After a moment of stunned silence, the county magistrate stepped forward and bowed to Jingrong. “This official greets Your Highness. I wonder why Your Highness is here at this hour…”

He raised his hand to interrupt. “Don’t mind this prince. Go see what Master Ji needs.”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

The county magistrate walked to Ji Yunshu’s side. “Yunshu, could it be you’ve found some evidence?”

“Lord Liu, I currently need some strong vinegar and white liquor. Please trouble yourself to find some. I need to go to the morgue now.”

“Very well, very well.” He readily agreed.

He summoned two bailiffs and gave them instructions.

Ji Yunshu went to the morgue, while Jingrong sat in the inner room sampling tea.

The tea leaves of Jinjiang were truly the finest of the finest!

Arriving at the morgue, Ji Yunshu took out the rusty iron knife from her sleeve. The strong vinegar and white liquor were brought in by Wei Wu and Wang San.

“Master, what do you need these for?”

“To test for blood.”

“Test for blood?”

Wei Wu and Wang San exchanged glances, both pulling out a small notebook and brush from their pockets. They moistened the brushes in their mouths, preparing to take notes.

Master Ji’s autopsy work was truly profound!

They had to write it down—maybe they could become coroners too.

Wishful thinking!

Ji Yunshu paid them no mind. As long as they kept their mouths shut, anything was fine.

Wearing gloves, she mixed the strong vinegar with the white liquor, shook it for a while, then used a white cloth soaked in the vinegar-liquor mixture to wipe the rusty small knife.

The rust gradually came off, all sticking to the white cloth, gradually revealing the smooth silver-black blade.

She then placed the entire small knife into the strong vinegar. Before long, several patches of dark red color appeared on the blade.

“Eh? Why is it changing color?” Wang San exclaimed.

“This isn’t discoloration—it’s blood.”

“Ah?” Wei Wu and Wang San cried out in unison.

Ji Yunshu took out the small knife, her expression extremely tense.

She so hoped there would be no blood on this blade!

“Why is there blood?” Wei Wu asked.

“Because this knife has been stained with human blood,” Ji Yunshu explained. “If you want to know whether a knife or clothing has ever been stained with human blood, originally the best method would be a luminol test. But it’s impossible to conduct such an experiment here. However, using strong vinegar with white liquor can similarly achieve this effect.”

“What is a lu… what-nol test?” Wei Wu asked, stammering.

How should she explain this? Too lazy to explain, she put down the knife, lifted the white cloth covering the yin-yang corpse, and took down a severed hand bone.

She instructed Wei Wu and Wang San, “You two, like last time, find some camphor tree sap.”

“Yes.”

No questions asked—just get the items, that was right.

Quick and nimble, they soon had everything ready. Ji Yunshu, like last time, applied the camphor tree sap to the ankle of the skeletal remains and wrapped it with white paper soaked in white vinegar.

Before long, the white paper turned red.

Then she wrapped that white paper around the discolored small knife.

After about half the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, she unwrapped the white paper. The bloodstains originally showing on the small knife had all transferred onto that white paper.

The answer was already there!

“Wei Wu, Wang San, immediately go to Zhao Family Village and bring Sister-in-law Yu here.”

“Oh, oh, oh, yes.” The two were inexplicably a bit excited and quickly ran off.

But actually, Ji Yunshu’s complexion was very poor.

Her heart also grew increasingly heavy!

Covering the pile of bones, she took the small knife and that paper to the inner room behind the public hall.

At this moment, Wei Wu and Wang San had just requested orders and, taking yamen personnel with them, rushed toward Zhao Family Village.

Jingrong was still sampling tea. Seeing those two request orders to arrest someone, presumably Ji Yunshu already knew who the murderer was.

He turned his eyes and saw Ji Yunshu walking over as if she had lost her soul.

The first to greet her was the county magistrate, who seemed casually to approach Ji Yunshu’s side and asked, “Have you discovered something? Could it really be related to Sister-in-law Yu from Zhao Family Village?”

“Yes.” The answer was certain.

“She killed the person?”

“Yes.”

The county magistrate was shocked but also full of panic. “Then… then haven’t I arrested the wrong person? Li Zhao is still locked in the prison. This is terrible, terrible!”

Ji Yunshu shot him an annoyed glare. “Even if he didn’t kill the person, he still bears responsibility.”

“This…”

“This what!” The voice came from Jingrong. He rose from that pear-wood chair. Actually, during this time, the county magistrate had already told him all about arresting Li Zhao.

The county magistrate retreated to the side, voluntarily yielding space. When Jingrong rebuked him, how would he dare speak further?

Pacing to Ji Yunshu’s side, Jingrong said, “If you produce evidence and identify the murderer, this prince will absolutely not show leniency. If someone didn’t commit murder but destroyed and concealed the corpse, this prince will similarly judge them guilty.”

As if he had guessed what Ji Yunshu was thinking.

However, having such a powerful backing undoubtedly helped with this case.

Ji Yunshu lowered her eyes and asked him, “Does Your Highness believe that killing someone necessarily requires paying with one’s life?”

The county magistrate rushed to answer. “That’s what the law stipulates—a life for a life.”

“The law does not exclude human sentiment,” Ji Yunshu said seriously.

“Yunshu, if you kill someone, you must pay with your life. This is also the rule.”

