“Wow! They caught the murderer!” Fuling exclaimed with delight. Seeing Qin Wan’s somber expression, she asked, “What’s wrong, Young Miss? Shouldn’t we be happy that the Wei family’s eldest young master has been caught?”

Qin Wan tightly gripped the letter and slowly turned toward the main hall. As she walked, her brows furrowed deeply once again. After a few steps, she suddenly halted. “No, this won’t do.”

Fuling looked at Qin Wan with concern. “What occurred to Young Miss? What won’t do?”

Qin Wan shook her head, determination appearing in her expression. “Go, tell the gatehouse to prepare a carriage.”

Fuling was startled. “Young Miss wants to go out?”

Qin Wan nodded. “Yes, we need to leave. Quickly.”

Fuling, affected by Qin Wan’s stern demeanor, nodded and ran off. Meanwhile, Wantao had emerged from the Orchid Garden carrying a charcoal brazier. She locked the courtyard gate and stood respectfully at a distance. Qin Wan had no mindset to deal with her at the moment, only reading the letter once more.

Soon, Fuling returned. “Young Miss, I’ve passed on the instructions. Shall we leave now?”

Qin Wan nodded and left the courtyard without even entering the house.

Leaving the courtyard, Qin Wan headed straight for the western side gate. Upon arrival, she indeed saw a carriage waiting outside.

After a moment’s consideration, Qin Wan said, “We’ll drive ourselves.”

Fuling understood her mistress’s meaning, having grown more perceptive these past few days. “Very well, I’ll drive the carriage, though I won’t be as steady as Guard Bai.”

Qin Wan looked at Fuling’s slight frame with some concern but could only nod in agreement.

The carriage was an ordinary lacquered one, still appearing new from the outside. Qin Wan boarded while Fuling took the driver’s seat. “Young Miss, please hold on tight. I used to drive carriages before, though I’m rather out of practice now…”

Qin Wan replied, “Just take it slowly. We’re going to the magistrate’s office.”

Fuling was surprised that Qin Wan wanted to visit the magistrate’s office. After a moment’s thought, she raised the whip. “I know where the magistrate’s office is!”

The carriage began moving slowly, indeed less steady than when Bai Feng drove, and considerably slower. However, none of this mattered to Qin Wan, who sat inside with an extremely dark expression.

Wei Qizhi had been captured, but today’s visit to the Marquis’s mansion had only increased her sense of unease.

Wei Yanzhi’s illness, the dirt on the tongs – everything had happened as predicted, yet Qin Wan still felt something was amiss.

Fuling drove with all her might. Having learned carriage driving before, she grew more proficient after a bumpy first half of the journey. However, being physically weaker, the carriage moved much slower than when Bai Feng drove. Still, with Qin Wan as her passenger, she dared not risk going faster.

Proceeding slowly this way, they eventually arrived at the magistrate’s office.

“Young Miss, we’re here. What are we doing here?”

Qin Wan lifted the carriage curtain. “Go tell the yamen runners that we’re here to see Coroner Xu. Say we’re from the Marquis’s household.”

Fuling nodded and tidied her appearance before leaving.

Qin Wan sat quietly in the carriage waiting. It wasn’t that she wanted to use the Marquis’s name, but this was the prefectural magistrate’s office – without mentioning the Marquis’s household, it would take longer to see Xu He.

Fuling left quickly and returned just as fast. “Young Miss, the runner has gone in to find Coroner Xu. He asked us to wait a moment. Young Miss, is there something wrong with that letter? Why are you in such a hurry to see Coroner Xu?”

It was natural for Fuling to ask this. After some thought, Qin Wan replied, “I still have some doubts about this case. Though the Wei family’s eldest young master has been brought back, we can’t determine for certain that he’s the murderer yet.”

Hearing this, Fuling’s eyes widened. “What? You mean Young Master Wei isn’t the murderer?”

Qin Wan neither nodded nor shook her head. “It’s too early to make that conclusion.”

Fuling pressed her lips together and said no more. Since the lake incident, her young miss had changed more and more. By now, she couldn’t imagine what her young miss was thinking, so it was better not to ask too many questions.

