Chapter 118 "Yang, Sheng——"...
Wen Yu's words were so powerful that everyone in the hall didn't know how to react for a moment. Even Lord Mu, who was usually the best at chatting, fell silent.
It seemed that no one should speak at this moment, except Lord Jia, the person involved.
Wen Yu pondered, wondering whether to speak again. She didn't know how to ask this question at first, but she didn't expect that she would say it out loud.
She glanced at Lord Jia across from her from the corner of her eyes, only to see him stunned for a long time, as if he was stuck in a quagmire and unable to struggle. The drooping corners of his eyes, the forehead covered with blue veins, every inch of his skin showed Lord Jia's torment at the moment.
She would have to ask this question sooner or later.
Wen Yu took a deep breath to calm the uneasiness in his heart.
Today, she had clearly heard Cheng Lian confronting Master Jia about the harm he had done to his wife and children. Originally, she had struck a deal with Cheng Lian: he would deliver a letter to the Jiangyang government office, and she had orchestrated this stunt on the boat to help him meet Master Jia.
However, Wen Yu did not know that what Cheng Lian said was half true and half false. He only explained that Lord Jia led troops to suppress the bandits, but did not mention that there was such a personal grudge between him and Lord Jia.
I think he was afraid that if Wen Yu knew about it, she would favor Lord Jia and stop his actions.
Seeing that Song Linsheng beside her didn't say anything, Wen Yu turned her head to look at Mu Tong, but she and Mu Tong looked at each other, neither of them could make out what was going on.
But Mu Tong's expression was even more solemn than before. Wen Yu guessed that this matter might be too complicated for Mu Tong to handle.
Everyone was preoccupied with their own thoughts; only the innocent night breeze outside the house, carrying a hint of coolness, blew straight into the house through the window frame.
Wen Yu sniffed and took a breath of cold air. Just when she thought that Lord Jia would not answer, she heard Lord Jia's calm voice.
"Yes, I did kill his wife and children back then." His tone was calm, as if he was recounting something that had nothing to do with him. "And today, I personally put an end to him."
"I have done my utmost to the people of Jiangyang by finally bringing this heinous criminal to justice."
"Heh--" Jia Ren sneered, as if he remembered something pleasant, and a strange arc appeared at the corner of his lips.
He looks like a madman and seems insane.
"It reunited his family of three."
Jia Ren's smile faded and gradually solidified with the blowing of the night wind. The hint of stiffness made his bloodless face even colder.
Looking at him like this, he was completely different from the one who rode horses on the street. Wen Yu felt a lump in his throat and couldn't help swallowing several times.
"This is not a legal prosecution, it's a lynching." Wen Yu's voice became weaker, and he no longer had the aura he had just had.
Exposing Lord Jia's true face, clearing Chen Mian's grievances, and helping Song Linsheng investigate the case, this has always been what she wanted and worked hard for.
However, when the truth finally came to light and she heard Lord Jia confess his guilt with her own ears, she did not feel happy at all. For some reason, she felt sad instead.
Is this the cycle of cause and effect that Master talked about?
What a pity, what a pity.
"Whether it's legal action or lynching," Jia Ren numbly repeated Wen Yu's words, "I plead guilty."
"Haven't you always wanted to save Chen Mian? Just ask Lord Song to investigate and prosecute me according to the law, whether it's exile or death—"
"Then you will get what you want."
Wen Yu didn't know how to respond. At this point, could she really get what she wanted?
She tilted her head to look at Song Linsheng beside her, only to see that his eyelashes were slightly drooping, and it was hard to tell whether he was happy or angry. However, judging from the aura around him, Wen Yu could not sense any joy from solving the case.
Why is this?
A soft sigh came from Wen Yu's ear, the warm ripples and the deep and shallow cedar scent were from Song Linsheng.
"Master Jia, having served as a Tongzhi for so many years, do you know that enforcing the law is for the benefit of the people?"
Unlike Jia Ren's cold and oppressive aura, even at this moment, Song Linsheng was like a warm magnolia, speaking and doing things slowly and calmly, never using his imposing manner to overwhelm others.
But his consolation was met with Jia Ren's silence.
"It's true that you shot Cheng Lian today, but there are reasons for that. This is one of them."
Although whether this was simply to save Madam Wen or if there were other motives involved, it still needs to be carefully investigated.
"Secondly, whether you actually killed his wife and children is hard to confirm."
