Reborn Nine Times, the Tyrant Always Wants to Imprison Me - Chapter 10

Fangru did not pause her steps, merely turning her head slightly. Her clear, sharp gaze swept over Zheng Yu as a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips. “Lord Zheng worries too much. When this official investigates a case, I always follow the clues and dislike distractions. However, Lord Zheng, you seem particularly concerned about this official’s whereabouts? Could it be that the Ministry of Justice has been so idle lately, granting Lord Zheng the leisure to constantly keep an eye on the Dali Temple’s movements?”

Her tone was calm, even carrying a hint of polite puzzlement, yet every word was like a soft nail, precisely hitting the mark on Zheng Yu’s awkward thoughts.

Zheng Yu was momentarily stunned by her retort. The phrase “constantly keep an eye on” made his ears grow warm, as if some hidden intention had been inadvertently exposed. Instantly feeling both embarrassed and angry, yet unable to refute her directly, he could only stiffly retort, “Smooth talker! This official was merely reminding you not to hinder the Ministry of Justice’s important affairs!”

But Fangru no longer looked at him. Gently taking Su Wanqing’s wrist, she said in a voice not loud but clear enough, “Wanqing, let’s go. The investigation is urgent. We need not pay heed to irrelevant noise.”

She deliberately enunciated the word “noise” lightly, leaving Zheng Yu standing there, watching their departing figures. His face turned alternately green and pale, the inexplicable attention in his heart intertwining with the annoyance of being ignored, making him feel increasingly stifled and frustrated.

Having shaken off Zheng Yu’s pestering, Fangru and Su Wanqing went straight to find the current manager of the opera troupe.

However, times had changed, and the members from five years ago had long since scattered. Undeterred, Fangru took out some silver to facilitate matters. Only then did the manager stroke his beard and recall, “The troupe from back then… it fell apart long ago! The troupe leader, Old Zhao, I heard he couldn’t make a living later and went to the western suburbs to work as a carter. For specifics, you’ll have to ask him.”

Although vague, this clue was a glimmer of hope.

Fangru immediately used her cousin’s connections in the Ministry of Personnel to inquire extensively about the carters in the western suburbs. After several twists and turns, they finally pinpointed Old Zhao’s residence.

The next day, the two found their way to a low-lying courtyard in the western suburbs.

Fangru did not put on official airs, simply stating they had come regarding past matters, her attitude sincere.

Initially, Old Zhao appeared very wary of their questions, his words evasive, wanting only to quickly send away these two women who were clearly of unusual background.

But Fangru did not use her authority to pressure him. Instead, she dismissed her attendants and sat with Su Wanqing on small stools in the courtyard, earnestly explaining their purpose and promising not to involve him in any unnecessary trouble.

Perhaps moved by the sincerity and determination in Fangru’s eyes, Old Zhao sighed and finally relented.

“Ah, it’s all old history now…” Old Zhao’s gaze drifted into the distance as he fell into recollection. “That young lady from the Cheng family was a regular at our Baihua Teahouse back then. Over time, she and the troupe’s lead actor, Qianwen… took a liking to each other.”

Fangru and Su Wanqing exchanged a look of surprise.

They hadn’t expected that the seemingly proper daughter of a wealthy merchant would develop a secret affection for an opera performer.

“What was even more astonishing later,” Old Zhao lowered his voice, “was that Miss Cheng actually proposed marrying down to Qian Wen. And the most unexpected thing was that Master Cheng… he actually agreed to it at first! That lad Qian Wen was overjoyed, and the brothers in the troupe all congratulated him, thinking he had met someone truly sincere.”

“Agreed at first?” Su Wanqing keenly caught the phrase. “What happened after that?”

“And then?” Old Zhao’s face showed regret and confusion. “Then things took a strange turn. Qian Wen was happily preparing for the wedding when one day he went out and never returned—no trace of him alive or dead. We reported it to the authorities, but they couldn’t find any answers. Shortly after, within just a few days, Miss Cheng also disappeared… People privately speculated that perhaps Master Cheng had ultimately changed his mind. Unable to oppose the marriage openly, he resorted to underhanded means. Those star-crossed lovers either met with misfortune or were forced to elope.”

Su Wanqing frowned. “Since Master Cheng had initially agreed, why would he go back on his word? That doesn’t seem logical.”

