Meng Shuping sighed helplessly. "Ah, so they truly won't let him off, will they?"
A little while later, Miao Bi excitedly rushed over. "Fifth Young Master!"
Meng Shuping replied listlessly, "What is it?"
Though Meng Shuping seemed utterly uninterested, Miao Bi remained completely unfazed. She cheerfully announced, "Fifth Young Master, have you heard? The Fifth Miss has been sent to the family temple by the Earl and must stay there for a month! The Old Madam and the Fourth Madam have also been confined to their courtyards for a month!"
Meng Shuping chuckled, "Really?"
Miao Bi affirmed with certainty, "Of course!"
[Miao Bi thought] "Serves them right for bullying Fifth Young Master—they've finally met their match!" She was delighted to see the Old Madam and the others punished, recalling how much the Second Mistress had suffered under their oppression.
Over the next few days, Meng Shuping's health gradually improved. Despite his strong reluctance, once he was nearly fully recovered, he had no choice but to head out to work, feeling rather glum.
Upon seeing Meng Shuping arrive, Jiang Cihe's eyes crinkled in a smile as he asked, "Are you fully recovered now?"
"Mm," Meng Shuping nodded. "Shall we proceed to the Ministry of Justice next?"
Jiang Cihe rose. "Let's go."
The two arrived at the Ministry of Justice together. The moment Cao Jie spotted Meng Shuping, he spoke with clear displeasure and a sarcastic tone, "Well, well, our Eldest Young Master Meng has finally graced us with his presence? One might think you were on maternity leave!"
Hearing this, Meng Shuping immediately took Jiang Cihe's arm, preparing to leave. "In that case, Your Highness, perhaps we should just return."
Cao Jie was momentarily stunned, then quickly interjected, "Hey, hey, what are you doing?"
Meng Shuping stated earnestly, "I'm going home for maternity leave!"
[Meng Shuping thought] "No pay, and still they nitpick—do I owe them something? Whoever wants this lousy job can have it! I was looking for an excuse to drop the job anyway—might as well pin the blame on that Cao fellow!"
Cao Jie was utterly speechless, but seeing Meng Shuping genuinely about to depart, he forced a dry laugh and tried to dissuade him. "You youngsters, always so impulsive! I was merely jesting—why take it so seriously?"
Last time, nearly botching things had already incurred the Emperor's displeasure. If this young man truly left because of him this time, who knew how the Emperor would punish him!
Cao Jie felt both aggrieved and infuriated. So now he had to coddle this kid, did he?
Meng Shuping looked perplexed. "Ah, Lord Cao was joking? I thought you were serious!"
[Meng Shuping thought] "Ah, what a disappointment. That Cao guy caved so quickly—didn't manage to shake off the job after all."
Cao Jie wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead. Prince Zhao had mentioned this kid had a difficult temperament, but he hadn't taken it seriously. Now he had witnessed it firsthand—are young people these days truly so sensitive to perceived slights?
But no matter how arrogant this kid acted now, if he turned out to be utterly useless, let's see how long his smugness would last.
With this thought, Cao Jie felt somewhat better. He said with a smile, "Since Fifth Young Master Meng is here, shall we get down to business?"
Meng Shuping replied unenthusiastically, "Oh."
So Cao Jie led Meng Shuping and Jiang Cihe toward the Ministry of Justice prison. Along the way, Meng Shuping keenly noticed that he was being observed by numerous officials, their gazes overtly hostile.
Though he didn't understand why, Meng Shuping instantly tensed, so nervous he hardly knew what to do with his hands and feet. He quietly moved closer to Jiang Cihe's side, then had the presence of mind to grumble, [Meng Shuping thought] "Are the people in your Ministry of Justice always this idle? Why are they staring at me like I'm a monkey in a zoo? Seriously, haven't they ever seen someone wearing a mask? So provincial!"
[Meng Shuping thought] "No wonder the Emperor sent me here—if I hadn't come, I wouldn't have known how lazy your Ministry of Justice people are."
The officials watching Meng Shuping bristled with anger. Who was lazy? They merely wanted to see what the fellow who boasted he'd make their entire Ministry lose face looked like. And now that they saw him, he was nothing special!
Jiang Cihe shot a cold glance in their direction, and everyone immediately averted their eyes, feigning diligence. That kid might be fair game, but Prince Zhao? Best not—he was not to be trifled with.
With no one staring anymore, Meng Shuping relaxed considerably. Soon, the three arrived at a small hall furnished with tables and chairs.
