Love Lock

Chapter 283 Harmful
"Huh? This... what is the tool for, sir?"

“Now it is I who am questioning you.” Every word Mao Lang spoke was like a blade chilled by ice.

He was speechless. Did Wei Chengchao not understand the situation? He actually asked him a question.
Mao Lang suddenly stood up, frowned and glared at Wei Chengchao on the rack, then slapped his hand on the table with a loud "smack!"

Wei Chengchao's bewildered gaze suddenly trembled, his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and his lips, chapped from the heat of the stove, trembled uncontrollably.

“I really don’t know…” Wei Chengchao’s movements caused the iron chains to rattle. “Those garment-making tools were all stored by Tang Xiaotong. I… I only saw them once by chance.”

Mao Lang sneered, his black official boots stepping over the mottled bloodstains as he stopped in front of the stove.

The charcoal fire illuminated half of his face crimson, and as he turned, the red-hot branding iron left a scorching arc in the air.

The jailer swung his python whip at the opportune moment, and the whooshing sound of it cutting through the air exploded in everyone's ears like a venomous snake spitting its tongue.

“My patience…” The branding iron approached Wei Chengchao’s distorted face, the heat making his eyelashes curl, “is much shorter than this furnace fire.”

The smell of rust filled the cell. Upon seeing this, apart from the stern-faced Prime Minister Wei, the other members of the Wei family were so frightened that they wet themselves.

Wei Chengchao twisted his body wildly, the shackles grinding his wrists until they were bloody and mangled: "My lord, please see the truth! If...if I knew even a little bit..."

He roared, his teeth chattering, "I will surely lay bare my liver and gallbladder..."

"Then why did you rush to transfer Jinxiu to someone else before the confiscation of your property?"

Mao Lang slammed Lin Yuanshan's transfer document onto Wei Chengchao's chest. The rough edge of the paper left a bloody scratch on Wei Chengchao's delicate chest.

Wei Chengchao's breathing suddenly froze, and his eyes involuntarily rolled to the upper right, as if he were deep in thought.

Has Jinxiufang been transferred to someone else?

He knew absolutely nothing about this!
But Wei Chengchao's subtle expression made Mao Lang's pupils shrink. He immediately grabbed the leather whip soaked in salt water and pressed it against Wei Chengchao's Adam's apple.

"I ask you why you suddenly sold Jinxiufang to Lin Yuanshan, the owner of Linji Cloth Shop, at such a low price? A mere eight thousand taels of silver, not even enough to cover Jinxiufang's monthly revenue. And why did you do this just the day before the Imperial Guards were to raid it?"

"Ah!" The salt water from the whip seeped into the wound on Wei Chengchao's neck, and he let out a scream that was not human.

The sound of fingernails scraping against a wooden board came from the shadows. Mao Lang didn't even look up; he knew it was His Majesty using this method to urge him on.

"Snapped!"

A leather whip dipped in salt water lashed Wei Chengchao, and he let out another shrill scream.

"My lord, Lord Mao, please stop!" Prime Minister Wei's eyes were bloodshot, tears streaming down his face. He gasped for breath and looked at Wei Chengchao, saying, "Chao'er, what exactly happened? Tell me quickly!"

"I'll ask you again," Mao Lang glanced at Prime Minister Wei, then looked at Wei Chengchao, his voice as cold as ice, "what exactly is your relationship with that Manager Tang?"

Wei Chengchao was breathing heavily, cold sweat mixed with blood dripping onto the bluestone slab.

He struggled to raise his head, his voice hoarse: "Reporting to...my lord...Tang Xiaotong...is...the person of Princess Han Lei of Cangzhou..."

"What?" Mao Lang was shocked, his eyes flashing as he suddenly took a step closer: "So, you also have a connection with that rebel Princess Cangzhou?"

His hand reached for the red-hot branding iron in the furnace, a sinister glint in his eyes. "I advise you to tell the truth. Otherwise..."

“No…no…” Wei Chengchao shook his head in terror, the iron chains on his hands rattling. “It was all Princess Chang Le…it was her…”

“Princess Chang Le?” Mao Lang raised an eyebrow.

Wei Chengchao, still shaken, hurriedly said, "Princess Changle is in love with Prince Zhao Zun of Cangzhou and insists on marrying no one but him. But Han Lei is an obstacle..."

He swallowed hard. "Then Princess Chang Le conspired with me to drug Han Lei and kidnap her on their way to Cangzhou after the New Year this year..."

Wei Chengchao originally wanted to confess and escape punishment, but unexpectedly, he revealed Princess Chang Le's name as soon as he opened his mouth.

When Prime Minister Wei and his family heard this, they were all greatly alarmed.

Mao Lang narrowed his eyes: "Continue."

“We agreed that Prince Zhao Zun of Cangzhou would belong to Princess Chang Le, and Han Lei… would belong to me. But that Han Lei…”

Wei Chengchao suddenly shivered. "She's no ordinary young lady. Not only did she not fall for the trap, but... she actually fed me poison..."

His voice trembled just thinking about Han Lei's name. "She used poison to control me, making me... making me the nominal owner of Jinxiufang, Yuanyangzan, and Zuixian Winery, which were actually all her businesses..."

