Chapter 19, Chapter 19 is really too disrespectful!

The candlelight in the Pei residence still shone faintly until the third watch of the night.

Pei Zhiwei sat on a bamboo chair under the eaves, a plain-colored velvet blanket draped over her knees, her ears constantly listening to the sounds outside the courtyard.

After capturing Feng Chao at the Yue Lao Temple during the day, she sent him directly to the Dali Temple. Presumably, her father was still interrogating him and hadn't even returned home yet. At this moment, she had something on her mind that she couldn't understand, so she stubbornly stayed up without resting.

A familiar sound of footsteps came from the direction of the moon gate, and Pei Zhiwei immediately got up to go and meet them.

Pei Lin was dressed in official robes, his brows furrowed with unconcealed weariness, and even his usually ramrod straight back slumped slightly, though his eyes remained clear.

"Why aren't you asleep yet?" He reached out and gently rubbed his daughter's head, his voice full of tenderness.

"I'll ask you something when you get back." Pei Zhiwei helped her father into the house and picked up the warm ginger soup from the table.

"Feng Chao is neither an old acquaintance of the Qin family nor has he any relatives or friends involved. Madam Qin has always been strict with etiquette, so why would she open the door for him in the middle of the night?"

This question lingered in her mind all day, and even though Feng Chao had confessed, she still couldn't understand this crucial point.

Pei Lin took the ginger soup and drank it all in one gulp. The warmth flowed down his throat, and he finally felt a little better.

"When Feng Chao testified in court, he said that three years ago, Madam Qin went to burn incense outside the city with Madam Liu. On their way back, they encountered bandits, and he happened to pass by and rescued her."

He sat down in the armchair, his fingertips lightly tapping the armrest. "He acted swiftly and decisively at the time, and afterwards he didn't accept any reward from the Qin family, only saying it was 'just a small favor'."

“Chuntao also came to the Dali Temple to supplement her confession,” Pei Lin continued.

"After that, Qin Niangzi felt that Feng Chao was a gentleman of upright character."

Having spent a long time at the Yue Lao Temple, Feng Chao was known for his gentle and courteous nature. He patiently answered any questions from worshippers and would even offer help to the elderly, weak, women, and children.

When Qin Niangzi went to the temple to pray for a talisman, Feng Chao maintained his distance throughout, never uttering a single inappropriate word. This gradually lowered her guard.

Pei Zhiwei suddenly realized that there was such a connection.

Feng Chao used the pretense of "saving her life" and "long-term adherence to propriety" to make Qin Niangzi lower her guard and believe his nonsense about "exchanging talismans at midnight to ensure the marriage."

As she was thinking, Pei Lin began to recount the details of the trial.

"Feng Chao confessed to all his crimes without reservation, including how he approached the victim and how he planned the murder. He explained all the details clearly."

We also summoned witnesses from each family and recorded their testimonies, completing the chain of evidence detailing how Feng Chao lured and assaulted the suspects. The chain of evidence is now completely closed.

"Does His Majesty know?" Pei Zhiwei pressed, her eyes filled with urgency.

Pei Lin shook his head: "It's too late today, the case files haven't been organized yet, but Feng Chao's crimes have been investigated and he can't escape execution. We just have to wait until all the case files are organized before submitting them to His Majesty for final approval."

He paused, his voice becoming deeper, "This case involves too many people. The families of those female victims must also be summoned to the Dali Temple tomorrow. We need to explain the details of the case to them and give them an explanation."

For the next few days, Pei Lin spent all his time at the Dali Temple organizing case files.

Pei Zhiwei would occasionally go to help, and as she watched the testimonies, investigation records, and Feng Chao's confession piled up on the desk being sorted into a clear and organized file, she gradually felt at ease.

It wasn't until the morning of the fifth day that Pei Lin entered the palace with the organized files.

Inside the imperial study, the emperor raised his hand to receive the scroll.

From the initial investigation record of the "Qin family suicide case" to the "half a shoe print" found during the examination, and then to the confession of the suspect Feng Chao admitting to committing the crimes one after another, he carefully reviewed every page and every line.

