TIGR Chapter 93

The Imperial Guard’s Revenge

Chapter 93 Busting the Friend

The main gate of the Ji residence was closed tight as usual, but Lu Heng pushed it open with ease.

Inside the house, Ji Huan, still dressed in his house clothes, had been gagged by the Imperial Guards and was forced to kneel on the ground.

When Ji Huan saw Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing enter, his eyes widened in disbelief, but when he thought about it, it wasn’t entirely surprising.

After it became dark, he had gone to bed as usual, but with the numerous events that had happened during the day, Ji Huan hadn’t slept well. He had been disturbed by a nightmare and suddenly woke up to find the space beside him empty. Alarmed, he pulled aside the blanket, stood up, and searched around the room for Chang Tinglan. But before he could figure out where Chang Tinglan had gone, a pair of hands suddenly reached out from behind, covered his mouth, and knocked him down.

Ji Huan then realized that the doors and windows had been pried open and a group of people had somehow sneaked into his home, waiting for the opportunity to attack him. He kept wondering who these people were and who wanted to kill him. Could it be that the book from some time ago caused trouble?

It wasn’t until he saw a man and a woman enter the door that Ji Huan suddenly understood, it was them. During the day, he had thought that these two did not seem like ordinary tenants. With their appearance and demeanor, why would they need to rent a house? Additionally, they kept questioning him about Han Wenyuan’s death with suspicious eagerness.

The room was much warmer now. Lu Heng settled Wang Yanqing into her seat before he took the main seat, sitting with an air of authority.

The Imperial Guards removed the cloth from Ji Huan’s mouth and forced him to kneel at Lu Heng’s feet. Lu Heng flicked a piece of dust off his sleeve lazily and said: “Speak. What happened between you and Han Wenyuan?”

If one passed the imperial examination and became a scholar, they could bypass the ritual kneeling. Ji Huan had maintained his composure and dignity even in front of the Marquis of Wuding, but now, being forced to kneel, he felt a strong sense of resistance. He lowered his eyelids and said nothing. Lu Heng sighed and said: “Your wife has already been taken to the imperial prison. I thought you would be more sensible than her.”

Upon hearing “imperial prison,” Ji Huan’s fingers curled tightly, clearly understanding what edict the imperial prison represented. The muscles on his face tightened unconsciously as he said: “I know the Marquis of Wuding and I have some say with him.”

Lu Heng looked at Ji Huan and smiled softly: “Do you think I am afraid of Guo Xun?”

The Imperial Guards were responsible for monitoring officials and handling the dirty work of investigating the influential families. How could they be afraid of offending people? Moreover, Ji Huan was just a lowly scholar, so whether Guo Xun would stand up for Ji Huan was uncertain.

Ji Huan’s mentioning of the Marquis of Wuding was an attempt to intimidate these unruly enforcers. If Lu Heng didn’t fall for it, Ji Huan would be powerless. Seeing that Ji Huan still was not cooperating, Lu Heng said calmly: “Pull out two of his fingernails. Otherwise, he might actually believe that the Imperial Guards is a place for doing good things.”

The people on both sides showed no reaction to this type of talk and someone immediately came forward with a pair of pliers. Seeing the black and red rust on the pliers, Ji Huan was terribly frightened and pleaded: “Spare my life, please, my lord. I will speak.”

Ji Huan, not knowing why Han Wenyuan’s death had attracted the attention of the Imperial Guards, had no choice but to explain everything in detail: “I accidentally discovered that my wife was having an affair with Han Wenyuan. Out of gratitude for my father-in-law’s support, I did not divorce her but reprimanded her and warned her to be obedient in the future. Unexpectedly, she continued her promiscuity and stubbornly got involved with Han Wenyuan again. I sensed something was wrong, so for the past few days, after leaving home, I deliberately took a detour and kept watch at the end of the alley. Today, I saw Han Wenyuan leaving, and then Chang following him. They went to a very secluded grove to meet secretly. I hid in the grove and approached quietly, overhearing Han Wenyuan instructing Chang to kill me so that they could be together. I was greatly shocked. I had been devoted to Han Wenyuan, introducing him to his work and even finding him a place to live, yet he treated me this way. Later, when Chang pushed Han Wenyuan down and I saw him unconscious, I realized that if I continued to repay evil with kindness, this villain would surely kill me. For my own safety, I could only push him into the water.”

