Baiying was naturally tall and slender with delicate features, and coupled with her usual solemn demeanor, she now appeared as a handsome young man in male attire. She emerged from a side door and, though she handed something to Zheng Baishi, no one found it particularly unusual.
Zheng Baishi did not initially recognize Baiying, but upon noticing the delicate, refined calligraphy on the note—elegant yet subtly sharp—he realized it was Qin Guan's handwriting. With a fleeting glance toward the side door, Zheng Baishi maintained his composure and continued questioning Meng Wei, "What did you and your father discuss while drinking? Did the two of you argue? Could it be that your father left in anger, fueled by alcohol, and then accidentally fell into the lake?"
Meng Wei’s eyes widened in response. "How could we have argued? I have always respected my father deeply—my uncle can attest to that. That night, my father was indeed upset by Fourth Uncle, so I comforted him and discussed how to recover the family’s losses. Once we settled on a plan, he was in high spirits. How could he have left in a rage?"
Zheng Baishi pressed further, "What exactly did you discuss? What plan did you come up with?"
Meng Wei pursed his lips, his hand unconsciously clenching into a fist at his side. "I... I was drunk that night and can’t recall the exact words. In short, I urged my father to ignore Fourth Uncle’s remarks. Since he had once built the Meng family business from scratch, he could surely start over and rise again."
His gaze dropped, and he shifted his eyes before adding, "As for the plan, naturally, it involved first securing funds for the crucial shops and then... then exploring new avenues."
Zheng Baishi narrowed his eyes. "Which shops are crucial?"
Meng Wei frowned, puzzled why the interrogation had suddenly shifted to the family business. His expression grew increasingly unsettled. "The crucial ones are naturally the several restaurants. They bring in the most revenue but require liquid capital to operate. Father said we should divert the funds from Ruyi Workshop’s jade purchases to the restaurants."
Zheng Baishi’s gaze remained fixed intently on Meng Wei, who knelt below, feeling as though the official’s eyes were piercing like swords. Growing more nervous, Meng Wei heard Zheng Baishi ask, "How much silver was to be diverted?"
Meng Wei’s lips trembled slightly. "U-using twenty thousand taels."
Without giving him time to react, Zheng Baishi swiftly followed up, "Which restaurants were these twenty thousand taels allocated to?"
Meng Wei grew visibly agitated, avoiding Zheng Baishi’s eyes and letting his gaze wander restlessly around his knees. "They were for... for Tongfu Restaurant on Mao’er Street, and Tongsheng Restaurant on Wanhua Street, and also..."
Zheng Baishi not only persisted but delved into increasingly minute details. The more specific the questions, the more uneasy Meng Wei became. Soon, Meng Wei looked up with a pained expression and said, "Sir, I can’t remember clearly. In short, we aimed to support all the family’s key restaurants."
Seeing Meng Wei’s evident distress, Zheng Baishi smiled faintly. "Very well, I understand. So, you’re saying you were drunk and were helped back to your own courtyard, and you have no idea where your father went after that, correct?"Meng Wei's expression flickered again before he nodded. "Yes, Father said he felt a warmth in his chest from drinking and wanted to take a walk before returning. Since he was walking steadily at the time, I didn't interfere."
Zheng Baishi nodded, seemingly ready to move on from Meng Wei. He turned his gaze to Meng Hui. "Meng Hui, tell us where you went after the banquet ended that night?"
Upon being questioned, Meng Hui hurriedly responded, "Sir, you mustn't believe his nonsense! It wasn't me who started the confrontation during the banquet—it was Meng Jin. For years, he's kept all the business dealings firmly in his own hands, never considering sharing with his own brothers. In the early years, I thought he worked hard and contributed much, but over time, it became clear he was insatiably greedy. Yes, I resented him, but... but I had no reason to kill him! As the saying goes, 'Don't air your dirty laundry in public.' After all, he was still my brother—I wouldn't harm him. That night after the banquet, I returned to my own courtyard. My wife, my servant, and two maids from my wife's quarters can all testify that I stayed with my wife that night!"
