Chapter 187: Hello Chang’an
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**Chapter 187: He's Already Lost His Mind**
Chang Suining hurried towards the front courtyard, intending to leave the residence and head for the Ministry of Justice. Just as she was about to leave, she encountered Steward Bai, who was rushing towards her, holding a letter.
"Miss!"
Steward Bai, clearly already aware of the situation, looked anxious and worried. He handed her the letter. "Please take a look at this, it was delivered by a young man who didn’t reveal his identity."
Chang Suining took the letter without hesitation and quickly opened it.
The envelope was blank, but as soon as she unfurled the letter, she immediately knew who had written it.
It was from Yao Yi.
Yao Yi was the Chief of the Ministry of Justice, and he had been assigned to investigate the case of Changsun Xuan's murder. In the letter, he detailed the progress of the investigation.
The reason the Ministry of Justice had arrested Chang Sui'an for questioning was that a jade pendant belonging to a man had been found at the burial site of Changsun Xuan.
Upon investigation, it was confirmed that the rare jade pendant had originally been a tribute from Dongluo, given by Holy Emperor several years ago along with other gifts to a particular official. That official was none other than Chang Kuo.
Since Chang Kuo was not in the capital, the pendant naturally ended up with his son, Chang Sui'an.
The Ministry of Justice secretly brought in several officials' children who were close to Chang Sui'an to identify the pendant, and they all recognized it as belonging to him.
The discovery of such a personal item at the crime scene could not be brushed off as a mere coincidence. While it wasn’t enough evidence to convict immediately, it made Chang Sui'an the prime suspect.
Additionally, none of the people the Ministry of Justice had questioned could account for their whereabouts at the time of the incident, while many others recalled that they hadn’t seen Chang Sui'an when they were picking chrysanthemums on the back mountain. For a long time, no one knew where he had gone.
Given these circumstances, the Ministry of Justice had no choice but to arrest him.
This was the “evidence” that the Ministry of Justice had gathered, and Yao Yi, anticipating that Chang Suining, unaware of the situation, would worry about her brother’s safety and head to the Ministry of Justice, had arranged for the letter to be delivered to her.
In the letter, he assured Chang Suining that as long as Chang Sui'an was in the Ministry of Justice, he would ensure that no harm would come to him outside of the law.
In other words, Yao Yi was considering the possibility that Chang Sui'an might have been framed, and he would be vigilant to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation to silence him or fabricate evidence.
At the end of the letter, Yao Yi repeatedly advised Chang Suining not to act impulsively or rush to the Ministry of Justice, as it would only cause more trouble, potentially making things worse for Chang Sui'an and dragging her into the situation.
He knew that Chang Suining wasn’t afraid of being “implicated,” but with Chang Kuo not in the capital, the only people left in the Chang family were she and her brother. If she were also caught up in this, it would make things even more difficult for Chang Sui'an.
Chang Suining understood this well without needing to be reminded by Yao Yi. The reason she had been rushing to the Ministry of Justice earlier wasn’t out of impulse, but out of concern for her brother’s safety.
Now that she had Yao Yi’s letter clarifying the situation, she was able to temporarily calm down and abandon her plan to go to the Ministry of Justice. Instead, she began to think more carefully about how to handle the situation.
Soon after, the Qiao siblings, who had just left, returned, clearly having heard the news along the way.
Cui Lang, who had been escorting Physician Sun back, also arrived shortly thereafter.
That evening, the Qiao family’s couple hurried to the Chang residence, and Yu Zeng also made his move.
Meanwhile, the news of Chang Sui'an, the son of General Chang Kuo, being implicated in the murder of seventh miss Changsun had quickly spread. It was said that he had been captured by the Ministry of Justice.
After just one day and night of rumors spreading, a "reasonable" motive for the murder had already formed in the public's mind.
There were widespread whispers that the Chang family was dissatisfied with their daughter’s inability to become the crown princess, holding a grudge about it. Chang Sui'an, young and impulsive, had always put his younger sister first. It was said that when he saw seventh miss Changsun on the back mountain, a few words were exchanged, leading to a heated argument, which ultimately sparked his murderous intent.
Others claimed that Chang Sui'an’s sister, proud and determined to become the crown princess, had refused both Prince Rong’s son and General Cui. As her dreams were shattered, she developed a deep resentment towards Changsun Qi Niangzi.
