Meanwhile, Qian Jiaoniang was informed by Li Qing that Chen Zhuo had come to ask her about an old case.
Qian Jiaoniang didn’t so much as bat an eyelid. “I understand. Thank you.”
Li Qing glanced at her surreptitiously for a while. No matter how he looked at her, she didn’t seem like a woman burdened with a murder case. Now he finally understood what Ah Da and Wang Yong meant when they warned not to underestimate the Madam.
He cautiously asked, “Madam, what old case is it that Constable Chen is referring to? The Commander sent me to ask on his behalf. If there’s any need for me to run errands, Madam, just say the word. Even if I only have one leg, I can still fly on it.”
Qian Jiaoniang smiled. “Thank you for your kind offer. But truly, there’s nothing that needs doing.”
Tsk tsk. What a formidable lady. But then, he couldn’t understand—why not let the Marquis know about the matter? Was she afraid he’d look down on her?
After Li Qing left, Qian Jiaoniang took a deep breath and stretched out her arms. “Qingya, my little beauty, whether your sister lives or dies all depends on this round.”
Qingya said, “Didn’t the Marquis already cremate those two? What else could happen?”
Qian Jiaoniang let out a bitter laugh. “I didn’t realize when I started—now that I count it all up, it’s terrifying.”
By shen hour, Chen Zhuo appeared at the Xing family’s ancestral residence right on time. Li Qing welcomed him inside. Magistrate Zhang hurriedly descended from his sedan chair and rushed up the steps. He hadn’t intended to come, but worried that Chen Zhuo would cause trouble and drag him down too, he decided to supervise personally.
Li Qing’s in-laws hid in the kitchen. Seeing both the county magistrate and the head constable arrive, they were terrified. Though their son-in-law had said the man they dined with yesterday outranked the county magistrate, to them, the county magistrate was already the highest authority.
Inside the main hall, Magistrate Zhang and Chen Zhuo waited for a while until Xing Muzheng entered. Magistrate Zhang barely caught a glimpse of him before dropping to his knees with a full five-point bow. Chen Zhuo followed suit. “This official greets the Marquis.”
Xing Muzheng took the main seat and said, “You may rise.”
Magistrate Zhang scrambled to his feet and introduced himself with great ceremony, then launched into an endless stream of praise. Xing Muzheng didn’t interrupt, but the slight furrow of his brows was enough for Magistrate Zhang to notice and quickly shut up.
Xing Muzheng gestured for them to sit at the lower seats. “You two insisted on seeing this Marquis—what is it about?”
Magistrate Zhang glanced at Chen Zhuo, who stood and cupped his hands. “Marquis, yesterday this official reviewed some old case files and found one connected to the Marchioness. I’ve come to ask a few questions.”
“What case?”
Chen Zhuo was prepared. He presented the case file with both hands. Xing Muzheng skimmed it rapidly. Magistrate Zhang tried to peek over and read, but the young Marquis’s face gave nothing away—no joy, no anger.
Xing Muzheng closed the file and said in a low voice to the man beside him, “Go and summon the Marchioness.”
Ah Da took the order and left. Not long after, Qian Jiaoniang arrived. Calm and steady, she stepped over the threshold and entered the room. Magistrate Zhang had already stood up. Chen Zhuo stood quietly to the side, and when she came in, he glanced at her. Like Xing Muzheng, her face was unreadable.
Xing Muzheng rose, offered her a light assist, and had her sit beside him before returning to his own seat.
This gesture startled both Chen Zhuo and Magistrate Zhang. In Xie Dynasty customs, such deference from a nobleman to a woman was rare.
“Madam, these two are Magistrate Zhang and Constable Chen. You met Constable Chen yesterday.”
Magistrate Zhang hurriedly greeted her. Chen Zhuo did the same. Qian Jiaoniang nodded. “Constable Chen, we meet again.”
“Madam,” Chen Zhuo said solemnly, “I’ve come again because there is an old case in the archives connected to you. In Gui County, there was once a man named Li Xiangui. Does Madam remember him?”
Qian Jiaoniang shook her head, looking innocent. “I don’t remember.”
Chen Zhuo paused, then continued, “This man’s nickname was ‘Li Heavenly King.’ Is Madam sure she doesn’t remember?”
“Oh, that man.” Qian Jiaoniang fiddled with the handkerchief at her waist, feigning sudden recollection.
Hearing her admit to knowing the man, Chen Zhuo pressed on, “Since Madam remembers him, does she also remember that Li Xiangui died in this very residence?”
