Old Wang had already been pulled up and lay on the ground beside the dry well. Some Jinlin Guards surrounded the area, all saluting when they saw Cheng Maoming.
Cheng Maoming walked straight over with a somber face and crouched down to examine Old Wang’s corpse.
Old Wang appeared to have no obvious external injuries. The skin exposed outside showed some scrapes, likely caused when falling into the well.
Suddenly inspired, he used his handkerchief to grasp Old Wang’s wrist.
Having been dead for some time, the other’s hand had already turned purple. The fingernails were intact, showing no crescent-shaped purple marks.
He had overthought it.
This thought had barely formed when his gaze fell on a section of arm exposed as Old Wang’s sleeve slipped down.
There were clearly several crescent-shaped spots.
Cheng Maoming stood up, casually tossed the handkerchief on the ground, and glanced at Qi Shuo.
Old Wang had also died from the rare poison called Purple Faith.
“Summon the coroner to carefully examine Old Wang’s cause of death.”
With many people present and loose tongues, Cheng Maoming didn’t mention Old Wang dying from poisoning. Instead, he asked a trusted subordinate: “The last person to see Old Wang yesterday—did you get anything out of him?”
The confidant shook his head: “Even after severe interrogation, he didn’t confess anything useful. This subordinate believes he may truly not know.”
Cheng Maoming frowned slightly and said coldly: “Continue investigating. See if any clues were overlooked.”
“Yes.”
Zhao Helin walked over: “I heard Old Wang who guards the torture implements is dead?”
Cheng Maoming glanced at him sideways, his tone indifferent: “Only heard?”
“What does the Grand Commander mean by this?”
“My meaning is that Deputy Commander Zhao shouldn’t merely hear about it, but should also help share my burdens and quickly find out who the mole in the Jinlin Guard is.”
Zhao Helin’s eyes flickered, his expression unchanging: “Sharing the Grand Commander’s burdens is this subordinate’s duty.”
Cheng Maoming twitched the corner of his mouth, saying word by word: “If everyone could think like Deputy Commander Zhao, I would be much more relaxed.”
The tension between the two made the Jinlin Guards present dare not make a sound. Only after Cheng Maoming took his leave first did they feel their breathing become much easier.
Zhao Helin spoke very sternly to the hastily arriving coroner: “Investigate thoroughly. If you can’t find anything, you’ll suffer for it!”
With the arranged assassination having failed, Zhao Helin’s mood was extremely foul, his heart as taut as walking along a cliff’s edge.
At this point, his only confidence lay with the Crown Prince.
If Cheng Maoming moved against him, it would mean opposing the Crown Prince. He’d like to see if the other had such courage.
Cheng Maoming personally saw Qi Shuo and Cheng Shu to the office entrance, his attitude quite warm: “I can’t spare time recently. Once matters are investigated thoroughly, the Heir and Young Master Cheng must do me the honor of drinking together.”
“No problem.” Cheng Shu agreed readily.
Qi Shuo nodded without saying much.
When walking back, the streets were bustling. The coming and going pedestrians showed more liveliness on their faces compared to those who had hurried along before daybreak.
Passing that alley, Cheng Shu rubbed his arm through his clothes and sighed: “From now on, I won’t dare take shortcuts. You don’t even know how eerie the scene was then. I was walking with my lantern when I suddenly noticed one side of the wall seemed to bulge out. While wondering about it, that bulge moved—it was like encountering a ghost!”
Qi Shuo nodded with complete seriousness: “Indeed frightening.”
“Heir—” Cheng Shu held back, then couldn’t resist complaining. “Every time you respond this earnestly, I feel like you’re speaking sarcastically.”
Making him appear particularly stupid.
Qi Shuo fell into silence.
Was he that kind of person?
Fortunately, Cheng Shu wasn’t truly bothered. After complaining, he asked the doubt he’d had no time to voice: “Heir, where was your man hiding?”
Qi Shuo smiled and looked at his subordinate: “Tell Young Master Cheng where you were concealed.”
“This subordinate was hanging on the wall, the other side of it.”
Cheng Shu was greatly shocked and decided not to discuss such a depressing topic anymore: “That Deputy Commander Zhao—could he be the mole?”
“Should be.”
“Then why doesn’t Grand Commander Cheng arrest him!”
Seeing Qi Shuo adopt an earnest expression, Cheng Shu quickly said: “Heir, we’re just chatting casually. Don’t be too serious.”
Qi Shuo chuckled lightly: “Perhaps because arresting someone requires evidence.”
Cheng Shu: “…”
No more talking!
On Cheng Maoming’s side, he personally interrogated the black-clad man who assassinated Cheng Shu. Before deploying too many methods, the black-clad man confessed.
He was doing a job for money. The person who paid was called Yang Wu, the leader of a group of idlers.
The Jinlin Guard immediately mobilized to apprehend him. Yang Wu wasn’t found, but they brought back a group of idlers.
The idlers who normally swaggered around entered the Jinlin Guard like frost-bitten eggplants, completely wilted. Some even wet their pants in fright.
Cheng Maoming didn’t even question such people, directly having subordinates beat them and drag them out.
This rabble had not a shred of resistance. Before torture implements were even brought out, they revealed everything, even matters like Yang Wu having a birthmark on his buttocks.
Cheng Maoming sat to one side listening to his subordinates’ interrogation. The more he heard, the darker his expression became.
What utter nonsense!
With one look, several idlers all received the whip.
“If you can’t say anything useful, none of you can leave,” the Jinlin Guard conducting the interrogation said coldly.
The several idlers thought hard. One of them suddenly glanced at Cheng Maoming, shuddered, and shrank back.
Cheng Maoming stood up and strode before that idler.
“What do you want to say?”
The idler’s face was white as paper. He shook his head vigorously: “Nothing, nothing at all!”
Cheng Maoming glanced at his subordinate.
The Jinlin Guard walked over carrying the whip.
“I’ll talk, I’ll talk!” The idler looked at his companions, his face showing fear. “If this commoner speaks, sir, you mustn’t get angry.”
Cheng Maoming’s expression grew even colder.
The idler gritted his teeth: “Yang Wu also knows people like you, sir!”
“Outrageous!”
The Jinlin Guard raised his whip but was stopped by Cheng Maoming: “Explain clearly. What do you mean ‘like me’?”
The idler was frightened into a sweat, his speech becoming stuttered: “J-just, just people like you, sir, from the Jinlin Guard…”
Cheng Maoming, seeing he was quite frightened, said gently: “Give him hot water to drink.”
Seeing his companion’s treatment significantly improve, another idler spoke up: “This commoner also saw him. That person wore Jinlin Guard clothing and looked quite imposing.”
“When did you see this?”
“Last year. This commoner and Ma Liu—” The idler pointed at the companion drinking hot water. “We saw it together.”
“How did Yang Wu address that person?”
The two idlers looked at each other. One hesitated: “Seemed to call him… Lord Zhao…”
A flash of joy passed through Cheng Maoming’s eyes, though his expression didn’t change: “Can you still remember that Lord Zhao’s appearance?”
After hearing their halting, stuttering description, Cheng Maoming coldly ordered: “Request Deputy Commander Zhao’s presence.”
Receiving word, Zhao Helin went silently to the interrogation room.
As soon as Zhao Helin entered, Cheng Maoming gave the two idlers no time to consider, immediately asking: “Is it him?”
The two idlers spoke in unison: “It’s him!”
Cheng Maoming looked over coldly.
Zhao Helin showed a confused expression: “Grand Commander, why have you summoned this subordinate?”
