Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 19 The murderer is not you

The housekeeper was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized that Yan Mingzhang was setting him up. He had accidentally revealed the truth, so he smiled dejectedly and stopped struggling: "You guessed it right. Madam, Madam is such a good person. This beast actually killed Madam just like that, for his own glory and wealth!"

"The lady's food was drugged, and she passed out, burning to death. Everyone could see it wasn't an accident, but the master didn't pursue the matter at all. Instead, he seemed relieved. Not only that, he bribed the county magistrate at the time to stop the investigation. Not long after, he happily married into that bitch's family. How can I not hate her?"

After the butler lowered his head dejectedly for a long time, he suddenly looked up, his eyes full of madness, and laughed wildly to himself.

"Hahahaha, that's right, I was the one who took the master away. But, Lord Yan, would you like to guess where I hid him?" Although Butler Wen was right about Yan Mingzhang's guess, he showed no fear and directly admitted his guilt.

"Why don't you seem surprised at all?" Butler Wen asked tentatively, with a hint of pride in his eyes.

"It's not you." Yan Mingzhang pondered for a while and looked out the window. It was pitch black outside and the pavilion in the lake had long been hidden in it.

"I haven't finished what I said just now. The murderer is not you! In order to implement this plan, we must have someone's cooperation. The real murderer who poisoned the body is not you." Yan Mingzhang said slowly.

Chang Feng continued, "Another set of footprints, one deep and one shallow..."

Rong Wanyin's mind flashed to a lame figure, and she blurted out, "It's Aqing!"

Butler Wen turned pale in an instant and kept silent.

"That's right. The Wen family is a wealthy family. If it weren't for the cover of Butler Wen, how could a lame gardener sneak in? How could he get the ice bowl from the cellar? How could he sink the box to the bottom of the lake? How could he blow up the bridge? How could he pierce the boat? Am I right?" Yan Mingzhang's tone was calm, but it made people feel that he was pressing him step by step.

"Sir, we've caught the person!" Mo Yun pushed a man in front of Yan Mingzhang, and the man staggered and fell to the ground.

Sure enough.

When she saw the man's face, Rong Wanyin felt somewhat familiar and then reacted.

"It's you!" Rong Wanyin exclaimed. This lame gardener was actually the lame waiter in Zhenbaozhai today!
"Ah Qing, why are you here?" Butler Wen glared at him, "Why don't you..."

Butler Wen seemed to suddenly realize something and stopped talking instantly.

"Dad, she won't let me go!" the young man named Aqing replied anxiously, "She went by herself!"

Yan Mingzhang's eyes suddenly turned cold as he looked at the housekeeper: "Housekeeper Wen, even now, you still haven't explained yourself? I'm afraid Miss Wen has decided to die, right?"

Butler Wen instantly collapsed to his knees, his whole body limp. Yan Mingzhang had clearly hit the nail on the head. He wept bitterly, begging, "Master Yan, please save the young lady. She...she's said before that it would be better to burn her to death than to let others judge her. I've been trying to persuade her for a long time, but she clearly agreed..."

Mo Yun asked anxiously, "Why don't you tell me where the person is?"

Butler Wen said anxiously, "The person is here..."

Yan Mingzhang stood up suddenly and looked out the window: "Inside the pavilion!"

"Pavilion?" Everyone seemed to be thinking about something.

Butler Wen nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, it's in the pavilion, and there's a small boat hidden in the reeds!"

"The water is deep on the way out, shallow on the way back, which means they're on something else, like a boat. Where can you find a place that's easy to reach and transport by boat, where you can't worry about them escaping, and where others won't go easily? Where do you think it is?" Yan Mingzhang looked at the lake calmly. "Sir, are you saying they're in that pavilion in the middle of the lake? But that pavilion only has a few pillars. Even though it's covered with gauze, it's hard to see now, but wouldn't it be obvious whether there are people there in daylight?" Mo Yun asked in confusion.

"We'll know once we get there. Let's go!" Yan Mingzhang stood up quickly and walked out.

Butler Wen warned, "Master Yan, please bring the young lady back! Be careful! That pavilion is full of... full of kerosene!"

Yan Mingzhang nodded.
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Yan Mingzhang and his party came to the lakeside, and there was indeed a small boat hidden in the reeds by the lake. The boat could accommodate two people at most.

"Changfeng, come with me to the pavilion in the lake. Moyun, find three servants to take good care of Butler Wen. Then quickly find some door panels and put them together to welcome us!" Yan Mingzhang made the arrangements.

"Master Yan, I'll go with you," Rong Wanyin, who had been silent, stopped Master Yan and said, "Sister Xin and I have some affection for each other, and I hope I can be of help."

"Have you thought it through?" Yan Mingzhang looked at Rong Wanyin and asked in a deep voice, "This journey is bound to be dangerous."

"I've thought about it." Rong Wanyin stared at Yan Mingzhang and answered firmly.

"Okay then, Changfeng, give me the cloak. It's windy on the lake at night." Yan Mingzhang nodded decisively and agreed.

Changfeng handed over the cloak.

Yan Mingzhang opened his cloak and put it on Rong Wanyin, carefully covering her with it before saying, "Miss Rong, let's go."

There was a cool breeze on the lake, and Rong Wanyin still felt a little cold even with her cloak on. Yan Mingzhang was rowing the boat, and both of them were silent, feeling a little heavy.

The boat slowly approached the pavilion in the middle of the lake. Surprisingly, it was constructed entirely of wood, with a plaque inscribed with the words "Cihui Pavilion." The pavilion was surrounded by water, with a single wooden floating bridge. Beside the bridge sat the empty "treasure chest" coffin. It seemed Miss Wen had used it to transport the two men. Yan Mingzhang tied the boat to a pile on the floating bridge. Just as Rong Wanyin was about to step onto the bridge, Yan Mingzhang grabbed her.

There was a person sitting in the pavilion in the middle of the lake, but there was no light on. When the person saw the two of them arriving, he lit the kerosene lamp. When the flame started, who else could it be but Miss Wen?

"Sister Xin!" Rong Wanyin couldn't help but shout, "Come back with me!"

When Wen Xin saw Rong Wanyin coming, she was stunned at first, then her face became a little nervous, and then she relaxed a little.

"Yin'er, just stand there. Don't come over. Yin'er, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you into this." Wen Xin said with a sad face. She glanced at Yan Mingzhang, hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "The pavilion is full of kerosene. You'll get burned."

Rong Wanyin was already shedding tears.

"Miss Wen, your loved ones have passed away. Please don't do anything stupid and make them miss you in the afterlife." Yan Mingzhang gently patted Rong Wanyin's back to comfort her.

"Can't I sit in my own pavilion?" Wen Xin smiled slightly.

"Sister Xin, why do you have to do this? I know you were the one who poisoned me, right? Why are you doing this?" Rong Wanyin asked, wiping away her tears.

"What kind of poison?" Wen Xin looked at her with a smile, as if she were listening to a storyteller. She was not afraid at all and said, "You tell me, and I'll listen."

Rong Wanyin was just guessing at first, but after Yan Mingzhang's guidance, she figured it out instantly.

(End of this chapter)