Jingrong narrowed his eyes, his tone becoming slightly heavier. “Are you certain there wasn’t?”

Attendant Official Lin lowered his brows, his eyeballs anxiously sweeping across the ground. After feeling guilty and panicked for quite a while, he finally said with certainty, “On this road, nothing truly happened.”

It seemed the trail had gone cold here!

Jingrong exited the warehouse, his gaze sweeping around the surroundings before he said, “Attendant Official Lin, this prince requires you to find out what other goods were delivered to the courier station on the same day the disaster relief silver arrived in previous years.”

“What does the prince want this for?”

“Just find it. When you do, deliver it to Anchang Courtyard on the west side of the city, the faster the better.”

Attendant Official Lin responded, “Yes.”

Jingrong did not linger and left the courier station with his people.

After seeing off this difficult personage, Attendant Official Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

On the road back.

Jingrong asked Lang Bo, “What is Master Ji doing now?”

He replied, “Master Ji went with Lord Zuo early this morning to open the coffin, then later had the coffin carried directly back.”

“Good, let’s go back and take a look.”

…

By this time, Ji Yunshu had finished piecing together the skeleton.

From the large skull and ribs down to the small finger bones and pubic bones, everything had been arranged neatly and orderly!

Everyone stood stupefied to the side, watching her work with those white bone parts.

Simply amazing.

There were no traces of injuries or bruises on the white bones. From what was currently visible, it only showed signs of death by poisoning, nothing else.

After examining it without results, she found a white cloth and covered the assembled skeleton, then said to Zuo Yao, “Lord Zuo, you’ve worked hard today. You should return to the yamen with your people first. Once there’s progress on the case, I’ll send someone to notify you.”

“What about this skeleton?”

“Leave it here.”

“Alright, then this official will take his leave first and await news.”

He cupped his hands in salute and left with his people.

These people had barely left when Jingrong arrived.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Ji Yunshu washing her hands. Glancing at the skeleton covered with white cloth, he walked closer and asked, “How is it? What did you discover?”

Ji Yunshu’s pale white fingers gently rippled in the water as she said, “The deceased died from poisoning.”

“Suicide?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Then could the poison have been forced into her after death?”

“No!”

Her tone was certain!

The next moment, her ten fingers lifted from the water, crystalline water droplets sliding down her slender fingers, gathering bit by bit at her fingertips, gently trembling. With a shake of both hands, the water droplets scattered like a sprinkler, splashing on the ground and clothes.

She turned her eyes toward the somewhat puzzled Jingrong and explained, “Judging from the deceased’s skeleton and throat bone, she was poisoned before death, and the poison entered through the throat. However, the case file states that before her death, the deceased’s clothes were torn and she was lying half-naked on the bed. If we say she took poison to commit suicide because she was raped, then at that time it would be impossible for her to be lying on the bed in disheveled clothing with her upper body exposed. After all, who would commit suicide in such a state? Unless the murderer forcibly administered poison to her during the process of raping her, until she died.”

Jingrong said, “Since it’s murder, then that Young Master Qiao’s suspicion cannot be cleared.”

Ji Yunshu smiled and walked toward the room, saying as she went, “Even if it’s murder, it’s not necessarily that Young Master Qiao.”

Oh my!

Jingrong followed behind her. “You’re being partial to him.”

“When have I been partial to him?” Without turning her head back, she entered the room, poured a cup of water, took a sip, and looked at Jingrong’s face that was slightly tinged with jealousy. “We’ve observed him for so long. He’s timid by nature and afraid of furry animals. Such a person, even if drunk, wouldn’t be capable of murder or strangling that cat that also died in the room.”

That made sense!

Jingrong sat down, his fingers lightly tapping on the table a few times as he said, “Then how do you plan to investigate next?”

She didn’t respond, but instead asked him, “What about you? You went to the courier station today—is there any lead regarding the disaster relief silver matter?”

Mentioning this, he frowned slightly, then picked up the water kettle to pour a cup of water. After gulping down two cups in succession, he said, “There are no clues yet.”

“What’s puzzling you?”

“I’m wondering if there truly exists an invisibility technique in this world? Something that could allow someone to switch things under everyone’s watchful eyes, or in a heavily guarded warehouse?” He had never believed in such nonsense.

Ji Yunshu pondered for him. “Were there no gaps in between?”

“All along the way, the boxes containing the disaster relief silver never left those officials’ sight. Except for when they were transported to the courier station and placed in the warehouse for one night, the rest of the time they were under surveillance.”

“Then have you inquired whether any other goods entered or left the courier station on the day the disaster relief silver was delivered? Perhaps something went wrong during that process.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Jingrong stared at her.

Hmm?

She was startled. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You thought of the same thing as this prince. That brain of yours, it seems, isn’t only for solving cases.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

At this moment, a voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard. “Big Brother.”

Just from the voice, one could tell it was little Xiyue.

She was holding a large food box in her hands and ran inside, placing the box on the table, her face full of joy.

But when she saw that besides Ji Yunshu there was someone else in the room, she was startled—especially since that “someone else” had a cold and fierce expression, exuding an intimidating aura.

This caused little Xiyue’s feet to instinctively retreat several steps.

She thought to herself, this person looks really fierce.

Jingrong seemed to do it deliberately, staring at little Xiyue with a look as if “I’m going to eat you.”

Brother, is it really okay to scare children like this?

“You’re that little girl Xiyue?” he asked, his voice heavy, revealing the appearance of a wolf.

Little Xiyue nodded.

She didn’t speak.

Seeing this, Ji Yunshu pointed at the food box on the table and asked her, “What’s this?”

Little Xiyue came back to her senses and said, “Big Brother, this is osmanthus cake my mother made. She knows I’ve been coming over to trouble you these past few days, so she had me bring some osmanthus cake for you to taste.”

“Is that so?”

She smiled and opened the box. The osmanthus cakes inside were made very delicately, looking like they possessed complete color, aroma, and flavor.

“Xiyue, then please thank your mother for me.”

“No need to be so formal. My father says he wants to invite Big Brother to our home tonight. He’s prepared good wine and dishes to entertain you. Big Brother, will you come?”

“Invite me over?”

“Yes.”

“Little Xiyue, these past two days have been quite busy, so perhaps…”

Before she could finish, Jingrong intercepted, “You go back and tell your father that Big Brother will not only come, but will also bring several more people, so tell him to prepare more wine and dishes.”

Little Xiyue stared at him, tilting her head. “You… who are you?”

“I am this Big Brother of yours… family.” The corners of his mouth curved in an evil smile as he walked toward her.

“But my father didn’t say to invite you.”

“Those who come from afar are guests; entering the residence is courtesy. Your father wouldn’t be so stingy. Be good and hurry back to tell your father.” He extended his broad palm and gently rubbed little Xiyue’s head.

She shrank her neck, looking at him like he was a strange person, then moved closer to Ji Yunshu, looking up to ask her, “Big Brother, will you really come?”

Don’t want to go!

But—

“Alright, I’ll go.”

Little Xiyue was very happy and immediately bounced out.

Afterward, Ji Yunshu glared at Jingrong. “Why did you accept on my behalf?”

“We’re all neighbors. Visiting each other’s homes—it’s not unacceptable.”

Good grief!