Chapter Nine, Very Dark Hands

So... what should I do? Miss Lin herself has noticed that I keep using this phrase

This person is very likely the murderer of that female corpse!" Wang Xian closed the case file and said solemnly: "I remember that before my father came to Fuyang, he had already set aside the case of your sister-in-law's disappearance and was fully focused on investigating the case of the unidentified female corpse.

When they saw Lin Qing'er come out, they noticed that her complexion had improved, her eyes were bright, and her lips had color. Thinking back to how she looked before she went in, Yin Ling exclaimed, "Sister Lin, what method did my brother use to cure you!"

As she donned the veil, accompanied by Seventh Uncle, after leaving Niuwai Alley, the gate of the courtyard next to the Wang family slowly opened, revealing the faces of two middle-aged women.

It is said that "one should leave a line when dealing with others, so that they may meet again in the future," and this is especially true in the officialdom. Observing Fuyang County, one uses a needle as a hammer, easily bringing down three wooden sticks, coercing confessions through torture. Especially when it comes to my father, they are determined to drag County Magistrate Chen down with them! If one were to say there is no enmity, who would believe it?" Wang Xian, however, calmly replied like a chrysanthemum: "If they were not certain of this, how would the Zhao family dare to commit such a grave offense?"

"Are you saying that the murderer, seeing that he was about to be exposed, instigated the Zhao family to also accuse County Magistrate Chen?" Miss Lin said incredulously, "Would the Zhao family be that foolish?" Although in the early Ming Dynasty, commoners did not face punishment for suing officials, if the lawsuit were to fail, how would one continue to survive in the county? Even if the lawsuit succeeded, how would the other officials treat you? What would the succeeding county magistrate think of you? If the lawsuit were to fail, how would one continue to survive in the county? Even if the lawsuit succeeded, how would the other officials treat you? What would the succeeding county magistrate think of you?

Why? Miss Lin was taken aback; she was clearly thinking this way

... ...

After finishing the meal, Miss Lin still did not come out, and Uncle Qi felt a sense of gloom in his heart, thinking, "This is it; the young lady has surely become a bride now"

After listening to Wang and Tu's meticulously crafted reasoning, Miss Lin moved her lips but refrained from speaking

These little rascals still dare to come looking for him! I was immediately filled with rage, rolling up my sleeves and ready to go out, but Aunt Zhang pulled me back forcefully, saying: "You should be at the Wang family village for the banquet now; if you show up at this time, won't that expose everything?"

Hmm. Lin Qing'er nodded, confirming his speculation. She had heard from several officials while navigating relationships in the provincial capital that County Magistrate Chen's father was the renowned Yongle power figure Chen Ying, which was why this case had been prolonged. Earlier this year, Chen Ying was imprisoned and sentenced to death, and only then was the verdict finally issued

If it were oneself, Wang Xian would make the same choice. However, one cannot foresee the future; at that time, who could have known that the prominent Chen Laoda would be imprisoned and executed within two years

Without further ado, the two agreed to set off three days later. The reason for waiting three days was that although the salt field was not a prison, it was heavily guarded, and unauthorized personnel were prohibited from entering; visiting required a valid reason. Unconsciously adhering to his mother's principle of 'benefiting others while benefiting oneself,' Wang Xian told Miss Lin that their excuse for the visit would be to deliver winter clothing. Naturally, the task of preparing the winter clothing fell to Lin Qing'er. Miss Lin had long been accustomed to his extortion and agreed without a second thought.

"But what about your condition?" Lin Qing'er was quite moved, yet seeing Wang Xian still needing to walk with a crutch, she felt a twinge of reluctance in her heart

"Pah!" Aunt Zhang spat, "Wang Er has been lying down for half a year, and you've already forgotten who he is?"

In the ceiling, Yinling and Uncle Qi have already finished their lunch. Naturally, the young girl Yinling would not cook for Uncle Qi; instead, she kept complaining about being hungry. Her appearance was youthful and charming, which stirred Uncle's affection, prompting him to go out to the street to buy roast chicken and baked pancakes to treat her.

"Either there is a deep-seated enmity between you and the Lin family," Wang Xian said in a low voice, "or they are acting on behalf of someone to avert disaster!"

So, should we first find out who is behind the scenes now?" Lin Qing'er said with a glimmer of insight in her eyes

One is the owner of this house, Aunt Zhang, and the other is unexpectedly Wang Xian's mother

However, after accepting reality, Aunt Zhang immediately expressed her concerns in a nonchalant manner: "With the two children interacting privately like this, it is hard to guarantee that some rumors won't spread. You still need to keep an eye on them"

Aunt Zhang is very thin, with a somewhat pointed mouth and slightly sunken cheeks, which is how she got this nickname. Upon hearing this, I nodded in agreement and said, "I believe it; she truly is a girl from the Lin family. Although her face is covered, the person beside her is her family's old laborer, Tian Qi."

"Your brother..." Lin Qing'er said with a smile as she held her hand, "is truly impressive"

In Wang Er's memory, County Magistrate Chen truly hoped to solve this case before the arrival of the inspector, in order to avoid being held accountable for any mistakes. Therefore, he ordered his father to take Captain Hu and follow the riverbank upstream from where the female corpse was discovered, conducting searches village by village. At that time, the magistrate was pressing them urgently, demanding results every three to five days, even going so far as to punish his father, which is why Wang Er remembers it clearly

Observe the person behind the scenes, ruthless and sinister, cunning and treacherous, well-versed in the political landscape of Zhejiang. Their power is beyond imagination! Wang Xian said in a deep voice: "Therefore, once you inform the authorities, he will soon find out, and will inevitably resort to killing to silence you and destroy the evidence! By then, there will be no witnesses, and everything will come to an end"

Having finished her words, Miss Lin stood up to take her leave. When she pushed the door open, she discovered that it was already past noon outside

"The issue of the 'picture book' is not the problem; the person behind the scenes must have a way to coerce the Zhao family into submission," Wang Xian pondered and said coldly, "He thinks that by hiding behind the scenes, he can remain undetected, but little does he know that after stirring up trouble for a long time, he will inevitably reveal his true colors"

On the other hand, the person behind the scenes is the murderer of the nameless female corpse case. My father likely has some idea in his heart, and he is at least very close to the truth. The salt field where my father served is just over a hundred miles away. I want to go see him; it would be even better if I could get some help from him.