Mao Lang paced back and forth, stroking his chin, as if deep in thought.

After a moment, he asked again, "The King of Cangzhou is plotting a rebellion, and His Majesty has already dispatched troops to suppress it. Since you knew about this, why did you conceal it and not report it?"

"Your Excellency, please understand! Waaah..." Wei Chengchao suddenly burst into tears, as if the iron chains were digging into his flesh.

Wei Chengchao choked up as he said, "I also want to speak, but my life is in Han Lei's hands, so I dare not speak! Han Lei's people only give me one antidote a day, and if I make the slightest move, I will run out of medicine and die! I have tried to find famous doctors in the capital and Cui, the imperial physician in the palace, but... it was all in vain. No one can cure that poison."

A grown man was crying so hard his nose and mouth were dripping with saliva. Mao Lang looked at him with some disdain. "Do you even know the true purpose of those sewing tools?"

"I don't know, I really don't know, sir." Wei Chengchao shook his head vigorously. "I was also deceived by that Tang Xiaotong, sir, I am innocent."

Wei Chengchao, still shaken, hurriedly said, "Princess Changle is in love with Prince Zhao Zun of Cangzhou and insists on marrying no one but him. But Han Lei is an obstacle..."

He swallowed hard. "Then Princess Chang Le conspired with me to drug Han Lei and kidnap her on their way to Cangzhou after the New Year this year..."

Wei Chengchao originally wanted to confess and escape punishment, but unexpectedly, he revealed Princess Chang Le's name as soon as he opened his mouth.

When Prime Minister Wei and his family heard this, they were all greatly alarmed.

Mao Lang narrowed his eyes: "Continue."

“We agreed that Prince Zhao Zun of Cangzhou would belong to Princess Chang Le, and Han Lei… would belong to me. But that Han Lei…”

Wei Chengchao suddenly shivered. "She's no ordinary young lady. Not only did she not fall for the trap, but... she actually fed me poison..."

His voice trembled just thinking about Han Lei's name. "She used poison to control me, making me... making me the nominal owner of Jinxiufang, Yuanyangzan, and Zuixian Winery, which were actually all her businesses..."

Mao Lang paced back and forth, stroking his chin, as if deep in thought.

After a moment, he asked again, "The King of Cangzhou is plotting a rebellion, and His Majesty has already dispatched troops to suppress it. Since you knew about this, why did you conceal it and not report it?"

"Your Excellency, please understand! Waaah..." Wei Chengchao suddenly burst into tears, as if the iron chains were digging into his flesh.

Wei Chengchao choked up as he said, "I also want to speak, but my life is in Han Lei's hands, so I dare not speak! Han Lei's people only give me one antidote a day, and if I make the slightest move, I will run out of medicine and die! I have tried to find famous doctors in the capital and Cui, the imperial physician in the palace, but... it was all in vain. No one can cure that poison."

A grown man was crying so hard his nose and mouth were dripping with saliva. Mao Lang looked at him with some disdain. "Do you even know the true purpose of those sewing tools?"

"I don't know, I really don't know, sir." Wei Chengchao shook his head vigorously. "I was also deceived by that Tang Xiaotong! It's all the fault of Princess Chang Le and those two vile women, Tang Xiaotong." "Young Master Wei," Mao Lang's voice was unhurried, yet chillingly cold, "Since you don't know what Tang Xiaotong is doing in private, besides those three shops, do you know if they have any other strongholds?"

Wei Chengchao trembled all over. He swallowed hard, his voice weak and feeble.

"No...I don't know, I really don't know. Your Honor, I just go to those three shops every day, and then...and then..."

"So what?" Mao Lang leaned forward slightly, his sharp gaze piercing like a knife.

"I...I just went to drink and have fun with my friends as usual, and occasionally...occasionally I would go to brothels to listen to music..." Wei Chengchao's voice grew lower and lower until it was almost inaudible.

Mao Lang suddenly sneered, the sound particularly jarring in the silent interrogation room. "What a fine young master Wei, he knows how to enjoy himself."

He slowly stood up, his dark official robe gleaming coldly in the firelight. "They were completely unaware of the impending doom; how pitiful and lamentable!"

Wei Chengchao suddenly looked up, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes: "What do you mean by that, sir?"

"Do you know that Tang Xiaotong, under the name of Jinxiufang..." Mao Lang said, emphasizing each word, "secretly transported supplies to the Turks. This is a serious crime of treason!"

He looked at Wei Chengchao as if he were an idiot, which startled Wei Chengchao so much that he shuddered.

"And you, as the owner, are culpable whether you knew about it or not! Not to mention, you also secretly colluded with the traitor Zhao Zun, the King of Cangzhou. This crime deserves the extermination of your entire family!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Prime Minister Wei, who was bound on the rack, suddenly began to struggle violently, with such force that it seemed he could pry the rack off the ground.

"You unfilial son! You rebellious son!" Prime Minister Wei was nearly driven mad with anger, tears streaming down his face, his voice hoarse. "I saw you inspecting the shops every day, and I thought you had finally grown up! I never expected... I never expected you to do such a rebellious thing!"

