"How dare you, Madam Meng Zhou, know your crime?" The county magistrate struck the gavel, looking at her with a stern expression.
"Reporting to Your Honor, this commoner did not administer poison. My child is so young, I wish to raise him to adulthood, and would not do such a thing." Even though Zhou Shaoqiu was usually composed, her face turned pale at this moment. She knew that if she could not overcome this difficulty, she would perish here.
"But poison was indeed found in the gift you presented to Madam Liu. Everyone knows that Lord Liu suffered from breathing difficulties and was allergic to pollen. This poison of yours, combined with these factors, was precisely the key to his death. If it was not you who administered the poison, who else could it have been?" The county magistrate looked at her with a meaningful gaze. He knew of the woman's relationship with the prefect, and that was why he had not resorted to torture from the start. However, some matters could not be passed over simply by virtue of connections or sophistry. Although Lord Liu was merely a royal merchant, he had the Prime Minister's backing, and even the prefect could do nothing.
Zhou Shaoqiu was stumped. Could she say that the items were sent by the prefect? Although this was the truth, she understood the principle of officials protecting each other. Moreover, the items had been in her possession for a long time, allowing ample opportunity to tamper with them. Even if she and the prefect had a past connection, it concerned her life and death. If she could not implicate the other party this time, she could foresee how he would retaliate against the Meng family in the future. Suddenly, her straight spine curved downwards, as if all paths had led to a dead end. Was the only way to escape this predicament to end her own life?
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but shed tears. Her son was only a little over a year old, and she wanted to raise him to adulthood and see him inherit the Meng family. Without her, the Meng family would be like a three-year-old child holding a gold brick. She did not believe the prefect would offer any care, especially since it was the prefect's wife who had told her before the gift was sent that Madam Liu was very fond of red gemstone jewelry, and that the couple had a good relationship. Lord Liu had spared no effort to collect a set for his wife.
Zhou Shaoqiu suddenly recalled the first gift Lord Prefect had sent her. Although the rubies were not top-grade, they were at least presentable. Furthermore, she and he had no future together, and she did not wish to dwell on the past. She only wanted to live a good life, and giving the items away was a way to make them useful. She never expected that this act would lead to such trouble. Looking back now, perhaps they had intended to take her life from the very beginning.
But why? He did not pursue her then, and now he seeks revenge? Simply because they were once lovers? Can they not let each other go?
Although the county magistrate was tempted to torture her, the thought of her being an old flame of the prefect made him abandon the idea. The court was adjourned, and she was taken into custody. Imprisoned, Zhou Shaoqiu knew that Madam Meng Elder, holding a grudge against her for causing the death of her son, would not send anyone to visit her. And the Zhou family? They lived in poverty and had no time to concern themselves with her.
She felt pity for herself. In reality, since her husband left, she had lived in guilt every day. She was indifferent to her own life or death; the only thing she couldn't let go of was her son.
Kong Jialiang, upon returning from a neighboring county, heard of this matter and rushed to see her. Jiang Yin, upon hearing the news, hurriedly came before him. "Zhou Shaoqiu has made a mistake, my lord. Please do not go to see her at this time, lest others gossip about you behind your back, perhaps even thinking you instigated it."
Kong Jialiang's eyes were red, and he said firmly, "I have wronged her once in this life, and I do not wish to make the same mistake a second time, or I will never live in peace."
"Have you not thought of me? I am your wife, we are husband and wife. Yet now, for another woman, you disregard our family's safety. Do you think you have been fair to me?" Jiang Yin felt wronged thinking about it. At this point, he was still solely thinking of Zhou Shaoqiu. What was she lacking compared to her?
"I know I have wronged you. I will compensate you in the future, but I must see her this time. She is already isolated and helpless. If I do not help her, she will die." Kong Jialiang said, then walked out unreservedly.
Jiang Yin, tears streaming down her face, tightly grasped his hand. Kong Jialiang turned back, looked at her pleading eyes, closed his eyes, forcefully broke her hand, and walked out resolutely, ignoring her pleas.
"Ah!" Jiang Yin let out a loud cry to vent her anger and guilt towards Zhou Shaoqiu, which vanished at that moment.
When the servant reported that the prefect wished to see Zhou Shaoqiu, the county magistrate was not surprised. He waved them away and personally went to the prison entrance.
He cupped his fists towards the prefect and quickly claimed credit, "There is direct evidence and physical evidence, which is very unfavorable to Madam Meng. Your Honor, please go in and talk to her properly, see if there are any loopholes, and strive to help her overturn the case."
"Thank you, Magistrate Wu." Kong Jialiang also cupped his fists and turned to enter. Even if the magistrate hadn't said so, he intended to ask her what exactly had happened after he went in. He did not believe Zhou Shaoqiu would harm Lord Liu; there was no reason for it.
"Shaoqiu, Shaoqiu." Hearing the familiar voice, Zhou Shaoqiu slowly turned around. She knew he would come to see her. After all, they had brought her to this state, and they must want to see if she was dead.
She slowly walked up to him, looking at him with complex emotions. This man, she had once loved with all her heart, and she never expected to meet him again here.
Seeing the resentful expression on her face, he suddenly didn't know what to say. Was she resenting him for not saving her? He wanted to, but he had come now, hadn't he?
"Don't be afraid, I will save you. Tell me the whole story, and I will definitely find a way to help you overturn the case." Although he felt a little uncomfortable, Kong Jialiang still looked at her with a firm expression.
"Stop pretending. Am I not in this predicament because of you?" Zhou Shaoqiu snorted coldly, looking at him with a hint of sarcasm.
"What do you mean by that?" Kong Jialiang looked at her in shock, not understanding how the matter had become entangled with him.
"Were those rubies not sent to me by your people? I kept them locked in a cabinet, and I carried the key with me. It's impossible for anyone to have tampered with them. Therefore, there is only one possibility: the poison was already in them when you sent them to me. Oh, right, before I gifted them to Lord Liu, I coincidentally met your wife on the street. It was your wife who told me that Lord Liu wanted to find a set of ruby jewelry to give to his wife. I was foolish. I trusted you too much back then, and only now, having fallen into this situation, do I recognize your true faces."
She had done a lot of thinking during this time, and there was nothing she didn't understand. Her biggest mistake in this life was knowing him.