As he finished speaking, Meng Hui turned around. "If you don't believe me, Sir, you can question them—"
No sooner had he spoken than several of the kneeling people behind him nodded in agreement.
Zheng Baishi listened, glanced toward the back, and then at Zhan Yang. Zhan Yang immediately stepped forward and led the maids to a separate room for individual questioning. Meanwhile, Zheng Baishi turned his attention to the Second Madam, Madam You.
"Second Madam, where were you that night?"
Madam You remained composed; though kneeling in the courtroom, her demeanor was as calm as if in meditation. Hearing the question, she slowly opened her slightly narrowed eyes and looked at Zheng Baishi. "I report to you, Sir, that after leaving the banquet, I returned to my own courtyard and spent the entire night copying Buddhist scriptures. I did not go anywhere else. My personal maid can testify to this."
Madam You spoke deliberately, without a trace of nervousness or panic. Zheng Baishi, who likely hadn't suspected her to begin with, did not press further upon seeing her composure. He raised his eyes and looked toward the members of the third branch at the back.
"Third Madam, where were the three of you that night?"
Third Madam Jiang Shi looked weary and sallow. She lowered her eyes respectfully and replied, "I report to you, Sir, that after the banquet ended, I returned to our courtyard with my son and daughter-in-law. I retire early and went to bed as soon as we returned. My personal maid can attest to this. My son and daughter-in-law also typically retire early, and the servants in their quarters can verify this."
Zheng Baishi looked at Meng Ziyi. "Young Master Meng, please speak."
Meng Ziyi lifted his head, still holding Xu Shi's hand. "My mother is accustomed to sleeping early, and so are we as a couple. That night, after attending to my mother until she retired, we returned to our own courtyard and went to sleep. We only learned about Second Uncle's incident the next morning."
Meng Ziyi appeared reserved, speaking in a soft voice. While such demeanor might be acceptable for a woman, in a man it gave off a timid, shrinking impression. Zheng Baishi studied Meng Ziyi for a moment. Seeing that Zhan Yang had finished his questioning, he instructed Zhan Yang to take the remaining maids to the separate room for individual interrogation.
After a moment of contemplation, Zheng Baishi turned to Meng Zhou and Meng Yao. "And what about Official Meng and Miss Meng that night?"Meng Yao lowered her head slightly. Seeing this, Meng Zhou said, "Both my daughter and son suffer from asthma. That night, both were unwell. After the banquet ended, my daughter and I first attended to my son, then returned to our respective rooms to rest. The steward of the main courtyard and the residence physician can attest to this. Zhang De, you speak—"
Meng Zhou looked toward a middle-aged man, who nodded and said, "Yes, my lord. That night, my master first attended to the young master, then had someone escort the young lady back before retiring. There were also three guards in my master’s courtyard who can testify that the master did not leave the main courtyard that night. As for the young lady, Nurse Zhang can attest."
Zhang De glanced at the woman beside him, who nodded and said, "The young lady coughed incessantly that night and took medicine once around midnight. Two other senior maids and I stayed with her until dawn."
Meanwhile, Qin Guan observed Meng Yao and took two steps back. "This young lady Meng is the one who came to the Marquis’s residence that day seeking my help with her illness. After the incident, she was delayed and never came. Judging by her complexion, it does indeed resemble asthma."
Yan Chi followed her as she moved further inside. "What do you think of the others?"
Qin Guan frowned. "Meng Hui appears to be impulsive by nature. Such people cannot conceal their true emotions, are prone to conflicts, and are also the most likely to reveal flaws. Just now, I noticed he spoke with his chest puffed out, as if eager for Lord Zheng to question him further. By comparison, Meng Wei seems more suspicious. When Meng Wei answered, his speech was hesitant, especially when Lord Zheng pressed him for details about that night—he always paused to think before speaking. As Your Highness mentioned that day, I also suspect he is hiding something. He claimed they only discussed how to compensate for business losses, but it’s quite possible they talked about other matters."
