Chapter 32 Feeling for Her “Don’t cry.”

Chapter 32: Feeling Sorry for Her / "Don’t Cry."

"Who helped you?"

Wen Jiao guiltily lowered her eyes and whispered, "No one helped me."

"Officials' residences are guarded by servants and guards. Could you have delivered the secret letter to the inner courtyard yourself?"

Wen Jiao remained silent.

Song Langyu reached out and gently lifted a strand of her hair, his voice low and slow: "Given where we stand now, you still want to hide this from me?"

"I… I can't say." Her voice was coquettish, trembling at the end.

His cool fingers brushed her neck, and he said, "According to our dynasty's laws, anyone who fabricates evidence against an official will face the same punishment as the official they falsely accused—this is the principle of 'false accusation brings reciprocal punishment.'"

His cold fingers slowly moved downward, lingering over the pale skin of her chest.

"Wei Jingfu's crime is punishable by death. Aren't you afraid, Jiaojiao?"

"Bang!" The door was kicked open.

The newcomer stood boldly at the entrance, slapping his chest and saying, "Stop pressing her! It was me who sent the letters for her!"

Song Langyu had considered many possibilities, but he never imagined it would be Xue Tang.

His expression darkened as he frowned at Xue Tang: "I only asked you to protect her in secret."

Xue Tang plopped down sulkily on a chair and said in exasperation, "She forced me to come out of hiding, then cried and begged me for help. How could I possibly refuse?"

Song Langyu turned to Wen Jiao: "How did you know Xue Tang was hiding in the shadows?"

"When my cousin and I went to see Si Tuming, you came too fast…" Wen Jiao lowered her head, twisting the handkerchief in her hands.

"But the person secretly protecting you might not be Xue Tang."

She quickly glanced up at Song Langyu, then hurriedly looked down again.

"Someone who can be my personal bodyguard must be a woman, skilled in martial arts, and trusted by you. There’s no such person in the government, so they must come from the martial world."

"How did you force her to reveal herself?"

Wen Jiao twisted the handkerchief into a tight knot, pressing her lips together as if she were determined not to confess.

Song Langyu turned to Xue Tang and demanded, "You tell me."

Xue Tang’s face displayed a mix of anger, helplessness, and lingering fear. She kicked a table leg hard, stood up, and pointed at Wen Jiao: "She looks so sweet and innocent, but she’s full of wicked schemes! She hung her sash over the beam and started hanging herself right in front of me! If I hadn’t moved fast and grabbed her legs, her grave would already be covered in weeds by now!"

Song Langyu’s face slowly froze over with a thin layer of ice.

"Leave. I need to speak with her alone."

Like a mouse afraid of a cat, Xue Tang had always been somewhat scared of Song Langyu. Seeing his grim expression, fearing she might be implicated, she shot out like an arrow and even thoughtfully closed the door behind her.

The white gauze lamp cast a dim light, but it was enough for Song Langyu to see the mark on Wen Jiao’s neck.

A very faint, thin line—barely visible unless one looked closely.

"You forced Xue Tang to reveal herself by hanging yourself?"

Wen Jiao lowered her head even further.

"How did you hang yourself?"

"With a sash."

"The beam is very high."

Wen Jiao stamped her foot and stood up. She went to the shelf, took down the sash she had used during the day, slipped off one of her sleeping shoes, and tied it to one end of the sash. After two tries, she finally managed to toss the shoe over the beam. The shoe swung around the beam once and smacked her in the nose.

"Ah!" She gasped and squeezed her eyes shut, but the sleeping shoe was caught by Song Langyu.

His face was dark as a storm cloud, he untied the shoe and gave the sash back to her.

"Continue."

She knew he was angry, but since she had done it and he had found out, there was no avoiding a scolding. Resigning herself, she dragged over a low stool, stepped onto it, tied the two ends of the sash together, and then slipped her head through it. Softly, she said, "Like… this."

