Chapter 694: The Culprit Is An Elderly Person! Overhaul!
“The reason you didn’t want to meet Zhang Ling’er was simple. It was because you were busy with the other girls,” Helian Wei Wei said as though she did not notice Zhang Yu’s expression. She continued flatly, “You thought of Zhang Ling’er as a burden, because she was overly ambitious. She was just a plaything to you, so you never expected that she wanted to marry you that badly, to the point where she even plotted to ruin your dates with other girls.”
To Helian Wei Wei, these were all just general reasoning. The things she heard when other people were quarreling as she stood quietly in the alley were not for nothing. She collected the information, sorted out the clues and deduced the facts.
The Secretary of State for the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs had witnessed Helian Wei Wei’s meticulous deduction before. Listening to her words now made him idolize her even more.
Zhang Yu stared at Helian Wei Wei as if he saw a ghost. Somehow, this person, this person even knew what was in my mind!
“You didn’t want to meet her, but you still went that day, because you wanted to end things with her once and for all.” Helian Wei Wei stared right at him, her clear pupils seemed to see through everything. “People from the alley said they heard a couple arguing that day, even the town crier had heard the commotion. In fact, that was not any couple, it was you and Zhang Ling’er arguing. You warned her not to keep pestering you, but she refused since she broke off her engagement for you. Yet, you told her that it was never going to happen, abandoning her just because you felt like it. Therefore, it sounded like a couple fighting.”
Zhang Yu’s fists clenched tightly while his heart pounded in fear. However, disdain filled his face. “Your storytelling is amazing, after all that talk, where’s your proof? I do not want to argue with peasants like you, trying to push all your suspicions onto me, do you think that the judiciary of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs was for nothing?”
“Seems like I guessed correctly.” Helian Wei Wei judged his expressions, giggling suddenly.
Zhang Yu narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice so that only the two of them could hear. “I know you barely have any proof, so I’ll advise you to know your place. This way, I can still spare your life, or else, our Zhang Family is not to be messed with!”
“Oh?” Helian Wei Wei curved her lips playfully as she looked straight at Zhang Yu. “Speaking of proof, well, I have limited time, so I won’t bother to go and find it. Since you like to bully people with your status, then I shall take pleasure…” With that, she looked at the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs with a smile, her eyes were freezing cold. “Lord Li, drag Zhang Yu out, give him a hundred beatings first. If he still refuses to admit it, continue beating till he does.”
Zhang Yu huffed loudly. “Who do you think you are?! Do you think Lord Li will listen to your one-sided statement?”
However, he never expected that the Secretary would bow respectfully to the person before him. Then, with a loud and clear reply, “Yes, Princess Consort!”
Princess… Princess Consort?!
Zhang Yu swallowed his unfinished words! He turned back and looked at Helian Wei Wei in disbelief!
Upon hearing the reply from the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs, even the cunning Lord Zhang was so shocked that all the color drained from his face.
This, this person was the Princess Consort?
Then…then…the other one…
Baili Jia Jue had remained silent the whole time, only now he started to speak slowly, his voice as melodious as usual. “A hundred beatings is too light of a punishment, might as well castrate him, so Lord Zhang would never forget this as well.”
Upon hearing that, Lord Zhang instantly kneeled on the floor with a thump. He had never met the Third Prince before, but he had heard of his cruel punishments, this was obviously one of the things that he indulged in.
Moreover, he had actually tied up the current crown prince!
And even tried to make His Highness the scapegoat for his own son!
The more he thought about it, the more terrified Lord Zhang was. Trembling, he kowtowed again and again. The sound was so loud that it made people’s heads hurt just by listening to it. “I, I was too ignorant to not recognise Your Highness. I, I have enraged Your Highness, please do spare my life!”
The Lord Zhang that was so full of confidence a moment ago, was now stuttering and stumbling all over his words.
Zhang Yu backed away, horrified, but a man in black which appeared from nowhere was pinning his legs down. The knife in his hand shone ever so brightly!
“I’ll tell, I’ll tell everything!” Zhang Yu struggled while crying and screaming. Tears were streaming down his face while his crotch was drenched, clearly he was so frightened that he was jumping out of his skin.
