The Succession Struggle in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 152 Suicide Deteriorates the Situation
Why would Tu Chengyu feel that someone was laying out a net, waiting for him to fall into it?

This isn't just wild guessing, or some kind of paranoia.

But these two things that happened today seemed to have been arranged in advance, which was so strange that he couldn't help but think this way.

Take the first thing for example. Tu Chengyu could clearly see that Wu Youwei must have someone supporting him in doing those things, including smuggling and the salt workers' rebellion.

But now, upon investigation, all the leads have gone cold when they reach Wu Youwei.

Wu Youwei, who remained in the public eye, was a lonely man with no ties, making it impossible for Tu Chengyu to use any of his methods.

Tu Chengyu would never believe that something like this, where one has no way to use their strength, could happen without prior planning.

If this was arranged in advance by someone else, something will happen that makes Tu Chengyu break out in a cold sweat just thinking about it.

That is, who will arrange this in advance, and when will they arrange it?

It should be noted that Tu Chengyu's decision to come to Donghu County was a last-minute one, and even his closest friends only found out a day in advance.

The rest of the people had no idea that he planned to come to East Lake.

Therefore, the person who could devise this countermeasure must either be able to predict Tu Chengyu's movements in advance.

Alternatively, they might have planned their escape route well in advance.

Neither of these two possibilities is good news for Tu Chengyu.

Besides the one mentioned above, the arson case also gave off a similar feeling.

Lu Chudan, the county magistrate, was unanimously identified as the murderer.

Tu Chengyu also did not believe this conclusion.

Based on what Tu Chengyu saw with his own eyes, and according to previous analyses.

Lü Chudan neither had the guts nor the need to commit arson.

The victims of the arson were actually subordinates secretly dispatched by Tu Chengyu, whose purpose was to investigate the grain fields in Jiangnan.

Their work did not conflict much with that of Lü Chudan, the county magistrate.

Why would Lü Chudan risk the execution of his entire family to do something so meaningless? It all makes no sense.

But now, everyone is convinced that Lü Chudan is the murderer.

A little thought reveals that someone must have made arrangements beforehand, wanting Lü Chudan to be the scapegoat.

Through this analysis, Tu Chengyu discovered that these two matters, at this point, have some similarities.

So, on the surface, both of these events could have been resolved.

Witnesses, evidence, and even the murderer—they've all been delivered to us.

The person behind the scenes may have wanted to use this method to tell Tu Chengyu something.

I've taken care of things for you, so you don't need to bother with anything else.

Tu Chengyu could close the case with just a little action.

If he were a person who loved to boast and take credit for these two things, he could claim the credit for them himself, and no one would dare to say anything.

Unfortunately, these people underestimated Tu Chengyu.

They thought that Prince Su had come to Jiangnan without sightseeing, tasting delicacies, or enjoying himself.

As a prince, why would he get entangled with these lawless individuals everywhere? Is it for some mere merit?

These people misjudged Tu Chengyu and underestimated Prince Su.

The thought that someone was plotting against him behind his back made Tu Chengyu grit his teeth in hatred.

He couldn't wait to find out the truth and catch the mastermind behind it all.

Tu Chengyu stood there blankly, his mind racing with these thoughts.

This made Yang Chun a little anxious. He asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, what should we do now?"

Tu Chengyu came to his senses and said, "No need to rush. Since their testimonies say that Lü Chudan is the murderer, let's meet with Lü Chudan first and see what he has to say."

Tu Chengyu's idea was that since others wanted to frame Lü Chudan, if he wanted to clear his name, he might reveal some of the things he knew.

This way, we might be able to find clues to solve the case.

Thinking of this, Tu Chengyu prepared to take Yang Chun and the others to the county government office to find Lü Chudan.

But as soon as they stepped out of the inn, they saw a guard who had stayed at the county office yesterday to watch over a group of prisoners rushing toward them.

Judging from his expression, he must have something urgent to report.

So Tu Chengyu quickly took a few steps forward, leaving the crowded area at the entrance of the inn, and met up with the guard in a deserted open space.

The guard ran up to Tu Chengyu and, before he could even catch his breath, dropped a bombshell on him.

"Your Highness, something terrible has happened! Magistrate Lü has committed suicide."

"Who?" For a moment, Tu Chengyu wondered if he was hallucinating. He thought he had misheard and quickly asked, "Who did you say committed suicide?"

