"Returning to Before Husband's Castration" 《回到老公自宫前》Chapter 23
Seeing Lu Ying’s deadly gaze, Wang Da Xia wasn’t afraid at all, “Of course I came to find commander Lu for my money.”
Lu Ying asked: “Didn’t you come back earlier? Why did you only come at night?”
Wang Da Xia said: “It’s hot, I found a place to drink tea and eat, when the sunset, I came since it wasn’t as hot.”
Wang Da Xia thought this way he would be able to conceal where he had been during this time.
Lu Ying wasn’t suspicious, taking Wang Da Xia to commander Lu Bing to debrief.
Last night Lu Ying had basically spent all night on the case, Lu Bing found out there was a huge progress with the case, as well as the study companion being stuck to death by lightning, worried for Lu Ying, he remained in the yamen, when it got dark he didn’t leave the yamen for home.
As soon as they entered, the two smelt medicine, Lu Bing was drinking medicine.
Lu Ying immediately threw his tiredness to the side, looking deeply concerned, “Lord Lu what is wrong? Where are you not feeling well?”
“Nothing, it’s only a summer tonic prescribed by an imperial physician.” Lu Bing gargled, ordering someone to bring a plate of lychee, ice cubes were placed underneath, on top were twenty lychees, the branches and leaves were fresh, he said: “The south offered a basket of lychees as tribute, the emperor conferred half to me, I’m taking tonics so I can’t eat these cold things, I’ll give them to you.”
Lychees were an absolute rare commodity in the capital in the summer.
Wang Da Xia moved his index finger, salivating as he spoke, “Lord Lu, can you give this ordinary person a taste?”
Lu Bing smiled, nodding, “I heard you got the study companion to talk, achievements can be rewarded, eat.”
Wang Da Xia grabbed a large handful without restraint, peeling the soft shell, he greedily ate the snow white flesh on the inside.
Lu Ying was focused on solving the case, he had no appetite, reciting the ten years of resentment between the Chen and He family, “...now it seems like, the biggest suspect is the second lady He who escaped that year, she’s now seventeen years old, having compared the tavern list of guests, only a widow called Wei Cai Wei fit the age.”
“Not only that, but the three linked murder cases all took place within the seven days she entered the capital, she’s also a wandering doctor, all day she walks the streets and lanes to treat people, she can ascertain Chen dailang’s whereabouts without being detected, the highly toxic needle found on Chen Qianhu’s saddle matches.”
Wang Da Xia who was eating lychees at the side interrupted: “But according to her oral confession yesterday, the day she stayed at the tavern, she had argued with the tavern keeper over the cost of the room, the tavern keeper also testified to this, if she really was the murderer, having taken her revenge, she ought to have left the capital right away, why did she not leave, and rather procrastinated until the next afternoon to quarrel with the tavern keeper?”
Wang Da Xia grafted flowers onto a tree, easing the suspicion on Wei Cai Wei, “This commoner feels there’s a contradiction, if it was me, after killing them all I would run, also the three vengeances were all executed meticulously, not one drop of water can leak out, no clues or evidence were left behind, how can such a person oversleep, commit an error of arguing with the tavern keeper over a little money? This is the second counterstatement.”
With a pa, Lu Ying hit the table, shaking the ice cubes on the plate, “Since you call my judgment into question, then tell me who is the murderer?”
Wang Da Xia peeled the seventh lychee, “I’m adept at eating, drinking and being merry, an amateur at solving cases, I definitely am not equal to commander Lu’s learnings and origin, I only think if I was the murderer, what would I do? First of all, I definitely wouldn’t be stupid enough to use my actual household record information in the register at the tavern, especially my age, I would dress a bit older, write seventeen into twenty-seven wouldn’t be an issue? The tavern keeper wouldn’t care.”
“Secondly, after killing Chen Qianhu, those who harmed my family are all dead, what is the reason for remaining in the capital? Wait for the yamen to arrest me. I would definitely check out of the room the next morning and slip away, I definitely wouldn’t leave my capital address in the tavern’s register to await the constable to easily find me.”
Wang Da Xia ate a whole lychee in one mouthful, saying: “That’s why, I feel commander Lu shouldn’t just be fixated on Wei Cai Wei, carefully look over the list of names at the twenty and thirty years old married women, maybe they’re simply a young man--- a woman pretending to be a man would be more secretive, I’ve seen that list of names, over ten people who filled in their addresses could not be found, is that correct?”
This stumped Lu Ying, he said: “In total there are eleven guests’s addresses which were fake, to this date they haven’t been found.”
Wang Da Xia picked up the eighth piece of lychee, “I feel the murderer is most likely among the eleven people.”
Lu Ying gave a cold snort, “You repeatedly defend that young widow, have you been mesmerised by her charm?”
