"How could this be..."
Having learned the truth, Li Xiaolian collapsed powerlessly onto the ground. She looked down at her hands, which were missing half a fingernail, unable to recover for a long time.
"My lord, there is one more thing that this subordinate cannot understand.
The Li Yuanwai was clearly Li Xiaolian's biological father, yet why did Li Xiaolian recognize him as her father's murderer?"
"This likely traces back to a crucial year ago.
If this official has guessed correctly, Wu Cai Lian passed away a year ago?"
"My lord's foresight is remarkable.
It was precisely because Wu Cai Lian passed away that the belief which had supported my master for many years collapsed. My master then drank himself into a stupor due to excessive grief.
It was on that very night that my master revealed the secrets that had weighed on his heart all these years to me.
My master said that he initially only wanted to earn some money, and then use that money to marry the woman he loved most, providing her with a life of wealth and no worries.
Although he eventually achieved this, everything had changed..."
"Man's greed knows no bounds.
His intention to love his wife was not wrong, and wanting to provide a better living condition for his other half is also a common human sentiment.
However, his mistake was choosing the wrong way to earn money from the very beginning.
Money obtained through such false lies is destined not to bring happiness.
Similarly, a marriage built on lies will not only be short-lived but will also cause immeasurable bitter consequences.
Is that not so, Madam Xing?"
"This humble subject… does not know what my lord is speaking of!"
"Li Derui's mother, Qin Shi, just stated that a year ago, someone inquired about her son Li Derui back in their hometown, and your nephew, Xing Wanli, also took up residence in the Li mansion a year ago. Li Yuanwai even spared no expense to help him achieve fame, even buying him an official position.
So, when Li Yuanwai confessed his secrets to the butler Wen Bo after drinking, was Madam Xing present?"
Upon hearing this, a flicker of panic flashed in Madam Xing's eyes, followed by a forced, calm snort:
"My lord, whether this humble subject was present or not, what does it matter?"
"Madam Xing, your surprise when you heard that Miss Li murdered Li Yuanwai seemed genuine.
Therefore, Miss Li likely overheard the truth as well.
However, there are only a few people who know the truth. Li Yuanwai and Wen Bo would not carelessly spread such information, and even if they did, it would not be this suffocatingly distorted truth.
Thus, by elimination, only Madam Xing and young master Xing remain.
Perhaps the distance was too great, or a crucial part was missed.
In any case, Madam Xing, you only overheard a small portion of the conversation.
Yet, this small portion, even just a few words, was enough to become Madam Xing's leverage against Li Yuanwai!
You sent someone back to Li Yuanwai's hometown to investigate, then reviewed the case files from nineteen years ago, and pieced together a so-called 'truth'.
However, it is not surprising that you misunderstood, because you could never have imagined that Li Derui and Li Bei's identities were swapped from the very beginning.
You two most likely used Li Yuanwai's alleged murder of the Li Bei couple as a means to blackmail him.
Although it was an old matter, to avoid further complications, Li Yuanwai agreed to all the demands of you and your niece.
Who knew that you two would be so careless, and your conversation was overheard by Miss Li.
Miss Li saw her father, Li Yuanwai, compromise one by one under the coercion of you two, and believed it to be true.
This led to the tragedy today.
But in the final analysis, this is also Li Bei's own doing.
It is only regrettable that neither Li Derui nor Li Bei could have imagined, even in death, that the marriage they worked so hard to secure and curry favor for was, in fact, a trap meticulously set by that family."
Madam Xing: !!!
Compared to Madam Xing, whose eyes were wide with disbelief, Xing Wanli pouted with dissatisfaction:
"Even if you are an official, my lord, you cannot just spout nonsense and falsely accuse good people!"
"Tsk tsk, your Xing family, daring to call yourselves good people? You are not afraid of the wind blowing your tongues off~"
Hua Jinrong fanned herself, leaning lazily against the window and saying with a smile:
"It is still my lord who has far-reaching vision, having instructed this student to investigate the Xing family in advance~
As these are old, trivial matters, this student's people also went through considerable trouble to learn about them from a servant who was expelled from the Xing family.
The old master Xing had only one son and one daughter, and their relationship was extremely close, so close that they could share the same bed~
But due to the secret pregnancy, the affair was exposed.
Old Master Xing, in his fury, dismissed the servants who knew the truth and was eager to marry off the unfilial daughter who seduced his son.
Coincidentally, Li Bei, who was disguised as a fallen nobleman, appeared at that time~"
"So, Li Bei really didn't touch Madam Xing, and Madam Xing was originally carrying a child conceived from an incestuous relationship with her brother?"
Yan Tinghao put on an exaggerated expression of 'Your circle is too messy, it scares me to death.'
Meanwhile, Xing Wanli, hearing this and seeing his aunt's face as pale as paper, completely forgot her years of care and concern for him, and resentfully uttered two words:
"Disgusting."
Lin Qingge, finding Xing Wanli's abhorrent appearance even more revolting, narrowed her eyes slightly and said coldly:
"Since the case of Li Yuanwai's murder has been cleared up, next, this official will discuss the suicide of Li mansion's maid, Yin Tao."
"Hmph, Yin Tao was just a maid, dead is dead, what is there to talk about!"
"Although this is not a court of law, a mere scholar dares to speak wildly and contradict this official.
Officer Yan, slap his face for me!"
"Yes, my lord!"
Yan Tinghao, with full execution capability, swung his palm and sent Xing Wanli spinning.
"Qin Han, tell me what you discovered after examining Yin Tao's body."
"Reporting to my lord, the deceased Yin Tao had many healed scars on her body.
These scars were complex, varying in size, and besides whip marks, there were also burns and abrasions caused by blunt instruments.
Furthermore, upon my examination, this subordinate discovered signs of violation on the deceased Yin Tao, or rather, signs of long-term abuse."
Lin Qingge approached Xing Wanli, whose face was bruised like a pig's by Yan Tinghao, and curved her lips:
"This official has heard that although Yin Tao was Madam Xing's maid, she was taken by you, young master Xing. So, I will trouble young master Xing to explain?"
As Xing Wanli opened his mouth to speak, two teeth fell out.
At this moment, Madam Xing, who had just been called 'disgusting' by Xing Wanli, rushed forward regardless of the situation and explained:
"My lord, Yin Tao was merely a maid in our mansion.
She tragically took her own life, it has nothing to do with my nephew!"
Lin Qingge stared at Madam Xing, who spoke with an air of self-righteousness, and said word by word:
"It is true that Yin Tao committed suicide, but she was forced to death by you.
Oh, and this official forgot to tell you earlier, that pearl was found by this official in the private room where Yin Tao committed suicide, on the very day of her death."