Song Langyu seemed even angrier now. He opened his mouth several times to speak but held back, and in the end, he only coldly uttered two words: "Get down."

Wen Jiao complied readily. She pulled her head out of the loop and prepared to climb down, but she slipped and fell. Fortunately, Song Langyu reached out and caught her by the waist.

She leaned against his shoulder and said in a coquettish voice, "Jiaojiao was wrong."

Song Langyu let go of her and asked coldly, "You think you're so smart? What exactly did you do wrong?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck, growing more guilty: "I shouldn’t have pried into Si Tuming’s private matters, nor should I have stolen Wei Jingfu’s pouch, and I definitely shouldn’t have used such a dangerous method to force Xue Tang to reveal herself."

But what was done was done—these were just words to appease him.

Song Langyu pulled her arms away and said coldly, "If you could do it all over again, would you still take such risks?"

Wen Jiao shook her head without any hesitation: "No."

She had deliberately allowed herself to be taken by villains, had risked her life to gather intelligence by playing bait, had faked hanging herself to force Xue Tang out, had forged evidence against a second-rank official, and had dared to present her grievance before the emperor.

Song Langyu had no doubt she could be even more "daring."

Her current show of submission was just to coax him.

So he said coldly, "The Chen family’s case has been pending for ten years. It takes time to investigate, and I will do my best to resolve it as quickly as possible. This time, although you succeeded in dragging Wei Jingfu into the trap by forging evidence, you violated the law. If someone with ill intentions finds out, you’ll end up in prison and be punished."

"I’m not afraid of prison or punishment," she said, holding her wrists out to him. "Cousin, you’re known for your impartiality. Don’t bend the rules for my sake. Just arrest me now."

Song Langyu nearly choked on his breath. Gritting his teeth, he said, "You're hopeless."

He turned to leave, but Wen Jiao got to the door first and blocked it.

Her eyes red, she glared at him stubbornly: "I broke the law, and you’re just going to walk away like that? How will you face others if someone finds out later?"

"I’m not blaming you for breaking the law! Nor am I afraid of others saying I’m showing favoritism!" Song Langyu slammed his fist against the door panel beside her ear, grabbed her chin, and snarled, "I already promised you I would investigate the Chen family’s case and exonerate your father! Why do you still have to put yourself in danger?"

Song Langyu was a head taller than her, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, and his fury was terrifying.

Wen Jiao swallowed hard.

Two streams of clear tears immediately flowed down her face. She sobbed, "But I’ve waited for ten years…"

Tears fell onto the back of her hand, burning so fiercely it made her heart tremble!

He abruptly pulled Wen Jiao into his arms, holding her tightly.

His palm gently stroked her head, his voice trembling slightly: "Don't cry."

She had endured so much suffering—how could he bear to be harsh with her or blame her!

He was too cruel!

"Before the end of the year, I will certainly clear up the Chen family's case. Don't put yourself in danger anymore."

Wen Jiao murmured an "Mm-hmm," then asked in a muffled voice, "So you're not arresting me?"

"Even though the evidence was forged, Wei Jingfu's crimes are real. You haven't lodged a false accusation."

A flicker of malice crossed Wen Jiao's mind, and a slight smile tugged at her lips as she asked, "If Jiaojiao commits a more serious crime in the future, would Cousin arrest me?"

"It depends on the crime."

"Arson."

"It depends on the reason. If there's a valid cause, then no."

"Murder?" Wen Jiao pressed.

Song Langyu looked down at her, his gaze earnest. "Why would you kill someone?"

Wen Jiao blinked. "To defend myself, of course. I'm not some vicious criminal."

His expression relaxed slightly. "If you kill in self-defense, you'll be brought to trial, but you won't be convicted."

Wen Jiao wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her fragrant, soft body against him, her cheek resting on his chest. She whispered, almost to herself, "You're so good."

Song Langyu's body stiffened.

