Chapter 389
This sense of security that fills my heart is indescribable; it's as if I'm not afraid of anything as long as I'm by his side.
Not long after, hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. Just as Shi Lei had predicted, seven or eight men dressed as constables rushed to the door.
Upon seeing the prince lying motionless on the ground, they immediately drew their swords. One of them quickly approached the body to check for breathing, then shook his head solemnly.
Before the leading constable could ask any questions, Shi Lei calmly began to speak:
"Hello, I am a tenant here. As you can see, this person is dead in the room. The murderer took advantage of our absence while we were out eating, put the body on the floor, cleaned up the traces, and escaped through the window. I will not make things difficult for you; you can arrest me according to the normal procedures. I believe that the higher-ups in Yan will clear my name."
Seeing that the suspect had interrupted him, the lead constable twitched his lips, unsure of what to say.
He had worked in the Capital City for several years, and this was the first time he had ever seen someone so calm at a murder scene.
In contrast, the other four women inside the room remained remarkably calm. There were no screams, no panic, as if the prince's body never existed.
The constables had just received a report from an anonymous letter and rushed to Drunken Immortal Residence. The scene before them made the constable leader realize that things were far more complicated than they seemed. As a government employee, he felt somewhat unsure of the situation.
Although the whole case seemed strange, since everyone else had taken the initiative, there was no reason not to arrest them.
"Well... sir, I apologize. If you are not the murderer, we will clear your name."
Shi Lei cooperated fully and offered no resistance throughout.
Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't be detained for more than a few days. If they could be detained longer, that would be ideal. That way they could stay in a quiet place and wouldn't have to play mahjong every day.
Although this trip was ostensibly for tourism, Shi Lei was very clear about his true purpose.
By shifting from the open to the shadows, he could have more time to oversee the overall situation. Even with his trump cards, Shi Lei summoned five Great Beasts to aid him in sealing the Sui Beast. He was worried that a single miscalculation could lead to irreparable regret.
Texas, Mudrock, Nian, and Xi were also taken by the constables to the Capital City for questioning.
During her interrogation, she revealed her official identity as a master blacksmith. She then instructed the constables present to notify her elder brother, Chongyue, to come and handle the situation.
June 2nd, 11:50 pm
Night had fallen, but the lights were still on.
A sliver of candlelight pierced through the window of the Grand Tutor's study, casting flickering shadows on the floor.
On the desk, numerous documents were piled up. The soup placed in the northwest corner had stopped steaming.
As a powerful Grand Tutor, he was required to assist the emperor in handling many important national affairs.
"Knock knock".
The Knave came to the study and knocked lightly on the door:
"Grand Tutor, Chongyue requests an audience."
"Bring him in."
Chongyue gets up at six o'clock every morning to practice martial arts, and this disciplined routine has continued for decades.
It's late at night now, and he should be asleep by now. He must have come specifically to see me; perhaps it's something important.
A short while later, Chongyue entered the study. Seeing that the Grand Tutor was still working overtime, he casually closed the door to block the wind.
"Grand Tutor, Prince Xian's son, Wei Yi, died in Mister Zhongli's guest room..."
After explaining the whole story, Chongyue said with some worry:
"I just returned from the yamen. Mister Zhongli said he wants to stay in prison for a few more days. My lord, I think we should make preparations as soon as possible to avoid being put in a passive position."
The Grand Tutor tightened his coat and shook his head, saying:
"The place where the Sui Beast is sealed is known to no more than five people in the entire Great Yan Dynasty. Moreover, it is sealed off from the outside world, so even you fragments of origin cannot sense it. Currently, a family has been stationed there for generations, rarely contacting the outside world. Rashly increasing troops now would be a bad idea, do you understand what I mean?"
"I see, I understand now!"
Chongyue suddenly realized that the mastermind was testing the waters. They wanted to frame Zhongli to lure them to reinforce the place where the Sui Beast was sealed. That way, they could find the exact location of the seal by secretly following them.
"If the enemy doesn't move, we won't move either. The more they make small moves, the more anxious they are. The best approach is to maintain the status quo. Once all the Celestial Masters from various regions have arrived, everything will settle down. As for Mister Zhongli, we need to trouble the Grandmaster to visit and comfort him. Try your best to prevent him from developing any resentment towards the Yan."
