Chapter 172 The investigation almost turned into catching someone in the act of adultery.

Chapter 172 The investigation almost turned into catching someone in the act of adultery.

What is he doing here!

Jiang Yutang could hardly believe her eyes; all her shock turned into a raging rage.

At that moment, she felt that the jade crown on her head was shining with green light.

She broke free from the guards' grip, pointed at the figure inside the room, her voice trembling: "Cheng Lanzhou!"

Cheng Lanzhou, who was inside the room, turned around in surprise at the shout, and a hint of astonishment flashed across her originally indifferent eyes.

The young nobleman in front of her looked strangely familiar, and when she met his angry gaze, her hair stood on end.

Only after careful observation could he confirm that this young man was indeed his wife, Jiang Yutang.

Cheng Lanzhou clearly hadn't expected to see her here, and immediately got up and strode towards the door. She grabbed the arm of the man who was tightly gripping Jiang Yutang, her knuckles tightening.

"ah--"

The man grimaced in pain, nearly breaking his teeth, but he couldn't withstand the force and had no choice but to obediently let go.

Cheng Lanzhou pulled Jiang Yutang in front of her, her brows furrowed tightly, and asked reproachfully, "What happened?"

Judge Li was completely bewildered by this turn of events and looked at Cheng Lanzhou with a puzzled expression.

"General Cheng, do you know this young man?"

Cheng Lanzhou saw that Jiang Yutang was dressed in men's clothing and immediately guessed his purpose.

He responded lightly to smooth things over: "Lord Li, please don't be offended. This is an old friend of mine. We originally agreed to meet here, but I hadn't had a chance to greet him before he came to find me first."

Li Tongpan then exclaimed "Oh!" as if suddenly realizing something, his wariness fading considerably and replaced by a greasy smile.

"So you're General Cheng's friend. Since you're here, you're a guest. Come in and join us for some fun. Miss Wan'er's zither skills are truly rare to hear."

Cheng Lanzhou frowned, intending to send Jiang Yutang back first, but the other party angrily walked past him, went straight over the threshold into the house, and plopped down in the spot where he had just been sitting.

Cheng Lanzhou had no choice but to follow him into the house.

Su Wan tactfully plucked the strings again, and the melodious music flowed through the room once more.

This courtesan truly lived up to her reputation. Her slender hands delicately plucked the strings of the zither, her jet-black hair cascading over her shoulders, and even her profile when she lowered her head exuded a gentle and graceful beauty.

But the more Jiang Yutang looked, the angrier she became. She and Jiang Sumin had risked their lives, disguising themselves as men to investigate clues, while her husband was indulging in pleasure with corrupt officials. This made her anger burn even more fiercely.

Cheng Lanzhou sat beside her, vaguely sensing the anger of the person next to her, and was afraid that she would explode on the spot at any moment.

He rubbed his temples helplessly, a subtle movement that Li Tongpan happened to see.

"General Cheng, are you tired?"

Judge Li squinted and smiled, “There are private rooms downstairs. Why don’t you go and rest for a while? I’ll have someone prepare some refreshing tea.”

Cheng Lanzhou was worried about not having a chance to explain to Jiang Yutang alone, so he immediately went along with it and nodded: "Thank you, Lord Li. I'll go get some fresh air first and I'll be back in a moment."

As he spoke, he gestured with his eyes for Jiang Yutang to follow.

The two walked out of the room one after the other, and Cheng Lanzhou led her to an empty private room on the third floor.

The door had just closed and he had just turned around when he saw a fist carrying a strong gust of wind coming straight at his face.

He reacted quickly, firmly grasping the slender fist, and asked with a wry smile, "What are you doing?"

Jiang Yutang's eyes were red with anger. She tried to pull her hand back but couldn't budge it. She could only shout angrily, "You still have the nerve to ask? Tell me first, what are you doing in a place like this!"

Cheng Lanzhou quickly released her hand, gently covering her fist with both hands, and spoke in a soft tone.

"This is my first time here. Judge Li invited me here to discuss the supply of military provisions."

"You come when he calls you?"

Jiang Yutang was still angry. Cheng Lanzhou reached out to put his arm around her waist, but she slapped him away.

He raised his hands to indicate that he knew he was wrong, and patiently explained, "Prefect Li has deep roots in Danzhou. Rumors of him embezzling military rations and collecting exorbitant taxes have been circulating for a long time, but no concrete evidence has been found. His invitation is a good opportunity to gather evidence. Didn't you come here to investigate him as well?"

These words were a wake-up call for Jiang Yutang, instantly extinguishing most of his anger.

She pursed her lips and mumbled hesitantly, "Really?"

Cheng Lanzhou tried to put his arm around her waist again, and this time Jiang Yutang did not pull away.

He gently patted her waist and coaxed, "Really, when have I ever been to a place like this before?"

After calming down and thinking about it, Jiang Yutang realized that this made sense. Cheng Lanzhou was always meticulous and had a clean reputation; he would not do anything meaningless.

She looked up and said anxiously, "I came with my fourth brother. We were bothered by that man, and I couldn't find him when I turned around."

Cheng Lanzhou nodded and gave a clear and organized explanation: "Go out and find Fourth Brother first. Once you find him, bring him to this room and wait for him. I'll go back and deal with Magistrate Li, and then I'll come find you as soon as things are over."

Jiang Yutang nodded and turned to leave, but Cheng Lanzhou grabbed her wrist.

He carefully examined the woman's men's attire, gently stroking her earlobe with his fingers and pinching the delicate cartilage.

Jiang Yutang instantly understood his body language, raised her chin triumphantly, and asked, "How about it? Even in men's clothing, I still look good, right?"

Cheng Lanzhou looked at her puffed-up face with a hint of smugness and couldn't help but chuckle softly, her voice so gentle it could melt water.

"Yes, you look good no matter what."

After the two parted ways, Jiang Yutang went to the fourth floor to find Jiang Sumin, her heart filled with worry.

Jiang Sumin is straightforward and short-tempered. If he were captured by Li Tongpan's men, he might lose his composure.

She hurried to the room that Jiang Sumin was in charge of investigating. As soon as she pressed her ear to the wooden door, she heard a faint sobbing voice coming from inside, refusing to cooperate.

"Young lady... young lady, please have some self-respect. Men and women should not touch each other!"

That familiar, dull voice made Jiang Yutang instantly breathe a sigh of relief, but then she was so angry that she laughed.

He had almost been arrested and tortured by Li Tongpan's men, but this guy was enjoying himself in his room.

She pushed open the door with a huff, and the sight before her almost made her burst out laughing.

Jiang Sumin was tightly bound to the chair by two women dressed in red and green. One was holding his arm, and the other was leaning on his shoulder, like two green snakes coiling around Fahai, blocking him from moving.

Jiang Sumin's face turned bright red, and the veins on his neck bulged out. He clenched his fists tightly on his knees.

Jiang Yutang couldn't help but wonder if, had she arrived even a fraction later, this guy might have actually bitten his tongue to prove his innocence.

When Jiang Sumin saw Jiang Yutang, his eyes lit up instantly, as if he had seen a savior, and he almost burst into tears on the spot.

"Help me!"

Jiang Yutang suppressed a laugh, coughed lightly, stepped forward, and cupped his hands in greeting to the two women.

"I'm sorry, I'm here to take my brother back. Thank you both for your company earlier."

One of the women, dressed in a green dress, slowly stood up, picked up a handkerchief embroidered with mandarin ducks, and gently patted her shoulder, her voice sickeningly sweet.

"Young master, what's the rush? Your elder brother has just sat down. Why don't you stay and play for a bit? I'll sing you a new song you've learned."