Chapter 1453 - Hidden Agendas (Part 3)
"Won't you offer me something to drink?" Cheng Yongxin blinked.
"Oh, oh, help yourself—just put it on my tab."
Cheng Yongxin pulled the bell cord and, without turning her head, ordered: "One Golden Coffee, no sugar."
Hearing the server close the door, she continued: "You must be worried about Yang Jihong."
"That's right—" Yang Xinwu nodded absently, then remembered something and asked: "How did you know?"
"Never mind how I know." Cheng Yongxin smiled faintly. "I'll just ask you one question: Do you love Yang Jihong?"
"Of course." Yang Xinwu nodded. "Besides, she's carrying my child."
"And if she weren't carrying your child?" Cheng Yongxin's smile carried a hint of mockery.
"I would still like her. She's my woman..."
"Let's skip the chauvinist love declarations. From your dejected appearance, you probably know how the case turned out."
Yang Xinwu let out a heavy sigh but said nothing.
"Alright, let's assume the truth really is as the police investigation concluded. You should know what punishment your Yang Jihong faces."
Without waiting for him to speak, Cheng Yongxin answered her own question: "According to the Criminal Law compiled by the Arbitration Court, I'd guess they'll convict her of intentional injury resulting in death. The minimum sentence for this charge is ten years imprisonment—I don't think they'll go for the maximum."
"I've been trying to think of ways to reduce her sentence..."
"But you can't think of any way at all, can you? The Executive Committee won't pass up an opportunity to demonstrate their 'fairness and greatness'—their near-divine 'wisdom.' Yang Jihong, and you, are nothing but small pieces on this grand chessboard. So don't expect the Executive Committee, the Arbitration Court, or the Administrative Office to show you mercy. They're all people with ambitions to accomplish great things."
Yang Xinwu stared at her blankly.
"Now she's pregnant with your child, so there will certainly be two or three years of house arrest until the nursing period ends. But after that? The Senate probably won't pardon her. They'll likely process things officially and send her off to serve her sentence."
She watched with satisfaction as the man across from her showed an expression of distress.
"I'll go to the Administrative Office, the Executive Committee, the Mansion Party, Du Wen, Ji Xin..." He suddenly choked—he wasn't actually close to any of these people and had no idea how much effect approaching them would have.
"Fine, let's say they're merciful enough to pardon your Yang Jihong or let her serve her sentence outside prison. True, she wouldn't suffer any imprisonment. But do you think Yang Jihong, with 'murderer' stamped on her forehead, could continue being your domestic secretary? Could she still be the mother of a future transmigrator? You're too naive!"
Yang Xinwu was stunned—he really hadn't thought of this. He had been thinking about how to shorten her sentence so she could return to his side sooner.
"Think about it: your child will be two or three years old—the age when children are most attached to their mothers—when they lose their mother."
Cheng Yongxin deliberately paused here to let him fully absorb the implications.
"And you—a healthy man in body and mind, not yet thirty. Asking you to stay celibate for seven or eight years is impossible and inhumane. Besides, the Senate has long since tacitly allowed male transmigrators to practice de facto polygamy. So you'll definitely buy new domestic secretaries—maybe more than one. And what about this child of Yang Jihong's that you now care so much about? Congratulations—you'll have found them several stepmothers. Honestly, I don't much believe women can be good stepmothers. And since they can't be good, they might as well be thoroughly bad. What's more, your new women will also bear you children, and they'll certainly want fewer competitors for their own offspring. A motherless child is nothing but weeds—how does the old saying go? 'With a stepmother comes a stepfather.'"
Yang Xinwu lowered his head in anguish.
Cheng Yongxin remained unmoved. "You're so busy at Fragrant Fields—you probably just come home to eat and sleep every day. You won't really pay attention to how the child is doing. Besides, by then you'll have plenty of children. So one day, when you come home in the evening, one of your maidservants will squeeze out a few tears and tell you: Yang Jihong's child is dead—probably from sudden illness, maybe drowned after falling in the water, or perhaps fell off a mountain—in any case, dead. By that point, you'll probably just say 'I see' and move on, right? After all, this child won't matter to you anymore."
Yang Xinwu's face twisted with pain. He couldn't help but yell: "Stop!!!"
"If you weren't afraid, why shout at me?" Cheng Yongxin gave him a cold, sidelong glance. "You're terrified inside, because you know this is almost certain to happen—"
"Please stop."
Cheng Yongxin watched this man slowly crumble before her, filled with a sense of accomplishment: This is exactly the effect I wanted.
"People have weaknesses. Rather than testing your own willpower, isn't it better not to let these things happen in the first place?"
Yang Xinwu nodded slowly. "What should I do to save her?"
