Imprisonment
The cries, shouts, and the thuds of sticks hitting the ground instantly shattered the tranquility of dusk, drawing the attention of several neighbors whose doors were not yet fully closed. They peered out in alarm, and whispers of conversation, like boiling bubbles, exploded throughout the streets and alleys.
Pei Qingwu's face turned ashen instantly, her fingertips icy cold. On the other side, Qian Tao was already pale with fright, clutching her sleeve tightly, like a little rabbit seeking protection, timidly leaning towards her.
Seeing the man shouting and cursing as he reached out to grab Pei Qingwu, Gu Heng quickly stepped forward to protect her. He took the blow himself, only letting out a muffled groan, and his eyes scanned the newcomer with sharp intensity.
"Gentlemen, please calm down..." Pei Qingwu's voice trembled slightly, revealing that he was trying his best to remain calm. After all, this time was different from the last time; someone had truly died. "Human life is of paramount importance, and this is no ordinary matter. If it were truly caused by the pastries in my shop, I would accept the punishment without question. However, the matter is suspicious. How can we determine right and wrong based on just one side's account? There were many dishes used at the banquet. How can we be so sure that it was my pastries that were poisoned? I urge you to report this to the authorities so that they can investigate and question us. Only when the truth is revealed can justice be served!"
Upon hearing this, the woman stopped crying and angrily said, "You still dare to mention reporting to the authorities? Everyone knows that this plaque was written by Magistrate Zhao. I only came here because of this reputation. Even if you report to the authorities, Magistrate Zhao will only protect you!"
Pei Qingwu frowned: "Madam, please be careful with your words. The people of Qinzhou City have all witnessed Lord Zhao's character; he is upright, honest, and just. How can you make baseless accusations here? Besides, given the current situation, if we don't report it to the authorities, do you intend to resort to private torture and kill me in front of everyone? How can the laws of the dynasty be trampled on like this?!"
Qiantao also realized what was going on and retorted, "Right now, you're just letting yourselves talk nonsense and you're even stopping our boss from reporting this to the authorities. Could it be that you have something to hide?"
"Nonsense! Didn't you have parents to teach you? You're just making excuses like this, fine! So what if you have to see an official? Fine, I'll see him then. Today, I'm going to get justice for my son. Even if this place doesn't care, I'll risk my life to go to Chang'an, the capital, and petition the Emperor!" The woman was furious and spat on the ground.
Yin Lan had been observing coldly from the sidelines. Taking the opportunity, she leaned close to Pei Qingwu's ear and said, "Master, such a heart and reaction don't seem like something you would do yourself and then turn around and bite us. Could it be that you've been framed and are being used against us?"
Pei Qingwu nodded slightly: "Very similar."
The others were unfazed, but upon hearing this, Qian Tao's eyes reddened, and she stammered, "It must be because when the master redeemed me and took me away, he offended Mama Xu and Young Master Cui, and they came looking for the master to take revenge... It's all my fault, I've dragged the master down with me."
Before Pei Qingwu could say anything, the neighborhood chief, along with several unruly men dressed in black robes and carrying swords at their waists, rushed over. The leader was a stern-faced unruly leader.
The officials arrived and the scene was immediately brought under control. After listening to the whole story, the head constable ordered, "Men, quickly summon the coroner to examine the body. Also, seal up the remaining snacks in the food box, along with all the ingredients and utensils in the kitchen, and take them back to the prefectural government for inspection. All those involved should come with me to the yamen for questioning."
Moonlight casts shadows across the land, birch trees sway gently, and the Qin Prefecture government office is brightly lit.