“Rules, rules—where do so many rules come from? The law exists to stabilize people’s hearts and protect the personal safety of the common people. But if you must execute someone who killed out of desperation, how can such a law be called just?”

At this moment, Ji Yunshu appeared somewhat agitated.

The county magistrate didn’t dare answer, somewhat bewildered. What was wrong with Ji Yunshu today?

Jingrong shot the county magistrate a look. “Step aside.”

“Yes.” Not daring to resist, the county magistrate obediently stepped aside.

Ji Yunshu’s brows were heavy, her eyes carrying a sense of regret and indignation.

Jingrong asked her, “Tell this prince, what’s really wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“All your emotions are written on your face. You and I, yesterday we also shared hardship together. If you have thoughts and ideas, why not discuss them with this prince?”

He was so gentle!

So considerate!

Yet Ji Yunshu lowered her eyes and shook her head slightly. “Forget it. It’s my own problem. I shouldn’t set aside the strict letter of the law and be sentimental. If someone killed a person, they killed a person. Naturally they must pay with their life.”

She tried to convince herself, to make her heart feel less distressed.

Jingrong didn’t disturb her, letting her sit to the side to calm down properly.

Time passed bit by bit!

It had already been an hour since Wei Wu and Wang San went to Zhao Family Village. Calculating the round-trip time, they should be arriving at the yamen entrance about now.

But just at this moment, a bailiff entered.

He reported, “My lord, Madam Jiang has arrived.”

“Why is she here again?” The county magistrate sighed.

Now, seeing Madam Jiang, he was even more afraid than seeing Jingrong.

Before the county magistrate could say anything, Jingrong said, “This prince will go see.”

With this Buddha present, no fear!

Jingrong went first, with Ji Yunshu and the county magistrate following behind. The three went to the public hall.

Madam Jiang was still dressed luxuriously, her noble air undiminished by half, and she even carried a fierce energy.

Yesterday she had been put off by the county magistrate. Coming again today, she was determined to force the county magistrate to release her younger brother.

She just hadn’t expected Jingrong to be here.

“This commoner woman greets Your Highness.” Seeming unwilling, full of anger.

Jingrong’s cold lips parted slightly. “Why has Madam Jiang suddenly come to the yamen? This prince heard Lord Liu say that Madam Jiang has come several times in these past two days.”

Including this trip, it was clearly only two trips—don’t randomly add to the count!

Though Madam Jiang was domineering and tyrannical, since Jingrong was after all a prince, she still restrained herself somewhat.

With a forced smile, she said, “Your Highness must surely know about my younger brother being arrested?”

“Heard a bit. Heard he killed someone.”

No, no, no, you’re wrong.

The county magistrate leaned forward and reminded him in a low voice, “Your Highness, not murder—burying a corpse, burying a corpse.”

Are you truly stupid or feigning ignorance?

Jingrong really wanted to pry open his head and take a good look at what was inside.

The next moment, Jingrong shot a sharp glare at the county magistrate.

The county magistrate’s whole body trembled. He retreated to the side and shut his mouth.

Madam Jiang now also refuted, “Your Highness, my younger brother would never kill anyone. He’s timid by nature—he doesn’t even dare hold a knife, let alone kill someone. The yamen must have made a mistake.”

“But he personally admitted he buried a corpse.”

“That must have been said rashly in a moment of panic.”

Madam Jiang continued to argue!

What Jingrong disliked most was talking with this kind of woman.

Simply…

“Madam Jiang, what this prince dislikes most is when women are obstinately unreasonable. If you continue to pester this prince, this prince can use private authority to also lock you in prison. Do you believe it?”

“Uh!” Madam Jiang was startled. Of course she believed it.

“Whether Li Zhao killed someone remains to be verified. But he himself has already admitted to burying a corpse. Why must you twist his meaning and pressure Lord Liu to release him? Could it be that relying on General Li’s face, you also want to use private authority?”

“This commoner woman doesn’t mean that.” Madam Jiang grew somewhat panicked, though her expression remained unchanged.

Jingrong spoke seriously, sweeping his sleeves behind him. “If that’s the case, then don’t prattle on anymore. How the truth stands will certainly be known shortly.”

Shortly?

Madam Jiang was puzzled amid her nervousness.

Before she could think further, outside the public hall, Wei Wu and Wang San had already brought in Sister-in-law Yu and A’Yu.

Sister-in-law Yu’s expression was calm, her eyes showing no panic. Instead, there was a kind of resolution as if she had seen through life and death. She held in her arms the lightly dressed A’Yu. A’Yu neither cried nor made a fuss, her head resting on Sister-in-law Yu’s shoulder as if asleep.

But her hands and feet were still locked in iron chains!

Clinking and clanking, the sound echoed from outside the public hall.

Upon entering, Sister-in-law Yu was even more conscientious as she knelt down!

Carefully, afraid of disturbing A’Yu in her arms.

Yet Ji Yunshu’s gaze didn’t seem to be on Sister-in-law Yu and A’Yu, but rather on Madam Jiang.

She saw very clearly that Madam Jiang’s eyes were filled with shock and panic!

Even Madam Jiang’s legs suddenly buckled, stumbling as if about to collapse to the ground.

It seemed the truth was indeed as Ji Yunshu had thought.

Wei Wu said, “My lord, Sister-in-law Yu has been brought.”

“Good. Court is in session.”

The county magistrate cleared his throat, ascended to the high seat, and sat down!