Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot-Chapter 293 - 274 Growing More and More Affectionate_2

Ji Li slapped his palm lightly with the folding fan, sighed deeply, and asked, "Old Pig, what’s wrong with you to stoop so low as to be the Prime Minister’s lackey?"

Hai Pig didn’t respond.

Ji Li continued, "Fine, let me rephrase it. Why did you betray Chu Grand Marshal?"

Hai Pig remained silent.

Si Snake could no longer hold back, his pair of blue eyes growing increasingly murderous.

Ji Li hurriedly stopped him, "Hey, hey, hey, calm down, Snake! Don’t be impulsive!"

He turned back to Hai Pig and said, "Old Pig, I’ve been saving your skin throughout this journey. If it weren’t for me holding him back, even ten of you wouldn’t be enough for this venomous snake to kill! If you don’t start explaining, I won’t be able to hold him back anymore!"

Hai Pig faintly closed his eyes.

Ji Li sneered, "Oh—so now you’re acting all unbending in the face of death?"

The iron door creaked open.

The Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Justice walked in, "Take Hai Pig to the interrogation chamber."

Two guards stepped forward with ropes in hand.

Ji Li chuckled mockingly, "Your Ministry of Justice ropes won’t hold him."

As he finished speaking, he gripped his folding fan and with a speed faster than a bolt of lightning, instantly appeared in front of Hai Pig, striking a series of acupoints on Hai Pig’s body using the fan.

With a dramatic flick of his head, Ji Li declared, "Alright, now you can bind him. For the next six hours, his martial arts are sealed."

The Chief of Staff nodded, "Thank you, Lord Rooster."

Ji Li snapped his fan open with flair, "Call me Ji Li."

Hai Pig was bound and taken to the interrogation chamber.

Though called an interrogation chamber, there were hardly any torture devices inside. Instead, the room appeared eerily empty, its gloom accentuated by moonlight illuminating scattered white bones.

Hai Pig sat on a cold iron chair, the chains from the shackles clattering as they stretched to the walls on either side.

Even with his martial arts sealed, the strength of the Twelve Guards remained undeniable.

The Chief of Staff only left Steward Hu behind, while the guards waited outside.

The Chief of Staff sat opposite Hai Pig, while Steward Hu sat in the corner at a desk, ready to write down a statement of confession.

The Chief of Staff spoke sternly, "Hai Pig, poisoning Chu Grand Marshal, forging his dispatch orders, and relocating the Twelve Guards—do you understand the seriousness of your crimes?"

Hai Pig finally opened his mouth, "You’re convicting me based on what evidence?"

The Chief of Staff pulled out a written statement, "The daughter of Shen Monkey personally testified that you deceived Shen Monkey into falsifying the dispatch orders. This is her confession."

Hai Pig chuckled, "You mean that fake Lin Wan’er? You believe her testimony?"

The Chief of Staff stared directly at Hai Pig, "How do you know she’s fake?"

Realizing he had made a slip, Hai Pig quickly corrected himself, "I encountered the real Lin Wan’er at the border before."

The Chief of Staff countered, "But according to my investigation, you never crossed paths with her in the Capital City. If you haven’t met her, how can you be certain she’s an impostor?"

Hai Pig steadfastly met the Chief of Staff’s sharp gaze.

He began to understand why this man held the position of Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Justice. Though lacking in direct methods or cruelty, his seemingly ordinary demeanor concealed the same piercing insight as Si Snake.

Hai Pig, proud of his membership in the Twelve Guards and convinced they were the strongest individuals under heaven, often scorned officials of the court.

Yet at this moment, under the scrutiny of this officer, he felt an illusion of his secrets being exposed.

He averted his gaze, choosing to avoid eye contact, "Can’t I just say I’ve seen her portrait?"

The Chief of Staff signaled Steward Hu with a glance, instructing him to faithfully record the statement.

Hai Pig taunted, "You court officials pride yourselves on your investigative skills, don’t you? Now I’ve told you she’s fake, shouldn’t it be easy for you to uncover the evidence?"

The Chief of Staff nodded slightly, "Indeed, the evidence is in the confession I’m holding. She admitted everything, including your transactions and your crimes—every detail laid bare."

Hai Pig’s mockery grew stronger, "You believe the words of an impostor? When you want to frame someone, any excuse will do, won’t it? You’re trying to force me into confessing—I’m not that foolish! The one who betrayed Chu Grand Marshal is Shen Monkey! Chen Long and Sheep both heard the dispatch orders from Shen Monkey—after interrogating them for days, have they changed their statements?"

The Chief of Staff retorted, "If you’re truly innocent, why did you flee?"

Hai Pig replied nonchalantly, "Because I understand your intentions to frame me. Under your custody, I’ll never be free of false accusations!"

The Chief of Staff shook his head, his gaze sharp. "Hai Pig, do you think Shen Monkey’s death is enough to erase all your tracks, leaving no one able to testify against you?"

Hai Pig leaned back smugly against the chair.

The expression on his face clearly said, Yes, Shen Monkey’s dead. What can you do to me?

The Chief of Staff said, "Do you truly think Shen Monkey is dead?"

Hai Pig’s brow furrowed, "What do you mean by that?"

The Chief of Staff explained, "The person you instructed Lin Wan’er to wait for—wasn’t it Shen Monkey? You’ve always suspected he wasn’t truly dead, haven’t you? If Lin Wan’er is alive, he will undoubtedly come for her. The one Lin Wan’er waited for—isn’t it him? He has already appeared."

Hai Pig’s complexion changed dramatically, "Impossible... You’re bluffing me!"

The Chief of Staff stood, walked to the door of the interrogation chamber, then turned back to say, "Hai Pig, I’ll ensure you die knowing the truth."

Departing the chamber, he walked down a long corridor.

Once certain no one else could overhear, Steward Hu finally ventured softly, "Sir, Shen Monkey truly is dead. Where are we going to find someone to testify against him?"

The Chief of Staff replied calmly, "No need to bring him to court—we just need to force Hai Pig to confess. Find someone to impersonate Shen Monkey."

Steward Hu fretted, "Where could we even find someone for that?"

Glancing at the scorching sun overhead, the Chief of Staff said, "They should be arriving soon. Go wait at the city gate to meet them."

Steward Hu stammered, "Ah, so you’ve already made arrangements."

-

Nightfall.

Steward Hu paced back and forth outside the North City Gate.

The guard stationed there asked, "Steward Hu, the city gates are about to close. Has the person you’ve been waiting for arrived?"

Steward Hu replied, "No, they said they’d be here at noon, yet I’ve been waiting all day!"

Suddenly, the guard raised his hand and pointed, "Look—there, Steward, you see?"

A man clad in a black cloak rode forward astride a powerful steed. His towering stature and commanding aura radiated a presence so imposing that even his horse seemed like the fiercest of war mounts.

Steward Hu felt as though he’d stepped into a tale of ancient generals from the battlefield; his mind went blank, and he stood, frozen, as if nailed to the ground.

The guard was equally dumbfounded, not daring to make a sound.

The man and horse stopped at the city gate.

"Ministry of Justice?"

The man’s deep voice reached Steward Hu.

"Ah, yes, yes!"

Steward Hu jolted back to reality, fumbling nervously to pull out the Token of the Ministry of Justice from his pocket, "I’m Steward Hu from the Ministry of Justice, sent by the Chief of Staff to await your arrival."

Leaning in closer, he whispered cautiously, "Are you... the fake Shen Monkey?"