Inside the Grand Court, at the inner chamber.
Before a desk made of wing celtis wood, two people were seated. A woman, holding a cup of clear tea, had a cool and composed expression. The man’s face was stern, appearing fierce. However, upon closer inspection, it was evident that he had been drugged, his body lying limply against the back of the chair.
“A Wu, it’s been a long time,” Zhong Li said, sitting opposite A Wu. She took a sip of the clear tea in her cup, her expression as calm as still water.
A Wu sneered, “Zhong Li, I accept my capture. By rights, I should be in the disciplinary room. What is the meaning of bringing me here?”
Zhong Li lowered her gaze, looking at the tea leaves floating slowly in her cup. “A Wu, we’ve been through life and death together. Now that you’re in this state, do you have any regrets?”
“Regrets?” A Wu acted as if he had heard something laughable. Laughing, he continued, “My only regret is not killing you in the Jinzhou sea!”
Hearing this, Zhong Li slowly closed her eyes. A Wu’s temperament, as Lu Wu Xie had described, was indeed extreme and radical. She had thought she might be able to persuade him a little today, but it seemed his ailment was beyond cure.
“Very well,” she nodded. When she opened her eyes again, only unfamiliarity and sternness could be seen in her gaze.
Zhong Li first placed an object on the table.
“What does this mean?” A Wu asked.
Zhong Li replied, “Let me first explain how I saw through your and Wang Zhu’s trick. A Wu, you know me well. You know I don’t have many friends. Hua Yao is my closest companion. You used her to lure me out, and that point is valid.
But do you know where the problem lies?”
A Wu furrowed his brow, confused. He truly couldn’t understand how Zhong Li knew he hadn’t actually taken Hua Yao hostage.
Zhong Li pointed to the hairpin she had placed on the table. “This hairpin is the same as the one on Hua Yao’s head, but that’s where the similarity ends.”
A Wu grew even more bewildered.
Zhong Li turned the hairpin and brought it closer to A Wu’s face. “The ‘Carved Flower Mirrored Jade Hairpin’. Its main selling point is the carving on the hairpin, inlaid with colored glaze. But look at what you had Wang Zhu give me.
The glazed peach blossoms on Hua Yao’s head have pistils that are a vibrant red. This is a very demanding craftsmanship. The artisan would first paint colors onto an extremely thin piece of petal-shaped glaze before firing it, and then attach another, even thinner piece.
Don’t let the simple appearance of a flower fool you; it takes many artisans, a great deal of time, and the waste of much glaze to achieve such a finished product. The petals are translucent, with a rosy hue from within the white.
As for yours, look at what it resembles.”
A Wu lowered his eyes to look. Only then did he realize that on the hairpin before him, the colored glaze had not only rough edges, but the color on the petals was simply painted on.
He chuckled lightly. “I know you’re meticulous. I admit defeat in the details. I concede!”
Zhong Li shook her head. “Actually, you didn’t have to buy this particular style of hairpin. Hua Yao’s headdresses aren’t limited to just this one.
Your real misstep was having a ‘pig teammate’!”
A Wu, not understanding what a “pig teammate” was, looked perplexed.
Zhong Li said, “Wang Zhu’s observational skills are too weak, and he always tries to find shortcuts. This is your failure in choosing personnel.”
Hearing this, A Wu shrugged. “Now that you’ve captured me, everything you say is right.”
“Do you truly believe Wang Zhu is loyal to you?” Zhong Li asked, seeing A Wu defend Wang Zhu so vehemently.
A Wu smiled. “At least everything he does is for my own good.”
Hearing the words “for my own good,” Zhong Li felt a desire to laugh. “So, you still believe that Gu Ling’s death is all my fault?”
“Otherwise?” As soon as A Wu heard Gu Ling’s name, he became like a madman. Although his body couldn’t move, the veins on his face bulged.
“A Wu, I’m really starting to doubt it. This past month that I was away from Lin Zhou, everyone in the Grand Court says you’ve been incredibly adept at solving cases, and you might become the next Grand Court Minister. Where did this reputation come from? And how did you solve these cases?” Zhong Li queried.
A Wu’s face paled slightly. “What do you mean? Are you suspecting…”
“I won’t dwell on the specifics of how you solved those cases. If you were truly as clever as rumored, tell me about Gu Ling’s situation. Haven’t you figured it out yet?” Zhong Li pressed.
Zhong Li’s pointed words caused A Wu’s expression of anger to freeze. He seemed to have understood something, yet also felt it was still unclear.
Zhong Li watched him. After a long pause, she said, “Initially, I didn’t think the Gu Ling case was complicated, and I intended to hand it over to you. Hua Yao can attest to this.
Furthermore, I have a general understanding of your character. You followed Lu Wu Xie and were willing to fight to the death for him. Therefore, fame and fortune naturally held less importance for you than your friends and family. So, when Hua Yao approached me saying you wanted to make a contribution, I began to suspect someone around you was instigating things.”
Hearing this, A Wu felt as if a chasm had opened in his heart, and all the schemes and plans were laid bare before him.
Knowing A Wu was gradually starting to see, Zhong Li continued, “Let’s talk about Gu Ling again. Whether or not she was a pawn of the mastermind, let’s consider her mother, Madam Tuo.
For her mother, she was willing to work at the Flower Pavilion, toiling tirelessly, even to the point of killing. Such a strong-willed person, even knowing she was violating the laws of the Southern Yue Kingdom and facing death, how could she abandon her mother so casually and commit suicide? Couldn’t she have fought for her mother?
After all, wasn’t there you in the Grand Court? You liked her so much, you surely would have intervened for her.”
“So…” A Wu had already grasped the reason for Gu Ling’s suicide but dared not voice it.
How could Zhong Li allow A Wu to evade the truth at this moment? She finished his sentence: “So, there’s only one possibility: she approached you with a premeditated agenda.
As for her mother, someone had already made her a promise. Otherwise, let me ask you, where is Gu Ling’s mother now, after leaving the Grand Court? She’s all alone.”
After hearing Zhong Li’s words, A Wu was completely thrown into disarray. He opened and closed his thin lips, breathing frantically, his cheeks flushing red with agitation. “No, it can’t be…”
“What’s so impossible?” Zhong Li retorted.
A Wu, reprimanded, looked up with a bewildered expression.
“A Wu, you’re intelligent too. Do you think there’s any point in deceiving yourself like this? I don’t mind telling you that you’re merely a pawn in someone else’s game, and now, a discarded one.
Xu Qing is fortunate; he knew he was working for someone. But you? As a member of the Grand Court, you could be so easily manipulated by someone you’d only known for a few days, even to the point of committing such heinous acts.
You killed Zhong Wu You, you helped the Wu family’s silver firm smuggle Chat Grass, and you watched as countless fragile lives perished before your eyes.
You discarded a bright future, choosing instead to believe the slanderous words of villains, that you would be the future Grand Court Minister. Did you truly believe you were the Grand Court Minister? With such a lack of self-control, you still aspired to be the Grand Court Minister?
You’re truly something!” Zhong Li, unable to contain her anger, slammed the table and stood up, shouting at A Wu.