Chapter 108: Magistrate Fang Tong

After finishing his rant, Chang Sheng turned back and punched Chang Kang twice fiercely. "You brat, if you keep spouting nonsense and cause me to lose my appetite for dinner, I won’t let you eat either."

Then, smiling, he returned to the matter at hand. Chang Sheng continued, “That wealthy young master is quite suspicious. He claims his surname is Yu and that he’s from Wucheng, yet no one around here has ever heard of him. I’ve been in Wucheng for several years and have never come across a rich merchant named Yu. Besides, the Zhu family is poor, and a girl wouldn’t just wander around freely. How could those two have met? Could it be that the rich young master purposely ventured into the narrow alleys just to meet the Zhu girl?”

The poor families in the northern city mostly lived around the narrow alleys. Even if they didn’t live inside, they were nearby.

Even if they had met, it was impossible for the relationship to have progressed to taking a concubine so quickly. Love at first sight? As far as Chang Sheng was concerned, that was utterly unbelievable when it came to women.

“I just remembered—on that day, Zhu Xishui seemed off, distracted and absent-minded. He nearly spilled the soup on a guest. Cheng Bo thought he was beaten again by his stepmother and pitied him, telling him to rest in the backyard. So, if anyone had the best opportunity to poison someone, it should be him.”

After hearing Datong’s words, everyone fell silent. Though there was no proof, it was almost certain that Zhu Xishui was behind it.

“Keep an eye on the Zhu family. If his stepsister is taken away, follow and see where they’re taken. Also, as for Cheng Bo, have him do this and that…”

“Yes.”

Wei San had been recuperating for several days, and the remaining poison in his body was completely cleared. Though not fully recovered, he could get up and move around without issue.

The Smoke and Rain Pavilion was filled with women, and with guests coming and going, it was inconvenient for him to stay there. One night, Chang Sheng and Chang An disguised as guests secretly took Wei San away, delivering him to Fang Nuo, where Lei Hu guarded him in secret.

Cheng Bo and the others had been locked up for ten days; it was time to make a move.

Though the winter was cold, the city was bustling more than ever in recent years. Street vendors, shoppers, breakfast diners—all noisy and clamorous. Seeing such lively prosperity in the thriving era, one couldn’t help but feel the chill subside. Life, like tender buds on a tree, sprouted new hope.

Zhao Shixiong rubbed his hands together and exhaled sharply. He pushed open the courtyard gate and headed toward the government office.

Wearing the official’s distinctive uniform and bearing a large sword at his waist, Zhao, usually imposing, looked somewhat listless today, hunched over as he navigated the somewhat crowded crowd.

Common folk always held a natural fear of those from the government office, so everyone instinctively made way, and familiar faces greeted him with smiles, “Good morning, Captain Zhao.”

Zhao Shixiong nodded and lifted his somewhat haggard face. He glanced at the sky—another overcast day—and cursed the miserable weather under his breath.

“Captain!”

Detective Ding hurried up behind him. “Captain, why are you so early today?”

“Early? Who says we don’t have the hard life?” Zhao Shixiong laughed self-mockingly. “Who wouldn’t want to curl up with their wife and sleep on a warm kang? But what the hell have you all been doing? After all these days, nothing’s been found. The higher-ups are pressing hard every day. If I don’t push, how am I supposed to report?”

“Actually, the brothers have done their best. It’s just this case…”

Detective Ding had wanted to say the case was a dead end, almost impossible to overturn. Think about it—someone died; there had to be someone responsible, or how else explain it?

But he couldn’t say that outright. He knew Captain Zhao was caught in the middle—some wanted to ease up, others insisted on strict enforcement, each refusing to yield.

As the saying goes, when gods quarrel, mortals suffer—and in the end, it was they, the errand runners, who bore the brunt.

“Forget it. We have no choice but to gather the brothers and wait for the officials’ orders.”

Liu Cheng took the case files handed over by Captain Zhao, frowning deeply. This matter seemed truly difficult to resolve. More than ten days had passed, yet no practical leads emerged.

All the diners who drank at the tavern that day had been found. Though none showed signs of poisoning, the brine was clearly toxic. This could only be explained as their luck in not consuming the poisoned food.

As for everything else—there was no evidence, including the identity of the poisoner. If outsiders were ruled out, all suspicion would fall on Qiongjiang. Whether Qiongjiang could clear itself aside, Cheng Bo was unlikely to escape.

He had done everything to suppress the case for so many days, but this was not the outcome he wanted.

Suddenly, he heard a commotion outside. Curious, he was about to send a clerk to check when a panicked officer burst in, “Sir, something bad— the victim’s family is causing a scene.”

“Which victim’s family?”

Liu Cheng’s brow twitched, cursing inwardly. It was exactly what he feared.

“The one who died of poisoning,” the officer glanced cautiously at Captain Zhao, whose face instantly darkened but still forced himself to continue. “The one who died from drinking at the tavern in the northern city.”

“Let’s go see.”

Liu Cheng rose to leave, and Captain Zhao followed reluctantly.

Outside the government office, an elderly woman with white hair knelt at the gate, banging her head repeatedly against the ground with loud thuds. Her frail figure, aged appearance, and pitiful cries stirred sympathy among the crowd, who began to murmur.

“Have you heard about this? They say her son drank at a tavern and was poisoned to death afterward,” someone shook their head, “Such wickedness! Taverns like that should be paraded through the streets and publicly punished—let them see if they dare harm others again.”

“I know. I even know the tavern’s name—Qiongjiang. They say the wine’s good.”

“Good or not, who’d dare drink it now?”

People shook their heads and cursed, the crowd swelling until the entire street was blocked.

“Move aside, move aside! Dare to block the path of the Deputy Magistrate? Don’t want to live?”

“Alu, don’t be rude.”

“Yes, sir.”

The crowd parted, and a luxurious carriage drawn by two fine horses slowly stopped before them.

A long attendant jumped down from the carriage, lifting the heavy curtain to reveal a short, kindly-looking elder dressed in an official robe, stepping out leisurely.

“Mr. Liu is here as well? I wonder what has happened?”

The old man smiled broadly at Liu Cheng.

That sly old fox—it was a rhetorical question.

Liu Cheng cursed inwardly. He knew Deputy Magistrate Fang deliberately called him “Mr. Liu” to mock that he had no official rank, merely a clerk.

“Deputy Magistrate Fang, please intervene,” someone urged the victim’s mother. The white-haired woman, hearing the advice, finally realized and kowtowed toward Fang Fengxian, “Sir, please do justice for this poor woman. Please help us.”

“Please, sir, help us!”

Someone else knelt first, then the entire circle of onlookers dropped to their knees, chanting in unison, “Please, sir, help us!”

Fang Fengxian stroked the long whisker beneath his chin, his eyes narrowed into slits. He relished such adulation, yet his face showed a troubled expression.

“Everyone, please rise. The trial must still be decided by Magistrate Liu. However, now that there is a grievance, I will certainly relay it. I trust Magistrate Liu will handle it fairly.”

When the crowd stood up, Liu Cheng stepped forward, smiling, “Deputy Magistrate speaks reason. Please, elders, return home. The case is under investigation, and we will give you all a satisfactory answer.”

Some hesitated, while the more impatient had already started to leave.

But then Fang Fengxian added, “As Deputy Magistrate, I also have authority to assist in litigation. Since the elders request so earnestly, I will hold a public trial of this case today.”

“Sir, isn’t that inappropriate?”

“Why inappropriate? Magistrate Liu is not present in the office. Does Mr. Liu wish to judge the case in his stead?” (To be continued.)