The guard replied, "Your Highness, it was Lu Chudan, the magistrate of Donghu County. He committed suicide."

Tu Chengyu heard it clearly this time, but he still couldn't believe it.

He had just been thinking of confronting Lü Chudan, hoping to get some clues from him.

The person committed suicide right after setting off; it's too much of a coincidence.

Tu Chengyu shook his head, clearing his mind of the jumbled thoughts, and said, "I'll go see what's going on."

After saying this, he took the lead and walked towards the county government office, asking as he went:

How did Lü Chudan commit suicide?

The guard replied, "He committed suicide by hanging himself in the main hall of the county government office."

Tu Chengyu then asked, "Do you know when he died?"

The guard replied, "This humble servant does not know. This humble servant only knows that Magistrate Lü's body has already stiffened."

Tu Chengyu continued, "Who discovered that Lü Chudan had committed suicide?"

The guard said, "It was discovered by the county constables when they were on duty. He was so frightened that he screamed and shouted. General Su led me and others to check and that's when we found it."

Tu Chengyu: "Was the scene of Magistrate Lü's suicide preserved?"

The guard said, "General Su said this matter was of great importance. As soon as it was discovered, he ordered the scene to be sealed off and no one was allowed to approach Magistrate Lü's body."

"Su Xuanbao did a very good job." Tu Chengyu was very satisfied with Su Xuanbao's actions.

As the group talked, they soon arrived at the Donghu County Government Office.

Whether it was a leak or something else, a crowd of people had gathered in front of the county government office, craning their necks and peering inside.

While they were watching, they all pointed and whispered among themselves.

So many people surrounded the county government office to watch the spectacle, yet not a single constable came out to maintain order.

The messy state of the place made Tu Chengyu feel very upset.

When he approached the county government office, he first sent people to disperse the crowd of onlookers, and then left two guards to stand at the entrance of the county government office before entering.

As soon as he entered the county government office, he was met with a cacophony of noise and saw a group of yamen runners surrounding the main hall. These people were running around like headless flies, showing no sign of settling down.

Tu Chengyu then realized why the people were able to discover the incident at the county government office in such a short time and why they had the audacity to come and watch.

These are the people who are panicked and disoriented; when faced with such a situation, they don't know what to do.

They were all so absorbed in the death of the magistrate that they were completely oblivious to their surroundings.

They didn't even notice that Tu Chengyu had brought such a large group of people.

Finally, Xiao Xuanzi couldn't stand it anymore and coughed twice, which woke them up.

When these people heard the coughing, they turned around and saw Prince Su standing expressionlessly behind them.

Just moments ago they were terrified by the death of the county magistrate, and now they are filled with apprehension again.

Seeing the county officials cowering and looking like they didn't know what to do, Tu Chengyu felt even worse than when he saw the common people outside.

He frowned and looked at the group, saying, "Except for those who were on duty last night and those who discovered the body today, everyone else should go about their business and not crowd around here."

After saying this, Tu Chengyu thought for a moment and added:

"After you go down, keep your mouths shut. If I hear this from any of you, you'll be in for a world of hurt."

After hearing Tu Chengyu's words, the yamen runners and constables, though unsure of what to do next, quickly dispersed.

After dismissing the people gathered at the entrance, Tu Chengyu entered the main hall of the county government office.

Upon entering the main hall, one can immediately spot Lü Chudan hanging on the side beam of the main hall without even looking for him.

In order to protect the crime scene, Su Xuanbao has not yet removed Lü Chudan's body.

Tu Chengyu was not good at autopsies or investigations, nor did he know whether the body should be removed at this point.

After thinking for a moment, he asked the person next to him, "Is the county yamen's coroner here?"

As soon as Tu Chengyu finished speaking, a man dressed in county government uniform and carrying a small bag walked to the door and said:
"Your Highness, I am a coroner in the county government."

Upon seeing the coroner present, Tu Chengyu said, "Since you're here, hurry up and examine Magistrate Lü's body to find out the true cause of his death."

After hearing the instructions, the coroner came in with two assistants to work.

Tu Chengyu had no interest in performing autopsies and didn't want to stand there foolishly watching others do their work.

Therefore, he entrusted the task of monitoring the coroner to his guards and withdrew from the main hall of the county government office first.

Upon exiting the door, Tu Chengyu saw the county constables and other officials he had asked to stay behind.

