When Yang’s father heard Yu Jin’s words, he immediately protested: “My son didn’t do it!”
He knew Yang Shengcai too well—hearing this, he knew it was exactly the kind of thing his son would do. However, with his son already dead, he absolutely wouldn’t allow this disgrace to taint his son’s name.
Yu Jin chuckled: “Why is Master Yang so quick to deny? I never said it was your son who did it.”
Only then did Yang’s father realize that Yu Jin had only mentioned a pair of hands, without specifying whose they were.
“So, Your Highness didn’t see who it was?” Prefect Zhen had assumed Yang Shengcai and the others were just a group of idle friends hanging out together, not suspecting such intrigue.
Yu Jin smiled sweetly: “I didn’t see. However, there were only a few people on the pleasure boat at the time. Though Young Master Yang unfortunately drowned, the others are still quite well. Wouldn’t Prefect Zhen know who those hands belonged to just by asking them?”
He had figured it out—the Minister of Rites’ household had developed a hatred for Jiang Zhan.
How amusing—Yang Shengcai was the perpetrator and Cui Yi’s group were accomplices, yet they directed their hatred at the victim.
Of course, the Minister of Rites’ household wasn’t entirely wrong in their hatred, since Si was the one who had killed Yang Shengcai. But to hate Jiang Zhan without knowing the truth was pure bullying.
Yu Jin was protective of his own. Though he constantly despaired of Jiang Zhan’s intelligence, he couldn’t stand seeing others act so arrogantly toward him.
Since that was the case, he would stir things up a bit and see how Yang Shengcai’s three good brothers would choose.
Yu Jin knew exactly how the three would choose: one person was dead, and the other three were still alive. Moreover, Yang Shengcai was the one who had acted—why would they take the blame themselves rather than tell the truth?
That was impossible.
And for a household like the Minister of Rites that even blamed the victim, they would surely harbor resentment toward the other three families who identified Yang Shengcai’s crimes. By then, they would naturally ignore Jiang Zhan. As for whether revealing Jiang Zhan’s connection to Yang Shengcai would make Prefect Zhen suspicious of Jiang Si, Yu Jin was confident it wouldn’t.
Jiang Zhan had been tricked onto the boat, believing himself to be on good terms with Yang Shengcai at the time, so he couldn’t possibly have arranged the killer. Moreover, the massive fire had burned away all traces left by everyone on the pleasure boat.
Prefect Zhen immediately ordered someone to summon Cui Yi and the others.
Cui Yi arrived first.
Prefect Zhen addressed Yang’s father and Yu Jin: “Please wait here a moment while I ask a few questions.”
When Yang’s father requested to listen in, Yu Jin directly objected: “That wouldn’t be appropriate. What if they’re influenced by Master Yang’s presence?”
Yang’s father insisted: “This concerns my son. I have the right to know the situation.”
“How about this—you can both listen from behind the screen,” Prefect Zhen offered a compromise.
Yang’s father’s arrogance was selective. Now facing both the Emperor’s favored Prefect of Shuntian and the newly appointed Prince of Yan, he naturally couldn’t insist on his way and reluctantly agreed.
Prefect Zhen winked at Yu Jin, signaling him to keep watch over the man.
Yu Jin understood, nodding imperceptibly.
Soon both men were hidden behind the screen, listening to Prefect Zhen’s conversation with Cui Yi.
Cui Yi didn’t fear Prefect Zhen, considering a mere Prefect of Shuntian far beneath his parents.
“What does Prefect Zhen want with me this time?”
“There’s a situation I need to understand better.”
Cui Yi showed clear impatience: “Prefect Zhen, why aren’t you busy finding the arsonist instead of constantly focusing on me?”
Perhaps he was so bold because his mother was away from the capital for the summer.
Cui Yi knew his mother Princess Rongyang’s temperament well. If she were home and learned of his night excursion and fall into the Jin River, she would certainly whip him. But the Shuntian Prefecture wouldn’t even have gotten him to come. Unlike his father—
Cui Yi’s lips twitched thinking of General Cui.
He had come this time under his father’s pressure. In his father’s words: clean up your mess, don’t bother me with it.
“East Peace Marquis’s Second Son Jiang Zhan was pushed into the water, wasn’t he?” Prefect Zhen suddenly asked, ignoring Cui Yi’s attitude.
The question was so abrupt that Cui Yi, caught off guard, visibly changed expression.
Prefect Zhen watched Cui Yi’s every expression intently, following up with another shocking statement: “Someone saw you push Jiang Zhan in!”
“Nonsense!” Cui Yi nearly jumped up, blurting out, “Yang Shengcai pushed him—is that person blind?”
Behind the screen, Yang’s father could no longer contain himself and was about to denounce Cui Yi’s wild claims when Yu Jin swiftly covered his mouth.
Unable to speak, Yang’s father glared fiercely at Yu Jin, his eyes blazing.
Yu Jin leaned close to his ear and whispered: “Master Yang had better listen patiently, or I’ll knock you unconscious.”
Yang’s father’s eyes widened further, his face twitching with rage.
How dare the Prince of Yan treat him this way? He was the Crown Prince’s father-in-law—even the Emperor would show him some courtesy!
He would report this to the Emperor later!
Outside the screen, Prefect Zhen stroked his beard methodically, nodding with satisfaction.
He had known these youngsters were far inferior to his son—one sentence had tricked out the truth.
Such transparent minds, indeed.
Prefect Zhen was quite pleased with Cui Yi’s performance but maintained a neutral expression: “It seems that person was mistaken. In that case, Young Master Cui, please explain in detail the circumstances you previously concealed, to clear yourself of suspicion completely.”
Cui Yi hesitated, his eyes darting around.
Prefect Zhen showed understanding: “Don’t worry, Young Master Cui. This isn’t the court, and there are no outsiders here. Besides, I’ve already questioned your two friends.”
Behind the screen, Yu Jin unsurprisingly curved his lips in a smile, while Yang’s father rolled his eyes in fury.
He would report to the Emperor, not only about the Prince of Yan’s disrespect but also about how the supposedly dignified Prefect of Shuntian spread such lies.
Human minds are strange—what one hesitates to do becomes easier when hearing others have already spoken, especially when believing no one else will know.
Cui Yi soon spoke: “Yang Shengcai had his eye on Jiang Zhan, and since I had previous conflicts with Jiang Zhan, he used the pretense of reconciling us to invite Jiang Zhan onto the boat for drinks. We all helped get Jiang Zhan drunk to make him easier to handle, but he unexpectedly resisted, and Yang Shengcai got angry and pushed him into the river…”
Prefect Zhen listened expressionlessly, anger flashing in his eyes.
Indeed, malice knows no age—, the younger they are, the more freely they express their cruelty.
It was perfectly natural for such people to face revenge.
After Cui Yi was sent away, the other two youths were questioned in turn.
Prefect Zhen used almost the same tactics to get them to confess honestly, and their stories matched Cui Yi’s.
At this point, there was no longer any doubt that Yang Shengcai had pushed Jiang Zhan into the water.