Records of Washed Away Injustices: Chapter 015 – Criminals & Prison Division (2)

Finally the end of this arc! Next is Lou Xi Yan’s manor + developments between Lou Xi Yan and Zhuo Qing!!

Getting back to translating first since I’m slightly tired of editing. More of Zhuo Qing’s tales coming soon though! One of my favorite scenes involving Zhuo Qing and Lou Xi Yan is coming soon (well, not THAT soon…I’ll try my best to get up to there ASAP)! Keywords involving the scene: hot spring, faking sickness, wet towel…XD. I think you can see where this is going…Lou Xi Yan’s such a sly fox.

Please comment down below on any mistakes found, thanks!
————————————————————
Just as she was unbridledly yawning away, Shan Yu Lan already walked through the jail cell door, coming straight towards her: “What you said is indeed the truth, and not even a word was incorrect. What is your name? Where are you from? Who is your master?”

In reality way before this youngster began reprimanding Wang Bing Sheng he had already arrived. The reason he stayed completely silent, is because he wanted to know, how much did this youngster understand about autopsies. He unexpectedly didn’t let him down at all, this youngster’s understanding towards livor mortis far exceeds any regular coroner.

Shan Yu Lan knew his questioning was rude, but he was eager to know this grey robed youngster’s identity, especially who his master is, just what kind of person is able to teach out such a disciple.

The corners of Zhuo Qing’s lips froze on the spot, this person’s questioning is too blunt!!

Awkwardly putting down the hand which covered her lips, Zhuo Qing’s ice cold voice had an obvious hint of waning interest, and replied: “Ti Xing Si-daren*, I think you’ve got something wrong. I am not your servant, and even more so not a criminal. You have the right to question me, but whether or not I answer you depends on my mood.”

Shan Yu Lan didn’t expect him to reply like this, and went blanked for a split second. The smile on the corners of Lou Xi Yan’s lips however become more and more intense.

It looks like doing whatever he wants and being absolutely unrestrained is his natural personality, looking back, he was actually already being quite polite to him last night!

“How impudent!” Afraid that Shan Yu Lan would get angry, Wu Zhi Gang hastily berated: “Ti Xing Si-daren is asking you something, you dare to not answer him?!”

Crossing her arms, Zhuo Qing was unexpectedly not angry, and instead with a mocking sort of smile she said: “I’m talking with Criminals & Prison-daren, you dare to interrupt?!”

“You—-” This this this is simply just a mutiny!! Wu Zhi Gang was so angry he was practically breathing out smoke, his face was flushed red, and his chest was violently moving up and down. His finger was pointed at Zhuo Qing while trembling uncontrollably, he repeated the ‘you’ word for a long time but still couldn’t spit out the next few words.

Zhuo Qing was slightly startled, is he alright, she didn’t seem to have said anything yet! He wouldn’t happen to have gotten a stroke right…..These ancients peoples ability to deflect such mental attacks are a bit weak no!

Zhuo Qing was genuinely afraid he would faint, good thing two bailiffs had just brought in a middle-aged man, breaking the awkwardness in the room.

“DaRen, Li Ming has been brought here.”

Regarding Zhuo Qing’s lack of manners, Shan-TiXing had restrained the emotions within himself, and Prime Minister Lou was calm and unruffled. Wu Zhi Gang was angered util he only had half a life left but couldn’t vent his anger anywhere so he could only violently bellow towards Li Ming: “Li Ming, Lin Bo Kang had been murdered by someone last night, and you happen to be the only one who’s seen Lin Bo Kang last night. What did you see at that time, were you the one who killed him!!”

Li Ming hurriedly kneeled down, and lowered his head. His voice was somewhat trembling, but his reasoning was extremely clear: “DaRen I have been wronged! This-Lowly-Person is the Lin family’s housekeeper, Master has been in the prison for a good few months already, and went through much pain. I only came to deliver some clothing for Master. At that time Master was in a very bad mood, so This-Lowly-Person didn’t dare to stay too long, and only said a few words, then put down the clothing and left. This-Lowly-Person only stayed in the jail cell for less than a-burning-stick-of-incense’s time. At that time it was raining very heavily, the trees outside the prison had been blown over, and This-Lowly-Person even helped the bailiffs move the trees.”

This Li Ming’s stature is a bit more robust than the deceased’s. Fundamentally it is possible for him to have choked him until he loses unconsciousness then hang him up on the ceiling, while in accordance with the time of death, Li Ming is also the most suspicious, however there isn’t any actual evidence. Speculating the details of cases have always been Gu Yun’s strong point, she was only in charge of autopsies.

Stealthily taking a few steps back, Zhuo Qing retreated to outside the door of the prison, lazily leaned against the stone wall, and started to yawn endlessly. There shouldn’t be any of her business now……

“What do you have to say about this, you claim to have came here to deliver clothing, in that case did Lin Bo Kang change into his new shoes and clothing right in front of you?”

Slightly raising his head and looking at the simply dressed Shan Yu Lan, Li Ming then lowered his head again, and quietly replied: “No.”

His voice was gentle, but it brought along a stifling oppressive feeling. Shan Yu Lan continued to ask: “Besides delivering clothing to him, what else did you help him do?”

This time Li Ming didn’t ponder for too long, and replied: “This-Lowly-Person only gave the clothing to Master, said a few words then left.”

Shan Yu Lan suddenly walked inside the jail cell, towards the right side of the bed. On the simple and crude wooden planks, rice straw was messily spread over it.

