CHAPTER 236: CHAPTER 233: I COUNT TO THREE

The crowd was in an uproar!

Zhang Feng and the Liu couple both stood up. Lou Zhao remained seated but his expression changed noticeably.

Li Yangsong shouted, "Who is causing a commotion in the court?!"

Fu Zhen walked in, "These are Lu Yun’s father and stepmother. Mr. Li, don’t you want to hear what they have to say?"

Lu Chang immediately knelt down, "Your Honor, please understand! My son was momentarily confused, led astray by others into committing a grave error. We plead for leniency!"

It was astonishing that Lu Yun’s family came forward to testify!

Even Lou Zhao couldn’t remain seated, gripping the hilt of his sword as he stood up.

"What nonsense are you spouting here? Drag them out for me!"

Fu Zhen slapped the table, "The Shuntian Prefecture presides over this case. On what grounds do you have the right to drag people out?!"

Lou Zhao was at a loss for words.

Meanwhile, Lu Chang slapped Lu Yun across the face, "You scoundrel! In front of General Zhang, you’re still not going to tell the whole story?!"

Lu Yun’s legs trembled, "I don’t know what you’re talking about! What trouble? I didn’t do anything! ...Father, why are you here too!"

Lu Chang’s face turned stern, "If you don’t hurry up and confess who manipulated you, I’ll report to Shuntian Prefecture that you are secretly hiding family property! If you want money, I’ll expel you from the Lu Family, and you won’t get a penny!"

If Lu Yun had acted on his own to commit murder, Lu Chang might have tried to cover it up. But since the General’s wife only wants to find the mastermind, how could he dare oppose such influential figures?

If Lu Yun, this fool, doesn’t wake up from being beaten or scolded, what will happen to the Lu Family?

What will happen to all the people in the Lu Family?

He doesn’t know why the deities are fighting, but he knows for sure it’s the little devils that suffer!

The Zhang and Pei families are people they can’t afford to offend!

Lu Yun, having been beaten, retreated constantly, unsure whether it was due to the person in front of him or the words in his ears.

Seeing this, Lou Zhao said, "Lu Yun, for Mr. Liu, you recklessly rushed forward, showing such deep affection and righteousness. Surely he cannot be so easily led astray by a few words of incitement?"

After speaking, he shot a deep glance at Lu Yun.

Lu Yun shivered immediately, lowered his hand from his face, and said, "That’s right! Father, don’t listen to their provocations! Your son hasn’t committed any wrongdoing. I didn’t kill Mr. Liu!"

Fu Zhen sneered, "Did anyone just now say that you killed Mr. Liu? No one said it, yet you admitted it yourself?"

After that, she slapped the table again, "Someone! Search the Lu family, thoroughly search Lu Yun’s residence inside and out!

"A son who isn’t favored and isn’t even afraid of being expelled from the family and losing his inheritance must have been promised substantial benefits by someone!

"I want to see who gave him these benefits!"

Guo Song: "Understood!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Feng immediately instructed his men, "Follow them!"

Thus, both groups poured onto the street in a rush!

Lu Yun’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground!

Fu Zhen turned to him, "If you confess now, I can still show mercy and consider it a voluntary confession. But if my people find evidence, even if you admit it later, it will be too late!"

Hearing this, Mrs. He started hitting Lu Yun furiously, "You have some nerve! How dare you be so stubborn! Are you really going to resist to the end, even at the cost of the Lu Family abandoning you? Don’t forget, Mrs. Rong is still in the Lu Family!"

Hearing this, a vein bulged on Lu Yun’s forehead, and his eyes began to wander!

At this point, Zhou Qi and another person panicked and tried to sneak away into the crowd, but Li Huai shouted, "Where do you think you’re going?!"

Lou Zhao stepped forward, pointing at Fu Zhen, "You’re abusing your power!"

Before he finished speaking, Li Jiang swiftly intervened, knocking aside his extended arm, "How dare you be so disrespectful to our General’s wife?!"

Fu Zhen retorted, "Lou Commander, you are becoming increasingly restless ever since the Lu couple appeared! You were hired by Lu Yun. His parents have testified that he was manipulated to poison Liu Yan, and you keep jumping out to stop them. What exactly is your relationship?"

Hearing this, the Liu couple and Zhang Feng couldn’t help but take a step forward!

The Liu family lost an heir, so naturally, all they think about is capturing the real culprit for revenge. Just earlier, they had jumped to conclusions and assumed the Ning Family were their enemies.

Although Zhang Feng hated Fu Zhen, the proactive appearance of the Lu couple, Lu Yun’s panic, and Lou Zhao’s abnormal behavior were all undeniable!

Whether or not Fu Zhen incited the Lu family members isn’t the point now. If Lu Yun wasn’t the real culprit, why is he so afraid?

The house mistress of the Lu family is so rude and arrogant; clearly, this son found no peace in the Lu family and probably doesn’t have much money. A person without money or status is indeed more likely to go astray, while also being more susceptible to manipulation. That gives him the motive for the crime.

Upon hearing that they were going to search his residence, he was thoroughly scared, which revealed the trickery at play, didn’t it?

Fu Zhen was right; there’s something wrong with Lu Yun, and there’s something seriously wrong with Lou Zhao!

As much as he despises Fu Zhen, he cannot allow himself to be played for a fool!

Should this really be a conspiracy, if he fell into it and imprisoned the Ning Family, not to mention how the Pei Family would react, what about Fu Zhen? Would she let him off easily?

Even if she couldn’t become Mrs. Pei, with her sharp tongue, fierce tactics, and the immense wealth of the Ning Family, she would probably go all out against the Zhang Family, wouldn’t she?!

Having realized this, he could no longer restrain himself. He immediately walked toward Lu Yun, grabbing his collar, "Tell me, was it you who did the poisoning?!"

Fu Zhen is the newly appointed General’s wife and a woman; perhaps Lu Yun and his cohorts didn’t see her severity.

But Zhang Feng was different! He had been a General since the founding, with years of experience. Just looking at his imposing stature was already intimidating!

Lu Yun, utterly terrified, his legs shook, his throat was torn as he shouted, "No, no, it wasn’t..."

Without saying anything more, Zhang Feng grabbed his neck, "I’ll count to three! One, two—"

"I confess! I confess!" Lu Yun, rolling his eyes, kicking his legs frantically, finally squeezed out a few words!

Zhang Feng’s hand loosened, and he dropped to the ground with a thud, then fell forward crying miserably, weeping with all his heart.

"I was blinded by greed... I put it in the pufferfish, put... strychnine powder..."

Lou Zhao clenched his teeth, his left hand gripping the sword hilt so tightly it almost oozed oil.

Fu Zhen stepped forward, "Where’s the container holding the strychnine?!

Lu Yun hesitated, not answering, so Li Jiang hoisted him up. He immediately said, "It’s in the crevice of the Taihu stone behind your shop!"

Upon hearing this, Li Yangsong immediately dispatched constables to the location.

Li Jiang followed them.

In no time, a constable returned, handing a small, inch-long porcelain bottle to Li Yangsong.

The coroner took it, sniffed it, and nodded, "It does have the smell of strychnine!"

"That’s it!" The doctor next to him excitedly interjected, "Just a small dose of dried strychnine powder could be lethal!"