Jiang Si felt quite pleased with Jiang Zhan’s attitude.
Her elder brother was inherently kind-hearted, eager to make friends of all sorts, and valued loyalty deeply. These were indeed rare and admirable qualities, but he needed to learn to discern true friends from those he should keep at a respectful distance. Not everyone in this world deserved sincere treatment, nor could everyone be forgiven.
Take Yang Shengcai, for instance. When she witnessed him pushing her brother into the river as casually as tossing an empty wine cup out the window, she knew this man was rotten to the core.
With such a person targeting her brother, even if he escaped this time, what about the next? Without the foreknowledge of her previous life, she couldn’t predict when or how her Second Brother’s next calamity would strike. So, disposing of Yang Shengcai seemed the best solution – a permanent fix to the problem.
Jiang Si felt no remorse for personally ending Yang Shengcai’s life. This lifetime was a bonus, after all. If she could ensure her loved ones’ lifelong peace and safety, she wouldn’t regret it even if she went to hell after death.
“Fourth Sister, Second Brother has truly erred. Please help me persuade Father not to be so angry,” Jiang Zhan pleaded.
Jiang Si nodded, “I will. Second Brother, please get up now and eat something. The Capital Prefecture might soon call for you to answer some questions.”
It seemed her Second Brother wouldn’t act recklessly for now. As for whether he’d revert to his old ways later, that remained to be seen.
Come to think of it, she wondered how Yu Qi had “taken care” of Second Brother.
Curious, Jiang Si glanced at Jiang Zhan.
Feeling perplexed by his sister’s gaze, Jiang Zhan scratched his head, “What is it?”
“Nothing, just noticing how pale Second Brother looks. Did you drink too much last night? Perhaps we should call a physician to check on you, just in case there’s any issue with your health—”
“No need!” Jiang Zhan hurriedly interrupted.
Jiang Si looked at him, puzzled.
Suppressing his anxiety, Jiang Zhan patted his chest, “I’m perfectly fine. There’s no need for a physician.”
If Fourth Sister knew that he— Jiang Zhan shuddered violently.
Seeing her brother’s increasingly pale face, Jiang Si grew even more curious.
It seemed Yu Qi had indeed “taken care” of Second Brother quite thoroughly.
“By the way, why would the Capital Prefecture want to question me?” Jiang Zhan quickly changed the subject, fearing further inquiry.
“The survivors from last night said the fire on the pleasure boat was deliberately set by a male entertainer. Now that the son of the Minister of Rites has drowned, the Yang family will surely press the authorities to investigate the arsonist. So, Official Zhen will most likely want to ask Second Brother about last night’s events.”
“I think that arsonist did a public service,” Jiang Zhan remarked, now harboring a deep hatred for Yang Shengcai and feeling immensely grateful towards the unknown male entertainer.
As Jiang Si had predicted, it wasn’t long before someone from the Capital Prefecture arrived, politely requesting Jiang Zhan to come to the yamen.
Since Jiang Zhan was a victim, the officials were quite courteous.
Jiang Ancheng addressed the runner, “I shall accompany my son.”
Father and son arrived at the Capital Prefecture together, but instead of meeting Zhen Shicheng in the main hall, they were received in a pavilion in the back garden.
Zhen Shicheng personally poured a cup of tea and handed it to Jiang Ancheng, “Brother Jiang, it’s truly a cause for celebration that your son is safe and sound.”
In front of others, Jiang Ancheng resumed his normal demeanor. He glared fiercely at Jiang Zhan and said angrily, “This little beast never stops causing trouble. If he hadn’t gone carousing by the Jin Shui River last night, how could such an incident have occurred…”
Zhen Shicheng listened patiently as Jiang Ancheng berated his son, nodding in agreement.
Though his son had a reputation as a jade-like gentleman, it was merely a facade to deceive the world.
Ah, daughters were indeed less troublesome. Take Brother Jiang’s daughter, for instance – not only did she avoid causing problems, but she even helped solve cases.
