I Crossed Over with My Enemy, Only to Find Him Running the Empire - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Squire Zhang

Li Qiaoqiao nodded repeatedly as she led Wu Ya back into their room. Internally, her mind was racing: Wu Cuiyun might be spoiled, but she isn’t completely senseless. Why would she skip a meal without a word?

After settling Wu Ya down, Li Qiaoqiao prepared to head back out, but her footsteps faltered as a memory struck her.

Back in the early hours of the morning, when she had accompanied Wu Ya to the latrine, she had caught a glimpse of a shadow in the back garden. At the time, she hadn’t given it much thought, assuming it was just someone else up for a midnight relief. But looking back now… that silhouette bore a striking resemblance to Wu Cuiyun.

Her heart skipped a beat. For a young unmarried girl to sneak out before dawn and remain missing—this was an ominous sign.

Wasting no time, she sprinted out of the house. Wanfu Village wasn’t large; if all the Wu family men were out searching, there should have been news by now. Yet, after circling the village and questioning several neighbors, no one had seen a trace of Wu Cuiyun.

It was bizarre. A living person couldn’t just vanish into thin air.

By the time Li Qiaoqiao returned to the Wu compound, the men were trickling back, shaking their heads in defeat. Zhang Jinhua was pacing the courtyard in a frantic circle, cursing under her breath: “That wretched girl! Where did she die off to? When she gets back, I’m breaking her legs!”

Despite the harsh words, the tremor of worry in her voice was unmistakable.

Suddenly, Lady Liu from the third branch muttered under her breath, “Could she have been… abducted by bandits passing through?”

The courtyard went deathly silent. Zhang Jinhua snapped her head toward Lady Liu, glaring fiercely: “What nonsense are you spewing! In broad daylight? What bandits!”

Wu Tiegen yanked his wife’s arm, hissing a reprimand: “If you don’t have anything useful to say, keep your mouth shut!” Lady Liu pouted, retreating into a sulky silence.

Li Qiaoqiao observed the scene with a cold, analytical eye. She recalled from the original novel that Wu Cuiyun was never kidnapped by bandits. The girl was lazy and vain, dreaming of “flying onto a high branch to become a phoenix.” Later in the plot, she ran off with a wealthy man, only to be sold into a brothel and meet a tragic end.

A lightbulb went off in Li Qiaoqiao’s head. She shot an inconspicuous glance at the eldest daughter-in-law, Lady Wei. Just a few days ago, hadn’t Lady Wei tried to trick her into becoming a concubine for the Zhang estate? After being rejected, Lady Wei’s disappointment had been palpable.

Could she have turned her sights on Wu Cuiyun instead?

The more Li Qiaoqiao thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Wu Cuiyun, obsessed with wealth and status, was the easiest target for such a scam.

Li Qiaoqiao intentionally raised her voice: “Mother, should we report this to the authorities? Little Sister-in-law has been gone for so long; what if something has truly happened?”

As expected, at the mention of the authorities, Lady Wei’s expression shifted instantly. Her eyes darted around, avoiding everyone’s gaze.

Zhang Jinhua, however, shot the idea down immediately: “Report it? Are you trying to make us a laughingstock?”

Wu Duofu chimed in, “Qiaoqiao, think about it. If word gets out that a young girl went missing, her reputation is ruined. How would Cuiyun ever show her face again?”

This was exactly the reaction Li Qiaoqiao wanted. She didn’t take offense; instead, she moved closer to Zhang Jinhua and lowered her voice to a whisper: “Mother, there is something I’m not sure I should mention…”

Zhang Jinhua, irritated, snapped, “Just out with it!”

Li Qiaoqiao leaned in: “In the early hours of this morning, when I took my husband to the latrine, I saw a figure sneaking out the back gate. From the build, it looked quite a bit like Little Sister-in-law…”

Zhang Jinhua whipped her head around: “Is that true?”

