Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

The capital city, the Dali Temple government office, the exit of the dungeon and prison.

As the sun sets and the afterglow fades, the chill of spring lingers, and the night wind is icy cold, carrying an eerie air.

Upon hearing Zhou Ping's words, Yang Hongbin's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "How could they be dead? Are you sure it's the same person?"

Zhou Ping said, "Xue Pan, the only son of the Xue family in Jinling, is the only one of his kind in the entire city of Jinling."

The official documents of the Three Judicial Offices, written in black and white, are absolutely infallible.

Yang Hongbin frowned and asked, "What exactly happened? Xue Pan was alive and well, and was even involved in the Jinjun Garrison leak case. How could he have died four years ago?"

Zhou Ping said, "When I read the official reply from the capital, I was quite shocked. In all my years of working in the government, this is the first time I've encountered something like this."

According to the official reply from the three judicial departments of the wartime capital, four years ago Xue Pan got into a dispute with someone over the purchase of a maid. As the two sides argued, he allowed his servants to beat the aggrieved owner to death.

The deceased was named Feng Yuan, a local of Jinling. His parents had both passed away, leaving him alone, with a few old servants by his side.

He was severely injured by Xue Pan's servants and died less than two days after being carried home. His old servant then appealed to the Yingtian Prefecture.

Yingtian Prefecture had imprisoned Xue Pan for questioning, but later, for some unknown reason, Xue Pan suddenly fell ill and died, and the case was dropped.

Feng Yuan had lost both parents long ago and had no brothers or sisters. None of his distant relatives cared about this matter, and his few old servants were useless.

The Xue family paid the Feng family another sum of money, and the old servants withdrew their petition, thus ending the case in a muddled manner.

Yingtian Prefecture reported the case documents to the three judicial departments, but the suspects and victims had all died.

The Feng family withdrew their lawsuit again. Since the people did not file a complaint, the officials did not investigate, and the three judicial departments could not find any fault with it.

The case was thus completely closed, but Xue Pan was still alive and kicking in the capital—it was truly like seeing a ghost in broad daylight.

……

Yang Hongbin asked in a deep voice, "In the reply from the three judicial departments of the secondary capital, how long has it been since the Xue family moved to the capital?"

Zhou Ping flipped through the documents in his hand and said, "The two are less than two months apart."

Yang Hongbin smiled dismissively and said, "That's not surprising at all. Xue Pan didn't see a ghost in broad daylight; someone must have tampered with it."

Such a murder case could be so easily covered up, with life and death seemingly swapped. The case was heard in Nanjing's Yingtian Prefecture.

Only a prefect of Yingtian could wield such power and influence. This man has quite the audacity; he treats the three judicial departments of the secondary capital like fools!

Zhou Ping said, "The prefect of Yingtian is named Jia Yucun, and he is still in office. I have heard of him before."

He was a graduate of the prestigious Imperial Examinations and was dismissed from his post for corruption and favoritism.

It is said that he befriended Jia Zheng of the Rongguo Mansion, which enabled him to be reinstated and appointed as the Prefect of Yingtian.

Yang Hongbin sighed, “I went to Jinling twice to investigate cases and met Jia Yucun a few times. He was a man of distinguished appearance and experienced in the ways of officialdom.”

I was acquainted with Marquis Jia Cong of Weiyuan, and I knew a little about his family affairs.

In order to curry favor with the Rongguo Mansion, Jia Yucun had already established a clan connection with the Rongguo Jia family, and according to seniority, he was even of the same generation as Jia Cong.

Less than two months after the Feng Yuan case was resolved, the Xue family moved to the capital, Shenjing, because Xue Pan had become a dead man and could not show his face in front of the people of Jinling.

They've moved into the Rongguo Mansion, and I'm afraid the Rongguo Mansion will likely be implicated in Feng Yuan's case.

……

Zhou Ping said, "My lord, could it be that the Earl of Weiyuan used some trick? According to the time calculation, the Earl of Weiyuan was in Jinling when Feng Yuan died."

He also cracked a major case involving the Water Conservancy Bureau, and was at the height of his power. He and Jia Yucun were related by blood, so it was only a matter of a few words...