Chongyue nodded, feeling helpless. Given the current situation, he couldn't think of a better solution.
"Well, that's all we can do."
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June 3, 0:10 am
A light drizzle began to fall from the sky over Capital City.
Then the rain intensified, falling on the rubble of the triangular roof, on the stone slabs of the streets and alleys, and even on the precious golden nanmu coffin lid.
This afternoon, the government offices in the Capital City received an anonymous report alleging that Wei Yi, the son of Prince Xian, had been murdered at the Drunken Immortal Residence. When the constables rushed to the scene, they indeed found his body. Following procedure, all suspects were arrested and taken in for interrogation.
However, Mei Lanzhu, the prefect of the Capital City who was in charge of the case, happened to be out socializing that evening. By the time he returned to his office and learned of the matter, it was already late at night.
The name Mei Lanzhu sounds like someone who tries to climb the social ladder. Without a knack for social maneuvering, he certainly wouldn't have been able to become the head of the Public Security Bureau in the capital of Yan.
After listening to the constable's report, Mei Lanzhu quickly realized something was amiss. He had intended to conduct a surprise interrogation, but he hadn't expected these suspects to be from a powerful background.
Grandmaster Chongyue of Jade Gate took the initiative to come to the Capital City's government office. He told the constables that these people were distinguished guests of the Grand Tutor and must not be punished.
This put Mei Lanzhu in a dilemma, much like trying to take soap into a bathhouse.
The King of Xian's own son is dead, so he certainly won't let this go easily. But on the other hand, the Grand Tutor of the court is vouching for him, so he can't afford to offend either side.
But ultimately, someone has to do this kind of thing.
After much deliberation, Mei Lanzhu personally purchased a fine coffin made of golden nanmu wood. She then placed Wei Yi's body inside and carried the coffin to the Prince Xian's Estate.
To avoid offending either side, one must first appease the more easily swayed party. This was Mei Lanzhu's philosophy of governance, and also his way of surviving in the officialdom.
Only two solitary lamps shone under the eaves of the Prince Xian's Estate's mansion, their candlelight flickering in the rain. A constable climbed the steps and knocked on the door with a loud knocking sound.
Shortly after, the Prince Xian's Butler came out to answer the door. After learning the purpose of their visit, he quickly went inside to report.
Seeing the Prefect getting soaked in the rain, a constable opened his oil-paper umbrella and approached him.
"It's raining heavily and the wind is cold, sir, please take care of yourself."
Upon seeing this, Mei Lanzhu immediately scolded:
"Tsk, put it away quickly! The Prince of Xian's son is dead, how can I have the face to hold an umbrella here?"
If he were to arrive clean and tidy to comfort the deceased's family, it would only enrage the Prince of Xian.
On the contrary, getting soaked to the bone can help you avoid being blamed by using your disheveled appearance.
There's a lot to learn about this.
A moment later, someone pushed open the gate from inside the mansion.
As Mei Lanzhu had predicted, the visitor was none other than Prince Xian Wei Wudi.
A father who learns of his son's death certainly won't remain calm and collected inside the house. His frantic rush over is proof enough of how anxious he is.
Mei Lanzhu frowned, looking very uncomfortable, and did not speak first.
Wei Wudi's gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on the coffin, and he asked in a cold voice:
"What exactly happened?"
Mei Lanzhu first sighed, then clenched her right fist and pounded her chest, looking very regretful.
"Lord Xian, please accept our deepest condolences. We received a report of a murder this afternoon and went to confirm it immediately. By the time we arrived at the scene, the Childe had already succumbed to his injuries. We have already notified all the city gates to strengthen their checks and do our utmost to apprehend the murderer!"
This was not the answer Wei Wudi wanted to hear, so he pressed on:
"What do you mean? The murderer hasn't been caught?"
Mei Lanzhu looked troubled and shook her head:
"Your Highness, I am very sorry. Please give us a few days, and we will definitely bring the murderer to justice!"
Hearing the prefect's explanation, the constables in the back row were astonished, thinking to themselves, "Hasn't the suspect been caught?"