The coroner of the yamen was a middle-aged man in his forties with slightly graying hair and beard. His surname was Yang and his given name was Changze. He was meticulous and thorough in his work. He had already gone home to sleep, but after receiving the notice, he rushed back without stopping. He didn't even have time to drink a sip of water before going to the place where the body was kept. After examining the body, his expression was extremely solemn. He clasped his hands and said to Zhao Jue, "Reporting to Your Excellency, the deceased, He Liulang, has black lips, bluish-purple fingernails, fine bloodstains in his seven orifices, and burns inside his abdomen. This is clearly a sign of poisoning by realgar."
Upon hearing this, the deceased's family members were filled with grief and indignation. The woman collapsed to the ground, crying and cursing Pei Qingwu as a "vicious scorpion." If it weren't for the constables stopping her, she would have pounced on him and started fighting.
Zhao Shijun glanced at Pei Qingwu without showing any emotion; the latter was deep in thought, his fists clenched inwardly.
"Bring up the pastries and samples from the kitchen as well, and have them tested together!"
The clerks in the government office, who were well-versed in toxicology, stepped forward to examine the matter. They first used a silver needle to test the snack. Seeing that the needle was black, they frowned slightly. They then carefully plucked a small piece off and threw it on the ground in the outer courtyard. Soon after, a sparrow flew by, pecked at it twice, kicked its legs, and lay motionless with its white belly exposed.
Using this method, he tested all nine kinds of pastries, but only the first one he tested, "Golden Jade Marriage," contained the poison of realgar.
The hall was deathly silent. Pei Qingwu stared incredulously at the bird carcasses on the ground, his heart sinking as if he had forgotten how to beat.
How... how could that be...?
"Pei, the pastries were made by you, and poison was found inside. Do you have anything else to say?" Zhao Jue's voice was icy.
In an instant, everyone's eyes were focused on Pei Qingwu, the nobleman below the hall. Qian Tao and Gu Heng's hearts were in their throats, their faces full of worry.
"Your Excellency is wise! Your Excellency is truly a just and upright official! My son died unjustly! Please, Your Excellency, do justice for my son!" The woman cried and knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. Her forehead hit the blue brick floor with a thud, and when she looked up, it was covered in blood, showing that she had used a lot of force.
Pei Qingwu's mind raced. She remembered Qian Tao's words and immediately guessed who was behind this.
There is a common misconception among outsiders that people in high positions of power can easily bring people down as easily as flipping their palms, and can crush a person to the bottom with a few words, causing their family to be destroyed, their wives and children to be separated.
But the truth is, they also have to rely on some procedural justice to achieve their goals through seemingly flawless framing, such as Gao Taiwei framing Lin Chong in "Water Margin", or Jia She plotting to kill Shi Daizi for a few fans in "Dream of the Red Chamber".
So the mastermind behind my current predicament is none other than that young master Cui, and his distant relative, the military governor of Longyou.
Thinking of this, Pei Qingwu gradually calmed down.
She stepped forward and kowtowed, her voice clear and calm: "Your Excellency, I am Pei Qingwu, and I have a grievance to bring. This case is full of doubts, and I am absolutely not the one who poisoned the person. There are other hidden circumstances in this matter. Please allow me to defend myself."
"Speak!" Zhao Jue raised his hand.
"Firstly, what was my motive for doing this? I run this pastry shop in Anyefang, and I have only gained a small reputation thanks to the support of my neighbors and my honest business practices. I have no grudge against the lady who ordered the pastries. She asked me to make pastries for her husband's wedding, and I carefully made nine kinds of pastries to wish for a long and prosperous wedding. I only wished for a successful wedding banquet and that all the guests would be happy. This is just adding to the joy. Why would I have the motive to destroy my own foundation and do such a heinous thing? It makes no sense from either a moral or social perspective."
Upon hearing this, the people in the hall began to whisper among themselves.
Indeed, it is truly unbelievable that a thriving business owner would poison a stranger for no reason.
