Wanjin Lady

Wei Zheng looked at County Magistrate Tang, "Sir Tang, do you recognize the leader of the prison break?"

Magistrate Tang's face was filled with panic. This matter was of such magnitude, involving not only smuggling but also the past struggle for the throne. Naturally, Magistrate Tang was fully committed. He cupped his hands and said, "The man we arrested last night was called Wu Yan. He's from Longnan and a successful candidate. Twenty years ago, he was my chief clerk. Later, he was spotted by a noble and brought to the capital. I heard he's a disciple of Princess Zhao Yingzhen and is enjoying great success."

"I've worked with this guy for years and I'll never admit my mistake!"

County Magistrate Tang was certain that Prince Fu was involved in this matter, so he did not dare to stay here for long. After explaining everything clearly, he found an excuse to leave.

Wei Zheng turned his wheelchair and headed inside, but was stopped by Wen Wan. She half-knelt down and held Wei Zheng's cold hand. Looking into his cold eyes, she couldn't hide her heartache. "Wei Zheng, you just got the news about your father, and you're not calm. They say that worry can lead to confusion, but they also say that you should plan carefully before taking action. I'll go interrogate her."

Wei Zheng found it difficult to calm down the anger in his heart. The veins on his hands that were holding the armrests of the wheelchair were bulging. He raised his eyes and looked at the young lady opposite him.

Wen Wan continued, "Mo Sufang is a scheming person. I've dealt with her before, and I can handle her. But I don't understand why she won't reveal the names of officials involved in smuggling, as she's not a loyal person."

Wei Zheng sneered, "If she really was the eldest princess, why would she be so reluctant to hand over the list of smuggling officials before her death? She deliberately sowed this calamity to cause chaos in the Great Chen Dynasty. Now that the north is in winter and food is scarce, they are eyeing our borders covetously. If the Japanese continue to threaten the south, Your Majesty will be distracted and the government will be in chaos."

Wen Wan's heart was pounding.

From the moment Mo Sufang ordered the island to be burned, she knew that this woman was vicious, but she never expected that she would regard the lives of the people living on the border as worthless.

"Why does this princess hate the Chen Dynasty so much? She is also your Majesty's sister. If she comes back to play the family card, your Majesty may not make things difficult for her."

"Zhao Yingzhen and Prince Fu are siblings from the same mother, and they have had a deep bond since childhood. When Your Majesty and Prince Fu competed for the throne, she played a significant role. The untimely death of Your Majesty's eldest son may have been due to her. Furthermore, on the day of the palace coup, it was she who served Prince Fu faithfully, winning over the court officials."

"When Prince Fu was defeated and the situation was extremely critical, the eldest princess chose to take her entire family and her brother to sea without hesitation."

Wen Wan interjected, "Either everything is lost, or you will ascend to heaven."

He put all his chips on the line at once, and it seemed that neither of them was the winner, compared to the old Duke who was betting on both sides.

Seeing Wei Zheng fall silent, Wen Wan reluctantly assumed that he agreed to let her interrogate Mo Sufang. She then asked Hou Ji, "Did Mo Sufang know that someone broke into the prison last night?"

"I know. I even dragged her henchmen in front of her and tortured them. This woman is so cruel that she remains indifferent."

Wen Wan recalled the day in the cave when Mr. Dong said "Fang Niang" in a hurry.

"I might know her weakness." Wen Wan covered Wei Zheng's legs with a blanket. "Trust me, I will definitely ask about the whereabouts of the Duke who went abroad."

Wenwan walked into the cell.

This place was even more eerie than the county jail. Mo Sufang and her confidants were heavily guarded, unable to escape. After several days of interrogation, the ground was covered in blood, and the torture instruments on the walls were even more bloodstained. The stench of putrefaction was overwhelming upon entering.

Mo Sufang was obviously seeking death. One of her legs was injured in the explosion and her body was already a mutilated one. At this moment, she was huddled in a corner, barely breathing her last.

She saw the cold corner of Wen Wan's clothes and sneered, "If you want to kill me, do it to me quickly."

"If you hand over the list of officials involved in the smuggling case, I can give you a quick death."

Mo Sufang kept silent, determined to protect the person behind her.

"You kept your mouth shut for them because you harbored an illusion that if you didn't reveal the names of the officials who protected your smuggling business, they would work behind the scenes for you, saving your life and perhaps even allowing you to make a comeback."

Mo Sufang's expression changed slightly when she said that.

"I've always seen you act ruthlessly, and I thought you were some kind of hero, but it turns out you're just an ignorant housewife."

"You're dealing in the underworld, and you still expect the other party to be loyal and honor their promises? If I were you, I'd be worried about someone secretly harming you." Wen Wan covered her nose and slowly approached. "Why do you think... I suddenly moved you out of the county jail?"

