“It wasn’t me, it really wasn’t me…”

For the first time, Ji Muqing was so flustered. She didn’t care about her disheveled clothes and hair, shaking her head vigorously.

Her face deathly pale!

Looking in disbelief at the corpse lying there with wide-open eyes.

She retreated several steps, bumping into Ji Wanxin. Turning around, she grabbed Ji Wanxin and said: “Wanxin, did you see? It wasn’t me. She fell on her own, on her own.”

“Elder Sister, I… I didn’t see!”

The two had been fighting fiercely, and the surroundings were crowded with people. What everyone saw was that during their struggle, one person fell and her head was pierced by a silver hairpin.

Dead!

Ji Muqing’s face twitched with anxiety: “It really wasn’t me.”

“Elder Sister, don’t be anxious.”

“How can I not be anxious? Someone has died.”

Her eyes brimming with tears.

So you know someone died! Serves you right for being so arrogant.

Suddenly—

A young maid rushed out from the crowd, carrying some items in her hands. Upon seeing this scene, everything in her hands fell to the ground. She flew toward the corpse.

Wailing: “Miss, what happened to you? Miss?”

Shouting desperately, her hands gently shaking the body.

Her fingers trembling as she checked the corpse’s nose—no breath.

Immediately, the young maid’s bottom hit the ground.

Terrified.

“Dead… dead?”

After being stunned for a moment, she began crying again, looking excitedly at the female shopkeeper, demanding: “Why did my young miss end up like this? Why?”

The female shopkeeper was also badly frightened.

She pointed her finger in Ji Muqing’s direction, saying: “Miss Liang had a dispute with this young lady, and this young lady… pushed Miss Liang.”

“It wasn’t me!”

Ji Muqing immediately denied it.

The young maid, holding her young miss’s corpse, looked at Ji Muqing with sobs: “How did my young miss offend you that you would commit such a vicious act?”

“I…”

Just at this moment, the crowd suddenly stirred. Several constables rushed out and immediately surrounded the shop.

“Make way…”

They dispersed the crowd to the sides.

The lead constable looked at the corpse on the ground, his rough voice asking: “Someone reported to the authorities that someone died here. Who killed her?”

The tearful maid raised her hand and pointed fiercely at Ji Muqing: “It was her, she killed my young miss.”

Through gritted teeth!

The constable squinted at the disheveled Ji Muqing, waved his hand forward, and ordered several junior constables: “Take her away.”

Having received the order, several constables stepped forward to grab her.

But Ji Muqing pushed Ji Wanxin forward, hiding behind her, both frightened and furiously shouting:

“I didn’t kill anyone. I didn’t push her.”

Ji Wanxin also quickly spoke up, saying to those people: “Officer brothers, my elder sister would never kill anyone. There must be a misunderstanding here.”

Her tone gentle!

Pitiful and delicate!

The constable’s heart softened, almost falling into this tender trap.

Fortunately—

The lead constable’s heart was hard.

He snapped: “So much nonsense? A life for a life. Take her away!”

Ji Muqing: “Insolent! Do you know who I am? I’m the sister of Director Ji and General Changlin. If you dare arrest me, my elder brother won’t let you off.”

Finally unable to restrain herself, she revealed her identity!

Several constables froze, looking at each other.

Who didn’t know Director Ji and General Changlin? In the capital, officials from all walks gave them considerable face.

After all, they held military power!

However, Ji Yunshu outside was getting a bit of a headache.

Is this woman an idiot?

Now, with the Crown Princess selection day imminent, if people knew she was the Ji family’s legitimate daughter with a life on her hands at this moment, even if she hadn’t killed anyone, she could kiss the Crown Princess title goodbye.

Sighing and shaking her head!

She still had to step in herself!

So she released Wei Yi beside her and walked into the shop, saying: “This young lady, it’s still broad daylight—how can you speak such nonsense?”

Hmm?

Seeing Ji Yunshu, both Ji Muqing and Ji Wanxin were shocked.

Especially Ji Muqing—the killing intent rising in her eyes covered some of the panic in her heart.

“You…”

Angrily clenching her fists.

Before she could finish speaking, Ji Yunshu interrupted her.

“You what? Director Ji and General Changlin’s sister is famously gentle and refined, humble and courteous toward others. How could she be a barbaric woman like you? Moreover, a few months ago, I met that young lady from the Ji family. She was beautiful as a flower, quite unlike you.”

Ji Yunshu appeared to be cleaning up her mess.

In reality, every sentence came from the heart!

When Ji Muqing heard this, she couldn’t tell if it was praise or insult. Ji Wanxin was more rational, secretly tugging at her sleeve, signaling her not to make a scene.

Those constables were from the Capital Magistrate’s Office and naturally recognized Ji Yunshu.

The lead constable stepped forward and cupped his hands: “So it’s Master Ji!” Then breathed a sigh of relief: “If you hadn’t said so, I would have really believed she was Director Ji and General Ji’s sister.”

“Of course she isn’t. Director Ji’s sister would never do such a thing.”

“That’s certainly true.”

Ji Yunshu stopped responding and walked to Ji Muqing and Ji Wanxin’s side, lowering her voice to remind them: “This is the capital, not Jinjiang. If you want to remain unharmed, don’t use your elder brother as a shield, lest you implicate them. There are many people here after all—don’t cause unnecessary trouble. If you want to pull connections, it’s better to do it behind closed doors.”

“…”

Ji Muqing bit her lip, unable to speak.

Ji Wanxin softly called out “Yunshu.”

The next moment, her sleeve was yanked forcefully by Ji Muqing, as if warning her not to forget what was said in the carriage earlier.

This small movement naturally caught Ji Yunshu’s eye. She didn’t get angry but turned around and crouched beside the corpse.

The maid was still crying!

She looked around, then at the soles of the corpse’s shoes. There was a new friction layer on the heel, and on the ground in front of both feet, there was also a sliding mark pointing forward.

The initial conclusion indeed seemed like someone had pushed her backward, her feet slid forward, her body fell backward, and her head struck the silver hairpin that had fallen earlier, dying on the spot.

Could it be—

Did Ji Muqing really push her during their struggle?

After thinking carefully for a while, the constable came over to ask: “Master Ji, what do you think?”

She shook her head!

“Initially, it does appear someone pushed her, and after falling, she died from the hairpin piercing her head.”

“So there’s no mistake?”

Ji Yunshu didn’t answer!

But the maid who had been crying all along, upon hearing this, raised her hand and excitedly pointed at Ji Muqing.

Furiously saying: “My young miss was the daughter of Director Liang of the Court of Imperial Clan. Just wait to pay with your life.”

So she was the young lady from Director Liang Zongzheng’s household. No wonder she was so arrogant when alive.