Chapter 150: It Is Him

Old Wang had already been pulled up; he lay on the ground beside the dry well, surrounded by several Jinlin Guards who bowed in greeting upon seeing Cheng Maoming.

With a grim expression, Cheng Maoming walked straight over and crouched down to examine Old Wang's corpse.

Old Wang appeared to have no obvious external injuries, though there were some abrasions on his exposed skin, likely caused by falling into the well.

A sudden intuition struck him, and he reached out to grasp Old Wang's wrist through a handkerchief.

Because he had been dead for some time, the man's hands had already turned purple, but his fingernails were intact, showing no signs of petechiae.

He had overthought it.

Just as this thought arose, his gaze fell upon a section of Old Wang's arm revealed by a slipped sleeve.

There, quite clearly, were several petechiae.

Cheng Maoming stood up, casually tossed the handkerchief to the ground, and shot a glance at Qi Shuo.

Old Wang had also died from a strange poison called Zixin.

"Call the coroner. Examine Old Wang's cause of death thoroughly."

With so many ears and mouths around, Cheng Maoming did not mention that Old Wang had died of poisoning. Instead, he asked a confidant, "Regarding the last person who saw Old Wang yesterday, did you get anything out of him?"

The confidant shook his head. "We flayed him a layer of skin and he still didn't confess anything useful. I believe he truly might not know anything."

Cheng Maoming frowned and said coldly, "Continue the investigation. See if there are any clues we've missed."

"Yes, sir."

Zhao Helin walked over. "I heard that Old Wang, the one in charge of the torture implements, is dead?"

Cheng Maoming glanced at him, his tone indifferent. "You only *heard* it?"

"What is the Grand Commander implying?"

"My meaning is that Vice Commissioner Zhao should not merely 'hear' of it, but also help me share my burdens by finding out as soon as possible who the mole within the Jinlin Guards is."

Zhao Helin's eyes flashed, but his expression remained unchanged. "To share the Grand Commander's burdens is my duty as a subordinate."

The corners of Cheng Maoming's mouth twitched slightly as he said, word by word, "If everyone could think like Vice Commissioner Zhao, my life would be much easier."

The tension between the two was so palpable that the Jinlin Guards present did not dare to make a sound. It wasn't until Cheng Maoming left first that they felt they could breathe easily again.

Zhao Helin spoke to the hurriedly arriving coroner with extreme gravity: "Investigate thoroughly. If you can't find the truth, you'll answer to me!"

The failed assassination attempt had left Zhao Helin in an abysmal mood; his heart felt as though it were walking along the edge of a cliff.

At this moment, his only source of confidence was the Crown Prince.

If Cheng Maoming moved against him, it would be an affront to the Crown Prince; he wanted to see if the other man actually had the guts to do it.

***

Cheng Maoming personally escorted Qi Shuo and Cheng Shu to the gates of the yamen, his attitude very cordial. "I've been unable to find the time lately. Once this matter is cleared up, the Heir Apparent and Young Master Cheng must grace me with your company for a drink."

"No problem!" Cheng Shu replied readily.

Qi Shuo nodded but said nothing more.

As they walked back, the streets were bustling. The pedestrians passing by had more life in their faces than those who had been rushing about before dawn.

Passing by that alley, Cheng Shu rubbed his arm through his clothes and lamented, "I won't dare take shortcuts anymore. You have no idea how creepy it was. I was walking with my lantern when I suddenly noticed a part of the wall seemed to bulge out. Just as I was wondering about it, the bulge moved—it was like seeing a ghost!"

Qi Shuo nodded with a straight face. "It was indeed frightening."

"Your Highness—" Cheng Shu suppressed himself but couldn't help complaining, "Every time you respond so seriously, I feel like you're being sarcastic."

It made him feel exceptionally stupid.

Qi Shuo fell into silence.

*Was he that kind of person?*

Fortunately, Cheng Shu wasn't truly holding a grudge. After complaining, he asked the question he hadn't had the chance to ask earlier: "Your Highness, where did you hide the person you arranged?"