Cao Jie said with a forced smile, "I heard Fifth Young Master Meng doesn't need to use torture to interrogate people, so we prepared this room. Fifth Young Master Meng doesn't mind, does he?"
Meng Shuping quickly replied, "No, not at all."
[Meng Shuping thought] "Torture is too cruel—how could I bear to watch that?"
Cao Jie's eyes were filled with disdain. Look at this coward—can't even handle torture, yet dares claim he's good at interrogation? How ignorant and arrogant!
If it were truly that easy, what did that make all their years of arduous work?
Cao Jie then asked Jiang Cihe and Meng Shuping, "Your Highness, Fifth Young Master Meng, shall I have the prisoner brought in now?"
Jiang Cihe nodded. "Bring him in."
Soon, a middle-aged man, roughly forty years old, was brought in. Meng Shuping, as usual, offered the central seat to Jiang Cihe and sat to the side himself. Then he asked Cao Jie, "Lord Cao, where is the prisoner's file?"
Cao Jie ordered someone to place the case file containing the middle-aged man's information on the table. "Fifth Young Master Meng, please take a look."
Meng Shuping moved the case file to the center so he and Jiang Cihe could read it together. After a moment, he noticed Cao Jie still standing there and asked curiously, "Why hasn't Lord Cao left yet?"
Cao Jie casually took a seat on the other side. "His Highness and Fifth Young Master Meng are likely unfamiliar with the prisoner and the situation here. With me around, I can offer assistance if needed."
"No need, no need," Meng Shuping pointed to a clerk nearby. "We can just ask him if we need anything."
[Meng Shuping thought] "Assist? Isn't he just trying to secretly learn from me? Hahahaha, I knew it! That Cao guy talks about me being incompetent, but behind the scenes, he still wants to learn from me. Not to criticize him, but is it really so hard to admit someone else is better?"
Cao Jie's anger flared up instantly. Who was inferior? Who? Though he was curious about how Meng Shuping would conduct the interrogation, when did he ever say he wanted to learn secretly?
But since Meng Shuping hadn't actually said it out loud, he couldn't directly refute it. So he could only fume silently and say, "How could that be? He's just a clerk—how much could he know about the case? I'd better stay."
Meng Shuping looked at him suspiciously. "You're not trying to steal my credit, are you?"
[Meng Shuping thought] "Planning to say later that he assisted or something."
"Steal credit from you?" Cao Jie said incredulously. "Ridiculous! As the esteemed Minister of Justice, would I do something so shameless?"
Meng Shuping said sincerely, "Lord Fan said the same thing back then."
Cao Jie choked, furious. "How can he compare to me?"
Meng Shuping looked at him and said slowly, "Oh."
[Meng Shuping thought] "Wow, he's getting angry—he's mad because I hit a nerve! I knew he was up to no good. And he calls himself the Minister of Justice? How can he stoop so low?"
Cao Jie's face darkened. "You—"
At this point, the prisoner Wang Jie, who had been kneeling on the ground since he was brought in, couldn't take it anymore. He looked up at Meng Shuping discontentedly. "Are you going to ask any questions or not?"
[Wang Jie thought] "I wasn't planning to confess anyway, but are you even taking me seriously? Or is this some new way to torment people?"
Meng Shuping instinctively replied, "Oh, oh, yes, we'll ask, we'll ask."
Seeing this attitude, Cao Jie couldn't help but let out a scoff. As an interrogator, why be so polite to a prisoner? Don't tell him this is how you get a confession!
Jiang Cihe glanced at him. "Lord Cao, I think it's best if you step outside for a bit. If you two start arguing again later, won't it interfere with the interrogation?"
Since Jiang Cihe had spoken, Cao Jie reluctantly said, "Then I'll take my leave."
It didn't matter—he could always ask the clerk about it later.
But before leaving, he couldn't resist messing with Meng Shuping. As he passed Wang Jie, he warned him while subtly revealing information, "Wang Jie, even if the presiding officer says he won't use torture, you'd better not cling to false hopes. It's better to confess sooner rather than later!"
After saying this, he walked out, quite pleased with himself.
Only after Cao Jie had left did Meng Shuping relax into his chair. [Meng Shuping thought] "Wow, finally, I can coast through this without worry. With that Cao guy around, even chilling felt risky—I was afraid he'd report me."
