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墨書 Inktalez
Xia Muxin tossed and turned, unable to sleep. It had been several days since the uncle had left, and there was still no news. A sudden sense of unease settled in her heart, prompting her to open her eyes just a crack.
In the dimness, she felt a chilling breeze sweep through. In the pitch-black darkness, she caught a glimpse of a shadow darting by like lightning, but it vanished in an instant. Blinking in confusion, she rubbed her eyes, but when she opened them again, there was nothing to be seen.
Not thinking much of it, she let her heavy eyelids close and drifted back into a hazy sleep.
The next day, before dawn, she woke up to the disheartening realization that without Shen Muhan's warm embrace, she was losing precious hours of sleep each day. Feeling somewhat frustrated, she pinched her own cheek. Tossing and turning every night made her worry about aging prematurely.
The guards were also up early. They circled around the cell and noticed everyone was still asleep, so they refrained from shouting loudly.
"Bring out the two prisoners from yesterday."
At that moment, a rather stern voice reached Xia Muxin's ears. She opened her eyes and thought: Could it be that they found Zhao Dabiao's corpse?
Yet the more she thought about it, the heavier her heart felt. She sensed that things were not as simple as they seemed. However, there was no turning back now; all she could do was hope Xiao Yan wouldn't let her down.
Just then, the cell door creaked open with a clang, followed by a polite and respectful voice:
"Miss Xia, our lord requests your presence in the Main Hall for questioning."
Perhaps Xiao Yan had instructed them specifically; even the guards here treated her with great respect. She sat up lazily and groggily rubbed her eyes as if just waking up.
"Zhao Si, get up. We're going to the Main Hall for questioning."
On the other side, a rough voice from another guard rang out. Compared to their attitude towards her, it was worlds apart.
Xia Muxin frowned but chose not to dwell on it. She watched as the guard called out several more times before walking inside. Seeing Zhao Si still lying on the ground without moving, he kicked him a few times but received no response. The guard's heart sank; something felt wrong. He bent down to turn Zhao Si over, and upon doing so, he was instantly struck with terror as he lost all color in his face and fell back onto a pile of straw.
Zhao Si was the tall and thin man who had been locked up with Xia Muxin yesterday. Seeing the guard panic like this made Xia Muxin's heart tighten as well. Remembering the chilling wind from last night, an ominous premonition began to form in her mind.
"Head guard! Head guard... Zhao Si... he's dead."
Just as she feared, Xia Muxin closed her eyes briefly. It seemed that events were unfolding in a very troubling direction; the intentions of those behind this were not limited to just her but likely extended to the entire Yamen or perhaps even Xiao Yan...
As the prison guard shouted, the entire cell erupted in chaos. Within moments, Xiao Yan, dressed in dark government attire, appeared in the cell. He directed everyone to look at Xia Muxin, deliberately preventing her from seeing Zhao Si's lifeless body. Those who had seen it were all pale and trembling, clearly shaken by the gruesome sight.
Because of this, the interrogation was further delayed.
Meanwhile, news of Zhao Si's tragic death in the Yamen prison reached the Zhao Family, who gathered dozens of people outside to cause a ruckus.
Xiao Yan felt overwhelmed as he paced back and forth.
He had just questioned everyone; neither the guards nor the other prisoners had noticed anything unusual last night, and there were no clues at the scene. He had been in this cell for quite some time now.
"My lord, we can't hold them off any longer; the Zhao Family is breaking in!"
At that moment, a guard rushed into the cell, panting heavily.
They were well-prepared. As part of the Yamen, they couldn't resort to violence against them while also trying to quell the chaos. It was indeed a difficult situation, especially since Xiao Yan had just taken office; it was clear that someone was deliberately putting pressure on him from behind.
Just as the guard finished speaking, a soldier was kicked through the door, followed by dozens of people rushing in. They quickly located Zhao Si's cell and immediately recognized the corpse.
Since the evidence was still intact at the scene, Zhao Si's body had not been moved. However, even Xiao Yan could not stop the Zhao Family's frenzy at this moment.
Suddenly, cries and shouts filled the air; Xia Muxin found it impossible to maintain any semblance of calm.
"This woman must be a jinx! Ever since she opened her shop, my family has faced nothing but trouble!"
It was still that old man with white hair, pointing an accusing finger at Xia Muxin. Hearing this, her family members glared at her with rage. A few hot-headed individuals even rushed forward to kick and pound on Xia Muxin's cell.
Then suddenly, there was a loud crash that silenced the entire scene. Even Xia Muxin felt as if the world had turned surreal.
