Xiao Jun breathed raggedly. "What are you thinking about?"
Lady Cao gave him a little pinch, and Xiao Jun let out a muffled grunt, his breathing growing even more uneven.
Outside the room, Yan Tongshu and Pearl were extremely embarrassed.
Gao Qi wore a lewd, knowing grin. "Oh my, these two adulterous lovers—right in broad daylight, under the open sky, they're really going at it..."
Yan Tongshu shot him a killing glare.
Gao Qi guiltily avoided her gaze. "Well... appetite for food and sex is only human nature."
Yan Tongshu's voice was low. "We're on official business right now."
Gao Qi fell silent.
Inside, the two kissed a while longer, then Lady Cao laughed. "Why do you bother lying to me? Who else could it be but you?"
Xiao Jun tickled her.
Lady Cao giggled. "Alright, alright. Even if you really did kill him, I'd be nothing but delighted—how could I resent you for it?"
Xiao Jun grabbed her hand and pulled at the pink butterfly-and-peony sash at her waist. "And if I truly did kill him, how would you thank me?"
Lady Cao wound her arms around Xiao Jun's shoulders and whispered something in his ear. In an instant, his animal passions erupted.
"What are you three looking at?"
Yan Tongshu, Pearl, and Gao Qi all jolted. Turning around, they found Cen Xu standing with his hands clasped behind his back, leaning slightly toward them. His gaze passed over Yan Tongshu and landed on the mirror behind them.
What a scandalous, wanton spectacle.
In an instant, Cen Xu's ears and neck flushed crimson.
Cen Xu: "Y-you... you all—"
Yan Tongshu clapped a hand over his mouth, while Pearl and Gao Qi simultaneously pressed fingers to their lips. "Shh—"
Cen Xu struggled. "Mmff—"
Shh, shh—what?
Were they waiting for the pair inside to finish the whole affair?
Arrest them!
Had these three gotten addicted to watching or something?
Yan Tongshu, Pearl, Gao Qi: "Shh—"
Cen Xu: "..."
Catch them red-handed, catch adulterers in the act—why weren't they going in?!
Finally, Cen Xu stopped struggling. Yan Tongshu released him, and Cen Xu immediately raised his sleeve. "Arrest them!"
The runners from the Ministry of Justice rushed in and seized the disheveled pair on the spot.
Then Cen Xu, hands clasped behind his back, stood perfectly still, gazing at Yan Tongshu, Pearl, and Gao Qi as if to ask: What exactly were you three waiting for just now?
Gao Qi lowered his head in defeat. Pearl turned away shyly.
Yan Tongshu covered her face. How mortifying.
Just then, Cen Xu called out, lightly but pointedly: "Lord Yan?"
"Ahem."
Yan Tongshu coughed twice and lifted her head. Even though she was so embarrassed she wished the floor would swallow her whole, she stubbornly maintained her official dignity as Lord Yan and asked, "Lord Cen, what brings you here?"
Cen Xu replied, "I heard that after Your Lordship visited the Cao residence, Lady Cao invited General Xiao over for a visit. I anticipated an incident would occur, so I waited here deliberately."
He paused, a faint smile curving at the corner of his lips. "Who could have guessed... I'd be fortunate enough to witness such a fine show."
Yan Tongshu: "..."
Did he have to add that last part?
Yan Tongshu forced a smile. "So it seems Lord Cen has uncovered new evidence?"
Cen Xu: "Naturally."
Yan Tongshu: "Then by all means, Lord Cen, proceed."
Yan Tongshu extended her right hand in an inviting gesture, signaling for Cen Xu to conduct the trial on the spot.
Cen Xu inclined his head with a smile, playing along. "Since Lord Yan insists, this official obeys."
The party made their way to the great hall where the Kaifeng Prefecture and the Ministry of Justice had jointly heard cases before.
Cen Xu ordered Lady Cao and Xiao Jun to be brought up.
