"The alley I live in is a mix of people, and it's rare for strangers to come here. If anyone does, they'll definitely be noticed," Lai San said. Although the alley where Lai San lived was in a good location, it was inhabited by people from all walks of life.
There were swindlers, pickpockets, and hooligans. Over time, locals in the capital avoided this area to prevent unnecessary trouble.
After Lai San put away the banknotes, he merely conducted a routine inquiry. To his surprise, he got a lead. Xiao Liuzi, who lived in the first house of the alley, not only saw the person but also followed them for a distance.
"Xiao Liuzi was born with six fingers. He was picked up and raised by Old Man Qiao, and he also learned some thieving skills from Old Man Qiao..."
Xiao Liuzi usually went out in the evening. Even if he was discovered stealing, he could easily escape in the dark. Therefore, he slept until noon. Just as he was about to go out, he saw a middle-aged man lurking suspiciously in the alley.
Although the man was wearing a plain long jacket with patches and a cap to block the wind, Xiao Liuzi's sharp eyes noticed that the man was wearing thick-soled boots. A pair of boots was at least five hundred wen, which an ordinary person could not afford.
Xiao Liuzi was only fourteen or fifteen years old, an age of curiosity. Without thinking, he followed.
However, because it was lunchtime and every household was eating, there were few people in the alley. Xiao Liuzi did not dare to follow too closely for fear of being discovered. So, after following for a short distance, he waited by the alley entrance.
As expected, the middle-aged man came out again a moment later, his pace even more hurried. He was probably an amateur. After leaving the alley and reaching the street, the man did not notice Xiao Liuzi trailing behind him.
Xiao Liuzi followed all the way and finally discovered that the man had gone to Nan Gu Alley, which made Xiao Liuzi scared.
The people living in this alley were all officials. Xiao Liuzi did not want to risk his life for mere curiosity, so he quickly fled after following to Nan Gu Alley.
Prefect Bai's heart sank. Coupled with Lai San's unusual expression, Prefect Bai's premonition grew stronger. The Bai family lived in Nan Gu Alley.
Lai San looked up cautiously at Prefect Bai and said, "I gave Xiao Liuzi an ounce of silver and told him to forget about it."
Anything related to Nan Gu Alley was definitely not something Lai San and his ilk could provoke.
As for the words given to Yao Damin, Lai San had no intention of mentioning them. After all, Yao Damin had almost killed Bai Zhaohui. Lai San guessed that the middle-aged man might have been trying to silence him. No matter how greedy he was, he wouldn't help Bai's enemy.
Prefect Bai's face darkened. "What happened after that?"
"Xiao Liuzi couldn't suppress his curiosity and sneaked into Nan Gu Alley twice more. Unexpectedly, the second time he saw the middle-aged man again..." Lai San knew that Xiao Liuzi went back again thinking he could extort some silver.
This time, the middle-aged man was wearing a well-dressed long jacket, and his feet were still in those thick-soled boots. Xiao Liuzi went to a nearby shop and chatted with a young shop assistant, only to learn the middle-aged man's identity: the Bai family's second steward.
Xiao Liuzi was truly frightened this time and hurriedly told Lai San about it.
Before Lai San could figure out a plan, the incident occurred where the Ai family's only male heir, who had been passed down for three generations, was arrested for harassing a respectable woman. Afterward, the Ai family's steward delivered roasted chicken and braised meat. Coupled with the fact that the kitchen fire suddenly went out at noon, a group of prison guards could only eat a few dishes with half-cooked rice to fill their stomachs.
Lai San kowtowed repeatedly. "I took the opportunity to question Young Master Ai. The girl he harassed was the youngest daughter of Shopkeeper Liu of the general store. Shopkeeper Liu's wife was once a maid from the Prefect's mansion and served in Madam's courtyard."
"Better to marry a maid from a large family than a daughter from a small household." The Bai family had strict rules, and there was absolutely no possibility of masters casually taking in maids. Therefore, a maid from the Bai family was definitely the best choice for a daughter-in-law from a small household.
For example, after Shopkeeper Liu got married, the patrolling constables treated him with courtesy, and no more hooligans dared to cause trouble at his shop.
If it were anyone else, Lai San would have dared to take the silver and not do the work. But this silver was sent by the Bai family's second steward. Lai San's first reaction was that this matter was secretly instructed by Prefect Bai.
