Fix Smile Order Chapter 20
Translated by Pure
Unedited
Chapter 20: Elope
After lunch break, Tang Tianyuan was full of energy and interrogated the four people in the detention center one by one. Since this was not an official trial, Tang Tianyuan called them to talk in the Retreat Hall, other than him and Tan Lingyin, no one else was present during the questioning.
Official Qi was a famous government official living in his hometown in Tongling County. His family was wealthy and he had a son and a daughter. His son was twenty-one years old this year.
He has been admitted to the number one federal contracted private school in Chizhou Prefecture. He was talented and currently studying under a scholarship in the school. This Young Master Qi was able to successfully enter the route of officialdom by himself, making him a highly valued personal, so wherever he went, others would look at him in respect and awe. Official Qi would unawaringly show a pleased expression when he talked about his son.
Everyone believed that being wealthy could not be compared to having a good reputation. Tang Tianyuan's family was not the richest, but he could compete and defeat most men with his title of ‘Tan Hua’ alone. The rest, he could beat with just his face. Therefore, it was not surprising for him to be the dream lover of thousands of girls.
They digressed.
translat ed by pure tl. com / do not re post
Everything provided by Official Qi was basic information, and there was no special use. Tang Tianyuan nodded and glanced at Tan Lingyin, who was writing, and asked, "Has Miss Qi been betrothed to another?"
Official Qi shook his head resolutely, "No. Because she was pretty, there were quite a few people who came to ask, but no match had been found yet."
"Then who is the man who broke into the morgue and cried bitterly today?"
"He is my nephew Wei Zitong. My sister and her husband died early. My nephew has lived in my house since he was a child. Our relationship is as close as a father and son."
"Since he is like your own son, why did Madam Ling say that Wei Zitong harmed Miss Qi?"
"This...It's like this, my wife...she thinks that Zitong and my daughter are incompatible, so she doesn't like him living in our home very much."
Official Qi was hesitant to speak, and even Tan Lingyin could hear something was wrong. She raised her head and glanced at the magistrate who was sitting in the front, and found that he was still mild-mannered and did not intend to sound out Official Qi.
Not at all mighty, Tan Lingyin pouted.
Tang Tianyuan asked again about the situation on the day of the incident. Official Qi said that he didn't know what his daughter did after dinner and found nothing unusual. Then Tang Tianyuan asked the Official Qi to be taken out first, and ordered Madam Qi to be brought. Taking advantage of this gap, Tan Lingyin asked, "Sir, this man is obviously not telling the truth, why didn’t you probe him more?"
"It's not the time, I have my ways."
Madam Qi was soon bought in. While everyone was waiting for their questioning, they were all placed in separate rooms, so Madam Qi didn't have time to collude with her husband. After being asked a few questions, she cried and complained that Wei Zitong was a toad who wanted to eat swan meat, wanted to forcibly take her daughter, and coveted the Qi Residence's property.
This all sounded so incredible, Tan Lingyin stuck out her tongue secretly. An orphan, helpless and dependent, lodged under another person's roof, even if his heart was dyed with ink, couldn’t dare to think like this. Besides, if one wanted to steal someone's property, they would have to kill the male first, right? Young Master Qi was alive and well, but Young Lady Qi was killed instead. Could it be that Wei Zitong actually wanted to forcibly take Young Master Qi? How ridiculous...
Tan Lingyin's thoughts drifted away, and she made up a big drama in her mind, so she stopped and touched her cheeks. She began to smirked, laughing three parts licentious - three parts degrading - and four parts mysterious. Even the hot weather couldn’t stop Tang Tianyuan from getting chills down his back. He slammed on the table hard, causing Tan Lingyin to almost jump up from the chair in fright, and waking her up.
Madam Qi was also startled, and even forgot to cry.
After Madam Qi's trial was Wei Zitong’s. Wei Zitong claimed that he and Qi Hui were like true brothers and sisters. When he saw his sister's death, how could he, as a brother, not be sad?
Next is Qi Hui's personal maid, this little maid had a noble name called Yuhuan. Yuhuan cried from beginning to end, and had another story about Wei Zitong: Young Master Biao was the cousin of the young lady, as men and women needed to keep their distance, her Young Lady was not familiar with him.
All four people had a different version of the same story. Lord Yama would not believe it if one claimed this wasn’t suspicious.
After questioning everyone, Tang Tianyuan took a sip from the tea bowl and moistened his throat.
Tan Lingyin wrote hard for a long time, her hands were sore and tired. She rubbed her fingers and complained, "There should be a dedicated person to do this kind of thing, I'm the head commissioner."
"You write fast, abler people should do more work." Tang Tianyuan replied slowly.
Tan Lingyin was disdainful, "Don't think that a few compliments will change my mind."
She put the documents she just recorded aside and sorted them out. When she showed them to Tang Tianyuan, she asked, "Where's Zhou Xiancheng?"
"He went to deal with a few disputes."
Tan Lingyin nodded, "Sir, I think I misspoke at noon."
"Oh? Where did you go wrong?"
"This Young Lady Qi, Qi Hui, was not fleeing from an arranged marriage, but eloping," she continued without waiting for him to open his mouth, "You must have seen it, sir, Qi Hui has an unusual relationship with her cousin. For her to run away in disguise and even out of the city, you say, what else can be other than elopement? A rendezvous? For a noble daughter to dress herself up like a village girl to go to a rendezvous, what does she want? To make a clean break?"
Tang Tianyuan knew that Tan Lingyin made sense, and he also doubted the relationship between Wei Zitong and Qi Hui. However, watching Tan Lingyin talk so excitedly, he felt a tickle in his mouth and said sarcastically, "Escape from marriage, eloping, and even a rendezvous. As a girl, these are the things that fill your mind all day?"
"Tang Feilong!" Tan Lingyin was furious, imitating his example and slammed the table hard: Bang!
Ouch! Tan Lingyin's face distorted, she picked up her hand and blew on it. Her palm was aching and numb, and her fingers felt like they were about to crumble... Sure enough, not everyone could pretend to be imposing. Her hands were already hurting, and now they were in even more pain.
Tang Tianyuan held his forehead again. He really couldn't understand Tan Lingyin. It was wrong to say she was stupid: she has a very good brain; but it was also incorrect to say she wasn’t stupid, as she does stupid things every day, so stupid that made others embrassed for her, making it hard to make another remark.
"Are you alright?" The county magistrate was finally convinced by this fool, no longer sharp-tongued, and asked in concern.
How could she make a big scene after such an embarrassment. Tan Lingyin put her hands behind her back and said solemnly, "My lord, I don't think it's a dirty thing to run away from an arranged marriage or elope. Children are also humans with thoughts, so why do they have to listen to their parents in marriage?"
Even if this is said from a man's mouth, it can be said to be a rebellion against orthodoxy, let alone a girl. Tang Tianyuan shook his head, "These words are very immoral, I want to see which man will dare to marry you in the future."
"Lord should not be bothered."
The two parted unhappily. Tang Tianyuan ordered the four people in the detention center, except Qi Hui's personal maid Yuhuan, to be released. With insufficient evidence, the scope of the suspects could not be determined, so they could not keep others locked up. Naturally, Wei Zitong had an unusual relationship with Qi Hui, so he should focus on keeping an eye on him.
The reason why Yuhuan was left was because this person was not telling the truth. Since she was Qi Hui's personal maid, she must be very familiar with her every move and thoughts, but she did not elaborate during the interrogation today, which was unreasonable.