Chapter 141: Shouldn’t She Die for Plotting Against Her Husband and His Family?

Chapter 141: Shouldn't She Die for Plotting Against Her Husband and His Family?

In the prison of the Dali Temple, Lin Qiutang, who had been subjected to caning, lay weakly on a straw pallet. The moonlight streamed in through a high window, illuminating the dirty prison uniform marked with streaks of blood.

Her heart was filled with despair, unsure if she could survive this ordeal. Once, she had seen Pei Chong as her only support, but now even that last bastion was gone. She had to face torturous interrogations while living in constant fear that Pei Chong might secretly harm her.

Both physically and mentally, she felt on the brink of breaking down.

At this moment, she truly regretted her past actions. If she had known then what she knows now, she would never have gotten involved with him.

Amidst her labored breathing, Lin Qiutang slowly closed her eyes.

"Qiutang... Qiutang..."

Just as she was on the edge of sleep, a familiar voice called out. Lin Qiutang slowly opened her eyes and noticed that the light had dimmed considerably. She could vaguely make out three figures standing near the cell door.

Two men and one woman, their features indistinct.

"Who are you?" Having experienced the previous encounter with assassins, Lin Qiutang instinctively shrunk back into the shadows.

"Qiutang, how heartless you are."

"Qiutang, how could you harm Zhan'er? He was your husband."

That voice... it sounded like her mother-in-law...

How could that be?

She had succumbed to illness not long after Lin Qiutang married into the family. Could it be... that she had returned as a ghost to seek vengeance for Pei Zhan and her father-in-law?

"Cough... cough cough..."

That coughing sound...

Every spring and autumn, her father-in-law would suffer from a chronic cough that would last for ten to fifteen days before improving...

Though she tried to remain calm, her voice quivered: "Are you... are you... human or ghosts?"

Her gaze shifted to the silent man, who was emaciated and hung his head low, showing no reaction, like a lifeless corpse.

The moonlight fell on him, and Lin Qiutang recognized the clothes he was wearing—the same ones Pei Zhan had worn on the night he died.

Suddenly, the man, who had been motionless, slowly raised his head. As his body moved, the sound of bones creaking echoed.

Lin Qiutang's face turned as white as a sheet. She instinctively pinched herself hard, and the pain brought her a sliver of clarity, but it also plunged her into boundless terror.

If she could feel pain, did that mean all of this was real?

"Help! There are ghosts! Someone, help!"

Her cries echoed through the prison walls, but there was no response. The jailer sitting not far away seemed not to hear her, sleeping soundly on a rickety table.

Lin Qiutang had no choice but to try to steady herself. She stared at the man wearing Pei Zhan's clothes and shouted, "Stop playing ghostly tricks! I'm not afraid of you!"

This time, the man seemed to react. His voice sounded as if it came from the depths of hell: "Qiutang, are you really not afraid?"

In the blink of an eye, the man had crossed the prison bars and appeared right in front of Lin Qiutang.

At this moment, she could no longer remain calm, disregarding her injuries as she shuffled towards the corner.

She was genuinely terrified, her teeth chattering as she tried to speak: "You... you... it was Pei Chong who killed you, go seek him for your revenge."

"And what about you? Conspiring with your brother-in-law and murdering your own husband's family—don't you deserve to die?"

As he approached step by step, Lin Qiutang was petrified, her composure shattered, instinctively defending herself: "I was coerced by Pei Chong. It's all because you stumbled upon things you weren't supposed to know. It was all Pei Chong's idea. If I hadn't complied, I would have been killed too..."

Lin Qiutang covered her head with her hands, not daring to look up, then suddenly knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly: "Pei Zhan, given our history as husband and wife, and that I bore you a child, please let me go."

Pei Zhan, who was advancing, paused at her words: "What did you say?"

"When you had the accident, I was already pregnant. To protect the child, I deceived Pei Chong into believing the child was his. To conceal our relationship, he sent the child to Lu City, but I don't know who he gave the child to."

Pei Zhan suppressed his excitement: "At this juncture, you'd concoct such a lie to save your skin?"

"No, everything I said is true. If you doubt me, verify it with the midwife who delivered the child."

Pei Zhan was so agitated he couldn't even feel the dampness in his palms: "Regardless, the fact remains: you killed me and my father. It's time to pay with your life."

"No, no, no, please, no..." Lin Qiutang had nowhere to retreat, only kowtowing repeatedly: "I don't want to die—I still have a child. Please, spare me. I'll tell you everything I know. Go after Pei Chong—he's the one who should pay for this."

At these words, the shadow before her finally stopped moving.

Lin Qiutang, trembling uncontrollably, finally caught her breath.

**

Outside the cell, He An, now fully informed, approached the distraught Pei Zhan and patted his shoulder: "Now that the truth is clear, I will ensure justice for the Pei family, but..."

Pei Zhan staggered and knelt down: "Pei Chong is suspected of treason; I dare not hope to save my own life. I only ask that the Prime Minister help me verify if what Lin Qiutang said is true."

He An knew he was referring to the child, glanced at Jiang Qi, who then left.

"Rest assured, if this is true, I will spare no effort to help you find the child."

Ji Lingchuan helped him up: "Now that Lin Qiutang has confessed, this news is likely to reach the palace soon."

He An nodded, looking at the sky: "Let's head to the palace immediately."

After all this effort, they couldn't afford to lose the upper hand.

He An's expression turned grave: "Are you willing to come with us?"

If Pei Zhan went, his fate would rest in the Emperor's hands.

But if he stayed, the evidence would lose much of its weight.

Pei Zhan resolutely nodded, having already resigned himself to death, he sought only justice.

**

Jiang Qi found the midwife who had delivered Lin Qiutang's child and brought her to the Prime Minister's residence.

Upon learning the truth, Ruan Qinghuan felt relief for Pei Zhan but remained skeptical of Lin Qiutang's claims, thus interrogating more thoroughly.

The midwife answered her questions one by one, confirming what Lin Qiutang had said.

Lin Qiutang had bribed the midwife to claim the child was premature, born before eight months.

In fact, the child was full-term, meaning she had conceived before the Pei family's misfortune.

Ruan Qinghuan was shocked.

Pei Zhan is an upright man. If he could truly leave behind a descendant, it would be a stroke of luck: "Jiang Qi, send someone to Lu City immediately to investigate this matter thoroughly."

"Yes."

By the time these matters were settled, it was nearly dawn, and He An still hadn't returned. Ruan Qinghuan grew increasingly anxious.

Given that this involved the Prince of Chen, she feared the Emperor might show bias as he had done last time.

As she was lost in her anxious thoughts, there was a sudden knock at the door—it was Jiang Ming.

Xia Lian quickly pulled him inside.

Ruan Qinghuan looked grave: "Is everything going smoothly at the palace?"

"The master told me to come back and let you know, ma'am, that he'll be going straight to the morning court at the palace and not to worry."

Once Jiang Ming left, Ruan Qinghuan breathed a sigh of relief. If he could send someone back with a message, the situation probably wasn't too bad.