“By the authority of this heir apparent!”

The voice was powerful, sounding like it belonged to a young man.

Upon hearing this, everyone turned to look. They saw a man holding a folding fan, dressed in fine clothes, with a translucent glass jade hanging from his waist and wearing upturned-toe boots, striding in with large steps. Two attendants followed behind him. His face bore a smile, full of vigor, yet his features revealed a heroic air. His appearance was proper and refined, qualifying him as a handsome man. But one could also faintly discern the bearing of a noble young master, especially in those eyes that looked down upon everything, which made him appear even more arrogant.

Heir apparent?

Who was this person?

How dare he barge into the court hall?

When Magistrate Zhuo saw him, his eyes went wide and he nearly fell from his chair in fright. He immediately grabbed at his robes and rushed down from his seat to the man’s presence, bowing at the waist: “So it’s Young Master Cheng! This humble official did not know of Your Lordship’s grand arrival and failed to welcome you properly.”

Young Master Cheng! This person was Li Cheng, the second son of Marquis Pingyang of Huyi. By nature carefree and dissolute, he was famous throughout Gaoding as a playboy who had provoked countless daughters of good families! Marquis Pingyang had no way to deal with him. After trying to discipline him many times without success, he finally just let him run free. As long as he didn’t cause any deaths, he let him “wander and carouse” as he pleased.

But once he stopped managing him, Li Cheng became even more unrestrained. As long as it didn’t violate the law, he did practically every bad thing imaginable. And each of those bad deeds became heroic exploits that he loved to talk about. He would tell anyone he met and never tired of it. His father, the Marquis, nearly died of anger.

Once, Li Cheng had provoked the daughter of Duke Wang Guo’s household. That young lady cried and shouted that she wanted to marry Li Cheng, but Li Cheng fled from Gaoding in a flash and disappeared without a trace. After that, Duke Wang Guo, aggrieved on behalf of his daughter, opposed Marquis Pingyang at every turn in the Huyi court, their conflict reaching a fever pitch.

In the end, it was only when the King of Huyi personally spoke to arrange a good marriage for Duke Wang Guo’s daughter that the two families finally ceased hostilities!

Speaking of this, naturally one must also mention Marquis Pingyang!

Marquis Pingyang Li Wenzhi was just a minor general before receiving his marquisate. Twenty-one years ago, during the internal chaos in Huyi, Li Wenzhi performed great merit. As soon as the King of Huyi ascended the throne, he enfeoffed him as Marquis Pingyang. As a so-called founding merit official, his power was naturally quite great. Many officials in Huyi would tremble three times just seeing him, and even the King of Huyi respected him considerably. And as Li Wenzhi’s second son, Li Cheng naturally became a hot commodity in Gaoding, able to walk sideways wherever he went.

At this moment, Li Cheng squinted as he looked Magistrate Zhuo up and down, saying: “Magistrate Zhuo, it’s been several years since we’ve seen each other, but your imposing manner hasn’t diminished at all!”

“I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare.”

“Alright, this heir apparent is just passing through and came in to take a look. I don’t have time to chat with you so much.” He walked up to Jingrong, a smile at the corners of his mouth, and asked: “I’ve already heard everything you were saying inside from outside. You all think there are still doubtful points in this case, is that right?”

Jingrong had already weighed things in his heart. This person appeared arrogant and wealthy, but he felt he was beneficial rather than harmful to himself.

Therefore, he said: “That’s correct! This case indeed has numerous doubtful points and requires further investigation.”

“Who will investigate?”

Ji Yinshu spoke up: “I will!”

Li Cheng immediately looked toward Ji Yinshu and was momentarily dazed!

The smile at the corners of his mouth deepened even more. Then he walked a circle around Ji Yinshu and exclaimed loudly: “Good!”

Good what? Li Cheng waved the folding fan in his hand, opening it. The fan was painted with extremely exquisite and beautiful plum blossoms, which quite matched his frivolous temperament. He sat down in a chair to the side, crossed his legs, and ordered Magistrate Zhuo: “Go, according to what this young master said, go have those white bones brought up. This heir apparent wants to have a good look at the excitement—no, I should say assist in investigating the case.”