However, after careful consideration, Lai San knew that it couldn't be the upright Prefect Bai. Moreover, Prefect Bai had no motive for silencing anyone. Yao Damin had to live to find the mastermind.
Being able to instruct the second steward to handle matters, and involving a maid who had served in the Bai family's inner courtyard, made Lai San think of Madam Bai. That was why he had sent away the two prison guards from his shift and told Yao Damin, "The time has come."
After that, Yao Damin confessed that night, implicating Zhan Feiyu as the mastermind. After signing and fingerprinting, he returned to his cell and committed suicide not long after.
"Sir, this was Madam's instruction. I dared not disobey," Lai San said. He knew he had broken the law, but if he didn't do it, he would offend Madam Bai. Madam Bai had many ways to deal with a prison warden like him, and she could even ruin his family.
Furthermore, Lai San knew that if he didn't do it, Madam Bai would definitely arrange for someone else to do it, and the outcome would be the same.
...
By the time Prefect Bai returned to the Bai mansion, it was almost midnight. Madam Bai had already gone to bed. In the past, Prefect Bai would have stayed in the study for the night and not disturbed Madam Bai, who was already asleep.
"Master?" The two maids on night duty were startled, then quickly stepped forward to serve.
Madam Bai, being older, had a light sleep. This commotion woke Madam Bai from her dreams. Seeing Prefect Bai enter the room in his casual clothes, she couldn't help but sit up. "Master is back?"
Prefect Bai glanced at Madam Bai. He had thought for a long time at the prefectural office but couldn't understand Madam Bai's motive for doing this. Silencing someone could only be the act of a mastermind, but Prefect Bai could never believe that Madam Bai would coerce and lure Yao Damin into assassinating her own son.
Waving for the attending maids to leave, Prefect Bai sat down in the armchair by the window, his gaze sharp as he looked at Madam Bai, who sensed something was wrong. "Lai San confessed everything tonight. Before I returned, I had Zeng Guanjia brought in for questioning, and he also confessed everything."
With every word Prefect Bai spoke, Madam Bai's complexion turned paler. Zeng Guanjia was Madam Bai's dowry, so he had managed the Bai family's backyard and external affairs all these years. He could be considered Madam Bai's right-hand man.
"I know you are an upright official, Master. Yao Damin never confessed, so you would have kept him imprisoned. But he almost killed Zhaohui, so why should he be allowed to stay in prison peacefully?" Madam Bai's voice became sharper at the end, filled with hatred for Yao Damin and some resentment towards Prefect Bai.
Although Prefect Sun was the chief interrogator in the Yao Damin case, Yao Damin had assassinated Bai Zhaohui. If torture had been used, it would have been fine if the person didn't die. However, if he died, Prefect Bai's enemies would definitely use this to attack Prefect Bai for abusing his power and disregarding human life.
Therefore, although Prefect Sun had tortured Yao Damin, because it was not severe torture, Yao Damin had not confessed. It wasn't until Lai San delivered the message that Yao Damin confessed and then committed suicide.
Looking at the expressionless Prefect Bai, Madam Bai's heart sank. However, she still maintained her assertive demeanor after her anger. "You, as a father, cannot avenge your son, so I, as a mother, will do it. Besides, Yao Damin was already sentenced to death! He deserved to die and get what he deserved!"
Prefect Bai let out a cold laugh. "What about Miss Zhan? Why did you assume that Yao Damin would falsely accuse Miss Zhan of being the mastermind before his death?"
At this point, Madam Bai knew that concealment was useless. After all, this was a family matter. Otherwise, it would not only affect her husband's official career but also Zhaohui and the others. That was why Madam Bai was so fearless.
Putting on her clothes and getting up, Madam Bai walked to the table and poured a cup of tea for herself and Prefect Bai. Then, she said gently, "After Yao Damin was arrested, the constables searched Yao's house and only found fifty-odd taels of silver. However, before that, Yao Damin had inquired about the price of that courtyard at the real estate agency. So, I deduced that the person who instructed Yao Damin promised to pay him after the deed was done."
Even if Yao Damin died, he could rest in peace knowing that he had left enough silver for his family to get by.
