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墨書 Inktalez
Hearing these words, He Xue Ting felt as if struck by a thunderbolt, his handsome face turning pale in an instant. After a moment of silence, he steadied his mind and forced a smile, saying, "Lord Nie, this joke is too much; you nearly scared me to death. I apologize for my reaction and hope you can forgive me."
It wasn't just He Xue Ting who was shocked; even I was taken aback by Nie Qiuyuan's words.
Using aconite poison in the lady's daily meals? If it were a small amount of aconite poison over time, it could indeed lead to confusion of the mind. Could it be that Madam He’s current state was a result of being driven mad by this poison?
I had complete confidence in Nie Qiuyuan's judgment. If he made such a claim, it must mean that Madam He exhibited signs of chronic poisoning from aconite. Even the slightest uncertainty would prevent him from making such a bold statement.
Was this really the best approach? To be so direct and blunt?
However, He Xue Ting's reaction was clearly unnatural; this person had something to hide. Now, how could Qiu extract the truth from him?
Before coming here, Qiu had mentioned that we would visit He Manor under the pretense of colleagues paying a social call, hoping to gather some intelligence on Madam He. There had been no talk of such a confrontational plan. Therefore, Qiu's current approach must mean he believed this moment called for such a choice, even if I still didn't fully understand why.
"He Sir, although I am not particularly skilled, I am still affiliated with the Ministry of Justice and have some knowledge of toxicology. The symptoms of long-term aconite poisoning are quite evident; I can see that much," Nie Qiuyuan said slowly, raising an eyebrow as he glanced at He Xue Ting.
He Xue Ting paused for a moment before gradually furrowing his brow.
"Is it true, my lord? My wife is suffering from aconite poisoning? How dare those wretched servants harm the mistress? I must investigate this matter thoroughly!"
Upon hearing this, Nie Qiuyuan chuckled softly.
"If such symptoms are apparent even to me, how could you have visited renowned doctors without discovering it? He Sir certainly knows how to amuse."
He Xue Ting hesitated for a moment before frowning and asking, "What do you mean by that?"
"What do you mean? Wasn't it clear just now? In fact, even if you stop consuming the poison now, Respected Lady, you probably won't be able to return to how things were before."
"Are you implying that I poisoned my own Wife?" He Xue Ting suddenly lost control and exploded in anger. "I have heard that you were promoted from the position of Yichuan County Magistrate to Deputy Minister of the Dali Temple because of your detective skills, which I have admired for a long time. Today, I must admit I am confused!"
Nie Qiuyuan remained calm and unperturbed, merely smiling as he gazed at the pond ahead, responding with an answer that seemed unrelated: "To be honest, He Sir, I understand the worries of a woman who harbors feelings for someone else. Qiu Yuan has thought about it too. There was a time when I considered keeping her by any means necessary, regardless of whether it meant breaking her wings or whether she cried—just as long as she stayed by my side."
Huh? What is this? Is this some kind of psychological tactic? Yet Qiu Yuan's sincerity was undeniable, as if it came from the heart. Wasn't she only ever with me? So what was he worried about? Did this "someone else" refer to Zhang Yang? Oh my, could it be that his heart had once been so dark?
If I had chosen Zhang Yang back then, would Qiu Yuan have tricked me into drinking poison, made me foolish, and then kept me by his side, marrying me and raising me like a child?
If that were the case, what happiness could there be? Yet for some reason, imagining it this way suddenly made me understand the tragedy that existed within this family.
He Xue Ting fell silent for half a minute, during which I distinctly sensed a wavering resolve.
So Nie Qiuyuan pressed on, speaking slowly: "That Cui Langjun is truly infuriating; yet why can’t she forget him? No matter how well she is treated, her heart still belongs to that person. She wears only the clothes he loves and eats only the food he enjoys. Therefore, only by losing her mind can she forget him, right?"
The silence was still profound. I felt slightly relieved because this He Xue Ting clearly wasn't someone with particularly strong mental fortitude; thus, if we could grasp his weakness, we could conquer him! I suddenly understood why Nie Qiuyuan chose to attack head-on.
"But when a person goes mad, how can they ever forget? She remembers nothing and recognizes no one, yet all that comes out of her mouth is his name." Nie Qiuyuan leaned closer to He Xue Ting. "Even in moments of intimacy, she calls out that person's name, doesn’t she?"
He Xue Ting's temples bulged with veins as he suddenly grabbed Nie Qiuyuan by the collar.
"You! Deserve! To die!" he spat out each word with fury.
"Is it because of the damned that one must kill?" Nie Qiuyuan did not resist, allowing himself to be held, yet a hint of a provocative smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
"Killing... someone?"
