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Chapter 72 A Life, a Cup of Tea
"You said you saw with your own eyes the person in the portrait having a secret meeting with your young lady?!" Cao Tianbao took a deep breath and asked Xiao Taoer, who was kneeling on the ground and shaking non-stop. He also gave a wink to the guards. The two guards understood what he meant and walked forward, pulling Zhuang Zhi away from Xiao Taoer, and then stood between the two of them to separate them.

However, his action did not make Xiao Taoer feel relieved. Instead, she trembled even more violently, sobbing and trembling, she said, "Yes...I saw it with my own eyes...

I don't know where that man came from. I only know that the young lady was very close to him before the accident. He would come to see the young lady almost every other day. But a few days before the accident, the two of them suddenly had a fight, and the young lady cried for two or three days.

Seeing that she was just crying and refusing to eat, I was afraid that she couldn't bear it, so I went to persuade her. Then I heard the young lady say that the man said that he came from an extraordinary family and was from a wealthy and noble family. His family would not be willing to let him marry a merchant's daughter, so he might have to take my young lady as a concubine.

He also said that since the young lady and he were already husband and wife, there was probably no other way out.

When he passes the martial arts exam, given our daughter's background, even if she becomes his concubine, it would be considered a good match.

After hearing this, the lady was ashamed and angry, and pushed him away. But he still wanted to get close to her, so the lady grabbed his face and disfigured him. Then he got angry and left angrily.

The more the young lady thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. She lost her appetite and cried alone in the embroidery building all day long.

Unexpectedly, two days later, that man came to see my lady again, and she kicked me out.

After that they reconciled, but the man didn't come as often as before.

I thought they had reached an agreement, so my daughter was able to date him without any worries. But not long after that...my daughter...she was murdered..."

Cao Tianbao's face grew darker as he listened.

Zhuang Zhi, however, seemed completely resigned, not fearing the general's wrath and a blow from him. He continued, "I've already found the boatman, and he can confirm everything I said! If the general and the other nobles don't believe me, just take the portrait to the riverside and ask the boatman, and you'll find out!"

After hearing this, the guards of the General's Mansion all looked towards Cao Tianbao, as if waiting for his orders.

Cao Tianbao's face was gloomy at the moment, and he was already furious at Zhuang Zhi's incident. He snorted coldly and ordered the guards, "You guys go now, take the portrait with you. If anyone can tell the boatman who is in the portrait, bring him back for questioning!"

"Guangyi, don't be anxious. This matter doesn't need to be rushed right now."

Duke Yan, who had been silent until now, now spoke calmly. Glancing at Zhuang Zhi, who was kneeling below, he took Cao Tianbao's wrist, gave it a subtle squeeze, and said to him, calling him by his given name, a gesture that showed their close friendship. "Today is your birthday after all. Why not hand this matter over to the Jingzhao Prefecture? They will surely be able to find out the truth."

Duke Yan's words caused the Jingzhao Yin, who had been standing nearby and feeling uneasy, to quickly squeeze out of the crowd and say, "That's right. I will do my utmost to get to the bottom of this matter!"

Cao Tianbao had been following Duke Yan's lead for so many years that he was so focused on clearing the name of his Cao family that he had completely forgotten whether or not to celebrate his birthday. Now, being pulled and squeezed by Duke Yan, he calmed down a bit and nodded quickly, "Duke Yan is right! We all came to my house today specifically to be guests. How can we waste time here on other matters?"

Then I'll trouble Sir Wu to send someone to investigate this matter.

Come on, please take your seats, and bring the refreshments..."

Before Cao Tianbao could finish his words, Zhuang Zhi let out a wail, suddenly stood up and rushed towards the coffin next to him. Fortunately, the guards from the General's Mansion were standing nearby. After reacting, they quickly reached out to stop him, which helped Zhuang Zhi to relieve some of the force. Even so, Zhuang Zhi's head still hit the coffin with a heavy thud, and a gash appeared on his forehead. Bright red blood gushed out, staining half of his face red.

"So that's it! So that's it!" Zhuang Zhi let the blood flow down his cheek without wiping it off. He laughed hysterically as if he had gone mad. He half-prostrated himself on the ground, pointing at the distinguished people in front of him, "My daughter's life is not worth a cup of tea in the hands of you all!

If Jingzhao Prefecture hadn't been prevaricating and refusing to give me an explanation, I wouldn't have been pushed to this point. In the end, I was pushed back to Jingzhao Prefecture!

Since you officials are protecting each other, my daughter's grievances are doomed to have no recourse. So I will die here today and go downstairs to accompany my daughter, so as not to delay the tea time of all the nobles!"

He said this with gritted teeth, then stood up and tried to hit the coffin.

This time the guard next to him had experience and immediately pinned him to the ground, not giving him the chance to hit him again.

"Is there any justice or law left here?!" Zhuang Zhi was pinned to the ground, the blood on his face smeared with dust, making it look extremely miserable. He wailed, "My daughter was murdered and you refused to catch the murderer. She died in vain!
I have no way to appeal and I want to follow my daughter, but you won't let me die!

Could it be that the lives of ordinary people like us are not our own, and we can only let whoever you want live live, and whoever you want die die?!"

"Why don't you drag him away quickly? Why is he making so much noise here?" Duke Yan glanced at Zhuang Zhi with disgust and waved to the guards, signaling them to take the man away.

"Wait!" Cao Tianbao spoke at this moment, stopping the guard who was about to move, and said with suppressed anger, "It seems that if I don't make you give up today, my Cao family will still be blamed for bullying others by taking advantage of their power!
Well, I think you sounded quite assertive when you said that just now, so I’ll make it clear to you today!

Someone, go to the river and find the boatman!
It doesn’t matter if my birthday is not celebrated today, but the reputation of the Cao family cannot be humiliated in vain.

If it is discovered that this matter is related to my nephew, I, Cao Tianbao, will never protect him in the slightest.

But if in the end it is discovered that your daughter has nothing to do with my nephew, and that it is all your false accusation, then I will let you see the price of ruining my reputation, Cao Tianbao!
This life I saved on the battlefield is not meant to be ruined by a lowly, street-slave like you. If anything you say today is false, I will personally send you down to reunite with your daughter!"

　Thanks for the monthly pass of Vegetarian Piggy x2!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)