Chapter 114

Chapter 114: Wu Liang Got Busted

Wu Liang finally lost his calm. He hid it well, but many people still caught it.

Yu Zhi Yi did not give him time to stall: “The first piece of evidence is a witness. Did you think that after changing your name, no one would recognize you? Those who died on the road during the flight were the ones who could not escape the flood, but many people who knew you left before the flood.”

She said, “By chance, one of your classmates was so outstanding that a lord took him in as a disciple long ago. He is now in the Capital.”

Yu Zhi Yi looked at Wu Shan and said, “Take my token and go to the Hanlin Academy again. Find the Hanlin Academy compiler Wu Ju Xian, and say a director from the Ministry of Justice asks him to serve as a witness.”

She paused, then lowered her voice to whisper an extra reminder.

Wu Shan worked fast. Although North Outskirts Street was a good distance from the Hanlin Academy, he returned in less than half an hour, and a middle-aged man on a tall horse followed behind him.

When he saw the middle-aged man, Wu Liang was first shocked. But he quickly hid it and put on a confused face.

The newcomer was one of the Hanlin Academy compilers, Wu Ju Xian. He had seen Yu Zhi Yi at a palace banquet, so he walked straight to her and bowed: “This official, Wu Ju Xian, greets Official Yu. May I ask why Official Yu summoned me here?”

Yu Zhi Yi pointed at the man in front: “This Wu Liang, he is your townsman, yes? Do you still remember him?”

Wu Ju Xian looked Wu Liang up and down for a moment, and at first his eyes showed no recognition. But when his gaze landed on Wu Liang’s eyes, he suddenly understood: “Replying to lord, it has been more than ten years since I last saw Wu Liang, so my memory is not strong. However, as a child he was disliked for a pair of ‘three-whites’ eyes, with white showing on three sides of the pupil. The elders in our village said people with such eyes would grow up to bring trouble to their neighbors, and they would not let us play with him. Seeing those eyes made me remember. He is indeed Wu Liang.”

At the sight of Wu Ju Xian, Wu Liang visibly panicked. He still tried to struggle: “I do not know you at all! Plenty of people have three-whites eyes. You can’t call me a murderer because of a pair of eyes!”

His words had barely fallen when a furious shout burst out: “Ma Bo Cai, you bastard, pay your debt! May your son be born without an anus!”

A figure dove at him.

You Bing Yue frowned and moved by instinct to kick the attacker away, but when she tried to act, it felt like something had tied her feet. She could not lift them!

While You Bing Yue wrestled with that strange force, the figure reached Wu Liang and slapped him left and right across the face: “You punk, you borrowed one hundred taels from me back then and swore you’d pay me back with interest after you passed the exams. So many years have passed and you haven’t even made licentiate!”

“I fell for your slick tongue and actually believed ‘if you say you’ll pass, you’ll pass.’”

“To hell with you, pay me back!”

“If you don’t pay me back, I’ll beat you to death!”

The attack happened so fast that only after Wu Liang had taken twenty or thirty blows and his face had swelled did the crowd remember to rush in and pull them apart.

Wu Liang pointed at the man, shaking with rage: “Where did this lunatic come from? I don’t know you!”

The man gave a cold laugh: “You owe me money, of course you’ll say you don’t know me. But I have proof.”

He pulled an IOU from his robe: “Look closely. This is the note you wrote me back then, and the village chief signed as witness. The village chief and the others may be dead, but this IOU is real. If you dare deny it, I’ll take it to the yamen!”

Wu Liang’s face changed hard.

He finally snapped out of his daze and realized this person was an old acquaintance of Ma Bo Cai’s circle. He had heard that Ma Family Village had suffered terrible losses, and at that time they were still hundreds of li from the Capital City. [On such a long road, it makes sense that only one strong man might survive.]

Thinking that, he changed his tune. He glanced at the name on the IOU, then gritted his teeth and said, “Bangzi, I remember now. I did borrow one hundred taels from you. Don’t worry. After I settle my case, I will pay you back.”

The “Bangzi” shot over to Wu Shan, fawning as he spoke: “Lord, I did exactly what you said. This little bastard has admitted it. He isn’t Ma Bo Cai at all.”

He turned back to Wu Liang with open disdain: “How dare you steal Bo Cai’s name? He was a famous wonder worker around our parts, and he was handsome too, not like you with that ghastly face. Bo Cai was a gentle young master. Even our magistrate’s daughter was smitten with him!”

Wu Shan cupped his fists to Yu Zhi Yi: “Big Boss, it’s done.”

Yu Zhi Yi smiled at Wu Liang: “No one forgets a huge sum like one hundred taels. If you were truly Ma Bo Cai, you would know he never borrowed from others. He often lent money.”

She looked at the middle-aged man beside her: “Like this Ma Er Gou. When he was fifteen, he secretly borrowed two taels from Ma Bo Cai because he wanted to marry but could not afford the bride price.”

Wu Liang stared in shock: “Ma… Er Gou?”

Yu Zhi Yi nodded: “That’s right. He is not Ma Bangzi. His name is Ma Er Gou.”

That one-two-three hit left Wu Liang stunned. For all his sly tricks, he could not find an excuse to explain away the contradiction. Seeing his reaction, how could the crowd not understand? He had stolen another man’s name.

Yu Zhi Yi gave the final word: “You killed Ma Bo Cai, and you killed the parents and wife of Old Man Zhang. You hid those crimes deep, but the way you murdered that family of eight was clumsy. The evidence is everywhere, and all of it points to you, Wu Liang.”

“Even if you refuse to confess to the rest, these eight lives alone are enough for the law of our Great Sheng Empire to slice you to pieces.”

Her eyes were clear and bright. The clearer they were, the more the filthy felt ashamed under her gaze.

Wu Liang wilted.

Yu Zhi Yi looked around. Her airy voice reached every ear: “I, the official, am newly appointed, but I will not wrong the innocent just to make a show.”

“On the contrary, because I shoulder this duty, I, the official, will guard my reputation even more, so as not to fail Your Majesty’s trust, nor the will of Heaven that sent I, the official, into this world.”

“You may rest easy. In any case handled by I, the official, the wicked will not escape, and the good will not be wronged. The dead will receive justice, and the living victims will also receive justice.”

Her words were not thunderous, yet they set hearts on fire.

No one knew who shouted first: “Lord is wise!”

Voices yelling “Wise!” rolled across the whole street.

Du Zi Heng pressed his lips, his chest swelling with feeling, [I can’t even name what I’m feeling right now.]

You Bing Yue, angry, vaulted out the window. She did not want to look at this dazzling scene another moment, [I can’t stand this.]

Du Zi Heng glanced at the swaying window frame, remembered what she had done a moment ago, frowned, and ran after her.

Yu Zhi Yi did not mind. Old Man Zhang had been saved, and the serial killer had been caught, but one matter was still unfinished.

It was the matter of Old Man Zhang’s son’s whereabouts.