Chapter Seventy-Five: The Clash

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Many thanks to "Sea Monster" and "A Night’s Summer Rain" for their generous rewards—a deep bow to you both. PS: Chapters 73, 74, and 75 have been revised—please revisit them, as yesterday’s writing was rushed. To make amends, there’s an extra update today, with another chapter still to come; you may read it tomorrow, as it’s already late tonight.

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Ji Changge made her way swiftly down to the dungeon, only to find a jailer about to press a red-hot branding iron onto Sixi’s body.

"Stop! Anyone who lays another finger on him, I’ll cut them down myself!"

Ji Changge’s voice rang with fury. Zhao Shenghua was indeed using torture to force a confession. She glanced at Sixi—his body was covered in wounds, and his eyes blazed with barely contained rage.

Zhao Shenghua, seeing Ji Changge, did not respond with anger but rather with a mocking smile. "If Lord Ji is unwilling to thank me, so be it. But why such outrage? This hardly bodes well for our joint investigation. His Majesty’s orders were clear: we are to work together and solve this case swiftly, lest we all answer for any delay."

Ji Changge’s eyes turned cold. "I’m taking him with me. Now."

"And if I say no?" Zhao Shenghua’s face hardened. As Vice Minister of Justice, a third-rank official, he outranked Ji Changge, the Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, who was only fourth-rank. How dare this young noble speak to him with such little respect? Royal blood or not, it was always Ji Changge who received the greatest accolades after solving a case—something Zhao Shenghua deeply resented.

The two locked eyes. Behind Ji Changge, Ding Wu and two guards gripped the hilts of their swords, tense and ready. The jailers from the Ministry of Justice drew their weapons in turn. The atmosphere dropped to freezing point—one spark, and both sides would erupt.

"Gentlemen, are you so eager to provoke His Majesty’s wrath?" Wen Jing stepped forward, looking between them.

Zhao Shenghua eyed the young woman who had stood quietly behind the guards. "And who might you be?"

"Wen Jing, daughter of Wen Qiran," she replied, bowing.

So, the daughter of Wen Qiran—Zhao Shenghua sneered inwardly. Today, all the people he disliked most were present: first Ji Changge, then Wen Qiran, and now his daughter, who seemed equally vexing.

"Lord Ji has uncovered new evidence that may point to the real culprit. Please, return Sixi to the Court of Judicial Review."

"Insolence! What do you know, child? Who are you to pronounce judgment? I am certain Sixi is the murderer!"

Wen Jing smiled faintly, neither servile nor overbearing. "This is a serial murder case. Sixi was detained at the Court of Judicial Review and had no opportunity to commit the murders at the inn or the examination hall."

Zhao Shenghua, used to wielding authority, slammed his hand down on his subordinate’s record, domineering. "Who says Sixi had no chance during the inn case? He confessed himself: on the afternoon of the murder in the Carp Garden, he slipped out and did not return until evening. And he went to the Tongfu Inn, where the murder occurred that night. His suspicion is grave. And who says the murderer must have acted alone? Why not in a group?"

"Zhao Shenghua, what credibility is there in confessions extracted under torture?" Ji Changge approached Sixi and questioned him, discovering something unexpected.

Sixi had not been forced to confess—he had, in fact, gone to the Tongfu Inn that day.

Wen Jing’s expression changed, but she kept her composure. "Lord Zhao, are you saying Sixi has confessed to murder?"

Zhao Shenghua snorted coldly. "The wretch is cunning. He still won’t speak, but I am confident he will."

"At this rate, if you continue, he’ll be dead before he confesses. The examination case is at a dead end—if His Majesty calls you before him again and all you can offer is a corpse, will that satisfy him?"

Ji Changge stepped in as well. "Vice Minister Zhao, Prefect Cao—since you two compare yourselves to Judge Dee, this trivial case should be easy for you. I will report to His Majesty at once and leave the investigation in your capable hands!"

Zhao Shenghua’s face stiffened. Now they were invoking the emperor against him—these two sang in perfect harmony, a formidable tactic indeed.

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Cao Tai was sweating profusely. He was only here to make up the numbers and dared not shoulder such responsibility. He hastily wiped his brow. "Very well, Lord Ji, take him away."

Zhao Shenghua reined in his temper and said nothing more.

"My thanks, Lord Zhao," Ji Changge replied coldly, looking away. Zhao Shenghua’s concession was no surprise; in the past, he would always stall or push responsibility onto others—never once had things gone smoothly. This time, he simply feared the consequences.

A jailer unlocked the chains, and two guards from the Court of Judicial Review supported Sixi on either side.

Zhao Shenghua ground his teeth in frustration. This arrogant young lord always infuriated him to the marrow.

As Ji Changge’s party departed, the Ministry of Justice’s men finally breathed easy. They had been terrified; though they had numbers, everyone knew Lord Ji was a master swordsman, and the captain of the guards, Ding Wu, was also highly skilled. If a fight broke out, they would be nothing but cannon fodder.

Back at the Court of Judicial Review, Ji Changge looked at the barely conscious Sixi, her face full of guilt.

Wen Jing quickly cleansed Sixi’s wounds, applied herbal salves, and wrote a prescription for dispersing bruises and nourishing his health, sending a guard to buy the necessary medicine.

"This Zhao Shenghua truly has no regard for the law, resorting to torture," Ding Wu fumed.