Yan Chi nodded. "It may be related to what you just said. Bai Feng will surely return soon. Let’s wait for his news."
Qin Guan nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, in the main hall, Zheng Baishi questioned Meng Wei again.
"Meng Wei, why do you insist that your fourth uncle harmed your father?"
Exchanging a glance with Yan Chi, Qin Guan took a few more steps toward the door, peering through the gap in the curtain to observe the proceedings outside.
Upon hearing this, Meng Wei’s face twisted in bitterness. "For many years, my father toiled tirelessly for the Meng family. It is because of him that the Meng estate has achieved its current wealth. But starting four or five years ago, Fourth Uncle began clamoring to divide the family assets. Fortunately, Eldest Uncle mediated, preventing the family from breaking apart. By last year, Fourth Uncle’s discontent had grown. He repeatedly picked fights and resorted to violence—it wasn’t the first time. On several occasions, even Eldest Uncle couldn’t restrain him. Fourth Uncle always believed my father embezzled the family’s shared assets and suppressed the third and fourth branches, preventing them from participating in business dealings. But how could that be?"Meng Wei's eyes reddened. "Third Aunt has been ill for years, and Second Brother... Second Brother also frequently needs medication. Father never blames Second Brother for not being able to help much when he thinks of these circumstances. Instead, he sends silver to the Third Branch according to the annual allowance. As for the Fourth Branch, Fourth Uncle is physically capable, so Father entrusted him with two shops to manage. Yet one of these shops went bankrupt a year ago, and the other requires subsidies every year just to stay afloat. Given this situation, how could Father dare to entrust large-scale business to Fourth Uncle? Those who are capable bear more responsibility—this family fortune was earned through Father’s hard work. He would rather exhaust himself than hand it over to Fourth Uncle to ruin. It would be one thing if Fourth Uncle lacked ability but remained content with the comfortable life the family provides, but instead, he has grown greedy—"
Meng Wei spoke with sincere emotion, but on the other side, Meng Hui was already so enraged that his eyes turned red!
"You... you unfilial wretch! How dare you say such things?! It’s true that your father manages the family’s collective assets, and yes, he has made money. But those assets would have profited in anyone’s hands! The shops he gave me were already losing money, and after I took them over, someone deliberately sabotaged them. Under such conditions, how could they possibly survive? And now you and your father use that as a convenient excuse! Using this pretext, you’ve turned collective property into private use!"
As they argued, their voices grew louder again. Meng Zhou stood by, his face dark with anger.
Zheng Baishi, seeing both men sticking firmly to their own stories, turned to Meng Zhou. "What does Lord Meng have to say?"
Meng Zhou let out a long sigh. "They say harmony in the family leads to prosperity in all endeavors. I, too, have always wished for the Meng household to live in harmony, which is why I’ve been reluctant to divide the family assets. Second Brother is skilled in business, so I’ve given him free rein. But in recent years, while the Third Branch is understandable, he hasn’t given the Fourth Branch any opportunities. I know Fourth Brother holds resentment, and I blame myself—I’ve always played the peacemaker, allowing their disagreements to fester into hostility. Fourth Brother is straightforward by nature, sometimes impulsive, and his words can be harsh, leading to many arguments. Still, I don’t believe he would harm Second Brother."
As Meng Zhou spoke, Meng Hui snorted in stifled frustration. Meng Wei, though visibly disagreeing, did not dare to talk back to Meng Zhou as he had with Meng Hui.
Meng Zhou sighed again and continued, "Moreover, after the conflicts last year, I actually considered dividing the family assets this year. Before the New Year, I mentioned it once to Second Brother. At the time, he said that if I had made the decision, he wouldn’t oppose it, but he asked for six months. He had his eye on a mining venture—a sure-profit, large-scale business. Once this deal was done, the Meng family’s income would be secured. Knowing his ambition in business and seeing that he didn’t object, I thought giving him six months was reasonable. Who could have predicted that the venture he planned would suddenly run into trouble right before the New Year?"
