TGCFNM -Chapter 204 The Case of Lord Cheng

Qinglong took a deep breath and reached out toward Zhang Dong. “Give me the account book.”

“No!” Chu Ling refused outright. “You didn’t even find the account book yourself, and yet you come here trying to take credit for someone else’s work?”

Qinglong gritted his teeth. “I’m not trying to take credit. I only want to ensure the account book is safely transferred back to the capital. I will report truthfully that it was you who found it.”

Chu Ling shook her head. “I don’t trust you.”

“You—!” Qinglong’s eyes widened. “I won’t steal your credit!”

But Chu Ling remained unmoved.

Frowning, Qinglong asked, “Then what exactly do you intend to do?”

Chu Ling told Zhang Dong to leave first with the account book, then looked at Qinglong. “I know what you’re thinking. You want to use this account book to nail the Si family for smuggling salt and bring them down. But the aristocratic families aren’t so easy to topple; at most, they’ll suffer minor punishments while avoiding real consequences.”

Qinglong frowned in silence.

“Not only that,” Chu Ling continued angrily, “other noble families will escape unscathed because of this, and it will be even harder to find evidence like this in the future.”

Qinglong pressed his lips together, staring at Chu Ling.

Squinting at him, Chu Ling said, “I don’t know whether you report directly to Prince Rui, or to the strategists under him. I know you’re anxious, but you’re making a mistake.”

Qinglong inhaled deeply and still extended his hand. “You don’t understand what the capital has become now. This account book will make the Si family pay a heavy price.”

“Just a heavy price?” Chu Ling mocked.

Qinglong was about to speak again, but Chu Ling raised her hand to stop him.

“If you have the ability, go find the account book yourself. But I warn you: don’t interfere with my plan, or you won’t have an easy time.”

With that, Chu Ling turned and left.

When Wan Sanjin followed, he glanced back at Qinglong. “If you plan to sneak into other families to get the account book and spook them, don’t expect us to come to your rescue.” Saying that, he left as well.

Su He looked at Qinglong and patted his shoulder. “You’re not thinking about the bigger picture.”

Qinglong waved to try to push Su He away, but found he couldn’t lift his arm. Suddenly, it felt as if all his strength had been drained, and he collapsed helplessly to the ground.

Su He released him and lowered his gaze. “I guessed you were going to use force to seize the account book. But like our lord said, if you have the ability, go get it yourself. If you try to take it from him, don’t expect an easy time.”

Qinglong’s vision went black, and he fainted in anger.

Chu Ling held back her fury all the way until they returned to the front hall. Only when she looked at the account book on the table did she exhale deeply.

“What a fool,” Chu Ling muttered, frowning in disdain.

Wan Sanjin asked curiously, “My lord, why did Qinglong suddenly end up like this?”

Chu Ling sat down and spoke in a low voice, “Probably he had no choice. If this account book had been sent to the capital, it would have caused a huge loss for the Si family, while also forcing the four great families to temporarily stop, giving the royal family a moment to breathe.”

Wan Sanjin nodded and suddenly understood, saying, “No wonder he tried to seize it.”

Chu Ling nodded in return, looking at Wan Sanjin. “It’s really just a matter of perspective. From Prince Rui’s viewpoint, he needed to take the ledger. But if I want the people of Dongle City to truly break free from the grip of the great families, then that ledger cannot leave with him.”

If the people of Dongle City were to be fully liberated, the authority of the imperial officials had to be above that of the four major families. Otherwise, with the families’ power supreme, the common people would have nowhere to turn.

“But, my lord, we also need to speed things up,” Wan Sanjin said.

Chu Ling nodded. Yes, it was time to accelerate.

The next day.

Today was the trial of Master Cheng’s accidental death, and the case had been entrusted by Master Cheng’s only daughter, Cheng Yunshu.

Out of magnanimity, Chu Ling had temporarily released Cheng Yunshu and Si Qing from prison, allowing them to attend the court and witness the trial.

Outside, countless townspeople had gathered, craning their necks to see, remembering how the Si family had caused a commotion at the government office, which had drawn a large crowd at the time.

Chu Ling adjusted her official hat, walked out calmly from the back, and slowly seated herself behind the desk.

“Bang!”

Chu Ling struck the gavel, startling Cheng Yunshu. Nanny Wang immediately stepped forward to support her.

Chu Ling lowered her gaze and coldly glanced at her before announcing loudly, “Today we try the case of Master Cheng’s accidental death. Defendants: Cheng Yunshu, Si Qing. Witness: Xiu’er.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Cheng Yunshu clutched Nanny Wang’s arm tightly, fear etched on her face, and looked up at Chu Ling.

Chu Ling gave her a cold glance and publicly read the autopsy report:

“The deceased, Master Cheng, had a skeletal age of fifty-seven. Cause of death: poisoning by arsenic. According to my investigation, the blade that pierced Master Cheng’s abdomen would indeed have caused fatal blood loss. However, based on the timeline, the poison acted first, so the official cause of death is poisoning.”

Chu Ling set the autopsy report aside and began to recount the case from beginning to end.

“Thirteen years ago, the wealthiest man in the region, Master Cheng, was choosing a husband for his daughter. Being his only child and beloved daughter, he intended to bring in a son-in-law through marriage. Preparations were complete, and Master Cheng had his eyes on a promising young man. However, the Si family, eager to claim Cheng family wealth, secretly bribed Master Cheng’s friend—the teahouse owner where guests frequented—and poisoned Cheng Yunshu.”

“When Cheng Yunshu woke and realized her innocence had been taken, she, not wanting to endure gossip and slander, fell for Si Qing’s sweet talk, deceiving her father into believing that their relationship was consensual. Master Cheng, unable to dissuade her, had no choice but to consent to the marriage. However, besides the originally promised dowry, the Cheng family’s estate was to go to distant relatives, not to his daughter.”

“Master Cheng’s true intention was that if his daughter’s marriage proved unhappy, she could always return, and the Cheng family would support her, ensuring she would be cared for—leaving her a safeguard. Yet, after marrying, following Si Qing in all matters, she believed her father had withheld the estate from her, and resentment grew.”

“Si Qing sowed discord, and Miss Cheng trusted him completely. The two staged a ruse, claiming Miss Cheng was being mistreated, returning home to demand that her father grant her the property. Poor Master Cheng, thinking his daughter truly suffered, tried to help her separate from Si Qing. But Miss Cheng refused, arguing with her father.”

“At this moment, Si Qing pleaded for leniency, promising lifelong care for Miss Cheng. Out of concern for his daughter, Master Cheng trusted his words, thinking him sincere. Unaware, he drank poisoned wine. After deceiving Master Cheng into drinking the poison, Si Qing hastily left, leaving Miss Cheng to inspect the situation.”

“By then, Master Cheng was already poisoned. Realizing Si Qing was not trustworthy, he advised Miss Cheng to divorce. Miss Cheng, claiming she was pregnant, argued with him, threatening his life, and even stabbed him before fleeing in panic. Si Qing returned and delivered another stab, causing Master Cheng to fall in a pool of blood, succumbing to both poisoning and excessive blood loss.”

Having finished, Chu Ling’s gaze turned cold as she looked at Cheng Yunshu. “Miss Cheng, what do you have to say for yourself?”

Tears streamed down Cheng Yunshu’s face, and she shook her head violently, sobbing, “No, my lord, it’s not like that…”