The Heir

Chaрtеr 151: Тhе Dеath of Huаng Lаng

The nеw yeаr brоught nо реаce tо the residents of Jubao Gаtе Offiсial Strееt.

Веforе thе уеаr endеd, the empеrоr's pаssing cast a shаdow of unеase оvеr thе fеstivitiеs. Yоung wоmen and mаrriеd ladiеs whо hаd eаgerlу рrepаrеd bright new сlothes for thе occаsiоn сould nо longer weаr thеm, sеcrеtlу stоmрing thеir fеet in frustrаtiоn. Mеn, aсcustomеd to drinking аnd gаmbling bоisterоuslу during thе hоlidays, now idlеd about with their hands tuckеd in their sleevеs, wandering аimlesslу with а sensе of bewilderment.

Finally, the old year passed, the new year arrived, and a new emperor ascended the throne. With the new year came new hopes, and people's hearts filled with anticipation once more. Some superstitious folks even whispered that the old emperor's passing in the twelfth lunar month was auspicious—a new year with a new emperor seemed to promise a favorable omen.

Yet, as if fate were determined to oppose them, misfortune struck Official Street. On the fifth day of the new year, Huang Lang was found dead early in the morning at his own doorstep.

Cao Shi wailed and cried to the heavens. Yamen officers arrived to investigate the case, learning only that Huang Lang had gone out drinking the night before. As for why he ended up dead at his doorstep in the early morning, they could find no clues. The surrounding neighbors once again fell into a state of anxiety—a murder case! How long had it been since such a thing occurred on Official Street?

Of course, there were also those who gloated, murmuring that it was the vengeful spirit of Ge Dana returning for retribution. Rumors spread, stirring panic among the people.

Thus, some elders sighed, fearing that this year might not be a favorable one.

Yet, whether the year would be good or bad, most people had little time to dwell on it. Just when it seemed Huang Lang's death would become an unsolved mystery, Cao Shi filed a formal complaint against Ge Qiu Jie at the yamen. Only then did everyone realize that the person who emptied the night soil buckets every morning was none other than Ge Qiu Jie.

That same day, Ge Qiu Jie was arrested and thrown into prison.

The following day, the details of the case emerged. On the night of the incident, Huang Lang had gone out drinking and carousing, not returning home until after midnight. He had drunk heavily and was thoroughly intoxicated. Upon reaching his doorstep, before he could enter, he collapsed in a drunken stupor. At that moment, Ge Qiu Jie arrived to empty the night soil buckets and happened upon Huang Lang lying drunk on the ground. Recalling her father Ge Dana's death, Ge Qiu Jie harbored deep hatred for Huang Lang. Seizing the opportunity while Huang Lang lay unconscious, she killed him.

Thus, the case seemed logical and straightforward.

When the details came to light, the people of Official Street were astounded.

"Old Lame, is Ge Qiu Jie's case about to be settled?" In the early morning, Old Lame, the night watchman who had just finished his rounds, sat at a small tofu pudding stall, sipping a bowl of steaming hot tofu pudding. He squeezed closer to the stove where the tofu was being cooked to warm himself. The stall owner, who was boiling the tofu pudding, took the opportunity to ask.

Old Lame was also a night watchman employed by the yamen and was usually well-informed about official matters. Thus, the tofu pudding seller seized the chance to inquire.

"Settled? Who knows when that will happen?" Old Lame squinted his cloudy eyes and scoffed.

"How can that be? I heard the case was already decided," the tofu pudding seller exclaimed in surprise."There are many issues here. You all say Huang Lang was drunk and Ge Qiu Jie took advantage, but when the coroner examined the body that day, he found three wounds on Huang Lang. That means Ge Qiu Jie's first and second stabs weren't fatal—it was the third that killed Huang Lang. But think about it: Ge Qiu Jie is just a weak woman. Even if she's a bit stronger, Huang Lang was a vicious thug who grew up fighting. Even if he was drunk earlier, he would have woken up after the first stab—it's not something Ge Qiu Jie could handle... Not to mention the murder weapon still hasn't been found." The old cripple clicked his tongue.

"Could it be that Ge Qiu Jie had an accomplice?" the tofu pudding vendor asked hesitantly.

"Right? That's what you think too, and that's what the officials at the yamen think as well. So now they're going all out to investigate Ge Qiu Jie's accomplice. If they can't find one, they can't close the case," the old cripple said.

"Hmm, just ask Ge Qiu Jie. That woman, with her delicate skin and tender flesh, won't withstand torture. Once the finger press is applied, she'll confess everything in two or three tries," said a young man nearby who was also eating tofu pudding.

"I say, Hou Sheng, one should be more decent," the old cripple glared unhappily at the young man. These youngsters talk about torture at every turn, not realizing it's causing suffering.

Then he continued, "You can't judge a person by their appearance, just as you can't measure the sea with a bucket. That little woman Ge Qiu Jie has surprisingly tough bones. She's been tortured several times at the yamen but hasn't confessed anything. She hasn't even admitted to killing anyone, just keeps crying out her grievances," the old cripple said.

"Ah, I believe Ge Qiu Jie hated Huang Lang and wished she could kill him. But if you say she actually killed Huang Lang, I'm not so sure. Honestly, is killing something an ordinary person can bring themselves to do? This is terrible—now there's talk of an accomplice. I'm afraid Old Hu Tou won't be able to escape either," the tofu pudding vendor shook his head and sighed. The Old Hu Tou he mentioned was, of course, the old night-soil collector who had taken Ge Qiu Jie in.

