Hearing Ying Xun’s words, Ming Shu hurriedly followed him into the Wei mansion. Judging by Ying Xun’s demeanor, he must have made a significant discovery yesterday. Ming Shu wanted to ask him about it, but before she could even form the words, Ying Xun coldly stated: “I’m letting you come in, but you’re not allowed to speak or ask questions.”
“…” Ming Shu closed her mouth again.
As they walked through the mansion under the strange gazes of the servants, Ying Xun suddenly asked: “Why did you say there was something wrong with Du Wen Hui?”
Ming Shu pressed her lips together and shook her head—hadn’t he forbidden her to speak?
“You can speak when I ask you questions,” Ying Xun gave her a cold glare.
Ming Shu immediately shared her deductions from the previous night with Ying Xun, and finally managed to squeeze in a question: “So what did you discover?” After asking, she quickly closed her mouth again under his gaze.
“Yesterday, I questioned the doctor who treated the Wei family and the midwife who assisted with the births,” Ying Xun didn’t make things difficult for her this time, answering her question as they walked.
After leaving Jing Kang District yesterday, he had gone to question the doctor who had been treating the Wei family for years. Wei Xian was someone who trusted his people completely, and that doctor was a former Imperial physician surnamed Li who had been treating the Wei family for over ten years without ever being replaced. Although the doctor was typically tight-lipped and trustworthy, he couldn’t withstand Ying Xun’s interrogation, and since Wei Xian was already dead, he revealed everything.
“Wei Xian had a hereditary condition, passed down from his ancestors, that prevented him from having healthy children,” Ying Xun spoke directly, completely disregarding that Ming Shu was a young woman. “His firstborn with Du Wen Hui was born mentally impaired. At that time, he didn’t know the root cause, and to continue his family line, he took two concubines—one was Huang Xing Zhi and the other was surnamed You. These two concubines became pregnant around the same time, and Doctor Li confirmed both pregnancies were progressing normally.”
The pulse diagnoses showed no problems, and both Huang and You carried their pregnancies steadily. Everything had been going smoothly, with their due dates close together. Madam You went into labor first, and Doctor Li was called to the Wei mansion to oversee the birth.
The delivery process wasn’t particularly difficult, and Madam You quickly gave birth to a male child. However, this baby was deformed and died within two hours of birth. Wei Xian flew into a rage and had Madam You locked in her room without food or water. Huang Xing Zhi, who lived in the same courtyard as Madam You, was so frightened by this that she went into premature labor. Doctor Li and the midwife hadn’t even left the Wei mansion when they were called to assist with Huang Xing Zhi’s delivery.
However, shockingly, the child Huang Xing Zhi delivered was also deformed. After the three children all showed problems, Wei Xian could no longer remain calm. Besides his fury, he was also terrified and demanded answers from Doctor Li. The doctor spent the night researching Wei Xian’s family history going back three generations and finally discovered similar records in the Wei family ancestry. The condition wasn’t from the women’s side but from the Wei family, and this condition had about a fifty percent chance of being inherited—which was why Wei Chao had escaped it, but Wei Xian hadn’t.
Therefore, after that, Wei Xian never took another concubine nor tried to have more children.
“Then… what about the two concubines and their children?” Ming Shu couldn’t help but ask.
“The doctor only handled diagnosing Wei Xian’s condition. After the births, he wasn’t involved anymore and doesn’t know what happened afterward, but the midwife…” Ying Xun paused when mentioning this, turning to look at Ming Shu—she showed no particular reaction, very unlike a typical young lady.
“The midwife witnessed Wei Xian, in his fury, personally kill Huang Xing Zhi’s child by throwing it.”
Although the child was born with deformities, it had a strong cry and showed no signs of being close to death, yet it died at its own father’s hands.
“…” Ming Shu finally halted her steps upon hearing this.
“Afterward, Wei Xian gave the doctor and midwife a large sum of money to keep the Wei family’s secret. He privately threatened the midwife’s family to ensure her silence, which is why these matters never spread through the neighborhood. Additionally, according to the midwife, someone from the Wei household had visited her last summer to ask about these events. Based on the midwife’s description, it was undoubtedly Lu Chun Lian.” Ying Xun finished speaking before noticing Ming Shu had fallen two steps behind, so he turned back, “Are you alright?”
Ming Shu quickly caught up, taking two deep breaths: “I’m fine.” Disregarding Ying Xun’s earlier warning, she continued, “If Wei Xian could kill his child, he probably wouldn’t have shown any mercy to the two concubines either.”
Ying Xun nodded: “That’s why I’m here to question Du Wen Hui.”