The cells were all connected to one another; even though that tall and thin man was in a cell across from Xia Muxin's—separated by two other cells—they were all linked together. As they shook and pounded on the walls with great force, several iron bars began to break starting from Xia Muxin's cell. The distance between these bars was already quite wide, and now they had broken apart just enough for Xia Muxin's small frame to slip through.
Everyone stood dumbfounded as all suspicion converged on Xia Muxin.
"My lord, it's her! It must be her!"
Before anyone could react, all the blame was immediately shifted onto Xia Muxin.
Moreover, even if they remained silent, just by looking at her, it was difficult for her to clear herself of the murder accusation.
Xia Muxin, however, appeared quite calm. She glanced at the conflicted Xiao Yan and said nonchalantly, "My lord, I believe we should first investigate the Zhao Family's background, as well as my own family's."
"What do you mean by that?"
As soon as Xia Muxin finished speaking, the expressions of several nearby individuals darkened, their eyes began to flicker. The old woman among them glared fiercely and shouted angrily.
Xia Muxin maintained her composure, a slight smile playing on her lips. Yet her gaze was sharp as she fixed it on the old man, speaking each word clearly: "I’m just curious. Does your family have some secret to producing male heirs? Look at these dozens of young men of similar age; none of them resemble each other. Furthermore, both Zhao Si and Zhao Dabiao must have household registrations and pasts. Let’s not even mention that I am a woman with no strength to break a chicken’s neck; even if I had such strength, I wouldn’t be foolish enough to kill someone in this situation. Isn’t that digging a pit for myself? Are you all lacking in brains, or do you think I lack intelligence?"
As she concluded her statement, her smile faded into a chilling expression as she locked her gaze onto the old man. Her eyes were cold and piercing, missing nothing of his reaction.
"Why are you all making noise when I haven’t even spoken yet? Do you not trust my ability to handle this matter? If you truly don’t believe me, then take this corpse away and request assistance from above to resolve it."
Upon hearing Xia Muxin's words, Xiao Yan wiped the sweat from his brow. He felt like he was in a difficult position—caught between a rock and a hard place—having to offend the higher-ups.
After hearing his words, Xia Muxin raised an eyebrow and turned her gaze toward him, only to see him look away as if he felt guilty for not daring to meet her eyes.
"Then according to your lordship's intention..." After a long pause, she patiently asked.
"Let’s first check on Zhao Dabiao."
After a moment's hesitation, Xiao Yan made his decision and ordered that Zhao Si’s corpse be removed as well.
At that moment, Xia Muxin finally got a clear look at Zhao Si’s appearance; it was utterly unrecognizable. His eyes had been gouged out, leaving only two gaping holes. The blood had dried up around them, forming dark purple stains. His mouth was split open, and it seemed his tongue had also been pulled out. To the naked eye, one could see the mangled flesh of his throat.
Even for someone as composed as Xia Muxin, she was horrified at this sight. The brutality of this method... was simply cruel.
"Zhao Si was only mutilated after his death. If you are afraid now, you should quickly explain the situation. Zhao Si and Zhao Dabiao are already dead; do you really think the other party will keep you around for long?"
Despite the horror of the situation, reason had not abandoned her. She cast a cold glance at the Zhao family members and spoke with a chilling tone.
Her words successfully intimidated the so-called Zhao family, causing them to retreat in fear. One by one, their faces turned pale, and the earlier arrogance vanished completely. They looked at Xia Muxin's retreating figure with astonishment.
Xiao Yan rubbed his forehead in frustration. His master’s master remained calm, analyzing the situation with clarity and precision, each word striking home. He felt annoyed; was the boss making him play the role of an incompetent county magistrate just to highlight his wife’s competence?
Or was it just to pass the time with her...
Thinking about it made him feel like crying.
In the morgue, unable to resist Xia Muxin's insistence, Xiao Yan allowed her to see Zhao Dabiao's body. It was only after she came out that the coroner began the autopsy.
The conclusion reached was death by food poisoning and asphyxiation.
Upon hearing this, Xia Muxin shook her head and smiled. Looking at the incessantly chattering coroner, she coldly remarked:
"You only concluded he was poisoned because of the blackness around his neck. Why not consider that someone might have done this intentionally after his death? Couldn’t poison have been administered after he died? The poison might not enter his stomach, but it would certainly go down his throat. Therefore, relying solely on external examination will lead to a conclusion of death by food poisoning. Moreover, there are still unchewed Orchid Beans in his mouth."
- End of Chapter -
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