I Am A Husband Curser, And You Are A Wife Curser. - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: New Discovery

“Before my eldest brother married, he had a chambermaid in his room who had served him for many years. She wasn’t exactly a favorite, but because she was my brother’s first woman, he still had some affection for her. Later, after he married my eldest sister-in-law, she found the girl to be an eyesore, so my brother sent her to live outside,” Dong Xingsheng said, wiping away tears before continuing.

“A while ago, that girl got pregnant. This was my brother’s first child, so he wanted to keep it. He even wrote a letter to my sister-in-law explaining the situation. To his surprise, she quickly sent back a letter of divorce, saying that if he dared to keep the child, she would demand a separation. If he didn’t want a divorce, he had to ‘deal with’ the maid. My brother naturally refused; that’s why he came here—he wanted to have a proper talk with her.” Dong Xingsheng’s words differed greatly from the information Head Constable Wang had gathered previously.

“Are you suggesting your sister-in-law killed your brother over this?” Constable Wang felt this sounded like a tall tale. He had practically watched Lin Yujun grow up, and in his memory, she wasn’t the kind of girl to act so recklessly.

“You can’t imagine how jealous my sister-in-law can be. Since they married, there hasn’t been a single young woman or Ger left in my brother’s courtyard; they’ve all been replaced by elderly nannies and ugly pageboys. Even the pageboy who came with my brother this time was the only one in his courtyard who was even slightly presentable. By the way, where is that boy?”

“He died a few days ago.” That was the truth; with his body rotting to that extent, there was no way he could have survived.

“Dead? How is he dead too? Did my sister-in-law beat him to death?” Dong Xingsheng suddenly stood up.

Everyone present fell silent, because that pageboy really had been beaten to death by Lin Yujun. However, since the boy was on a “death contract”—the private property of his master—there was no legal way to pursue the matter after he was killed.

With Dong Xingsheng’s arrival, the direction of the investigation seemed to be shifting back toward the Lin family.

When Yang Tongchuan arrived home that night, Xiang Xi was still awake, waiting for him.

“Still not asleep? What’s that in your hand?”

“The weather is turning cold. I learned from Mother; I want to sew you a pair of thick-soled boots.”

Xiang Xi had just started learning to make boots, and his hands had already been pricked several times by the awl used for stitching soles. To him, sewing boots was much simpler than making clothes.

“Don’t do it at night, it strains your eyes,” Yang Tongchuan said, putting the tools away. “If you really want to work, do it during the day when it’s bright.” He helped Xiang Xi walk toward the bed.

Xiang Xi had been experiencing occasional leg cramps lately; once, he had nearly fallen, which scared Yang Tongchuan into being extra careful with his every move.

“Is the case with that Dong fellow still not finished?”

“Not yet. Someone from the Dong family arrived today. That family is truly interesting; after we finished the routine questioning, he didn’t ask when he could bury his brother. Instead, he asked where the batch of goods his brother brought had gone.”

Yang Tongchuan helped Xiang Xi remove his shoes and socks, then applied a layer of anti-chilblain ointment to his heels. He had only realized after they married that Xiang Xi’s heels cracked every winter; it was so painful that he didn’t dare let his heels touch the ground, walking on his tiptoes every time. By starting maintenance early this year and switching to thick footwear, he hoped Xiang Xi wouldn’t have to suffer again.

“I told him the goods were sold and the money was lost, and he threw a fit right then and there. It’s as if his brother’s life wasn’t as important as those bank notes.”

Yang Tongchuan honestly didn’t know who he should pity more in this case.

During his investigation, Yang Tongchuan discovered that the aphrodisiac incense used in Dong Xingzhi’s room had a significant origin. It wasn’t a common item found on the market but had been meticulously modified. According to a pharmacy owner’s analysis, it contained not only expensive ingredients like ginseng, deer antler, and seahorse, but also large amounts of aconite, realgar, and a small amount of cinnabar.

Yang Tongchuan had asked if such a dosage could cause death. Several pharmacy owners stated that while the drug was potent, it wasn’t enough to cause immediate death—unless it was used daily, allowing the toxins to accumulate to a lethal level.

“That Dong fellow wasn’t old; why would he use such powerful medicine? Shouldn’t those things be a matter of mutual desire?” Xiang Xi asked.

“Probably fooled around too much and ‘lost his edge,'” Yang Tongchuan replied. He didn’t like hearing Xiang Xi discuss other men.

“A man can ‘lose his edge’?” Xiang Xi had no basis for comparison, assuming all men in the world were like Yang Tongchuan.

“Heh, there are plenty who lose it. You’re lucky you found one like me.”

“Stop it. I’m being serious with you.”

“I am being serious. If it weren’t for my extraordinary natural gifts, how could you have gotten pregnant so quickly?”

Xiang Xi was speechless. No matter what he said, Yang Tongchuan always managed to steer the conversation back to the bedroom.

After coaxing Xiang Xi to sleep that night, Yang Tongchuan reflected on the matter. As a healthy man with plenty of energy, he understood a man’s physical needs. But according to the investigation, Dong Xingzhi’s demand was abnormal—bordering on pathological.

Why?

The next day, Yang Tongchuan took the incense to a madam in charge of training government courtesans to seek her advice. After hearing his questions and examining the items, the madam looked at him.

“This thing… I can only say the person who blended it is a ruthless one. This isn’t prepared for women; it’s specifically for men—especially men who can’t get it up.”

“You mean an impotent man can stand tall after using this? Is that for real?”

“Guaranteed. If it were for women, they wouldn’t waste such high-quality ingredients. Most things for women contain sedatives to make them lose consciousness; they wouldn’t use so many tonics. Only wealthy men who can’t perform use this kind of thing. They think it’s a supplement, not a drug.”

The madam’s words made Yang Tongchuan realize: everyone said Dong Xingzhi was addicted to the bedroom, but in reality, he was already impotent. There was a major problem here.

“Under what circumstances would a healthy young man be unable to perform?” Yang Tongchuan asked.

“Oh~? Could it be that Constable Yang… or a ‘friend’ of yours has this trouble?” The madam looked at him suggestively.

“Don’t tease me. My head is already spinning from this case.”

“Fine, I’ll stop. I’ve heard about the case you’re working on—the one who died in bed, right? At that age, if he’s failing, he’s usually been ‘played out.'”

“‘Played out’? You can actually break it?”

“Why not? I’ve heard of oxen being worked to death, but never a field being plowed into ruin. If you aren’t careful when you’re young and try anything, you’ll naturally drain your body until you’re spent.” The madam had seen many bastards who couldn’t perform themselves and took their anger out on the girls.

Leaving the madam, Yang Tongchuan had a thought. Someone willing to use such high-quality “supplements” wasn’t necessarily Dong Xingzhi himself; it must have been someone close to him. Or rather, it was placed before him by the person he trusted most.

Like Lin Yujun.

To stop Dong Xingzhi from fooling around outside, Lin Yujun would naturally try every method to keep him at home. Over time, Dong Xingzhi would have moments of exhaustion, and Lin Yujun could use this incense to “help” the couple. By the time Dong Xingzhi realized something was wrong with his body, he was already addicted to the aroma.

But this was all speculation. Assuming Dong Xingzhi really was killed by Lin Yujun using the incense, where was the evidence?

When Yang Tongchuan hurried back to the yamen to share this with Constable Wang, he found the Head Constable packing up to leave with a group of men.

“Tongchuan, you’re back! Quick, follow us—something has happened to Guard Lin!”