Wen Jiao then pulled him toward the Arhat couch. Pressing his shoulders down, she made him sit. A hint of shyness flickered in her eyes, and then she blew out the lamp on the kang table.

The room fell into darkness. Her hand rested on his shoulder as she leaned in, and then her fragrant, soft lips met his, trembling and pleading.

Song Langyu's hands clenched into fists, but only for a moment. Then his fists relaxed into palms, and he steadied Wen Jiao's slender waist.

Wen Jiao wound herself around him, kneeling on his lap, her warm, damp breath brushing his face.

"Jiaojiao likes Cousin. Please, Cousin, have pity on me."

She was wearing only a thin nightgown; in such close proximity, the garment had slipped down to her shoulders.

Song Langyu wanted to push her away, but his palm touched skin as smooth as jade.

"Get up first," he said, his voice hoarse.

Tonight, Wen Jiao had voluntarily confessed many things, stirring Song Langyu's tender feelings. If they could share intimate passion now, it would mean mutual affection and harmony of body and heart.

Song Langyu's hand slowly slid down to support her waist, coaxing her gently, "Be good, get down."

Wen Jiao didn't get down. Instead, she stubbornly clung to his waist, her voice urgent: "Don't you like me, Cousin? Do you think I'm unclean? No one has ever touched me!"

It felt like a thousand needles piercing his heart. He softly kissed Wen Jiao's delicate nose.

"Jiaojiao is perfect. It's just that I don't need you to repay me this way." He helped her sit up and straightened her clothes, pressing his forehead to hers. "I'll wait—wait for the day when you truly want to give yourself to me, not out of gratitude."

"I'm sincere right now..." Wen Jiao was a little reluctant.

"Before today, I didn't know you were a fox in sheep's clothing. I might have been deceived by you. But not anymore..." His fingers gently traced Wen Jiao's lips, his eyes darkening. "Jiaojiao, I treasure you like a precious gem. I will be patient with you."

His chest was warm and broad, and for a moment, Wen Jiao felt dazed.

Three days later, Song Langyu confirmed the evidence of Wei Jingfu's abuse of power for personal gain. The emperor ordered the Wei residence to be raided and punished severely.

With the imperial decree, Song Langyu immediately led troops to surround the Wei mansion. Countless gold, silver, and treasures were seized, along with boxes of land deeds and property documents. Finally, in a secret chamber, they found a locked iron chest.

Song Langyu tried the key Wen Jiao had given him, and it worked. He lifted the lid to find ledgers inside. A quick glance revealed copies of Ministry of Works accounts and various other miscellaneous records.

"Carry them back to the Dali Temple and keep them under close guard."

"Hold on!" Vice Minister of Justice Fan Ming, who had arrived with them, suddenly barked, saying to Song Langyu, "Since the emperor ordered a tripartite trial, it's not right for the Dali Temple to do all the work. Let me take these ledgers back to the Ministry of Justice. We'll go through them carefully, one by one."

Song Langyu looked at Fan Ming and asked, "Is this your idea, Vice Minister Fan, or Minister Sun's?"

Sun Chengyuan had been hit by a carriage a few days earlier and had broken his leg. He was on sick leave, so Fan Ming was now in charge of the Ministry of Justice.

"Vice Minister Song jokes. I just want to hasten the investigation; I have no other intentions. Our Ministry of Justice specializes in interrogation, yet the prisoners have been held in the Dali Temple's jail. We've had no way to be useful. You must give us something to do, or when the emperor asks later, he might think we're all idle." With that, he waved his hand. "Carry that chest of ledgers to the Ministry of Justice!"

"No."

The two sides faced off, the atmosphere tense.

Song Langyu stood before the chest, his expression cold and stern. "Crucial evidence must be kept at the Dali Temple. That was the agreement between me and Minister Sun. You're welcome to send someone to Sun Mansion to ask. I'll wait here."

Fan Ming's face showed anger, but he had no choice but to wave his men away.

