“Qian Jiaoniang, the one you harmed was my aunt — my mother’s twin sister. Do you know how I felt seeing her collapse before my eyes?” Xing Muzheng’s voice turned threatening. “If you still won’t tell me the truth, I’ll throw you off this horse.”
Qian Jiaoniang replied, “If the Marquis doesn’t believe me, then feel free to hand me over to Constable Chen. He’s the expert. If he says I killed someone, then I did. That should be good enough, no?”
Even the dumbest soldier was less frustrating than her! Xing Muzheng, enraged by her stubbornness, resolved to teach her a lesson. He grabbed her with one arm and hoisted her off the saddle, dangling her from the side of the horse by the waist. “Will you talk or not?!”
Dizzy and disoriented from hanging mid-air, Qian Jiaoniang looked down at the yellow dirt beneath them. Furious, she grabbed Xing Muzheng’s leg and bit down hard. He hissed in pain, and in the next moment, Qian Jiaoniang punched the horse in the belly. Lightning neighed wildly, its front hooves rearing high. Caught off guard, Xing Muzheng lost his grip. Just as Qian Jiaoniang was about to crash to the ground, he twisted midair like a swallow and threw himself beneath her, breaking her fall.
This was the second time in just a few days that he’d been her human cushion. Xing Muzheng had known she was wild — but hadn’t realized she had such disregard for her own life.
Qian Jiaoniang slammed into his solid chest, her nose burning. She reached up and felt blood.
Xing Muzheng’s bones ached, but when he saw her bleeding nose, his eyes turned sharp. He reached out to check, but she slapped his hand away.
“Let me see!” he scolded. She was bleeding and still trying to act tough?
“I don’t need your fake concern.” Qian Jiaoniang pinched her nose and grumbled.
Xing Muzheng nearly howled with frustration. This one woman — more trouble than a hundred thousand soldiers. He couldn’t beat her, couldn’t scold her, and even a bluff made her go all out like it was life or death.
Qian Jiaoniang tilted her head back to stop the bleeding, but Xing Muzheng pressed her head down with a rough hand. “Why’re you lifting your head to stop a nosebleed?”
Why had she ever worked herself to death to save this b*stard? Nearly broke her neck doing it, and now this? Qian Jiaoniang asked herself in bitter earnest.
A plain handkerchief appeared in front of her, but she ignored it, pulling out her own embroidered one instead. Xing Muzheng snorted, put his back in his pocket, and watched her messily wipe her face. Blood smeared across her cheeks like stubble. He reached out to clean it off, but she slapped his hand away with a sharp smack. “Don’t touch me.”
Xing Muzheng’s dark eyes narrowed. He grabbed her again, gently but firmly wiping her face clean. “What’s with the sudden defiance? Killed someone and can’t control yourself, is that it?”
Qian Jiaoniang’s heart gave a jolt. She pushed him away, grabbed Lightning’s reins, vaulted onto the horse, and kicked its belly. With a slap to its flank, she bolted.
Xing Muzheng let out a laugh of disbelief. With a long whistle, Lightning — like under a spell — neighed, turned back, and ran back to Xing Muzheng, affectionately nuzzling him with its head.
Qian Jiaoniang was so furious she nearly passed out.
Xing Muzheng flipped onto his horse and leaned down to whisper, “Trying to run? I told you, you’ll never escape my grasp.” With that, he snapped his whip and charged off like lightning.
After seeing Xing Muzheng off, Li Qing went with Wang Yong and the others to handle the matters Xing Muzheng had assigned. He had also instructed his wife to close the restaurant for the day and asked his father-in-law to prepare a fine meal at the place to welcome Xing Muzheng back for dinner. But unexpectedly, tragedy struck. Li Qing never imagined that this trip out would end with the sudden deaths of both the uncle and aunt who had come with the Commander! If they had been murdered—ten, twenty, even a hundred people dying violently wouldn’t be shocking—but for them to die of an accident like this was simply too unexpected.
The corpses had already been brought back and laid out behind the courtyard, but Li Qing still couldn’t believe it. Seeing Xing Muzheng silently and carefully examining the bodies, he knew something was wrong. Enraged, he cried, “Commander, what b*stard dared to lay hands on your uncle and aunt? I’ll find them and tear them limb from limb!”
