Chapter 109 A mouth tighter than a mechanical lock...
Hearing the voice, Xiao Yunzhan looked up and asked, "What did you find?"
Pei Zhiwei pushed the letter in front of everyone; the ink on the pages looked a bit old.
“Look at the signature,” she said, pointing to the small print at the end of the letter.
"This was written by Wang Jingzong to the Silla Pavilion Master five years ago."
Everything else is fine, except it mentions that in case of emergency, one should go directly to the Xu residence to find Wang Heng.
Upon hearing this, Xie Ji froze in mid-air, the teacup he had just picked up frozen in mid-air. "Wang Heng? Isn't he on the same side as the Wang family? How come he's involved with Wang Jingzong?"
Pei Zhiwei leaned back in her chair. “Unless… Wang Heng is a servant who serves two masters.”
But he immediately dismissed his own idea, "Hiss... but that doesn't make sense."
Wang Fuxing said that the Wang family even considered the letter paper that Wang Jingzong had touched dirty, so how could they tolerate their confidant secretly doing things for Wang Jingzong?
Could it be that Wang Shi and Wang Jingzong weren't actually as Wang Fuxing described? Did they actually have a very good relationship?
As soon as she finished speaking, Cui Yanwu, who hadn't said much until now, suddenly spoke up, his voice colder than usual: "Impossible."
The siblings Wang Shi and Wang Jingzong could only have ended up like this. Wang Fuxing was right; they couldn't possibly share a servant.
However, did Wang actually know Wang Heng's true background...?
That's hard to say.
Pei Zhiwei paused for a moment, then turned to look at Cui Yanwu.
This was the first time he had given such a clear assessment of the Wang family's situation.
No matter what I asked him before, he would either give vague answers or say, "Let's talk about it after the case is completely over."
She quickly pressed her advantage and asked, "Uncle, do you mean you know about their old grudges?"
What deep-seated hatred could drive siblings to this point?
Cui Yanwu pondered for a moment and said, "Let's talk about the rest when His Majesty's reply arrives."
It's always like this.
Pei Zhiwei sighed softly to herself, knowing that asking any further would be pointless.
Cui Yanwu's mouth is harder to open than the tricky lock in the Xinluo Pavilion.
Pei Lin stopped comparing the information in the booklet and the letters in his hand. "We can't finish looking at all these pieces of evidence in a short time."
You should go to the county government office to interrogate Wang Heng first. You might be able to get more information out of him than you're here pondering these documents.
Leave this to me. I'll work with Lord Cui to re-examine the clues about the canal transport.
Liu Jingchang immediately stood up. "I've been following up on the Xu family's case, and I also have to go to the trial of Wang Heng."
Xie Ji had been restless for a long time, and immediately jumped up upon hearing this.
"Let's go, let's go. At that time, in order to protect him from punishment, Lady Xu was willing to offend the prince and me, the heir of the Marquis of Ding'an, and also a county magistrate."
I want to see what Wang Heng has to say.
The carriage arrived at the county government office quickly.
Liu Jingchang got out of the carriage first, said a few words to the yamen runners at the gate, and then turned to Pei Zhiwei and the others and said, "Your Highness, Madam Pei, please wait in the main hall. I will have someone clean up Wang Heng and bring him over."
Xie Ji was taken aback for a moment, then asked in surprise, "Clean it up?"
"We've been to prison before, do you think Wang Heng is any dirtier than those in jail?"
"I didn't keep him tied up with a wide cloth to prevent him from committing suicide, so this is to relieve himself..." Liu Jingchang deliberately turned his back to Pei Zhiwei and whispered to Xie Ji.
Before he could continue, Xie Ji raised his hand to interrupt him: "Alright, alright, I understand!"
Stop talking!
"Hurry up and get someone to get it done, the sooner the better."
Even though he hadn't seen anyone, he felt like he could smell the scent. His stomach churned, and he dared not let Liu Jingchang continue.
