New widow

But Suqiao also changed her clothes and went out to meet the prefect's wife. The magistrate's wife did not go out so loudly this time. As soon as Suqiao walked to the door, the magistrate's wife got out of the sedan. Speaking of which, this was the second time the two met, but it was different from the tense atmosphere of the first meeting. Both of them were smiling.

After a few words with each other, Suqiao asked the prefect's wife to enter the main room, which had been decorated.

The prefect's wife sat down, took the tea, looked around, and then smiled at Suqiao and said: "The capital is prosperous and magnificent, but you can leave the prosperity and magnificence of the capital behind and come here. When we found out, we were all ashamed. .”

Su Qiao had heard many such scenes, so Su Qiao only smiled and replied a few words. The two exchanged a few words. Su Qiao was confused in her heart, but the prefect's wife didn't say anything, and Su Qiao didn't ask. I poured another cup of tea for the magistrate’s wife.

The prefect's wife did not take the tea this time. She only looked around and said to Su Qiao: "Please let them go down and let's have a nice chat."

This meant she wanted to speak from the confidant. Suqiao nodded to Sister Song, who then retreated and closed the door of the main room.

"What do you want to tell me?" Su Qiao asked, and the prefect's wife looked at Su Qiao: "Of course it is very important, but you and I have only known each other for a short time, so these few words can be considered as superficial and profound. "

When Suqiao left the capital, she was unwilling to socialize. After all, although Suqiao was a widow, even if the British princess wanted to live in seclusion, she could not stop the messages sent to her house. And when the children grew older, she would always have to pay for them. When he looks at his wife, he has to prepare all these things skillfully. Simply throw them all away. After all, Mrs. Song Wu had been a noble lady in the capital and was very familiar with these things.

At this time, Suqiao had a headache when she heard these social remarks from the prefect's wife, but Suqiao could only patiently say: "You know my temper, and I can't be more straightforward, so please speak frankly."

"I think you also know about Mrs. Chu's death." Suqiao raised her eyebrows at the words of the prefect's wife, and then Suqiao nodded: "It is indeed clear."

"The people locked up in your firewood shed were taken back overnight. Because of the seriousness of the matter, our master interrogated him personally. The results of the interrogation surprised our master." After saying this, the prefect's wife looked at Su Qiao. He nodded: "Think about it, what that person said is not good for me."

"Our master is really embarrassed with that confession." The prefect's wife did not deny it and just went on.

"So..." Suqiao looked at the magistrate's wife, who then said softly: "If you want to hide this matter, you can keep it secret. Who knows that Magistrate Chu got the news and came to the Yamen to ask our master, but he saw it? That confession is really serious now.”

"What's so serious?" Suqiao asked. Seeing that Su Qiao was not in a hurry, the prefect's wife was still asking herself. She didn't know what to say, but she could only go on following the prefect's instructions.

"What Chu Zhixian means is that you, as the daughter of an official and the wife of a distinguished noble, actually killed his wife, so Chu Zhixian wants to come to question you personally, and also to report to the court to investigate my master's concealment crime. "The prefect's wife said that she was a little thirsty, but she couldn't drink tea. She just touched the tip of her nose with a handkerchief to wipe away the sweat that had appeared due to the heat.

"Then you came." Suqiao's tone was still so calm, and the magistrate's wife could no longer pretend, so she simply said everything: "Our master tried every means to appease Chu Magistrate, and also said that they are all decent people. It was not good to make a fuss in the hall. I persuaded him from left to right, and finally persuaded the magistrate of Chu to sit down.

Suqiao only glanced at the prefect's wife. This glance made the prefect's wife a little frightened, but no matter how frightened, the prefect's wife had to finish her words.

"What Magistrate Chu means is that he wants to ask you in person why he killed his wife. There is obviously no enmity between you." After finishing speaking, the magistrate's wife was still waiting for Su Qiao's response, but Su Qiao was only in her nose. He snorted, nothing.

"It's our master who said that the magistrate of Chu County is a man and it is not easy to ask this question, so let me ask, this is the first and second thing." The magistrate's wife looked embarrassed, Suqiao sat upright: "Kill a person to pay for his life, If I really have to do it, I will pay for it with my life."

The prefect’s wife hurriedly laughed: “It’s not as bad as this.”

"If it hadn't come to this point, why would you have come? Come to think of it, Magistrate Chu wanted me to die in front of him on the spot." Su Qiao's words were sarcastic, and the magistrate's wife opened her lips at the words, and then the magistrate's wife said: " They are all decent people, so they can do such disgraceful things."

"That's all, madam." Su Qiao looked at the magistrate's wife with mockery in her eyes: "You and I don't want to go around in circles. You and I know clearly in our hearts that this matter was definitely not done by me. Even the magistrate of Chu County and the magistrate also Just as clear.”

"The confession," the prefect's wife hurriedly defended, but was quickly interrupted by Suqiao: "I know very well what the confession said, but that person is not from our family."

"If someone commits a crime, who would say that he is a member of his own family." The prefect's wife muttered in a low voice, and Su Qiao already smiled: "I am not good at anything else, but I can do it and sit upright. If I say no, I don't. , but others may not be like me. Mrs. Chu is gone. Although I only met her a few times, I deeply regret it. There is only one thing that I did not expect."

Mrs. Chu's face seemed to appear in front of Suqiao's eyes, so Suqiao said softly: "I didn't expect what kind of person would make a fuss about his wife and try to frame me."

"Ms. Kuang, don't talk nonsense!" The prefect's wife stopped Su Qiao there, and Su Qiao looked at her: "At this moment, you are the one talking nonsense, not me."

"Ms. Kuang, there is a confession in the Yamen." The prefect's wife could only insist on the confession. Suqiao smiled: "What a confession. It only took a few words to convict me without any verification."

"Ms. Kuang, I believe you did not kill anyone, but all the evidence points to you. Madam Kuang, why do you need to struggle? If you admit it now, we will keep you for a few days and let you handle the housework well and wait for the housework." After finishing the rectification, you can go on your way calmly. By then, your reputation will be preserved, Chu Zhi County will also be given an explanation, and nothing will happen."

"Yes, my father will also be happy. I am finally dead. After I die, no one will know what he did, and no one will come forward to accuse him." Su Qiao's words made the prefect's wife stand up: "What are you talking about? Crazy words, obviously my words are all for your own good."

"What I said is not crazy, what you said is crazy."