??Chapter 189: Chapter 190: Forced Admission of Guilt – Part 1
Chapter 189: Chapter 190: Forced Admission of Guilt – Part 1
Liu Fu’s harsh words had barely left his lips before a couple of servants rushed to grab Liu’er, one on each side, and dragged her away to the firewood shed.
Liu Fu then turned to Muniang with a respectful gesture, “Lady Qiao, please co inside.”
Muniang nodded and followed him in.
Qingya said indignantly, “Lady, how could Liu’er be so rude? The Wu Family actually keeps such a maid. If it were in our house, she would certainly be in for a bad ti.”
Muniang shook her head, “Normally, Liu’er conducts herself steadily. I’ve seen her deal with matters when I was buying land from Mr. Wu before, she’s smart and capable. Wu Haoli does have his reasons for employing her. However, she is particularly impetuous when it cos to matters of the heart. Anything related to Wu Haoli seems to bring out her petty side.”
In her heart, Qingya muttered, it wasn’t pettiness over matters related to Wu Haoli, it was pettiness towards you.
But looking at Muniang, Qingya feared she had never considered this aspect. The Lady was insightful, able to see through everyone else clearly, but she seed oblivious when it ca to her own matters.
How could Muniang have the mind to think about these things? Erliang was still locked up in prison, and finding a way to save him was the most important thing! But Wu Haoli was not returning, which made Muniang anxious.
The servants changed the tea several tis, and Muniang was almost falling asleep while waiting, yet the person she awaited had not arrived.
Liu Fu had sent out quite a few people. Though Wu Haoli’s whereabouts were unpredictable, the places he frequented were within a certain range. But even after making a round, they could not find him. Liu Fu was extrely anxious, yet in the middle of the night, Wu Haoli returned on his own.
This ti, the carriage was not as flashy as before, but a simple, ash-gray one, so low-key that it looked almost shabby. Wu Haoli’s face bore an unmasked fatigue, and his usual frivolity was replaced with a hint of somberness. As he entered the mansion, a servant imdiately inford him that Qiao Muniang had arrived and had been waiting for most of the night.
Wu Haoli’s originally gloomy eyes brightened slightly at the news, “Where is she?” his voice was sowhat hoarse.
The servant replied that she was in the flower hall, and Wu Haoli briskly stepped past the servant, heading straight for the hall.
Liu Fu was standing guard at the entrance of the flower hall. Being a man, it was not appropriate for him to stay in the sa room with Qiao Muniang, but since she was an extrely important person to Wu Haoli, Liu Fu did not dare to neglect her and stood watch outside the door.
Just as Wu Haoli approached the entrance, Liu Fu sprang up with a start, “My lord, you’re finally back—”
But before he could finish, Wu Haoli silenced him with a gesture. Peering through the crack in the door, he saw Muniang asleep, slumped in the Taishi Chair.
Liu Fu nodded and kept quiet.
Wu Haoli walked in softly, observing her sleeping form, and felt the gloom in his heart ease sowhat. He lifted his cloak from his shoulders and gently draped it over her.
Yet the small disturbance was enough to wake Muniang. Alert, she fixed her eyes on the figure before her, then relaxed, curling the corners of her mouth, “It’s you.”
Wu Haoli chuckled, “This is my house, who else would it be?”
Muniang sensed sothing unusually different about Wu Haoli today, an air of unusual emotion that seed like… sorrow? Her gaze swept over him and noticed he was in plain dress. Could it be that he went to pay respects to a relative? Yet that didn’t seem right. Shouldn’t the entire Wu Family dress in mourning to pay respects? Why would Wu Haoli go alone?
Muniang felt unease but knew it wasn’t her place to pry, especially since these were personal matters and she too had urgent business.
“What’s wrong? Is there trouble? Why co looking for
so late?” Wu Haoli read her thoughts.
“Muniang has gotten into so legal troubles and wanted to ask if you knew any powerful connections who could help smooth things out,” Muniang didn’t hide the truth.
Wu Haoli thought for a mont and said, “What legal troubles?”
“A homicide case.”
Wu Haoli was taken aback, “Did Muniang kill soone?”
Muniang sighed, “It was all because of . That person wanted to take liberties with , and it was just an impulse on his part. Now they want his life in exchange for the one he took.”
Wu Haoli’s eyes took on a trace of frost, “Since that’s the case, that person deserved to die.”
“What?” asked Muniang, stunned.
Wu Haoli smiled, “Don’t worry, leave this to .”
Muniang smiled gratefully, “Thank you!”
Inside the prison, although it was late at night, the jail was still brightly lit. The Zheng Family had put pressure on the County Chief, demanding a confession and an execution tonight to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, so the County Chief planned to extract a confession through torture.
Jin Feng and Muniang were each tied to the pillars of a cross with various torture instrunts placed in front of them.
The County Chief sat leisurely on a Taishi Chair, saying nonchalantly, “I advise you to confess straightaway. A single swipe with a knife doesn’t even hurt in a split second. If you force
to use these on you, aren’t you just asking for trouble?”
Jin Feng bristled with anger, “You corrupt official! Setting up a torture chamber in private and trying to force a false confession! Is this how you govern and abuse the people on a regular basis?”
The County Chief snorted coldly, “What are you to talk to
with such insolence? Bring soone over! Slap him!”
A prison guard stepped forward and slapped Jin Feng’s face twice, the sound especially loud. But Jin Feng didn’t even blink, speaking through gritted teeth, “You cur! I won’t let you off so easily in the future!”
Jin Feng felt extrely wronged inside; after all, he was a ritorious soldier who had fought on the battlefield, and now he was being subjected to arbitrary torture by a small official. How could he face anyone if this got out?
The County Chief ordered, “Whip each of them ten tis first! Let’s see if that makes them confess. If they do, we can let it go. If not, heh, I have plenty of ways to deal with you!”
Jin Feng looked worriedly at Muniang, but saw that he remained silent, just staring steadily at the leaping flas on the torch on the wall, his gaze sowhat vacant.
Jin Feng didn’t even have ti to ponder Muniang’s emotions when the prison guard’s whip unexpectedly lashed onto his body. Jin Feng grunted, glaring at the County Chief with murderous eyes.
After enduring three lashes, Muniang’s clothes were torn, and his brows were furrowed in pain. He didn’t cry out but just bit down hard, still fixating on the leaping flas as if he saw a different vision within them.
With another lash coming down, Muniang’s eyes suddenly widened, staring intently at the prison guard Shi Xing in front of him. Suddenly, a surge of inner strength raced up to his chest and burst out. The ropes binding him snapped apart, and even the prison guard in front of him was blasted away by the fierce inner strength.
The County Chief was so terrified he was frozen, staring unbelievably at Muniang and stamring without managing to say a coherent sentence, “You! You! You have so nerve!”
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