Mo Sufang glared at her. The young lady's lips moved, crushing the luck and hope in her heart. "Do you really think... Wu Yan and his group were the only ones who broke into the prison these days?"

Mo Sufang sneered, "When the birds are gone, the bows are put away; when the rabbit dies, the running dogs are cooked. But even if I reveal my name, the crime I committed... will lead to my own death."

So loyal?
Wen Wan became even more suspicious.

"Let's make a deal." Wen Wan didn't say much. She urgently needed to find the whereabouts of the Duke. If Mo Sufang refused to confess and kept trying to lure Wei Zheng, perhaps Wei Zheng would save Mo Sufang's life in order to track down his father's whereabouts.

She must not let Mo Sufang lead Wei Zheng by the nose!
“Give me the names of three officials involved in the smuggling. I’ll spare Mr. Dong’s life.” Mo Sufang suddenly looked up, her calm eyes instantly transforming into the bloodshot eyes of a ferocious beast.

"I know there's a secret relationship between you two. Otherwise, he wouldn't have called you by your maiden name the day you ran away. This deal should be a good one."

Mo Sufang's chest rose and fell for a moment. She knew that Wen Wan was a scheming person, but... this was her only chance.

"Do you keep your word?"

Wen Wan held up three fingers. "I, Wen Wan, swear to heaven, if you give me three names, I will let Dong Wuliang go immediately."

Dong Wuliang’s body... should also be carried out.

"Okay, bring me paper and pen!"

Mo Sufang said three names without hesitation, and Wen Wan quickly sent someone to write them down. However, Hou Ji couldn't help but look at her impatiently.

The most urgent matter is to find out the whereabouts of the Duke who went abroad. Why does Madam Wen keep asking for the list of officials involved in smuggling?

Wen Wan ignored Hou Ji's wink and said, "Go, get Dong Wuliang out of this prison. Allow him freedom and let him go wherever he wants. Don't send anyone to follow him."

Hou Ji accepted the order, but was thinking in his heart: Dong Wuliang is dead, where can he run to?

Just throw it into a mass grave and call it a day.

"Speaking of which, I still have to thank you." Wen Wan ordered someone to bring a stool over, and sat across from her across the railing. "If you hadn't been so generous and lent me your money to build the Red Mansion, I wouldn't have established this family business for my daughter and son. Even though you were trying to win me over at the time, I still have to thank you."

Mo Sufang looked at Wen Wan warily.

"This is my first thank you." Wen Wan sighed. "And the second thing is, thanks to Shopkeeper Mo, Zhao Heng found an old man around forty years old on the isolated island. His right arm had been severed by a sharp blade. Although he was unconscious and acting mad... his face and figure... were no different from those of the old Duke."

Wen Wan rose gently, clasped her hands together in front of her forehead, her expression extremely solemn: "After going around in circles, it was through you that we found the whereabouts of the Duke. Now, Wei Zheng and his father can be reunited in their lifetime and enjoy family life, putting his mind at ease. In this way, the suspicion of him being a 'traitor' can be completely cleared."

"Although this is not your original intention, I still want to thank you. Since you helped Wei Zheng find his father, I will ask him to give you a quick death—"

Mo Sufang was like being hit by a slap in the face. She pounced on Wen Wan like a sudden cheetah, and her voice suddenly became sharp.

"impossible!"

"Wei Fengshan died a long time ago!"

"He betrayed his brother first, then killed my son, leaving us stranded on a deserted island! How could I let him go?"

"He chased us all the way. Even with his right arm cut off, he still managed to kill my son... He is the death-taker of hell!"

"My eldest brother abducted him and tortured him day and night. Before he died, his spine was broken, his joints were dislocated, and his patella was perforated. I watched with my own eyes as they hammered fine nails into his kneecap. I listened to his screams as they threw him into a dog cage, leaving him to be filthy with feces and gnawed by maggots—"

Mo Sufang's expression was distorted, and she gradually became crazy. "I watched him die in agony, and then I ordered people to peel off his face and disfigure him, and then discard his body in a secret room—"

Mo Sufang's smile makes one's scalp tingle.

Wen Wan saw that the hatred in her eyes was like a flame shooting up into the sky, as if it was going to burn the entire world clean.

"The Wei family... all deserve to die!"

"Wei Zheng will never find his father in this lifetime!"

"He should be damned in this endless hell just like me!"

Wen Wan covered her chest, letting the anger surge within her. She managed to stand up, "Mo Sufang... you finally admitted... you are Zhao Yingzhen."

She sneered, "But what you said... there is no evidence!"

"Two miles west of the dense forest on the isolated island, there's a thatched hut. Wei Fengshan's remains are hidden in a secret room beneath the hut! Have the coroner examine them!" (End of Chapter)