting.

"Shang Mu, what else do you have to say?" Magistrate He turned and stared at Mu Xiaoniang. Mu Xiaoniang had an expression that seemed neither crying nor smiling. She knew the situation was hopeless. "I was taken in by someone in my early years. Later, when the master came to Hangzhou, he played a trick on that person, and he bought me and gave me to the master... I didn't know his identity. I followed the master to Huizhou Prefecture. He came to his house and found me. I learned that he was from Huizhou Prefecture. He was dressed in luxury, and his every move showed the dignity of a head of the family. He was definitely not a steward."

What this means is that Wen Yan and Mu Xiaoniang have different contacts.

"You had private dealings with her, but you don't have any useful clues to confess?" Prefect He believed that Mu Xiaoniang was not a completely ignorant lady, but was a little clever. Such a person should not walk on the edge of a cliff without leaving a life-saving talisman.

Mu Xiaoniang was stunned for a moment, and her dark red and swollen hands trembled as she took out a thin piece of jade from her waist. She stroked it lovingly, and her hot tears fell, hitting the jade and making a dull sound.

"This is what he left behind one day. I will keep it close to my body as a keepsake." Mu Xiaoniang reluctantly placed the jade piece on the tray handed to her by the yamen runner.

A piece of jade was presented with a square character on it.

Shi Houqiong closed her eyes to hide the bloodthirstiness in them.

When Shang Mingshu saw the word "Fang" clearly against the light, the first person she thought of was Fang Chaofeng from Fang's Pawnshop, who was in cahoots with Shi Houqiong.

There are many people with the surname Fang in Huizhou Prefecture. It is true that Prefect He is suspicious of Shi Houqiong. As the head of a prefecture, he would not suspect anyone without any basis.

It was impossible to summon all people with the surname Fang to ask Mu Xiaoniang to identify them, so he asked Mu Xiaoniang to wait until Wen Yan finished describing the man's appearance, and then to describe his appearance.

On the other side, Wen Yan stared at Shang Wenshu closely. He almost cried out after every two words. Shang Zishu couldn't bear it and wanted to step forward, but was stopped by Shang Mingshu, who shook her head gently at her.

Shang Mingshu wanted to wait and see whether, after experiencing this incident, Shang Wenshu would still have any softness in her heart towards the man who almost destroyed her family and confiscated her property and exterminated her clan.

Shang Wenshu couldn't get over this hurdle. The first thing she did when she returned home was to ask Xiao Yu to find her a place far away to marry, so that she could put the blame on others and bring disaster to other families.

Fortunately, Shang Wenshu was not affected at all. She drew the figure stroke by stroke, indifferently according to Wen Yan's instructions, and put down her pen before and after Lord He's aide.

Wen Yan held Shang Wenshu's painting in his hands, his hands shaking so much that it seemed as if a piece of paper weighed a thousand pounds.

He wiped his face, trying to control his emotions, but it was in vain. The silent crying made his body twitch.

"When I was little, my third sister urged me to learn martial arts, but I couldn't handle the hardship and gave up. When I was young, my father ordered me to study, but I gave up because I thought it was too obscure and boring. Only you taught me to paint..." Shang Wenshu's red and swollen eyes filled with tears again. "Now that I think about it, you were just using my name to get my father to keep a famous teacher and supply the best paints...

I practiced diligently day and night, afraid you'd think I was stupid. How ridiculous is my life? My parents loved me, my sisters were harmonious, they always cared for me and protected me, yet I easily ignored their kind advice.

I'm openly open-hearted to you, someone who only wants to use me."

(End of this chapter)