Chapter 027: Partridge Sky (Part 2)
This was the second time that Ni Su was tried in the Silusi of Guangning Prefecture.
But Tian Qizhong did not ask her any questions. He only asked someone to bring the medicinal residue to her. Ni Su identified the medicinal ingredients one by one and indeed found Chuanwu in it.
"There is absolutely no Chuanwu in the medicine I use."
Ni Su threw down the medicine residue and met Tian Qizhong's gaze.
"Whether it is true or not, how can we rely on your one-sided statement?" Tian Qizhong has not yet forgotten the fact that this woman easily revealed that he had a yellow talisman on his body when he was tortured here before. Until now, he still finds it very strange.
"Azhou, I gave you a prescription."
Ni Su looked at the young man who was kneeling beside her with his head down.
Ah Zhou raised his head, his eyes swollen like walnuts. Seeing the judge sitting on the throne glaring at him, he said in a hoarse voice, "I lost it when I was decocting medicine for my mother..."
Just as he finished speaking, he met Ni Su's eyes and added, "Even if the prescription is still there, you, you can't forget to write down a few medicines!"
"Won't."
Ni Su said calmly, "Doctors should be extremely careful when using medicine. I remember clearly what medicine was used for your mother and how much was used."
"What kind of a healer are you?"
Ah Zhou leaned forward and kowtowed to the magistrate Tian Qizhong, "Sir! She is just a medicine woman, how can she be the same as a real doctor? If she missed something, who would know!"
Tian Qizhong did not respond, but only asked the old doctor with white hair and beard: "Have you identified all the medicinal materials in the dregs?"
The old doctor nodded hurriedly and sent the prescription written according to the medicine residue to Tian Qizhong's desk, saying: "Please look, sir, there are angelica, white peony root, raw rehmannia root, white atractylodes, roasted licorice, ginseng, and I see crushed sumac and myrrh. If it weren't for the extra ingredient Chuanwu, this prescription would be an excellent prescription. It is perfect for saving the damaged fetus and preserving the fetus."
Tian Qizhong didn't understand the pharmacology. He just heard the old doctor say that it should be a good prescription. He felt strange. Just as the coroner came in, he immediately waved and said, "Tell me, how did it work?"
When A Zhou saw the coroner approaching, his shoulders tensed up and he pursed his lips, trying hard to hide a certain uneasiness.
"My Lord, it was indeed caused by poisoning."
The coroner answered respectfully.
This should have been the most favorable testimony for A Zhou, but both Ni Su and Tian Qi Zhong saw that the young man's eyes widened after hearing the coroner's words.
"As for whether it is the poison of Chuanwu, that is unknown." The coroner can only check whether the person is poisoned, but cannot tell what the poison is.
The reason why Tian Qizhong did not interrogate Ni Su for the time being was because he was waiting for the jailers who were sent to search Nanhuai Street to come back. He drank a bowl of tea and finally saw them coming back. The book in which Ni Su recorded his medical treatment and medication was also placed in front of Tian Qizhong's desk.
"Is there really no Chuanwu?"
Tian Qizhong compared the prescription in the book with the one just written by the old doctor, and asked the servant again.
"Yes, sir. I and my men have searched the girl's house thoroughly but did not find any Chuanwu." The jailer answered honestly.
That's strange.
Tian Qizhong glanced at Ni Su, then looked at the books and prescriptions on the desk. There was no trace of Chuanwu in her home, so how come it was in this medicine?
The old doctor took the book that Tian Qizhong handed over and took a look at it. "The white peony root and raw rehmannia root are both fried with wine, and the white atractylodes is also fried with stove core soil. The frankincense is degreased, and the myrrh is degreased..."
"Isn't that right?"
Tian Qizhong didn't understand.
"Yes, all are correct." The old doctor raised his head and looked at Ni Su who was kneeling there. His expression was a bit complicated. It was obvious that he did not trust this girl who looked so young, but as a doctor, he could not say anything "wrong".
He pointed at the book and said to Tian Qizhong: "This woman's record should be more detailed. Sir, look, there are also dietary prescriptions for replenishing qi and blood written below. Papaya and carp are also correct. Carp is the □□ of yin, sweet in taste, neutral in nature, enters the spleen, stomach, and kidney meridians, has the effects of diuresis and swelling, nourishing blood and promoting lactation, and is very good for stabilizing pregnancy. Papaya is slightly cold in nature..."
Seeing that the old doctor was about to chatter endlessly, Tian Qizhong raised his hand to interrupt him. He stared at the young man named Azhou and was about to ask him a question, but saw a group of people walking in.
The old man in the lead was wearing a scarlet official uniform and a long-winged hat, and was surrounded by several officials in green.
"The judge of the Tao Mansion."
Tian Qizhong immediately stood up from behind the desk and bowed to the visitor.