Yang Hongbin shook his head and said, "I was in Jinling at the time, but I didn't pay attention to this case."

You don't know Jia Cong. Although he is very young, he is shrewd and experienced, and is no ordinary person. He is a disciple of the Wenzong School and has always valued his reputation for integrity.

With his intelligence and resourcefulness, he would never make such a blunder and leave himself open to criticism.

The Xue family's in-laws were from the second branch of the Rongguo family, while Jia Cong was from the eldest branch. Even considering the difference in blood ties, he couldn't just get involved unnecessarily.

The eldest wife of the Xue family and Jia Zheng's wife were sisters born of the same mother, and Jia Zheng and Jia Yucun also had a deep connection.

If there's anything suspicious about this matter, it most likely lies with Jia Zheng.

Yang Hongbin smiled wryly: "Xue Pan was involved in the military storage leak case, but although it was an unintentional mistake, he can't even be considered an accomplice."

But rumors have spread from the palace that he will likely be severely punished.

Whether or not Feng Yuan's involvement is true, he is already guilty and cannot escape responsibility. I've been meddling, digging up a bunch of old, trivial matters.

……

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ping's heart stirred slightly. He knew that Yang Hongbin and Jia Cong were on good terms, which was no secret in the capital.

He said, "My lord, although there are doubts about Feng Yuan's matter, it is unrelated to the military depot leak case."

Let's put that aside for now and focus on the more pressing matters at hand.

Yang Hongbin glanced at Zhou Ping and said, "I understand what you mean. Even if we don't bring it up, the truth will eventually come out."

The three judicial departments of the wartime capital will surely be alerted by our inquiry.

Some things are ignored by everyone if they are not touched by others, but as long as they are touched unintentionally, they will be noticed by those who care.

The military storage leak case has attracted a lot of attention, and the wartime capital will soon find out. We are investigating the case.

Although the capital city of Shenjing and Jinling are far apart, Xue Pan is currently alive and kicking, so how could he be kept in the dark for long?

Even if he is not exposed for the time being, as long as Xue Pan is brought to justice, the three judicial departments of the secondary capital will definitely take action and immediately reopen the case of Feng Yuan.

The Feng family had already withdrawn their lawsuit and accepted the compensation money from the Xue family. No relatives in the family were pursuing the matter. Whether Xue Pan had committed an additional crime was a matter of debate in the law.

Even if the three judicial departments of the wartime capital learned the truth, they would likely not make a big fuss unless the people reported it, otherwise they would also be guilty of negligence.

However, it seems inevitable that Jia Yucun will be held accountable later; otherwise, where will the authority of the three judicial departments in the secondary capital be? And how will the public opinion in the court be explained?

This matter has already been reported to the three judicial departments in the capital, and has entered the official channels. It will be reported according to the normal procedure. In any case, this case has nothing to do with us.

Let's not bury our heads in the sand because this matter will eventually be exposed, and give the Dali Temple a handle to criticize us.

I just feel a little sorry for Yu Zhang, and I hope I haven't caused him any more trouble..."

Although Zhou Ping did not know Jia Cong's courtesy name, he could guess who it was from Yang Hongbin's sigh, but he dared not ask any more questions.

……

As the two were talking, a jailer suddenly ran out of the dungeon.

He said to Yang Hongbin, "Sir, the suspect named Huiniang seems to have fainted from shock."

Yang Hongbin's expression changed, and he asked, "Is it because Duan Chunjiang tortured her, causing her to scream in agony, that she was overstimulated?"

The jailer said, "My lord told me to keep an eye on this woman. Duan Chunjiang is being tortured in the torture chamber and keeps screaming. The woman keeps crying and making a scene."

He seemed somewhat delirious; his face turned extremely pale, and he must have fainted because he couldn't bear it any longer.

Yang Hongbin said, "Go to Huichuntang and ask a doctor to treat this woman. We can't let anything happen to her; I still have a use for her."

The jailer hurriedly went to fetch a doctor, and Zhou Ping asked, "Sir, Hui Niang was only used by Duan Chunjiang, does she know anything about her background?"

