Chapter 102 The world is like a cage, you and I are trapped beasts
"My lord? My lord?"
In the Tie family courtyard, Zhao Duan was seen staring at the note in a daze for a long time, and two police officers called out to him softly.
Only then did Zhao Duan come to his senses.
Zheng Laojiu was very perceptive and said:
"Sir, have you remembered anything? If this note is true, I'm afraid your whereabouts have been monitored by the rebels."
Zhao Duan was silent for a moment, then held the note in his palm and said:
"You're here to 'protect the scene'. I need to verify something."
After saying that, he strode out of the yard, mounted his horse, and galloped towards the Baima Prison.
The strong wind blew his messy hair, Zhao Duan pursed his lips, is it you?
…
There are many ways to leave the city from Baima Prison.
One of them is to go out from the side door and head to the nearest river.
You can take a boat to cross the river, follow a narrow, bustling area with buildings and shops on both sides of the river, turn a corner, and you will enter the Hunhe River and go to the ferry.
Zhu Kui hurried to the river bank, and a boatman who was waiting for passengers immediately lowered the brim of his hat and pretended not to see it - ordinary people were most afraid of doing business with officials and would not pay them at all.
"That boatman!"
Zhu Kui strode forward, picked up his sword, and without unsheathing it, struck the opponent on the back, saying sternly:
"I need to borrow your boat for an important matter. You don't need to steer it. Just go ashore and wait. I'll definitely give you a reward when I return!"
The boatman made a bitter face and wanted to decline.
But with Zhu Kui wearing a tiger skin and looking so fleshy, how could he dare to say no?
He nodded in agreement and handed over the broken boat that could only accommodate three or five people.
Zhu Kui jumped onto the deck and picked up the oar skillfully.
With a poke of the slender wooden stick towards the bottom of the water, the small boat under his feet nimbly sailed away from the river bank like an arrow.
After walking a distance, he shook out the bag he was carrying, put on his own clothes to conceal his identity as an official, and stuffed the knife into the bag.
Putting on the bamboo hat taken from the boatman's head, he looked like a sturdy boatman.
“Wow…wow…”
The small boat cut through the water and soon entered the bustling and lively section of the river.
There are stone bridges every few steps ahead, with shops lining both sides and a constant stream of pedestrians.
Zhu Kui rowed the boat alertly, keeping the speed slightly faster than normal.
The cries of vendors beside my ears, the gavel of the storyteller in the teahouse, the cheers of the jugglers on the overpass...
Zhu Kui rowed the boat silently and passed the busiest section of the river safely. Just as he was breathing a sigh of relief, he suddenly saw officials from the government office running hurriedly past on the side of the bank.
Zhu Kui immediately turned sideways, fearing that he would be recognized by his former colleagues, and slowed down the boat.
Finally, the group of officials went away, and Zhu Kui breathed a sigh of relief. He was about to speed up when he felt the stern of the boat suddenly sink.
Then, a familiar and indifferent voice came over:
"Old Zhu, where are you going?"
Zhu Kui's body suddenly stiffened, his hand holding the oar shook violently, and he forgot about rowing the boat, just letting the boat drift downstream.
He turned his neck inch by inch and saw Zhao Duan standing at the stern with his hands behind his back, looking at him calmly with an ambiguous look in his eyes.
"Sir...sir..."
Zhu Kui's voice was a little out of tune. He was stunned for a few breaths before he realized what was going on and forced a flattering smile:
"How could you..."
"After finishing my work, I went back to the yamen to rest. I happened to glance at it on the shore and saw a familiar figure. I didn't expect it to be you. Hey, at this time of year, how could there be a boatman crossing the river with an empty boat without any passengers?" Zhao Duan said lightly.
Yes, what kind of boatman doesn’t carry passengers?
Zhu Kui smiled bitterly and said:
"Since it's almost noon, I want to go home."
Zhao Duan said:
"This isn't the direction to your house. It's more like the direction to leave the city and go back to your hometown."
Zhu Kui was silent.
Zhao Duan looked down at the boatman, a shrewd and capable old official, and said:
"Tie Chi Guan is a rebel and was arrested this morning. Li Hua Tang found a piece of intelligence written last night on his desk.
It's about me. I thought about it and realized that very few people knew about this, and you happened to be the most suspicious one."
Zhu Kui was silent.
As the boat drifted downstream, the scenery on both sides became more and more pleasant. The weeping willows were reflected in the water, and the river surface was as green as emerald green.
Zhao Duan sighed:
"Actually, I should have thought of this earlier. With so many emissaries from the White Horse Prison, how could a 'fool' like me be able to recruit a shrewd and capable old official like you?
Why, when I suddenly went to arrest Zhuang Xiaocheng that day, the people in the imperial court didn't react, but Zhuang Xiaocheng still escaped early?"
"I previously thought they had already planned this, so they were quite alert. But there's another possibility: I also have spies from the Kuangfu Society around me."
