C17 Not Guilty

Chu Tianxiong shot a fierce glance at the advisor standing beside him, thinking, "Useless! Almost ruined my reputation!"

"We can't resort to force. Scholar Qiao, do you have any insights?"

Shi Xiaoxia looked over and saw a clean-cut young man, scholarly in appearance. He seemed familiar, but she couldn't place where she'd seen him before.

"He's the only scholar from our village, Qiao Yifan. Xiaoxia, don't you remember?" Dawang prompted her, noticing her puzzled expression.

A scholar? Judging by his attire, his family was certainly better off than most.

No wonder Chu Tianxiong was being so polite. Producing a scholar in these parts was no small feat. If he succeeded in the future, his prospects would be limitless. Naturally, Chu Tianxiong wanted to be courteous, leaving some room for himself.

"I wouldn't call it insight, but since the Shi family girl claims her sister is innocent, perhaps we should look for evidence. Besides, everyone in Red Apricot Village knows something happened at the Shi family yesterday. It wasn't official then, but after the family split and the three sisters left, who knows..."

"Scholar Qiao, this is a family matter!" Shi Xiaoqin interjected.

She couldn't stand his pretentious air. Just because he knew a few more words than others, he went around the village acting like a hero. Now he dared to meddle in the Shi family's affairs, really thinking he was someone important!

Qiao Yifan gave a faint smile, "If I remember correctly, Mrs. Sunn isn't part of the Shi family either, is she?"

A married daughter is like water spilled out; Shi Xiaoqin, having married, is no longer part of the Shi family!

"You..." Shi Xiaoqin's face flushed with anger and embarrassment.

"Since this matter has reached the court, it's no longer just a family issue. How this case is judged, I'll leave to you, Lord Chu."

He sure knows how to speak, effectively silencing Shi Xiaoqin while also giving Lord Chu due respect, earning a bit of gratitude in his heart.

Lord Chu straightened up, "Why didn't you report this yesterday? Why come today?"

"Lord Chu, upon hearing the tragic news yesterday, I was so heartbroken that I couldn't think straight!" Zhou Guihua pleaded pitifully.

"Second Aunt didn't have time to report to the authorities, but she had time to divide the family estate with us sisters?" Shi Xiaoxia chimed in at the right moment.

It was clear they were deliberately making things difficult, thinking that with Shi Xiaoqin, everything would be fine. Who would have expected a scholar to appear out of nowhere?

This incident was well-known throughout Red Apricot Village!

Zhou Guihua was momentarily speechless.

Shi Xiaoxia stepped forward and knelt down. Now, with Lord Chu considering Shi Xiaoqin's standing and also mindful of Qiao Yifan's reputation, she wasn't sure which side held more sway, and she wasn't foolish enough to hold on stubbornly.

As long as Xiaoqiu could be released and cleared of any wrongdoing, they could deal with Zhou Guihua's false accusations later.

"Lord Chu, Xiaohua has been mischievous since he was little. It's not surprising for him to accidentally fall into the river while playing. Besides, if my sister really was responsible for Xiaohua's death, why would she bring his body back? Wouldn't that just cause trouble for herself?"

"Yes, what do you say about that?" Chu Tianxiong asked, turning slightly.

Dealing with family matters is always tricky, and Chu Tianxiong didn't want to get too involved. The sooner this was resolved, the better.

Zhou Guihua was at a loss for words. She had no idea what Shi Xiaoqiu was thinking. "Lord Chu, maybe she wanted to confuse everyone!"

"Confuse? Second Aunt, Xiaohua was Xiaoqiu's brother too. We're all family. Why would we harm our own brother?"

Could it be that the Shi family had been mistreating them, and they held a grudge? No, saying that would only complicate things further. If they couldn't punish them, they might end up getting themselves into trouble.

"Lord Chu... I..."

Zhou Guihua stammered, unable to come up with a reasonable explanation. Chu Tianxiong, who was already disinterested in the matter, said, "There's no evidence to support this case. Shi Xiaoqiu is released without charges. Does anyone object?"

"Lord Chu..."

"Is the Second Madam's house so idle? I just saw Minister Sunn!" Qiao Yifan reminded.

Shi Xiaoqin's face changed. Her husband favored her, but he didn't like her meddling in such matters. She had helped her mother secretly, and if her husband found out, the consequences could be dire!

After hesitating for a long time, she shot Shi Xiaoxia a resentful look. Just like her mother said, this girl had become as prickly as a cactus. "Lord Chu, maybe we misunderstood. This matter has nothing to do with them!"

"Alright, if that's the case, release them. As for you, I'll consider this a mistake. But if it happens again, I will not be lenient!" Chu Tianxiong said as he descended the steps.

The two sisters exchanged relieved smiles, grateful the scare was over.

However, when Qiao Yifan mentioned Minister Sunn, Shi Xiaoqin's confidence wavered. It seemed Minister Sunn didn't like his household getting involved in government affairs. Otherwise, why would they back down so easily?

When Xiaoqiu was released, she rushed over, trembling all over. "It's okay now, let's go home. It's all over," Shi Xiaoxia reassured her, gently patting her back. With this incident behind them, the Shi family could no longer use Shi Xiaohua's death to trouble them.

As they left the county office, they spotted Qiao Yifan walking ahead. "Mr. Qiao!"