Black Lotus Concubine's Case-solving Notes

The eldest lady stepped forward and said, "Lan Zhao, you are so ignorant. Are all these distinguished guests in the front hall waiting only for you?"

"Is mother really worried about neglecting the distinguished guest, or is she afraid that I will tell the truth and implicate someone?"

"presumptuous!"

A sad expression appeared on the eldest lady's face. "Ninth girl, I originally thought that although you were fostered in the countryside since you were young, you still knew your limits. Today I find out that you are so ignorant of etiquette! You don't know what good manners are!"

"So she is the concubine who was sent to the countryside for foster care because of her fate."

"I heard that when she was born, thunder rolled in the sky and her body was covered with evil bubbles, just like a dragon shedding its skin. She is the reincarnation of an evil dragon! Her aunt was killed by her!"

"There is such a thing! But seeing what she did today, I can understand it. If such a concubine's daughter who doesn't know her dignity and who talks back to her stepmother were in my house, I would definitely beat her until she loses her skin!"

"It's because the mistress of the Xie family is kindhearted that it's hard to be a stepmother. These concubines are born to be lowly!"

The two people who sang the same tune were the two sisters-in-law of the first lady Meng.

In her previous life, when Feng Jia was still the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xie family, these two aunts and Mrs. Meng were birds of a feather, and they often made things difficult for her in secret. Feng Jia didn't understand it before, and she just thought that she really didn't do well enough, which made these two elders dislike her.

Now that I think about it, it all makes sense.

Because they didn't want a niece-in-law who was the Junior Chancellor of the Dali Temple, but a niece-in-law who could help their husbands rise to prominence.

Originally, the husbands of these two people were minor officials in the border town. Three years after Feng Jia's death, one was promoted from Shicheng to the position of Pushe of the Taichang Temple in the capital, a fourth-rank official, and the other was promoted from Yangcheng to the position of Junior Zhanshi of the Zhanshi Mansion, a fourth-rank official. How much of this was due to Princess Pingchang's help?

The Prime Minister's Mansion is obviously a second-rank court official, admired and worshipped by the people, but it hides so many disgusting and shameful things!

Feng Jia wondered if the real Lan Zhao knew that the Prime Minister's Mansion was a more cruel and cold-blooded place than the Wang family in Shicheng, so she chose not to ask for help immediately after being attacked by Wang Da? Because she expected that she would be sent back to the capital after the death of Wang Da's family, so she strangled herself with a rope before that.

That’s right, the real Lan Zhao committed suicide.

This was discovered by Feng Jia later.

As for the real cause of death of the original owner, Feng Jia did not pursue it too much at first because she became a suspect right after her rebirth. After solving the case, she was surprised to find that there was a fresh mark on her neck that was so deep that the bone was almost visible.

According to the recollections of the yamen runners in Shicheng, when they found themselves, there was indeed a thin rope around their necks, but they did not examine it carefully at that time.

Feng Jia went to the scene of the incident, found the rope, and then determined from the direction of the knot that Lan Zhao had committed suicide.

According to common sense, it is impossible for a living person to strangle herself without the help of external force, because the instinct for survival will make her struggle again and again. However, judging from the marks on her neck, the original owner Xie Lanzhao did not struggle.

Not once.

She accepted her death calmly, as if she was extremely disappointed with the world.

Feng Jia's heart seemed to be strangled by someone. She raised her head with red eyes, and complained about the cruelty of this world to a little concubine's daughter: "Madam is right, Lan Zhao was abandoned in Shicheng since she was born. Lan Zhao was originally a concubine's daughter who was born but not raised by her mother. How can she be educated!"

The eldest lady stood there in a daze. She didn't expect the other party to dare to talk back. She didn't know how to react for a moment. Then she looked at Xie Qian, and a look of astonishment appeared on her face.

Feng Jia knocked her head heavily on the ground: "Father, Zhao'er has suffered too many grievances over the years, but my aunt died early and father is not around, Zhao'er has no one to complain to! Mother, you have never disciplined me at all, but now you ask Zhao'er to be polite, know when to advance and retreat, and be well-educated?"

The wet sleeves were draped over her body, and Feng Jia rolled them up little by little along her wrists.

There was a striking cross-shaped scar on the girl's slender, fair right wrist.

"This is where my mother-in-law asked me to carry a bucket when I was five years old. I was too weak to do it, so she called me a born lazy person! To punish me, she stabbed me with a hairpin!"