A moment later, Xu He strode out from the magistrate’s office.

Upon seeing Fuling, Xu He knew Qin Wan had come. He jogged over, “Why has Ninth Young Miss come?” He bowed to the carriage compartment and stepped forward, “Has Ninth Young Miss seen the letter?”

Qin Wan had already lifted the carriage window curtain. She nodded, “I saw the letter, that’s why I came.” She glanced at the main entrance of the office, “Under what circumstances was the Wei family’s eldest young master captured?”

At this question, Xu He’s eyes brightened. “It happened exactly as Ninth Young Miss predicted. Yesterday, this humble one went with the magistrate to the mortuary. We didn’t examine the corpse, just pretended to stay for a while before leaving. At the time, we didn’t notice anyone following us. But just now, when this humble one left the office carrying my box to eat noodles at the street stall – the same place as before – sure enough, someone came to steal my box. Captain Lin, whom the magistrate had assigned to follow me, apprehended the person.”

Qin Wan narrowed her eyes. “Was his leg injured?”

Xu He nodded. “Indeed. His left lower leg was broken and still covered in medicine. Though he was trained in martial arts, he couldn’t withstand Captain Lin’s numerous men. He was captured immediately and is now in the great prison. The magistrate is questioning him right now!”

After a pause, Xu He looked at Qin Wan and asked, “Did Ninth Young Miss come to the office just to learn about this?”

Qin Wan’s eyes were deep with thought as she looked at Xu He, unsure how to begin. After a moment, she asked, “If the Wei family’s eldest young master doesn’t confess, does the magistrate plan to use torture? Also, did he come alone or with others?”

Xu He considered this. “Usually, severe torture wouldn’t be used, but this is a murder case and a very urgent one. If… Young Master Wei doesn’t cooperate properly, torture might be necessary. This humble one doesn’t know if he came alone or with others, but from what I saw, he looked very haggard, wearing clothes that hadn’t been changed for several days. Even if he brought people, it couldn’t have been many. Right now the magistrate is questioning him, and we’ll only know more details after the magistrate finishes.”

Qin Wan understood the yamen’s rules – for such an important case, no outsiders could be present during questioning.

Qin Wan nodded. Xu He suddenly hesitated before asking, “Does Ninth Young Miss have some thoughts she’s reluctant to share? Perhaps Ninth Young Miss feels there are still some doubtful points in this case?”

Qin Wan did trust Xu He. “Indeed, there are some questions I can’t resolve, but we can wait until after the magistrate’s questioning. Though the person has been caught, closing the case won’t happen immediately. Let’s discuss it later.”

Xu He nodded. “After this case is concluded, the magistrate will certainly inform the Marquis’s household and Ninth Young Miss of all the confessions and testimonies.”

Qin Wan nodded. “Very well, I have nothing else. You may return to your duties.”

Xu He bowed once more before turning to leave.

Fuling watched Xu He leaves, then looked questioningly at Qin Wan. “Young Miss, where shall we go now?”

Qin Wan lowered her eyes, her entire being shrouded in a heavy, dejected gloom. She spoke listlessly, “Let’s return to the mansion.”

Fuling acknowledged and steadily drove the carriage back.

In the carriage compartment, Qin Wan’s face showed signs of defeat. She couldn’t clearly explain why she had rushed over so urgently. Wei Qizhi had just been captured, and his confession hadn’t yet been obtained. She vaguely felt she had missed something but couldn’t recall what. For now, with no direction and Wei Qizhi’s confession still pending, she had no choice but to wait.

Though this case didn’t concern her directly, many of the clues from the corpse examination had been provided by her, and it was these clues that had pointed to Wei Qizhi. With unresolved doubts, she felt uneasy. Moreover, her father had never wrongly convicted anyone, and she didn’t want any case she handled to involve wrongful accusations. If it wasn’t Wei Qizhi, could it be him?

Qin Wan remained deep in thought throughout the journey. When the carriage returned to the Qin mansion, even the gatekeepers were surprised.