Indeed beneficial rather than harmful!

Magistrate Zhuo naturally didn’t dare disobey.

He quickly ordered people to bring up those skeletal remains.

They were still a scattered pile.

Not assembled.

Magistrate Zhuo said to Ji Yinshu: “The white bones are all here now. You’d better be able to produce evidence to prove what you said earlier, otherwise this official will absolutely not be lenient.”

Ji Yinshu calmly took out a handkerchief from her waist, wrapped it around her fingers, and crouched down to examine those white bones.

Song Zhi, kneeling to the side, was dumbfounded and couldn’t help but shift aside.

He felt this person was truly bold!

Ji Yinshu focused her serious gaze and after examining those skeletal remains one by one, she began to assemble them.

The others watched without blinking.

They all felt a chill run down their backs.

That person was clearly a refined young scholar, yet unexpectedly dared to touch those frightening white bones.

Ji Yinshu assembled them very carefully!

Fortunately, those white bones had no damage, so the assembly time was greatly shortened.

Li Cheng, who had originally been sitting and watching the excitement, couldn’t help but stand up. He stared intently at that young scholar picking up human bones and assembling them in an orderly manner, then asked Jingrong beside him: “Hey! Who is this person? How is she so familiar with white bones? Is she a bone specialist physician?”

Just like two people who had been friends for a long time!

Jingrong glanced at him but didn’t speak.

Li Cheng didn’t mind either, just poked his shoulder with the folding fan in his hand, complaining: “You really are no fun!”

Two quarters of an hour later, a complete human skeletal structure was assembled.

Everyone discussed among themselves.

They felt this person was simply amazing.

Magistrate Zhuo was also stunned. How could such a chaotic pile of white bones become whole in the blink of an eye?

But—

He stepped forward and said: “Although you have the ability to assemble this pile of white bones together, you can also see that this is clearly just one set of skeletal remains.”

Ji Yinshu said unhurriedly: “Your Honor, look here!”

She pointed at the white bones.

Magistrate Zhuo looked accordingly.

That was the position of the upper limb bones!

Ji Yinshu said: “The deceased’s left upper limb bone and right upper limb bone are different lengths, and the bone sizes also differ.”

But no matter how Magistrate Zhuo looked, he just couldn’t see it: “Why does this official see them as exactly the same?”

Because you’re a layman!

Ji Yinshu said: “Because the difference is very small and difficult to see. Actually, this set of skeletal remains was pieced together from the skeletons of one man and one woman.”

“Nonsense! The coroner has already confirmed this is one set of male skeletal remains!”

Ji Yinshu took a breath and said: “Generally, coroners determine male or female based on the skull and pelvis characteristics of the skeletal remains, and this set of skeletal remains’ skull and pelvis do indeed indicate male. But some things cannot focus on one aspect while ignoring another, which is why the coroner Your Honor invited would have oversights. Your Honor, please look at the left and right wrist bone area of these skeletal remains. The left wrist bone is clearly much lighter and finer than the right wrist bone, and moreover the metacarpal bones are not large, and the phalanges are also very slender—these all lean toward female characteristics. There’s also the lumbar vertebrae area. Female lumbar vertebrae at the lower end will have a slightly forward curving arc, but males don’t! Of course, there’s also the clavicle. A person’s clavicles on both sides are generally the same size as their ribs, but this set of skeletal remains’ clavicle is smaller than the ribs, showing that the clavicle and ribs don’t come from the same person at all. Not only that, the skeletal remains’ lower limb bones and tibia can also be distinguished.”

Hmm?

She picked up the lower limb bone and tibia and tried to connect their endpoints.

They didn’t fit together at all!

“Therefore, this set of skeletal remains was actually pieced together from two deceased persons’ skeletal remains—and they’re one man and one woman!”