Longevity, starting from traveling and telling stories

Chapter 191 Such a result
Soon, the authorities received a report of the incident, and the coroner rushed to the scene to perform an autopsy. After an on-site investigation, it was found that the victims had all been killed by swords.

Lin Youguo, the prefect of Fengtian Prefecture, rushed to the scene. Because the case involved court officials, he attached great importance to it.

"Master Zhong, I have completed my investigation and will now begin investigating the clues. Please wait for a few days." Prefect Lin bowed and said, "As the first eyewitness, please provide any evidence you have."

After a slight hesitation, Zhong Kang told Prefect Lin everything about Ye Aniu's sneaky appearance in Zhongjia Village.

"Prefect Lin, I believe his presence here must be inextricably linked to this case."

After hearing this, Prefect Lin thought for a moment and said, "Master Zhong, although the timing of his appearance is quite suspicious, I cannot make any rash judgments without solid evidence."

Although Zhongkang was furious, he still said rationally: "However, we can control him first to prevent him from escaping. If he is found not guilty, we can release him."

Prefect Lin nodded in agreement and immediately led a team of yamen runners to the inn.

Elsewhere, after leaving Zhongjia Village, Ah Niu had a premonition that something was amiss. After a moment's reflection, he decided to take advantage of the situation. He quickly wrote a letter and carefully hid it in a secluded corner of his room in the inn.

Just as he finished doing this, the door was kicked open with a "bang", and a group of yamen runners rushed in and took control of Ye Aniu without any explanation.

While being escorted, Ah Niu quietly approached Zhong Kang and said in a low voice, "Master Zhong, please make sure to search thoroughly."

Zhong Kang was stunned when he heard this, and nodded slightly, with a barely perceptible tacit understanding flashing in his eyes - is he reminding me?

Afterwards, when Ah Niu was taken away, Zhong Kang immediately searched and soon found the letter. The contents of the letter shocked Zhong Kang greatly: Wan Jun's death was not an accident!
In jail.

It was dark and damp here, making him extremely uncomfortable. Fortunately, this wasn't Aniu's first time there, so he could still bear it. He sat quietly in a corner, facing the interrogation of the yamen runners without saying a word. The runners were even prepared to resort to lynching.

At the critical moment, an angry shout stopped the yamen runner.

"Stop!" The people who came were actually Prefect Lin and Zhongkang.

It turned out that after seeing the letter, Zhongkang had a feeling that something was fishy, so he immediately went to the prefect's residence and asked the prefect to allow him to go to the prison to question Aniu alone.

"Master Zhong, you can question me alone, but the time should not be too long, otherwise it will be against the rules." Prefect Lin said frankly.

"Thank you, Lord Lin." Zhongkang bowed in return. The two of them were of similar rank, so it was normal for them to take care of each other.

After the prefect and the yamen runners left, Zhongkang turned his gaze to Ye Aniu.

Seeing Zhongkang coming, Ye Aniu slowly stood up. After a series of speculations, he concluded that Lin Wanjun was not killed by Zhongkang, or perhaps Zhongkang also thought that she died in an accident.

"Go ahead!" Zhong Kang was silent for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Tell me everything you know about Wanjun."

"I wonder if you have ever heard the story of Qianli Lake that I told you?" Aniu bowed and said calmly.

When Zhongkang heard this, his heart was shocked and the blood color on his face instantly faded.

"What evidence do you have?" he demanded sharply.

"There's no evidence..." Ah Niu shook his head and said calmly, "But I suspect this matter is related to Zhong Dakang. This time, when I went to Zhong Dakang's home to investigate, he was immediately silenced. I guess the person behind this didn't want him to say anything more."

As he spoke, Ye Aniu took out the letter that led him to Zhongjia Village from his arms and handed it to Zhongkang.

He knew in his heart that Li Qingmei was most likely the mastermind behind this, but he didn't dare to say it out loud. He didn't dare to take the risk of betting on who was more important to Zhongkang, Lin Wanjun or Li Qingmei. Such a bet was too risky.

After all, one is his original wife with whom he has been in love for many years, and the other is his current partner with whom he has been together for more than ten years and they love each other. If he were in his shoes, it would be difficult for him to make a decision.

