Chapter 2330 - Going to Wuzhou (IX)

"...The first time Director Xie suggested sending an inquiry letter, I actually refused. I'd always thought he was a good man—even if he was Xiong Wencan's staff, surely he wouldn't do anything truly harmful. I wanted to give him a chance. That was careless of me." Luo Yangming's voice carried unmistakable regret. "By the time the second letter was proposed, the riot broke out before any reply could arrive."

"An external inquiry letter about Yi Haoran was sent from Wuzhou?" Chen Baibin found this strange—the case materials made no mention of it.

"I reported the matter to Director Xie. He proposed sending the letter, I agreed. It was dispatched through Xie's Office."

As a covert operative stationed in Wuzhou, Luo Yangming had no authority to send official correspondence except through secret channels—all other documents had to go through the proper departments.

"So you have no way of knowing whether the inquiry letter was actually sent?"

"Correct. I never saw the letter myself. But the request was definitely made. When I'd waited a long time without receiving any reply, I asked Director Zhao about it. He even checked the response registration book specifically..."

"How long did you wait?"

"From when Director Xie said he'd send the letter to when I finally asked—roughly half a month."

Ji and Chen exchanged glances. Something was amiss here. Whether Xie Erren or Zhao Fengtian had forgotten about it was hard to say—granted, with so few personnel and so much work in Wuzhou, such oversights were forgivable. But judging from Zhao Fengtian's actions, the inquiry letter should have existed.

So how had it vanished?

"Tell us about Cai Lan and Jiang Qiuchan."

"I don't know Cai Lan personally. I only know her fiancé was a Ming scholar who died in Wuzhou, and she attempted to assassinate Director Xie in revenge. I had no contact with her before or after the incident, so I can't offer any insights."

"What role did she serve beside Xie Erren?"

"She held no official position," Luo Yangming said. "She was essentially Director Xie's maid-concubine. She lived in seclusion at San Zong Fu and almost never left the grounds."

"And Jiang Qiuchan?"

"She's my wife's closest friend—they confide in each other about everything. Sometimes she'd take Ding Atao to stay with her for short visits. She's just a young lady from an ordinary merchant family. Nothing remarkable about her. Later, someone recommended her to San Zong Fu to keep Cai Lan company and ease her loneliness. Her son Qi Liheng was brought to me daily to be tutored by Yi Haoran."

All of this matched what they'd already gathered. Luo Yangming offered nothing new.

"Go through the events of the riot night again."

"Yes." Luo Yangming was careful not to rush, gathering his thoughts before beginning. He started from when he'd checked on the reply without success, how Zhao Fengtian proposed arresting Yi Haoran, and his return to find Yi Haoran already detained. He detailed his personal experience and everything he witnessed that night.

Chen Baibin glanced at Ji Xin, who shook his head. "Thank you for your time today," Chen Baibin said. "You may return to work. We'll contact you if we have follow-up questions."

"Understood."

"Do you have any thoughts about your current assignment?" Ji Xin asked suddenly. "Have you considered a transfer or change of position?"

"I defer entirely to the Senate's arrangements. I have no special requests."

As soon as Luo Yangming departed, Chen Baibin said, "Director Ji! This inquiry letter seems like the key to everything!"

Ji Xin nodded. "An inquiry letter concerning Yi Haoran—why would Senator Xie keep it secret? That's truly strange."

"Could it be that Teng County sent a reply, but someone detained it?"

"Why would anyone detain it? That makes no sense." Ji Xin shook his head. "Senator Xie is a Senator with no connections or entanglements in this era. He couldn't possibly have any link to this Yi Haoran, let alone take such a risk. If he wanted to protect Yi Haoran for some reason, why would he twice propose investigating the man?"

"We can easily verify whether a reply was sent. We simply need to send an inquiry to Teng County," Chen Baibin said. "We could also check the dispatch and receipt logs here."

"I fear those records are already incomplete." Ji Xin sighed. "Never mind—go fetch them and see."

Chen Baibin went to the City Government immediately. The result was exactly as Ji Xin predicted: the dispatch and receipt logs had suffered collateral damage on the night of the riot, with portions destroyed. Among the surviving records, there was no relevant entry.

Next, they interrogated Zhao Fengtian. His demeanor was composed, and he answered all their questions in full. When asked "What specific duties was Cai Lan responsible for in San Zong Fu," Zhao Fengtian smiled and said:

"Chief, speaking of specific duties—probably just serving Chief Xie."

Although the relationship between Cai Lan and Xie Erren was something of an open secret in Wuzhou, Chen Baibin hadn't expected this City Government Secretary, one of Xie Erren's direct subordinates, to be so candid—completely abandoning the careful phrasing of the official report. He'd anticipated at least some hedging.

"Are you aware that keeping someone with Cai Lan's background at the Senator's side is extremely dangerous? It also violates regulations."

"I'm aware," Zhao Fengtian said frankly. "But I couldn't go against the Chief's wishes."

