Chapter 147 - Dog Eats Dog

The next day, Qiao Jinniang went to Tasty Pavilion to check the accounts.

Before dinner time, Qiao Ergou’s voice sounded at the door.

“Qiao Jinniang, the heir you picked died on the boat. It’s almost New Year’s Eve, so you should give the restaurants to our clan as soon as possible, and the clan will choose your adoptive father’s heir!”

Qiao Jinniang said to Qiao Ergou as if she didn’t know what happened, “Oh, how did he die? Do you know who the murderer is?” Qiao Ergou said, “The case is still being investigated by the government. Your fifth uncle’s grandson, Yuan’er is the smartest child in the clan. It’s better to let him be the heir.”

Qiao Laowu held Yuan’er over, who had just been picked up from Lin’an, and said, “Yes, Qiao Jinniang, you have to keep your word! Now that Qiao Laosi and his family are gone, my Yuan’er is the most suitable to inherit Myriad Taste.”

Looking at Qiao Ergou and Qiao Laowu, Qiao Jinniang felt extremely chilled.

No matter Liu Cuihua or Qiao Laowu, they were all snobbish people. Myriad Taste made so much money, so they might go to extreme lengths to seize it.

But she never thought that they would simply kill Qiao Laosi and his family.

Was kinship worth nothing compared to the restaurant?

“It’s really not easy to find you.” Prefect Chang’an came over with his men and said, “Come, arrest Qiao Laowu.”

Qiao Laowu shouted in a panic, “Master, I didn’t do anything wrong. Why do you want to arrest me?”

Prefect Chang’an said, “The evidence is conclusive that you poisoned and killed Qiao Laosi and his family on the boat. The boatman saw you put poison in their food. He was afraid of being killed by you, so he didn’t dare to tell it until he came to me.

Qiao Laowu shook his head and said, “I didn’t, I didn’t do that!”

Prefect Chang’an said, “We will find out whether you did it or not. Qiao Laosi and his family were killed on the boat, but you and your family are still all alive, which is very suspicious, so you go to the yamen for an investigation first.”

Qiao Laowu looked at Qiao Ergou and said, “Second Brother, I really did not do that. I just did what you told me. You have to save me!”

Qiao Ergou heard the threat in Qiao Laowu’s words, and said, “So you bought arsenic in Chang’an when you returned to Lin’an just to poison Laosi?”

Then Qiao Ergou went over and whispered into Qiao Laowu’s ear, “Just plead guilty, and I can let Yuan’er inherit the restaurant.”

After hearing that, Qiao Laowu said to Prefect Chang’an, “So what if I killed him? If I hadn’t rushed back to Lin’an early, Qiao Laosi and Liu Cuihua would have killed my Yuan’er!

“Even if I hadn’t killed them on the boat, they would have killed me sooner or later. I just did it first!”

Qiao Jinniang said, “Fifth Uncle, how can I hand over the restaurant to a murderer’s grandson? If you admit to the murder, Yuan’er won’t be able to be the heir. I’ll find someone else…”

Qiao Laowu looked at Qiao Ergou anxiously and said,

“Second Brother, you promised me that Yuan’er would become the heir. You had a part in Qiao Laosi’s death too! You can’t deny it.”

Qiao Ergou was angry, thinking Qiao Laowu was really stupid. “It was you who killed Qiao Laosi. Why dare you slander me?”

“I didn’t slander you. I have evidence to prove that you had a part in it. I’m not stupid!” Qiao Laowu said.

Qiao Jinniang was expressionless when she was watching this expected dog-eats-dog scene.

Qiao Yun’er was not stupid after all. She pointed at Qiao Jinniang and said,

“It’s you! It’s you who deliberately said that you wanted Fourth Uncle’s grandson to be the heir, and also expressed your satisfaction with Yuan’er, to make them kill each other.

“Qiao Jinniang, how can you be so vicious?!”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

After thinking about it carefully, Qiao Yun’er figured out everything. Qiao Jinniang never thought about finding any heirs.

