klisemfg Chapter 2222
Chapter 2222
Chapter 2222
Her throat suddenly choked, and she took a breath before continuing, "You still dare to come to my house now? Then let's settle the old accounts!"
Zheng Qiaoer heard a hint of sadness in her daughter-in-law's voice and said hurriedly, "Hongque, take a rest. I will make the decision for you."
Hongque agreed and sat back in her seat obediently.
Zheng Qiaoer turned her head and asked Yan Xingchen, "Master Yan, how do you distinguish between human traffickers and biological parents selling their children?"
Yan Xingchen put down his teacup. "When parents pawn their children, they need to sign a 'red deed'. One document proves the family is too poor to survive, two documents prove the sale wasn't forced, and three documents allow the child to be redeemed. It might be like cutting flesh to satisfy hunger, but at the end of the day, blood is left behind. As for human trafficking, they're tied up like animals and sold, regardless of life or death! In the Northern Wing Law, this is called 'human trafficking'. The principal offender will be sentenced to lingchi, and the accomplice will be hanged."
The people in the hall were stunned.
Zheng Qiao'er suddenly smiled and turned the lid of the teapot. "That's easy. As long as we report it to the authorities and prove that they aren't Hong Que's biological parents and yet they sold her, they're human traffickers! Those who deserve it will be skinned alive, and those who deserve it will be strangled!"
The tea lid closed with a "ding" sound, like a guillotine falling.
Several people in the hall shuddered suddenly!
The old woman collapsed to the ground and wailed, "Hey! Say something! How could your parents be human traffickers?"
Hong Que lowered her eyes and stroked her sleeve, saying indifferently, "Whether it's true or not, let the authorities investigate. If they are indeed your biological parents, I will provide you with luxurious clothes and food for the rest of your life. If not... ha!"
The "huh" that escaped from the cold and beautiful red magpie's mouth was somewhat ironic.
Hai folded her sleeves and sat upright. "That would make it easy for the government to investigate. Aren't we three just cut from the same cloth? Besides, children in our tribe are born with special markings, especially the princess. When she was born, a special herb was used to imprint the Siliang vine pattern on her arm. The government would know easily."
Yan Xingchen knocked on the table with her knuckles. "The case is simple, and it can be investigated in half a minute." She glanced at the people in the hall and said in a calm voice, like an autopsy examiner, "The principal offender will be executed by lingchi, and the accomplices will be hanged. It's too early for you to tremble now."
The old man suddenly slapped the old woman in the face, "You're asking for death, bitch! I told you not to try to get close to me, but you're asking for your own death!"
His forehead hit the ground, sending dust flying. "Please have mercy! I'm not your father, but I'm not a human trafficker either. I've never been one!"
Yan Xingchen said calmly, "Since you're not selling it, tell me where the red magpie came from. How did the red magpie end up in your house?"
The old man nudged the old woman with his elbow and said, "Go ahead!"
The old woman knelt on the ground and answered, "Listen, listen to my mother-in-law, she found the girl in the snow in her hometown of Tongcheng."
She remembered it clearly. Her mother-in-law said it was just a few days after the Lantern Festival. The little girl, who was three or four years old, had her face frozen purple, and her bare feet were stuck in a snow hole, curled up like a stiff bird.
"My mother-in-law dug through the snow without saying a word, carried the body back to the house, wrapped it in her cotton-padded jacket, and fed it ginger soup for three days before it came back to life!" The old woman tried hard to recall what her mother-in-law had said at the time.
As Hong Que listened, his eyes became redder and redder.
The best grandmother in her life! Without her grandmother, she would not exist. She is the little granddaughter who was raised in the palm of her grandmother's hand.
Hong Que dug her nails into her palms, trying to steel her heart as she said, "You are not my biological parents, yet you sold me for silver. This is an ironclad fact. For my grandmother's sake, I will let you go for now. If you dare to bring up the Duke of Huguo's Mansion in the future, I will not let you off lightly."
After a pause, she took out fifty taels of silver and gave them money to go back to the old capital.
Because they were all her grandmother's descendants, she thought, let's just repay her grandmother for the kindness she had shown her by wrapping her in a cotton-padded jacket.
However, Hong Que's momentary weakness became a death warrant. After returning to the old capital, her so-called brother stole money to indulge in women and wine, and competed with others in a brothel for their affections. He was stabbed and killed on the spot.
But this has nothing to do with Hong Que anymore. In this life, she has achieved perfection.