After the raid on the Wei residence, Song Langyu personally escorted the evidence and confiscated goods back to the Dali Temple. As they reached Sparrow Street, a sudden incident unfolded.

A squad of elite soldiers burst out of a narrow alley, blocking Song Langyu's path.

Grand Princess Ningle, elegant and dignified, sat in her sedan chair, idly examining her vermilion-painted nails. "A slave in my mansion stole something and ran off. I just saw her slip into Vice Minister Song's carriage. I wonder if he'd allow me to check?"

Soldiers stood in formation, murderous intent thick in the air.

Song Langyu frowned deeply, stepped down from his carriage, and bowed to the Grand Princess. "Your Highness, I am conducting an investigation by imperial order. The carriage contains crucial evidence of the case. There is no escaped slave from your mansion. Please, Your Highness, allow me to proceed."

Grand Princess Ningle lazily lifted her gaze, her tone contemptuous. "I saw with my own eyes the runaway slave slip into your carriage. It would be no trouble at all to check. Lord Song refuses even this small favor?"

Song Langyu reached back and lifted the carriage curtain. "Your Highness, please see for yourself. There is no one else inside."

She pointed a finger at the iron chest in the carriage and ordered her household guards, "The person is hiding in that chest. Bring it back to the princess's residence."

Song Langyu stood in front of the carriage, his eyes cold. "Inside that chest is evidence. What exactly do you intend, Your Highness?"

"Take it down!" the Grand Princess bellowed angrily. The household guards moved forward, and the officers under Song Langyu drew their swords. The two sides faced off, the narrow street instantly thick with the atmosphere of slaughter.

"Wei Jingfu embezzled and violated the law, shaking the state's foundations. His Majesty ordered me to investigate thoroughly. If the princess openly obstructs the investigation, does that mean she is connected to Wei Jingfu?"

Now that the pretense was shattered, the words naturally turned harsh.

"I am merely retrieving a runaway slave. What does that have to do with Wei Jingfu?" The Grand Princess leaned back in her sedan chair, a smile in her eyes. "Even if Vice Minister Song goes to the emperor to complain, he would only say that you are too inflexible."

"I am simply curious," Song Langyu said, standing as firm as a pine. "For whose sake is the princess charging forward like this?"

Grand Princess Ningle wished to settle the matter quickly and ignored him, raising her hand as armored soldiers surged forward.

At that moment, a sharp whistling sound approached from afar!

"Clang!" An arrow embedded deeply into the brickwork before the armored soldiers, its white fletching trembling and vibrating.

Then, a faint vibration traveled through the ground, and the sound of hooves grew louder!

Within seconds, a squadron of cavalry arrived.

Shen Xiao reined in his horse, saluted the Grand Princess, and said, "His Majesty has ordered me to escort Vice Minister Song back to the Dali Court, Your Highness, please grant passage!"

The cavalry of the Palace Command were picked from the finest troops across the realm, the elite of the capital. If it came to a fight, the Grand Princess stood no chance.

Her eyes burned with increasing anger, her vermilion-dyed nails digging into her palm until they snapped, and she said coldly, "The Commander certainly arrives just in time."

Shen Xiao replied with unwavering composure, "His Majesty's orders, naturally I dare not delay."

"A faithful and obedient dog," she spat. "Let them pass!"

Song Langyu saluted Shen Xiao and returned to his carriage.

The rest of the journey went smoothly, and all the evidence was stored in the evidence room under guard.

That very night, however, a fire broke out at the Dali Court. The room housing the evidence was a wooden structure, and despite desperate efforts, the flames grew larger.

When the Dali Court officer reported, Song Langyu asked, "Is Lord Meng informed?"

"Vice Minister Song, when the fire started, Lord Meng was in his office discussing matters with someone. He immediately ordered men to extinguish the fire."

"If the firefighting was timely, why wasn't the fire contained?"

"Well... I do not know, sir."

