The Imperial Guard’s Revenge
Chapter 94 Killing the Husband
The sky had turned completely dark, the moon was hidden and the stars sparse. The crows were silent, and the entire city had fallen into slumber. However, Lu Heng was a person who did not feel fatigued when he was working. He hurried back to South Fusi, called the people who handled the case during the day, and began re-examining Han Wenyuan’s corpse.
In the dead of night, a body lay in an empty room. After a whole day of decay, the corpse had started to bloat and smell. The night wind howled, and an eerie atmosphere loomed. A group of shadows silently surrounded the morgue. An Imperial Guard held a lantern rubbed his arms and couldn’t help but say to his companion: “His lordship has returned to examine the body at such a late hour? And why did that woman come along as well?”
Even a young man like him got goosebumps seeing this scene, and Lu Heng brought Wang Yanqing to look at the corpse. He dared bring her along and she dared to follow. His companion shrugged and said: “A woman who is favored by his lordship must have something extraordinary about her. Don’t say too much, or you might find yourself skinned if he hears you.”
Up ahead, Lu Heng removed his gloves, and an Imperial Guard immediately stepped forward to take them. Seeing this, Wang Yanqing gently approached and asked: “Brother, have you figured something out?”
Lu Heng didn’t want to say much: “Let’s discuss it outside.”
The morgue was filled with a foul odor. Although Lu Heng hadn’t originally intended to bring Wang Yanqing here, she insisted, so he had no choice but to comply. It wasn’t good to stay in such an environment for too long. After finding what he was looking for, Lu Heng’s immediately took Wang Yanqing out, they could discuss the remaining matters later.
Lu Heng had a private palace for this work in South Fusi. Sometimes, if he couldn’t make it home in time, he would stay there, so the palace was fully equipped with clothes for changing. He went to the back to wash his hands and change while Wang Yanqing waited for him in the bedroom.
There were no other people in the palace, only a room full of books and documents, but Wang Yanqing sat quietly in her seat, showing no intention of moving or looking through the scrolls. After a while, Lu Heng came out in a change of clothes. As soon as he looked up, he saw Wang Yanqing holding a cup of hot tea, sitting obediently on a Huanghuali armchair. The chair was too large for her and she only took up a small portion of it, but she still sat up straight, like a rabbit waiting for a hunter to return.
|| The Huanghuali armchair (黄花梨圈椅) is a well-recognized product of the Ming Dynasty, the best was produced in the Hainan province with the signature rounded back to the chair.
Lu Heng’s heart couldn’t help but soften. After twelve years in the Imperial Guards, he never paid much attention to the office furnishings in South Fusi. But now that he had her, he suddenly felt as if the palace had come alive, no longer cold and ruthless as it once was.
Lu Heng pulled down his sleeves and walked quickly toward her: “It’s late, you may have to stay in South Fusi tonight. Are you tired?”
Wang Yanqing shook her head, keenly sensing the implication in Lu Heng’s words. She asked: “Brother, do you have something else to do tonight?”
Lu Heng’s steps paused slightly as he looked up at her half a smile: “Qing Qing, your mind-reading skills are getting better.”
Wang Yanqing shook her head, showing a clear self-awareness: “While I can recognize expressions, what I’m really doing is looking for inconsistencies. If someone has no flaws, I can’t see through them. Unlike you, who can infer hidden information from even a subconscious comment by Ji Huan. The reason I can understand what you’re saying is simply because I know you well enough.”
Lu Heng was very pleased with this explanation. He smiled and walked over to Wang Yanqing. Although there was a wider seat next to her, he deliberately squeezed in beside her: “What you said is correct.”
Wang Yanqing, being neither as tall nor as strong as Lu Heng, couldn’t avoid being squeezed close to him and was soon half-embraced by him. She sighed and said: “Brother, this is your office, and there are quite a few people out there. If others see this, how will you maintain your authority as the chief?”
“I never rely on maintaining a facade to assert my authority.” Lu Heng said, still unabashedly holding the beauty close, “Qing Qing, do you still want to learn more about me?”
At first, this sounded fine, but in the dead of night and in this intimate setting, it made her suspect that he was hinting at something else. Wang Yanqing’s face flushed slightly, and with a mix of shyness and irritation, she glared at him and said: “Be serious. What did you find on Han Wenyuan’s corpse?”
Lu Heng raised an eyebrow and smiled: “Qing Qing, on such a beautiful night, you are sitting in my arms, yet you still want to bring up another man?”
“He’s dead.”
Fine, since he was dead, Lu Heng reluctantly allowed him to occupy Wang Yanqing’s attention. Lu Heng’s arm was wrapped around her slim waist, and his chin naturally rested on her hairpin, feeling all the work of the day ease away: “As you said, during Ji Huan’s interrogation, it was clear he was hiding something. At that time, I didn’t understand. He had confessed to murder and to writing the book. What else could he be hiding? It wasn’t until today, when I went to the Jian Yun family, that I finally figured it out.”