"Lord Tian, why haven't you brought this girl to the main hall of Guangning government office for trial yet?" Judge Tao's rheumatic legs were not feeling well, and it happened to be his turn on duty on this rainy day, so his face looked a little bad.
"Reporting to the judge of the Tao Mansion, the lower officials are waiting for the subordinates to search this woman's home for Chuanwu."
"Did you find anything?"
“No.”
Judge Tao had not expected such an answer, but then he glanced at the dazed young man and said, "Look, I heard that his father is now bedridden, and his mother is now gone. What a misfortune! A good family was broken up just like that..."
Tao Fupan always loves to feel sad about the passing of time.
He has been handling all the trivial cases in the Guangning government office over the years, because apart from him, no one else in the government office has such patience. It is also a rare murder case that he is handling today.
But his words made the young boy Azhou cry and snot.
"This woman doesn't have Chuanwu at home, so where did the Chuanwu in the medicine residue come from?" Judge Tao thought without hesitation, "Maybe she just happened to have that little Chuanwu and used it."
"That doesn't make sense, sir."
Tian Qizhong said, "No one buys only that much Chuanwu. Even if she wanted to, no one would sell it that way."
"So she hid the remaining Chuanwu?"
"That doesn't make sense, sir. You forgot that our people have searched the place thoroughly."
"So what do you say makes sense?"
Judge Tao was a little annoyed with him. "What does the coroner say?"
"Mr. Judge, the woman did die of poisoning."
The coroner immediately bowed in response.
Judge Tao nodded. "If this woman had not used the wrong medicine, who else could have poisoned this woman? What good would it do to harm her?"
"It still doesn't make sense..."
When Tian Qizhong saw that Judge Tao was looking at him, he immediately stopped talking and presented Ni Su's record book and the prescription written by the old doctor. "Please look, Judge Tao, except for Chuanwu, the other herbs and the residues recorded in this book all match. I have also invited a doctor here, and he has determined that if Chuanwu is not there, this prescription is clearly useful and a good one."
"If this woman's medical skills were really not legitimate, then how come she used the other herbs so accurately, but only made a mistake with this one, Chuanwu?"
"Master Tian,"
Judge Tao frowned, "Isn't there no evidence to prove that this woman is innocent? Why don't you ask her how a good woman could become a drug addict? Haven't you, Lord Tian, tried a case of a drug addict killing people? Which decent medical family would allow a woman to learn the skills of her ancestors? How do you know if her path is right or not?"
"Besides," Judge Tao's eyes turned to the woman with a straight back, "Last time she was talking nonsense in Guangning Mansion, and she didn't know how to change her words after being punished. Maybe there is something wrong with her here."
Tian Qizhong knocked his hat brim with his knuckles when he saw Judge Tao talking. He sighed helplessly, "Mr. Judge, I cannot conclude that this woman is innocent, but if I say she is guilty, how can I prove it?"
"Go find it."
Judge Tao was very angry.
"Mr. Magistrate, I didn't talk nonsense last time, and I didn't kill anyone this time." Ni Su had been silent for a long time. When she heard the sound of Magistrate Tao knocking on the brim of his hat, she turned around and said, "My shop on Nanhuai Street is not a medicine shop. I only have some fresh herbs drying in the courtyard. Other than that, there are only some in my medicine box. It's not complete, and I haven't bought Chuanwu."
"You mean, he framed you?"
Judge Tao raised his chin slightly.
Ni Su followed his gaze to look at A Zhou, and when their eyes met, she said, "Yes."
"I don't!"
A Zhou shouted instinctively.
"Take them both to the main hall first."
Tao Fupan had had enough of this damp prison, but he straightened his robe, obviously preparing for a thorough interrogation in court.
Tian Qizhong had worked in Guangning Prefecture for several years. How could he not know that although Judge Tao was a good official who was not afraid of trouble, he often followed his own will when trying cases and was easily biased towards the person he wanted to favor first?
That was why Lord Yin Zheng ordered Judge Tao to handle some cases of disputes among the people. It was also because of this that Judge Tao knew a lot about people like Liu Po.
In Yunjing, regardless of whether the family is big or small, this kind of people often cause trouble in their homes.
This is really disadvantageous to Ni Su.
But it just so happened that Yang Fupan, who usually handles homicide cases, is now claiming to be sick and staying at home.
When Tian Qizhong saw that the jailers had already escorted the young men Azhou and Ni Su out, he was wondering whether he should explain the matter to Lord Yin Zheng.
"Master Zhou, what are you doing here, people from the Night Watch?"
From outside came the unhappy voice of Judge Tao.
Tian Qizhong looked up and walked out immediately, and saw Zhou Ting, the deputy captain of the Night Police.
"I am here in the name of the Han envoy to bring these two back to the Yeshi."
Zhou Ting bowed to the judge of Tao Mansion, and then showed him the token of the Night Envoy .
