Chapter 112: Can’t Hold On
“You’ve returned a little late, otherwise you would have seen Shao Si,” Wen Mingqian told Zhang Ma.
“What?! That dog Shao Si was caught?!” Zhang Ma immediately perked up upon hearing this.
“Isn’t that right! That dog was so cowardly, once he got here it was like pouring beans from a bamboo tube…” Sang Er, quick-tongued, spoke without pause, recounting Shao Si’s story from beginning to end in detail.
“May heaven strike him dead!” Zhang Ma gritted her teeth in hatred. “Why didn’t I get to meet him? I would have ripped out his intestines, heart, and lungs to stir-fry into a dish!”
Zhang Ma hated him to the extreme.
“Master has already taken him to report to the authorities,” Wen Mingqian said. “You all haven’t eaten yet, have you? Hurry and tell the kitchen to prepare food.”
Hearing that things had made significant progress, Zhang Ma was no longer as worried as before and now felt hungry.
Meanwhile, Gong Xu went directly to the home of Bodu Prefect Shu Shang. Upon hearing the matter, Lord Shu immediately ordered people to prepare the case files. He then issued warrants overnight, dispatching bailiffs and constables to apprehend Ma Daguang at his outer residence.
Ma Daguang’s concubine had never seen such a scene! Wearing only her undergarments, she trembled like a sieve, her legs so weak she couldn’t stand, so she could only kneel.
The officer’s sharp command frightened her into revealing everything.
“He… he once said that if there was a real emergency, I could go to the manor belonging to Prince Zhao’s Mansion at the ‘Child’s Well’ southwest of the city, but not to go there without reason.”
Although the city gates were already closed, with the order from the Prefect of Jingzhao, they were naturally opened.
Gong Xu, not at ease, naturally had to follow. The group mounted their horses and headed out of the city.
Because it was Prince Zhao’s manor, these people dared not act rashly.
One must know that even when handling a case, one cannot casually offend the powerful, let alone an imperial relative like Prince Zhao, who wielded immense influence.
Therefore, the leading officer cautioned the old gatekeeper of Ma Daguang’s outer residence: “Have you clearly remembered what you were told? If you speak carelessly and mess things up, you’ll be an accomplice!”
The old man quickly said, “Officers, please rest assured. This old man will definitely speak clearly and steadily, and bring him out.”
They had the old man go in to fetch Ma Daguang. Once outside the manor, it was no longer Prince Zhao’s territory, and apprehending someone would not be a taboo.
Naturally, everyone inside had already gone to sleep. The old man knocked for a long time before someone opened the door.
“You old wretch! Are you here to announce a death in the middle of the night?” The person who opened the door couldn’t help but curse upon seeing the old man.
Since they were not people from Prince Zhao’s Mansion, they had no reason to be polite.
“Young man, please calm your anger! I am a servant of Master Ma Daguang. I’ve come because of an urgent matter at home and need to find our master to return.” The old man spoke as he had been instructed.
“What time is it? The city gates have been closed for several hours, how did you get out?” The person couldn’t help but be suspicious.
“I came out when the city gates were being inspected, but my old eyes are blurry and I went to the wrong place, so I’ve been searching all night to find it.” The old man said with a smile. “Please, do me a favor and pass on a message. There’s truly an urgent matter at home, and I can’t wait.”
The person, annoyed by his pleading, and thinking that he was just an old man with nothing to guard against, said, “Go in and find him yourself! Who has the patience to run errands for you? Go north into the courtyard, there’s a room with a light on, they’re drinking and gambling! Go in and see if he’s there, and if not, just ask which room he’s sleeping in.”
The old man quickly thanked him and walked in, holding a lantern with trembling hands.
Ma Daguang was indeed among those gambling at this time. He had slept enough during the day, and coupled with the matters on his mind, he decided to pass the time at the card table.
He didn’t expect his old servant from home to find him, and was naturally surprised. However, he couldn’t ask too many questions in front of everyone, so he only asked, “Why have you come?”
“Master, you must return quickly! There’s something at home.” The old man said in a low voice.
Ma Daguang had no choice but to get up and say to everyone, “I have to go out for a moment, you all continue playing.”
He followed the old man out and, in a secluded spot, grabbed him and asked, “What are you doing here in the middle of the night? How did you get out of the city?”
“Master, don’t ask yet. Little Madam and Young Master have come along and are waiting outside the gate! It’s just not convenient to come in,” the old man said. “Let’s talk after we’ve all met!”
Ma Daguang indeed stopped asking and followed him out.
It was pitch black at this time, and the lantern could only illuminate three to four paces ahead, with almost complete darkness in front and behind.
The gatehouse light was also extinguished. Ma Daguang and the old man walked out, one foot after the other, and just as they were about to see where the carriages and horses were parked, they were suddenly pounced upon and knocked down.
Before he could even cry out, everyone swarmed him, covering his mouth and tying him with rope, and like catching a pig, they dragged him away from Prince Zhao’s manor.
Ma Daguang was tossed about so violently that he felt disoriented, and they stopped in a place that was neither here nor there.
“Ma Daguang, your scheme has been exposed.” The officer grabbed Ma Daguang’s hair and shone the lantern on his face, saying.
“Officer, your humble servant has always been honest and law-abiding. You must have mistaken me for someone else.” Ma Daguang was unwilling to surrender easily.
Gong Xu couldn’t help but step forward and slap him directly: “Open your dog eyes and see clearly! Quickly tell me where you’ve hidden my son?!”
“Ma Daguang, there’s no need for you to pretend anymore. If we didn’t have absolute evidence, how could we have found you? Shao Si has already confessed about you, so you’d better explain yourself quickly to avoid suffering.” The officer pulled Ma Daguang off his horse.
His hands and feet were bound, and he fell straight to the ground, feeling as if his internal organs were shattering. He dared not breathe for a long time.
As if by chance, the officer, wearing horse boots, stepped on his waist.
Ma Daguang’s waist was not good, and years of drinking and debauchery had already taken a toll on his body.
If the other party applied any more force, his waist bone might break.
“Officer, please be merciful, I’ll talk.” Ma Daguang’s mind was still sharp enough to know that stubbornly refusing to speak would be of no use. He just wanted to suffer less.
“Then speak clearly and don’t play any tricks.” The officer lifted him up again.
“Young Master Gong is currently being held in the cellar of the back courtyard of Xuanmiao Temple. I am acquainted with the Taoist Master there and said I was storing some things there and would retrieve them in a few days. Cough cough…” Ma Daguang couldn’t help but cough as he spoke. “I’ll take you there! The guards are Lu Yaba and his son, they only listen to me.”
It was not far from Xuanmiao Temple, less than three li in total.
By the time they arrived, the east was already faintly showing white.
Ma Daguang, familiar with the route, knocked on the back door, bypassed the kitchen, and walked to the southwest corner of the Taoist Temple. This was a vegetable patch, and the cellar was built in the small house north of the vegetable patch.
When everyone entered the house, they saw that the cellar cover was open.
Ma Daguang went down with the lantern, and upon looking around, his brow twitched violently.
There was no one in the cellar!