What Meng Zhou referred to was, of course, the incident where Meng Jin was swindled.
Meng Zhou sighed deeply once more. "I serve as an official in the court and do not involve myself in family business. Even though money was lost this time, I haven’t said anything about it. However, Fourth Brother has strong opinions on the matter. He firmly believes that Second Brother has embezzled a significant amount from the family funds over the years and has the capital to cover the loss. Therefore, Fourth Brother insists that if we divide the family assets now, the Second Branch should not receive any share from the current family property. He suggests that the silver lost in the swindle should be considered as Second Brother’s portion. Naturally, Second Brother disagrees with this—and that’s what sparked the argument during the family banquet."Meng Zhou spoke with a tone of loyalty and solemnity. Seeing that he showed no bias, Meng Hui naturally offered no argument, while Meng Wei could find no falsehoods to refute and thus kept his lips tightly sealed. Meng Zhou continued, "As the saying goes, family shame should not be publicized. Today, we have truly embarrassed ourselves before Lord Zheng. Although Meng Wei claims that Fourth Uncle harmed Second Uncle, in my view, Fourth Uncle may be rough and impulsive by nature, but he would never commit such an act as killing his own brother. The truth of the matter rests with Lord Zheng to judge impartially."
Zheng Baishi nodded and then asked Meng Zhou, "Lord Meng, there is one matter I do not understand."
Meng Zhou promptly replied, "Please speak freely, Lord Zheng."
Zheng Baishi then said, "Your family's business encountered a mishap and was swindled out of over a hundred thousand taels of silver. Why did you not report it to the authorities?"
At these words, Meng Zhou smiled bitterly. "We originally intended to report it, but Second Uncle felt it was too shameful and that reporting it would hardly lead to catching the swindlers. Moreover, it would only make the matter public, damaging the Meng family's reputation. For these reasons, the matter was set aside." He sighed and added, "Looking back now, we truly miscalculated. There are no walls without cracks. If we had reported it then, we might have recovered the silver. And if the silver had been recovered, today's tragedy might not have occurred."
Zheng Baishi's expression darkened as he listened. At that moment, the back door of the adjacent room suddenly opened.
Bai Feng entered, a light sweat on his brow, holding a handwritten letter. Seeing him arrive, Yan Chi and Qin Guan approached him. Qin Guan asked urgently, "How did it go?"
Noticing Bai Feng's arrival, Li Muyun also stood up. Bai Feng said, "Master, Ninth Miss, the person who deposited the silver at Xiangfu Bank was none other than the Second Master of the Meng family. He used the alias Meng Duzhou. He stored the silver certificates and documents in a box at the bank, which required a special key. The Second Master of the Meng family only needed to bring that key to the bank to withdraw the money."
As he spoke, Bai Feng handed the letter to Yan Chi. "This was written by the bank manager himself. If his presence is required, we can summon him now. Yesterday, someone from the Meng family went to the bank to withdraw money but was refused by the manager because they did not have the key, leading to an argument. The manager also mentioned that he knew about the Second Master's misfortune. He had expected a young master from the Meng family to come, but instead, only a servant was sent, without any token of trust, so he dared not release the funds."
Qin Guan and Yan Chi exchanged glances. The key—no wonder they had encountered two servants searching for it at the Meng residence that day.
A cold smile curled at the corner of Yan Chi's lips. "At this moment, he naturally wouldn't dare to go in person to withdraw the money, yet he fears something might happen to those funds, so he sent a servant instead. How much silver did he deposit?"
Bai Feng frowned. "Two hundred thousand taels."
Yan Chi and Qin Guan exchanged another glance, a faint gleam flashing in their eyes.
Yan Chi walked over to the writing desk nearby, quickly penned a note, and placed it together with the handwritten letter, instructing Bai Feng to deliver them to Zheng Baishi. In the main hall, Zheng Baishi was questioning Meng Wei, "Meng Wei, tell us how your family was swindled."