Lu Heng looked at Ji Huan. His lips were curved in a smile but the look in his eyes was chilling. Scholars always had a way with words, even turning murder into an act of self-defense and a way to repay his own kindness with virtue.

Lu Heng had no time to delve into the pathetic pride of scholars and asked: “When did you discover that Chang Tinglan and Han Wenyuan were having an affair?”

As a man being asked this question by another man from a position of authority, Ji Huan experienced a double blow to his pride. His face showed displeasure, but he dared not defy Lu Heng and reluctantly said: “In the seventh month.”

“You discovered their affair in the seventh month. Why did you only start monitoring them from the alley recently?”

“Because recently, I noticed that Chang was often distracted and acted suspicious, so I secretly watched them.”

Lu Heng pondered this and accepted the explanation. In such matters, not only were women sensitive, but men could also sense anomalies. Especially since Chang Tinglan had made a previous offense, Ji Huan’s vigilance made sense.

Lu Heng then asked: “How did Han Wenyuan become unconscious?”

“I was afraid of being discovered, so I didn’t dare to look out.” Ji Huan said, “I vaguely saw the two of them pulling and pushing. Then Chang gave Han Wenyuan a hard push and he fell.”

“What were they arguing about at that time?”

“Just about killing me and eloping.”

So far, his testimonies matched Chang Tinglan’s recount. Considering his wife’s infidelity and a murder for self-preservation, Ji Huan’s motivation for committing the crime was adding up. Lu Heng then turned to another matter he found puzzling: “Why did Han Wenyuan want to kill you?”

Ji Huan tightened his jaw and looked repulsed, but seeing the fierce Imperial Guards on both sides, he eventually lowered his head and said: “Because I wrote a piece for the Marquis of Wuding. The piece was too long to finish quickly, and since I wanted to help Han Wenyuan, I gave him a part of it. I have always returned the Marquis’ reward intact, but Han Wenyuan thought I had stolen some.”

“What piece?”

Ji Huan hesitated and stammered, unwilling to speak. Lu Heng looked down from his elevated position, coldly watching him: “Do you think that if you don’t speak, the Imperial Guards won’t find out? It’s one thing if you tell us, it will be another if we find out ourselves.”

Ji Huan’s lips trembled. Before he could gather his thoughts, Lu Heng immediately waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to bring over the pliers. Ji Huan’s hand was forcibly stretched out and the cold metal touched his fingertips, he was terrified and quickly begged: “I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you! It’s called The Biography of Heroes.”

“What is it about?”

Ji Huan pressed his lips together, realizing why he had attracted the attention of these ruthless enforcers. The Imperial Guards usually investigated high officials and nobles, so how could the death of an ordinary person have reached their ears?

Ji Huan understood that it was no longer a matter of whether to speak or not. Since the Imperial Guards had already come to his door, they would use whatever means necessary to extract the information. It was better for him to voluntarily confess and avoid physical suffering.

Once he took the first step, the revealing the rest became much easier. Ji Huan resigned himself and said: “It’s about the achievements of Emperor Hongwu and his leading officials in establishing the country.”

“Where is the manuscript?”

“It’s in the cabinet under the head of the bed.”

Lu Heng slightly lifted his chin, and immediately, an Imperial Guard went inside the bedroom to search for it. The books sent to the Marquis of Wuding were all copied, so the person who wrote them would naturally have many manuscripts left behind. Soon, an Imperial Guard emerged with a box in hand and said: “My lord, look here.”

