Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Wang Ergou hurried back to the signing room, clutching several sheets of paper with undried ink in his hand, a strange expression on his face: "Young Master, that Chang San... before the yamen runners even made a move, just seeing the torture instruments being brought out terrified him, and he confessed everything! This is his confession!" He handed the confession to Zhang Jingwei.

Despite the pain, Zhang Jingwei took the confession and read it carefully in the dim light. Yuan Liang also came over to examine it with him. The more they read, the more their brows furrowed.

Yuan Liang read the key part in a low voice, his tone full of doubt: "...The three brothers robbed the inn in Yingzhou that was suspected to be where Ningxiang was hiding. After looting the valuables, they coerced Ningxiang to go north with them, intending to offer her as a 'rare commodity' to you, sir, or use her for other purposes... They arrived in Gaoyang. Along the way, Changfu and Changlu were lusting after Ningxiang's beauty and had many arguments... When they reached the vicinity of Gaoyang, they finally couldn't restrain themselves and fought over Ningxiang, ultimately killing each other... Ningxiang also disappeared in the chaos..." He raised his head and looked at Zhang Jingwei, "Sir, this confession... the time, place, and motive seem to match up, but it always feels... too logical, like a carefully crafted story."

Zhang Jingwei slammed the confession heavily on the table, a cold smile appearing on his swollen face: "Brothers fighting, lust clouding judgment, it's not impossible. But... Hmph! Er Gou, go, take that Chang San to the torture chamber! Tie him up tight! Anyway, we can't go back tonight, so let's sort this case out right here in the yamen! Go get some food first, and once he's full, I'll have a good 'chat' with him about the details!"

……

The county government's criminal division.

This was a place Zhang Jingwei had rarely set foot in since taking office. Upon entering, a chilling aura, a mixture of old, musty smells and rust, assaulted his senses, exacerbating his already aching body. The walls were dark, adorned with various terrifying instruments of torture, many covered in a dull, gleaming patina—the result of years of bloodstains. Although Zhang Jingwei had strictly forbidden the abuse of torture, the legacy of the previous magistrate silently testified to the darkness of the past. A few oil lamps flickered weakly in the corners, casting distorted shadows of people and instruments of torture onto the walls, making them appear ghostly.

Chang San was bound tightly to a wooden pillar in the center of the torture chamber with strong cowhide rope. His face was ashen, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his body trembled uncontrollably. When he saw Zhang Jingwei enter accompanied by Yuan Liang and Wang Ergou, he looked as if he had seen the Grim Reaper himself, his voice filled with sobs and despair: "My lord, spare me! Your Honor, spare me! I've told you everything, I've really told you everything!"

Zhang Jingwei gestured for someone to bring a chair and sat down a short distance from Chang San. He didn't ask any questions immediately, but instead coldly scrutinized Chang San with his only remaining open eye, his gaze seemingly able to pierce through flesh and reach straight to the soul. The torture chamber was deathly silent, save for the occasional crackling of the flames and Chang San's heavy, fearful breathing.

After a long silence, Zhang Jingwei finally spoke, his voice exceptionally clear and cold in the empty torture chamber: "Chang San, according to your confession, your two older brothers died in the fight. So, I ask you, what brings you to the government office looking for someone? Or do you have another scheme?"

Startled by the direct question, Chang San stammered, "Your Honor, please understand! We...we weren't blood brothers! We were just distant relatives from the same clan, who became sworn brothers in our youth! It was...it was they who were bewitched by that vixen Ningxiang, their lust so outrageous that they disregarded brotherhood, fought each other, and killed one another! I reported to the authorities...I reported to the authorities because..." His face showed genuine fear, "because their bodies, and Ningxiang, just vanished! It's...it's too bizarre! I'm scared! I thought...I thought it was retribution, or that we encountered something unclean! I couldn't bear to stay alone, so I thought of reporting to the authorities, perhaps...perhaps the authorities can find out the reason..."

"Oh? Not blood brothers?" Zhang Jingwei narrowed his eyes. "Even if they are just relatives or sworn brothers, after so many years together, there should be some affection between them. How could you be so heartless as to watch them kill each other, and even... participate yourself?" He stared intently at Chang San's expression.

"No! No!" Chang San hurriedly defended himself, trying to make his words more convincing. "I didn't kill the eldest brother! Sir, please listen to me! We escorted Ningxiang all the way. Although the two brothers sometimes quarreled, they were generally at peace. Until we entered Gaoyang territory, that night, we found a secluded place to spend the night, planning to enter the city the next day."

He swallowed hard, his eyes darting around as if recalling that terrifying night: "The boss... the boss said he was going to give Ningxiang some water. But... but somehow, not long after he went in, we heard Ningxiang screaming and struggling! My second brother rushed in as soon as he heard it, and then we heard them fighting! I ran over to see what was happening and saw the boss trying to rape Ningxiang like a madman, while the second brother desperately tried to stop him. The two of them were wrestling, hitting each other very hard, their eyes were bloodshot!"

"And you? What were you doing at the time?" Zhang Jingwei pressed.

