Chapter 62 Let's go together!
The morning mist had not yet completely dissipated, and the flowers and plants in Yaoguang Garden were still covered with morning dew.
Pei Zhiwei lifted her skirt and walked towards the door, still pondering the matter of Liu's Pharmacy.
From Suzhou to Yangzhou, the hope is that this place will provide concrete evidence related to human trafficking.
But the more they thought about it, the more uncertain they felt, after all, the shopkeeper had been robbed and the employees were gone.
So many days have passed, the traces that needed to be erased have probably been wiped clean long ago.
Just as I rounded the clump of banana trees at the corner of the courtyard, I saw Xiao Yunzhan standing under the porch.
He was dressed in a dark blue brocade robe with shimmering sleeves. When he saw her coming, the corners of his mouth curved up: "I knew you couldn't hold back. You were going to Liu's place first thing this morning."
Pei Zhiwei stopped in her tracks, her eyes filled with surprise: "What are you doing here? And you even knew I was going to Liu's?"
“We were entangled by Zhang Xuren as soon as we arrived in Yangzhou yesterday, so you couldn’t go to Liu’s shop to investigate.”
Later, when Yu Hu Chun's reputation collapsed, and you were busy until midnight, you didn't have time to investigate.
If you haven't moved by now, you're not Pei Zhiwei.
As he spoke, fearing she might be worried about the collapsed flower stand case, he added, "Last night Liu Jingchang said that if Wu Ming is found, he will report it immediately."
We went for a stroll near Liu's restaurant, and told others we were just out for a walk, so we wouldn't attract attention.
Besides, we made such a big fuss in Suzhou, only to be humiliated by Liu Ji.
Now that we've arrived in Yangzhou, it's perfectly normal to go and investigate.
Pei Zhiwei: "You're right, but after what happened at Liu's place, there are probably a lot of people watching that place. We still need to be careful."
Just then, Xie Ji's voice arrived before he did, "Wait for me!"
"Wait for me! Are you guys going to Liu's? Take me with you!"
Xiao Yunzhan turned to look at him, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
Last night, after the Jade Pot Spring party ended, Xie Jifei kept saying, "The villa is much more comfortable than my uncle's place," and insisted on going back to Yaoguang Garden with him.
He was too lazy to argue with this brat, so he just casually agreed.
This is really bad; even early in the morning, there's no peace and quiet.
"Why are you getting involved? We're going to take care of serious business."
Xiao Yunzhan openly displayed his "disdain" on his face.
Xie Ji didn't care about him. He rushed to the carriage, pulled back the curtain, and climbed inside.
He even stuck his head out and shouted, "It's just investigating a case, that's what makes it interesting!"
"It's better than staying in the villa! Come on up, come on up, the sun'll be high in the sky soon!"
Pei Zhiwei couldn't help but laugh when she saw his expression.
Xie Ji is like a child who hasn't grown up; he wants to join in every kind of excitement.
Just as she was about to step onto the carriage, she was gently helped by someone—it was Xiao Yunzhan.
Pei Zhiwei was slightly taken aback, thanked him softly, and got into the car steadily with his help.
Xie Ji was a man with eyes so sharp they were practically piercing.
I saw everything that just happened.
Before Xiao Yunzhan could even sit down properly, he started winking and making faces at him.
Those two eyes shone with an "I understand" light.
Xiao Yunzhan awkwardly lifted the carriage curtain to the side, letting the morning light shine in, and immediately regretted his decision.
The carriage moved steadily, passing through several bustling streets of the morning market. The shouts of vendors and the warm greetings of neighbors blended together, highlighting the peaceful and prosperous atmosphere of Yangzhou.
Pei Zhiwei looked out the car window and saw that most of the shops on both sides of the street were open and bustling with people.
But just around the corner, the surrounding shops are sparsely populated, and even pedestrians avoid them.
"We've arrived." Xiao Yunzhan got out of the carriage first and reached out to help Pei Zhiwei, but then remembered that Xie Ji was beside him, so he paused. "Slow down, the carriage shaft is a bit high."
Pei Zhiwei nodded, but as soon as she steadied herself, she was taken aback by the sight before her.
Liu's Pharmacy is no longer resembling what it used to be.
The wooden door was charred black and hung crookedly on the frame. The medicine cabinet, tables and chairs in the yard were all broken into pieces. Even now, you can still smell the burnt smell.
"As expected, we're still too late." Pei Zhiwei wasn't too surprised. After all, starting with the smuggling of salt at the official post station, every single incident clearly showed that the other party was a ruthless and formidable character.
Xiao Yunzhan also looked around but hadn't said anything yet.
Xie Ji circled around and kicked the broken wood on the ground that had been burned to charcoal.
"These people are too ruthless. They didn't even leave a trace of the medicine. Did we come all this way for nothing?"
Pei Zhiwei didn't reply, her gaze suddenly drawn to a figure at the street corner.
The man wore a wide-brimmed hat pulled low, obscuring most of his face, and was dressed in coarse linen clothes. His gait looked strangely familiar.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she followed him.
As if sensing something, the person suddenly quickened their pace, turned into a nearby alley, and disappeared.
Pei Zhiwei took off chasing after him, and Xiao Yunzhan and Xie Ji quickly followed.
The alley was very narrow, with a lot of miscellaneous items piled up on both sides. Pei Zhiwei ran a few steps and saw that the alley was a river with several awning boats floating on the surface. There was no trace of the person from before.
"How is it? Did you find something?" Xiao Yunzhan caught up and saw her standing by the river in a daze.
Pei Zhiwei tugged at Xiao Yunzhan's clothes, and Xiao Yunzhan naturally tilted his ear towards her.
But fearing that someone might be watching, she cupped her hands to her mouth and whispered, "Ding Jin is in Yangdu City!"
