Something’s wrong with the stone?

This sentence happened to be overheard by the lead guard watching the city gate.

He immediately asked, “What’s wrong with it?”

“The stone is too light.”

“Too light?” The guard rolled up his sleeves and said, “Let me see.”

He took the stone over.

As soon as he weighed it in his hands—

Indeed, it was very light!

How strange!

The lead guard immediately placed the stone on the ground and questioned the old merchant, “Why is this stone so light?”

The old merchant stared at the stone for a moment, frowning in puzzlement. “How could a stone be light? That’s impossible.”

“Then try lifting it yourself.”

The old merchant quickly tried it himself.

Without trying, one wouldn’t know—but once tried, what a shock!

“How… how could this be?”

How could such a large stone be so light?

As if it were hollow!

The guard’s eyes narrowed sharply. He immediately became alert and interrogated, “Is there something inside this stone that shouldn’t be there?”

“Officer, these are all gambling stones! How could there be anything improper inside a gambling stone? Moreover… I don’t know why this stone is so light. Before coming here, I personally inspected everything—there was no such situation.”

“Then let’s open it and see.”

“That won’t do!”

“Why not?”

“Didn’t I just say? These are all gambling stones, meant to be sold to others. If we open it, how can I do business?”

Gambling stones—as the name suggests, they’re used for gambling.

Some people would determine whether a stone contains precious jade based on its size, shape, and the patterns on its surface, and choose to purchase these “stones.”

Some people buy them and open them to find only rock inside, but others bet correctly and become wealthy overnight.

Now hearing the guard wanted to open it, the old merchant naturally wouldn’t allow it!

But the guard flew into a rage and moved to draw the long sword at his waist, saying, “I now suspect there’s something wrong with this stone. It might contain something unsavory inside. It must be opened immediately. Men, open the stone.”

With one order issued!

The old merchant truly had no choice.

He could only stand to the side and watch helplessly.

Everyone at the city gate also fixed their eyes on that suspicious stone.

Jingrong and Ji Yunshu were no exception.

They too were curious why the stone was so light.

Could there be something strange inside?

Soon, the city gate official brought tools to open the stone.

With just a few strikes, the stone was chiseled open.

And at the very instant it was opened, something rolled out from inside.

That thing rolled twice on the ground.

Then stopped!

When everyone looked, they were instantly stunned speechless!

For three seconds, time seemed frozen.

Then—

“Ahhh!”

The crowd began to panic.

They scattered in all directions.

Or pressed together.

Terrified beyond measure.

But Ji Yunshu, Jingrong, and the others stood calmly in place without moving.

Quietly staring at that “eerie” thing on the ground.

A… skull!

The guards at the city gate were also completely shocked.

This was the first time they had encountered such a thing.

Inside the stone was actually a skull!

The lead guard almost without thinking immediately pointed at the old merchant and his workers, ordering, “Arrest them.”

Seven or eight guards rushed out and immediately surrounded those merchants.

The old merchant and his workers were also stunned.

They all knelt on the ground.

The old merchant said, “Officer, this… this has nothing to do with me!”

“Nothing to do with you? A skull hidden inside the stone, and you still dare say it has nothing to do with you? Speak! Where did this thing come from?”

“I don’t know! Sir, I truly don’t know.”

“This is a murder case. If you don’t confess truthfully, you’ll suffer for it.”

“Sir… we’ve been wronged!”

“The stone is yours, the skull was inside it, and you still dare cry injustice?” The lead guard turned to a junior guard beside him. “Quickly go to the City Bureau and report this matter.”

“Yes!” The junior guard immediately took off running.

Those merchants were directly detained at the city gate.

Because this very likely involved a murder case, the city gate guards had no choice but to immediately order the main gate temporarily sealed, opening a side door on the left for people to enter and exit.

Jingrong’s carriage, having been blocked by those stones and with its wheel already broken, could only remain in place.

When the skull rolled out, Ji Yunshu had been staring at it all along.

Based on the skull’s characteristics, it was a woman’s!

Moreover, the time of death should be three years or more.

But the specifics would require further examination to know.

Jingrong knew what she was thinking. He pulled her hand and lowered his voice to remind her, “This matter has nothing to do with us. This is Gaoding—don’t get involved.”

“I understand.”

“Don’t worry, someone will investigate. If a place as large as Gaoding doesn’t even have someone who can solve cases, that would be laughable.”

She nodded.

After they entered the city, they searched several inns along the way.

But all were fully booked!

After all, the imperial examinations were imminent.

Song Zhi said, “Young Master Jing, Gaoding is crowded everywhere right now. With the imperial examinations approaching, all the inns are full. If you don’t mind, why not stay with me? Before I came, Young Master Zhang gave me a key—the key to his ancestral home. It should be large enough for us to stay together.”

Bai Yin was the first to refuse.

“No need. Gaoding is so large, it’s impossible there isn’t a single inn available.”

“But staying in a private residence would be more convenient. Though I don’t know why you’ve come to Gaoding, after what happened at that mountain inn, if you stay at another inn, it definitely won’t be safe. You’d better stay with me.”

Song Zhi had actually hit upon the key point!

Inns truly weren’t safe, and they weren’t convenient either. Jingrong was somewhat swayed and softly persuaded Bai Yin, “We still don’t know when we can find that person. In any case, caution comes first. If we stay long-term at an inn, that definitely won’t work. It would be better to stay with that bookworm. After all, he’s come to participate in the imperial examinations as a scholar candidate—when the time comes, he can help us conceal our identities.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Yin was swayed.

After thinking it over—

She agreed!

At that moment, at the City Bureau.

Li Cheng had been idle for two days, eating and drinking every day.

Now, he was sitting inside with his legs crossed, cracking melon seeds.

Melon seed shells all over the floor!

Having a grand time.

Suddenly, a junior official rushed in urgently.

Shouting loudly, “Sir, this is bad!”

With this shout, Li Cheng nearly choked.

With an unhappy expression, he glared at the junior official. “What are you shouting about? Are you trying to choke this official to death?”

“Sir, something… something has happened!”

“What happened?”

“There’s been a… murder case at the city gate!”

A murder case?

Upon hearing this, Li Cheng’s expression changed dramatically. He sat up straight and asked, “What murder case? Who died? Is it Gong Shilin from Left Minister Gong’s family?”

Uh!

The junior official’s mouth twitched.

Li Cheng truly wished the dead person was Gong Shilin.

That way, his elder sister wouldn’t have to marry him.

And he would have one less mortal enemy.

But the junior official said, “Sir, you’ve misunderstood. It’s not Young Master Gong. A skull rolled out from inside a stone, and they’re waiting for you to go there now.”

Huyi didn’t have a Court of Judicial Review.

Nor did it have a Capital Magistracy.

It only had the Six Ministries.

So wherever something happened, that place handled it themselves.

A murder case at the city gate fell under the jurisdiction of the City Bureau.

Which meant this case was now under Li Cheng’s management.

Upon hearing there was a skull inside a stone, Li Cheng immediately perked up.

This was something new!

In all his years of traveling far and wide, he had never heard of such a thing.

He casually threw the melon seeds in his hand onto the ground.

Without looking back, he left the room.

Saying, “Let’s go watch the excitement!”

The junior official was exasperated! He immediately followed.