Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Truth?

Manager Qian and his daughter Qiao knelt to the ground with a heavy thud, fear etched on their faces. Manager Qian’s voice trembled as he pleaded, “Your honor, please see the truth! My daughter and I are innocent—we did not kill anyone!”

“If you’re not the murderer, then why the evasion and hesitation? Why not speak the whole truth at once?” Ji Changge’s tone was cold and unyielding.

Manager Qian glanced at Ji Changge’s icy eyes and sighed. Nothing could escape this magistrate. With a look of embarrassment, he finally confessed, “My daughter... my daughter and Young Master Wang... they... they were secretly involved...”

After much hemming and hawing, he finally said it. Ji Changge and Wen Jing were both taken aback, staring in surprise at Manager Qian. But the most astonished was Qiao herself.

“Father... you’re mistaken...” Qiao mumbled, her head bowed, fingers nervously twisting the hem of her sleeve, her face buried against her chest.

Ji Changge and Wen Jing exchanged glances. Was this messy affair more complicated than it seemed? The father and daughter’s statements did not align.

“What? It wasn’t that Wang scholar? Then who was it?” Manager Qian demanded, suppressing his anger, his face flushed deep red.

Qiao wished she could vanish into the ground. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “It was Young Master Wang’s page... Suxi...”

Suxi?!

Wen Jing’s thoughts raced. So that was why Suxi had come secretly to the inn that day—to meet Qiao. That explained his furtive behavior. Love truly does drive people to the brink, even risking one’s life for a tryst.

“You wretched girl!” When Manager Qian realized it was Suxi, the page, he felt utterly humiliated and seized Qiao’s hair in a fit of rage.

“Enough!” Ji Changge shouted.

Manager Qian sheepishly let go. She was his only child, raised painstakingly by his own hands. He’d hoped her beauty would win her a good marriage, that in his old age she would be his support, perhaps even marrying into a family of some standing. Even if she married a scholar of modest means, he would not have minded. But a servant boy? That useless good-for-nothing!

“How did you hurt your hand?” Wen Jing asked Qiao gently.

Tears threatened in Qiao’s eyes. “That day, when Fang Wenbin checked in, he saw me and began... making advances, speaking lewdly and acting inappropriately. In the struggle, he grabbed my hand and scratched me. At that moment, Suxi and Young Master Wang happened to walk in. Suxi rebuked him, which led to a quarrel between them.”

So that was the truth. Wen Jing’s doubts were all resolved.

“Do you realize that because of this, Suxi was accused of murder and imprisoned?” Ji Changge pressed.

Qiao stopped crying, stunned by the news. She hadn’t known Suxi had been taken to the Supreme Court. In that instant, her mind went blank, hope extinguished.

“Father, I am unfilial. I will repay your kindness in the next life!”

Before she finished speaking, Qiao rushed headlong toward the wall to end her life. Ding Wu, quick as lightning, tried to stop her, but he was a moment too late. A large bump swelled on Qiao’s forehead before Ding Wu pulled her back from another attempt.

Manager Qian was speechless with rage.

“Miss Qiao, don’t be rash. Suxi has only been detained, not convicted. Why take such desperate measures?” Wen Jing tried to comfort her, thinking her a foolish yet sincere girl.

Qiao slowly raised her head. “Is there still hope for Suxi?”

“That depends on you. If you can prove Suxi was with you that night, with no opportunity to commit the crime, he can be acquitted and set free,” Wen Jing replied gently.

Manager Qian shot to his feet. “Impossible! A young woman’s reputation is everything. If word gets out, how will she ever marry?”

Qiao thought for a moment, then replied, “I am willing to testify.”

Wen Jing nodded approvingly. Such stubborn notions, yet Qiao was braver than she appeared. To her, saving a life was more important than her own reputation.

“You—!” Manager Qian clutched his chest and slumped back down, his face ashen.

“Father...” Qiao called softly, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Wen Jing looked at Manager Qian. “Sir, you needn’t be so upset. The Wang family is highly esteemed in Jinling. Young Master Wang is a scholar of great promise. Suxi, serving at his side, won’t go amiss. A simple, honest life is a blessing. Not everyone is destined for riches and glory. As a father, can you truly bear to see Suxi wrongfully accused, forcing a father to bury his own child?”

Manager Qian sighed, his anger slowly ebbing away. After a pause, he relented, “Let her do as she wishes. A grown daughter cannot be kept at home.”

Seeing her father yield, Qiao looked gratefully at Wen Jing. Wen Jing smiled. Truth be told, even if Manager Qian objected, the Supreme Court would still summon Qiao as a witness. But she preferred not to deepen the rift between father and daughter.