Yang Hongbin said, "Just now, Duan Chunjiang screamed in agony while being tortured, and Huiniang lost her mind and cried out loudly. There must be more to it than meets the eye."

Although Duan Chunjiang was only using her, Huiniang was not a decent woman either.

But women are women after all; they are different from men and have more vulnerabilities than men.

Although her relationship with Duan Chunjiang was complicated, she was still considered his bedmate.

It wouldn't be surprising if Duan Chunjiang were less wary of her, and if his words left any trace.

……

Not long after, the jailer brought a doctor and took him into the cell for treatment.

Yang Hongbin re-entered the dungeon and stood quietly outside the cell waiting. After a short while, the doctor came out of the cell.

Yang Hongbin asked, "Doctor, is she alright?"

The doctor said, "Her body is fine, but she has been affected by external pathogens and is feeling weak and short of breath."

"My lord, although she is a suspect, to save her life, she should not be emotionally agitated. She is pregnant, and her pulse indicates she is almost two months along."

Upon hearing this, Yang Hongbin's expression shifted slightly. After the doctor left, he lingered at the cell door, deep in thought.

A moment later, he had the jailer open the cell door and went in alone. He saw Hui Niang huddled in the corner, her face pale and her whole body trembling, as if she were in a nightmare.

The passageway outside the prison cell had been quiet for a moment, but suddenly screams rang out again.

The voice was surprisingly strong, even more shrill and distorted, making it unbearable to hear.

Yang Hongbin was cold-hearted and an expert in interrogation, so he was naturally knowledgeable and experienced. Those Imperial Guards were indeed skilled.

The torture of Duan Chunjiang was handled with great restraint, and would be paused after half an hour.

To give him a little respite, they fed him a good ginseng soup to help him regain his strength and prolong his life.

Otherwise, how could the prisoners have screamed so loudly, even with such vigor, when the torture had just resumed...?

Duan Chunjiang's screams rang out, and Hui Niang seemed to bristle with terror, screaming in terror as well, tears streaming down her face, her breath coming in short gasps.

Yang Hongbin coldly scrutinized her, letting the screams from the passageway continue for the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, until he saw that Hui Niang was beginning to give out.

Then he said to the jailer outside the door, "Go to the torture chamber and tell them I need to speak with the suspects. Have them pause for a moment and wait for my orders!"

Upon hearing this, Hui Niang was startled and stared blankly at Yang Hongbin, her eyes filled with boundless fear.

A moment later, Duan Chunjiang's screams disappeared without a trace, as if they had been erased from thin air and never existed.

Hui Niang seemed to have suddenly understood something, and cautiously crawled to Yang Hongbin's side.

He kept kowtowing to him, muttering, "My lord, spare my life..."

Yang Hongbin said coldly, "The doctor just took your pulse and said you are two months pregnant. Is it Duan Chunjiang's or Chen Ruichang's?"

Even though Hui Niang was naturally promiscuous, she felt inexplicably ashamed and embarrassed to have her situation exposed to a stranger.

Seeing her hesitate for a moment, Yang Hongbin shouted sternly, "Speak!"

Hui Niang had just seen Yang Hongbin spare Duan Chunjiang from torture with a single sentence, and she knew that this young man wielded immense power, able to control life and death with just a few words.

Seeing his sudden stern tone, he dared not hide anything and quickly said, "Two years ago, Third Master Chen went out to escort grain, but was seriously injured and escaped back to Shenjing."

He hasn't been to my house for two months. The child is Old Duan's...

Upon hearing this, Yang Hongbin's eyes flashed as he scrutinized Hui Niang's expression. His thoughts raced, and he quickly sorted out his ideas.

…………

He said, "Do you know why you and Duan Chunjiang have ended up in this state? It's because Duan Chunjiang committed a heinous crime."

He was a spy for Anda Khan of the Mongol tribes, who infiltrated the capital to spy on military secrets, resulting in the capture of the Great Zhou military granary and the fall of Xuanfu Town in the north.

He is utterly wicked and deserves to die. You, as his accomplice, are also doomed. It's a pity your unborn child is innocent; it's just that he was born into the wrong family!