She showed she was satisfied with both Fourth Uncle’s grandson and Yuan’er just to make them fight against each other.

She didn’t care about the lives of these innocent children at all.

Qiao Jinniang was amused and said, “I’m vicious? Did I make you kill? Did I put the knife in your hands? The murderer blames others for being vicious. What a joke.”

Qiao Yuner pointed at Qiao Jinniang and said, “Aren’t you afraid that those ghosts will haunt

you?”

Qiao Jinniang said candidly, “No debts without creditors,no hatred without cause. Even if there are ghosts, they won’t haunt me. Even if they haunt me, I won’t be afraid!”

Qiao Laosi and his family were killed on a boat, even the children were not spared.

This news spread quickly because there had been no murders in Chang’an for a long time.

Fortunately, Prefect Chang’an cracked this case very quickly. The murderer was indeed Qiao Laowu and Qiao Ergou who conspired to kill just to get the restaurant.

But because this case involved the oral decree of His Majesty, Prefect Chang’an had to report this case to the Emperor.

When Emperor Huilin heard this, he was annoyed and said, “I can’t believe such an appalling crime happened in Chang’an!

“Just for a restaurant, they murdered their own clansmen even including innocent children. The so-called clansmen are even worse than beasts!”

Imperial Censor Tong stood up and said, “Your Majesty, this is because Qiao Jinniang refused to hand over the restaurant.

“If it was up to the head of the Qiao clan to select the heir, no one would have died.”

Lu Chen stood up too and said, “Father, I think even then the result would have been the same. They’re always willing to kill for benefits.”

Imperial Censor Tong said, “Your Majesty, please order Qiao Jinniang to select the heir as soon as possible!”

Lu Chen cupped his hands and said, “Father, to avoid the trouble, I suggest let Xi’er be Earl Lin’an’s heir.

“When Earl Lin’an was still alive, Jinniang was already pregnant with Xi’er, and Earl Lin’an had recognized Xi’er as his heir when he was alive.

“When Xi’er has a daughter in the future, let Xier’s daughter find a husband and inherit the Qiao family.”

The ministers wanted to object, but they found that they had no reason to object. After all, what His Royal Highness said was not his daughter. The little imperial grandson was only three years old now, and when his daughter grew up, they all must have died…

Emperor Huilin said, “Indeed, to avoid any more disputes, I agree to your proposal. That’s all for today!”

Imperial Censor Tong frowned and still wanted to speak, but was stopped by Duke Wu.

“Brother-in-law, His Majesty has already decided it, and so many people have died. Why bother?”

Imperial Censor Tong said, “I didn’t expect that the Qiao family would have such a vicious daughter.

“Brother-in-law, if Qiao Jinniang becomes the crown princess, Sisi won’t be able to survive!”

Duke Wu said, “We never plan to let Sisi marry the Crown Prince!”

Most of the Qiao clansmen were implicated. In prison, Qiao Laowu confessed to many evil things that the Qiao clansmen did, even including the petty theft they did in Lin’an.

Some timid Qiao clansmen went back to Lin’an with the money given by Qiao Ruoyun.

But Aunt Qiao and her family were fascinated by the prosperity of Chang’an and stayed. But at this moment, they didn’t dare to make trouble, which finally gave Qiao Jinning peace.

However, Second Madam came to Zheng Xiao every day, crying and scolding Qiao Ruofeng for being stupid, and cursing Qiao Ruofeng’s fiance b*stard.

Old Madam Qiao was practicing in the temple and refused to see any visitors, so Second Madam could only come to beg Zheng Xiao.

Although they were separated from the Duke Mansion, they were still relatives.

“Although they’re a merchant family, I didn’t look down upon them, but they said Ruofeng was not clean and annulled the engagement! Everyone knows that Prince Mediocre’s thing is as small as a teapot mouth, so Ruofeng is still a virgin!”

“How dare they annul the engagement? If Ruofeng is despised by a businessman, which decent young man is willing to marry her? Sister-in-law, you have to give Ruofeng justice!”