As Wei Xian’s primary wife, Du Wen Hui must know something about the deaths of the two concubines, and Mama Lu’s suspiciousness was increasing. Therefore, Ying Xun had brought people this time firstly to question Du Wen Hui about this matter, and secondly to take Mama Lu back to the Kaifeng Prefecture office for further questioning, but unexpectedly, Lu Chun Lian had already left.
Now, before finding Lu Chun Lian, he could only question Du Wen Hui first.
Ming Shu followed Ying Xun to the flower hall where Du Wen Hui was already waiting, with two rarely-seen maids standing beside her. Ying Xun greeted them at the door and brought Ming Shu in. The two maids were dismissed, which showed Ming Shu’s usefulness—with her present, he as a man could question Du Wen Hui with fewer concerns.
“Madam Wei.” After paying her respects, Ming Shu obediently retreated to the side, standing quietly while secretly observing Du Wen Hui.
Du Wen Hui still appeared frail and pale, sitting nervously with trembling hands holding a tea cup that made slight clinking sounds. Seeing Ying Xun enter, she shakily placed the cup on the table and forced herself to look up at him.
“Officer Ying, what… what crime has Mama Lu committed?” Du Wen Hui had already heard something.
Ying Xun didn’t immediately answer, only fixing Du Wen Hui with an eagle-like piercing gaze. Du Wen Hui was just a sheltered woman who had been confined by Wei Xian for many years, her will be worn as thin as paper. Now, with Mama Lu—her only advisor—gone, she was completely at a loss. Unable to withstand Ying Xun’s stare, she lowered her head trembling and spoke before he could even ask: “I… I don’t know anything… don’t know, don’t ask me, please don’t ask me.”
“I’m not here to ask about Lu Chun Lian,” Ying Xun finally spoke, cold and mercilessly, showing no pity for Du Wen Hui’s fragile state. “I’m here to investigate the deaths of Wei Xian’s two concubines. If madam knows anything about this, please tell us truthfully.”
At the mention of the concubines, Du Wen Hui’s condition didn’t improve. Instead, she shrank further into her chair and reached for the teacup again. She was trying to stay calm, but her increasingly trembling hands betrayed her nearly out-of-control emotions.
“The concubines… Madam Huang and Madam You died almost ten years ago, because of… because of difficult childbirth…”
“Difficult childbirth? Wasn’t it due to postpartum complications?” Ying Xun asked.
“Yes, that too—one difficult birth, one complication.”
“Which one had the difficult birth? Which one had complications?”
“Madam Huang had a difficult birth, Madam You had complications.”
“That’s not right. I heard Madam You had complications and Madam Huang died of an epidemic. Has madam forgotten?” Ying Xun’s voice grew sharper, his tone more urgent.
Du Wen Hui trembled even more violently: “I must have remembered wrong. Madam You had complications, Madam Huang died of illness.”
“What about the two children they bore?”
“They died shortly after birth.”
“Such a coincidence? Both died at the same time?” Ying Xun continued questioning.
“Yes…” Du Wen Hui kept her head down, not daring to meet his eyes.
Ying Xun stepped forward, his dark shadow falling over her: “You’re lying! We’ve already discovered that Huang Xing Zhi’s child died at your husband Wei Xian’s hands!”
Bang—
The porcelain cup in Du Wen Hui’s hands fell to the ground, shattering.
Ying Xun pressed on: “You’re speaking nonsense—were you there at the time? What are you trying to hide?”
Du Wen Hui stared at the ground, suddenly falling silent, only wrapping her arms around herself.
“We now suspect these two concubines died unnaturally. You may choose not to speak, but I will have the coroner exhume their bodies for examination! If they die by violence, the bones will show evidence. Then, madam can explain everything in front of their remains.” Ying Xun didn’t relent because of Du Wen Hui’s fear; instead, he pressed harder.
Du Wen Hui let out a sharp cry, hugging her head and curling up in her chair, breaking down: “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me…”
The maids guarding outside heard the cry and pushed the door open, alarmed: “Madam?!”
“Go fetch some tea for your madam.” Ming Shu finally spoke to instruct the maids.
While the maid was pouring tea, she exchanged a look with Ying Xun, then quickly walked to Du Wen Hui’s side, half-crouching beside her chair, gently rubbing her back while speaking softly: “Don’t be afraid, Madam. I know it wasn’t you. All these years, you’ve suffered so much, living alongside a wolf. Now the beast is dead, you don’t need to keep these secrets alone anymore. Speaking out will bring you some relief.”
Du Wen Hui still held her head in her hands, only letting out two sobs.
A moment later, when the maid brought the tea, Ming Shu patted Du Wen Hui’s back again and said: “Madam, have some tea.”
Du Wen Hui slowly raised her head but instead of taking the tea, she suddenly grabbed Ming Shu’s waist, crying: “It was him who did it, he wasn’t human, not human… he was a beast!”
