Peaceful Farm Life

Chapter 2596: Chapter 2597: Return to Tianyun (163)

As soon as the two young servants finished speaking, the eight family members of Aunt Zhou were found by the soldiers.

The eight family members were all tied up, but upon seeing Su Yi Jing, who seemed to be the leader of the soldiers, they all knelt down.

One person urgently said, ”Sir, we are not bad people, we are ordinary citizens of the Imperial City, normally doing legitimate business. They suddenly captured us, saying they would use us to threaten my mother to do something for them. We know nothing else.”

Upon hearing this, the two young servants of Taoming Hai quickly elaborated, ”Master, it’s truly not our fault. It’s the Second Young Master and Second Young Lady who feared they wouldn’t have good days, so they thought to capture them, threatening Aunt Zhou to burn the Princess and Prince Consort to death. We acted under orders, we didn’t want this either.”

Tao Chengyin’s heart wasn’t half cold now; it was completely cold.

Su Yi Jing glanced at the stunned Tao Chengyin and ordered, ”Take them all to the Ministry of Justice. Daring to plot against the Princess and Prince Consort, they deserve execution.”

...

When Su Yi Jing returned to the Tao Mansion, he captured Taoming Hai and Wan Banyan. Seeing Tao Chengyin, Taoming Hai and Banyan cried and pleaded for Tao Chengyin to speak on their behalf to save their lives.

Tao Chengyin looked at them with indifference and said woodenly, ”You’ve always been at odds with the Princess and Prince Consort, but they have never genuinely held you accountable. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have lived until now. Yet you want to kill them; now the Prince Consort’s life is uncertain, so you all deserve it. I advised you before, you still acted this way, you truly deserve it. Deserving it is one thing, but also implicating the Five Clans of the Tao family is another. If the Five Clans of the Tao family are all beheaded because of you, even as ghosts in the Netherworld, they won’t let you off.”

When Mrs. Cao learned that the arson was masterminded by her son and daughter-in-law, she instantly turned pale and collapsed to the ground.

She then crawled on her knees to Su Xing, pleading, ”Princess, I beg you, for the sake that he is my only son and sole hope, spare him, spare him, I beg you, I beg you...”

Su Xing looked at her expressionlessly, ”If my husband dies, I won’t behead him—”

Too anxious, Mrs. Cao didn’t wait for Su Xing to finish and repeatedly thanked her, ”Thank you, Princess, thank you, Princess.”

Su Xing continued, ”I will cut him into a thousand pieces.”

The smile on Mrs. Cao’s face disappeared instantly, and she collapsed again, pale-faced, like a soulless corpse.

...

Regarding the Princess and Prince Consort, the Minister of Justice dared not overlook a thing, interrogating through the night. By early the next day, everything was clarified, including testimonies and signatures of those captured.

Once it was clear, the Minister of Justice led his men to the Tao Mansion and met Su Changyi and An Jing.

Su Xing stood by, listening.

After the Minister of Justice finished speaking, Su Changyi said, ”As for how to handle those people, follow the Princess’s wishes.”

The Minister of Justice responded promptly, ”Yes, Emperor.”

Su Xing then said expressionlessly, ”Aunt Zhou’s family members are innocent, release them. The Five Clans of the Tao family don’t need to be executed; I am the daughter-in-law of this house, but grievances have specific people responsible. I demand the lives of Taoming Hai and Wan Banyan. As for those who kidnapped Aunt Zhou’s family, handle it according to Tianyun’s laws.”