Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 20: Killing Wife

"You hid the poison in the silver clasp of the bracelet..."

"The bracelet has two silver clasps, each containing two poison pills. You put one in the water used to wash your hands. Cotton handkerchiefs absorb water best, which is why you didn't use a silk handkerchief. Master Wen used this handkerchief to wash his face and hands, and then used it to eat cakes. No matter what cakes he ate, he was poisoned. Then, Miss Wen II brought tea to Master Wen. Master Wen was poisoned, and you pretended to be startled and spilled your teacup, so the croton seeds in your cup could not be detected."

"Then, taking advantage of the chaos, you deliberately picked up Master Wen's teacup and put the second poison pill mixed with croton and arsenic in it. You deliberately compared the difference between Master Wen's tea and mine to make us misunderstand. It created the illusion that Master Wen drank the tea in the teacup and was poisoned. Finally, you used clean water to clean up Master Wen's vomit, so it was natural that your cotton handkerchief, bracelet and washbasin were stained with arsenic. So, you destroyed all the evidence in front of us." Rong Wanyin said slowly, but her face became paler and paler, and she even shivered.

Wen Xin smiled and said, "Yin'er, you said yourself that there is no evidence. Since there is no evidence, these are all your speculations and cannot convict me!"

"I don't know what Master was feeling when he repaired the bracelet, but I know that this bracelet must have some special meaning. If Master knew that the bracelet he repaired back then was used by you to kill someone, he would definitely be very sad..." Rong Wanyin felt her eyes a little sore and her throat a little dry.

"Master? Elder Wuji is your master?" Wen Xin was shocked. Her hands trembled violently and she collapsed in her seat. "How could it be?... What a joke... This bracelet is my mother's legacy. Elder Wuji helped me repair it. I... I'm sorry..."

"Sister Xin, you don't really want to kill him, right? If you wanted to kill him, with your intelligence, you have many ways to clear yourself of suspicion. There's no need to make it so complicated. Besides, why did you lead us here? Butler Wen's reaction just now further proves my guess. If he really didn't want us to find you, he would have just admitted all the charges. Why would he guide us and let us come find you? Because, in his heart, he also wants us to stop you, doesn't he?" Rong Wanyin still had a glimmer of hope in her heart.

"No, I really want to tear him into pieces, but that would be too easy for him. But then, maybe he could get a good reputation after his death, and no one would mention the case again." Wen Xin stopped pretending to be stupid, tears welled up in her eyes, she felt sad and emotional.

"Miss Wen, if I'm not mistaken, what happened to your mother back then wasn't an accident, right?" Yan Mingzhang asked. "You brought me here to find out the real cause of your mother's death? The incident at Zhenbaozhai was also fake, right?"

"Hahaha...an accidental fire. Haha, if it was an accident, how could the doors and windows be nailed shut from the outside? If I hadn't met Uncle Wen again five years ago, I wouldn't have known. I've been kept in the dark for so many years. During the Lantern Festival that year, my father gave all the servants a day off. My mother was sick, and I was so young, there was no one to take care of me. My father took Uncle Wen to a party with friends and didn't come home until very late. When they saw the fire, Uncle Wen went to put out the fire, but my father just stood there motionless, with no intention of saving anyone."

"Later, Uncle Wen discovered that the doors and windows were nailed shut from the outside. Didn't my father notice it at all before? In previous years, the Lantern Festival was always celebrated together by the whole family, but that year he insisted on meeting friends." Wen Xin was already in tears. "When he met someone who could make him successful, how could he care about his wife at home? When Butler Wen told me these things, I didn't believe it and wanted to verify it myself. Until you performed an autopsy and confirmed what I thought..." "Sister Xin, maybe this is a misunderstanding?" Although Rong Wanyin had no hope in her heart, she still tried to persuade him.

"I was afraid it was a misunderstanding. After I gave him the drug, before it took effect, I asked him about it. He was extremely terrified. He clearly knew everything back then. Indeed, it wasn't him who did it, it was that vicious woman. But after he knew it, he pretended to be ignorant and acted stupid. He even bribed the county magistrate not to investigate. What else could he be if not an accomplice? The woman asked someone to divert him, and he happily accepted the appointment and did what she wanted."

"He just used someone else to kill my mother! Maybe he wanted to kill me too! He has no remorse at all. He even said that my mother had tuberculosis and was going to die anyway, just in a different way, so my mother's death was not his fault. Do you think this is what a human being would say? How desperate my mother must have been back then!" Wen Xin held her chest, her heart bleeding. "Yin'er, if it were you, would you really not want to kill them? Don't they deserve to die?"

Rong Wanyin was a little embarrassed: "I... I don't know... but I think this is wrong... I..."

Wen Xin waved her hand, signaling Rong Wanyin to stop talking. Holding back her heartache, she said, "Master Yan, I originally didn't ask for anything else. I only begged you to reveal the truth of this case and let those two vicious people receive the punishment they deserve. However, I have changed my mind now. I want them to experience the feeling of being burned by fire!"

"So you've done all this just to test me? What if I fail to complete your test? What will you do?" Yan Mingzhang asked with full vigor, "Lynching? In that case, what's the difference between you and them?"

"I don't have that much time left. I can't take care of it anymore. He wants to send me to the palace to find him a bright future. This is my last chance. Burning it all in a fire will be a clean slate." Wen Xin wiped away her tears and smiled miserably. "I have one last question for you. Guess where they are? After all, such an exciting event, without an audience, how boring..."

Yan Mingzhang didn't even raise his head as he answered directly, "This pavilion looks so high from the outside, but the roof inside isn't that high. I guess there's a mezzanine!"

"Yes, you are absolutely right." Wen Xin smiled with satisfaction, as if she was indifferent to life and death. "What should I do? On the one hand, I really want to make this case public, and on the other hand, I really want to burn them to death. How about we play a game and bet on their fate and whether you can really save them? This roof is not high or low, and you really can't get up without a ladder. Your boat can only carry two people. Even if you save them, how will you leave this pavilion? What will you choose? Is there really such a thing as selfless kindness in this world? Is it really worth it for these two vicious people?"

(End of this chapter)