After Landowner Shen confessed, Song Xuan led Song Qian and the other two away.
Along the way, Song Qian chattered about the case, looking thoroughly pleased with herself.
After all, she had played a major part in solving it. Not everyone had her nerve and courage to find out what committing suicide felt like.
"Brother, where did you learn how to investigate cases like that?"
"I worked it out myself in my spare time. In our line of work, we're bound to deal with plenty of criminals."
Song Xuan tossed out an offhand excuse. He could hardly tell her he had learned it from watching a movie in his previous life, could he?
He still remembered the movie's title: Lawyer Lawyer, starring Stephen Chow. An absolute classic!
Lu Qingshuang remained silent the whole way, her limpid, peach-blossom eyes fixed on Song Xuan. Even a fool could see the affection in her gaze.
But Song Xuan pretended not to notice and kept talking to Song Qian.
Their younger cousin, Lin Daiyu, occasionally studied him with curiosity. His martial prowess was absurdly high, yet he was also quick-witted, courageous, and resourceful.
She had previously thought he was merely a powerful fighter who liked burying people at the drop of a hat, but now it seemed that was not the whole picture.
Even if he weren't a Black Robe Guard, wouldn't he make a good civil official?
After Song Xuan and his two companions left the County Yamen, Chen Huaili finally breathed a sigh of relief. Once he finished questioning Landowner Shen, he eagerly ordered the man who had given false testimony, Wang Shi, brought in.
In the courtroom, Landowner Shen had already been escorted to prison, but Wang Shi still did not know he had confessed.
"I summoned you because I have a few questions."
Recalling the details of Song Xuan's interrogation, Chen Huaili asked gravely, "Shen Youliang went to your house to drink last night. Is that true?"
"Yes. After getting drunk last night, he slept at my house!" Wang Shi answered firmly.
"How much can he drink?"
"A fair amount. He drank half a catty!" Wang Shi tried to make his smile look natural.
He and Landowner Shen had already agreed on their story last night to prepare for questioning by the authorities, so he was not particularly worried.
Besides, everyone in the Shen household had heard Old Shen's shrew of a wife say she would kill herself. There could be no problem with the witness testimony.
"Does he vomit when he's had too much?"
"Yes. He vomited all over the floor!" Wang Shi's heart tightened. Old Shen had never gotten drunk when they drank together before. How was he supposed to know whether the man vomited when drunk?
But even if he did not know, he had to grit his teeth and keep making things up.
After all, common sense said most people vomited when drunk. Saying he had vomited all over the floor should be fine.
"What wine did you drink last night?"
"Osmanthus Wine!"
He and Old Shen had agreed on that last night, so there was no danger of getting it wrong.
"Who brought the wine?"
"Land... Landowner Shen..."
"Did he bring it from home or buy it on the way?"
"He probably bought it on the way."
"Nonsense! Shen Youliang said he brought it from home!"
Cold sweat began beading on Wang Shi's forehead. Your Honor, these questions are beyond the syllabus! Old Shen never went over these answers with me!
"You owe Shen Youliang fifty taels of silver, correct?"
"Yes." Wang Shi swallowed.
"He forgave your debt in exchange for your false testimony. Is that right?"
"You must be joking, Your Honor. Nothing of the sort happened." Wang Shi's mind was in utter turmoil. How does the magistrate know I owe money?
"What were you doing on the night Shen Youliang committed murder?"
"On the night of the murder, I... Your Honor, I didn't kill anyone! You mustn't falsely accuse an innocent man!"
"I didn't say you killed anyone. I asked what you were doing on the night Shen Youliang committed murder."
"On the night Shen Youliang committed murder, I was at home. I... I..."
After stammering "I" for ages, Wang Shi could get nothing else out. He trembled all over and looked around in terror. The bailiffs watched him with sympathy, as though looking at an idiot.
Chen Huaili rose excitedly.
Song Xuan's interrogation method really worked!
At that moment, understanding dawned on him.
Even the most carefully woven lie was still a lie. Probe enough details, and cracks would inevitably appear. Combined with questions that mixed truth and falsehood, illusion and reality, ordinary people with weaker nerves would soon panic and ultimately break down.
At that moment, Chen Huaili was like a martial artist who had suddenly grasped a peerless secret manual, his face blooming with delight.
His mind broken, Wang Shi confessed everything before Chen Huaili even resorted to torture.
After he finished confessing and the bailiffs led him away, Chen Huaili swept his broad sleeve excitedly. "Court Clerk, go fetch all the cases that have piled up over the past two years."
"I'll work through the night solving them!"
After bringing Song Qian and the others back inside the Imperial Capital, Song Xuan returned to the Inspection Office.
His younger sister was slacking off at work, so as her older brother, he had to at least keep up appearances. Otherwise, if both siblings shirked their duties, people would eventually criticize them even with Old Zhao protecting them from above.
A Second-Rank Black Robe Guard actually had plenty of free time when there were no cases to handle.
Third-Rank Black Robe Guards at least had to patrol the streets several times a day. Second-Rank Black Robe Guards did not even need to do that; they could simply stay in the office, drinking tea and reading.
A cup of tea and a book were enough to while away an afternoon.
Of course, Song Xuan would not waste his time like that. With nothing to do, he stood in the office courtyard all afternoon, cradling his sword in both hands.
Inside one of the offices, Zhao Dezhu casually set down the document in his hand and glanced at Song Xuan, who stood motionless in a distant corner. A hint of surprise entered his eyes.
"Only twenty, and he's already beginning to comprehend sword intent?"
The Song home.
In the bedchamber where Lin Daiyu was staying temporarily, Song Qian stretched out her neck and obediently let her younger cousin apply powder to conceal the marks.
"Cousin, that was far too dangerous! Who hangs herself first just to solve a case?"
Song Qian smiled. "My brother said practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. Guesswork alone won't tell us whether someone hanged herself or was murdered. You have to try it yourself before you can reach a conclusion."
"Practice is the sole criterion for testing truth?"
Lin Daiyu carefully savored those words. The more she pondered them, the more profound their wisdom seemed. They were completely unlike the poetry and songs she encountered every day.
Without thinking, she murmured, "Our cousin truly possesses great wisdom!"
"He certainly does!"
Song Qian reached out and pinched Lin Daiyu's little cheek, so tender it seemed water might drip from it. "You have a good eye. What a pity you're too young to be my sister-in-law!"
Lin Daiyu gave an indignant little huff and sprinkled the powder in her hand onto Song Qian's neck. "What nonsense are you talking about? If you say anything so ridiculous again, I'll go back to the Jia Mansion tomorrow!"
"All right, all right, I shouldn't have said that!" Song Qian coaxed her. "The Jia Mansion is a grand, powerful household, with all sorts of tangled relationships inside. If you go back, you'll suffer slights at every turn. How could it be as comfortable as staying here?
"Didn't you say you wanted to learn martial arts from me? I'll start teaching you tomorrow. Once you've mastered them, we'll ride spirited horses in splendid clothes and go Roaming the Jianghu with Pride. We won't have to watch anyone's face for approval. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"Roaming the Jianghu with Pride?"
Little Lin Daiyu's eyes immediately narrowed in delight. It was hard to imagine that this delicate girl also harbored a heart that yearned for the Martial World.
A heart that longed to break free of its cage and no longer live under someone else's roof!
Before you continue