Lu Heng opened the box and pulled out a couple of pages at random. The handwriting was relatively neat, with many notes and annotations, and there was no repetition. Lu Heng confirmed that this was indeed the manuscript, closed the box, and signaled for his subordinates to take care of it.

Having achieved part of his objective, Lu Heng changed his posture, casually resting his arm on the armrest, and asked: “Chang Tinglan said you were having an affair with Jian Jun. Is that true?”

Ji Huan showed clear signs of nervousness upon hearing Jian Jun’s name and quickly said: “My lord, this matter has nothing to do with Miss Jian. Please do not involve her in this.”

“Whether or not she is involved depends on you.” Lu Heng said, “What is your relationship with her?”

Ji Huan lowered his head, struggling to maintain his composure, and said: “I merely admire her. She is cultured and refined, but Han Wenyuan did not value her at all and trampled on her sincere heart. I couldn’t bear to see this and felt pity for her. However, my feelings for Miss Jian were purely emotional and respectful, without any overstepping of boundaries.”

Lu Heng stared at him in silence, causing Ji Huan to sweat from his forehead as he struggled to hold on. Lu Heng’s lips curled into a meaningful smile. This timid and cowardly scholar hadn’t begged for leniency for his wife but pleaded for Jian Jun instead.

It was hard to say whether he was deeply affectionate or heartless.

Lu Heng then asked: “Where is the part of the manuscript that Han Wenyuan wrote?”

“It’s all with me.” Ji Huan said. “Since only I have contact with the Wuding Marquis Mansion, Han Wenyuan would always submit his completed manuscript to me. I would organize them and copy it before sending it to the Marquis.”

Lu Heng had nearly finished his interrogation. Without showing any emotion, he glanced over to the side. Wang Yanqing was seated in the shadows, while Ji Huan was kneeling in plain view. Wang Yanqing could see Ji Huan’s expression, but Ji Huan could not make out hers.

Wang Yanqing subtly shook her head, and Lu Heng understood. He signaled his subordinates to take Ji Huan back to the imperial prison, saying: “Be careful on the way, and don’t alert the patrolling guards.”

Although Fu Tingzhou was not in the capital now, the Fu family held influence across the soldiers and calvary of the five cities. If they were to run into a night patrol, it could potentially alert Guo Xun ahead of time.

While people generally thought of the Imperial Guards as ostentatious and overbearing, Lu Heng preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble whenever possible.

After Ji Huan was taken away, Lu Heng walked over to Wang Yanqing and asked: “Do you think he was lying?”

“Not directly.” Wang Yanqing replied with calm certainty, “However, he was concealing something regarding Jian Jun.”

Lu Heng nodded, agreeing with her thoughts. He asked: “What did you see?”

“When you asked about Jian Jun, his eyes shifted more frequently, and his body tensed up. It looked like he was hiding something.”

Lu Heng felt the same way: “I also think so. As a man, I find it hard to believe that upon discovering his wife’s affair, he would confront her lover and then return without taking any action, and even continue to live next to her lover afterward.”

Wang Yanqing blinked, wondering why Lu Heng was so empathetic in such matters. She quietly observed him and asked: “So why do you think Ji Huan did that?”

Lu Heng shook his head: “I can’t understand this kind of behavior and really can’t guess his thoughts. However, since we are here, let’s search Han Wenyuan’s house as well. Maybe after the search, we’ll find out why.”

Wang Yanqing was speechless. Indeed, that was his true goal, investigating the murder case was just a pretext, his real aim was to search the house. Wang Yanqing nodded and said: “Alright. But it’s late now, she might already be asleep.”

That wasn’t a problem. Lu Heng replied nonchalantly: “Just wake her up.”

After saying this, Lu Heng realized something and added with a smile: “I’ll stay here with you. We’ll go over once she’s dressed.”

