Chapter 2072: Chapter 2072: Confession

When Ruan Hai received the news and rushed to the county office, Ruan Kewei had already confessed to everything and was kneeling on the ground with vacant eyes.

Seeing his condition, Ruan Hai’s legs almost gave way as he stumbled forward.

Just then, Constable Jiang suddenly rushed out with two constables and surrounded him and his eldest son who was supporting him. “Ruan Hai, you came just in time. Lord was about to send us to arrest you.”

Ruan Hai was stunned and was pushed into the courtroom by Constable Jiang and the others.

The county office officially began the trial. Shu Yu, who had witnessed the excavation of the body in Ruan Family Village and promised to ensure the innocent’s safe return to the village, also received the status to listen in.

Besides her, many villagers from Ruan Family Village also came.

The more informed village elders already knew what had happened. Watching the Ruan Hai father and son kneeling in the hall, they felt a blackness before their eyes, almost unable to catch their breath.

The other villagers, who still didn’t know the details, were confused; they just thought the county office had found Ruan Kewei and didn’t know the whole story, including that he was the murderer.

Lord Xie sat behind the bench, struck the gavel, and began to recount the events leading to the murder and burial of the body.

“On September 29th, Ruan Chengqian, a villager from Ruan Family Village, found two finger segments washed out by the rain while hunting in the mountains. Upon further digging, he saw the body buried underground. The deceased was Cao Jiang, aged 23, from Da’an Village. According to the forensic doctor’s autopsy, the deceased was killed by two savage blows to the back of the head with a hoe. The murder weapon belonged to Ruan Jinqian from Ruan Family Village and was left in the field on September 13th, then stolen.”

According to Ruan Jinqian’s account, he initially left the hoe behind the field to rest in the shade. Naturally, Ruan Hai’s previous questions were valid; considering the angle and height of the shade, Ruan Jinqian could see what was happening in the fields.

However, after arriving at the county office, Ruan Jinqian confessed that he had actually buried a jar of wine under the shade. Because his wife forbade him from drinking, he could only sneak drinks. That day, he couldn’t resist the craving and turned his back to the field to dig up the wine from under the tree.

Little did he expect that when he retrieved the wine and turned around, the hoe was gone.

He also feared that if this were revealed, his wife would scold him for losing the hoe because of his drinking habit, and he would not get away with it.

But now, nearly being mistaken for a murderer, Ruan Jinqian has confessed everything clearly.

Constable Jiang indeed dug up a jar of wine from under that tree.

Furthermore, according to the forensic doctor, the murderer who struck Cao Jiang with the hoe was taller than Cao Jiang. Given Ruan Jinqian’s small stature and that he didn’t even know Cao Jiang, the suspect probability was low.

Cleared of suspicion, Ruan Jinqian was released and returned, now back to testify during the formal trial.

Compared to his jittery demeanor during his first visit to the office, he was much calmer now.

After Lord Xie briefly explained the case’s background, he struck the gavel again, “Suspect Ruan Kewei had a conflict with Cao Jiang over the brothel girl Chunyan, thus having a motive. On the day of the crime, he had no alibi. When the body was found, he fled from home and was unaccounted for. Luckily, today in the morning, Constable He found him in the forest outside the city. According to his confession, he indeed killed Cao Jiang. The burial of the body was carried out jointly with his father, Ruan Hai.”

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