"Secondly, the ingredients for my pastries are all purchased from reputable merchants in the West Market with valid business licenses③. Every batch of goods is accounted for and supported by the merchant's market vouchers④. The rice, flour, maltose, red bean paste, lotus seeds, lily bulbs, candied fruit, dried fruit, and even rouge, red yeast rice powder, and gold leaf used are not ordinary items that can be obtained with real stones. I can present all the purchase receipts immediately and ask the shopkeepers, the neighborhood head, and the neighbors to testify that I have never purchased real stones."
The commander immediately sent people to retrieve the account books and vouchers, and summoned the relevant personnel.
"Thirdly, and most importantly, when and where was the poison added to the pastries? Your Excellency, please examine this carefully. When I made the pastries, there were only five of us in the kitchen, including myself and my maids. We worked together, our eyes meeting. How could we have accurately placed the cinnabar into a specific pastry without being noticed, under the watchful eyes of everyone? Even if we could, the nine pastries were all different. Why was only the 'Golden Jade Marriage' poisoned? Did the person who poisoned it have some kind of precognition, knowing that the groom would definitely choose this one to eat?"
Pei Qingwu's gaze was sharp and his reasoning clear. Finally, he presented the key evidence: "If the 'Guo Xin Shi' (a type of poison) was added after the pastries were made but before delivery, the most likely scenario is that it was sprinkled on the surface of the pastries. However, the top layer of 'Jin Yu Liang Yuan' (a type of pastry) is covered with gold leaf, which is as smooth as a mirror. If any powder were sprinkled on it, it would be extremely conspicuous and would only remain on the gold leaf or roll to the side. How could it be completely integrated into the filling? Yet the poison test results showed that the poison was in the filling. This means that the person who poisoned the pastries must have lifted the gold leaf, carefully sprinkled or mixed the poison powder into the filling, and then carefully restored it. Such a meticulous and repeated process could not possibly have been carried out quietly in my busy kitchen without anyone noticing!"
"What's impossible?!" the woman roared at her. "You're the shop owner, they all depend on you for their monthly wages. What do you want to do? Do you think they'll shout it from the rooftops?!"
Pei Qingwu said, "Madam has just suffered the pain of losing her son and is heartbroken. I understand. However, my innocence is also extremely important. Besides, only a few hours have passed between the delivery of the pastries and the discovery of the case. If my family really had the evidence, there would have been no time to deal with it. Moreover, nothing was found in my family's cooking utensils either."
The Bad Guy Commander said, "Indeed, the samples taken from the kitchen of Sushan Xiaoji were all normal and contained no poison."
Before they could react, a group of people who went to search returned. When they looked at Pei Qingwu, their gazes were strange: "Master Pei, we found this behind the courtyard of your Sushan Market."
The head constable lifted up a dead dog. It was a large yellow dog that was often seen on the streets. Although it had no owner to feed it, the roadside shopkeepers fed it, so it was well-fed and plump. Now, it was lifeless, lying stiffly in the constable's hand, with bluish-black blood flowing from its mouth.
After examining the dog, Yang Changze whispered, "The way this dog died also indicates the poisoning of realgar."
What? !
The old coroner pried open the dog's mouth, and inside was half a pastry, which was extremely similar to the "Golden Jade Couple" pastry that had been found to be poisoned. After a closer inspection, it was confirmed that the pastry was made with the same ingredients as the "Golden Jade Couple" pastry: white pastry wrapped around jujube paste, with a small piece of gold leaf faintly visible.
By any measure, it seems that Pei Qingwu let the dog eat the evidence when he was "destroying it," which led to its tragic death.
"Pei, what is your explanation for this?" Zhao Jue asked in a deep voice.
Pei Qingwu's pupils suddenly contracted as he stared at the yellow dog's corpse and the remnant of half a pastry. A chill instantly ran from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
This...this is a complete frame-up!
She knew the rules of her own kitchen well and there was no way she would casually discard the pastries in the backyard, let alone leave so many behind.