Qin Wan had left quickly and returned just as quickly, departing in urgent anxiety but returning somewhat listless. Now that Qin Wan was different from before, the gatekeepers hardly dared breathe when she entered.

Entering the mansion, she returned directly to Tinglan Court. The courtyard servants, including Wantao, hadn’t expected Qin Wan to return so quickly. Qin Wan entered the main room and went straight to the small study to practice calligraphy, saying nothing. Seeing this, Fuling dared not ask more, only brewing tea and waiting beside her.

Qin Wan would practice calligraphy whenever her emotions were troubled, as this helped calm her mind. She had gone to the Marquis’s mansion in the morning, returned close to afternoon, and gone out again. Time was already late, and by the time she finished her calligraphy, night had fallen outside.

“Young Miss, it’s already dark. Let’s have dinner first.”

Fuling spoke with concern, and Qin Wan thought for a moment before putting down her brush.

Dinner was very simple. As Fuling served dishes to Qin Wan, she said, “What’s wrong, Young Miss? I’ve never seen you write for so long before.”

Qin Wan ate slowly and carefully before responding, “This case still has many doubtful points that I can’t understand. For now, we can only wait until tomorrow to see if we can access Young Master Wei’s confession.”

“But Young Master Wei said that the eldest young master of the Wei family had relations with Miss Song, and only the Wei family’s eldest young master is left-handed,” Fuling said thoughtfully, looking at Qin Wan in confusion.

Qin Wan rinsed her mouth and walked to the warm room. “What if Young Master Wei lied?”

Fuling exclaimed in surprise, “Young Master Wei lied? He doesn’t… seem like he would…”

Qin Wan sat down and casually picked up a book. “There are countless types of people in this world. Some are very skilled at concealment and pretense. Even when they lie, others can’t tell. Of course, I’m just giving an example. This case still has variables. Unless the Wei family’s eldest young master can account for all the details, what I can’t figure out doesn’t mean others can’t. Perhaps he used a very clever method.”

“As for what you said about being left-handed…” As Qin Wan spoke, Yan Chi’s image suddenly flashed in her mind. “There are indeed people in this world who can use both hands. Such people tend to be more clever than ordinary folks. It’s possible that among Song’s guards, someone who could use their left hand chose to use their right, yet when committing the crime, used their left hand as a cover.”

Fuling listened with trepidation. “Young Miss, when you put it that way, I suddenly feel anyone around us could be a bad person.”

Qin Wan remained neutral. “That possibility has always existed. However, we should still believe that there are more good people in this world.”

Fuling nodded. Qin Wan handed her a book, “First, familiarize yourself with these medicinal herbs. You may already recognize some of them. You need to remember the properties and characteristics of all these herbs.”

Fuling’s eyes brightened – she knew Qin Wan was going to teach her!

……

……

With matters weighing on her mind, Qin Wan had an unsettled night. Early the next morning, she took her usual walk in the courtyard. She planned to go to the Marquis’s mansion after breakfast, but halfway through her meal, Yue Ning arrived!

“You haven’t finished breakfast yet? Do you know Wei Qizhi has been caught?”

This was Yue Ning’s third visit, and she was thoroughly familiar with Qin Wan’s small courtyard. Given their current close relationship, she sat down casually and accepted the tea Fuling offered before questioning Qin Wan.

Qin Wan nodded. “I know. Coroner Xu told me.”

Yue Ning nodded. “I only learned about this last night. Knowing you must be curious about how Wei Qizhi killed Song Rou, I came early to find you. Let’s go to the magistrate’s office!”

Qin Wan put down her chopsticks and wiped her lips. “The magistrate’s office?”

Yue Ning affirmed, “Yes, the magistrate’s office. Last night’s message said Wei Qizhi hasn’t given his confession yet. If we go today, we’ll surely hear the key points.”

Qin Wan blinked. Though the prefectural magistrate’s office was restricted, with Yue Ning’s status as Princess, entry wouldn’t be difficult… Indeed, having status made things easier!