When Hui Niang heard that Duan Chunjiang was a spy from the Mongol Empire, she was stunned, as if struck by lightning.

She originally thought that she had gotten into trouble because Duan Chunjiang often associated with nobles and officials, and that he had offended powerful people in business, which was why she was implicated and imprisoned.

She never dreamed that the man who followed her from Datong to Shenjing would be a spy for the Mongol Tartars.

Hearing Yang Hongbin say that she was doomed, she was terrified and blurted out, "Sir, I am just a poor woman and have never committed any crimes."

I really didn't know that Lao Duan was a Mongol spy. I'm just a woman who doesn't know anything. I'm not a Mongol spy. I'm truly innocent.

I am pregnant. I can die, but my child cannot die! I beg you, Your Honor, please have mercy and spare my life.

……

Seeing Hui Niang's terrified expression, as if she were clinging to life and afraid of death, Yang Hongbin noticed that his right hand unconsciously reached towards her lower abdomen, without her even realizing it...

His eyes gleamed with an unusual light as he said in a deep voice, "We have already investigated your background. You came to Shenjing with Duan Chunjiang."

You are Duan Chunjiang's bedmate, yet you willingly submit to another for him. If you weren't a treacherous spy, a woman's worth would be far greater than this!

Hui Niang looked ashamed, her hand still resting on her abdomen, and said, "I am a person with a bad fate. I was born into a poor family, and my mother died very early."

My father was a gambling addict who couldn't support me at all. He sold me into a brothel when I was thirteen, and I started working as a prostitute at fifteen. I was just a worthless person.

Old Duan was a regular customer of mine. One day he came to see me and said he was going to Shenjing to do business. He also said he would redeem me from my servitude and take me to Shenjing to live a good life.

After waiting for so many years, someone was finally willing to redeem me, and I was naturally more than willing. But I never expected that after arriving in Shenjing, he would make me do such a thing.

He said it was for the purpose of doing big business, and that he would make enough money to let me live a good life for the rest of my life. I know that men can't be relied on.

But he was willing to redeem me from my servitude and never forced me. A woman like me doesn't deserve to be picky. As long as I can help him, that's enough.

I know I'm shameless, but what good is a woman like me besides her body...?

I've been with him for a long time, but nothing has ever happened. I never expected to get pregnant with his child.

I had already decided that I couldn't continue like this, and I was going to tell Lao Duan about the child.

Then the two of them left Shenjing and returned to Datong to live a peaceful life, so that Master Chen would stop bothering them and the children could have a decent life in the future.

I am a lowly woman, but God has taken pity on me and made me pregnant.

I want to be a proper woman, to be a mother for the rest of my life, I'd be content with anything, but Old Duan hasn't come to visit these past few days...

I know nothing of spies or treacherous agents; I truly have not done such a thing. I beg you, sir, spare my life! I really don't want to die!

……

Yang Hongbin said coldly, "I know why Duan Chunjiang made you submit to someone else, because he wanted to use you to spy on military intelligence from Chen Ruichang."

You told him about the Red Tree Collection, which allowed him to discover the location of the imperial army's military depot. Although you were not the main culprit, you became his accomplice.

He redeemed you from your servitude, brought you to the capital, and promised you a big business and a good life—it was all just deception and exploitation!

Yang Hongbin's words were icy cold, filled with malice and seductive intent, like a sharp knife piercing Hui Niang's heart, trampling on her last remaining tender thoughts.

Upon hearing Yang Hongbin's words, Huiniang's face turned deathly pale, her bright eyes widened unconsciously, and her left hand gripped her clothes tightly, as if she wanted to crumple the hem.

Yang Hongbin stared coldly at Hui Niang, saying nothing more. The cell was deathly silent, time passing silently, seemingly fast yet also incredibly slow.

As fast as a shooting star streaking across the sky, its fleeting brilliance vanishes in an instant; as slow as something that can erode everything, extinguishing all illusions and delusions…

Yang Hongbin narrowed his eyes, a sharp and sinister light flashing within them. He noticed that Hui Niang's body was stiff and her expression was strange, as if she was thinking about something.

His right hand unconsciously covered his abdomen, a gesture that seemed to never change...

