Wife is hell

Chapter 18 Interrogation
Although Jiang Mu said he wouldn't go, considering that Tang Meifu was currently in a powder keg ready to explode at any moment, and to prevent being retaliated against later, he still went to the patrol office after dinner.

There's no way around it; higher-ranking officials can crush you.

A large butt can damage the kidneys.

Holding the pass given to him by Tang Jinxian, Jiang Mu entered the patrol office without any hindrance.

After walking a few steps, they heard a woman's angry voice, choked with sobs, coming from ahead.

"What right do you have to arrest my son?!"

"Bring Chief Tang out here! I need to get some answers!"

"Arresting people arbitrarily without even asking what happened?! Is there no law left?!"

"Even if you are the Imperial Patrol Office, you should not disregard the laws of the Great Qian Dynasty like this! If you do not give me an explanation, I will risk my imperial title to petition the court!"

"..."

Jiang Mu looked up.

The woman dressed in white, whom I had seen yesterday, was now red-eyed and emotionally berating the guards blocking her way.

After all, she was a fifth-rank lady-in-waiting personally appointed by the emperor, a position of great prestige.

Although the guards were ordered to stop them, they dared not use force to drive them away, and could only try to persuade them carefully.

"They've already made the arrests so quickly; the operation was quite swift."

Jiang Mu admired Tang Jinxian's decisiveness and efficiency.

He walked around the front courtyard and came to the outside of the council hall, where he heard a loud argument coming from inside.

Jiang Mu moved closer to observe.

Inside the hall, several people were either sitting or standing; they were all important and influential figures within the Patrol Office.

Tang Jinxian sat in the head seat at the very top, her expression calm.

The woman changed into a more dignified dark blue long dress. The fabric was crisp and the cut was exquisite, completely covering her plump and proud figure.

Her solemnity accentuated her long neck and cold, beautiful face.

"Your Excellency, Wu is a scholar, and his mother is a fifth-rank lady bestowed by His Majesty. It is inappropriate, both morally and logically, to arrest and detain him without any solid evidence."

"Yes, Your Excellency. If handled improperly, it could very well draw criticism from both the court and the public."

"My lord, although our patrol office has a special way of handling cases and does not completely rely on evidence, this case has a great impact. Acting so hastily may not be convincing to the public!"

"..."

The people in the hall were expressing their opinions one after another.

Faced with the doubts and objections of the crowd, Tang Jinxian remained indifferent. Her beautiful eyes swept over a middle-aged man sitting at the lower end of the table, and she spoke calmly:
"Manager Yu, what do you think?"

Yu Zhengqing, the deputy head of the Yancheng Patrol Office, was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old. He was handsome and had a refined and gentle temperament.

At first glance, he looks more like a schoolteacher.

Upon hearing Tang Jinxian's question, he bowed respectfully.
“Since the magistrate has made a decision, I will do my best to cooperate with the investigation. However, although Master Yan is Wu’s maternal uncle, the two families do not usually have close ties. Is it a bit too hasty to isolate and investigate him as well?”

"I remember that Yan Qingshan was initially in charge of investigating this spiritual disaster case, wasn't he?"

Instead of answering directly, Tang Jinxian posed a question.

Yu Zhengqing was taken aback upon hearing this, seemingly understanding the deeper meaning behind the woman's words, and nodded:
"Reporting to Your Excellency, it is indeed Hall Master Yan."

"So, whether he failed to discover the real culprit in time due to incompetence, or... deliberately concealed and covered it up, he should be isolated for investigation."

Tang Jinxian said calmly, "Of course, if it is ultimately found that the truth has nothing to do with him, the patrol office will clear his name."

Yu Zhengqing frowned, not knowing what else to say.

At this moment, Tang Jinxian caught sight of Jiang Mu peeking out of the hall, acting suspiciously. She immediately stood up, ending the argument:
"Alright, now that the person has been captured, I will interrogate him personally. Chief Yu, you will immediately take your men to the Wu family and search the place thoroughly, leaving no corner unchecked."

Having said that, she ignored the various expressions on everyone's faces and walked out of the hall.

As he passed by Jiang Mu, he gave him a wink.

Jiang Mu understood and silently followed.

"Wu has been captured and is currently being held in the dungeon. You'll come with me to interrogate him."

Tang Jinxian kept walking, her tone leaving no room for refusal.

Jiang Mu followed behind her, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the woman's swaying waist and hips, the smooth curves bulging beneath her skirt, and frowned, asking:
Why do you insist on taking me along?

Tang Jinxian suddenly turned around.

The skirt billowed.

She gazed at Jiang Mu, her phoenix eyes deep and mysterious:
“I completely trust you this time, which is why I arrested Wu directly. You saw what happened in the hall just now. If we can’t convict Wu, we’ll both be in big trouble.”

Of course, at worst, I can lose my official position and return to the capital. But you, you might lose your life. You're not the fool you used to be; you know I'm not exaggerating.

Therefore, this time you must make sure that Wu is the mastermind behind this horrific tragedy!

Jiang Mu nodded and said helplessly, "I understand."