Wang Yanqing was very curious and quickly asked: “What did you find?”
A direct answer was never Lu Heng’s style. He preferred to lead people in circles, letting them figure out the reasoning and happenings on their own. Lu Heng asked: “Qing Qing, how could a grown man faint and fall to the ground just from being pushed by a woman, and not even wake up when someone dragged him into the water?”
Wang Yanqing frowned, her expression growing serious: “Are you suggesting that someone drugged Han Wenyuan?”
Lu Heng nodded, acknowledging her deduction: “When Han Wenyuan’s body was first recovered at noon, the water had covered up traces, and I thought he had drowned. But after visiting the Han family residence today, the more I looked, the more I felt something was off. I guessed that there might be some detail on the body that I had missed, which was the real cause of Han Wenyuan’s death.”
“So, you came back right away to examine the body?”
“Yes.” Lu Heng said, “His internal organs showed signs of congestion, his eyes had ruptured blood vessels, and his blood hadn’t clotted, all of which fit the symptoms of drowning. However, because the water temperature was low in early autumn, his skin was pale when he was first pulled out, which led me to believe he had just suffocated to death. But after coming back in the evening and seeing the body, which had been exposed to room temperature for an afternoon, its color returned to normal and had taken on a yellowish hue.”
Wang Yanqing worked hard to follow Lu Heng’s train of thought and tentatively asked: “Is this yellowing…”
“Jaundice.” Lu Heng explained, “You’re young and might not have experienced this condition. Generally, jaundice is seen in the elderly and infants. If a young adult shows jaundice, it often indicates liver problems.”
Wang Yanqing blinked, not fully understanding, but it didn’t diminish her admiration for Lu Heng’s extensive knowledge. With genuine curiosity, she asked: “So what exactly happened to him?”
The beauty in his arms, was not only obediently allowing him to hold her, but she also looked at him with admiration and respect. Lu Heng was greatly satisfied. He tightened his embrace around Wang Yanqing, sighed softly, and said: “Qing Qing, you were right. After a murder occurs, their partner is most likely to be responsible.”
Wang Yanqing vaguely guessed this point from Lu Heng’s demeanor but hadn’t expected it to be true. She widened her eyes, looking both bewildered and confused, and asked: “Was it really her?”
“That’s right.” Lu Heng said. “The silver needles couldn’t detect it, there were no traces of poisoning, and it lasted for many days, gradually weakening Han Wenyuan’s body. Who else but someone close to him could manage this? Do you remember Ji Huan mentioning that Han Wenyuan had sudden vomiting and diarrhea at the beginning of the month, but recovered the next day, and others thought he had just eaten something bad? It’s possible that it wasn’t bad food, but rather someone poisoned his food.”
Wang Yanqing felt an inexplicable chill. The idea of someone poisoning their spouse’s food, and then continuing to share their bed without conflict or quarrel. How much hatred must she have had? It truly showed how close, yet distant the ties between spouses could be.
Wang Yanqing held her breath and asked: “What kind of food was it?”
“Today is the sixth day of the eighth month and his vomiting symptoms appeared at the beginning of the month. Given how quickly it took effect, it should be some kind of poisonous mushroom.” Lu Heng said, and then he added, with great caution, “Of course, this is just a guess. For specifics about the poison, we would need to ask Jian Yun.”
Wang Yanqing looked on in admiration, but then she seemed to have a sudden realization, and her expression became somewhat complicated: “How do you know so much?”
“I was afraid someone might poison me, so I researched many kinds of foods that could contain toxins.” Lu Heng replied, glancing at her with understanding, “Don’t worry, it’s not that I had any thoughts of harming my wife. I was just investigating the methods for myself.”
Wang Yanqing, who initially felt pity, became irritated upon hearing the latter part of his statement: “I was doubting you? I was thinking that since you understand food poisoning so well, you must have been quite anxious before. I was even planning to comfort you and now you think this of me?”
After speaking, Wang Yanqing realized she had been misled: “Wait, what wife?”
Lu Heng, suppressing a laugh, embraced her and said soothingly: “Of course I don’t doubt you. If one day you were to turn against me and even wish for my death, it would certainly be because I did something to wrong you. Even if I were to die by your hand, I would accept it willingly.”
Wang Yanqing frowned more and gave him a gentle elbow jab: “What are you talking about? Don’t say such ominous things.”
“Alright, we won’t talk about it.” Lu Heng said, tightening his embrace and pressing his chin against Wang Yanqing’s head. However, there was an indescribable gloom in his eyes.
Lu Heng had never been anxious before, but recently, he often felt fearful. He held Wang Yanqing even closer on this quiet and chilly autumn night, needing to assure himself of her presence: “Qing Qing, you haven’t objected, so you’re willing to become my wife, right?”
Wang Yanqing wondered what was wrong with this person. She had already tacitly accepted, yet he kept asking over and over. As a woman, what else could she say?
