A Slacker Washes Up (Bonus Chapter for Ranking)

Chapter Thirty-Six

The scene exploded with a bang. Everyone knew that Prince Chen's consort and General Bai had been childhood sweethearts. But General Bai had gone to war in his youth, and the consort's family had believed he had died on the battlefield. They had arranged another marriage for her—the current Prince Chen.

"Is what An Yi said true?" Jiang Hansheng closed his eyes, as though reluctant to ask the question.

"Yes..." Sensing the anger of the person beside him, Li Wenchuan hurriedly tried to salvage the situation. "I was just startled at the time. General Bai saw that something was off about me and asked a few questions."

"I thought the consort was unwell, so I... It was this official who overstepped." Xiao Yi wore an expression of perfect righteousness.

Su Mingwei sneered. "The residence is so large, yet the general certainly wandered far. And Imperial Sister-in-law certainly knows how to hide."

The female guests and unrelated men did not sit together; they were not even in the same area. For them to run into each other like this, did they take the walls of the residence for paper?

This relationship was truly impossible to untangle. Zhao Shiyao was nearly ready to applaud Su Mingwei, but before Su Mingwei could get too smug, she received a glare from Prince Chen.

"How could a dignified princess indulge in the sharp tongue of a common street woman?!"

Su Mingwei shrank back in fright, lowering the head she had just held so high.

Without waiting for her explanation, Jiang Hansheng swept his gaze over everyone present and said unhurriedly, "But General Bai belongs to the Second Prince's faction, does he not?"

Xiao Yi nodded. "Yes."

"If my consort killed the Second Prince, what benefit would that bring you?"

If Prince Chen's consort had been having an affair with General Bai, should they not have found a way to get rid of the troublesome Prince Chen? In that case, Xiao Yi seemed to have cleared himself of suspicion as well.

"But the general has lost the master he served, yet he remains quite composed." Jiang Hansheng took a sip of water. It was clearly plain water, yet he drank it as though savoring some rare treasure.

His words were calm and measured, yet they muddied the waters even further. Xiao Yi simply said nothing.

According to the reports they had received, the Second Prince had shown no signs of poisoning. However, someone had twisted his arm apart, and the fatal wound had been to his neck, which had been completely snapped.

Prince Chen and Prince Jin could be said to be the greatest beneficiaries of this murder, having directly lost a major rival.

And among those at the scene who could have killed the Second Prince in such a manner, one was the person Miss Shangguan had hired from the martial world. The only others were Prince Chen, Prince Jin, and General Bai.

"Then what were all of you doing before this?" Su Mingwei asked weakly, too frightened by Jiang Hansheng's glare.

Jiang Hansheng said, "I was receiving guests in the front hall. All the guests can testify to that."

Xiao Yi said, "I had some wine with Prince Jing, then later met Prince Chen's consort."

Tang Jingran said, "After drinking with General Bai, I never left. The servants can testify to that."

"Then that means there was a period when no one knew what you were doing, General Bai." After thinking for a moment, Zhao Shiyao reached that conclusion. Then, recalling the fragrance mentioned in the script, she spoke again. "Why do I smell a scent on you, Consort? I've never smelled it anywhere in the capital."

"It was sent as tribute from the Western Regions." Li Wenchuan gave a slight nod.

"It's rather unique."

"If you like it, I'll send you some next time."

Jiang Hansheng's hand tapping on the table paused. He seemed somewhat impatient. "Why does Miss Shangguan have so much to say?"

Li Wenchuan spoke again. "However, when that maid led me over there, I didn't see General Bai. I only happened to run into him after leaving that place."

"Then I'm curious. What did General Bai say to Prince Jin? Aren't you one of the Second Prince's men? Why weren't you following His Highness the Second Prince?" Zhao Shiyao suddenly had a flash of insight and blurted it out.

Caught off guard, Tang Jingran explained, "Wasn't I simply asking General Bai whether he would be willing to seek a better position elsewhere?"

"Third Brother, you're lying." Su Mingwei stared directly into his eyes. "You kept looking at your thumb just now. You do that every time you lie."

