A single stone can cause a thousand ripples.
After a mont of dead silence, the crowd erupted in an uproar!
"What did he say?! The one who ordered him to kill Cao Chengwu was actually Cao Chengwen?!"
"How is that possible? They’re blood brothers!"
"Blood brothers, sure, but they don’t share the sa mother. Didn’t Liu Si’s wife expose this in public before, but it all just fizzled out? I never thought Liu Si himself would turn around and bite. This whole thing... you never know!"
"That’s right! I rember Cao Chengwen was even taken to the governnt office for questioning, but he was released without charges. And now this..."
As the crowd murmured, the executioner’s blade hovered in midair, hesitating to fall. He turned to look at Yang Zhen, conflicted.
Yang Zhen was also stunned. He never imagined Liu Si would recant his confession on the execution ground!
’What should I do?’
With everyone watching, Liu Si was crying injustice. If he ordered the execution to proceed, he would surely face public criticism.
If his superiors were to hear of this, it would tarnish his official reputation!
So, no matter how much he wanted to close this case imdiately, it was no longer possible to end it smoothly!
His expression turned serious as he asked in a deep voice,
"Liu Si, what is the aning of this?!"
At the sa ti, at Cao’s Restaurant, the father and son of the Cao Family were also caught completely off guard by Liu Si’s outburst.
Cao Deping nearly leaped from his chair, shocked and furious. "Has he lost his mind?!"
Cao Chengwen’s heart was also pounding in a panic.
"Father! He—he’s slandering ! You have to help , Father!"
A breath caught in Cao Deping’s chest, unable to move up or down, and his face turned ashen.
He, of course, knew the full story, but he absolutely could not allow Liu Si to reveal it all!
Otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to protect this one remaining son!
Cao Deping gritted his teeth and said, "Let him shout all he wants. As long as he has no proof, it’s all just slander! The last ti, they couldn’t do anything to you, right? This is just his futile, last-ditch struggle before death!"
Hearing this, Cao Chengwen finally felt a little more at ease. But for so reason, seeing the crazed look on Liu Si’s face, he still felt a sense of unease.
He muttered to himself, ’It’s fine. Nothing will happen. I already made a deal with him. As long as he behaved, I guaranteed his wife and child would be sa—wait!’
Cao Chengwen suddenly rembered sothing. His eyes flew wide open, and he began scanning the crowd.
However, after searching back and forth several tis, he still couldn’t see any sign of Mrs. Zhou.
"Mrs. Zhou didn’t even co to the execution ground to see him off?!"
Cao Chengwen muttered in disbelief.
This was their last chance to see each other. By all rights, Mrs. Zhou should have definitely co, but now—
’Where did things go wrong?!’
...
On the execution platform, Yang Zhen demanded, "Liu Si! You claim Cao Chengwen instructed you to murder Cao Chengwu. Do you have any proof?!"
Hearing this, everyone pricked up their ears and jostled forward, trying to hear more clearly.
Ye Chutang stood behind the crowd, watching the scene unfold with a calm and composed expression.
The next mont, Liu Si was heard shouting through gritted teeth, "Yes! I have proof!"
The crowd was in an uproar.
’Liu Si actually has proof?!’
Yang Zhen was also secretly startled, his eyelid twitching.
During the last interrogation, Liu Si had clearly stated he acted alone. But now, not only had he recanted his confession, he was even claiming to have evidence!
Under the circumstances, Yang Zhen had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue questioning, "What evidence?"
Liu Si spat out a mouthful of bloody foam and said hatefully, "Cao Chengwen has long been jealous of Cao Chengwu. When he heard the master planned to hand the restaurant over to Cao Chengwu, he decided to make his move. Because Cao Chengwu is allergic to river shrimp, he specially summoned that day and had catch shrimp from the lake. I was to mince the shrimp at, mix it into porridge, and deliver it to Cao Chengwu."
He took a deep breath and continued, "I didn’t dare do it at first, but he promised a handso reward. He even said that in a few years, when my child was older, he would send him to an academy to study. To secure my loyalty, he gave 200 taels in silver notes and one of his Jade Rings. That Jade Ring is buried under the third bluestone slab at the corner of West City Street! If Your Honor doesn’t believe , you can send soone to find it right now!"
Yang Zhen frowned. "A Jade Ring? What kind of Jade Ring?"
Liu Si sneered. "A green jade ring. His father gave it to him a few years ago. He’s always treasured it."
Hearing this, Cao Chengwen’s legs went weak.
He had indeed given Liu Si the ring as a token to ensure his obedience. But things had happened too quickly; before he had a chance to get the Jade Ring back, Liu Si was arrested.
Later, when he was taken to the governnt office for questioning, he specifically asked Liu Si about it. Liu Si had claid he lost it while he was in the lake and couldn’t find it.
Although Cao Chengwen was annoyed, there was nothing else he could do, so he had to let it go.
Besides, he had deliberately used Mrs. Zhou and her son as a threat, which made him even more certain that Liu Si wouldn’t dare speak out of turn.
Who knew—
Cao Deping kicked Cao Chengwen and roared, "What are you standing there stunned for?! Get down there and explain yourself!"
...
By the ti Cao Chengwen arrived at the edge of the execution ground, Yang Zhen was already preparing to send n to find the Jade Ring.
He wanted to stop them, but he held back. Instead, he hurried to the front and shouted, "Your Honor! I’ve been frad! I’ve been frad!"
The crowd turned. Seeing it was him, they exchanged glances and quickly parted to make a path for him.
Cao Chengwen panted, "Your Honor! I lost that Jade Ring so ti ago! I can’t believe Liu Si stole it! He’s slandering ! He’s slandering !"
This excuse didn’t sound entirely impossible. After all, a ring couldn’t be considered ironclad proof.
Yang Zhen’s frown deepened.
But then, Liu Si spoke again.
"Your Honor, I have another piece of evidence! The silver notes Cao Chengwen gave when he ordered to do this were freshly withdrawn from the bank. He was reviewing the restaurant’s ledgers at the ti and had ink on his hands. He accidentally left half a fingerprint on one of the notes. That silver note is hidden at my house. Your Honor can have soone retrieve it for a comparison right here!"
Cao Chengwen could hardly believe what he was hearing.
He pointed at Liu Si and cursed, "You’re talking nonsense! When did I ever give you silver notes?!"
But Liu Si simply closed his eyes, refusing to look at him again.
Yang Zhen’s brows furrowed. "Go, bring that silver note as well!"
The matter was serious, so his subordinates acted quickly, returning in a short while.
"Your Honor! The Jade Ring and the silver note are here!"
Yang Zhen looked at Cao Chengwen. "Co compare this. Is this your fingerprint?"
Before Cao Chengwen could speak, Wu Xu and another governnt officer quickly stepped forward, grabbed his hand, pressed it onto a piece of paper to get a print, and then presented it.
"Your Honor, please inspect it."
Yang Zhen picked up the silver note and compared it with the freshly made fingerprint.
Instantly, he let out a cold snort.
"The fingerprint on here is an exact match for the ridges on your left index finger!"
Without thinking, Cao Chengwen blurted out, "Impossible! I gave him silver ingots that day, not a silver note! There’s sothing wrong with this note!"
The mont the words left his mouth, a dead silence fell over the surroundings.
Cao Chengwen’s mind suddenly went blank as a bone-deep chill shot up from the soles of his feet.
’What... did I just say?’
「anwhile, at Ye’s Clinic.」
Xiao Wu squeezed his purse and sighed, propping his chin on his hand.
Sigh.
’All those silver notes I worked so hard to save up... gone just like that!’
User Comments
0 comments from readers