Wang Yanqing, feeling a bit embarrassed to admit it, purposely made a dismissive sound and feigned indifference: “It’s still far off. We’ll talk about it when the time comes. How did you come to suspect Jian Yun?”
Wang Yanqing’s voice carried an obvious hint of coquitishness, but upon hearing it, Lu Heng felt a pang of anxiety. He pushed aside the distracting and almost overwhelming thoughts: “I sensed something was off before. The timing of Han Wenyuan’s fainting was just too coincidental. From the way Chang Tinglan looked, it didn’t seem like she had the brains to drug Han Wenyuan and use Ji Huan to commit murder. So, it must have been that Han Wenyuan was weakened and emotionally agitated after a fight with Chang Tinglan and fainted after being pushed. Han Wenyuan wouldn’t have eaten anything Ji Huan gave him. Additionally, if Ji Huan had already poisoned him, there wouldn’t have been a need to throw him into the river. Therefore, the poisoner could only be from Han Wenyuan’s own family, like his wife, who managed the household and cooked for him every day.”
“So how can you be sure it’s her?”
“The atmosphere in her home.” Lu Heng said, “When I first entered the room, I immediately felt that this wasn’t the room of a typical young lady. The furniture was neatly arranged, and items were categorized, with each thing placed in the shortest path of action. This couldn’t be a coincidence. The more I thought about it, the more doubts I had, so I asked you to check the wardrobe. Sure enough, everything in the Han household had passed through Jian Yun’s hands, including Han Wenyuan’s clothes. Among them, the clothes and handkerchiefs were stored separately. The handkerchiefs, being small items, were kept in the wardrobe compartments, while the outer garments and robes were stacked beneath the cabinet.”
Wang Yanqing didn’t immediately understand Lu Heng’s point: “Isn’t that just the normal way to fold clothes?”
“Yes.” Lu Heng said: “If that’s the case, then why is there a woman’s handkerchief in the inner pocket of Han Wenyuan’s clothes?”
Wang Yanqing was taken aback for a moment before a sudden realization struck her: “You mean, Jian Yun deliberately put it there to frame Chang Tinglan?”
After figuring this out, many clues fell into place. The clothes Han Wenyuan was wearing were newly changed. Given Jian Yun’s meticulous nature, she would surely have noticed the handkerchief in his clothes. If Han Wenyuan had deliberately carried Chang Tinglan’s handkerchief to please his lover, it would have been placed somewhere easily accessible, not stored in a hidden pocket.
The only explanation that fits all these contradictions is that Jian Yun deliberately placed the handkerchief in Han Wenyuan’s clothes. If Han Wenyuan died, the handkerchief’s owner, Chang Tinglan, would be suspected by the authorities. In this way, Chang Tinglan’s affair and her acquisition of the poison would be exposed.
Jian Yun could eliminate both Han Wenyuan and Chang Tinglan without direct conflict, and she and Ji Huan could be together openly.
The only unexpected factor was that Ji Huan also had murderous intentions, secretly trailing Chang Tinglan and even throwing Han Wenyuan into the river. Jian Yun’s seemingly perfect murder plan was instead disrupted.
Wang Yanqing admired this and sighed: “Amazing. I even felt sorry for her, thinking she was wronged by her cousin, alone and pitiable. It turns out that I am the one who should be pitied.”
“Not at all.” Lu Heng tightened his embrace around Wang Yanqing and said, “You only lack the desire to harm others. Qing Qing, you are the best woman in the world.”
In response to his sweet words, Wang Yanqing smiled and playfully gave him a reproachful glance: “Since you’ve already figured it out, why didn’t you arrest her earlier?”
Lu Heng nodded: “That’s a very good question. Now, let’s return to the initial issue. What was Ji Huan hiding?”
Wang Yanqing was astonished: “Wasn’t it that Jian Yun committed the murder?”
“No.” Lu Heng said with a light laugh, his voice filled with disdain, “With his intelligence, he wouldn’t even know what Jian Yun was up to.”
Wang Yanqing blinked, suddenly understanding why Lu Heng had stayed in the South Fusi tonight: “Did you send someone to watch over Jian Yun?”
“Not watch over but watch.” Lu Heng said. “The Chief Office of Imperial Guards is responsible for patrolling, capturing, and maintaining order. That is my duty.”
“So, you suspect that the original manuscript of The Biography of Heroes is with Jian Yun?”
Lu Heng did not deny it and nodded: “It’s almost certain to be with her. If I were her, I would definitely try to destroy the evidence before it came to light. So why bother looking for it, wouldn’t it be better to wait for her to bring it out herself?”
|| Author’s Note:
Lu Heng: “Alright, today’s presentation has ended. You may start praising me now.”
***
Since the beginning of this text, I have personally witnessed the change in how the comments refer to Lu Heng: from Lu Dog – Lord Lu – Old Lu – Brother Lu – Little Lu – Lu Cub.
Hahaha, congratulations to Lu Heng for achieving a cross-species and reverse-age leap.
Lou Heng is almost jinxing himself with his comments.