She spoke so close that her palm accidentally brushed against Xiao Yunzhan's earlobe.
Xiao Yunzhan suddenly felt his ears burning, and even his breathing slowed down.
I froze there, my mind a jumbled mess.
The breath Pei Zhiwei exhaled when she spoke just now made him feel itchy inside.
Pei Zhiwei noticed his lack of reaction and asked curiously, "What's wrong? Do you think I saw wrong?"
"N-nothing." Xiao Yunzhan subconsciously and quickly increased the distance between them, secretly swallowing.
Before he could speak again, Xie Ji leaned closer, looking curious: "What are you two whispering about? I want to hear too!"
As he spoke, he leaned his ear closer to Pei Zhiwei.
Xiao Yunzhan shoved him away, his tone full of disdain: "Why are you getting involved?"
Xie Ji pretended to be pushed and spun around on the spot, then pouted and said, "Why are you being so fierce? A flowering iron tree is really scary."
Xiao Yunzhan let out a "tsk" sound and raised his hand to indicate that he would be beaten if he talked too much.
Xie Ji turned and ran.
The three walked back along the alley, with Pei Zhiwei paying attention to the footprints at the base of the wall.
The morning dew in Yangdu was heavy, and the ground was still soft. Sure enough, she found several shoe prints at the entrance of the alley. She measured them with her hand and carefully examined the details of the footprints.
It has been confirmed that the person just now was Ding Jin.
She looked down the alley and saw that Ding Jin was so familiar with the terrain. Did he escape from Suzhou and come directly to Yangzhou?
Was he here to see his superior? Or had he actually prepared a backup plan in Yangzhou long ago?
Did he know that his cousin Jiang Yong's family had been tortured to death because of him?
Just as he was pondering this, a yamen runner came running from afar, sweating profusely, and shouted from a distance, "Your Highness! Lady Pei!"
Wu Ming has been found!
Lord Liu said that the trial would begin immediately upon your arrival!
"You found Wu Ming?" Pei Zhiwei's eyes lit up, and the disappointment she felt when she failed to catch up with Ding Jin instantly dissipated.
"Where was it found?"
The constable ran up to him, put his hands on his knees, bent over and gasped for breath.
"It was found in the east of the city before dawn...
He tried to escape as soon as he saw the officials, but was held down by the constables.
They've already been taken to the government office. Lord Liu sent me to invite you all over."
Xiao Yunzhan didn't delay: "Let's go to the government office."
When they arrived at the government office, Liu Jingchang was already waiting outside the main hall.
He was dressed in a light scarlet official robe today. When he saw them arrive, he quickly came forward to greet them: "Your Highness, you've finally arrived. Wu Ming has been detained in the back of the hall, and we are just waiting for you to begin the trial."
"Thank you for your hard work, Lord Liu." Xiao Yunzhan nodded. "But I would also appreciate it if you could prepare a set of yamen runner's clothes for Lady Pei."
Ever since Pei Zhiwei deduced the assailant's height and arm span last night, Liu Jingchang has shown her great respect.
He immediately ordered someone to do it.
Before long, Pei Zhiwei, dressed in the clothes of a yamen runner, blended in with the other yamen runners and did not stand out.
Xie Ji followed at the back, peeking into the hall, but was glared at by Xiao Yunzhan and then became more restrained.
Liu Jingchang walked behind the judge's desk and sat down. He slammed the gavel down and said in a loud voice, "Bring Wu Ming here!"
The constables responded in unison, "Majesty...!"
The ground trembled slightly from the force of the blows he wielded.
Two constables escorted in a man in a blue robe, who was none other than Wu Ming.
His hair was disheveled, half his face was covered in dirt, and there were several scratches, probably because the constables had pressed his face to the ground when he was captured.
"Kneel down!" The bailiff shoved him, and Wu Ming knelt on the ground with a thud.
Liu Jingchang picked up the gavel and slammed it down heavily with a loud "smack".
"Wu Ming, do you know your crime?"
Wu Ming trembled, his voice shaking: "My lord, I... I know not what crime I have committed!"
"Don't know?"
Liu Jingchang: "Last night, around 7 PM, did you go to the viewing platform on the third floor of Yuhuchun Pavilion?"
"Did you use a dagger to cut the main rope of the ceremonial frame, causing it to collapse and kill Xu Fengyan and Chen Gong, and seriously injure five others, one of whom will be permanently mentally disabled, and two others will be permanently paralyzed?"
Wu Ming suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with panic: "No! My lord, it wasn't me who did it!"
"I did go to Yuhuchun, but I just went to see the scenery; I didn't cut any ropes!"
Xiao Yunzhan didn't speak, but gestured with his eyes for Liu Jingchang to continue asking.
Liu Jingchang understood and asked again, "Then tell me, what did you do at Yuhuchun last night? When did you leave? Who did you meet?"
Wu Ming swallowed hard. "This humble one...this humble one just asked for a private room on the second floor, but later felt stuffy, so I went to the observation deck on the third floor to get some fresh air. I didn't meet anyone."
Later, hearing that Young Master Zhang was fighting with a young man, and fearing he would get into trouble, he left. It was probably past midnight when he left…
Liu Jingchang: "Wu Ming, you yourself are the owner of the restaurant, yet you have never been to Yuhuchun alone."
Of all times, the incident happened yesterday, and you went there, insisting on going to the third-floor observation deck to enjoy the breeze.
Moreover, after investigation, the person who cut the rope was over five feet nine inches tall and had an arm length of over two feet five inches, which you fit perfectly!
Do you have anything else to say?
Wu Ming shook his head frantically, crying out, "My lord, I... I did stay on the observation deck, but I didn't cut the rope!"
Moreover, someone invited me to go; it wasn't my own choice!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com