Meng Wei's face twisted in distress. "My lord, my father's life is of utmost importance now. How can that silver compare to his life? Please, my lord, focus on investigating my father's death."Zheng Baishi was about to raise an eyebrow in response when he saw Bai Feng emerge. Straightening his back, Zheng hastily accepted the handwritten letter and note from Bai Feng. After reading them, his eyes grew even more profound.
His sharp gaze fixed on Meng Wei. "When this official tells you to speak, you speak. Your father's case is highly complex and may be connected to your family being deceived. If you don't explain clearly, how can the authorities investigate for you?"
Meng Wei took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth, "How could those swindlers possibly return to harm my father? My father was killed within the Meng residence. In our household, aside from my Fourth Uncle, who else would harm my father?" As he spoke, Meng Wei turned his gaze to Meng Hui. "Actually... actually, just searching Fourth Uncle's courtyard would reveal whether he committed the murder!"
Meng Hui's eyebrows shot up. "Search my courtyard?! On what grounds?! Have you lost your mind?! Your father's death was retribution for his misdeeds! In earlier years, didn't I trust your father enough to let him manage my rightful share too? But what happened later?! When have you and your father ever treated us as family?! First, you greedily embezzled the family properties of the first, third, and fourth branches, and now you want to frame me?! Boy, if you don't repent, watch out or you'll suffer retribution too!"
"Who's suffering retribution?!" Meng Wei glared. "Are you feeling guilty?! Are you afraid evidence of you murdering my father will be found if we search your courtyard?!"
"Hah—Me, guilty?! Why would I be guilty?!"
Meng Hui shouted and was about to argue further when—SMACK!—Zheng Baishi struck his magistrate's gavel.
"Outrageous! This is an official court! I won't tolerate you two shouting and quarreling!"
Zheng Baishi was quite angered himself. For people coming from the Meng household, this uncle and nephew truly lacked any refinement. Thinking this, Zheng glanced sideways at Meng Zhou, who was supporting his forehead with one hand, seemingly having given up on admonishing the two.
Zheng sighed inwardly, but his eyes grew more meaningful. "Meng Wei, you claim searching Meng Hui's courtyard would yield evidence. What exactly do you mean by evidence?"
"A key! A key!" Meng Wei blurted out, then briefly showed hesitation. But having already spoken, he thought for a moment and maintained a calm expression. "That key opens the drawer where my father kept his seals. Normally, my father always carried it on him, but when I prepared his body for burial, I couldn't find it. I had people search everywhere without success. That's why I grew increasingly suspicious that someone killed my father to seize his private assets."
Meng Hui's eyes widened. "Baseless accusations! I've never seen any key of your father's!"
Meng Wei wanted to say more, but Zheng Baishi interjected, "Meng Wei, you knew early on that something was missing from your father, so why didn't you report it to the authorities? Missing items from his person—the key would count as evidence. By concealing this, what were you intending?"
Meng Wei's eyes flickered. "I... I simply forgot at the time."
Zheng Baishi gave a cold laugh. "Forgot? Did you forget, or is that key something that can't see the light of day?"As soon as these words were spoken, both Meng Zhou and Meng Hui looked at Meng Wei in confusion. There was no reason for Zheng Baishi to speak like this without cause. Sure enough, Meng Wei's expression changed slightly, but he forced himself to say, "What is Your Honor talking about? How could it be something shameful?! Your Honor must also have a private vault, right?! Isn't it normal for everyone to have one or two important keys?"
Zheng Baishi smiled, "In my private vault, there is no deposit of two hundred thousand taels of silver."
At these words, Meng Wei's face turned pale. Zheng Baishi continued, "You naturally know it couldn't be a swindler coming back to harm your father, because the 'swindler' never existed in the first place. Meng Wei, what other secrets are there regarding your father's death? How far do you intend to keep hiding the truth?! This handwritten note was written by the manager of Xiangfu Bank himself. Take a good look at it!"
With these words, Zheng Baishi threw the handwritten note in front of Meng Wei.