Wang Da Xia’s heart was frantically thumping, he felt like he was walking on a tightrope, on his face was a grin, “I am well-known as a true gentleman who is not disturbed with a woman in one's lap, I haven’t even touched the former queen of flowers miss Ying Ying, but like a somewhat good looking young widow? Such a joke!”
Wang Da Xia wasn’t only just an annoying troublemaker, he even know how to get reactions from making negative remarks, he said: “Forgive me for gauging the heart of a gentleman with my own measures, Leader Lu is fixated on Wei Cai Wei because the young widow is easy to bully, she would be the easiest to capture, then with torture, it ensures the young widow will admit to anything. Leader Lu can swiftly close the case and become famous amongst the people.”
“As for the eleven suspects who used a fake name in the tavern’s register…” Wang Da Xia’s eyes revealed ridicule, “Looking for them is like finding a needle in the haystack, this case will remain unresolved, if it isn’t solved there’s no way to gain distinction.”
“You’re shameful!” Lu Ying couldn’t hold back his anger, grabbing Wang Da Xia by the collar, picking him up from the chair he pressed him against the wall, “You’re impatient to be rewarded, eager to get your secret stash of money back, you think everyone is as unscrupulous as you!”
“I will definitely summon Wei Cai Wei to the embroidered uniform guards again, I will also continue to investigate the eleven suspects even if nothing turns up, I Lu Ying solve cases on proof, I won’t obtain a confession under torture from a young widow just so I will be acknowledged.”
Wang Da Xia thought: Like I would trust you! That night the embroidered uniform guards almost shot me dead on the spot! If it wasn’t for the young widow’s kind reminder, I would have become a hedgehog because of you.
Wang Da Xia and Lu Ying was dealing in a war of words, Lu Ying even made a move.
Lu Bing didn’t bat an eyelid, looking down to peel a lychee, and used a chopstick to pick out the pit, using a fruit fork to pick up the peeled lychee, “You haven’t had dinner yet? It’s not surprising an empty stomach can heat things up, the murderer hasn’t been found, making a move against our own people, eat something first to fill yourself.”
Lu Ying still didn’t let go, glaring at Wang Da Xia.
Lu Bing sighed: “I was like you when I was young, neglecting sleep and forgetting about food when I was busy, caring about nothing, now that I’m old with an ailing body, even though there’s nothing wrong I have to take those extremely bitter peace and security prescriptions, don’t follow in my footsteps, health is important.”
Lu Ying then let go, returning to his seat he ate a lychee.
Wang Da Xia crouched against the wall, not daring to sit back down, he grumbled to Lu Bing: “Leader Lu has an explosive temper, he’s even more vicious than my father, I can’t stand it, give me back my stash, let me go!”
Wang Da Xia had simply stoked the fire enough to the perfect point, with this he would be clear of suspicions.
He wanted to stay in the embroidered uniform guards yamen to “supervise” the case, at the right time muddying the originally clear clues.
Lu Bing acted like a compassionate father, continuing to peel lychees for Lu Ying, “You want to wipe your mouth and leave after eating my lychees? In your dreams, don’t think about leaving before this case is solved.”
Lu Ying said: “Lord Lu go back home and rest first, I already sent someone to summon Wei Cai Wei again, I’ll stay at the yamen tonight, I’ll question Wei Cai Wei again tonight, I won’t return home.”
“No rush, finish eating the lychees first, you’ve lost weight these last few days.” Lu Bing continued to peel lychees.
Wang Da Xia was terribly greedy, he went over, reaching out for the lychees in the ice bowl.
Pa!
Lu Bing swatted Wang Da Xia’s hand away like a fly, “You ate too much, be careful of suffering from too much internal heat.”
“Many thanks for Lord Lu’s concern, this commoner isn’t afraid of internal heat.” Wang Da Xia once again reached out.
Lu Bing was once again going to slap him, suddenly the agent sent to shadow her came back, panting: “Both lord Lus, I followed Wei Cai Wei to a female public bath, I didn’t see her leave for a long time, I could only take out my embroidered uniform guards token to interrogate the boss of the female public bath, the boss said she didn’t bathe but left from the back door, I’m afraid she’s already fled to escape punishment.”
Finally his judgement was confirmed, Lu Ying put down the fruit fork, seeming to raise his chin at Wang Da Xia, “Pass my order along, get a painter to do a portrait, Wei Cai Wei is a wanted suspect nationally.”
He had just spoken when a soldier came to the door and ran over reporting: “There’s a woman at the door, she calls herself the wondering doctor Wei Cai Wei, she insisted on seeing Commander Lu.”
At this moment it wasn’t only Lu Ying but also Wang Da Xia who was shocked: What happened? Shouldn’t the young widow be hiding at miss Ying Ying’s place? Why did she walk right into a trap? Did she forget my warning?
Thank you !
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