In the yamen’s public hall, Li Mingzhou waited somewhat anxiously.

When Fang Mingsan brought the person from the rear courtyard, he quickly stepped forward and pulled the man behind himself.

Protective at heart, yet also intent on concealing!

He even said softly, “A’Yuan, why are you running around everywhere? Didn’t I tell you to stay in your room? This isn’t our residence—what are you doing running here?”

The man didn’t listen to his words carefully at all, but just cowered behind him, shaking his head, his mouth still repeating those same few phrases.

Only then did Li Mingzhou look at everyone and bow gratefully!

He cupped his hands and said, “My younger brother ran to the yamen without reason and offended everyone. Please forgive us. Li will take him away now and won’t disturb you any further.”

Having said this, he was about to pull the person and leave, but was stopped by Ji Yunshu.

“Please stay. Master Li, you cannot take him away just yet.”

Li Mingzhou turned back in surprise and looked up and down at the lean-figured man before him.

This person had delicate features and seemed to possess a wise appearance, especially those compact and bright eyes. If one stared too long, it would shake one’s heart.

As if those eyes were like a ripper, ready to reach into one’s body at any moment.

“Does Sir have other matters?” he asked.

“Master Li, this one would like to understand the situation with this younger brother of yours.”

He breathed a sigh of relief and said, “My younger brother is named Li Yuan. He’s Li’s blood brother. Because his mind is unclear, he’s made a laughingstock of himself, which is why he barged into the yamen. I don’t know why Sir wants to understand this?”

“Just want to ask. I wonder if Master Li could say more about him?”

“Sir’s meaning?”

“Please explain, Master Li.”

Whether he wanted to speak or not, he had to!

Li Mingzhou clearly sensed the atmosphere around him was wrong and began to grow vigilant.

And Ji Yunshu was obviously intent on forcing him.

Yet he couldn’t refuse.

After all, the surroundings were either people from the yamen or people from Prince Rong. Pairs of eyes were all staring at him like ropes binding him.

But still, one must have confidence and principles!

If we don’t want to say it, we simply cannot say it.

So—

Li Mingzhou said, “Sir, A’Yuan’s mind was injured somewhat in past years. Li doesn’t want to mention it—these are all matters from long ago. Speaking of them brings sadness. I hope Sir will understand. Today A’Yuan running here was truly an accident. To avoid disturbing everyone further, Li takes his leave.”

He turned back to pull Li Yuan and was about to leave.

Shi Ziran was several steps faster, his figure upright, blocking his way, and deliberately lifting the sword in his hand.

Want to leave? My sword must agree first!

Li Mingzhou wasn’t intimidated—he too was someone who had weathered great storms. He turned around to look and straightened his expression.

Knowing full well, he said, “It seems today if I don’t say something, I won’t be able to leave.”

Exactly right!

He deliberately pulled Li Yuan further behind himself.

Seeing this, Jingrong chuckled lightly, carrying the proper bearing a prince should have, and stepped forward saying, “Li Mingzhou, since you’re not being allowed to leave, you should be clear in your heart about the reason. Why must you continue hiding? Not speaking the secrets in your heart—I imagine even your sleep is restless. If this prince were you, I would speak honestly and thoroughly, so my heart would be more at ease.”

“Li has nothing he’s hiding.”

“Oh? Then can you explain why Li Yuan keeps saying something about a ghost claiming a life?”

“His mind is already unclear. Who would take seriously the nonsense he speaks?”

“Then why is there on his sleeve a stain exactly the same as the ink stain on Chang Shiliang’s clothing?”

At Jingrong’s words, he quickly looked at Li Yuan’s sleeve, his face showing incomprehension.

“What is this?”

Ji Yunshu picked up his words. “This is an ink stain mixed with duckweed grass. On Old Master Chang’s clothing, there’s also an identical ink stain.”

“And what does that prove? Are you suspecting A’Yuan is the murderer? Yesterday, you suspected me. Now you suspect A’Yuan? I’m telling you, he didn’t kill anyone.” Furiously, his nostrils flaring, he said, “Moreover, this kind of ink—my large Li residence also has it. What’s strange about A’Yuan getting some on him?”

“You’re lying!”

Jingrong immediately refuted his words.

“This prince has already sent people to investigate your Li residence. Forget ink mixed with duckweed grass—there isn’t even a single strand of duckweed grass.”

His lie exposed, Li Mingzhou was clearly becoming nervous.

Ji Yunshu looked at Jingrong with surprise. You jerk, since you already knew, why didn’t you say so earlier?

Detecting Ji Yunshu’s somewhat fiery gaze cast upon him, he acted as if he hadn’t seen it.

Darling, tonight I’ll kneel on the washboard!

Then turning to Li Mingzhou, he said, “Li Mingzhou, you may be able to prove you haven’t killed anyone, but that doesn’t mean Li Yuan hasn’t killed anyone.”

“He didn’t kill anyone!” Li Mingzhou shouted.

More agitated than ever before.

Ji Yunshu: “Master Li, these three cases—on the surface they seem unrelated to you, but all the evidence indicates that you and this case must be connected. As for Li Yuan, first, the ghost claiming life he speaks of; second, the ink stain on his body—both indicate that not just you, but the two of you are related to this murder case.”

“I said, we didn’t kill anyone.”

To this, Ji Yunshu smiled slightly. “Although the murderer’s methods are quite sophisticated—knowing to remove the deceased’s shoes and put them on to create the false impression that the deceased was hanged—this clearly isn’t something an ordinary person could accomplish. If we say it was Li Yuan’s doing, that’s somewhat unconvincing. But whether he’s truly foolish, or sometimes normal and sometimes mad—that requires further study.” Saying this, she looked at Muruo. “Fortunately, we have a divine physician here. If he takes his pulse and diagnoses him, we’ll be able to know whether he’s truly foolish or sometimes normal and sometimes mad.”

Muruo nodded, agreeing with her words, and moved forward to take Li Yuan’s pulse.

Who would have known—

Li Mingzhou directly blocked Muruo’s way.

“No need to trouble yourself, Young Master.”

Muruo lazily glanced at the person behind him and raised an eyebrow. “Could it be… a guilty conscience?”

“I…”

Before he finished speaking, Muruo extended his index finger, pointing at Li Yuan, then turned his finger in a circle in the air, squinting his eyes.

His mouth even went “tsk tsk tsk” several times.

Completely bewildering everyone!

“Based on this young master’s many years of medical experience, this person’s印堂 is blackened, his cheeks sunken, his lips drooping downward. Clearly, a great disaster will occur.”

You think you’re fortune-telling?

Ji Yunshu rolled her eyes at him. “Speak plainly.”

“Li Yuan is not completely foolish. Most of the time, he’s actually lucid. That is to say, sometimes normal, sometimes mad.”

Uh!

With Muruo’s words, Ji Yunshu drew a conclusion. “Then that means this entire set of murder methods—when he’s acting as a normal person—he’s completely capable of carrying them out.”

Then—

Fang Mingsan quickly said.

“Then he’s the murderer.”

Pointing at Li Yuan.

And at this moment, Li Yuan’s mouth was still muttering, “A ghost has come to claim a life.”

His voice getting smaller and smaller, more and more terrified.

Li Mingzhou, facing everyone’s siege, comforted his younger brother on one side while fiercely throwing out a sentence, “A’Yuan didn’t kill anyone.”

Li Yuan had already crouched completely on the ground, holding his head, his body trembling even more violently.

Li Mingzhou quickly pulled out an exquisite bottle from his sleeve and thrust it into his mouth.

Forcibly making him swallow it!