At least judging from the current clues, it is more likely that this matter was forged.
"You admitted everything without arguing or arguing, hoping to end this as quickly as possible." Song Linsheng seemed to have guessed Jia Ren's thoughts and pondered for a moment, "But I can't ask you to admit to even a single thing you didn't do."
In this world, even prisoners in jail should have the right to defend themselves. The purpose is not to confuse right and wrong, but to prevent them from suffering more punishment than the crime they committed.
Song Linsheng's words were like a bolt of thunder and flashes of lightning, illuminating the hall as bright as day. After hearing these words, Jia Ren's words were exposed.
He was stunned for a moment, his eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and he felt that he had to use all his strength to see Lord Song opposite him more clearly.
"What happened back then was something I personally experienced. If I don't know the truth, who else can know it?"
Jia Ren bowed slightly and saluted Song Linsheng again, but this time, compared to the last time, there was a hint of weakness in his gesture.
"Now that I have pleaded guilty, please, Lord Song, deal with me according to the law."
He...didn't show any sign of giving in.
Song Linsheng sighed inwardly, not knowing what to feel. He said nothing more and just nodded to Mu Tong beside him.
Seeing this, Mu Tong immediately took the order and stepped forward. Facing Lord Jia who was sticking his neck out and asking Lord Song to punish him, Mu Tong was filled with sighs.
"Master Jia, why do you have to take everything on yourself?"
Seeing Jia Ren's defensive look and his reluctance to speak, Mu Tong stopped arguing and simply reached into his bosom, pulled out a half-page of paper, and as he unfolded it, he said, "I'm not entirely sure whether Cheng Lian's wife is still alive."
"But what is certain is that Cheng Lian's son did survive that year."
Upon hearing this, Jia Ren's heart sank, and almost at the same time, he immediately raised his head and looked in the direction of Mu Tong.
A pretty face suddenly comes into view. The person in the painting has a simple and elegant face, and his style can be vaguely seen on the yellowed paper.
"This, this is..." Jia Ren's lips moved, but he still couldn't make out what it meant.
"This is a portrait that was included in the wanted file regarding Cheng Lian. Upon investigation, it was confirmed that the person in the painting is Cheng Lian's wife, Mrs. Chen San."
Mu Tong stared at Jia Ren, not wanting to miss any of his emotions. Seeing that Lord Song didn't move, he continued:
"Mrs. Chen San and the clerk Chen Mian are distant cousins. Although they've been separated for a long time, Cheng Lian must be aware of this. That's why he targeted Chen Mian's family."
Wen Yu gradually became fascinated by what was being said, and felt that the face of the woman on the paper seemed to overlap with Chen Mian's.
Distant cousin?
Similar, but not similar.
No wonder I heard what Zhi Bainiang said before, thinking that Chen Mian had just started working in Jiangyang and would never get involved with bandits and villains. But it turned out that the seeds of disaster had been planted here long ago.
But Wen Yu always felt that the face of this "distant cousin" did not look very much like Chen Mian, but rather looked like someone... someone familiar.
The man's name seemed to be on the tip of his tongue, almost about to come out, but even at this moment, Wen Yu couldn't remember it at all.
"But these are secondary. The important thing is, Lord Jia, who does this Miss Chen San look like?"
Mu Tong's tone was strange. It didn't sound like a question, but rather a tone that left no room for argument.
His question made Jia Ren even more silent. He just kept his lips slightly open to express his surprise.
Wen Yu felt more and more strange in his heart. His eyes moved back and forth between Jia Ren and the portrait. In a flash, Wen Yu seemed to be struck by something, and a name that was familiar to everyone came out of his mouth:
"Yang, Sheng——"
Wen Yu murmured the name, and the confusion, excitement, reckless arrogance, and madness of Li Chenglian when he saw people surrounding him on the shore during the day, and his questioning of Jia Ren, all seemed to have an explanation.
He was not afraid of being besieged, he was afraid because he saw the leader Yang Sheng!
Countless thoughts raced through Wen Yu's mind: what was the relationship between Chen Sanniang, Yang Sheng, Lord Jia, and Cheng Lian?
If Yang Sheng is really Chen Sanniang's son, then he is Cheng Lian's son, but he lives and eats with Lord Jia and is very close to him.
Could it be that he is the son of Lord Jia?
Wen Yu was shocked by her own inexplicable thoughts.
