Chapter 14

Bai Xiuming did not explain it to A Chan. He merely said coolly, "This official has never been interested in other people's family affairs."

"When would you be interested, then, my lord?"

"When there's a need."

A Chan wasn't disappointed, but she did regard her uncle-in-law with a little more scrutiny. She couldn't shake the feeling that the man hadn't made that remark casually.

But investigating cases was the Mingjing Division's business. If there was a problem, they would look into it. For now, all she could do was wait for an answer.

A Chan quickly turned her attention back to Bai Xiuming. "Is there anything else you'd like to know, my lord?"

"No. You explained everything in detail."

"May I ask you something, my lord?" A Chan asked.

"Let's hear it."

"Are you going to take my aunt's body away in a moment?"

"This involves the uncanny. Her body must first be taken back to the Mingjing Division to make sure it won't undergo any changes."

"Then may I see my aunt?"

Bai Xiuming seemed a little surprised, but he didn't refuse. He only warned her, "The dead don't look very pretty."

A Chan was resolute. "I want to see her."

"All right." Bai Xiuming led her farther inside. A Chan followed, carefully avoiding the large pools of blood on the ground.

Lady Xiao Lin had died in her bedroom. There was less blood in there, and it looked as if she had cut open her belly in the outer room before running back into the inner room.

A Chan went inside and saw Lady Xiao Lin's body laid neatly on the floor. Someone had apparently examined it earlier, then covered it with a white cloth covered in red talismans.

She stepped forward and lifted one corner of the cloth. Lady Xiao Lin's bloodless face came into view. Her expression was one of terror, and her eyes were open, as if she'd seen something horrifying before she died.

A Chan slowly crouched beside Lady Xiao Lin. She could almost hear the woman's rather sharp words from the first time they'd met.

So people were this fragile. They could die so easily.

Bai Xiuming stood a short distance behind A Chan. Watching her crouch beside the body without moving for a long while, he said, "My condolences."

Only when she heard his voice did A Chan come back to herself, but she didn't turn around.

"My lord, what makes you think I'm sad? I wasn't close to my aunt. She even wanted to dress me up and marry me into a high-ranking family as a concubine, so I could bring more benefits to the Zhao family."

Bai Xiuming didn't reply. He simply listened quietly.

"But... when someone's at the end of their rope, if another person is willing to give them a hand, then even if that person isn't all that kind, shouldn't she still count as a good person? It's a shame she died like this."

A Chan covered Lady Xiao Lin again with the corner of the white cloth and slowly rose.

She turned around and tilted her head up slightly to look at Bai Xiuming. "You'll find out the truth as soon as possible, won't you, my lord?"

Even if the truth might not bring solace to the one who'd died unjustly.

Bai Xiuming didn't answer her. He only said, "Let's go," and walked away first.

A Chan took a few steps, then stopped and glanced back at Lady Xiao Lin, lying motionless where she was. Now A Chan had a human body too. Would she die like this someday?

Even if she didn't die an unnatural death, even if she lived out her natural lifespan, a person's life lasted only a few short decades.

She seemed to suddenly understand why so many people deluded themselves into seeking immortality. She didn't want to die so soon, either.

A Chan lingered behind for a while before going out.

The Mingjing Division Guards were still questioning the people of Zhao Manor, so she had no choice but to keep waiting outside.

After waiting for more than half an hour, A Chan felt as if the cold wind had blown right through her. She couldn't help thinking that if she could get home early tonight, she'd have to brew some warming medicinal soup. Otherwise, she'd surely have a fever again tomorrow morning.

Thinking of that, she couldn't help looking enviously at the man standing beneath the covered walkway, listening to his subordinates' reports from time to time. His official robe was so thin, yet he didn't seem cold at all.

It was good to have cultivation. Too bad this body of hers had no affinity for it.

About another quarter of an hour passed before the people who'd been taken away began returning to the courtyard one after another. At a glance, none of them looked well. It was probably their first time being taken away for questioning by Mingjing Division Guards, and they'd been terrified.

The Zhao family members were the last to be brought back. Zhao Ming's expression was as composed as ever, but his face was tense, as if he were suppressing his anger.

Zhao Wenyue looked displeased with the Mingjing Division Guard who'd shoved her around, but she didn't dare say anything. As for Zhao Wensheng, Commander Jiang had carried him back by the scruff of his neck.

He was the most pathetic-looking of them all. Once they reached the courtyard, Jiang Kai tossed him onto the ground.