The further he read, the tighter his brows furrowed, and the warmth on his face gradually faded, replaced by a somber expression.

Upon turning to the last page, the emperor slammed the file on the table, his face contorted with rage. "Absurd! Utterly absurd!"

"Feng Chao was just a temple priest, of lowly status, yet he dared to kill seven people in the heart of the capital!"

And every time, he faked it as if he had hanged himself, yet no one noticed anything amiss for so long!

He paced back and forth, his tone growing increasingly stern, "This capital region is right under my nose, yet it has descended into such chaos!"

He changed the subject and looked down at the steps: "If it weren't for Pei Qing and the young lady of the Pei family being so meticulous and uncovering the suspicious points, would this case have remained a mystery forever?"

Pei Lin, who was below the steps, was already kneeling on the ground, his head bowed and not daring to breathe. He could only hear the angry voice coming from above, and his back was taut.

The emperor closed his eyes, took a deep breath, but when he spoke again, the anger in his voice had not subsided.

"These bastards don't manage their households properly, but now that someone has died, they've finally learned to save face and cover it up."

That's why Feng Chao was able to kill seven people without anyone noticing!

I think they should reflect on their actions! They should all be fined a year's salary as a warning; if anyone dares to do something similar again, they will be severely punished!

He had barely finished speaking when he picked up Feng Chao's confession again. "Feng Chao is guilty of heinous crimes and is sentenced to beheading. He will be executed in the West Market in three days, so that all the people of the capital can see the consequences of indiscriminate killing!"

Pei Lin immediately kowtowed: "Your subject obeys the decree!"

By the time Pei Lin emerged from the palace, it was already noon.

He returned to the Pei residence and informed Pei Zhiwei of the emperor's decree, at which point the father and daughter finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Looking out at the bright sunshine, Pei Zhiwei thought of Qin Chaochao and Wang Yulan. Although she still felt regret, she also felt a little comforted. At least the truth had come to light, and the murderer would receive the punishment he deserved.

Before we knew it, the Double Ninth Festival had arrived.

According to palace custom, the Empress would hold a flower-viewing banquet in the Imperial Garden and invite the women of various households in the capital to attend.

This was the first time Pei Zhiwei had ever attended such an occasion in the palace, accompanied by her mother, Yan Jinghong.

The carriage stopped outside the palace gate. Yan Jinghong carefully straightened the collar of her daughter's lotus-colored dress and then instructed her, "There are many rules in the palace. Follow me later, speak less and listen more, and don't overstep your bounds."

Pei Zhiwei agreed and slowly walked inside, supporting her mother's hand.

The Imperial Garden was already bustling with activity, with chrysanthemums blooming in profusion—yellow, white, and purple—creating a vibrant and lively scene.

The women from each household gathered in twos and threes, some admiring the chrysanthemums around the flowerbeds, their fingertips lightly touching the petals as they whispered their comments.

Some sat in a circle in the pavilion, the crisp sound of teacups clinking together mingling with laughter, carried by the wind throughout the garden, adding a lot of liveliness to this autumn day.

Pei Zhiwei followed her mother, Yan Jinghong, to a quiet spot to stand. As soon as they stopped to rest, they heard whispers coming from a stone table not far away, discussing Feng Chao's case.

The young woman, dressed in a pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), held a teacup, her voice still carrying a hint of lingering fear.

"That Feng Chao is too audacious. He dared to kill seven people in the capital and pretend they all committed suicide by hanging."

If it weren't for the young lady from Pei Shaoqing's household finding the clues, this case might have remained hidden for who knows how long.

As soon as he finished speaking, the woman in the light blue dress beside him scoffed softly, her fingertips tracing the rim of the teacup as she slowly sipped her tea.

"In my opinion, those women brought it on themselves. They insisted on having shady characters in their hearts, and ended up like that. In the end, it was their own lack of self-discipline."

"That's right!" The woman in the pink dress leaned closer, her voice lowered, but it still reached Pei Zhiwei's ears.

