PNB Chapter 2159 His true identity
Chapter 2159 His true identity
The torches crackled and popped, sparks drifting into the air before suddenly going out.
The bluestone slabs in the courtyard gleamed with a cold, eerie light, which also made the surrounding plants and trees appear somewhat desolate.
Governor Ding was slumped on the ground, his shoulder pressed down by silver ingots, and half of his cheek still bore the red marks left by Bei Bei's knife.
His previous hysteria had long been crushed by fear. Now his whole body was weak, his Adam's apple bobbed a few times, and his voice trembled with barely concealed fear. Finally, he spoke in a low voice: "I will talk."
Madam Ding's hands, which were supporting Ding Gongzi's stretcher, stiffened slightly, her fingertips feeling as cold as if they were soaked in ice, and her already red and swollen eyes welled up with tears again.
Young Master Ding leaned against the stretcher, his chest still aching slightly, but he forced himself to straighten his back.
“I am the beggar that Governor Ding saved on the street back then. My name is not Ding Hengshou, my name is Qian Wu.”
Qian Wu lowered his head, his voice growing softer and softer, yet each word clearly penetrated everyone's ears: "That winter, the snow was heavy, and I froze on a street corner. He was the one who brought me back to the mansion."
They gave me ginger soup to warm me up, and even called a doctor to treat my frostbitten legs. The servants in the mansion treated me with the utmost respect...
But when I see his luxurious life, his harmonious family, and then think of my own impoverished existence, my heart feels like it's being gnawed by poisonous insects; I can't find peace day or night.
As he said this, he even raised his eyes, a twisted envy flashing in them. But when he met Young Master Ding's hateful gaze, he hurriedly lowered his head again: "I thought, why can he have all of this, while I can only depend on others? From that moment on, I had the idea of taking his place."
"You scoundrel!" Young Master Ding clenched his fists tightly. The dull pain in his chest made him cough twice, but he still gritted his teeth and cursed, "My father treated you with the kindness of a mountain, and you actually have such a heartless and treacherous thought! Do you think you are worthy of the life-saving grace he owed you?"
Madam Ding swayed and nearly fell to the ground.
Her voice trembled, yet carried a chilling aura: "Back then, I even advised him, saying that your background was pitiful and that he should take better care of you. I never imagined that he would raise a vicious wolf that would devour its master!"
Su Zhenhai was furious. He kicked the bluestone slab next to Qian Wu's feet hard, making Qian Wu flinch.
"You ungrateful bastard!" Su Zhenhai's roar echoed in the courtyard. "Prefect Ding is too soft-hearted, which is why he has brought such a disaster upon himself!"
Qian Wu shrank back, not daring to retort, and just lowered his head and curled up.
Yan Ruyu walked slowly to him. The moonlight fell on her pale face, making her expression even colder. She looked down at the person on the ground: "How did you kill the real Governor Ding? Tell me the whole story, word for word."
Qian Wu's Adam's apple bobbed again. He swallowed hard and slowly opened his mouth: "Back then, he was really good to me. It was so easy for me to get close to him and learn everything about him."
I knew he valued scholars, so I told him I wanted to learn to read and write. He immediately invited the clerk in his household to teach me and even personally selected many ancient books for me.
Later I said I wanted to go to the academy outside the city, thinking I could learn more so I could repay him in the future.”
"You really dare to say that!" Su Zhenhai sneered, his eyes almost overflowing with contempt.
Qian Wu lowered his head even further and his voice became softer: "I was originally a scholar, but I failed the provincial examinations several times in a row, and my family suffered misfortune, which led me to beg."
Governor Ding knew all of this, and he often said that I was a promising talent, but unfortunately, I was unlucky..."
"Talent? You call yourself talent?" Yin Ding couldn't take it anymore and slapped him several more times, making Qian Wu's cheeks numb and blood seep from the corner of his mouth. "With talent like you, I'm afraid all the scholars in the world will be disgraced by you!"
Qian Wu covered his numb cheeks and groaned twice, but dared not dodge. He continued, "Actually, I didn't want to go to any academy. I just wanted to use this as an excuse to fake my death and get away."
"I have to get 'Qian Wu' out of this world first before anything else can happen."
He paused, as if recalling the scene from years ago, his tone even carrying a hint of luck: "That day when I went to the academy, it started to drizzle just as dawn was breaking. The mountain road was already rugged, and it became even more slippery after being soaked by the rain."
When we reached the halfway point up the mountain, I deliberately tampered with the carriage axle. Soon after, the axle started making strange noises, forcing the driver to stop and check.
"That coachman had been with Prefect Ding for many years. He was honest and simple-minded and had no suspicion of me at all."
While he was bending down to check the axle, I pushed him from behind, and he cried out and tumbled down the ditch beside the road.
Qian Wu paused, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes, which was quickly replaced by fear: "I pushed the carriage off as well, and watched the carriage and horses smash to pieces before secretly slipping away through the side path."
Thus, everyone assumed that Qian Wu had fallen into the ravine along with the carriage and was dead.
“That’s true.” Madam Ding’s eyes were filled with tears, and her voice choked with emotion. “I remember during that time, he was depressed all day long. When I asked him what was wrong, he only said that someone had died because of him, and he felt extremely guilty and was really sad for two days.”
Looking back now, he wasn't feeling guilty at all; he was clearly grieving for an ungrateful scoundrel!
Su Zhenhai sighed, his tone full of regret: "What does this have to do with Governor Ding?"
Even if that thief were truly dead, it was his own fault for plotting something wicked; it had nothing to do with the governor. He's just wasted his time being heartbroken.
Huo Changhe stood under the eaves, his icy aura seemingly capable of freezing the surrounding night dew into ice. Seeing that Qian Wu had stopped speaking, he raised his chin and said coldly, "Continue."
Qian Wu was startled by his gaze and shivered. He quickly continued his confession: "Later, I hid outside for some time. After the storm had passed, I secretly sneaked back to Rongzhou City."
"I've spent so much time in the governor's mansion; I know every nook and cranny, every rule and regulation, like the back of my hand. Returning there would be a piece of cake."
"I chose a dark and windy night, crawled through the dog hole in the backyard, and went straight to Governor Ding's study."
He was processing official documents that night. When he saw me, he was stunned for a moment, then his face lit up with joy, showing no suspicion whatsoever about my purpose.
Qian Wu's voice lowered, with a hint of barely perceptible evasion, "I even brought two jars of his favorite aged Shaoxing wine. When he saw that I had 'escaped death,' he was so happy that he pulled me down to sit and drink it. He drank the wine that I had drugged beforehand without any suspicion."
Everyone's breathing unconsciously became heavier. Madam Ding's tears had already fallen, and Young Master Ding was clenching his teeth so tightly that his fingertips turned white.
"He fainted shortly afterward."
Qian Wu paused for a moment, his voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, yet it pierced everyone's hearts like a sharp knife, "He fainted, so I... I killed him. Actually, he didn't suffer much and passed away peacefully."
These words ignited a fire of anger in the courtyard.