Upon hearing the words "Xiangfu Bank," Meng Wei was completely stunned. He was a beat too slow to retrieve the letter, but Meng Hui snatched it first. After scanning the contents of the handwritten note, Meng Hui flew into a rage. "Well done! Your father actually embezzled two hundred thousand taels of silver! Where did this money come from?!" Meng Hui glared furiously at Meng Wei, and soon he pieced it together. "This must be the silver your father claimed was stolen by swindlers! You... you and your father actually used such a scheme to cheat your own family! Big Brother, take a look! They’ve deceived us all so bitterly!"
As he spoke, Meng Hui stood up and handed the letter to Meng Zhou. Frowning, Meng Zhou hurriedly read it. Although the loss of silver had dealt a heavy blow to the Meng family, if outsiders had intentionally set a trap to deceive them, there was nothing they could do. But if Meng Wei and his father had conspired to swindle the rest of the Meng family, the situation was entirely different.
Meng Zhou had initially been skeptical, but one look at Meng Wei’s ashen face and the contents of the letter made everything clear. Meng Wei, after all, was no Meng Jin—he hadn’t weathered many storms. Zheng Baishi’s sudden strike had left him utterly defenseless. Seeing Meng Zhou’s expression darken, Meng Wei gritted his teeth and nervously hunched his shoulders.
Meng Zhou rose to his feet. "Meng Wei, explain this. What exactly is going on?"
Meng Wei hung his head. Nearby, the Second Madam emerged from her trance-like state and frowned at him. Meanwhile, the Fourth Madam, the Third Madam, and even Meng Ziyi all stared at Meng Wei in astonishment. The incident had caused quite a stir in the Meng family, but everyone had believed the culprits were the swindlers. Now, however, the situation had taken a drastic turn.
Meng Wei clenched his fists nervously, his eyes fixed on the ground. Hearing Meng Zhou’s anger, he knew there was no room for negotiation. Meng Zhou was the eldest in the family and had always been the peacemaker. With him around, Meng Wei knew someone would step in to protect him at critical moments. But now that even Meng Zhou was furious and his father was dead, who in this family could shield him?
Meng Wei’s heart sank into an abyss. Meanwhile, Meng Zhou took a step forward and demanded sharply, "Meng Wei, I’m asking you again—what is the truth behind this? Did you and your father really set up this scheme to deceive us all?"
Meng Wei’s eyes reddened, as if he were on the verge of tears. A mix of grievance, fear, and resentment surged within him. He turned to Meng Zhou and cried, "Uncle, isn’t this all because you insisted on dividing the family?! Why split up when everything was fine? Just because my father managed the family’s business? Over all these years, how much has my father sacrificed for the Meng family’s enterprises? But if we divide the assets now, he’d only receive his original share. What about all his efforts over the years? Why should the third and fourth branches reap the benefits without lifting a finger? Uncle, you can’t blame my father for this. Anyone in his position would feel unjustly treated!"
Seeing Meng Wei’s state, Meng Zhou tightly gripped the letter, momentarily speechless. But Meng Hui paid no heed to any of this. He stepped forward and kicked Meng Wei. "You wretched fool! How dare you and your father commit such madness and then blame your uncle?! Without your uncle, what could your father have ever accomplished?!"Meng Wei's body slumped, and though Madam You was right beside him, she made no move to support him.
Meng Zhou stared blankly for a moment before suddenly letting out a bitter laugh. "So... so... all our days of worry and arguments were wasted. The two hundred thousand taels of silver were here all along..."
Though Meng Zhou had discovered the missing silver, he had also uncovered the scheme orchestrated by Meng Jin and his son. He didn't know whether to feel relieved or ashamed, his heart a turmoil of conflicting emotions. And with so many officials from the prefectural office present, his dignity had been utterly stripped away.
