What's the point of Chapter 75?
Pei Zhiwei: "What shameful thing did Xu Ren stumble upon about Wang Shi?"
Liu Yang's Adam's apple bobbed. He first glanced at the cell door, as if afraid of being overheard by those outside, then lowered his eyes and lowered his voice even further.
"He...he told me that he had caught Wang Shi and Wang Heng having an affair."
"An affair?" Pei Zhiwei raised an eyebrow.
This answer was completely unexpected.
Previously, the investigation into Xu Ren's motives revolved entirely around "family property" and "grudges between legitimate and illegitimate children." How did a private affair suddenly emerge?
She subconsciously turned her head to look at Xiao Yunzhan, who was also looking over at her, his eyes showing the same surprise.
Clearly, neither of them had anticipated this.
Xie Ji even gave a mocking laugh, leaning closer and resting one hand on the railing, "An affair? Wang Heng, the deputy steward of the Xu family?"
Liu Yang nodded repeatedly, his face flushed with excitement: "It's him!"
This matter dates back two years.
Back then, Xu Ren wasn't as crazy as he is now; he was just a quiet, reserved person.
One night, unable to sleep, he wandered around the backyard in the middle of the night. He heard a noise behind the rockery and, thinking a thief had broken in, quietly went to investigate...
And guess what happened?
He paused deliberately, a smug look in his eyes that said, "You'd never guess."
He saw Wang Heng holding Wang Shi's hand, the two of them very close together, and they were whispering to each other.
Wang Heng's hand was almost touching Wang Shi's sleeve!
As soon as they saw someone approaching, they panicked and immediately separated.
Pei Zhiwei's mind was racing: Two years ago, Xu Ren had not yet harbored murderous intent towards Xu Feng.
Normally, if you discover that your stepmother and the steward are having an affair, you should either expose them on the spot or tell Xu Fengyan.
At worst, they would use this as leverage, so why have they kept suppressing it until now?
"That doesn't make sense." She voiced her doubts directly.
"Two years ago, Xu Ren wasn't so hostile to Master Xu. He witnessed this with his own eyes, so why wouldn't he tell Master Xu?"
Even if he dared not say it, given Xu Fengyan's rigid nature of placing great importance on the hierarchy between legitimate and illegitimate children, if he knew that Wang had done such a thing, how could he still let her be the mistress of the house?
Moreover, Wang Heng was not driven away; on the contrary, his position became more and more stable.
Now that Chen Gong is dead, he has become the head steward of the Xu household, which is illogical.
Upon hearing this, Liu Yang suddenly sneered, his laughter twisted with a morbid malice, "Why can't it make sense?"
That's because you don't know what Xu Ren was thinking!
My sister died during childbirth, and Xu Fengyan only had eyes for his legitimate son, Xu Li.
Although Xu Ren was not lacking in food and clothing, to put it nicely, he was neglected; to put it bluntly, he was forgotten that he even had such a son.
If it weren't for Wang Shi marrying into the family, Xu Ren would have been stuck in the backyard.
He spoke faster, as if he was speaking up for Xu Ren, or perhaps venting his own dissatisfaction.
"The year Wang married into the family, she held a proper banquet in the mansion just to celebrate Xu Ren's birthday, who had never celebrated his birthday before."
Do you think that if a child who has never been loved by his father or mother suddenly finds a woman four years older than him treating him well and taking him seriously, wouldn't he develop some inappropriate feelings?
Pei Zhiwei was shocked again.
A four-year age gap isn't a huge difference, but it's not insignificant either.
Especially when Xu Ren was most in need of warmth, Wang's care might have truly become a "light" in his eyes, but how did this "light" turn into inappropriate thoughts?
Xiao Yunzhan frowned slightly, remaining silent, but his expression grew even more serious.
Xie Ji was so shocked that his arm, which was resting on the railing, slipped, and his voice instantly rose, "But no matter what, she is still his legal mother!"
This...this is so contrary to human ethics!"
Pei Zhiwei felt a lump in her throat upon hearing this.