Zhongkang took the letter and quickly read it through. It was just as Ah Niu said. It seemed someone had murdered Wanjun. He suddenly thought of a terrible fact and kept denying it in his heart: Impossible, impossible, absolutely impossible!
The atmosphere at the scene fell into a brief silence.

After a moment, Ye Aniu broke the silence.

"Master Zhong, the murderer will definitely not give up." Ah Niu paused and said in a low voice: "Please investigate thoroughly."

Zhongkang nodded slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he came up with an idea.

He took a deep breath, then turned and left the prison. He wanted to find out the truth and see if it was what he thought.

The ghost standing by trembled slightly in the cell as she watched her husband in so much pain.

"Tell me, if he knew the truth, would he come to kill me or reveal the truth?" Ye Aniu lowered his head and asked Wanjun in a low voice.

Lin Wanjun whispered, "Based on my understanding of him, he is a stubborn person."

After a moment of silence, Ah Niu said in a deep voice: "Do you blame me for stopping you from showing up just now?"

Lin Wanjun did not respond.

Seeing her silence, Ah Niu said calmly, "People's hearts are fickle. Such a choice would be a painful torment for anyone."

"That's why I didn't let you show up. I wanted to prepare for both scenarios. Just in case... I still have you to rescue me. Then there's still a chance to turn the tables."

Ah Niu sighed softly. He hadn't expected things to develop to this point. Fortunately, the letter of recommendation in his arms became his lifeline, which he hadn't expected.

at the same time.

"What?" Upon hearing the uncle's account, the princess stood up and asked sternly, "This case obviously has nothing to do with him. Why is he being detained?"

"But so far, someone has seen him appear near that family, so he is the most suspicious." The prince's uncle said in a deep voice.

The princess pondered for a moment and said, "Let him go out to take the exam first, and then detain him after the exam. After the investigation is complete, he will be cleared of all charges."

The prince was a little surprised when he heard this. The girl seemed very angry, but he still asked in a puzzled tone: "Isn't this a bit of an abuse of privilege?"

"Privilege?" The princess asked in a cold tone, "Aren't they abusing their privilege too? They arrest people without any evidence. So what's wrong with me using my power to counter power?"

"I will do it tomorrow." The prince's uncle said calmly.

Inside the prison, candlelight flickered, and low moans could be heard from everywhere, as eerie and mysterious as the whispers of ghosts. Bailiffs dozed on tables covered with leftovers, evidently resting after a satisfying meal.

At this moment, a faint white smoke floated into the prison like a light ribbon and floated straight to the side of the bailiffs.

The dozing yamen runners were unaware of what was happening and collapsed limply into a coma.

Immediately afterwards, a black figure slowly emerged from the shadows and walked silently towards the depths of the prison until he arrived in front of Ye Aniu's cell.

The man in black crouched down, took out a thin bamboo from his arms, pointed it at Ye Aniu who was still sleeping, and blew it gently. A poisonous needle shot out and accurately pierced Ye Aniu's shoulder.

In just five seconds, Ye Aniu's body trembled violently, and then he fell straight down and landed heavily on the floor of the cell.

The man in black was stunned. Is it that simple?
After killing the man, he prepared to leave quietly. However, just as he turned to leave, he suddenly heard footsteps.

It turned out to be a patrol team. When they walked into the cell, they saw the yamen runners lying on the ground in all directions. No matter how they shouted, they would not wake up. They immediately realized that something was wrong.

"No, there are assassins!"

The man in black thought to himself that something was wrong and knew that he was in trouble.

He gritted his teeth, drew his sword, and a fierce fight immediately broke out between the two sides.

Although the man in black was skilled in martial arts, the yamen runners outnumbered him. After a fierce fight, the man in black was careless and was slashed in the ribs by the yamen runner's long knife.

However, he also took this opportunity to break free from the siege of the yamen runners and fled in panic, covering his wounds.

The patrolling yamen runners did not bother to chase him and surrounded Ye Aniu. At this time, Ye Aniu was unconscious, with a weak pulse and was in a dying state. The yamen runners quickly notified the prefect Lin and Zhongkang.

Zhong Kang looked at Ye Aniu lying on the ground, dying, and said angrily, "Someone is trying to silence us!"

Prefect Lin also frowned and immediately ordered the yamen runners to arrange Ye Aniu to Jieyuan Building and find the best doctor to treat him.

The next morning, the king's uncle hurried back and reported to the princess that Aniu had been poisoned.