Yang Hongbin sighed inwardly. Women are women after all, and they have more vulnerabilities than men.

……

Yang Hongbin suddenly said, "I can give you a way out and let your child see the light of day, but you have to do something for me."

Upon hearing this, Hui Niang's stiff and tense body instantly came back to life, and her eyes shone brightly, looking somewhat frightening.

He said, "As long as you let my child see the light of day, I won't care about Old Duan anymore. Whatever you ask me to do, I will have no objection!"

The coldness on Yang Hongbin's face gradually faded, and he said, "What I asked you to do is not too difficult."

As long as you are open and honest and satisfy me, you and your child will have a chance to survive.

You are Duan Chunjiang's bedmate, and he must have talked to you a lot. I want you to tell me about your private conversations, who he often mentions, and where he often goes.

What are his daily preferences? And what are the differences between his time in Shenjing and his time in Datong?

Tell me all of this, the more detailed the better, don't leave anything out.

If you want your child to see the light of day, it depends on how carefully you speak and whether what you say is useful…

……

Yang Hong ordered someone to prepare paper and pen, and then asked Zhou Ping to enter the cell to take a statement. Hui Niang only thought for a moment before her voice rang out in the cell.

Hui Niang initially spoke haltingly, but her strong will to survive gradually made her speech clearer, and her words became more detailed and fragmented.

Yang Hongbin listened quietly, rarely interrupting Hui Niang, only occasionally asking a few questions. Zhou Ping wrote furiously, burying his head in taking notes.

This strange conversation lasted for nearly two hours. Hui Niang racked her brains to talk until she was dizzy, and when she finally ran out of things to say, she indicated that she had nothing more to say.

Yang Hongbin took a stack of notes, casually flipped through them, and picked out the important points to ask Hui Niang again until there were no more questions. Only then did he end the conversation.

He said to Zhou Ping, "Go prepare some delicious food. She came in hungry, and pregnant women shouldn't go hungry."

Yang Hongbin left without looking back, and the cell door closed again, but Hui Niang's pale face regained its color.

She gently stroked her belly, a smile appearing on her lips, and murmured to herself, "Good child, Mother will definitely be able to save you."

Mother has hidden a lot of silver. As long as we can get out of here alive, we'll go to a quiet place where nobody will recognize us.

"I will definitely raise you. I'll be content when you call me 'Mom'..."

At this moment, Duan Chunjiang's screams came again from outside the door, still miserable and distorted, still unbearable to hear.

Hui Niang's face was a little pale, but she was no longer on the verge of a mental breakdown, screaming and crying in fear like before.

She merely twitched the corner of her mouth slightly before curling back into the corner.

She felt tired after talking for so long, and forced herself to close her eyes, wanting to rest for a moment, but her right hand was still loosely clasped around her lower abdomen...

……

The Dali Temple government office, prison, and dungeon.

Yang Hongbin walked slowly into the torture chamber with his hands behind his back and saw Duan Chunjiang tied to the rack.

His body was covered in whip marks and bloodstains, barely recognizable as human. Both sides of his ribs had been branded, leaving his skin charred and foul-smelling.

Half of the fingernails on both hands had been torn off, and steel needles were embedded in the tips of two fingers. The area was a bloody mess, a truly gruesome sight.

Yang Hongbin, however, was unmoved and said, "Give him a couple of sips of ginseng soup to cheer him up. I have something to ask him."

An imperial guard quickly agreed, poured a cup of piping hot ginseng soup, pried open Duan Chunjiang's mouth, and poured it down his throat in one gulp.

Seeing Duan Chun cough violently, Yang Hongbin sneered, "Duan Chunjiang, I didn't expect you to be such a tough nut to crack."

However, you've only been here a short time, and the torture has lasted less than an hour. This is far from over.

This is just the beginning. I gave you two hours to rest, and I took the time to do some things. We can start over from here.

Don't think that just because you won't speak, I won't get any information from you. There are things you won't say, but plenty of others will.

Someone just told me a lot about you. I didn't realize that besides associating with nobles, you had these hobbies and social interactions in your daily life... (End of Chapter)