“Who is madam speaking of?” Ming Shu quickly put down the tea and held her, asking gently.
“Wei Xian! Wei Xian was a beast, a monster! I shouldn’t have ignored my parents’ advice and friends’ warnings to marry this bastard… Twenty years… I’ve lived in hell every single day. Why did I listen to his sweet words, why did I believe his cruel mockery? Imprisoned in the back courtyard, subjected to his abuse!” Du Wen Hui sobbed uncontrollably.
As her emotions broke down, Ying Xun stopped pressing her, listening as Ming Shu consoled her.
“Yes, Wei Xian was a terrible person. These twenty years have been so hard on you.” Ming Shu sighed.
Even though she already knew what kind of person Wei Xian was, hearing Du Wen Hui’s crying still made Ming Shu’s heartache.
“I married him at eighteen, truly believing he was someone I could spend my life with! Although he had many problems, I was blinded by love and believed this wolf’s words. When he said he loved me, I was happy; when he said he didn’t like me interacting with others, I cut off all connections; when he said I was stupid and no one else would love me, that following him was my only choice, I defied my family to be with him; when he said I was worthless and only he would care for me, that I could only rely on him, for all these years, I obediently followed his words… However… when he was happy, he treated me well, but when he was upset, he became a terrifying demon… Do you know? I wasn’t afraid of him beating me, I got used to those injuries… I just wanted him to shut up, I didn’t want to hear those words…”
Du Wen Hui spoke incoherently as if using this opportunity to release twenty years of unbearable pain.
Ming Shu could no longer find words of comfort, only clenching her fists. Words were too weak to console Du Wen Hui’s inner pain.
After she calmed down somewhat, Ming Shu placed the tea in her hands: “Madam, Wei Xian is dead. No one can hurt you anymore.”
Du Wen Hui’s eyes were red from crying, and her vision blurred, as if she still couldn’t believe Wei Xian was truly dead: “Dead? He just died like that?”
“Yes, dead.”
“Oh, right, he’s dead, finally dead, that’s good.” Du Wen Hui absorbed the warmth from the hot tea in her hands, gradually calming down. “He should have died long ago. He killed his flesh and blood, he wasn’t human at all. That day… I was in the room too. He didn’t just kill the child, he also strangled Huang Xing Zhi and later starved You Cui Xin to death. I knew everything, but I couldn’t say anything… All these years, he went to great lengths to monitor and imprison me, not just for his sick obsessions, but also fearing I would reveal these secrets. It’s laughable that he would still whisper love to me every night…”
As the memories surfaced, her face grew increasingly pale. Witnessing the murders had given her nightmares for years.
Ming Shu saw her digging her fingernails into her arm as she spoke and gently covered her hand: “Madam…”
“He’s dead, I don’t need to be afraid anymore, right?” Du Wen Hui suddenly smiled at her.
“Yes, no need to be afraid anymore.” Ming Shu comforted her.
“When did you learn about the relationship between Mama Lu and Huang Xing Zhi?” Ying Xun spoke up again.
“What relationship? I don’t know… I only know Mama Lu is a good person. Although she was sent by Wei Xian to monitor me, she’s a good person…” Du Wen Hui replied.
“On the night Wei Xian died, did Lu Chun Lian leave your room?” Ying Xun asked the key question about the case.
Du Wen Hui lowered her head and took two sips of tea before looking up again, answering expressionlessly: “Mama Lu is a good person. That night, she was with me, stayed with me the whole time!”
Though frightened, she spoke with absolute certainty.
“Madam, giving false testimony is a crime,” Ming Shu gently advised.
Du Wen Hui still shook her head, only repeating the same words: “She is a good person.”
Seeing Du Wen Hui stick to her testimony, no longer breaking down as before, Ying Xun had no choice but to lead Ming Shu out.
“What do you think?” he asked Ming Shu.
“Such insistence, leaving no room for doubt—it’s even more suspicious,” Ming Shu replied.
Ying Xun nodded, but with Du Wen Hui refusing to talk, they had no choice but to focus on finding Lu Chun Lian first.
“Brother Ying.”
It was nearly noon when the officers sent to search for Lu Chun Lian returned to report.
“The city gate guards haven’t seen Lu Chun Lian leave the city. We’ve also watched the gates for half a day but found no trace of her,” the officer reported.
“Could she still be in the city? But she has no other residence here, and if she committed murder, she should have fled very early. Why would she stay in the city?” Ying Xun frowned.
Ming Shu also pondered.
Where would Mama Lu go?
Unexpectedly, scenes from yesterday in Jing Kang District flashed through her mind.
Her heart skipped a beat as she suddenly said: “I know where she might be. If she entered the Wei household to avenge her daughter, then Wei Xian wasn’t her only enemy…”
There was one more.
“Old Fourth Huang,” they said in unison.