HLnovel Chapter 853 Heartbeat
Chapter 853 Heartbeat
Ying Xun nodded, "That's right, it's all recorded in the case file. We've asked many people, and they all say the same thing: Wang Jing said similar things in private, like Yu Lan was the one who ruined him, and he had to kill her!"
"Although the tailor shop took Wang Jing in, they suspected he might have contracted a sexually transmitted disease, so they didn't associate with him at all. The backyard where he lived was separate from the front yard, separated by a door that used to be open but was later locked. They took him in partly because of their kinship, and partly because they were probably worried that if they went too far, Wang Jing might retaliate in secret. So, although they provided him with a place to stay, the two sides had long since stopped interacting. Wang Jing lived in the backyard, with the door facing the back, and no one in the entire alley ever came and went; everyone avoided him as much as possible."
"We investigated and interviewed everyone that Miss Yulan had contacted, but in the end we couldn't find any useful clues. The biggest suspect was Wang Jing. His footprints were found on the road, and he didn't have an alibi. But at that time, he couldn't speak clearly and couldn't cooperate with the investigation. We brought him back and interrogated him countless times, but it didn't do anything useful. We had a doctor examine him and determined that he didn't have any dirty disease, but was poisoned. And the longer it went on, the deeper the poisoning became. There was no conclusive evidence, and we originally planned to let him go back. But who knew that as soon as we let him go back, the neighbors in the neighborhood, and even the merchants who did business on the two streets, wanted to cause trouble and even filed a complaint with the Jingzhao government."
“The case was handled by our Dali Temple. If it were transferred to the Jingzhao Prefecture, without conclusive evidence, the rule for handling this case would be to leniency based on the principle of 'presumption of guilt,' and Wang Jing would be exiled or sent to do hard labor. If he is not the murderer, then the truth about Miss Yulan’s case will never be revealed.”
Lu Yangyang understood his meaning. Yulan was merely a courtesan; once her death was settled, there was no possibility of overturning the case or uncovering the truth. If they wanted to bring justice to Yulan someday, the case should remain in the Dali Temple until Wang Jing recovered, or until he regained consciousness and explained the origin of the footprints. Then, right and wrong would be judged. If Wang Jing was the murderer, he would be punished according to the law; if he wasn't, at least they wouldn't have wronged an innocent person.
This is the reason why Ying Xun kept Wang Jing in Dali Temple even though he shouldn't have. It was actually a way of protecting Wang Jing, hoping that the truth could be found out one day.
Wen Qingqing, who had somehow gotten close to them and listened to the whole thing, looked at Ying Xun with bright, admiring eyes: "Lord Ying, you are such a good person!"
Lu Yangyang tilted her head. "Is the prescription ready?"
Wen Qingqing raised an eyebrow smugly: "With me on the case, is there any poison I can't handle? However, the antidote isn't difficult to make. This poison causes long-term damage to the body, so the antidote won't take effect immediately. It might take three to five months to cure him, depending on his recovery. But after taking the medicine, he should wake up in a couple of days. As for how much his brain will recover, that's hard to say. In his current condition, if he takes strong medicine, the antidote could kill him."
Lu Yangyang nodded: "I just checked his pulse. His body is so damaged that he's barely clinging to life. Even if the poison is cured and he's given the best possible care, he probably won't last more than two years."
The human body cannot withstand such abuse. Even if the toxins are detoxified, the body's foundation is already completely damaged.
Ying Xun cupped his hands in thanks: "It is already a great blessing to have the help of the two young ladies. I am extremely grateful."
Looking at Ying Xun's serious expression, Wen Qingqing couldn't help but swallow, her heart beating a little fast.
She discovered for the first time that righteous men really do seem to radiate light!
Lu Yangyang didn't notice her odd behavior, but instead brought up another question, "Lord Ying, do you think the neighbors and people in the area have the best impression of Wang Jing from when he was a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) or after he contracted the disease? Do they remember what he looked like before?"
Upon hearing this question, Ying Xun frowned and thought for a moment. "It's most likely from later. Wang Jing isn't from the capital. He's the nephew of the original owner of that tailor shop. When he came to the capital on a delivery mission, he would visit his uncle. After his uncle passed away a few years ago, the tailor shop was taken over by his cousin, and Wang Jing didn't visit for about a year or two. He wasn't close to his cousin. Later, after falling ill and having nowhere to go, he came to the capital to seek refuge. The neighbors in the neighborhood don't have a deep impression of him from before, and even his cousin isn't very familiar with him. The description of his appearance is also not detailed, saying that he's tall and big, with a full beard, and a bit fierce."
"He came back looking the same after contracting the disease, except that his face was covered in bumps. Many people didn't dare to look at him, fearing that he might have some kind of contagious disease. So most people avoided him. People in Lanxianglou who had seen him before described him as being similar to the neighbors. Apart from that, he had no other obvious features."
After speaking, Ying Xun immediately understood Lu Yangyang's suspicion: "Are you suspecting that Wang Jing's identity might be problematic?"
Lu Yangyang wasn't entirely sure: "I'm just guessing. It's not for any other reason, but because of this poison. I'm sure Qingqing already told you about it yesterday. That's the strangest thing. Who would spend such a price to deal with a镖师 (bodyguard/escort)? It's completely illogical."
Wen Qingqing chimed in, "That's right, and this poison has such a name, besides being another name for that priceless piece of cloth, it's also..."
Wen Qingqing was speaking when she suddenly stopped, looking as if she couldn't get the words out.
Lu Yangyang and Ying Xun looked at her at the same time. Lu Yangyang urged, "Or what?"
"Ahem," Wen Qingqing blushed slightly for some reason, glanced sideways, and explained softly with a hint of awkwardness, "When my senior sister helped me make this poison, she explained it to me. She said that the previous dynasty's royal family was incredibly decadent, and I don't know who came up with this idea, but men and women would wrap themselves in this expensive fabric and soak in a wine pool. After soaking in the wine, it would release a slight toxicity, causing the skin to redden and feel hot, slightly itchy but not to the point of ulceration. It would also greatly enhance the fragrance of the fabric, playing with a kind of sensual allure… So the reason this poison was developed is actually…"
Lu Yangyang and Ying Xun were completely oblivious to the corrosive effects of the poison. Instead, they simultaneously and accurately extracted the key phrase, exchanged a glance, and exclaimed in unison, "The former dynasty?"