Zeng Fan watched as A Wu dragged Zhong Li like a dead dog into the innermost cell.
The cell was closest to the water dungeon, perpetually damp and humid. Anyone with a slightly weaker constitution would fall gravely ill within days of being kept there.
"A Wu, this... isn't quite right, is it? Lord Zhong is only under suspicion. How the Chatu grass specifically appeared on Young Master Wuyou still needs to be thoroughly investigated," Zeng Fan felt compelled to interject. He had known Zhong Li for some time, and in her year of service, she had never made things difficult for anyone in the Ministry of Justice.
A Wu glanced at him.
Zeng Fan quickly lowered his gaze, not daring to say more.
A Wu let out a cold laugh and walked towards Zeng Fan.
Zeng Fan retreated in alarm.
"Lord Zeng, whose side are you truly on?" A Wu asked.
Zeng Fan swallowed several times and said, "Lord Fu... Lord Fu has been kind to me, but I am ultimately eating the Emperor's grain. I..."
"So, without Lord Fu, you wouldn't even be able to eat the Emperor's grain? Am I understanding this correctly?" A Wu asked again.
When asked this, Zeng Fan could only swallow his saliva and nod vigorously, unable to utter a single word of rebuttal.
"Lord Zeng is a sensible person. If you make things convenient for me, you are making things convenient for Lord Fu. Do you understand?" A Wu asked again.
Zeng Fan nodded, his demeanor becoming incredibly compliant.
A Wu smiled, about to leave, when a voice suddenly rang out from the cell, "A Wu, Wuyou, where is Zhong Wuyou!"
The muscle-weakening powder on Zhong Li began to dissipate, and she slowly regained her strength and consciousness. Her first reaction was to inquire about Zhong Wuyou from A Wu.
A Wu turned to look at the woman in the cell. After a moment of hesitation, he walked back and looked down at Zhong Li from above. "You still have the strength at a time like this? Remarkable."
Zhong Li snorted, having no time for A Wu's sarcastic remark. "I ask you, where is Zhong Wuyou?"
A Wu crossed his arms over his chest, looking at the woman in the cell with leisurely amusement.
"Speak!" Zhong Li roared.
A Wu picked at his ear, a flicker of impatience in his eyes. "Lord Zhong, you are a physician, after all. How long do you think someone can live after being disemboweled?"
Zhong Li froze, her eyes filled with disbelief as she looked at A Wu. "A Wu, why would you do this? Zhong Wuyou is just a child. If you have an issue with me, come at me. What kind of man attacks a child!"
"But haven't you yourself done something similar?" As soon as Zhong Li finished speaking, A Wu's expression suddenly contorted, and he roared back.
"Something similar?" Zhong Li frowned and asked, "What are you talking about?"
Seeing Zhong Li's innocent expression, A Wu's eyes turned red with anger. "Gu Ling, wasn't Gu Ling forced to death by you?"
Hearing this, Zhong Li finally understood. She had considered before that the matter of Gu Ling might be a blow to A Wu, but she had always believed A Wu would eventually come to his senses. Gu Ling killed people; it was a fact. Even if she had countless unavoidable hardships, it could not be an excuse.
"A Wu, you are also from the Dali Temple. The evidence that Gu Ling killed people is conclusive. If she did not commit suicide, the law would not have spared her!" Zhong Li stated.
"I know all of that!" A Wu shouted loudly. "But Gu Ling only killed prostitutes, and they..."
"Prostitutes are also people!" Zhong Li interrupted his sophistry, saying, "They didn't steal or rob, didn't kill or set fires. They earned money through their own labor. How can you describe them so despicably? Gu Ling had no right to take another person's life. Don't you understand!"
"I don't understand!" A Wu retorted, his eyes filled with venom and hatred as he looked at Zhong Li. He asked slowly, "Lord Zhong, are you very concerned about Young Master Wuyou now?"
Seeing A Wu's erratic emotions, Zhong Li grew increasingly fearful.
"What do you want to do?" she asked him warily.
"I don't want to do anything," A Wu said, rising and slowly retreating from the cell. "I just want to tell Lord Zhong how painful it was for me to lose Gu Ling. I will absolutely not let you have an easy time!"
With that, A Wu let out a wild laugh and quickly walked out of the cell.
"A Wu, come back, come back!" Zhong Li struggled to her feet with all her might, staggering to the cell bars. She crawled forward pitifully and shouted, "Wuyou can still be saved! Do you hear me? Come back! As long as he can be saved, don't you want to avenge Gu Ling? My life is yours, do you hear me? Do you hear me?"
The cell was empty.
Zhong Li's voice echoed within, but after waiting for a long time, all she heard was her own echo.
A Wu walked out of the cell and watched Zeng Fan lock the prison gate. The worry that had been weighing on his heart finally eased somewhat.
"A Wu, if we lock Lord Zhong up like this, and Lord Lan finds out..." Zeng Fan was still somewhat worried.
A Wu took the key from Zeng Fan's hand, studied it for a moment, and hung it on the nearby wall. "Lan Heng might be in trouble himself. Why would he care about this matter?"
"But..."
A Wu patted Zeng Fan on the shoulder. "Didn't you say the Ministry of Justice has had little 'oil' lately? Don't worry. After Zhong Li is locked up, there will be plenty of people watching her. Someone will surely give you benefits then!"
With that, A Wu whistled and turned to walk out of the Ministry of Justice.
At this moment, Wang Zhu was waiting outside the Ministry of Justice.
"My Lord!" Wang Zhu walked up to A Wu and cupped his fist.
"You did well last night, here's your reward!" A Wu took out a piece of silver from his怀 and threw it to Wang Zhu.
Wang Zhu bit the silver greedily, then tucked it into his sleeve and followed closely behind A Wu. "My Lord, we have arrested Lord Zhong now, but as you know, Lord Zhong was previously in Linzhou. If the case is thoroughly scrutinized, she will undoubtedly be released. What do we do now?"
A Wu walked leisurely along Wenchang Street, occasionally stopping to tease birds for sale on the roadside before saying, "It was only a matter of time before Zhong Li left the Ministry of Justice."
"Then..." Wang Zhu was somewhat confused. Since A Wu knew Zhong Li would be released, why did he arrest her?
A Wu glanced at Wang Zhu, smiled, and shook his head. "Do you know about catching a turtle in a jar?"
Wang Zhu nodded.
"Doesn't a jar need bait to catch a turtle? Otherwise, how would you catch it?" A Wu asked.
Hearing this, Wang Zhu seemed to understand and asked, "So, your Lordship means that Lord Zhong is actually the bait, and we are catching the turtle that enters the jar for the bait?"
"It seems you're not entirely stupid," A Wu said.
Wang Zhu scratched his head, a foolish grin on his face.
A Wu continued to walk forward, casually buying a lady's hairpin and tucking it into his sleeve. It would soon be Gu Ling's forty-ninth day, and he needed to bring a gift to see her.
"Oh, right, Lord A Wu!" Wang Zhu suddenly remembered something and leaned closer to ask A Wu.
"What about Young Master Wuyou?"
"How is he?" A Wu asked, tilting his head.
"He's breathing more than he's exhaling," Wang Zhu replied.
This time, A Wu did not hesitate. "Gu Ling is dead. Why would I let anyone else be happy? Dispose of him!"
"Yes!"