“For now, stay in the inn and don’t wander. When the time comes, you’ll be called to testify in court,” Ji Changge instructed.

“Yes, your honor,” Qiao replied, nervous but resolute.

...

Arriving at the Supreme Court’s entrance, Ji Changge noticed carriages from the Ministry of Justice and the Shuntian Prefecture were already there. What were those old foxes up to now?

Beside them was another, unmarked carriage, its origin unclear.

“Lord Ji, you’ve returned,” the registrar He greeted him.

Seeing He’s harried expression, Ji Changge asked, “What’s happened?”

“Suxi is dead,” He whispered.

Ji Changge and Wen Jing both started in shock. Dead?!

They hurried to the room where Suxi had been recovering. Lord Liang, Vice Minister Zhao Shenghua, and Prefectural Magistrate Cao Tai were all present.

Suxi’s body was gone; blood still stained the sheets, not yet dry. Lord Liang held a bloodstained paper, which he handed to Ji Changge upon his arrival.

Ji Changge saw it was a blood-written note: “Suxi confesses his guilt, has wronged his master.”

“The murderer Suxi has already confessed and committed suicide. The evidence is conclusive—this case is finally closed,” Zhao declared impassively.

Ji Changge shot Zhao a frosty glare. He turned to Lord Liang. “Where is Suxi’s body?”

“In the underground ice cellar. The coroner Zhong Sun has confirmed suicide,” Lord Liang replied firmly.

Ji Changge’s lips curled in disbelief. Suicide? He couldn’t accept it.

“Qiniang, come with me.”

Wen Jing nodded. She, too, did not believe Suxi would take his own life out of guilt. Together, they went to the ice cellar below.

Suxi lay there quietly, a deep wound on his neck where his artery was severed.

Wen Jing bent to examine the wound and compared it with the coroner’s report. The cause of death was simple—his artery had been cut, leading to massive blood loss.

“What did you find?” Ji Changge asked anxiously.

“It is indeed suicide,” Wen Jing replied.

What? Ji Changge could not have imagined this outcome. Just as the real killer was emerging and Suxi might be exonerated, he leaves a blood-written confession and ends his life!

“That note must have been written before his death. The handwriting is steady and strong, not the forced hand of a victim. Compare the script, Lord Ji, and you’ll see,” Wen Jing continued. She herself did not want to believe it, but the autopsy left no room for doubt.

Zhao Shenghua saw Ji Changge return from the cellar, his face dark. Zhao approached with a smile. “Lord Ji, any discoveries?”

Ji Changge merely glanced coldly at Zhao, then turned to Lord Liang. “My lord, there are many doubts in this case. I have found a witness who can prove Suxi was not the murderer at the inn. Furthermore, during the Gongyuan case, Suxi was already detained here—how could he have committed murder elsewhere? I beg you, grant me a few more days to investigate.”

Lord Liang’s eyes betrayed impatience. He waved his hand. “Is there need? Suxi confessed—let’s not waste more effort chasing trivial details. The sooner we close the case, the better for all.”

Cao Tai nodded repeatedly. “Lord Liang is right.”

“Lord Ji is correct,” Zhao Shenghua suddenly interjected.

Ji Changge eyed him suspiciously. He’d never expected Zhao to take his side.

“I also believe Suxi was not responsible for the Gongyuan crime. I have stationed men at the examination hall. As soon as the examination papers are collected, we’ll make an arrest,” Zhao continued.

Ji Changge had already deployed many guards to surround the hall. Did Zhao also suspect that Qiu Xi was the true culprit?

“Perhaps they’re already on their way,” Zhao said, a touch of pride in his voice.

“I’ve recalled all the guards from the Gongyuan,” Lord Liang told Ji Changge.

What?! Ji Changge closed his eyes in silence. He suddenly felt utterly exhausted, as if all the fatigue of recent days had descended on him at once. It was not just physical, but a weariness of spirit. He had erred in sending all his men to the examination hall, neglecting Suxi’s safety.

Wen Jing watched Ji Changge’s desolate expression and understood all too well. Just as the truth was within reach, a single misstep meant total defeat. No one wanted the case to continue; having Suxi shoulder all the blame was the simplest outcome. But what secrets were still hidden behind this?

“Lord Zhao, the suspect is in custody. The poison was found on him,” a constable announced, dragging in a scholar.

“Excellent,” Zhao replied.

“These three cases are finally solved. Now I can sleep soundly,” Cao Tai said, stroking his beard.

Ji Changge walked out in silence. The setting sun drenched him in golden light, his shadow stretching long and lonely behind him. He could not be like Lord Liang, turning a blind eye to injustice. How was this different from the real murderer? It was still killing, only by different means.