Although Ji Huan had indicated where the manuscript was hidden, Lu Heng still ordered a thorough search of the Ji residence, leaving no brick unexamined. He believed that human nature was fundamentally evil, and he wouldn’t trust anyone’s word until he had verified it himself. After waiting at the Ji residence for a while, the Imperial Guards returned with a report that the neighboring house had been dealt with. Only then did Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing rise and leisurely head to their next location.

At the neighboring residence, Jian Jun had dressed but her hair was disheveled, and her face looked haggard, as if she had just woken up. Seeing Lu Heng enter, Jian Jun didn’t inquire about his identity but lowered her head and greeted him respectfully: “Greetings, my lord.”

This was Lu Heng’s first time entering Han Wenyuan and Jian Jun’s home. Standing in the main hall, he glanced around the room and said: “Ji Huan killed your husband. Do you know about this?”

Jian Jun’s fingers trembled as she looked up in fear and quickly lowered her gaze again. “I… I did not know. Brother Ji is just a scholar, refined and cultured. How could he do such a thing?”

“Do you know why he killed Han Wenyuan?”

Jian Jun shook her head. Lu Heng, looking down from his elevated position, said: “It’s because Ji Huan learned that Han Wenyuan intended to kill you. Out of pity, he decided to act first and killed Han Wenyuan himself.”

Jian Jun’s eyes widened even further, and she looked completely stunned. There were many Imperial Guards present, and witnessing a delicate woman involved in murder cases one after another, Wang Yanqing couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy. She sighed quietly and subtly tugged at Lu Heng’s sleeve.

It was clear that Lu Heng was doing this deliberately. Although he felt the gentle tug, it didn’t awaken any sympathy in him. Lu Heng’s smile remained calm as he continued: “You didn’t know that Han Wenyuan and Chang Tinglan were plotting to kill you?”

Jian Jun bit her lip, finally unable to hold back, and raised her left hand to wipe her tears: “I knew he was involved with Madam Chang, but I didn’t realize it had escalated to that extent.”

Lu Heng gestured to his subordinates to search the courtyard: “Chang Tinglan gave Han Wenyuan a bottle of poison. Since it’s not on him, it must be in the house. Go and find it.”

The Imperial Guards, cupping their fists in acknowledgment, turned and left the room. Lu Heng showed no qualms about intruding on a widow’s private space and casually strolled around the room: “When did you discover that Han Wenyuan and Chang Tinglan were having an affair?”

“In the fifth month.”

So early. Lu Heng chuckled lightly and asked: “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Jian Jun lowered her gaze, her face showing a bitter smile: “My lord, you are a man and naturally would not understand the compromises a woman must make. He is both my cousin and my husband. What good would it have done to speak up? It was better to pretend not to know and wait for him to return.”

Wang Yanqing, following Lu Heng, showed sympathy on her face upon hearing this. Lu Heng, feeling inexplicably excluded, narrowed his eyes and asked: “Then why didn’t you tell Ji Huan?”

“I only have a nodding acquaintance with Brother Ji. How could I bring up something like this?”

“A nodding acquaintance?” Lu Heng raised an eyebrow, a peculiar smile on his face, “You say you’re just acquaintances, but Ji Huan is infatuated with you, even calling out your name in his dreams. Are you truly unaware of his feelings for you?”

Jian Jun lowered her head and fell silent. Wang Yanqing discreetly glanced at Lu Heng, signaling him to wrap things up. Lu Heng felt frustrated. He was only asking a few questions, how did he end up being the villain?

His dislike for Jian Jun grew. He walked towards the study, casually observing the decorations along the way, and asked: “Do you know that Han Wenyuan tried to poison you?”

Jian Jun shook her head, but then her expression froze, revealing hesitation. Seeing this, Lu Heng asked: “Do you or don’t you know?”

