Free Web NovelChapter 1650: Chapter 26: Words Unspoken (2)
And in this place, the painting depicts a desolate mountain, with a mountain range stretching beyond the frame of the painting.
Referring accurately to the position where the infected resides, the precise location is atop the desolate mountain...
A solitary grave!
This is an inconspicuous solitary grave that Jiang Wang had seen before, but only passed by it quickly.
At this moment, locking onto this position and observing closely, he finally noticed the tombstone in front of the grave, which was engraved with only four characters.
These four characters were different from any epitaph format.
These four characters were what Jiang Wuqi wanted to say.
What was engraved was—
"The deceased are gone."
Jiang Wang was taken aback for a moment.
In his analysis, it seemed that Gongsun Yu cut his tongue not only to cut off the truth of the past but also to imply the answer Jiang Wuqi left on the wall mural.
The mute man himself is a key.
Therefore, Jiang Wang naturally thought that Jiang Wuqi hid the truth of that major case here.
However, Jiang Wuqi only left his choice here...
This is the tomb of Concubine Lei...
And the "The deceased are gone" on the tombstone was Jiang Wuqi’s choice, a word of dissuasion to those who pursued the truth to this point.
The mute man not depicted is actually Jiang Wuqi himself.
In a painting that portrayed all beings, he narrated too many stories. When it came to himself, there was only a "that’s enough"...
Jiang Wang didn’t know what to say.
The assassination case back then led to Concubine Lei’s death, and Jiang Wuqi was born with a cold poison in his life. It also led to the death of the famous constable Lin Kuang and Lin Youxie’s horror syndrome.
The huge vortex it created continued to claim lives even seventeen years later.
He gave up the easily obtainable position of Beiyaduwei, choosing the word ’truth,’ not without a sense of gratitude for Jiang Wuqi’s heroic appreciation and his intention to seek the truth for him.
However, the truth of the case, Jiang Wuqi had long discovered.
This eleventh prince chose silence.
This could also explain why Gongsun Yu left Long Life Palace, and why he told Yang Jing, "I fear it is hard to abstain from speech."
It seems that Gongsun Yu was one of the key members investigating the truth back then. After discovering the truth, Jiang Wuqi chose silence and requested everyone to keep it secret.
Gongsun Yu feared he couldn’t keep the secret, so he took the initiative to cut his tongue and retired to Bi Wu County at a young age.
What kind of truth required such measures?
What exactly was that truth?
Additionally, Jiang Wang also clarified another critical issue.
Feng Gu’s suicide to trace back the old case was indeed not Jiang Wuqi’s decision.
It was more of Feng Gu’s own initiative.
Feng Gu was indeed loyal to Jiang Wuqi, but as a living person, he also had his own independent will.
He said that Jiang Wuqi has already obtained what he wanted, which wasn’t false. He said what he himself wanted had not yet been obtained, which was also sincere.
Jiang Wuqi chose silence.
But he wanted to proclaim.
Why did he make a different choice from Jiang Wuqi?
The answer to this question may have perished with his death, never to be known again. freёweɓnovel.com
Perhaps it was a lingering resentment over Concubine Lei’s death, or perhaps after Jiang Wuqi’s death, he too had lost heart and no longer wanted to concern himself with the political situation... freewёbnoνel.com
In any case, what happened happened.
And what Jiang Wang needed to consider was—
Is there still a need to investigate the truth now?
The greatest sufferer from the assassination of Concubine Lei, and the most qualified person to seek the truth, had already made their choice!
"This painting is very complex and vivid," Zheng Shangming asked at this moment, "Does it contain the clues you want?"
"You’ve already seen it, haven’t you?" Jiang Wang retorted.
Zheng Shangming shook his head: "I didn’t understand it."
He might mean he didn’t understand the painting, or he might mean he didn’t understand Jiang Wuqi’s choice.
In any case, concerning the truth of the assassination of Concubine Lei, after Jiang Wang refused the position of Beiyaduwei, he wouldn’t share it with Jiang Wang anymore.
And the reason Jiang Wang didn’t hide his visit to Long Life Palace from Zheng Shangming today, even inviting him to accompany him, was precisely because he knew he couldn’t hide it. If he came to Long Life Palace, Zheng Shangming would surely follow, so he might as well be open and unreserved.
"Have you decided who will take over the position of Beiyaduwei?" Jiang Wang asked.