Xiao Jun held the third-rank official title, far above Cen Xu's sixth rank, so the presiding seat was still occupied by Yan Tongshu.
Cen Xu was responsible for "interrogating," while Yan Tongshu was responsible for "presiding."
After Xiao Jun and Lady Cao straightened their clothes, the two were brought out.
Lady Cao knelt on the ground; Xiao Jun stood.
Xiao Jun glared at Cen Xu. "Does Minister Chu know you're doing this?"
Cen Xu replied with composure. "This official investigates cases in accordance with the law. As Minister of Justice, Lord Chu, upon learning of this, would likewise act only according to the law."
Yan Tongshu glanced at Cen Xu in surprise.
Justice Minister Chu Lishen, Xiao Jun, and Cao Jian were all men of Prince Ming's faction.
When Lady Cao and Xiao Jun had been meeting in private earlier, they'd mentioned that a deal had already been struck with Cao Jian.
Presumably Cao Jian had discovered the affair between Lady Cao and Xiao Jun, but since both he and Xiao Jun belonged to Prince Ming's faction, he couldn't afford to openly sever ties. With someone mediating, Cao Jian, though grudging, had chosen to let the matter go.
Each holding leverage over the other, mutual compromise—understandable.
But this Cen Xu...
In the Chen Sizhen case last time, he'd helped the princess.
And now he was undermining his own direct superior.
Swaying left and right—hard to fathom.
Cen Xu's gaze was cold and sharp as it fixed on Xiao Jun. "General Xiao, will you confess on your own, or shall this official recount the facts for you?"
Xiao Jun raised his head, chest out, radiating righteousness. "This general was caught red-handed with Lady Cao—that, I admit. So what of it?"
Cen Xu smiled faintly. "So, General Xiao admits to killing General Cao."
Xiao Jun's brows knit sharply. "Cen Xu, don't you spout nonsense here. When did I ever kill anyone?"
Cen Xu: "At noon on the twenty-sixth, General Cao was found dead in his study, struck by an arrow. After joint examination of the body by the Ministry of Justice and the Kaifeng Prefecture—"
Cen Xu turned to Yan Tongshu and bowed. "—it was confirmed that General Cao died at the hour of Zi. The household servant Zheng He, at an hour close to Chou, approached and asked whether General Cao was retiring in the study. General Cao answered, and the lamp was extinguished as he went to sleep. Cross-referencing these accounts, it can be concluded that General Cao's time of death was near the Chou hour."
Xiao Jun scoffed. "So what?"
Cen Xu: "At that time, where was General Xiao?"
Xiao Jun let out a cold laugh, his gaze sweeping over Lady Cao kneeling beside him.
Caught red-handed—there was no denying it.
He said arrogantly, "You already know the answer."
Xiao Jun was defiant and haughty, but Cen Xu showed no reaction. Unfazed, he continued, "On the fifth and tenth of every month, those were the days you and Lady Cao would meet. In other words, on the day before General Cao's body was discovered—the twenty-fifth—you entered the Cao residence through the rear garden gate at the hour of Hai, and went to Lady Cao's bedchamber for your tryst. The maidservant Xiang Fu lit the lamps and kept watch for the two of you."
The crime of adultery might be a mountain collapsing for others, but to Xiao Jun it was nothing. He had once built his rise on his wife's family, but now her family had waned, and he had Prince Ming at his back.
He believed Prince Ming would protect him.
His military achievements would protect him too.
Just as when his affair with Lady Cao had been exposed before—no matter how unsatisfied Cao Jian had been, he'd had to swallow his teeth with his blood and accept the humiliation.
Cen Xu paused, then continued. "Half past the Chou hour, you left Lady Cao's chamber, led out by Xiang Fu. You should have departed through the rear garden gate—yet you did not arrive at the gate until the hour of Hai."
He lifted his eyes, his gaze like needles. "The walk there takes less than the time it takes to burn one stick of incense. Why did it take you nearly half an hour? Where did you go during that time?"