Jian Jun sighed and said: “I originally didn’t know, but after you said that, I suddenly remembered something a few days ago. For the first time, my cousin insisted on drinking with me. I couldn’t refuse, so I joined him. During the meal, I stepped away for a moment, and when I came back, he filled my cup again and strongly urged me to drink. I needed to work that night and couldn’t get drunk. But when I pushed it away, I accidentally knocked over the wine. I was going to clean it up, but my cousin said not to bother, he would handle it, so I didn’t think much of it…”

At the time, it didn’t seem unusual, but looking back now, it was chilling. That cup of wine was likely poisoned.

Unfortunately, Lu Heng had no sympathy for the weak and only cared about his case. He walked to the bookshelf, inspecting the books, and asked bluntly: “When did this happen?”

“It was probably at the end of last month. I can’t remember the exact day.”

Wang Yanqing carefully searched the bookshelf. Lu Heng left the bookshelf to her and turned to examine the items on the desk. He picked up a pen and suddenly paused.

Lu Heng looked down, scrutinized the desk, then put the pen down and asked: “Ji Huan said he once asked Han Wenyuan to help him with a manuscript. Is this true?”

Jian Jun nodded: “Yes.”

“What did he write?”

“I don’t know.” Jian Jun said quietly, “My cousin manages the scholarly matters in the family, and I handle the household affairs. I’m not familiar with academic matters.”

Lu Heng signaled for one of the accompanying Imperial Guards to step forward. He opened a box, took out a piece of paper, and flung it towards Jian Jun without ceremony, asking: “Is this Han Wenyuan’s handwriting?”

Jian Jun instinctively took it, unfolded it to look, and nodded: “Yes.”

Lu Heng nodded lightly and instructed the Imperial Guards to take it back and properly store the paper. Then commanded, “Search the study and take away anything suspicious,” as he left the study and walked towards the inner chamber.

Seeing Lu Heng heading towards the bedroom and even preparing to open her wardrobe, Jian Jun’s face showed discomfort. She hurriedly said: “My lord, those are my inner wears. Although I am now a widow and my reputation is worth little, I hope you do not tarnish your own reputation. Please have mercy.”

Such matters were simple for Lu Heng. He called out: “Qing Qing, come here.”

Wang Yanqing was summoned and, though she gave Lu Heng a strange look, she still opened the wardrobe and began searching through the clothes inside. Wang Yanqing opened several boxes in a row, feeling embarrassed, and quietly asked: “My lord, is this enough?”

Lu Heng noticed that she called him “my lord” and wondered why she was distancing herself from him in front of others. With slightly narrowed eyes and a face that revealed nothing, Lu Heng responded coolly: “That will do.”

At this time, the people searching outside the courtyard also returned and reported: “My lord, we found a bottle of arsenic, which has already been used.”

“Take it away.” Lu Heng said, raising his hand casually. He turned his gaze back to the people searching through the study. The Imperial Guards looked embarrassed and silently shook their heads.

Lu Heng wasn’t surprised. He looked at the Imperial Guards in the courtyard, his voice calm but authoritative: “Organize the evidence and return to the office.”

The Imperial Guards complied, standing on either side and waiting respectfully for Lu Heng. As he walked towards the door, Lu Heng suddenly turned back to Jian Jun and said: “There are many doubts in Han Wenyuan’s case. Keep his belongings well and wait for further questioning.”

Jian Jun bowed her head and responded weakly.

Tonight’s events felt like a nightmare. People had descended from the sky and then vanished abruptly, leaving only a cold wind behind, almost like an illusion. But upon returning to her home and seeing the disarrayed study and bedroom, Jian Jun knew it was no illusion.

Outside, after leaving Jian Jun’s house, Wang Yanqing asked curiously: “What were you trying to do? Why did you make things so difficult for such a vulnerable woman tonight?”

Lu Heng simply shook his head and, seeming thoughtful, said: “Let’s return to South Fusi, I need to re-examine Han Wenyuan’s body.”

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