Helian Wei Wei could not help but admire His Highness’ methods, he was so much more cruel than her that he could even think of cutting off someone’s family jewels.
Just that the scene was way too gruesome, which made Helian Wei Wei cover her nose while watching Zhang Yu.
Baili Jia Jue glanced at the shadow guard and the shadow guard immediately halted his movements. With a flash of his knife, he retreated quickly as though he never existed.
Zhang Yu was crawling on the floor, kowtowing heavily. “Your Highness, the missing people in the alley really had nothing to do with me. I did go to the alley that day, but I left after quarreling with Zhang Ling’er. She kept pestering me, but I had wanted nothing to do with her for a long time, so why would I abduct her? And the other two people, I also have no idea why they disappeared all of a sudden, they were still fine when I met them, I…”
It was obvious that Zhang Yu was speaking incoherently.
Actually, when Helian Wei Wei was at the alley, she had already disregarded the possibility of Zhang Yu being the criminal, because those girls were just a way for him to pa.s.s his time. Even if he disliked them, the most he would do was chase them away with money, or use his status to pressure them. There was no reason for him to abduct them.
The reason Helian Wei Wei followed him back, was because it was very possible that he had seen the criminal before, just that he did not remember it.
Helian Wei Wei’s idea came from the words of Old Lady Zhang.
Since Zhang Ling’er disappeared after meeting Zhang Yu, it meant that the criminal was there that night.
It was the same for the other two girls. After going on secret dates with Zhang Yu, they must have encountered someone on their way home.
“Zhang Yu, since you claim you’re innocent, then recall properly, when you met Zhang Ling’er and the other girls, did you sense anything abnormal, or did you see anyone?” Helian Wei Wei’s tone was calm. “Acquaintances in the alley also counts.”
Zhang Yu tried long and hard to recall. “I didn’t meet anyone else, but on the day I met Zhang Ling’er, there was indeed a weird incident. I could feel something staring at Zhang Ling’er, but she didn’t sense anything. Also, I saw a strange silhouette that day as well.”
“Strange in what way?” Helian Wei Wei’s eyes brightened, she had captured the point in Zhang Yu’s words immediately.
Zhang Yu described vaguely, “That silhouette was quite short, with a lump on its back. If it wasn’t walking behind me, I wouldn’t even know it was a person.”
A lump on its back? Helian Wei Wei frowned, like she was figuring something out. Her fingers tapped on her long legs unintentionally, then suddenly her eyes shone. “I think I know who the criminal is.”
“Huh?” Zhang Yu was so dumbfounded that he forgot to close his mouth. All he did was mention a silhouette, yet she already knew who the criminal was?
The Secretary of State for the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs was also confused. He turned to Helian Wei Wei and asked quietly, “Princess Consort, I think this silhouette is just some nonsense that this Zhang Yu spouted, who would even have a lump on their backs?”
“This person did not actually have a lump on their back, but if there was somebody with a hunched back in the dark, their shadow would look like somebody with a lump on their back,” Helian Wei Wei answered flatly.
However, the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs knew that it was not that easy to figure this out, one must have an agile mind!
Unconsciously, the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs looked at Helian Wei Wei with even more admiration, exclaiming spiritedly, “I’ll order my people to write an announcement now, all the men with hunched backs in the whole city shall be arrested!”
“No need for that.”Helian Wei Wei turned back, her gaze settling slowly on the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs. “The criminal is not a man.”
“Not a man?” The Secretary’s eyes grew round. “How could it be?” They were three days into the investigation, and the first thing they did was set their suspicions on men. After all, all the missing people were maidens, why did the Princess Consort debunked that fact the moment she took over? Were they investigating in the wrong direction?
Helian Wei Wei continued calmly, “Nothing’s impossible, after all, most people will have hunched backs once they’re old.”
“Princess Consort, do you mean to say that the criminal is an elderly person?” The Secretary felt that this conclusion was too unimaginable. “How could an elderly person be so agile that she was able to kidnap someone and not leave behind any traces?”
