Chapter Nine, the pit is you

Xu Qian continued, "The reason for deliberately framing Lin Xiao is actually a single purpose: to draw out the true thief who stole the calligraphy. Think about it, if he quietly swapped out the most cherished item of Lord Wang, would he not be on high alert, fearing every rustle? If at this moment, he learns that this piece of calligraphy has been stolen again, and that the counterfeit he replaced it with has been torn to shreds, what would he do?"

However, Jiang Kun had no idea that this was a trap. Last night, Deng Jian had been lurking outside Lin Xiao's bedroom, all in order to prove that Lin Xiao had not left the house today

Whoever lies is a thief

The eunuch Wang was, as usual, drinking tea with indifference

Although it was only a brief conflict, Xu Qian discovered that the entire flower hall had indeed been left in disarray by the father and son.

At this point, the tea-drinking eunuch seemed to understand something, as a hint of appreciation flickered in his indifferent gaze, casually glancing over at Xu Qian.

The eunuch Wang put down the teacup, cast a cold glance at Jiang Kun, and then said in a loud voice: "Bring Deng Jian in."

Xu Qian said: "In fact, this piece of calligraphy was not stolen last night, but was swapped out four or five days ago. Someone replaced the genuine article with a counterfeit, thinking that this would conceal the truth."

Lin Qingke was taken aback, while Zhang Qin, the official in charge of the inner court, was even more confused

Xu Qian did not dare to relax and joked, "I am indeed injured, but I wonder if it can be considered a work-related injury"

Everyone was once again astonished

Xu Qian firmly grasped his hair, rendering him immobile, and with a sly smile said, "Thief? The real thief is you, indeed"

Jiang Kun's expression momentarily froze, a hint of panic flashing in his eyes

At this moment, there was still the mood to tell stories, yet Lord Wang appeared indifferent, leisurely sitting in his chair, cradling a teacup and blowing at the froth on the surface of the tea. In truth, despite Lord Wang's seemingly unconcerned demeanor, Xu Qian understood that Lord Wang was waiting for the outcome; the process held no significance for him.

Subsequently, Zhang Qin, the person in charge of the inner court, reacted and remarked in a manner akin to a skilled calligrapher: "It seems that even a petty person like me understands this simple truth. After someone has switched the items, they must feel uneasy, for once discovered, the lightest consequence would be to be beaten to death by the eunuch. However, at this moment, rumors suddenly spread outside that this piece of writing is related to a treasure map, and then last night, this writing was stolen. Following that, evidence proving that Lin Xiao stole the painting has been found, making Lin Xiao almost certainly the thief. Consequently, two scenarios will emerge. Since there is only material evidence and the proof is still insufficient, Eunuch Wang will continue the investigation, and it is highly likely that he will uncover the true culprit. Yet, at this moment, rumors suddenly spread outside that this piece of writing is related to a treasure map, and then last night, this writing was stolen. Following that, evidence proving that Lin Xiao stole the painting has been found, making Lin Xiao almost certainly the thief. Consequently, two scenarios will emerge. Since there is only material evidence and the proof is still insufficient, Eunuch Wang will continue the investigation, and it is highly likely that he will uncover the true culprit. The other scenario is that someone will provide witness testimony, proving that Lin Xiao sneaked into the main hall last night, solidifying Lin Xiao's guilt and allowing the matter to be "brought to light." In this way, Lin Qingke would become a scapegoat, and from then on, the true culprit could roam freely without fear or anxiety. Is that not so?" The other scenario is that someone will provide witness testimony, proving that Lin Xiao sneaked into the main hall last night, solidifying Lin Xiao's guilt and allowing the matter to be "brought to light." In this way, Lin Qingke would become a scapegoat, and from then on, the true culprit could roam freely without fear or anxiety. Is that not so?

Xu Chang shouted, "Thief!" while concernedly asking Xu Qian, "Are you hurt?"

Xu m.hetushu .com .com continued: "I, being entrusted by Lord Wang, sought to retrieve the authentic piece of calligraphy. To avoid alarming the snake in the grass, I staged this performance. In fact, last night, I instructed the guard Deng Jian from the residence to remove the calligraphy and ordered him to monitor Lin Xiao's every move. The reason for framing Lin Xiao is that he happened to be away from the residence visiting his family four to five days ago, so he cannot possibly be the true culprit. Since he is not the true culprit, he can naturally be excluded from suspicion."

Lin Xiao was taken aback for a moment. What is the reasoning behind this? Not the real culprit, yet deliberately framing oneself? He shot Xu Qian an angry glance, his expression growing even more unpleasant.

Shouldn't the one being caught be Lin Qingke? How did this thief suddenly become Jiang Kun?

Deng Jian shook his head and said, "Lin Xiao entered the house and did not come out until this morning."

Jiang Kun, in a fit of rage, saw someone speaking on his behalf and shouted angrily: "Both the witness and the evidence prove that the person with the surname Lin is the thief. You say I am the thief; do you have any evidence?"

And the Duke Wang, leisurely, said: "Last night, you waited outside Lin Xiao's bedroom for an entire night"

Xu Changdao: "I am not skilled at mere verbal sparring; you take the floor."

In the conversation between father and son, Jiang Kun, who had been subdued and saw no hope of escape, could not help but roar: "Damn you, worthless lackey, are you blind? Lin Qingke is the real thief"

Deng Jiandao: "Yes, I, a lowly person, followed the orders of Young Master Xu and have been lurking outside Lin Xiao's bedroom all night."

Without waiting for everyone to respond, he looked at Xu Chang and said, "Father, should you tell this story or should I?"

Deng Jian had been waiting outside for a long time. After serving as a low-ranking guard for so long, he finally had a day where he was noticed by others. Deng Jian was so excited that he almost shed tears of joy, feeling as if his ancestors' graves were emitting green smoke today, and he had brought honor to his family. After quickly entering, Deng Jian hurriedly bowed to Master Wang and said, "This humble servant greets you, Master."

The gaze of Lord Wang flickered with a hint of suspicion, but his look towards Jiang Kun turned as cold as frost.

At this point, there is no need to ask further. Lin Xiao has never been to the library door, yet Jiang Kun insists that Lin Xiao was in the flower hall last night. Jiang Kun lied, and the reason he lied was merely to cover up his own act of theft

Xu Qian chuckled and said, "There is no evidence, but there is indeed a story. I wonder if everyone would like to hear it"

Xu Qian suspected that the old man was indirectly criticizing him for merely being good at talking, but he could not find any evidence to support this and could only force a laugh

At this moment, everyone suddenly realized. No wonder, it is understandable that Jiang Kun firmly insisted he saw the sneaky Lin Xiao near the flower hall last night, speaking with such conviction and even fearing that others would not believe him

The eunuch Wang, with a blank expression and a flat tone, said: "Have you ever seen Lin Xiao go out at night, or come to the flower hall?"

However, there were some people familiar with Jiang Kun who could not help but stand up: "This is truly outrageous; do you even know where this is? How can you still be causing a ruckus here? Just look at what you have done to the flower hall."

To have reached such a level as Zhang Qin, one must naturally possess a high intelligence. Xu Qian's suggestion immediately prompted Zhang Qin to draw inferences from one instance and reveal the truth.