Upon learning that Ye Aniu was poisoned and in critical condition, the princess was instantly furious.

"Prepare the sedan chair!" The eldest princess loudly ordered the maid, she was going to Jieyuan Building.

At the same time, in the study of the Imperial Examination Hall, Zhongkang and the King's Uncle discussed countermeasures with serious expressions.

The recent murders are like huge rocks thrown into a calm lake, causing a thousand waves.

What started as a simple murder case, due to Ye Aniu's near-death by poisoning, has turned into a conspiracy theory of murder for the top spot in the imperial examination. The candidates are so panicked that they even lose interest in studying for the exam.

Zhongkang frowned and said worriedly, "My Lord, with the frequent murders, candidates have no time to prepare for the exams, which is not conducive to the court's selection of talents."

The uncle nodded slightly, and after a moment's contemplation, he slowly said, "Master Zhong is absolutely right."

"I propose a joint petition to the court to postpone the exam for a few days to allow everyone to calm down and give us more time to thoroughly investigate this case."

The two men immediately began to prepare a joint memorial and sent someone to deliver it to the court at full speed.

After doing this, the two quickly went to the inn to visit Ye Aniu.

When they learned that Ye Aniu was getting better after taking the princess's detoxification pill, they were ecstatic. This undoubtedly brought a huge turning point in solving the case.

As night fell, Zhongkang, looking tired, returned to Li Qingmei's residence.

As soon as he entered the door, Li Qingmei came to greet him, with a trace of heartache in her eyes.

She obediently undressed Zhongkang and said softly, "It's not your job to investigate the case. Why are you getting involved? Look how exhausted you are."

Zhong Kang was slightly stunned, his heart aching slightly, but he said calmly: "Hey, the suspect knew about Wanjun, so I..."

When she heard the word "Wanjun", Li Qingmei's hands froze. Although it was only for a moment, Zhongkang noticed it.

He then hugged Li Qingmei in his arms, kissed her earrings, and whispered softly, "Madam, you have worked hard... Let's take a rest."

Li Qingmei gently held Zhongkang's hand and comforted him, "Since Her Royal Highness the Princess is taking care of it personally, you should stop getting involved. Investigating cases is not your job anyway."

Zhongkang nodded, and the two of them slowly walked towards the bedroom, undressed and went to sleep.

It was the middle of the night and everything was quiet.

Ye Aniu lay quietly on the bed, still unconscious.

At this moment, the door of the room was pushed open silently, and a dark shadow sneaked in like a ghost.

The dagger in the shadow's hand flashed with a cold light. He walked lightly, step by step, approaching the bed where Ye Aniu was unconscious. He slowly raised the dagger in his hand and was about to stab Ye Aniu's chest fiercely when Ye Aniu suddenly turned over and shouted, "Who is it!"

This loud shout instantly alarmed the guards guarding the Jieyuan Building.

The man in black immediately gave up the assassination and turned to escape.

However, when he turned to face the door, he found that it had been blocked by yamen runners.

He looked around and knew there was no way to escape, so he slowly put down the dagger in his hand and surrendered.

At this time, an officer stepped forward and reached out to remove his mask. When they saw his face clearly, everyone couldn't help but gasp and looked surprised.

The person who tried to assassinate Ye Aniu was actually Zhong Kang!
Why? Why did he want to kill me? Did he choose Li Qingmei and give up Lin Wanjun?
But on closer thought, it didn't seem right. If he had chosen Li Qingmei, he could have done it in prison. Why now? Furthermore, he was the only one who knew he'd faked the poisoning, which didn't make sense.

Aniu thought about it, put himself in Zhongkang's shoes, and suddenly thought of a possibility.

"Zhongkang? So you're the murderer?" Prefect Lin shouted, his voice echoing in the room, full of majesty: "I am truly blind!"

Zhongkang, however, kept his lips tightly shut, his eyes revealing relief, and he did not answer a single word to the questions raised by others.

"Take him away and I will personally interrogate him tomorrow!" Magistrate Lin shouted angrily.

After Zhongkang was taken away, Prefect Lin bowed and praised: "So Master Ye used himself as bait to lure the snake out of its hole. I admire you."

After saying that, he turned and left, leaving only the eldest princess and the king's uncle behind.

"I would like to thank Your Highness the Princess for your help." Ye Aniu saluted and was about to bow when he was stopped by the princess.