However, Yao Damin was stopped by He Sheng when he attempted the assassination. Bai Zhaohui was unharmed, and Yao Damin was arrested. He knew he would die, but he was more concerned about the safety of his family, fearing that the mastermind would retaliate against Yao's family. This was also why Yao Damin did not confess even after being tortured.
Besides the mastermind, Yao Damin must have hated Zhan Feiyu, who meddled in his affairs, causing him to lose his life without getting a single coin.
Similarly, the mastermind also hated Zhan Feiyu. Therefore, without Madam Bai's further hints, Yao Damin falsely accused Zhan Feiyu of being the mastermind before his death. On one hand, it was his own desire for revenge. On the other hand, he wanted to please the mastermind and have them spare Yao's family.
Prefect Bai put down his teacup and looked at Madam Bai, who appeared calm and did not think she had done anything wrong. "So, after you instructed Lai San to pass the message to Yao Damin, regardless of whether Yao Damin falsely accused Miss Zhan, you had nothing to lose."
If he did falsely accuse her, Madam Bai could then distance Bai Zhaohui from Zhan Feiyu's life-saving grace. If Yao Damin wasn't smart enough to falsely accuse Zhan Feiyu, Madam Bai wouldn't care either. He deserved to die for attempting to assassinate Bai Zhaohui.
"Master, the marriages of Zhaorong and Zhaohui were arranged by you and your mother-in-law back then. Now, no matter what, I cannot let Zhaohui marry a girl of unknown origin due to gossip." Madam Bai's face darkened when she spoke of her two sons' marriages, her eyes filled with dissatisfaction and resentment towards her mother-in-law and husband.
Given Zhan Feiyu's composure in court, her erudition, and her ability to recite the laws of Daqing at will, Prefect Bai really couldn't see her clinging to his youngest son.
Moreover, with Zhan Feiyu's childlike demeanor, her pure and clear eyes, it was likely that this girl had not yet awakened to matters of romance. To say that she would seek repayment for favors, Prefect Bai looked at Madam Bai, who sat upright with her chin raised, and felt that no matter how much he said, it would be useless.
Prefect Bai remained silent for a long time. This made Madam Bai, who firmly believed she had done nothing wrong, lose her previous arrogance. A hint of fear finally appeared on her face, and she forced herself to remain calm and defended herself, "Master, I did all this for Zhaohui."
"Then have you considered what would happen if Yao Damin's confession implicates Miss Zhan and leads to her imprisonment?" Prefect Bai spoke word by word. "Or do you want Zhaohui, or even the entire Bai family, to bear the infamy of repaying kindness with enmity?"
"I've already sent people to investigate. Those rumors were spread by her. She did this precisely to marry Zhaohui!" Madam Bai immediately became righteous again, frowning with disgust. "She also extorted ten thousand taels of silver from Miss Wen at Duobao Pavilion before. With such greed, she's probably the daughter of a merchant. Marrying Zhaohui would make her an official's wife in the future!"
The guards accompanying Zhan Feiyu were capable of repelling the Zhe family who had launched a night raid. If she wanted to spread some rumors, it would be strange if Madam Bai could only find out through the people in the inner courtyard.
Furthermore, which merchant's daughter would dare to confront Miss Zhe head-on, or openly extort ten thousand taels of silver from Miss Wen? Prefect Bai used to think Madam Bai was just arrogant, but now he realized she was also short-sighted and conceited.
Prefect Bai got up and walked towards the door. He paused and said to Madam Bai, who was behind him, with his back turned, "Miss Zhan will not marry Zhaohui, so don't stir up any more trouble. Otherwise, I will send Lai San and Zeng Guanjia back to the Li family. For the sake of the children, I cannot divorce you, but you can die of illness!"
"Master, you?" Madam Bai was stunned and dumbfounded. It wasn't until the sound of the door closing that she suddenly came to her senses. Unfortunately, Prefect Bai had already left.
Did Master want to divorce her for a mere slut? Madam Bai, realizing this, angrily picked up a teacup and smashed it. After a series of clattering sounds, still not satisfied, Madam Bai smashed all the furnishings in the room again. Standing amidst the mess, she panted heavily.
But precisely because she knew the weight of Prefect Bai's words, Madam Bai was so angry. However, after the anger came fear. If her family agreed, dying of illness would be too easy for her.