Zheng Shangming gave a wry smile: "Do you really think my father has so much power, and this issue is just something we can decide in a closed-door discussion? We sought you out because you can fill the position, because you are Jiang Qingyang. Do you think I can name someone and make it so?"
Jiang Wang didn’t believe Zheng Shi didn’t have a backup plan. Such a person who knew how to maneuver the Green Plate System clearly and thrived in Linzi, how could he bet everything on one person?
Ultimately, he refused the position of Beiyaduwei, and his friendship with Zheng Shangming would stop at just ordinary friends.
"Let’s go!"
Jiang Wang turned and walked out.
"Aren’t you going to take a look at other places?" Zheng Shangming followed behind asking as they walked.
"No need," Jiang Wang said, "The key to uncovering the truth is only one step away."
"I thought only Zhongxuan Sheng liked speaking in riddles. Why are you emulating the worst?"
Zheng Shangming’s tone was relaxed, perhaps certain that Jiang Wang couldn’t obtain that final key, or perhaps being closer to the truth himself.
In any case, what concerned him more now was who would bridge the power vacuum between him and his father.
Someone not competent would not become Beiyaduwei, but someone too competent usually harbored too great ambition. If someone other than him were promoted, they might turn around and kick him aside, denying him the chance to succeed is not impossible.
The two only stayed a very short period in Long Life Palace, so brief that the constables outside the palace gate hadn’t even finished their second topic.
This period was also long, long enough for another informant Blue-plate Catcher to arrive outside Long Life Palace.
"Lord Zheng, the latest news!"
Zheng Shangming hurried forward, took the urgent message from the Blue-plate Catcher, and opened it for a look.
After a slight pause, he handed the message to Jiang Wang.
Jiang Wang was curious about what urgent news could be shared without avoiding him and took it to open and see—
"Retired God Catcher Wu Lie has been confirmed dead, his body found in the sea near Haimen Island, urgently brought back to Linzi."
Wu Lie is dead...
Wu Lie just died like that?
Thus, the once illustrious and renowned "Southern Wu and Northern Lin" of the Eastern Region has vanished.
Jiang Wang was surprisingly unsurprised by the news of Wu Lie’s death.
Ever since he knew Wu Lie was investigating the Da Ze Tian Clan alone, and that Tian Huanwen had already attacked Wu Lie, Jiang Wang had vaguely sensed that this day would come.
Wu Lie walked a road of no return.
As the man himself said, life and death had long been disregarded.
Jiang Wang just didn’t expect it would come so suddenly.
After so many years.
After enduring so many great storms, he fell just when the truth seemed on the verge of surfacing.
"Who went to receive the body?" Zheng Shangming asked.
The constable replied, "Yang Weitong, Deputy Commissioner Yang himself went to receive it, and the Commandant Sir is awaiting the coffin in Beiyaduwei."
Wu Lie dedicated most of his life to the Green Plate System, only leaving it after Lin Kuang’s death. His contributions to the Green Plate System, to Beiyaduwei, can never be erased.
For a deputy superintendent with actual power like Yang Weitong to go receive the body, and for the Beiyaduwei Commandant Sir to personally await the coffin at the Patrol Inspection Bureau, such was indeed appropriate.
Even strictly speaking, Wu Lie had been retired for years and no longer carried the Green Plate, but who could deny he was a totem in the Green Plate System?
So-called God Catcher Yue Leng, in front of him, was just a latecomer.
To this day, so many of the rules in Green Plate case handling were set down by people of Wu Lie’s era. So many methods of case handling were passed down from the past. Among them, Wu Lie and Lin Kuang were most influential.
Wu Lie and Lin Kuang were equally famous, Wu Lie was much older than Lin Kuang, both were lifelong friends, and could also be said to be teachers and friends.
Relatively speaking, Wu Lie also held a higher position within the Green Plate System.
The Patrol Inspection Bureau must express enough attitude towards Wu Lie’s death. All those who had donned the Green Plate must express enough respect for Wu Lie himself.
This was no longer related to personal feelings but was a continuation of history.
Zheng Shangming looked at Jiang Wang, his tone complex: "Let’s go, we should head to Beiyaduwei to wait."
"It’s the right thing to wait." Jiang Wang said.
However, he knew.
The clue of Gu Xing on Hegemon Island... it should be broken.
In other words, both he and Lin Youxie lost the last key to uncovering the truth.
...
...
ps:
Yong: yong, a condition where the nose cannot detect odors. — Han · Wang Chong "Lunheng · Biantong"