Pei Zhiwei also felt a little uncomfortable, and turned around to follow Xiao Yunzhan into the main hall.
Before long, Wang Heng was escorted to the center of the hall by the yamen runners and forcibly pinned to the ground.
He raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the people in the hall, finally landing on Xiao Yunzhan, a relieved smile playing on his lips: "It seems that I am finally going to be sentenced."
"Fine, I was prepared to die anyway."
Xiao Yunzhan didn't rush to speak. Instead, he picked up the teacup on the table, blew on the steam, and took a sip.
"Your death sentence is certain," Xiao Yunzhan said slowly, "but before sentencing you, I'm quite curious: who is your true master?"
He paused, shifting his gaze from Wang Heng's face, as if deep in thought, or perhaps deliberately teasing him: "Is it Xu Ren? Or Xu Wangshi?"
At this point, he suddenly emphasized, "Or perhaps... it's Wang Jingzong?"
As soon as the name "Wang Jingzong" was uttered, Wang Heng's body visibly stiffened, and his previously lowered eyes suddenly snapped open.
After a long pause, he said, "I don't understand what you're saying."
Xiao Yunzhan laughed, put down his teacup, rested his elbow on the table, and stared into Wang Heng's eyes: "You don't understand?"
Then I'll have a proper talk with you.
A lot has happened outside while you've been locked up in jail.
Wang Jingzong arrived in Yangdu City.
Wang Heng's breathing became rapid, his chest heaving violently. He opened his mouth, but after only a few breaths, he gritted his teeth and said nothing.
Xiao Yunzhan seemed unconcerned about whether he spoke or not, "You still remember, right? The day we arrested you, Wang Shi offended all of us because of you."
I'm very curious, do you think Lady Xu knew that you were actually Wang Jingzong's man?
"Tell me, if I were to tell her about this, what do you think her reaction would be?"
"I'm not!" Wang Heng suddenly shouted, his voice becoming shrill with excitement.
"I am not one of Wang Jingzong's men!"
In my entire life, I, Wang Heng, have only ever done things that benefit my wife. I have absolutely never betrayed her!
He tried to shake off the bailiffs holding him down, but they held him down even harder.
He had no choice but to shout at the top of his lungs, "I am only pretending to obey Wang Jingzong in order to get more information from him so that I can do things for my wife!"
I absolutely did not betray Madam!
Xiao Yunzhan raised an eyebrow, his eyes full of disbelief: "Pretending to obey orders?"
But Wang Jingzong didn't say that. He…
"He's lying!" Wang Heng became even more agitated and interrupted Xiao Yunzhan before he could finish speaking.
"Everything I did was in accordance with the trend and was for the good of my wife!"
I was only playing along with him to find out what he really wanted to do to the lady!
Xiao Yunzhan slammed his hand on the table, his voice suddenly rising: "Go with the flow?"
Was killing Xu Fengyan and his son also a matter of following the trend?
"Otherwise what?" Wang Heng said matter-of-factly, his eyes gradually turning sinister and obsessive.
"Wang Jingzong is right. Once they are dead, the entire Xu family will belong to Madam!"
This way, the lady won't have to worry about anyone else's opinion.
"Don't you think this is the best choice for the lady?"
"You really trust Wang Jingzong that much?" Xiao Yunzhan sneered.
"He just wants to use you to get rid of Xu Fengyan and his son, and then truly control the Xu family's assets, turning the Xu family into a puppet of the Wang family of Hedong!"
Wang Heng scoffed, his eyes full of disdain: "Of course I know what he's thinking!"
He thinks he's so clever, but I saw right through him!
He paused, a hint of smugness in his voice, "But Madam is different. Madam is not the kind of person who can be easily manipulated."
Once I eliminate the Xu family father and son, with Madam's intelligence, the entire Xu family will be under her control.
If the Wang family still wants to get money from the Xu family, they'll have to be mindful of Madam's feelings!
At that time, the lady can do whatever she wants and will never have to put up with the Wang family's temper again!
