With Jingrong saying this, Qiao Zheng quickly said, “It was this official’s elder brother who was rash. Please forgive us, Your Highness. Today I brought Zihua here because earlier Master Ji went to the manor, but due to the gate servant being ignorant, he failed to announce her arrival and thus blocked Master Ji outside. As soon as this official learned of it, I immediately brought him over. First, to apologize to Master Ji, and second, to have Zihua clearly explain everything about that year’s incident, so as to provide Master Ji with some clues for solving the case.”

Mm!

How very considerate of you!

However, Jingrong’s brows furrowed—only now did he learn that Ji Yinshu had been shut out.

Displeased, his eyes darkened, his expression grew several degrees colder, and his fingers lightly tapped on the table beside him a few times.

He thought to himself, no wonder that girl still hasn’t come!

“Then you two wait here for Master Ji. If you can’t wait, then leave.”

His tone was unfriendly!

He said nothing more.

Qiao Zheng and Qiao Zihua could only stand there awkwardly.

While Jingrong sipped his tea!

After waiting about the time it takes to burn one incense stick, Ji Yinshu finally arrived leisurely. In her hands, she still held that well-behaved little cat.

As she entered, Qiao Zihua visibly shrank back, lowering his head, not daring to look at the cat.

Ji Yinshu smiled inwardly, then set down the cat in her hands and let it run off.

Qiao Zheng immediately stepped forward and called out, “Master Ji.”

Very polite.

Ji Yinshu feigned a look of sudden realization. “So Minister Qiao really did come. Just now, I thought they were deceiving me, which is why I delayed coming over. Please forgive me, Minister Qiao.”

“Not at all.”

She walked before Jingrong. In front of outsiders, she naturally had to pay proper respects.

“I pay respects to Your Highness.”

“Please sit.”

Jingrong gestured to the chair beside him.

After she sat down, Jingrong then invited Qiao Zheng to sit as well, and ordered tea and refreshments to be served.

Time passed bit by bit, yet they never got to the main matter.

Qiao Zheng grew anxious. He glanced at Ji Yinshu, wanting to discern something from her face, but in the end gained nothing.

“Master Ji, I brought Zihua here today. Regarding that murder case, feel free to question him—he will hide nothing.”

“Oh, no rush.”

She picked up a pastry from beside her and ate it with relish.

Qiao Zheng didn’t dare press further and could only sit quietly.

Jingrong secretly smiled. This young girl was almost catching up to his skills at toying with people.

Not until she had eaten and drunk her fill!

Only then did those clever eyes look toward Qiao Zihua as she asked, “Regarding the incident three years ago, how much does Young Master Qiao still remember?”

Qiao Zihua immediately stood up, brushing his sleeves, and answered seriously, “I remember it all.”

“I didn’t expect your memory to be so good. I’ve already forgotten some things from three years ago.”

She sighed!

That’s it?

Qiao Zheng had thought she would ask something, but there was no follow-up?

His heart was practically jumping to his throat, but he also knew that Master Ji was clearly taking revenge for being shut out.

After another while, Ji Yinshu poured herself a cup of tea. After taking a sip, she finally got to the point.

“Young Master Qiao, the questions I’m about to ask you—please think carefully before answering. If you’re unclear about anything or speak incorrectly, it could very likely work against you. I hope you understand.”

“Yes, Master, please ask. Everything I know, I’ll tell you completely.”

Very cooperative!

“What was your relationship with Miss Ye’er?”

He hesitated, then gritted his teeth and said, “We had no particular relationship. Three years ago, I went to the Yichun Pavilion and happened to hear her singing. She sang beautifully. After that, I would frequently go to support her performances. Later, we gradually became familiar. She was a good person. Slowly, I fell in love with her, but she kept rejecting me. Later, several times I came upon her with a man. I thought she had found where she belonged, so I stopped bothering her.”

Speaking of this, he seemed somewhat dejected!

And somewhat melancholic!

Ji Yinshu asked him, “What happened after that? Why were you two in that room? What exactly happened then?”

Qiao Zihua said, “Actually, I had already given up. But suddenly one day, she found me and hurriedly pulled me into a room. I saw she looked very frightened and anxious, so I asked what had happened. She said she had an important matter to tell me, and after I learned of it, I should immediately report it to the authorities. But just as she was about to speak, my head hurt—I don’t know who knocked me unconscious. I don’t know how long I was out. When I woke up, I discovered Miss Ye’er… she was already dead. I was terrified at the time and immediately rushed out of the room. Not long after, the authorities came.”

“So your father bribed the coroner and Minister Zuo, saying the deceased had poisoned herself to death, quickly suppressed the matter, and didn’t even investigate carefully.”

“Yes, my father did indeed bribe the coroner and Minister Zuo, because at the time, I was the last person to see Miss Ye’er. My father did it for the Qiao family’s reputation.”

How noble of your father!

Ji Yinshu’s expression was displeased. “To avoid affecting your Qiao family’s reputation, you used money to cover up the truth.”

Qiao Zihua was very nervous. “No, I truly didn’t kill anyone.”

He had never been good with words.

Qiao Zheng immediately said, “Your Highness, Master Ji, what my elder brother did back then was indeed wrong. If punishment is due, we have no complaints. But what’s most important now is finding the real culprit.”

You don’t need to remind me.

Ji Yinshu questioned Qiao Zihua again. “You said you saw Miss Ye’er with a man. Do you know who that person was?”

He shook his head. “I only saw his back, not his face.”

“Any distinguishing features?”

“Tall and thin, dressed fairly well. Oh, and he had a flute tucked at his waist. That flute had a pendant hanging from it—a piece of jade. That jade was in the shape of a fish. That’s all I know.”

“Shape of a fish?” Ji Yinshu pondered. Interesting—that was a clue.

“Good. I’ll ask you again—when Miss Ye’er pulled you into that room, did you see a cat?”

He firmly shook his head. “No, there was no cat inside. What I fear most are cats. If there had been a cat in the room, I definitely would have known.”

“Then do you remember what scene you saw in the room when you woke up? Think carefully, think thoroughly. Don’t leave out even half a detail.”

So Qiao Zihua began slowly recalling. Sometimes he closed his eyes, sometimes he looked around. His somewhat unfocused eyes finally gained a spark of energy.

He said, “I remember when I woke up, the window that had been closed was open. The screen standing by the wall was also knocked down. Miss Ye’er was lying face-up on the bed, her head hanging down to the ground. The clothes on her body had been torn open. By the bed was a cup, but it was shattered. Nearby, a cat was dead. At the time I was very panicked and rushed out right away. Other than that, I didn’t notice anything else.”

He immediately added, “Everyone said I drank too much and killed Miss Ye’er. But that day I had just arrived at Yichun Pavilion—I hadn’t even had a single cup of wine.”

He spoke very earnestly and seriously, not seeming to be lying.

Ji Yinshu murmured softly, “An open window? A fallen screen? A cup smashed on the ground? A strangled cat?”

What was the connection?

She asked, “You said Ye’er very anxiously pulled you into the room at the time. She wanted to tell you something, and this matter might have serious implications, so she told you to report it to the authorities after learning of it.”

“Yes, but before she could finish, I was knocked unconscious by someone.”

“But why didn’t she go report it to the authorities herself? Why tell you instead? Isn’t that very strange?”

It was strange!

But—

“I don’t know either.”

“Whether what you’re saying is true or false, I have my ways of verifying it. I’ve asked almost everything I need to. You may leave.”

Dismissed!

But Jingrong looked at Qiao Zheng. “Minister Qiao, please stay. This prince wishes to have a talk with you.”

Those four words—”have a talk”—were rather chilling.