Going up the sleeve, there was another scar. This one was larger and more serious than the previous one. The skin and flesh were twisted together, like the crisscrossing roots of an old tree, hideous and terrifying.

Under everyone's astonished gaze, Feng Jia slowly said, "This one happened when I was eight years old and following Uncle Wang to herd cattle. I was too hungry and stole a bite of his dry biscuit, and he burned me with his smoking pipe."

"Here, I was also eight years old. I don't know what I did wrong. It was probably because Wang's wife lost money in gambling that day and was in a bad mood. She didn't like me, so she took me to the cowshed and whipped me. The whip was specially used to drive cattle, and it was covered with thorns and vines. My skin was immediately torn apart after one whip. At that time, I cried very hard, shouting that I was the ninth girl of the Prime Minister's Mansion! If my father knew that you treated me like this, he would definitely not forgive you, but what I got in return was an even more fierce beating!"

Feng Jia pointed to another spot and said, "And here, that's the mark where I accidentally tore Brother Wang's clothes, and he hit me with a clothes-washing mallet. I remember it was a very cold winter, and I couldn't stand the beating, so I ran away overnight, but I was eventually caught and brought back. As you can imagine, I was beaten again. The uncles and aunts in the neighborhood saw it, but no one stood up to speak for me. I was so sad at the time, but this time, I didn't call my aunt or my father."

"Because I know that my father is far away in the capital and can't save me at all. And if I shout, they will beat me even harder and more severely!"

Such a thin arm was covered with scars. Some of them were obviously old wounds that were not treated in time after the injury. Some of them looked very new and should have been added in recent years. They looked shocking.

But this was only a part of what was shown. What really distressed Feng Jia was Xie Lanzhao's left wrist.

Her left wrist was covered with knife wounds, and the direction of the knife wounds proved that Xie Lanzhao had attempted suicide countless times.

Feng Jia couldn't imagine how desperate the child must have been to muster up the courage to do that, and then to grab his own wrist tightly, watching his own blood gushing out without trying to save himself, and how much hope he must have for tomorrow to be able to grit his teeth and hold on alone through countless nights after being abused like that.

Feng Jia knocked her head heavily again. When she looked up again, there was a new bloody wound on her forehead. Blood flowed down slowly, and a drop of blood fell on her eyelashes. She looked helpless and pitiful.

"Miss..." The maid Cui Chai beside her couldn't help but called out softly.

Several of the ladies couldn't hold back their tears. They were also mothers, and they thought their children would encounter such a situation. Not to mention experiencing it themselves, just imagining it made them feel heartbroken and heartbroken.

There was also a hint of pity in Princess Nancheng's eyes at this moment.

On the other hand, Xie Qian showed no expression except for the initial surprise, as if what Xie Lanzhao said was far away from him. The first wife, Mrs. Meng, had a look of disdain on her face.

"You little concubine, you are really good at playing the victim!" Meng's sister-in-law, the wife of the Junior Chancellor, snorted coldly.

However, just as she finished her words, someone stepped on her foot. She screamed in pain. Turning back, she saw a woman in bright red brocade clothes staring at her. It was the Countess of Yongchang.

The several noble ladies around her also had fierce looks on their faces, as if they would rush up and slap her if she said one more word. The wife of the Junior Secretary immediately dared not say a word.

Feng Jia lowered her head at this moment, and she said for the deceased Xie Lanzhao: "Over the years, no matter how hard and tiring it was, Zhao'er never complained. Even when children from the same hometown threw stones at me and snatched my food, I did not get angry and stand up to argue. It was only because I knew that Zhao'er's father was a very, very, very important official in this capital."

"As long as I can survive and return to the capital alive, Daddy will definitely give Zhao'er justice!"

"Father, Zhao'er can forget what happened before, but today, I have returned to my home, to the Xie Mansion, and my father is by my side. Are you going to turn a blind eye to Zhao'er's injustice, and allow that evil servant who murdered his master to be re-examined after hearing this?"

"Father, I have never felt that God has been so unfair to me before, because I think father loves me, just like he loves my fifth sister and sixth brother. Lan Zhao wants to know, if it was my fifth sister or sixth brother who encountered this incident today, would father be so calm and put the overall situation first? Would he also scold them for being rude and uneducated when they begged for justice?"

Every word Feng Jia said hit everyone's heart. No one spoke anymore and the entire backyard fell silent, with only the rustling sound of the wind passing through the hall.

Everyone is waiting.

They were all waiting for the powerful prime minister to give this poor child an answer.