Chapter 606 Reporting to the Authorities
As soon as Qiu Huaixin’s carriage returned to the Qiu residence, the butler, without waiting for instructions, took him directly to the study in the front courtyard. As for Madam Qiu, a maid was sent to inform her.
“Father, Eldest Brother, Second Brother.” Compared to the solemn expressions of the father and his three sons in the study, Qiu Huaixin greeted them with a cheerful smile, his relaxed demeanor suggesting that the day’s unpleasantness had not happened to him at all.
Lord Qiu maintained a composed expression. Qiu Bingde, seeing that his son was unharmed, breathed a sigh of relief. However, Qiu Wangshu, with his fiery temper, could not stand Qiu Huaixin’s nonchalant attitude and picked up a teacup from the table, hurling it at him.
“Second Brother, are you trying to murder me?” Catching the cup with quick hands, Qiu Huaixin grinned and, leaning back in a nearby chair, turned to look at Lord Qiu, who was seated at the head of the table. “Father, how is the investigation going? Who is plotting against me?”
Lord Qiu observed his younger son, whose brows were tinged with ease. Such composure would be commendable in an ordinary person, but in Huaixin’s case, it merely indicated a lack of foresight.
“As soon as the news spread, we dispatched people to investigate,” Qiu Bingde spoke first, relaying the findings of their investigation to Qiu Huaixin, the party concerned, without any concealment. “Uncle Ding traced it to Li Sizhi, but unfortunately, he has already been murdered.”
Li Sizhi was a street thug who usually engaged in petty theft. He possessed a fierce and ruthless streak. It was said that when he was ten years old, he got into a fight with an old beggar who bullied him, losing a finger, and was subsequently known as Li Sizhi.
Qianzhong Prefecture enjoyed good public order, but Magistrate Jiao’s governance was not overly strict. Li Sizhi understood the rules and operated at the edge of what was permissible, so the authorities often turned a blind eye. Sometimes, constables would seek out Li Sizhi for street gossip.
“Murder to silence him?” Qiu Huaixin scoffed. Perhaps it was due to witnessing the gruesome death of Madam Qi earlier that day, but he accepted the death of a petty criminal with relative ease.
Lazily leaning back in his chair, Qiu Huaixin narrowed his eyes and continued, “So, Li Sizhi had people watching at the medical clinic. Once the messenger from the village arrived at the clinic, the news of me harassing a friend’s wife spread like wildfire.”
When it came to the rapid dissemination of information, those street thugs were the most capable. A few casual remarks at the mouth of every alley, followed by whispers at shops frequented by servants of noble families, and within half a day, the news would have spread throughout Qianzhong Prefecture.
“Currently, we can only trace it back to Li Sizhi.” With the man dead, the clue was severed. Moreover, Qiu Bingde had personally accompanied Uncle Ding to Li Sizhi’s dilapidated dwelling to investigate.
The perpetrator had acted with great caution, leaving no trace. There were no signs of a struggle at the scene, leading to the conclusion that the killer was acquainted with Li Sizhi, and that Li Sizhi had his throat slit in a single, swift motion by someone he trusted and had no reason to suspect.
Qiu Wangshu also chimed in, “A sound leaves an echo, and a goose leaves a trace. As long as we find out who Li Sizhi had dealings with, the killer’s identity will be revealed.”
However, further investigation would require more time. Qiu Wangshu reiterated his previous suggestion to Lord Qiu, “Father, we should still pursue a dual approach. Investigating Li Sizhi is one aspect; we can also investigate based on the motives of the mastermind.”
To brazenly frame the youngest son of the Provincial Administration Commissioner was certainly driven by some agenda. Otherwise, why would the other party, with the courage of a leopard, dare to antagonize the Qiu family? Qiu Wangshu believed that by uncovering the mastermind’s intentions, his identity could be deduced.
“Second Brother, don’t look at me like that. Even if I offend people in my daily life, they would never dare to retaliate.” Qiu Huaixin quickly defended himself. For instance, he disdained Jiao Lianping; if they met, a verbal spat would be inevitable.
However, given Qiu Huaixin’s status, even the eldest son of the Prefect, Jiao Lianping, would have to suppress his anger and back down. As for other sons of officials, even if they were not friendly with Qiu Huaixin, they would never be foolish enough to make an enemy of him. They might be jealous in private, but they would not act on it.
Qiu Bingde nodded in agreement and said in a deep voice, “Huaixin is not the type to make such formidable enemies. The other party is targeting our Qiu family, and they have merely chosen Huaixin as their pawn.”
What Qiu Wangshu couldn’t understand was which fool in Qianzhong Dao dared to provoke the Qiu family in such a manner. Moreover, if the target had been his elder brother, it would have been somewhat understandable.
Even if the attack on Huaixin were successful, and his father were to ruthlessly disown him, to put it coldly, Huaixin’s misfortune would not have a significant impact on the Qiu family, as every family has its share of troublesome prodigals.
Qiu Wangshu’s confusion was also something Qiu Bingde couldn’t fathom. Coupled with the limited clues that could be uncovered in such a short time, they were truly at a loss for leads.
Glancing at his elder brother, who was frowning in thought, Qiu Huaixin withdrew his gaze, maintaining his usual lazy and unrestrained demeanor. However, within his heart, waves of thought surged again. Some matters were like this; without suspicion, one would never consider them, but once doubt arose, every detail became a flaw.
