Madam Liu looked at them anxiously and choked, "Madam Meng, did you see anything? Please speak frankly. My late husband came from a poor background, without parents since childhood, and survived by begging. After growing up, he started carrying loads for others. He saved a little money, seized the opportunity, and started a small business. It has developed to this day, leading to this vast fortune, but now he has passed away."
"Madam Liu, please accept my condolences. The magistrate is so wise and clear-sighted; he will surely find the real killer," Wu Caiwei comforted her quickly, praising the magistrate, who unconsciously puffed out his chest.
Soon, several well-known doctors entered the court. After they paid their respects, the magistrate pushed the red gemstones towards them and asked them to examine them carefully.
The doctors had heard about the case beforehand. After all, such a major incident with poison in the city had caught their attention. With the items in front of them, they quickly began a thorough examination, wanting to identify the poison that could kill so invisibly.
The doctors examined the gemstones again and again, their foreheads sweating. The surrounding crowd and the magistrate also grew impatient. It was just an examination of poison; the doctors used to be much faster. Why were they so slow now?
The doctors exchanged glances and quickly knelt before the hall. One of the older doctors said cautiously, "Reporting to Your Honor, this humble subject is untalented and unlearned and cannot detect any problems at all."
Everyone looked at him with shock. The magistrate's gaze quickly turned to the other doctors. They all lowered their heads in silence. The magistrate understood their unspoken meaning: these red gemstones were not poisonous.
How could this be? Looking at the confident Zhou Shaoqiu, did she know this all along? Why would the doctors she always relied on lie? The surrounding crowd also began to murmur.
"This is impossible. I saw him collapse. The moment he fell, I immediately sent someone to call for a doctor. Everyone here can bear witness," Madam Liu was the first to deny, looking at them with confusion. She couldn't understand what was happening.
"We are certain that these things are not poisonous. If Your Honor does not believe us, you can find other experts," a younger doctor, unable to hold back, quickly defended them.
The magistrate then sent someone to fetch another group of doctors. After their examination, their findings were no different from the first group. They also could not detect any poison in the gemstones.
"Then how did my husband die?" Madam Liu was somewhat distraught. The thought of her husband dying with his eyes open made her heart ache so much that she could barely breathe.
The magistrate looked at Zhou Shaoqiu with the same confused expression. "You said earlier that you encountered Mr. Liu several times that day. Can you tell us what you saw?"
"It was quite coincidental. I wanted to visit the Yingbin Restaurant to see Liu Dagui, but I unintentionally saw Mr. Liu sitting with the Prefect's wife. They were laughing and chatting, and their relationship seemed extraordinary. In the afternoon, I saw him on the street again. Since the inn where I was staying was very close to the Liu family's residence, we walked together for a while," Wu Caiwei naturally knew what to say and what not to say.
"How is that possible? My husband told me everything. I never heard that he had any relationship with the current Prefect's wife," Madam Liu was the first to object.
"If Your Honor wishes to know if what this humble woman says is true, you can summon the proprietor and the waiters of the Yingbin Restaurant." Since they had visited at an off-peak hour, she believed the staff would remember them clearly.
Soon, they arrived and described the scene. Although they couldn't hear what was being said due to the distance, they could tell from the expressions of the two that they were not just acquaintances but clearly looked like old friends.
Things were becoming more interesting. Jiang Yin hadn't expected to be involved in this matter. However, since the magistrate had summoned her, she had to give him face. Otherwise, if she didn't appear promptly, people might think she was the one who killed Mr. Liu.
"Coincidentally, Mr. Liu and I are from the same hometown, and our families were old friends. We knew each other since childhood. Later, their family moved away, and we hadn't seen each other for many years. We met on the streets of Wuhu and couldn't believe our eyes. We agreed to meet up if there was an opportunity. That time, we specifically chose a smaller restaurant to chat, to avoid attracting attention from those with ulterior motives, especially since men and women should maintain a respectful distance."
Jiang Yin never dreamed that she would be summoned to court because Zhou Shaoqiu saw her chatting with Mr. Liu that day. She wondered if the other party had done it intentionally. She hadn't heard any news from her for so many days, thinking she was ashamed to be seen and had left. She didn't expect her to sneak back.
The proprietor quickly testified, seeing this as a good opportunity to befriend the Prefect's wife and not wanting to miss it. He also spoke the truth. "Reporting to Your Honor, at that time, just as the Prefect's wife said, they were having a normal conversation. The tea they drank was provided by our establishment. I can assure you that our tea is fine. They both drank it, and the Prefect's wife is standing here perfectly well, which proves everything."
Madam Liu looked at her with suspicion and deep thought. At this point, everything remained a mystery. The original elder doctor was summoned again.
Upon seeing him, the elder doctor immediately knelt down and said with distress, "This humble subject's eyesight is failing. I misidentified it. It seems I am no longer fit to be a doctor, and I almost caused a great disaster. I beg Your Honor for forgiveness."
The magistrate was speechless. Although his intuition told him that the matter was not that simple, he had no evidence. He could only adjourn the court and dismiss everyone, promising to re-examine the case later.
"Thank you." As soon as they stepped out of the yamen, Meng Changqing, with his new wife, awkwardly approached her and thanked her. Who would have thought that such a renowned doctor in the city would make such a mistake? If it weren't for her, it was questionable whether they could have gotten away safely.
"You're welcome. Although I helped you today, it was incidental. From beginning to end, my sole intention was to find the real killer of Mr. Liu." Wu Caiwei didn't want to get entangled with the couple and quickly distanced herself. Whether they believed her words was up to them.
Not long after, a person she expected appeared at her door. Wu Caiwei quickly stepped aside to let him in.
"Seeing you looking so radiant, I feel relieved. If you encounter any difficulties, don't bear them alone. Always remember that you still have me behind you," Kong Jialiang looked at her with affection.
"The way you are acting makes it seem like you haven't let me go. Hearing it doesn't move me; it just disgusts me. You are too hypocritical. If you cared so much about me, why didn't you fight for me back then? Now you come before me pretending to be sincere, which is simply laughable," Wu Caiwei looked at him with blatant mockery.
Although the original owner of this body did have feelings for him, Wu Caiwei, who knew the plot, could sense that in the final moments of her life, she had a thousand regrets about not being able to take care of her son. In the end, she resented him for not taking good care of their son. Therefore, she was merciless in her attacks on him.