Chapter 104

Qiao Yuhe died from poisoning caused by the food given by the Sun family.

Since the reaction was timely, there was ample evidence.

The government reopened the investigation on Qiao Yuhe’s death. This time, they investigated the culprit behind her murder.

Sun Yu and his two children knelt in the hall, their eyes brimming with indignation. “This wretch, she won’t rest in peace even after death. She still can’t let me go.”

“Silence!” The prefect slammed his gavel furiously. “Sun Yu, do you admit to poisoning Qiao Yuhe?”

How could he admit that?

Sun Yu immediately denied the charges, “Your honor, you wronged me. I did not poison this woman. I’m being framed!”

“But the tainted food was indeed delivered from your residence. Even these two children are yours.” The prefect stared at him coldly. “What’s more, I’ve found out you summoned the Sun family doctor after getting out of jail. You were plotting Qiao Yuhe’s murder, weren’t you?”

Sun Yu was dumbstruck.

He did ask the family doctor to teach Qiao Yuhe a lesson, but he didn’t intend to take her life. He wasn’t that stupid to kill her at such a critical juncture.

If he wanted her dead, he would do it after everything had settled down.

As for the two children, they were definitely not sent by him to deliver food to Qiao Yuhe.

Could there be someone else in the Sun family who wanted Qiao Yuhe dead?

Sun Yu racked his brains but could not figure it out.

Seeing his reaction, the prefect turned to Sun Qin, Sun Yu’s eldest daughter. “Who exactly ordered you to deliver food to the prison?”

Sun Qin was only nine, a pretty and clever girl. Although frightened by the gavel, she still stammered, “It was father, father asked us to bring food to auntie.”

Sun Yu whirled around in shock, glaring at his illegitimate daughter.

At this point, even a fool could tell what was going on.

Who would have thought that timid girl who bawled upon seeing her husband blown up would have the heart to sacrifice a life just to drag Sun Yu down to hell with her.

Below the hall, the nine-year-old girl continued to recount her mother’s last words in a stuttering voice.

Above the hall, the prefect had already solemnly pronounced the verdict.

The bamboo token clattered onto the ground. The prefect’s voice alternated between loud and soft, unclear.

Only a few brief words could be made out, “...Considering the gravity of the crime, in accordance with the Dayu Dynasty’s law, the murder of a concubine is deemed a serious felony. Sun Yu shall be placed in fetters and sent to the Ministry of Justice in Fengjing for review. If no error is found, he shall be beheaded at noon in the marketplace...” Sun Yu’s face was filled with unwillingness.

Outside the hall, some lamented, some sighed, some clapped gleefully, some wept.

Xu Mo’s lips pressed into a tight line, his expression solemn.

No one knew that from the moment Qiao Yuhe started beating the injustice drum, she had no intention of staying alive.

Ten years was too long. All physical evidence had long vanished over time. With Sun Yu’s ruthlessness, there was no way he would leave any witnesses either.

The only way to take him down was to create evidence against him herself, getting rid of Sun Yu as quickly as possible.

So Qiao Yuhe went willingly to her death. She showed no mercy when kowtowing in the hall.

But Xu Mo did not want her to die. He endured and waited for Jiang Sheng and Jiang Er to return, hoping that even a shred of physical evidence could save Qiao Yuhe.

Yet there was nothing.

In the end, Qiao Yuhe still died from the poison she had meticulously prepared herself, right before her own children.

Xu Mo had asked her, “Aren’t you afraid that the Suns will retaliate against Sun Qin for testifying against her father?”

Qiao Yuhe just laughed. “Do you know why she’s named Sun Qin?”

It was her destiny.

If the Sun family was willing to treat Sun Qin well, then treat her well.

If not, just send the mother and daughter to reunite underground. Her father, grandparents, uncles and aunts were all waiting for her there.

Unfortunately, the Dayu Dynasty's laws did not allow for immediate executions. To prevent corrupt officials from framing the innocent, the imperial court also decreed that ordinary death penalties required the Ministry of Justice to review the case three times. The Supreme Court could also file objections during this process to overturn the verdict.

Even in cases with especially egregious circumstances, the Ministry of Justice still had to review it once before the execution could be carried out.

It would take seven to eight days for a fast horse to travel from Anshui Prefecture to Fengjing, and more than ten days for the round trip. Xu Mo was worried things might change during such a long time. He feared Qiao Yuhe would sacrifice herself for nothing.