"Me?" Chang San's face showed regret and helplessness. "I... I wanted to go up and break up the fight, but with my skills, how could I be a match for the two of them? Instead, I was pushed and shoved a few times. When I saw that the situation was not right, I was afraid that Ningxiang would take the opportunity to run away or get hurt, so I dragged her out of the corner and took her to a bush a little further away, intending to tie her to a tree to ensure her safety."

"and then?"

"Then I rushed back to try and separate them." Chang San's voice trembled. "But... but it was only for a short while! When I rushed back in, the eldest brother... was already lying on the ground, a huge gash in his neck, blood gushing out, and he was about to die! The second brother, Chang Li, was holding a bloodstained dagger, panting heavily, his eyes bloodshot, staring at me like a wild beast! I was terrified, and as soon as I called out 'Second Brother,' he howled and lunged at me! He was fighting for his life! I... I instinctively defended myself, and in the struggle, somehow, the knife in his hand... slashed himself... and then... and then he fell down too..." He closed his eyes at this point, his face full of pain.

Zhang Jingwei was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Could it be... that you've long harbored feelings for Ningxiang and wanted to possess her exclusively, so you deliberately provoked or allowed them to fight, or even took the opportunity to do something underhanded?"

"Absolutely not!" Chang San suddenly opened his eyes, denying it excitedly, even struggling, causing the ropes to tighten. "Sir! I swear to heaven! I... I'm a born eunuch! I have absolutely no manly ability! This... this matter is known to all the elders in the clan. If you don't believe me, you can... you can verify it!" His face showed an expression mixed with shame and an eagerness to prove his innocence. "If I had that lustful desire, I wouldn't have the ability! What use would I have for Ningxiang?"

"A eunuch?" Zhang Jingwei and Yuan Liang exchanged a glance; this was unexpected information. If true, Chang San's motive of lust would indeed be greatly diminished.

“Even so,” Zhang Jingwei steered the conversation back to the core issue, “What about Ningxiang? You tied her to the bushes, what happened to her afterwards?”

Chang San's face once again showed that ghostly fear: "I... I treated my two brothers' injuries... no, after confirming they were all dead, I was in a daze, both scared and regretful. When I calmed down a bit, I remembered Ningxiang was still tied up, so I quickly ran back to the bushes to look for her... but... but she just vanished! The rope was cut, and there were only signs of struggle on the ground! In less than half an incense stick's time! It was so dark, where could a weak woman tied up have gone? I searched the vicinity for a long time, not daring to shout loudly for fear of attracting others, but I just couldn't find her! A living person, like... like she evaporated!"

Zhang Jingwei leaned forward and emphasized, "In your confession, you said you intended to bury the body, but a sudden flood swept you and the body away. Afterwards, you searched for a long time but couldn't find the body, right?"

"Yes...yes, sir! Every word is true!" Chang San nodded repeatedly.

“But,” Zhang Jingwei’s voice suddenly turned cold, like an icicle, “I sent men to search the section of the canal you mentioned, both upstream and downstream, as well as any possible waters, mudflats, and forests nearby, no less than ten times! Not to mention the bodies of two adult men, we didn’t even find a decent piece of clothing or a suspicious bone! Chang San, you’re still lying! Where are the bodies?! And where is Ningxiang?!”

Chang San was terrified by this sudden and stern questioning. He shook his head frantically, tears and snot streaming down his face: "No! My lord! I really didn't lie! The body really was washed away by the water! Ningxiang also disappeared on her own! If I have uttered even the slightest lie, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death! Every word is true, my lord!"

Yuan Liang pondered for a moment, then whispered to Zhang Jingwei, “Sir, if the body is never found, Chang San’s testimony alone is not enough to convict him of murder. There is another possibility… perhaps Chang Da and Chang Er did not die on the spot, or perhaps they were swept away by the current and managed to wake up and hide in a nearby village. As for Ningxiang… perhaps, as he said, she managed to escape on her own.”

Zhang Jingwei glanced at Yuan Liang, then at Chang San, who was tied to the pillar and wailing in despair. He knew that torture might yield answers faster, but Yuan Liang's concerns were valid. If Chang San were beaten to death, or if he made a false confession, the truth might be lost forever. Moreover, the inability to find a body remained the biggest loophole in the case.

He stood up, his brow furrowing slightly as the movement aggravated his injury, and his tone regained its usual businesslike calm:

"Chang San, since you have confessed to killing people, then you can stay in jail for now. Once the bodies of your two elder brothers are found, or if there is other conclusive evidence, the authorities will close the case and convict you."

Chang San, as if grasping at a glimmer of hope, hurriedly said, "Sir! I... I misbehaved! It was an accident!"

Zhang Jingwei turned and walked out of the torture chamber, leaving behind only a cold sentence that echoed in the gloomy room:

"Even if it was an accidental killing, according to the laws of my Celestial Empire, the murderer shall be sentenced to imprisonment or exile! You'd better watch yourself."

Stepping out of the torture chamber, the cool autumn night breeze invigorated Zhang Jingwei, but the physical pain and the mystery surrounding the case weighed heavily on his mind. How much of Chang San's words were true? How much were false?