Xiao Jun's fists clenched abruptly.
Cen Xu ordered Xiang Fu and the guard Wu Sanyuan, who had been on duty at the rear garden gate that day, to be brought up.
Xiang Fu and Wu Sanyuan were dripping with blood. Their four legs hung limp and useless, unable to muster any strength.
Yan Tongshu's face sank instantly. "Lord Cen, you used torture?"
Cen Xu looked at her. His dark pupils trembled almost imperceptibly, then he lowered his gaze and answered softly, "Yes."
Yan Tongshu’s voice was cold and hard: “They are witnesses, not criminals. Even if they aided in adultery, the crime does not warrant this.”
Besides, what if she was wrong—what if Lady Cao and Xiao Jun were not committing adultery, and these two were beaten into false confessions?
Cen Xu bowed deeply to Yan Tongshu, his posture humble and submissive: “This subordinate was wrong.”
You—
Yan Tongshu was stumped.
This attitude reminded her of a phrase: admit fault eagerly, but never truly change.
Cen Xu’s gaze flickered with pain: “Lord Yan, let us first hear the case. Afterward, there is still time to discipline this subordinate.”
Yan Tongshu turned her head away, letting him continue.
Cen Xu straightened up, his eyes locking onto Xiao Jun once more: “General Xiao, where were you during that period of time?”
Xiao Jun opened his mouth as if to speak, then hesitated, unable to answer.
Cen Xu pressed forward step by step: “You went to General Cao’s study.”
Xiao Jun’s face, which had been so confident and unflappable, finally showed a crack of panic: “I did not.”
“You did.” Cen Xu was adamant. He then turned to Wu Sanyuan: “You speak.”
Wu Sanyuan had suffered severe torture; both his legs were broken, and he could only barely support himself on his arms. Gasping, he said, “I’ll talk… I’ll talk. That day, I carried my lantern and waited at the small gate. I waited a long time, until the third watch, before I saw General Xiao come over. I opened the gate and handed the lantern to General Xiao, telling him to take care on his way. After General Xiao left, I shut the small gate, picked up the other lantern, and was about to wipe away General Xiao’s footprints with my foot—but right beside his footprints, I found a patch of firethorn leaves stuck to the ground.”
Wu Sanyuan, weakened by his injuries, had little strength left. After saying this long stretch of words, his energy was spent. His arms gave out and he collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily for a long while before continuing: “My lady loves elegance. In her own courtyard, in winter, she only keeps red plum, green plum, and wintersweet—those refined and graceful trees and flowers. But the general always hated such things as frivolous.
In his early years, the general lived as a hunter in the mountains, then became a bandit. He often fought with wild beasts and was wounded. He was poor back then, with no money for medicine, so he would crush wild firethorn berries he found on the mountain to stop the bleeding and heal his wounds. That was why the general specifically planted two firethorn trees in his study. In the entire Cao household, only the general’s study has firethorn trees.”
Cen Xu took over the thread, his voice as cold as a blade: “The wall against which the firethorn tree in the study stands—that wall happens to be the direction from which the arrow was shot.”
Lady Cao stared sharply at Xiao Jun, as if to say: Did you really kill him?
Now Xiao Jun was fully panicked: “Cen Xu! I warn you, do not speak nonsense! I had nothing to do with General Cao’s death. I had no grievances, no grudges with General Cao—why would I kill him?”
“No grievances, no grudges?” Cen Xu asked lightly, his gaze falling upon Lady Cao. “You committed adultery with Lady Cao…”
“Cao Jian knew about that.” Xiao Jun blurted it out, desperate to get out from under the accusation.
Cen Xu pressed harshly: “But when he agreed to reconcile with you, he did not know that Cao Jinyue and Cao He were born of you and Lady Cao.”
Xiao Jun’s expression turned grim: “What proof do you have?”
