《Bone Painting Coroner (Web Novel CN)》 Chapter 454.3: The Case (Conclusion, Part 3) What? ¡°Are you saying¡­ that the Guanyin Seal was stolen by Du Sanniang of Lin An Inn?¡± Liu Zhiliang almost choked on his own saliva, ¡°Do you have any proof then?¡± ¡°I have none. Du Sanniang confessed her crimes to me herself; she clearly knows that there is nothing I can¡¯t find out in the whole of Anfu. Before the banquetmenced, Du Sanniang witnessed me covering the cat¡¯s ws with Tea Poison and handing it to Butler Zhang. She wanted to ckmail me into ceasing my investigations into the Guanyin Seal¡¯s whereabouts. In return, she wouldn¡¯t report me to the authorities. But the Guanyin Seal is our Zhang Family¡¯s precious heirloom - I couldn¡¯t leave this matter as it was.¡± First Madam then looked towards Third Madam. ¡°After I die, the Zhang Estate is in your hands.¡± ¡°Big Sister¡­¡± ¡°Remember, you must find the Guanyin Seal - no matter what happens, it cannot fall into outsiders¡¯ hands.¡± Third Madam nodded, holding back her tears, ¡°Big Sister, don¡¯t worry - I¡¯ll do as you say.¡± First Madam finally let out a heartfelt smile, leaving willingly with the yamen runners to face her just desserts. Third Madam and Zhang Yimo remained behind, pleading with Liu Zhiliang, ¡°Lord Liu, our Zhang Estate¡¯s Guanyin Seal must be found and returned to us.¡± ¡°Third Madam, don¡¯t panic. This official will investigate this case; if Du Sanniang of Lin An Inn did indeed steal it, this official will do my best to retrieve it. This official will have my men bring Du Sanniang in for questioning. Third Madam, you can leave in peace - this official will inform you once I have any information.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± They nodded and prepared to leave. However - Ji Yunshu called out from the corner where she stood observing, ¡°Please hold on.¡± Mother and son stopped in their tracks, looking at her quizzingly. ¡°Is there anything else that Teacher Ji has missed?¡± Liu Zhiliang asked. ¡°Since we¡¯ve wrapped up the Zhang Estate murder case, then let¡¯s examine the unsolved robberies in thest few years.¡± Ji Yunshu stated coldly, sternly. It was precisely her calm that disturbed Liu Zhiliang. He gulped, stammering weakly, ¡°Rob¡­ Robberies? Is Teacher Ji referring to this robbery at the Zhang Estate?¡± ¡°Why is Lord Liu ying the fool?¡± Ji Yunshu chuckled. ¡°Your weiqi moves were all precisely calcted to let Prince Rong win, in order to gain his favour - why would such a clever man suddenly be the court jester?¡± She raised her voice ever so slightly at the end. What was she trying to say? Liu Zhiliang seemed to have some idea, but he hung his head and pretended to be in deep thought. Ji Yunshu did not have the patience for his antics and pulled out a case record book from her sleeve. ¡°Does Lord Liu recognise this?¡± Liu Zhiliang took a nce, but hurriedly averted his gaze. He nodded frantically, ¡°I do, I recognise it. It¡¯s a case record book of this yamen.¡± ¡°So you do recognise it. Then, how about Lord Liu hazard another guess - where did you think this one found this case record book?¡± ¡°Was it¡­ the study?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right - I found it in the study, but on the ground covered in dust. Really, Lord Liu, are you that cash-strapped that you couldn¡¯t hire someone to clean the room? The study¡¯s covered with dust and cobwebs; perhaps the yamen has not received any reports in so long a time that Lord Liu has not bothered entering the study at all these past few years?¡± Liu Zhiliang immediately replied, ¡°Teacher Ji¡¯s correct. Nobody has made any reports to this yamen in a very long time; due to the peace in Anfu, this one hasn¡¯t visited the study in quite a while.¡± Ji Yunshu shot him an unreadable smile and began to flip the record book right under his nose, page by page. Liu Zhiliang hung on to her every movement; he tensed when her page-turning slowed and rxed when she flipped quickly through. His emotions were entirely strung along by Ji Yunshu¡¯s rhythm! He worked up a nervous sweat, and he had to wipe his brow with his sleeve from time to time. Ji Yunshu continued, ¡°All these years, Anfu has experienced many robberies, each one of them unsolved. What¡¯s more coincidental is that every case was reported by a guest who had lodged at Lin An Inn. Why, then, have these numerous cases not been solved at all? Why haven¡¯t the whereabouts of a single lost item been discovered after these guests left Lin An Inn? Yet, Lin An Inn still enjoys a roaring business. If this one remembers correctly, Lin An Inn is operated by that Du Sanniang, right? Strange, how strange indeed. His Highness and this one spent a night there as well on our way into Anfu. What¡¯s odd is that someone lost their belongings that night as well. Luckily, we managed to recover them. Could that inn be cursed? Why are their guests always losing their belongings? First Madam just mentioned that it was Du Sanniang who stole the Zhang Estate¡¯s Guanyin Seal - is there some sort of connection between all these cases?¡± She narrowed her eyes as she continued to flip through her record book. Liu Zhiliang¡¯s poor heart was about to give out from stress and his palms were practically dripping with cold sweat! Jing Rong could not help but chuckle at Ji Yunshu¡¯s act of seriously flipping through that record book. Not bad, little rascal, not bad at all. You¡¯ve really grown, haven¡¯t you, learning how to tease someone like this - Liu Zhiliang is already shaking all over! He finally finished munching on thest melon seed. He wiped his hands clean, stood up and dusted his robes, then strode over and gave a little tap on Liu Zhiliang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Liu Zhiliang, how much did it cost you back then for you to earn this position?¡± He joked mockingly. Liu Zhiliang was already in a frenzy from Ji Yunshu¡¯s earlier ambiguous statements. With Jing Rong¡¯s mocking, he became even more frantic, ¡°Your Highness means¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get nervous now. The dividends from the investments made to get you where you are today must be collected, no? Liu Zhiliang¡¯s face fell, but Jing Rong had already begun his calctions, ¡°Let¡¯s see. Here, this Prince would do the math for you. Ten thousand silver taels were ¡®donated¡¯ to get you your official hat and robes. Lord Liu¡¯s sry is only forty-five taels per month - based on that, it would be almost twenty years before you¡¯d break even. That¡¯s twenty years too long, but Lord Liu doesn¡¯t look like a man who would participate in losing businesses. You¡¯ve only governed Anfu for a few years, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already earned more than your initial ten thousand silvers, right?¡± ¡°This official doesn¡¯t understand what Your Highness is trying to say.¡± ¡°Liu Zhiliang, oh Liu Zhiliang. You wear your official robes, decorate your yamen simply, and serve themonest of teas in your office - you look every part an honest official. But in reality, you are a golden-tailed peacock wearing a crow¡¯s disguise! You¡¯re actually extremely wealthy, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jing Rong continued on in his light tone, even patting Liu Zhiliang¡¯s bulging middle cheekily! Ji Yunshu burst outughing, rolling up her record book for good. Jing Rong and Ji Yunshu had been teasing Liu Zhiliang sincest night, giving him ample opportunity to ¡®fess up to his own misdoings, but this wily old fox insisted on maintaining his foolish act. Liu Zhiliang bowed deeply as his conscience was jolted awake, ¡°Your Highness must be kidding. This official is neither golden-tailed peacock nor do I have much money.¡± Jing Rong lost his cool, ¡°Are you still trying to hide? Look at your petty face - are you afraid this Prince would want your silver?¡± ¡°This official¡­¡± ¡°Forget it. Old fox, if I don¡¯t produce the evidence before your eyes, you wouldn¡¯t remove your crow¡¯s disguise.¡± Chapter 1: Opening the Coffin to Paint Out Bones Qizhen year 20th, Beiliang country, Jinjiang city. It was a fine day in January when the fickle weather turned the once clear sky into a thundering rainstorm. shes of lightning asionally lit the sky as deep rolls of thunder echoed through the air. Ayer of silver water was quick to form over the slippery, narrow road. Ji Yunshu held the umbre in one hand while carrying a delicately crafted sandalwood box in the other. Armed with her box and umbre, she walked the whole way from the Ji family home to Zhou Mansion¡¯s entrance. On the first month of the Lunar Year, every house was filled with joy. However, at Zhou Mansion, only white satin and several whitenterns hung in front of the entrance. It had just happened yesterday. The Zhou family¡¯s young miss had gotten into an ident and died! Ji Yunshu readjusted her umbre and brushed the rainwater off her shoulder before carefully examining the sandalwood box she held under her arm. This box was her precious tool, the one thing she had to make a living. She absolutely couldn¡¯t let it get even slightly wet! If it wasn¡¯t for the county magistrate requesting her services, she really didn¡¯t want to go. To have to work at the beginning of the year was a really unlucky sign. ¡°Teacher, you cane in.¡± The mansion¡¯s pageboy ran towards her, anxiously calling her. He skidded to a halt in front of her, holding his sides as he panted. It didn¡¯te as a surprise that he called her ¡°Teacher¡± instead of ¡°Miss¡±. After all, she was dressed like a man in very simple yet elegant clothes. Ji Yunshu nodded. She followed the pageboy to the mourning hall situated in the rear court. All the servants in the mansion were kneeling on the ground with their heads lowered. Everyone was crying and wiping their tears. Inside the mourning hall, Lord Zhou wore a purple and ck satin robe, his hair rolled in a high topknot. His expression was grave, which was only entuated by his lips, pressed together until they were as thin as a thread. His bloodshot eyes were marked with signs of tiredness. Next to him, Madame Zhou was crying fitfully. She was in so much pain and grief that death seemed like it would be a deliverance to her. Yesterday, when she learned of her daughter¡¯s sudden death, she had fainted right on the scene. Even now, she still hadn¡¯t gotten over the shock and appeared to be supported by a few servant girls, so that she wouldn¡¯t fall on the floor again. In her former days, Ji Yunshu was used to seeing this kind of scene when she did her job. Lord Zhou noticed Ji Yunshu¡¯s arrival. He nced over at his madame and signaled her to retreat to the side. ¡°Teacher Ji, I¡¯ll have to trouble you. When my daughter was alive, she loved wearing pink the most and liked grooming and dressing herself well. When she was free, she would often go to the garden to admire the plum blossoms. Due to her weak body, she didn¡¯t go out too often, but yesterday¡­ She fell from the attic and smashed her head on the fake mountain. Her face¡­¡± ¡°Lord Zhou, rest assured. I, this humble one, understand.¡± Ji Yunshu responded. Then, she put down the sandalwood box and opened the lid. Inside the box were many handcrafted and borate painting tools. The box had threeyers. The firstyer contained seven to eight small brushes with silver ridges engraved with a luan bird1 and clouds. The secondyer was shaped to have numerous indented slots that served to mix paint with water. Thest and thirdyer of the box contained 48 different paint colors in various basic spectrums. The box itself was a piece of art, but the inside was fully-equipped for the needs of the task. Several maidservants kept ncing curiously inside the box. They had never seen this kind of painting supply before. A pageboy came back with a silk brocade which he spread out on the table, so Ji Yunshu could draw next to the coffin. Within the coffin, one could see the Zhou Family¡¯s young miss¡¯ face festering from the numerous ces where her flesh had split from the fall. Stark white bones protruded from her cheeks. Her eyes had popped out of their sockets, one pushed into her skull, while the other dangled just beneath its home. Her nose bridge was alsopletely fractured. Despite the horrific damage, the fall didn¡¯t cause any damage to her lips or teeth. With that kind of appearance, who could look at her corpse without feeling nauseous? These descriptions matched the appearance of a person who had fallen from an elevated ce. Ji Yunshu looked once more at the hair rolled in a bun and the corpse¡¯s clothing. The Young Miss was dressed in a high-quality, beautifully embroidered pink outfit. They were neatly and tidily arranged around her frame. Gold and silver head ornaments were inserted into her ck hair, forming a harmonious image. This Zhou family definitely deserved to be called a rich family. It¡¯s no wonder that the county magistrate begged her toe over. After Ji Yunshu carefully observed the corpse. She turned to the table and took out several paints, then picked the third brush. She traced a few lines in ck ink on the brocade silk. It didn¡¯t take long for a shape to take form under her brush. After the basic outline was drawn, she slowly filled in the details, then colored in the drawing. Afterward, she reassessed her painting. The surrounding people grew silent, stupefied at the sight of the image she painted. There was a rumor about a great painting master from Jinjiang city that worked for the yamen2 as a yamen runner3. That person was rumored to specialize in recreating the portraits of dead people, regardless of how badly the corpse was mangled, burned or dposed beyond recognition. It was said that he could draw a portrait from even a pile of bones. With a pair of skillful hands and a sandalwood box, that person could bring miracles to life. After an hour and 30 minutes, Ji Yunshu put away her brush and dusted some dirt from her sleeves. 1. A Luan Bird is like a blue and male version of a phoenix. For more information click here; for the image, click here. 2. A yamen is a governmental office in Ancient China. Click here for more information 3. A yamen runner is the lowest position for menialbor/servant in a yamen. They are separates into different tasks and ranks. The color of their uniform differs following their tasks. They are usually employed for various odd-jobs from sedan bearers, door guards, secretary to policemen and jailers. Themon point is they work in a yamen. In other words, they are the government¡¯s servants. Of course, since Ji Yunshu helps the county magistrate solved more cases and identified most of the unidentified corpses, she got special treatment and isn¡¯t considered as a normal yamen runner. Chapter 2: Unfortunate Past The silk brocade now showed an image of a woman wearing light pink clothes, standing beneath a plum blossom tree. She had a pointy chin, a rosy-redplexion, a pair of deep and profound eyes. The tip of her nose was plump and upright, and her thin lips stretched to form a faint smile. From Ji Yunshu¡¯s hands, a beauty hade to life, and yet a beauty that felt all too real. Once Lord Zhou saw the painting, his eyes immediately reddened and his body trembled once. A man could have tears, but he couldn¡¯t shed them easily. He forcibly restrained himself from crying, instead rolling up the painting and handing it to his wife. ¡°This is indeed Ning¡¯er. This was exactly how she looked like before the fall imed her life. My poor daughter¡­ When you were alive, you were often sick. But even in your death, you have to suffer with such an appearance. Mother is so sorry to have let you down! My poor daughter¡­¡± Madame Zhou hugged the painting close as guilt consumed her. Her tears fell like raindrops on a pear blossom. ¡°Madame, stop being sad. Ning¡¯er wouldn¡¯t want to see you so heart-broken. Your health is not good; you will make your husband worry!¡± Madame Zhou stifled her sobs, but her eyes were blinded with tears. Finally, the maidservants supported her back to her room. Ji Yunshu cleaned her materials. She hefted the sandalwood box under her arm and prepared to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t bother to see me out.¡± Lord Zhou interjected and gave her a bag of money, ¡°I hope that Teacher will ept this money.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. This is part of a yamen¡¯s job, so the county magistrate will give me a wage.¡± She returned the bag of money and departed quietly from the mourning hall. She worked as a yamen runner, and should receive money from the yamen. So, she couldn¡¯t desire that kind of extra money. If she decided to ept tips, people would starting directly to her instead of going through the yamen to make requests. She would then be swarmed with jobs and be worked to death. It is said that without a standard, nothing could be aplished. Having an established schedule had its own advantages! The downpour was heavier on the way home. Ji Yunshu travelled back on the same path, but she didn¡¯t go toward the main entrance when she reached the Ji¡¯s residence. Instead, she walked through a side door. West Side Courtyard Luan¡¯er looked outside while twisting her hands anxiously. When she noticed that Ji Yunshu had returned, she hurriedly got up, weing her back. ¡°Miss, you were gone for 4 hours. Earlier, the Old Madame sent people here. They said that several noble guests from the capital wereing for the evening banquet and that you are not allowed to attend. They also said that you would bring bad luck to the family, because you make portraits of the deceased.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go either. So, why are you flustered?¡± ¡°The other misses could attend, but they only gave you the cold shoulder.¡± Luan¡¯erined. ¡°I just dread the noise; you should know that. Besides, it¡¯s raining today. It¡¯s better to rest inside instead.¡± Ji Yunshu washed her hands using the water flowing from the eaves before entering the house. Luan¡¯er felt heartbroken for her miss. She sighed softly, and dutifully followed after her. Ji Yunshu took off her male clothing and removed her makeup, revealing her white skin and beautiful face. Her facial features were sharp and refined, giving off an impression of wisdom and intelligence. The beautiful countenance reflected on the mirror was not Ji Yunshu¡¯s original appearance. Five years ago, she¡¯d died on the operation table. When she woke up, she seemed to be in the body of the barely 13-year-old Third Miss of the Ji family in Jinjiang city. As the former owner¡¯s memories rushed through her brain like a tidal wave, she was able to understand her situation. The former was the unloved and bullied daughter of a concubine. Her mother was a prostitute from a brothel who¡¯d be pregnant with her after a night of passion with her drunk father. When the child had entered the world, her mother had died due to the difficult childbirth. Since her tender childhood, she had lived in the West Side Courtyard under the care of Wet Nurse Zhang. Unfortunately, a few years ago, Wet Nurse Zhang had passed away from illness. After her death, in less than a month of neglect, the 13-year-old Ji Yunshu had turned into skin and bones and met her demise due to starvation. Soon after, the empty body was taken over by the new Ji Yunshu. Fortunately, Ji Yunshu was a famous forensic anthropologist in the field of archeology during the 21st century, who specialized in facial reconstruction of skeletons. Therefore, in order to obtain money to survive, she simply resumed working in her previous profession and became a yamen runner who drew portraits of corpses that had their faces destroyed beyond recognition. However, because of her status as a daughter born of a prostitute, from top to bottom, no one in the family liked her. Not to mention that the Ji family was a prestigious household, if rumors were to spread about her frequently being in contact with corpses, wouldn¡¯t the Ji family greatly lose face? Thus, Ji Yunshu had to crossdress as a man every time she went to work and could never rely on her family background. Besides, the Ji family never acknowledged her in the first ce, which she was happy about since it gave her freedom. With her sry, she could buy a few new clothes from time to time. In the span of five years, Ji Yunshu had gradually gotten used to this body and could now use it freely. Chapter 3: Nameless Corpses The rain continued to fall all day long, finally petering out when nightfall arrived. At this time, in the front courtyard, the Ji family was receiving the noble guests from the capital. Meanwhile, Ji Yunshu was tidying the paints in her sandalwood box. Every color in the box had been personally mixed by her. As she carefully cleaned and organized them, the glossy paints caught the eye, getting brighter with each passing day. Without a doubt, these colors wouldst for more than a thousand years without fading. After around the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Luan¡¯er hurriedly ran into the room and eximed, ¡°Miss! The county magistrate wanted you to make a quick trip to the east suburbs. He mentioned that an abandoned house in the east suburbs had caught fire, and many have perished from the resulting congration. Right now, their deceased families are waiting for the corpses to be identified, so they can retrieve and bury them. Unfortunately, since their corpses were charred beyond recognition, they want you to go and have a look.¡± ¡°When did it happen?¡± ¡°Two hours ago.¡± Ji Yunshu let out a groan. Nevertheless, she unhurriedly closed the lid of the sandalwood box, changed into men¡¯s clothing, lit a smallntern, and went out again. Whenever she went out for work, she never brought Luan¡¯er with her. Her maidservant stayed behind, since Ji Yunshu needed someone to protect the courtyard in her absence. Traveling at night wasn¡¯t easy. Fortunately, the east suburbs weren¡¯t very far. When she arrived at her destination, the sight of a copsed residence still billowing out smoke greeted her. The air was suffused with the smell of burning wood. Most of the vigers were carryingnterns outside. Some of them wailed, while others repeatedly sighed. Once she approached, she could see that more than 10 corpses were neatly lined up on the ground. All of the skin and flesh on the corpses had been utterly burnt to a crisp; not even one corpse could be recognized. When the county magistrate saw Ji Yunshu arrive, he hurriedly went to her. His voice was low, but very articte, ¡°Yunshu,e see. If the situation wasn¡¯t too grave, I wouldn¡¯t want to rm you. This much work in the first month of the lunar year, don¡¯t mention you feeling unlucky, everyone is crying out in grievances right now!¡± ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. The earlier we wrap everything up, the earlier we can go back.¡± ¡°Good, good, good.¡± The county magistrate ordered people to carry a table over and to prepare a dozen sheets of paper. He also ordered the yamen runners to form a security perimeter around the area. While she observed the corpses lying on the ground, Ji Yunshu¡¯s almond eyes widened with shock, but she quickly lowered them to conceal her emotions from prying eyes. Although she had be ustomed to witnessing such scenes, to go as far as to say that she was nowpletely apathetic would be aplete lie. She walked to the first corpse without hurrying. She crouched for a closer examination. The corpse before her had signs of heat ruptures1; the face had already swollen up. She continued to examine it for a moment before opening her mouth and whispering, ¡°Deeply sunken eyes with no shape; low and t zygomatic bones; the frontal bone is wide, and the lower jaw is narrow.¡± Immediately after, she took out a pair of white gloves. Deftly pulling them on, she lightly pressed on the corpse¡¯s face and skull so she could have a rough idea of the cranial dimensions. Then, she turned around and returned to the table. She opened her sandalwood box and took out a brush and her paint. Finally, she started to paint a human shape on the paper. Once the portrait waspleted, a person immediately rushed out from the crowd in tears, yelling out to heaven and earth as she ran toward the first corpse. ¡°This is my husband. Aaah! Husband! How could you just leave me like this? How can I live in this world now that you left me¡­¡± Ji Yunshu methodically proceeded with her work, examining the second corpse. ¡®The ipital bone is fractured. That person must have been smashed by a wooden beam. The sphenoid bone is protruding, and the mandible is a little nted.¡¯ The portrait of the second person was soonplete. A man and a woman rushed out before hesitantly crying out ¡°Mother.¡± The scene was indeed tear-jerking! ¡­¡­¡­. Ji Yunshu spent an hour and 30 minutes to create the portraits of all 17 burnt corpses. Among the 17 corpses, only 12 were imed, leaving behind five unknown and nameless corpses. The county magistrate allowed his subordinates to take the portraits and inquire about the identities of those five corpses. Unfortunately, no one in the vige recognized the people in the portraits. Nameless corpses? Jinjiang city¡¯s East suburbs wasn¡¯t that big to begin with, so why would there be five nameless corpses? Could those people be¡­ outsiders? If they were outsiders, why would they appear in an east suburbs¡¯ residence? 1. What are heat ruptures? They are split of the soft parts (soft tissues, muscles¡­) of the body under great heat. It looks like aceration or incised wounds. For more information, I put the link to a forensic reference, that containsymen terms (WARNING: don¡¯t scroll up or down if you don¡¯t want visual of other things) Chapter 4: A Violent Death? ¡°Yunshu, no one recognized those five corpses. Tomorrow, I¡¯m going to need a few more portraits of them from you. I¡¯ll order people to post a few notices and have other people search.¡± Ji Yunshu wiped her hands with a handkerchief and tidied up her sandalwood box before coldly stating, ¡°Tomorrow, I cannot work. You find another painter to copy the portrait.¡± ¡°That¡¯s also a good option. It¡¯s gettingte. Do you want me to call people to send you home?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯m used to walking on the road at night alone.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not safe to travel at night.¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to.¡± The county magistrate had brought embarrassment to himself. Ji Yunshu¡¯s temperament was naturally cold, and to outsiders, she might seem a tad aloof. Since he continued to butt heads against her again and again, wasn¡¯t he just asking to be rebuffed? Suddenly, from beyond the crowd, someone¡¯s voice loudly reverberated, ¡°Get out of the way! Step aside!¡± The crowd was forcibly pushed apart. More than 20 people rushed into the area, lining up to create a spacious path. Each one carried a long sword at their waist. Their clothes were made of brocade, and their expressions were solemn and mighty as they sharply looked straight ahead. In what seemed like moments, a man walked through the newly cleared path. He was dressed in a blue chinese robe made of satin, embroidered with light purple orchids. His golden boots were ornate and embellished with jade. His appearance was far frommon, sword-like eyebrows framing star-like eyes. He had a bolt and upright nose bridge coupled with thin and tightly closed lips. In the darkness, the light of thentern illuminated his intelligent and brilliant face, simultaneously highlighting his stoic countenance. He appeared to be calm and collected, but a viciously cold aura emanated from him with every step forward. Next to him stood a tall and sturdy man, and a middle-aged man with upright eyebrows. Ji Yunshu recognized the middle-aged man at a single nce. He was her father, Ji Shuhan. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be receiving the noble guests from the capital? Could it be that the man in blue clothes is the noble guest in question? If Ji Yunshu recognized her father, Ji Shuhan naturally recognized Ji Yunshu. He first saw her attired in men¡¯s clothes, and then the pile of corpses nearby. Immediately, fury welled up inside his heart, but his expression remained unchanged. The magistrate observed his surroundings before scratching his head. His heart was puzzled, so he inquired of the neers, ¡°Lord Ji, what is going on?¡± ¡°Lord Liu, the five corpses are this young master¡¯s subordinates. Make your people withdraw. This matter has nothing to do with you anymore.¡± Ji Shuhan had never put the county magistrate in his eyes, and the way he spoke was extremely contemptuous and arrogant. The magistrate was at loss for words, but since the corpses were now imed by someone, he didn¡¯t want to wade in muddy water. Hence he waved his hand, gesturing for all the yamen runners to withdraw to the side. ¡°Young master, do you wish to carry these corpses to the memorial hall?¡± Ji Shuhan¡¯s manner abruptly switched to a fawning expression as he whispered his question. The man stayed silent, his only answer a frown. A cold light burned within his eyes as he looked at the five corpses. ¡°Didn¡¯t these five depart for the capital yesterday?¡± ¡°They really did leave for the capital yesterday. I also don¡¯t know how they could be here. Young master, this situation is a bit odd,¡± stated the big man. The situation was evidently strange: an abandoned house had been set on fire, and without any logical reason, five swordsmen were found burned alive within. Furthermore, they were supposed to have left for the capital and shouldn¡¯t have even passed through the east suburbs. The capital was in a different direction Then, how did ite to this? At this moment, Ji Yunshu had already tidied everything up. She was about to leave since her father was here, since she didn¡¯t feelfortable in his presence. She had hardly taken a few steps when she heard the manmand, ¡°Burn them and bring back their ashes to the capital to be buried.¡± ¡°This subordinate shallply.¡± ¡®Cremate them?¡¯ Ji Yunshu got anxious. She halted her steps. She gave an odd look at the man and threw in a few words, ¡°Since the situation is odd, why not ask for the coroner to examine them? All evidence will turn into ashes if the corpses are cremated.¡± The man turned to gaze at her when he heard her voice. What entered his sight was a person in in but refined clothes, with a conspicuously thin build. The small frame and delicate appearance coupled with the fair skin andck of manly bearing gave that person a feminine and delicate feeling. ¡°Young master¡¯s subordinates are already in such a wretched state. You definitely shouldn¡¯t let the coroner open their chest and pull out their guts.¡± ¡°However, these people died a violent death. Young master, you don¡¯t want to find out the truth?¡± ¡°Violent death? Do you happen to know something?¡± The man slightly narrowed his eyes. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t speak. She nced at her father, who simply looked at her with eyes filled with disgust and anger. She no longer paid attention to him and put on another pair of white gloves. She walked to one of the corpses and squatted down before yanking the lower jaw down. Chapter 5: A person, a lantern and a sandalwood box ¡°A human corpse can lie, but bones never do.¡± As the words fell, Ji Yunshu had already pried open the mouth. The surrounding charred skin cracked and fell to the ground, the noise faintly echoing in the silence. ¡°The hyoid bone1 is obstructed. If we continue upward, you can clearly see that the coronoid process2 is shattered. This would indicate that someone used an extremely heavy object to strike the lower jaw.¡± That was to say, once the victim¡¯s head had been smashed to the side, the attacker had stabbed the victim¡¯s nape. ¡°There is a vaguely circr mark on the nape made by the puncture of a sharp object. It caused the tips of the bone to fracture, leading to copious blood loss. Although it¡¯s impossible to determine the time of death due to the burnt skin and flesh, I could approximate from the bone tissue within the remaining teeth. From these three loosened teeth, the estimated time of death should be yesterday. However, that fire started four hours ago. It¡¯s clear that these five people were brought to this abandoned house after their deaths. If nothing else, there is also no sign of struggle while they burned.¡± Jing Rong became curious after listening to her logical exnations. Then, Ji Yunshu walked to the next corpse and examined it. She palpated the corpse¡¯s hyoid bone. ¡°In a normal human, the regions above and below the hyoid bone are always softerpared to the hyoid bone in the middle. However, the hyoid bone on this corpse is identical to the first one. Both of their bones are soft whereas the above and below are hard. For such a situation to appear, there is only one possibility; they died from poisoning, which would exin why they didn¡¯t struggle at all while being burned. ¡°Poisoned?¡± Jing Rong lowered his eyes. Ji Yunshu scrunched her forehead charmingly as she continued to analyze. ¡°The skeletons of these five bodies are amazing. They must have been trained in martial arts, which means it would have been quite difficult to kill them. Both sides must have fought hard, which resulted in their bones receiving such damage. However, their opponents must have been on the losing side and decided to resort to poison. Since they used poison, it was certainly one that needed to be ingested, leading to the current abnormality with their throats. If we wanted to investigate further, it would be better to start from the food, perhaps¡­ from where they hadst stayed, like at an inn.¡± ¡°Do you see anything else?¡± Ji Yunshu shook her head. She got up, taking off and throwing away her white gloves. Her hands rose to dust a corner of her outfit. ¡°Are you a coroner?¡± Jing Rong asked. That man asked as many questions as there were stars in the sky! ¡°This humble self is only a painter. I merely have a bit of knowledge about bones, so I just examined them. A coroner would open the torso, examine the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys and brain. Their work ispletely different. If Young Master still wants to investigate further, send these corpses to the coroner to examine them. If not, there¡¯s no need to continue.¡± She wasn¡¯t in the habit of forcing others. Besides, investigating this homicide case or not, in the end, has nothing to do with her. Jing Rong scanned Ji Yunshu with his eyes. There was such a character hidden in this tiny Jinjiang city! This schr had said so much. If he persisted on cremating the corpses because of sentiment, it was inexcusable. Furthermore, these men were his subordinates, and they died from poison. Right now, he also wanted to quickly discover the truth hidden behind this case. Could it be¡­ that this is rted to the capital? Unfortunately, his return to the capital has to be dyed once again! ¡°Lang Po, instruct your men to deliver the corpses to the coroner for autopsy, and once you have the results, notify me immediately.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The burly man called Lang Po immediately ordered some men to carry away the corpses. Jing Rong turned to Ji Yunshu and looked at her. ¡°How should I address this young master?¡± Ji Yunshu disyed an indifferent expression and reserved attitude. But to be polite, she still wore a careful smile. ¡°I am a simple painter not worthy of a name. The time is alreadyte. This humble one would like to return home to take care of my father who has been bedridden for a long time. Goodbye.¡± ¡®Bedridden father?¡¯ The so-called bedridden father, Ji Shuhan, was standing there. The corner of his eye twitched when she mentioned her father. At this moment, Ji Yunshu had already taken antern and sandwiched the sandalwood box under her arm. She walked to the county magistrate and whispered, ¡°Today, I was called to work twice. In addition to six hours of work, I wet two pairs of shoes and wasted two pairs of white gloves. Add at least 10 taels more to next month¡¯s sry.¡± This kind of nning and calction, truly meticulous! The magistrate clutched his fingers behind him and rolled his eyes. Forget it. The Zhou family had given them 40 taels of silver as a bonus; the court allocated 70 taels, and the murder case of East Suburbs could fetch 20 taels. His monthly sry was 45 taels. Even including his sry and other misceneous expenses, there were still 60 taels left. ¡®Ohoh! It was more than enough!¡¯ This certainly was a meticulous calction! ¡°I¡¯ll add 15 taels. The weather is getting cold; you should buy a sk of hot drink.¡± Magistrate Liu was beaming with smiles and waited on this indifferent ancestor of his. Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression stayed cold. She didn¡¯t take the effort to reply, simply striding deeper into the ck curtain of the night. Herntern flickered in the darkness, the only sign of her passage. A person, antern, and a sandalwood box created a rather picturesque sight. Jing Rong, who was left behind, disyed an expression of deep contemtion. ¡®Although that schr¡¯s frame was slender, he didn¡¯t appear to possess the aura of a weak schr.¡¯ Since time immemorial, a talented person hidden in a city would definitely not be simple at all! 1. The hyoid bone can be visualized in this picture. As you can see the hyoid bone looks it¡¯s floating, but in fact, it¡¯s not held in ce by another bone. It¡¯s held in ce by muscles and ligaments. Its function is to allow a wider range of tongue, pharyngeal andryngeal movements. For more information 2. The coronoid process is the red part of the Chapter 6: Ravenous Wolf and Forced Marriage After returning to the Ji¡¯s estate, Ji Yunshu was hit by fatigue. She changed into clean clothes and shoes, sat next to the warm stove, and kneaded the space between her eyebrows. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re still not resting?¡± Luan¡¯er was baffled. Ji Yunshu shook her head, then drank a cup of tea, appearing like she was waiting for something. As she expected, a pageboy speedily arrived at the front courtyard and stated, ¡°Third Miss, Master is waiting for you in the anteroom. You have toe without dy.¡± Ji Yunshu grunted in assent. Ji Shuhan had been disgusted with her being in contact with dead people since the start. Today, in his presence, she¡¯d openly fiddled with those corpses. For Ji Shuhan, who regarded family traditions as his life, he probably couldn¡¯t wait to skin her alive! When she arrived at the anteroom, her vicious father was waiting for her. Once he noticed her arrival, his originally angry expression transformed into a roaring sea of fury as he fiercely red down at her. ¡®Truly the look of a ravenous wolf!¡¯ ¡°Bastard, kneel!¡± Fuming, Ji Shuhan snapped out an order through gritted teeth. Ji Yunshu had always possessed a character that didn¡¯t seek dispute, regarding things with a cold detachment. Therefore, she obediently kneeled down. ¡°Our Ji family has produced a lineage of offspring that have grown up to be honorable military and civil officials. But then, there¡¯s you, a little bastard who actually goes and touches those unclean things, destroying this family¡¯s rules and traditions. You, alone, are making my Ji family lose face.¡± Ji Yunshu kept her head low, not uttering a word in her defense. Needless to say, this dull temper of hers was what Ji Shuhan loathed the most. It drove him mad with anger and impatience. ¡°The Wei family had visited us a few times seeking a marriage. I already agreed. After the end of this year, you will be married into the Wei family. This will spare my Ji family from losing face again.¡± A married daughter is like spilled water; once Ji Yunshu was married into the Wei family, she would be the Wei family¡¯s people. Thus, her being in contact with corpses would no longer be rted to his Ji family. If there was any loss of face, it would be the Wei family¡¯s matter instead. With this much nning, it seems like Ji Shuhan had perhaps calcted this a long time ago. However¡­ Ji Yunshu¡¯s whole body shook for a moment, slightly stunned. The young master of the Wei family had fallen sick when he was a child and was now a mentally stunted idiot. The whole city of Jinjiang knew about it! There was no one who didn¡¯t know about it! ¡°Father, you should know about the circumstance of the Wei family¡¯s young master. If your daughter were to marry, wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Ji Shuhan mmed his hands down on the table, interrupting her words. ¡°Since ancient times, marriage has been decided by the parents. The matter is already settled, and you have no say in it. The Wei family are descendants of generals. For such an illustrious household to take a fancy to you, this is your blessing.¡± Her father¡¯s speech forcibly choked the words ¨C ¡°empty marriage, widow from the start¡± ¨C in Ji Yunshu¡¯s throat. She raised her almond eyes and gave a faint, but stubborn retort. ¡°Daughter is unwilling to marry into the Wei family. I would rather spend my days alone.¡± ¡°Bastard! Are those words that a family¡¯s daughter should say? Although the Wei family¡¯s young master is an imbecile, he is the sole scion of the family. After you marry him, naturally, you won¡¯t receive much in the way of grievances. Besides, the Wei family and the Ji family usually have many business dealings together. I will not let this be destroyed by your hands. You will get married whether you like it or not.¡± ¡°Father¡­¡± Ji Shuhan¡¯s face turned red from anger. ¡°Tonight, you will kneel here as punishment. Reflect properly. If you dare to disobey again, I will end your life myself and consider myself as never having a daughter like you.¡± With that, he flourished his sleeves and left. If this was in modern days, it would simply be a political marriage. To sum it up, Ji Yunshu was simply a mere chess piece in her father¡¯s eyes. No, in fact, all four misses within the mansion were nothing but chess pieces for him. The eldest daughter, Ji Muqing had long been cultivated to be the Crown Prince¡¯s consort. It was said that Ji Shuhan hadn¡¯t spared any effort, calling in every favor so that thising year, Ji Muqing would be sent to the capital. The second daughter, Ji Wanxing, was frail and sick ever since she was a child. However, she had long been promised to the Minister of Rites¡¯ son. In two years, she would also be sent to the capital. As for the fourth daughter, Ji Lingzhi, she was still young, merely an eight-year-old child. However, a few years ago, when Ji Shuhan and Old Madame Ji had gone to the capital to deal with some matters, they also promised her to someone, and the other party was the nephew of Zhao qinwang1, who was a first-ranked prince. This gap in treatment was definitely too great! She tightly wrapped her clothes around her body and let out a breath of cold air. Getting married, okay. A political marriage, fine. But getting married to an intellectually deficient person, she was extremely unwilling. It¡¯s quite possible that Ji Shuhan would tie her up before sending her to the Wei¡¯s residence if it was necessary. It seems like sooner orter she would have to leave the Ji family¡­ 1. Qingwang (Ç×Íõ) is a prince title, but not any kind of princes. Only princes that are favored and the direct descendants of the emperor will be granted this title. The princes are separated into four ranks. Qingwang is a first-ranked. For more information, Chapter 7: The Top-notch Primate Nights in January often threatened to rain, teased by icy winds. But in stark contrast to the chill in the air, severalnterns hung under the corner of the roof of the anteroom, radiating warmth and light. Quickly afterwards, Luan¡¯er stealthily arrived to deliver a nket and a small furnace. ¡°Master clearly knew that Miss¡¯ health is not good, but he still punished you to kneel all night. Isn¡¯t this just wanting your life?!¡± Luan¡¯er started to cry tearfully. ¡°Why are you such a crybaby?¡± Ji Yunshu folded her body around the small furnace. Gradually, her body warmed. Luan¡¯er wiped her tears. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s because you¡¯re like this, neither fighting nor arguing, that people keep bullying you.¡± ¡°Who said that?¡± ¡°Luan¡¯er is not blind. I can see it, likest time, Eldest Miss pulled out your beloved Pu tree and nted it in her courtyard. How about the other day, when Fourth Miss cut all your winter clothes to pieces? What¡¯s more, Second Young Master broke Master¡¯s colored ssmp but framed you for it. But did you say anything? Miss, your heart is too benevolent. However, no one tried to look into the matter or appreciate your kindness. You are simply stubbing your toes while moving stones. The only one hurt in the end is you.¡± Luan¡¯er clenched her fist in anger. ¡°This girl¡­ How many times did I say not to bber too much; the walls here have ears.¡± Despite Ji Yunshu reprimanding Luan¡¯er, she knew within her heart that Luan¡¯er was only looking out for her well-being. Luan¡¯er lowered her head, feelingpletely wronged! Ever since she upied this body, Ji Yunshu¡¯s temper had be more or less simr to the original, simple and elegant. Both had been flexible and soft, but steady in the face of hardship. Besides, she was also tired of fighting and scheming, mutual deception, and outwitting others. Thus, as long as the situation was bearable, she would absolutely not quarrel with people. Perhaps because of the contradictory nature within humans, the more she was obedient, the more the other misses and young masters loved to find trouble with her. It happened once every three days for trivial matters and every once in awhile for major trouble. They were as punctual as her menstruation! Early morning. Ji Yunshu was done with her punishment; and thus, Luan¡¯er helped her get up. She intended to return to her courtyard to rest, but she barely left the west side room when she ran into Ji Muqing. Ji Muqing wore an outer garment made of snow-white brocade with purple patterns, paired with gold embroidered shoes. Her hair was decorated with gold and silver hairpins. A top-grade white water pearl hung around her neck, while a silver bracelet highlighted her shapely wrist. She was adorned from head to toe in bright jewelry and precious pearls, with every item being near priceless. Right behind her trailed two overbearing maidservants named Shui¡¯er and Luo¡¯er. The Ji family¡¯s Eldest Miss, Ji Muqing, always had that kind of bearing. ¡°What? Did you go fiddle with those unclean things again?¡± Her tone was dripping with sarcasm, and the corner of her mouth was pulled into a condescending smile. Ji Yunshu narrowed her eyes. She had no ns to pay attention to her half-sister. She continued to walk forward, intending to leave. However, Ji Muqing grabbed her wrist and discreetly squeezed¡­ hard. ¡°How rude! Are you mute?¡± Ji Yunshu kept her voice neutral, ¡°Yesterday, little sister¡¯s hands touched corpses, and I have yet to find the time to wash them. Big sister doesn¡¯t mind?¡± ¡°WHAT?¡± Ji Muqing rapidly released Ji Yunshu¡¯s wrist in a burst of fear. Then she used a handkerchief and fiercely wiped her hand while her mouth cursed, ¡°Unlucky, unlucky! So early in the morning and I was contaminated by such wretched luck.¡± Upon seeing this, Luan¡¯er interjected, ¡°Eldest Miss, yesterday, Third Miss kneeled all night as punishment, please don¡¯t make things difficult¡­¡± Paf! Ji Muqing didn¡¯t even look in Luan¡¯er¡¯s direction before pping her. ¡°A lowly maidservant has what qualifications to speak to me.¡± As the words fell, Muqing red at Ji Yunshu. ¡°Indeed, such a master would raise that kind of dog. Servants, take this cheap maidservant and throw her in the firewood shed. Teach her a good lesson for me.¡± This was clearly Ji Muqing venting her anger on Luan¡¯er! After all, even nominally, Ji Yunshu was Ji Muqing¡¯s little sister. She could verbally abuse her, but she could not hit her. But Luan¡¯er, she was merely a maidservant who could be injured or even beaten to death without consequence. For a few taels of silver, there was a dime a dozen to pick from! Shui¡¯er and Luo¡¯er, who were behind Muqing, immediately started toply. They approached Luan¡¯er, intending to drag her away. Usually when Ji Yunshu gets mistreated, she would let it go. But venting anger on Luan¡¯er? That was out of question. Yunshu immediately stepped in front of Luan¡¯er. She raised her brows and stared at Ji Muqing. That look caused Ji Muqing¡¯s entire body to quiver. ¡°Big sister, getting angry so early in the morning will be bad for your body. It would be better to just forget it. Later, I will teach Luan¡¯er.¡± ¡°This little servant always likes to interrupt people. If it spreads outside, people will think that all our maidservants are vulgar. It won¡¯t do if I don¡¯t properly discipline her today.¡± The unspoken implication was, of course, that Ji Yunshu was ¡°vulgar¡±. That woman, Ji Muqing, was really a top-notch primate! Chapter 8: A Meaningless Farce Ji Yunshu¡¯s countenance remained polite, but her expression was faintly suffused with a cold air. ¡°Luan¡¯er is not sensible. There¡¯s no need for Big Sister to listen to her and get angry.¡± She turned to reprimand her maidservant. ¡°You¡¯re still not hurrying to admit your error?¡± Luan¡¯er lowered her head. Her voice was awkward and unwilling, ¡°This servant knows her wrongs.¡± Ji Muqing¡¯s eyes narrowed to slits, then snorted at Ji Yunshu. ¡°You went to such lengths to protect a mere maidservant?¡± ¡°Maidservants are also people, not to mention that Luan¡¯er has apanied me for many years. In respect of my face, please forgive her.¡± ¡°Like I care.¡± Ji Muqing¡¯s long eyebrows rose. Why would she want to give face to Ji Yunshu? She turned, her fox-like eyes ring at her maidservants as she snarled, ¡°What are you all waiting for? You still haven¡¯t grabbed her and thrown her in the firewood shed? You want this Miss to do the job herself or what?¡± Shui¡¯er and Luo¡¯er didn¡¯t dare dally. They practically pounced on Luan¡¯er and restrained her. ¡°Big sister, Luan¡¯er is still my servant. I should be the one to punish her.¡± Ji Yunshu eximed. ¡°She is also one of the Ji mansion¡¯s servants, and any unthoughtful behavior will be met with punishment. These are the rules, and they cannot be broken.¡± She waved her hand, ¡°Take her away.¡± In an instant, Ji Yunshu¡¯s fair fingers grabbed Shui¡¯er¡¯s arm and applied some force with her thumb. Shui¡¯er felt her feet turn soft. Her knees wobbled, and copsed beneath her. Unknowingly, her body directly fell on Ji Muqing. Crash! Ji Muqing was on the ground beneath Shui¡¯er, and started to scream in pain, ¡°Ouch! This is hurting me to death! You damned servant, are you tired of living?!¡± Shui¡¯er and Luo¡¯er were frightened by Muqing¡¯s outburst and hurriedly helped her up. Muqing¡¯s luxurious clothes were now stained by dirt and mud. Her hair ornaments had all gone askew. Her appearance was a mess, and she truly cut a sorry figure. Paf! Ji Muqing raised her hand and gave Shui¡¯er a resounding p, once again ring at her. ¡°Damned servant! How dare you bump into me!¡± ¡°This servant knows her wrongs. I wasn¡¯t steady on my feet. Eldest Miss, I beg you to spare me!¡± Shui¡¯er kneeled on the ground in fear and continuously kowtowed to Muqing. Ji Muqing, who regarded beauty as her life, couldn¡¯t disy a more miserable appearance than right now. How appalling could this situation be for her? Her hands twisted into an orchid finger gesture1, but her powdered face was too distorted from anger, reducing any semnce of grace. At this moment, she had no mind to pay any heed to Luan¡¯er. She stamped both feet, and swept off to her room to wash and change, growling the entire way. Thus, this absolutely meaningless farce came to an end. Ji Yunshu pulled Luan¡¯er on and hurried back to their courtyard before Ji Muqing changed her mind and came for them again. Once they entered the courtyard, Luan¡¯er asked, ¡°What went wrong with Shui¡¯er earlier? It seemed that she threw herself on the eldest miss for no reason.¡± Ji Yunshu chuckled while pouring a cup of tea for herself. Her demeanor meant that it would be a long talk. ¡°You may know that human bones are divided into nine parts, and a typical bone is usuallyposed of seven structural parts2. The hands and the legs are two different parts connected to the body. The muscles and tendons of the hand are separated into two sections. In between, a particr bone can be found. There¡¯s no pain if you slightly press on it, except your feet would lose strength. Earlier, I located it on Shui¡¯er¡¯s body and pressed it. Thankfully, it allowed us to escape from the situation.¡± Luan¡¯er became shocked when she heard this, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re awesome!¡± ¡°Everything is epassed within the frame of a skeleton, from one¡¯s appearance to the size of one¡¯s organs. All is dictated by the dimension of the skeleton, even the degree of putrefaction of those thousand-year-old corpses and their time of deaths are closely rted to their skeletons. Furthermore, a person¡¯s cranial bones are the most important part of the human body, as it protects the brain¡­¡± ¡°Miss, stop exining!¡± Luan¡¯er immediately interrupted her words. Herplexion was unsightly as she swallowed back the rising nausea. Her back had gone chill with fear. Seeing her maidservant¡¯s cowardly appearance, Ji Yunshu became happy. Before she¡¯d died on the operation table, she practically lived in the archeology shack. The bones of the deceased ancients were her solepanions. If she was as cowardly as Luan¡¯er, she would have long lost her job! ¡®Let¡¯s stop talking about it then!¡¯ She had knelt all night and was indeed tired. She might as well lie down, snuggle into her quilt, and snore away. 1. It¡¯s a type of hand gesture done by people to show off their grace and elegant poise. It¡¯s like lifting your pinky when drinking tea. Click here for the visual of the hand 2. In the raws, the author mentioned about 14 parts and 7 structures which I couldn¡¯t confirm the 14 parts since Western biology books roughly divided the bones into 9 sections instead of 14. I can¡¯t read Chinese medicine books to confirm, thus the trantions for that part is localized. Chapter 9: Frightened to Death! The yamen. The county magistrate was still resting, since he was busyst night at the eastern suburbs vige. He had barely closed his eyes for less than two hours when a yamen runner knocked on his door. ¡°Milord, someone is beating the drum.¡± The county magistrate rolled over, but otherwise didn¡¯t move. ¡°Milord, someone is beating the drum.¡± The county magistrate crawled out of his bed, extremely reluctant. He put on his official uniform and boots, dragged his feet to the hall with his eyes still closed, and hit the desk with the gavel. ¡°Who is beating the drum?¡± Two men, both dressed in magnificent changpao, entered the hall. Standing one behind the other, the one in front had brows that exuded a noble and heroic spirit, while the one behind had sword-like brows highlighting his valor. Jing Rong was looking around, but he didn¡¯t see the young schr from yesterday. The magistrate waited for a long time, but no one came in to report the name. So, he rubbed his eyes with his thumb before opening them. When he finally opened his eyes, he clearly saw the person in front of him. ¡®Isn¡¯t this the young master who came with Ji Shuhan to the East Suburbs yesterday?¡¯ ¡°Who are you? Why did you beat the drum?¡± The county magistrate still asked, as per protocol. ¡°Milord, my young master came today to find that painter. I will have to trouble you to call that person here.¡± Lang Po clearly stated his purpose. ¡°To find Yunshu?¡± Magistrate Liu softly muttered. He immediately started to scheme. Outwardly, he nonchntly raised his eyes and said, ¡°Teacher Ji has a day off today. Pleasee back another day.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± Jing Rong asked. ¡°How should I know where he is? If there¡¯s nothing important, then you should hurry and leave. The yamen¡¯s drum is not something that can be hit so casually.¡± The county magistrate wascking sleep, thus he was somewhat curt with his guests. Jing Rong remained expressionless; he simply nced at Lang Po. One nce was enough for Lang Po to understand what Jing Rong wanted. He took out a medal from his waist and showed it to the county magistrate. ¡°Liu Qingping, open your eyes wide and look.¡± Hey! He actually dared to address the county magistrate directly by his full name! The magistrate was greatly angered. Emotion overtook him as he leaped to his feet, his gavel held high. But right as he was about to m it down, he caught sight of the word engraved on themand medal. The wooden block in his hand slipped free, nging loudly on the floor. At once, he lifted up the robe of his official uniform and ran to the main hall below. His legs were shaking as he kneeled down with a plop and respectfully weed the two men. ¡°Pr-prince Rong, this lowly official was blind. I didn¡¯t know who you were and¡­ tried to drive you away. It was negligence on my part. I hope Prince Rong could forgive me.¡± Jing Rong watched Liu Qingping¡¯s expression quickly changing as he disyed a servile appearance. ¡°One who doesn¡¯t know, can¡¯t be faulted. This prince also doesn¡¯t want to greatly startle people. There¡¯s no need to use such grand etiquette to greet me. You can get up.¡± ¡°T-t-thank you, Pr-prince Rong.¡± The country magistrate was sweating profusely in his fear. His legs trembled to the point he could barely stand. His body remained slightly bent at all times. The corner of Lang Po¡¯s mouth pursed as he replied in Jing Rong¡¯s stead, ¡°What did you say before? Today, we came to find the painter from yesterday. Summon him at once.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°What but? He¡¯s just an insignificant little painter. Is he trying to put on airs?¡± The county magistrate hurriedly waved his hands, ¡°N-n-no! This lowly official will send someone to find him.¡± He turned towards a yamen runner and ordered, ¡°Hurry go find Teacher Ji.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± The yamen runner took off like a startled rabbit. The county magistrate definitely feared offending this great deity in front of him; thus, he bent his body, and with a smile stered on his face, he invited Jing Rong and Lang Po to rest inside the rear court. Then, he poured them a cup of the best tea he had and stood to the side. He was still trembling in fear and was furiously wiping his sweat with his sleeve. When did such a high profile persone to Jinjiang city? Jing Rong sampled the tea. Jinjiang city was renowned for producing a variety of tea. The tea fragrance assailed his nose with a sweet aroma. Its quality proved its well-deserved reputation. Jing Rong asked, ¡°Who is this painter?¡± ¡°He is called Ji Yunshu, and he is our city¡¯s famous painter,¡± replied the county magistrate. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®famous¡¯?¡± ¡°These years, within our city, there were many rotten and burnt corpses that no one imed. Ever since Teacher Ji came, it didn¡¯t matter if the corpse had decayed beyond recognition or if it was just a pile of bones, he could still paint the deceased¡¯s former appearance. Not only that, he was also able to help this lowly official shed light on many unsolved cases.¡± The county magistrate seemed to glow as he spoke, almost pridefully. ¡°Such an amazing person? For such a person to reside in a tiny little city like Jinjiang is such a waste of talent.¡± When Lang Po spoke, he intentionally nced at his master. It seemed that there was a deeper reason for this! Jing Rong raised his eyebrows. ¡°You only have that much information?¡± Liu Qingping thought a bit before answering, ¡°Teacher Ji has a bad temper.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± The county magistrate stammered, ¡°He¡­ He loathes speaking and is cold by nature.¡± ¡®Cold? How cold?¡¯ Jing Rong poured some more tea into his cup. Soon enough, the yamen runner returned and reported, ¡°Teacher Ji is sleeping at home and said that he will not go to work today.¡± The county magistrate¡¯splexion suddenly turned green, and he broke out in a cold sweat. But this time he was caught between a rock and a hard ce. He didn¡¯t know which side to lean to, since one side was his treasured Ji Yunshu and the other side was the almighty Prince Rong. He had to carefully pick who to support! Chapter 10: A Cup of Tea The county magistrate nced furtively at Jing Rong. He saw that Jing Rong had picked up the teacup lid and lightly covered his cup. The strength of his wrist¡¯s movement was neither weak nor strong. His expression remained the same,pletely neutral, making it difficult for Liu Qingping to determine whether the news displeased Jing Rong or not. Jing Rong¡¯s nose twitched twice; and the magistrate hurriedly started to exin, ¡°Prince Rong, Teacher Ji has worked hard the past few days. He should be tired. Yesterday, this lowly official had agreed to let him rest for a day. It would be better if¡­¡± Jing Rong interrupted him, ¡°It would be better if Ie back tomorrow?¡± For other people, they would feel nothing amiss when they heard those words, but in this situation, those words sounded like a ¡°fault¡± to Liu Qingping¡¯s ears. His whole body violently shook; he immediately kneeled and kowtowed. ¡°This lowly official absolutely didn¡¯t mean it!¡± Jing Rong tightly knit his eyebrows. ¡°Why do stately, benevolent officials always kneel at every single ghastly fault? Is there aw that requires you to kneel every time there is a fault made in the Great Qing Legal Code?¡± Lang Po followed up. ¡°There isn¡¯t, Prince Rong.¡± Liu Qingping¡¯s face grew stiff as hisplexion paled. He was a stately county magistrate, but¡­ ¡®You are as high above me as the venerated Buddha would be!¡¯ ¡°Just get up and stop kneeling at every turn.¡± ¡°Th-thank you Prince Rong.¡± Liu Qingping got up in a daze and lowered his head. He didn¡¯t dare look directly at Jing Rong. Jing Rong¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. His thin lips hooked upwards as an oppressive aura emitted from his body. He asked, ¡°Lord Liu, since Teacher Ji belongs to the yamen as a worker, certainly he must have the peace and prosperity of themon people at heart, am I right?¡± Liu Qinping meekly nodded. ¡°You are correct.¡± ¡°Yesterday, my subordinates were found dead under tragic circumstances. Logic would dictate that you investigate the matter and uncover the truth for me, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Therefore, looking for him so that he can help resolve this murder case for me, is it a must, or not?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a must!¡± Jing Rong was extremely pleased. ¡°Good. You have the time it takes for a cup of tea to bring him over.¡± ¡®Ah? The time it takes for a cup of tea?¡¯ This was clearly making things difficult for him! But Liu Qingping didn¡¯t dare refuse. He anxiously moved backwards towards the door. ¡°Y-y-yes my prince. This lowly official will go right away.¡± As soon as he got the words out clearly, he lifted his uniform and rushed out like a madman. Jing Rong¡¯s expression was stern, but now his doubts had woken. Lang Po stroked his jaw as he mused, ¡°Prince Rong, from Lord Liu¡¯s words, that Teacher Ji seems to possess the ability to draw the appearance of the deceased even if only their bones remained. Perhaps¡­ he could help investigate that old case.¡± Jing Rong remained silent, but the crease between his eyebrows remained. His long and narrow eyes now held a sly intent. After a long time, he asked, ¡°If we include today, how long have we been away from the capital?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been more than half a year.¡± ¡°We passed through how many counties?¡± ¡°More than a hundred.¡± Jing Rong grunted but smiled with his eyes. Then, he brought the teacup to his mouth. ¡­¡­¡­. At the backdoor of the Ji family¡¯s West Side courtyard, Liu Qingping raised his hand and knocked on the door. Luan¡¯er hurriedly opened it and saw the county magistrate. The very sight of him stirred her displeasure. ¡°Hurry, hurry! Call Ji Yunshu! We¡¯re going to the yamen. There¡¯s a major situation, an earth-shattering situation.¡± ¡°Miss said that she wasn¡¯t working today.¡± Liu Qingping pped his thigh and let out an ¡°Aiya!¡± Sweating profusely from worry, he pushed through the half-opened door and charged into the courtyard in big strides. When he reached outside the room, he rushed inside and yelled, ¡°Yunshu, this official hase to find you. We absolutely must go to the yamen. If you don¡¯t go, it will be difficult for me to keep my official hat! Please have pity and mercy on me, and go to the yamen with me!¡± An official beseeching amoner, this was unheard of! Inside the room, Ji Yunshu was already awake by the time she heard the county magistrate¡¯s voice. So, she slipped into men¡¯s clothes, neither hurried nor slowed, and carried her sandalwood box under her arm. ¡®Dressing like this¡­ is Yunshu going to the yamen?¡¯ Ji Yunshu tossed a sugar-coated lotus seed in her mouth and walked out of her room. As she stepped out, she saw Liu Qingping panicking, practically kneeling in front of her. ¡°Milord, what¡¯s wrong?¡± With no time to exin, Liu Qingping simply grabbed Ji Yunshu and rushed out. ¡°Hurry! Follow me! Someone is looking for you at the yamen. It¡¯s an important guest. Not going is out of the question!¡± Ji Yunshu was dragged along by Liu Qingping in big strides. Unable to take her wrist back from his strong grip, she frowned. ¡°Milord, what is going on? Didn¡¯t I tell the yamen runner that I¡¯m not going to work today?¡± The county magistrate was puzzled as his sight swept her up and down. She was dressed in men¡¯s clothes and held her sandalwood box. Isn¡¯t this how she usually dressed when going to work? ¡°You don¡¯t intend to go to the yamen with me?¡± Ji Yunshu shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then, where are you going?¡± ¡°The Zhou¡¯s residence.¡± Liu Qingping failed to understand. ¡°Why are you going to Zhou Mansion? Their young miss has died, and they are going to bury her today. Hurry and follow me to the yamen.¡± ¡°The murder case of Zhou family¡¯s young miss doesn¡¯t need to be investigated?¡± Ji Yunshu softly inquired. ¡®What? The murder case of Zhou family¡¯s young miss?¡¯ Liu Qingping widened his eyes, doubling in size. He felt as if someone had just scraped his spine. He asked in a trembling voice, ¡°She didn¡¯t identally fall to her death on that rock in her garden?¡± Ji Yunshu stared at him. ¡°I¡¯ve always given you a written report of my cases when I finish. Didn¡¯t I give you the report of the Zhou family¡¯s case?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°And, did I ever say that the Zhou family¡¯s young miss identally fell to her death?¡± Liu Qingping thought about it and shook his head. ¡°You also didn¡¯t mention that.¡± ¡®How odd. Didn¡¯t she fall to her death? How did it be a murder case?¡± Chapter 11: Which Murder Case? The county magistrate looked like a fearful principal offender, so Ji Yunshu gripped the sandalwood box tighter under her arm and sent him a puzzled look. ¡°Milord, Miss Zhou will be buried in four hours. If we want to re-investigate the caseter, we will need to dig the coffin back out. It would be an interminable dy, and the investigation will be quite inconvenienced. I¡¯m certain milord can understand the logic.¡± The magistrate rubbed his hands together while clicking his tongue several times. His brows knitted from anxiety. ¡°Of course I understand, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°Someone is waiting for you in the yamen! How about we go the yamen first, then wait a bit before going to Zhou Mansion? We can certainly catch up to the funeral procession before Miss Zhou is buried.¡± He stared at her with an almost desperate look. His heart beat nervously as he waited for her answer. Ji Yunshu raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Could it be that there is also another dead person at the yamen?¡± ¡°No, no, no! Someone is looking for you. It¡¯s the young master that your father followed to East Suburbs yesterday. He came to the yamen for you early today.¡± ¡°Oh? Has the coroner finished the autopsy of the five corpses?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s stop dying! My good Yunshu, hurry and follow me to the yamen. The matter with the Zhou family can wait.¡± His patience at an ended, Liu Qingping didn¡¯t allow Ji Yunshu to speak another word as he dragged her to the yamen as if his butt was on fire. Meanwhile, Jing Rong was about done with his cup of tea. He lifted his eyes just in time to see the county magistrate rush in, dragging a surprised Ji Yunshu with him. The county magistrate tried to speak, but just panted. Unexpectedly, Ji Yunshu was not out of breath, nor was her heart beating erratically. She stood with a serene face, looking straight at Jing Rong, who was sitting on a chair made out of pear wood. Yesterday, in the pitch ck darkness, it had been difficult to see his appearance in detail, But the daylight revealed his sword-like eyebrows with bright eyes, outlined by peach blossom eyes. His face was dyed with treacherousness and icy arrogance. It was obvious that he showed a few hints of interest. Their eyes locked together. From the beginning, Jing Rong had been studying Ji Yunshu, just as she was him. He observed Ji Yunshu¡¯s white and slightly rosy clean face. He didn¡¯t know if it was because of the jog just now or the blowing wind, but her pair of deep eyes were even more full of vitality. So to say¡­ When he looked at that person, he didn¡¯t feel any disdain at all! The magistrate bent at the waist with haste. ¡°Prince Rong, this official has brought you the person.¡± ¡®Prince Rong?¡¯ Ji Yunshu became absent-minded. Indeed, a person who could make her evil father shake his tail like a dog was either his mother or an influential character, but never a nobody! Jing Rong gave him a deep look before waving his hand, gesturing for Liu Qingping to withdraw to the side. Then, he faced Ji Yunshu and asked, ¡°Teacher Ji, did you eat well today?¡± ¡°I ate very well!¡± ¡°Then, did you sleep well yesterday?¡± ¡°This humble self did not sleep a wink the whole night.¡± ¡°How so?¡± She had to kneel the whole night, so of course she didn¡¯t sleep well. But how could she talk about that?! Ji Yunshu frowned and asked in reply, ¡°Prince Rong, are you living next to the sea?¡± In other words, mind your own business! Fortunately, Jing Rong didn¡¯t quite understand. Instead, he seriously tried to analyze the meaning behind her question. ¡°I live in Rong Estate within the capital. It¡¯s nowhere near the sea. Teacher Ji, could it be that you¡¯re confused from theck of sleep?¡± ¡®You¡¯re the confused one! Your whole family is confused!¡¯ Ji Yunshu raised her eyes. ¡°Since your highness is searching for me, I believe it isn¡¯t to simply ask if I had eaten yet or to chat with me?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Jing Rong replied sternly and went to the main subject. ¡°The coroner has examined the corpse and confirmed that they died from poisoning. The verdict was just as you said.¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t seem surprised as she asked, ¡°Therefore¡­?¡± ¡°Therefore, I want to invite Teacher Ji for a trip to the memorial hall. Help me do another detailed examination and determine whether or not there is something else! ¡°Have the corpses been dissected?¡± ¡°Their guts are all visible!¡± ¡°Are the bones visible?¡± ¡°As clear as day. That¡¯s the reason why I ask whether or not Teacher Ji has already eaten. It is in order to avoid any unwanted reactions when you see the corpses.¡± Unwanted reaction? Was he afraid that she would vomit? How funny! What manner of things had she, Ju Yunshu, not yet seen? Not to mention dissected corpses dripping with blood, she had even touched many rotten corpses filled with maggots. The case of Zhou family¡¯s young miss or Prince Rong¡¯s case, which one to investigate first? Would this make things difficult for the magistrate? Jing Rong took a guess, ¡°Is there another case?¡± The county magistrate replied without dy, ¡°Prince Rong, two days ago, there was a homicide case. The victim is a youngdy from a wealthy household. The family wants to bury her quickly. If we don¡¯t investigate now, I¡¯m afraid it would be toote.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s expression was dignified. After much deliberation, he said to Ji Yunshu, ¡°My matter is not urgent. Handle that case first and thene earnestly help me, so to avoid you getting distracted.¡± Oh! Such a good person! Chapter 12: Unseal the Coffin Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t feel at all grateful for his apparent magnanimity, since it was something to be expected. After all, it was a basic quality of a prince to be magnanimous! And logically following, it was firste, first serve! ¡°Many thanks for Prince Rong¡¯s understanding. This humble one will retire first.¡± Ji Yunshu bowed. ¡°I¡¯m going with you.¡± Jing Rong got up. Ji Yunshu remained expressionless. ¡°Your Highness, you are of noble status and your body is precious. The Zhou family is currently handling funeral arrangements which may offend your being.¡± ¡°What noble status and precious body?¡± Jing Rong narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is that something that can be touched? Or perhaps seen?¡± Ji Yunshu was unable to stop herself from stealthily giving him a nk stare at those words of dubious sarcasm. ¡°I was merely concerned¡­¡± Jing Rong interrupted her. ¡°No need to be concerned. I just happened to be free right now. Besides, I¡¯ll make myself low-key and will not disturb your work.¡± Ji Yunshu was toozy to argue with him, so she finally agreed. In the end, he was Prince Rong and she was only an insignificant painter who¡¯d have to follow hismands. The county magistrate also led a group of yamen runners. The group departed to Zhou Mansion in a grandiose fashion. On the way to Zhou Mansion, Ji Yunshu walked at the front while Jing Rong followed in the rear. He observed the slender and nimble figure, dressed in a ck gown, walking as if she was being led by the breeze. Refined and elegant, coupled with an unusual pair of rather dull eyes that revealed much cleverness. In fact, nothing on the surface could have hinted that this person was so capable of handling those corpses! As Jing Rong rxed, the corner of his mouth slowly pursed into a deep appraising smile, as he thought to himself. It was indeed worth pondering over that person¡¯s value. Not long after, they arrived in front of Zhou Mansion¡¯s entrance. Following their arrival, bitter and tragic cries resounded as the coffin containing the young miss of the Zhou family was transported to the entrance. The county magistrate ordered people to stop the coffin carriers. Striding quickly forward, he walked to Lord Zhou and spoke, ¡°Lord Zhou, the burial will have to be postponed.¡± Lord Zhou¡¯s expression sank and he scowled. ¡°What do you mean by that, Lord Liu?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± He had yet to finish his sentence when Madame Zhou dashed out and fiercely pped Liu Qingping¡¯s face before wailing, ¡°My daughter died so tragically, but you went as far as ordering people to block the way and not allow my daughter to be buried. What is your problem?! My poor daughter, your mother has failed you! Aaah!¡± ¡°Madame Zhou, it isn¡¯t like that¡­¡± ¡°Then, hurry up and get out of the way. My daughter has endured enough suffering during her life. Even in death, she is still receiving this kind of insult.¡± Madame Zhou cried to the heavens andmented to the earth, but thankfully, she didn¡¯t faint this time. In all truth, the man holding back the married woman was at his wit¡¯s end. But her point wasn¡¯t wrong! The county magistrate stood there dumbly, his eyes staring helplessly at Madame Zhou. By now, he¡¯dpletely forgotten the real purpose of his visit. Ji Yunshu shook her head as she watched the debacle unfold. She stepped forward and stretched out her hand to support Madam Zhou¡¯s arm. ¡°Miss Zhou was truly born under a bad star. At such a tender age, she has been bereft of her life. During her life, she had much fondness for beauty, but after death, she was changed beyond recognition. Who knows how much hatred and grievances there existed to actually harm her in such a way.¡± The words spoken were neither heavy nor light, but it strongly startled Madame Zhou. She turned and grabbed onto Ji Yunshu¡¯s wrist, staring at Ji Yunshu with eyes filled with shock. ¡°What did you say? What hatred? What grievances? What do you mean by ¡®harm her¡¯? Was my daughter killed by someone?¡± ¡°This humble one can naturally clear the doubts within Madame¡¯s heart. It¡¯s better to instruct the servants to transport the coffin back inside. Staying at the entrance like this is somewhat inappropriate.¡± Madame Zhou was stunned for a moment, but then fiercely nodded. She turned to her servants, ordering them to bring the coffin back inside post haste. Standing on the side, Lord Zhou asked Liu Qingping, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t have a clear understanding, but in short, mysteries abound within.¡± ¡®Mysteries?¡¯ Lord Zhou heaved a sigh. He flourished his sleeves and followed behind the coffin. The county magistrate was about to go in when Ji Yunshu pulled him aside. She whispered, ¡°Milord should wait for the people carrying the coffin toe out before blocking their road. Stopping them at the entrance is bad luck.¡± ¡°R-r-right! It¡¯s inappropriate and improper.¡± As it was, Liu Qingping was currently regretting his actions to death. It was said that stopping coffin carriers at the entrance would invite endless disasters the following year! He was being a true muddle-head. Ji Yunshu stayed silent as she stepped inside the mansion, not expecting to be dyed again. Behind her, Jing Rong was in high spirits as he murmured, ¡°It¡¯s certainly a bit interesting.¡± The coffin was once again carried into the main room situated in the rear courtyard. Everyone encircled the room and observed Ji Yunshu with inquisitive eyes. ¡°Unseal the coffin,¡± said Ji Yunshu. Several servants looked at each other, then in unison, they nced at Lord Zhou. Lord Zhou swallowed his saliva before asking, ¡°Teacher Ji, let¡¯s suppose that my daughter was harmed by someone. Why didn¡¯t you mention it yesterday?¡± ¡°I was a bit tired yesterday, so I didn¡¯t think about investigating it.¡± ¡®How willful!¡¯ Lord Zhou¡¯s next words were blocked. He was actually left speechless. He hastily nodded to the several servants. The coffin lid creaked as the servants raised it. A strong stench of rotting corpse, mixed with the odor of rotten wood, wafted out from the coffin, making people nauseous. While everyone was busy pinching their noses and frowning, Ji Yunshu took out some Chinese honey locust powder from her waist and scattered it around the coffin unhurriedly. Her line of sight had zeroed in on the inside of the coffin. Miss Zhou¡¯s decaying corpse had now be rather sinister looking. The red flesh on her rotten face had now changed into a pale purple. The eyeball that was barely hanging in her socket yesterday had dropped into her hair, strands sticking to it. It must have been due to the humid weather that her face had swelled to the point it seemed to be on the verge of exploding. The bones and flesh were indistinguishable; while visible veins densely covered the skin. In one swift move, Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand reached inside the coffin, grabbed Miss Zhou¡¯s clothes and tore them, exposing her fair shoulder. The decisive action frightened everyone. The male servants subconsciously looked away, not daring to raise their heads. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Lord Zhou¡¯s face turned green. Ji Yunshu pinched Miss Zhou¡¯s shoulder before nodding in satisfaction. ¡°How fortunate¡­¡± ¡®Fortunate? The person is dead. How can it be fortunate?!¡¯ Chapter 13: Time of Death? Lord Zhou asked, ¡°Teacher Ji, what do you mean by that? My daughter has passed away, how can you say it¡¯s ¡®fortunate¡¯?¡± Ji Yunshu expression sank as she replied, ¡°What I meant by that is¡­ How fortunate that Miss Zhou died without closing her eyes. She has left us a clear hint, namely, that protuberance on her shoulder was caused by a swelling.¡± ¡°A swelling? This ce?¡± Ji Yunshu slipped her white gloves on and opened her sandalwood box, but this time, the inside didn¡¯t contain her usual painting tools. Instead, there were all kinds of tools that resembled tweezers and scissors. She took out a small dagger and under everyone¡¯s eyes, cut deeply into Miss Zhou¡¯s flesh and sliced open her shoulder. The already coagted dark purple blood, pooling underneath the rotting skin, oozed out, mixing itself with a bit of dark red blood from the incised muscles and flesh. The end result appeared like a coulis of diarrhea trickling down Miss Zhou¡¯s neck, permeating her hair and gorgeous brocade clothes. It was really a pity that such a sumptuous garment was ruined! Undeterred, Ji Yunshu continued to slice deeper and deeper into the shoulder until the root of the swelling was revealed. Of course, her callous actions hadpletely frightened everyone. Their faces turned green while they covered their mouths, every single one on the verge of vomiting. Ji Yunshu removed her dagger, absentmindedly cleaning it as she gazed at the newly opened shoulder. She put her dagger back in her sandalwood box before turning back to Miss Zhou¡¯s shoulder. She palpated both sides of the shoulder bone, then closely examined the swelling. Gradually she came up with a satisfying conclusion. As expected, her conjecture wasn¡¯t the slightest bit wrong. ¡°From the shape of this bulge, someone had lifted both of her arms and dragged her away. What¡¯s more, she was pulled by her wrists, which is congruent with the marks on her wrists that I found.¡± Everyone had endured the sick feeling that assaulted their senses, yet when they heard her words, they were ovee by shock. Madame Zhou had a bitter face. She asked with a voice filled with doubt, ¡°Teacher, what does that have to do with my daughter¡¯s death?¡± ¡°Of course, there¡¯s a link between the two matters.¡± Her expression was confident. She swept her eyes at the crowd of housekeepers and maidservants inside the room before asking, ¡°Who was with Miss Zhou at the time of her death?¡± From within the crowd, a trembling young maidservant came out. She lowered her head. ¡°This servant was at her side at the time.¡± Ji Yunshu sized her up: a small stature, barely 13 years old, a delicate and pretty appearance. Her two hands were tightly clenching inside her sleeves. She appeared to be afraid. ¡°Let me ask you. Are you certain your Miss fell to her death early morning two days ago?¡± ¡°I am sure that Miss fell to death at that time. I saw it with my own eyes.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s words came out, the whole hall exploded. Madame Zhou didn¡¯t say a word, but she walked in front of the maidservant and pped her. ¡°Damned girl! Speak! Did you push down my daughter? Why did you want to harm her? Didn¡¯t she treat you well?¡± ¡°Madame, it wasn¡¯t me! It really wasn¡¯t me who pushed Miss. Even if I had great courage, this servant wouldn¡¯t dare!¡± ¡°Teacher Ji said that you lied. If it wasn¡¯t you, then who was it? Someone, grab that cheap servant. I want her to pay for my daughter¡¯s life!¡± ¡°Madame¡­ This ve has been used wrongly!¡± The noise was giving Ji Yunshu a headache. She frowned and let out a sigh, then put a stop to the situation. ¡°Madame, I haven¡¯t said that the murderer was this girl. Please stop for a moment. And could you wait until this humble one is done exining?¡± Lord Zhou hurriedly pulled his wife to the side and stated, ¡°Dear, your body is not well. Don¡¯t be angry. Let¡¯s hear Teacher¡¯s exnation first, then redress Ning¡¯er¡¯s grievances.¡± Madame Zhou was so anxious that she almost fainted. To calm herself, she took deep breaths and forced herself to sit. ¡°Get up.¡± Ji Yunshu bent down and lifted the crying and trembling girl to her feet. Coincidentally, she had merely brushed against the girl¡¯s wrist, yet the maidservant had groaned in pain before slowly getting up. It naturally didn¡¯t escape Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes. Ji Yunshu turned back next to the coffin and solemnly spoke, ¡°Lord Zhou and Madame Zhou. Just now, the reason why I said that this young girl was lying was because she absolutely wasn¡¯t at Miss Zhou¡¯s side at the time of her death. If she really was present, she would have discovered that Miss Zhou was already dead. Miss Zhou died sometime during the night three days ago.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Lord Zhou was shocked. Everyone present started to assess and discuss this new bombshell. Obviously, the Zhou family¡¯s young miss had fallen to her death early morning two days ago. How did it be the night three days ago? Besides¡­ Chapter 14: Rice Poison ¡°Teacher, did you miscalcte? After my daughter died, the coroner came and said her time of death was early morning two days ago.¡± Lord Zhou was puzzled. Magistrate Liu panicked, and he sidled up to Ji Yunshu and whispered, ¡°Yunshu, don¡¯t get the time wrong. The coroner dide to examine the corpse.¡± She gave them all a single reply. ¡°I didn¡¯t miscalcte.¡± He fell silent and didn¡¯t speak any further. Ji Yunshu looked at Miss Zhou¡¯s shoulder. She picked up her dagger again, this time, slicing a bit wider to reveal the shoulder bone. ¡°I once said that a human corpse can lie, but the bones will never do the same. ording to the coroner, Miss Zhou¡¯s time of death was determined to be early morning two days ago. However, that type of swelling on her shoulders takes shape an hour postmortem. Based on the hardness of the swelling, its shape and the purple coloration, her time of death was certainly during the night three days ago.¡± ¡°Then why did the coroner say it was early morning two days ago?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because the coroner had overlooked a certain point. During the night three days ago, there was a heavy downpour of rain. The temperature dropped a few degrees below zero¡­ err¡­ It was very cold that night, which influenced the temperature of the liver1 The coroner determined the time of death based on that misconception, but bones are not influenced by ambient temperature.¡± me this era for not having any advanced technology. Otherwise she would not need to spend so much energy, like cutting open Miss Zhou¡¯s shoulder, to prove her point. This was really annoying to death! Although the Zhou family¡¯s people didn¡¯t understand the specialised terms she had just used, they still understood the overall meaning of her exnation. Tears trickled out from Madame Zhou¡¯s eyes. She asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Then¡­ Then, how did my daughter die?¡± ¡°Ah right, how did my daughter die?¡± Lord Zhou was also feeling anxious. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t hurry to exin further. With her hand still covered in white gloves, she extended her fingers and directly shoved them deep into the rotting corpse¡¯s mouth. She wiggled her fingers inside a few times and took them out. Her other hand dipped down to her waist and came up with a few candied lotus seeds. She then dropped them into Miss Zhou¡¯s mouth and waited for a brief moment. As everyone looked on, she then fished them out of Miss Zhou¡¯s mouth. The originally orange colored candied lotus seeds had unexpectedly be blue. ¡°Miss Zhou died from poisoning.¡± Ji Yunshu gave her verdict. ¡°Poisoned?¡± Lord Zhou was bbergasted. ¡°The coroner didn¡¯t say anything about death by poisoning.¡± ¡°He certainly didn¡¯t. To determine if there had been any kind of poisoning, he would¡¯ve needed to examine her throat. However, this kind of poison didn¡¯t enter her throat. He wouldn¡¯t have found any traces within her throat during his examination. Yesterday, when I was drawing Miss Zhou, I discovered that the insides of her teeth were ck.¡± As she exined, she discreetly pulled out one of the corpse¡¯s loose ck teeth and held it up. ¡°This type of poison is called rice poison andes from the Western Regions. This poison doesn¡¯t enter the throat, instead seeping in through the teeth. But it only requires a small dose to be lethal. One way to detect this poison is through the use of starch. Contact between starch and the poison will create a blue precipitate. Which, is why the candied lotus seeds turned blue once it came into contact with the poison.¡± Lord Zhou nearly copsed. His eyes widened and turned red. His voice trembled as he inquired further, ¡°In the end, who wanted to harm my daughter? Who is the murderer? My daughter was young, but clever and sensible. She didn¡¯t go outside or go far from her courtyard. She absolutely couldn¡¯t have offended anyone.¡± ¡°Lord Zhou, please do not worry. Since Miss Zhou didn¡¯t leave the mansion and died inside, it won¡¯t be hard to investigate.¡± ¡°Teacher Ji, you must help my daughter find her murderer. If you can, you will be our Zhou family¡¯s benefactor!¡± ¡°Lord Zhou¡¯s words are too serious.¡± Ji Yunshu felt somewhat ufortable, so she lightly nodded. She put aside the tooth and the blue candied lotus seeds and took off the bloodied gloves. She walked until she was in front of the girl earlier and asked, ¡°What is your name?¡± The girl was still crying, but she raised her head and answered, ¡°This servant is called Qiaoxin.¡± ¡°Miss Qiaoxin, I¡¯ll ask you once again, when your young miss fell from the attic, where were you?¡± 1. The liver is less subjected to environmental temperature changes and is a good indicator to determine the core body temperature when determining time of death. Chapter 15: Do You Like Women’s Bedroom? ¡°I¡­ At that time, I was downstairs.¡± ¡°Why were you downstairs?¡± ¡°That morning, I wasn¡¯t feeling well. After I drank my medicine, I went to Miss¡¯ courtyard. But, I didn¡¯t see her in her room, so I went to the backyard. From there, I saw her sitting in the attic. I remember that there was no one else in the attic at that time. I had just arrived below the attic when I saw Miss falling from the attic, and then her head smashed onto the rock garden.¡± She spoke without hesitation. It didn¡¯t seem to be a lie. Ji Yunshu continued to question her. ¡°That night, three days ago, when was thest time you saw Miss Zhou?¡± Qiaoxin pondered, then replied, ¡°It should be at the hour of the boar1. I saw that the light in her room had gone out, so I went in to light it. At that time, the young miss was just lying on her bed. There was nothing out of the ordinary.¡± When she spoke, she used a serious tone, making it clear that she wasn¡¯t lying. There was only a suspicious point about her answer. Ji Yunshu felt a weight pressing on her mind. ¡®This case really is thorny.¡¯ Qiaoxin asked, ¡°Teacher, you said that our young miss died at night three days ago, but then howe I saw her sitting in the attic in the morning two days ago?¡± ¡°You only saw her from a distance. Naturally, you wouldn¡¯t be able to distinguish if she was already dead then. If someone maliciously murdered your Miss, that person could also fake the fall. How could that person let a small maidservant like you discover the subterfuge?¡± With Ji Yunshu¡¯s reply, Qiaoxin understood. After a deep breath, Ji Yunshu turned to Lord Zhou and spoke, ¡°Now that we know Miss Zhou¡¯s cause of death and the time of death, the next step is to find the murderer¡¯s motive. Then, ording to the motive, we will proceed to find the murderer. Therefore, I need to take a look at Miss Zhou¡¯s room.¡± Lord Zhou readily agreed, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have someone lead you there.¡± He turned to summon a housekeeper, who was promptly at his side, and gave him an order. ¡°Ahjing, bring Teacher Ji to the young miss¡¯s room to investigate.¡± The old housekeeper bowed. ¡°Yes, Milord.¡± Then, he looked at Ji Yunshu. ¡°Teacher Ji, this way, please.¡± The old housekeeper led several maidservants towards Miss Zhou¡¯s courtyard. Ji Yunshu was about to catch up to them, but when she passed in front of Jing Rong, he pulled her aside. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Teacher Ji was fond of looking at a woman¡¯s chambers.¡± If Jing Rong hadn¡¯t voiced anything, she would havepletely forgotten about this deity. She didn¡¯t anticipate that he would be able to keep such a low profile and blend in with the crowd, stayingpletely out of sight! ¡°Not everyone is a dirty rogue. I ampelled to do so in order to solve this case. If Prince Rong doesn¡¯t disdain such an activity, there¡¯s no harm in going together.¡± ¡°Obviously I will go. In fact, I want to see inside Teacher Ji¡¯s brain. Exactly how many more mysterious secrets do you still hide?¡± Why do those sentences sound so much like the teasing preamble of a television host?! Ji Yunshu¡¯s mouth twitched. She gave him a polite smile in reply before following after the old housekeeper. Jing Rong was extremely curious about Ji Yunshu. ¡®That schr is much more amusing than the fights and schemes inside the capital.¡¯ Lang Po approached him and stated, ¡°Prince, it appears that we didn¡¯t find the wrong person. This Teacher Ji is definitely a talent.¡± ¡°A talented person is a talented person, but that temper is stubborn.¡± ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± ¡°Alright, then. Let¡¯s go take a look first.¡± Jing Rong stopped talking and trailed behind the crowd with Lang Po. The county magistrate waited until Jing Rong had left before he himself dared to leave. After Lord Zhou instructed the servants to quickly support Madame Zhou back to her room, he too went to his deceased daughter¡¯s courtyard. Miss Zhou¡¯s bedroom was very clean. To be precise, it was spotlessly clean to the point that it was simply abnormal. All the objects in the room were arranged by color. Inside the room, from the curtain to the bed, everything was red while it was blue and yellow outside the room. And each color was arranged into sections. This was clearly a sign of obsessivepulsive disorder! Ji Yunshu stepped into the room and observed the surroundings. She saw the neat arrangement of the makeup on the dressing table. The color of the cases were nearly identical. In addition, there was not even a speck of dust on the cases or the surface of the table. Qiaoxin¡¯s eyesight was sharp. She hurriedly started to exin. ¡°Our Miss especially loved cleanliness. As long as it was used once, she would absolutely refuse to reuse the makeup a second time. So, early every morning, we would rece them with new ones.¡± Ji Yunshu remained silent and walked further into the room. Then, she caught sight of an unusually exquisite candle holder next to the curtain. A candlestick in a rich and influential family would only have flower engravings. However, the candlestick in front of her was sculpted from crystal. Together with its base, the candlestick formed the shape of a gorgeous helix. It was extremely beautiful to behold. Ji Yunshu said, ¡°This candle holder is really beautiful. Your young miss seemed to be very fond of it.¡± ¡°Yes. Miss particrly loved it.¡± Qiaoxin nodded. ¡°Not only that, every night before going to sleep, she would want to light it. She said that the scent from the candle helped her sleep.¡± ¡°Very nice taste.¡± The interests of people from rich families were so unlike that of the masses! Ji Yunshu continued to observe the bedroom. Then, she saw a red whip hanging on the wall next to the entrance. ¡®Miss Zhou was practicing a family martial art?¡¯ Doubts arose in her mind. She stretched out her hand and took down the whip. At that instant, she inadvertently glimpsed Qiaoxin out of the corner of her eyes. The sudden panic in Qiaoxin¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t go unnoticed, nor did the instinctive way she covered her wrist and recoiled. So that¡¯s how it was. Ji Yunshu carefully put back the whip. 1. The hour of the boar is between 9-11pm. Chapter 16: The Sharp-tongued Prince After she returned the whip to its ce, Ji Yunshu stepped back. But in a seeming ident, she stumbled, almost falling to her knees. Fortunately, Qiaoxin was behind her and came to her help. Ji Yunshutched onto Qiaoxin¡¯s outstretched arm in an attempt to support herself. Simultaneously, she flipped the maidservant¡¯s sleeve up and peeked at the arm underneath before immediately pulling it down again. No one was any the wiser! Qiaoxin asked, ¡°Are you alright, Teacher Ji?¡± Aware that ¡°men and women shouldn¡¯t touch each other,¡± Ji Yunshu immediately leaped away before bowing her head. ¡°Thank you very much, Miss Qiaoxin.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that Teacher didn¡¯t fall.¡± At that moment, Lord Zhou strode into the room. Ji Yunshu walked over to him. ¡°Lord Zhou, I can see from the sky that it¡¯s gettingte. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s possible to stay at Zhou mansion for the night?¡± ¡°Of course! It¡¯s possible as long as Teacher doesn¡¯t disdain our ce. Instead, I might trouble you with my daughter¡¯s matters.¡± Lord Zhou¡¯s voice was raspy with pain. His eyes were bright with unshed tears even as he forced himself not to cry. How distressing was it for him to lose his only daughter in such a way? ¡°Lord Zhou, please rest assured. This case has been received by the yamen and was assumed by Lord Liu, which also means it¡¯s under my responsibility. I will definitely bring justice to Miss Zhou.¡± ¡°My daughter was very obedient and had a good temper. She never quarreled with others, so I just don¡¯t understand who could possibly plot such an evil scheme against her.¡± Lord Zhou¡¯s appearance had undergone a great change since his daughter¡¯s death. The dark circles under his eyes had be more pronounced. At present, Ji Yunshu still could not determine who the murderer was, so it was hard for her to speak of it. ¡°If Lord Zhou doesn¡¯t mind, is it possible to prepare two rooms?¡± A voice floated in from the entrance. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t even need to look to guess that it was Jing Rong¡¯s voice. Why must that man be so determined to tangle with her? Jing Rong burst into the room like a cool breeze. His posture and demeanor carried a noble aura which was greatly ipatible with the currently gloomy atmosphere of the funeral. ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± Lord Zhou asked in ignorance. Jing Rong lifted his dark pupils. ¡°This humble one is Teacher Ji¡¯s friend. I came with him today.¡± ¡°It turns out to be a friend of Teacher Ji. Naturally, you are also our important guest.¡± Lord Zhou ordered the housekeeper at once. ¡°Ah Jing, quickly prepare two rooms.¡± ¡°Yes, Milord.¡± The housekeeper immediately replied. Ji Yunshu was examining Jing Rong when she coincidentally met his gaze. He had a smile hidden within the depth of his eyes. Seeing his pleased expression, she didn¡¯t understand why he was so be happy to stay here. He¡¯d refused the warm pillow and the dragon bed, instead running off to sleep here on a padauk bed. That kind of hobby could only be described as weird! He was aplete weirdo! Ji Yunshu stealthily nced at him numerous times, but her expression still remained unchanged. The day was over. Thus, the county magistrate rounded up the yamen runners and prepared to take his leave. As he walked forward, Ji Yunshu grabbed him, pulling him to the side, and whispered something in his ears. He blinked, but then nodded. Then, he bowed to Jing Rong and left. ¡°Prince Rong, this lowly official will leave first. If you have anymands, send someone to notify us at any time.¡± ¡°Bring Lang Po back to the yamen. Let him spend the night there. He will follow you.¡± ¡°P-pardon?¡± Liu Qingping¡¯s eyeballs almost popped out. Jing Rong looked at him with a sharp expression. ¡°Do you have hearing problems?¡± The county magistrate waved his hands hastily. ¡°Then, hurry and go away. Don¡¯t be a hindrance.¡± Liu Qingping nodded quickly,pletely mute. Lang Po followed his lord¡¯s orders and departed with Liu Qingping. The rear court returned to its previously calm state. The whole mansion was suddenly shrouded in a strangely dense fog! A tall and majestic body with an awe-inspiring presence stood next to a lean figure who resembled the roaming clouds of the sky. Ji Yunshu was fully concentrating on her current matter, but she let a small groan slip out of her mouth. ¡°This humble one didn¡¯t say that I won¡¯t take Prince Rong¡¯s case. You don¡¯t need to watch me all the time, as if afraid I would run away.¡± Jing Rong parted his lips and retorted, ¡°This Prince doesn¡¯t need to waste energy on watching you. As for running away, even if you do, you won¡¯t be able to escape my grasp. Don¡¯t forget that whether Lord Liu can keep his official hat1 or not, all rests in your hands!¡± ¡°Prince Rong, are you threatening me?¡± ¡°If you behave well and take care of my problem, is there a need for threats?¡± Ji Yunshu was silenced. Her eyelids lifted as she rolled her eyes. ¡®This prince has too sharp of a tongue!¡¯ 1. In Ancient China, officials have a headwear to show that they are officials. Commoners can¡¯t wear it, except on special asion like a wedding. Chapter 17: Bearing? Bear? The housekeeper led them to East Park, where he had arranged for their rooms. Arge pavilion, with two rooms on either end bracketing a reception hall, would do nicely. ¡®Doesn¡¯t it look like theyout of a tavern t?¡¯ Ji Yunshu could not possibly be happy. She turned to the housekeeper and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you have another room?¡± The old housekeeper¡¯s waist was hunched. He was wearing mourning clothes and a matching mourning hat on his head. His head ever faced the ground; it was absolutely impossible to see his face. With reverent and respectful gestures, the old housekeeper replied, ¡°Teacher, in East Park, these rooms are the cleanest. You are our precious guests, so I cannot allow any neglect as per milord¡¯smands.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Jing Rong interrupted, ¡°Teacher Ji, it¡¯s only for one night. There¡¯s no need to trouble yourself so much. This ce is not that bad: calm and peaceful. Our sleep won¡¯t be disturbed at night.¡± As soon as his words fell, he turned to the old housekeeper and continued, ¡°This ce no longer needs you. Hurry and leave.¡± ¡°Yes. Then, I wish you a good rest. I¡¯ll send the servants to attend both of you.¡± The housekeeper kept his head down as he retreated from the East Park¡¯s courtyard. What Ji Yunshu loathed the most were those types of lords like Jing Rong. She was unable to stop herself from saying, ¡°This isn¡¯t the Rong Estate. When your highness ordered the Zhou family¡¯s servants about, it seemed as if you were at your residence.¡± ¡®That little guy, his speech is really amusing!¡¯ Jing Rongughed. He sped his hands behind his back as he walked into the anteroom, his gown fluttering with each step. Right before he entered, he slyly turned around to throw a sentence at her. ¡°Wash your hands before going inside. This Prince doesn¡¯t want to smell that corpse scent all over the ce.¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t retort. If she had any rotten luck, she would have spread it to that two-faced cheap prince first! She washed her hands in the water basin outside before entering the pavilion. Inside, she saw Jing Rong sitting in the reception hall, studying her as she entered. ¡°Did you wash them properly?¡± Ji Yunshu remained silent. She barely kept herself from beating him to a pulp. Instead, she spread her hands in front of him. Jing Rong narrowed his eyes as he looked at her still damp palms. Under the light, they sparkled, almost translucent. After a moment, he pinched her exquisite wrist. His mouth hooked into a pondering smile. ¡°They say that men¡¯s hands are rough, wild and powerful. But why are Teacher¡¯s hands so soft and tender? Are you maybe using cream?¡± When her wrist was suddenly grabbed, Ji Yunshu instinctively clenched her hand into a fist and twisted her wrist to free herself. ¡°May I ask Prince to let go of my hand?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not letting go.¡± ¡°It hurts.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°My hand.¡± ¡°I still won¡¯t let go.¡± He absolutely intended to tease her. That alone was clear from the nefarious smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He pulled on her wrist with one hand, causing Ji Yunshu to fall toward him. As she fell, he took the opportunity to grab her slender shoulder with his other hand. Then, he started to methodically evaluate her. ¡°What a small frame. Is it possible that you didn¡¯t get to eat when you were young? Nevertheless, have you had such a bad temper since you were young? Was it because you got beaten up a lot?¡± He talked too much like a modern stand upedian! Ji Yunshu¡¯s body was now very close to him. Merely a fist¡¯s distance separated them now. She was a head shorter than him, so when she looked straight, her line of sight fell directly on his chest. She could feel the heat of a man¡¯s body at the tip of her nose, causing her heart to tighten from the shock. She quivered and used all her strength to push him away. ¡°Your Highness, don¡¯t go so over the line. This humble one is bearing with you.¡± ¡®Bearing? A Bear?¡¯ Jing Rong reckoned that such a word doesn¡¯t exist. His smile was absolutely despicable. ¡°With a body like that, you think you¡¯re a bear? From what I see, you look more like a cat with its ws out, all bluff but no power.¡±1 ¡°You-¡± Ji Yunshu was so furious that she nearly stomped her feet. But she ended up gritting her teeth in order to maintain her cover. Unfortunately, she was unable to do anything to him. Now, she finally understood that philosophical quote from ancient times: I like the way you look when you hate me but can¡¯t bear to push me away! Jing Rong saw her sullen expression from enduring him. He made an arrogant ¡°I won¡± expression. Fortunately, right at that moment, several maidservants came in while carrying food, breaking the gunpowder-like atmosphere. The leader of the group stepped forward and greeted them. ¡°Milord has instructed us to bring you your supper. If the food is not to your taste, we will redo them again.¡± With fish and meat in te after te, each dish was more sumptuous than the Ji family¡¯s food. Ji Yunshu suddenly grew gloomy. She asked the maidservant, ¡°Girl, your miss only had Qiaoxin as her maidservant?¡± ¡°No. There¡¯s also Suyun.¡± ¡°Oh? Then, where is she?¡± The maidservant shook her head. ¡°Several days ago, Suyun returned home because of an emergency. I believe that she will be back tonight. Teacher, do you have any othermands?¡± ¡°No. You can go take a rest. I don¡¯t need to be served.¡± Ji Yunshu waved her hand. The several maidservants bowed and left. Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression sank further. She was in the middle of pondering when she found Jing Rong looking at her with a strange expression. ¡°Your Highness, not only do you have the habit of grabbing people¡¯s wrist, do you also have a fondness for staring at other people like this?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s tone gave away her bad mood. Jing Rong¡¯s frivolous appearance had vanished. In a solemn voice, he asked her, ¡°Did you find something?¡± 1. This part is a very ¡°Chinese¡± pun/joke that doesn¡¯t make sense in English. What¡¯s more It¡¯s a doubleyer joke! Let me exin. СµÄ¿É²»ÊÇÊÜ¡£= (urate trantion) This humble one is suffering(ÊÜ/shou). ÊÜ£¿ÊÞ£¿= (urate TL) Suffering? Beast? (Both characters have the same pronunciation) ¾ÍÄãÕâÖÖ»¹Ïë³ÆÊÞ£¿= (urate TL) With a body like that, you think you¡¯re a beast? Äã¾ÍÊÇÒ»Ö»³¤×żâצµÄè = you look more like a cat with its ws out To sum it, firstyer of the joke, Jing Rong didn¡¯t understand the ¡°shou¡± meaning suffering and thought Yunshu was describing herself as a beast if she was anger. So, he was jeering at her and saying she was more of a cat than a beast. Secondyer of joke is probably the author joke and a BL joke at that. The current situation is too men hugging, the ÊÜ Yunshu used could also means bottom in BL, and beast is¡­well.. You know. ?? And finally, you got the cat reference. Let¡¯s stop the exnations here. Chapter 18: This Prince is Not Picky! ¡°What does your Highness mean by that?¡± Ji Yunshu replied with a question of her own. ¡°If you didn¡¯t discover anything, then why do you want to stay here?¡± Jing Rongpletely saw through her. He continued, ¡°You should believe in me. Maybe I can be your assistant.¡± Although Jing Rong was not someone Ji Yunshu was fond of, she did need an assistant at the moment. Since it was like that, she might as well be content with this one. ¡°Since your Highness has spoken and this was exactly what I needed, I would like to request your Highness to help me with something.¡± ¡°Exin yourself.¡± ¡°There is no rush. Let¡¯s wait until tonight to talk.¡± She raised her eyebrows and left him hanging. She turned her attention to the food in front of her, picking up her bowl and chopsticks. ¡°Even though the Zhou family is in mourning, they still sent us such avish meal. Their treatment of guests is pretty good.¡± Jing Rong, who was sitting next to her, was making a face. He lightly stated, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Without hurrying, Ji Yunshu put a piece of meat in her mouth before she added, ¡°Well, the food here can¡¯t bepared with the fine delicacies at the Rong Estate. It¡¯s inevitable that your Highness is not used to the taste.¡± When her words came out, Jing Rong ¡®s expression sank. ¡°This prince has eaten wild herbs in the mountains. I¡¯m afraid that I have experienced such meals more often than Teacher Ji has eaten salt.¡± ¡°Your Highness really can joke.¡± He was a prince. Who would believe that he regrly ate mountain herbs? Jing Rong¡¯s face was grim as he red at her, ¡°The Great Lin dynasty epasses Nanjiang to the south and Beiliang to the north. I¡¯ve passed through more than a hundred and eight regions as I made my way from the south to the north. I¡¯ve stayed in small viges deep in the mountains and remote shacks in the middle of nowhere. If everywhere I went there were delicacies, would there be a need for the people of our Great Lin dynasty to starve or freeze to death?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand froze as he recaptured her attention. She looked at him curiously. ¡°You travelled to so many ces?¡± ¡°This is not the main point.¡± ¡°Then, what¡¯s the main point?¡± Jing Rong red at her. ¡°All of this was mainly to inform you that I am not picky!¡± How embarrassing! ¡®If you don¡¯t want to eat then don¡¯t eat.¡¯ Ji Yunshu was hungry, so she continued to eat her meal with relish. Jing Rong¡¯s mutters floated into her ears. ¡°Thoughtless, he can actually still eat so soon after.¡± Yeah! Who in the world would be in the mood to eat a good meal less than two hours after examining a corpse? Only Ji Yunshu would be in the mood. After eating her fill, she rested until the sky gradually turned dark. ¡°Your Highness, didn¡¯t you want to help me? Let¡¯s go.¡± As soon as she spoke, she got to her feet and walked outside. Jing Rong was puzzled, but he still followed after her. Not too long after, they reached their destination: the attic where Miss Zhou had apparently fallen from. There were still severalnterns hung on the corner, illuminating the vicinity, giving the ce a gentle and charming view. Ji Yunshu had always lovednterns of ancient times, thus she spent some time admiring them. She recovered her mind only after Jing Rong patted her. ¡°Are weing here to admirenterns?¡± ¡°It¡¯s to investigate the case.¡± Brought back to earth, she retracted her gaze from thenterns. Jing Rong appeared to guess her intention, so he said, ¡°Are you suspecting that there was someone hiding in the attic at the time of the victim¡¯s fall?¡± ¡°It looks like your Highness is very sharp.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ji Yunshu did not exin further and walked around the attic. The attic was, in fact, a tall but not big pavilion. There were no partitioned rooms inside, instead filled with mahogany railings and benches. If there was someone hidden inside the attic, it would be obvious to see. Apart from the furniture, there was nothing else. No matter how much Yunshu looked, she could not find a ce that could hide anyone. Lost in her thoughts, she absentmindedly turned around and knocked her forehead against a sturdy chest. The collision caused her a lot of pain! Ji Yunshu subconsciously put her hand to her forehead and frowned. She stayed silent but red at Jing Rong who was rubbing his chest, feeling dissatisfied. ¡°Why did you suddenly turn around without a warning? My chest is not a pillow. If you bump into it like that it would break.¡± ¡°Then why was your Highness standing behind me without a sound?¡± Jing Rong frowned. ¡°Are you saying that I need to tell you where I want to go?¡± Ji Yunshu mped her mouth. ¡®Then, you¡¯re telling me that I should schedule with you when I¡¯m going to turn around?¡¯ Of course, she could not speak those words aloud, but it did not douse the mes of anger burning in her heart. He was a prince and whatever he said was reasonable. As for her, she was just an insignificant painter. How could she dare to argue with him? She might as well just let it be¡­ ¡°Everything is my fault!¡± She did not feel like arguing, so she moved around him and was about to walk in another direction. But, who knew that as soon as she passed by him, two big hands would seize her waist and pull her back. She lost her bnce, directly mming into Jing Rong¡¯s chest. By the time her body fell, his hands were tightly holding her waist. Thus, for all intents and purposes, she¡¯d fallen into his embrace! Two grown ¡°men¡± were holding onto each other in such a way¡­ Under the light breeze, thenterns gently swayed while the light flickered, projecting their tall and short shadows on the wooden floor. Such a beautiful scene to behold! Chapter 19: The Murderer Might not Be Alone Their ambiguous posture greatly stirred the implicated pair. Their eyes met; but while one of them had an evil teasing smile, the other had a shocked and embarrassed expression. Naturally, thetter was Ji Yunshu. Jing Rong, who was tightly holding onto Ji Yunshu, intentionally rubbed his hand on her waist. The sensation caused Ji Yunshu¡¯s whole body to turn soft, and she could not help but lower her star-like eyes. Fortunately, the surrounding lights were a dim pink, which concealed the blush that had suddenly crept onto her face. Jing Rong¡¯s eyes epassed her tightly closed lips. ¡®This young schr is really charming!¡¯ A desire to tease Ji Yunshu rose in the depths of his heart. He spoke, ¡°Teacher¡¯s waist is very thin. If all thenterns in the attic were extinguished, I would be under the impression that I was holding a woman.¡± His words snapped Ji Yunshu back to reality. She raised her arms, causing her sleeves to wave and used all her strength to push Jing Rong away, freeing herself from his restraints. ¡°Your Highness, please act with propriety!¡± The bashful Ji Yunshu turned angry in an instant! However, Jing Rong¡¯s face didn¡¯t even change colors. ¡°In the quiet of a cold winter night¡­ Am I not allowed to joke?¡± ¡®Loathsome, shameless!¡¯ ¡°Your Highness, shouldn¡¯t joking have its limit? For two men to hold each other¡­ If people were to see¡­ You might be shameless, but this humble one¡¯s face is thin.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s tone was terrible. Realizing that hugging her had seriously provoked her ire, Jing Rong frowned, but soon revealed a satisfied expression. ¡°At first, I thought that Teacher Ji was taciturn and dull, cold like a frozen pine.¡± Then, he lowered his head closer to Ji Yunshu¡¯s face and showed a roguish smile. ¡°But it seems Teacher Ji can also get angry. Ah, how wonderful!¡± ¡®Wonderful your sister!¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s freezing eyes speared him. Then, she stifled the burning anger in her heart and slumped her shoulders. ¡°Prince Rong, it¡¯s gettingte, and how can we face the yet to be buried Miss Zhou if we keep bickering here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true! We still have an important matter to deal with.¡± Prince Rong snapped back to reality and nodded. ¡°Your Highness offered your help earlier, so I¡¯ll have to trouble you to stay in this attic. I¡¯ll go down and in the meantime, can you try to find a ce to hide? So long as you wouldn¡¯t be seen by me, it would be good.¡± ¡°Are you trying to make things difficult to me? There¡¯s no ce for someone to hide here.¡± Jing Rong refuted. ¡®This young schr shouldn¡¯t be using this to take revenge, right?¡¯ However, Ji Yunshu had already gone downstairs. Without turning her head, she spoke, ¡°That¡¯s your Highness¡¯ problem. Please use your brain.¡± Her voice gradually became distant as she slipped down the stairs. Ji Yunshu walked to the back of the garden where quite a distance separated her from the attic, standing at the same ce Qiaoxin had on that fateful day. She chose a location, then lifted her eyes towards the attic, but the ce was empty. Jing Rong was nowhere to be seen. She decided to move to the other end of the garden, but like before, Jing Rong¡¯s figure could not be seen! How puzzling! Where could that crafty deity have hidden? As soon as she thought of it, she saw Jing Rong leaping down from the attic. He steadilynded in front of her. Ji Yunshu only batted her eyelids while calmly looking at him. She inquired, ¡°Your Highness, where did you hide?¡± ¡°You¡¯re such an intelligent person, can¡¯t you guess?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t guess.¡± Jing Rong lost his interest and pointed to the roof. ¡°This kind of triangr shaped roof has a protrusion which can hide a person. If someone hid up there, no matter where people stood below they won¡¯t be able to see that person.¡± The sudden realization hit Ji Yunshu! A triangr shaped roof structure was the standard constructionyout in ancient times. Unexpectedly, she had overlooked that point. ¡°That means that the murderer knows martial arts.¡± Even Ji Yunshu was startled at the revtion she was struck with. However, her surprise waspletely out of Jing Rong¡¯s expectations. He lowered her eyes towards her and asked, ¡°Why are you surprised?¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised¡­. Because the murderer is not one person.¡± ¡°How did youe to that conclusion?¡± Jing Rong revealed a solemn expression. Ji Yunshu pondered a bit before replying. ¡°There were traces of someone lifting Miss Zhou¡¯s arms and dragging her away after her death. Consequently, it caused her shoulders to swell. The shape of the swelling revealed that the person who dragged her in such a way must have little strength. However, to be able to jump up to the roof, only a person with martial arts can aplish that, and not a weak one at that. Moreover, in the time it took to bring Miss Zhou here, that person is unlikely to have exhausted his strength.¡± Jing Rong squinted his long and chilly pair of eyes, and sank into deep thought. ¡®This case is starting to be more and more interesting!¡¯ Chapter 20: This is An Illness Ji Yunshu also pondered, but didn¡¯t find the case interesting. Instead, her heart felt as if a long thread was coiling around it, endlessly winding around, making her feel stuffy and anxious! Right at that moment, her attention was attracted to a banyan tree more than two meters away. It was an old tree, with a thick trunk that needed at least two to three people to surround it. She quickly walked over it. Then, her gazended at the base of the tree, which was covered with long intersecting gashes. Layer afteryer of tree bark had been gouged out, revealing the yellow tree core. From the looks of it, she could see both old and newly made gashes. These should have been made over a long period of time by a whip. As she mulled over this discovery, the suspicions in her mind unraveled, making her suddenly quiver in sudden enlightenment. She nodded while murmuring, ¡°So, it was like this.¡± Her quiet voice was overheard by Jing Rong, who was standing just behind her. He walked over and examined the tree from the base to treetop, but he still couldn¡¯t understand the meaning behind her sentence. ¡°What is ¡®this¡¯? What do you mean by that?¡± Ji Yunshu pointed at the long gashes on the tree and exined, ¡°What does your Highness think could have made those marks?¡± Jing Rong squinted at them. ¡°It looks like¡­ these were made by a whip.¡± ¡°Exactly! These were made by a whip. This is exactly the same kind of marks made when that woman used the whip to take her anger out on a tree.¡± What Ji Yunshu meant by ¡°that woman¡± was in reference to her half-sister Ji Muqing! Jing Rong didn¡¯t have the time to inquire about who she was referring to, since Ji Yunshu continued exining as her excitement grew. ¡°It seems Miss Zhou didn¡¯t only experience obsessions with her OCD. She also hadpulsions. Perhaps, her obsessions caused her to be unable to control herself.¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand what you just said. Exin it again.¡± When people from the ancient times are intelligent, their cleverness was simply like an ignited rocket, but when they were slow-witted, they wereplete idiots! Ji Yunshu replied with a question, ¡°Your Highness, when you were in Miss Zhou¡¯s bedroom, don¡¯t tell me that you didn¡¯t feel that her room was strange?¡± ¡°I did find it strange. Usually in a room, how can you see such a neat arrangement of a red cluster and a blue cluster like that.¡± ¡®What red cluster and blue cluster?! That description is simply¡­¡¯ Ji Yunshu was depressed. She still patiently exined. ¡°Theyout of her room was done ording to color. At first sight, it appeared orderly and nothing more, but in fact, many problemsy underneath. Not only was her room arranged by color, even her makeup wouldn¡¯t be used a second time. This cannot be described as a habit but a mental illness. If the problem was light, it would be called mysophobia, but if it was severe, it would be called obsessivepulsive disorder or OCD.¡± ¡°What¡¯s more, inside the room, I found a whip hung on the wall. When I took it down, that maidservant called Qiaoxin showed a startled expression. Not only that, when I brushed against her wrist, she clearly felt a lot of pain. So, when I put back the whip on the wall, I pretended to stumble and let her support me. When she was distracted, I quickly lifted her sleeve and to verify if there were any whip wounds, but there were none. It turns out that Miss Zhou¡¯s whip wasn¡¯t used on people but on this tree.¡± ¡°For people with OCD, the action of frequently whipping the tree would be called apulsion. Light symptoms ofpulsions will only affect the person, but heavy symptoms¡­ could possibly lead them to kill people!¡± The cold wind whistled. The sound reverberated strangely in the night air. Although Jing Rong couldn¡¯t make sense of those strange sounding terms that Ji Yunshu used, he still understood the general meaning. But¡­ ¡°Teacher, you actually lifted that girl¡¯s sleeve? Men and women cannot have close physical contact. Unexpectedly, you don¡¯t understand such simple logic!¡± ¡®Hey! Wake up, your Highness! You¡¯repletely straying from the main point!¡¯ ¡°Your Highness, stop joking.¡± ¡°This prince is not joking.¡± Ji Yunshu put her hand on her forehead and shook her head before she continued, ¡°I think I¡¯m going to have to take another look at Miss Zhou¡¯s room. Perhaps, I can still find something. After all, there really was a problem with that maidservant¡¯s wrist. Maybe, it was hit by something else.¡± She turned around and was about to walk away, but Jing Rong pulled her hand and asked, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we be investigating the identity of the murderer? What are you investigating these things for?¡± ¡°If you know the motive behind the murder, you will discover that everything is rted to the victim and her character. By making use of that kind of information, we can then find the murderer. This approach will save effort and will lead to better results.¡± ¡°So, this was your original intention.¡± ¡°Your Highness, do you want to go back to rest or continue to follow me?¡± Ji Yunshu asked. Jing Rong smiled. ¡°Naturally, I¡¯ming with you.¡± In reality, as soon as she asked the question, she already regretted it. She knew that something was amiss! She threw off Jing Rong¡¯s hand, no longer wasting time, and proceeded toward the Zhou family¡¯s young miss¡¯ courtyard. Chapter 21: Two Blooming Mulberry Flowers The two soon arrived at Miss Zhou¡¯s courtyard, one following the other. There was no one guarding the ce apart from thentern ced in the corner, causing the courtyard to be shrouded in an eerie atmosphere! Creeeak~ A sound came from the bedroom! Then, a flicker of a candlelight in the window, revealing the vague silhouette of someone moving around. Ji Yunshu and Jing Rong looked at each other and loudly pushed the door before proceeding inside. The mysterious person suddenly turned around and dropped the handkerchief in her hand in fright. Her body trembled as she stared at them in shock. They could only see the thin outline of the woman¡¯s figure. Skin stretched tight over bone, her shoulders didn¡¯t seem to have any strength at all. She didn¡¯t appear angry, just deathly pale. She looked around 16 or 17 years old, but how could she look so sickly? ¡°Are you¡­ Suyun?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s intuition sparked. The young girl disyed an empty expression as she woodenly nodded. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Suyun shook. In fact, her whole body quaked from fear. She lowered her head and whispered, ¡°Miss said she didn¡¯t like the room to be dark. I just wanted to light the candle for her, so I came to her room to light it.¡± Indeed, she had lit the crystal sculpted candlestick! Ji Yunshu nodded and no longer showed any interest. She introduced herself instead. ¡°Miss Suyun, my surname is Ji, and my purpose here is to investigate the cause of your miss¡¯ death.¡± ¡°I know. Qiaoxin already told me.¡± Suyun¡¯s manner of speakingcked any energy. ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡± While she spoke, Ji Yunshu was looking at Suyun¡¯s dropped handkerchief on the floor. Then, she stepped forward to pick it up. There were two beautiful blooming mulberry flowers embroidered on the white handkerchief: one red, the other blue. The red blossom had a corner where the thread had been severed. Ji Yunshu frowned. ¡°The flowers are quite lovely. Did you embroider them yourself?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You have a skillful pair of hands.¡± ¡°T-thank you.¡± ¡°Come here. Keep it properly, so you don¡¯t drop it again. It won¡¯t be pretty anymore if you dirty it.¡± Ji Yunshu returned the handkerchief to Suyun. When Suyun¡¯snky fingers came in contact with Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand, she grabbed onto the handkerchief and immediately took it back. From the beginning to the end, she didn¡¯t dare to lift her head, going so far as to lower it even more. ¡°Then I won¡¯t disturb Teacher working.¡± Suyun curtsied, making for the door. But Ji Yunshu deftly stretched her leg and tripped her. Suyun stumbled and directly fell forwards. Fortunately, Jing Rong was behind her and managed to catch her in time. ¡®Oh! The heroing to the rescue of the beauty!¡¯ Jing Rong released her only after she regained her bnce. After that, he retreated a few steps before sending a ferocious re at Ji Yunshu. Suyun covered her chest in panic. She raised her eyes and looked at Jing Rong. ¡°Thank you very much, young master.¡± Jing Rong didn¡¯t reply. Suyun bit her lips until they discolored, and hurriedly left. Jing Rong¡¯splexion turned dark from anger. He questioned Ji Yunshu in a harsh tone, ¡°Preposterous! Even if you wanted to send a woman to me, did it cross your mind to take my opinion into consideration?¡± However, Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t object. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what your Highness is talking about.¡± ¡°This prince clearly saw that you deliberately tripped her.¡± ¡°Yes, I did trip her on purpose. So what?¡± Ji Yunshu yed down her words, her tone neither light nor heavy. However, it contained hidden meaning! Jing Rong failed to understand, and was about to question her further when Ji Yunshu turned her attention to searching the room. ¡°What are you searching for?¡± Ji Yunshu, who was meticulouslybing through the room, threw out a reply, ¡°Something that could scare those maidservants.¡± ¡°Something that they are afraid of?¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t spare the time to resolve his doubts since she was busy searching the room. Finally, she found what she was looking for on the deceased Miss Zhou¡¯s bed. It was wrapped withinyer uponyer of beddings, making it impossible to guess the object inside. Ji Yunshu reached for the beddings and unwrapped theyers in an orderly manner until the item, a small and exquisite box nestled inside, was revealed. She held the box in her cupped hand and opened it. When the thing inside was reflected in her eyes, all the previous doubts in her heartpletely vanished! She closed the box. Her expression was grave as she turned and walked back to Jing Rong. ¡°Prince, when tomorrowes, we will solve this case.¡± Her words caused Jing Rong to grow even more puzzled. Chapter 22: The Ugly Housekeeper On their way back to East Park, Ji Yunshu was taciturn, not speaking a word. Her expression was also tense, which left Jing Rong at a loss as to what was going on in her head. Yet, he followed after her into the guest house. When he saw that she was holding onto a box but didn¡¯t ce it down, he inquired, ¡°What¡¯s inside the box that could make you frown with worry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not frowning from worry. It¡¯s just¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°Let¡¯s stop here. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll exin everything.¡± ¡°If you know who the murderer is, why are you waiting until tomorrow to act?¡± ¡°Your Highness, did you forget what I said before? There is a high probability that the murderer is actually two people. If I start something right now, it will be like beating the grass and scaring away the snake.¡± ¡°So, you already know who the murderers are among them?¡± She hesitated half a second before nodding. ¡°It should be them.¡± Jing Rong smiled. With both hands sped behind his back, he strode into the room on the right side. Without turning back, he said, ¡°Then, I¡¯ll wait for the good show tomorrow.¡± Creak~ Bam! The door closed firmly behind him. Unexpectedly, he didn¡¯t show further interest in who the murderers were. In the reception hall, Ji Yunshu took a seat, lightly tapping her slender fingers on the box found in Miss Zhou¡¯s bedroom. As she nonchntly tapped, the small chain on the box jingled in a lulling melody. Not long after, she got up and left; her destination was the mourning hall where the corpse of Miss Zhou rested. Several maidservants were guarding the ce when they noticed Ji Yunshu¡¯s arrival. They lifted their eyes and went to greet her. Then, they tactfully went out to guard the exterior. Inside, the coffin was ced in the middle of the room. A ck cloth gracefully covered the closed coffin lid. On top of the ck cloth sat a block of green jade. In ancient times, there was a superstition rted to green jade about how it warded away evil spirits. At this moment, the old housekeeper with the crooked waist from earlier came in. In one hand he held antern, while the other was pressed on his abdomen. He slowly walked until he was in front of Ji Yunshu and asked, ¡°Teacher Ji,ing here at such ate time, is there anything you want to order us to do?¡± Ji Yunshu faintly shook her head. ¡°No. I merely wanted toe here to take a look.¡± ¡°If Teacher needs anything, don¡¯t hesitate tomand us. Milord made it clear that we cannot neglect you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to trouble yourself. This humble one is used to doing things leisurely. A life of richness and indulgence doesn¡¯t fit me.¡± Ji Yunshu smiled. The old housekeeper lowered his head further, but at that instant, a cold wind blew in from the entrance and sent the mourning hat on his head flying. His aged face was immediatelyid bare for a moment as thentern light died out. Skin of a murky yellow hueposed of densely packed wrinkles, adding to deeply sunken dark orbs for eyes, his face could only be described in one word: wretched. It was especially fitting as the left side of his face was marred by a scar that stretched from the corner of his eye to the corner of his mouth. It looked like it had been made by a knife, and due to inadequate treatment, the wound¡¯s edges hadn¡¯t closed properly, eventually turning into a sinister red scab. The sudden glimpse of such a sight was enough to scare people! Ji Yunshu¡¯s face slightly twitched when she saw his face. The old housekeeper immediately lowered his head further. He put the mourning hat back on and bowed down. ¡°This old servant is ugly. I have startled Teacher.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. I absolutely didn¡¯t mean to disrespect you. It¡¯s just that¡­ the scar on your face seemed to date back to quite a few years ago.¡± Ji Yunshu cautiously showed her interest. ¡°Yes. A few years ago, I wasn¡¯t careful and wounded myself, leaving this scar on my face.¡± The old housekeeper¡¯s tone was dull and devoid of emotions. Ji Yunshu blinked a few times, but she no longer questioned the old housekeeper. The old housekeeper coughed and asked, ¡°The sky has grown very dark, Teacher. I have antern; it would be better if I send you back so you could rest.¡± Ji Yunshu shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need. There is light on the way, and I can go back by myself. The time is not early. You and the maidservants should also rest.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± She strode out of the mourning hall. Her face appeared to be serene, but that calmness was mixed with some apprehension and pity! Although the thoughts rose to the forefront of her mind, no one was aware of it. That night, a light drizzle fell until it was near the hour of the ox, then gradually the drizzling rain turned into snow. Jinjiang city was situated at the northern end of Beiliang. Since they were just entering the winter season, snow was ever on the horizon. As the white snow fell, it covered the city in ayer of fine powder, making the city glitter with a silver glow. However, once it fell on the snaking roads made of limestone, theyer of snow was swiftly broken and churned by each passing pedestrian. Chapter 23: Sour Face That night, Ji Yunshu did not sleep. Instead, she stood under the eaves, watching the water dripping from the tiles and turning into ice. She watched as the icicles formed and grew, sparkling and translucent, from the rooftops. When Jing Rong pushed open his door and appeared, he happened to see her standing there, dressed in a white gown made of hemp. Her bun was untied and her hair had unfurled to her waist. Her inky eyes were transfixed on the steadily dripping icicle. The light reflecting off the snow shone upon her, highlighting her delicate figure as she stood there. As the snow fell, it called itspanion, the cold wind, toe and y. It snuck around her, making her sleeves swing gently and ruffling a few stray strands of her hair. It was a scene hard toe by! It suddenly dawned on Jing Rong as his soul stirred. His thin lips faintly hooked up as he walked towards Ji Yunshu. He too gazed at the sky filled with snow. Then, he stretched his hand out, catching several snowkes on his palm. ¡°Teacher, did you watch the snow fall the whole night?¡± Ji Yunshu remained silent. ¡°Did you get frostbite? Are you mute?¡± Jing Rong asked. She shook her head, still wordless, and withdrew her gaze from the roof. She shot a quick nce at him and broke her silence with a rhetorical question, ¡°I wonder if Prince Rong slept well on Zhou Mansion¡¯s padauk bed?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep well.¡± ¡°Oh? On the contrary, I believe you had a very good night of sleep.¡± Hearing her words, Jing Rong¡¯s interest became stronger. He raised his long eyebrow and asked, ¡°Then, do enlighten me. How can you prove that this prince slept well on this cold winter night?¡± Ji Yunshu calmly sized him up before speaking with confidence. ¡°This humble one remembers there was a jade pendant tied to your Highness¡¯ waist yesterday night. If I¡¯m not wrong, it was hung 2.5cm below the waist, but right now, that isn¡¯t so. In fact, it¡¯s hung around 7.5cm lower. What¡¯s more, your Highness¡¯ clothes are tidy. Not to mention, you¡¯re meticulously well-dressed. These few points are enough to reveal that your mental state is clear-headed and that you slept well. Besides, the regions around your cheekbones are raised, allowing the contours of your eyes to be slightly swollen. This is a sign that is mostly seen in people who have had a peaceful night of deep sleep.¡± After her point by point assessment, she asked, ¡°I don¡¯t know if my analysis was correct?¡± Jing Rong was shocked. He had met countless people with extraordinary talent while he was traveling, but this young schr was one of the most intelligent people he had met. He could not help but sigh and shake his head. ¡°This is truly unfortunate.¡± ¡°Why is your Highness saying that?¡± ¡°Such a tiny and insignificant city like Jinjiang might not be able to contain Teacher.¡± Jing Rong stopped speaking, but a mysterious smile hung on his face. Ji Yunshu observed him for a moment, but dismissed it, not bothering to inquire further. At this moment, a maidservant braved the snowy weather and ran into the reception hall. When she arrived in front of them, she said, ¡°Teacher Ji, Madame sent this servant here to inquire if you have found the murderer?¡± Your own daughter was apparently killed by someone. As a mother, being anxious about it was quite normal. Ji Yunshu was resolute. ¡°I will have to trouble you to invite Lord Zhou and Madame Zhou to the mourning hall.¡± ¡°Right now?¡± ¡°Correct. I want to invite them right now. In addition, summon everyone else in the mansion.¡± The maidservant disyed a bewildered expression, but she wrapped her arms around herself and faced the whistling cold wind again to go inform everyone. Jing Rong knitted his eyebrows. ¡°Isn¡¯t better if we eat breakfast before going?¡± If it could¡¯ve, Ji Yunshu¡¯s re would have simultaneously burned and frozen him. Then, she spoke to him in a mocking tone, ¡°If your Highness properly atest night¡¯s supper, you would be unlikely to care about this morning¡¯s breakfast.¡± ¡®Who told you not to eat yesterday, serves you right!¡¯ Without waiting for Jing Rong to refute her, she started walking towards the mourning hall. This was the first time Jing Rong was rendered truly speechless by someone. His bright and stern eyes were bored into Ji Yunshu¡¯s straight back. His expression was cool, seemingly without anger. In the end, he still had to bury his vexation, and follow behind! Thus, a man with a sour face thought long and hard about punishing Ji Yunshu. ¡­¡­¡­. The mourning hall. Top to bottom, the more than 20 people in the mansion were already present. Lord Zhou¡¯s expression was grave. His face was slightly drooping, and his forehead had acquired new wrinkles. Beside him, Madame Zhou no longer wailed nor wept endlessly. Herplexion was also much better. However, her eyes continued to redden every time she looked at the coffin containing her daughter. ¡°Teacher Ji, the proper time to bury my daughter has passed. If we don¡¯t bury her today, I worry that my daughter¡¯s body will¡­¡± Lord Zhou didn¡¯t finish his words, as a sigh reced what was left unsaid. A corpse left alone for a few days would begin to exude a putrid smell. What¡¯s more, Miss Zhou¡¯s corpse had smashed into the ground, leaving most parts broken and her flesh burst open. Even if it was January, the corpse¡¯s stench was bing quite overpowering. Chapter 24: Case Closed (part 1) Chapter 24 ¨C Case Closed (part 1) Ji Yunshu calmly nodded to express that she understood what Lord Zhou meant. Madame Zhou softly leaned forward. Her hands were trembling as she pleaded, ¡°Teacher, who killed my daughter? Why did that person want to do such a thing?¡± ¡°Madame, please stay calm. It¡¯s better if I first tell everyone a story.¡± ¡°What?¡± Madame Zhou didn¡¯t understand. Jing Rong also frowned. ¡®This schr is really too carefree and idle. To narrate a story at this time? And in the mourning hall at that!¡¯ A weirdo! Too entric! Ji Yunshu made herselffortable, and her expression suddenly sharpened. After sweeping a nce at everyone present, she started her narration. ¡°More than 10 years ago, in this same month, a young child, six or seven years of age, was betrayed by her impoverished family and sold to a rich family as a maidservant to their young miss. At the time, she¡¯d believed that her situation wasn¡¯t too bad. That is, she had a roof, warm clothes, and three meals a day. Unfortunately, she was unaware that the miss she had been assigned to serve had been crafty and unruly from the day she could walk. She would often beat or scold the servants for any and every fault. As the young servant grew up, there hardly went a day without the young maidservant being abused from head to toe.¡± ¡°As the years passed, the young miss¡¯ personality problem didn¡¯t fade. On the contrary, her abusive personality intensified. The young maidservant didn¡¯t dare to get angry, nor did she dare to voice out her pain. Her whole body was riddled with wounds from her tormenter. Each day in the depth of the night, she alone would weep until her heart broke and her lungs rent, because she knew very well that she was merely a servant. Her life was worth nothing, thus she could only endure, endlessly endure¡­¡± While she spoke, Ji Yunshu strode around the mourning hall, walking among the crowd of servants until she finally reached thest row. She stopped in front of Suyun who had kept her head lowered all this time. Identical to yesterday, her face was as pale and emaciated as ever. She clearly perceived a pressure from the presence in front of her. Her body trembled even more uncontrobly, and her head burrowed further to her chest. Her sight was fixated on Ji Yunshu¡¯s pair of embroidered shoes. The crowd parted on both sides as their astonished gazes fell on Suyun. They looked at each other in dismay, without understanding the deep meaning behind it. Ji Yunshu¡¯s sight was fixed on top of Suyun¡¯s head as she went on with her story. ¡°That young girl also didn¡¯t expect that no matter how much she endured, the young miss would continue to treat her inhumanly, going as far as breaking the girl¡¯s leg. Yet, the girl could only grit her teeth and continue to endure.¡± Suyun subconsciously shifted her weight.. And trembled! ¡°Miss Suyun, I don¡¯t know; was what I said correct?¡± Wooah~! The whole crowd broke into an uproar. Hidden under her hair, her eyes revealed a panic-stricken expression. Suyan firmly bit her lips but didn¡¯t dare to let out a sound! Ji Yunshu¡¯s outstretched hand touched Suyun¡¯s trembling arm. She frowned and hesitantly said, ¡°Miss Zhou is good-looking and intelligent. In front of people, she put on a facade of a sweet and pleasant girl, but little could we have imagined that behind closed doors, she treated the people besides her in such a cruel manner, tormenting them to this point.¡± Everyone widened their eyes in disbelief. Their young miss was someone who would weep from sadness for three days and three nights after seeing a dead fish in the lotus pond. How did she fit the word ¡°cruel¡± in the slightest?! Madame Zhou was the fastest toe up behind Ji Yunshu. The unwillingness to believe such nonsense showed on her face as she spoke to Ji Yunshu. ¡°Teacher, you are certainly mistaken. My daughter absolutely cannot do such things. It must be a mistake¡­¡± As she spoke those words, Madame Zhou grabbed Suyun, and inplete disregard of the crowd, she bluntly pulled up Suyun¡¯s sleeves and tore off her clothes, exposing the young girl¡¯s shoulders and corbones to prying eyes. Suyun¡¯s skin was as fair as paper and waspletely devoid of any trace of injuries! ¡°Teacher said that my daughter mistreated her? How could it be possible? Look! See? There is no injury on her body.¡± Madame Zhou eximed confidently. However, Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t exin. Unhurriedly, she took out an exquisite little box from her sleeve. Slowly, she opened it, exposing for the first time to the bright light, hundreds of neatly ced silver needles. At that instant, Suyun used her hands to cover her exposed skin and leaped back several steps. Even the uninvolved Qiaoxin reacted in fright; her mouth turned pale and her whole body trembled. ¡®Ah! So, these maidservants were actually afraid of those silver needles!¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand reached into the box and picked up a needle. ¡°As an intelligent person, she would naturally not be stupid enough to leave traces of injury on the girl¡¯s body. Which is where this silver needlees in. Even if one is pricked with this kind of silver needle, no trace would be left behind, and it would not cause bleeding. Yet, it would make people feel unbearable pain when it was jabbed into one¡¯s bursa. For such an intelligent person, I cannot remain unconvinced.¡± ¡°Impossible! My daughter wasn¡¯t such a person.¡± Madame Zhou persisted in denying the conjecture, bing more hysterical by the minute. Upon seeing this, Lord Zhou stepped forward and took her in his arms. He sighed heavily when he turned to Ji Yunshu. ¡°Teacher Ji, you must properly investigate this part. My daughter definitively could not do such evil things. Moreover, what has that got to do with my daughter¡¯s murder?¡± ¡°I have yet to finish my story.¡± Ji Yunshu was simply ying with people¡¯s heartstrings from her tone. She put the needle back into its box and closed the lid. Her gaze returned to Suyun. ¡°Every day, her life was endless torture, pushing her to seek numerous paths to end her suffering. But, life was never as one expects. She met her other half ¨C a man who would risk everything for her. They secretly fell in love and swore their undying love to each other. Not long after, the girl became pregnant. She was¡­ted, truly happy. She nned to save her wages to buy back her freedom, but how could she have known that her n would reach the ears of the young miss? More than that, she would never have expected that the young miss, who was so demure in front of everyone, would fiercely prick her with the needles. That session of torture almost imed her life. Thatst session¡­ cost her that unborn child, and left her hovering between life and death.¡± ¡°Finally, the girl could no longer endure it. She was determined to take her revenge; she was going to kill that young miss. Thus, she used the excuse of her bad health to return home, but she secretly came back to the mansion on the same night in order to add poison into her miss¡¯ medicinal concoction. She was going to poison that devil who killed her child.¡± While she spoke, everyone was stunned to the point of numbness. Ji Yunshu picked up the pace as she continued her story, ¡°When the deed was done, the lifeless body of the poisoned missy on the floor in front of her. With all her strength, she put the body on the bed, but she was filled with dread. She was afraid that someone would discover what she did, so she confided in her lover. Early the next morning, they carried Miss Zhou¡¯s body to the attic and faked her idental fall!¡± At thosest words, the whole hall became quiet. ¡°It¡¯s not me! It¡¯s not me!¡± Suyun¡¯s voice trembled while she frantically shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need to deny it so vehemently. Since I told that story, I have the evidence to prove it.¡± Ji Yunshu approached Suyun step by step. In one quick move, she pulled on the maidservant¡¯s sleeve and fished out her handkerchief. It was the handkerchief embroidered with the two mulberry tree flowers! ¡°Give it back!¡± In a sh, Suyun abruptly lifted her head and revealed a malevolent expression. Her hands snapped out in a ferocious attempt to yank it back. Unfortunately for her, Ji Yunshu had already retreated a step and avoided her with a hasty side-step. Suyun ended up throwing herself at empty space. ¡°And so, she turns out to be a girl from the Western Regions. She¡¯s concealed herself quite deeply.¡± Western Regions? Suyun immediately became startled! Chapter 25: Case Closed (part 2) Chapter 25 ¨C Case Closed (part 2) ¡°It¡¯s not true. You speak nonsense!¡± Suyun vehemently denied it even as she clenched her hands into fists. Ji Yunshu pulled the handkerchief in her hand. Her face was the picture of confidence. ¡°Miss Suyun, I believe you must know the significance of the mulberry flowers for the people in the Western regions. Only girls from the Western regions would embroider two mulberry flowers on their handkerchiefs. The first flower represents themselves; the second, their lovers.¡± ¡°You are wrong. I am not from the Western regions. I just casually embroidered them. It is absolutely not like you said.¡± ¡°Oh? Then, why did you go to Miss Zhou¡¯s room to look for that handkerchiefst night?¡± Suyun foolishly stared back. ¡°Since you can¡¯te up with a reason, let me help you answer.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s face unhurriedly stretched into a smile. ¡°Because you are a westerner, you learned about rice poison from a very young age. Also, you took into ount that the coroner wouldn¡¯t be able to detect the poison through a regr autopsy. Therefore, after you murdered Miss Zhou, you secretly returned to her room, worried about the possibility of the body being discovered by Qiaoxin. That¡¯s why you dragged it onto the bed. But during that process, your handkerchief got hooked on Miss Zhou¡¯s fingernail, leaving behind a tiny piece of evidence. However, you werepletely unaware of it. After you informed your lover about the matter, you¡¯d hastily departed from the mansion. You only came backst night and went to Miss Zhou¡¯s bedroom, all in order to find your handkerchief.¡± When Ji Yunshu spoke up to that part, she raised the handkerchief for everyone to see. On one of the two mulberry flowers, it could be seen that a few threads were pulled out. ¡°You certainly didn¡¯t expect that because your handkerchief got stuck on Miss Zhou¡¯s fingernail, it would cause her fingernail to break. As a result, a red thread was left, caught on her fingernail. I would like to ask, for a precious Miss that never ever reused the same thing twice, why could she leave a broken fingernail alone?¡± ¡°Only one conjecture could exin that riddle; Miss Zhou was already dead by then. Since you were sick and absent from the mansion, only returning a few days after Miss Zhou passed away, how do you exin the presence of the missing red thread from your handkerchief on her fingernail?¡± ¡°If that kind of evidence is not enough to make you plead guilty, we could reopen the coffin and let you clearly see whether or not that thread on Miss Zhou¡¯s fingernail is the same as the one on your handkerchief.¡± ¡°No need. I confess.¡± Suyun¡¯s ghostly voice floated out. Her previous malevolence had dissipated into utter hopelessness. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t anticipate that Suyun would admit to her crime this quickly, causing her to clench the handkerchief in annoyance! The girl who revealed a sinister expression earlier, at this instant, didn¡¯t show any hostility or fear. Thatplete reversal of attitude wasparable to a monolith! Even in her frail body, her temperament had turned steady and firm. ¡°That¡¯s right. I killed the young miss. It was my doing!¡± Her expression underwent another transformation. Her pale lips hooked into a forced smile as she looked at Ji Yunshu, Lord Zhou, and Madame Zhou. Then, she spoke, ¡°Milord, Madame¡­ I killed her. You can send me to the yamen. For this crime, I¡¯m willing to pay with my life.¡± Madame Zhou red at her with bloodshot eyes, brimming with endless grief and rage. She stepped forward and raised her hand. Her raised palm pped down fiercely. The p sent Suyun to the floor. Blood trickled down the corner of her mouth, but she kept quiet and weaklyy on the floor, epting everything happening to her. ¡°Why did you want to kill my daughter?! In the end, what did we owe you?! My daughter shouldn¡¯t have died. She shouldn¡¯t have died! Why did you want to kill her¡­¡± Madame Zhou madly bellowed. Yet, in reply, she only heard Suyun¡¯s increasingly livelyughter. Suyun¡¯s voice was loud and clear, ¡°Teacher Ji¡¯s conjectures were all correct. Why do I want to kill the young miss? It¡¯s because she killed my child.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying! It¡¯s impossible for my daughter to do that to you.¡± ¡°Since things have reached this point, I have no need for lies.¡± Then, she pointed at the box in Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand and continued, ¡°Every time Miss stabbed those needles in me, it hurt so much¡­ It was excruciatingly painful. But each time, I kept holding on. If it wasn¡¯t for that¡­ if it wasn¡¯t for me enduring that much pain, my baby wouldn¡¯t have died at her hands! My poor baby!¡± Her smile vanished, reced by an expression of extreme hatred and fury. The crowd didn¡¯t utter their surprise, as if they were watching a good show! Madame Zhou shook, but she too quieted down. Lord Zhou spoke, ¡°Suyun, my daughter has already passed away, but you still want to nder her.¡± This was a great family¡¯s skeleton in the closet, so naturally, even if you beat them to death, they wouldn¡¯t acknowledge it! Right at this time, the trembling Qiaoxin suddenly knelt and cried, ¡°Milord, Madame! What Teacher Ji and Suyun said were all true. Whenever Miss was slightly unhappy, she would vent her anger on us. Since she was worried that other people would find the wounds on our bodies, she would only pierce us with the silver needles. We didn¡¯t dare to speak out and had no other option but to endure it.¡± ¡°Qiaoxin, are you insane? I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re protecting this homicidal killer! My daughter was young but so sensible. It¡¯s impossible for her to do such things.¡± ¡°Madame, everything this servant spoke of can be verified!¡± ¡°Nonsense! I don¡¯t believe you!¡± Ji Yunshu sighed. This conversation would go nowhere. With a frown, she spoke, ¡°Lord Zhou and Madame Zhou, your daughter was really a clever and pleasant person, but it¡¯s undeniable that she had a serious illness. When her illness red up and she experienced an episode, even if she knew about it, it was hard for her to control herself. Her distress, due to extreme anxiety, led her to harm people and possibly even kill them!¡± Madame Zhou asked, ¡°Illness? If my daughter had an illness, howe we didn¡¯t know about it?¡± ¡°This kind of illness doesn¡¯t exhibit symptoms like a physical illness or disease would. To be precise, her illness came from her mind. Whenever she became slightly unhappy, that feeling would be amplified in her mind, triggering a panic attack. Aside from those moments, she would look the same as any ordinary person. Since Miss Zhou was also intelligent, she knew how to conceal herself well. So, not knowing about her illness isn¡¯t surprising.¡± The behavior of those with OCD was truly not easy to exin with concrete words! Considering that she didn¡¯t expect to exin so much, it actually didn¡¯t turn out too bad. Madame Zhou¡¯s angry expression didn¡¯t fade. She still ferociously red at Suyun. ¡°Even so, my daughter didn¡¯t deserve to die! You murderer! Pay with your life!¡± She turned to a servant and ordered. ¡°Grab her and drag her to the yamen! I want her death to pay for my daughter¡¯s life.¡± The male servants quickly recovered their minds and were about to advance toward Suyun, but was blocked by Ji Yunshu. ¡°Wait a moment, please. I still have a few questions to ask Miss Suyun.¡± Then, Ji Yunshu squatted down such that her mouth drew near Suyun¡¯s ear. She questioned her. ¡°Since things have reached this point, are you sacrificing yourself in order to cover for your lover?¡± Suyun¡¯s eyes grew big, but she didn¡¯t utter a word! ¡°Soon, you are going to die, but he¡¯s still hidden in the crowd. You really loved the wrong person.¡± When she spoke those words aloud, Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes swept a quick nce at the people present. Suyun¡¯s originally calm eyes suddenly revealed nervousness. In an instant, Ji Yunshu took out a dagger from who knew where and yelled in a clear and resounding voice, ¡°It would better if you help me find him!¡± Ji Yunshu raised the dagger high above her and ruthlessly plunged it toward Suyun¡¯s heart. The dagger shed through the air. A finger¡¯s length away from the target, a shadow flew out of the crowd, disarming Ji Yunshu in a split second and sending the dagger skittering across the ground. In the next instant, the shadow sent out a palm strike towards Ji Yunshu¡¯s chest. It was only when the palm strike was millimeters away, at thest possible second, a strong force seized Ji Yunshu¡¯s waist and dragged her body back. Chapter 26: Case Closed (part 3) Chapter 26 ¨C Case Closed (part 3) It was a particrly moving scene unfolding in front of Ji Yunshu. Jing Rong was using one hand to protect her, while another hand blocked the palm strike and a kick flew at the shadow¡¯s chest. The kick connected with a dull thud and sent the attacker to the floor, spitting out blood as he fell. Chaos broke out in front of the mourning hall. Ji Yunshu was well protected behind Jing Rong. On the floor, the man who was kicked by Jing Rong leaned toward Suyun. ¡°Lin Duan!¡± Suyun suddenly screamed, crawling over to the man who¡¯d fallen. She started crying when she saw him spitting blood. He felt a burst of pain on his chest, but once he saw Suyun, his face broke into a warm smile. He stretched out his hand to stroke her face. ¡°Yun¡¯er, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m no good. I always end up harming you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that! Yun¡¯er, for you, I can do anything.¡± ¡°Lin Duan, I implicated you.¡± The sight of this pair of unfortunate lovers together was indeed, quite touching. Yet, Jing Rong¡¯s face disyed anger. His eyes seemed like twin balls of fire as he stared at Ji Yunshu. Their eyes locked together. His questioning tone made it obvious he was restraining his anger with effort. ¡°Is that your way of fishing out the two murderers?¡± Ji Yunshu bluntly nodded. ¡°This method is prohibited!¡± Jing Rong vetoed it without a second¡¯s hesitation. Why was this deity so easy to anger? She wasn¡¯t afraid of dying, so what was he afraid of? She felt reluctant to try and guess his mind. Instead, she neatly twisted out of his grasp with a side step. In the end, they were two ¡°grown men¡±. Sticking so close to each other, it would be hard to avoid people gossipping! She took another nce at the unfortunate lovers. She really hated to break them apart. However, it wasn¡¯t the time to feel sorry for them. ¡°It appears that you are Suyun¡¯s lover, the aplice who helped her to create that idental fall. At that time, the reason why Qiaoxin couldn¡¯t see anyone else in the attic was because you¡¯d hidden yourself under the roof. You waited until Qiaoxin was below the attic to push down Miss Zhou, leaving no trace of your presence.¡± At this point, Lin Duan didn¡¯t even bother to deny anything. Instead, his face was brimming with rancor as he grit his teeth. ¡°Damn her! She tormented Yun¡¯er to the point that her life was worse than death, and still didn¡¯t n on stopping. She went as far as to cause Yun¡¯er¡¯s miscarriage. Damn her! She deserved to die!¡± ¡°Lin Duan, don¡¯t say it.¡± Suyun wept until she was weary. Ji Yunshu was at a loss for words. While Madame Zhou was on the verge of fainting. She looked over at the pair of lovers, with hatred enveloping every inch of her heart. ¡°What a good pair of indecent people. Our Zhou family didn¡¯t treat you badly, but you coborated with each other to kill my daughter!¡± ¡°Dear, since the identities of the murderers are revealed, I will notify Lord Liu. Please take care of your health, so that no harmes to you.¡± Lord Zhou sighed, then turned to the servants and beckoned them over with a wave of his hand. ¡°Bring them to the yamen. Let Lord Liu take care of the rest.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Several male servants stepped forward and supported them up. But they didn¡¯t released their grips and continued to restrain the couple. ¡°Yun¡¯er, you should¡¯ve listened to me. We should¡¯ve left this ce yesterday night.¡± Lin Duan cried out in regret. Tears were falling from Suyun¡¯s face. Ji Yunshu interjected, ¡°Did you believe that you can escape if you left yesterday?¡± Lin Duan coldly smiled. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t I escape? If Yun¡¯er had agreed to leave with me yesterday, we wouldn¡¯t have fallen into your hands today.¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t know where his confidence came from. She bluntly stated, ¡°If you had tried to escape the Zhou mansion yesterday, you would have been weed by an arrow piercing into your heart.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± As the words came out, a burst of footsteps could be heard in the distance. A dozen yamen runners burst into the mourning hall and surrounded them. Liu Qingping, followed closely by Lang Po, had arrived together. Lang Po remained silent, walking until he was next to Prince Rong, taking his ce behind his lord. As for Lord Liu, he¡¯d transformed from his usually cowardly and scoundrel¡¯s persona, donning the bearing of a county magistrate. He issued a firm order. ¡°Grab those people and send them to the prison, where they will await for this official to report to the Ministry of Justice. I will handle their punishment after that.¡± ¡°Yes, Milord.¡± The yamen runners took Suyun and Lin Duan from the Zhou¡¯s servants and shackled their wrists with iron chains. Lin Duan asked in a tone of surprise, ¡°You knew beforehand that it was us and had arranged for people guarding outside?¡± Ji Yunshu replied, ¡°Incorrect. I only made Lord Liu to deploy people outside just in case, I didn¡¯t know about your identity yet. However, if you had tried to leave the ce with Suyun yesterday, it would have been an irrevocable confession to your crime!¡± ¡°I believed that there was absolutely no oversight in the n, but I never expected that I was ying into your hand.¡± However grudging, his tone contained some trace of admiration! The county magistrate waved his hand. ¡°Hurry up and detain them.¡± The yamen runners were well versed in crowd control, and promptly corralled anyone who wanted to leave. Suyun stopped in front of Ji Yunshu and stared at her for a moment before asking, ¡°How did you know that I injured my leg and that I was pregnant?¡± Ji Yunshu replied with a solemn expression, ¡°Last night, I deliberately tripped your leg. So, of course, I¡¯ll know you have a bone fracture there. As for how I knew you were pregnant, it¡¯s because I took notice of your hipbone. For women who miscarried, their pelvis would be obviously retracted.¡± Suyun gasped in surprise. ¡°Teacher Ji, you are very intelligent. You only saw my handkerchief once, but you were already capable of clearly deducing my story. But I don¡¯t regret anything. That night, as I looked at her body on the floor, poisoned and devoid of life, within the darkness enclosing me, I suddenly felt¡­ liberated. I no longer need to endure her torments, to feel any of that pain. If I had to make the same choice again, I would still choose to kill her.¡± Suyun¡¯s confession made Ji Yunshu feel disturbed and extremely upset. She rubbed the handkerchief in her hand before giving it back to Suyun. ¡°I¡¯m returning this to its rightful owner.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Suyun took it softly, and calmly smiled. Finally, Suyun and Lin Duan were sent to the prison. Once again, Zhou Mansion sank into an atmosphere of deep sorrow. In the end, Madame Zhou couldn¡¯t take it and fainted. Lord Zhou seemed to have aged considerably in the past day, as his whole being felt weary. His daughter had been ill all her life, and her maidservant was involved in an illicit affair which lead to the current tragedy. If this news was spread, the Zhou family would no longer have any standing in Jinjiang city. Ji Yunshu spoke, ¡°Lord Zhou, my condolences.¡± ¡°Teacher Ji, thank you very much for finding the ones who killed my daughter. Unfortunately, as a father, I am truly ashamed. My own daughter was ill, but I hadn¡¯t even noticed that.¡± ¡°No one can me you for that. This humble one has said earlier, this kind of illness is not easy to detect as the symptoms are not evident most of the time.¡± Lord Zhou sighed heavily once more. Because Ji Yunshu hadn¡¯t returned to her home the whole night, she was really worried that her absence would be discovered by that ravenous wolf of a father. Well, in the case that it had fallen apart, there wasn¡¯t many things tying her there anyway. The county magistrate hastily returned to the yamen to write a report for the Ministry of Justice, leaving first. Under the big snowy sky, Ji Yunshu departed soon after from Zhou mansion with an umbre in hand. However, she had yet to walk very far when Jing Rong chased after her and walked with her, side by side. Under the sky filled with snowkes, they threaded the streets together, leaving their footprints imprinted on the mantle of snow. Both of them were holding an umbre, forming a special, inclusive, atmosphere. As for Lang Po, he was following behind them in the distance. Jing Rong nced at Ji Yunshu and glimpsed the slight frown at the tips of her brows. She¡¯d obviously solved a case, but why did she look like this? ¡°Did Teacher Ji have something on your mind?¡± She nodded. ¡°I have this strange feeling.¡± ¡°Strange? What¡¯s strange?¡± Ji Yunshu slightly hesitated. Her steps came to a halt and nced at the confused Jing Rong. ¡°I was thinking about that sculpted crystal candlestick.¡± Chapter 27: See You At the Memorial Hall The crystal candlestick? The one that Miss Zhou lit every night? Jing Rong had an angry and annoyed face, but in an instant, his sharp features loosened into surprise. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s a problem with that candlestick?¡± Ji Yunshu pondered for a moment. The more she thought about it, the more her mind was nagging her about an oversight, but the murderers had been apprehended already. They couldn¡¯t possibly have overlooked something! Thus, she shook her head and answered him, ¡°It¡¯s nothing¡­ I must be overthinking things.¡± She slightly lowered the umbre in her hand and resumed walking. ¡®This schr, he seems covered in a veil of mysteries. He speaks in a way that I¡¯m unable to guess his thoughts!¡¯ Jing Rong caught up to her in a few strides. At the same time, he rolled his eyes and asked, ¡°I still have some doubts, do you mind enlightening me?¡± ¡°Are you thinking about why I told Lord Liu to deploy his troops around Zhou mansion?¡± ¡°How perceptive!¡± ¡®Oh!¡¯ He hadn¡¯t even asked yet, but the schr¡¯s guess was spot on! Jing Rong nodded with an extremely pleased impression. ¡°I simply don¡¯t understand how you could determine that the murderer was among the people inside Zhou mansion? Also, how did you foresee them staying in the mansion, awaiting capture? If this Prince was the murderer, I would have long escaped, far from here!¡± ¡°Your Highness, think about it. If the murderer was able to put poison in the medicinal concoction of Miss Zhou, and could secretly bring the body to the attic without being discovered, it signifies that this person was extremely familiar with theyout of the Zhou family¡¯s mansion. It had a higher probability than the culprit being a stranger, so if I eliminate Lord Zhou and Madame Zhou from the suspects list, all that was left were the servants. Since the murderer didn¡¯t want people to suspect him about Miss Zhou¡¯s faked idental fall, it wasn¡¯t necessary for him to escape either. In addition, all the servants in this mansion have signed a ve contract, which means that if one of them had gone missing, a report would¡¯ve been sent to the yamen. However, ever since Miss Zhou¡¯s death, the yamen had yet to receive such a notice from the Zhou family. Therefore, I could deduce that the murderer was still inside the Zhou mansion.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°The murderer certainly didn¡¯t imagine that his meticulous n would be exposed, which left him extremely afraid. With such thoughts, he might want to escape, so when Lord Liu left yesterday, I told him about this matter and had him deploy people in the vicinity, taking some measures in case the murderers did try to escape. If he did escape, the yamen runners would be able to catch him red-handed.¡± ¡°To sum it all up, when you arranged everything with Lord Liu beforehand, you still didn¡¯t know the identity of the murderer.¡± Jing Rong narrowed his eyes. Ji Yunshu nodded. ¡°If I knew, there would be no need for me to stay for a night, and I probably wouldn¡¯t have discovered that the murderer was in fact two people. It would have ended with Miss Zhou probably dying with remaining grievances. I was surprised that Suyun practically delivered herself to the door. It was also by chance that I saw her handkerchief. This is truly Heaven¡¯s will. It¡¯s really not an exaggeration!¡± At this moment, Jing Rong¡¯s heart gave birth to a sincere admiration for her! But in an instant, his face tensed with distress. With some rebuke in his tone, he told Ji Yunshu, ¡°Teacher, since you are this intelligent, how could you use such a clumsy method to draw out the second murderer? If it wasn¡¯t for me, perhaps, you would have already been sent to the doctor.¡± Ji Yunshu became aware of his small guts. ¡®You¡¯re still thinking about that?! Didn¡¯t I let you help me out?!¡¯ He was clearly reprimanding her, but why was he showing such strong worry and deep concern? Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t want to ponder too deeply about it. ¡°If that method could draw out the murderer, it was worth taking the risk. What harm could there be?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really eloquent!¡± ¡°Since this humble one has cleared your highness¡¯ doubts then, we should also part ways here. You¡¯re not nning to follow me home, right?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s indignant face unexpectedly became radiant. He observed Ji Yunshu¡¯s round and lukewarm face. ¡°If you have a spare bed at home to amodate this Prince, I¡¯m willing to follow you home. What harm could there be?¡± ¡®Don¡¯t tell me that a monarch¡¯s child could actually be this shameless?¡¯ ¡°My house is a lowly abode that does not befit your status. I will take my leave, no need to apany me.¡± As she threw these words, she swiftly elerated, and quickly walked away. This Jing Rong was like a sticky candy. Instead of leaving obligingly, he dashed forward. In an instant, a strong gale tousled Ji Yunshu¡¯s gown. Then, right in front of her, stood the tall and ramrod Jing Rong, blocking her way. His tall height and her short stature stood diametrically opposite of each other. If she didn¡¯t have the umbre above her head, considering their difference of height, her head would have bumped into Jing Rong¡¯s chest¡­ again. As Ji Yunshu raised her head, her eyes locked onto Jing Rong¡¯s. This unexpected meeting of their eyes caused both their hearts to skip a beat! Unexpectedly, Jing Rong was the first to initiate the conversation. ¡°Are you thinking about abandoning me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The question disturbed Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart, causing her ears to turn a brighter shade of red. Fortunately, her hair concealed the change. ¡°Don¡¯t forget that when this case was closed, you must investigate my case. Could you have forgotten about this matter?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s eyebrows rose, and his tone turned somewhat overbearing. ¡®It turns out to be that case!¡¯ Ji Yunshu let out a sigh. For no rhyme or reason, to suddenly spout out ¡°don¡¯t abandon me¡±, it really would cause people¡¯s imagination to run wild! She told him, ¡°Prince, a hanging man also need to breathe. Can you let this humble one rest for a night and investigate your case tomorrow?¡± ¡°Who told you not to properly rest yesterday night?¡± The rhetoricaleback left her speechless! ¡®Hey! Your Highness, I didn¡¯t restst night in order to solve this case! Unlike you who didn¡¯t properly eat your supper!¡¯ Witnessing Ji Yunshu speechlessness, Jing Rong showed off a winner¡¯s magnanimity. ¡°It¡¯s decided then! This prince isn¡¯t inhuman. You want to rest? Then, I¡¯ll let you rest during the day. Tonight at the hour of the rooster1, I¡¯ll wait for you at the memorial hall. If in the end, the five corpses rot, it will be moreborious for Teacher to investigate.¡± This person¡¯s brain was really full of shit! She only needs the bones to investigate! This was inhumane. The night was bitterly cold and she hadn¡¯t slept a wink, how could resting during the day be enough? But¡­ ¡°As you wish, your Highness. This humble one does not dare to not be present. I will see you at the memorial hall tonight, at the rooster hour.¡± When he heard her promise, although the wording showed obedience andprehension, howe it felt quite ufortable to the ears? He turned around and watched her delicate figure gradually getting further away. The corner of his mouth slightly rose into a smile, an intoxicated smile that made it seem like he was drunk on an aged wine. Lang Po, who was watching over them from a distance, arrived in front of Prince Rong in a matter of moments. ¡°Prince, You and Teacher Ji¡­ Did you mention the Imperial Duke¡¯s case?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s expression froze on the spot. His previously gentle eyes turned into icebergs. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Perhaps behind this case, there are numerous people involved. Although Teacher Ji is intelligent, I cannot easily trust him. If there is a mistake, all the me would fall on me.¡± ¡°This subordinate understands.¡± Jing Rong felt some doubts, thus he immediately instructed Lang Po. ¡°Secretly investigate everything rted to Teacher Ji. The people this prince wants must have apletely clean background.¡± Lang Po bowed his head. ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± Jing Rong took a deep breath of cold air. His gaze was still fixed on Ji Yunshu¡¯s back that was rapidly vanishing into the distance. To solve the Imperial Duke¡¯s case, he had already left the capital for half a year. But if Ji Yunshu was trustworthy, then his return to the capital wouldn¡¯t be far away! 1. Hour of the rooster: Between 5-7pm Chapter 28: The Wei Family’s Proposal Chapter 28 ¨C The Wei Family¡¯s Proposal Ji Yunshu returned to her residence through the backdoor of West Side courtyard. She had just arrived in her courtyard when she chanced upon Luan¡¯er standing outside and crying with worry. When Luan¡¯er saw her miss return, she had to blink twice. ¡°Miss, you have returned.¡± Luan¡¯er was tense. Ji Yunshu was neither hurried nor slow. But this time, she stared at her maidservant with narrowed eyes. ¡°What happened? You¡¯re always bustling with energy. Didn¡¯t Lord Liu send someone to inform you i wouldn¡¯t be back for the night yesterday?¡± This girl, every time there was an emergency, she would get all emotional and anxious! However, Luan¡¯er vigorously shook her head. ¡°It isn¡¯t that. It¡¯s¡­ The Wei family hase. R-right now, they are in the front hall. Just a moment ago, Master¡¯s servant came and told me to quickly bring you there to meet the Wei family.¡± The Wei family? It seems they hade to propose marriage! That ravenous wolf seriously made his move too fast. He was determined to marry her off quickly. She took a deep breath. It looked like she won¡¯t be able to take a nap. ¡®I really have shitty luck today!¡¯ She entered her room and quickly changed out of her male clothing. Then, she rolled her hair into a simple bun and put on a bit of makeup before leaving for the front hall. Inside the front hall, a group of people sat in a rough circle. With a quick nce, Ji Yunshu saw that the table was filled with all kind of different sized boxes. It must be the Wei family¡¯s betrothal gifts. From the master seat, Ji Shuhan noticed her arrival. Every time he saw her, his face would distort into a fierce appearance, but this time, he disyed a very benevolent appearance. ¡°Yunshu, why did it take you so long toe? Your Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei waited for quite some time.¡± Ji Yunshu looked at the Wei couple and bowed. ¡°Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei, Yunshu iste. I hope you will forgive me.¡± The people from the Wei family still hadn¡¯t spoken, yet the dignified looking Ji Muqing interjected, speaking in an affected manner, ¡°Little sister is too spoiled. It¡¯s already the hour of the snake. Did you just wake up?¡± ¡°Muqing, don¡¯t be rude.¡± The words came from the Ji family¡¯s Old Madame, Ji Yunshu¡¯s paternal grandmother. The Old Madame was attired in dark purple silk and bluish-green satin. Embroidered onto her gown were exquisite phoenixes and peonies, done at an embroidery shop in Suzhou. Her white hair was rolled into a bun,bed into an extremely elegant and dignified style, decorated by jade, pearl and golden hairpins. Each item was the epitome of luxury. On her neck hung a ne made out of 99 white jade pearls, coiling around her neck into two rows. The most eye-catching jewelry were the silver phoenix bracelets on both of her wrists. Stories said that they were bestowed by the deceased emperor when he was still alive and were exceedingly precious. Garbed in such gorgeous apparel, the Old Madame¡¯s appearance shocked Ji Yunshu. If archaeologists were fortunate enough to dig out her skeletal remains, it would turn into big news within the archeology circle. Therefore after thinking it over a few times, if she really could return to the modern world, she absolutely must record the ce the Old Madame would be buried. Anyways, speaking of strange matters, the Ji family¡¯s descendants were originally numerous and prosperous. Ji Shuhan had married four wives, yet they all died from an illness in rapid session. Now, the Ji family¡¯s household matters werepletely grasped by the 60-year-old Old Madame Ji. After Old Madame Ji reprimanded Ji Muqing, she addressed Ji Yunshu, ¡°Ah! Yunshu! For the matter of your marriage, your father and I have already helped you settle it. We have agreed to the Wei family¡¯s proposal. In the future, when you marry, you will go to the Wei Mansion. You must keep calm and not cause a ruckus, lest you make a fool out of yourself.¡± Ju Yunshu didn¡¯t reply, it was already extremely clear in her heart. The most intelligent person in the Ji family wasn¡¯t Ji Shuhan, but that Old Madame who put on a facade ofpassion and virtue. In her youth, perhaps, she was quite a ruthless mistress! If not, how could she sit at this position so stably, and for so long. Between the time when Old Madame spoke, Madame Wei was observing Ji Yunshu. Her appearance was proof of the endless satisfaction she had. She got up and amiably pulled on Ji Yunshu¡¯s arm, gently smiling at her. ¡°This child¡¯s appearance is truly remarkable. I¡¯ve often heard about you from your grandmother and father. As expected, slender and elegant, truly a match with our Yi¡¯er.¡± She turned around and swept the hall with a nce. She was baffled. ¡°Yi¡¯er was just there a moment ago. Where did he disappear to in such a short time?¡± Lord Wei stated, ¡°He must have run out just a moment ago.¡± ¡°That child. Today is his marriage proposal. Instead of looking at his soon-to-be bride he¡¯s just running off to y?¡± Madame Wei was grumbling, but immediately ¡°consoled¡± Ji Yunshu. ¡°Yunshu, don¡¯t mind him. Yi¡¯er might be rude, but he has a good heart. You are surely kindhearted and an intelligent child. Don¡¯t take offense to it. After you marry into our family, you need to be very tolerant and get along with him. You must not avoid our Yi¡¯er.¡± She hadn¡¯t even passed through their doors yet. This kind of ttering was too unreal! ¡°Aunt Wei is teasing me. How can I, Yunshu, turn my back on Young Master Wei? A daughter¡¯s wedding has always been the parent¡¯smand. The matchmaker said that marrying into your home is my good fortune.¡± As she spoke, she raised her head and nced at her father. As expected, that ravenous wolf was extremely satisfied with her words! Madame Wei was also extremely satisfied. She nodded firmly, her eyes filled with love. Her foolish son will now soon have a wife! Ji Shuhan stroked his beard and said to Lord Wei, ¡°Lord Wei, you know that my daughters are my heart and flesh.¡± ¡®I understand. If someday, you need help, you only need to tell me.¡± Lord Wei nodded. ¡°If you say so, then I¡¯ll feel reassured. Then this marriage is settled. As for the money and the wedding gifts, we can take our time discussing it.¡± Lord Wei smiled and momentarily showed a grand and imposing appearance. ¡°My wife and I only have Yi¡¯er as a son. For the mary gift, our Wei family absolutely doesn¡¯tck any.¡± Saying so, he took a load off Ji Shuhan¡¯s mind. There were only two reasons to marry a daughter: money and status! Ji Yunshu stood obediently in the middle of the hall. She wasn¡¯t talkative nor did she look around. Both families were in heated discussion over the preparations of her wedding, and her attention wandered until the Old Madame called her. ¡°Yunshu, it would be better if you go inside to find Young Master Wei and have a nice chat with him. As for your wedding, your father and I will arrange everything for you.¡± Madame Wei also hastily said, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. It¡¯s better if you go find Yi¡¯er. You two should meet first.¡± It just so happened that Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t want to stay either. She simply greeted them and obediently retreated. The sharp-eyed Ji Muqing curved her phoenix eyes and didn¡¯t let Ji Yunshu leave her sight until she had left. Ji Yunshu was finally released from the abyss of suffering. She took in a deep breath of the cold fresh air and patted the ce on her sleeve that was pulled by Madame Wei. ¡®My sleeve is all wrinkled!¡¯ Madame Wei must be afraid that her daughter-inw would run away! She yawned. She was now beyond tired and had no intention of searching for Wei Yi. She¡¯d rather go back to her courtyard. She was prepared to go back and take a long nap. She still needed to go to the memorial hall this afternoon! Just when she passed through a long corridor near the backyard, she heard mocking voices. ¡°An idiot also knows how to write? This is truly an oddity in this world.¡± That voice, wasn¡¯t that the voice of her obstinate and troublesome third brother, Ji Yuanzhi? ¡°Third Brother, Third Brother! Who is this idiot? Why is he in our home?¡± This time the voice belonged to Ji Lingzhi, Ji Yunshu¡¯s eight-year-old fourth sister. ¡°He is the Wei family¡¯s idiot. In the future, he will be Third Sister¡¯s husband.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want that kind of idiot as my brother-inw. I don¡¯t wanna¡­¡± Ji Linzhi¡¯s sharp and shrill voice was absolutely ear-piercing. Chapter 29: Feed You To The Fishes! Chapter 29 ¨C Feed You To The Fishes! As she continued to walk through the corridor, Ji Yunshu chanced upon a nauseating scene. Wei Yi, dressed in a light blue changpao, was crouching on the ground. In his hands was a short bamboo stick. Originally, he was writing something on the ground but stopped because of the mockerying from Ji Yuanzhi and Ji Lingzhi. His body was curled into a ball. He lowered his head and was biting his sleeve, trembling in fear, not daring to lift his head. Ji Yuanzhi carried the small Ji Lingzhi and directly lifted her onto his neck so she can sit there. Then, he started to kick Wei Yi. ¡°Idiot! Hurry up and get out of our house. Be careful that you don¡¯t make this young master unhappy or I¡¯ll feed you to the fishes.¡± When he heard that, Wei Yi hastily waved his hand and begged in fear. ¡°Don¡¯t want! Don¡¯t feed me to the fish. I don¡¯t want to be fish food!¡± Egged on by the begging, Ji Yuanzhi became more unbridled with his mocking. ¡°An idiot is just an idiot. An idiot and a bastard is simply a perfect match.¡± The so-called ¡°bastard¡± was without a doubt referring to Ji Yunshu. Her mother came from a brothel. Moreover, she was never given status. If she wasn¡¯t a bastard child, then what was she? Due to Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s words, Lingzhi showed a smile full of derision that didn¡¯t quite fit someone of her age. Shouldn¡¯t children still be innocent and unaffected at eight years old? This Ji mansion was truly like an infernal cage where people¡¯s consciences are killed! ¡°This idiot is really amusing. Third Brother, don¡¯t feed him to the fishes.¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Ji Yuanzhi lifted his leg and put his dirty shoe on Wei Yi¡¯s clean clothes. Then, he proceeded to rub out the dirt on it, ¡°Hey idiot! If people ask, you better tell them that you fell by yourself. If you dare tattle that this young master bullied you, I¡¯ll absolutely make sure to properly take care of you.¡± When he was done, he walked away with Ji Lingzhi, perfectly content. If you¡¯re not a blood-rted sibling, don¡¯te in our house! Wei Yi was so scared he didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. With all his might, he tried to wipe off the dirt on his clothes. He held in his emotions and was feeling extremely pained. At first, Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t want to pay attention to him, but in the end, she still went over. All of a sudden, Wei Yi discovered a shadow looming over him, and he raised his head to take a look. When he caught sight of her, his eyes couldn¡¯t help but dodge her gaze and hepletely stopped wiping his clothes. Ji Yunshu noticed his furtive nces. A reaction stemming from being constantly bullied, it seemed. Then, she noticed that the two words Wei Yi had written on the ground were his own name. The words were crooked and even the ¡°Yi¡± in his name missed a line. ¡°Is that your name?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s tone was very gentle. She tried as much as possible to not frighten him. Wei Yi mechanically nodded. She might as well correct him. Ji Yunshu squatted down and took the bamboo stick from him before saying, ¡°You forgot to add a line on the word ¡®Yi¡¯.¡± She stopped talking and added an additional line to the crooked word. ¡°See? This is how you write that word.¡± Probably due to Ji Yunshi¡¯s amiable tone, added on to the fact that she didn¡¯t hurt him, but Wei Yipletely let down his guard. He inclined his head and looked at the word for a very long time. ¡°Why is it not the same when teacher teaches me?¡± He muttered softly, but it was loud enough for Ji Yunshu to hear. ¡®It¡¯s unlikely that we teach differently. Rather, that teacher simply doesn¡¯t know how to teach! He simply grabbed the money but shamelessly didn¡¯t do any work!¡¯ She let go of those thoughts and said to him, ¡°Then, you better remember these words. You cannot miss a line. Otherwise, the other people willugh at you.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Suddenly, he smiled. He stared at Ji Yunshu with his bright expressive eyes. ¡°Big sister, you¡¯re really nice.¡± ¡®Big sister? Child, you seem older than me.¡¯ However, Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t try to argue with him. She beamed a ¡°big sister¡¯s¡± smile at him and gave back the bamboo stick. ¡°Then, write it one more time.¡± ¡°Yes~¡± Wei Yi replied straightforwardly. Next, he started to write his name. He applied himself carefully and seriously, afraid to make the slightest mistake. Suddenly, Ji Yunshi took notice of his hand. ¡°You¡¯re left-handed?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a left-handed?¡± Wei Yi stared at her. Ji Yunshu shook her head. ¡°Nothing, continue to write.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He earnestly resumed his writing practice. She took advantage of this time to carefully study him. He looked to be in his twenties. His face was clean and fresh with a distinctive shape. The nose bridge was tall. To sum it up, he looked like a handsome young man. He gave out a pure and sunny atmosphere, had good proportions, especially those eyes which gave the impression of a palm-leaf lightly swaying. Unfortunately, he was intellectually deficient! ¡°Big Sister, look. I¡¯m done writing.¡± Wei Yi happily shouted. She retracted her sight from his handsome face, then looked at the word on the ground. She smiled at him. ¡°Correct! This is your name.¡± After she spoke, she turned around. Wei Yi threw away the bamboo stick and ran after her. Both his hands were obediently put behind him. Seeing him like this, Ji Yunshu curiously asked, ¡°What are you doing with your hands behind your back?¡± His mouth pouted and he earnestly answered, ¡°Because my hands are dirty. I¡¯m afraid to touch Big Sister¡¯s clean clothes. That¡¯s why I put them behind my back.¡± In an instant, Ji Yunshu was surprised! ¡®This fool¡¯s social inner quality is higher than the members of the Ji family. In fact, Ji family¡¯s social inner quality is a waste on them with their brains!¡¯ She smiled and then she spread her hands. ¡°Look. My hands are also not very clean. I didn¡¯t avoid you because you¡¯re dirty, so you don¡¯t need to put your hands behind you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really¡± Wei Yi stretched out his hand. Ji Yunshu saw the dirt on his sleeve, smeared by Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s foot. She couldn¡¯t help frowning, then took out her handkerchief and cleaned his sleeve. ¡°Wei Yi, you have to remember. No one can bully you. If someone dares to bully you, you must not tolerate it. Do you understand?¡± She asked him while cleaning his sleeve. Unfortunately, Wei Yi didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Mother said that because my head is not good, I cannot quarrel with others, or I¡®ll suffer a loss.¡± ¡°Then, tell me, didn¡¯t you suffer a loss earlier?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Wei Yi couldn¡¯t reply. Ji Yunshu continued, ¡°You don¡¯t have to create a quarrel with others, but theye and bully you. Why don¡¯t you fight back? Perhaps if you did, they would be afraid of you.¡± She was aware that Wei Yi didn¡¯t use much of his brain. It was quite certain that he won¡¯t understand the meaning of her words. She simply sighed, then spoke again, ¡°Forget it. I exined so much, but you can¡¯t understand.¡± Indeed, Wei Yi obviously didn¡¯t understand at all. All of a sudden, he changed the subject of the conversation. He asked her, ¡°Big Sister, do you know? Today, my mother brings me here to propose marriage. I want to marry a wife.¡± Ji Yunshu was helping him clean his sleeve, but her hand froze. Of course, she knew about it. Not only did she have full knowledge of it, the wife in question was her! She put the handkerchief in Wei Yi¡¯s hand before asking him, ¡°Do you really want to get married?¡± Wei Yi nodded. ¡°I think, Mother said¡­ After I get married, I will have many, many little Wei Yi¡¯s and they can all y with me.¡± ¡®Little Wei Yi¡¯s?¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s forehead immediately darkened! ¡®Your mother really can exin!¡¯ ¡°Wei Yi, your mother is wrong. If you marry, your wife will bully you everyday. She won¡¯t let you sleep, won¡¯t let you eat and also won¡¯t let you y. Not only that, if she doesn¡¯t feel happy, she will grab you and throw you in the pond to feed the fishes.¡± Chapter 30: A Cute Kitten Chapter 30 ¨C A Cute Kitten Once Wei Yi heard that he would be turned into fish food, he became frightened to the point that his whole body was paralyzed! Then, he retreated several steps while madly shaking his head. ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t turn me into fish food. My meat is not delicious.¡± However, Ji Yunshu firmly closed the distance. Her expression was grim and solemn as she continued to scare him. ¡°Not only your wife can feed you to the fishes, she will also imprison you in a dark room filled with snakes, worms, rats and ants. They will crawl all over your body, slip inside your clothes and bite your fingers off.¡± After the words were uttered, Wei Yi held his head and squatted down while shouting loudly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be shut in a small dark room! I don¡¯t like snakes, worms, rats and ants at all. I don¡¯t want to go in there!¡± Ji Yunshu couldn¡¯t bear to continue, but she gritted her teeth and continued, ¡°Wei Yi, if you don¡¯t want to be fish food or to be shut in a small dark room, then go to your mother and tell her that you don¡¯t want to marry a wife.¡± Wei Yi raised his head, his ck eyes dyed in doubts. ¡°If I don¡¯t marry¡­ I won¡¯t be fed to the fishes?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Wei Yi stood up while loudly dering, ¡°Then, I will not marry. I will not take a wife!¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s brilliant scheme finally showed its result! But using this kind of method to scare him made Ji Yunshu felt somewhat embarrassed. Her grim and solemn expression transformed back into a ¡°big sister¡¯s¡± smile. ¡°Your mother is in the front hall right now. If you don¡¯t go now, it might be toote.¡± Ji Yunshu was aware that saying such words would make her feel that her integrity was nothing but tatters. It was like one moment she was wearing a wolf skin and the other moment she was warm like water, warm to the extent she could scald others from head to toe. Wei Yi nodded without much thought. He waspletely panicking as he ran toward the front hall. ¡®A wife that will feed me to the fishes?! Must not allow! Must not allow!¡¯ Behind him, Ji Yunshu couldn¡¯t refrain herself from covering the smile on her face. ¡®This Wei Yi, teasing him is really amusing!¡¯ ¡°He¡¯s really a fool. To actually believe what I said.¡± Suddenly, a sharp sound broke the air behind her. She turned around to look and saw Ji Muqing in her beautiful flowery shoes, embroidered with phoenixes and clouds, strolling towards Ji Yunshu. ¡°Ji Yunshu, that idiot is going to be your future husband. Do you really believe that you would not have to marry him by just scaring him like that?¡± ¡°Big Sister, weren¡¯t you in the front hall? Why did you suddenly decide to run to this ce? You even have the leisure to eavesdropping on others¡¯ conversation.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s tone had turned dull. ¡°I am not eavesdropping.¡± Ji Muqing raised her pointy chin and sneered, ¡°I just happened to hear it.¡± Ever since Ji Yunshu transmigrated to this ce, the person she admired the most wasn¡¯t any hero or a great person, and nor any legendary personage. Rather, she admired Ji Muqing, that woman who was afflicted with the grave illness called ¡°insufferable arrogance¡±! ¡°Since Eldest Sister heard everything, if you want to inform Father, this little sister will not stop you.¡± Ji Yunshu stated. Her statement seemed to have punctured Ji Muqing¡¯s n, which naturally enraged her. ¡°You¡¯re really not afraid that I¡¯ll tell father? If he knew you encouraged that idiot to decline this marriage, he would beat you to death.¡± ¡°My skin is rough and my flesh is thick. I should be alright from a fewshes.¡± ¡°You simply are¡­¡± Ji Muqing flicked her sleeve in anger. Her dignified facade was starting to fall apart. Under the spark of anger, she said, ¡°What Third Little Brother said was correct; a bastard child like you should be defiled by that idiot.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression darkened abruptly. ¡°Elder Sister, the way you use your words is akin to a machine gun that attacks everything indiscriminately. The mouth is the door to disaster. The meaning of these words, I believe Elder Sister understands them.¡± ¡®A machine gun? What is that?¡¯ Ji Muqing didn¡¯t took the time to consider it as her anger instantly red up. ¡°Who are you to talk to me in such a way? I am the Ji family¡¯s Eldest Miss. I do what I want and say what I want. You¡¯re the bastard child who has a prostitute for a mother. What qualifications do you have to lecture me?¡± In a sh, Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand was wrapped around Ji Muqing¡¯s fair wrist. Her eyes were burning as hot as the August sun, and sharper than any needle. Her stare ferociously pierced Ji Muqing. It frightened Ji Muqing that she began to shiver! ¡°What do you want to do?!¡± ¡°What you said to me in the past, I don¡¯t care. You grabbed my things, I¡¯ll forget it. But, if you talk about my mother like that again, then I won¡¯t let this matter slide. The next time that it happens, this little sister will not be able to guarantee that your hand can y the guqin or paint again!¡± ¡®If a tiger doesn¡¯t show its might, you will take it for a sick cat!¡¯ ¡°Urgh!¡± It was the first time that Ji Muqing saw Ji Yunshu so enraged. Her mind grew fuzzy, and her throat constricted, rendering her silent. Ji Yunshu continued to speak. ¡°Indeed, my life is cheappared to honorable Elder Sister¡¯s. But I certainly won¡¯t mind sharing a boat ride to the King of Hell¡¯s pce with Elder Sister.¡± This was a naked threat of dying together! At this moment, Ji Muqing was truly scared out of her wits. She mustered all her strength to free her wrist from Ji Yunshu¡¯s grip, but she couldn¡¯t summon any strength and thus she couldn¡¯t shake off her little sister¡¯s hand. She could only shake it off when Ji Yunshu decided to rx her grip. ¡°Ji Yunshu, how audacious of you! You have the nerve to threaten me? I am the crown prince¡¯s consort!¡± Ji Muqing retracted her hand to her bosom and loudly yelled. Yet, her legs were discreetly edging away. She feared that Ji Yunshu would reach out and break her hand. ¡°Then when you be the crown prince¡¯s consort, I¡¯ll wait for you toe and tell me about my crimes.¡± Ji Yunshu ended the conversation there. She threw a cold nce at Ji Muqing before turning around to leave. Only Ji Muqing remained there, stomping her feet. This was without a shadow of doubt, a resounding p to her face. It made her greatly lose her face! Not too far away from there, within another corridor, a pair of lovely eyes, like peach blossoms during spring, was observing the whole scene. It was a woman with an orange embroidered silk draped on her shoulders and straight hair,bed into a flowing cloud hairstyle. Her delicate and pretty face gave her an impression of elegance and serenity. With careful observation, it was possible to discern a long red birthmark right in the middle of her forehead. She was simr to Lin Daiyu1, a beauty with a sickly appearance. It was rumored that the Ji Mansion sheltered an immortal beauty who was popr ever since her birth. She was like a hibiscus floating on water, beautiful, but delicate. One nce at her was like seeing the essence of Baosi2 and Li Ji 3. The woman was the Ji family¡¯s second miss, Ji Wanxin. She took the white handkerchief in her hands, then used it to cover her thin lips before lightly coughing. The maidservant next to her spoke worriedly. ¡°Miss, are you fine?¡± ¡°Staying in the house all day made me somewhat tired. Unexpectedly, I didn¡¯t know such a thickyer of snow had fallen.¡± Ji Wanxin sighed. ¡°Miss¡¯ health is weak. It would be better if we return first. This servant worries that¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no harm.¡± While she spoke with her maidservant, Ji Wanxin was watching Ji Muqing from a distance. Her haughty elder sister was stomping and kicking the snow around in her anger. ¡°Today, Big Sister has suffered some loss because of Yunshu. I believe she will certainly not leave the matter at that. I truly pity Yunshu.¡± Ji Wanxin had a warm and weak appearance. Yet at this moment, when she felt sorry for Ji Yunshu, her appearance transformed into a morbid sense of beauty. In the entire Ji Mansion, Ji Wanxin was probably the only one who treated Ji Yunshu the best. The maidservant watched Ji Muqing and snorted. ¡°Eldest Miss relies on her status as the main wife¡¯s daughter and always loves to bully others. It served her right to be taught a lesson by the Third Miss.¡± A smile full of meaning floated onto Ji Wanxin¡¯s lips. She lightly drew a breath in before saying, ¡°Even for an obedient kitten, after a long time, it will also grow ws!¡± 1. It¡¯s a fictional character from Dream of the Red Chamber. 2. Baosi is the concubine of King You of Zhou and the most beautiful woman in Xia Dynasty. 3. Li Ji is another very beautiful concubine, but of Duke Xian of Jin. She was the cause of the Li Ji¡¯s unrest event in history. Chapter 31: You’re Late! Chapter 31 ¨C You¡¯re Late! Upon returning to her courtyard, Ji Yunshu pulled out all the pearl hair pins holding her hair in ce and wiped off all the makeup on her face. Luan¡¯er, next to her, watched her before quietly inquiring, ¡°Miss, did the Wei family leave?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She watched her reflection in the copper mirror and took off the ceramic earrings. ¡°Then, do you want to change clothes and go out now?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ji Yunshu gave a concise reply. ¡°Then what are you nning to do?¡± ¡°Sleep.¡± She was extremely sleepy. She fought vainly against her closing eyes as she took off the rest of her essories and walked to her bedroom. Then, she nestled her head in her pillow and wrapped herself into a bundle with her quilt. She rolled on her side and snored away. Perhaps, even if thunder struck, she would no longer hear it! Luan¡¯er was startled by Ji Yunshu¡¯s actions and stood at the same ce, foolishly looking at her. Finally, she reacted and walked over. She moved the warm furnace next to the bed, and tossed two coals inside, afraid that her young miss would get cold. Ji Yunshu¡¯s nap ended upsting untilte evening. When she opened her eyes, the sky was covered in darkness. She got up from her bed and changed into clean men¡¯s clothing. Then, she rolled her beautiful jet-ck hair into a bun and fastened it beneath a hat. Luan¡¯er came in with a big and beautiful box in her hand. She was sweating from the effort. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re awake.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Ji Yunshu inquired. ¡°Master delivered these boxes to our courtyard earlier. He said that they¡¯re the betrothal gifts from the Wei family. He sent a few boxes for Miss to keep them.¡± Ji Yunshu smiled, the irony not lost on her. ¡®How generous of him!¡¯ Luan¡¯er took everything and properly ced them in the house. Then, she turned around, wearing a mysterious expression as she looked at Ji Yunshu like she was holding onto an earth-shattering secret. ¡°Miss, guess what I heard earlier.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t guess. Just tell me already.¡± Ji Yunshu was full of interest as she continued to open all the boxes that she received. If it wasn¡¯t porcin, it was medicinal ingredients. Luan¡¯er confided, ¡°Miss, earlier in the front yard, I heard from Bao and Yu that the Wei family¡¯s young master didn¡¯t want to marry. He was saying something like how his wife will throw him in the pond to feed him to the fishes. He was making a big ruckus and talking nonsense while determined to drag Madame Wei back home.¡± ¡°Oh? So, something like that happened?¡± Ji Yunshu pretended to be stupid and ignorant, and continued to open box after box. Luan¡¯er continued to gossip happily. ¡°Bao and Yu said that Lord Wei and Madame Wei were turning green with every passing moment. It seems they gave Young Master Wei a p to stop him from spouting such nonsense again.¡± In other words, this marriage wasn¡¯t due to the will of Wei Yi but was set up because the Wei family wanted a daughter-inw. Afterall, perpetuating the ancestral line was a very important matter. ¡°I saw Young Master Wei. He doesn¡¯t fit you. How can I put it¡­ He¡­ he¡¯s an idiot.¡± Her voice became more and more inaudible as she beat the air with her fists. Luan¡¯er¡¯s indignant appearance was quiteical in Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes. She even found it adorable. ¡°I don¡¯t care, so why do you care?¡± Ji Yunshu narrowed her eyes as she looked at Luan¡¯er. ¡°This servant is feeling sorry for Miss. Why did Master allow the Wei family¡¯s fool to marry you while the Eldest Miss is¡­?¡± Luan¡¯er wasn¡¯t able to say ¡®the crown prince¡¯s future consort¡¯. Ji Yunshu had already cut her off with an, ¡°Alright, stop talking.¡± Anyway, it was impossible for her to marry. At this moment, she was rummaging through the medicinal ingredients inside another brocade box. Muskroot-like semiaquilegia root, 1this was a rathermon goods in modern times. Ji Yunshu casually swept a nce over the content. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect they would give me this!¡± Ji Yunshu eximed in pleasant surprise. Then, she took it out and examined it under the candle light. ¡®The color outside is light orange, the inside is blood orange. Hmm! High quality goods!¡¯ ¡°Miss, what is that?¡± Luan¡¯er came closer to look. ¡°This is called a semiaquilegia root. After you grind it, add liquor and brown sugar, then apply it on a knife wound, it can help with removing scars.¡± ¡°How wonderful!¡± Luan¡¯er eximed. Ji Yunshu put the semiaquilegia root back in the box before closing the lid and gave the box to Luan¡¯er. ¡°Soak them in water overnight. The effect will be better. Tomorrow, I will have to make a trip to the Zhou mansion.¡± ¡°Why are you going to the Zhou mansion?¡± ¡°The Zhou family¡¯s housekeeper received a knife wound on his face. I¡¯ll just deliver it to him on the way.¡± Hearing such words, Luan¡¯er became anxious. ¡°It¡¯s such a good medicine, but you intend to give it to someone else?¡± Ji Yunshu red at her. ¡°What? You really want to receive a knife wound? Or you wish for me to get stabbed or cut? What¡¯s the use of keeping this medicine with us?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant. The medicinal roots have such a wonderful effect; I feel regretful giving it away.¡± ¡°This girl! Don¡¯t feel regretful.¡± Ji Yunshu poked Luan¡¯er on her forehead lightly before she continued, ¡°I¡¯m going out now. I might returnte.¡± Suddenly, Luan¡¯er realized that her young miss had changed into men¡¯s clothing. She scratched her head. ¡°Is there another case in the yamen?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ji Yunshu answered ambiguously. She packed her things and took antern with her before secretly leaving the Ji mansion in the direction of the memorial hall. Jinjiang city¡¯s memorial hall was located inside the city, more specifically, in the west side of the city. From the Ji mansion, Ji Yunshu has to walk for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea before reaching her destination. In winter, the sky was already dark at the hour of the rooster. In the dpidated ancestral memorial hall, a frigid cold wind of the night blew almost straight through the ce. The ce was permeated by a strange and eerie atmosphere, with broken shutters creaking with the wind. The final touch, the asional rustle of the leaves, was enough to put one¡¯s mind on edge, leaving a greater impression of dreadfulness. At the entrance of the memorial hall hung a redntern. The inscription at the entrance of the hall had long faded away. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t the first time Ji Yunshu hade here, and she wasn¡¯t afraid of the ce. Her courage had been honed when she was working in the archeology shack! She pushed open the doors and proceeded into the courtyard. Ji Yunshu hung thentern she was holding, and for a short moment, her mouth hooked up. She patted the dust from her clothes. Fu Bo, the memorial hall¡¯s keeper, came out, holding onto a big incense stick. He was a hunchback, wearing coarse hemp clothes full of holes and a hat that had seen better days. He wasn¡¯t surprised when he saw Ji Yunshu arrive. ¡°Teacher Ji, a young master has been waiting for you for a very long time.¡± ¡®Serve him right! Who told him toe early. It¡¯s just the hour of the rooster now.¡¯ She nodded and walked until she was next to Fu Bo. Then, she took a few incense sticks from his hand and paid her respects to the ce. After she was done, she stuck the incense sticks in the crack of the coffin. ¡°Fu Bo, why don¡¯t you go and rest early?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. There are still several old friends that haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡± His so-called old friends was referring to the unimed and nameless corpses that were sent to the memorial hall. Fu Bo gave each upied coffin their three meals of three incense sticks each day, without a single day¡¯s negligence. ¡°Then, I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Ji Yunshu bowed her head and proceeded inside the house. As soon as she came in, she saw Jing Rong standing in front of the rows of name tablets. He was attentively looking at the names with a dignified expression. Who knew what he was thinking of? Because he was too focused, he didn¡¯t perceive Ji Yunshu¡¯s arrival, even when she came up right next to him. ¡°Could it be that Prince Rong recognizes the names on the memorial tablets?¡± A voice interrupted Jing Rong¡¯s reflexion. He frowned at the familiar voice and nced sideways at Ji Yunshu. ¡°Did something happen on the way here?¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ Ji Yunshu shook her head. ¡°Did your legs have a problem?¡± Ji Yunshu looked at her legs. Apart from being dirty with mud, there was nothing wrong with them. So, she still shook her head in reply again. ¡°You¡¯rete.¡± Jing Rong mmed the irrefutable fact home. ¡®Bastard! Damn bastard!¡¯ 1. Theplete name is Semiaquilegia adoxoides(DC.)Makino. It¡¯s used in traditional medicine to treat heat toxins (inmmation, etc.) and make swells and nodules subsize. There¡¯s some fictional elements added in the novel. Chapter 32: Pork Meatballs Chapter 32 ¨C Pork Meatballs Why did she suddenly remember the archetype of a prince in Chinese webnovels? Cold, arrogant and solitary; unapproachable and cherishing words like gold? This¡­ This Jing Ring was a fraud! Ji Yunshu have repeatedly been left speechless by his glib tongue so many times that she could only admit defeat. ¡°This humble one¡¯s legs are short, and hence I waste. I beseech your Highness¡¯ forgiveness.¡± ¡°This prince likes those who recognizes their faults. Remember not to repeat the same mistake again. I don¡¯t like to wait for people.¡± He raised his eyebrows, making him quite eye-catching. Ji Yunshu considered any arguments with him to be lost causes, and dove straight into the heart of the matter. ¡°Let¡¯s not waste anymore time. This humble one will examine the corpses first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stand over there then.¡± Jing Rong lifted his chin to point a ce further inside, where the five corpses were aligned and covered in white clothes. Ji Yunshu swept a nce at the ce, then looked back at Jing Rong. ¡°May I ask your Highness to open your mouth?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Open it.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡®How long-winded!¡¯ She might as well do it herself. She rose to her tiptoes and reached up. She grabbed Jing Rong¡¯s cheeks with her slender fingers of one hand, while simultaneously, she used her other hand to take out a small lump of something from her waist belt and quickly stuffed it inside his mouth before releasing him. The movements were smooth and fast, and could only be described as perfect! The suddenness of having something shoved into his mouth caused him to show a stupid expression. Although, it onlysted until his taste buds went numb from the spiciness. The vile taste quickly brought him back to earth. ¡°You¡­ What did you make me eat?!¡± He was extremely nervous. ¡®It cannot be poison, right? Afterall, what can this lowly schr get from doing this anyway?¡¯ Ji Yunshu nced at him indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. It¡¯s only ginger.¡± ¡°Ginger? Why are you making this prince eat ginger? And how can ginger make my tongue this numb?¡± ¡°I soaked the ginger in sesame oil.¡± As she spoke, she walked toward the five corpses. Then, she continued in a not heavy, yet also not light tone, ¡°Your Highness, I don¡¯t know if you heard about corpse smell? Ginger soaked in sesame oil can help alleviate the smell. Or it may be for the best if you exit this room now.¡± ¡°Do you take me for some cowardly guy?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, Your Highness.¡± She slightly raised the white cloth on one of the corpses, then turned to watch Jing Rong. The corner of her mouth faintly hinted at her teasing mood. ¡°The smell of putrefaction on these corpses are stronger than the smell from Miss Zhou¡¯s corpse. Not to mention, it reeks of blood, burnt and cooked meat just like¡­ Ah! It smells like the pork meatballs you ate earlier.¡± Immediately, Jing Rong felt his stomach betraying him, and nausea shot from his stomach to his throat. His face took on a ghastly hue. For sure, this schr was doing it on purpose! ¡°Y-you¡­ How did you know that I ate pork meatballs?¡± Ji Yunshu lifted her eyes and started to exin. ¡°Only Abundant Fortune House would roast their pork meatballs first over coal fire for at least an hour, which makes the meat tender. Then, they will add in a broth from simmering the pork bones, mixed in herbs and spices like fennel and star anise. Then they would simmer it until it turns into a fresh, not greasy sauce. As a result, the sauce will take on redder color from the spices. If ites in contact with clothes like brocade, the liquid will impregnate the tissue and dye it into another color that cannot be washed away. It won¡¯t even smear at all. Instead, it will simply be part of the fabric, just like that spot on your Highness¡¯ cor.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jing Rong, who was enduring his nausea, subconsciously looked down at his cor. He tried to wipe away the remaining sauce with his fingers, but as expected, the sauce didn¡¯t spread or fade at all. It was there to stay. ¡°Are you a cook?¡± Jing Rong asked. ¡°I am not.¡± ¡°Then, why do you know so much about it?¡± ¡°I heard it from the beggar at the corner of the street.¡± She replied without thinking about it. ¡®Are you ying around with me? Is there even a need to beg in the streets if you can afford to eat Abundant Fortune House¡¯s pork meatballs?¡¯ Jing Rong felt his brain¡¯s capacity rapidly reaching its limit. After meeting Ji Yunshu, he needed a reboot and even then, it might not even be able to fix his brain! Was this for real?! Did Ji Yunshu really hear about it from a beggar?! When his brain was about to copse, he suddenly jumped to another subject. ¡°Let¡¯s wait until you solve this case, then I¡¯ll bring you somewhere to eat.¡± A cold wind suddenly blew in from outside, shaking the coffin lids with its force. Hello? It was alsote in the evening, and there¡¯s only two people inside the memorial hall. Both were surrounded by corpses, memorial tablets, incense and candles. But now, they were discussing about pork meatballs! How was it fair for the ghosts who died from hunger? ¡°Then, I thank you for your grace.¡± Yunshu absentmindedly replied as shepletely lifted off the white cloth. The edema in the flesh of the burnt corpse had been reduced, leaving the skin to tighten around the bone. It also clearly outlined the skeleton. Upon careful examination, serosanguineous liquid could still be seen flowing out of the corpse. The ce where it oozed out the most was from the abdominal regions, where the coroner had made his incisions to dig out all the organs to conduct the autopsy. Although he had used a fishing thread to crudely sew the abdomen together, the stitches were obviously too big and wide, enough for half of the small intestines to slip out from the belly button. Jing Rong went next to Ji Yunshu. His nose wrinkled. The so-called corpse¡¯s smell was really not an understatement. With a solemn expression, he inquired, ¡°So, how is it? Can you find something?¡± ¡°Difficult.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ji Yunshu considered a bit before exining. ¡°If your Highness wants to know the identity of the murderer, then I have no answer for that. I can only determine the cause of death from the elements present on the corpses. That, and the murderer¡¯s characteristics.