Song Langyu paused and said, "It's nothing. You may go."

After closing the door, Wen Jiao emerged from the inner chamber and naturally settled into his lap. She toyed with his fingers and asked, "What is it? Has another spy cropped up in your Dali Court?"

Song Langyu remained noncommittal, saying, "You ask so many questions. What trick are you planning this time?"

"Could I possibly have more schemes than my older cousin?" She tapped the iron chest on the floor with her toes. "Sending the items to the Dali Court in the open while secretly moving the account books to the ducal manor—that was a clever move."

"Fan Ming wanted to take the chest back to the Ministry of Justice, so I knew the contents were important. I immediately had my trusted men swap them out," he said, taking Wen Jiao's hand. "Your family's case implicates more than just Wei Jingfu and the Grand Princess. No wonder your father had nowhere to turn for appeal back then."

Wen Jiao fell silent for a moment, then said, "Since they are so eager to destroy the account books, there must be many secrets inside."

"Wei Jingfu's abilities are mediocre. If your father had not been imprisoned back then, and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works had not been implicated, giving Wei Jingfu an opportunity to exploit, he would not have reached his current position even if he had toiled for another ten years."

Wen Jiao frowned in confusion, waiting for him to continue.

"I have looked into Wei Jingfu's character. He is cautious, even timid, and would never dare to suddenly falsely accuse a superior."

"So he found a powerful backer?"

Song Langyu nodded thoughtfully. "He must have pledged allegiance to someone of extremely high standing—so high that he dared to gamble his official career and life."

"Ten years ago, the Grand Princess had just returned to the capital..."

Song Langyu's eyes were dark as water. "The dam collapse case took place in August, while the Grand Princess returned in deep winter. So, the person Wei Jingfu attached himself to is definitely not the Grand Princess."

At this moment, within Prince Qi's residence, Li Chongyao was burning secret letters exchanged with officials.

"Hurry! Burn them all!"

"The situation hasn't reached an irredeemable point yet—why are you panicking like this!" The Grand Princess entered with a frown, waving her hand to dismiss all the maids in the hall.

Li Chongyao was now thirty years old, bearing a striking resemblance to Emperor Changping. At this moment, cold sweat dripped from his brow, and his face was ashen.

"Father had Wei Jingfu's mansion ransacked, and I hear they found a chest of account books—they're sure to implicate my aunt!"

"And what if they do?" The Grand Princess slammed her hand on the table and scolded him. "Since you want to sit on the dragon throne, you should have anticipated that this day might come. Now that Wei Jingfu has been captured, you're already losing your nerve—completely useless!"

In the imperial family, which prince doesn't dream of becoming emperor? With his mother being Consort Yu and his aunt willing to support him, Li Chongyao's ambition had naturally been nurtured. He'd also enjoyed the flattery of the officials who pledged loyalty to him.

But now that disaster had struck, he was like a hollow gourd, panicked out of his wits.

"What if Song Langyu uncovers something? What would Father do to me? Would he have me killed? Maybe I should go to Father myself and confess—he'll see I'm sincere and will surely forgive me, right?" Li Chongyao clutched at the Grand Princess's wide sleeve, already shaking with fear.

*Slap!*

A resounding slap echoed.

"Your mother enjoys the Emperor's exclusive favor in the harem—even the Empress has to steer clear of her. How could she have borne a son so useless as you? If she saw you like this, she'd be so angry she'd die!"

The Grand Princess sat down and gulped some tea.

"Once you step onto the path of contending for the heir's throne, it's win or die. Even if your father were willing to spare you, when the Crown Prince ascends the throne in the future, would he be merciful?"

Li Chongyao staggered back two steps, his face white as a sheet, muttering, "I never should have listened to you. I shouldn't..."

"Shouldn't have what? Shouldn't have contended for the throne?" The Grand Princess sneered. "Your mother has long been a thorn in the Empress's side. When the Crown Prince ascends, she will never let you and your mother off."