Zhao Wensheng slumped there like a heap of mud, his face deathly pale and his teeth chattering nonstop.

"My lord, we got it out of him. Zhao Wensheng admitted he was the one who bought the fish." Jiang Kai stepped forward and saluted.

Bai Xiuming walked over at an unhurried pace. Zhao Wensheng trembled and tried to crawl backward, but his body wouldn't obey him. He kept mumbling, "I didn't know. I didn't know Mother would die. He said no one would die. Really."

Bai Xiuming stopped a few paces away and looked down at Zhao Wensheng. "Who was he?"

Zhao Wensheng seemed to be in a trance and didn't answer at all.

Bai Xiuming glanced at Jiang Kai.

Commander Jiang stepped forward and planted a foot on Zhao Wensheng's hand. The agony made him yelp, and he instantly came to his senses.

Jiang Kai didn't care that Zhao Wensheng's father was right there. He bent down, grabbed Zhao Wensheng by the collar, and snarled, "Our lord is asking you questions. Answer honestly. If you dare lie, I'll chop off one of your hands. Understand?"

"Y-yes, I understand." Zhao Wensheng nodded frantically.

"Then answer already!" Jiang Kai roared.

"It was someone from a gambling house. I... I met a gambler there. He said there were live fish in his village, and if you ate them... ate them..."

"What would happen if you ate them?"

"The baby in the womb would turn into a monster."

A Chan hadn't expected this. Zhao Wensheng had fed Yifu Fish to Lady Xiao Lin because he didn't want her to give birth to that child.

"You didn't want your mother to give birth to the child. Why? Your younger brother shouldn't have been a threat to you."

The word "younger brother" seemed to provoke Zhao Wensheng. His voice suddenly rose. "It was only an unborn baby. What kind of younger brother is that?

"Ever since she got pregnant with that little bastard, nothing I did was good enough for her. I only went gambling a few times, and she cut off my allowance. I was laughed at because I couldn't even go out to eat with my classmates. She even told Father I had no ambition, and wanted to send me back to our hometown. She said I couldn't return to the capital until I passed the provincial exam.

"Heh. Didn't she think I'd never pass and was useless, so she wanted to have another child to replace me?" Zhao Wensheng roared as he vented his anger, but no one present felt sorry for him.

Even his younger sister, Zhao Wenyue, stared at him in disbelief. Zhao Ming was so furious that he looked ready to rush over and beat his own son to death.

He'd blamed all the mistakes he'd made on an unborn baby. They should have sent him back to their hometown back then and never let him return.

"So you wanted her to miscarry?"

"Yes. I thought about drugging her, but it would've been too easy to find out. Then, one time, I sneaked off to an underground gambling house and met that man. He told me someone in his village had accidentally eaten that kind of strange fish and given birth to monsters. So I borrowed ten taels of silver from him and had him bring me fish every day."

"How did you make your mother want to eat fish?" Bai Xiuming asked again.

"If you grind up the fish bones and give the powder to someone, it makes them crave fish. I heard that method from him too."

"Then what did you do?"

Zhao Wensheng looked confused. "N-nothing else. I just had the fish sent to the kitchen for my mother every day. I didn't do anything else."

"Then why did she cut open her belly?"

"I don't know!" As he spoke, Zhao Wensheng dropped to his hands and knees and repeatedly kowtowed to Bai Xiuming. "My lord, believe me. I really didn't want to kill my mother. I kept checking with that man. He said eating that fish wouldn't kill anyone. I only didn't want that baby to be born. How could I have killed my mother?"

Before Bai Xiuming could speak, Zhao Ming roared and kicked Zhao Wensheng, who was kowtowing, onto his back. "That's a pack of lies! You still dare lie at a time like this!"

"I didn't! I really didn't, Father! I didn't kill Mother!" Zhao Wensheng clung to Zhao Ming's leg, protesting and wailing.

Watching this absurd scene as an outsider, A Chan didn't know what to say.

Perhaps Zhao Wensheng really hadn't wanted to kill Lady Xiao Lin, just to keep that child from being born.

But he'd fed something uncanny to his own mother without hesitation, all to get rid of his younger brother. Even if he had some humanity, he didn't have much.

Seeing the father and son tangled together, Bai Xiuming lifted his chin and ordered, "Separate them."

His subordinates immediately stepped forward and held Zhao Ming back. They also hauled up Zhao Wensheng, whose face had been beaten black and blue by Zhao Ming.