Old Zhao, however, curled his lip with a touch of street-smart insight. “Young lady, you’re still young and don’t understand how easily people’s minds change, especially shrewd businessmen like Master Cheng. How often do they agree to something face-to-face, only to renege for greater profit? Perhaps he found a more suitable match and felt Qian Wen’s lowly status would disgrace the family.” He shook his head, his tone tinged with self-mockery. “Common folks like us could never truly fathom the motives of the wealthy.”

Fangru pondered for a moment, feeling that while Old Zhao’s words were biased, they weren’t entirely without merit.

Merchants prioritized profit, and it was indeed possible that Cheng Feng had changed his mind at the last moment. It seemed that to unravel the mystery of Cheng Qi’s disappearance, this Master Cheng Feng was the key figure.

That afternoon, having learned that Cheng Feng regularly visited Hundred Blossoms Teahouse for tea, Fangru waited outside the establishment early.

She straightened her attire, took a deep breath, and prepared to meet this pivotal figure.

Just as she stepped onto the stairs, a lazy, habitually mocking voice sounded from behind:

“Tsk, what a small world, Investigator Shen.” Zheng Yu, fanning himself with a folding fan, emerged from somewhere and blocked Fangru’s path, his eyes sweeping over her from head to toe. “Not buried in case files at the Dali Temple today? Quite the refined mood, coming to Hundred Blossoms Teahouse. Tired from investigating and here for a break?”

Fangru inwardly sighed, “Like a lingering ghost,” but her expression remained calm.

She halted, turned slightly, and looked at Zheng Yu, her tone indifferent. “Minister Zheng seems particularly fond of Hundred Blossoms Teahouse? This humble official wasn’t aware that the Director of the Ministry of Justice needed to inspect the quality of tea here daily.”

Caught off guard by her retort, Zheng Yu paused his fanning, then scoffed. “Quick with your words. I merely feared that Investigator Shen, in her eagerness to solve the case, might be unceremoniously thrown out again like last time, needlessly tarnishing the dignity of our court officials.” Though his words were harsh, his gaze subtly scanned her face, noting her reaction.

Fangru couldn’t miss the barbs in his words, but she also keenly detected a faint, awkward concern hidden beneath them.

Unwilling to engage in pointless bickering and anxious not to delay her mission, she gave a slight nod, her tone distant yet polite. “Thank you for your concern, Minister Zheng. This humble official has duties to attend to. I must take my leave.”

Without another glance at Zheng Yu’s momentarily stiffened expression, she turned and strode calmly through the main door of Hundred Blossoms Teahouse, leaving him—along with his unfinished sarcasm and inexplicable complex emotions—shut outside.

Zheng Yu stared at her resolute back as she disappeared through the doorway, his fingers tightening around the folded fan. In the end, he merely let out a cold snort and muttered under his breath, “…Ungrateful wretch.” Yet he did not leave immediately, instead standing in place for a moment, his gaze thoughtful as he looked toward the building, lost in unknown contemplations.

Fangru and Su Wanqing waited quietly in the private room.

As Cheng Feng was ushered inside by Su Wanqing’s charming smile, before he could even take a seat, Fangru emerged slowly from behind the screen. Dressed in the official robes of the Dali Temple, her expression was stern.

“Master Cheng,” Fangru cut straight to the point, her gaze sharp as a torch. “Your daughter Cheng Qi was once deeply in love with the actor Qian Wen. Were you aware of this?”

The smile on Cheng Feng’s face instantly froze, a flicker of panic crossing his features before being replaced by anger. “That low-class actor! How dare he aspire to attach himself to my daughter? A fool’s dream! I showed mercy by not breaking his legs on the spot!”

“Just a fool’s dream?” Fangru pressed forward step by step, her voice soft yet intensely compelling. “Then does Miss Cheng Qi’s disappearance have anything to do with this matter? Does it have anything to do with you?”

“Absolutely not!” Cheng Feng vehemently denied, though fine beads of sweat appeared on his temples. “Qi’er is my only daughter. I cherish her beyond measure—how could I harm her?”

Fangru ceased her questioning and instead walked slowly to the window, pushing open the street-facing pane.

Her eyes fell upon Zheng Yu, who was chatting and laughing with others on the second floor of the tavern across the street. Her tone remained calm and measured, yet each word struck like a thunderclap: “Master Cheng, do you know who that man across the way is? That is Zheng Yu, the Director of the Ministry of Justice. He just informed me that this case has numerous suspicious points, and it seems we must invite you to the Ministry’s prison for some tea to clarify the details.”