Sigh, that was his youthful ignorance; he will improve as he grows up... Although I am powerful, whenever others bring up Wang Er, I feel insecure and deflated

The two individuals peered down the alley, noticing that there were no longer any figures in sight. The old woman turned her head back and coldly remarked to Aunt Zhang, "Can you really trust this monkey?"

In the past, it was not apparent. Lin Qing'er nodded with a smile and said, This time I have experienced it personally

Hmm," Wang Xian nodded and said, "This is much easier than finding your sister-in-law. We can take a dual approach; on one hand, we will keep an eye on the Zhao family. With the autumn decision approaching, they are aware of your actions and will certainly discuss countermeasures. Let us observe in the coming days who visits the Zhao family and where the Zhao family members go as guests.

"How could it be that they were originally in-laws? At most, there were just some minor conflicts, not to the point of life and death." Lin Qing'er thought for a moment and suddenly realized: "Are you saying that they are trying to divert the disaster away from the murderer of the female corpse?"

"I have heard of a mode of transportation called a sliding pole," Wang Xian said as he looked at her. "Moreover, for the majority of the journey, we will still be taking a boat"

"Scary." Yinling said in disbelief: "Is it true or not?"

In fact, although the Zhao family won the lawsuit, they have not had an easy time over the past two years. They have not been favored by the new county magistrate, and the subordinate officials have assigned the most difficult tasks to their household. As a result, the Zhao family is currently in a state of disarray, barely surviving

However, even if the Zhao family knows that my sister-in-law is not dead, they should have calmed down. Miss Lin pondered for a moment and said, "Why are they so intent on escalating the case?"

Little did she know that Wang Xian seemed to be able to see through her thoughts, and he coldly remarked: "If you go and report now, claiming that your sister-in-law is not dead, this case will be completely hopeless."

The old lady, who was supposed to attend a banquet in the countryside, unexpectedly lay in ambush at the neighbor's house

"If your sister-in-law were still alive, she probably wouldn't be at the Zhao family," Wang Xian said in a low voice. "Since the Zhao family knows it is a false accusation, and the case is escalating, with so many people in the house, they definitely wouldn't dare to hide her at home." After a pause, he added, not very confidently, "She is very likely in the hands of those behind the scenes..."

In a better mood, Lin Qing'er and Yin Ling exchanged a few pleasantries before taking their leave

"How do you know he is familiar with the officialdom?" Miss Lin's mind was already in a state of confusion; she found it hard to believe that Wang Xian could deduce so many facts from a single file, as if he had witnessed them firsthand.

Hmm. Wang Xian nodded and said: "I had some impression of this case originally. After reviewing it again, I ultimately realized that something is amiss— the Zhao family's behavior is too abnormal, completely detrimental to themselves while harming others. There must be someone behind the scenes, instructing or even coercing them, relentlessly targeting the Lin family!"

"It doesn't matter," she said, hands on her hips. "We are in the right, let them say what they want!" Her reasoning was sound; where would she find the dowry? Moreover, the other party was an enemy! It would be better to pretend not to know and let the two of them continue their relationship. Once the situation was set in stone, then they could figure out what to do next.

"That works, www.hetushu.com. " Lin Qing'er nodded and said, "Then I will trouble you with this."

"The gods and ghosts are unaware of how I found your sister-in-law," Wang Xian said, lowering his eyelids. "Apart from this, there is no other way."

Uncle Qi nearly fainted upon hearing this, his heart screaming that there was no hope left, completely hopeless...

Miss Lin listened to his analysis, thinking he must have some good ideas. However, she couldn't help but shake her head and said, "My family has also been looking for her for two years, but there has been no news at all. With the autumn decision approaching, the Zhao family must be even more cautious in their actions."

Hmph. I said with a proud sneer: "Do you believe it now? Although my son is lacking in many areas, he certainly has a knack for pursuing girls." As I spoke, I couldn't help but marvel to myself: "When he first told me he wanted to marry the girl from the Lin family, I laughed at him for his foolish dreams. I never expected this kid to actually follow through!"

The reason why He Guanzhao dared to take action against Chen Ying's son two years ago, when Chen Ying was at the height of his power, was that back then, during the major crackdown on the rebellious Jianwen case, Chen Ying had executed He Guanzhao's father and brothers, and He Guanzhao himself had nearly lost his life. Later, it was proven that this was a wrongful accusation, and he was reinstated to his original position. However, from that point on, He Guanzhao harbored an intense hatred for Chen Ying. Even though Chen Ying was immensely powerful at that time, He Guanzhao was determined to take the opportunity to severely punish his son.

In this way, it can be explained why the old man would go to great lengths to protect County Magistrate Chen. He must certainly know who Chen's father is; if he dared to implicate Chen Ying's son, he would undoubtedly face the death penalty. It is better to hope that County Magistrate Chen can weather the storm and then lend him a helping hand.

Hopefully... Aunt Zhang said, but before her words could finish, a round-faced young man with a clattering gait walked past the door. The Zhang family was the second-to-last house in the alley, with only the Wang family further in.