"Take Qin Chaochao from the Qin Imperial Censor's family, for example. In the past, who in the capital didn't praise her as a model of virtue for women? She was well-educated, reasonable, and had impeccable manners. But what happened? She still opened the door for a man outside the house in the middle of the night."

If word got out, it would be a disgrace to our noble ladies; no wonder Prince Rui was cold to her before.”

Several people echoed this sentiment, their contempt piercing like needles.

Pei Zhiwei frowned deeply. Qin Niangzi was clearly the victim, yet she was being treated so harshly.

Yan Jinghong noticed her daughter's stiffness and quietly patted the back of her hand, signaling her not to take it to heart.

Pei Zhiwei took a deep breath, suppressing the frustration in her heart, and turned to look at the chrysanthemums in full bloom throughout the garden. She felt that the discussions she had just heard were even more jarring than the cool autumn breeze.

As they were talking, a familiar voice suddenly called out from not far away: "Jinghong, come this way!"

The two turned their heads and saw the wife of the Vice Minister of Rites standing under the wisteria trellis waving, surrounded by several well-dressed wives of officials.

Yan Jinghong leaned down and instructed Pei Zhiwei, "Wait here for a moment, Mother will be right back, don't wander around."

Pei Zhiwei nodded in agreement, and watched her mother lift her skirt and walk quickly toward the flower stand before turning around and finding an empty stone bench to sit down.

She had only rested for a short while when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned around and saw the same women who had been discussing Qin Chaochao.

Leading the group was a woman dressed in a light blue dress, her face deliberately warm. As she approached, she said, "This must be Madam Pei from the Pei family, Young Master Pei? Meeting you today, I can see that you certainly have the bearing of a lady of high birth."

Pei Zhiwei stood up and nodded, her tone calm: "You're too kind, ladies."

Thinking that Qin Chaochao was clearly the victim, yet they called her "indecent," she felt really awkward, but she couldn't bring herself to contradict the daughters of officials to their faces, so she really couldn't muster any enthusiasm for the conversation.

A woman in a pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) came closer and looked her up and down with curiosity.

“We were just talking about Feng Chao’s case. It’s all over the capital that it was you, Madam Pei, who found many crucial clues at the scene. Even the old constables from the Dali Temple didn’t notice them. I wonder how you discovered those subtle clues?”

Upon hearing this, the others echoed his sentiments, their eyes filled with curiosity. The woman in the pale yellow ruqun pressed for more details.

"I heard that the shoe prints on the carpet in the Qin family's boudoir were so faint they were almost invisible. How did you find them? And even the coroner couldn't see anything wrong with the ligature marks. How did you determine that it wasn't a suicide by hanging?"

Pei Zhiwei tightened her grip on the handkerchief, a hint of difficulty appearing on her face.

As his father had instructed him, although Feng Chaoyi had been convicted, the case file had not yet been fully made public.

Furthermore, according to the laws of the Great Liang Dynasty, the details of the case are official secrets and cannot be disclosed by anyone other than the relevant government officials. Even if the other party is the daughter of an official, she cannot make an exception.

She carefully chose her words before speaking: "Please understand, sisters. According to the law, the details of the case are government secrets, and I cannot say more. I hope you will not ask any further questions."

The atmosphere around the stone bench instantly turned cold upon hearing this.

The woman in the pink ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) immediately turned from curiosity to displeasure, raising an eyebrow and saying, "What does Madam Pei mean by this? We're just asking about the details of the investigation, not asking you to reveal any important secrets. Why are you using the law as an excuse to fob us off?"

The woman in the light blue dress also frowned, her tone laced with sarcasm.

"Could it be that Madam Pei isn't as capable as rumored, and those clues weren't found by you at all? Now you're afraid of letting the cat out of the bag, so you're deliberately using the law to cover it up?"

“That’s right!” The woman in the pale yellow dress also frowned. “We are all sisters from the capital. I was just asking out of curiosity. It’s too disrespectful of you, Madam Pei, to be so aloof.”