Xing Muzheng shot him a cold glare. Who did he want to tear limb from limb?
Li Qing was dumbfounded. Did he say something wrong?
“Their time had come. Don’t go spouting nonsense about someone murdering them,” Xing Muzheng said coldly. “Go prepare…”
“Cousin! Cousin!” Tian Yongzhang and Tian Bilian had rehearsed their story the whole way back. Tian Yongzhang repeated it several times in his head before rushing in with tears, clutching Xing Muzheng and crying out, “Cousin, my parents died unjustly! It was Qian, that venomous woman, who killed them! She resented Aunt for insisting on leaving our family and making her support herself, so she killed her. And now, fearing our parents would expose her, she poisoned them too!”
Li Qing’s eyes widened—did he just say the Madam killed the Commander’s uncle and aunt?
“Yes, cousin,” Tian Bilian added tearfully, “we heard it from Mother several times. She said every time she visited Aunt, she was always gloomy, but never explained why.”
Last night they’d claimed they hadn’t seen Jiaoniang or mother since leaving the Tian family. Now they were saying they saw her often. Xing Muzheng’s face darkened. He turned his gaze to the woman standing behind Tian Yongzhang and Tian Bilian. “Is what they said true?” At this point, would she still refuse to speak honestly with him?
Tian Yongzhang and Tian Bilian turned sharply, only to see Qian Jiaoniang standing in the corner, eyeing them with a meaningful look. The siblings felt a chill run through them, but they were already riding a tiger—they couldn’t get off now. Tian Bilian gave her brother a glance, and the two cried even louder to Xing Muzheng, “Cousin, we’re your blood relatives! You must believe us—kill that poisonous woman and avenge our parents!”
Qian Jiaoniang dabbed her eyes and said to Qingya and Qian Xiao’e beside her, “Look at these poor children. Their parents are gone, and they’ve lost their minds. Ah, what a cruel fate.”
Qingya said, “Madam, you’re too kind. They falsely accuse you like this, and you still defend them. Pitiful they may be, but their lies are too wicked! Everyone in the household knows how respectfully you treated your aunt and uncle, like your own parents. How could you ever harm them? Just look at you—your eyes are swollen from crying. The dead can’t return, you should rest now.”
Qian Jiaoniang nodded, and Qingya helped her away. After a moment of silence, the Tian siblings’ cries resumed in the courtyard.
Back in her room, Qingya couldn’t wait to whisper, “Jiaoniang, was it really you?”
Qian Jiaoniang nodded.
Even Qingya was stunned. She hadn’t expected Jiaoniang to be this ruthless. “How did you…”
Xing Pingchun suddenly burst in, still overwhelmed with sorrow and fear at the sudden deaths of his elders. He clung to Qian Jiaoniang and wouldn’t let go. Qian Jiaoniang sighed, pulled him to sit by the bed, and gently stroked his back to soothe him.
Seeing this, Qingya quietly slipped out.
Qian Jiaoniang hadn’t planned for Xing Pingchun to come at all, but Xing Muzheng had forced his way in, complicating everything. And that constable Chen Zhuo—if he was as sharp as Xing Muzheng claimed, would he pick up on something? Old Man Wan had said the poison was colorless and traceless once inside the body, making it look like sudden death. But if Chen Zhuo really investigated, he might still find something.
She still remembered how Old Wan had hesitated when handing her the poison. “Miss Qian,” he’d said, “to poison others is to poison yourself. Think thrice before acting.” She had thought deeply afterward—but she could never forget that snowy day when the three of them almost froze to death in that ruined temple. Even if this poison haunted her for life, she would accept it.
But now, she was uneasy. She believed she had left no trace, yet she kept feeling as though Chen Zhuo’s eyes could see through her. And Xing Muzheng—he suspected her. He hadn’t even found proof and had already tried to throw her off his horse. He’d carefully examined the bodies earlier—had he noticed something? Did he believe Tian Yongzhang’s accusation? Would he be her death sentence?
She had to find a way to burn the two corpses. If they turned to ash, there’d be no evidence. But how could she manage it now…?
A piercing cry rang out from the rooftop, shaking her to the core. Even the half-asleep Xing Pingchun in her arms jolted awake. “What was that sound?!”
