Chapter 90
On the day Jiang Jinyue’s corpse was found, Emperor Changde also happened to regain consciousness.
As expected, the moment Emperor Changde woke up, he ordered the extermination of the entire Wei family, using the excuse that Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao had poisoned him, the emperor.
After all, everyone had witnessed Emperor Changde’s previous dazed and seemingly bewitched state, so his insistence that Wei Yunzhao and Jiang Lin had poisoned him seemed somewhat plausible.
Emperor Changde directly dispatched the Imperial Guards to raid the Wei mansion and arrest its members, with no intention of conducting an interrogation or giving the Wei family any chance to defend themselves.
It was just a bit unfortunate, when the Imperial Guards arrived, Yin Ji was also at the Wei mansion.
Yin Ji had come to question Jiang Lin about Jiang Jinyue’s cause of death. By the time her body was discovered, it had already decomposed and emitted a foul odor. It was only because nearby residents noticed the stench that they realized someone had died in that small courtyard.
The coroner from the prefectural office quickly determined Jiang Jinyue’s cause and time of death - stabbed to death with a dagger. Yin Ji already had a suspect in mind and came to confront Jiang Lin directly.
Yin Ji asked bluntly, "Did you kill her?"
Jiang Lin met Yin Ji’s gaze for a long moment before smiling. "Does Lord Yin have any evidence?"
"Yes," Yin Ji replied firmly. "But I’d rather hear you admit it yourself, did you or didn’t you?"
"I’d like to hear the evidence first," Jiang Lin deflected.
"Fine, then I’ll tell you," Yin Ji said, producing a confession obtained from interrogating Jiang Zhen. It detailed all the crimes Jiang Zhen and Jiang Jinyue had committed, including but not limited to manipulating Qinghe Junwangfei and poisoning the servants of Qinghe Junwang.
Yin Ji continued, "Jiang Zhen said that aside from those already dead, Jiang Jinyue only met with you two. She threatened and provoked you, trying to steal Lord Wei away."
In Yin Ji’s deduction, Jiang Lin had secretly sent someone to follow Jiang Jinyue, uncovering her crimes at Qinghe Junwang's residence. Fearing she would poison him and take Wei Yunzhao after his death, Jiang Lin tracked Jiang Jinyue to the small courtyard after she separated from Jiang Zhen and killed her.
Yin Ji added, "Before I even interrogated Jiang Zhen, you had already informed Qinghe Junwang about the incidents in his residence, explicitly naming Jiang Jinyue as the culprit. This proves you knew about it early on. Moreover, you love Lord Wei deeply and would never allow Jiang Jinyue to take him from you, so you must have killed her."
After listening, Jiang Lin patted Wei Yunzhao’s leg and said, "My apologies. At the time, I completely forgot Jiang Jinyue wanted to steal you from me. It seems I don’t love you enough, I didn’t kill her for coveting you."
Yin Ji frowned, realizing part of his deduction was wrong.
Jiang Lin said, "I admit, I killed her. But not for Wei Yunzhao, it was because I uphold righteousness and couldn’t bear to see Jiang Jinyue harm more innocent people."
In an instant, Jiang Lin elevated his own moral standing.
Yin Ji eyed him skeptically, but Jiang Lin remained unflinching, insisting this was the truth.
After a long pause, Yin Ji finally said, "I understand." He then stood to leave.
Jiang Lin asked curiously, "Did Lord Yin come only for an answer?"
Yin Ji turned back. "Or would you prefer I drag you to the prefectural prison for interrogation?"
Footsteps echoed outside. Jiang Lin’s gaze fixed behind Yin Ji as he smirked. "That won’t be necessary. Even if you wanted to, I’m afraid you won’t get the chance. Instead, we’d like to ask for your help."
Yin Ji turned and saw the courtyard filled with Imperial Guards. Their leader, Commander Yu Yi, stood at the center of the doorway holding an imperial decree. "Wei Yunzhao, Jiang Lin, receive the decree!"
Jiang Lin pushed Wei Yunzhao’s wheelchair forward. As they passed Yin Ji, he said earnestly, "Lord Yin, the lives of everyone in the Wei family now rest in your hands."
There was no need for them to kneel. The moment Yu Yi stood in the doorway, he began reading the decree: Wei Yunzhao and Jiang Lin were accused of poisoning the emperor and were to be executed along with their entire family.
The words "extermination of the entire family" echoed in Yin Ji’s ears. Seeing no trace of fear or panic on Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao’s faces, he suddenly understood, this was the moment the "pirate ship" he had boarded truly set sail.
His visit to the Wei mansion today had been part of Jiang Lin and Wei Yunzhao’s scheme, a move planned long in advance.
Yin Ji glared coldly at them before swiftly exiting. The Imperial Guards were there only to arrest the Wei family and didn't stop him.
After announcing the decree, Yu Yi waved his hand. "Take them away!"
Jiang Lin quickly interjected, "No need to rush. It’s not yet time. Let’s chat for a bit first."
Yu Yi respected Wei Yunzhao but remained loyal to Emperor Changde. Coldly, he replied, "Lord Wei, Young Master Jiang, don't make this difficult. His Majesty has ordered that if you resist, you are to be executed on the spot. Though you are skilled, remember, the Wei family still has others."
He glanced at his subordinates, who immediately dispersed to search the other courtyards.
They returned quickly. "Commander, there’s no one. Not a single person."
Yu Yi frowned, realizing the Wei family had prepared in advance and evacuated everyone. He warned, "You’re both intelligent men. You know the consequences of defying His Majesty. Tell us where the others are. They can’t hide forever. If we find them, death will be the least of their worries."
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