Can a System Have Bad Intentions? - Chapter 38

“Hey, isn’t this Gu Changming’s jade pendant?”

Standing beside Magistrate Zhao was a constable from the county office.

After the scandal about Gu Changming’s night with three women broke out, the Gu family immediately reported it, claiming that Gu Changming had been framed and asking the magistrate to investigate thoroughly.

Unfortunately, soon after, trouble arose in Zhao Village, and Magistrate Zhao shelved Gu Changming’s case.

However, the constable who took over the case had continued his investigation.

Hearing the constable’s puzzled voice, Magistrate Zhao turned to him, “You recognize it?”

The constable took the jade pendant and examined it carefully again before handing it back to the magistrate. “Sir, when I was investigating the case of Gu Changming being drugged, I had several contacts with him. I’ve definitely seen him wearing this pendant before. It’s unmistakably his.”

Magistrate Zhao’s mind raced.

Since this jade pendant belonged to Gu Changming, why had Minister Feng found it on Chang Yuan?

Chang Yuan was one of Lu Deren’s men. If Lu Deren was truly a mountain bandit, why did he kidnap Lu Tang?

What was the point?

Was it just to extort thirty thousand taels of silver?

If he had stayed out of it, Lu Shuqing could have married Gu Changming smoothly. He could have gained far more than thirty thousand taels without causing the ridiculous issue of divorce and landing in prison.

No, no!

Everything he knew about Lu Deren came from Gu Yunhe and Lu Deren himself. He hadn’t verified it personally because he hadn’t taken it seriously, thinking only of doing Gu Yunhe a favor.

A flash of insight struck Magistrate Zhao. He thought of the people the Gu family had in the court.

Could it be that Lu Deren and Gu Yunhe had conspired to put on a big show for him, with their ultimate target being Zhao Village?

With this thought, everything seemed to fall into place for Magistrate Zhao.

The marriage alliance, the bandit kidnapping, all were just smokescreens. The Gu family’s people in the court wanted them to investigate and uncover the issues in Zhao Village, then trace it back up the chain.

But none of them had anticipated that Lu Tang would see something he shouldn’t have at the mountain hideout!

Lu Deren hadn’t expected that Qiao and Lu Tang would return from Sihe Town alive, much less that Lu Tang would publicly reveal everything!

The more Magistrate Zhao thought about it, the more fearful he became. Trembling, he rushed to his study, swiftly writing a secret letter and sending it off immediately.

If he was wrong, it would just be a false alarm. But if he was right, he couldn’t afford to let it slip and affect the whole faction.

After sending the secret letter, Magistrate Zhao rubbed the back of his head and began to ponder. If Gu Yunhe and Lu Deren were indeed working together, then who had sent Gu Changming to Spring Fragrance House Courtyard and who had sent Lu Yuchen to Spring Fragrance House Alley?

Ugh!

He felt like his head was going to burst!

Couldn’t they just live honestly? Why cause so much trouble to make things difficult for him?

Had he worked so hard as an official just to suffer from overthinking?

“Sir, we have a confession!”

While the magistrate was pulling his hair in frustration, a jailer from the prison arrived with a joyful expression, holding a statement.

The dossier was handed to the magistrate’s desk, and the jailer said, “Lu Yuchen was indeed framed. However, it was the innkeeper of Chunxi Inn who did it, mistaking Lu Yuchen for Lu Tang.

He originally wanted to ruin Lu Tang’s reputation and give him a venereal disease.

Unexpectedly, he targeted the wrong person, resulting in a death.”

County Magistrate:

Are you all idiots?

You can’t even recognize the right person!

“It’s understandable why the innkeeper of Chunxi Inn made the mistake. Lu Tang and Lu Yuchen are brothers and look somewhat similar. It was dark, so he got it wrong.”

County Magistrate:

Unable to make sense of many things, the magistrate, frustrated, wanted to hit someone. He slammed the table, his hand going numb from the impact, but suddenly thought of something.

This matter was not so simple!

The person who confessed was the innkeeper of Chunxi Inn!

Who was he? He was one of the bandits who had kidnapped Lu Tang and destroyed Zhao Village along with Lu Deren!

Even if it couldn’t be definitively concluded, there was a seventy to eighty percent chance!

Could his words be trusted?

“This confession is problematic. Reinvestigate. Also, Gu Changming being drugged might be related to him. Interrogate him as well!”

After a moment’s hesitation, Magistrate Zhao struggled internally, “The Gu family is suspected of colluding with bandits and causing trouble. Arrest Gu Changming!”

He wanted to see the Gu family’s reaction!