"He was fine not long ago. How did he get into trouble now? Who did this to him? "
The noblewoman's eyes were red from crying. Her tears washed away the heavy makeup on her face, leaving two streaks.
The noblewoman was not the only one crying. Her children kneeling beside her were crying too. Not far away, there were five or six children born of concubines who were crying even more heartbroken.
Old Master Liu and Old Madam, who rushed over after hearing the news, almost fainted from crying.
"Who did this to my son?"
"Mother's son …"
The hall was a mess. The noblewomen who came to attend the banquet all looked embarrassed.
Obviously, this was not a good time to say goodbye.
A few noblewomen who had conflicts with that madam saw the situation and could not help but secretly cover their mouths with handkerchiefs to hide their smiles.
They had only been gloating for a few seconds when their servants brought terrible news.
Their husbands had died, and their residences were surrounded by heavy troops.
How could this be?
The people who were gloating could not laugh anymore. Their expressions were frozen in a twisted angle, looking especially strange.
They reacted the same way as the noblewoman before them. They suspected that the servants had spread the news wrongly.
When the truth was placed in front of them, they cried even more heartbreakingly than the noblewoman before them. How could they care about their manners?
For a moment, they had the same thought in their minds. Who killed their husbands?
Who else could it be?
After asking around, they knew how their husbands had died.
They plotted to murder the two Liu governors, secretly colluded with the nobles of the Northern borderline, and attempted to overthrow Chongzhou with the Northern borderline!
However, the winner takes all. They failed at the last step.
Their plan had been seen through by Madam Liu and Madam Liu in advance, and they had been killed instead.
If the dead man had not been their husbands, they would have believed it.
"Liu Zhongqing, this is unfounded slander! Our ancestors were all citizens of Chongzhou. How could we collude with the Northern borderline? "
"This is clearly the Liu father and daughter who wanted to monopolize power. That's why they killed my husband with a groundless accusation …"
"Slander! All slander! "
The noblewomen cried and shook their heads.
Those who were mentally strong endured the pain and tried to stabilize the situation in the residences.
Those who didn't have much ability sat on the ground and cried. The entire mansion was in a mess like headless flies.
No matter how much they cried and made a fuss, the soldiers surrounding the mansion refused to back down or retreat.
Some sent servants to resist, but they were immediately killed by the soldiers.
Seeing this, they finally stopped for a while.
After making a ruckus for most of the night, the matrons and elders of the various clans united to demand an explanation from Liu She.
They did not like Liu She because Liu She was an outsider. The more power he had, the less benefits the Chongzhou aristocratic families would receive. Even so, they wouldn't do anything to Liu She. After all, he still had soldiers in his hands.
Of course, they didn't take action not because they were merciful, but because Liu She was powerful.
If Liu She did not have soldiers in his hands, not to mention being the magistrate of Chongzhou for a few years, even the grass on his grave would be as tall as a man.
They hadn't done anything before, and it was even more impossible for them to do anything now.
One Liu She was already hard enough to deal with. Now, Liu Xi, who had more than ten thousand soldiers and horses with him, was even harder to defeat if the father and daughter joined forces.
Even if they wanted to plot against Liu She, they had to wait until Liu She retreated behind the scenes before joining forces to bully the young Liu Xi.
Anyone with a discerning eye knew that they wouldn't hurt Liu She and his daughter. Why would they assassinate them at such a sensitive time?
It was obvious that someone had purposely set them up!
Every family's mansion was heavily guarded.
Apart from the matrons and elders who could enter and leave, everyone else was blocked. This was a clear house arrest!
Seeing this, everyone was so angry that their faces turned red. They looked at Liu She with murderous intent.
"Magistrate Liu, I hope you can give us an explanation for the massacre of the gentry last night. Even if you are the magistrate, you can't kill the innocent. "
A prestigious elder spoke. He was older than Liu She, so he didn't hold back when he questioned him.
Liu She raised his hand weakly. Jiang Pengji, who was beside him, sneered and said, "Do you need me to give you a reason? Plotting to kill a magistrate is a crime that warrants the execution of nine generations. I've been merciful by not coming to settle the score with you personally. I didn't expect you to come here and complain first! You're indeed the local tyrant of Chongzhou. You're unscrupulous. You've really opened my eyes! "
The elder glanced at Jiang Pengji, who was dressed in women's clothing, and said with contempt, "What right do you have to speak here?"
Jiang Pengji said, "I am the magistrate of Wanzhou. Do you think I have the right? The aristocratic families of Chongzhou really had a good plan. You actually wanted to capture me and my daughter to claim credit from the royal court of the northern borderline. If I didn't have capable people protecting me by my side, I would have been beheaded by now! "
The elder saw that Jiang Pengji was insisting that the aristocratic families of Chongzhou were up to no good. He was so angry that his blood pressure almost skyrocketed.
"This is all slander!"
Jiang Pengji sneered. "Slander? How is it slander? You mean to say that I and my father purposely stabbed ourselves with a knife to slander you? Since you refuse to admit it, I'll show you the evidence. "
Someone said, "How can injuries be faked? Who knows if this is a conspiracy between you and your daughter?"
Jiang Pengji said, "What's the use of quibbling? Show me the evidence. Let's see if you admit it or not!"
Having said that, Jiang Pengji waved her hand outside. A doctor carrying a medical box came forward.
The man's hair and beard were all white. He was no stranger to everyone.
The doctor's medical skills were superb. He was a doctor employed by the aristocratic families of Chongzhou. He had a close relationship with each family.
Jiang Pengji's and Liu She's injuries were also treated by him. He knew the condition of their injuries the best.
The doctor trembled as he told the truth.
Liu She's injuries were relatively light, but Jiang Pengji's injuries were very serious. The three wounds were all close to vital parts.
Who would risk their own lives for the sake of framing someone?
At that moment, Liyun brought people over. The people behind him carried dozens of big boxes.
He nodded at Jiang Pengji. Jiang Pengji received the hint and sneered in her heart.
"These things were all found in your residence …"
As soon as she said the first sentence, the faces of the dozens of people below changed.
They had just stepped out of the door when the soldiers outside barged in. They looked as if they were confiscating property.
Jiang Pengji continued, "Take a look. Do these things belong to you?"
The boxes were opened one by one.
They were filled with bamboo slips, account books, land deeds, and a few letters.
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