Zhao Wensheng still didn't seem to want to get up. He tried to keep kowtowing to Bai Xiuming.

Bai Xiuming looked at him and said coolly, "This official believes you didn't want your mother to die. Then why did she die? Did you say anything you shouldn't have said to her?"

"No. I didn't say anything. I've been at the gambling house all this time. The fish were sent straight to the kitchen. I didn't even see my mother."

Bai Xiuming looked at Jiang Kai.

"My lord, I sent men to investigate the underground gambling house he mentioned. They've brought everyone back, and the man who sold him the fish is already being hunted down."

"Mm." Bai Xiuming raised a hand, and Zhao Wensheng was dragged to one side.

Then Bai Xiuming looked at Zhao Wenyue, who was soothing Zhao Ming.

"Zhao Wenyue."

The instant her name was called, Zhao Wenyue jerked as if a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her head.

"M-my lord." Zhao Wenyue turned around, trembling. She kept her head lowered and didn't dare meet Bai Xiuming's eyes.

Perhaps sensing his daughter's fear, Zhao Ming took her hand, seemingly giving her a great deal of comfort.

"I heard you bought your mother a Jade hairpin in Yong Mountain?"

Zhao Wenyue denied it instinctively. "I didn't."

When she saw Jiang Kai walking toward her, Zhao Wenyue reacted at once and nearly shrieked, "N-no, that's not it! I gave the hairpin to my mother, and after that I didn't know anything! It was just an ordinary hairpin from a street stall!"

"Was it just an ordinary hairpin? What did the person who sold it to you say?"

"Nothing."

"Is that so? But someone saw you talking at length with the stall owner."

"I didn't."

Seeing that she was stubbornly denying it, Bai Xiuming didn't press her further. He only ordered, "Jiang Kai, I want to see the person who sold her that hairpin tomorrow."

"Don't worry, my lord. We'll catch him before dawn."

As soon as Jiang Kai finished speaking, Zhao Wenyue's face turned deathly pale.

She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but her hand was squeezed hard. She glanced at her father, then finally closed her mouth and said nothing.

The father and daughter's little movements weren't obvious, but nearly everyone watching them noticed.

Bai Xiuming saw them. So did A Chan.

Zhao Wenyue's reaction practically told everyone that there really was something wrong with the Jade hairpin she'd given Lady Xiao Lin, and that she knew it.

"Lord Zhao," Bai Xiuming said coldly, "if you dare interfere with my questioning again, I'll have no choice but to send you to Town Prison for a few days."

Zhao Ming's expression changed. He hurriedly said, "Forgive me, Lord Bai. I only care too much for my daughter."

"Escort Lord Zhao out and see to his comfort."

"Yes, sir."

Zhao Ming wanted to say more, but two Mingjing Division Guards gagged him and took him away, leaving only the terrified Zhao Wenyue behind. This time, she had no one to rely on.

Bai Xiuming took a couple of steps forward. "Zhao Wenyue, I'll give you one chance. Speak now, or wait until he's caught and die alongside him. Choose."

Zhao Wenyue had never experienced anything like this. Seeing that even her father had been taken away, and that they were threatening to put her to death, she didn't dare hide anything any longer.

She stammered, "That man said the hairpin was carved from medicinal jade gathered north of the Northern Wilderness. Once it was worn, a person's temperament would gradually change. I only wanted my mother to agree to my marriage to Young Master Xue!"

"Is that all?" Bai Xiuming seemed somewhat displeased.

"T-there was more. He said that after wearing the hairpin, a person might have hallucinations or headaches at first, but they wouldn't be serious. You just had to take it off."

"Did she take it off?"

Zhao Wenyue fell silent.

Her mother had loved the Jade hairpin she'd given her and had worn it on her head every day since. She hadn't taken it off once.

But... but her mother had seemed perfectly normal. There hadn't been anything unusual about her. Zhao Wenyue had thought the stall owner was just trying to scare her.

By now, the truth seemed to be just within reach.

Lady Xiao Lin had eaten the Yifu Fish her son sent her and worn the Jade hairpin her daughter gave her. One day, she might have had a terrifying hallucination, or something unknown might have happened to her. In her terror and despair, she'd cut open her own belly and died.

A Chan stopped looking at the Zhao siblings, who kept insisting they were innocent. If Lady Xiao Lin's body hadn't still been in the main house, she would almost have thought the whole thing was a farce.

How could something this ridiculous happen in the world?

Her own children had each turned against their mother. How much did they have to hate her?