HBBMAWH Chapter 48

Two people stepped off a merchant ship at the dock. Although dressed like ordinary people, their clothes were made of high-quality silk. Their black boots were adorned with jade pieces and embroidered with golden threads. The two stood by the riverside, facing the refreshing breeze, chatting and reminiscing about the past.

"Long time no see, Brother Wang. Unexpectedly, His Majesty sent you out for the imperial patrol, allowing us to meet again," spoke a fifty-year-old man with graying temples, the governor of Linhe Prefecture.

The river they stood by was called Qingqu. Despite its name, it wasn't a canal; however, the river water was clear as a mirror and shining like jade, with the sound of rushing waves.

"Brother Zhu, it's been a while. Since the day we parted ways at the Longting Willow Pavilion on the outskirts of the capital, six years have passed." The wind blew his robe; he had black hair and long eyebrows, with well-defined features and an air of righteousness. He appeared to be in his early thirties.

This man was none other than the Imperial Censor, Wang Xie, who was appointed as the imperial envoy this time.

Wang Xie expressed remorse, "I didn't expect Brother Zhu to come so far to welcome me. I feel ashamed."

"Ah, we address each other as brothers; there's no need for formalities in being  welcomed by an older brother." Zhu Zheng waved his hand, seemingly unconcerned.

However, Wang Xie furrowed his brows, suggesting some unspoken difficulty.

"How is it? Did the Emperor assign any other tasks?" Zhu Zheng paused, realizing that inquiring about imperial intentions recklessly might not be wise. However, the two had formed a deep bond in the capital, becoming friends despite the difference in their ages.

There is no taboo on these. However, their private friendship is known to very few. Perhaps not many are aware that the two, with a twenty-year age difference, have become close friends.

"There is indeed something. Apart from examining local officials for corruption and oppression of the people, His Majesty assigned another task, which is..."

Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a panicked exclamation.

"My Lord,! Something urgent has happened." A servant rushed over; a situation that would usually be avoided as Zhu Zheng was not known for his good temper. However, this time, the matter appeared to be critical.

"What's the matter? Why so flustered?" Zhu Zheng's expression turned displeased. "Can't you see I have an esteemed guest here?"

"My Lord,, it's the Young Master..." The servant whispered in Zhu Zheng's ear.

Wang Xie could see Zhu Zheng's complexion worsening, eventually turning pale. Zhu Zheng's only son, in his thirties, was his cherished pride. It seemed like something had happened to his beloved son.

"Brother Wang, I need to leave first." Just as he intended to host his guest properly, an unexpected incident occurred. "I promised to host you well, but..."

"Is it about my nephew?"

"Yes, I need to visit the county office."

"Don't worry about me, please go quickly. We are brothers; there's nothing to fuss about. I cannot show up at the county office yet, so I'll wait for you here."

Thus, this hastily arranged feast for friends came to an end, and Zhu Zheng hurriedly went to the Qingqu County Office. County Magistrate Xu also did not expect Zhu Zheng to be in the county nor did he expect that he would arrive so quickly.

Zhu Zheng boarded the carriage and headed straight for the county yamen, but the road was constantly packed with crowds, making progress slow and congested.

"What's going on?" An anxious Zhu Zheng lifted the curtain, only to find many beggars and orphans in tattered clothes carrying their belongings, as if preparing for a journey.

The servants shouted, "Hurry up and move, don't block the road."

The group of people scattered in a hurry, looking very strange. One person accidentally lost a shoe, not fearing the carriage passing over, but still tried to pick it up, holding the lone shoe vigilantly as the carriage passed by.

If it were normal times, Zhu Zheng, who had always been strict in governing, would definitely get off the carriage and ask about the people's situation, but at this time, Zhu Zheng had no time for such matters.

his greatest concern was his son.

When he arrived at the county yamen, County Magistrate Xu's expression was almost unreadable. The suspect hadn't been apprehended yet, but the victim's family had arrived promptly. Wasn't Zhu Zheng supposed to be in the capital city? Why did he appear in Qingqu County?

Various speculations flooded County Magistrate Xu's mind, and he couldn't fathom how Zhu Zheng had come to be here. This is not what he had planned.

"County Magistrate Xu! Where is my son?"

“Lord Zhu, your son is resting in a side room. I've invited renowned physicians from the city, but the situation remains..." County Magistrate Xu explained while leading the way.

