Soon, officials arrived and brought the old man, his children, and Wu Caiwei to the main hall.
Ouyang Chen and the shopkeeper hurried to follow. Many curious onlookers, with nothing else to do, also tagged along, wanting to get the inside scoop to share with others later.
Ouyang Chen stood within the crowd, silently watching over her. At first, he stood composed, ready to glean clues from their conversation. But as soon as the magistrate opened his mouth, he knew he was wrong. This was a blatant attempt to convict Wu Caiwei.
Listening to the magistrate's questioning, Wu Caiwei's brow furrowed involuntarily. Initially, she was somewhat unsure, thinking something had happened to the old man at home. But once the magistrate spoke, she realized it was a trap set for her.
The magistrate said, "Leng Shui Xiang, speak. How did you poison the medicine? Confess and be pardoned; resist and be punished severely. I advise you to be honest and avoid physical suffering."
"Does Your Lordship not intend to understand the sequence of events? Are you going to convict me before I even speak?" Wu Caiwei knew he had been bribed or was acting in his own self-interest and would never speak in her favor. She retorted directly.
"What more is there to understand? Isn't this the sequence of events? Besides, who would frame someone by risking their own father's life? Guards, Leng Shui Xiang refuses to confess, give her twenty lashes first." The magistrate, without considering the details, intended to force a confession through torture.
The onlookers erupted. It was clear that Dr. Leng had offended someone, but they were ordinary citizens, daring to be angry but not to speak. They knew Dr. Leng was innocent, but no one dared to step forward to defend her.
While others hesitated, Ouyang Chen was not afraid. He sneered, "Is Your Lordship intending to force a confession?"
The magistrate, feeling guilty and annoyed, barked, "Who is that below the hall, daring to speak so loudly? Guards, this person is causing a disturbance in the court! Seize him and give him twenty lashes first!"
Seeing two yamen runners approach to apprehend him, while the crowd around him consciously cleared a path, fearing implication, Ouyang Chen kicked each of them away as they reached him.
The magistrate was visibly startled. This was the first time in years he had encountered such a situation. Previously, anyone he ordered to be beaten would tremble and beg for mercy. This was the first time someone had dared to strike his men. Enraged, he shouted, "Are you all dead men? Hurry and help!"
At his words, the yamen runners tightened their grip on their weapons and slowly advanced. Ouyang Chen whistled, and instantly dozens of people stood behind him, all armed with knives. They were clearly no ordinary folk.
Seeing this, the magistrate's heart sank. He knew he had picked a fight with the wrong person. He stepped forward cautiously and asked, "May I know who Your Excellency is?"
Ouyang Chen directly displayed his waist token. Upon seeing he was from the Imperial Guard, the magistrate's legs turned to jelly. Everyone knew the Imperial Guard were the Emperor's eyes and ears. If his actions were reported to the Emperor, his life would be ruined.
He quickly plastered on a fawning smile and said, "Since Your Excellency is interested in this case, please take a seat. You can preside over the trial however you see fit."
Ouyang Chen's face was grim. "Your Lordship, you may not know this, but this afternoon I signed an agreement with Dr. Leng. From now on, a portion of the medicine she prepares will be sent to the Imperial Palace. The Imperial Consorts and the Emperor himself will consume it. To be responsible to the Emperor, I wish to know the truth of this case, not have it decided from the outset, as you are doing. I strongly suspect you have taken bribes."
Hearing this, the magistrate broke out in a cold sweat. But at this point, whether he had taken bribes or not, he couldn't admit it. He quickly denied, "How could that be? I simply felt that things were as they said, and if there is dissatisfaction, the case can be retried."
Ouyang Chen neither confirmed nor denied. He sat down on the chair prepared for him. The magistrate, feeling uneasy, tapped the court gavel and cleared his throat, then continued, "Li Lianhua, you said earlier that after returning home, you immediately brewed a portion of the medicine. Did you bring it?"
"I brought it, I brought it!" Li Lianhua hastily and tremblingly took out all the medicine from the bundle in front of her.
Then, at the magistrate's request, she also brought out the medicine her family had bought from Zhang's Pharmacy. Ouyang Chen personally stepped forward to examine it.
After reviewing everything, he had a clear understanding and said pointedly to the magistrate, "Your Lordship, it would be best to send more doctors to examine this."
The magistrate wiped the sweat from his brow and obsequiously replied, "Yes, yes, I will follow Your Excellency's arrangements."
He immediately dispatched someone to invite doctors from the city. When the doctors arrived, they discovered another herbal ingredient in the bottles of fever-reducing medicine. This ingredient was wrapped around the outside of the pills, with a small amount on each pill, unevenly distributed, clearly added later.
How could they have been so certain he would develop a fever initially? Something must have been added to the medicine he drank, making them anticipate his need for this particular herb.
Ouyang Chen personally questioned Li Lianhua in front of everyone. "You said you personally brewed your father's medicine. Did anything happen while you were brewing it? For example, did you leave for a while, and someone else entered?"
Li Lianhua was startled and uncertainly replied, "Brewing medicine takes several hours. I went to the outhouse for a moment. When I returned, I saw my sister-in-law hurrying away from the kitchen. I didn't think much of it, as it's normal for women to be in the kitchen, isn't it? Besides, my sister-in-law had a very good relationship with my father and was very filial."
Ouyang Chen ignored her and looked directly at the sister-in-law she mentioned. "Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
The sister-in-law, whom he referred to, had not raised her head the entire time. Upon hearing his question, she immediately knelt and kowtowed, saying, "I remember that day. It was nearing lunchtime, and I wanted to check the kitchen to see what food was left for everyone's midday meal."
"Everything seems normal, but if you are suspected, you cannot escape responsibility. Guards, give her twenty lashes first to see if she tells the truth!" Ouyang Chen commanded. Although the woman opposite him was concealing her emotions well, he was not someone to be easily fooled; he clearly saw the slight tremor in her fingers.
"Earlier, Your Lordship said that confessions should not be forced from Dr. Leng, so how can you torment me, a weak woman? Are you not clearly protecting her?" The woman panicked upon hearing this. She understood he suspected her, and the situation had taken an unexpected turn, but no matter what, she refused to admit anything.