"You shouldn’t have let him take Sixi in the first place," Ji Changge shot him a glance.

Ding Wu wiped the sweat from his forehead and changed the subject. "So this really is a series of murders?"

Ji Changge pondered for a moment. "The three cases seem unrelated, but I suspect the killer is the same person—all the victims were top contenders in the imperial examination, the times of death are close, and the killer is left-handed. There can’t be so many coincidences. There are eight days left before the palace exams. We must catch the murderer before then—if all the examinees return home, tracking them down will be much harder."

Wen Jing nodded. "The Carp Garden victim likely knew his killer, probably one of the examinees. The inn case, let’s set aside for now, but as for the examination hall, the killer could also be one of the students. At that time, only the examiners and the candidates were present—it’s possible a candidate slipped into another cubicle to kill. If that’s so, we must identify him before the exams end."

"Tomorrow we’ll investigate the backgrounds of the candidates, one by one. You’ll go to the Carp Garden and request a list of those staying there," Ji Changge instructed Ding Wu.

"Yes, sir. You should rest now—you haven’t closed your eyes in days," Ding Wu replied.

"No hurry. Ding Wu, escort Miss Wen back to her residence," Ji Changge ordered.

"Wait, Lord Ji, I want to see my father," Wen Jing said anxiously. She knew little of palace rules, but those eunuchs were notorious for their cruelty.

Ji Changge relented. "The palace isn’t a place one enters freely. I’ll go on your behalf. Go home and rest. No matter what happens, I’ll inform you at once."

"Thank you, Lord Ji," Wen Jing accepted—knowing this was the best she could do.

......

When Wen Jing returned home, it was already morning. She entered, exhausted.

"Young Lady Seventh, you’re finally back. When will the master return?" asked the old steward, Zhou Quan, who had been waiting at the door.

"I didn’t see my father—he’s confined in the palace, but the young lord promised to check on him for me," Wen Jing replied.

The old steward sighed heavily. The master had only just returned from Hanjiang County, and now, so soon, he was in prison again.

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As she reached the front hall, she found it ablaze with lamps; the whole family had risen. She’d wanted the steward to keep matters quiet, but on second thought, such a grave affair would surely reach the mistress anyway. It was better to let things unfold—they would find out soon enough.

"Ah, my child, you’re back at last. How is your father?" Madame Wen rushed over, seizing Wen Jing’s hands, her face full of concern.

"Father is not in immediate danger. Once the case is solved, I believe His Majesty will release him soon," Wen Jing replied.

"But I’ve heard this case is terribly difficult—who knows when it will be solved? How long must your father languish in there?" Madame Cui exclaimed anxiously.

Wen Jing looked at their worried faces. "Lord Ji already has leads on the three cases. Please, don’t worry—Father will be released soon."

"Seventh Sister, who were you out with just now?" asked Wen Jiuniang.

"Yes, you’re soaked through," added Wen Wuniang.

"Lord Ji escorted me to see Father, but we were prevented from entering," Wen Jing answered calmly. Her family knew nothing of her skills in forensic examination, and she did not wish to reveal them yet. In this era, to examine corpses was a shocking thing.

That young lord again—Wen Jiuniang felt a surge of anger. Despite all her careful planning, she still could not drive a wedge between them. Why? Hadn’t the young lord always despised Seventh Sister? Why had he suddenly become so concerned for her?

Try as she might, Wen Jiuniang could not fathom it.

Madame Wen’s mind turned rapidly. She even found herself hoping Wen Qiran would remain in prison a while longer—then the entire Wen household would fall under her control. The thought startled her; was she truly wishing her husband further suffering? But then, even when he was home, he barely spoke to her. If he was so cold, why should she always put his needs first?

The sky was cloudless, and the palace examinations entered their second day.

The entire examination hall was silent and stifling, tension hanging thick in the air—a war without smoke or fire. The acting examiner, Assistant Director Yu, pressed on with his patrols, too busy and anxious for rest. The Minister of Rites had assigned extra guards to the hall to prevent further incidents. Meanwhile, the Wen residence remained shrouded in gloom. Madame Wen and Wen Jiuniang had left early, and the other young ladies gathered in Madam Ping’s rooms.

"Mother, you must find a way—I don’t want to leave the capital again," Wen Baniang pleaded, shaking Madam Ping’s hand.

Madam Ping looked at her daughter and frowned. "You’re not a child. You should know better."

Wen Baniang pouted—she knew things were serious now, beyond the reach of womenfolk.

Wen Wuniang and Wen Sanniang sighed as well—their thoughts much the same. They had just begun to enjoy peaceful days, and now trouble had returned.

In the afternoon, Wen Jing awoke from a restless sleep. She listened absent-mindedly to their scattered conversation, her thoughts drifting to the Court of Judicial Review. If only Ji Changge could solve the case swiftly, her father’s suffering would be lessened; but if the emperor grew angry, he might be exiled to some remote wilderness—or worse...

The thought startled Wen Jing, and she could sit still no longer. Forgetting all else, she rose. "Madam Ping, I must go to the Court of Judicial Review—to inquire after my father."

PS:

Apologies for the late updates—work has kept me terribly busy, and the writing has been rushed and careless in places. I’ve revised the chapters for greater coherence. Thank you all for your support!