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s high eyebrows knitted together. Ji Yunshu continued to speak. ¡°The five corpses had an intense struggle with someone first. Then they were poisoned and died. You can imagine that the murderer just wanted to kill them. If my deduction is correct, his main target must be you.¡± Jing Rong was shocked. He had long suspected the possibility. His eyes narrowed until they were as thin as a thread, leaving one unable to guess what was passing through his sly mind. Looking at his reaction, Ji Yunshu realized something. ¡°It appears that your Highness already knows who the murderer is, but then, why do you still want me to do the autopsy?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡± He calmly replied, then stated, ¡°I have a vague feeling that someone was painstakingly preventing me from returning to the capital. As for who it is, I have no clue.¡± A serious Jing Rong, who silently pondered with an extremely handsome and youthful face, was giving off the feeling of steadiness that came with a mature man. It made him appear as if he was carved from high quality jade. It unexpectedly caused Ji Yunshu to be unable to rip her eyes away from him! That was only until Jing Rong caught her gaze. He rolled his eyes. ¡°Is there something dirty on my face?¡± Her expression copsed from her fright. He was the almighty prince, and a bastard with a sharp tongue. If it wasn¡¯t because he needed her help, she would not be able to look at him! She hurriedly nced away and said, ¡°Your Highness is not looking at me, so how do you know if I am looking at you?¡± ¡°This is really frustrating!¡± Jing Rong kept himself together, but the frown was still present. ¡°Teacher, didn¡¯t you say that you can find out the murderer¡¯s characteristics? Can it still be done?¡± ¡®No choice then!¡¯ Ji Yunshu skillfully fetched a packet from the table opposite them. Next, she unfolded it next to one of the corpse. The inside the packet was filled with all kind of knives. ¡°Are those things yours?¡± ¡°Yes. Sometimes, I encounter demanding and bossy people. They would call for me to go to the memorial hall in the middle of the night. There¡¯s nothing that can be done about it. I can only leave some of my things here, just to avoid forgetting my tools in a hurry.¡± Jing Rong trembled. ¡®Demanding and bossy people?!¡¯ Was she referring to him?! While Ji Yunshu was speaking, she already took out a cleaver and chopped open the corpse¡¯s neck after lifting its jaw. Since the corpse was charred, there wasn¡¯t much blood when she half-beheaded it. But, a crisp crack echoed through the hall. Chapter 33: Bone Broth As the dead person¡¯s throat was cut open, it began emitting a vile,pletely nauseating smell of charred flesh and blood. Jing Rong continued to frown, but kept his mouth shut. Ji Yunshu put the knife aside. Next, she used both hands to tear at the cut on the throat. When she applied some force with her fingers, the bones in the throat snapped. This action also ruptured some veins, causing blood to trickle out. Although at this point, the texture resembled a gtinous blob of blood more than a liquid. Because Ji Yunshu had forgotten to wear her gloves, her hands were nowpletely soaked in blood. As if she was ying with a toy, she continued to fiddle inside the throat cavity in search of something. This was absolutely sickening! Standing on the side, at this instant, it was no longer possible to describe what Jing Rong was feeling. On the battlefield, he had killed countless people. His hands were dyed with the blood of more than ten thousand souls. He had seen enough corpses littered around him to the point it had be a normal sight. Yet, it was the first time he had seen someone dismantle a dead body with their bare hands in such a manner. The scene was truly too educational! ¡°Did you see something?¡± Jing Rong wrinkled his nose as he inquired. ¡°When we examine the body of those deceased by poisoning, the most important thing to determine is the type of poison used.¡± ¡°What poison killed them?¡± ¡°We still don¡¯t know for now.¡± Ji Yunshu knocked her hand on the throat bones. After pondering for a moment, she took the bones, still dripping in blood, with her. Fu Bo, who had just finished giving incense to the dead, came in and saw Ji Yunshu going to the door. She asked, ¡°Fu Bo, did you boil the vinegar and water?¡± Fu Bo nodded while pointing at a small hut inside the courtyard. ¡°I thought you might need it, so I prepared it beforehand. When you¡¯re done with it, don¡¯t forget to change the water.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She promised straightforwardly. She sped the hyoid bone and surrounding cartge bones and went inside the hut. Like a shadow, Jing Rong also slipped in after her. As soon as he entered the hut, Jing Rong was scared out of his wits. His legs halted right in front of the door and wouldn¡¯t budge, like it was glued to the floor. He still forced himself to move forward one step at a time. In the dim hut, there was only a single candle moving to and fro from the ceiling. All the walls inside the hut were covered by tall shelves. On each shelf, there were earthen jars, each with bone ash piled inside! Ji Yunshu walked to a big cauldron, containing a solution of white vinegar bubbling merrily under the heat of the fire. Next, she threw the throat bones into the cauldron. She shot a nce at Jing Rong and guessed what was on his mind. She took a moment before she spoke to him. ¡°Your Highness doesn¡¯t need to be scared. Those jars contain the ashes of those travelers from foreignnds whose identities remain unknown. Fu Bo couldn¡¯t bear for their corpses to be thrown out in the wilderness, so he cremated them and their ashes are ced in an earthen jar.¡± Jing Rong retorted, ¡°Schr, when was this prince scared?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s mouth curved down. ¡®Damned bastard! He can¡¯t even admit it!¡¯ While Ji Yunshu was lost in thought, Jing Rong moved next to her and watched the bone that had sunk into the boiling vinegar solution. His mind gave birth to some doubts. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ji Yunshu blurted out, ¡°I¡¯m making bone broth1.¡± The instant Jing Rong heard her answer, he felt as if the back of his skull had been forced open, and a cold sensation drilled into his brain! While he was assailed by shivers, Ji Yunshu let out a cry of surprise and pointed at the vinegar solution. ¡°Your Highness, look at this quickly!¡± Jing Rong was annoyed by her imperious tone, but still approached to take a look. Then, he saw the originally white and transparent liquid gradually turning ck. ¡°Why is it turning ck?¡± He was bbergasted. ¡°This humble one mentioned the other day that the hyoid bone is soft while the part above and below is hard. This indicates a very strong probability of the victim dying from poisoning. Since it¡¯s a poison that passed through the throat, there must have been some poison that seeped inside the bone marrow. I simply boiled the bones inside this vinegar solution. By boiling the bones, the poison inside the bone marrow will percte out. The ck liquid oozing out from the bones is the poison we¡¯re looking for.¡± Jing Rong once again learned something new! Swiftly, Ji Yunshu fished out a white handkerchief from her sleeve and soaked a corner with the ck liquid. ¡°The toxicity of this poison is very fierce. Otherwise, it would be impossible to have that much poison seeping out from such small bones like those irregr bones in the throat.¡± Ji Yunshu carefully and suspiciously observed the ck blotches on the handkerchief. ¡°Teacher, do you know what poison it is?¡± ¡°This humble one is not a doctor and I can¡¯t make poison, so I can¡¯t tell just by looking at it.¡± ¡°Can you investigate what type of poison it is and find the murderer from that knowledge?¡± ¡°I cannot.¡± Ji Yunshu replied calmly and unhurriedly. Jing Rong¡¯s eyebrows knitted into a unibrow. ¡°Then why waste time on investigating? This prince is not in the mood to follow you in your confusing antics!¡± ¡°Who said I was ying around?¡± ¡°But your investigation is useless.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I have a mind full of curiosity? Can¡¯t I want to know what poison killed that person? Prince, if you don¡¯t like to waste time, then you don¡¯t need to hold me here to investigate the case. It¡¯s better to stay at home and sleep than to be here during this cold night.¡± Every phrase she spoke was eloquent and reasonable! Jing Rong was rendered speechless. ¡®This schr talks too much.¡¯ The space between his eyebrows wrinkled until it looked like this: ´¨. He waved his hand and eximed, ¡°Stop, forget it! I was the one who approached you and requested your help. Naturally, I will not question your qualifications. But those five are my subordinates. They received my orders to return to the capital, yet they died under someone¡¯s evil schemes.¡± The worry made Jing Rong put away his frivolous attitude and nefarious, cunning temper, leaving only a genuine expression of pain and stubbornness. But it only made him appear more devastatingly charming! ¡®Men should be like this!¡¯ Ji Yunshu stuffed the handkerchief into her waist belt. The handkerchief looked quite creepy with her bloody handprints and ck spots of poison. She turned and strode away. ¡°Your Highness, do you still want me to investigate? If so, let¡¯s move on.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jing Rong obediently followed behind Ji Yunshu. As soon as they left, Fu Bo came in. Every time Ji Yunshu came, he always boiled a cauldron of vinegar solution for her to boil the bones. When he saw the ck content in the cauldron, he helplessly shook his head. ¡°Every time, this child always forgets to change the water.¡± In the end, he still changed the water. Yunshu and Jing Rong returned to the five corpses. Ji Yunshu currently had her eyes lowered, showing a serious expression, not caring about her blood-soaked hands. Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing a pair of slender arms as fair as jade, as she turned a corpse¡¯s head to the side. With her fingers, she pressed on the nape of the dead body for a short moment, then picked up arge knife and cut into the nape until the back of the cranial bone was exposed. This time, she analyzed out loud. ¡°Surprisingly, there are still some traces left from the battle between the deceased and the murderer. By examining the body, we will certainly be able to find a clue left by the murderer. If we examine the wounds on the victims, we can deduce the murderer¡¯s unique habits and characteristics.¡± ¡°Do you have a concrete example?¡± Jing Rong asked. ¡°For example, we can determine if the murderer was tall or short; a man or a woman; or if he used his left hand or right hand to kill. We can even determine if he ambushed from behind or if he took them head on. And so on¡­¡± It sounded rather incredible how much could be found from so little! Although Ji Yunshu found the murderers of Miss Zhou based on her dead body, Jing Rong was still skeptical about her abilities. ¡°You can find out this much just from examining a corpse?¡± ¡°If the deceased wishes to inform us of their grievances, we can certainly find it.¡± After a moment, Jing Rong became puzzled again. ¡°Teacher Ji, aren¡¯t you a painter? Howe you can also do the work of a coroner? Furthermore, you¡¯re also doing the work ofw enforcers!¡± That¡¯s right! How could he forget that her official position in the yamen was that of a painter! There were many times when Ji Yunshu asked herself where she went wrong? She was obviously an expert in facial reconstruction and clearly upied the position of a painter at the yamen, but her work always took another tangent. Who can she me? She can only me having a dad who was a forensic investigator! 1.Ji Yunshu really based herself on real cooking to make her bone broth. Although, it¡¯s not for the same results and reasons Chapter 34: The Seventy-two Corpses Chapter 34: The Seventy-two Corpses The two adjectives that she could use to describe her real dad from the 21st century were ¡°beyond words¡± and ¡°can¡¯t be helped¡±! If she didn¡¯t insist on pursuing her study in forensic facial reconstruction at the time when she was entering university, she might ended up being ¡°cultivated¡± into an outstanding forensic investigator like her forensic fanatic father. Ever since she could remember, what she used to y with most of the time at home weren¡¯t toys or children¡¯s books. Instead, all she yed with were all kind of knives and tools, and a pile of random experimental products. As a result, Ji Yunshu got fed up with it all and refused to pursue the road of a forensic investigator without any hesitation. She would rather go into anthropology and specialize in facial reconstruction. However, due to her whole childhood spent following her father to different bigboratories, even if she didn¡¯t want to, she was dyed ck with his knowledge. Even though she wasn¡¯t certified as a forensic investigator, she was absolutely qualified to be one! To her surprise, after transmigrating to this time, she ended up doing what she¡¯d hated the most! Who could she me? If there was someone to me, she could only me her forensic fanatic dad! Who made him bring her to all theboratories whenever he had free time or nothing to do? Not to mention he had redecorated their home into a smallboratory which caused her to constantly breathe in all kind of chemicals and toxic gases. Then she had ended requiring surgery, and had even died on the operation table! When she thought about it, she couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She said to Jing Rong, ¡°The reason why I am so skilled must be because I have a strong sense of justice and I ended up being the yamen¡¯s handyman.¡± He felt very sorry for her. She did the work of three different people but only got paid the sry of a painter. ¡°Rest assured. Later, this prince will tell Lord Liu to raise your sry.¡± Jing Rong was being generous, but he immediately added, ¡°For now, you better properly handle this case.¡± When she heard that her sry would be raised, her heart bloomed with happiness. Then she remembered that writing brush from Treasured Calligraphy House¡¯s new collections. It was very expensive, so she was meticulously nning her budget and carefully saving her money until she could buy it. Jing Rong¡¯s face stiffened, ¡®Is that man blinded by money? This plebeian.¡¯ ¡°It will all depend on how you handle my case. How much the amount will be raised will be dependent on my mood.¡± ¡°Good then!¡± At once, Ji Yunshu spurred her mind forward, and energetically picked up the skull to examine it. Then, she began her investigation with extreme earnest. As for Jing Rong, he started to ponder, as if he was hesitating about something. His adam¡¯s apple constantly moved up and down. Finally, he asked, ¡°Teacher Ji, let¡¯s suppose that¡­ you have a pile of bones, can you draw their original appearance from only their skeletons?¡± Ji Yunshu, who was seriously examining the deceased, asked without putting much heart to it. ¡°Are they well preserved?¡± He nodded. ¡°Time of death?¡± ¡°More than ten years ago.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the cause of death?¡± Ji Yunshu continued to question him, but her eyes never left the corpse. Jing Rong didn¡¯t understand the meaning of those questions. ¡°Is that rted to my question?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ji Yunshu decided to share some of her knowledge and experience. She rested her hands on the table, and turned to look at Jing Rong. ¡°If a person died a natural death, their skeleton would experience a decrease in sizepared to their height when they were alive. Their facial features would also gradually sag. Therefore, I will need to take that into ount when I¡¯m drawing that person. If the deceased drowned, then their bones would be soaked in water. Also, the zygomatic bone would certainly bend which will lead to the deformation of the lips and the nose bridge. If someone died by hanging or was choked to death, then¡­¡± She had yet to finish her exnations when Jing Rong interrupted her. ¡°Killed by fire.¡± Ji Yunshu looked pensive, but remained silent. ¡°It cannot be done?¡± Jing Rong probed her. ¡°I didn¡¯t say it can¡¯t be done, but it requires time.¡± ¡°How long?¡± Ji Yunshu perceived Jing Rong¡¯s nervousness from his words. Even though these questions were a bit uncalled for, there was obviously more to this than meet the eye. So she asked him, ¡°How many in total?¡± Jing Rong lowered his eyes. Then, his mouth slowly opened, ¡°Seventy-two corpses altogether.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s mind nked. Jing Rong¡¯s expression was desperate and anxious as he awaited her answer. Finally, after she carefully calcted, she informed him. ¡°If there is no ident or dy, I¡¯ll need at least a year toplete the task.¡± Jing Rong was shocked. ¡°It takes such a long time?¡± ¡®Hey, hey, hey! Are you an appraiser and can determine the authenticity of my words just so casually? We¡¯re talking about dead bodies from more than 10 years ago! And as many as seventy-two of them!¡¯ Her forehead wrinkled; she was this close to telling him off, ¡°Your Highness! I only have two hands, and two eyes. Even if I don¡¯t eat, drink and sleep, it¡¯spletely impossible for me to draw the faces of that many dead in a short span of time.¡± Jing Rong knew he was asking for something excessive. He took a deep breath, but didn¡¯t ask any more questions. ¡°Why did your Highness suddenly ask me those questions? Could it be¡­¡± Jing Rong interrupted her with a shake of his head. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this matter another time. Focus on the examination of the bodies at hand. Your raise is depending on your performance.¡± ¡®You¡¯re the one who distracted me with your questions.¡¯ But those words, Ji Yunshu would naturally not speak them out loud. She took advantage of this zeal to put one¡¯s shoulder to the wheel. The most important thing right now as to close this case. She meticulously examined the corpse up and down, left and right. She did the front, so only thing left was the back. She flipped the corpse over, revealing the back. From the neck all the way down to the buttocks, the skin had turned ck from the fire. Then, her nce fell on something. She discovered something on the lower back of the corpse, located just 2.5 cm above the buttocks. ¡®That ce looks strange!¡¯ Whatever it was, it was round, and the skin color inside it was much lighter than the charcoal ck of the surrounding skin. ¡®Why?¡¯ Jing Rong noticed her expression and hastened to ask her. ¡°What did you find?¡± She pointed at that round mark on the lower back. ¡°Your Highness, look at this. Why would that spot have a different color than the rest of the back?¡± The round mark wasn¡¯t very big. Without careful observation, it could easily be overlooked. ¡°That mark¡­ is very strange.¡± Jing Rong squinted his eyes. Ji Yunshu quietly spected. Suddenly, her eyes widened. ¡°It seems that before he was burnt, his back pressed onto something. That must have made that mark. So when his body was burning inside that abandoned house, it couldn¡¯t be thoroughly burned, leaving behind such a mark on the back.¡± Jing Rong nodded and agreed with her spections. However, he also had an alternate exnation, ¡°Since he died in an abandoned house, it might note as a surprise since debris could have been under his body.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s argument was also valid, but Ji Yunshu¡¯s intuition told her that whatever made this mark on the corpse¡¯s back was absolutely not as irrelevant as normal trash! At that instant, a loud thud, as if something had fallen to the ground, sounded from outside. Ji Yunshu and Jing Rong looked at each other. In sync, they ran outside. As soon as they ran outside, they found Fu Bo copsed on the ground. Next to him, the big cauldron had been smashed and the new solution of vinegar was spilled on the floor. Ji Yunshu nervously ran over to Fu Bo. She squatted down and examined him. She didn¡¯t care getting her hands dirtier with blood as she supported Fu Bo up. It was only then that she saw Fu Bo¡¯s arm bleeding. His clothes were rapidly getting soaked in his own blood. ¡®This is¡­ This is a wound made by a sword!¡¯ Jing Rong also took notice of the sword wound on Fu Bo¡¯s arm. Immediately, his intuition sounded an rm. In the blink of an eye, several ck-clothed figures leaped out of the shadows. They all had a mask, andnded in a formation around them, swords drawn. Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, they attacked all at once, stabbing Jing Rong through. He had no room to escape. Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes widened from extreme shock! ¡®Did he get stabbed to death?¡¯ But reality soon showed that she had grossly underestimated this deity. In the instant that the attackers had stabbed him, Jing Rong had spun, using his wide sleeves to catch eight of the swords. As the sleeves tore, heunched himself into a flip, safely avoiding the rest of the attacks! Chapter 35: This Prince is Alright Chapter 35: This Prince is Alright Ji Yunshu had really underestimated Jing Rong. She would have never imagined that his martial arts was this outstanding. While he fought, she spared no effort to drag Fu Bo to the side. It was better to watch from the sidelines! Jing Rong fought with his bare hands, engaging all of the men in ck in a heated battle. His tall and stalwart body was deadly, and he didn¡¯t lose out in agility. After he dodged the swords, he forcefully yanked away a sword from one of the mysterious attackers. But instead of using the sword to protect himself, he immediately counterattacked by killing every enemy that dove into reach, which waspletely out of Ji Yunshu¡¯s expectations! His usually noble and lofty appearance felt like it was ripped apart, revealing underneath a vividly vicious, stern and somber entity. The sword danced in his hand, iming lives and causing mortal wounds. Three of the ck-clothed men were already lying in a pool of blood. The scene of the swords shing and shing under the candlelights dazzled the eyes. Ji Yunshu felt her mind tense up. Her hands were still tightly grabbing Fu Bo and dragging him away from the fight. The safe and secure ce where she¡¯d stood earlier seemed like it had been hit by a storm. Right at that moment, one of the ck-clothed men noticed Ji Yunshu squatting in a corner. He switched targets, thrusting a de straight at Ji Yunshu. When the sword edge neared her, her eyes widened twofold in shock. She was in the prime of her youth, and yet she was going to die in such a way. Wasn¡¯t it sad? In that single instant, many things shed through her mind. For example, the money that she¡¯d hidden under her bed which Luan¡¯er had no knowledge of; the set of calligraphy brushes and inkstone from the Treasured Calligraphy house that she hadn¡¯t used yet; the money for the insoles that she still owed Great Aunt Li who lived on Beixie street! Ah! She also forgot to tell the people in Ji Mansion that when she¡¯d be buried, she didn¡¯t want to be buried underneath a sandalwood tree. The smell was very strong and she wouldn¡¯t be able to rest in peace. She wanted to be buried under a pine tree! ¡­¡­¡­. Her chaotic thoughtssted a fleeting moment. Because in reality, the sword had yet to pierce her. It was only a few centimeters away from her. She was about to be stabbed! ¡®Merciful Buddha! Heavens, protect me!¡¯ ¡®JING RONG!¡¯ If that deity could save her, she would make a mud-y statue and pray to him. When Jing Rong saw that the sword was about to pierce Ji Yunshu, his hand elerated. His sword cleaved the air, cutting right through the ck-clothed man¡¯s neck just in time! Blood spurted out and basted Jing Rong¡¯s clean clothes in red, along with Ji Yunshu fair and tender face! The remaining three men knew that they¡¯d lost the battle. One of them took the lead and yelled, ¡°Retreat!¡± They swiftly dodged Jing Rong¡¯s sword and jumped onto the roof, escaping into the night. Do not chase after a cornered enemy. Jing Rong¡¯s dark and icy gaze were fixed on the ce they¡¯d disappeared. When he turned around, he saw Ji Yunshu¡¯s bloody face. Her face revealed an expression of intense worry. He quickly went in front of Ji Yunshu and grabbed her slender arm. He inquired, ¡°Are you alright? Did you get hurt?¡± She shook her head. But she appeared particrly haggard! She used her sleeve to clean the blood off her face. After that, she looked dully at Jing Rong and said, ¡°Your Highness has killed people. Can you go a bit farther? If their blood was poisoned, I¡¯d already be dead.¡± ¡°You still have the leisure of saying such things at this time?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s expression was thunderous. ¡°This humble one is being serious.¡± Her eyes glinted as she tried to exin that she wasn¡¯t joking. Jing Rong helplessly distanced himself from her and went over to Fu Bo. He stretched his hand under Fu Bo¡¯s nose, checking to see if he was still breathing. However, to Jing Rong¡¯s surprise, Ji Yunshu hit his hand away. ¡°Fu Bo is not dead yet.¡± ¡°I only wanted to confirm. What are you getting all excited for?¡± That was true. She was acting quite emotional and making a fuss over nothing. It must be due to the lingering fear from the near-death experience. ¡°Fu Bo must have fainted from fright. Please lend me a hand in bringing him back into the hall.¡± Jing Rong grunted and lifted Fu Bo all by himself. Ji Yunshu wanted to help but was rejected by Jing Rong. He lightly spoke, ¡°Go wash your face.¡± It came out like an order, but it was possible to sense the awkwardness in his voice. Ji Yunshu nodded. She had yet to tell him where the medicine was, but Jing Rong had already carried Fu Bo inside. Then she looked at the five corpse littering the ground. She didn¡¯t know whether she should be happy or worried. She still needed to take the corpses and burn them. She really shouldn¡¯t have gone out tonight. After washing her face, she was about to go see Fu Bo when Jing Rong came out with a serious expression. ¡°Fu Bo is resting. Don¡¯t go in and disturb his rest.¡± ¡°The wound¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already bandaged it. Ji Yunshu nodded, then looked at him before showing her gratitude, ¡°Your Highness, thank you very much for earlier.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. Saving a life is like building a seven-floor pagoda. Besides, my case is still unresolved. If you die now, who can this prince find to rece you in such a short time?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s stubborn temper was stimted. Ji Yunshu was used to his temper, but still nced at him in gratitude. But then, from the ground, one of the men in ck rose without anyone noticing and used thest of his strength to lift his sword and sh at the nearest person, Ji Yunshu. Her back toward him, shepletely failed to sense the danger. ¡°Be careful!¡± Jing Rong was caught off guard. He reflexively pulled Ji Yunshu into his embrace and faced the attacker. Caught without any time to think, he could only raise his arm to shield Ji Yunshu from the sword. The sword shed into his arm, creating a long gash. There was no time to think about his wound. He used his leg to scoop up a sword on the ground and kicked it with all his strength. The sword flew like a sh of lightning and embedded itself deeply into the man¡¯s chest. He dropped to the ground, instantly dead! At this moment, Ji Yunshu was safe and sound in Jing Rong¡¯s arms. Their bodies were so close to each other that she could smell the inherent scent of a man hovering at the tips of her nose, causing her to heat up. She raised her eyes and cautiously peeped at Jing Rong. Her gaze traveled from his jaw to his long thick eyshes, lightly trembling with each blink. He was extremely good-looking! Now both his hands were monopolizing her waist. It was unclear how much strength was concealed in those hands. At this instant, her heart skipped a beat! When she recovered her spirit, she retreated back a few steps and lowered her eyes. This time, it took her a lot of effort to calm her heart. After that, she raised her eyes and looked at Jing Rong¡¯s unsteady posture. His expression was weak and his lips had gone pale. ¡°Prince, how¡¯s your body?¡± She stepped forward to support him. Then, she discovered the wound on his arm, startling her. ¡°You¡¯re injured?¡± ¡°This Prince is fine.¡± Jing Rong stubbornly tried to support himself as he incessantly bbered, ¡°This is just a little injury, nothing to make a mountain out of. When I was on the battlefield, you weren¡¯t even born yet.¡± ¡®Hey! Your logic makes no sense! What you once did is none of my business.¡¯ Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t bother arguing with him. She looked at the wound on his arm. Blood was flowing out from the wound, but wasn¡¯t blood supposed to be red? Why was it ck? ¡°Your Highness! That sword is poisoned.¡± Ji Yunshu became angry at Jing Rong. Then, it must¡¯ve meant that Fu Bo didn¡¯t faint, but was poisoned by the sword cut! As soon as her words left her lips, Jing Rong¡¯s body slumped down on Ji Yunshu. Her small shoulder trembled. How could she support such a heavy body by herself?! Their bodies were now stuck extremely close together. Jing Rong¡¯s head rested on Ji Yunshu¡¯s shoulder. His nose was letting out warm breaths on her neck, tingling and tickling her skin. The sensation made her whole body shiver from head to toe. This was the first time in her life that she¡¯d hugged and been hugged by the same man several times. Jing Rong¡¯s mouth slightly parted. In a daze, he whispered into her ear, ¡°This prince¡­ i-is fine.¡± Chapter 36: A Servile Nature Jing Rong weakly whispered in Ji Yunshu¡¯s ear. His entire body was limp, but he still tried to act brave. Ji Yunshu¡¯s hands felt like they were on fire as she struggled to support him. Her fingers unknowingly tightened around him. The weight of his body gradually caused her knees to buckle. Finally, she gritted her teeth and pressed on a part of Jing Rong¡¯s waist. He, who was on the verge of falling to the ground, suddenly stood tautly. The distance between them shrank to a paper-thin distance as Ji Yunshu¡¯s ear ttened against Jing Rong¡¯s strong chest. She could hear the cadence of his heartbeat. At that instant, his heartbeat seemed to magnify many folds, making a deep drumming sound in her ear. But, this was not the time for her to blush. ¡°You¡­ Hold on. I¡¯ll carry you, so don¡¯t move.¡± She used everything she had to support him, but when it came to moving forward, she could not take a single step. How about she just let go of him, so he could fall and ¡°break into pieces¡±. The thought crossed her mind for a moment and was very sinister. ¡®That won¡¯t do!¡¯ ¡°Your Highness!¡± Like the sound of Providence, a voice was heard not far away. Lang Po was first rmed by the corpses. Soon after, he rushed in and caught sight of his Prince in an ambiguous position with Ji Yunshu, causing his brain to short-circuit. ¡°What are you standing there and looking dumb for? Hurry up and take your Prince.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s tone was heavy. Lang Po was a strong man, so he was far from being delicate and attentive like a girl. He roughly separated the two of them and took over from Ji Yunshu in supporting his master. He was ready to bring Jing Rong back into the hall. ¡°Where are you going? Put him down.¡± Her voice was urgent and her expression grave. Lang Po obeyed her without hesitation,ying the unconscious Jing Rong on the freezing ground. In a second, Ji Yunshu was squatting next to Jing Rong and tearing her sleeves into a long strip. After a moment, she grabbed Jing Rong¡¯s tattered sleeve and ripped it away, tearing it until his wound was clearly exposed. His arm was dyed in ck blood! Lang Po cried out in rm, ¡°His Highness is injured?¡± ¡®Hey fellow, are you blind? Your Prince is unconscious. If he¡¯s not injured, did you think he was sleeping?¡¯ At this moment, Ji Yunshu could not be bothered to exin the situation to him. She used the long strip made from her sleeve and made a tourniquet1 around 10cm above his wound in order to slow down the spread of the poison. When she was done, she raised her head and looked at Lang Po. ¡°There¡¯s strong liquor beside the memorial tablets on the offering table. Hurry and go get it for me.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± His servile nature had kicked in! Lang Po ran into the house and found the strong liquor without needing to search for it. He rushed back and delivered it to Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu took the jug and poured the alcohol into her mouth. Then, she sprayed the rest on Jing Rong¡¯s wound. In a sh, the blisters on his wound burst, releasing its contents with a sizzling sound. It was very like the bubbles in a c bottle, except the color was simr to a dark energy drink. Lang Po, who was clueless about Ji Yunshu¡¯s treatment, watched helplessly in worry. Not waiting for him to react, Ji Yunshu restrained Jing Rong¡¯s arm with both of her hands, before leaning over him. She started to suck out the poison from his wound. As she sucked out the ck blood, she spat it out and repeated the same steps more than ten times before she stopped. Her mouth was now covered with ck blood. Although it was clearly a cold winter night, Ji Yunshu¡¯s brow was beaded with sweat. Lang Po asked nervously, ¡°Teacher, how is his highness?¡± Ji Yunshu replied, ¡°He was exposed to Shiban poison. The effect is very fierce. Fortunately, the poison didn¡¯t seep into his bones. He won¡¯t die.¡± Then, she grabbed the jug and stood up before quickly adding, ¡°Hurry and bring him into the house.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Once again, Lang Po¡¯s servile nature resurfaced. He obeyed Ji Yunshu and brought Jing Rong into a small room that Ji Yunshu pointed to. Then, he put Jing Rong onto the bed. Meanwhile, Ji Yunshu went into Fu Bo¡¯s room with the jug of alcohol and used the same method to temporarily treat Fu bo. Following that, she navigated the shelves of the memorial hall to find several raw medicinal materials. She hastilypounded them into a medicine which she spread on Jing Rong¡¯s and Fu Bo¡¯s wound. After that, she bandaged both of them up. If she was a bit slower in treating their injuries, only death would have awaited them. After being busy the whole time, her legs weakened from tiredness. She cracked her neck and took in a few deep breaths. ¡®It¡¯s finally done!¡¯ Lang Po, who did not understand her actions, inquired, ¡°Teacher, what medicine did you give to his highness?¡± ¡®Can he die from it?¡¯ This Lang Po really took after Prince Rong¡¯s moral conduct, fearing that she would poison them. Ji Yunshu frowned at him, ¡°The medicine is made frommon ingredients: fresh ginger, a couple of spices and vi mandshurica. Ipounded them together and applied it to the wound. This can stop bleeding and absorb the poison from the wound. It won¡¯t kill people.¡± ¡°How did his highness get poisoned?¡± In fact, Ji Yunshu did not understand how the brain of those ancient people were geared. Why do they love to poison this, poison that, poison here and poison there?! Other than poison, hidden weapons were just as popr! ¡®Stupid people!¡¯ ¡°If you want to know, let¡¯s go out and search for those men in ck. Examine the sword that almost imed your Prince¡¯s life.¡± Hearing Ji Yunshu¡¯s words, Lang Po rushed out right away. ¡®He isn¡¯t nning to hack those corpses into pieces in retaliation for poisoning his master¡­ right?¡¯ Ji Yunshu shifted her gaze down, to Jing Rong¡¯s paleplexion. At this moment, his appearancecked its usual spirit, looking quite meek and docile with his well-shaped brows and eyes. That tall nose bridge and lips which weren¡¯t pursed from the arrogance about his own power looked quite soft, and that sharp feeling he gave vanished. ¡®Ah! And look at that skin. It could only be described as perfect.¡¯ When she realized how ¡°obsessed¡± she looked as she stared at him, it caused her to panic. It really did make her feel ineffably nervous. Then, she recalled the moment when Jing Rong shielded her by pulling her into his arms. Although she was very grateful, inwardly, she was also flushed with excitement, but only a bit. Despite the fact that he was the main reason of the night¡¯s events, he did suffer from a sword sh, so she should feel grateful to this deity. The more she thought about it, the more confused and panicked she felt, which annoyed her to the point she became restless. She might as well go outside and calm down. She headed outside right at the time Lang Po was studying the corpses of the attackers. He was looking at them with a serious frown. Ji Yunshu couldn¡¯t take it any longer and blurted out, ¡°Not only did those killers want to take our lives, they even coated their swords with poison. It was very clear that their aim was His Highness, they wanted him dead most of all.¡± ¡®Hey! You better speak the truth. Did your Prince owe someone money? Or extort others? Or even employ a hit-man?!¡¯ Lang Po remained silent. Ji Yunshu wrinkled her nose. At this moment, apart from the smell of the dead pervading the courtyard, the smell of blood was equally strong. Suddenly, deep within her heart, curiosity gnawed at her. She wanted to know the truth of the matter. She walked over to one of the corpses and was about to crouch next to it when Lang Po shouted, ¡°Teacher! What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious.¡± She threw the words at him, leaving him at a loss for words. She promptly pulled down the mask covering the dead man¡¯s face. Under the mask hid a dark-skinned man with a rough appearance. Clearly of foreign origin. It was amoner. Ji Yunshu would not stop until she got to the truth, even if she was courting death. She continued to take off the masks on all the corpses. They were allmoners, but there was nothing strange about that. As soon as she got up, her foot unknowingly kicked something. ng! She lowered her head to take a look and saw a blue jade pendant next to her foot. She stooped down to pick it up and carefully examined it. The jade pendant was round and engraved with a bouquet of pear blossoms. The engraving could be considered quite exquisite and nice to look at. But, this thing also looked quite familiar! 1.A tourniquet is a usually a very constrictive bandage. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourniquet Chapter 37: The End of You and Me She squinted at it as she tried to remember, and a sh of insight rocker her brain. From an urge which perhaps stemmed from her woman¡¯s intuition, she started searching the corpses of the other men in ck. As she suspected, she found the same jade pendants on all the corpses. ¡°What is this?¡± asked Lang Po. ¡°A breakthrough, I think¡­¡± answered Ji Yunshu. ¡°What?¡± Ji Yunshu gave Lang Po no time to ask questions and hastily left the scene with the pendant in hand. Lang Po followed her steps as they walked through the memorial hall. Upon returning to the burnt corpse, Ji Yunshu knelt down and aligned the pendant with the circr marking found above the buttocks. Indeed, a perfect match. Even the patterns which ran along the circr jade pendant had been faithfully reproduced. Ji Yunshu took out her handkerchief, which was stained by the coal-like liquid that had been boiled out of the hyoid bone. The stain had the same color as that dark mark, and, were the hues of that mark more intense, it would have reminded one of the dark blood that¡¯de out of Jing Rong and Fu Bo¡¯s wounds earlier. Of course. These five people, they were killed by Shiban poison! Does this mean that the men in ck from tonight were the ones who killed them? But then, who were those men in ck? Every strike from their swords had aimed to take Jing Rong¡¯s life. Were they here for revenge? With Jing Rong¡¯s overbearing character and his princely status, having a few enemies in the jianghu 1 should not be surprising in the slightest. Lang Po, whocked the sophistication to follow Ji Yunshu¡¯s thoughts, seemed very surprised and asked with great perplexity, ¡°Teacher, what¡­ are you doing? These jade pendants are?¡± Ji Yunshu removed the pendant from the corpse, showed it to Lang Po and asked, ¡°Do you recognize this?¡± He shook his head. Ji Yunshu was disappointed by the answer. ¡°These men in ck, each one of them carries a jade pendant. If we can figure out where these pendants came from, then it will probably lead us to those who are plotting against your master¡¯s life.¡± ¡°It mustn¡¯t be this simple,¡± answered Lang Po. ¡°Why so?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. ¡°Teacher, you might not be aware of how things are done in the jianghu. Had these people reallye here to kill his highness, they would not have worn the pendants. That would be too easy of a giveaway,¡± exined Lang Po. A stupid mistake indeed. That was the fatal w in Ji Yunshu¡¯s deduction. ¡°But the only clue we have right now are these pendants. Whether they were intentionally left here to mislead us is another matter. We should investigate them regardless.¡± Ji Yunshu stuffed the pendants into Lang Po¡¯s hands and continued, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to tell your prince that Shiban poison is not to be taken lightly. It is made using the flower petals of a species of tangerine tree which only grows in the harshest of colds. I had thought it to be extinct, but it seems like there are still people out there who are nting those trees. If we can find out who would grow such a tree, surely we can find the source of this poison, and the culprits themselves.¡± Lang Po stared back at Ji Yunshu in amazement as he tried to digest what he had just heard. He had listened to the praises of the county magistrate, but he¡¯d still had his doubts about Ji Yunshu. After seeing her solve the Zhou¡¯s case and hearing her deductions now, she had convinced him. She was too amazing. Lang Po was still lost in his thoughts when Ji Yunshu added, ¡°By the looks of it, Prince Rong won¡¯t wake up until tomorrow. How about you stay here for the night? As for the corpses outside¡­¡± Yes, what about the corpses outside? This was no small matter, and surely the magistrate needed to be informed of what had transpired. But she was worried that Jing Rong would want to keep this a secret, away from intrusive eyes. Lang Po helped her finish her thoughts, ¡°Teacher, this is a matter of utmost importance. Please don¡¯t tell anyone else about what happened tonight. I¡¯ll dispose of the corpses outside.¡± Ji Yunshu nodded. ¡°We part ways then. Please don¡¯t forget to inform the Prince about our findings today,¡± said Ji Yunshu. ¡°Understood.¡± This is the end of it then. Now that the investigation is over, there is no longer any connection between Jing Rong and I. It was already the hour of the boar 2. Ji Yunshu cleaned the bloodstains off her hands, and, in a futile effort, tried to wipe her robe. But the blood had already dried andpletely stained it. What a waste of a garment. Ji Yunshu picked up thentern she had left in the corner of the wall and walked home in its dim light. Upon arriving at the Ji mansion, she immediately threw her clothes into the brazier. Her heart raced as she recalled what had just happened; that was too close of a call, and it burdened her spirit heavily. The weakness in her limbs prompted Ji Yunshu to slowly fall into a deep slumber as shey on her bed. But even then, she stayed tense until the very moment she lost consciousness. The morning of the following day arrived mercilessly, apanied by heavy snowfall, painting thendscape white once more. This time, Ji Yunshu woke up very early. Luan¡¯er entered the room trying her best to suppress a yawn. White steam wafted from the tea set in her hands as she gently put it down. She asked Ji Yunshu in a quiet voice, ¡°Miss, when did you get home yesterday?¡± ¡°Veryte,¡± answered Ji Yunshu. ¡°Are you done helping out at the yamen? You¡¯ve been working nonstop thest few days, and I worry about your health¡­¡± Maids from ancient times fell into one of two categories, those who worried sick about everything, like Luan¡¯er, or those who were sick with ack ofpassion for any and all matters. Ji Yunshu poured a cup of tea for herself, and tasted it as she answered the question, ¡°Did you put the semiaquilegia root into the waterst night as I told you to?¡± Luan¡¯er nodded and trotted out of the room. She came back with a delicate box which contained the medicine and put it in front of her master. ¡°Are you really going to gift this to the housekeeper at the Zhou Mansion?¡± asked Luan¡¯er. She clearly thought that gifting such a precious item to a stranger was a waste, and the reluctance was visible in her eyes. Ji Yunshu answered by picking up the box and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the Zhou Mansion right now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still snowing outside miss, how about I go instead?¡± proposed Luan¡¯er. ¡°I¡¯ll go myself, I still have some belongings left at the Zhou Mansion,¡± answered Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu picked up an umbre at the door, and was gone before herst word had finished echoing around the room. Luan¡¯er stared at her departing back with a frown and sighed with worry. Ji Yunshu did not want to stay in the Ji Mansion, this unfortunate ce in which the previous owner of her body had starved to death. The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became. At thirteen years old, should the flower of adolescence not blossom with the utmost splendor? Instead, it had wilted through coldness and hunger. Could there be a more abominable atrocity? Had she not transmigrated into the body at that time, Luan¡¯er, who was barely ten years old at the time, would most likely have shared the same fate. ¡­¡­¡­. Ji Yunshu shook off the snow which had umted on her umbre, and put it away as she neared the Zhou Mansion. Miss Zhou had been inhumed the previous day, and the white strips of cloth3 which hung at the entrance had already been removed. However, the Zhou Mansion was still ufortably gloomy, contrasting the awe it used to inspire in its visitors. The servant who manned the door came to greet her as she approached. ¡°Teacher Ji, what brings you here? I¡¯ll go tell Master right away.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, I¡¯m here for your housekeeper.¡± The servant was perplexed, but nevertheless proposed, ¡°Pleasee in sir. I¡¯ll get uncle Jing right away.¡± The servant led Ji Yunshu to a side hall, and hurriedly departed to fetch the housekeeper. It was not long before the old housekeeper arrived, his back as hunched as ever. Both his hands were sped tightly together at his abdomen. His every act cried out the word servitude. Zhao¡¯s Words Cheers, Zhao 1.Jianghu is a Chinese term that designated the underworld as in mafias/triads, assassins, etc. ? 2.The hour of the boar equals 9-11pm ? 3.White is the color of mourning in China, and it ismon practice for people to decorate their houses with white cloth if someone from the household passes away. Chapter 38: Do You Want to Save Yourself? Chapter 38: Do You Want to Save Yourself? As he approached, the housekeeper did not raise his eyes even once to look at Ji Yunshu. ¡°What use would you have for this old servant?¡± asked the housekeeper. His voice betrayed his deep loneliness. A gentle smile hung on Ji Yunshu¡¯s lips as she handed the brocade box over to the housekeeper. ¡°Old mister, I came to bring this to you. If you grind it, add brown sugar and spirit, and then apply the mixture onto the scar on your face, it¡¯ll certainly help,¡± said Ji Yunshu. The housekeeper was so surprised by this sudden disy of care, he almost seemed terrified; his body trembled as he raised his eyes to meet the kindhearted visage of Ji Yunshu. His first reaction was to decline the offer, ¡°Please, teacher. Your old servant has done nothing to deserve the bestowal of such a valuable medicine.¡± ¡°Please ept it, old mister. The value of a medicine depends entirely on the patient. If it¡¯s useful for the patient, then it¡¯s precious indeed, but for those who don¡¯t require it, it has very little value. I believe that it¡¯s best used on you, and that¡¯s why I hurried to bring it to you, despite the snow. I insist that you ept my gift,¡± said Ji Yunshu. ¡°I¡­¡± Ji Yunshu gave him no chance to further argue and pushed the box into the old housekeeper¡¯s chest. ¡°Please, I insist.¡± It was true, that if the medicine were to be properly preserved until the modern age, it would be worth millions. But, to each what is needed. Ji Yunshu liked money, but there are lines that she would never cross. If she could not return to her own time, her only fate is to be a pile of bones. In the end, the housekeeper held onto the box and said, ¡°Your old servant is extremely grateful for your kindness, teacher.¡± As he spoke, he bent down to salute her. Ji Yunshu, whose young age made it inappropriate for her to receive such a disy of thankfulness, hurried to stop him before he could fully prostrate himself by supporting his elbows. ¡°Please, old Mister, there¡¯s no need for such formality. I wouldn¡¯t dare to receive a bow from you,¡± said Ji Yunshu. ¡°Teacher, you are a kind man, how can your old servant ever repay you?¡± ¡°Please make good use of this medicine to mend the wound you have on your face, that¡¯ll be enough.¡± ¡°Again, my deepest thanks,¡± said the old housekeeper. Ji Yunshu smiled back and was about to reply when she suddenly felt something sticky on her fingers. It seemed as though something got stuck to her hand as she reached for the elbows of the housekeeper. She nced at his sleeves discreetly while maintaining her smile and saw a dark spot: the fabric was burnt. Whatever was on the housekeeper¡¯s sleeves had be stuck to Ji Yunshu¡¯s thumb when it¡¯d rubbed against the fabric. Ji Yunshu stopped looking at the old housekeeper¡¯s arm and moved her hands away from his elbows, as if nothing happened. She then asked in a quiet voice, ¡°Old mister, I left my sandalwood box here during myst visit. Did you happen to find it?¡± ¡°Yes, of course, I¡¯ll bring it to you right away.¡± Ji Yunshu nodded. The moment the old housekeeper turned away, the smile on Ji Yunshu¡¯s face vanished without a trace. Instead, it was reced by a grave look. She raised her hand and carefully inspected her thumb: a thin piece of wax adhered to it. She sniffed it and knew instantly. This unique scent could onlye from a mixture of Roxburg rose flower and lotus flowers. This is out of ce. She remembered the burn on the housekeeper¡¯s sleeves. The wax must have gotten there as the fabric touched the me of a candle. I remember smelling this somewhere, but where? Ji Yunshu seemed to be on the verge of grasping something, but it was staying just out of sight. ¡°Teacher, here¡¯s your box, I¡¯ve put everything I found in there,¡± The sight of her sandalwood box, carefully presented to her by the housekeeper, interrupted Ji Yunshu¡¯s thoughts. She looked at the old housekeeper, at the scar which ran across his visage, and something clicked in her head. ¡°I shall bid you farewell then,¡± said Ji Yunshu. ¡°Allow your old servant to escort you,¡± proposed the housekeeper. ¡°No need, the roads are slippery now, it¡¯s best for old mister not to see me out,¡± Ji Yunshu smiled at him. Ji Yunshu did not head home in fact, instead, she went directly to the prison. ording to procedure, she ought to first ask for the permission of the magistrate before she could visit anyone who was incarcerated. However, since the magistrate held her in high esteem, he had ordered that she held the same authority as himself to his subordinates. As a result, as soon as she showed up at the entrance of the prison, a yamen runner opened the gate without any questions, and greeted her with arge smile which was meant to tter her. Displeasing her in any way would surely spell disaster for him. ¡°Teacher Ji, what a pleasant surprise to see you here today! Oh, please mind the steps, it¡¯s dark around here.¡± The words ¡°Would you like to hold onto my arms¡± almost slipped out of runner¡¯s mouth. ¡°What a waste for him to not be a eunuch,¡± thought Ji Yunshu. ¡°Where are the two prisoners from yesterday? The two from the Zhou Mansion,¡± asked Ji Yunshu. ¡°They are inside, teacher.¡± ¡°Bring me to the woman,¡± ordered Ji Yunshu. ¡°Very well, please follow me,¡± said the runner. Ji Yunshu followed the runner as thetter led her through the dark corridors which linked the many cells found within the prison. An ufortable humidity exacerbated the gloominess, and it was quite easy to understand why prisoners who had been incarcerated for a long time would suffer from atrocious joint pain. ¡®This would be called rheumatism in the modern age.¡¯ The runner stopped at the leftmost cell of the corridor and said, ¡°Teacher, this is the one.¡± Under the dim light from the corridor that filtered into the cell, Ji Yunshu was barely able to discern its upant. Suyun was curled up in a corner, trembling as she hugged her arms close to her for some desperately soughtfort. A bone-chilling wind, which partly resulted from the coldness of the weather£¬ incessantly circted throughout the cells. Without the protection of warm clothing, it was perfectly conceivable for a prisoner to freeze to death before he or she could ever see justice delivered. ¡°Open the door,¡± said Ji Yunshu. ¡°There¡¯s a prisoner inside¡­¡± answered the runner. ¡°Do I need you to remind me of that?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. The runner smiled sheepishly and opened the lock which held the chains wrapped around the door. Ji Yunshu took an oilmp from the wall off and stuffed her sandalwood box into the hands of the runner. ¡°Take good care of this and wait for me outside.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± She approached Suyun and knelt right beside her. As thentern¡¯s light shone brighter and brighter on Suyun, Ji Yunshu was finally able to see her bloodless face clearly. It was a face whose pallor would have been unfathomable the day before. ¡°Suyun,¡± said Ji Yunshu. There was long silence before an answer came. With trembling limbs, Suyun raised her head and looked at Ji Yunshu. Her eyes, which were deeply sunken into the orbital sockets, were filled with coldness and seemed devoid of emotion, as if she possessed some kind of lucidity about the imminent death which awaited her. ¡°Suyun, do you want to get out of here?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s voice resonated in the tiny cell, and seemed to make the air even harder to breathe than it already was. Suyun opened her mouth, but no sound came out of it due to the feebleness of her body. She struggled to croak out a response, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said, do you want to save yourself? Do you want to save Lin Duan¡¯s life?¡± Ji Yunshu repeated her question. Suyunughed quietly at the question, ¡°I killed someone, so I¡¯ll have to pay with my own life. There¡¯s no getting out of this¡­¡± ¡°Oh, there is.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ji Yunshu brought the oilmp closer to Suyun in the hopes of warming her a little using the swaying light it emitted. ¡°Suyun, listen to me carefully, and think before answering my question. What I¡¯m about to ask you is very important,¡± said Ji Yunshu very seriously. Suyun took a little while, but nodded. ¡°Tell me, on that night, when you entered the young miss¡¯ bedroom, what did you see? Was the room dark?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. Chapter 39: Two Taels Chapter 39: Two Taels The light from themp flickered faintly. Upon hearing Ji Yunshu¡¯s question, Suyun¡¯s dark pupils stared at Ji Yunshu with a hint of trepidation. ¡°Teacher Ji, why¡­ why are you asking about that?¡± Suyun asked. ¡°What¡¯s important right now is that you answer my question. Think about what you are going to say very carefully,¡± said Ji Yunshu. Her face, lit by thentern, looked forbiddingly stern. What Suyun had inside her mind was not just the key to solving the murder, but also a path to salvation for herself and Lin Duan. Otherwise, they were doomed. Suyun¡¯s hands, which rested on her knees, sped a corner of her own clothing tightly as she lowered her head and started to recall that night. ¡°That night, I snuck back into the mansion, and poisoned the young miss¡¯ soup while it was still in the kitchen. After seeing the soup make it all the way into her room, I knew that it would only be a matter of time before she drank it and went to bed. Even Qiaoxin wouldn¡¯t enter the room to disturb her sleep. But I was scared and worried sick.¡± The tips of her fingers paled as she grasped the cloth held between her hands ever so tightly, but she continued narrating the events of the night. ¡°So I hid and didn¡¯t dare to do anything until everyone had fallen asleep. Then, I snuck into the young miss¡¯ room. I remember that the room was dark when I pushed open the door¡­ Yes, I¡¯m sure of it. The young miss was still on the ground, and the entire bowl of soup was spilled onto the ground beside her¡­ That¡¯s all I saw.¡± Under the glow of the oilmp, a tint of redness could be seen climbing back onto Suyun¡¯s bloodless face as she put more and more effort into remembering what happened. Ji Yunshu seemed quite tense, ¡°Are you sure that the room was dark when you entered?¡± ¡°Yes, absolutely.¡± Suyun shook her head with a conviction that matched her strong desire to live. ¡°Alright. Then, think carefully. Did you see any bruises or any traces of injury on the young miss?¡± Suyun thought about it and shook her head. ¡°Really? No marks? Are you sure?¡± asked Ji Yunshu once again. ¡°I¡¯m fairly sure. If she was injured anywhere, I would have noticed when I moved her body onto the bed,¡± replied Suyun. At this point, Ji Yunshu had a very good hypothesis about what urred, but she did not dare to go to the yamen without being certain. Her head began aching as she thought about what to do. The feeling of Suyun¡¯s hands grabbing her own interrupted Ji Yunshu¡¯s train of thought. Ji Yunshu looked at Suyun: she stood up from where she knelt and was trembling with excitement. ¡°Teacher Ji, I told you everything I know. You said that you can save me and save Lin Duan too. Is that true?¡± The me of hope was set alight and now burned fiercely within Suyun¡¯s eyes. Ji Yunshu¡¯s arm, on the other hand, burned in a different way; her arm, which was getting gripped tightly, really hurt! Ji Yunshu frowned from the pain and answered, ¡°Suyun, if I¡¯m here talking to you, then of course I have a good guess about who the real culprit might be. But this case is a littleplicated, and right now, all the clues point to you as being the murderer. Since you confessed, I¡¯ll really need to find more evidence before I can prove that the real culprit is someone else.¡± ¡°The real culprit? Did the young miss not die by poisoning?¡± asked Suyun. ¡°I¡¯m not so sure of it anymore,¡± answered Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu¡¯s answer stirred Suyun¡¯s emotions to the point that she began sobbing. She pressed her lips firmly together in an attempt to silence her cries, but from time to time a nearly inaudible sob would escape her mouth. Ji Yunshu pondered a little more, and asked again, ¡°That night, what kind of medicine would your miss drink?¡± ¡°The young miss often suffered from headaches. The medicine she drinks is a sedative,¡± answered Suyun. ¡°What kind of ingredients were used?¡± ¡°Seeds of sour dates, seeds of oriental arborvitae, polyg roots and cortex albiziae. Oh yes, there¡¯s also Roxburg rose flower. The young miss disliked bitterness, so she would always tell us to add a few of those into her medicine,¡± said Suyun with conviction. Roxburg rose flower! Ji Yunshu did remember its characteristic scent from that thinyer of wax, there was no mistake! Ji Yunshu felt her heartbeat quicken as she started to ponder Suyun¡¯s testimony. Suyun¡¯s hope for salvation, which had been ignited with much difficulty, needed to not take a fatal blow right now. She would not be the one to let Suyun¡¯s hope turn into cold ashes once again. Seeing that Ji Yunshu remained silent, Suyun asked with bloodshot eyes and a voice filled with anxiety, ¡°Teacher, no matter how it turns out in the end, can you promise me that you¡¯ll help Lin Duan? It¡¯s all my fault. He doesn¡¯t deserve to die. He just wanted to help me; this has nothing to do with him. I¡¯ll take all the me.¡± Tears rolled down her cheeks as she said these words. What Ji Yunshu feared the most in her life was a woman crying. She wanted to reach for her handkerchief and wipe Suyun¡¯s tears away. But she was a ¡°man¡± right now, and it would be inappropriate. She resisted the urge, used a conciliatory tone to say, ¡°You truly care for him, as he does for you. The heavens are always kind to people who are so devoted to one another. You lost a child, but another one will be bestowed upon you. So, don¡¯t lose hope. I¡¯ll make sure we see the end of this case.¡± The inspiration for those cliched lines probably came from some of the romance novels she¡¯d read in the past. But for Suyun, this was undoubtedly a cure to her woes. Suyun¡¯s hollow look slowly dissipated, and she nodded energetically. ¡­¡­¡­.. Ji Yunshu walked out of the prison with an inscrutable facial expression, making it difficult to guess what she felt at the moment. The yamen runner came to her with her sandalwood box clutched in his hands. ¡°Teacher Ji, are you leaving?¡± ¡®What else can I do, talk about my life with you?¡¯ Ji Yunshu threw a cold look at the guard, took back her wooden box, and wiped it to clean theyer of dust that settled on it. ¡°What¡¯s your monthly sry?¡±, Ji Yunshu was curious. ¡°What?¡± The runner was surprised by the question. He scratched his head, shrugged his shoulders, and concealed his answer in augh of embarrassment. ¡°Two taels of silver,¡± said the guard as he made a hand gesture. Ji Yunshu nodded, took out three taels of silver, and shoved it into the hands of the runner. The heaviness from three taels of silver caused the runner to crack a smile, revealing his yellow teeth. He did not expect to receivepensation, even less, three whole taels. What Ji Yunshu said next doused his excitement like a bucket of cold water, ¡°Go buy some warm clothes and cold medicine for the woman in there, and then buy some good food for a man called Li Duan. Be sure to deliver it.¡± Crack. This is what heartbreak sounds like. So it wasn¡¯t for him after all! The heartbreak tranted into a frown on the runner¡¯s face. He bowed andined, ¡°Teacher, these people are prisoners. I can¡¯t do that; it would be against the rules.¡± ¡°Let me ask you this. Is it true that as long as the verdict notice from the ministry of punishments hasn¡¯t been announced, the rules stipte that even a prisoner, who is sentenced to death, needs to stay alive and well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°For this case, Lord Liu has already filed a report to the ministry, but the notice hasn¡¯t been issued yet. If a prisoner dies here, will you bear the consequences?¡± To call him a yamen runner was apliment. In practice, he was but amon jailor. There was no way he could, under any circumstances, shoulder the responsibility for such a big mistake. ¡°But, teacher Ji, I¡¯m following the procedures¡­¡± ¡®What an idiot. Is he too dense as to not understand my request?¡¯ Ji Yunshu nced at him and said, ¡°The rules tell you that you need to keep an eye on the prisoners. No one can stop you from buying clothes and medicine for them. Irritate me any further, and I won¡¯t give you the extra tael.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ He would be able to receive a tael out of three? The runner smiled more broadly than ever before. He licked his lips and answered, ¡°Yes, yes teacher. I¡¯ll do as you say, and I promise that you¡¯ll be satisfied!¡± To emphasize his promise, he quickly snapped his fingers. Money really does make the world go round. Ji Yunshu, who did not want to pursue the conversation any further, left with her sandalwood box safely between her arms. Chapter 40: The Handkerchief Delivery Chapter 40: The Handkerchief Delivery The night was bitterly cold, and despite the fact that the snow had stopped falling, the frigid wind still whistled in the air. The biting cold seeped into the body like a worm, making the body burn in pain. Wei Yi was covered in a thick, light blue outer garment. His neck was wrapped with a gray scarf. He was in a daze, seriously pondering something as he walked in a circle, leaving traces of his pacing in the snow. Sometimes, he would stay still while letting out white puffs of breath, lost in thought. All in all, it was an extremely cute sight! And at other times, he would sneak frequent side nces at the Ji Mansion¡¯s entrance. He must have waited for at least two hours. His fair skin had turned red from the biting cold. From a distance, Ji Yunshu saw him hiding behind the stone lion near the entrance. His head kept peeking out from his hiding ce. ¡®What is that cute little fool doing here?¡¯ Could it be that he was itching to find Ji Yunshu for another scare session? Since she was curious about the reason he came, Ji Yunshu approached him. ¡°Wei Yi, why are you here?¡± Wei Yi got scared when a voice suddenly popped up behind him. It scared him to the point that he almost jumped up! He turned around and saw an unfamiliar ¡°man¡±. ¡°You scared me.¡± He muttered in a small voice. His innocent face kept changing expressions, and his hands were on his chest. His appearance made Ji Yunshu want tough. ¡°Who scared you? If you didn¡¯t feel as guilty as a thief, how can you be scared?¡± But Wei Yi shook his head in panic and hastily denied it. ¡°I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not. I am not a thief. I really am not a thief. My teacher said that I can¡¯t steal things from other people. It¡¯s no good. Mama also said that we must act with honesty and sincerity. Others¡¯ things are their things. My things are my things. A-and¡­ My dad also said¡­¡± ¡°Stop!¡± Ji Yunshu raised her hand to interrupt him. If she let him continue, perhaps he won¡¯t even finish before the sun rose. ¡°Let me ask you. Why are you not at home on such a cold day and instead here?¡± Ji Yunshu wore a stern expression. Wei Yi withdrew his gaze, pursed his lips, and twisted his hands as his head ducked. If Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t guess incorrectly¡­ this little fool was acting shy! This only further fanned the mes of her curiosity. She came close to him and inquired in a teasing tone, ¡°Wei Yi, tell me the truth. You¡¯re not here for no reason, right? And you¡¯re acting so sneaky.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Tell me. I promise I will not tell anyone.¡± After a long while, Wei Yi finally spilled the beans. ¡°I¡¯m waiting for Big Sister.¡± ¡®Big Sister? Young man, you¡¯re the only son in your family. You don¡¯t have a big sister. At best, you can have your mom give you a little sister or a little brother. Wait! Can it be¡­¡¯ ¡°Wei Yi, your father has another wife? So, are you waiting for your half-sister?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t.¡± Wei Yi raised his head and looked at Ji Yunshu. Suddenly, he frowned and eximed, ¡°Big Brother, you really look like Big Sister!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Immediately, Ji Yunshu understood everything. ¡®Foolish guy, you were waiting for me?¡¯ Not waiting for Ji Yunshu toe back to her senses, Wei Yi took out a small box from his sleeve and looked at her with eyes full of hope. ¡°Big Brother, do you know Big Sister? I came to give back the handkerchief she put in my handst time. Look! it was dirty, but I washed it.¡± When he was done talking, he opened the little box, revealing a white handkerchief neatly folded with several flower petals sprinkled on it. ¡®How lovely! Hey, smelly guy, where did you learn this kind of flirting technique?!¡¯ The corner of Ji Yunshu¡¯s mouth stretched unnaturally. Her hand rigidly stretched toward the box and slowly closed it. Her hand stayed on the cover. ¡°Wei Yi, this handkerchief¡­ your big sister doesn¡¯t want it. She also doesn¡¯t like the flowers. She¡¯s allergic to pollen.¡± Ji Yunshu wrinkled her nose as she lied confidently. ¡°But it¡¯s Big Sister¡¯s handkerchief. I have to give it back to her. Ami said that girls like flowers.¡± Wei Yi appeared aggrieved. ¡°Who is Ami?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the small dog I raised,¡± replied Wei Yi innocently. Pfft! Ji Yunshu held her stomach and spat out imaginary blood. ¡®I¡¯m dying¡­¡¯ She couldn¡¯t understand this fool¡¯s thought process. No matter how much brain capacity she had, it might not be enough to understand him. ¡°Forget it. Stay here then.¡± She waved at him, turned around, and walked away. She barely took a step or two before she stopped and looked back. Her eyes met with Wei Yi¡¯s apparently dejected expression. He still held onto some hope, touching people¡¯s soft spot. At this moment, snow started to fall again. These snowkes were denserpared to earlier. As they swirled down from the sky and fell onto his body, the world turned into a silent haze. Unexpectedly, this was a sore sight for one¡¯s heartstrings, evoking a little pity for him. Like the snowkes on his shoulders, her heart melted along with it. Through the curtain of falling snow, Ji Yunshu shouted at Wei Yi, ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll go find Big Sister for you.¡± When he heard it, Wei Yi¡¯s face slowly blossomed like a flower. He hurriedly followed behind Ji Yunshu. She lead him into a warm room inside West Side courtyard. It was the first time she¡¯d brought a man into her house. Fortunately, Wei Yi was different from other people! Wei Yi stood in the middle of the reception hall. Then, he turned around several times, observing the decorations inside the room, feeling like everything was quite novel. ¡°Big Brother! Your house is really nice, and it smells good!¡± ¡°Hurry and sit down. Acting like this when going to other people¡¯s houses is very impolite.¡± ¡°Oh!.¡± He shut his mouth and obediently sat down. His eyes no longer looked around in excitement. Right at that moment, Luan¡¯er came in with a bucket of coal. When she saw a man sitting in the reception hall, she was extremely scared, but then she saw her young miss beside him, so she didn¡¯t scream. In small strides, she scampered next to her miss and whispered, ¡°Miss, who is he?¡± ¡°Wei Yi.¡± ¡°The Wei family¡¯s idiot?¡± Luan¡¯er gaped. Ji Yunshu flicked Luan¡¯er¡¯s forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t be rude. Look after him properly. I¡¯m going to go change my clothes.¡± Luan¡¯er rubbed her painful forehead while nodding obediently. Ji Yunshu put her sandalwood box on the table and left to change her clothes. It only took her a moment. She¡¯d gotten quite used to switching between clothes of the other gender. When she came out, Wei Yi downed a hot cup of tea like he was drinking water. ¡®Won¡¯t his mouth burn? Maybe he was freezing from standing outside.¡¯ Just then, Wei Yi noticed Ji Yunshu¡¯s arrival. He put down the cup of tea, and stood up in one motion, an extremely radiant smile on his face. ¡°Big Sister, you came?!¡± He eximed. ¡°Hmmm¡­ I came.¡± ¡®In fact, I was always here!¡¯ Wei Yi looked behind her and scratched his head. ¡°Where¡¯s Big Brother?¡± Ji Yunshu sat down next to him and poured herself a cup of tea while carelessly replying to him. ¡°Your big brother left.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Wei Yi obediently sat down. Then, he openly stared at Ji Yunshu while his body coiled back. He took the initiative to speak. ¡°Big Sister, do you know why I came here?¡± ¡°I know. You came to deliver the handkerchief.¡± After she spoke, Wei Yi was amazed. He still hadn¡¯t said anything, so how did big sister know? ¡®Foolish child, your big brother told her!¡¯ Chapter 41: Tofu Pudding Chapter 41: Tofu Pudding Wei Yi was pleasantly surprised to learn that ¡°Big Brother¡± had informed ¡°Big Sister¡±, but he still felt a bit at a loss. Now he was like a deted balloon. Ji Yunshu indifferently sipped her tea while looking at him with her narrowed eyes. ¡°Wei Yi, I don¡¯t want that handkerchief. When your body is warm, Luan¡¯er will send you out.¡± That wouldn¡¯t do. He had taken a long, long time to wash this handkerchief. He put the little box on the table, and then very carefully, he poked the box with his index finger until it slowly arrived in front of Ji Yunshu. ¡°Big Sister, it¡¯s not dirty anymore. It¡¯s very clean. I washed off all the mud on it. It¡¯s true. Look, look!¡± His enthusiasm was enough to make people feel bad. Ji Yunshu caved in and opened the box. Then, she deliberately showed a pleasantly surprised expression. ¡°It¡¯s so clean.¡± ¡°I washed it for a very long time. Do you like it?¡± ¡°Yes, I like it.¡± ¡°Do you like the flowers on it?¡± ¡°Yes, I like it!¡± She had no choice but to nod and smile at him. Wei Yi became very excited and stared foolishly at her smile. Her teeth were neatly aligned and as white as silver pearls. Ji Yunshu closed the lid, pushed the little box to the side, and asked him, ¡°Are you warm yet?¡± He shook his head. ¡°My legs are still cold.¡± ¡®I hope it¡¯s not because he wants to continue sitting here that he won¡¯t leave..¡¯ Ji Yunshu studied him. He obviously had cool eyes, but they kept jumping around, giving off a warm feeling. Her woman¡¯s intuition told her that he was looking at her! Suddenly, an evil idea surfaced in her mind. She pulled her sandalwood box near her, neatly cing it between them. Then, she stroked the word ¡°case¡±1 on it. She wore an unfathomable expression as she asked him, ¡°Wei Yi, do you know what¡¯s in my box?¡± ¡°I want to know!¡± His voice resonated quite clearly. She smiled inwardly and opened the box. Inside, there were eight sharp knives with des that glinted with a silver hue, piercing one¡¯s eyes. Wei Yi¡¯s hair almost stood on its end. Since he was a child, he was properly protected, not to mention he was the only son. Thus, never had he received even the slightest injury at home, and he was kept away from sharp objects at all times. Right now, seeing these many knives at once greatly frightened him! His whole body nearly copsed; he breathed heavily, yet he didn¡¯t dare to show how startled he was! ¡®Very good!¡¯ That was the reaction she wanted from him. After a moment, it seemed like she was shopping at the market as she picked up objects from inside her box. She took out a knife with a broad de. Her fingers stroked it. Then, she twirled the knife twice. ¡°Do you know what this knife is used for?¡± He shook his head. ¡°This kind of knife with a broad de and t shape is used to chop off the neck. Once it hacks it off, the skin and flesh will be split opened cleanly. It¡¯s very efficient!¡± Next, she picked a hook-shaped knife. ¡°Do you know what this knife is used for?¡± Once again, he shook his head. ¡°This one is used for disemboweling. You slice it across the abdomen and it will easily rip open the skin like paper. Then you can clearly see all the guts inside. Therefore, it¡¯s very convenient to use this knife in that situation.¡± Immediately afterwards, she picked up a knife with the shape of a bamboo leaf. ¡°How about this one?¡± Like before, Wei Yi shook his head. ¡°This knife is used to open the head. Because the inside of the skull is very fragile, you can neither use a big knife nor can you use a knife that¡¯s too sharp. Therefore, you can only use this knife. When you open the skull with it, you can see the brain nestled inside. But there¡¯s a lot to learn about the brain. Especially how piping hot it is when you touch it, or how its texture is quite simr to tofu pudding.¡± Thump! A chair fell to the floor following the words ¡°tofu pudding¡±. The sound resounded loudly in the room. Wei Yi was now sitting on the floor. He was scared to the point that hisplexion had gonepletely white. His wide eyes stared at Ji Yunshu in fear. His cheeks were cramped and his eyebrows were scrunched together in abject terror! His hands supported him from fallingpletely, and he kept shaking like a leaf! ¡®Who told you to fancy me! You deserve it!¡¯ Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t n on stopping there. She rummaged inside of her box and took out a particrly pointy knife. Subsequently, she held it near her eyelids and revealed a sinister expression. Then, she leaned toward Wei Yi who was on the floor. ¡°Don¡¯t! Don¡¯t kill me! Don¡¯t kill me!¡± He used his legs to push himself back, frantically scrambling away. ¡°Wei Yi, do you want to know what this pointy knife is used for?¡± Ji Yunshu faintly hooked her lips and spoke in a creepy tone. Wei Yi shook his head like his life was at stake. ¡°I don¡¯t want to know. Don¡¯t kill me! Don¡¯t kill me!¡± Ji Yunshu approached him slowly, like a predator staring down prey. Wei Yi retreated until his back hit the pir. Unable to back up anymore, he used the pir to struggle to his feet. Then, as if he¡¯d gone mad, he bolted. ¡°Save me!¡± His scream was deafening, gradually dying out into the distance. Ji Yunshu had her hand raised and was still holding the pointy knife. As she watched him disappear into the distance, sheheughed. Sheughed andughed until her belly hurt. Then, she instructed Luan¡¯er. ¡°Hurry and follow him. Send him back to the Wei Mansion before he falls into the pond in his panic.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± In fact, Luan¡¯er was also on the verge of vomiting as she listened to her miss¡¯ description. It was only with great difficulty that she had held herself back. Thus, she scrambled outside quickly and chased after Wei Yi. Finally, she¡¯d sent away that troublesome fool. When she was doneughing, she swiftly tidied up the knives on the table. She put them back one by one in the box, but then the back of her hand bumped onto Wei Yi¡¯s small box. She became displeased as she looked down at it. She opened the box and looked at the handkerchief neatly folded inside, with several red and yellow flower petals sprinkled on top. It was quite beautiful. She couldn¡¯t deny that she also liked these kind of things. She took out the handkerchief and examined it. The handkerchief was really well washed, and it even emitted a faint fragrance of Chinese honey locust. That foolish guy really had washed it for a long time? Surprisingly, he even went as far as to put it in such a pretty box and added flower petals on top of it. ¡®How romantic!¡¯ Ji Yunshu smiled, and for a brief moment, warmth showed in her eyes. After she put things in order, she sank into contemtion. She propped her cheeks with her hands and pondered for a long time. Suyun¡¯s words kept resonating in her ears. ¡°If a person wasn¡¯t killed with poison and the body doesn¡¯t show any signs of injury, then how did that person die?¡± Ji Yunshu continued to mutter as her mind endlessly theorized. But she couldn¡¯t find a clear lead anywhere. If she could thoroughly unravel this puzzle, then the case would be solved! When Luan¡¯er returned after sending Wei Yi to his home, two hours had already passed. As soon as she entered the room, she saw her young miss still sitting there with a frown. She approached her and said in a small voice, ¡°Miss, this servant has returned after sending back Young Master Wei.¡± It seemed like Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t hear her. ¡°Miss?¡± Luan¡¯er received no reply as Ji Yunshu fully concentrated on solving the matter at hand. Luan¡¯er stared at her miss nkly. Earlier when her miss was ying around with Young Master Wei, her mood was quite good, but why did she be like this upon her return? Luan¡¯er scratched her head, not understanding what was going on. Ji Yunshu suddenly stretched her arm and grabbed the teapot. She proceeded to pour herself a cup of tea while muttering, ¡°In the end, what could kill someone without leaving any injuries?¡± Her words entered Luan¡¯er¡¯s ears, and like a student eager to answer the teacher, she shouted, ¡°A quilt and a pillow!¡± ng! Crash! The teapot in Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand slipped free and fell onto the table. The lid crashed to the floor and broke into pieces! She abruptly turned around and looked at Luan¡¯er. She leaped and grabbed her maidservant¡¯s arm. She pressed her for an answer. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Luan¡¯er trembled in shock. Her arm was grabbed, forcing her shoulder to be raised unnaturally. She replied in a small voice, ¡°T-this servant s-said¡­ a quilt and a pillow.¡± Chapter 42: Get Lost! Chapter 42: Get Lost! A quilt and a pillow! The revtion left Ji Yunshu feeling marvelous, as if the clouds shrouding her mind were finally dispersing. The victim¡¯s body didn¡¯t show any injuries, so something soft must have been used as the murder weapon. She should have thought of it earlier! Luan¡¯er had a more rxed expression. Underneath her low eyebrows, her spirited eyes seemed to be covered withyers of fog that clouded her thoughts. ¡°Miss, are you alright? Could it be that I said something wrong?¡± Luan¡¯er asked. ¡°You didn¡¯t say anything wrong. Rather, you reminded me.¡± ¡°I reminded you?¡± Ji Yunshu nodded. She returned to ponder over it and continued mumbling. ¡°If a person died a natural death, their flesh would turn rigid after two or three days. The same phenomena would happen to poison victims. However¡­¡± She was hit by a sudden realization! ¡®I understand! It was so obvious. Everything was all linked together!¡¯ She pped her hands and eximed happily, ¡°As expected, the Heavens are still fair. The hand of justice is all-epassing; the guilty shall not escape. They can¡¯t escape from their fate!¡± Not waiting for Luan¡¯er to react, Ji Yunshu quickly strode out. She nned to go to the yamen to reverse the verdict. But after several steps, she remembered that she still hadn¡¯t changed into male clothing. Changing clothes several times a day was incredibly annoying! If she was in the modern times at this moment, she really wanted to travel to Thand! She was about to return to her room when a small cuju ball1 rolled to her feet. ¡°Don¡¯t touch my ball!¡± A high-pitched yell sounded out. ¡®Fine, fine, fine. Your ball is your ball; just get lost with your ball!¡¯ Ji Yunshu kicked the ball back, and the cuju ball tumbled through the air until itnded next to a decorative flower patch. Lingzhi scuttled over just in time to see her cuju ball kicked away. She ferociously red at Ji Yunshu before she went to pick it up from the ground. She swung toward Ji Yunshu while pointing at her. ¡°Why did you kick my ball? This is something Third Brother gave to me. If you break it, how are you going topensate me?¡± Ji Yunshu frowned. ¡°That thing went into my courtyard. Don¡¯t tell me I can¡¯t kick that thing a bit when itnded in my courtyard?!¡± ¡®Little one, do you believe that I can also kick you out if you argue with me again?¡¯ Ji Lingzhi¡¯s temper was set off by her sister¡¯s response. She ruthlessly shouted, ¡°Disgusting and shameless! This is obviously something Third Brother gave me. When did it be yours?¡± So small and yet full of spirit, but that ruthless personality totally didn¡¯t match her age. ¡®How extremely unsightly!¡¯ ¡°I don¡¯t feel like arguing with you. Hurry up, take your ball and go.¡± ¡®Hurry up and get out!¡¯ She turned away and walked to her house. She needed to hurry to the yamen to reverse the verdict first. But how could Ji Lingzhi, the picture of childish stubborness, easily let this matter slide. Her small body directly blocked Ji Yunshu¡¯s path. She lifted her head and revealed a vengeful expression. ¡°Earlier, you kicked my ball. I want you to apologize to me.¡± ¡°Get out of the way. I have no time for your nonsense.¡± ¡°Apologize to me, and I¡¯ll let you go.¡± Ji Yunshu simply tried to nudge her out of the way. But, she¡¯d held back her strength for fear of hurting her half-sister. But Ji Lingzhi¡¯s unmoving frame caused her to stumble, and with the slippery snow under her feet, she overbnced. She braced herself for the impact, but unexpectedly, someone held her waist and shoulder. Her body was on the verge of falling once again, but the support was firmly preventing that. ¡°Are you alright, Yunshu?¡± A voice that seemed as clear as a spring rang in Ji Yunshu¡¯s ears. It was Ji Wanxin¡¯s ever so pleasant voice. Ji Yunshu waited until both of her legs were stable again before ncing sideways at Ji Wanxin¡¯s delicate face. It was very close to her. That woman seemed like a polished sculpture. Several times, Ji Yunshu really wanted to peel off her skin and find out what was going on underneath. At this moment, when Luan¡¯er heard themotioning from outside, she peeked out for a look and became rmed. She¡¯d witnessed her young miss, who was about to fall, being helped by Ji Wanxin. She dashed to her miss¡¯ side to support her. ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± Ji Yunshu shook her head. ¡°Second Sister, why did you protect her? This bastard should just fall and die.¡± Ji Lingzhiined upon seeing Ji Wanxin helping Ji Yunshu. Ji Wanxin¡¯s slender and jade-like fingers released Ji Yunshu¡¯s shoulder. She disyed a nondescript countenance as she walked toward Lingzhi. Ji Lingzhi believed that her second big sister loved her the most and thought that Ji Wanxin wanted to stroke her head andfort her. But how could she have guessed that reality was far from her imagination. p! The p hung in the air. The hand had fallen firmly on Lingzhi¡¯s tender face. ¡°Who taught you this kind of misbehavior? Yunshu is your big sister and your elder. How can you speak to her like that? Didn¡¯t the teacher at school teach you that you can¡¯t treat people in such a rude way?¡± The rebuke and the p had followed one after another! The good-tempered Ji Wanxin could unexpectedly show such a severe and fierce face, scaring everyone present. Ji Lingzhi covered her burning cheek, staring at her second sister in utter shock. Ever since she could remember, her second sister loved her the most and would never hit or scold her. But today, had she eaten the wrong medicine? ¡°Second Sister? Why did you hit me?¡± She didn¡¯t understand; and thus, she grew enraged. Ji Wanxin held her hands in front of her abdomen and returned to her usual appearance. ¡°You have been pampered and spoiled since you were small. Your temper is bing more and more unruly and wicked. Your birth mother died giving birth to you, and dad also didn¡¯t teach you. As for grandmother, she wasn¡¯t concerned about you. We send you to school, but now you refuse to go. Instead, you followed Third Brother all day long, causing trouble everywhere and only learning a bunch of evil tricks!¡± Wow! The wordsing out from the normally serene Ji Wanxin were like strikes of lightning hitting Ji Yunshu. Why hadn¡¯t she discovered that she had such an eloquent, well-rounded, and talented older sister! Lingzhi¡¯s anger was now causing her small body to shake. She absolutely couldn¡¯t ept it. The more her anger grew, the bigger the pout on her face became, which altogether made her expression the more intense. She walked around Ji Wanxin and murderously looked at Ji Yunshu. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! I am going to kill you!¡± The words had yet to echo before she lunged for Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu quickly evaded while pulling Luan¡¯er away, and Ji Lingzhi ended up with an armful of air. Because the gstones were now covered in snow, and the fact that Ji Lingzhi was wearing smooth t purple embroidered shoes, she couldn¡¯t stop herself in time as her body skidded out of control. Unexpectedly, she ended up crashing into a porcin flower vase. Crash! The porcin flower vase shattered on the ground, and Ji Lingzhi tumbled on top of it. ¡°Lingzhi!¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s kindness surfaced, and she rushed forward to help Lingzhi up. Behind Ji Yunshu, Ji Wanxin was scared frozen! Because of the broken porcin, Ji Lingzhi¡¯s two hands were now bleeding, dripping onto the ground. As Ji Lingzhi let out a resounding cry, she didn¡¯t forget to push Ji Yunshu away. ¡°I loathe you. I hate you. I forbid you from touching me. My hand¡­¡± ¡°Luan¡¯er.¡± Ji Yunshu anxiously shouted. ¡°Quickly take the fourth miss into the house for medicine.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss!¡± Luan¡¯er stepped forward, but Ji Lingzhi kicked her without holding back,nding her kick right on Luan¡¯er tibia. ¡°Get lost!¡± So much strength from such a small person! Unflinching, Ji Yunshu solemnly warned her, ¡°If you want your hand to be impaired forever, then go ahead, continue¡­¡± She didn¡¯t care about anything else as she cried or shouted. ¡°I¡¯ll tell father! I¡¯ll tell him that you bullied me. I will make father kill you! I hate you all!¡± When she was done, she spread her bloody hands for all to see and ran out of the courtyard wailing. ¡®Hey! You don¡¯t want your cuju ball back?¡¯ 1. Cuju is the equivalent of ser/football in ancient China Chapter 43: Ji Yunshu, Accused! Chapter 43: Ji Yunshu, used! The incident happened far too abruptly and left Ji Yunshu no time to prepare for it. The quarters that Luan¡¯er and herself inhabited were usually so quiet that no one would¡¯ve noticed even if they had died. But today was an unusual day, since not only did Ji Lingzhi choose to show up, Ji Wanxin also happened to be here as well. Ji Yunshi stared at Ji Lingzhi¡¯s back as she ran away, knowing that serious trouble would soon ensue if she allowed her to tell everyone about what had happened. Ji Wanxin, with a habitual frown on her face, approached her timidly. She was worried about Ji Lingzhi¡¯s wounds, but also cared for Ji Yunshu. ¡°Yunshu, there¡¯s no need for you to worry about Lingzhi or to run after her, just leave it to me and focus on what you have to do.¡± ¡°Thank you, sister,¡± said Ji Yunshu. ¡°We¡¯re family, aren¡¯t we?¡± answered Ji Wanxin with a sincere look. Ji Yunshu nodded and said, ¡°The Ji Mansion may be big, but you are the only one who thinks of me as family.¡± Her voice revealed a mixture of feelings: bitterness, happiness and even fear. Ji Wanxin gave a gentle tap to Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I know that you¡¯ve gone through a lot here since you were born and it¡¯s natural for you to be resentful. After all, not everyone could have endured what you endured. I¡¯m actually quite envious of your resilience and strength.¡± Ji Yunshu smiled but did not reply. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you and go keep an eye on Lingzhi. What she says could cause a lot of trouble if she gets her way, I¡¯ll try to keep it off your back for the moment!¡± said Ji Wanxin. ¡°Thanks,¡± Ji Yunshu nodded at her. Ji Wanxi walked away with delicate steps, and a few coughs were audible even after she had be a silhouette in the distance. ¡°What a shame, such a gentle soul, but gued by disease,¡± thought Ji Yunshu. At that moment, Luan¡¯er bit her lips and said, ¡°Miss, has the fourth miss gone to inform master and the old madame?¡± ¡®Of course she has.¡¯ Ji Yunshu inwardly replied. But this was the least of Ji Yunshu¡¯s worries right now. She went back into her room, changed into her masculine outfit and quickly left for the yamen. When she arrived, the two runners standing outside the yamen greeted her with arge smile. ¡°Teacher Ji, what a pleasant surprise!¡± It was as if she was taking a casual walk into the yamen. Ji Yunshu did not even raise her eyes to look at them. As she moved, her blue robe flew behind her, and therge sleeves fluttered back and forth to the rhythm of the cold winter wind. The light frown on her face conveyed seriousness without being said, and her visage as a whole was enigmatic without being devoid of charisma, epitomizing her beauty and elegance. Bright you were in your sweetheart¡¯s eyes. Your beauty never eroding, From each journey¡¯s wear, Or the passing skies¡­ These lines of poem would indeed be a perfect fit for her! The two runners looked at each other and thought, ¡°How weird, Teacher Ji isn¡¯t his usual self¡­¡± To their surprise, Ji Yunshu walked past them, straight to therge drum at the entrance of the yamen1, took the drumstick and struck the drum vigorously. Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! The two runners were still numb with shock as the seventh andst strike of the drum echoed through the yamen. Ji Yunshu put the drumstick back to where it was, looked at the two, and said seriously, ¡°The drum has been struck, is no one going to advise lord Liu?¡± One runner finally gained enoughposure to answer as he hesitantly moved back, ¡°Yes, yes, yes,¡± and ran towards the inner part of the yamen. Ji Yunshu followed him into the yamen. Magistrate Liu was seated under a small pavilion which was erected in the courtyard, sipping his tea slowly. Everything should¡¯ve hinted at a rxing atmosphere and the enjoyment of a good time, but instead, he looked nervous, with an ingratiating smile hanging on his lips and trembling hands which just didn¡¯t seem to be settling down. The source of this anxiety was Jing Rong, who was seated in front of him. Jing Rong had a ratherical posture as he tried to drink his tea while a sling hung from his neck, keeping his injured arm in ce. Jing Rong had arrived two hours ago under the pretext that he wanted to have tea with the magistrate and discuss a few things. ¡°What is wrong with him? Why is he telling me tales of his adventures over the past year? An old monk who went back to secr life? A fight between a dog and a pig? A woman sentenced to live with pigs because of infidelity? Pfffft, I¡¯ve seen much more than that! I¡¯ve seen flowers blossom out of a rock and blood gush out of trees!¡± The magistrate was almost at his wit¡¯s end. Ultimately, he did not even dare miss a single wording out of Jing Rong¡¯s mouth. He listened carefully, but his attention waned as drowsiness assaulted his mind time and time again. ¡°Milord¡­!¡± yelled a runner as he broke into the courtyard. ¡°My savior!¡± thought the magistrate; he was looking forward to go preside over a case instead of being verbally tortured by Jing Rong. The runner panted as he approached, and said, ¡°Milord, Ji, Ji¡­¡± ¡°What chicken2 ?¡± ¡°Not a chicken,¡± answered the runner with a gesture. ¡°It¡¯s Teacher Ji, he3 struck the drum!¡± Seven strokes signified a case of utmost importance. The magistrate stood up in shock and stared at the runner, ¡°What? Teacher Ji is striking the drum? Why?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know sir, he says that there¡¯s something urgent that requires you to open thew court.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± the magistrate looked at Jing Rong and awaited his permission. Jing Rong¡¯s striking eyes and brows contorted into a frown, and he sped the cup he held tighter between his fingers. ¡°That guy is finally here¡­ He left me to sleep in such a deste cest night, and didn¡¯t even bother to stay to exin things to me in person. Is he that eager to get away from me?¡± thought Jing Rong. He nodded and said, ¡°Go, I¡¯ll be behind you. Don¡¯t tell him I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Of-of course, your highness,¡± answered the magistrate promptly. Liu Qingping left for the main hall at a run while lifting the corners of his robe with his hands. Ji Yunshu stood in the main hall as she waited for the magistrate to take his high seat. Magistrate Liu sat down, and habitually reached for his gavel to strike the table and call for order. He paused as he was about to reach the gavel and remembered that it was Ji Yunshu who had struck the drum. ¡°Phew, almost made a stupid mistake,¡± thought the magistrate. He looked at Ji Yunshu and asked in a perplexed voice, ¡°Yunshu? Why are you here? Did someone treat you badly?¡± Ji Yunshu knelt down on the floor and answered, ¡°Milord, your humble servant is here to decry an injustice which has just transpired.¡± Her act surprised everyone: there was no way she needed to kneel, given that she knew just about everyone working at the yamen. In contrast to Ji Yunshu, the magistrate stood up and said hurriedly, ¡°Yunshu,e on, stand up! It¡¯s cold on the floor.¡± Ji Yunshu did not budge and said with a very serious voice, ¡°Milord, your humble servant is here to decry an injustice.¡± ¡°What injustice?¡± asked the magistrate hesitantly. ¡°Your humble servant wants to use someone,¡± said Ji Yunshu. ¡°Who?¡± asked the magistrate. ¡°The person is called Ji Yunshu.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡®What insane thing was she spouting?¡¯ The magistrate rubbed his ears with his fingers, as if he wanted to make sure that he did not hear anything wrong. Jing Rong, who had been hidden in the corridor behind the hall, was also surprised. What was going on exactly? ¡°But it should be interesting. Shame I didn¡¯t bring a snack to the show,¡± thought Jing Rong. The magistrate pointed at Ji Yunshu with his trembling finger, and said, ¡°Can you¡­ repeat what you just said?¡± Ji Yunshu looked at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m here to use the painter of the yamen Jin Yunshu, who was reckless in his deductions, resulting in the wrongful imprisonment of two people.¡± No one in the yamen knew what exactly was going on. Was the case at the Zhou Mansion not closed, and the culprits already behind bars. With a confession, no less? The case report had also been filed and sent to the ministry. It only needed a formal approval. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± thought the magistrate, a question that echoed throughout the minds of everyone in the yamen. Magistrate Liu swallowed some saliva and said, ¡°Yunshu¡­ can we stop ying around?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s ying around?¡± answered Ji Yunshu. 1.It ismon practice for a drum to be made avable at the entrance of a governmental building, especially those involving justice, for citizens to use if they ever wished to see the person in charge. Kind of like a really big, primitive doorbell. ? 2.This is a wordy on the fact that chicken in Chinese ¼¦, is also pronounced Ji. ? 3.Why a footnote for a ¡°he¡±? This part is significant detail in the story and something that couldn¡¯t be tranted into English. From the start, the magistrate knows Yunshu is a woman and possibly some of the runners also knows about it. They used ¡°she¡± when addressing Ji Yunshu, but in Chinese, ¡°she¡± (ta) has the same exact pronunciation as ¡°he¡± (ta). The only difference between them is the written character. So, if no one confirm which ¡°ta¡± they used, everyone would assumed the other person¡¯s gender. Thus, Jing Rong still think Ji Yunshu is a young man while everyone was using ¡°she¡±. Chapter 44: Why Don’t You Take a Guess? Chapter 44: Why Don¡¯t You Take a Guess? Magistrate Liu felt the corner of his mouth twitch at the ridiculousness of the situation, but he didn¡¯t know what exactly to do about it. ¡°But¡­ the culprit has already confessed, and I didn¡¯t even have to question or torture her. Not only did she confess, she even signed the report using her. Who would be dumb enough to confess to a crime they didn¡¯tmit?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because even she wasn¡¯t aware that someone else was the real culprit,¡± said Ji Yunshu. ¡°What? What do you mean by that?¡± asked Magistrate Liu. The thunderous deration was enough to make Magistrate Liu jump out of his seat: he stood up, grabbed his robe and scrambled down the stairs towards Ji Yunshu. As he walked, he grumbled, ¡°Stand up first, I just feel ufortable talking to you when you are kneeling down on the ground like that.¡± ¡°Then you agree to have the case reopened?¡± asked Ji Yunshu as she raised her head. Magistrate Liu answered with a hand gesture, ¡°Well, you need proof. ording to procedure, if you want to reverse the decision on a case which has already been settled, I need irrefutable proof. If you don¡¯t have it, then I can¡¯t reopen the case. You should know that.¡± ¡°Of course I have proof,¡± said Ji Yunshu. ¡°Really?¡± Ji Yunshu stood up, brushed the dust off her robe, and said, ¡°Milord, please bring the old housekeeper from the Zhou Mansion over for questioning.¡± ¡°The old housekeeper? Was there someone like that from the Zhou Mansion?¡± thought magistrate Liu. Frustrated by his slowness, Ji Yunshu red at Magistrate Liu and said, ¡°Milord, would you like your humble servant to go and strike the drum again?¡± ¡°O-of course not. Also, drop that humble servant thing,¡± said the Magistrate Liu, his hand waving her apparent need for drama away. She knew he trusted her more than that. He turned around and said to one of the runners, ¡°Grab a few people and fetch the housekeeper from the Zhou Mansion.¡± ¡°Yes sir,¡± answered a runner. Ji Yunshu stopped him as he ran by her. ¡°What is it, Teacher Ji?¡± asked the runner. Ji Yunshu moved closer to him and whispered into his ears. The runner nodded and left with a few others for the Zhou Mansion. Magistrate Liu was puzzled. He approached Ji Yunshu, frowning, and puckered his lips before asking, ¡°The real culprit is someone else?¡­ What does this have to do with the old housekeeper? Unless.. it¡¯s him?¡± ¡°Would you really like to know, milord?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± answered the magistrate with an expression overflowing with curiosity, as he leaned closer to hear Ji Yunshu, ¡°Tell me, weren¡¯t you the one who caught the two we locked up? They also confessed, and if you want to reverse the verdict, you better exin yourself properly.¡± ¡°Milord, have you ever hear of an old saying?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. ¡°What?¡± asked the magistrate ¡°Curiosity kills the cat.¡± The magistrate could not find a suitable reply in the face of that. At that instant, another pair of eyes, ones as ardent as a me, were fixated upon the two. It was Jing Rong, who was peeking through a little slit from the back of the hall. ¡°What is that guy doing? What could they be saying to each other?¡± thought Jing Rong as he tried his best to make out what was happening. His ear was almost glued to the door, but his injured arm had be an obstacle that prevented him from getting closer. ¡°Liu Qingping, you¡¯re quite the daring one, aren¡¯t you?! You dare to lean this close to my schr,¡± Unbeknownst to him, a hint of frustration and annoyance had started to color his tone. After a little while, around the time to brew a cup of tea, the runners came back with the old housekeeper. Thetter had his hands behind his back, and his back was as hunched as always. His body was so limp and devoid of force that as he was dragged into the hall by the runners, it looked like he was about to fall forward. The housekeeper was brought to the middle of the court hall where he knelt down without resisting. The only thing which stood out was the scar which made his face look rather terrifying. As usual, he lowered his head and stared at the ground. Lord Zhou and Madame Zhou followed him into the hall. After all, the old housekeeper had been working at the Zhou Mansion for many years already, and there was no way that the owners of the ce would not be made aware that he had been dragged to the yamen by the runners. Magistrate Liu hurried back to his seat, since everyone had finally arrived. Bam! The gavel mmed down onto the table. Down from the tform where the magistrate sat, the housekeeper knelt on the ground, whilst Ji Yunshu, Lord Zhou and Madame Zhou stood beside him. ¡°Ji Yunshu, you¡¯ve struck the drum to decry an injustice. Tell me, what¡¯s this all about?¡± asked the magistrate. Ji Yunshu joined both of her hands in a respectful gesture and answered, ¡°Milord, I have wronged you for the murder of the daughter of Lord Zhou. The real culprit happens to be someone else. I request that you consider reopening the case.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m listening to you. Speak, and I will listen. If the real culprit is indeed someone else, I¡¯ll reopen the case,¡± said the magistrate. Upon hearing that the culprit might be someone else, Lord Zhou and Madame Zhou trembled. ¡°Milord, what¡¯s happening exactly? Isn¡¯t Suyun the culprit?¡± asked Lord Zhou. ¡°This¡­ please wait for Yunshu¡¯s exnation. I¡­ I also don¡¯t know much about the details¡­¡± answered Magistrate Liu. Both of them looked at Ji Yunshu for an answer. Ji Yunshu trotted slowly around the hall. She lowered her eyes to look at the housekeeper and asked in a dispassionate voice, ¡°Old mister, do you know why you were brought here?¡± Silence answered her. Ji Yunshu had a smile that looked a bit sinister and said, ¡°Old mister, do you know that the prisons here are cold, humid and infested with rodents? With your current health condition, it would be terribly unfortunate if you¡¯d have to spend some time in there, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± She was answered by silence once again. Everyone else was baffled: why was she talking about prison conditions? Jing Rong, who was also as curious as ever, moved his chair a little more forward, despite being already practically stuck against the wall. After moving left and right for a bit, he realized that no matter what he did, the silhouette of the Magistrate, who was slightly overweight, would always obstruct his view. So he snuck out of the back of the hall, and hid in a corner to the side. ¡°Finally, what a great view, perfect for the show,¡± thought Jing Rong. Ji Yunshu, who was still pacing around the old housekeeper, did not see Jing Rong. She went behind the housekeeper and her lips curled upwards once again, ¡°You can stay silent all you want, but the truth will be unveiled by the evidence you carry on you. How about you confess¡­ that you murdered the young miss?¡± ¡°What!?¡± That was but the first of many surprises for everyone present. It was indeed a show not to be missed. The old housekeeper, who was still kneeling on the ground, quivered when he heard those usatory words, and sped the corners of his robe tightly with both of his hands. For Ji Yunshu, that little movement was an obvious hint of culpability. The first person to react to her usation was Madame Zhou. Her feeble voice matched her eyes that were swollen from fatigue, ¡°That¡¯s impossible! Ah Jing would never do something like that! He watched my daughter grow up.¡± There was a lot of conviction in her voice. Lord Zhou agreed with his wife, ¡°The culprit has already been found. Teacher, how can you say that the culprit is Ah Jing now? You must have made a mistake.¡± ¡°Lord Zhou, Madame Zhou. Unfortunately, I made a mistake while solving the case. The punishment for that mistake is something else to be discussed, but now, it is my responsibility to find the real culprit,¡± said Ji Yunshu. ¡°But¡­¡± said lord Zhou. Ji Yunshu went back to the old housekeeper. This time, she osted him in a very sharp tone, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. Did you murder the young miss? Why did you murder her?¡± It was a simple question, but the anger was audible in Ji Yunshu¡¯s voice. The flurry of questions prompted the old housekeeper to raise his head and look at Ji Yunshu. His visage was still ruined by the horrible scar, but his expression was strangely gentle. He chuckled and answered, ¡°Teacher, you¡¯re smart, and you should know the answer already. Why don¡¯t you take a guess?¡± ¡°Huh?!¡± Ji Yunshu was surprised: there was no fear in the housekeeper¡¯s answer, but rather relief. The housekeeper¡¯s answer was enough to make one fact clear as day for everyone present. He did murder the young miss! Chapter 45: The Truth Unveiled Chapter 45: The Truth Unveiled The ones who reacted the most fiercely to the housekeeper¡¯s confession were not Lord Zhou and Madame Zhou, but rather Magistrate Liu, who seemed appalled by such a development. The magistrate grabbed his gavel, pointed it at the housekeeper and said in an indignant voice, ¡°You, the young miss didn¡¯t do you any wrong! Why did you murder her? Why? Speak at once!¡± The magistrate sounded almost excited. ¡®Wait a second, he didn¡¯t even exin whether he had a grudge against the young miss. Why are you getting so excited?¡¯ Seeing that the housekeeper did not answer his question, the magistrate added, ¡°If you don¡¯t confess, I¡¯ll sentence you to 50 hits of canes first, and then we¡¯ll see if you can still hold your mouth still like that. Confess now and I¡¯ll spare you the pain.¡± Ji Yunshu couldn¡¯t bear to see this farce continue any longer and raised her hand. When he caught her eye, she pointed down in a sharp gesture. ¡®Sit down, will you?¡¯ The message seemed to have reached the magistrate, and, although he seemed terribly embarrassed, he followed Ji Yunshu¡¯s order and sat down with a grumpy look. The next toe to their senses were Lord Zhou and Madame Zhou, who werepletely stumped. ¡°You murdered my daughter? Ah Jing, is that true? But why did you do that? Why?¡± asked Madame Zhou. Madame Zhou was not nearly as agitated as when she¡¯d learned that Suyun was the murderer. But, if one looked hard enough for it, the pain and hate stemming from her despair were obvious in her eyes. ¡®This was definitely not normal. Her reaction is too unusual.¡¯ As for Lord Zhou, surprisingly, he merely sighed, and nothing more came out of him! Ji Yunshu was bemused by the way things had unfolded. She felt like something was amiss from their reactions, but could not tell what it was exactly. The old housekeeper ignored Madame Zhou¡¯s question and looked at Ji Yunshu once again, heughed and said, ¡°Teacher, didn¡¯t you say that the evidence will speak for itself? If you think that you already know the answer, why do you keep interrogating me?¡± ¡°Are you testing me?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you figured out it was me. It was the perfect murder; there was no way you could have found out about it.¡± ¡®How confident!¡¯ ¡°Perfect?¡± This time, it was Ji Yunshu whoughed. She stood straight and looked at the scar that ran through the face of the housekeeper. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, that scar of yours, it was the young miss who did it?¡± said Ji Yunshu without any circumlocution. The housekeeper was not startled either, ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°You told me to guess, so I took a guess. Based on your answer, it seems that I¡¯m right, am I not?¡± The housekeeper stayed silent, but he was visibly puzzled. Ji Yunshu cracked a smile and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to ask me how I figured out how you were the culprit based on that alone?¡± As she finished speaking, she brought out a pile of folded yellow paper from her pocket. As she unfolded the paper, a thin piece of white wax, which was stuck to the paper, appeared in front of everyone. ¡°Is it poison? Don¡¯t tell me that little one¡¯s going to use poison in such a public ce?¡± Jing Rong felt a nerve on his face twitch. Ji Yunshu brought the folded paper right to the housekeeper¡¯s face and asked, ¡°Do you recognize this?¡± The housekeeper seemed perplexed: clearly, he did not recognize what it was. Ji Yunshu brought the paper back in front of her, and started her long exnation: ¡°What I am holding is a piece of wax that fell off from the old mister¡¯s clothing¡± As funny as it seemed, the housekeeper was still wearing the same set of clothes without knowing that the wax was stuck to it. This was only natural, since in ancient times, people only changed their clothes once per month. By the time the housekeeper realized what was going on and nced at his sleeves, it was already toote. Ji Yunshu continued, ¡°Normally, wax oil would only possess the smell of nt resin. But this piece of wax, it smells like lotus flowers. That¡¯s something you wouldn¡¯t even find in the imperial pce. Coincidentally, lotus flower extract happens to be used in the Zhou Mansion. As she finished her sentence, she threw a look at the runner next to her. He nodded and gave Ji Yunshu an object wrapped in white cloth. Ji Yunshu unwrapped the cloth, and what appeared was a crystal chandelier, the exact one found in the young miss¡¯ room. For everyone present, the chandelier did not help at all in exining the situation. Magistrate Liu was no exception; he pointed at the chandelier curiously and said, ¡°What does this have to do with the young miss¡¯ death?¡± ¡°Oh, it is very relevant to her death,¡± answered Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu took the table chandelier, turned around to face the housekeeper, and exined everything with a frown. ¡°Let me guess. That night, the young miss, as usual, lit the chandelier just as she was about to drink her medicine and go to sleep. She was about to drink the poisoned soup when you appeared in her quarters. She was very unhappy about that; she didn¡¯t allow anyone to disturb her at that time and everyone knew about it, including Suyun and Qiaoxin. She lost herposure since you broke her routine, and as someone who has a severe case of obsessivepulsive disorder, she fell into a passionate rage and dropped her usual generous young miss¡¯ appearance.¡± ¡°So, in her anger, she must have insulted and hit you. As she did so, you remembered that it was her who¡¯d scarred you many years ago, and you couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. You took her pillow and choked her to death.¡± Once again, the effect of the surprise caused by the revtion was audible. Ji Yunshu continued, ¡°While you choked her, you identally knocked over the chandelier, and in doing so, it burned your sleeve, creating a dark spot. As the chandelier fell to the ground, the liquid wax sshed onto your clothing. What¡¯s more, you didn¡¯t expect the bowl of medicine to be spilled over onto the ground as the young miss struggled for her life. Some of the poisonous concoction got into her mouth, and some sshed onto your sleeve exactly where the piece of wax was. Therefore, the piece of wax not only contains the smell of lotus flowers, but also has the smell of Roxburg rose flowers from the soup.¡± ¡°After the deed, you put the chandelier back to where it was originally and cleaned the room. As you were cleaning up, you saw Suyun sneak into the room. So, you panicked and fled the scene before you could dispose of the cadaver properly. To your surprise, not only did Suyun not tell anyone about the corpse, but she actually put it onto the bed and started cleaning up the scene for you. You were shocked, but relieved that someone helped you finish what you started¡± ¡°So, that was convenient for you. You could continue to be a good housekeeper while Suyun would be a scapegoat for your crime.¡± Theplexity of the case surprised everyone, once again. Above all, the fact that a single drop of oil wax became the key to elucidating the entire case seemed surreal. Was the morale of the story to bathe and change clothes everyday if one wanted to murder someone? The housekeeper looked as calm and docile as ever, but now, his darkest secret was fully exposed. But he still looked fearless. Ji Yunshu asked again, ¡°Now, do you admit it, or not?¡± ¡°Teacher¡­ what extraordinary intelligence!¡± ¡®Yes, he did confess.¡¯ The housekeeper finally raised his head and stared directly into Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes. The flesh around his scar, which was dark red in color, looked like it was dipped in blood. At that moment¡­ ¡°Milord! A disaster! The prisoner¡­ the prisoner died!¡± a jailor yelled in a panicked voice as he ran into the hall. Magistrate Liu frowned and asked, ¡°Who?¡± ¡°That prisoner¡­ Suyun from the Zhou Mansion. Shemitted suicide! She cut her wrist with the edge of a te used to hold an oilmp!¡± Oilmp? This was the oilmp Ji Yunshu left her in the hopes that it would warm her up! Chapter 46: Whose Daughter? Chapter 46: Whose Daughter? Suyunmitted suicide! No one had expected this to happen. The yamen runner handed a bloody handkerchief to Ji Yunshu¡­ On that soft and silky handkerchief, a few nted lines of words were written in blood, starkly framed by the red and blue mulberry flowers! Ji Yunshu slightly paused before reaching out to receive the handkerchief. What originally should have been a delicate handwriting now seemed harsh due to the blood tracing out the letters. Three rows of words could be seen clearly: I am willing to use my life to request Lin Duan¡¯s safety! To Teacher Ji Her hands violently shook! Her fingertips brushing against the threads of the embroidered mulberry flowers felt like they were stabbed by countless tiny knives, cutting into her heart! She should have been quicker in solving the case! If only she had been a bit quicker¡­ The feeling of regret was like an onion being peeledyer byyer under her nose, causing her eyes to redden in grief. She looked at the old housekeeper andshed out. ¡°Did you know that you have harmed not only one but two lives?¡± The old steward lowered his brows and eyes, and for the first time revealed a hint of guilt and remorse. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t want to do that.¡± He shook his head. ¡°But you ended up killing someone, hurting someone else in the process.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t my intention. I didn¡¯t think¡­¡± The next moment, he raised his head abruptly. All the former calmness and apathy was gone as he roared at Ji Yunshu. ¡°I killed my own daughter; do you think I¡¯m happy?! If she hadn¡¯t done those things, I wouldn¡¯t have killed her!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it!¡± Two voices had risen one after the other. But to everyone¡¯s surprise, it was the silent Lord Zhou who had interrupted. His shocked and terrified eyes red at the old housekeeper. His face was bright red as he agitatedly stepped forward and pointed at him. ¡°You once promised me that even if you died you would never speak about that to anyone!¡± Wasn¡¯t the Zhou family¡¯s young miss¡¯ father supposed to be Lord Zhou? When did she be the old housekeeper¡¯s daughter? This revtion shocked everyone, including Ji Yunshu. ¡®Truly, what an astonishing secret!¡¯ Jing Rong, who¡¯d silently melded into the background, grinned as he slightly lifted his brilliant eyes. A single hand lightly patted his uplifted knee. He was clearly quite amused. ¡®Hurry up already. This Prince want to hear the whole story.¡¯ Due to Lord Zhou stopping him, the old housekeeper did not continue. However, his body could be seen faintly trembling. Those deep-sunken eyes were filled with tears as he sobbed with regret. The magistrate scratched his head, his face full of confusion on what to do next. So, he simply picked up the gavel once again. Bam! Ji Yunshu secretly rolled her eyes at him. This person¡¯s brain must be malfunctioning. ¡®Why on earth would you m the gavel down at this time?!¡¯ The magistrate cleared his throat before asking. ¡°Speak clearly! What does that matter refer to? Tell me everything in a well-organized manner. I want every single detail included. In court, you must not hide anything or else I will have to introduce you to the paddle.¡± ¡®Introduce your sis!¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. At this moment, Madame Zhou stepped forward with a sigh. ¡°Let me say it.¡± Her voice was so low that it was barely audible. Lord Zhou moved forward to pull her back as he spoke fearfully, ¡°Wife, don¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alreadye to this. What¡¯s there to continue hiding?¡± Her gaze seemed to be calmer than before. Her gaze shifted from the magistrate to the old housekeeper, who was still wracked with sobs, before once againnding on Lord Zhou. Her eyes filled with reminiscence, she recounted, ¡°Twenty years ago, when I married my husband, I never managed to give birth to any children for the Zhou family. No matter how I nursed my body, it was useless. After being diagnosed by many doctors, we learned that it wasn¡¯t because my body couldn¡¯t get pregnant, it was that my husband¡¯s body¡­ wasn¡¯t able to impregnate me. During that period of time, my husband was often worried about this issue. Everyday he would drink himself into a stupor, so I¡­¡± Having spoken to this point, Madame Zhou started choking up as she used her sleeves to wipe her tears. Looking back up, she continued, ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking clearly then, and I came up with the idea of having Ah Jing help me. I just wanted to get pregnant so that my husband would stop worrying. After he learned about it, my husband didn¡¯t me me. Instead, he helped me hide the matter. We all thought that this secret would die with us.¡± Her gazended on the old housekeeper before she continued, ¡°But a few years ago, Ah Jing¡¯s daughter came to the mansion to visit him. Because she identally dirtied Ning¡¯er¡¯s clothing, she was locked up. In the end, she was tortured to death¡­ The scar on Ah Jing¡¯s face was an injury caused by Ning¡¯er while he was trying to rescue his daughter. Although Ahjing grieved over his daughter¡¯s death, Ning¡¯er was also his daughter. So at that time he didn¡¯t report it to the officials or tell anyone. Only my husband and I knew of it.¡± At this very moment, Madame Zhou¡¯s confession had reduced her to a sobbing wreck! Lord Zhou¡¯s face was scrunched up as he reached out to embrace his wife, clearly upset. Ji Yunshu roughly understood what happened. Lord Zhou was sterile! So, Madame Zhou had gotten pregnant with someone else! The old housekeeper had two biological daughters. One daughter was killed by the other, and he¡­ killed the remaining one! ¡®What aplicated story!¡¯ No wonder after knowing that the old housekeeper was the real murderer, Madame Zhou was not upset, and Lord Zhou did not fly into a rage. This case¡¯s conclusion was now clear. But everyone¡¯s hearts were heavier than before. Even Jing Rong who had been watching enthusiastically disyed a more serious expression, his heart feeling a little stifled. The magistrate licked his dry lips. ording to the procedure, he had to ask again, ¡°Housekeeper, due to your daughter¡¯s death at the hands of the young miss Zhou, you had the urge to kill her when she was abusing you that night, is this correct?¡± After a moment¡¯s pause, the old housekeeper curled up his body, deeply burying that ferociously scarred face and hiding away his once gentle eyes, now filled with remorse! Only a single muffled word was heard, ¡°Yes.¡± The magistrate nodded his head, satisfied. He looked at his legal advisor who took the freshly written confession and walked to the old housekeeper. He ced the confession in front of him and pressed the old housekeeper¡¯s thumb on the red wax at the bottom of the paper. The young miss Zhou¡¯s case had finally concluded. But no one could bring themselves to be happy about it, especially Ji Yunshu. While the old housekeeper was brought to prison, Lord Zhou and Madame Zhou hugged their heads and cried their hearts out, heartbroken, as they left! Ji Yunshu remained standing in the courtroom as she stared nkly at the que above the hall. Justice and Fairness! She couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She was still holding that mulberry flower-embroidered handkerchief. She truly hated herself. Hated herself for not resolving the case faster. Had it not been for Ji Lingzhi making trouble, perhaps she could have saved Suyun before the young woman decided to kill herself! She hated herself even more for leaving that oilmp with her. Seeing Ji Yunshu was staring into space for so long, Magistrate Liu raised his hand and waved it. ¡°Disperse, everyone disperse now.¡± The yamen runners, having received their orders, departed. Jing Rong had also left at some point, since his shadow was nowhere to be seen. Chapter 47: This Prince Is Injured! Chapter 47: This Prince Is Injured! The magistrate stepped down from the podium as he lifted his gaze to see what she was looking at. ¡°Justice and fairness!¡± ¡®Is there something wrong with those words?¡¯ He stretched his hand out and waved it in front of Ji Yunshu¡¯s face. There was no response from Ji Yunshu. Herrge eyes remained affixed on that que! The magistrate couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Yunshu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Is there something wrong with those words?¡± The magistrate rubbed his chin as he carefully examined them again before softly muttering, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it!¡± Hearing him muttering, Ji Yunshu stopped looking at the que. She ignored his stare and threw out a curt, ¡°Stop being weird.¡± Magistrate Liu was, once again, rendered speechless. ¡°Since the Zhou Mansion case is over, I¡¯ll write the report.¡± ¡°Sure, sure, no problem.¡± ¡°Then, I shall borrow Your Lordship¡¯s study for a while. I will return after I am done.¡± ¡®That¡¯s strange. Usually, Ji Yunshu would write the reports at home before delivering it to the yamen. Why does she want to write it at the yamen this time?¡¯ Of course, there was no way for the magistrate to have known that due to Ji Lingzhi¡¯s matter, she might not even have the time to sit down at home, let alone write a report if she went back. The only thing that might be waiting for her might be the cold floor. Naturally, Ji Yunshu was toozy to exin any of this. After all, even the best officials couldn¡¯t escape from troublesome private matters! The magistrate brought her to the inner courtyard and into the study. ¡°Milord, you can leave first. I don¡¯t like to be disturbed when writing my report.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s tone was cold. The magistrate smiled and said fawningly, ¡°Of course, of course! The writing materials are all on that desk over there. Go and write it. I won¡¯t bother you.¡± Having said so, he hurriedly exited the room as fast as his feet could take him. ¡®Such a small study but very well stocked.¡¯ The shelves lining the walls were filled with books, so many that they were crammed almost to the point of bursting. In the 5 years since she had been here, this was the first time she had entered the county magistrate¡¯s study. The smell of books was thick, and the arrangement was elegant and well thought out. ¡®Surprisingly even that faking cold but inwardly passionate magistrate had such high end taste.¡¯ ¡®Not bad. Not bad at all.¡¯ Due to her curiosity, she browsed the bookshelves for a bit. ced on top of a bookshelf was a book titled ¡®The Case of Lin Capital¡¯. It immediately piqued her interest. So, she plucked it off the shelf. After flipping through a few pages, she stumbled upon a line of words: The Imperial Duke Case¡¯s Summary. ¡®The Imperial Duke? That name sounds familiar.¡¯ She thought for a minute, but nothing concrete came. Meanwhile outside the study, just as the magistrate backed out from the room, his back hit a sturdy, straight chest. He was about to shout, ¡®Which blind bastard dare to stand in my way!¡¯ when he turned around and met Jing Rong¡¯s sharp gaze. He immediately shrank back like a meek kitten as he stuttered, ¡°Prin-¡± He hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Jing Rong interrupted him with a hushed whisper, ¡°Silence!¡± In his panic, the magistrate hurriedly covered his mouth with his hands, not daring to even exhale heavily. ¡®Liu Qingping, were you enjoying getting close to my schr just now?¡¯ Jing Rong waved his hand as he furrowed his brows. ¡°You are not needed here. Leave. If there¡¯s nothing important, don¡¯te and disturb us.¡± Not daring to make a noise, the magistrate nodded furiously while his hands continued to cover his mouth. He backed away several steps before he turned to flee. Jing Rong shook his head. ¡®Forget it. I¡¯m not such a petty person.¡¯ He strode over the threshold and entered the study in one sweeping motion. The moment he entered, he saw Ji Yunshu reading a book with her back facing him. ¡°Teacher Ji is very hardworking indeed! Having just solved a case, shouldn¡¯t you be resting instead?¡± His drawn out voice came without warning, causing Ji Yunshu to jump in fright, the book in her hand snapping shut. Turning around, she saw Jing Rong¡¯s frivolous appearance, as well as his injured arm, supported by a sling. ¡®What inexplicable joy!¡¯Ji Yunshu sarcastically thought. Then, she spoke, ¡°Why is Your Highness here?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t be here?¡± ¡°Of course you can. It¡¯s just that at this time, shouldn¡¯t Your Highness be recuperating? Or at the very least search for your subordinates¡¯ murderer?¡± As she spoke, Ji Yunshu set the book down. Then, she walked to the study desk and sat down in front of it. A clean piece of paper wasid out on the table already. With one hand, she held her sleeve so that it didn¡¯t get stained, while the other picked up the ink stick by the handle and started to grind ink. Everything would have been good if she hadn¡¯t brought up the matter of his subordinates¡¯ murder. Now that she had, Jing Rong¡¯s happy mood switched to displeasure. Taking a few steps forward, he stood facing Ji Yunshu and spoke, his voice filled with dissatisfaction. ¡°Do you know what kind of ce the memorial hall is?¡± Ji Yunshu chuckled, ¡°Why does Your Highness ask this?¡± ¡°You know why! You abandoned this prince in the memorial hall and left me there for a whole night!¡± His voice was filled withint. Even if he had eaten all sorts of wild food and slept in a damp padauk bed, this was the first time he had spent the night in a memorial hall. Who had ever heard of a prince from any dynasty ever having slept in a memorial hall? Ji Yunshu looked up at him. ¡®So he¡¯s here because of that matter!¡¯ She shrugged slightly, her tone as calm as ever, ¡°If Your Highness is here to fault this one, then how about this one also spend the night in the memorial hall topensate?¡± ¡°You want to end this matter just like that?¡± ¡°Then what does Your Highness suggest?¡± Her words had just fallen when Jing Rong suddenly grabbed the hand she used to grind ink and ced it against his chest. Had it not been for the table separating them, that move would¡¯ve caused Ji Yunshu to be pulled into his embrace! ¡®Are all the Emperor¡¯s children this overbearing?¡¯ She eximed inwardly. Her wrist was now imprisoned by his strong grip, and it hurt. ¡°Your Highness, please release your grip!¡± Yet she hadn¡¯t expected that Jing Rong would stare at her with a serious expression. ¡°I am not asking you to go sleep in the memorial hall. Rather, I am not pleased with the way you handle things.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Yunshu. ¡°You are investigating this case on my behalf. No matter the oue, you have to report everything to me personally. How could you just find someone else to do so for you, while you left? Is this how you deal with the matter this prince entrusted you with?¡± He was clearly very unhappy! For a moment, Ji Yunshu was actually at a loss for words! The next moment, Jing Rong spoke again, ¡°Trying to escape this quickly¡­ You really don¡¯t want to see me again?¡± His words caused Ji Yunshu¡¯s body to tremble. ¡°Your Highness, please release me first.¡± ¡®The pain is killing me!¡¯ Yet not only did he refuse to release her, he tightened his grip even more. Then he gave her another tug, causing Ji Yunshu to be half sprawled on the table. This image was really quite unsightly! ¡°This prince was injured because of you. Look!¡± His arm moved and lifted his injured hand. ¡®The atmosphere, how did it suddenly change?¡¯ Now Ji Yunshu was feeling confused yet anxious at the same time. Especially when meeting those pair of clearly enraged eyes that seemed to burn her and set her heart afire. The me burned fiercer and fiercer! After a moment, Ji Yunshu¡¯s lips opened weakly, ¡°Then what does Your Highness want this one to do? Do you want me to sleep in the memorial hall for a night or let me report to you personally, or perhaps, break my arm as well so I can share Your Highness¡¯ pain?¡± ¡°This prince is not interested in any of those. Little schr, right now I can only use one hand, which inconveniences me greatly. From today onwards, you will serve by my side so that you can report all your findings to me, as well as taking care of my daily necessities until my injury has healed!¡± Chapter 48: The Case of Lin Capital He¡¯s gone crazy! Crazy! Definitely crazy!¡¯ silently screamed Ji Yunshu. Who has ever heard of a ¡°man¡± taking care of another man? Ji Yunshu widened her eyes as she twisted her wrist, her expression showing her hesitation. ¡°Prince, this one is clumsy. And even providing for my daily needs is a problem. Must your Highness make things difficult for me?¡± ¡°You feel that I am troubling you?¡± His eyebrows raised. ¡°Yes, your Highness.¡± A slight pauseter, he threw down a simple statement. ¡°Then I guess I am.¡± Saying so, he released her. Her wrist having obtained freedom after much hardship, Ji Yunshu immediately retreated a couple of steps. She hid both of her hands in her sleeves. Yet she didn¡¯t expect that Jing Rong would walk around the table toward her. As he closed in on her, Ji Yunshu tensed up. She immediately raised her sleeves and hid her hands behind her back. That small action was rather adorable in Jing Rong¡¯s eyes! He halted around 25 cm away from her. The corner of his lip curled upwards. ¡°The thing I like to do the most is trouble others, while I am most interested in threatening others. Teacher Ji, of the two, which would you pick?¡± ¡®Screw you. Do I even have a choice? Are you ming me for your injury?¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. While Jing Rong was entertaining other thoughts.¡®Are you ming me for you not being able to provide for yourself?¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s face alternated between green and white as she slowly backed away. Those eyes, like two pools of starry ink, were filled with dissatisfaction as she red at him. ¡°Prince Rong, you shouldn¡¯t bully people like this.¡± ¡°Oh, I forgot to mention something. I absolutely love bullying others.¡± Pride emanated in waves from between his brows. Ji Yunshu stayed silent. ¡°¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t even be bothered to count how many ck lines had appeared on her forehead by now.1Her lips trembled; there was nothing she could say! Jing Rong was very satisfied with her reaction. His eyes were filled with a teasing light as he narrowed them slightly. His feet didn¡¯t move, yet his body drew closer to Ji Yunshu. ¡°Be it that I¡¯m troubling you or threatening you or maybe even bullying you. My injury is under your responsibility. If my arm fails to recoverter on, don¡¯t even think about escaping because you¡¯ll have to rece my hand for the rest of your life.¡± Ugh! Ji Yunshu had to admit. His tone which made people want to beat him up actually made her feel all tingly from her ears all the way to her chest just by listening to it. Her heart pounded intensely, which couldn¡¯t help but make her feel scared! ¡®What¡¯s wrong with me?¡¯ Rather abruptly, she shifted her gaze from his by lowering it. Her embarrassed look waspletely caught by Jing Rong. He was very happy! And totally smug about it too! Curling those icy thin lips of his, his long fingers stretched out from within his sleeves towards Ji Yunshu¡¯s hat, as if his hand was itching to pull out the pin holding it up, letting her hair unfurled in a cascade. Ji Yunshu¡¯s head was still lowered so she didn¡¯t know about his intention! Those fingertips drew closer. Yet at thest moment, Jing Rong¡¯s gaze just so happened to catch a glimpse of the book left on the table. It was The Case of Lin Capital! His hand paused. His gaze changed from its original flirtatiousness to a strange glint as his expression froze. He circled around Ji Yunshu and walked over, picking up the book. As he held the book in his hand, he asked her, ¡°You¡¯ve read this?¡± Ji Yunshu had already turned around to look at him when he walked away, and upon hearing his question, answered, ¡°I¡¯ve flipped through a few pages.¡± ¡°Then do you know what The Case of Lin Capital is about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s mainly about the case involving the Imperial Duke¡¯s household.¡± ¡°Do you know about the contents?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve just started reading so, I¡¯m unaware of the details.¡± A question, an answer; the conversation flowed without a hitch! Jing Rong¡¯s expression became solemn as he emitted a faint ¡°Hmm¡± while passing the book to Ji Yunshu. ¡°In that case, I am giving you three days time to get familiarized with the contents of this book. In two days, I will be waiting for you at Grand Canal Manor on the west side of the city.¡± This was the first time Ji Yunshu had seen such a serious expression on Jing Rong¡¯s face. His gaze contained mystery and a hint of anxiety, causing others to feel anxious too! She reached out to receive the book and asked in a soft voice. ¡°Why?¡± Jing Rong maintained his solemness. ¡°After you have familiarized yourself with the contents, I will tell you.¡± Yet Ji Yunshu seemed as if she was born this clever. With suspicion in her heart, she asked, ¡°Does it have anything to do with¡­ the case of those 72 corpses Your Highness mentioned?¡± His expression crumpled slightly! He had to admit, Ji Yunshu was too smart! At the same time, this only went to prove that he hadn¡¯t found the wrong person! But¡­ ¡°This matter is of grave importance. I cannot tell you everything right now, but the one thing I can, is that the reason I have left the capital for half a year is for this matter.¡± Ever since the founding of the empire of the Great Lin, whenever imperial princes received their titles, nond would be bestowed to them. The ce that they lived in was usually a mansion in the capital. One reason for this was so that their father would be able to better keep an eye on them. Another reason was to stop them from raising their own private forces and rebelling. Thus, for an Imperial Prince to leave the capital was arge matter. This was because it raised the risk of said Prince raising his own troops in rebellion or defecting to another country and using those troops to seize power! Emperors were always prone to suspicion and paranoia. It was an illness that all monarchs share from time immemorial. Because of this, the current Emperor of the Great Lin dynasty, Qi Zhen Emperor, issued a decree dering that any Imperial Princes that left the capital had to report their whereabouts every three days. The moment there was any dy, it would immediately be assumed that they had the intention to rebel! And those five burnt bodies just so happened to be the people Jing Rong had sent to report to the capital. Yet he hadn¡¯t expected them to be assassinated halfway! For Jing Rong to have left the capital, and for half a year no less, really caused many people to feel surprised. It could be inferred from this how major this ¡°Lin¡¯s Capital Case¡± was! Ji Yunshu nodded, and didn¡¯t continue to question him. ¡°Yes, this humble one will closely analyze the contents in this book.¡± Her obedience sent a warm glow through Jing Rong. Dropping his stern countenance, he smiled warmly. ¡°Then I shouldn¡¯t bother you any further. Have a good look, and we¡¯ll meet two days from now, at dawn. Don¡¯t bete.¡± Having said so, he left with a flick of his sleeves! The study quietened down in an instant. Ji Yunshu clutched the heavy book to her chest. The patterns on the book¡¯s cover were like ripples on the surface of the water, the ups and downs seemingly reflecting the emotions fluctuating within her heart! She gently ced the book down. ¡®Better finish up the report, so I can go home and start on this book!¡¯ Roughly in the time it takes to brew a cup of teater, the report was finalized. It wasid out on the desk, the words on it delicate and orderly. This was the calligraphy skill she had honed over the greater half of a year since transmigrating here. It had taken her quite a bit of effort! She didn¡¯t wait for the magistrate toe in to collect it, instead simply carrying the book as she left the yamen. On the way back she was quite distracted. Suyun kept upying her thoughts. A perfectly fine woman, yet for the sake of her lover, she hadn¡¯t feared dying! Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t understand that kind of love. At least as of right now, she hasn¡¯t met that someone who she would be willing to sacrifice her life to protect. She remained distracted by her train of thought until it got disrupted after reaching the Ji Mansion. Upon opening the door to her courtyard, she could hear the sounds of objects being smashed! Four or five servants were holding sticks and using them to smash the flower pots in her courtyard. The ground was littered with shards of pottery and upturned dirt. Torn and tattered pieces of vegetation were scattered everywhere. ¡°Please stop smashing, Third Young Master. I¡¯m begging you please don¡¯t smash those. These were all carefully cultivated by the Young Miss. Please Third Young Master, don¡¯t smash those!¡± Luan¡¯er¡¯s choked sobs made their way to Ji Yunshu¡¯s ears. 1. An emoji, like this: (~.~|||), used to express exasperation. Chapter 49: A Complete Mess Chapter 49: A Complete Mess This scene was within Ji Yunshu¡¯s expectations. Ji Lingzhi¡¯s hands had been injured, so she definitely would have tattled on her! And Ji Yuanzhi, who was closest to her, was naturally the one to help her vent her anger. It was a pity for all those nts in her courtyard, bing innocent victims. Ji Yunshu calmly walked over. Her eyes were narrowed and she kept a neutral expression on her face. Luan¡¯er was kneeling on the ground, her face covered in tears. Seeing that her mistress had returned, she cried even more heartbrokenly, crying as she called out, ¡°Miss.¡± Ji Yunshu walked to her side and helped her up as she gently chided her, ¡°Who told you to kneel every time something happens? There¡¯s no benefits to it.¡± Luan¡¯er was choked with sobs, and used her sleeve to furiously wipe away her tears. It¡¯s because she was upset about those nts! Ji Yuanzhi had his hands behind his back. His chest was thrust forward as he arrogantly lifted his head. Seeing her in men¡¯s clothing and only returning at night caused him to feel slightly ufortable. He snorted and yelled at his servants, ¡°Hurry up and smash them! Don¡¯t leave a single one behind. Smash everything.¡± Having received their orders, the servants lifted their sticks and smashed with even more force than before. The courtyard seemed to be filled with the sounds of breaking pottery. As expected, a small matter every three days and a major one every month! They were as punctual as her period, like usual. Ji Yunshu¡¯s gaze sank as she stared at Ji Yuanzhi. She simply said, ¡°Go ahead, smash everything. If you still aren¡¯t satisfied, there are still more in the house. Why don¡¯t you go bring them out and smash them too?¡± ¡°You dare to talk back?!¡± Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s anger red more fiercely! ¡°Third Brother, don¡¯t you like to break things? Since that¡¯s the case, you might as well everything in the house too. Wouldn¡¯t that be a great idea?¡± ¡°You think I don¡¯t dare?¡± Ji Yuanzhi leaned forward. He was extremely pissed. ¡°You pushed Lingzhi and now her hands are injured. Even if I torched your courtyard, it would be fine. You¡¯re just a bastard who doesn¡¯t deserve to be a part of my Ji family.¡± Bastard! That word again! Ji Yunshu¡¯s originally expressionless face suddenly turned sharp. Her gaze turned into boiling ck oil, shing with Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s arrogant and domineering gaze. A shiver ran down his spine as Ji Yuanzhi felt his legs softening and his expression crumbling. Ji Yunshu stepped toward him, and a low growl came out of those icy thin lips. ¡°All these years I haven¡¯t used the Ji family¡¯s front door, nor called myself a Ji nor used the Ji family¡¯s money. Yet today you keep calling me bastard. I, Ji Yunshu, neither owe you, nor have I offended you. My mother also does not owe the Ji family anything. What right do you have to keep insulting me like this?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ji Yuanzhi lifted his hand, his fingers spread out, getting ready to p her. ¡°Go ahead, hit me!¡± shouted Ji Yunshu. Apanying her fearless words, Ji Yunshu lifted her face. Those cold and clear eyes seemed to shoot out sharp shards of ice! ¡°You should be quite clear that the knife in my hand is used to cut into dead bodies. If you dare to leave a scar on my face, I won¡¯t mind returning the favour!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Ji Yuanzhi was a bold person, but his character was extremely spiteful. By his age, he had gone through a litany of evil deeds. Yet right now, facing Ji Yunshu¡¯s gaze, he was actually feeling a bit scared. The hand that had been lifted above his head stiffened, notnding on Ji Yunshu¡¯s face. This was the first time he had seen her fierce side. Fierce? How could the word fierce fully describe this? If he actually dared to p her, she would dissect him and see if under that skin, his heart was actually red or ck! ¡°Third Miss, Old Madame and the Master has summoned you to the front hall.¡± At this exact moment, a voice could be heard from outside the courtyard. The maidservant came running into the courtyard. Upon seeing the pottery carnage, she was briefly startled before she continued speaking to Ji Yunshu. ¡°Third Miss, hurry over. The Old Madame and Master are waiting.¡± Ji Yuanzhi was a bit embarrassed, but now he finally had a way to get out of this without losing face. A p now would do nothing good, but he did not forget to spit on the ground in a pitiful attempt at retaliation. ¡°I¡¯m finished with my revenge for Lingzhi, but be prepared for father¡¯s punishment.¡± With a wave of his hand, he brought away those servants who were now sweating profusely¡­ The courtyard was filled with smashed pieces of ceramic, dirt, and mud mixed with dirty melted snow. It looked quite a mess. Basically, anything that could be smashed had been smashed. Anything that could be broken were now all broken. Even that small red sandalwood tree she had been taking care of for a few years had been uprooted and was currently lying in the middle of the courtyard, its branches and leaves scattered everywhere. Ji Yunshu silently took in the scene in front of her. Her face was expressionless, those hands that were holding onto the book were clenched so tightly that the tips of her fingers turned slightly white. Luan¡¯er was still sobbing as she rubbed her eyes and stepped forward. ¡°Young Miss, it¡¯s all this servant¡¯s fault. I should have guarded the courtyard better and not let Third Young Master in. If you want to find someone to me, me this servant.¡± ¡°This matter had nothing to do with you!¡± The maidservant who hade over to report was afraid of dying further, so she hesitantly moved forward. ¡°Third Miss, you should make haste to the front hall.¡± She calmly nodded her head before handing over the book The Case of Lin Capital over to Luan¡¯er. ¡°Take this into the house.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± She replied, trying to muffle her sobs. Once the book had been put away properly, Ji Yunshu forbade Luan¡¯er from following her and not bothering to change back into female clothing, she headed to the front hall alone. As expected, in the hall, Old Madame Ji and Ji Shuhan were both present. Ji Lingzhi¡¯s small body was curled up in Old Madame Ji¡¯s embrace. Her head had shrunk back, eyes brimming with tears and those bandage-covered hands were hanging pitifully in front of her chest. Sitting at the sides were Ji Muqing, whose expression made it clear she was just here to watch a y, as well as Ji Wanxin, who sported a worried face. Not counting her Big Brother and Second Brother who were off on an assignment in the capital, and Ji Yuanzhi who had left satisfied after getting revenge for Ji Lingzhi, the entire Ji family was here! Seeing Ji Yunshu enter while still wearing male clothing, Old Madame Ji¡¯s wrinkled eyelids lifted, revealing the fury inside her eyes. Ji Shuhan was also enraged to the point that his chest was heaving as he exhaled heavily. Clenching his fist, he smashed down on the table beside him. The teacup was left rattling on the table from the force of the blow. ¡°How can you push Lingzhi like this today?!¡± Ji Shuhan questioned. ¡®Push? Where did thise from!¡¯ Ji Lingzhi clearly fell down on her own. What did that have to do with her? Ji Yunshu cast a cold gaze at Ji Lingzhi. At such a young age, she¡¯d not only learned how to tattle, she also learned how to sow discord by exaggerating things! Being stared at by Ji Yunshu, Ji Lingzhi pouted as she nestled deeper into Old Madame Ji¡¯s arms. ¡°Grandmother, look at Third Sister.¡± ¡®The one in the wrong isining first!¡¯ Old Madame Ji red at Ji Yunshu as she spoke. ¡°What, still not admitting your wrongs? Lingzhi is only eight years old, yet you were vicious enough to make an attempt on her life. You¡¯re just like your mother, both vicious vixen!¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t speak! No matter how much she exined herself, it wouldn¡¯t matter. Since only thing they could see was Ji Lingzhi¡¯s pair of blood-soaked hands! Chapter 50: Family Laws Chapter 50: Family Laws The big hall seemed to be filled with thunderous clouds and gunpowder, and every weapon seemed to be pointed straight at Ji Yunshu. Ji Wanxin¡¯s face was filled with worry as she stood fretfully at the side. She used her handkerchief to cover her mouth as she coughed several times before speaking, ¡°Grandmother, Father, don¡¯t misunderstand Yunshu. At the time, I was there too. Lingzhi fell on her own.¡± When she head this, Ji Muqing was not pleased. Her phoenix eyes snapped over to her sister. ¡°Wanxin, we all know that you and Yunshu are very close, but you can¡¯t just protect her like this. She may have injured Lingzhi¡¯s hand today, but what if one day she breaks it instead? At that time, would you still protect her?¡± Ji Muqing¡¯s voice was dripping with poisonous sarcasm like usual. ¡°I speak the truth.¡± ¡°Then you mean to say that Lingzhi lied?¡± Ji Muqing lifted a brow. When those words came out, Ji Lingzhi immediately defended herself. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie. Third Sister definitely pushed me. Second Sister, you clearly saw her do so, why are you speaking out for her and not for me?¡± Ji Lingzhi raised her voice as she refuted Ji Wanxin¡¯s words. Saying so, she once again lifted those pitiful hands that were bandaged up to the point they resembled a pair of dumplings, her eyes filling with tears as she stared at her father. She cried out, ¡°Father, you have to help me teach Third Sister a lesson. She was the one who pushed me. My hands still hurt so badly.¡± Ji Shuhan snorted. His hand lifted and mmed on the table once again, questioning Ji Yunshu, ¡°Lingzhi is your younger sister. Even if you hate me for marrying you off to the Wei family, you shouldn¡¯t have taken it out on her.¡± Ji Yunshu simply smiled. ¡°Since father and grandmother have judged that I pushed Lingzhi, nothing I say will change anything.¡± ¡°You still dare to talk back to me.¡± ¡°Your daughter simply does not feel motivated to debate.¡± Her retort caused Ji Shuhan to be so angered that a green vein bulged on his forehead as he pointed at her. ¡°I must havemitted some horrendous crime to have such a vicious creature like you as my child. Just look at yourself! Clothed in men¡¯s wear on a daily basis, you¡¯re simply a disgrace to my Ji family. Since you¡¯re so recalcitrant, don¡¯t me me for being a cruel father. Guards, discipline her using the familyws.¡± ¡®Familyws?! Didn¡¯t you people refuse to acknowledge me as a Ji? But now you want to use the familyws on me?!¡¯ Ji Yunshu smiled in derision, a glint of stubbornness in her eyes as she squarely met her father¡¯s gaze. It didn¡¯t hold the slightest intention to beg for mercy, and that struck Ji Shuhan¡¯s nerves, enraging him further. He yelled at a servant who was at the side. ¡°Hurry and bring me my whip.¡± The servant¡¯s face twitched as he obeyed. He hurriedly retrieved a horsewhip, its handle made of golden brocade and jade. That whip was an object bestowed upon the Ji family by the Emperor himself. Ji Shuhan had always treasured it and used it as the tool of punishment when it came to applying the familyws. Ji Yunshu had heard Luan¡¯er speak of it before. When the original Ji Yunshu identally broke a normal teapot in Ji Shuhan¡¯s study, she¡¯d suffered threeshes of this whip as a punishment. As a result, she had fallen into aa for a few days! Now that Ji Shuhan had taken out the whip again, she might not suffer just threeshes but ten! Seeing this, Ji Wanxin hurriedly stepped forward. ¡°Father, you can¡¯t. That whip can kill people.¡± ¡°If anyone gets in my way, they¡¯ll be whipped along with her.¡± Ji Shuhan had made up his mind! Ji Wanxin¡¯s pleas having gone unheard, she could only turn and pull on Ji Yunshu instead and attempt to persuade her, ¡°Yunshu, hurry and admit your wrongs to father. You can¡¯t take ashing from that whip.¡± She only got a ridicule-filled smile in response. The original Ji Yunshu could survive threeshes, what was she afraid of? ¡°Since your mind is set onshing me, this matter is already settled. Fine then, I shall receive the ¡®familyws¡¯.¡± Having spoken thus, she raised the pan of her robe and knelt! Clothed in light blue robes, her body ramrod straight, she surprisingly gave off quite the manly aura! Ji Shuhan had already raised the whip. With clenched jaws, he swung down with all his might. ¡®PAH!¡¯ Onesh struck! Her shoulders and back exploded in pain. A pain so intense, it drilled into her heart as her ears and mind filled with a buzzing noise. Despite the pain, Ji Yunshu¡¯s body remained straightened. She had to keep her pride, her character unyielding! Then anothersh descended! Her body couldn¡¯t help but move forward with the force of the blow. Both hands were pressed on the floor in support, then clenched into a fist. Her eyes were bloodshot yet she stubbornly bit her lips, dead set on not uttering the slightest noise. The whipnded on her body, onesh followed after another in quick session apanied by the sound of a whipcerating flesh and skin. The sound echoed through the Ji Mansion. At the end of it, Ji Yunshu¡¯s body hadpletely copsed on the floor. Her back was now marred with bloody whishes. It was an utterly terrifying sight! Even after being beaten to within an inch of her life, Ji Yunshu had refused to plead for mercy. Her lips had been bitten to the point blood was freely flowing, yet she wasn¡¯t willing to scream out her pain. Finally, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore and fainted dead away. She didn¡¯t remember how she was brought back to her courtyard, she could only vaguely hear sounds of sobbing. ¡®It must have been Luan¡¯er!¡¯ When she woke up, it was already the afternoon of the next day. Lying on the bed, even a slight movement would cause her entire body to hurt! At this moment, Luan¡¯er carried some hot medicinal decoction into the room. Seeing that Ji Yunshu wanted to get up, Luan¡¯er hurried to her side. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t get up. Please lie back.¡± Her eyes were brimming with tears! Ji Yunshu could barely move anyways, so she might as well continue lying on her bed. ¡°I won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°Miss, it¡¯s all my fault. I¡¯m too useless, I can¡¯t even protect you and caused you to suffer so much suffering.¡± ¡°Silly girl. Look, I¡¯m perfectly fine.¡± Her face was clearly extremely pale and her gazecked energy. Luan¡¯er cried for quite a bit more before wiping away at her tears. Ji Yunshu went back to sleep soon after drinking the medicine. She was stuck in bed for two whole days. During this time, only Ji Wanxin visited her to see how she was doing. The rest of the Ji family were probably eager to see her die. During these two days, confined to bed, Ji Yunshu read through The Lin Capital Case. On the third day, she had recuperated quite well. Ignoring Luan¡¯er¡¯s advice, she got out of bed, changed into men¡¯s wear and tied up her hair again. As she stepped into her courtyard, she noticed that it waspletely empty. All those nts of hers were gone. She left Ji Mansion and made for the Grand Canal Manor. Because of her injuries, she walked slower than usual. As she walked past a jewelry shop, she saw that the inside was packed with people who were all whispering while pointing at something. At first, she hadn¡¯t nned on getting involved, but she suddenly heard Wei Yi¡¯s voice, clear as day. ¡°It wasn¡¯t me! I didn¡¯t break your jade pendant! It really wasn¡¯t me!¡± His voice was filled with panic. Ji Yunshu halted in her tracks. Making her way to the front of the crowd, she saw Wei Yi standing there like an idiot while waving his hands. The shopkeeper of the jewelry shop had grabbed onto his hand, while his other hand was holding onto two pieces of broken jade. ¡°You broke my jade pendant so you have topensate me. 100 taels. Not one less.¡± The shopkeeper was very aggressive, he even went so far as to hit Wei Yi. Wei Yi blocked with one hand while furiously denying it, ¡°I didn¡¯t touch your jade pendant, it really wasn¡¯t me.¡± ¡°Just now you said you wanted to have a look, but it dropped on the floor right after you took it.¡± ¡°But it wasn¡¯t me¡­¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s brows furrowed. She shook her head as she stepped in. ¡°May I have a look at this jade pendant?¡± Wei Yi turned his head. Seeing that it was her, he became excited and called out, ¡°Big Brother.¡± Ji Yunshu ignored him. She plucked the jade pendant out of the shopkeeper¡¯s hand and closely examined it before facing the shopkeeper once again. She asked him, ¡°Tell me, was this jade pendant just broken?¡± The shopkeeper nodded his head. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then let me ask you another question. Was this jade always kept inside a box in this shop?¡± ¡°Of course. This is a new item, and was very expensive. But now, this idiot broke it.¡± The shopkeeper was just as angry as before. Ji Yunshu¡¯s face sunk as she rebuked him. ¡°You are lying.¡± Chapter 51: Did I Hurt You? Chapter 51: Did I Hurt You? The light in the shopkeeper¡¯s eyes dimmed a bit before regaining their enraged glint. ¡°What nonsense are you spouting? I¡¯m not lying. This brat was the one who broke my pendant.¡± Saying so, he tightened his grip on Wei Yi. The pain caused Wei Yi to furrow his brow as he darted a pitiful look to Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu¡¯s gaze disyed calmness. She slightly raised the two broken halves of jade before stating, ¡°You said that this pendant was broken just now, but it was clearly lying through one¡¯s teeth. Regardless of whether it is jade or any other type of precious stone, if it was broken recently, the edges should be uneven and sharp which would be painful when stroking the broken edges. However the edges on this jade are very smooth and glossy. It is clear that time had blunt the sharpness of it.¡± The moment these words were spoken, the shopkeeper was clearly at a loss for words and the panic on his face was hard to miss! However he didn¡¯t give up and put up a final struggle. ¡°This is high quality jade. Even if it was broken, the edge would be very smooth, which is quite normal.¡± ¡®Normal? Sophistry! Fine, I want to see how you¡¯ll continue making up your story.¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s gazended on the arrogant shopkeeper¡¯s hand as she continued to speak, ¡°Shopkeeper, if I guessed correctly, you ate steamed buns earlier! There are still traces of grease on your hand.¡± Uh! The shopkeeper¡¯s face was filled with surprise as he looked at his hand. After which he started fiercely wiping them, embarrassment showing on his face. ¡°Is eating steamed buns a crime?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Ji Yunshu advanced a step. ¡°However, because there was grease on your hand, it had stained the pendant, which in turn rubbed off on my hand.¡± As she spoke so, Ji Yunshu suddenly lifted Wei Yi¡¯s hand and spread out his fingers so his whole hand was disyed for everyone to see. She exined, ¡°If this pendant was broken by this fool, then his hand would be greasy from touching it. However it just so happens that there is not a single trace of grease on his hand. This proves that he never touched the pendant. The pendant was clearly broken by you. Seeing that he was a fool, you decided to take advantage of this fact and cheat him.¡± ¡°I¡­ You¡­¡± ¡°If you still do not admit it, then we can report it to the authorities and let the magistrate judge for himself, how about it?¡± With a guilty conscience, the shopkeeper released Wei Yi and wiped his hands before shoving them inside his sleeves! Meanwhile, the onlookers started pointing at him and were discussing amongst themselves! The shopkeeper swallowed his saliva as his gaze wandered. His voice trembled as he dered, ¡°Forget it! Just forget about it! N-nothing happened at all!¡± ¡®Forget about it? That won¡¯t do!¡¯ Ji Yunshu turned to face Wei Yi. He was holding his arm with a pained face. It was probably from when the shopkeeper hit him just now, and the man had used such strong force too! Her good-looking eyebrows lifted as she asked, ¡°Wei Yi, when he said you broke his pendant, did you feel angry?¡± Wei Yi pouted as he looked at the shopkeeper before nodding his head. ¡°Then when he hit you, was it painful?¡± Wei Yi nodded once again! ¡°Okay. Stretch out your hand.¡± He obediently reached out his hand! ¡°Clench your fist.¡± He clenched his fist. ¡°Punch his arm.¡± Ji Yunshu ordered. Like a turtle, Wei Yi withdrew his hand at once and retreated behind Ji Yunshu while shaking his head. Seeing him like this made Ji Yunshu want tough, but she maintained her serious expression. ¡°Why don¡¯t you hit him? He scolded and even hit you.¡± Despite him being taller than Ji Yunshu by a head, he still hid behind her. He tentatively ced his hands on her shoulders like a cat would do. He stuttered, ¡°But that¡¯s not right. Mother said that I can¡¯t hit people. Even though he scolded and hit me, I can¡¯t scold or hit him back otherwise mother will be unhappy and when mother is unhappy, I will be unhappy too. Big brother, I won¡¯t hit him. I can¡¯t hit him¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± She cast a sideways nce at him. He furiously nodded while keeping his eyes lowered. It made him look very pitiful. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t force him, instead turning back to face the dishonest shopkeeper. ¡°Listen up, if you dare to cheat people again I¡¯m going to have to ¡®invite¡¯ you over to the yamen. The paddles haven¡¯t been used for a long time.¡± ¡°Y-y-yes, I understand. This humble one will remember the young master¡¯s words. I won¡¯t dare to do so again.¡± The shopkeeper bowed his voice filled with ttery! ¡®Some people are just like this; without teaching them a lesson, how would they understand their wrongs?¡¯ Thinking to this point she couldn¡¯t help but smiled wryly, inwardlyughing at herself! If it wasn¡¯t for that promise she made two years ago, she wouldn¡¯t have to remain here and swallow her anger at every turn! In that Ji Mansion, without being servile or overbearing, she waited while enduring the countless contemptuous gazes and beating! Her heart was uneasy, but it had nothing to do with her grievances. ¡®When will hee back? Or is he nevering back? Ji Pei¡­ It has been two years already. Where are you now?¡¯ Her train of thought had been derailed so she brought herself back to reality. Seeing that the shopkeeper had a good attitude in admitting his mistake, she left the jewelry shop and went on her way. But, there was a new addition boorishly trailing behind her ¨C Wei Yi. If she walked faster, he elerated! If she walked slower, he slowed down! In the end, Ji Yunshu stopped and turned around to look at him. She saw that his head was slightly lowered but he didn¡¯t avert his gaze when it met with hers. His fingers were twirling in front of his chest without rest as he openly peered at her. ¡®That guy is acting so adorable!¡¯ ¡°Why are you following me?¡± Ji Yunshu asked. He pursed his lips but didn¡¯t reply. ¡°I am asking you a question. Why are you following me?¡± He carefully step forward before speaking, ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know where I should go?¡± That tone was very innocent! ¡°You can go home.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to go home.¡± Ji Yunshu could feel a headacheing. ¡®Even if you don¡¯t want to go home, you don¡¯t have to follow me!¡¯ ¡°I am busy right now so I have no time to y with you. Go find a ce to sit and stay there until you feel tired before going home.¡± Having spoken, she nned to continue walking but Wei Yi blocked her path. A brilliant smile blossomed on his face as he looked at her with a pleading gaze. ¡°Big brother, where are you going? I like to y with you, so can you take me with you too?¡± ¡°No.¡± An immediate rejection. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°No reason.¡± She went around him before proceeding forward. But who knew for some unknown reason, Wei Yi decided to pull on her arm. Perhaps it was because he didn¡¯t know how to control his strength properly, that tug had caused pain to spread from her back to her tibias. She furrowed her brow from the painful sensation and let out a soft cry. Wei Yi was terrified by her sudden painful cry. His hands quickly let go and he madly shook them left and right. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Big brother, I didn¡¯t mean it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Ji Yunshu cradled her arm. After the pain had eased up, she let out a breath before looking at Wei Yi, who had been scared out of his wits. Finally, she relented, ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to follow me? Hurry up.¡± Ji Yunshu walked forward while hugging her arm while Wei followed. ¡°Big brother, did I hurt you?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why were you in pain?¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± Two silhouettes, one tall and the other short, made their way to the Grand Canal Manor, leaving a trail of footprints of different depths in the snow. Chapter 52: Friend? After walking with a slow pace, they finally arrived at the Grand Canal Manor. Two guards, armed with longswords, stood on each side of the entrance with a dignified aura. Ji Yunshu had passed by the manor before, and each time, the doors were closed shut. This time, the doors were wide open to wee Jing Rong. Wei Yi raised his head and pulled on one of Ji Yunshu¡¯srge sleeves, ¡°Big Brother, where are we?¡± Ji Yunshu replied by pointing at the wooden panel which hung on top of the entrance, ¡°Do you know how to read that?¡± ¡°Yes it¡¯s ¡®Guang¡¯¡­1¡± Wei Yi scratched his chin as he looked at the second character. He stared at the panel, but couldn¡¯te up with an answer. Ji Yunshu squinted at him and exined patiently, ¡°Guang-Qu-Yuan, Grand Canal Manor, just remember that the character is pronounced Qu, alright?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll remember that it¡¯s called ¡®Qu¡¯,¡± repeated Wei Yi. The excitement from learning something new was obvious in Wei Yi¡¯s voice. Ji Yunshu looked at him with a radiant smile, which let through some tenderness for Wei Yi and his childish behavior. As they climbed the stairs leading to the entrance of the manor, the guards stopped them with a gesture. ¡°Who are you?¡± The guard asked. ¡°I am here to pay a visit to Prince Rong.¡± Ji Yunshu answered. The guards exchanged a look and asked, ¡°Are you Teacher Ji?¡± ¡®Looks like that fellow had nned for my arrival!¡¯ Ji Yunshu thought as she answered the two guards with a slight nod. The two guards backed off and one of them said, ¡°Please follow us, the prince has been waiting for a long time already.¡± ¡®A long time? Didn¡¯t he say the hour of the dragon? I¡¯m right on time!¡¯ Ji Yunshu and Wei Yi followed the guard into the manor. Grand Canal Manor was once upied by an affluent family whoter migrated to the capital. Despite being deserted for so long, it was reputed for its luxury and grandeur, as much in terms of the size of the building as for the objects which furnished it. ¡®It definitely lives up to its reputation.¡¯ It took quite a bit of walking just to get through the reception hall to the backyard. Wei Yi stretched his neck to look around and seemed very curious about the surroundings. From time to time, he would pull onto Ji Yunshu¡¯s sleeve. He pointed at a lotus flower which emerged from a pond nearby and said, ¡°Hey, I have that in my house.¡± A momentter, he pointed at arge cedar tree, eximing in surprise. ¡°I have that too!¡± Again, an instantter, pointing at a stone statue of a mythical animal, ¡°That too!¡± ¡®Yes, yes, yes, I get it, you have everything in your house.¡¯ ¡®Well, I don¡¯t even have any of these in mine!¡¯ For anyone who was not acquainted with their rtionship, it seemed that she was being importuned by such a deadweight. At least, this was what Jing Rong thought upon seeing the duo. The instant the guard brought the two into the backyard, Jing Rong, who was seated under a pavilion, noticed Wei Yi, who followed Ji Yunshu closely and clung onto her sleeves. ¡®A deadweight? And a male one?¡¯ Jing Rong thought, with some irritation shown on his face. He poured a cup of tea from the teapot and its pleasant aroma soon inundated the air around him. Ji Yunshu saluted him with a hand gesture. ¡°This humble one greets Prince Rong.¡± Wei Yi, who held onto Ji Yunshu¡¯s sleeves, was dragged into her salutation as when thetter rose her arms, he stumbled forward and interposed himself between Jing Rong and Ji Yunshu. Jing Rong sipped his tea, examined Wei Yi and threw a cold look full of dissatisfaction at Ji Yunshu. ¡°Is that your lover?¡± Wei Yi answered before Ji Yunshu could speak. ¡°A lover? What¡¯s that? Is it some kind of food?¡± Pfft~! The tea that barely entered Jing Rong¡¯s mouth almost got spit back out. A frown on his face indicated that he was perplexed at theical answer. ¡®Where did this weirdoe from?¡¯ Jing Rong wondered. Ji Yunshu stepped forward, dragged Wei Yi and exined, ¡°Prince, this is my friend. He¡¯s not very smart and will tend to say weird things sometimes, so please forgive his transgression.¡± ¡°Your friend? Not very smart?¡± Jing Rong repeated her words, thinking about her words for a short while beforeing to an understanding. He nodded and asked, ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± Wei Yi jumped to answer again, ¡°I¡¯m called Wei Yi, Wei as in a seat, and Yi as in one.¡±2 ¡®¡­Why did you have to speak now?¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression was one frozen in awkwardness, and she resisted the urge to let out a sigh. Right now, it was really kind of embarrassing to be with this ¡®friend¡¯ of hers. ¡®I finally got it right!¡¯ Wei Yi thought, who was visibly satisfied from being able to answer Jing Rong¡¯s question. He clearly did not share any of Ji Yunshu¡¯s worries. Ji Yunshu then hurriedly spoke to help him out. ¡°Prince, Wei means protection, and Yi means being in high spirits.¡± She expected disdain from Jing Rong, but, instead, she saw curiosity shining in his eyes as he scrutinized Wei Yi with a yful smile on his face. ¡°Teacher Ji, that¡¯s an unusual mistake for a bright person like you to make, I think that it is Wei as in a seat and Yi as in one.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, of course!¡± Wei Yi seemed to agree with the statement and nodded energetically. Jing Rong stood up, walked to Wei Yi and asked with a broad smile. ¡°Wei Yi, do you know then, the meaning of trueity for a gentleman?3 ¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Wei Yi asked. ¡°Take a guess!¡± Jing Rong said. ¡°My teacher hasn¡¯t taught me any of that, and neither did my mom nor my dad,¡± Wei Yi said to himself, he seemed pensive and turned around to ask Ji Yunshu. ¡°Big Brother, do you know what it means?¡± Of course she knew. ¡®A gentleman does not rob another of his cherishment.¡¯ ¡®I wonder what he means by that.¡¯ Ji Yunshu felt the frustration mount up in her mind and chose to stop thinking about it. She threw a stern look at Jing Rong and said, ¡°Prince Rong, your humble servant would like to remind you that the five burnt corpses constitute our current priority, and there are a few things I would like to inform you about.¡± ¡°Oh, so you do remember that there¡¯s case waiting for us to solve? And here I am, thinking that you came here with your friend to have tea with me,¡± said Jing Rong with a particr emphasis on the word ¡°friend¡±. ¡°Please forgive me, prince Rong. If you find his behavior to be disagreeable, I shall ask him to vacate the premises,¡± answered Ji Yunshu. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. Anyone who enters my door is a guest, and I¡¯m not so indecent as to deny anyone of my hospitality,¡± Jing Rong answered as he raised his hand. Jing Rong¡¯s gesture served as a signal to Lang Po, who entered the backyard and approached him. ¡°What orders do you have for me, prince?¡± asked Lang Po. ¡®Woah! You were here the whole time? You could have greeted us at least!¡¯ ¡°Please bring teacher Ji¡¯s friend to a side yard. Give him anything that¡¯ll please his heart, and every delicacy that¡¯ll satisfy his stomach. Treat his wishes as my orders,¡± Jing Rong instructed. ¡°Understood.¡± Lang Po replied. Lang Po stepped forward, lowered his head as he approached Wei Yi, and said, ¡°Sir, please follow me.¡± Wei Yi clearly thought otherwise. He hid behind Ji Yunshu and shook his head. ¡°No! I want to stay with Big Brother! I¡¯ll go wherever he goes!¡± ¡°Sir¡­¡± Lang Po did not really know how to respond to Wei Yi. Ji Yunshu¡¯s turned around to look at Wei Yi, and said in a tender voice. ¡°Wei Yi, if you want to stay with me, then please be nice and go wait for me, okay? I¡¯lle for you when I¡¯m done here.¡± ¡°Big Brother.¡± ¡°Come on, go,¡± said Ji Yunshu in a firm tone. Wei Yi seemed very upset. His hands, which were still holding onto Ji Yunshu¡¯s sleeves, only rxed their grip after a long while. ¡°Big Brother, you will remember to pick me up, okay? I don¡¯t know the way home.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯lle look for you,¡± Ji Yunshu assured him. Only after receiving a guarantee from Ji Yunshu did Wei Yi move. Even then, he departed reluctantly, and kept turning around at nearly every step he took. It seemed like a farewell of life and death to him. Both Ji Yunshu and Wei Yi did not notice Jing Rong¡¯s face getting darker! Not only was it getting darker, there was also a burning jealousy! 1.Grand Canal Manores from the Chinese Guangquyuan, with the second character, Qu, being the most rarely encountered character amongst the three. Therefore, it is assumed that Wei Yi would not know how to pronounce such a character. ? 2.This is a wordy on the fact that Wei is a homophone for ¡°seat¡± (λ) which could also be a ssifier for person, while Yi is a homophone for ¡°one¡±, which are obviously not used for proper names. It¡¯s like Wei Yi is saying his name meant something like ¡°The one and only one¡± since the literal meaning is ¡°one person¡±. ? 3.The meaning of trueity for a gentlemen: the original word in Chinese used here is ¾ý×Ó, a concept made famous by Confucius¡¯ Analects, representing an ideal that all men ought to seek to achieve. It roughly trantes to gentleman, but is more than that. Chapter 53: The Yin Yang Corpse Chapter 53: The Yin Yang Corpse Quietness was restored to the pavilion. The aroma of the tea seemed to have changed noticeably, from a distinctive, pleasant smell to something full of bitterness. Jing Rong returned to his seat, raised his hand, and knocked on the surface of the table with his finger joints. Is he hinting her to take a seat? ¡®No, I think it¡¯s better if I keep standing.¡¯ ¡°This humble one is fine standing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to sit down,¡± Jing Rong seemed like he wanted to swallow Ji Yunshu whole. He knocked at the table again and said, ¡°What I wanted to say, is that the tea¡¯s lukewarm, and I¡¯m asking you to pour me another cup.¡± ¡®Hey, you aren¡¯t handicapped are you? Shouldn¡¯t you at least be able to do that by yourself?¡¯ ¡°I have an injury on my hand, and it pains me when I try to raise my arm. Teacher, you wouldn¡¯t have so quickly forgotten about that, would you?¡± asked Jing Rong, who seemed to guess what she was thinking about. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Yes¡­ I really did forget about it. Well, it¡¯s not my fault that he removed his bandages, and it seems like he¡¯s already fully recovered.¡¯ Jing Rong was quite unhappy at the expression of surprise on Ji Yunshu¡¯s face. ¡®He seemed so patient and kind with Wei Yi, so why does he treat me with such a cial attitude.¡¯ Jing Rong thought as he grew more irritated. ¡°I am thirsty, so could you hurry up, Teacher?¡± Despite wanting to roll her eyes in contempt at Jing Rong, Ji Yunshu obeyed him. As she went forth to pick up the tea kettle and was about to pour some tea into an empty cup, Jing Rong raised his palm to interrupt her. ¡°You know what, I don¡¯t feel like drinking tea after all,¡± said Jing Rong. ¡°Then, prince, what do you desire?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. ¡°My shoulders are a little sore. Teacher, you seem to have an intricate knowledge of human anatomy. As such, could you apply some of your knowledge and find the best spot for afortable massage?¡± ¡®Give him an inch and he¡¯ll take a mile.¡¯ Ji Yunshu ced the kettle and the cup back onto the table, and answered, ¡°Prince, my hands serve the dead, and I¡¯ve never used them on the living, you may want to reconsider.¡± Jing Rong felt a chill run down his spine and frowned in discontentment. ¡®Ha! What will you say to that!¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu with some satisfaction at her brilliant retort. What he said next surprised her. ¡°I have reconsidered. Please apply some strength when massaging. I have quite the sore shoulder today,¡± said Jing Rong. ¡®You little¡­ Ugh, I give up.¡¯ Ji Yunshu circled around Jing Rong and raised her arm, in doing so, she inadvertently stretched the part of her back through which her fresh wounds ran. She bit her lips and held in a scream. As she extended her pale fingers and rested them on Jing Rong¡¯s shoulders, ready to start the massage, Jing Rong suddenly grabbed one of her hands and pulled her over so that she faced him. Jing Rong stood up and held her hand with one hand, while he deposited his other hand on her thin waist. ¡°Ugh!¡± Ji Yunshu screamed in pain as she was dragged over. This violent movement caused the scab on her back to reopen and bleed. She could feel the blood seeping into her clothes and staining them. Jing Rong did not expect such a violent reaction on from her. He halted his movements for a split second and let go of Ji Yunshu, who instinctively reached for her back. Her lips looked pale as ever as she reached for her back with one hand. Jing Rong eyes were burning; he frowned with severity and asked, ¡°What happened to your back?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°Let me see,¡± said Jing Rong, who seemed very worried. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± answered Ji Yunshu as she stepped back and simultaneously wiped away the cold sweat which pearled on her forehead. She lowered her head and said, ¡°This humble one is here to report on the case of the five burnt corpses.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to report on that, Lang Po has already informed me on the matter. Let me see your back,¡± insisted Jing Rong, who had a worried and distressed expression on his face. He reached out for her hand before an answer could be provided. Ji Yunshu took another step back and was now almost out of the pavilion. ¡°If not about the burnt corpses, then allow me to say a few words about the case of Lin Capital then,¡± proposed Ji Yunshu. Upon hearing ¡°Lin Capital¡±, Jing Rong paused for a little. But¡­ ¡°That¡¯s not urgent right now. Let me see your back first,¡± said Jing Rong. ¡®Why is this prince so persistent?¡¯ Ji Yunshu raised her eyes and met Jing Rong¡¯s concern with a determined look, ¡°Prince, it¡¯s really no big deal. I simply grazed my back the other day.¡± ¡°Grazed?¡± Jing Rong refused to believe it, ¡°How could you be in such pain when I barely touched your back then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a minor wound, really. On top of it¡­¡± Ji Yunshu took a deep breath, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to dirty your eyes with the sight of my body. Someone from my stature ought to¡­¡± ¡®There are such things as barriers between men and women. I beg for your respect of them, O prince.¡¯ Jing Rong was about to say something when Lang Po suddenly ran over. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong, Prince,¡± said Lang Po with a stern look as he arrived. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± asked Jing Rong. Lang Po lowered his head and answered, ¡°Prince, Gentleman Wei has fallen off a tree and¡­¡± These words made Ji Yunshu momentarily forget the throbbing pain in her back and she then asked in a distressed tone, ¡°How did you let him get on top of a tree? Did he hurt himself anywhere?¡± Jing Rong was unpleased. Lang Po shook his head in a bit of a panic, ¡°The gentleman is alright, it¡¯s just that after he fell, we discovered that there was a corpse buried under the tree.¡± A corpse? When Ji Yunshu heard the word ¡®corpse¡¯, she will always be more alert without fail. ¡°Please bring me there quickly.¡± Lang Po looked at Jing Rong and awaited his orders. Jing Rong nced at Ji Yunshu¡¯s back. He was still worried, but nevertheless agreed, ¡°Let¡¯s go have a look.¡± The trio moved towards the side yard. From the distance, Ji Yunshu could see Wei Yi hiding behind a guard, visibly terrified by something under a big tree nearby and holding something in his hands. At the base of the tree, the earth was dug up and a corpse was unearthed. Several guards were postured around the corpse and blocked ess to it. Wei Yi trotted to meet Ji Yunshu as thetter approached the scene. He was visibly frightened. ¡°Big Brother, there¡¯s a corpse there. Just now¡­ when I fell from the tree, Inded on it,¡± said Wei Yi as he pointed toward the corpse. Ji Yunshu did not mind his remark. She took a handkerchief out of her pocket, wrapped it around her hand and knelt down in front of the corpse to examine it. After examining with great concentration for a while, Ji Yunshu said, with some severity, ¡°This corpse has been there for around two years.¡± Jing Rong, who was standing behind her, continued to listen to her exnation. ¡°From the looks of it, the size of the skull isrge, and its base is coarse.. There are multiple irregrities on the base bone and there¡¯s an overall heaviness to itsposition,¡± said Ji Yunshu as she continued to examine the skull, ¡°The inclination of the frontal bone is rather steep, and the be¡¯s and superciliary arch¡¯s outgrowth is noticeable. The eye orbits are rather deep, and the superior rims of the eye sockets are thick. The protrusion of mastoid process from the temporal bone is long and its radius isrge as well. The cheekbones are protuberant and the zygomatic arch is quite sizeable.¡± ¡°The deceased individual is a man,¡± concluded Ji Yunshu. The string of technical terms made it very difficult for everyone who was present to follow her. ¡°But¡­ why is there the presence of a milk bone1? A man shouldn¡¯t have this!¡± said Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu then shifted her look to the pelvis, and was surprised by what she saw. ¡°The pelvis bone is smooth, thin, light and rounded. It¡¯s shallow but the cavity isrge, just like a bucket. The pubic bone is positioned rather lowly and it¡¯s broad and short, with a significant curvature and sticity. The acetabulum is rather small in size.¡± ¡°A woman?¡± The two conflicting conclusions confused Jing Rong and the others greatly, since it was already difficult for them to understand the jargon that she was using. ¡°What do you know?¡± asked Jing Rong. Ji Yunshu remained in a deep reflection and only opened her mouth after gaining enough confidence about her deduction. ¡°This is a yin yang corpse,¡± concluded Ji Yunshu. ¡°A yin yang corpse?¡± 1.Milk bone doesn¡¯t exist in real life. This milk bone(Èé¹Ç) is a Chinese myth simr to the biblical myth about men having a pair of ribs less than women due to Eve being made out of Adam¡¯s ribs. This is a work of fiction and the author might not be someone in the health/biology domain. For real fact, the pelvis is the main difference between a male or female skeleton. There are a total of 12 main differences with a few minor differences being the overall bone density, shape, size, etc. For more information: http://.majordifferences/2014/03/difference-between-male-and-female.html#.WbtmmtPyjVo Chapter 54: The Skeleton’s Examination Chapter 54: The Skeleton¡¯s Examination A yin yang corpse? What was a yin yang corpse? The puzzlement was visible on everyone¡¯s face. Jing Rong was like a curious child. While he was concerned about the injuries on Ji Yunshu¡¯s back, it did little to stop him from inquiring about the human remains that they had just discovered, ¡°A yin yang corpse? What¡¯s that? Why would a body be buried under this tree?¡± Ji Yunshu crouched and started to exin, ¡°This humble one isn¡¯t able to ascertain the cause behind a body being buried under this big tree. However, a yin yang body is merely a term referring to an intersex person. In other words, the deceased is someone who possessed both male and female reproductive organs!¡± ¡®¡¯Huh! Such a thing actually exists? Is it a monster?¡®¡¯ The statement surprised everyone once again. It was the first time they had heard about such a thing. Jing Rong was bewildered as he observed the pile of bones. ¡®After just ncing at it and touching it a few times, he was able to determine that this skeleton belonged to a yin yang person. Teacher Ji, you¡¯re really awesome!¡¯ ¡°How did that person die?¡± Jing Rong inquired. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t reply for a moment as she was busy wrapping her handkerchief around her hand. Next, she turned the skeleton over and found a thin silky fabric which had yet topletely rot, covering the skeleton¡¯s chest. She carefully peeled it off, exposing 24 intact rib bones to the light of day. Gently brush off the remaining dirt on the bones, she began to carefully examine their state and found fine cuts along the ribs, leading her to a single conclusion. ¡°The deceased should be in his forties and was stabbed to death with a knife, a sword or at least an object with a sharp edge.¡± ¡°Are you certain?¡± Jing Rong narrowed his eyes Ji Yunshu pointed at the remains and dered, ¡°The shoulders and rib bones showed no less than 22 scratches. Those scratches could only be caused by a sharp object stabbing through the flesh and prating deeply to the bones. My initial judgment told me that the murderer should be at least a head taller than the victim. Moreover, in normal circumstances, only four to five stabs in the right ce would be enough to kill someone, but for the deceased¡¯s body to present more than 20 stabs and each of them reaching the bones, what reason would have pushed the murderer to crazily stab the victim so many times?¡± Jing Rong understood as soon as he heard her exnation, so did everyone else. Ji Yunshu untied her handkerchief. She turned to Jing Rong with a stern look, ¡°Your Highness, are you dispatching anyone to notify Lord Liu?¡± ¡®What are you doing by being so idle, instead of notifying the yamen of this homicide?¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. When Jing Rong heard her, he immediately sent one of his subordinates to the yamen. Within the time it would take to brew a cup of tea, Magistrate Liu had led a group of runners to the Grand Canal Manor. He was about to sp his hand and greet Jing Rong when thetter stopped him, ¡°No need for empty greetings. Dealing with this case is more urgent.¡± ¡°Y-y-yes your Highness¡­¡± After stammering a few words, Magistrate Liu retreated next to Ji Yunshu. He observed the skeleton nestled under the tree before asking Ji Yunshu, ¡°Yunshu, what did you discover about this skeleton?¡± Ji Yunshu was calm in appearance. ¡°First, let¡¯s bring that skeleton to the autopsy room. As for the specifics, I still need to examine it in detail before dering myself.¡± ¡°Can the portrait of this skeleton be drawn out in a few days? I will post it and hopefully someone wille to im it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll need time to draw the portrait. In the meantime, find some people to bring the remains back to the yamen. I absolutely don¡¯t want to overlook a clue, so it¡¯s best if they also the surrounding soil back too. I¡¯ll go to the yamen tomorrow for the examination. The wounds on her back were bing exceedingly painful and she could barely endure it! ¡°Good then. Let¡¯s do it like this.¡± The magistrate was very cooperative. He waved his hand and a few runners came forward with a big white fabric. They then spread it besides the remains and started to cautiously move everything on it, afraid that any abrupt movement might damage the skeleton. It kept them busy until the afternoon. After each piece of the skeleton was properly collected, Magistrate Liu would hurriedly return to the yamen while Ji Yunshu nned to go back home. As she passed in front of Jing Rong, she stated, ¡°Prince, I¡¯m afraid that we will have to seal the ess to the vicinity of this tree. If anything urgent requires my presence, this humble one wille right away.¡± ¡°Rest assured. I¡¯ll let people cordone this area off and forbid people from approaching it.¡± He replied in a straightforward manner. ¡°Many thanks, your Highness.¡± Her voice rolled out from her gradually paling lips. The day was nearing its end and as the sun ended its course in the horizon, the trailing obscurity reached Ji Yunshu¡¯s face, covering the sick pallor on her thin lips. Jing Rong blurted out, ¡°The sky is growing dark. Teacher, why don¡¯t you have a meal before going?¡± ¡®Is that an invitation?¡¯ Ji Yunshu thought. Ji Yunshu pursed her lips into a smile, ¡°This humble one has just been in contact with the dead. If I stay for a meal, I¡¯m afraid that it will lower your appetite. Besides¡­¡± Her gazegged on the figure of Wei Yi, who was sitting on the stone stairs not far away, while fiddling with an object. That fool was frightened out of his wits just earlier, but now it was as if everything was but smoke before his eyes. The world of a simpleton was as simple as that! She retracted her gaze and said, ¡°The sky is getting darker. I still need to send back Wei Yi lest his family gets worried.¡± ¡°You really have too many excuses¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ This humble one¡¯s words are all true. I hope your Highness won¡¯t make things difficult for me.¡± Ji Yunshu lowered her head. Jing Rong¡¯s expression suddenly darkened. He sped his hands behind his back, ¡°Fine. This prince will not make things difficult for you. However, Teacher Ji shouldn¡¯t forget that I will call on you at anytime for your advice concerning the matter rted to the Lin Capital Case.¡± He was no longer overbearing as he spoke, as if he suddenly became another person. ¡®I might as well soften my approach as to avoid Ji Yunshu declining my invitation again.¡¯ Ji Yunshu sped her hands in greetings, then called Wei Yi. Wei Yi, who was holding onto an object, happilyughed as he ran to her at her call. Then, he asked, ¡°Big Brother, are we going back? It¡¯s not fun ying here.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Let¡¯s go back.¡± She was gentle to Wei Yi like before. As she led him away, Jing Rong¡¯s eyes followed them tightly, as their figures gradually faded into the distance, until they were no longer in sight. It was only after he could no longer see them that Jing Rong¡¯s gaze changed slowly into an imprable wall, preventing anyone from peering into his thoughts. After a long time, he finally called out Lang Po, who stepped forward, ¡°Any instructions, Your Highness?¡± ¡°How much did you understand of Teacher Ji¡¯s exnation of the yin yang corpse?¡± Lang Po scratched his head. He was a rough man, so how could heprehend so many things? Thus, he truthfully answered, ¡°Err¡­ I think he was talking about that person being afflicted by homosexuality.¡± ¡®Hey! Hey! Hey! Don¡¯t say nonsense if you didn¡¯t understand anything! Teacher Ji¡¯s exnations were so clear, how did you manage to understand so incorrectly?¡¯ Yet the word ¡°homosexuality¡± smashed Jing Rong¡¯s mind as if it rang some truth. Behind his back, his hands clenched tightly into fists. He shouldn¡¯t have any homosexual tendencies, right? ¡®Impossible!¡¯ His expression turned solemn as he addressed his subordinate, ¡°Lang Po, didn¡¯t I order you to investigate Teacher Ji¡¯s background? What progress have you made?¡± ¡°Reporting to your Highness, I investigated, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s expression sharpened. ¡°Teacher Ji went into¡­ Lord Ji¡¯s residence. He should be a person from the Ji Mansion. This humble one had already dispatched a group of people to investigate further. I believe we should have more information soon.¡± ¡°Lord Ji?¡± Jing Rong immediately frowned, ¡°You mean that old guy Ji Shuhan?¡± Lang Po tensed, ¡°Yes, your Highness.¡± Revealing an inquisitive face, Jing Rong¡¯s eyelids lowered as he started to mutter in a low voice, ¡°Ji Yunshu, Ji Yunshu, Ji¡­ In the entire Jinjiang city, only Ji Shuhan¡¯s family bore the surname Ji. I should have thought about it earlier.¡± It was absolutely out of Lang Po¡¯s expectations that his prince¡¯s interest in Ji Yunshu was so strong. Not waiting for Lang Po to react, Jing Rong voiced out new instructions, ¡°Investigate him once again in my stead.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness.¡± ¡°Investigate when he received the wounds on his back, how he got them and who flogged him. This Prince wants every single detail clearly reported to me.¡± His tone revealed a vicious feeling and extreme anger! ¡®This Prince didn¡¯t just drink water to grow up!¡¯ Chapter 55: Carrying Her Home Chapter 55: Carrying Her Home Ever since leaving Grand Canal Manor, Ji Yunshu hadn¡¯t spoken a word. Her steps got heavier as she felt her strength start to leave her. Her eyelids were also fighting to stay open. Fresh blood oozed from her injury, dying the clothes on her back from their original blue to a darker hue. One couldn¡¯t tell if it was because of the blood or the sweat. Despite her eyesight getting blurrier and her steps getting more unstable, she resisted the urge to cry out in pain and continued forward. Night had slowly fallen as they walked. Wei Yi was holding onto a small skyntern1 made of white paper. He had probably been ying with it too much, as evidenced by the holes pockmarking it. He was extremely excited as he lifted thentern while skipping around. ¡°Big brother, look. I found it in the courtyard. Doesn¡¯t it look nice?¡± ¡®It¡¯s already so broken, what¡¯s so nice to look at!¡¯ Ji Yunshu ignored him. ¡°I heard my teacher call this a skyntern. When I was very young my mother would light thesenterns and let them float into the air, lots of them. It looked awesome. Big brother, have you seen that before?¡± ¡®Nope! I¡¯ve seen quite a lot of bodies though. Dry corpses, dissected corpses, skeletons¡­ They look quite good when piled up together.¡¯ But Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t have the energy to reply to him. Her lips were turning whiter as she slowed down a lot. Yet, her back was still as straight as ever. Wei Yi hadn¡¯t noticed that something was wrong. He continued skipping ahead, though at every three steps he would halt to wait for her. After a while, he turned around to face Ji Yunshu and cheekily started walking backward. ¡°Big brother, I can see you if I walk like this.¡± ¡°Um.¡± ¡°Big brother, you¡¯re walking very slowly.¡± ¡°Um.¡± ¡°Big brother, do your feet hurt?¡± ¡°Um.¡± Two stepster, the strength in her legs suddenly left her as she cked out. She suddenly fell to the floor, relying on one leg to support her own weight. Seeing this, Wei Yi couldn¡¯t be bothered about his skyntern anymore; he tossed it aside and approached Ji Yunshu. He knelt on the ground, his face filled with panic. ¡°Big brother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± His voice betrayed his fear! Ji Yunshu bit her lips as she heaved lightly. A sheen of cold sweat covered her forehead. With some effort, she lifted her eyes to look at Wei Yi. ¡°Wei Yi, have you carried someone before?¡± asked Ji Yunshu in an extremely weak voice. He shook his head, nope! ¡°Then if I ask you to carry me, would you be okay?¡± She was still unwilling to mention the injury on her back. Wei Yi nodded his head furiously! ¡°Okay.¡± Although his tone was still bright, it contained hints of worry. He had already crouched down in front of Ji Yunshu, his back facing her, saying, ¡°Big brother,e on, I¡¯ll carry you.¡± The sight of Wei Yi¡¯s back, which looked firm and reliable caused Ji Yunshu to feel warmth despite the coldness of the night. At that moment, Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes nearly turned red. ¡®No one has ever been willing to do this for me before!¡¯ Gritting her teeth, she shakily climbed onto Wei Yi¡¯s back. Wei Yi held onto her legs as he lifted her up without much effort. ¡°Big brother, you¡¯re very light.¡± Indeed, she was too light. Her head leaned on Wei Yi¡¯s shoulder as she moved her head next to his ear while asking, ¡°Wei Yi, do you know the way?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll guide you. Walk straight for now.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He carried Ji Yunshu as he walked at a speed neither fast nor slow. ¡°Big brother, how about I sing for you? When mother carried me, she would sing.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyelids slowly shut, though hearing his voice she still quietly acquiesced. Having gotten a reply, Wei Yi smiled. He cleared his throat as he started to sing. As it were long ago, Caressed by the gentle wind, The son from Zhao¡¯ses home Carrying with him wholly the beauty of Pu Yang2 With a book, The Servant went forth to greet him, Him and thenguor from his voyage. That voice that should have been rough was bestowed gentleness by the song. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t know that Wei Yi could sing so well. She gave a slight smile as she asked weakly, ¡°What¡¯s this song?¡± ¡°Mother says it¡¯s called ¡®Youth¡¯. When I was small, my mother used to carry me and sing this song to me. But now she won¡¯t carry me anymore. She says I¡¯ve grown up and have to marry and have kids. She says that when I have little Wei Yis then I¡¯ll have to carry them and sing this song to them.¡± ¡®Silly kid, your mother is really good to you to tell you so much.¡¯ He added, ¡°Big brother, right now I¡¯m carrying you, so does that mean you¡¯re a little Wei Yi?¡± Pfft~! ¡®You¡¯re the little Wei Yi! Your whole family is little Wei Yis!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not going to be your wife or have little Wei Yis with you.¡¯ If it hadn¡¯t been for the injury on her back causing her so much pain, she would¡¯ve knocked on his head with her knuckles right now. Wei Yi reached an intersection. She lifted her hand to point towards a direction, ¡°That way.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Wei Yi replied. As he followed Ji Yunshu¡¯s guidance, Wei Yi once again started to hum. In the cold, windy night, a tall silhouette carried a smaller thinner one as it walked down the long, winding road. That scene was quite beautiful. During the journey, Ji Yunshu had nearly fallen asleep several times due to Wei Yi¡¯s singing. Finally, they reached the entrance to the west courtyard of the Ji Mansion. ¡°You can put me down now,¡± Ji Yunshu said. Wei Yi carefully ced her down before asking her earnestly, ¡°Big brother, did I sing well?¡± She nodded as she pushed the door open. Her face was even paler than before. Wei Yi suddenly furrowed his brow as he asked her, ¡°Big brother, are you sick?¡± ¡°Wei Yi, do you remember the way back home?¡± ¡°I remember how to go back from here,¡± answer Wei Yi with a firm tone Ji Yunshu¡¯s leaned against the doorframe using her hands as she took a deep breath. ¡°Then be careful on your way back. If your mother asks you where you went, don¡¯t mention anything about Grand Canal Manor, got it?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°No why.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± He pursed his lips as he nodded firmly. Suddenly he looked inside, as if he was looking for something. He couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°Big sister should be asleep already.¡± ¡®How disappointing! Your big sister isn¡¯t asleep! She¡¯s right in front of you!¡¯ Hearing his remark, she thought to herself, ¡®This fellow really has taken a liking to me.¡¯ ¡°Wei Yi, it¡¯s already dark. Hurry and head home.¡± ¡°Oh. Big brother, when can I find you to y again? I¡¯m always by myself, no one wants to y with me.¡± ¡®How pitiful! Even I have a bunch of corpses to y with.¡¯ Hence, Ji Yunshu couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°If you want to look for me, go to the yamen.¡± Wei Yi was extremely happy upon hearing the answer. ¡°Okay! Then I¡¯ll be leaving now, big brother.¡± With a wave of his hand and a slight smile, he merrily skipped away! Ji Yunshu couldn¡¯t keep herself upright any longer and fell to the ground, her knee knocked into the doorframe, causing her even more pain. Fortunately, Luan¡¯er just so happened to be leaving the courtyard at this moment. She saw the door wide open and her Young Miss copsed on the ground. With a countenance whitened by fear, she hurriedly approached and crouched down, ¡°Miss, you¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± When Luan¡¯er¡¯s hand touched Ji Yunshu¡¯s back, she felt wetness. Lifting her hand, she saw that her hand was actually covered with blood! 1.Skyntern: Skyntern are also called Kong Ming Lanterns, named after the famous military strategist and inventor Zhu Geliang (Courtesy name Kong Ming) from the Three Kingdoms Era. It is cylindrical and usually made with wax paper, and able to levitate using the same principle as hot air balloons. ? 2.Pu Yang: Name of a Chinese city in Hebei province. Chapter 56: Ji Pei Chapter 56: Ji Pei The blood on her hands caused Luan¡¯er to panic! ¡®I should have tried harder to stop her from going out today,¡¯ thought Luan¡¯er. The Young Miss had clearly been injured, and she should¡¯ve refused to allow her out today. Seeing that back of her Young Miss¡¯ clothes was drenched with blood, fear and anxiety filled her heart. Ji Yunshu supported herself against the doorframe with one hand as she raised her pale face to look at Luan¡¯er. ¡°Help me inside.¡± Overtaken by panic, Luan¡¯er did not immediatelye to the rescue of her master. Upon hearing Ji Yunshu¡¯s voice, she lent her trembling hands and drew her into the dwelling. Luan¡¯er hurriedly readied a basin of hot water and stripped off the bloodied clothes to expose Ji Yunshu¡¯s back. Luan¡¯er, who was ill-prepared for the gruesome sight of Ji Yunshu¡¯s back, was terrified as soon as sheid her eyes upon it. The wounds which had originally started to scab had re-opened and blood was oozing out. ¡°Young Miss, I¡¯ll go find a physician,¡± Luan¡¯er said as she wiped her tears. Ji Yunshu pulled her back. ¡°Don¡¯t. There¡¯s medicine in the cupboard, so just help me apply it on my back.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Hurry.¡± Her master¡¯s insistence prevailed, and Luan¡¯er obeyed her orders. She wiped off her tears and ran to fetch the medicine and some bandages. She carefully used the lukewarm water to clean the wounds before she applied the medicine and covered the whole with bandages. She also helped her Young Miss change her clothes. A simple task which took a long time due to Ji Yunshu¡¯s injuries. Ji Yunshuid on the bed. Thanks to the medicine, the pain seemed to have subsided. Luan¡¯er was carrying the basin filled with bloody water out when she bumped into someone at the door. ¡°Second Young Miss?¡± Ji Wanxin stood in the doorway. She had quite a scare at the sight of the basin full of bloody water. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked Luan¡¯er. Luan¡¯er threw a worry-filled gaze back towards the room. Ji Wanxin hurriedly entered only to see Ji Yunshu lying prone on the bed. Hurrying over to Ji Yunshu¡¯s side, she asked, ¡°Yunshu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± As she said these words, she gently lifted the nkets. Upon seeing Ji Yunshu¡¯s bandages, the sequences of events which had just transpired seemed to have been reconstructed in her mind. ¡°Your wounds reopened? You should have seen a physician,¡± suggested Ji Wanxin as she called her own maid to instruct her to go fetch a physician. ¡°Second Sister, there¡¯s no need to bother a physician for such small wounds. I¡¯ve already applied medicine so there¡¯s no need to trouble yourself,¡± Ji Yunshu said. ¡°How would this trouble me? The wounds on your back can get serious if they don¡¯t healpletely¡­¡± Ji Wanxin sighed as she clutched one of Ji Yunshu¡¯s hands, a movement which let through some of her anguish. ¡®Her hand is so cold!¡¯ thought Ji Wanxin. Ji Wanxin shot a look at her maid to make her leave. Once the maid left, she spoke, ¡°You were too stubborn. If you had just admitted your wrongs to father, wouldn¡¯t you be just fine? How could you have withstood that whip? Don¡¯t you remember that thest time you got hit with that whip, you were unconscious for so many days? If you hadn¡¯t held on, right now¡­¡± ¡®You¡¯d be dead!¡¯ The deep affection Ji Wanxin held for her little sister was expressed through her good-looking eyes, which rapidly filled up with tears. Yet Ji Yunshu¡¯s only reaction to her words was a weak smile. ¡°Lingzhi¡¯s injury caused Third Brother toe over to smash my courtyard. Grandmother dotes on her a lot so she would definitely want me punished too. Lingzhi would probablye over to make trouble for me too. You know that I¡¯m most afraid of little children, so a fewshes of from that whip is a small price to pay for a reprieve from their antics?¡± Her tone was light, though most of it was due to her weakness. ¡°There¡¯s no one else here, so why don¡¯t you tell me the truth?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what Second Sister is saying.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still waiting for Ji Pei, aren¡¯t you?¡± Ji Wanxin furrowed her brows. Ji Yunshu hadn¡¯t mentioned that name in two years. Upon hearing it from Ji Wanxin¡¯s, her heart seemed to itch, yet she couldn¡¯t scratch it. Shey her head against the pillow as she turned to hide her eyes. Yet Ji Wanxin seemed to havepletely seen through her. Ji Wanxin attempted to persuade her, ¡°Ji Pei has already left for two years, why are you still waiting for him? Perhaps he won¡¯t return at all, or maybe he has forgotten your promise. Yunshu, why are you making things hard for yourself?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say anymore, Second Sister.¡± ¡°I just can¡¯t bear to see you like this. A spoken promise rooted you to this empty courtyard for two years. Was it worth it?¡± As if feeling that she wasn¡¯t being persuasive enough, she continued, ¡°You clearly don¡¯t want to get married to the Wei family, yet you still tolerate it. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t wait for Ji Pei anymore and I would leave the Ji family, or even Jinjiang city.¡± She spoke with a voice filled with indignation! Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t know why she felt like this. Ji Wanxin didn¡¯t understand Ji Yunshu enough. She wasn¡¯t that selfless of a person. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t care about anything, nor was it to make things hard for herself. The only reason why she waited was because she had promised to. ¡°Leaving the Ji family is easy. Leaving Jinjiang city is also easy. But¡­ if I leave, how would Ji Pei find me when he returns?¡± Her voice seemed toe from a deep abyss. ¡°But your tolerance will only harm yourself in the end.¡± ¡°I know.¡± There was a kind of unbreakable determination in her voice. Indeed, Ji Yunshu was too stubborn, perhaps excessively so! She promised to wait, and wait she would. The two-year deadline wasn¡¯t up yet! Shaking her head, Ji Wanxin didn¡¯t know what else to say. A thousand words of persuasion came to her mind, but ultimately, she did not speak any of them. She could only sigh as she tucked in the corner of Ji Yunshu¡¯s nket. ¡°Get some rest. In a bit, I¡¯ll get Dong¡¯er to send over some medicine and tonics. Focus on recuperating and leave all the other matters aside for now.¡± Ji Yunshu assented to all her instructions. Up until her departure, Ji Yunshu¡¯s suffering was still visibly affecting Ji Wanxin¡¯s mood. When night fell, Ji Yunshu was in so much pain she couldn¡¯t sleep. However, her pain didn¡¯t just originate from the whip injuries on her back. That name, ¡®Ji Pei¡¯, also contributed to it. Ji Yunshu had never spoken to anyone about Ji Pei before. This person was the taboo of the Ji family! No one was allowed to mention or speak about him. Even the 8-year-old Ji Lingzhi never dared to mention him! It was as if this person had never existed. But Ji Yunshu knew well that Ji Pei truly existed. After all, the happy memories that they shared were carved deep into her heart. That winter, the plum blossoms bloomed vibrantly. Ji Pei stood underneath the plum tree. ¡°Strong facial features¡±, ¡°A pleasant face¡±, ¡°Brimming with elegance¡±. These phrases described him perfectly. He broke a stem holding a plum blossom and ced it into Ji Yunshu¡¯s palm. His movements were filled with warmth and gentleness. ¡°Shu¡¯er, promise me that you¡¯ll wait for me. In two years, I will definitelye back with betrothal gifts fit for the perfect bride that you are!¡± The Ji Pei from her memories, with his schrly air, was truly wless. His gaze, just like the nightly summer sky faintly illuminated by sparse stars, was warm enough to set one¡¯s heart aze. That was the person to whom she was keeping her promise for nearly two years. ¡­¡­¡­. Time flew by. The pain tortured Ji Yunshu for the whole night. She only managed to momentarily slip into a light slumber right before dawn. When she woke up, her pillow was soaked wet, and it was difficult to tell whether most of it came from her sweat or her tears. Chapter 57: Burn it! The injuries on her back no longer hurt. Ji Yunshu massaged the space between her eyebrows before she prudently sat up in her bed in fear of opening her wounds again. ¡°Luan¡¯er!¡± She called out twice, but there was no response. ¡®That girl, where could she ran off to so early in the morning?¡¯ She descended from her bed. She fetched the blue and wide cloak hung on the coat rack before wrapping herself with it and leaving the room. But still no Luan¡¯er in sight. She was just about to return to her room when she heard the clear sounds of footsteps approaching from behind her. She turned her head and a panting Luan¡¯er came into her sight. In the maidservant¡¯s hands, she held into a long box covered by a patterned brocade cloth that was exuding an extremely elegant taste. ¡°Miss, why are you up? Are the wounds on your back still hurting?¡± Worry could be seen on Luan¡¯er face. ¡°Where did the thing in your handse from?¡± Ji Yunshu attentively studied the brocade box in Luan¡¯er hands. Luan¡¯er raised the brocade box higher and said, ¡°This was given by the honorable guests from the capital who came previously, and they had visited us again. They gave everyone a gift and they are still discussing with Master in the reception hall.¡± ¡°Honorable guests? From the capital?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Luan¡¯er nodded. ¡®Could it be Jing Rong?¡¯ The doubts rose inside Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart. She still received the brocade box and instructed Luan¡¯er. ¡°Go to the reception hall and find out what my father and the honorable guest are discussing about.¡± ¡®Huh? I have to peep and eavesdrop?!¡¯ Luan¡¯er was bewildered. ¡°Miss, thi-¡± ¡°Go quickly.¡± ¡°Oh! Oh!¡± Luan¡¯er energetically dashed to the reception hall to spy on others! Ji Yunshu went back into her room with the box. Inside her room, she opened the box revealing the object inside ¨C Turniplike cowparsnip root. A turniplike cowparsnip root wasn¡¯t a rare medicinal ingredient, but its market price was quite exorbitant. In addition, it was also strangely effective when treating whip wounds. Faintly, something stirred deep inside her heart. ¡®What a coincidence!¡¯ The gift from the capital guest was like charcoal in snowy weather! She shook her head. It was more important to handle her back injuries now while it didn¡¯t hurt. She walked to a shelf behind her table and took her sandalwood box. Then, she took out a white paper from it and spread it on the table. For a moment, her brain imagined what she nned to put on paper. Next, she took out a golden ink brush and she dipped it into the back inkstone before drawing on the paper. Halfway through, the distinctive image of human bones drawn in ck ink took shape. With careful observation, it could be seen that the bones were, in fact, the different parts of a human skull! And it was the sketch of the yin yang corpse¡¯s skull! The skull was divided into 23 parts, allposed of bones of different sizes and shapes which included numerous t bones and irregr bones. Even the smallest part was carefully drawn and separated. It appeared as if she was reconstructing a skull model. This was one of Ji Yunshu¡¯s habits; deconstruction of something whole before reassembling it following the shape and size of it. She would use y to shape each piece based on what she drew and piece them together to form a 3D skull model. After she was done with it, she would once again draw the portrait by looking at the y skull. The methods she used to reproduce the portrait of the deceased that only had skeletal remains were unlike those she used for corpses that were still covered in rotten flesh. Even in the modern times, despite the presence of high techputers andposite programs, she still needed to put in a lot of effort in reproducing the portrait of the deceased before death. Furthermore, there aren¡¯t anyputers in this ce! She had no other choice but to use this kind of method. After she put down the ink brush, her white fingers tapped the edge of the paper. It was also the first time she came across a yin yang person. After pondering on it for a moment, her thoughts went off on another tangent. She paused for a moment, then rolled up the sketch of the skull and put it aside. Then, she unfolded another sheet of paper. She rearranged the paint container in the firstyer of her box before adding water to the indented slots on the secondyer of it. Next, she dipped her brush in the paint and water before starting to paint. Meanwhile, Luan¡¯er who have received her order had left to spy at the reception hall. She tiptoed quietly, not daring to approach too near. She simply hid herself behind several maidservants and eavesdropped at the upants inside. Inside the reception hall, Ji Shuhan was standing still. His posture slightly bent. His usually fiendish and arrogant appearance had be one exuding ttery and fawning, with a deferential smile stered on his face. Jing Rong, who was sitting, revealed a faint smile which exuded a feeling making people¡¯s anxious. A deterring impression that kept strangers at bay! Jing Rong¡¯s sharp and cold eyes sized up Ji Shuhan before he snorted, ¡°Lord Ji, please sit down. This prince doesn¡¯t like looking up at people.¡± His tone came out overbearing. Jing Rong referring Ji Shuhan as Lord Ji wasn¡¯t a false act as Ji Shuhan was the assistant minister in the Ministry of Rites in his younger days! Yet Ji Shuhan didn¡¯t sit, though he did lowered his head for appearance sake and said, ¡°It¡¯s better if this lowly official keeps standing.¡± ¡°This prince let you sit, so just sit.¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± Only then, Ji Shuhan raised the bottom of his robe before sitting next to Jing Rong. ¡°Prince Rong, today you came with such precious gifts for this lowly official¡¯s family members, I don¡¯t know if¡­ there was any reason for your visit?¡± ¡®What? Did Ji Shuhan really believe that I came here because I had nothing better to do?