Qian Jiaoniang’s body stiffened bit by bit. Her back straightened, her neck stiffened, and she didn’t look at Xing Muzheng beside her—didn’t look at anyone.
How could she possibly forget that man? He broke into her room in the dead of night—not only to steal valuables, but to press a dagger to her throat and force her to undress.
“Madam?” Chen Zhuo waited a long time for an answer. When none came, he called out again, “According to the case file, Madam is listed as a murder suspect. Did Madam indeed kill Li Xiangui?”
Qian Jiaoniang snapped out of it. Her back straightened even more. What must come, must come. Yet she still hesitated over whether to admit it. She had prepared a story—that on the day Li Xiangui broke into the house, she and her mother had already taken Chou’er and left. But the truth was, he had violated and humiliated her—they had killed him in desperation, in self-defense. What crime was that? But Qian Jiaoniang feared that once she admitted it, it would become d*mning. No matter how she explained, she might not escape the charge of murder.
She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat was dry and tight. “I…”
“Madam,” Xing Muzheng suddenly interrupted her. She turned her head to look at him, only to hear him say:
“If you won’t say it, then allow me to say it for you.”
Qian Jiaoniang froze inside. How did Xing Muzheng know about this?
Chen Zhuo also looked toward Xing Muzheng. “Marquis, what is the meaning of this?”
“These words should be mine to ask you,” Xing Muzheng said coldly. “Constable Chen, I originally thought you came to clear my wife’s name. I didn’t expect that the moment you opened your mouth, you treated her as a murder suspect.”
Chen Zhuo replied, “Marquis, right and wrong—this official must handle all matters impartially. The case file clearly states: Li Xiangui attempted to steal and was killed by the Madam, who then fled with the elder Madam and a young child, fearing punishment. While Li Xiangui was guilty, his crime wasn’t punishable by death. If Madam truly killed him, it would be a breach of the law. But if there were hidden circumstances, she could have explained herself to the authorities—why choose to flee?”
Yes, that phrase—fled in fear of punishment—turned a justified act into a guilty one. Who knew whether that corrupt official had since been promoted or just run off with his dirty money?
Xing Muzheng turned his head to look at Qian Jiaoniang. Seeing her still holding firm, stubborn and upright on her own, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. With a wave of his hand, he said, “Bring the man in.”
Qian Jiaoniang turned her head in confusion. Bring the man? Who?
Wang Yong cupped his hands and left. Moments later, he returned with a man in custody, around thirty to forty years old, with a sharp mouth and rat-like features. His complexion was sallow, and he was thin as a stick. As he knelt on the ground, it was clear one of his fingers was missing—his pinky looked to have been chopped off.
The man knelt, legs trembling violently. “This lowly one… greets the great lord!”
“State your name,” Wang Yong demanded sharply.
“Yes—yes! This lowly one is Niu Daqiang, a native of Gui County. I run a coffin business. This year I’m… twenty-seven!” Niu Daqiang knocked his head to the floor with a loud thud.
Chen Zhuo’s brow twitched slightly. Wasn’t this man the owner of Niu’s Coffin Shop? His wife had thought he’d spent the whole night gambling—but he’d been captured and brought here. Chen Zhuo glanced sidelong at Xing Muzheng, only to find his face calm, unreadable.
Only Magistrate Zhang didn’t know who this Niu Daqiang was.
Wang Yong continued questioning: “Do you know why you were brought here?”
“I do, I do! It’s about that Li Xiangui matter!” Niu Daqiang was silently wailing inside. Even if he didn’t know before, after a night and half a day of interrogation, he now knew everything!
Qian Jiaoniang focused her gaze on him. Only then did she recognize him as one of the gang of riffraff that used to loiter with Li Xiangui in the streets.
Xing Muzheng said, “Tell everything you know.”
“Yes, yes!” Niu Daqiang had been frightened out of his wits, with multiple injuries on his body. He didn’t dare resist and spilled everything in one go. “I used to hang around with Li Xiangui, and I often heard him curse… curse General Xing. When I asked him why, I found out that it was because General Xing once saw him harassing a decent woman on the street and gave him a beating. He’s held a grudge ever since. But because General Xing was too strong, he didn’t dare take revenge. Later, after General Xing joined the military, Li Xiangui grew bold. He told me he was going to go to the General’s house to rob him of all his valuables—and also his woman. Said he was going to make him a cuckolded fool.”
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