"That's alright. I know you have great talent, and I cherish your talent." She said softly, "The prince has petitioned the court to postpone the provincial examination for a few days. Please don't let me down when the exam comes."

"There is also a trial tomorrow, and I hope you will be present."

"I will do my best." Ye Aniu said gratefully. Why did this princess make him feel familiar?
After everyone left, Lin Wanjun left in a puff of white smoke, then knelt on the ground, sighing softly, "Sir... I beg you to find a way for Akang to live."

"Don't you blame him for choosing Li Qingmei?" Ye Aniu asked tentatively.

Lin Wanjun shook her head and said in a relieved tone, "I've long since passed away. I came to find him and see him, not only to fulfill my wish, but mainly to see if he's doing well."

Then she sighed and continued, "But I didn't expect him to be so cruel as to kill you!"

"Not necessarily." Ye Aniu frowned and thought, "Zhongkang's behavior is very strange. We'll know for sure in court tomorrow."

Zhongkang's behavior was indeed strange. It was obvious that the person who blew the poison needle in the prison was definitely not Zhongkang. Besides, if he really wanted to kill himself, why would he do it himself?
The next day.

The sky was gloomy, and Zhongkang was brought to the court with disheveled hair and in a disheveled state.

In the gallery, the eldest princess and the king's uncle had already taken their seats.

Just as everyone was preparing to try the case, the prime minister also hurried to the scene.

Although Magistrate Lin is a high-ranking official, the rank of the people in the audience today is higher than his, and he even feels a little uncomfortable when hitting the wake-up stick.

He cleared his throat and asked loudly, "Zhongkang, do you admit your guilt?"

Zhong Kang raised his head, his face showing grief, his eyes slightly closed, as if he had used up all his strength, and slowly said: "I admit my guilt, it was me who killed Zhong Dakang's family."

Ye Aniu was surprised to hear this. Did he really admit his guilt like this? Oh! Was this a form of punishment for himself?
Prefect Lin was also stunned. He admitted his guilt so easily? This was totally unconventional!
He frowned in confusion and continued to ask, "Why did you kill Zhong Dakang's family?"

Zhong Kang took a deep breath and said with a trembling voice, "Because they killed my wife Wanjun..."

As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a stone that caused a thousand ripples, and everyone started talking about it.

The Prime Minister slammed his chair and shouted, "Akang, stop talking nonsense!"

The uncle of the emperor immediately stepped forward and said, "Prime Minister, Lord Lin is hearing a case, and we who are here as observers should not interfere."

Magistrate Lin looked around helplessly. There was no witness or evidence, and now the criminal had confessed his crime in public, so there was nothing he could do to cover up for him.

After thinking for a moment, he reluctantly threw the token in his hand and pronounced the verdict loudly: "The prisoner Zhongkang is guilty of heinous crimes and must be executed immediately!"

"...Wait a minute." Just then, a beautiful figure rushed in. It was Li Qingmei.

Her hair was disheveled and her expression was panicked. She trotted over to Zhongkang and loudly demanded, "Why? Why?"

Zhongkang said nothing, but looked at her with mixed emotions: guilt, reluctance, but mostly relief.

He turned his head slightly and looked at Prefect Lin, saying, "Please, Lord Lin, sentence me to death as soon as possible!"

Li Qingmei tightly grasped Zhongkang, her emotions out of control, her voice distorted: "No, he didn't kill the person, it was me, I killed him!"

However, Zhongkang immediately shouted angrily, "Shut up! Your Excellency, there's no need to listen to her nonsense. Sentence me to death immediately!"

"It's not like that, it's not like that." Li Qingmei seemed to have given up everything, broke free from the obstruction and told the truth.

It turned out that many years ago, Zhongkang and his wife Wanjun encountered banditry and were unfortunately separated. Wanjun escaped by chance and returned home.

Zhongkang escaped with serious injuries and was rescued by Li Qingmei who came for an outing.

Under her careful care, Zhongkang gradually recovered, and Li Qingmei unknowingly fell in love with this handsome and elegant man.

However, Zhongkang only had his first wife Wanjun in his heart, and he firmly rejected Li Qingmei's repeated expressions of love.

In this way, Li Qingmei's love gradually became distorted, and she was paranoid that Lin Wanjun was hindering her love.

