Li Cheng continued to ask: “Then… did they say when they’re leaving?”

“This… Song doesn’t know that either.”

“How can you not know anything? You really don’t know anything except reading books!”

Song Zhi: “…”

Slightly embarrassed.

After all, the one who is useless at everything is indeed the scholar!

Li Cheng was too lazy to waste more words with him. He turned to those people and said: “Alright, let’s go.”

The guards paused and asked: “My lord, we’re not requesting the expert anymore?”

Li Cheng sighed, glanced toward the back courtyard, then said with renewed determination: “Of course we are! I don’t believe that even with three visits to the thatched cottage, I, Li Cheng, can’t persuade her.”

Right now, countless pairs of eyes were watching him closely. If he couldn’t handle this case well, how could he continue to get by in Gaoding in the future?

Wouldn’t he lose all face?

Therefore, he must get Ji Yunshu to help him.

After Li Cheng left with his people, the courtyard quieted down.

Song Zhi closed the door and continued reading.

Little did he know, on the rooftop nearby, someone had been hiding the whole time.

That person seemed to have been there for quite a while and had witnessed everything that happened in the courtyard.

Only after Song Zhi left did they quietly depart.

……

The Nanguo Marquis Residence.

At this moment, the Marquis of Nanguo was standing under a large tree in the courtyard.

His gaze slightly raised.

He remained motionless for a long time.

Suddenly, a figure leaped down from the rooftop.

Standing steadily behind him.

“My lord.” Lian Que cupped his hands.

The Marquis of Nanguo was staring at a withered yellow leaf.

Only when that leaf was blown down by the wind, drifting toward the ground, did he glance sideways at Lian Que standing behind him.

“Speak!”

Lian Que reported: “The person with your lordship’s token entered the city yesterday. They’re now staying in an old residence in the northern part of the city.”

“Have their identities been investigated clearly?”

“They’re just a group of merchants, but…” Lian Que paused.

The Marquis of Nanguo turned around, his brow slightly furrowed: “But what?”

Lian Que: “This subordinate saw Young Master Li Cheng, the heir of Marquis Pingyang, go to where they’re staying.”

“Hm?”

“Yesterday a skull was discovered at the city gate. This case was handed to Young Master Cheng to handle. He went to find the person with your lordship’s token today, wanting her to help investigate the case. It seems… they had dealings when they were in Yiwu.”

He reported everything clearly.

After hearing this, the Marquis of Nanguo was silent for a moment.

Lian Que had concerns and continued: “If that person truly is your lordship’s benefactor, but she’s also connected to the people on Marquis Pingyang’s side, I’m afraid when the time comes… it will be inconvenient.”

The inconvenience he referred to was the situation.

The Marquis of Nanguo had an irreconcilable hatred with the King of Huyi. It could even be said that he viewed the current royal family as his enemy!

He had endured for over twenty years, but never expected that the King of Huyi, worried about the forces of the previous dynasty rising up, would secretly slaughter officials from the former dynasty on a large scale.

Bloodshed spread, death loomed.

When “endurance” finally became “having no choice.”

Then sooner or later, there would be a day when weapons would meet on the battlefield!

If the person Lian Que spoke of was truly his benefactor, and the benefactor was connected to the son of Marquis Pingyang, then when war broke out, there would naturally be many complications.

The Marquis of Nanguo fell silent.

Lian Que said: “Should your lordship go meet them first? See if that person is your lordship’s benefactor, and then make other plans!”

“Mm, you go arrange it.”

“Yes.”

“Remember, don’t expose your identity.”

“This subordinate understands.”

Suddenly—

“Father!”

A tender, childish voice came from the corridor in the distance.

A’mo had arrived.

The Marquis of Nanguo instructed Lian Que: “You leave first!”

“Yes!”

Lian Que’s body leaped and immediately disappeared without a trace.

A’mo moved his little legs, came around the corridor running over, his small face full of smiles.

He called out: “Father.”

And rushed toward the Marquis of Nanguo.

When the Marquis of Nanguo saw him, he immediately shed the stern expression from his face and welcomed the small child.

He scooped him up into his arms.

A’mo tightly hugged his neck and said: “Father, A’mo wants to play chess.”

“Why do you suddenly want to play chess?”

“Nanny said that people who can play chess will be very smart when they grow up.”

“So my A’mo also wants to be a smart person?”

“Mm, I want to be as smart as Father.”

The Marquis of Nanguo affectionately scraped his nose lightly: “Alright, Father will teach you to play chess.”

“Really?”

“When has Father ever lied to you?”

A’mo was so happy he couldn’t contain himself, kissing the Marquis of Nanguo’s cheeks several times.

Afterward, the Marquis of Nanguo had someone bring a chess set.

He personally taught A’mo to play chess, piece by piece.

Even though the child didn’t understand!

On the other side.

After Li Cheng left, he immediately returned to the City Security Department.

Then he had someone invite Gaoding’s best old coroner to examine that skull.

The old coroner was examining the body inside while he stood outside watching. Only after the examination was complete and the skull was covered with a white cloth did he enter.

“How was it? Did you find anything?”

The old coroner removed his gloves and answered: “Reporting to my lord, this humble one can only determine some information based on certain characteristics of the skull.”

He was full of curiosity: “Do you know who the deceased is?”

“With only a skull, I cannot determine who it is.”

“Is the deceased female?”

“Yes.”

“Around fifteen years old?”

The old coroner was slightly shocked and replied: “Correct, indeed around fifteen years old.”

Li Cheng asked again: “Time of death three years?”

Uh!

The old coroner was greatly shocked: “Yes, indeed about three years, but the specific time is still difficult to estimate.”

“Was she drowned?”

“This…” The coroner shook his head. “Not clear.”

“Not clear?” Li Cheng pondered.

The old coroner asked: “My lord, did you have another coroner examine it?”

Li Cheng was confused for a moment: “No!”

“Then how does my lord know the results of my examination?”

“It’s…” He almost blurted it out but immediately stopped himself and said, “You don’t need to worry about that. You just need to tell me—was the deceased drowned or not?”

“With only a skull, this humble one really cannot make a determination. Even if we invite other coroners to look, they wouldn’t be able to tell either.”

“I think it’s because you’re all incompetent.” Li Cheng threw out the remark without mercy.

It shocked the old and junior officials in the room.

The old coroner was stunned and instead asked him: “Could my lord determine from the skull alone that the deceased was drowned?”

“I can’t, but there are those who can.”

The old coroner found it laughable. “Impossible! Even if my master were alive, he couldn’t make such a determination.”

Li Cheng gave an undisguised mocking laugh. “That’s because none of you have witnessed what a true expert is.”

Very proud!

Because he had seen one.

The corner of the old coroner’s mouth twitched as he said doubtfully: “This… how could there be such an expert in the world? Impossible, impossible.”

He wouldn’t believe it even if beaten to death!

He had lived for decades and had never heard of anyone who could know the cause of death just by looking at a skull.

Simply ridiculous.

He thought to himself, could this Lord Li be playing a joke on him?