There were always people following Ni Su in the Night Watch Office. Whenever there was trouble in the old alleys in the west of the city, a close official hiding in the dark would rush back to the Night Watch Office to report.
After Zhou Ting finished the matter at hand, he immediately reported to the envoy Han Qing and rushed to Guangning Mansion to ask for the person.
"Why would the Night Police intervene in a murder case under the jurisdiction of our Guangning Prefecture?" Judge Tao felt uncomfortable, but suddenly remembered that the woman named Ni Su was the younger sister of Ni Qinglan, the candidate who was murdered in the winter examination case.
No wonder the Night Guards wanted to ask about this, but Judge Tao pointed to the young man Azhou who was being held by the police officers not far behind him and asked, "Where is he? Are you taking him away too?"
"yes."
Zhou Ting did not elaborate, "Our Han envoy will send someone to deliver the document to Lord Yin Zheng."
How could Judge Tao not know that the prefect of Guangning Prefecture had come to take over the case of Guangning Prefecture in the night court? Lord Yin Zheng was more than happy to have some free time.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Let Ye Si take the call if he wants, since his rheumatic legs are causing him pain anyway," said Judge Tao, waving his hand.
It's the same situation again.
From Guangning Mansion to the Night Police, but this time Ni Su was not tortured. She followed Zhou Ting into the Night Police. She did not enter the torture room inside, but stayed in the interrogation room outside.
"Chao Fenglang sat here all night, in the same seat as yours." Han Qing leaned back in his chair and asked someone beside him to bring a bowl of hot tea to the woman whose dress was soaked and whose hair was dripping with water.
It is Wushan black tea.
Today in the teahouse, Cai Chunxu also told Ni Su some jokes about her husband Miao Yi Yang, one of which was that Miao Yi Yang mistook Wushan black tea for blood in the Night Palace, which scared her terribly.
Ni Su was holding the bowl of black tea at this moment and felt that it really looked like blood.
Seeing her take a sip of hot tea, Han Qing asked, "Are you really using Chuanwu?"
Ni Su raised her head and looked at the envoy. He was not only the night watchman, but also the supervisor of the palace's eunuch department. She still remembered the cruelty and viciousness he showed in the torture pool that day when he was holding an iron whip.
"No."
She replied.
Han Qing stared at her.
There was silence in the interrogation room for a while.
After a long while, Han Qing raised his eyebrows and said, "Okay, I believe you."
Unexpectedly, Ni Su was released after drinking only a bowl of black tea in the night police station.
"Miss Ni, watch your step."
Seeing that she was walking with heavy steps, like a wandering soul, Zhou Ting reminded her to be careful of the puddles in the cracks of the broken bricks.
"Master Xiao Zhou."
Ni Su looked up at the paper umbrella covering her head, and her ears were filled with the crisp sound of raindrops hitting the brim of the umbrella. "Did Han Shizun really release me because he believed in my innocence?"
Zhou Ting looked at her when he heard the voice, but couldn't say the word "yes".
Han Shizun naturally couldn't believe her just because she said "no". She was just an orphan, how could she be compared with Miao Yiyang, the court official? Miao Yiyang had Du Cong from the Three Departments as a guarantor, but what did she have?
Only the word "utilize".
The reason why she can be used is that her brother is the scholar who died tragically in the now-controversial winter examination case, and that she is an orphan who is seeking justice for her brother.
Ni Su didn't know what kind of article the Night Servant Han Qing and Mr. Meng wanted to use this incident to write their own article. Maybe they were being so gentle with her just because they wanted to use her brother's death to write their own article.
What's more, she was in the Night Palace and couldn't lure the real murderer to kill her.
This is their use.
It's not that he believes in her innocence, but that he doesn't care about her innocence at all.
"Miss Ni, Chao Yisong's legs don't hurt anymore."
Chao Yisong was the personal officer who was sent by Zhou Ting to Ni Su Medical Clinic to treat his external injuries a few days ago.
The rain was falling heavily. Ni Su looked at him from under the paper umbrella without saying a word.
His avoidance of the question was already considered a tacit agreement.
The sky was dark due to the wind and rain, and it was about to get completely dark. Ni Su thought of Xu Ziling who had ventured to leave her side in the old alley in the west of the city today. She immediately lifted her skirt and ran towards Nanhuai Street.
What we are experiencing today is definitely not groundless.
The guards of Guangning Prefecture should have found Sichuan aconite in her home to convict her.
Xu Ziling must have thought of this immediately when he heard A Zhou's words, so those jailers returned empty-handed.
Zhou Ting saw her suddenly run out from under the umbrella. In the rain, her back seemed to melt into flowing ink.
"Master Xiao Zhou, I told you that you don't know how to coax a young lady, right?"