He Xue Ting suddenly jolted, his pupils regaining focus. He glanced at the hand gripping Shangguan's collar and abruptly released it, a look of horror crossing his face.
"Forgive me, my lord. I was confused by the matter concerning the Wife; I truly lost my mind!"
"Indeed, it is because of this hatred that you have lost your mind. But what about those innocent women who died tragically? Are you not afraid they will come to seek you in the dead of night, watching you from beyond?"
"My lord, you..."
"Have you ever considered that perhaps there truly exists an Eighteen Layers of Hell from which one can never escape?"
He Xue Ting took a deep breath, suppressing the chaotic emotions within him.
"My lord's words today are beyond my understanding. Could it be that my lord suspects me to be involved in the murder case in Suzhou? You arrive in Suzhou without even beginning to investigate the case and already suspect those around you. If there is no evidence, my lord's unjust accusations against me will not be tolerated."
Such words were rather harsh, implying that as a superior coming to Suzhou, he intended to simply grab someone at random to take the blame. What kind of nonsense superior was that! However, Nie Qiuyuan remained unfazed and instead pulled out a piece of paper from his robe.
"He Sir, take a look here; this is where we first met. And what about this place?"
Following Qiu's finger pointing to the location, He Xue Ting realized that what he had taken out was actually a map of Suzhou City.
He Xue Ting stared at his finger, as if struck by lightning.
I saw that the spot he was pointing to was the location where we had discovered the female corpse a few days ago, and now his finger was positioned near the site of the body disposal. However, I couldn't comprehend what that place was, as we had never been there.
But looking at He Xue Ting's pale face, it was clear that this must be an important location, and it seemed that Nie Qiuyuan had guessed something.
What on earth had this guy secretly figured out? And why did he bring a map?
"He Sir, this temple has little incense burning and is unguarded at night. In a place like this, you wouldn't have to worry about running into anyone. But to plot murder in front of Buddha, do you truly disdain the heavens?"
What? The place he pointed to was the murder site? A temple?! How did he know?
"How did Lord Nie know?"
For some reason, He Xue Ting had completely calmed down; his tone became quite composed and tranquil, as if he had suddenly released a heavy burden. There seemed to be a hint of a smile at the corners of his lips.
But did that mean he was admitting something? Am I dreaming? There wasn't even any evidence presented yet, and the other party just surrendered automatically?
Nie Qiuyuan smiled and pointed to the belt around his waist.
"This is the new Official Robe purchased this year, with a newly changed belt style. This must be the only one, right? The female corpse from that day had some white powder under her nails. After looking at the map, I realized it was incense ash, and similarly, He Sir should take a look; there's a little bit of it in the weave of your belt."
Oh my god, darling, are your eyes microscopes?
"Of course, if you deny it outright, that's fine. I have already sent someone to the temple to investigate, and I believe we will find something related to the case. When an incident occurs, there will be traces left behind, and all traces can speak."
He Xue Ting smiled at him, remaining silent.
Nie Qiuyuan continued, "Aconite is a poison originally from the Western Regions. It is difficult to obtain even in Chang'an City, let alone in Suzhou. He Sir, I believe if you search thoroughly in your residence, you might find quite a bit. Why has this series of murders been so hard to investigate? He Sir, you are the head of the investigation for these cases; you know exactly how far along the case has progressed. How could you allow them to investigate smoothly?"
He Xue Ting sighed deeply and lowered his eyelids slightly. I knew that while what he said made sense, it was not enough to conclude the case. If he denied it firmly, we would likely have to investigate for a long time. Yet he did not continue to deny it.
"Lord Nie, you truly live up to your reputation. Everything you have speculated is remarkably accurate; Xue Ting greatly admires you." His tone had inexplicably become very calm.
"As you said, I am filled with hatred—hatred for that which I cannot attain yet cannot let go of. Over time, this hatred becomes a kind of madness. Lord Nie, you and Respected Lady are deeply in love; anyone can see that it is enviable. But if the one you love were in your arms, crying day and night, calling out another man's name even in her madness, perhaps you too would become mad and hate this world."
"In this world, how can there be so many vain and frivolous women who easily give their bodies and hearts? But those who give their hearts are never truly hers. Women are born to torment men; they are indeed worse than beasts! Therefore, all women should die!"
As he spoke these words—about women being worse than beasts and deserving death—He Xue Ting suddenly became agitated. His eyes turned red, veins bulging on his forehead, transforming his originally handsome face into something terrifying.
I was lamenting that it seemed not only Madam He had mental issues; He Sir's state of mind was also quite abnormal! Who would have thought that He Sir would immediately prove this point with his actions?
He suddenly turned around and swiftly reached out his hands toward my neck.
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