She quickly collected her thoughts and looked at Song Linsheng and Mu Tong beside her. They didn't show any major emotional fluctuations. It seemed that they had known about this matter long ago.
However, Lord Jia across from him did not look well.
Wen Yu's words were like a stone that caused a thousand ripples, like a huge wave crashing against the shore.
It seems that all the mysteries are about to be revealed and all the lies are about to be exposed.
Since Yang Sheng is still alive, the fact that Lord Jia killed Cheng Lian’s wife and children is not true, at least not completely true.
Wen Yu and Song Linsheng looked at each other. Yang Sheng's eyebrows and eyes were exactly like the woman in the painting. They thought that there was no doubt that Yang Sheng was Chen Sanniang's son.
Seeing Lord Jia's expression change again and again, after several twists and turns, he actually looked quite relieved.
Just as Wen Yu was about to speak, Lord Jia spoke first.
"That's fine, that's fine."
Yang Sheng was always by his side in the past, but after the quarrel today, he didn't know where he went to feel wronged.
It’s a good thing, so that he doesn’t have to hear these old things. Otherwise, who knows how he would “make trouble” again.
"Yang Sheng..." Jia Ren paused, feeling a bitter taste between his lips and teeth. "He is indeed Cheng Lian's son."
When secrets hidden for many years are exposed to the sun, past events that have never been told to anyone fall into the ears of everyone.
This short sentence seemed to drain all his strength. Jia Ren sighed, and a sense of emptiness and disillusionment came over him spontaneously.
In the surprised yet expectant eyes of Song Linsheng and others, the past gradually emerged, like a never-fading scroll, unfolding before Jia Ren.
"Back then, Cheng Lian was trapped by a pincer attack and was at the end of his rope. With nowhere else to go, he cruelly abandoned his wife and children and fled alone."
Jia Ren softly recounted the entanglement of the past, with a fantastical look on his face.
"It was at that time that I failed to capture Cheng Lian, but happened to run into his wife and children—Mrs. Chen San and Yang Sheng."
However, when he arrived, Mrs. Chen San was already a wisp of soul hanging on the beam.
"I managed to save him, but it was too late."
"She said on her deathbed that Cheng Lian's crimes were unforgivable and she was willing to die as an atonement, and she only asked me to spare her infant child."
"Is that child Yang Sheng?" Wen Yu asked.
"That's right," Jia Ren replied. "How can the son be blamed for the father's guilt? As the saying goes, a child is innocent. Cheng Lian's crime has nothing to do with Yang Sheng."
"So, the Lord adopted Yang Sheng?" Mu Tong took over the conversation, seeming to be able to figure out the relationship.
"Yes." Jia Ren was silent for a moment, then sighed, "But before I arrived at the riverbank today, although I had some suspicions, I wasn't sure the person coming was Cheng Lian."
If he had known this earlier, he would never have let Yang Sheng show up under Cheng Lian's nose.
"What does this have to do with you shooting Cheng Lian?" Wen Yu was still puzzled. Even if Yang Sheng was Cheng Lian's son, so what?
"Yang Sheng looks very much like his mother. Ever since he and Cheng Lian saw each other from a distance on the riverbank, I knew that Cheng Lian must have recognized Yang Sheng."
He never told Yang Sheng about this entanglement. Yang Sheng just thought of himself as an orphan without parents who was adopted by him.
If Yang Sheng were to know these things, whether he could accept it or not was beyond the question. Jia Ren himself was the first to disagree. At that time, there were many soldiers and civilians on the riverbank, more than a hundred of them. He would never agree to Cheng Lian revealing Yang Sheng's identity in such a public place.
This was undoubtedly a fatal blow to Yang Sheng, who was completely unaware of the situation. Yang Sheng had been an orphan before, and he was used to it, but now that he had a fugitive father, what kind of cold treatment would he face?
Jia Ren's heart trembled. He would not allow such a situation to happen.
So he didn't even think about it at the time and just shot the arrow.
Even though he is now on trial, he does not regret it.
"But Yang Sheng is Cheng Lian's son. When you made this decision, did you consider Yang Sheng's feelings?"
Song Linsheng's question undoubtedly ignited Jia Ren's remaining sanity.
"He won't know! He can't know!"
As Jia Ren finished speaking, a "clang!" sound suddenly came from the silent courtyard.
Everyone was shocked for a moment, and Wen Yu, who reacted the fastest, was the first to walk out.
“Who is it?”
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