Chapter 27 The Most Venomous Woman's Heart

Zheng Shanqi was in the county jail.

Although Zhao Wancang didn't report him to the authorities, this fellow's bad habits persisted, and the very next day, he found somewhere else to steal from.

His luck was just as rotten, and he got caught.

He also sustained a bite to the rear from a guard dog.

This time, the victim reported him to the officials, and Zheng Shanqi ultimately couldn't escape imprisonment. But as a habitual offender, going in and out of jail was the norm for him, and he'd be back out after about ten days or so.

And once out, he was "a hero" again.

With the help of Liao, a bailiff from the Liushan Division, Jiang Shouzhong got to see Zheng Shanqi.

Contrary to the sleazy image of a petty thief, Zheng Shanqi possessed a somewhat valiant appearance.

He had a small, sharp hawk nose with a visible scar across the bridge, piercing eyes, and a rather broad frame.

Apart from the heavy dark circles under his eyes, his appearance didn't relate to the likes who sneakily steal chickens or dogs.

Perhaps knowing the purpose of Jiang Shouzhong and his team's visit, Zheng Shanqi immediately raised three fingers and said nervously,

"Gentlemen, I swear, Ge Dasheng's death has nothing to do with me. If there's any deception in my words, let the heavens strike me with lightning! May I be struck dead by a carriage upon leaving, drown in a manure pit when using the privy, or be drained to death visiting a brothel..."

"Oh right, sir, I want to report a crime!"

Zheng Shanqi suddenly remembered something and said urgently, "When I was stealing... no, no, no, I wasn't stealing. I was just wandering around when I inadvertently witnessed someone trafficking young girls.

Sir, I'm not lying, several girls are being held captive in a courtyard.

Why not let me out, and I'll personally lead you there to rescue them. That should count as atoning for my crimes, don't you think?"

Jiang Shouzhong asked expressionlessly, "Why didn't you report it to the county government?"

Zheng Shanqi replied helplessly, "I've told too many lies in the past, they simply don't believe me. Plus, a while back, when I said I saw a talking rabbit and reported it, you guys from the Liushan Division didn't believe it either, did you?"

Seeing Zheng Shanqi continuing to babble on, Jiang Shouzhong frowned and said coldly,

"Enough, we will investigate what needs to be investigated. Now, answer only what I ask, no more useless talk!"

"Yes, yes, yes, just ask away, sir..."

Zheng Shanqi bowed repeatedly.

The shackles on his feet clinked loudly.

Jiang Shouzhong, out of habit, took out the small booklet he carried around for notes and asked,

"Four days ago, you and Ge Dasheng went to steal from Zhao Wancang's home, and Ge Dasheng, who was supposed to be on the lookout, suddenly disappeared. Do you know where he went?"

"Damn it, just thinking about that makes me furious!" Zheng Shanqi's face flushed with resentment as he clenched his fists in anger, "I thought that bastard had some sense of loyalty, but he stabbed me in the back!"

"You seem to be quite fond of calling yourself 'old,'" noted Lu Renjia with a cold snicker.

Zheng Shanqi's expression changed, and he slapped himself twice, clasping his hands together and apologizing continuously, "My apologies, gentlemen, I'm just... I mean, I'm used to speaking that way, I never called you officials that."

"Cut the crap and get to the point," Jiang Shouzhong frowned.

"Alright, alright..."

Zheng Shanqi wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued, "That night, we were short on money and thought about stealing something. We heard that Zhao Wancang had an argument with his wife, and in a fit of rage, she returned to her parents' home. Zhao Wancang went to persuade her to come back.

So, his house happened to be empty that day, and we figured we'd steal something.

Ge Dasheng was in charge of keeping watch while I did the stealing.

I didn't expect that before I even found anything valuable and after breaking into the house, Zhao Wancang came back home in the middle of the night.

Damn it, at that moment I kept yelling for Ge Dasheng, that bastard, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Later Zhao Wancang caught me and beat me up before letting me go.

The next day when I found Ge Dasheng, that son of a gun said he had a bout of diarrhea. Who'd believe that crap! Surely that guy dozed off and screwed everything up. Seeing Zhao Wancang coming back and fearing he might report to the officials, that coward ran off first..."