She had always known that this nephew of hers was weak and cowardly, which made him easy to control. But now, she found him utterly useless.

"You don't need to be afraid. Those account books have already been burned. Even if Song Langyu exhausts all his means, he won't be able to trace anything back to you."

"Really?"

"I've already secretly sent word to Wei Jingfu, telling him that I will rescue him and to rest assured."

Li Chongyao grew anxious. "But this case has already alarmed Father. How can he be rescued?"

The Grand Princess glared at him with contempt. "You can't seriously mean to save him, can you? I've already bribed the jailer to slip a slow poison into his food. Within half a month, he'll be dead. With no one left to testify, you and I will be truly safe."

A flash of joy lit up Li Chongyao's eyes, and he clapped his hands with a laugh. "Excellent! That's excellent!"

"Back then, Chen Wenyuan's case also reached the Emperor's ears. But what came of it? He was quietly strangled in his cell, and the case was closed. If Wei Jingfu dies, the trail goes cold. Even if Song Langyu were a living immortal, he'd be helpless."

"At that time, Liu Tao was in charge of the Ministry of Justice, and he handled Chen Wenyuan's case together with Meng Xu. Liu Tao has already retired now, and though Meng Xu is still in office, he's being kept in check by Song Langyu—that's why I've been so panicked." Li Chongyao bowed deeply to the Grand Princess. "Thanks to you, Aunt, for your careful planning. Once your nephew ascends the throne in the future, I will surely make Cousin Liu Jia the Empress, cherishing, honoring, and respecting her."

A hint of disdain flickered in the Grand Princess's eyes, though her words were honeyed. "Liu Jia has adored you since childhood. If you treat her well in the future, then all my efforts for you won't have been wasted."

"As for the case from ten years ago, if Chen Wenyuan's daughter hadn't suddenly appeared to cry out for justice, no one would have revisited old grievances. If we want peace in the future, we must uproot the problem entirely." A murderous glint flashed in the Grand Princess's eyes.

That chest of account books was soon sorted out: half contained the real records of various Ministry of Public Works projects from recent years, and the other half detailed the sums of silver offered to an unnamed high-ranking figure.

Song Langyu took out the official account books from the Ministry's storeroom and compared them line by line. He discovered that half of the project funds had been embezzled, totaling millions of taels.

During the construction of the Lanjiang River embankment, ninety percent of the project funds had been embezzled. The scale of the corruption suggested there was a huge hole to fill.

"Jiaping 11th year..." Song Langyu murmured.

He suddenly recalled an old incident. He put down the ledger in his hand and searched through the mountain of documents.

Finally, he found it—the "Account Ledger for the Construction of Prince Qi's Mansion."

In the early months of Jiaping 11th year, the Emperor allowed Prince Qi to set up his own household. The Ministry of Works had submitted a proposal, but because the national treasury was depleted, the 12,000 taels of silver required for the prince's mansion could not be raised, and it was delayed for a year.

In Jiaping 12th year, the Ministry of Revenue allocated 10,000 taels of silver, and construction of Prince Qi's mansion finally started. By the end of the year, it was completed.

The ledger recorded that the mansion's total construction cost was 9,700 taels of silver.

But Song Langyu had visited Prince Qi's mansion. It was resplendent, with intricately carved and painted beams. The gardens were built by craftsmen from Suzhou Prefecture, and that alone would have cost at least 5,000 taels.

Everything seemed to fall into place. No wonder, back then, the Ministry of Revenue allocated 1.6 million taels of silver for the embankment project, but less than one-tenth had actually been used for construction. After officials at every level took their cut, at least a million taels remained.

Some of that embezzled silver went toward building the prince's mansion. The rest...

Quedu Temple!

By controlling officials' families, they gathered court intelligence and cultivated their own faction.

Or perhaps... secretly raise a private army.

Song Langyu had nearly pieced together the full picture.