This was a plot point mentioned in the script; the character settings had been exceptionally thorough.

Although Tang Jingran had placed his hand beneath the table, sharp-eyed Su Mingwei had still noticed it.

With that, many things became easy to deduce. Prince Jin and General Bai were not enemies at all. General Bai might even have been a piece Prince Jin had planted within the Second Prince's ranks—he was actually Prince Jin's man!

Prince Chen's consort had also fled for a period of time and had not encountered General Bai. That period was essentially when General Bai had committed the crime.

"Before meeting Prince Chen's consort, General Bai likely did something else, didn't he? Otherwise, why did he come to the rear courtyard?" Zhao Shiyao demanded.

The storyline suddenly became clear.

Su Mingwei sorted it out. "General Bai must have discovered Miss Shangguan's scheme. Unable to bear seeing the woman he loved suffer, he told his true master about it. Taking advantage of the chaos, he killed the Second Prince and struck at Miss Shangguan as well—killing two birds with one stone."

"Will you make your final deduction?" someone from the production team asked.

Seeing everyone else nod, Zhao Shiyao immediately confirmed, "Yes. I choose General Bai."

Thus, General Bai was selected by a unanimous vote.

"This was way too easy. We barely had to use our brains." Zhao Shiyao tilted her head. "Li Wenchuan, what kind of script did you pick? It was over in no time."

Just as she wanted to say a few more cutting remarks, the production team announced the result. "Wrong answer. The killers win! The killer group receives priority in choosing tomorrow's activity!"

"What?"

"How is that possible?"

Su Mingwei and Zhao Shiyao spoke in unison.

"The real killer is Prince Chen's consort!"

"Ah?!"

Li Wenchuan smiled with feigned bashfulness. "Didn't expect that, did you? Hehe."

Jiang Hansheng smiled as well. "Why didn't you consider this? How could such a vast Chen Prince's Residence allow unrelated people to come and go freely? Besides, my wife and child were in the rear courtyard, with hidden guards stationed everywhere."

In truth, Prince Chen's consort was someone who had transmigrated here. The original consort had long been driven to death by her own family, and General Bai knew that truth. In fact, the person he had truly pledged allegiance to was the Chen Prince's Residence. His beloved was already gone, and as a man, what he wanted most was still to achieve great deeds. Neither the Second Prince nor the Third Prince was the wise ruler he envisioned. Besides, that body was still there, and he could not help wanting to lend a hand.

Thus, General Bai was a double agent sent out by the Chen Prince's Residence. While misleading the Second Prince into falling into the trap, he plotted with the Third Prince. In the end, the Second Prince died, the Third Prince was exposed, and Prince Chen reaped the rewards without lifting a finger.

"That's not logical. Even if Prince Chen's consort transmigrated here, she can't be this overpowered, can she?" Zhao Shiyao questioned.

Li Wenchuan said, "Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm a special forces soldier who transmigrated here."

"Your deduction was simply flawed," Jiang Hansheng said.

What a bizarre script. It even required imagination. Everyone packed up, accepted the ending, and prepared to go home and sleep.

The camera crew withdrew as well. After returning home, Li Wenchuan covered the fixed cameras. He was just about to close the bedroom door when he saw Jiang Hansheng leaning against the doorway.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to wash up and sleep?" Li Wenchuan searched for his towel.

"Consort, won't you bathe with this prince?" Jiang Hansheng's gaze darkened. Fortunately, the child was already asleep; some scenes were not suitable for children.

"???" What in the world? "Are you still acting? You're addicted now?"

Yet Jiang Hansheng caught one of his hands, lowered his head, and gently kissed the back of it. "When has this prince ever been acting?"

A tingling sensation spread from that tiny patch of skin on the back of his hand like an electric current. Li Wenchuan stared fixedly at the man before him. He understood now—this man had not been acting.

But he was no fool. Though he was usually unreliable, his mind worked quickly when he put it to use.

"Jiang Hansheng, did you sneak some mushrooms while I was picking vegetables in the garden?"