Chapter 69

Chapter 69

News of the sudden death of Zheng Daoyuan, the Prefect of Shuntian, reached the Ren Residence early the next morning.

Yu Lang came in person to deliver the news.

But before Vice Minister Yu arrived, the steward, Ren Cong, had just brought word from the Marquis Mansion as well.

Mu Zheng, Vice Director of the Secretariat, had paid a visit to Renxuan Marquis Manor first thing that morning.

Ren Xuan had sent someone to ask whether the Young Marquis should return for a visit too.

The two matters had happened at the same time. It seemed like a coincidence, yet there was something suspicious about it.

After a moment’s thought, Ren Fengjue set the latter matter aside and had Ren Cong send back word that he would not return today, but would pay a visit another day.

What mattered more right now was Zheng Daoyuan’s death.

He was in a hurry to leave, but just as he was about to board the carriage, he suddenly remembered something.

“Wait a moment. I’ll go to the East Courtyard first.”

Yu Lang did not know about the Seven-Day Promise. Seeing Ren Fengjue hurry toward the East Courtyard Guest Room, he could not help teasing Axia, “Since when did your young master become so close with Miss Xia? He even has to report to her before going out?”

Axia choked, unsure how to answer.

After thinking about it in silence, he felt there was some truth to those words.

The Young Marquis did indeed seem to care a great deal about this Miss Xia.

Ren Fengjue strode all the way to the courtyard gate, only to see Xia Ximo and Yan Zhengchu walking toward him side by side.

By the look of it, the two of them were about to go out together.

“Miss Xia.”

Xia Ximo was also slightly surprised to see him.

Ren Fengjue asked, “Are the two of you going out together?”

“Mm.”

She answered faintly.

Beside her, Yan Zhengchu opened his mouth as if to say something, but Xia Ximo cut him off. “There is no need to tell unrelated people about this.”

“…”

Only belatedly did Ren Fengjue realize that he had somehow become one of those “unrelated people.”

A trace of displeasure swept through him.

Xia Ximo asked, “Did you need something?”

Ren Fengjue quickly adjusted himself. “Today was supposed to be the day I fulfilled the promise I made seven days ago, but there is an urgent case I need to handle right now. Could this matter be delayed another two days…”

“Mm.”

Xia Ximo agreed readily, then asked, “Anything else?”

Ren Fengjue had originally intended to mention the case of Liu Shi from Yan County to her, but when the words reached his lips, he inexplicably swallowed them back down.

“Nothing else.”

Xia Ximo looked at him. There seemed to be a hint more scrutiny in her gaze, as though she had already sensed the abnormal shift in his mood.

In the end, however, she merely gave a calm nod.

When Ren Fengjue returned to the carriage, Yu Lang could tell at a glance that something was off with Lord Ren’s expression.

It rather looked as if he had suffered a setback with Miss Xia…

Had they quarreled?

But on second thought, that did not seem right. Given those two personalities, neither of them looked like the sort who could actually quarrel…

As he was wondering how best to ask, Ren Fengjue spoke first.

“Has Vice Minister Yu forgotten something he needs to say?”

Yu Lang nearly blurted out, “Ah, right. I was just about to ask if you and Miss Xia had had a falling-out.”

“…”

Ren Fengjue gave him a chilly look.

It felt as if there were knives in that glance.

Only then did Yu Lang remember that he had forgotten the actual matter at hand and hurriedly corrected himself. “This subordinate was negligent. Lord Ren, please forgive me!”

With that, he gave a light cough and began explaining how Zheng Daoyuan had died suddenly in his study.

The body had been discovered around midnight, when a servant entered the room to replace the tea.

“According to that servant, Prefect Zheng had been in the study the entire time after nightfall, and the only person who entered midway was his aide, Lu Xian.”

“After that, there was no movement from inside the room, nor did anyone hear the prefect ask for tea. The servant did not dare enter without permission. It wasn’t until after midnight, when the night had grown late…”

“The servant had no choice but to go forward and ask. He called out several times, but no one answered. Yet by the window, there was indeed a figure there.”
“The servant sensed something was wrong and pushed the door open. In the end, Prefect Zheng was sitting beside his desk, facing the bookshelf, dead with blood streaming from all seven orifices.”