Tang Jinxian walked up to the man and brushed a fallen leaf off Jiang Mu's shoulder:
"Mu Jiang, An Chenghu is right. The more you get involved in this matter, the more trouble it will cause."

But you've forgotten the most important point: what happened in the cave has tied the murderer and you and me together. You want to get away? Do you think it's possible?

"Don't worry, with me, Tang Jinxian, protecting you, no one dares to touch you, and no one can touch you."

The woman said no more, turned around and continued walking.

Jiang Mu's expression was strange. It sounded...like he was being kept by a rich woman?
……

Tang Jinxian led Jiang Mu into the prison of the patrol office.

The dungeon was gloomy and damp.

Wu was held in solitary confinement in a stone room.

The man was dressed in a blue robe, looking much more disheveled and unkempt than when Jiang Mu had seen him yesterday. His hair was slightly loose, but the refined and scholarly air between his brows was still there.

"grown ups."

Xiuxiu, Tang Jinxian's personal maid, stepped forward and handed her a stack of freshly organized records.
"We have already made a preliminary inquiry into Wu's recent whereabouts, and this is the schedule he provided. I have already sent someone to verify whether it is true or not."

Tang Jinxian nodded slightly: "Thank you for your hard work. You can go out and wait here first."

"Yes."

Xiuxiu glanced at Jiang Mu with a hint of curiosity, then led the other two guards out of the prison area.

Wu was somewhat surprised when he saw Jiang Mu:
"Aren't you the constable who came to our house yesterday? Constable, what's going on? Why were you suddenly arrested and brought to this place?"

Tang Jinxian pulled over a chair left by the guard and sat down, crossing her arms and looking at him coldly: "What? Even now, you still pretend you don't know me?"

Jiang Mu stood behind the woman, acting as her follower.

However, due to his elevated position, when the woman crossed her arms, her blouse was slightly open, clearly revealing the edge of a light blue satin bodice and the exaggerated snow-white curve beneath it...

Jiang Mu immediately focused his attention on Wu across from him, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead.

"Sir, I really don't understand what you're saying. Have we met before?"

Wu looked completely bewildered.

Tang Jinxian curled her red lips into a cold smile: "You're acting quite innocent."

Although the man in black was wearing a mask and deliberately altered his voice, Tang Jinxian's intuition told her that Jiang Mu's analysis was absolutely correct.

The Wu standing before me is the man in black.

"Sir, officer, what exactly have I done wrong?"

Wu still looked confused.

"You don't know what you've done wrong, do you?"

Tang Jinxian suddenly flicked her slender finger.

The straw rope wrapped around her slender waist suddenly flew off, wrapped around Wu's body, and bound him tightly.

"Sir, what are you doing?!"

Wu's tone became agitated, and he struggled.

“I am a scholar with official rank, and according to the Great Qian Law, I cannot be easily subjected to torture! How can you disregard the law like this! My mother is a fifth-rank concubine personally appointed by His Majesty, and has the right to report directly to the Emperor. She will certainly report to His Majesty!”

Tang Jinxian's beautiful eyes flashed with a cold light:
"When you were abusing those innocent women, did you ever think that one day you would suffer the same pain?"

"My lord, I'm innocent! I have no idea what you're saying!"

Wu cried out in protest, "I have always been law-abiding and devoted to my studies. I have never committed any crimes. If you don't believe me, go ask my mother. You cannot torture me! That is against the law!"

Tang Jinxian was too lazy to waste words with him. She circulated her internal energy and formed a hand seal with her slender fingers.

The ropes binding Wu began to tighten slowly and noticeably.

"what--"

In no time, the rope tightened around Wu's neck, turning his face red and purple, and he began to wail in pain.

"You still won't admit it? You're the murderer who tortured and killed those women? Tell me, who's your accomplice?"

Tang Jinxian pressed her for answers in a stern voice.

"I...I really don't know...ah...I'm innocent..." Wu squeezed out a broken groan of pain through gritted teeth.

Tang Jinxian's eyes grew colder, and she made a hand seal again.

The straw rope was tightened further.

You could even hear a slight "crack" sound as Wu's joints were being squeezed.

Jiang Mu stared intently at Wu, who was screaming in agony, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

For some reason, he felt a strong sense of unease.

"Something's not right."

"what?"

Tang Jinxian turned her head to look at him.

Just as Jiang Mu was about to voice his doubts, the prison door was suddenly pushed open, and the female official Xiuxiu returned, hurriedly walking to Tang Jinxian's side and whispering:
"Sir, someone just reported that Madam Yan of Wenji Trading Company has been kidnapped. A passerby claims to have witnessed the killer's movements, and Deputy Manager Yu has personally led a team to investigate."

Lady Yan?
Jiang Mu was taken aback when he heard this familiar name.

Isn't this the powerful widow he visited on his first day investigating the case?
Her son, Wen Yu, had once childishly threatened him to stay away from Shi Xueying.

"This woman has been kidnapped..."

Jiang Mu subconsciously looked at Wu, who was wailing, and a thought suddenly came to mind.

"Manager Tang, we may have been set up."

(End of this chapter)