Seeing them huddled together, shivering, Tu Chengyu said to Yang Chun:
"Lord Yang, go and ask them, see if you can get any clues."

Yang Chun went over and led these people to the side to inquire.

After they left, Tu Chengyu asked Su Xuanbao, "Where are Lü Chudan's family members?"

Su Xuanbao: "Your Highness, Magistrate Lü's family is in the back courtyard of the main hall. They have been trying to rush over and take down Magistrate Lü's body, but I have sent men to keep them locked up in the back courtyard."

It's perfectly normal for Lü Chudan's family to want to bring his body here, and Tu Chengyu can completely understand that.

However, since it involves a murder case and the county magistrate is involved, a decision will have to be made after the coroner examines the body.

Before that, Tu Chengyu wanted to meet with Lü Chudan's family and hear their opinions on Lü Chudan's death.

Thinking of this, Tu Chengyu asked Su Xuanbao to lead the way, bypassing the main hall and heading to the back courtyard through the side door.

As they approached the back courtyard, before even entering, Tu Chengyu heard suppressed sobs.

Hearing the crying, Tu Chengyu felt a little irritated and even considered backing down.

However, considering the urgency of the situation and the need to clarify Lü Chudan's matter as soon as possible, he reluctantly entered the inner courtyard.

Accompanied by Su Xuanbao and others, Tu Chengyu entered the back courtyard and immediately saw several people sitting in a corner of the room.

In the very center is a middle-aged woman, holding a little girl who looks about five or six years old in her arms.

On either side of the woman sat a boy and a girl, two children in their teens.

Besides this family embracing each other, there was also an old man and a young boy, dressed as servants, squatting nearby.

As soon as Tu Chengyu entered, they naturally found out.

One by one, they raised their heads and stared at Tu Chengyu with tearful eyes.

Tu Chengyu was eager to know what happened after Lü Chudan returned home last night, so he asked directly:

"Are you family members of Magistrate Lü?"

Although these people didn't know who Tu Chengyu was, they could guess from the sight of so many people following him that the child in front of them must be of noble status.

So, even though I'm still heartbroken.

The woman sitting on the ground struggled to her feet and bowed to Tu Chengyu, saying, "In response to your question, young master, I am the wife of the county magistrate."

Upon hearing that the woman was Lü Chudan's wife, Tu Chengyu asked:
"Was there anything unusual about Magistrate Lü last night?"

The woman replied, "My husband did not return to the backyard last night, and I did not know anything unusual."

This answer made Tu Chengyu somewhat uneasy.

He clearly remembered that last night, after chatting with Lü Chudan about this and that, he sent Lü Chudan home at 9 PM. How come his wife said that he didn't come home all night?

Tu Chengyu asked, "He didn't come home all night, didn't you send anyone to look for him?"

The woman said, “Last night at 9 PM, my husband sent someone to say that he wanted to talk with Prince Su all night and would not be returning to the backyard to rest, so I did not send anyone to look for him. Who would have thought that he would be gone just like that?”

The woman spoke at length, and then, as she spoke of her sorrows, she began to sob softly.

Her crying caused the people surrounding her to cry as well.

For a moment, the scene became somewhat noisy.

But Tu Chengyu was in no mood to pay attention to any of this at the moment.

Because he found something unsettling in the woman's words.

That is, last night Lü Chudan actually sent someone to say that he wanted to talk to him all night.

Tu Chengyu knew very well that he had already let Lü Chudan go back after finishing the task at Hai Shi (9-11 PM), and had clearly stated that he was going to rest at the inn.

If Lü Chudan wasn't an idiot, he would understand that Tu Chengyu had no intention of having a long talk with him all night.

Therefore, there must be something wrong with what this woman just said.

Either Lü Chudan lied and deliberately sent back a wrong message through his servants.

Or perhaps the servants had ulterior motives and deliberately tampered with the message.

Or perhaps the woman in front of me lied at this moment for some other purpose.

Regardless of which of the three people was lying, Tu Chengyu felt that he had to expose the liar as soon as possible.

Otherwise, once this story gets out, people will think that Lü Chudan hanged herself after talking with him all night.

If that's the case, Tu Chengyu will be accused of forcing an official to commit suicide.

Although Tu Chengyu could bear the blame, he was not so willing to be framed for it.

(End of this chapter)