Qin Wan had wanted to know the details, but her own status made it inappropriate to visit the magistrate’s office, so she hadn’t considered it. However, with Yue Ning’s arrival, she was naturally willing to go together. The thought excited her, and she immediately went to change clothes before leaving with Yue Ning. As they walked, Qin Wan remarked, “It seems there were problems during the interrogation.”

Yue Ning turned to look at her. “Oh? Why?”

Qin Wan spoke seriously, “Wei Qizhi was captured yesterday afternoon. From then until evening, there were two hours. If Wei Qizhi had confessed, the news the Marquis’s mansion received last night wouldn’t have been like this.”

“So Wei Qizhi must be refusing to confess?” Though Yue Ning’s tone was questioning, she seemed certain.

Qin Wan shook her head. “We don’t know yet. Let’s go see.”

They left together, with Yue Ning having arrived in the Marquis’s carriage. Qin Wan naturally rode with her to the magistrate’s office. As the carriage started moving, Yue Ning said, “You had many doubts before. I thought about it after returning home, and indeed, much is difficult to explain. Just considering how he dressed as a ghost to scare you – how did he enter the heavily guarded Marquis’s mansion? And how did he get Song Rou’s wedding dress!”

Yue Ning sighed. “We’ll probably only know these things when he tells us himself.”

Qin Wan didn’t respond. There was another possibility – that the person who dressed as a ghost to scare her wasn’t Wei Qizhi at all…

The Marquis’s household driver naturally drove faster than Fuling, and soon the carriage stopped before the magistrate’s office. Yue Ning and Qin Wan descended one after another. Yue Ning strode toward the entrance, but at the gate, the guards moved to block both Yue Ning and Qin Wan. Lüqi, who accompanied Yue Ning, frowned. “You dare block the Princess of the Anyang Marquis’s household?”

The yamen runners were startled, exchanged glances, and quickly lowered their hands. They knelt to pay respects, and one said, “Please wait a moment, Princess. This humble one will go inform the magistrate!”

Yue Ning nodded with a simple “Mm.” Before strangers, Yue Ning maintained a serious demeanor, her face showing a cool detachment befitting a princess’s elevated status. Watching from behind, Qin Wan couldn’t help but smile slightly.

Soon, Huo Huaixin strode out to greet them. “I didn’t know the Princess would honor us with her presence. This Huo has failed to welcome you properly…”

Though Yue Ning was younger, her status demanded respect, and Huo Huaixin had to show deference.

Yue Ning showed some respect to Huo Huaixin. “Pardon our disturbance, Magistrate. Hearing that you’ve captured the Wei family’s eldest young master, I’ve brought Ninth Young Miss to learn about the case’s progress. This case concerns the Marquis’s household, and Ninth Young Miss has contributed significantly. I trust you won’t mind?”

Huo Huaixin had stayed up most of the night, his face unshaven and eyes dark with fatigue. Hearing this, he dared not say much. Moreover, given the current situation, Qin Wan’s presence might be beneficial. Huo Huaixin laughed heartily and stepped aside with an inviting gesture. “Of course not. Please enter, Princess. Ninth Young Miss, please—”

Entering the magistrate’s office, Huo Huaixin led Yue Ning and Qin Wan along a side corridor. As they walked, he smiled bitterly, “Even if the Princess hadn’t come, this Huo would have sent someone to the Marquis’s mansion. I thought catching Wei Qizhi would clarify this case, but… who knew this Wei Qizhi would be so stubborn!”

Huo Huaixin heaved a long sigh. “We questioned him half the night, yet this Huo couldn’t get a single confession!”

Yue Ning frowned, while deep concern flashed in Qin Wan’s eyes. “Magistrate, what did Wei Qizhi say?”

As they spoke, the group passed the main hall and reached the inner offices. At the door of a side reception room, Huo Huaixin stopped. “The Princess and Ninth Young Miss are too precious to visit the prison cells. The confession and case files will be brought here shortly. Please, wait here for a moment.”

Yue Ning and Qin Wan nodded. After they entered, Huo Huaixin continued, “Wei Qizhi admitted he followed Song Rou to Jinzhou, but said he was injured and traveled by carriage, so he couldn’t have been much faster than Song Rou. Moreover, he left three days later than her and couldn’t catch up despite hurrying. When he reached the Ten Li Temple, Song Rou’s party was indeed there, but he claims he didn’t meet with her.”

