“I only stole clothes, I didn’t kill anyone!”

The man shouted while trembling.

His entire body knelt on the ground, pressed low, his head not daring to lift half an inch.

One could see how terrified he was.

Jingrong’s sharp gaze examined the man, then looked again at that pile of clothes. He seemed to already understand somewhat in his heart.

So he asked, “Were the clothes that Song Zhi took to return to Wang Jun stolen by you?”

Uh?

The man’s hands pressed on the ground tightened. Panicked and fearful, he quickly said, “Yes, I stole those clothes, but I only stole clothes—I didn’t do anything else! I especially didn’t kill Wang Jun.”

Shaking his head desperately.

Back and forth, just those few sentences.

And this commotion quickly attracted the theater troupe members.

When they saw the scene before them, they were slightly shocked.

One standing!

One kneeling!

Beside them was a pile of very messy clothes.

“This… what’s going on?”

At the same time, someone recognized the person kneeling on the ground, pointing at him. “Old Qiao? What are you doing here? Why are you kneeling?”

Old Qiao buried his head even deeper!

It seemed that because he had been recognized, he felt extremely ashamed.

What? Could this person be from the theater troupe?

Jingrong asked a man from the troupe, “Is this person from your theater troupe?”

The troupe man said, “No, he’s the one who delivers sweet wine soup to our opera performers every day.”

“Sweet wine soup?”

“Young master may not know, but our troupe’s performers all drink a bowl of sweet wine soup before going on stage, because sweet wine moistens the throat. Old Qiao is in the sweet wine business and lives next door, so he comes to deliver sweet wine every day.”

So that was it.

Then the man asked, “But young master, what exactly is going on?”

“It’s not really a big matter—just that someone stole something.”

“Stole something?” The man immediately looked at Old Qiao on the ground. “Old Qiao, you stole something? This… what’s going on? You’re an honest man!”

Old Qiao swallowed, his body twisted, and he said haltingly, “I… I didn’t steal anything valuable. I just stole the clothes that Song Zhi returned to Wang Jun.”

“You stole those clothes?”

“I stole them, but I didn’t kill anyone!”

From beginning to end, no one had even said he killed anyone!

Jingrong, having clarified this person’s identity, asked him, “Then why didn’t you steal other valuable things, but chose to steal those few garments made of coarse cloth?”

“Because I didn’t dare steal other valuable things, and moreover… I couldn’t fit them.”

“Speak clearly.” Jingrong’s tone grew slightly heavier.

Old Qiao then confessed everything in full detail. “This humble one was just temporarily possessed by demons, my brain caught fire, so I did such a foolish thing! That day, I was supposed to deliver a bowl of sweet wine soup to Wang Jun, but seeing he wasn’t there, I was about to leave when I saw a bundle on the table. Curiosity got the better of me, so I opened it to look. I saw it was just a few garments, not good clothes, and thought they shouldn’t be Wang Jun’s, because he usually wore very nice things. So… I developed a greedy thought and hid that bundle in my basket for sweet wine, then quietly slipped out the back door. As for those expensive things, how would I dare steal them! Just these few garments have already given me nightmares these past few days. This kind of thing, I’ll never do again in my life.”

“Then why are you sneaking around here now with these clothes?”

“Because I never expected that this matter would cause Song Zhi to be imprisoned, and possibly… he might even face death. This humble one was only greedy for money—I didn’t want to harm someone’s life! These past few days I’ve been having nightmares constantly, thinking that if Song Zhi died, I would definitely not be able to escape blame and would have a guilty conscience for the rest of my life. So… I wanted to take advantage of when the theater troupe people went to the yamen to quietly return the clothes, hoping to help clear Song Zhi’s name. But who knew, before I could put the clothes down, they came back. I planned to come back tonight, but you spotted me, young master. Everything I said is true—I didn’t kill anyone! I really only stole clothes.”

Old Qiao’s voice choked up.

Deathly afraid of being taken to the yamen for punishment.

Jingrong’s sharp eyes remained just as piercing, and he said sternly, “These clothes were truly stolen from Wang Jun?”

“Truly! If even half a sentence is false, may heaven strike me down with thunder.”

This meant that Song Zhi’s claim that he went to return the gifts to Wang Jun that morning was true.

Then he could be cleared of guilt!

The theater troupe members looked at each other.

“Old Qiao! You’re usually an honest man—how could you do such a thing? Do you know that if the county magistrate determined that Mister Song was lying, he could very likely be beheaded?”

“I know, so aren’t I here returning the clothes now?”

“Why didn’t you speak up then?”

“I… I was afraid!”

Only when he realized the situation was serious did he hurry to return the clothes.

With just the words “I was afraid,” everyone didn’t know what to say.

Indeed, when encountering such a matter of life and death, anyone would be afraid. Fortunately, Old Qiao’s conscience awakened.

But at this moment—

Li Cheng, who had rushed over from the inn, had already heard their entire conversation.

As soon as he entered—

“So you’re the chief culprit!” Li Cheng’s high-pitched voice was very distinctive.

Everyone looked at him in unison.

They saw him walk over holding a purple folding fan.

That bearing—clearly a wealthy person.

He walked straight to Jingrong’s side and patted him once, complaining, “You’re really not being a friend. You found the murderer and didn’t tell me. You went to the yamen this morning and didn’t tell me either. If Brother Bai hadn’t reminded me you came here, I probably would have run to the yamen. Really—do you still consider me a brother or not?”

We’re not close, thanks!

Jingrong didn’t particularly like this sticky candy.

But he wasn’t exactly disgusted either.

He just mentally cursed Bai Yin once—why so talkative!

He glanced at Li Cheng, not wanting to say anything.

Then Li Cheng bumped him. “What? Feeling guilty toward me? Then remember next time—you absolutely can’t leave me behind. I can’t not participate in catching murderers.”

Clearly, he was just here for fun!

Jingrong’s forehead sprouted black lines.

Li Cheng paid no attention and then pointed at Old Qiao kneeling on the ground. “You, quickly confess honestly. How did you kill Wang Jun?”

Upon hearing this, Old Qiao was terrified and hurriedly kowtowed. “I didn’t kill anyone. I only stole clothes.”

“Nonsense! You must be the murderer!”

“No, no…”

“It’s you!”

Jingrong really couldn’t stand watching anymore. He spoke to Old Qiao, “You’d better go to the yamen yourself right now and explain everything clearly to Lord Zhuo. You must not conceal anything.”

Old Qiao worried, “Then… will His Lordship sentence me to punishment?”

Jingrong said coldly, “The crimes of theft and concealment naturally cannot be avoided.”

Just theft and concealment?

Old Qiao breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn’t murder.