Helian Wei Wei smiled. “So what if it was an elderly person? The more harmless someone is, the more the victims would lower their guards. Before this I kept wondering, why did the missing people not scream for help? But now I get it, there are two reasons why they didn’t cry for help. Firstly, it was a person that they were familiar with, secondly, it was the process of them getting abducted. The alley is a small place, so any noise could easily be heard, but when the three of them went missing, other than Zhang Ling’er and Zhang Yu’s quarrel, the other two disappeared silently, which was abnormal. So I deduced what may have happened after Zhang Yu left. Normally, the darker the night was, the higher the possibility for people to follow their familiar paths. From the alley to the homes of these missing people, there was one shortcut that only the people from the alley knew. In this period of time, they would walk very fast, because women tend to increase their walking speed when walking alone at night, plus they’ll be highly alert. Even though there was n.o.body behind them, they’ll feel like there’s something behind, moreover, there was real danger at that time.”
“That is even weirder, since they were alert, why didn’t they call for help? Even if it was an acquaintance, they should scream as a reflex action.” The Secretary of State for the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs still felt doubtful, after all, he had handled many cases before.
Helian Wei Wei looked at him and said, “Because that person did not appear from behind them, but in front of them. Better yet, she could be standing in front of her own house, disposing water or something, as that would look natural and normal, so they would not cry for help. Instead, they will lower their guard and approach her naturally. Then, when they weren’t paying attention, she would cover their mouths with a handkerchief that was readily prepared. Finally, she would drag them into her own yard, without anyone noticing, and no time wasted.”
“I don’t understand, do you mean the criminal already knew that they were coming this way? Wait a minute! Standing in front of her own house?” The Secretary widened his eyes even more. “The criminal is living in the alley?”
“Yes.” Helian Wei Wei smiled gradually. “And to know when the victims were coming home was not a hard task, after all, they were all living in the alley. Additionally, the timing of their secret dates with Zhang Yu was consistent. All she needed to do was prepare everything beforehand, and then wait for the victims to fall into the trap themselves. Even if the officials investigate, she won’t get into trouble. Besides appearing harmless, there was Zhang Yu who would most likely be suspected as a criminal. Also, Lord Zhang wouldn’t tell the truth about the alley to the higher ups in order to protect his son. If the higher ups really wanted to investigate, she wouldn’t be scared either, because she knew that even if she didn’t say it herself, the residents of the alley would talk about Zhang Yu’s affairs, so the most fitting suspect would still be Zhang Yu. She just needed to be an onlooker, living peacefully and comfortably while erasing the girls that she hated. At the same time, she could put all the blame on Zhang Yu.”
The more the Secretary listened, the more terrified he felt. “This, this plan couldn’t be more perfect.” Not only was it perfect, it was downright evil. If it was not for the Princess Consort, this case would have remained unsolved.
“Even the most perfect plan has its flaws.” Baili Jia Jue, who had not opened his mouth the whole time, continued the conversation unexpectedly, his s.e.xy, charming lips curved mockingly. “It was obviously karma.”
The Secretary of State for the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs was at a loss for words.
“That’s true, this was a personal revenge in the first place.” Helian Wei Wei started laughing, as she glanced nonchalantly at Zhang Yu who was kneeling on the floor. “For a playboy with no morality to cause such great trouble, even the Path of Reincarnation was nearly closed due to this incident. He’s such an eyesore no matter how I look at it. Forget it, let the Shadow Guard castrate him.”
Right after Helian Wei Wei spoke, Zhang Yu felt his legs being lifted by somebody, followed by a flash of a blade. There was no chance for him to beg for his life. Excruciating pain spread from his lower body to his entire being, before he pa.s.sed out from the agony!
Lord Zhang rushed over and cradled his beloved son by his head. “Why? Princess Consort, didn’t you say that the criminal is not my son?”
“Indeed he is not the criminal, but the cause of all these things was because he had stolen someone else’s fiancee,” Helian Wei Wei said without any changes to her expression. “Lord Zhang should know better than I do about your son’s behaviour. Those three affairs included one with consent from the girl, one where the girl was reluctant, and one where he was simply toying her around. Lord Zhang, you’ve protected your son for such a long time, you should also be careful while walking at night, who knows, someone might be after you to seek revenge…”