"Little Jiang Sheng," Fang Heng also saw his sister, breathed a sigh of relief, rushed over quickly, looked her up and down before letting go, "Did you encounter anything at Yuzhen Store?"
Xu Mo gave her a thousand exhortations, not allowing Little Jiang Sheng to leave Fang Heng's sight, the matter had to be conducted outside of Yuzhen Store.
As a result, who would have thought that the little girl was too smart, and directly followed along inside.
Fortunately, she was unharmed, and even brought back two packs of osmanthus cakes.
"Brother Three, eat." Jiang Sheng lifted her hand, and the still warm osmanthus cakes avoided the cone hat and were stuffed into Fang Heng's mouth.
The rest of the words could only be stuck in his throat.
Fang Heng had no choice but to turn around and hug Little Jiang Sheng. Jiang Third happened to be rushing over in a carriage. The siblings got into the carriage and headed straight for Hairpin Courtyard.
Back at home.
With nothing to do, the brothers gathered in a circle, all staring intently at Jiang Sheng.
"I heard you went into Yuzhen Store without permission?" Although Xu Mo's voice was very light, the pressure was tremendous.
"I asked around Yuzhen Store, were you bullied in there?" This was Zheng Ruqian, frowning, looking very unhappy.
"Who bullied you? Did they hurt you?" Wen Zhiyun stretched out his hand, about to take Jiang Sheng's pulse.
The remaining Chang Yan knocked on the table, his eyes cold, "Was it the Jiang Family again?"
Jiang Sheng grinned, not afraid of any of them. She took out the osmanthus cakes from her arms and stuffed one in each of their mouths.
At the end, she ate a few bites herself, "Is it fragrant? Aunt Qiao gave them to me. She also has honey tea there, very fragrant and sweet, delicious."
She was trying to joke around, to gloss over the matter.
Xu Mo did not give her this opportunity. He turned to look at Fang Heng, "You tell me."
"It should be the Jiang Family." Fang Heng betrayed his sister without hesitation, "I heard it was General Jiang and his wife who came in person, just to pick up Miss Jiang Third who ran away from home. I confirmed outside that General Jiang and his wife did not enter Yuzhen Store, but Miss Jiang Third ran out from inside the store."
Xu Mo nodded slightly, and looked at Chang Yan again, "Where did that 'again' come from?"
As expected of big brother, he caught the key point directly.
Chang Yan bluntly told the whole story of last year when Miss Jiang Third's maid pushed Jiang Sheng down.
Xu Mo's face drooped.
Although the Jiang Family was a lofty existence to them, his sister was his inverse scale. Anyone who bullied his sister would leave a brand in his heart.
In the future, if there was a chance... humph.
But he couldn't say that, because he was afraid Jiang Sheng would worry, afraid she would be scared.
Among brothers, a tacit understanding was enough.
Xu Mo glanced at Chang Yan, his face calm as he changed the subject, "Let's talk about Qiao Yuhe's matter."
As expected, Jiang Sheng immediately relaxed, regaining her charming sweetness, and simply retold what happened, finally saying, "Auntie said she would go to You Ran House for tea tasting the day after tomorrow."
You Ran House was a restaurant with many people coming and going, it could conceal their meeting well.
Xu Mo nodded slightly, keeping it in mind.
Three days later, he brought Fang Heng and Jiang Third and Jiang Fourth to You Ran House.
Zheng Ruqian took the opportunity to deliver two carts of dried green beans, chatted with Shopkeeper Hao in the corridor, while keeping watch.
After about half an hour.
Xu Mo quietly left, while Qiao Yuhe leisurely enjoyed a full meal at You Ran House before gracefully returning to the Sun house.
They communicated very smoothly.
In order to make Xu Mo believe her determination to avenge the Qin and Qiao families, Qiao Yuhe actually handed over the miscellaneous taxes and illegal killings of servants Sun Yu had committed over the years, as well as the embezzled Wang family assets.