Huo Huaixin sneered, “Do the Princess and Ninth Young Miss believe this? He thinks this absolves him of suspicion, but it reveals a major flaw. He was at Ten Li Temple at the same time – who else could have committed the murder?”

Qin Wan frowned. “Then what weapon did he use? And where did he hide Song Rou’s head?”

Huo Huaixin smiled bitterly. “Naturally, we couldn’t get those answers. This official hasn’t figured it out. He came with only one servant named Wu Shu. They entered Jinzhou a day late but learned of Song Rou’s murder before reaching the city. After arriving, they stayed at the Fulai Inn in the east city. Wu Shu has been brought in, but he won’t say anything either. We searched the inn but found nothing. This Huo believes they must have destroyed all evidence before entering the city.”

Yue Ning quickly asked, “What about dressing as a ghost to enter the Marquis’s mansion? And burning the mortuary?”

Huo Huaixin shook his head. “He denies everything! We used torture late last night, but he still wouldn’t confess.”

No wonder Huo Huaixin wouldn’t let them visit the prison – besides being inappropriate for them, he probably didn’t want them to see Wei Qizhi’s condition after torture. Qin Wan knew that yamen interrogations typically involved various methods. Though her father disliked forced confessions through severe torture, when dealing with vicious criminals, sometimes violence had to be met with violence.

“Did he explain why they didn’t seek out Wei Yanzhi after arriving in Jinzhou?”

Qin Wan’s tone was stern. Hearing her question, Huo Huaixin’s spirits inexplicably lifted. “He said he didn’t want to damage Song Rou’s reputation. When I asked him about what Wei Yanzhi mentioned, he admitted it. He confirmed he was originally left-handed and can now use both hands. And his leg was indeed broken by the Song Duke and his uncle…”

Qin Wan’s brows immediately furrowed. “Did he explain his purpose for coming to Jinzhou?”

Huo Huaixin also frowned, unconsciously stroking his chin. “This point also puzzles me greatly. He said he followed only to see what kind of family Song Rou was marrying into, whether they would mistreat her. He claimed he wanted to see Song Rou but had no opportunity because there were too many escorts, and as the bride, Song Rou was protected in the center – he had no way to approach.”

“That’s fabricated. If he couldn’t even see her, how could he have killed her and taken her head?” Yue Ning crossed her arms. “This Wei Qizhi is also trained in martial arts; his willpower must be stronger than ordinary people. Magistrate, you’ll have to work harder, though using only torture does suggest forcing a confession.”

Huo Huaixin sighed twice. “Indeed, but he has no witnesses. Wu Shu is his servant, naturally speaking in his favor – Wu Shu’s testimony isn’t credible.”

Qin Wan thought for a moment, then suddenly said, “Magistrate, could you let us see Wei Qizhi and Wu Shu?”

Huo Huaixin’s lips twitched. “Ahem, Ninth Young Miss, the prison is filthy. How could I let two precious young ladies enter? If the Marquis were to question this, this Huo couldn’t bear the responsibility…”

Qin Wan frowned and looked at Yue Ning. Receiving Qin Wan’s glance, Yue Ning lifted her chin. “Is my father the kind of person who can’t distinguish right from wrong? I want to go in myself; it has nothing to do with you, Magistrate. You’re merely worried about us seeing Wei Qizhi’s tortured state. But I’ve practiced martial arts since childhood and know the yamen’s rules. I naturally won’t fault you.”

A somewhat embarrassed smile appeared on Huo Huaixin’s face. Just then, Xu He entered carrying a case file. “Magistrate, I’ve brought the files you requested!”

Huo Huaixin sighed inwardly. “Hold onto them for now. The Princess and Ninth Young Miss want to visit the prison.”

Xu He was startled. “The prison is…”

He stopped mid-sentence. Given Yue Ning’s forthright nature and that Qin Wan wasn’t afraid of examining corpses, why would they fear the prison’s filth and bloodiness?