She had just witnessed Xu Ren's madness when he kidnapped Wang Shi at the Xu residence, and she assumed it was just resentment that had reached its limit. She never imagined that such a twisted mind was hidden behind it.
She pressed further: "So, it was because of this thought that he didn't expose the affair?"
"That's for sure!" Liu Yang gave a disdainful smile.
"He was afraid that if things were exposed, Wang Shi wouldn't be able to stay in the mansion anymore, and he would lose even that last thought."
Although he didn't confront the issue directly, he was still emotionally affected.
That's the person he cherishes most; how could she be involved with another man?
Xie Ji was so engrossed in listening that he squatted down and rested his elbows on his knees.
"What triggered this? Could it be that he started to hate Wang Heng from that time on?"
Liu Yang's face instantly turned ferocious, as if he had recalled some unbearable scene: "I hate Wang Heng more than just!"
Once, he got drunk and hugged a wine jar, crying and rambling incoherently, but I could hear him clearly.
He even muttered, "If she can be with Wang Heng, why can't she be with me?"
Hahaha! Tell me, isn't he crazy? Has he completely gone mad?
Pei Zhiwei opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Xu Ren wasn't just possessed; he was clearly driven mad step by step by the constraints of traditional morality and his distorted emotions.
Xie Ji didn't show any unusual expression, he just clicked his tongue.
Xiao Yunzhan had remained silent until now, when he finally spoke, his voice steady and devoid of much emotion: "Continue."
What did he do after he was provoked?
Liu Yang's smile faded, and the ferocity on his face slowly disappeared, leaving only a hint of dejection: "From then on, he always liked to gravitate towards Wang Shi."
Sometimes he would use an excuse to ask about matters at the mansion, and sometimes he would send some small trinkets that he had made himself.
Wang had no idea what he was thinking; she assumed he had something on her and wanted to use it to blackmail her.
The closer he got, the more disgusted Wang became with him, looking at him as if he were something filthy.
“That’s not right.” Pei Zhiwei immediately seized on the illogical part.
"If the Wang family is really afraid that he will leak secrets, wouldn't it be easier to just find an opportunity to get rid of him?"
Why go through all that trouble to sow discord between him and Xu Fengyan and Xu Li?
Even if he succeeds in sowing discord, Xu Ren may not necessarily kill anyone.
Moreover, you've witnessed Wang Heng bribing servants to embarrass Xu Ren in the past two years. Doesn't Xu Ren have any trusted confidants in the Xu household?
He couldn't have been kept in the dark forever. Didn't you tell him that it was actually Wang Shi who instructed Wang Heng to do it?
Speaking of this, Liu Yang looked even more annoyed, "Why didn't I say that?"
But he didn't believe it!
He always felt that Wang Heng had seen through his despicable thoughts and was deliberately going against him.
He also told me, 'Uncle, don't worry about it. Wang Shi is simple-minded and would never do such things. It's all Wang Heng who's up to no good under her name.'
"Are you saying he's crazy? Even now he's still protecting that woman!"
Xie Ji clicked his tongue again, without saying a word, but his expression clearly said, "This Xu Ren is hopeless."
Pei Zhiwei also found it absurd, but in the end, these were all just Xu Ren's own obsessions.
"You say that Wang is sowing discord, and you think Wang is suspicious. These are all your guesses. Do you have any evidence?"
Liu Yang: "Empirical evidence... I don't have any empirical evidence."
But I can guarantee with my life that it's absolutely right!
Wang, though appearing dignified, harbors countless schemes within her.
"Without concrete evidence, mere words spoken without any evidence are nothing but slander," Pei Zhiwei retorted.
"Is there anything else? Anything else you know about the Wang family, or any strange things that have happened in the Xu household? Is there anything else you haven't mentioned?"
Liu Yang remained silent for a long time. After a while, he finally raised his head, his eyes flashing with a sinister light.
"I've found it strange about Wang Shi ever since I heard she was going to marry into the family."
Think about it, she's from a respectable and prestigious family like the Wang family of Hedong, how could she possibly be willing to marry a merchant like Xu Fengyan?
She was still his second wife. Xu Fengyan was almost twenty years older than her, and he had two grown sons at home.