Meng Zhou raised his hand to stop Meng Hui from striking Meng Wei again, then turned to Zheng Baishi with a pained smile. "Lord Zheng, thank you for uncovering this scheme. These family matters... must seem ridiculous to you. Let's set this aside for now and focus on my brother's death. I beg you to devote your attention to this matter."
Zheng Baishi had remained silent, watching the drama unfold as Meng Zhou lost his temper. Now that Meng Zhou had regained his composure, it was time to properly investigate the murder case. He struck the magistrate's block sharply. "Meng Wei, confess truthfully. How exactly did you and your father plan this? What connection does your father's death have with this scheme? And that night—what did you and your father discuss? Where did he go afterward?"
According to Qin Guan's written account, Meng Wei had appeared evasive and deceptive when describing the night he drank with his father. Zheng Baishi had therefore questioned him in detail, and under closer scrutiny, Meng Wei had indeed revealed more inconsistencies. Zheng Baishi had initially wondered why a father and son would need to conceal details of a drinking session, but now, understanding the context, he realized their conversation must have concerned their scheme to defraud their own family—something they couldn't openly admit in court.
"Th-there's no point hiding it now," Meng Wei stammered, forced to tell the truth. "My father and I discussed the plan to swindle the silver. The entire scheme was his idea—he arranged all the mining industry documents to convince Uncle that he genuinely intended to purchase a mine. What followed was entirely fabricated by my father. There was never any trip to the west to negotiate with so-called swindlers—the money was simply transferred elsewhere. Uncle and the others didn't know. After returning from his supposed western trip, my father staged another act to make everyone believe he'd truly been deceived."
"That night, after Fourth Uncle lost his temper, my father and I returned to our courtyard still fuming. Fourth Uncle truly showed no regard for our branch's contributions. My father said we should let Fourth Uncle rage for a few days, then proceed with the family division. Ideally, our branch could still secure some inheritance, but even if we couldn't, it wouldn't matter. Once we moved out of the main residence, we could gradually withdraw the two hundred thousand taels undetected, then use our old connections to restart our business. Whatever we earned afterward would belong solely to us."
"That was essentially our discussion. We were both pleased and drank heavily. I was the first to get drunk. What I said afterward wasn't a lie—my father complained of chest discomfort and said he wanted to take a walk. The estate isn't large, and it was nighttime. Besides, he's always feared water—he would never have gone near the lake. At most, he'd have strolled through the gardens—"
Zheng Baishi frowned. "He didn't take anyone with him?"
Meng Wei shook his head. "My father was probably too exhilarated. Having someone accompany him would have forced him to restrain his emotions. No one in the Meng household knew about this scheme—my father used an old shop manager who'd served him for years from an external business."Meng Wei's explanation made some sense to Zheng Baishi. "So you believe your father's death is related to the silver you took?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Wei immediately nodded. "Of course it is. The key on Father's person is missing. Your Honor probably already knows—that silver could only be accessed either by Father himself or with that key. Since the origin of the silver was dubious, Father had no intention of retrieving it personally. Thus, the key was crucial. He had planned to have the old shopkeeper fetch it after the family division. But after Father's death, I searched his body and couldn't find the key."
As he spoke, Meng Wei's eyes shifted slyly. "Either someone knew Father had secretly transferred the silver and killed him to steal it, or they mistakenly thought the key was for Father's private vault. There's also a slim possibility that Father lost it himself." Meng Wei looked anxiously at Zheng Baishi. "But that's highly unlikely. Father wore that key around his neck like a talisman—he would never have lost it."
Zheng Baishi's eyes darkened at this. When they had found Meng Jin's body, he was already dressed in funeral garments, and the clothes he died in had been burned. The only clues left were the wounds on his corpse. Yet, those wounds were inconclusive—even Old Coroner Fang Bo, during the corpse examination, thought foul play was unlikely. If not for Qin Guan's differing opinion, they might have closed the case as an accident.
"Are you hiding anything else? Did you send anyone to the bank yesterday?"
