“Third, why did the county magistrate’s office insist it was you who killed Zhang Yourui, rather than thieves?
“Dragging Zhang Yourui’s body into the courtyard to disguise it as the work of thieves was clever. However, you made a mistake.
“When Zhang Yourui died, his body lay in the yard with feet toward the house and head facing out, the fatal wound on the back of his skull. This indicates the killer struck from behind with a blunt object.
“How could this be possible? If the killer was a burglar, upon seeing the master return, they would either lie low or retreat. Why specifically attack and kill, then leave empty-handed?”
Yang Zhenzhen was stunned. She hadn’t realized there were so many flaws in their plan.
Xu Qi An’s words had a powerful impact on her, making her feel as if all her actions were exposed in broad daylight, with nowhere to hide.
Panic nearly overwhelmed her.
“Nothing to say? Zhang Xian had nothing to say either, so he informed you. He also claimed you shamelessly seduced him. He didn’t want to continue the entanglement, but you threatened him with the child in your womb, forcing him. That night, you took advantage of the chaos to kill Zhang Yourui.
“Zhang Xian portrays himself as an innocent victim. Knowing there were too many flaws to escape, he confessed to the magistrate, offering five hundred taels of silver to shift the blame onto you, making you solely bear the crime of murdering your husband.”
As Yang Zhenzhen listened, she grew increasingly frightened, her expression becoming more desperate. Upon learning Zhang Xian had betrayed her, her pretty face turned deathly pale.
“You know Zhang Xian’s character best,” Xu Qi An said deliberately.
Xu Qi An didn’t know what kind of person Zhang Xian was, but he didn’t believe such a relationship, based on lust rather than love, could be very stable.
Moreover, Zhang Xian was a wealthy young man with his whole life ahead of him. Why sacrifice everything for one woman?
Yang Zhenzhen was in despair.
“However,” Xu Qi An gently coaxed, “the magistrate is just and righteous. He won’t blindly trust Zhang Xian’s one-sided account. He sent me to question you. If you confess frankly, the magistrate promises to spare you from the death penalty.”
Yang Zhenzhen suddenly raised her head, eyes brimming with tears as if grasping at a lifeline. “Is that true?” she asked pleadingly.
Xu Qi An nodded. “It’s true.”
Seeing Yang Zhenzhen’s resolve finally crumble, Xu Qi An immediately opened the door and called for the clerk waiting outside to record the confession.
With her psychological defenses shattered, Yang Zhenzhen recounted the facts in detail.
She had indeed been intimate with her stepson and was carrying his child. However, contrary to what Xu Qi An had just said, it wasn’t her initiative. The process of her entanglement with Zhang Xian could be summarized in eight words: The stepson persisted, and the stepson took action!
Zhang Xian had long coveted his stepmother’s beauty. Taking advantage of her loneliness while she kept the empty house, he seized every opportunity to make advances.
Yang Zhenzhen yielded half-heartedly.
As the saying goes, the thrill of an affair leads to family ruin. That night, after the incident was discovered, the father and son had a confrontation. Zhang Xian picked up a vase and accidentally killed his father.
To escape punishment, he and Yang Zhenzhen concocted a false testimony, disguising it as a burglary gone wrong.
Unfortunately, being ordinary people rather than professionals, there were too many loopholes in their story. Worse still, they encountered Xu Qi An, an expert in these matters.
After completing the written confession, Xu Qi An and the clerk left the detention room.
The seasoned clerk, who had worked at the county office for over twenty years, was impressed by Xu Qi An’s unorthodox methods. “One must reassess after three days apart. In my half-lifetime at the county office, I’ve never seen anyone interrogate like you did.”
The prisoner’s dilemma is an age-old tactic… only you ancient people find it so surprising, Xu Qi An thought to himself. Aloud, he said modestly, “It’s just a simple trick.”
He had chosen to break through with Yang Zhenzhen because he knew she was unfamiliar with the law. The saying “long hair, short wisdom” aptly describes women of this era.
Earlier, while observing the magistrate’s questioning, Xu Qi An had noticed Yang Zhenzhen’s weak and indecisive nature.
Thus, he came up with this idea.
He had lied to Yang Zhenzhen earlier. According to Da Feng dynasty law, for adultery and murdering one’s husband, a woman would be executed by lingchi (death by a thousand cuts), while her lover would be beheaded publicly. There was no possibility of escaping the death penalty.
