Chapter 109
The night is as dark as ink, Dali Temple Prison.
This was the most gloomy place in the entire capital, the air perpetually filled with a mixture of dampness, decay, and despair. Torches burned on the walls, casting flickering light and shadows that made people's shadows look like ghosts.
Manager Qian was held solitary in the deepest cell.
He huddled in a corner covered in moldy straw, trembling all over. The arrogance and sense of luck he'd felt when he was caught that day had long since vanished, replaced by boundless fear. He knew he was doomed this time, completely doomed.
His only hope now was that King Wei and Mr. Li would keep him safe, as they had promised. As long as he gritted his teeth and endured everything, they would definitely rescue him and give his family a large sum of money. This was all he could do to comfort himself, over and over again.
Just as he was lost in thought, he heard light footsteps outside the cell. Two jailers were walking with lanterns in their hands, talking in low voices.
"Have you heard? There seems to be a change in the case of King Wei." A voice was very low, but in this silent prison, it was heard very clearly.
"What variables? We've caught the criminal red-handed, what other variables can there be?" Another voice sounded disdainful.
"What do you know? This afternoon, Mr. Li Deyu from the Prince of Wei's mansion went to our Temple Minister to surrender himself. He said that this matter has nothing to do with the Prince of Wei. It was all the fault of the shopkeeper surnamed Qian. He stole the money and is trying to frame his master!"
"Is this true? Doesn't that mean the King of Wei was wronged?"
"Who says it isn't? I heard that Mr. Li has already reported to the higher-ups, saying that this shopkeeper Qian has a loose tongue and is a nuisance. To protect the prince and to prevent this servant from making false accusations, arrangements have been made. Tomorrow morning, he will be sentenced to 'committing suicide' in prison."
"Committing suicide out of fear of punishment? Tsk tsk, that's cruel. What about his family then?"
"Mr. Li said they'll all be 'taken care of.' His brother-in-law who runs a rice shop in the south of the city, and his precious son who just turned seven... they'll all be 'well taken care of.' As long as he dies cleanly, his family can live in peace."
The voices of the two jailers gradually faded away and finally disappeared at the end of the corridor.
In the cell, Shopkeeper Qian froze in place as if struck by thunder.
Suicide out of fear of crime? Taking care of family?
He wasn't a fool; he understood what was being said! They were trying to silence him and kill him! They were even threatening him with his family, forcing him to end his life!
A bone-chilling chill shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, making his blood freeze. The people he'd once thought of as supporters, the promises he'd once thought of, all became a colossal joke at that moment. He'd worked for the Prince of Wei's palace for over a decade, his hands stained with countless dirty deeds, and in the end, he was nothing more than a pawn, ready to be discarded at any moment!
No, he didn't want to die! He couldn't let his family get hurt because of him!
Fear, anger, betrayal... all these emotions swirled in his chest, threatening to tear him apart. His loyalty, faced with the threat of death and the safety of his family, crumbled in an instant.
Just when he was about to have a mental breakdown, the cell door creaked and was gently pushed open a crack.
A thin figure flashed in. It was Lin Xiaoshu. He was wearing a jailer's uniform, holding a food box in his hand, with a cynical smile on his face.
"Manager Qian, you're not scared at all this late at night, are you?" Lin Xiaoshu put the food box on the ground and took out a pot of wine and two side dishes. He said slowly, "Our Crown Princess said that you are a smart person. She was afraid that you might be feeling depressed in there, so she asked me to come and have a couple of drinks with you and give you some pointers on the way forward."
Shopkeeper Qian suddenly raised his head, his eyes red, like a trapped beast, staring at Lin Xiaoshu: "You...what do you want to do?"
"I don't want to do anything." Lin Xiaoshu poured himself a glass of wine and took a sip. "I just want to tell you that some people want you to die, but some people want you to live. It's up to you to choose."
He pushed the other wine glass in front of Manager Qian and said, "Li Deyu can threaten you with your family, but we, Your Highness, can protect your family. The prerequisite is that you must show enough sincerity to exchange for their safety."
Manager Qian's breathing became rapid. He looked at the wine glass in front of him, and then remembered what the two jailers had said. His mind was in a mess.
Lin Xiaoshu didn't rush him. He just picked up the food and hummed a tuneless little song. "Tsk, this roast chicken is good. Shopkeeper Qian, you have to think it over carefully. Do you want to be an innocent ghost who was killed and your whole family fell into the hands of your enemies and be slaughtered? Or do you want to be a tainted witness and tell everything you know in exchange for your own life and a stable life for your family? As a shrewd businessman, you should be able to do the math, right?"
"Why should I...why should I believe you?" Shopkeeper Qian's voice was hoarse and dry.
"Because your Highness is the Crown Prince, the future King. A king's words are not meant to be jokes." Lin Xiaoshu put down his chopsticks, his expression unusually serious. "Also because... you have no choice but to trust us now."
This sentence became the last straw that broke the camel's back.
Manager Qian's defenses completely collapsed. He lunged forward, grabbed the prison door, and screamed, "I confess! I confess everything! How Li Deyu taught me to falsify accounts, how the King of Wei ordered me to poison the Crown Princess, and all the dirty deeds they've done over the years—I know it all! I'll write it down! I'll write it all down! Please, Your Highness, save me, save my family!"
A smug smile played at the corner of Lin Xiaoshu's mouth. He gestured outside, and someone immediately brought him writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
East Palace, study.
The lights are on.
Shen Yanzhi remained silent for a long time, staring at the densely written confession in front of him, stamped with a bright red handprint. This confession was even more damning than the secret account book. It detailed Li Deyu's every step of the planning, how the Prince of Wei personally issued the order, and even implicated several ministers in the court who had close ties with the Prince of Wei.
This was a thunderous counterattack that Li Deyu could never have imagined. He thought he could control people's hearts, but he didn't expect that Song Qingyuan's insight into people's hearts was far superior to his.
"Attacking the heart is the best way." Shen Yanzhi muttered these four words softly, turning to look at Song Qingyuan beside him. Her face was a little tired, but her bright eyes shone with wisdom, as if they could see through all the fog.
"He wants to use a dead person to turn the tables, so we will give him a living witness." Song Qingyuan smiled slightly, "Now, it's Li Deyu's turn to have a headache."
Shen Yanzhi held her hand, his heart filled with indescribable excitement and love. Sometimes he really felt that sending her to him was the greatest gift from God.
"Qingyuan," he said solemnly, "after daybreak, I will take this confession to the Dali Temple again. I want to see if Li Deyu can maintain his composure when this confession is placed before him."
He stood up, walked to the window, and opened it. A fresh air mixed with the fragrance of earth rushed in, blowing away the dullness of the night in the study.
The distant sky was already showing a hint of paleness.
A new day is about to dawn. And this meticulously planned chess game has finally reached its final checkmate. This time, they're not only checking the opponent's rook and knight, but also the self-righteous general.
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