Cen Xu glanced at Xiang Fu. Xiang Fu’s lips were chapped and cracked, her face covered in blood, and both her legs were broken as well.
Yan Tongshu believed in procedural justice; she would have circled and probed.
But Cen Xu cared about none of that.
He only wanted results, not the means.
By now, Xiang Fu had lost half her life and had already spilled everything.
She prostrated herself on the ground: “This maidservant confesses. The general… the general was not human…”
At that single sentence, tears mixed with blood rolled down her cheeks.
Xiang Fu sobbed: “My lords, my lady has suffered so much. She truly has. The general—he was not human… I accompanied my lady into the Cao family. In the first year, my lady served the general with all her heart. The general was very pleased with my lady, and my lady loved the general deeply. But he… he truly was not human.
That night, the general was dead drunk. From the room came the sound of my lady screaming in terror. This maidservant feared for my lady’s safety and pounded desperately on the door. The general came out and slapped me—I lost consciousness on the spot. When I came to, I found my lady. My lady…”
At this point, Xiang Fu broke down, unable to speak through her tears: “My lady… my lady. So gentle, so dignified a lady—she was beaten beyond recognition, not a single patch of good flesh on her body! This maidservant and my lady held each other and cried. It was then that my lady finally told me—half a year before that, the general had already started laying his hands on her. He told her that he could never father a child, but he had to have a son to inherit the family estate. So my lady had to produce him a son. He ordered her to serve the elder brother. To sleep with the elder brother and bear a son.”
Xiang Fu’s voice trembled: “My lords, such humiliation—how could my lady accept it willingly? So she refused, kept refusing… and finally, that night, the general lost all patience and beat my lady brutally. Then once, twice, three times…”
At these words, sobs echoed through the room.
Even Pearl could not help but lower her head and wipe away tears.
Lady Cao knelt on the floor. She thought she had long since gone numb to the past, but when she recalled those days again, the grief in her chest still would not be suppressed. Tears streamed down her face one after another.
Xiang Fu pleaded: “My lords, the general was born with monstrous strength, and my lady was only a frail woman—how could she endure his beatings, again and again without end? My lady had no choice but to agree to serve the elder brother. After several attempts, my lady still did not conceive, so the general brought in a physician to nurse her back to health. This maidservant watched my lady, bit by bit, go from elegant and dignified to manic, like a madwoman.
Finally, one day, my lady met her savior. This maidservant does not know whether committing adultery is right or wrong, but General Xiao was very kind to my lady. When he saw the general beating her, he would protect her, persuade the general, and bring my lady medicine. And after General Xiao came into her life, my lady became pregnant. With twins. Once she gave birth, the general would not beat her anymore—my lady had made it through.”
It had been a horror story, a desperate tragedy. But at the words “made it through,” Xiang Fu’s tone was filled with relief.
Cen Xu finished listening and turned his gaze to Xiao Jun. Xiao Jun was staring blankly at Lady Cao.
He had known nothing of Lady Cao and Cao Yang’s situation—he had only thought Cao Jian was a violent man at heart.
A beautiful, delicate woman beaten black and blue, turning to him for help—naturally, he had wanted to help.
Xiao Jun forced himself to regain composure and said stiffly: “Xiang Fu is only a servant girl. Her words are worthless—there is no proof.”
Cen Xu looked at the bailiffs, who nodded and left.
A moment later, Cao Jinyue and Cao He were brought in.
“Mother—”
The two rushed in, flinging themselves toward Lady Cao in confusion and fear.
Cao Jinyue’s little face was red from crying: “Mother… they… they…”
She pointed at the bailiffs: “They threw water on me and my brother.”
Lady Cao’s frozen body shifted slightly, and then she let out a bitter laugh: “So you found out, did you?”
Yan Tongshu raised her eyes to look at Cao Jinyue and Cao He.
The two had been completely doused with water, so of course their hair was soaked.
And soaked hair instantly curled up.