¡¯ Jing Rong was a grand and magnificent prince. There was no need for him to go find Ji Shuhan. While a smile, Jing Rong picked up the teacup. He narrowed his eyes and after what may seem like ages, he spoke, ¡°I heard that in your younger days, when Lord Ji was still an official, my imperial father had bestowed upon you a horsewhip with a handle made of golden brocade and jade. Was it true?¡± As the mention of the whip,prehension suddenly dawned on Ji Shuhan¡¯s face. ¡°To be bestowed a reward by the emperor is the blessing of this official¡¯s three lifetimes.¡± ¡°Oh? I heard horsewhip was a tribute from Persia, made from golden eagle¡¯s leather. I wonder if I would have the honor to see it?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s eyebrows tightly knitted. When he heard Jing Rong, Ji Shuhan hurriedly stated, ¡°If Prince Rong want to see it, I will bring it out.¡± He then turned to a servant and gave his order. ¡°Go and bring out the horsewhip.¡± The servant dashed out and went to take the horsewhip without any dy. A yellow brocade box was brought in, showing how carefully selected it was! Ji Shuhan took out the whip from the box and respectfully presented it to Jing Rong. ¡°Your Highness, this is the horsewhip bestowed by his majesty the emperor.¡± ¡®I know it¡¯s a bestowed reward. No need to repeat it again and again!¡¯ Jing Rong put down the teacup in his hand. He raised an eyebrow and as he beamed a smile, the smile showed a hint of slyness in it. He took the whip and examined it. Suddenly, he wrinkled his nose and said, ¡°This whip is very exquisite, but¡­ why does is there a bloody scent on it?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Ji Shuhan became flustered. After the whip was used to flog Ji Yunshu, it was clearly washed and dried properly. Not even a trace of blood could be seen. Not to mention that sandalwood incense was used to purge the bloody scent from it, so how could it still smell like blood? ¡®Does Prince Rong have the nose of a dog?¡¯ Seeing that Ji Shuhan was tight-lipped, Jing Rong raised his chin and continued. ¡°Not only does it smell bloody, there¡¯s another smell on the handle. It has the stench of a beast.¡± ¡®Beast?¡¯ Wasn¡¯t Ji Shuhan the one who held the whip before him? This was pointing at the mulberry tree and cursing the locust tree! If Jing Rong said two, no one would say one. At this instant, Ji Shuhan¡¯splexion couldn¡¯t be more blue as he almost choked in his saliva, shaking non-stop from anger. ¡°Prince Rong¡­ How can this whip have such scent? Every day, I perfumed it with sandalwood incense.¡± ¡°Lord Ji, you better get the doctor to examine your nose.¡± His expression was beaming whereas his words stung. However, Jing Rong didn¡¯t feel like he waspletely satisfied, so he raised the whip and asked Lang Po, ¡°Lang Po, smell it. Tell me if my nose doesn¡¯t have a problem.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡± Lang Po took the whip and sniffed it before nodding. ¡°Prince, the whip does indeed have a blood scent on it, and the handle really has the stench of a beast.¡± ¡°Hmmm!¡± Jing Rong was very satisfied. His smile vanished and was suddenly reced by a dark and stern expression. ¡°Take that whip and burn it!¡± Chapter 58: Who Invite This Deity? Chapter 58: Who Invite This Deity? ¡®WHAT? Burn the whip?! This is a gift bestowed by the emperor! This won¡¯t do! This absolutely cannot be done!¡¯ Ji Shuhan jumped out of his chair and hurriedly crouched down with a twisted expression on his face. ¡°Prince Rong, this whip is a gift from his Majesty the Emperor. It cannot be burnt!¡± ¡°Let me ask you¡­ This is a whip bestowed to you, but what was its purpose?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡®The Emperor didn¡¯t mention anything about it!¡¯ Ji Shuhan nervously continued his sentence, ¡°Prince Rong, please be magnanimous! If you dislike the blood scent on the whip, this lowly official will definitively take care of it, but please don¡¯t burn it!¡± Ji Shuhan¡¯s appearance when he beseeched his mercy pleased the wayward prince! At this moment, Jing Rong¡¯s anger was burning. His cold and clear pupils were fixed on Ji Shuhan. They appeared extremely ruthless. He raised his hand and spoke resolutely. ¡°You still haven¡¯t burned it yet?!¡± Without any hesitation and scruples, Lang Po obeyed Jing Rong¡¯s order. He walked out of the reception room with the whip, fetched a firestarter from his waist and blew on it the next second before igniting the whip. Who knew if Lang Po, that rough man, was teasing Ji Shuhan or not, but the whip didn¡¯t even ignite at all, almost as if it was also waiting for Jing Rong¡¯s confirmation! A loud Bam! was heard. It was the sound of Ji Shuhan falling to his knees. Both of his hands were ced on the ground as he groveled, madly beseeching the prince¡¯s mercy. ¡°You must not your Highness! I beseech you! By all means, you cannot burn the whip! This lowly official beseeches you! This whip is the Emperor¡¯s bestowal. I am unable to shoulder it if it was burnt! Please, Prince Rong! Mercy Prince Rong! You must not burn it!¡± ¡®Wasn¡¯t he a ravenous wolf? Why is he just like Magistrate Liu, always groveling at every frigging fault?¡± A corner of Jing Rong¡¯s mouth slightly raised. He picked up the teacup, not too fast and not too slow either. Without leaving the groveling Ji Shuhan out of his sight, he slowly parted his lips and dered, ¡°Lord Ji, to kneel like this in front of this prince for the sake of a whip¡­ It¡¯s really not worth it. Now, get up.¡± Ji Shuhan persisted on maintaining the same groveling position as he continued to implore. ¡°Please, Prince Rong, you must not burn the whip. Otherwise, this lowly official will continue to kneel and won¡¯t stand up.¡± ¡®You want to continue to kneel and won¡¯t stand up? Hmph!¡¯ ¡°Fine! Then, keep on kneeling.¡± Jing Rong snapped his fingers at Lang Po. ¡°Get a move on it!¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± Lang Poplied with Jing Rong¡¯s order and held the firestarter to one end of the whip. At first, there were only a few strands of ck smoke rising, but the next second, a burnt smell could be detected. Not long after, the whip caught in fire. Lang Po threw the whip on the ground where the whip shrank and curled, burning brightly. When Ji Shuhan smelt the smoke, he raised his head and saw his treasured whip ame. His originally healthyplexion turned darker and darker. Pain drilled into his fists as he madly hammered them on the ground. ¡®MY TREASURE!¡¯ Watching that old guy overwhelmed by sorrow caused Jing Rong to feel bewildered. He got up and avoided Ji Shuhan as he walked until he was under the roof before he called out ¡°Lord Ji¡±. Ji Shuhan drooped his neck, his face clearly disheartened. He sighed, but still responded. ¡°I am at your service, your highness.¡± ¡°I heard there was a temple in Jinjiang city consecrated to the Bodhisattva that was extremely effective. It seems that it was called Qing An temple, right?¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± ¡°Since Lord Ji cares this much about the object my imperial father conferred, I presumed you also had good loyalty toward my imperial father, right?¡± ¡°Correct,¡± eximed Ji Shuhan. Jing Rong once again revealed a dark smile. ¡°Very good. I heard people say that if you went to Qing An temple by foot, climb the mountain with a kowtow for each step you take and use all of your sincerity to pray for blessings, the effectiveness of your prayers will be higher, am I correct?¡± ¡°You are correct your highness,¡± echoed once again Ji Shuhan. Jing Rong slowly turned back and bent his neck to look at him. ¡°Good! My imperial father¡¯s birthday ising soon, so I¡¯ll trouble Lord Ji to¡­ kowtow at each step until you climbed up to Qing An temple while praying for my imperial father. Surely¡­ Lord Ji won¡¯t refuse, right?¡± ¡®There¡¯s 9,999 stone steps to Qing An temple! Even if I were to just climb the stairs normally, it¡¯s the same as wanting to ascend to Heaven, not even mentioning a kowtow at each step!¡¯ ¡®Jing Rong, you¡¯re not the evildoer sent by the monkey1, are you?¡¯ Ji Shuhan was scared out of his wits. He still hadn¡¯t recovered from the destruction of his whip, and now he was hit by another big mental attack. He couldn¡¯t even muster any anger as his eyes widened exaggeratingly. He was on the verge of fainting and hisplexion was deadly white. Jing Rong noticed that Ji Shuhan gradually stopped responding. A fire alit within his eyes as he spoke in a serious voice, ¡°What? You don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s not like that. I-I¡¯m willing!¡± ¡®Not at all!¡¯ thought Ji Shuhan. Jing Rong nodded and gave Lord Ji a gentle smile. ¡°Very well. I will dispatch a few people to assist you, just in case you miss a step or a kowtow since it won¡¯t be good if it does happen.¡± ¡°T-thank you Prince Rong¡­¡± Ji Shuhan fiercely trembled. ¡®A disguised way to monitor me! This is truly too perverted! Jing Rong was now perfectly satisfied and the anger in his innermost had reduced to half. ¡®This is what happened when you bully my little schr. Dare to beat up my dear Yunshu?! See this is how I punish you!¡¯ Finally, Jing Rong, filled with satisfaction, left with Lang Po. Whereas Ji Shuhan was still kneeling on the ground, exposing an extremely ugly expression. ¡®That deity, who invited him here?¡¯ Luan¡¯er, who had witnessed the whole course of events, felt indescribably refreshed. ¡®So, that honorable guest from the capital is Prince Rong! Moreover, to teach Master such a lesson, he had vented out Miss¡¯ resentments.¡¯ Therefore, with a happy heart, she returned to West Side courtyard to report the news to Ji Yunshu. Meanwhile, Ji Yunshu was still painting when she heard Luan¡¯er reporting the joyful news with bustling energy! ¡°Miss, you should have seen Master¡¯s face turning from green to white. That Prince Rong is really terrific! The way he spoke and handled the situation simply made me have a whole new level of respect for him.¡± Luan¡¯er revealed a love-struck expression, which was extremely cute. Ji Yunshu continued to paint. Her mood was as calm as before and waspletely unfazed by Luan¡¯er¡¯s mood. Finally, she put down her brush and cleaned it by dipping it in water before cing it back into her sandalwood box. Then, she lifted her eyes and nced at Luan¡¯er. ¡°Did he leave yet?¡± Her tone was insipid. ¡°Yes, he just left.¡± ¡°Um.¡± Ji Yunshu rolled up the portrait that she had just painted and tied it with a red string. Luan¡¯er was puzzled. ¡°Miss, why do you seem uninterested about it? We¡¯re talking about Prince Rong and he taught Master a lesson!¡± Ji Yunshu heard it already. She didn¡¯t need Luan¡¯er to repeat it a second time! ¡°Alright, I heard what you said.¡± Ji Yunshu went around the table before going into her bedroom. By the time she came out, she was attired in men clothes. ¡°Miss! Where are you going?¡± Luan¡¯er became extremely nervous because the wounds on her young miss had notpletely healed yet. The young maidservant definitively had to stop her. ¡°I¡¯m going to the prison.¡± As the words came out, she also added, ¡°You cane with me.¡± She couldn¡¯t help it that Luan¡¯er repeated herself, so she went out the door with the painting in her hand, followed by Luan¡¯er. When they both arrived in front of the prison, the jailer, who had previously been bribed with three taels, weed them. ¡°Teacher Ji, why have youe?¡± ¡°Bring me to Lin Duan.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll lead you.¡± The jailer agreed without asking much questions as he led her into the prison. The prison was as gloomy as before and constantly damped. Luan¡¯er frowned as she used her hand to cover her nose. It was the first time she came here. As for Ji Yunshu, her expression remained unperturbed without the slightest disgust seen. 1.¡°You¡¯re not the evildoer sent by the monkey, aren¡¯t you?¡± is a modified version of a popr line from the ¡°Journey to the West¡± where the Red Child met Guanyin and asked her if she was the reinforcement of Sun Wukong. The result of the encounter ends with the Red Child kowtowing at each step along his journey to meet Guanyin again in atonement for his sins. Since Jing Rong is not Goddess of Mercy, of course, the popr line was modified to evildoer. Chapter 59: The Memento Chapter 59: The Memento From the entrance of the prison to the innermost part of it, they were assailed by the ever increasing humidity and the stench which seemed tobine with the smell of rusting iron. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± dered the jailer as he stopped in front of a prison cell. Through the wooden stakes, Ji Yunshu could see Lin Duan¡¯s head. Due to the bribe given to the jailer, Lin Duan¡¯s cell was exceptionally clean and he even had a quilt. The man was sitting on the bed with his head drooped and his hair was disheveled. As for his eyes, they were filled with despair. Suyun¡¯s death had killed his heart. ¡°Open the door,¡± ordered Ji Yunshu. However, the jailer appeared extremely awkward as he said, ¡°Teacher Ji, I can¡¯t let you go in there likest time, since Suyun¡­¡± ¡®Right¡­¡¯ If she had not gone in and gave Suyun that oilmp, perhaps, Suyun would not have used it tomit suicide. She didn¡¯t want to make things difficult for the jailer. So, she simply stated, ¡°Forget it, you may go out first.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The jailer obediently left. Ji Yunshu knocked on the wooden stake and called out for Lin Duan. Lin Duan didn¡¯t react at all. ¡°The case has been reinvestigated. Although Suyun and you didn¡¯t kill anyone, you should know that destroying a corpse and any evidence is still a crime. You may be spared from capital punishment, but when the documents from the Ministry of Justice are approved, you would still be punished.¡± Even after she said those words, Lin Duan remained as if he was a statue. Meanwhile, Luan¡¯er pulled on Ji Yunshu¡¯s sleeve and asked in a small voice, ¡°Miss, is he retarded?¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t retarded, but rather, his heart had died.¡± The words she just spoke were meant for Lin Duan to hear. Having achieved her purpose, Lin Duan slightly moved. He raised his head and stared at Ji Yunshu. The despair filling his eyes was gradually reced by hatred. ¡°It¡¯s you! You¡¯re the one who killed her!¡± His heavy tone felt like a chunk of an iceberg that had broken off! ¡°I am sorry.¡± Regret suffused Ji Yunshu¡¯s voice. ¡°Yun¡¯er is dead! What¡¯s the use of apologizing?¡± His words stopped as he rose and abruptly dashed to the wooden stakes, directly crashing on them. His face was a mask of viciousness as he shouted at Ji Yunshu, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! Those people should have died. They should all die and apany my Yun¡¯er!¡± Fortunately, Luan¡¯er reacted quickly and had pulled Ji Yunshu back two steps when Lin Duan dashed to the wooden bars. Otherwise, Ji Yunshu¡¯s delicate neck would have been wrung by Lin Duan¡¯s hands. ¡°Lin Duan, I know you are filled with resentment, but if it wasn¡¯t due to the old housekeeper making a move first, Miss Zhou would have drunk the medicinal concoction. You have premeditated her murder. I admit that her death was because of my mistake, but did you know? That the reason why she killed herself was for your sake?¡± ¡°Nonsense! You all hounded her to death!¡± His bellow reverberated through the whole prison! The jailer returned to them when he heard the bellow, but seeing Ji Yunshu unharmed, he didn¡¯te over. At this moment, Lin Duan seemed like a malevolent entity! ¡°Love¡± couldmit people together in life and death, and also destroy their wisdom. Then, Ji Yunshu had a thought for Ji Pei. She didn¡¯t know if she would do the same thing for Ji Pei if he too was in a life-threatening situation. She reared back her mind, took out from her belt a handkerchief and gave it to him. ¡°You should be familiar with this handkerchief, right? You should also be able to recognize Suyun¡¯s handwriting.¡± Lin Duan hastily grabbed the handkerchief which he undoubtedly recognized. His eyes were dazzled by the red and blue of the two familiar mulberry flowers. Then, the three rows of bloody letters marking the white handkerchief caught his attention. After Lin Duan read it, his whole body became paralyzed, causing him to slump to the ground. He sat there, sobbing uncontrobly while clutching the handkerchief. He med himself. ¡°Yun¡¯er, I should have made you leave earlier. It was my fault. I couldn¡¯t protect you properly and caused you to lose our child, and now even you have left me¡­ Yun¡¯er¡­¡± Each sentence pierced Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart and made her felt extremely heavy-hearted. Finally, she decided to take out the painting scroll she brought with her and gave it to him. ¡°Think of it as a memento.¡± After he took the painting, he slowly unscrolled it, revealing the image of a delicate and pretty woman in green clothes. Her face was delicate, her expression alert, with crimson thin lips and exquisite eyebrows. ¡®It¡¯s so lifelike!¡¯ The painting looked as if Suyun was right in front of him. Itpletely dispersed the malevolent aura exuding from him. Lin Duan waspletely absent-minded as he stared at the painting. Ji Yunshu no longer disturbed him and left with Luan¡¯er. She had only taken two steps when she heard Lin Duan¡¯s voice. ¡°Thank you.¡± Her steps halted, but she didn¡¯t reply. She simply gave Lin Duan a side nce before continuing her road. When she exited the prison, snow started to fall all of a sudden. The sparse snowkes drifted and fluttered along the cold wind blowing on her face, causing sharp pain on her face. Luan¡¯er lifted her eyes and grumbled, ¡°I should have brought an umbre before we went out. Miss, should we wait a bit before leaving?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a little snow. Nothing inconvenient about it. You should wait here until the snow stops. I¡¯ll go to the yamen first. It¡¯s not too far from here and I could borrow an umbre from Lord Liu.¡± ¡°Ah? I think I should apany you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going there to do the autopsy. Aren¡¯t you afraid of seeing skeletons and such?¡± Yes, she was afraid, not to mention that it terrified her too. Luan¡¯er expressed her thoughts by shrinking her neck and revealing a fearful look. Ji Yunshu continued to speak. ¡°Besides, you will be a hindrance there.¡± Her words were very straightforward! But Ji Yunshu wasn¡¯t afraid of hurting Luan¡¯er¡¯s feelings. Ji Yunshu no longer paid any attention to Luan¡¯er as she left in the snow. The snowkes fell and brushed against her hair and shoulders, and piled up very quickly. The weather in the eleventh lunar month was very unpredictable! Meanwhile, in the yamen, Magistrate Liu had been waiting for a long time. Today was the agreed day to do the autopsy, so naturally, he would wait patiently. ¡°Yunshu, have you eaten breakfast yet?¡± asked the magistrate in a happy tone. ¡®I still haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡¯ She rubbed her belly and asked, ¡°What¡¯s there to eat?¡± ¡°There¡¯s pork chop braised with potatoes, stir-fried meat with celery and finally, eggnts saut¨¦ with soy sauce. If you want to eat, I can have them make pig trotters steamed in broth.¡± ¡°Are you sick? Eating such greasy food so early in the morning.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Liu Qingping¡¯s face stiffened as he was rendered speechless. His teeth hurt as if cold water was being poured inside! Ji Yunshu already sat down and started tapping on the table. ¡°I only want to eat stir-fried bamboo shoots and meatballs soup. If possible, add some Chinese cabbage in it. It¡¯s better to make it fast since I don¡¯t want to dy the autopsy any longer.¡± ¡°Alright, alright! I¡¯ll order it.¡± Magistrate Liu hurriedly summoned a servant and gave him the names of several dishes. Soon after, he sat opposite of Ji Yunshu with a huge smile on his face. He stupidly looked at her. ¡®Are you crazy or what!¡¯ Ji Yunshu thought. Thump! Thump! Suddenly, the sound of the drum came bursting forth from the entrance. Someone had struck the drum! Magistrate Liu became nervous. Not even a moment passed before a runner hurriedly rushed in and pointed at therge entrance as he spoke. ¡°Milord, someone has struck the drum.¡± ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the idiot!¡± ¡®The idiot? Is it Wei Yi?¡¯ Liu Qingping inquired. ¡°Which idiot?¡± The runner replied, ¡°It¡¯s the Wei family¡¯s idiot. He said he came to find ¡®Big Brother¡¯. He¡¯s at the entrance and refuses to leave.¡± Liu Qingping¡¯s face was full of helplessness! Chapter 60: This is the Autopsy Room Chapter 60: This is the Autopsy Room ¡®He came here to find his ¡®Big Brother¡¯?¡¯ Magistrate Liu was baffled. He scratched his head while muttering, ¡°That idiot from the Wei family, wasn¡¯t he the only child? Where did that ¡®Big Brother¡¯e from?¡± No one knew the answer, except for Ji Yunshu. Yesterday night, she merely mentioned that he could look for her at the yamen, but no one expected the young fool to actually do so! The runner asked, ¡°Milord, what should I do? That idiot refuses to leave.¡± ¡°What should you do? Drive him away!¡± ¡°Good, good, good¡­¡± The runner was about to go drive Wei Yi away when Ji Yunshu called out, ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± The magistrate hastily said, ¡°Yunshu, the food ising soon!¡± ¡°Eat, eat, eat! You only know how to eat.¡± Ji Yunshu nced at him as she walked to the yamen entrance. Her actions made him confused, wasn¡¯t Ji Yunshu¡¯s temper indifferent? Why did she care about that fool? At the yamen entrance, Wei Yi held onto the drumstick and intended to strike the drum again, but a yamen runner hurriedly grabbed his hand to stop him. ¡°Young Master Wei, quickly let go of that thing. This drum can¡¯t be struck randomly like that.¡± Wei Yi did not let go. ¡°Big Brother said that I cane to the yamen to find him.¡± ¡°Your ¡®Big Brother¡¯ isn¡¯t here! Also, you don¡¯t have a big brother. Look! It¡¯s snowing heavily, if you stay here, you won¡¯t be able to return home.¡± When he was done speaking, the runner intended to seize the drumstick. Wei Yi twisted his body and red at the yamen runner. He puffed his cheeks in anger. He angrily said, ¡°I have a big brother. He said that I can find him here. You must not lie to me! I know he is here.¡± ¡°Alright, alright! Young Master Wei, oh Great Master Wei! Do you want to find your big brother? I¡¯ll let you go find him, but first, you have to give me the thing in your hands. This thing can¡¯t be touched so casually!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wanna!¡± Wei Yi hid the stick behind his back. The runner could not do anything and was exasperated! Wei Yi stood straight and dered, ¡°You won¡¯t bring me to find big brother if I give it back to you. I don¡¯t trust you because you can lie to me.¡± ¡°Heaven bears witness, I absolutely won¡¯t lie to you.¡± ¡°No way, I still don¡¯t believe you.¡± As soon as he was done speaking, he raised the stick and was about to strike the drum again. ¡°Stop!¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s voice was heard as Wei Yi raised his hand. When he saw that Ji Yunshu came out, Wei Yi became excited and his hands rxed, letting the drumstick drop, coincidentally hitting the runner¡¯s foot. ¡°Ouch!¡± The runner raised his leg and frowned from the pain. Wei Yi did not care about him and rushed towards Ji Yunshu. ¡°Big Brother!¡± He was extremely happy! ¡°What are you running here for?¡± Ji Yunshu looked at him. ¡°Didn¡¯t Big Brother say that if I want to find you, I just need to go to the yamen?¡± ¡°If you want to find me, then just go and find me. Why are you striking the drum?¡± Her gaze swept the announcement drum. Wei Yi raised his eyebrows and replied with great confidence, ¡°Because I saw many people struck the drum first when they came to the yamen. That¡¯s why I did it like everyone. See, after I struck the drum, you came out. ¡®Uhh¡­ That¡¯s logical, but¡­¡¯ ¡°Wei Yi, you cannot strike that drum as you wish.¡± Ji Yunshu warned him carefully. Unfortunately, he understood nothing. He only pointed at the runner, whose foot was still in pain, and asked, ¡°He didn¡¯t let me strike it, why?¡± ¡®That¡¯s because¡­¡¯ Ji Yunshu did not know how to exin it. She simply pulled him and they entered the yamen. She walked in front while he followed behind. It was the first time he went in the yamen, thus he was extremely curious. He looked left-right and right-left, but he did not pay attention and stepped on a stone under the snow and stumbled. His body twisted and staggered. He appeared extremely mischievous! When they entered the inside of the building, Ji Yunshu brushed off the snow on her shoulders. Immediately after, she turned around and her outstretched hand went toward Wei Yi¡¯s shoulders and carefully brushed off the snow piled on them. She muttered, ¡°Next time you fall in the snow, remembered to use your hands to brush off the snow. If the snow melts and seeps into your clothes, you will get a cold.¡± ¡°Thank you Big Brother!¡± Wei Yi stood straighter and looked proud while enjoying Ji Yunshu¡¯s attention. Watching his appearance, Ji Yunshu coldly stared at him. ¡®This guy! You know what, I really want to beat you up!¡¯ Despite his smug appearance, she continued to attentively brush the snow off him. To outsiders, they appeared like a couple, a handsome man and a charming young woman. It simply made others envious! And it caused the magistrate sitting at the dining table behind them to look at them in shock! ¡®W-what is going here?¡¯ ¡®Since when could the Wei family¡¯s idiot receive such kind treatment from Ji Yunshu?¡¯ Magistrate Liu¡¯s heart was unwilling. He stood up and directly wormed his slightly plump figure between both of them. He bumped Ji Yunshu away and ¡°substituted¡± for her, continuing to brush the snow off Wei Yi. ¡°Let me do it. Yunshu, the food is getting cold. Hurry and eat.¡± He urged her. The sudden insertion of the magistrate crowded Ji Yunshu away. ¡®Hey, hey, hey! You have such a big build; To squeeze yourself between people like that, don¡¯t you have any shame?¡¯ Wei Yi noticed that greasy palms were stretching toward his shoulders. Immediately, he became unhappy and retreated several steps back before running off behind Ji Yunshu. He then red at Magistrate Liu with evident dissatisfaction. ¡°Why are you touching me?¡± ¡°I want to help you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wanna. I only want Big Brother to help me.¡± ¡°You-!¡± Liu Qingping was at a loss for words. Ji Yunshu propped her forehead with her hands while shaking her head. Then, she asked Wei Yi. ¡°Have you eaten something yet?¡± Wei Yi shook his head. ¡°Not yet.¡± Therefore, Ji Yunshu pulled him to sit at the dining table. On the table, apart from dishes Ji Yunshu ordered, there was the greasy food that Magistrate Liu liked. ¡°Eat. After we¡¯re done, I¡¯ll bring you somewhere else.¡± Ji Yunshu stated. ¡°Sure.¡± Wei Yi picked a bowl and chopsticks and quickly ate. Magistrate Liu returned to his seat and almost exploded. ¡®This idiot is using my bowl and chopsticks! How am I going to eat now?¡¯ Liu Qingping patted Ji Yunshu and asked her, ¡°Yunshu, what¡¯s going on here?¡± ¡°Guess it.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t guess.¡± ¡°Then, don¡¯t guess.¡± Ji Yunshu grudgingly replied. It was just early morning, yet the magistrate¡¯splexion had changed several times! It did not take much time for the food on the table to be engulfed by Wei Yi. Ji Yunshu only ate a bit and Magistrate Liu sat there the whole time, ring at Wei Yi. ¡°Are you full?¡± Ji Yunshu asked Wei Yi. Wei Yi rubbed his stomach and replied, ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± ¡°Good, then follow me.¡± She stopped procrastinating and got up. Wei Yi followed her as he believed that Ji Yunshu will bring him somewhere to y. He could not contain his excitement! Finally, they stopped in front of a door. When the door opened, a strong smell of blood and rot assailed their noses. They directly stood to face a tall table where something was ced on top, covered by a white cloth. ¡°Big Brother, what is this ce?¡± Wei Yi pinched his nose. ¡°It¡¯s so smelly.¡± ¡°Here¡­ This is where we¡¯re going to have some fun.¡± Her tone held a hint of teasing. ¡°But Big Brother¡­¡± He had yet toplete his sentence when Ji Yunshu pulled him into the room. ¡°This ce is the autopsy room.¡± Chapter 61: Is Wei Yi Smart? Chapter 61: Is Wei Yi Smart? Of course, Wei Yi didn¡¯t know what an autopsy room was! He just covered his nose as he let Ji Yunshu pull him along. ¡°Big brother, this ce is no fun.¡± Wei Yi furrowed his brows and pouted. His face had an ¡®I nearly puked up my meal!¡¯ look written all over it. ¡°Stand over there and don¡¯t move.¡± Ji Yunshu spoke. ¡°Oh.¡± No matter how unwilling he was to do so, Wei Yi obediently did as Ji Yunshu ordered, standing to the side, still covering his nose. Ji Yunshu secretly smiled. ¡®Who told you to eat so much.¡¯ A momentter, she returned to her professional attitude. After she put on the white gloves that were ced beside her, she lifted the white shroud on the table, revealing the yin yang skeleton! The yamen runners had been meticulous in their work; The skeleton was properly excavated and its condition had been preserved. At this moment, the magistrate and a few yamen runners entered. The magistrate cast a sidelong nce at Wei Yi; He was still upset about his meal being stolen! He walked to Ji Yunshu¡¯s side as he asked, ¡°Is this case a troublesome one?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still not sure. After all, this corpse is already two years old.¡± Her gloved hands hung in front of her chest. She asked, ¡°Have you investigated if there have been any missing persons in Jinjiang city in the past two years?¡± ¡°The adviser is still investigating the book of households. I have also ordered people to go and ask around. There should be results soon, though the most important part of drawing out the appearance still relies on you, Yunshu.¡± ¡°Reconstructing the appearance based solely on bones requires time. I should be able to get it done the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll go and get people to investigate in your stead. We can¡¯t have you tired out.¡± ¡®Wow! When did this magistrate be such a sweet talker?¡¯ Getting back to work, she continued inspecting the pile of bones while speaking, ¡°This yin yang corpse should have been stabbed by at least 20 stabs with most of them puncturing in between the ribs and the shoulders. The wounds were inflicted from a higher angle and should have been caused by a weapon being stabbed using a reverse grip 1. From this we can conclude the murderer was taller than the deceased. The deceased shows no sign of having been poisoned nor the hands having been broken. Therefore, there¡¯s the possibility that the victim could have defended himself before his death. Hence, it¡¯s highly probable that the culprit is a man.¡± Everyone listened intently to her lengthy exnation. Ji Yunshu¡¯s gazended on the lower half of the skeleton. Her brows furrowed as she pressed on the ankle bone. ¡°The deceased suffered an injury to his leg?¡± In order to confirm her hypothesis, she tapped against the ankle bone before turning around and gave an order to a yamen runner, ¡°Go and bring over some camphor oil and vinegar.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± The runner hurriedly brought the items she asked for and ced them at her side. Ji Yunshu poured the contents of the bowl of camphor oil over the ankle bone. Then, she soaked a piece of white paper in white vinegar before wrapping it around the ankle bone. After a moment of wait, the originally white piece of paper slowly turned red. No one understood what she was doing. ¡°Teacher Ji, what are you doing?¡± The runner asked. Not in a hurry to reply, she unwrapped the paper and held it. Suddenly, she called, ¡°Wei Yi.¡± Wei Yi, who had been hiding in a corner of the room, trembled when he heard his name. From the moment Ji Yunshu lifted the shroud to reveal the pile of white bones, he had been frightened into a stupor and his legs were shaking tremendously. He appeared desperate, and wished he could find a hole to crawl out of here! Not receiving a reply from Wei Yi, Ji Yunshu turned to look at him with a very serious expression. ¡°Wei Yi,e over there!¡± ¡°Big brother, I¡¯m scared.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a dead person, what are you so afraid of? You should be more scared of the living!¡± ¡®Uh¡­¡¯ The people in the room, who were very much alive, felt the corners of their eyes twitch! Wei Yi lowered his head and shifted his steps under Ji Yunshu¡¯s threatening tone. He shuffled over to Ji Yunshu, but he did it in a way he wouldn¡¯t need to see the skeleton. ¡°Wei Yi, do you know what happens when a person sprains their ankles?¡± ¡®Why is Ji Yunshu asking this question out of nowhere?¡¯ Wei Yi¡¯s head remained lowered as he replied in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯ll hurt!¡± ¡°And what else?¡± ¡°And¡­¡± His eyes suddenly lit up as he lifted his gaze to meet hers. ¡°It will be red there. After the red goes away, it will turn green. Then, it¡¯ll get better.¡± ¡°That is correct Wei Yi. You are very smart.¡± ¡°Thank you big brother.¡± And hepletely forgot that he was standing next to a pile of bones. Ji Yunshu slightly lifted the paper in her hand as she continued with her lecture. ¡°Then remember what I¡¯m about to say next. No matter how long a person has been dead, if you first apply camphor oil to the bone, and then a white vinegar-soaked piece of paper to it and it turns red, it means the bone had been damaged not long before death. If it turns green, it means the damage had already been there for quite some time before the person¡¯s death. This is used to determine whether or not the damage was caused before or at the time of death, and hence whether or not it was caused during a struggle against the murderer.¡± ¡°Did you understand all that, Wei Yi?¡± Wei Yi¡¯s reaction time was a bit slow. In the end, he still nodded his head as he pointed at the paper in her hand and eximed, ¡°I understand big brother, that means he must have hurt just now.¡± ¡°Not ¡®just now¡¯, it¡¯s ¡®just before death¡¯!¡± She corrected him in a serious tone. ¡°Oh, I got it.¡± She made sure that he really understood before turning to the magistrate and the yamen runners and asked them, ¡°So, did you understand?¡± Everyone nodded. Wei Yi retreated back to his corner as she ced the piece of paper down. Ji Yunshu started to inspect the remains of the clothes on the skeleton. ¡®It¡¯s made of silk. No wonder it managed tost for two years!¡¯ ¡°A normal person¡¯s clothes would be made of linens but these are made of silk. Hence the deceased should be from a distinguished or wealthy family. It seems that this skeleton must have once been a rich person.¡± Another close examination revealed several de-inflicted tears on the clothes. ¡°There are several tears in the clothes made by a sharp object. They must have been made when the murder weapon stabbed into the deceased.¡± Ji Yunshu exined as she continued her examination. However, the magistrate narrowed his eyes slightly as he asked her in a small voice, ¡°Yunshu, why did you exin that much to that¡­ fellow?¡± ¡®Hey, I¡¯m being serious here! Lord Magistrate, there must be something wrong with your brain!¡¯ However, Ji Yunshu did not get upset. On the other hand, she even gave a smirk as she cast a cold nce at the magistrate. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that Wei Yi is actually quite smart?¡± ¡°Smart? Him?¡± The magistrate found her words inconceivable, ¡°But he¡¯s an idiot.¡± His voice was lowered to the maximum! ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I believe that if he¡¯s taught well enough, he¡¯ll make a great coroner.¡± ¡°Ah?!¡± The magistrate¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Casting a nce at Wei Yi, he could not help but think, ¡®That cowardly guy? How can he be a coroner?¡¯ ¡°Yunshu, you aren¡¯t¡­ nning on taking him as your disciple are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m currently considering it.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s good-looking eyebrows raised. She took off her gloves and patted her hands. Ignoring the magistrate, who had been stunned silly, she continued, ¡°That¡¯s about all the information I can glean from this skeleton for now. For the time being, let the adviser note it all down. Once we have determined the identity of this skeleton, we can use the information along with these clues to find out the murderer!¡± They woodenly nodded! Ji Yunshu walked to Wei Yi¡¯s side and asked him, ¡°Do you like this ce?¡± He shook his head while replying, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± She left with Wei Yi trailing behind her, leaving behind the magistrate who had a stiff facial expression! He was sure he did not hear wrongly. Ji Yunshu was actually nning on taking Wei Yi as a disciple. ¡®Aren¡¯t you making a mistake?!¡¯ 1.Reverse grip: thumb holding onto the opposite end of the pointy bit Chapter 62: Who’s the Culprit? Chapter 62: Who¡¯s the Culprit? Pulling Wei Yi out of the autopsy room, Ji Yunshu borrowed an umbre before leaving the yamen. After opening the umbre, she handed it over to Wei Yi. ¡°You¡¯re taller, so you hold it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He appeared quite pleased to do so as they walked through the snow. ¡°Wei Yi, can I ask what do you like to do? Do you like reading, or perhaps writing?¡± Ji Yunshu asked as they walked together. After thinking for a bit, he shook his head and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t like any of those.¡± ¡°Then, did you like that pile of white bones just now?¡± ¡°White bones?¡± Wei Yi¡¯s expression sank as he hurriedly waved his hand, ¡°No, no, I didn¡¯t like it.¡± Due to his hand shaking, the umbre also shook. Ji Yunshu immediately reached out to grip his hand, her gaze stern. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to shake your hand. Look, you let the snow fall on my shoulders.¡± She looked at her shoulders. However, Wei Yi¡¯s attention was not focused on her shoulders but rather on the pair of hands holding onto his. Her fingers were a clean white colour, long and elegant. The feeling of her hands clenching onto his was very warm andfortable. For a while, Wei Yi simply went into a daze while looking at her hands. Noticing this, Ji Yunshu immediately put her hands back into her sleeves and turned. ¡°You brat, where did you get this weird habit of looking at other people¡¯s hands.¡± ¡°Big Brother, your hands look very simr to Big Sister¡¯s hands!¡± ¡°In what way?¡± Wei Yi smiled as he spoke, ¡°When big sister took a knife to scare me, I saw there was a small mole on the back of her hand. It¡¯s exactly the same as the one on Big Brother¡¯s hand.¡± ¡®Uh?¡¯ Ji Yunshu lifted her hand to have a look and saw a mole in her purlicue. It was small to the point that Ji Yunshu had not noticed its existence at all in the five years she had been here. ¡®This guy has an eye for detail!¡¯ cing her hands back into her sleeves, she continued forwards while speaking, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to send you back to the Wei mansion.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Wei Yi was clearly a bit unwilling. ¡°Big Brother, can you bring me to Big Sister? I have something to give her.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t show it to Big Brother, I have to give it to Big Sister myself.¡± This piqued Ji Yunshu¡¯s interest. She paused her steps and spoke with a hint of threat in her tone, ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I won¡¯t take you to see her ever again.¡± Wei Yi became anxious, so he spoke with haste, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± His hands reached towards his waistband where he took out a pouch. ¡°I wanted to give this to Big Sister.¡± Ji Yunshu took the pouch from his hand. Opening it, she found a jade pendant, orange blood in color, that was very translucent. She was quite confused. ¡°Where did you get this jade pendant from? Why do you¡­ want to give it to your big sister?¡± ¡°My father gave me this. He said it would keep me safe, so I want to give it to Big Sister.¡± ¡°But your big sister might not even like it!¡± ¡°Mother says all girls like expensive things. This jade is very important to me, so I¡¯m sure Big Sister will like it too.¡± ¡®Silly guy. You could actually bear to give away such a precious object! Your big sister is scared by you so many times, why are you being so affectionate when she gives you the cold shoulders?¡¯ Giving the pendant back, she spoke, ¡°Keep this pendant properly. This was given to you by your father so you can¡¯t give it to anyone else, understand?¡± He didn¡¯t understand! ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be worried about. Big Brother, bring me to see Big Sister please. If I go alone, Big Sister might not even see me.¡± Towards the end, his tone turned very upset! Ji Yunshu stilled for a moment, not knowing what to say. Wei Yi seemed to have turned into a smooth talker all of a sudden as he continued, ¡°Big Brother, please say ¡®yes¡¯. I really want to give her this jade pendant. I like Big Sister so I want to give it to her. Big Brother, can you pretty please take me to see her?¡± ¡®Where did you learn how to beg so shamelessly! This little fool sure knows how to give one a headache!¡¯ Unable to deny him, Ji Yunshu could only take back the jade pendant. ¡°Your big sister¡¯s body hasn¡¯t been too welltely so I can¡¯t bring you to see her. I¡¯ll help her receive this jade pendant and give it to her when I see her.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°What? Are you worried I¡¯ll keep it for myself?¡± ¡°No, no, it¡¯s not that.¡± He shook his head fiercely. ¡°Then, you must help me give the pendant to big sister.¡± ¡°Good boy.¡± Ji Yunshu said with a slight smile as she kept the pendant in her sleeve. Without further ado, the two were back on their way and soon Ji Yunshu was bidding goodbye to Wei Yi at the gates to the Wei manor. Wei Yi was a bit unwilling to part as his eyes darted around. ¡°Big brother, why don¡¯t you follow me inside. I have lots and lots of good food to eat in my house.¡± She took the umbre back from Wei Yi. She indicated for him to get inside, ¡°No need. I still have some matters to take care of.¡± Without tarrying any further, she turned and left. On the way back to the Ji mansion, there was a section that passed through the more bustling parts of the city though, once she exited the main road, it got much quieter. However, Ji Yunshu¡¯s footsteps got slower as she walked until she finally stopped. ¡°Come out, you can stop following me now.¡± A person popped out from the seemingly innocuous background. He appeared around 50 to 60 years old and waspletely clothed in rough linens. The hair at his temples was turning white. He kept his posture low and he appeared quite apprehensive! ¡°You¡¯ve been following me since I departed from the yamen. What do you want?¡± Ji Yunshu asked. He walked several steps forward and first made a careful scan of the surroundings before lifting his gaze to look at Ji Yunshu. ¡°Teacher Ji¡­ I followed you because I have something that I need to tell you.¡± ¡°Go ahead and speak old mister. There¡¯s no one else here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about¡­ about that yin yang corpse.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression tensed up as she pressed him, ¡°What do you know?¡± The old man got even more tense as his head lowered even more. ¡°I k-know who that yin yang corpse was.¡± ¡°Who was it?¡± ¡°I-It¡¯s Master Jiang. The Grand Canal Manor used to be Master Jiang¡¯s house.¡± His voice was shaking. The doubts in Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart intensified. ¡°How do you know this? That skeleton is already 2 years old and the portrait is still not drawn yet.¡± The old man rushed to exin, ¡°I know because Master Jiang is a yin yang person.¡± ¡°Then who might you be, old mister?¡± ¡°I was one of the servants of the Jiang household. Few people know that Master Jiang had a yin yang body.¡± Speaking thus, the old man¡¯s body trembled. ¡®This is not normal at all!¡¯ Ji Yunshu furrowed her brows, ¡°Since you know the skeleton was Master Jiang, why didn¡¯t you go report it to Lord Liu at the yamen instead of following me just for the sake of telling me this?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± His hesitation to answer was quite apparent. ¡°If you have any difficulties that prevent you from going to the yamen, thene with me.¡± The old man¡¯s gaze met Ji Yunshu¡¯s. His body trembled for a while before he finally spoke, ¡°It¡¯s because¡­ I know who the murderer is. However, I don¡¯t dare to go to the yamen otherwise if Madame Jiang were to find out, I¡¯m a-afraid I¡¯ll be silenced.¡± These words managed to finally shock Ji Yunshu. ¡°Who¡¯s the murderer?¡± She asked. Chapter 63: Madame Jiang Chapter 63: Madame Jiang ¡°It¡­ It was Madame Jiang¡¯s younger brother.¡± His voice trembled terribly as he said this. ¡®Although it was circted that the Jiang family had moved to the capital two years ago, why was the death of the master of the Jiang family not reported to the yamen? Or is there something fishy going on?¡¯ Ji Yunshu had quite a lot of doubts so she walked forward two steps. As she thought about it, her expression became even more serious than before. Hence, she asked him, ¡°If that skeleton really was Master Jiang, why didn¡¯t the yamen receive a report of his death? If it is as you said, that the murderer really was Madame Jiang¡¯s younger brother, even if she wholeheartedly protected him and moved to the capital to avoid getting discovered, how could everyone else be so blind to miss a living, breathing human being? Even if they were afraid of being silenced like you said, it¡¯s still¡­ a bit far-fetched to believe!¡± The old man felt grieved, for all his words were true! The old man clenched his fists tightly, and a trace of fear could be felt in his tone. ¡°Teacher Ji, I¡¯m telling the truth. Look, Madame Jiang only found out that Master Jiang had a yin yang body when she married him, so she had always treated him badly. And the Master, he¡­ he didn¡¯t dare to fight back since he was ashamed! Nobody in the manor cared for him and the person in charge of the Jiang family is actually Madame Jiang.¡± ¡°What connection does that have to this case?¡± ¡°Teacher Ji, I know the Master was murdered because I saw with my own eyes that the Madame¡¯s younger brother got into a disagreement with the Master, and it got physical. I didn¡¯t really pay attention at the time, because it was amon urrence, so I left. However, when I went back, I saw him digging a hole to bury the Master¡¯s body. I witnessed the whole process but did not dare to say anything. After the Master disappeared, nobody reported it because the Madame said that the Master went mad and disappeared somewhere. Thus, we were forbidden from speaking of it. Not long afterwards, the Madame dismissed a portion of the servants and moved to the capital with her trusted confidantes.¡± ¡®What a fascinating story!¡¯ Ji Yunshu listened attentively. Her brows perked up. Ji Yunshu spoke, ¡°I have memorised everything you just said. However, the conclusion will still have to wait until I finish reconstructing the deceased¡¯s appearance. After all, I can¡¯t just determine the identity of the deceased based on your words alone. Additionally, although you im to have witnessed the murder, you don¡¯t have any concrete evidence. Even if it was Lord Liu, he can¡¯t arrest someone based on your words alone. You have to know that it all depends on evidence.¡± The old man nodded. ¡°I have long heard of Teacher Ji¡¯s case-solving abilities. I believe you will give Master Jiang justice.¡± ¡°Rest assured, since this case hasnded in my hands, I won¡¯t rest till I find the murderer.¡± She paused before continuing, ¡°Old man, I know you have certain¡­ considerations. However, this is a case where a life was lost. Hence I hope that after I draw out the deceased¡¯s appearance, and if it turns out to really be Master Jiang, could you perhaps take a trip to the yamen?¡± ¡°I-!¡± He panicked! ¡®Who exactly is this Madame Jiang to cause the entire Jiang household to fear her so? In the modern world, she would be beyond the level of a powerful woman, she¡¯d be a beast!¡¯ Ji Yunshu showed her serious face as she continued attempting to persuade him, ¡°Killers must be punished. If you can act as a witness, then it would increase the chances of bringing your Master justice.¡± The old man¡¯s expression remained panicked as his eyes darted around back and forth before finally clenching his teeth, ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll- I¡¯ll stand witness.¡± ¡°I believe if Master Jiang was watching, he would be very grateful to you.¡± She spoke. The old man nodded, but his body trembled even worse than before. Ji Yunshu stood rooted to the spot for a while as she thought, ¡®If that old man was speaking the truth and the murderer really was the Madame¡¯s younger brother, wouldn¡¯t the case be considered solved once I draw out the portrait? Would it really be this simple?¡¯ The imaginary weighing scale in her mind was rather undecided! Once she had returned to the Ji manor, she tossed the thought of reapplying her medicine aside as she ordered Luan¡¯er to fetch her some pottery y. She was busy with the molding of the y models until night had long fallen. Luan¡¯er carried a bowl of piping-hot porridge in and ced it beside Ji Yunshu. Unable to continue watching her master neglecting herself like this, Luan¡¯er spoke, ¡°Miss, eat some porridge first. Ever since you came back, you¡¯ve been so busy that you have not eaten dinner. I¡¯m worried you¡¯ll harm your body like this. Also, it¡¯s time to change the bandages. Please lie down and let me change them.¡± Once she started working, Ji Yunshu always lost the sense of time, so much so that she often forgot to eat! Stretching her neck, she was feeling a bit tired so she put down the y model that was pretty muchplete and she washed her hands before beginning to eat the porridge. Luan¡¯er continued speaking, ¡°Oh right. Miss, I¡¯ve already crushed the medicine that Prince Rong brought. I¡¯ll apply it on your back in a bit. I think your back should be fine in no time.¡± Hearing Jing Rong being mentioned, Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression shifted a bit. ¡°Luan¡¯er, I remember you said that Prince Rong had burnt father¡¯s whip?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°And made him ascend to Qing An temple, kowtowing at every step?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The Master has already left for Qing An temple. Right now, he should still be at the foot of the mountain.¡± Luan¡¯er¡¯s expression was gleeful as she thought, ¡®Serves him right!¡¯ Her eyes lowered slightly as she muttered lightly to herself, ¡°How coincidental that he sent medicine meant for treating whip wounds and also burnt father¡¯s whip as well as teaching him a lesson? Could it be that he knows who I really am?¡± Seeing that her Young Miss appeared to be mouthing some words, she got closer and asked, ¡°Young Miss, what did you say?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± cing the bowl down, she straightened out her thoughts as she entered the inner chamber to let Luan¡¯er change her medicine. Her clothes had just fallen off when something fell out from inside them. Luan¡¯er picked it up and opened it before eximing in surprise, ¡°Young Miss, where did this jade pendante from? It looks really lovely.¡± Ji Yunshu stretched out her hand to pluck it out of Luan¡¯er¡¯s grasp and chucked it beneath her pillow. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Get on with changing my bandages.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Luan¡¯er didn¡¯t question any further as she helped Ji Yunshu change her bandages. After the medicine was applied and the dressing changes, Ji Yunshu went back to molding the y. Due to the tight schedule, she stayed inside for the next two days until she managed to draw out the portrait of the deceased. Only then did she leave to deliver it to the yamen. That same day, it was confirmed that the man in the painting was indeed Master Jiang! Ji Yunshu had originally thought that the old man would definitelye to the yamen to testify. However, he did note. Instead, a noblewoman in her forties arrived. She brought with her two serving maids, as well as a slightly younger looking man. The four strutted into the yamen¡¯s courtroom, and a hint of disdain could be seen from their gazes! ¡®I¡¯m the bloody magistrate and I¡¯m notining about being in the yamen for decades, so what are you guys silentlyining about!¡¯ Naturally, the magistrate recognised this middle-aged noblewoman. He stepped forward, ¡°Perhaps, are you Madame Jiang? I was just about to send people over to the capital to inform you. Why have youe over all of a sudden?¡± Madame Jiang swept a nce at the magistrate. ¡°I just so happened to be returning to my hometown to honour my ancestors. Upon entering the city, I heard that my husband¡¯s corpse had been discovered. Lord Liu, I am here to bring my husband¡¯s body for burial, please grant me this request.¡± She went straight to the point. Chapter 64: Fighting Over the Skeleton Chapter 64: Fighting Over the Skeleton Madame Jiang was dressed in fine silk. She wore a pair of jade circlets on her wrist, a golden hairpin in her hair, and silver earrings. Each and every one of these items was a rare treasure. The type of attire she wore was on the same league as Ji Muqing¡¯s and Old Madame Ji¡¯s. ¡®If I get to know where she¡¯s buried, I definitely have to memorise the location! If by chance I was fortunate enough to excavate her burial ce in the future, it will truly be a blessing!¡¯ Yet such a well-dresseddy seemed to have the word ¡°arrogance¡± carved on her forehead. Her upright posture and cold expression, as well as, her tone all seemed to scream ¡°I¡¯m high and mighty so obey me!¡± Had she not announced her name, Ji Yunshu would have been inclined to believe that she was a distant member of the Ji family! This type of woman had always been difficult to deal with¡­ Hearing that her request was to take back the corpse, the magistrate obviously denied her this. ¡°Madame Jiang, this is a murder case; it needs to be thoroughly investigated before the corpse is returned to you.¡± ¡°What murder case? All I know is that corpse is my husband¡¯s, and I want to bury him immediately.¡± Madame Jiang¡¯s tone emphasized this point, her gaze turning dangerous. ¡°I won¡¯t allow it! This is a murder case. Since it has been reported to the yamen, then we will investigate everything until the truth is revealed. No matter who it is, we will not obscure the truth. Everything has to go ording to the procedures dictated by thews of the Great Lin. And you, Madame Jiang, are not an exception to this.¡± ¡®Wow! Oh Lord Magistrate, that was awesome. Can you see Ji Yunshu over here turning into your biggest fan?¡¯ Madame Jiang¡¯s gaze was like a sharp sword piercing toward the magistrate. ¡°Lord Liu you want to talk aboutws with me? Fine, I¡¯ll talk aboutws with you.¡± Shifting her feet a bit, she lifted her head and spoke, ¡°Whichw of the Great Lin dynasty dictates that the family members of the deceased are not allowed to bring them for burial? And whichw allows the yamen to hold onto the corpse of the deceased? That skeleton is my husband¡¯s; what¡¯s wrong with me bringing my husband¡¯s remains for a proper burial? Do I need the yamen¡¯s approval for that?¡± The magistrate was rendered speechless since thosews really didn¡¯t exist! The magistrate was robbed of all his arguments. Now, he didn¡¯t even know how to respond! Ji Yunshu shook her head slightly. ¡®Where was that imposingness from earlier? Why was it gone so quickly?¡¯ Unable to help it, she flicked her sleeves and stepped forward. ¡°Madame Jiang, I¡¯m afraid you cannot bring the body of the deceased back home, as of right now.¡± A voice rang out refuting Madame Jiang. Only now did Madame Jiang notice the ¡°young man¡± with delicate features and looking like a gentle spring breeze. However, those ink-like eyes gave off an icy cold feeling. ¡°And who might you be?¡± ¡°This one is a humble painter employed by the yamen. I hope that Madame Jiang might calm down and think this over. Master Jiang died of a violent death, and the murderer has yet to be found. Hence, I am afraid the corpse cannot be returned to you.¡± Madame Jiang was too used to getting her way. How would she tolerate someone who dared to talk back to her? Her voice rose sharply, ¡°My husband went mad and disappeared that year. Now that I can find his corpse, of course, I want to bring it back! As for the rest, I don¡¯t wish to talk about it. As for dying of a violent death, what is your reason for saying that? That¡¯s simply preposterous.¡± Though her willowy brows didn¡¯t move much, that aura and presence could easily overwhelm a person. Ji Yunshu replied to her, ¡°Madame Jiang, a murder case is a murder case. Since it happened, the yamen has to solve it. On Master Jiang¡¯s skeleton, there are signs of him being stabbed around 20 times at different ces. Besides, looking at his ankle bone, it can be inferred that he received bruising to that area just before he died as well. All of these prove that he got into a struggle with someone before he died; therefore, this means that he was murdered.¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Madame Jiang waved her long sleeves, her eyes practically spitting fire at Ji Yunshu. She spoke in an extremely unhappy tone, ¡°How do you expect me to believe what came from the mouth of a lowly painter? I¡¯m telling you right now, today I am not going to allow this matter to be investigated any longer. This is, after all, my Jiang family¡¯s private matter. Whether to investigate it or not is up to me.¡± ¡°You are clearly protecting someone.¡± ¡°Protecting? What nonsense are you spouting?¡± Madame Jiang became even more agitated. Ji Yunshu spoke forthrightly, ¡°An old man came forward to testify about Master Jiang¡¯s death which he personally witnessed. He has already told me everything and has also agreed to stand witness in court to apprehend the murderer!¡± Hearing this, the magistrate stepped closer to her and asked, ¡°Yunshu, is this true? Who is the murderer?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s gaze looked extremely certain as it met Madame Jiang¡¯s. She spoke, ¡°He told me himself that the murderer was your younger brother, Madame Jiang.¡± ¡°How could I murder my own brother-inw?¡± The one who spoke was the man standing beside Madame Jiang. His face appeared anxious as he stepped forward to refute this. Pointing at Ji Yunshu, he continued, ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! I didn¡¯t do it- During the days my brother-inw went missing, I wasn¡¯t home at all!¡± Only now did Ji Yunshu carefully examine this person. Her first impression was: sloppy and frivolous! Ji Yunshu persisted, ¡°These words were spoken by that old man. He imed he witnessed it.¡± ¡°Simply a joke.¡± Madame Jiang humphed coldly, as she pulled her younger brother behind her. She looked at Ji Yunshu from top to bottom before speaking, ¡°This young sir, should you be speaking the truth, why would that old man tell you who the murderer was in secret and not report it to the yamen? You had better not randomly use people. Without evidence, how can you just point out the murderer? Isn¡¯t that ridiculous?¡± ¡°Everything I say is-¡± Ji Yunshu was cut off halfway. ¡°I believe you must be speaking about Seventh Uncle? Ah what a coincidence, he just so happened to pass away from an illness this morning.¡± ¡®Hah?!¡¯ ¡°Dead?¡± Ji Yunshu was stunned for a moment. ¡®Was he silenced?!¡¯ Madame Jiang pressed even further, this time, aiming the spearhead at the magistrate, ¡°Lord Liu, I do not wish to say anymore. Would you please bring my husband¡¯s corpse out and hand it to me, immediately. I wish to let him be properly buried as soon as possible.¡± The magistrate spoke, ¡°But there were indeed knife marks on the skeleton.¡± ¡°Lord Liu must have been unaware that before my husband died, he turned mad and would often stab himself with a dagger. Those marks must have been umted over the years and not inflicted by someone else.¡± ¡°That¡­ After Master Jiang went missing, Madame Jiang, you moved to the capital, but why was his corpse still found under therge tree in your old manor?¡± Magistrate Liu became suspicious! Madame Jiang was stillpletely unfazed. She cast a gaze at Ji Yunshu and spoke in a calm tone, ¡°Didn¡¯t this young sir say this before? My husband twisted his ankle when he was alive. Perhaps a few days after we moved to the capital he came back and identally twisted his ankle, hitting his head on the tree and ended up dead. That¡¯s a possibility.¡± ¡®Simply searching for exnations!¡¯ The magistrate asked Ji Yunshu in a faint voice, ¡°Was there any blunt trauma to the skull?¡± She nodded her head. ¡°There is, but the force of the collision would not have been strong enough to be fatal. At most, it would leave a bump.¡± ¡°Since there was damage to his head, no matter what, I still spoke correctly.¡± Madame Jiang was just as arrogant as before. Without any new evidence, there was no way to refute. Especially now that ¡°Seventh Uncle¡± has died! If they couldn¡¯t find any more evidence, that skeleton might really be taken away by Madame Jiang. ¡°What, are you still not willing to hand it over? If I were to make aint to the supreme court, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to keep that official¡¯s hat of yours any longer, Lord Liu.¡± Her words were filled with threats. Just as her voice settled¡­ ¡°And if this prince does not allow it?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s voice resounded from outside the courtroom! Chapter 65: This Prince Only Believes in Teacher Ji Chapter 65: This Prince Only Believes in Teacher Ji Jing Rong was still as elegant as ever, with his sword-like brows and star-like eyes. His steps seemed to pluck one¡¯s heartstrings, causing everyone to feel nervous. However, that originally flirty face was now filled with seriousness. Entering from outside, his gaze met Ji Yunshu¡¯s. His eyes were brimming with warmth though they seemed to have frozen over from her stare. ¡®Little schr, even though you¡¯re still cold to me, I¡¯ll warm you up like a summer¡¯s day.¡¯ Shifting his gaze, he walked until he stood next to Madame Jiang. His eyebrow was raised as he spoke with Madame Jiang, ¡°If I give the order that you are not allowed to bring back the corpse, I would like to know, would you lodge aint against me to the Supreme Court?¡± His tone brought an inexplicable solemness with it, causing Madame Jiang to remain stunned and unable to react. Magistrate Liu turned into a bootlicker as he gave his greetings, ¡°Greetings Prince Rong.¡± ¡°Prince Rong?¡± Madame Jiang mouthed. She had stayed in the capital for two years, so of course, she knew who he was. It was just that¡­ ¡®Didn¡¯t he leave the capital half a year ago? Why of all ces is he here?!¡¯ She could only speak, ¡°This one didn¡¯t know Prince Rong was present. Please forgive this one.¡± She was just about to give a formal greeting but was stopped by Prince Rong. ¡°When I am outside the capital, formalities are unnecessary.¡± ¡°Many thanks¡­ Prince Rong!¡± Madame Jiang and her younger brother exchanged nces. ¡®It looks like we¡¯ve encountered someone troublesome!¡¯ Jing Rong smiled coldly as he spoke with a serious face, ¡°Madame Jiang, your maiden family is Old General Li¡¯s family. He is a senior member of the court for three generations of the Lin dynasty Emperors and received the title of Zhangqing General from thete Emperor, as well as, getting my imperial father to pay his respect to him. In addition, the Li family has produced numerous virtuous officials for the court for generations; thus, Madame Jiang, this Prince doesn¡¯t understand why you are so peremptory? You have truly widened my horizons!¡± His voice contained veiled mockery. Meanwhile, Ji Yunshu and the magistrate¡¯s thoughts were, ¡®No wonder she was so arrogant, she had a strong backing!¡¯ Madame Jiang¡¯s features stiffened. ¡®This Prince Rong actually knows about my maiden family in such detail.¡¯ ¡°This lowly one was rude just now. It¡¯s just that my husband¡¯s matter¡­¡± ¡°I understand your feelings about your husband¡¯s death, and I am sorry for your loss. However, on the matter of his remains since I am one of the witnesses, how can it be returned to you before the case is closed? Since it is a murder case, then it has to be investigated until everything ispletely clear.¡± ¡°Your Highness, all that¡¯s left of my husband is a pile of bones. All I wish is to give him a proper burial as soon as possible. I beg you to grant me this wish.¡± Madame Jiang¡¯s tone had clearly softened, and she actually managed to squeeze out a tear from her eye. ¡®Go on and continue to pretend!¡¯ ¡°I have already spoken. This is a murder case, and hence that body will not be returned to you.¡± It was quite apparent Jing Rong wasn¡¯t buying any of that as he spoke with iron-willed decisiveness. ¡°Prince Rong, don¡¯t listen to their nonsense. My husband couldn¡¯t possibly have been murdered. The wounds on his body were self-inflicted in his madness. Prince- ¡± Jing Rong suddenly raised his hand, interrupting her from yammering on! Following which, he gave a coldugh. ¡°I heard everything when I was outside, so you need not repeat yourself. Moreover¡­¡± As he spoke, he swivelled his body and stepped toward Ji Yunshu. Looking at her, he spoke in a sincere voice, ¡°The only one this Prince trusts, is Teacher Ji!¡± ¡®Huh?!¡¯ Ji Yunshu felt her heart quivering. She was quite sure she didn¡¯t mishear. ¡°If he says it¡¯s a murder case, then it¡¯s a murder case. If he says someone told him who the murderer was, I would believe it too. As long as it is spoken by Teacher Ji, I will believe it.¡± That moment, those words, that gaze, they all seemed to burn her till she was crispy on the outside! She had once heard someone say that the most romantic deration that one could make was not ¡°I love you¡± but ¡°I believe you¡±! Jing Rong¡¯s lips formed a gentle smile with a warmth that reminded her of sunlight at dawn on a spring day, pleasant andfortable. As their gazes met, it was as if they were in a world of their own! This caused Ji Yunshu to feel a bit panicked and nervous inside! Yet at this exact moment¡­ ¡°Prince, you mean to say that you won¡¯t allow Madame Jiang to bring the body back, right?¡± A rude interruption by Liu Qingping who butted in shattered the harmonious atmosphere that had just formed. ¡®Oi oi oi, how can you be so insensible? Don¡¯t you have eyes? Stupid Liu, this prince will sort you outter!¡¯ Ji Yunshu immediately snapped out of it as she shifted herself and avoided Jing Rong¡¯s gaze. Getting back to the point, Jing Rong turned around and continued speaking to Madame Jiang, ¡°I have already given the order for the yamen to investigate this case clearly and find the killer. I would suggest that you and your entourage do not leave Jinjiang city in the meantime. After all, if your younger brother does turn out to be the killer, then it would be more convenient for the yamen to do their job.¡± Though his words didn¡¯t surprise Madame Jiang, it did end up startling her younger brother, Li Zhao. Li Zhao¡¯s pupils dted as he hid his hands in his sleeves. ¡°I¡¯ve already said it wasn¡¯t me! The day my brother-inw died I- I wasn¡¯t home!¡± Li Zhao spoke in a weak voice. Madame Jiang joined in, ¡°That¡¯s right. My younger brother would never do such a thing. This young sir has already said that it was an old servant of the Jiang family that told her this, and it is most likely Seventh Uncle. But his words are clearly wed, and especially now that he is dead, you can¡¯t just make usations without any evidence.¡± Her tone was as lofty as ever, though itcked a bit of her previous arrogance. Ji Yunshu nned on speaking, but Jing Rong spoke first. ¡°Whether or not it really is true, everything will be clear once it has been investigated. If Master Jiang had truly been killed, then I believe that Teacher Ji will definitely be able to find the murderer. At that point, I won¡¯t be lenient on ount of Old Man Li.¡± His authoritative tone and words shocked Madame Jiang and Li Zhao who looked to each other. Only after a short while did Madame Jiang relent, her voice trembling, ¡°Since Prince Rong has given the order, I shall not speak any longer. Lord Liu, please do your utmost to finish investigating as soon as possible.¡± The magistrate replied, ¡°But of course.¡± Before leaving, Madame Jiang didn¡¯t forget to re hatefully at Ji Yunshu, her heart filled with rage. In the end, she couldn¡¯t help but unwillingly leave with Li Zhao and her two maidservants. ¡®I have to say, she was really tough to handle! I admit it; Being a prince is pretty useful in times like these! If he hadn¡¯t shown up earlier, that corpse would have probably been taken away by her.¡¯ The magistrate wiped off the sweat on the back of his hands before waving powerlessly and sighing, ¡°I have long heard of Madame Jiang¡¯s domineering ways, but today I¡¯ve experienced it for myself. I can¡¯t do anything to her either because of her maiden family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re useless.¡± Jing Rong tossed this sentence at him, pping his face! ¡­ metaphorically of course. Jing Rong looked at Ji Yunshu, speaking in his low and warm voice, ¡°Teacher Ji, I have ordered that this case is to be investigated, so it¡¯s under my jurisdiction now. I will have to trouble Teacher Ji to find the killer, posthaste.¡± She lowered her head. ¡°Yes, I will do my utmost in solving this case quickly.¡± He was staring openly at her, yet he wasn¡¯t getting any reaction. She seemed to be in deep thought about something else so he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I am thinking about that Seventh Uncle. Two days prior he had indeede to look for me to tell me that he saw Madame Jiang and her younger brother burying the corpse.¡± ¡°But¡­ he is already dead.¡± Jing Rong spoke. Chapter 66: To Ashes With it! Chapter 66: To Ashes With it! The death of the witness marked the end of that lead. Ji Yunshu refused to ept such an oue. She pondered and suddenly asked the magistrate, ¡°Lord Liu, is it possible to determine Seventh Uncle¡¯s address by today?¡± Magistrate Liu shifted his eyes pensively and answered, ¡°There are lots of people called Seventh Uncle in this city, but only one should have worked in the Jiang Mansion. I¡¯ll send someone to investigate the records, and we should be able to find him. As he said so, Magistrate Liu called over a few runners to exin the task at hand. Ji Yunshu had a heavy heart, and bewilderment clouded her judgment. ¡®Seventh Uncle¡¯s sudden death¡­ Was he really silenced by Madame Jiang?¡¯ Jing Rong, who was aware that by now Ji Yunshu hadpletely sunken into her thoughts, quietly sat on the rosewood chair and savored the freshly infused tea. Yi Junshu kept herself busy. First, she asked for a brush, a sheet of paper, and ink. Then, she painted a portrait that she carefully folded up before putting it away into her sleeves. It wasn¡¯t long before the Magistrate came back with a piece of paper on which an address was written. He handed it over to Ji Yunshu and said, ¡°Yunshu, this should be the ce. What do you¡­¡± ¡°I intend to go there.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you¡­¡± proposed the magistrate, who was interrupted before he had the chance to finish. ¡°Milord, please stay in the yamen. It is perfectly possible that my trip will turn out to be fruitless.¡± ¡®Well, that¡¯s true,¡¯ thought the Magistrate, Jing Rong, who up until now sipped his tea while taking a seat, opened his mouth, ¡°How would I do for apanion?¡± Ji Yunshu stored away the address, looked at Jing Rong and said, ¡°This humble one will not inconvenience Prince Rong for such an errand.¡± Jing Rong stood up and approached her. His sharp expression revealed a hint of irritation. ¡°What? I¡¯ve just expressed my trust in you, and now you¡¯re refusing to reciprocate; instead, you¡¯re distancing yourself?¡± ¡°This humble one is too lowly to be worthy of being bestowed with your trust, Prince.¡± ¡°I have the sole say over whether it¡¯s worth it or not.¡± Jing Rong itched to step forward, lift Ji Yunshu¡¯s chin up, and forced her eyes to focus on him. He wanted her to have a good look at him, consider his proposal, and see his sincerity. But he stopped himself from doing it; he did not want to forcefully touch her delicate visage. As for Ji Yunshu, she lowered her head and dodged his gaze. Seeing that she stayed silent, Jing Rong said, ¡°Teacher Ji, we cannot afford to postpone this case, and you know that better than anyone else. In addition, I¡¯m the one who ordered to continue the investigation or else madam Jiang would have been allowed to dispose of the corpse. If your investigations amount to failure, then I will seem like one as well. So, this isn¡¯t just about you and the yamen. I have a personal stake in this case.¡± ¡®Just admit that you want toe. At least it¡¯ll spare me a headache from following you through all these circuitous pretexts.¡± Ji Yunshu could not do anything but nod at this point. ¡°If your highness wills it so, then I cannot refuse. Please follow me then.¡± As she spoke these words, Ji Yunshu exited the hall. Jing Rong raised the corners of his lips, rxed his brows, and followed suit. Upon leaving the yamen, the two headed toward Seventh Uncle¡¯s home. Fortunately, due to the size of Jinjiang City, any neighboring vige was bound to be close by as well. As such, the duo arrived at their destination after roughly an hour. Ji Yunshu was focused on her steps and did not pay any attention to Jing Rong. In contrast with the quiescence of thetter, happiness and satisfaction were written all over his face. He nced at her straight posture and the way she walked, which was neither too fast nor too slow. Something as simple as that seemed absolutely adorable to Jing Rong. He remembered Lang Po¡¯s words from a few nights ago: ¡°Milord, we¡¯ve found it. Teacher Ji¡­ well, Miss Ji to be exact¡­ she¡¯s the third miss from the Ji Mansion.¡± Jing Rong remained still for a long time after hearing what Lang Po said. Then, he abruptly mmed the table with his palm and eximed, ¡°I knew it; I said that there¡¯s no way I was interested in men!¡± Oh, the joy which soothed his heart! Then, Lang Po reported the reasons behind the injuries on Ji Yunshu¡¯s back. Oh, the fierce anger which then burned within his heart! Therefore, the next day, he delivered some turniplike cowparsnip roots and immediately taught Ji Shuhan a lesson. ¡®But¡­¡¯ ¡®Has my little Yunshu noticed it?¡¯ Jing Rong slowed his steps as he came to this thought. Ji Yunshu noticed his slow pace, turned around and said, ¡°If your highness is tired, shall I finish the errand alone?¡± What entered Jing Rong¡¯s sights as he raised his eyes was Ji Yunshu¡¯s silhouette more than a few meters away, attired in a lightly tinted robe with her sleeves fluttering in the rising wind. As she turned back to look at him, the snowy background only entuated her beauty. Jing Rong¡¯s mind melted as he witnessed the picturesque scene and did not answer. Ji Yunshu puckered her lips lightly and did not dare to meet Jing Rong¡¯s fervid regard. She lowered her eyes and asked once more, ¡°So, does your highness still desire to apany me?¡± That brought Jing Rong out of his reverie, and he answered, ¡°Yes, of course.¡± He quickened his steps and rapidly caught up with Ji Yunshu. She kept her head lowered, always maintaining a pace a little faster than Jing Rong¡¯s, as if she feared meeting his gaze once again. ¡®The way he looks at me kind of scares me.¡¯ When they finally arrived at their destination, they found it vacated. An elderly woman, with white locks of hair and features worn out by fatigue, came out of the dwelling. ¡°Who are you?¡± asked the woman, who became alerted by the presence of two strangers in her yard. Ji Yunshu approached her and asked with a soft voice, ¡°Old madam, would you have the kindness to tell us if this is Seventh Uncle¡¯s home?¡± Upon hearing the question, the old woman sighed and answered, ¡°My husband passed away this morning. What are you here for?¡± Ji Yunshu unfolded the portrait she drew in the yamen earlier and offered it to the old woman. ¡°Is this Seventh Uncle?¡± The old woman¡¯s eyes reddened at the sight of her husband, and her hands which held the paper trembled uncontrobly. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s him!¡± said the woman as she sobbed. ¡®It seems like the Seventh Uncle that madam Jiang mentioned really was the old man who followed me.¡¯ The old woman¡¯s sorrow spread to Ji Yunshu as well. She shared some of her anguish but still pressed on with her question, ¡°Old madam, I would like to offer my condolences, but I would also like to know if your husband¡¯s corpse is still intact.¡± ¡°It¡¯s gone. I burned it as soon as he passed away,¡± sighed the old woman. ¡®Burned?¡¯ Ji Yunshu found it difficult to understand her answer. ¡°This quick, but he just¡­?¡± The woman raised her head and interrupted her, ¡°It¡¯s a tradition from our vige. When someone passes away, we burn the body immediately. Only the ashes are buried.¡± ¡°Did Seventh Uncle see anyone before he passed away? Did anything happen to him?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. The woman thought for a while and shook her head. ¡°No, my husband wasn¡¯t feeling well these past few days, so he stayed at home. I would never have thought that he¡­¡± Her answer was cut short by the glitter of tears within her eyes. ¡®The sole witness is dead, and his corpse, burned. What am I to do?¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu, who was now at a dead end. Ji Yunshu did not want to worsen the woman¡¯s grief, so she stopped asking questions and left the ce. Her brows remained furrowed until Jing Rong broke the silence on the way back. ¡°Teacher, you¡¯re quite perspicacious, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡®What?¡¯ ¡°Why do you say so your highness?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. ¡°You knew that you had to draw a portrait to confirm that the man you saw was actually Seventh Uncle. So you did worry that the person you saw might not be the same as the one madam Jiang talked about,¡± exined Jing Rong. ¡®Yup, that¡¯s exactly it. That¡¯s why I drew that portrait. It does seem like I indeed saw Seventh Uncle¡¯ ¡°I would think that Your Highness is the keen person here. Nothing remains hidden from you,¡° said Ji Yunshu. At this moment, they nearly touched shoulders. Chapter 67: Fried Fish Chapter 67: Fried Fish ¡°You said I am perceptive. Are you praising me?¡± He felt a trace of happiness in his heart. He raised his eyebrows as he looked at her. His exquisite face made people unable to shift their eyes away from him. Yet, Ji Yunshu quickened her pace and left him behind. Jing Rong didn¡¯t let the matter go as he pressed her for a clear answer. ¡°Tell me. Were you praising me just now?¡± He kept up with her pace while continuing to pester her like a hoodlum. ¡°Teacher Ji, tell me!¡± Jing Rong turned around and pulled on Ji Yunshu¡¯s sleeve which made her lower her eyebrows while she gave him a supercilious look. Right now, they have no time to spare with the case on their hands, but that deity was actually still in the mood to investigate that trivial matter. In order to stop him from continuing to harass her like that, Ji Yunshu resigned herself and answered him. ¡°Yes, this humble one is praising your Highness. Can we go now?¡± ¡°No.¡± His rebuttal made her cease her steps and turn around! She was bbergasted. She leaned on the side, and her bright eyes directly stared at him with bewilderment. ¡°Exactly what does your Highness want to do?¡± The corner of Jing Rong¡¯s mouth curled as he jokingly spoke, ¡°I hate it that you don¡¯t praise me enough.¡± ¡°You-¡± ¡°This Prince is not only perceptive but understands which people are called talents and that beauty must be cherished.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s shoulders trembled. She immediately disregarded him and departed while throwing a few words at him. ¡°Your Highness¡¯ mind is truly unfathomable. This one doesn¡¯t understand it.¡± She was bright, so she clearly understood what he meant! The talent referred to her, and the beauty also meant her! For him to say those words inexplicably only meant one thing ¨C he knew that she was a girl. And yet he didn¡¯t expose her! Ji Yunshu¡¯s mind tensed, but she didn¡¯t dare to slow down her pace. She was afraid to walk next to him and listen to his strange words. By the time they reached the city, the sky had already darkened! On the road, the number of passersby grew more numerous, and many peddlers and hawkers were shouting loudly, boasting about the products they exhibited in front of their stalls. People walked to and fro. Lanterns were hung at every corner. Women and children were enjoying the evening. It was truly a lively ce. Ji Yunshu walked into the crowd while Jing Rong followed behind her. She wanted to take another route and part ways with him. How could she expect that someone would suddenly grab her right hand and strongly pull on her wrist. The strength of the pull made her lose her bnce as she staggered a few steps backward, but a hand grabbed her shoulder, stabilizing her. She casted a side nce and met Jing Rong¡¯s gaze. Jing Rong smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m a bit hungry and tired. How about we take a break and go eat a bowl of noodles?¡± She instinctively struggled, but unfortunately, Jing Rong¡¯s grip on her wrist was tight as steel, making all her struggles useless! ¡°Your Highness, release me.¡± ¡°On such a night, are you nning to go back and sleep in the warmth of your bed?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I feel it is truly a waste to do so.¡± ¡®Waste my ass! It¡¯s such a cold night; if I don¡¯t go sleep, do I stay awake for a snowball fight?¡¯ Without waiting for Ji Yunshu to refuse, he already dragged her to a noodle stand and sat at an empty table. Jing Rong waved. ¡°Boss, give us two bowls of soy sauce noodles with no scallions in one of them.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± The boss hung a towel on his shoulder and started preparing their noodles. Jing Rong spoke again. ¡°Boss, when you put the noodles in the water, stir it slowly a few times with your chopsticks. When you take it out, don¡¯t forget to rinse it with cold water. It will be much more fragrant when eaten.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± ¡®How skillful! But, hey, Jing Rong, did you grow up on the streets? How can you be so familiar with how street food is made?¡¯ However, Ji Yunshu asked him something else. ¡°Your Highness, what made you think I don¡¯t eat scallions?¡± Jing Rong stretched his hand and chose a pair of chopsticks from a small basket. He twirled them and tapped them on the teapot before replying, ¡°Last time at the Zhou Mansion, when you ate your meal you took out all the scallions. Anyone with discerning eyes would be able to notice it.¡± ¡®Um¡­ he is someone with a discerning eye.¡¯ ¡°Unfortunately, you are wrong. I don¡¯t dislike scallions.¡± ¡°Huh? Was I wrong? Howe?¡± Jing Rong became curious. How could he be wrong, he clearly saw Ji Yunshu remove all the scallions! At this moment, Ji Yunshu smiled. She picked a pair of chopsticks and tapped on the teapot. ¡°Your Highness, do you remember what dish I took out the scallions from?¡± Jing Rong slightly squinted as he pondered. His eyes suddenly brightened. ¡°The fried fish.¡± ¡°Your memory is really good. Then, does your Highness know that by adding scallion to fried fish, the fishy smell from the fish will be absorbed by it? Although I am used to the bloody stench of corpses, it doesn¡¯t mean that I like the smell of fish as both have different odors. Fish has a more pungent scent which could make the mind ufortable, while the smell of blood is dense but doesn¡¯t emit a greasy smell. If you get used to the odor, it¡¯s quite a refreshing scent.¡± tter! When Ji Yunshu was done talking, the sound of a soupdle being dropped could be heard behind her. The boss¡¯ face could be seen twitching as Ji Yunshu¡¯s words scared and startled him, no less. The boss immediately forced a smile as he gave them their orders. ¡°T-two¡­ Customers enjoy¡­¡± His voice quivered as he spoke. Today he encountered incredibly strange customers who had unique tastes! The boss put down the bowls and hurriedly distanced himself from them. Ji Yunshu couldn¡¯t help butugh. She hadpletely forgotten how she felt annoyed at Jing Rong for dragging her here. Her eyebrows were lowered as sheughed, the sight etched into Jing Rong¡¯s eyes. He wondered how Ji Yunshu would look if she changed into women¡¯s clothing and how beautiful she would look with her hair falling on her shoulders! He became distracted but immediately pulled himself back to reality. He dered, ¡°Hurry and eat or it will turn cold.¡± He picked up his chopsticks and dug in, eating with relish. Ji Yunshu watched him before she followed suit. She only ate one mouthful before stopping. As for Jing Rong, he had engulfed everything in his bowl by moving his chopsticks a few times. When he was done, he raised his head and saw that her bowl was barely eaten from. ¡°You¡¯re not eating?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel like eating.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t waste food.¡± The words barely fell, but Jing Rong had already taken her bowl. ¡°Don¡¯t-¡± Ji Yunshu became shocked. It was toote. He had already dipped his chopsticks in her bowl and started eating with gusto. At that instant, his action shocked her like being hit by lightning on a clear day. She gaped at him for a long time. After he was done eating, he was extremely delighted when he saw her shocked expression. The corner of his mouth curved into a smile. He stretched his fingers and pulled her chin up, closing her mouth. ¡°Teacher Ji, what made you so shocked? This Prince won¡¯t ignore you.¡± Ji Yunshu was at loss of words. ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m full, so let¡¯s go.¡± Jing Rong took out his money and put it on the table. Then, he dragged Ji Yunshu away by hand, leaving the noodle stand and merging into the crowd. When she looked at Jing Rong holding her hand, it always made her feel very ufortable. She waved her arm and freed herself as her long sleeves flipped in the air. She retracted her hand inside her sleeves and held both of her hands tightly to avoid Jing Rong from grabbing either of them. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. This humble one will leave first.¡± Ji Yunshu resumed showing an indifferent expression as she spoke. She quickly left after bypassing Jing Rong. Jing Rong stood at the same ce for a moment, watching his now empty hand as he felt the lingering soft feeling. Not long after, he turned around and chased after her. Chapter 68: Tasked to Take Both of Your Heads Chapter 68: Tasked to Take Both of Your Heads Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t slow down even a bit, meandering through the bustling streets until she reached a small and quiet path. She was now surrounded by smaller houses. On that small road, rednterns were hung at the corners of every house. Although this small road was not as lively as the main streets, it had a certain charm of its own! She continued onward, turned at two more corners and reached her destination ¨C the Ji Mansion. Ji Yunshu sped up again, running away from the bitterly cold weather. In this silent night, the sound of a shattering roof tile could be heard from behind her. The sound clearly reverberated, shattering the silence surrounding her. Ji Yunshu gradually slowed down until she came to a halt. Her vignt gaze swept the rooftops around her, but the darkness of the night was imprable. Her woman¡¯s intuition warned her that there was someone on either side of the roof. In fact, this person was certainly not alone. She was still contemting the possibilities when an arrow came piercing through the darkness, interrupting her thoughts. The cold arrow tip and the white feathered fletching glinted dangerously as it flew toward Ji Yunshu like a meteor. It was toote for Ji Yunshu to evade it. She could only helplessly watch the piercing tip gradually approach her, bing clearer and bigger as it got closer. She was in the prime of her life and still had yet to enjoy life. Was she going to die here? She was extremely unwilling. Right at this instant, she knew that short of a miracle, that arrow would pierce her chest and enter her heart! ¡­ And said miracle actually happened! A big hand seized her waist from behind and pulled her out of the way. She lost sight of the arrow as Jing Rong obstructed it and in the nick of the time grabbed the shooting arrow with his bare hands! With one hand he held Ji Yunshu¡¯s waist, and he caught the arrow with the other. His eyes fell on the arrow and a never seen before coldness glinted through them ¨C the cold light of anger! A tensed silence permeated their surroundings. Ji Yunshu was still panting from the fright she received. Without waiting for her to recover, Jing Rong¡¯s mouth stuck close to her ear and whispered, ¡°See that alley over there?¡± Ji Yunshu looked on and saw the entrance a bit more than five meters away from them. She nodded! ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. At the count of three, run away as fast as you can. Understand?¡± She nodded. ¡°One, two, three, run!¡± Simultaneously, Jing Rong released her and Ji Yunshu sprinted toward the alley with all her might. Suddenly, more than 10 people dressed in ck jumped down from the rooftop. Each of them held a sharp sword in their hands, shattering the quietude of the night. Right away, they split into two groups; some fought Jing Rong while the others chased after Ji Yunshu. Jing Rong leaped and sent out a few kicks straight onto the chest of a few of them. Then, hended and blocked the alley¡¯s entrance. ¡°Who are you?¡± Jing Rong asked in an overbearing tone The men in ck sieged the entrance of the alley. Despite the ck cloth masking their faces, the viciousness in their eyes could still be clearly seen, and their killing intent strongly felt. Their leader stepped out and spoke, ¡°There¡¯s a bounty for your heads. We¡¯ve been ordered to take both of your heads.¡± As the words fell, the assassins raised their swords and attacked again. Each sword move they executed showed no mercy and were meant to im a life. Jing Rong wasn¡¯t a passive herbivore as he made his move and sessfully wrestled away a sword from one of his opponents. Then, he started shing with them at close quarters. Meanwhile, Ji Yunshu, who was gasping for air, felt her anxiety creeping up on her as she watched the ongoing battle at the alley¡¯s entrance. Although Jing Rong had yet to be defeated, it didn¡¯t reassure her one bit. As they said, two hands could hardly handle four fists! More than 10 people were besieging him from all sides, the situation was dire enough that his safety couldn¡¯t be assured. Apart from her increasing anxiety, Ji Yunshu was puzzled by the man¡¯s words. ¡®What did he mean by ¡®ordered to take both of your heads¡¯?¡¯ How on earth did she end up getting involved in all of this? If these people are from the same group of assassins that attacked them in the memorial hall previously, it could be said to be a logical development, but they should only be targeting Jing Rong! Yet, she got dragged into this. Was this punishment for meddling in someone else¡¯s business? Ji Yunshu tightly gripped her front cloth as she bit her lip. She leaned on the wall and continued to observe the situation outside. Although the battle was fierce, Jing Rong¡¯s agility could deal with more than 10 ck-clothed people. With a sword in his hand, he had already imed a few lives, and the blood that dripped from the de bore witness to his deeds. Suddenly, one of the ck-clothed men got past Jing Rong¡¯s defenses and took that opportunity to target Ji Yunshu. ¡°Die!¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t tear her eyes away as she continuously retreated until her back hit a wall. In that fraction of time, her brain worked fast in order to find a way to dodge that attack. Her front had long been wrinkled into a mess by her grip. The sword continued to pierce through the air until it was about three centimeters away from her when Jing Rong got a free moment to kick a stone which homed straight at the assassin¡¯s wrist. The pain caused the man to involuntarily release his sword, which dropped to the ground. In that split moment, Ji Yunshu stretched her hands and used all her strength to push her attacker away. The man shouted in pain as he fell to the ground, clutching his arm tightly. ¡°Come here!¡± Jing Rong shouted at her as he held out his hand at her. Without hesitation, she ran back towards him, her outstretched hand inexorably nestled into his wide palm, allowing him to grasp it and hold onto her. Together, they escaped from that ce. However, the ck-clothed men unrelentingly chased after them! The previously quiet night was now covered in a strange atmosphere! Led by Jing Rong, Ji Yunshu had no choice but to run until she was at her wits¡¯ end and her ears were filled with the constant howling of the winds. ¡°Your Highness, please don¡¯t mind me. Escape quickly. I don¡¯t want to burden you.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s eagle-like expression was calm and collected. He continued to firmly hold onto Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand. ¡°I will not abandon you. We are in this together, be it in life or in death!¡± ¡®Huh!¡¯ Upon hearing those words, Ji Yunshu was stunned. Suddenly, it was as if her legs were light as feathers. It made her confused, but at the same time, it seemed like almost all the problems were blown away in the cold wind. Even Ji Pei had never uttered such words to her! They were able to distance themselves from their pursuers for about 20 meters, but they were still caught up to and surrounded in the end. Jing Rong shielded Ji Yunshu by standing in front of her. He gave her a side nce before asking her, ¡°Teacher Ji, are you scared?¡± ¡°I am.¡± There was no lie in her words. Despite seeing countless corpses, she never had the intention to be one of them, which made her fear not unfounded. In the event the magistrate didn¡¯t have a brain fart and summoned a coroner to do her autopsy, wouldn¡¯t her body go through even more hardships? Obviously, the surroundings were fraught with danger, but her answer provoked Jing Rong¡¯sugh. He spoke, ¡°Rest assured! Even if you are going to see the king of hell, I will go together with you. Whether you want to admire the flowers or drink wine, this prince will definitely apany you.¡± ¡®Hey, hey, hey! Your imagination is too wild. The dead who are descending to the underworld only wear white clothes and their destination is the bridge of reincarnation where they drink Meng Po¡¯s broth of oblivion 1and reincarnated afterwards. Where would they have the time to enjoy the flowers and drink wine? How delusional!¡¯ Ji Yunshu stood behind Jing Rong. One of her hands was still holding onto his hand, while the other was pulling at his sleeve. She breathed in a puff of cold air before speaking, ¡°I don¡¯t want to admire the flowers or drink wine either. If I die, I wish that Luan¡¯er would burn me some clothes, or even better, shoes. What¡¯s more, I want her to burn my sandalwood box because everything inside that box is precious to me. I don¡¯t want her to burn paper money to me since I will worry that the underworld air is too damp and the paper money will rot. It¡¯s better if she burned some gold and silver or valuables. Oh right! She has to¡­¡± For the first time, Jing Rong realized Ji Yunshu could be a chatterbox. She was monologuing as her eyes were turning red. Yet, Jin Rong frowned and asked her, ¡°Who is Luan¡¯er?¡± Chapter 69: Injured But Not Killed Chapter 69: Injured But Not Killed ¡°Who¡¯s Luan¡¯er?¡± ¡®That¡¯s not the point!¡¯ Ji Yunshu pursed her lips. Looking at the men in ck surrounding her, she said, ¡°Luan¡¯er is my loved one. If I die, Luan¡¯er will definitely follow me.¡± ¡®Loved one?¡¯ Jing Rong¡¯s mood darkened. Seeing the two of them chatting away happily, the leader of the men donned a fierce look as he lifted his sword and advanced. ¡°The master has said that whoever takes their heads will be rewarded handsomely!¡± ¡°Kill!¡± The assassins closed in on the pair with reddened eyes and ferocious visages. They were adamant about taking the heads of Ji Yunshu and Jing Rong. Just as they were about to reach them, Jing Rong pulled Ji Yunshu behind him and used the sword in his hand to swipe the ones the assassins had into a flower bud of des. Just as Jing Rong was about to deflect these des, Ji Yunshu retrieved an embroidered pouch from her waist belt. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± She immediately told Jing Rong. Though he didn¡¯t understand why he still did as he was told. The next moment, Ji Yunshu tossed out the white powder in the pouch. When the powder entered the assassins¡¯ eyes, a stinging pain caused them to lose their grip on their swords as they clutched at their eyes and cried out in pain! Some were rolling on the floor, agonizing. This was the scene Jing Rong witnessed when he opened his eyes. Ji Yunshu immediately pulled on his sleeve. ¡°Hurry up, let¡¯s go. That thing hasn¡¯t been used in a while, so I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯llst.¡± Jing Rong nodded as he held her hand and brought her away. After running down two streets and making sure that they weren¡¯t followed, they finally stopped. Ji Yunshu was panting. Only after checking a few more times did she feel safe. ¡°What did you throw?¡± Jing Rong asked her in a firm. ¡°A mixture of lime powder and reef juice. Once ites into contact with the eyes, even if they don¡¯t go blind, their eyes will be damaged permanently.¡± ¡°I did not expect such cruelty from you.¡± ¡®Was it cruel?¡¯ She looked at Jing Rong¡¯s sword and spoke, ¡°I only injure people, not kill them. Your Highness¡¯ sword, however, is drenched in fresh blood.¡± In his hand, was the sword that had intended to pierce through the both of them. His eyes were chilled by a look of coldness. ¡°If I didn¡¯t kill, this sword would have shed us to death instead.¡± Ji Yunshu was unable to reply to that. At that moment, she actually agreedpletely with him. Killing wasn¡¯t necessarily a crime. Just like Suyun and the old steward wanted to kill the Young Miss of the Zhou family; had they not been forced to that point and endured that kind of pain, they wouldn¡¯t have done what they did. Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression slowly rxed, but her brows remained furrowed as she walked forward with her head lowered. Seeing her expression, Jing Rong immediately wiped the blood-covered sword using his outer robe and discarded it onto a pile of junk before chasing after Ji Yunshu. ¡°Are you scared?¡± He asked her. She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± She suddenly halted before turning back towards Jing Rong. Raising her hand and opening her fist, she revealed a circr jade pendant. ¡°I managed to get this from one of those assassins. Doesn¡¯t this look familiar?¡± Ji Yunshu asked him. Jing Rong picked the jade up. He frowned and said, ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°This pendant is exactly the same as the ones worn by the assassins in the memorial hall. But if they are the same people, then the one they should be trying to kill should be Your Highness. But today, they wanted my head as well. Doesn¡¯t Your Highness find this strange?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s finger slid across the edges of the pendant as he sank into his thoughts. Seeing that he didn¡¯t respond, Ji Yunshu continued, ¡°Lang Po must have told Your Highness about the jade pendant and the Shiban poison from before. If we can find out where they came from, we should be able to elucidate the identity of the mastermind behind these assassins. However, one thing I don¡¯t understand is¡­ why do they want me dead too? Even if they wanted to silence me because I was present at the previous assassination, it still doesn¡¯t make sense because it¡¯s too risky to do something this high-profile. If not, then what?¡± The more urate her analysis was, the clearer the answer became within Jing Rong¡¯s heart! He kneaded the pendant as his eyes were shrouded by something which conveyed dangerousness. Looking at Ji Yunshu, he spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of whatever that is behind this case.¡± ¡°So Your Highness¡­ knows who it is?¡± ¡®Woman¡¯s intuition!¡¯ Jing Rong¡¯s brows wrinkled before he regained his imprable countenance and said, ¡°Teacher Ji, do not tell anyone about what happened just now. I have my own ns.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± She nodded. Jing Rong didn¡¯t confirm or deny anything, which meant he was still unsure about who the mastermind was. ¡°All right, I should escort you back now.¡± ¡°No need, it¡¯s right around the corner. Those assassins shouldn¡¯t being after us anymore, so Your Highness had best make your way back to the Grand Canal Manor. Should something happen to you, I wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the consequences.¡± Hearing her words, Jing Rong had an outpour of flirtatiousness. He drew closer to Ji Yunshu before asking in a low voice, ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ji Yunshu fell silent. ¡°Am I right?¡± His tone was exceedingly gentle. His body was also drawing closer and closer to Ji Yunshu. The scent of a man assaulted her nose, causing Ji Yunshu¡¯s nose to warm up. She immediately retreated back a couple of steps and lowered her head even more. ¡°I still need to investigate the yin yang corpse¡¯s case tomorrow, so I¡¯ll be heading back first,¡± said Ji Yunshu and she hurried away without letting Jing Rong catch up to her. Looking at her escaping figure, Jing Rong¡¯s teasing smirk turned into worry. If those burnt corpses and these two assassination attempts really had something to do with the ¡®Lin Capital Case¡¯, then who was stopping him from returning to the capital? Who was preventing him from¡­ bringing Ji Yunshu back to the capital? ¡®Could it really be him?¡¯ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Even when she had returned home, Ji Yunshu was still in a daze. ¡®We are in this together, be it in life or in death!¡¯ Those words echoed incessantly within her mind. She sat down and spaced out for a long time. Luan¡¯er, however, got a huge shock when she saw her. Ji Yunshu¡¯s clothes were stained with blood and there were some residues of white powder on it as well. ¡°Young Miss, what¡¯s wrong? Are you injured? Did the wounds on your back re-open? Please don¡¯t scare me and let me have a look.¡± said Luan¡¯er as she approached to check on her wounds. Ji Yunshu looked at her with some coldness before speaking, ¡°I¡¯m fine. This blood is from the bodies in the yamen.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Luan¡¯er wiped away her tears. ¡°What would I trick you for? Hurry up and get some water for me to wash up.¡± Luan¡¯er nodded before hurrying out to get water, which was regrly interrupted by unrestrained sniffles. That night, Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t get a wink of sleep. Tossing and turning in bed, she sighed. The attempted assassination, as well as Jing Rong¡¯s words, stirred her emotions so much that she could not calm down. This persisted until daybreak when she got up from bed with bags under her eyes. After packing up some things and eating a few snacks, she hurriedly headed to the yamen. Upon her arrival, she spoke to the magistrate, ¡°Lord Liu, I¡¯m going to re-examine the body. But in the meantime, I¡¯ll need you to investigate someone for me.¡± The magistrate asked. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Madame Jiang¡¯s younger brother. The more details, the better.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll send someone to investigate.¡± Chapter 70: The Boiling Wine Separation Method While the magistrate ordered his subordinates to investigate Madame Jiang¡¯s younger brother, Ji Yunshu went to the autopsy room. The pile of bones remained where it had been left, untouched by others. She lifted the white cloth, causing the dirt on it to fly off, one clump nearly managing to make its way into her mouth. Two yamen runners had followed her and the one called Wei Wu spoke, ¡°Teacher Ji, if there¡¯s anything you need help with, please order us.¡± She nodded, ¡°Stand over to the side for now, I¡¯ll have some uses for youter.¡± The one called Wang San curiously asked her, ¡°Teacher Ji, haven¡¯t you already examined these bones? Why do you still want to look at them again?¡± ¡°Simr to how you sometimes forget things, when performing autopsies, there¡¯ll be times when you miss out on small details. Therefore, to avoid that, repeat the examination a few more times and, perhaps, new evidence mighte to light,¡± exined Ji Yunshu with the utmost patience. Wei Wu and Wang San exchanged a nce. ¡°Teacher Ji speaks profoundly at times.¡± ¡°Yeah. And he¡¯s so smart too, he¡¯ll definitely find the murderer.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right!¡± ¡­¡­¡­. The two continued in this fashion for a while, thoroughly amusing themselves in the process! Meanwhile, Ji Yunshu had already put on those white gloves of hers. Her brows were deeply furrowed and her expression was severe. She lowered her head and began her re-examination of the bones. She had always believed that while a corpse might lie, bones never would. Furthermore, she firmly believed that she had missed something important in her previous attempt. After inspecting each one of the bones, she came to the same result as the other day¡¯s. She was a little distressed by the unfavorable oue. Wei Wu carefully probed, ¡°Teacher Ji, have you found anything new?¡± Ji Yunshu had not spoken yet when Wang San elbowed him and spoke, ¡°Of course he has. Aren¡¯t you just wasting your breath by asking such an obvious question?¡± ¡°So what if I asked? I just wanted to know.¡± ¡°Why are you being pushy to me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being pushy!¡± ¡°You are!¡± The two red at each other as they started bickering. Their arms were pressed against one another. Had Ji Yunshu not been here, there would have been no doubt that these two would be brawling by now! This caused Ji Yunshu to get a headache. She sighed before speaking to Wei Wu, ¡°Stick out your tongue.¡± ¡®My tongue? Why would I want to do that?¡¯ Wei Wu scratched his head uprehendingly. ¡°Why should I stick out my tongue?¡± Ji Yunshu straightened her body, both hands kept distanced in front of her. She smiled at him, ¡°I¡¯m giving you a free check-up.¡± ¡®Hey, that sounds great! Who wouldn¡¯t be happy for a free health check-up?¡¯ And so Wei Wuplied by sticking his tongue out at Ji Yunshu. This made Wang San unhappy. ¡®Howe only Wei Wu gets a check-up, and not me?¡¯ He stepped forward and spoke awkwardly, ¡°Teacher Ji, you can¡¯t just examine Wei Wu but leave me out to dry.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. Then you stick your tongue out too.¡± ¡°Okay, got it.¡± Now, there were two grown men sticking their tongues out like dogs. That scene was really quite funny! Ji Yunshu waved her hand, ¡°Go stand at the doorway and face away from me. You¡¯re not allowed to put your tongues back into your mouths until I allow you to.¡± ¡®What does he mean?¡¯ Wei Wu and Wang San exchanged a nce. Helpless, they could only do as she asked and stick their tongues out, which prevented them from speaking. After all, they did not dare to disobey her orders so they could only obediently stand at the doorway. Ji Yunshu could not help butugh as she muttered to herself, ¡°This method is effective, and it makes them quiet too.¡± She moved her gaze back to the pile of bones. Her attention was suddenly drawn to the tattered clothing which covered it. The next moment, she picked out a scalpel and used the sharp tip to carefully separate the clothing from the bones. The clothing had deteriorated quite a bit. Fortunately, it was made of silk, so there were plenty of parts which did not degrade quite as badly. After having separated some of the bones from the clothing, she was surprised to discover that it wasposed of twoyers. Even more surprising was that¡­ ¡°Why are these two cloths different? The one on the exterior is silk while the otheryer inside is¡­ made of a coarser fabric?¡± The doubts she held in her heartpelled her to hurry her movements as shepletely separated the clothing from the bones. She called out, ¡°The two of you, put your tongues back in your mouths ande over.¡± Wei Wu and Wang San had already drooled all over the floor by now. So, upon hearing the order, they immediately put their tongues back before wiping at their mouths using their sleeves. ¡®So much saliva!¡¯ The two bowed as they came back in. Wei Wu swallowed back his saliva as he asked with a smile, ¡°What orders do you have for us, Teacher Ji?¡± ¡°The two of you, go fetch me a thin iron te and a bottle of white wine. Oh, and a furnace.¡± ¡°Teacher Ji¡­ are you nning to roast food?¡± Wei Wu nearly drooled again. ¡®A thin iron te, white wine, and a furnace. What are you nning to do if not roast something?¡¯ Ji Yunshu took several deep breaths in an effort to maintain herposure. ¡°Hurry up, I need them immediately.¡± Her tone was heavy and indicated that she was on the brink of flying into a rage. Wei Wu and Wang San did not dare to hesitate any longer, for fear of having to stick their tongues out again. Hence, they rushed off to get the things Ji Yunshu wanted as quickly as possible. Following Ji Yunshu¡¯s directions, the two set the iron te about five inches above the furnace before sshing some of the white wine onto the top of it. The sizzling sounds resounded in the room! That sound was weirdly satisfying. Ji Yunshu ced the clothing on the iron te and made sure to soak itpletely in white wine. Wei Wu sidled up to Wang San and carefully asked, ¡°Hey, what do you think Teacher Ji¡¯s trying to do?¡± ¡°Why are you so nosy? Anyways, it¡¯s an autopsy method, so let¡¯s note it down for future reference.¡± ¡°Oh right, okay.¡± ¡®When did these two make up?¡¯ Ji Yunshu very kindly exined while she was busying herself. ¡°This is called the White Wine Separation Method. Usually, for artifacts that have been excavated-, ahem, in this case, the clothing. The best method to separate it while preserving its structure is this method. Upon contact with the alcohol, the fabric will shrink to a certain extent. This process is rtively gentle. On the other hand, the high heat will result in an expansion. So using the physical principles of expansion and contraction, the clothing will be separated perfectly intact into its differentponents.¡± This exnation, of course, totally went over their heads! ¡®What¡­¡¯ Ji Yunshu did not bother to further borate, instead choosing to wait for the clothing to emit puffs of hot air before carefully picking it up and cing it on a nearby table. She then picked up her knife and used it to split the two different clothyers. Not one bit of damage! On top of it, the coarse inneryer was fairly intact, though a small portion of it was missing. ¡°Come over and have a look. What does this look like?¡± asked Ji Yunshu as she called the duo over. Wei Wu and Wang San opened their eyes wide as they approached. However, after some scrutinizing, both shook their heads. ¡°Don¡¯t know?¡± Ji Yunshu asked once again. However, Wang San seemed to have suddenlye to a joyful realization. He pointed at the piece of cloth, ¡°This should be a little kid¡¯s underwear.1¡± ¡®Underwear?!¡¯ 1.Ancient Chinese underwear is pretty much just the top¡­ The real term in Chinese is ¶Ç¶µ (dudou). It should look like this for kids: https://cbu01.alicdn/img/ibank/2016/644/609/2982906446_940276694.220¡Á220.jpg I think it¡¯s better if you just look at the link I put because googling it will only give you the kinky adult version of the dudou as the top result. XD Chapter 71: The Killer is… You! Chapter 71: The Killer is¡­ You! To show that he was not uttering nonsense, Wang San added, ¡°My daughter wears one and it looks exactly like this one, even the red color on it is the same.¡± ¡®Now that Wang San mentioned it¡­ It¡¯s true.¡¯ Even Wei Wu joined in, ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s an underwear! The younger male cousin on the father¡¯s side of my third aunt¡¯s elder female cousin had a younger female cousin that had a kid, and her kid used that kind of fabric as underwear.¡± ¡®Hey, can you be more concise!¡¯ The two of them imed it was an underwear, which surprised Ji Yunshu quite a bit. ¡®Underwear?¡¯ ¡°Why would Master Jiang be carrying a piece of a child¡¯s underwear?¡± ¡®I thought Master Jiang and Madame Jiang didn¡¯t have any children?¡¯ ¡°Wei Wu, Wang San, go and investigate whether or not Madame Jiang has ever had any children. Also, find out whether or not there used to be any small children at the Jiang manor. Make sure to investigate thoroughly, got it?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± What a rare moment of seriousness! The two immediately left to investigate. Ji Yunshu remained in the autopsy room as she carefully scrutinized the piece of underwear. ¡®Why would a grown man over 40 years old have a piece of children¡¯s underwear on his person? This is too puzzling!¡¯ ¡®Could it be he really was mad?¡¯ Shaking her head, she tossed aside those spections, before picking up the white cloth she had taken off. Stretching it out forcefully, she was just about to cover the bones with it again when¡­ ¡®Ding!¡¯ Something seemed to have fallen on the ground. She searched around for a bit before finding a small, ckened object near one of the table legs. Picking it up, she discovered it was a button which was still covered by dirt. It had probably been hidden in the dirt encasing the bones. Wiping it clean, the button¡¯s original appearance became fully exposed. The material was shiny and glossy and its exterior, not smooth but spiral-shaped. From its appearance, it appeared to be a button from the silk clothing produced by the Qing Province. Their clothing all used this type of button in order to brag about the fortunes and the elegance of its owner. Usually, these buttons were sewn around the cor area. As to why Ji Yunshu knew this much, it was not too far-fetched, for the Ji family had someone who insisted on using silk clothing from the Qing Province. This person was Ji Lingzhi! What made Ji Yunshu surprised was that while these types of buttons usually had four holes in the middle where the thread was sewn, this one only had three. Furthermore, she kept having the feeling she had seen this type of button before, only she could not recall where as of right now. ¡°Yunshu, we¡¯ve found it.¡± The magistrate¡¯s voice came from outside. Turning around, Ji Yunshu saw the magistrate lift his official¡¯s robe and enter the room. ¡°Yunshu, we¡¯ve done it, we¡¯ve investigated it.¡± ¡°So what are you yelling for?¡± The magistrate¡¯s expression stiffened though he didn¡¯t forget to tell Ji Yunshu about the results of the investigation. In a serious voice, he recounted in detail, ¡°Madame Jiang¡¯s younger brother is called Li Zhao. Although the Li family is a Great House, they¡¯ve always had their main branch in the Qing Province and not the capital. This Li Zhao only arrived in Jinjiang two years ago and moved into the Jiang manor to stay. Madame Jiang is actually very strict towards this younger brother of hers though, of course, she dotes on him too. Furthermore- ¡± ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°The point is that Li Zhao is a gambling addict. The Li family found out that he had umted enormous amounts of gambling debt in the Qing Province, hence he was sent here so Madame Jiang could supervise him. However, how could it be that easy to change his ways? His gambling addiction remained a problem and he continued to rue his debts. There was a time when the bigger gambling establishments of Jinjiang city wouldn¡¯t even let him in. However, his character is actually very cowardly.¡± Ji Yunshu narrowed her eyes. ¡°Is that all?¡± The magistrate once again spoke, ¡°Oh, not at all. He has quite a few siblings. The eldest is that Madame Jiang, while his second oldest sister is- ¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough. Go send the order to arrest him.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°I said you can arrest him now.¡± Ji Yunshu spoke with a serious face. The magistrate nked out for a bit, before revealing joy on his face as he pped. ¡°The murderer is Li Zhao, right?¡± By this time, ck lines started appearing on Ji Yunshu¡¯s forehead. ¡°Are you going to arrest him or not?¡± ¡°Arrest, arrest, of course I¡¯ll arrest him. I¡¯ll arrest him right away!¡± The case was about to be solved, of course the magistrate was happy. He ran out and hurriedly sent the order for people to bring Li Zhao in for questioning. Ji Yunshu¡¯s grip on the button tightened. She covered the bones with the cloth before following the Magistrate. Not too long after, Li Zhao was dragged to the courtroom by a yamen runner, who forced him to kneel. Ji Yunshu asked the yamen runner, ¡°Where was he caught?¡± His reply was, ¡°A gambling den.¡± ¡®No wonder Madame Jiang didn¡¯t tag along. This way it¡¯s better, it saves me the trouble of having to deal with arguments!¡¯ ¡°What are you doing? What right do you have to arrest me? Do you know who my father is? Do you know who my grandfather is?¡± Li Zhao roared. ¡®Yeah, we know, your grandfather is Old General Li!¡¯ The magistrate was enraged as he mmed his gavel down. ¡°What are you yelling for? I ordered people to arrest you. Anyints?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Go ahead and tell me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t break thew, how dare you arrest me? What, is gambling illegal now?!¡± Li Zhao clenched his fists in fury. Yesterday, he had been as docile as a kitten with Madame Jiang around. Now though, he appeared quite arrogant. At that time gambling really was not illegal, so the magistrate could only look to Ji Yunshu for help. Ji Yunshu unhurriedly advanced a few steps, stopping by Li Zhao¡¯s side. She lowered her head to ask him, ¡°Li Zhao, let me ask you: Were you not the one who murdered Master Jiang?¡± Li Zhao¡¯s gaze visibly trembled as he swallowed before speaking, ¡°I¡¯ve already said, it wasn¡¯t me. I didn¡¯t kill my brother-inw. He was my brother-inw, how could I have killed him?¡± ¡°I will repeat myself, were you the murderer or not?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t me, it really wasn¡¯t me. The day my brother-inw died, I wasn¡¯t at home.¡± ¡°You are still lying.¡± Ji Yunshu rebuked. Li Zhao¡¯s body trembled suddenly as his gaze refused to meet Ji Yunshu¡¯s. ¡°I- I¡¯m not lying.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s gaze was cold, and there was a pressuring aura around her as she spoke. ¡°You said that you weren¡¯t home the day your brother-inw died?¡± ¡°Y-Yes.¡± ¡°More lies. How did you know on which day he died? And by extension, how are you so certain that you weren¡¯t home the day Master Jiang died? Madame Jiang also stated that you only moved to the capital after Master Jiang went missing. Then the question is, why would you state the obvious and say you weren¡¯t home had Master Jiang died after your move to the capital?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Li Zhao¡¯s face was filled with panic. ¡°The truth was really that Master Jiang had died before your move to the capital. And for the sake of escaping the consequences, you lied, saying that you weren¡¯t at home. However, it is this very statement that exposed that you were lying. Master Jiang¡¯s killer¡­ is you!¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s voice shook all the listeners present! Everyone in the courtroom was jarred. Li Zhao, who, at this point, paled to a chalk-white expression, lost the strength in his legs and sat paralysed on the ground. ¡°Not me, it wasn¡¯t me, I didn¡¯t kill anyone. It really wasn¡¯t me, really wasn¡¯t me ah¡­¡± His voice was trembling as his pupils dted from anxiety. Ji Yunshu did not press for an immediate confession. Instead, she took out the button and said, ¡°Li Zhao, you know very well why I¡¯m showing this to you, don¡¯t you!¡± Chapter 72: The Button With Three Holes Ji Yunshu pinched the button between her fingers and showed it to Li Zhao. Upon seeing the button, the transient bafflement within his eyes became that of deep terror. ¡°How¡­ How would I know why?¡± as he replied, he reached out to hold onto the belt he wore. Unfortunately for him, Ji Yunshu saw what he did with absolute rity. She spoke, ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you know? You wore the same clothes as you¡¯re wearing today. Both were made with Qing Province silk and only on those clothes are these types of buttons found.¡± ¡°So- So what? That¡¯s not enough to prove that I killed my brother-inw. You can¡¯t just falsely use an innocent person.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you agree that it¡¯s quite a coincidence that this button just so happened to be found with that skeleton? The ankle bone on Master Jiang¡¯s corpse was damaged, proving that he struggled with someone before he died, and this button just so happened to have been ripped off during the struggle.¡± The more Li Zhao heard, the more panicked he became, but he still continued his denial, ¡°Even if that button belonged to the killer, it¡­ it has nothing to do with me!¡± ¡®A futile struggle.¡¯ Ji Yunshu was not in a rush. She smiled and spoke, ¡°Li Zhao, can you not even recognize the button from your own clothing?¡± ¡®Eh? Where did thise from?¡¯ Magistrate Liu was puzzled. He sat up slightly straighter in his rosewood chair and asked, ¡°It¡¯s just a button, what¡¯s so weird about that? How can you be certain that it belongs to him?¡± The magistrate was not the only one who wished to know the answer, even the adviser and the yamen runners were eagerly awaiting her exnation. Li Zhao grabbed onto that loophole to immediately argue back, ¡°Silk clothes from the Qing Province are everywhere. These buttons are alsomon, why are you saying it must be mine?¡± ¡°No need to press me so hard. Can you quiet down and let me speak?¡± Ji Yunshu was visibly unhappy. Walking over to Li Zhao¡¯s left, she said, ¡°From what I know, normally, buttons have four holes in the middle for the thread to be sewn through. The buttons found on Qing Province clothes are no exception. However, this one is an exception.¡± She lifted the button once again before exining, ¡°As everyone can see, this button only has three holes. Normally, buttons with three holes for Qing Province clothes are custom-tailored. Now you might be wondering, ¡®Why would someone see the need for three holes when four would do as well?¡¯ That¡¯s because¡­ of a superstition amongst gamblers!¡± ¡®What?¡¯ Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads in iprehension. ¡®Why are you moving the focus of the conversation from the button to how it had three holes?¡¯ However, while everyone else was surprised by the revtion, Li Zhao felt as if Ji Yunshu¡¯s words were sharp des which peeled away his skin, leaving him shivering in coldness. Ji Yunshu swept her gaze over everyone before bringing it back on the button in her hand. ¡°I believe that there are people here who have gone to gambling dens before. You may know about fortune and dissipation, but do you know about ¡®take all¡¯?¡± ¡°I know!¡± A yamen runner raised his hands as he was a good student answering a question from the headmistress, ¡°Take all means eating all! It¡¯s when only the dealer wins.¡± ¡°Wrong.¡± The facial muscles of the runner twitched. He scratched his face. ¡®Was that wrong? It shouldn¡¯t be though? That¡¯s what it means in gambling dens.¡¯ The yamen runner asked in a quivering voice, ¡°Then Teacher Ji, what does it mean?¡± Ji Yunshu smiled, but her smile intimated at something terrifying. ¡°The so-called ¡®take all¡¯ is when a normal gambler, or a yer, win it all. To a gambling addict, this represents ¡®wealth from three sides¡¯. Li Zhao, have I spoken correctly?¡± Her gazended on Li Zhao once more! He lowered his head, not daring to look at her as he licked his lips, ¡°I¡­¡± Yet he could not get a full sentence out. ¡°Since you won¡¯t speak, I¡¯ll speak on your behalf. You¡¯ve been wearing silk clothes from the Qing Province since your childhood and you haven¡¯t changed this habit to this day. What you liked even more were the buttons on these clothes. Normally, buttons are sewn on the cor. However, you had yours sewn on your waistband, which shows just how much you like them. In fact, you like them so much that, while the standard is four holes, you wanted to unt your fashion tastes and had personalized buttons with only three holes made for your clothes. ¡°Of course, the reason you liked buttons with three holes was because you loved to gamble. A true addict like you not only believes in luck, but also in Fengshui1. True gambling addicts believe in wearing three holes on the waist, which will bring wealth from three sides.¡± Her words pounded Li Zhao¡¯s spirit, and thetter was already trembling. ¡®The rumor that he was a coward isn¡¯t just an apocryphal tale,¡¯ thought Yi Junshu. Ji Yunshu struck while the iron was hot; she pointed at a section of the waistband he concealed with his hand. ¡°If you still won¡¯t admit the button is yours, then remove your hand! Let everyone take a look and judge for themselves if what I¡¯ve said is true.¡± How would he dare to move his hand away now? Li Zhao seemed that he would swallow his belt whole, if given the chance. Seeing that Li Zhao still kept his hand where it was, the magistrate got impatient and shot a look at the yamen runners. Two of the sharper ones understood the meaning of his nce, went up to Li Zhao, and forced both his arms to his sides. ¡°You- Let go of me!¡± Li Zhao shouted. However, the button on his waist had already been exposed; as expected, it was a three-holed button. It looked identical to the one in Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand! The magistrate¡¯s eyes widened. He lifted his gavel in rage and mmed it down. The smack resounded within the courtroom. ¡°Li Zhao, first you¡¯vemitted perjury, and now, when this button is presented as irrefutable proof, you¡¯re still not going to admit that you killed Master Jiang? Don¡¯t make me torture you.¡± Ji Yunshu rolled her eyes at him. ¡®Is violence the onlynguage you speak? A confession is best when not coerced.¡¯ Li Zhao was held in ce by the two yamen runners. His face was pallid and his mind was in a mess from the panic. A sudden streak of inspiration ran through his mind, and he immediately used it to formte a rebuttal to Ji Yunshu¡¯s usation, ¡°You are using me of being the murderer based solely on a button. This is just a fabrication, a convenient usation you¡¯ve concocted! I didn¡¯t- didn¡¯t kill anyone, I didn¡¯t!¡± To Ji Yunshu, he was merely dying the inevitable. ¡°No, no that¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°Then, one night, you saw Master Jiang. Though you knew that Master Jiang had no authority in the Jiang family, he was still the ostensible head of the household. So, you nned on asking him to lend you money to solve your troubles.¡± 1.Fengshui: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feng_shui Chapter 73: Backing? ¡°I- ¡± Ji Yunshu interrupted Li Zhao. ¡°But Master Jiang didn¡¯t agree to do so and berated you, saying that he would tell your sister. You were very afraid and begged him not to say anything, but Master Jiang wouldn¡¯t listen. Although your personality is very cowardly, you were drunk at the time, and your muddled mind gave you the courage to grab the dagger. In your rage, you stabbed him multiple times.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t kill him, I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°While you were stabbing Master Jiang, he identally pulled off the button on your waist. Then, when he fell backwards, he twisted his ankle and bumped his head against the tree and at that time, his life had expired!¡± As she spoke, she osted Li Zhao, whose face was pale and who limbs twitched. He shook his head furiously as he kept repeated in a trembling voice, ¡°I really didn¡¯t kill him, I didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°It was you. You were the one who stabbed him to death with a dagger. Then, you buried him.¡± ¡°No, it was someone else who killed him, it was someone else. All I did was push him, and I just pushed him a little. I don¡¯t know who killed him. I just buried the body.¡± Li Zhao¡¯s voice was very loud. ¡®Very good. As long as you admit it.¡¯ Li Zhao¡¯s confession shocked everyone. ¡®He confessed that he was present when Master Jiang died, and without any torture at all!¡¯ Having gotten a satisfactory answer, Ji Yunshu¡¯s lips opened slightly as she felt a heavy weight fall off from her shoulders. She spoke, ¡°I finally got you to confess. Li Zhao, what you said was correct. Even if you lied and said the button was yours, there was no way to prove you were the murderer. This was enough to make you feel afraid though. When someone is beset by both terror and an intense interrogation, they will naturally crack and reveal what the interrogator wants to know just to escape from the stress.¡± Once her words were out, Li Zhao realised his mistake. However, he was not able to regret it now. His entire body seemed as if all the air had been sucked out of him as his hands fell from the yamen runners¡¯ grips, hitting the floor. His gaze was filled with despair and sorrow. The magistrate¡¯s body was nearlypletely lying on top of his desk by now, as he pointed at Li Zhao and asked, ¡°Li Zhao, you have already confessed. I shall ask you one more time, was it you who got into a struggle with Master Jiang and killed him, as Teacher Ji described?¡± Li Zhao was in a daze as he sat on the floor but he continued to chant, ¡°I didn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t. Yes, I did owe people a lot of money and didn¡¯t want my sister to know about it, so I went to my brother-inw for money. But that old thing said he wouldn¡¯t give me a single cent and even threatened to report me to my sister and my father. I was very angry then but¡­ but I just pushed him. After I saw him fall on the ground, I left.¡± ¡°Since you only pushed him, then where did the knife wounds on his bodye from? Furthermore, the fact that you buried his body proves that you had a guilty conscience and wanted to hide it.¡± He shook his head and continued speaking in a much calmer voice than before, ¡°I really just pushed him once, then I left. When I returned, I found- found him dead with¡­ blood all over his body. I was very scared so¡­ so I buried him.¡± There were holes in his story! Without waiting for the magistrate to question him any further, Ji Yunshu spoke, ¡°Since you didn¡¯t kill him, why did you bury the body and not report it to the yamen? Also, Madame Jiang helped you to bury the body. She knew you killed Master Jiang but couldn¡¯t bear to send you to the officials, so the two of you buried the corpse before hastily moving to the capital.¡± ¡°I already said that¡¯s not the case. I didn¡¯t kill anyone and I¡¯m the only one who buried the body. I hated that old fellow for not giving me any money, so I felt he got he deserved and even wanted to thank the person who killed him. I felt that since someone killed him for me, I¡¯d bury the body for that person. It¡¯s really like this, that¡¯s all there is, there¡¯s really nothing else.¡± This reason was simply ridiculous! Li Zhao clenched his teeth, his entire expression was devoid of hope. All the fear and timidity from before had been swept away. His tone and attitude both clearly indicated he was hiding something! Ji Yunshu pondered. ¡®If what Seventh Uncle said was true, then both Li Zhao and Madame Jiang buried the body. However, Li Zhao didn¡¯t admit to killing Master Jiang, just that he buried the body. He also refused to admit that Madame Jiang helped him bury the body. The worst part is that the witness died, leaving me without much evidence!¡¯ Seeing that Ji Yunshu was deep in thought, Li Zhao suddenlyughed and spoke to her, ¡°Teacher Ji, is it? I¡¯m telling you I didn¡¯t kill the man. So you can¡¯t prove I¡¯m the murderer just based on that button and you won¡¯t be able to find any more evidence to prove that I did it. I also know how thew works, the most you can do to me is use me of burying the body and not reporting it to the officials. And I still have my grandfather and father who will get me out of jail in a few days at most.¡± ¡®Is it really alright to so openly say you have a strong backing? This sounds the same as that ¡°My dad is Li Gang¡± business!¡¯ The magistrate was powerless and when he looked at Ji Yunshu, he only got the same gaze in return. ¡®I really don¡¯t have anymore evidence!¡¯ So the magistrate just spoke to Li Zhao, ¡°Since you¡¯re still not confessing, I have many ways to open your mouth.¡± He then ordered a yamen runner, ¡°Take him to the prison and question him.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The yamen runners supported Li Zhao up. His body dragging on the floor he was still all smiles, ¡°If you dare to torture me, the Li family won¡¯t let you off.¡± His voice got further and further. The magistrate walked over to Ji Yunshu¡¯s aside and asked quietly, ¡°How is it? Any new evidence that will prove he¡¯s the murderer?¡± ¡°None.¡± Her reply was very concise since she really hadn¡¯t. The magistrate lifted his sleeve to wipe away at sweat before pping his hands together and muttering, ¡°The Li n did produce many good officials. If we aren¡¯t able to get a definitive answer then perhaps¡­ the Li n wille and force me to release him.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t even care about thew?¡± The magistrate sighed, ¡°This isn¡¯t the capital, and the Emperor is far away.¡± The underlying meaning was that he was just a minor country magistrate. If his superiors forced him to release Li Zhao, he really had no choice but to release him! Ji Yunshu was worried too. Even if she hadn¡¯t met with 20-30 cases she had at the very least met 17 or 18. However, none of them had a perpetrator with such an impressive background! However, thinking more deeply, she realised that this case was being investigated on the orders of a son of the Emperor! No matter how impressive his background, could it beat Jing Rong¡¯s? Of course not! After all, the only one who had a higher rank than Jing Rong is the Emperor himself! Chapter 74: Shu’er Chapter 74: Shu¡¯er Ji Yunshu knew that it wouldn¡¯t take long for the news of Li Zhao¡¯s arrest to reach Madame Jiang¡¯s ears. That woman was so full of arguments and excuses and Jing Rong wasn¡¯t present at this moment. Thus, it was hard to tell what kind of wretched ideas that woman coulde up with to bail out her brother! After pondering for awhile, Ji Yunshu suggested to Magistrate Liu. ¡°Milord, I think that if we wait for Madame Jiang to arrive, she will definitely pressure you to release her brother on the spot. You will have no choice but to endure, and you cannot release him. In addition, Li Zhao has already admitted to the crime of burying and concealing the corpse. His arrest is only a matter of time. Before we get any new evidence, it¡¯s better to keep him in the prison.¡± ¡°I understand. When the timees, I will grit my teeth and stand firm.¡± His exuded self-confidence as he spoke those words. However, it made Ji Yunshu feel more anxious instead. She was afraid that he would grit his teeth too hard and end up with broken teeth instead. Right at this time¡­ ¡°Mis- Sir¡­¡± Someone almost blurted out ¡°miss¡±. A female voice could be heard faintly from a distance until it became clearer and louder as the person came closer. As they turn their head, they saw Luan¡¯er running towards them, dripping with sweat and gasping for breath. Ji Yunshu frowned as she was confused about why Luan¡¯er came, so she asked. ¡°Why did youe?¡± Luan¡¯er hurriedly replied, ¡°Some-something has happened at home. You need to go back quickly.¡± ¡®Something happened? Is it something good or bad?¡¯ It should be something bad, since nothing good ever happened in this house! Seeing the worry in Luan¡¯er, Ji Yunshu had no choice but to exin herself to Magistrate Liu. ¡°Milord, you must not forget what I just said. Furthermore, I will send Wei Wu and Wang San to investigate the case. If there¡¯s a new lead, please inform me as soon as possible.¡± ¡°What are they investigating?¡± ¡°Save your questions forter. We will discuss it after they finish their investigation.¡± The magistrate nodded and Ji Yunshu departed from the yamen with Luan¡¯er. As soon as they exited, Ji Yunshu asked Luan¡¯er, ¡°What happened at home? What made you panic to the point that you had to run to the yamen?¡± ¡°The Wei family came. Lord Wei and Madame Wei also brought Young Master Wei with them. They¡­ They said that they want you to meet Young Master Wei.¡± She had to face this situation sooner orter. But when she was on her way to the Ji Mansion, Ji Yunshu always felt like there was someone following her. It must be her woman¡¯s intuition ying tricks on her. It was only after she entered the West Side courtyard did Lang Poe out of his hiding ce. Seeing that she had returned safely to the Ji Mansion, he rxed. Due to yesterday¡¯s assassination attempt, Jing Rong heightened his vignce and ordered a group of people to secretly protect Ji Yunshu since the assassins said they were ordered to take two heads. Even Lang Po didn¡¯t forget to grumble. ¡°Prince treats Miss Ji very well. He¡¯s afraid that she might meet with a mishap, so he even made me protect her in secret. Sigh! I¡¯m afraid that Prince has feelings towards Miss Ji.¡± What was this sour feeling he felt? Was it the sour taste of vinegar? ¡­¡­ As soon as she returned to her room, she immediately changed into female clothing,bed her hair and applied some makeup. Then, she left for the reception hall. Fortunately, Ji Muqing wasn¡¯t present this time, and neither was Ji Lingzhi. Not to mention there wasn¡¯t a shadow of Ji Wanxin. Surprisingly, even that ¡°courting disaster¡± third brother wasn¡¯t in sight. He¡¯s probably enjoying himself in some low-grade brothel right now. This situation was pretty good! She went inside using proper etiquette and saw that her father had a warm yet stiffened smile on his face. Then, her line of sight fell onto something besides his left hand ¨C crutches! It appeared that climbing up to Qing An temple by kowtowing at each step had caused him some internal injuries. So now, when he walked, he needed to use crutches. Aside from Old Madame Ji, he acted extremely amiable. There wasn¡¯t even a single trace of the vicious appearance he had when he whipped her the other day. ¡°Father. Grandmother.¡± Ji Yunshu greeted them before looking at the Wei couple. ¡°Uncle Wei. Aunt Wei.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Madame Wei was extremely satisfied with her future daughter-inw. Sitting straight on the chair, Wei Yi seemed to have his eyes glued to Ji Yunshu the instant she entered the room. The foolish young man had a face as red as an apple! He then leaned towards his mother and whispered in her ear. ¡°Mom, is she my wife?¡± Madame Wei nodded while patting his thigh. ¡°Yes, she is. Isn¡¯t she very pretty?¡± For Wei Yi, the moment her mother confirmed his suspicions, he felt as if he had received the greatest present ever. Surprise and excitement spread all over his face, his mouth opened widely while his eyes became twice as big and he darted a heated gaze at Ji Yunshu! ¡®It¡¯s true! It¡¯s true!¡¯ His hands that were resting on his thighs couldn¡¯t stop from fidgeting. His mouth pursed as shyness overcame him, but he still snickered from happiness. ¡®Hey, hey, hey! Aren¡¯t you getting shy?¡¯ Seeing her son this happy gave her peace of mind. Right at this moment, Ji Shuhan raised his hand toward Wei Yi and said, ¡°Yunshu, look. Young Master Wei¡¯s appearance is truly grand. You two are truly suited for each other.¡± Old Madame Ji also didn¡¯t forget to add, ¡°That¡¯s right. Marrying into the Wei family truly is your blessing. Your father had found you a good marriage.¡± ¡®Pft! Wolf in sheep skin!¡¯ Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t agree. She tightly clenched her hands into fists inside her sleeves. She was inwardly sneering. ¡®Just wait until I make you cry!¡¯ Suddenly, Madame Wei pulled Wei Yi and walked to Ji Yunshu¡¯s side and spoke to her with great excitement. ¡°Yi¡¯er,e and take a good look. This is your wife. Last time you wereining about not wanting to marry, but this time mother brought you to see her. So, what do you think? Don¡¯t you like her a lot?¡± ¡®Do you think you¡¯re at the market trying to select goods?!¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯splexion turned green from anger. Wei Yi fiercely nodded. ¡°I like her. I really like Big Sister. I want to take her as my wife and in the future, we will have lots of little Wei Yis.¡± Everyone kept silent. But suddenly, Madame Wei swatted him and corrected his words. ¡°What big sister?! Yunshu is your wife, so you should be calling her wife.¡± ¡°Oh! Big Sister Wife!¡± ¡®How shameful!¡¯ Lord Wei couldn¡¯t let this situation go on, so he cleared his throat and said, ¡°Wife, you should stop frightening Yunshu. She still has yet to marry Wei Yi yet. We cannot allow Wei Yi to inconsiderately shout ¡®wife¡¯ everywhere.¡± ¡°Oh! True, true, true! Look at me getting all muddled.¡± Yet Madame Wei didn¡¯t feel awkward about it. She still told Wei Yi, ¡°Yi¡¯er, right now you still can¡¯t call her wife, so how about you call her Yunshu?¡± Wei Yi obediently nodded and agreed without hesitation. ¡°Alright.¡± Thus, he started calling her Yunshu in a voice that could only make people think it was extremely pleasant to listen to! As a matter of fact, the way he called her Yunshu was more pleasant to hearpared to when Liu Qingping called her! At least, it didn¡¯t felt slimy when she heard it. Ji Yunshu beamed a gentle smile at him, looking at him with her pure and bright eyes, causing Wei Yi to turn jelly and melt. But the next moment, he took the initiative to pull on Ji Yunshu¡¯s sleeve. ¡°My mom and my dad call me Yi¡¯er. Yunshu, can I call you Shu¡¯er?¡± ¡®No way!¡¯ ¡°Sure. If Young Master Wei wanted to call me that, then feel free to do so.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression was gentle, yet her tone was somewhat alienating. ¡°Good! Then, I¡¯ll call you Shu¡¯er. Shu¡¯er! Shu¡¯er~!¡± He called her name a few times, shouting in a joyful way! Even Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t feel awkward listening to his call. In fact, looking at his foolish, yet genuinely happy appearance caused her heart to be rippled with happiness from time to time! Chapter 75: The Wounds Reopened? Chapter 75: The Wounds Reopened? Wei Yi shouting ¡°Shu¡¯er¡± caused Madame Wei to beam with joy. Her son had never been this unreasonable when seeing a youngdy. That¡¯s right, unreasonable! Lord Wei cut short his behavior. ¡°Good, good. Yi¡¯er, you shouldn¡¯t scare Yunshu.¡± However, Wei Yi didn¡¯t listen to him and continued to pull on Ji Yunshu¡¯s sleeve and even started to shake it while saying, ¡°Shu¡¯er, Shu¡¯er. Your name is so pleasant to hear. I love calling you ¡®Shu¡¯er¡¯.¡± But abruptly, Ji Yunshu frowned and put her hand on her shoulder. ¡®Shit, this hurts.¡¯ Seeing her sudden movement, Wei Yi became surprised. ¡°Shu¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Worried, Madame Wei also scuttled to Ji Yunshu and urgently asked her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did Yi¡¯er hurt you?¡± Immediately afterwards, she sternly reprimanded Wei Yi. ¡°You young man, didn¡¯t this happen because you pulled on her hand earlier and used too much strength, hurting her in the process?¡± Wei Yi was innocent, so he promptly waved his hands. ¡°No! I was very gentle. It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with Young Master Wei. My body is unwell. It must be due to the recent cold weather, so the pain is from me falling ill,¡± exined Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu lowered her brows and bit her lip, enduring the pain she felt. Then, her body slightly trembled, and she staggered two steps back due to her legs getting soft. This rmed everyone! ¡°Yunshu, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Old Madame Ji asked. ¡°Grandmother¡­ Everything is¡­ fine.¡± Ji Yunshu replied cautiously, but she shrank her body from the pain. Old Madame Ji asked once again. ¡°The weather is cold. You need to be careful. Wear more clothes and keep yourself warm and take care of your health, so you don¡¯t fall sick. Your father and I had discussed with Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei. After February passes, the beginning of March on the 7th will be an auspicious day.¡± This means that March 7th is her wedding day! Seeing that Ji Yunshu became unsteady, Old Madame Ji had spouted out words of concern, but it turned out that the old woman was only concerned about her wedding. Ji Yunshu nodded. ¡°Yes. I will follow grandmother¡¯s and father¡¯s arrangements.¡± Old Madame Ji and Ji Shuhan didn¡¯t care about her ailment, but Madame Wei was different from them. Ji Yunshu was her future daughter-inw after all! The worry on her face deepened as she stepped forward and held Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand. ¡°Yunshu, you must properly take care of your health. After I return to the mansion, I will order some servants to deliver some tonics and fabric to you. It will help nurture your health, and you can make warm clothes with the fabric. Aside from that, don¡¯t overexert yourself with other matters.¡± ¡°Thank you Aunt Wei.¡± Ji Yunshu lowered her head and curtsied. But as soon as she curtsied, Madame Wei identally saw blood soaking the cloth on her back. ¡°This-¡± Madame Wei was astonished. She hurriedly turned Ji Yunshu around and cried out in rm, ¡°Yunshu! Your back¡­ Why are you bleeding?¡± The bleeding had dyed the bright yellow fabric she wore into a ring red, but still, thatyer of cloth wasn¡¯t enough to stop the bleeding as the blood seeped through and dripped along her back, dazzling the eyes with a morbid sight. ¡®Don¡¯t tell me that the wounds have reopened?¡¯ But she applied medicine on it, and her wounds already started to heal properly. So how could it bleed so much? When Wei Yi noticed the blood on her back, the corner of his eyes twitched and his brows wrinkled together. He was at aplete loss, not knowing what to do to help. Thus, he stamped his feet and asked in concern. ¡°Shu¡¯er¡­ Is it because I-I held your sleeve earlier and hurt you? I didn¡¯t mean it. Don¡¯t be angry at me. Does it still hurt? You can hit me as hard as you want. I am the bad one.¡± The more he spoke, the more he felt like crying. Ji Yunshu shook her head. ¡°It wasn¡¯t your fault Young Master Wei. My back was injured even before. But, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. This doesn¡¯t hinder me or anything.¡± ¡°You were injured prior to this?¡± Lord Wei raised his eyebrows and stood up, maintaining a severe expression. ¡°Tell me how did you get injured on your back and in such a serious condition no less? Who hurt you like this? Speak and I will give justice.¡± ¡°Uncle Wei, I¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to be afraid. You only need to tell me. Although you have yet to pass through our Wei family¡¯s doors, I already consider you as my daughter-inw and half-daughter.¡± Truly a moving speech! When Lord Wei spoke, Ji Shuhan¡¯s face turned extremely unsightly. The hand he had on his knee was tightly clenched. Ji Yunshu raised her eyes and coincidentally met with her father¡¯s eyes. She pursed her lips and spoke in a faint voice to Lord Wei. ¡°Yunshu was being unthoughtful which provoked my father¡¯s ire. Our family has strict rules. Since I vited it, father used his whip to punish me which I well deserved.¡± Her tone was soft, and anyone who heard it would only think she was justifying her father¡¯s actions, but in fact, she wasining about it! Truly clever! In a sh, several pairs of eyesnded on Ji Shuhan. The burning mes of rage could be seen in Lord Wei¡¯s and Madame Wei¡¯s eyes, fiercely zing. ¡°Lord Ji, what is the meaning of this?¡± Lord Wei¡¯s tone was heavy, not bothering to remain courteous. ¡®You dared to beat my daughter-inw. Did you even put me in your eyes?¡± Ji Shuhan¡¯splexion wasn¡¯t good. He red at Ji Yunshu but quickly switched his expression into an embarrassed smile. ¡°My daughter was unthoughtful and injured someone at home, so I-¡± He had yet to finish his sentence when Wei Yi cut in and argued, ¡°You¡¯re lying. Shu¡¯er would not injure anyone! She taught me how to write and gave me a handkerchief. Although she scared me, she didn¡¯t kill me. So, you¡¯re lying because Shu¡¯er would not hurt people.¡± He shook his head as if his life rode on it like it could prove that what he said was the truth! Yet, when everyone heard his arguments, it didn¡¯t make sense to them. ¡®What connection does writing words and giving him a handkerchief have? And what did he meant by not killing someone? It doesn¡¯t make sense!¡¯ Madame Wei pulled Wei Yi back. ¡°Stop talking nonsense. Go take a look at Yunshu. She¡¯s not steady on her feet. Hurry and bring her back to her courtyard to rest. Take care of her well.¡± ¡®Son, Mother is helping you out with this one. You better do your best to woo her!¡¯ ¡°Oh!¡± Wei Yi nodded, went to Ji Yunshu, and carefully supported her. ¡°Shu¡¯er, I¡¯ll send you back, alright? You have to rest well, then drink some medicine, and you will get better. When I was sick, I did the same thing and got better.¡± Ji Yunshu let out a grunt of agreement. She held Wei Yi¡¯s wrist for support, and with difficulty, she curtsied before slowly departing from the reception with support from Wei Yi. As soon as they left, Lord Wei let out a depressed sigh of exasperation written all over his forehead. Then, he looked at Ji Shuhan and said, ¡°Lord Ji, you were too harsh. Regardless if Ji Yunshu injured someone, you cannot whip her in such a fierce way! In any case, she¡¯s still your daughter and doesn¡¯t deserve receiving such harsh punishment.¡± The corner of Ji Shuhan¡¯s mouth stretched, but he refused to reply to his usation. Madame Wei was burning with anger. She snorted. ¡°That¡¯s right. Lord Ji, don¡¯t forget that Yunshu would sooner orter be part of our Wei family. Even if you don¡¯t look at Buddha¡¯s face, you still have to look at the monk¡¯s face. Although Yunshu is concubine born, our Wei family does not put much importance on such thing. Instead, Lord Ji and Old Madame Ji might need to show much more tolerance.¡± The way Madame Wei spoke made it sound like Ji Yunshu was their Wei family¡¯s blood-rted daughter instead. The underlying meaning behind her words was ringly clear. Ji Shuhan had no choice but to exin himself in a hurry. ¡°Yunshu is also my daughter. Beating my child also pained me, but at that time I didn¡¯t understand the whole situation.¡± ¡®What do you mean by not understanding the whole situation? Such pointless words! You just can¡¯t exin yourself!¡¯ Chapter 76: The Fish Took the Bait! Chapter 76: The Fish Took the Bait! Old Madame Ji¡¯s words were equivalent to the master of the house¡¯s words. Thus, she said, ¡°Both of you, this matter has already passed. This world hasws and decrees, and our family has its ownws. Yunshu pushed our girl Lingzhi, causing her to almost cripple her hands. Her father only whipped Yunshu to teach her a lesson. We just want to avoid such matters from recurring after she enters your Wei family and causes you trouble in the future.¡± ¡®Ah! Such a caring grandmother!¡¯ No matter how Madame Wei spoke, she knew how to respect her elders. She nced at her husband, pursed her lips into a faint smile, and spoke in a polite tone, ¡°Old Madame Ji, Yunshu is a thoughtful and clever child. Even if shemitted a mistake, how could I have the heart to punish her? However¡­¡± She stretched out thest word, then sneered before continuing, ¡°You said that Yunshu pushed that girl Lingzhi? I really can¡¯t believe it. Afterall, I have heard quite a few things about Lingzhi¡¯s temper.¡± Although Ji Lingzhi was young, shemitted many wrongdoings while apanying Ji Yuanzhi, her third brother. Because he himself was a good-for-nothing son, together they both often went around the city bullying people. This time, Ji Shuhan and Old Madame Ji had nothing to retort. They became even more embarrassed. Meanwhile, Wei Yi and Ji Yunshu were on their way to the West Side courtyard. ¡°Shu¡¯er, I¡¯ll carry you on my back. I can walk really fast. I can bring you back to your room faster to rest, alright?¡± Wei Yi was still extremely anxious about Ji Yunshu¡¯s injuries. Ji Yunshu turned and nced at Wei Yi. ¡°Sure.¡± Thus, Wei Yi squatted down, showing his solid back to Ji Yunshu. Then, he turned his head and patted his shoulder. ¡°Shu¡¯er, climb on.¡± Watching his actions, Ji Yunshu couldn¡¯t stop smiling as her heart rxed and was filled with warmth. ¡°Shu¡¯er, you and big brother are alike,¡± dered Wei Yi. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Hum¡­¡± Ji Yunshu pondered a bit and asked him, ¡°Wei Yi, do you really like me a lot?¡± He energetically nodded. ¡°Yeah, I like you a lot. After you be my wife, I want to make tons and tons of little Wei Yis with you.¡± ¡®Again with the little Wei Yis?! Your mother really did a good job brainwashing you with it!¡¯ ¡°But what if¡­ I don¡¯t like you?¡± Her words were spoken softly, but due to their close proximity from their current position, he still heard the question. Disappointment shed through his face while his steps turned sluggish. He pouted his lips and asked, ¡°Is it because I¡¯m stupid that you don¡¯t like me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ji Yunshu replied to him with certainty, and her eyes reflected her remorse. She opened her mouth and continued, ¡°Wei Yi, do you know that you¡¯re not silly or stupid? Compared to many people, you are very clever and attentive. You carry in you an honesty and sincerity that can¡¯t be found in others. Do you know how unique and special you are?¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you like me?¡± That¡¯s right! Since he was betterpared to many, why didn¡¯t Ji Yunshu like him? ¡°That¡¯s because¡­¡± ¡®My heart belongs to someone else.¡¯ However, thest part of her sentence remained unspoken. She only said, ¡°Enough, you won¡¯t understand.¡± Right at that moment, they were walking through a corridor. After she made sure there were no ¡°eyes¡± spying on them, she immediately patted Wei Yi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You can let me down.¡± ¡°I cannot. Shu¡¯er, you are injured and can¡¯t walk.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not injured, so first let me down.¡± Wei Yi became stunned when he heard her, allowing Ji Yunshu to slowly climb off his back. After she got off, he watched her with disbelieving eyes before going around to her back and taking a look. Then, he pointed and spoke, ¡°But Shu¡¯er, your back is still bleeding.¡± She smiled at him, dipped her fingers in her ¡°blood,¡± and quickly smeared some of it on Wei Yi¡¯s lips. She then told him, ¡°Taste it and tell me if it¡¯s blood.¡± Wei Yi stretched out his tongue and licked his lips. His eyes narrowed, looking pensive. Then, he said in a small voice, ¡°I don¡¯t know what it tastes like.¡± ¡°Silly, this is paint. Not blood.¡± After revealing the secret, she turned around and walked forward. Wei Yi followed, going around her asking what paint was. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t know how to exin so he could understand, but she still tried to do so. While they were passing through the rear court¡¯s garden, they suddenly heard a shout. ¡°Stay where you are!¡± The voice belonged to someone they were rather familiar with. It was none other than Ji Muqing. Ji Yunshu turned around and looked toward the direction the voice came from and saw Ji Muqing sitting with proper etiquette in a pavilion built above water not too far from them. She leaned on the pavilion pir with one hand resting on it, while the other hand held an borate box containing fish bait. The scene should have been quite beautiful, but Ji Yunshu only felt nauseated at the sight of Ji Muqing! Even Ji Lingzhi was present, sitting on the stone table practicing calligraphy. ¡®Didn¡¯t she say her hands almost got crippled? In a mere few days, they healed to the point that she can use a brush. Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!¡¯ Right at that moment, Ji Lingzhi saw Ji Yunshu, but she continued to write, ignoring her. Ji Yunshu was toozy to try to understand her attitude, so she continued on her way with Wei Yi. Yet Ji Muqing started to mock and ridicule them. ¡°Hey, idiot! Did youe here today to take a look at your future wife? You absolutely shouldn¡¯t look at her too much. After all, a bastard is a bastard. Looking at her too much will turn you blind.¡± ¡®Hmph! Then why are you still looking at me?!¡¯ Wei Yi had no idea what Ji Muqing meant, so he looked at Ji Yunshu and inquired in a small voice, ¡°Shu¡¯er, what is that big sister talking about?¡± Who knew that instead of answering his question, she asked him something else. ¡°Can you swim?¡± Wei Yi shook his head. ¡°Hum¡­ good then.¡± ¡®Why good then?¡¯ No matter how Wei Yi thought about it, he still couldn¡¯t understand the underlying meaning behind her reply. In a blink of an eye, Ji Yunshu revealed a smile with deep intentions. She stepped forward and took the long corridor leading toward the pavilion and went inside. Then, she directly asked Ji Muqing, ¡°Big Sister, did you call me just now? Do you need me for something?¡± ¡°Nothing! My mouth is my own, so I say whatever I want to say.¡± Her pretty face showed insufferable arrogance. She continued to throw fish bait in the water, but suddenly she noticed the ¡°blood¡± on Ji Yunshu¡¯s back. She wrinkled her nose. ¡°What¡¯s on your back?¡± Ji Yunshu smiled. ¡°It got stained with red water. Don¡¯t be startled too much.¡± Ji Muqing hooked her lips into a sharp mocking smile as she coldly snorted. Ji Yunshu continued to speak, ¡°It just happened that Young Master Wei came to see me. We¡¯re enjoying the garden¡¯s beautiful scenery, and this pavilion offered a nice view.¡± Ji Yunshu turned around and went straight to Wei Yi. ¡°Wei Yi, do you like the view here?¡± He looked around and nodded. ¡°I like it.¡± ¡°Who allowed you two toe here. Get out! This ce is mine and eldest big sister¡¯s.¡± Ji Lingzhi pouted and started to yell. She then pointed at them with the brush in her hand. ¡°Lingzhi, don¡¯t cause a scene. Since your third sister wants to watch the scenery with this idiot, then let them be. We don¡¯t want the Wei family to im that weck courtesy and etiquette,¡± stated Ji Muqing. Obviously, this made Lingzhi unhappy as she red at them. ¡®Little brat, wait until I make you cry.¡¯ ¡°Huh? What is that?¡± Ji Yunshu suddenly pointed at something while shouting in surprise. Everyone¡¯s eyes quickly followed the direction she pointed at, but they saw nothing out of the ordinary. Curiosity took hold of Ji Muqing. Ji Yunshu continued, ¡°Big sister, don¡¯t tell me you couldn¡¯t see it? It¡¯s just there! There!¡± ¡°Where?¡± The fish took the bait! Chapter 77: Who Pushed Whom? Chapter 77: Who Pushed Whom? Having had her curiosity aroused by Ji Yunshu, Ji Muqing drew closer to her. She was brought to the edge of the pavilion before she noticed it. This pavilion was an eight-sided structure, whose horizontal facades alternated between walls and openness. The two were standing near an opening with no protection whatsoever. So, a moment of inattention could lead one to fall into the water. ¡°Just where is it? Point it out for me, what is it?¡± ¡°That thing looks really nice. If we manage to get it out, I think Big Sister will like it very much.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see anything!¡± Ji Muqing showed her impatience as she craned her neck to try and catch a glimpse. She was even standing on her tippy toes. ¡®This part of her personality hasn¡¯t changed since she was a kid! Whenever she catches the whiff of something new, or some new gossip, she wouldn¡¯t rest till she had dug it uppletely! Even the top paparazzi in modern times, Zhuo Wei, would have to admit defeat!¡¯ And it was precisely because she was ¡°investigating¡± too seriously that she did not notice the treacherous smirk that slowly crept onto Ji Yunshu¡¯s lips. Ji Yunshu retreated inconspicuously and turned back to look at Ji Lingzhi. Just like her older sister, she was also struggling to find that object. ¡®Go ahead and look. In a bit, you¡¯ll be able to get a much closer look!¡¯ ¡°Lingzhi, how about I carry you? This way you¡¯ll get a better view of it,¡± said Ji Yunshu gently. Ji Lingzhi¡¯s eyes rolled in their sockets. Despite her disdain, she could not resist her curiosity, so she agreed, ¡°Then be careful when carrying me. If you let me fall, I¡¯m going to tell grandmother about it.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ ¡± Ji Lingzhi raised her hands and extended them towards her. She refused to look at Ji Yunshu, turning her head to the side, as if she was a master and Ji Yunshu was a servant! However, Ji Lingzhi had not expected that Ji Yunshu, instead of wrapping her arms around her waist, grasped her shoulder and gave her a good push. At the same time, Ji Yunshu quickly shifted her feet so that she retreated to the side, far from her initial position. Ji Lingzhi, who was pushed by her shoulder, tried to stop her fall, but her body was small and Ji Yunshu¡¯s strength overwhelmed her. Ji Lingzhi¡¯s body directly fell towards Ji Muqing, and, her hands, which had been raised over her head, just so happened to m into Ji Muqing¡¯s back. A cry of surprise was followed by the sound of a ssh. One could only see Ji Muqing¡¯s blue robe float on the surface of the water as its wearer sank beneath it. It was quite pretty! ¡°Help! Help¡­¡± Elegance and grace were reced by panic as Ji Muqing thrashed around in the water. Ji Lingzhi had been scared stiff, her hands still frozen in the pushing gesture, not knowing what to do. Wei Yi, who had been silent until now, hurriedly stepped forward. Looking at the person floating in the water, he was visibly disconcerted, but was helpless since he was a purendlubber! ¡°Shu¡¯er, that sister fell into the water, what do we do now?¡± Wei Yi was very anxious. ¡®What do we do? Nothing!¡¯ Ji Yunshu did not reply, only looking on coldly. At this moment, she really wanted Ji Muqing to drown! However, this time, it wasn¡¯t just for the sake of disciplining Ji Muqing, the main target was Ji Lingzhi. ¡°Someone, someone, hurry! Come and save my Big Sister, hurry up¡­¡± Ji Lingzhi stamped her feet in anxiety, and threw a harsh look at Ji Yunshu, whose face was calm. She clenched her fists and jumped on her while yelling, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, why did you-¡± Yet, her movements were interrupted by Ji Yunshu, who grasped her fist with one hand, and, with her other hand, pped Ji Lingzhi mercilessly on the cheek. ¡°Why did you push Big Sister into the water? You¡¯re really getting more unruly because no one disciplines you.¡± ¡®Ah, giving people a taste of their own medicine feels so good.¡¯ Ji Lingzhi was befuddled from that p! Those innocent-looking eyes of hers widened. She even forgot about her beloved Big Sister who fell in the pond and was drinking water with fish bait. Wei Yi, too, had been scared by Ji Yunshu¡¯s move just now too and he didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. ¡°Help, save¡­ me, save¡­¡± Ji Muqing was still thrashing about in the water. As it seemed like she was about to sink definitely, the nearby servants noticed something and ran this way. Seeing this, Ji Yunshu released Ji Lingzhi and dove into the water. But, she was andlubber too! After she fell into the water, she could only helplessly il about with Ji Muqing. Seeing Ji Yunshu about to drown, Wei Yi could not care anymore as he shouted, ¡°Shu¡¯er, don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯ming to save you.¡± With another ssh, he dove into the water after Ji Yunshu. Weren¡¯t threendlubbers falling into a pool just courting death? And Ji Muqing had already started to sink, one could only see her hands iling above the water¡¯s surface. Fortunately, the servants had already arrived and seven or eight leaped in to save them. After a bit of effort, they finally managed to fish the three of them out. Wei Yi was fine, but Ji Yunshu¡¯s face was pale; the wounds on her back seemed to have re-opened for real due to the frigid winter water. She was in so much pain that she was trembling! As for Ji Muqing, she was unconscious by the time she was dragged out of the pond. ¡°Eldest Young Miss? Eldest Young Miss, wake up.¡± The servants started to call. ¡°Move aside.¡± Ji Yunshu shoved those people to the side. Bearing the pain from her back, she knelt by Ji Muqing¡¯s side. She pressed her hands on her chest and tried to resuscitate her. Ji Muqing finally spat out some water she had inhaled and regained consciousness. ¡®Good, she didn¡¯t die!¡¯ This matter naturally made it into the ears of Ji Shuhan and Old Madame Ji. Ji Muqing was sent back to her own courtyard and everyone had gathered, including Master Wei, Madame Wei and Wei Yi. The physician performed a diagnosis before concluding that there were no major problems. He then prescribed some medicine to drive out the cold and left soon after. Seeing that his daughter was fine, Ji Shuhan let out a sigh of relief and asked, ¡°Muqing, why did you suddenly fall into the water?¡± ¡°I-¡± Ji Muqing had just begun narrating when Ji Lingzhi leapt up and pointed at Ji Yunshu, who was still dripping wet. ¡°Father, it was Third Sister who pushed Big Sister. It was her.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s face was pallid, as she spoke bitterly with a voice devoid of any strength, ¡°Lingzhi, how can you say that? Just now it was you who pushed Big Sister.¡± ¡°You pushed me! That¡¯s why I ended up knocking Big Sister. It¡¯s all your fault. You even pped me.¡± Ji Lingzhi then buried her face into Old Madame Ji¡¯s embrace. ¡°Grandmother, you have to believe me.¡± At this moment, Wei Yi spoke in an indignant tone as he pointed at Ji Lingzhi, ¡°It wasn¡¯t Shu¡¯er who pushed her. I saw it, it was you. That¡¯s why Shu¡¯er pped you. And Shu¡¯er even jumped into the water to save her, I saw it.¡± Upon seeing that her son¡¯s clothing was dripping wet, Madame Wei was worried, yet asked him in a serious tone, ¡°Yi¡¯er, did you really see Lingzhi push her?¡± ¡°Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. Mother, I wouldn¡¯t lie.¡± ¡®What a good kid!¡¯ Ji Lingzhi felt wronged as she curled up in Old Madame Ji¡¯s arms, looking like she was about to cry. Ji Shuhan¡¯s brows furrowed as he asked Ji Muqing, ¡°Muqing, was it really Lingzhi who pushed you?¡± ¡°Father, I- I didn¡¯t see anything.¡± Although Ji Muqing¡¯s tone was light, she was clearly protecting Ji Lingzhi. Turning around, Ji Yunshu asked those few servants, ¡°Did you see what happened?¡± One of them spoke, ¡°We weren¡¯t there to see the person who pushed Eldest Young Miss. By the time we got there, we only saw Third Young Miss jump into the water to save her. Young Master Wei followed her.¡± ¡®Jumping into a pond to save her sister despite not knowing how to swim. Who wouldn¡¯t want a sibling like that?!¡¯ At that moment, Ji Yunshu finally could not remain standing any longer and she copsed into Wei Yi¡¯s embrace, who was luckily close enough to catch her. ¡°Shu¡¯er,¡± Wei Yi called her. Madame Wei was also startled. ¡°Yunshu¡¯s back is still injured, her fall into the water undoubtedly added oil to the fire.¡± ¡®Daughter-inw, nothing must happen to you!¡¯ Chapter 78: Lost All Face1 Chapter 78: Lost All Face1 Ji Yunshu¡¯s sudden copse scared everyone. Wei Yi was so nervous he held her in his arms and called her name, ¡°Shu¡¯er, Shu¡¯er¡­¡± Ji Yunshu, who was leaning against Wei Yi¡¯s chest, stared at the ground, as if it was too much of an effort to raise her eyes. Her lips trembled, but she could not utter a single word. ¡°The injury on her back must have worsened. This child is simply too kind-hearted. Why would you jump into the water with that many contusions on your back?¡± Madame Weimented as she was visibly distressed by Ji Yunshu¡¯s pain. Tears scintited in her eyes as she hurried to give orders to the servants. ¡°What are you doing, standing around like that? Quickly, go get a doctor!¡± The servants were so surprised that only after a few moments did they scramble to seek help. Ji Shuhan was also beyond baffled. He beckoned for two maids and said, ¡°Please help the third miss return to her quarters.¡± As the maids received Ji Yunshu from Wei Yi, thetter said, ¡°Please be careful and don¡¯t cause Shu¡¯er any pain.¡± Suddenly, Ji Lingzhi raised her voice, ¡°Stop it right there, drop her down.¡± ¡®What was she up to this time?¡¯ She freed herself from the embrace of the Old Madame and approached Ji Yunshu, pointing at her back and emitted a sound of discontent, ¡°Her back is fine, she just said to older sister that the redness on her clothes is just the color from the water, I¡¯ve heard it.¡± ¡°Lingzhi, enough,¡± yelled Ji Shuhan. ¡°I¡¯m not lying, she is,¡± said Ji Lingzhi. To prove the veracity of her im, she quickly gripped the cor of Ji Yunshu¡¯s robe and pulled it with a strength which seemed to havee out of nowhere. This revealed Ji Yunshu¡¯s delicate shoulder and three inches of her back from her neck. The skin, which should otherwise have been of a milky white, was covered by interweaved bruises. The scabs which sealed them had been ruptured, and blood of a lurid redness was seeping out of them. The next instant the robe was ced back by a maid. Ji Yunshu¡¯s cial hands wereced with her own arms, and she sobbed quietly, as if she had lost her will to live. ¡°Lingzhi, how could you¡­?¡± asked Ji Yunshu, in a weak voice filled with sadness. It was an outrage to unclothe her, especially given the mores of her time. To Ji Yunshu, this was a humiliation of the highest degree. What followed was¡­ ¡®p¡¯ This was from Madame Wei, who no longer saw any reason to restrain herself. Ji Lingzhi¡¯s small cheek became the recipient of another blow. ¡°What shameful behaviour, what effrontery for one of such a young age! To unclothe a damsel in public¡­ Does your impudence know no bounds? Very well, if no one will teach you manners, then I shall help your father with the task.¡± Ji Yunshu was her future daughter-inw. Was the action of shaming her not a tant strike at the Wei family¡¯s pride and dignity? The sudden retaliation struck everyone present by surprise. Ji Lingzhi held her cheek, and, though she knew that she deserved what she received, tears still rolled down her visage as she ran back to seek thefort of the Old Madame¡¯s embrace. ¡°Grandma, you have to help me!¡± cried Ji Lingzhi. To her surprise, the Old Madame shook her off and med her, ¡°You little girl, how could you do something like that?¡± ¡®Oh, how infuriating! That Madame Wei dares to transgress the limits of her authority and do that to someone from the Ji Mansion,¡¯ thought the Old Madame rather angrily. But, the mistake from her own granddaughter prevented from turning her resentment into action. After all, she would not have been able to requite to Madame Wei what she did to Ji Lingzhi. By now, Ji Shuhan¡¯s countenance was nearly blue. The corner of his mouth twisted, he grasped his crutch and said to the two maidservants, ¡°For now, return her to her quarters.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± answered the two maidservants. ¡°Wait,¡± interrupted Madame Wei, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think of here as a ce fit for convalescence, be it for injuries or sickness. She shall mend her wounds and recover from her sickness at the Wei Mansion, so that no new affliction is added to the old ones.¡± ¡®Truthful words indeed,¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu, who, for a moment, felt lucky to have such a mother-inw. Old Madame Ji had a different opinion. She stepped forward and said, ¡°Madame Wei, there¡¯s only youthfulness to me for Lingzhi¡¯s behaviour. We will, of course, teach her a lesson. However, Yunshu, who has yet to be a bride, should stay here. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate, by mores or by reason, for her to be disced to your residence.¡± ¡°Oh, but it would be appropriate, worry not,¡± said Lord Wei with a reddened face that hinted at the forbearance required to reign in his anger. He turned around and said to Wei Yi, ¡°Yi¡¯er, bring Yunshu into the carriage and go, now.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± said Wei Yi with a firm nod. He sought Ji Yunshu from the hands of the two maidservants, said to her, ¡°Shu¡¯er, I¡¯ll bring you home,¡± and brought her out of the room in his arms. This scene made the Old Madame and Ji Shuhan¡¯s expressions darken further. Lord Wei did not say anything, only emitting a nasal sound meant to express his dissatisfaction before walking out of the room. Madame Wei, however, was not finished. Anger burned within her heart as fiercely as ever. She addressed Ji Shuhan, ¡°Lord Ji, ording to you, was Yunshu¡¯s punishment by the tip of a whip not delivered for pushing and grievously injuring Lingzhi¡¯s hand? I wish to see justice for the events which has transpired today; not only did Lingzhimit the same offense, she worsened her mistake by stripping Yunshu¡¯s garment in public. I hope that you will not disappoint me, as well as the many others watching you. After all, rules are made to be obeyed.¡± ¡°You are right, I will see to it that she is properly punished,¡± sighed Ji Shuhan. Upon leaving, Madame Wei did not forget to throw a look at Ji Lingzhi, who was still sobbing. Her look made Ji Lingzhi shiver from head to toes. The troubles of the day arrived at an end, but, out of consideration for his own face, Ji Shuhan had to punish Ji Lingzhi. She was still too young to be physically punished, therefore¡­ ¡°You will kneel in front of the Buddha shrine for the whole night. Then, copy the Sanxun fifty times, without fault,¡± ordered Ji Shuhan. Hearing this, Ji Lingzhi panicked. She had never endured such harsh punishment! ¡°Father, believe me! I didn¡¯t push Eldest Sister. And the blood on Third Sister is red water. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Eldest Sister. Father¡­¡± ¡°Enough, no more about what happened today. Your impertinence breeds trouble, and, one day, even I won¡¯t be able to help you clean your messes,¡± berated Ji Shuhan as he left. Old Madame Ji, who also suffered a heavy blow to her face today, followed Ji Shuhan in the same mood. Ji Muqing, abed, looked at the events unfold. She called Ji Lingzhi, who was still wiping her tears, to her side. ¡°Lingzhi, were you really the one who pushed me?¡± asked Ji Muqing in a low voice. ¡°Big Sister, it¡¯s really not me. It¡¯s that bastard child. She pulled me over and I bumped into you, she even pped me on the face,¡± said Ji Lingzhi as she held her cheeks, which were swollen from the two blows she had received. Upon hearing her exnation, Ji Muqing also realized that Ji Yunshu¡¯s behaviour today was quite strange. ¡®Asking me to look at something in the water for no reason at all, and insisting on picking up Ji Lingzhi. She must have nned this for a long time.¡¯ ¡°Lingzhi, I¡¯ll make sure that she doesn¡¯t get away with what she did today,¡± said Ji Muqing as she squinted and looked as if she was thinking about something dangerous. 1.Lost All Face = Shame on them Chapter 79: Because You’re a Very Nice Guy Chapter 79: Because You¡¯re a Very Nice Guy Upon arriving at the Wei Mansion, Ji Yunshu was brought to and ced into the master¡¯s quarters. A doctor soon came to visit her, and, after bandaging her wounds, also prescribed some medicine which had an immediate effect on Ji Yunshu. Heaters were brought close to the bed on which she rested, and the pain Ji Yunshu felt quickly subsided, reced by a feeling of warmth which reached the deepest corners of her heart. Ji Yunshu reclined against the soft pillows and looked at Madame Wei, Lord Wei and Wei Yi, who stood by the bedside. She lowered her head and said, ¡°Uncle Wei, Aunt Wei, how can I ever repay you for your kindness?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you saying? Your sole duty now is to recover from your wounds. Worry not, for no one in this mansion will harm you,¡± said Madame Wei. ¡°Yes.¡± Lord Wei, who was on the side, said, ¡°Let¡¯s give Yunshu some time to rest, we shouldn¡¯t disturb her any further.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. You are right,¡± Madame Wei agreed with a smile. She tapped the back of Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand gently. ¡°Have some rest, and don¡¯t hesitate to ask the maids should you desire anything, Be at home here.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± answered Ji Yunshu. Lord Wei and Madame Wei left, hoping to allow Ji Yunshu to rest, but Wei Yi refused to budge. He insisted on staying by Ji Yunshu¡¯s side. ¡°Shu¡¯er, does your back hurt?¡± asked Wei Yi, who had as much anguish as her, if not more, inside his heart. Ji Yunshu shook her head and said, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s just a small bruise, so it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± ¡°But Shu¡¯er, there was a lot of blood.¡± Ji Yunshu covered her mouth with her hand andughed, ¡°Little dumb one, haven¡¯t I already told you? The color on my clothes was just painted.¡± ¡°No no no, ¡° said Wei Yi with a hand gesture, ¡°I saw the wounds on your shoulders and back. They were bleeding a lot.¡± ¡®Hey, who asked you to look? You¡¯ll get an eye problem if you stare too hard!¡± Ji Yunshu nced at the door, and, after making sure that no one was there, exined, ¡°What stained my clothing was actually painted. As for the injuries on my back, the scabs were broken when I jumped into the water and stretched my back too much, but it doesn¡¯t hurt that much. When I copsed earlier, it wasn¡¯t because of pain. It was because I wanted to be here in one piece.¡± Wei Yi scratched his head and gave her a perplexed look. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t, but promise me you won¡¯t tell anyone about it.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I won¡¯t tell anyone,¡± said Wei Yi with utmost sincerity. Ji Yunshu examined Wei Yi¡¯s eyes. The long, flickering eyshes conferred to the sable ckness of the iris a beauty deep enough to make one sink into it if enough time was spent looking at it. ¡°Wei Yi,¡± she called. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Wei Yi moved his head and asked, ¡°Why are you thanking me?¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s voice lowered, ¡°Because you are a very nice guy.¡± ¡®Yes, you are a very nice guy, Wei Yi.¡¯ Wei Yi smiled rather mindlessly and looked at Ji Yunshu. His handsome traits were indeed maizing for young girls¡¯ attention. ¡®Wei Yi, if only you weren¡¯t¡­ how different, how bright the future would have been for you,¡± thought Ji Yunshu. That night, Ji Yunshu enjoyed the hospitality of the Wei family, and remained at the Wei Mansion. Wei Yi, who stayed around to chat with her for a long time, told her vivid stories, sometimes using all of his limbs to act out the narration. It had been a long time since Ji Yunshuughed that hard. On the second day, a sudden downpour brought chilling winds that seemed to freeze one¡¯s heart. Upon waking up, Ji Yunshu saw Wei Yi asleep, his head resting on a desk near her. She did not want to wake him up, so she ced a cape over him and went out of the room. In the garden, some servants, who wore raincoats and conical straw hats, were busy moving the flowers and herbs to a shelter which protected them from the storm. From this small detail, one could conclude that the upants of the mansion had kindness in their hearts. ¡°Miss Ji, it¡¯s cold outside, you should shelter yourself,¡± said a young maid who brought over a bowl of medicine. ¡°Miss Ji, I¡¯ve just finished preparing this, you should drink it inside,¡± added the maid. Ji Yunshu smiled and took the bowl from the maid¡¯s hands, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go back in, your young master is fast asleep and I wouldn¡¯t want to disturb him.¡± The bitterness of the medicine made Ji Yunshu furrow her brows. As she returned the empty bowl to the maid, someone came running into the courtyard. ¡°Luan¡¯er?¡± ¡°Young miss!¡± Luan¡¯er ran up to Ji Yunshu without paying much attention to the rain. She had tears in her eyes as she said, ¡°Young Miss, I¡¯ve heard about what happened yesterday. They said that you jumped into the water to try to save Eldest Miss, and that your wounds reopened? I was worried sick.¡± It was a heart-warming moment for Ji Yunshu, who was moved by Luan¡¯er¡¯s loyalty and the way she cared for her. She turned her head and said to the maid who brought the medicine, ¡°Could you give us a moment?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After the maid left, Ji Yunshu wiped Luan¡¯er¡¯s wet locks of hair with her own sleeves and said, ¡°My injuries are light, and I¡¯ll recover soon enough. You, on the other hand, if you left without authorization, father and grandmother will surely punish you when they know about it.¡± ¡°I was worried about you, and I¡¯vee to take care of you. I¡¯m not scared of punishments!¡± ¡°You foolish little girl!¡± ¡°Ah, yes, Young Miss,¡± said Luan¡¯er after scanning the surroundings, ¡°Early in the morning today, someone from the yamen came looking for you. They said that they¡¯ve found whoever you¡¯ve wanted them to investigate. Since you weren¡¯t home, I¡¯ve asked them to go back.¡± ¡®Yes, this should be about the task I¡¯ve delegated to Wei Wu and Wang San.¡¯ Whenever news of an investigation arrived, Ji Yunshu¡¯s mind would always be focused solely on the case itself and have no time for any other concerns. However, today, given the rain and the possibility of an unexpected visit from Lord Wei and Madame Wei, it would be impossible for her to pay a visit to the yamen. Ji Yunshu considered the matter for a short while, and replied, ¡°Luan¡¯er, could you go to the yamen and act as my messenger? Make sure to have everything thoroughly exined to you, thene back to me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Also, ask Lord Liu if Madame Jiang went there to stir up trouble yesterday,¡± added Ji Yunshu. ¡°Yes,¡± said Luan¡¯er, who epted the request without knowing about Madame Jiang. She then added in curiosity, ¡°Young Miss, since you are well now, why not go back to the Ji Mansion?¡± Ji Yunshu smiled, ¡°It would be too forgiving for their pride if I return now. Father and grandmother were just shamed by my departure. If my return is immediate, wouldn¡¯t they be able to salvage most of it? So, I will wait a few days.¡± Upon hearing her reasoning, Luan¡¯er said, ¡°Young Miss, you are very clever.¡± ¡°Okay, enough about me, please hurry to the yamen.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± answered Luan¡¯er, and she immediately departed for the yamen. By now, Wei Yi was finally awake. He stretched himself, and flung his arms with enough force to expel the numbness from a whole night spent resting on top of them. He turned back to look at the bed, and, upon seeing it unupied, immediately exited the room to search for Ji Yunshu. When he opened the door, he saw her standing beneath the eaves, with her head slightly raised as she looked at the drops of water zigzag downward. Her almond-shaped eyes, distinctive brows and the ruddiness of her cheeks, which reminded one of the delicacies of a peach blossom in March, made Ji Yunshu seem like a fairy. Such a dainty young woman was the embodiment of beauty itself. Ji Yunshu turned her head, and saw Wei Yi staring at her from the door. She asked, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Shu¡¯er, you are beautiful,¡± Wei Yiplimented her earnestly. Ji Yunshu smiled. ¡®That little brat, hispliments are simple, but touching.¡¯ Wei Yi approached her slowly. He stood right beside her, and raised his head in the same fashion to look at the corner of a wall in the distance. He said to himself, ¡°If only Shu¡¯er could stay here from now on. With dad, mom and Shu¡¯er by my side, I wouldn¡¯t wish for anything more.¡± This time, it was Ji Yunshu who was at a loss for words. Chapter 80: Heading to the Zhao Family Village Chapter 80: Heading to the Zhao Family Vige After breakfast, Madame Wei came over. Seeing that Ji Yunshu¡¯splexion was much better, she felt relieved. They exchanged greetings for a moment before Madame Wei got to the point. ¡°Yunshu, Uncle Wei and I have to go out for a few days. Make yourself at home these few days and take care of yourself ¨C especially your injury ¨C until our return, alright?¡± ¡°Yes, Yunshu will do as Aunt Wei said.¡± ¡°In the future, you don¡¯t need to consider yourself a guest. Sooner orter, you will be my daughter-inw. Although¡­¡± She nced at Wei Yi and her voice slightly lowered. ¡°Although our Yi¡¯er is unlike normal people, his nature is good and honest. He will certainly treat you well.¡± It was needless to doubt about thisst point. Ji Yunshu smiled at Madame Wei without saying a word. ¡°Yunshu, can you promise me something?¡± Madame Wei tentatively asked. ¡°Please tell me. If I can do it, I¡¯ll certainly do my best.¡± After a pause, Madame Wei said, ¡°In all my life, the thing that worries me the most is Yi¡¯er. I hope you could take care of him in our stead. Even if in the future, when my husband and I have passed on, I still hope that you will apany him and take care of him.¡± Tears filled her eyes as she spoke. Hearing this, Wei Yi pulled on his mother¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Mom, you can¡¯t leave Yi¡¯er. Yi¡¯er doesn¡¯t want to leave you.¡± ¡°Silly child, people will grow old, get sick and die. The person who can apany you on your life¡¯s journey isn¡¯t your mother or father, but your wife. You must keep in mind that you are a man and as a man, you must be good to Yunshu. Do you understand what mother is saying?¡± ¡°Rest assured mom! Yi¡¯er will take good care of Shu¡¯er. I won¡¯t let people bully her.¡± Wei Yi spoke in a firm tone. Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes slightly reddened at his words! She stretched her hand and grabbed Madame Wei¡¯s hands. ¡°Aunt Wei, I promise you. I will take good care of Wei Yi. No matter what happens, I will fulfill this promise even if¡­¡± ¡®I don¡¯t be your daughter-inw.¡¯ Ji Yunshu kept thest few words in her heart and dered, ¡°¡­In short, I promise you.¡± ¡°Since I have your words, my mind is more at ease.¡± Madame Wei smiled while still choked full of emotions. The more she saw Ji Yunshu, the more fondness she felt for her. Because she needed to go out to handle some matters, Madame Wei didn¡¯t stay long as she went to dispatch tasks during her absence before leaving. Wei Yi also left with her and only after he had bid his parents goodbye did he came to find Ji Yunshu. This was actually good news. Since Lord Wei and Madame Wei weren¡¯t present, if the yin yang corpse case had any new progress, she would be able to stealthily leave the mansion. Not long after, Luan¡¯er came back from the yamen and informed Ji Yunshu about what she had learned. ¡°Miss, Lord Liu said that yesterday Madame Jiang came to the yamen and caused havoc while shouting at Lord Liu to release her brother, but he stopped her and sent her back.¡± ¡®Oh my! That¡¯s pretty good, he held up his dignity in front of her!¡¯ ¡°What happened after that?¡± ¡°Lord Liu mentioned that Lord Jiang and Madame Jiang didn¡¯t have a child together. But there was once a child living in their residence. She is the daughter of someone called Yu Sao. She was six years old at that time. After Madame had moved away, both Yu Sao and her daughter stayed back and they are currently living at the Zhao family vige.¡± Luan¡¯er gave a clear and nice report, speaking fluidly. ¡°Did Lord Liu mention something else?¡± ¡°Nothing else. Although he did say that female servant, Yu Sao, didn¡¯t say anything worthwhile.¡± Ji Yunshu quietly pondered, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt something was fishy. Why would there be a child underwear on Lord Jiang? Could it be that the underwear belonged to Yu Sao¡¯s daughter? Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat and she felt gripped by a bad premonition! It could be that there was a small possibility that¡­ No, she didn¡¯t dare to bet on such a possibility. Ji Yunshu summoned a maidservant and ordered her. ¡°Girl, can you bring me some clean men¡¯s clothing? I need a few sets.¡± The girl blinked her eyes in bewilderment, but she still obeyed the order and left to fetch some clean clothes. She changed her clothes and tied her long hair into a high bun. Luan¡¯er pulled her. ¡°Miss, are you going to the yamen at this time?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m going to Zhao family vige.¡± ¡°But Miss, there¡¯s a downpour outside! If you want to investigate something, isn¡¯t better to ask Lord Liu to dispatch some people? Right now, your body needs rest. I¡¯m worried that¡­¡± ¡°This matter is of great importance. Dispatching too many yamen runners would only rm themon people. Besides, there¡¯s some matters I need to verify since it might be very problematic to investigate otherwise. I need to personally go on that trip. I have to ascertain the suspicions that¡¯s bothering me.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s words were very abstruse to Luan¡¯er, causing her mental functions to cease and creating much confusion in her brain. Ji Yunshu put her clothes in order as she spoke again. ¡°Luan¡¯er, Lord Wei and Madame Wei already left the mansion. So, stay here and take care of Young Master Wei. You chat with him while I¡¯m out. Make sure he doesn¡¯t go find me. Stay here and wait for me, understood?¡± ¡°Miss, I¡¯m going with you!¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to return. This is the Wei Mansion after all, I can¡¯t guarantee that father won¡¯t send people to bring me back. If it does happen, with you here, you will be able to stop or dy them.¡± This was a preventive measure! Although Luan¡¯er was worried, she grudgingly agreed. Stealthily evading the detection of the servants in the Wei mansion, Ji Yunshu left the ce in direction of Zhao family vige. However, the only way to the vige is via water, notnd. With the rain getting heavier, her traveling speed was greatly reduced. Finally, she reached a pier. Her timing couldn¡¯t have been better as a boat was docked there. A boatman in a raincoat made of straw with a conical bamboo hat was pulling on a cord and trying to tie the boat to a big stone, straining himself against the howling wind and torrential rain. Ji Yunshu propped up her umbre and walked to him and inquired, ¡°Mr. Boatman, is this boat going to Zhao family vige?¡± The boatman raised his head, but he was unable to hear what Ji Yunshu in the rain. So he cupped his ears and said, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said, is this boat going to Zhao family vige?¡± This time the boatman heard her. He waved his hand. ¡°Not going anywhere in this rain.¡± ¡°Mr. Boatman, please help me with this favor. I¡¯m in a rush to return home for my father¡¯s funeral!¡± ¡®Oh! So, that¡¯s the reason!¡¯ The boatman was able to secure the rope, but this made him reconsidered the idea of another trip to the vige. Then, he looked at the river in turmoil, the heavy rain and the treacherous waves rolling on the water surface. ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t make things difficult for me. It¡¯s a downpour right now. The river is quite untame, if the boat capsizes, we will die.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Ji Yunshu had yet to finish speaking, but a pair of hands suddenly appeared in her visual field and shove a silver in the boatman¡¯s hand. ¡°Would this suffice?¡± A deep and straightforward voice filled with a domineering tone could be heard. Ji Yunshu gave a side nce and realized that Jing Rong was standing next to her since who knew when. He whoes and goes like a shadow! ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Ji Yunshu spoke in surprise. Jing Rong ignored her as he looked at the boatman and dered, ¡°If the money is not enough, after you bring us on the other shore, I will give another one.¡± ¡®Us?¡¯ ¡®It is me or do I have the feeling that you¡¯reing with me! Why do I feel that no matter where I go, I can¡¯t seem to shake you off?¡¯ The boatman looked at the silver in his hand. His eyes were shining while his hand shakingly sped on it. He grinned at them and fiercely nodded. ¡°Of course, I can. I¡¯ll bring you to Zhao family vige.¡± That boatman was truly a typical character that sees money and forgoes his life! After receiving the money, the boatman untied the rope from the stone pir. Ji Yunshu had yet to recover from the shock, but Jing Rong had grabbed her hand and pulled her on the swaying boat. He took her umbre and sat down. ¡°Are you surprised?¡± asked Jing Rong with the corner of his mouth hook into a grin. ¡°Why are you¡­¡± ¡°You want to inquire why I know that you would be here? And why I know you want to go to Zhao family vige?¡± ¡®That¡¯s right! Are you the roundworm in my belly?¡¯ Chapter 81: Inside the Small Boat Chapter 81: Inside the Small Boat At this moment, the boat was swaying strongly as it sailed in the middle of the river, dying them from reaching Zhao family vige! Inside the boat, Ji Yunshu stared at Jing Rong with suspicions. Jing Rong appeared as though he wanted to keep her in suspense, as his lips hooked into a smile and those pair of evil eyes of his revealed a yful light. Yet when those eyes looked upon Ji Yunshu, it became those of a strong man filled with tenderness. Caught by his gaze, Ji Yunshu felt as if a fire was slowly spreading and consuming her! Subconsciously, she moved away from his line of sight as his heated gaze made her quite ufortable. ¡°Since Your Highness knows what I want to ask, why do you have to keep me in suspense?¡± ¡°Teacher Ji, I see that you don¡¯t fear death much.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with you knowing I am here and knowing that I want to go to Zhao family vige?¡± ¡°Of course it does.¡± Jing Rong replied with confidence. His expression was glowing as he continued. ¡°Remember that night when we got chased by assassins? Since they wanted to kill us, how can they be willing to give up so easily? For me, I already have shadow guards to ensure my safety. On the other hand, you don¡¯t have any guards.¡± The underlying meaning was his worry about her being an easy target for assassination. Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression was one of stubbornness. ¡°If this humble one guesses right, your Highness had already dispatched a group of people to keep a close watch on me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not to keep a close watch. It¡¯s for protection.¡± He replied in a deep and extremely earnest voice. When she left the yamen and returned home the other day, she had the impression of being followed. As she expected, those people were Jing Rong¡¯s subordinates. ¡°This humble one is very grateful of your good intentions,¡± thanked Ji Yunshu. Yet, this made him feel guilty. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for me, you wouldn¡¯t be involved in all of this. Protecting you was something that I must do.¡± ¡°Even if it was for such a reason, your Highness doesn¡¯t need to apany me to the Zhao family vige.¡± ¡°No matter what, we have to guard ourselves against any eventualities. Besides, you can¡¯t even protect yourself. First of all, you don¡¯t know any martial arts and secondly, you don¡¯t have any sure method to escape. In case you encounter those assassins again and they turn you into a corpse, I would owe you for the rest of my life.¡± For some reasons, Jing Rong¡¯s words always made Ji Yunshu felt there was something wrong. She lowered her brows and remained silent. Jing Rong inquired, ¡°Yet, here you are running to the Zhao family vige for what? It¡¯s raining cats and dogs, but you still rushed here.¡± Ji Yunshu retorted, ¡°I found a child¡¯s underwear mixed among Lord Jiang¡¯s clothes.¡± Hearing the word ¡°underwear¡±, Jing Rong frowned and became pensive. Then he slightly shook his head. ¡°Lord Jiang and Madame Jiang didn¡¯t have any children.¡± ¡°But a child once lived in their residence. She¡¯s Yu Sao¡¯s daughter. Right now, the both of them are living in the Zhao family vige. Since there hasn¡¯t been any progress with the yin yang corpse case, I want to hurry and dig out the truth of this case as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Why must you insist on going there yourself? There¡¯s plenty of people working at the yamen. Are they all crippled that you have to do it yourself?¡± ¡®Hey, hey, hey! Have some propriety when speaking!¡¯ If she felt he was speaking like a normal person earlier, then thisst line haspletely exposed his usual roguish nature. Ji Yunshu pursed her lower lip, inwardly snubbing him. ¡°The people at the yamen always did things with great fanfare, making the investigation hardly a secret to anyone. This time, the case needs to be handled with discretion.¡± ¡°Why would this case need to be handled differently?¡± Ji Yunshu was baffled for a moment, not knowing how to exin to him. She shook her head and only said, ¡°Your Highness will understand after we get there.¡± Jing Rong was like a curious child, but he still epted Ji Yunshu¡¯s statement and no longer pressed her with questions. The torrential rain outside drummed heavily on the boat¡¯s shack, and showed no signs of stopping. The sound was deafening. The boatman stood at the tail of the boat and was paddling with all his might. The boat shook and swayed dangerously. As the boat sailed downstream, the waves on the river became bigger and bigger. The boat was but a mere shadow overwhelmed by the force of nature, like a fragile vessel trying to stay afloat on the raging ocean. It was on the verge of breaking, and at the mercy of the waves. Without the help of an experienced boatman, the boat would have long sunk to the bottom of the river by now. Meanwhile, inside the boat, Ji Yunshu was grabbing onto the handrail, her expression became increasingly tense. Sitting in front of her, Jing Rong was, on contrary, quite rxed. He even had the leisure to ask her a question quite inappropriate for the situation. ¡°Did your dad die?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t reply to him. How can he randomly curse people? She didn¡¯t know if she should describe him as unsophisticated, or that his brain was wired differently. Jing Rong frowned with worry and inquired, ¡°How are your injuries? Is it better now?¡± ¡°Ah-!¡± Just when Jing Rong asked his question, the boat suddenly shook violently. Ji Yunshu lost her grip on the handrail and her body flung towards Jing Rong against her will. In a sh, Jing Rong grabbed her left hand and used his other hand to support her waist. It didn¡¯t take long for her to be confined in Jing Rong¡¯s arms. Her face knocked against his strong chest while her body was pasted on him. The high quality satin of his cloth rubbed against her cheek. Wet from the rain, the fabric gave a cool sensation that highlight his manly scent which kept lingering around Ji Yunshu¡¯s nose, causing her to quiver all of a sudden. She faintly shivered, and her body was like frost in December. Holding her petite figure in his arms, Jing Rong suddenly felt greedy for more. His hands moved further and pulled her tightly against him. After a while, the boat no longer rocked. He lowered his head and his lips brushed against her ear before he asked in a soft voice, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t here, would you be alright?¡± ¡®Five years ago when my soul transmigrated to this ce, you weren¡¯t present. Would it have changed anything?¡¯ But Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t speak those words as the words remained choked in her throat. She looked up and met with his eyes. As their gazes met, it suddenly felt like they were bound to each other more tightly than ever, as if a thread had tied and wrapped their hearts together, causing Ji Yunshu to be nervous. She cannot deny that Jing Rong was an extremely attractive and intelligent man! His appearance was different from the pure, gentle and quiet beauty of Wei Yi and he didn¡¯t possessed the schrly ir or sensitivity of Ji Pei, but his handsomeness seemed to be carved with the charisma of an official, imposing air with traces of wickedness in his traits. At this moment, a faint deep smile hung on his face. This kind of man gave people a very deep impression of security! Ji Yunshu immediately avoided his gaze. Her right hand pushed on his chest, but she couldn¡¯t break free from the prison of his arms. Yet, she continued to struggle in his embrace. ¡°Thank you very much for your help, your Highness. The boat shook, that¡¯s why this humble one could steady himself.¡± ¡°Then, you should just sit next to me. I¡¯ll support you.¡± Not waiting for Ji Yunshu to retort a word or two, Jing Rong had already pulled her to sit next to him. As he did so, he kept on holding onto her with his arm Ji Yunshu twisted her wrist in a struggle, not daring to look at him. She only said, ¡°This humble one is fine. Please let go of me.¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Prince-¡± ¡°If you want to fall and hit a wrong spot and die, I can collect your corpse, but it will be too troublesome.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ji Yunshu was rendered speechless. In the end, she could onlypromise. The boatman who had been rowing outside peeked in to look inside the boat cabin when he heard sounds of an argument. ¡°Is everything okay, Sirs? Make sure to sit tight. We have some big wavesing up ahead. Although the Zhao family vige is not far, the river is far from calm when ites to downpours like today, so you¡­¡± The boatman endlessly chattered from outside, but the downpour gradually drowned out his voice. It took them the time for a joss stick to burn before they finally reached the Zhao family vige¡¯s pier. Fortunately, they arrived safe and sound! Jing Rong held Ji Yunshu until they got off the boat, then he released her hand. Chapter 82: Yu Sao Chapter 82: Yu Sao Jing Rong, true to his words, gave yet another piece of silver to the boatman, which caused thetter to grin and bow down several times. As he did so, he kept on repeating to them to ¡°have a pleasant day.¡± The vige was deserted due to heavy rain, and the asional passer-by would be running as quickly as they could to get to their destination as soon as possible. Although Jing Rong and Ji Yunshu had umbres, they did little to prevent their coats and footwears from being drenched. Soon enough, a biting cold climbed from their feet into the rest of their body. The two stopped at the doorstep of a derelict straw house. Ji Yunshu knocked at the door, and it took a long while before the shabby door was opened with a loud creak. A hoary old woman with a hunched back appeared and looked at both Ji Yunshu and Jing Rong. ¡°You are?¡± ¡°Excuse me, old madame, may I ask where can I find Yu Sao?¡± Ji Yunshu asked. ¡°Oh, you mean Ah¡¯Yu?¡± The woman said as she pointed in a particr direction, ¡°Follow that path and walk around the forest. You¡¯ll find a wooden hut there. That¡¯s Ah¡¯Yu¡¯s home.¡± ¡®She lives in the forest?¡¯ ¡°Thank you, old madame.¡± Ji Yunshu said. The woman looked at her with a affectionate smile and said, ¡°You two aren¡¯t from here, are you? Are you rted to Ah¡¯Yu?¡± ¡°Yes, you could say so,¡± answered Ji Yunshu, herposure unbroken by the tant lie. The woman gave a slight nod, sighed and said, ¡°Ah¡¯Yu has had a hard life with many difficulties. Her husband passed away early and it¡¯s been hard for her ever since, especially in thest few years. If you can help out, you should.¡± The sympathy the old woman showed was simple, but yet thought-provoking precisely because of its simplicity. Ji Yunshu assented and left her some silver before leaving. Jing Rong was silent the whole time, properly fulfilling the role of a servant apanying his master. The two walked in the rain next to each other, and their figures, one tall and the other short,posed quite the picturesque scene under the paper umbre. Jing Rong turned his eyes and asked without thinking. ¡°Weren¡¯t you here for your father¡¯s funeral procession?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®Hey, how did you jump to this topic, and did you really need to ask that?¡¯ Ji Yunshu really would have liked to stuff something into Jing Rong¡¯s mouth to prevent him from talking any further. However, since that was evidently impossible, instead, she pretended that the noise from the rain had muffled Jing Rong¡¯s question. The two of them arrived to a ce where the trees began to thicken. However, it resembled smoldering ruins more than a lush forest. The few trees which had been nted were uprooted by the heavy rain and winds. The road that meandered through them was an unpaved muddy path, with many unpleasant surprises for the traveller who chooses to set foot upon it. ¡®Even the poorest of people wouldn¡¯t want to live in such a deste and remote ce, wouldn¡¯t they?¡¯ Ji Yunshu thought. Ji Yunshu looked at Jing Rong and said, ¡°Milord, high-grade silk which is mired can never recover its beauty. May I suggest you to wait for me here?¡± ¡°Swallow these words of yours, I don¡¯t want to hear them.¡± Jing Rong said without a single change in his expression. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to investigate? We could already be in there by now if weren¡¯t for your meaningless proposition.¡± ¡°Oh, really, shame on me I guess,¡± thought Ji Yunshu. Jing Rong lifted his robe and led the way into the squalid track filled with yellow dirt and pebbles. His imposing figure slowly vanished into the shadow of the woods. Ji Yunshu followed him, stepping on Jing Rong¡¯srge footprints, it seemed like it wasn¡¯t as slippery as she would have imagined. The pathway opened up after a while, and Ji Yunshu saw a derelict dwelling on the verge of crumbling under the heavy rain. To call it a shack would be an euphemism. Knick-knacks outside of the house, scattered by the wind gusts and covered in filth,pleted the deste picture. ¡°Is there really someone living here?¡± uttered Jing Rong. ¡°Let¡¯s go have a look inside,¡± suggested Ji Yunshu. She walked towards the entrance, but turned back after two steps to slip an advice to Jing Rong, ¡°Milord, we are here to visit rtives, but they¡¯ve moved away without telling us. Since we are without a ce to rest, we came here to ask some water and a ce to stay momentarily.¡± ¡°What?¡± said Jing Rong with eyes wide in amazement. ¡°Milord, please remember what this humble one said.¡± Ji Yunshu did not exin any further and approached the doorstep. The door, if it could be called one, was no more than ayer of wooden nks disorderly nailed to the frame. The asional slit between two nks revealed a glimpse of the interior, which was dimly lit by the dwindling light of a single oilmp. Ji Yunshu curled her fingers and knocked on the door. She waited for a while, but no one came to answer her. Jing Rong was rather irritated. ¡°Move aside, this door is not solid enough to withstand a hard kick.¡± ¡®You should go kick yourself in the head! Can we avoid getting into the habit of resorting to violence?¡¯ Ji Yunshu red at him, ¡°Have you thought about what¡¯ll happen to these poor people after you break their door? Do you want them to freeze to death in the winter? On top of that¡­¡± Ji Yunshu was about to continue lecturing him when the door suddenly flung open. A pair of eyes, aged by the vicissitudes of life and buried within disordered hair, were the first things that the two saw. Ji Yunshu and Jing Rong only realized that they belonged to a woman after they saw her face in its entirety. The facial muscles wereid, and wrinkles ran, interwoven on the skin. Time and age conferred a natural air of askance to the owner of that visage. ¡°Who are you?¡± said the woman with a weak voice. Ji Yunshu answered in a soft voice, ¡°Madame, sorry to disturb you. My brother and I are here to visit rtives, but they moved away without telling us, so we don¡¯t have a ce to stay for now. We¡¯d like to know if it¡¯s possible to have a brief respite in your house, and have some water to drink.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s soft voice and charismatic looks probably convinced the woman that they meant no harm. She scrutinized the duo, finally opened the half-closed door and said, ¡°Come in,¡± as she turned around and led the way. Ji Yunshu and Jing Rong nced at each other before following her into the dwelling. The inside was poorly lit and narrow between the walls, but surprisingly clean. Although the furniture pieces were worn out, the table and chairs were neatly ced and covered with a clean towel, which improved its look. Further inside was the entrance to a room, hidden by a curtain which reced the door that should have been there. Ji Yunshu and Jing Rong sat near the table. Thetter sat with a straight back and did not seem to be repulsed by his surroundings. ¡®Seems like this prince is not spoilt after all¡¯, thought Ji Yunshu. The woman brought two bowls of water and said, ¡°Please take your time sir, if you¡¯d like more, I¡¯ll dly refill it.¡± ¡°Thank you madame,¡± answered Jing Rong politely. He emptied the water in the porcin vessel cleanly. ¡®Well, he¡¯s really thirsty isn¡¯t he?¡¯ ¡°Madame, are you the only person living here?¡± attempted Ji Yunshu. ¡°Yes, I live alone.¡± ¡®Shouldn¡¯t she have a daughter?¡¯ Ji Yunshu was perplexed. ¡°How long have you lived here?¡± ¡°For a few years,¡± answered the woman in an indecipherable voice, emotionlessly. ¡°May I know your name?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. The woman suddenly raised her head to look at Ji Yunshu, only to dodge thetter¡¯s stare, and answered, ¡°Everyone here calls me Yu Sao.¡± ¡®Seems like she¡¯s the one I¡¯m looking for. Only, what happened to her eight year old daughter?¡¯ Chapter 83: Ah Yu Chapter 83: Ah Yu Ji Yunshu was still wondering about the inconsistencies between what she had expected and what Yu Sao had told her, when she heard a loud thud of something falling onto the ground; it came from the interior chamber whose entrance was hidden by the cloth curtain. Yu Sao¡¯s body trembled, and she was seized by panic. She looked at the entrance of the room as if there was something terrible hidden within. ¡°Is there something inside?¡± asked Jing Rong. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. Maybe¡­ maybe something fell on the ground,¡± exined Yu Sao in a hurry. She had barely finished her sentence when¡­ ¡°AHH!¡± A scream, or more specifically, a female scream could be hearding from the room. Yu Sao leapt to her feet and rushed toward the room. Ji Yunshu followed her closely. Upon entering the room, she found herself unable to see her own fingers in the pitch-ck chamber. A nauseous smell produced by the humidity entered her nostrils. Among the mixture of odors, there was something more subtle, a putrid stench. ¡°AHH!¡± Another cry pierced through the darkness. Suddenly, the room was lit up by an oilmp Jing Rong had brought. What Jing Rong and Ji Yunshu witnessed under the dim light surprised them greatly. What struck them first was the general squalor of the room; the floor was covered with clothes, broken pots and jars. The ground was bedaubed with muddy stains, which were quite repulsive. As Jing Rong moved further into the room, the two finally saw Yu Sao, who sat on the bed, tightly holding a small child. The child was curled up in Yu Sao¡¯s chest. Disordered hair hid her delicate face. Her body shook uncontrobly, and she kept muttering iprehensible gibberish. What was most shocking were the chains and shackles on the child¡¯s feet and wrists. ¡°Ah Yu, don¡¯t be scared. Mom is here; mom is here¡­¡± said Yu Sao as she tried tofort her child. As she said these words, it was as if she felt extremely guilty about something, to the point that she was sobbing by the end of the sentence. ¡®So she¡¯s Yu Sao¡¯s daughter.¡± Yi Junshu looked at Jing Rong. ¡°Give me themp.¡± She took themp from Jing Rong, and carefully approached the bed. As she neared Yu Sao, the light finally illuminated Yu Sao¡¯s visage first, and then shone upon Ah Yu¡¯s head. ¡°Yu Sao, can I help you with anything?¡± she proposed. ¡°Go away!¡± said Yu Sao, and she stabbed at Ji Yunshu with a sharp bamboo stick between her fingers that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Fortunately, Jing Rong was close enough to pull Ji Yunshu back and threw his arm between Ji Yunshu and Yu Sao. Had it not been for his quick reaction, the stick would have drawn blood from the flesh on Ji Yunshu¡¯s delicate face. ¡°Why do you always feel like it¡¯s necessary to put yourself into harm¡¯s way?¡± said Jing Rong in an using voice. However, that was but a clever disguise for his worry and concern. ¡°I¡­¡± Ji Yunshu stuttered, still a little frightened by the sudden assault. Yu Sao stood up from the bed, her mood in an extremely unstable state. ¡°Who are you? Why are you here? Get out. GET OUT!¡± ¡°Yu Sao, please don¡¯t misunderstand our intentions. I am simply worried about your daughter. She¡¯s very sick right now,¡± said Ji Yunshu with a worried countenance. ¡°You are the one who is sick. My daughter is just fine. She¡¯s fine I¡¯m telling you,¡± insisted Yu Sao. ¡®Self-hypnosis.¡¯ ¡°If you keep her chained, she will die.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± yelled Yu Sao. She turned around, wrapped her arms around her daughter more tightly than ever and caressed her head. ¡°Ah Yu, be a kind girl. Mom will be here for you. Yes, mom will be here for you. Nothing bad will happen to you, nothing¡­¡° Ah Yu¡¯s tremors did not cease; she seemed to be scared of something. The inarticte mumbling continued. Ji Yunshu pulled on Jing Rong¡¯s hand and whispered to him, ¡°Will your Highness please leave us alone for a moment?¡± ¡°What do you want to do?¡± asked Jing Rong. ¡°Get to the bottom of this case.¡± ¡®Get to the bottom?¡¯ Jing Rong was surprised, but he still opposed the proposition with a frown. ¡°If she tries to stab you again, who¡¯s going to protect you?¡± A rosy blush climbed up Ji Yunshu¡¯s auricles upon hearing the answer. However, she insisted on being alone and forcefully pushed Jing Rong to the door. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful. It¡¯s just that if you are inside the room, it¡¯ll be kind of¡­ inconvenient,¡± said Ji Yunshu. ¡®Inconvenient? What do you mean? Why? Exin it to me?¡± thought Jing Rong, but he was out of the room before he could open his mouth to protest. Ji Yunshu approached Yu Sao again, this time with a little more reserve and, in a voice soft enough to make Yu Sao feel reassured, she said, ¡°Yu Sao, I don¡¯t want to lie to you, but I¡¯m a doctor. If you really want your daughter to feel well again, you should let me have a look. Maybe I can think of something that could help her.¡± Yu Sao¡¯s reaction was less aggressive this time: she looked at Ji Yunshu and said, ¡°I¡¯ve told you already, my daughter is not sick. Leave my home now.¡± ¡°Do you really not care at all about your daughter¡¯s life?¡± ¡®I¡­¡± Yu Sao hesitated. She looked at Ah Yu, who was still in her arms, and cried with more sorrow. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I didn¡¯t take good enough care of my daughter; it¡¯s my fault!¡± Yu Sao¡¯s sadness was contagious: Ji Yunshu also felt her heart being strangled by the anguish. She took two steps forward and said, ¡°Yu Sao, don¡¯t you worry. I won¡¯t hurt you. I see that your daughter has signs of hymosis in the feet and palms, along with retracted finger joints and prominent veins under her dermis. These are signs of mental exhaustion. If you do nothing about it, you will lose your daughter. Then, it¡¯ll really be your fault.¡± Yu Sao could not fully understand what Ji Yunshu said, but she nevertheless answered, ¡°You¡¯re a doctor?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can¡­ can you really help my daughter get better?