Well played, Chen Baibin thought. You've shifted the blame quite neatly. And here Ji Xin was trying to protect you.

"Since you worked closely with Senator Xie for an extended period, you must have had considerable contact with Cai Lan. Tell us your impression of her."

"A lonely, helpless young woman—what is there to say?" Zhao Fengtian sighed. "Her background is truly pitiable. 'Drifting like duckweed in the rain'—just a bitter soul carried along by the waves."

"Quite the romantic sensibility."

"Not at all—I merely sigh at her fate," Zhao Fengtian said. "Cai Lan rarely left San Zong Fu. Except for occasionally exchanging a few words with her companion, sometimes she wouldn't speak a word all day. Her only pastimes were painting and chess. When Chief Xie visited her, she attended to him. When he didn't, she never left the main room. Quiet and dutiful to a fault."

"Did she have access to Senator Xie's documents?" Ji Xin asked suddenly.

"According to regulations, the Chief's documents are kept in the office. Any documents being transported must be placed in the secure document case. Everything was done by the book."

"Did Senator Xie bring documents or the secure case when visiting Cai Lan?"

"No." Zhao Fengtian thought for a moment. "At least, I never saw him do so."

"Did you handle an inquiry letter about Hao Ran—that is, Yi Haoran? The recipient would have been Teng County Police Station."

"I did." Zhao Fengtian nodded without hesitation. "Director Xie instructed me to handle it."

"And after handling it?"

"I passed it along for dispatch according to standard procedure."

"Do you remember the file number?"

"I definitely can't recall. I process too many documents daily."

"Are you certain this document was sent?" Ji Xin asked.

A trace of panic flickered in Zhao Fengtian's eyes—a flicker that didn't escape either Chen Baibin or Ji Xin. "It should have been sent."

"Walk us through your document dispatch procedure."

"Everything follows the General Office's standard process," Zhao Fengtian said. "After drafting, I hand it to the relevant department head for approval, then pass it to the dispatch office for sending."

"Who should have signed off on this inquiry letter?"

"Senator Xie himself."

"Did he sign it?"

"He should have." Zhao Fengtian looked puzzled. "If he hadn't, it would have been returned to me. All of this is recorded."

Recorded my ass! Chen Baibin thought. Your records have been destroyed. He was now certain: something was wrong with this inquiry letter.

"Who was responsible for document dispatch and receipt?"

"There should have been a dedicated confidential clerk, but Wuzhou lacked sufficient naturalized cadres. So Senator Xie's Security Secretary handled the dispatch and receipt logs."

Ji Xin couldn't help smiling. Chen Baibin smiled too: Some people certainly died at a convenient time, in a convenient place.

Zhao Fengtian looked alarmed instead. "Sirs, what... does this imply? Is something amusing?"

"Nothing, nothing." Chen Baibin patted Zhao Fengtian's shoulder. "You may go for now."

The last person summoned was Zheng Ergen.

After entering and saluting, he looked at Ji Xin with an eager, somewhat suspicious expression.

Chen Baibin exchanged a few words with him and sensed immediately that the man was walking on eggshells, terrified of saying the wrong thing. His composure was clearly far inferior to Zhao Fengtian's.

But Zheng Ergen inevitably knew far less than Zhao Fengtian. Chen Baibin simply asked him some questions about Wuzhou's police work and the situation on the day of the riot, then inquired about Yi Haoran's inquiry letter.

Zheng Ergen said he knew nothing about the inquiry letter, but he had handled the arrest of Yi Haoran that night.

"Who gave the order?"

"Director Zhao. He said this person was highly suspicious. Protective detention first."

"Did he specify what the suspicion was?"

"No."

"I see from the materials that you also arrested Cai Lan. Who ordered that?"

"Also Director Zhao."

"Why arrest her?"

"He said she might have been colluding with the rioters. Later investigation confirmed she indeed had connections to Yi Haoran—through Jiang Qiuchan," Zheng Ergen said.

"Did you know about the relationship between Senator Xie and Cai Lan?"

"Yes, yes." Zheng Ergen nodded repeatedly.

"Why didn't you report it to your superiors?" Chen Baibin pressed. "Keeping such a person at the Chief's side poses enormous risk."

"Chief! I'm just a minor bureau director—how is it my place to interfere in a Senator's affairs?" Zheng Ergen's face twisted with distress. "I wouldn't dare meddle in a Senator's private matters."

"After Cai Lan was arrested, how was she handled?"

"She was detained in the Earth God Temple at the County Yamen, under special guard."

"How did she die?"

"Hanged herself. She suffered considerably during interrogation. Probably couldn't bear the thought of more torture, so she simply ended it." Zheng Ergen seemed afraid they wouldn't believe him. "The remains haven't been buried yet. We can open the coffin for autopsy anytime..."

The autopsy would confirm death by hanging, Chen Baibin thought. But how she came to hang—that's another matter entirely.

(End of Chapter)