"My lord, the Tong family has four sons. The eldest and second eldest married and moved away, and haven't returned to Shanshui Town for two to three years."
Magistrate Cheng nodded.
These two sons could be ruled out.
"There are also the third son, Tong Ziyao, and the fifth son, Tong Xiaoye, both unmarried and have always stayed in Shanshui Town."
"Third Master Tong is a direct descendant of the Tong family and is renowned as the 'Ink Gentleman.' However, he had no connection with Zhao Mazi and never even went to Qinghe Village."
"This Fifth Master Tong is not considered a direct legitimate descendant."
Magistrate Cheng raised an eyebrow.
What did it mean to not be a direct legitimate descendant?
The yamen runner explained:
"Fifth Master Tong's biological father was a concubine, but he passed away when his son was young. The Tong family matriarch, Madam Tong, took pity on him and had him raised by one of her husband's consorts."
"Fifth Master Tong did go to Qinghe Village, and not long ago, he reportedly went to the mountains there to hunt a white fox to make a white fox coat."
"And..."
The yamen runner's voice suddenly turned serious:
"And this Fifth Master Tong does have some connection with Zhao Mazi."
What kind of connection could there be between people who seemed to have no link whatsoever?
Magistrate Cheng cast a displeased glance at the yamen runner.
This subordinate of hers always spoke in fragments.
Sensing her superior's displeasure, the yamen runner chuckled awkwardly. Her old habit had surfaced again!
Without further delay, she said:
"Zhang Jie once took Tong Xiaoye and his escort team up the mountain to hunt."
"Zhang Jie..."
Magistrate Cheng softly repeated the name, finding it somewhat familiar.
The attendant beside her prompted, "He is Zhao Mazi's husband."
Magistrate Cheng suddenly felt that the case was starting to make sense.
The yamen runner continued:
"It is said that they went hunting that day but did not bag any prey. They reportedly encountered considerable danger, and someone saw Tong Xiaoye and his escort team return home in a disheveled state."
...
The Tong Residence.
The main hall.
"Slap—"
A crisp slap echoed, followed by an angry roar:
"Wicked child! What have you been doing behind my back?"
As business people, they cherished their reputation above all else. If their reputation was tarnished, their business would suffer.
Tong Xiaoye clutched his face, his eyes welling up with tears, and looked at his mother with a wronged expression, softly saying:
"Mother, what has happened? Why are you hitting me? Did I do something wrong?"
The male consort sitting on the chair watched Tong Xiaoye's theatrics with a calm demeanor. In the tense atmosphere, he even raised his teacup and took a sip of tea, appearing to be in good spirits.
Mother Tong's face darkened:
"The yamen runners have already come to our door, and you're still pretending? It's one thing that you can't compare to Yao'er normally. I thought that as long as you behaved yourself, I could find you a good family. But now, you, an unmarried young gentleman, are implicated in a legal case!
Tell me! What exactly did you do?"
Yao'er, Yao'er, you only have Tong Ziyao in your heart!
Hearing his mother compare him to his third brother, a flicker of jealousy and resentment flashed in Tong Xiaoye's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.
"Mother, Mother, why would the yamen runners come looking for me?" Tong Xiaoye feigned bewilderment.
Mother Tong, seeing this, was also somewhat doubtful.
"You had better not be involved in this matter!"
She said this as she returned to her seat and signaled for the two yamen runners outside the door to be invited in.
As the yamen runners entered, Mother Tong's face already wore a smile.
"Officials, thank you for waiting."
The yamen runners were polite enough, after all, the Tong family held considerable influence in Shanshui Town.
"Madam Tong, you are too kind. We are merely carrying out an investigation, so please forgive any offense."
Mother Tong simply nodded:
"I believe there must be some misunderstanding. My son has always been honest and diligent, and would never do anything illicit. However, since it is the magistrate's request, our Tong family will cooperate."
With that, she turned to Tong Xiaoye and instructed:
"Xiaoye, please accompany the officials. Explain the situation clearly. I believe the magistrate will surely clear your name."
Tong Xiaoye's heart trembled, but his expression remained composed.
"Yes, Mother."
Tong Xiaoye stepped forward to approach the yamen runners, but they made no move, merely smiling at Mother Tong and saying:
"Also, we will require the company of Master Tong's attendants and servants."
Tong Xiaoye pinched his palm, forcing a strained smile:
"Naturally. Everything will be done according to the officials' wishes."
...
Three days later.
News of the resolution of Zhao Mazi's case spread throughout Qinghe Village, and the Nian family also received the information.
After the magistrate's investigation, Tong Xiaoye's servant confessed to the murder of Zhao Mazi.
It was said that this servant had been a rival in love with Zhao Mazi previously and had harbored a crush on Zhao Mazi's husband, Zhang Jie. Later, when accompanying the young master Tong to the mountains, the guide happened to be Zhao Mazi's husband. The servant's love rekindled, and he began to pursue Zhang Jie relentlessly.
When Zhao Mazi discovered this behavior, a fierce conflict ensued between them. Zhao Mazi subsequently mistreated Zhang Jie, leading to his suicide.
The servant, seeking revenge for the man he loved, had been secretly waiting for an opportunity.
Finally, when Zhang Jie's mother caused trouble for Zhao Mazi, he found his chance. After Zhang Jie's mother left, he pushed Zhao Mazi into the river, drowning him.
The village exploded with this news.
The villagers did not focus on the murder itself but gossiped animatedly about the scandalous love triangle involving the three individuals.
They unanimously concluded:
It turns out that not only do handsome men easily incite jealousy, but even a tall and ugly man like Zhang Jie could bring about his own death.
Such male beauty could be a source of disaster!
Xingyun stared in disbelief:
"This is impossible!"
He had never heard of Brother Zhang having such a suitor!
Nian Jiaojiao inwardly sneered.
The story was well-crafted, seemingly logical yet full of loopholes. This only confirmed to her that the Tong family's young master was undeniably involved in Zhao Mazi's death!
However, what did it have to do with her?
Zhao Mazi was not a good person anyway, and she wouldn't be so foolish as to investigate the true culprit for his sake.
Nan Qing heard the news with a calm heart.
Heh, trying to get away with it?
He idly played with the hairpin Nian Jiaojiao had given him, his thoughts inscrutable.
Just as the Nian family members were lost in their own thoughts.
Magistrate Cheng's study.
"My lord, is this case truly closed just like that? I think there are some discrepancies in what that servant said, she..."
Before the attendant could finish speaking, Magistrate Cheng stopped him.
Magistrate Cheng paused her writing and looked at the calligraphic strokes on the Xuan paper, asking:
"What do you think?"
The attendant glanced at it and praised:
"Your calligraphy is renowned far and wide, my lord. How many high officials seek your brushwork..."
"Enough."
Magistrate Cheng shook her head. As a *Juren*, her calligraphy was indeed decent, but not as exaggerated as the attendant described. The motives of those seeking her writing were self-evident.