Xu Mo immediately passed them to Wang Fufeng.
These were all minor evidence, and could only make the Wang family kick up a fuss, damage Sun Yu’s reputation, or bankrupt him.
But it still couldn’t take his life.
Therefore, after careful consideration, Qiao Yuhe decided to report to the magistrate while he was still in office, and beat the drum of injustice.
Just in time, Jiang One and Jiang Two returned with collected evidence.
On a sunny afternoon, Qiao Yuhe ate with her children with a smile, declined the maid's company, and went alone to the yamen gate.
She was a frail woman, unable to carry or lift anything, but with more than a dozen lives weighing on her heart, she lifted the iron-headed wooden handle of the drumstick and slammed it heavily on the drum of injustice dozens of times.
Until her body was sore and she could no longer lift the drumstick, she knelt at the yamen gate and cried, "I, the commoner Qiao Yuhe, accuse Sun Yu of the Sun family of plotting against more than a dozen lives of my maiden family and married family. I beg the honorable senior magistrate to uphold justice, I beg the honorable senior magistrate to uphold justice!"
Such a big commotion directly alarmed the yamen runners inside the yamen, and all the passersby gathered around Qiao Yuhe, pointing at her.
Soon, the yamen gate opened, and the teacher came out frowning at her, "When beating the drum of injustice, three strikes will do. Why strike so many times?"
"Because I have enormous grievances, if I had not lost my strength, I would have liked to strike this drum of injustice to pieces!" Qiao Yuhe said righteously, "I beg the honorable senior magistrate to uphold justice. I have come for more than a dozen unjust deaths, I beg the honorable senior magistrate to uphold justice!"
The teacher was silent for a moment.
He was just a highly paid clerk to handle affairs, he could make small decisions but could not determine major cases. He immediately said, "Please invite the magistrate to come."
Soon, the magistrate arrived.
Seeing the gathered commoners at the yamen gate, and the drum of injustice that had clearly suffered heavy blows, he sighed. He knew this was another major case.
The last major case was the matter of the parents officiating in Xiyang County.
This time he didn't know how many people it would involve.
The magistrate's brows were furrowed, but he still stepped fearlessly into the yamen and opened the court session.
The bright mirror was still high hung, along with the awe-inspiring bench and table.
Qiao Yuhe knelt below, and told the story of the past ten years in detail.
The magistrate was startled, "You are a concubine of the Sun family, and have two children with them. Now you want to accuse the Sun family, have you thought about how the two children will survive in the future?"
Win, and lose the clan’s protection.
Lose, and wish for death.
Qiao Yuhe's face was resolute, "My children are innocent, but my husband's family and my maiden family's dozen lives are even more innocent. I have no regrets, I just ask that the honorable magistrate try this case."
The magistrate was moved by her decisiveness and determination. He banged the bench and ordered Sun Yu to be brought in.
Soon, a man in his thirties with short goat whiskers came to the yamen. He had been a county magistrate and was an accomplished scholar. He would not normally have to kneel.
But upon entering the hall, he immediately threw down his robe and knelt down, loudly proclaiming, "I am remiss in managing my household affairs, allowing a mere concubine to come and make trouble. My lord, please pardon me."
He had dismissed more than a dozen deaths as merely domestic affairs.
Then, he used clever words and rhetoric to portray the dozen or so deaths of the Qin and Qiao families as accidents and mishaps. He said Qiao Yuhe was being used, which led her to do this insane thing after losing her senses.
"Sun Yu!" Qiao Yuhe yelled furiously, "Your words are confused and nonsensical. It is clearly you who murdered my husband and caused the deaths of more than a dozen lives."
"Oh? Is that so?" Sun Yu smiled slightly, "Mrs. Qiao, this is the yamen. We must speak and act according to evidence. Do you have any evidence?"
He looked smug and extremely certain.