Zhen Shicheng had already interrogated all the surviving male entertainers and servants from the pleasure boat. Even the boat’s owner was now detained in the yamen, having undergone multiple rounds of questioning.
Yet, despite all the questioning, no one could provide any information about the arsonist.
Zhen Shicheng was almost certain that the male entertainer had come up with a plan, his purpose being revenge.
Logically, investigating a clear motive of revenge shouldn’t be difficult. However, as he delved deeper into the backgrounds of these young profligates, Zhen Shicheng realized just how thorny the situation was.
These young masters had committed numerous evil deeds over the years, managing to live peacefully until now solely due to their privileged backgrounds.
To say nothing else, just one incident left Zhen Shicheng feeling particularly unsettled.
The grandson of the Minister of Rites had a predilection for men. Last year, he took a fancy to a poor scholar and ended up ruining him. However, the scholar was a proud man and, after being defiled, drowned himself in the river.
The poor scholar had only been married for half a year, and his wife had just discovered she was two months pregnant.
When the scholar’s wife brought her husband’s blood-written testament to the Capital Prefecture, she couldn’t even get an audience with the prefect at the time. She was dismissed with a curt “Insufficient evidence, mere speculation.”
The woman, unwilling to give up, went to the Minister of Rites’ residence to seek justice. She was kicked by Yang Shengcai, who happened to be leaving, causing her to miscarry. In the end, she went mad.
The Minister’s household used the money to settle the matter. Not long after, the scholar’s parents arranged marriages for his two brothers. The once-impoverished family held grand weddings, while the insane eldest daughter-in-law didn’t even make an appearance, as if she didn’t exist.
Zhen Shicheng had pieced all this together from the accounts of neighbors and acquaintances. If Yang Shengcai were still alive, trying to convict him based on this would be nothing but a pipe dream.
Zhen Shicheng was an idealistic official, but he was also keenly aware of reality.
The notion that a prince who breaks the law should be punished like a commoner was his dream, but ultimately, it was just a fool’s fantasy.
He only wished to do his utmost to provide justice for the common people as much as possible.
As for Yang Shengcai – remembering that his son had mentioned receiving an invitation from Yang Shengcai not long ago, Zhen Shicheng could only sneer inwardly.
“Young Yu has already told me that he happened to save you last night,” Zhen Shicheng said to Jiang Zhan in a gentle tone.
“This nephew was fortunate,” Jiang Zhan replied.
Thanks to his sister’s influence, he could refer to himself as a nephew even in front of the formidable Capital Prefect.
Realizing this, Jiang Zhan felt a mix of pride and discomfort, silently vowing: One day, he would be the one to bring glory to Fourth Sister, making her proud of him.
“Young Master Jiang, please tell us about last night’s events,” Zhen Shicheng requested.
“This nephew is still quite confused about it all. I had drunk too much at the time,” Jiang Zhan replied, remembering Yu Jin’s advice that when facing a cunning old fox like Zhen Shicheng, saying too much could lead to trouble. To avoid complications, blaming everything on drunkenness was the best approach.
Having gained no useful information, Zhen Shicheng changed tack, “I heard that Young Master Jiang didn’t get along well with the General’s son in the past.”
Jiang Zhan nodded frankly, “That’s right. That’s why Yang Shengcai invited us to drink together, to put those past trivial grudges behind us.”
Zhen Shicheng asked a few more questions, but seeing he couldn’t get any more information, he turned to chat idly with Jiang Ancheng.
Jiang Zhan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Brother Yu Qi was right. Yang Shengcai had pushed him into the river in front of Cui Yi and the others, making them all accomplices. Now that Yang Shengcai was dead, those three wouldn’t reveal the truth about last night unless they were fools.
As they left the Capital Prefecture, Jiang Ancheng paused and said coolly, “Take me to your friend’s house to express our gratitude.”