"Your Excellency is wise!" Pei Qingwu's heart trembled, but she forced herself to maintain her composure: "This is absolutely not my doing! The kitchen of Sushan Xiaoji is cleaned daily, and the leftovers have a fixed place to go. They would never be carelessly thrown into a corner of the courtyard. Moreover, the pastry scraps in the dog's mouth are intact, which means that someone deliberately fed them! This is a frame-up. Please investigate thoroughly, Your Excellency!"
The woman's wailing grew even more shrill: "You heartless vile woman! The evidence is overwhelming, and you still want to deny it?! You must have been afraid of being exposed, so in your haste you tried to throw this poisoned pastry out to destroy it, but this beast snatched it away! The net of heaven is vast, and though its meshes are wide, nothing escapes it. Heaven has opened its eyes and exposed your true colors, you vile woman! Please, Your Excellency, do justice for my son!"
The magistrate stepped forward: "My lord, while there are some doubts about what Pei said, the chain of evidence is now quite complete. The groom did indeed die from poisoning after eating the 'Golden Jade Marriage' pastry from Su Shan Xiao Ji. The coroner confirmed it was poisoned with realgar. The pastry was tested using the silver needle method and on live animals, confirming its toxicity. Although no realgar was found in Pei's shop, a dog that died from eating the poisoned pastry and pieces of pastry were found in the backyard. The toxicity of these pieces matched that of the groom, and the pastry was also 'Golden Jade Marriage'... These three points are interconnected, pointing strongly to Pei or someone in his shop as the suspect in the poisoning. As for the motive, it may be due to business disputes or personal grudges, which still needs further investigation, but it is not enough to overturn the existing physical evidence."
The atmosphere was heavy and tense. Zhao Jue sat upright in the hall, his mind in turmoil.
He naturally didn't believe that Pei Qingwu would be so foolish as to cut off his own path to survival. However, with everyone watching and all the evidence in the open, if he didn't take coercive measures based solely on Pei Qingwu's speculations and doubts, it would not only be difficult to convince the public, but would also leave the other party with even more ammunition to accuse him of covering up and condoning.
"The Pei family." Thinking of this, Zhao Jue said, "I am aware of the doubts you have raised. However, human life is at stake, and the evidence is right before us. According to the law, you are highly suspected and must be detained for trial. This is not a conviction, but a necessary procedure for a thorough investigation."
As he spoke, his gaze swept over the head of the criminal gang: "Temporarily detain Pei Qingwu and keep him under strict guard. No one is allowed to visit him without my order! Seal off Sushan Market immediately and bring all the staff inside back to the yamen for detailed statements. No collusion is allowed! Coroner Yang, carefully examine the groom's body, the poisoned pastries, and the dead dog. Be sure to find more clues. Also, quickly dispatch capable personnel to investigate the source of all the dishes at the wedding banquet that day, the people who handled them, and all the unfamiliar faces who have entered and left Sushan Market recently. In addition, have people closely monitor the deceased's family members to prevent any unforeseen events."
"My lord!" Qian Tao exclaimed in shock upon hearing this, tears welling up in her eyes. She tried to rush forward but was stopped by the yamen runners.
Gu Heng's eyes were bloodshot, his fists clenched, veins bulging, but he was held down by two thugs.
Pei Qingwu's face was ashen, and his body swayed slightly before he managed to steady himself.
She understood Zhao Jue's helplessness and realized that his series of interconnected traps had temporarily pushed her into a desperate situation. She could only take a deep breath, suppress her surging emotions, and slowly bow in Zhao Jue's direction: "Your Majesty, I obey your command. I only beg you to investigate thoroughly and clear my name."
"I believe in the law, and I also believe in you, my lord."
"Take him away."
Two constables in black robes stepped forward and helped Pei Qingwu up, one on each side.
While it was called "helping," it was actually a form of coercion. Amidst Qian Tao's sorrowful cries and Gu Heng's suppressed growls, Pei Qingwu was led away from the main hall of the government office.
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