Fortunately, the Anshui prefect guaranteed, "Don't worry, Xu. The Ministry of Justice will definitely approve this quickly."

Sure enough, just as predicted.

Twelve days later, before the Suns' appeal for help had even elicited a response from the Fangs, the Ministry of Justice's review confirming the verdict arrived first.

The sentence was to be carried out on the same day. Sun Yu was beheaded swiftly and decisively before anyone could stop it.

The Sun family was nearly driven mad with grief. While collecting Sun Yu's corpse, they also wanted Qiao Yuhe's remains to be hacked apart and scattered. But the prefect did not allow it.

As promised to Xu Mo, the prison warden had already moved Qiao Yuhe's body out of the city. The six siblings worked together to bury her behind a hill in the wilderness.

Qiao Yuhe had fair skin and often joked about fearing the sun all her life. Now with the hill sheltering her, she would never have to hide from the sun again.

Jiang Sheng carefully placed two trays of osmanthus cakes before the grave. “Auntie treated me to osmanthus cakes, so Jiang Sheng is also treating auntie to some.”

But she could not find that honey tea no matter where she looked.

Her eyes brimmed red as she softly sobbed. Chang Yan and Wen Zhiyun comforted her from both sides.

Xu Mo’s expression was gloomy. Although the goal was achieved and Sun Yu could no longer compete for the role of prefect, causing the Sun family’s decline, he did not feel happy at all.

If toppling all the villains in this world required sacrificing a precious life each time, could that still be considered meaningful?

If he had not found Qiao Yuhe, could she have lived peacefully until she grew old?

Xu Mo could not find the answers.

Fortunately, the prefect soon arrived as well.

Dressed in plain robes, he carried three sticks of incense and solemnly lit them before Qiao Yuhe’s grave.

When he turned around, he patted Xu Mo's shoulder.

"Don't feel guilty. Although Qiao's death is regrettable, she succeeded in bringing Sun Yu down."

"As the current prefect of Anshui, I cannot interfere in the appointment of my successor. Considering Sun Yu's seniority and the Jiang family's influence, he had a high chance of becoming the next prefect of Anshui."

"But now, Qiao has saved the lives of all the people in Anshui with her own. She prevented another tragedy like the Qins and Qiaos from happening in Anshui again."

"Ah Mo, what you've done is meaningful."

The prefect's words rekindled Xu Mo's dampened spirits.

He recalled the changes brought to the county under the previous two magistrates of Xieyang, and how the Anshui prefect cooperated with him time and again on those audacious proposals, all to bring Sun Yu down.

Ultimately, it was all for the common people, for the innocent masses.

An upright official is like a parent to the people. With a benevolent official, the people will have stability. With a vicious official, the people will be displaced.

Xu Mo might not be able to save everyone under heaven, but like his father, like Magistrate Pang, like the Anshui Prefect, he would at least be able to protect the people under his jurisdiction.

“Good lad, the imperial examination is next year. You’ll be fourteen then, want to participate?” The prefect smiled and asked.

Xu Mo did not hesitate and nodded.

“Good, this official will be waiting for you in Fengjing then.” The prefect stroked his beard. “I look forward to you dispelling the clouds to see the sun, to you hacking through brambles and thorns.”

The two exchanged smiles. Not father and son, yet better than father and son.

On their return from the wilderness outside the city, the Anshui Prefect did not forget to remind Xu Mo, “The Suns are in total chaos now and can’t bother with these matters. You should hurry back to Xieyang County. With that scoundrel Bian Wenxuan protecting you all, it should be safer.”

He was worried that the Suns would trace things back to Xu Mo and retaliate against the siblings.

Xu Mo nodded lightly.

They had tarried in the prefectural city for too long and should head back indeed.

The people of Xieyang County were still waiting for Teacher Xu’s return.

In the courtyard decorated with orchids, the six siblings were packing up to leave. Jiang Sheng stuffed all the things she bought over this period into the carriage, not forgetting to bring back two bundles of cured meat to slowly enjoy later.

Zheng Ruqian clutched the dried broad beans delivered from Anyang County, a cunning gleam in his merchant gaze.

Suddenly, Zhang Qiquan rushed in anxiously from outside. The moment he saw Zheng Ruqian, he slapped his thigh. “Master, something happened!”