As the door opened, Zhu Zheng immediately saw his son lying on the bed with his head bandaged. Due to excessive bleeding, his face was as pale as paper. The psychological preparation Zhu Zheng had made along the way collapsed in an instant, and with tears streaming down his face, he cried, "My son! Who did this? Who harmed you like this? My son, I shouldn't have agreed to let you study here...”

“County Magistrate Xu, has the suspect been found?" Zhu Zheng wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye and asked coldly.

The subordinate whispered to County Magistrate Xu, who then turned and said, "He has been apprehended."

Zhu Zheng marched away with determination, abruptly stopping his footsteps and turning his head towards a corner.

"What's over there?"

County Magistrate Xu also looked over; there was a small bed placed there. "Oh, that's another young man. He fainted in the same spot as Lord Zhu's son and hasn't awakened yet."

"Oh?" Zhu Zheng, after hearing this, only uttered a faint sentence before leaving. Apart from his own son, he wasn't concerned about this extra young man.

Once everyone left, a person crawled out from under the small bed. Chen Yi sighed in relief, carefully taking a piece of cloth from the hand of the young man lying on the bed. After obtaining what he wanted, Chen Yi hastily left, not daring to look at Zhu Yuchuan on the bed again.

What he took was a fragment of clothing. Finally, he got it. Chen Yi burned the piece of clothing into ashes in a brazier and collapsed on the ground. He had finally released a heavy burden from his heart.

Those two people probably wouldn't wake up again. The physicians had said it was almost impossible to save them; at most, they would remain in this silent state forever.

Last night, it was him. Initially, there was a minor conflict on the road, and Chen Yi picked up a stone and hit Zhu Yuchuan. However, Zhu Yuchuan resisted more vigorously. In the heat of the moment, Chen Yi directly smashed a stone on the back of Zhu Yuchuan's head.

After that, Zhu Yuchuan fell into a coma.

Unexpectedly, everything was witnessed by a young man behind them. When did he appear? Chen Yi didn't know. Perhaps he was already there before Chen Yi and Zhu Yuchuan took that path. He seemed to be sleeping in the corner because he woke up only when their fight broke out.

Without second thoughts, Chen Yi, who had already knocked out one person, didn't mind doing it again. This stranger was weaker than Zhu Yuchuan, appearing as if he hadn't eaten for a long time. A few hits, and he completely stopped moving, only tightly grabbing onto Chen Yi's clothing.

It wasn't until Chen Yi returned home that he realized a piece of his clothing had been torn off. The blood-stained clothes from last night were burned by Chen Yi, and the remaining small piece was taken back from the young man.

Now no one should know that he did it. Both of those men were dying. So much blood...

All covered in blood! Just die, die, all of you, ahhhh!

Chen Yi sat in the corner, hugging his knees, suddenly trembling, suddenly laughing foolishly, suddenly screaming. Injuring two people consecutively had left his nerves extremely tense...

And now he was accused again. It seemed too terrible for Yan Cai. He must have some grudge with the county government to end up in the yamen twice.

The county government hall was a bit different today. An extra seat was added on the side, occupied by a man in his fifties. He wore official attire, looking depressed and sorrowful.

"That's Zhu Yuchuan's father, Zhu Zheng." Jiang Manyue said in Yan Cai's ear. Jiang Manyue thought for a while before remembering who this old man was.

"Oh?" Yan Cai was stunned. "Then... is Zhu Yuchuan okay?"

"I think he's just unconscious. Don't worry. Can you heal him?" Jiang Manyue said.

"I can, I'm capable. I'm now..."

"Wait. He won't die immediately, or else Zhu Zheng wouldn't have the mood to sit here and attend a trial," Jiang Manyue calmly analyzed the situation. "Deal with it later. Zhu Zheng, though bad-tempered and vengeful, repays kindness. Let him owe you a favor; it will be beneficial."

So that's how it is... Yan Cai looked up at the side profile of Jiang Manyue. If it were him, he wouldn't think about benefits at such a time, but Jiang Manyue was considering these things. Dealing with the matter of Zhu Yuchuan's life and death, Jiang Manyue treated it as a transaction.

It’s different from Yan Cai.

Such indifference was in line with the public's perception of Jiang Manyue, a stance never shown to Yan Cai before. However, Yan Cai was not afraid because he knew Jiang Manyue was good to him.

Just listen to Jiang Manyue.