¡± asked Yu Sao, whose eyes were filling up with hope. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± This was actually a tant lie from Ji Yunshu. However, her words were enough to disarm Yu Sao¡¯s distrust. She hesitated for a bit more but finally let go of Ah Yu, stood up and retreated to the side. Ji Yunshu passed the oilmp to Yu Sao and sat down right beside Ah Yu. Thetter, upon realizing that there was a stranger, retreated further backwards, causing a ngour from the links of the metal chains. ¡°Your name is Ah Yu? What a nice name!¡± said Ji Yunshu with a soft tone. Ah Yu did not answer. Instead, she pressed her back against the wall and appeared to be trying as hard as she could to get away from Ji Yunshu. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared. I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± said Ji Yunshu as she extended her arm and caressed Ah Yu¡¯s soft tresses with her thin fingers. Ah Yu curled up even more. Ji Yunshu slowly brushed Ah Yu¡¯s hair away with her fingers. Soon, she was finally able to fully contemte Ah Yu¡¯s face under the dim light. The skin on the jaw was a little rough, but her facial features were delicate. A well-rounded nose, the lips shaped like a butterfly, and the pretty eyes hidden under long eyshespleted the picture; she was a good-looking young girl. Ji Yunshu finally met her regard the moment she brushed away thest lock of hair. ¡°Ah!¡± Yu Sao jumped from the side to lock Ah Yu in a tight embrace and whispered, ¡°Mom is here. Don¡¯t be scared, Ah Yu. Don¡¯t be scared now.¡± However, these words were of littlefort to Ah Yu, and the intense terror that seeped through her eyes was as obvious as daylight to Ji Yunshu. Ah Yu grasped her own clothes with her hands and refused to let go. The moment Ji Yunshu saw the fear within Ah Yu¡¯s eyes, she understood what had happened to her. Although Ah Yu did not remove her clothes to allow Ji Yunshu to examine her body, Ji Yunshu already found the answer she sought. ¡®There¡¯s no need to go further.¡¯ Ji Yunshu stood up without saying a word and retreated from the malodorous room. Jing Rong approached her as soon as he saw her. Ji Yunshu cut his questions short by saying, ¡°Milord, it¡¯s time to leave,¡± and walked out of the house. As she readied her umbre for the return trip, something caught her attention: a small knife, dull and coated with rust hanging on the exterior wall of the house! Chapter 84: Sharing the Umbrella Ji Yunshu walked toward the object,pelled perhaps by her woman¡¯s intuition. The de was one with the wall due to the retion of rust, and reddened specks covered the body of the de. The edge was severely chipped, which made the knife seem more like a deformed cogwheel rather than a tool made to cut things. Jing Rong approached and asked, ¡°Is there something special about this knife?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± answered Ji Yunshu with a nod. Ji Yunshu unfolded a handkerchief from her pockets, swathed it around her hand, and removed the little knife from where it hung. She then carefully wrapped the tissue around the de and ced it inside her sleeves. ¡®This little girl, she¡¯ll even steal a knife from a peasant¡¯s home!¡± thought Jing Rong. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We should head back to the docks. If it gets anyter, even a mountain of silver from your highness will not suffice to convince the boatman,¡± said Ji Yunshu as she opened her umbre against the wind and led the way. Jing Rong followed Ji Yunshu and paid close attention to her struggles to walk on the slippery road. On several asions, Ji Yunshu lost her footing and had to stretch her limbs unnaturally to maintain her bnce. Instead of hiding his hands in the pockets of his robe to retain warmth, Jing Rong extended his arms out slightly so that he would be able to catch Ji Yunshu if she ever faced the risk of hitting the ground. The two passed by the ruins and hurried to Zhao vige¡¯s docks. When they arrived, to their disappointment, they saw nothing but foam and forth on the river as waves crashed into each other. ¡°It¡¯ll turn dark soon. There won¡¯t be any ships today,¡± said Jing Rong, who, instead of being worried, felt a secret joy. ¡°Had I known, I would have told that boatman to wait for a bit,¡± bemoaned Ji Yunshu in a low voice. ¡°We¡¯ll have to stay here for the night.¡± ¡°Any other ideas to get us out of here, your highness?¡± ¡°I do have an idea,¡± said Jing Rong as he raised his brows. Ji Yunshu promptly asked, ¡°What is it?¡± Jing Rong pointed towards the mountains in the distance. ¡°We take a detour.¡± ¡®Are you kidding me?¡¯ ¡°The roads through the mountains will take more than a day. We might as well wait for another boat,¡± said Ji Yunshu. A subtle smile appeared on the corners of Jing Rong¡¯s lips, but he hid it with a look of concern and furrowed his brows. ¡°I don¡¯t think that we can hope for a boat today. If we stay in Zhao vige tonight, we¡¯ll have trouble finding a house big enough to amodate both of us. But¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°Well, on our way here, I remember passing by a temple. Perhaps we will find it to be a suitable shelter.¡± ¡°A temple?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. ¡®I don¡¯t remember seeing something like that! Should I trust him?¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu as she ruminated over Jing Rong¡¯s proposal. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go there.¡± Ji Yunshu followed Jing Rong as they headed towards the temple. Not only did the unpleasant conditions of the road worsen, the torrential rain and the darkling sky exacerbated the problem, thus making the two even more miserable. A sudden gust of wind yanked the umbre from Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand,unching it into a shrub nearby and tearing it to shreds against the branches. The instant Ji Yunshu felt the weight in her hands disappear, the rain mercilessly attacked her. She felt a tingling coldness descend from her hair to her face, running down her neck and spreading throughout her body. However, before she could feel it down in her feet, another umbre appeared over her head, shielding her from the rain and the raging tempest. Ji Yunshu raised her head and saw Jing Rong in the rain two feet away from her, with his arms extended to bring the umbre to her. ¡°Your Highness,¡± said Ji Yunshu as she put her hand on his and pushed the umbre towards him, ¡°You are more worthy of its protection than I am.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not as frail as you think I am. Keep it,¡± said Jing Rong as he pulled his hand back, turned around, and marched into the rain. ¡®ying cool, isn¡¯t he?¡¯ Ji Yunshu jogged to catch up to Jing Rong, held him by his sleeves and brought the umbre above both of them. The two were now separated by only two inches, and although their shoulders remained exposed, both of them, tall and short, were both somewhat sheltered from the storm. Jing Rong seemed a little surprised by her initiative, but above all, he was deeply moved by it. He lowered his brows and cast a look that revealed a deep affection. Ji Yunshu raised her head. When she saw the me burning within Jing Rong`s eyes, she hoped that she had made a mistake. She hurriedly looked away and said, ¡°I hope that Your Highness does not mind sharing the umbre.¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± ¡®How could I be unhappy?¡¯ Jing Rong had a grin on his face, and returned to his usual yful mood. He took the handle from Ji Yunshu and raised it high. With his other hand, he gently pulled on Ji Yunshu¡¯s wrist and guided her steps. Ji Yunshu did not resist. They walked for a few minutes more and finally arrived to the temple Jing Rong mentioned. It was more of a family memorial hall than a temple1. Despite the destion and the dpidation of the building, it sufficed as a temporary shelter. Upon entering, Ji Yunshu examined the interior; no one had been there for a long time. A wooden panel hung diagonally above the doorframe and seemed like it was going to fall down at any moment. Ayer of dust had umted on it, and covering it was several moreyers of spider webs. Two words, ¡°Zhao Memorial¡±, were barely legible. The floor was cluttered with ornaments and piles of straw, which were connected by more spider webs. Fortunately, the giant Buddha statue was still standing, but the goldminated copper tiles, which used to form the outeryer of the statue, were removed quite brutally as indicated by the knife markings on what remained of it. ¡°It¡¯s disorderly, but it should be good enough for the night. I¡¯ll think of a way for us to return tomorrow,¡± remarked Jing Rong as he scrutinized the surroundings and set down his umbre. ¡°Teacher, we can dry our clothes if you make a fire for us.¡± Jing Rong did not wait for an answer, he quickly cleaned up arge area on the floor and brought one of the broken wooden pirs. He then covered the wood with some straw and used his flint and stone to set it aze. ¡®Clean and quick, I would have thought that he grew up in the wilderness!¡¯ Night had fallen, and the small fire seemed to glow stronger thanks to the darkness which surrounded it. The hall, battered by the wind and the rain from the outside, was bing quitefortable inside. Jing Rong assembled a makeshift hanger and suggested, ¡°Teacher Ji, we should dry our clothes here. With your fragile health, you wouldn¡¯t want to catch a cold.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± As Jing Rong said so, he started removing his clothes. Ji Yunshu turned around and held her freezing arms to her body. ¡°Hey,e here,¡± called Jing Rong. Ji Yunshu did not bulge, she held onto her wet robe, feeling a little panicked. Seeing that she did not answer, Jing Rong approached her and dragged her by the wrist to the fire. ¡°This humble one is just fine. Please dry your clothes, your highness,¡± said Ji Yunshu as she lowered her head, not daring to look at him. ¡°I¡¯m just telling you to remove your clothes. Why are you so shy? Do you need help for that?¡± asked Jing Rong, who pretended to be surprised, but yfulness in his mood grew by the second. Ji Yunshu took a few steps back and forced a smile, ¡°This humble one does not dare topare his body to your highness¡¯. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Pfft, meaningless bickering,¡± said Jing Rong as he approached her and extended his arms toward her. ¡°Come on, what are you so scared of? If you don¡¯t want to remove your clothes, I¡¯ll help you do it.¡± Jing Rong raised the corners of his lips. ¡°There¡¯s no need, really.¡± ¡°Oh, of course, there is.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s firm grip locked Ji Yunshu¡¯s arms, so that no matter how hard she struggled, she could only hold onto the cor of her robe in a symbolic gesture of resistance. ¡®No!¡¯ Ji Yunshu knew that it would be of no use even if she tore her throat yelling for help. She lowered her head even further and her breath quickened. Jing Rong looked at Ji Yunshu¡¯s long and curled eyshes fervidly: a me burned within his eyes. He held Ji Yunshu¡¯s arm tightly with his hands, feeling the soaked cloth and her cold flesh. He felt his own blood freeze as the frigidness climbed from Ji Yunshu into his palm. Jing Rong was suddenly seized by an urge to capture Ji Yunshu and her whole being in his embrace, but the more reasonable part of him checked his folly before he could enact it. ¡°Teacher, your clothes are soaked. If you don¡¯t want to remove your garments in front of me, then I suggest that we use our clothes as a curtain to grant ourselves some privacy.¡± ¡®Wow, I¡¯m impressed now,¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. Jing Rong released her and seemed very serious. He moved the makeshift hanger between them and said, ¡°I won¡¯t look at you. I give you my word. Just get rid of your wet clothes; it does no good to hesitate.¡± Jing Rong removed both of his shirts and ced them on the hanger. He then sat down on a pile of straw and put his boots, decorated by golden motifs sewn onto the fabric with silvery threads, upside down, right beside the fire. Jing Rong¡¯s ¡°obedience¡± calmed Ji Yunshu down. She trusted him enough to remove her own belt and robe and put them onto the hanger. She then imitated Jing Rong, sat down on a pile of straw and put her own boots, made with rough fabrics, upside down by the fire. The two of them sat, separated only by the improvised curtain. Both felt the warmth of the fire gently caress them and appreciated thefort of having a roof over their heads to shield them from the downpour. ¡°Teacher Ji,¡± called out Jing Rong all of sudden. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Have you ever been to¡­ the capital?¡± asked Jing Rong as he picked up a small bamboo stick and poked at the fire. Ji Yunshu looked in his direction. She saw a hand holding a bamboo stick emerge from behind the curtain and cause the fire to crackle in a small explosion of sparks. She held her own legs with one hand and imitated Jing Rong with the other. ¡°No, I haven¡¯t been there.¡± ¡°Do you want to go then?¡± ¡°How¡¯s the air quality over there?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the smog.¡± Jing Rong was perplexed and stopped poking. ¡°Smog?¡± Ji Yunshu smiled and answered, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Ji Yushu was thinking about Beijing in modern times. Jing Rong was confused by her question. He wanted to remove the curtain and ask her about the ¡°air quality¡± or ¡°smog¡± she was talking about. He shook his head and moved onto another topic. ¡°If I asked you to go back to the Capital with me, would you agree?¡± 1.It is Chinese custom for wealthy families (or even not so wealthy ones) to gather small versions of their ancestors¡¯ tombstone in a ce and pray to them as if they were gods. Chapter 85: Tiny Canary ¡°If I, this Prince, want you to go back with me to the capital, will you be willing?¡± ¡°No.¡± She blurted out the word without a second of hesitation. Jing Rong inquired, ¡°Why?¡± ¡®Why?¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression immediately sank. She stirred up the campfire which caused the mes to burn more vigorously. After a long moment of silence, she squeezed out a few more words. ¡°I can¡¯t leave.¡± Sometimes Jing Rong really couldn¡¯t fathom what was going through her mind. A moment filled with silent thoughts settled between them, yet their own thoughts remained difficult to decipher despite their constant contemtion. Her temper was simply too insipid, inhibiting people from connecting with her mind! Jing Rong pondered, but in the end, he didn¡¯t probe any further. During that time, her eyes were lowered while her mind fell into deep thought. The bamboo stick in her hand inadvertently caught on fire. The stick ignited and sparkled like a firecracker, throwing a spark onto the back of her hand. ¡°Ouch!¡± She let out a painful groan. She immediately released the bamboo stick, letting it fall as she covered her hand to alleviate the painful burning sensation. The instant she groaned in pain, Jing Rong was already up on his feet. He abruptly tore away the curtain of clothes separating them and nervously walked to Ji Yunshu before crouching in front of her and pulling her burnt hand near him. The me¡¯s damage could be seen by the several red splotches covering the back of her hand. Jing Rong carefully blew on it while asking, ¡°Why are you so careless?¡± Ji Yunshu froze in surprise for a moment before retracting her hand at once. They were currently only dressed in their inner garments! Ji Yunshu, who was sat on the ground, got up with haste while wrapping an arm around herself and reached out for the cloth on the frame with her other hand, pulling one toward her. Unfortunately for her, in her haste, the bead securing the hat that held her hair bun came loose. Added to her abrupt movement, her hair came undone, unfurling slowly. Her long ck hair spilled out like a waterfall birthed from the high mountains. As a breeze blew in, her hair danced, brushing against her thin waist. The sight was ephemeral as Ji Yunshu timely grabbed onto her clothes. By the time she tightly wrapped herself with it, her hair was messily scattered past her shoulders. She nced back and brushed away the hair sticking onto her delicate and rosy cheeks. Her current appearance gave out an otherworldly impression, causing Jing Rong to foolishly stare at her. Jing Rong stood frozen as he gawked at her while still holding the fallen bead that was securing her hat, in his hand. He wasn¡¯t simply surprised, rather he gasped with amazement! Many times he had imagined her appearance with unbound hair, but reality offered him a more wondrous sight than his fantasy could ever have created. Often, he would imagine taking off her hat or fantasized how she would look, groomed in female clothing, standing in front of him. Yet, at this moment, her appearance was simply beautiful. No, extremely beautiful! He had to admit that his heart was palpitating with excitement despite theck of words he expressed. His mood was a mix of feelings of awe and satisfaction, which he perfectly concealed, since he would like to avoid having his mindpletely read by a certain woman with excellent observation skills! Ji Yunshu shivered from the cold and wrapped her clothes more tightly around her. She nced at him and faintly spoke, ¡°This humble onecked manners¡­ I hope your Highness forgives me for my crime.¡± ¡°What crime?¡± ¡°The crime of duping you.¡± ¡°Duping me of what?¡± ¡°My¡­ identity.¡± ¡°Ah, that?¡± He always asked for a tit-for-tat. It caused Ji Yunshu to be at loss on how to reply. Suddenly, Jing Rong stated, ¡°Don¡¯t fret over it. As for that crime, this Prince is willing to turn my eyes away from it.¡± His tone was gentle while his mouth pursed into a smile. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t speak a word and only lowered her head. Her ck hair brushed against her cheeks, concealing part of her face with only the bridge of her nose visible. Jing Rong took two small steps forward and gave back the hat¡¯s bead to her. Ji Yunshu reached out for it, but the bead was tightly held in his palm. ¡°This bead¡­ I still haven¡¯t let go of it.¡± ¡°This is just amon bead, is there a need for your Highness to forcibly take it?¡± ¡°Common? I feel like this bead is very precious.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s body stiffened. ¡°¡­¡± Jing Rong yed a bit with the bead and sat on the ground. The corner of his mouth hooked up as he looked at the bead reflecting the me¡¯s color. ¡°Teacher Ji¡­ Ah no! It should be Miss Ji. I am very curious on the reason why you would cross-dress and be in contact with a pile of corpses? Don¡¯t the daughters of most families usually stay cooped up in the bedroom and rarely go out half a step? They would spend their time embroidering flowers and searching for a good husband to marry when theye of age.¡± He summed up the usual behavior of women quite well. Ji Yunshu simply replied, ¡°I¡¯m short on money.¡± ¡°Short on money?¡± Jing Rong was bbergasted. He raised his head and took a good look at her. ¡°The Ji family is prestigious and a wealthy home. How can they be short on money?¡± As expected, he had already thoroughly grasped her background information! ¡°It appears that everything your Highness did thest time you visited my father ¨C gifting me the Turnip-like cowparsnip root and burning my father¡¯s whip ¨C waspletely intentional.¡± He rotated the bead with his fingers and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t need to lift a finger that much.¡± That statement was quite underwhelming. Jing Rong continued, ¡°Miss Ji, you¡¯re already dressed, so there¡¯s no harm sitting down. This prince doesn¡¯t like to look up at people.¡± Once again, Ji Yunshu wrapped herself tightly before sitting down, keeping a two-step distance away from Jing Rong. ¡°Are you very afraid of this prince?¡± He raised his sharp-like eyebrows. ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°Then why are you sitting so far away?¡± Jing Rong was displeased with her reaction. He used his hand and patted a ce next to him. ¡°Come and sit here. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m naked. What are you afraid of? Besides, sitting so far away, how are you going to keep yourself warm through this endless night?¡± Those words sounded quite wrong for some reason, but Ji Yunshu couldn¡¯t refute them. She grudgingly scooted over toward the fire. ¡°Since your Highness already knew my identity, why didn¡¯t you expose me?¡± She spoke out the question that nagged her mind. ¡®Oi, oi, oi! Are you ying with me?¡¯ Her question made Jing Rong¡¯s handsome face to break into a rotten smile, stirring a thought-provoking feeling. In reply, he said, ¡°Since you intended to hide it, why should I expose you?¡± His reason caused Ji Yunshu to forget any intention to argue with him. Jing Rong frowned and cast a sidelong nce at her before throwing back the question at her. ¡°I¡¯m truly curious. Aren¡¯t you the third miss of the Ji family? Why would youck money? And why do you need to endure that old bastard whipping you?¡± ¡®Old bastard?¡¯ Ji Yunshu inwardly gave Jing Rong a thumbs up. She lowered her voice and replied, ¡°Every family has their own problems. As someone from the imperial household, your Highness also has your own share of bitterness. Let alone someone from amon family, a drop of oil, a grain of rice or even a small needle could be a source of conflict. Getting scolded or getting beaten, aren¡¯t they but usual things?¡± Her words made Jing Rong pensive. ¡°You¡¯re wasting your talent in this tiny little Jinjiang city.¡± ¡°I am unable to understand your Highness¡¯ meaning.¡± ¡°You should know that the capital is big and filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons, and the mighty army numbers in thousands. Within the capital, there¡¯s the pce, but outside, there are the city walls. From the grand Emperor to themon guard overseeing the city gates, everyone follows the rules andws strictly; efficient administration, bustling streets with the asional joyous wedding and dowry procession, such a ce is where Miss Ji ought to stay.¡± His speech was quite convincing. She never expected such eloquenceing from Jing Rong. Unfortunately¡­ ¡°A ce for dragons and phoenixes is where dragons and phoenixes belong. I am but a tiny canary. A small city, a small county is where I could dwell in peacefully.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Although the capital is big, danger lurks everywhere. Despite a strict administration, justice is not beyond human emotion. A bustling ce yet it can¡¯tpare to the idle tranquility of the small roads of Jinjiang.¡± Hearing her words, Jing Rong couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Such a glib tongue!¡± But he couldn¡¯t deny that each of her sentences rang true! Jing Rong stirred the fire with a bamboo stick with a deep smile that never left his mouth, letting the fire burn stronger. Ji Yunshu wrapped her arms around her knees and walled herself in silence. The conversation in the cold night hade to an end. Both people were now sitting side by side, each silent lost in their own thoughts: one was apprehensive, the other pleasantly surprised. Each of their arguments had their own merits. None of them were wrong, yet neither werepletely right. As the long night slowly passed, Ji Yunshu had pulled her long hair into a bun and leaned on a pir behind her. She squinted her eyes. ¡®Jing Rong, your thoughts were incorrect.¡¯ Jing Rong observed Ji Yunshu. Under the orange and red glow from the fire, her palm-sized face wasparable to the highest quality blood jade, unconsciously attracting people¡¯s gaze. Those closed eyes beneath those small eyshes that always seemed to be filled with worry and indifference at times, only further made people¡¯s heart itch! With no other thoughts, Jing Rong took off his dried clothes from the frame and covered Ji Yunshu with them. As for him, he simply added more wood to the fire and rested nearer to the fire. Throughout the night, the wind and rain whistled outside the temple. When Ji Yunshu woke up the next day, the rain had already ceased. She discovered Jing Rong¡¯s clothes covering her, but when she swept a nce at the ce, he was nowhere in sight. As she was puzzled by his disappearance, Jing Rong came in from outside. In his hands, he held several hot steamed buns. ¡°Awake?¡± She nodded. Jing Rong handed over a steamed bun. ¡°Eat while it¡¯s still hot.¡± Ji Yunshu gave Jing Rong back his clothes and took a few steamed buns from his hands. Then, she observed him. She asked as she looked at him strangely, ¡°Your Highness, you did not go out dressed like this right?¡± At this moment, Jing Rong was only dressed in his inner garments. Although he had boots and wasn¡¯t naked, it was still a bit inappropriate. ¡°Yeah. No one was looking anyway.¡± He also nodded and dressed himself in the meantime. ¡°No one was looking?¡± Ji Yunshu was puzzled. ¡°Then, where did you get those steamed buns?¡± ¡°I just took them on the way.¡± ¡®Shame on you! Stealing is stealing!¡¯ Ji Yunshu gained a new level of understanding of this deity! Which eyes saw him steal? He clearly left money to pay for those steamed buns! After eating a steamed bun, they cleaned up and left the temple to the pier. Due to the calm water, many boats were docked at the pier. They picked a boat and quickly returned to the city. Jing Rong wasn¡¯t reassured leaving her alone, so he wanted to apany her back. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to the yamen.¡± ¡°At this hour?¡± Jing Rong couldn¡¯t understand why. Ji Yunshu nodded before she walked toward the direction of the yamen while exining herself, ¡°If nothing unexpected urs, the yin yang corpse case will be solved today.¡± ¡°Did youe to a conclusion?¡± Jing Rong followed behind her. ¡°Wait until I¡¯m done checking something, and you will know. However¡­¡± She came to a halt and looked at Jing Rong seriously. ¡°I need to ask your Highness to not expose my gender as to avoid unnecessary trouble.¡± With a faint smile, Jing Rong stated, ¡°As a matter of fact, this prince is used to you wearing male clothing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± With nothing to reply with, Ji Yunshu simply elerated her pace. Jing Rongughed and followed suit. They had yet to reach the yamen¡¯s entrance when Magistrate Liu saw them and was somewhat surprised. Chapter 86: The Answer Liu Qingping was stunned for a moment, but recovered and stepped forward to greet Jing Rong. ¡°This official pays his respect to Prince Rong. I don¡¯t know why your Highness¡­¡± Jing Rong raised his hand and interrupted Magistrate Liu. ¡°You don¡¯t need to attend to me. Go and see what Teacher Ji needs.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­¡± The Magistrate went next to Ji Yunshu. ¡°Ah! Yunshu, could it be that you found some evidence?¡± ¡°Lord Liu, right now, I need some vinegar and strong alcohol. I¡¯ll trouble you to bring them to me while I go to the autopsy room.¡± ¡°Of course. No problem.¡± Liu Qingping replied straightforwardly. He summoned two yamen runners and ordered them to find the material Ji Yunshu needed. While Ji Yunshu went to the autopsy room, Jing Rong sat in a room and drank tea. ¡®Ah~ Jinjiang¡¯s tea is really the best!¡¯ In the autopsy room, Ji Yunshu took out the rusted iron knife from her sleeve. Meanwhile, Wei Wu and Wang San came in with the vinegar and spirit. ¡°Teacher, what do you want to do with these things?¡± ¡°Blood test.¡± ¡°Blood test?¡± Wei Wu and Wang San looked at each other, then they took out a notebook and a brush from their pockets, wetted the brush with their mouth and were ready to record what Ji Yunshu would say. ¡®Teacher¡¯s autopsy is a great source of learning! We must record everything, and maybe, in the future, we can be a coroner! That will be fantastic!¡¯ Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t care about them as long as they could keep their mouths shut. She put on gloves and mixed the vinegar with the alcohol. After mixing for a moment, she dipped a white fabric into the solution and used it to wipe the knife. The rust gradually fell off with most sticking to the white fabric. Gradually, the ck silvery glint of the knife was revealed. Once the knife was cleaned, it was put into the solution. After a moment, dark red spots appeared on the edge of the knife. ¡°Eh? Why did it change color?¡± Wang San eximed in surprise. ¡°This is not color. It¡¯s blood.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Wei Wu and Wang San cried out at the same time. Ji Yunshu held up the knife, her expression was extremely tense. She had wished with all her heart that there would be no blood on the knife. ¡°How can blood appear like that?¡± asked Wei Wu. ¡°Because this knife was stained with human blood.¡± Ji Yunshu stated to exin. ¡°If you want to ascertain the presence of blood on a knife, or even on clothes, the best method would be a luminol test1. However, without this mean, using a solution whichbines vinegar and alcohol would give a simr effect.¡± ¡°What is that¡­ lum..luminol test?¡± Wei Wu stammered on the word as he inquired. ¡®Urgh! How should I exin it?¡¯ She didn¡¯t feel like exining that part. She put down the knife and uncovered the yin yang skeleton. She picked up one of the broken bones hand. Then, she ordered the two yamen runners, ¡°Likest time, go and bring me some camphor juice.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± They went to fetch the camphor juice without asking further questions. They quickly and swiftly set up everything and just likest time, Ji Yunshu applied some camphor juice onto the skeleton¡¯s ankle. Next, she wrapped it in a white paper soaked in vinegar. In less than a moment, the paper turned red. Soon after, she covered the knife with that paper. After the time it took for half a joss stick to burn, when she unfolded the paper, all the old blood on the knife has been imprinted onto the paper. ¡®The result turns out to be positive!¡¯ ¡°Wei Wu, Wang San! Immediately go to the Zhao family vige and bring back Yu Sao.¡± ¡°Hehehe! Yes, sir!¡± They became excited and rushed out to aplish their assignment. As for Ji Yunshu, herplexion was far from good. Her heart was bing increasingly heavier. She covered the remains of Lord Jiang and only took with her the knife and the paper before heading to the room behind the courtroom. At this moment, Wei Wu and Wang San were preparing to head to the Zhao family vige, bringing a few runners with them. Jing Rong was enjoying his tea while watching the two runners grabbing some of their colleagues by the cor. He presumed that Ji Yunshu had already discovered who the murderer was. He rolled his eyes and cast a side nce at Ji Yunshu who walked like someone who had lost their soul. The one who took the initiative to greet her was none other than the Magistrate. Then he leaned toward Ji Yunshu by habit and inquired, ¡°Did you discover something? Does it have something to do with Yu Sao from the Zhao family vige?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Ji Yunshu with confidence. ¡°Is she the murderer?¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± Magistrate Liu was shocked yet his face revealed his confusion. ¡°Then¡­ Then, shouldn¡¯t I send people to arrest her? What about Li Zhao who is still imprisoned? Oh my god! This is a disaster!¡± Ji Yunshu whose mood was bad red at him. ¡°Even if he wasn¡¯t the murderer, he is still liable.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± The one who just spoke was Jing Rong. He got up from the chair. From Ji Yunshu¡¯s and the Magistrate¡¯s conversation, he started to overhear them at the part mentioning Li Zhao¡¯s imprisonment. The Magistrate stepped back and took the initiative to distance himself from Ji Yunshu when Jing Rongshed out. How could Liu Qingping dare to continue bbering? Jing Rong leisurely walked up to Ji Yunshu and stated, ¡°If you have the evidence that the person is a murderer, this prince will absolutely not be lenient towards them. The same also applies to anyone who destroys the evidence which can incriminate a murderer.¡± It appeared that he had correctly guessed Ji Yunshu¡¯s thoughts. In fact, having this kind of backer for this type of case was quite useful. Ji Yunshu lowered her eyes and asked Jing Rong, ¡°Your Highness¡­ do you believe that a murderer has to pay back with their life?¡± The Magistrate rushed to answer. ¡°That is what thews stipte ¨C murderers pay with their life.¡± ¡°Thews do not take into ount human emotions.¡± Ji Yunshu was solemn as she spoke those words. ¡°Yunshu, a murderer needs to pay with their life. That is thew.¡± ¡°Thew! Thew! Why did we set so manyws? Aren¡¯t thews there to maintain people¡¯s peace of mind and protect their safety? What if those who killed someone were forced by the circumstances? How will thosews give them justice?!¡± At this moment, Ji Yunshu appeared to be somewhat revolted. The Magistrate didn¡¯t dare to speak and looked stupidly at her. ¡®What did Yunshu eat today to be so irritated?¡¯ Jing Rong sent a meaningful nce at the Magistrate. ¡°Withdraw to the side.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness.¡± He didn¡¯t dare to go against the order, thus he obediently retreated to the side. Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression was grave, showing a hint of regret and indignation. Jing Rong asked her, ¡°Tell me, what is going on?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Your feelings are showing on your face! After what happened yesterday, we could be considered people who have gone through trials and tribtions together. So, there¡¯s no harm in telling me what¡¯s on your mind.¡± He was very gentle and considerate. Yet Ji Yunshu lowered her eyes and shook her head. ¡°Forget it! It¡¯s my own problem. I shouldn¡¯t disregard the strictness of thews. I¡¯m just depressed that murderers are murderers and they need to pay with their life.¡± She convinced herself with great effort of her words as to not let her feelings cause her pain. Jing Rong didn¡¯t disturb her and let her calm down while sitting next to her. It had been more than two hours since Wei Wu and Wang San left for Zhao Vige, based on the distance, they should have already arrived at the vige. However, a runner suddenly intruded into the room and said, ¡°Sir, Madame Jiang is here.¡± ¡°Why is she here again?¡± sighed the Magistrate. He was more afraid to see Madame Jiang than Jing Rong now. Before the Magistrate could say anything, Jing Rong proposed, ¡°I¡¯ll go have a look.¡± ¡®Oh, I forgot that there¡¯s a more powerful god on my side. Well, no worries then.¡¯ thought the Magistrate as he and Ji Yunshu followed Jing Rong to the great hall. Madame Jing was dressed sumptuously, unting her elegance as she did before. However, she seemed quite irritated about the equivocation she received from Magistrate Liu the day before. Today, she was determined to secure the release of her brother. However, much to her surprise, Jing Rong was also at the yamen. ¡°This peasant wife greets your Highness,¡± said Madame Jiang unwillingly. She did not try to hide her dissatisfaction, even in the presence of authority. Jing Rong spoke coldly, ¡°Madame Jiang, why did you suddenly decide to show up at the yamen? I¡¯ve heard Magistrate Liu retell your numerous visits to the yamen these past two days.¡± ¡®It¡¯s only two counting this one, alright.¡¯ thought Madame Jiang. But in front of Jing Rong, she had to maintain an ostensible courteousness. She answered with a smile of formality, ¡°I¡¯m sure that your Highness has heard about my little brother¡¯s imprisonment.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that he killed someone.¡± ¡®No no no, I think that you¡¯ve heard wrong.¡¯ thought Madame Jiang. Magistrate Liu whispered to Jing Rong¡¯s ear, ¡°Your Highness, he has not been used of murder, only of burying a corpse.¡± ¡®Are you being dumb on purpose?¡¯ Thought Jing Rong, who genuinely wondered whether the Magistrate had a functioning brain at all. He stared at the Magistrate with an unusual sharpness. On the receiving end, the Magistrate shuddered at Jing Rong¡¯s frustrated look, retreated to the side and became silent as a brick. ¡°Your Highness, my brother is not a murderer. He has always been a person of little courage, and he wouldn¡¯t even dare to hold a knife in his hand, much less kill someone. The yamen runner must have made a mistake,¡± retorted Madame Jiang. ¡°But he confessed to burying the corpse.¡± ¡°That must have been an excuse made up under the stress of the moment,¡± Madame Jiang argued forcefully. Jing Rong hated to argue with women like Madame Jiang, who could not see the light of ¡°reason¡±. Instead of wasting his time, he simply said, ¡°Madame Jiang, the one thing I dislike most is trying to convince obstinate women. Cease your meaningless bickering, or I¡¯ll simply throw you into jail. Want to bet on it?¡± ¡®What?¡± Madame Jiang was rather surprised, but she did not doubt the seriousness of the threat. ¡°Whether Li Zhao murdered someone remains under investigation, but he has already admitted to burying the corpse. It is futile to mask the words he has said himself. Why are you threatening Magistrate Liu into releasing him? Unless¡­ do you want to abuse the privileges you¡¯ve inherited from General Li?¡± ¡°That is not the intention of this humble peasant wife,¡± answered Madame Jiang, a little panicked, but she maintained a surface of calmness. Jing Rong had a stern look. ¡°Then, no need for argument, we shall know what the truth is very soon.¡± ¡®Very soon?¡¯ thought Madame Jiang with some anxiety. However, she did not have much time to sort out her thoughts, since Wei Wu and Wang San already arrived at the yamen, apanied by Yu Sao and Ah Yu. Yu Sao seemed calm. Instead of panic, one would find a resolution which transcends life and death in her eyes. She carried Ah Yu with her arms. Thetter was quiet and leaned her head against Yu Sao¡¯s shoulder. It seemed like she fell asleep, but the metal shackles were still locked around her limbs, which caused a cacophony as Yu Sao dragged them around. Yu Sao knelt down gently upon entering the hall, and she seemed to be very careful as to not wake Ah Yu up. Ji Yunshu did not look at Yu Sao and Ah Yu. Instead, she focused her attention on Madame Jiang. She saw the panic and surprise within her eyes, even the trembling of her legs in trepidation, which almost caused her to copse to the ground. ¡®So it is as I thought.¡¯ Wei Wu said, ¡°Milord, Yu Sao has arrived.¡± ¡°Good. To the courtroom.¡± Magistrate Liu cleared his throat, went into the courtroom and sat down. 1.Luminol test: https://.thoughtco/luminol-chemiluminescence-test-for-blood-607630 Chapter 87: Ah Yu Is Dead Chapter 87: Ah Yu Is Dead Jing Rong watched with gravity, from a seat reserved for him, as the Magistrate ordered to open the doors to the great hall and the runners aligned themselves into two columns. Magistrate Liu smashed the table with his gavel. ¡°Peasant, your name.¡± Yu Sao refused to answer. She kept her head bowed down and even started humming as she gently tapped Ah Yu¡¯s back. ¡®Has she gone mad?¡¯ thought everyone present with no small wonderment. Magistrate Liu was provoked by Yu Sao¡¯s disregard. He made a gesture to strike his gavel again, but Ji Yunshu stopped him. ¡°Milord, perhaps it would be better to bring Li Zhao forth.¡± As always, Magistrate Liu heeded Ji Yunshu¡¯s advice, so he asked a runner to fetch Li Zhao from his prison cell. Meanwhile, Ji Yunshu approached Yu Sao and knelt down right beside her. She asked her in a soft voice, ¡°Yu Sao, Ah Yu is asleep, I could bring her to a ce with a bed, okay?¡± Yu Sao continued humming her tune. She moved her eyes and saw Ji Yunshu beside her. ¡°It¡¯s you, you came to my home yesterday.¡± She did not seem surprised at all. Instead, she smiled very miserably. ¡°Can I have a look at Ah Yu?¡± Yu Sao continued her tune and rocked Ah Yu gently. Ji Yunshu realized that there was something wrong with her: she looked at Ah Yu and had a wild guess. ¡°Yu Sao, can you let me have a look at Ah Yu for a second? I promise you that I won¡¯t hurt her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch my Ah Yu! She¡¯s asleep now, she¡¯s asleep now. Don¡¯t wake her up, stop disturbing her,¡± answered Yu Sao with a smile. ¡®Has she really gone mad?¡¯ Ji Yunshu extended her arm carefully and grazed Ah Yu¡¯s bare feet without letting Yu Sao notice. She nearly lost the strength in her legs and broke down in tears when she realized what had happened. ¡°Ah Yu is dead?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s observation surprised the crowd, especially Wei Wu and Wang San, who apanied Yu Sao from Zhao Vige, but did not notice anything abnormal about the little girl she carried. Ji Yunshu finally understood why Yu Sao acted so abnormally. Her heart probably extinguished along with Ah Yu, to the point that it seemed like she had lost her sanity. Shock and remorse struck Ji Yunshu. Had she known this would happen, she would definitely have removed Ah Yu from her humid and somber cell the day before. The sight of Yu Sao murmuring a luby while carrying a corpse was an ordeal for Ji Yunshu, each second pained as if a thousand knives stabbed through her heart. Magistrate Liu was dumbstruck by the turn of events, but he did not forget to verify the veracity of Ji Yunshu¡¯s statement. He beckoned a runner and said to him, ¡°Go have a look, is that little girl really dead?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The runner was about to forcefully remove Ah Yu, but Ji Yunshu signaled him to stop. ¡°Please, leave Ah Yu to her; in her heart, Ah Yu is still alive.¡± ¡°Teacher Ji?¡± ¡°Yu Sao was ready to do anything for her daughter, even if it would end up costing her own life. I don¡¯t think that she¡¯ll outlive her daughter for very long.¡± This remark was easy to understand, but its gravity was much harder to fully appreciate. Nobody understood why Ji Yunshu was stricken with such an outburst of empathy. Nobody but Jing Rong, that is. He noticed the glow of tears in her eyes, and the deep sorrow and guilt on her countenance. To hispassion for the fate of the little girl, he added a slice of Ji Yunshu¡¯s grief, and both made his heart ache. Ji Yunshu bit her trembling lips, to the point that it created bloody fissures on the surface of the skin. After a few involuntary spasms, hinting at the tremendous amount of effort required, Ji Yunshu managed to hold in her tears. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill anyone, let go of me.¡± Li Zhao¡¯s voice grew louder as he entered the hall, but he knelt down without resisting. A few straws were stuck to his hair and his face was barely distinguishable through the muddy blotches which covered it. An uneven beard and his disorderly garmentspleted the portrait; the two days he spent in the jailpletely swept away his refined air from a few days ago. ¡®He¡¯s like that after only two days? Will he start pissing on himself in a few more days?¡¯ At the sight of his elder sister, Li Zhao started begging as soon as he knelt down. ¡°Please, help me elder sister. I don¡¯t want to stay in jail anymore. It¡¯s dark, the food is bad, and I can¡¯t sleep well. I keep having nightmares. Please, elder sister, get me out of there.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Li Zhao failed to notice that Madame Jiang¡¯s attention remained fixed on Yu Sao. He did not see the panic in her eyes as he crawled to her, raised his head and pleaded miserably, ¡°Elder sister, please, go ask dad. Go ask grandfather, ask them toe and help me. Dad is going to help me. Elder sister¡­¡± ¡®He¡¯s so noisy and irritating,¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu as Li Zhao¡¯s voice pulled her out of her anguish. She turned around and said to Li Zhao, ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, you¡¯re not the culprit. You won¡¯t die today.¡± Upon hearing Ji Yunshu¡¯s words, Li Zhao jumped and seemed to hardly believe her. ¡°Am I really not the culprit?¡± he asked. After being tortured by terrible nightmares for two consecutive nights, Li Zhao conviction in his own innocence dwindled. ¡®Bad luck for Madame Jiang, who has to deal with such a younger brother. It must be atonement for sins from another lifetime.¡¯ It was at that moment that Li Zhao realized that someone else was beside him, a woman with a little girl in her arms. He looked carefully, and, although her face was hidden behind tousled hair, he recognized her instantly. ¡°Yu¡­ Yu Sao?¡± cried Li Zhao as he copsed on the ground in shock. His reaction was even more violent than Madame Jiang¡¯s, to everyone¡¯s astonishment: it was indeed curious to see Yu Sao, a simple peasant, surprise, or even scare Madame Jiang and her brother to such an extent. Ji Yunshu recollected herself and slowly approached Madame Jiang. ¡°I finally know why Madame Jiang didn¡¯t alert the yamen about the death of her own husband. Instead, she buried his corpse with the help of her brother.¡± The sudden statement made veins pop out on Madame Jiang¡¯s forehead. She jumped upon hearing the voice which beguiled her towards a confession. ¡°What nonsense are you spewing?¡± she said as she turned her head violently to stare at Ji Yunshu. ¡®Still denying the truth, even now?¡¯ ¡°Madame Jiang, Yu Sao is right here. She¡¯s the one who murdered Lord Jiang. As for you, you saw her do it.¡± The revtion dropped into the hall like a stone into a calmke. The buzzing sound of the runners whispering to each other, exmations of disbelief and even monologues of deduction reced the silence that persisted a moment ago. The first one to speak out was the Magistrate, who, along with many others, had difficulty believing that Madame Jiang could have been a witness to her husband¡¯s murder, and, instead of telling the yamen, she abetted in the burial of the corpse. ¡°What did you say? Madame Jiang saw lord Jiang murdered in front of her? That makes no sense!¡±. Ji Yunshu did not answer his question right away. She looked Madame Jiang in the eyes and repeated with determination. ¡°If my deductions are correct, you were actually quite happy when you saw Lord Jiang murdered by Yu Sao. In fact, you longed for him to die for a long time.¡± ¡°You¡­ you are spouting ndering lies.¡± ¡°Lies?¡± said Ji Yunshu with a cold smile, ¡°Very well, if you won¡¯t confess, then I¡¯ll do it on your behalf. I shall tell everyone exactly what happened that night.¡± Madame Jiang was surprised by such a daring proposal. Ji Yunshu walked at a leisurely pace until she stood in front of Li Zhao. Then, she lowered her head to look at him and said, ¡°That night, you were dead drunk. In the courtyard, you saw Lord Jiang alone. Perhaps being drunk gave you the courage to ask him for some money. Not only did Lord Jiang refuse to lend you any money, but he also scolded you and even said that he would talk to your sister about it. You angrily shoved him to the ground and left. However, during his fall, Lord Jiang sprained his ankle and hit his head on the trunk of a tree, so he was unable to get up.¡± Ji Yunshu was next to Yu Sao now. ¡°Lord Jiang sat on the ground, and he could not get up. I¡¯ve said that the depth gradient of the markings on his bone suggested that the culprit is taller than lord Jiang; I was mistaken. There is yet another possibility: Lord Jiang was on the ground when he was stabbed by the culprit, who was standing. That culprit¡­ is Yu Sao.¡± Yu Sao did not answer the usation. She was still emotionlessly rocking Ah Yu and humming her tune. Ji Yunshu took out the little knife from her sleeves and disyed it. ¡°After Li Zhao left, Yu Sao, came out of her hiding spot behind the tree and used this knife to stab him to death from the front while he was defenseless.¡± ¡°Proof?¡± asked Magistrate Liu. ¡°This small knife constitutes an irrefutable proof. I¡¯ve used vinegar to wipe its de. There are indeed traces of blood on it.¡± ¡°The blood would havee from anywhere, couldn¡¯t it? What about a cooking ident?¡± ¡°Impossible,¡± answered Ji Yunshu as she brought out the paper which had been stained in crimson. ¡°On this sheet of paper, I¡¯ve collected pigments from Lord Jiang¡¯s wound on the ankle. The color, which can only be extracted from the bones by adding vinegar and camphor juice, matches the hue of Lord Jiang¡¯s blood. It¡¯s identical to the blood found on the knife, and even melts into a homogeneous whole when you mix the two.¡± ¡°This is enough to show that the blood on the knife belongs to Lord Jiang. There¡¯s no doubt that Yu Sao killed him,¡± conclude Ji Yunshu. Surprise within the crowd turned into a few murmurs of amazement. Ji Yunshu continued, ¡°When Yu Sao took Lord Jiang¡¯s life, Madame Jiang, who was nearby, saw everything with her very eyes. After Yu Sao left the scene, Li Zhao came back, terrified, and Madame Jiang asked for his help to bury Lord Jiang¡¯s corpse.¡± ¡°Wait, wait¡­¡± said the Magistrate as he gestured with his arm and frowned. ¡°You still haven¡¯t exined why she did that.¡± Ji Yunshu nced at Ah Yu¡¯s inanimate body, still within Yu Sao¡¯s embrace, collided with Madame Jiang¡¯s regard midair and answered, ¡°Because she knew that if she told the yamen, not only would everyone know about her husband being a yin yang man, but it would also be evident that he was an individual of inhumane cruelty.¡± The statement hit Madame Jiang like an invisible hammer and almost caused her to copse to the ground. Ji Yunshu osted her and said in a severe tone, ¡°Madame Jiang is someone who cares a lot about her honor, the honor that she inherited from the Li family. The preservation of her own honor was more important to her than other people¡¯s lives.¡± ¡°Enough,¡± said Madame Jiang, who finally interrupted her. Chapter 88: Solving the Case ¡°Stop it, stop it¡­¡± Madame Jiang¡¯s countenance took a turn for the worse. Her dted pupils suggested an extreme fear, or rather, an unbearable mortification. Her snobbishness was, by now, no more than a burden which dragged her deeper into a raging folly. Ji Yunshu lips moved swiftly: she had no intention of stopping. ¡°You didn¡¯t inform the yamen. Instead, you and Li Zhao buried the corpse, that¡¯s because you knew that if you told the yamen about it, it would be known that Lord Jiang¡­¡± Ji Yunshu hesitated for a time: she clenched both of her fists, which were hidden in her sleeves. The tip of the fingers paled as the nails pierced into the flesh and drew blood-red lines around them. She looked at Yu Sao: the words she wanted to say were stuck in her throat. Her eyes reddened. She looked at Madame Jiang and hardened her determination. ¡°Madame Jiang, you knew for a long time that Ah Yu, in her youth had been¡­ sullied by Lord Jiang.¡± ¡®Sullied?¡¯ Under the immensity of the situation, it took a while before everyone understood the euphemism. The buzzing sound of the whispering within the crowd resumed. Jing Rong finally realized why Ji Yunshu insisted on pushing him out of the room the day before; the truth was unbearably cruel. He looked at Ah Yu, who remained motionless in the arms of her mother. Ji Yunshu said with tearful eyes, ¡°Two years ago, Ah Yu was only six years old. She deserved a childhood that should have been full of happy memories; fishing at the small stream, picking berries in the forest, making a kite, and cutting origamis. She would have been a happy little girl blessed with a radiant smile if it were not for that less-than-an-animal Lord Jiang!¡± Yu Sao was still upied by her monologue to Ah Yu. With a sad smile on her lips, she patted Ah Yu¡¯s back gently and said, ¡°My little Ah Yu, just be a good little girl and listen to mommy okay? I¡¯ll bring you home soon, we¡¯ll go look at the rapeseed flowers together and fly our kites. I¡¯ll buy you the candied hawthorn sticks that you like so much. Don¡¯t be scared, mommy is right beside you, and mommy won¡¯t let anyone hurt you ever again. Do you hear me, Ah Yu?¡± Ji Yunshu felt a crushing pain sear through her chest. She looked at Li Zhao and said, ¡°You confessed that you were the only person involved in the burial because you wanted to protect your sister. You can¡¯t say, you don¡¯t dare to tell the truth, because just like Madame Jiang, you are scared to bring shame to the Li Family. Honor above all else.¡± Li Zhao didn¡¯t answer, but his darkened expression was enough of reply itself. Suddenly, Madame Jiangughed hysterically, as if she had lost herst bit of sanity. She looked at Ji Yunshu defiantly, ¡°Teacher Ji, you are truly amazing. Who knew that a secret I hid for so long would be brought to daylight by you in the matter of a few days?¡± ¡®Oh, we have a confession here.¡¯ Magistrate Liu eyes lit up upon hearing the statement. He pointed at Madame Jiang, ¡°N¨¦e Li1, so you do confess to witnessing Yu Sao murder your husband, as well as to burying his corpse?¡± Madame Jiang ignored the Magistrate¡¯s question. Her attention remained fixed on Ji Yunshu. Her legs, which a few moments ago, barely had the strength to keep her standing, stopped shaking, powered now by a burning hate. She osted Ji Yunshu and threw a gloomy look at her. ¡°You are right, I saw it,¡± said Madame Jiang as she pointed at Yu Sao, ¡°I saw her kill that beast. I saw her stab him once, twice, thrice¡­ I lost count of how many times. I saw it but did nothing to stop her. I even hoped that¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have buried him, I should have dumped his corpse and fed it to the animals, so that nothing, not even bones would remain. Oh, I hate myself, why, why was I not a little bit crueler?¡± Madame Jiang¡¯s face was distorted with rage. Her husband was nothing but an ¡°animal¡±. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t call him an animal. It would be an insult to those with four legs,¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. Madame Jiang gave yet another frenziedugh. She approached Yu Sao, knelt down in front of her and touched the pallid skin on her face with her hand. ¡°Poor Yu Sao, she had to bear everything. She saw the frail body of her daughter crushed under the weight of that animal. She heard her screams of agony and despair. But she did nothing, even until thest moment. Poor Yu Sao, and what a miserable life for Ah Yu.¡± Yu Sao acted as if she heard nothing. She pressed even more tightly against Ah Yu. Madame Jiang stood up and swept the hall with her eyes, finally halting on Magistrate Liu. Thetter shuddered at the ferocity he saw. Madame Jiang¡¯s hatred was aroused once again. She clenched her hands into fists within her sleeves and railed, ¡°The Li family has been blessed with honor by thete emperor, yet I married a monster: someone who¡¯s neither a man, nor a woman. The fact that I¡¯ve had no child after so many years was already a great shame to the family. I could only bear it and hide that animal¡¯s condition. But¡­ but I didn¡¯t think that he would do something like that. Ah Yu was not yet ten years old when¡­¡± Madame Jiang stopped: she couldn¡¯t force herself to continue her narration. Ji Yunshu asked, ¡°If you had known about it, why didn¡¯t you stop him? Why did you sit by and let him hurt Ah Yu, again and again?¡± ¡°Stop him? How could I? That man was an animal; he could not be stopped.¡± Madame Jiang turned around and looked at Yu Sao, ¡°In order to stay at the Jiang Mansion, even Yu Sao herself endured it, what could I have done differently?¡± Ji Yunshu finally understood the cause of Yu Sao¡¯s deep guilt towards Ah Yu. A woman¡¯s forbearance often led to results she herself wouldn¡¯t be able to imagine. Su Yun was a perfect example: she endured, endured, and endured. In the end, she lost her child and even her own life. Was it not the same for Yu Sao? The case was elucidated. The Magistrate sighed and mmed his desk with his gavel. ¡°N¨¦e Li is found guilty of withholding information and burying a corpse with her brother Li Zhao without alerting the authorities. Lock both of them up for now and I¡¯ll ask for instructions from the Minister of Justice.¡± Li Zhao panicked upon hearing the sentence. He jumped and said, ¡°No! You can¡¯t do this to me! I haven¡¯t killed anyone!¡± ¡°Bring him out of here,¡± ordered Magistrate Liu. A few runners went forth to subdue Madame Jiang and Li Zhao to bring them to their cells. Madame Jiang yelled and threw a venomous look at the Magistrate, ¡°I¡¯m from the Li family. So what if I¡¯vemitted perjury and buried a corpse? If you throw me into prison today, I can guarantee that you¡¯ll be no more than a peasant before long.¡± ¡°I dare you!¡± Jing Rong smashed the table and caused the teacups to tter. Everyone looked at him. Jing Rong stood up and approached Madame Jiang. He towered over her like an eagle ready to descend on its prey, and there was such a coldness in his eyes that they stung the hearts of those who met it. ¡°Do you dare to defy my will as well?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s sonorous voice brought Madame Jiang out of her hysteria: she had forgotten that a royal Prince was amongst her audience. ¡°The Li family have inherited their prestige and glory from the service of General Li to the emperor. Do you dare to transgress the limits of your privileges? Will you remove my princely title as well?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Do I need to remind you that it constitutes an act of high treason, and that the only end for you and your family would be death?¡± Madame Jiang¡¯s legs gave way, and her pupils dted upon hearing these words. She realized that even summoning the prestige of her bloodline would be a futile struggle. She lowered her head in an act of submission and stopped resisting. Upon seeing that she was finally ¡°obedient¡±, the runners escorted her out of the hall. Madame Jiang stopped briefly on her way out, in front of Ji Yunshu. She said, with a miserable voice, ¡°Teacher Ji, it hase to the worst for me today. I¡¯ll submit to the result. But some acts, be it murder or perjury, are not done with bad intentions. You are a moral person. I think that you¡¯ll understand that some people ought to die for their crime, while some don¡¯t.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Madame Jiang smiled, ¡°Are you not a smart one? Time to prove it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®What is she trying to say?¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. She voiced her thought, ¡°What do you mean?¡± Madame Jiang seemed to have briefly forgotten the dire situation she was in; she looked at Ji Yunshu defiantly and said, ¡°I hope that you won¡¯t disappoint me, Teacher Ji.¡± Both Madame Jiang and her brother were brought out of the hall. Her remark seemed to have struck something within Ji Yunshu¡¯s mind. What Madame Jiang said resonated within her head, and she could not get her attention away from it. Magistrate Liu looked at Yu Sao, who was still kneeling on the floor. He sighed, looked away and waved his hand. ¡°Bring Yu Sao to the jail too. She will pay for her crime with her own life.¡± ¡°Yes sir,¡± said the runner as he approached Yu Sao. He hesitated a little. ¡°Sir, about the little girl¡­¡± ¡°Take her away, away,¡± ordered the Magistrate. The two runner, having received their orders, approached Yu Sao to make her stand up and tried to remove Ah Yu from her arms. ¡°Don¡¯t take my Ah Yu¡­ Stop it! You are all bad people, go away, go away¡­¡± Yu Sao held onto Ah Yu¡¯s corpse as hard as she could, and fought the two runners. The putrid smell of the cadaver was made more noticeable by such strong movements. The two runners covered their nose with their hand and backed away: the smell was simply too strong and Yu Sao¡¯s grip, too firm. Magistrate Liu looked at her and said, ¡°Well, fine, just let her go like that.¡± Yu Sao was still humming when the two guards escorted her out of the hall. It seemed like she had lost her soul. Magistrate Liu announced the closing of the hall, and the runners returned to their affairs. Ji Yushu remained where she was with furrowed brows. Something in her, maybe her diligence, kept her on what Madame Jiang said. ¡®What did she mean? Is she simply ying me? She¡¯s a smart one, so it¡¯s definitely a possibility.¡¯ ¡°Teacher Ji,¡± interrupted Jing Rong. Ji Yunshu¡¯s train of thoughts was derailed. She looked at Jing Rong and answered, ¡°Yes, your Highness?¡± Jing Rong said very seriously, ¡°I just want to tell you, don¡¯t get too emotional.¡± Ji Yunshu was scared by Jing Rong¡¯s perceptiveness. It seemed like he was able to see right through her, her thoughts and her emotions; there was nothing she could hide from him. ¡®Yes, he is right, Yu Sao deserves pity, but she killed someone. There are no exceptions to thew.¡¯ She looked away and puckered her lips. ¡°Yes, this humble one understands.¡± 1.The original text used ÊÏ (shi) which is a character that followed the maiden family name of a married woman. This also helps to distinguish between the women in a harem that is not the emperor¡¯s harem. Thus, Madame Jiang¡¯s maidenst name is Li, thus it trantes as N¨¦e Li. Chapter 89: Calling Her Yunshu Ji Yunshu finalized the closure of the yin yang corpse case by submitting a written report. Upon receiving it, Magistrate Liu picked up a small sack of silver and handed it over to Ji Yunshu. ¡°Here, your sry for this month, as well the reward for your work on the Zhou Mansion case and this case. I¡¯ll give you forty taels.¡± ¡®Hmm, I didn¡¯t knowmissions were a thing in ancient times.¡¯ Ji Yunshu took the sack and removed fifteen taels from it, giving back what remained. ¡°There¡¯s no need, I don¡¯t need a bonus payment for these two cases.¡± ¡®Curious, what happened to the Yunshu I know?¡¯ thought the Magistrate, he was quite used to the supplemental payments Ji Yunshu would always ask for if she had to travel for her investigations, although he was not going toin about it. Ji Yunshu exited the yamen with the fifteen taels of silver in her hands. Jing Rong apanied her. She led the way and Jing Rong followed her, and both walked in silence. Jing Rong looked at her small frame from behind and felt the urge to jump forth and lock his arms around her, but his reason stopped the impulses within him again and again. Ji Yunshu was quite lost in her thoughts and did not pay much attention to where she was going. She ended up stepping on a small stone without noticing it, and quickly tipped towards the left. Jing Rong caught her in the nick of time by wrapping his long fingers around her thin arm. Ji Yunshu¡¯s spirit returned to reality only after she regained her bnce. She instinctively tried to pull her arm out of Jing Rong¡¯s grasp, but was not able to do so due to his tight hold. ¡°Thank you, your Highness, will you please¡­¡± Ji Yunshu had no time to say ¡°release me¡±. Jing Rong looked at her with a gaze fervid enough to melt ice that has never seen the sunlight and gently called her name. ¡°Yunshu.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ Ji Yunshu thought she heard it wrong. ¡®Did he just call me Yunshu?¡¯ Jing Rong noticed her surprise and bafflement, but did not react to it. He continued, ¡°If I insisted on youing back to the capital with me, or even ordered you to do so, would you be willing toe with me?¡± ¡®Of course not.¡¯ Ji Yunshu should have been able to refuse him cleanly, just like she did yesterday. However, her reluctance, her refusal melted away when she saw his deeply affectionate nce. It became something less, a reluctance which should not have existed to begin with. ¡°There¡¯s no need for an immediate answer; I will stay at Jinjiang until you are ready to give me an answer. Just know that however slim the chances of sess might be, I will not give up without a fight.¡± Ji Yunshu looked away and bit her lips. After a long moment of silence, she asked, ¡°The Lin Capital case, does it have to be me?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± answered Jing Rong, which left little room for doubt. Ji Yunshu did not reply to his affirmation. Jing Rong tightened his grip on her wrists as he narrated, ¡°There should¡¯ve been seventy-three corpses in the remains of the Imperial duke¡¯s mansion after the great fire. However, one went missing. That massacre marked the end of seventy-two lives. Now, only you can solve the mystery. I left the Capital half a year ago, searching for the people whose names were on the list of the residents ording to the Ministry of Revenue. I still haven¡¯t found the one who¡¯s missing. If I can, it will be a long-awaited clue for this fourteen-year-old case.¡± Jing Rong offered a quite detailed description and, Ji Yunshu, who had read the files on the Case of Lin Capital, understood what he said quite well. She budged her wrists and said, ¡°I understand your intentions, your Highness. I will consider the proposal carefully.¡± ¡°Just promise me that you will think about it thoroughly.¡± ¡°Yes, I promise.¡± Ji Yunshu finally felt the fetters on her wrists being removed. She rubbed the skin near her wrists, which were red, sighed, and raised her head to look at Jing Rong. ¡°I will think about it, your Highness, but may I ask you to not be such a brute?¡± said Ji Yunshu seriously. ¡°I would think that I am being incredibly serious.¡± ¡°Do you see the skin around my wrists? Is that seriousness?¡± said Ji Yunshu, as she shed a look of condemnation at him. Jing Rong seemed nervous, ¡°Let me have a look,¡± as he said so, he reached out once again towards Ji Yunshu. Thetter was fast enough to dodge his movement and hid her wrists in her sleeves, behind her back. ¡°This humble one is tired. I will not stay to chat with your Highness. Please allow me some time to rest,¡± said Ji Yunshu as she left as quickly as a gust of wind: it was a dangerous ce to be. Jing Rong did not try to catch up to her. He smiled and called out, ¡°Lang Po.¡± A shadow appeared out of nowhere and stood subserviently right next to Jing Rong. Lang Po greeted Jing Rong with a hand gesture and said, ¡°Yes, Milord?¡± Jing Rong merely nodded in the direction Ji Yunshu left and said, ¡°Follow her, make sure that she gets to the Wei Mansion safely.¡± Jing Rong was well aware of Ji Yunshu¡¯s departure from the Ji Mansion, as well that the Wei Mansion was her temporary home. He also knew about Ji Yunshu¡¯s engagement to Wei Yi. The fact that he did not mention it does not mean that he was not angry, or rather, jealous about it. Lang Po answered, ¡°Yes, milord.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± added Jing Rong, ¡°Be careful, and don¡¯t get too close.¡± Lang Po was unimpressed by the obviousness of the request, but he did not dare toment on his master¡¯s decision. He acquiesced and disappeared into an unseen corner once again. The next moment, Jing Rong took out the azure crystal orb that Ji Yunshu droppedst night. It was an ornament which should have been found on the hairpin of ady, but Ji Yunshu removed it and put it on the crown made for a man instead. A warm smile climbed up Jing Rong¡¯s cold lips and he called out gently, ¡°Yunshu.¡± ¡­¡­¡­. Ji Yunshu made her way into the backyard of the Wei Mansion and knocked at the door. The person who answered her was Luan¡¯er, who still had traces of undried tears on her cheeks: she must have waited at the door the entire night. ¡°Miss, why did you note back for the entire night? I was so worried about you that I almost went out to search for you.¡± Luan¡¯er¡¯sint was broken by sobs, and, by the time she finished, Ji Yunshu was already inside. ¡°I¡¯m back home now. Now, now, stop crying.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m worried about you.¡± Ji Yunshu nced at her and smiled. She walked towards the inner courtyard and asked, ¡°Oh yes, has anything noteworthy happened?¡± Luan¡¯er shook her head, ¡°Lord Ji and Old Madame have yet to send anyone here, and Lord Wei and Madame Wei are out of the Mansion right now. But Young Master Wei¡­¡± ¡°What about him?¡± asked Ji Yunshu, who halted her steps at the entrance to the courtyard. Luan¡¯er pointed inside and said, ¡°Young Master Wei stayed awake the entire night waiting for you. He even went out once to look for you. He¡¯s still sitting inside waiting for you right now.¡± Ji Yunshu did not respond to the remark, she walked through the courtyard and went through the door. She found Wei Yi on a chair with both of his hands resting on the table. He had a worried expression as he twisted and yed around with the tablecloth using his fingers. Wei Yi turned his head upon hearing the door open and saw Ji Yunshu standing at the door. He rushed towards her with tears in his eyes and said, ¡°Big brother, Shu¡¯er is gone! Does this mean that she doesn¡¯t want me anymore? I¡¯ve waited for her for a long time, but she¡¯s noting back¡­ Tell me, big brother, is Shu¡¯er angry at me? Can you help me bring her back?¡± Wei Yi¡¯s question was choked out between outbursts of nervousness. He sped one of Ji Yunshu¡¯s arms and shook it energetically. Luan¡¯er, who, just a moment ago, still had tears in her eyes,ughed when she saw the scene unfold. However, Ji Yunshu did not find it funny at all; a wet mist climbed into her eyes: she was deeply moved. She thought that her wait for Ji Pei would be a one-sided act of devotion: it was inconceivable that someone would do the same for her. The next second, Ji Yunshu reached for her crown with her hand, seized it, and pulled it towards. A waterfall of hair, dark as ink, dropped from her head onto her shoulders. ¡°Big brother?¡± Wei Yi took a step back in shock. ¡°Wei Yi, I¡¯m Big Brother, but also Shu¡¯er.¡± ¡°I¡­.¡± Wei Yu was seized with a panicked look. He walked around and uttered, ¡°That¡¯s not possible, that¡¯s not possible¡­ Big brother is big brother, and Shu¡¯er is Shu¡¯er. Wait, that¡¯s not it. Big brother is Shu¡¯er, but then who is he? Who¡¯s Shu¡¯er?¡± Ji Yunshu felt sick as she tried to follow Wei Yi¡¯se and go. She gave up on trying to understand the world of a crazy man and pulled him to a halt. ¡°Stop walking. Wei Yi, I am Shu¡¯er. I disguised myself. Do you understand that?¡± Wei Yi shook his head, ¡°Disguised?¡± ¡°It¡¯s what I did just now. I wore men¡¯s clothes and had my hair arranged like a man. But I¡¯m actually a girl.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± answered Wei Yi, who seemed to have understood something. His eyes suddenly lit up and he said, ¡°So you are Shu¡¯er?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Upon hearing the affirmation, Wei Yi suddenly jumped on Ji Yunshu and wrapped his arms around her. He hugged her tightly and seemed very excited. Ji Yunshu was having a little difficulty breathing, but thankfully Luan¡¯er removed Wei Yi away from her rather quickly. Luan¡¯er, who was quite protective of Ji Yunshu, said, ¡°Young Master Wei, you will choke my Young Miss to death.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t die, Shu¡¯er won¡¯t die,¡± said Wei Yi with a broad smile and a hand gesture. Ji Yunshu smiled and said, ¡°Wei Yi, I need some rest. You should go rest too, okay?¡± ¡°But I want to talk with you.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± said Wei Yi as he puckered his lips in disappointment. He then added, ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll wait for you to rest, and then I¡¯lle to talk to you, okay?¡± Ji Yunshu nodded. Wei Yi smiled at her and left, quite happy with the end results. He had waited for Ji Yunshu for an entire night and needed to get some sleep as well. JI Yunshu also felt the tiredness catch up to her: despite the fire they lit, the night she spent at the temple was full of winds and was rather unkind for her health. Sheer determination sustained her through the case, but now that everything was over, she also lost the reason to stay awake. Ji Yunshu changed her clothes and sank into a deep slumber as soon as sheid down on her bed. Ji Yunshu was woken up in the middle of the night by a gust of cold wind that sent shivers down her spine. She turned around in her bed and opened her eyes. She suddenly noticed the presence of a man sitting right next to her. Ji Yunshu raised her eyes and saw a bloody face: it was as if the flesh on the man¡¯s face been sliced a thousand times. The facial features were but a horrific mess, and half of the chalky skull bone was visible. Some string of flesh hung over it: it was a gruesome spectacle. A pair of eyeballs, protruding from their sockets into the untidy hair, stared at Ji Yunshu. ¡°AHHH!!¡± Ji Yunshu jumped from her bed. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead as she backed away to a corner. She clung desperately to her nket. ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. The man did not answer. He sat still by the side of the bed. Suddenly, his left eye popped from its socket and rolled onto the ground. The next instant, the man¡¯s clothes sudden disintegrated, as if it was shredded by invisible knives. Blood gushed out of the wounds and tainted his clothes red. The color quickly spread into the bedsheets. ¡°Help me¡­ Help me¡­¡± The man raised his hand and extended it towards Ji Yunshu. Chapter 90: For the Sake of A Beauty’s Smile ¡°AH-!¡± Ji Yunshu abruptly sat up in her bed. Her breathing was erratic and beads of sweats were rolling off her forehead. ¡®It was just a nightmare!¡¯ Luan¡¯er heard her shout and ran into the bedroom. Once she saw the state of her young miss, she asked with worry, ¡°Miss, did you have a nightmare?¡± Ji Yunshu nodded and returned to her usual calm state. Luan¡¯er hurriedly fetched a warm towel and wiped off the sweat from her young miss. Looking outside, Ji Yunshu inquired, ¡°How long did I sleep for?¡± ¡°Miss, you have slept since yesterday until this morning. This servant didn¡¯t want to disturb your rest so I didn¡¯t wake you up.¡± ¡®I slept that long?! No wonder my state of mind felt wrong and I had a nightmare.¡¯ Yet, the fear lingered and gave her the impression that what she saw was real, despite knowing it was nothing but a dream, especially those eyes. Everything was fuzzy, even the face, but the eyes of that person were vividly etched into her memory. They were filled with despair and pleading. It was quite rare for Ji Yunshu to have such dreams. Thest time she had one dated back tost year, when she was trying to elucidate the suicide case of the Liang mansion¡¯s maidservant who hung herself. On that night, she dreamt about a girl sitting beside her and, just like in her nightmare, the girl said, ¡°Help me.¡± She became nervous as she recalled that dream, but slowly rxed as she convinced herself she was simply more tired than usual. She shook her head and stopped thinking about it. She got down from her bed and dressed herself before stroking her empty stomach. In the past two days, she only ate a few steamed buns and she ate those yesterday morning. It was quite normal for her to be extremely hungry at this moment. ¡°Luan¡¯er, is there anything to eat?¡± ¡°Yes, yes there is. I knew you would be hungry so I asked the kitchen to cook something for you. I¡¯ll bring it to you now.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Luan¡¯er excitedly ran out of the bedroom. In the end, it turned into a table full of dishes. The Wei mansion¡¯s maidservant, who served the dishes, said, ¡°When Milord and Madame left, they had instructed us to prepare delicious dishes for Miss Ji. However, Miss Ji is still injured and can¡¯t eat too many heavy foods. Therefore, we have prepared some lighter dishes with ginseng soup. Please take a look and tell us if you need something else?¡± ¡®The table is full of food. What more could I possibly need?¡¯ ¡°No need. It¡¯s enough.¡± Ji Yunshu hurriedly spoke. Then, she beckoned a few maidservants. ¡°There are so many dishes, but I¡¯m just one person. I won¡¯t be able to eat all of this. Sit down and let¡¯s eat together.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. We are servants. How can we possibly eat at the same table as the master?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. Look at all these dishes. I can only eat a few mouthfuls. If you don¡¯t eat with me, wouldn¡¯t all this food be wasted?¡± Ji Yunshu continued to convince them. Yet, those servants continued to shake their heads and did not dare to vite the rules. Instead of staying and getting in a word battle with Ji Yunshu, they hurriedly escaped from the room. In the end, Ji Yunshu was only able to capture Luan¡¯er, and they both ate together. Despite eating until they felt like they were about to explode, there were still a lot of dishes remaining on the table. Ji Yunshu let out a sigh. ¡°Miss, why are you sighing?¡± ¡°I sigh because wealthy people are well-off while poor people are poorer.¡± Luan¡¯er pouted as her expression turned mncholic. ¡°This servant remembered that after wet nurse Zhang passed away, we also almost starved to death.¡± What, almost? Your miss already died from hunger! The one sitting right in front of you is a different soul wearing the shell of your young miss. Ji Yunshu had no intention of continuing to listen to her narration of past events. She got up and walked out to the courtyard. She took in a deep breath and rxed. After the rain, the sky became clear without a single cloud. ¡°Luan¡¯er,e and walk with me. The Wei mansion is such a big ce, but I still haven¡¯t properly explored it.¡± ¡°Oh! That¡¯s a good idea.¡± Luan¡¯er ran outside in great excitement. Her young miss rarely had the good mood to stroll. Thus, both master and servant left their courtyard to walk around the Wei mansion. The servants in the mansion were extremely polite and always called her ¡°Miss Ji¡± when they saw her. Presumably, everyone knew that this Ji Yunshu would certainly be Lord Wei¡¯s and Madame Wei¡¯s daughter-inw and, sooner orter, she would be the Wei mansion¡¯s mistress. It should not be a bad thing to be respectful and courteous to her at present. When she passed through the garden, she heard a burst of happy voices. It appeared that the loudest voice belonged to Wei Yi. With curiosity, Ji Yunshu decided to walk towards the noise. After bypassing a fake rock, she saw servants standing in a circle and yelling, ¡°Eat, eat, eat, eat!¡± Everyone was waving their arms and legs with great excitement. Although she wasn¡¯t fond of joining the crowd for fun, her curiosity overrode that. She walked into the crowd and made her way through the center. Because everyone was concentrated on what was happening in the center, no one took notice of her. Finally, she knew why they were so excited. They were watching crickets battle. Wei Yi was lying on the ground, holding a rice straw in his hand. In front of him, there was a small round te containing two crickets, which were battling each other. He was loudly shouting, ¡°Eat it! Quickly eat it, Hua¡¯er! Eat it!¡± The crickets even had names. Ji Yunshu was only watching the cricket battle with curiosity, although she was no different than the crowd bursting with excitement,pletely focused on seeing the final oue of the battle. The male servant opposite of Wei Yi was in high spirits. His fists were clenched as he beat the ground in his excitement, hoping for his cricket to be the winner. Ji Yunshu¡¯s big eyes blinked. She observed the two crickets which looked¡­ exactly the same. ¡®What¡¯s the difference between them?¡¯ ¡°I win!¡± The servant in front of Wei Yi shouted while he jumped up. He did not forget to extend his hand toward Wei Yi and said, ¡°Young master, my cricket won. So, give me the money.¡± Wei Yi got up from the ground with extreme disappointment. He took out a silver and gave it to the servant. ¡°Why do I lose every time?¡± ¡°Thank you, young master.¡± The servantughed while his hands sped the silver, then he brought the silver to his mouth and bit on it. After confirming that the silver was not fake, his expression became even more radiant. He raised his head, but suddenly he saw Ji Yunshu in the crowd. The sight of her caused him to tremble. He bent his waist and used a bootlicking tone. ¡°M-miss Ji¡­¡± At this instant, everyone suddenly noticed the presence of a young woman amongst them. It could not be help that they did not notice Ji Yunshu, as her light blue clothes had almost the same blue hue as the servants¡¯ clothes. Wei Yi turned around and, when he saw her, he was beaming with joy. ¡°Shu¡¯er!¡± One after another, every servant slipped away in an instant without leaving a trace. ¡°Is it fun watching crickets battle?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. ¡°It¡¯s fun! Shu¡¯er, do you want to y?¡± As soon as he asked, Wei Yi picked up the round te, which contained one dead cricket and one alive, from the ground. He spoke sadly, ¡°Yes, but my cricket loses every time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re a fool.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a fool; my cricket is. It loses every time and all the money mom gave me was won by them.¡± Ji Yunshu wanted tough at him. She felt that this fool was pitiful. She sighed in anger. ¡°Wei Yi, those crickets look the same. Do you know which one is yours?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± He scratched his head and looked at the crickets in the te, but, after a long time observing them, he shook his head. ¡°Isn¡¯t Hua¡¯er the one who died? Or is Hua¡¯er the one who¡¯s alive?¡± ¡°You were swindled. Every time they battle crickets with you, they always put on self-important airs and challenge you, but no matter how, they would always be the winners and you, the loser. You really are an idiot, getting cheated every single time by them.¡± ¡°Oh. So it was like this.¡± Wei Yi was not even angry in the slightest. He only blinked his eyes and stared at Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu felt intrigued. ¡°Why are you not angry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not angry. The truth is they are really pitiful. Even when it rains or when it snows, they would always be busy with work. Poor them, poor them. I often saw mom and dad give them silver. So, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s just money. Giving some to them can let them buy something delicious to eat.¡± That pure face, coupled with that youthful and honest smile¡­ Wei Yi¡¯s kindness is too pure! Ji Yunshu stretched her hand and patted his head. Her expression was brimming with affection. Wei Yi enjoyed being pat by Ji Yunshu. He went as far as lowering his head and obediently letting her stroke his head. ¡°Wei Yi, do you want to go out to y?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. ¡°I want to.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll bring you outside.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Wei Yi¡¯s eyes brightened at her words. Ji Yunshu would certainly not lie to him. She returned to her courtyard and changed into men¡¯s clothing before leaving the mansion with Wei Yi. On the way, Wei Yi kept asking the same question. ¡°So, you¡¯re Big Brother or are you Shu¡¯er?¡± Ji Yunshu was annoyed after being asked the same question multiple times, so she stopped answering him. Both of them went to Treasured Calligraphy House. In the shop, Ji Yunshu told the shopkeeper to bring out a set of calligraphy. ¡°Young master really has good eyes. This set of calligraphy is our shop¡¯s top product. Please look at this brush. The handle is made from Baoshan wood, durable and difficult to break. The brush hair used the highest quality fur from the crab-eating mongoose. Not only that, it even has a faint fragrance. Look at this, the feeling is as smooth as ivory with a sweet scent from the hair. When nestled in your hand, the sensation is quitefortable and luxurious. Moreover, everything has been single-handedly picked and processed by us from the materials, removal of the resin, preparing the materials, assembling it, shaping the brush, decorations, and drying and carving the name. Everything followed a rigorous process.¡± The shopkeeper did his best to advertise the shop¡¯s product. He could not let go of this kind of big client. Ji Yunshu raised the brush and studied it, but she showed an unsatisfied expression. In fact, she really hated to part with this brush. The shopkeeper hurriedly spoke. ¡°Young master, you see, our brushes are the best ones in the whole city. Brushes made of tiger hair, ox hair or mongoose, as long as you say it, we will have it! If you want a round brush, a fine brush, a long brush or a short brush, we will have it!¡± ¡°How much for this set?¡± inquired Ji Yunshu. The shopkeeper stretched out two fingers with a big smile. ¡°Two hundred taels!¡± ¡®Shit! How scary!¡¯ She only left with 20 taels! Wei Yi strolled inside the shop and did not notice Ji Yunshu¡¯s worried expression. The shopkeeper probed her with a question. ¡°Young master, do you still want to buy it?¡± ¡°Buy! Of course, we¡¯re buying.¡± Suddenly, Jing Rong¡¯s voice could be heard. Ji Yunshu turned around and saw him and Lang Po enter the shop. Jing Rong did not changeplexion as he took out a gold ingot from his purse and put it on the counter. He instructed the shopkeeper. ¡°Wrap it!¡± ¡®Oh my!¡¯ The shopkeeper¡¯s eyes shined, reflecting the golden sheen of the ingot. He cautiously grabbed the gold ingot and licked it before biting on it. He nodded. ¡°Good! Very good! I¡¯ll wrap it for you, master.¡± Ji Yunshu stared at Jing Rong, dumbfounded. ¡°Teacher Ji, consider this gift as my thought for you. This is but a trifling present.¡± This kind of gift is quite heavy! ¡°Your High-¡± ¡°Just call me young master,¡± interrupted Jing Rong. Ji Yunshu gave him an awkward smile. ¡°There¡¯s no need for Young Master to spend money on me. I was only looking at it and had no intention of buying.¡± ¡°It¡¯s for me. This gift is for the sake of a beauty¡¯s smile!¡± Chapter 91: Left-handed? ¡®For the sake of a beauty¡¯s smile?!¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression stiffened. At this instant, Wei Yi walked by them and observed Jing Rong before pointing at him. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you before! Last time at¡­ at Grand¡­ err¡­ Grand Canal mansion! I saw you there.¡± Wei Yi spoke like he saw an old friend. Jing Rong looked at him and faintly smiled. ¡°I also saw you.¡± The one brimming with high spirits in front of him was his love rival! Wei Yi rushed towards him with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m called Wei Yi.¡± ¡°I know. Wei as in a seat, and Yi as in one.1¡± ¡°You¡¯re really smart.¡± Wei Yi gave a thumbs up at Jing Rong. ¡®This child Wei Yi¡­¡¯ Although Jing Rong treated Wei Yi as his love rival, Wei Yi was not a bad person after all. Thus, he couldn¡¯t bully him too much. At this moment, the shopkeeper returned with the wrapped up calligraphy set. He cautiously handed it to Jing Rong. Jing Rong received the package and gave it to Ji Yunshu. ¡°Teacher Ji, good things deserve someone who knows how to use them. This set of calligraphy is for you. I hope you won¡¯t refuse my good intentions.¡± These kinds of good intentions, Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t dare to ept them. No pain, no gain, a saying that held true. If she epted the gift, was this not the same as acquiescing to his request to leave for the capital with him? ¡°Teacher Ji, this present had no other meaning. It¡¯s not necessary for you to be so apprehensive.¡± ¡°¡­¡± In a sh, without waiting for Ji Yunshu to take the package, Wei Yi took it instead of her. He even spoke joyfully to Ji Yunshu. ¡°Shu¡¯er, this big brother is giving this to you. You should take it. Dad said that gifts to obtain favor cannot be epted, but gifts of friendship can be epted. Shu¡¯er, I¡¯m holding onto this for you since it¡¯s fairly heavy.¡± Ji Yunshu missed her chance to block Wei Yi, and now the calligraphy set was safely tucked in Wei Yi¡¯s arms. ¡°Wei Yi, why are you¡­¡± Ji Yunshu was a bit angry at him. ¡°Shu¡¯er, this is heavy. I¡¯m holding onto it for you.¡± Wei Yi obstinately stated. It left Ji Yunshupletely speechless. Meanwhile, Jing Rong¡¯splexion had be a bit dark! He asked Wei Yi, ¡°What did you just call her?¡± Hey, you¡¯re focusing on that?! Wei Yi innocently replied, ¡°Shu¡¯er! She is Shu¡¯er, so I called her Shu¡¯er!¡± Compared to ¡°Yunshu¡±, that name was more intimate! Jing Rong red at Ji Yunshu. His eyes were filled with jealousy. Ji Yunshu stared back with empty eyes, feeling the beginning of a headache. She took back the gift from Wei Yi and returned it to Jing Rong. ¡°Many thanks for your good intentions, but this set of calligraphy is too precious and doesn¡¯t suit me.¡± Then, she pulled Wei Yi. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The both of them hurriedly left Treasure Calligraphy House. Jing Rong was furious. He dumped the calligraphy set onto Lang Po and chased after Ji Yunshu and Wei Yi. Coincidentally, when Ji Yunshu and Wei Yi left, they ran into a few yamen runners. ¡°Oh? It¡¯s Teacher Ji.¡± One of the yamen runners was gasping for breath, his expression filled with anxiety. ¡°What happened?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. ¡°Mi¡­ Milord needs you to go to the prison.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about that Yu Sao. Right now, she is still holding onto her daughter¡¯s body and refusing to let go despite the horrible stench. We tried to convince her several times without sess.¡± As if she was that resourceful! She had dissected many corpses, but it didn¡¯t mean she possessed the solution for everything! After thinking for a moment, Ji Yunshu still nodded. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go right away.¡± She just did not expect Wei Yi to pull her. ¡°Shu¡¯er, where are you going?¡± ¡°Wei Yi, do you remember how to get back home?¡± He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡®No choice then.¡¯ Ji Yunshu dered, ¡°Then fine, follow me quickly.¡± ¡°Alright! I¡¯m behind Shu¡¯er.¡± As soon as he said that, Jing Rong arrived and inserted himself into the conversation. ¡°I¡¯ming too.¡± ¡®Oi, oi, oi! I¡¯m going to the prison. Are you trying to create more trouble for me?¡¯ In the end, everyone went to the prison together. Because Ji Yunshu was worried that Wei Yi could not adapt himself to the environment inside the prison, she made the two jailers, who were guarding the entrance, look after him. Jing Rong also left Lang Po outside, going as far as sternly warning him to properly take care of Wei Yi. Why did she feel there was a hidden meaning in his words? In any case, she did not ponder too much about it and followed a jailer into the prison. Jing Rong followed behind them, not appearing to be indisposed at the sight of the surroundings, as if this was a normal urrence which he was familiar with. Finally, they arrived outside Yu Sao¡¯s cell. The vile stench of a rotting corpse assailed their noses, making them nauseated. Ji Yunshu wrinkled her nose as her pretty eyebrows knitted together. She looked inside of the cell, but only saw Yu Sao¡¯s back. Ah Yu¡¯s body was still held in her embrace, as Yu Sao faintly rocked her while mumbling without stopping, just like before. ¡°Open the door.¡± Ji Yunshu voiced hermand. The jailer froze. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t open the door, how can I bring out Ah Yu¡¯s body?¡± ¡®That¡¯s right!¡¯ The jailer smiled with embarrassment. He unlocked the chains holding the prison cell¡¯s door. Ji Yunshu was about to enter, but Jing Rong pulled her back. ¡°I¡¯ll go in first. This isn¡¯t a request, but an order!¡± In the end, he was simply worried about her safety. He went in first, pulling Ji Yunshu behind him. A rotting stench pervaded the whole prison cell, assailing the senses of neers, making it difficult for them to keep their eyes open. Ji Yunshu and Jing Rong slowly approached Yu Sao without making any abrupt movements, as to avoid provoking her madness. ¡°Yu Sao.¡± Ji Yunshu softly called her name. But there was no response. Ji Yunshu took another step forward and slightly stooped over. She stretched her hand and gently touched Yu Sao¡¯s shoulder. The instant her slender fingers came across Yu Sao¡¯s shoulder, the woman abruptly turned her head. A pair of bloodshot and ferocious eyes red at her. It sent goosebumps throughout Ji Yunshu¡¯s body. In that instant, Jing Rong had already stepped in and shielded Ji Yunshu. Both of them were frightened by Yu Sao¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yu Sao?¡± ¡°You are all evil people. Only him¡­ only he treated me the best!¡± ¡®Huh? He? Who is ¡®he¡¯?¡¯ Ji Yunshu had an ominous premonition, stirring the stifling lump on her heart. She asked, ¡°Who is the ¡®he¡¯?¡± Yu Sao coldlyughed as her eyes shifted and stayed fixed on her daughter¡¯s body. Then, she started to cry again. ¡°Ah Yu! I¡¯m sorry! Mother was bad. Forgive me. You must forgive mother!¡± Ji Yunshu did not give up. She pushed away Jing Rong and crouched in front of Yu Sao. She pulled on Yu Sao¡¯s arm and continued to question her. ¡°Is there something else you have yet to confess? Tell me. Is there anything else? You mentioned a ¡®he¡¯, but who are you referring to?¡± Yu Sao began tough heartily. She was mad and took no heed to Ji Yunshu¡¯s questions. Her arms only tightened her embrace on Ah Yu. Yu Sao was like a broken record. ¡°Ah Yu, it doesn¡¯t hurt. It¡¯s really not painful. It will pass in a while. My good Ah Yu, mother let you down. Don¡¯t be angry, mother will sing for you a nursery rhyme from my hometown. When I¡¯m done, you won¡¯t be in pain anymore.¡± ¡°Yu Sao, Ah Yu is already dead. If you know anything, please tell me. Yu Sao¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt. It doesn¡¯t hurt. My Ah Yu is not suffering.¡± Yu Sao continued to repeat the same sentences over and over again. Ji Yunshu grits her teeth and reached for Ah Yu. She grabbed onto the thin waist and tried to yank it toward her. The furtive force she used caused Yu Sao to be alert. ¡°What are you doing? This is my Ah Yu! Don¡¯t take my Ah Yu from me! Don¡¯t¡­¡± Yu Sao widened her eyes, and her face became malevolent due to her agitation. She firmly held onto her daughter and lowered herself on the body. She stubbornly refused to let go. Ji Yunshu, who was stealthily wrestling away the child¡¯s body, looked at Jing Rong. The man was rooted there watching her! Since her struggle was bearing no fruit, Jing Rong tried to pull her up from the ground and told her, ¡°If you¡¯re like this, she won¡¯t listen to you and you might end up injured by her.¡± Ji Yunshu twisted her body and avoided his hand. Even if it¡¯s not a good way, she still needed to try it. If the hard way didn¡¯t work, she would try the soft way! Her expression was grave. She lowered her voice and slowly spoke. ¡°Yu Sao, I won¡¯t snatch Ah Yu from you. I only think that she needs to take a rest. Look at her, she fell asleep. It¡¯s very cold here. She will catch a cold if she stays here. Won¡¯t you give her to me? I will take her somewhere to rest and she won¡¯t have to be cold anymore.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want¡­ I don¡¯t want to. Ah Yu is mine¡­ mine¡­¡± ¡°Look at her. Ah Yu is very cold. She¡¯s shivering and she doesn¡¯t want to stay here. If you care for her, give her to me. Alright?¡± Yu Sao¡¯s expression slightly changed. Hesitation could now be seen on her face. Slowly, she released Ah Yu a bit, then she stroked the child¡¯s face. Suddenly, she became startled. ¡°That¡¯s true. My Ah Yu is very cold.¡± ¡°Will you give her to me? When she wakes up, I¡¯ll bring her back to you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ji Yunshu nodded. ¡°Yes. I promise you that when she wakes up, I¡¯ll bring her back to you.¡± But Ah Yu would never wake up again¡­ After a moment of hesitation, Yu Sao finally let go of Ah Yu. The instant she did so, Ji Yunshu quickly took Ah Yu and got up before retreating several steps. She was afraid that Yu Sao would renege on her words and try to forcibly take back the corpse. However, Yu Sao was eerily calm. After she let go of Ah Yu, she sat there like an empty shell, neither moving nor speaking. She was extremely calm as if she hadpletely forgot about Ah Yu¡¯s existence. Ji Yunshu left the cell and waited until Jing Rong did the same. Afterwards, the jailer locked back the prison cell. The jailer pinched his nose while giving Ji Yunshu a thumbs up. ¡°Teacher Ji, you¡¯re really terrific. Compared to you, even after half a day we still couldn¡¯t persuade her to release that child.¡± Ji Yunshu was still holding onto the light as a feather Ah Yu. Despite the horrible stench, she did not care about it as her mind was preupied by the distress she felt for the child¡¯s death. ¡°Give her to me,¡± said Jing Rong. Then, he took the body from Ji Yunshu without any sense of avoidance. The jailer did not know Jing Rong, so he was not surprised by his actions. Instead, he pointed toward the direction which served as the jailers resting room and said, ¡°Put her on the spread cloth there. Someone is going to take her and send her to the memorial hall.¡± ¡®Pointing at a prince! Youngster, you must be tired of living!¡¯ But Jing Rong did not get angry. He carried Ah Yu to the indicated ce and put her on the white cloth. Although Ji Yunshu was surprised by his actions, she was also moved by it. After she saw he was done, she wanted to thank him. But then, she identally saw Ah Yu¡¯s palm and became stupefied. Without saying anything, she took both Ah Yu¡¯s hands and spread open the palms. The left hand was rough to the touch with ayer of calluses on it. Even the palm had many marks. As for the right hand, there weren¡¯t many calluses to be seen and the palm was soft. ¡°Ah Yu is left-handed!¡± As soon as she concluded that, Ji Yunshu was rmed. Jing Rong became puzzled. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Do you remember where the twenty stabs wounds were situated on Lord Jiang¡¯s body?¡± He silently recalled. ¡°Most of them were on his right side.¡± He paused. Then, he frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking that¡­¡± 1.This is a wordy on the fact that Wei is a homophone for ¡°seat¡± (λ) which could also be a ssifier for a person, while Yi is a homophone for ¡°one¡±, which are obviously not used for proper names. It¡¯s like Wei Yi is saying his name meant something like ¡°The one and only one¡± since the literal meaning is ¡°one person¡±. Chapter 92: The Inhuman Woman A conjecture took form within Jing Rong¡¯s mind, but he didn¡¯t dare to ept it. Ji Yunshu clenched on Ah Yu¡¯s little hands, her expression solemn. Due to the sensitive nature of the case, her intuition told her that the truth was far from simple. Not to mention the words that Madame Jiang left before¡­ Imperceptibly, she always felt something was wrong from those words. After shey back Ah Yu¡¯s hands, she turned to the jailer and instructed him. ¡°Go the yamen immediately and notify Lord Liu to bring the knife that Yu Sao used tomit her crime. In addition, bring me some ck ink and flour.¡± The jailer was bewildered. ¡°Teacher, what are you going to do?¡± ¡°Hurry and go!¡± ¡°But¡­ what about the corpse? We still have to send it to the memorial hall.¡± Ji Yunshu fiercely red at him. ¡°I told you to hurry and do as you are ordered, why are you being so wordy for?¡± ¡®Aiya!¡¯ The jailer shivered from fear and hurriedly bent down to signify that he epted the order and ran away. Ji Yunshu sighed while looking at the lifeless Ah Yu. Her heart was extremely heavy. None of her expression was missed by Jing Rong. He asked her, ¡°Are you suspecting that Ah Yu is the real murderer?¡± Ji Yunshu shook her head. ¡°I am not certain. I hope that my guess is wrong.¡± Jing Rong analyzed the situation. ¡°Two years ago, she was only six years old. How can a six-year-old child kill a man in his forties?¡± This kind of misgiving should be put asides. However¡­ Ji Yunshu squinted her eyes. ¡°Your Highness, did you forget? When Lord Jiang was pushed by Li Zhao, he sprained his ankle. He shouldn¡¯t be able to get up easily and since Ah Yu was only six years old, there was no need for Lord Jiang to guard himself against her which gave her the opportunity to kill him.¡± She immediately added, ¡°But all of this is only my conjecture. It is but a possibility.¡± Jing Rong nodded and stopped asking questions. Not long after, Magistrate Liu arrived, looking worn out in his official uniform, but when he saw Jing Rong, he greeted him while shivering like usual. ¡°Your Highness, this is the prison. For you to be here, I¡¯m afraid that your precious and noble body¡­¡± Jing Rong raised his hand to interrupt him. ¡°The case is more urgent. There¡¯s no need to attend to me.¡± ¡°Y-y-yes¡­¡± The Magistrate rose and walked to Ji Yunshu. He waved at a runner who stepped forward to give her the things that she had asked for. ¡°Are there new elements pertaining the case? Didn¡¯t you already examine the knife?¡± The Magistrate was puzzled. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t n to discuss long with him. She put on her gloves and took the knife and burned the wooden handle using the me of the oilmp. Then, she instructed a runner. ¡°Add the flour to the ck ink and stir it until the texture is uniform.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± The runner did as told and after he was done mixing, he gave it to Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu dipped the handle with the flour and ink mixture. After half the time it took to brew a cup of tea had passed, she pulled out the handle. The handle was now ck and sticky. Once again, she cooked the handle above the me. Meanwhile, everyone was looking at her with bewilderment on their faces. What was Teacher Ji doing? Eight pairs of eyes were observing the knife in her hand. As everyone continued to stare, the ck flour paste started to peel off by itself under the high temperature of the me. Finally, only several distinctive marks were left on the handle. No one but Ji Yunshu understood the significance of those marks. With the appearance of those marks, her eyes were misted with an expression that left people unable to decipher her mood. The Magistrate took the initiative to ask. ¡°How could this be? Is there something special about this knife?¡± ¡°Hmmm.¡± She nodded. ¡°What is wrong with it?¡± ¡°Everything is wrong.¡± Her words baffled Liu Qingping. She moved the handle away from the me. Then, she put Ah Yu¡¯s left hand around the handle and made the corpse grip the handle before releasing the hand. ¡°Itpletely fits!¡± Ji Yunshu dered in a confident tone. ¡°The one who killed Lord Jiang is Ah Yu!¡± Wooaah! Everyone was bbergasted, except for Jing Rong who remained calm. He asked her. ¡°How did you determine it?¡± Ji Yunshu raised the knife handle and began to exin. ¡°There are marks on the handle. Those are fingerprints.¡± ¡°Fingerprint?¡± The Magistrate stepped forward and carefully examined the fingerprints. ¡°But how did the fingerprints show up there?¡± ¡°They appeared because Ah Yu gripped on the handle at the time of the murder. When she stabbed the victim, her small hand only upied a small space. Therefore, it was obvious enough from the cement of the fingerprints. What¡¯s more, when shemitted her crime, the whole knife was plunged into the victim, and blood was sprayed, covering the whole weapon, except on the areas where Ah Yu gripped the handle.¡± Everyone looked at each other. They appeared to understand some of the exnations, but not all of it. Ji Yunshu continued to exin. ¡°I covered the handle with an ink and flour mixture, then heated it. By doing that, the blood will be absorbed by the mixture and fall off. Whereas the mixture would continue to stick to areas where there aren¡¯t any blood, thereby leaving marks ¨C the fingerprints ¨C that you see.¡± ¡°Oh! So it was like that!¡± The Magistrate nodded, but after thinking again, he felt extremely baffled. ¡°But the fingerprints could have belonged to Yu Sao, no?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Ji Yunshu rejected the idea. ¡°Yunshu, Madame Jiang had said it herself that she saw Yu Sao killing Lord Jiang. She confessed to her crime, so it shouldn¡¯t be wrong.¡± ¡°But Yu Sao didn¡¯t admit tomitting the murder.¡± ¡°The woman is crazy. How can she admit her crime?!¡± Magistrate Liu spreaded out his hand to stress his words. Jing Rong nced over, his cold eyes piercing through the Magistrate. He also reprimanded him. ¡°Lord Liu, it¡¯s best if you calm down a bit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Magistrate¡¯s expression became stiff as he smiled awkwardly while nodding and closing his mouth. He couldn¡¯t say anything and was greatly suffering from Jing Rong¡¯s rebuke. Ji Yunshu slowly exined again. ¡°I have all the evidence and evidence is everything. The fingerprints on the handlepletely fit Ah Yu¡¯s fingers, and they even have the same length. Not to mention that the position of the hand corresponded to that of a left-hander. For a left-handed person, their pinky, along with the other fingers will grip the handle in the opposite position from a right-handed person. In the case of a reverse grip, their thumb will be situated on the right side of the handle, as opposed to a right-handed person where their thumb will instead be on the left side. In addition, the four other fingers will be opposite to the thumb, be it the left hand or right hand.¡± ¡°As for the fingers¡¯ positions on this handle, it clearly shows the person who held it was left handed.¡± Ji Yunshu lifted Ah Yu¡¯s left hand and continued. ¡°Ah Yu¡¯s left palm had a thickyer of callus with well-defined palm lines. As for her right hand, it¡¯s extremely soft. In other words, Ah Yu is left-handed and she used that very hand to hold the knife that stabbed Lord Jiang.¡± This was something quite unbelievable. Two years ago, Ah Yu was only six years old! What could such a child go through that would force her to kill at such a tender age?! It made everyone sigh endlessly. Provided that Ji Yunshu said was true, then what really happened in the end? Suddenly, an outrageous conjecture wormed its way in her mind. The simple idea of it was so abominable that it scared her, causing her to suddenly tremble. Jing Rong watched her expression and inquired. ¡°Did you think of something?¡± ¡°I want to see Yu Sao again.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Ji Yunshu interrupted his words. ¡°I won¡¯t go into the cell. I¡¯m just going to stay outside.¡± She was able to see that Jing Rong was worried about her. Jing Rong nodded. ¡°Alright. Let me apany you.¡± Ji Yunshu refused. ¡°No. Stay here. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯te. I want to discuss this with her¡­ alone.¡± Without waiting for Jing Rong¡¯s reply, she took the knife and walked toward Yu Sao¡¯s prison cell. Everyone followed behind her until they arrived to a hidden corner at a junction where they stopped and didn¡¯t approach further. Ji Yunshu stood outside the cell. In her hand, she held the murder weapon. She approached near the wooden stakes and knocked on it. The knocking sound was very dull and heavy, the resonation seemed as if it was directly knocking into the mind and soul. She did it on purpose. After a moment passed, Yu Sao, whose back was facing her, slowly turned around. Her eyes overcasted and bloodshot, appearing extremely dreadful! Strangely, Ji Yunshu smiled and said, ¡°Silently loving a person¡­ That kind of feeling is very exciting, making you feel that everything you did for him was worth it, and those you don¡¯t like should just go to hell. Am I right?¡± Her words were directed to Yu Sao. Following that, Yu Sao simply replied, ¡°Right.¡± ¡®Very good!¡¯ Ji Yunshu continued to speak. ¡°Obviously, it was someone you like, but someone else snatched him. The feeling is certainly unbearable. Am I right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°So, Yu Sao, don¡¯t you hate Ah Yu very much?¡± Ji Yunshu suddenly asked. ¡®Hum? Hate? Where did thate from?¡¯ Unexpectedly, Yu Sao smiled, looking more mad with her hands grabbing her disheveled hair while she gave a genuine and honest smile at the same time. She spoke. ¡°She is my Ah Yu. Why should I hate her?¡± ¡°Because she snatched your man.¡± Huh?! Following Ji Yunshu¡¯s words, Yu Sao suddenly ferociously leapt up from the ground. Her smile twisted into a malevolent and insane one. Hatred suffused into the look she gave Ji Yunshu. She roared, ¡°No one can take him from me! NO ONE!¡± Ji Yunshu continued to provoke Yu Sao. ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean he doesn¡¯t love you? He loved Ah Yu. He embraced Ah Yu. He forced himself on her every time because he wanted her. He wanted to possess her. Yet, he doesn¡¯t love you; he never wanted you.¡± ¡°Shut up! SHUT UP!¡± Yu Sao suddenly dashed forward and ruthlessly mmed onto wooden stakes of the prison cell. Her arms stretched with force through the wooden barrier of the cell as she attempted to grab Ji Yunshu¡¯s neck. It was a good thing that Ji Yunshu had already retreated a few steps when she saw Yu Sao¡¯s mad rush towards her. Seeing that her hands was wing the empty air, Yu Sao became enraged. She screamed in her mad frenzy, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say that! DON¡¯T YOU DARE! He loves me! He loves me!¡± The expression on the hidden crowd changed. ¡®That ¡®he¡¯ is Lord Jiang? So, the person Yu Sao loved is Lord Jiang!¡¯ The answer that Ji Yunshu wanted to know had been forced out from Yu Sao¡¯s mouth. Her heart painfully ached at the confirmation of the truth. Tears gradually pooled in her eyes as she looked at this inhuman woman in front of her. She shook her head. Her voice was filled with sorrow as she vented, ¡°She is your daughter! Just because you love Lord Jiang, you let Ah Yu endured his tortures each and every time he willed it. You even¡­ harbor a grudge against her because she killed him. You confined her in that stinky little room and chained her to iron shackles! You fed her excrements and tortured her until she was more broken, no longer human, nothing but a tortured soul! Even to herst breath, she knew no peace! This was your revenge! You want to avenge Lord Jiang. You took revenge against your own biological daughter!¡± Chapter 93: She Belongs to a Better Place Chapter 93: She Belongs to a Better ce The truth was ever so shocking. Ji Yunshu could no longer see any guilt or regret in Yu Sao¡¯s eyes, but only hatred that has beenpletely twisted by jealousy. Yu Sao was jealous of her own daughter, jealous that she received the ¡°favor¡± of Lord Jiang when she herself was rejected. ¡®I¡¯ll never be able to understand her thoughts.¡¯ Yu Sao gave a loudugh after she heard what Ji Yunshu said. The teeth she showed took on a strange air of ferocity, like a wolf stalking its prey. She moved her hands, which were raised in the air, and grasped the wooden pir in front of her in a fric swing. Her long nails sank into the wood and pushed back against her flesh, instantly drawing blood. ¡°He actually loves me, and he should love me. Everyone looked down on him because he was a yin-yang man, but I was the only one who took care of him and treated him well. Why did he marry someone else? Why does he like my Ah Yu, and not me? Why, WHY¡­¡± A tangible wretchedness was intertwined with her feverishugh. Ji Yunshu, for once, sincerely wished for someone¡¯s death. Yu Sao deserved it a hundred times, if not ten thousand times more than anyone else. But Yu Sao was not finished. ¡°Oh no, it wasn¡¯t just Lord Jiang, even my own husband. He said that he loved me, but he cheated on me with another woman. He also deserved to die, and he deserved to be quartered!¡± ¡®Oh!¡¯ Ji Yunshu remembered the dream she had. It sent shivers down her spine and she asked in a trembling voice. ¡°So you killed your husband?¡± ¡°He deserved to die, just like Ah Yu did. So I killed him with a knife, I sliced him into pieces in front of Ah Yu. I even plucked out his eyeball and fed it to Ah Yu. Ah Yu said that it tasted good and I think so too. Oh yes, it tasted great!¡± ¡°Such cruelty.¡± ¡°Was it as cruel as these men?¡± roared Yu Sao. ¡°I thought Lord Jiang was sincere to me; I thought he liked Ah Yu, so I let him carry her away. I saw my Ah Yu cry beneath him. I¡¯m really sad, why does he not like me? Why? Even though I¡¯m so nice to him, why¡­¡± Yu Sao repeatedly struck the wooden pir wildly; she had surpassed the boundaries of someone mentally broken. She was but an empty husk; a human husk without feelings, thoughts or a soul. Ji Yunshu struggled to maintain herposure, but her eyes still reddened, and tears appeared within them. ¡°Do you really not regret anything at all?¡± Yu Sao smiled. She took a few steps back until her back touched the cold stone wall. Sheughs mindlessly, slowly knelt down, and suddenly started to scratch her own face with her bloodied fingernails, which were still sprinkled with wooden chips. Yu Sao did not answer. Instead, she resumed her humming. ¡®She doesn¡¯t regret it a single bit.¡¯ Ji Yunshu understood her silent answer. Ji Yunshu¡¯s hands were also clenched into fists beneath her sleeves, and her nails sank into her flesh. Magistrate Liu interposed himself and cut through the emotional heaviness. He looked at Yu Sao, nced back at Ji Yunshu and sighed, ¡°Yunshu, I know that you don¡¯t feel so well right now, how about you leave the rest to me?¡± Ji Yunshu turned around and left in silence. Around the corner, she saw Jing Rong waiting for her, looking forthpassionately. She kept walking without uttering a single word and tried to skirt around him, but Jing Rong seized her wrist. ¡°If you are upset, don¡¯t hide it. It¡¯ll be better if we talk about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± said Ji Yunshu without much emotion as she pulled her hand out of his and walked to Ah Yu¡¯s corpse. Jing Rong followed her steps quietly. Ji Yunshu looked at Ah Yu¡¯s corpse, felt sadness stream into her heart again and smiled mncholically. ¡°Maybe this is the best ending for Ah Yu. A release found in death.¡± Jing Rong turned to look in her direction and saw a true, genuine sympathy and also the most fragile of human affections hidden within Ji Yunshu¡¯s watery iris. It was a sharp contrast to the usual mask of coldness and indifference Ji Yunshu wore. Jing Rong felt his heart cry out in pitiful fondness, but even he was powerless under these circumstances. ¡®She¡¯s a kind person. She must be. Behind the wall she has built in her heart, I see emotions as strong, and as tasteful as wine that has fermented for a thousand years!¡¯ thought Jing Rong. ¡°Now that we know the truth, we should let Ah Yu go to rest,¡± said Jing Rong. ¡°Yes.¡± Ji Yunshu nodded and slowly covered Ah Yu¡¯s corpse with a white sheet. After doing so, she furrowed her brows and said, ¡°There¡¯s something else I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Are you talking about Madame Jiang?¡± ¡°Yes, why did she lie to me? Also, Seventh Uncle¡¯s death¡­ does it have anything to do with her?¡± Jing Rong said in a stern voice, ¡°If you want to know, then why don¡¯t we go ask her?¡± ¡®He¡¯s certainly right about that,¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. She beckoned a guard and asked him to guide Jing Rong and herself to Madame Jiang¡¯s cell. The cell was in apletely different directionpared to Yu Sao¡¯s cell, and Ji Yunshu only understood the reason after she saw the entrance. ¡®Is this really a prison cell? It seems like a well-furnished bedroom! It¡¯s clean and has all the proper furniture: a bed, some tables, chairs, teapot, and cups. There¡¯s even a window!¡¯ Madame Jiang was calmly pouring herself a cup of tea when Jing Rong and Ji Yunshu entered the room. She quirked her lips and did not even raise her head to greet them. ¡°Your Highness, please forgive me for not being able to salute you properly.¡± Jing Rong raised the corner of his lips. ¡°Madame Jiang, I see that you are having a really pleasant time. You even have time for tea?¡± ¡°Oh, you are mistaken on that, your Highness. This tea is not for my enjoyment, it¡¯s for getting rid of that rancid smell. You see, I wouldn¡¯t be able to enjoy my tea in a ce like this.¡± ¡°Perhaps you wouldn¡¯t have been locked up in here in the first ce if you hadn¡¯t done what you did. Madame Jiang, not only did you bury your husband¡¯s corpse, you even tried to hide the truth. We ought to keep you here for a couple more years,¡± said Jing Rong with a smile cold enough to freeze one¡¯s bones and heart. Madame Zhang understood Jing Rong¡¯s hint. She looked at Ji Yunshu and said, ¡°Well then, Teacher Ji, it seems like you know the truth.¡± Ji Yunshu expelled her sadness and asked coldly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me yesterday?¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± said Madame Jiang as she picked up the teapot and started pouring into a cup. ¡°Before yesterday, I wanted to keep it a secret because, just as you said, I wanted to preserve the honor of the Li family. But when I saw Yu Sao, and heard you say that she was the culprit, I was actually quite happy.¡± Ji Yunshu continued for her, ¡°You are happy because you pity Ah Yu. She¡¯s dead, and you didn¡¯t want her to be called a murderer. You also wanted Yu Sao to die, didn¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you stayed silent.¡± Ji Yunshu took two steps until she stood only two inches away from a wooden post. Madame Jiang paid no attention to Ji Yunshu¡¯s remarks, picking up the cup of tea and spilling its contents onto the ground. She lowered her eyes and said, ¡°That night, I saw Ah Yu, and I asked her where she was going. She told me that she was going to kill that animal like how her mother killed her father. She was only six years old but I saw a despair and killing intent that I had never seen before. I did not stop her; I watched as she stabbed him, one blow after another. When she left, I approached that animal and looked at his corpse. He was staring wide at me, but I did not pity him at all. He deserved it, and even worse than that.¡± Madame Jiangughed as she narrated. Ji Yunshu asked, ¡°What about Seventh Uncle?¡± Madame Jiang put the cup back on the table and looked at Ji Yunshu, ¡°Teacher Ji, I know what you want to ask. I can only tell you that there are many coincidences in this world. I did not kill him.¡± ¡°Do you think that I can still believe you after everything?¡± ¡°You are right in being suspicious about my exnation, but believe me, I have no need to lie to you.¡± Madame Jiang stood up and approached Ji Yunshu. She had an elegant smile and an approving expression. ¡°You are one of the smartest people I have ever met.¡± Ji Yunshu was impassive. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I hope that we will meet again in the capital one day. I hope to have a drink with you then.¡± Ji Yunshu scoffed. ¡®The capital again? I don¡¯t have the slightest interest in the capital at all¡¯ Jing Rong suddenly interjected, ¡°Not so fast, Madame Jiang. You haven¡¯t been found guilty of murder, but what you have done is no trivial crime. I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about returning to the capital if I were you.¡± Madame Jiang clearly thought otherwise; with the power and influence of her maternal family she would be out of the prison in no time. Madame Jiang changed the topic and said, ¡°Your Highness, a person of such talent ought to not stay for long in a petty ce such as Jing Jiang City. If you truly value talent, you should keep him by your side and bring him to the capital with you.¡± Jing Rong was rather pleased upon hearing the remark. He shed a nce at Ji Yunshu and raised the corner of his lips. ¡°No need for your counsel as for I have already decided to give my best efforts in trying to convince Teacher Ji to follow me back to the capital.¡± Ji Yunshu could not answer Jing Rong¡¯s remark. She stepped back one step and retreated from Madame Jiang¡¯s vicinity. ¡°Since I have gotten what I came for, I will not stay here any longer. Madame Jiang, I will leave you to the interesting task of recing the pungent odour in your cell by using the sweet aroma of tea then.¡± Ji Yunshu had barely walked three steps when Madame Jiang called her again. ¡°Teacher Ji, Jinjiang is a pond of clear water. A beautiful snow befalls it during the winter and a misty fog through which the lotus flowers stand veils it during the summer. But you, you don¡¯t belong in this small pond.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®Tell me, Madame Jiang. How much did Jing Rong pay you to make you say that? Do you really want me at the capital so badly?¡¯ Ji Yunshu did not bother answering her and simply left the room. Jing Rong looked at Madame Jiang onest time and followed suit. When the two were outside, they noticed that it was snowing. Wei Yi, crouched on the ground, and Lang Po, standing in front of him, had been waiting for them at a corner for quite a while. Upon seeing Ji Yunshu, Wei Yi jumped up and ran towards her. ¡°Shu¡¯er!¡± eximed Wei Yi merrily. He then gave a snort of disgust and nced at Jing Rong. ¡°Big Brother, you smell bad.¡± ¡®Kid, you¡¯re really good at telling the truth aren¡¯t you?¡¯ Jing Rong¡¯s expression soured. He had stayed in a jail cell and even carried Ah Yu¡¯s corpse. It was no surprise that he smelled bad! Chapter 94: A Canary in a Cage Will End up Hurt or Dead ¡®¡®You¡¯re the one who smells bad. Heck, it¡¯s your whole family that smells bad.¡¯ Jing Rong was rather irritated by the remark and turned around to shoot a cold nce Lang Po instead. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to take care of him? Why is he crouching in a corner? Did you hit him?¡± ¡®Wh-?¡¯ Lang Po responded nervously to the usation. ¡°Your Highness, I wouldn¡¯t dare to hit Young Master Wei. He said himself that he was going to be¡­ a carrot until Teacher Ji came out.¡± ¡®A carrot? What?¡¯ Jing Rong puckered his lips as he realized that he may not possess the intelligence to understand Yi Wei¡¯s world. Wei Yi hurriedly shook his hands. ¡°Big Brother, he didn¡¯t hit me. He just stared at me and did not let me go anywhere.¡± ¡°I was afraid that you would go missing,¡± exined Lang Po. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go missing. I promised Shu¡¯er that I would wait for her outside. I wouldn¡¯t go missing, rather you would be the one who would go missing instead.¡± ¡­¡­¡­. The pair continued to exchange somewhat yful remarks. Ji Yunshu looked at the falling snow and said to Jing Rong, ¡°Your Highness, the case is finally solved. I¡¯ll go return home with Wei Yi then. We have been out of the mansion for far too long.¡± Jing Rong frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll escort you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. I have the same smell as your Highness. Let¡¯s not bundle up more than necessary, lest we would make the odor even stronger. But Jing Rong was oddly persistent. ¡°I¡¯ve stayed in the jail for too long, and I¡¯d like to take a puff of fresh air. I also have a few things to say to you, Teacher Ji.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Ji Yunshu asked, somewhat wary. ¡°Shall we walk first?¡± Jing Rong decided to tease Ji Yunshu. ¡®Fine, it seems like it¡¯ll be the four of us then.¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. Wei Yi seemed to enjoy ying in the freshly fallen snow quite a lot. He jumped around and led the way. Lang Po followed him closely with the ink and brushes in his arms, paying close attention to where the former was going. Ji Yunshu and Jing Rong were not far behind. Ji Yunshu strode a brisk pace, but Jing Rong would always catch up to her. Both stayed silent for a long time. Ji Yunshu looked straight ahead, her expression as cold as the winds. Jing Rong, however, scrutinized her carefully and finally broke the silence, ¡°Are you still thinking about what happened earlier?¡± ¡°The case is closed. I won¡¯t think about it anymore,¡± Ji Yunshu answered with determination. ¡°You know, there¡¯s one thing Madame was absolutely unmistaken about,¡± intimated Jing Rong. Ji Yunshu did not answer as she could guess what he wanted to say. She sped up and put some distance between herself and Jing Rong, but Jing Rong quickly made her efforts futile. ¡°Jinjiang City is not the right ce for you.¡± The words came out of Jing Rong¡¯s mouth with an irond conviction. ¡®This again? I¡¯m tired of hearing these words. The capital is a big ce indeed, but not suitable for a little canary like myself.¡¯ Ji Yunshu stopped and gripped her robe. She bent her eyes in Jing Rong¡¯s direction. ¡°Your Highness, I understand your concern for the Lin Capital Case, and you have been working hard at cracking the case since your departure from the capital half a year ago. There are likely many eyes in the capital paying close attention to its progress. I would rather stay in my little pond, with lotuses as my sole friends in the summer and snow and mist as a poem I can sing for the winter. The capital is a dangerous ce; a ce where tigers and dragons sh and even take lives. A canary imprisoned in a cage will end up either hurt or dead. May I ask your Highness to also have some consideration for my situation? Talent is plentiful in this world, so it shouldn¡¯t be hard to find someone else to rece me.¡± Ji Yunshu said these words without hesitation. Upon hearing her plea, Jing Rong furrowed his brows. He stared at Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes, which seemed as serious as ever, and was suddenly seized by a feeling of disgust. Since when had he be someone who would force others to do things against their will? ¡°Yunshu,¡± he called quietly, ¡°You call yourself a canary; I shall not be your cage. I will not break your wings by retaining you against your will. You win. I won¡¯t bring this up to you ever again.¡± The sincerity in Jing Rong¡¯s pledge tugged at Ji Yunshu¡¯s heartstrings. She felt reassured and answered. ¡°Thank you, your Highness.¡± Jing Rong remained silent. Suddenly, Wei Yi ran over and grabbed Ji Yunshu by the arm while pointing at somewhere nearby. ¡°Shu¡¯er, look!¡± ¡®Look at what?¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. Both her and Jing Rong turned their heads to look in the direction Wei Yi was pointing at. In the broad street, they saw a forest of red papernterns. In front of residences, shops, and inns, people were busy hangingnterns under every roof and corner. Even the doors were decorated with red sheets, and tables full of ornaments were set up on the street; everyone was preparing for the Lantern Festival. The small merchants were busy making a living, whereas the big store owners were busying themselves to make fortunes. Women and children, rich or poor, were simply impatiently awaiting the beginning of the festivities. ¡°Shu¡¯er, it¡¯s the Lantern Festival today. Can we please go out at night? I want to see thenterns with you,¡± asked Wei Yi in a hopeful tone. The Lantern Festival was celebrated every year, at the end of the first month of the lunar calendar. Jing Rong turned his eyes in a thoughtful way upon hearing Wei Yi¡¯s proposition and he interjected, ¡°The Lantern Festival is a sight not to be missed. Teacher Ji, I¡¯d like to invite you to the Hall of Gathering Frost for a meal. It will be my way of showing my thanks for all the work you¡¯ve done over thest few days, and we¡¯ll even get to admire the splendor of the festival in its fullness from our seats.¡± Wei Yi hurried to interrupt him before Ji Yunshu could answer. ¡°What about me, Big Brother? Am I not invited?¡± He sounded like a child excluded from his friends. ¡®Why would I want you there?¡¯ Jing Rong¡¯s first reaction was to express his refusal. However, upon reconsidering, he decided to show his magnanimity and invite Wei Yi; he wouldn¡¯t cause much trouble anyways if he gave him enough food as a distraction. ¡°Very well, you are invited too.¡± ¡°Wow, you are so nice, Big Brother!¡± Wei Yi was ted. He pulled on Ji Yunshu. ¡°Shu¡¯er, let¡¯s make antern together, okay? We could even go and hang it together tonight, okay?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s head was starting to ache again. She could do nothing else but nod. ¡°Okay.¡± The four quickened their steps and arrived at the Wei Mansion under the intensifying snowfall. Jing Rong took the set of stationery and gave it to Ji Yunshu in a rather forceful way. ¡°This is my gift. It belongs to you now. Whether you throw it away or sell it, I do not care.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Tonight, at the Hall of Gathering Frost. I shall not leave until I see you.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Jing Rong left with Lang Po by his side. His imposing silhouette slowly vanished into the snowstorm. Ji Yunshu held the stationery and was still staring emptily into the distance. The next second, Wei Yi suddenly grabbed the stationery from her. ¡°This is heavy, so let me carry it for you, Shu¡¯er.¡± Wei Yi scuttled into the Mansion and brought the package all the way into Ji Yunshu¡¯s room, depositing it gently onto the floor. ¡®I¡¯ve done a good thing today,¡¯ he thought rather gleefully. Luan¡¯er looked at the two in surprise, especially at the huge box Wei Yi brought back. She approached and asked, ¡°Young Miss, isn¡¯t this the very expensive set of stationery from Treasured Calligraphy House? ¡° ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Ji Yunshu nodded. Suddenly, Luan¡¯er seemed to have noticed something and sniffed the air. She frowned and said, ¡°Young Miss, do you smell something weird?¡± ¡®Of course I do, it¡¯s the stench of rotten corpses!¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. But Wei Yi yelled, ¡°Oh yes, it¡¯s from Big Brother. He smelled awful. He made the two of us smell bad too.¡± ¡®Well, Jing Rong, you¡¯ll excuse me if I leave this unfortunate burden to you.¡¯ Ji Yunshu smiled sweetly at Wei Yi and made a gesture towards her own nose. ¡°Wei Yi, you should go outside and y. Go find someone to do a cricket fight with you. Even better, make antern if you feel like it.¡± ¡°Are you not going to help me with thentern?¡± Ji Yunshu showed him the palm of her hands. ¡°How am I supposed to go to the Festival the way I am now?¡± Wei Yi turned his eyes to show that he understood the hint. ¡°Oh, you want to take a bath right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ji Yunshu gave him another gentle smile. Wei Yi scratched his head. ¡°But why do I have to leave when you are taking a bath? I¡¯ve even helped Ami take his bath¡­¡± ¡®Ami is a dog, and I¡¯m a human being, that¡¯s why!¡¯ Ji Yunshu was rather irritated and knocked a heavy blow with her finger on Wei Yi¡¯s forehead. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about, little boy?¡± ¡®Nonsense? What nonsense?¡¯ Wei Yi gave Ji Yunshu a perplexed look. ¡°I¡¯m not talking nonsense. When Ami was taking a bath, I was right beside him. Why wouldn¡¯t I be able to stay when you are taking a bath?¡± ¡®What¡­ How am I supposed to exin this to him? Am I really going to talk about small Wei Yis? No way, I¡¯m not doing that.¡± Ji Yunshu quickly organized her thoughts and said, ¡°If you want to go to the Lantern Festival tonight, then go outside. Otherwise, I won¡¯t go out with you.¡± Wei Yi quickly nodded. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll leave right now, don¡¯t worry.¡± He hurried outside, as fast as a gust of wind. Luan¡¯er threw a few nces at Ji Yunshu and asked, ¡°Where have you been, and how did you get this¡­¡± She did not dare to say ¡°stench¡±. Ji Yunshu did not mind her remark. She said, ¡°Bring me some hot water and add some tangerines to the bucket, that¡¯ll get rid of the smell of cadavers.¡± ¡°Alright, miss,¡± answered Luan¡¯er, and she quickly left for the task. Ji Yunshu cleaned herself and even ordered Luan¡¯er to burn the linen robe she wore. She contemted her own reflection in the mirror after the bath. She saw a girl dressed in marine silk. The fabric of the robe sshed onto the ground like a waterfall. Above it was another cascade of a different color, one of pure darkness. It was decorated by a hairpin on top of which a pearl shone in all of its radiance. She saw a certain kind of disquietness between the brows of the visage in the mirror, as if they were troubled by some kind of innate, perpetual worry. It was a face that could arouse sympathy even in a heart made of stone. At that moment, Wei Yi busted into the yard with twonterns, but he did not dare to enter Ji Yunshu¡¯s room. He yelled, ¡°Shu¡¯er, I¡¯m done with thenterns!¡± Ji Yunshu asked Luan¡¯er to bring him into the room. Wei Yi ran in with the twonterns in his hands, and carefully put them on the ground right in front of her. ¡°Look Shu¡¯er! I¡¯ve made these, one for you and one for me.¡± Ji Yunshu scrutinized the two objects. They had an octogonal base, and the body was held together by red sandalwood. There were traces of flour paste everywhere, but the small knots made of threads were hanging down beautifully. Ji Yunshu was surprised by the delicateness of the objects. ¡°Did you really make this?¡± She asked as she raised her brows. Ji Yunshu met a pair of eyes staring nkly at her. ¡°Yes? Why are you staring at me like that?¡± ¡°Shu¡¯er, you are beautiful,¡± said Wei Yi most earnestly. ¡®He may not be bright, but he¡¯s certainly not blind.¡¯ Luan¡¯er thought. She chuckled and said, ¡°Young Master Wei, who knew you had such an acute sense of beauty? My Young Miss is as fair as a fairy who descended from the Heavens!¡± Luan¡¯er¡¯spliment made Ji Yunshu a little uneasy. She shed a nce at her and said, ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m not a fairy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m speaking the simple truth, Young Miss. You are beautiful.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes! My Shu¡¯er is really beautiful,¡± Wei Yi agreed. ¡®Wait a second, who exactly is your Shu¡¯er?¡¯ Chapter 95: Kabe-don1 Ji Yunshu squinted her eyes into pretty crescents and shed a nce at Wei Yi, slightly annoyed by the wording of his remark. But since he went through the pain to make twonterns, she decided to forgive him. She turned around and ordered to Luan¡¯er, ¡°Could you go fetch some flour paste, paper, and stationery for a drawing?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go right away, Young Miss,¡± answered Luan¡¯er as she went away to fetch the items Ji Yunshu needed. Wei Yi dropped his chin on his hands and asked, ¡°Shu¡¯er what do you need these things for?¡± Ji Yunshu ttened the paper on the desk, dipped the brushes in the aquarelle, and started to slowly work on a sheet of paper. Wei Yi was surprised and observed her silently. The tip of the brush traced delicate arcs against the white background. Each point and stroke was carefully arranged. It was not long before the rough shape of a thin branch of plum flowers in full blossom appeared on paper. Ji Yunshu dipped the brush in red ink and slowly sculpted the flower petals. As she continued to work on the drawing, a faint fragrance subtly spread through the air, carried by a gentle wind which blew into the room, as if one of the vivid petals was swept off the sheet of paper. It was a drawing worthy of Ji Yunshu¡¯s fame. Finally, Ji Yunshu dropped her brush and fanned gently with her sleeves, thus drying thest stroke of ink. ¡°Shu¡¯er, your drawing is very pretty,¡±plemented Wei Yi. His face almost touching the paper as he craned his neck to examine the drawing closely. Ji Yunshu gave him the drawing. ¡°Cut this paper into eight pieces with identical sizes and stick them to the sides of thentern.¡± ¡°Do we really need to cut it?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll look better this way.¡± Wei Yi didn¡¯t quite understand Ji Yunshu¡¯s exnation, but he nevertheless obeyed her suggestion and followed Luan¡¯er to proceed with the task. Ji Yunshu picked up her brush and produced yet another drawing. She cut it into eight pieces, just like the first one and fixed them to a secondntern. The pieces connected into a sphere and the eight sides of thentern became a canvas upon which the spray of plum flowers extended infinitely. Dusk fell gradually outside. After Wei Yi shouted in impatience to go outside, Ji Yunshu finally agreed to his request and they left the Wei Mansion with Luan¡¯er. They brought the twonterns with them. The amber glow from the candle me within thenterns entuated the beauty of the flowers on the paper. The sea ofnterns on the side of the main street shone just like the stars in the nightly sky above them. They were of different shapes and colors, but they were all hung from a single string which ran along the road into the unseeable distance. It reminded Ji Yunshu of a rather familiar sight: Christmas. The street was filled with people, and one could only see an endless forest of human heads in every direction. Ji Yunshu strolled with Wei Yi and Luan¡¯er toward the Hall of Gathering Frost, surrounded by well-dressed couples; It would have been more appropriate to call it a Lovers¡¯ Festival rather than a Lantern Festival. ¡°Shu¡¯er, look!¡± Wei Yi was very excited. He approached a shop and tried on a theater mask. He mimicked the way the actors moved on the stage. ¡°Do you like it?¡± asked Ji Yunshu with augh. ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Yi nodded. Ji Yunshu took out some silver and paid for the mask. ¡°Here, my gift to you.¡± But Wei Yi was only getting started on causing his share of trouble. He ran into every corner of the street without stopping, and Ji Yunshu almost lost sight of him several times. The objects, toys, and food that they bought umted in their arms as they made their way to the Hall of Gathering Frost. Jing Rong¡¯s sharps eyes caught Ji Yunshu when she was still far from where he sat. She stood out in the crowd just like thentern she had stood out from the darkness of the night. She was dressed inly, without any expensive ornaments or jewelry, or a face hidden between ayer of carefully applied make-up. But, she was the one behind all of the fervour hidden in his eyes. Jing Rong could see no one else but Ji Yunshu. A smile climbed up his lips, and he whispered, ¡°A fleeting dream? Nay, she¡¯s as real stone.2 Ji Yunshu entered the Hall of Gathering Frost and followed a clerk to Jing Rong¡¯s room on the second floor. She met Jing Rong¡¯s passionate stare as soon as she entered the room and quivered from its intensity. Wei Yi was rather at ease; he threw all of the knick-knacks he bought into Lang Po¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Please carry this with care. If you break them, I¡¯ll have you pay for them.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Lang Po¡¯s expression sank as his hands became loaded with more and more weird objects. He turned his head to plea to Jing Rong, ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Jing Rong was rather amused. ¡°Since Young Master¡¯s Wei is telling you to hold his things, then hold them carefully.¡± ¡®Does he really need to do that much for that little girl?¡¯ thought Lang Po. He nevertheless obeyed his master¡¯smand and held the pile of objects Wei Yi gave him. Jing Rong pointed to a seat right beneath his and said, ¡°Please, Miss Ji, have a seat.¡± ¡°I want to sit too!¡± Wei Yi eximed and sat down where Jing Rong pointed at before thetter could object to it. He looked at the sumptuous meal on the table and asked, ¡°Big Brother, can I take a bite at this?¡± Jing Rong forced a smile and answered, ¡°Yes, you can.¡± ¡®Eat all you want. It¡¯ll be even better if you stuff yourself to death!¡¯ thought Jing Rong. The ce he reserved for Ji Yunshu was upied by Wei Yi instead, a strong statement for the presence and significance of the third wheeler. Ji Yunshu lowered her head to hide a smile and quietly sat down across the table. Wei Yi already started his feast. ¡°Hmmm, this is good. It¡¯s even better than at home!¡± said Wei Yi between two mouthfuls. ¡°If you like it, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal here alone next time, okay?¡± Jing Rong picked up a chicken leg with his chopsticks and dropped it into Wei Yi¡¯s bowl. ¡°You can have as many chicken legs as you want, just don¡¯t fight for the heart with me.¡± Wei Yi did not understand the nuance of that remark but Ji Yunshu certainly did. She immediately tried to change the subject of the conversation and pointed at the table with her chopsticks. ¡°Look at all these delicate dishes. You are spoiling us, your Highness. I¡¯m just worried that we won¡¯t be able to finish it all.¡± Ji Yunshu turned her head and said to Luan¡¯er, ¡°How about you sit down too. I¡¯m sure that his Highness won¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Luan¡¯er was still quite intimidated. She would have stayed home had she known that they were going to dine with Prince Rong. Jing Rong made a friendly nod towards Luan¡¯er and said, ¡°Oh yes, so you are Luan¡¯er.¡± Luan¡¯er was baffled. ¡®Does he know me?¡¯ But she answered quickly, ¡°Yes, this humble one is called Luan¡¯er.¡± ¡°Then sit down with us. No need for formalities tonight.¡± Jing Rong then turned around and said to Lang Po, ¡°Find a ce to put whatever you have in your hands, and join us too.¡± It was much against Jing Rong¡¯s ns. Five people ended up sitting around the table for the whole duration of the meal. The only taste Jing Rong remembered from the meal was the sourness from the vinegar, while it was a full tter of embarrassment for Ji Yunshu. Wei Yi ate to his heart¡¯s content, but Luan¡¯er and Lang Po were frightened and were very cautious throughout the whole meal. The waiter finally brought the desserts: plum flower pies, rose shortbread, rainbow-colored cakes, sticky rice, sesame cakes, and fresh fruit. Jing Rong added a piece of rice cake into Ji Yunshu¡¯s bowl and said, ¡°Have a bite. The cake from here is very good.¡± His tone gave the impression that he was pampering her. ¡°Thank you, your Highness.¡± Ji Yunshu took the piece of cake and dropped it in Wei Yi¡¯s bowl. ¡°Here, eat a bit more.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Wei Yi was not picky about this food and instantly swallowed the piece of cake. He seemed to enjoy the taste quite a lot. Jing Rong was not ready to give up. He picked up a piece of fruit and was about to bring it to Ji Yunshu¡¯s side when Wei Yi snatched it midway. ¡°Thank you Big Brother,¡± said Wei Yi, and he gulped it down cleanly. ¡®Hey, that¡¯s not for you, you eternal third-wheel!¡¯ thought Jing Rong. Ji Yunshu showed another subtle smile; she was really wondering whether Wei Yi was doing it on purpose. Jing Rong¡¯s mood, by now, was as dark as the night outside. He was disgruntled until they left the Hall of Gathering Frost. Outside, the street was still upied to its full capacity by the crowd. The sight of Ji Yunshu and Wei Yi carrying a matching set ofnterns delivered yet another blow to Jing Rong¡¯s already dwindling satisfaction with the night. ¡°Hey, Shu¡¯er, where do you think we should hang ournterns? Mom has always told me that the higher it is, the better it is.¡± Wei Yi pulled on Ji Yunshu¡¯s arm and seemed as happy as ever. Ji Yunshu smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯ll find a good spot.¡± ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll start looking for one!¡± said Wei Yi as he raised his head to search for a good location. Suddenly, a group of seven or eight children ran into Ji Yunshu¡¯s group. The children also had their ownnterns, and they seemed like scissors that cut the crowd in two wherever they went. Wei Yi, who was slightly ahead of the group, was suddenly cut off from the rest of the group. ¡°Young Master Wei¡­¡­¡± Luan¡¯er immediately chased after him. Jing Rong squinted and ordered to Lang Po, ¡°Follow her. Make sure that you don¡¯t lose track of Wei Yi.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness.¡± Lang Po¡¯s imposing figure quickly sank into the crowd. Ji Yunshu was also about to find an opening through the crowd to chase after Wei Yi, when Jing Rong caught hold of her arm. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Luan¡¯er and Lang Po are after him. He won¡¯t get lost.¡± ¡®Rather, I wouldn¡¯t be terribly irritated if he did get lost¡­¡¯ added Jing Rong in his head. ¡°But I¡¯m still wor-¡± Someone suddenly bumped into Ji Yunshu¡¯s shoulder. Under the impact, Ji Yunshu stumbled and fell into Jing Rong¡¯s arms. Ji Yunshu struggled to stand up, but Jing Rong held his arms around her and caught her in his embrace. ¡°There are too many people here. It¡¯ll be better if we go over there.¡± ¡°But Wei Yi¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve told you that you don¡¯t need to worry about him. Lang Po will see that he gets home safely.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s voice sank, as if he wanted to show that he wouldn¡¯t allow a retort. Ji Yunshu was nearly glued to Jing Rong¡¯s chest by the flow of people around them. The hand that held her shoulder pushed her firmly and made her too weak to try to break herself free. She followed his steps as they both moved toward the edge of the crowd. Ji Yunshu raised her eyes and saw Jing Rong¡¯s face. His eyes were as if they were carved out of marble, cold and possessing an indescribable sharpness. Jing Rong finally brought her out of the crowd, and she gave a sigh of relief. She immediately pushed him away with one of her hands and bowed her head down. ¡°Thank you, your Highness.¡± ¡°Are you really going to distance yourself so?¡± asked Jing Rong in a voice which hinted at his unhappiness. ¡°Your Highness, you are a royal prince, but I am only-¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s response was cut short by Jing Rong¡¯s sudden movement; he grasped both of her arms and pushed her body against the cold stone wall behind her. The suddenness of the movement, perhaps, caused the plum flowerntern to drop from her hands onto the ground. The next moment, Ji Yunshu had her back pressed against the rough wall and found Jing Rong¡¯s face only an inch away from her own, her arms locked by Jing Rong¡¯s against the wall. ¡®This¡­ a kabe-don?¡¯ By the time Ji Yunshu frowned at the sharp stinging paining from her back, her eyes had already collided with the cool regard that Jing Rong was throwing her. Despite the coldness of the look, it seemed like a fire burned within Jing Rong¡¯s eye, a me of anger that will not be extinguished until it consumed Ji Yunshu. ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°Ji Yunshu, are you really blind to my intentions?¡± Jing Rong was quite worried. It would even be fair to say that he was a little angry. 1.The kabe-don in this context is a situation in which a guy ms his hand against the wall, pinning a girl against it. For more informations, click here. The japanese term was used because it¡¯s the easiest and most well known term. Besides,ovels often contain many words taken from japanese anime/manga culture. ? 2.This is most likely a reference to the passage below, ׯÉúÍ÷µÃºûµûÃΣ¬³þÍõ´í·êÎ×ɽÉñ, which itself is a reference to 2 tales 1- Zhuang Zi dreaming of the butterfly 2-King Xiang of Chu dreaming of meeting with a fairy woman Basically mean that everything is but a fleeting dream. ¡± Chapter 96: A Kiss of Whirling Thoughts Jing Rong¡¯s voice was barely audible through the mor of the crowd, yet Ji Yunshu did not miss a single word. ¡°How I feel¡­ Do you really not know?¡± These two sentences sank into her heart like a cauldron of boiling oil. Ji Yunshu trembled nervously. The only answer she had was a long silence. The anger dimmed in Jing Rong¡¯s eyes, reced by a deep look of affection as he started to speak again. ¡°Did you know, the first time I saw you, I guessed that you were actually a girl. I goaded you time and time again, but in the end, what I did only pricked deeper and deeper into my own heart. You tugged my heartstrings until they became an unsortable mess. I couldn¡¯t find sce in the sweet embrace of sleep, and even the most delicate food became tasteless. On several asions, I had to control my burning desire to remove that crown from your head and ascertain my guess. Even after I found out about your true identity, I felt a confusion, a hesitation I¡¯ve never experienced before. Now I am certain that you and you alone can impart this upon me.¡± This time, Ji Yunshu heard each and every word clearly. ¡®Oh, he¡­ he¡¯s confessing to me, isn¡¯t he? Wait, wait. Wake up, your Highness! Do you not understand that it¡¯s simply not possible between us?¡¯ ¡°Your Highness, I¡­ I don¡¯t understand what you are saying¡­ Let me go¡­¡± Ji Yunshu fought against Jing Rong¡¯s grip and dove sideways in an attempt to escape, but Jing Rong blocked her firmly. Jing Rong repeated again, this time with more emphasis, ¡°You im to not understand what I mean. Very well, I shall repeat it again. Is the pleasure from whirling in water not only known to two fish who can chase one another? A solitary mandarin duck1. does not fly far. And you¡­ you are not just a fleeting dream. I know it. You are real, as real as the stone upon which I walk.¡± Boom! The blossoms of the fireworks apanied Jing Rong¡¯sst word. The multi-colored re gradually faded in the sky, leaving nothing but a vivid mark in the eyes and the minds of those who saw it. A loud cheer was hearding from the crowd, but Jing Rong¡¯s eyes did not budge in the slightest. Ji Yunshu looked at his eyes and stopped struggling. They stared at the other party, unable to detach their eyes from each other. She puckered her lips and lowered her brows. ¡°Your Highness, the joy of fish matters little against the drought that will dry the stream in which they swim; and there are certain tempests even the closest pair of mandarin ducks cannot brave. Your Highness¡¯s feelings¡­ I simply cannot reciprocate them,¡± said Ji Yunshu in a tone that softened her refusal. The noise from the exploding fireworkspleted eclipsed Ji Yunshu¡¯s soft voice, but Jing Rong heard her reply quite clearly. The affection between his brows quietly retracted into his thin and long eyes, reced by a despair which climbed up his countenance. He dropped his hands down, as threads do when their hold onto a button is cut loose. ¡°Very well, I understand.¡± After being freed from her cage, Ji Yunshu took two steps back from Jing Rong¡¯s embrace. She held her own arms and had an expression of panic mixed with something she herself couldn¡¯t quite grasp. The two stood with their backs against each other, one with his mood sinking like dust slowly settling, whereas the other was stricken by a nervousness that brought sweat to her palms. Ji Yunshu raised her head and suddenly noticed Ji Muqing amidst the crowd, walking seemingly towards her. She was dressed in a scarlet robe, and her shoulders were covered with a blue and snow white cape. Her hair was neatly arranged into tresses shaped like bamboo sprouts. A golden hairpin pierced the hair knot over her head, the first of a shower of silver and golden ornaments. She carried a four-sidedntern which was sewn together using goldminated thread. Red bamboo made up the frame of thentern, and a single string of silver beads, threaded the center and hung from the base. Four maids followed her. ¡®I would have mistaken her for a royal concubine with that kind of attire and that many followers,¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. Thetter hesitated between ¡°bumping¡± into her or avoiding herpletely. By pure coincidence, Ji Muqing shifted her attention and looked in her direction, but a split second before Ji Muqing could notice her, Ji Yunshu felt a strong pull on her side, and her body spun, letting nothing except her back get seen. Ji Yunshu¡¯s back was once again pressed against the wall as she came around. Jing Rong squeezed her pointed chin between two of his thin fingers and gently flicked it upward. Her tiny figure waspletely hidden by his towering frame. She was forced to stare into Jing Rong¡¯s angry, disappointed, almost bloodthirsty eyes. ¡°Please let me go, your Highness.¡± ¡°Yunshu,¡± he whispered. The next moment, he lowered his head and raised Ji Yunshu¡¯s chin a little more. He wrapped an arm around her svelte waist and brought her closer. His cold lips approached Jin Yunshu¡¯s lips which were tinted with a vivid scarlet. Their lips touched. The scene was lit up by blooming fireworks in the background, had an odd beauty to it. Ji Yunshu was dumbstruck by this sudden kiss. She remained paralyzed and had a vacant expression, even forgetting to breathe for a moment or two. Even Ji Pei had never been so intimate with her. Her thoughts whirled and swirled until nothing clear coulde out of them. She was at aplete loss and even forgot to resist. But Jing Rong sought even more than what he already had. Ji Yunshu¡¯s small lips were the spring of an indistinct aroma which prated deeply into his throat and made his body shiver with joy. He continued savoring the kiss ever more greedily, but Ji Yunshu finally came to her senses and pushed at his chest with both of her hands, making him release her. Ji Yunshu brought one of her pale fingers to her lips and slowly wiped them. She blushed and threw an incredulous look at Jing Rong. Suddenly, she turned around and escaped. ¡°Yunshu¡­¡± Jing Rong had barely the time to call out her name. Ji Yunshu vanished into the crowd before Jing Rong could pull her back. Jing Rong chased after her with all of his might, brushing passers-by onto the side as he crashed into them, but his efforts were fruitless: it was as if Ji Yunshu had simply disappeared. ¡®She¡¯s a fast one,¡¯ thought Jing Rong as a passerby grazed his shoulder. His lips quirked, and he touched them with his finger, bringing an icy sensation. He could still smell the remnants of that sweet aroma. ¡®I was a little too greedy.¡¯ After escaping from Jing Rong, Ji Yunshu walked mechanically, as if she had lost her soul, and she arrived at the Wei Mansion before she knew it. When she entered the courtyard leading to her own room, she saw Wei Yi sitting on the stone stairs with an extinguished plum flowerntern. He looked very deste. Upon hearing her steps, he raised his head. As soon as he saw Ji Yunshu, he ran to meet her. ¡°Shu¡¯er.¡± ¡°Did youe back by yourself?¡± she asked. Wei Yi shook his head. ¡°No, Big Sister Luan¡¯er and that dark-skinned Big Brother brought me back.¡± ¡®Dark-skinned Big Brother? Oh, it must be Lang Po.¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. She nodded and stayed silent. Wei Yi noticed her unusual mood, so he asked in curiosity, ¡°Shu¡¯er, are you unhappy?¡± ¡®Is it showing that much?¡¯ Ji Yunshu forced a smile and shook her head. ¡°Wei Yi, it¡¯s gettingte now. You should go rest.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Wei Yi raised hisntern. ¡°Look, Shu¡¯er, I haven¡¯t hung myntern yet.¡± During the Lantern Festival, it was an established tradition to try to hang antern as high as possible. The higher it is, the more good fortune it would bring. Ji Yunshu saw the disappointment in Wei Yi¡¯s eyes and felt guilty about letting the night conclude unhappily. However, her ownntern had been lost during her struggle with that bastard, so she couldn¡¯t do it with Wei Yi. She searched for an idea in her head and suddenly came up with a great one. She smiled and said, ¡°Wei Yi, let¡¯s not bother with thisntern anymore. How about we tryunching a Kongmingntern2?¡± ¡°A Kongmingntern?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Alright, alright! Let¡¯s fly a Kongmingntern!¡± Ji Yunshu called Luan¡¯er into the room and asked her to fetch two Kongmingnterns from the other servants in the mansion. She then brought in some brushes and an ink stone. When thenterns arrived, she put them onto a small desk and picked up a brush. ¡°Wei Yi, this is a Kongming Lantern. It¡¯ll fly very very high, and a lot people use them to wish for things. If you have any wishes, you could write them on thisntern.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really. Now, what is your wish?¡± Wei Yi thought about the answer for a while, picked up a brush, and started to write on hisntern. Ji Yunshu had no clue about what his wish was, so she started writing on her ownntern too. It did not take too long before she finished writing a line of delicate calligraphy. May my heart be untroubled and the dead rest in their graves. Ji Yunshu¡¯s wishes were always a little unusual. Luan¡¯er looked at the characters and asked in curiosity, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t people usually ask for things like health and safety? Why did you write that?¡± Ji Yushu dropped her brush and exined, ¡°You can only find rest in death if you have lived without worries. Such is the key to happiness in life and serenity in death: a healthy mentality. ¡°What? Oh.¡± Luan¡¯er seemed to not havepletely understood. At that moment, Wei Yi said with a smile, ¡°Shu¡¯er, look. I¡¯ve finished mine!¡± Ji Yunshu walked over and saw a crude drawing of four people together on thentern. They were tall and short,rge and skinny. Wei Yi pointed toward the tall one. ¡°This one is me.¡± He pointed toward therge figure. ¡°This is Father.¡± Then toward the slightly chubby one. ¡°This is Mother.¡± Finally, he moved his finger toward the skinniest one. ¡°This is you, Shu¡¯er.¡± Wei Yi grinned with happiness. For a moment, it seemed like his face shone with a strange radiance. Ji Yunshu was deeply moved, but she was also stricken by a sense of guilt which almost brought tears to her eyes. She recollected her thoughts and said gently, ¡°Okay Wei Yi, let¡¯s light these Kongmingnterns up andunch them into the sky, okay?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The two Kongmingnterns slowly took off into the inky sky, until they became nothing but two shrinking amber halos that flew further and further away. Wei Yi, with his head raised, kept talking to Ji Yunshu, but she could not pay attention to what he said. She stared at thenterns, deep within her own thoughts. ¡®That was my first kiss! Being toyed around like that¡­ that guy¡­¡¯ Ji Yunshu felt her heart throbbed in her chest like a drum, and even now she was still not able to calm down. ¡­¡­¡­. At the same time, in Grand Canal Manor, Jing Rong stood under the roof with his hands behind his back. A gust of cold wind blew into his ck cape. He raised his head and saw two Kongmingnterns in the sky, and he puckered his lips into a smile. He relived the kiss he had with Ji Yunshu in his mind once again and felt its warmth reach all the way into his heart. At that moment, Lang Po approached in a hurry and said, ¡°Your Highness, a letter from the capital.¡± The smile vanished from Jing Rong¡¯s face, and his countenance became grave. He received the envelope from Lang Po¡¯s hands and opened it. After reading its contents, he suddenly crushed the paper into a tight ball with his hand. Coldness shed in his eyes. ¡°It seems like Jing Yi has been nning it for a long time.¡± Jing Yi, or Prince Yi, the third Prince of the Great Ling dynasty! 1. A mandarin duck is known in asian culture as a type of duck that stay faithful to their mate, thus bing the symbol of love. For more information: https://goodlucksymbols/mandarin-ducks/ ? 2. Kongmingntern is basically a Chinese hot air balloon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyntern Chapter 97: Another Case Starts The letter ascertained Jing Rong¡¯s doubts. ¡®Jing Yi, does our bond of blood and flesh really mean nothing to youpared to the throne?¡¯ Lang Po added, ¡°I would not have thought that Prince Yi would resort to something like an assassination to prevent you from going back to the capital.¡± ¡®An urate enough analysis,¡¯ thought Jing Rong. He squinted and looked at the droplets of water running down the eaves. ¡°That case at the Imperial Duke Mansion, it was Lord Qing who asked for a reexamination of the evidence by kneeling down at the front of the Nanzhe Gate for three days and three nights. He even pointed out three points of contention within the file report. Father finally decided to reconsider the case, and it has fallen down on my shoulders. Jing Hua might be the crown prince, but Jing Yi has vied for the position of heir to the throne for a long time already. If I happen to solve this case, then I will surely receive favor from father. If something¡­ were to happen to Jing Hua, in order to be able to rece him, Jing Yi would need to get rid of me first.¡± ¡°But Prince Yi is not only plotting for your demise, he¡¯s also targeting Miss Ji. The best thing we can do right now is to bring Miss Ji back to the capital. Prince Yi wouldn¡¯t dare to overstep his boundaries there. We can also keep an eye on Miss Ji¡¯s safety this way.¡± Jing Rong frowned. ¡°Jing Yi is surely worried about the help Ji Yunshu can provide if she returns to the capital with me. It is unlike him to leave any loose ends.¡± Lang Po reflected for a moment and proposed, ¡°My Highness, Prince Yi has tried to prevent you from going back to the capital for several times now. Why don¡¯t we report it to the Emperor?¡± ¡°Tell it to my father?¡± Jing Rong raised the ball of paper in his hand. ¡°With this?¡± ¡°Your Highness, Lu Jiang gave us a pretty extensive description. Prince Yi did send a group of his subordinates from the capital, and the Shiban poison was produced by this person called Yan Weiyi, who is also connected to Prince Yi. Do we need anything more than that?¡± ¡®More?¡¯ Jing Rong had a cold smile. ¡°Father has always been a distrustful person. If I go and use Prince Yi without irrefutable proof, he¡¯ll think that I am ndering him for the sake of the throne.¡± ¡®Father has always been full of suspicions. He¡¯ll be on his guard at even the slightest signs of abnormality. He would rather cut down an innocent person than risk letting anyone get away. It is a trait typical to emperors, and in that sense, Jing Yi is most simr to him.¡± Night fell, and with it, a thick fog slowly descended on the city. It was exceptionally cold, but that did little to slow down the many thoughts which ran through the heads of those who had trouble sleeping. The next morning, Lord Wei and Madame Wei made it back home. Wei Yi woke up very early to go greet them, while Ji Yunshu readied herself to do so too. Inside the hall, Ji Yunshu was about to give a curtsy to Madame Wei, but thetter stopped her midway. She led her to sit down on a chair and gently tapped her hand. ¡°Yunshu, how are you? Is there anywhere you feel ufortable?¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern, aunt Wei. I feel a lot better now.¡± ¡°It is good then. We were both worried sick for you. You look a lot better now, so I can rest assured,¡± said Madame Wei. Ji Yunshu smiled back at her, touched by the disy ofpassion. Lord Wei turned his head toward Wei Yi and asked, ¡°Yi¡¯er, have you been causing any trouble the past two days?¡± Wei Yi shook his head and made a hand gesture, ¡°Dad, I didn¡¯t cause any trouble. I listened to you and took good care of Shu¡¯er.¡± ¡°Good. From now on, you should treat Yunshu even better, okay?¡± ¡°Dad, will Yunshu be my bride?¡± asked Wei Yi rather innocently, but his question was quite embarrassing for Lord Wei and Madame Wei to answer. Ji Yunshu was also caught off guard by the question. She did not quite know how to answer it, but it did remind her that she needed to confess her true intentions to Wei Yi: she could not afford to wait for much longer. Madame Wei seemed to have suddenly remembered something. She said to Ji Yunshu, ¡°Oh yes, tonight we are hosting a banquet, and I have already sent someone to the Ji Mansion. We¡¯ve brought you here under rather forceful circumstances, so your uncle and I think that it would be best if we could make up with your parents. After all, our families are soon to be united though you two, aren¡¯t we? We are hoping to have a family reunion tonight.¡± ¡®A family meal?¡¯ Ji Yunshu quickly declined, ¡°Aunt Wei, there¡¯s no need for that, really. Also¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already decided, and the Ji Mansion has been advised. Please rest assured tonight. I reckon that your father and grandmother are thinking of a way to bring you home right now, but they haven¡¯t found one to do so without injuring their pride. Let¡¯s give them a chance. If they ever ask you, please go home with them.¡± ¡®Clever. She¡¯s very smart about this,¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu, and she had no choice but to ept. As she exited the hall, she pondered about how to approach her situation. Wei Yi came out of nowhere and stopped in front of her. ¡°Shu¡¯er, are you really going back home today? Could you stay?¡± He pulled at Ji Yunshu¡¯s sleeves very timidly. Ji Yunshu thought about it for a while and finally pushed his hand away with resolution. She said to him very seriously, ¡°Wei Yi, I need to be honest with you. I will not marry you, and I will not be your bride.¡± ¡°Shu¡¯er, what¡­ What are you saying?¡± ¡°I meant what I said. Wei Yi, I know that you are very kind to me, and so are your parents, but I can¡¯t be that selfish. I cannot lie to you. There is no way I will marry you.¡± Wei Yi¡¯s expression sank as he heard Ji Yunshu repeat her words. He asked nervously, ¡°Why? Shu¡¯er, why won¡¯t you be my bride? Mom has told me that you are my bride.¡± ¡°I am not.¡± Ji Yunshu emphasized. ¡°Shu¡¯er¡­¡± Ji Yunshu grasped his arm and said, ¡°Wei Yi, I see you as a little brother. Do you understand?¡± She tried as hard as she could to make him understand what she wanted to convey. But Wei Yi was stricken by extreme dejection. Tears quickly filled up his good-looking eyes. He lowered his head and puckered his lips. After a long silence, he asked, ¡°Shu¡¯er¡­ is it because I am dumb?¡± ¡®Oh no.¡¯ Ji Yunshu trembled. Her chest felt as if someone had ripped it open. She shook her head. ¡°No, Wei Yi, it¡¯s not because of that.¡± Wei Yi sobbed quietly. He pushed Ji Yunshu away and stepped back. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I get it. I know that you don¡¯t want to be with me, because you think that I¡¯m dumb.¡± He turned around and ran away. ¡°Wei Yi, no!¡± She called out his name repeatedly, but Wei Yi ran as swiftly as a rabbit and disappeared. Her eyes reddened, and she bit her lips. But, she was at a loss for what to do. When night fell, everyone from the Ji Mansion, with the exception of Ji Lingzhi, arrived. Wei Yi was absent from the banquet. Lord Wei sent someone to go look for him, but the servant came backing saying that Wei Yi was alone in the backyard and refused to budge no matter what. Ji Yunshu took her own seat, but she was absent-minded and restless; she couldn¡¯t think much about the meal at all. Ji Wanxin sat down next to her and bent over to whisper to her, ¡°Yunshu, have you enjoyed your stay at the Wei Mansion?¡± Ji Yunshu nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Father made Lingzhi kneel for an entire night for making Munqing fall into the water. She even had to copy scriptures. It would be good to end it right now ande home tonight. You have no idea how angry father and grandmother were the past few days.¡± ¡®All the better if they get angry. Better yet, let them have a seizure.¡¯ Ji Yunshun answered impassively, ¡°Don¡¯t worry sister. I will return tonight.¡± ¡°Yes, you should. We are one family after all; no grudges ought to be held forever.¡± ¡°You are right, elder sister.¡± Ji Yunshu said inattentively. She was thinking about Wei Yi and simply did not want to spend time bickering about family matters. She also had an uncertain feeling about Ji Wanxin. Thetter¡¯s disposition remained a mystery to her, and she always believed that there is something else hidden beneath her frailty and gentleness. Ji Muqing looked at the moment of ¡°intimacy¡± between the two and derided, ¡°Humpf, birds of a feather flocking together.¡± The food and utensils were soon brought in by the servants. Ji Yuanzhi also took his seat and shed a nce at Ji Yunshu before he picked up his cup and took a long gulp. His favorite little sister had been wronged by Ji Yunshu, and thetter even pped her. As her big brother, he was quite unhappy about it. It was unsurprising, therefore, that he also harbored an animosity toward her. Lord Wei announced the start of the feast by lifting his cup in Ji Shuhan¡¯s direction. ¡°Lord Ji, there was ack of civility on my part during ourst encounter. I would like to ask for your forgiveness. Ji Shuhan was expressionless. ¡°Of course not. On the contrary, we¡¯d like to thank you for your generous hospitality in taking care of Yunshu.¡± The two families chit-chatted, crossing topics ranging from Ji Muqing¡¯s fall into the water to the marriage that was to happen between Wei Yi and Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu listened without saying a single word. At the end of the meal, Ji Yunshu suddenly said that she would stay a bit longer and return to the Ji Mansionter. Ji Shuhan and old Madame Ji¡¯s countenance turned sour, but they would not deign to drag her forcefully into the horsecart, so they epted her proposition. Ji Yunshu waited for her family to leave and asked Lord Wei and Madame Wei to go into a side room with her. As soon as they entered the room, Ji Yunshu poured two cups of tea and respectfully offered them. ¡®Is this the tea from a daughter-inw?¡¯ Madame and Lord Wei exchanged nces and drank them rather happily. Suddenly, Ji Yunshu knelt down on the floor. Ji Yunshu¡¯s sudden movement surprised Madame Wei greatly. ¡°What are you doing, Yunshu?¡± ¡°I am sorry, aunt Wei and uncle Wei.¡± Their hearts skipped a beat upon hearing the sudden statement. They looked at each other and asked, ¡°Yunshu, why are you telling us that?¡± Ji Yunshu exined very seriously, ¡°I am aware that being the daughter of a lowly concubine from the Ji Mansion, I shouldn¡¯t hope to have much of a say over whom I will marry, and I should obey the decision of my parents on this matter. But, I cannot hide the truth from you much longer. There is someone I hold dear to my heart. I have waited for him for over two years, and I simply cannot consider my union with another person.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Madame Wei and Lord Wei were astonished by the exnation. Ji Yunshu touched the floor with her forehead, but the determination shone even stronger in her eyes. ¡°I am sorry. I know that you have been kind to me, and I shall remember it from this day onwards, but I cannot lie to my heart. I cannot marry Wei Yi.¡± Madame Wei looked disappointed and downhearted. ¡°Are you really¡­ unwilling to marry Yi¡¯er.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lord Wei sighed. ¡°What if Yi¡¯er wasn¡¯t¡­¡± Ji Yunshu immediately answered. ¡°Uncle Wei, that is no cause for repulsion. I simply cannotmit to anyone else. Wei Yi is a nice man, and I do not wish to lie to him. I am sure that he will find someone that will love him for who he is.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Pfff- Madame Wei had barely started talking when she suddenly brought both of her arms to her chest and spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡°Aunt Wei?¡± Ji Yunshu was extremely shocked. The next moment, blood also came out of Lord Wei¡¯s mouth. He fell from the chair onto the ground and sped his shirt. His face turned blue, he stared at the ground and opened his mouth to speak, but he could not produce a single sound. The next moment, Madame Wei also fell onto the floor. Chapter 98: Don’t be Afraid, I Am by Your Side. Wei Yi¡¯s parentsid on the floor with ghastly faces and coughed up blood with every breath. Ji Yunshu was frozen by shock until she realized that she had to do something. She hurriedly got up and knelt down beside Lord Wei and Madame Wei. ¡°Aunt Wei, uncle Wei? You¡­¡± She lifted Madame Wei up from the ground and made her lean against her own body, and wiped the blood which came out of her mouth, not knowing better. Madame Wei¡¯splexion turned blue as her trembling hand stretched toward Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu grasped her hand and shouted, ¡°Aunt Wei!¡± ¡°Yi¡­Yi¡¯er, Pl-please help me¡­ take care¡­of him¡­¡± Madame Wei entreated Ji Yunshu with great difficulty, and tears appeared in her eyes. ¡°Aunt Wei?¡± ¡°Pro¡­ promise me.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes reddened, and tears began to drip down her cheeks. She nodded as strongly as she could and said, ¡°Yes, I promise you. I promise you. Aunt Wei, don¡¯t worry, you will be alright.¡± Madame Wei gripped her hands agitatedly. ¡°Also¡­ Yunshu, Yi¡¯er¡­ He¡¯s¡­not¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yi¡¯er is not¡­ my¡­¡± ¡®What?¡¯ Ji Yunshu was dumbfounded. Madame Wei could not finish her sentence. Her body twitched and suddenly lost all strength. She stopped breathing the next moment. Her eyes remained open, staring ghastly into the afterlife. Her death was far from peaceful. ¡°Aunt Wei! Aunt Wei!¡± Ji Yunshu cried out in disbelief. She nudged Madame Wei¡¯s body, but did not receive a response. She turned her head to look at Lord Wei, and saw him lying prostrate with the same wide-opened eyes. Ji Yunshu yelled in panic, ¡°Someone, someone pleasee!¡± The first person to enter the room was Luan¡¯er. She flung open the door and her whole body trembled when she saw the scene inside. She covered her mouth with both of her hands and screeched with terror. ¡°Go get a doctor, quick!¡± cried Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu¡¯s voice snapped Luan¡¯er out of her shock. With trembling limbs, she ran to fetch a doctor. The other people in the Wei Mansion, alerted by themotion, came to see what was going on and nearly lost their souls when they saw their mastersying on the ground. Someone quickly rushed into the room and ced their finger near the nostrils of Madame and Lord Wei. He copsed on the ground the next second. ¡°Milord and Madame¡­ they are dead!¡± The entire room fell silent. Only after a few seconds did cries of ¡°Milord¡± and ¡°Madame¡± fill up the room, apanied by sobs and moans. Ji Yunshu still had Madame Wei¡¯s hand in hers, and her eyes reddened to the point of causing pain. She felt a fiery pain sear through her heart, but above all, she simply refused to believe what had just happened. Someone looked at the door and suddenly said. ¡°Young Master.¡± Wei Yi was standing at the door, and his pretty eyes looked at the two corpses on the ground. He seemed almost like an unreal being. Ji Yunshu raised her head and looked at him. Wei Yi¡¯s body was tightened into a rigid nk. It was a long while before he could manage to slowly move his quivering feet and limp into the room. He stopped right beside his parents¡¯ corpses, feet drenched in a small pool of dark blood, and knelt down to hold one hand from each of his parents. He didn¡¯t cry, but his voice was sorrowful enough to make any listener do so. ¡°Mom, dad, Yi¡¯er will be a nice boy. Please wake up! Can you please wake up?¡± ¡°Young Master, Milord and Madame¡­ they have already passed away.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true, mom and dad wouldn¡¯t leave me.¡± Wei Yi shook his head and wrapped his arms around his parents¡¯ body. He cried and murmured, ¡°Yi¡¯er will be a nice boy, Yi¡¯er will never cause trouble again. Dad, mom, can you wake up, please? Stop sleeping. Don¡¯t leave Yi¡¯er alone¡­¡± Wei Yi voice cracked, and he stopped his monologue. Ji Yunshu looked at Wei Yi in his misery and felt as if she was torn into two from the inside out. Wei Yi refused to move his hands away from his parents, no matter how hard the servants tried. He just kept repeating, ¡°I¡¯ll be a nice boy now, please¡­¡± Luan¡¯er came back, apanied by a doctor not long after. He quickly confirmed the passing away of both Lord Wei and Madame Wei. Upon further verification, he said, ¡°Lord Wei and Madame Wei ingested Pitohui poison.¡± ¡®Pitohui poison? What¡¯s that?¡¯ The servants thought rather curiously. They did not understand what the result implied, but Ji Yunshu did. She looked at the doctor and asked with consternation, ¡°Doctor, are you really sure that it¡¯s Pitohui poison?¡± ¡°Yes, there is no mistake, it is indeed Pitohui poison.¡± answered the doctor. He suddenly noticed the two cups of tea on the table, picked up one and sniffed it. He then brought out a pack of powder from his case and melted some into the tea. The tea, which had a light amber color, suddenly turned pitch-ck. ¡°There is poison in the tea,¡± said the doctor. He then added some powder to the tea kettle, and upon observing no reaction, added, ¡°It is likely that someone added the poison to the tea while it was being poured.¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± retorted Ji Yunshu. ¡°It¡¯s impossible that there¡¯s poison in the tea. That¡¯s because¡­ I¡¯m the one who poured the tea.¡± She had barely finished her sentence when she felt a powerful shove which pushed her away from Madame Wei¡¯s corpse. She staggered, and her body ran into the doorframe. ¡°You added the poison. You killed Milord and Madame.¡± Someone pointed a finger at her. Ji Yunshu shuddered. She looked at the blood on her hands and dropped both of her arms limply. ¡°It was not me, it was not me¡­¡± Wei Yi raised his head to look at her when he heard the shout. His bloodshot eyes were filled with disbelief. Ji Yunshu shook her head and met his nce directly. ¡°Wei Yi, it was not me.¡± ¡°Shu¡¯er¡­¡± ¡°Believe me.¡± She said with a serious look. Wei Yi sniffed and remained in a silent sob. ¡°You are the one who put in the poison, you are a murderer! Someone, call the yamen right now.¡± Someone yelled loudly. The servants suddenly burst into a confused mess. Some were screaming while others were still crying. Luan¡¯er pulled on Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand and cried in fear, but she did not forget to defend her. ¡°My Young Miss has not killed anyone. She would never do that. It cannot be her.¡± The servants did not mind her opposition, and sent someone right away for the yamen. It was not long before Magistrate Liu arrived in a hurry with a couple of runners. Such explosive news from the Wei Mansion, the loss of two lives; he simply could not wait calmly for the news to reach him. ¡°What¡­ happened here?¡± asked the Magistrate with astonishment. The servants all pointed towards Ji Yunshu. ¡°Sir, she murdered our master and our mistress with poison. The proof is irrefutable, she¡¯s the culprit.¡± The Magistrate was obviously on Ji Yunshu¡¯s side. He asked carefully, ¡°Yunshu¡­ what has happened here?¡± Ji Yunshu did not speak a single word. Her attention remained solely focused on Wei Yi¡¯s trembling figure. The Magistrate tried to defend her silence. He turned around and said to the servants, ¡°Is there some kind of misunderstanding? This is a matter of two lives, we cannot simply rush to a conclusion, we should thoroughly investigate this.¡± An elderly person from the Mansion became quite agitated. ¡°Milord, she has confessed that she was the one who poured the poisoned tea. This means that it has to be her. Our master and mistress died such a horrible death, are you really going to protect a murderer from the rightful punishment she deserves?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean that, it¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°She killed someone, she needs to pay for her crime with her own life. Please, milord, for the sake of ourte master and mistress¡­¡± This sentence ignited the anger of the servants in the room. Their voices gathered in an angry shout directed at Ji Yunshu and demanding justice to the magistrate. Magistrate Liu sighed and carefully approached Ji Yunshu. The predicament was quite difficult to handle for him. ¡°Yunshu, I¡­¡± Ji Yunshu cut him off. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand.¡± Magistrate Liu was caught between a rock and a hard ce. He firmly believed in Ji Yunshu¡¯s innocence, but he could not find any proof to support his judgment. The only thing he could do was¡­ ¡°Runners, bring her back to the jail. We shall have a proper trial when we finish conducting an investigation.¡± The runners shed a nce at each other and came forward to seize Ji Yunshu. They were blocked off by Luan¡¯er, who had tears rolling down her cheeks. ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t throw Young Miss into prison. Milord Liu, you know well that she would nevermit such a crime.¡± ¡°Of course I know that, but¡­¡± Magistrate Liu hesitated. ¡°Milord Liu, you have to trust Young Miss, she did not murder them,¡± insisted Luan¡¯er. Ji Yunshu called out to her. ¡°Luan¡¯er, no exnation will be able to save me right now.¡± ¡°Young Miss¡­¡± Ji Yunshu did not answer Luan¡¯er and walked towards Wei Yi instead. She knelt down right beside her, examined his face ravaged by tears and touched his head gently. ¡°Wei Yi, don¡¯t be scared,¡± sheforted him with a soft voice. He raised his bloodshot eyes and said her name in a spasmodic voice, ¡°Shu¡¯er¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll stay by your side. Don¡¯t be scared.¡± He nodded firmly and started to cry again as he tightened his grip on his parents¡¯ bodies. Ji Yunshu held her own tears and endured the pain in her body. She stood up and advanced towards Magistrate Liu. ¡°Milord, I would like to ask you to seal the entrance to this room, and make sure that everything stays as it is right now.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Ji Yunshu threw onest look at Wei Yi and left with the runners. Even from outside the brightly lit room, she could hear the agonizing mourning of the inhabitants of the Wei mansion. Their cries sundered the calmness of the night and echoed into the distance. Ji Yunshu was brought into a cell which was decently clean. It wasn¡¯t quite as ¡°luxurious¡± as Madame Jiang¡¯s cell, but it was not ridden with crass and a fetid smell. Magistrate Liu¡¯s heart pounded as he saw her locked in the cell. He pped his hands and asked, ¡°How did that happen? How did they suddenly pass away?¡± Ji Yunshu remained motionless on her clean straw mat and did not answer him. She wrapped both of her arms around one of her knees and lowered her head. ¡°Yunshu, everyone at the Wei mansion believes that you are the culprit. I trust you, but you need to tell me your thoughts.¡± Still no answer from Ji Yunshu. Magistrate Liu sighed and beckoned a jailkeeper. ¡°Take good care of her. Bring her a quilt and a small heater. It¡¯s rather cold in there, and she could suffer a lot from it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The jailkeeper left to fetch the items. Magistrate Liu tried to ask a few more questions, but Ji Yunshu acted as if she never heard them. He had no choice but to leave her for the moment after a few vain attempts. Ji Yunshu sat still for the entirety of the night. The heater did little to stop the inching of the biting cold into her skin and blood. But, she could not feel any of the difort. Her whole attention was fixated on the blood-stained robe she wore. The stains were colored like wine, and there are even ces where they seemed cker than anything. It was indeed suggestive of a poisonous substance. Ji Yunshu slowly rubbed the fabric of her clothes and sank into a deep pondering. Chapter 99: Autopsy Required The terrible news of the Wei Mansion soon spread out in Jinjiang city. It was not long before nearly everyone was aware of what happened to the Wei family, and to Ji Yunshu, who was now in prison. Upon hearing the news, Ji Shuhan and Old Madame Ji nearly fainted. A murderer who bore the Ji name?! It was an utmost disgrace for the Ji family. Jing Rong, of course, had received the news of Ji Yunshu¡¯s imprisonment. The day had barely dawned when he arrived at the prison. The two guards at the gate, unaware of his identity, halted him. Lang Po drew out his token and said, ¡°Prince Rong is here, do you dare offend him?¡± The two guards dropped down to their knees upon seeing the token. They trembled in fear. ¡°This humble one¡­ greets Prince Rong. This humble one was not aware that it was¡­ Please forgive this humble one.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s piercing eyes made them shiver again. ¡°Bring me to Ji Yunshu.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness.¡± The two hurriedly stood and led the way with their heads lowered and their backs bent. Jing Rong¡¯s heart sank, and his hands clenched into fists as the putrid odor from the humid and unlit cells reached his nostrils. He grew increasingly irritated until he saw the fairly cleaned up interior of Ji Yunshu¡¯s cell. He ordered, ¡°Open the door.¡± The jailkeeper obeyed and retreated to the side. Jing Rong strode into the cell. He found Ji Yunshu¡¯s little frame crouched on the ground, holding in a shiver as she curled up into a ball. The heater beside her had run out of coal, only a pale fume emerged out of it. ¡°Yunshu¡­¡± he called out quietly. Ji Yunshu shrunk her legs further and only raised her head after a long while. What entered her eyes was a pair of silver threaded boots with golden ornaments and the corners of a long silk robe. A little further up were Jing Rong¡¯s eyes, looking back at her with a pity-mixed affection. It had been just one day, but the ruddiness in her cheeks was already reced by a pallor which could rival a clean sheet of paper. Jing Rong knelt down and brushed her forehead that was as cold as a block of stone with his long fingers. He carefully swept a lock of hair behind her ears, and slid his hands down until he met another pair, a smaller pair of hands, which was devoid of any warmth. Ji Yunshu did not resist his hold. She stared back at him with sunken eyes and asked in a tired voice, ¡°What about Wei Yi, how is he doing?¡± Jing Rong shook his head. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, I promise you that.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t deserve any of this.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s soft voice reverberated within her tiny cell. Jing Rong added, ¡°Rest assured. I won¡¯t let anything happen to you. Even if all the evidence points to your guilt. My trust in you will stay by your side even if the whole world abandons you.¡± His countenance was serious, and he kneaded her hands firmly. Ji Yunshu remained unmoved; thoughts swirling within her mind distracted her. Two runners arrived at that moment. Upon noticing Jing Rong, they approached with utmost care, for fear of offending him with a single misspoken word. ¡°Your Highness, we are here on behalf of Magistrate Liu¡¯s orders. We¡¯d like to bring Miss Ji to the great hall. Jing Rong shed a menacing nce at the two, which caused them to retreat in fear. He turned his head around and said to Ji Yunshu, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Ji Yunshu ignored him and followed the two runners to the great hall. Jing Rong followed on after her. When they arrived, they found Magistrate Liu on his chair, and a few people knelt down on the ground in front of him. The one closest was Wei Fu, the housekeeper of the Wei Mansion. Behind him were two other servants and the doctor from the day before. When Magistrate Liu saw Jing Rong behind Ji Yunshu, he stood up to salute Jing Rong properly, but was cut short by a hand gesture. ¡°Start the trial,¡± said Jing Rong coolly. Magistrate Liu scrambled for an answer. ¡°Yes, yes sir.¡± He bowed down and pointed to a chair right beside him, ¡°Please, Prince, have a seat.¡± Jing Rong threw a worried nce at Ji Yunshu and epted the invitation. The runners constrained Ji Yunshu to kneel down beside Wei Fu. Magistrate Liu smashed his gavel and opened up with formalities. ¡°The murder case at the Wei Mansion. To the person below who is using Ji Yunshu, do you have any proof to support your im?¡± Wei Fu¡¯s eyes immediately turned red. He looked at Ji Yunshu and bowed at the Magistrate once again. ¡°Milord, she poisoned our masters,¡± said Wei Fu as he pointed his finger. Ji Yunshu did not answer him. She knelt silently with her back straightened. Magistrate Liu gulped down some saliva and asked, ¡°Well, where is your proof?¡± ¡°A banquet was hosted at our mansion yesterday. When it finished, Miss Ji, instead of going home, asked our master and our mistress to go with her to a side room. She poured two cups of tea and the poison was within it.¡± ¡°Where did the poisone from?¡± The doctor behind Wei Fu answered, ¡°Milord, this humble one has found traces of Pitohui poison within the tea. Since the tea within the teapot did not contain any poison, we deduced that the poison must have been added in by whoever poured the tea.¡± Magistrate Liu frowned. ¡°But¡­ these are circumstantial at best.¡± The housekeeper Wei Fu immediately added, ¡°This humble one has found Pitohui bird plumes inside the Miss Ji¡¯s living quarters.¡± The two maids behind him immediately presented a few feathers wrapped in white cloth to the Magistrate. It wasmonly known that these feathers are extremely toxic, and even animals are known to avoid water which has been touched by them. Wei Fu emphasized his usation. ¡°Milord, Miss Ji must have added the poisonous water made with the feathers when she poured the tea. Please, milord, we beg for a just and fair judgment. You must render justice to our masters.¡± Magistrate pped her own forehead in frustration. He squinted at Ji Yunshu and noticed her unbrokenposure. ¡°Ji Yunshu¡­ Care¡­ to exin yourself?¡± he attempted. ¡®Please say something. I don¡¯t want to say that you are guilty, and I definitely don¡¯t want to have to sentence you to death.¡¯ Ji Yunshu had her head lowered, she seemed to be pondering about something. Jing Rong worried quite a bit for her; despite being a prince, he could not hold thew in contempt. He stood up and walked a brisk paced in Ji Yunshu¡¯s direction, his countenance cold as a block of ice. He lowered his head and threw a nce at her before shifting his attention to the Magistrate. ¡°Milord Liu, I¡¯ve heard the details about this case. It is far too far-fetched to affirm that Miss Yi is the culprit based on the poison being in the tea.¡± ¡°Yes, it is indeed far-fetched, yes.¡± Magistrate Liu wholeheartedly agreed with the remark. The fact that the statement came out of Jing Rong intimidated Wei Fu to a fair extent, but he burst into sobs as he recalled the gruesome deaths of his masters. ¡°Your Highness, milord, are these Pitohui feathers not irrefutable proof? We did indeed find them in Miss Ji¡¯s room. Furthermore, she was alone with our masters and she was the one who poured the tea. Please, I beg you to shed light on this case and to avenge the Wei family.¡± Jing Rong spoke his thoughts, ¡°The Pitohui feathers cannot prove her guilt. If she is being framed, then these feathers¡¯ presence would only be natural. Moreover, no one saw her add the poison, wouldn¡¯t it be too hasty toe to conclusions then?¡± He swept his sleeves and created a gust of wind as he concluded his deduction. Magistrate Liu agreed and added, ¡°Wei Fu, Prince Rong is absolutely right.¡± Wei Fu raised his head to look at Jing Rong and started to cry. ¡°Prince Rong, I speak the truth. Miss Ji killed someone, we wouldn¡¯t wrong her.¡± ¡°Well then, I ask you: why would she murder them?¡± The question caught Wei Fu off guard, and he himself thought about an answer. He lowered his head and stuttered, ¡°This¡­ old master and madame were very kind to Miss Yi when they were alive. Why she should want to see them dead¡­ I¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± Jing Rong pounced on the weakness. ¡°If no one has seen her add the poison, and the feathers were only found after she was thrown into jail, then is it not senseless to condemn her? This is not even counting the fact that the motive remains absent, and that she herself might have been entrapped.¡± Wei Fu could not retort to Jing Rong¡¯s speech. Magistrate Liu hurriedly added, ¡°There are still important points of consideration about this case. I will not mistreat an innocent person, but, Wei Fu, I can guarantee you that I will not let the culprit escape. What you wanted to say has been heard, and we will work on resolving the case as quickly as possible and give justice to Lord Wei and Madame Wei.¡± Wei Fu had no choice but to ept the oue. He kowtowed. ¡°Thank you, milord.¡± Magistrate Liu added, ¡°Lock up the suspect, Ji Yunshu, until the case is solved.¡± The runners carefully approached Ji Yunshu and made her stand up once again. She remained silent the whole time. Before the runners could bring her out of the hall, Jing Rong pulled her over and whispered into her ears with a worried countenance. ¡°I know that you are still grieving right now, but you need to save yourself right now. I will do my best to find proof of your innocence, but I also need you to galvanize yourself into action. Only you know what happened in that room.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s brows moved; she seemed to have heard what he said. In fact, she had been focused on the case sincest night, but she was quite unable to figure out how the poison had made its way into the tea. The discovery of the Pitohui feathers was simply ridiculous, and, if anything, only made her suspect that someone was indeed intending on making her shoulder the me. ¡®But how¡­ how did the culprit know that I was going to pour the tea?¡¯ This question preupied her mind for the entirety of the night, and the truth had just begun to unearth itself. She raised her eyes and whispered back to Jing Rong, ¡°Prince, I need to perform an autopsy.¡± ¡®An autopsy? The people from the Wei Mansion think that she murdered their masters. They will never agree to let her perform an autopsy.¡¯ Jing Rong frowned and nodded with determination. ¡°I will make it possible for you.¡± Ji Yunshu threw a thankful nce and exited the hall with the runners. Jing Rong headed towards the Wei Mansion as soon as the trial was over. White cloth strips of mourning decorated the mansion from its entrance all the way to the inner courtyard. Even thenterns, which were otherwise colored by a red silk, were now white. Jing Rong entered the mourning hall with Lan Po behind him. He saw the coffins aligned with the top still open, and two memorial tablets with candles still lit. Wei Yi, wearing a white robe, knelt right before the two tablets and fixated his gaze upon them. The trace of tears in his eyes and the red eyes revealed the obvious: he had been crying the loss of the two people dearest to him in the world. Chapter 100: Body Snatching? Outside the mourning hall, a servant noticed Jing Rong. The servant from the Wei mansion stepped forward and inquired, ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± ¡°An old friend.¡± A few words weres enough for Jing Rong to avoid further inquiry. Besides, an old friending to grieve was a logical reason to be present. Jing Rong entered the mourning hall and walked to the altar where he bowed in respect, then he patted Wei Yi who was staring nkly. Wei Yi raised his head and saw Jing Rong. His expression was twisted with the pain of grief. He faintly sobbed. ¡°Big brother, my father and my mother died.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Why did they die?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jing Rong remained silent. Wei Yi pressed lips together, forcing himself not to cry. His lips trembled a few times before he could finally speak. ¡°Mother told me that if one day she had to leave, I must not cry¡­ but¡­ I can¡¯t do it. I cried for a long, long time. Do you think Mother is angry and doesn¡¯t want me anymore?¡± Looking at Wei Yi¡¯s appearance only made people¡¯s heart ache for him. He was like a nt in a greenhouse, growing up carefree and without worries in a world gravitating around his father, his mother, and Shu¡¯er! Jing Rong wasn¡¯t a softhearted person, but despite having hardened his heart behind a wall, at this moment, the wall crumbled because of that fool in front of him. He bent down on one of his knees, leveling his line of sight to Wei Yi. Looking at the other with calm eyes, he asked Wei Yi, ¡°Wei Yi, have you heard about the guan bird?¡± Wei Yi shook his head. ¡°Every young guan bird, before being fully mature, would grow under the wings of an adult guan bird until they could leave their nest and spread their wings into the blue sky. When they could fly by themselves, they must leave the adult guan bird because the wings of the adult guan bird can only protect them until they grow up. Since the young guan birds are meant to fly to higher skies, they can only look further ahead, leaving the protection of the adult guan bird.¡± Wei Yi looked at him pitifully, but his painful wrinkled expression gradually loosened. He pressed Jing Rong for an answer, ¡°Then, would I be able to see my parents again?¡± Although Jing Rong couldn¡¯t bear seeing Wei Yi in such a way, he could not lie to him. Therefore, he simply nodded. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to leave mom and dad. I want to keep being a little guan bird. I want to stay at mom¡¯s and dad¡¯s side,¡± whined Wei Yi. Jing Rong wasn¡¯t good atforting people. This was something beyond his capacity! He had yet to find some words offort, but Wei Yi had already pulled on his sleeve. ¡°Big brother, they all say that Shu¡¯er poisoned my parents. It¡¯s not true, right? Shu¡¯er wouldn¡¯t do something like that. Big brother, tell me, Shu¡¯er didn¡¯t do it, right?¡± anxiously asked Wei Yi. ¡°Of course she didn¡¯t do it,¡± answered Jing Rong. ¡°Do you believe in Yunshu?¡± Wei Yi nodded while wiping his tears. Jing Rong grabbed Wei Yi¡¯s arm and whispered. ¡°Wei Yi, do you want to save Yunshu?¡± ¡°I want to.¡± ¡°Then I need to take your parents¡¯ body to the memorial hall.¡± Wei Yi breathed in as he stared at Jing Rong without understanding his words. Jing Rong continued, ¡°In a moment, you will send everyone out. As for me, I have my own way to snatch the bodies.¡± Wei Yi inquired, ¡°Will doing that really save Shu¡¯er?¡± Jing Rong nodded. As he looked at his parents¡¯ memorial tablets, Wei Yi choked a cry and agreed to it. After the sky darkened, Wei Yi sent everyone out ording to Jing Rong¡¯s instructions. ¡°Everyone, please leave. I don¡¯t want anyone in here.¡± A servant asked, ¡°Young master, let us stay here and apany you.¡± ¡°No need. You can all leave. I want to stay here with the two big brothers.¡± He then pointed at Jing Rong and Lang Po. The servants looked at each other. Since it was their new master¡¯smand, they could only obey and withdraw from the courtyard. As soon as everyone left, suddenly, six people jumped off from the roof beam. Their sudden appearance scared Wei Yi who hid behind Jing Rong. The people who jumped off the beam sped their hands toward Jing Rong in greeting. ¡°Your Highness.¡± Jing Rong spoke in a grave voice. ¡°Do your work.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡± They hurriedly dashed next to the two coffins and carried away Lord Wei¡¯s and Madame Wei¡¯s corpses agilely. Oh my gosh! This was body snatching! Right in front of Wei Yi¡¯s eyes, they jumped up to the roof while carrying away the two bodies. This was no longer considered body snatching, but brazen corpse robbery! After he saw the bodies being carried away, Wei Yi anxiously ran up a few steps, but Jing Rong pulled him back. ¡°Wei Yi, you have to stay here to keep guard. You must not let anyone enter. Wait here until Ie back with your parents¡¯ bodies. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Big brother, I don¡¯t want to leave mom and dad. Can¡¯t I go with you?¡± Wei Yi spoke while trying to stifle his sobs. ¡°Wei Yi, you have to stay here.¡± Wei Yi¡¯s eyes reddened, but he still obediently nodded. Jing Rong signaled at Lang Po. ¡°You stay here with him just in case something unexpected happens.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness.¡± Soon after, Jing Rong left the same way as the other men. Following Jing Rong¡¯s arrangements, Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t stay in the prison cell for long. She changed into a jailer uniform, and quietly left to the memorial hall with the help of some people. Jing Rong¡¯s subordinates hastily rushed to the memorial hall while carrying the bodies of the Wei couple. As soon as they arrived, they put down the bodies. Soon after, Jing Rong rushed into the room. Ji Yunshu grabbed him. ¡°Were you able to bring them?¡± ¡°Fortunately, your little Wei Yi helped!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no time. Hurry and do the autopsy.¡± He took Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand and led her into the room. He was right. There was no time to lose. It wasn¡¯t the time to think about trivial things. Although if she were to learn that Jing Rong stole the corpses, she would probably be torn betweenughter and tears. As soon as Ji Yunshu saw the already ckening corpses lying on the freezing nk, her heart couldn¡¯t bear such a sight and her eyes quickly reddened. She took in a deep breath to calm her mind. She put on gloves and went in front of Madame Wei¡¯s body. Her hands gripped her chest as spoke while trying to choke her sobs. ¡°Aunt Wei. If your spirit is still amongst us, you must tell me in any way who killed you.¡± Jing Rong, who stood by her side, kept his silence. Ji Yunshu touched Madame Wei¡¯s throat and pressed on it a few times. ¡°As expected, she was poisoned!¡± As soon as the words were uttered, she picked up a dagger and sliced open Madame Wei¡¯s throat. Ji Yunshu spoke while doing the incision. ¡°The pitohui poison is a poisonous substance found on the pitohui¡¯s feathers. The feathers are coated with a substance that would not im anyone¡¯s life when in a dry state. However, when ites in contact with water, and someone ingests the contaminated water, the potency of the poison is enough to kill a human!¡± Jing Rong¡¯s subordinates stood at the entrance motionlessly and unperturbed. Only their ears were listening with attention. Jing Rong asked her, ¡°Then, what do you want to verify by cutting an opening in her throat?¡± Ji Yunshu increased the strength in her hand. She frowned and replied, ¡°I just want to validate if they were poisoned after drinking the tea or before drinking it.¡± ¡°This can be verified?¡± ¡°By examining their throats¡­ I¡¯ll see who the murderer is.¡± Her words sounded rather strange. The dagger gradually prated the throat, freeing a dark coagted blood that had a texture simr to slime and was extremely sticky. Finally, it cut through, prating into the throat inch by inch until the incision was wide enough to reveal to the light the ckened throat. Fu Bo timely entered the room with a pot of heated vinegar. ¡°Yunshu, do you want to use this tonight?¡± Ji Yunshu pulled out the dagger and put it next to her before nodding at Fu Bo. ¡°Of course.¡± As soon as she spoke, she took a piece of cloth and imbibed it with the heated vinegar mixture before wiping of the skin around the incision on Madame Wei¡¯s throat. Then, she wiped off the inside from the old blood, and gradually, the hyoid bone became increasingly visible. Moreover, the bone revealed itself to be white in color. Jing Rong moved closer for a better look. His brows creased at the sight. ¡°Howe it¡¯s like that?¡± Asking the question like a student in the learning process. As for Ji Yunshu, her expression became solemn. She slowly spat out two words. ¡°As expected!¡± ¡®What do you mean by as expected?¡¯ ¡°Usually, when pitohui poison is mixed with tea or water and ingested, the hyoid bone would remain ck even after being wiped by vinegar. In the case the hyoid bone turns white, there¡¯s only one possibility: the pitohui poison was drunk with alcohol. It¡¯s only in such case that the ck hyoid bone would return to white after being wiped with vinegar.¡± Jing Rong appeared to understand. He softly spoke, ¡°That means that they were already poisoned before drinking that cup of tea.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ji Yunshu nodded in affirmation. ¡°Then why was there poison in the tea?¡± ¡°The poison itself is very potent. If it entered the mouth, there would be some of it on the lips which exined why some of it could be found in the tea Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei drank.¡± She pondered for a moment. ¡°Yesterday night, there was a banquet at the Wei Mansion. Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei both drank wine. So, they should have been poisoned at that time.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s brows loosened. ¡°Then, this case has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡®Nothing to do?¡¯ She shook her head with a wry smile. ¡°Could it be that your Highness forgot that people at the mansion found the incriminating pitohui¡¯s feathers in my courtyard? They have already considered me the murderer, so they don¡¯t care at what time Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei got poisoned.¡± As she pointed out the problem, she picked up a needle near her and started to sew back Madame Wei¡¯s throat. Jing Rong lowered his eyes and looked at her. ¡°Regardless, I absolutely will not let anything happen to you.¡± Hearing his words, her hands slightly stopped while her expression faltered a bit. ¡°Many thanks, your Highness.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need your thanks.¡± He closed the distance between them and continued. ¡°I¡¯ll do it because I believe in you.¡± His words wrecked havoc in Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart, but on the surface, only her sewing elerated and in an instant, Madame Wei¡¯s throat waspletely closed. After that, she took the cloth that was stained with blood and threw it away before diverting the subject. ¡°I¡¯ll trouble your Highness again. Please return the bodies to the Wei mansion.¡± The truth was Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t want to reply to his confession. Jing Rong nodded. He knew that the time wasn¡¯t right to speak of love. However, sometimes, he could not stop himself from acting in such a way. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Right away, the men waiting outside came in. ¡°You can return the corpses.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness.¡± Once again, they carried the bodies and speedily left the memorial hall. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t forget to add. ¡°In fact, your Highness only needed to bring one of the corpses.¡± ¡®I didn¡¯t bring it. I stole it.¡¯ How would he know she only needed one corpse? In short, as long as he could snatch it, he didn¡¯t want to waste time. Jing Rongughed, ¡°Alright, next time, I¡¯ll just bring one.¡± ¡®Would there be a next time?¡¯ ¡°I need to go back to the Wei mansion. Wei Yi is still waiting for me.¡± ¡°Your Highness.¡± Worry could be seen on her face as she looked at Jing Rong. ¡°Wei Yi is a victim. He already lost his parents. I don¡¯t wish for this case to hurt him further.¡± Jing Rong showed that he understood her meaning. ¡°Rest assured. I give you my words that he won¡¯t be involved in all of this. I¡¯ll make sure he will properlyplete his parents funeral properly.¡± Jing Rong had no other choice but to ensure her as he clearly understood her mind as if her heart waspletelyid out for him to see. Chapter 101: Sawdust The bodies were carried away while Ji Yunshu returned to her prison cell. Jing Rong quickly brought the corpses of Lord Wei and Madame Wei back to the mourning hall in the Wei mansion. After Jing Rong¡¯s imperial bodyguards put the corpses back in their respective coffins, they stealthily hid on the beam roof without neither god nor devil sensing them. Everything was back as it was, as if nothing had happened and the corpses had been there all along. Wei Yiid down next to the coffin and started to whimper. Every time he did, he used his sleeve to wipe his tears before they spilled out of his eyes. Seeing him this miserable, Jing Rong truly felt distressed. Jing Rong turned to Lang Po and said, ¡°Pass my order. Inform everyone in the Wei mansion, especially that housekeeper, Wei Fu, not to mention about his parents¡¯ poisoning in front of him. They also cannot mention the matter concerning Miss Ji. I want him to have some peace of mind while mourning his parents. This time, you don¡¯t need toe with me. Look after Wei Yi.¡± Lang Po lowered his head. ¡°Yes, as you wish your Highness.¡± Jing Rong once again rested his sight on Wei Yi. He walked over and began conversing with him, ¡°Wei Yi, didn¡¯t you say that your mother didn¡¯t want you to cry? So, you can¡¯t cry anymore. You have to let them leave with peace in mind.¡± Wei Yi cried and sniffled a few more times before inhaling deeply. Then, he turned to Jing Rong. ¡°Big brother, you said that I can save Shu¡¯er.¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t worry about her.¡± ¡°Is Shu¡¯er really alright?¡± asked Wei Yi with widened eyes. Jing Rong nodded. ¡°Yes. So for the next few days, you have to stay here and take care of your parents¡¯ final matters.¡± Wei Yi energetically nodded, then immediately tidied the mourning clothes he was wearing before going back to kneel in front of the altar. After wiping his tears, he stared at the two coffins. ¡°Dad! Mom! Yi¡¯er won¡¯t cry. Yi¡¯er promises you that I will be obedient and behave, so don¡¯t worry about me. I can take care of myself.¡± A breeze blew, the mes of the few candlelights flickering. In retreat, Jing Rong appeared to be in deep thought. Then, he ordered Lang Po to remain with Wei Yi while he quietly left the ce. He directly went to that room in the reception hall. Since that ce was the crime scene and Magistrate Liu had already sealed the perimeter to preserve it, no one had entered the room ever since. As he pushed open the doors and entered, his nose was assailed by a dense bloody smell! He lit a candle and began to meticulously examine the whole room. Two chairs and a table were left at a crooked angle, likely when the servants carried off the bodies. They must have knocked on these furnitures at that time. On the ground, the blood had dried and obviously, nothing had been cleaned. On the table, there was a teapot with two teacups. The tea water was ck because of the contamination, caused by the poison test that was conducted. Everything had been preserved and nothing had been moved by anyone. He brought the candlelight near the teacups and carefully examined them for a moment. ording to Ji Yunshu¡¯s autopsy, the poison inside the teacups should¡¯vee from their lips. If so, someone must have put it in the wine during the banquet yesterday night. Knowing that point, he left the room and went to find the servants to interrogate them about the wine yesterday, and to find out if anyone had tampered with the drinks. He was about to move the candle away when something inside the teacup caught his attention; there was sawdust stuck on the rim of the teacup. If it wasn¡¯t for his meticulous observation, it would have been easily overlooked. This was the result of observing Ji Yunshu during her investigations of criminal cases, which made him more alert to the small details. He took a handkerchief from his belt and and wiped the rim of the teacup with it, collecting the sawdust within. Afterward, he carefully folded the handkerchief and tucked it back under his belt. Finally, he snuffed out the candlelight and left the reception hall. He immediately went to the kitchen. The ce had been aplete mess ever since the banquet yesterday. With Lord Wei and Madame Wei passing away, there wasn¡¯t any time for anyone to clean up everything. Within the kitchen, several servants were busy with their tasks. They stopped for a moment after seeing a new face in the kitchen. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an old friend of Lord Wei.¡± Once again, he used the ¡°old friend¡± excuse. The answer remained as effective as before since the servants didn¡¯t ask any further and returned to their tasks. Fortunately, Wei Fu wasn¡¯t present today since he had to go to the courtroom for the trial. If he was here, he would have recognized Jing Rong and revealed his identity as a prince. ¡°Are those the tablewares your masters used during the feast?¡± questioned Jing Rong. One of the servants replied, ¡°Yes. There wasn¡¯t any time to clean it up yet.¡± Jing Rong no longer spoke as he observed the tablewares in front of him. After a short moment of reflection, he inquired again, ¡°Who was in charge of the banquet wine? And where did the winee from?¡± ¡°That¡­ The wine came from our residence. After the wine bottle is filled by the wine jar, it would be sent back.¡± ¡°Which tableware did your lord and mistress use yesterday?¡± Another servant pointed to a set of tableware. ¡°Those over there.¡± Jing Rong looked in the pointed direction and saw a neatly arranged and almost covered set of tablewares. Unfortunately, they were already cleaned and dried. The servant, who had pointed, started to exin. ¡°Milord had instructed us before the feast that he would receive noble guests which required the use of proper sets of tableware.¡± As he spoke, he pointed a particr set. ¡°This is the set used by milord and mistress.¡± The set of tableware wasposed of two pairs of chopsticks, a wine bottle and two wine cups, in addition to two pairs of exquisite bowls and tes. Such a magnificent set of tableware truly deserved to be found in a wealthy household! Jing Rong muttered in a low voice, ¡°They have already been cleaned, how am I going to check it?¡± Regardless, Jing Rong still took the wine bottle and the two wine cups and stated, ¡°I¡¯ll be borrowing them for a bit.¡± Before the servants could realize what was going on, he had already escaped without leaving a trace! At first, he nned to take those things to Ji Yunshu, but as he contemted the idea and saw that the day was gettingte, he decided against it in order to let her rest tonight. He would bring everything tomorrow. Hopefully, what he had found would be of use to Ji Yunshu. At this moment in the prison. It was unclear whether or not Jing Rong had bribed the jailers, but Ji Yunshu was transferred to another cell, one that was quite simr to Madame Jiang¡¯s cell. It was furnished with a table, a chair and a bed which also included a quilt. It even had two hot furnaces! She barely went inside when she heard sounds of activitiesing from outside before hearing the echo of hurried footsteps approaching her cell. It was Luan¡¯er, bringing with her a fouryered lunchbox and a blue cloak. As she took in the inside of her young miss¡¯ cell, her worry lessened a bit, but it didn¡¯t stop her from tearily looking at her young miss. After the jailer opened the cell door, Luan¡¯er quickly went inside. She put everything on the table and pulled Ji Yunshu close. Her voice was filled with distress as she spoke. ¡°Miss, you must have suffered.¡± She choked from her upheaval of emotions. ¡°Luan¡¯er? Why did youe?¡± ¡°I went back home to kneel and beseech milord to save you. Right now, he must have already left for the yamen to find Lord Liu. Young Miss, nothing will happen to you.¡± Her tone was a bit grave as she was doing her best convincing herself that her words were true. Ji Yunshu sneered. ¡°Luan¡¯er, don¡¯t be stupid. This time, it¡¯s impossible for father and grandmother to save me.¡± ¡°That can¡¯t be! Milord will save young miss. You didn¡¯t kill anyone, so nothing will happen to you.¡± Seeing Luan¡¯er filled with tears, Ji Yunshu couldn¡¯t bear shattering the hope her young maidservant firmly believed in. She went along with Luan¡¯er. ¡°Alright, alright! Stop worrying about me. I can take care of myself.¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± Luan¡¯er pursed her lips and energetically nodded. Immediately after, she took the cloak and draped it over Ji Yunshu before opening the fouryered lunch box, revealing several tes which contained only pastries Ji Yunshu loved to eat! ¡°Miss, it¡¯s cold here. Your body won¡¯t be able to endure it. What¡¯s more, I baked some of your favorite pastries. You should eat a bit more.¡± ¡°Okay, calm down. I can take care of myself, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Ji Yunshu grabbed Luan¡¯er¡¯s hand and told her, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t stay here. In the case something happens, I don¡¯t want to involve you.¡± ¡°Young miss¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to scare you, but truthfully, I am notpletely optimistic about the current situation. Besides, I am in prison and dealing with certain matters is quite inconvenient. Luan¡¯er, listen to what I say. If misfortune befalls me, I left you money, take it and leave the Ji family. Do you understand?¡± She spoke every word while looking straight at Luan¡¯er¡¯s eyes, fearing that the little girl wouldn¡¯t listen to her. The maidservant shed tears while shaking her head. Her expressionpletely showing her extreme unwillingness to part with Ji Yunshu. It caused Ji Yunshu to grip her hand tighter. She pressed on. ¡°You must listen to what I say.¡± ¡°But Miss, I don¡¯t want to leave you. Milord and Old Madame will certainly think of a way to save you.¡± ¡°Luan¡¯er, just do what I say.¡± ¡°Miss, you will be fine.¡± The naivety of this foolish little girl was quite a rare thing. Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand gently wiped the tears off Luan¡¯er¡¯s face. After a short moment, she pushed the other away. She spoke with an unwavering expression. ¡°Go back quickly. Promise me that you won¡¯t involve yourself with this matter.¡± ¡°Miss! Let me help you.¡± Luan¡¯er tried to close the distance between them with small steps, but Ji Yunshu retreated each time, keeping their distance unchanged. ¡°You don¡¯t want to listen to me?