Jiang Cihe: "…"
So this was why Meng Shuping insisted on driving Cao Jie out? Had he forgotten there was still an outsider present?
Meng Shuping hadn't expected the prisoner to be so eager this time. Without even being asked, Wang Jie spoke up on his own. Meng Shuping looked at him, "Are you planning to confess?"
Wang Jie glanced at him briefly before looking away. "Who said I was going to confess?"
Meng Shuping immediately felt deceived. He thought indignantly, [Meng Shuping thought] "Not planning to confess? Then why act so cocky? Got my hopes up for nothing."
[Meng Shuping thought] "Wait, that's not right—aren't I just here for show? Isn't it better if he doesn't confess?"
Wang Jie was thrown off. He looked at Meng Shuping again—had the man just spoken without moving his lips?
Before he could figure it out, he saw Meng Shuping lower his head and start reading the case file. [Meng Shuping thought] "Sigh, I told them I don't know how to interrogate, but they still made me come. What am I supposed to ask him? This is driving me crazy! Well, I'd better read the file first."
Wang Jie couldn't help but wonder—was that what the man was thinking? What were they playing at, sending someone who clearly didn't know how to interrogate? Were they just toying with him?
After reading the file, Meng Shuping learned that the man named Wang Jie had been arrested for embezzlement. However, the embezzled funds and account books had yet to be found. If they remained undiscovered, the case might eventually be dropped without a conviction.
As he read, Meng Shuping couldn't help but exclaim, [Meng Shuping thought] "Wow, this guy is really good at pretending! Tsk, tsk, tsk—on the surface, he acts upright and honest, wearing clothes until they're worn out before replacing them. He has no servants at home, and his wife has to do the grocery shopping herself. They even eat plain, simple meals every day. So what did he embezzle for? Look, he never enjoyed life before—can he even enjoy it now?"
Wang Jie gave him a disdainful look—what did he know?
But the next moment, he heard Meng Shuping's voice again, [Meng Shuping thought] "Wow, shocking! He was arrested because his wife reported him! Did she finally get fed up? Or did she not want to live this kind of hard life anymore?"
[Meng Shuping thought] "Honestly, who could endure living in hardship day after day while constantly living in fear? Hahaha, his wife really upheld justice at the expense of family ties!"
Wang Jie looked up fiercely. So it was that woman who got him thrown into prison? Was she insane? What good did it do her to ruin him like this?
After finishing the file, Meng Shuping was dying to know. He asked Wang Jie, leaning in conspiratorially, "So, did you and your wife have a really bad relationship?"
Wang Jie turned his head away. "None of your business."
[Wang Jie thought] "Since this guy is inexperienced and won't use torture, what do I have to fear?"
Meng Shuping widened his eyes in disbelief. [Meng Shuping thought] "Oh? He's ignoring me? Does he think I'm fresh out of ideas?"
He immediately turned to Jiang Cihe. "Your Highness, I think it's necessary to get his wife in here. Since she was the one who reported him, she must know something."
[Meng Shuping thought] "If I can't get the gossip from you, can't I just ask your wife? Haha!"
Wang Jie stared at Meng Shuping in disbelief. How could there be such a ridiculous guy?
Jiang Cihe couldn't help but laugh before quickly straightening up. He ordered the jailer, "Bring his wife here."
Before long, Wang Jie's wife, Wan Shi, was summoned. She gave a calm bow to Jiang Cihe and Meng Shuping. "Greetings, my lords."
Meng Shuping coughed, clearing his throat, trying to keep his tone from sounding too excited. He asked Wan Shi, "Madam, why did you report him for embezzlement? Did he treat you poorly, or did he betray you in some way?"
Hearing this, Wan Shi sneered, "Hah, why did I report him? I married him when he was still a poor scholar. All these years, I've kept the household running and cared for his parents, never enjoying a single good day. And now, he actually wants to divorce me to clear the way for some younger woman. Tell me, my lord, could I possibly agree to that?"
Meng Shuping couldn't help but shoot a disapproving look at Wang Jie. [Meng Shuping thought] "Tsk, tsk, tsk, what a total dirtbag! She stuck with him through all the hard times, and now that he's wealthy and powerful, he wants to toss her aside for someone younger. Is he even human?"
[Meng Shuping thought] "He deserves to be in prison—that's what he gets!"
Wang Jie bit his tongue for as long as he could but finally snapped, "Don't play the victim! I didn't expose you to spare your dignity. Do you think I don't know? You've long been seeing another man!"