Hearing this, Ren Fengjue was startled as well.

“Blood from all seven orifices again?”

Yu Lang gave a sound of assent, then asked in confusion, “Does Lord Ren mean there has been a similar case in the capital recently?”

Ren Fengjue nodded. “Yesterday, in the alleys behind East Market, there was one. And…”

“These two cases seem to be faintly connected.”

Yu Lang’s expression changed. “So it is a serial murder?”

“Not only that. It is also connected to an old case from half a year ago.”

“What?”

The case involved so many threads that Vice Minister Yu did not even know where to begin untangling them…

Ren Fengjue then went through the entire sequence of events for him from beginning to end.

By the time Yu Lang had a clear understanding, they had arrived at Zheng Daoyuan’s residence.

Guan Yue was waiting outside the manor gates. Seeing Vice Minister Ren’s carriage, he hurried forward to meet it.

Ren Fengjue asked, “How are things at the Ministry of Justice?”

“My lord guessed correctly. Last night, a ‘fish’ did indeed take the bait.”

“That killer was thrown into the Ministry of Justice Prison, and before we even had time to interrogate him, he confessed.”

“It was indeed Zheng Daoyuan. He was afraid the matter would be exposed, so he wanted to silence the witness for good.”

Ren Fengjue’s expression remained calm, as if this had all been within his expectations. He asked again, “What is the situation at Li Ah Da’s home?”

Guan Yue said, “They were all relocated in advance. Not a single person was injured, and we captured two of them alive.”

Only then did Ren Fengjue’s brow ease slightly.

“Let’s go in and see what’s happening.”

Inside the residence, the aide Lu Xian had been shackled in the hall as a “suspect,” awaiting judgment. The servants knelt in a row, trembling with fear.

Meanwhile, the Prefect’s Wife, Madam Wang, was being supported by a maid, weeping so hard she could barely contain herself.

But the moment Ren Fengjue arrived, the main hall instantly fell silent.

Madam Wang sobbed between breaths. “Lord Ren, you must… catch the murderer and avenge my husband.”

Ren Fengjue gave her a slight nod. “Madam, please accept my condolences.”

When Lu Xian saw Ren Fengjue, his legs went weak, and he immediately dropped to his knees.

“Lord Ren, please see clearly! Prefect Zheng’s death has absolutely nothing to do with me!”

Ren Fengjue did not respond. Instead, he chose the chair nearest to him and sat down.

The steward personally stepped forward and presented tea.

“Lu Xian, around midnight last night, where were you?”

As he asked, his gaze swept unobtrusively over the faces of everyone in the room.

Lu Xian replied, “Around midnight… I was not in the residence. I had gone out on Prefect Zheng’s orders to handle a matter.”

Ren Fengjue asked again, “What matter?”

Lu Xian knew that things had already reached this point. There was no use hiding it anymore.

So he gritted his teeth and, bracing himself, said, “On Prefect Zheng’s orders, I was to eliminate Li Ah Da, the culprit in the Yan County Murder Case, along with his entire family!”

The moment these words were spoken, Madam Wang’s face changed drastically. She snapped loudly, “Lu Xian… what nonsense are you spouting? How could the master ever order you to do such a thing?”

Lu Xian did not dare meet her eyes. But in order to clear himself of suspicion, he dared not hold anything back, and simply told the truth.

“Because half a year ago, the true killer who murdered the mother and her two children in Yan County was Prefect Zheng…”

“He had Li Ah Da take the blame and go to prison. He thought that as long as the culprit was executed, this matter… could be covered up completely.”

“Who would have thought that with the execution date drawing near, Lord Ren would suddenly summon Li Ah Da for questioning…”

Madam Wang was shaking with anger. Ignoring the maid’s attempts to stop her, she stepped forward and slapped Lu Xian hard across the face.

“You heartless wretch! The master treated you well while he was alive. His body is not even cold yet, and you dare slander him like this?”