Lady Cao laughed in self-mockery: “General Xiao, Xiang Fu has already confessed. What could there possibly be that Lord Cen does not already know?”
Her gaze was vacant and hollow. "Xiang Fu has been with me for over ten years... When I married, she sewed my wedding gown. When I was beaten, she applied my medicine. When I was violated, she prepared the herbal remedies to help me conceive. My clandestine meetings with General Xiao, our illicit affair, bearing his child... she was there for all of it. If she speaks up, what secrets could possibly remain hidden?"
Cen Xu produced several strands of black hair. "These are Cao He's hairs."
He used a small knife to gently scrape off the black bean paste coating the strands, revealing the naturally yellowish, curly texture beneath. "General Xiao, do I need to remind you? The Cao family has not a drop of barbarian blood. They could never father children with hair of this color and this curl."
Cen Xu tossed the hair onto Xiao Jun. "What more do you have to say?"
Xiao Jun slumped in desperation. "I didn't kill anyone. You have no proof. It's all speculation!"
Cen Xu: "Then where were you at midnight?"
Xiao Jun: "I... In any case, you have no evidence."
Cen Xu: "Yes, I do."
Xiao Jun's entire body trembled.
Cen Xu stepped forward, closing in on Xiao Jun: "Since General Cao was killed by a sneak arrow attack, and the arrow was found in General Cao's body, then where was the bow?"
The bow?
Xiao Jun froze for a moment, then panic truly set in. "No, that bow..."
Cen Xu cut him off. "Exactly. When you left, you had a bow hidden in your sleeve. And one bow was missing from General Cao's bedchamber. As for that arrow—I've had it examined. It was a Divine Strategy Army arrow that had been modified."
Xiao Jun: "That bow... that bow... I only took it out of greed. The killing wasn't me."
Cen Xu ignored Xiao Jun's protests. "Cao Jian discovered that Cao Jinyue and Cao He were not Cao Yang's true children, and resentment grew in his heart. You sensed it. You feared Cao Jian would move against you, that you and Lady Cao would be completely exposed. So you decided to strike first. After your tryst with Lady Cao, you left her courtyard alone, went first to General Cao's bedchamber to take the bow, then produced the arrow with its Divine Strategy Army markings scraped off, and lay in wait in the study.
General Cao was highly skilled in martial arts. You didn't dare act rashly, so you hid on the opposing wall, biding your time. When the moment was right, you let loose a single arrow and killed him. Because you had waited so long, you feared Wu Sanyuan at the side gate would grow anxious and expose your whereabouts, so you fled in haste without returning the bow."
Cen Xu demanded in a low, heavy voice: "Now that both witnesses and physical evidence are before you, what more do you have to say?"
"I..."
Xiao Jun staggered backward. His frantic gaze moved from Cen Xu to Yan Tongshu, then to Lady Cao.
Everyone was staring at him, as if he were the murderer.
"No, I didn't!" Xiao Jun shouted. "I truly didn't. At midnight, I went to look for something."
Yan Tongshu pressed: "Look for what?"
Xiao Jun: "I..."
He couldn't say.
That jade pendant was too important. He could not speak of it at this moment.
Xiao Jun struggled to explain: "I did go to the study, yes, but not to kill. I went to look for something. The candles were lit in the study, and I didn't dare draw attention. I waited for a while, and when I saw that Cao Jian showed no sign of blowing out the lamp and leaving, I left the study and went to Cao Jian's bedchamber to search.
I searched for a long time and didn't find what I wanted. As I was leaving, I spotted the bow hanging at the head of Cao Jian's bed. It was a fine bow—worth a thousand in gold. How could a crude brute like Cao Jian deserve such a weapon? So I took it. This whole thing... it's coincidence..."
"Yes, that's right, just coincidence." Xiao Jun kept repeating the words to himself, as if saying them enough times would make everyone in the room believe in his innocence. "It truly is coincidence. Just coincidence. I didn't kill anyone."