¡± Ji Yunshu uttered harshly. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that.¡± Luan¡¯er hurriedly shook her head. ¡°I¡­ promise you. I will obey you.¡± ¡°Then, hurry and leave.¡± Luan¡¯er was extremely reluctant to leave Ji Yunshu, but despite the aggrieved expression, she still acquiesced. While biting on her lips, she paced around a bit. Seeing that her young miss was unwavering in her decision, she left while turning back three times at each step. After Luan¡¯er left, Ji Yunshu¡¯s resolute expression gradually loosened, reced by one of sadness. If something bad really happened to her, she absolutely didn¡¯t want Luan¡¯er to be implicated. She had to harden her heart otherwise her maidservant would refuse to listen to her. She lightly sighed as her sightnded on the pastries ced on the table. Her slender fingers picked up a sticky rice pastry and brought it to her mouth. She took a small bite of it, the sweetness slipping on her tongue and washing away the bitterness inside her heart. Like the fluttering of a butterfly wing, her lips slowly arched. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ In a room within the yamen. Magistrate Liu¡¯s expression was grave as he fixed the cold tea in front of him. His hand clenched into a fist. A runner came in to notify him. ¡°Milord, Lord Ji hase.¡± Ji Shuhan came! Your daughter was imprisoned. As her father, how could you note too? Chapter 102: Bribe Magistrate Liu stood up as soon as the door opened. Ji Shuhan made his entrance. His expression was stern and his brows wrinkled. White puffs of breath could be faintly seening out of his nose. He had one hand in front of him while the other was ced behind. He strutted in, his whole being exuding an aura akin to a mass of me, shocking Magistrate Liu. ¡°Lord Ji, why did youe here at such ate hour?¡± The magistrate immediately weed his visitor. Ji Shuhan snorted as he sat down. Of course, he woulde at this time. Ever since Ji Yunshu had been used of murder and imprisoned, his Ji family¡¯s honor had been greatly smeared and he had no face to go out in broad daylight! ¡°Lord Liu, you should know why I came here.¡± ¡°Of course I know.¡± Magistrate Liu sighed as he sat down. His hands clenched into fists andid on his thighs. ¡°This case involved two lives. The Wei¡¯s identified her as the murderer. I had no choice and could only imprison her first to quell them.¡± Ji Shuhan red at the magistrate. His eyebrows rose to the point it almost seemed to disappear under his hat. He harrumphed, ¡°Lord Liu, I presume you know that our Ji is a prestigious family. Your order to arrest my daughter is simply a p in my face.¡± ¡°Lord Ji, this official had absolutely no such intention when I ordered her arrest!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about your intention. I¡¯ll be brief. Release her.¡± Ji Shuhan hatefully spat out the words as he disyed an overbearing and arrogant attitude. Magistrate Liu¡¯s expression twisted into one of embarrassment as he helplessly said, ¡°Lord Ji, I didn¡¯t want to arrest Yunshu. However, I am a magistrate and absolutely cannot go against thews. Besides, the Wei¡¯s have already presented the evidence. Even if Yunshu is innocent, we have to wait until this case is resolved before she can be released. Unfortunately, we have no choice but to wrong her this time.¡± After everything was said, Ji Shuhan raised his hand and mmed it on the table while ring daggers at the magistrate. He spoke in anger. ¡°You should know that my daughter and the Wei family are tied with a soon-to-be marriage. The death of Lord Wei and Madame Wei have nulled this marriage. Not only that, she became their murderer. You tell me, how will my Ji family have any standing in Jingjiang city from now on?!¡± bbering all day, the main reason fuelling his actions still came down to one word ¨C reputation! For him to force the magistrate to release Yunshu was clearly screaming of an ulterior motive. Magistrate Liu¡¯s lips trembled, many words came to his mind without any chance to be voiced. Ji Shuhan pressured him once again. ¡°My two sons have official positions in the capital. Lord Liu should have heard of it, right? Then again, I once was an assistant minister in the Ministry of Rites and I¡¯ve still kept contact with a few old friends. I believe that Lord Liu would give some face to me.¡± Unexpectedly, such moves came out from the other side, causing the magistrate to be nervous and beads of sweat to appear on his forehead. He was at aplete loss on what to do. Even Jing Rong couldn¡¯tpel him to release Yunshu, which proved the importance he attached to thews. Yet this Ji Shuhan really had too much guts and ambition. Magistrate Liu¡¯s expression slowly became crestfallen, but he still argued, ¡°Please don¡¯t make things difficult for me. I truly have no choice and can¡¯t release Yunshu. As long as we have evidence that proves her innocence, I will immediately release her. As for right now, your request is far too thorny and impossible to fulfill.¡± Magistrate Liu¡¯s thousand excuses seemed to wear out Ji Shuhan¡¯s patience. He fished out from his sleeve a stack of money and threw it on the table before pushing it toward the magistrate. Seeing that stack of money, Magistrate Liu¡¯s jaw dropped in shock! ¡®Ten thousand tael!¡¯ This was the amount of money he would earn if he were to toll until hisst breath. ¡°This¡­ Lord Ji, what do you mean by this?¡± His tone was trembling as he asked. Ji Shuhan leaned in slightly towards him and whispered, ¡°Lord Liu, since you¡¯re an official, you should understand the meaning of giving someone a second chance and should also give yourself a way out.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°This matter concerns the reputation of my Ji family. Lord Liu is an intelligent person. You shouldn¡¯t be too serious about those¡­ processes. You know what I mean? In Jinjiang, with only a wave of my brush, even a death row prisoner could be pardoned! Our esteemed emperor is far away, you should be clear on which way to lean!¡± His words scared the magistrate no less, causing his whole body to tremble. Ji Shuhan didn¡¯t forget to add. ¡°Although Lord Wei and Madame Wei were poisoned, as long as you say that their food was poisoned instead, everything can still be cleared up after my daughter¡¯s release. It would preserve our family¡¯s reputation and you would also pocket this 10,000 taels. Won¡¯t it be a win-win situation for the both of us? What do you say?¡± Magistrate Liu had to admit that Ji Shuhan¡¯s offer was extremely tempting. He felt his will swayed in his favor. His eyes were glued to the banknotes as he felt torn in his innermost heart. He wavered. In the end, he truly wished that nothing would happen to Ji Yunshu. Discovering the hesitation on the magistrate¡¯s face, Ji Shuhan pushed the banknotes closer to Magistrate Liu. ¡°Lord Liu, you should carefully consider my proposal.¡± Magistrate¡¯s body shook as if he was suddenly roused. He raised his head and observed Ji Shuhan. He ced his index and middle finger on the stack of banknotes and, unexpectedly, pushed it back to Ji Shuhan. Furthermore, he even dered, ¡°Lord Ji, I shouldn¡¯t take unjustified rewards. I only have a few words to say¡­ Those 10,000 taels, please take it back.¡± Ji Yunshu was shocked. ¡°You¡¯re not taking it?¡± ¡®Unbelievable!¡¯ ¡°This official will absolutely not take it.¡± Then, he continued. ¡°Yunshu is your daughter. You should believe that she didn¡¯t poison anyone. Rest assured that I will certainly investigate the truth of this matter and give her justice. As for you, Lord Ji, for the sake of your family¡¯s reputation, you tried to instigate me to hastily conclude the case regardless of thews, and as a retired official, you dared to go against thews by using money to bribe me in order to distort the truth. If I wanted to charge you for a crime, wouldn¡¯t that add more to your crimes?¡± Woah! Since when was Magistrate Liu¡¯s eloquence this good? His words left Ji Shuhan stunned. Ji Shuhan¡¯s threatening attitude also receded, reced by annoyance at first, then panic and finally, anger. He took back the banknotes and got up in anger; his eyes burning with unwillingness. He spat out, ¡°Since you are this determined to be a good official, I have nothing more to say.¡± He brushed his sleeves and left in fury. Magistrate Liu let out a heavy sigh. His forehead was still covered in sweat while he held his stomach with both hands like he went through a frightening experience. He hardly believed what he had just said to Ji Shuhan. It really made his heart fill with worry and apprehension! Ji Shuhan, who had returned to the Ji mansion, threw his cup and mmed his table, causing the bustling sounds to echo through the reception hall. Old Madame Wei remained calm as she sat on the side. Ji Muqing, Ji Wanxin and Ji Yuanzhi were seated beside her. Old Madame Ji waited until her son had vented his anger before inquiring about his discussion with Lord Liu. ¡°What happened in the end for you to break everything as soon as you came back from the yamen? What did Lord Liu say?¡± Ji Shuhan forgo any control he had on his emotions and hit the table once again. ¡°That obstinate rock didn¡¯t heed my words!¡± ¡°How can that be?¡± Ji Shuhan snorted and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He was spouting about following the Great Lin¡¯s code ofws.¡± Ji Yuanzhi asked in an anxious voice. ¡°Father, could it be that the 10,000 taels weren¡¯t enough?¡± Ji Shuhan didn¡¯t reply as his anger grew stronger. ¡°How about we give him 20,000 taels? Perhaps, he would agree to it then.¡± Ji Yuanzhi tentatively asked. ¡°The money was not the problem.¡± ¡°Then what was the problem? It couldn¡¯t be that he wasn¡¯t moved by that much money? Isn¡¯t it merely to alter the case a bit? A simple line of ¡®The food which Lord Wei and Madame Wei ate was poisoned.¡¯ shouldn¡¯t have been tooplicated?¡± Ji Yuanzhi was extremely agitated as he spoke. Ji Shuhan shook his head and sighed. He didn¡¯t know what to say. Ji Muqing snorted, pouting her small and red lips before speaking. ¡°See that, there¡¯s 80% probability that she poisoned them to death just because she didn¡¯t want to marry that idiot.¡± ¡°Muqing! Yunshu is not the kind of person to do that. A kindhearted person like her would absolutely not have poisoned anyone. Moreover, the Wei¡¯s people treated her so well, how could she bear to harm them?¡± Ji Wanxin refuted Ji Muqing while her brows wrinkled with worry. ¡°Ji Wanxin, I know you are on good terms with her, but you better keep your eyes open and look at it more objectively. Lingzhi was pushed by her, next I was the one who fell in the water. Maybe, she was the one who pushed me, then she med it on Lingzhi. If she can do something like that, what else can¡¯t she do?¡± ¡°That impossible! I reiterate that I believe in Yunshu¡¯s character. Let¡¯s keep things as it stands and don¡¯t confuse one thing with another.¡± ¡°When did I confuse one thing with another? Ji Yunshu is simply a ruthless person. If people said she poisoned someone, I will absolutely believe them. She should be beheaded.¡± BAM! A loud sound resounded as soon as Ji Muqing finished speaking. Ji Shuhan had hit the table with all his might once again. The mes of anger were furiously burning in his eyes as he red at Ji Muqing. ¡°What do you know? If our Ji family actually had a murderer bearing our surname, that would be a tremendous disgrace! In the future, how will I have a firm foothold in Jinjiang? Your eldest brother¡¯s and second brother¡¯s official career in the capital will also be greatly affected!¡± Ji Muqing lowered her head despite feeling that she had been wronged. ¡°Father, I¡­¡± She had yet to finish her sentence, but Ji Shuhan interrupted her. ¡°In addition, you should think more about your situation. If Yunshu really killed people, do you still think you can be the crown prince¡¯s consort?¡± ¡°Hey?!¡± That revtion frightened Ji Muqing to no end! ¡°If our Ji family had a murderer and the words were to be spread to the ears of the emperor and empress, you can stop dreaming about bing the crown prince¡¯s consort. The road I have paved for you will bepletely destroyed.¡± Each word Ji Shuhan spoke nailed the precarious situation Ji Muqing was in. Herplexion turned blue. Since her childhood, she had been cultivated to be the crown prince¡¯s consort. It wouldn¡¯t be long until she was sent to the capital for the crown prince¡¯s consort selection. However, at a crucial moment in her life, such a big incident had urred. She could not let herself be rammed into such an obstacle that would destroy all her efforts! Ji Muqing panicked. Her eyes reddened. She urgently spoke, ¡°Father, your daughter must be the crown prince¡¯s consort! Later when the crown prince ascends to the throne, I will be the empress. We absolutely cannot let anything go wrong! It would be better if we send more money to Lord Liu. We¡¯re just buying a few of his words, it should be easy.¡± Old Madame Ji also gave her suggestion. ¡°That¡¯s true. We can add in another 10,000 taels. In any case, our Ji family doesn¡¯tck money. As long as we can sweep the case under the rug, anything is good.¡± ¡°Nothing but talk. I said money wasn¡¯t the problem.¡± Ji Shuhan felt distressed as he had no n to suppress this case. He continuously shook his head and continued. ¡°Lord Liu seemed determined and didn¡¯t listen to what I said. Even if we gave him 10,000 taels more, it would not make a difference.¡± ¡°Then, what do we do right now?¡± Old Madame Ji began to worry. Ji Wanxin opened her mouth to speak. ¡°Grandmother and Father, It¡¯s impossible for Yunshu to poison people. The truth of the matter will certainlye to light. When her innocence is proven, will not everything be resolved at that time?¡± ¡°What do you understand?!¡± Old Madame Ji reprimanded her. ¡°Our Ji family had never had anyone imprisoned! This matter is too ominous. If words were to spread to the capital, it will affect our influence.¡± ¡°Alright, alright!¡± Ji Shuhan raised his hand to stop the discussion. He sighed. ¡°At present, we can only hope that Yunshu isn¡¯t the murderer.¡± Chapter 103: This is The Last Time You Will Hit Me Chapter 103: This is The Last Time You Will Hit Me Ji Yunshu was sleepless for the entire night. She sat on her bed with her arms around her knees and stared at the little window in the wall facing her. Her heart was stricken by an odd apprehension which lingered despite herself. Day dawned, and, after a long while, the door was suddenly flung open. Someone trod into the cell lightly: it was Magistrate Liu. He slowly approached her and stopped behind her, sighing regretfully as he called out her name, ¡°Hey, Yunshu¡­¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s eye twitched from the sunlight which glinted through the small window. She puckered her pale lips but did not intend to respond to him. The Magistrate sighed again and seemed to be hesitating about something. He rubbed his hands and grimly said, ¡°I received news this morning¡­ the culprit has been found.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ Ji Yunshu heard the uneasiness in his voice and waited for him to continue. ¡°Luan¡¯er¡­ she¡¯s dead. Shemitted suicide out of fear for the consequences of her own crime. She hung herself.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Astonishment filled up Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes. She turned her head and asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°Luan¡¯er¡­ she¡¯s dead¡­ she hung herself.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s whole body trembled fiercely and she clenched her hands with all her strength; the omen of anxiety fromst night had finally materialized into a surge of emotion which reddened her nose and her eyes. She paused for a long moment and asked in a low voice, ¡°When?¡± ¡°Last night, at midnight.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°In the western quarters of the Ji Mansion.¡± This was the final blow to Ji Yunshu¡¯sposure. Tears flowed out of her eyes. She felt a crushing pain in her chest and she gritted her teeth until a faint taste of blood spread out through her mouth. Her nails sank into her flesh. She remained impassive, but that surface of calm hid a heart which had been pierced by a thousand des. ¡®I should¡¯ve thought of it, I should¡¯ve realized earlier!¡¯ Magistrate Liu felt sorry for her, but still continued, ¡°We have examined the corpse, and she did indeedmit suicide. She also left behind a piece of paper and confessed everything. Yunshu, you are safe now.¡± ¡®Yes, since Luan¡¯er shouldered the me for me, I am safe now.¡¯ As he said so, the Magistrate handed over a piece of paper. Ji Yunshu examined it with red eyes and saw the scribbles written on it: it was Luan¡¯er¡¯s handwriting. ¡°She confessed. She said that she was the one who added the poison. She did it because she did not want you to marry someone like Wei Yi, so she poisoned the wine with Pitohui poison.¡± Magistrate Liu exined the contents of the piece of paper to Ji Yunshu. It was a short message, but enough to absolve Ji Yunshupletely. Ji Yunshu brushed the surface of the paper with one of her fingers, leaving a fine trail of crimson behind. She was the one who had taught Luan¡¯er how to write. Every single stroke on this piece of paper now became a fresh wound in her heart. When she passed by thest character, she suddenly came to a stop, There was another faint fingerprint, one that was too big to belong to Luan¡¯er! Ji Yunshu scrutinized the mark carefully. The mark ran beneath the ink, so it must have been put onto the paper before the letter was written. She approached her nose and sniffed the paper. The odor of ink was there, as she expected, but there was also a more subtle smell. A smell of tangerine. ¡®This¡­¡¯ Ji Yunshu raised her eyes in shock. She mumbled, ¡°She did notmit suicide¡­¡± Magistrate Liu was equally surprised when he heard what she said, ¡°Not a suicide? But the coroner said that she didmit suicide. Was it a mistake?¡± Ji Yunshu stood up from her bed and asked with a tearful gravity, ¡°Where is Luan¡¯er¡¯s corpse?¡± ¡°The people at the Ji Mansion have brought it to the Memorial Hall. ¡° Ji Yunshu put away the piece of paper in her pocket and left in a hurry without any exnations. Magistrate chased after her, only to give up after a few steps and scratched his head at Ji Yunshu¡¯s reaction. ¡®Well, all is well, the culprit has confessed her crime and Ji Yunshu will be alright.¡¯ Outside of the prison, an old servant from the Ji Mansion was there to bring her home. Upon seeing Ji Yunshu, she greeted her and said, ¡°Third Miss, I am here on Old Madame¡¯s order. You should go home with me.¡± Ji Yunshu was unmoved, skirted around her and kept walking. ¡°Where are you going, Third Miss?¡± asked the servant, who caught up to her and blocked her way. ¡°Move.¡± ¡°Everyone is waiting for you at the Mansion. Pleasee home with me.¡± It seemed like an order. Ji Yunshu stared at her coldly. The servant quivered; it was a nce that could kill. Ji Yunshu said with a cial voice, ¡°Go back and tell my father and my grandmother. If there¡¯s anything suspicious about Luan¡¯er¡¯s death, I will find the culprit and make that person pay with his or her own life.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± The servant¡¯s countenance paled upon hearing those words. She had never heard these kinds of piercing words, nor received that kind of menacing look from the mild-mannered Third Miss. Ji Yunshu hurried away from the scene before the servant could stop her again. She arrived at the Memorial Hall after a short walk. Fu Bo was just about to cover up Luan¡¯er with a white sheet when Ji Yunshu arrived. Upon noticing her, Fu Bo obligingly removed the cloth and retreated to the side. Ji Yunshu stood at the entrance and slowly proceeded towards Luan¡¯er. Thetterid on the cold wooden floor and looked paler than eyes. Her eyes, which were often watered by tears, were now tightly closed, never to be opened again. ¡°Luan¡¯er¡­¡± Ji Yunshu extended her arm and grazed Luan¡¯er¡¯s cheeks, which werepletely devoid of warmth. She suddenly trembled and quickly pulled her hand back into her sleeve as tears rolled down her cheeks. She reminisced over the five years she had spent in herpany, and the sisterly feelings she felt for her. ¡®I was thinking that one day, should I be able to save up enough silver, I would help you find a suitable marriage. I hoped that you would be able to live a happy life, without excessive luxuries perhaps, but full of simple joys. I would never have thought that you would leave me like that before you could taste the pleasures of life¡­¡¯ ¡°Did I not tell you to not get yourself involved in this case? Why didn¡¯t you listen to me? How can I live without being haunted by my mistake?¡± Ji Yunshu was slumped in deep dejection. Fu Bo sighed and approached with his back hunched. ¡°Death is inescapable to us all. Some of us will pass away peacefully, while others might not deserve it so soon. A few of us might fully deserve it. Are our bodies not simply a husk for our souls? Some people live, but they are no better than dead. Some people pass away, but they will live forever within the hearts of those who remain, won¡¯t they? You shouldn¡¯t grieve too much about such matters.¡± Ji Yunshu took a deep breath and finally managed to make her tears vanish. She turned around and asked Fu Bo, ¡°If it were you, what would you do?¡± Fu Bo smiled and answered, ¡°Have you not been fighting against the injustices of this world for the past five years, one corpse at a time? Do what you have to do, and don¡¯t get too emotionally involved. You need to find the answer you seek.¡± He then pulled his hands behind his back and slowly left her with his back still bent. ¡°It seems like this time, we won¡¯t need water and vinegar.¡± Ji Yunshu bit her pale lips and tried to regain herposure. She finally put on her gloves and started her examination. Luan¡¯er¡¯s body already had a certain degree of rigor mortis; the limbs were stiff, and marks had appeared around the abdominal area. She looked at the bruises around her neck, which ran from her throat to the base of her ears. She forced her mouth open and saw that the tongue was slightly curled up. ¡®Death by hanging it seems, as expected.¡¯ Ji Yunshu removed her gloves and stared quietly at Luan¡¯er. ¡°A life for a life. I swear, I will not leave the culprit unpunished.¡± She reced the white cloth over her slowly and walked out of the room. She saw Fu Bo burning incense outside and left in silence. By the time she arrived home, it was already two hours past the moment she walked out of her cell. This time, she did not enter the mansion through the western gate. Instead, she walked through the front gate without minding the attention she would receive; it was the first time she ever did so since she had transmigrated. The thin rain had sprinkled a thinyer of white frost on her long hair. Her eyes, ever so vivid, slowly shifted from the entrance to the main hall as she entered the mansion. She saw every single person from the Ji family reunited, waiting for her with razor-like looks as if they were going to peel her open. Ji Yunshu¡¯s own eyes shed with her family¡¯s without shying away. The cial raindrops which sank into her shoulders from her wet hair armed her with a coldness which sent a shiver down everyone¡¯s spine. Ji Yunshu strode into the hall with her back straightened. Ji Shuhan shouted at her in anger, ¡°Did I not send someone to fetch you? Are you not safe now? What impudence are you ying at again? Have you not lost enough of your dignity already?¡± ¡®Impudence? My dignity? What dignity? Luan¡¯er is dead. Does she mean nothing to these people?¡¯ The question put a quirk in her mouth. She asked, ¡°Are other people¡¯s lives only weed that ought to be cut, to you?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ji Yunshu was baffled by the retort. Old Madame said with a low voice, ¡°Yunshu, she¡¯s dead. She was a murderer, and she paid the price for her crime. You are her master, but you should not let emotions blind you; atonement for one¡¯s actions is but the most natural order of things and the simplest of truths. She¡­¡± Ji Yunshu cut her off, ¡°Luan¡¯er did not kill anyone.¡± Her voice was as firm as a block of ice, and it reached the ears of the listeners with an incredible coldness. Ji Yunshu¡¯s rtives quickly exchanged nces with each other. p- Ji Shuhan smashed the table and rose in anger. ¡°Everything is over now, I forbid you from bringing it up again!¡± ¡®Forbid? Oh, I¡¯ll show you just that.¡¯ ¡°Luan¡¯er did not poison anyone. Someone here forced her tomit suicide.¡± Ji Yunshu dared. ¡°Shut up!¡± Ji Shuhan roared in a fiery rage. ¡°I care little about how she died. For the sake of our family, you will stay silent, and you will not cause any more trouble. You are free now, and if Luan¡¯er died for your sake, then it was absolutely worth it.¡± ¡°I will not give up on this. I swear that I will find the true culprit and render justice to Luan¡¯er, Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei.¡± p! Ji Yunshu felt Ji Shuhan¡¯s full strength on her cheek after she barely finished her sentence. The pale skin on her face quickly reddened, and she slowly turned her eyes to look at the cruel man who stood in front of her. Her eyes slowly sank until nothing remained in them but a raw outburst of anger. ¡°Trust me, this will be thest time you hit me.¡± Chapter 104: The Incomplete Fingerprint The way Ji Yunshu stared back at him waspletely foreign to Ji Shuhan. He almost failed to recognize his own daughter. He took a small step back instinctively, slightly intimidated by her. Ji Yunshu¡¯s inky irises took on an air of determination. ¡°Luan¡¯er is the only family I have left in this world. I will not let this injustice go unanswered. I will investigate this case, and I will do it thoroughly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone in the entire hall was silent. ¡®Luan¡¯er was her only family? Then what would that make us?¡¯ The first one to speak out in opposition was Ji Yuanzhi. He took a step forward and retorted, ¡°Stop your nonsense! What do you mean Luan¡¯er has been forced tomit suicide? Do you have any evidence? Were it not for the life of that little wretch, would you be standing here talking to us? Will you stop at nothing to blow this scandal out of proportion and bring disgrace upon our family?¡± He sounded like a valiant defender of the Ji Mansion. Even Ji Muqing joined in. She raised her eyebrows and added, ¡°Third Brother is right. If you have no evidence, then don¡¯t make nonsensical ims about Luan¡¯er not being the culprit or someone forcing her tomit suicide. Unless you want to go back to prison and shoulder the me for the double murder again?¡± ¡°Stop dishonoring our family,¡± said Ji Yuanzhi with a scornful snort. ¡®Two monkeys, theyplement each other well in their little tricks.¡¯ Ji Wanxin coughed and tried to lower the tension between the three siblings. She interposed with a weak voice, ¡°Elder sister, third brother, don¡¯t speak like that, Yunshu doesn¡¯t mean what she said.¡± ¡°Shut your mouth,¡± Ji Muqing stared back at her. ¡°Why are you helping an outsider? Have you forgotten your own name?¡± ¡®An outsider. Finally they¡¯ve revealed their true thoughts.¡¯ A contemptuous smile climbed up Ji Yunshu¡¯s lips as she heard these words. She felt a certain pity for her siblings. Ji Yuanzhi noticed it and asked, ¡°What are youughing at?¡± ¡°At your deste condition. At the fact that despite being alive, you are nothing but a husk, worth less than a cadaver,¡± she answered with a cold look directed at her family. ¡°You dare insult us?¡± Ji Muqing raised her hand in anger, about to strike at Ji Yunshu, but thetter caught her wrist before she could swing her arm down. p-! Ji Yunshu delivered a heavy blow to Ji Muqing¡¯s overly powdered left cheek. It was an act no one thought her capable of. Ji Yuanzhi was the first one to go from astonishment to fury: he pulled Ji Muqing back to his side and raised his own hand. He was about to return the blow when his arm was suddenly gripped by another hand, which bent it backwards. He felt a sharp sting near his wrist and thought it had fractured. ¡°Ahhh-!¡± Ji Yuanzhi knelt down from the intensifying pain. Jing Rong towered over him and stared at him with venomous eyes. ¡°You worthless scum, how dare youy your hands on my Yunshu?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s continued to w at Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s wrist. It seemed like he was not going to stop until his bones were broken. Ji Shuhan finally recognized Jing Rong and dropped to his knees. ¡°This humble one greets¡­Prince Rong.¡± Everyone within the hall dropped to their knees within the next second. Ji Yunshu found herself to be the only one standing aside from Jing Rong. Thetter surveyed the hall with his long eyes and said nothing about letting them get back up. ¡®You shall keep kneeling.¡¯ Ji Yuanzhi knelt down with one knee on the floor, his face contorted by agony. His wrist was bing visibly bent as a result of Jing Rong¡¯s firm grasp. He had difficulty even begging for mercy through the torture. Ji Shuhan looked at the whole scene nervously. He promptly pleaded, ¡°Prince, please forgive my son¡¯s foolish transgression, it was not his intention¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the victim of his transgression, Yunshu is.¡± Jing Rong said ¡°Yunshu¡±, as though he wanted to dere in an overbearing manner that she belonged to him. Ji Shuhan¡¯s face grew pale. ¡°Prince, my son¡­ he¡­¡± ¡°Nevermind!¡± Jing Rong interrupted his speech and released Ji Yuanzhi with a swing of his arm. Ji Yuanzhi was on all fours and had his forehead against the ground. His face was pale white from the excruciating pain. He was barely able to stop himself from crying out loud. Old Madame Ji was rather worried about her grandson, so she quickly crawled over to have a look at his injuries. Jing Rong pped his hands, but still forbade them from getting up. He nced at the people in the hall and added, ¡°Lord Ji, I see that you have been quite busy with things thesest few days.¡± Ji Shuhan hurriedly prevaricated, ¡°Prince, these are only trivialities within our family, we wouldn¡¯t dare to let you worry¡­¡± ¡°Trivialities? A human life is but a triviality?¡± Jing Rong raised his tone slightly and asked in an intimidating voice. Ji Shuhan stayed silent and dodged his eyes. Jing Rong had a coldugh and looked at Ji Yunshu. He said seriously, ¡°You want to figure out who forced Luan¡¯er tomit suicide? Fine. I¡¯ll be with you, and I can guarantee that anyone who tries to stop you will not live to see the sunrise of the next day.¡± These words brought shivers down the spines of the Ji family members. Ji Yunshu kept herposure and walked forth with her resolution unbroken. She looked at her family and said, ¡°If one of you forced Luan¡¯er to her demise, I, Ji Yunshu, swear that I will not let that person go unpunished. Do not expect pity from me because of the bond of blood we share.¡± Her words were unusually harsh and aggressive. A few eyebrows were raised at the assumption that someone amongst them had to do with Luan¡¯er death, but Ji Yunshu was well aware of what her family would do for the sake of honor. She lingered no longer and left the main hall for her own quarters. Jing Rong looked at her figure from the back and felt a sharp pain sting his heart. He scuttled to catch up to her and left without saying a single word. Everyone scrambled to their feet soon after Jing Rong left. Ji Yuanzhi was stillmenting the pain in his wrist, which caused Old Madame Ji to worry quite a lot. Ji Muqing held her own cheek with one hand and was sobbing silently; it was the first time someone had struck her. Ji Shuhan sighed with mixed feelings of anger and exasperation as he crawled up with difficulty. But amongst all of them, there was one pair of eyes which remained fixated on Jing Rong¡¯s departing silhouette. It was Ji Wanxin. Her sickly face hid something amidst the usual pallor, it was something else. ¡®Why, why won¡¯t he look at me?¡¯ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Ji Yunshu walked silently on the path to the western part of the mansion. Jing Rong walked right beside her. Jing Rong finally broke the silence and said, ¡°About Luan¡¯er, don¡¯t grieve so much.¡± Ji Yunshu did not answer him. Jing Rong suddenly quickened his pace and blocked her way. He said to her with visible concern between his brows, ¡°If you are feeling unwell, don¡¯t hide it. I¡¯ve said that I wouldn¡¯t be the cage that traps you, but I won¡¯t shy away from bing the roof and the walls that will protect you from the raging tempests of this world. As long as there is anything I can do, I will make sure that you remain unharmed.¡± Even Jing Rong¡¯s soft words had their own touch of masculinity. Ji Yunshu hid her red eyes and didn¡¯t look back at him. She whispered to him, ¡°Your Highness, I thank you for your help, and I will remember your favor. However, I just want to find the culprit now.¡± ¡°Where do we start?¡± ¡°From where Luan¡¯er died.¡± Ji Yunshu lowered her head and skirted around Jing Rong as she strode towards her destination. Thetter quickly caught up with her. Ji Yunshu pushed open the door which led to her quarters and saw a piece of white cloth hanging from the wooden beam which ran horizontally through the room. The small bench below it was on its side: it seemed like no one had entered since the death of Luan¡¯er. ¡®Fortunate enough, hopefully, the evidence that I¡¯m looking for is still there.¡¯ Jing Rong stood silently by the side and let Ji Yunshu carry out her investigation. Thetter walked towards a hanger and examined the basin of water which sat on top of it. Ji Yunshu dipped the tip of her finger inside the liquid and sniffed it. It had the distinct smell of tangerine. She then took out the piece of paper Luan¡¯er had left and looked at the fingerprint. After pondering about it for a while, she opened her sandalwood box and took out a brush. She dipped the tip of the brush into ink and carefully traced on the piece of paper. It was not long before the fingerprint appeared, ever so clearly on the paper. Jing Rong walked over and asked with curiosity, ¡°Is this a fingerprint?¡± Ji Yunshu scrutinized the mark and answered with conviction, ¡°Whoever it was that killed Luan¡¯er left this.¡± ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± ¡°This mark is covered over by the message. This means that when Luan¡¯er wrote this, someone brought the piece of paper in front of her. This is how the fingerprint, whose size suggests that it belongs to a man, made its way onto this piece of paper.¡± Ji Yunshu analyzed the clue. Jing Rong thought about it and asked, ¡°Could it be that someone left the mark on the paper a long time ago?¡± ¡°That¡¯s impossible,¡± answered Ji Yunshu with certainty. ¡°The paper around it has the smell of tangerine. I often think that I am the only person in the world who would perfume the air of my room with tangerine because it can get rid of the stench of cadavers. I usually ask Luan¡¯er to add some tangerines every single time she changes the water in the basin. The person must have washed his hands in the basin before giving this piece of paper to Luan¡¯er. The smell usually only remains for twelve hours, after which it will evaporate. There is no mistake about this.¡± Jing Rong nodded upon hearing the exnation, ¡°Then, can we tell to whom it belongs to?¡± Ji Yunshu showed the piece of paper to him and said, ¡°Perhaps this is a sign sent from the heavens, do you notice anything out of the ordinary about this fingerprint?¡± Jing Rong examined it carefully and said, ¡°Usually the middle portion of the fingering should be more pronounced. But with this one, it looks like a part of it from the middle is missing. Only the slimmer patterns around the edges remain.¡± ¡®Yes, the middle part of the fingerprint ispletely gone. Gone without leaving a single trace. Did the culprit not have flesh in the middle of his finger?¡± Ji Yunshu nodded and said, ¡°This seems toe from the thumb. Whoever it was that forced Luan¡¯er to kill herself has either a deformed thumb with a cavity in its center, or the flesh has been injured and the scar which resulted from it has made it impossible to produce a pattern.¡± ¡°Wait a second¡­¡± Jing Rong seemed to have suddenly caught onto something. His eyes suddenly lit up. ¡°If I did not see wrong earlier.¡± ¡°Does your highness know who it is?¡± asked Ji Yunshu with some excitement. A name slowly came out of Jing Rong¡¯s lips, ¡°Ji Yuanzhi!¡± Chapter 105: A Moment of Confusion? Chapter 105: A Moment of Confusion? ¡®Ji Yuanzhi?¡¯ ¡°Why is it him?¡± ¡°Just now I saw a scab on his right thumb.¡± Jing Rong affirmed. As soon as the conclusion came down, unwavering hatred overflowed from Ji Yunshu¡¯s delicate face. At once, she picked up the paper with the fingerprint and the inkstone, and rushed out of the door. Jing Rong ran after her. Both of them continued to pick up their pace until they reached the reception hall. The ce was crowded with the Ji¡¯s people, they apparently still hadn¡¯t recovered from their shock. A servant was applying medicine on Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s wrist while he was exuding a depressing aura of unwillingness. Whereas, Ji Muqing was wiping the tears on her face which was covered with red imprints, still fuming in anger. She was enraged! At this moment, they saw Jing Rong and Ji Yunshu had returned. Immediately, everyone from the Ji family became tensed. Ji Shuhan quickly stood up from the pear-wood chair. He was afraid that the deity with sword-like brows would start to decapitate them. Outside, the rain continued to fall in a drizzle. Ayer of white ¡°frost¡± had covered both Ji Yunshu and Jing Rong. They stepped into the room one behind the other. Ji Shuhan failed to understand, but he slightly bowed as his eyesight shifted around. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Jing Rong didn¡¯t argue with him. He cast a side nce at Ji Yunshu and noticed her gaze. Her eyes were like ice daggers ferociously piercing through Ji Yuanzhi. Jing Rong tacitly understood. Thus after a moment, he took the ink stone and sheet from Ji Yunshu and walked toward Ji Yuanzhi. Realizing that Jing Rong was approaching him, Ji Yuanzhi became rmed. He knead his hands until they changed shape and he was violently shaking. Jing Rong didn¡¯t let Ji Yuanzhi evade as he grabbed the other hand and dipped it into the inkstone that he ced on the table. Jing Rong¡¯s slender fingers firmly held Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s thumbs and made sure both thumbs were smeared with ink. After it was done, he raised the other¡¯s hands. Aaah! The movement was apanied by Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s scream. ¡°Your Highness! M-my hands¡­¡± ¡°Your hand should be crippled.¡± Jing Rong coldly berated. As soon as the words were said, he ruthlessly pressed Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s thumbs on the paper. The stamped fingerprints were well defined on the paper. Immediately, Ji Yunshu came over and took the paper. She thenpared the fingerprints and one of the thumbprints was nearly identical to the evidence she collected. Once again, she observed the thumb that Jing Rong held firmly. As suspected, there was a scab on that thumb. Her eyes reddened in no time and tears pooled as she looked at Ji Yuanzhi. ¡°It¡¯s you! You forced Luan¡¯er to die! You killed her!¡± Her voice was shrill as if she wanted to pierce everyone¡¯s ears with the truth. When the truth was revealed, apart from Jing Rong, everyone else was shocked. Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s face was twisted with pain. He stared at his hand restrained by Jing Rong. He painfully shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not me! W-what kind of nonsense are you spouting? I didn¡¯t force that worthless maidservant to kill herself.¡± As soon as he heard ¡°worthless maidservant¡±, Jing Rong didn¡¯t withhold the strength of his grip and directly broke the other¡¯s hand. ¡°H-have mercy on me, your Highness!¡± Ji Yuanzhi tumbled off his chair, directly kneeling on the floor while gritting his teeth in pain. Jing Rong ferociously red at him as he berated him. ¡°This is the hand that took the life of a weak girl! It won¡¯t do if this Prince doesn¡¯t make an example out of you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me! It¡¯s not me¡­¡± At this moment, Old Madame Ji stepped forward; her eyes were red and her usual graceful and sumptuous appearance was stained by tears. She begged Jing Rong. ¡°Your Highness, it¡¯s not possible for Yuanzhi to do such things. That servant hanged herself and even left a confession written in ck and white. The truth is absolutely undeniable.¡± When she stopped speaking, her expression was vicious as she riveted her eyes on Ji Yunshu. Her whole being was burning with anger. ¡°The news of your arrest had already spread to everyone. Haven¡¯t you made my Ji family lose enough honor? You should know that if that girl, Luan¡¯er, didn¡¯t confess to her crime, you would still be rotting in that prison cell!¡± ¡®Oh really? Then, should I give my gratitude to your whole family?! Ji Yuanzhi, ah! Ji Yuanzhi! For you to have this kind of good grandmother must have truly been the blessing you cultivated for three whole lifetimes. For you, she could invert ck and white. How powerful that is! If you can keep that life of yours, you must repay her properly!¡¯ Ji Yunshu coldly sneered. She raised the paper in her hand. ¡°This fingerprint and the iplete fingerprint found on Luan¡¯er are exactly the same, even that nk mark in the middle of the finger. This mark indicated that there was a scab on the thumb which caused the fingerprint to look iplete. Moreover, that finger was soaked in tangerine water which made the fingerprint remain on the paper up to 12 hours.¡± After she spoke up to this point, she took out Luan¡¯er¡¯s confession note, but the fingerprint can no longer be seen. Thus, with more certainty than ever, she turned to Ji Yuanzhi who was still kneeling on the floor. ¡°Twelve hours have already passed. Therefore, the iplete fingerprint in question could no longer be seen, but the smell of tangerine water still lingers. ording to my calction, Luan¡¯er¡¯s time of death was around yesterday night at the hour of the rat1, you were at her side at that time and were washing your hands with the tangerine water in my room before giving this paper to Luan¡¯er, so she could write down that fake confession and forced her to hang herself!¡± The evidence of his crimes were revealed one by one. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s expression was evasive and like before he continued to deny his crimes. At this moment, Jing Rong threw Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s hand and let it go. Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s hand heavily hit the corner of the table. Bam! The pain made him teary. Ji Yunshu continued to hound him with her eyes as she interrogated him. ¡°Why did you force Luan¡¯er to die? Why? This is a human life! How can you be so cruel, treating her death as if it was nothing?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°You saw her hang herself and die in front of you. Doing such a thing, aren¡¯t you afraid to be gued by nightmares at night?¡± Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s pupils suddenly dted from horror. The corner of his mouth twitched, then trembled. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to force her to die. I only¡­ I was confused! I was confused at that time. I only want to maintain our family¡¯s reputation, so I did it, but I really didn¡¯t want her to die!¡± ¡®He confessed! Such a good confession!¡¯ Ji Yunshu refrained herself from crying. Her heart was wrecked with pain. It was unbearably painful! ¡°Õâ²»ÊÇÕæµÄ¡£¡±¼ÍÀÏ·òÈËÆ˵½Á˼ÍÔªÖ°µÄÉí±ß£¬¿ÞËßÆðÀ´£º¡°ÔªÖ°£¬ÄãÔõô»á×ö³öÕâÖÖÊÂÇéÀ´°¡£¡¡± ¡°It¡¯s not true!¡± Old Madame Ji threw herself next to Ji Yuanzhi andmented, ¡°Yuanzhi, how can you do such a thing?!¡± Ji Muqing was stunned. She even forgot about the painful p she received. She spoke in shock, ¡°Third Brother, you¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it! I did that because I was confused at that time. I really didn¡¯t mean to kill her.¡± Ji Yuanzhi continued with his litany. Jing Rong coldly watched everything. He couldn¡¯t tolerate it anymore. ¡°Come down.¡± At his call, suddenly six imperial bodyguards jumped down from the roof and stood outside the reception hall with their hands sped. ¡°Did you hear everything earlier?¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness. We have heard.¡± ¡°Good. Bring Ji Yuanzhi to the yamen. Let Lord Liu investigates the case.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness.¡± The guards came in and dragged Ji Yuanzhi outside. ¡°Father! Grandmother! Save me!¡± Ji Yuanzhi shouted. His voice was trembling from fright. ¡°Yuanzhi!¡± Old Madame Ji reached out her hand in an attempt to grab him back, but all she grabbed on was the empty air. Finally, Ji Shuhan recovered from his shock and immediately kneeled down. He begged Jing Rong. ¡°I beseech your Highness! Have mercy! He is still young andmitted an error in a moment of confusion. Your Highness is magnanimous, spare him!¡± ¡°A moment of confusion? Spare him?¡± Jing Rong repeated Ji Shuhan¡¯s words with a severe expression. ¡°Human life is priceless. You actually sum it into ¡®a moment of confusion¡¯?¡± ¡®Preposterous!¡¯ 1.Hour of the rat = between 11pm and 1am Chapter 106: Close Bond, Thin Blood Chapter 106: Close Bond, Thin Blood Ji Shuhan was not ready to give up. ¡°Please, Prince, I beg you to consider the fact that I have been a functionary for this many years. Please make this an exception.¡± ¡°I have thought of you wrongly, Ji Shuhan. To think that you would dare say something like that. I ought to correct the way you and your family think.¡± Jing Rong turned around and ordered, ¡°Bring him to the yamen now.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s bodyguard dragged Ji Yuanzhi against his struggles into the thin rain, towards the yamen. Chaos reigned in the Ji family, some were crying, others knelt down, and the rest were still stricken by bafflement. Ji Shuhan smashed the ground in frustration. He was angry at Ji Yuanzhi, but also at the cold-bloodedness of Jing Rong and his daughter. Ji Muqing was unable to hold it in anymore. She sobbed and raised her teary eyes to look at Ji Yunshu, ¡°Luan¡¯er was but a lowly maid, it matters little if she dies. Besides, she was sold to the Ji Mansion as a child, so we ought to have the final say over her life. Third Brother might be unreasonable, but he didn¡¯t kill her with his own hands; she hung herself. You can¡¯t put the me on him just like that.¡± ¡®A pathetic clown she is. Eager to make her presence noticed at every opportunity. I have but the strongest of dislike and the deepest of disdain for people like her. What does she seek? A way to disy her own superiority through the misfortune of others?¡¯ Ji Yunshu nced at her scornfully and answered, ¡°Is the knife the sole weapon of the murderer?¡± ¡°But he did it for you, if it wasn¡¯t for him, you would still be in jail right now.¡± ¡°On this you are wrong; he did it for you. He did it for the prestige of the Ji family. He did it so you can be a princely concubine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ji Muqing could not find a retort to Ji Yunshu¡¯s words. Ji Wanxin pulled on her arm lightly and said, ¡°Elder Sister, Third Brother is in the wrong for this.¡± ¡°¡­You!¡± Ji Muqing was seized with anger. She turned to the side and was about to hit Ji Wanxin. He had barely raised her hand when Jing Rong¡¯s caught hold of her wrist and pushed her into the sandalwood chair on the side. ¡°Elder sister,¡± Ji Wanxin looked worried. She approached Ji Muqing, but had barely grazed her sleeve before thetter pushed her away and cried, ¡°Get away!¡± Perhaps it was it due to her frailty, she lost her bnce and fell back into Jing Rong¡¯s arm. She raised her head and her eyes collided with Jing Rong¡¯s frosty irises. Ji Wanxin bit her lips and a flush climbed up her face. She lingered until she felt a pair of hands ¨C Jing Rong¡¯s, pushing her from the back, and she sensibly decided to back away. She kept her head lowered and remained silent; nobody seemed to have noticed this small detail. The me of anger within Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart, which had been concealed until now, until Ji Yuanzhi was brought to the yamen, finally ignited and now burned fiercely within her heart. ¡®Don¡¯t worry, Luan¡¯er, I will make them pay for every single bit of it.¡¯ Old Madame Ji was whimpering with her hands on her chest. She called out to Ji Yunshu, ¡°Yuanzhi was your third brother, how could you be so cruel?¡± ¡®How could I be so cruel? I¡¯ll show you how cruel I can get.¡¯ Ji Yunshu swept across the hall with a saddened look and said with a low voice, ¡°When I saw Luan¡¯er¡¯s corpse, my sadness was many folds superior to the one you are feeling right now. I died of hunger five years ago in the West Side courtyard. When I woke up, the only person I saw was Luan¡¯er. She was only eleven years old and wore nothing but a thin robe on her to protect her against the biting cold of the winter. Nevertheless, she gave everything she had to me. For thest few years, she¡¯s been the only one to keep mepany; I¡¯vee to see her as my own sister. You, on the contrary, would still let me die despite the same blood flowing through our veins just because I was a bastard child. This is the only love you¡¯ve bestowed upon me. This cruel treatment, colder than a winter night.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s every word resonated within the minds of her family. Jing Rong¡¯s heart ached at the learning of such a difficult past in her own home; he did not know any of it before. Ji Shuhan shook his head in an exasperated frustration. ¡°So you bore that hatred for this long.¡± ¡°Yes, I did, I remembered all the cruel treatment you have subjected me to.¡± Ji Yunshu no longer felt the need to hide it. Her brows suddenly took on an air of sharpened knives as she confronted him, ¡°Do you remember when you whipped Ji Pei thirty times? Do you remember the words he said as heid in a pool of his own blood?¡± Ji Shuhan froze at the mention of the question; everyone else followed. This name was a taboo for two years: no one had ever mentioned it, and no one was ever to be allowed to do so. ¡°Shut up! I forbid you to talk about it!¡± Ji Shuhan bellowed. Each word came out of Ji Yunshu¡¯s mouth slowly. ¡°He said, ¡®close are the bonds; thin is the blood. Today you are my father; tomorrow you shalt be my ve.¡¯¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± This time it was Old Madame Ji. ¡°He is dead, you hear me? Dead!¡± She smashed the desk energetically. ¡®Dead? Yes¡­ I saw Ji Pei die with my very eyes, I saw his body carried out of the Ji Mansion. Dead with not a single corner of his body left intact; whipped to death by thirtyshes.¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s lips quirked into a bitter smile. ¡°He¡¯s not dead. He mustn¡¯t have died. I searched that hill upside down and still, I couldn¡¯t find his body. He told me that he woulde back after two years.¡± She sounded irrevocably certain of herself, enough so to make everyone wonder at the reason. Ji Yunshu resumed her expression of coldness, turned around and left the Ji Mansion without turning back even once. She plodded into the thin rain with an unusual determination. She took the front gate, just as she did when she entered the mansion. Jing Rong caught up to her before she could realize it and extended an umbre over her head in silence. He simply walked by her, not asking any questions, despite his interest being piqued by this new Ji Pei. Ji Yunshu headed for the Memorial Hall, and she arrived just when Fu Bo finished putting Luan¡¯er¡¯s corpse into an old, tattered coffin. He mumbled something about burying her in a ce with a nice Fengshui. Ji Yunshu eyes were slowly losing their focus as she stared at the object, and she uttered words of thanks and nodded her head. She removed her hairpin and ced it into the coffin. ¡°Luan¡¯er, please rest in peace. May you live happier and better in your next lifetime.¡± The coffin was sealed, and Ji Yunshu bid farewell to Luan¡¯er by burning a stick of incense. She stood under the roof of the entrance to the Memorial Hall with her head raised, looking at the dripping of rainwater as it ran down the eaves, just like sand in an hourss. Jing Rong kept herpany; he looked at her slowly unclenching brows and felt the same relief for the worry which preupied his heart. He dared not disturb her. Ji Yunshu was as tranquil as a painting and cleaner than the rainwater who had yet to touch the ground. For a moment, Jing Rong earnestly wished that he had not been born in the royal family. He longed for a simpler existence amongstmon people, one devoid of the calctions and schemings for the sake of the throne. What joy would it be, to share every sunrise and admire each sunset with the one he loved! After a long time, Ji Yunshu finally shifted her eyes from the corner of the roof to somewhere in the raining distance. She narrated, with a dispirited voice, ¡°He¡¯s called Ji Pei. He¡¯s an orphan my second brother brought back from the battlefield.¡± Chapter 107: Poison Testing This was the first sentence to emerge out of her pale lips. Jing Rong¡¯s mind was galvanized by her words and left all other considerations aside to be the curious and sole audience for her tale. Ji Yunshu clenched the fists in her sleeves and reminisced in a low voice, ¡°Even now, I can still remember the first time I saw Ji Pei. He stood behind Second Brother and wore a grey robe that had be white from repeated washing. He kept his head lowered and didn¡¯t dare to look anyone in the eyes. He said that he remembered nothing, so Second Brother gave him a name: Ji Pei. That was how he was adopted by my father; that was how he came to Ji Mansion. A faint smile climbed up Ji Yunshu¡¯s lips as she arrived at this point of the narration. ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but he always liked to follow me around, and, slowly, I grew used to his presence. He was very smart and seemed to know so much about everything. He taught me how to write and how topose poems. Whatever I desired, he would always try his hardest to bring it back to me. Three years flew by and I will never forget that day, that day in the midst of winter. He stood by a plum tree1, picked a flower from its branches and looked at me with his beautiful eyes. He seemed like a spirit that would melt away if you just grazed him. He smiled gently and said that the day he returns from the battlefield, he would make me his wife.¡± Ji Yunshu had not spoken to anyone about Ji Pei for thest two years; he lived only inside her heart. The name was as much of a taboo for her than it was for the rest of her family; she could not bring it up, dared not bring it up. Jing Rong¡¯s countenance shifted and sank into dejection as he noticed the broadening smile on Ji Yunshu¡¯s face. Ji Yunshu moved her head and returned to staring at the eaves. Bitterness snaked into her eyes. ¡°But that night, my father, he used that whip of his and flogged Ji Pei mercilessly for third wholeshes. He said that he was a disgrace to the family for wanting to marry his own sister. After the chastisement, Ji Peiid prostrate, in a pool of his own blood, and could only look at me with bloodshot eyes. I saw only self-reproach and guilt within them. He was scared that he wouldn¡¯t be able to fulfill his promise to me; he was scared to leave me alone. I struggled, but until long after the moment he was brought out of the mansion with his eyes closed, my family restrained me. I could do nothing but watch.¡± ¡°The next day, I went to the hill where people usually dumped nameless bodies, and I searched the entire ce for him. I didn¡¯t find Ji Pei. I firmly believe that he¡¯s still alive, and that he¡¯ll keep his promise; he wille back and marry me.¡± Despite the fact that her own family believed that Ji Pei was dead, Ji Yunshu held onto the two-year promise between herself and Ji Pei. She would not abandon it until thest moment. Jing Rong remained silent and watched her. He saw her eyes redden gradually; he saw her draw her neck back and bite her own lips until they turned pale. Ji Yunshu turned around and looked at the worn out coffin in which Luan¡¯er rested. She spoke with self-reproach, ¡°I¡¯m the one to me for her death. If I wasn¡¯t so insistent about keeping that promise, I would have left the Ji Mansion with her a long time ago, and she wouldn¡¯t be where she is right now.¡± Tears dribbled from her eyes once again, as she became ridden with guilt. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± said Jing Rong. He approached her slowly and extended his arm to catch her in his embrace. He held her quivering body against his own and patted her back softly. Ji Yunshu did not push him away: the little warmth his body provided seemed to be enough topletely repel the biting cold which was invading her own. ¡°If the future could be known, would the pain of parting from one another ever exist in this world?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s words lingered in her mind. ¡®This man. When he¡¯s serious, even simple things he says are powerful.¡¯ Ji Yunshu tears came to a halt after a long time, and she finally backed away from Jing Rong. She kept her head lowered with determination, took a deep breath and said, ¡°The foremost thing is to find the true culprit behind Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei¡¯s deaths.¡± Jing Rong acquiesced. ¡°If Luan¡¯er is found to be innocent, then you will be the prime suspect once more. We need to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible.¡± His remark reminded Ji Yunshu of the urgency of the situation. Ji Yunshu said in all seriousness, ¡°I need to make a trip to the Wei Mansion right now. We might find something there. But with the way things are right now, I don¡¯t think that the people there will simply let me in.¡± Jing Rong lowered his brows and hurriedly answered, ¡°I¡¯ve already been there, and it¡¯s possible that I¡¯ve found what you are looking for.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Follow me,¡± He pulled her by her hand and led out of Memorial Hall, to Grand Canal Manor. When they arrived, Jing Rong brought a handkerchief, a wine pot and two cups to her. ¡°There¡¯s a wooden shard within the handkerchief. We¡¯ve found it inside the poisoned tea. As for the two cups and the wine cup, they are the ones Wei Yi¡¯s parents used that night, but they have been washed clean, so I don¡¯t know if they are still useful.¡± Ji Yunshu opened the wrapped handkerchief and had to search for the wooden fragment because of how small it was. ¡°Do you have any phosphorus powder?¡± Jing Rong called for a bodyguard. One answered swiftly and he ordered, ¡°Bring us some phosphorus powder.¡± The guard returned with the powder quickly enough. Ji Yunshu took a small handful and spread it out onto the wooden shard. Its color immediately changed to pure ck. ¡°There¡¯s poison on this shard,¡± concluded Ji Yunshu. She then frowned and wondered, ¡°But what is it exactly?¡± She brought the handkerchief closer to her nose and sniffed it. Although the shard itself was small, the distinct aroma of rice wine was still perceivable. Jing Rong asked, ¡°Did you find anything?¡± She dropped the handkerchief and frowned. ¡°Not only is there Pitohui poison on this wooden shard, but it has also been dipped in wine. But¡­what is this?¡± She was a little confused, so she picked up the wine pot and wanted to repeat the procedure. ¡°These have already been washed. Can you find anything despite that?¡± asked Jing Rong. ¡°As long as it touched the poison, and they haven¡¯t washed it with sugary water, I¡¯ll be able to find what I want,¡± answered Ji Yunshu. Nothing happened when she sprayed the wine pot with phosphorus, but when she did the same with the cups, the inner side darkened.¡± This caught Ji Yunshu off-guard, ¡°How did this happen?¡± She muttered. Jing Rong also thought it was unexpected, ¡°There¡¯s poison in the cups, but none in the pot? Did someone add the poison while the wine was being poured?¡± ¡®Well, that is certainly a possibility.¡¯ Ji Yunshu nodded and mulled it over, ¡°Then, who was the person who poured the wine for them?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go find out at the Wei Mansion.¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡®I doubt that the people there will just let me go in,¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. Jing Rong saw through Ji Yunshu¡¯s worries. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, if Ie along, no one will even dare to stop you.¡± ¡°Of course, I forgot that I have a ¡®Highness¡¯ by my side. He would probably be able to roll into the Wei Mansion if he wanted to. Oh, he can also probably raise the dead, forgot about that.¡¯ 1. Plum flower is known as a symbol of love, chastity, purity and elegance. Chapter 108: I Won’t Leave You The pair arrived at the Wei Mansion, and saw Wei Fu at the entrance. Wei Fu rushed to kneel down upon seeing Jing Rong, but thetter stopped him and said, ¡°I¡¯m here for an investigation. Gather everyone in the main hall.¡± Wei Fu did not dare challenge Jing Rong¡¯s authority. He red at Ji Yunshu and went to gather the servants and the maids at the Mansion. The sight of the white cloth strips reminded Ji Yunshu once again of the tragedy which urred here, but she forcefully recollected herself and buried the sadness deep into her heart. She asked Jing Rong. ¡°How¡¯s Wei Yi?¡± Jing Rong answered, ¡°He¡¯s doing fine. Lang Po is with him, and I¡¯ve told the people here to not tell him about the investigation, at least not until the burial tomorrow.¡± ¡®He¡¯s quite considerate on this, at least more than the usual person.¡¯ Ji Yunshu nodded and consciously avoided further talking about the subject, lest she would tear up again. After a short while, the servants and the maids Wei Fu gave the order to gather arrived at the main hall. Only then did they know what they were dealing with a royal prince, some servants working in the kitchen began chattering. ¡°He¡¯s a prince? I actually talked with him that night!¡± bragged one of them. A more robust man right beside him shed a nce of contempt and said, ¡°I¡¯ve talked with him too, and I spoke two sentences you know.¡± ¡°Pffft.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t pfft me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re shameless.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the shameless one!¡± The two got closer and closer as they argued with each other. It seemed like they weren¡¯t going to stop short of a fight. Wei Fu heard the mor, walked towards them and gave both a p on the head. ¡°How dare you behave like that when the prince is here?¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± Both of them bowed down clumsily. Wei Fu threw a castigating nce at the duo and finally went forth to greet Jing Rong. ¡°Your Highness, all the servants in the mansion have gathered here.¡± Jing Rong acquiesced and looked at Ji Yunshu: it was as if she was the master and him, a mere follower. Wei Fu followed his nce and looked at Ji Yunshu. He still resented her, and even though Ji Yunshu was found not guilty because of Luan¡¯er, he thought of her as a murderer. Fortunately, the circumstances surrounding Luan¡¯er¡¯s suicide had yet to reach the Wei Mansion, for he would otherwise be pleading justice on all fours to Magistrate Liu and Jing Rong once again. Although both Jing Rong and Magistrate Liu would be standing on Ji Yunshu¡¯s side¡­ Ji Yunshu waited no longer and swept across the crowd with her eyes. ¡°Who poured the wine for your masters that night?¡± The servants looked at each other. One young maid shyly walked forward, out of the crowd, her head lowered and her hands kneading on each other. She answered in a quiet voice, ¡°It was me. I was the one who poured the wine for both the Master and Madame that night.¡± Ji Yunshu scrutinized the maid as she spoke: she looked to be no older than seventeen or eighteen years old. Ji Yunshu asked her, ¡°Did you notice anything abnormal when you poured the wine?¡± The maid shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t remember anything.¡± ¡°Think about it carefully.¡± The maid¡¯s hands trembled from the severity of Ji Yunshu¡¯s voice. She pondered for a small while, finally shook her head and answered, ¡°Really, there was nothing.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s poison in the cup,¡± said Ji Yunshu. Her statement caused an upheaval within the crowd. The maid was not dumb, and she naturally understood what Ji Yunshu was inferring to. She knelt down on the ground and answered with a trembling voice which was on the verge of turning into sobs. ¡°It cannot be this humble one, it cannot be. Master and Madame were so kind to me, I would never poison them.¡± ¡®Wasn¡¯t it Luan¡¯er who poisoned Master and Madame? How did it be Yue¡¯er now?¡¯ wondered Wei Fu. He stared at the maid and asked in a loud voice, ¡°Yue¡¯er, is it you who did it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not this humble one, it really isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not her,¡± said Ji Yunshu. She approached Yue¡¯er and made her stand up. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that you were the one who put in the poison. Don¡¯t be so nervous.¡± This second remark came to everyone¡¯s surprise. Jing Rong voiced his own, ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Ji Yunshu nodded and made Yue¡¯er raise her left hand. ¡°It¡¯s because the fingers on her left hand are injured, and she cannot move them¡­ right?¡± ¡°Miss Ji¡­ how did you know?¡± ¡®Of course I know, I work with bones everyday. I would notice something like this from a single nce.¡¯ ¡°Nevermind how I know about it, just know that it would be far too risky for you to pour the wine and try to poison it using the same hand.¡± Wei Fu asked Yue¡¯er, ¡°Can you really not move your hand?¡± Yue¡¯er retracted her tears and nodded, ¡°Yes, Madame felt pity for my injury, so she brought me into the mansion. I¡¯ve been taking care of Madame ever since, and she has not told anyone about my handicap.¡± ¡®What a nice soul Madame Wei has,¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. She did not feel the need to interrogate the servants at the Wei Mansion any longer, so she said to Wei Fu, ¡°Please, housekeeper Wei, you can tell them to go back to their duties now.¡± Wei Fu nodded and split up the crowd ordingly. Despite the new findings, the question of how the poison made its way into the wine was still unelucidated to Ji Yunshu. However, thetter did not dwell on this question. She threw a nce at Jing Rong and said, ¡°I want to go have a look at Wei Yi.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Jing Rong agreed. Ji Yunshu entered the memorial hall in the backyard. The first person she saw was Wei Yi, who was down on the ground. From what she has heard, Wei Yi had been kneeling like this for the past two days, and he has not eaten a single bite. Ji Yunshu remembered Wei Yi¡¯s always unsatisfied appetite, and how he would be able to finish an entire table full of dishes¡­ She approached him lightly and knelt down beside him to bow down to the coffins of his parents. Wei Yi¡¯s exhausted eyes reddened when he saw Ji Yunshu. He called out in a creaked voice, ¡°Shu¡¯er¡­¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart was seared with a burning pain when she saw Wei Yi¡¯s sunken eyes. ¡®How did he get through the past two days?¡¯ ¡°Shu¡¯er¡­¡± Wei Yi called out to her. She extended her pale fingers and caressed the frigid skin on his face. The coldness reached the skin of her finger, and then spread in uncontrobly, all the way into her heart. It prickled it like the sharp edge of an icicle. She frowned at the tightening of her chest. Wei Yi clutched her hand and jumped into her arms, crying loudly like a baby. Ji Yunshu wrapped her arms around him tightly and caressed his head, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Wei Yi. Didn¡¯t I tell you before that I would be here for you?¡± Her constion reverberated within Wei Yi¡¯s mind. He gave an even stronger sob, ¡°But Shu¡¯er disappeared, and Shu¡¯er doesn¡¯t want me anymore.¡± ¡°You little fool, how could I ever not want you? I¡¯ll be forever by your side to take care of you.¡± Wei Yi¡¯s body spasmed violently, and Ji Yunshu¡¯s body shook along with him. He asked in a bawling voice, ¡°Shu¡¯er, are you really going to stay with me?¡± ¡°Yes, I promise you. I will never leave you. I¡¯ll be by your side, and take care of you.¡± ¡°Shu¡¯er¡­¡± Wei Yi closed his arms around her. Chapter 109: Chopsticks of Unknown Origin Chapter 109: Chopsticks of Unknown Origin Inside the mourning hall, Wei Yi was holding onto Ji Yunshu without any thought of letting her go. Meanwhile, outside the hall, Jing Rong maintained an expressionless face which made it hard for anyone to guess his mind. Lang Po stood beside him. His sight was also on Ji Yunshu and Wei Yi. During these two days, he had followed his orders and taken care of Wei Yi. His eyes watched Wei Yi without blinking as he sported eyes. It could be said that he followed his orders to the letter. Of course, Wei Yi hadn¡¯t eaten anything and had been on an empty stomach for the past two days. Lang Po faintly sighed and spoke to himself, ¡°Miss Ji was swamped by so many things yet her mind is still thinking about Young Master Wei.¡± Admiration could be felt within his words. Jing Rong¡¯s eyes glossed over him with indifference. It immediately caused the surface of Lang Po¡¯s skin to feel a freezing temperature. He lowered his head and shut up. He was greatly bewildered inside his heart. His master not only didn¡¯t appear to be jealous, this calm attitude was a bit too shocking. ¡®This is too unusual! Extremely out of character!¡¯ How could he have known that Jing Rong was heartbroken? His heart felt like it was tearing apart, cracking like dried up branches in December. Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart had Ji Pei and that person was like a thorn well embedded in her heart. Despite doing everything he could, he couldn¡¯t pull that love out of her, leaving him heartbroken. Not to mention, that Ji Pei might be dead, but the fact remained that he had lost to a dead person! When he thought about it, Jing Rong¡¯s thin lips stretched into a pained smile. At this moment, Ji Yunshu had lightly pushed away Wei Yi and wiped his tears using her sleeves. ¡°They say that you didn¡¯t eat anything for the past two days. How can you go on if you don¡¯t eat?¡± It made her feel a bit distressed. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ I don¡¯t feel like eating.¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t feel like eating, you still have to eat. It¡¯s bad for your body if you don¡¯t eat. Tomorrow is your parents¡¯ funeral procession. How will you have the energy to send them off onest time if you don¡¯t eat?¡± When she mentioned about the funeral procession, Wei Yi tightly pressed his dry lips together. He couldn¡¯t refute her. The Wei¡¯s servants immediately went to the kitchen to prepare the meal while Wei Yi continued to weep. He did his best to choke back several sobs by squeezing his cheeks. When he sniffled, his body trembled and inadvertently dropped his chopsticks on the table. tter! Cling! Ji Yunshu picked up his chopsticks and was about to give them back, but her hand suddenly halted. She frowned. ¡®Hmm?¡¯ Wei Yi took the chopsticks and was about to pick up some food, but Ji Yunshu grabbed back the chopsticks and brought them in front of her eyes for careful observation. ¡°Shu¡¯er, if you take my chopsticks, how am I going to eat?¡± Wei Yi asked as he chewed on his food. Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression tensed up. Her fingertips brushed against the chopsticks. It seemed like she had a revtion. ¡°Shu¡¯er¡­¡± Wei Yi quickly swallowed his food before calling her out. His call brought her back to reality. She faintly smiled before giving back his chopsticks and got up. She said, ¡°Eat well, I¡¯m going out for a moment.¡± ¡°Where are you going? Shu¡¯er, don¡¯t throw me away!¡± Wei Yi tugged on her clothes and refused to let her leave. Ji Yunshu reached for his head and stroked it. Her eyes were filled with determination. ¡°Wei Yi, I already said that I won¡¯t leave you. Be good and eat your meal. When you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll be back. Alright?¡± ¡°Oh!¡± He nodded and expressed his agreement. As soon as she left, she bumped into Jing Rong. Seeing her anxious expression, he asked in worry, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I think I know where that sawdust came from.¡± ¡°From where?¡± ¡°Chopsticks!¡± As she gave away her conclusion, she proceeded toward the Wei mansion¡¯s kitchen. Without hesitation, Jing Rong chased after Ji Yunshu, leaving behind Lang Po. Finally, they reached the kitchen and smelt the faint scent of vinegar as soon as they arrived. Inside, the servants were busy doing various chores, but as soon as they saw the visitors, they stopped what they were doing. Ji Yunshu rushed to a maidservant and inquired, ¡°Are the utensils prepared for your lord and mistress on the night of the banquet still here?¡± The maidservant stammered at first while repeatedly nodding, ¡°They are still here.¡± ¡°Bring them to me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The maidservant hurriedly fetched the tableware. Except for the wine bottle and wine cups ¡°robbed¡± away by Jing Rong, what remained in the tray was two exquisite water patterned porcin bowls, two white jade porcin spoons and chopsticks, made from a precious tree, ced on ivory supports. Ji Yunshu only picked up one of the chopsticks and meticulously observed it. She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s not that one.¡± She picked another chopstick and shook her head again. ¡°Not that one either.¡± Next, she picked up the third chopstick but suddenly became greatly rmed. ¡°This is it! It¡¯s this chopstick.¡± Everyone looked at Ji Yunshu, watching her as she was doing her one-man show. None of them understood why she was shouting. Jing Rong remainedposed as if he knew what she was thinking of. He turned to a servant and ordered him. ¡°Bring some phosphorus powder.¡± Suddenly, the servant became intelligent. Unfortunately, Ji Yunshu had no time to praise him. She took some of the powder and sprinkled it on the chopsticks as soon as the servant came back with it. In the blink of an eye, the chopstick turnedpletely ck! ¡°There¡¯s poison on it.¡± Her tone appeared casual but still contained shock within. She repeated the procedure with the other three chopsticks and another turned ck. The maidservant closest to her was extremely confused about the phenomena. ¡°Miss Ji, h-how could this happen? How can there be poison on the chopsticks?¡± Ji Yunshu also wanted to know. After pondering over this problem, she looked at Jing Rong and said, ¡°We investigated in the wrong direction from the start. The wine wasn¡¯t poisoned. It was the chopsticks instead. The chopsticks entered their mouths. The poison on the sawdust remained in their mouths and when they drank the wine, it contaminated the cup and some stuck to the rim.¡± Everyone started to understand after she exined. However, Jing Rong was still doubtful. ¡°Since only two chopsticks had poison on it, then how did two people ended up getting poisoned?¡± ¡°I think that Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei used one poisoned chopstick each.¡± ¡®That¡¯s logical!¡¯ Jing Rong grimly asked the people within the kitchen. ¡°Who was part of the feast staff and in charge of the tableware?¡± His tone was biting like a me which caused the servants to suddenly tremble. Further inside, two little girls peeked out their heads and came over in a panic. ¡°I-it¡¯s the two of us.¡± ¡°Why is there poison on the chopsticks? Can you exin this to me?¡± interrogated Jing Rong. The two girls shook their heads in fear. ¡°Your Highness, we didn¡¯t smear poison on it. These are the chopsticks that our master used daily. There weren¡¯t any problems before. We absolutely don¡¯t bear any ill-will toward milord and mdy. We beg your highness to investigate the situation clearly.¡± They didn¡¯t seem to be lying. ¡°Then, who else came in contact with the chopsticks on the banquet night?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No one else. We were the ones who personally arranged the tableware. Milord and Mdy¡¯s tablewares were handled by us only and no one else. No one else could have tampered with it.¡± She spoke without hesitation, no trace of any doubt about her words. Jing Rong had nothing else to ask. He saw the expression on Ji Yunshu and put back the chopsticks before tentatively asking, ¡°These chopsticks¡­ are they from your Wei mansion?¡± The maidservants looked at each other, then something sparked within their mind. They widened their eyes and examined the chopsticks. They eximed, ¡°Those aren¡¯t our Wei mansion¡¯s chopsticks!¡± To prove her words, one of the girls pointed at the chopsticks and hurriedly exined. ¡°Our chopsticks all have one of their corners shaved, but this pair of ck chopsticks doesn¡¯t have a shaved corner. It is certainly not one of our chopsticks.¡± Chapter 110: Damn It! It Should Have Been Me! Chapter 110: Damn It! It Should Have Been Me! Most wealthy families usually had the habit of putting a mark on their tablewares. They often used their surname, the name of the current era, or one of the twelve zodiac animals to identify their tablewares. The porcin bowls and wine cups of the Wei family had the word ¡°Wei¡± engraved at the bottom. As for the chopsticks made of precious wood, since they wereparably more fragile and would snap if the word ¡°Wei¡± was to be engraved on it, only a corner at their ends would be shaved as a mark of identification. However, the poisoned chopsticks didn¡¯t have such a mark. ¡°Are you absolutely certain that no one else came into the kitchen on that evening?¡± Ji Yunshu put an emphasis on the question. Everyone looked at each other in dismay, causing another round of head-shaking. ¡°Are you certain?¡± Suddenly, a maidservant within the crowd eximed, ¡°It¡¯s true that no one else entered the kitchen to tamper with the tablewares, but on the way to the banquet hall, I ran into Third Young Master Ji.¡± ¡®Third Young Master Ji? Ji Yuanzhi?¡¯ ¡°Why would he appear near the kitchen?¡± ¡°This lowly servant doesn¡¯t know. At that time Third Young Master Ji, he¡­¡± ¡°He what?¡± questioned Ji Yunshu. The maidservant slightly blushed while biting her lips and lowering her head. Then, she reached out for the hairpin decorating her hair. She stammered and spoke with a trembling voice, ¡°At that time, Third Young Master Ji gave me this hairpin. Since I saw how pretty it was, I epted it.¡± ¡®There really is an unforeseen circumstance. But such a superficial way to flirt! He couldn¡¯t even let a little girl go.¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression sank. ¡°At that time, whose tablewares did you take?¡± ¡°I was on my way with Miss Ji¡¯s tablewares,¡± she spoke with certainty. In other words, Ji Yuanzhi also didn¡¯te into contact with Lord Wei¡¯s and Madame Wei¡¯s tablewares. It seemed like the investigation had lead to another dead end! Ji Yunshu looked at Jing Rong. She appeared a bit distressed. Jing Rong promptlyforted her. ¡°Since we know that the chopsticks were poisoned, then we can certainly find out the truth in the end.¡± She nodded and grumbled in agreement. Inadvertently, as she moved, her sleeve brushed against the chopsticks, making them drop to the ground. She used her handkerchief to pick up the chopsticks, but she identally saw a piece of ck chopstick fall off and turn into a crimson color. That tiny piece was very easy to overlook without a keen eye. Her expression immediately tensed as she stared at the wet floor with her nose wrinkled. She asked, ¡°There¡¯s vinegar on the floor?¡± ¡°Yes, we usually clean the floor with diluted vinegar,¡± replied a servant girl. ¡°So it¡¯s like that!¡± That¡¯s right! The dense fog clouding her mind was gradually dispersing! She turned around and spoke to Jing Rong, ¡°Your Highness, I might need your help!¡± Jing Rong frowned. ¡°Tell me.¡± Ji Yunshu wrapped the chopstick with her handkerchief and dragged Jing Rong out of the kitchen. Her expression was grave as she whispered into his ear, ¡°I need you to send people to the prison and¡­¡± After she was done exining her n, Jing Rong ordered his subordinates to aplish it. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Meanwhile in the prison, Ji Yuanzhi was shouting his innocence as if his life depended on it. He was too young. There was no way he could ept this kind of punishment. In the gloomy and damp prison cell, time seemed to pass quickly. He was barely imprisoned for a bit more than the time it took for a joss stick to burn, yet it felt longer. ¡°Someone! Release me! Do you know who my eldest brother is? He is General Yi¡¯s Left Secretary! Offending me is the same as offending him! Let me out of here!¡± He hit both of his hands on the wooden barrier of his prison cell, while bellowing until his voice became hoarse. Finally, his shouting bore fruit. Several people hurriedly arrived, but they weren¡¯t part of the prison staff. Each one of them wore an expressionless face that leaned toward a feeling of cold austerity. They opened the prison door, bringing with them a bowl and a knife. ¡°What are you nning to do?¡± screamed Ji Yuanzhi in fear. No one spoke to him. Some of them restrained him, pressed him to kiss the cold floor, and pried his palm open. ¡°What are you doing? What do you want to do? Release me!¡± ¡°GYAAAAH!¡± A blood-curdling scream resounded as his palm was cut open by the knife. His blood poured into the bowl. The pain he felt caused him to continue shouting as hisplexion became ashen. It was only until the bowl was half-full did the men release him. They threw a small pot of ointment and bandages to him before leaving. The men didn¡¯t speak from start to finish and did everything with extreme efficiency. Ji Yuanzhi crawled to a sitting position and looked at his palm that was shed for no reason at all. He simply felt helpless and powerless. He had no other choice but to smear the ointment on his wound while gritting his teeth. That half bowl of blood only took less than half the time to burn a joss stick before being delivered to Jing Rong. Once he received it, he sent it to Ji Yunshu which made her get caught in betweenughter and tears. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell you to take that much blood.¡± ¡°The more, the better!¡± Jing Rong replied in a frivolous tone. ¡®The more, the better? Oi, oi, oi! This is blood, not water!¡¯ Ji Yunshu rolled her eyes at him then no longer pay attention to him. She poured a bit of camphor juice and vinegar in the bowl of blood and then dropped the little pieces of dark red chopstick into it. After a short time, she fished out that chopstick piece. The dark red color on it had faded into a brighter red,pletely blending with the color of the blood within the bowl. ¡®Hmm¡­ The truth is quite self-evident now.¡¯ ¡°Ji Yuanzhi is the owner of those poisonous chopsticks. The blood on it belongs to him. Do you remember about the scab on his thumb? It must have been caused by him scraping his thumb on it.¡± When she came to that conclusion, the truth scared her even more. As curious as ever, Jing Rong threw a question at her, ¡°Why would he want to kill the Wei couple? But he didn¡¯t evene near their tablewares. How did the chopsticks end up getting switched?¡± ¡°Ah right! How did he rece the chopsticks? And what was his motive for murder?¡± The truth was quite dubious and also very shocking. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Ji Yunshu returned to the mourning hall. By the time she returned, Wei Yi had finished his meal and put down his chopsticks. He was sitting with a straight posture while waiting for her. She walked up to him and sat next to him. ¡°Shu¡¯er, why did you leave for so long?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Ie back?¡± He repeatedly nodded, then crooked his head as if he was thinking about something. Then, he took out from his pocket a tassel and handed it to Ji Yunshu. ¡°Shu¡¯er, this is big brother Yuanzhi¡¯s tassel. Can you help me give it back to him?¡± She nced at it. It was indeed something Ji Yuanzhi would own. ¡°Why do you have this with you?¡± ¡°The other night, I wasn¡¯t careful and bumped into him, which caused him to bump into the two sisters who were holding a tray. After that, he scolded me before leaving, but that thing fell on the ground.¡± He spoke earnestly, yet he didn¡¯t notice why he was justifying himself. When Ji Yunshu heard his words, her expressionpletely turned dark. She felt as if inside of her a machine was pounding and crushing all of her organs! She avoided looking at Wei Yi as tears threatened to spill out, and her throat felt like it was caught in a vise. She forced a smile. ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll help you give it back to him.¡± ¡°Thank you Shu¡¯er!¡± Wei Yi got up and lifted the hem of his mourning clothes as he kneeled in front of the coffins once again. He bowed and knocked his head several times on the floor. His mouth only uttered words reminiscing his parents. Ji Yunshu wasn¡¯t in the mood for listening. She stood up and stayed behind him with her head lowered. All her attention was focused on her hands. She tightly clenched the tassel as if she was strangling someone¡¯s neck. In the end, she couldn¡¯t hold back her tears. ¡®Wei Yi, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m really, really sorry! Damn it! It should have been me!¡¯ Chapter 111: Rebellion? Chapter 111: Rebellion? On a February night, a drizzle fell covering the world with the pitter-patter sounds of rain. As the temperature dropped, the rain turned into falling snow. The snowkes fell one after another, piling onyer uponyer of white. It didn¡¯t take long before roofs and pavements were nothing but mantles of whiteness. Under the roof of a certain house, there was a room brightened bynterns with all four walls covered in white satin, fluttering as the wind blew in. As the wind came in, the light flickered, projecting shadows and light onto the bleak and mournful atmosphere thatplemented the white snow. On such a night, Wei Yi was kneeling in the mourning hall. His back ramrod straight like before. From time to time, he would throw joss paper into the burning brazier.1 After two days of crying, even his tears have dried. Most of the servants within the Wei mansion were kneeling outside, draped in mourning clothes and wearing white headbands. Their heads were lowered, while sobs could be hearding from the crowd. As the first glimmer of light marked the beginning of a new day, the funeral procession to send the Wei couple to their ultimate resting ce departed. Two memorial tablets nestled inside Wei Yi¡¯s hands as he led the funeral procession. The virgin expanse of snow burned into his eyes. The snow that settled on his thick eyshes melted into a pearl of water, limpid and translucent, as it fell on his cheek. It was no longer possible to discern which one was a tear and which one was water. Right behind him, there were two coffins covered in white cloth. Eight people were needed to lift one. The men carried the two coffins and followed behind Wei Yi. There were people at the back, front, and on the sides of the procession, carrying white funeral banners and throwing joss paper into the air. As they proceeded, they chanted sutras until they reached their destination: the burial site determined through feng shui. Ji Yunshu only followed them halfway. After that, she watched them ascend the mountain until thest moment. Jing Rong silently stayed behind with her. He followed her line of sight before deciding to inquire, ¡°Are you really not telling him? Afterall, it concerns his parents.¡± Ji Yunshu shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s unnecessary.¡± Her words stemmed from her wish to protect Wei Yi. She wanted to preserve his pure and honest nature. As both people returned to the city, Lang Po rushed to them along with several imperial guards. His expression revealed a sense of urgency. ¡°Your Highness, something bad happened. Lord Ji brought people to cause trouble at the yamen. He ns to pressure Lord Liu into releasing Ji Yuanzhi. Right now, they must have reached the prison.¡± ¡®That old fox is truly brazen!¡¯ Jing Rong was infuriated. ¡°If he dares to take away the man, I, this prince, will pick out his tendons!¡± ¡®Did you grow up eating fireballs? How violent!¡¯ Ji Yunshu stepped forward. ¡°We cannot let my father take Ji Yuanzhi away.¡± Ji Yuanzhi was already convicted as a murderer. If he was rescued, it would be highly unlikely that she could trace his whereabouts after her father hid him. If it does happen, wouldn¡¯t the case remain unresolved? Thus, they sped up and rushed to the prison. During the same time at the entrance of the prison, Ji Shuhan wasing out with Ji Yuanzhi. The magistrate and several jailers tried to obstruct the Ji father and son, but they were unable to do so. The reason is that Ji Shuhan went in front and shielded his son. Although the jailers pulled out their swords, they didn¡¯t dare use them. The jailers couldn¡¯t act, but Jing Rong had no reservations. Forty meters of distance separated him from the entrance. It was enough for him to swing his arm back, grab Lang Po¡¯s sword, pull it out in one motion, and ¡°throw¡± it with all he had at his target. As his hand released its grip on the sword¡¯s hilt, the weapon cut through the curtain of snow like an arrow released from a bowstring; only a cold light could be perceived. With extreme uracy, the sword lodged itself into Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Jailbreak! Jailbreak! Someone is trying to jailbreak!¡± Magistrate Liu was loudly shouting as he ran behind several jailers. ¡®This is too scary!¡¯ The jailers went into a defensive stance and turned toward the direction the sword piercing Ji Yuanzhi came from. They only rxed their stance when they saw that the culprit was Jing Rong. Magistrate Liu revealed an awkward expression when he realized he scared himself for nothing. He armed himself with his glib tongue and approached Jing Rong to wee thetter with sped hands. ¡°It turns out to be your Highness. This humble official was under the impression that¡­¡± Jing Rong raised his index and middle finger together, interrupting the magistrate¡¯s words with his gesture. His expression was cool as he stared at Ji Shuhan¡¯s now timid attitude. ¡°It seems like Lord Ji doesn¡¯t put me in his eyes. I sent Ji Yuanzhi to the yamen the other day, but now you¡¯re rushing to bring the man away. I really underestimated your courage.¡± Although his words were not heavy, the arrogance in which he spoke with contained a deterrent pressure. Ji Shuhan hurriedly justified himself, ¡°Your Highness, this humble official doesn¡¯t dare, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± ¡°But my son didn¡¯t kill anyone. That servant girl killed herself. This criminal charge shouldn¡¯t be put on his head. Your Highness is wise. I beseech you to clearly investigate the matter.¡± Jing Rong sneered. ¡°Although threatening someone to kill herself doesn¡¯t earn him capital punishment, he still cannot escape punishment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! The evidence is undeniable. His crime cannot be erased,¡± eximed Magistrate Liu. At this moment, his lung capacity appeared to double in power. Afterall, Jing Rong was his protection amulet. The magistrate now felt he really has backing. Despite being an official, he kept encountering iron walls: Madame Jiang and now, Lord Ji. However, Ji Shuhan remained firm; he must take away his son today. Rooted in front of prison entrance, Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s face looked weak and was covered in perspiration. He looked at his father with imploring eyes. ¡°Father, please, you must save me!¡± Hearing his son pleading for help, his resoluteness increased in the fold, which tranted into the sharp expression from his brows. He raised his head and looked straight at Jing Rong. His tone became a bit more oppressing as he spoke, ¡°Your Highness, you must know that my two eldest sons are important figures in the imperial court. One of them is the left secretary of General Yi. The other was bestowed the title of Changlin General by the emperor. They are heavily valued for their talent. Even if your Highness doesn¡¯t consider this aspect, can you at least rethink the political situation¡­¡± ¡°Presumptuous!¡± His reprimand was like thunder filling people¡¯s ears with dread. Jing Rong¡¯s solemn face was quickly turning dark. His eyes which were glinting with coldness gradually suffused with mes of fury that expressed his desire to skin people alive! Never in his life up until now did someone threaten him. Not to mention using the political state of the imperial court to do so! ¡®Is that rebellion?¡¯ Even Ji Yunshu, who stood behind him, felt his fury. Ji Shuhan was inwardly shocked. He suddenly realized he made a faux pas. ¡°Your Highness please forgive this lowly official. Those are my true words, but I had no intention of angering your Highness.¡± His voice was faintly trembling. ¡°Ji Shuhan, you should know that troublese from the mouth. Your rude words felt like threats to me. Even if you use all the names in your Ji family, do you think you can cover the sky with your hand? Or do you want to bear the crime of rebelling against the imperial household?¡± ¡®Rebellion?¡¯ Even he, Ji Shuhan, couldn¡¯t afford to bear such a tall hat. ¡°I¡­ I absolutely didn¡¯t have any intention or meaning to imply that. Please reconsider your Highness. This lowly official is only anxious because of my young son. He didn¡¯t kill anyone. Although he was beside that servant girl at the time of her death, he shouldn¡¯t be charged with such a crime.¡± ¡°Then, what about premeditated murder?¡± The words came out from Ji Yunshu, dull and indifferent. She stepped forward with an icy expression, watching the shocked Ji Shuhan. ¡°Father.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite calling him ¡°father,¡± the tone was freezing like ice. Her expression darkened as her lips faintly pulled up. ¡°I¡¯m fully aware that this body, hair, and skin are given by the parents. I should forbear your actions and wait until time takes you away, but I was wrong.¡± Herst four words were suffused with extreme coldness. 1.Joss paper : (a.k.a. Hell money) Chinese have a tradition to burn joss paper and other things for the dead, so that they will be able to journey through the underworld infort. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joss_paper Chapter 112: The Case (part 1) The hostility within Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes sent shivers down Ji Shuhan¡¯s spine. ¡®She was wrong? What does she mean?¡¯ Ji Yunshu snarled. ¡°Despite enduring time and time again, it did not abate your cruelty. Yourck ofpassion is what has given you this bloodthirsty son.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ji Shuhan frowned. Ji Yunshu ignored him and shed a cold nce to Ji Yuanzhi, who was still impaled through the shoulder onto the gate. She looked back at Magistrate Liu and pleaded, ¡°Magistrate, please ready the hall for trial¡­ for the murders at the Wei Mansion.¡± ¡®Wei Mansion? Isn¡¯t this about Luan¡¯er¡¯s death?¡¯ thought Magistrate Liu. Ji Yuanzhi was brought to the great hall of the yamen and knelt down at the center of the room. He had a bandaged hand and a gaping hole in his robe around the shoulder. His hair was messy, and he seemed to be quite uneasy. Jing Rong stood right by him, casting down a look akin to an eagle stalking its prey. Ji Shuhan was rather confused. ¡®Why are we back at the Wei Mansion case?¡¯ His heart was struck with sudden apprehension. Ji Yunshu stood upright by Ji Yuanzhu¡¯s left. In her usual garments, shecked the proudness and the sharpness of Teacher Ji but gained a womanly softness which rightfully belonged to her normal self. However, the animosity in her eyes expelled almost all of it away; a little more and she would have seemed enraged by hatred, a little less and she would be seemed softhearted. Magistrate Liu wiped his eyes with his sleeves and habitually reached out for his gavel. He was about to smash the table with it, when Jing Rong interrupted him with a cough. He suddenly realized who was there and immediately dropped the object. He cleared his throat and shed a nce at Ji Yuanzhi. Then, he shifted his attention toward Ji Yunshu and asked in a much more gentle manner, ¡°Yunshu, so, are there any links between the murders at the Wei Mansion and Luan¡¯er¡¯s suicide?¡± Ji Yunshu did not answer him. Instead, she lowered her eyes toward Ji Yuanzhu, who dodged her eyes and kept his fists clenched. She asked him, ¡°Do you really hate me so?¡± ¡®What is she doing? That¡¯s not the normal flow!¡¯ thought the Magistrate. Ji Yuanzhi seemed surprised at the question. He raised his head, showing a contemptuous smile. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you hate me to the point that you want to see me dead?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ji Yuanzhi frowned. He seemed to have understood her intentions, and he remained silent. ¡°Why?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. Ji Yuanzhu remained silent. This exchange was quite puzzling for Magistrate Liu. He asked in curiosity, ¡°Yunshu, does this have anything to do with the case?¡± ¡°Of course it does.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Ji Yunshu kept her eyes fixated on her brother. She skirted around him, and her countenance sank only when she arrived behind him. She asked, ¡°That night, you joined us only after the feast had started, didn¡¯t you?¡± She continued without giving Ji Yuanzhi a chance to interrupt her, ¡°That¡¯s because before you came to the main hall you went to the kitchen. You lingered around its entrance, wondering how you could sneak in, but you did not have a chance to do so.¡± ¡°What nonsense¡­ I.. why would I want to go there. I haven¡¯t been in the kitchen at all,¡± retorted Ji Yuanzhu. ¡°You don¡¯t need to deny it so quickly. There are probably a few things even you can¡¯t quite understand, such as¡­ why did Madame Wei and Lord Wei die, and why I am unharmed.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s calm voice seemed to have pricked a fatal weakness. Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s eyes widened, and his countenance turned ashen. His quickening breath revealed his nervousness: it was clear as daylight. To everyone¡¯s astonishment, Ji Yunshu brought a fabric pendant out of her pocket. She held the thread with her index finger and swung it in front of Ji Yuanzhu¡¯s eyes. ¡°You should recognize this. After all, Wei Yi said that you were the one who dropped it, and he didn¡¯t forget to ask me to return this to you¡­ He¡¯s nice like that.¡± Ji Yunshu flung the object at Ji Yuanzhu with a flick of her finger. It fell onto Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s dirty robe with a thud. It seemed like a ball of fire to Ji Yuanzhi. He shook it off with vigor, causing it to fall far away from him. ¡°That¡¯s not mine.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Am I blind or illiterate? Can you tell me what¡¯s written on it?¡± ¡®There¡¯s something written on it?¡¯ Magistrate Liu was curious enough to leave his seat. He picked up the pendant and pointed at Ji Yuanzhi. ¡°Hey, this is yours. Look, your name is sewn on it.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Ji Yuanzhi stuttered; the focused air in his eyes was gone. Ji Shuhan could not hold it in anymore. He grunted at Ji Yunshu, ¡°Yunshu, what exactly are you trying to do? First, you say that Yuanzhi is at fault for Luan¡¯er¡¯s death, and now you are expecting us to believe that Yuanzhi is somehow rted to the case at the Wei Mansion with a pendant and a few nonsensical remarks? He¡¯s your third brother! Won¡¯t you stop at nothing until he¡¯s dead?¡± ¡®Third brother? I¡¯d love to know a time when he thought of me as a sister.¡¯ Ji Yunshu maintained herposure, but resentment shed through her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not the one wishing his death, quite the opposite actually.¡± ¡°What nonsense?¡± shouted Ji Shuhan. Ji Yunshu quirked her lips and turned her head toward Ji Yuanzhi, who was copsed on the ground. ¡°Listen, and I will throw light upon your confusion.¡± She took a deep breath and fought against the tears in her eyes. ¡°That day, before you came to the Wei Mansion, you prepared a pair of chopsticks identical to the ones used by the hosts at the Wei Mansion and soaked them in Pitohui poison for a few hours. When you arrived, you found an excuse to the kitchen and waited there until you saw a maid carry utensils. You knew that what she had was meant for me, so you offered a hairpin and used it as a distraction to swap the chopsticks with the poisoned ones you were hiding.¡± At this point, the main hall had sunk into aplete silence. A silence due perhaps to surprise or shock. Despite the imusibility of the tale, even Ji Yuanzhi did not speak out against it. Ji Yunshu continued, ¡°What you didn¡¯t think of, however, is that when you were about to leave, Wei Yi bumped into you. In doing so, he caused his parents chopsticks, carried by another maid, to fall into the same container as mine; yes, the chopsticks were identical, so the two maids simply picked them up randomly.¡± ¡°The pair which was meant for me was split up. One was given to Uncle Wei, and the other one, to Aunt Wei.¡± ¡°No¡­ stop it! STOP IT!¡± Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s suddenly exploded into a frenzy. He raised his hands and was about to leap toward Ji Yunshu. However, before he could do so, Jing Rong arrived, quick as a gust of wind. He pulled Ji Yunshu behind him, raised his leg, and dealt a mighty kick to Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s chest. Thetter flew for nearly a meter and fell to the ground with blood on the corner of his lips. Ji Shuhan hurried to help Ji Yuanzhu, but Lang Po and another bodyguard stopped him. ¡°If youy even a finger to help, I¡¯ll end you right here, right now,¡± growled Jing Rong. Ji Yuanzhiid prostrate, looking at Ji Yunshu with hatred. He protested in ast-ditch effort, ¡°You are lying. I haven¡¯t, I haven¡¯t!¡± ¡°You may not know, but you gave me the evidence I needed.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Ji Yunshu took out the handkerchief wrapped around the poisoned chopsticks out of her sleeves and cast it to the ground. ¡°Look at your own thumb.¡± Chapter 113: The Case (part 2) Ji Yuanzhi raised his right hand and showed his thumb. The scab on it could still be seen! After a moment, he instinctively withdrew his hand and looked once more at the chopstick on the floor. His body was sweating abnormally. ¡°I¡­¡± He paused. Ji Yunshupleted his question for him. ¡°You want to ask how I know the poisoned chopsticks were brought in by you?¡± Ji Yuanzhi remained silent. ¡°Ji Yuanzhi, you¡¯re really too clever for your own good. You have never expected that the Wei mansion¡¯s chopsticks had a corner shaved to identify them. Yours doesn¡¯t have that mark. When you switched the chopsticks, a bamboo chaff pierced your thumb and blood fell on the chopsticks. I have already checked and that blood is yours. Therefore, there¡¯s no point for you to quibble.¡± ¡°I-impossible! This can¡¯t be!¡± muttered Ji Yunzhi in a tone of utter astonishment. ¡°When Lord Wei and Madame Wei died, and I was used as the murderer, you took advantage of that span of time to sneak into my room and left some pitohui feathers. You believe that by doing that, everyone would be fooled into thinking I was the murderer, and sealing my fate of death in stone. However, that day in the courtroom, I wasn¡¯t convicted for a crime, causing fear to be birthed inside your heart. Because you were afraid that I would use this opportunity to reverse the verdict and sooner orter, dig out the truth, which leads back to you.¡± ¡°You pushed Luan¡¯er to kill herself, turning her into your scapegoat. You thought that with her death, the case would be closed and you will be safe and sound. Unfortunately for you, that scab on your thumb is the irrefutable evidence of your crime.¡± There was no mistake with her exnation, each word worth a gem. It stupefied everyone inside the courtroom. This Ji Yuanzhi was really too bloodthirsty. The truth was revealed with undeniable evidence and in ordance with logic. The blood of three lives had stained Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s hands. Ji Yuanzhi felt like he was trapped in a quagmire. His n was obviously perfect! The scapegoat had died as nned! Ji Shuhan also seemed stunned as if he has been hit by a thunderbolt. His legs became soft, almost causing him to keel over, but it made him weakly retreat a few steps with an unstable gait. His lips trembled as he blurted out the words on his mind. ¡°How can it be? How can it be?¡± How can his son be a murderer? Magistrate Liu was shocked and looked stunned for a moment before picking up his gavel and knocked it on the table with all his might. Bam! The sound reverberated through the courtroom like a strike of thunder. Ji Yuanzhi snapped out and hisplexion paled. The magistrate began to interrogate, ¡°Ji Yuanzhi, the evidence and the motivation of your crime are clear. You failed to kill Ji Yunshu through poison, yet ended up killing Lord Wei and Madame Wei. You also forced Luan¡¯er to take the me for your crimes and caused her to hang herself. What else do you have to say in your defense?¡± What¡¯s there to say? Ji Yuanzhi, thought bitterly, suddenly he let out a coldugh. The hatred in his eyes was clearly seen as he red at Ji Yunshu. His mouth opened, giving an impression of a piranha¡¯s mouth. He gritted his teeth while bellowing, ¡°Ji Yunshu! Why didn¡¯t you die? Why wasn¡¯t it you who died? WHY?!¡± ¡°Do you hate me that much?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. ¡°Yes! I really hate you to the point I want to kill you! If it wasn¡¯t for you, my mother wouldn¡¯t have died!¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ Everyone looked at each other in puzzlement. They didn¡¯t understand what his mother¡¯s death had to do with Ji Yunshu. However, Ji Shuhan understood everything. His stunned face was now reced by deep grief. He pped his thigh and madly shouted, ¡°Karma! This is karma!¡± Tears fell like rain from his eyes. Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression gradually cooled down, but there was a trace of guilt on her face. She spoke, ¡°No one wished for that to happen.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the reason why she died! If you didn¡¯t fall into the water, my mother wouldn¡¯t have had to jump in to save you. She wouldn¡¯t have caught a cold and passed away from it! You caused her to die!¡± Heshed out at her. If his hands weren¡¯t restrained by iron shackles, he would have rushed to strangle her to death. Ji Yunshu was only aware of the story behind it. It was something that happened to the original owner of this body. When she was ten years old, she identally fell into the water. Zhou Pang, who was Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s mother, was the only one who knew how to swim and happened to be present. Therefore, Zhou Pang jumped into the water to save her. Unfortunately, she caught a cold and the illness imed her life not long after. Ever since then, Ji Yuanzhi hated Ji Yunshu to the bone! This problem naturally fell on the transmigrated Ji Yunshu¡¯s back. It couldn¡¯t be said that this wasn¡¯t her problem since this body was now hers. Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s eyes were bloodshot from anger. He continued to bellow in rage. ¡°You should die! You should die! Die and apany my mother in atonement! I can¡¯t stand you. If you didn¡¯t frame Lingzhi for pushing Muqing in the water, I wouldn¡¯t be this heartless and have tried to poison you.¡± ¡®What a disgusting appearance!¡¯ Ji Yunshu was truly unaware that this Third Brother of hers had always harbored thoughts of killing her. The corner of her eyes glistened with tears. Her eyes shed with Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s. How can she not hate him? ¡°Did you know that you have caused the loss of three lives?¡± ¡°They died because of you. They died in your ce, so even if they turned into evil spirits, the one they will haunt would be you!¡± His words sparked Ji Yunshu¡¯s fury. Ji Yunzhi clenched his hands into a fist and hit them on the floor. ¡°I really regret that I didn¡¯t kill you myself. I would have then taken revenge for my mother!¡± The cost of ¡°avenging his mother¡± came with the loss of three lives. It made one wonder what the difference was between that kind of man and a homicidal maniac? Ji Yunshu¡¯s almond eyes returned to a calm state. She asked him, ¡°Let me ask you, when you switched my chopsticks with the poisoned ones, did the slightest reluctance ever cross your mind?¡± ¡°No way!¡± He gave a perfunctory reply, then began tough. ¡°If you want to kill me, then kill me! Otherwise, I will certainly kill you when given the chance!¡± He seemed like a mad lion. Seeing that the situation couldn¡¯t go on, Magistrate Liu was about to step in, but Jing Rong was a step earlier. He narrowed his eyes, giving off a deterrent aura thatpelled one to obey. He dered, ¡°Murders need to pay with their lives. This is thews of our Great Lin. Behead him at once with no pardon. Ji Yuanzhi, you¡¯re finished.¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± Ji Shuhan shouted, then rushed to Jing Rong before kneeling on the ground with a bam. His whole body was trembling as he begged. ¡°Your Highness, please spare him! Please spare his life!¡± ¾°ÈÝÃæ²»¶¯É«£¬ÓïÆø¸üÊÇÓ²Á˼¸·Ö£º¡°ÈÄÃü£¿¼ÍԪְɱÁËÈý¸öÈË£¬¾ÍË㽫ËûÎåÂí·Öʬ¶¼ËãÊDZãÒËÁËËû¡£¡± Jing Rong remained expressionless. His tone hardened even more. ¡°Spare him? Ji Yuanzhi killed three people! Even if he was punished to chariot-tearing1, it would only be too cheap for him.¡± ¡°I beg your Highness¡¯ mercy! Please, in consideration to the loyalty of the many generations of Ji to the imperial court, spare Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s life!¡± Ji Shuhan had wilted, the me of his anger had long vanished. He was groveling on the floor, begging for his son¡¯s life. Jing Rong snorted. He ignored the man and looked at Magistrate Liu instead. Magistrate Liu tacitly understood the nce and nodded. ¡°Runners, lock Ji Yuanzhi in the prison. After the official document of the Ministry of Justice arrives, the date for his execution will be determined.¡± As he spoke, he pulled out an arrow banner ofmand 2 from a wooden cylinder on the table and flung it to the floor. Pac! A crisp sound echoed in the courtroom. This time Ji Shuhan ferociously scowled. His body waspletely rigid. In the end, he no longer continued to beg and fainted on the floor. Two of Jing Rong¡¯s subordinates pulled up Ji Shuhan¡¯s body. As for Ji Yuanzhi, he continued tough while he was dragged away by the runners. Before he was dragged out, he screamed out, ¡°Yunshu! Damn you! You should DIE!¡± Jing Rong watched the unconscious Ji Shuhan and waved his hand. ¡°Take him away.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡± The imperial guard received the order and carried Ji Shuhan back to the Ji Mansion. Inside the courtroom, the calm had returned. The case was now closed, but everyone¡¯s heart had yet to regain theirposure. Instead, it became heavier as if they were sinking into the abyss, choked by emotions. Magistrate Liu raised the hem of his uniform and approached Jing Rong. He called out, seeking for further instruction. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Jing Rong raised his hand, warning the magistrate to shut up. His eyes were closely watching Ji Yunshu. ¡®This woman is too calm. This calmness is too out of ce!¡¯ It took a long while before Ji Yunshu decided to open her mouth and said, ¡°I want to go to the prison. I want to ask him something before he dies.¡± ¡®Hum? What do you want to ask him?¡¯ 1.This is one of the topmost gruesome death sentences in ancient China. The convict¡¯s limbs and head are tied to five different horses. The executioner will make the horses run in five different directions¡­ and the convict died like that¡­ You can read the written description of other capital punishment here(no visual, promise): http://raoulschinasaloon/index.php?topic=2613.0 ? 2.Arrow banner of amander is that red thing in the man¡¯s hand: http://sohanews.sohacdn/zoom/650_413/2015/9-1449742686040-7-0-375-500-crop-1449742695185.jpg Chapter 114: That Person Has Died After half the time it took to burn a joss stick, Ji Yuanzhi was thrown back into the prison. Meanwhile, Jing Rong apanied Ji Yunshu to the prison. When they arrived, Ji Yunshu did not let Jing Rong follow her further. From Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s prison cell came an unpleasant stench that was mixed with the smell of blood. The blood scent must have permeated the surrounding air ever since Jing Rong¡¯s subordinates came to collect that bowl of bloodst night. Ji Yuanzhi, while sitting on the ground, cut an unsightly figure as he coldlyughed. Both of his eyes revealed a malevolent expression the moment Ji Yunshu arrived and appeared into his peripheral vision. After a long time, Ji Yunshu ordered the jailer, ¡°Open the door.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Open it!¡± Her cold as ice tone pierced through the jailer¡¯s mind, scaring him. The jailer trembled slightly before obeying Ji Yunshu¡¯s order. Apanying the jingle of the iron chains, the door creaked opened. Ji Yunshu stepped inside and stood in front of Ji Yuanzhi. The man graced her with his attention by lifting his head and looking at her. A sinister expression gradually crept onto his lips as he inquired, ¡°What? You want to take revenge for Luan¡¯er? You want to personally kill me?¡± ¡°I came here because I want to ask you about a matter before you die.¡± Her voice sounded as if her throat had been sealed for a long time and air was gradually passing through. Ji Yuanzhi hummed as he bent his neck, his sight fixated on his high-quality boots made from tiger leather. After a moment, Ji Yunshu slowly crouched and continued to question him, ¡°That day, you brought people to themon grave; I also went there but didn¡¯t find his corpse. Tell me, where is he?¡± As soon as the question was said, Ji Yuanzhi appeared as if he had caught onto her weakness. His eyes expressed insufferable arrogance and pride. ¡°Do you want to know?¡± His tone felt strange. ¡°Do you know where he is in the end?¡± ¡°He is dead. Ji Yunshu, Ji Pei has died. He died right in front of me.¡± His tone became heavy as a mockingugh began to fill the air. Ji Yunshu refused to believe him. Her eyes turned red. ¡°You¡¯re lying! He is not dead, right?¡± In response to her question, heughed harder; his head raised to face the ceiling, then slowly, he lowered his head to look directly into Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Ji Yunshu, I truly don¡¯t understand. What is so good about Ji Pei that cause you to be so dead set on him? I will tell you something: he is really dead. I can confirm that I didn¡¯t order people to bring him to themon grave. On the contrary, I threw his corpse into the wilderness, and had witnessed ¡®helplessly¡¯ how the jackals feasted upon his blood and flesh, ripping him apart until barely anything was left.¡± ¡°NO! It can¡¯t be¡­ ¡± ¡°Not only that, after those beasts were done eating his body, I crushed the leftovers and scattered everything into the wind. Nothing remained of Ji Pei, not even his bones. Only then, did I leave, satisfied with my perfect work.¡± When he was done, he burst into a gleefulughter. He felt even more ted as if he had won the world when he saw the despair written all over Ji Yunshu¡¯s face. Ji Yunshu propped up her body as she felt a weakness oveing her. Tremors shook her back and spread to the rest of her body. She retreated a few steps to regain her bnce. The despair made her feel as if stones had filled her heart. She had the impression that she was scorching inside, yet she trembled like she was freezing. Even when she had powerlessly watched Ji Pei lying in a pool of blood, her emotions were never this intense. It wasn¡¯t this painful! It gripped her so firmly that she felt at loss and deeply cold. Ji Yuanzhi didn¡¯t stop there. He rose from the ground and continued to speak, ¡°Didn¡¯t you love him a lot? Weren¡¯t you waiting for him all this time? If I was you, there is absolutely no point in staying on this earth. It¡¯s better to follow him in death. Perhaps, Heaven will be moved by your feelings and let you two bastards be a couple and be together forever.¡± SLAP! A heavy pnded on Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s face. Her p was so heavy that the despair she had became numbed. She snapped out as her sadness and despair had been partially vented. At this moment, her face was covered in tears, appearing as if mercury was flowing out. She had never experienced such ruthlessness and killing intent! She unwaveringly gritted her teeth. Ji Yuanzhi had yet to react to her p. However, her slender white fingers reached for his two cheeks like poisonous needles. She was utterly tyrannical as she grabbed onto his face and forced him to look at her. When Ji Yuanzhi saw her eyes, his body suddenly cowered, the pain on his face had yet to recede. He shuddered in fear. With a face full of killing intent, she ferociously spoke, ¡°Rest assured! I will give you a toast on your way to the Yellow Springs1. May you rest in peace!¡± As soon as she was done, she flicked her wrist with all her might, using a strength she did not know she had in her and flung Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s face away, causing him to fall to the ground and hitting his back against the freezing wall in the process. She felt her throat constricted as she restrained herself from wailing madly. She straightened her posture, but the trembling of her shoulders betrayed her sadness. She turned around. Step by step, with a pace that seemed loaded with lead, she moved to the exit of the prison cell. ¡°Ji Yunshu.¡± Ji Yuanzhi suddenly shouted her name. She stopped. ¡°Do you want to know who informed father about your discussion under the plum tree?¡± She was stunned. She abruptly turned back. Her pupils dted as she attentively observed him. Indeed, that question had puzzled her many times in the past. How did her father know about her discussion with Ji Pei at that time? ¡°Who was it?¡± ¡°Sure, I will tell you.¡± Ji Yuanzhi took two steps toward her. His calm eyes gradually reflected a terrifying expression. The distance between them was only a mere two fists, and with her guard down, she didn¡¯t react in time when a metallic glint suddenly shed as Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s hand rose and fiercely plunged the object into her left cheek. In an instant, he shed down from her cheekbone to her lower jaw, opening a deep cut. The blood spilled out, causing her beautiful and delicate cheek to quickly turn into a bloody river. ¡°MISS JI!¡± The jailer outside quickly rushed inside the cell. He was about to push away Ji Yuanzhi from Ji Yunshu, but Ji Yuanzhi had already pulled out the silver hairpin, which he took from who knew where, and stabbed fiercely into his neck, reaching deeply to his bone! Then, he used all his strength and ripped out the hairpin. His blood spurted profusely, dying his clothes in crimson and sshing onto Ji Yunshu. As he bled to his death, heughed while his gaze was fixed on Ji Yunshu. ¡°Never¡­ You¡­ will never know who did it!¡± His body fell lifelessly. Ji Yunshu stood there, unmoving. The pain on her face felt like it had stopped like that show that came to end in front of her. On the ground, Ji Yuanzhi still had his eyes wide opened and his neck dying in the crimson of his blood. ¡°Dead! Ji Yuanzhi died!¡± yelled the jailer. Contrary to the jailer, Ji Yunshu appeared extremely calm, but in fact, her whole person was frozen inplete panic. She nkly turned around and mechanically walked out of the cell. Her eyes were vague, unable to focus as she walked to the outside of the prison. Gradually, her vision blurred and her legs weakened. Yet, she continued to step forward until she saw the white lighting from the prison entrance. The light pierced through her continuously degrading vision. Finally, she couldn¡¯t go on. A figure suddenly rushed toward her as she felt gravity pulling her body down. Two big hands firmly caught her and encircled her into a warm embrace. ¡°Yunshu¡­¡± Blood kept flowing incessantly from her cheek which had its flesh deeply carved by the hairpin! 1.The Yellow Springs is the underworld, simr to the river Styx in Greek mythology. Chapter 115: The Marred Beauty Chapter 115: The Marred Beauty ¡°Shu¡¯er¡­¡± Her eyes gradually opened and caught sight of the face of an outstanding youth, who stood more than a meter away from her. The young man stood under plum blossoms and faintly smiled at her. ¡°Ji Pei?¡± She could not believe her eyes. She hurried toward him, but the more she approached him, the further the distance between them grew. ¡°Shu¡¯er¡­ Shu¡¯er¡­¡± Ji Pei called her while wearing a smile that became even more brilliant. As their distance could not be pulled closer, Ji Yunshu reached out in an attempt to grab him, but instead ended up grabbing into the cold and empty air before falling into the abyss. In a moment, she was engulfed in darkness, and her eyes lost vision! ¡°Lian? Lian?¡± She was roused by the straightforward voice of a man. Her eyes opened and were blinded by a piercing white light of a bigmp above her head. Her eyes slowly adapted to the ring light. But what entered her eyes were the sight of six people draped in surgical gown and mask. They were closely watching her, stationed all around her. She now saw therge and roundmp often seen in an operation room. She suddenly understood. She was back in her original body at the time of her surgery! ¡°Lian.¡± A man lightly touched her shoulder. She shifted her eyes and saw a familiar face with brows wrinkled with worries. His expression was deste when he looked at her. ¡°Dad?¡± Her dry throat only permitted a soft whisper to be heard. Was she still dreaming or did she really return? ¡°Lian! Lian!¡± The man continued to shout her name. She wanted to touch his face, but her body didn¡¯t have any strength. Her sight gradually blurred and the continuous shout slowly turned into a distant echo. ¡°Dad¡­ Dad¡­¡± She incessantly called out for her father, but everything before her eyes became increasingly hazy. His silhouette gradually turned more illusory and transparent. Terror filled her at this instant and dread could be seen in her eyes. ¡°Dad! Dad!¡± She loudly screamed, but her body was out of her control like a wild horse in a gallop. Suddenly, she woke up and shot up in her bed. Her forehead covered in beads of sweat and she was still gasping for her breath. Even though the terror still lingered, her vision was restored. She was in an unfamiliar room that was spacious and bright, neatly furbished with mahogany furniture. Light colored muslin curtains were hung all around the wood carved bed, lightly fluttering. ¡®So, it was just a dream!¡¯ ¡°Shu¡¯er?¡± Wei Yi¡¯s voice echoed from beside her. He sounded rather frightened. He must have been scared when Ji Yunshu abruptly sat up in the bed and had recoiled back. Ji Yunshu¡¯splexion was pale as were her chapped lips. She slowly turned her head and looked at him. ¡°Wei Yi?¡± ¡°Shu¡¯er, how are you feeling? Did you have a nightmare?¡± ¡°Where are we?¡± asked Ji Yunshu in a weak voice. ¡°We¡¯re at big brother¡¯s home, in the Grand Canal manor.¡± She discolored lips lightly moved, ¡°Why am I here? I¡­ How long did I sleep?¡± ¡°Three days.¡± ¡°Three days?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± A question asked; a reply given. Ji Yunshu raised her hands and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead. Then, she began to ponder before asking Wei Yi, ¡°Then, why are you be here? What about your parents¡¯ burial¡­¡± She was not done speaking, but Wei Yi answered her first. Sadness painted his traits as tears pooled within his eyes, but he forced himself to hold them in. ¡°Father and mother are buried. Uncle Fu said that he will take care of the rest, so I went to find you. Big brother brought you here. Shu¡¯er, did you get sick?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°You must not get sick. Shu¡¯er, you can¡¯t get sick.¡± Wei Yi showed a nervous expression. Ji Yunshu reached for his trembling arms and grabbed them, before shaking her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t fall ill. So, stop being scared.¡± ¡°Hmmm!¡± He nodded with his nose wrinkled. Sourness filled him inside. Ji Yunshu stroked his head. Then, she lifted her quilt and dragged her sore and weary body out of bed. Each step she made felt as if there was glue under her insole. At a turtle¡¯s pace, she walked toward the dressing table and looks at herself in the mirror. The reflection she saw was that of a small built woman draped in a white satin buttoned jacket. Under it, her wide sleeves hung to her side and her skirt which reached to her ankle lightly moved with each of her movement. Her figure was slender and outstanding in every aspect. In the yellow copper mirror, her usual face, although pale, was reflected, but the only difference with before was the long and dark red scab on the left of her face. The scab extended from her cheekbone to her lower jaw and was ostentatious to the eyes. The wound didn¡¯t look sinister or disgusting, and the surrounding skin and flesh were not gouged out. Despite that, her originally exquisite face was now uglier. For three days, medicine was applied to her wound, making it a bit less painful. Moreover, she could see signs of healing with the scab forming on it. Her reaction was calmer than she had imagined. Her appearance was destroyed, but for her, she calmly epted it. She raised her hand and lightly touched the scab. Her lips unexpectedly curled into a smile. Ji Pei no longer lived; There was no point in her appearance. Her heart truly felt dead. After a long while, she finally turned around and pointed at the scar on her face. ¡°Are you scared?¡± Wei Yi shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not scared. Shu¡¯er should also not be scared. Big brother said that he will use every means necessary to heal your face back to before.¡± ¡°The scar can¡¯t be erased.¡± ¡°It certainly can be.¡± Wei Yi anxiously dered. He added, ¡°Even if the scar on Shu¡¯er¡¯s face doesn¡¯t disappear, I will not turn my back on you.¡± ¡°Thank you, Wei Yi. He blinked and seriously stated, ¡°Shu¡¯er, you don¡¯t need to thank me. I just like Shu¡¯er, so I want you to be well.¡± His heartfelt words were spoken with sincerity. She must be quite lucky to be able to have such a pure-hearted and kind person by her side. Ji Yunshu smiled, but with her ugly scar, it made her beauty more morbid. She suddenly asked him, ¡°Wei Yi, have you ever thought of going to the capital?¡± ¡°The capital? Where is it?¡± ¡®Where?¡¯ ¡°I also don¡¯t know where it is.¡± She faintly spoke out. She was fully aware that the capital was like a tiger den, a treacherous ce, unlike the peaceful Jinjiang. There would be no simple and honestmon folks. So to say, although in the small and peaceful world of Jinjiang city, life wasfortable, but was there any difference with the capital when it came to people¡¯s lives? Afterall, the will of people is everywhere! However, she came to realize this principle a bit toote. Wei Yi pursed his lips and hurriedly said, ¡°Shu¡¯er, wherever you go, I¡¯ll follow you. I don¡¯t want to be separated from you. If you go to the capital, can I go with you?¡± His expression revealed a desperate longing. She had already promised to fulfill Madame Wei¡¯sst will. Therefore, she will take care of Wei Yi. Regardless of how devastated she was when learning of Ji Pei¡¯s death. She would not abandon Wei Yi. She couldn¡¯t go against her promise with Madame Wei. She lightly nodded. ¡°I promise you. No matter where I go in the future, I will bring you with me.¡± ¡°Shu¡¯er is the best!¡± Wei Yi rejoiced, but he quietly looked at Ji Yunshu. The corner of his mouth curled into a smile. It seemed in his eyes, it didn¡¯t matter if Ji Yunshu was ugly or beautiful. Or perhaps, regardless of Ji Yunshu¡¯s appearance, in his heart, she would always be the most beautiful woman because to him she was his wife. Chapter 116: Pretty Skin, Poisonous Heart Chapter 116: Pretty Skin, Poisonous Heart Jing Rong stood outside the door for an indeterminate amount of time. His eyes were filled with distress for Ji Yunshu. Lang Po, who was beside him, asked in a whisper, ¡°Your Highness, you¡¯re not going in?¡± ¡°No need.¡± He retracted his gaze and silently left. On that day, Ji Yunshu spent her time listening to the events that had urred during her slumber. Three days ago, after Ji Yuanzhi killed himself in the prison, Ji Shuhan wrote a letter which he sent on a speedy courier to the capital. The letter detailed the recent news and was addressed to his two eldest sons. As for Old Madame Ji, she had fainted on the spot after learning of Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s demise and was still bedridden. Currently, the Ji mansion still hung white satin from the eaves and used whitenterns. Ji Yuanzhi was supposed to be already buried, but Old Madame Ji stubbornly refused. She said that they had to wait until her other two grandsons hade back before burying Ji Yuanzhi. In fact, there were two reasons why she refused. First, she wanted her two other grandsons to be present to send off Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s coffin. Second, she was waiting for Ji Yunshu to return to them and kowtow to the dead in front of everybody. Therefore, for the past three days, the people from the Ji mansion kepting to the Grand Canal mansion in an attempt to bring back Ji Yunshu, but they were all driven away by Jing Rong. On that night, Ji Yunshu drank her medicine, while a few maidservants added more coals to the furnace. ¡°Miss Ji, why don¡¯t you rest early?¡± ¡°You can go out. I don¡¯t need you to serve me.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Ji Yunshu interrupted them and indifferently said, ¡°Go out.¡± ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± The two maidservants had no other choice but to salute her before retreating outside. When the door closed, Ji Yunshu walked to the copper mirror and bent down as she sat. She scrutinized the long and thin scar on her face. As before, her expression remained calm, even indifferent. She stretched her hand and picked up a light blue fabric. With her other hand, she reached inside a beautiful box and took out a dangling golden hairpin. After fiddling with it for a moment, she coiled the hairpin into a golden hook, then she hooked the light blue muslin on it, turning it into a veil. After she tried it on, it perfectly covered the scar on her face. Then, she chose a simple wooden hairpin and fixed her ck hair into a simple bun with it. When she was done, she immediately draped herself with a cloak and went out. Just when she opened the door, someone was already standing outside the door and blocking her way, causing her to gawk in surprise. Jing Rong looked at Ji Yunshu, who had her face covered by a veil of muslin, leaving only a pair of beautiful eyes which glowed like red clouds during sunset, a reflection from the light of rednterns. Yet, the expression in those eyes stirred pity and distress from the onlookers. He suddenly stretched his slender fingers toward Ji Yunshu¡¯s ear with the intention to unhook the veil from the modified golden hairpin. ¡°Your Highness?¡± Ji Yunshu inclined her face and avoided Jing Rong¡¯s fingers. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My appearance is ugly. It¡¯s better if your Highness doesn¡¯t look upon it.¡± The past two days when she was unconscious, he had stayed by her side and devotedly taken care of her. Her so-called ugly appearance was familiar to the point he was dulled to it. Only today, he had left the room for a moment, only to have Wei Yi steal his thunder! In that short span of time, Ji Yunshu had woken up and the first person she saw ended up being Wei Yi and not him. Jing Rong looked at her with affection and determination as he spoke, ¡°Vicious hearts lurk beneath a beautiful skin. What I care about is your heart.¡± His tone was extremely gentle, causing Ji Yunshu to turn soft from hearing it as shivers spread all over her body. She lowered her head to evade Jing Rong¡¯s heated gaze. As his fingertips were about to reach the cold golden hook, he stopped himself and tightly clenched his hand into a fist before lowering his hand. He quickly switched to another subject. ¡°Are you going to the Ji mansion?¡± He urately guessed her intention. She nodded before moving sideways in order to avoid him lifting her veil. ¡°May I ask your Highness to give way?¡± ¡°You should already know that Ji Yuanzhi is dead. The people from the Ji mansion are now wishing to bury you along with him.¡± ¡°I know, but I must go.¡± Jing Rong frowned. ¡°Why?¡± She coldly stated, ¡°Even if I can¡¯t, I have to go.¡± Her tone was as biting as the cold wind, containing a slight chill. Jing Rong understood her temper which was exceptionally stubborn. He had no other option but topromise. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°No need for that.¡± She increased her pace and strode forward. She was about to sidestep past Jing Rong, but she was stopped by him. He moved out of the way in concession and said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you outside of the Ji mansion.¡± He determined that she would not stay back in the Ji mansion. Following his reply, Ji Yunshu no longer refused him. They both left for the Ji mansion, followed from afar by Lang Po and a few imperial guards. Alone, Ji Yunshu passed through the entrance of her old home. When the people in the mansion saw her, it was as if a demon had appeared. All of themcked the courage to step forward and greet her. Instead, they hid or stayed far away from her. The thing that made her bbergasted was that Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s coffin was ostentatiously ced in the reception hall instead of the mourning hall in the rear court. Inside the room, apart from her, everyone else wore mourning clothes made of hemp. When she entered, she was pierced by a pair of eyes permeated by extreme hatred. Bam! Ji Shuhan hit the table. ¡°Someone, tie that rebellious girl for me!¡± At this moment, he deeply wished to split her apart. Several servants came forward, each holding a rope in their hands. ¡°You dare?¡± She swept an icy nce at them while using a deterring tone. The servants suddenly didn¡¯t dare to approach her. They were rendered fearful with a single one of her stares. Looking at those eyes made them feel a chill creeping inside their body, causing them to shiver all over. Ji Shuhan had bloodshot eyes due to the sorrow of losing his son in addition to his wrath against Ji Yunshu. All of these emotions melded together and were clearly expressed on his face. He sternlyshed out while pointing at Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s coffin, ¡°Take a good look! You killed Yuanzhi!¡± ¡®He truly can turn ck to white!¡¯ Under her veil, her lips curled into a cold sneer and her beautiful eyes curved. ¡°Even if he died a thousand times or even ten thousand times, this is the retribution he deserved.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Today I came neither to apologize nor to send his coffin away on hisst journey.¡± While she spoke, she had walked to the side of the coffin. The coffin was covered by a ck cloth, and on top of the ck cloth, there was a lit candle and several blood jade pieces keeping the cloth in ce. ¡°What are you here for then?¡± Ji Shuhan questioned her right after. Ji Yunshu pinched a corner of the ck cloth and spared no effort to pull on it! The candle and blood jades were sent flying everywhere to the floor. She let the ck cloth slide to the floor, covering the candle that had yet to be extinguished. In no time, the cloth caught on fire! The mes grew. A wind blew and unexpectedly, the fire spread and began to lick on the white satin hanging around the room, alighting everything across the room on fire. KYAAH! An ear-piercing scream was heard. It belonged to Ji Muqing who was standing right in front of the white satin. She staggered back several steps, but heavily fell to the floor. The fire grew in intensity and had now reached the roof. The situation waspletely getting out of hand. Chaos broke out inside the room. ¡°Quick! Hurry and bring out the coffin! Bring it out¡­¡± madly shouted Old Madame Ji. She got up. Her anger didn¡¯t abate as she fainted on the spot. Her two maidservants supported her and brought her out of the reception hall. The male servants were upied extinguishing the fire while others busied carrying the coffin out of the hall. This was a very lively scene indeed. Ji Yunshu had a brilliant smile,ing from deep within her heart. While everyone was busy, she left the hall and went to West Side courtyard. Unknowingly to her, Ji Wanxin was following her. Chapter 117: You Are a Prince and I Am Concubine-born Chapter 117: You Are a Prince and I Am Concubine-born Ji Yunshu took her two sandalwood boxes that she had left back in the West Side courtyard. One of the boxes contained her calligraphy brushes and paint, while the other had all kinds of knives needed for doing autopsy. These things were all precious tools that she had used to make a living for all those years. She definitely could not leave those things here. Of course, the orange colored jade ornament that Wei Yi gave her needed to be recuperated. She hung the jade pendant on her waist and grabbed the sandalwood boxes with one hand. As for the other hand, it was upied holding onto a lit candlestick. Coming out of her room, she happened to run into Ji Wanxin as she entered the courtyard. Her body was covered in white mourning cloth, which gave her sickly beauty a touching feeling. The light illuminated her from behind as she walked in. Her exquisite and delicate face was obscured under the mourning hat. Only the red mole between her brows could be clearly seen. She carried on her an aura of indescribable sadness. Her eyes, which reflected Ji Yunshu¡¯s image, was full of tears that could soften anyone¡¯s heart. ¡°Did we have toe to this?¡± asked Ji Wanxin in a weak voice riddled with sadness as she approached Ji Yunshu. ¡°Ji Pei is dead!¡± Those words were blurted out by Ji Yunshu. When she heard the news, Ji Wanxin frowned deeply and her tears spilled out in a second. She stretched her hand and met with Ji Yunshu¡¯s ice-cold hand. Her tone dyed with distress, she asked, ¡°You have waited for two years, don¡¯t you think what happened was the worst possible n?¡± ¡°No, for these past two years, I have always firmly believed he would be alive.¡± ¡°Yunshu¡­¡± ¡°Ji Pei is no more and so, is my heart. You don¡¯t need to console me. You should be aware that it¡¯s impossible for me to continue to endure them.¡± Ji Yunshu was extremely resolute. Her eyes were icy and didn¡¯t reveal any emotions, but her grip on the candlestick tightened. Ji Wanxin¡¯s voice remained stuck in her throat, then she sighed. In the end, she was still trying to persuade Ji Yunshu. ¡°Even though you are now leaving the Ji mansion, needless to say, that leaving in such circumstances is bad. Third Brother just died. Father and grandmother are still grieving, but you came and caused such a disaster. People willbel you as unfilial and selfish. With such infamy, it would be harder for you in the future.¡± ¡°Are you warning me?¡± ¡°Yunshu, I just want what¡¯s good for you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± said Ji Yunshu lightly. The next moment, she took off the veil covering her face. Under the candlelight, her long and red scar red in Ji Wanxin¡¯s eyes. She had heard of Ji Yunshu¡¯s destroyed appearance, but she didn¡¯t expect that the scar was this terrible. It spread conceitedly on her exquisite face, a gaping tear, ugly to the sight. ¡°This¡­¡± Ji Wanxin¡¯s tears continued to flow as she felt sorry for Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu coldly chuckled. ¡°This scar represents everything I originally owed to the Ji family. I, on behalf of the former owner of this body, have repaid all those years of grace for bringing me up. From now on, the Ji Yunshu you have known is dead.¡± ¡®No, the real Ji Yunshu had died long ago!¡¯ She had reced the real one five years ago and had lived like a puppet. But she was now tired and weary. She usually was adept at enduring. However, the moment she learnt of Ji Pei¡¯s demise, her tolerance and endurance had vanished. Ji Wanxin was still contemting her words. ¡®What does she mean by former owner? What is this about dead?¡¯ Her little sister¡¯s words confused her. Ji Yunshu covered herself with the veil again. She avoided Ji Wanxin and walked passed her, but then stopped. Standing behind her, Ji Yunshu asked her, ¡°Do you know, on that year, who revealed my conversation with Ji Pei under the plum blossoms?¡± Ji Wanxin faintly trembled and slowly answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me, right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± After getting her answer, Ji Yunshu no longer questioned Ji Wanxin, but left the courtyard instead. Ji Wanxin turned around and only saw a glimpse of Ji Yunshu¡¯s figure draped in her cloak as she gradually disappeared into the distance, still holding the candlestick in her hand. Ji Wanxing gritted her teeth. Her heart was incredibly ufortable. The distress in her eyes had long been swept away, reced by a strong feeling of jealousy and puzzlement. She didn¡¯t understand why Jing Rong burnt the whip, that the emperor had bestowed her father, for Ji Yunshu? For her, he sent Ji Yuanzhi to prison. Despite her scarred appearance, that man still wouldn¡¯t leave her. ¡®Why?¡¯ Her birth, her appearance, which of them couldn¡¯t bepared to Ji Yunshu?! Even the one who met Jing Rong first was her, not Ji Yunshu! That day, when they had a banquet to wee the noble guests from the capital, the moment she hadid eyes on Jing Rong, her heart was caught by him. At present, she had fallen in too deep and could no longer extricate herself from those feelings. ¡°Why? Why do you always grab what I like?¡± Her tone turned sinister and fierce. It sounded extremely treacherous. In the front yard, the whole reception hall was burning amidst a congration of fire. Everyone from old to new within the mansion carried in water with haste to extinguish the fire. The coffin was moved outside, but due to the strong fire spreading, it had to be moved away once more. The fire quickly pressed closer to the entrance. When Ji Yunshu returned to the front yard, the mass of people present was busy firefighting and hadpletely forgotten about her existence, despite her being the culprit of the arson. She watched with cold indifference as the fire engulfed the reception hall. Then, her line of sight moved to Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s coffin. Next, she used force to tear off another white satin banner hanging near her. She threw it on the coffin along with the candle in her hand. The fabric caught fire in an instant! By the time someone noticed what was happening, the coffin was already wrapped in fire. Ji Yunshu straightened her body. Step by step, she walked to the main entrance of the Ji mansion and left. She left with the baptism of the raging mes behind her, like a phoenix rebirthing into Nirvana. She shed herself of all her hesitation and kindness, wishing that this fire would burn every single thing to nothingness! Let the Ji mansion yell, cry, and be burnt! Lang Po, who was observing on a roof, witnessed the event clearly. He jumped off the roof and dashed to a hidden ce near the Ji Mansion to report. ¡°Miss Ji set the mansion on fire, even Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s coffin was burnt to ashes!¡± He never expected that youngss to be so ruthless! Jing Rong crossed his hands behind his back as a fierce expression appeared in his eyes. He stated, ¡°Since it¡¯s on fire, don¡¯t be afraid to let it burn stronger.¡± ¡°Yes, this subordinate understands.¡± Therefore, Lang Po led several men to sneak into the rear court and the three courtyards located in the south, east and north of the mansion to put everything on fire! The whole mansion was engulfed in an enormous fire! When Ji Yunshu left, she didn¡¯t go far before seeing Jing Rong waiting for her in the distance. He stood under a shabbyntern. Thentern faintly lit the surroundings, casting a motley of trees shadows to meld with his figure. It made him seem illusory, like a figment of imagination. At this moment, he didn¡¯t have his restrained aura and frivolous expression. It made people feel attracted towards him. Yet, Ji Yunshu remained unaffected. When she approached him, he inquired, ¡°Have youe to a decision?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, anything you want to make clear beforehand?¡± ¡°I¡¯m bringing Wei Yi with me.¡± ¡°Sure, I agree. Anything else?¡± ¡°You are a prince and I am a concubine-born!¡± ¡®You are royalty and I am amoner!¡¯ Without a doubt, that was her reminder to him. Even though Ji Pei was dead, her heart still couldn¡¯t allow him to enter in. Atst, he experienced that feeling of pulling your guts out for someone and still feeling happy. In the end, he opted to frown. ¡°Good, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Chapter 118: The Journey Back to the Capital Chapter 118: The Journey Back to the Capital The next day, the fire in the Ji Mansion had been extinguished. However it was not before the reception hall and the West Side courtyard werepletely burnt to the ground, along with Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s corpse and coffin. The morning came with yet another news: over the night, Old Madame Ji, who had suffered an emotional trauma and a cold, had passed away. What followed the information was a letter of banishment from the Ji Mansion: The descendant Ji Yunshu, for the decadence of her words and actions, for herck of filial obedience and herck of moral decency, is henceforth banished from the Ji family, never to be inscribed into the Ji genealogy. Ji Yunshu looked at the piece of paper, at the characters traced in a distinct ck ink and at the official seal of her family. She gave a coldugh and threw it into the furnace. She stared at the document as it turned into cinder, and her eyes glittered with pleasure; she knew that the rest of her family must have wanted to slice her with a thousand des, and throw her remains into the woods for the wolves and jackals. Ji Yuanzhi and Old Madame Ji were dead. ¡®Who will you me now? Me? Make no mistake, I will not carry the burden of your bad deeds.¡¯ Jing Rong¡¯s orders went through, and the preparations for the trip back to the capital began. The carriage was readied and waiting for her right outside of the manor. Before leaving, Ji Yunshu stopped by the Wei Mansion. She left whatever belongings she had received from the Weis to Wei Fu and instructed him to send the servants home if matters were toe to the worst. The case at the Capital would no doubt take over a year, and when all was over, maybe she would simply settle down in a small town with Wei Yi and live there as a simple coroner. It took Wei Yi quite long to pack up, and when he was done, he had several sacks piled up in front of him. ¡°When mother was alive, she said that you must always bring everything with you whenever you go out.¡± He pointed at a yellow bag. ¡°These are my clothes.¡± Then at a blue bag. ¡°These are my shoes.¡± Finally at a small chest. ¡°These are things father and mother bought for me. A kite, a ne and¡­¡± ¡°Wei Yi,¡± Ji Yunshu interrupted him. ¡°Yes, Shu¡¯er? Are you calling me?¡± ¡®Of course I am, otherwise, it would seem like you are going to forget that I am still here.¡¯ Ji Yunshu gave him two rolled-up pieces of paper she had brought. ¡°Bring these with you, as for the rest, you¡¯ll only need two sets of spare clothing.¡± Wei Yi looked at the rolls, perplexed. He unfurled them and cried out in happiness, ¡°It¡¯s mom and dad!¡± Ji Yunshu hadpleted these portraits overnight. Wei Yi clung onto them and refused to let them go,pletely forgetting about the big and small sacks that he had prepared. On the road back to Grand Canal Manor, Ji Yunshu could overhear gossips about what had happened at the Ji Mansion. Some people were iming that it was the third miss who set the mansion on fire, and that she murdered Old Madame Ji. Apparently, she had gone mad and even disfigured herself. ¡®I¡¯ll confess to the arson. Only that, the rest are just rumors, rumors! Luckily there are no social media, otherwise I¡¯ll be the epitome of ungratefulness, and I¡¯ll probably drown in the spit of gossipers before I can make it out of Jinjiang City¡­¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. Outside of the manor, Jing Rong was already mounted on his horse. He held the reins and pushed slightly against the belly of the horse with his goldced boots. The purple robe he wore, emzoned with golden motifs, was reced by metal armor and a silver helmet; he was proud like a general ready for great conquests. Upon seeing Ji Yunshu and Wei Yi, he threw a nce at Lang Po and signaled a nod. Lang Po pulled the vehicle over and said to Ji Yunshu, ¡°Miss Ji, the preparations have been made, please mount the carriage with Young Master Wei.¡± ¡°Yay, we can ride a carriage now!¡± Wei Yi jumped onto the carriage with the two portraits without waiting further. Ji Yunshu shed a nce at Jing Rong, who had his back turned. She whispered to Lang Po, ¡°Is your Highness not riding in the carriage?¡± ¡°Prince Rong has said that he would not share the carriage withmoners.¡± ¡®Oh, he really remembers what I¡¯ve said.¡¯ Ji Yunshu acquiesced and also mounted into the carriage. She had barely dropped down the curtain and sat down when she heard a familiar voice outside. ¡°Yunshu, I¡¯m here to bid you farewell.¡± Ji Yunshu raised the curtain with her pale finger and saw the sweaty face of the Magistrate outside. ¡°Lord Liu?¡± He seemed saddened and frustrated by her departure. ¡°Yunshu, after leaving like that, how am I going to take care of the cases in the yamen?¡± ¡°Are you insisting that I stay here?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Magistrate peeked in Jing Rong¡¯s direction fearfully and hesitated. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to keep whomever Prince Rong seeks.¡± Ji Yunshu pondered for a second and said, ¡°Lord Liu, go to the Li family vige and look for someone called Li Hai. He¡¯s a coroner. Let him rece me at the yamen.¡± ¡°Li Hai?¡± ¡°He worked on the abandoned corpse case a year ago. He¡¯ll surely be of great help.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll make sure to look for him.¡± Magistrate Liu hurried to express his approval. He sighed and added, ¡°with the fuss at the Ji Mansion, it¡¯s probably for the best that you leave. But, if you ever return, don¡¯t forget to tell me about it.¡± Ji Yunshu was often frustrated by this not-so-bright Magistrate, especially with all the cases she has gone through over thest five years. However, she had to admit that he was very kind to her. Whenever she needed money or was not in a good mood, he would always try to appease her with silver. He tried his best to meet all of her demands. ¡®Hmm, I wonder how much extra silver Jing Rong will be willing to add in for the Lin Capital case¡­ Ah, nevermind, I¡¯m straying off again.¡¯ She pursed her lips into a smile and looked at the Magistrate onest time. ¡°Farewell, you blockhead.¡± She retracted her head back into the carriage and dropped the curtain. A smile appeared; she would miss that blockhead Liu. ¡°Shu¡¯er, who¡¯s a blockhead?¡± Wei Yi stared at her and asked. She shook her head and did not answer him. The carriage picked up its pace, and they were out of Jinjiang City before long. She thought of the ce onest time; there was nothing worth remembering, except for that plum flower park and the young man who stood under the tree. The party entered the mountains following the small path from the city, and, when night fell, so did the vernal rain. The rain patted the ceiling of the carriage, and gusts of cold wind blew the curtain open and prated within the carriage, apanied by a few droplets. Some of them fell onto the veil Ji Yunshu wore and sank into her cheeks, bringing a tingling sense of coldness. Ji Yunshu kept her eyes closed for a while, and, when she opened them once more, she saw Wei Yi sound asleep with the two rolls of paper between his arms. The carriage waggled from the uneven road, which was not maintained by the kingdom. Ji Yunshu tugged at the curtain and saw the forests and the woods outside: they must still be within the mountains. She looked at the road ahead and saw a couple of guards leading the way with torches in their hands, casting a bright light upon the road they were traveling on. Her gaze halted on Jing Rong. She stared at his figure, at the gloss of his damp silk robe. Jing Rong seemedpletely unaffected by the downpour. ¡°Prince, we¡¯ve found a broken temple ahead!¡± Someone shouted. Ji Yunshu immediately shrank back into the carriage. For reasons she herself could not quite exin, she was afraid that Jing Rong would notice her. They halted at the entrance of the temple. Ji Yunshu shook Wei Yi until he woke up, and pulled him into the derelict building. Jing Rong¡¯s guards gathered some dry wood and piled them up into two fires. Jing Rong, Lang Po, Ji Yunshu, and Wei Yi gathered around one of them, whereas the dozens of guards huddled around the second. They had barely sat down when another group of people rushed into the building. Five or six of them carried a coffin which looked quite heavy, and their clothes werepletely soaked. ¡°Quick, quick! Get it in quickly! Before the body of Madame bes wet!¡± A man, who had put up an umbre for his master, ordered the people who carried the coffin. Chapter 119: People From Huyi Chapter 119: People From Huyi The quietness of the mountains covered by an incessant rainfall was suddenly broken by the grunts of the people carrying a coffin, and the pressing shouts of the man ordering them. The object seemed quite heavy, as it look a long time just to bring it from the entrance to the forecourt. Two people ran into the temple ahead of the others and began to clear out a spot where they could put it down, not sparing a nce at Ji Yunshu, Jing Rong, and his subordinates a single time. Wei Yi was rather excited by all of themotion. All hints at falling asleep instantly vanished and his eyes were glued to the strangers struggling in the rain. He pulled on Ji Yunshu¡¯s sleeves and asked, ¡°Shu¡¯er, why are they carrying that coffin?¡± Ji Yunshu did not answer him. ¡°Uncle Fu taught me that coffins should go into the ground. Why aren¡¯t they burying it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Shu¡¯er¡­¡± ¡°Please Wei Yi, no more,¡± interrupted Ji Yunshu. No matter where they went, Wei Yi always seemed to be full of questions and things to say. Wei Yi pursed his lips and stopped talking. His eyes, however, remained fixated on the neers. Ji Yunshu looked at the bunch of people outside of the temple¡¯s entrance: they all seemed exhausted, and it would take them a long while before they could bring it into the temple. She looked at Jing Rong, who seemed busy poking aimlessly at the fire with a wooden stick. He did not even raise an eyebrow and seemedpletely unwilling to involve himself with the affair. Ji Yunshu contemted the situation for a bit and proposed, ¡°The rain is so heavy. Although that coffin is made of camphor wood, I doubt that it will withstand the rain for long. How about we give them a hand¡­¡± Jing Rong interrupted her without raising his head. ¡°Do you know who they are? And you are asking for my help?¡± ¡®Uh.. What? Who are they?¡¯ Ji Yunshu was caught off guard by the seemingly random question. Ji Yunshu turned her head toward the exit, this time with a long stare, and finally understood what Jing Rong meant; These people all wore hats that looked like a goat¡¯s horns, and they kept their coats untied, with their left cor covering the right one. The sleeves of their robes were narrow, and it was tightened with a belt at the waist. Beneath the robe was a short shirt, pants and leather boots. A piece of mutton pelt was tied to their belts, and a string of agate beads hung by their necks. ¡®They are definitely not from Great Lin, not with this attire.¡¯ ¡°Are they from Huyi?¡± Ji Yunshu guessed. Jing Rong raised his eyes and threw a nce at Ji Yunshu, which reminded her of someone supervising an examination. ¡°Take another guess, where do they belong in Huyi?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s interest was piqued by the challenge. She scrutinized the men, especially the one who seemed to be the master. Just like the others, his robe was open at the front. However, unlike the rest of the men, he had five peacock feathers emzoned on his shoulders. ¡°The people from Huyi were a nomadic tribe on the borders of Great Lin, that is until a great leader proimed himself king and elevated their entire tribe. Animals with feathers are considered sacred in their religion, and they believed the feathers themselves to be gifts from the heavens. Peacocks are venerated as spiritual beings, and leaders would be distinguished from themoners based on the number of peacock feathers embroidered on their vests. Seven feathers for the king, six for the dukes and generals, and five for the nobles. The Huyi nobles are usually rtives of the king, so I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if this man was the current king¡¯s brother.¡± Jing Rong listened to her exnation carefully and his lips quirked approvingly. ¡°Where did you get this from?¡± ¡°From books!¡± Magistrate Liu regrly received official missives from the government, and he would often give them to Ji Yunshu after he himself had read them. He also had quite an expansive collection of books, and Ji Yunshu read through them like novels. By now, she could remember most of their contents. Jing Rong smirked, ¡°A quite urate description. Then you should also know about the war between the Lin empire and Huyi over thest several decades. A truce was reached a few years ago, but tensions are always running high. I¡¯m a Lin Dynasty prince. Tell me, should I help him or not?¡± ¡®Of course not, if you go withmon sense.¡¯ ¡°Stubborn!¡± Ji Yunshu rolled her eyes. She turned her head and looked at Lang Po. ¡°Your master might not want to help, but you¡¯re an able-bodied man, why don¡¯t you give a hand?¡± Lang Po nodded. ¡°You are right, Miss Ji.¡± He stood up and was about to beckon a few other bodyguards to help. The next second, Jing Rong threw a cold nce at him. ¡°Do you have nothing to do?¡± Lang Po¡¯s gesture froze in mid-air. He gulped down a mouthful of saliva and looked at Ji Yunshu with awkwardness. Jing Rong was his master after all, so his orders had toe first. He was about to sit back down when Jing Rong spoke again. ¡°Go!¡± Lang Po made a grimace. ¡®Is that a yes or a no?¡¯ He voiced his hesitation, ¡°My Prince, should I help them or not?¡± ¡°What are you hesitating for? Go!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lang Po called over a few guards and carried out the order. Ji Yunshu looked at Jing Rong. ¡®The dissonance between your words and your actions is noticeable, my Prince.¡¯ Thud-! A sudden loud thud was heard from the outside. Wei Yi was quite frightened by the noise, and he shrank towards Ji Yunshu, who patted his back rather mindlessly to reassure him. Jing Rong noticed her gesture and felt a sudden urge to split the two up by sitting down between them. However, his attention shifted when he noticed what had happened outside; Lang Po and his men had yet to leave the temple when the coffin fell out of the basket of ropes restraining it and smashed into the ground with a loud thud. The coffin tilted over and its cover fell off. The corpse rolled out of it violently, along with items which were to be buried with it: jewelry, silver and golden tableware, and even bronze mirrors. From its contents, it became less surprising that the coffin was heavy enough to break the ropes. The luxury of the ornaments was obvious, and by the looks of it, the tomb would match their grandeur. ¡°Is it a pregnant woman?¡± Ji Yunshu eximed with some surprise when she saw the corpse being tossed out. Her eyes remained fixated on the belly of the woman and she furrowed her brows. No one seemed to have noticed the thoughts which ran through her head furiously. ¡°Wife!¡± The man who led the party cried out and ran toward the corpse against the rain, weeping loudly. ¡°What are you people doing? Quickly, bring Madame¡¯s corpse inside, you useless servants!¡± The man who followed him kicked a few of the servants next to him in the behind. Lang Po hurried to help them with a few of the guards. They returned the corpse to the coffin and sealed the lid. It was fortunate that the coffin remained inclined the whole time, since the angle prevented the rain from falling into it directly, and the interior remained rtively dry. The coffin was quickly brought into the temple while a few followers remained outside to collect the scattered burial items. By the time this happened, Ji Yunshu had already opened her sandalwood box. She picked out a scalpel which had a wider de and moved it above the fire, rotating it slowly as it was being baked. She then handed the item over to Wei Yi. ¡°Heat this thing for a while on the fire.¡± Wei Yi hesitated a little bit and finally picked up the scalpel with trembling hands. He asked her in a low voice, ¡°Shu¡¯er, are you going to kill me?¡± ¡®Pfffft, little child, do you have some kind of persecution mania?¡¯ Ji Yunshu shook her head, ¡°Oh, no. We¡¯ll be eating meat soon!¡± ¡°Yay, there¡¯s meat!¡± Wei Yi paid much more attention to his task after hearing what Ji Yunshu said. He drooled at the thought of being able to enjoy meat soon. Ji Yunshu opened her box again and brought out a long needle and some thread. She pushed the thread through the eye of the needle. ¡®Since when do you need needles and thread for cooking meat?¡¯ Jing Rong looked at her, perplexed. He asked casually, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Cut her abdomen and extract the baby!¡± answered Ji Yunshu in an impassive voice. Chapter 120: Cesarean Chapter 120: Cesarean ¡®Cut through the flesh and pull out the baby?¡¯ The wooden stick between Jing Rong¡¯s fingers snapped into two with a crack. He frowned and asked again to make sure that he did not hear wrong. ¡°That person inside the coffin, she¡¯s already dead.¡± It was more of a reminder than anything else. Ji Yunshu nodded to show that she understood. Jing Rong guessed what she wanted to do after a short while and asked, ¡°So¡­ what do you want me to do?¡± Ji Yunshu spun the thread about her finger and shed a nce at the strangers; the coffin was being settled down, and they were expressing their thanks to Lang Po. She looked Jing Rong in the eyes and said, ¡°I want to know when that woman passed away.¡± Jing Rong assented and rose from his seat. As he walked over, Lang Po hurriedly introduced him, ¡°This is our master.¡± The person who seemed to be the leader was thoroughly soaked. He nodded in gratitude and said, ¡°Thank you. Had it not been for your precious help, my wife¡¯s body would have been damaged. May I ask for your name?¡± ¡°My surname is Rong.¡± ¡°Mine is Ke. I¡¯m a merchant, and I came to Lin formerce, but my wife suddenly fell sick and passed away. I intended to continue the trip back home tonight, but the downpour stopped us,¡± said the man. His tale was interrupted by several sighs ofnguish. ¡®Merchant? You liar! Do you not know that the five peacocks feathers have already spoken for themselves, and you are still pretending? Oh, well I shouldn¡¯t be the one pointing fingers since I also hid my own identity.¡¯ Jing Rong asked, ¡°Master Ke, when did your wife pass away?¡± ¡°This morning.¡± ¡°This morning? I am sorry for your loss,¡± said Jing Rong with a louder voice. He did it on purpose, just so that Ji Yunshu could hear him. Ke Cha sighed again, despite his best intentions to reign it in. Ji Yunshu¡¯s resolution became firmer when she heard what Jing Rong said. She rose from where she sat and approached the two. Her svelte figure, enveloped by white garments and her hair, wrapped around a simple but elegant hairpin, seemed to be enveloped in a thinyer of mist, crossing back and forth between a mirage and corporeality. Her face, hidden behind a veil, revealed enough to let the watchers guess at beautiful eyes and brows, and became quite an alluring ¡°sight¡± within the derelict temple. She stopped right in front of Ke Cha and spoke. A quiet voice emerged from the lips hidden behind the blue veiling. ¡°Master Ke, if it won¡¯t inconvenience you, could I have a look at the body of your wife?¡± Ke Cha asked with surprise, ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Jing Rong interrupted her, ¡°She is my wife.¡± Ji Yunshu rolled her eyes and did not bother to rify. Ke Cha nodded in a sign of politeness and asked, ¡°Young Madame, why would you want to see my wife?¡± She answered, ¡°Your wife had been pregnant for eight months, I presume?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Master Ke, I think that your child is still alive.¡± To her audience, this was too shocking. ¡®Alive?¡¯ ¡°How¡­ is that possible for my child to still be alive? This¡­¡± ¡°A fetus receives the nourishment it needs from the body of the mother, and the umbilical cord carries the blood which will feed the child. Although your wife has passed away, the child she carries will not die immediately.¡±1 ¡°¡­¡± Words like umbilical cord, that are only used after the advent of modern medicine, are obviouslyplete nonsense to the people of this era. ¡°If Master Ke will put his confidence in me, I can extract the fetus safely out of the womb.¡± Ke Cha was shocked by the proposal, ¡°Are, are you sure that my child is still alive?¡± Ji Yunshu nodded and added, ¡°The longer the child stays in the womb, the less likely survival will be. Master Ke, I leave the choice to you.¡± Ke Cha rubbed his hands against one another and hesitated. But, after a moment, despite having some suspicions, he gritted his teeth and made a decision. ¡°Okay, as long as my child is alive, do anything you need.¡± He turned and ordered his followers, ¡°Open the coffin, and bring Madame¡¯s body out of it.¡± ¡°Yes, Milord.¡± Ke Cha was going to gamble for it. His servants followed his orders and deposited the corpse on the coffin lid. ¡°Wei Yi, give me the knife,¡± said Ji Yunshu. Wei Yi was still thinking about the meat feast he was going to be able to eat soon. He handed the scalpel over and added, ¡°Shu¡¯er, is it time to eat meat?¡± These words gave everyone goosebumps. ¡®I swear, I¡¯ll never joke with him like that ever again.¡¯ Ji Yunshu was rather embarrassed, but no one could notice it thanks to the veil. She extended her hand and rubbed his head. ¡°Go sit there and be quiet, okay? Don¡¯t turn your head. Be a nice boy.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There are no whys. Just listen to me, okay? Or else we¡¯re not going to eat meat when we get to the Capital.¡± ¡®Oh no, I want to eat meat.¡¯ Wei Yi covered his mouth with his hands and nodded energetically. He returned to his seat and sat down with his back facing towards Ji Yunshu. He picked up the wooden stick Jing Rong had dropped and started poking at the fire rather mindlessly. Ji Yunshu swept across her audience and said, ¡°Please turn around everyone, you¡¯ll avoid¡­ long sleepless nights.¡± Everyone except Ke Cha, who stayed right next to his wife with tears in his eyes, turned their backs to the coffin and stood in a circle around it. Ji Yunshu started to remove the woman¡¯s clothes, and she found it fortunate that she was from Huyi, since it means that her sleeves were short and would make it less difficult to undress her. The woman¡¯s belly looked blue, and the skin was bumpy, rather than being smooth. ¡°Young Madame, is the child really still alive?¡± Ke Cha doubted Ji Yunshu a little. She nodded. She rested one hand on the abdomen of the woman, and, with a frown, picked up the scalpel, which had been baked by the fire, with her other hand and searched for the right spot. When she found it, she inclined the de to about halfway horizontally and pushed it down. It cut a wide gap through the flesh, and syrupy liquid slowly seeped out of the incision, soaking her pale fingers almost immediately. She kept her head lowered and focused on her task. However, a few faint gusts of wind continued to bring her veil into her eyes. She frowned and threw it onto the ground after ripping it off. Her bloody fingers stained the fabric, conferring a twisted beauty to it. Of course, with this, it meant that her scar was left bare for everyone to see. When Ke Cha saw the scar running down Ji Yunshu¡¯s face, his chest tightened a little; he thought it was unfortunate, but he did not really have time to be opinionated about the beauty of the woman in front of him. His eyes remained fixated on the incision which was produced by Ji Yunshu. Thetter looked at the inside and shook her head: it was notrge enough. She erged the cut further with her knife and plunged both of her hands beneath the skin when it was done. Her movement was gentle, and, after searching around in it for a little, left and right, she felt that her hands had reached the little human being which sat inside. She carefully closed her arms and brought the new-born out of the sack full of thick blood. She looked at the infant, who rested in her palm, and moved ever more carefully. Ke Cha had his mouth wide open from surprise, and his lips trembled as he looked at the little ¡°blob¡± of flesh with tears in his eyes. ¡°This child¡­ My¡­ Child?¡± Ji Yunshu was an expert at autopsy, but it was the first time she actually helped ¡°deliver¡± a baby, however, there quite a few simrities between the two tasks, so she learned quickly. She cut the umbilical cord in two, hung the new-born by the ankle and lightly tapped on his buttocks. Once¡­ Twice¡­ ¡°Waaaaa¨C¡± The baby¡¯s voice was lethargic, and the cries were weak, but at least signs of life were present. The rest of the men turned around upon hearing the cries and saw Ji Yunshu holding the baby like a chick. When they saw the woman¡¯s body with her abdomen cut open on the ground, some of them paled and moved their hands to their mouth in a puking gesture. Ke Cha hurried to get hold of a piece of dry cloth and wrapped his arms around the infant. He could not hold back his tears anymore. 1.Important note about the survival of an unborn child after the mother dies: The few situations where an unborn child can continue to live despite the mother¡¯s death is when the mother is dered dead, but there are still blood cirction and oxygenation given to the fetus. In other words, a situation where the brain died, but respiratory functions are preserved and feed is given to the mother¡¯s body, the fetus could survive, like after a car crash, stroke, etc. Chapter 121: His Name is Amo Chapter 121: His Name is Amo At this moment, the inside of the abandoned temple was filled with the cries of a newborn, yet the crying sound did not feel noisy. It was full of vitality, stirring the amazement of the people present. They were astonished that the child was still alive but even more surprised that Ji Yunshu had the ability to deliver did child through cesarean. This was simply too amazing! Ke Cha¡¯s subordinates shouted in exultation, ¡°It¡¯s a boy! Master, this child is our young master! Madame gave birth to a young master.¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­ this is my son. My little son¡­ I have a son.¡± Ke Cha was so moved that his body slightly trembled. He hurriedly gave instructions, ¡°Quick, bring me some sheep milk.¡± ¡°Y-y-yes!¡± The pageboy, who was called upon, quickly ran to the horse carriage parked outside to fetch some sheep milk. After that, he warmed the milk over the fire and let the baby drink it. While everyone was focusing on the newborn, Ji Yunshu was extremely busy tidying up. Her bloodstained hands were ced in front of her chest as she coiled a thread around her finger. Next, she began to close the incision she made. She had her head bent down and waspletely focused on her task. She gave off the feeling of an embroidery master doing her work. After what seemed to be less than a quarter-hour, her movements came to an halt. The incision has been thoroughly closed. A narrow line remained present, the only vestige of the cesarean. Apart from it, the corpse was preserved and did not show any other damage. She twisted and cracked her sore neck before ordering the servants present, ¡°Hurry and put your mistress back into the coffin to avoid her body from absorbing the humidity. We don¡¯t want the putrefaction to elerate.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She moved back several steps to give them some ce. When the servants came to carry the body, they took a glimpse of the scar on her face and gawked at the discovery. ¡®Ah! What a pity. Unfortunately, such a beautiful face was marred by a scar!¡¯ They quickly snapped out of their shock and focus onpleting the assigned task. As they carried the body, the stench of rot and blood assailed their olfaction, causing nausea and difort to well inside them. They endure the stench and ced the corpse back inside the coffin and closed back the lid. In the meantime, Ji Yunshu picked up her veil on the floor and silently left the abandoned temple. She found a dry spot under the eaves and stood there, hands outstretched into the rain. She watched as the rain fell onto her hands and slowly trickled down along with the blood, washing her long and slender fingers until they were clean again. Next, she wet her stained veil and washed it with the rainwater. The feeling of scrubbing the blue veil within her hand made her quitefortable. She watched the rain fall like a curtain of water while listening to the raindrops making ¡°plop¡± sounds as they fell onto her hands. The corner of her mouth curled into a smile like a child having fun in the rain. Unknown to her, Jing Rong hade to her side. His expression fraught with love, frustration and worry as he looked at the scar on her face. ¡®How it is ugly? She¡¯s clearly not ugly at all!¡¯ Despite the long scar lining her cheek, her temperamentpletely offset it, just like her slightly curled lips that revealed a faint smile. This smile simply bewildered people into fascination! ¡°Are you having fun?¡± asked Jing Rong. Ji Yunshu halted her hands and cast a nce at him before giving a light reply, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s fun.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it cold?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± ¡°I never knew you could do such things. Before¡­¡± His sentence was promptly cut short by Ji Yunshu. ¡°I¡¯ve never done this before. This is the first time I¡¯ve delivered a baby. In fact, this is the first time I did a cesarean!¡± ¡°A cesarean?¡± Jing Rong creased his brows. She nted her head to ponder for a moment. Then, she exined, ¡°There are cases where pregnant women cannot give birth normally, so an incision is made in the lower abdomen until the uterus is reached. Then, the baby is pulled out. After it is done, the incision is sutured with thread. It only takes a few days for the wound to close up before the thread could be cut and taken out.¡± Her exnation was very explicit! What¡¯s more, she was rarely this patient when exining. It caused Jing Rong to feel depressed. He never knew that a child could be taken out from the abdomen. He could not me Ji Yunshu for giving an exnation that mystified him more, since the notion of cesarean was too novel and never been done until now. It¡¯s a sad fact that women in ancient times who died following a difficult childbirth was mostly due to theck of cesarean delivery. ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s like that!¡± Jing Rong pretended to understand her exnations. ¡®Forget it, I won¡¯t expose you.¡¯ Ji Yunshu retracted her hands from the rain. She was about to lower them, when her left hand was caught by Jing Rong and raised midair. Under the eaves drummed by raindrops, they locked eyes. He was a head taller than her. Therefore, she could only arch her head to look at him. Suddenly, her heart tightened. She felt as if she was on the verge of going mad when she felt Jing Rong¡¯s big hand wrapping around her fingers. His warmth seeped through her skin and into her blood, causing her whole body to boil. She trembled and tried to retract her hand, but Jing Rong refused to release her hand. ¡°Let go of my hand!¡± Her tone was more of an order than a request. ¡°I want you to honestly tell me, there¡¯s really not even a small ce for me in your heart?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Answer me!¡± Jing Rong yanked her closer to him. Ji Yunshu¡¯splexion darkened. Her tongue was knotted and she could not give him a reply. Ever since she said ¡®You are a prince; I am a concubine-born¡¯, this deity was depressed and did not speak much along the road. Even when they stopped to rest, he distanced himself from her, yet his eyes never left her. During their journey, they barely spoke more than a few words to each other. Most of the time he stayed silent, not even replying, as if he was being bullied! Tonight, the tense atmosphere between them could not go on. The situation smelt like gunpowder ready to explode! Ji Yunshu did not mind about repeating herself once again. Her expression was determined as she looked at him and dered, ¡°In my heart¡­¡± But her words were interrupted. ¡°Where are they?¡± Ke Cha¡¯s voice could be heard near them. In an instant, Jing Rong let go of her hand which she immediately withdrew. They acted as if this small interlude between them had never existed. Ke Cha came out with the baby in his arms. His eyes still had trace of tears, but his expression only had gratefulness as he looked at Ji Yunshu. He approached her and spoke, ¡°Young madame, if it wasn¡¯t for you, my child would not be of this world. You are mine and my child¡¯s benefactor.¡± ¡°Master Ke, don¡¯t say that. Doing a good deed every day is a virtuous achievement. Moreover, it must be because your wife¡¯s spirit in the heavens guards over your child that he was blessed and born safe and sound.¡± ¡°Regardless of how you put it, you will remain this Ke¡¯s benefactor.¡± If it was not because he was holding onto his child right now, he would have kowtowed to her. Watching the little baby, Ji Yunshu smiled and could not help but ask, ¡°May I hold him?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ke Cha carefully passed the infant to Ji Yunshu. When Ji Yunshu held the child, her heart tightened and her breathing stifled a bit. Her eyes slightly reddened as she looked at the infant in her arms. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, may I ask you to give him a childhood name?¡± asked Ke Cha. ¡®Name him?¡¯ She had never named someone before. She gently rocked the baby in her arms while contemting. ¡°This child is fortunate to be alive, which is simply a miracle. Toe back from death¡¯s door could be considered a good omen. How about calling him Amo? I wish that in the future, he can be unyielding and ovee defeats and difficulties, forever and ever.¡± ¡°Amo?¡± Ke Cha softly repeated the name. He was all joy when he spoke, ¡°Good! Let¡¯s call him Amo.¡± Chapter 122: Ji-Yun-Shu! Ji Yunshu returned Amo to his father. ¡°Let¡¯s go back inside. A child¡¯s body is weak, and their body cannot withstand the cold wind.¡± Ke Cha nodded while receiving his child. Suddenly, he took an object from his waistband and gave it to Ji Yunshu. It was a fine, small jade tile with golden ridges, and a silver thread coiled around it. A lifelike peacock was carved on one side of the jade and in ce of its eyes, the highest quality of sapphires were iid. On the other side, the character ¡°ÄÏ¡±1 was carved on it. ¡°Right now, I have nothing else to show my gratitude. Please ept this tile instead. If you ever go to Huyi someday, this might prove useful in finding me. At that time, I will properly give my thanks.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°Please ept it. It would let my heart be at ease a little.¡± After that, he shoved the jade tile into Ji Yunshu¡¯s palm. The small jade tile¡¯s texture was quite impressive. It was cool to the touch and veryfortable to hold. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t decline the gift. ¡®I might as well take it,¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. It was unlikely that she would go to Huyi one day, but if she was to decline, she might need to spend more effort talking. ¡°Since it¡¯s like this, I¡¯ll ept it.¡± Ke Cha felt somewhat at ease hearing her words. He carried Amo back inside the temple. She was about to follow Ke Cha but knowing that Jing Rong would grab her arms again, she quickly crossed them on her chest and directly went inside. Jing Rong ended up grabbing onto air. ¡®This woman is still so difficult to deal with.¡¯ After entering, Ji Yunshu sat down and so did Jing Rong in a grumpy manner. However, his gaze focused on her, as if he wanted to eat her alive! Ji Yunshu took her veil and dried it by the fire. After drying it, she used it to cover her face. Wei Yi blinked as he observed her, then pouted. This little action was caught by Ji Yunshu, prompting her to ask him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re not happy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± Wei Yi shook his head. ¡°Then, what it is?¡± Wei Yi hesitated before speaking in a low voice, ¡°Shu¡¯er, Are you afraid that other people willugh at you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Wei Yi pursed his lips, then sat closer to her and started whispering into her ear. ¡°Shu¡¯er, don¡¯t be afraid. The truth is, you¡¯re not ugly at all. For me, you are good as you are.¡± His warm breath gradually spread on her ear. She had to admit that his words were like a balm to her heart. It tickled her ear and made her feel extremelyfortable. The corners of her mouth curled to form a radiant smile on her face. She stared at him and said, ¡°Wei Yi, thank you.¡± ¡°Both father and mother have passed away, so I only have you now. Shu¡¯er, I promise you that I will be a strong man. In the future, I will protect you and will absolutely not let anyone bully you. If someone dares to bully you, I¡¯ll take revenge for you.¡± His tone was very resolute. Ji Yunshu smiled. ¡°Good! Then, I¡¯ll wait for a day when you can protect me.¡± ¡°Hum¡­¡± He strongly nodded. They both conversed without paying any attention to Jing Rong, who was sitting opposite them and sporting a sour expression on his face. Jing Rong was extremely unresigned to be treated unfairly. He couldn¡¯t help himself from spouting some remarks. ¡°Wei Yi, protecting her is my task. Since she has the tendency to attract troubles, I¡¯m the only one who has the capacity to bear that burden.¡± ¡®Pft! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s inviting trouble!¡¯ Ji Yunshu fiercely red at Jing Rong. Wei Yi scratched his head and spoke as his mouth deted. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s inviting trouble.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Shu¡¯er said that you¡¯re a bully that cannot be shaken by thunder, always pouring cold water around, and that you have a sinister face like a piece of charcoal. Not only that¡­ Hmmph!¡± Ji Yunshu promptly covered Wei Yi¡¯s mouth. During their travels, Ji Yunshu would often reply to Wei Yi¡¯s random questions and end up ranting to herself most of the time. She never expected that this damn guy would remember every single word she had said and blurted it all out now. It¡¯s alright to talk about it, but why on earth did he have to do so in front of the subject of herints?! Even as he spoke, he even made it in great fanfare! This time, she really wanted to dig a hole and bury herself inside. While covering Wei Yi¡¯s disastrous mouth, she looked at Jing Rong, whose face had been overcast with his ice-cold eyes flickering with anger under the mes¡¯ reflection. He was the incarnation of ferocity. Jing Rong strongly enunciated her name as he gritted his teeth. ¡°Ji-Yun-Shu!¡± Ji Yunshi never knew her name could sound so unpleasant. Under the veil, her mouth constantly twisted as she tried to exin herself, ¡°I¡­ was just talking without thinking.¡± ¡°Talking without thinking? Indeed¡­¡± ¡°I only¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Jing Rong snapped. He got up and went to sit with his guards at another fire. His back faced Ji Yunshu, thus showing how angry he was. At this moment, Ji Yunshu loosened her hand and stopped covering Wei Yi¡¯s mouth. Wei Yi took in a big mouthful of air as if he was choking. ¡°Shu¡¯er, you¡­ why¡­ why didn¡¯t you let me talk?¡± ¡°Every time you talk, you always bring trouble to me!¡± ¡°Why? Did I¡­ did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At this instant, she felt a surging headache. If that guy was going to sulk until they reached the capital, she might as well be suffering hardships throughout the entire journey! Who would have known that Lang Po, who was sitting across them, would lower his head and chuckle at this time too? This did not escape Ji Yunshu¡¯s attention. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± Lang Po looked at his master¡¯s back under the dancing light of the fire. Then, he turned to Ji Yunshu and replied, ¡°Miss Ji, if someone else had said the same things as you did, I fear that said person would have been thrown out at this moment. It seemed like my prince treats you very well.¡± ¡®Oi, oi, oi! What are you trying to get on?¡¯ Ji Yunshu lowered her eyebrows. Her beautiful eyes locked on Jing Rong. ¡®Forget it. Let him cool his head overnight.¡± During the night, Wei Yi fell asleep while holding onto the two paintings. He lied his head on Lang Po¡¯s shoulder. Jing Rong leaned against the wall a distance away from everyone, although his back was still facing everyone. As for Ji Yunshu, sleep didn¡¯te to her. Her eyes were wide open as she watched the fire burning in all its glory, slowly weakening until it was extinguished to a mere spark. The next morning. Outside the temple, the two groups of carriage set off. Before they parted ways, Ke Cha expressed his gratitude numerous times and hoped that he would be able to meet her one day in Huyi. Then, they went on their journey in opposite directions. Ji Yunshu and Wei Yi sat together in the carriage while Jing Rong continued to ride on his horse. After six hours or so on the road, they finally left the mountain trails and got onto the main road. There were no mountain trails that weren¡¯t bumpy. Atst, Ji Yunshu sat morefortably in the horse carriage. Then, she saw Wei Yi, who was being fascinated by what he saw outside. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Wei Yi replied without turning around. ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful outside.¡± ¡®Beautiful?¡¯ Ji Yunshu moved closer and looked outside. Although they just left the mountain trail, their surroundings still consisted of mountains and trees. She didn¡¯t feel it was particrly beautiful. It must be because Wei Yi had never left Jinjiang city, so everything he saw was a novelty to him. ¡°Heigh!¡± The carriage suddenly came to a halt following the neighing of the horses, as if they ran into something. After Ji Yunshu steadied herself, she lifted the curtain and exposed her pretty eyes, looking at themotion up front. In front of them, there were a group of people riding on horseback. When she clearly saw the faces of the two riders, Ji Yunshu hurriedly let down the curtain and shrank back. ¡°Shu¡¯er, what¡¯s going on?¡± inquired Wei Yi. She shook her head. Curious as he was, Wei Yi was about to go out but she pulled him back. ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± He was scared by her nervous tone. He didn¡¯t speak and obediently sat down instead. 1. ÄÏ meant south usually, but it could also be the surname ¡°Nan¡±. Since I have too little information about the meaning of it, I¡¯ll keep the Chinese character for now. Chapter 123: Monarch and Vassals Chapter 123: Monarch and Vassals She should have known that she would definitely encounter them at some point during her journey to the capital from the day Ji Shuhan sent the letter to the capital. If they found out that she had burnt down the Ji mansion and indirectly caused her grandmother to die from anger, her second brother would definitely use his Xuan Chi sword to chop her until she bes meat paste at the earliest opportunity he can get if she were to ever poke her head out of the carriage for even a second. In fact, she wasn¡¯t that afraid of death. She was more afraid of pain and she was unwilling to die under the hands of anyone from the Ji family. This would be the ultimate grievance for her and she didn¡¯t want that! In front of the carriage. Jing Rong remained mounted on his horse. His eyes sparked with a cold light in a split of a second, causing his body to exude an enigmatic and unfathomable aura. Both Ji Li and Ji Huan dismounted from their horses in session. Then, they saluted Jing Rong, with one knee on the ground and hands sped in front of them. ¡°Paying respects to Prince Rong!¡± Jing Rong lowered his eyelids. ¡°Get up.¡± ¡°Thank you Prince Rong.¡± Ji Li and Ji Huan weren¡¯t part of Jing Rong¡¯s social circle in the capital, thus he didn¡¯t have much interaction with them. Most of his encounters with them were during official meetings pertaining to the court matters. The oldest of the brothers, Ji Li, is Army Supervisor Yi¡¯s Left Secretary, a position considered to be half civil and half military. In Ji Li¡¯s hand, he controlled an army of 50,000 soldiers and the methods he used in his work were quite ruthless and merciless. As long as the goal is achieved, anything goes. The whole northern region nicknamed him ¡°Howling Wolf¡± as to imply figuratively that he could devour people without spitting back their bones. The second brother, Ji Huan, was personally bestowed the title Changlin General by the emperor. He was a genuine general with a temperament as big as his brilliant military achievements. In other words, he was rough, cruel, and rude! Fortunately, his behavior is not too bad, although his temper is¡­ if you treat him badly, he will retaliate harshly, and if you treat him well, he will reciprocate in kindness. ¡°Where are you two going in such a hurry?¡± Jing Rong asked, despite knowing the answer. Ji Li¡¯s disposition was gloomy. Although he wasn¡¯t very tall, his narrow and nted eyes seemed as if it had a dense myriad of sharpness, causing people to shudder in fear. Moreover, he possessed wisdom and was farsighted. He lowered his head and replied, ¡°This humble one¡¯s home is in mourning. We spurred our horses to return home as soon as possible to send the departed and thus, happened to meet your Highness on the way. If we have offended your Highness, please forgive us.¡± ¡°Since it is the case, I won¡¯t hold your back to speedily return home to send the departed.¡± ¡®Send the departed? The corpse has already been burnt to ashes. You can be really funny, Jing Rong.¡¯ Ji Huan with his sharp mind raised his head during their conversation and stared at the carriage behind Jing Rong. A sinister glow could be seen in his eyes. A sly tone could be heard as he voiced his question. ¡°Your Highness, with the recent chaos, there has been many bandits roaming on the roads. Your Highness may need to be careful during your journey.¡± ¡°Bandits?¡± Jing Rong heard the underlying meaning behind Ji Huan¡¯s words. He nced at the carriage behind him. The corner of his mouth hooked up. ¡°Many thanks to General Ji for your reminder. This Prince will pay more attention.¡± ¡°May I inquire¡­ who is inside the carriage?¡± ¡°My honorable guest.¡± Jing Rong replied without hesitation. Ji Li narrowed his eyes, contemting the many implications of those words. His expression was seen by Ji Huan, whopletely understood the meaning. He then decided to put the meaning into action by stepping forward a few steps and asked in a rude and violent tone, ¡°Who are you inside the carriage? Open the curtain and let me see so as to avoid mistaking you for a bandit.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s expression turned grim. He elevated his voice in reprimand. ¡°General Ji Huan, what is the meaning of this? Are you suspecting this Prince for harboring a bandit?¡± ¡°This general has no such meaning. I just want to investigate that person¡¯s identity in your stead.¡± As soon as he was done speaking, he unsheathed his Xuan Chi sword and ferociously thrust his sword towards the upants inside, through the curtains. Despite being inside the carriage, Ji Yunshu could clearly feel the murderous intent emitting thickly from the Xuan Chi sword as it closed in, thrusting through the curtains and directly homing towards her heart. Her hands only had enough time to grip her skirt. She could only hold her breath while her ck pupils dted at the sight of death! ¡°Shu¡¯er¡­¡± In an instant, Wei Yi threw himself on Ji Yunshu and tightly hugged her slender waist as his head leaned on her neck. Ji Yunshu watched the silhouette outside approaching. Only the curtain of the carriage separated them. At this instant, only one thought upied her mind ¨C she was screwed. Suddenly, the wind blew, causing the curtain to unveil! She saw Ji Huan, sword in hand. Their eyes met! Ji Huan saw a young woman in the carriage with a veil covering her face, dressed in silk clothes with a skirt that was fluttering with the wind. Her long ck hair draped her shoulders and only a simple hairpin held her hair in ce. In her arms, a man was hugging her! With only her eyes revealed, he couldn¡¯t clearly identify her. Besides, this kind of woman could never be his third sister that made him want to cut her into mincemeat. The wind died, and the curtain fell down. Ji Huan¡¯s sword was suddenly deflected, and before he could react, there was a de resting on his neck. ¡®Whose speed could be this terrifying?¡¯ ¡°Presumptuous!¡± Jing Rong spat out. They had incurred his wrath. The sword in his hand made a slit on Ji Huan¡¯s neck, opening a bloody wound. If he was to apply a bit more force, even his strong, thick neck would not be able to withstand the cut. ¡°What great courage you have that you dare to point your sword at my honorable guest?! Do you even put this Prince in your eyes?!¡± Ji Huan¡¯s expression remained steady. Many years of military campaign had forged his character into one unfazed and indomitable in the face of danger. Therefore, he replied in a calm tone, ¡°This general thought a bandit had hidden inside the carriage, thus I decided to draw my sword preemptively. I have investigated clearly. I apologize for my impulsive act. I hope your Highness will forgive me.¡± ¡°Forgive you?¡± The sword in Jing Rong¡¯s hand changed its angle slightly, pricking the lower jaw of Ji Huan. Then, Jing Rong sneered. ¡°You should know that I, this Prince, can have executed you here and now.¡± Hearing the words, Ji Li, who was a few meters away, kneeled down immediately. He beseeched Jing Rong, ¡°Your Highness, please be lenient. Ji Huan had offended you, but he did so in order to assure your safety. I beseech your Highness¡¯ magnanimity. Please be lenient.¡± ¡°You, Ji people, are quite talented when ites to crowding people with numbers. Each and every time¡­ It has truly widened my horizons!¡± He squinted his long eyes and spoke in a furious tone. He used his sword to prop up Ji Huan¡¯s chin and continued, ¡°In all of the Great Lin, there has never been any vassal who would dare to draw a sword in front of this Prince. Ji Huan, I know you don¡¯t fear death, but don¡¯t forget: A monarch is a monarch, and a vassal should act like one.¡± It was a strong warning! Despite being a martial man, Ji Huan still understood the meaning epassing the concept of a monarch and his vassals. Therefore, he was forced topromise, ¡°Yes, your Highness. This general understands.¡± After a moment, Jing Rong retracted his sword and threw it at Lang Po. Then, he swept a nce at the kneeling Ji Li and coldly stated, ¡°Get up! Regardless, you are still the Left Secretary and Changlin General of this empire. This Prince cannot possibly im your life. As for what had just urred, let bygones be bygones. But I hope this is thest time. If it happens again, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless.¡± ¡°Many thanks, your Highness!¡± Jing Rong mounted back his horse. Without throwing another nce at the brothers, he lightly urged his horse forward. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Ji Li and Ji Huan retreated to the sides to allow Jing Rong to pass. The carriage moved forward while Ji Yunshu forced herself to maintain her calm despite the panic from earlier still lingering, not fadingpletely. Meanwhile, Wei Yi continued to hug her without letting go. He was probably scared to his wits¡¯ end. She had no other choice but to pat his back and whisperforting words. However, just as their carriage passed by Ji Li and Ji Huan, fortunately or not, the curtain was once again blown up by the wind, and so did her veil¡­ Chapter 124: This is the Great Lin, Not Qujiang! Chapter 124: This is the Great Lin, Not Qujiang! The visage inside the carriage, barely visible through the swaying curtain, was inadvertently caught by Ji Li and Ji Huan. It was not clear-cut, but enough to prod Ji Huan¡¯s hand to rest on his sword hilt; he had his doubts and wanted to pull that person out of the carriage, rip off the veil and ascertain his guess. However, before he could take another step, Ji Li pulled him back and whispered to him. ¡°Prince Rong is here, we cannot risk it.¡± Ji Huan¡¯s bitterness was conspicuous. He threw off Ji Li¡¯s hand away from his as the carriage disappeared and vented out his anger, ¡°If it really was Ji Yunshu inside the carriage, doesn¡¯t that mean that we just let her escape like this? How are we going to avenge Third Brother then?¡± Compared to him, Ji Li was a lot moreposed. He said with a sunken expression, ¡°Regardless of whether it was her or not, we are on quite bad terms with Prince Rong now, and this will hurt us in the future. We should be looking to make new friends, not create new enemies.¡± Ji Li was was the Left Secretary in the army. He was both a cultured man and a talented martial artist, enough to be considered as a military advisor with high potential. Thus, his brain was much more flexiblepared to Ji Huan who has more brawn than brain. Ji Huan dropped the subject unwillingly. He snorted, letting out white fumes from his nose as if he had exploded inside. The two had yet to go home for Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s funeral. If they had known that the Ji Mansion had been burned to the ground, and that their grandmother had also passed away, they would probably have regretted bitterly for not chasing after that carriage and cutting it into two. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Inside the carriage, Wei Yi had finally calmed down and was holding onto the portrait of his parents. ¡°Shu¡¯er, who was that just now? Did he want to kill us? Why would he want to kill us?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. They didn¡¯t want to kill us. It¡¯s just a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Ji Yunshu nodded. ¡°Yes, really.¡± Wei Yi moved closer to Ji Yunshu, but no longer said a word. Ji Yunshu processed the situation that had urred just now. If Jing Rong didn¡¯t manage to stop Ji Huan, she would have been dead by now. She reached for the curtain and lifted it to look outside. Coincidentally, Jing Rong turned back to look at the carriage. His eyes carried a tint of concern. Ji Yunshu nodded at him, expressing her thanks and telling him that she was fine. After that, she pulled her head back inside the carriage. As they continued their journey, Jing Rong became even more vignt. He ordered several bodyguards to protect the rear. Their final formation encircled the carriage for protection against anything unexpected. They proceeded on until the sky turned dark. Fortunately, as night came, the official road was even and didn¡¯t cause them much trouble until they finally reached an inn. Although the inn wasn¡¯t located on the outskirts of any agglomeration of inhabitants, it was still very big in size. What¡¯s more, it was a popr stop with many merchants and peddlers setting up shop around it. Only after getting off the carriage and touching the ground, did Ji Yunshu truly feel that she was alive and had survived the ordeal earlier. Jing Rong ordered some people to feed the horses before entering the inn. As they made their appearance in the inn, they captured everyone¡¯s attention. A handsome and stern man equipped with longsword being apanied by a woman dressed in an elegant and umon attire, and furthermore her face was being concealed by a veil. Although this was a faraway region, merchants and swordsmen weren¡¯tcking in numbers. Thus, it wasn¡¯t much of a surprise to encounter someone carrying a sword. However, it was quite a rare sight for a group of people to attract that much attention. Several men even overtly stared at Ji Yunshu. A drool-worthy sight! An enthusiastic waiter bowed at them and hurriedly weed them inside. ¡°How many of you are staying at the inn?¡± Jing Rong kept a stoic face. It made the waiter feel as though he had swallowed ice. Lang Po stepped forward and took out money, which he stuffed inside the waiter¡¯s hand before instructing him. ¡°Please prepare several rooms for us.¡± Gripping onto the money, the waiter¡¯s eyes sparkled. He pulled down the towel on his shoulder and moved away from them. ¡°Allow me to lead you upstairs.¡± He led them to the stairs. Ji Yunshu had climbed a few stairs when someone rushed downstairs. His steps seemed as if they produced wind, advancing like a storm and violently bumping against her shoulder. She staggered from the impact and fell backward. Fortunately, Jing Rong timely encircled her waist, resting his hand on her back, and stopped her fall. The man who bumped against her appeared to be around thirty. He had his head lowered and seemed in a panic. He hurriedly apologized, ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­¡± He rushed downstairs after apologizing. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Jing Rong asked, his mouth near her ear. She shook her head. ¡°Are you still unsettled because of your brothers? Don¡¯t worry. With me here, I won¡¯t let anyone from the Ji familyy a single finger on you.¡± ¡°Thank you very much, your Highness.¡± She lifted the hem of her skirt and continued to climb the stairs. The waiter pushed the door open for her. ¡°Miss, this is your room. It¡¯s quite spacious.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Just as she entered, Wei Yi also followed after her, but before he could enter, Jing Rong had grabbed onto his cor. ¡°Your room is over here.¡± He unceremoniously dragged Wei Yi away into another room. Ji Yunshu wanted to say something, but after thinking about it, she refrained herself from doing so. If Wei Yi decided to stick with her and wanted to sleep with her, she wouldn¡¯t know how to escape from this predicament. Therefore, Jing Rong dragging Wei Yi away made her feel immensely grateful to him. Wei Yi was extremely unhappy when he was being dragged to another room. He red at Jing Rong. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me stay with Shu¡¯er?¡± ¡°Man and women should have a sense of propriety, don¡¯t you know that?¡± ¡°Of course I know, mother said that too.¡± Jing Rong frowned. ¡°And you still want to go in?¡± Wei Yi properly voiced his reasoning. ¡°But Shu¡¯er is my wife! Mother said that I can sleep with my wife.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Right at this moment, Jing Rong really doubted that Wei Yi was not doing it on purpose. Jing Rong grumpily ordered Lang Po, ¡°Tonight, you will sleep in the same room as him. Watch him properly and don¡¯t let him run off.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡± Hearing that he would sleep with Lang Po, Wei Yi pouted and stuck up his nose while shaking his head in a hurry. ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep with him! I want to sleep with Shu¡¯er.¡± ¡°As if!¡± Jing Rong spat out the reply before leaving. Wei Yi wanted to chase after him, but Lang Po got in his way. As a rough and strong man, cherishing words like gold, he crossed his arms and simply camped himself in front of the door. ¡°We slept together yesterday, so why is today any different?¡± Lang Po retorted at Wei Yi. ¡®That¡¯s right. Last night, you used my shoulder as a pillow, so why is it a problem for you today?¡¯ Lang Po didn¡¯t understand the reason. It wasn¡¯t like he smelled bad. So, why Wei Yi is refusing to sleep with him? ¡®How annoying!¡¯ Wei Yi roared at Lang Po, ¡°It¡¯s not the same!¡± Wei Yi threw a small tantrum by sitting on the chair and lightly hammering the table with his clenched fists as if he was using it as a punching bag. Lang Po had received an order, thus he followed it to the letter: observing Wei Yi without blinking an eye and not allowing him to go find Ji Yunshu. Meanwhile, from the moment Jing Rong¡¯s party entered the inn, a pair of inquisitive and yful eyes closely followed them. Li Shiyan, who sat in a private room on the second floor, had a clear view of the entrance and the entire second floor of the inn. He rested one leg on a stool and one of his hands was grabbing peanuts, tossing them into his mouth. With a yful expression, he muttered. ¡°Interesting!¡± His attendant approached him and asked, ¡°Young Prince, are you interested in that youngdy?¡± ¡°What? You mean I can¡¯t?!¡± ¡°That woman had a veil on. We don¡¯t know if she¡¯s beautiful or ugly underneath. Besides, look at the people at her side. All of them have swords. It¡¯s better not to cause trouble. If the Marquis knows you caused trouble, he would not spare you.¡± Li Shiyan slowly got up and pat his attendant¡¯s head. ¡°Xiao Luzi, how many times do you want me to tell you, that when we are outside, we cannot mention the marquis at all. This is the Great Lin, not Qujiang!¡± Chapter 125: Crafty Grandma Wolf Chapter 125: Crafty Grandma Wolf Xiao Luzi felt an iing headache. ¡°This one knows, but¡­ it¡¯s hard to change habits in such a short period of time. Young Pr-Master, there won¡¯t be a next time.¡± Li Shiyan nced at him before stroking his chin in contemtion. They said that beauties abound in Great Lin. Thus, with great difficulty, he journeyed to Great Lin. If he didn¡¯t grasp the opportunity while he was here, wouldn¡¯t it all be in vain? At this moment inside Wei Yi¡¯s room, Lang Po was still closely guarding the door. Since he couldn¡¯t go out, Wei Yi resigned himself to lie on the bed, showing his back to Lang Po as a form of resistance. ¡°Young Master Wei, are you hungry?¡± Lang Po asked. Wei Yi refused to pay attention to Lang Po. Instead, he snorted. He was really angry. Jing Rong wanted him to sleep with a robust man like Lang Po, and this made him unhappy. He wasn¡¯t just merely unhappy, he was extremely unhappy! After a moment passed, Lang Po saw that Wei Yi seemed to have fallen asleep. Lang Po called out in a low voice, ¡°Young Master Wei.¡± He didn¡¯t receive a response from Wei Yi. Since it was such, he sneakily left the room. That Wei Yi didn¡¯t want to eat supper, but he needed to satisfy his hunger. After getting out of the room, he closed the door. Wei Yi who was sleeping on the bed suddenly sat up. He rubbed his stomach as hunger gripped him. Taking advantage of Lang Po¡¯s absence, he sneaked out to find Ji Yunshu to eat together. He carefully pushed the door open, then looked left and right, but he didn¡¯t remember where Ji Yunshu¡¯s room was. He spoke out loud, ¡°Shu¡¯er, where are you?¡± The second floor of the inn was surrounded by a railing with a staggering number of rooms which looked identical to one another. Moreover, thebel on each door used very strange digits. Wei Yi scratched his head as he began to wander aimlessly on the second floor. Just as he passed by an opened door, he was abruptly grabbed and pull inside a room. ¡°Help-¡± The ¡°me¡± never got the chance to be heard as his kidnapper covered his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t yell.¡± Li Shiyan dragged him to a chair while grinning at him. Then, he patted Wei Yi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± Wei Yi was still frightened and looked at the man with fearful and vignt eyes. He asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Li Shiyan pointed at himself. He beamed a big-brother-like smile, but the smile couldn¡¯t conceal his craftiness. ¡°I¡¯m Li Shiyan and you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Wei Yi.¡± ¡°Who are you guys? Where are you going?¡± Wei Yi lowered his head, then grabbed his own arm before letting it go. He pursed his mouth but said nothing. Wei Yi appearance and behavior made Li Shiyan feel that something was off. ¡®Such a big man, but it¡¯s like I¡¯m in front of a kid!¡¯ Xiao Luzi approached him and whispered in Li Shiyan¡¯s ear, ¡°Young master, is he an idiot?¡± ¡°An idiot?¡± Li Shiyan narrowed his eyes. ¡®Hmm¡­ He does look like one.¡¯ Li Shiyan leaned forward and probed Wei Yi with a question, ¡°Brother Wei, we both happen to meet in this inn which could be considered fate. Since we might go in the same direction, how about taking care of each other?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wei Yi stayed silent. ¡°Brother Wei?¡± Wei Yi got up and stated, ¡°I don¡¯t know you. Mother said that I can¡¯t talk with strangers.¡± He was about to leave, but Li Shiyan pulled him back. His face still hung a smile that exuded craftiness. ¡®It looks like this man is really an idiot.¡¯ Wei Yi was once again forced to sit back on the chair. He anxiously asked, ¡°What do you want? Don¡¯t kill me!¡± ¡°Who wants to kill you?!¡± Li Shiyan was caught betweenughter and tears, thus he faintly wrinkled his brows. He was a good person who doesn¡¯t even dare to kill a chicken. In fact, as the sole heir of the Marquis of Qujiang, he didn¡¯t even need to kill one. ¡°Wei Yi, I am a good person, so how can I kill you?¡± After saying so, Li Shiyan pushed a te of pastries in front of Wei Yi. Then, he continued, ¡°You must be hungry, right? Here, eat some. How about we chat for a bit?¡± His expression reminded people of the Wolf pretending to be the grandmother in Little Red Riding Hood. Wait no, he looked more like a child trafficker. Wei Yi was starving, so when he saw the pastries, his mouth drooled. His restraint was null as he greedily grabbed onto a pastry and shoved it into his mouth before obediently nodding at Li Shiyan¡¯s request. He chewed on the pastries while speaking unintelligibly, ¡°Whapmh fiyou want to talk about? Howph long fiyou want to talk?¡± As soon as Wei Yi ate the pastries, Li Shiyan hinted at Xiao Luzi to closed the door. Then, he questioned Wei Yi, ¡°I want to ask you, where are you going?¡± ¡°To the capital!¡± ¡°Why are you going there?¡± ¡°To eat meat! Shu¡¯er said that when we get to the capital, she will bring me to eat meat.¡± ¡°Who is Shu¡¯er?¡± ¡°My wife!¡± Li Shiyan gawked before he inquired further, ¡°Is Shu¡¯er that woman who wears a veil on her face?¡± Wei Yi, who was eating, strongly nodded. EH?! Li Shiyan¡¯s jaw dropped as his expression turned ugly. ¡®The end! This is the end! The other is a married woman.¡¯ To seduce someone who is already married, that was something beyond him! Suddenly, he thought for a moment. ¡®That Wei Yi is an idiot. How can someone want to marry him?¡¯ Li Shiyan couldn¡¯t give up hope, thus he continued his interrogation. ¡°Is she really your wife? Did you kneel to heaven and earth during the wedding?¡± ¡®What is kneeling to heaven and earth?¡¯ Wei Yi shook his head and engulfed another pastry. His two cheeks were swollen from stuffing too many pastries in his mouth. ¡°Mother said that Shu¡¯er will be my wife sooner orter. In the future, we will have many little Wei Yis. But father and mother are dead, so I only have Shu¡¯er now.¡± ¡°Oh! I see. So, you¡¯re not married yet?¡± Wei Yi didn¡¯t understand his question, but still shook his head and continued to eat. This time, Li Shiyan was back in high spirits. Sweet, fair, and virtuous women are the kind of beauty he loved the most. His eyes hooked up as he pushed a te of osthmanthus cake in front of Wei Yi. ¡°Then, tell me, who is the man apanying you two?¡± Wei Yi thought for an instant before answering, ¡°Shu¡¯er said that he is a punching bag.¡± ¡°A punching bag?¡± The answer baffled Li Shiyan. ¡°What kind of people are they? Why are all of them carrying swords?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Wei Yi answered in all honesty. ¡®Kid, if your parents in heaven are looking over you right now, won¡¯t they be infuriated to no end?¡¯ In front of a ¡°child trafficker,¡± you ate the pastries he gave you and even told him everything he wanted to know. You basically counted the money for the other while you got sold! Wei Yi should learn to be more careful. After a moment, Li Shiyan thought of a problem. He pulled on Wei Yi¡¯s hand and asked with high hopes, ¡°So, is Shu¡¯er beautiful or not?¡± ¡°Beautiful! Shu¡¯er is the most beautiful!¡± Wei Yi¡¯s voice resounded loud and clear. In Wei Yi¡¯s eyes, Ji Yunshu was the most beautiful person in the world, and his heart waspletely upied by her and no one else. Li Shiyan¡¯s peach blossom eyes seemed to glisten. His dissolute nature as a yboy came out. ¡®I should have known.¡¯ Li Shiyan knew most of what he wanted to know. Immediately, he took back the two tes of pastries he had put in front of Wei Yi. ¡°Hey! I still haven¡¯t finished eating.¡± ¡°Stop eating!¡± Li Shiyan turned to Xiao Luzi. ¡°Send him out.¡± Xiao Luzi stepped forward, pulled Wei Yi up, and pushed him out of the room. ¡°Young Master Wei, I won¡¯t send you back.¡± Bang! The door was shut. After Wei Yi was pushed out of the room, he wiped the remains of pastries on his mouth. He was quite at a loss. Not to mention finding Ji Yunshu¡¯s room, he couldn¡¯t even remember where his room was. He looked around, then saw a somewhat familiar door. He nodded up and down energetically. ¡°Hmm! This must be my room.¡± Without hesitation, he pushed open the door, but the instant he opened it¡­ ¡°AAAAAAHHH!¡± Wei Yi was scared to the point that his legs softened, forcing him to sit where he had stood with his hands supporting him. His expression showed terror as his eyes took in a horrific sight. Chapter 126: Choosing Cosmetics? Chapter 126: Choosing Cosmetics? Inside the spacious room, there was a man. He was dead, hanging for all to see. His eyes were wide open. His whiteplexion gave a finishing touch to the sinister appearance that came with death, not alleviating the terror the sight of it gave. Wei Yi¡¯s ear-piercing scream was naturally heard, and it attracted a crowd. The first one to run to the scene was the waiter. ¡°Young master, what-¡± He didn¡¯t even finish his question as his gaze met with the sight of the hanged man. Fear took his voice away. Bang! He dropped the teapot in his hand. He fell to the floor. His softened legs couldn¡¯t support him. In an instant, chaos spread throughout the whole inn. Ji Yunshu, who had just finished tidying her things, was drinking tea when she heard themotion outside. She wore a new veil and pushed the door. Then, she saw a crowd of people standing in the corridor on her leftmost side. Everyone was pointing at something inside a room and noisily talking about something. The sudden movements outside also disturbed Jing Rong who came out to find the source. Coincidentally, he saw Ji Yunshu who has the same intention as him. He quickly took the lead and barred her way before warning her, ¡°Go back in and wait inside. There are too many people here.