Chao Yisong, the limping attendant behind him, gave the umbrella to the person next to him and quickly got under the canopy of his umbrella. "When the girl asks you whether you are innocent or not, you should just say that you believe her!"
Chao Yisong was only a few steps away and the sound of rain obscured what he could hear, so he couldn't hear clearly. But by listening vaguely, he guessed what Miss Ni was asking.
Zhou Ting held the handle of the umbrella and walked quickly forward, staring at the woman's hazy back in the mist and rain. Suddenly he stopped.
Chao Yisong took a step forward, but unexpectedly the crackling raindrops hit his head and face. He looked back in frustration.
Zhou Ting straightened his back, the hem of his black robe was wet with rain water: "I don't believe it."
"ah?"
Chao Yisong was stunned.
"Her case has not yet been tried. There is no evidence to prove her guilt or innocence. If I rashly say I believe her, I will be deceiving her."
Zhou Ting saw that the woman was about to walk away, so he walked past Chao Yisong and said, "Send her back first. When you get off duty later tonight, you can repay her for treating your leg injury and join me in interrogating Ah Zhou."
“…”
Chao Yisong was speechless.
The shop that Ni Su had spent several days cleaning up was in a mess again after it was searched by the runners of Guangning Prefecture. Even the floor that she had scrubbed was covered with messy mud and footprints.
There was thunder outside, the light in the main hall was dim, and Ni Su was covered in rain.
"Chao Yisong, let them clean up."
Zhou Ting walked in, saw her standing there alone, glanced at the mess in the hall, then turned back and said.
Chao Yisong and others came in and started to support the bookshelf and pick up things.
"No need, Master Xiao Zhou, I can clean it up myself."
Ni Su was thinking about Xu Ziling, so she raised her head and refused.
"It's just a small effort, don't worry about it."
Seeing her trembling unconsciously, Zhou Ting turned around and took the hot ginger tea that Chao Yisong had bought from the tea stall outside and handed it to her.
They quickly packed up and went out, leaving only a few people outside to guard in a secluded place that could withstand the rain. Zhou Ting also left with an umbrella.
Chao Yisong hid under Zhou Ting's umbrella, thinking mysteriously for a moment, then poked Zhou Ting with his elbow and said, "Master Zhou, guess what I just saw?"
"What?"
Zhou Ting's expression became serious, thinking that he had found some clues related to the case.
"A dress that is not yet finished!"
Chao Yisong smiled, but he was speechless for a moment when he saw Zhou Ting's calm and serious face. He said helplessly: "Sir, I see, that is the style for men to wear."
What do men wear?
Zhou Ting was stunned.
"Tell me, Miss Ni didn't do it for you, did she?" Chao Yisong finally said what he wanted to say most.
"The Guangning Mansion's gang of bastards, the search was not a confiscation of property, why are they acting like locusts passing through the territory?"
He sighed, "The dress is not finished yet. I see it just fell on the ground with a pile of embroidery threads. I don't know how many dirty footprints are on it. I'm afraid it can't be washed. What a pity."
Zhou Ting said nothing and just lowered his eyes.
It was completely dark. After Zhou Ting and others left, Ni Su immediately ran to the back porch. She lit a lantern and called Xu Ziling repeatedly, but no one responded.
Ni Su pushed open a door.
The dark room was suddenly filled with the light of the lantern in her hand. She walked around the screen and the dim light illuminated the young man lying on the bed.
He was very quiet, so quiet that Ni Su thought that a living soul could die again.
"Xu Ziling!"
Ni Su put down the lantern, and the dust floated. She once again clearly saw the bloody wounds under his rolled up sleeves, as if his flesh had been peeled off, and they were horrible.
The lantern she lit seemed to give him a ray of life. Xu Hexue took a long time to react before opening his eyes. His bloodless lips moved: "Ni Su, can you light a few more lanterns?"
Ni Su immediately found some incense and candles, and used the flame of the lantern to light ten of them. Then he said, "That's enough. I can see clearly now."
Ni Su turned around.
"It seems that Mr. Zhou arrived just in time, and you were not injured in Guangning Mansion."
When he regained some strength, he pulled his sleeves together to cover up his appearance.
Ni Su thought that he asked her if she could light more lights because of the pain he was enduring, but it turned out that he was waiting for this moment for his eyes to regain clarity so that he could see if she was being tortured.
Even today in Azhou's yard, many pairs of eyes looked at her with undisguised contempt, even when Azhou insulted her as a "despicable person" and they refused to call her a "medicine worker", they always accused her of being a "medicine woman", Ni Su did not shed a tear.
But she only heard one sentence from the person in front of her.
His eyes instantly turned red.
"Xu Ziling,"
Tears blurred her eyes, and she briefly experienced how he felt, curled up alone in this dark room, unable to see anything. "I don't want anyone to bring me food anymore. I'll learn by myself."
