Zhen Shicheng discreetly withdrew his gaze and addressed the line of Jinwu Guards: “I request that everyone recall any anomalies after the great hall went dark. Starting with the first person, please speak up. Remember, anything you consider unusual can be mentioned, even if you’re mistaken.”
Emperor Jingming spoke up at the opportune moment: “Wang Hai, ensure they cooperate fully with Lord Zhen.”
With the Emperor’s words, beginning with the first Jinwu Guard in line, they all racked their brains to report any irregularities they had noticed.
Zhen Shicheng listened attentively but didn’t discover any valuable information.
Soon, it was Jiang Zhan’s turn.
Jiang Zhan cupped his hands respectfully: “My Lord, this humble servant was guarding the great hall’s entrance. When the hall suddenly went dark, it was difficult to see, so my perception might not be accurate…”
Given Jiang Zhan’s seniority, he normally wouldn’t have been assigned to serve inside the hall. However, Wang Hai knew that Emperor Jingming preferred pleasing sights, especially on such a grand occasion. If the Emperor’s eyes fell upon an unsightly guard, it would only displease him. So, Wang Hai had switched Jiang Zhan with another guard.
“Speak freely,” Zhen Shicheng said calmly, thinking to himself, ‘I’ve given you such a long preamble, now hurry up and speak.’
Jiang Zhan hesitated: “When the hall first went dark, there was some confusion. I felt that my fellow guard left for a while—”
Zhen Shicheng interrupted: “If you couldn’t see, how did you determine that your fellow guard had left for a while?”
Someone whispered, “I’ve heard some martial artists can sense the presence of nearby people. I didn’t expect this Jinwu Guard to be such an expert.”
Jiang Ancheng stroked his chin thoughtfully: his son wasn’t that kind of person.
Jiang Zhan quickly provided an answer: “This humble servant was inexperienced, serving in the hall for the first time. When suddenly plunged into darkness, I couldn’t help but call out to that fellow guard several times, but he didn’t respond. I thought he must not be nearby; otherwise, why wouldn’t he answer?”
Everyone: “…” That made sense.
“Who is this fellow guard?” Zhen Shicheng asked.
Jiang Zhan looked towards the Jinwu Guard wearing old clothes.
Zhen Shicheng followed his gaze and asked, “Is it him?”
Jiang Zhan nodded.
“Can you explain where you went at that time?” Zhen Shicheng asked the guard.
The Jinwu Guard looked innocent: “This humble servant didn’t leave, I remained in place.”
Zhen Shicheng pointed at Jiang Zhan: “If that’s the case, why didn’t you respond when he called out to you?”
The Jinwu Guard replied solemnly: “This humble servant was merely adhering to his duty. As a Jinwu Guard, how can we protect the nobles if we lose composure during unexpected situations? At such times, when everyone is in panic, what if someone committed a misdeed and slipped away in the chaos? That’s why this humble servant dared not be distracted and couldn’t let others know of his position, to better observe any anomalies.”
Zhen Shicheng raised an eyebrow.
This Jinwu Guard was indeed eloquent.
He looked at the Jinwu Guard, who returned his gaze, their eyes meeting in mid-air.
An old garment and a fellow guard’s conjecture certainly didn’t count as evidence.
At this moment, Jiang Zhan suddenly said: “So that’s why you didn’t respond?”
The Jinwu Guard nodded: “Jiang Er, you’re still new, it’s normal that you don’t understand these things.”
Jiang Zhan raised his eyebrows and said: “I am now, that’s true, but I hadn’t finished speaking earlier.”
The Jinwu Guard looked at him expressionlessly.
“Lord Zhen, when I called out and got no response, I fumbled in the dark towards his direction. Then I felt something brush against my trouser leg, and shortly after, the hall lit up again.”
“What was the situation then?”
“He was indeed in his original position, just a couple of steps further away. What struck me as odd was the thing that brushed my trouser leg—” Jiang Zhan looked at the man, his sword-like eyebrows slightly furrowed, “It was quite soft… My Lord, may I go check near the entrance?”
With Zhen Shicheng’s nod of approval, Jiang Zhan quickly walked towards the main door.
All eyes followed him.
The hall’s doors were closed, with layers of curtains hanging on both sides. Several guards were stationed there to prevent anyone from slipping away.
After reaching the spot, Jiang Zhan looked around and reached into the floor-length curtains.
After some searching, he straightened up, holding something in his hand.
When people saw what he was holding, their expressions changed: it was a crumpled bundle of clothing, blue and black, with faint golden patterns.
Jiang Zhan carried the bundle of clothes towards Zhen Shicheng.
“Is this the Jinwu Guard’s uniform?” Zhen Shicheng asked Wang Hai, the Jinwu Guard commander.
At this point, Wang Hai was no longer concerned about the murderer possibly being one of the guards under his command. Quickly finding the culprit to make amends was now the most important thing.
He immediately nodded: “Yes, it’s a Jinwu Guard’s attire.”
“So, someone took advantage of the darkness to remove this garment and hide it…” Zhen Shicheng unfolded the clothes and examined them carefully, discovering a small bloodstain on the front.
The clothes were blue and black, making the bloodstain quite inconspicuous, but Zhen Shicheng, having dealt with numerous murder cases, spotted it immediately.
Holding up the garment, Zhen Shicheng said: “The murderer is a meticulous person. When assassinating Duke An, although standing to his side to avoid blood splatter, he still worried about blood getting on his clothes. So he wore two identical garments, quickly removing the outer one after the act and hiding it, leaving him seemingly spotless.”
Zhen Shicheng stared at the Jinwu Guard and shook his head: “It’s a pity, there’s no such thing as a perfect crime in this world. As long as an act is committed, clues will always be left behind—”
The Jinwu Guard’s face turned ghastly. Suddenly, he lunged at Zhen Shicheng, but as his feet left the ground, someone pulled him back.
Jiang Zhan straddled him, using all his strength to deliver two slaps, angrily shouting: “Killing has become an addiction for you? You dare to attack even Lord Zhen!”
In terms of martial skill, Jiang Zhan was no match for this Jinwu Guard, but he had the advantage of striking first, his wild punches leaving the man dazed.
By the time the Jinwu Guard regained his senses and prepared to retaliate, several sword tips had already pinned down his limbs.
“Spare his life!” Zhen Shicheng shouted, his voice drowning out the Jinwu Guard’s screams.
The guards who had drawn their swords looked towards Wang Hai, the Jinwu Guard commander, who in turn looked to Emperor Jingming.
Emperor Jingming gave Jiang Zhan a long look before saying: “Question him thoroughly first.”
Having experienced the frustration of a suspect dying before being questioned, Emperor Jingming was not about to let it happen again.
Wang Hai immediately stepped forward and lifted the Jinwu Guard.
“Take him to the rear hall for questioning. Lord Zhen, Commander Wang, Commander Han… all of you come along. The rest shall remain in the main hall,” Emperor Jingming said, then turned and walked towards the back, hands clasped behind his back.
Those who had been named immediately followed, leaving the other officials dumbfounded.
They also wanted to hear why Duke An had been killed. The Emperor was being too cruel!
In the rear hall, Emperor Jingming signaled that Wang Hai could begin the interrogation, then retreated to the inner chamber.
The sounds of torture came intermittently, and Emperor Jingming waited for the results with furrowed brows.
Two hours later, Wang Hai entered with a shamefaced expression to report: “Your Majesty, that fellow has an iron will. It may take some time to extract information…”