"This also explains why Zhuang Xiaocheng and Yunxi, one old and one young, were able to escape safely all the way to the Southern Suburbs Bamboo Forest and the Earth God Temple while being pursued by an entire team of imperial guards. Because at that time, it was you who led the pursuit."
Zhu Kui remained silent.
Zhao Duan said self-deprecatingly:
"It's ridiculous. At that time, I thought you were sensible and knew not to be greedy for credit, so you surrounded but did not capture.
But later, I was knocked unconscious by the warlock and nearly died. The concern you showed at that time should not be entirely false. After all, if I died, you would also be to blame.
You, like Yunxi, are chess pieces that Zhuang Xiaocheng casually discarded without a trace of pity or concern for your life or death."
He suddenly felt a little disappointed:
"Yunxi is young and inexperienced, and she was deceived by Zhuang Xiaocheng and became so foolish that she thinks she is righteous. But you, Old Zhu, are not like that. With your experience, you should know all this very well. Why are you still working for them?"
Zhu Kui remained silent!
Zhao Duan yelled, "Speak! Are you mute!?"
The weather-beaten old official finally spoke and sighed:
"Since Your Excellency has seen through everything, what else can I say? Can I beg for mercy?"
Zhao Duan said:
"When Ma Yan captured Tie Chi Guan, he was willing to give him a chance to explain, but he didn't cherish it. I can give you one too."
Zhu Kui shook his head, as if accepting his fate, and suddenly laughed softly:
"In fact, I had anticipated this day a long time ago. It was just a matter of a few days earlier or later. In fact, in just over a month, I have already walked to the gates of hell three times."
"The sorcerer from Kuangfu Society almost killed you once.
That was something I hadn't expected, and it was an accident. At the time, I thought, if you died, I wouldn't be able to escape the consequences, and if you didn't wake up, I would just run away. But you woke up."
"My Lord, this is the second time you've entered the palace and been questioned by the Saint. That time, I even made preparations for my funeral, but you turned the tables."
"Then, this time. The rebels still lost, but I used up all my luck for the rest of my life, and finally fell into the hands of the adults.
In fact, after witnessing your methods for some time, I knew that you would see through me sooner or later. I should be content that I have been able to survive for this long.
The boat drifted downstream, surrounded by the sound of birds singing, which sounded like mournful music.
Zhao Duan said:
"What's your reason? What benefits did the rebels promise? Don't you consider your family? Oh, yes, your two children were sent away a long time ago, but your wife is still here, right?"
Zhu Kui said:
"When I fled just now, I sent a message home. My wife must have packed her belongings and was trying to find a way out of the city. I had thought that even if she was exposed, I could draw the pursuers away and she could escape, but now it seems that she can't escape."
Why do you all use the same tricks... Tie Chiguan is like this, and you are also like this, playing pure love with me? Zhao Duan's heart was filled with nameless anger, and he asked again:
"What's the reason?"
Zhu Kui's ugly face finally forced out a helpless smile again:
"I can't help it, my lord. I can't help it."
Zhao Duan raised his eyebrows:
"You were coerced? Because of the two children back home?"
Zhu Kui nodded and said:
"But what's the point of saying all this? I've been in the government office for over twenty years and have seen too many prisoners forced into imprisonment, but few of them are innocent, so my heart has long been hardened.
Today it is finally my turn, I can only say that it is fate that brings good fortune."
After a pause, he dropped the oar and gave up resistance:
"Master, please take me back. Perhaps this will be a relief."
Zhao Duan did not move, and suddenly said:
"If you are captured, your identity as a traitor will be confirmed. Your children are far away and can escape, but they will surely have to hide their identities and live in fear for the rest of their lives. Perhaps even the surname 'Zhu' will not be passed down.
Your first wife was even more miserable. She couldn't escape the city at all, and she was already a slave."
After a pause, he said in a cold voice:
"Of course, this has nothing to do with me. The most important thing is, if you are proven to be a traitor, it will also affect my reputation."
Zhu Kui was stunned and didn't understand what he meant.
An absurd thought arises:
"My Lord, will you let me go?"
"I can't let it go." Zhao Duan ruthlessly shattered his fantasy.
Not to mention that the two had only known each other for more than a month, it was impossible for him to take the serious crime of letting the rebels go for a subordinate with whom he only had work intersections.
What's more, the other party has betrayed me!
Even if we take a step back, a case of this magnitude will inevitably attract investigations from all parties and will be impossible to cover up.
Zhu Kui was not too disappointed. With his experience, he no longer had any illusions about these things.
But Zhao Duan said calmly:
"But...I can find you later."
Zhu Kui was stunned: "Your Excellency means..."
Zhao Duan did not explain:
"With your intelligence, you should understand. Remember, don't try to escape. Even if you jump into the river, my flying knife will be there in an instant."
After he finished speaking, the boat shook slightly, Zhao Duan jumped out, and flew ashore.
Only Zhu Kui was left standing on the boat in a daze, silent for a long time.
