The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 106 - Interrogation

The news from Ma Yongfu's side was always reliable, and since he reported that the person had been found and was en route to the capital, it was now time to deal with Huang Yuanwai.

Song Chuyi donned a cloak and left the house under the pretense of visiting the Cui family. She wandered around there for a while before changing to another carriage at the east gate, heading straight for the alleyway.

Along the way, an unexpected interruption occurred: Ye Jingchuan was visiting the Cui residence with the Princess of Zhennan and Lady Guo, who had just returned to the capital. Seeing Song Chuyi's intention, he made a fuss, insisting on accompanying her.

The first time she encountered this young master in Tongzhou, she had assumed he, like Ye Jingkuan, was a composed and strategic figure. But after interacting with him, she realized that this future general had the heart of a righteous young knight.

Unable to shake him off, Song Chuyi reluctantly agreed to let him join, under the condition that he wouldn't ride on horseback—after all, as the second son of the Zhennan Prince's household, there were many eyes watching his every move, even though he wasn't as prominent as Ye Jingkuan.

Fortunately, Ye Jingchuan didn't mind these restrictions, happy to simply tag along.

As they dismounted the carriage, Ye Jingchuan looked around and frowned, "This place... Why are you here? If you're looking for someone, I could handle it for you."

With his serious demeanor, he looked quite intimidating, which startled Luyi. She instinctively tugged at Song Chuyi's sleeve and suggested, "Miss, perhaps we should take this man somewhere else for questioning? Young Master Ye has a point; this place isn't suitable for you."

Song Chuyi glanced at her, and Qingtao stepped forward to knock on the door five times.

A tall, thin man with a pockmarked face answered the door. Despite the cold weather, his face was greasy, and his narrowed eyes gave him a particularly menacing look.

Ye Jingchuan grew even more confused, but knowing that if he pressed too much he might be dismissed, he decided to keep quiet and followed Song Chuyi inside.

The courtyard had a banyan tree with an incense table beneath it, likely used for mid-month moon worship. As Ye Jingchuan glanced around, he became more certain of the place's unsavory nature, unable to fathom why Song Chuyi would come here.

Inside the main hall, a plump man lay bound and tied up on the ground. Ye Jingchuan finally asked, "Who is this?"

Ma San cast a sidelong glance at him, then looked at Song Chuyi, considering what to say. In just a few days, Song Chuyi had proved herself far more capable than he initially thought, handling each task in ways that he found novel and impressive. Seeing her remain composed even in this setting, and knowing her powerful uncle, he dared not speak disrespectfully.

Though she hadn't planned to bring Ye Jingchuan along, now that he was here, he could indeed be useful. Without holding back, Song Chuyi explained the entire affair with Song Yi, then added, "I spent quite some effort locating this man; it wasn't easy."

She signaled Ma San to remove the filthy rag from Huang Yuanwai's mouth, though his eyes remained covered.

After having his mouth gagged all night, Huang Yuanwai's jaw ached terribly. He clicked his jaw a few times before trying to sound threatening, "Who are you people? Do you know who I am?! If you don't release me, there will be consequences!"

Ma San kicked him mercilessly, and he quieted down.

Qingtao and Luyi laid a cloth over the chair for Song Chuyi, who sat down and waited calmly until Huang Yuanwai broke into a cold sweat. Then she finally asked, "I hear you accused Prefect Song of seizing your land, taking over your property, and abducting your daughter, causing her to uphold her virtue by taking her own life?"

The veins on Huang Yuanwai's forehead pulsed. Though he was tied up and his large frame limited his movement, he still tried to inch himself back, forcing a chuckle. "Oh, so it's about that matter, is it? Well, isn't this already with the Ministry of Justice?" He let out a hearty laugh, adding, "I was wondering why, without any enemies in the capital, I'd end up kidnapped. So it's about that matter. But look, besides the illustrious Changning Marquis's family, who else would care enough to come looking for me here? Covering my eyes is just pointless, isn't it?"

Song Chuyi ignored his attempt to steer the conversation and shot a look at Ma San, who promptly stomped hard on Huang Yuanwai's thigh, making him cry out in pain.

"As I recall, your petition stated that the one who died was your second daughter, Huang Zhen'er, and that she was even added to your family's ancestral registry. Am I correct?" Song Chuyi took a sip of the red date tea handed to her by Luyi, observing Huang Yuanwai's momentary bewilderment before continuing. "But, strangely enough, there's word that your 'deceased' daughter is alive and well, married to a village head down in Zhuzhou. Now that's quite odd—could there possibly be two Huang Zhen'ers from the same family?"

Huang Yuanwai, growing wary, withdrew further, bracing himself, "I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Song Chuyi let out a soft laugh that, though innocuous to most ears, landed like a thunderclap for Huang Yuanwai, whose conscience was pricked, making his heart pound wildly.

"Whether you know or not doesn't matter as long as your wife and eldest son know." Her tone was clear and chilling, causing Huang Yuanwai to shiver. "I just wonder if you care. After all, those two you've got hidden in the courtyard—rumor has it you're planning to buy them back as concubines, and they might bear you more sons. As for the current one, though he's already fourteen and even took the county exams, it's no big deal... sons, after all, can be raised. Who's to say you won't have a better one in another ten years? Surely someone of your ambition, Huang Yuanwai, wouldn't fret about that, right?"

Watching in awe, Ye Jingchuan couldn't help but marvel at Song Chuyi's ability to turn black into white and the living into the dead with such ease.

As expected, Huang Yuanwai's face twisted in a mix of rage and fear, and he struggled, yelling, "Don't touch my son! He has nothing to do with this! He knows nothing!"