The maid who had served faithfully by her side for years turned out to be her half-sister. The girl she admired had been defiled and harmed, and to make matters worse, the woman she liked was not the perfect person she had imagined…
One revelation after another, one bitter truth after another—sometimes, knowing these cruel facts made a swift, clean execution seem almost preferable.
Kong Wenlang’s eyes were hollow, his gaze vacant.
Tao Chun sighed quietly. “Miss, Kong Wenlang… he’s just too pitiful. In the end, he’s the most innocent of all.”
“Who isn’t innocent?” Di Yuanshin shrugged, arms crossed as he spoke to Tao Chun. “Cheng Guan’s twisted nature came from congenital defects. If no one had tormented him, he wouldn’t have grown into such a dark person.
“If those greedy, vain elders hadn’t sold Zhuang Manqing’s daughter and forced her into marriage, she wouldn’t have abandoned husband and child.
“If she hadn’t been abandoned, Xiaoluo would have grown up carefree.”
“And what about Han Ruichu?” Tao Chun asked, puzzled. “Was she just born a villain?”
“Environment and the people around someone shape them,” Di Yuanshin said with a double meaning. “A congenital ailment is no excuse for wickedness.”
As for Han Ruichu, she was pampered and spoiled by Han Mao from a young age. No one ever contradicted her, so she grew arrogant and reckless. In the end, she suffered the consequences of her own actions.
Most events in the world, most people trying to trace the root of a wrong, are hopelessly unsolvable—a cycle without end.
Tao Chun sighed again. With this case concluded, the story had reached its end.
Kong Wenlang’s name was cleared. Cheng Guan was executed publicly the next day. His accomplice Xiaoluo was imprisoned.
Su Yihan quietly withdrew from the crowd, moving against the throng.
“Su Yihan.”
Hearing her name, she turned.
Shen Yu approached, a faint smile on his face, hands behind his back, walking against the glare of the noon sun.
“Miss Su, may I have the honor of inviting you to a meal?”
Su Yihan had uncovered all the answers, and Shen Yu had perfectly unearthed the last key figure, Cheng Guan, from across the vast capital.
Su Yihan narrowed her eyes slightly. “Then General, you’d better be fully prepared.”
Tao Chun, perceptive, added: “No spicy food, no offal, not too raw or too cooked, no cold-natured food, no ginger, garlic aroma preferred but no visible minced garlic.
“Prepare the finest tea leaves on one side, use warm water, steep the medicinal sachet without bitterness. Since sweet foods are avoided, the steeping time must be precise…
“The dining area must be shielded from drafts, warm but not stifling. Miss doesn’t like servants waiting at her side, so General Shen will have to act as a servant for an hour or two.”
After listing the long string of dietary preferences, Su Yihan nodded approvingly.
“Will the General still extend the invitation?”
The young girl’s tone was sharp, and Shen Yu couldn’t help but laugh lightly.
“Yes.”
Shen Yu immersed himself in the role, bowing slightly: “Please, Miss.”
He had a good memory and had prepared everything exactly as Tao Chun described, with no missteps, catering perfectly to Su Yihan’s preferences.
“Miss Su, thank you.” Shen Yu poured a cup of wine and raised it in her honor.
Being new to the capital, he didn’t understand much. Had he failed at this first case entrusted to him, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
“This isn’t a gift, is it?” Su Yihan sipped her tea and looked up. Offering a meal as a gift seemed a bit unworthy.
Shen Yu replied, “…No.”
It was amusing to him; Su Yihan was always particular in unexpected ways.
“That’s good,” she said with a small curve of her lips. “This young lady will await the General’s gift.”
Two debts now owed.
“All right.” Shen Yu smiled wryly and discussed the Han family case with her:
“Why did you strike Cheng Guan at the final moment?”
When Cheng Guan was found during the early hours of Chou, it would have been proper to report to the Emperor immediately.
Su Yihan’s answer was:
“I couldn’t bear to see Mr. Cheng’s arrogant posture.”
Cheng Guan’s methods had been almost flawless. Posing as a woman, he had infiltrated Han Ruichu’s household for years, and no one suspected him. Yet he arrogantly left evidence behind, overconfident.
The three-day time limit was short. Had Cheng Guan not left evidence, Su Yihan wouldn’t have had the ability to uncover it in time.
“The audacity was undeniable,” Shen Yu agreed.
Originally, he intended to capture the maid Lianqiao to interrogate the mastermind. But when he caught her, she was stuffing those two pale buns in her mouth. The scene was truly shocking.
After leaving the restaurant, they couldn’t return home immediately, because Di Yuanshin reported that Cheng Guan wished to see her.
“Let’s go.”
Imperial Prison.
Su Yihan entered with ease.
The Imperial Prison was managed by the Northern Guard, with authority to arrest and interrogate directly, bypassing the courts. Entry was akin to being half-dead.
The underground structure was dim and oppressive. Solid walls, no windows.
Damp and dark, completely cut off from light, with only faint candlelight. The only sounds were the miserable cries of prisoners.
For those held here, both body and mind suffered immensely. Even if one survived, they emerged nearly broken.
Su Yihan’s skirts brushed over puddles of blood on the floor.
Tao Chun, timid, had not followed. Di brothers flanked her on either side.
Cheng Guan, a perfect killer with extraordinary mental endurance, lounged lazily against the wall, blending into the darkness.
“Mr. Cheng.”
The walls were solid and soundproof; speaking inside the solitary cell could not be overheard.
Cheng Guan’s hands and feet were shackled; no matter his skill, escape was impossible.
“Miss Su… it was you, wasn’t it? You decided to reveal the truth at the last moment.” His gaze fixed on her.
Su Yihan smiled faintly. “Why do you think so?”
Cheng Guan’s tone was certain: “Miss Su, you are like me.”
During his service to Han Ruichu, he had seen Su Yihan briefly and often heard gossip about her.
“Miss Su of the Su family… have you heard the rumor? Miss Su, unlucky in fate, the abbot foretold she carried too much yin energy, shouldn’t have been born. She survived only by stealing Madam Su’s life…”
“Better stay away from her… careful, she might steal your life…”
Su Yihan responded casually: “Which one of us is that? You’re a prisoner in the Imperial Prison, and I… am its master.”
Su Jin was the chief commander, yet also a devoted father. Su Yihan claiming herself as the prison’s master was entirely justified.