Xu He stepped aside with an inviting gesture. “Princess and Ninth Young Miss, this way—”

Huo Huaixin also said, “If the Princess and Ninth Young Miss wish to look, then please go ahead…”

Qin Wan and Yue Ning rose and walked out together.

With Huo Huaixin and Xu He leading the way, Yue Ning tilted her head and whispered to Qin Wan, “Why suddenly want to visit the prison? They’re more experienced at interrogating criminals. We probably can’t help much.”

They’ve already tortured Wei Qizhi – surely they couldn’t watch the torture themselves?

Qin Wan shook her head slightly. “We’ll understand when we see.”

A person of strong will who has committed a crime, knowing that confession means certain death, might indeed withstand severe torture and refuse to confess. But what if Wei Qizhi wasn’t lying?

Qin Wan didn’t know what she would see in the prison, which was why she wanted to look.

Following the side hall deeper into the yamen, they soon reached a dark corridor. A guard rushed forward from the distance, startled to see Huo Huaixin leading two young ladies. Huo Huaixin waved his hand, “Have everyone inside step back.”

With this order, the guard immediately recognized Yue Ning and Qin Wan’s extraordinary status and turned back.

When Qin Wan and Yue Ning reached the prison entrance, indeed no guards were in sight.

The Jinzhou Prefecture’s prison was naturally more secure and solid than ordinary county jails. The cells were underground, and the two young ladies followed a downward-sloping passage inside. Soon they saw the prison’s interior. As Huo Huaixin had said, it was indeed unsuitable for them. Yue Ning covered her nose and mouth, but when she turned to look, she saw Qin Wan walking casually as if in her backyard.

At a fork in the path, they turned left and quickly reached a windowless dark room used specifically for interrogating prisoners.

Lamps burned in all four corners of the dark room. Against the wall stood a large wooden frame, where a man hung with his upper body exposed, covered in angry red whip marks. Below his left shoulder was a distinct square-shaped burn scar. The man’s head hung down as if he had passed out, his disheveled black hair hiding his face. Yet from his vaguely visible features, Qin Wan could see a shadow of Wei Yanzhi – these brothers shared a three-part resemblance…

Huo Huaixin uncomfortably cleared his throat, “We didn’t use severe torture, but he couldn’t withstand it and fainted.”

Yue Ning frowned, “Torture is the Magistrate’s business. We won’t interfere.”

Huo Huaixin sighed in relief. If these two young ladies couldn’t handle this scene and later accused him of extracting confessions through torture, it would be unfortunate. Fortunately, they both understood the situation well.

Qin Wan examined Wei Qizhi’s injuries. Though not severely tortured, there were dozens if not hundreds of whip marks. Such prolonged pain could wear down a person’s will. While someone might maintain enough defensive awareness to withhold the truth when clear-minded, when consciousness becomes hazy from pain and exhaustion, they might answer any question asked. Even if they couldn’t reveal everything, they would surely show some weakness.

Was Wei Qizhi truly of such astounding mental fortitude, or was he not Song Rou’s killer?

Lowering her gaze to Wei Qizhi’s leg, Qin Wan saw that even though unconscious, his left leg was bent at an awkward angle. If she wasn’t mistaken, Huo Huaixin must have tortured his leg injury during questioning.

Qin Wan observed. Seeing that she only looked without doing anything else, Huo Huaixin said with a smile, “This place’s foul air is truly unsuitable for the Princess and Ninth Young Miss to linger. Shall we leave after you’ve finished looking?”

Qin Wan naturally had no intention of questioning Wei Qizhi herself. This was official yamen business, and she had already overstepped. Qin Wan nodded, and seeing her attitude, Yue Ning also gave an “Mm.”

Huo Huaixin sighed in relief, but just then, the unconscious Wei Qizhi suddenly stirred.

His lowered head lifted slightly, his eyes barely open, and he mumbled something.

Qin Wan immediately stepped forward, and seeing this, Yue Ning also drew closer.

