mtlumby2d Chapter 2147 Fulfill you
Chapter 2147 Fulfill you
Governor Ding looked at Huo Changhe with pleading eyes.
"I told you the truth, not a single word of it was false."
This sin has weighed on me for so many years, but now that I've spoken of it, I actually feel a little relieved. I'll accept whatever punishment I may receive.
Huo Changhe narrowed his eyes and remained silent for a moment.
He did not make a definitive judgment as to whether what Prefect Ding said was true or false.
Everything must be based on evidence. We cannot listen to his one-sided story, nor can we act on emotion or sympathize with him unnecessarily.
Moreover, Governor Ding's crimes are numerous and cannot be offset by a little bit of "pity".
The locust tree leaves were stirred by the evening breeze, casting dappled shadows that fell on Huo Changhe's shoulder.
The weariness from the interrogation was still lingering on his brow, and the summer heat had left a faint stain on his back. The chirping of cicadas outside the courtyard wall made the quiet of the governor's mansion seem even more oppressive.
He raised his hand to rub his temples and was about to walk out of the courtyard when he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure walking out of the moon gate.
She is as beautiful as jade.
She was dressed in a light blue outfit that was covered in mud, her hair was slightly disheveled, her face was pale, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes. Her steps were also heavier than usual.
Huo Changhe paused, and as he approached, his voice carried a hint of barely perceptible concern: "You just got back? Why do you look so pale?"
Yan Ruyu raised her hand to press her temples, her breathing slightly unsteady. Her gaze swept over the tightly closed courtyard gate behind him before she spoke in a low voice: "More than a dozen corpses have been unearthed in the backyard of the governor's mansion."
"More than a dozen?" Huo Changhe paused, his brows furrowing involuntarily.
He had just interrogated Governor Ding for two hours, and although he looked terrified, he never mentioned so many lives.
"What do they all look like?"
"Most of them were already skeletons, but two bodies were not completely decomposed. Judging from their clothes, they were murdered within the last year."
Yan Ruyu's fingertips were slightly cool: "Some had cracks in their neck bones, and some had several pieces of their sternum broken. They were definitely not dead from natural causes."
She looked up at Huo Changhe, her eyes questioning, "How did your interrogation go? What did Governor Ding confess to?"
“He confessed,” he said slowly, “that his wife was buried under the tree in the backyard, whom he accidentally killed years ago.”
Seeing Yan Ruyu's eyes flicker slightly, he added, "However, whether what he said is true or false still needs further verification."
"He said it was his wife?" Yan Ruyu's voice was full of surprise.
Huo Changhe nodded and repeated Governor Ding's confession: "He said that back then, Madam Ding had an affair with someone else."
He was enraged when he caught them in the act and intended to teach the adulterer a lesson, but Madam Ding suddenly stepped forward to block him, and in the process, he accidentally killed the man. Fearing exposure, he buried him under a tree in the backyard.
"He said it was his wife?" Yan Ruyu asked again, this time with a hint of intriguing coldness in her tone.
She lowered her eyes and pondered for a moment before raising her head, a faint, cold smile playing on her lips: "Since that's the case, then let's give him a chance to properly mourn his wife."
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned and headed toward the side courtyard where Governor Ding was being held.
As night deepened, the shadows of the trees outside the courtyard wall were stretched long by the twilight. Just as she took a step, she caught a glimpse of a dark shadow flashing under the old locust tree on the west side. It was so fast that it seemed like an illusion, leaving only a few swaying locust leaves in its wake.
Yan Ruyu paused, turning her head to look at Huo Changhe.
Their eyes met in the air, and they both saw the same concern in each other's eyes—there were probably other people in the governor's mansion watching Governor Ding.
Huo Changhe didn't say much, but gave her a wink. The two walked side by side quickly toward the side courtyard, their footsteps making a soft sound on the stone path without disturbing anyone.
The door to the side courtyard was ajar, and it creaked slightly when pushed open.
Governor Ding was still sitting on the ground, leaning against the corner of the wall, his legs curled up, his official robes covered in dust, looking utterly disheveled.
Hearing the noise, he slowly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, his expression blank and fearful.
"Has anyone else been here?" Yan Ruyu walked up to him, looking down at him with a calm tone, yet carrying an undeniable pressure.
Governor Ding shook his head blankly, his throat moved as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out.
Yan Ruyu squatted down, her gaze falling on his bloodshot eyes, and asked with a half-smile, "Prefect Ding, do you miss Madam Ding?"
These words seemed to strike a nerve with Governor Ding. His eyes instantly reddened, and he nodded forcefully, his voice trembling with barely concealed sobs: "Of course, I made a mistake back then... If it weren't for her..."
"Since that's the case, then we'll give you a chance." Yan Ruyu interrupted him, her tone still calm.
Governor Ding was taken aback, his eyes filled with confusion: "What opportunity?"
"An opportunity to pay respects to Madam Ding," Yan Ruyu said slowly. "Tonight at midnight, we will set up an altar in this courtyard and invite someone to communicate with the spirits so that you and Madam Ding can meet and clear up the things that happened back then, and resolve your inner conflict."
Governor Ding was completely stunned, his mouth slightly agape, clearly not expecting Yan Ruyu to propose such a solution.
He hesitated for a long time, his eyes flickering, and subconsciously shrank back: "Isn't that... unnecessary? She's been dead for so many years, why bother her spirit any longer?"
"Why not?" Huo Changhe's voice came from the side. He stood at the courtyard gate, his figure somewhat blurred by the twilight outside. "Didn't you always say you felt guilty towards her? Now that you have the opportunity to apologize in person and clear up the misunderstanding from back then, isn't that a good thing?"
Governor Ding swallowed hard, his eyes darting back and forth between Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe, as if trying to gauge their intentions.
After a long pause, he slowly lowered his head and nodded, which was considered his agreement.
A faint smile flashed in Yan Ruyu's eyes. She stood up, exchanged a glance with Huo Changhe, and the two turned and left the room.
Walking onto the veranda outside the courtyard, she lowered her voice and said, "Tell the guards to keep a tight watch on this courtyard. It's impossible for Governor Ding to commit suicide, but he knows too much. There's no guarantee that someone won't try to silence him forever."
"Don't worry, it's all arranged." Huo Changhe nodded, his gaze sweeping over the shadows at the end of the corridor, where two inconspicuous guards were hiding, their auras extremely well concealed.
Not long after the two left, in the shadows under the old locust tree on the west side, a pair of eyes stared intently at the direction of the side courtyard, their gaze deep and their emotions unreadable.
Only after Huo Changhe and Yan Ruyu's figures completely disappeared at the end of the corridor did the dark figure silently retreat into the deeper twilight.
When the news reached Su Zhenhai, he was in his study processing official documents.
Upon hearing that Yan Ruyu and his men had unearthed more than a dozen corpses in the backyard of the governor's mansion, he slammed his fist on the table, his face instantly darkening. He roared, "Outrageous! That corrupt official Ding Huai'an has hidden so many lives!"
The subordinate next to him lowered his head, not daring to say a word.