Facing Zhao Wancang's insults, We Zhaodi trembled with anger all over.
Not a hint of color showed on her snowy cheeks, and her small knuckles gripped the fabric of her skirt until they turned white.
Zhang Yunwu's eyes turned cold, and he was about to step forward.
Lu Renjia hurriedly held him back.
At this mont, they were surrounded by neighbors, and any altercation would surely beget gossip.
But the straightforward Zhang Yunwu couldn't care less; he pushed aside the skinny old Lu Renjia, strode up to Zhao Wancang in two or three steps, grabbed his clothes with a big hand, and hoisted him up like a little chicken.
"Say that one more ti!?"
Zhang Yunwu glowered furiously, his booming voice making Zhao Wancang's eardrums buzz.
Zhao Wancang was dumbfounded; once his booze-soaked eyes clear enough to recognize the man before him, his face went pale, sobering up considerably, and his lips trembled nonstop.
However, the fellow was indeed quick-witted. Seeing that disaster was imminent, he hastily started shouting,
"Assault! Assault!"
"The official is assaulting soone!"
"Everyone co look, the official is assaulting soone!"
But his neck-craning shouts, coupled with his comical struggling limbs, made him look like a turtle, inciting laughter from the onlookers.
Many also felt indignant on behalf of We Zhaodi.
"You, Old Zhao, every ti you drink you like to spout nonsense; what's it to anyone else if your daughter-in-law returns to her mother's ho?"
"Can't even keep your wife in line and you bla others. The whole neighborhood knows your wife is a fierce tiger of a woman. You're so pitiful, being scorned by your wife every day, yet you go blaming others."
"That's right, just right."
"In front of your own wife, you're all ek, but you get tough when slandering soone else's wife. Isn't it because you see Miss Wen as an easy target?"
"Zhang, you go ahead and hit that hoodlum with confidence!"
"..."
The neighbors took turns accusing Zhao Wancang.
It was indeed ironic.
Before Zhang Yunwu and the others arrived, only a few people spoke up for We Zhaodi, while most of the onlookers were simply enjoying the drama, so even hoping for her to be embarrassed.
Now, seeing her husband return, they were all suddenly bursting with a sense of justice.
It's true, behind the scenes, everyone discussed We Zhaodi's gossip, harboring malicious words in their bellies. But out in the open, they were all smiles, each trying to outdo the others in enthusiasm.
After all, her husband was a man of the official ranks.
Of course, if Zhang Yunwu had actually lost his temper and beaten Zhao Wancang at that mont, the ones to spread the news would surely be these sa champions of justice.
Seeing his rascally tactics fail, Zhao Wancang's face turned a purplish blue.
There were still people in the crowd instigating further commotion.
"Zhang, let him go."
Jiang Shouzhong took note of everyone's expressions and frowned slightly.
The bull-like Zhang that Jia couldn't hold back at all, upon hearing Jiang Shouzhong's words, snorted coldly and flung Zhao Wancang onto the ground.
Seeing this, so of the crowd instigators were a bit disappointed.
Seeing that the other party dared not touch him, Zhao Wancang, who had sobered up sowhat, had his wits rattled by alcohol once again, and looking at Zhang Yunwu, he sneered:
"Can't even watch your own wife and have the nerve to lecture others? Your two colleagues here have probably had their fun with your wife already."
Jiang Shouzhong pressed down on the furious Zhang Yunwu's shoulder and walked up to Zhao Wancang, saying indifferently, "Zhao Wancang, we ca to you to investigate a murder case; I hope you'll cooperate fully."
"What... what?"
Zhao Wancang's eyes widened dramatically, and he turned ashen.
He stamred tremulously, "My lord, I...I was just drunk and didn't watch my mouth when I cursed Miss Wen of the We Family; you...you can't fra on purpose."
At this mont, his mind seed to finally return to normal.
The warning not to fight against the officials suddenly ca back to him.
Jiang Shouzhong calmly said, "A murder case involving a demon, I just want to ask you a few simple questions."
"A demon?"
Zhao Wancang paused for a mont, the nervousness on his face easing slightly as he quickly said, "If it's just a few questions, my lord, ask away; I won't hide anything."
"Shall we talk inside?" Jiang Shouzhong asked with a smile.
"Yes, of course, my lord, please..."