"In the courtroom, no noise is allowed!" County Magistrate Xu slammed the gavel, warning the two who were still whispering to each other. Yan Cai was the prime suspect in this case.

"The victim invited you to meet at Cuiwei Pavilion last night. Is that true?"

"Yes. However, I didn't agree. He wanted to invite me himself."

County Magistrate Xu said coldly, "I'm only asking if it's true."

Yan Cai's face turned red. Jiang Manyue quietly held his hand, easing his nervousness. He was on the verge of wanting to hit someone. The branches of the devil tree had already emerged from his sleeves.

"Yes."

"Is the box of tea leaves found at the crime scene yours?"

"Yes. I had my servant send it over."

"Call the witness!" County Magistrate Xu said directly. Immediately, a waiter from Cuiwei Pavilion came forward, saying that Jiang Manyue and Yan Cai's carriage had been seen outside the door of Cuiwei Pavilion.

"Evidence and eyewitnesses are all here. Do you admit guilt?" County Magistrate Xu intentionally skipped over Jiang Manyue and only listed the evidence unfavorable to Yan Cai.

"My Lord, this might not be appropriate," Jiang Manyue interjected. "Considering everything, shouldn't I be the prime suspect?"

"Firstly, my wife is slender and not as tall as I am. It's doubtful that he could have assaulted Young Master Zhu Yuchuan, especially considering that there was another person present who also fainted after the attack, aside from Young Master Zhu."

The onlookers echoed agreement. Madam Jiang, who looked visibly frail and weak, seemed incapable of exerting any strength. The idea that he could single-handedly handle two people was met with skepticism by the crowd.

Yan Cai blushed; he may look thin, but he's actually quite adept at fighting. Don't just say two; he might not even have trouble handling twenty opponents.

"Secondly, Young Master Zhu Yuchuan had previously made inappropriate advances towards my wife, and it is only natural for me to harbor resentment. Therefore, seeking revenge would be a plausible motive for the crime. There are witnesses to this, including the owner of the tea shop on Left Street, the Young Master of Fuman Tower, Lin Shu, and several classmates of Young Master Zhu. They can all testify that Young Master Zhu had expressed admiration for my wife on multiple occasions."

Jiang Manyue chuckled, "There are eyewitnesses, physical evidence, and even a motive for the crime. I wonder why the magistrate is stubbornly fixated on accusing my wife."

Yan Cai stared at Jiang Manyue blankly, not knowing what to say. What is Jiang Manyue up to...

County Magistrate Xu was furious; this seemed like a blatant provocation.

"So, are you confessing to the crime and voluntarily turning yourself in?"

"Of course not," Jiang Manyue shook his head. "We have witnesses to testify."

"Where are these witnesses? You don't seriously think servants can be considered witnesses, do you..."

"Of course not. My wife has learned medical skills from a divine healer and can cure Zhu Yuchuan. I believe Zhu Yuchuan is the best witness. Wouldn't you like to give it a try, My Lord?"

As this statement was made, everyone in the room was astonished. Zhu Zheng, who had been sitting all along, suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with intense excitement. He didn't care about suspects or criminals; all he wanted was for someone to cure his son.

However, County Magistrate Xu turned a deaf ear.

"How can your wife be so skilled at medicine at such a young age? That's nonsense!"

"Why not? My recovered legs are the best proof." Jiang Manyue's eyes were full of admiration for Yan Cai, whose whole body was heating up from the intense gaze. He confidently declared, "The people of Qingqu should know that I, Jiang Manyue, once suffered from crippled legs and couldn't walk. My wife, a miraculous healer with a compassionate heart and medical skills, cured my legs."

No, please don't praise me anymore! Yan Cai felt embarrassed and wished he could disappear.

The people of Qingqu naturally knew about this, and it was only now that Zhu Zheng remembered that this was the eldest son of Minister Jiang.

"Let him try!"

"I don't believe it."

Both Zhu Zheng and County Magistrate Xu spoke simultaneously.

The author has something to say:

"It's challenging to keep up with daily updates; wives who can manage daily updates are truly treasures.

Writing has given me a headache. Writing too much in a day makes my head feel swollen. Moreover, just now there was a power outage. I had to use my computer connected to my phone's mobile hotspot to come online.

My phone is running out of battery, and on such a hot day, there's suddenly a power outage."

Previous Chapter

Next Chapter

Table of Contents