Chapter 181: I Beg You, Save My Son

Chapter 181: I Beg You, Save My Son

Tiandong was at a loss.

"This subordinate does not know," he replied.

Sun Zhiye knitted his brows. "Tiandong, send a message to Hong Biao in Shunhe County."

Tiandong bowed and leaned in to listen attentively.

"Ensure you secretly send him to the capital to find an experienced old midwife who was once sent out of the palace. Preferably one with eyes as sharp as a torch and the ability to accurately determine whether a woman is still a virgin," Sun Zhiye lowered his voice and gravely instructed.

Tiandong was shocked. "Young Master, is it your intention..."

Sun Zhiye replied, "I just want to uncover what else is hidden beneath the tip of the iceberg."

If the letter couldn't make Miss Lu take it seriously, what about Lu Mingchao, who was still pure after her wedding?

After all, it was Lu Mingchao, not Lu Minghui, who was childhood friends with the heir of the Duke's family.

"Young Master, have no worries," Tiandong responded.

A strange and subtle sense of joy began to well up in Sun Zhiye's heart.

As if proving that Lu Mingchao was still a virgin would allow him to finally hold his head high.

He couldn't deny that he was deeply bothered by the fact that he couldn't measure up to Xie Yan in Lu Mingchao's heart.

"Go back."

"Young Master, rest assured."

Be careful, walls have ears.

The jailers know the layout of the county jail better than anyone.

Especially since the cell where Sun Zhiye was held was specially selected.

The eavesdropper and Tiandong left the county jail one after the other.

Lu Mingchao wasn't surprised at all by Sun Zhiye's decision to address the root of the problem.

Immediately, she took a few pieces of silver from a small box and handed them to the jailer who had come to deliver the message.

"Mr. Lu, you are too generous."

"You're on good terms with Bailiff Shi, who had once saved my mother's life. Given Bailiff Shi's prior instructions, how could I possibly accept your silver?" The jailer declined.

Lu Mingchao wore a warm smile. "It's just a small token of my gratitude."

She paused, then added, "Perhaps you might come across some unexpected wealth, far beyond what this silver can offer."

The jailer tucked the silver into his sleeve, his eyes lighting up, and clasped his hands. "Please, Mr. Lu, enlighten me."

Lu Mingchao pointed in the direction of the Sun family's residence. "Descendants are descendants. It can only be understood, not explained."

The jailer said, "Thank you, Mr. Lu, for your guidance."

Lu Mingchao watched the jailer leave from the back door of the Chaofu Grain Shop's courtyard.

"Hong Biao in Shunhe County?"

Lu Mingchao murmured to herself as she closed the door.

Unfortunately, the officer who came to deliver the message didn’t completely overhear the conversation between Sun Zhiye and Tiandong.

Some information had to be pieced together through assumptions.

Shu Yuan and Xie Yan silently appeared on either side of Lu Mingchao like drifting ghosts.

One pair of eyes burned with intense sincerity, like a spring breeze sweeping through bamboo forests and pine waves, clothing the mountains in a lush green.

The other was stiff, aloof, and arrogant, like a lotus in an August pond—even at its peak, it remained distant and unapproachable.

"Should we take Hong Biao down before Tiandong does?" Shu Yuan, confident with the Shadow Guard at his disposal, suggested.

Lu Mingchao and Xie Yan exchanged glances before shaking their heads. "We should wait until Tiandong's message gets to him before we pry open Hong Biao's mouth. That way, we can also figure out Sun Zhiye's plans."

Hong Biao?

He didn’t sound like someone with much of a fierce reputation.

"I didn't expect Sun Zhiye to have connections in Shunhe County either."

"Don't be so quick to move against Hong Biao. First, look into Sun Zhiye's background."

"With this information, the effort to prepare a special cell for Sun Zhiye wasn’t in vain."

Shu Yuan clicked his tongue in disapproval. "Sun Zhiye really hit a brick wall by messing with you two."

Xie Yan corrected him, "Your Shadow Guard played a big part."

"So, you're also part of the obstacle."

Shu Yuan replied, "Glad to be of service."

Faint sounds of commotion drifted into the backyard on the wind.

Lu Mingchao furrowed her brow. Could there be trouble at the free clinic, even with officers keeping order?

She put on her veil again. Accompanied by Xie Yan, she passed through the small gate to the shop and stood on the stone steps outside the grain store. The entire scene of commotion came into view.

An acquaintance?

The old man who had caused trouble at Chaofu Grain Shop before, claiming that the grain had poisoned his wife.

Wang Laoer.

It had been some time since they last saw him, and Wang Laoer was now skin and bones, resembling a walking corpse from afar.

Wang Laoer gritted his teeth, struggling to push a wooden cart forward step by step as the wheels creaked.

Veins bulged on his forehead as if they were about to burst, and beads of sweat trickled down the network of wrinkles on his face.

The people in line pointed and whispered.

Clearly, the old incident hadn't been completely forgotten.

Lu Mingchao hadn't paid much attention to the aftermath of the poisoning case, only vaguely remembering that an obscure underling of Sun Zhiye had taken the blame, and then there was no further news.

She had already gained enough from that incident and let it go, as there was no substantial gain to be had anyway.

A flicker of suspicion crossed Lu Mingchao's eyes, and she instinctively tensed up.

Unexpectedly, after securing the wooden cart, Wang Laoer suddenly knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly.

The thumping sounds echoed like beating drums.

The murmuring crowd instantly fell silent as the thumping sounds echoed.

Xie Yan stepped forward and easily helped Wang Laoer up.

"Old man, say what's on your mind."

"Kowtowing without a word like this will drag my wife into the spotlight."

"My wife is allegedly the epitome of gentleness and kindness."

"Words can be harmful; are you trying to drive her to despair?"

"The 'epitome of gentleness and kindness?'"

"Does gentleness and kindness even belong in the same sentence as Lu Mingchao?"

"They are all old foxes; why play innocent?"

Xie Yan, having grown up in the north, had developed a thick skin, hardened by the harsh winds.

Lu Mingchao responded in a cold voice,

"Old man, about the false accusation you and your son made regarding poisonous food at Chaofu Grain Shop,

the officer has decided to resolve the matter with ten strokes of the cane as punishment. I've also decided not to pursue this further."

"If it weren't for this behavior, what do you intend to do?"

"Kowtowing without a word like this, who knows how it will be interpreted?"

"It'll likely be twisted into something bad."

"What she urgently needs now is a good reputation."

"If it weren't for handling Fu Huai, who'd care about reputation?"

"Please, please, just save my son."

Wang Laoer was about to kneel again.

But with Xie Yan there, Wang Laoer's attempts were futile.

Lu Mingchao's gaze fell on the wooden cart, where a tattered quilt covered a motionless figure lying there.

Lu Mingchao remained unmoved.

"I don't know how to save lives."

"There are officers and doctors present today."

"If you have any grievances, you can take them to the officers."

"If you need medical help, consult the doctors."

Lu Mingchao was greatly shocked. "I won't be a scapegoat."