Cen Xu delivered the final blow: "In this capital, the number of people who could bring down General Cao with a single arrow and rob him of any ability to fight back can be counted on one hand. And you, Xiao Jun, are one of them."
Xiao Jun: "I..."
Xiao Jun was completely undone, shouting, "It wasn't me!"
Cen Xu's expression was cold and stern. "General Xiao can save his cries of injustice for the prison cell. Guards, arrest him—"
"Hold!"
The Minister of Justice came rushing in at a half-trot.
He looked around the room.
Xiao Jun hastily appealed for help: "Lord Chu, I'm innocent. I didn't kill anyone."
Cen Xu, unflustered, first offered the Minister of Justice a bow of respect, then spoke: "Lord Chu, Xiao Jun assassinated General Cao. With both witnesses and physical evidence before us, he should be taken into custody immediately, in accordance with the law."
"Witnesses and physical evidence, you say? You—"
The Minister of Justice pulled Cen Xu aside, lowering his voice to a sharp rebuke: "I told you to figure out a way to close the case quickly—but not like this! Who gave you the authority to touch General Xiao?"
Cen Xu: "Lord Chu, the case is already ironclad."
The Minister of Justice pointed at Cen Xu in fury: "You—fine, Cen Xu, just fine."
The Minister of Justice then looked at Yan Tongshu, who had remained seated in the master position the entire time, unmoving even after his arrival.
With that upright Lord Yan present, even if he wanted to help General Xiao today, there was little room to maneuver.
Very well. Take the man into custody at the Ministry of Justice for now, and find an opportunity to overturn the case later.
The Minister of Justice said to Yan Tongshu: "Lord Yan, since the culprit has been identified by personnel of my ministry, the rest of this matter will be left to the Ministry of Justice to handle."
Yan Tongshu made a gesture of "as you please."
The Minister of Justice ordered Xiao Jun and Lady Cao to be taken away.
Lady Cao shielded her two children, waved off the approaching guards, and turned to the Minister of Justice: "Lord Chu, under what provision of the law does the Ministry of Justice detain me?"
The Minister of Justice cast a contemptuous glance at Lady Cao: "Shameless adulteress. Have you no sense of decency?"
Lady Cao let out a derisive laugh. "I committed adultery—I admit it. I had an affair—I admit that too. But has Lord Chu forgotten? Adultery is a crime prosecuted only upon complaint of the wronged spouse. The husband himself must appear before the authorities to lodge the accusation before the court may accept the case."
She lifted her chin, her tone laced with mockery. "Tell me: did Cao Jian lodge a complaint against me? Not only did he not lodge one—he accepted this green hat upon his own head. If Cao Jian himself accepted it, what business is it of yours?"
"You—" The Minister of Justice flushed red with anger. "You conspired with your lover to murder your husband! A most heinous crime!"
Lady Cao was even more dismissive. "Evidence?"
She asked Xiao Jun with perfect directness: "General Xiao, did I conspire with you to kill Cao Jian?"
Xiao Jun, though base in character, still held a measure of feeling for Lady Cao after more than a decade of secret trysts.
Moreover, he would never admit to murder. So he declared loudly: "No. Lady Cao never expressly or implicitly suggested that I should kill General Cao. And I did not kill anyone."
Lady Cao looked at the Minister of Justice with provocation: "Lord Chu, did you hear that?"
The Minister of Justice's face turned a livid shade. His disgust for Lady Cao had reached its absolute peak.
He thundered: "A woman as unchaste as you, lacking all virtue—heaven will surely strike you down."
Lady Cao sneered: "I don't know whether heaven will strike me down. But as it stands, Cao Jian is dead, and the law cannot touch me."
With that, she stepped forward two paces, chin held high, eyes sharp and fierce: "Lord Chu, this is the Cao residence. With Cao Jian dead, I—as his wife—am the one who rules this household. Since the case is closed, now: I ask all of you to leave my home. Immediately."