At this time, the boat going downstream was about to pass a stone bridge.
Zhu Kui took a deep breath, sat cross-legged on the boat, reached out, and drew his sword from his bag.
The sharp edge of a knife can really reveal a person's true self.
This old official, who had been in the capital for decades, held the hilt of his knife in a strange posture, and then stared quietly at the boat as it slowly sailed into the shade under the stone bridge, adjusting the angle of his knife grip.
As the ship was about to sink, he turned his head for the last time, looking towards his hometown outside the city with a hint of nostalgia. Then a trace of determination appeared in his eyes, and he murmured:
"Thank you, my Lord."
Swing the knife violently!
"clang!"
The steel knife cleverly hit the bridge pier at a strange angle, rebounded, and slashed towards itself.
"puff!"
A hint of red appeared under the stone bridge, which was then washed away by the river water.
…
ashore.
Zhao Duan stood quietly in the shade with his hands behind his back, watching the small boat slowly emerge from under the bridge.
On the boat, Zhu Kui had fallen on his back, blood gushing from his neck, his eyes wide open, and he was already dead.
The knife had fallen into the river. Even the most experienced coroner in the government office would have thought that the victim was murdered rather than committed suicide based on the knife edge if he had not examined the body carefully.
On both sides of the strait.
When the people discovered the body in the river, they let out a series of exclamations, creating a noisy scene.
Zhao Duan closed his eyes gently.
As long as Zhu Kui died first, there would be no evidence to prove his guilt, making it difficult to determine his identity as a rebel.
One explanation is that he committed suicide out of fear of punishment as a traitor.
But another explanation is that he committed suicide because he was deceived by the rebels and was afraid of punishment.
The nature of the two is completely different.
As the chief officer of this case, Zhao Duan could have explained Zhu Kui's death in other possible ways in a legal and impeccable way.
Zhu Kui understood, and he went a step further, disguising his death as murder.
This leaves more room for interpretation.
Even if Zhao Duannu tried hard, his death could be explained as "dying in the line of duty."
As long as Zhu Kui is not labeled as a "rebel" in the end, his wife and children will not be implicated, and after losing their value, the Kuangfu Society will not have any trouble.
Including Zhao Duan himself, he can also avoid a series of troubles caused by his subordinates being rebels.
Zhu Kui used his own life to exchange for a better outcome for everyone.
He was just a low-level clerk, not even an official, and no big shot would pay attention to him and dwell on the cause of his death.
Everything seems to be fine.
but……
"Why do you feel a little sad?"
Zhao Duan didn't understand. It was obvious that there was no affection between the two of them, and the other party had even indirectly harmed him.
An overflowing Madonna heart?
Zhao Duan didn't think so, it was more like a kind of rabbit dying and the fox mourning.
The world is like a cage, and he and Zhu Kui are both trapped beasts in the cage. Without enough strength, their fate can only be controlled by others.
"We still have to go to the card table." Zhao Duan sighed.
I really want to take out my little notebook and add a few more strokes to the three words "Zhuang Xiaocheng".
At this time, officials from the government office in the distance heard the noise and rushed over. They were also shocked when they saw the corpse in the river.
Zhao Duan gathered his composure, walked forward, took out his police badge, and shook it:
"I have come this far in my investigation, only to discover that a key figure has died. Can you tell me where the murderer has gone?"
A group of government officials trembled with fear, bowed their hands and stammered:
"Your humble servant greets you, Lord Jisi. We just came here after hearing the noise, and we haven't seen the murderer."
Zhao Duan said with a serious face:
"Send a team to the river to retrieve the body and bring it to the Lihua Hall of the Imperial Court.
Another team is searching along the river. Someone was killed on the boat, and we're afraid the murderer has escaped into the water."
The officials from the government office did not dare to disobey the order and immediately responded.
…
Not long after, Zhao Duan returned to Tie's house and saw everyone in Lihua Hall gathered together, looking anxiously.
Seeing him return, the marquis suddenly stood up to greet him:
"Sir, the Governor just arrived and, seeing you weren't there, he returned to the yamen. He told us to tell you that the two detectives from the Pomegranate Hall and the Peach Blossom Hall have been arrested and will be taken to the Imperial Prison. The Governor will be in charge of their custody."
Caught? Zhao Duan was not surprised.
"Sir, shall we go back to the yamen next?" Qian Kerou asked:
"All the suspicious items from the Tie family have been sealed up, and the people have been arrested. We are going to take them back and investigate them slowly."
Zhao Duan looked up and glanced at the sky. It was almost noon.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and said:
"You guys go back, just leave me a horse."
The four people were puzzled: "Sir, are you going to..."
Zhao Duan exhaled, raised his eyebrows and said:
"The Governor has said he will stay here and not leave. The rest of the police have arrested or placed under house arrest. As for reporting the case to His Majesty in the palace, I will have to take on the difficult responsibility."
(End of this chapter)
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