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Go back inside!¡± His tone wasn¡¯t that of a request but an order. Ji Yunshu wanted to voice her discontent, but in the end, she restrained herself since Jing Rong did that for her own good. She nodded in resignation and was about to return when she saw Wei Yi sitting on the floor in the middle of the crowd. ¡°Wei Yi? How can he be there?¡± Anxiety could be heard in her voice. Jing Rong also saw Wei Yi when Lang Po arrived with several guards trailing behind him. ¡°Prince, what happened?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to keep an eye on Wei Yi so that he won¡¯t run around causing trouble?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Lang Po looked in the direction of Jing Rong¡¯s line of sight. His eyes fell on Wei Yi. He gawked and quickly ran toward him. Wei Yi, who was still sitting on the ground, had an expression dyed with terror, causing his face to pale from fright. After Lang Po made his way out of the crowd, he helped Wei Yi get up, and only then did he notice the scene inside the room. ¡®So, it was a hanged man.¡¯ He didn¡¯t lose his cool and focused on hurriedly getting Wei Yi out of there. After returning to their room, Lang Po supported Wei Yi to the bed. Ji Yunshu rushed into the room. As soon as he saw her, Wei Yi burst into tears. ¡°Shu¡¯er¡­¡± He threw himself at her and refused to let her go. ¡°Wei Yi, what happened?¡± ¡°I saw¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t speak further; the words were stuck in his throat, and he no longer tried to speak after a while. At that moment, Jing Rong came in and saw the two people ¡°hugging¡± each other on the bed. He turned to Lang Po to inquire what had transpired, ¡°Tell me the situation.¡± ¡°Someone hanged himself in that room.¡± ¡°Suicide? Who?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still unknown.¡± When Ji Yunshu heard their conversation, her heart skipped a beat. She didn¡¯t know why, but when she heard there was a corpse or dead people somewhere, she always felt like her mood soared. She must have an upational disease. If this matter about the dead man were to be spread outside, the inn would certainly lose business. So when the innkeeper rushed to the scene, his expression was very unsightly. He pped his thigh and summoned several servants. ¡°Hurry, hurry, hurry! Quickly take this man down.¡± The servants were hesitant before they decided to approach the body. It took them great effort to take the body down. ¡°Step aside! Step aside!¡± A voice loudly resonated from beyond the mass of people. Then, several people carrying des pushed into the crowd. The man leading the group appeared to be in his forties, furnished with a beard and a robust body. As he came in, he suddenly shed an insignia. ¡°The people from Yu province yamen.¡± This region was under the jurisdiction of Yu province. Therefore, it didn¡¯te as a surprise for the innkeeper to see those people. His face quickly revealed his anxiety as he bowed to them before exining the situation. ¡°Constable Zhang, this matter had nothing to do with us.¡± Constable Zhang squinted his eyes but didn¡¯t reply back. He wore a grim face as he swept a nce at the surroundings. Behind him, several runners stepped forward to examine the body. The innkeeper opened his mouth and exined to the crowd with haste, ¡°I apologize for the inconvenience this situation had caused, but there¡¯s no need to panic.¡± ¡°This is a human life we¡¯re talking about. Your inn is such an unlucky ce.¡± ¡°No, no, no! Everyone, our inn had long established a reputation. For a man to hang himself in one of our room i-is an unexpected ident. Since it¡¯s like this, all costs for today will be waived. I hope you will forbear us and be lenient. If this were to spread, it won¡¯t be good for us.¡± The innkeeper threw caution to the wind. Hopefully, nothing will happen and that hundred-year-old reputation would be preserved in the end. As soon as everyone heard they were exempt from paying, they were more than willing to agree with the innkeeper¡¯s request before returning to their activities. The innkeeper could finally raise his hand and wipe the cold sweat drenching his face with his sleeve. After one of the runners examined the corpse, he reported his finding to Constable Zhang, ¡°On this man¡¯s neck, there are two bruises. One is parallel to his neck, and the other is situated on the upper end of his neck. Furthermore, that mark extended upward from his neck to his ears. It must have been created after he died. Someone was trying to emte a suicide by hanging.¡± Constable Zhang humphed, then pulled the innkeeper in front of him before interrogating him in a severe tone, ¡°Who is the first person to discover the corpse?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± The innkeeper thought for a moment, then beckoned the waiter. ¡°Do you know who is the first person to see the body?¡± The waiter, who was still trembling with fear, swallowed his saliva and pointed in a direction. ¡°It¡¯s a guest that came earlier.¡± ¡°Bring me to him,¡± said Constable Zhang. ¡°Y-y-yes! I¡¯ll bring you to him.¡± The waiter led Constable Zhang along with several other runners. At this moment, Wei Yi was still in a panic, and it had yet to settle. He shrunk himself in the bed while holding onto Ji Yunshu, who was gently patting his back and whisperingforting words, ¡°Wei Yi, everything is fine. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± ¡°Shu¡¯er, that person¡­ is¡­ is he dead?¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t answer him. Her expression sank instead, and she turned to nce at Jing Rong. With perfect timing, Jing Rong looked at her with a rare expression that didn¡¯t show any jealousy. ¡°Constable Zhang is here!¡± Behind the door, the voice of the waiter could be heard. Constable Zhang straightforwardly stepped forward, but his steps had yet to pass the threshold when his path was barred by Lang Po. ¡°Who are you?¡± questioned Lang Po. ¡°Yu Province yamen is handling this case,¡± answered Constable Zhang as he used his official title. Usually, whenmon people hear that it¡¯s the yamen, they would cooperate, but Lang Po didn¡¯t budge one bit. He had no intention of letting that constable pass. ¡°Our young master is inside, so I can¡¯t allow anyone to disturb him.¡± ¡°You have the impertinence of obstructing the yamen¡¯s work! Step aside!¡± Both men red at each other in anger without anyone conceding an inch. At that time, Jing Rong came out of the room and arrogantly narrowed his eyes. When Constable Zhang saw Jing Rong, he appeared to be shocked by Jing Rong¡¯s oppressing aura. His intuition alerted him that this man was different from others. As for Lang Po, he stepped aside and stood beside Jing Rong with obvious deference. ¡°Yu province? Isn¡¯t that under Lord Liang¡¯s jurisdiction? I didn¡¯t expect that old guy is still an official!¡± Jing Rong¡¯s slightly smiled. ¡®That old guy?!¡¯ Constable Zhang¡¯s expression stilled for an instant before turning to the waiter to ask, ¡°Who is he?¡± The waiter shook his head, hinting at his ignorance. Constable Zhang spoke to Jing Rong, ¡°Gentleman, I don¡¯t care whether you are familiar with our Lord or not. Right now, there¡¯s a murder in this inn and this waiter said that the first one to discover the dead man is another gentleman who stayed here. I don¡¯t know if that person cane out. If so, can you please bring him out? I need to ask him a few questions.¡± ¡°It¡¯s inconvenient.¡± Jing Rong didn¡¯t mash his words. ¡°This is rted to a human life. In short, I must take him away. This matter does not allow me to do otherwise. Or did that gentleman inside kill the man?¡± Jing Rong sneered. ¡°I said that it¡¯s inconvenient to take him away. If you want to ask him something, thene back tomorrow to ask.¡± Right now, Wei Yi is so scared that there was no point in asking anything. Even if Constable Zhang is a calm man, the runners behind him weren¡¯t able to maintain steady minds. Shiiing! The sounds of swords being drawn out from their scabbards were heard. Jing Rong¡¯s subordinates didn¡¯t lose to any of the runners. They also pulled out their swords. The atmosphere tensed as both sides confronted each other, ready for action at any time. ¡°Is it possible to let me see the dead man?¡± The exquisite voice of a woman could suddenly be heard. Following her voice, Ji Yunshu came out from the room. A veil was still covering her face, but if anyone was to pay close attention, they would notice her stubborn expression. Constable Zhang observed Ji Yunshu with disdain. ¡°Youngdy, this is a murder case, not going to the market to choose cosmetics. We¡¯re talking about dead people; there¡¯s nothing good to see.¡± Chapter 127: Murder at the Inn (part one) ¡®Choosing cosmetics?¡¯ Ji Yunshu showed an expression that implied she had no idea how to choose cosmetics. In the modern days, she was dedicated to her work and spent a lot of her time holed up inside the library to read. From morning to night, she would have a bare face and being the least inclined to draw even her eyebrows. Ever since she came here, she worked herself to the bone to earn money, butter on, Luan¡¯er used some of the money to buy her some makeup, and she ended being the object of dedication that Luan¡¯er engrossed herself to beautify. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t even care about whatever brand of makeup Luan¡¯er used on her. Under her veil, Ji Yunshu¡¯s lips parted as she informed Constable Zhang, ¡°Between cosmetics and dead people, if you let me choose, I¡¯ll dly pick some dead bodies over cosmetics.¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ Constable Zhang looked down on the woman in his heart, and Ji Yunshu, who was only a slender young woman, was no exception to the rule. Thus, the man went straight to the heart of the problem. ¡°Youngdy, I advise you to obediently stay inside your room. I don¡¯t want you to get involved in this case.¡± Ji Yunshu finally understood something; this man is sexist. For a brief moment, she felt that Jing Rong was infinitely much better. Anyway, she was toozy to talk nonsense with that man. As she walked passed Jing Rong, she whispered to him, ¡°Can you dy him?¡± ¡°No problem. Just go.¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± Ji Yunshu walked away toward the room where the murder took ce. Seeing that Ji Yunshu was leaving, he quickly moved with the intention to obstruct her, but Jing Rong sent an order, ¡°Men, stop whoever wants to disturb Miss Ji¡¯s autopsy.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Jing Rong¡¯s subordinates are all martial arts experts and won¡¯t lose out in a confrontation with the yamen runners. As for Constable Zhang, his skills were pretty good as he was able to fare against Lang Po. ¡°Let me give you some advice. Don¡¯t think about going against my young master. Besides, if you want to solve this case, it won¡¯t do without Miss Ji!¡± ¡°Who in the world are you guys?¡± Lang Po took out amand tile from his waistband and showed it to Constable Zhang. When he saw the word on themand tile, Constable Zhang¡¯s solemn expression abruptly changed to surprise. Then, his sight shifted to Jing Rong. He was about to bow, but Jing Rong stopped him with his raised hand. Jing Rong stated, ¡°I don¡¯t want to reveal my identity. Now, all of you retreat.¡± ¡®This man is a prince. Compared to the magistrate of Yu province, his authority is more extensive.¡¯ Constable Zhang obeyed Jing Rong¡¯s order and made his people retreat to the side. Jing Rong immediately followed after Ji Yunshu, leaving Constable Zhang still in doubt. The man was still suspecting how a woman can have the ability to solve this homicide. Thus he asked Lang Po, ¡°Earlier, you said that Miss Ji can do autopsies. Is she a coroner?¡± ¡®Err¡­¡¯ Lang Po didn¡¯t give him an answer, since he once heard Ji Yunshu said that a coroner would examine the internal organs of the dead whereas she was only a painter. After pondering a moment, he answered, ¡°She is not.¡± Right after, Lang Po instructed two people to guard the door and watched over Wei Yi while he was gone. Constable Zhang clearly couldn¡¯t make sense out of Lang Po¡¯s answer. ¡®If she¡¯s not a coroner, how can she do autopsies?¡¯ He flung his head back and quickly rushed to where Ji Yunshu went. At the crime scene, the first thing Ji Yunshu did was examine the room. The ce was very neat and tidy, devoid of any trace of struggle. After she was done with the surroundings, her gazended on the corpse ced on the floor. She crouched near it, and from her waistband, she took out a handkerchief. She wrapped the handkerchief around her index and middle fingers. Next, she turned the corpse¡¯s head to the side, revealing the two ligature marks on its neck. The ligature marks were as described: one of the bruises was parallel to the jawline with a slight inclination downward, and the other bruise clearly went upward, extending from the neck to the ears. The body didn¡¯t show a droop of the feet. Ji Yunshu lifted the hands of the deceased and examined his fingernails. Under the nails, fragments of fabric and skin could be seen. On the corpse¡¯s thumbs, there was an obvious white mark encircling each thumb. This meant that the deceased was wearing thumb rings all year long. However, the rings couldn¡¯t be seen anywhere. ¡®Was he robbed?¡¯ Ji Yunshu digested the new findings, but the body¡¯s wrists caught her attention. The wrists were glossy as if it came in contact with a wet substance. Ji Yunshu used her finger to wipe it a bit, then she sniffed her finger. ¡®It¡¯s oil!¡¯ She turned around and ced her handkerchief next to her before asking the innkeeper, ¡°Excuse me, when did that persone here?¡± The innkeeper didn¡¯t know where this woman came from, but he still honestly answered her question, ¡°It should be around noon when he came here.¡± ¡°He was alone?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Alone.¡± ¡°His time of death should be around an hour ago. Before that, did anyonee in? Or perhaps, did anyone hear sounds of fighting?¡± The questions made him quite dumbfounded, as he was engrossed counting money and didn¡¯t notice anything else! He turned his head and looked at the approaching waiter before pointing at thetter. ¡°You should ask him.¡± The waiter¡¯splexion paled quite a bit. Then, he lowered his head. ¡°Miss, this¡­ There were too many guests that came to our inn. I couldn¡¯t notice all of them. The only thing I can say is that man never came out of his room ever since he came in. As for the rest, I really don¡¯t know.¡± The waiter spoke each sentence with undisguised honesty. Jing Rong came into the room at this moment and walked until he was next to Ji Yunshu. Then, he whispered to her, ¡°How is it? Did you find something?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s brows and the tip of her nose wrinkled as she frowned. She nced at him and asked, ¡°Do you remember the man who bumped into me when we went upstairs?¡± ¡°I remember!¡± ¡°There¡¯s ayer of oil on the victim¡¯s wrists. The scent of the oil indicated its sesame oil, and the man who bumped into me also had the same smell.¡± Jing Rong understood her meaning. He nodded, turned around, and raised his chin arrogantly before asking the innkeeper, ¡°Your inn uses sesame oil?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jing Rong suddenly waved his sleeve. ¡°Go and call all your kitchen staff here.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± The innkeeper was dumbstruck. Why would he call all the kitchen staff for no reason? He nced at Constable Zhang, awaiting his instructions. Constable Zhang nodded at him, thus the innkeeper summoned everyone from the kitchen. From old to new, including the dishwashers, there were 10 people in total. Ji Yunshu looked at the crowd and recognized the man who bumped into her. She saw his flustered expression and his evading nces with both of his hands hidden behind him. ¡®What a suspicious behavior!¡¯ She walked to him and inquired, ¡°An hour ago, I saw you running down the stairs in a hurry. Did youe into this room at that time?¡± Once the man heard her words, he trembled and hurriedly shook his head in denial. ¡°I-I didn¡¯te in here!¡± ¡°You obviously have a guilty conscience.¡± ¡°NO! I really don¡¯t!¡± ¡°There is sesame oil on the victim¡¯s wrists. Not only that, there are fragments of human skin under his nails. Do you dare show me your hands to let me confirm if there are no scratch marks on your hands?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man tightly kept his hands behind his back. His courage was quite small to start with,bined with Ji Yunshu¡¯s using tone, he was nowpletely panicking. He trembled and suddenly broke into a run, trying to escape the crowd. Unfortunately, he barely took two steps before he was intercepted by runners. Constable Zhang¡¯s spirit was stimted as his whole person burst with anger. He lifted the suspect¡¯s sleeves, and as expected, there were scratch marks on the man¡¯s hands. In an instant, he grabbed his de hilt and ferociously struck the man¡¯s abdomen with it. ¡°You kill people but still want to escape? Tell me the truth. How did you kill him?¡± The man bent down from the pain. He bitterly and painfully beseeched, ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him. I really didn¡¯t kill him. Let me go!¡± ¡°Let you go? If you didn¡¯t kill him, then why are you running away?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Drag him back to the yamen. Let¡¯s see how hard your mouth is.¡± Constable Zhang was furious. He turned to the two runners and ordered, ¡°Bring him back. I¡¯ll personally interrogate him.¡± ¡°Wait!¡± Ji Yunshu timely stopped them. Constable Zhang turned around to look at her with doubtful eyes. ¡°Youngdy, there are scratch marks on the back of his hands. The evidence is undeniable.¡± At this instant, Ji Yunshu felt a surging headache. ¡®Didn¡¯t they say that ancient people have more passive personalities? Howe each and every one of them is so impatient instead?¡¯ She shook her head. ¡°When did I say he was the murderer?¡± Chapter 128: Murder at the Inn (part two) Ji Yunshu was quite certain that she didn¡¯t say he was the murderer. Following her words, it seemed as if the hair on Constable Zhang¡¯s eyebrows were on the verge of erecting and his mouth became parched and slightly twitched. Could it be that he was too rash? The suspect that he told the runners to capture, stared at him with miserable and innocent eyes. ¡®Is he innocent? No, he¡¯s far from innocent!¡¯ It was only when Ji Yunshu started to approach him that his dried mouth could finally open to argue back. ¡°Youngdy, the victim and this man met with each other prior to the victim¡¯s death. What¡¯s more, the back of his hands has scratch marks. Those injuries must have been made during their struggle which ended with him killing the victim.¡± ¡°Officer, isn¡¯t this a miscarriage of justice?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s beautiful eyes stared at Constable Zhang. Unexpectedly, her stare caused people¡¯s mind to tremble. How could she ask such a question? Constable Zhang was confused. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°If the Magistrate of Yu province is as impatient and muddled like you, won¡¯t this whole province be gued with injustice everywhere?¡± ¡°¡­¡± This was the first time that Constable Zhang was rendered speechless by a young girl. ¡®Hmph! Aren¡¯t you looking down on women?! Aren¡¯t you looking down on me?! This is merely a little lesson. If you kill the wrong person, it won¡¯t be enough to redeem yourself even if you possessed several heads to be cut!¡¯ Surprisingly, the innkeeper stepped forward and pped the man¡¯s head with force. ¡°Little Zhao, if you really kill that man, then I¡¯ll be the first one to ughter you! My hundred-year-old inn¡¯s reputation will be ruined by you.¡± Once he heard the innkeeper, Little Zhao started to whine. ¡°Boss, I have worked at your inn for ten years already. Why don¡¯t you have any faith in me?¡± ¡°Shut up! If you didn¡¯t have a guilty conscience, why would you try to run away?¡± retorted the innkeeper fuming with rage. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t kill anyone,¡± interrupted Ji Yunshu. Then, she looked at Little Zhao. ¡°He only entered the room to steal things.¡± ¡°Steal?¡± The innkeeper was slightly surprised. Little Zhao lowered his head and spoke in a trembling voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°No need to quibble.¡± Ji Yunshu overruled his lie. ¡°Although you didn¡¯t kill him, bits of skin were found under the deceased¡¯s nails. As long as we test it, we can determine whether the skin is yours or not. In either case, one thing is clear. You came in contact with the victim before his death and stole his thumb ring. When you took the ring, the victim must have struggled and scratched the back of your hands. At that time, your hands must have been stained with sesame oil which ended up being smeared on the deceased¡¯s wrists. I believe that the thumb ring should still be in your possession, am I right? We can find it as long as we search your body.¡± Once the words fell, a young runner swiftly searched Little Zhao¡¯s body, and as expected, they found a jade thumb ring. Then, the young runner quickly took the thumb ring and put it on the deceased¡¯s thumb. The young runner turned to Constable Zhang and spoke in excitement, ¡°Constable, it fits. This is the deceased¡¯s ring.¡± Constable Zhang swiftly used his de and rested it on Little Zhao¡¯s neck in an instant. He overbearingly interrogated the thief, ¡°Hurry and confess! How did you kill him?¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong! I-I only steal things. I didn¡¯t kill anyone!¡± ¡°Obviously when you robbed him, you were caught red-handed by him, so you silenced him.¡± ¡°NO! I did not do it!¡± His legs softened as tears spilled out from his eyes. Jing Rong saw enough and stepped forward as he spoke in his usual ice-cold tone, ¡°Constable Zhang, Miss Ji has said earlier that this man isn¡¯t the murderer. Therefore, he certainly won¡¯t be able to confess to the murder.¡± ¡®Hey! Smelly guy, I have handled numerous cases before. This is obviously my standard process!¡¯ Constable Zhang contemted for a moment. Could it be that he was too rash? The corner of his eyes twitched, then he took back his de that was resting on Little Zhao¡¯s neck. With suspicion in his gaze, he looked at the veiled woman. Ji Yunshu nced at Jing Rong before turning back and walked to the corpse and squatted. She spoke in a rxed manner, ¡°Under the victim¡¯s nails, apart from Little Zhao¡¯s skin, there are fragments of fabric. The fabric itself doesn¡¯t appear to be of coarse material. Instead, it looks like it was made from silk. After observing this room, I have not found anything made out of silk. Besides, silk is a luxurious material and not something affordable to Little Zhao. When you look at the ligature mark on the victim, it does not look like it was caused by a rope. He must have been strangled by a silk cloth from the shape and delineate on the neck. The bruise is not evenly discolored. The victim must have struggled and grabbed onto the murder weapon which exins the silk under his nails.¡± ¡°Moreover, the ligature mark is nting downward. The deceased is around 1.65 meters tall. This means that the murderer is certainly below that height and exins why the ligature is nting downward. However, Little Zhao is around 1.70 meters tall.¡± ¡°ording to the murder weapon and the murderer¡¯s height, Little Zhao is unlikely to be the culprit.¡± Her eyes shone with wisdom and intelligence, and within that, confidence could be seen. After everyone heard her exnation, the whole room fell into silence. They watched her with unbelievable eyes. ¡®Where did this girle from?¡¯ Little Zhao twisted and struggled as he yelled his innocence, ¡°Let me go! I told you I didn¡¯t kill anyone!¡± ¡°Stay still!¡± The runners holding him didn¡¯t have good tempers. Ji Yunshu was about to get up when she discovered something at the corner of the deceased¡¯s mouth. She immediately grabbed the handkerchief that she left next to the corpse and used it to pick up the thing in the corpse¡¯s mouth. ¡®A strand of hair!¡¯ ¡°The murderer is a woman?¡± muttered Ji Yunshu. Although she muttered, people still heard her. Constable Zhang asked, ¡°A woman? How could it be? The victim is a man. How can he be killed by a woman shorter than him? Not to mention hanged to the ceiling beam?¡± ¡°There should be some logic behind it.¡± Ji Yunshu got up and walked to Little Zhao. She then bluntly asked him, ¡°Truthfully answer my questions. When you came in to steal, what did you do? Did you see anything? What was the situation of the victim at that time?¡± ¡°Hey!¡± Bam! Constable Zhang hit Little Zhao with the hilt of his de and yelled at him, ¡°Quickly talk!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk! I¡¯ll talk!¡± After suffering from some pain, he quickly tried to remember before he started to confess, ¡°At that time, I came to deliver his meal. When I went in, I didn¡¯t see him. Who would have known he was lying on the floor. When I checked, he was still breathing at that time. I-I thought he had only fainted, so when I saw the jade thumb ring on him, I became greedy. That¡¯s why I dared to steal his ring. But who would have thought that he would suddenly wake up and grab my hands. At that time, I was terrified, so I pushed him and he fainted again. I took that opportunity to escape. It¡¯s the truth! This is how it really happened! Other than that, I didn¡¯t do anything else!¡± ¡°Are you certain that there was only him in the room at that time?¡± ¡°S-should be¡­ I¡¯m sure.¡± ¡°Something is amiss. Could it be that before you went inside, there was maybe already someone else? So, at that time, there should have been three people including the victim,¡± spected Ji Yunshu. Constable Zhang was astonished. ¡°Three people?¡± Ji Yunshu pointed at the table. ¡°On this table, there are three cups of tea. Don¡¯t tell me that you didn¡¯t notice that when you came in? Why would there be three cups if there is only one person?¡± ¡®That¡¯s true when you look at it!¡¯ Apart from Ji Yunshu, almost no one else took notice of this point. Chapter 129: Tobira-don1 Chapter 129: Tobira-don1 Ji Yunshu kept her eyes lowered as she pondered over the matter. After a moment, she suddenly began walking again and skirted around the bed. In ancient times, beds were usually not put against the wall, so behind it was simply a screen used to create a private space for changing clothes and for hanging them. She scrutinized every corner as shepped around, and suddenly noticed fragments of something right on the ground, by the corner of the bed. She picked it up with the tip of her fingers and sniffed it. ¡®Perfume!¡¯ She walked out from behind the bed and asked the innkeeper, ¡°Were there any people selling perfume staying here the past few days?¡± The innkeeper thought for a while and nodded firmly. ¡°Yes, people from Min¡¯nan. A dozen of them. However, they¡¯ve left about an hour ago.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s countenance sank upon hearing the words. She turned back and said to Constable Zhang, ¡°Constable Zhang, it¡¯s gettingte, I¡¯m sure that these people could not have made it very far. Since theye from the south, it would only be natural that they would not return to where they came from. There are no major settlements in the east or the west, so I¡¯d think that they were headed for the north. If you leave right now, you should be able to catch up to them before they manage to exit Yuzhou.¡± ¡°If you find amongst them a woman no taller than 1.52 meters tall, wearing silk garments, then bring her back to the yamen and interrogate her just like how I¡¯ve told you earlier. You should be able to find an answer. If she tries to deny it, then show her this hair and the crumbs of perfume as evidence. Also, look for scratch marks on her silk apparel, if you see any, then she has to be the culprit.¡± As Ji Yunshu spoke, she gave to him the hair and the crumbs, wrapped in the handkerchief. Constable Zhang was baffled for a moment, and only reacted to her words after a moment. He received the items and gave orders to his subordinates with a loud voice. ¡°You, bring the body back to the memorial hall. The rest of you, follow me.¡± They rushed out of the room like the wind. ¡®Hey, wait a second! You haven¡¯t thanked Miss Ji yet, have you?¡¯ When all this was done, Ji Yunshu felt a certain satisfaction in her heart. She turned her head and looked at Jing Rong. Thetter answered her with a light smile, and which deeper meaning she could not understand. When Jing Rong took a few steps towards her, she immediate retreated and said, ¡°Wei Yi is still waiting for me,¡± and strided out of the room. Jing Rong was surprised. ¡®Am I that intimidating?¡¯ An overflowing jealousy gripped his heart, and brought with it all of its difort. He put his hands behind his back and followed after her. Li Shiyan stood on the side, and watched the whole scene unfold. Ever since his childhood, he has always thought of the beauties in this worlds as no more than pretty flowers in vases. Pretty and pleasant to the eye, but less than capable, and usually with a docile character and a soft temperament. He had never seen someone like Ji Yunshu, who not only dared to work with corpses, but also seemed to be beyond clever. ¡®What kind of mystical creature is she?¡¯ Li Shiyan wondered. He could not see her face hidden by the veil, but the aura that emanated from her; she stood proud like an orchid in the middle of a small pond2, and he could smell its fragrance, but could only guess at its shape. His curiosity for her true appearance tingled his heart like a thread of silk, and it brought an itching sensation to his body, prompting him to scratch his face. He smiled with yfulness and said, ¡°This woman, she¡¯s mine!¡± Xiao Luzi, who stood on the side, poured cold water over his hot wish, ¡°Young master, look at the people around her, they all seemed trained. We won¡¯t be able to even get close to her.¡± ¡°What do you mean? Didn¡¯t they say that they were going to go to the capital? Therefore, we will follow them there.¡± Li Shiyan shed a self-confident nce and returned to his own room. At the same moment, Ji Yunshu entered Wei Yi¡¯s room, only to find him sound asleep on the bed, curled up and with the quilt over his head. Her lips curved into a smile as she pulled the quilt down. ¡°Little idiot, aren¡¯t you worried about bing sick from all the heat?¡± She pulled at the corners of his quilt again, and exited the room. Before leaving, she said to the two guards at the entrance. ¡°Keep an eye on him, make sure that he won¡¯t wander off again.¡± ¡°Please rest assured Miss Ji, we will make sure of his safety.¡± Ji Yunshu nodded in gratitude, but she felt someone grab her wrist before she could finish, and she was forcefully dragged into a room on the side. Ji Yunshu frowned from the wing pain on her wrist, and she turned her head ¡ª it was Jing Rong. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Thud- The door was sealed shut right after they entered the room. The moment she heard the thud, her back was shoved against the door; it was a tobira-don. Ji Yunshu looked at the face, barely a fist¡¯s distance away from her, on which a quiet fire burned beneath itsposure. She could see the creases in the skin, and the pores which were about to burst from anger. ¡®What did I do to make this guy so angry?¡¯ She bent her own neck to the side to dodge his eyes and asked, ¡°What do you seek, your highness?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Please respect yourself.¡± ¡°You have yet to give me an answer tost night¡¯s question.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Ji Yunshu was taken unaware. She tried to remember what happened. ¡®Oh, he¡¯s talking about that question. Whether I care for him or not.¡¯ Last night, Ke Cha interrupted her before she could answer. ¡°No one will disturb us now. I want a truthful answer from you. Even if it¡¯s just a sliver, don¡¯t hide it.¡± ¡®Yes, even if it¡¯s just a sliver of affection, I¡¯d have a chance, wouldn¡¯t I?¡¯ Jing Rong stared at the tips of Ji Yunshu¡¯s brows, emboldened by a burning hope. Ji Yunshu clenched her own fists tightly. Her breath lightened, and she showed determination on her expression as she made ready to answer him. She met his eyes and said with conviction, ¡°I¡¯ve never had¡­ugh!¡± Before she could finish, her lips, which hid beneath her veil, were caught by Jing Rong¡¯s in a hot kiss. It was not the first time Jing Rong had done something like this, but she was still dumbstruck each time. The fine threads of silk on the veil sank into the fissures of her lips, caught tightly between Jing Rong¡¯s lips and hers. They warmed up as the kiss went on, and they had little use as a barrier. When she finally came back to her senses and was about to push him away, Jing Rong retracted on his own. He threw a deep look with a tint of mncholy and said, ¡°Bah, you can answer thister.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What are you so surprised about, it¡¯s not the first time.¡± Jing Rong seemed rather spiritless. He called out, ¡°Lang Po.¡± Lang Po, who was outside of the room, answered his call. ¡°Bring the dishes in.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jing Rong released Ji Yunshu, and sat straight down at the table. He bent his fingers and knocked on the top of it with his knuckles. ¡°Go wash your hands and get ready to eat.¡± ¡®Hey, how can you pretend that nothing happened.¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart raced still, and there was no way she could simply sit down and eat. She bit her lips and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± turned around, flung the door open and ran out of the room. Jing Rong looked at her silhouette, which suggested at an obvious bewilderment, and he started hoping again. However, no matter what, he could not be happy in the slightest, for he had understood what Ji Yunshu intimated at: he had no ce inside her heart, and that, was an undesirable truth. 1. I¡¯ll coin the term Tobira-Don for this, since the original term, Kabe-don (±Ú¥É¥ó),es from Japanese and Kabe means wall. So rece Kabe by Tobira (ìé), which means a traditional door, and there you go! ? 2. True fact about orchids, they will die if you water them too much¡­ Chapter 130: Make You Reach The Milky Way Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart was in tumult after she returned to her room, and she simply could not get the scene from a few minutes ago out of her mind. The warmth of his kiss still lingered on her lips, and the way she felt was hard to be described. She knew that she did not have any romantic feelings for Jing Rong, nothing except gratitude for that he has done for her sake. Were it not for his help, she would have perished on numerous asions. However, more than gratitude, she did not want to think about it, dared not think about it. She calmed herself down and let out a long sigh. The next day, at the break of dawn, Constable Zhang arrived with news regarding the case. On the first floor of the inn, Jing Rong and Lang Po sat down for breakfast on one table, while Ji Yunshu and Wei Yi upied another. There was an empty table between them, and it would seem to any first-time observer that they could not even tolerate each other¡¯s presence. Constable Zhang stopped right next to Jing Rong and started his ¡°report¡±, or rather, the truth behind the case. Ji Yunshu, who had already eaten breakfast in his room, was busy bringing a mouthful of dishes into Wei Yi¡¯s bowl. She listened to his narration, and quickly caught onto the essentials. The victim¡¯s surname was Yang, and he was also a perfume merchant. He was involved with the merchants from Min¡¯nan, and already had quite a few shes with them, which fuelled their mutual enmity. He owed them arge sum of money, but did not want to repay his debts, and even threatened the merchants with extortion to stop them from selling their products in the north, thus rendering the situation insolvable. Yesterday, they met each other at the inn, and were about to talk over a few things, but a dispute broke out, and in the midst of a blind rage, the culprit strangled the victim to death with her own silk shawl. Then, before running away, she camouged it as a suicide with the help of her husband. When Little Zhao entered the room, they were indeed hidden behind the bed, and that was when the fragments of powdered perfume fell onto the ground, along with the hair from when they strangled the victim. Constable Zhang retold the tale in all of its vividity. As for Wei Yi, he was so busy with his food, it seemed like he had forgotten all about what happened the day before. Ji Yunshu hurried to bring another chopstick load of dishes to his bowl, and could not see that Constable Zhang had shifted his attention to her instead. He said in a polite tone, ¡°Thank you for your help, Miss Ji. Were it not for you, the case would not have been solved this quickly.¡± Ji Yunshu rose her head and smiled back courteously. ¡°Constable Zhang, I hope that for the next case, you¡¯ll have a coroner investigate the evidence first before rushing to conclusions. Otherwise, you¡¯ll wrong one case after another.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, miss, you are right. I don¡¯t pay attention to small things normally, I use my muscles too much, and I am too impulsive. From now on, I¡¯ll make an effort to change this, I promise.¡± ¡®How docile, is this really the impetuous runner from yesterday?¡¯ Ji Yunshu nodded and sank back into silence. Constable Zhang turned towards Jing Rong and saluted him with a hand gesture. ¡°Your High¡­Young Master, I won¡¯t keep you here any longer then, I still have some things to take care of at the yamen, so it¡¯s time for me to leave.¡± Jing Rong saluted them with a hand gesture, and the group left the inn. ¡®It must not have been easy for him to find the time toe here.¡¯ Wei Yi had finished his meal at this point. He put both of his hands to his belly and breathed in with his eyes on Ji Yunshu. ¡°Shu¡¯er, I¡¯m full, can we leave this ce, I don¡¯t like the feeling of it.¡± Before Ji Yunshu could answer him, Jing Rong did. ¡°I don¡¯t like this it either.¡± He stood up and said coldly to Lang Po. ¡°Get the preparations done for the road.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness,¡± answered Lang Po. Jing Rong turned around, flinging his sleeves as he did not, and headed for the exit. Wei Yi suddenly spoke, ¡°Shu¡¯er, big brother is really a bully.¡± ¡®I¡¯m angry? I am?¡¯ When Jing Rong caught onto what Wei Yi said, he clenched his fists and felt the urge to jump onto thetter and punching away at his head. However, he stopped himself and walked out of the inn. This, of course, did not escape Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes. She left out an inward sigh, although she herself was not quite sure of the reason for it. She shook her clear and stood up. ¡°Wei Yi, we should hurry as well.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Yi picked up the two portraits and followed Ji Yunshu like a child. However, before they could walk out of the inn, someone bumped into Ji Yunshu¡¯s back. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you!¡± Li Shiyan pretended to be surprised, and looked as if he had known the two for a long time. He pped his folding fan around. Ji Yunshu squinted her eyes and scrutinized him. He looked rather handsome, but he was waving a fan in the winter. ¡®Is he¡­ sick?¡¯ ¡°Who are you?¡± Li Shiyan made a salutation gesture with his hands. ¡°The name of this humble one is Li Shiyan. I¡¯ve seen you resolve the case yesterday. What an amazing performance. On top of that¡­¡± ¡°I know you.¡± Wei Yi pointed at him. Li Shiyan smiled and did not deny it. He met Wei Yi¡¯s look with a nod and said, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m surprised that you still remember me.¡± ¡®Of course, he remembers you. He thought that you were going to kill him! And you kicked him out before he finished eating. How could he forget you?¡± ¡°I remember, you asked me¡­¡± Before he could continue on, Li Shiyan interrupted him with a swing of his fan. He turned his head and grinned at Ji Yunshu. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Brother Wei that you are heading towards the capital? What a coincidence! We are also going to the capital. How about we go there together. Also, I was quite impressed with the way you handled that case, miss, and I would say that I myself am an expert on the topic. If we could bepanions for the trip, it may be useful for the exchange of ideas.¡± ¡°You are wrong, Mr. Li. It was a simple coincidence, and I happened to have solved that case by pure chance.¡± Li Shiyan looked at Ji Yunshu¡¯s veil, which undted as she spoke, and felt a tingling sensation on his fingertips: he was itching to see what hid beneath it, but stopped himself from doing so. He smiled even broader and said, ¡°You are being too modest, miss. I have a true appreciation for talented people like you. If possible, I¡¯d like to have a hearty meal with you under the moon to talk about all of this.¡± He looked like a drunken poet when he proposed so. Ji Yunshu looked at him, semi-amused. ¡®This person¡¯s clothing. He¡¯s sure no ordinary person. He has two embroidered perfume pouches on his belt, these must have been offered by two women. His hair and his clothes look simr to the ones in Great Lin, but the silver ornament on his hairpin, that beast-like shape, and his shoes, its upward tip and the thin sole. No, he is not from Great Lin. ¡®Also, he has some tantly obvious motives, yet the affectation of politeness and a refinement. Pfft, I¡¯ve had enough of it. I can kick you up to the stars, and make you reach the Milky Way, you know?¡¯ But Ji Yunshu was a decent person. She bowed her head down and smile. ¡°Thank you for yourpliment, mister, but we have quite a distance on the road to cover, so we¡¯ll leave you here. See you again.¡± ¡°Wai-¡­¡± Ji Yunshu dragged Wei Yi out of the building before Li Shiyan could say anything to retain them. At the entrance to the inn, the horse cart had been made ready for departure, and it started moving right after the two mounted into it. Had Jing Rong known about Li Shiyan¡¯s harassment, he would stop at nothing short of getting off his horse and whipping over his corpse. Chapter 131: The Capital in March is Cold Chapter 131: The Capital in March is Cold Li Shiyan looked at the group of people that were leaving the inn and smacked the palm of his hand with his fan, letting out a sigh of regret. ¡°Had I known about it, I would have asked for the important things first. What a mistake!¡± Xiao Luzi smirked on the side and nced at the horse cart. ¡°Young master, if you ask me, I¡¯d say that the girl has no interest in you at all. Do you see the man riding the horse ahead of the cart? I presume that he is no ordinary folk, maybe he is the person she likes?¡± Thud- The fan swatted, as expected, onto Xiao Luzi¡¯s head. ¡®Ow!¡¯ ¡°Why do you have so many useless things to say? Just bring our cart over. We won¡¯t be able to catch up to them if you waste more time.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes. I¡¯ll go right away, what¡¯s the hurry?¡± Xiao Luzi covered his head with his hands as he went to pull the cart over to them. On the road, Jing Rong¡¯s group rode ahead, while Li Shiyan followed closely behind. Jing Rong noticed their presence not long after. He exchanged a nce with Lang Po and asked, ¡°Who are those people?¡± Lang Po shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I know that there are only two of them, and they were in the same inn as usst night.¡± ¡°Make sure to keep an eye on Miss Ji and Wei Yi, we wouldn¡¯t want anything to happen to them.¡± ¡°Understood, your Highness.¡± Lang Po beckoned over a few guards and ordered them to escort the cart from behind, in case anything were to happen. They arrived at Yu province, a region not far away from the capital. At the rate they were going, they would arrive at the capital in no more than two days. Ji Yunshu had remained in the cart for almost half a day following their departure from the inn, and she could barely tolerate the soreness in her limbs. Were it not for Wei Yi, who kept talking to her, she would have been bored to death. ¡°Once, Uncle Fu made two y figurines for me. One was very fat and the other one very skinny. When it was time for lessons, I asked my teacher who the fat one was, and he said that it was Father. I asked him who the skinny one was, and he said that it was Mother. I told him with a smile that he got it wrong; the fat one was actually him, because my father wasn¡¯t that short, the skinny one was actually his wife, because my mom wasn¡¯t that tall. He hit me on the hand a bunch of times until they were red, and didn¡¯te back the next day.¡± ¡®Well then, you kind of deserved it forughing about his shortness and his wife¡¯s tallness.¡¯ Ji Yunshu stayed silent and let him continue. ¡°Then there was this other time when my mom brought me to a temple. She wanted to know about my love fortune, so she asked an old uncle there to interpret the bamboo stick I had taken.¡± Wei Yi¡¯s eyes wandered around as he tried to remember, ¡°I remember him saying that I had a life full of passion ahead, and that lovers and husbands woulde to me, from close and far away.¡± Mother became so angry after she heard what he said, she cursed that old man and even turned his table over. She was very scary when she was that angry. Ji Yunshu could not hold in herughter any longer. ¡°Wei Yi, do you know who that sentence is used for?¡± Wei Yi shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s used for young girls.¡± ¡®My, my, Wei Yi, how ¡°beautiful¡± you must have been?¡¯ Wei Yi smiled, as if he understood Ji Yunshu¡¯s exnation, and started telling another tale. The topic of their discussion changed from one extreme to another, and something was said about all of the things in-between. Ji Yunshu listen to his stories and stretched her neck. She brushed the curtain to the side and looked at the view outside; it was a beautiful day. She turned her head towards the back of the cart and saw a few guards which weren¡¯t there before. Another cart closely followed them. ¡®Hey, isn¡¯t he Li Shiyan¡¯s servant? This stalker, is he really going to the capital too?¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s take a break here.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s voice came from the front. The group paused right next to a little stream, next to which there was a conveniently open spot ofwn that they could sit on. Ji Yunshu dragged Wei Yi to the stream and took out her gourd. She was about to drink from it when Jing Rong snatched the object away from her hands. ¡°I have no more water left,¡± said Jing Rong without even turning his head back to look at her. ¡®Hey! You shameless¡­ So you have no more water, why are you taking mine? First my unfinished noodles, and now the gourd I¡¯ve drunk from? Can you have a little dignity?¡¯ Ji Yunshu stared at him in annoyance, only to see him straighten his back in contentment. Wei Yi saw it all and gave her his bottle. He said with a smile, ¡°Shu¡¯er, use mine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, I¡¯m not thirsty.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Wei Yi retracted his hand. He then picked up some pebbles on the shore of the stream and started to throw them into the water in a yful way. ¡®He really is just like a child.¡¯ Jing Rong, who peeked at Ji Yunshu from not very far away, saw the radiant smile on her face, and the affectionate look she threw at Wei Yi, who was still busy throwing rocks. The sourness he felt was as strong as if someone had showered him with a cask of vinegar. Lang Po noticed his master¡¯s discontentment and approached him carefully. ¡°Your Highness?¡± ¡°We¡¯re leaving.¡± In a moment of extreme frustration, he hurled the gourd he had taken from Ji Yunshu to Lang Po and jumped onto his horse. ¡®Why are we leaving now? Didn¡¯t we just sit down?¡¯ Ji Yunshu heard the shouts from the guards, and pulled Wei Yi away from the river, just as he was about to remove his shoes to step into the water. The two climbed back into the cart. In the cart behind them, Xiao Luzi rushed into the interior and cried out, ¡°Young Master, they are leaving.¡± He was answered with a foot which came out of the cart and kicked him in the back. ¡°Well then, follow them!¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Xiao Luzi pulled on the reins,shed at the horses with the whip, and caught up to Jing Rong¡¯s party. Jing Rong¡¯s ¡°cask of vinegar¡±, so to say, had been shattered on multiple asions on their way to the capital, and he remained dispirited for the entirety of the journey, which concluded as the party arrived at the gates to the capital. Before Jing Rong even passed through them, the news of his arrival had reached Prince Yi¡¯s Mansion. Jing Yi, who sat cross-legged on a carpet, slowly poured tea into his cup and sipped it leisurely. He looked somewhat like Jing Rong, dressed in a blue robe with his hair arranged around a pin; one could say that he was quite handsome. His mien was one of elegance and refinement, but between his brows and amongst his features, one could recognize something fierce and merciless. Dou Quan, his trusted underling, bowed and said, ¡°Your Highness, Prince Rong has made his way back to the capital. I fear that the case at the Imperial Duke¡­¡± Jing Yi savoured his tea without any hurry or agitation. ¡°Did that girle with him?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jing Yi smiled. ¡°Jing Rong thinks that if he can elucidate the case of Imperial Duke, he would be able to receive the favour of my father. What a fool.¡± He pinched the teacup vigorously. Dou Quan bowed his head down. ¡°My Prince, may I suggest¡­¡± Jing Yi stopped him with a hand gesture. He put the cup down and rose from his seat, strolling with light steps until he reached the walkway outside. The Capital was still cold in March, as the lunar new year had barely begun. A birdcage hung from the wooden pirs, and a canary inside struggled fearfully, beating her wings as she shivered from the cold wind. Jing Yi opened the cage, and the canary quickly flew out of it, vanishing before long. ¡°Your Highness, this was a gift from the emperor, why did you let it go?¡± Dou Quan could not understand his actions. Jing Yi¡¯s lips drew a smile on his face, ¡°A canary in a cage is either hurt or dead.¡± A canary in a cage is either hurt or dead. Ji Yunshu once said those exact same words. Chapter 132: Entering the City Chapter 132: Entering the City The carriage halted at the front of the gates. Upon hearing voicesing in from outside, Ji Yunshu brushed the curtain slightly to the side and peeked out. They were right at the exit of the city, so she could easily see the streams of people going in anding out. There were peddlers carrying their wares with a pole on their shoulders; passer-bys for whom the city was a temporary stop rather than a permanent one; and swordsmen who would perhaps use their des to deliver justice. From time to time, she could also see the asional young men from affluent families who were foppishly dressed in the crowds. The size of the gates was imposing, and their height rivaled that of the Great Wall. There were three entryways, the middle one being guarded by troops, and the only one open. The side entryways were to be opened only in the case of an emergency, perhaps even during a coup d¡¯¨¦tat. Usually, entry into the capital was fairly uncontrolled, but Jing Rong was stopped by the guards. Ji Yunshu noticed that something was going on, so she turned her eyes towards the front. She saw a guard kneeling down on one leg and gesturing to Jing Rong. ¡°This humble one greets Prince Rong.¡± Jing Rong did not dismount and looked back with a frown. ¡®It has only been less than half a year, yet now the entrance is full of guards? What¡¯s going on?¡¯ He also noticed the abnormality and threw a cold nce back at the guards. ¡°Did something happen here?¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness. Since two months ago, dozens of young women from influential families in the city, have disappeared. We have increased the patrols and the presence of guards around the city, and all convoys, for entry or exit, need to be inspected.¡± ¡°Disappearances? Have you found the cause behind them?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡®Not yet?¡¯ Jing Rong¡¯s countenance sank, and he castigated. ¡°It¡¯s been two months already, and nothing? What is the capital governor doing?¡± The guard was frightened by his angry question. He bowed down even lower and answered promptly. ¡°There has been indeed no progress over thest two months. The capital governor and the minister of the Supreme Court have been¡­¡± ¡°Forget about it!¡± Jing Rong waved his hand sullenly. ¡°Move away.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The guards promptly retreated to the side. Jing Rong was a notoriously fretful figure in the capital, and it would be a truly unwise thing to cross him. Of course, Jing Rong would never admit to such usations as for him, they were at best rumors. The only faults he had was that he could a little too stern with his words, sharp with his eyes, extreme in his measures, and crisp in his actions. Aside from that, he should have been thought of as being perfect! As they made their way into the capital and headed toward the Rong Mansion, Ji Yunshu, who overheard the entire conversation between Jing Rong and the guard, uttered to herself, ¡°Disappearances? No progress made in two months?¡± She frowned and mulled it over. ¡®How is it even possible that nothing had been found after two months? What have the city¡¯s secretary and the Supreme Court been doing? It seems like they are even worse than Liu Qingping.¡± However, the next moment, the bustling scenes on the streets of the capital that was unfolding right outside of the carriage enthralled both her eyes and her mind. To call the capital ten miles of purple extravagance was not an exaggeration; the antique buildings on the side of the road, made of carved bricks and red roof tiles, had a form of delicacy that matched its grandioseness. The boulevard was wide enough for three or four horses carriages to be riding side by side, and even the residents of the capital were dressed in clothes which hinted at their affluence without being ostentatious or downright bizarre,pared to their counterparts in Jinjiang. Unlike Ji Muqing, for example, who loved so much to surround herself either with scintiting gold or shining silver to the point that she almost seemed allergic to any alternatives. She was just like a cheap luminous pearl, eager to show her presence to all, even amidst a sea of people. Of course, the roads of the capital were packed with people who walked briskly and grazed past each other, just like the people from modern Beijing or Hong Kong. Jinjiang, on the other hand, was much more cid, just like the present day Suzhou. Ji Yunshu¡¯s attention was entirely seized by the wares which were being sold by the merchants with loud voices on the side of the street. She smiled with pleasure as she realized that, although she recognized some of them, she did not even know the names of most of the bizarre objects being sold. ¡®By the looks of it, the capital will be a fun ce to stay at!¡¯ Wei Yi had just woken up by this time, and, as soon as he looked outside, he craned his neck until his body was almost entirely out of the window. ¡°Shu¡¯er, look! What¡¯s that? Also that mask, and the y figurine, Shu¡¯er, look¡­¡± ¡°Wei Yi,e back here! It¡¯s dangerous.¡± Ji Yunshu quickly pulled his torso back in, but Wei Yi still kept his head out of their littlepartment andughed with delight. The curtain was suddenly flung open from the outside, and two sticks of sugar-coated haws were passed over by a guard on horseback. ¡°Prince Rong said that Young Master Wei would like it.¡± Wei Yi¡¯s eyes lit up as soon as he saw the two bamboo sticks. He hurriedly snatched them and roared intoughter. ¡°I like it, I like it. Big Brother is so nice,¡± As he spoke, however, he did not forget to give one to Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu shook her head. ¡°You should eat it. Take it all, it¡¯s okay.¡± ¡®Shu¡¯er, are you sure that you don¡¯t want any? This is really good, but mother didn¡¯t let me have it back then. I¡¯ve only tasted it once without her knowing, and it was delicious.¡± Ji Yunshu shook her head again, ¡°No, really, it¡¯s okay, just eat it.¡± ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll eat both. Big Brother is so nice, he knows that I love these.¡± ¡®Two sugar-coated hawthorn sticks is what it takes to be really nice? Wei Yi, you should really think a little further.¡¯ It was not long before they finished their trip on the boulevard, and after meandering through a few corners, they arrived at the Rong Estate. Arge wooden panel, with the words ¡°Prince Rong¡¯s Estate¡± hung right above the entrance. The characters were painted in gold, and it stood out even more as it looked like it had been sculpted carefully into the wood. A small crowd awaited them at the gate; they were the guards from the mansion. It was rumored that they were all recruited from elites of the imperial army, and now avable for Jing Rong¡¯s personal use. It would seem that Jing Rong was quite the charismatic person. One elderly man, with an unshaven beard and a cid countenance, stood amidst the group and appeared to be a leader figure. He was called Lu Jiang and was one of Jing Rong¡¯s strategists. When Jing Yi plotted against thetter¡¯s life, he was the one who had investigated it and sent a letter to Jing Rong. The instant Jing Rong dismounted, his servants shouted out his name in unison. Wei Yi, who was sitting in the cart, jumped in fright when he heard the noise. He jumped onto Ji Yunshu, clutching her hand with his. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be afraid. Come, let¡¯s alight now.¡± ¡°Uhm.¡± Wei Yi nodded earnestly. When the two disembarked from the vehicle, Lu Jiang immediately brought his attention towards them, and he was quite surprised by what he saw. When Jing Rong wrote to him, he said that he would be bringing ¡°Miss Ji¡± back to the capital. But now, it seemed like he brought two men back instead. One of them had quite handsome features, and wore avender robe, looking like what he would expect to find, but his hands were pulling forcefully on the sleeves of a second ¡°man¡±. Chapter 133: Concubine Xiao Chapter 133: Concubine Xiao Ji Yunshu was indeed dressed like a man. Her ashen robe sculpted her delicate form, giving her thin limbs a firmness which would not lose out to even a man. However, her most prominent feature was the golden half-mask she wore, which was framed with jade. It had a simple design, but did not trade fineness for it. Although half of her face was hidden, a pair of watery irises, which melted the hearts of all those who saw it, remained visible. Her eyes,bined with the visible half of her pale face made her seem like a graceful young man, but without any prominent masculine features at all. Ji Yunshu chose her outfit out of pure pragmatism. After all, she came to the capital for investigation, and so, the fact that she was a woman was bound to cause some difficulties. On top of it, her scar, and the need to wear a veil otherwise it would make it inconvenient when she took her meal. So she decided that a mask would be the best solution. Lu Jiang brought his hand to his chin and stroked his own beard. ¡®So this is the Miss Ji who¡¯s so good at solving cases.¡¯ Jing Rong turned around and looked at Ji Yunshu. ¡°Teacher Ji, from now on, you will stay at the mansion with Young Master Wei. My subordinates will take care of everything else.¡± Ji Yunshu nodded in response. Lu Jiang came close to her, bowed down to her and said in a friendly voice. ¡°Prince Rong has told me tales of your cleverness, Teacher Ji. Your reputation precedes you.¡± Ji Yunshu greeted him back with a hand gesture. ¡°You are ttering me, old mister. I was simply lucky for the few cases I have been able to solve.¡± ¡°I would not dare underestimate anyone highly regarded by the prince.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡± Jing Rong coughed and interrupted the polite diplomatic exchange between the two. ¡°It has been a long journey, and I am sure that you are tired. Lu Jiang, bring Teacher Ji and Young Master Wei to their quarters. We can discuss other matters tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes sir,¡± answered Lu Jiang. Jing Rong walked up to Ji Yunshu and whispered into her ears, ¡°I need to make a trip to the pce right now. I¡¯lle find youter. We¡¯ll discuss the case once you are rested.¡± Ji Yunshu nodded. In order to abate the emperor¡¯s suspicions, when a royal prince returned to the capital, it was their responsibility to go to the pce to report on what they did. Jing Rong did not linger any longer and jumped back on his horse. Apanied by a couple of guards, he rode towards the pce without even stopping to change his clothes. ¡®Quite a thought-out decision to go into the pce in his everyday clothes. This would not only show his submission to the emperor¡¯s authority, but also reassure him that he has indeed been investigating duke¡¯s case, and not use the time to prepare for a coup d¡¯¨¦tat.¡¯ Meanwhile, Wei Yi and Ji Yunshu were brought to arge yard in the eastern quarters of the mansion. It was filled with plum flowers, and in the middle of the yard was an ornamental rockwork. Water trickled down from it, into a waterwheel which spun as the liquid filled up the buckets attached to it. ¡®My, what a nice set-up!¡¯ The moment they entered the building, Wei Yi yelled out. ¡°Shu¡¯er, didn¡¯t you say that you were going to bring me to eat meat?¡± ¡°Do you want to go eat now?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. ¡°No.¡± Wei Yi shook his head and smiled embarrassingly; he was simply recalling the promise she had made to him. Lu Jiang, who listened to the conversation from the side, waspletely dumbstruck by what he heard. ¡®Coming to the capital to eat meat? Is this some kind of inside joke?¡¯ He smiled at the two and proposed to Wei Yi. ¡°I am sure that you are hungry, Young Master Wei. I¡¯ll have some food prepare right away, so that you may rest as soon as possible.¡± ¡®If he didn¡¯t mention it, I wouldn¡¯t have felt the hunger pangs.¡¯ Ji Yunshu nodded at the proposal. ¡°We¡¯ll inconvenience you then.¡± ¡°My family name is Lu, if you don¡¯t mind, teacher Ji, you can call me Uncle Lu.¡± Before Ji Yunshu could answer, Wei Yi, in his typical affability, called out in earnestly, ¡°Uncle Lu.¡± Wei Yi¡¯s words brought an immense joy to Lu Jiang¡¯s heart. He hurriedly ordered the servants to prepare a meal, and hand picked a few maids to be at Ji Yunshu and Wei Yi¡¯s disposal. Not only they, he even made sure that they had a few sets of new clothes to change into; it was indeed attentive and thorough. On the other side of the city, Li Shiyan was having a st strolling down the street. For someone, who had never seen the wares from Great Lin, it was natural to be very curious about every object he saw. But, he seemed to have forgotten about something important as he wandered down the street. Xiao Luzi, who followed him on the side, brought it up. ¡°Young Master, we¡­ lost them!¡± ¡°Lost what?¡± Li Shiyan said as he tried on a Guan Yu1 mask. ¡°That Shu¡¯er girl! We lost them. Their carriage had disappeared.¡± ¡®Oh!¡¯ Li Shiyan¡¯s pupils dted upon realizing what had happened. He searched left and right, but could find no trace of Jing Rong¡¯s group anywhere. He vented out his frustration with a blow onto Xiao Luzi¡¯s head. ¡°Why did you just tell me now! You useless junk.¡± Xiao Luzi covered his head with his hands and protested his innocence. ¡°This humble one¡­ this humble has just remembered it. Come to think of it, if it wasn¡¯t because of you looking all over the ce, we wouldn¡¯t have lost them in the first ce.¡± ¡°Are you ming me for this?¡± ¡°Nonono!¡± Li Shiyan panted angrily, but he was usually optimistic, so he quickly snapped out of it. He sighed and waved his hand. ¡°Well, forget about it. Let¡¯s find some ce to stay here. As long as they are in the capital, we¡¯ll find them somehow.¡± As he finished speaking, he had already regained his usual confidence. Compared to the bustling main streets, the imperial pce was a much calmer ce. In the gardens of Zhihan hall, even the flowers bloomed amidst the cold winter. A few maids stood reverently on the side, and although they seemed impassive, one would be able to notice their nervous prudence; it was no easy task to serve in the pce. Plus, one could easily lose their head if they are not careful. Concubine Xiao stood in front of a pot of flowers called ruby crown2. Her long hair reached all the way down to her waist, and, along with the gold ornaments and the silver hairpin, a jade pendant on the side, mirroring the emerald gem hanging from her ears,pleted the pictures. Although the jewelry was not overlyvish, the robe that she wore was truly shocking. The robe had a violet front and as it moved towards the sleeves, it transitioned into a redder wine color. Embroidered upon it were bamboos and orchids of a turquoise colour. Right on her chestid willow branches which extended down to her waist. The bottom of the robe was split, just like the petals of a flower from the bud, along with the two long sleeves. If one looked at it carefully enough, they can see that the patterns looked like a phoenix. It wasn¡¯t disyed that tantly, but more so like an imitation. One could guess at Concubine Xiao¡¯s audacity for wearing such a robe, but also be impressed by her carefulness. Her fingernails were painted in a bright scarlet, which were as vivid as the blossoms around her. She picked up a pair of scissors and started to trim the bushes and the flowers in the garden carelessly. With a content smile on her face, she asked out. ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Yi¡¯er3 entered the pce recently?¡± A maid answered. ¡°Your Ladyship, it will soon be your birthday. Prince Yi is surely preparing a wonderful gift for you.¡± ¡°Ah, he is such a dutiful child.¡± Everytime she talked about her child, Concubine Xiao always had a sweet smile. Concubine Xiao turned around and asked, ¡°Did anything interesting happen in the capital recently?¡± The maid bowed down and answered, ¡°There have been rumors that many young misses from various influential families in the capital have vanished, and nothing has been found until now.¡± ¡°Oh, quite interesting indeed!¡± She dropped the des of the scissors she held onto the stem of a flower. Swish- The bud fell to the ground with from a clean cut. 1.Guan Yu is a famous general of the Shu from the three kingdom era. ? 2.Ruby Crown flowers don¡¯t exist in real life. ? 3.Yi¡¯er is an affectionate name that Concubine Xiao uses to call her son, Jing Yi, and not Wei Yi. Chapter 134: The Black and White Go Pieces Chapter 134: The ck and White Go Pieces Although she stayed deep within the imperial pce, Concubine Xiao was very knowledgeable of what happened outside. Some of her knowledge came from discussions she has with Jing Yi when thetter came in to see her. On other asions, it was the maids who would tell her of tales from the outside. She had a fragile disposition and a gentle appearance, but in her eyes nested the same viciousness and gloominessmon to all concubines within the imperial harem. She grinned. ¡°Not a single lead after people vanished into thin air in the capital? My, this governor is really someone unworthy of his sry.¡± As she concluded her remark, she grabbed the pair of scissors with one hand and flung it into a flower pot, bending over the stems of flowers as itnded. She wiped her hands clean with a handkerchief given to her by a maid. At this moment, a young eunuch closed in with his head bent down. He stopped right besides her, with his arms straight, on the sides of his body and said. ¡°Madame, Prince Rong has arrived at the pce.¡± Concubine Xiao¡¯s eyes, which projected tenderness, turned into a squint upon hearing the mention of ¡®Prince Rong¡¯. She nced back at the eunuch and asked in a cold voice, ¡°Did he just return to the capital?¡± ¡°Yes, he has entered the pce in a casual outfit, and he is on his way to Fuyang hall. Since His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince are inside for a meeting, I¡¯d think that Prince Rong would be joining them as of right now.¡± ¡°He did not change into his court dress? Interesting.¡± Concubine Xiao smiled cryptically. ¡®True to his reputed wisdom. A clever calction. This should be enough to bring some good mood to the emperor.¡¯ Concubine Xiao held the stem of a flower between her fingers, and with a little push, the stalk snapped into two. Outside of Fuyang Hall, the eunuch guarding the entrance, upon seeing Jing Rong, went inside to report to the emperor, but has not returned after quite a while. Jing Rong stood at the door with an emotionless expression, looking straight ahead without looking in any direction, a posture which put his force of character on full disy. Before he could realize it, rainfall started. The raindrops flowed down the eaves and sshed Jing Rong¡¯s robes as the water drops pelted the ground. It did not take long for the fabric to get wet. After waiting for almost enough time for a stick of incense to burn outpletely, the carved wooden doors were finally pulled open from the inside by two eunuchs. The one who guarded them at first stood at the door and said to Jing Rong in a low voice, ¡°Prince Rong, His Majesty demands your presence within the hall.¡± The eunuch stared at Jing Rong with a cold, somber expression before lifting his own robe and walked into the hall. Jing Rong followed him into a side hall, and found the emperor and the crown prince around a Go board. Qi Zhen Emperor was over sixty years old. The few wrinkles running down his face and his grizzled beard might have given him an ostensible affability, but upon closer examination, one would be able to read the forcefulness and the desire to have the world obey his will lodged between his brows. Nine dragons were embroidered on his golden robe1, separated by colorful clouds. Two were at the front and back of his cor, while five others surrounded the fold at the knees, with two on each side, and one joining all of them. The final two decorated his left and right sleeves. At the bottom of the robe, one could find depictions of a roaring sea, upon which stood rugged cliffs. Across the board sat the crown prince, dressed in a robe which was bright blue on the upper body and wrapped in a scarlet outer robe on the lower body. Five dragons decorated his clothing, along with five themed motifs on his upper robe and four on the lower body. Jing Rong stood in the middle of the hall and folded both of his hands into a salutation. ¡°Imperial Father.¡± Yet, the emperor acted as if he did not hear Jing Rong¡¯s greeting. He wed a white piece between his index and middle fingers, and deposited onto the board with a thud. Crown Prince Jing Hua¡¯s ck piece remained undecided and hung in the air above the board, ultimately returning to the bowl which contained all of his pieces. ¡°I am outwitted, this is my loss.¡± The emperor answered in a stern voice. ¡°Jing Hua, it is too early to decide whether you have lost or not. This board is just like our world, until the very end, anything is possible.¡± As he finished his remark, the emperor picked up a piece from the prince¡¯s bowl and put it down on the board. The ck pieces, which had been trapped by the white ones until now, suddenly regained control of the board. It seemed now that it was the prince who was winning it all. Jing Hua looked at the board, enlightened, and nodded. ¡°You are right, father. I have a thirst for knowledge, and there¡¯s still much for me to learn.¡± ¡°Each move on the board requires careful consideration. With one mistake, you can lose the entire world.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you, father, for your wise words. I shall remember them.¡± It was not the first time Jing Hua toaded his father, but the sweet words seemed to be just the right cure for the emperor¡¯s ¡°poison¡±. The two turned their eyes towards Jing Rong only after they finished putting the board and the piece away. Jing Hua stood up and retreated to the side while examining Jing Rong. ¡®After half a year, he¡¯s cold as always.¡¯ The Emperor picked up a cup of hot tea from a teapoy and sipped it, staring at Jing Rong with eyes which revealed his haleness, and asked. ¡°Why did youe here unchanged?¡± ¡°I have barely returned to the capital and came here before stopping home. I am here for the Lin Capital case, it¡­¡± The Emperor interrupted his speech with a hand gesture. He put his cup back down and said with a cough, ¡°Although the case indeed involves the Imperial Duke, I have made you wholly responsible of it, so it is enough to discuss it with the ministers. There¡¯s no need to personally report everything to me this urgently.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Imperial Duke¡¯s case was reopened at the request of Qin Shiyu, Lord Qin himself. He knelt down at the Nanzhe gate for three whole days and nights before the emperor granted his consent. However, the duke¡¯s identity ¡ª being the emperor¡¯s own brother, meant that the case obviously warranted a thorough investigation since it pertained to the royal family and what urred fourteen years ago was nothing short of an extermination. Since it was the emperor himself who closed the case, it was very unpleasant for him to reopen it after so many years, and also being coerced by public opinion. The emperor lifted his eyes and looked at Jing Rong again, ¡°But I am happy that you came in to see me in such a hurry. The past six months must have been hard for you, and this case is no simple one; it¡¯ll require even more effort to resolve.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s face remained impassive and grave. To an onlooker, this may be proof of his reverence toward the authority of his father, but only the emperor himself knew that Jing Rong only thought of him with the respect of a subordinate, and not with the affection of a son. Jing Rong nodded and said, ¡°Worry not, father. I have taken responsibility for this case, and I shall see to the end of it.¡± ¡°Have you made any progress over thest few months?¡± ¡°I have been to many ces without gaining much insight. However, I brought someone back this time, and that person will surely help me reveal the truth behind the case.¡± ¡®Oh?¡¯ His answer piqued the emperor¡¯s interest. Even Jing Hua had his curiosity aroused. He took two steps forwards and asked rather disbelievingly, ¡°Who could be so capable? Even the Imperial Court had no answers for this case, and yet you say that that person can solve it?¡± Jing Hua evidently did not believe what Jing Rong said. The case had stayed unresolved for years, and if both Jing Rong and the Supreme Court could do nothing about it, how could one person avail to anything? Jing Hua was firm in his incredulity, which was suggested by an obviously scornful look on his face. 1. Note: in Ancient China, the royal family had the sole right of using dragons to decorate personal belongings (punishable by death otherwise). 9 is considered the greatest of the numbers, and so 9 dragons are usually used for the emperor himself, with lesser numbers for princes etc. Chapter 135: The Idiotic Jing Hua Chapter 135: The Idiotic Jing Hua Jing Rong deliberately ignored Jing Hua¡¯s words. He continued to address his father in a soft voice, ¡°Since I brought that person back to the capital, he is certainly an outstanding talent.¡± Then he continued, ¡°Your son trusts that person will be able to solve the Imperial Duke case.¡± Qi Zhen Emperor nodded, then took a sip of his tea. ¡°Since you have so much faith in that man, we are somewhat curious about him.¡± He pondered for a moment. ¡°Concubine Xiao¡¯s birthday just happens to be in two days. We have prepared a banquet in the pce. Bring that person, so we can take a look at him and understand why you have so much faith in him.¡± When the emperor finished his words, Jing Rong became somewhat hesitant. Ever since he thought about bringing Ji Yunshu to the capital, he expected that one day she would need to enter the pce, but it was out of his expectations that the day woulde so soon! He could not decline the emperor, thus he could only ept the order. ¡°Yes, your son will do as you order.¡± The emperor harrumphed, then made a hand gesture. ¡°Go back to your estate. You have just returned and should rest more. Your loyal and filial heart, we clearly understand.¡± ¡°Yes, Imperial Father.¡± Ever since he came in, Jing Rong had barely said more than a few words and, most of the time, he only said ¡®yes¡¯. He had barely left Fuyang Hall when Jing Hua chased after him. ¡°Jing Rong!¡± shouted Jing Hua. Jing Rong halted. He stood unmoving under the eaves before turning back and watching Jing Hua¡¯s smiling face. ¡°Is there anything, Crown Prince?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine to call me Jing Hua. We are blood brothers after all. Is there a need to alienate each other?¡± ¡°You are the heir to the throne and I am your vassal. Therefore, there should be a distinction between us.¡± Jing Hua felt ted when Jing Rong pointed out he was the ¡®heir to the throne¡¯. He raised his hand and lightly patted Jing Rong¡¯s shoulder while saying, ¡°What Imperial Father said is correct. You are someone with loyalty and filial piety. Amongst our brothers, you¡¯re also the only one who doesn¡¯t vie for or contend for anything. One day, if I be the emperor, I hope that you will be my right-hand man.¡± ¡®The emperor is not dead yet, but you¡¯re already thinking about bing the emperor?! Preposterous!¡¯ thought Jing Rong. It¡¯s alright to say those words in front of him, but spouting such nonsense elsewhere can only attract disaster. ¡®You won¡¯t even know what hit you even after you die! He better not say such words in front of Jing Yi. Although he currently might not overthrow you, it¡¯s hard to say if he would use this conversation to grab onto your weakness and let you suffer a crushing defeat.¡¯ Jing Rong faintly smiled and spoke, ¡°Crown Prince, if there is such a day when you can ascend to the peak, I will naturally do my best to assist you.¡± ¡°You deserve my high regards.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jing Rong remained silent. Once again, Jing Hua patted Jing Rong¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Alright. I have to return to East Pce and delve on court documents. Recently, Imperial Father had ordered people to bring many documents to East Pce.¡± ¡®I know! I know! You just want to say that Imperial Father strongly cares about you! As if! He merely hates yourck of culture and wants to fill your brain a bit.¡¯ Jing Hua proudly walked away with his hands behind his back, followed by six eunuchs. Behind him, Jing Rong coldly sneered, ¡°Idiot!¡± Jing Hua grew up at the emperor¡¯s side. Although he was an idiot and ipetent at handling matters, he was a smooth talker. Still, in the end, he was just an idiot who was lucky to be born well and had a father who spoiled him, earning him the title of crown prince. If he was born in amon household, his idiocy would cause him to die many times without him even knowing what hit him! In Jing Rong¡¯s mind, if Jing Hua remained this idiotic as the heir and, even in the event he ascended to the threr on, as long as he schemed a bit, he would undoubtedly be able to dethrone that idiot. The only reason why Jing Yi had yet to deal with Jing Hua is probably due to thetter being of no threat and having almost no fighting capability, not to say zero fighting force. Therefore, Jing Yi was nning to deal with the other princes before eliminating him and securing the crown prince¡¯s position. During fights for the throne, counting chickens before they hatched was pure folly! Jing Rong was unintentionally involved into that throne fight. Some matters truly don¡¯t go as one desires. When he returned from the pce, Jing Rong changed into dark blue clothes. He did not take the time to eat before setting off to the East courtyard in a hurry. Meanwhile, in the East courtyard, Wei Yi had already gone to bed. Wrapped in a quilt, he slept like no tomorrow! After traveling for such a long time in a carriage, truth be told, Ji Yunshu also felt tired, but sleep did note easily to her. Thus, she went out and stood under the eaves with her face angled upward, looking at the rain dripping down from the roof. Yet, her clear and cold eyes wereden with grief. Her hand tightly sped the tassel which had a blue and smooth pearl hung on. Under the light of thentern, the pearl was especially vibrant. She gently pulled up the tassel from its red thread, letting it dangle in front of her, swaying to and fro under the cold wind. Jing Rong saw her as soon as he entered the courtyard. Despite being dressed in male clothing and wearing a half-mask, she still made his heart palpitate. This woman remained unsullied from the mud that covered her. It made people unable to pin the word ¡®profane¡¯ on her. She should belong to the peaceful southern regions, growing up near the river banks without having to worry about anything until her life expired. At this moment, Jing Rong truly doubted his decision to bring her to the capital. Did he make the right choice or was this a mistake? His heart grew heavy at the thought. His steps were light as he walked towards Ji Yunshu. ¡°This tassel is beautiful.¡± He stated. Looking toward the direction of the voice, Ji Yunshu clenched the tassel and her mouth slowly curled into a smile. ¡°This is a present from Ji Pei. He said that if I miss him just wear it.¡± When she mentioned Ji Pei, she smiled, yet only pain could be seen. Jing Rong knew that no one could rece Ji Pei in her heart. ¡°Do you really think that he is dead?¡± asked Jing Rong. The question stirred Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart and surprise could be seen in her eyes. She asked him, ¡°Why is your Highness asking such a question?¡± ¡°For no reason¡­ The question suddenly came to my mind.¡± She shook her head. ¡°I stopped hoping for too much. I don¡¯t want to delude myself. For the past two years, I incessantly wished that Ji Pei was still alive. The more I hope, the more bitter the disappointment. This kind of unreasonable hope can truly erode someone¡¯s wisdom.¡± When she spoke, she made a bitter smile. Jing Rong watched her and saw the change in her expression when she spoke of Ji Pei. ¡°Yunshu.¡± He suddenly called her. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Never mind.¡± He lightly shook his head before changing topic, ¡°In two days, we will go to the pce.¡± She certainly was not mishearing, right? Was she going into the pce? ¡°Aren¡¯t I only here to investigate the Lin Capital Case? Why do I need to go to the pce?¡± Jing Rong exined to her, ¡°You must know that the Imperial Duke is a member of the imperial family. You should understand how important the case is. But rest assured, you only need to attend the banquet to celebrate Concubine Xiao¡¯s birthday. After my imperial father nominates you, if you want to leave the pce, I will arrange someone to immediately send you out.¡± ¡°Can I not go?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already agreed to it.¡± ¡®Hey! Hey! Hey! I¡¯m the concerned party. How can you make the decision in my stead?!¡¯ But when she thought about it again, Jing Rong had no power to refuse the emperor¡¯s order. Jing Rong hurriedly said, ¡°If you want to bring Wei Yi, it¡¯s also possible.¡± ¡°No.¡± She quickly vetoed the idea. ¡°He has already entered the capital. There¡¯s no need for him to get involved with the imperial pce.¡± ¡°Rest assured, when we enter the pce, I¡¯ll order some people to watch over him. Doesn¡¯t he like eating meat? I will order people to bring him to the best ce to eat meat.¡± With this promise, Ji Yunshu felt moved. If Wei Yi was awake, he would certainly rush to Jing Rong and give him a big hug! Chapter 136: Qin Shiyu Chapter 136: Qin Shiyu When Jing Rong mentioned Wei Yi¡¯s love for meat, Ji Yunshu faintly smiled. Jing Rong did not know when it started, but he began treating Wei Yi a bit better. Wrong, this was his well-nned strategy to gain someone¡¯s favor. Concerning the Lin capital case, Ji Yunshu held some suspicions. She returned the tassel to her sleeve before looking up at Jing Rong and asking, ¡°To investigate the Lin capital case, I need to unseal the coffins of the 72 bodies. All of them need to have a portrait made so that we can find out who the missing person in this tragedy is¡­¡± She had yet to finish speaking when Jing Rong interrupted her. ¡°You mean that since this is a major case because the Imperial Duke is considered the older generation of the imperial family, the request to unseal the coffins to paint the portraits of the deceased is bound to implicate a wide range of people. Therefore, you¡¯re worried that this matter won¡¯t go too smoothly.¡± Her mind was well-grasped by Jing Rong. She nodded. Her dried lips curved down before she said, ¡°If we talk about unsealing one coffin, apromise could be reached, but we¡¯re talking about unsealing 72 coffins. Does your Highness have the assurance for this? Will the Emperor agree to such a request?¡± ¡°This Prince cannot guarantee that the request will be agreed to.¡± He replied sharply. He frowned. ¡°Moreover, we can¡¯t unseal all 72 of them. At most, we will have the authorization to unseal 67 coffins.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Well, five of the corpses are the Imperial Duke and his family and they are already buried inside the imperial tomb. It¡¯s impossible to get ess to their coffins. Therefore, the missing person could only be a servant within the Duke residence. You only need to request for Imperial Father to agree to the unsealing of 67 coffins.¡± ¡°Ah! So it was like this.¡± ¡°When the investigation of the case began, no one would think that there would be a need to unseal the coffins one day. After all, there was no precedent for this. I never knew that this world would have someone capable of drawing a portrait just based on the bone structure of the skeleton.¡± Was he praising her? Either way, he was throwing a big problem at her. If the emperor does not agree to her request, even if she had great drawing skills, the paper would remain nk without the corpses. ¡°Then, what¡¯s our next step? The issue of unsealing the coffins, bad or good, is absolutely not a trifling matter.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s brows remained wrinkled. ¡°There¡¯s nothing more to say for today. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go meet Lord Qin and discuss the issue with him. We will decide on what to do after. In short, we must unseal them.¡± His words were resolute! He had spent great efforts on this case. He had brought Ji Yunshu to the capital. Not to mention digging a meter to excavate a coffin, even doing so for 67 coffins would not stop him. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ The next day. Jing Rong went to the Qin mansion. Qin Shiyu is a man in his fifties. In his younger days, he was a great general, but nowadays he took office as the army¡¯s secretary. From a military officer, he became a civil servant. Due to his close friendship with the Imperial Duke, after the ughter of the whole family, he persisted in investigating the case for the past 14 years. It was only around half a year ago that he discovered three suspicious points which allowed him to appeal to reverse the verdict. The three points were: On the day the Imperial Duke¡¯s mansion was burnt to the ground, the Duke¡¯s army received an order to transfer the soldiers to the army secretary. Logic aside, for the lord to transfer his private army to an army secretary, there would only be two reasons: an exceptional situation urred within the capital or it was the emperor¡¯s decree. However, none of those reasons applied to the situation which indicated that the Imperial Duke¡¯s order was strange. The general, who had the Duke¡¯smand te and used it to transfer the troops, suddenly died not long after the event. This timely coincidence was incredibly fishy. There were 73 people within the Imperial Duke mansion, but one corpse was missing. ording to the coroner and, based on the list of servants working for the Duke, theparison showed a disparity with the number of corpses. A servant might have escaped the tragedy. If they could find that person, they would probably be able to crack this case! Due to all kinds of reasons, and after great effort and perseverance, Qin Shiyu was finally able to appeal to the emperor who agreed to reopen the case. At this moment, Jing Rong stood in front of the entrance of the Qin mansion and Qin Shiyu weed him inside. ¡°Prince Rong, there¡¯s no need for you toe here yourself. You could send someone to notify me and this humble one will meet you at your residence.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t a bother. Furthermore, it isn¡¯t convenient for you to move around.¡± During a campaign, Qin Shiyu injured his leg which hindered his mobility. In addition, he had kneeled for three days and three nights at the Nanzhe gate which aggravated his injury. After that, he could no longer tolerate standing for long because of the pain. Both men sat cross-legged opposite to each other while a servant poured tea for them. ¡°Prince Rong, in your letter, you mentioned that you brought back a person. Can this person really solve this case?¡± asked Qin Shiyu. Jing Rong sighed before picking up the cup of tea and taking a sip. Seeing him like that, Qin Shiyu pondered yet could not understand his behavior. Thus, he probed Jing Rong, ¡°Prince Rong, your mind seems burdened. Could it be there¡¯s an unforeseen problem with this case?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t hide from you that during this half a year I have traveled to many ces investigating the servants of the Imperial Duke, based on the listpiled by the Ministry of Revenue, in order to find the missing person. Unfortunately, this is like trying to find a needle in a haystack and the result was fruitless.¡± ¡°What is your Highness¡¯ meaning?¡± ¡°That day when the fire burnt the Duke¡¯s mansion for a day and a night, resulting in 72 unidentified burnt corpses which were only identified through the ornaments found on them. Otherwise, we would not be able to determine the five corpses belonging to the Duke and his family. Their burials in the imperial tomb were an expected matter. Thus, it left us with 67 bodies which were all buried on Lin mountain. If we want to know who the missing servant is, there¡¯s only one way ¨C unsealing their coffins.¡± ¡°Open their coffins?¡± ¡°This Prince has brought back an extraordinary person who could draw the portrait of the dead, regardless if it was a rotten corpse or a skeleton. That person can draw a lifelike portrait of the deceased when they were alive. However, to do that, we need to open their coffins, so that person can draw all 67 portraits. Only then, we might find out who the missing person is.¡± Each word Jing Rong spoke was resounding clearly and powerfully. But when Lord Qin heard about ¡°opening the coffins¡±, his expression became stiff. He was slightly stunned. His body bent forward and his voice shook as he spoke, ¡°Your Highness should know that this is a major issue. If the emperor disapproved, it would be impossible to investigate further.¡± ¡®That¡¯s true. How could this request be possible?¡¯ In order to force Qi Zhen emperor to reopen the case, he had already provoked his father¡¯s dissatisfaction. Now, he wanted to request opening the coffins and drawing the corpses¡¯ portrait? Wouldn¡¯t this be spread to everyone¡¯s ears? This would simply be a p on his father¡¯s face. In fact, one p wasn¡¯t enough. This would be like two ps to his face! Jing Rong worded his intentions, ¡°That¡¯s also the reason why I came to you today to discuss.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Qin Shiyu was truly baffled by Jing Rong. Should he go kneel three days and three nights at Nanzhe gate again? Jing Rong killed Qin Shiyu¡¯s idea. Letting it die the moment it was birthed! ¡°Using public opinion topel someone has always been my imperial father¡¯s taboo. For the Imperial Duke case, you already helped reopen the case. As for requesting to unseal the coffins, you don¡¯t need to step in,¡± said Jing Rong. ¡°Then does Prince Rong have any certainty?¡± Jing Rong shook his head. ¡°For now, let¡¯s wait until after Concubine Xiao¡¯s birthday to make a n.¡± Once Qin Shiyu heard about Concubine Xiao¡¯s birthday, he immediately asked, ¡°What could the emperor be thinking? Does he want to meet with the talented individual you brought back?¡± Qin Shiyu was truly an intelligent man. Jing Rong cracked his knuckles, but his expression was unfathomable. Slowly, he spoke, ¡°This matter is rted to the imperial family. It is quite normal for my imperial father to want to meet that person.¡± Qin Shiyu stroked his beard. His expression revealed deep curiosity. ¡°Truth be told, this humble one is also curious. In this world, is there really such an extraordinary person who could draw a portrait of someone from their bones?¡± If he were to know that Ji Yunshu was a forensic anthropologist from 5,000 years in the future, would he be scared to death? Chapter 137: The Case of the Missing Member of the Li Family Chapter 137: The Case of the Missing Member of the Li Family Jing Rong and Qin Shuyu continued to discuss for almost two hours. Even when the tea grew cold, they didn¡¯t call the servant to rece the tea. After their meeting ended, Jing Rong left the mansion with heavy feelings. His whole being exuded a cold aura that kept people at bay. When he went outside, the rain still had not stopped. The raindrops continued to fall, covering the gloomy world with the patter of the rain. As if it wasn¡¯t enough, a cold wind faintly blew. The whole capital appeared to be shrouded in a strangely dense fog, making the atmosphere feel ustrophobic. A feeling that people couldn¡¯t extricate themselves from. When Jing Rong came back, his clothes and hair were already drenched from the rain. It made him look as if he was covered in ayer of frost. He directly rushed to the East courtyard, but as soon as he arrived, he was told by the maidservants that Ji Yunshu already went out. ¡°Did Young Master Wei follow?¡± His tone was icy as he spoke. The maidservant retreated a bit before shaking her head. ¡°No. Young Master is inside the room. Teacher Ji went out alone.¡± ¡°Where did he go?¡± ¡°This servant has no knowledge.¡± ¡°Is this how all of you do your work?¡± reprimanded Jing Rong. The frightened maidservants lowered their heads, not daring to look up at him. One of them opened her mouth and hurriedly justified herself, ¡°Not long after your Highness left, someone came and delivered something to Teacher Ji. Soon after, he left in a hurry and only told us to look after Young Master Wei. He didn¡¯t say anything else. We tried to stop him but failed to do so.¡± At this instant, Jing Rong felt as if something had gripped his heart! Ji Yunshu had just barely arrived in the capital. She had yet to familiarize herself with the ce, so who could she have met up with? Someone from the Ji family? Impossible! The Ji family was still busy with the funeral arrangements. Who could it be? Jing Rong flipped his sleeve with force and summoned Lang Po. His expression was full of worry and he loudly ordered, ¡°Immediately search the whole capital! Comb through every nook and cranny and find Ji Yunshu for me! This Prince will not allow even a strand of her hair to be harmed!¡± ¡°As you wish, your Highness!¡± Lang Po was also worried, so he hurriedly left the Rong estate with the guards in search for Ji Yunshu. When Wei Yi heard voices outside, he went out while holding an osmanthus cake and his mouth stuffed with food. He inquired about the situation, ¡°Big Brother, why are you shouting loudly? Shu¡¯er told me that when eating something, you can¡¯t speak. So, why are you yelling at me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing that Jing Rong remained silent, Wei Yi came closer. He slightly lifted his chin and asked, ¡°Or are you hungry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry!¡± ¡°Then why are you being loud?¡± ¡®How naive!¡¯ A vein popped out on Jing Rong¡¯s forehead. He was extremely worried right now and this fool changed his way of ¡°teasing¡± him while beaming a smile at him. Couldn¡¯t he be a bit more serious during such a dire situation? Jing Rong turned back and instructed the maidservants, ¡°Take good care of him. If there¡¯s an ident, see how I¡¯ll deal with all of you.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡± replied the servants in unison. Jing Rong speedily departed, leaving his residence to find Ji Yunshu. He left behind Wei Yi who muttered, ¡°Did Big Brother go crazy?¡± When the servants saw Jing Rong leaving, their hearts eased, although they still looked at each other in dismay while their bodies trembled with fear. Wei Yi came in front of the maidservants and spoke in aforting voice, ¡°Big sisters, you don¡¯t need to be scared of Big Brother. Although he¡¯s a big bully, he is a very good person. You shouldn¡¯t be afraid of him and shouldn¡¯t be angry at him.¡± ¡°Young Master Wei, we¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be scared! Nothing to fear! The one Big Brother fears the most is Shu¡¯er. If he bullies you, I will tell Shu¡¯er.¡± He acted very arrogantly when he spoke those words. The servants felt nervous when they heard him talk. Teacher Ji was obviously a man, but why did Wei Yi call ¡°him¡± Shu¡¯er. This way of calling was way too intimate and quite strange. Regardless, the maidservants didn¡¯t voice their doubts and only nodded at Wei Yi. They were aware that Wei Yi was one in a kind ¡°talking¡± master. Although they had only spent a day with him, this ¡°merit¡± of Wei Yi was inly obvious. If they didn¡¯t nod in agreement, they feared that Wei Yi would pull them aside and speak at least a few hours of rhetoric nonsense. Wei Yi beamed at them before finishing eating his cake. Then, empty-handed, he went back into the room filled with satisfaction to continue to eat. Meanwhile, Ji Yunshu went to a restaurant after leaving the Rong estate. When she entered, a waiter weed her and led her to a private room on the second floor. After pushing the door opened, She saw a person sitting upright, showcasing a graceful and opulent attitude. Despite the annoyance showing on that person¡¯s countenance, her eyes contained an arrogance that couldn¡¯t be hidden. Ji Yunshu knocked on the opened door to get that person¡¯s attention before entering. This meeting was out of Ji Yunshu¡¯s expectations. Ji Yunshu took out the short letter, then she swept away the rainwater on her shoulders. She walked in with the corner of her mouth slightly curled up. She said, ¡°How unexpected! How did you find out so quickly that I had arrived at the capital?¡± Sitting opposite of her was Madame Jiang, that mboyant and domineering woman whom she met in Jinjiang before. At that time, when Ji Yunshu sent her to the prison, she already knew that Madame Jiang and her brother, Li Zhao, would be released soon. Furthermore, General Li was able to request a legal document which he sent to the yamen. Magistrate Liu had cold sweats after reading it and released the two of them. The Li family¡¯s reputation was truly too huge. Madame Jiang raised her eyes which contained a smile. Then, she excessively eximed in surprise. Both of her hands brushed the chair next to her. ¡°Teacher Ji, please sit here. I already ordered people to prepare some fine food as a wee meal for you.¡± Ji Yunshu wasn¡¯t polite and bluntly sat down. ced in front of her were many signature dishes and all of them were appealing to the eyes. She courteously smiled, ¡°Madame Jiang, you don¡¯t need to be so extravagant and wasteful.¡± ¡°How can you say this is wasteful? Didn¡¯t I say before that Teacher isn¡¯t a fish in a small pond? And here you are today in the capital. It¡¯s normal that I want to drink three cups with you. Thus, I arranged for this feast although it¡¯s obviously a bitcking.¡± ¡®People with money are so different!¡¯ She moved her eyesight away from Madame Jiang and sternly spoke, ¡°Since it¡¯s not the first time we met, I supposed that Madame Jiang might have something on your mind. You might as well say it. Those delicious dishes are not something this humble one is interested in.¡± Madame Jiang lightly shook her head. ¡°Teacher Ji is really clever. I can¡¯t hide it from you. Since you already guessed my mind, I¡¯ll just tell you.¡± ¡®Oh! There¡¯s really something on your mind.¡¯ This shouldn¡¯t be right. Since she exposed Madame Jiang¡¯s skeleton in the closet, thetter should have had her heart filled with hatred for her. How could she have arranged a table full of delicious food and want to respect her with three cups of wine? Madame Jiang sighed and slowly exined, ¡°I won¡¯t hide from you, my home has a little sister who had recently reached a marriageable age. She¡¯s called Shuiqing. Woefully, not long ago, a day before my return to the capital, she suddenly went missing. We searched and asked around, but there have been no clues so far.¡± ¡®So straight to the point!¡¯ thought Ji Yunshu. ¡°The missing girls case?¡± faintly stated Ji Yunshu. ¡°Correct! You might have heard about it when you passed through the gate check. Within two months, many young women have disappeared in the capital. The investigation has been going on but nothing conclusive has been found. This has caused unrest in everyone. However, I never expected that the criminal¡¯s hand would stretch to our Li family.¡± When she finished speaking, Madame Jiang clenched her fists tightly. Ji Yunshu got a general idea and understood the meaning of this meeting. She lowered her eyes and only said, ¡°Therefore, you want me to help you?¡± ¡°Teacher Ji, I know your skills.¡± ¡°Madame Jiang¡­¡± Madame Jiang promptly interrupted her. ¡°I know that Teacher Ji doesn¡¯t want to get involved in this matter. However, right now, you are the only one that I know who has the ability to investigate this case thoroughly.¡± Chapter 138: Jing Xuan? Madame Jiang had a lot of faith in Ji Yunshu¡¯s ability. Not only that, she was very confident that Ji Yunshu would help her. Ji Yunshu put the letter she received earlier on the table and pushed it toward Madame Jiang. On it, a few lines with the address of the restaurant could be seen, which took only half of the message. Her gaze, which had been on the letter, shifted to meet Madame Jiang¡¯s eyes. She asked, ¡°In the end, what do you know about it?¡± However, Madame Jian presented her conditions instead, ¡°If Teacher Ji can help me find Shuiqing¡¯s whereabouts and solve this series of missing cases, I¡¯ll tell you what I know.¡± ¡°You want to make a deal?¡± ¡°It looks like you catch on fast.¡± ¡®That¡¯s right! Madame Jiang is a calcting person, so she is unlikely to show all of her hand.¡¯ What she did was merely whetting Ji Yunshu¡¯s appetite, baiting her. Seeing her hesitation, Madame Jiang continued, ¡°I know Teacher Ji doesn¡¯t like the capital and has no intention to meddle in the maelstrom of intrigues. As an intelligent person, don¡¯t you want to have some achievements under your name? Are you really willing to be a golden carp in a tiny pond?¡± ¡®A golden carp?¡¯ She preferred to root herself into the pond. Summer has rain; Winter has snow! She faintly smiled. She reached for the wine bottle, swirled it and poured the wine into two cups, one for her, the other for Madame Jiang. Then, she spoke in a clear voice, ¡°This humble one salutes you.¡± As she finished her words, she drained the cup in one gulp. She put down the cup before getting up and lightly patting her clothes. ¡°Goodbye.¡± She was about to go, but Madame managed to shout in that split second, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you really don¡¯t want the information on the Lin Capital case?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s footsteps halted. She cast a sidelong nce at Madame Jiang and replied back, ¡°If you want to say, then say it. If you¡¯re unwilling, then I won¡¯t force you to speak.¡± ¡°You came to the capital to help Prince Rong investigate the ¡®Lin Capital case¡¯. Since you¡¯re already here, what¡¯s wrong with solving another case or two? As long as you help me find Shuiqing, I¡¯ll give you all the information I have on what happened 14 years ago. I can ensure you that the information I have will help immensely with the breakthrough of the Imperial Duke case.¡± ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Ji Yunshu turned around and straightforwardly stared at her. However, Madame Jiang¡¯s cold eyes contained the confidence that she could see through people. She stepped up, closing her distance to Ji Yunshu and said, ¡°If Teacher Ji doesn¡¯t believe me, then it would be unlikely that you would agree to meet me in the first ce after receiving my letter.¡± The letter appeared to be Madame Jiang¡¯s bait which she used to hook Ji Yunshu like a big fish. The result was self-evident, Ji Yunshu got caught hook, line and sinker. Yet, Ji Yunshu replied in contrary, ¡°Madame Jiang, there is one thing you got right; I truly don¡¯t like the capital. As for the disappearance case, I am unable to help you.¡± After she heard the wordsing from Ji Yunshu¡¯s mouth, Madame Jiang hurriedly refuted, ¡°When in Jinjiang, I remember how your eyes had turned red upon finding out that Ah Yu had passed away. You even went through untold dangers and difficulties and used everything you had to try proving that she had nothing to do with the murder.¡± This high and resounding praise seemed somewhat too big for Ji Yunshu to bear. Originally, Madame Jiang had adopted a threatening tone to coerce Ji Yunshu to help her, but now, it had turned into an argument based on emotional reasoning. Ji Yunshu merely smiled, yet it was one that contained bitterness. ¡°We¡¯re in the capital, not in Jinjiang.¡± ¡°Teacher Ji¡­¡± ¡°When I do something, I do not mind about the world and it isn¡¯t my turn to care about the world. This humble one is but an insignificant painter. As for this case, it isn¡¯t something I can involve myself with.¡± This is the truth. What qualification did she have? Even if she wanted to help, she didn¡¯t have the ability. Madame Jiang¡¯s face showed her frustration. She lightly sighed, ¡°Since you are this resolute with your decision, I won¡¯t force you. However, the information I have on the Lin Capital case¡­ I¡¯m afraid that Teacher will not be able to hear it.¡± ¡°Do as you want.¡± The words lightly spilled out from her red lips while she opened the door and stepped out of the room. Looking at her back, the question that burned within Madame Jiang finally came out, ¡°What happened to your face?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s hands stilled on the door. Her gaze continued to fix in front of her while her mouth pulled into a serene but almost indifferent smile. She replied, ¡°Themon people say that a face would change eight times during a life, bing different every time. My appearance has changed, what is so strange about it?¡± Bam! The door closed, leaving Madame Jiang who was turning red from anger. She didn¡¯t expected Ji Yunshu to refuse her so bluntly. Her left hand clenched into a fist which she hammered the table lightly. Then, she took the letter left behind by Ji Yunshu. On it, it could be read: If you want to know about the ¡°Lin Capital Case¡±, meet me at restaurant Heng Ping. Undersigned, Madame Jiang. Under Madame Jiang¡¯s fingers, the letter slowly crumpled into a ball which she ferociously threw to the floor. ¡°Teacher Ji, you should have believed me.¡± ¡­¡­¡­. As Ji Yunshu went downstairs, she collided with two people who were hurrying up. Fortunately, she grabbed onto the wooden railing in time. Otherwise, she would¡¯ve been in a pitiful state. ¡°Do you know how to walk? Where did you put your eyes?!¡± The person, who she collided into, burst into anger. Ji Yunshu nced at him. ¡®It¡¯s that golden fish¡¯s poop.¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to respond to him. She lowered her gaze and left without a word, but her shoulder was suddenly grabbed by Li Shiyan. ¡°Hey! Are you mute? You bump into someone and want to leave like that?¡± ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°Oh! So, you¡¯re not mute, huh? Want me to let go? You bump into me, but didn¡¯t even apologize and still want to leave?¡± ¡®Are you trying to swindle someone by demandingpensation from just bumping into each other?¡¯ Ji Yunshu turned around. Her gloomy eyes glint with a cold light. ¡°If I remember well, aren¡¯t you the one who bumped into me?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Li Shiyan couldn¡¯t reply back. He observed the person in front of him and felt like those eyes were somewhat familiar. The anger inside him dissipated in an instant. Ji Yunshu reached up to Li Shiyan¡¯s hand, which was still holding onto her shoulder, and overthrew it. She was prepared to leave, but Li Shiyan tried to grab her again with his evil ws. However, his hand had yet to reach Ji Yunshu¡¯s shoulder when it was met with the attack of a whip instead. Li Shiyan promptly avoided the attack. If he didn¡¯t, his arm would¡¯ve suffered a bigsh with blood flowing out. ¡°What kind of shameless bastard are you? You clearly were the one who bumped into someone first, but you still don¡¯t want to let the other go. Truly a scoundrel!¡± With a nce, he saw a woman in blue holding a red whip. Her hair was ck like ink. Half of it was tied up while the rest fell in a cascade over her back. Her delicate face was very pretty. She was adorned with plum blossoms. She was like a budding lotus floating on the water. She had small lips and a straight nose. Combined with big eyes full of life, her appearance truly matched her personality. Truly a beautiful and vibrant young woman! There was naivete in her eyes, but it didn¡¯t hide the arrogance within her. She lightly lifted her chin and stepped forward. Li Shiyan was utterly difited. She was the first woman to actually dare to whip him. ¡°Who are you?¡± He reproved. ¡°Me?¡± The woman pointed her slender finger towards herself. The corner of her mouth curled into an arrogant yet spoiled smile. Li Shiyan was also an arrogant and spoiled young man. This time, he met one of his kind. He snorted while taking two steps forward. He attentively observed the whip in the woman¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Yes I¡¯m asking you.¡± The woman wound the whip in her hand before arrogantly raising her chin. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that when I tell you my name, you will be so frightened that you will kneel on the ground and call me Great Aunt!¡± ¡°Shameless boasting!¡± Li Shiyan was extremely disdainful. The woman¡¯s mood turned bad. She pointed at him. ¡°What did you say?!¡± ¡°I said who do you think you are to make me call you great aunt? Do you know who I am?¡± ¡°As if I care who you are! You actually dare to look down on me? I¡¯ll whip you until you cry!¡± Li Shiyan was prepared to catch her whip, but too bad, someone caught the woman¡¯s hand just as she was halfway towards whipping Li Shiyan. ÖØÉù¶ø³â£º¡°¾°Ý棬²»×¼ºúÄÖ¡£¡± Soon after, she looked up and saw Jing Rong¡¯s stern face. She could clearly see the impatience and disappointment in his expression as he reprimanded, ¡°Jing Xuan, you¡¯re not allowed to act willfully.¡± ¡®Jing Xuan?¡¯ Chapter 139: Negotiation Chapter 139: Negotiation The woman who was called Jing Xuan immediately pouted. She harrumphed but still obediently wound back her whip. However, it didn¡¯t stop her from venting her anger by stomping her feet. ¡°Im- Big brother, why are you always helping other people?!¡± ¡®Big brother?¡¯ It appeared that Jing Xuan was a princess. Jing Rong didn¡¯t n to attend to Jing Xuan. He looked at Ji Yunshu and reached for her wrist before pulling her toward him. ¡°Come back with me.¡± After speaking those words, he pulled her out of the restaurant, leaving behind a flustered and exasperated Jing Xuan who was noisilyining. She turned around and saw a confused Li Shiyan. She resumed back to her princess attitude and arrogantly spoke to him, ¡°Hey you! Listen well, today I let you off the hook. But if you dare to disy such temper in front of me next time, I¡¯ll break your wrist! Do you hear me?¡± Li Shiyan didn¡¯t respond. After warning him, she hurriedly chased after Jing Rong. When she came near her brother, she tugged at him and pulled him aside before whispering to him, ¡°Imperial brother, who is this? Why is he wearing a mask?¡± ¡°Why do you care so much about it?¡± ¡°I¡­ I was just asking you. It¡¯s been half a year since Ist saw you, but you¡¯re still so fierce!¡± For Jing Rong, his little sister was always a source of headaches. He frowned but lowered his voice as he replied to her, ¡°Hurry and return to the pce. The next time you dare to secretly slip out of the pce, I will tell your imperial mother about it.¡± ¡°Imperial brother, I went out of the pce just to see you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy. I have no time to care about you. I¡¯ll order people to send you back to the pce.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Without waiting for Jing Xuan to act willfully, Jing Rong quickly left while dragging Ji Yunshu with him. Jing Xuan could only re at her brother. However, deep inside her heart, she was very curious about the identity of the man her brother came for. Howe when she looked at her brother, it seemed as if her brother actually cared for that man? He even said ¡®Let¡¯s go back¡¯. Go back to where? Meanwhile, inside the restaurant, Li Shiyan was still shocked. That man earlier, wasn¡¯t he the man apanying Shu¡¯er? As for that person wearing the mask¡­ ¡°She couldn¡¯t be Shu¡¯er, right?¡± The realization shocked Li Shiyan! ¡­¡­¡­. On their way to the Rong estate, Jing Rong didn¡¯t ask anything, and Ji Yunshu also didn¡¯t mention about meeting with Madame Jiang. They both understood it was meaningless to speak because Jing Rong must have already known about Madame Jiang. ¡°Tomorrow is Concubine Xiao¡¯s birthday. You should prepare yourself,¡± said Jing Rong. Ji Yunshu nodded. Jing Rong¡¯s expression sank. ¡°Next time when you leave the estate, you should tell me your whereabouts. I want to avoid mobilizing all the troops within the capital to search for you.¡± ¡®Are you sulking?¡¯ However, Ji Yunshu could clearly hear the concern in his voice. Therefore, she blinked her big eyes and obediently nodded in reply. The next day, Ji Yunshu followed Jing Rong into the pce. Concubine Xiao¡¯s birthday banquet was held in Tongzhi hall. As soon as they entered, they took a seat and Jing Rong whispered next to her. While listening to Jing Rong, she followed his eyes as he started to introduce each of the present guests. This event was an unprecedented affair put in ce by Qi Zhen emperor since no concubine has ever celebrated their birthday so grandly before. Concubine Xiao was sitting beside the emperor in a dignified manner, dressed in opulence. She was observing the banquet the whole time. Just below, respectively on their left and right, sat Prince Yi, Jing Yi, and the crown prince, Jing Hua. Following their ranks, Jing Rong and several ministers sat below them. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the emperor have seven sons?¡± asked Ji Yunshu in puzzlement. ¡°Three have died.¡± ¡°The crown prince, Prince Yi, you, Prince Rong, and who else?¡± ¡°Jing Xian, but his health is not good since birth. He rarelyes out; thus, not many people have seen him.¡± Their dialogue consisted of a question and an answer. Ji Yunshu nodded to express her understanding but no longer asked. Probably due to her mask, as soon as she took a seat, she attracted numerous eyes. She had inadvertently attracted Prince Yi¡¯s attention whose eyes stealthily observed her, while a mysterious smile floated on his face. Concubine Xiao¡¯s birthday banquet in Tongzhi hall was currently at its best with music and dance. Then, Concubine Xiao leaned closer to the emperor and whispered something in his ear. Their eyes from time to time drifted to Ji Yunshu. After the dance and music stopped, everyone raised their cup of wine and loudly cheered, ¡°Long live to the emperor! We wish Concubine Xiao happiness, longevity, and good health!¡± Of course, Concubine Xiao spoke a few polite words in response. Qi Zhen emperor smiled, then looked at Ji Yunshu. He asked Jing Rong, ¡°Is this the talented person you spoke about?¡± Jing Rong got up and lowered his head in respect. ¡°Yes, his surname is Ji.¡± ¡°Teacher Ji?¡± The emperorughed while observing Ji Yunshu. He then asked, ¡°Do you have the ability to investigate the Lin Capital case?¡± Ji Yunshu got up and imitated Jing Rong by lowering her head. ¡°This humble one is but a small painter. Prince Rong values me, but I really am not considered an extraordinary talent.¡± ¡°Contrariwise, you have eloquence,¡± said the emperor. At this moment, Concubine Xiao suddenly shifted her gaze to Ji Yunshu. She didn¡¯t speak a word for while before faintly saying, ¡°Recently, I heard that many girls from distinguished families have disappeared within the capital. The capital governor and the Supreme Court had investigated for such a long time yet there are still no clues. Since Prince Rong has carefully chosen Teacher Ji to help investigate the Imperial Duke case, you are surely an outstanding person. How about we hand over this case to Teacher Ji?¡± When she was done talking, she glued herself next to the emperor and wrapped herself around his arm. In a soft voice she continued, ¡°Your Majesty, this Concubine suggests that we test Teacher Ji. Afterall, the Imperial Duke case involves the imperial household. We cannot just rely on Prince Rong¡¯s judgment. So, how about using that series of missing cases to test him? What do you think, your Majesty?¡± Ji Yunshu had to admit that, to be able to survive in the harem up until now, Concubine Xiao didn¡¯t just depend on tricks; her IQ also contributed to most of the part. When the emperor heard her speech, he mused for a moment before nodding. He stated, ¡°Concubine Xiao is right.¡± Then, he continued while looking at Jing Rong, ¡°Jing Rong, we think that suggestion is good. Let Teacher Ji investigate those missing cases. If he can solve it, we will believe that he has the ability to investigate the Lin Capital case.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s expression was slightly awkward as he nced at Ji Yunshu. He knew that she epted to travel to the capital only for the Imperial Duke case. Yet, now she had to investigate another case. This waspletely unanticipated. ¡®ording to this woman¡¯s temper, she will unlikely agree to my Imperial Father.¡¯ Unexpectedly, Ji Yunshu detoured around her banquet table and walked until she was in the middle of the hall. She pulled up her robe a bit and kneeled. Both of her hands were sped in front of her. A strong determination could be seen in her gaze. ¡°Since your Majesty and herdyship, Concubine Xiao, will let me investigate those missing cases, then this humble one will take over those cases. However, this humble one would like to add a condition.¡± ¡®A condition?¡¯ Everyone was bbergasted. Since ancient times, no one has ever dared to negotiate with the emperor. It appeared that this person didn¡¯t want to stay alive! Jing Yi smiled even more when he heard Ji Yunshu¡¯s words. He swirled the cup of wine in his hand. He wanted to carefully watch the scene unfolding before him. As for the crown prince, with his simple mind, he watched the drama in front of him with an extremely disdainful smile. He thought to himself that this person was provoking his father¡¯s ire and should be beheaded. In fact, it was best if Jing Rong was beheaded along with him. ¡®Idiot!¡¯ As for Jing Rong, at this instant, he was carefully observing his father¡¯s expression. The emperor¡¯s expression greatly changed several times. First, his expression became overcast, next a smile smoothed his face. Finally, he showed curiosity and asked Ji Yunshu, ¡°What condition do you want? How interesting! Tell me. What is your condition?¡± Ji Yunshu raised her head and indifferently spoke, ¡°If this humble one can solve the missing cases, I hope your Majesty will send an edict that will allow us to open the coffins of the victims involved in the Imperial Duke case.¡± Chapter 140: Weighing One’s Decision Chapter 140: Weighing One¡¯s Decision Decisions, decisions! Qi Zhen emperor has to weigh his decision. If Qin Shiyu was the first person to push him into a dilemma, Ji Yunshu could be considered the second person. Presenting such a condition and wanting to negotiate with him about unsealing the coffins for the Imperial Duke case in front of so many people were undoubtedly a resounding p to his face. ¡®How impudent!¡¯ However, he was the one who trapped himself in this situation. If he didn¡¯t agree with Ji Yunshu, wouldn¡¯t his supremacy as the emperor be shaken? He pushed the missing girls case to Ji Yunshu but wouldn¡¯t allow her to unseal the coffins to investigate the Imperial Duke case. Wouldn¡¯t that seem as if he was tantly establishing a double standard?! ¡°You want us to agree to open the victims¡¯ coffins for the Imperial Duke case?¡± confirmed Qi Zhen emperor. ¡°Yes, your Majesty.¡± Qi Zhen emperor¡¯splexion darkened. He lightly pat his thighs with both of his hands before solemnly stating, ¡°It appeared that Qin Shiyu is the start of everything.¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t confront the emperor¡¯s supreme authority head-on. Her tone was subdued as she spoke, ¡°If your Majesty feels that this humble one¡¯s condition is inappropriate, you can consider that I did not speak of it.¡± ¡­¡­¡­. ¡®How amusing!¡¯ The emperor wasn¡¯t an idiot. He understood the reason why Ji Yunshu so readily retreated. He chuckled while saying, ¡°Fine, we agree with your condition. If you can solve the missing girls case, we will send a decree allowing you to excavate and open those coffins. However, for the five coffins of the Imperial Duke¡¯s family, since they were already ced inside the imperial tomb, we will not allow you to move them. If you want to unseal their coffins, you will need to go into the tomb on Lin mountain.¡± ¡°Many thanks your Majesty.¡± Ji Yunshu bowed to the emperor. Qi Zhen emperor promptly waved his hand. ¡°Alright, today is Concubine Xiao¡¯s birthday. Let¡¯s not discuss this matter anymore.¡± Ji Yunshu got up and returned to her ce. Meanwhile, the dancers returned to the stage, and the hall was full of festivity again. From the beginning, Ji Yunshu remained extremely quiet and aloof. Jing Rong slightly leaned toward her and whispered, ¡°You¡¯re really not afraid that the emperor will order your death?¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t shy away from speaking the truth, ¡°I¡¯m afraid!¡± ¡°Then why did you¡­¡± ¡°If I didn¡¯t take this gamble, how would I know he will agree or not? Besides, if the emperor really wanted to behead me, he would be known as a despotic ruler, an infamy he didn¡¯t want to bear.¡± Jing Rong frowned. ¡°These two words shouldn¡¯t be spoken randomly.¡± ¡°What two words?¡± ¡°Despotic ruler.¡± ¡°Pfft!¡± Ji Yunshu lowered herugh. Her mouth was arched, and she couldn¡¯t reply. Jing Rong¡¯s face pulled away. This woman always pulled him into unexpected situations. He hummed in a low voice before sitting straight like before. Further away, Jing Yi was inwardly sighing and shaking his head. ¡®Ji Yunshu?¡¯ ¡°This person is indeed interesting!¡± At this moment, Jing Xuan came in and silently went to sit next to Ji Yunshu. Her exquisite face moved in front of Ji Yunshu. She pulled on Ji Yunshu¡¯s sleeve to get thetter¡¯s attention while showing an expression full of curiosity and adoration. Jing Xuan asked, ¡°Hey, who are you?¡± Ji Yunshu squinted her eyes as she looked at Jing Xuan. ¡®This girl, what does she want?¡¯ ¡°Princess should sit a bit further away from me Afterall, men and women have to keep their distance.¡± ¡°How do you know that I am a princess?¡± Ji Yunshu would be an idiot if she didn¡¯t realize the other was a princess. Ji Yunshu pursed her lips but didn¡¯t reply to the question. However, Jing Xuan was someone who loved to pester people. She didn¡¯t stop pulling on Ji Yunshu¡¯s sleeves, sticking to her like gum. Jing Xuan continued to talk, ¡°I was outside earlier, but I heard what you said. You really can discover the truth behind the Lin Capital case? Fourteen years ago, when I was still small, I heard that numerous people tried to break that case but to no avail. Do you believe that you have the ability to solve it? Also, I heard that several pce maids spoke about the missing girls case. Supposedly, the investigation has been going on for a while now, but they still have no clues. I hope you¡¯re not overestimating your ability, right? Be careful or my imperial father will chop off your head.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey, this Princess is speaking to you.¡± ¡°This humble one is listening,¡± Ji Yunshu replied indifferently. Jing Xuan bit her red lips while supporting her cheek with her hands. She carefully observed Ji Yunshu. Suddenly, she couldn¡¯t help but reach for Ji Yunshu¡¯s mask. Her hand had yet to touch the mask when it was seized by Jing Rong. Timely grabbing his sister¡¯s wrist, Jing Rong coldly nced at her. ¡°Go back to your seat.¡± ¡°Imperial Brother.¡± ¡°Hurry!¡± Her whole appearance exuded anger. Then, she attentively looked at Ji Yunshu again before she unwillingly returned to her seat. However, her gaze which was filled with curiosity never left Ji Yunshu. After the dancing and singing performance had ended, everyone ceremoniously presented their presents. Prince Yi¡¯s gift was the most expensive one with an Eight Immortals tree which took five years to sprout and five years to grow. It is said that he had spent six months to search for those trees. Of course, this gift had made herdyship, Concubine Xiao, very happy. The emperor also bestowed upon her many gold and silver. Thus, Concubine Xiao¡¯s birthday banquet could be said to have ended satisfactorily. After returning to the Rong estate, Jing Rong grabbed Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand. He opened his mouth and wanted to ask something, but after mulling it over for a bit, he only said, ¡°Never mind.¡± He let her go before dering, ¡°You have resolved a difficult problem for me. I owe you this one.¡± ¡°Since I helped you solve a difficult problem concerning the Lin Capital case, can you also help me resolve my problem?¡± ¡°Your words always leave me speechless,¡± lightly sighed Jing Rong. ¡°Tomorrow, the capital governor will meet us to give the report on the missing girls case, so you should rest properly tonight.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Rest assured that I will help you with this case.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Jing Rong stared at her, but immediately afterward, he left without looking back. Ji Yunshu went back inside her courtyard and saw that Wei Yi was already asleep. She washed her face and went to bed. The next day, theplete information on the missing girls case was personally delivered to the Rong estate by the capital governor. Since the case had no lead for the past two months, the capital governor was more than happy to throw that hot potato to someone else. A big pile of documents rted to the case was ced on Ji Yunshu¡¯s table while the capital governor sped his hands, politely greeting Ji Yunshu. ¡°I heard that Teacher Ji is an outstanding talent which earned you Prince Rong¡¯s admiration. You certainly are outstanding. What you said yesterday during the banquet had also earned my admiration!¡± ¡°Capital governor, your words are too heavy. This humble one is only an ordinary person. This big praise, I cannot bear it.¡± ¡°Of course, you can bear it. Teacher Ji is recognized by Prince Rong, and you even got the conditional approval of the emperor to unseal the coffins for the Imperial Duke case. These prove that you are a model for the younger generation. This Official rarely admires anyone, but Teacher Ji deserves my respect.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t dare.¡± She really doesn¡¯t know how to refute this man, so she politely smiled and quickly changed the topic. ¡°What¡¯s the progress of the missing girls case?¡± The capital governor awkwardly smiled before shaking his head. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t ask any further. ¡®Forget it.¡¯ The capital governor was busy with many matters; thus, he didn¡¯t stay long as he hurriedly departed. After he left, Ji Yunshu flipped through some of the documents. Everything was meticulouslypiled. She could see from which family the missing girls came from, their ages, and theirplete profiles. The information was very thorough. She closed the document and threw it aside. ¡°Everything is well written!¡± The words she spoke were full of sarcasm. The fact remained that they couldn¡¯t do the job. Since they couldn¡¯t handle the field, everything waspiled on paper which caused people to get headaches when reading it. If this was the modern times and she encountered such a government official, it could be predicted that everyone in the whole country would want to rebel against him. Suddenly, she recalled Magistrate Liu. ¡®At least, that man has themon people in mind.¡¯ At this instant, Wei Yi came in with a plucked plum blossom in his hand. ¡°Shu¡¯er.¡± He called her. Ji Yunshu who was sitting in front of her desk lifted her eyes and looked at him. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you promise me that you will bring me to eat meat? The meat here is not tasty. Can you bring me out to eat meat?¡± ¡°Right now?¡± ¡°Uh-huh!¡± He heavily nodded. She looked outside. There was no rain, and the weather was rtively good. Since she did promise Wei Yi to bring him to eat meat when they reached the capital, she cannot go against her words. ¡°Sure.¡± Chapter 141: The Faceless Corpse Chapter 141: The Faceless Corpse After Ji Yunshu sent Lu Jiang to inform Jing Rong that she was going out, she left the Rong estate with Wei Yi. Alongside Wei Yi, she looked for a good restaurant and ordered some dishes. Wei Yi was extremely happy and immediately started to eat when all the dishes were served. He ate with relish, but he didn¡¯t forget to put a pair of chopsticks in Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand and repeatedly said, ¡°Shu¡¯er, you should eat too.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± She picked a piece of meat and put it in her mouth. The vor slowly spread on her tongue. She immediately frowned and hurriedly spat out the meat. ¡°The taste of this meat¡­ Why it is a bit¡­ unusual?¡± She muttered. She used her chopsticks, picked up the meat, and observed it attentively. It didn¡¯t look any different. ¡®Can it be that the meat was kept too long? Expired meat?¡¯ Wei Yi, who was about to pick some meat up, was stopped by Ji Yunshu. ¡°Eat the other dishes.¡± ¡°But Shu¡¯er, this is meat!¡± ¡°I know this is meat.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Wei Yi pitifully looked at her. He didn¡¯t want to let go of that piece of meat. His expression revealed yearning and desire for that juicy meat. Unfortunately for him, Ji Yunshu resolutely didn¡¯t let him eat it. She moved that dish to the side and called the waiter. The waiter thought she wanted to order more, so he eagerly ran to her and bowed before asking, ¡°Dear guest, do you need anything else?¡± Ji Yunshu took her chopsticks and tapped the te containing the meat. ¡°How long has your restaurant been famous?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°Waiter, are your ears not good?¡± The waiter smiled awkwardly while waving his hands. ¡°No, not at all. My ears are good. It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t really understand what you mean.¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t speak in a roundabout way. She lifted her eyes and looked at the waiter with a sharp and cold expression, making the waiter tremble in fear. ¡°Is this meat dish fresh?¡± The waiter nced at the meat dish. His heart was filled with apprehension. The meaning was quite obvious, so he hurriedly exined, ¡°O-Of course it¡¯s fresh. Guest, our inn has a long-established reputation in the capital. All of the food is made on the same day. Freshness is guaranteed!¡± ¡°Then, you try this.¡± ¡®You dare to say our food is not fresh? You are clearly searching for trouble.¡¯ The waiter thought for a moment and still took a bite of the meat. However, as soon as he took a bite, his face twisted, and embarrassment could be seen in his expression. He opened his mouth and mumbled, ¡°Guest, this¡­ This is absolutely an ident. This thing, I¡¯ll exchange it right away for you.¡± Ji Yunshu wasn¡¯t fond of bullying people, thus she nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright, be quick.¡± ¡°Yes, right away. Please wait for a moment. I¡¯lle rece it immediately.¡± The waiter took the te and was about to run to the kitchen when Ji Yunshu stopped him. ¡°Forget it. There¡¯s no need to rece it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not exchanging it?¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± Since she couldn¡¯t determine if all of their meat was spoiled, it was better not to eat any. The waiter mulled for a moment, then scratched his head before leaving. He was fortunate to meet such a nice guest. If it was someone else, they would have demandedpensation from the restaurant or they would have deliberately caused trouble. Even worse, they could have damaged the restaurant just like Li Shiyan and Jing Xuan. During the whole time, Wei Yi was staring at her with big glistening eyes like a puppy. Ji Yunshu nced at him and asked, ¡°Do you want to eat this meat very much?¡± Wei Yi nodded. ¡°If I don¡¯t let you eat, will you be angry at me?¡± He shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s good then. This table is filled with delicious and mouth-watering food. Eat those instead. Don¡¯t be wasteful.¡± Wei Yi nodded once again. Probably due to the other dishes being tasty, Wei Yi didn¡¯t bother with the meat dish and stuffed himself until he was bloated. After eating their fill, Ji Yunshu paid the bill and went downstairs. She was about to leave the restaurant when Wei Yi pulled on her sleeve and pointed at something. He spoke in a low voice, ¡°Shu¡¯er, look. They look so pitiful!¡± Following the direction where Wei Yi pointed, she looked at the stage set in the restaurant. On the stage, there was an old man with grizzled hair sitting on a chair holding an erhu. Next to him stood a pretty and delicate girl. Her age shouldn¡¯t be more than 16 years old. She wore light blue clothes and had a very pretty smiling face. The old man yed the erhu while the young girl sang. A moment of leisure and enjoyment! Ji Yunshu fished out some money and gave it to Wei Yi. ¡°Go and give her this. Tell her to sing ¡®The Caged Woman¡¯.¡± ¡°Alright!¡± He took the money and went to the stage. He stood in front of the girl with his tall physique towering over her,pletely hiding the girl¡¯s slender body. After he did what Ji Yunshu told him, he returned to her side and said in a small voice, ¡°Shu¡¯er, I asked that big sister and she told me that her name is Mei Xiang¡¯er. Her name is really nice to hear, but it still can¡¯t beat Shu¡¯er¡¯s.¡± Since when did Wei Yi learn to be a smooth talker?! The singer held the money in her hand and looked at Ji Yunshu with gratitude in her gaze. Other than gratitude, there was a hint of shyness within her eyes. It was not surprising. Even with her male clothing, Ji Yunshu couldn¡¯t hide her tender and soft looking skin which gave her a charm that not even Jing Xuan could resist, let alone amon young girl. Ji Yunshu departed from the restaurant with Wei Yi, but behind her, she could still hear Xiang¡¯er singing ¡°The Caged Woman¡±. They didn¡¯t return to the Rong estate immediately and strolled around the streets instead. The merchandise found in the capital were many times more diverse and boratepared to Jingjiang. There were many objects that Ji Yunshu found which, even as an archeologist, she hadn¡¯t seen before. During the whole time, Wei Yi shouted at everything he liked; thus, Ji Yunshu ended up buying a pile of things that were useful and some that were not. The main point was that as long as Wei Yi liked something, she would buy it for him. In the end, they returned to the estate while holding arge pile of weird objects. When they entered, she met Jing Rong who she wanted to avoid. Lang Po who was standing near him hurriedly retreated a few steps. He didn¡¯t want Wei Yi to make him hold that pile of strange toys, thus he kept his distance. Jing Rong grabbed onto Ji Yunshu¡¯s sleeve and asked her with quite a serious expression, ¡°The capital governor sent you information concerning the missing girls case, was it useful?¡± ¡°Not at all!¡± ¡°Then, why do you still have the time to bring that guy out to y?¡± Ji Yunshu fiercely red at him. ¡°Is this ce a prison? Do you want to put shackles on me and forbid me from going outside?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s grim expression immediately cracked. ¡°You know that that is not what I meant. This case is particrly thorny; I¡¯m just worried that¡­¡± He had yet to finish speaking when he was interrupted by Ji Yunshu. ¡°Since I epted the case, there¡¯s no thorny matter that can¡¯t be resolved. Shouldn¡¯t you believe in me more?¡± ¡°Of course I believe in you!¡± He hastily replied without hesitation. His reply made Ji Yunshu feel a bit embarrassed. Suddenly, a man ran into the estate in panic. He was wearing a uniform. It was someone working for the capital governor. The man was still panting, but he still bowed to Jing Rong and said, ¡°Your Highness, the cap¡­ capital go¡­ governor wanted to¡­ to inform you¡­ That we found¡­ a body, but¡­¡± The man took a deep breath. ¡®A corpse?¡¯ Jing Rong and Ji Yunshu¡¯s expressions immediately sank. ¡°Whose body?¡± ¡°It¡­ It¡¯s a woman¡¯s corpse. A naked one¡­ Furthermore¡­¡± The man closed his mouth when he spoke to that part. His face twisted into an ugly sight as if he was stopping himself from vomiting. Jing Rong was someone who hated wishy-washy people the most. He strongly urged the man, ¡°Hurry up and spit it out! Furthermore what?¡± The man repressed the urge to spit out the contents of his stomach and continued but lowered his voice a bit, ¡°Furthermore, the corpse¡¯s hands were chopped off and her face¡­ was also peeled off. We couldn¡¯t determine her appearance because of that, and¡­ the sight of it is extremely sickening.¡± The corpse¡¯s description was enough to horrify people. Ji Yunshu frowned. ¡®The face was peeled off, and the hands were chopped off? What a strange murder.¡¯ Chapter 142: Heading to the Memorial Hall Chapter 142: Heading to the Memorial Hall A naked corpse? Not to mention that this one had their face peeled off. Just imagining it would make anyone¡¯s stomach feel revulsed and made them want to throw up. Although the capital is big and countless of odds and perverted situations had happened, but this kind of case was unprecedented. Despite being rmed by the discovery, Jing Rong didn¡¯t show any form of emotional upheaval. The world was such a big ce and he had yet to see everything. His expression slightly darkened as he spoke. ¡°Since the capital governor sent you here to inform me of this discovery, does that mean this is rted to the missing girls¡¯ case?¡± The man repeatedly nodded and replied. ¡°In fact, the capital governor suspects that it might be connected to the missing girls case, so he ordered this lowly one to inform Your Highness.¡± After replying, he nced at Ji Yunshu. ¡°This has to be reported to Teacher Ji too since the emperor has given full authority of this case to Teacher Ji. Therefore, reporting to Your Highness and Teacher Ji is a must.¡± In either case, the capital governor dly threw this hot potato far away from him. As for Ji Yunshu, she thought to herself that if this is rted to the missing girls case, then this trail that came to her was very fast and sudden too. Jing Rong gave her a sideways nce as if he was wordlessly asking her something. Understanding his meaning, she nodded at him. Finally, Jing Rong asked the man in uniform, ¡°Where is the corpse now?¡± ¡°We already sent it to the capital¡¯s memorial hall.¡± ¡°Hmm. Report to the capital governor that this Prince will go there with Teacher Ji in a moment.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness.¡± The man clutched his stomach and rushed out. He probably couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and ran to find a ce to vomit. ¡°Do you want to bring something before going there?¡± asked Jing Rong. At present, this man beside her had probably grasped her working routine. Ji Yunshu nodded at Jing Rong. ¡°Then, please wait for a moment.¡± ¡°No problem. You can take your time.¡± ¡®What do you mean by taking your time? Do you want to wait until the corpse starts rotting before going?¡¯ Ji Yunshu stealthily gawked at him, but not long after, she dragged Wei Yi, who was still holding onto a pile of curios not far away, back to the East Courtyard. As soon as she went in, she swiftly took her sandalwood box, rolled up a few papers and picked up a pair of gloves on her way out. Wei Yi, who had dumped all the curios on the table, rubbed his waist while counting the things he got in an extremely good mood. ¡°Shu¡¯er, can I bring all of these back home?¡± ¡°Why do you want to bring these back?¡± ¡°Because we don¡¯t have these things at home.¡± Indeed, these curios couldn¡¯t be found in Jingjiang. Noticing that Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t answer his question, Wei Yi hurriedly said, ¡°I want to give these to Ami. Oh! And there¡¯s Ahua, Xiao Dou, Uncle Fu, Yu¡¯er and my wet nurse. That¡¯s right! I shouldn¡¯t forget about Tie Zhu, Xiao Dan, Abao and Big Brother Jing in the kitchen. They are good to me and I promised them that I¡¯ll bring them gifts when I return from the capital. Mother said that I can¡¯t break my promises. Shu¡¯er, is it alright if I bring these back?¡± Ji Yunshu understood that Jingjiang was a ce that held many memories for Wei Yi. He had a good father and a loving mother, but what about her? She had none of it! Taking a deep breath, she dispersed the ck clouds densely covering her mind and extricated herself from those dark thoughts. ¡°Wei Yi, we might not be able to¡­¡± She didn¡¯tplete her sentence as Wei Yi immediately interrupted her. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right! I have something to give you.¡± Upon saying that, he took out a box hidden inside his sleeve with great excitement. He held it with both his hands and presented it to Ji Yunshu. His mouth curled into a very pure smile. ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Wei Yi, I need to go out now. Can you obediently wait here for my return?¡± Hearing this, Wei Yi lowered the box and weakly let his arms fall to his side. Disappointment painted his expression while he muttered in a soft voice. ¡°Could it be that you don¡¯t like my present?¡± ¡°Of course not. No matter what you give me, I¡¯ll like it. I¡¯ll look at it when Ie back.¡± Wei Yi hastily pulled back Ji Yunshu. ¡°Shu¡¯er, where are you going? Don¡¯t abandon me here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not abandoning you.¡± ¡°But you went out with Big Brother yesterday and didn¡¯t care about me at all. I waited for you for a very long time. In the end, I was too sleepy and couldn¡¯t stay awake, but you still didn¡¯te back. You absolutely cannot leave me here all alone. Can¡¯t you bring me with you?¡± Wei Yi grabbed her arm and wouldn¡¯t let go no matter what. But Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t go out to have fun. She was going to examine that newly discovered corpse, so she can¡¯t obviously bring Wei Yi with her. Therefore, she steeled herself and disyed a serious expression. ¡°Wei Yi, can you listen to me?¡± He nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. You wait for me here until Ie back.¡± He shook his head in disagreement. ¡°Wei Yi!¡± She sternly shouted at him. Wei Yi lowered his head as if he knew that Ji Yunshu was angry. Gradually, he let go of Ji Yunshu¡¯s arm and took a step back. He whimpered in a low voice. ¡°I¡¯ll be good, so promise me that you won¡¯t abandon me here.¡± Ji Yunshu rubbed his head and gave him a smile that showed she will certainly not abandon him. When she left her courtyard, Jing Rong was already outside preparing her carriage while waiting for her. The memorial hall was located in the southern side of the capital. From the Rong estate, it was quite a distance to reach their destination. Knowing that Ji Yunshu was ufortable with his presence, Jing Rong chose to ride his horse instead out of his consideration to her. Mounted on his horse, he gestured at Lang Po. Lang Po immediately opened the curtain and invited Ji Yunshu to board the carriage, ¡°Teacher Ji, please get on the carriage.¡± When she was still in Jingjiang, Ji Yunshu always went to the memorial hall by foot, thus she felt that going there by carriage might be a bit excessive. With a determined expression, Ji Yunshu threw a nce at Jing Rong. ¡®Oi, oi, oi! We¡¯re not going on an inspection tour. It is really alright to go there in such a grand way?¡¯ Jing Rong realized the thoughts that were brewing in her mind. He kicked a bit the side of his horse, urging it to take two steps forward. ¡°The capital is a hundred times bigger than Jingjiang. If you want to walk there, I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°When did I say that I want to walk there?¡± ¡°Then, get on the carriage.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Fine, she conceded. She lowered her eyes and boarded the carriage. Then, before the curtain fell back, she red at Jing Rong. But this time around, Jing Rong didn¡¯t understand the reason for her anger. The carriage was a bit too gorgeous and she wasn¡¯t used to receiving this kind of treatment. For some reason, she felt as if she was treated like a prince¡¯s consort. She wasn¡¯t sure if Jing Rong was being deliberate or not. Moreover, This luxurious carriage was going to the memorial hall that was located in the southern part of the capital. She shook her head. ¡®Forget it, let¡¯s not think too much about it.¡¯ The carriage was about to leave when the curtain was suddenly lifted up and someone quickly drilled inside. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t even have time to react that the person had already taken a seat beside her. ¡°I¡¯m going with you!¡± A sharp and clear voice was heard. Jing Xuan haughtily raised her chin with a smile contained in her eyes as she looked at Ji Yunshu. She truly embodied the appearance of a small tyrant. ¡°Princess? Why are you here?¡± ¡°Why can I be here? I¡­ I came to find my imperial brother, not to find you. I heard that you are going to investigate the missing girls case so I decided that I¡¯m going to go with you two!¡± Ji Yunshu indifferently said, ¡°Princess, please go back. We are going to investigate, not going out to y.¡± When she heard Ji Yunshu, Jing Xuan became extremely displeased. She retorted, ¡°Who said I went there to have fun?¡± Her countenance changed into a serious and solemn one. ¡°I care very much about this case and I want to know the truth about it. Besides, this is a suggestion my mother made to Imperial Father. So, it¡¯s normal that¡­ that I observe you in my mother¡¯s stead. I¡¯ll see if you truly have the ability to investigate.¡± Chapter 143: The Unreasonable Princess Chapter 143: The Unreasonable Princess Jing Xuan could be described in twelve words: born as an arrogant child who knows how to lure others¡¯ hearts. Her eloquence is top rated, and she was extremely doted on by the emperor. She must have been the savior of the universe in her past life. In the end, Jing Xuan was a princess. Wherever she wanted to go, Ji Yunshu had no right to bar her way. Therefore, Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t argue with her and just sat ramrod straight on her seat. Although the person who slipped inside was a princess, Jing Rong would still not let her off this easily. And as expected, he lifted the curtain and stretched his arm inside, grabbing onto Jing Xuan¡¯s arm. ¡°Get out!¡± A frightening voice came out from his mouth. Jing Xuan was dragged out by her arm. In defense, she grabbed onto Ji Yunshu who was the closest thing next to her. In turn, Ji Yunshu was also dragged out of the carriage. As soon as he saw the chain reaction he caused, Jing Rong didn¡¯t apply anymore force, but he didn¡¯t let go of Jing Xuan. ¡°Imperial brother, I will not trouble you. I promise.¡± Jing Xuan pleaded in earnest. ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. If you don¡¯t get out at three, I¡¯ll break your legs, then drag you out again!¡± ¡°How can you be like this!¡± Tears pooled inside her eyes as she subconsciously drew back her legs, doing her best to back away far from her brother. In fact, her fear originated from a real incident that happened ten years ago. At that time, she was only 10 years old and had sneaked into the Rong estate to pester Jing Rong. Jing Rong, who was annoyed by her all morning without being able to drive her out, ran out of patience andpletely snapped. He grabbed a sword that hung as decoration, and with all his strength he used the sword hilt to hit her leg. The final result was very obvious. Jing Xuan ended up bedridden for a month. Concubine Xiao cried in front of the emperor two days straight. Eventually, the emperor keeled under the proud beauty¡¯s tears. That time just happened to coincide with Xuan Shu Empress¡¯ funeral; thus, the Emperor sent Jing Rong to the imperial tomb to guard the Empress¡¯ spirit for a year as punishment. ¡°Imperial brother, I will not cause you any problems. I promise you. Wouldn¡¯t that be enough? I will stand quietly on the side. I will not speak. I¡¯m telling you the truth.¡± ¡°One, two¡­¡± Jing Rong had yet to count to three, when he was interrupted by Ji Yunshu who voiced her opinion, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. We better hurry to the memorial hall.¡± She implicitly agreed that Jing Xuan could follow them. Once she heard her wish being granted, Jing Xuan felt extremely happy and beamed a grateful smile at Ji Yunshu. Jing Rong pondered. After taking into consideration a thing or two, he finally let Jing Xuan¡¯s arm go. Then, he snorted before letting the curtain fall down. After mounting his horse, he ordered everyone to set off. Inside the carriage, Jing Xuan rotated and twisted her arm that felt painful from Jing Rong¡¯s grip, whileining, ¡°This brother of mine is always angry at me. I thought that after going away for half a year his temper would get better. But never mind getting better, he remains the same: boorish and irascible.¡± ¡°Did you offend him?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. ¡°How did I offend him?¡± She promptly denied. ¡°Among all the brothers and sisters I have, I like imperial brother Jing Rong the most. He does appear cold, but I know that inside, he treats me really well.¡± ¡®He treats you well? Didn¡¯t he threaten to break your legs? Could it be what they call courting death?¡¯ While Ji Yunshu was doubting Jing Xuan¡¯s mental health, thetter was looking at empty space, nostalgia painted on her expression as she recalled some memories. Then, she started to narrate, ¡°Seven years ago, at the time I was only ten years old, a group of people from Yuanzu came to unite both nations in marriage. Imperial father deliberated with mother and they agreed that when Ie of age, I will be married off. Of course, when I learned this, I pleaded mother for a long time, but she didn¡¯t understand my feelings. So, I secretly left the pce and went to find Imperial Brother in the hopes that he would help me escape this marriage. But he ignored me. I kept pestering him for a long time until he finally snapped and broke my leg.¡± She paused for a moment, unexpectedly showing a ¡°how lucky¡± smile. Then, she continued, ¡°Because my imperial brother broke my leg, the people from Yuanzu demanded to annul the marriage with me after learning about it. Thus, my eighth big sister became engaged instead. Although on the surface my imperial broke my leg in anger, I know that he did it to help me. However, because of that, he was sent to guard the imperial tomb for a year.¡± A twinge of guilt rose inside her heart. To sum it up, despite Jing Rong¡¯s vicious and drastic method, its effectiveness was proven. Ji Yunshu had to admit that she had a new impression of Jing Rong. She lowered her eyes as she felt the conflicting feelings welling up inside of her. Jing Xuan¡¯s hand waved in front of Ji Yunshu. ¡°Hey, what are you thinking about?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°You¡¯re like my third imperial brother who often stares at nothing. The only difference is I don¡¯t like him, but I like you.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s back suddenly broke in cold sweat as the corner of her mouth twitched. In an instant, Jing Xuan suddenly closed in on her. Her pretty eyes curved in crescents as she bit on her lips and spoke in a mysterious voice, ¡°I really love looking at this soft and tender-looking skin of yours.¡± ¡°Princess, please act with propriety.¡± ¡°Why should I act with propriety? I dare to love what I love and not shy away from hating what I hate. Yesterday, you kneeled in the hall and pressured my imperial father to agree with your condition. If it was before, that kind of act would earn you my imperial father¡¯s ire and be bestowed a death sentence. This boldness of yours that pushed my imperial father to his wit¡¯s end is something that isn¡¯t seen in the numerous vassals of this empire. Thus, I¡­¡± Speaking to that point, she stretched her index and lightly hooked Ji Yunshu¡¯s jaw. Then, she finished her sentence, ¡°¡­fell in love with you!¡± ¡®Ah?!¡¯ Ji Yunshu felt her guts violently cramp up. At first, she gawked at Jing Xuan. It didn¡¯tst long as she promptly grabbed Jing Xuan¡¯s finger, pulling it away from her jaw. Once again, she indignantly uttered, ¡°Princess, please act with propriety!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not prejudiced against you. In fact, I really want to see what¡¯s hidden underneath that mask.¡± Jing Xuan reached for Ji Yunshu¡¯s mask, but Ji Yunshu dodged to the side. Her face turned cold. ¡°If you continue to act like this, I¡¯ll order the carriage to stop and let his Highness throw you out.¡± Jing Xuan¡¯s hand halted and reigned in her curiosity. She curled her lips and obediently sat back to her original spot of course not without chiding, ¡°I was only joking with you. There¡¯s no need to be so serious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that it¡¯s a joke, but your Highness should stop. If you really want to know the truth behind the missing girls case, then you should stay on the sidelines and not test people¡¯s patience.¡± ¡°Alright! I know. Seriously, I will not disturb you.¡± She turned her head and lifted the curtain. Because there weren¡¯t many people on their way to the southern part of the capital, after a few nces, Jing Xuan was already bored. She switched her seating position, sitting more upright, but she would asionally sneak nces at Ji Yunshu. As for Ji Yunshu, she was somewhat ¡°fearful¡± of Jing Xuan¡¯s unpredictable actions. So, she slightly distanced herself from her and bound her mask tighter. Everyone disembarked from the carriage after reaching their destination ¨C the memorial hall. Standing outside were the capital governor¡¯s subordinates. As they saw Jing Rong¡¯s arrival, they greeted him andpletely didn¡¯t notice Jing Xuan who was acting low-key. Ji Yunshu followed behind Jing Rong and entered the courtyard. Inside, there was a crowd of people, each person showing an ufortable expression. Some people had their mouths closed with flushed faces, while others had their eyes closed and their backs facing the room where the corpse was ced. It was quite obvious that this corpse was extremely disgusting to look at. Ji Yunshu swept a nce at them, holding a strong contempt toward those people. Chapter 144: Autopsy (part one) Chapter 144: Autopsy (part one) Of course, they couldn¡¯t be med for acting this way. Such sensational murders rarely ur in the capital. The governor rubbed his hands together as he weed Jing Rong. His expression was wrinkled as if he ate a sour lemon. He swallowed his saliva and was about to salute Jing Rong, but the prince stopped him from doing so. ¡°No need for that. The case investigation takes priority.¡± The capital governor nodded. Then, he nced back at the inside of the room. He looked like he wanted to retch but endured it. He rushed to state, ¡°Your Highness, I have already called the coroner. He said that the victim bled to death from the wounds created when both of their hands were chopped off.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°The deceased¡¯s face was also peeled off. The body is inside.¡± The governor pointed towards the interior of the room. Jing Rong observed the governor¡¯s expression, and he heavily sighed inwardly. It is quite a shame for the empire¡¯s taxes to be wasted on people who couldn¡¯t be bothered to do their own jobs properly. Ji Yunshu approached Jing Rong and watched him for a bit before turning her attention to the capital governor. ¡°Can I go in to examine the body?¡± ¡°Teacher Ji, that body¡­¡± He didn¡¯tplete his sentence as Ji Yunshu had already readjusted her hold on her sandalwood box and resolutely walked forward. The governor intended to block her way, but he wasn¡¯t fast enough. Ji Yunshu was one step faster and had already entered. The corpse was so gruesome, but Ji Yunshu remained unperturbed as she went into the room. ¡®Does that man even have a stomach? He really doesn¡¯t feel like vomiting?¡¯ Jing Rong¡¯s expression was equally unperturbed, following a few steps behind Ji Yunshu which stunned the spectators outside. This situation made all their stomachs clench in difort because Jing Rong was the lord and since he entered, everyone have to follow him. However, after giving each other meaningful nces, several people retreated out of the courtyard instead. The dread of looking at that corpse again and losing their appetite overwhelmed their sense of duty. Unfortunately for the governor, he couldn¡¯t escape his duties and had no choice but to follow Jing Rong and Ji Yunshu. He stroked his empty stomach with apprehension before proceeding into the room where the corpseid. Since she arrived, Jing Xuan had observed everyone¡¯s expression and after hearing the description of the corpse¡¯s condition, her curiosity was stirred even more. As they said, curiosity killed the cat. That girl¡¯s brain must have holes in it. After pondering for a moment, Jing Xuan also went inside. Inside the room, the coroner had just covered the corpse with a white cloth. His nose was wrinkled in disgust. Even when he covered the corpse, he was pinching the cloth with only the tips of his fingers. Ji Yunshu watched his behavior and inwardly sighed. ¡®Are you telling me that even this man can be a coroner? No wonder people say that the capital is nurturing useless people. The rumors were real.¡¯ ¡°Is the autopsy finished?¡¯ asked Ji Yunshu. The coroner sized up Ji Yunshu. Her slender build and fair skin made her be categorised as a small schr. With prejudice, he faced her with outward disdain. ¡°Of course. I am done examining the corpse. What? Do you have anyints?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She gave a very honest reply. The coroner¡¯s face froze, then he looked at her up and down. ¡°What do you know about this? Hurry and get out of here!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s tone was low as she perfunctorily asked. The corner of her mouth faintly stretched. ¡°Fine. Then, let me ask you what¡¯s the deceased time of death?¡± ¡°A day ago!¡± ¡°What is the cause of death?¡± ¡°Blood loss!¡± ¡°What event could have led to her death?¡± ¡°She was raped. Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± The coroner replied with impatience. In his long career of more than twenty years, this was the first time that someone was questioning hispetence. ¡®How strange.¡¯ Ji Yunshu remained indifferent. She put down her sandalwood box and reached for the white cloth. She pulled it away, revealing what resembled more like ground meat than human flesh. The victim¡¯s face has been neatly skinned. What remained was the sight of red flesh and muscles that seemed as if it were burnt by fire. Trace of blood could still be seen, dried, but silloning from certain parts on the face and ending their course in the victim¡¯s hair which had pieces of grass stuck in. From the face alone, this corpse looked like a mummy! Because the victim was found naked, her body was flimsily covered with some cloth. Yet it couldn¡¯t hide that her hands were chopped and missing. The corpse was extremely sinister and terrifying to look at. Faced with that kind of corpse, Ji Yunshu tightly pressed her lips and a trace of pity could be seen deep in her eyes. Although the corpse doesn¡¯t have a face, Ji Yunshu was able to determine that this woman had a beautiful appearance when she was alive. Ji Yunshu walled herself in silence as she saw the incision made on the deceased¡¯s abdomen and chest. The suturing technique used was very crude andcked finesse. ¡°Really¡­¡± Ji Yunshu red at the coroner. ¡°Some corpses don¡¯t need to be cut open for autopsy.¡± The coroner coldly smiled. ¡°If I don¡¯t open them, how can we investigate?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t me you. After all, your skills arecking.¡± The coroner couldn¡¯t retort. Ji Yunshu¡¯s words sounded as if she was ming him instead despite saying the contrary. Meanwhile, the instant that Ji Yunshu lifted the cloth covering the corpse, the governor, who was behind her, immediately lowered his head and tightly closed his mouth. As for Jing Xuan, her eyes widened and she opened her mouth in shock for a few seconds. After which, she suddenly closed her mouth. Her face quickly paled before turning green. Finally, she madly dashed outside while on the verge of retching. Not long after, everyone could hear the vague and irregr sounds of Jing Xuan emptying her stomach. ¡®Didn¡¯t she want to see the truth? Wasn¡¯t she the one who said she wanted to follow and watch me? She stillcks determination.¡¯ Ji Yunshu naturally didn¡¯t care much about Jing Xuan as she put on her gloves. Although the victim¡¯s face was destroyed and her appearance couldn¡¯t be ascertained through observation, it was still possible to be determined through other methods. Ji Yunshu pried open the corpse¡¯s eyes and observed the opacity of the cornea1. Then, she saw the livor mortis on the victim¡¯s chest. ¡°ording to the degree of corneal opacity and the appearance of livor mortis2 on the victim, the time of death isn¡¯t a day ago but barely six hours ago,¡± dered Ji Yunshu. The coroner¡¯s expression turned ugly. He stretched his head to look. He appeared as if he wanted to say something, but he kept quiet in the end. Then, Ji Yunshu raised the amputated arm for closer examination and said, ¡°The ce where the arms were severed is extremely smooth. It must have been chopped by a very sharp knife. In addition, the wound edges are quite even. The de itself must have been a t one.¡± After stating that, she rimmed the inside of wound with her finger and then smelled it. Her brows creased as she continued to exin further. ¡°The flesh inside it had already started to rot, and not to mention the rotting smell is very pungent. The blood around the wound edge had turned dark purple and hadpletely congealed there. It is evident that the victim¡¯s hands have been chopped at least three days ago. In fact, she didn¡¯t die from blood loss.¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense are you spouting? How could she have not died from blood loss?¡± The coroner argued. The hands were obviously chopped off and the face was also peeled off, so how could all those wounds not cause the person to die by massive bleeding? Ji Yunshu wasn¡¯t in a hurry to exin. She continued to examine the corpse carefully. First, she examined the head. She parted the hair for a better view of the scalp. Suddenly, her expression became stunned. She immediately went to the victim¡¯s legs and uncovered it, revealing a pair of small and jade-like feet. There was pieces of grass stuck on them. She pinched the victim¡¯s feet. Although the body had underwent a certain degree of rigor mortis, the feet¡­ Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression twisted and she examined the body even more carefully. This should be it. A conjecture formed in her mind. 1. Corneal opacity could be used as a meant to estimate the time of death through observation, but only if the time of death is not too long ago. However, it¡¯s one element amongst many signs that could help estimate the time of death. For more information, click here: https://.omicsonline.org/open-ess/estimating-the-time-after-death-on-the-basis-of-corneal-opacity-2157-7145.1000269.php?aid=36967 ? 2.Livor mortis is the purple coloration of blood deposit after blood cirction stopped. It started to appear around 2-4 hour post-mortem depending on environmental factors and deepened in color until around 12 hours after death. Chapter 145: Autopsy (part two) ¡°The victim¡¯s feet are very dirty. There are sludge and grass on them. Excluding how dried the sludge is, the flesh on her bound feet is even harder. These are clear signs that before her death she was running for her life. She must have been chased at that time or¡­ she was doing her best to escape from somewhere.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, the road must have been slippery and with her whole attention focused on escaping, she wasn¡¯t careful and might have stumbled on something. As she lost her bnce, her body fell backward and her headnded on a sharp rock, dying on the spot.¡± Without dragging on with her words, she clearly voiced her conjecture. Although the governor heard her exnations, he still didn¡¯t say anything as he was busy forcing himself not to throw up. As for Jing Rong, he stood upright, showing no doubt towards Ji Yunshu¡¯s words. What¡¯s more, he even wanted her to continue her exnations. Only the coroner thought that she was speaking nonsense. Moreover, he was ferociously ring at her. In a cynical tone, he said, ¡°Tell me, are you a coroner? Stop spouting nonsense. All you¡¯re doing is just guessing. I have more than ten years of experience in this line of work. As if my autopsy is wrong. What I said is correct!¡± ¡°Oh? Fine, then I¡¯ll let you truly be convinced.¡± Determination was written all over Ji Yunshu¡¯s face. She pointed at the corpse¡¯s feet and solemnly spoke, ¡°First of all, although there is sludge on the victim¡¯s soles, you can see the mark of an object imprinted on it. From this, it¡¯s possible to conclude that she might have step on a root or stump and fell.¡± Simultaneously, she walked back to the victim¡¯s head and slowly parted the tangled hair, revealing a wound caused by the impalement of a sharp object. The wound was very deep and cracked open the skull. It was clear that the gravity of the wound would result in instant death. ¡°Now, do you have anything else to say?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. The coroner¡¯splexion turned green as his hands clenched into fists and lowered his head. This was a p to his face. Despite the facts being pointed out, he trembled slightly, unwilling to admit otherwise. He turned around to leave, not without giving a few nces at Ji Yunshu with his squinted eyes. His appearance felt as if he had a guilty conscience. Ji Yunshu remained stoic and even scolded him severely, ¡°Not only you weren¡¯t careful with your examination, you even rushed to finish your work. This is a homicide case, not a child¡¯s y! Your job is to find the evidence left behind by the victim and clear her grievances. As a coroner, if you only know how to goof around, I advise you to change your profession as to prevent the yamen to be gued by more grieving ghosts.¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ The coroner didn¡¯t anticipate that Ji Yunshu would be so fierce. Despite his thick skin, at this moment, the coroner was turning red from embarrassment. His appearance showed his unwillingness to admit his fault. He looked as if he wanted to escape. He stammered, ¡°I¡­ I will not!¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± Since she taught the coroner a lesson, she turned back to the capital governor and inquired, ¡°Governor, at the time when the body was discovered, was there a suspicious object at the scene? Or any sharp stone that could lead to the victim¡¯s death?¡± The capital governor tried to remember before shaking his head. ¡°Then, who found the body?¡± ¡°A woodcutter. He found the body when he went to the mountain to cut some trees. As soon as I received the news, I immediately took people and brought the body back here.¡± ¡°So, where is the woodcutter?¡± ¡°He must have returned home.¡± The reply given was very quick, but it caused Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression to turn grim in an instant. Jing Rong looked with calm and swept a cold nce at the governor. ¡°What are you waiting for? Hurry and bring that woodcutter immediately!¡± The governor hurried to aplish his task. It should be said that without Jing Rong¡¯s overbearing tone, his brain would have remained preupied with the sole thought of not vomiting. He bowed and rushed out while shouting, ¡°You and you, hurry and bring that woodcutter here. Be fast!¡± ¡°Yes, milord!¡± A few subordinates replied in clear voice. At this moment, Ji Yunshu had taken off her gloves and opened her sandalwood box. Next, she unrolled the paper she brought with her and spread it on a table. This action caused the returning governor and the coroner to gawk at her in surprise. ¡®What does he want to do?¡¯ They only saw Ji Yunshu dip her brush in water and then in paint before starting to draw something. After what seemed like the time for almost a joss stick to burn, the portrait of a beautiful girl gradually took form on the white paper. Her beauty is such that the coroner became stunned. A single question left his mouth. ¡°Teacher, this¡­ what is this?¡± ¡°A portrait.¡± ¡®Obviously, this is a portrait.¡¯ However, this wasn¡¯t the meaning of his question. His mouth twisted in unhappiness. After the ink dried, Ji Yunshu rolled the portrait and gave it to the governor. She didn¡¯t forget to say, ¡°This is the portrait of the victim. Take it and ask around if anyone can recognize her.¡± The capital governor was extremely shocked. He took the portrait while asking, ¡°This is really what the victim looks like? She was mutted to this point, but Teacher can still draw her portrait? As expected from a talented person. If I didn¡¯t see it with my own eyes, I would have never believed it.¡± The governor began to worship Ji Yunshu. The past two days, he had heard numerous rumours about the ability of this talented person. However, hearing is not the same as seeing. At this moment, this teacher¡¯s skill had widened his horizon! ¡°Hurry and go!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Finally, the governor took the portrait and brought the runners to go door-to-door and inquired about the identity of the deceased. He also summoned a painter to quickly replicate the portrait and posted it with a notice. After tidying up, Ji Yunshu covered the corpse and went out of the room. Jing Rong, who walked beside her, whispered, ¡°After looking at that kind of corpse, you really don¡¯t feel effect at all?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± She replied with confidence. She gave him a sideways nce. ¡°To tell the truth, this corpse is one of the most mutted I¡¯ve seen. However, if your heart truly wants to redress the dead¡¯s grievance, even when you look at it, you will not feel sick.¡± ¡°You really give me many surprises.¡± ¡°Likewise, your highness also gives me many surprises.¡± After hearing her words, Jing Rong became surprised. His lips suddenly curled up. ¡°Then, tell me, what did this Prince do to surprise you?¡± ¡°The princess said that when she was young, she was betrothed. If you didn¡¯t break her leg, she would have already been married. Although your Highness didn¡¯t say anything and your action surprised people, the end result is good.¡± Jing Rong felt as if he received a candy and started to grin. Wasn¡¯t that the first time he was praised by Ji Yunshu? Jing Rong was happy like a blooming flower. However, at this time, Jing Xuan who was done emptying her stomach came back. Her expression was somewhat difited. She pulled Jing Rong and said, ¡°Imperial brother, I really regreting here. I want to go home.¡± Jing Rong nced at her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that even if you die you will still follow us? Now, you want to return? No way! But if you want to insist, go back yourself.¡± ¡®Go back myself?¡¯ She was a pretty princess. Telling her to go back herself¡­ Was he joking with her? Jing Xuan was about to argue back, but several people timely rushed through the memorial hall entrance. Surprisingly, it was Madame Jiang. She walked in supported by several maidservants. Beside her stood Li Zhao. Seeing her here, Ji Yunshu suddenly understood ¨C the deceased was none other than Shuiqing! Chapter 146: This Prince Will Cover For You Who would have thought that the victim turned out to be someone from the Li family? That Shuiqing truly deserved to be pitied. This must be because Madame Jiangmitted too many sins that retribution befell on her younger sister instead. Ji Yunshu remained silent as she watched Jing Rong, and tugged at his sleeve so he woulde nearer to her and leave the door unobstructed for Madame Jiang to enter. Ji Yunshu saw how devastated Madame Jiang was. She was sobbing in a low voice, her cheeks still wet with tears and her lips pale. Merely a dozen of steps separated them from the room entrance, but Madame Jiang felt as though her legs were made of stone. Each of her steps was heavy and it took her a long time to reach the door of the room where Shuiqing rested. Her originally arrogant and proud appearance was now on the verge of copsing. It was only with the help of two maidservants that she was able to go this far. Li Zhao wanted to follow his sister inside, but his steps stopped at the threshold, and he red at Ji Yunshu with eyes full of hatred. He snarled at Ji Yunshu. ¡°Wherever you are, nothing good ever happens! Be it here or Jinjiang. Did our ancestors kill your whole family or what?¡± He wished he could use his own bare hands to squeeze her neck, strangling her until she died from suffocation! Ji Yunshu stayed silent. Whereas, Jing Rong was burning from anger. ¡®She is my woman, and you think you can scold her as you please¡¯ Sharp as an eagle, he shot a fiery fierce look at Li Zhao, as though his eyes were ready to set him on fire. He stepped forward and spoke in an icy and sharp voice. ¡°If you felt that staying inside Jinjiang¡¯s prison wasn¡¯t enough, this Prince will not mind sending you to the Ministry of Justice¡¯s prison.¡± Li Zhao was a coward, thus he lowered his eyes and swallowed his saliva with difficulty. He trembled for a moment before dashing into the room. In an instant, Jing Rong turned around to face Ji Yunshu. He looked down and stared at the top of her head. Ji Yunshu continued to keep her silence. ¡°Where did the courage you showed when you were solving the case go to?¡± Ji Yunshu refused to reply. ¡°Stop treating me like air. You better remember that with me here, no one can bully you. This Prince is your biggest supporter. Nothing can make me fall and I will protect you from now on, and for a long time.¡± Jing Rong spoke those words with conviction. He loves Ji Yunshu. This is an undeniable fact. He treated and supported her like she was his Princess Rong. Ji Yunshu retained her stoic expression as she spoke in faint and low voice. She looked straight into his eyes. ¡°The deceased is a family member of the Li family. It is understandable that Li Zhao would be angry and eager to vent it on me. If we quarrel with that kind of person each time, wouldn¡¯t I be tired to death?¡± Tiredness could be felt inside her voice. Quarrelling with that Li Zhao is a waste of saliva. Jing Rong understood her meaning now. Could it be that he was fussing too much over trivial matters? It shouldn¡¯t be. ¡°Forget it. If you meet with that kind of person in the future, I will cover for you.¡± The deration full of sweet feelings disturbed Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart. She immediately dodged his eyes and looked inside the room instead. Next to them, Jing Xuan was showing an expression full of perplexity. ¡®Since when did imperial brother be nice to other people?¡¯ She scratched her head and pouted. She wanted to ask something, but after contemting the matter, she decided to swallow back her question. Inside the room, Madame Jiang was lying beside the body. She incessantly muttered something while she cried mournfully. Weakness befell her, causing her to be on the verge of copsing on the floor. Fortunately, her servants were strong enough to support her. However, her maidservants kept their heads turn away as they didn¡¯t have the courage to identally look at the corpse. Their eyebrows were locked into creases and did their best to restrain their impulse of leaving. Whereas Li Zhao stood far away and didn¡¯t have any intention of approaching any further. His hand was busy pinching his nose. He was obviously feeling disgusted by the sight. After a moment passed, the capital governor¡¯s voice could be hearding from outside. ¡°Teacher Ji, can I bring the woodcutter in? Is there anything you¡¯d like to ask him?¡± As soon as she heard him, she looked back and saw the woodcutter bowing at them. He didn¡¯t dare to raise his eyes. Is it to be expected from an honest woodcutter after witnessing such a scene? Ji Yunshu observed him before questioning him, ¡°Are you the one who discovered the body?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Where did you find it?¡± ¡°I found it on Liang mountain. I went there to cut wood. I didn¡¯t kill anyone! If I killed her, I would have already run away instead of reporting it to the yamen. Please don¡¯t use me wrongly!¡± The woodcutter was extremely nervous as he was terrified of being used of being the murderer. Ji Yunshu stated. ¡°I didn¡¯t say you are the murderer.¡± She went on. ¡°Tell me, when did you find the body, and did you see anyone nearby?¡± The woodcutter rxed a bit. His brain worked in full throttle before he shook his head. ¡°There was no one. I just happened to see the corpse. It was so pitiful with the face peeled off and both hands chopped off.¡± He sighed. The woodcutter had probably vomited when he saw the corpse. Ji Yunshu pondered for a moment, then walked up to the capital governor. ¡°I would like to trouble you to dispatch people to the crime scene and search the ce. I want them to thoroughlyb that ce, especially if there are any traces of a horse carriage, footprints or anything that could be a clue. The victim must have been very weak before her death. She shouldn¡¯t have been able to run very far. So, she might have escaped from some ce near the crime scene. Therefore, we must increase the scope of the search. In addition, I will inconvenience Governor to interrogate all the woodcutters that often go to Liang mountain. Ask them if they saw anyone suspicious or any strange events that urred there. I believe that these small matters shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you, right?¡± Her instructions were very clear, so the capital governor understood her. At this time, he nodded in reply. He must admit that this method of handling this case is pretty good. Yet, soon after, doubt crept into his mind. He suddenly became curious and inquired, ¡°Teacher Ji, are you a regional official?¡± ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± ¡°Your method of investigation is greatly admired, and it is meticulous with great attention to details. That¡¯s why I was guessing if you were an official in a regional yamen or not?¡± Ji Yunshu shook her head in denial. ¡°You are overthinking. This humble one has merely read a few books.¡± The governor was skeptical. His curiosity for this man burnt even more in his heart. ¡®A person found by Prince Rong is absolutely outstanding!¡¯ Without dying time any further, he dispatched runners to handle everything instructed by Ji Yunshu. At this time, Madame Jiang, who had cried until she was too tired, covered the body with trembling hands. She clenched her handkerchief and wiped the tears on her face. Then, she shook off the servants hold and walked towards Ji Yunshu. With a hoarse voice, she said to her in a soft tone. ¡°I didn¡¯t think that Shuiqing would end up in such a miserable state. Since Teacher Ji has helped me find her, I will fulfill my part of the deal. Once I settle Shuiqing¡¯s funeral, I will then find you and tell you everything I know.¡± The eyes that looked at Ji Yunshu were reddened and bloodshot. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t say a word. She only nodded in agreement. A few drops of tears fell out from Madame Jiang¡¯s eyes as she took a deep breath. ¡°Please Teacher Ji. Please find the culprit because I want to let that murderer experienced his body being ripped apart! Only then, will the anger of the Li family be extinguished.¡± ¡°Madame, you don¡¯t need to ask. This humble one has epted this case and will naturally investigate everything clearly.¡± ¡°I believe in your ability.¡± Madame Jiang felt faint and almost fell, but the maidservant rushed toward her and caught her in time. Afterwards, they helped her leave the memorial hall. Li Zhao left in big strides, following his sister. His mouth was tightly closed. He must have wanted to quickly leave and throw up somewhere. Finally, Jing Rong, Ji Yunshu and Jing Xuan also departed from the memorial hall. However, the speed Jing Xuan used to board the carriage was iparable. She truly regretted her decision toe to the memorial hall and swore that she would nevere again! Chapter 147: Snow Fungus Soup Meanwhile in the pce, the emperor sat for a moment in Concubine Xiao¡¯s pce hall until it was time for him to go to the imperial court. The snow fungus soup that Concubine Xiao personally made remained on the table, untouched. What a pity! Concubine Xiao¡¯s expression was unsightly. She harrumphed and raised her hand to sweep away the bowl of snow fungus soup, which shattered on the floor. Crash! The sound reverberated clearly in the room. The two pce maids beside her trembled and quickly lowered their heads. Concubine Xiao was always gentle and soft in front of the emperor, but she waspletely abhorrent when only servants were around her. All the pce maids and eunuchs in Zhangzhi hall were ¡°taught¡± a lesson. Concubine Xiao raised an eyebrow. ¡°Take everything out.¡± ¡°Yes, your Ladyship.¡± Several servants quickly stepped forward and took away everything on the table. Sang Lan, the pce maid who was standing on the side, noticed that her master¡¯s mood was not very good. She could not remain silent and said, ¡°Your Ladyship poured your heart to make the snow fungus soup for the emperor, but each time his Majesty never touches it.¡± Sang Lan was Concubine Xiao¡¯s confidant. Within the pce, only she knew out to coax Concubine Xiao. After Sang Lan spoke out, Concubine Xiao coldly nced at her. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°This lowly servant said¡­¡± ¡°Kneel!¡± Sang Lan miscalcted this time. She hurriedly kneeled down and beseeched Concubine Xiao for forgiveness, ¡°This lowly servant was rude, but that wasn¡¯t my intention. I was wrong, causing your Ladyship to be unhappy. I just¡­ felt that this is not worth it.¡± Concubine Xiao¡¯s expression was gloomy. Her slender hand lightly brushed her hair bun, then touched that southern sea pearl decorating her hair. The pearl was ice-cold. The coldness seeped through her fingertips, making her feel like she was touching ice. ¡°Not worth it? Sang Lan, exin to me why this is not worth it?¡± ¡°Every time the emperores, your Ladyship would make snow fungus soup, but his Majesty never drinks it. This lowly servant his distressed for your Ladyship.¡± ¡°Then, do you know why the emperor never drinks my snow fungus soup?¡± When Sang Lan heard the anger suffusing from Concubine Xiao¡¯s tone, she raised her head before shaking it twice. Concubine Xiaoughed, but herugh was full of bitterness. Her sight looked vaguely into the distance as she spoke, ¡°I can only me Empress Xuanshu for being too talented. If she picked up a needle and thread, she could embroider the scene of a hundred birds looking up to the Phoenix. If she went into the kitchen, her deft hands would create all kinds of fragrant and tasty pastries and dishes which had spoiled the emperor¡¯s mouth. And what he loved to eat most was her snow fungus soup. Even though she has passed away for many years, no one could fill the hole she left in his heart. Although I made him a bowl every day since then, the emperor has never touched it.¡± As she spoke, the corner of her eyes reddened and her expression became gloomier, but no sadness could be seen; There was only unwillingness and jealousy. The emperor deeply loved the empress which is a source of problems for all the concubines in the harem. Furthermore, after the Empress¡¯ death, the emperor never promoted anyone to fill the vacant empress¡¯ position. Several times, Concubine Xiao had ¡°indifferently¡± mentioned the matter during pillow talk, to which the emperor had given a perfunctory answer without confirming. Because Jing Hua was fortunate enough to be thete Empress¡¯ son, his position as the crown prince was cemented despite being an idiot. If he was not Xuanzhi empress¡¯ son, the emperor would absolutely not spare him even a nce. The fact that Jing Hua was the crown prince meant that the emperor still had not forgotten about the Empress. This is what the saying love the house and its crows meant. That matter concerning the crown prince¡¯s position had caused Concubine Xiao to hate Jing Hua, that idiot, to the point her teeth itched. ¡®How could that idiotpare to a single finger of my son, Jing Yi?¡¯ At the time when the emperor was deciding on who will be bestowed the title of crown prince, Concubine Xiao had worked together with her family to entice many vassals to petition for Jing Yi to receive the crown prince¡¯s title. But, in the end, the emperor chose Jing Hua. Therefore, after that idiot Jing Hua gloriously ascended to the crown prince position, their position in the imperial court took a change. Those people who they had gathered almost all switched to the crown prince¡¯s camp. It could be seen that the imperial court wasposed of a bunch of opportunists. Concubine Xiao clenched her fists and hit the table when she recalled the unexpected result of that fight for the crown prince position. Sang Lan did not dare to speak. She had served Concubine Xiao for many years and knew the other¡¯s sore spots. As time slowly ticked away, Concubine Xiao finally looked at Sang Lan with squinted eyes. ¡°Get up.¡± ¡°Thank you, your Ladyship.¡± Sang Lan got up. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, that girl¡­ Did she obediently stay in the pce?¡± asked Concubine Xiao. ¡°Reporting to your Ladyship. The princess¡­ she went out of the pce.¡± ¡°Did she go to Prince Rong¡¯s residence?¡± ¡°That is highly possible.¡± Concubine Xiao spoke in anger, ¡°That girl! Always outside causing mischief.¡± Amongst the four princes, the crown prince Jing Hua is a smooth talker without a brain. His eloquence only amounts to empty ttery. The third prince, Jing Yi, is a reserved person. Furthermore, he is intelligent and cunning. A man that handles everything impably and the one who resembled the emperor the most. The fourth prince, Jing Xian, became sick more than 10 years ago and his health had quickly deteriorated. As years passed by, he remained in his pce hall and rarely went out. Finally, the seventh prince, Jing Rong, is a careful but taciturn man. He is steady and dependable. Someone who does not lose his calm. He never showed interest in the crown prince¡¯s position. Hisck of presence caused people to be unable to decipher his real intentions. Jing Rong¡¯s mother died because of a pce battle. Due to the crime shemitted, the rtionship between the emperor and Jing Rong became estranged. However, Concubine Xiao was a master at reading people and there was one thing of which she was clear ¨C Jing Xian was a waste. There was no need to waste time on him. Besides, bringing down Jing Hua was an easy matter. However, if she wanted to help her son gain the crown prince¡¯s position, the strongestpetitor would be Jing Rong in the end. Even if the emperor did not value Jing Rong, he was like a patient willow branch that grows longer as time passed, bing sharper with time. Sooner orter, that crown prince¡¯s position would be within his reach. She had to prevent it before it even happened. She must cut the weeds and destroy the roots! At that moment, a eunuch¡¯s announcement timely interrupted her thoughts. ¡°Prince Yi has arrived.¡± Prince Yi, dressed in a gown with wide sleeves, strode in. He respectfully greeted his mother, ¡°Son pays a visit to imperial mother.¡± ¡°Get up quickly.¡± Concubine Xiao gently smiled and quickly pulled her son near her. Her son was truly pleasing to look at. ¡°Did you want to see your imperial father? He went to the imperial court just now.¡± ¡°Son ising to see imperial mother.¡± Jing Yi¡¯s expression twisted. It appeared that the matter was incredibly serious. Immediately, Concubine Xiao sent all the servants out of the room, leaving only Sang Lan. Her heart suddenly gave birth to some doubts and anxiety. She quickly inquired, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Jing Yi was clearly restraining the fear in him. He spoke in a low voice, ¡°Today, the capital governor found a corpse. The deceased is the old General Li¡¯s granddaughter. It¡¯s rted to the missing girls case.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°That Teacher Ji has taken over the case.¡± A sense of crisis could be felt from his tone. Concubine Xiao nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± She quickly added, ¡°Relying on just one person, can that man solve the case? The deadline is in two months. From what I see, his ability is over exaggerated. Besides, I don¡¯t believe that the person Jing Rong found can solve this case.¡± ¡®In this world, can such a talented person exist?¡¯ She suggested the missing girls case to be given to that Teacher Ji only as a means to suppress Jing Rong. But Jing Rong said to her, ¡°Imperial mother, you should know that this move of yours is a mistake.¡± This only served to fuel her anger. ¡®A mistake? How could it be a mistake?¡¯ Chapter 148: Money or Power? Chapter 148: Money or Power? Concubine Xiao knew most matters within the capital like the back of her hand. However, it was another thing when it came to matters pertaining to the far away Jinjiang, which she only got fragments of rumors that she barely cared about. This could exin why she barely knew about Ji Yunshu¡¯s ability. Jing Yi had always been a shrewd and iparably deep person who would rarely make a move if he did not grasp the situation. Yet, he never anticipated that his mother would suggest using the missing girls case for their own benefit during her birthday feast. What¡¯s more, he did not expect that Ji Yunshu would emte Qin Shiyu¡¯s behavior and pressure the emperor to agree to unseal the coffins for the investigation of the Imperial Duke case. If the missing girls case ended up being solved, Jing Rong was bound to reverse the verdict on the Imperial Duke case sooner orter. If that does happen, in the future, he would have a firmer position in the imperial court. Not to mention that the emperor would reward him. At that time, Jing Rong¡¯s prestige is bound to soar. For Jing Yi, this situation was akin to being pricked by poisonous needles. This situation was not a simple threat to him; This could probably spell his demise. It was as though he would get suppressed by Jing Rong the same way he was suppressing the others currently. After mulling it over for a long while, Jing Yi returned to his calm appearance, concealing the vignce and anxiety he felt. Concubine Xiao watched her son, but she did not say anything and was in no hurry to reply. Then, she seemed to realize something and probed him with an inquiry, ¡°Could it be that this Teacher Ji is¡­ truly a talented person?¡± Jing Yi raised his eyes; two ck as the abyss pupils constricted at the question. ¡°The past half a year, Jing Rong was out of the capital investigating the Lin Capital case. Yet, there were no clues to work with. During that time, I dispatched a group of people to kill his imperial guards who were on their way back to the capital to report on Jing Rong¡¯s whereabouts. Then, when imperial father sent an edict to summon him back to the capital, I nned on using that situation to get him punished. Unfortunately, life is like the branches of a tree; my n went awry.¡± ¡°In addition, a Ji Yunshu suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Although that man looks far from impressive, he is an extremely intelligent person despiteing from a small county. He just took over the case and, even if he can¡¯t discover 30 or 40 clues, urately digging out 17 or 18 things will still earn him thebel of being an outstanding talent.¡± Within his words, genuine admiration could be heard. Then, he continued, ¡°Jing Rong brought back that man to help him break the lousy Lin Capital case. That¡¯s why I hired a group of assassins to eliminate the root of our problems. Unfortunately, the assassination failed and I ended up beating the grass and scaring the snake away.¡± Concubine Xiao was shocked and she heavily frowned. ¡°It was indeed my intention to suppress Jing Rong. I have overlooked this point. If I knew earlier, I would have investigated that Teacher Ji clearly before making a move. me me. I was too anxious.¡± This unforeseen element upset her greatly. Jing Yi stated, ¡°The move has already been made. We can only focus on finding a countermeasure.¡± ¡°Yi¡¯er, what do you have in mind?¡± ¡°Although they already returned to the capital, it doesn¡¯t mean that they are safe.¡± ¡®Yi¡¯er¡¯s meaning is too obvious! Although the first assassination failed, it doesn¡¯t mean that the second time will be unsessful. But¡­¡¯ Concubine Xiao immediately overruled the idea, ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate.¡± Jing Yi was puzzled, ¡°Could it be that imperial mother has another method?¡± Concubine Xiao¡¯s slender eyebrows slightly rose. It seemed as if a giant whirlpool had condensed into her eyes and became deeper gradually. The sight let people feel an odd sense of profundity emitting from her. Her manicured hands lightly tapped down a few times on her embroidered gown and her crimson lips curled up. She said, ¡°Beheading such an intelligent person, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a waste? Since he can help Jing Rong, why can¡¯t he help us? If you can get that person, the day when you get the title of Crown Prince wouldn¡¯t be far off.¡± ¡®Ah!¡¯ Her words were like an rm rousing people from their sleep. Jing Yi contemted the idea. Immediately, his mouth stretched into a smile. However, his tone remained heavy. ¡°Imperial mother always knows how to consider everything thoroughly.¡± ¡°Wait until tomorrow. I¡¯ll summon him into the pce and explore his intentions. If he is a greedy man, I will give him money and valuables. If he truly is corrupted, what fear do we have of him? I don¡¯t believe that anyone in this world has no desire.¡± In the future, when Concubine Xiao discovered Ji Yunshu¡¯s nature, she would wish to strongly p herself a few times. However, at this moment, how could she ever dream that Ji Yunshu¡¯s greediness only reached the level of having enough food and warm clothes. Now that Luan¡¯er was no longer amongst the living, Ji Yunshu could even content herself with a bowl of congee. As for yearning to climb thedder of officialdom, don¡¯t even mention it. Concubine Xiao was extremely confident in taking a hold of that high-quality jade that was Ji Yunshu, but that dream would forever remain a dream. After they discussed for a while, Jing Yi noticed that it was gettingte. He wanted to go to the imperial court and meet with his father since he already went into the pce and, as a ¡°son¡±, he had to show the appropriate etiquette to demonstrate his filial piety. Before he left, Concubine Xiao pulled him back to fix his clothes while saying, ¡°Your imperial father¡¯s mood is not good recently. The situation at the borders preupied him. After you meet him, be careful with your words and avoid provoking him.¡± ¡°Your son understands.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, didn¡¯t your imperial father bestow you a golden canaryst time? Did you raise it properly?¡± ¡®Raise it?¡¯ He already released it. However, he nodded at her question. ¡°I have raised it well. The pet that imperial father had bestowed me cannot have any idents.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand.¡± Concubine Xiao¡¯s slender fingers lightly brushed off her son¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Go now.¡± Jing Yi sped both hands and saluted before leaving. After he left Zhangzhi hall, a drizzle fell from the sky. A eunuch came forward while holding up an umbre. However, Jing Yi suddenly waved his hand and pped away the umbre which fell to the ground. Ssh! The sudden gesture scared the eunuch who hurriedly kneeled on the spot and lied his upper body on the wet ground, not daring to utter a sound. Jing Yi¡¯s chilly gaze revealed an extreme unwillingness and a desire to revolt against the emperor¡¯s authority. He had deep hatred, a hatred against his imperial father. ¡®Giving me a golden canary? You are clearly insinuating that I¡¯m only a golden canary that should stay inside his cage and forgo all attempts to win the crown prince¡¯s position.¡¯ His fists tightened for a moment before he slowly uncurled his fingers. Then, he flipped his sleeve and went towards the imperial court. As for the eunuch, he remained prone on the ground for a long time after Prince Yi left before he dared to raise his head. ¡®What is going on with Prince Yi today?¡¯ ¡®Everyone knows that Prince Yi is gentle and treats people with leniency. He was known as a refined and cultured gentleman. Yet, why did he get so angry today? How strange!¡¯ ¡­¡­ The horse carriage drove from the memorial hall to the Rong estate. The whole way, Jing Xuan leaned on the window to the point her head and body was almost extending out of the window. Her heart was crying as her feeling of nausea never left her and, with the bumpy ride, she felt even more unwell. Numerous times, she spat out her stomach¡¯s content, but nothing but bile came out. Ji Yunshu was still sitting upright the whole time. She acted as if she did not see Jing Xuan, but she did not avoid the princess either. Finally, as soon as they reached the Rong estate, Jing Xuan got out of the carriage and disappeared inside the estate like a wisp of smoke. She must be in a hurry to find a ce to continue vomiting. Ji Yunshu and Jing Rong went together to the reception hall where Lang Po stood guard outside. Jing Rong asked her, ¡°What do you think about this case?¡± ¡°You are really asking me if I discovered some clues, right?¡± ¡°I never doubted your ability. Since I said I trust you, I will believe in you. You don¡¯t need to question my trust in you.¡± Ji Yunshu faintly replied, ¡°Since you believe in me, I don¡¯t see the harm in telling you that I don¡¯t even have a clue. Currently, we can only wait for the capital governor to do his assigned tasks. In the case that nothinges out, we should take a step back and think again. I don¡¯t know what else to do.¡± After her words fell, she gave him a helpless smile. ¡°Perhaps we can only wait for the murderer tomit another crime.¡± Chapter 149: God Doctor Mo Ruo Jing Rong stood in front of her and watched her mouth raise into a smile that did note from the heart. The moment he saw that expression, his soul seemed to fly away and he even forgot what they were talking about. Looking at that expression she made caused him to feel ufortable. Ji Yunshu leaned her head to the side. ¡°Your Highness, your habit of staring at people still hasn¡¯t changed?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to change it!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Jing Rong frowned a bit and felt a slight heartache. ¡°Yunshu.¡± He gently called her and slowly, his hand raised, but he did not reach out to her in the end and let it fall back down instead. He then spoke in a sincere voice, ¡°I just want to look at you.¡± ¡®This man! If he was born in the modern era, he would be a smooth-talking yboy. Really, even when he casually speaks, only words of romancee out of his mouth.¡¯ Ji Yunshu was also used to it, so she no longer gave him supercilious looks and stopped being embarrassed at every turn. Her small, tender and red lips slightly raised as she retreated a step. Simultaneously, Jing Rong extended his arm and grabbed her wrist. He forced her to halt her movements and neatly pulled her back towards him. She went past her initial position and directly collided with Jing Rong¡¯s chest. He lowered his gaze toward her and was about to say something, but his words had yet to pass his lips when¡­ ¡°This is bad your Highness! The princess, she¡­¡± A servant shouted from outside the reception hall. Jing Rong was far from pleased. He rxed his hand and Ji Yunshu took that opportunity to slip away from him in a split second, distancing herself from his reach. The servant outside continued, ¡°The princess broke something in the East Courtyard.¡± ¡®She broke something?¡¯ The East Courtyard was the temporary residence of Ji Yunshu. She ignored Jing Rong and left in a hurry. This was a good excuse to escape Jing Rong¡¯s honey trap. However, Jing Rong followed her closely, but then, he stopped at the threshold and did not follow up to her courtyard. He wore a depressed expression. His feelings were clearly written all over his face without the need to conceal it. Yet, regardless of if he used soft or hard methods, Ji Yunshu did not give in to him which crushed his heart. But he was a persistent man, and he was prepared to dig centimeter by centimeter through the wall erected around Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart, until he can make a hole in it, and drill inside her heart. Lang Po padded towards Jing Rong. He was already trained to the sight of Jing Rong acting all affectionate with Ji Yunshu when they were still in Jinjiang and was unfazed. ¡°Your Highness!¡± He called out. Jing Rong did not reply to him. His sight was still locked toward the direction Ji Yunshu left. Lang Po continued to speak, ¡°Mo Ruo¡¯s letter has arrived. He said that he¡¯s currently in Beiyang and¡­ he mentioned about a singing and dancingpetition. So, he will be dyed.¡± ¡°Dyed?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s tone became dangerously ferocious and his cold eyes lowered, ¡°Tell him that if he doesn¡¯t arrive within three days, I will wreck his Yuhua Pavilion.¡± His words were certainly not an empty threat! And this was not the first time he did as he said. Lang Po repeatedly agreed to his orders and left in haste to send a reply through pigeon carrier to Mo Ruo. The reason why Jing Rong acted with such urgency was due to the identity of Mo Ruo. Despite his young age, Mo Ruo was a doctor whose skills have been taught by the previous God Doctor, his father. As long as the patient still has a breath left, he can pull that person back to life. Therefore, Jing Rong called him back to the capital to treat Ji Yunshu¡¯s wound. Also, Jing Rong and Mo Ruo are childhood friends, and their rtionship is as close as that of real brothers. It could be said that they grew up wearing the same pants. It¡¯s also reasonable to mention that their tempers are quite simr. If Jing Rong was outwardly cold but burning with passion inside, Mo Ruo was¡­ a wild child. Mo Ruo had wanderlust and loved the crowds and lively ces. Wherever he went, wine was never far from his reach and he never bothered with where he slept, be it on the streets or in the wilderness. If people did not witness his skills first hand, no one would ever believe that an idling-looking gentleman could be a god doctor. Truthfully, even his deceased old man would not have believed it. When Mo Ruo was young, his father truly resented him for not meeting his expectations. All day long, he kept grumbling about what a waste Mo Ruo was, seeing that he only knew how to y and nothing else. Who could have expected that Mo Ruo had not only inherited his father¡¯s skills, but had even surpassed him. In short, the patients his father could not save, he could! The poison his father could not solve was child¡¯s y for him. Thus, Mo Ruo¡¯s father was finally relieved. Happy that a burden was lifted, he went to drink to celebrate and, on his way back, he slipped, fell into the water, and became a ghost. It did not cross Jing Rong¡¯s mind that he was disturbing Mo Ruo¡¯s leisurely sightseeing. The only thing that preupied him was Ji Yunshu¡¯s face. If he had to, he will use his authority as a prince to drag Mo Ruo back. Meanwhile, Ji Yunshu arrived at the East Courtyard. She had yet to enter when she heard a ruckusing from inside. A foreboding feeling crept in, rming Ji Yunshu. The courtyard filled with flowers was now a mess and littered with broken nt pots. This did not stop an angry Jing Xuan from continuing to smash everything in sight while all the maidservants stood on the side not daring to stop her. This scene stirred her memory of Ji Yuanzhi wrecking her courtyard which made her remember the hate she had felt. At this time, Wei Yi was squatting in a corner near the entrance with his head hiding in his arms, doing his best to bury his head in his knees. He did not dare to raise head in fear. Ji Yunshu immediately rushed to him and crouched in front of him. She hugged his trembling shoulders and gently whispered in his ears, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid Wei Yi. I¡¯m here.¡± Once he heard Ji Yunshu¡¯s voice, Wei Yi quickly raised his head. His eyes were red and he was panic-stricken. Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around Ji Yunshu¡¯s waist and drilled into her embrace. ¡°Shu¡¯er, I¡¯m scared! That big sister is terrifying.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. There¡¯s nothing to fear.¡± She gently stroked his back. She stayed with him until he calmed down. After that, she brought him back inside the room. ¡°Sit here. No matter what happens, don¡¯t go out.¡± She clearly told him. Wei Yi nodded while his hands were nervously twisting his sleeves. Ji Yunshu delicately closed the door after she went out. In the meantime, Jing Xuan was sparing no effort in smashing nts inside the courtyard. ¡°All those useless things, see if this princess can¡¯t break everything today!¡± She overbearingly dered, then she broke two more flower pots. She was about to throw down another one when her left hand was grabbed by Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu exerted some force which immediately caused Jing Xuan to tear up from the pain. ¡°It hurts!¡± She turned around while frowning. Ji Yunshu¡¯s frosty expression, devoid of other emotions, made her shiver with fear. ¡°You know how to feel pain? Then what about those nts and flowers that were forced to die?¡± ¡°What are you doing? Release me! I am a princess.¡± ¡°So what? Could it be that wrecking this courtyard is the deed of those shivering servants?¡± The tone she used gave out an oppressive feeling. Jing Xuan trembled, but it did not lessen her arrogance. She used all her strength to free herself while bellowing, ¡°All the flowers and nts, especially those plum blossoms, I want to tear and rip them off.¡± ¡°For what reason?¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± Jing Xuan bit her lips and clenched her fist tightly. Then, she continued while panting in anger, ¡°Who let that idiot say that I am not as pretty as those flowers? Tell me where this princess is notparable to those base things?!¡± ¡®Oh my god! Are all the princesses from the imperial household such a lost cause? Smashing everything in sight for such a reason? How wonderful!1¡± Ji Yunshu was not in the mood to ponder on the archetype of a princess¡¯ character. Her slender and ck eyebrow raised. She drew near Jing Xuan. ¡°Wei Yi isn¡¯t an idiot. And, in the future, you better not say those things to him.¡± ¡°Hey!¡± 1.Ji Yunshu is being sarcastic if you didn¡¯t get it. Chapter 150: Second-hand Goods Jing Xuan was spoiled until she became unruly and headstrong. However, like everyone else, she had a weakness or something that was like her inverse scale. Ever since she was a child, she hated it the most when people said she was not beautiful. This could not be med on her. Facts are her skin was dark when she was a child, which earned her numerous snubs from the other princesses. For this reason, the emperor and Concubine Xiao agreed to send her to a distant rtive. They were only worried that the ugly Jing Xuan would not be able to marry in the future. Jing Xuan moved back. ¡°He is an idiot. If not, why did he say that I was ugly?¡± ¡°Let me say it again. Don¡¯t call Wei Yi an idiot.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s tone became heavier. ¡°I¡­¡± Jing Xuan was momentarily at a loss for words when she saw Ji Yunshu¡¯s stern and antipathic expression. ¡°You are a princess, and we,moners, have to obey your words, but, because you are a princess, you should know how to respect people and not insult people as an idiot at every turn.¡± ¡°What do you mean by insulting? I didn¡¯t do that! It¡¯s that idi-¡± She did not finish herst word and correct herself. ¡°He was the one who insulted me first.¡± ¡°Another person might treat you like that, but Wei Yi will not.¡± That¡¯s right, Ji Yunshu firmly believed that hurtful words would note out from Wei Yi¡¯s mouth. Jing Xuan evaded her eyes a few times and appeared tock some confidence in her earlier words. Her tone was weaker and she felt a bit deted, ¡°He¡­ said those words to me.¡± ¡°Stop. Princess, even if you¡¯re angry, the nts and flowers are already all smashed and broken by you. You have already vented your anger. His Highness should arrive in a moment. If he knew that you made such a mess in his residence, I fear that¡­ you won¡¯t be able to get out of bed until next month.¡± Ji Yunshu actually used Jing Rong to threaten Jing Xuan, and the result was clearly obvious: Jing Xuan who was angry immediately turned fearful. However, it did not assuage her anger. That lump of anger was lingering inside of her and did not show any sign of fading. She was unwilling to admit her fault while staring at the closed door behind which Wei Yi was. Jing Xuan impulsively rushed toward it to find Wei Yi, but Ji Yunshu swiftly caught her arm as she tried to go past her and unceremoniously dragged her back. With the ground littered with mud from the broken vases and pots, during their struggle, Jing Xuan¡¯s foot slipped and she lost her bnce. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw her body falling toward the water basin used to water the nts. Fortunately, Ji Yunshu timely seized her waist and pulled Jing Xuan into her arms. The distance between both of them quickly shrank to that of a mere finger. They were so close that Jing Xuan¡¯s forehead identally knocked against Ji Yunshu¡¯s brows and the tips of her cold nose felt Ji Yunshu¡¯s warm breath! The princess¡¯ whole body immediately tensed. This kind of feeling was absolutely nerve-racking, causing ripples inside her heart and making it beat madly. An unknown emotion suddenly emerged. Her cheeks and ears furiously blushed on the spot. Ji Yunshu released her hold and stepped back. She did not appear to notice Jing Xuan¡¯s abnormality. ¡°Princess, stop making a ruckus. It¡¯s gettingte, so it¡¯s better for you to return to the pce soon.¡± Jing Xuan bit her lips while covering her burning cheeks with her hands. Her chest heaved heavily as she picked up her pace and speedily ran away from the courtyard. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with her attitude? Wasn¡¯t she extremely overbearing just a moment ago? At least she¡¯s gone now. This troublesome farce is over.¡¯ Looking at her ruined courtyard made her felt distressed. Ji Yunshu shook her head and sighed. Soon after, she focused her attention on the few maidservants around her. ¡°Please tidy the courtyard for me.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The servants obeyed. Ji Yunshu went back to the room where she left Wei Yi and saw him sitting on the chair while hugging his curled up legs. His limpid eyes stared at her with no fear to taint them. At this moment, he had calmed down. Ji Yunshu walked over to him and watched him with a frown. ¡°Shu¡¯er, I didn¡¯t insult her!¡± Wei Yi defended himself. Ji Yunshu squatted down in front of him and held his hands firmly with her slender hands. She gently spoke, ¡°I know. Wei Yi is good, how can you insult people.¡± ¡°The big sister is the one who broke those potted flowers. So, I said that those flowers are very pretty. It¡¯s such a pity to break them, but then she started to yell at me.¡± ¡°Good. It¡¯s already in the past. So, let¡¯s not talk about it anymore.¡± Wei Yi nodded. However, Ji Yunshu became sorrowful. ¡°In the end, did I do the right thing by bringing you to the capital? Maybe I should have let you stay in Jinjiang instead.¡± ¡°No!¡± Wei Yi vigorously shook his head. ¡°I want to be with Shu¡¯er!¡± ¡°Wei Yi, I made a promise to your parents that I will take care of you. But, do you know that ever since you met me, bad luck keeps following you? If it wasn¡¯t because of me, your parents wouldn¡¯t have died. If it wasn¡¯t because of me, you would not have experienced the pain of bereavement or have left your hometown to the capital, living your daily life in apprehension. I¡¯m sorry Wei Yi, this is all my fault.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes reddened and her nose became sore. The guilt and sadness started to overwhelm her heart like countless knives hacking it. Wei Yi more or less understood Ji Yunshu¡¯s words. He blinked at her with his beautiful eyes and his Adam¡¯s apple rolled up and down before he said, ¡°Shu¡¯er, the thing that makes me afraid the most is you leaving me. Don¡¯t send me back to Jinjiang, alright? I want to be with you and go back with youter.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid? If you continue to stay here, what happened today might repeat again.¡± ¡°I am not afraid! As long as you don¡¯t leave me, there is nothing for me to be afraid of. Shu¡¯er, believe in me.¡± His appearance suddenly seemed manlier. Ji Yunshu endured the rolling wave of difort assailing her heart. She opened her mouth and voiced her thoughts, ¡°Alright, I believe you.¡± She got up and continued, ¡°Everything is a mess outside. Do you want to go out and help everyone clean the courtyard?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± He replied straightforwardly. Right before they went out, Wei Yi suddenly pulled Ji Yunshu and took out Ji Yunshu¡¯s present box again. With an expression full of smiles, he said, ¡°This is the present I got you. You said that you will look at it when youe back.