"Did Ge Dasheng say anything else unusual, like he planned to blackmail someone?"

Jiang Shouzhong stared at the man intently.

Zheng Shanqi was momentarily taken aback, then shook his head in denial, "He never told me to extort anyone, does he have the gall?"

However, Zheng Shanqi suddenly seemed to recall something and frowned,

"But he did say something odd. That lad lamented a few phrases about 'women's hearts are the most poisonous' or something along those lines. He also mentioned that he should be more careful when choosing a wife in the future."

Women's hearts are the most poisonous?

Jiang Shouzhong and Lu Renjia exchanged glances, a sense of doubt blooming in their hearts.

…

After leaving the county jail, Jiang Shouzhong and his two companions proceeded to Antai Street to question Zhao Wancang.

Before departing, Lu Renjia invited Head constable Liao to have some fun at the Spring Rain Building.

Liao neither refused nor accepted, only responding vaguely with, "I've been too busy with official duties lately, I'll see when the time comes."

Without intending to joke, Jiang Shouzhong said, "We'll have a good drink when Head constable Liao gets promoted."

With a sparse head of hair and only a small tuft remaining, Liao's complexion turned slightly unnatural. He glanced at Zhang Yunwu, with whom he used to have a fairly good relationship, moved his lips but didn't say anything.

Upon arriving at Antai Street, but not yet at Zhao Wancang's front door, Jiang Shouzhong saw a crowd of neighbors gathered ahead.

The crowd was abuzz with discussion, pointing and whispering among themselves.

There were even a few slurred curses from drunk men.

They were hurling abuses like "harlot" and "shameless," and other crude and offensive words.

"What's going on up ahead?"

Lu Renjia stood on tiptoes trying to see, ready to ask, when suddenly a woman's indignant voice burst out, "You're talking nonsense!"

This familiar voice—

We Zhaodi!?

The three men's expressions changed, and they hurried forward.

Pushing through the crowd, it was indeed We Zhaodi.

The woman's fair cheeks were flushed with anger, her expression indignant as she held a package of medicinal herbs, glaring at the man who had cursed her, her red-rimmed eyes invoking pity.

"Zhao Di, what happened?"

Zhang Yunwu walked up to We Zhaodi.

Seeing her husband appear, We Zhaodi's face brightened with joy, and then, in quick succession, tears started to stream down her face as she expressed her grievance, "I went to Li Ji Pharmacy to fetch medicine for my mother-in-law, and as I passed by his house, I was insulted out of nowhere..."

Zhang Yunwu's expression became precipitously stern as he looked toward the man who had insulted his wife.

The man who had cursed her turned out to be Zhao Wancang.

At that moment, Zhao Wancang looked inebriated, his clothes disheveled and hair a mess.

He appeared to have been drinking all night.

A pair of bloodshot eyes still glared maliciously at We Zhaodi, seemingly unaware of Zhang Yunwu and his companions' arrival, he continued to curse, "She fools around with men and has the audacity to drag me into it! She made my wife run back to her parents' house. If she likes being vile, then let her go to that damned Spring Rain Building! With the way this bitch looks, who knows how many men have crawled in her bed!"

During the dispute, an inconspicuous carriage quietly stopped by the roadside.

It attracted little attention.

Inside the carriage sat a young man wearing an exquisite white silk robe, his demeanor composed.

He was lifting the curtain right now, observing the scene.

The man was none other than the Crown Prince, Zhou Wei, who had just left the palace and was on his way to find Li Guanshi,

"What's the matter, Wei'er?"

A graceful woman inside the carriage asked with furrowed brows, curious about why her son had suddenly instructed the coachman to stop.

Zhou Wei, with his lips pursed, did not speak. Instead, he gently caressed a piece of mutton-fat jade exquisitely carved into a jade pendant that hung at his waist, his brows betraying a touch of puzzlement.

For some reason, he felt inexplicably anxious and restless.

Particularly, when he saw that handsome government official among the crowd, he felt extremely uncomfortable.