Chapter 034: Counter-Inference, Counterattack

Prince of Wei, Wu Chengsi?

This news undoubtedly shocked both Lu Ling and Lu Shiyi.

Wu Chengsi was a man of great refinement, yet also an expert in sycophancy. Occupying the position of Left Chancellor, he would go to such lengths to curry favor with the Empress's lover, Xue Huaiyi—attending to his every need and acting with the submissiveness of a servant—that his ability to bend and stretch to flatter others left the entire court of officials in awe.

As Lu Ling and Lu Shiyi led a group of Dali Temple bailiffs out to receive him, Wu Chengsi’s ornate official sedan chair arrived, winding its way forward before slowly touching the ground.

"Dali Temple Junior Minister Lu Ling pays respects to the Left Chancellor of the Wenchang Pavilion!"

At the urging of Lu Ling and his bailiffs, Wu Chengsi was helped out of the chair by two servants. Murong Huan could not help but lift her head, focusing her gaze on this middle-aged man dressed in first-rank official robes. As their eyes met, images concerning him involuntarily flashed through her mind.

Wu Chengsi was now in his forties. He sported a handsome beard, but with his small eyes and short stature, he could hardly be called a handsome man. When the Xue family was implicated in a treason case, the Empress had Princess Taiping’s husband, Xue Shao, beaten with a hundred staves and thrown into the dungeon to starve to death. Afterward, she chose Wu Chengsi as the Princess’s second husband. This move was not only to use the Wu family as a shield to protect her only daughter, but also carried the intention of handing the empire over to Wu Chengsi and Princess Taiping.

However, Princess Taiping rejected this political marriage on the grounds that Wu Chengsi was ill, opting instead for Wu Youji, a man more distantly related to the Empress who held no interest in the struggle for political power. In truth, compared to the powerful Left Chancellor Wu Chengsi, Wu Youji was far inferior in every aspect except for his physical beauty. This move by Princess Taiping was, without a doubt, a resounding slap in the face to Wu Chengsi.

Naturally, Wu Chengsi would not hold a grudge against his cousin over this; after all, his greatest ambition remained to flatter Empress Wu and secure the position of Crown Prince. Murong Huan seemed to sense Li Linghuan’s hatred and fury toward this man. Had it not been for his instigation, the likes of treacherous villains such as Zhou Xing and Qiu Shenji would never have run rampant.

"Junior Minister Lu, please rise. How is the investigation into the successive murders of Zhou Xing and his son proceeding? I have heard that someone came to surrender themselves this morning. Who is it?"

Lu Ling replied, "Although someone has surrendered, there are hidden complexities to this case. I cannot yet provide the Left Chancellor with a definitive answer."

"Regardless of who it is, anyone who dares to assassinate an imperial official must be severely punished and beheaded as a public example. Our Great Zhou has only recently stabilized. We have had the rebellion of Li Jingye in the past and the treason of Pei Yan thereafter. Such treacherous scoundrels who disturb the peace of our Great Zhou deserve to die. Do not underestimate them, lest their accomplices and remnants stir up further trouble!"

"Understood!"

"Take me to see who this person is who surrendered."

Wu Chengsi insisted on seeing the suspect. Unable to refuse, Lu Ling ordered the bailiffs to clear a path and invited Wu Chengsi inside. Just then, a crowd arrived before the gates of the Dali Temple, shouting loudly: "Zhou Xing and his son are heartless villains who deserve to die! They kidnapped my daughter, causing her to perish at the bottom of a well, and only now have we found her remains. Give me back my daughter’s life!"

"Such traitors deserve death! I care not who killed them; give us their bodies! We shall eat their flesh to comfort the souls of our daughters in heaven!"

***

Seeing this impassioned crowd, which even the Dali Temple bailiffs could not disperse, Wu Chengsi was visibly startled. Upon walking quickly into the main hall of the Dali Temple, he demanded, "Where is the killer? Why have you not brought them to the hall for interrogation?"

Lu Ling then brought Li Xiaolian before the hall. Seeing her, Wu Chengsi, sitting in the seat of honor, could not help but reveal a mocking smirk. "A courtesan from the Shaohua Pavilion was actually able to lure Vice Minister Zhou into a trap and kill him?"

"The Left Chancellor is right. A courtesan could naturally not kill Vice Minister Zhou. The killer is someone else!" Murong Huan suddenly interjected, immediately drawing the attention of everyone in the hall. Li Xiaolian looked at her in astonishment, as did Lu Ling and Lu Shiyi. Because of her remark, Wu Chengsi’s gaze also locked onto her.

"And who might you be?"