Qi Shuo looked at his subordinate with a smile. "Tell Young Master Cheng where you were hiding."

"I was hanging on the wall, on the other side of the masonry."

Cheng Shu was profoundly shocked and decided not to discuss topics that made him feel so demoralized. "That Vice Commissioner Zhao... he couldn't be the mole, could he?"

"Most likely."

"Then why hasn't Grand Commander Cheng arrested him!"

Seeing Qi Shuo's serious expression, Cheng Shu hurriedly added, "Your Highness, we're just chatting casually. Don't take it too seriously."

Qi Shuo chuckled softly. "Perhaps it is because an arrest requires evidence."

Cheng Shu: "..."

*Forget it!*

***

On Cheng Maoming's side, he personally interrogated the man in black who had attempted to assassinate Cheng Shu. Before he could even employ many methods, the man confessed.

He was working for money. The person who paid him was named Yang Wu, the leader of a group of loafers.

The Jinlin Guards immediately mobilized to apprehend him, but they couldn't find Yang Wu; instead, they brought back a group of loafers.

The loafers, who usually swaggered about, became like eggplants hit by frost once they entered the Jinlin Guards' custody—completely wilted, with some even wetting their pants in terror.

Cheng Maoming didn't even bother questioning such people; he simply ordered his subordinates to give them a beating and drag them out.

This rabble had no intention of resisting at all. Before the torture implements were even brought out, they were already blabbing things like the fact that Yang Wu had a birthmark on his buttocks.

Cheng Maoming sat to the side listening to the interrogation, his face growing darker with every word.

*What a mess!*

With a single glance from him, several loafers were lashed with whips.

"If you can't say anything useful, none of you are leaving," the Jinlin Guard in charge of the interrogation said coldly.

The loafers racked their brains. One of them suddenly glanced at Cheng Maoming, shuddered, and shrank back.

Cheng Maoming stood up and strode toward that loafer.

"What do you want to say?"

The loafer's face was as white as paper. He shook his head violently. "No, nothing!"

Cheng Maoming glanced at his subordinate.

A Jinlin Guard walked over, wielding a whip.

"I'll say it, I'll say it!" The loafer looked at his companions, his face filled with dread. "If this lowly commoner speaks, please don't be angry, My Lord."

Cheng Maoming's expression grew even colder.

The loafer gritted his teeth and said, "Yang Wu also knows someone like you, My Lord!"

"Presumptuous!"

As the Jinlin Guard raised his whip, Cheng Maoming stopped him. "Speak clearly. What do you mean 'someone like me'?"

The loafer broke into a cold sweat and began to stammer, "It's just... a... a Jinlin Guard like you, My Lord..."

Seeing that he was terrified, Cheng Maoming said gently, "Give him a cup of warm water."

Seeing his companion's treatment improve significantly, another loafer spoke up: "This lowly one saw him too. That person was wearing the clothes of a Jinlin Guard. He looked very imposing."

"When did you see him?"

"Just last year. This lowly one and Ma Liu—" the loafer pointed to the companion receiving warm water, "we saw him together."

"How did Yang Wu refer to that person?"

The two loafers exchanged a look. One of them said hesitantly, "He seemed to call him... Lord Zhao..."

A flash of joy crossed Cheng Maoming's eyes, though his expression remained unchanged. "Do you remember what that Lord Zhao looked like?"

After listening to their stumbling descriptions, Cheng Maoming gave a cold order: "Summon Vice Commissioner Zhao."

Upon receiving the command, Zhao Helin went to the interrogation room in silence.

As soon as Zhao Helin entered, Cheng Maoming gave the two loafers no time to think and immediately asked, "Was it him?"

The two loafers said in unison, "It was him!"

Cheng Maoming looked over with a chilling gaze.

Zhao Helin looked puzzled. "Grand Commander, what is the reason for summoning this subordinate?"