Chapter 82: Busy Inquiries
The words are true, but the person is not trustworthy?
What does this mean?
So, should we believe it or not?
The Embroidered Uniform Guard was about to ask again when an Embroidered Uniform Guard came running from outside.
“Captain.” He said in a low voice, “Duke Ding’an did not go to Jingzhao Prefecture; he went directly to Marquis Yichun’s Mansion.”
Earlier, Duke Ding’an said he was going to report to officials and told the Embroidered Uniform Guards to leave, saying he would visit to express thanks another day, and so on.
Wei Jiao naturally did not leave: “Duke, no need to be polite. I’ll stay here and watch for you first; you go report to officials.”
Duke Ding’an did not dare nor could he drive away the Embroidered Uniform Guards, so he could only say he was troubling the captain and hurriedly left with his people.
Wei Jiao curled his lip: “Just as I thought, this is indeed not just Duke Ding’an’s Family’s secret.”
……
…….
“Yang Bin, even my sons cannot just barge into my bedroom in the middle of the night whenever they please.”
Marquis Yichun was wearing nightclothes, his hair disheveled, sitting in front of the desk with his hand covering his eyes.
His voice carried weariness, but also pressure.
“My Chai Clan treats others with kindness; we do not owe your family.”
Duke Ding’an stood in the hall, his face pale, distraught.
Marquis Yichun’s voice went in his left ear and out the right, repeating once more in his mind.
Treats others with kindness.
Forcing people to die with a smiling face is also treating others with kindness?
Does not owe?
If he truly did not owe, then he, Yang Bin, would be living here now, with people escorting him in and out, addressed as Marquis!
He did not know if it was because of the great fright he suffered earlier, but suddenly he felt there was nothing to fear.
Duke Ding’an not only thought it but said it aloud: “You do owe my family.”
Marquis Yichun’s hand covering his eyes slammed heavily onto the table, his turbid eyes staring deathly at Duke Ding’an as he asked: “What do you mean by this? Do you really want my family to owe you?”
Duke Ding’an shuddered, half his pent-up resentment dissipating, leaving half terror; the scene of corpses and bloody flesh on the street earlier turned into one inside Duke Ding’an’s Mansion.
But things had come to this point; he gritted his teeth and said: “I tell you, this time Wei Jiao was there too. You can’t hide it. Even if you kill us all, how will you explain it to His Majesty!”
Marquis Yichun frowned: “What do you mean?”
Duke Ding’an, having spoken, went all out, harshly questioning out all the grievances, fear, and resentment from the night: “I dare not guess what Marquis means.” “What exactly do you want from us?” “Earlier I asked you and said I’d listen to you.” “You said nothing, and now you suddenly strike like this.” “What are we supposed to do?”
His voice was both urgent and vague; Marquis Yichun’s ears buzzed, unable to hear clearly, so he raised his hand and slammed the table again: “Shut up!”
With this shout to shut up, footsteps seemed to sound outside and inside the room, mingled with flashing blade and sword lights.
Duke Ding’an’s sobbing stopped abruptly.
He did not know how many secret guards were protecting Marquis Yichun.
The night was deep, the indoor lamplight dim; he could not see people surging in, but he could feel the killing intent all around, chills running up his spine.
If Marquis Yichun wanted him dead, he would probably die just like this, with no one able to save him.
Although he had just said Wei Jiao had discovered it and it could not be hidden from His Majesty, once he was dead, what use was His Majesty avenging him?
He had experienced this kind of despair before.
Back then, his father was still alive, glaring with eyes wide and pointing his cane at Marquis Yichun while cursing; he had stood by the side then, truly feeling the killing intent surrounding them on all sides.
At that moment, he thought he and his father would never walk out alive.
Fortunately, fortunately, his younger sister had lowered her head and not dragged everyone to their deaths…
But now, that child had come; this was dragging everyone to their deaths again…
“Marquis.” Duke Ding’an sobbed, “If you want to do something, just tell me. Or do you only feel at ease once we’re all dead?”
Marquis Yichun slammed the desk again: “Yang Bin, sober up. Stop talking nonsense.”
From the looks of it, it was not simply because another young lady from the family wanted to be a companion reader.
Marquis Yichun stood up, frowning: “Who wants to kill you?”
Duke Ding’an looked at him, seemingly puzzled: was this a rhetorical question or a real one?
He gritted his teeth and asked directly: “Was it not you, Marquis, who sent people to assassinate that child?”
That child?
Although Marquis Yichun was old, upon suddenly hearing this nameless reference, he instantly knew who it meant.
Assassinate?
He went around the desk and stood in front of Duke Ding’an; though an old man, he reached out with a large hand and lifted Duke Ding’an up.
