Chapter 547: Ping’an Solves the Case—Part II

“Zhang Wangshi, continue.”

After the scene had quieted somewhat, the Chun’an magistrate gave a slight nod, signaling for the young woman to go on.

“Wuu… Your Honor, three days ago my husband told me he had hired a boatman named Wang Gui and planned to depart this morning for Yingtian Prefecture to purchase goods. They agreed to set out at a quarter past the Mao hour. My husband rose early today—at the fourth quarter of the Yin hour—and after packing his luggage and valuables, he left the house…”

Her voice trembled as she spoke, soft sobs breaking through her words. She dabbed at her tear-streaked face, struggling to steady herself as she recounted the events.

“After my husband left, about an hour passed when my maid Bi’er came to report that someone was knocking urgently at the door—pounding and shouting, ‘Madam Zhang! Madam Zhang! Open the door quickly!’ I stepped into the courtyard and heard it myself, so I told Bi’er to open the gate. When we did, we saw it was the boatman, Wang Gui. I asked him why he was in such a hurry, what had happened…”

“Wang Gui looked anxious and said, ‘Madam Zhang, it’s already getting late—why hasn’t Master Zhang come aboard yet?’ Hearing this, I was shocked. My husband had already been gone for an hour—how could he not have boarded? Panic seized me, so I brought my maid and called some members of my natal family to follow the boatman to the riverbank to look for him. On the way, we encountered an acquaintance who said they had seen my husband take a small path as a shortcut to the river, and that by following the riverbank downstream, he would reach the dock. But when we arrived, there was only a single boat—no sign of my husband at all. Frightened and at a loss, I followed Wang Gui to the county office to report the matter…”

“My husband was a good man,” she continued, her voice breaking again. “He helped neighbors in need, funded bridges and roads, did countless acts of charity. He was known for keeping his word—if he promised something, he would fulfill it. If he said he would arrive at a certain time, he would never be late. For him to miss the agreed time… something must have happened. Your Honor, you must seek justice for me—for my husband!”

By the time she finished, she could no longer hold back her grief. Her quiet sobbing turned into heart-wrenching wails as she collapsed to her knees, pleading desperately for justice.

A low buzzing spread through the crowd, like the droning of countless flies. Though the presence of the officials kept voices subdued, whispers and murmurs rippled endlessly, especially as the young woman spoke.

“She opened the door the moment someone knocked, right after her husband left… what does that tell you? Clearly she’s used to such behavior.”

“Exactly. Poor Master Zhang—he didn’t deserve this.”

“I’ve heard before she wasn’t exactly virtuous. What respectable woman opens the door to a man so early in the morning? Maybe she mistook the boatman for her lover…”

“Walk by the river long enough, and your shoes will get wet. Still, Master Zhang was careless—taking a shortcut by the riverbank after last night’s rain? That ground would’ve been slippery as oil…”

Compared to the hushed gossip, Zhu Ping’an listened intently. Halfway through her account, his brows shifted slightly, lifting as if a tightly shut door in his mind had suddenly creaked open.

He glanced at the kneeling woman, then at the boatman Wang Gui waiting nearby, before finally turning his gaze toward the magistrate.

Let’s see how he handles this.

“Rise first,” the magistrate said, making a slight gesture. “As the people’s magistrate, it is my duty to uphold justice.” He had someone help the woman to her feet, then turned to the boatman. “You—tell your account as well.”

“Replying to Your Honor, this humble one is Wang Gui. My family has lived by the Yangtze for generations, making a living ferrying passengers. Three days ago, Master Zhang arranged with me to depart this morning at a quarter past the Mao hour for Yingtian Prefecture. We agreed to meet right here at the riverbank. I arrived at the Mao hour and waited… but when the appointed time came, Master Zhang still hadn’t shown up. I waited and waited—left, right, scanning the river—but even after nearly half an hour, he never came.”

“The timing had been agreed upon in advance. After reaching Yingtian, I was also supposed to pick up the young master of Li’s Tea House. If I delayed that, I’d be in serious trouble. So I hurried to Master Zhang’s residence to urge him along, to ask why he hadn’t boarded yet.”

“When I got there, I knocked urgently and called for Madam Zhang. She asked why I was in such a hurry, and I told her it was getting late and Master Zhang hadn’t come. She was shocked and said he had already left early in the morning. Then we all came back here together—but indeed, there was no sign of him. Since he had already left home, why hadn’t he arrived? That’s when I felt something was wrong, so I urged Madam Zhang to report it to the authorities.”

Wang Gui’s account matched Zhang Wangshi’s in every essential detail. Their perspectives differed, but the substance aligned perfectly.

Around them, the murmurs rose again.

Some insisted the young wife had conspired with a lover to murder her husband. Others believed Zhang had slipped into the river while taking the shortcut. Still others speculated he had been attacked somewhere along the riverbank on his way to the dock.

The magistrate listened in silence, his brows knitting slightly as he fell into thought. The testimonies showed no obvious contradictions.

After a moment, his expression eased slightly. He turned his gaze back to Zhang Wangshi.

“You mentioned meeting an acquaintance on the way—someone who said your husband took a shortcut to the river. Who is this person? Name them.”

In the magistrate’s eyes, this “acquaintance” was crucial. Whether Zhang had truly reached the riverbank depended on that testimony—and it could greatly influence the direction of the investigation.

“I…” The young woman hesitated, just for a moment.

“Who?” The magistrate’s gaze sharpened, deep and penetrating beneath his brows.

“Replying to Your Honor… it was a young man from my natal village, one who works carrying goods at the docks… Zhao Erlang, from Old Zhao’s family at the east end of the village.”

The moment she spoke, the crowd’s murmurs surged once more, louder and more animated despite the officials’ presence.

“Zhao Erlang? Isn’t he the one she was involved with before marrying Master Zhang?”

“So it’s him—no wonder she hesitated! Wasn’t he studying for the exams? Why’s he suddenly working at the docks? Short on money, perhaps?”

“Ah, poor Master Zhang… to think—bah! Adulterous pair!”

Fingers pointed, whispers sharpened. In the minds of the onlookers, countless imagined scenes unfolded, followed by waves of disdain and pity.

“Men!” the magistrate called, summoning four runners. “Go and bring Zhao Erlang here. I have questions for him.”

Bring him here?

Zhu Ping’an’s thoughts stirred. That round trip alone will take at least half an hour… and then the questioning… who knows how long this will drag on?

His gaze shifted—to the frail, sickly old man barely holding on to life, supported by his anxious son… to the scholar craning his neck toward the distant direction of Yingtian… to the expectant father rubbing his hands, glancing repeatedly toward home.

Time waits for no one…

He exhaled softly.

Very well. I’ll overstep my bounds this once.

Suddenly, a clear voice rang out, cutting through the restless air.

A simple-looking young man stepped forward from the crowd, his manner honest and unassuming. He pointed directly at the boatman Wang Gui and lifted his head to address the magistrate.

“Your Honor… please arrest this man. He is the murderer.”