Wusu Ancient Town is located on the outskirts of the city, about 40 to 50 miles away from Wusu City.
Surrounded by mountains, the area boasts a pleasant climate, much more comfortable than Wusu City. The surrounding mountains are verdant, shaded by lush trees, and bursting with vibrant flowers—a truly beautiful sight. However, Jiang Huaiyu had no time to appreciate these views; her mind was completely absorbed by the case.
As dusk deepened, they finally arrived at the ancient town of Wusu, where they could see Li Kui already waiting eagerly at the town entrance.
As soon as Li Kui caught sight of them, he hurried over and said, "Master Jiang, you've come all this way, haven't you?"
Jiang Huaiyu poked his head out slightly from the carriage and asked, "Is Young Master Ling in town?"
Li Kui replied, "Young Master has not yet returned, so he specially sent me here to await your arrival. Please come with me to the inn in town to rest for a while. When Young Master returns, he will personally tell you the information he has gathered."
Jiang Huaiyu sighed softly and said, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Young Master Ling."
Li Kui led the way, and a sense of surprise arose in his heart.
He had never witnessed his young master showing such care and concern for any woman!
However, given his previous experience, even though he was filled with doubt, he dared not reveal it in the slightest. Besides, Jiang Huaiyu was six months pregnant, and he figured his young master wouldn't develop feelings for a married woman.
My young master has always been a man of great loyalty and righteousness; perhaps he simply regards Master Jiang as a close friend.
Wusu Town is not large, and soon they arrived at the inn.
Li Kui asked, "Master Jiang, the young master has already instructed the innkeeper to prepare a delicious meal. Would you like to eat immediately, or would you like to wait a little while?"
Jiang Huaiyu replied, "Since Young Master Ling has not yet returned, I will wait for him."
"Okay, please let me know if you need anything."
After Li Kui left, Yingxiang couldn't help but sigh, "Young Master Ling has been incredibly considerate throughout the journey, arranging everything meticulously, big or small."
She was deeply conflicted.
The young master is deeply in love with the young lady, silently enduring and meticulously planning, all to protect her and the child in her womb; while Young Master Ling is considerate and attentive to the young lady, which is equally touching.
Yingxiang thought to herself that either of them would be a perfect match for the young lady.
However, the fact that her own daughter was carrying the bloodline of the young master of the Ling family made people wonder what the young master of the Ling family would think about this.
About fifteen minutes later, Ling Mo finally returned.
Facing Jiang Huaiyu's expectant gaze, he said in a deep voice, "After some investigation, we have indeed discovered something suspicious."
Jiang Huaiyu did not appear anxious. Instead, she smiled and said, "There's no need to rush. It's late, and Young Master Ling has traveled a long way. He should rest for a while. How about we have dinner first?"
Ling Mo smiled slightly and nodded in agreement: "That suits me perfectly."
After dinner, the two finally got back to the main topic.
Ling Mo recounted, "I had some suspicions in my mind, believing that Cao Xin had done something to it, so as soon as I arrived in Wusu Ancient Town, I immediately went elsewhere."
His tone was cold and hard, with a hint of contempt: "This Cao Xin is truly shameless. He not only seized the workshop, but also occupied the home of the Cao mother and daughter without authorization. Yet he claims to the outside world that Miss Cao owes his father a life, so he is using these properties as compensation."
"How shameless!"
Jiang Huaiyu couldn't help but rebuke him indignantly, then immediately asked, "So, you've already confronted him head-on?"
“No,” Ling Mo shook his head slightly. “Our purpose in coming here is to collect evidence so that the government can re-examine this case. Naturally, I will not easily alert him. I know that he is currently living in Miss Cao’s house, so I secretly went to the vicinity of the Cao family’s old house to investigate. Sure enough, I found some subtle clues.”
"What clue?" Jiang Huaiyu's expression turned serious.
Ling Mo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then slowly said, "Cao Xin's father passed away two days after being injured, so what exactly happened during that time is crucial."
I inquired with the neighbors around the Cao family's old house. They recalled that on the first day, they saw Cao Xin's father going out for a walk, walking lightly and looking at himself as if he were a normal person. However, by the second day, rumors spread that he was bedridden and unable to leave the house. That night, in the dead of night, heart-wrenching screams could be faintly heard coming from the Cao family's house. Sure enough, by the time dawn broke, before Cao Xin could even call a doctor, his father had already passed away.
"Heart-wrenching screams?"
Jiang Huaiyu frowned. "If the screams were caused by pain, how could there be no pain on the first day, but the pain become unbearable on the second day? This is indeed puzzling."
Ling Mo nodded slightly and added in a deep voice, "That's true, especially considering that the cause of death was organ rupture. I consulted a doctor, and although injuries to internal organs are not visible from the outside, the injured person must feel them. However, since Cao Xin's father was only injured by Miss Cao once, unless there is another reason, we can only infer that Miss Cao's fatal kick caused internal injuries in an instant, and this injury did not show up immediately, but only deteriorated rapidly the next day, leading to his irreversible death."
Jiang Huaiyu sneered, "If it weren't for my suspicions about Cao Xin, this case would indeed be considered flawless."
After all, who would have thought that a son would end his own father's life with his own hands?
Even if this claim were made public, I'm afraid no one would believe it.
She suddenly frowned again. "Young Master Ling, we suspect Cao Xin, and we can naturally see through the mystery, but how can we convince the officials? After all, they should have already questioned us about these details, yet they haven't found anything suspicious."
"A single thing may seem flawless, but if several things are linked together, they may reveal a flaw."
What do you mean?
Ling Mo gently brushed aside his sleeve, took out a piece of paper, laid it flat on the table, and slowly pushed it toward her.
Cao Xin was a notorious gambler. Before his father passed away, the father and son had accumulated gambling debts totaling three hundred taels of silver. Despite repeated demands for payment from the gambling den, the Cao family remained unable to clear the debt. During this process, Cao Xin was even brutally attacked by the gambling den's thugs, his fingers cruelly broken. However, before his father's body was even cold, the debt was miraculously cleared. Where did this money come from? Shouldn't we ponder this question deeply?
Jiang Huaiyu's eyes suddenly turned cold. "Clearly, this money was obtained by trickery and extortion from the Cao mother and daughter."
"Indeed, this shows that Cao Xin not only has his father's gambling debts, but also has ample reason to prey on Cao and her daughter. His father plotted against them but failed, which angered Miss Cao, leading to a violent attack on her. Cao Xin can take advantage of this and shift all the blame onto Miss Cao. This gambling den IOU is solid evidence."
Jiang Huaiyu examined the IOU stub repeatedly, and asked in surprise, "How could the gambling den so easily hand over such a crucial item to you?"
(End of this chapter)
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