Wei Wudi noticed the surprised look on his face when he looked up, so he changed his approach to asking the question:
"Was there no one else at the scene when my son died? Arrest all the suspects immediately and interrogate them one by one! He's my only son, and the murderer must pay the price!"
"Your Highness, we have brought the people near the crime scene back to the yamen. We are currently interrogating them overtime and believe we will find clues to the murderer as soon as possible."
"As soon as possible? I need a definite answer!"
Wei Wudi's voice suddenly rose; he was now the father of a deceased son. No matter how extreme his words, no one would say anything.
"When will your trial be held? Tomorrow? Then it wouldn't be unreasonable for me to attend as an observer, would it?"
"This..."
"If not tomorrow, then the day after? Fine, I'll go to the yamen every day. Let's see how long it takes you bunch of good-for-nothings to catch the murderer."
Upon hearing this, Mei Lanzhu inwardly groaned. He couldn't afford to offend either side and could only try to mediate.
"Your Highness, please rest assured. We will do our utmost to bring the mastermind behind this to justice!"
Upon hearing that the other party wanted to arrest him, Wei Wudi's lips twitched, and his face turned even darker than before.
June 3rd.
According to normal case-handling procedures, the police would investigate the scene after discovering a murder. However, the traces at Drunken Immortal Residence had been deliberately erased, causing the clues to be lost.
An autopsy could determine the cause of death. However, because Wei Yi was the son of the Prince of Xian, the government officials dared not perform an autopsy arbitrarily upon learning of this, and the body was returned that very night.
Without the aforementioned clues, the only recourse is to investigate and collect evidence near the crime scene, and to apprehend and interrogate the suspect.
Early in the morning, Wei Wudi arrived at the yamen with his lawyer. They said they had learned from other sources that the yamen had arrested several suspects the day before and demanded a public trial.
Mei Lanzhu had no other choice but to secretly send her subordinates to contact the Grand Tutor, trying to buy as much time as possible.
"Your Excellency, what's going on? Is it really necessary to go to such lengths to summon a few suspects?"
Under Wei Wudi's repeated urging, Mei Lanzhu had no choice but to order the three people who had been temporarily detained to be brought to court.
Because of their official status and the guarantee of Grandmaster Chongyue, Nian and Xi left last night. The remaining three did not mention leaving and were locked up overnight.
Before long, Shi Lei and his two companions arrived at the lobby.
They were only suspects, not criminals, and were not wearing shackles or other restrictive prison equipment.
Mei Lanzhu looked embarrassed and slowly straightened his official hat. Seeing the Prince Xian sitting angrily beside him made him feel like he was sitting on pins and needles, like he had thorns in his back, like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat.
"Your Excellency, why haven't you started court yet?"
Seeing that there was no time to delay, Mei Lanzhu grabbed the gavel on the table and slammed it down.
Snap!
"Who is in the hall?"
The lawyer for the Prince of Xian put away his folding fan and introduced himself:
"I am Chen Meng, the plaintiff's lawyer. Today I am suing this man for the murder of Wei Yi, the son of Prince Xian."
Seeing that the lawyer had even prepared the complaint in advance, Mei Lanzhu immediately realized that someone under her command had leaked the information. No wonder Prince Xian arrived so early; he had already decided on the target of his lawsuit.
After Shi Lei introduced himself, he asked sternly:
"Shi Lei, do you know your crime?"
"I am innocent, so how can I be guilty?"
Mei Lanzhu glanced cautiously at Prince Xian, then continued her question with a stern face:
"Attorney Chen, do you have anything to add?"
"Some."
Chen Meng presented the petition with both hands, which was then handed to the prefect in the courtroom by a bailiff. He opened his paper fan and said:
"Yesterday at noon, Childe ran into the five of them at the Heavenly Realm. He was immediately smitten with two of the beauties and offered to pay their bill in advance, hoping to make friends. However, they completely disregarded his feelings, not only returning the money but also humiliating Childe with Pure Gold."
Later, they lured Childe to the Drunken Immortal Residence and brutally murdered him. To clear their names, they secretly and anonymously reported the crime during lunch that afternoon. Afterwards, they returned to the crime scene and acted as if nothing had happened. Such heinous behavior deserves severe punishment from Your Excellency the Prefect!