There were even rumors that Chang Sui'an had been incited, or even directly manipulated by his sister, to commit the murder.
Countless versions of this narrative circulated, all similar in nature.
Xi’er, having gathered the various rumors, truthfully reported them to Chang Suining.
The maidservants, like Xi’er, understood the gravity of the situation — the life or death of their young master was at stake, and they could not afford to sugarcoat anything. They were expected to relay all the information as it came to them.
Hearing these “plausible” rumors, Chang Suining sneered, “It seems someone is putting a lot of effort into using the gossip of the masses to frame my brother.”
The fabricated stories were made to sound logical and reasonable, casting her brother as an impulsive and reckless murderer. These rumors would undoubtedly have flaws if carefully examined, but most people didn’t have access to the full facts. Everything they knew was based on hearsay.
This, in turn, would be enough to sway public opinion, establishing her brother’s supposed motive for murder in the eyes of the masses.
"Ren Shu—"
"At your command."
"Go and investigate the source of these rumors. See if you can find any useful clues."
Chang Ren responded solemnly and immediately left to begin the investigation.
Chang Suining then instructed Ah Che, "In the next few days, take Xiao Duan and Xiao Wu with you. Blend in with the beggars and homeless people around the city to gather more information."
The beggars and homeless, scattered around the city's alleyways, were often overlooked by those carrying out shady deeds.
Additionally…
"Steward Bai, have someone secretly send a letter to Minister Yu, asking him to help investigate the origins of these rumors."
If they were to clear Chang Sui'an’s name, the source of these malicious rumors might be the key to cracking the case wide open. They had to dig as deeply as possible.
Regardless of what past betrayals or entanglements existed between Minister Li and Minister Yu, Chang Suining could not afford to disregard any potentially helpful opportunity.
Minister Yu had watched over Chang Sui'an as he grew up. She believed his promise made when he sent someone to the residence the previous day was genuine, at least partially.
As the young daughter of a general’s household, with no power or influence of her own, her only chance of saving Chang Sui'an was to leverage every possible avenue, without involving others.
Chang Suining also thought of Yao Yi.
The investigator's instincts had indeed been sharp. Yao Yi had warned her in his letter the previous day to be cautious with her words and actions, lest she be caught up in the turmoil. Now, in the rumors, she herself was implicated — it was suggested that Chang Sui'an's crime was driven by her encouragement.
"Miss."
At that moment, Ah Zhi returned. "I’ve already asked the people who served close to Young Master in his courtyard. According to their recollections, the last time they saw him wearing the imperial jade pendant was about a month ago."
"A month ago…" Chang Suining’s expression became thoughtful.
A month ago, around the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Had the jade pendant “disappeared” around that time? Now that the pendant was being used as evidence of her brother's crime, if they could trace its whereabouts over the past month, they might uncover who was behind framing Chang Sui'an.
Under Chang Suining’s direction, the people of the Chang household, while still worried about their young master’s fate, were not aimlessly rushing around like headless chickens. Each person had their tasks, and though anxious, they were clear on what needed to be done.
"Miss," a servant quickly entered. "Here is the list of people who were picking chrysanthemums at the back mountain of Dayun Temple that day, as you requested!"
Chang Suining took the list.
While the Chang residence was overshadowed by crisis, the Changsun residence was engulfed in grief and anger over Seventh Miss Changsun’s death. Meanwhile, at Marquis Ying’s residence, where the heir, Ming Jin, resided, the sound of a guqin (a traditional string instrument) could be heard.
Ming Jin, though still unmarried, had long had a collection of concubines and lesser-status women. At that moment, it was one of his most favored concubines playing the guqin.
Ming Jin lay lazily on a couch, having just received news from a servant outside. He closed his eyes and said, "It seems the Chang family’s little wench has lucked out."
"She’s fortunate. If she had been at the back mountain that day, there would be no way to avoid the charge of being an accomplice. Right now, she’d probably be in the same cell as her useless brother, awaiting death."
He spoke in a wistful tone, but as he opened his eyes, a smile appeared on his face. "But perhaps it’s for the best. Let her first witness her brother’s fate. A tough girl like her is more interesting when you can toy with her slowly."
The quick death of someone like Changsun Xuan had robbed him of the fun.
Ming Jin closed his eyes again, his smile lingering as he imagined the girl’s dying face.