“Speak. What exactly happened?”
…….
……..
Wei Jiao tilted his head slightly.
The capital city was very quiet in the latter half of the night.
This area was sealed off by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, with no patrolling soldiers, even the night watchmen driven away; not even the sound of watch drums could be heard.
But the night was not quiet; faint, dense restlessness seemed to be gathering in the distance.
Wei Jiao withdrew his gaze; several Embroidered Uniform Guards were carefully examining the corpses, and the street had been searched inch by inch by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, not missing any traces, and following the traces to search even more places.
“Captain, the corpses have been checked.” An Embroidered Uniform Guard came forward and said, “On their bodies, fabrics, weapons—no markings at all.”
Wei Jiao glanced at the corpses before him: “Dead soldiers, that’s very normal.”
He raised his eyes to look at the street.
“To think it was worth deploying so many dead soldiers.”
Before his eyes seemed to appear again that Miss Yang sitting on the ground, covered in blood.
She had looked at him too, her face full of blood as she smiled at him and extended her hand to him.
“Wei Jiao, take me away.”
Wei Jiao kicked away the corpse beneath him and stepped through the illusory figure before him.
“These dog things indeed require more manpower.”
Footsteps and hoofbeats on the street approached chaotically, breaking the night’s tranquility here; Embroidered Uniform Guards on outer vigilance hurried over: “Captain, the Imperial Guards’ people have arrived.”
Before the words finished, rough shouts came from outside the tightly sealed Embroidered Uniform Guard soldiers.
“Wei Jiao, there is a murder case here; we come by order.”
The Embroidered Uniform Guards handled cases by imperial decree, and the Imperial Guards were also ordered to exclusively manage capital city security; they indeed had the authority to inquire.
Wei Jiao waved his hand, and the Embroidered Uniform Guards made way; a team of soldiers in bright red brocade uniforms walked over, led by a man with a full beard, his large build nearly bursting the brocade uniform.
“Brother Che Ji.” Wei Jiao greeted with a smiling drawl, “You’re still personally on duty?”
This Wei Jiao looked pleasing at first glance, but once he opened his mouth, he was indeed infuriating; Che Ji looked annoyed—calling him old brother? How was he old? He was only a few years older, and what did he mean by personally on duty, as if Che Ji neglected his duties.
Though he did not personally patrol at night, he slept in the government office during his shifts.
“Duke Ding’an reported the case; these villains harming civilians are our responsibility.” He did not dare say more; if he really quarreled with Wei Jiao, who knew what madness he would unleash. “Captain Wei, go busy yourself with your duties.”
Wei Jiao chuckled: “Colonel Che, don’t be modest. Duke Ding’an couldn’t command you. Though your background is not from a noble house, your grandfather and father’s merits before His Majesty are no small matter.”
This kid’s words were always pleasant yet unpleasant, and ill-intentioned; Che Ji laughed twice, did not respond, and waved to the soldiers: “Quickly go check the corpses.”
Wei Jiao did not obstruct and even enthusiastically said: “You arrived just in time; I’ve already tidied up the corpses for you, saving you some trouble.”
It was clearly you who drove away the patrolling soldiers, imposed martial law here—Jingzhao Prefecture did not even dare come—and now it became helping others out of kindness; Che Ji grumbled inwardly, better not to stir up trouble, did not expose it, even thanked him along, then loudly berated the soldiers: “What are you dawdling for! Get to work! Can’t you understand human speech!”—scolding the mulberry tree while cursing the locust tree.
Wei Jiao grinned as if he did not understand and took the initiative to bid farewell.
Watching this group like dark clouds recede into the night, Che Ji breathed a sigh of relief; he had truly feared this kid would stay and not leave.
He looked at the corpses on the street and waved heavily.
“Bag them all and take them away.”
“Clean up the street.”
“Move faster.”
“Have the night watchmen been brought?”
“Prepare to beat the gongs to warn and catch thieves.”
…….
……..
“This Che fellow is Marquis Yichun’s man.”
An Embroidered Uniform Guard said, looking back at the scene behind.
“Captain was right; this matter really involves Marquis Yichun too, directly deploying the Che family people.”
Wei Jiao curled his lip, about to say something, when rapid hoofbeats sounded from behind, and another team of Embroidered Uniform Guards came galloping.
These were the teams pursuing and investigating along the scattered traces.
The Imperial Guards had taken over the long street, but Wei Jiao had not withdrawn his own investigations in other places.
“Captain, we found some more corpses.” The leading Embroidered Uniform Guard came close and, saying this, paused. “However, the corpses are a bit strange.”