Meng Wei first shook his head. "No, no, I've concealed nothing." Then he nodded. "Yesterday, I couldn't find the key, so I sent a servant to try. As expected, he couldn't withdraw anything. Without the key, even I would have trouble accessing it—"
Zheng Baishi turned to the others. "Did any of you know about the scheme these two devised?"
After asking, he scanned the room and saw only surprised and bewildered expressions. He then looked at Meng Zhou and Meng Hui. Meng Zhou smiled bitterly. "Our household has been in turmoil over this matter recently. If anyone had known, they would have come to me to expose the father and son."
Zheng Baishi's gaze swept over them. If the fourth branch had known, they would have eagerly reported it. The third branch, with its widowed mother and sickly son, had no desire for money. The first branch... the first branch served in the court and was forbidden from engaging in business. Thus, the possibility of murder motivated by knowledge of the second branch's hidden silver could be ruled out.
Zheng Baishi sighed. "Very well, that's all for now. Does anyone else have anything to say? If anyone reports unusual findings to the authorities, there will be a substantial reward."
With that, he glanced at the concubines and servants kneeling at the back and instructed the clerk beside him, "Clerk, take them to separate rooms and record their statements." Then Zheng Baishi stood and looked at Meng Zhou. "Magistrate Meng, please wait here for a moment."
Meng Zhou nodded and sat down, while Zheng Baishi headed toward the partition where Qin Guan was.
Upon entering, Zheng Baishi tilted his chin, and the group exited through the back door.
Once on the corridor, they no longer needed to whisper. Zheng Baishi looked at Yan Chi. "Your Highness, what are your thoughts?"Yan Chi narrowed his eyes and said, "The father and son set up this scheme, and only they knew about it. No one else was aware, so no one would specifically go to retrieve the key and commit murder. Besides, how would an ordinary servant dare to do such a thing?"
Qin Guan nodded. "This scheme was discovered by accident. Although it's unlikely that Meng Jin died because of that sum of silver, the missing key is crucial." Qin Guan turned to look at Zheng Baishi. "Sir, you could send someone to dredge the lake. If the key is found in the lake, the possibility of Meng Jin's death being an accident becomes much greater."
Zheng Baishi nodded. Beside him, Li Muyun said, "But couldn't he have been killed in the lake?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Guan tilted her head and thought for a moment. "If we must consider whether it's possible, it's not entirely impossible. However, the lakeshore is lined with Archaic Stones, and Meng Jin had no injuries that would have rendered him unconscious, nor were there signs of an aphrodisiac. So, if Meng Jin was murdered, he must have been drowned alive. If he was drowned alive, he would have struggled. If he struggled by the lakeshore, the injuries on his hands shouldn't have been limited to just two or three spots—they should have been much more severe than what we observed. The struggle from accidentally falling into the water is quite different from the struggle of being drowned."
Even so, as Qin Guan spoke, she suddenly frowned. Her expression immediately caught Yan Chi's attention. "What's wrong?"
Qin Guan looked at Yan Chi. "Lord Li reminded me. You must remember the bruise on the back of Meng Jin's head, near the occipital bone. Although that bruise wasn't fatal, it's not a spot that can be easily injured. If Meng Jin was indeed drowned, and the killer pressed his head down while using some other method to restrain his body without leaving traces, could that also have killed him?"
Zheng Baishi raised an eyebrow. "Another method without leaving traces?"
Qin Guan nodded. "For example, some people who are smothered to death may have hand-shaped bruises on their faces, but if someone uses a pillow to smother them, no bruises are visible. It's the same principle."
She continued, "Moreover, Meng Jin had a horizontal wound on his stomach. During the Corpse Examination, I was wondering how it was caused. Now it seems, if Meng Jin happened to be pressed against a stone, wouldn't that leave exactly such a mark?"
Zheng Baishi's eyes lit up, and he said with great anticipation, "Ninth Miss, could you accompany us to the Meng residence?"
Qin Guan glanced at Yan Chi, who said, "It's still early. If you're willing, it would be best if you could accompany us."
Qin Guan nodded. "Very well, let's go to the Meng residence!"
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