Li Xiaolian stepped forward, bowing as her name was called, "This humble one does not understand what the esteemed official means."
Lin Qingge smiled dismissively, "It's alright if Miss Li doesn't grasp my true meaning. Let us set this aside for now and I shall speak of this secret chamber. As you have all likely seen, this chamber was a woman's dwelling. Judging by its construction, it is at least ten years old."
"In other words, Steward Li kept a mistress for over ten years," Hua Jinrong stated the obvious, unspoken truth in his impertinent tone.
Madam Xing, feeling her dignity utterly lost, shot a venomous glare before feigning tears and wailing, "Master, how could you do this to me!"
The irritating volume made Lin Qingge's ears ring. Leng Ningyue casually grabbed a book from a nearby shelf and threw it. Though it missed Madam Xing, it shattered a porcelain vase behind her.
Feeling as if the vase had broken for her, Madam Xing finally shut her mouth and resorted to covering her face with a handkerchief, sobbing softly.
Meanwhile, Lin Qingge continued, "According to the maids of the household, Steward Li and Madam Xing have largely slept in separate rooms in recent years. It now appears that it wasn't due to Steward Li's self-cultivation, but because he had found a new love."
"Official, this subordinate cannot understand. Steward Li only has one legal wife. If he truly favored that woman, he could have married her as a concubine. Why go to such lengths to hide her, even building a secret chamber?"
"A formal marriage is indeed a good way to allow a beloved woman to appear in public. But what if that woman's identity was such that she couldn't be seen, or perhaps, she wasn't willing? Also, why is it that men can openly have multiple wives and concubines, while women must stay at home obediently raising children?"
"If the official dislikes having many wives, how about one husband and one wife?"
???
Lin Qingge raised an eyebrow, wondering what nonsense Yan Tinghao was spewing. The latter, however, buried his head in his chest, only revealing his blood-red ears. Fortunately, Hua Jinrong interjected, fanning himself leisurely, "Official, you mean that the woman, for some reason, could not appear in public? For example, she was already married to someone else?"
Lin Qingge snapped her fingers, saying sagely, "This matter began nineteen years ago. Steward Li traveled to Jingzhou with his fellow townsman, Li Bei. Accompanying them was Li Bei's newly wedded wife, Wu Cailian, who insisted on caring for her husband's daily needs despite everyone's objections."
At this point, Lin Qingge observed everyone's reactions with interest. From Xing Wanli's bewilderment, Wen Bo's despondency, to Madam Xing's resentment and Li Xiaolian's hatred, their expressions were ever-changing and colorful.
"If I recall correctly, Steward Li had a fight with someone twenty years ago and inadvertently injured his heart, leaving him with a chronic illness. Coincidentally, twenty years ago, someone reported to the Jingzhou yamen, claiming to have witnessed a man and a woman fall off a cliff outside the city. According to the Jingzhou yamen's records, they sent people to search but only found a male corpse with a unrecognizable face. The yamen runners identified it as Li Bei based on his personal belongings. Although Li Bei's wife, Wu Cailian, was not found, because someone had personally witnessed Wu Cailian falling off the cliff with her husband, Li Bei, the county yamen, to close the case perfunctorily, treated Wu Cailian as deceased as well. It should be noted that the person who reported the incident and the witness were both Steward Li."
Lin Qingge snapped her fingers. Qin Han entered from outside, carrying a tray. On it were not food, but a pieced-together piece of paper. On it were written six large characters:
"Li is not father, Xing is not mother."
"Madam Xing, I ask you, was Li Xiaolian born to you and Steward Li?"
As if caught off guard by Lin Qingge's sudden question, Madam Xing, completely unprepared, froze and then stiffly nodded, "Reporting to the official, this humble woman, this humble woman is indeed not Xiaolian's biological mother!"
Upon her words, Wen Bo and others showed little change in their expressions, likely already aware of this fact. Lin Qingge pressed on, "Madam Xing, where did Li Xiaolian come from? Who are her parents?"
Madam Xing bit her lower lip and then recounted the events of the past: "Reporting to the official, about eighteen years ago, Master suddenly brought back a newborn female infant from outside. Master said she was the child of a departed friend, entrusted to him for care. At that time, I had just suffered a miscarriage and tragically lost my own child. Seeing the child was well-behaved and lovable, I begged Master to let me care for her. After much discussion, Master decided to register the infant under our family's ancestry and named her 'Li Xiaolian'."
"Do you know who Steward Li's 'departed friend' was?"
"This... this humble woman does not know."
At this moment, Yan Tinghao, his ears no longer flushed, displayed a sudden surge of intelligence and began to analyze, "Official, could it be that Steward Li coveted the beauty of Li Bei's wife? After pushing Li Bei off the cliff and killing him, he imprisoned Li Bei's wife, Wu Cailian, here? And the infant Steward Li claimed to have brought back was Wu Cailian's daughter? Then, Li Xiaolian inadvertently discovered the secret here. Or perhaps, Wu Cailian, longing for her daughter, actively sought an opportunity to appear and meet her. Li Xiaolian learned of her true identity. The words 'recognizing a thief as a father' instantly shattered over ten years of father-daughter affection, leaving not even a trace behind. Soon after, Wu Cailian passed away. Thus, Li Xiaolian, aware of her true identity, began to secretly plan her revenge. Under the guise of paying respects, she came to Steward Li's study to greet him, then bypassed him, and seizing the opportunity, stealthily injected the poison into Steward Li's ear, taking his life!"
After listening to Yan Tinghao's eloquent narration, Li Xiaolian calmly smiled, "Prince Zhennan's story is vivid and interesting, earning this humble daughter's admiration. However, official investigations value concrete evidence. Your Highness's words are merely your own speculations, lacking any factual basis, and are unlikely to be believed."
"Indeed, I do have evidence. Not only physical evidence, but also witnesses. However, the truth might be too cruel for you." Lin Qingge's eyes showed a flicker of compassion as she spoke the last words.