It seed Zhao Wancang had completely sobered up, as he nodded and bowed, inviting Jiang Shouzhong and the other two into the house.
Seeing the excitent was over, the surrounding neighbors dispersed, disappointed.
We Zhaodi wiped her tears a few tis, forcibly suppressing her grievance to comfort the scowling Zhang Yunwu, before going back ho to prepare dicine for her mother-in-law.
Zhao Wancang's house was a ss.
The mont they entered, they were greeted by a pungent sll mixed with alcohol.
Several wine jars were scattered haphazardly on the floor, so broken, along with a sticky ss that seed to be vomit.
"I'm really sorry, sir, my wife left in a huff back to her parents' house, and feeling bad, I drank so 'horse piss' and muddled my brain. I truly didn't an to curse Miss Wen. My mouth indeed deserves to be punished!"
After entering the house, Zhao Wancang imdiately admitted his fault to Zhang Yunwu, and theatrically smacked himself on the face a few tis.
Jiang Shouzhong waived his sleeves, dispersing so of the unpleasant sll.
Seeing Lu Renjia wanted to open a window to ventilate, he shot him a look to stop him, then glanced at the door.
Lu Renjia understood and closed the door.
Zhao Wancang didn't notice the exchange of glances between the two n, continuing to say:
"But it's not all my fault. My wife sohow heard idle gossip and accused of having an affair with Miss Wen of the Wen family.
No matter how I explained, she wouldn't listen. She even seriously claid that the carriage driver, Wen Ba, saw with his own eyes on the night of the twelfth day, Miss Wen and a man resembling in a shed at neighbor Ms. Zhang's unused mill. Now, even with ten mouths, I couldn't clear my na of this injustice, right?"
"Are you sober now?"
Jiang Shouzhong cut him off.
Realizing he had been babbling too much, Zhao Wancang nodded sheepishly, "Sir, I am sober now. Please, ask whatever you wish."
Jiang Shouzhong picked up a copper pot from the table.
The water in the pot was cold.
Jiang Shouzhong scooped up another ladle of cold water to fill the pot, then said with a smile, "Have so water to clear your head a bit more."
Before Zhao Wancang could react, his collar was suddenly grabbed from behind.
Then his body was thrown back, toppling like a felled tree!
Zhao Wancang hit the ground hard, the back of his head buzzing as if countless stars were dancing before his eyes.
The next second, a cloth was placed over his face.
Cold liquid poured slowly from the pot's spout, tracing a chilly arc as it soaked the cloth.
...
As the crowd of onlookers dispersed, a horse-drawn carriage on the road began to move slowly.
In the carriage, besides the Crown Prince, there were one man and two won.
The man was quite young, with handso and refreshing features, tall and robust. He wore an embroidered pale blue robe with gold that was both luxurious and understated, exuding elegance.
Even with a slightly slouching posture, he did not lose his noble air.
The man bore a slight resemblance to the Crown Prince.
Clearly, the two were brothers.
Sitting opposite the Crown Prince was a woman in luxurious palace attire, exuding an air of composed grace.
Though her beauty was not stunning, her figure was voluptuously graceful, her slender arms bereft of any bony angles.
Apart from a white jade bracelet, she wore no other excessive ornants.
She was like a blooming, plump peony.
Beside the beautiful woman was a young girl, delicate and lovely, sitting in an indecorous position with one delicate boot resting on the man's leg, snacking on pastries.
"Boring, boring. I thought there'd be a good show," the girl withdrew her gaze, scoffed, and said, "He looks handso and able, but what a wimp, taking insults without daring to strike back, lacking any manly spirit."
The composed Crown Prince, Zhou Wei, suppressed his sudden, unfounded irritation and smiled in explanation, "Had he really struck back, the three of them would have to remove their official tokens tomorrow. Thus, he is a smart man."
The girl pouted, "A smart coward."
The tall man laughed, "Big brother is right. Moreover, I'd bet that lad is a tough one. Inside, he'll surely give that troublemaker a good thrashing.
Such people, best not to provoke them. If provoked, you have to be thorough, eliminate the weed and its roots, so they have no chance for revenge. Otherwise, you'll have a headache."
The girl was skeptical, sowhat disbelieving.
She tilted her head to look at the handso young man in white, "Brother Crown Prince, is that true?"
Zhou Wei nodded with a smile, "It's best not to make enemies of such people if you can help it."
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