The old cripple chuckled twice but said nothing more, thinking to himself that it wasn't just Old Hu Tou who was involved—this might drag in more people. The case was getting stranger and stranger.

With that thought, he stood up, patted his warm belly, and swayed his way home to sleep. As a night watchman, his life was reversed: he worked when others slept and slept when others worked.

But just as he got up, he saw a team of yamen runners at the official street entrance heading straight forward. Heh, he wondered which family was about to suffer?

...

"Haha, I never imagined Fu Ye was Miss Li's father. If the folks at the northern mines saw Miss Li's looks, they'd probably regret it to their core," Luo Jiu and Yan Xilai were riding in a carriage to the Yi Hou Sheng main store. Yan Xilai had asked about Fu Ye on the carriage and, learning the situation, laughed heartily.

"Go on, stop talking nonsense," Luo Jiu said irritably to Yan Xilai.

"Ninth Master, do you regret it too?" Yan Xilai asked slyly, looking at Luo Jiu's expression. Back when Luo Jiu had tied up Fu Ye and offered him a farewell drink before execution, Fu Ye seemed to have mentioned something while drunk.

Luo Jiu narrowed his eyes and said nothing."What, out of all the girls in the north, you can't take a fancy to any, and you've set your heart on Miss Li? Master Fu is not someone to be trifled with." Yan Xilai looked at Luo Jiu and added.

"What is destined to be will come, what is not destined should not be forced." Luo Jiu raised his eyes to gaze into the distance, speaking with an air of mystery.

"I say, Ninth Master, since when have you believed in fate?" Yan Xilai asked in surprise, having never noticed this before.

"I don't." Luo Jiu replied bluntly.

However, matters of marriage are the hardest to predict. Back then, he and Tian Ronghua were considered a perfect match in Huizhou. But how did it end up? Perhaps since then, he had grown more skeptical of women. That’s why, in the north, he never got involved with the women who surrounded him.

When one lives alone, they become more wary of everything around them. If there’s doubt, they naturally won’t let anyone get close.

But as for Miss Li, perhaps because of the silver she once gave him, he felt a natural trust toward her.

Moreover, this girl gave him a different feeling. Skilled in Ink Craft, she engaged in business as a woman, which could be considered unconventional. Yet, she still tried to adhere to some proprieties—making minor mistakes but avoiding major ones that could be criticized. Sometimes, he even felt tired on her behalf, but no matter what, this girl always wore a smile, facing even the greatest pressure with the ease of a leisurely stroll.

To be honest, such women are rare. It seemed as if she was born with a natural sense of ease and comfort.

Li Zhenniang was different to him.

What’s more, he still owed her a few taels of silver. A debt must always be repaid.

"Oh, I forgot, the Li family might be in trouble." Yan Xilai suddenly spoke up from the side.

"What trouble?" Luo Jiu asked.

"Huang Lang is dead, Ge Qiu Jie has become the murder suspect, and now the authorities are following the clues to arrest accomplices. I’m afraid Li Zhengping won’t be able to escape." Yan Xilai summarized the situation in a few short sentences.

"That’s just the surface. What’s the real situation?" Luo Jiu asked.

"Not clear, but on the night of the fifth, Wei Bai Wan invited people for a drink. That same night, one of his concubines tried to escape and was beaten to death on the spot. Someone saw that concubine meeting with Huang Lang, though Wei Bai Wan denies this." Yan Xilai explained.

Regardless, there’s likely more to this case than meets the eye.

As they spoke, they saw a group of constables heading toward Sanshan Street, in the direction of the official street.

"Let’s go, we’ll first check the branch store near Jubao Gate." Luo Jiu said to Yan Xilai.

"Alright." Yan Xilai called out to the coachman, who immediately turned the carriage toward the second store of Yi Hou Sheng on the official street.

Meanwhile, Li Zhenniang’s party, with three large carriages, had already turned into the entrance of the official street.

They found the street packed with people, even more crowded than the legendary Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

"What’s going on here?" Zhen Niang wondered, puzzled. It was already the nineteenth day of the first lunar month, long past the Lantern Festival.

"Uncle Peng, why is it so crowded here?" Hua’er, who had returned with Zhen Niang to visit her parents, spotted a familiar face and leaned out of the carriage to ask.

"Ah, Hua’er! Is Miss Zhen back? Hurry home quickly! The authorities have come to arrest your elder brother." Uncle Peng exclaimed upon seeing Hua’er."Uncle Ming, why did the yamen arrest my elder brother? What crime has he committed?" Hua'er cried out anxiously, jumping down from the carriage to ask. Zhen Niang also stepped down from the carriage.

"Ah, I heard it was said that Ge Qiu Jie killed Huang Lang, but somehow it ended up being linked to Zhengping," the man called Uncle Ming replied, clearly not fully informed himself, speaking vaguely.

Hua'er was about to press for more details when Zhen Niang tugged at her sleeve. "Let's go, we must hurry back home to get the full story."

"Mm," Hua'er nodded, her eyes reddening.

The two then got back into the carriage and whipped the horses into a gallop. In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the entrance of the Li Family's Ink Manor, only to find a group of yamen officers pounding on the gate, while a crowd of onlookers craned their necks to peer inside.