"It's actually quite simple." Cheng Yongxin smiled lazily. "You're a transmigrator. What does the Common Program say about transmigrator powers? There's no time to waste."
After seeing off the last visiting transmigrator, it was already very late. Xiao Zishan checked his planner—the day's tasks were mostly complete, and what remained could wait until tomorrow morning.
Just as he was about to order a car to go home and sleep, an office worker came to report: Transmigrator Yang Xinwu wished to see him.
"He's been waiting quite a while. I told him you were meeting guests and it would probably be very late, and asked him to come tomorrow. But Transmigrator Yang refused—he insisted on seeing you today."
"It's alright, show him in." Xiao Zishan knew this one had come about Yang Jihong again.
Frankly, Xiao Zishan hadn't originally thought much of this matter. Without Yang Jihong, there would be Li Jihong—the maidservant school had plenty of trainees. Pain was temporary; have a good wank, a drink, a nap, and after waking up, go to the maidservant school and pick a new girl with longer legs than Dong Qian and more curves than Zhang Quanling. He'd soon forget Yang Jihong's ample bosom and forget her baby. Yet unexpectedly, Yang Xinwu had gotten worked up. Day after day, asking how to save Yang Jihong.
Yang Xinwu looked wretched. Entering the office, he barely reciprocated Xiao Zishan's "warm handshake" and asked directly: "How is the Administrative Office going to handle Yang Jihong?"
"The Administrative Office is only Yang Jihong's management department. The specific sentencing will be up to the Arbitration Court." Xiao Zishan thought, This Transmigrator Yang really is quite devoted. "Don't worry too much. After all, this case has extenuating circumstances—she won't be sentenced to death. Besides, she's still pregnant. Rest assured, she's currently under house arrest at the Second Guesthouse with people taking care of her daily needs. She won't be mistreated."
Yang Xinwu didn't speak, seeming to hesitate about something. After a while, he finally said: "Director Xiao, I have an idea—do you think this could work?"
"I want to take the blame. I'm a transmigrator—killing Lin Xiaoya would be nothing more than a slap on the wrist. I have no political ambitions anyway..."
Xiao Zishan was dumbfounded. Yang Xinwu's action had completely exceeded his expectations. For a moment, he believed in love again.
But believing in love was one thing; the crazy lengths Yang Xinwu was willing to go were another matter entirely.
True, according to the Common Program, Yang Xinwu could indeed exploit this loophole to protect his maidservant. But doing so would completely nullify all the investigation results Police Headquarters had achieved thus far, and instantly reduce the formed evidence chain to zero. Xiao Zishan was well aware of the consequences: Police Headquarters and the Arbitration Court would react strongly. Moreover, Yang Xinwu taking the blame was not the same as a Senate pardon—Police Headquarters would have to fabricate an entirely new set of evidence out of thin air showing that Transmigrator Yang had actually done it.
"Well—please, have a seat first." Xiao Zishan knew that his pleasant evening plans—a fine meal at Li Xiaolv's quarters followed by rolling in bed—were being steadily delayed. This might turn into a war of attrition. "This doesn't seem like a good idea, does it?"
"I know it's not ideal, but I can't think of a better way." Yang Xinwu slumped into the rattan sofa, running both hands through his disheveled hair. "Even if you mentioned trying to get probation or house arrest for me last time—a mother branded as a murderer probably won't be able to hold her head up among people... I don't want that."
Xiao Zishan shook his head. "I know you have deep feelings for Yang Jihong, and you're thinking about the child. But have you considered—if you take the blame, you become the 'murderer'—"
"I'm a transmigrator. Killing natives and naturalized citizens is not subject to criminal prosecution—that's explicitly stipulated in the Common Program. As for having dark materials in my file, I don't care either. I just teach at Fragrant Fields anyway. In the future I'll be a peaceful educator—I don't want to be Education Minister, nor do I want to be an Executive Commissioner or a Standing Committee member..."
"Alright, let's analyze the pros and cons." Xiao Zishan had calmed down. "If Yang Jihong is convicted, only one of your children becomes 'a murderer's child.' But if you take this blame, then all your children become 'a murderer's children.'" Xiao Zishan drew out his words. "Do you really want your descendants, generation after generation, to carry the burden of a murderer transmigrator ancestor?"
Xiao Zishan's words struck like a thunderbolt. Yang Xinwu, who had been dazed all along, felt as if drenched by a basin of cold water. He broke out in a cold sweat. He had thought sacrificing a bit of his reputation would be enough to save Yang Jihong and the child. He never expected it to be poison that would curse his descendants.
"I understand. I understand." Yang Xinwu stood up, nearly collapsing. "I need to rest."
"Get a carriage ready for Transmigrator Yang!" Xiao Zishan opened the office door and called out.
"No need. I can get back on my own—"
(End of Chapter)