Zhao Min did not understand Zhong Li's subsequent analysis but simply nodded. "I have some knowledge of medicine, otherwise I wouldn't have known that excessive consumption of Madam Nian's medicine could cause hallucinations.
As for how I concluded she would definitely fall to her death, it's from when I was a child. My family had an old sow that loved to wander. One time, it climbed a small steep cliff about two people high. It lost its footing and fell. By the time we went around the cliff to look for it, the sow was already dead."
Hearing this, Zhong Li smiled. It seemed she had overestimated him a little.
"What about Madam Tao? As a gardener, you wouldn't have had access to the masters' food within the manor, right? If I'm not mistaken, it should be your younger brother, Xu Qiu, who did it? Oh, right, should I call him Xu Qiu, or Zhao Qiu?" she asked.
Upon hearing the name, Zhao Min's body visibly trembled. "How did you guess I have a younger brother?"
Zhong Li didn't answer immediately, but slowly recited a poem: "Min Tian grieves for separations, autumn clouds warm sun, northern snow. Min Yu's past scatters with the wind, Qiu Bai's fierce fire turns to frost."
"No wonder!" Zhao Min exclaimed in realization. "Min and Qiu both mean one thing. That painting was drawn by my brother. We used to play together often as children. After I left home for the Marquis's manor, he made that painting."
"Also, when we went to the Zhao family, your mother brought out two cups to entertain the Duke and me. I saw something on the cups."
"What?" Zhao Min pressed.
"The teeth marks on the wall of the cup. I had seen those teeth marks in the Marquis's manor before. The day Steward Xu entertained us, he was holding a cup that belonged to him, and it had the same teeth marks," Zhong Li explained.
"So that's how it is. Temple Master Zhong is indeed very observant," Zhao Min said, finally understanding.
"So you admit it? That the peanut butter Madam Tao consumed was switched by Zhao Qiu?"
"No!" As soon as Zhong Li finished speaking, Zhao Min shouted excitedly, "This has nothing to do with him. It was me. I forced him to do it. He didn't want to kill anyone, he even advised me against it. I threatened him with my own life to make him do it!"
Zhong Li remained silent, just looking at Zhao Min.
"Temple Master Zhong, it was all me, all me. I also killed Madam Lei. I know Madam Lei had always blamed herself for the death of Tang'er. Not long after Tang'er died, her newborn daughter, Changning, died in an accident at the age of three. She thought it was retribution from the heavens.
So I put morning glory powder in the apple she ate. She missed her daughter too much and was filled with self-reproach, which led to her falling into the well. It was all me. Everything was done by me, and it has nothing to do with my brother. Temple Master Zhong, please be merciful and release my brother.
I... I can sign it now. No..." Zhao Min shook his head, his eyes darting around the dimly lit room. He then saw a scribe sitting behind Zhong Li and said, "I won't just sign it now, I can die right now."
Zhong Li frowned, watching him.
"Please, Temple Master Zhong, if I die, my brother will be the only one left in the Zhao family. My mother worked hard her entire life; at least someone should be there to look after her and see her off. Woohoo..." Zhao Min said, kowtowing repeatedly towards Zhong Li.
The dark room was already spacious, and the sounds of his kowtowing echoed loudly within.
Zhong Li picked up a list written by the scribe beside her and threw it to Zhao Min on the ground. "Whether your brother was involved, I will investigate thoroughly. As for you, Zhao Min, you killed three people. Death is unavoidable."
With that, she stood up, ignoring the man's pained whimpers behind her, and slammed the door shut as she left.
"Temple Master Zhong, is the interrogation over?" Ah Wu waited by the door. Seeing Zhong Li emerge, he quickly asked.
Zhong Li glanced at Ah Wu, her gaze sweeping over a bottle of medicine he was holding, then settling on a carriage parked at the entrance of the prison. She pondered for a moment, then shook her head. "No, go to another cell. I need to see Zhao Qiu."
"Zhao Qiu?" Ah Wu asked, confused.
"Also Xu Qiu!"
-------------------------------------
"Get away from me, don't touch me, get away!"
As Zhong Li approached Zhao Qiu's cell, low growls echoed from within.
She lowered her gaze to the shattered porcelain shards scattered on the floor, then looked at the medical attendant standing at the doorway.
"Temple Master Zhong." The attendant bowed. "Temple Master Zhong, the prisoner's life is saved, but he woke up before his wound could be bandaged. He refused to let us treat him. What do you think..."
Zhong Li looked up at Zhao Qiu, who was glaring at her with equal intensity. She took the medicine box from the attendant and said, "You can go. I'll handle it."
The attendant nodded and turned to leave.
Zhong Li walked over to Zhao Qiu's side, set down the medicine box, and took out the bandages to begin the next steps.
"Hmph, stop pretending to be kind. Don't think I don't know that if you crack this case, Temple Master Zhong, the Emperor will grant you promotion. My brother and I are just sacrifices for your pursuit of higher office," Zhao Qiu glared at Zhong Li, shouting.
"Sacrifices?" Zhong Li's busy hands paused. She glanced at the knife wound on Zhao Qiu's abdomen and sneered, "With such a serious injury, you speak so vigorously. It seems you haven't suffered enough."
"You!" Zhao Qiu was so angry that he felt his wound throbbing.
Zhong Li ignored him and cut the bandages, preparing to dress his wound.
"Leave me alone!" Zhao Qiu angrily waved his hand to hit her.
Fortunately, Zhong Li dodged in time and did not let him succeed.
"I wouldn't want to tend to you either," she said coldly. "But your solitary mother at home will likely have no one to look after her from now on."
Zhao Qiu froze. "What do you mean?"
Zhong Li looked up, her gaze falling on the half-mask covering Zhao Qiu's face. "Five years ago, Zhao Min tried to immolate himself. It was you and your father who rushed in to save him, wasn't it?
Unfortunately, although you saved him, he was crippled, and your father died in that fire. As for you... your once-handsome face was also half-ruined, wasn't it?"
"My father's affairs are something my elder brother wouldn't have told you. How could you..." Zhao Qiu's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Zhong Li.
Zhong Li didn't answer. She couldn't possibly tell him that she had secretly dug up graves at his Zhao family home and discovered that the skeletal remains in Zhao Min's coffin were at least forty to fifty years old, which led her to this conclusion.
"It must have been difficult for your mother. For your brother's petty revenge, she had to hide the fact that he was alive, and your father didn't even have a proper tombstone," she said, taking a deep breath and changing her tone.
"Did my mother say that?" Zhao Qiu asked.
Zhong Li smiled and retorted, "Zhao Qiu, although you and your brother committed murder, I know that you entered the Marquis's manor five years ago not to help your brother kill, correct?"
Zhao Qiu frowned, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "How... how did you know?"
"That jar of peanut butter."