Therefore, for the sake of my wife, I must take action!
He seemed to have opened a floodgate, unable to hold back any longer, and continued, "Actually, I've wanted to kill them for a long time."
That old bastard Xu Fengyan has already climbed the social ladder by marrying a wife. His Xu family only secured their position as the richest family in Daliang by relying on the Wang family's influence, yet he still dares to take concubines!
Those concubines, relying on Xu Fengyan's favor, disrespected the madam, and Xu Fengyan actually turned a blind eye to it!
I've tolerated him for so many years; that's more than enough!
"And that beast Xu Ren!" Wang Heng's voice was filled with even more hatred when he mentioned Xu Ren.
"He actually had such filthy thoughts about the lady!"
It's absolutely disgusting!
So from that moment on, I made up my mind to make them, father and son, pay the price!
He took a breath, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes: "Over the years, with the help of Madam and Wang Jingzong's schemes, I have gradually laid out my own plans."
I knew Wang Jingzong wanted to use me, so I went along with it, both helping my wife and making Wang Jingzong believe I was one of his people.
Pei Zhiwei had been sitting quietly to the side, listening intently, until this moment when she finally spoke, "So how exactly did you manage to get Xu Ren to kill his father?"
Is it really just about amplifying Xu Fengyan's favoritism and provoking Xu Ren?
Wang Heng: "Of course not only."
I also told him that because Madam had stopped Xu Fengyan from colluding with the Wang family for secret profits, they had now decided to poison Madam and marry another woman from the Wang family into the family to maintain the kinship between the two families.
Pei Zhiwei frowned. "Xu Ren believed it?"
“He believes it, of course he does.” He looked smug.
"The lady has been married into the Xu family for over twenty years and has never had any children. The connection between the Wang family and the Xu family is solely based on the lady."
But if the lady dies and another woman who can give birth comes along, then the Xu family will have a legitimate son with the blood of the Wang family.
"Don't you think that this way, the relationship between the two families would be much stronger than when there was only one woman who always sided with outsiders?"
Pei Zhiwei: "But Xu Renming knows that you are the one who is instigating the relationship between him and his son, so why does he still believe you?"
Wang Heng sarcastically remarked, "Because his father never treated him like a human being, and I didn't make this up."
Furthermore, I made it clear to him that I knew he admired the lady, and that I intended to kick him out to prevent him from ruining her reputation.
Pei Zhiwei nodded slightly, having figured out the sequence of events. "So, after Xu Ren killed Xu Fengyan, you kept an eye on our movements."
He deliberately assassinated the songstress Hanyan in front of us, making Hanyan believe that Xu Ren was trying to silence her, thus causing her to reveal Xu Ren's identity.
Then you rush back to inform Xu Ren that we have found out he murdered his father.
But he clearly had a chance to escape, so why did he kill Aunt Liu and then hold Wang hostage at knifepoint?
Wang Heng seemed to be showing off his masterpiece, "because I told him that Aunt Liu had found evidence that he admired the madam and planned to falsely accuse the madam of conspiring with him to kill Xu Fengyan in an attempt to seize the Xu family's property."
So he killed Concubine Liu, and then, to dispel everyone's suspicions about the Madam, he deliberately staged that whole charade.
Pei Zhiwei: "And your purpose in doing this is to be certain that Xu Li will kill Xu Ren?"
"Hahaha..." Wang Heng burst out laughing.
"That's right. I've watched those two brothers grow up for over twenty years. I know their personalities very well."
Even if Xu Li doesn't have a chance to make a move, I will find another opportunity to kill him.
Pei Zhiwei: "Then I guess that what Xu Ren saw about your alleged affair with Wang was something you deliberately orchestrated."
“That’s right, I…” Before Wang Heng could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a panicked voice that came from afar.
"My lord... my lord, something terrible has happened!"
Constable Wei Wu rushed in, shouting in a panic, not even bothering to bow, "Zhang Xiao... Zhang Xiao has been kidnapped!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com