Lord Qiu looked thoughtfully at his silent younger son. He had visited the separate residence and likely learned some news, which was why he was feigning such composure.
Recalling some previous investigations, Lord Qiu’s expression remained unchanged, but his gaze towards his eldest son became more apprehensive.
Madam Qiu waited and waited in the back courtyard. As the sky grew darker and Qiu Huaixin still hadn’t arrived, she decided not to wait any longer and headed straight for the study in the front courtyard. Without seeing her younger son safe and sound, Lord Qiu could not rest easy.
The scene of filial piety and familial affection was observed by Qiu Bingde and Qiu Wangshu, who found it somewhat exasperating. Their younger brother was already of marriageable age, yet he was more adept at coaxing their mother than Chen-ge’er or Lin-ge’er, capable of uttering any saccharine words. They felt inferior to him.
“Alright, stop flattering me with your sweet talk. As the saying goes, a good egg doesn’t attract flies. If you were upright, how could anyone plot against you?” Madam Qiu playfully tapped Qiu Huaixin’s forehead in mock anger. Judging by her relaxed expression, she seemed to be enjoying her son’s affection.
“Mother, you wrong me. I may not have pursued officialdom, but I have never committed any acts of bullying or oppression since childhood. I believe Father has made enemies, and I am purely an innocent victim of misfortune,” Qiu Huaixin unceremoniously shifted the blame to Lord Qiu.
Madam Qiu, who had been contemplating the matter since learning the news during the day, now agreed with Qiu Huaixin’s words and cast a resentful glance at the composed Lord Qiu.
Amused by the unified stance of mother and son, Lord Qiu stroked his beard and said, “An upright person fears no crooked shadow. Huaixin, you should reflect on why the mastermind has repeatedly targeted you.”
“Father, that’s what Zhan Feiyu calls victim-blaming!” Qiu Huaixin suddenly straightened his posture and vehemently retorted to Lord Qiu.
“Although Madam Qi deserved her fate, I also overheard gossip from the village women at the time, who only said that Madam Qi was not virtuous. Otherwise, why would they target her and not someone else?”
The world was unfair to women. If a woman was harassed by a scoundrel, she would inevitably be gossiped about, accused of being promiscuous. If she hadn’t dressed so attractively and paraded herself around, would she have been targeted?
Madam Qi’s reputation was indeed good, especially among the men in the village who envied Qi Changlin for marrying such a virtuous woman. When working in the fields, many would also lend Madam Qi a hand, as a frail woman would not have the strength for heavy labor. They were all from the same village, and it was natural to help.
However, for the women in the village, their husbands’ praise for Madam Qi, coupled with the constant praise from their in-laws, ignited their jealousy. Seeing the village men helping Madam Qi today and assisting her tomorrow only increased their envy.
Moreover, Qi Changlin had passed the imperial examinations, so these women, no matter how jealous or dissatisfied, dared not express it. Therefore, when Madam Qi met with misfortune, they would inevitably spread such rumors, coming close to saying that Madam Qi had willingly prostituted herself to seduce Qiu Huaixin.
Madam Qiu, being a woman herself, felt this keenly. Looking at Qiu Huaixin, who was spouting one argument after another, she was suddenly filled with a sense of emotion. Huaixin had grown up.
“They failed to assassinate Huaixin at Hesheng Xuan before, and now they have used such despicable means to ruin Huaixin’s reputation. I don’t understand who Huaixin has offended…” Madam Qiu’s voice trailed off, and a sense of unease suddenly swept over her.
Putting aside the assassination attempt, the events of today were clearly aimed at Huaixin’s marriage. On a larger scale, it was to prevent the Qiu family from forming an alliance with the Gu clan of Nanling. However, on a smaller scale, Madam Qiu suddenly realized that these were merely ordinary inner-courtyard tactics.
With the rise of one, the fall of another. If Huaixin were to marry into a good family, it would have the greatest impact on Bingde. After all, Wangshu’s in-laws were no match for the Wu family, let alone the Gu clan of Nanling; there was simply no comparison.
Qiu Bingde and Qiu Wangshu looked at Madam Qiu, whose face had turned pale, with concern. “Mother, what’s wrong?”
Seeing this, Qiu Huaixin immediately brought over the warm tea he had nearby and served Madam Qiu half a cup.
“I’m fine,” Madam Qiu said, waving her hand after putting down the teacup. Looking at the three children surrounding her, she was filled with mixed emotions, but she maintained her composure, smiling and saying, “Alright, your mother was just momentarily angered.”
Qiu Wangshu, the second brother, had already smashed a teacup in his anger earlier, let alone Madam Qiu, who doted on Qiu Huaixin. It was only natural for a mother to be angered.
The Qiu residence was destined to be restless tonight. Qiu Bingde was still busy in the study, determined to find the mastermind who had plotted against Qiu Huaixin, regardless of the cost.
Qiu Wangshu, who usually did not involve himself in such matters, had few capable subordinates. He did not interfere rashly, but at this moment, lying in bed, he had no sleepiness at all. Madam Qiu’s pale face at that moment kept replaying in his mind.
As for Qiu Huaixin, the person directly involved, he wanted to sleep, but the thought of his elder brother, Qiu Bingde, left him with no desire to sleep.
As a result, the Qiu family slept for only a little over two hours. The next morning at breakfast, their expressions were somewhat weary when the butler rushed in, saying, “My Lord, Qi Changlin has carried a coffin to the prefectural yamen to accuse the third young master.”