Shan Yu Lan raised his hand, and gently picked up a few strands of rice straw from the bedside, a vague footprint shockingly appeared: “On the side of the deceased’s bed, there was a footprint covered in mud, however, the deceased is wearing a brand new pair of shoes, and even if it were his old shoes, the deceased has been in this jail cell for a few months and hasn’t gone out since, it wouldn’t get that dirty. Coincidentally it just so happens it was raining heavily last night, only you have entered the deceased’s jail cell within that period of time. This shoe print is from when you had hung up the corpse, am I right?”

Zhuo Qing slightly squinted her eyes and looked over there. She couldn’t see the footprint all that clearly, and hidden among rice straw, it was even harder to discover. Shan Yu Lan had only been outside of the door to the prison for most of this time right, he actually noticed that, what an attentive and sharp person!

Li Ming received a shock which jolted him from head to toe, then very vaguely he said: “No no……”

Wu Zhi Gang impatiently shouted out: “Take off his shoe to verify!”

Two bailiffs immediately followed his order, and rapidly took off Li Ming’s shoes. After comparing, they replied: “DaRen, Li Ming’s shoe and that shoe print are identical.”

Recieving a confirmation, Wu Zhi Gang’s flames of anger became even more rampant: “It really is you!! Li Ming how dare you!”

Zhuo Qing snorted disdainfully. This at the most can only prove Li Ming had stepped onto the wooden plank at that time, it’s only a complementary piece of evidence, you can’t convict him just because of this right!

Li Ming was trembling like a fallen leaf in the air since long ago. He immediately bent down on the floor, and begged: “I……DaRen, This-Lowly-Person was only….This-Lowly-Person only made a split moment’s mistake, I didn’t mean to harm Master!”

He admitted guilty already? Zhuo Qing felt something wasn’t right for some reason, but couldn’t point out what the exact problem was!

A spark flashed across Lou Xi Yan’s eyes, but it had faded away very quickly.

“From the beginning to the end you had been in the prison for only less than a-burning-stick-of-incense’s time. To murder someone, change their clothes, forge the imagery of suicide; you took care of everything down to the last detail, you still dare to say it was only a split moment’s mistake! Unless, you’re still hiding something! Explain yourself!”

His slightly elevated voice, his firm and persistent eyes, Shan Yu Lan was surrounded by an aura of righteousness. Not mentioning that Li Ming was so scared he was shivering with coldness, even Zhuo Qing had been shaken up.

Li Ming’s eyes were swiftly moving around, extremely alarmed, but was only incessantly begging: “DaRen please spare my life, DaRen please spare my life!”

If Li Ming really did plan out such a meticulous plan to murder someone, then he must be a calm and cold-blooded person, how can he be so frenetic like this right now. He’s the Lin family’s housekeeper, he shouldn’t have any deep hatred or animosity towards Lin Bo Kang, just what is his motive for murdering him?

“Li Ming! You ungrateful traitorous thing, when my husband was still alive he treated you with such kindness!!”

Mrs. Lin couldn’t hold back her resentfulness, she didn’t even think of it, the person who murdered her husband would actually be the housekeeper who’s followed him for so many years!!

The villagers also wished they could beat this ungrateful traitorous scoundrel to death.

For a moment the prison was filled with chaos.

Shan Yu Lan made some swift decisions, and said with a clear voice: “Imprison this person! Wait until This-Official checks over Lin Bo Kang’s record file, then I’ll re-do the hearing! Right or wrong, crooked or straight, that will all be naturally concluded.”

“Yes.” The bailiffs immediately brought Li Ming into a jail cell to the side. Mrs. Lin and the villagers were also lead out of the prison by the bailiffs.

Lou Xi Yan lightly clapped, the corner of his mouth was raised like before, he smiled and said: “Both the civil and military wings of the court have said that Shan-TiXing’s hearings are very well orderly, and your judgement on cases are swift and decisive. Having witnessed it today, you deserve your famous reputation as expected.”

“Prime Minister Lou has over-praised me.”

Still with that tranquil expression, Lou Xi Yan was already accustomed to it. The two walked out of the prison side by side.

Wu Si saw that Lou Xi Yan had come out, so he immediately went up to him, filled with extreme gratefulness he said: “Prime Minister-daren, thank you for helping us. Please don’t worry, we were the ones in the wrong to have kidnapped Miss, but we have absolutely not make things difficult for Miss. Miss is a kind person too, she even helped us write the indictment, and did an autopsy on our benefactor just now too, Miss……”

“Wait!” Lou Xi Yan’s eternally smiling face stiffened: “Did you just say the youngster who did the autopsy just now was Qing Feng!!”

Qing Feng? That youngster is actually a female? Shan Yu Lan looked at Lou Xi Yan, seeing that his face was filled with shock, this Qing Feng is rather remarkable. A person who can make Prime Minister Lou expose such an annoyed expression, not many can do that!

What Qing Feng? Wasn’t she called Zhuo Qing?! Wu Si was at a loss, and unconsciously raised his head to look for Zhuo Qing, but not even her shadow was found anywhere within the prison. “Hm? Where did she go?”
—————————
Notes:
– Ti Xing Si-daren: As I explained in the last chapter, this is basically Criminals & Prison-daren. I was initially going to use the latter but you see, it just sounded so wrong. Please tell me if you prefer the completely translated version or this transliterated version~