But it also brought him face to face with a more formidable adversary.

A knock came at the door. Wen Jiao called out gently, "Cousin, I've brought you a late-night snack."

Song Langyu closed the ledger before letting Wen Jiao in.

She set down a food container and took out some light congee and side dishes.

"It wouldn't be good to eat anything too rich this late, so I made a few refreshing dishes. Have some to keep you going."

Song Langyu did not touch his chopsticks. Instead, he gazed at her and asked, "If your father's case implicates a person of high status, and pursuing it further might put your own life at risk, would you still investigate thoroughly?"

Wen Jiao's expression remained serene. She said softly, "I knew long ago that the person behind this was no ordinary figure. My father had no one to turn to and died wrongfully in prison."

"Are you afraid?"

"Afraid." The young girl blinked, her nose wrinkling slightly. "But if I don't find out the truth, what's the point of living?"

She was as beautiful as a peach blossom, her eyes bright as stars.

For a moment, Song Langyu's heart fluttered.

It was late at night when Wen Jiao left the study.

Though it was midsummer, the night air was cool, and goosebumps rose on Wen Jiao's arms.

Under the clear moonlight, Wen Jiao walked alone.

Was it Prince Qi?

Following the clues in the ledgers, Song Langyu meticulously traced corrupt officials and merchants one after another. But Wei Jingfu remained silent the entire time.

Then, one day, when a prison guard delivered Wei Jingfu's meal, he got no response. When the guard entered the cell, he found Wei Jingfu ice cold—already dead.

The Dali Temple fell into chaos. Song Langyu did not return to the Duke Zhenguo's mansion for several days.

With Madam Wu's permission, Wen Jiao brought several changes of clothes to the Dali Temple. But the guards at the gate said Song Langyu had gone out to investigate a case and was not in the office.

Wen Jiao had no choice but to wait at the entrance. Just then, Dali Temple Chief Meng Xu returned. They had met several times before and were acquainted.

"Waiting for Vice Minister Song? I don't know when he'll be back. Why don't you wait inside?"

Wen Jiao curtsied gracefully in thanks and followed Meng Xu into the office.

"My cousin hasn't been home for days, so my aunt asked me to bring him a couple of outfits," she explained softly, with just the right amount shyness.

A flash of malice passed through Meng Xu's eyes, but his voice remained cordial. "A prisoner in custody suddenly died... By the way, that prisoner had some connection to your father's case—Wei Jingfu."

Wen Jiao's face turned pale. She stammered, "How did he die... how did he die?"

Meng Xu observed her expression closely and said, "Now that the key prisoner is dead, and that box of ledgers has been burned, it's going to be very difficult to investigate your father's case."

Pale as a sheet, she staggered two steps, then suddenly grabbed Meng Xu's sleeve and asked urgently, "I heard that you were also the presiding judge in my father's case back then. What exactly happened at that time?"

Meng Xu's gaze flickered. "I was only an associate judge, verifying the evidence and exhibits. Naturally, all that evidence and those exhibits were without any flaw."

"Without any flaw?" Wen Jiao frowned accusingly. "Then did you ever see that secret letter? Do you know Wang Jinping?"

Meng Xu's hand clenched into a fist inside his sleeve, then slowly relaxed. His expression remained amiable. "Calm down. Although the suspect is dead now, Vice Minister Song is still working hard to investigate. We should have some leads soon."

Realizing her rudeness, Wen Jiao quickly released his sleeve and apologized. Then she said, "My cousin probably won't be back for a while. Could I borrow some brush and ink to leave a letter for him?"

Meng Xu naturally agreed. He led her into the inner hall, gave her paper and brush, and then left.

Wen Jiao wrote a letter, sealed it in an envelope, and placed it together with the clothes she had brought. She handed them to a servant in the courtyard and said, "Would you please give this letter and the clothes to my cousin? I'll be going back now."

