Thinking that her second son’s death might be related to the illegitimate daughter, Madam Yu’s eyelids twitched slightly. When she slowly opened her eyes again, however, no extra emotions could be seen.
If her second son had been killed by Su Qingxue, she would certainly make this little wretch pay for her son’s life. Of course, in such a situation, she wouldn’t say a word. If Su Qingxue revealed what she had instructed her to do, although Madam Yu could deny it, it would still sound unpleasant.
“This handkerchief has no markings other than its fine material. It will be difficult to identify its owner,” Old Master Su frowned.
Yu Jin smiled slightly. “Who says it can’t be found?”
His words immediately stunned the crowd.
Jiang Si looked at him, then at the large dog beside him, and vaguely understood something.
Zhen Shicheng eagerly asked, “What method do you have to identify the owner of the handkerchief?”
Yu Jin rubbed the dog’s head and spoke in a casual tone, “Er Niu, go!”
Er Niu sniffed the handkerchief, shook its fur, and leisurely walked toward the crowd.
Seeing such a large dog approaching, everyone tensed up.
“Don’t worry, it won’t bite.”
Er Niu paused for a moment and wagged its tail.
Its owner was talking nonsense again, making it feel helpless.
Uninformed, the crowd relaxed slightly.
Er Niu sniffed as it walked past each person, suddenly turning and pouncing on Su Qingxue.
Su Qingxue let out a scream and took off running.
Er Niu leaped and knocked Su Qingxue to the ground.
Su Qingxue instantly broke down, screaming.
One of Er Niu’s paws pressed down on her shoulder as it turned to look at Yu Jin.
“Come back,” Yu Jin called Er Niu back, patting its back with satisfaction. “Well done.”
Er Niu disdainfully wagged its tail.
What was there to praise? This was such an easy task that even the lady of the house could do it.
“Sir, my dog has already found the owner of the handkerchief,” Yu Jin’s words snapped the dazed crowd back to reality, and their expressions toward Su Qingxue instantly became colorful.
Zhen Shicheng maintained a calm demeanor, stroking his beard. “May I ask how this young lady is called?”
Su Qingxue had been helped up and was sobbing silently.
Old Master Su glanced at her and replied, “She is my second daughter.”
Zhen Shicheng nodded. “So it is Second Young Lady Su. May I ask if Second Young Lady Su can explain why your handkerchief appeared in the pavilion?”
Su Qingxue still looked overly frightened, trembling all over.
“Please forgive me, Magistrate Zhen. My daughter must have been scared,” Old Master Su said, casting an unhappy glance at Er Niu. “To determine the owner of a handkerchief with just a dog seems rather childish, doesn’t it?”
Yu Jin retorted without hesitation, “Does Young Master Su think a human’s nose is more sensitive than a dog’s?”
Old Master Su was left speechless by the question, his anger flaring. “Magistrate Zhen, your subordinate is truly uncouth!”
Zhen Shicheng smiled meaningfully. “The young man is earnest in his pursuit of justice. Young Master Su should understand.”
Uncouth? If you knew this young man’s identity, you would know what true impropriety is.
“Second Young Lady, please answer my question!” Zhen Shicheng suddenly darkened his expression.
Su Qingxue’s face drained of color, and her legs buckled.
“Second Young Lady!” the maid supporting her called out.
Su Qingxue leaned against the maid, barely managing to stand, trembling like a leaf in the wind.
Old Master Su looked at his illegitimate daughter, his expression slightly darkening. “The magistrate is asking you a question; you should answer honestly!”
Su Qingxue shuddered and, resigned, cried out, “Actually, I saw someone floating in the lake—”
As soon as she said this, Su Qingyu’s face turned pale, and she swayed unsteadily.
“What exactly happened?” Old Master Su’s face was as dark as thunder.
Madam Yu remained silent, but her gaze was as cold as a snake’s.
Su Qingxue shrank back, her hands nervously clasped together. “I was playing in the eastern part of the garden, and my clothes got dirty, so I called Third Sister to accompany me back to change. When we passed by Juxia Lake, we discovered… we discovered someone rising and falling in the water…”
The more Su Qingxue spoke, the more terrified she became. “Third Sister and I were so scared that we didn’t bother to identify who it was in the lake and ran away. Not long after, we heard that Second Brother had drowned… Wuwuwu, I didn’t mean to let him die without saving him; I was just too frightened at the time…”
Old Master Su looked at Su Qingyu, who quickly nodded in agreement.
Madam Yu fixed her gaze on the two illegitimate daughters, her heart in turmoil.
So, Su Qingxue led Qingyi to stop Jiang Si and then left, bringing Su Qingyu as a witness. But by the time they returned, Qingyi had already fallen into the water.
In such a short time, if the culprit wasn’t Jiang Si, could it be that Qingyi truly fell in by accident?
“So, both of you young ladies discovered someone in the lake together?” Zhen Shicheng asked.
Su Qingxue and Su Qingyu exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously.
Yu Jin, with a look of disdain, held up the snow-white handkerchief and said lightly, “Then how do you explain your handkerchief appearing in the pavilion?”
“How would I know?” Su Qingxue shouted in despair, tears streaming down her face. “My sister and I passed by there together. Maybe I dropped the handkerchief in my haste, and the wind blew it to Chaoyang Pavilion. Can you determine that I was with Second Brother just because of a handkerchief? Besides, why would I have any reason to harm Second Brother?”
Su Qingxue’s counter-argument made the crowd nod in agreement.
From this perspective, the Second Young Lady indeed had no motive to harm the Second Young Master. Moreover, the Third Young Lady was with her; it was unlikely that the two young ladies would conspire to kill the Second Young Master.
Old Master Su let out a faint sigh of relief, saying, “Perhaps Qingyi did fall in by accident.”
At this point, he would rather believe that his second son had simply fallen in by accident. Otherwise, whether the culprit was his niece or his illegitimate daughter, it would be a scandal that would bring shame to the family.
The heavens can be unpredictable, and people are often more forgiving of accidents.
Yu Jin suddenly chuckled lightly, his indifferent gaze landing on Su Qingxue. “Coincidence? Do you think everyone else is a fool? There can’t be so many coincidences in this world. Your handkerchief appeared in the pavilion where the deceased lingered, which is enough to indicate that you are the prime suspect. Otherwise, why would it be your handkerchief and not someone else’s? Second Young Lady Su, don’t try to talk your way out of this.”
Su Qingxue couldn’t help but retort, “Cousin Jiang was also at the lake’s edge; by your logic, she would be the prime suspect!”
Yu Jin suddenly withdrew his smile, his face as cold as ice. “People can lie, but objects cannot. Therefore, physical evidence is more reliable than witness testimony. Magistrate Zhen, isn’t that right?”
Zhen Shicheng looked at Yu Jin in surprise, a hint of newfound respect in his eyes, and nodded. “That makes some sense.”
While cases cannot be generalized, witness testimony indeed carries more variables.
“All this talk, yet you still have no evidence. Regardless, I did not kill Second Brother! I swear to the heavens!” Su Qingxue suddenly raised her hand and declared loudly, “Heaven above, I swear that I did not kill Second Brother! If I tell a single lie, let me be struck by lightning!”