If it were any other noblewoman, she would have already caused a huge uproar.
She, on the other hand, lived a peaceful and uneventful life as a housewife for over twenty years.
His face was sinister, but his eyes were filled with confusion, and his whole being exuded an indescribable eeriness.
"You have also seen Xu Fengyan's corpse."
His appearance is far from 'handsome'.
But what about the Wang family?
Even at this age, she still has the same charm as when she was young, and her skin is so tender it looks like you could squeeze water out of it.
What do you think she's after? The Xu family's money?
But in all the years she's been married into the family, she hasn't lived a particularly extravagant life, nor has she ever helped her family make any money.
"For status? If she wanted to be the mistress of the house, there were plenty of young noblemen waiting to marry her. Why should she lower herself to marry an old merchant with a legitimate son?"
Pei Zhiwei was also having doubts. Wang's behavior was indeed quite unusual.
It is generally believed that when a woman from a prominent family marries a merchant, it is either because the family has fallen on hard times or because there are other motives involved.
Needless to say, the Wang family of Hedong is not associated with the phrase "family decline," and besides, she is a direct descendant of the clan.
But Wang was neither greedy for money nor power-hungry, and her nodding in agreement to marry was indeed strange.
Going back even further, the marriage arranged for her by the Wang family of Hedong already seemed rather strange.
Xiao Yunzhan finally spoke, his tone still calm: "Think again, does Wang have any special habits?"
For example, where do you frequently go, or who do you have close relationships with?
Liu Yang frowned and thought for a long time before finally shaking his head: "No."
Besides going to temples to offer incense, she also attended banquets hosted by various households.
She rarely left the Xu residence, and those who came and went were mostly mistresses of prominent families; she wasn't seen contacting any suspicious people.
Pei Zhiwei glanced at Xiao Yunzhan, and seeing that he nodded slightly, she knew that she had asked almost everything she needed to know.
She said to Liu Yang, "Think about it again. If you remember anything else, whether it's a big or small matter, have the constables notify us immediately."
Upon hearing that they were leaving, Liu Yang suddenly became agitated, gripping the railing tightly as he asked, "Will what I've said be enough to spare my life?"
Pei Zhiwei comforted him, saying, "Let's see if you can remember anything else, and then we'll figure it out together."
Liu Yang responded listlessly and didn't say anything more, only lowering his head even further.
The three were released from the cell.
Xie Ji couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Yeah, what is she after?"
If she were power-hungry, why would someone of her background choose a merchant?
They chose the merchants but weren't greedy, and they're still keeping the Xu family in this mess. Is it really all for Xu Fengyan himself?
Xiao Yunzhan raised his hand and patted the back of his head, the force not too light or too heavy: "Are you also being bewitched by him? There's no use thinking about things without concrete evidence."
Xie Ji rubbed the back of his head and muttered unconvinced, "I was just curious!"
Look at Wang Shi's appearance; you can tell she was carefully raised at home.
Hey, let me ask you this: we've seen all sorts of ladies from prominent families in the capital.
Have you ever seen anyone willingly marry an older man who has a legitimate eldest son?
Ugh, those young women.
Marrying someone like you or me, simply because things didn't go according to our wishes, indirectly led to someone's death.
At this point, he suddenly mimicked Wang Shi's earlier manner, speaking in a affected tone: "How did she, a direct descendant of the Wang family of Hedong, end up in the Xu family?"
Xiao Yunzhan slapped him on the back of the head again, "Those women were harmed by Feng Chao!"
"Oh yes, yes, you're right!" Xie Jiming replied dismissively.
Pei Zhiwei pondered Liu Yang's words and then said thoughtfully, "It's not necessarily that we've been tricked."
Although there is no concrete evidence at present, it cannot be concluded that Wang has a problem.
But something unusual must be going on.
Xu Ren murdered his father and killed Lady Liu with a knife.
Both of these incidents seem to be related to his resentment, but upon closer examination, there are inconsistencies in their explanations.
Perhaps these unusual behaviors of Wang's are the key to connecting the dots that seem 'illogical' to us.
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