“No… I didn’t kill…”

“I didn’t… wasn’t me who killed…”

Yue Ning’s brows furrowed, “Hey if you say you didn’t kill her, where were you that night at Ten Li Temple? Find a witness – your servant’s word doesn’t count…”

Yue Ning spoke up, but Wei Qizhi fell silent.

Yue Ning looked down at him, “Hey, Wei Qizhi?”

Qin Wan pulled Yue Ning back, “No need to ask. He hasn’t truly awakened – he was speaking unconsciously in his dreams.”

Yue Ning made an “Oh” sound, inevitably disappointed, but a thoughtful look appeared in Qin Wan’s eyes. She tugged at Yue Ning and walked with her toward the door. This time Huo Huaixin truly sighed in relief, “He keeps saying this – it can’t be trusted…”

Qin Wan paused, “Words spoken unconsciously are more trustworthy than those spoken consciously.”

Huo Huaixin blinked, but Qin Wan said no more, releasing Yue Ning and walking straight out the door.

“Wronged… I’ve been wronged!”

Qin Wan had taken two steps, but a weak cry came from the narrow prison corridor.

She stopped and turned toward the sound.

Huo Huaixin said somewhat awkwardly, “Haha, Ninth Young Miss need not mind – in prison, many claim to be wronged…”

Yue Ning raised an eyebrow, “Someone claims to be wronged – has Magistrate Huo wrongly accused someone?”

Huo Huaixin smiled bitterly repeatedly, “Of course not, Princess misunderstands. This person crying about being wronged is Wei Qizhi’s servant. He’s been shouting for a long time – how can his words count…”

Hearing this, Yue Ning became interested first, “I’ll take a look.”

“Wronged… such injustice…”

Following the voice, Yue Ning walked about ten steps deeper into the prison. Soon, she saw a young man in tattered clothes leaning against a prison pillar on the left, crying out weakly about being wronged, his hair disheveled.

His clothes were torn by whips, and his face showed bruises – Huo Huaixin had tortured him too. He appeared similar in age to Wei Qizhi, both around twenty-three or twenty-four. His injuries weren’t as severe as Wei Qizhi’s, and since he wasn’t hanging from a pillar, he had some breath to cry out instead of fainting like Wei Qizhi.

Qin Wan followed and stared at him for a moment. Her gaze shifted to notice another robe in the corner of the cell. Though covered in bloodstains, Qin Wan could see it was originally cyan-colored, exactly like the robe worn by the person who had spied on her and Yue Ning that day!

Qin Wan frowned, “Are you Wu Shu?!”

Her voice was quite stern. Wu Shu had been leaning there with closed eyes, but startled by her voice, he immediately turned around. Seeing two young ladies suddenly appear in the prison, Wu Shu couldn’t react for a moment…

“Did your master secretly spy on the Qin mansion?”

Qin Wan’s voice was icy and intimidating, yet had a strange compelling power. Wu Shu blurted out, “Yes…”

As soon as this word left his mouth, Wu Shu came to his senses. As a servant of the Wei household, he had seen many noble people in the capital. Seeing Qin Wan and Yue Ning’s bearing, and noticing Huo Huaixin accompanying them, he immediately realized their extraordinary status. Wu Shu scrambled up and knelt, kowtowing to Qin Wan and Yue Ning!

“Young Ladies, merciful Bodhisattvas, please save my young master. My young master is wrongly accused. Please save him…” Though Wu Shu was young, he was of age, yet now he spoke with tears, his eyes reddening.

Qin Wan wouldn’t be moved by these crying pleas. She asked again, “Did your master secretly spy on the Qin mansion?”

Wu Shu raised his tear-streaked face and met Qin Wan’s dark eyes. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded and said between sobs, “Yes… because Master said he discovered a young lady going to the mortuary with people from the yamen… He wanted to know how his cousin died, so he followed that young lady to the Qin mansion in the east city…”

Qin Wan narrowed her eyes, “Why do you say your young master is wrongly accused?”