The words “Ministry’s prison” landed like a thunderbolt, and Zheng Yu’s reputation as the “Iron-faced Judge of the Underworld” was known to all.

Cheng Feng’s face instantly turned ashen. His legs gave way, and he nearly collapsed to the floor, his psychological defenses completely shattered.

“Your Honor, please be just! I… I’ll speak!” he stammered, revealing the truth buried for five years. “That day, I listened to my younger brother Cheng Bo, who claimed that Qian Wen had sinister intentions and was seducing Qi’er with ill motives… I only meant to teach the actor a lesson, to make him back down. Who could have known he would be so stubborn? In the struggle, he was accidentally killed… When Qi’er learned the news, she threw herself into the lake that very night… I’ve regretted it ever since!” Tears streamed down his aged face as he confessed that Cheng Qi’s body was buried beneath the lotus pond in the rear garden of the Cheng residence.

The room fell into heavy silence, and Su Wanqing gasped behind her hand.

But Fangru showed no emotion. She stared coldly at Cheng Feng, her voice clear and icy: “There is more than one murderer.”

Both Cheng Feng and Su Wanqing looked up in shock.

Fangru’s gaze was sharp, cutting through the fog like a blade: “Master Cheng, you have no sons. If Cheng Qi had married, who would inherit your vast fortune? Naturally, it would go to your Cheng clan, and your dear brother Cheng Bo, as the most prominent member, would be the most likely to take over. But if Qian Wen had married into your family, the estate would have passed to Cheng Qi. Cheng Bo, in his greed for the family wealth, fabricated lies to provoke you into action, killing two birds with one stone. The true culprit behind your daughter’s death is you, but even more so, it is your avaricious brother!”

Cheng Feng looked as if struck by lightning. He slumped to the floor, and after a long moment, let out a heart-wrenching wail of utter remorse.

With the truth revealed, both Cheng Feng and Cheng Bo were apprehended and subjected to the severe punishment of the law.

The news of Fangru cracking the five-year cold case was like a massive rock thrown into a calm lake, stirring enormous waves both inside and outside the Dali Temple.

When she entered the Dali Temple office the next day, she distinctly sensed a shift in the atmosphere.

The gazes that had once been dismissive, curious, or tinged with ambiguous speculation were now largely replaced by astonishment, admiration, and even a hint of wariness.

“I never would have thought… So many capable people investigated Cheng Qi’s case and came up empty-handed, yet Judicial Supervisor Li actually unearthed the truth!” a young clerk whispered to his colleague, his tone filled with disbelief.

“Unearthed? That’s an understatement! Haven’t you heard? Her reasoning, her methods! With just a few words, she tricked Cheng Feng into confessing and even exposed the mastermind Cheng Bo! Such cunning, such boldness… tsk tsk,” another shook his head in awe.

Dong Xing, who had been waiting to see Fangru fail, now wore the most complicated expression.

Holding a teacup, he stood under the corridor eavesdropping to the discussions, remaining silent for a long while before finally snorting resentfully, “…She does have some unconventional talent.” Though his tone remained stiff, much of his former contempt had dissipated.

Even some typically stern and reserved senior officials stroked their beards and commented with rare approval: “Though she is a woman, her intelligence, quick-wittedness, and meticulousness truly show exceptional aptitude in criminal justice.”

“His Majesty has a discerning eye. Initially, I thought… ahem… but now it seems he truly recognized her capabilities.”

The previous whispers about “whether His Majesty fancied her” hadn’t completely vanished, but their tone had subtly shifted—from speculation about her appearance and temperament to admiration for the Emperor’s judgment and recognition of Fangru’s own abilities.

Amid the widespread praise, the official appointment document promoting her to Judicial Supervisor soon arrived.

This time, no one found it surprising or inappropriate. Fangru accepted the appointment with her usual calm demeanor, only allowing her fingertips to press firmly against the paper in private, feeling its substantial weight.

She knew this wasn’t merely a promotion in rank—it meant she had truly used her abilities to tear open an opportunity and secure her footing in the treacherous environment of the Dali Temple. The path to Gu Zhou had now advanced one step further.

Though she was still not permitted to visit Gu Zhou, she soon learned that he had been transferred from the grim and terrifying imperial prison to an ordinary cell.

His conditions had improved, and his life was temporarily secure.

Standing in the courtyard of the Dali Temple, Fangru lifted her head toward the azure sky and took a deep breath.