In this case, Zhang Xian was guilty of murder-patricide, which also carried the punishment of Lingchi. Xu Qi An had no opinion on how such a beast who killed his father should die, but he felt Yang Zhenzhen was an accomplice and didn’t deserve death.
This conflicted with the legal perspective he had developed in his previous life.
“Every era has its own rules. Adapting to the prevailing trends is the way to survive,” Xu Qi An told himself.
Confronted with Yang Zhenzhen’s confession, Zhang Xian was caught off guard. Unable to deny it any longer, he despairingly confessed.
Xu Qi An took both confessions to the inner hall.
Magistrate Zhu was holding a teacup in his left hand and a scroll in his right, reading intently. Seeing Xu Qi An enter, he put down both the scroll and the tea. “How did it go?”
Xu Qi An placed the two confessions on the table. “I didn’t disappoint you, sir.”
Magistrate Zhu immediately grabbed the confessions, shook out the papers, and read them carefully. Then he slammed the table in anger. “Wretches! Absolute wretches!”
Old Zhu felt his scholarly values were being challenged.
After his outburst of anger, he looked at Xu Qi An again, his impression of the young man improving greatly.
“Ning Yan, I’ll record this as a merit for you. Well done.”
“It’s all thanks to your guidance, sir. I’ve merely picked up some trivial skills through observation,” Xu Qi An flattered him.
Magistrate Zhu was greatly pleased.
…
At dusk, when work ended, Chief Constable Wang announced he would treat everyone to drinks, taking the eight members of the rapid-response team to a tavern.
With the silver standard keeping prices stable, one qian of silver could buy a sumptuous dinner at a grand restaurant, let alone a tavern.
Due to his ingenious deduction and even more impressive interrogation, Xu Qi An became the center of attention. Even Chief Constable Wang asked him about his questioning techniques.
“That woman has a weak character and can’t handle intimidation. It’s nothing special,” Xu Qi An said, like an old hand, never boasting about himself or distancing himself from the group. But Chief Wang and his colleagues found it fascinating, feeling as if a new world had opened up to them.
They eagerly toasted Xu Qi An.
After several rounds of drinks, the conversation among the men inevitably turned to brothels and similar establishments.
On this topic, Chief Wang took center stage. He patted Xu Qi An’s shoulder and said, “Ning Yan, I’ll take you to a brothel today to have some fun and lose your innocence.”
Everyone laughed suggestively, knowing Xu Qi An was still a virgin.
“Chief, are you treating?” Xu Qi An asked.
“That would cost several qian of silver,” Chief Wang refused.
If he’s not paying… Xu Qi An said solemnly, “I’m not that kind of person.”
If I lose my virginity, I’ll never reach the Qi Refining realm in this lifetime, he thought to himself.
Speaking of brothels, this traditional culture contained profound knowledge. Xu Qi An listened attentively, summarizing in his mind:
Brothels catered to common people… while high-class courtesans served wealthy merchants and nobles… This is no different from massage parlors and exclusive clubs.
In the Da Feng dynasty, when discussing brothel culture, one couldn’t ignore the Imperial Music Bureau.
“The women at the Imperial Music Bureau are truly beautiful,” Chief Wang sighed. “They’re all family members of convicted officials, each with delicate skin that water would ooze out if you pinched it.
“At the beginning of the year, I went there with the Deputy Magistrate. I was fortunate enough to see Miss Fuxiang, a vision of beauty…” Chief Wang’s face showed an expression of amazement.
“Who is Miss Fuxiang?” Little Li asked. “Chief, did you sleep with her?”
“Fuxiang is the top courtesan of the Imperial Music Bureau. If she hadn’t already had a client that night, I would have slept with her,” Chief Wang bragged shamelessly.
“How much silver for one night?” Xu Qi An’s interest was piqued.
“Thirty taels.”
Xu Qi An handed him some peanuts. “Chief, have some peanuts. You seem quite drunk.”
This is highway robbery… With thirty taels of silver, you could buy several young women to keep at home… Tsk, from ancient times to now, the only unchanging human flaw is inflating prices!
One would have to be out of their mind to sleep with a top courtesan at the Imperial Music Bureau.