After Wen Jiao left, Meng Xu returned, opened the letter, and examined it closely. The content was nothing more than simple reminders for Song Langyu to rest—nothing remarkable. But the handwriting...

Meng Xu's eyes lit up. This handwriting was very similar to that of the person who had originally reported Wei Jingfu!

It was a godsend. If he could prove that the letters and evidence had all been forged by Wen Jiao, not only would it resolve the current crisis, but it could also make the Emperor suspicious of Song Langyu, dragging both him and the Duke's mansion into the mess.

From then on, he could be free of trouble once and for all.

*

In an underground chamber, a man with his hands and feet bound sat in a corner, dejected.

The secret door opened, and footsteps slowly approached.

After a moment, a disheveled prison guard was thrown down before the man.

Wei Jingfu looked up, his cloudy eyes shifting slightly, but he did not speak.

Song Langyu sat down across from him and ordered the guard to recount his actions.

"I—I am a prison guard at the Dali Temple, in charge of delivering meals and water. Half a month ago, a mysterious person came to my home and threatened the lives of my entire family, forcing me to poison Wei Jingfu's food. I... I had no choice but to comply."

Wei Jingfu's eyelids fluttered, but he remained silent.

"Who ordered you to administer the poison?"

"I truly don't know! I only saw that the person had a mole hidden in the hair near his temple."

After speaking, the guard kowtowed frantically, begging for mercy.

Wei Jingfu's expression changed slightly, but he was unsure whether this was real or an act. Fearing that Song Langyu was trying to bluff him, he sneered and said, "Vice Minister Song, are you treating me like an ignorant child? You think a little scare will make me confess everything? I tell you, dream on!"

Song Langyu sat upright and listened quietly, not in a hurry.

"Don't try to fool me. That chest of account books has long been burned. You can't prove my guilt, and you certainly can't find the backer behind me!"

"Yongning Canal: cost 8,000 taels, embezzled 5,200."

Wei Jingfu was stunned.

"Cikang Palace: cost 10,000 taels, embezzled 4,000."

"East city wall repairs: cost 25,000 taels, embezzled 11,000."

"Ministry of Rites office renovation: cost 13,000 taels, embezzled 6,200."

Wei Jingfu's eyes were filled with terror. He shouted, "Impossible! Those account books were all burned to ashes!"

Before he finished speaking, two guards carried in a wooden chest. Song Langyu lifted the lid: "Since I could swap you out of the Dali Temple prison, naturally I could also swap out these account books."

Wei Jingfu was a key witness and also the best bait. So Song Langyu had previously reported to Emperor Changping and arranged for a double to impersonate Wei Jingfu in the Dali Temple cell, ensuring that Wei Jingfu would not be silenced, and also luring the snake out of its hole.

Wei Jingfu gasped heavily, like a fat fish gasping for air on dry land.

"You no longer have any value. Your backer never intended to save you."

"They won't save me—can you save me?" Wei Jingfu's hope collapsed, and he became manic.

"Naturally, I cannot save you either," Song Langyu said, his features chiseled, brows sharp, eyes piercing. "But I can guarantee you an intact corpse and ensure the safety of your family."

Seeing no way out, Wei Jingfu actually calmed down. He stared at Song Langyu with red-rimmed eyes, his voice trembling: "Is that true?"

"True."

Wei Jingfu's whole body was rigid and tense, his teeth chattering. Then, suddenly, he went limp.

"I'll talk." The words escaped from his throat, as if scraping over gravel. "It was Prince Qi."

...

The confession filled ten pages. The cinnabar fingerprint pressed onto the paper, and the last glimmer of life in Wei Jingfu's eyes was extinguished.

Rapid footsteps approached. A guard rushed in and said urgently, "My Lord, Minister Fan of the Ministry of Justice just went to the Duke Zhenguo's mansion with an arrest warrant, saying that Miss Chen fabricated evidence to frame an official, and took her away!"

Author's note: None