"Uncle! We're innocent!" a young clansman cried out. "It was all Wei Chengchao's doing! We knew nothing about it!"

“Yes, sir!” another member of the Wei family sobbed. “We beg you, sir, to investigate thoroughly. We are willing to sever all ties with this traitor!”

"He's a monster, he's caused so much harm! Waaah... We must cut ties with them..."

……

Cries and curses echoed throughout the interrogation room.

Wei Chengchao's face was ashen, his lips trembled, but he stubbornly cursed, "You...you're not good people either. If you hadn't insisted on helping that ungrateful bastard ascend the throne, would our Wei family be in this state?"

Prime Minister Wei's expression changed drastically: "You beast! What nonsense are you spouting?"

"Cheng Chao, you made a mistake, yet you still dare to... spout nonsense here." Wei Dahai rebuked him angrily, barely managing to stay calm.

The Wei family started fighting amongst themselves. Mao Lang watched the farce with a cold eye. When the noise subsided, he raised his hand to signal the yamen runners to be quiet.

In the firelight, his face appeared particularly solemn: "This case is of great importance and has far-reaching implications. Princess Chang Le is also involved."

He looked up at the ventilation vent, his voice suddenly rising, "Guards! Immediately arrest Princess Chang Le and bring her to justice!"

The constables responded in unison, their heavy footsteps fading into the distance.

Only the clanging of chains and the sobbing of the Wei clan members remained in the interrogation room.

Wei Chengchao collapsed to the ground, and in a daze, he seemed to see the executioner's cleaver raised high towards him.

As the constables went to arrest Princess Chang Le, the bright yellow hem of her dress finally disappeared silently from behind the ventilation duct...

The more major events that occur in the capital, the better the business seems to be in the shops in the city.

Because people always love gossip, even on the coldest days, they always like to gather together and discuss this and that.

At this moment, Tengyunlou was bustling with noise. Waiters carrying gilded trays moved between the tables, and freshly brewed Mengshan tea buds swirled in the celadon teacups.

Several silk merchants sat in the elegant seats by the window. The leader, Master Huang, fiddled with a jade thumb ring, his eyes darting around as he spoke.

"Have you heard? The Imperial Guards moved those three hundred-plus people from the Wei residence at midnight..."

"Shh..." The man in the blue robe next to him hurriedly interrupted, and the wine cup he put down made a crisp sound as it tapped on the mahogany table.

He looked around for a moment before leaning closer and saying, "My cousin works at the Military Affairs Bureau and saw with his own eyes those rosewood furniture pieces from the Wei family being carried into the Ministry of Revenue so openly."

A burst of laughter suddenly erupted from the scattered seats in the northwest corner of the hall, as the young man in the brown sword sleeves slammed his hand on the table.

"The new owner of Zuixian Brewing is quite something! I was drinking there the other day and saw Master Lin leading a dozen or so accountants to check the goods. They said the wine jars in the warehouse were packed together more tightly than the bricks of a city wall!"

"Manager Tang must have run into some trouble." The old man sitting next to him stroked his white beard and tapped his pipe twice on the corner of the table. "Jinxiufang was still accepting orders for spring clothes from the empresses in the palace last month. How could it just fall apart like that?"

He suddenly leaned forward, his voice extremely low: "My niece's husband works as a clerk in the yamen, and he said that the young master of the Tang family..."

“Hey! You guys think…” His tablemate chimed in, “Manager Tang’s sudden disappearance… could it be related to the imperial army’s crushing defeat in their campaign against Cangzhou? If so…”

Before he could finish speaking, the cotton curtain at the door was suddenly lifted. Three weary travelers strode in, the copper badges and swords at their waists clinking together.

When a soldier suddenly burst in, the noisy room fell silent instantly, everyone wondering what had happened.

One of the youngest couriers shouted in a hoarse voice, "Boss! Quickly heat up three catties of strong liquor! I'm freezing to death!"

The young man's words put everyone at ease, and the Tengyun Tower became lively again.

A carved window creaked open halfway through the private room on the second floor, revealing half of a powdered face.

The woman in the moon-white dress tossed a handful of silver melon seeds to the storyteller and said in a clear voice, "Tell me, sir, how is things in Cangzhou now? I love hearing stories about the King of Cangzhou."

As soon as the woman finished speaking, the shopkeeper behind the counter coughed twice, startling the storyteller who hurriedly hid his gavel in his bosom.

In a corner on the first floor, Princess Chang Le gently poked at the exquisitely prepared crystal shrimp dumplings in front of her with ivory chopsticks, but didn't touch them.

Her gaze swept over the noisy diners in the hall from time to time, and she listened intently to every word of discussion about the Wei family.

This location was carefully chosen by her.

Hidden in the corner behind a carved screen, one can hear the conversations throughout the hall without drawing too much attention.

Sitting next to her, Zhao Qiao'er picked up the wine pot and poured wine for her.

Upon hearing something, Chang Le paused slightly with her chopsticks, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips.

"Tch!" She scoffed, turning to Zhao Qiao'er beside her and whispering, "Did you hear that? Wei Chengchao has finally met his match. Hehehe..."

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