So, she made up her mind and sent people to Zhongjia Village, bribed Zhong Dakang with a large sum of money, and tricked Lin Wanjun into going there to find her husband.

Poor Lin Wanjun, she set out on the journey to find her husband with great joy, but ended up dying tragically on the Black Mountain.

Afterwards, Zhong Dakang lied to Zhong Kang that Lin Wanjun died accidentally while looking for him and her body was nowhere to be found.

When Zhongkang heard the bad news, he was struck by lightning and fell ill. It was only with Li Qingmei's care again that he gradually came out of the shadow.

Li Qingmei burst into tears and continued to cry, "Now someone suddenly knows about Lin Wanjun's situation. In my anxiety, I sent people to kill Zhong Dakang's family and wanted to put the blame on him!"

"I did everything. I am guilty of heinous crimes. I am the one who deserves to die."

The secret that had been kept for many years was finally revealed, and Li Qingmei felt relieved.

When everyone heard the truth, there was a moment of dead silence.

Some people looked shocked, while others shook their heads and sighed.

Zhong Kang's eyes were filled with tears. He slowly and gently embraced Li Qingmei, who had collapsed on the ground, and said in a trembling voice: "I know. In fact, I already knew the truth a few days ago."

"These past few days, I couldn't face you doing such a cruel thing, and I couldn't face Wanjun's spirit in heaven."

"I went through so much trouble just to hide the truth for you." Zhong Kang paused and said gently, "I think, perhaps only if I die, can I save you, let Wanjun rest in peace, and comfort my heart."

Everyone could sense the pain and helplessness in his words, and they were all moved. Perhaps such a difficult decision would be difficult for anyone to make, but Zhongkang's action was precisely a testament to his loyalty and righteousness.

Ye Aniu stood aside and shook his head secretly. Such a complicated emotional entanglement and such a cruel truth could break anyone's psychological defenses.

Even if I were in Zhongkang's situation, the endless struggle and pain would torment me day and night.

All I can say is that God’s will plays tricks on people.

Then, Zhongkang suddenly turned his head, smiled at Ye Aniu, and said, "Brother Ye, although I have been in the Imperial Examination Hall these days, I have been asking my servants to tell me about the Qianli Lake case over and over again."

After saying this, he turned to face the eldest princess and the emperor's uncle, knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Your Highness, Zhongkang has failed the emperor's grace."

Then, he kowtowed in the direction of the Prime Minister and said, "Father-in-law, Zhongkang will repay your kindness in the next life..."

"Ugh..." Zhong Kang groaned, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. His body slowly collapsed, and he said with difficulty, "I deserve to die for not being able to avenge my wife. I am willing to bear the consequences of my wife's mistakes."

"Akang..." The Prime Minister's face showed grief.

Li Qingmei hugged Zhongkang tightly, watching his body temperature gradually dissipate and the life in his eyes fade. While no one was paying attention, she pulled out the knife and stabbed herself in the heart, then collapsed.

"Green plum..."

The prime minister lost his daughter and son-in-law in succession. He could not bear such a heavy blow and fainted on the spot.

Seeing this, Ah Niu shook his head helplessly, thinking that the matter was resolved perfectly. Then, he walked outside the court, where Wanjun was waiting.

"Li Qingmei is the murderer who killed you," Ye Aniu sighed, "She committed suicide out of fear of punishment."

"Where is Akang?" Lin Wanjun asked anxiously.

Ye Aniu was silent for a while, and finally told her: "Zhongkang couldn't accept that his wife, who had been with him day and night for more than ten years, was the murderer who killed you, so he committed suicide."

When Lin Wanjun heard this, her face instantly turned pale. She had never imagined that things would turn out like this. Her ghost gradually faded, and she turned around in disappointment.

"Where are you going?" asked Aniu.

"I want to go home and take a look." Lin Wanjun said as she walked towards home step by step.

That’s all! The matter finally came to an end. Ye Aniu shook his head and turned to walk towards Jieyuan Building.

the other side.

Wanjun finally returned to the love nest she and Zhongkang once had.

The bright flowers are still in full bloom, swaying happily in the wind.

Her eyes were slightly moist, and the good times of the past passed by like smoke. As if time was passing, scenes from the past appeared before her eyes.

A gust of wind blew, and Wanjun's ghost became dim again. Perhaps it was time to leave.

"Wanjun..."

(End of this chapter)