¡± She received the box and opened it. Plum blossoms were the first things to enter her vision. Underneath the plum blossoms, there was an borate silver ne. On the ne, a delicate carving with a waves pattern could be seen. The style was a beautiful antique design. Coiled around the silver ne were golden threads so fine that it could be easily missed without careful observation. In addition, two small bells hung on the side of the ne. One of them was silver while the other was golden. The jewelry was extremely beautiful! As an archeologist, Ji Yunshu had some knowledge about antiquities and, even if she was not an expert, it took her few nces to determine the value of the ne. The thing was obviously a fake. Not to mention, it was also second-hand goods! This fool got cheated again. Chapter 151: Summoned to the Palace Chapter 151: Summoned to the Pce ¡°Wei Yi, this thing¡­¡± Wei Yi interrupted Ji Yunshu before she had the time to finish saying ¡°is fake¡±. He was watching with hope and expectation and asked her, ¡°Shu¡¯er, do you like it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ji Yunshu could not give an immediate reply. ¡°I secretly went to buy it yesterday, it is a chain you wear on your ankle. The vendor told me that girls like this kind of jewelry the most. Shu¡¯er, you will be beautiful with it on.¡± Wei Yi impatiently picked up the silver chain. He didn¡¯t leave any time for Ji Yunshu to refuse or even say anything before he squatted down in front of Ji Yunshu and carefully put the silver chain around her left ankle. The jewelry nestled around her ankle as the small bells jingle beautiful to the ears. He got up and immediately praised her, ¡°It looks good on you.¡± Ji Yunshu raised her foot and looked at the essory on her left ankle. Because the chain was very thin, it wasn¡¯t rigid, and it didn¡¯t hinder her movements. Moreover, the bells¡¯ sound is very faint due to their sizes. Although it is a second-hand good, she didn¡¯t want to burst his happy bubble for the time being. ¡®In any case, this item is beautiful so how could it be a second-hand good?¡¯ Ji Yunshu received her gift happily. ¡°Thank you! I like it a lot.¡± Wei Yi raised his chin, proud of his gift. He then said, ¡°I chose it. You are the prettiest with it.¡± Looking at his joyful mood, he must have forgotten everything that happened with Jing Xuan, erasing it from his memories. This was one of Wei Yi¡¯s unique characteristic. Ji Yunshu hurriedly brought him outside the room to prevent him fromying down on the floor and staring at the silver chain. It was a terrible mess inside the courtyard. Fortunately, Ji Yunshu had stopped Jing Xuan before it became worse. Without her timely interference, the plum trees would probably all be uprooted. While the servants were busy tidying the courtyard, it started to drizzle. If they didn¡¯t clean properly, everything will be wet and covered in mud. Wei Yi broke into a run and came to a halt next to a young maidservant. He hurriedly took the broken pot from her hands while kindly saying, ¡°Big sister, I will help you.¡± ¡°Young master Wei¡­¡± The maidservant couldn¡¯t prevent him from taking over her task. Wei Yi quickly threw the broken pot into a big barrel with all of the other trash. Since Ji Yunshu couldn¡¯t do anything about the rain, she hastily cleaned the courtyard. ¡°Teacher Ji, it¡¯s better to let us do it.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s clean up everything quickly before the rain increases.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Quickly, the crowd-filled courtyard was cleaned. However, due to the rain, the ce was filled with mud making the ground slippery and causing quite a few servants to fall and get covered in mud. With Wei Yi¡¯s big heart, he felt sorry for them and didn¡¯t hesitate to help them get up and even ordered them to sit on the side instead of causing chaos. Wei Yi felt as if he wielded his authority to perfection, thus his excitement increased even more, fueling him to work harder. Ji Yunshu wanted to clean more, but her hands had yet to touch the fragments of a vase when Wei Yi rushed over and told her, ¡°Shu¡¯er, let me help you.¡± His words warmed her heart, and her lips stretched into a genuine smile. Busied silhouettes could be seen scuttling around, making the courtyard very lively. Within the drizzle, the pitter-patter of water apanied the faint jingle of bells. At this moment, the courtyard seemed to transform into an illusionary scene for the beauty of this instant could be hardly described. Meanwhile outside the courtyard, standing under thentern, hair and shoulders drenched by raindrops, Jing Rong watched the smile illuminating Ji Yunshu¡¯s face. It was in to see how beautiful her smile was. Yet, it made his heart ache because her smile wasn¡¯t directed at him. Right, she did smile at him, but it was always the indifferent and polite kind of smile. He ardently wished many times that she would one day devote her feelings to him as she did for Ji Pei and stay at his side. He also wished that she could be as rxed and joyful in front of him as she was in front of Wei Yi, showing such an unrestrained smile. If that day could reallye, he wouldn¡¯t mind waiting for her. ¡®There is no harm in waiting for a bit longer.¡¯ The next day, the capital governor arrived at the Rong estate and reported the results of the search in Lin mountain yesterday. He enumerated all the discoveries that were found, ¡°I dispatched a great number of people for the search, but we found nearly nothing, unfortunately. The body was found at the foot of the mountain, near the main road. Thus, there were too many traces of horse carriages, countless footprints, and everything is a mess. Not to mention how impossible it is to search for clues on the main road itself. Another group was searching for any form of habitation or shed nearby and we only found an abandoned cottage. However, no one has used the ce for a very long time and the surroundings have been reimed by the wilderness. The ce didn¡¯t seem to hide anyone recently. The victim couldn¡¯t possibly escape from anywhere in the surroundings. Apart from those things, we didn¡¯t discover anything else.¡± After he was done reporting, he sighed helplessly. The trail was once again broken. The two-month investigation still ended up in a dead end. Ji Yunshu had some doubts. It was impossible not to find anything¡­ The only exnation for this situation was the carelessness of the runners under the governor. After she considered a few points, she dered, ¡°I¡¯m going to Lin mountain.¡± ¡°Out of the question!¡± Jing Rong vetoed before adding, ¡°Your body is not well. You can¡¯t go there.¡± ¡°I¡¯m very healthy!¡± Ji Yunshu retorted. Jing Rong pulled her near him and spoke with a solemn expression, ¡°It¡¯s very humid on Lin mountain, even during July and August. Don¡¯t forget that the wound on your face cannot be exposed to too much humidity or it won¡¯t heal properly and be ruined.¡± ¡®That¡¯s right!¡¯ She almost forgot about that. The doctor did mention a few rmendations like being forbidden to go to damp ces as to avoid stopping the wound from healing or even possibly reopening it. ¡°If I don¡¯t go there myself, this case will end with cold trails.¡± ¡°Absolutely no way! Your safety is more important than anything else.¡± His words didn¡¯t leave any room for argument. Ji Yunshu knew his temper. Still, she was about to argue when several pce eunuchs came in. A eunuch approached them in small steps with his hands sped in front of his abdomen. He spoke in a practiced tone, ¡°This lowly one is paying his respect to Prince Rong. Herdyship, Concubine Xiao, has passed the order to summon Teacher Ji immediately to the pce.¡± ¡­¡­ At this moment, Jing Xuan was sitting inside a pavilion with her hands propping her chin. Her big eyes were watching the flowers growing in the garden. Lost in thought, the corner of her mouth curled up asionally in an obvious bashful way. Next to her, her two maidservants were ncing at each other in puzzlement. ¡®What is going here? Don¡¯t tell me the princess has been possessed by a devil?¡¯ Ever since she came back yesterday, Jing Xuan smiled like an idiot and sometimes her face would turn crimson and she became bashful, acting like a coquettish little girl. Jing Xuan bit her lips and giggled quietly. Her shoulders shrank closer to her body as she showcased her shyness again as a feeling surged out. Further away from her, five pce maids were carrying some pastries while walking toward the main hall. Suddenly, Jing Xuan turned towards one of her servants and instructed, ¡°Go and bring some pastries here.¡± ¡°Yes, Princess!¡± The pce maid hurriedly went towards the other five maids and said something to them. Finally, she came back empty-handed. Jing Xuan asked, ¡°Where are the pastries?¡± ¡°Princess, they said that the pastries are to be brought to the main hall.¡± After hearing the reply, how could she restrain herself? Jing Xuan hit the stone table. ¡°Such courage! This Princess wants to eat, but they didn¡¯t give?¡± The maid hurriedly lowered her head and exined, ¡°They said that they are expecting the arrival of a noble guest. Thus, her Ladyship had ordered them to prepare the best pastries.¡± ¡°A noble guest? Who?¡± ¡°I heard them say that it is Teacher Ji.¡± Once the answer was said, Jing Xuan immediately smiled bashfully and became extremely excited. Chapter 152: Guilty of Offending People Chapter 152: Guilty of Offending People Inside the carriage, Jing Rong and Ji Yunshu sat in front of each other. Only the rattling of the carriage and their regr breathing filled the silence between them, making the atmosphere more awkward as time passed. After a long time, Ji Yunshu nced at Jing Rong and finally spoke, ¡°In fact, your Highness doesn¡¯t need to go with me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯te to apany you. Today, I also want to go see my imperial father. The situation at the border is pressing. Yesterday, I received a message to report back to the pce.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Jing Rong paused a bit before continuing in a grave tone, ¡°Although Concubine Xiao has lived in the depths of the pce for a long time, you cannot underestimate her. You should have already clearly understood this after what happened during her birthday feast.¡± Ji Yunshu nodded. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°You must be on guard against her. If I haven¡¯t guessed wrong, she summoned you to the pce for two reasons. On the surface, it¡¯s to inquire about the progress of the missing girls case, but underneath, her desire is inevitably linked to the power and position of her son.¡± As his exnation reached this point, Jing Rong became a bit worried. He was not worried about being Concubine Xiao¡¯s target of assassination. Instead, he was anxious that Concubine Xiao wanted to rope Ji Yunshu into her faction. Considering how Ji Yunshu was stubborn, she would immediately refuse, and there is a high possibility that she would be Concubine Xiao¡¯s second target for assassination. Seeing the concerned look on Jing Rong¡¯s face, Ji Yunshu simply smiled without saying anything. ¡°Did you understand what I just said?¡± Jing Rong heavily frowned. ¡°Since it has already happened, let¡¯s take it calmly. You don¡¯t need to worry about me. Even if Concubine Xiao took the initiative to take control of the situation and wanted to y her chess pieces, I will make sure that she won¡¯t be able to ce the pieces on the board or even be able to reach for it.¡± Ji Yunshu showed an enigmatic smile. From Jing Rong¡¯s words, she understood a thing or two about the woman called Concubine Xiao. Jing Rong did not fully grasp theplete meaning behind Ji Yunshu¡¯s words. He faintly warned her, ¡°In short, be careful. Women who have lived in the harem are extremely terrifying, especially those who can survive well without falling. They are considered monsters.¡± Ji Yunshu agreed with Jing Rong. However, she could not help feeling amused and used her white and slender fingers to cover her curled lips. A small breeze blew into the carriage, lifting the curtain and billowing Ji Yunshu¡¯s wide sleeve. As the wind stirred inside the carriage, it brushed against her hair, making her long chevelure dance. At times, strands of hair flew and partially concealed her face. It was a sight to behold! Whenever Jing Rong¡¯s sight lingered on Ji Yunshu, his icy eyes would always melt into a congration of passion. He was willing to light himself on fire to remain by her side. But, after a second, he lifted the window curtain and averted his gaze towards the scene outside while changing the subject. ¡°We¡¯re approaching the pce gates.¡± Ji Yunshu followed his gaze. Last time, they were in a rush to enter the pce, so she was waiting for the asion to take a closer look at those grand and imposing gates. Visible to all, the signboard marking the south gate hung high above the gates, aligned right into the center. The zing golden character written on it, simr to the chill oozing from the icy wind, gave the impression that each stroke was aplexwork of blood vessels coursing through a human body. The words, devoid of warmth, could not be more representative of the core reality of the pce. Everything within the pce has been thoroughly permeated by coldness, tantamount to a snow pce. Thus, it could exin why whoever lived inside would transform into tortured souls. Jing Rong discussed with Ji Yunshu, ¡°I don¡¯t care about your n. It¡¯s better to be vignt at all times. So, be more careful. After I¡¯m done reporting to imperial father, I will wait for you at the south gate.¡± ¡°Your Highness should focus your thoughts on the situation at the borders. The recent invasion of Qujiang has caused turmoil at our borders, a problem that truly caused lots of headaches. If I¡¯ve guessed correctly, the emperor might want to discuss with you about a strategy to solve this situation. You should put your mind into finding a good solution.¡± ¡®Eh?¡¯ Jing Rong abruptly froze. In fact, he froze from shock. He knew that Ji Yunshu was intelligent from the murder cases¡¯ investigation. However, he never knew that her cleverness gave her such a clear understanding of the situation within the imperial court and the empire. He could not help but marvel at her and asked, ¡°Since you already know about the situation, do you have a good n?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Your Highness, I was just guessing. I don¡¯t have any good countermeasure. I was just thinking, what could be the benefit of this war. It¡¯s alright to grab resources or territories, but in the end, the ones who will suffer from this are only themon people. Since ancient times, there should be no monarch who wanted to be known to sacrifice his people for the sake of achieving his ambitions and consolidating his supremacy.¡± She spoke with indifference, without any fluctuations in her intonation as if she was having a casual conversation. Opposite of her, Jing Rong was overflowing with admiration. ¡°Who informed you about all of this?¡± ¡°I gathered some information from the Lin annals and memorized some of it. I was just speaking casually, don¡¯t mind my words.¡± Her exnations made him a bit skeptical. ¡®What Lin annals?!¡¯ Ji Yunshu absolutely did not even spend a second on it. What she based herself on is the knowledge she gained from her conversations with Ji Pei. During the two years they were together, Ji Pei had taught Ji Yunshu how to write and showed her some tactics and military strategies. Due to being interested in the subject, Ji Yunshu put lots of effort into absorbing knowledge. What she told Jing Rong came from a conversation she had with Ji Pei long ago. ¡°The greatest enemy of this world isn¡¯t the one standing in front of you, but the swords, spears and weapons of the soldiers. The best thing to do is to spend all your effort in protecting themon people.¡± Once said Ji Pei. At that time, Ji Yunshu did not understand his words, but with time, she graduallyprehended it. In exchange for the greater ambition of uniting the whole world, it came with the cost of people rebelling. A great emperor can easily turn into the next Qin Shi Huang1. Jing Rong gawked at her and mutters, ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything worthy of your thanks.¡± Ji Yunshu lowered her eyes. Once again, she had overstepped her status with her speech. ¡°No, you have roused my mind.¡± ¡°This is because your Highness has a sharp mind.¡± Her reply made Jing Rong smile. It¡¯s true that Ji Yunshu did not suggest to him any good n and was only casually speaking with him. ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ Since she did not want to take credit for words casually spoken, he would not force her. The carriage parked outside the gate. After they disembarked, they parted ways since their destinations differed. Before separating, Jing Rong remembered to warn her again in addition to reminding her that he will wait for her at the south gate. Ji Yunshu acquiesced before following a eunuch to Zhangzhi hall. On their way to Zhangzhi hall, there was a furnace ced at every dozen of steps causing a big contrast of temperature in the cold weather. Finally, they reached the hall and Ji Yunshu waited outside for her summons while the eunuch went inside to announce her arrival. A momentter, the eunuch came out. ¡°Pleasee in, Teacher Ji.¡± She stepped inside. Her movements caused her wide sleeves to billow, brushing along her sides. Her posture was upright and she did not reveal a single trace of nervousness. As she went inside, she caught sight of a curtain of muslin hanging from the roof beam. The muslin was thin enough to make out the silhouette of a woman sitting at a position where an imperial consort would be, but it made her features hazy. Gradually, the curtain parted. Concubine Xiao, whose face made her looked as if time had forgotten her, clearly reflected in Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes. The imperial concubine was wearing a violet brocade gown which had a phoenix tail embroidered on it. On the hem of her skirt, dark rose stems could be seen as they climbed upward and blossomed all over her gown. Magnificent and unmatched were words that perfectly described Concubine Xiao. It was no wonder the emperor favored her so much. Her beauty must be the main reason! In the end, all emperors loved beauties, a fact unchanged since time immemorial. 1.Qin Shi Huang is the first emperor of Qin who unified China and ended the Warring States era. His reign was punctuated with many controversies and he became obsessed with the futile search of the elixir of immortality in theter years of his reign. For more information, click here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qin_Shi_Huang Chapter 153: Pick Either One? Chapter 153: Pick Either One? Concubine Xiao¡¯s red lips stretched into a smile as she sat on her chair, which gave people a deep impression of mystery. Ji Yunshu was about to salute her per etiquette, but she was stopped by a light gesture from Concubine Xiao. ¡°No need for courtesy. This imperial one has summoned you to the pce, thus you are my noble guest.¡± ¡°This humble one is only amoner. I do not dare assume to be your Ladyship¡¯s noble guest.¡± Concubine Xiao didn¡¯t argue. She nced at a chair on the side and lightly raised both of her hands in a gesture of invitation. ¡°Teacher Ji, please take a seat.¡± ¡°Many thanks, your Ladyship.¡± Ji Yunshu slowly proceeded to the chair Concubine Xiao pointed at and sat down. Respect could be seen on her expression, yet her heart was brimming with cold prudence. Concubine Xiao curled the corner of her mouth and inquired as she looked at her. ¡°Teacher Ji is a clever person. That day, when you took advantage of the missing girls case to make the emperor agree to unseal the coffins of the victims from the imperial duke case, it made me extremely impressed. Since you are an intelligent man, I suppose you already know the reason for my summon today, right?¡± ¡®Oh! Unexpectedly, she went with a straight punch! Her speech goes straight to the heart of the matter.¡¯ Ji Yunshu dully spoke, ¡°This humble one does not dare to casually guess your Ladyship¡¯s intention to summon me into the pce.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no harm in it. Why don¡¯t you take a guess?¡± ¡°This humble one doesn¡¯t dare to guess your Ladyship¡¯s intention. I hope that your Ladyship can enlighten me.¡± She yed dumb the same way Concubine Xiao did earlier; An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Ji Yunshu was very clear on one point; If she did correctly voice out the other¡¯s intention, she would fall into her trap and would have no other choice but to be swayed into her faction. If she deliberately guessed wrong, it signified that she refused to stand on Concubine Xiao¡¯s side and would be turned into a target of assassination. There were two options in front of her, but picking either one would send her to a dead end! It¡¯s better for her not to pronounce herself. Concubine Xiao is an intelligent person. She quickly understood that Ji Yunshu had seen through her little scheme. Since it failed, she simply smiled as if nothing has happened, ¡°Forget it. Since Teacher doesn¡¯t want to guess, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you. In fact, I summoned you here today to inquire about the progress of the missing girls¡¯ case.¡± ¡®Lies!¡¯ But Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t expose her and went along with her by giving an honest reply. ¡°I won¡¯t hide from your Ladyship; there has been no progress for the case.¡± ¡°No progress?¡± Concubine Xiao was inwardly quite delighted by the news. However, outwardly, she didn¡¯t forget to raise an eyebrow in an act of displeasure and questioned Ji Yunshu, ¡°I have heard that, two days ago, they found a body rted to the missing case on Lin mountain. Not to mention that the body didn¡¯t have both hands, even her face was peeled off. I heard that you went to examine the body and made a portrait of the girl who turned out to be the granddaughter of Old General Li. Am I correct?¡± ¡°Yes, your Ladyship.¡± ¡°Then¡­ aside from the identity of the deceased, there is nothing else?¡± ¡°The clues led to a dead end, so we cannot investigate further.¡± Ji Yunshu continued to y the transparency card since it was useless to hide anything from the other woman. After all, this is the oue that Concubine Xiao desired the most. Concubine Xiao acted as if she was very disappointed. She even showed a hint of sadness as she lightly sighed. ¡°This case has dragged on for so long. Innocent girls continue to go missing one after another. Perhaps, they have perished in the same way as Old General Li¡¯s granddaughter.¡± She grievously sighed, showing deep sorrow. That woman¡¯s acting skills truly made Ji Yunshu nauseous. Due to the disgust she felt, Ji Yunshu replied back with much effort. ¡°Your Ladyship¡¯s concern is themon people¡¯s grace. This humble one will do my best to solve this case.¡± ¡°It is good that you have confidence.¡± After she was done speaking, Concubine Xiao turned to a pce maid and signaled her. The pce maid stepped forward while holding a very exquisite brocade box. Then, she ced the box on the small table beside Ji Yunshu. With precaution, she lifted the cover of the box. What reflected inside Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes was a very beautiful Southern Sea pearl. ¡°That Southern Sea pearl was a gift the emperor bestowed me a few years ago. Although this imperial self is very fond of it, I believe that this pearl would suit Teacher Ji¡¯s belt. I don¡¯tck such things, so I don¡¯t mind gifting you this.¡± ¡®How generous!¡¯ Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t show any pleasure receiving such gift, yet she also didn¡¯t show any intention to refuse it. She simply reached for the cover, her fingertips touching the top and gently, she closed it, leaving her hand on it. Concubine Xiao became confused. ¡°Could it be that you don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°Your Ladyship¡¯s gift is too beautiful and precious. This humble one is too used to in clothes andmonmodities. If I wear such an expensive object, I fear that I can¡¯t get used to it.¡± ¡°Eh? Since Teacher doesn¡¯t like Southern Sea pearls, this imperial one still has other things that may be to your liking.¡± The pce maid understood the meaning and went to fetch a scroll. She unfolded the scroll in front of Ji Yunshu, revealing a full-colored painting of plum blossoms. That painting was more than a meter long and had focused on one thing only ¨C plum blossoms. Each blossom was painted in light red, smudged at some ces for gradient. The whole painting gave out afortable feeling for anyone who gazed at it. Moreover, the branches of the plum tree were arranged in a picturesque and intricate pattern, so it was not too dense nor too sparse, very pleasing to the eyes and dazzling as a whole. Ji Yunshu had to admit that this bribe made her feel moved. Concubine Xiao extended her slender, long forefinger and pointed at the stamp on the painting. Then, she probed, ¡°Do you recognize this stamp?¡± Ji Yunshu looked at it and realized it was the stamp of the best painter in Great Lin ¨C Master Bai Que. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Master Bai¡¯s stamp.¡± Ji Yunshu nodded. ¡°Master Bai¡¯s painting techniques are considered the best in the whole empire and none has yet surpassed him. The painting in front of you is the ¡®Land of Plum Blossoms¡¯, which is his best masterpiece. I just happened to acquire it. Such a valuable object deserves to be appreciated by someone worthy of it. I believe that Teacher is that someone. Since you like it, it would be for the best for this exceptional work to be given to you, than for it to gather dust by my side.¡± What a dilemma, Ji Yunshu really wanted to receive this generous gift, but she knew that as soon as she epted it, it meant that she would join Concubine Xiao¡¯s faction and renounce helping Jing Rong with the Lin Capital case. Coldness surged in her eyes which she quickly concealed it in a heartbeat, leaving only a pleasant smile on her face. ¡­¡­ Meanwhile, Jing Xuan, who had changed into new clothes and rebed her hair in a very good-looking hairstyle, was speeding toward the Zhangzhi hall. Behind her trailed several pce maids, appearing as if they were chasing after her. Finally, Jing Xuan arrived at the main hall entrance. Her heart was bursting with happiness as she was prepared to go inside. However, she was stopped by a eunuch. ¡°Princess, her Ladyship is currently meeting with Teacher Ji. She has instructed us not to let anyone disturb the meeting.¡± ¡°Presumptuous! You dare to obstruct this princess?!¡± ¡°This lowly ve doesn¡¯t dare.¡± ¡°Then, get out of my way.¡± The eunuch didn¡¯t dare to obstruct her any longer and was forced to take two steps back while trembling. Jing Xuan snorted. She lifted the hem of her skirt a bit and strutted in just in time to see Ji Yunshu let go of a captivating painting, and her imperial mother prying away at ¡®his¡¯ expression. In another ce, to be precise, in Fuyang hall, Qi Zhen emperor sat in front of a table with an appearance wrought with worries and solemnity from governing his empire and his people. ced in front of him were a pile of memorials. When he looked over his table, Jing Yi stood on the left, followed by Jing Hua and Jing Rong who stood on the right. Behind the three princes stood several ministers. And behind those ministers, there were several young officials. Amongst them, there was one called Chen Zhangqin, the son of the Minister of Rites. Half a year ago, he was chosen by his father to fill the position of assistant-minister of the Board of Rites. Chen Zhangqin also happened to be Ji Wanxin¡¯s future husband. He was slightly bowed, but it didn¡¯t hide his delicate appearance of a modest gentleman. Appearance wise, he was a perfect match for Jinjiang¡¯s number one beauty, Ji Wanxin. Chapter 154: Poisonous Scorpion The precarious situation at the empire¡¯s borders had pressured everyone in the hall into a heavy silence. The emperor, in particr, was the one who felt that pressure the most. His expression was overcast in gloom as he hammered his fists on his table while caught in deep pondering. Then, he looked at the people present in the hall before bursting out in anger, ¡°It has been five years since the end of our war with Qujiang, but in recent years, they¡¯ve been restless. They still aren¡¯t content with what they have and have sent soldiers to invade our territories and harass our borders! Do they even put our Great Lin in their eyes?!¡± His fist loudly pounded the table. While no one spoke, the crown prince, Jing Hua, took two steps forward, sped his hands per imperial etiquette before speaking with extreme confidence, ¡°Imperial father, the war five years ago ended with Qujiang¡¯s defeat. This is nothing but a final struggle before they expire. They are no threat to us. Imperial father, let¡¯s send a general with a few thousand soldiers to handle the situation at the borders. We just need to behead some of their generals and a few soldiers to set an example. As they retreat, we press forward and eradicate Qujiang at the same time, weeding out future troubles at its roots.¡± Vicious and merciless is how he presented his speech! Then again, an idiot is an idiot! His speech, far from impressing his father, only earned him his disappointment. Jing Yi caught the fleeting disappointment on his father¡¯s expression. He wordlessly sneered before stepping forward in turn. ¡°Imperial father, I admit that the crown prince¡¯s strategy is good¡­ However, your son thinks that Qujiang¡¯s infringement on our borders must be an act of mature reflexion. They won¡¯t easily be captured or halt their n following the Crown Prince¡¯s n. Please consider it again.¡± While Jing Yi analyzed the overall situation out loud, many ministers behind the princes showed signs of approval. His exnation also caused the emperor to be pensive. Jing Hua became annoyed and snarled at Jing Yi, ¡°Jing Yi, no need to overthink too much on this matter. Even if Qujiang had prepared themselves, our Great Lin has prevailed once and will prevail again. Are we going to wait until we lose our border before sending the army? It will be toote at that time!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t my meaning.¡± ¡°Then what are you trying to say?¡± asked Jing Hua. Jing Yi nced coldly at his brother before shifting his eyes to his father. ¡°Imperial father, I want us to be prepared for the unexpected. We currently have 80,000 soldiers defending our borders whereas Qujiang only sent an army of 30,000 to harass us. This disparity is clearly suspicious. Thus, we must first assess the overall situation before sending any reinforcements to attack.¡± The emperor hummed thoughtfully. His sharp eyes shone reflecting everything like two bright mirrors. One side was his favorite son, the other side was Jing Yi. As expected, amongst all his sons, only Jing Yi resembled him the most with his good temper and decisiveness! ¡°This Son thinks that by understanding the key point of their intentions, we can grasp their n.¡± Jing Yi continued to exin. However, Jing Hua didn¡¯t share the same thoughts. He hastily argued, ¡°Jing Yi, Qujiang¡¯s 30,000 army is not enough to constitute a threat to us. We have enough soldiers to suppress them as long as the order to dispatch reinforcements is sent. This is simplyughable to even think that this situation is suspicious.¡± ¡°I know crown prince is anxious, but we have to look at the bigger picture for our empire. For the good of our empire, shouldn¡¯t any matters be treated with the utmost caution and be thoroughly considered before reaching for a decision?¡± ¡°You want to think everything through thoroughly? Qujiang is but a tiny country. Our empire has strong soldiers and sturdy horses; Whereas, they only have a measly 30,000 soldiers. Even if there is something suspicious about it, do they even have the ability to overthrow our strength?¡± ¡°Crown prince¡­¡± Jing Hua turned to the emperor without waiting for Jing Yi to defend his point, ¡°Imperial father, this Son thinks that we should immediately dispatch an armed force to sweep through them, eliminating the troubles before it brews bigger.¡± The crown prince and the second prince firmly hold onto their opinions, reaching a deadlock in this battle of arguments. It wasn¡¯t the first time they disagreed with each other. Since ancient times, princes of each generation all have a different personality which strongly shed with each other. ¡°What Jing Yi said is reasonable. It¡¯s illogical for Qujiang to start stirring things now without any reason after five years of calm. But the crown prince¡¯s arguments also hold true.¡± The emperor was deeply torn, but then, his gaze shifted to the taciturn and silent Jing Rong. ¡°What do you think about this situation?¡± Jing Rong didn¡¯t even flinch from his father¡¯s question since he was already warned by Ji Yunshu earlier inside the carriage. Under the hostile stares of Jing Yi and Jing Hua, each harboring an ulterior motive, Jing Rong remained firm. He raised his eyes and stated, ¡°This Son agrees with Jing Yi¡¯s words. A deeper scheme hides under their tant invasion.¡± ¡®Eh?¡¯ Jing Yi was surprised as he never expected his brother to stand on his side. ¡°Hmm¡­ Tell me your intake on this.¡± asked the emperor. Jing Rong replied, ¡°If Qujiang truly intends to start a war with our Great Lin, they won¡¯t send 30,000 soldiers as the vanguard. Besides, they are merely harassing our army at the borders and didn¡¯t start any massacre. Although they are wantonly plundering in our territories, our people didn¡¯t suffer many casualties. From this, we can suppose that Qujiang¡¯s target is not to start a war with us.¡± ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°Five years ago, the war between us and Qujiang has brought misery to themon people with mountains of dead. I believe that imperial father doesn¡¯t want to see such a heart-wrenching scene again. If I didn¡¯t guess wrong, the King of Qujiang is also unwilling to see it again. Therefore, he only dispatched an army of 30,000 soldiers. However¡­¡± Jing Rong paused before continuing, ¡°That vanguard is enough to harass our 80,000 soldiers at the borders. For such a feat, the person leading them is absolutely far from ordinary.¡± History has always proven that the victory or defeat of a military campaign depends heavily on the ability of their general. ¡®This time, I wonder who is the leading general that Qujiang appointed?¡¯ Jing Rong¡¯s analysis of the border situation was urate and detailed. The emperor became curious and gestured at him to stop his exnation, ¡°Whoever their general is, do you have a good countermeasure against them? We need to settle this issue.¡± Jing Rong stepped forward and replied, ¡°Since the other side doesn¡¯t want to start a frontal confrontation, there¡¯s no reason for us to send reinforcements. What¡¯s clear is to use a roundabout but efficient method to resolve this and I only have one method ¨C a pourparler. By doing so, Imperial Father can demand to meet them and invite the general who led the 30,000 soldiers into the pce. Then, we find out his real intentions at that time. It won¡¯t be toote to settle the issue if both sides can reach an agreement. That way, themon people would not be plunged into the dreadful fire of war once again. I believe this is also the reason why the King of Qujiang has dyed starting a full-blown war with us.¡± As soon as Jing Rong was done, Jing Yi immediately stepped in, ¡°Imperial father, this Son and Jing Rong are of the same opinion. We feel that Qujiang provoked us this time for a reason. As Jing Rong said, pourparler is a good n which I also thought of. It would be better if we summon that Qujiang General to our pce. There are two benefits by doing so, first, we can see who is the general behind such schemes, and second, we can find out Qujiang¡¯s true intention and a remedy to it before a war starts.¡± This move of Jing Yi suspiciously reeked of an attempt to seize merit. On the side, Jing Hua¡¯s expression was very ugly. ¡®Since when did these two have that much of tacit understanding?¡¯ Qi Zhen Emperor thought for a moment before questioning the ministers in the hall, ¡°What do you think?¡± The ministers looked at each other before looking at Lord Liu, a minister from the Ministry of War, stepped forward and spoke after saluting the emperor, ¡°This minister feels that Prince Rong and Prince Yi are correct.¡± At this moment, all the ministers understood very clearly that the crown prince was facing Jing Rong and Jing Yi alone. Thus, it was better if they sided with the stronger side instead of supporting the crown prince. The emperor pondered again before he determined the n to follow. ¡°Since most of you agree, we will send a decree to summon Qujiang General and must treat him courteously as a guest.¡± ¡°Yes, your Majesty!¡± Tired, the emperor rested his elbow on the table while massaging his temple. With his other hand, he waved to everyone, signaling the end of this meeting. After everyone retreated, calm reinstated inside the hall. The emperor couldn¡¯t stop the worry and vignce gnawing at his heart. The way that Jing Rong acted earlier had reminded him of someone. That person was¡­ intelligent, yet hid himself very deeply; sharp but remained collect and unperturbed. That kind of person was akin to a scorpion, seemingly barely menacing but when stung by it, death wille fast. Chapter 155: The Golden Carp in the Water Chapter 155: The Golden Carp in the Water Jing Rong left Fuyang hall in haste worried that Jing Hua would find him for a talk. Unfortunately, just as he feared, Jing Hua caught up to him right outside Fuyang hall and barred his way. With an attitude of remonstrance, Jing Hua said, ¡°Why did you stand on Jing Yi¡¯s side in front of imperial father earlier?¡± ¡®This is ridiculous!¡¯ Those were the words that shed in his mind when questioned by Jing Hua. ¡°I don¡¯t really understand what you mean by that.¡± Jing Hua snorted coldly. ¡°Jing Rong, you don¡¯t need to act clueless in front of me. I always thought that you had no intention to vie for my position and was nning to give you peace of mind and appoint you as Xiao Yao King, but it seems like I have underestimated you.¡± ¡®Xiao Yao King? The Carefree King?¡¯ That title strongly stirred Jing Rong¡¯s emotions. He smiled, ¡°I wish that if one day Imperial Father does bestow me such a title, I would also be as happy and free as the title implies.¡± ¡°Alright! Since you want that title, don¡¯t say anything the next time Imperial Father asks you about another good n!¡± Fury was burning inside Jing Hua since it was very clear to him that Jing Rong and Jing Yi teamed up earlier to iste him. ¡®That won¡¯t do!¡¯ Not waiting for Jing Rong to speak, Jing Hua suddenly turned around and nced several times behind him before confirming that Jing Yi didn¡¯te out yet. Then, he grabbed Jing Rong and pulled him further to the side. He probed him with a question, ¡°Jing Rong, tell me. Whose side are you on in the end? Jing Yi¡¯s or mine?¡± Sometimes, Jing Hua¡¯s show of force really made Jing Rong speechless. ¡®God! Why is there such a crown prince?! How can he be so idiotic?!¡¯ If he was a girl and was throw into the harem, he wouldn¡¯t even be alive after two days. In a warning tone and with a frown, Jing Rong stated, ¡°Crown Prince, the walls have ears and spoken words are like spilled water. You grew up inside the pce and should know what words can be spoken and what shouldn¡¯t be uttered. You should be clearer than anyone else about this principle.¡± Unfortunately, the crown prince spoke with impatience written all over his face, ¡°I just asked you a question. Whose side are you on?¡± Jing Rong was rendered speechless. His warning couldn¡¯t be clearer and more obvious, but this idiot still didn¡¯t get it? ¡°Crown Prince, my wish is¡­¡± Jing Yi¡¯s interjection suddenly disrupted his sentence. ¡°Are you two discussing the situation at the border?¡± His tone remained as neutral as possible. Jing Hua noticed Jing Yi¡¯s arrival along with several ministers. Seeing the scene, the ministers knew that the current conflict was a private matter among the princes that they have no ce in, thus they quickly departed. Jing Yi approached his brothers while bearing a smiling expression brimming with hidden meaning. Jing Hua coldly red at him as he bitingly spoke, ¡°Onlying out now? Is Prince Yi so anxious to entice those ministers into your faction?¡± His words bore an enigmatic undertone. Jing Yi is naturally not an easily bullied person. He retorted in a light tone, ¡°Crown Prince, you also know that Fuyang hall is imperial father¡¯s ce! You should take care of that loose mouth of yours instead of saying things that could displease imperial father.¡± ¡°You-¡± ¡°When you were talking about the situation at the borders, suggesting a shock and awe strategy, didn¡¯t you notice imperial father¡¯s expression?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± questioned Jing Hua. Jing Yi chuckled. ¡®This kind of crown prince is an absolute farce.¡¯ ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s better if your Highness realized it on your own.¡± Simultaneously, he nced at Jing Rong with slyness carved into his expression. ¡®This doesn¡¯t bode well!¡¯ But soon, Jing Yi¡¯s countenance returned to one brimming with admiration as he chatted with Jing Rong, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you are so knowledgeable about military strategies and had such a thorough understanding of the situation. Anyways, I would like to express my gratitude for backing me up earlier.¡± His words seemed as if they were deliberately meant for the crown prince to hear. He intentionally created conflict between Jing Rong and Jing Hua. However, he overlooked a point; Jing Rong had never cared about this crown prince¡¯s title. They can fight all they want, what does this have to do with him. All along, Jing Rong remained serene without the slightest sense of pressure. He lightly told Jing Yi, ¡°I was only speaking about the merits of the most reasonable solution. I didn¡¯t even think about standing on whoever¡¯s side. We are all brothers bound by blood. Why should we need to divide ourselves so clearly?¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong.¡± Jing Yi¡¯s deep expression suddenly seemed to brighten, and his mouth picked up like the sharp edge of a de. He spat out, ¡°From the moment we were born, we were destined to divide and demarcate what is ours. Our hearts cannot be clearer about this.¡± ¡®Destined to divide and demarcate what is ours!¡¯ Those words negated the meager existence of their familial bonds. Jing Yi walked off after leaving behind his dazed brothers. After Jing Hua snapped out of his daze, apart from being indignant or angry, he spoke with unabated spirit, ¡°This Jing Yi, so what if he had the ability to fight with me. Right now, I am the crown prince and it will be so in the future. Sooner orter, I will have enough power to uproot him and let him know the consequence of going against me!¡± He clenched his fists tightly as he spoke words that also served as a warning to Jing Rong. Jing Rong felt an emerging headache. He shook his head and departed. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Meanwhile, Ji Yunshu already left Concubine Xiao¡¯s residence. Her indifferent expression didn¡¯t differ much from when she entered the hall, except for that fleeting smile that held no happiness. It was an alienated smile that didn¡¯t make people feel estranged but simply cold. At a moderate pace, she walked toward the south gate with her sight staring straight ahead without deviating anywhere. A strong gale suddenly swept through the harem, blowing on Ji Yunshu¡¯s cloth and long ck hair. The wind was blowing wantonly, causing everything to flutter or dance along with it. The scene wasn¡¯t touching, but it seemed as if thendscape didn¡¯t belong to the treacherous and deep pce. As she walked, her mind reyed her dialog with Concubine Xiao. ¡°Teacher Ji, could it be that you are fond of this painting?¡± Concubine Xiao¡¯s phoenix eyes were dyed with a charming hint. She felt that this painting would certainly move Ji Yunshu. Unfortunately, this is Ji Yunshu¡­ ¡°Master Bai¡¯s works are nothing short from absolute beauty. A collectors¡¯ item heavily sought after byter generations. Such a pity that this humble one is a wanderer with no peaceful abode. Who knows if tomorrow I won¡¯t sleep among nature. For such a precious painting to be with me, I fear that despite cherishing it, it will one day be ruined. I think, in this case, it is better if it was safeguarded inside the pce.¡± Ji Yunshu skillfully evaded Concubine Xiao¡¯s question again, causing thetter to be unable to continue offering different gifts. Even the hint of an alluring smile on Concubine Xiao faltered in front of Ji Yunshu. With a stiff smile, Concubine Xiao politely said, ¡°This imperial one has a taste of your cleverness.¡± ¡°Your Ladyship¡¯s words are too heavy.¡± In the end, Concubine Xiao got up from her chair. Her golden embroidered shoes set off, striding to Ji Yunshu only to stop in front of her. Ji Yunshu immediately got up and adopted the posture of a vassal in front of a monarch. In a low voiceshed with hidden meaning, she asked, ¡°Teacher, tell me your opinion; between those who walk thends and those who fly in the sky, which is superior? The actual meaning is to ask her that between Jing Rong and Jing Yi, whose side will she chose? It¡¯s a simr question that Jing Hua had asked Jing Rong about who his allegiance belongs to. The core question was the same, but the method used to ask differed. At that moment, Ji Yunshu gave only a reply, ¡°Then, does your Ladyship think that a golden carp in the water can choose?¡± Ji Yunshu recalled the expression Concubine Xiao made at that time and couldn¡¯t help but smile. Women in the harem are mostly great schemers and could scheme left to right and all day until their hair turns gray. As soon as Ji Yunshu retired, Jing Xuan wanted to chase after her, but her mother stopped her. Jing Xuan called out several times, but Ji Yunshu never turned back. At this moment, she already arrived at the south gate but no sight of Jing Rong. Thus, she boarded the horse carriage first. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± She told the coachman. The coachman replied, ¡°His Highness is not here yet.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not waiting for him.¡± ¡°Then, do you want to return to the Rong estate?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re going to Liang mountain.¡± Chapter 156: On Liang Mountain Chapter 156: On Liang Mountain Not long after the carriage¡¯s departure, Jing Rong arrived at the south gate where the carriage was supposed to be. He was a bit puzzled from not seeing the carriage, thus he asked the imperial guard on duty, ¡°Where is the Rong estate¡¯s carriage?¡± ¡°It just left.¡± ¡°What about Teacher Ji who came with me?¡± Jing Rong suddenly had a bad premonition. The imperial guard replied perfunctorily, ¡°He already left with the carriage.¡± ¡®Very good Ji Yunshu! This Prince is such a great existence, but you didn¡¯t notice that I didn¡¯t get on the carriage yet?! Or are you deliberately leaving without me?! Truly brazen!¡¯ He was bursting with fury, but he did his best to repress it. He suspected that there was a reason why Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t wait for him. And the only exnation would be she didn¡¯t want him to prevent her from going to Liang mountain. Thus, she acted first and will report to himter. ¡®That girl! Wait until I catch you, and see how I will punish you.¡¯ Jing Rong ordered the guard to prepare a horse for him. When the horse was saddled, he mounted it and left for Liang mountain in haste. Behind him, Jing Yi¡¯s jet ck eyes closely watched him as he set off. Next to him, his trusted aide, Dou Quan, inquired, ¡°Prince Rong is alone, do you want¡­¡± Jing Yi lightly curled up his lips and spoke in a gloomy tone, ¡°You better handle it properly. Don¡¯t leave any traces behind.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡± Dou Quan was about to leave for his mission when Jing Yi stopped him with a stretch of his hand. After a moment of pondering, he said, ¡°No, go notify Yan Weiyi. Let him send people with shiban poison. In any case, since he also wants Jing Rong dead, he might as well clean up that Ji Yunshu too to avoid long nights filled with dreams1¡± ¡°Your Highness is wise.¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the capital after all. I can¡¯t dirty my own hands.¡± His statement was apanied by a clearugh. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Liang mountain wasn¡¯t located far from the capital, and it was bordered by the main roads. On the way, Ji Yunshu would asionally lift the carriage curtain and nced outside. From time to time, she would see another horse carriage traveling on the same road. After a while, they finally arrived at the foot of Liang mountain. After disembarking, Ji Yunshu looked at the sky. The sun was at its zenith, indicating it was currently noon. At this time, the humidity on Liang mountain was at its lowest. The coachman asked with curiosity, ¡°What are you going to do here, Teacher Ji?¡± ¡°Nothing. Wait for me here.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± The coachman was caught in a dilemma. ¡°Rest assured, I won¡¯t go far. I¡¯ll stay in the vicinity.¡± ¡°I have to go with you. In the case something happens, I don¡¯t know how to exin to Prince Rong.¡± While he spoke, the coachman pulled the carriage to the side and tied the horses to a big tree. He was ready to hike the mountain with Ji Yunshu. But Ji Yunshu refused, ¡°It¡¯s better if you stay here and watch the carriage. If something happens to the carriage, how are we going to return to the Rong estate? Even if we walk back, it will be dark and the city gates will be closed at that time.¡± The main road meandering through the empire was considered safe. However, for a luxurious carriage to be left alone in the wilderness, there¡¯s no guarantee that no one would entertain the idea of stealing it. Not to mention that the distance from here to the Rong estate was quite far. Therefore, it was better to be safe than sorry. The coachman thought for a moment. He was still worried about Ji Yunshu, yet he couldn¡¯t persuade her. In the end, he had no choice but toply with her suggestion. ording to the capital governor, the corpse was discovered in the southeastern part at the foot of the mountain. Ji Yunshu was currently located on the western side of the mountain. It would take awhile before reaching the crime scene. She couldn¡¯t help but mutter, ¡°If the deceased came down the mountain, how did she end up in the southeastern part? Or did she pass through the forest by foot?¡± After analyzing the information she had, suddenly, a realization dawned on her! Her eyes widened from the shock, but that emotion was mixed with a hint of pleasant surprise. She broke a branch and used it as a walking cane as she traversed the forest by foot to the southeastern side of the mountain. When she entered the forest, her senses were quickly assaulted by the dense humidity in the air, turning it ice-cold and making her body shiver from the drop in temperature. Noon was a time where the sunlight was the warmest and brightest, yet inside this forest overly popted by tall trees with dense foliage, it was hard for the sunlight to pierce through the dim and gloomy air. Only the mottled of leaves¡¯ shadows projected on the muddy ground hinted at the sun¡¯s existence. Within the dimmed forest, a cold wind had a chosen home, rustling the leaves in a continuum, creating a strangeness that seeped into people¡¯s heart. Fortunately, her eyes had seen too many corpses, thus she wasn¡¯t intimidated by the atmosphere of this dark forest. Relying on her walking cane, she threaded through the forest. The further she went in, the humidity increased and the temperature dropped even further, which she could feel deep inside of her. As time passed, her steps grew heavier, and theborious effort made her pant. As she ascended a slope, she suddenly slipped on the trail of mud. Her body abruptly fell forward; she had no time to react. But in extremis, A big hand broke her fall by tightly holding onto her waist and strongly pulling her up before she kissed the muddy ground. Her back ended up hitting on her savior¡¯s chest. ¡°If this Young Master wasn¡¯t here, you would have fallen.¡± A warm and frivolous voice was heard near Ji Yunshu¡¯s ears. With that voice alone, she was able to identify the person with certainty. She hurriedly freed herself from the other man¡¯s arm and turned around with doubt written on her face. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Li Shiyanughed while watching her. In his hand, he still held an exquisite folded fan. With raised brows, he spoke, ¡°It seems that my guess is correct. You are Shu¡¯er.¡± ¡®Eh?¡¯ Ji Yunshu felt toozy to deny. She pursed her lips and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I followed you from the moment you left Prince Rong¡¯s residence until you traveled to this ce.¡± ¡°You followed me?¡± Ji Yunshu was perplexed by his actions. ¡°Why would you follow me from Yuzhou to the capital?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already say this? I greatly admire your investigation skills. I want to follow you as you solve a case, then we can go to poetry assemblies and other gatherings to further our friendship!¡± For him, this was quite a logical process. ¡®Damn crazy man!¡¯ There are so many women in this world willing to attend poetry assemblies or go to gatherings. Why does it have to be her?! She narrowed her eyes while staring at him. She blurted out with impatience, ¡°Thank you very much for your help earlier. Unfortunately, I am in a hurry, so why don¡¯t you quickly go away?¡± ¡°I know you are currently investigating the missing girls case.¡± ¡°Since you know about it, don¡¯t bother me.¡± ¡°In fact, I am very curious about the identity of this perverted murderer.¡± As he spoke, he brazenly came closer to Ji Yunshu before continuing, ¡°The past few days, I have heard many rumors about this case, so I know about the discovery of this body on Liang mountain and that you were the one who examined it.¡± Ji Yunshu stepped back, increasing the distance between them. She calmly said, ¡°So?¡± He waved the fan in his hand before replying, ¡°So, I want to help you. Look at this ce; the forest is cold and the ground is muddy. It¡¯s very likely for a weak girl like you to have an ident. You can¡­ think of me as your assistant. How about it?¡± It¡¯s true that as she passes through this forest to reach the crime scene, she might slip many times and could end up falling to her death. She considered Li Shiyan¡¯s proposition for a moment before nodding in agreement. ¡°Good! Right, my ears are hurt. So, if you don¡¯t have anything to say, it¡¯s better to keep your mouth shut.¡± ¡°Rest assured, I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± Li Shiyan¡¯s peach blossom eyes sparkled as if he gained a huge benefit. Ji Yunshu proceeded forward while he obediently trailed closely behind her. 1.Ò¹³¤Ãζà or long nights filled with dreams put in context meant that the nights are filled with dreams, but nothing is real and everything is but supposition. It¡¯s better to avoid future troubles by resolving the problem as soon as possible. Chapter 157: White Cloth Chapter 157: White Cloth Ji Yunshu walked in front, while Li Shiyan followed behind. Watching the slender figure in front of him advancingboriously, made him worried. His vignce rose as he readied himself to protect her at any time. After a moment of walking in silence, Li Shiyan asked, ¡°Where are we going right now?¡± ¡°Southeast,¡± answered Ji Yunshu. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Why do you want to pass through this forest? Look at this ce; everything feels humid, and the sun barely shines down. Why don¡¯t you go around it?¡± He frowned in bewilderment. In front of him, Ji Yunshu continued to walk with caution. She jabbed the improvised walking cane into the muddy ground and talked to him without turning back, ¡°Do you really want to know?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Li Shiyan nodded. ¡°If you feel that my talent is good, feel free to receive me as your disciple. Perhaps in the future, I can solve cases in the blink of an eye.¡± ¡®In the blink of an eye?¡¯ His words made Ji Yunshu smile, but she no longer spoke to him. However, because Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t dispel Li Shiyan¡¯s doubts, his mind became more bothered by it. Therefore, he continued to urge her for an answer, ¡°Since you¡¯re allowing me to go with you, there¡¯s no need to hide your thoughts from me. Maybe if you tell me, I might be able to help you get some ideas.¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t appear to be against the idea. She took a deep breath, inhaling the cold and humid air before speaking, ¡°The deceased came from the main road and ran through the forest until she reached the southeastern part of the mountain.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Although this is the surroundings of a big mountain, woodcutters often go into this mountain, so it¡¯s impossible to hide someone here. In addition, the capital governor had ordered a search in the vicinity which implies that there¡¯s no ce to hide anyone. Taking into ount the state of the corpse at the moment of its discovery, it was impossible for the victim to escape from a faraway location to this mountain. Therefore, there is only one exnation.¡± ¡°What it is?¡± ¡°Prior to her death, the victim must have escaped from inside a carriage or from something that could hide a person. At that time, she must have been chased by someone. Therefore, in that moment of desperation, it would be impossible for her to make a decision with rity like to detour the forest by taking the trails to the east then to the south. The only option she would take is to run directly through the forest to the southeast. Unfortunately, during her escape, she stumbled on something and fell on a stone where she met her end.¡± Ji Yunshu exined this with incredible patience. Li Shiyan nodded several times in shock. His facepletely expressed the worship he had for Ji Yunshu, but it wasn¡¯t enough to stop him from continuing to ask, ¡°Then, you are retracing the deceased¡¯s escape route? But, why do you want to do that?¡± ¡°I want to search for any clues left behind by the murderer or something that could give us more information on the case.¡± Her exnations were quite vulgarized, but despite this, Li Shiyan pushed his brain to work harder. It still took him a good moment to understand everything that was said. Finally, he gasped in awe. He really wanted to open that woman¡¯s head and see what her brain is made of. Ji Yunshu used most of her energy to hike through the forest, but she still continued to exin, ¡°Another thing, Liang mountain is near the capital and could only be reached by the main road. If you want to hide someone, the type of carriage used is probably bigger in size than normal ones. What¡¯s more, the direction where the carriage was going is probably out of the city.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because of the missing girls case. Due to the numerous disappearances, the city was heavily guarded and under search everywhere. The murderer might be scared of being discovered, thus he must smuggle the victim out of the capital. Unfortunately, there is still a point I am unclear about. If he did use a carriage, hiding the victim inside should be easy. But, there¡¯s a strict search at the gates. How did the murderer avoid that? How did he smuggle the victim out of the capital?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s mind gradually sank in confusion. To summarize it, many points remained unclear in her conjecture, and she still had no lead to unravel that mystery. Right now, she could only hope that she finds a clue while going through this forest. ¡°Enough, let¡¯s try to find some clues first.¡± Ji Yunshu stated. Li Shiyan stopped asking questions as he still had not digested Ji Yunshu¡¯s exnations. Suddenly, Ji Yunshu stopped walking. ¡°Wait, wait, wait!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Look, isn¡¯t that a white cloth?¡± She pointed in a direction. Not far from them, a white cloth was tangled in overgrown branches where a steep slope loomed below. If she was careful enough, she should be able to reach for that white fabric. Li Shiyan squinted his eyes several times before nodding, ¡°This is indeed some kind of cloth and one of average quality.¡± ¡°We will know after a closer examination.¡± After a moment, Ji Yunshu leaned on a tree and bent down in order to reach for the white cloth in vain. ¡°Let me do it.¡± Li Shiyan pulled her up and was about to take her ce when- Swish! Swish! Swish! Suddenly, something nailed the tree. In between the shadows of the trees, an ear-piercing sound could be heard. Then, more than a dozen men d in ck jumped down from a tall tree. Each of them held a sword and thrust it toward Ji Yunshu and Li Shiyan. When she saw the sword darting dangerously toward them, she instinctively raised her hand to protect Li Shiyan¡¯s back. ¡°Be careful!¡± Li Shiyan waved his beautiful fan and opened it. Unexpectedly, several sharp needles shot out from the fan and urately pierced the throats of a few assassins, killing them on the spot! Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t have the time to react before realizing that the fan was, in fact, a terrible hidden weapon. ¡°Stay near the tree and don¡¯t run anywhere.¡± Li Shiyan instructed her. In no time, he was entangled in a perilous fight against the assassins. Unbeknownst to him, Ji Yunshu who hid near the tree was once again attacked by an assassin who had jumped down from it. His sword shed down without pity, mercilessly shing toward her head. Her eyes unconsciously looked up and she stared at the sword¡¯s tip, glinting like a shooting star. Her pupils dted. ¡®Am I going to die? I survived in Jinjiang only to die here? I haven¡¯t solved the missing girls case and the Lin capital case yet. And there¡¯s Wei Yi; what will happen to him? Will Jing Rong take care of him in my stead? Will he be fine after I¡¯m gone?¡¯ The sword ruthlessly descended. But, with only 0.0001 cm left before her skin was pierced, a stone timely struck the sword, deviating its trajectory. The force from the stone was enough to make the sword jump out of the assassin¡¯s hand, falling into a broad hand. After grabbing the other¡¯s sword, Jing Rong immediately plunged the weapon into the man¡¯s chest. At the same time, he pulled Ji Yunshu toward him, causing her to knock her head into his chest. ¡°Next time you dare to leave me behind, I will kill you!¡± Anger surged into his eyes. Despite the dim surroundings, Ji Yunshu could clearly distinguish the anger and seriousness painting his countenance. ¡°I¡­¡± Jing Rong didn¡¯t have time for Ji Yunshu¡¯s exnation as he immediately pushed her back to the tree. ¡°Stay here.¡± After that, he turned away, sword in hand and joined the fray. Ji Yunshu hugged her stomach without reacting for a long time. Then, she watched the ongoing fight. Her sight fell once again on the white cloth, and after thinking for a moment, she carefully sneaked toward it. When she came nearer, she tried once again to reach for it through the branches with her fingertips. She inched a bit more toward the steep slope and used her other hand to grab it. ¡®A bit more!¡¯ She inched a bit forward. ¡®Almost there!¡¯ Finally, she grabbed that white cloth. ¡°AH!¡± And she tumbled down the steep slope. Chapter 158: Are You Injured? Ji Yunshu¡¯s mind went nk the moment she felt her body tumbling down the steep slope. Despite her predicament, she maintained her grip on the white cloth as if her life depended on it. Nothing would make her let go even when her back heavily mmed onto the hard stones, and her body was pierced and scratched by branches during her fall. As her body tumbled, a wave of dizziness violently hit her, giving birth to a strong feeling of nausea. In the midst of her fall, a shadow jumped down from above, caught her and firmly held her sore and painful body in his embrace, protecting her as their entangled bodies continued to roll down the steep slope without decelerating. As they continued their course to the bottom, Ji Yunshu could feel that the person holding her was doing everything possible to protect her from harm. Then, she heard a faint whisper. ¡°I won¡¯t let you leave me again!¡± A warm breath lingered on her ears as she was lulled into unconsciousness, ovee by a feeling of weakness. ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­¡­. Who knew how long she lost consciousness. But her painful wakeup made her less concern about it. She raised her hand and massaged her temples while groaning in pain. She blinked and assessed the situation she was in. A fire fiercely burnt in front of her with embers flying out with a crackling sound like a popcorn. The fire illuminated the small and dark cave. She surrounded by walls of stone formed a towering semi-circr arc from which ivy climbed on. On the ivy¡¯s leaves, humidity gathered into the tiny pool of dew from where water slowly dripped down. Pit-pat! Pit-pat! The rhythmical cadence of the dripping water broke the quietude of the cave like a musical note bouncing beautifully in the ears. Ji Yunshu stretched her neck. The cloth covering her slid down from her movement. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Jing Rong asked in worry. She nced at him and saw that he was leaning his back on a rock and dressed in white inner cloth. His eyes were closed and his head lowered. One of his long legs was bent and a hand was weakly resting on his knee. The other leg was stretched out. Despite the distance separating them, and due to his lowered his head, Ji Yunshu was able to see the numerous wounds covering his face. Wounds made by the scratching branches and blood left by them were ringly obvious to her sight as it was left untreated. ¡°Are you injured?¡± She reached out for his face at the same time the question left her lips. Her fingertips almost brushed Jing Rong¡¯s face, but at thest moment, he raised his hand and stopped her. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± A feeble voice came out. ¡°But your face¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just small injuries.¡± Jing Rong took advantage of that moment to use his hand to wrap Ji Yunshu¡¯s cold, small hand. Then, he wearily opened his eyes and looked at her. After a long moment, he finally broke the silence. ¡°In the future, please don¡¯t do that again.¡± His voice echoed inside the cave, pounding straight into Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart. She remained silent while her heart was fiercely throbbing as if it wanted to jump out of her chest and her throat felt squeeze. ¡°Urgh!¡± Without warning, Jing Rong clutched his chest. His eyebrows heavily frowned in pain as he spat out a mouthful of blood. Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression tensed. She immediately nced at Jing Rong¡¯s chest, and saw the white cloth gradually dyed into crimson blood and oozing out from between his fingers. ¡°Let me see!¡± Ji Yunshu bounced up and crouched in front of him. She was readied to examine the wound on his chest. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°How can you be fine with this much bleeding.¡± She pushed away his hands overbearingly, yet she was careful when pulling off his cloth, revealing wheat color skin and a muscr and powerful chest,pleted with a six pack. ¡®This man¡¯s build is truly attractive!¡¯ Ji Yunshu stripped him of all hisyers of clothes without noticing the faint smile blooming on Jing Rong¡¯s pale face. It was a smile that couldn¡¯t be described in words. Her attention was solely concentrated on his wounds and nothing else. From her examination, she saw fragments of wood still attached on the wound while blood continuously flowed out from the hole. ¡°You were stabbed by the branches and the wound is quite deep. What¡¯s more, there are fragments of wood left inside. I¡¯ll help you clean your wound before it gets infected.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not painful.¡± He spoke in a hoarse voice. ¡°Don¡¯t try to act brave in front of me.¡± She bluntly exposed his lies. Jing Rong¡¯s smile became more brilliant. His wound was painful, but Ji Yunshu¡¯s concern was like a panacea for him, reducing his pain with mere words. Ji Yunshu looked up and coincidentally met Jing Rong¡¯s weary eyes. The smile on his face reflected into her eyes. ¡°At a time like this, you still have the energy to smile?!¡± ¡°Yunshu.¡± He called her name. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°If getting injuries can make you worry about me, then, every day, I wouldn¡¯t mind getting¡­¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t let him finish his phrase as she covered his mouth and reprimanded him. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to say such things.¡± Jing Rong was looking at her, but when he heard her words, his eyes instantly curved from happiness like two flowers blooming. This cause Ji Yunshu to feel hot at the sight of it. She had to admit that his tired expression, yet filled to the brim with love, made him oozed out pheromone. Ji Yunshu moved away her sight in haste and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go find some medicinal herbs.¡± When she got up, her hand which covered Jing Rong¡¯s lips moved away, but the next instant, he grabbed it. ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± Anxiety could be heard in his tone. ¡°I¡¯m only going to search for medicinal herbs and I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dark outside, don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°We need to treat your wounds or there will beplications. You got injured to save me, so I can¡¯t watch you like this without doing anything.¡± She freed her hand and concealed it under her sleeve before resolutely leaving the cave. Jing Rong wanted to follow her, but his body refused to obey him. In fact, his body was riddled with wounds by protecting Ji Yunshu as they tumbled down the steep slope. Afterwards, he held on by sheer willpower until he brought Ji Yunshu into this cave. He was nning to stubbornly push his body until Lang Po found them. If only the wound on his chest wasn¡¯t this painful. He tightly clenched his fists and slumped on the stone ground. Heboriously tried to prop up his heavy body. And, once again, he forcefully tried to move. The effort caused his veins to bulge, seemingly on the verge of bursting. But he was still unable to move a single step. He weakly slid back on the ground, remaining in a sitting position while staring at the cave entrance. His mind was restless while worries gnawed away at his heart. His mind became more frenzy as time ticked slowly. Finally, he saw a slender silhouette gradually approaching. It was hobbling while clutching a pile of firewood under one arm, and carefully holding a bamboo tube and herbs with the other. After throwing the pile of firewood in the fire, She quickly approached Jing Rong. Her brows were still covered in sweat. ¡°I found eight devil¡¯s son herbs and collected some dew. It will hurt a bit when I apply the medicine, so please bear with it.¡± When he confirmed that she came back safe and sound, Jing Rong finally rxed. ¡°I¡­ thought¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t finish his words as his eyelids heavily drooped and he fell on Ji Yunshu. ¡°Jing Rong?¡± It was the first time Ji Yunshu called him by his name. Chapter 159: I Want You Chapter 159: I Want You Jing Rong had slumped over on her, his head resting on her shoulder. However, because he was heavy, Ji Yunshu was gradually falling backwards. ¡°Jing Rong? Jing Rong!¡± She called him several times, but there was no response. After a moment, she put her hands on his broad shoulders and pushed him away. Then, she settled him; his back was resting on the stone wall. Due to the injuries not being treated on time, and adding to Jing Rong forcing himself to get up, he aggravated his injuries. She no longer dyed his treatment. She grabbed her clothes and tore them. After soaking them in the dew collected inside the bamboo tube, she used it to clean Jing Rong¡¯s chest wound and gently removed the wooden debris from his wound. The gray cloth strip was soaked in blood. Without any tools, she chewed the leaves of the devil¡¯s son and spread the paste on Jing Rong¡¯s wound. Immediately after, she bandaged his wound with what was left of the cloth she had torn off. Finally, she dressed him up again. The whole process was incredibly smooth. When the medicine started taking effect, the pain roused Jing Rong from his unconsciousness. Despite being awake, he remained delirious. ¡°Jing Rong? How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Cold!¡± Only a single coherent word was spat out from his thin and pale lips. Ji Yunshu noticed that he was shivering. She had no time to think about anything else as she immediately used all of her strength to drag his heavy body near the fire. Then, she took the cloth he covered her with earlier and draped it on him. Unfortunately, this cave did not provide any instion protection against the cold, which made this ce as cold as a room with air-conditioning turned on. The cold temperature, coupled with his frailty due to the wound and the internal bleeding, had contributed in lowering his corporal temperature to a dangerously low level. This caused his body topensate by shivering in order to increase his body temperature. ¡°Cold!¡± He kept shouting that one word in his delirious state. Ji Yunshu was at loss. She was extremely worried about Jing Rong¡¯s condition. She bit her lips and her fists clenched Jing Rong¡¯s clothing tighter as she dragged him closer to the fire. Suddenly, an idea popped into her mind! She hesitated for a long time, but, in the end, her heart was determined. ¡°You saved me, so I won¡¯t let you die.¡± As soon as she said that, she once again undressed him and then took off her own outer clothing. After that, she stretched out her hands and tightly hugged him. Finally, she used one hand to fetch the clothes and covered them both with it. This closeness was not the same as it was in the past. This was the first time they were in such intimate proximity. It felt a hundredfold closer and more intimate than the two times they kissedbined. At this distance, that distinctive scent, characteristic of men, overwhelmed her sense of smell. Looking at his countenance resembling the color of a poppy, it made her feel insatiable, a feeling from which she could not pull herself out. As her head rested on his chest, she could hear his strong heartbeat quaking in her ears like thunder. This only helped to disturb further the hurricane within her heart. This sudden sentiment of insatiability caught her off guard. Once again, she carefully reined in her emotions, as this had made her feel fearful. ¡®How can it be? Why do I feel this way?¡¯ In the end, exhaustion took hold of her and she gradually slumbered. Deep into the night, the orange-red me of the campfire continued to burn with vigor. Jing Rong woke up with a burning hot sensation on his chest. He did not remember how he fell asleep. Right when he wanted to raise his arm, he discovered that something was pressing on it. He lowered his head and was immediately ovee by shock. Dressed in only her inner garments, Ji Yunshu was nestled in his arms. As for him, his upper body waspletely naked. Two personsid next to a fire while holding onto each other; Jing Rong firmly believed that this situation was not a figment of his imagination. Excitement and delight swelled inside him. He was also shocked and his senses were overwhelmed, almost making him feel as though he was drowning from too many emotions. Jing Rong did not dare to move. He was afraid to wake up the person in his embrace. But, it did not stop him from curling his lips into a smile. ¡®Yunshu, it would be so good if I was born in amon family and your heart did not have Ji Pei.¡¯ His heart was filled with longing and hope as his smile became more dazzling. He could not stop himself from raising a hand and touching Ji Yunshu¡¯s thick eyshes. As soon as his fingertips brushed her eyshes, he immediately retracted his hand because Ji Yunshu was roused from her shallow sleep. She lifted her eyes and locked eyes with Jing Rong¡¯s infatuated gaze. His gaze was like a fireball waiting to melt her from inside. Her brain jolted. She abruptly got up, grabbed her outer clothing, and covered herself before quickly distancing herself from him. In her haste, she did not forget to exin the situation, ¡°Your Highness must not misunderstand. Your body was cold, so I only warmed it. It was the only method I could think of. Nothing happened between us!¡± ¡°No way!¡± Jing Rong intently watched her. Ji Yunshu was startled by his firm reply. She looked straight at him. After a pause, Jing Rong continued, ¡°Since we already slept together, it is still sleeping together. When my body gets better, I will marry you, alright?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do!¡± She did not hesitate to refuse him. Her expression was obviously fraught with worry, but it did not stop her from blushing. Fortunately for her, the glow from the fire gave herplexion a warm color which hid the blush creeping in. If it was not for that, Jing Rong would have long since noticed how red her cheeks were. ¡°Why?¡± It was a question he already knew the answer to. Ji Yunshu sat on the side and dered, ¡°Your Highness, why do you have to poke the thorn in people¡¯s hearts. You already know my answer and nothing happened between us.¡± ¡°Nothing happened between us?¡± His tone deepened as his smile stretched into an evil one. He threw aside the clothing covering his upper body, revealing his bared body. Then, with great effort, he got up and approached Ji Yunshu step by step. ¡®Alert! Danger! Iing danger up ahead!¡¯ ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Ji Yunshu got up and backed away while tightly grabbing onto the front of her clothing. Her move was useless as she still ended up grasped in his evil clutches. Jing Rong grabbed her waist and pulled her toward him, then he locked her between the stone wall and himself. She took in the full view Jing Rong¡¯s strong chest and felt the desire burning in him as he stared at her. Ji Yunshu did not know where she should put her hands. In the end, she let her arms hang by her sides as her fists clenched from the tension. She turned her head away and held her breath. ¡°Please act with propriety!¡± ¡°What propriety?¡± He used his thumb and index to pinch Ji Yunshu¡¯s exquisite chin and lifted it up, forcing her to face his scorching gaze. ¡°Since nothing happened, then why not make it happen? This ce is quiet. There won¡¯t be anyone to disturb us, so why not¡­¡± As he spoke, he slowly leaned closer until his forehead touched Ji Yunshu¡¯s. Soon, his thin lips arrived near, but Ji Yunshu turned away and his lips met her earlobe. She thought he would stop at that and change back to the usual teasing Jing Rong. ¡°I love you this way.¡± The ambiguous tone resounded in her ears. Ji Yunshu immediately blushed. They stayed like this for a while until Ji Yunshu could not endure it anymore. She put her hands on his chest and was about to push him away, but with a flick of his finger, he turned her head back to face him. A smile bloomed on his face. ¡°Yunshu, I want you right now!¡± He kissed her immediately after. Their lips met, then from the shy encounter, gradually their lips became more entangled. Their mouths slightly parted. The kiss deepened, brimming with emotions as their passion burnt harder. Chapter 160: All Men Are Beasts Chapter 160: All Men Are Beasts It came so abruptly that Ji Yunshu¡¯s brain went nk. Her brain only had the time to register being tightly hugged and her chin being lifted by Jing Rong when they began to kiss. After a moment, she found her back painfully rapping against the uneven rocky wall. It was painful, yet, her body, from head to toe, was almost drowning in the numbness of the kiss. However, a momentter, her brain finally caught up to what was happening. She put all her strength on her palms and forcefully pushed Jing Rong away. ¡°Bastard!¡± She exploded with foulnguage. The next moment, she raised her hand to p Jing Rong. Unfortunately, Jing Rong timely caught her wrist and took the opportunity to pin it above her head. Once again, she was imprisoned in his brutal embrace. ¡°Let me go,¡± bellowed Ji Yunshu, as tears began to pool in her eyes. ¡°Do you dislike me so much?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± She answered without hesitation. Jing Rong did not get angry. On the contrary, a smile appeared on his face as if he was admiring a rare sight. He slyly dered, ¡°Right now, we are deep in the mountain and there¡¯s also the possibility that they thought we are dead. And, on such a short notice, Lang Po might not be able to find us.¡± While he spoke, he shamelessly stuck closer to Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu distanced her head from him and struggled to free herself, but it was useless. She could only give him a roll of the eyes, revealing her grievance with teary eyes. ¡®All men are like this. They are all beasts after taking off their clothes. And Jing Rong is no exception!¡¯ Not to mention that the situation right now was indeed disadvantageous for her. They were deep in the mountain, so even if she screamed until her throat was hoarse, no one would help her. Jing Rong smiled while wrinkling his nose as he smelt her neck. ¡°Despite the smell of dirt and mud, your body smells incredibly sweet. It¡¯s really¡­ alluring.¡± ¡®Damn beast!¡¯ ¡°Jing Rong, let me go!¡± ¡°What did you just call me?¡± ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°No way!¡± He put emphasis on his words as the yfulness in his eyes suddenly vanished, reced by a prating and reprobating gaze. Then, his sight stopped lingering on her as he solemnly stated, ¡°You are the one who decided to go to Liang mountain and left me behind without a word. In order to protect you, I even got injured. It¡¯s legitimate that I seek somefort from you. If there is a next time, I will strip you, throw you on the nuptial bed and do whatever I want.¡± ¡®Oi! This guy hid such twisted thoughts in his heart and let them brew in him for such a long time!¡¯ This kind of method of constion is quite despicable. If she knew earlier, she would not have gone out to search for medicinal herbs for him. She should have let his wound rot! ¡®No, no, no! If something happened to Jing Rong, my conscience will never be in peace.¡¯ She inclined her head and said, ¡°Since there¡¯s nothing more to say, shouldn¡¯t your Highness let me go?¡± ¡°Does your back and wrist hurt?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± She nodded. There was no point in lying since it really hurt. Jing Rong carefully examined her. After a bit of pondering, he decided to release her. Suddenly, more than a dozen people holding torches rushed inside the cave. In an instant, all the torches flooded the dim cave with light, blinding both Ji Yunshu and Jing Rong. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Following the crowd¡¯s arrival, Lang Po¡¯s anxious shout was heard. Under the torchlight, Lang Po saw with 100% rity a scene that made him blush. At this moment, he wished he could drill a hole in the ground and bury himself in it, like a rat escaping into a tunnel. Why? Because the prince he gave his allegiance to was half-naked and pressing a lithe ¡°young man¡± against the wall, and the distance between them was paper-thin. Although he knew that Ji Yunshu was a woman, she was currently disguised as a man. Not to mention the way she was held by Jing Rong¡¯s muscr arms¡­ Their positions left too much for imagination! The atmosphere turned extremely awkward when everyone realized what was going on. Excluding Lang Po, the imperial guards present only had one thought in their minds: ¡®Shit! Could it be that his Highness is a cut-sleeve1?¡¯ All the imperial guards immediately shut their eyes in fear that they saw too much and would have their eyes dug out. As for Ji Yunshu, she simply wanted to knock her head on the wall until she died. The postures of Jing Rong and herself were too ambiguous. It was the first time in her life that she felt so embarrassed that her whole body was boiling like a cooked shrimp. However, Jing Rong remained as usual. He released Ji Yunshu and stooped down to pick up his clothes. Slowly, he dressed himself, unperturbed and unhurried. Yet, within that calmness, he was exuding a displeased aura. He felt like they were disturbing his sensual dream in the middle of the night. Lang Po bowed his head in apology. ¡°Please forgive me, your Highness. This subordinate waste in rescuing you.¡± Jing Rong waved his hand, showing that he did not mind. Lang Po raised his eyes and observed his lord. Then, he saw the injuries Jing Rong had. The grip he had on his sword suddenly tightened. ¡°Your Highness, are you injured?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a small injury.¡± As soon as he replied, Jing Rong immediately added, ¡°How did you find me?¡± ¡°Young Master Li had informed me. However, the topography of this valley is quiteplex, so this subordinate¡­¡± ¡°Young Master Li?¡± Jing Rong was puzzled. ¡°Yes, he¡¯s the same Young Master Li who followed us to the capital from Yuzhou.¡± Jing Rong recalled the situation from earlier. Due to theck of light in the forest, he only knew there was someone else fighting the assassins, but he could not ascertain their identity. Who could have guessed that the other person was that tag-along from Yuzhou. Jing Rong¡¯s face turned grave as he looked a Ji Yunshu. He questioned her, ¡°Why did he follow you to Liang mountain?¡± ¡®Big bro, can¡¯t we go back to the main point? Isn¡¯t it more important to hurry up and leave this ce?¡¯ Ji Yunshu leaned back and spoke carelessly, ¡°A simple coincidence.¡± ¡°A coincidence?¡± Jing Rong obviously did not believe her words. His tone took a dangerous turn. Ji Yunshu refused to answer this time. She turned to Lang Po instead. ¡°How is Young Master Li? Is he alright?¡± Lang Po answered perfunctorily, ¡°He received a serious injury, so I ordered people to send him back to his residence. His life should be in no danger right now.¡± She nodded. However, she did not notice that Jing Rong was looking at her with defeated eyes. He immediately ordered Lang Po after he finished dressing himself. ¡°Let¡¯s return to the estate. Extinguish the fire and make sure to properly protect Teacher Ji from the beasts roaming inside the forest. Don¡¯t let him get bitten.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡± Jing Rong inquired, ¡°Can you walk?¡± Ji Yunshu nodded. He threw his outer clothing on her. ¡°It¡¯s humid at night.¡± Immediately after, he walked out of the cave, but after two steps, he halted. With a heavy frown, he looked at Lang Po. Lang Po understood his meaning in an instant. He stepped forward and supported Jing Rong and helped him walk away. In the end, Jing Rong was like a dying duck acting strong. He clearly could not walk due to the injury he received, yet he did not want to let people know. Ji Yunshu draped herself in Jing Rong¡¯s clothing. She took a deep breath before following after the crowd. On their way, several guards protected her from the rear and one on each nk as they feared she might fall or bump into something. If an ident happened to her, his Highness might ughter them to appease his ¡°boyfriend¡±. ¡®So, we have to be careful! Very careful! We absolutely must be careful!¡¯ 1.Cut-sleeve/broken sleeve is another term for homosexuality. This is rted to the story of a king in ancient times who have a male lover and one day, his male lover fell asleep on him, but it was time for him to leave for court. Thus in order to not wake up his lover, he cut off his sleeve and left for court. Chapter 161: Are You a Dog? Chapter 161: Are You a Dog? The Rong Estate. As soon as she entered the estate, a shadow rushed towards Ji Yunshu and covered her. In an instant, her whole body sank into Wei Yi¡¯s embrace as he firmly secured her inside his arms. ¡°Shu¡¯er, where did you go?¡± sobbed Wei Yi. Instead of looking at Wei Yi, she looked back at Jing Rong and met his eyes. However, she couldn¡¯t see any emotion on his pale face. She could only see his eyebrows lowering before he silently departed. When she saw his lonely back, she was suddenly ovee by sadness. That¡¯s right! She felt sad; sad to the point she felt her throat choked by the emotion. She snapped out of it, flushed by the sudden upheaval of emotion. She left it behind to focus on Wei Yi. ¡°Wei Yi, let me go first.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± ¡°But my body hurts.¡± Upon hearing that, Wei Yi released her with haste. His expression was nervous, bordering a panic-stricken state. He retreated back and let his arms hung on his sides. He didn¡¯t dare to touch Ji Yunshu again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Did I hurt you a lot?¡± ¡°No. Let¡¯s go back inside first, alright?¡± ¡°Hn!¡± nodded Wei Yi. Ji Yunshu refreshed herself after returning to the East Courtyard. A maidservant handed her some ointment per Jing Rong¡¯s instructions. The ointment was very effective in reducing inmmation. Ji Yunshu nodded at the maidservant without saying a word. After closing her door, she slowly took off her clothes, revealing a smooth back covered in injuries. She tried to bend her arms in a different way, but her actions were very clumsy as she tried to smear the ointment on her back. Still, she was able to spread ointment on her wounds. When it touched her wounds, she frowned and clenched her teeth from the pain. While enduring the residual pain, she took off the half-mask covering her face. Reflected inside the mirror was the long scar covering the left side of her face. The wound has already healed, leaving only a scar that seemed like it was embedded into her flesh. At least the scar didn¡¯t give a sinister feeling! Ji Yunshu¡¯s innate temperament was simr to a blooming rose that could prick anyone¡¯s fingers if they are not careful when touching her. Therefore, that injury didn¡¯t detract from her beauty at all. Knock-knock-knock! Someone knocked on her door. Wei Yi shouted from outside. ¡°Shu¡¯er, are you alright?¡± She covered back her shoulders and got up to open the door. Wei Yi was holding a bowl of medicine and gave it to Ji Yunshu while expressing himself nervously. ¡°Shu¡¯er, this is for you. You are injured, so you should drink this medicine quickly. I boiled it myself. No, no¡­ The truth is that it was the big sisters who helped me boil this. Quickly drink it while it¡¯s hot and get well soon.¡± Her eyes reddened from being moved by Wei Yi. She took the medicine. Then, Wei Yi gave her a candy and beamed a big smile at her. ¡°Shu¡¯er, don¡¯t be afraid. When you drink medicine, eat this candy and it won¡¯t be bitter anymore. In the past, when I was sick and had to drink medicine, Mother would also give me candy and told me it won¡¯t be bitter after eating it. And she was right!¡± ¡°Thank you, Wei Yi.¡± ¡°No need to thank me because I want to take care of you.¡± His smile was like the sunshine, brimming with youthful innocence and kindness which vividly revealed his temperament. She took the sugar-coated lotus seed, and put in her mouth before slowly drinking her bowl of medicine. At present, it was veryte. Four hours have passed since they left the cave and it should be around maoshi1. Because Wei Yi stubbornly refused to return back to his room and wanted to guard her, she had no other choice but to let him be in the end. Due to the exhaustion, Ji Yunshu fell asleep as soon as sheid on her bed, leaving Wei Yi to sit on the side. Wei Yi remained there, closely staring at her with his round eyes as if he feared that she would disappear the next moment. The next morning. When Ji Yunshu woke up, she saw Wei Yi asleep with his body sprawled on the table. She got dressed in male clothing, refreshing herself as well and left quietly without rousing him from his sleep. Then, she sat inside the courtyard and took out the white cloth from her waistband. She almost threw away half of her life just to grab it. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t lose it when she tumbled down the steep slope. Otherwise, she would be crying right now. The white fabric in her hand was shaped in a rectangle and the material used didn¡¯t feel coarse. It was simr to hemp. There was no embroidery on it, but when she rubbed it, she felt that it was greasy. She approached the cloth to her nose and sniff it. ¡°It smells likerd!¡± This was the conclusion she came to after examining it. It made her quite baffled. She muttered in shock. ¡°If this cloth was something used by the woodcutter to wipe his sweat, it should smell sour from the sweat. So, why does it smell likerd?¡± She sniffed it once again and frowned. ¡°There¡¯s a faint smell of makeup!¡± The discovery got even weirder. ¡®How is it possible for this cloth to have the faint fragrance of women¡¯s makeup and alsord at the same time?¡± Entranced by those confusing clues, she didn¡¯t notice Jing Rong standing behind her until his voice was heard. ¡°For this piece of white cloth, you were willing to throw your life away. It is also for this that you left behind your ¡®boyfriend¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± She turned around and saw Jing Rong dressed in blue brocade. His whole body was refreshed and his mood happy. He didn¡¯t appear the least bit injured and very unlike the pitiful state he was in yesterday. She opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but in the end, she swallowed back her words, staying still where she was. She was a bit fearful of him right now. ¡°It¡¯s broad daylight, I¡¯m not going to eat you.¡± Jing Rong teased her. Her shoulders slumped, appearing defeated by his words. She lowered her brows. ¡°I am not afraid that you will¡­ take advantage of me. I am thinking about the case right now.¡± ¡°Tell me what you found!¡± Jing Rong lifted the hem of his cloth and sat on the stone chair next to her. Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression was serious as she spoke while showing him the white cloth. ¡°This cloth was found in Liang mountain. I¡¯m not certain if this is a clue rted to the missing girls case. However, this cloth is strange.¡± ¡°What do you mean by strange?¡± ¡°Since it was in the mountain, it should belong to a woodcutter. If it was the case, it should have been covered in the smell of sweat. However, it smelled ofrd instead. In addition to that, there is a faint scent of rouge on it.¡± ¡°It might be the smell of rouge from your body.¡± ¡°No!¡± Ji Yunshu overruled his conjecture. ¡°The smell isn¡¯t the same.¡± Jing Rong became curious and also sniffed the white cloth, but no matter how much he smelled it, he couldn¡¯t even tell any difference in the smell at all. He inquired, ¡°Are you a dog? Last time, you were able to smell wine from that tiny sawdust. And now, you can surprisingly detect the smell of rouge on this white cloth.¡± ¡®This is too mysterious!¡¯ Ji Yunshu smiled sourly at him. ¡°Maybe I was a loyal police dog in my past life.¡± ¡®Police? What is that thing?¡¯ Ever since he met her, Jing Rong had heard her use too many odd words to the extent that he became even more curious about her. ¡°Who in the world are you?¡± His question abruptly came out of nowhere. Ji Yunshu stared at him. ¡°Does your Highness have amnesia?¡± ¡°I do not!¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± She sessfully evaded Jing Rong¡¯s question. She couldn¡¯t exin that her sharp sense of smell had been rigorously trained by her forensic investigator dad. For him, a veteran forensic investigator, a well-developed sense of smell was very important. Since she was a child, she was trained in order to follow in his footsteps. Frequently, he would make her smell many strange things and after a long time, she was even able to differentiate fresh water from sea water with her eyes closed. Fortunately, this became her special skill which helped her solve many cases. 1. Maoshi = 5-7am Chapter 162: Grease (part one) Chapter 162: Grease (part one) This missing girls case has been investigated for two months, but the process was very thorny. Apart from finding a naked corpse, there were almost no clues to work on. Who knows if this white cloth was actually rted to the case. Ji Yunshu stopped her train of thoughts and nced at Jing Rong¡¯s chest before inquiring, ¡°Is your injury better?¡± ¡°You actually care about me?¡± ¡°Your Highness got injured because of me, so how can I not care about it?¡± Her words warmed Jing Rong¡¯s heart. He raised his hand and lightly pat his chest. ¡°It is only a small injury. It will not kill me.¡± Ji Yunshu was speechless. She was only showing some reasonable concern, but it caused such transformation in Jing Rong. Jing Rong continued to speak, ¡°Back to the case matters. You should rx a bit. Although time is pressing, the most important thing is your health. This Prince¡¯s injury is alright, but your injury needs to be carefully taken care of. As for the other matter, I¡¯ll send people to investigate it.¡± ¡°What other matter? What is your Highness talking about?¡± ¡°It is about the assassination on Liang mountain. In only a short period of several hours, they injured my people. How can I let them stay free and beyond thew?¡± ¡°So¡­?¡± ¡°In short, you don¡¯t need to manage this matter. Recuperating from your injuries is the most important thing to do. Don¡¯t fall sick because of it or it won¡¯t be good when giving birthter.¡± ¡®Wait a minute! Giving birth?¡¯ That¡¯s right! Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t mishear what Jing Rong said. Ji Yunshu squinted. Her neck was taut as she stopped looking at him. ¡°Please watch your words, your Highness.¡± Jing Rong didn¡¯t disapprove of her words. Instead, he acted confused and asked her, ¡°What do you mean by ¡®watch my words¡¯? We already slept together. This is a fact. Since ancient times, a woman¡¯s chastity is the most important thing. I slept with you. You even got me naked, and we kissed. Since all of that were done, no one else will marry you. Shouldn¡¯t you be happy that this Prince deigns to marry you?¡± ¡®Oi, oi, oi! Aren¡¯t you a bit too full of yourself?!¡¯ All the gratitude and guilt she felt for him had now been obliterated into oblivion after hearing him speak. ¡®They said that princes in ancient times are aloof and prideful, cherishing words like gold and unaffected by women charm. That is aside from Jing Rong! Or maybe, when he was still an embryo, his genes had long mutated. Humph! It must be why he is such an abnormality.¡¯ Seeing the dislike and helpless expression on Ji Yunshu, Jing Rong¡¯s lips curled up. ¡°Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡®No, no, no! Following the ancient, this is correct.¡¯ Exasperation filled her. She got up and stared at the plum blossoms trees shaking under the cold wind before answering him, ¡°I will forget what happened yesterday. So, your Highness should also forget about it. Beforeing to the capital, I once said that you are a prince, and I am but amoner.¡± ¡°There is no need to remind me.¡± Jing Rong got up and took a step toward Ji Yunshu. However, as soon as he did, Ji Yunshu took a step back, pulling the distance between them once again. She sternly warned him. ¡°Since your Highness had promised me, you should abide by your words.¡± ¡°What if I renege it?¡± ¡°Then, I will immediately leave this ce.¡± She wasn¡¯t spouting hot air. Jing Rong felt a sharp pain in his heart when he looked at her resolute expression. He endured the heartache, but gradually, his lips stretched into a pained smile. He asked her, ¡°It appears that you are the only one in this world that can threaten me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She quietly retreated back another step, refusing to look at him. She was afraid that herplicated emotions would be seen by Jing Rong. Seeing her like this only made Jing Rong more depressed. ¡°Why are you standing so far away? I was just talking to you, not taking advantage of you. You are still injured, soe, and sit here.¡± As he spoke, he approached her and reached for her hand so that she couldn¡¯t distance herself from him again. Despite her fast evasive move, the white cloth in her hand was tightly grabbed by Jing Rong. In a moment of panic, she released her hand and let go of the white cloth which remained in Jing Rong¡¯s hand. Yet, in reflex, Jing Rong also let go of the white cloth after a slight dy. The cloth dropped, but suddenly, the wind picked up and right in front of their hands, the cloth was blown into the water of the pond. ¡°AH!¡± Ji Yunshu shouted in shock. ¡®This cloth could have been a clue, but now it¡¯s all wet!¡¯ Unfortunately, it was toote; The white cloth had fallen into the water. Jing Rong was as anxious as Ji Yunshu. He wanted to fish it out immediately but was stopped by Ji Yunshu even before he had the time to stretch out his hand. ¡°Wait! Wait!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Wrong!¡± She frowned while observing ayer of grease floating around the cloth. Seeing her focus, Jing Rong asked, ¡°Could it be there¡¯s a problem with that grease?¡± She nodded while her face revealed a disgusted expression. She frowned even more. ¡°I think that I know how the murderer smuggled the victim out of the capital.¡± Jing Rong couldn¡¯t make head or tail after listening to her statement, so he didn¡¯t even react when Ji Yunshu immediately went into her room to bring out her sandalwood box. She was incredibly anxious when she spoke, ¡°I want to go the Li mansion now.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Jing Rong didn¡¯t ask her further as he immediately ordered the servants to prepare a carriage and in haste, they departed for the Li mansion. On their way there, Ji Yunshu also recounted everything pertaining to her encounter with Li Shiyan on Liang mountain to Jing Rong. At this moment, everywhere in the Li mansion was covered in white satin. Shuiqing¡¯s body has already been returned to the Li family after the autopsy and tomorrow, they will bury her. With the duo¡¯s arrival, the servants immediately went to inform Madame Jiang. Not long after, Madame Jiang arrived with herplexion slightly better than the other day. When she saw Jing Rong, she was about to salute him but was stopped. ¡°There is no need for courtesy. This time, we havee for a vital matter.¡± ¡°What important matter? Did you find the murderer?¡± asked Madame Jiang in a hoarse voice. Ji Yunshu stepped forward and exined the reason for her visit. ¡°Madame Jiang, I know that Shuiqing will be buried tomorrow. However, the situation is quite urgent. I hope that you can let me do another autopsy on Shuiqing again.¡± ¡°Out of the question!¡± It was Li Zhao who answered in ce of Madame Jiang. He quickly strode towards them with a ferocious appearance. Like before, when his eyes swept Ji Yunshu, only hatred could be seen. As he stood in front of her, he spoke unwaveringly, ¡°I don¡¯t agree with it. Shuiqing¡¯s hands were chopped by someone; Her abdomen and chest were cut open by you. Do you hate her that much? Could it be that you want to chop her into pieces before being satisfied?!¡± ¡®You¡¯re wrong!¡¯ Shuiqing¡¯s abdomen and chest were opened by an ipetent coroner. That had nothing to do with her. How could that messy autopsy be thrown on her head? This was truly a grievance for her. Despite it, she was disinclined to exin herself. She only said, ¡°Young Master Li, Shuiqing was killed. Don¡¯t tell me that you don¡¯t want to find her murderer? I only need to examine her skin. I have no intention of damaging her body.¡± ¡°No way! I say no, that means no!¡± Li Zhao¡¯splexion turned crimson. However, Jing Rong was far from being intimidated by the unreasonable Li Zhao. He turned to Madame Jiang and stated, ¡°Madame Jiang, although I cannot use my authority to order you, I have to remind you that if you don¡¯t want to find the murderer, then say so.¡± Madame Jiang hesitated a bit. While Li Zhao hurriedly pulled her and said, ¡°Big sister, don¡¯t agree!¡± ¡°Shuiqing is already dead. If we don¡¯t find her murderer, what is the use of keeping her body intact?¡± eximed Madame Jiang. Then, she looked at Ji Yunshu and nodded. ¡°Her body is ced in the backyard. Please follow me.¡± ¡°Big sister¡­¡± Regardless of Li Zhao¡¯s disagreement, Madame Jiang led them to the mourning hall in the backyard. When they arrived, she immediately ordered servants to open the coffin. Once again, Shuiqing¡¯s body was revealed to the light. Chapter 163: Grease (part two) Chapter 163: Grease (part two) The originally naked corpse was now neatly dressed in a type of delicately woven silk clothing. Her once messy long hair had beenbed until it was smooth and glossy, and golden hairpins held it in ce. She was adorned with an uncalcted amount of jewelry and ornaments on her person, which jingled with a metallic sound when the servants moved her out of the coffin. When it came to her mutted parts, Shuiqing¡¯s amputated hands were hidden by the clothing¡¯s wide sleeves while her face was covered in a very delicate and absolutely beautiful golden mask. To sum it, the whole body seemed as if it was shining with a golden halo! Although the corpse was in a state of putrefaction, the stench was well covered by the fragrance of Chinese honey locust and other flowers. Ji Yunshu hurriedly approached and opened her sandalwood box. Then, she took out a broad knife and put it beside her. Next, she put on her white gloves and pulled Shuiqing¡¯s cloth, revealing her shoulder. Following that, she took her knife and cut a small piece of flesh from Shuiqing¡¯s shoulder. No blood dripped out from the wound as her body was far beyond the state of livor mortis, and her golden gown remained dry and clean. Finally, Ji Yunshu put that sample of flesh in a handkerchief. The whole process was neat and efficient. Done with her task, Ji Yunshu turned to Madame Jiang. ¡°I¡¯m done. You can put her back into the coffin now.¡± ¡®That¡¯s it?¡¯ Everybody felt everything went too fast. Li Zhao gawked at the simplicity of it. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t he open her chest or dig out her guts? How¡­¡¯ Madame Jiang acquiesced and ordered the servants to put back the body into the coffin. Once again, the coffin was sealed off, without a trace could be seen from the brief interlude as if it never happened. ¡°I need a basin of salted water with a clean paper. Can you bring some to me?¡± asked Ji Yunshu. Madame Jiang agreed to each of Ji Yunshu¡¯s requests. After the requested items arrived, Ji Yunshu put the sample of flesh into the basin. She waited for a few minutes, then put the paper inside of it. She took it out after it was partially soaked. On the paper, many orange spots could be seen. The corner of Ji Yunshu¡¯s mouth twitched as her countenance turned dignified. She quietly put the paper beside her before turning to Jing Rong. ¡°Your Highness, please notify the capital governor. I have a good gauge of who the murderer is likely to be.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± He nodded and immediately sent people to summon the governor. When the governor heard there was a lead with the missing girls case, he left everything behind and rushed over. ¡°Teacher Ji, you have found the murderer?¡± He was very excited. Although the case has been transferred to Ji Yunshu, it didn¡¯t mean that he was absolved from all responsibilities of the case. Ji Yunshu slowly recounted the whole process outside of the mourning hall. ¡°I went to Liang mountain and found a white cloth there. After examining it, I discovered that the cloth was stained with grease, and it had two kinds of grease. The first kind is of animal origins, while the second one is of human origin.¡± ¡®AH!¡¯ Everyone present was shocked to no end. ¡®Human fat?¡¯ They all felt nauseous just from hearing that. The governor wasn¡¯t too clear about that conclusion, thus he pressed her for questions. ¡°What do you mean by that, Teacher Ji?¡± Ji Yunshu exined, ¡°When that white cloth got soaked in water, two kinds of grease floated out. If it wasrd, the spot of grease would show a darker color at the outer rim. On the other hand, human fat would have a darker color at its center.¡± ¡°For a white cloth that had been thrown away in a mountain and to be stained withrd and human fat, this obviously belonged to the murderer who smuggled the victim out of the capital. The murderer was afraid of being found out when he or she wanted to smuggle the victim out, so that person put her inside a container that hadrd in it. When the murderer went to the gate, the search went very smoothly. However, unexpectedly, Shuiqing was able to escape after they left the capital. The murderer chased after her all the way to Liang mountain, and this was when this white cloth was identally dropped. The cloth must have been stained withrd when he concealed the victim within the pork. As for the human fat, it would be what came from the Shuiqing¡¯s amputated hands which mixed itself with pork grease.¡± ¡°Earlier, I took a sample of the deceased¡¯s flesh and discoveredrd on it, which corroborates with my conjecture. In addition to how neat and smooth the amputation wounds are, we can determine that the murderer is a butcher. Governor, I need you to immediately investigate all the butchers inside the city. But, please remember not to alert the murderer with your actions. We want to avoid the murderer escaping before identifying them.¡± After exining this much, everyone understood everything. The capital governor was shocked, amazed, and even had some admiration. After he agreed to Ji Yunshu, he left in a hurry to aplish his tasks. As for Madame Jiang, she started to cry and shouted, ¡°If we find the murderer, I will absolutely kill that person!¡± Ji Yunshu walked to her and stated, ¡°Madame Jiang, the dead cannot return to the living.¡± ¡°Teacher Ji, thank you so much.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Madame Jiang cried until her eyes started to swell. Since there was nothing more for Ji Yunshu to do here, she departed from the Li mansion. As soon as they returned to the Rong estate, Lang Po came for Jing Rong and whispered something in his ear. She only heard Jing Rong say, ¡°Good, let him wait there.¡± Then, Jing Rong turned to Ji Yunshu and said. ¡°I have something to do. Go back and rest. Since we have narrowed down the murderer, I believe that the governor will send us some news soon.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± She nodded. Thus, Jing Rong left with Lang Po. Ji Yunshu wasn¡¯t in the mood to inquire about Jing Rong¡¯s whereabouts. At this moment, she was more preupied by the discovery of the new clue. She believed that there will be new progress with the case very soon. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ In Peach Blossom Spring. Yan Weiyi was sitting in the pavilion. A pot of tea was ced in front of him. However, the tea had long gone cold. Unlike his schrly appearance and his amiable facial traits, deep down, he was a vicious and merciless man. After waiting the time of a joss stick to burn, he finally saw Jing Rong arrive. He hid away the hatred in his eyes and got up to greet the neer. ¡°This one pays his respect to Prince Rong.¡± ¡°Yan Weiyi, no need to be too polite. Please sit down.¡± Jing Rong sat down while smiling at the other person. Yan Weiyi sat across Jing Rong. His gaze was lowered as he asked thetter, ¡°I don¡¯t know why your Highness summoned me. Do you need me for something?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to rush.¡± Jing Rong took the pot of cold tea and poured it into two cups. Then, he pushed one of the cups to Yan Weiyi. ¡°Here. Please try this, Teacher Yan. I infused this with peach blossoms. It is quite tasty.¡± Yan Weiyi obviously knew that the tea was cold, but he still drank it in small sips. After that, he gently put the cup down. ¡°It¡¯s a very good tea.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only very good? Could it be that Teacher Yan didn¡¯t notice something else in the tea?¡± Jing Rong frowned as he spoke. ¡®Something else?¡¯ Yan Weiyi looked inside his cup without understanding. ¡°Please enlighten me, your Highness.¡± After hearing his words, Jing Rong sneered. ¡°I infused this tea using the Northern tangerine tree leaves that Teacher Yan personally grew.¡± ¡®Ack!¡¯ Yan Weiyi¡¯s expression instantly changed to panic and he was exuding cold sweat. Shock and fear were seen in his eyes. Chapter 164: Scapegoat Chapter 164: Scapegoat Seeing that Yan Weiyi was scared speechless, Jing Rong smiled with great satisfaction, yet his appearance seemed incredibly evil. ¡°Teacher Yan, no need to panic. If this Prince actually slipped shiban poison inside the tea, you wouldn¡¯t be sitting here like this now.¡± After dering that, he switched his tone to a puzzled one. ¡°Anyway, this northern tangerine tree was grown by you. Even if you are poisoned by it, you should also know how to detoxify the poison, no?¡± Yan Weiyi knew that he was caught red-handed. Everything that he did was all known by Jing Rong. He raised his gaze from the cold tea and asked, ¡°If your Highness has anything to say, why don¡¯t you make it clear?¡± ¡°Good! Since you said so, I will get straight to the point.¡± Jing Rong leaned forward before speaking. ¡°Although you and I have never crossed paths, your fame has spread to my ears long ago. At that time, you were a civil official at the imperial court. However, you were removed from your position for corruption charges.¡± ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°Not long ago, your son, Yan Su, took the position of assistant minister of the Ministry of War. He also happened to receive my orders to lead the investigation of the ¡®Concealed Weapons¡¯ case. Who would have thought that all the puppets¡¯ strings ultimately lead to your son? Your son was convicted, and the Emperor unleashed his fury by sentencing him to be beheaded in public for the crime of rebellion.¡± Jing Rong put an emphasis on the words ¡°beheaded in public¡±. While he spoke, he also carefully observed Yan Weiyi¡¯s expression. Hisst sentence was like a stab to Yan Weiyi¡¯s heart, whose animosity had instantly vanished from his countenance. Jing Rong continued without pause. ¡°Teacher Yan must feel that if I didn¡¯t trace up to him and investigate, perhaps, he would have escaped this ordeal. However, the Heavens doesn¡¯t follow people¡¯s will. No matter how much one schemes, something will ultimately go awry in the process. In a sense, you should understand this principle more than I do. After all, you were a junior clerk in the Ministry of Justice.¡± Yan Weiyi¡¯s hostility bursted out, revealing itselfpletely without any concealment across his face. ¡°Your Highness has been talking in circles for awhile; I believe what you want to talk about is the matter on Liang mountain, am I right?¡± ¡°Hum¡­¡± Jing Rong smiled as he slightly nodded. ¡°I also believe that you already knew everything pertaining that, is that correct?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Contrariwise, Yan Weiyi let out a sigh of relief, then he continued to ask. ¡°So, are you going to send me to the Supreme court¡¯s prison? Will you charge me with the crime of attempted assassination on a prince?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Jing Rong curled his lips. ¡°I already gave my order to Lu Jiang to lead a few people to your garden. At this time, they should be very busy uprooting all your northern tangerine trees.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Such a toxic thing shouldn¡¯t be left alone, or it would only bring more harm than good. Your trees will receive the punishment in your stead,¡± Jing Rong spoke flippantly without a single pause. Yan Weiyi¡¯s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. Although those northern tangerine trees are used to manufacture Shiban poison, the main point was that those trees were his precious treasures. Each seed took years to sprout and grow, but all his hard work went down the drain with just one word from Jing Rong. It would be a lie if he said it didn¡¯t hurt him. He choked on his saliva while hisplexion turned ashen. In contrast, Jing Rong¡¯s smile was even more radiant. Jing Rong stated, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for you not to understand the words ¡®being used¡¯, right? The only reason you wanted to kill me is because of your son¡¯s ambition. A valid reason, I have to admit. However, why do you want to act as a scapegoat for others?¡± ¡®Acting as a scapegoat for others?¡¯ Naturally, the ¡®others¡¯ referred to Jing Yi. Yan Weiyi kept quiet. He vaguely understood Jing Rong¡¯s meaning. Jing Rong unhurriedly picked up the cup of tea and poured the contents on the ground before he continued to speak. ¡°Since you are merely a scapegoat, this Prince has no reason to kill you. Those trees can be considered as your scapegoat. Therefore, I will no longer pursue this matter. Besides, there¡¯s a saying that fits this situation aptly: killing the chicken to warn the monkey. Lord Yan, after receiving this lesson, you will not repeat the same offense in the future, right? After all, although that person lent you a hand to assassinate this Prince, having amon enemy doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s alright to be the other party¡¯s pawn, don¡¯t you think?¡± Yan Weiyi was very clear on the meaning is hidden deep between Jing Rong¡¯s words. Jing Yi knew that Yan Weiyi wanted to take revenge for his son. They both have amon enemy, so they would side together. Yet, Yan Weiyi¡¯s hatred had blinded him and he was repeatedly used more than once by others. In the end, the one who would end up being used as the mastermind will only be him. This move of Jing Yi was as masterful as before! ¡°Thank you very much¡­ for your reminder.¡± Yan Weiyi slowly enunciated each word. Jing Rong took out a round jade pendant from his sleeve and put it on the table before pushing it across him. ¡°I¡¯ll trouble Teacher Yan to give back this jade pendant to its rightful owner. Next time, before doing anything, it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t leave behind such obvious evidence. Although this jade pendant doesn¡¯t mean anything, it¡¯d probably cause a lot of problems if this thing is presented in front of the emperor.¡± Although Yan Weiyi didn¡¯t understand how Jing Yi¡¯s death guard was in possession of this jade pendant, he could follow the vine to get the melon. In the end, who knows if this was due to Jing Yi¡¯s negligence or the stupidity of those death guards? Yan Weiyi took the jade pendant; His heart was in turmoil from all those revtions. From the very beginning of their meeting, Jing Rong only spoke in half-words about this matter, and never once did he mention Jing Yi¡¯s name. Yet, his vague words had caused Yan Weiyi to be stumped for a long time. Yan Weiyi left the Peach Blossoms Spring when he was finally able topose himself. After Yan Weiyi¡¯s departure, Lang Po, who had been standing guard outside of the pavilion, came in. With prudence, he inquired, ¡°Why did your Highness let him go?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s freezing gaze surveyed the peach blossoms trees in the distance. His sword-like eyebrows knitted together as he spat out, ¡°There are way too many vermins. Killing all of them one by one would take forever. The best way to deal with them is to let those vermins¡­ kill each other.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. After Yan Weiyi left the Peach Blossoms Spring, he directly rushed to Prince Yi¡¯s residence. In the meantime, the news about the safe return of Jing Rong and Ji Yunshu, as well as the new progress in the missing girls case, reached Jing Yi¡¯s ears. Crack! The teacup in his hand broke in half as it was dropped on the table. Jing Yi maintained his calm appearance, yet he appeared more stern than usual. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect for them to escape death. Not to mention, they ended up finding a clue for the missing girls case.¡± ¡®What a miscalction!¡¯ He cold voice was heard again. ¡°What is going with Yan Weiyi? Such a big opportunity, yet he couldn¡¯t kill them. Damn trash!¡± Dou Quan stood in silence beside him. At this moment, a pageboy outside announced, ¡°Your Highness, Teacher Yan hase.¡± Jing Yi¡¯s expression sank as he nodded to his servant. A momentter, Yan Weiyi walked in while donning an expressionless face. After he reached the center of the room, he sped his hands to salute Jing Yi. ¡°Your people are truly far from beingpetent. A great opportunity hase to naught.¡± Jing Yi snorted. ¡°It was my fault not handling the matter to the best I could.¡± ¡°Forget it. This Prince will not hold you in ount. Be more vignt. Don¡¯t repeat the same mistake next time!¡± ¡®What do you mean by ¡®there will be a next time¡¯?¡¯ Yan Weiyi was extremely displeased. He was made into a scapegoat and all his northern tangerine trees, which he painstakingly grew with his own efforts, had been uprooted by Jing Rong. He was in fury with nowhere to vent and, unexpectedly, Jing Yi still had the gall to say ¡°Don¡¯t repeat the same mistake next time.¡± That man still wanted to use him again! Chapter 165: I Once Saw That Tassel Chapter 165: I Once Saw That Tassel Yan Weiyi wasn¡¯t a herbivore. Without Jing Rong¡¯s reminder today, he would have remained a chess piece in Jing Yi¡¯s hand and probably wouldn¡¯t realize it. Jing Yi was an unscrupulous man, thus he vaguely felt that Yan Weiyi wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind at this moment. He frowned while asking, ¡°Teacher Yan, did you see someone today?¡± ¡°Yes. I went to Peach Blossoms Spring.¡± Jing Yi¡¯s expression immediately changed because the Peach Blossoms Spring was Jing Rong¡¯s territory. ¡°Why did he meet you?¡± Logic stipted that this matter might not be a coincidence. Yan Weiyi remained silent as he slowly sat down in front of Jing Yi. Then, he stared straight at the person opposite of him and spoke. ¡°Prince Rong knew about the matter of the northern tangerine tree. However, I¡¯m unsure where he got his information. It should have been impossible for him to link the shiban poison to me as it¡¯smon knowledge that the northern tangerine trees are extinct and I was extremely careful when growing the trees.¡± ¡°He only mentioned about this matter?¡± Jing Yi didn¡¯t care much about what with the matter of the northern tangerine trees. ¡°No. He told me that he already sent people to uproot all the trees I had. Those trees were to receive the punishment I ought to receive for my crime.¡± ¡°So to say, he knew that you were the one who sent the assassins to Liang mountain?¡± At this moment, Jing Yi unexpectedly still wanted to push all the me for the failed assassination on to his head. He was obviously acting on Jing Yi¡¯s orders. It was clear that Yan Weiyi was merely a chess piece from this question. ¡°No. Prince Rong had no idea about it and the matter about the shiban poison wasn¡¯t exposed yet. He only knew about the assassination at Jinjiang¡¯s memorial hall. But how did Prince Rong know that shiban poison was used at that time?¡± Yan Weiyi¡¯s tone was dejected without much hint to his real state of mind. Jing Yi froze for a moment before strongly reacting, ¡°It is because we both overlooked ¡®him¡¯? That clever man must know about the shiban poison.¡± The person Jing Yi referred to was none other than Ji Yunshu. Yan Weiyi wasn¡¯t concerned about Jing Yi¡¯s words. Instead, he took a jade pendant from his waist and presented it to Jing Yi. He exined, ¡°Prince Rong had some words that he wants me to pass to you: In the future, don¡¯t leave such obvious evidence. This jade pendant is something Prince Rong found on your suicide soldiers.¡± As he was done speaking, he got up and saluted Jing Yi, ¡°From now on, if your Highness wants to kill someone, please do it yourself. Although we are on the same side, the only reason I want to kill Prince is to avenge my son. I have no intention to involve myself in the struggles between the princes.¡± Without waiting for Jing Yi to respond, he quickly departed from the room. The shock could be seen on Jing Yi¡¯s face. Then, he carefully scrutinized the jade pendant in his hand. Dou Quan didn¡¯t notice Jing Yi¡¯s mood. However, he cautiously said, ¡°It appears that Prince Rong said something to Yan Weiyi with the intention to sow discord between him and you. May I suggest that we pay more attention to that man in the future?¡± Jing Yi was a bit absent-minded but still replied, ¡°This jade pendant is indeed the one I made for the suicide soldiers to wear. How did that end up in Jing Rong¡¯s hand?¡± ¡°Could it be that when he went to assassinate Prince Rong, it was identally lost?¡± Dou Quan proposed. ¡°You should be very clear that when this Prince dispatched those suicide soldiers, it¡¯s impossible that I would allow them to wear such an obvious jade pendant that could trace back to me. Let¡¯s suppose that Jing Rong really took this from a suicide soldier we sent, it means that he had long since known that the mastermind of his assassination is me. So, today, he was simply using Yan Weiyi to parry me.¡± ¡°Your Highness, all the dispatched suicide soldiers are dead.¡± ¡°Strange¡­ This is very strange¡­¡± Jing Yi narrowed his eyes. He felt that there was more to this situation than meets the eyes. For suicide soldiers to wear a distinctive essory was against logic. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Meanwhile, at the same time Jing Rong left the Rong estate, Ji Yunshu also departed. For her destination, she went to a certain restaurant in the capital; It was the restaurant that she brought Wei Yi to eat meat the other day. As soon as she went in, she heard the melodious song ¡°The Caged Woman¡± being sung on the restaurant stage. Following her line of sight, the singer from the other day, Mei Xiang¡¯er, stood on the stage and sang with a moving voice, plucking her audience¡¯s heartstrings, yet making them feelfortable as they listened to her. As Ji Yunshu darted her gaze towards the stage, she identally encountered Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s gaze which showed surprise upon contact. Underneath her surprise, there was a vague hint of what appeared to be bashfulness. Ji Yunshu coughed. She cannot afford stirring romance. Therefore, she quickly escaped to the second floor. After she reached the second floor, she saw Li Shiyan sitting at a table outside. He sported a demeanor screaming out ¡°I am the coolest!¡± In one hand, he used chopsticks to repeatedly tap on the table. While his other hand was idly resting on the wooden railing of the balcony. His appearance left Ji Yunshu speechless. She walked up to him and when she arrived next to him, she patted his back. ¡°Young Master, I¡¯m here.¡± Pop! The chopsticks were dropped on the table. Then, he slowly got up and looked at Ji Yunshu with his peach blossoms eyes. His mouth drawn back into a smile. ¡®Huh? Didn¡¯t they say that he was seriously injured? He doesn¡¯t even look like he was injured at all!¡¯ ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯te. You¡¯rete by almost the time it takes for a whole joss stick to burn.¡± Li Shiyan grumbled. ¡°There was a dy.¡± Ji Yunshu sat in front of him. As soon as her butt touched the wooden chair, she stretched her hand toward Li Shiyan and solemnly said, ¡°Now, can you give me back that thing?¡± ¡°Why are you in such hurry? Let¡¯s eat first.¡± ¡°No need. I don¡¯t have much time to spare.¡± Ji Yunshu was firm with her answer. Li Shiyan¡¯s expression turned into one of grievance. He pressed his hand on his shoulder and whined, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you don¡¯t even have the time to inquire about my well-being? I received a heavy injury because of you. The wound on my shoulder is still not healed yet.¡± Ji Yunshu wasn¡¯t a heartless person; If it wasn¡¯t because of Li Shiyan¡¯s assistance, her life would have been jeopardized. She opened her mouth and spoke with concern, ¡°Remember not to soak the wound in water. Don¡¯t eat spicy food or¡­¡± ¡°I lied to you. I¡¯m not injured.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ji Yunshu was bewildered. Li Shiyan smiled at her and used his hand to pat his shoulder. ¡°You really underestimate me. Those people couldn¡¯t have injured me. Although, I did hurt my arm when I tried to go down the valley to find you two. I got careless, tripped and tumbled down instead. I ended up dislocating my shoulder, but everything is good now.¡± ¡®Oi, oi, oi! Are you trying to act funny like a monkey?¡¯ Li Shiyan really made her head hurt. Li Shiyan narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. He asked with great curiosity, ¡°I really want to know what is your rtionship with that prince.¡± Faced with that inquisitive expression, Ji Yunshu let out a deep breath. She bluntly answered, ¡°I can¡¯t follow your thoughts. I¡¯m here because I need you to return that thing to me. Please give it back now.¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°Then, I will risk everything to get it back.¡± Ji Yunshu spoke those words without hesitation. Her words shocked Li Shiyan. ¡®That thing is that precious to her?¡¯ After pondering a moment, he took out a tassel from his sleeve. This was something that he stole from Ji Yunshu when they were in Liang mountain. That¡¯s right! He stole it! He swayed the tassel in front of Ji Yunshu. His coquettish appearance turned into a serious one as he inquired the origin of the tassel. ¡°Is this tassel really yours?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s mine.¡± As she spoke, her fingers reached for the tassel. However the next moment, Li Shiyan abruptly spoke shocking words. ¡°I once saw that tassel before.¡± Her hand paused in the air right before her fingers could brush the tassel. ¡°What did you say?¡± She asked in a trembling voice. ¡°I said that I once saw that tassel.¡± Chapter 166: Before Beating a Dog, You have to Look at His Owner Chapter 166: Before Beating a Dog, You have to Look at His Owner ¡°How could it be possible?¡± ¡®Right, this is impossible.¡¯ This tassel was given to her by Ji Pei. The tassel was indeed one half of a pair, and supposedly would be held together by a thread. Ji Pei had cut that thread so that he could give her one half of it while keeping the other one. But Ji Pei is dead; so how could there be another tassel that is identical to hers? Seeing how certain Ji Yunshu was, he also gave her a sincere reply, ¡°There¡¯s no need for me to lie to you. I really saw a tassel that is identical to yours. Or perhaps, did you steal it from him? Yet, this possibility is even more impossible. That identical tassel was already in that man¡¯s possession before I left for the central ins. Besides, he had never traveled to the central ins before.¡± In a split of a second, her woman intuition was rmed. Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression heavily frowned. She carefully questioned him. ¡°That man¡­ what is his name?¡± ¡°Su Ziluo.¡± ¡°Su Ziluo?¡± Ji Yunshu softly repeated the name. Disappointment could be heard in her tone. Perhaps, she was too hopeful. ¡®How could he possibly be Ji Pei? Ji Pei was dead! Maybe it is only a coincidence that the tassel looks identical?¡¯ ¡°So? Do you know him?¡± asked Li Shiyan. Ji Yunshu shook her head. ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± As she replied to Li Shiyan, she recovered the tassel dangling on Li Shiyan¡¯s fingers. ¡°I guess both of you are brought by fate. I mean one person lives in the central ins while the other resides in Qujiang, but you wear identical tassels.¡± He paused a moment as his eyes arched into crescent while looking at Ji Yunshu. Then, he continued. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you the least surprised?¡± ¡°Why should I be surprised?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not from the central ins. Isn¡¯t that something that you should surprise you?¡± Ji Yunshu wiped the pearl decorating her tassel before putting it back in her sleeve. Then, she lifted her eyes and looked at Li Shiyan. She indifferently stated, ¡°When I saw you for the first time, I already knew you weren¡¯t from the central ins. I did have my doubts about you being a person from Qujiang though.¡± ¡°You knew?¡± Li Shiyan¡¯s curiosity was piqued as the corners of his mouth curled into a smile. ¡°How did you guess? Or was there something written on my face?¡± ¡°None of such. Although your attire is a style that belongs to the central ins, the silver button on the crest of your hair crown and your bootspletely give you away since central ins people won¡¯t wear those items.¡± When Li Shiyan heard her exnations, one of his hand touched his hair crown where the extravagant silver button was. Then, he lowered his gaze to look at his boots. He obviously didn¡¯t notice those trivial details at all. Inhabitants of the central ins wouldn¡¯t use such shy buttons to knot their haircrest. As for the boots, Li Shiyan wore thin sole boots, very unlike the thick solesmonly seen in the central ins. ¡°Shu¡¯er, you are really clever.¡± He praised her while beaming a smile at her. ¡°I am Ji Yunshu. Young Master Li should call me Miss Ji.¡± ¡°Shu¡¯er sounds more pleasant to the ears.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not used to being referred as such.¡± ¡°But Young Master Wei called you Shu¡¯er.¡± Li Shiyan refuted. Ji Yunshu lowered her eyes. ¡°This is different.¡± ¡®Different? Why it is different when ites to me?¡¯ Li Shiyan squinted his eyes and asked her. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that idiot is your future husband, right?¡± ¡°He is not an idiot.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s tone became severe as she red at him. Now that she got her tassel back, she had no intention to continue chatting with him. She got up and stated, ¡°Young Master Li, I am very grateful for what you did on Liang mountain. If there¡¯s an opportunity, I will return the favor. I still have matters to attend to, so I will take my leave first.¡± Li Shiyan hurriedly got up when he realized her intention of leaving. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to return the favor. I just want to eat a meal with you. You should not have eaten yet, right?¡± ¡°Thank you very much for your regards, but right now the missing girls case takes priority and I have to decline.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t take much of your time.¡± He wants to reach out to Ji Yunshu, but she retreated with a gloomy expression. ¡°I hope that Young Master Li would understand.¡± She passed by him and was about to go downstairs but stopped after two steps. She gave him a side nce before warning him. ¡°I believe that you know that the Great Lin and Qujiang are currently on the verge of a war. The rtions between the two countries are very tense. If Prince Rong was to learn that you are from Qujiang, it¡¯s inevitable that misunderstandings might be created. At that time, you might be forced to return to your country and maybe blood might flow once again.¡± Li Shiyan froze in shock. He didn¡¯t think about that point. In his mind, he simply wanted to take advantage of the unrest at the borders to escape from his old man. His father might not even know he had sneaked into the Great Lin empire. If his father were to know he was here, he would have been tied up and dragged back to Qujiang. While he was contemting the problem, Xiao Lu, who was next to him, poked at him. ¡°Young Master, Miss Ji has left.¡± ¡°What?¡± Li Shiyan snapped out of his train of thoughts, but he saw no shadow of Ji Yunshu. He heavily sighed and red at Xiao Lu. After a moment, he asked in a mocking tone. ¡°Didn¡¯t Shu¡¯er say earlier that if Prince Rong knew about our identities, blood might flow?¡± Xiao Lu mechanically nodded, ¡°Miss Ji did say that.¡± Li Shiyan softly chuckled. ¡°Regardless of anything, I am the heir of Kang Ding Marquis. Before beating a dog, he still has to look at his owner.¡± ¡°Young Master, if you say it like that¡­ doesn¡¯t that make it sound like you¡¯re a dog?¡± ¡°What did you say?!¡± ¡°This lowly one said that¡­¡± Paf! Without any surprise, Xiao Lu¡¯s head received another fierce blow from Li Shiyan. ¡°You dare to say that I am a dog?! Are you tired of living?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say it, but you were¡­¡± However, he didn¡¯t dare toplete his sentence with ¡°the one who said it.¡± Instead, he retreated back in fear of getting hit again. But in his fury, Li Shiyan ferociously grabbed him. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. At this moment, Ji Yunshu had long descended the stairs. Her attention was suddenly grabbed by the piercing voice of a woman. She turned in the direction of the voice and saw a woman in pink clothes. She exuded a noble aura and seemed to be a daughter from a wealthy household judging from the silver and gold essories she wore. She was sitting in a small booth, fuming with anger. At the height of her emotions, she swept all the dishes off the table which loudly broke on the floor. ¡°Can¡¯t your restaurant hire someone to sing? And of all people to send, you sent that kind of person to entertain me?¡± She then pointed at Mei Xiang¡¯er who was standing on the stage. Mei Xiang¡¯er lowered her head while leaning closer to the old man. The old man pulled her hand infort while looking at her with distress. Following that, he nervously nced a few times at the furious young miss. The restaurant manager arrived in haste and offered his apology. ¡°Young miss, we are very sorry. If you don¡¯t like this song, I¡¯ll make her sing something else more to your liking.¡± ¡°There is no need for that. Such vulgar singing has ruined my mood. And look at that red scar on her neck. How disgusting! Is your restaurant so broke that you have to stoop to letting such an ugly person sing? I came here to eat, but how can I still be in the mood to eat with such a disgusting sight?!¡± Chapter 167: The Truth (part one) Chapter 167: The Truth (part one) The young miss lifted her sleeve and covered her nose with a condescending attitude as she spoke. Mei Xiang¡¯er lowered her head even more while pulling the shawl around her neck tighter to cover her scar better. However, it still couldn¡¯tpletely hide it. Her scar could be described as if the skin had been peeled off, which gave her scar a deep red-purple color. The healing process had caused it to look all wrinkled, making it quite a sinister sight. Even if it was partially covered, it was still hideous to look at. Due to the young woman¡¯s loud voice, it attracted the attention of all the surrounding patrons who stared at Mei Xiang¡¯er. They soon began to gossip spiritedly and pointed at her. In fear of diminishing his restaurant¡¯s reputation, the restaurant owner appeased the young miss with a few sentences before going onto the stage and started pulling down Mei Xiang¡¯er by her sleeve. He fiercely whispered near her ear, ¡°Didn¡¯t I give you something to cover your neck? How many times did this happen? Are you trying to wreck my business on purpose? Do you want me to fire you?¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er trembled as she bite her lips. She implored him, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It wasn¡¯t my intention. It was blown away earlier, so¡­ ¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to exin. Hurry and get down.¡± ¡°Owner, I¡­¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s eyes reddened. The old man shakily got up, bowed at the owner and beg him, ¡°Owner, please give us another chance. Xiang¡¯er didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I beg you.¡± His voice was tearful and almost desting. The innkeeper was a good man, thus he helplessly sighed before waving his hand and gave in. ¡°Ah! Forget it! For today, leave first. Come back tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thank you very much!¡± The pair bowed at the innkeeper in apology. Mei Xiang¡¯er supported the old man and slowly got down from the stage. The innkeeper returned to the wealthy young miss and said a few words before the matter was closed. Ji Yunshu stood on the side as she watched the drama unfold in front of her. Her mind was split between hatred for that young miss¡¯ uncourteous mouth and haughty manners, and pity for Mei Xiang¡¯er. ¡®For such a beautiful woman to be so unloved by Heaven¡­¡¯ She softly sighed and walked to the exit. However, after a few steps, she suddenly noticed a man standing a bit further away. The man was tall and very well-built. He was wearing the restaurant cook uniform and stood at the kitchen entrance. His eyes shone with intense killing intent, making him look sinister as he red at the arrogant young miss still sitting in the small booth. What¡¯s more, his hands on both sides of his body were tightly clenched to the point where the veins on the back of his hands appeared to be on the verge of bursting. It was very obvious that he was filled with anger. Suspicions crept into Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart. ¡®Could this man be Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s boyfriend? Is that why he is this angry?¡¯ A vague premonition rose inside her heart. She felt that her heart stagnated a moment before suddenly elerating as she looked at the man. Only after the man returned to the kitchen did she lightly shake her head and hurriedly left the restaurant and returned to the Rong estate. At this moment in the East courtyard of the Rong estate. ¡°Where is Teacher Ji?¡± From the sound of the voice, the person talking was none other than Jing Xuan. ¡®Why can¡¯t this woman just stay in the pce and enjoy a good life instead of running out everyday?¡¯ The maidservant lowered her head and quickly replied. ¡°Teacher Ji went out.¡± ¡°Where did he go?¡± ¡°This lowly servant has no knowledge.¡± ¡°He¡¯s such a big man, so why don¡¯t you know where he went? What a bunch of useless people!¡± Jing Xuan ced her hands on her hips and appeared to be fuming in anger. Timely, Wei Yi leisurely walked out while holding a bouquet of plum blossoms and humming a song. ¡°Hey, idiot!¡± Jing Xuan shouted at him. Wei Yi looked back and instinctively avoided her after ncing at her. He walked toward a plum tree instead. ¡®What? Isn¡¯t that the unreasonable person?¡¯ Jing Xuan¡¯s anger red up even further as she immediately followed with another shout. ¡°Hey, idiot! I¡¯m calling you.¡± Wei Yi continued to ignore her as he turned to admire the plum blossoms on the tree and, from time to time, he would look at the plum blossoms in his hand getting scattered by the wind. Jing Xuan¡¯s expression turned dark from displeasure. Stirred by her anger, she reached for Wei Yi¡¯s sleeve and pulled at him with the intent to interrogate, ¡°We need to talk. Why are you ignoring me?¡± Wei Yi was forcefully pulled to the side by Jing Xuan. He groaned. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk with you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t like you.¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t like you as well.¡± Jing Xuan red at him while replying tit for tat. Wei Yi lifted his hand and cautiously freed himself from Jing Xuan. He had all the intent to avoid her, but he didn¡¯t forget to say it. ¡°Shu¡¯er told me that a real man doesn¡¯t argue with a woman. I didn¡¯t get angry with you when you destroyed the flowers in the courtyardst time. I won¡¯t argue with you, so don¡¯t talk to me.¡± ¡°You-¡± Jing Xuan stomped her feet. She then waved her hands, before clenching them into fists to punch at Wei Yi¡¯s arm. She loudly bellowed, ¡°Do you know who I am? I am a princess!¡± ¡°Is a princess so amazing? Mother said that everyone is equal.¡± He refuted. Then, he scratched his head while frowning before asking, ¡°Actually, what is a princess?¡± Pfft! Jing Xuan was so angry that she spat out blood. During this time, Ji Yunshu returned. As if she had wind on her feet, she hurriedly went into the house without sparing a nce at Jing Xuan and Wei Yi. When Jing Xuan saw Ji Yunshu, her anger was immediately doused while her face blushed and her mouth curled up. It didn¡¯t take her much time to run into the courtyard after Ji Yunshu. Once Ji Yunshu entered the house, she went to find the documents about the missing girls case that the capital governor sent her before. Previously, when she received it, she only gave it a few nces before throwing the stack aside on the table and hadn¡¯t touched it ever since. But right now, she needed to go through each file. Therefore, she spread everything on the table and browsed through everything in detail. Jing Xuan stood behind her and watched Ji Yunshu busy herself for half a day before asking. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t reply to her. ¡°I can help you!¡± Jing Xuan stepped forward with the intention of helping her. Ji Yunshu hurriedly stopped her. ¡°No need.¡± ¡°I just want¡­¡± Jing Xuan¡¯s sentence stopped mid-sentence as Ji Yunshu has buried herself in that stack of documents and waspletely ignoring her. ¡®Are Ji Yunshu and Wei Yi possessed? Why are they ignoring me today?¡¯ Jing Xuan¡¯s mood turned bad. Her temper didn¡¯t lose to Jing Rong in term of stubbornness. Therefore, she sat down in the room on the side while Ji Yunshu was deeply engrossed in her work. As she observed Ji Yunshu, she felt extremely satisfied. In the meantime, Ji Yunshu wasbing each file very carefully, earnestly paying attention to the punctuation of each sentence as she feared to overlook an important clue. After an hour, her eyes finally parted from the rows of words. Astonishment could be read on her face. To be precise, apart from shock, there was both worry and panic. ¡°What did you find?¡± Jing Xuan asked her while propping her chin. Ji Yunshu abruptly stood up and spoke in a trembling voice, ¡°If¡­ this is the truth, then¡­¡± ¡®What an eye-opener!¡¯ Chapter 168: The Truth (part two) Chapter 168: The Truth (part two) Jing Xuan didn¡¯t understand why Ji Yunshu was acting like this. However, she didn¡¯t have the time to ask since Ji Yunshu had already left. She walked quickly toward the courtyard entrance as if she had wings to her feet. As she arrived at the entrance, she identally collided with Jing Rong who had timely returned from the Peach Blossoms Spring. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The murderer! I know who the murderer is.¡± She spoke in a rush. Jing Rong¡¯s sword-like eyebrows slightly knitted. Ji Yunshu continued to exin. ¡°I need your Highness to help me investigate two people for me.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. An hourter, the capital governor arrived in haste with more pieces of information which he collected from the assigned investigation. ¡°Teacher Ji, I have all the information pertaining all the butchers living and working inside the city.¡± He handed over the document, but Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t take it. ¡°Put the files here for now.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Her words puzzled the governor. Jing Rong had a grave expression as he stepped forward and handed over two scrolls to the capital governor before giving out his instructions. ¡°Governor, I order you to immediately dispatch a group of runners discreetly monitor the man on this painting, and another group to protect the woman in the other painting. If nothing unexpected happens, we will be able to quickly bring the murderer behind the missing girls case to justice.¡± When the governor unfolded the two paintings, two portraits were revealed. The first one belonged to the cook who worked at the restaurant earlier. The second portrait was that of the arrogant young miss who was sitting in the restaurant booth previously. The capital governor¡¯s brain was cloudy with iprehension, so he asked, ¡°Your Highness, what is this for?¡± Instead of Jing Rong, Ji Yunshu replied. ¡°This white cloth is our clue. I did say that the murderer was probably a butcher, but I overlooked one important point. There is also a possibility that the murderer is a cook. I read through all the files pertaining the missing girls case which you sent before and discovered amon point between all the victims; they all went to the same ce before their disappearance and a particr situation always urred beforehand.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Before their disappearance, they all went to this restaurant called Auspicious Prosperity. What¡¯s more, there would always be a singer called Mei Xiang¡¯er at the time of their visit and, inevitably, they would humiliate her in public due to the wound on her neck. Without exception, they would go missingter on that day or the day after.¡± As Ji Yunshu spoke, the governor recalled the information he had gathered and it was indeed as such. Ji Yunshu continued to exin. ¡°The man in this painting is called Gan Chouliang, a cook working at Auspicious Prosperity. As for the woman in the other painting, she is the young miss of the Ruan family, Ruan Ya¡¯er. Today, I went to Auspicious Prosperity and coincidentally witnessed her conflict with Mei Xiang¡¯er. She then humiliated thetter in front of everyone. At that time, I saw Gan Chouliang ring at Miss Ruan with killing intent. I believe there is a rtionship between Mei Xiang¡¯er and Gan Chouliang. And then, I suddenly remembered that time when I went to Auspicious Prosperity to eat. At that time, I tried one of their meat dishes and found that the taste was quite unlike pork. It was not until I looked through the files again that I can ascertain that the murderer is most probably the cook.¡± After they heard her exnation, everyone looked at each other in dismay. Someone suddenly shouted in fright, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that the meat served was human meat?¡± A sickening feeling overcame them from simply uttering those words. After the capital governor digested the revtion, he swallowed his saliva. He held onto the two portraits and asked, ¡°So, Teacher Ji means that the murderer might repeat his offense?¡± ¡°Correct! Although we don¡¯t have any concrete evidence that Gan Chouliang is the murderer yet, there is a method to ascertain it. If Gan Chouliang is truly the murderer and his motive is to kidnap and kill anyone who harms Mei Xiang¡¯er, he will certainly strike again after Miss Ruan offended Mei Xiang¡¯er today at the restaurant. Therefore, I hope that Governor will lend me a hand by keeping an eye on Gan Chouliang while protecting Miss Ruan from harm.¡± Her exnations were loud and clear. Jing Rong waved his hand. ¡°Governor, go do your assigned tasks at once. Human life is priceless. We cannot afford to let this case drag on any longer. Do remember to be discreet. We don¡¯t want to alert the murderer.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡± The capital governor received the order and set off in haste while holding onto the two portraits. Now that the case had a clue and if her conjecture of Gan Chouliang being the murderer is correct, then he would certainly act tonight. At that time, they would be able to arrest him on the spot. Hidden within her sleeves, Ji Yunshu¡¯s hands were tightly clenched into fists. Her mind became preupied with the case. As she was caught in a trance, Jing Rong reached for her and shook her. ¡°The case has some progress. Now, shouldn¡¯t it be my turn to ask you about something?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Did you go out today?¡± ¡®What has toe, wille.¡¯ She nodded her head. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What for?¡± ¡°To meet Li Shiyan.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s expression turned sour as he felt jealousy brewing inside of him. ¡°Your rtionship seems quite good, huh?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Then, why did you go meet him?¡± His tone sounded very indifferent, yet his mood was low and his words sharp. Ji Yunshu was still thinking about the case and wasn¡¯t in the right mind to reply to him. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m currently not in the mood to answer such questions.¡± Then, she sat down, waiting for new progress from the capital governor. Jing Rong watched her, but he was quite depressed. ¡®Forget it. When this case is resolved, I¡¯ll ask her again.¡¯ With nothing else to do, he also sat down and waited for the governor¡¯s news. Hidden on the side, Jing Xuan was observing everything from the start. The admiration she had for Ji Yunshu continued to grow, gushing stronger like the tide of a tsunami. However, she was worried that Jing Rong would discover that she had snuck into his residence, so she secretly returned to the pce. Upon her return, she was caught red-handed sneaking in by her mother, Concubine Xiao. Concubine Xiao looked at her in anger. ¡°Did you go to the Rong estate, again?¡± Jing Xuan smiled while sitting down next to Concubine Xiao and acted spoiled. ¡°Imperial Mother, I only went for a walk. I didn¡¯t go to Imperial Brother Rong¡¯s ce.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. I have someone keep an eye on your whereabouts.¡± ¡°Imperial Mother!¡± ¡°You never do as I said.¡± Concubine Xiao reprimanded her. She felt disappointed that her child didn¡¯t follow her expectations. She reached for Jing Xuan¡¯s hand and patted it twice. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, you are a princess and should act like one. Look at you right now. Always running outside of the pce and not even bringing an imperial guard with you. What if something were to happen?¡± ¡°Nothing will happen. No one would ever dare to bully me, so please rest assured Imperial Mother.¡± ¡°How can I not care about you? You are not a child anymore. Sooner orter, you will marry. I have already talked with your imperial father about your big event. He has agreed to help you choose a good partner for you. Your prospective husband will certainlye from a prestigious family. So, be obedient and stay in the pce. Stop running everywhere and work on that unruly temper of yours.¡± When she heard about getting married, Jing Xuan became hesitant. She pouted and twisted her body. ¡°Daughter doesn¡¯t want to marry.¡± ¡°Daughter, how can you say such things.¡± ¡°I¡­ If I was to marry, I want to choose him myself.¡± Jing Xuan willfully spoke. Concubine Xiao¡¯s expression darkened. She asked, ¡°Tell me the truth. Are you¡­ in love with Teacher Ji?¡± ¡°Imperial Mother, I¡­¡± For her secret to be suddenly revealed, Jing Xuan furiously blushed. She lowered her head while her mouth curled up. She spoke with shyness. ¡°In fact, Teacher Ji is really intelligent. He was able to resolve the missing girls case. Your daughter¡­ really admires him.¡± ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Although he still had no meritorious service yet, I believe that he¡­¡± Concubine Xiao interrupted her daughter¡¯s rambling. Her expression showed anxiety. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you that. Did you say that he already resolved the missing girls case?¡± Jing Xuan nodded and added. ¡°I heard him with my own ears.¡± ¡°What did you hear? Tell me everything you saw as well.¡± Jing Xuan unsuspectedly told everything she knew to Concubine Xiao. The more Concubine Xiao heard, the darker her expression became. Chapter 169: The Irksome Jing Yi Who Disrupted Everything1 The more Jing Xuan talked about Ji Yunshu¡¯s brilliance, the more excited she got. As for Concubine Xiao, her long and slender eyebrows slightly knit as she narrowed her eyes. Then, she said to her daughter, ¡°Xuan¡¯er, Teacher Ji is amoner. He is not suitable for you. What¡¯s more, his mind is too deep. I absolutely won¡¯t agree to your marriage with him.¡± ¡°Imperial Mother¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that imperial mother didn¡¯t warn you. Even your imperial father won¡¯t agree to it. In short, don¡¯t even think about it. Starting today, you are not allowed to leave the pce. I will instruct people to keep a good eye on you.¡± Jing Xuan felt she was extremely wronged by her mother. After stomping her feet, she departed while roaring and fuming in anger. Concubine Xiao¡¯s ears finally could enjoy the silence. She nced at the court eunuch on the side and ordered, ¡°Immediately send this news to Prince Yi. If the murderer acts again, he has to catch him before the capital governor does. The merit of capturing that criminal must not fall into Prince Rong¡¯s hands.¡± The court eunuch bowed, ¡°Yes, your Ladyship!¡± Concubine Xiao¡¯s slender hands tightly clenched into fists. ¡®I must not allow the credit to fall into Jing Rong¡¯s hand. You want to resolve the missing girls case and investigate the Lin capital case? You want to im credit in front of the emperor and im the crown prince¡¯s seat? Don¡¯t even think about it!¡¯ Without dy, Jing Yi received the news from Concubine Xiao and ordered Dou Quan to secretly dispatch a group of people to observe the capital governor¡¯s subordinates in ordance with Concubine Xiao¡¯s suggestions. If the murderer makes a move, he must grab the culprit before the capital governor does. On the evening, the weather turned slightly cold as a drizzle fell onto the capital. Ji Yunshu stood for a long time under the eaves outside of the reception hall. She looked at the sky which was gradually being covered by the curtains of the night. Within her prating gaze, the orange glow of the sunset was reflected as she pondered, unaware of the situation on the capital governor¡¯s side. Jing Rong ordered a servant to bring a cloak which he draped around her shoulders. ¡°Your body has yet to heal. You must not catch a cold now.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s gaze fixed the hand resting on her shoulder before raising her eyes. ¡°Thank you.¡± She uttered before adding, ¡°Your Highness¡¯ wounds are much serious than mine. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t catch a cold.¡± ¡°We are not wed yet, but you are already this concerned about me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Jing Rong promptly interrupted her. His gaze wandered to the pitch-ck sky. ¡°I wonder if it will snow tomorrow?¡± ¡®Bro, it¡¯s already spring!¡¯ Ji Yunshu shook her head, but she didn¡¯t continue the conversation. Perhaps Jing Rong was feeling very serene, he thought of another subject of conversation and poked her arm before saying. ¡°I wonder¡­ Should we do it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what your Highness is trying to say.¡± ¡°The night is long and torturous.¡± Jing Rong deliberately reminded her of a certain night. Ji Yunshu rolled her eyes. ¡°I am not your sedative!¡± ¡°What is a sedative?¡± Jing Rong was at loss. Then, he asked, ¡°Is that the same thing as the Three Benefits pill?¡± Ji Yunshu was an archeologist to start with, thus she was very clear what this pill was2. ¡®This prince! Is that all he could think of in that brain of his?!¡¯ She sighed with exasperation before retorting. ¡°A sedative is not an aphro- Anyway, it¡¯s not that kind of thing. A sedative is a drug that helps inducing sleep. Since your Highness feels that the night is too long and torturous, then you should take a sedative.¡± Jing Rong nodded without understanding half of her words. A smile hung on his face as he leaned closer to her. In a seductive voice, he said, ¡°This Prince is in need of a sedative.¡± ¡°I said I am not a sedative!¡± Ji Yunshu moved sideways. ¡°If I say you are one, then you are one.¡± His warm breath could be felt as he leaned closer to her ears. Her body tensed as she clenched her fists under her sleeves. As Jing Rong almost touched her and she was caught in a dilemma, the capital governor suddenly rushed inside, still dressed in his government official uniform. His expression was very flustered and sweat was pearling from his brows. Jing Rong resumed to his cold and stern facade in an instant and both his hands were sped behind his back. He inquired, ¡°What is the matter?¡± The governor immediately greeted Jing Rong before stating the reason for his arrival. ¡°Your Highness, someone¡­ has already caught the criminal. It was indeed the Auspicious Prosperity¡¯s cook, Gan Chouliang. Our people followed him and saw that he was about to harm Miss Ruan, but¡­¡± ¡°But what?¡± The capital governor paused for a moment and lowered his head. ¡°We were about to catch him, but unexpectedly, Prince Yi¡¯s people suddenly appeared and brought Gan Chouliang to the Ministry of Justice¡¯s prison first.¡± ¡®The early bird catches the worm!¡¯ Jing Rong and Ji Yunshu looked at each other. They clearly understood the oues of this situation. If the credit for the missing girls case was given to Jing Yi, then the deal Ji Yunshu had with the emperor was void. It meant that it was impossible for them to unseal the coffins rted to the Imperial Duke case! ¡°Where did Prince get the news about the criminal? Didn¡¯t I specifically ordered this matter to be done with discretion?¡± scolded Jing Rong. ¡°Your Highness, this lowly subordinate absolutely didn¡¯t divulge a single word about this matter. The implication is too heavy, so even those under me didn¡¯t leak the news.¡± The capital governor also didn¡¯t understand how could Prince Yi¡¯s subordinates suddenly appeared and snatched their target. This reversal of situation made the governor felt unreconciled with the results. The credit was snatched by Jing Yi, not to mention Jing Rong¡¯s and Ji Yunshu¡¯s shares of contribution, even his efforts weren¡¯t recognized. ¡®How frustrating!¡¯ Jing Rong frowned. In a cold tone, he softly stated, ¡°Prince Yi rushing ahead wasn¡¯t a coincidence. This was a calcted move.¡± The capital governor asked, ¡°Your Highness, what should we do now?¡± ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s wait after the Ministry of Justice has investigated Gan Chouliang before discussing our next step. For now, keep a close watch on the progress and immediately report to me if there¡¯s any news.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness.¡± Jing Rong waved his hand, allowing the governor to rush to the Ministry of Justice to closely observe the proceedings. Ji Yunshu anxiously looked at Jing Rong. ¡°If Gan Chouliang confesses his crimes, then the one who will get the most contribution is Prince Yi.¡± ¡°This Prince knows!¡± ¡°What are we going to do now?¡± ¡°I will go see Jing Yi in the morning.¡± ¡°Your Highness wants to persuade Prince Yi not to meddle with this case?¡± Ji Yunshu paused a bit before continuing, ¡°Prince Yi¡¯s aim is you. From the beginning, he didn¡¯t wish for you to investigate the Lin capital case. In addition, for him to suddenly spring in the middle of our investigation to catch the criminal obviously means that he doesn¡¯t agree with you.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s countenance was dignified as his wrinkled brows gave him an oppressive aura. He waited until the hour of the rabbit3 to change into clean clothes and prepared himself to go to Prince Yi¡¯s residence. The capital governor hastily rushed over at that moment and urgently said, ¡°Your Highness, the people at the Ministry of Justice had interrogated Gan Chouliang through the night. He confessed everything and has signed his confession. Prince Yi has the document and is about to enter the pce, nning to report this matter to the emperor and resolve the missing girls case.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s expression became unsightly. He called Lang Po. ¡°Prepare my horse at once! I want to enter the pce before Jing Yi does and stop him!¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡± Lang Po answered and immediately prepare it. Jing Rong didn¡¯t dy any further as he rushed out toward the pce. He must block Jing Yi. Ji Yunshu was also very anxious as she looked at his back speedily leave on his mount. Her heart was squeezed with urgency. After a moment, she asked the capital governor, ¡°Governor, I want to ask you what was written in Gan Chouliang¡¯s confession?¡± ¡°I copied part of his confession. Take a look.¡± The capital governor took out a paper from his sleeve and presented it to her. She took the confession and read it carefully. However, after her gaze brushed through line by line, her expression gradually twisted and became tensed. There was bewilderment inside her eyes. She raised her eyes and asked the capital governor, ¡°Do you know if it¡¯s possible for me to go to the Ministry of Justice¡¯s prison? Can I meet with Gan Chouliang?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± The capital governor hesitated. ¡°I know it might be a difficult request, but there is something wrong with this confession.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°ording to the state of putrefaction on Shuiqing¡¯s corpse and the color of her blood, her face was peeled off first before her hands were chopped. However, following Gan Chouliang¡¯s confession, her hands were chopped first before her face was ripped off. I don¡¯t know if he remembered incorrectly or the one who wrote the confession made a mistake. That¡¯s why I want to meet him in person. So, I would like to trouble you to make it possible.¡± 1.The real title is °ë·ɱ³öÒ»¸ö¾°Òà which is a modified version of a popr expression ¡°°ë·ɱ³ö¸ö³ÌÒ§½ð¡± (Cheng Yaojin ambushed the enemy). Cheng Yaojin is a great general in the early Tang Dynasty. The meaning of the expression is an unexpected situation urred or someone whose presence is annoying. ? 2.The Three Benefits pill is an aphrodisiac. XD Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Jing Rong, I think you have more probability of having a spring dream. ? 3.Hour of the rabbit = 5-7am Chapter 170: You Are Lying! Chapter 170: You Are Lying! The prison of the Ministry of Justice was not a ce thatmoners could visit freely. Seeing the capital governor¡¯s hesitation, Ji Yunshu continued to convince him. ¡°Although Gan Chouliang signed the confession and admitted killing people, his exnations on how he hid the corpse and proceeded with everything were quite vague.¡± ¡°Vague?¡± The capital governor did not understand Ji Yunshu¡¯s meaning. He pondered a moment, then he asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t he already say that his motive was to retaliate against the people who humiliated Mei Xiang¡¯er? He even exined how he hid the bodies amongst the pork and shipped them out. So, when he chased after Miss Li to Liang mountain, that white cloth must have been dropped by him. Aren¡¯t those exnations clear enough? As for the point mentioned earlier, whether he chopped the hands first or peeled off the face, it might not necessarily be relevant since he had killed so many people that he might have remembered the details incorrectly.¡± The capital governor¡¯s reasoning was quite logical. Ji Yunshu¡¯s intuition was keen, thus the uneasiness within her could not be unraveled by his words. She sighed. ¡°To sum it up, there are nebulous points in the confession. Regardless, we need to rify those points properly before reaching a conclusion. Governor, let me meet him. I am the one who is the most familiar with the details of this case afterall.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± The problem was not if the capital governor was willing to let her see the criminal. The governor was only a rank 4 first ss official. Within the Ministry of Justice¡¯s staff, there was still a minister who was rank 1 first ss, and a rank 2 first ss assistant minister. Whether this could be done or not, at this stage, the capital governor had no reason not to give it a try. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bring you to the Ministry of Justice¡¯s prison.¡± The governor agreed. After reaching their destination, the capital governor took out amand tile, but he stopped the jailer from notifying the Ministry of Justice¡¯s minister and assistant minister. Then, he secretly brought Ji Yunshu inside. The Ministry of Justice¡¯s prison was unlike the prisons in each administrative area. Although the dim and gloomy atmosphere, created by the candlelights illuminating spots of darkness, was the same in any prison, the pungent smell assaulting the nose was not as strongpared to inside the Ministry of Justice¡¯s prison. In addition, lettuce juice was spread on two corners outside of each prison cell to neutralize the odor as much as possible. There was also a difference in size for the prison cell whenpared to those in major cities and small towns. They finally came in front of Gan Chuliang¡¯s cell. He was leaning on the freezing wall with his legs crossed. His white prison garment was dyed red with his blood and torn in countless ces, a result of being whipped. It appeared that the Ministry of Justice¡¯s method of interrogation was to extort a confession. His disheveled and unkempt hair shielded his stubborn and cold expression from view. The capital governor stepped forward to take a look at him before saying to Ji Yunshu, ¡°We don¡¯t have much time. Ask him what you want and let¡¯s leave quickly.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Ji Yunshu came forward and stood near the prison cell door. She used her hand to lightly knock on the wooden pike several times. The dull sound echoed and reached Gan Chuliang¡¯s ears. However, he was unresponsive. Ji Yunshu spoke, ¡°I know you can hear me knocking.¡± As soon as she said those words, Gan Chuliang raised his head. Blood could be seen dripping from the corner of his eyes. However, Ji Yunshu was not the least bit afraid of his appearance. ¡°W-who are you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to know who I am. I am only here to ask you a few questions.¡± Gan Chuliang smiled, but the action made the tear at the corner of his mouth to crack and he bleed again. ¡°What needs to be said is already said. Everything you want to know is already dug out. I killed them. I am the one who killed them!¡± His voice was hoarse when he spoke. ¡°Is Mei Xiang¡¯er worth it for you to do this?¡± Hearing the familiar name, his eyes slightly raised before he replied with confidence, ¡°She is worth it. Xiang¡¯er is a good and kind-hearted woman. In this world, there was no one like her. Such a good woman shouldn¡¯t bear those¡­ She shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡®Shouldn¡¯t what? Is he alluding to the public humiliation she suffered?¡¯ Ji Yunshu squatted down and asked with a serious expression, ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Mei Xiang¡¯er?¡± ¡°None. We have no rtionship with each other. She doesn¡¯t know I like her and had no idea I kill people. She knows nothing¡­¡± He continued to repeat himself, but regret could be heard in his tone. Ji Yunshu calmly observed him, then she lightly said, ¡°Gan Chuliang, did you really kill those people?¡± As soon as the question was uttered, Gan Chuliang unexpectedlyughed and unabashedly met Ji Yunshu¡¯s stare. ¡°I already confessed and signed it.¡± ¡°Did they extort a confession from you?¡± ¡°I admitted it myself.¡± He replied very swiftly. Ji Yunshu took out the confession at a moderate pace, unfolding it in front of him. ¡°Good. Then, let me ask you again. When you killed Li Shuiqing, did you cut her hands first, then skin her face?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°When I examined her corpse, the corpse clearly had the face skinned first, then the hands were chopped.¡± Gan Chuliang sized her up. ¡°Are you a coroner?¡± ¡°No. As I said before, you don¡¯t need to concern yourself with my identity, you only need to reply to my questions.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve killed countless women, how can I remember each one of them? Whether I skinned the face first or chopped the hands, they still ended up dead in any case.¡± As he spoke, he continued to beam a smile as if he was carrying a will to die. His expression abruptly sank as anger gripped him. He continued to speak. ¡°Only I can protect Xiang¡¯er! Everything I did was what she would have wished to do. Those women deserved to die. How can theypare to Xiang¡¯er¡¯s beauty? Why did they have to bully her over and over again?¡± ¡°Even if it was so, killing is not the way.¡± Ji Yunshu replied. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t those people deserve to die?¡± He lowered his brows and felt what he said was justified. A malevolent expression was slowly revealed. ¡°Then, why did you¡­ still want to rape them?¡± Gan Chuliang¡¯s eyes suddenly raised and nervousness quickly flit through his expression. The fleeting expression was caught by Ji Yunshu¡¯s keen eyes. ¡®That kind of expression¡­ as if he was evading¡­ this felt closer to ack of confidence.¡¯ Slowly, he said, ¡°I have nothing to say. Isn¡¯t a woman¡¯s innocence the most important thing? Not only do I want them dead, I want them to experience first the feeling of wanting to die but cannot. Furthermore, all their chopped hands were soaked inrd and served at the restaurant. Everyone who ate it all praised it to be delicious. Each and every time! There was one time when I forgot to soak the human meat inrd, and as result, many guests returned the dish.¡± Heughed a few times after recounting the anecdote. ¡®Disgusting!¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s stomach churned listening to him. That day must be the day she went to eat there with Wei Yi. As suspected, it was human meat! She frowned while enduring the nausea she felt. Slowly, she got up and said, ¡°Do you understand what you are saying?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Gan Chuliang shifted his sinister eyes. After a moment, he got up and walked toward Ji Yunshu. Suddenly, he grabbed Ji Yunshu¡¯ arm through the gap between the wooden stake and pulled her toward him. Ji Yunshu was forced to take a step forward, and her body pressed on the wooden fence of the cell! The governor and two jailers immediately wanted to step forward upon seeing this. However, Ji Yunshu raised her free hand and signaled them to stop. Gan Chuliang did not do anything more drastic. He only pulled on her arm and asked in a strange tone, ¡°What you want to know, I already told you. What else do you want to ask?¡± Due to their proximity, Ji Yunshu could see his face with rity. His face was marred by numerous wounds caused by thesh of a whip. The blood had long dried from thecerations, but when he spoke, the wounded cracked from the movements and blood seeped out again. It flowed down, dripping onto the back of her hand. It was a very conspicuous sight. Coincidentally, Ji Yunshu¡¯s sightnded on his neck and saw the protuberance of his Adam¡¯s apple. Her heart suddenly stilted and shock overwhelmed her. ¡°You¡­ are lying!¡± She spat out. Chapter 171: Falsification Chapter 171: Falsification ¡®Eh? Lies?¡¯ The trace of gloom in his expression vanished. ¡°What are you saying?¡± He ferociously bellowed while exercising more strength on his grip, squeezing Ji Yunshu¡¯s wrist painfully. Yet, Ji Yunshu did not struggle. She did not even flinch from fear in front of Gan Chuliang¡¯s bloody eyes. She simply asked again, ¡°Did you really kill them?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes, full of wisdom, were extremely keen, as though they could look through people¡¯s heart, thus the mind of the opposite party was clearly disyed for her. Gan Chuliang¡¯s hand released her hand gradually. ¡°I already told you everything. There is already evidence that supports my confession. I am the murderer, so you should kill me by tearing me limb by limb as a punishment.¡± It¡¯s true that all evidence pointed at him. Previously, Ji Yunshu highly suspected him of being the murderer, but why did she say that he was lying at this time? Ji Yunshu took a step back and said, ¡°Rest assured, you will not be sentenced to death if you didn¡¯t kill anyone.¡± With nothing more to say, she immediately turned her back to him and left. However, she could hear Gan Chuliang¡¯s bellowing from behind her. ¡°I am the murderer! Kill me! Hurry and kill me¡­¡± However, what apanied his cries of rage were the sounds of the wooden barrier being hit. Ji Yunshu made a stop at the jailers¡¯ break room. Without a word, she quickly took the ink and brush on the table, and wrote something on a paper with it. After the ink dried, she folded the paper and gave it to the capital governor. She also gave him a quick exnation. ¡°Governor, please immediately send someone to the pce. If Prince Rong is able to stop Prince Yi as nned, there¡¯s no need to give him this letter. In the case he fails to stop Prince Yi, give this letter to him and let them meet the emperor together.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°This is an emergency. Don¡¯t waste time or it will be toote.¡± Seeing the urgency on her face, the governor no longer asked questions. He took the entrusted letter and immediately ordered someone to deliver it as instructed by Ji Yunshu. Only after that did the governor turn to Ji Yunshu to inquire, as he was still unable toprehend this whole situation. ¡°Teacher Ji, what is going? What did you write in the letter that needed to be urgently delivered to his Highness, Prince Rong?¡± Ji Yunshu nced in the direction of Gan Chuliang¡¯s prison cell. Her expression faintly sank. Then, she looked back at the capital governor. ¡°Did you notice Gan Chuliang¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple?¡± ¡°Adam¡¯s apple?¡± The governor became pensive. ¡°Is there anything wrong with it?¡± ¡°His Adam¡¯s apple is clearly different from normal men. For normal men, the protuberance is at a higher angle. It could be lower also, but usually, the protuberance would be bigger. Whereas, Gan Chuliang¡¯s Adam apple barely protrudes, almost to the point of being t, just like the throat of a woman.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°It means that¡­¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Jing Rong, followed by Lang Po, had spurred his horse and finally reached the southern gate of the pce just in time. Jing Yi had juste down from his carriage and was about to enter the pce. With two big strides, Jing Rong was able to obstruct the other¡¯s path. Noticing Jing Rong¡¯s hurried appearance, Jing Yi smiled and pretended to be puzzled. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°You want to report the finding for the missing girls case?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± questioned Jing Rong. Jing Yi did not hide anything and stated truthfully, ¡°Why? Jing Rong, I discovered things pertaining to the case, so obviously I will make a report to imperial father.¡± ¡®Damn shameless guy!¡¯ ¡°You should be very clear about the stakes of the case.¡± ¡°Of course I know. However, we all perfectly understand that Jing Hua is currently the crown prince and Imperial Father is not young anymore. How long do we have to wait? Besides, as a prince, our identity is all the more a sensitive matter. The missing girls case is nothing but your stepping stone to investigate the Lin Capital case. Even so, in the end, you still won¡¯t get the crown prince¡¯s position!¡± ¡°Is that the reason why you kept obstructing me three, four times?¡± ¡°This is what we called, a rabbit doesn¡¯t have one entrance to its burrow.¡± Jing Yi¡¯s tone implied a deeper meaning to his words. Since Jing Rong was not a fool, he quickly understood his brothers hidden meaning. ¡°Jing Yi, I only want to investigate the Lin Capital case and have no other intentions. As long as you agree not to meddle into this case, I can assure you that I absolutely won¡¯t fight over it with you and you won¡¯t need to scheme and guard against me for every single thing.¡± ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± Jing Yi frowned. ¡°If I wanted to fight over it with you, that jade pendant on that suicide soldier would have been handed over to imperial father on the day I came back to the capital.¡± ¡®Ah!¡¯ Jing Yi¡¯s heart stilled at the thought, then he spoke superfluous words, ¡°Jing Rong, you know that I am not afraid. Using a mere jade pendant as evidence is nothing but a vain attempt.¡± ¡°Must you meddle in this case?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be enemies with you, but when a man wants to reach higher ces, he must destroy the road behind him in order to avoid anyone from climbing to where he is.¡± Then, he patted Jing Rong¡¯s shoulder while coldly snorting. ¡°Next time, work hard not to let me be a step ahead of you.¡± As soon as he spat out those words, he passed through the south gate. Jing Rong stood there with a gloomy expression while watching Jing Yi¡¯s silhouette gradually getting smaller. Lang Po walked to him and whispered, ¡°Your Highness, if Prince Yi really reports to the Emperor¡­¡± Thest words were left unsaid as the sound of a galloping horse was heard. As soon as the sound came near them, it stopped. The man on the horse quickly dismounted and kneeled in front of Jing Rong while presenting a letter to him. ¡°Your Highness, this is from Teacher Ji.¡± ¡®Ah?¡¯ ¡°Teacher Ji said that if Prince Rong could not stop Prince Yi, your Highness has to meet the emperor with Prince Yi after reading this letter.¡± Prince Rong took the letter and opened it. After reading it, he was shaken. He immediately put it away and quickly strode through the gate. Behind him, Lang Po followed while remaining confused. Inside Fuyang hall. Jing Yi had already presented the confession document to Qi Zhen emperor and promptly reported his findings. The emperor was in exultation as he stored away the confession document. ¡°It has been two months that this case has caused unrest amongst the people in the capital. The capital governor ran left and right to investigate, but his investigation was unfruitful. I didn¡¯t expect that this case would be resolved by you. Good! Very Good!¡± Jing Yi lowered his head and slightly bowed. The corner of his mouth was stretched into a silent smile. ¡°We always reward fairly. Since you resolved the case, we cannot omit to bestow you something. Speak, what do you want?¡± ¡®The emperor¡¯s throne! But will he give it to me?¡¯ Jing Yi sped his hands and spoke, ¡°This Son only wishes for our empire¡¯s safety and the people¡¯s prosperity and nothing more. Besides, this matter is rted to the peace and well-being of themoners. I was only doing what I must. I didn¡¯t do so to be rewarded.¡± The emperor was obviously incredibly satisfied with Jing Yi¡¯s reply. He nodded and dered, ¡°No matter what, you aplished a meritorious deed. We will grant you¡­¡± ¡°Prince Rong has arrived!¡± Jing Rong timely entered the hall. He was expressionless as he greeted his father. ¡°Your Son hase to meet imperial father.¡± Qi Zhen Emperor inquired, ¡°What is the reason for your presence?¡± ¡°Son knows that Prince Yi has entered the pce to report the missing girls case. Since it¡¯s rted to the missing girl case, I have to enter the pce. In addition, I have¡­¡± Qi Zhen interrupted him. ¡°We know what you want to say. The agreement we made with Teacher Ji only stands if he resolves the case. We would have agreed to let people unseal the coffins for investigation. However, at present, this case has been resolved by Jing Yi. The agreement is now void.¡± On the side, Jing Yi had a smug smile. As for Jing Rong, he maintained a calm face and stepped forward. ¡°Son only wants to say that there¡¯s an error in Prince Yi¡¯s report.¡± ¡°An error?¡± ¡°The murderer is not Gan Chuliang.¡± The emperor frowned, then nced at the shocked Jing Yi. He turned to Jing Rong and asked, ¡°Why?¡± Jing Rong simply stated, ¡°Because Gan Chuliang is a eunuch.¡± Chapter 172: Jingle Bell Chapter 172: Jingle Bell ¡®A eunuch?¡¯ ¡°Absurd!¡± Jing Yi denied Jing Rong¡¯s words. He added, ¡°The criminal already signed his confession and even voluntarily disclosed all his crimes. Yet, now you are telling me that he is a eunuch?! Where did thate from?¡± Jing Rong remainedposed. He stepped forward and spoke to his father, ¡°Your Son is absolutely not speaking nonsense. Although Gan Chuliang already signed the confession document, the fact remains that he is a eunuch. For someone who is castrated, how could he have sullied those victims?¡± ¡°That man has an Adam¡¯s apple!¡± Jing Yi retorted. Jing Rong stared at Jing Yi and exined, ¡°That¡¯s right. He does have an Adam¡¯s apple, because he was castrated after the age of 16. At that time, his Adam¡¯s apple had already developed. However, it didn¡¯t fully mature because of the castration. Therefore, it is smaller and doesn¡¯t protrude much.¡± Jing Rong¡¯s exnations couldn¡¯t be clearer than that, but most of the credit fell on Ji Yunshu and her letter. Jing Yi¡¯s gaze became dispirited. With a wave of his sleeve, he spat, ¡°Impossible!¡± A final struggle! ¡°The suspect is still in the Ministry of Justice¡¯s prison. If Prince Yi has any doubts, please feel free to send people to examine him. Only then will you know that I am speaking the truth,¡± suggested Jing Rong. Right at this instant, Jing Yi had an ashenplexion. Everything was clearly within his grasp, but why did it veer off to another direction midway? He was extremely unwilling and retorted to Jing Rong, ¡°Even if it is true that Gan Chuliang is a eunuch, it doesn¡¯t mean that he isn¡¯t the murderer. The evidence points at him. Perhaps, this can only be exined by him having an aplice or even numerous aplices.¡± ¡°Even if your supposition is correct, you didn¡¯t rify the whole truth surrounding the case and already went to report the case to imperial father. If I didn¡¯t point out the inconsistency in it, I¡¯m afraid that because of your hasty judgment to resolve the case, the true murderer would have remained atrge, free and beyond thew.¡± ¡°Urgh!¡± He didn¡¯t expect Jing Rong¡¯s counterattack to be this biting. Qi Zhen emperor¡¯s expression sank in an instant, and he looked at Jing Yi with anger and displeasure. The hand on his desk clenched into a fist. ¡°Jing Yi, if what Jing Rong said turns out to be the truth, you really overstepped your role.¡± ¡°Imperial Father¡­¡± ¡°Say no more!¡± Qi Zhen emperor waved his hand as his face revealed disappointment. Then, he ordered with an angry voice, ¡°For the time being, send people to investigate the authenticity of Jing Rong¡¯s words. Make sure to determine if that man is really castrated or not. If he is, I don¡¯t want you to meddle in this case any longer. Let Jing Rong investigate and quickly find the real murderer.¡± Jing Yi turned pale. He was enraged and fiercely red at Jing Rong. He didn¡¯t expect such a big misstep. He didn¡¯t get to eat the dish, but it was already empty. Thus, he had no other option but toply. ¡°Yes.¡± The emperor sighed. ¡°So early in the morning and our mood is already spoiled.¡± Hearing this, an old eunuch standing on the side stepped forward with deep concern. ¡°Your Majesty, the official memorials can be reviewedter. It¡¯s better to drink warm congee and rest a bit.¡± ¡°Hum¡­¡± The old eunuch immediately ordered someone to bring a bowl of warm congee. The emperor propped one of his hands on his desk and wearily rested his head on it. With his other hand, he waved at his sons. ¡°Everyone, withdraw.¡± Jing Rong and Jing Yi silently nodded and departed from Fuyang hall. When they came out, they walked the same road until they reached the entrance. Suddenly, Jing Yi blocked Jing Rong¡¯s way. ¡°You deliberately did it?¡± During the whole way, Jing Yi had held back from asking this question. ¡°How can you say so?¡± Jing Rong faintly asked. Jing Yi¡¯s expression turned unsightly. He restrained the fury within. ¡°When you stopped me at the pce gate, you didn¡¯t mention that Gan Chuliang was castrated. You obviously hoped that I would sessfully report this to Imperial Father, and then, you woulde in and trap me.¡± ¡®Are you being delusional?¡¯ Jing Rong coldly stared at him. ¡°Jing Yi, I have never thought about taking credit in front of Imperial Father. I also never thought of fighting with you. When we were at the pce gate, I already gave you the chance to turn back, but you were the one who insisted on meddling with this case.¡± ¡°As expected, I really underestimated you.¡± ¡°I still have something to say. I will not fight with you, but if you persist being this unbearing, leaving others with no leeway, I won¡¯t remain passive anymore.¡± Jing Rong warned his brother. Contrariwise, Jing Yi sneered. He hardened his tone, ¡°Right now, you¡¯re the one who is not giving the other leeway. You speak at any turn that you don¡¯t want to fight with me, but everything you do is clearly going against me. You are very clear that all the officials in the imperial court and numerous eyes are attentively watching us because they know in their hearts that the next ruler would either be you or me, but certainly not Jing Hua! If you want a fight, I will fight you to the end!¡± As Jing Yi¡¯s speech reached Jing Rong¡¯s eyes, the older prince flipped his sleeves and left. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Meanwhile, Ji Yunshu left the prison and returned to the Rong estate. Her heart was in turmoil, caught in a whirlpool of mixed emotions. As soon as she returned to the East courtyard, she saw Wei Yi sitting on the stone stairs holding a dazzling whitentern. Wei Yi suddenly raised his head, and the haze on his face vanished. He beamed toward Ji Yunshu with a foolishugh. ¡°Shu¡¯er!¡± It was obvious that he was incredibly happy from his tone. Ji Yunshu walked to him and slowly sat down. ¡°How did you know I returned?¡± ¡°Did you forget?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Wei Yi pointed at her ankle and said, ¡°The ankle chain I gave you¡­ I can hear the jingling bell on it from afar.¡± ¡®Wow! What sharp ears!¡¯ Ji Yunshu couldn¡¯t even hear the faint sound of that little bell, but from such distance, Wei Yi could hear it. His ears are as keen as those of a whale. Wei Yi continued to speak in a proud tone. ¡°Ifter you can¡¯t find your way home, don¡¯t be afraid because as long as I can hear that bell, I will absolutely find you.¡± Ji Yunshu smiled. ¡°Good! If one day I can¡¯t find my way back, you shalle find me.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Ji Yunshu looked at thentern in his hands and inquired, ¡°Why are you sitting here while holding thatntern?¡± He raised thentern in his hands and replied, ¡°I was worried that you couldn¡¯t return because it¡¯s very dark outside. That¡¯s why I thought of lighting antern, so you won¡¯t get lost on your way back.¡± These days, due to the missing girls case, she was overwhelmed with things to do to the point of losing her mind. Therefore, she didn¡¯t have much time to apany Wei Yi. What¡¯s more, by the time she returned to her residence, it was often veryte. Therefore, Wei Yi¡¯s behavior is forgivable. ¡°Fool¡­¡± Ji Yunshu affectionately stroked his head. Wei Yi let Ji Yunshu rub his head, pulling closer and resting his head on her shoulder. He giggled and asked, ¡°Shu¡¯er, are we always going to stay in the capital?¡± ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± Ji Yunshu nced at him. ¡°That¡¯s because ever since we came here, you are always busy. I can¡¯t follow you every day like before. The capital is very big; I can¡¯t recognize the road. Uncle Shu also doesn¡¯t let me go out. Shu¡¯er, I don¡¯t like it¡­ a little bit.¡± She felt incredibly sorry for him. ¡°Then, do you want to return to Jinjiang?¡± Wei Yi shook his head. Then, he rubbed his head on her shoulder several times before pulling on her hand while saying, ¡°Shu¡¯er, I don¡¯t want to go back to Jinjiang. I only want to be together with you. When mother was still alive, she said that Shu¡¯er is my wife in the future. We can be together forever, right?¡± Perhaps, Wei Yi had understood the real meaning behind his mother¡¯s words. One thing for sure, he retained that a wife is someone who will be with him forever. Ji Yunshu felt her throat constrict as her body trembled from too many emotions. ¡°Shu¡¯er?¡± Wei Yi called her. Ji Yunshu recovered her mind and she parted her lips to reply to him. ¡°Wei Yi, I promised your parents that I will always take care of you. Rest assured that I will certainly be with you.¡± ¡°Hum!¡± Wei Yi was extremely happy. They then nestled together in harmony. Chapter 173: A Military Strategist Chapter 173: A Military Strategist After leaving the pce, Jing Rong returned to his residence and without resting, he went straight to the East Courtyard. However, he had yet to reach his destination when he caught sight of Wei Yi leaning on Ji Yunshu¡¯s shoulder while chatting andughing with her. Lang Po, next to him, glimpsed at his expression. The loyal subordinate inwardly sighed. ¡®Poor Prince! He has to watch his beloved woman happily chatting with another man and could still endure the jealousy and displeasure eating at his heart.¡¯ After contemting the problem for a moment, Lang Po whispered, ¡°Your Highness, are you going to enter?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a moment.¡± His tone didn¡¯t conceal the pain in his heart. Lang Po retreated to his side and quietly apanied his master, as he stood outside the entrance for several minutes until that fellow, Wei Yi, stopped leaning on Ji Yunshu and went inside the house with thentern. Only then, did Jing Rong step forward and strode into the courtyard under Ji Yunshu¡¯s eyes. Her sight fell onto his wet shoulders. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Jing Rong was already in front of her. ¡°Did you stand outside for a long time?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Ji Yunshu stretched her hand and pointed to his shoulders where small plum blossom petals fell on him. ¡°It didn¡¯t rain today, but the plum trees are gorged with dew, and a small breeze would send the flowers petals flying. Your Highness¡¯ shoulders are wet and have many petals on them. This could only happen if you stood outside for a moment.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hide anything from you.¡± Ji Yunshu smiled, then she turned around and went inside, followed by Jing Rong. Inside the house, Wei Yi was partially lying on the table while holding Ji Yunshu¡¯s brush. He was concentrated on drawing on thentern. In fact, he was drawing plum blossoms which were the first thing Ji Yunshu taught him, but despite his best efforts, the painting looked more like chopsticks. Then, he lifted his head and saw Jing Ronging in behind Ji Yunshu. Immediately, he pouted and whined with an unhappy voice, ¡°I don¡¯t like you!¡± Jing Rong felt exasperated at the remark. ¡°Loathsome guy, when did I offend you?¡± asked Jing Rong. Wei Yi snorted. ¡°I just don¡¯t like you. Last time, you yelled at those big sisters and let Shu¡¯er got hurt.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Unexpectedly, Jing Rong was rendered speechless. Something is wrong. He obviously got injured from saving Ji Yunshu, wasn¡¯t it? After thinking a bit, Jing Rong suddenly smirked. ¡°Wei Yi, do you want to eat tanghulu?¡± ¡®Tanghulu!¡¯ After hearing that word, Wei Yi immediately became excited and shouted happily, ¡°I want!¡± Thus, Jing Rong called Lang Po. After a moment, Lang Po arrived. The prince instructed Lang Po, ¡°Bring Young Master Wei out to eat tanghulu.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Are you deaf?¡± Lang Po¡¯splexion became unwell. He shook his head and dragged Wei Yi who was filled with happiness to buy tanghulu. ¡®Loathsome guy, you were easily bribed by tanghulu.¡¯ Jing Rong had a smug look on his face. As for Ji Yunshu, the corner of her mouth kept twitching at the scene. She reminded Wei Yi, ¡°Don¡¯t eat too much sugar or your teeth will decay. Your Highness isn¡¯t afraid that he will find youter if he gets a toothache?¡± ¡°I fear nothing. This Prince will invite the best doctor for him.¡± Ji Yunshu was dumbstruck. Seeing that she was speechless, he inwardlyughed, but his outward appearance remained serious as he took two steps closer to Ji Yunshu. His actions pressured her as her heart gave birth to a vague premonition. She hurriedly back away. ¡°Why are you nervous?¡± asked Jing Rong. ¡°No, I am not.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. This Prince just wants to ask you about Gan Chuliang.¡± Jing Rong went into the main topic. Ji Yunshu almost thought he wanted to¡­ y rogue again. She let out a sigh of relief and started talking, ¡°About that, didn¡¯t I already write everything in the letter?¡± ¡°Everything was clear, but how can you be so certain that Gan Chuliang isn¡¯t the murderer? Is it because he was castrated?¡± Ji Yunshu walked to the table and picked up thentern left behind by Wei Yi. Then, she took the writing brush and slowly corrected his painting while exining to Jing Rong, ¡°A person who was castrated long ago cannot possibly rape anyone. That¡¯s one point. The second point, a perverted serial killer would certainly have extreme behavior that followed a rule or a pattern. Since he recognized that all of his victims had their faces peeled and their hands chopped, it meant that those actions are a pattern. Because it is a pattern, there was no reason for him to not remember clearly if he skinned the face or chopped the hands first. These two points are enough to determine that he was lying. Therefore, the murderer is absolutely not him. At most, he was the transporter, the aplice helping the murderer to smuggle the corpses and handling them.¡± ¡°Then, why does he want to lie about it? He clearly knows that he will die if he was convicted.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a possibility that he did it to protect someone.¡± Her tone gradually became heavy. She still continued, ¡°At first, I want to go to Auspicious Prosperity to find Mei Xiang¡¯er. Perhaps, she might know something about it, and with chance, we might be able to find another clue leading to the murderer. Unfortunately, the restaurant has been sealed, and no one knew where she lived. The Governor already dispatched runners to investigate this matter. It won¡¯t be long until we get some news.¡± ¡°Actually, I still have another way.¡± Jing Rong dered. Ji Yunshu looked at him oddly before inquiring, ¡°What other way?¡± ¡°If your conjecture is correct, the real murderer will not let the Ruan family¡¯s young miss off the hook. There¡¯s a possibility that he will act again.¡± ¡°From your Highness¡¯ tone, it seems like you already made some arrangements.¡± ¡°I already ordered people to continue keeping an eye on Miss Ruan. I hope that the murderer will show himself,¡± stated Jing Rong. ¡°Your Highness is very clever.¡± Ji Yunshu rarely praised him. ¡®It¡¯s true that this man is intelligent.¡¯ Jing Rong was overjoyed from herpliment. In fact, at an early time, Ji Yunshu had coordinated with the capital governor to continue protecting Miss Ruan to prevent the murderer from harming her. Ji Yunshu continued to paint thentern and altered the chopstick-like branches into lifelike plum branches. Jing Rong frowned and went to her side. He asked her, ¡°The man you sent before told me that if I can stop Prince Yi, there was no need to give me that letter. In case of failure, the letter was to be given and I would enter the pce with Prince Yi like it happened. Are those the ns you thought of?¡± ¡°In your heart, aren¡¯t you already clear about the way I do things?¡± ¡°I want to hear it from you.¡± ¡®How overbearing!¡¯ Ji Yunshu muttered to herself for a moment before she opened her mouth with calm eyes. ¡°This time, Prince Yi was able to be one step ahead of the governor which led to Gan Chuliang¡¯s capture. This showed that this wasn¡¯t a coincidence. For him to prepare a confession document to report to the emperor, it means that his only purpose was to make you fail from investigating the Lin Capital case. ording to the nature of this kind of scheming person, he will press you on a dead road without a doubt. At that time, I thought that if your Highness can stop him without a hitch, it will show that Prince Yi still has a bit of conscience. If this wasn¡¯t the case, there was no need to be polite. Your Highness will receive the letter and discredit him in front of the emperor and let him suffer a crushing defeat. This can also be considered giving him a lesson.¡± ¡®Is this woman really a mere painter and coroner?¡¯ Jing Rong became bbergasted. ¡®This woman should have been born a man, donned an armor and rushed to the battlefield as a military strategist!¡¯ Chapter 174: The Influence of the Ji Family Reaches Far and Wide Chapter 174: The Influence of the Ji Family Reaches Far and Wide ¡°If you were a man, everyone would fight over you to wee you to their house as a guest.¡± ¡°A guest?¡± Jing Rong nodded. ¡°With your intelligence, not only can you deal with dead people, you also have strategies meant for the living. Of course, this is a matter that everyone would want to fight over you for.¡± ¡°What about your Highness?¡± Ji Yunshu stared at him. Her eyes were pensive as she asked him, ¡°Does your Highness desire to receive me as an honorable guest and help you climb thedder?¡± ¡®Climb thedder?¡¯ When Jing Rong heard these words, he wryly smiled. ¡°I am not Jing Yi.¡± Unlike Jing Yi, he didn¡¯t want to involve himself in the court fight, not to the point where either the opponent died or he died! He didn¡¯t want the situation to ultimately turn into one where both he and his opponent would be harmed. Ji Yunshu smiled, but she said nothing. Under her hands, the painting on thentern wasplete. On the white paper covering thentern, the red color glowed as each dot had bloomed into resplendent plum blossoms with pinkish gradient petals on the branches with everything intecing with each other. ¡®How beautiful!¡¯ She took thentern with her as she left the room and carefully hung it on a bamboo pole at the corner of the house. Then, she admired it for a moment before lowering her gaze and spoke in a faint voice, ¡°Sometimes, there are too many matters that I can¡¯t do anything about. The heavens have arranged a road for me, and even if I do everything to detour it, I will still end up treading on that road regardless of my thoughts and my will.¡± After listening to her words, Jing Rong stayed quiet. Ji Yunshu turned around and fixed her gaze on Jing Rong before adding, ¡°Your Highness, the moment you were born, you were destined to be caught in this whirlpool of bloody fights. Even if you do not wish for it, you will still end up caught in schemes. The fight for the crown prince¡¯s position has always been an inevitable matter.¡± Eh! ¡°Therefore, you feel that I might be simr to Jing Yi one day?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± She swiftly replied. She truly didn¡¯t know, but she knows that as a prince, his life would never be a sea without waves. Once again, she turned her back to him, and under the eaves, she raised her head to look at thentern she hung. Jing Rong silently stepped forward and wordlessly stood beside her. During this moment of serenity, none of them had the intention to spoil it. However, far away in Concubine Xiao¡¯s residence, an upsurge of turmoil rose! Crash! A teacup shattered loudly on the floor. Concubine Xiao was overwhelmed by fury. Her expression was terribly ferocious as she red at the broken chinaware on the floor. On the side, Jing Yi was seated in a calm manner. ¡°It was out of my expectations. Jing Rong¡¯s strategy had reversed the situation in an instant.¡± She spoke with extreme anger. Jing Yi nced at his mother. He was also angry, but his anger burned steadily, only betrayed by the clenched fists hidden under his sleeves. ¡°Imperial Mother, since the situation is like this, don¡¯t let the anger harm your body.¡± ¡°How can I not be angry?! With this matter, Jing Rong is on the rise! From now on, his words will have more weight in front of the emperor. Whereas, your influence will be smaller.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you overthinking? In the end, this is only a case. Imperial Father will unlikely favor him with just that. However, this matter made me wonder. When the Ministry of Justice interrogated Gan Chuliang, I was at the scene, and it was impossible for Jing Rong to drill into any gap.¡± Jing Yi was vexed. Concubine Xiao¡¯s powdered face twisted into contempt. ¡°Let¡¯s not guess at how he did it. In the end, he is only a bastard with ackluster maternal n.¡± Every time Concubine Xiao thought of Jing Rong¡¯s birth mother, she could only grit her teeth in anger! Long ago, Concubine Xiao and Jing Rong¡¯s mother, Concubine Zhao, entered the pce together. However, due to Concubine Zhao¡¯s foxy charm, she had captivated the emperor who fell head over heel for her. Unfortunately, she attempted to poison and harm the unborn child of Empress Xuanshu. Her punishment was her exile into the cold pce where she ultimately hung herself with a white silk, unable to endure the passing years slipping away in such ce. Concubine Xiao was full of hatred. She hated how her status couldn¡¯t equal to the deceased Empress Xuanshu and the deceased Concubine Zhao despite being the most favored one in the harem. Those women were thorns; deeply embedded thorns in her bone that made her suffer all day long! Jing Yi got up and lowered his head with solemnity. ¡°Son knows that imperial mother does everything for my own good. However, please be assured that I know what I must do.¡± ¡°Ah? Let me hear what you have to say!¡± ¡°Even if Jing Rong resolves the missing girls case, it only allows him to unseal the coffin to investigate the Imperial Duke case. If there was an ident in the meantime, he cannot shoulder the responsibility. Besides, the case is 14 years old. The investigation will absolutely not be easy.¡± Jing Yi squinted his eyes which coldly glinted. Concubine Xiao took into consideration her son¡¯s words. Then, she lightly sighed. ¡°If it was before, I would not believe in his sess. However, he now has that Teacher Ji. I already met him and had sent out an olive branch, but he gave me no agreement nor a rejection. I even went as far as probing him, but in the end, he neither chose Prince Rong nor us. His reply was to not choose anyone. This man¡¯s mind is truly elusive.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something that I want to inform you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Jing Yi lifted his eyes and stated, ¡°That Teacher Ji is, in fact, the concubine born daughter of Ji Shuhan, the head of the Ji family in Jinjiang.¡± ¡°What?¡± Concubine Xiao was greatly shocked. Ji Shuhan wasn¡¯t a well-known person, but his two sons, Ji Li and Ji Huan, were famous in the capital. Concubine Xiao frowned at the inconceivable news. ¡°He is Ji Shuhan¡¯s daughter? In other words, she is a woman?¡± ¡®Oh heavens!¡¯ Then, she recalled her encounter with Ji Yunshu. ¡®That person wore a silk gown and had the bearing of a refined schr with a soft tone.¡¯ She should have guessed the other¡¯s gender earlier. Jing Yi continued, ¡°Son also investigated her background and found that Miss Ji has been expelled from the Ji family. Thus, she can only follow Jing Rong to the capital and help him with the Lin Capital case.¡± ¡°She was expelled from her family? Why?¡± Concubine Xiao questioned. ¡°Imperial mother must have heard that Ji Li and Ji Huan had recently departed from the capital and returned to Jinjiang. The reason being a session of death in their family, starting with their brothermitting suicide in prison and their grandmother, Old Madame Ji, passing away from illness.¡± He paused a bit before adding, ¡°The root of this series of misfortunes were attributed to Miss Ji.¡± Concubine Xiao was in a daze from hearing all of this. ¡°I have heard about the Ji family mourning, but is it all rted to Miss Ji?¡± Jing Yi nodded and rted in detail everything pertaining to the story for his mother. After listening to her son, Concubine Xiao¡¯s expression became incredibly tranquil. After she mulled over it for a long while, she got up and slowly walked forward while frowning. She spoke out her analysis, ¡°As expected, every single member of the Ji family is a difficult character. That Old Madame Ji was respected by the previous emperor. During the time Ji Shuhan was in office, the emperor also thought highly of him. Now, his two sons are sessful with one being Army Supervisor Yi¡¯s left secretary and the other being personally granted the title ¡®Chang Lin General.¡¯ In addition, The position of crown prince¡¯s consort has been granted to the Ji family¡¯s main daughter by Empress Xuanshu when she was alive. And now, there¡¯s Ji Yunshu that appeared. The Ji family¡¯s hand really reached far and wide. There¡¯s one at the crown prince¡¯s side and another at Jing Rong¡¯s side.¡± She was more unreconciled than jealous. Jing Yi didn¡¯t say a word. As for Concubine Xiao, her eyes glinted with an ominous light. She snorted. ¡°Since that Miss Ji cannot be used, then she cannot remain here!¡± Chapter 175: A Hand Riddled With Disease Chapter 175: A Hand Riddled With Disease Not long after, the governor sent people to the Rong estate. There was a new lead ¨C Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s home was situated in the southern part of the capital. The runner handed over a slip of paper with her address written on it. Since anything rted to the missing girls case was extremely urgent, Ji Yunshu grabbed the paper and said to Jing Rong, ¡°I¡¯m going to go find Mei Xiang¡¯er.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°No need. Your Highness should avoid leaving your residence for the time being. We want to avoid Prince Yi from being a step ahead when the murderer goes after Miss Ruan again.¡± Jing Rong considered a bit and nodded. Since Lang Po was buying some tanghulu with Wei Yi outside, Jing Rong called two lowly imperial guards to apany Ji Yunshu to a trip to the southern part of the capital. When Ji Yunshu reached her destination, her sight took in the sogon grass growing outside. Wooden racks were ced outside and there were piles of dried vegetables and dried chili on them. There were even somemon medicinal herbs amongst the pile. Although the courtyard was simple and crude, it was clean and still surrounded by a fence made of bamboo. One of the imperial guards stepped forward and knocked on the dpidated wooden door. One time, two times, three times¡­ But there was no response! ¡°Could it be that there is no one home?¡± The imperial guard surmised. Ji Yunshu observed the interior of the house. ¡°There is someone inside.¡± ¡°There is?¡± The imperial guard was skeptical. ¡°I see some light in the house, so someone should be there.¡± Through the thin white paper covering the broken window, a red glimmer could be seen flickering. Suddenly, the imperial guard came over and heavily knocked on the door that was on the verge of falling apart. There was a burst of sounds and finally, the door creaked open. Then, a head popped out from behind, in search of the source of the knocking. Gradually, a thin silhouette slowly emerged from behind the door. Mei Xiang¡¯er drooped her head and was a bit rmed when she saw there was someone unknown outside of her house. Her hands were tightly rubbing against each other as she cautiously stepped forward. The weak girl¡¯s cowardice was obvious to the eyes. As she slowly opened the door wider, she caught sight of Ji Yunshu. ¡°Gentleman? It¡¯s you?¡± The corner of her mouth slightly rose with a burst of happiness. Ji Yunshu politely spoke to her. ¡°Miss Mei, I am sorry if I have inconvenienced you with this sudden visit.¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er shook her head. ¡°Not at all. You didn¡¯t disturb me. In fact, Gentleman can call me Xiang¡¯er.¡± Ji Yunshu pursed her lips into a slight smile. ¡°Miss Xiang¡¯er, I came today for a matter ¨C I would like to ask you some questions.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Is it inconvenient?¡± ¡°No, no such thing! Pleasee in.¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er retreated two steps to allow Ji Yunshu to enter. Ji Yunshu instructed the imperial guards before going inside. ¡°You two stay here and guard the ce.¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± Ji Yunshu followed Mei Xiang¡¯er and came into a room of medium size. The room was very clean and well organized, furnished with all the basics. They both sat down at the table and Mei Xiang¡¯er poured a cup of water for Ji Yunshu. ¡°Gentleman, please drink some water.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Ji Yunshu looked at the water in the cup, but her sight couldn¡¯t help but trail towards Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s neck. Since the young woman didn¡¯t wear a cloak, the terrifying dark red scar was exposed for all to see. Noticing Ji Yunshu¡¯s gaze, Mei Xiang¡¯er pulled her cor tighter and lowered her head. In a small voice, she asked, ¡°For what matter does Gentleman need to find me for?¡± With the other initiating the conversation, Ji Yunshu also didn¡¯t beat around the bush. ¡°It¡¯s like this. I won¡¯t hide from you. I came to find you in regards to the missing girls case. You must have heard that the murderer is Auspicious Prosperity¡¯s cook, Gan Chuliang, right?¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er didn¡¯t show any surprise. Rather, she timidly nodded her head. ¡°I heard about it. The restaurant was also cordoned off due to this affair. I remembered that when I heard about it, I felt a chill spreading from my head to toe. I didn¡¯t expect that he would dare to kill people and¡­¡± She didn¡¯t finish her sentence as nausea overwhelmed her. ¡°Then, are you familiar with him?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know him much. Although my father and I sang at the restaurant for a long time, we are not familiar with each other.¡± She replied in earnest and didn¡¯t seem like she would lie. So, she shouldn¡¯t know that Gan Chuliang liked her. Seeing that Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression sank, Mei Xiang¡¯er inquired, ¡°Anyway, why are you suddenly asking me all of these questions?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Ji Yunshu answered. Right at this instant, someone¡¯s coughing fits was hearding from the backyard. Then, following the sound, the old man who yed the erhu at the restaurant came in. In one hand, he was holding a bag with a rotten fish inside while using a crude crutch with the other. ¡°Dad!¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er called. She got up and weed her father. She took the items he had been holding and put it on the table. Ji Yunshu also got up in a hurry and nodded at the old man. ¡°Senior.¡± ¡°You are?¡± The old man observed Ji Yunshu in bafflement. Mei Xiang¡¯er rushed to reply. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t you remember the gentleman who tipped us to sing ¡®The Caged Woman¡¯? Well, that¡¯s him!¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually that kind gentleman. Xiang¡¯er, go and quickly cook a few side dishes for this respectable guest. We need to properly receive him.¡± The old man had a benevolent countenance and his expression showed only gratitude. ¡°Sure, Daughter will do so.¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er agreed with him. Ji Yunshu hurriedly said, ¡°Miss Xiang¡¯er, there is no need for that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er thought of something and looked at the courtyard before adding, ¡°The two gentlemen must have been standing outside for quite a while now. They might be thirsty, so I¡¯ll go invite them inside.¡± After saying so, she took a teapot and two cups and left. ¡®How cordial of her!¡¯ Ji Yunshu was helpless in front of her enthusiasm. She wanted to chase after Mei Xiang¡¯er, but the old man suddenly coughed, to the point that his body shook. She paused and went to help him. She used both her hands to support his arm, but when she used some strength, her palms felt his bone and this startled her greatly. She had examined many skeletons and opened countless coffins. Therefore, the sixth sense that came with her experience wasn¡¯t something to scoff at. The characteristic she felt from the bone structure of this seemingly man in histe fifties, was very simr to that of a man in his thirties. However, it was an arm riddled with illness! Considering the severity of it, he might not be able to pull a chair. An odd feeling surged from Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart. She helped the old man to sit down, but her heart felt uneasy. After he took a seat, she said, ¡°Elder, please take a rest. I¡¯ll go first.¡± The old man couldn¡¯t hold her back in time; Ji Yunshu had already left the room in haste. It wasn¡¯t early anymore as the sky was getting darker. When she came out, she didn¡¯t see the shadows of two guards. A frightening feeling crept up, causing her to be more rmed. Suddenly, she heard the whistling of the wind, a nose picked up a faint scent of perfume. The scent was incredibly familiar. Without giving her a chance to turn back, her mouth and nose were suddenly covered. ¡°Ah!¡± She struggled, to no avail. Soon, her mind got foggy and everything spun. Her eyes widened, but her vision gradually became unclear. Finally, she fainted, but thest thing she heard was a buzzing sound. She didn¡¯t know how long she had been unconsciousness for, but when she awoke, her eyes were blindfolded and her body tied to a chair, firmly maintained in ce behind her back. Her surroundings were very quiet. She wrinkled her nose and smelt the faint fragrance of wood paint, rotten corpse and blood. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s voice rang in the quiet room. Chapter 176: We Are Not the Same! Ji Yunshu wanted to move, but she was unable to free herself due to the restrain bounding her too firmly to the chair. ¡°It¡¯s no use, so don¡¯t struggle. It will only be tighter if you continue.¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s voice seemed to being from around two meters in front of her. The air around her was cold and humid, seeping into her body. Furthermore, there was a scent of wood paint mixed with the stench of rotten corpse and blood which let her guessed her whereabouts. She stopped struggling and raised her chin ahead. She simply asked, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why? What do you think?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er smiled strangely. Then, the rapping of ironware could be heard. The sound started from afar and grew louder as it came nearer. Ji Yunshu became aware of a cold sensation pressing on her face. She was patted twice by that object. Then, it slowly poked her half-mask. Mei Xiang¡¯er called her. ¡°Miss Ji.¡± ¡®Huh?!¡¯ Ji Yunshu was stupefied. ¡°You already knew?¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er bent down until she was next to Ji Yunshu¡¯s ear and spoke in a dreary tone, ¡°In fact, I already knew you were a woman from the first time I saw you. Miss Ji, you are unlike the rest because you don¡¯t look down on me. Your kindness truly moves me!¡± After she was done speaking, she grabbed Ji Yunshu¡¯s blindfold and threw it away. Inside this enclosed ce, the damp air was pervaded by a strong stench of decay and blood which assaulted Ji Yunshu¡¯s senses, making her unable to adjust herself despite the recovery of her vision. She had to blink several times before she could get used to it. Yet, when her eyes saw everything, it left her with a suffocating feeling. Within the dimly lit wooden room, the only source of light was an oilmp, but it was enough to illuminate the surroundings. Theyout of the room was very simple and the size of it made it possible to see everything at one nce. Two big wooden nks, stained by dripping blood from leftover ground meat and sawdust, were ced in the middle of the room along with a sharp butcher knife. In a corner of the room, more than five meters away, there were two bodies piled up and still dripping with blood. Both of their hands were chopped off and their faces were peeled off. They were the two imperial guards that came with her! Urgh! Dead bodies weren¡¯t a strange urrence for her, but this very sight in front of her mmed into her mind like the overturn of seas and rivers without warning. In an instant, nausea rushed forth from the pit of her stomach, causing her to tightly frown as she retched twice. Seeing Ji Yunshu¡¯s poor appearance, Mei Xiang¡¯er bit her lips in a nefarious manner. She looked at the sharp dagger in her hand and stroked the edge of the de with her long fingers. ¡®Is this woman really the timid Mei Xiang¡¯er I met in the restaurant? This woman is simply a lunatic!¡¯ ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, Miss Ji. Rest assured. I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± ¡°W-what exactly do you want?¡± Ji Yunshu lifted her head and looked at the other party. Herplexion was still pale. Mei Xiang¡¯er walked to one of the big nks. She poked the remained flesh on it with her dagger, then she leaned her head to the side with an inquiry. ¡°I don¡¯t know if Miss Ji would be interested in hearing my story?¡± Ji Yunshu kept quiet. She endured the painful feeling in her throat. Mei Xiang¡¯er smiled, then, her dreary voice elevated. She pulled down the cor hiding her neck, revealing the sinister dark red scar. ¡°This scar¡­ was made after someone skinned me alive. Then that person pressed fire on it, leaving behind an extremely terrifying scar. Because of this scar, my livelihood for the past ten years was tremendously difficult. I received cold shoulders, disdain, and endless ridicule! But I have to endure and endure¡­¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t speak. ¡°So, do you want to know who skinned my neck?¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er had always kept a smile on her face since the beginning of their interaction. But when she stroked the scar, a malevolent glint shed through her eyes. She opened her mouth and slowly disclosed. ¡°It was my mother. She was the one who skinned me alive.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ Ji Yunshu was indignant! She didn¡¯t mishear, right? ¡°You must be thinking, how can such a mother exist in this world? Well, it is real! Because my mother heard people said that only a woman¡¯s skin can help her son bes a normal person!¡± Ji Yunshu digested the other person¡¯s words and she came to a realization. She asked, ¡°That means that person is not your father, but your big brother?¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er nodded. ¡°How did you know?¡± Ji Yunshu lowered her eyes and slowly revealed, ¡°Depending on the developmental stage of a person, their bones are different. Although he appeared like an old man on the outside, his bones are fundamentally unlike those of an elderly. They are strong and more flexible. Not to mention, the indent that was less than 5 centimeters long on his hands had nothing to do with disease from old age. ¡°Really amazing! No wonder they allowed you to investigate this case.¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er apuded and admitted, ¡°Indeed, he is not my father, but my big brother!¡± Ji Yunshu firmly stared at her, waiting for her to continue. ¡°He was born with a disease which made his skin all wrinkled like an old man. Everyone around him treated him like a monster. Then, my mother heard someone says that if one applied a woman¡¯s skin on my brother, it will turn his skin back to normal. So, she first peeled off the skin on my chest. Next, she skinned my neck. But it was no use! So, she started using the skin of women¡¯s faces instead.¡± ¡°That treatment isplete nonsense!¡± ¡°Is it?¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er sneered. ¡°Even if it was a joke, my mother still believed in it, and she stubbornly clung onto it until herst breath. However, I didn¡¯t believe it! That is until two months ago when I first killed a woman who humiliated me. I also let my brother teach her a lesson. Let her taste the shame of losing her chastity! However, I never expected that there were real miracles in this world!¡± ¡°I put that woman¡¯s skin on my brother¡¯s hand, and lo and behold! It actually worked! The treatment really works!¡± ¡°Is that the reason why you killed all of them?¡± ¡°Yes! But that¡¯s only half of the reason!¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er raised her hand and inserted the dagger in the nk. When she came behind Ji Yunshu, she put her hands on Ji Yunshu¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Those women deserved to die! Since they were born, they could have whatever they wanted, nevercking anything. However, it doesn¡¯t mean that they can do whatever they want. Why can they be like that? Why?!¡± She gritted her teeth and bellowed at the end of her monologue. Ji Yunshu felt the tightening of her throat. She raised her head; Her eyes unwavering and firm as she dered, ¡°You will have to pay the price for murdering people. Someone will very quickly find this ce and drag you two to justice.¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s expression sank. ¡°Miss Ji, I know you want to resolve this case. That idiot, Gan Chuliang, wished to take the me for me and willingly helped me dispose of those bodies. In addition, he has already confessed to the crime. Since it is such, why do you still want to continue investigating this case? We are the same, both very unfortunate people. So, why can¡¯t you just let me go?¡± ¡°We are not the same!¡± As soon as those words came out, the mask on her face was flung away. Falling onto the floor, it revealed the long scar hidden beneath. Chapter 177: Sea of Flames That scar on Ji Yunshu¡¯s face made Mei Xiang¡¯er feel that they were both alike. She madly screamed. ¡°We are the same!¡± Her voice was one close to madness, on the edge of insanity. In a split second, her expression became ferocious. She leaned over, sticking close to Ji Yunshu¡¯s ear and said, ¡°Look at you! Look at the scar on your face. Look at my scars. Look at my brother. We are the same! Fate has brought us all together.¡± ¡°Mei Xiang¡¯er, don¡¯t continue to repeat the same mistakes again. Turn back before it is toote.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already toote!¡± Her yell seemed like it was squeezed out in one breath and her mental state was incredibly excited. From behind Ji Yunshu, she grabbed the other jaw and continued, ¡°As long as you agree not to continue investigating this case, I may help you¡­ help you find a pretty face that you can change your face with. How about it? Isn¡¯t that a good deal? Agree with me!¡± Although her jaw was gripped until it was red, Ji Yunshu remained stubborn. In a hoarse voice, she asked the other woman, ¡°Mei Xiang¡¯er, do you know why your mother peeled off your skin, but she didn¡¯t do so to other people?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because in her heart, there was still a tiny bit of conscience. She would rather have her daughter hate her forever, prefer her to be sad and grieving for a lifetime, than to skin other people and cause their parents to grieve instead. In the end, she could only let regret and belief torment her until herst breath. However, she never expected that her mistake would cause you to err on the road she didn¡¯t want to tread on ¨C a sinner with blood-soaked hands.¡± ¡°I am not! Shut up!¡± Mei Xiang¡¯er put more strength in her grip and lifted Ji Yunshu¡¯s face higher. ¡°You¡¯re speaking nonsense! From the start, my mother wanted to peel other peoples skin to give to my brother, but she didn¡¯t dare to do so. Fine! Since she didn¡¯t dare, I was only aplishing herst wish. I am helping her and my brother! I will turn my brother into a normal person.¡± ¡°Mei Xiang¡¯er, don¡¯t lie to yourself! There is no such treatment in this world that can turn someone back to normal by exchanging their skin!¡± ¡®This isn¡¯t the modern world where skin grafts exist!¡¯ However, Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s expression showed distrust. She swung her hand and roughly handled Ji Yunshu¡¯s jaw. ¡°Miss Ji, you don¡¯t need to trouble yourself. I know you meant to advise me, but I have no need for such advice.¡± When she spoke, she walked to the table and picked up the oilmp before going back to Ji Yunshu. Under themp¡¯s light, Ji Yunshu¡¯s scar seemed as if it was molded by wax. Mei Xiang¡¯er revealed a regretful expression. ¡°That face¡­ How beautiful! Not many women in this world can reach your beauty. Yet, that scar ruined you. Why do the Heavens want to treat us that way? Why turn us into blemished, inferior beings that cannot lift their heads forever?!¡± Ji Yunshu knew that this girl was beyond redemption! Right at this moment, the sounds of horse¡¯s hooves and disciplined footsteps were suddenly heard from above. ¡®This ce is actually a basement. It¡¯s really well hidden!¡¯ Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s expression became tense as she lifted her head, looking at the ceiling. It seemed as if she knew what was going on above. Then, a creaking sound was heard and a small wooden board was removed, revealing a small hole, through which a lot of movements were heard. ¡°Xiang¡¯er, those people have surrounded the courtyard.¡± The voice belonged to Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s brother. Mei Xiang¡¯er was calm and simply smiled, then talked through the small hole in the ceiling. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t be afraid! No matter what happens, we will be together.¡± ¡°Yes, we will certainly be together.¡± It was extremely strange and creepy. Soon after, the small hole was covered again. ¡®Are the people outside lead by Jing Rong?¡¯ Ji Yunshu struggled a few times, but she could not free herself. She felt pressed to speak to her captor. ¡°Surrender! You can¡¯t escape!¡± However, Mei Xiang¡¯er remained calm. She picked up a cloth, crumpled it into a ball and stuffed it into Ji Yunshu¡¯s mouth. ¡°Hmph!¡± Ji Yunshu shook her head, but her body could not put up a fight. Mei Xiang¡¯er slowly retreated. A faint smile blossomed on her lips, shining under the oilmp in her hands. It was iparably splendid. ¡°Miss Ji, let the Heavens decide. Let¡¯s see if they want you to survive or die.¡± ¡°Hmph?¡± Ji Yunshu widened her reddened eyes as she watched Mei Xiang¡¯er climb up adder, open the trap above and leave the sickening basement. It didn¡¯t take much time before something being toppled was heard along with footsteps and cacophonous sounds. Not long after, Ji Yunshu¡¯s sharp nose smelt the faint scent of smoke. Then, she saw white smokeing overhead, gradually filling the basement. As time passed, she heard sounds of copse and the white smoke gradually turned ck. Despite the pitch-ck darkness covering the basement, Ji Yunshu was aware that she was surrounded by smoke and the dpidated house was engulfed in a sea of mes. As for Mei Xiang¡¯er and her brother, they had already embraced death, so they could be together forever. As the smoke rolled inside the basement, Ji Yunshu suffocated on it. She felt as if someone was strangling her. It was extremely ufortable. Because her mouth was still stuffed with the ball of cloth, she could not shout no matter how much she struggled. The rope tying her became tighter the more she tried to free herself. ¡°Wuuuh! Omph!¡± Her eyes were tightly shut as the smoke badly stung her eyes. The feeling of suffocation spread from her nose to her throat each passing moment. Her consciousness was gradually slipping away. After an indeterminate time, more and more footsteps could be heard above her. It seemed as if there was someone or many people yelling, running and moving things. ¡°Shu¡¯er!¡± It was Wei Yi¡¯s voice. ¡°Yunshu!¡± Jing Rong was also there. Ji Yunshu heard them and their voice resounded clearly in her ears. ¡°Wuuh¡­¡± She could not reply to them. ¡°Shu¡¯er! Where are you? Shu¡¯er?¡± Wei Yi¡¯s voice continued to echo. ¡®Is that fool Wei Yi madly searching for me in this fire?¡¯ Suddenly, a memory shed through Ji Yunshu¡¯s foggy brain. ¡®I only need to hear the bell sound and I can find you.¡¯ ¡®I only need to hear the bell sound and I can find you.¡¯ ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. ¡®That¡¯s right! Wei Yi once said that he can find me with the sound of the bell.¡¯ Ji Yunshu poured all her strength to shake her leg and make the bell on her ankle jingle. Once! Twice! Thrice! She fought for her survival until all her strength was exhausted. She struggled despite how suffocating it was to breathe. She did not relent until her consciousness was no longer aware of the passage of time. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Time passed, she was roused by a pain on her face. She opened her eyes and found herself lying on an antiquated bed. She heavily lifted her hand and was about to touch the painful region on her face, but someone grabbed her wrist midway and put it back under the quilt. ¡°Does it hurt a lot? Of course, it should hurt! If I waste by a few minutes, your face would be a lost cause.¡± The voice was unfamiliar to her. She looked to the side and vaguely see a man standing at her bedside. ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± ¡°Mo Ruo!¡± His voice was very pleasant to the ears. Chapter 178: An Ancestral Prescription That Cannot Be Given Casually Chapter 178: An Ancestral Prescription That Cannot Be Given Casually ¡®Mo Ruo? Who is that?¡¯ Ji Yunshu frowned. That very action caused the pain on her face to rpse again. Once more, she raised her hand to touch her face. However, the next instant, Mo Ruo grabbed it and pulled it back to her side. ¡°It will definitely hurt, but you absolutely must not touch it. The medicine on your face is something that money can¡¯t buy. It¡¯s a priceless treasure!¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an ancestral prescription that cannot be given away so casually.¡± His face showed a proud face. Ji Yunshu bit her lips from the pain. Her head still felt dizzy, but she still asked, ¡°How long did I sleep?¡± Mo Ruo flippantly replied, ¡°Not for too long. It was just a day!¡± ¡®A whole day? This long?! Even a person on general anesthesia would be awake already!¡¯ She propped her body and tried to get up while continuing to ask. ¡°Who are you in the end? I¡­ can¡¯t stay here¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t her sentence as Mo Ruo interrupted her. ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Suddenly, Mo Ruo leaned over and it was as if her eyes zoomed in on his romantic face. Ji Yunshu could finally see his charming face clearly. He had a constipated face and his eyebrows kept moving up and down several times. Seeing his expression, Ji Yunshu instinctively pulled away from the proximity of his face. The corner of Mo Ruo¡¯s lips curled up, then he gripped her pointy chin before saying, ¡°Ah! A real beauty in the making. No wonder that guy Jing Rong is so smitten with you!¡± ¡®That guy Jing Rong? Hey, hey, hey! Who are you? How can you be so impudent?¡¯ Ji Yunshu was scared by what the other person had said. To treat someone, the caregiver needed to be in close proximity with the patient, so it shouldn¡¯t be surprising that he discovered her gender, but her hair was still coiled into a bun that would be adorned only by males. Her expression was evasive, but she didn¡¯t give up on the idea of getting out of bed. After a moment, her shoulders were grabbed by Mo Ruo and he pushed her back onto the bed. ¡°Woman, why can¡¯t you be obedient? I already said that you shouldn¡¯t move.¡± ¡°I want to get up.¡± Mo Ruo frowned. Since it was useless to stop her, he let go of her shoulders and supported her off the bed instead. Her vision became clearer with time and she discovered that she was in her room. Finally, she could see Mo Ruo¡¯s appearance. The man was standing in front of her, dressed in a white gown with a gray scarf wrapped around his neck. His countenance reminded her of a refined schr and a skilled tactician. However, his peach blossoms1 hinted to a diluted romantic character. ¡°How can you be here? What is your identity? Where is Wei Yi and his Highness? I heard their voices¡­ What about Mei Xiang¡¯er?¡± ¡°Stop! Stop!¡± Mo Ruo raised his hands to stop Ji Yunshu barrage of questions. ¡°Beauty, you ask so many questions, but I can¡¯t answer them. I¡¯m only here to treat your injuries and have no interest in looking at other people.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Mo Ruo took a handkerchief and wiped his hands with it before walking to a table. Next, he tidied his needles. His back faced Ji Yunshu and started to exin. ¡°This time, the injury on your face must not be exposed to the wind. In other words, if you don¡¯t want to have a permanent scar, you have to remember my Mo n¡¯s precepts: dread strong-smelling food, take shelter from the weather and do not touch it.¡± Although Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t understand much about how to treat her wound, she still had some basic grasp about it. She bitterlyughed. ¡°The treatment of the wound wasn¡¯t good because it was done with a silver hairpin. The wound was bone deep and as they said, bone and flesh are interrted. As the hairpin scratched the bone, the silver was left inside and it left a scar when the wound healed.¡± ¡°Oh! It turns out you understand medicine.¡± ¡°Not really!¡± Mo Ruo proficiently tidied his things before turning to Ji Yunshu and added earnestly, ¡°Perhaps, for a quack, your injury is severe and it¡¯s quite possible that you might have to wear a mask or a veil to hide it for the rest of your life. Fortunately, you met me. I can guarantee that for this kind of injury, I can make you recover back to normal within a month.¡± His tone was very pompous. ¡®Even if it was in the modern days, no doctor would dare to guarantee a full recovery within a month for that kind of injury!¡¯ Seeing the doubtful expression on Ji Yunshu, Mo Ruo curled his lips. ¡°This Godly Doctor was nning not to save anyone this year. If it wasn¡¯t for Jing Rong¡¯s sake, I would have been enjoying myself at the dancing and singing convention in Beiyang.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ji Yunshu had no idea what he was talking out, thus she decided to remain silent. Timely, someone suddenly rushed through the door. ¡°Shu¡¯er!¡± She heard Wei Yi¡¯s voice near her bedside and the next thing, he grabbed her hand. His eyes were filled with distress as he looked at her. ¡°Shu¡¯er, does it still hurt?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you are alright.¡± ¡°Wei Yi, were you the one who found me?¡± Wei Yi nodded. ¡°I did say that as long as I can hear the bell on your ankle, I will be able to find you no matter what.¡± Ji Yunshuughed. It was fortunate that Wei Yi heard the bell. Otherwise, she would have been buried in the sea of mes by now. She asked, ¡°Then, how did you find the basement?¡± ¡°At that time, there was fire everywhere and they were pulling me out of the house, but I heard Shu¡¯er¡¯s bell, so I know you were still inside. After that, it was as if big brother went mad. He ran inside to find you, but the fire was too fierce, so I pulled him out. However, big brother refused to leave. I waited outside for him for a long time, until he finally carried you out of there. Big brother is too awesome. He really found you.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart trembled. ¡°Then, how is he?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell.¡± Wei Yi covered his mouth. Ji Yunshu was puzzled. ¡°Why can¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Because¡­¡± He had yet to finish when Mo Ruo timely grabbed him by his cor like he was picking up a chick, and dragged him away. Wei Yi staggered a few steps before regaining his bnce. He red at Mo Ruo and spoke in annoyance. ¡°Why did you hit me?¡± Mo Ruo pretended as if nothing happened. He shrugged. ¡°Which of your eyes saw me hit you?¡± ¡°Both eyes!¡± ¡°Damn brat! Stop saying nonsense.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t speaking nonsense. Mother said that it¡¯s not good to tell lies. You hit me.¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Mo Ruo turned red from anger. After a moment, Wei Yi covered his nose with one hand and fanned in front of him with his other hand. He made a disgusted face and added, ¡°You smell.¡± Snap! Mo Ruo¡¯s whole body exuded a bad atmosphere. Fumes of rage seemed toe out of his nostrils. He nced at Ji Yunshu and asked with a strange face. ¡°Where did you pick up this guy?¡± ¡®What a poisonous tongue! It¡¯sparable to Jing Rong¡¯s.¡¯ Ji Yunshu ignored his question and returned to the main topic. ¡°Where is Prince Rong?¡± Mo Ruo bluntly said, ¡°He¡¯s busy!¡± ¡°Is he busy with the missing girls case?¡± ¡°Take care of your injuries first. As for anything else, you don¡¯t need to worry about it. You are like the ideal beauty, thus it will be a pity for your appearance to be ruined. Remember to take a good rest.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± She barely spoke, but Mo Ruo had already dragged Wei Yi out. She faintly heard their bickering voices from inside. ¡®Those two are like enemies, but since when can they act in such unison? As for that Mo Ruo, where did that entric mane from?¡¯ Ji Yunshu got off from her bed. She draped her weak body with a cloth and walked to the mirror before slowly sitting in front of it. She could clearly see her scar on the side of her face, and there was also a transparent and glisteningyer of ointment smeared on it. Suddenly, she felt a burst of paining from it. She wanted to touch and scratch it, but then, she remembered Mo Ruo¡¯s three restrictions and endured the difort instead. 1.peach blossoms eyes are eyes framed by long and voluminous eyshes. Chapter 179: Kong Yu? Chapter 179: Kong Yu? Not long after, Ji Yunshu called for someone and inquired about what happened while she was unconscious. She quickly learned that Mei Xiang¡¯er and her big brother created a fire and burnt their whole house until nothing was left. Both of them also perished in that fire. Furthermore, all the missing girls were all found thrown in a deste and abandoned public cemetery outside of the city. Due to the advanced state of putrefaction of the corpses, and the fact that all their faces were peeled off, it was impossible to recognize any of them. At present, all the rtives of the missing girls were waiting to retrieve their loved one and give them a proper burial. Therefore, the capital governor had no other choice but to order his men to move all the corpses to the memorial hall. This was a temporary measure until Ji Yunshu awoke and could make a portrait of each corpse. After that, the case can be quickly settled. However, despite her questioning, there was no mention about Jing Rong. That night, Ji Yunshu continued to ponder while sitting in front of the mirror. Two maidservants then came in to change the water. Ji Yunshu asked again, ¡°Where is his Highness?¡± The two servants nced at each other and shied away. ¡°Tell me, where exactly is his Highness?¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s tone became heavier. ¡°Teacher Ji, you shouldn¡¯t ask. His Highness, he¡­¡± ¡°Speak!¡± ¡°His Highness is injured. Right now¡­ he is still unconscious.¡± One of the maidservants lowered her head and answered. ¡®He is injured?¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart suddenly palpitated. She grabbed the servant¡¯s arm and continued questioning her. ¡°Did he get injured when he rescued me?¡± The girl nodded. ¡°This humble servant heard that when his Highness saved you, something fell and hit both his head and shoulders, but he still persevered to get you out. After that, he fainted. Fortunately, Gentleman Mo Ruo was present, so his Highness was timely treated.¡± When she finished talking, Ji Yunshu let her go and rushed out of her room. ¡°Teacher Ji¡­¡± No matter how much the servants called her and chased after her, Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t turn back or reply to them at all. She directly went to Jing Rong¡¯s courtyard. Inside a room in the main courtyard. Jing Rong was lying on the bed. He had just regained his consciousness recently and hisplexion was pale. His head and arms were wrapped in bandages. Mo Ruo, who was next to him, was pounding medicine with his tall and straight back facing Jing Rong. ¡°What about Yuhua pavilion?¡± Suddenly, Jing Rong asked in a frail voice. ¡°An apprentice is looking after it. Business is flourishing.¡± ¡°How about this Prince send people tomorrow to close it?¡± Despite his weak voice, his threat still had the power to pressure and deter people. However, Mo Ruo paused his movement and turned around to meet Jing Rong¡¯s sight. ¡°When will you change that bad temper of yours? When did my Yuhua Pavilion provoke you?¡± Jing Rong lowered his eyes and gasped lightly before speaking in cold tone. ¡°I did say that if you didn¡¯te to me within three days, I will storm your Yuhua Pavilion. What I say isn¡¯t just hot air!¡± ¡®How bold and self-confident!¡¯ He was after all a prince, so what he said was considered right. Mo Ruoughed and shrugged. ¡°Go ahead! Storm through it if you want. Anyway, that ce was left behind by that old man. I was nning to close it anyway. If you want to do it, you might as well just destroy it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s truly unfortunate for your father to have a son like you.¡± ¡°Indeed! That¡¯s why that old man slipped and drowned. He didn¡¯t even have the fate to enjoy a happy andfortable life.¡± Hearing his words, Jing Rong shook his head. His mouth arched up. ¡°If I was your father, I would have crawled out from the coffin in anger.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite patient then.¡± Mo Ruo snubbed him, then he got up and walked to Jing Rong¡¯s bedside. He looked at Jing Rong who was covered in injuries and sighed. In a nagging tone, he said, ¡°You are a grand prince, but in order to save a woman, you almost died. Is it worth it? If it wasn¡¯t for this Young Master being a brilliant doctor, you would be drinking tea with King Yama right now!¡± Jing Rong¡¯s expression remained cold, but he spoke with heartfelt. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s worth it. If she really died at that time, I might as well be dead.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you exaggerating?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Right, I can¡¯t understand. As I said, love is like a poison. When you get infected by it, death is the only issue.¡± Mo Ruo looked at him with extreme disdain. Jing Rong ignored him. ¡°Oh! That reminds me.¡± Mo Ruo hurriedly added, ¡°Guess what? Who do you think returned to the capital with me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to guess!¡± Jing Rong coldly spat. Mo Ruo wasn¡¯t in the mood to joke. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just go along with me? How boring!¡± ¡°You know how I am.¡± ¡°Fine. Only I know! If it wasn¡¯t me, who will try to break open a cold stone like you?!¡± Their bickering wasn¡¯t also a first-time matter. Mo Ruo sat down on the bedside and moved close to him while sporting an evil smile. He was relentless and continued question Jing Rong. ¡°Come on, guess! You have to guess. That person is someone you know.¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t want to guess!¡± ¡°Alright, forget it!¡± Mo Ruo waved his hand. ¡°I really don¡¯t understand how I was able to grow up together with this kind of taciturn person.¡± He grudgingly stopped, but he still couldn¡¯t endure keeping it, so he spat out a name. ¡°It¡¯s Kong Yu.¡± ¡®Kong Yu!¡¯ When he heard the name, Jing Rong¡¯s expression suddenly darkened, but it was impossible to determine his real thoughts. After a long moment, Jing Rong asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t she in Emerald Retreat?¡± ¡°Yes, she went there with her mother for a year to follow a vegetarian diet. You should know the meaning of her return this time, right? You should already know her thoughts about you.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act dumb with me. Miss Kong is from a good family and the blood-rted niece of thete Empress Xuanshu. As long as Miss Kong wishes for it, her mother will go to the emperor to request a decree and your marriage will be set even if you don¡¯t ask for it.¡± Although the Kong family was in decline, they were still the maiden family of Empress Xuanshu in any case. The emperor would still give some respect to the Kong family. Everyone had a thorn in their heart and Jing Rong was no exception. Kong Yu was Jing Rong¡¯s thorn. He took a deep breath and stopped looking at his friend. ¡°Mo Ruo, the others people don¡¯t know, but don¡¯t tell me that you don¡¯t know as well?¡± Of course, Mo Ruo knew clearly. He grew up with Jing Rong, so he knew what went on in Jing Rong¡¯s mind. He raised his head and deeply sighed. He slightly shook his head and intentionally revealed a regretful expression while saying, ¡°It seems like the falling flower has intentions, but the flowing river is merciless! Anyway, Miss Kong Yu is very good. Compared to Miss Ji, she is a thousand time more friendly.¡± ¡°So? In my opinion, no one canpare to Yunshu.¡± Jing Rong was extremely serious when he said that. Mo Ruo squinted his eyes a bit and studied Jing Rong, then he spoke with a mischievous tone. ¡°This fellow¡­ So, you can actually be moved by a woman. And here I thought that since you grew up in the mountain, you are more obstinate than a block of stones.¡± ¡°People can change.¡± ¡°Your change is rather too quick. I¡¯m curious. What is so good about this Miss Ji that makes you want her instead of Miss Kong?¡± What came out of Jing Rong¡¯s pale lips were: ¡°As you said, I am poisoned. Furthermore, it is highly toxic. However, I am perfectly happy with it.¡± ¡®Oh my! How ridiculous!¡¯ Mo Ruo hit his thigh, got up and went back to the table while saying, ¡°A cold block of stone wants to bloom!¡± Chapter 180: Heaven on Earth Chapter 180: Heaven on Earth ¡°A cold block of stone¡± was a nickname that Mo Ruo always used for him countless of times ever since they were young. However, he definitely disagreed about the cold part. He was obviously warmhearted! If he wasn¡¯t lying on his pillow, he would have fiercely thrown it at Mo Ruo by now. Mo Ruo resumedpounding medicine. Next, he carefully wrapped it in a white cloth and ced it in a bowl. Then, he added water to the bowl. While working, he instructed Jing Rong. ¡°After blending the essence of the medicinal herb in the water, you have to drink everything without leaving behind a single drop. Otherwise, it will leave seque in the future. Don¡¯t me me when that happens.¡± Jing Rong looked at the bowl of medicine and asked, ¡°Will it kill me if I drink it?¡± ¡°Yeah! Of course, it will. Not only that, it¡¯s extremely toxic. It¡¯s a special kind of poison, just like your love.¡± Mo Ruo replied in a serious tone. ¡°¡­¡± Jing Rong was unable to respond. Mo Ruo looked at the sky and saw it was gettingte. He said to Jing Rong, ¡°I am going to return to the Yuhua Pavilion. If you are going to send people to wreck it, I better quickly go and save up some money so that I can still afford a quilt when I end up sleeping on the streetster.¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± Jing Rong red at him. ¡°So heartless!¡± Mo Ruo cursed at him before flipping his sleeves and leaving. Right after, Lang Po came in and nervously said, ¡°Your Highness, how is your body?¡± ¡°With Mo Ruo around, this Prince will be fine.¡± Jing Rong closed his heavy eyelids and asked, ¡°That¡¯s right! How is Yunshu?¡± ¡°Mis- Teacher Ji is alright.¡± ¡°Hmm! That is good then.¡± Suddenly, he heard the voice of the imperial guard keeping watch outside. ¡°Teacher Ji, why did youe?¡± ¡°I came to find your prince!¡± ¡°His Highness is¡­¡± Not waiting for the guard to finish, Ji Yunshu hastily went into the courtyard and was about to enter Jing Rong¡¯s room. Jing Rong took an instant to think about something. Then, his mouth curled into a mischievous smile. He immediately lied back under his quilt, closed his eyes and waved his hand in an obscure manner. He was hinting at Lang Po to leave. ¡®How devious!¡¯ Lang Po inwardly gave a thumbs up at his prince. Right after that, he lowered his head to smile and retreated. When he opened the door, he found Ji Yunshu blocking the way. ¡°Teacher Ji, his Highness has not yet regained consciousness. Your body is not in good condition as well, so it¡¯s best if you go back.¡± Lang Po had a very serious expression when he spoke. ¡°You are in my way.¡± Ji Yunshu stubbornly pushed him out of her way and stepped inside the room. The guards outside were about to go in, but they were stopped by Lang Po. Thetter whispered to them. ¡°Remember, you didn¡¯t see anything. Do you understand?¡± ¡®We don¡¯t understand! Why do we have to pretend we didn¡¯t see anything?¡¯ The two guards looked at each other, but they still nodded at Lang Po in the end. Lang Po snickered while he closed the door shut. He muttered, ¡°Your Highness, this subordinate can only help you to this point.¡± After she went inside the room, she saw Jing Rong lying unconscious on the bed. In small steps, she walked to the bedside and sat down. His handsome face was pale and didn¡¯t have the liveliness and energy he usually had. Despite his feeble countenance, his tightly knitted eyebrows didn¡¯t attenuate his sharpness and still gave off the impression of vignce on his face. When she looked at his appearance, her eyes immediately reddened and glistening teardrops fell from her eyes. Pain could be felt inside her chest and she frowned in distress. Her chapped lips pursed, while her slender hands stretched out from under her sleeves. She put them on the bedding and lightly called him out several times. ¡°Your Highness?¡± There was no response. ¡°It has already been several months since we left Jinjiang. In that time, I had encountered many dangerous situations, but you were always by my side, helping me over and over again. You saved me. For this grace, I might not be able to repay youpletely in this lifetime. Yet, this time, because of me, you received serious injuries and is now in such a dire state. How can I repay you?¡± Jing Rong didn¡¯t make any single movement. ¡°Jing Rong, I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m really sorry. You have to wake up. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to forgive myself for the rest of my life.¡± Drop by drop, her cold tears fell on the back of Jing Rong¡¯s hand. The cold sensation seeped through his flesh, and seemed as if it entered through his veins, slowly cooling him. His heart shivered, gripped by the subzero sensation. Yet the next instant, it abruptly turned into a heat that burnt him silly. ¡®Ji Yunshu is crying because of me! That¡¯s right! Her heartbroken tears was for him! Is it because she feels guilty or is it due to another reason?¡¯ Ji Yunshu wiped her tears and took a deep breath. She grabbed Jing Rong¡¯s wrist and was nning to put it under the quilt when suddenly, Jing Rong¡¯s hand grabbed her fingers and brought it to his chest. ¡°Eh?!¡¯ Ji Yunshu was scared. Then, she saw Jing Rong opened his eyes and he stared at her with infatuation. His devilish smile beamed at her as he said, ¡°Since you owe this Prince, you can offer yourself to pay me back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It took him a moment to support himself up with difficulty. He added, ¡°Fool, didn¡¯t I tell you before that I won¡¯t die?¡± Ji Yunshu could finally reacted. She realized that she had fallen into his trap! ¡°You liar!¡± She pushed him away as soon as she was done shouting at him and tried to get up. ¡°Urgh!¡± Jing Rong grasped his chest and frowned. Upon seeing his reaction, she dispelled the thought of getting up and sat back. She anxiously inquired, ¡°Did I touch your wounds? I really didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± ¡°Are you worried about me?¡± ¡°I only¡­ Ah!¡± She didn¡¯t finished her sentence as Jing Rong lifted the quilt. He then grabbed her slender waist in a sh; pulled her toward him before dragging her under the quilt. She didn¡¯t even have the time to struggle and was already held by Jing Rong, under the covers of his quilt. Jing Rong tightly hugged her, his chest pasted to her back and his chin resting on her delicate shoulder. ¡°What are you doing? Let me go!¡± Ji Yunshu twisted and turned, struggling to free herself. Jing Rong¡¯s lips brushed against her earlobe and he whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯m hurting everywhere.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As expected, she stopped struggling in order to avoid hurting Jing Rong. She bit her lips and nervously said, ¡°It¡¯s best if your Highness release me. If others see us like this¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s unlikely that anyone will enter.¡± He tly replied. After a moment, his mischievous smile reappeared. In a tone suffused with some anger, he spoke. ¡°By the way, do you remember what I said before? If you acted impulsively without any regards to your safety, I will throw you on the nuptial bed and have my way with you.¡± Oh no! She fell right into the beast¡¯s clutches. At once, Ji Yunshu struggled again. ¡°What kind of nonsense is this?! Let me go!¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m hurt all over. If I faint again, I will hold you responsible.¡± ¡°You hoodlum!¡± ¡°Stay calm or I will immediately strip you and let you taste Heaven on Earth.¡± ¡®Heaven on Earth? Like the sketch?¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s mouth arched down and she felt uneasy. That injured brute unexpectedly wanted to imitate the tiger throwing food at the hungry wolf. Was that the main point? Ji Yunshu almost rolled her eyes at him. Jing Rong held her waist tighter and they both nestled under the quilt, stuck to each other in an ambiguous position, as if they were a loving married couple. Chapter 181: You Used to Call Me Yu’er Chapter 181: You Used to Call Me Yu¡¯er It was known that people in archeology have conservative mindsets and Ji Yunshu wasn¡¯t an exception. Ever since she met Jing Rong, she was repeatedly taken advantage of which didn¡¯t bore well for her as a conservative maiden. Time slowly passed. Suddenly, Jing Rong asked, ¡°Do you want to know what happened when I took you away from the congration?¡± His warm breath caressed her ear. Caught by surprise, she shivered and didn¡¯t respond. Jing Rong tightened his hold on Ji Yunshu¡¯s waist. His whole face was almost buried in her nape. He slowly narrated, ¡°At that time, my only thought was that if I can save you, I will tightly hold you like this. As everything was burning down around me, I thought to myself that if we were to die together, we could meet again in the underworld. At that time, I will seek King Yama and make him agree that I won¡¯t be born in the imperial n and will meet you again in the next life. I believe he will be moved and let us walk through the Bridge of Helplessness, drink Meng Po¡¯s soup of oblivion and jump into the pool of reincarnation together. After we are reincarnated, we will be born into an ordinary house where we will work at sunrise and rest at sunset every day.¡± His words may have sounded strange, but it was full of affection. This made Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart beat wildly. She furiously blushed and the redness slowly spread to the tips of her ears. Her body became intolerably hot. Jing Rong continued. ¡°I know that Ji Pei has upied an important ce in your heart. However, I am willing to wait¡­ until you will look at me.¡± ¡°Jing Rong¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to say anything, just listen quietly.¡± Ji Yunshu felt suffocated. Her petite figure was almost sinking deeper into Jing Rong¡¯s embrace. He was tall; she was small. She no longer struggled and let him hug her until he was satisfied. Time passed by and Jing Rong already fell asleep with his head resting on her shoulder. His even breaths kept brushing against her ear. This atmosphere was very peaceful. However, in contrast to Jing Rong, Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart was disturbed and in turmoil because of his words, which kept reverberating inside her mind. It was not untilte into the night that she could finally slumber. The next morning, when Ji Yunshu woke up, she was greeted by Jing Rong¡¯s affectionate eyes. ¡°Are you awake? Did you sleep well?¡± His voice was like jade, showing a lot of care. Ji Yunshu lowered her eyes and immediately sat up on the bed. She was about to get off the bed, but she was restrained by a pair of evil hands. Jing Rong hugged her from behind. An evil smile spread on his face. ¡°What are you so nervous for? This Prince didn¡¯t even eat youst night.¡± ¡°Prince, please let me go.¡± ¡°No way!¡± ¡°You-¡± Ji Yunshu was flustered and she then freed herself from his grip. Her gesture was akin to a kitten as she quickly got down from the bed. She lowered her head and furiously blushed from his gaze. ¡°Your Highness, please rest well. As forst night¡­ just think of it as if nothing happened.¡± As soon as she was done speaking, she ran to the door, opened it and caught the sight of Lang Po standing upright outside. Seeing her exit, Lang Po inwardly smiled while greeting her. ¡°Good morning, Teacher Ji.¡± ¡®Good morning your ass! You¡¯re all birds of the same feather!¡¯ Ji Yunshu bit her lips and passed by Lang Po without answering. Just as she was about to leave the courtyard, she stopped after a few steps as she collided with a woman who wasing inside the courtyard. The woman was dressed in a blue silk gown. Her long hair reached to her waist, and part of it was pulled into a hair bun. Her face was as big as a man¡¯s palm. Her face also had delicate and beautiful traits and she wore light makeup. Each of her steps was orderly paced, and both of her hands were held in front of her abdomen. Her demeanor clearly told people that she came from a great family. Although she wasn¡¯t a fairy, her elegant aura made it seemed like she was surrounded by a faint mist that made people feel cozy when they go near her. ¡°Miss Kong?¡± Lang Po shouted in shock. ¡®So that person is Kong Yu.¡¯ While Ji Yunshu attentively observed her, Kong Yu also did the same. The person in front of her was adorned in man¡¯s clothing. He had a pleasant aura and looked like a gentle schr with a dignified appearance. For a handsome man, he had quite the majestic bearing. Unfortunately, the scar on his face ruined his appearance. ¡°Who are you?¡± Kong Yu¡¯s line of sight met with Lang Po. Lang Po immediately answered. ¡°This person is Teacher Ji and his Highness¡¯ noble guest.¡± ¡°Oh! So, you are that Teacher Ji?¡± Kong Yu softly said. She greeted him. ¡°On my way back, I have heard many things about Teacher Ji. I also heard that the missing girls case in the capital was solved by you. As expected, you are someone with great wisdom. It¡¯s no wonder that his Highness treated you as a noble guest.¡± ¡°Miss Kong don¡¯t need to be so polite. This humble one is only amoner.¡± ¡°Teacher Ji, you are too modest.¡± Ji Yunshu wasn¡¯t too familiar with Kong Yu. She supposed that if the woman appeared here, she was certainly here to see Jing Rong. Ji Yunshu faintly smiled. ¡°Then, I won¡¯t disturb Miss Kong from visiting his Highness. Goodbye.¡± Ji Yunshu passed by her and quickly left as soon as she finished speaking. Kong Yu smiled as she watched Ji Yunshu¡¯s back. Lang Po immediately came forward. ¡°Miss Kong, may I ask what is your reason foring?¡± Kong Yu¡¯s smile was reced by an expression filled with worried. ¡°Mo Ruo told me that his Highness was injured, so how can I note?¡± ¡°Eh!¡± Kong Yu lifted the hem of her cloth and went inside the room. Jing Rong was incredibly happy because of how Ji Yunshu left him behind and escaped. He was still smiling as he got out of bed and was nning to take his cloth that was hanging on the partition screen. ¡°Ah-Rong!¡± Kong Yu called him. When he heard the voice, Jing Rong looked out and saw the worried expression on Kong Yu¡¯s exquisite face as she walked toward him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Jing Rong frowned, with his tone slightly heavy. ¡°Let me see. How serious are your injuries?¡± ¡°I am fine.¡± However, Kong Yu had already raised her hands and lightly brushed the bandage on his forehead. Tears were falling from her eyes as she said, ¡°Does your head hurt? If Mo Ruo didn¡¯t tell me, did you n on hiding this from me forever?¡± There was a trace of anger in her tone. Jing Rong stepped back to avoid her touch and looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± He lightly told her. ¡°Why are you treating me like I¡¯m a stranger after just one year of separation?¡± ¡°You are overthinking!¡± If Mo Ruo and Jing Rong could be considered to grow up wearing the same pants together, then Kong Yu and Jing Rong could be said to have grown up together, hand in hand. Kong Yu was a year older than Jing Rong, and she was like a big sister to him. Ever since they were young, she was always concerned about his well being the most. Jing Rong was also very close to her because of that. The only woman who could approach him before he met Ji Yunshu was Kong Yu. Although their feelings were like those between siblings, Kong Yu believed that she will be Jing Rong¡¯s consort as they grew up. This belief became deeply rooted in her heart with the passage of time. It came to the point where Kong Yu often mentioned it to Jing Rong. Every time, Jing Rong didn¡¯t answer, and neither did he disagree. At that time, he thought that she was only joking. Over time, everyone in the imperial family almost considered Kong Yu as Jing Rong¡¯s consort. Then, one year ago, the day before Kong Yu left for Emerald Retreat, she gave him a genuine confession. Jing Rong suddenly realized that she wasn¡¯t joking and that she sincerely wanted to be his consort. ¡°Kong Yu, I am already fine. You just came back from Emerald Retreat and it must be busy at your mansion. You don¡¯t need to worry about me, so you should hurry and go back.¡± Kong Yu was disappointed. ¡°You used to call me Yu¡¯er.¡± Chapter 182: Kong Yu’s Feeling Chapter 182: Kong Yu¡¯s Feeling Since they were young, Kong Yu had always called Jing Rong Ah-Rong, and he always called her Yu¡¯er. It was a habit that hadn¡¯t changed until a year ago. Confronted by Kong Yu about it, Jing Rong answered, ¡°That was in the past. You will be married one day soon, and calling you Yu¡¯er is inappropriate.¡± ¡°If I get married, I will naturally marry you. So, what is not appropriate about calling me Yu¡¯er?¡± Those words had always been held inside of her. She loves Jing Rong. It was a fact that didn¡¯t need to be concealed. Jing Rong wasn¡¯t surprised by her words as he¡¯d heard them countless times since he was a child, to the point that his ears were worn out. He has always treated Kong Yu as his big sister and nothing more! While he grabbed his clothes on the partition screen, he told her, ¡°Kong Yu, I understand your thoughts, but we are no longer children, and some things should not be said!¡± ¡°I am not joking with you. Last year, I already told you my feelings clearly. I am not young anymore, and mother has often urged me to get married. This time, I left the Emerald Retreat to return to the capital because my mother is determined to settle my marriage. I also agree with her. Mother said that in two days, she will enter the pce and seek the emperor for a decree of marriage.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jing Rong froze and almost dropped the clothes in his hands. He hurriedly warned her, ¡°Kong Yu, I only think of you as my big sister, and I¡¯ve clearly told you before.¡± ¡°We grew up together. Since childhood, you always loved sticking around me. As we gradually grew up, I felt as if there was a distance separating us, as thin as ayer of cotton that might puncture at any moment, but it never did. That¡¯s why I confessed to you. In order to be with you, I¡¯ve argued with my mother countless times and dyed any talk of marriage until now, because there is only you in my heart since long ago. Yet, you say this to me. It makes me feel ashamed and embarrassed.¡± If it had been someone else, Jing Rong would have left long ago. However, this was Kong Yu. He bowed with his hands held upfront and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to shame you. I only¡­¡± His words were interrupted. ¡°Apologies for overthinking, but my thoughts cannot stop running amok. So, can you please tell me why you¡¯re avoiding me?¡± Kong Yu was still serene as before. Jing Rong felt rather helpless. He retreated to the side, lightly sighing before earnestly answering her. ¡°It¡¯s not like I was avoiding you. We grew up together like family.¡± Kong Yu lowered her brows and took the clothes from his hands. ¡°I didn¡¯te here today to speak of this with you. Let us discuss it again once your injuries are better.¡± She spoke frankly and shirked. Then, she brushed his clothes whilst carefully helping him dress. Suddenly, something fell out from his robe. Ding! She lowered her head to look, but didn¡¯t expect to see a round essory. Kong Yu was about to pick it up, but she was one step behind Jing Rong who took it and ced it back inside his sleeve. ¡°What is it? That didn¡¯t look like an expensive bead, so what are you getting so nervous for?¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a bead. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Kong Yu didn¡¯t question him further. That bead was the silvery essory that served as Ji Yunshu¡¯s button to fasten her cor hat, which he stole from her before. Although it was of mediocre quality, it was something he cherished. Soon their conversation became rather one-sided, with mostly Kong Yu speaking, as most of the conversation was about her stay in Emerald Retreat. ¡°Although the hills are verdant and the waters are limpid, which nurtures people¡¯s character, it became quite boring after a year. Everyday, Mother would devote herself to prayers and burning incense. She didn¡¯t speak with me too much. There were also very few people living on the mountain. It made me recall our days together when we were young. It was so merry and joyous. Finally, I havee back to the capital. On the road, I met with Mo Ruo and we spoke about you sometimes. I heard that you had left the capital to investigate the Lin capital case for half a year. It was only recently that you returned. You must have suffered a lot, right? After seeing you, I can say with certainty that you are thinner than before.¡± As she spoke, she went and touched the side of Jing Rong¡¯s handsome face. Her smooth and soft fingers trailed along his face. Jing Rong remained vignt and observed her mncholic expression. Then, he pushed away her hand, silently got up and walked toward the door, whilst urging Lang Po. ¡°Send Miss Kong back.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡± Then, Jing Rong left. Inside the room, Kong Yu watched as his silhouette gradually disappeared from her sight. The wall surrounding her heart immediately copsed, and she let go of her serene appearance. Great sadness showed on her face and the tears she held in flowed freely. Her innately cold hands tightly clenched into fists, so tightly did she clench them that her fingers, painted with nail polish, were deeply embedded into her palms. Lang Po came in and sped his hands to greet her. ¡°Miss Kong, I will send you back.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Her tone became cold with a hint of uneasiness. She left without looking back as she didn¡¯t like people seeing her state of mind. In small steps, she departed. Behind her, Lang Po shook his head. ¡°Your Highness, ah, your Highness! I am afraid that this time you have created a great cmity for yourself.¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Within East Courtyard, Wei Yi and several maidservants were chatting. When Ji Yunshu came back, she went straight to her room, but as she tried to close the door, Wei Yi stretched his hands to block it. ¡°Shu¡¯er, where did you go in the morning?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t go anywhere!¡± She didn¡¯t go anywhere because she never returned to her room. Wei Yi approached, his faceing close to hers and he blinked. ¡°Shu¡¯er, are you not happy?¡± Her voice wouldn¡¯te out. She shook her head and sat in front of her mirror, appearing lost in thought. Unknowingly, she started to fiddle with the things on the table. She felt quite flustered inside. Wei Yi crouched next to her. His eyebrows were tightly knit into a frown. After watching her for a moment, he suddenly grabbed her fric hands. The warmth of his palm was felt on the back of her hand. It caused her to immediately be roused from her daze and the panic that was submerging her heart partly receded. She nced to her side and saw the worry in his beautiful eyes. ¡°What is it, Wei Yi?¡± ¡°Although there are many things I don¡¯t understand, I will try to understand them if you tell me. If you are not feeling well, why don¡¯t you tell me? I worry when I see you like this.¡± The deep concern in his eyes was apparent. Ji Yunshu caressed his head and gave him a faint smile. ¡°I am fine. Really! So, you don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡± ¡°But you are not happy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not?¡± Wei Yi nodded and pointed at the hairpin in front of a box before saying, ¡°Shu¡¯er, you¡¯ve been taking this thing in and out a dozen times. You¡¯re like that when you are not happy.¡± ¡®Indeed! Wei Yi is very observant.¡¯ Ji Yunshu felt that if Wei Yi didn¡¯t have his disability, he would be very intelligent. Suddenly, a bulb lit up within her mind. ¡°Wei Yi!¡± She shouted. ¡°Ah?¡± Right after, she shook her head. ¡°Never mind.¡± Wei Yi pouted. He tightly held her hands andy his head on herp whilst saying, ¡°Shu¡¯er, can you promise me that when you are not happy you will tell me?¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­ Sure!¡± She promised him. Thus, the feeling of panic in her heart vanished. As expected, when Wei Yi was by her side, her heart would feel at peace. Chapter 183: Jing Xian Chapter 183: Jing Xian Yuhua Pavilion. As soon as Mo Ruo woke up, having sobered up from the alcohol, he went into a room and searched for something. Clink! ng! c! The room was overturned and became a mess. An apprentice from outside came in and swept a nce at the room in inquiry. ¡°What are you looking for, Master?¡± ¡°Where is the box I brought back?¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°The wooden box with a lock on top.¡± Mo Ruo continued to rummage through the books and objects, throwing to the floor those that were irrelevant to his search. The little apprentice scratched his head while furiously trying to recall where the box was. Then, he rushed outside and lifted the corner of a table. ¡°Master! It¡¯s here!¡± He took out the box from under it as it was used as a table leg to level it. Thump! All the medicinal ingredients on the table were scattered on the floor. Mo Ruo came out, and his eyes lit up at the sight of the box. He took the box from the little apprentice while reprimanding him. ¡°You little bastard! Who let you used that box as a table leg?¡± ¡°Master, you wrongly used me! Yesterday, after your return from the Rong estate, you were drinking on that table and saw that it was unstable. You were noisily arguing about repairing it, and then, you used that box as a table leg. Since the table was stable after that, I ced the medicinal ingredients on it, so you can¡¯t use me of wrongdoing!¡± ¡®I am innocent!¡¯ Mo Ruo became embarrassed as he recalled drinking a lot and indeed, did such a scandalous thing. At least, his behaviour was quite tamepared to two years ago, during which, in a drunken frenzy, he decided to strip naked and advocate strengthening his friendship with Jing Rong by sleeping on the same bed with thetter. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ve wronged you.¡± Mo Ruo took the box and left with it. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°I am going to the pce!¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Inside the Imperial Pce. The bustling interior of the Imperial Pce wasposed of red walls, green roof tiles and signboardscquered with gold, that shone with metallic luster, giving it an imposing aura that showed the splendor of Lin dynasty¡¯s majestic pce. The sole exception would be the cold pce, a ce forever shrouded in destion and bleakness. Yet, in another pce, as equally dpidated as the cold pce, lived the fourth prince, Jing Xian. His entire quarters, be it the building itself or the walls surrounding it, was in a state of disrepair. The wall paint was chipped, the roof tiles were full of holes pecked by crows, the courtyard was a paradise for weeds and the paper covering the windows barely shielded from any wind. It was clear to the eyes that the Tongren Hall was ruined and gloomy, which represented Jing Xian¡¯s position in the imperial family. Although Jing Xiang was conferred the title Sage King, had his own private forces and had an estate with amand token, Qi Zhen Emperor had stripped him of all his privileges due to his chronic illness and arranged a ce for him in the imperial pce for proper convalescence. It could be said that the emperor still cared about Jing Xian¡¯s illness, and thus made him stay in the pce where he was arranged as an attending physician. This could be considered to be treating his son well. However, apart from this point, he didn¡¯t inquire much, nor did he show much interest toward Jing Xian. Despite the absence of opulence, at leastpared to the rest of the imperial pce, the inside of the pce hall was clean and well-furnished. Through the opened window panels, a maple tree could be seen. As spring was here, the tree was covered in buds and lush green foliage. Under the caress of the wind, it swayed gently, casting a shadow upon the window frame. In front of the window, was a rocking chair. Jing Xian was resting on it with his eyes lowered. Despite his sickly paleplexion, he was still handsome, with simr traits and the same bearing as Jing Rong and Jing Yi. The imperial family¡¯s genes were too amazing! Court Eunuch Bi Lu came in from outside, carrying a decoction which he ced it on the table next to Jing Xian. ¡°Sage King, please take your medicine!¡± ¡°Leave it there.¡± ¡°The weather is getting cold. Please be careful as not to catch a cold.¡± Jing Xian took the bowl of medicine and drank it. Bi Lu bowed and spoke again, ¡°The imperial physician has made changes to your prescription. He said that the medicinal ingredients were foraged on the Heavenly Mountain, which should make the medicine more effective, it should help you get well quickly.¡± Jing Xian stared out of the window. He had heard Bi Lu say those words countless times over the years. Heughed bitterly. ¡°Good or not, it¡¯s pointless to me.¡± Bi Lu sighed inwardly. The eunuch witnessed his highness grow up. He felt distressed for Jing Xian who was born under an ill star. ¡°Your Highness¡¯s health will certainly improve. This old servant believes that her Ladyship is watching over you from Heaven and is blessing you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been 14 years already. Why do you still mention mother?¡± Sadness could be felt in his tone. ¡°It is my mistake.¡± ¡°You may withdraw. I wish to have a rest.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡± Bi Lu saw that Jing Xian had closed his eyes, so he took the empty bowl and silently retreated. Right after he had closed the door, he met Mo Ruo, who was rushing toward Jing Xian¡¯s room, holding a long box in his arm. Thetter expression was cid. ¡°Doctor Mo, what are you¡­¡± His words were interrupted by Mo Ruo¡¯s hand wave. Mo Ruo stretched his neck to peer into the room. He then put his index against his lips. ¡°Shhh!¡± Bi Lu shrank back and lowered his voice. ¡°Doctor Mo, what is this?¡± ¡°Lower your voice and return to your task. No need to pay attention to me.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Mo Ruo quietly went into the room and went to a table. Behind him, Jing Xian was leaning in the rocking chair beside the windows. He nced behind him, then, he carefully ced the long box on a table. ¡°Why did youe here?¡± Suddenly, Jing Xian spoke. ¡°I was being careful, so how did you know I came in?¡± ¡°This Tongren Hall has been unfrequented for many years, even the sound of dead leaves being swept by Bi Lu is audible.¡± What a miserable ce. Mo Ruoughed. He picked up the box again, approached Jing Xian and sat next to him. ¡°How is your health these days?¡± ¡°Same old, same old!¡± ¡°Let me examine you.¡± Jing Xian lifted his sleeve and stretched out his hand. Mo Ruo took his pulse, but his smooth eyebrows knitted together after a moment. His fingers parted from Jing Xian¡¯s wrist. ¡°Did the imperial physician from the Great Hospital change your prescription?¡± Jing Xian grunted in affirmation. ¡°When I left, didn¡¯t I tell you that only I can touch your prescription?¡± ¡°Ah? You did? I don¡¯t really remember.¡± He spoke with an indifferent tone. Mo Ruo got annoyed. ¡°You and Jing Rong are really two extremes! He is obstinate, pig-headed andpetitive. Whereas, you are deste, indifferent to everything and incapable of cherishing things. You don¡¯t even care about your life!¡± Jing Xian¡¯s pale lips hooked up at Mo Ruo¡¯s outburst. He showed a mncholic smile before replying. ¡°My illness is incurable. Hence, I stopped fighting. I am but an empty shell. Don¡¯t tell me that there is still hope that one day I can be back to normal?¡± ¡°There is me, so you will be alright.¡± ¡°It has already been 14 years. Your father was also helpless against this illness.¡± Mo Ruo interjected and gave him the box. ¡°The Old Man¡¯s skills are beneath mine. What he can¡¯t treat, I can. This thing is something I¡¯ve obtained and it can help treat your illness. Keep it with you. You must smell it every day. In addition, stop drinking that new decoction. You have to take what I prescribed you before and you can¡¯t skip a dose.¡± Jing Xian opened the box. Inside of it, there was a vine-like azure medicinal ingredient that had luxuriant bamboo-like leaves. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°This is the Heartless herb. You are prone to congestion of blood cirction. The smell of this herb will help with the cirction. This thing is something that money can¡¯t buy.¡± ¡°I am a dead man. Why waste such a thing on me?¡± Chapter 184: The Falling Leaf Will Return to Its Root ¡°With me here, you will not die!¡± Mo Ruo had assured him countless times before with the same words. Jing Xian smiled faintly. He closed the lid and ced the box beside him. Then, he lifted his heavy eyelids and looked out through the window. With a weak voice, he said, ¡°Mo Ruo, my life and death is beyond your control. After imperial mother passed away 14 years ago, I¡¯ve been confined behind these pce walls. As days turn to years, I am nothing but a puppet, a clown for all to see, kept alive only by medicine. Even a single step out of this hall, and countless eyes would gaze down upon me, scorning my every move. Up until this day, I can¡¯t say that I¡¯ve lived in torment, but it has be quite tiring.¡± ¡®How bleak!¡¯ For 14 years, he had been confined within this ruined pce hall. In crude words, Qi Zhen Emperor had imprisoned him in this ce for life. Even if the crown prince ascended to the threr, he would have to remain here, destined to never leave this cage. Mo Ruo grabbed his arm and said in earnest, ¡°Wait until I cure your illness, then the emperor will have no excuse to keep you here.¡± ¡°Will there ever be a day when I am healthy?¡± ¡°There will. You must believe in me!¡± ¡°Mo Ruo, thank you.¡± Jing Xian¡¯s pale lips stretched into a faint, grateful smile. ¡°I was indebted to your imperial mother, thus helping you is a must. Besides, before my father died, he did make it clear that I must find a way to cure you. Since that old man entrusted me with such heavy task, I cannot leave him unable to rest in peace in the underworld.¡± ¡®What a filial son!¡¯ Although Mo Ruo was sloppy and had a penchant for wine and beauty, the words he spoke were always truthful, not to mention that this task was handed over to him by his deceased father. ¡°To sum it up, take care of yourself, and don¡¯t concern yourself with other thoughts.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Jing Xian promised. Then, he asked, ¡°That¡¯s right! I heard that imperial father handed over the missing girls case to Jing Rong. How has it gone? Was he able to investigate the truth?¡± ¡°He almost died.¡± ¡®Huh?¡¯ Jing Xian eagerly inquired. ¡°What do you mean? Did he get into an ident?¡± Mo Ruo shook his head and sighed. ¡°The case is solved, but he is injured.¡± ¡°Is it grave?¡± ¡°With me here, he is alright, but you know his temper ¨C a one-track mind. Although saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-floor pagoda, only he wouldpletely disregard his own life to save another.¡± Despite thest sentence being vague, which evaded Jing Xian¡¯s understanding, he didn¡¯t inquire any further about the subject. He instead warned, ¡°If he is fine, then that is good. Since the case is solved, Imperial Father will certainly allow him to unseal the coffins. If he can dig out the truth of the Imperial Duke case, his position within the imperial court will rise. But still, you have to remind him that he must not disy his talons too early.¡± Mo Ruo was puzzled. ¡°Hey, young man, you¡¯ve been cooped up in this pce alone, but your ears have very long reach. All these small andrge matters haven¡¯t escaped your grasp!¡± ¡°You have to admit that being ignored has its own advantages. It would be too tiring just watching the falling leaves return to their roots, so it¡¯s a nice distraction listening to Bi Lu gossiping about outside matters. It helps pass the time. You also know that Bi Lu doesn¡¯t have much ability, but with old age, he loves gossiping about all matters, both outside and within the pce. Any gossip will make his ears perk up in joy. As he is also terrible at keeping secrets, he would tell me everything, something I happen to enjoy listening to.¡± It took Jing Xian quite a bit of time to finish his exnation, as each sentence required all his strength to speak. Next to him, Mo Ruo patiently listened. His curiosity stirred. He sat up straight whilst inquiring, ¡°I really want to know what Bi Luo narrates to you.¡± ¡°I said everything that should be said.¡± ¡°Ah? Come on, let me hear. I¡¯ve been away from the capital for a while, so I don¡¯t know of any events that have urred in my absence. Fill me in on the gossip.¡± Jing Xian squinted his eyes. He felt somewhat tired. He retracted his morbidly white fingers back into his sleeves. Then, he slowly spoke to Mo Ruo. ¡°The past two days, the rebellious people from Qu Jiang have been arriving at the Capital. Remember to warn Jing Rong that the investigation of the Imperial Duke has to wait until after the situation at the borders has stabilized. He must not go to Lin Mountain to unseal the coffins during this period if only to avoid attracting imperial father¡¯s anger.¡± Mo Ruo didn¡¯t hear any interesting gossip, so he felt somewhat disappointed. He patted his thigh, got up and said, ¡°Never mind! I¡¯ll pass your warning to him. Have a good rest. I wille visit you next time. In the meantime, ease your mind and recuperate. One day, you will be able to leave the imperial pce.¡± Jing Xian indifferently smiled in reply. His eyes closed as he said, ¡°Imperial mother once said that the falling leaf will return to its roots, but where does it belong in the end? Is leaving the imperial pce the answer? If¡­ that happens¡­ one day¡­¡± His voice became more and more weak and soft as he gradually fell asleep on the rocking chair. Mo Ruo lightly sighed. He thought to himself quietly that Jing Xian is probably the only prince in this world that would be in such a miserable state. Mo Ruo took a thin nket and covered Jing Xian before leaving the room. When he left, he called Bi Lu and instructed thetter. ¡°Carefully attend to the Sage King. You have to remember that you must not let him drink any medicine from the Great Hospital. Follow my previous prescription. Make him drink everything ordingly. Do I make myself clear?¡± Bi Lu nodded. ¡°This old servant understands!¡± Mo Ruo nced at the dpidated courtyard, then spoke again. ¡°Is this ce even fit for people to live? No matter what, he is still a prince. Go fetch some people to repair this ce and refurbish it.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes¡­¡± Bi Lu agreed. After Mo Ruo nced once more inside the room, he reluctantly left. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. The closure of the missing girls case was arranged to be announced through a written post by the capital governor. Next, he was obligated to report to the Supreme Court, but first, he had to head to the Rong estate and deliver the announcement post, so that it could be double-checked by Prince Rong. Inside a pavilion. ¡°The Supreme Court can conceal the situation and leave the case on hold, so that after your injuries have healed, you can report directly to the pce as Prince Yi did.¡± The governor spoke frankly. It was clear that he agreed to let Jing Rong im all the credit for this case. If Qi Zhen emperor was pleased, he might bestow rewards! Perhaps as the capital governor, he would get a share of it. Although bandages were wrapped around Jing Rong¡¯s head and hands, his appearance remained overbearing as always. His sharp falcon-like eyebrows knitted together and his eyes were like a raging volcano. He picked up his teacup and took a sip. Then, he ced the teacup back down before speaking. ¡°There is no need. Let the Supreme Court handle it. Another thing, that Gan Chouliang should be re-examined. As for how¡­ Although he didn¡¯t kill anyone, he destroyed the corpses and evidence, which is tantamount to the same crime.¡± ¡°Yes, this humble official understands.¡± ¡°You may withdraw.¡± The capital governor saluted Jing Rong, then he rolled up the announcement post. He was about to leave when urgent footsteps could be heard from afar. With a dignified appearance, a runner stood outside the pavilion. ¡°Your Highness, an incident has urred.¡± ¡°What is the matter?¡± Jing Rong asked solemnly. ¡°Miss Ruan is missing!¡± ng! The teacup in Jing Rong¡¯s hand dropped noisily on the table. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ Meanwhile, a young servant girl in the East courtyard entered a room while holding Ji Yunshu¡¯s clean clothes. Then, she gave a folded paper to Ji Yunshu. ¡°Teacher Ji, is this note yours?¡± Ji Yunshu was perplexed as she received the note. ¡°This is mine?¡± The girl nodded. ¡°This fell off from your other clothes.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°It¡¯s from the clothes you were wearing when you were injured.¡± Chapter 185: Another Murderer Chapter 185: Another Murderer Ji Yunshu unfolded the paper note and saw rows of densely packed ck characters written with delicate and pretty calligraphy. The first thing she looked at was the sender¡¯s name which, unexpectedly, turned out to be Mei Xiang¡¯er! ¡®Eh?¡¯ Her heart tightened with unease. ¡®Was she the one who put it inside my sleeve?¡¯ On the spread out paper, she could read: Miss Ji, if you can read this message, it means that Heaven allowed you to live on. As for me, I must already be dead, and I want to tell you that I am sorry. Onest thing, please help me pass this letter on to another person. Ji Yunshu carefully read each word, but when she finally arrived at the end of the note, her hands trembled and the note almost fell to the floor. In an instant, the fear and unease she felt when she was trapped inside that hut rushed forth. The young girl saw Ji Yunshu¡¯s scared appearance. She prudently inquired. ¡°Teacher Ji, are you alright?¡± Ji Yunshu stayed mute. ¡°Teacher Ji?¡± Ji Yunshu clenched the note in her hand and immediately rushed out with the intention to find Jing Rong, but when she had just stepped out of her courtyard, she bumped into Lang Po who was in a hurry. She seemed to realize something, so she asked him. ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Yes or no?¡± Lang Po immediately nodded. ¡°Miss Ruan went missing yesterday night.¡± ¡®As I expected!¡¯ ¡°His Highness sent me to notify you of it.¡± ¡°Quickly dispatch people to Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s house. Miss Ruan should be inside.¡± ¡°How did you know, Teacher Ji?¡± ¡°Stop asking so many questions!¡± Lang Po gawked. Despite not understanding the reasoning behind it, he still nodded and was just about to leave and go notify Jing Rong along with the capital governor. However, Ji Yunshu grabbed him the next moment and urgently said, ¡°I am going with you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t go. The Prince said that¡­¡± ¡°I must go.¡± Ji Yunshu remained resolute. Lang Po was hesitant, but he knew that it was useless to persuade her otherwise. Therefore, with no better options, hemanded the servants to prepare the carriage while sending others to inform Jing Rong. When the carriage was ready, Ji Yunshu climbed on, followed by Jing Rong. Jing Rong sent his order. ¡°Set off!¡± The carriage immediately departed. Ji Yunshu looked at him with widened eyes as she noticed how bruised and riddled with injuries he was. She started to worry. ¡°Your Highness¡¯ injuries are not healed yet. You should¡­¡± ¡°Do think this Prince is a youngdy? Am I not allowed to fall or get injured?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts! It seems that this case is like peeling the skin off an onion. The more you peel, the moreyers there are. This case never stops catching people off guard.¡± Jing Rong frowned heavily. Then, he continued. ¡°Lang Po told me that before he came to inform you about Miss Ruan¡¯s disappearance, you were already rushing out. You were even able to guess that some ident urred. Tell me, how did you discover it?¡± Ji Yunshu nodded. ¡°After my mind cleared up, I felt there was something fishy that I couldn¡¯t exin. Do you remember what I said about the fragrance on the white cloth we found on Liang Mountain?¡± ¡°I do remember!¡± ¡°When I was outside of Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s hut, someone ambushed me from behind and covered my mouth. At that moment, I smelt that same fragrance. After I woke up, Mei Xiang¡¯er was by my side. I thought that the scent came from her, but while she came close to me a few times, I could only smell it intermittently, which is quite odd.¡± ¡°The other person who died in the fire was Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s big brother. I once grabbed his hand and realize that his bones are very brittle. Furthermore, he has a grave illness affecting his bones. People who are affected like him have an inability to use a lot of strength. Since the victims of this case had their hands chopped off, it¡¯s impossible for the brother to be the murderer. That¡¯s why I thought that the murderer was Mei Xiang¡¯er.¡± ¡°And? What are you getting at?¡± She pondered for a moment then said, ¡°When I was attacked, the back of my head was pressed against the other person¡¯s chest. The odd thing was the height of that person which was a lot taller than me. However, Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s height is simr to mine, not to mention that fragrance¡­ It made me suspect that the murderer is someone else. Unfortunately, Mei Xiang¡¯er and her brother are already dead. I may just be overthinking, but after reading this message¡­¡± While she exined, she took out the note from her sleeve and gave it to Jing Rong. Jing Rong surmised the problem. He took the note and looked at it. After reading it, his expression became the same as Ji Yunshu when she read the first time. ¡®Tsk!¡¯ Shock, sympathy and even hatred were seen on his face. In an instant, Jing Rong¡¯s and Ji Yunshu¡¯s mood became heavy. After half the time it took for a joss stick to burn, they finally arrived at the burnt hut. Due to the fire burning for several hours, the surroundings were in ruins. Everything was burnt into ashes and covered in soot. The scent of burnt wood permeated the air, overwhelming people¡¯s senses. Ji Yunshu discovered that the capital governor was waiting for them as she got off the carriage. Apart from him, Master Ruan and Madame Ruan were also present. Both of them were dressed in gorgeous clothing and covered with gold and silver which made them dazzling to the eyes. They were supporting each other with tears glistening on their faces. Madame Ruan grabbed the governor and started to sob. ¡°Milord! You must find my daughter! You absolutely cannot let something happen to her.¡± Although the governor was not a hot-blooded man, he still felt helpless when he saw her cry in front of him. He sighed and tried tofort her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this Official will certainly find Miss Ruan.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the murderer was already caught? Then, how did our daughter get kidnapped?¡± Madame Ruan abruptly started to berate the governor, aplete turnabout from her previous worried and weeping appearance. ¡°This¡­¡± The capital governor didn¡¯t know how to reply. The next moment, Madame Ruan targeted Ji Yunshu. She stepped forward, consumed by anger and worry, she shouted, ¡°Aren¡¯t you Teacher Ji? Didn¡¯t you say that this case is already solved? Didn¡¯t the murderer die? Why is it now like this? If something has happened to my daughter, how will youpensate for her?¡± She was filled with a bellyful of anger. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t say a word. Contrary to Madame Ruan, Master Ruan still retained his rationality, thus he pulled back Madame Ruan. Jing Rong, who was next to Ji Yunshu, showed an obviously sour expression. This was his woman. She helped with the investigation and didn¡¯tin even after getting injured. Whereas those people were criticizing her. This really infuriated him. With a frown, he was about to say something, but Ji Yunshu tugged at him. She shook her head and whispered, ¡°Forget it!¡± Jing Rong grunted, but he dropped the matter as per her wish. At this moment, the governor approached them and greeted Ji Yunshu. ¡°Teacher, how did you determine that Miss Ruan is here?¡± Ji Yunshu gazed at the ruins and observed many messy footprints within it. The certainty in her mind grew stronger. The murderer had brought Miss Ruan here and hid her in the basement. ¡°Governor, order people to create a security perimeter. I don¡¯t want anyone to follow me. I will go in there alone.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± While the governor was dumbstruck, Jing Rong stepped forward and barred her way. His expression was akin to an iceberg, yet his burning anger could be felt. He employed his princely tone and spoke in amanding voice, ¡°Ji Yunshu. This Prince orders that from now on, if I am not by your side, you are absolutely forbidden to act. Otherwise, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± In other words, if she dared to put herself in danger, he will throw her on the nuptial bed and won¡¯t let her off the hook. Under Jing Rong¡¯s cold and severe eyes, Ji Yunshu shrank back in fear and nodded. Next, Jing Rong ordered everyone, ¡°Wait outside, I will go inside with Teacher Ji.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡± He held her slender wrist and together they walked into the ruined hut. Meanwhile, within a dimmed room, a person draped in a cloak, with their face hidden under a hat, was standing beside an elevated wooden nk. A sharp butcher knife was held in his hand. Ruan Ya¡¯er, the young miss of the Ruan family, was tied to the nk and because her mouth was stuffed with something, she could only struggle. Within her widened eyes, only endless despair was reflected. Chapter 186: The Skinless Face Chapter 186: The Skinless Face ¡°Uuuhh!¡± Ruan Ya¡¯er¡¯s eyes widened from fear. Her fingers spread out wide into a fan shape, her joints stretching tensely. She was using all her strength to free herself from the rope that kept her restrained against the wooden nk. She kept groaning and emitting unintelligible sounds, making people feel the urgency of the situation. Suddenly, a sound quite like a fingernail scratching a ckboard was heard. In front of her, a tall person stood. is entire face hidden under a fabric hat, which made it hard to clearly determine that person¡¯s appearance. A sharp butcher¡¯s knife was held in that person¡¯s hand. The skin of the hand was wrinkled. The shape of the hand was surprisingly slender and the veins under the skin were dted and visible. It was a hand that belonged to a woman. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Soon, everything will be fine.¡± The voice was deep and detached. The voice made people¡¯s hearts feel constricted and bursts of cold shivers. Slowly, the person raised the knife. The fear in Ruan Ya¡¯er turned into despair. Yet, she continued to struggle. The sharp edge of the knife glinted ominously and was about to hack down. Suddenly- Thud! Thump! Noises were hearding from the ceiling! The butcher¡¯ knife¡¯s descent ceased midway. The noises rekindled Ruan Ya¡¯er¡¯s will to live. She turned her head towards the ceiling where a thread of light entered from a newly created hole. ¡°Uuuh- Save¡­¡± Ruan Ya¡¯er exhausted all her strength to utter a word. The woman next to herughed sinisterly, and put down the butcher¡¯s knife. She wasn¡¯t the slightest bit nervous. On the contrary, she carefreely detoured the nk and sat on a chair, waiting for the people above toe down. Jing Rong had already torn off a nk that revealed the entrance to the basement. As light poured in, ayer of dust was kicked up and was seen lightly shimmering. He lead the way down, closely followed by Ji Yunshu. He used a firestarter to light his way. The light from the fire illuminated the smelly and disorderly basement. Then, he shifted the firestarter, and its light illuminated the tied up Miss Ruan on a wooden nk and a woman sitting on a chair. ¡°You finally came!¡± The woman spoke. Jing Rong walked to a nearby oilmp, lit it and picked it up. Then, he coldly ordered, ¡°Release her!¡± ¡°Does this kind of woman deserve to be saved?¡± ¡°Then, what do you gain from killing these people?¡± ¡°They deserve to die!¡± The woman shouted hysterically. Jing Rong closed in step by step. ¡°Whether or not those girls deserve to die is not for you to decide. You have no right tomit these atrocities.¡± ¡°I do!¡± She snarled. She stood up fiercely and swung the butcher¡¯s knife towards Ruan Ya¡¯er¡¯s neck. However, she didn¡¯t actually chop down. Her action was only meant to scare the young miss, who subsequently fainted from fear. The woman began to chuckle. Her concealed dark eyes reflecting the orange light from themp. Her gaze moves past Jing Rong, only to fall on Ji Yunshu. She pointed her finger at Ji Yunshu and said, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, everything would¡¯ve been perfectly fine.¡± Ji Yunshu looked at her cooly. She took a small step forward, but she was pulled back by Jing Rong. ¡°It will be fine.¡± Jing Rong slowly released her hand. Ji Yunshu advanced, and as she gradually approached, the light scent of cosmetics began to tickle her nose. The woman carefully observed Ji Yunshu and ferociously said, ¡°You are the one who killed my Xiang¡¯er and Zhi¡¯er.¡± ¡°Their deaths had nothing to do with me. They died because of you!¡± ¡°Because of me?¡± The woman grinned. She seemed very deranged. Ji Yunshu appeared calm and continued to speak. ¡°Your son and daughter died for you. They used their lives to pay for your crimes! Don¡¯t you have a shred of conscience left in you?¡± ¡®Son? Daughter? Is this woman Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s mother? Wasn¡¯t she already dead?¡¯ The woman sneered again. ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know how I discovered it. I have my own methods.¡± ¡°Was it Xiang¡¯er?¡± The woman spoke in a trembling voice. The rays of light shining from the hole in the ceiling fell on the butcher¡¯s knife. Ji Yunshu took another step towards the woman, whilst saying, ¡°You havemitted crimes, but your daughter was the one who shouldered them for you. Her greatest wish before her death was probably for you to stop killing. However, she was wrong. Even if she protected you, your cruel nature will never change.¡± ¡°In the end, what do you want to say?¡± Ji Yunshu took Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s letter from her sleeve and threw it at the figure being partially obscured by the darkness. In no time, the rustling of paper was heard after the pale and dried hand promptly caught the letter. The woman quickly unfolded it and read its content. Ji Yunshu couldn¡¯t see her expression. However, she could clearly see her fingers tightly clenching, then slowly, the woman crumbled the paper into a ball. ¡°That letter was written before she died and ced within my sleeve. Perhaps, when Heaven gave me a chance to survive, it also gave her the possibility to fulfill her wish by letting me give you this letter. She hoped that you would stop harming others after reading this letter because, in this world, no one else but her would protect you. She didn¡¯t want to die with grievances nor did she want to see her mother sink into the abyss and be tormented by her crimes.¡± Ji Yunshu nned to convince the woman, so she continued to talk. ¡°Now Mei Xiang¡¯er is dead, but until herst breath, she had never med you, even if your hands are covered in blood or even when you peeled off her skin. She didn¡¯t hate you. On the contrary, she wanted to protect you and she would rather use her own and your son¡¯s death to cover up the truth. She did so without the slightest hesitation.¡± The crumbled paper shook slightly. Whilst Ji Yunshu spoke, the woman¡¯s hand slid down to Ruan Ya¡¯er. For a moment, all her movements stopped. Then, she moved the knife away from the young miss¡¯ neck. ng! The knife fell on the wooden nk. Then, she turned around and took out a firestarter from her waistband. She blew on it and used it to ignite another oilmp. She turned back once more whilst raising her hand, only to pull down her hat. Under the light, a head of grizzled hair with a pair of dead and bloodshot eyes were clearly seen. However, nothing could prepare them for the horrific sight that was her skinless face. A face that was covered in crimson from the dried up flesh and blood vessels. It was incredibly sickening to the sight! ¡°Are you afraid?¡± The woman asked Ji Yunshu. Ji Yunshu shook her head. Sympathy could be seen in her eyes. ¡°I think that Miss Mei didn¡¯t mention everything when she told her story.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It would be for the best if finished her story. The year you gave birth to your son, who happened to have a rare illness, everyone in the vige said that he wasn¡¯t a human. Therefore, they drove both of you out of the vige at some point. Not long after that, you heard someone say that your son can be cured if you can find a skin to exchange with his. As a result, you peeled off your daughter¡¯s skin, then you peeled off your own face and gave it to your son. However, it was useless. You already gave up after that attempt. That was until two months ago. You happened to see someone humiliate Mei Xiang¡¯er because of the scar on her neck. Impulsively, you gave that person a lethal blow, but you were identally seen by Gan Chouliang. In order to conceal your crime, Mei Xiang¡¯er begged him to help dispose of the corpse. Thus, you continued to kill again and again with impunity.¡± ¡°If I¡¯ve guessed correctly, you don¡¯t simply want to peel off their skin for your son. You also let your son sully them in hope of him causing impregnation, giving your son a descendant!¡± The woman listened to Ji Yunshu¡¯s exnation calmly. She didn¡¯t refute Ji Yunshu¡¯s words, implicitly agreeing to it instead with her silence. Chapter 187: Qingzhou County Chapter 187: Qingzhou County Whilst Ji Yunshu spoke, countless possible scenarios shed through her mind. She wasn¡¯t disgusted. However, it did make her feel as if a boulder was pressing on her chest, constricting her heart. Yet, she continued to exin her conjecture. ¡°However, you were afraid. You feared that when the victims died, they would turn into evil spirits that would haunt you as revenge. Therefore, you chopped off their hands, so that once they turned into vengeful ghosts, they would be unable to tear off your skin with their hands.¡± Oh! Following her crystal clear exnation, the atmosphere within the dimmed room became incredibly strange. After the woman heard Ji Yunshu¡¯s conjecture, she started tough. She put her hat back on and leaned her body over to blow out the light of her oilmp. Then, she returned to her chair. She spoke in a low voice. ¡°Your guess is correct.¡± ¡°If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t let Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s death be meaningless.¡± ¡°You can take her away.¡± The woman pointed at Ruan Ya¡¯er. Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression became somewhat gloomy. She reached out to the rope tying Ruan Ya¡¯er onto the wooden nk. Jing Rong, who was behind Ji Yunshu, stepped forward and helped lift the young miss of the Ruan family off the wooden nk. ¡°Bring her out of here first.¡± Ji Yunshu uttered. Jing Rong naturally didn¡¯t agree and red at her. Ji Yunshu calmly added, ¡°I promise you that I will not put myself in danger.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do!¡± ¡°Believe me. She will not harm me. Take Miss Ruan out first.¡± ¡°You-¡± Ji Yunshu lightly pushed him forward. Although Jing Rong was unwilling, he grudgingly agreed after re-examining the unconscious Ruan Ya¡¯er. He carefully carried her as he left. After a few moments, Ji Yunshu approached the woman and squatted next to her. She gripped Mei Xiang¡¯er¡¯s mother¡¯s cold hand with both of her own. Then, she moved her gaze upwards and said, ¡°I understand that as a mother, you are willing to do anything for the sake of your children, even sacrificing your life.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Ji Yunshu took out a red pill from her waistband and ced it in the woman¡¯s hand. ¡°You have already suffered enough torment during your lifetime. I hope that when you leave, you can do so in peace.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± The woman clutched the pill in her palm. She was already nning to follow the same path as Mei Xiang¡¯er,mitting suicide. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Outside, Jing Rong was waiting for her at the entrance. In the end, he was still worried. If he couldn¡¯t hear any hint of activity from below, he would immediately rush down. However, it didn¡¯t take long before Ji Yunshu emerged from the basement. ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Ji Yunshu shook her head, but she didn¡¯t borate. She lowered her gaze to look at the ruins. Then, she walked into the carriage and pulled down the curtain. The sounds of marching and clinking weapons were hearding from outside. However, she remained calm in her seat, but her reddish eyes betrayed her inner thoughts. In less than a moment, she heard someone exim, ¡°The culprit is dead!¡± Right after, Jing Rong climbed into the carriage and sat beside her. Neither of them uttering a word. After the long silence, Ji Yunshu finally nced at him. ¡°Do you want to know what we spoke about?¡± ¡°It is necessary to know?¡± Jing Rong raised his eyebrows. He held her hand. ¡°If it was me, I would also have done the same.¡± Indeed, Jing Rong was like the roundworm in her belly. He could figure out her thoughts. The next moment, Ji Yunshu pulled her hand back into her sleeve, clenching it into a fist. Her small action did not cause him to be disappointed. He was well behaved sitting next to her and gazed at her the whole journey back. Ji Yunshu blushed from his intense gaze. It was best if she ignored him, thus, she lifted the window curtain and looked outside. Right at that time, the capital governor was covering the woman¡¯s body with a white cloth. Ji Yunshu felt her heart heavy and was overwhelmed by a stuffy feeling as she looked at the scene. In the end, even hateful people like this could be rather pitiful! ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Two dayster, the Supreme Court closed the case. The atmosphere of fear in the capital finally disappeared. Everyone had rejoiced as peace returned. Naturally, the name ¡°Teacher Ji¡± spread far and wide within the capital. Everyone believed that Teacher Ji was an immortal genius with supreme intelligence. Rumors said that Teacher Ji possessed eyes that could see through all beings and expansive knowledge of all things up to 500 years into the past and 500 years into the future. Others said that Teacher Ji was the reincarnated sovereign of theherworld, and had the power tomunicate with the dead. There was an even more exaggerated rumor circting which said that Teacher Ji was Prince Rong¡¯s lover. ¡®Hey, hey, hey! What the heck is up with that lovers rumor? How can two big men turn into lovers?! This is ancient times! Could it be that people consider that kind of gossip important?!¡¯ After listening to those weird rumors, Ji Yunshu choked on her water from too muchughter. She dared to bet that the final rumor was certainly propagated by Jing Rong. That bastard must be up to no good. ¡®What a stinky and shameless man!¡¯ ¡°Shu¡¯er, are you alright?¡± Wei Yi was sitting in front of her and watching the entire range of expressions that formed on her face. Ji Yunshu nodded. Then, she picked up a piece of pastry and gave it to Wei Yi whilst saying, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Here, eat a bit more.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Wei Yi became engrossed in eating the pastry. At this time, a pageboy ran in from outside. He stood at the entrance and respectfully notified her. ¡°Teacher, Madame Jiang came to find you. She is waiting in the long hallway in the rear court.¡± Ji Yunshu wasn¡¯t surprised by the other¡¯s arrival. She nodded and rose from her seat. When she reached the long hallway, she saw Madame Jiang standing at a corner. How long had it been since thest time she saw her? Now that they met again, the woman no longer appeared rash. She seemed like a hedgehog without its thorns. ¡°Did Madame Jiang wait long?¡± When Madame Jiang heard Ji Yunshu¡¯s voice, she moved sideways and answered courteously, ¡°I didn¡¯t wait long as i had just arrived. That¡¯s right, how is your body? Is it better?¡± ¡°It¡¯s recovering well after a few days of resting.¡± Madame Jiang took out a small bottle and handed it to Ji Yunshu. ¡°This medicine is a special ointment made by our Li family. It will be helpful to you.¡± Ji Yunshu took it and thanked her. ¡°I should be the one thanking you.¡± Madame Jiang leaned over. ¡°Although I still dislike you because of the matter in Jinjiang, I have to admit that I did have my faults. How could I rejoice over the tragic death of my husband? There were countless nights when I woke up in a cold sweat, fear and guilt overwhelm me. However, after you solved the case, I was finally able to sleep peacefully as if a huge stone had been lifted from my heart.¡± Ji Yunshu stayed silent. Madame Jiang muttered, ¡°I once said that if Teacher could help me find Shuiqing, I will tell what I know about that case.¡± ¡°Please tell me.¡± Madame Jiang moved a step away, her gaze looked at the faraway roof tiles before slowly recounting, ¡°Fourteen years ago, the Imperial Duke went to Qingzhou county to find my grandfather, Old General Li.¡± ¡°What are you implying?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what they spoke about together, but when they came out, they all had solemn expressions. Right after, the Imperial duke left Qingzhou. Two days after his return to the capital, his whole estate was burnt to the ground. During those several days, my grandfather traveled to distant locations and he didn¡¯t return to the capital, so I don¡¯t know if that matter is rted to the Imperial Duke case. However, I hope that this information will be of help to you.¡± When she was done talking, Madame Jiang looked at Ji Yunshu again. Ji Yunshu was slightly surprised. She started to ponder the new information. Then, she said, ¡°Madame Jiang, is it possible for me to meet Old General Li?¡± ¡°My grandfather is currently in Qingzhou. He didn¡¯t evene to Shuiqing¡¯s funeral. I won¡¯t hide this from you. In fact, after the death of the Imperial Duke 14 years ago, my grandfather said that he would never set foot in the capital for the rest of his life. If you want to meet him to inquire about what happened at that time, I believe that you might need to go to Qingzhou.¡± ¡®Travelling to Qingzhou?¡¯ Ji Yunshu remained silent as she slowly analyzed the matter before saying, ¡°If the Imperial Duke took the effort to go to the faraway Qingzhou to meet Old General Li, there must be a serious matter that required him to do so in person.¡± ¡°I can only help you up until here. My grandfather has a very stubborn personality. I can¡¯t guarantee that he will agree to tell you about the matters of 14 years ago. Otherwise, he would have spoke of it long ago.¡± Chapter 188: A Constitution that Invites Troubles Chapter 188: A Constitution that Invites Troubles Madame Jiang¡¯s words were true. If the meeting between the Imperial Duke and Old General Li was really rted to Lin capital case, why didn¡¯t the general mention it over the past 14 years? Instead, it was Qin Shiyu who requested a re-investigation. In any event, since Old General was mentioned, meeting him was imperative. When she thought up to that point, she earnestly said to Madame Jiang, ¡°Thank you very much for telling me. Since this matter involves too many matters, I hope that your words today will remain between us.¡± ¡°I understand, so please, rest assured.¡± She paused for a bit before continuing in a hesitant and remorseful tone. ¡°Teacher Ji, my younger brother is a hot-blooded person. He has provoked you many times, but I hope that you will not take to heart.¡± If she hadn¡¯t mentioned it, Ji Yunshu would havepletely forgotten about it. However, she wasn¡¯t a narrow-minded person. At first nce, she had already understood Li Zhao¡¯s personality. He was merely a paper tiger without teeth. He was all bark and no bite. Therefore, she didn¡¯t take his words at heart. She beamed a magnanimous smile and reassured the other. ¡°It is all in the past. You don¡¯t need to mention it, and I don¡¯t mind.¡± Finally, Madame Jiang felt relieved. She looked at the gloomy sky that seemed to warn of rain. Madame Jiang didn¡¯t stay long, preparing to leave shortly thereafter. Just before she left, she suddenly remembered something. She informed Ji Yunshu, ¡°That¡¯s right! When the Imperial Duke met with my grandfather, I inadvertently heard them mention something regarding the transfer of the troops. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know about the details.¡± ¡°The transfer of troops?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t pay much attention to it at the time, but I vaguely remember the topicing up.¡± Ji Yunshu nodded. ¡°Thank you very much!¡± Not long after Madame Jiang left, Ji Yunshu went to find Jing Rong. Although Jing Rong had been recuperating from his wounds the past two days, he was still traveling to the imperial pce. Rumors said that Qujiang¡¯s army had already entered the city. The rtionship between the two countries was very tense at the moment. Since Qi Zhen emperor was a careful person, he wouldn¡¯t becent about the matter. At this moment, Jing Rong had changed his clothes and was about leave for the imperial pce when he noticed Ji Yunshu¡¯s arrival. He gestured to Lang Po, hinting for him to withdraw. Lang Po was very tactful as he didn¡¯t n to disturb their alone time. Ji Yunshu walked in. ¡°What is it? Already missing me after not seeing me for two days?¡± Jing Rong raised an eyebrow and had a mischievous smile hanging on his face. ¡®Shameless!¡¯ Ji Yunshu inwardly sighed. She quickly broached the reason for her presence here. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to disturb you when you are so busy, but just now, Madame Jiang came to me.¡± ¡°Eh? Did shee to thank you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s only part of the reason. We mostly talked about what happened 14 years ago.¡± When anything about 14 years ago was mentioned, Jing Rong¡¯s mind tensed. He asked in a puzzled tone, ¡°Fourteen years ago? Do you mean it is rted to the Lin capital case?¡± Ji Yunshu nodded. ¡°This is rather odd. Fourteen years ago, Madame Jiang wasn¡¯t in the capital. What can she tell us about?¡± ¡°Although she wasn¡¯t in the capital, she told me that the Imperial Duke went to Qingzhou to meet Old General Li before he died in the fire.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°It seemed that they spoke about the transfer of troops.¡± ¡°Matters on troop transfers?¡± Jing Rong was originally indifferent, but he was now pacing to and fro, lost in thoughts After watching him for few moments, Ji Yunshu asked, ¡°Did your Highness think of something?¡± He leaned forward with his hands behind his back and took a few steps forward before speaking a low and mellow tone. ¡°The Imperial Duke and Old General Li were on very good terms. So, it isn¡¯t surprising that he would leave the capital to meet with the general. Besides, thetter had the army in his hands at that time. Thus, their talk on troop transfers isn¡¯t strange.¡± ¡°So, you mean that this matter has nothing to do with the Lin capital case?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it. If what Madame Jiang said is true, and something bad actually urred at home when he came back from Qingzhou, this is too much of a coincidence.¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t speak as she was listening as he shared his conjecture. Jing Rong pondered a moment, before he continued, ¡°Although solving the Lin capital case is pressing, we can¡¯t do anything right now.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t? Why?¡± Jing Rong exined, ¡°A revolt started at the borders. Imperial father has allowed the other party to enter the capital. At this time, we have to forgo the matter of unsealing the coffins.¡± ¡®No wonder Jing Rong was making numerous trips to the imperial pce.¡¯ Ji Yunshu knew the importance of the situation at the borders. It was clear that this time both sides met for negotiations. If both sides came to an agreement, the war could be averted, but if negotiations failed, they would meet on the battlefield! Ji Yunshu pursed her lips and said, ¡°Since it¡¯s like that, I want to take the opportunity to go to Qingzhou.¡± ¡°No way!¡± It was a direct refusal! ¡°Why?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s attitude was firm. ¡°If this Prince is not with you, you can¡¯t go anywhere. If something happens, I have no time to collect your corpse.¡± ¡®Get lost!¡¯ The anger in Ji Yunshu rose and she almost scolded him on the spot. This mouth of his¡­ One day, when she returned to modern day society, she will excavate his remains, pry open his poisonous mouth, and carefully study the insides. However, her temper was very mild, and as such, her anger quickly cooled. She harrumphed and turned her head away. She said, ¡°Can it be that your Highness wants to confine me?¡± Jing Rong frowned. ¡°You know that this Prince doesn¡¯t mean it that way. You have a constitution that invites troubles. Wherever you go, something will happen. In order to protect you, I¡¯ve been injured from top to bottom. Can you give me some semnce of sympathy, so I can live for more than two years?¡± ¡®He is indeed pitiful.¡¯ However¡­ ¡°These two matters don¡¯t have anything to do with one another.¡± Ji Yunshu retorted. ¡°How so? Do you think that I can be at ease waiting for in the capital if you go to Qingzhou alone? If an ident urs on the way, my heart will break apart.¡± Pain could be heard in his tone. Ji Yunshu furiously blushed when she heard his words, but she immediately regained her stern expression. Looking at his passionate gaze, she soon doused it in cold water by saying, ¡°The situation at the borders is urgent. Although the Lin capital case is on standby, it cannot be dyed for too long. The reason I came to the capital is to solve this case. Something I hope will ur sooner rather thanter. Qingzhou is not too far from the capital. I want to meet Old General Li and ask for the details of his meeting with the Imperial Duke. I will immediately return right after that, and will not dawdle there. If you¡¯re worried that I will run away, I can leave Wei Yi here. I will not abandon him.¡± ¡®She is using Wei Yi as a bargaining chip!¡¯ However, Jing Rong didn¡¯t swallow her words raw. ¡°It¡¯s non-negotiable.¡± He remained resolute in his decision and stated, ¡°Even if I arrange an expert to apany you, it¡¯s not as good as my personal protection. I won¡¯t feel at ease otherwise. In short, after the situation at the borders has been settled, this Prince will go to Qingzhou with you. Besides, Old General Li is rather entric. You going there first doesn¡¯t mean that he will meet with you. With my presence, he won¡¯t dare refuse.¡± Jing Rong emitted an air of arrogance, appearing high and mighty! He didn¡¯t give an opportunity for Ji Yunshu to refute again. At this moment, an imperial guard came to report. ¡°Your Highness, the people from the pce came.¡± Jing Rong nodded. The Head of Eunuchs advanced toward them in small steps. His head was lowered and his arms hung to each of his sides. He respectfully sped his hands together in salute. ¡°The emperor has decreed that Prince Rong is to immediately go to the imperial pce.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Replying to Prince Rong, the emperor said that Qujiang¡¯s general and his people have entered the pce. He announced that your Highness must immediately be present for the negotiation.¡± ¡°They have already entered the pce?¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡± The situation was quite urgent, thus Jing Rong didn¡¯t dare to dy any longer. He nodded. ¡°I know. This Prince is leaving immediately.¡± The court eunuch didn¡¯t leave yet. Instead, his sight fell on Ji Yunshu. He respectfully saluted her and said, ¡°Teacher Ji, her Ladyship, Concubine Xiao, has decreed that you must immediately enter the pce.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ Ji Yunshu got scared. That woman wanted to talk about pointless things with her again? Chapter 189: A Banquet of Schemes Concubine Xiao had issued a decree for seemingly no reason. Ji Yunshu grudgingly epted the summon. ¡°I shall obey!¡± The pce servants left to report thepletion of their tasks. Ji Yunshu looked at Jing Rong. ¡°Today is the day when Qujiang¡¯s general entered the pce. I wonder what are Concubine Xiao¡¯s intentions in summoning me into the pce?¡± ¡°If you are reluctant to go, then don¡¯t. This Prince will cover for you.¡± ¡°There is no need for that. She might want to discuss the missing girls case.¡± ¡°Can you deal with her?¡± Jing Rong asked. Ji Yunshu became hesitant. She said, ¡°I can more or less cope with her. Well,st time, I dide out from the pce alive.¡± Suddenly, Jing Rong frowned and sternly said, ¡°This time, we enter the imperial pce together. If you dare to leave first likest time, leaving this Prince behind, see how I will deal with you.¡± ¡®Oops!¡¯ She made a faux pas. Jing Rong looked straight into her eyes with an intense gaze that showed just how serious he was. It caused Ji Yunshu to instinctively retreat back a step while nodding. She promised. ¡°If I amte and cannot leave on time, your Highness doesn¡¯t need to wait for me.¡± Jing Rong understood her meaning. His expression suddenly turned slightly cold and oppressive. He said to her, ¡°If Concubine Xiao dares to confine you within the pce, this Prince will rush in her pce hall with my people. Carving out a trail of blood if I have to. ¡®I¡¯m blushing from shame! Do you have to be so violent?¡¯ Ji Yunshu was rendered speechless by Jing Rong. ¡°After we¡¯ve entered the pce, I will arrange for several eunuchs to protect you. They will be around Concubine Xiao¡¯s pce hall. If something happens, they can immediately notify me.¡± Jing Rong added. ¡°It¡¯s not necessary!¡± ¡°It is necessary!¡± His attitude was very resolute. They no longer dyed and immediately went to board the carriage. However, Wei Yi rushed out. He tightly grabbed onto Ji Yunshu¡¯s arm and refused to let go no matter what. ¡°Shu¡¯er, let¡¯s go together!¡± He pitifully said. ¡°Wei Yi, I am not going out to y. Be obedient and stay here. I will return very quickly.¡± Wei Yi shook his head. ¡°Listen to me!¡± He shook his head again. Ji Yunshu wanted to stretch out her other hand to free herself from his grip, but Wei Yi suddenly said, ¡°I will not let go of Shu¡¯er¡¯s arm. Because if I let go, I won¡¯t be able to see you again. I am scared! I am scared that I can¡¯t see Shu¡¯er!¡± ¡®Eh!¡¯ ¡°Wei Yi¡­¡± ¡°Shu¡¯er, let¡¯s go together. Is it alright?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s voice was suddenly heard from the carriage. ¡°Climb in, and take him along!¡± Hearing that, Wei Yi became happy. He hurriedly squeezed into the carriage while shouting several times ¡°You are great, Big Brother!¡± However, as Ji Yunshu got on the carriage, she red at Jing Rong. He squinted his eyes to look at her andzily said, ¡°He wants to go, so let him go.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the imperial pce!¡± Ji Yunshu reminded him. ¡°This Prince knows!¡± He lightly replied. Ji Yunshu insisted on keeping him safe. She looked at Wei Yi. ¡°Wei Yi, go back.¡± ¡°Shu¡¯er¡­¡± ¡°Go back!¡± Wei Yi lowered his head and knew that Ji Yunshu was angry. He reached for her sleeve and tugged at it. ¡°Shu¡¯er, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯m going back.¡± He looked extremely pitiful with his lowered head. Seeing Wei Yi¡¯s pitiful appearance, Ji Yunshu¡¯s heart could hardly bear it. ¡®Wei Yi, be patient until I¡¯m done with the Lin Capital case. I promise you that when everything is done, I¡¯ll apany you more often.¡¯ After Wei Yi got off the carriage, Jing Rong suddenly lifted the curtain and ordered Lang Po, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to go to the pce with me. Take care of Wei Yi. Bring him to eat what he likes and y with him until he is happy.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡± After he lowered the curtain, he looked back at Ji Yunshu with a solemn expression and expressed his thoughts, ¡°Since he wants toe, why are you so adamant in your refusal?¡± ¡°I am not your Highness. I have no way of rescuing others from danger if something does happen.¡± ¡°Why would you say so?¡± ¡°Wei Yi shouldn¡¯t be involved in these muddled matters.¡± Her reply was very concise, so Jing Rong no longer had a reason to dig further. Wei Yi watched the carriage gradually getting further away, disappearing into the distance. He was pouting whilst sitting on the stairs in front of the estate. His feet were continuously drawing circles on the ground. Lang Po approached him and spoke to him in a soft and fawning tone, ¡°Young Master Wei, how about going with me to eat tanghulu?¡± Wei Yi shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t want. I want to wait here until Shu¡¯eres back.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t better if we go in?¡± ¡°I said no! I¡¯m waiting here.¡± ¡®How headstrong!¡¯ ¡°Young Master Wei¡­¡± Lang Po was interrupted by Wei Yi. He pouted his mouth, then teardrops fell down from his glistening eyes. He raised his head and looked straight at Lang Po as he asked, ¡°Do you think that Shu¡¯er hates me?¡± His question came abruptly, catching Lang Po off guard. The corner of his mouth twitched. If someone asked him about anything rted to the military, it would not be a problem for him to answer, but to ask him about matters of the heart, he was truly lost. He shrugged and felt helpless. ¡°Young Master Wei, you are making thing difficult for me.¡± Wei Yi lowered his head and watched his own cleaned shoes that continued circling the dirt on the ground. ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. After entering the Imperial Pce, Jing Rong hastily went to the hall where the negotiations would take ce. Before he left, he nagged her over and over again to be careful. She repeatedly nodded at him. The same pce maid who weed herst time was there guide her to Zhangzhi hall once more. What caused Ji Yunshu to be surprised was the announcement of her arrival, even a seat was arranged for her in the main room. Some seats were upied by gorgeously dressed youngdies, and each one of thosedies is considered to be a beauty with their own standard. Ji Yunshu was puzzled. ¡®What kind of drugs did Concubine Xiao take?¡¯ Those women watched as she arrived, looking at the half-mask upon her face that gave her a touch of mystery. All of them showed curiosity towards her and sized her up. They all wondered if she was beautiful or ugly underneath that mask. What¡¯s more, some of them lowered their heads bashfully. Others would blush at the mere sight of her, while a few would smile at her coquettishly, and the rest were biting their lips, wishing they had the courage to throw themselves in her arms. Was this the effect of solving the missing girls case? It unexpectedly gave her quite a bit of renown and attracted numerous butterflies. She quickly avoided looking straight at those flirty and charming gazes and walked to the middle of the room. She sped her hand and courteously saluted. ¡°Greetings Concubine Xiao!¡± Concubine Xiao showed an amiable expression full of smiles. Her tone was gentle when she spoke. ¡°Teacher Ji, you don¡¯t need to be so polite. I have set up a small feast for Teacher. I hope you won¡¯t me me for taking the initiative.¡± ¡®Ah? You¡¯re setting a feast for me? What is this situation?¡¯ ¡°This humble one failed to understand your Ladyship¡¯s meaning.¡± ¡°You have solved the missing girls case. The whole capital knows that you are a prodigy, and many of our youngdies admire you. This Pce was thinking that since you will need to marry sooner orter, why not gather the talenteddies from schrly and reputable families today. I believe that their abilities could be a good match with yours.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ Concubine Xiao was acting as Ji Yunshu¡¯s matchmaker. Ji Yunshu¡¯s palms becameced with sweat. ¡®What is that woman wanting to do?¡¯ Ji Yunshu bowed. ¡°Many thanks for her Ladyship¡¯s kind intentions. This humble one is born in a humble home and does not dare to overstep one¡¯s status.¡± ¡°Since ancient times, people haven¡¯t feared the bitter cold, they instead only fear the Wisemans heartlessness. Teacher has my utmost admiration. Since you have solved the case, the emperor has highly praised you. In the future, your career will progress by leaps and bounds.¡± ¡°Your Ladyship overpraises me. This humble one appreciates your kindness. As for my career, it is too early to say.¡± She declined Concubine Xiao¡¯s invitation to her camp again. The corner of Concubine Xiao dropped a little, yet she still patiently spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t be too anxious to decline this Pce. Take a seat and let¡¯s chat.¡± Ji Yunshu had no other alternative. She had entered too deeply into the tiger¡¯s cave and couldn¡¯t easily escape. She sat down while feeling ufortable under the curious and longing gaze affixed to her body. Suddenly, she heard a voice. ¡°Teacher Ji¡¯s appearance is generous and you are also blessed with a clever mind. Your face must be magnificent. Why don¡¯t you take off your mask?¡± The women at the feast all nodded in agreement while imagining her looks. Concubine Xiao inwardlyughed sinisterly. She immediately followed suit. ¡°Since everyone agreed, why don¡¯t you take off your mask?¡± It actually turned out to be a banquet of schemes. Chapter 190: Jing Xuan Caught in A Scheme Chapter 190: Jing Xuan Caught in A Scheme She knew as soon as she had received the invitation from Concubine Xiao, she knew the woman wouldn¡¯t have any good intentions towards her. However, she didn¡¯t expect that her bad intentions would reveal themselves to be a scheme of this nature. Ji Yunshu lowered her gaze and sat still with aposed expression as if Concubine Xiao¡¯s words had never entered her ears. She neither agreed nor disagreed. ¡°Teacher Ji, is it so difficult for you to promise such a simple thing?¡± Concubine Xiao watched her with an expression of doubt and hesitation. Her eyebrows rose. One of thedies echoed Concubine Xiao. ¡°Can it be that Teacher intends to conceal your appearance because it is unsightly? However, seeing that half of your face is quite outstanding, assuredly, your real appearance will be nothing short of handsome.¡± The ancients sure loved to tter other¡¯s ego! Ji Yunshu opened her eyes and nced at the woman who had spoken. Pretty with makeup and red lips, she was a considerably pretty woman. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t conceal the arrogance seething from her eyes. ¡°You have overpraised this humble one. I am merely amoner. Although I was born with good looks, it only applied to half of my face. It probablypensated for my the damage on the other half.¡± ¡°You mean that the other side is scarred?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± She frankly replied. The woman immediately nted her head, then raised her embroidered sleeve to her nose while frowning. She didn¡¯t hide her disgust. Ji Yunshu saw her movement and the changes in her expression in a single nce, even the hint of contempt shown from the slight curve on her lips could not be concealed. Although the rouge the woman was using was indeed genuine, but the choice of color came across as vulgar on her. Concubine Xiao looked at Ji Yunshu pretending to be magnanimous as she interjected, ¡°How can Teacher¡¯s appearance possibly be as you describe it? Everything will be clear after the mask is removed. If you fancy ady that is present, this imperial one will act as your matchmaker.¡± Ji Yunshu sped her hands and nned to refuse. ¡°This humble one¡­¡± Concubine Xiao waved her sleeve and interrupted before she could finish her sentence. ¡°Teacher shouldn¡¯t decline so hastily.¡± ¡®This woman is too forceful!¡¯ Ji Yunshu was very clear that, at this moment, she was like a bird trapped in a cage, mercilessly thrown into confusion by Concubine Xiao poking at her with a branch. ¡®Forget it! If you want to see, so be it!¡¯ Perhaps after those pampereddies saw her appearance, they would be scared to death, a good result if nothing else. Ji Yunshu nodded after yielding to everyone¡¯s request. She swept her gaze through the room. ¡°Since all you youngdies wish to see, and her Ladyship Concubine Xiao had ordered, I shall remove my mask.¡± Concubine Xiao nodded with great satisfaction. Her vermillion-colored lips secretly curled up as she watched Ji Yunshu raise her white fingers toward the golden mask. Ji Yunshu¡¯s fingers bent, applying some force to lift the mask. The mask slightly lifted up a bit. The crowd¡¯s eyes were concentrated on her face. They were all watching with great anticipation and impatience. Ji Yunshu¡¯s visage was slowly revealed, but before they could see more¡­ ¡°Imperial Mother!¡± Jing Xuan ran into the room overjoyed while holding up the hem of her new skirt she just changed into. With that timely interruption, Ji Yunshu, who had yet to fully remove her mask, promptly put it back into ce and remained calmly seated. It caused everyone to sigh in disappointment and dissatisfaction. ¡°Xuan¡¯er? Why did youe?¡± Concubine Xiao¡¯s expression twisted as she asked her daughter. ¡°Daughter heard the servants say that Imperial Mother had arranged a banquet in the reception hall, and the youngdies from reputable families had been invited. I want also wish to join in on the fun.¡± ¡°This banquet has nothing to do with you. Withdraw for the time being.¡± Concubine Xiao sternly spoke. However, Jing Xuan acted as if nothing had been said at all. Instead, she looked at Ji Yunshu. She immediately became bashful and spirited. It was with joy that she walked to Ji Yunshu. She was full of smiles when she spoke. ¡°Teacher Ji is also here.¡± Ji Yunshu rose and saluted her. ¡°Greetings, Princess.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for such courtesy between us.¡± Finished speaking, she pulled on the corner of Ji Yunshu¡¯s clothes and stuck to thetter. Then, she pouted andined, ¡°Imperial Mother is too much. She invited you, but she didn¡¯t tell me. If I knew earlier, I would have gone to the pce gate to wee you.¡± ¡®This¡­¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s forehead becameced with sweat. At first, she wanted to tug her sleeve back and out of the other¡¯s grip, but Jing Xuan was gripping onto it too tightly and refused to let go. Bam! Upon seeing her daughter¡¯s actions, Concubine Xiao fiercely mmed one of her hands on the armrest of her goldencquered ivory chair. Her anger burst forth. ¡°Servants! Bring the princess out.¡± ¡°Yes, your Ladyship!¡± The pce maids came in and wanted to pull Jing Xuan out. Jing Xuan turned her body and pushed away the pce maids. She stubbornly resisted and argued with Concubine Xiao. ¡°Imperial Mother, why can¡¯t I attend this feast? Teacher Ji and I haven¡¯t seen each other for many days. If Imperial Mother doesn¡¯t allow me to stay, then I will bring Teacher to the back hall.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! You are a princess, but you can actually say such shameless words.¡± Concubine Xiao spoke harshly with a severe expression. ¡°Daughter has always been like this. My words have always been blunt. Since Imperial Mother has to host the banquet, I won¡¯t disturb you any longer.¡± As soon as she was done, Jing Xuan pulled Ji Yunshu away. ¡°Xuan¡¯er!¡± Jing Xuan quickly went out of the main hall with Ji Yunshu, paying no heed to Concubine Xiao¡¯s reprimanding voice. Ji Yunshu halted her steps and pulled away from Jing Xuan. Jing Xuan turned around to look at her. Then, she nced toward the main hall. Seeing that no one had chased after them, the corner of her mouth curled into a smile. She said, ¡°How can those ordinary and rough women see your appearance before this Princess does? If anything, this Princess has to be the one who sees it first.¡± Ah! This is what love is like. If it wasn¡¯t for Jing Xuan¡¯s sudden appearance, there would have been several issues urring today, and many rumors would have spread about Ji Yunshu¡¯s appearance. If regardless of her ugly appearance, Concubine Xiao still acted as her matchmaker to find a virtuous wife, and she refused, the public would deem her disrespectful of Concubine Xiao¡¯s kind intentions. Yet, if she was to agree, the matter of her identity would be a problem. After mulling it over, she admitted that Concubine Xiao¡¯s thoughts were incredibly meticulous. Fortunately, just when her scheme was about to seed, Jing Xuan suddenly came in and threw everything into disarray, giving her an opportunity to escape her predicament. Ji Yunshu still had some lingering fear. It was not worth it to fall into Concubine Xiao¡¯s trap before she could even start investigating the Lin Capital case. Seeing that Ji Yunshu was slow in her in reply, Jing Xuan swiftly pulled the other¡¯s hand and intimately said, ¡°Since we are already out, you might as welle go to my residence.¡± ¡°Many thanks for your invitation, but it¡¯s gettingte. I need to take my leave.¡± She retracted her arm with an indifferent expression. She was about to leave when the next instant Jing Xuan stated, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you don¡¯t want to see Wei Yi?¡± ¡®Eh?¡¯ ¡°What are you saying?¡± Ji Yunshu stopped and turned around. Disappointment could be seen on Jing Xuan¡¯s face. ¡°So, what makes you most nervous is Wei Yi!¡± ¡°Why did you mention him? What did you do to him?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you in a hurry to leave the imperial pce?¡± She turned away while crossing her arms, showing her small temper. Ji Yunshu was anxious. She seriously answered, ¡°Princess, if you want to make things difficult for me, so be it, but please don¡¯t harm Wei Yi.¡± ¡°When did I say that I¡¯d harmed him? I only send people to bring him into the pce. That little idiot is here. He¡¯s leisurely eating pastries at the back hall. So, do you want to go to the back hall with me now?¡± Anxiety was written all over Ji Yunshu¡¯s face. She hesitated for a moment, before agreeing. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you to look for him.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Jing Xuan was very satisfied. Thus, she pulled Ji Yunshu and they hurriedly left for the back hall. On the way, Jing Xuan was a bit worried. She said, ¡°Last time, I spoke to my imperial mother and told her about the matter of the missing girls case I overheard imperial brother and you speaking of. When she heard about it, for some reason, she forbid me from leaving the pce and confined me. I heard that you two were injured and I was very worried.¡± Her tone was filled with worry. ¡°So it was you?¡± Ji Yunshu was bbergasted. Jing Xuan didn¡¯t understand. ¡°What do you mean by ¡®it was me?¡¯ I wanted to ask you how is your injury?¡± Ji Yunshu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Her tone was extremely cold. She didn¡¯t expect that Jing Xuan was eavesdropping on them and carelessly informed Concubine Xiao about their n which led to Jing Yi arresting Gan Chuliang before them. Chapter 191: Birthmark Chapter 191: Birthmark At the back hall of Zhangzhi hall, Wei Yi was circling around anxiously outside whilst repeatedly looking at the entrance of the courtyard. Before, when he was waiting in front of the Rong estate, suddenly people from the pce hade and told him to leave with them to find Ji Yunshu, thus he left for the pce with those servants. Naturally, Lang Po, who was Prince Rong¡¯s personal guard, couldn¡¯t defy the princess¡¯ order, therefore he watched, dumbfoundedly, as Wei Yi being taken away. ¡°Why is Shu¡¯er not here yet?¡± Wei Yi looked around for a long time. He had paced back and forth for a while and began to walk backwards instead, but suddenly, his back knocked into someone. ck! ck! ng! The sound of numerous pearls falling down was heard. Wei Yi panicked. He turned around and saw an old woman crouching down to pick up the pearls. He saw the pearls scattered everywhere on the ground. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it. I¡¯m sorry. I will help you pick them up.¡± He hurriedly squatted down and helped the old woman. ¡°It¡¯s this old ve¡¯s mistake. I was the one who bumped into you.¡± The old woman gasped, then lowered her head. Her wrinkled hands were trembling as she picked up the pearls and put them inside a wooden box. Wei Yi promptly waved. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I was the one who bumped into grandma. It was my fault. It¡¯s not because you made a mistake!¡± The old woman raised her head. She had grizzled hair on her temples, an emaciated appearance and her wrinkled face was haggard. ¡°It¡¯s better to just let this old ve pick up everything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll help grandma.¡± Wei Yi wasparably defter than the old woman. As he picked them up, he used his clothes to wipe the pearls before putting them into the box. After picking up everything, he carefully helped the old woman to get up. ¡°Are you alright grandma?¡± ¡°This old ve is fine. Thank you very much, Young Master.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright! It¡¯s alright!¡± Wei Yi brightly smiled at her. The old woman hugged the box. She showed a benevolent smile before bowing to him. ¡°Ah! There¡¯s still another one left.¡± Wei Yi shouted, then he quickly bend over to pick it up. When his body bent, his cor had a gap which revealed a red mark in the shape of a flower petal. The old woman identally saw a glimpse of it. ¡°This mark¡­¡± The old woman¡¯s gentle expression suddenly changed into one of unconceble surprise. Wei Yi straightened up and wiped the blue-colored pearl before putting it into the box. His mouth curled into a brighter smile. ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s good now. We pick up everything.¡± ¡°That mark on your neck¡­¡± ¡°Mark?¡± Wei Yi stretched his hand and rubbed behind his neck. He hurriedly said, ¡°Are you talking about that birthmark on my neck?¡± The old woman¡¯s lips trembled, then, she stiffly nodded. ¡°Ah, my mother said that it was there when I was born.¡± ¡°That birthmark has been there since birth?¡± The old woman¡¯s tone became slightly shrill. Her barely opened eyes widened from astonishment. Her body trembled as she inquired, ¡°Young master, is it possible for you to let this old ve take a closer look at your birthmark?¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Wei Yi bend his waist and pushed aside his hair to allow the old woman a better view of his birthmark. The red flower petal birthmark was clearly visible. Suddenly, the old woman¡¯s eyes reddened and her legs softened which caused her to stagger and she dropped the box of pearls to the ground. ck! ck! ng! The pearls were sent rolling out of the box and scattered everywhere once again. ¡°Grandma, the pearls are dropped again.¡± Wei Yi shouted. He squatted down once more and started picking everything up. He waspletely obvious to the change of expression on the old woman. At this moment, several pce maids arrived and saw the ident. They hurriedly came over to help collect the pearls. One of the leading pce maids pulled the old woman aside slightly and said, ¡°Zhang-mama, didn¡¯t I tell you to bring those pearls to the office of imperial attire? Why are you still here?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ll let Kui¡¯er go instead. This is really too troublesome.¡± The pce maid sighed while shaking her head. After making sure that all the pearls were found, the leading pce maid hurriedly led Zhang-mama and the others to another destination. Before they left, Zhang-mama repeatedly looked back at Wei Yi with tears in her eyes. Wei Yi scratched his head as he didn¡¯t understand why that grandma looked at him like this. ¡°Young Master Wei, the princess has instructed to bring you back to the main hall and wait there.¡± Another pce maid came and told him. ¡°Didn¡¯t she say that she will bring me to Shu¡¯er?¡± Wei Yi became impatient. ¡°This servant doesn¡¯t know. I only know that the princess has instructed us to take care of you.¡± ¡°I want to find Shu¡¯er!¡± ¡°This¡­¡± The pce maid didn¡¯t know how to answer. Coincidentally, someone outside the hall shouted ¡°Princess!¡± Wei Yi immediately looked toward the entrance when he heard the shout and saw Ji Yunshu next to Jing Xuan. ¡°Shu¡¯er!¡± He cheerfully yelled and rushed toward her. Ji Yunshu stepped forward and watched as Wei Yi pounced on her. She was used to it, thus she didn¡¯t dodge him. Yet, before Wei Yi seeded, Jing Xuan promptly spread her arms out and stood in front of Ji Yunshu to stop his advance. Fortunately, Wei Yi abruptly stopped in time. Otherwise, he would have collided with Jing Xuan. ¡°You¡¯re such a big man, yet at such an old age, you still try to act cute and get others to hug you!¡± Jing Xuan red at him. Wei Yi pouted. ¡°It¡¯s not like I hug you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s out of question even if you want to hug Teacher Ji.¡± ¡°Humph!¡± Ji Yunshu quickly came around Jing Xuan and pulled Wei Yi by his arm. She anxiously asked, ¡°Wei Yi, are you alright?¡± ¡°I am fine, so you don¡¯t need to worry. But you went out and didn¡¯t return for a long time. I waited for you at the door for a very long time.¡± ¡®It¡¯s good that he¡¯s alright!¡¯ Ji Yunshu let out a sigh of relief. Then, she turned back and asked Jing Xuan, ¡°Princess, ultimately, what is it that you desire? Why did you want to bring Wei Yi into the imperial pce?¡± Jing Xuan¡¯s temper red up as she ordered several maids, ¡°All of you, withdraw!¡± ¡°Yes, Princess!¡± The pce maids retreated to the outside. Jing Xuan stared at Ji Yunshu with a hesitant look before speaking. ¡°If I didn¡¯t use Wei Yi to threaten you, would you listen to me ande here to talk with me?¡± ¡°You are simply too willful.¡± ¡°I am willful? In the end, for who I am being willful? Since this Princess was born, I have gotten everything that I wanted, but the person I adore won¡¯t return my feelings. In your heart, there is only Wei Yi. Do you even hold this Princess in your eyes?¡± Ji Yunshu had great difficulty handling crying women, and what she couldn¡¯t stand most of all was other people creating trouble over nothing. For a moment, her brain suddenly hurt. She might as well be frank. Thus, she stated in a solemn voice, ¡°Princess, it is impossible between us!¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t we be together?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to say it.¡± ¡°This Princess has never loved anyone. This time I know you are the one, but why don¡¯t you understand my feelings?¡± Jing Xuan was extremely serious. She stretched out her hand and wanted to reach for Ji Yunshu¡¯s arm and pull thetter toward her, but her hand only grasped air. Ji Yunshu had sidestepped, then turned to Wei Yi. ¡°Wei Yi, turn around.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Wei Yi very obediently turned around without asking why. Jing Xuan didn¡¯t understand why. She was about to inquire, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed by Ji Yunshu and raised. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make you give up.¡± ¡®Eh?¡¯ Ji Yunshu quickly brought the other¡¯s hand to her chest. At first, Jing Xuan¡¯s face was red, but when her hand was pressed to Ji Yunshu¡¯s chest, her whole body trembled and her eyes widened in shock. She stiffened for a good few seconds before finally breathing. She was overwhelmed by the revtion. ¡°You¡­ are a woman?¡± Ji Yunshu let go of her hand and lightly nodded. She stated, ¡°If I have guessed correctly, your imperial mother has long known that I am a woman.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Jing Xuan¡¯splexion paled as she fiercely shook her head. This revtion was too sudden! Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression became cold. ¡°If Princess hadn¡¯t appeared at the banquet today, I fear that her Ladyship, Concubine Xiao, would have matched me with one of thedies present. My identity as a woman must not be revealed.¡± Jing Xuan retreated step by step while shaking her head in denial. ¡°Impossible! It¡¯s impossible for Imperial Mother to know. She clearly knows my feelings for you¡­ In short, it¡¯s impossible! It can¡¯t be! If Imperial Mother knew beforehand, why would she not tell me?!¡± Tears immediately spilled out from her eyes. Ji Yunshu muttered, ¡°Perhaps, she didn¡¯t have time to tell you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Princess, don¡¯t you want to see my face? I will remove my mask and let you see it clearly.¡± Chapter 192: Marriage Proposal Ji Yunshu removed her golden mask, exposing the scar on her face. ¡°Princess, please take a good look at me.¡± Jing Xuan wasn¡¯t a person who judged someone based on their outward appearance. However, when she saw the scar on Ji Yunshu¡¯s face, it still shocked her. It was akin to being hit by lighting. She felt as if she¡¯d been hit by the hammer of reality! After a long pause spent in silence, she finally asked, ¡°Y-your face¡­ how did it be like this?¡± Her voice was trembling. ¡°The scar was made by a silver hairpin.¡± Ji Yunshu tly replied, then she put her mask back on. Jing Xuan had great difficulty processing this new reality. Her mouth was agape and tears were forming in the corner of her eyes. She didn¡¯t know what to say anymore. Ji Yunshu called for Wei Yi as at this moment, Wei Yi still had his back turned to them, nkly, not having moved at all from his spot. He was very obedient to Ji Yunshu. He turned back around once more as his name was called and inquired, ¡°Shu¡¯er, can we leave yet?¡± ¡°Hmmm!¡± She nodded and tugged at him. Then, she said to Jing Xuan, ¡°In any case, you have my heartfelt gratitude for helping me out of my earlier predicament.¡± Finished speaking, she left with Wei Yi. Jing Xuan stood there dumbfounded. Her vision was blurry from the tears and she couldn¡¯t make out anything clearly, but it didn¡¯t matter as her heart was in turmoil. Today, many billows surged one after another from within Zhangzhi hall. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C Inside the Empire Affairs chamber, most of the seats in the room were upied by the court ministers, who sat at their respective positions. Qi Zhen emperor was seated on the Dragon Throne, dressed in a yellow robe embroidered with nine dragons. Both of his hands rested on his legs as he sat upright with a straight back. The crown prince, Prince Yi and Prince Rong sat on the front row, while the civil and military chancellors and ministers sat behind. Ji Li and Ji Huan were also present. That¡¯s right! They were both ministers of the court, thus after finishing handling Old Madame Ji¡¯s and Ji Yuanzhi¡¯s funerals, they spurred their horses in order to quickly return to the capital. At present, they both exuded a vicious aura. Amongst those present, three men that were dressed in crude and wild armor stood in the middle of the grand hall. Their armor¡¯s style belonged to that of Qujiang¡¯s army. The frame was made out of iron, linking the chest to the back part of the armor. Then, cksmiths would sew together tes of metal in the same way fish scales are on a fish, thus, giving the armor its final shape, creating a scale-like armor. As for the protection of their lower limbs, Qujiang people used knee pads. As the finishing touch, they would don themselves with a surcoat that covered them from their necks to their legs. The three men stood in a triangr formation, with straight backs and austere expressions! The one who stood at the head of the formation was a man nearing his forties. He was tall and sturdy like a tiger and had long sideburns. His face had two dark eyebrows from which the heroic aura distinctive of Qujiang people could be felt. That man was known as the wise general of Qujiang ¨C Yuchi Lin. The general sped his hands together before the emperor. ¡°I pay my respects to the Great Lin¡¯s Emperor.¡± Qi Zhen didn¡¯t show any changes in his expression. He stated, ¡°General Yuchi, there is no need for such courtesy.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Qi Zhen¡¯s eyes were cold as he looked at the young general behind Yuchi Lin. That young general had brought with him generous gifts to present before the emperor. ¡°Emperor, this is the precious curios that our Qujiang¡¯s monarch has prepared to offer to you.¡± An old eunuch came forward and respectfully received the gift, bringing it forth to the emperor. The gift itself was inside a box that was opened before Qi Zhen. Inside itid an extremely valuable carved ox horn! ¡°This object has apanied our King during his days of warmongering. It is part of our national treasury, which we have parted with in order to send it to you as a gift.¡± General Yuchi exined. Qi Zhen nodded, but he didn¡¯t express his like nor distaste towards the object. The old eunuch retrieved the box and retreated to the side. ¡°We have received the goodwill of the King of Qujiang.¡± Qi Zhen spoke in a deep voice. Then, he added, ¡°The armistice between our Great Lin and Qujiang has been ongoing for five years. When the treaty was signed in Cangshui, it was agreed that neither nation¡¯s armed forces would be encroaching upon the borders of the other. I do not know if General Yuchi is aware of this use?¡± ¡°This General is highly aware of it.¡± ¡°Since you know of it, why did you vite the established treaty?¡± Qi Zhen¡¯s voice was deep and resounding, exuding majestic and solemn presence. Yuchi Lin answered, ¡°This time I came to Lin capital to bring my king¡¯s gifts, so naturally, I will show the sincerity that Qujiang has in regards to this matter as we have no intention of renouncing the treaty. We do not wish for a war between our two countries which would lead to countless casualties.¡± Unable to hold himself back, the crown prince Jing Hua stepped forward with a look of disdain. He spoke out without waiting for the emperor to reply. ¡°How funny! General Yuchi led 30,000 soldiers to harass our 100,000 soldiers at the border and caused chaos. Everyone at court knows that you are far from being an ordinary person. You can wage war, lead an army and are a good strategist. Isn¡¯t itughable for you to say that you don¡¯t intend to renege the treaty and go to war now that you have entered our Great Lin¡¯s capital? If you didn¡¯t want to start a war, then why did you send your army to attack our bordends?¡± Even if the crown prince was somewhat impulsive and slow-witted, his words this time truly made people feel indignant! In the end, an idiot is still an idiot. Despite being a master of ttery, in the current situation, it wasn¡¯t at all appropriate for him to take the initiative to speak. He was simply courting disaster! Qi Zhen sighed as hisplexion turned almost ck. Jing Hua seemed to realize something, so he retreated to the side while Jing Yi inwardlyughed at his brother¡¯s mistake. As for Jing Rong, he lightly sighed whilst shaking his head. Regarding the problem raised by Jing Hua, Yuchi Lin wasn¡¯t in a hurry to justify himself. Although his bearing appeared rough and wild, the way he handled things was quite meticulous. Yuchi Lin raised his head and addressed himself to the emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, there are many misunderstandings!¡± ¡°Misunderstandings? General Yuchi doesn¡¯t need to hold back, we will take everything into consideration.¡± ¡°In fact, I previously received an order to lead the troops. However, I didn¡¯t even think of attacking any of Great Lin¡¯s cities or territories.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Yuchi Lin continued his exnation. ¡°Five years ago, before the treaty of Canshui, Great Lin and Qujiang fought for half a year, resulting in our loss. Since then, adhering to the treaty, we send tribute every year in exchange for longsting peace. Our king had in his heart the people¡¯s welfare and is unwilling to let them suffer. So, of course, we wouldn¡¯t vite the treaty. I have received my king¡¯s orders to set off for Great Lin for this cause. Although it is true that we did harass the borders, fact remains that there were no casualties amongst your army.¡± Everyone became puzzled. ¡®Where is he getting at in the end?¡¯ Jing Yi nced at the emperor and saw that thetter was just as confused, so he stepped forward, and saluted his father before turning to General Yuchi. ¡°When you were at the borders, why didn¡¯t you send any envoys to rify the matter? But seeing as you are already in our imperial capital, why not be frank and properly discuss how to handle this matter?¡± Yuchi Lin leaned his head to the side and looked at Jing Yi. Then, he turned back to the emperor and said, ¡°We didn¡¯t send an envoy because our King has instructed us that he wanted this General to represent Qujiang ande here to exin this event in person. Concerning my army of 30,000 strong men who marched to the border towns, we were dispatched to defend the borders from Liang Wen, known as General Liang, who for no reason at all had erected his g and ordered his army of 100,000 to pressure our small army of 30,000 soldiers. I feared that this would cause a rift in our alliance, so I had no other alternative but to create a diversion to outnk General Liang while waiting for your Majesty to summon us here and break this predicament.¡± ¡®The truth of the matter was such?!¡¯ Qi Zhen¡¯s mood sank more and more. He put more strength into his hands that were resting on his thighs, clenching them into fists. He looked down and spoke with anger flourishing. ¡°Since when can Liang Wen act so presumptuously? We had sent him to the borders with 100,000 to protect it, not to wage war! If an ident happens there, how can he shoulder the loss?¡± After dering so, he ordered, ¡°Come people! Receive my decree! Quickly go to the borders and relieve General Liang Wen from hismand and punish him with 80 heavy boards. If he doesn¡¯t die from that, tie him up and drag him back to the capital. He will be hanged at the city walls for three days. As for the army at the borders, we will temporarily appoint General Xi of the left vanguard to supervise the army.¡± ¡°Yes, your Majesty!¡± The imperial guards retreated after receiving the orders. In any case, Liang Wen was a high-ranking general. He¡¯d gone through wars and campaigns, was both brave and skilled at fighting. Unexpectedly, Qi Zhen would announce in public the abolition of Liang Wen¡¯s military rank after listening to Yuchi Lin¡¯s side of the story. Everyone felt that it was too careless of the emperor! However, the intelligent people understood the matter clearly. On one hand, Qi Zhen wanted to demonstrate that he was fair and partial toward his vassals, and, on the other hand, he also warned Yuchi Lin. This was the warning of a monarch to his tributary country. If they dare to mess around, he could easily turn them into a second Liang Wen! Another purpose for his action was to eliminate the tension between Great Lin and Qujiang, and avoid giving Quijang a casus belli to send soldiers to attack. Qi Zhen restrained his anger and stated, ¡°Our misunderstandings have been resolved properly. General Yuchi can now state the real reason for your visit!¡± Yuchi Lin said, ¡°This General has received our King¡¯s order to seek an alliance through marriage.¡± ¡°A marriage proposal?¡± ¡®A marriage proposal?¡¯ When the words came out, everyone was in uproar. The fists hidden in Jing Rong¡¯s sleeves tightly clenched. Since the beginning of the conversation, he was studying Yuchi Lin. Although this man was tall, bold and powerful, a typical model of a general, his usual style of speaking was old-fashioned and abided to regtion. However, when he spoke about the marriage proposal, those words seemed as if they were recited and didn¡¯t feel like something that he would genuinely say out of his own volition. Chapter 193: The Mysterious Person in Wheelchair Outside the pce gate. The sky was turning dark. Ji Yunshu had led Wei Yi out of the imperial pce¡¯s south gate. A lowly court eunuch guided them, lighting the way with hisntern. The Rong estate carriage was waiting for them outside, guarded by Lang Po. ¡°You are finally out, Teacher Ji,¡± Lang Po said, concerned. Ji Yunshu nodded at him lightly. Lang Po looked at Wei Yi. ¡°Young Master Wei, did the princess make things difficult for you?¡± he asked with undisguised worry. Wei Yi shook his head, beaming a huge smile at him. ¡°I¡¯m alright!¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. It¡¯s gettingte, please wait inside the carriage. His Highness should be out soon.¡± Wei Yi squeezed inside the carriage. He had eaten his fill in the back hall, so he was tired. Seeing him like this, Ji Yunshu wanted tough, but repressed the smile. Just as she was about to climb into the carriage, she caught a glimpse of three men with solemn expressions leaving the pce. Their eyes were severe and firm, each of their steps vigorous and spirited. They were Yuchi Lin and his two generals. Ji Yunshu eximed when she noticed the design of their armor, ¡°Are they from Qujiang? Is that the great general who could fight an army of 100,000 with just 30,000?¡± Lang Po¡¯s gaze followed hers. He nodded. ¡°He should be,¡± he said softly, ¡°Teacher¡¯s knowledge is quite profound. In the past, when we were in that abandoned temple, you could see through those Huyi people; now you can recognize these men from Qujiang at a nce. You have my admiration.¡± Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t hear Lang Po¡¯s praise, she was focused on Yuchi Lin. She nted her head after a while and a frown crept onto her brow. She had a very odd feeling while looking at them. ¡°Teacher? What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lang Po asked. She shook her head as she watched the three leave on their horses. She turned her head and saw Ji Li and Ji Huan. She quickly lowered her head and hastily climbed into the carriage. Once inside, she lifted the curtain a bit and stealthily watched her half-brothers leave slowly. Her heart only rxed when they were gone. ¡°Whatever will be will be!¡± she lightly muttered to herself. The name, ¡®Teacher Ji¡¯, had spread far and wide in the capital. Ji Li and Ji Huan should already know. They mighte to make trouble for her once the matter concerning Qujiang was settled. ¡°I¡¯m tired, Shu¡¯er!¡± Wei Yiy down and rest his head on herp before closing his eyes. Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t push him away. She pampered him by caressing his head with a slight smile. ¡°Hmmm? Since when do you have a mark on your neck?¡± she asked when she noticed Wei Yi¡¯s birthmark. ¡°Hmm¡­ Mother said I had it when I was born. You¡¯re the second person today to ask me about it.¡± He answered sluggishly, not even opening his eyes. ¡°I am the second?¡± No reply came this time; Wei Yi was already asleep. Ji Yunshu¡¯s finger gently poked the red petal shaped birthmark on his neck. She couldn¡¯t help but think it was pretty. She waited a while longer, but could still not see Jing Ronging out. The emperor must have kept his sons behind to discuss other political affairs in private. She saw Wei Yi was sleeping soundly now, and lightly pushed him off herp, turning him over and gently putting him down. She disembarked. ¡°Big Brother Lang, may I trouble you to send Wei Yi to the residence? You can take your time, I don¡¯t want the shaking to wake him up. I¡¯ll wait here for his Highness,¡± she instructed him. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts! We¡¯re by the pce entrance, nothing will happen to me.¡± Lang Po thought for a moment before agreeing. He then left with Wei Yi. Ji Yunshu continued to wait outside the pce gate for some time. As the darkness of night descended, her almond eyes squinted as she became lost in her thoughts. ¡°Are you waiting for me?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s voice suddenly whispered in her ear. She turned around and saw his handsome face right in front of her. She retreated instinctively, but her legs staggered and she fell backward instead. Jing Rong pulled her into his embrace unhesitantly, one hand gripping her waist strongly. ¡°Hey you, why do you always end up in my arms?¡± she heard him ask mischievously. ¡®Eh!¡¯ She wriggled free from his embrace, ears crimson. She didn¡¯t answer his question. Seeing her in such a state, Jing Rong¡¯s smile deepened. He didn¡¯t expose her, instead, he pointed at a carriage behind him. ¡°Bring that carriage over.¡± ¡°Yes, your Highness!¡± The imperial guard behind him immediatelyplied. ¡°I won¡¯t hold it against you if you wish to return with Wei Yi first.¡± Jing Rong whispered as he leaned close to her ear. Ji Yunshu looked at him strangely. ¡°How did you know Wei Yi was brought into the imperial pce?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I arranged several lowly eunuchs to keep an eye on Concubine Xiao¡¯s hall. I know about everything that happens there even if I¡¯m away tending to court matters.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She suddenly felt a cold and shivered. The carriage was brought over and the pair quickly returned to the Rong estate. ¡ª¡ª¡ª The two sat in the carriage. Jing Rong stared at her. His hand reached for her. ¡°Do you want to know the result of today¡¯s pourparler?¡± She lifted her eyes, shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°I insist. This time Qujiang came forward under the order of their King to propose marriage.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± She was not interested in the least. ¡°Earlier, at the gate, I saw the great Qujiang general.¡± Jing Rong caught her meaning and his expression became serious. ¡°You sense something?¡± ¡°Your Highness¡¯ tone suggests you already have your suspicions.¡± ¡°You first.¡± Ji Yunshu frowned. ¡°I am¡­ not convinced this man is capable of fighting 100,000 men with just 30,000.¡± Jing Rong was shocked by her words. He looked at the woman in front of him and carefully examined her ¡°We have the same thoughts!¡± he finally admitted ¡ª¡ª¨C Inside a tavern, Li Shiyan sat at a table. His chin rested on one of his hand while the other was upied with poking at thentern in front of him. Many thoughts swirled in his mind. Xiao Luzi, tidying things near him, asked, ¡°Heir, do you really want to leave the capital?¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t leave now, we can¡¯t leave at all! Hurry and tidy everything!¡± ¡°Eh! Oh!¡± Xiao Luzi sped up. Li Shiyan watched him, about to get up. Swish! A needle suddenly shot through a small gap in the door. Fortunately, Li Shiyan was quick to react. He jumped away and evaded. ¡°Heir, be careful!¡± Xiao Luzi shouted loudly. Several more needles came through the door immediately after. Li Shiyan opened the fan he always carried with him abruptly. He waved his fan and blocked a few needles, then, in the same motion, redirected them, flinging them at the mahogany bed where they embedded. ¡®Lucky! How lucky!¡¯ It was indeed lucky that the needles hadn¡¯t been thrown with the intent to kill Creak! The door opened. Li Shiyan looked at the maning into the room. He wasn¡¯t surprised by his arrival; on the contrary, he looked dejected as he folded his fan. He sighed and sat down, grumbling. ¡°I knew you woulde find me!¡± There were two people at the door, one standing, the other seated in a wheelchair. Chapter 194: Su Ziluo Chapter 194: Su Ziluo The man in the wheelchair¡¯s hair was tied up with a silver gem-embedded crown. He was d in wide-sleeved ck clothes. His straight eyebrows gave him a naturally gentle and rxed expression. His handsome face was sculpted from distinctive traits ¨C a pair of bright eyes like a cold shooting star, yet with a trace of warmth; temples seemingly carved by a knife, with angr outlines; ck eyebrows that seemed as if they painted with ck ink; and a peachyplexion! It was such a pity his legs wereme. His attendant held the wheelchair¡¯s handles and pushed him inside. The wheels rumbled softly. The attendant stopped. Su Ziluo raised his hand slightly, signaling his attendant to leave. Xiao Luzi bowed to him when he saw this, calling him ¡®Teacher Su.¡¯ As he did so, he left and closed the door behind him. Only two people were left in the room. Su Ziluo looked at Li Shiyan, whom appeared dejected. His lips curled into a faint smile. One of his hands held his sleeve, the other eased down and picked up the teapot on the table. He poured himself a cup of tea. ¡°Heir, have you yed enough?¡± he asked, his gaze still lowered, his tone light and warm like jade. Li Shiyan balled his hands into fists and hammered his thighs while looking at the other party. ¡°Father¡¯s order?¡± he asked rhetorically. ¡°Hmm!¡± ¡°Then pretend you haven¡¯t seen me. I wille home when I¡¯ve had enough.¡± Su Ziluo remained silent, sipping his tea. Li Shiyan added urgently, ¡°Ziluo, we grew up together. You should know what I hate most is being watched by people all day long. My home is full of father¡¯s guards, it wasn¡¯t easy getting out of the house. Please, let me y for a few more days!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already been gone for more than three months. You went all over the country and beyond, it¡¯s time toe home.¡± ¡°Not yet, I haven¡¯t yed enough!¡± Li Shiyan said hurriedly. His expression was pitiful and he looked discouraged, ¡°You being here must be an order of the King. Did youe to discuss the matter between the two countries? Can¡¯t you just ignore me?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do!¡± Su Ziluo spoke slowly, swirling the tea in his cup. His half-crescent eyes raised, ¡°Kang Ding Marquis has entrusted me specifically with bringing you back to Qujiang when we leave Lin Capital. This is about loyalty. Heir, pleasee back with me.¡± ¡°Why are you always like this? You haven¡¯t lost your stubbornness even after all these years!¡± Li Shiyan roared in anger. Su Ziluo remained cid. His elbows rested on the wheelchair¡¯s armrests, his hands sped together; a peaceful smile hung on his face. Su Ziluo was praised to have a splendid demeanor like orchids and jade trees and a smile as bright as the full moon. ¡°You are set to inherit your father¡¯s title and rank. You have to enter the world of politics sooner orter, so why don¡¯t you settle your heart and mind now and start to study, write essays, and manage the troops?¡± ¡°You say it as if it¡¯s easy, but I¡¯m not you! The heck with being erudite, to hell with warfare stratagems, and whatever with that peerage! I am not interested!¡± He yelled disdainfully, swinging his arms back and forth. ¡°Shiyan!¡± Su Ziluo reprimanded. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You are the heir, the Marquis¡¯ only scion. How can His Lordship be at peace if there is a chance something might happen to you?¡± Li Shiyan stopped arguing. Now a deted balloon, he got up and flourished his sleeves. He opened his fan and spoke haughtily, ¡°How can something happen to me? Even if my martial arts aren¡¯t on par with someone, I have the fan you gave me. No one can approach me without my consent.¡± The snow flower fan Li Shiyan held had personally been made by Su Ziluo. He had built into it a secret mechanism and turned it into a hidden weapon which could protect the user in times of need. He had given it to Li Shiyan half a year ago after thetter had pestered him about it for a while. Everyone knew a skillful smith lived in Qujiang, he was the creator of numerous quality inventions. All of his works were ingenious and had hidden contraptions, be it a small essory that could shoot needles or a big carriage that could serve as a mobile weapon. His inventions were well sought-after by all kinds of figures. Unfortunately, they were not easy toe by. Rumor had it that he only created hidden weapons for two kinds of people; The first were those who had died once and the second were those who lived as if they were dying. This craftsman was none other than the man sitting in the wheelchair in front of Li Shiyan ¨C Su Ziluo! The wheelchair on which he sat was of his own design. Though it wasn¡¯t carved out of jade, nor gilded or decorated with silver ¡ª in fact, it was quite ordinary at a nce, with an unassuming appearance ¡ª there were buttons near the hands and legs that could activate hidden contraptions. Any attackers within a radius of 100 meters would be hit by the needles, only death awaited them. Seeing how arrogant Li Shiyan was being, Su Ziluo warned, ¡°If the needles I shot out earlier were imbued with murderous intent, I¡¯m afraid your life would have been over.¡± Though Li Shiyan felt defeated, he promptly retorted, ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s because I¡¯m not your match.¡± ¡°Stop arguing with me. For the time being, you are not allowed to go out. Stay in the capital obediently. When we¡¯ve settled our affairs, I¡¯ll take you back to Qujiang.¡± ¡°Ziluo¡­¡± ¡°There is no negotiating. Heir shouldn¡¯t continue being this childish.¡± Su Ziluo vetoed resolutely. Li Shiyan knew that when Su Ziluo was like this there was no way to change his mind. Since he knew he couldn¡¯t escape, he sat down in resignation. ¡°I have to mention that you also took considerable risk. Your legs aren¡¯t convenient. You could have waited in the general mansion. Instead, you came to join the fun in Lin capital. You are the same as Uncle Su.¡± ¡°What does that have to do with my father?¡± ¡°Both your legs were destroyed five years ago during the battle at Canshui, when Uncle Su died. Heaven is ying with man. With your intelligence, you should be on the front lines leading the troops, wearing Qujiang¡¯s armor, and building a legacy by which to be remembered and praised by future generations. Instead, you¡¯re searching for people in my father¡¯s stead.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Who destroyed your legs? No matter how many times I ask, you never tell me.¡± Su Ziluo¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all, but he spat coldly, ¡°It¡¯s history, don¡¯t mention it again.¡± Li Shiyan was a chatterbox, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from bbering. He leaned nearer to Su Ziluo and asked again, ¡°Ziluo, tell me the truth, why did you reallye here this time?¡± ¡°You want to know?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Marriage. The king is seeking a marriage.¡± Li Shiyan squinted and groaned. ¡°That deceiving little kid wants to get married? He is very fond of the queen, so how can he send 30,000 soldiers to seek another marriage? Quick, tell me, is there another reason you¡¯re here?¡± Su Ziluo¡¯s expression was tranquil. He moved his wheelchair to the window and gazed at the full moon. After a long moment, he spoke. ¡°We lost many good men during that battle five years ago. They either died from their injuries or were felled. When the army retreated, only 3,000 were left. The Great Lin¡¯s emperor is a petty man. His style of handling things leave no room for maneuver. He killed and beheaded people like he was cutting grass, not at all the conduct of a benevolent sovereign. Not to mention that hepletely distrusts his subordinates, a conduct no bright monarch should demonstrate.¡± Behind him, Li Shiyan was confused as he listened to Su Ziluo. ¡°What does this have to do with your arrival?¡± Su Ziluo slowly turned his wheelchair around. He looked straight at his childhood friend with a severe, chilled gaze. ¡°How can this kind of sovereign rule the world?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Li Shiyan gawked. Su Ziluo¡¯s eyebrows creased. ¡°Forget it. You wille to understand in time.¡± Li Shiyan shrugged. Since he didn¡¯t understand, he stopped thinking about it. He changed the topic as he recalled something. ¡°Guess why I came to Lin capital?¡± ¡°Tourism?¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m here for a woman. That woman has the same temper as you. She¡¯s also incredibly intelligent. She¡¯s a coroner and solves cases.¡± Su Ziluo listened quietly without interrupting. ¡°Take out your tassel.¡± Su Ziluo coldly looked at him. ¡°What do you want with my tassel?¡± ¡°She has a tassel that looks just like yours. Could it be the one you lost?¡± Su Ziluo shot him a deadpan look. ¡°I have no time to waste with you. Obediently stay here. Don¡¯t even think about escaping.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Su Ziluo left before Li Shiyan could finish his sentence. The sky was already dark when the attendant pushed him out of the tavern and there was no one left on the streets. A wind blew, leaving people trembling from the cold. He showed a preupied expression and his eyebrows slowly creased, revealing a hint of distressed. Under his sleeve, his hand tightly clenched his tassel. Chapter 195: Heroes Die Under the Hands of Beauty Chapter 195: Heroes Die Under the Hands of Beauty Su Ziluo met Yuchi Lin when he returned to the ry station. ¡°General!¡± Yuchi Lin cried out. Su Ziluo nodded. ¡°How are things at the imperial pce?¡± ¡°It went ording to n. Great Lin¡¯s emperor responded by relieving Liang Wen ofmand on the border and selecting a tributary princess to tie our countries in marriage.¡± Su Ziluo nodded again. Yuchi Lin raised an eyebrow confusion written on his face. ¡°General, Great Lin¡¯s emperor is a paranoid man. I fear my speech today will not win his trust.¡± ¡°I want him to be suspicious!¡± ¡°Ah? Why?¡± Su Ziluo put his hands on his two wheels and moved forward, a mysterious smile on his face. His slender fingers lightly pressed on a handle. A crisp sound rang out. ¡°Our king gave us our orders. We have to retake the two cities we lost to Great Lin five years ago by any means necessary. My army of 30,000 has been raiding their borders for several months in order to be granted entrance to their capital. The marriage proposal is nothing but a diversion. We must now stop at nothing in order to aplish our task.¡± ¡°Yes, General!¡± said Yuchi Lin in a deep voice. ¡°Great Lin¡¯s emperor didn¡¯t seem like a phnthropist. It might be a challenge to obtain the two cities without a fight.¡± ¡®It¡¯s true there are many ravenous wolves in the world and an emperor is part of the pack.¡¯ Su Ziluo wasn¡¯t anxious about resolving this problem. He looked outside. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go, we¡¯ll discuss thingster.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yuchi Lin saluted and left. Alone inside the room, Su Ziluo moved his wheelchair to the carved wooden window. Outside, the early spring moon was particrly round. A solitary satellite hanging in the dark sky, pouring its light through the window. A sight beautiful to behold! Su Ziluo raised his eyes and gazed at it. His face glowed in the orange of the candle¡¯s light. His whole being was filled with grief and distressed. After a long moment, he took out the tassel in his sleeve. His fingertips gently stroked the pearl on it until it was smooth. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª- ¡°Ziluo, the final battle is approaching. This tassel is a memento of your mother. Now, I hand it to you. You must remember that if something happens to me, and I cannot survive, you absolutely must live on!¡± ¡°Father!¡± Su Ziluo shouted. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C He had a shback of that moment five years ago before the grand battle at Cangshui. The fire of war, the smoke and the sounds of bugle horn filled the sky. The raging sounds of bodies colliding in confrontation and the deafening noise of weapons iming lives had overwhelmed his ears. Mountains of armors created from countless corpses littered the ground; within a kilometer, blood had formed rivers. He had etched the faces of all the Great Lin generals besieging them into his mind. He remembered their armor, muddy from blood, had count every meter separating them, and carved it into his memory, the sword that ruthlessly trust into Marshal Su. ¡°FATHER!¡± At the time, he had bellowed until his voice broke. As for the sword¡¯s owner, he was none other than Ji Li. ¡°Ji Li, one day, I will bury you with my father!¡± Meanwhile, Ji Yunshu and Jing Rong had returned to the Rong estate. At first, she had wanted to go to her courtyard directly, but Jing Rong dragged her stubbornly to his instead. He had the servants bring some midnight snacks. ¡°I presume you haven¡¯t eaten anything at Concubine Xiao¡¯s residence.¡± ¡®He¡¯s considerate.¡¯ Ji Yunshu had no objection since her empty stomach was screaming. She would have just a few snacks. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me how you knew General Yuchi wasn¡¯t the real Qujiang general who routed our troops on the border?¡± Ji Yunshu nced at him. She took a deep breath and exined, ¡°He appeared quite tough. I presumed he was a valiant general on the front lines. However, when I looked at the pre-eminence at the back of his skull and his shoulders connecting to that slightly bent neck, it tells me he might have suffered an impact to the back of his head during a battle. In addition, his right hand had a deformation. I can determine his head injury happened at the same time as his right hand¡¯s. These injuries could be consequential. First, the impact on the brain could cause a person to be an idiot. Second, if he didn¡¯t be an idiot, he would still have less flexible thinking. How can someone like that pressure an army of 100,000 with only 30,000? The real Qujiang general is someone else!¡± Her exnations made a lot of sense! Jing Rong could only admire her wits. After half a day observing the man, his reasons to suspect the other wasn¡¯t as clear as her, and more intuitive. Her cold analyze urately pinpoint the crucial points at a nce. ¡°So much intelligence, but, unfortunately¡­¡± ¡°Unfortunately what?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, you are a woman.¡± Ji Yunshu stared at him coldly. ¡°Male or female, you ancient people are really sexist and have a pedantic way of thinking!¡± ¡®Ancient people? Sexism?¡¯ Jing Rong was amused and his mouth curled up a bit. He asked with curiosity, ¡°Your words are always so strange and odd. I have to think your words through several times before I can figure it out. If we are to live together, I am sure I will spend all day guessing the meaning of your words.¡± ¡®Live together?¡¯ Ji Yunshu stilled in the middle of picking up a pastry. She faced him and unceremoniously doused him with cold words. ¡°Who would want to live with you?¡± ¡°What? Now you want to refuse to acknowledge the fact?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Jing Rong became serious. ¡°We have kissed and we slept together. In the future, you are bound to marry to me.¡± ¡®Shameless!¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s hand trembled, the pastry fell back onto the te. She felt suffocated and unable to reason with him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say I don¡¯t recall anything your Highness spoke of,¡± she stressed. ¡°You forgot?¡± Jing Rong¡¯s lips curled into a smile. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I will still take responsibility for you.¡± ¡®What a shameless rotten rogue! Forget it! Forget it!¡¯ She was disinclined to answer. But Jing Rong had thick skin and obstinately stuck around her. ¡°Why don¡¯t you say something?¡± ¡°My mouth hurts; I don¡¯t want to talk.¡± Ji Yunshu¡¯s words didn¡¯t allow any retort which left Jing Rong with a sour face. Unhappy, he approached her a bit and whined, ¡°Fine, if your mouth hurts and you don¡¯t want to talk, then I¡¯ll talk instead.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You just need to listen. This concerns something very important.¡± ¡®What could be so important?¡¯ Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression remained tepid and she stayed silent, which made it hard for herpanion to determine if she was interested or not. In truth, she was. Jing Rong cleared his throat and asked solemnly. ¡°I presume you know about Miss Kong Yu?¡± Ji Yunshu nodded. ¡°Kong Yu and I grew up together; we have a good rtionship. Although she said she wanted to be my consort, matters of the heart are not under our control. In my heart, she is only a big sister. I absolutely have no interest in her as a woman. However, it was my fault for being ambiguous and I didn¡¯t make it clear soon enough, now she is too involved. I do not want this. You understand what I mean?¡± He was very nervous. ¡®Do my words sound strange?¡¯ Ji Yunshu squinted, studying him. Her brows creased. ¡°Is this so important?¡± ¡®You are joking with me!¡¯ Jing Rong felt like he was hit by a club but wasn¡¯t angry or anxious. He had aposed expression and spoke preachingly, ¡°I want to rify these things with you because I want you to understand only you are in my heart, there is no space for another woman.¡± His confession was extremely tant. He didn¡¯t want Ji Yunshu to second-guess him, so he had no choice but make it crystal clear. Unfortunately, Ji Yunshu had heard his confessions so many times that she was starting to get immune to it. However, she was flustered and unsure of herself, and his words disturbed her heart, throwing it into a maelstrom of emotions. She immediately moved away. Her hands held her sleeves tightly. ¡°Who you have in your heart has nothing to do with me. I also¡­¡± Her words were interrupted by a strong pull which dragged her up and forced her to turn around. Shended in Jing Rong¡¯s forceful embrace. She sat snuggly on hisps, their position became ambiguous. ¡°Let me go!¡± Ji Yunshu pushed on his chest with anger rising. However, her strength was too feeble and she remained tightly lock in his arms. ¡°Calm down. If you make too much noise, the people outside wille in. It will be hard to exin this.¡± ¡®F*ck you! This situation is already hard to exin!¡¯ Ji Yunshu ferociously red at him. She didn¡¯t know if her cheeks were flushed from fury or her rampant heartbeat. ¡°Your Highness shouldn¡¯t forget the saying ¨C Heroes die under the hands of beauty,¡± she said, cold-eyed. Chapter 196: A Crafty Little Fox Heroes die under beauty¡¯s hands. Jing Rong had naturally heard the saying. It was often used for emperors but now applied to him. ¡®How amusing!¡¯ He smiled and mischievously whispered into her ear, ¡°Have you heard of the saying ¨C Even a ghost, having died under a peony, can be amorous!¡± ¡°You rogue!¡± Ji Yunshu reprimanded. Her hand pressed down hard around 10 centimeters below his shoulders, aiming for his scap. Jing Rong felt his whole left arm lose all strength and sensation. Ji Yunshu took advantage of his weakness and sprung out of his embrace. She withdrew more than three meters until her back pressed against the door frame. Her guard was all the way up as she watched him frown from the pain she had inflicted. ¡°How can a stately prince utter such vulgarity?¡± Her heart burned with anger. Jing Rong massaged his numb arm,ining at the same time, ¡°The most vicious heart is that of a married woman. You actually want to cripple me.¡± ¡°I just pressed your shoulder de. How is this crippling you?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± He strode forward, eyebrow raised. ¡°If you really cripple my arm, you will have to take care of me for the rest of your life.¡± ¡°Rogue!¡± Ji Yunshu wanted to run away, but Jing Rong was determined to keep her where she was. Jing Rong rushed toward her and barred her escape route before she could put a foot out of the room. The door banged shut in a single, quick motion! He caught her again, imprisoning her in his tight embrace. Ji Yunshu couldn¡¯t even budge. The distance of a single finger stood between them. At this distance, she could see only his chest. His manly scent assaulted her nose, causing her heart to beat erratically. She wanted to turn her head away, but couldn¡¯t. Frantic, she shouted, ¡°Bastard, let me go!¡± ¡°You are the first to dare call me a bastard.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think you deserve it with how you¡¯re behaving?¡± Jing Rong suddenly grabbed her chin and lift it, forcing their eyes to meet. ¡°Fine, then I¡¯ll show you what a real bastard does.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Her words were swallowed by his forceful kiss. He was taller, so he had to lower his head and body to meet her exquisite, scarlet lips. Although it wasn¡¯t their first kiss, Jing Rong¡¯s intensity had not decreased at all; it was like he was venting. Their lips collided, smashing against each, rubbing until they merged together and spreading their passion like wildfire, leaving no gap between them. Ji Yunshu felt her cold lips slowly heating from Jing Rong¡¯s deep and passionate kiss. Because he craved her too much, he pressed her against the carved door frame forcefully. The low temperature of the wood seeped through her thin clothes and prated her hot body; it coursed through her veins and spread to every part of her. The change made it feel like her blood was congealing, turning her numb. She persisted in her struggle against his tyranny. Jing Rong soon escted, one of his hands seized her waist and pressed her small body against him, forcing it to stick to his chest. Ji Yunshu¡¯s body was on fire. She burned and felt herself on the verge of asphyxia. Her hands balled into fists; her eyebrows frowned and she ferociously bit down. ¡°Urgh! The pain of his lips being bitten burst into his mind The taste of blood poured out of his broken lips. Ji Yunshu finally pushed him away. She lifted her sleeve and ferociously wiped her lips. Her eyes were red. Jing Rong wiped the blood off his lips. His mischievous appearance abruptly became solemn. ¡°Do you hate me so much?¡± he asked, his tone mncholic. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I clearly have a ce in your heart, so why don¡¯t you acknowledge it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Answer me!¡± Jing Rong emphasized. Ji Yunshu looked at him with her red eyes. But she couldn¡¯t answer him, her heart stung too much. Her silence stirred hope in his heart. His vicious countenance vanished as the corner of his mouth curled into a smile. ¡°Yunshu, are you admitting that I have long been in your heart?¡± He half-whispered. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Ji Yunshu was caught by surprise. ¡®No! Impossible!¡¯ She bit her lips, showing a panic-stricken expression as her heart drummed in her chest and her brain shut down. ¡°No!¡± She abruptly turned around and fled out of the door, leaving behind a beaming Jing Rong. When he recalled Ji Yunshu¡¯s expression, he became certain that even if it was only a small ce, he had taken root in her heart. At that very moment, Lang Po came in and saw Ji Yunshu fleeing from the room. He had some doubts but still entered. He was startled to see Jing Rong¡¯s lips in the state they were in. ¡°Your Highness, what happened to your lips?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± ¡°But they¡¯re bleeding! Should I summon the physician?¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s nothing. I just got bitten by a crafty little fox.¡± He couldn¡¯t help smiling as he spoke. He was simply overflowing with joy. Lang Po had a question mark on his forehead, but after Jing Rong turned and entered his room, he was hit by a sudden realization. ¡®Oh my! It is possible that his Highness and Teacher Ji already¡­¡¯ Lang Po smirked, even a rustic man like him also felt shy from imagining the scene. After Ji Yunshu ran back to the East Courtyard, she rushed into her room and shut her door. Her heart was still beating wildly. She pressed on her chest strongly and slowly calmed down. She still felt as if her heart was about to jump out of her throat. ¡°Ji Yunshu, it¡¯s impossible. I tell you it¡¯s impossible! He is a prince and you a concubine-born child. It¡¯s impossible!¡± She nibbled her lips while brainwashing herself. Since the moment she learned of Ji Pei¡¯s death, her heart had died as well. Her heart could not amodate someone else! Love should have disappeared from it with Ji Pei. Yes! It was impossible for her to have fallen in love again. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Zhangzhi hall. Ever Jing Xuan had been sitting in the hall since Ji Yunshu had left with Wei Yi, staring into empty space. She was devastated. She didn¡¯t move or make a sound. The pce maids came to her several times and spoke a few words out of concern. But, she paid them no heed. She still couldn¡¯t ept that Ji Yunshu had turned out to be female although a few hours had passed since she had learnt of it. Several voices shouted ¡°Your Ladyship!¡± After Concubine Xiao had sent thedies she had invited to her banquet away, she went to Qi Zhen, now she hurried to her daughter. She waved at Sang Lan. ¡°Wait outside. No one is allowed toe inside without my permission.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Ladyship!¡± Sang Lan obeyed. As everyone withdrew, Concubine Xiao walked into the hall. She saw her daughter sitting nkly. She sighed and walked over while calling her. ¡°Xuan¡¯er!¡± Jing Xuan lifted her eyes but turned away in anger when she saw her mother. ¡°I didn¡¯t get angry at you when you tantly left with Teacher Ji, but you actually had an attitude with me.¡± Jing Xuan didn¡¯t respond. Although Concubine Xiao was angry, Jing Xuan was still her treasured daughter. After several hours, her anger was almostpletely gone. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, I have a few things to say. It¡¯s impossible between you and Teacher Ji.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s impossible because imperial mother already knew she is a woman.¡± Jing Xuan red at her mother with red eyes. Concubine Xiao wasn¡¯t shocked by Jing Xuan¡¯s words. On the contrary, her anger rose, but she did her utmost to repress it. ¡°Even if she was a man, it would still be impossible for you to be together.¡± She scolded. ¡°Of course, you already knew the truth.¡± Chapter 197: Concubine Xiao’s Ruse Chapter 197: Concubine Xiao¡¯s Ruse Jing Xuan felt extremely sad and tears streamed down her cheeks. Yet, it didn¡¯t stop her fromining. ¡°Since imperial mother already knew, why didn¡¯t you tell me? You would rather let this daughter of yours il around like a fool?!¡± ¡°Xuan¡¯er¡­¡± ¡°I have lost so much face that I feel too embarrassed to even meet people when I go outside!¡± Jing Xuan cried. Concubine Xiao¡¯splexion darkened, her heart filling with distress on behalf of her daughter. She sat down beside her and patted her hand tofort. She softened her tone as she spoke. ¡°I only knew of it afterwards. I thought to tell you today after the banquet, so you could give up on her.¡± Jing Xuan continued to cry. ¡°Today, you have embarrassed imperial mother in front of everyone and I have yet to even lecture you on the matter. Now, be a good girl, and dry your tears. This is not the time to cry!¡± Concubine Xiao sighed heavily afterwards. Jing Xuan wiped her tears and nced at her mother. Concubine Xiao¡¯s face was wrought with worry and appeared preupied. Jing Xuan sniffled and asked, ¡°What is the matter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rted to the matter with Qujiang!¡± Concubine Xiao got up and continued to sigh. ¡°Just now, I went to see your imperial father and learnt that Qujiang came to the capital this time to propose a marriage under the order of their king.¡± ¡°A marriage proposal?¡± Jing Xuan¡¯s tears dried as fast as she could make them fall. ¡°Since they are seeking a marriage, why do you look so conflicted?¡± She inquired for more details. ¡°This time, the marriage partner is Qujiang King. Your imperial father was very concerned about how to handle this matter. He naturally can¡¯t randomly choose a woman for that. In the past, your wedding with Yuanzu fell through, but now that you are older, and judging from the tone of his voice just now, he seemed inclined to send you to Qujiang.¡± Hearing that, Jing Xuan became terrified immediately. She hurriedly rose and stepped forward, grabbing her mother¡¯s wrist. ¡°Imperial Mother, I absolutely don¡¯t want to marry over to Qujiang. You know that Qujiang King is more than 50 years old. How can Imperial Father be so heartless? Imperial Mother, you must help me!¡± Her tears fell again as she spoke urgently. Concubine Xiao raised her hand and stroked Jing Xuan¡¯s head. She looked regretfully at her daughter. ¡°Xuan¡¯er, of course, I don¡¯t want you to marry far away. Unfortunately, this matter is rted to the peace between Qujiang and Great Lin. As a princess, it is your duty and I have no control over it. But, rest assured that I will still talk with your father about regarding your wish.¡± ¡°Then, if Imperial Father still insists on marrying me, what should¡­¡± Jing Xuan¡¯s words became stuck in her throat as she worried and she felt increasingly ufortable thinking of the other possibility. From the moment she was born into the imperial family, no matter how noble her identity as a princess was, she knew that her wedding would never be hers to choose. First of all, she was a valuable chess piece that could help stabilize the imperial court or gain the loyalty of an official, a minister or a great character. Second, she could be a sharp sword that he could send to another country on the pretext of marriage. All these were things that all princesses had to go through. And Jing Xuan was no exception to this rule. Yet, she didn¡¯t expect that after escaping from her wedding to Yuanzu, she would end up getting married off to the old Qujiang King instead. She tugged her mother¡¯s sleeve while crying desperately. Concubine Xiao only had this one daughter and could not bear being separated from her due to such circumstances. She gripped Jing Xuan¡¯s hand and calmly stated. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Imperial mother will absolutely not let your father marry you there.¡± ¡°But if Imperial Father sends a decree, you won¡¯t be able to do anything!¡± ¡°Then before he gives the order, I will use that method to stop him.¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± Jing Xuan didn¡¯t understand her meaning. Her heart was filled with sadness, so she didn¡¯t care about anything else and buried herself in her mother¡¯s chest to cry. ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¨C The next morning. Concubine Xiao personally boiled a bowl of ginger soup that she brought along with her to Fuyang hall. Qi Zhen was currently looking through the memorials. He was absent-minded and showed an oppressive expression. Besides him, Old Eunuch Zhang leaned over to inform him, ¡°If Your Majesty is tired, how about resting for a moment?¡± ¡°We are not tired. We are simply troubled about Qujiang¡¯s marriage proposal.¡± ¡°Can it be that Your Majesty is considering which princess to send in marriage?¡± ¡°You old thing, our mind has been seen through by you.¡± Eunuch Zhang smiled. ¡°This old one has followed Your Majesty for dozens of years already. If I can¡¯t understand Your Majesty a bit, this old one would have lost the qualifications to stay by your side!¡± Qi Zhen put down the memorial and sighed. He raised his head and looked at his attendant¡¯s face. ¡°Then, tell me, is it a good idea that if I sent Jing Xuan?¡± He asked. Eunuch Zhang mulled over the question. He bowed and spoke his thoughts. ¡°Princess Jing Xuan is an intelligent person. She is quick-witted and adorable. In addition, she was born with beauty. If she married to Qujiang, it is naturally a good thing. Although it is true that the princess has her qualities, her temperament is a little bit too carefree and she is rather prone to being quite impulsive. To marry her to a faraway country with no one to rely on, I¡¯m afraid that there are bound to be many idents.¡± Qi Zhen nodded and he was fraught with worries once more. ¡°Unfortunately, amongst my daughters, only Jing Xuan is at a marriageable age.¡± ¡®What a headache!¡¯ At this moment, Concubine Xiao timely arrived. ¡°This Concubine pays respect to his Majesty!¡± She bent her knees in salute as per etiquette. Qi Zhen raised his head. ¡°No need for courtesy.¡± ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± She ordered people to bring to her the ginseng broth she had boiled. She took the bowl and ced it on the emperor¡¯s table. Then, she sat on the mat near him. With a kind smile, she gently said, ¡°Your Majesty, I heard from the maids that you¡¯ve been reading memorials the whole night, so I made some ginseng soup for you.¡± ¡°You are too considerate.¡± Qi Zhen took a sip of the soup before putting it down. Concubine Xiao narrowed her eyes at the pile of memorials. She then gently shifted the subject. ¡°Yesterday we spoke of sending Xuan¡¯er to Qujiang. I don¡¯t know if you have already made your decision?¡± Qi Zhen wasn¡¯t a fool, and Concubine Xiao was quite obvious about probing him on this matter. He tightly frowned. ¡°About this, we would have to discuss with the chancellor. As of now, the decision hasn¡¯t been made yet.¡± ¡®That¡¯s good!¡¯ It meant that she still had some leeway to work on this matter. Concubine Xiao raised her phoenix eyes. ¡°Your Majesty, although Xuan¡¯er is a princess and her marriage is decided by you, you should also know that I only have this one daughter. If she is sent to Qujiang, I will feel forlorn.¡± She showed a sour expression. ¡°Amongst all my daughters, Xuan¡¯er has a lively personality which we are very fond of. Unfortunately, too many things are at stake, so I hope that you can understand.¡± Whether it was under the influence of Concubine Xiao¡¯s gentle voice, Qi Zhen spoke to her in a soft voice and didn¡¯t use that awe-inspiring voice he used to assert his control over the imperial court. Concubine Xiao argued in a bitter voice. ¡°This Concubine understands, but your Majesty should know that Qujiang King is already in his fifties, and Xuan¡¯er is only 17. Since you love Xuan¡¯er, how can you have the heart to marry her away like this?¡± ¡°We know, but apart from Xuan¡¯er, who can take her ce?¡± He was also distressed about it. Concubine Xiao¡¯s eyes immediately brightened as she whispered. ¡°This Concubine knows someone.¡± ¡°Ah? Who?¡± ¡°Could it be that you forgot about Empress Xuanshu¡¯s niece, Kong Yu?¡± ¡®Kong Yu?¡¯ When the name was mentioned, Qi Zhen immediately remembered. Concubine Xiao slyly continued to exin her idea. ¡°The Kong family is the queen¡¯s maiden family. They can be considered rtives to the imperial family. In addition, Kong Yu¡¯s age is no longer young, but she is still a maiden. Your Majesty can bestow upon her the title of princess and marry her to Qujiang. It¡¯s a feasible method.¡± Chapter 198: Don’t Do to Others What You Don’t Want Them to Do to You Concubine Xiao made a suggestion which made Qi Zhen ponder about it. However, he didn¡¯t agree or disagree with her suggestion. Then, he quickly summoned the princes and ministers to discuss political affairs. When everyone arrived, Concubine Xiao didn¡¯t leave Fuyang hall and was waiting outside for the news. She summoned a eunuch and instructed him, ¡°Go inside and listen to the conversation. Report to me immediately when the emperor takes a decision.¡± ¡°Yes, your Ladyship!¡± The eunuch quickly went inside the hall. Inside the hall. There were three rows of courtiers and the princes stood in front of him. The crown prince, Jing Yi and Jing Rong stood in the front row while the others ministers stood behind, ced ording to ranks. Qi Zhen showed doubt on his face as he asked, ¡°The marriage between Qujiang and Great Lin has caused us many headaches. What do you propose?¡± Jing Hua had an idea. He nced with disdain at Jing Yi and stepped forward. ¡°Imperial Father, since time immemorial, princesses were sent for political marriages. Jing Xuan is our Great Lin¡¯s eldest princess. Sending her to Qujiang is a natural thing.¡± How can Jing Yi not destroy his reasoning? Jing Xuan was after all his younger sister from the same mother. Thus, he immediately refuted. ¡°Although Jing Xuan is the eldest princess, her temper is rather impetuous, which makes her unsuitable to be married off to another country. The crown prince¡¯s suggestion is not appropriate.¡± ¡°However, only Jing Xuan meets the requirements for marriage. Besides, the fianc¨¦ is the king of Qujiang. It¡¯s impossible for him to wrong her. Jing Yi, as her older brother, shouldn¡¯t you be happy for her?¡± Jing Hua ridiculed his brother. ¡®That¡¯s right, shouldn¡¯t you be happy, Jing Yi? The old Qujiang King will be your brother-inw. Your influence will certainly grow bigger. You should be the oneughing instead!¡¯ It should be said that this result was optimal. However, only an idiot would think this way, while a smart person would think otherwise. Jing Yi repressed the anger burning in him and calmly spoke to Qi Zhen. ¡°Imperial Father, Qujiang King¡¯s marriage proposal is certainly suspicious. On the surface, we have harmonious rtions with them, but if one day we came to wage war with them, how can we face them if they decided to use Jing Xuan as a hostage?¡± ¡°Mmm. Jing Yi is right.¡± Qi Zhen nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why I beseech Imperial Father to decide on another candidate.¡± Qi Zhen had many thoughts in his mind. He recalled Concubine Xiao¡¯s suggestion. His bright eyes swept a nce at everyone present. He inquired, ¡°How about Kong Yu?¡± All the ministers looked at each other in dismay when they heard the name. The usually silent Jing Rong suddenly showed a grave expression. After a moment, one of the ministers lowered his head and saluted the emperor before speaking. ¡°The Kong family is the maiden family of Empress Xuanshu, and Miss Kong Yu is known to be gentle as jade. She is indeed an appropriate candidate to rece Princess Jing Xuan. One after another, they all agreed to the suggestion. ¡°That¡¯s right! The Kong family is a noble family. Sending Miss Kong is appropriate.¡± ¡°Agree!¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Soon enough, the situation shifted in favor to Kong Yu. Jing Rong immediately stepped forward. He had a frown and earnestly advised, ¡°Imperial Father, please think twice.¡± In the past few years, during court sessions, when the emperor didn¡¯t ask for Jing Rong¡¯s opinion, thetter would usually act as if he was invisible most of the time. He wouldn¡¯t take part in any conflicts or voice his opinions readily. Surprisingly, at this moment, he suddenly contradicted the emperor! Qi Zhen observed his son but failed to understand this sudden move. ¡°Why do you want us to think twice?¡± ¡°Although the Kong family is noble, and this marriage is of utmost importance, Miss Kong Yu is the sole direct descendant of the Kong family. Imperial Father had once instructed Son ¨C Don¡¯t do to others what you don¡¯t want them to do to you. So I beseech you to re-think twice!¡± Bam! Qi Zhen was angered. ¡°Preposterous!¡± Heshed out. His anger was a deluge. ¡°Although we did teach you that, we also taught you that ¨C loyalty to your rootse first.¡± Jing Rong lowered his eyebrows. He retained his calm, but his obstinacy could still be felt. ¡°Son did not intend to contradict Imperial Father¡¯s will, but rather only wished to tell Imperial Father to think twice as the Kong family¡­¡± Before he could finish, Jing Yi cut in. ¡°Jing Rong, we know that you are on good terms with Kong Yu, since you two grew up together. Anyone can see how close you two are. But don¡¯t forget that before your identity as a childhood friend, you are this country¡¯s prince. That distinction should be made loud and clear. Do you know the weight of your position?¡± The corner of his mouth pulled into an unfathomable smile, appearing rather hypocritical! His words had pushed Jing Rong into a pit. Qi Zhen was already angry, and if Jing Rong continued arguing, he was simply digging his grave. Then, Jing Hua nned to keep quarreling with Jing Yi. He intended to tease out the fact that since Jing Yi didn¡¯t want his younger sister to be married off, he was thinking of pushing out his cousin instead? ¡®In your dreams!¡¯ Jing Hua looked at his father¡¯s angry expression and raised his chin in an arrogant expression. He berated Jing Yi, ¡°Jing Yi, you said so much, but in the end, could it be that you don¡¯t want Jing Xuan to be sent to Qujiang?¡± His words exposed the truth. He turned to his father and said, ¡°Imperial Father, Qujiang King has dispatched people to propose a marriage. If Jing Xuan was married, this is the most appropriate choice. Whether or not we might wage war with Qujiang in the future is still uncertain. Please think about it, if one day Jing Xuan can be Qujiang¡¯s queen, isn¡¯t Qujiang considered to be within our hands? Besides, what Jing Rong said is correct. Kong Yu is the only direct descendant of the Kong family. If Mother Queen is still alive, she would also oppose this matter the same way as Jing Rong did.¡± He used his dead mother as an excuse to move Qi Zhen. He was betting on the depth of his father¡¯s love to his mother! Qi Zhen¡¯s expression darkened. He sighed and frowned. Jing Yi narrowed his eyes at Jing Hua, and thetter rolled his eyes inwardly but didn¡¯t spare a nce at him. Fortunately, Jing Yi was a steady person. He calmed down and plead his father, ¡°Imperial Father, Jing Xuan is still young, and her mind has no defenses. If we send her to Qujiang, it¡¯d be the same as breaking her wings. In addition, all the ministers agreed that Kong Yu is the best candidate for this matter. What¡¯s more, it¡¯s an honor for her to be sent to Qujiang. It would be better¡­¡± Qi Zhen raised his hand to interrupt him. The buzzing noise was causing him to have a headache. If he had known earlier, he would have to think about it in private and make his decision on his own. Instead, he was bombarded by arguments left and right. ¡®How bothersome! How infuriating!¡¯ ¡°All of you are dismissed!¡± No one dared to refute the annoyed emperor. They all bowed in salute and withdrew. Jing Rong was one of thest to leave. Just as he reached the exit, Jing Hua caught him. He patted Jing Rong¡¯s shoulder and spoke with a tint ofcency, showing a mystifying appearance. ¡°So, did I show enough brotherhood? I know that you and Kong Yu have each other in the hearts. That¡¯s why I helped you.¡± ¡®Yes, I really ought to thank you! How about you piss off instead?¡¯ Jing Rong couldn¡¯t be bothered to talk to him, so he remained silent. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much. Imperial Father has yet to make an imperial edict, which means things can change. I¡¯ll help you in the next two days by reporting to imperial father of your feelings for her, so he won¡¯t make a hasty decision.¡± ¡°Your Highness¡­¡± ¡°Alright alright, you don¡¯t have to thank me. Kong Yu is my cousin after all, and I know she only has eyes for you.¡± He acted as if he knew everything. ¡°I am a generous person. I will forgive you even if you had stood on Jing Yi¡¯s side in regards to that border matter.¡± Jing Hua added. ¡®This Prince has a heart as wide as the ocean!¡¯ ck lines formed on Jing Rong¡¯s face, and he turned. ¡°Thank you, Your Highness, I have some matters to attend to, so I best be going.¡± ¡°What matter?¡± ¡®It¡¯s none of your business!¡¯ He did not say these words out loud, and so he instead said, ¡°I have to handle some internal matters that require my immediate attention.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Jing Hua said, and then curiously pulled Jing Rong back to ask. ¡°That¡¯s right, that Teacher Ji that you brought back, thest time I saw him was at Concubine Xiao¡¯s birthday. I didn¡¯t expect that man to be so formidable. He managed to solve that difficult missing girls case. If you have time, introduce him to me, alright?¡± ¡°Teacher Ji is not very friendly, so it¡¯s best for you to not meet him.¡± ¡°Why? Such a talented person, don¡¯t tell me you intend to keep hiding him forever?¡± Jing Hua said angrily. Jing Rong shook his head and sighed. He then absentmindedly said some words before leaving Jing Hua behind. Chapter 199: Buying a Hairpin as a Gift Chapter 199: Buying a Hairpin as a Gift Aftering out of the imperial pce, Jing Rong took the carriage back to his estate. But on his way back, he unexpectedly encountered Ji Li, who wasing out from the Ministry of War office. ¡°Paying respects to Prince Rong.¡± It was the second time they met on their way to somewhere. The first time wasn¡¯t a pleasant encounter, not to mention the matters involving the Ji family, which caused Jing Rong to view Ji Li in a cold light. ¡°General Ji, are you returning to your residence or were you waiting for this Prince?¡± ¡°I had heard people say that your Highness had entered the pce. Since I have a few matters that I wanted to discuss with you, I was waiting for you here.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Is it possible to have a proper discussion at your Highness¡¯s estate?¡± ¡®Not possible! What if he met Ji Yunshu? How would he avoid that issue?¡¯ However, after thinking for a moment, Jing Rong, who wasn¡¯t narrow-minded, agreed with a nod. So they both left together and arrived at the Rong estate. As soon as they entered the estate, he sent Lu Jiang to the East Courtyard. ¡°Teacher Ji, his Highness has instructed me to inform you that General Ji hase to the estate. He wants to ask if you want to hide or not?¡± ¡®Ji Li?¡¯ Ji Yunshu, who was organizing the paint in her sandalwood box, paused. Her hands were trembling underneath her gray sleeves. ¡°Did his Highness say anything else?¡± She asked. ¡°Nothing else.¡± Ji Yunshu finished organizing her paint whilst saying, ¡°Forget it. I feel like going out.¡± ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± Lu Jiang was extremely nervous because he had been lectured several times before; Jing Rong had long ago instructed them that each time Ji Yunshu wanted to go out, they had to obtain his approval before letting her go or the whole estate would suffer a cmity! Ji Yunshu put her box back onto a shelf and asked, ¡°Lu Jiang, where is Yuhua Pavilion?¡± ¡°You are nning to go there?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll order some people to bring you there.¡± ¡®Bring me? Are you sure you don¡¯t mean keep an eye on me??¡¯ Ji Yunshu didn¡¯t reply to him and simply called out, ¡°Wei Yi!¡± ¡°Did you call me?¡± ¡°Mmm.¡± She nodded and pointed at the handkerchief in his hand. ¡°Go and give it back to Chu Chun. I¡¯ll bring you out.¡± Once he heard that he would spend time with Ji Yunshu, Wei Yi became incredibly happy. He hurriedly ran out to return the handkerchief to Chu Chun. When he returned, he changed into clean clothes. ¡°Why are you changing your clothes?¡± Ji Yunshu asked, confused. ¡°Because we¡¯re going out! Father said that before going out, we have to change into new clothes.¡± ¡®How cute and innocent!¡¯ At this moment, Lu Jiang had already ordered some guards to escort Ji Yunshu out. They then left toward Yuhua Pavilion. While on their way, Ji Yunshu said to Wei Yi, ¡°Pick something so we can give something as a present.¡± ¡°Who are we giving it to?¡± ¡°Just choose.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Wei Yi carefully looked around and ultimately chose to enter a jewelry shop. He looked from left to right and saw a hairpin. ¡°Shopkeeper, I want this!¡± The thing he wanted was a jade hairpin with a deep color and great craftsmanship. It was apparent that it was a valuable item. The shopkeeper carefully brought the hairpin over and told him the price. ¡°Gentlemen, it¡¯s 50 taels of silver!¡± ¡®50 taels? How expensive!¡¯ She groped her purse and only had around 10 taels. ¡°How about 10 taels?¡± She attempted. Hearing the suggested price, the shopkeeper immediately changed his expression. He hurriedly took back the hairpin and ced it back on the counter. His gaze swept them in assessment from Ji Yunshu to Wei Yi. ¡°10 taels? It¡¯s only enough to take a look.¡± He spoke with contempt. Ji Yunshu wasn¡¯t impatient. She looked at Wei Yi. ¡°Do you really want to buy this hairpin as a gift?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± He strongly nodded. Ji Yunshu smiled and turned to the shopkeeper. ¡°10 taels, will you sell it or not?¡± ¡°Not selling it! Now, shoo, shoo! Go away! Don¡¯t hinder my business.¡± Finished speaking, he nned to go back to his counter. Ji Yunshu suddenly spoke out, ¡°Shopkeeper, your fingers are deformed and you have no power in your grip. It has led to your shoulder swelling, injuring your meridians. So every time you raise your arm more than 30 centimeters, you will feel weak. Am I right?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± The shopkeeper was shocked. He immediately hid his left hand in his sleeve and brought it behind his back. Ji Yunshu continued to speak. ¡°Because your scaphoid bone is injured, it caused the sesamoid bone, or rather the pisiform bone in your hand to be more exact, to be unable to bend. Your five fingers are stuck together because the triquetrum and lunate bones are jammed. It has made your fingers unable to bend properly as well. In fact, the problem is very easy to treat. Don¡¯t you want to return the usage of your hand to its normal state? Your hand is interconnected with your meridians. Thus when using strength, or during the rainy or windy seasons, your shoulder will be extremely painful, and no matter how many doctors that examined you or whichever medicine you take, the pain remains and they can¡¯tpletely treat the root of the problem. Am I right?¡± The shopkeeper gawked. He looked at her in shock and his eyes seemed as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. Although he didn¡¯t understand all the medical terms she used, he clearly knew the condition of his hand. ¡°Gentleman¡­ How did you find out?¡± His voice trembled. ¡°It¡¯s easy. Earlier, when you took out the hairpin, I took notice of your hand.¡± ¡°Then, do you know how to treat it? I¡¯ve been examined by countless doctors for many years and they all couldn¡¯t do a thing.¡± The shopkeeper showed a bitter face before looking at her with hope and anticipation. The corners of Ji Yunshu¡¯s lips hooked up. Her sight fell on the hairpin. ¡°If you can sell me this hairpin for 10 taels, I will tell you how to cure it.¡± Ji Yunshu offered. The shopkeeper became skeptical. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, then forget it. Though think about it, didn¡¯t you spend a lot of money in order to treat your hand?¡± ¡®That¡¯s right!¡¯ He had spent no less than hundreds of taels in the past several years on his hand. Wei Yi innocently blinked and watched Ji Yunshu haggled. He thought of something and tugged at her sleeve. ¡°Shu¡¯er, if he doesn¡¯t want to, let¡¯s go somewhere else. This hairpin is not that pretty.¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want it?¡± He waved his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t want it!¡± Ji Yunshu chuckled and nodded. ¡°Good, then, let¡¯s go.¡± As they were about to leave, the shopkeeper gritted his teeth and hurriedly stopped them. ¡°Alright! 10 taels!¡± He immediately put the hairpin inside a beautiful brocade box and gave it to them. His face was ugly and he felt as if his heart was bleeding out. Ji Yunshu took out the 10 taels and put the money in the shopkeeper¡¯s hand. ¡°Remember well, take some fig leaves and mash them. Add a very strong alcohol. Soak it for half a month. Then, apply it on your hand three times a day. After a month, the inmmation will recede, your bones will be looser and your strength wille back. You will be able to move your fingers once again. If after a month your hand is not back to normal, go to Yuhua Pavilion and look for Doctor Mo Ruo. He willpensate for your loss.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Thank you very much, gentleman. Thank you so much¡­¡± After thanking Ji Yunshu numerous times, he let them go. Ji Yunshu pulled Wei Yi out of the shop with the hairpin in hand. Wei Yi followed her while shouting, ¡°Shu¡¯er is so great!¡± Sheughed but didn¡¯t say anything. Although she wasn¡¯t a doctor. Anything rted to bones was her specialty. After they passed by the downtown area, it didn¡¯t take long before they arrived at Yuhua Pavilion. At the entrance, there were many people lining up. All of them were either waiting to see the doctor or getting a prescription. Outside, there were young apprentices trying to deal with everything. Chapter 200: A Complex Medical Case Chapter 200: A Complex Medical Case Since Yuhua Pavilion had a God Doctor, there would be countless sick peopleing in every day. Although Mo Ruo hadn¡¯t seen a patient for a year, his apprentices were all outstanding medical experts. They were on par with imperial physicians. At this moment, an apprentice with good eyes, who was giving out numbered tiles, recognized the Rong estate guards. He weed Ji Yunshu and Wei Yi. ¡°Are you from Prince Rong¡¯s estate?¡± ¡°Is Young Master Mo inside?¡± Ji Yunshu asked. ¡°Master is upstairs,¡± the apprentice answered. ¡°Can you tell him we have aplex medical case that needs his attention?¡± ¡°Yes, please have a seat inside.¡± He led them inside while the guards stood outside, guarding the entrance. They were shown seats in a small reception room in the backyard. The apprentice made them each a cup of tea before quickly leaving to inform Mo Ruo of his guests. Mo Ruo was busypounding medicine in the attic. He would asionally dip his fingers in the mixture and knead it before smelling it. He frowned. ¡°The medicinal ingredients have too much moisture. Throw it away quickly!¡± The apprentice at his side hurriedly took a pile of medicinal ingredients out and threw it in a cask. Mo Ruo¡¯s voice sounded again. ¡°The medicine¡¯s scent isn¡¯t strong enough.¡± It was tossed into the garbage! ¡°This orchid bud didn¡¯t bask in the sun enough.¡± It was discarded. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Kuizi only focused on saving costs? Howe these look so dried up?¡± Another pile of ingredients was thrown away. Almost all the ingredients on the table had been disposed, leaving it somewhat empty. The apprentice, Ah Chi, felt it¡¯s such a waste. It felt like his flesh was being cut every time he had to throw away some of the ingredients. ¡°Master, if we throw everything ording to your requirements, we will be throwing away all the ingredients in our pavilion. It¡¯s such a waste!¡± Mo Ruo red at him and spoke sternly. ¡°Before I left, I specifically exined that as long as there is a problem with the medicine or the ingredients, we have to throw it out. Did you forget everything I said?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it! How would I dare?¡± Mo Ruo hit Ah Chi¡¯s head. ¡°The quacks in this world mostly just prescribe useless medicine to cheat themon people out of their money. If you want to learn from me, remember to be rigorous. Do not keep ineffective ingredients and give it to patients. You understand?¡± He stared at his apprentice with a sharp expression. Ah Chi trembled. How could he dare contradict his master?! He nodded. ¡°I understand. I won¡¯t be a quack. I must be like master and practice medicine to help the people, I must give medicine to those in need and be a famous doctor.¡± His battle spirit had been ignited. Although, it seemed there was a hint of ttery hidden in his words. Mo Ruo rubbed his hands together and pieces of ingredients and medicine fell on his clothes. He was about to say something to Ah Chi when he heard someoneing up thedder. The apprentice who had weed Ji Yunshu came up. ¡°Master, you have two guests from Prince Rong¡¯s estate. They say they have aplex medical case they hope you can take a look at!¡± ¡°People from Prince Rong¡¯s estate? Who?¡± ¡°They are unfamiliar but the people who came with them are Prince Rong¡¯s guard.¡± Mo Ruo creased his brows. He arranged his clothes and stretched. The corner of his mouth curled up, his mood evidently improving. ¡°Go and invite them up. Bring a pot of Longjing tea for them as well.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The apprentice hurried down thedder. Ah Chi grabbed his head and asked, ¡°Master, you know who they are?¡± Mo Ruo reprimanded him instead. ¡°Clean up the ingredients properly.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Ah Chi grunted in agreement. He was very pitiful. Mo Ruo got up and walked out onto the balcony. This was his resting ce. It was rtively peaceful with a curtain of muslin to shelter from the elements. It only had a table and a few chairs made of bamboo as furniture, enclosed by a railing. It was a tranquil ce. At that moment, Ji Yunshu and Wei Yi were led up into the attic. When they came in, they saw Mo Ruo holding a bottle of wine, drinking leisurely. The fragrance of alcohol pervaded the air. Everyone knew he was a wine lover. ¡°You came? Sit down.¡± Mo Ruo pointed to a ce opposite him with his chin. Ji Yunshu pulled Wei Yi to sit down next to her unceremoniously. The apprentice who had led them in brought a pot of Longjing tea and was about to put down the third cup. ¡°I don¡¯t drink tea, only wine!¡± Mo Ruo reminded him. The apprentice nodded and left two cups of tea on the table. The fragrance mingled with the alcohol, filling the open bamboo shed on the balcony. The smell filled their noses. It was light and refreshing. ¡°This tea is usually left here with no one to drink it since I don¡¯t have many visitors. Try it, how is the taste?¡± Mo Ruo pointed at the tea. Ji Yunshu wasn¡¯t in a hurry to talk business, so she picked up her cup and took a sip. ¡°Very fragrant!¡± ¡°Only fragrant?¡± ¡°Did you add something else to the tea?¡± ¡°What a pity for such tea, it appears that Miss Ji isn¡¯t a tea lover.¡± Mo Ruo looked at the pot with pity. ¡®How petty! Isn¡¯t it just a pot of tea?¡¯ Ji Yunshu smiled. ¡°Young Master Mo had perhaps regarded me too highly. I am amon woman, I¡¯ve lived on in tea and simple food. In my hand, I carry a knife to cut apart corpses. Only the smell of blood and the stench of rotting corpses fill my nose. It is only natural that my sense of smell and of taste are rough; I naturally cannot fully appreciate such good tea.¡± Hearing her speech, Mo Ruo raised the corner of his mouth. He didn¡¯t feel revulsed by her words. He was, after all, a doctor and had also seen his fair share of gore. ¡°What an eloquent mouth!¡± he praised. While they were talking, Wei Yi took a gulp of the tea. ¡®So hot!¡¯ He stuck out his tongue and fanned it with both his hands. ¡°Ignorant!¡± Mo Ruoined. ¡°This is top quality tea, you can barely buy it with money. Really ignorant!¡± He was displeased, so he took a sip of wine to calm the anger in his heart. ¡°Did my sudden visit disturb your leisure time?¡± Ji Yunshu asked lowly. Mo Ruo took another sip of wine. ¡°Every day, countless people go in and out of Yuhua Pavilion. If it¡¯s not at least a thousand, there should be more than a hundred. Where can I find the time to be idle?¡± he answered, his eyes closed and sounding slightly drunk. Wei Yi rushed to refute him after putting his burnt tongue back in his mouth, not giving Ji Yunshu the time to reply. ¡°Lies! If you are busy, why are you hiding here to drink wine?¡± Looking at the sincere emotions visible on Wei Yi¡¯s face, Mo Ruo couldn¡¯t helpughing. ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Wei Yi asked. ¡°I¡¯mughing at you because you misunderstood me!¡± Mo Ruo answered. ¡®Bro, it would be dreadful if Wei Yi could understand your meaning.¡¯ Wei Yi seemed to be hostile towards Mo Ruo. To put it bluntly, he just didn¡¯t like the man for some reason. ¡°I don¡¯t want to understand you. I remember how you fartedst time, and it was so smelly. You¡¯re not Shu¡¯er either. I only want to understand Shu¡¯er.¡± Wei Yi pouted as he spoke. Ji Yunshu tugged on his sleeve and reprimanded him. ¡°Don¡¯t be impolite!¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Wei Yi quieted down obediently and leaned back in his chair. Ji Yunshu turned to Mo Ruo and apologized. ¡°Young Master Mo shouldn¡¯t mind Wei Yi¡¯s words, he¡­¡± Mo Ruo interrupted her with a raise of his hand. ¡°I don¡¯t mind!¡± His gazended on Ji Yunshu¡¯s golden mask. ¡°Remove your mask.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°Let me take a look at your scar.¡±