“Is it Zhang the Elder’s son, Zhang Daqi?” Jing Yi grew suspicious.

A person with six or seven scars on his face—wasn’t that Zhang Daqi?

But—

The capital had many people, and those with scars on their faces were hardly few.

It might not necessarily be Zhang Daqi!

Wen Shisan thought about it, also pondering in his heart. He stepped forward and whispered in Jing Yi’s ear, “Your Highness, we should investigate clearly first. This matter cannot be made public, lest Prince Rong’s people find out and get ahead of us.”

“What’s your suggestion?”

“First send someone to Zhang Family Village to quietly bring Zhang Daqi here, then have this young maid identify him face to face.”

Jing Yi considered for a moment, nodded, and said to Old Master Huang, “Old Master Huang, this prince wishes to borrow this maid. Afterward, I will naturally return her safely.”

Upon hearing this, the maid thought she had committed some offense. She was so frightened her whole body trembled violently, her eyes full of terror as she knelt on the ground kowtowing frantically.

She cried out, “Your Highness, I haven’t done anything! I haven’t hurt anyone or killed anyone. I beg Your Highness to see clearly.”

“Shut up.” Old Master Huang rebuked her, glaring at her sideways. Then he turned and spoke respectfully to Jing Yi, “It is this humble one’s honor. Your Highness, please take her away.”

Caifeng pleaded, “Master…”

She clenched her fists, drawing out her voice, crying and wailing.

Jing Yi hooked a cold smile, looking at the maid kneeling on the ground. It seemed that seeing others show expressions of terror before him gave him an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

This kind of psychology was like a psychopath’s!

Caifeng’s face twisted in fright.

Jing Yi looked down at her. “Little maid, you needn’t be afraid. This prince won’t take your life.”

“Huh?”

“You only need to come with this prince on a trip. Afterward, I will naturally send you back.”

With these words, the fear in Caifeng’s eyes gradually lessened.

She nodded dully and frantically.

Immediately, several sword-bearing guards dragged Caifeng up and took her away first.

Jing Yi said to Old Master Huang, “Regarding this prince’s visit to your manor today, please do not reveal it to anyone. Understood?”

The tone carried a threat!

“Understood, understood. I absolutely won’t mention a word.”

He was a clever, perceptive person.

Jing Yi didn’t linger there long. After leaving, he ordered people to go bring Zhang Daqi.

And his subordinates worked quite efficiently.

A few hours later, the person was brought in.

Zhang Daqi was escorted in like a criminal.

“Kneel down.”

The guard unceremoniously kicked his leg.

Zhang Daqi dropped heavily to his knees.

But he kept his head lowered, saying nothing.

Jing Yi scrutinized him with sinister eyes. “Raise your head.”

No movement.

“This prince orders you to raise your head.”

Still no movement.

A guard stepped forward, grabbed his hair, and yanked hard backward, forcing his head up.

Immediately revealing that face covered in scars.

Zhang Daqi’s utterly hollow eyes looked at the magnificently dressed, high and mighty Prince Yi before him. His mouth was pressed into a line, not moving an inch.

Carrying a kind of stubbornness deep in his bones.

And those eyes looked at one in a way that made one’s back run cold.

Jing Yi glanced sideways and asked the trembling Caifeng, “Is this the person?”

Caifeng wiped her eyes, looked carefully to identify him, and nodded. “Yes, it’s him. The person I collided with at that time was him.”

“Bang!”

Jing Yi slapped the table, interrogating, “Zhang Daqi, this prince asks you—did you pick up a short blade only four inches long?”

“…”

“Speak!”

Zhang Daqi breathed heavily and squeezed out two words: “No.”

“You’re still lying?”

“What crime has this humble one committed?” Zhang Daqi asked.

Jing Yi stepped forward, looking down at him. “This prince will ask you one more time—did you or did you not pick up a short blade only four inches long? And did you or did you not… use that short blade to kill someone?”

Questioning word by word.

His gaze like needles.

Zhang Daqi said, “Your Highness, this humble one is wronged.”

His tone was calm.

No panic showed in his expression either.

The next moment, Jing Yi raised his foot and kicked viciously at his shoulder.

Great force!

Directly kicking the person flying.

Zhang Daqi sprawled on the ground, clutching his chest, spitting fresh blood.

Jing Yi said coldly, “If you won’t speak, that’s fine. But this prince has a hundred methods to make you talk.” He ordered, “Take him away. Do what needs to be done.”

Bloodthirsty!

Several people stepped forward, lifted Zhang Daqi up, and dragged him away directly.

Afterward, Caifeng said tremblingly, “Your Highness, then I… can I leave now?”

“Leave?” Jing Yi laughed coldly. “Little maid, if you want to leave, this prince will certainly let you leave. But not now.”

“Huh?”

“Take her away too.”

“Your Highness?”

Caifeng was also taken away.

Her crying could still be heard from far away…

Wen Shisan, who had been silently quiet all along, said, “Your Highness, actually relying on a few words from a maid, we cannot determine that it was Zhang Daqi who picked up that short blade. Moreover, even if he did pick it up, the murder weapon isn’t necessarily that particular short blade, so…”

Before he finished speaking—

Jing Yi raised his hand to interrupt, smiling coldly. “Shisan, you still don’t understand this prince’s meaning.”

Hmm?

“Do you truly believe… that what’s important this time is solving the case?”

“This one doesn’t quite understand Your Highness’s meaning.”

Jing Yi curved his thin, cold lips. “Regardless of who the killer is? And regardless of whether the person we find is the killer or not? What’s most important is to be able to win! To deliver the killer to the Ministry of Justice before Prince Rong. And as long as that person confesses to the crime, this prince will have won. At that time, no one will care about the ins and outs of this case at all. What you need to do is find a way to make that person… become the killer.”

“Your Highness…”

“Shisan, this prince promised you that as long as you help this prince win, the position of Director of Detentions at the Ministry of Justice will be yours. So, sometimes people must learn to be flexible.”

Wen Shisan froze!

He did want to take the position of Director of Detentions at the Ministry of Justice.

But—

He wanted to defeat Ji Yunshu honorably and openly.

Not by using such methods!

But in the end, he said nothing.

That evening, Zhang Daqi was tortured severely, beaten almost to death.

He still didn’t confess.

The next day.

The Huang residence.

Early in the morning, Young Miss Huang called “Caifeng” several times in her room with no response.

“Where is she? From last night until now, why haven’t I seen any sign of her?”

A young maid from the household quickly came in and said, “Young Miss, Caifeng was taken away yesterday.”

“Taken away? Didn’t I say Caifeng is my maid and no one can take her away?”

“But the one who came to the manor to take her was…” The maid lowered her head very low, wringing her hands tightly and placing them at her abdomen.

Young Miss Huang already had a bad temper. She glared at the maid. “Speak! Who exactly took her away?”

“It was… Prince Yi.”

Her voice was very small.

“Prince Yi?” Young Miss Huang froze for a moment. Her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed tightly together. After a long silence, she asked, “What wrong did Caifeng commit? Why… would Prince Yi take her away?”

The maid rolled her eyes and said, “It seems… it’s related to that dagger of yours, Young Miss.”

“The dagger? Wasn’t my dagger lost by Caifeng?”