Сhарtеr 202: Тhe Midnight Вridе 8
Хu Jizе trеmbled all ovеr, lоoking at thе peорlе рrеsеnt with a shivering gаze, desperatelу сonсeаling thе раnic in his ехрrеssiоn as hе spoke,
"Оur Хu familу was originallу quite well-оff, but unfortunatеlу, wе lаtеr fеll intо declinе. Нowеvеr, I hаd beеn spоilеd since сhildhоod аnd simply cоuldn’t endure hardshiр.
I tооk the imрerial eхаminаtions sеvеrаl timеs but nеvеr pаssеd. Yeаrs of bittеr study left mе disheаrtеnеd, and bу thеn, thе mоney I had wаs almost spent. Yet, dеep down, I still lоnged for thе cаrеfreе days of the past. Since I was a useless person anyway, I might as well let myself sink into depravity and live a little more happily.
What I couldn’t control even more was that whenever I saw a beautiful woman, I felt an inexplicable restlessness. To get close to women while avoiding getting caught, I came up with this idea—to become a wedding attendant.
Men serving as wedding attendants were extremely rare, and they were usually married men. I followed my master in and out of households, learning for a long time before I could work independently. Relying on my eloquence, decent looks, and efficiency, I built a good reputation, and because of this, I took advantage of many brides."
At this point, Zhu Yan’s fists suddenly clenched. Miss Du was not the first victim. Who knew how many women before her had been harassed by him.
Xu Jize hung his head very low, as if regretting his past actions,
"Before this, many brides had been mistreated by me. Some even continued to associate with me after their weddings because they found me attractive.
As for those I fancied but who were unwilling, I threatened them to keep seeing me."
"Because such matters were too shameful to speak of, I often succeeded, and no one ever spoke out."
After hearing these words, everyone present gritted their teeth in anger. How could such a vile person exist in this world? It was truly intolerable.
"Then why did you target Miss Du this time?" Mo Qianzhi pressed.
Xu Jize smiled faintly and explained, "I have no other hobbies—I just love beautiful women. I had long been familiar with the rumors about Miss Du. With her peerless beauty, she was considered one of the top beauties in Yingzhou City. How could I let this opportunity slip?
Moreover, when I served as a wedding attendant for another family, I was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of Miss Du. I was deeply captivated by her beauty at the time and developed wicked thoughts of making her mine. That’s why today’s events happened."
"What a beast!" Du Xiaowan’s mother couldn’t suppress her anger, cursing Xu Jize loudly. She pounded her chest in regret for failing to protect her daughter, giving this beast an opportunity to take advantage.
Du Fusheng quickly comforted her by her side, calming her emotions slightly.
Xu Jize continued, "But today’s events were beyond my expectations. I don’t know what happened—someone suddenly appeared halfway and killed my companion. I..."
At this point, fear was evident in Xu Jize’s eyes, and his hands began trembling again:
"I noticed someone following us from behind, so my companion and I hid Miss Du in a cellar well. I left my companion to guard her while I went to investigate.
When I returned, I didn’t find anything suspicious, but by the time I came back, I discovered my companion had been killed."I didn’t get a clear look at what that person looked like. My appearance seemed to startle him, and he vanished in a flash. I hurried forward to check the situation, but by then, my companion was already dead, with half his body stuck in the manhole. I tried to pull him out but only managed to tear off a piece of his outer garment, and I got his blood on me as well.
I was completely terrified at the time and had no idea what to do. I completely forgot about Miss Du’s matter and just wanted to get away from there. I was terrified that the murderer might suddenly return and kill me too, so I fled immediately. It wasn’t until I encountered all of you that I was saved.”
After saying this, Xu Jize hung his head in shame, as if repenting for his sins.
Meanwhile, Zhu Yan, standing nearby, seemed to notice something. She rested her chin on her hand and looked at him with a meaningful gaze.
Shen Du also noticed this and leaned closer, lowering his voice to ask, “What are you thinking?”
Zhu Yan furrowed her brows and shook her head slightly. “I feel like something about what he said doesn’t quite add up, but I can’t pinpoint what it is just yet. When people lie, they usually show certain signs, but he displayed none of them while speaking just now.”
Hearing Zhu Yan’s words, Shen Du shifted his gaze back to Xu Jize.
He had already confessed to all his crimes, and his account matched Miss Du’s description. On the surface, there seemed to be nothing suspicious about it. Besides, there was also Mo Qianzhi. Regardless of anything else, given his past actions and his reputation in the officialdom over the years, it was unlikely he would turn a blind eye or allow any wrongful convictions.
Unable to make a definitive judgment, Shen Du looked at Zhu Yan. “He has confessed to everything he did, and his account aligns with Miss Du’s testimony. There shouldn’t be any issues. Could it be that you’ve been overthinking things lately due to exhaustion?”
Zhu Yan understood the implication of Shen Du’s words—he was questioning her judgment. She opened her mouth to speak but found no grounds to argue. Perhaps she really was overthinking it.
Mo Qianzhi then asked, “So, according to you, the deceased in this case was your accomplice. What was his name, and where did he live?”
After his breakdown, Xu Jize was left with nothing but calmness. He knelt on the ground, his eyes vacant and lifeless. Startled by Mo Qianzhi’s sudden question, he immediately straightened up and poured out everything like beans from a bamboo tube.
“He was just a troublemaker, known as ‘Second Scoundrel.’ He had no parents, had committed many misdeeds, robbed homes, and even spent time in prison. It was only after learning about his circumstances that I persuaded him to join me in committing crimes. In the previous cases of assault, he seemed quite bold, so I gradually grew more at ease working with him on these shady dealings. But even though he was bold, he had never committed murder. Even if he was guilty, his crimes didn’t warrant death, Your Honor.”
Even at this point, Xu Jize still wanted to plead for justice for his companion, showing that he was a man of loyalty.
But loyalty aside, committing crimes meant facing punishment.
However, this case had nothing to do with Miss Du’s abduction, and Mo Qianzhi was well aware of that. He treated the two cases separately, each on its own merits."I will personally investigate his death. For now, the case of your abduction of Miss Du can be concluded." After speaking, Mo Qianzhi struck the magistrate's block forcefully once more. "Guards, detain the criminal Xu Jize. The final judgment will be made after the official determines the charges."
Xu Jize was taken away. Mo Qianzhi's mention of "determining the charges" did not refer to the case of Miss Du—he still suspected that there was more to this murder case than met the eye. Zhu Yan had also sensed this.
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