The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife
Chapter 336: Better than Doing Meaningless Work

Chapter 336: Better than Doing Meaningless Work

Nanli’s lips twitched. It seemed Dalisi Procuratorate was indeed strapped for funds. Well, one tael was better than doing meaningless work. Moreover, this matter was likely connected to her elder brother, so she felt compelled to intervene.

She gestured to Qin Zheng, lowered her voice, and said a few words. Qin Zheng listened attentively and nodded hurriedly, "I understand!"

Nanli said, "Then I’ll leave it to Lord Qin. Carry out everything according to plan and make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Your Highness, rest assured," Qin Zheng assured her.

Immediately, Qin Zheng gathered his men and surrounded the Xue residence. He also brought Ming Chong along to ensure their safety, lest they face more sorcery that they couldn’t handle.

Dalisi Procuratorate’s sudden siege of the Xue residence caused quite a stir. The commoners gathered at the gates, speculating what offense the Xue family had committed to attract the Dalisi Procuratorate’s officials and soldiers.

The Xue family members assembled in the front courtyard. Lord Xue wore a cold expression but had to bow his head slightly to Qin Zheng, asking, "What has my Xue family done? Lord Qin, what is the meaning of this grand display of force?"

The Xue family, a prestigious lineage in the capital, was now facing public disgrace.

Standing proudly with hands behind his back, Qin Zheng declared, "Lord Xue, I have recently discovered that several of your household servants did not die accidentally. As this involves multiple deaths, I have come today with my men to investigate thoroughly and bring justice to the deceased."

The Xue family members murmured among themselves, some visibly frightened. Accustomed to their high status, they had sometimes mistreated their servants, resulting in some losing their lives. They had usually brushed such matters aside by paying off the families and replacing the deceased with new servants.

Now, with Dalisi Procuratorate searching and arresting people over these deaths, Lord Xue found it absurd.

In a cold voice, Lord Xue retorted, "Lord Qin, are you really searching my household over a few worthless servants’ deaths?!"

"Lord Xue, even if a beggar on the street were killed, Dalisi Procuratorate would investigate thoroughly! Moreover, we suspect that someone from your household plotted against the Deputy Registrar Song! That’s why today, I must dig deep into the Xue family and search thoroughly!" Qin Zheng’s voice was sharp, his chin lifted.

In the crowd, Shuang’er couldn’t help trembling. Though Xue Shengnan feigned fear, she noticed Shuang’er’s anxiety and grabbed her hand to calm her down. They couldn’t afford to lose their composure at such a crucial moment.

Lord Xue’s face darkened. "Nonsense! My Xue family is upright and honorable. How could we plot against a low-ranking official?! Moreover, he was betrothed to my daughter!"

Lady Xue stepped forward, casting a sharp glance at Xue Shengnan. Her tone was biting, "Indeed, Lord Qin should investigate if someone’s fate was so ill-starred that it led to Deputy Registrar Song’s tragic accident."

Xue Shengnan’s nose tingled with the onset of tears, her expression portraying innocence. In front of outsiders, Lord Xue defended his family, glaring at Lady Xue. "What nonsense are you talking? Clearly, it was Song Zihan’s own ill fate; what does it have to do with Shengnan?"

Unfazed by the scolding, Lady Xue snorted and continued, "But that’s not how outsiders see it. They say your eldest daughter is jinxed, and our Xue family’s Feng Shui is bad too! Yanner is of marriageable age, and now, all prospects are ruined."

Spoiled by her upbringing, Xue Yan’er’s heart simmered with unnamed anger upon hearing her mother’s words. Her gaze turned fierce, "It’s all because of you, troublemaker!"

Xue Shengnan continued to bow her head silently, looking pitiful and innocent as usual. If it weren’t for Qin Zheng’s earlier suspicions about Xue Shengnan, he might have pitied her and spoken a few words in her defense. But there was work to be done, and he didn’t want to hear the Xue family’s internal chaos any longer.

"There’s Lord Xue, I’m just carrying out my duties impartially. If you have any complaints, you may petition and accuse me," he said. With a wave of his hand, he ordered the soldiers to spread out immediately and thoroughly search both inside and outside the Xue residence.

Lord Xue clenched his teeth, unable to speak in anger, and could only wait for the Dalisi Procuratorate officials to complete their search before making any plans.

Before long, a soldier hurriedly came to report, "My lord, we’ve found something!"

Qin Zheng raised an eyebrow triumphantly and led his men over. Lord Xue couldn’t help but feel a pang of panic. Could it be that someone from the Xue family truly harmed Song Zihan?

In the courtyard where discoveries were made, Lord Xue’s face turned pale. Inside the house, they found numerous talismans and Bewitched Worms kept in bamboo tubes.

Ming Chong and the imperial physician followed closely, and after inspecting, they confirmed that these were indeed malicious talismans or various kinds of Bewitched Worms harmful to people.

"Whose courtyard is this?" Qin Zheng asked coldly.

Lord Xue stared at those things for a while before recovering his senses. "This... this is my second daughter’s courtyard."

Qin Zheng looked towards Xue Yan’er. "I never expected Miss Xue to be so young and yet proficient in such harmful skills."

Xue Yan’er, usually arrogant and domineering, was now at a loss, unsure of how to proceed. "Mother, it wasn’t me... these things are not mine. I don’t know why they appeared in my room."

Lady Xue shielded her daughter behind her. "Don’t worry, I won’t let you be wrongly accused."

Then, she glared at Qin Zheng and questioned sharply, "Are you framing my daughter? My daughter is not yet fifteen; how could she possess such harmful items?"

Qin Zheng responded, "Lady Xue, be cautious with your words. Dalisi Procuratorate has always handled cases with fairness and integrity. Deputy Registrar Song was clearly harmed by a Soul-Seizing Talisman, which is not easy to create. Furthermore, Reverend Ming Chong has verified that the aura from the jar matches that of the Soul-Seizing Talisman."

The crowd listened intently, stunned. The only thing clear to everyone was that Xue Yan’er had harmed Song Zihan.

At this moment, Xue Shengnan’s eyes welled up with tears. A few crystal drops fell as she spoke softly, "Sister, if you didn’t want me to marry happily, you could have just said so. I would have convinced father to cancel this marriage. Why did you have to be so malicious and harm Master Song..."

Xue Yan’er’s mind was still in turmoil, but upon hearing Xue Shengnan’s words, she erupted in fury. "I would rather see you suffer with him in poverty! How could I harm him?! It must be you! You didn’t want to marry that country bumpkin, so you killed two birds with one stone!"

Xue Shengnan cried weakly, "How could I defy father’s wishes? Sister, please don’t wrongly accuse me."

Xue Yan’er grew even angrier, wanting to rush forward and tear apart Xue Shengnan’s mouth. But Qin Zheng had already ordered the soldiers to take Xue Yan’er into custody.

Lady Xue, furious and anxious, exclaimed, "Lord Qin, are you blind and ignorant?! My daughter wouldn’t even step on an ant on ordinary days. You should investigate Xue Shengnan, that skanky cunt!"