Chapter 1432: Simply Implement the Father-Dead-Mother-Gone Plan

"Just because your mother told you before she passed away that your father wasn't your father, you believe it deeply?"

Chen Guanlou still didn't quite dare to believe it.

Impersonating a father was understandable, but impersonating an official—this was no small matter.

Were there no classmates or colleagues?

People could be impersonated, but could knowledge also be impersonated?

It wasn't possible that the servant took the young master's imperial examination, then killed the young master, and replaced the young master's identity.

Thinking about it carefully, it didn't seem impossible.

Dou Shu said solemnly: "I came of age last year, and my stepmother arranged a marriage for me with a son of a concubine. I inquired, and that fiancé of mine is into eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling; he can't write and can't fight. Once married, he will be separated from the family. According to his dissolute life, he won't have to wait until he's thirty to be destitute.

I am the eldest legitimate daughter of the Dou family, yet I was betrothed to an incompetent son of a concubine. I went to my father to cry and complain, and my father said I was making trouble out of nothing, not listening to my stepmother, and opposing my stepmother everywhere. Even if there's a stepmother, there's a stepfather, it shouldn't be to the point of trampling on me like this.

Also, when my mother married into the Dou family, her dowry was a full twenty thousand taels, plus a dozen accompanying slaves. Yet they only prepared three thousand taels of dowry for me. My mother only had me as a child; according to the rules, my mother's dowry should all belong to me."

Chen Guanlou said bluntly: "What you've said can only prove that there's a stepmother, so there's a stepfather! It can't prove that he's a fake father."

Dou Shu gave a bitter laugh. "I have other evidence. The Dou family was originally a prosperous family. When I was two, my father went to the capital to take the imperial examination. When I was four, because my grandfather passed away, my father returned home for the mourning period. You can't guess what happened afterward."

Chen Guanlou looked surprised; he had already guessed it.

Pure Yang Zhenren also seemed to have guessed it and frowned.

Dou Shu continued: "Half a year later, my grandmother passed away, dying with her eyes wide open! Another half a year later, my mother passed away, also dying with her eyes wide open! When buried, their eyes couldn't be closed!

My uncles and aunts passed away one after another in the ten years that followed. You didn't hear wrong, they all died! Including some elders in the clan, especially those who understood my father's character.

The old servants of the Dou family, not a single one is left now. The servants used by the Dou family now were all bought later. In addition, the accompanying slaves of my mother died until only one deaf and blind nanny was left. The nanny lived on a farm in the countryside; I once went to see her, and she grabbed my hand, constantly muttering 'He is fake, he is fake'! Also, my stepmother now, you can't guess who she is!"

"Does she have a relationship with the servant you mentioned?" Chen Guanlou asked directly.

Dou Shu nodded, gritting her teeth: "Before my stepmother married in, the only person who could have any relationship with the Dou family was that servant who looked exactly like my father. The two were childhood sweethearts, distant cousins.

These are all situations I have learned about bit by bit over the years. If he is a fake, then everyone in the Dou family has died, leaving only me! If he is really my father, I just want to ask, what heavenly law did the Dou family commit, to the point where they are almost extinct, leaving only this one branch of ours!"

"If he is fake, why did he keep you? Just because you are a girl?" Pure Yang Zhenren didn't quite understand.

If the fake Dou Anzhi really killed everyone in the Dou family, why did he leave Dou Shu alone?

It didn't make much sense!

Chen Guanlou also had this question.

Dou Shu raised her hand and gently wiped the tear stains from the corners of her eyes. "Because of my maternal grandfather! He still needs the help of my maternal grandfather's family, and I am the best bargaining chip. If I die, they won't be able to keep my mother's dowry. My maternal grandfather's family will definitely take the dowry away. A dowry worth twenty thousand taels is no small amount.

My stepmother, from a small family, doesn't understand financial management at all; it's good enough if she can guard the wealth. My father, who seems not very smooth in his official career, needs money in many places. The dowry prepared by my maternal grandfather's family for my mother consists mostly of shops and farms that can generate wealth, and even shares in a certain merchant's business, which can be divided every year!"

"Since you have so much evidence, why don't you report it to the officials?" Pure Yang Zhenren was very puzzled. "Report it to the Dali Temple; such a serious matter, impersonating an official, the Dali Temple will definitely accept it."

Chen Guanlou shook his head, saying: "A child accusing a father, one hundred strokes of the cane! Regardless of whether it's reasonable or not, first give one hundred strokes! With her small frame, the case won't even be accepted before she's beaten to death."

"You can ask someone else to report it!" Pure Yang Zhenren came up with another idea.

"No! A commoner accusing an official, and it's all based on oral testimony without actual evidence, direct exile!" Chen Guanlou, as a Jiang Jiang Yucheng of the Heavenly Prison, knew the law very well.

Report to the officials!

Heh!

First see if your life is hard enough!

Exile is good; being beaten to death in prison is the norm!

As for whether the content of the accusation is true, it doesn't matter.

Officials can only be accused by officials.

Commoners, get out of the way. When is it the turn of common people to ask about the affairs of officials?

A child accusing a father, regardless of whether he is fake or not, beat him to death first!

These are all to maintain the interests of officials, the face of the imperial court! To maintain the dignity of the bureaucratic class!

Even if Dou Anzhi is a fake, the path of accusing superiors is absolutely a path to death.

This matter, it really can only be handled through official channels! And it can't be from the clue of impersonation; it has to find fault from other places, and finally uncover the impersonation.

Being in the officialdom, one must play by the rules of the officialdom!

Chen Guanlou could already understand why Dou Shu came to him.

Because he has official connections, official background, and most importantly, he is unconventional and doesn't have the idea of maintaining the interests of the bureaucratic class!

This dead girl Dou Shu is quite smart.

However, he still asked, "Why did you come to me?"

Dou Shu suddenly bent down and performed a great bow. "Because in the whole world, only Jiang Jiang Yucheng Chen and the Zhenren, the two of you, can seek justice for me!"

Pure Yang Zhenren was a bit confused. "Since you are convinced he is a fake, why not kill him to avenge your father? Why do you need our help?"

Chen Guanlou clicked his tongue, very disdainful.

"Dou Anzhi, regardless of whether he is real or fake, in name and in law, is her father. If the father dies, she will completely fall into the hands of her stepmother. Whether the stepmother wants her to live or die depends entirely on a thought, and she won't even have room to resist."

"Then let the stepmother die!" Pure Yang Zhenren, coming from the Great Wilderness, came up with ideas that were all about killing to silence.

"If the stepmother dies, the best result is that a new stepmother comes. The worst result is that her father makes her be buried with the stepmother! Father killing son, in law, there's nothing wrong with it. At most, it's a fine! Zhenren, you should read the laws of this dynasty. This dynasty is governed by the Son of Heaven and the scholar-officials, and the scholar-officials value rules and order the most. Filial piety is the most critical rule among them. They rely on the rules of filial piety to govern the world. The law is formulated on this basis."

Pure Yang Zhenren stroked his beard and said: "Then let the father die and the mother perish!"

Good guy!

Truly a good guy! ===== CHAPTER 1433 =====