An expert!

Of course Bai Yin was an expert.

When he was galloping across the Western Sai grasslands with Huheihao, charging into battle and slaying enemies, you Li Cheng were still holding the title of heir apparent while frolicking among women.

After all, the grasslands had nothing in abundance.

Except horses and sheep, which were most plentiful.

Bai Yin wore a cocky expression: “I wouldn’t call myself an expert, I just know more than you do.”

Li Cheng laughed and nudged him: “How about… you teach me how to judge horses too?”

“No time.”

“Don’t be so stingy!”

Bai Yin’s face darkened.

Finding this boring, Li Cheng returned the hay in his hand to Bai Yin, then cursed at his own Ferghana horse: “Eat, eat, eat—that’s all you know how to do! This heir spent so much silver buying you, yet you’re just for show. I’ll send you out to be slaughtered later.”

“Neigh~”

The Ferghana horse seemed to understand human speech and suddenly reared back several hooves.

“Neighing, that’s all you know—neighing! Look at the horse next to you, calmly eating, and much sturdier than you too. What use are you? No matter how fine your coat, you’re worthless.”

“Neigh~”

“You dare kick up your hooves?”

“Neigh~”

Li Cheng immediately found an errand boy from the inn, wrote down an address for him, and instructed: “Take this horse to this place and tell them I want to return it. If they dare shortchange me by even one coin, I’ll hold you accountable.”

“Huh?”

“Huh what? Hurry up.” After speaking, Li Cheng pulled out some broken silver and stuffed it into the boy’s hand.

Having received the silver, the errand boy was delighted beyond measure and quickly agreed: “Right away!”

He cheerfully led the horse away.

After Bai Yin finished feeding the horse and securing it, he headed toward the front courtyard.

Li Cheng wiped his hands and quickly followed behind him, persistently asking: “Are you going to find that young master? Which room is he staying in?”

“…”

“This heir means no harm. That white bone case was entrusted by this heir to that young master, so this heir is also involved.”

“I didn’t ask you to meddle in other people’s business!”

Li Cheng: “How is this meddling? If not for this heir, Magistrate Zhuo would have already ruled on the case.”

Should I thank you then?

Bai Yin went upstairs, entered his own room, turned around and grabbed the doorframe to block the doorway saying: “Heir Cheng, stop right there!”

“I…”

“Bang!” Bai Yin slammed the door shut.

Li Cheng was rebuffed.

That door nearly hit his nose!

He rubbed his nose, his face full of embarrassment. He raised his hand wanting to knock on the door, but then lowered it again. Looking around the inn, he stroked his chin and said: “The inn isn’t that big. I refuse to believe I can’t find that young master.”

He snorted.

And left!

…

After Li Wenshu returned to her room, she sat there in silence the whole time, her gaze distant.

Not knowing what she was thinking about?

Li Cheng, having received a faceful of rejection, arrived at her room.

Upon entering, he asked: “Elder Sister? What’s wrong with you?”

Li Wenshu didn’t speak.

Li Cheng poured himself a cup of water to drink.

The young maid tidying things in the room said from the side: “Earlier, Miss was bumped on the stairs and may have been startled.”

“Bumped?”

“Yes! But fortunately a young master grabbed Miss, so nothing happened. Otherwise…”

Before the maid could finish speaking, Li Wenshu sharply rebuked her: “You talk too much.”

The young maid lowered her head, not daring to speak anymore, and quickly went out.

Li Cheng asked with concern: “Elder Sister, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“Did you fall and hurt yourself somewhere? Let me have someone fetch a physician.”

“No need!”

“Elder Sister…”

Li Wenshu interrupted him: “Ah Cheng, don’t ask anymore. I’m really fine! Go out first, I want to be alone for a while.”

Li Cheng observed her expression, hesitating to speak…

In the end, he didn’t ask further and got up to leave.

Once the door closed, Li Wenshu’s eyes grew even deeper.

Her mind was filled with that man’s gaze from earlier.

So familiar!

Even though she repeatedly told herself that wasn’t Du Mubai.

It wasn’t Du Mubai!

But—

She still couldn’t help but start overthinking.

Sinking deeper and deeper!

Yet she knew clearly in her heart that Du Mubai was already dead.

Mubai, if only you were still alive, how wonderful that would be!

…

That evening, Ji Yunshu spent nearly two hours and finally completed the portrait of the male deceased.

She had never seen Wang Jun, so she didn’t know whether the deceased was actually him or not.

She planned to go to the yamen early the next morning to find Magistrate Zhuo for verification!

Jingrong calculated the time, thinking she was probably finished with her work, and instructed an errand boy to have the kitchen prepare a bowl of ginseng soup.

When he carried the ginseng soup to Ji Yunshu’s room, she had already packed away her sandalwood box containing drawing tools and was washing her hands.

“You must be tired. Come drink some soup and rest a bit.”

“Mm.” She agreed.

After Jingrong set down the soup, he saw the portrait on the table.

He picked it up to look at it.

Ji Yunshu’s painting skill was still as excellent as ever.

Lifelike and vivid!

The person in the portrait was also quite handsome.

He said: “If this person truly is Wang Jun, it would be a pity.”

Ji Yunshu finished washing her hands and came over: “What’s pitiful about it?”

“I heard that Wang Jun was the star male role performer of the Zhao Family Troupe. After he performed as the heartless scholar Liang Sheng in ‘The Ghost Wife Buries Her Husband,’ he was bound to have smooth sailing ahead, yet he died just like that.”

Indeed!

Ji Yunshu drank her soup without speaking.

Jingrong closed the portrait and asked again: “Regarding this case, do you have any leads?”

She frowned slightly: “I don’t know… whether I have some or not.”

“What do you mean by that?”

She set down the soup spoon and analyzed seriously: “I looked at those documents Magistrate Zhuo gave me. They only contain testimonies, all testimonies given by people related to Song Zhi. Song Zhi’s testimony goes like this—he said Wang Jun was worried his role as a young male lead would be replaced by younger performers, which is why he came to him to commission a script. But as you just said, after Wang Jun performed as Liang Sheng in ‘The Ghost Wife Buries Her Husband,’ he became a household name and had no need to worry about being replaced. If that’s the case, there was no real need for him to seek out Song Zhi to commission a script. And to go late at night—isn’t that very strange? So Song Zhi’s explanation on this point indeed doesn’t quite hold up. Furthermore, he said he went backstage at the theater troupe to return a bundle Wang Jun had given him, and because Wang Jun wasn’t there, he placed the bundle on Wang Jun’s makeup table. But Magistrate Zhuo questioned everyone in the troupe one by one, and they all said they never saw that bundle. If a thief had snuck backstage, why wouldn’t they steal other valuables but specifically steal a bundle containing just a few sets of clothing? But how could a bundle just disappear for no reason? Did the people in the troupe really lie? But who would be foolish enough to lie to the yamen over a bundle—wouldn’t the charges be even more serious?

Just based on these two points Song Zhi mentioned, there are indeed discrepancies and errors that make it hard to believe.”

She let out a sigh!

After she finished speaking this long explanation, Jingrong pondered carefully, narrowing his eyes slightly and said: “So… it’s possible that Song Zhi lied!”