Wu Shu cried more bitterly, “Of course, my young master is wrongly accused! Though my master has a bad temper, how could he kill someone? My master and Miss Cousin grew up together as childhood sweethearts. Later, my master even broke his leg for Miss Cousin. He followed her here because he feared something might happen to her. Who knew Miss Cousin would meet with misfortune? My master was heartbroken and wanted to uncover the truth, but… Young Ladies, my master is truly being framed. Since arriving in Jinzhou, we haven’t done anything, much less gone to the Anyang Marquis’s mansion. And the wedding dress – how could we have ever seen it…”

Qin Wan raised an eyebrow, “That night at Ten Li Temple, does anyone have proof of your whereabouts?”

Wu Shu nodded, then seemed to remember something and shook his head, “We stayed at a small inn. My master’s leg was injured, so we retired early that night. How could we have gone to kill someone? But Magistrate Huo says this doesn’t count – we need someone who can prove we didn’t leave all night. But how can we prove that? Everyone was asleep late at night…”

Qin Wan sighed. Huo Huaixin was right – they needed someone who could prove they never left the inn all night.

Huo Huaixin stepped forward, “The Princess and Ninth Young Miss have heard – they have no witnesses, yet they were at Ten Li Temple, his master is left-handed, and his master had relations with Miss Song. There are too many suspicious points!”

“What paper does your master usually use for writing letters?”

Qin Wan suddenly asked. Wu Shu was stunned before replying, “Huzhou bamboo paper… Taizhou rice paper…”

Qin Wan frowned, “What about during your journey south? Did your master write anything?”

Wu Shu paused again, “We just bought the most common hemp paper…”

Yue Ning knew about Yejin’s paper. Hearing this, she frowned slightly, “Your master doesn’t use Yejin paper?”

Wu Shu wiped his tears, “My master doesn’t have such preferences. We were traveling in a hurry – how could we specially buy such paper?”

Qin Wan frowned, and Yue Ning also looked troubled. Besides them, Huo Huaixin didn’t understand how paper became relevant. Qin Wan asked, “Magistrate, do you remember that ball of filth taken from the mortuary?”

Understanding flashed in Huo Huaixin’s eyes, “So it was… paper?”

Qin Wan nodded. Huo Huaixin said, “Please explain the details after we leave. The Princess and Ninth Young Miss need not listen to him further. All testimonies are in the case files – Ninth Young Miss can review them outside.”

Hearing Huo Huaixin’s words, Qin Wan agreed and turned toward the exit. Seeing this, Yue Ning followed.

Seeing them about to leave, Wu Shu grabbed the prison pillar and cried out heart-wrenchingly, “Merciful Bodhisattvas, my master is truly wrongly accused. My master followed with good intentions – how could he kill Miss Cousin…”

“Miss Cousin’s death was strange – my master was also investigating the cause…”

Wu Shu cried out. Yue Ning felt some sympathy, but Qin Wan remained unmoved. Seeing their pace hadn’t slowed at all, Wu Shu grew more anxious, “My master truly had feelings for Miss Cousin – how could he kill her!”

Yue Ning pursed her lips – it was more than just feelings, they even had a child!

“Magistrate! My master is truly wrongly accused—”

Wu Shu’s cries echoed in the prison corridor. Huo Huaixin’s ears hurt from the sound, and he said impatiently, “You’ve said these words hundreds of times. Of course, your master had feelings for Miss Song, otherwise, why would he do such an improper thing? Your master’s leg was broken because of it – perhaps he harbored resentment, or perhaps he wanted to rekindle their relationship. Either way, your master had reason to kill Miss Song!”

After Huo Huaixin finished speaking angrily, he strode after Qin Wan and the others toward the exit.

Watching them walk further away, Wu Shu felt utter despair. Suddenly gritting his teeth, he said, “What if the one who had relations with Miss Cousin wasn’t my master? What if my master bore this stigma for Miss Cousin’s sake?!”

Qin Wan seemed to have been waiting for this moment. She was the first to stop, though she didn’t turn around.

All of Wu Shu’s grief surged forth as he lay on the ground, sobbing loudly, “My master bore the stigma for Miss Cousin’s sake and even broke his leg, then followed her thousands of miles… Why… why still frame my master for murder… Why treat him this way? Heaven is unjust! Heaven is truly unjust…”