Every time Ming Jin recalled that scene, he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. The proud Changsun girl, who had rejected his marriage proposal, sneered at him, and carried herself so arrogantly, had ended up dying in the same messy and fearful state as those ordinary maidservants.
He admitted that, under the influence of the drug, he had lost his rationality at that moment. Furthermore, her sudden appearance had stirred him, making him act impulsively.
Normally, he wouldn't have directly resorted to murder, especially not against someone from the prestigious Changsun family.
But now, looking back, he didn’t feel regret. Instead, he felt an indescribable thrill and relief.
What was even more satisfying was that not only did he face no consequences, but he had also framed Chang Sui'an with the crime of murder!
Was there anything more pleasurable in the world?
As Ming Jin thought about this, he couldn't help but let out a few soft laughs.
His laughter wasn’t loud, but it had an eerie quality that made the maidservant playing the guqin even more nervous and uneasy.
Since the Mid-Autumn banquet in Furong Garden, the heir’s temperament had become even more violent, with a hint of malevolence. He would strike and kick the servants as if it were nothing, and no longer spoke gently to her. Lately, she felt as if the once tender gaze he had for her had been replaced with a cold, inexplicable hatred.
But what had she done wrong? She hadn’t made any mistakes.
Lost in her thoughts, the maidservant accidentally played the wrong note on the guqin.
Feeling the icy gaze upon her, she quickly kneeled and begged for mercy: “…Please forgive me, Young Master!”
Ming Jin clicked his tongue, gazing with interest at the trembling maidservant.
“Qin Shuang, why are you so afraid of me now?”
Ming Jin slowly stood up, barefoot, smiling as he spoke: “You used to be the boldest, even splashed water on me and bit my ear.”
He had always liked this little concubine for her boldness and coquettishness.
“I was ignorant before, Young Master. I know my mistake now…” The maidservant trembled as she begged. “Please, don’t be angry with me.”
Just two days ago, the concubine who had competed for his favor with her, after “serving” the heir, was found covered in blood and had hanged herself the next day.
Though she no longer had a competitor, the maidservant didn’t feel any joy, only fear.
“How could I be angry with you? You’re my favorite.”
Ming Jin bent down and extended his hand to her.
The maidservant hesitated, trembling, before cautiously placing her hand in his.
Ming Jin pulled her up and dragged her toward the couch.
The other servants in the room understood the situation and lowered their heads, retreating while pulling the bamboo curtain closed.
“It’s been a while since you’ve been in close attendance. Do you miss me, Qin Shuang?” Ming Jin asked with a smile.
The maidservant dared not refuse and nodded.
Ming Jin opened his arms. “Come, help me remove my clothes.”
The maidservant, suppressing her fear, forced a stiff smile and responded, “Yes, Young Master,” just like before, starting by removing his outer robe, then his inner garments, and finally his trousers.
But when she kneeled before him and removed his trousers, what she saw was no longer the same as before.
Her eyes changed, and she recoiled in shock.
Wasn’t he supposed to have healed already?
She bit back her scream, but her reaction still provoked him.
Ming Jin kicked her with force.
As she began to rise, she saw Ming Jin pick up a nearby guqin and smash it toward her face.
“Why? Are you scared? Disgusted?”
“You think I’m useless now, don’t you?!”
“Speak! I’m giving you a chance to speak!”
“…”
The noises coming from the inner room made the servants outside blanch with fear.
Half an hour later, Qin Shuang was carried out.
Her body was covered in blood, and her face had deep, gruesome cuts from the guqin strings.
But her expression was numb.
She had understood in that instant.
She had understood why the heir had always looked at her with hatred.
The more beautiful something was, the more he hated it if he could no longer use it.
He wanted her to see this, to have a reason to torment her.
He had gone mad, and he would only grow crazier.
She now understood why the other concubine had been tortured so badly before choosing to hang herself... because the torment would never stop, not until they died.
What should she do? Should she end her life and escape from this suffering?
Carried back to her room, Qin Shuang lay in bed, allowing the maidservants to treat her wounds, her eyes blank with despair as large tears rolled down her cheeks.
After venting his rage, Ming Jin sat on the couch, panting, watching as his servants quickly cleaned the bloodstains and mess from the room.
At that moment, his personal servant entered, nervously handing him a letter.
“Young Master, this is a letter for you.”
Ming Jin took the letter, opened it impatiently, and read its contents. A mocking smile appeared on his face.
(End of this chapter)
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