"This commoner is Murong Huan, an artist invited by Junior Minister Lu specifically to draw portraits of the killers or the deceased!"

"Murong Huan? An artist?" Wu Chengsi smiled and gestured for her to proceed. "Very well, then show this Chancellor who the killer of Zhou Xing and his son is."

"As you wish!"

Lu Ling was still stunned, not understanding Murong Huan’s intent. Furthermore, he wondered why she had not identified herself as Su Huan, the fourth son of the Su family, but as Murong Huan. Lu Shiyi, however, was delighted by the prospect of a drawing. He quickly brought brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone, and ordered a screen to be set up for her.

When Murong Huan ceased her brushwork, Lu Shiyi immediately went to look, and his smiling face suddenly froze. Seeing Lu Shiyi's shock, Wu Chengsi curiously stepped forward to take a look, only to see a faceless figure drawn on the paper—one side wearing a woman’s hair ornament, the other a man’s cap.

"Young Master Huan, what is the meaning of this?"

Murong Huan replied, "Because this person carries the mandate of heaven, their aura is too overwhelming; I dared not draw their full likeness. However, while I cannot name the killer, I can deduce their appearance and motive based on traces from the scene and the descriptions provided by Junior Minister Lu and Li Xiaolian. Left Chancellor, would you like to hear it?"

Wu Chengsi, unsure of what she was planning, raised a hand. "Very well, let us hear it!"

"First, the motive: Zhou Xing and his son committed countless evil deeds. Not only this famous courtesan from the Shaohua Pavilion, Huo Xiaolian, but many people in the city of Luoyang wanted them dead. However, given Vice Minister Zhou’s status, those who could approach him and successfully assassinate him are few. The first type of person is someone who shared his bed or was his most trusted confidant; the second type is the person who, having finished using him, wished to discard him! Does the Left Chancellor agree with my assessment?"

Wu Chengsi nodded. "True. Those two types are indeed the most likely suspects. So, who was the most trusted person by Zhou Xing and his son, and who was the one who most wanted to discard them?"

"For Zhou Jiulang, the person he trusted most was his foster father, Zhou Xing. And the one who most wanted to discard him was also his foster father, Zhou Xing!"

"What are you implying? Are you suggesting that Zhou Jiulang was killed by Zhou Xing?"

"It is not impossible. Zhou Jiulang was a blade in Zhou Xing’s hand, but he was not clean or efficient enough. A blade that has rusted, or one whose wielder fears has developed conflicting loyalties, is always destined to be discarded."

Wu Chengsi burst into laughter. "You lad, you are truly skilled at twisting logic and arguing. Are you trying to absolve the killer?"

"If the Lord wishes to think so, that is fine. After all, Zhou Xing has already written down most of his crimes in his confession. But who was it that truly directed him to commit those acts? In truth, Zhou Xing, this rusted blade, was also approaching the time to be cast aside. The one who discarded this blade has already found a new one to replace him, and thus, his time had come!"

As Murong Huan finished speaking, the Dali Temple bailiffs, led by Lu Ling, stood dumbstruck, and Wu Chengsi finally realized the implication.

"Lad, what exactly are you trying to say?"

No sooner had Wu Chengsi spoken than a voice sounded from outside the hall: "She means that Zhou Xing and his son were cursed by heaven, and it was I, acting on the Holy One’s command, who carried out their just punishment!"

Wu Chengsi turned abruptly to see Xiao Muchen approaching with Xuan Yu, holding a bright yellow scroll in his hand. It appeared he had just arrived from the Ziwei Palace.

"And what does this mean, Censor-in-Chief Xiao?"

Xiao Muchen replied, "The Left Chancellor may not be aware that two days ago, someone submitted a secret letter to the copper urn accusing Zhou Xing of treason. To avoid alerting the Vice Minister, the Holy One ordered me to investigate the matter in secret. Last night, I ordered the Censor Lai Junchen to interrogate him, but who could have known that upon hearing the news of the treason accusation, Zhou Xing would simply commit suicide in fear of punishment!"

Wu Chengsi sneered as if he had heard an absurd joke. "You are spouting nonsense! If Zhou Xing committed suicide out of fear, why would he trap himself in an urn and suffer the agony of being roasted?"

"Given his crimes, if he had not suffered the roasting, his entire clan would have faced the punishment of being sliced to pieces. Thus, this punishment was light for him!"

Xiao Muchen continued to explain with a calm smile, handing the imperial edict and the confession document to Wu Chengsi. "The Left Chancellor might wish to take another good look at this confession. See what he has admitted to. Then, listen to the voices of the people outside the Dali Temple..."