Li Qiaoqiao nodded, then glanced at Lady Wei with pointed intent. “And Mother, don’t you think your sister-in-law is acting a bit strange today? When I mentioned the authorities, her face turned pale.”

Shrewd as she was, Zhang Jinhua caught the hint immediately. Her face darkened, a dangerous glint flashing in her eyes. “Lady Wei!” Zhang Jinhua suddenly barked. “Get inside the house with me. Now!”

Lady Wei flinched, her face draining of color. “M-Mother, whatever it is, can’t we just say it here?”

“I said inside!” Zhang Jinhua brooked no argument as she stomped toward the house. Lady Wei followed, trembling, but not before shooting a venomous glare at Li Qiaoqiao.

…

The Interrogation

Li Qiaoqiao remained unfazed. She knew Zhang Jinhua was going to conduct a closed-door interrogation. She didn’t bother joining the search party again; she simply waited in the courtyard.

Sure enough, before long, the sounds of Zhang Jinhua’s furious shouting and Lady Wei’s wailing drifted from the house. When they finally emerged, the courtyard held its breath.

One side of Lady Wei’s face was swollen, marked clearly by five finger-imprints. She was sobbing and stammering her defense. “Mother, I truly just mentioned it once… how did I know Cuiyun would take it seriously?” Her voice trailed off as Zhang Jinhua turned a murderous gaze toward her.

“Shut up!” Zhang Jinhua shrieked. “I’ll settle accounts with you once we find Cuiyun!”

She ignored Lady Wei and turned to her sons: “Tiezhu, Tiesheng, Tiegen—follow me! We’re going to the town, to Squire Zhang’s estate!”

The sons looked at each other in confusion. The eldest, Wu Tiezhu, spoke up: “Mother, why Squire Zhang’s? Is Cuiyun really there?”

“Most likely she was lured away by some black-hearted scoundrel!” Zhang Jinhua gritted her teeth. “Stop wasting time, let’s go!”

Her gaze then landed on Li Qiaoqiao. “Wife of the fourth son, you come too!”

Li Qiaoqiao knew this meant her mother-in-law had validated her lead. “Yes, Mother.” She paused, then added, “Why not let my husband come as well? He’s strong; if something goes wrong, he can help. Besides, he listens to me—he won’t cause trouble.”

Zhang Jinhua hesitated, looked at her “simple” son, and finally nodded. “Fine. Just keep an eye on him.”

…

Heading to Lechuan Town

The Wu family procession set out in a grand manner. Zhang Jinhua led the way, followed by three sons, Li Qiaoqiao, and Wu Ya. The sight drew curious peeks from the neighbors. Lady Wei tried to follow, but Zhang Jinhua barked at her back: “You stay home! I’ll deal with you later!”

The walk from Wanfu Village to Lechuan Town took about half an hour. Zhang Jinhua’s face was like stone the entire way. Her sons, sensing the gravity, didn’t dare ask questions and marched on in silence.

Li Qiaoqiao and Wu Ya trailed at the back, whispering to each other. “Who is Squire Zhang?” Wu Ya asked quietly. He was playing dumb, but his ears were sharp; he had heard every word in the courtyard.

Li Qiaoqiao curled her lip. “Word is he’s a wealthy old lecher who specializes in buying pretty young girls. Lady Wei tried to trick me into being his concubine a few days ago. I refused, so it seems she targeted Cuiyun instead.”

Wu Ya frowned. “People actually mess with a man like that?”

“Money makes the world go ’round,” Li Qiaoqiao hummed. “When we get there, stay sharp. Act on my lead.”

Wu Ya gave a subtle nod. His eyes, usually clouded with feigned idiocy, were now dangerously sharp.

Lechuan Town wasn’t large—just two main streets intersecting at the center near the old “Lechuan Well.” Squire Zhang’s estate sat at the far end of the East Street: high grey-brick walls and a grand vermilion gate. It was a picture of local prestige.