Ji Yuanzhi raised his right hand, extending his thumb. The scab in the middle of his finger was still there!

The next moment, he instinctively pulled his hand back. Seeing the chopstick on the ground, his entire body broke out in nervous sweat.

“I…” His words halted.

Ji Yunshu then picked up where he left off. “Are you wondering how I knew that the poisoned chopsticks were brought in by you?”

“…”

“Ji Yuanzhi, you were too clever for your own good. You never expected that the Wei household’s chopsticks all have a corner shaved off at the top, but those poisoned chopsticks did not. And when you switched those chopsticks, the fine bamboo splinters pierced your thumb, and blood happened to stain the chopsticks. I’ve already tested it—the blood on them is yours. So you need not try to argue.”

“No, impossible, it’s impossible!” Ji Yuanzhi muttered, his tone filled with disbelief!

“When you learned that Master Wei and Madam Wei had died while I became the murderer, you secretly placed poisonous bird feathers in the courtyard where I had stayed, thinking this would make everyone mistakenly believe I was the killer and that I would surely die. But that day in the court hall, I was not convicted because of this, so you became afraid. You feared that I would have the opportunity to overturn my case and that sooner or later the investigation would lead to you.”

“So you simply forced Luan’er to death, making her your scapegoat. You thought once the case was closed, you would be safe and sound. But you never expected that the evidence on your finger would completely expose all your crimes.”

Her words were flawless, each word a pearl of truth!

Everyone in the hall was dumbstruck!

This Ji Yuanzhi was truly bloodthirsty.

The truth had come to light, with evidence and proof. Three lives were stained bloodily on Ji Yuanzhi’s hands.

And he lay on the ground like a puddle of mud.

Clearly the plan had been seamless, clearly the scapegoat was already dead!

Ji Shuhan also seemed struck by lightning, his feet stepping backward, nearly collapsing to the ground himself.

His lips trembling, he murmured repeatedly, “How could this be? How could this be?”

How could his son be a murderer?

The county magistrate was stunned. After being dazed for a while, he finally could not help but pick up the gavel and strike it forcefully.

Bang—

It echoed through the court hall like a death knell, shocking Ji Yuanzhi’s face pale.

The county magistrate questioned, “Ji Yuanzhi, now there is evidence and proof. You attempted to poison Yunshu to death but accidentally poisoned Master Wei and Madam Wei instead, then forced Luan’er to death to take the blame for you. What else do you have to say?”

When questioned on this point, that puddle of mud that was Ji Yuanzhi suddenly began to laugh coldly.

In the next instant, his hateful eyes glared at Ji Yunshu.

The corners of his lips split apart like a fish tail as he shouted through gritted teeth, “Ji Yunshu, why didn’t you die? Why wasn’t it you who died? Why?”

“Do you hate me that much?” Ji Yunshu asked him.

“Yes, I truly wish you would die. If it weren’t for you, how would my mother have died!”

Hmm?

Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Where did these words come from?

But Ji Shuhan knew.

His face, which had long been shocked, suddenly showed deep pain.

Slapping his own thigh, he cried out several times, “Sinful deeds, such sinful deeds!”

Tears fell like rain!

Ji Yunshu’s gradually cooling expression suddenly added a trace of guilt. Her small lips parted lightly. “No one wished for such a thing to happen.”

“You’re the one who killed my mother. If you hadn’t fallen into the water, my mother wouldn’t have gone to save you, causing her to contract an illness and die. You killed her.”

Each accusation—if his hands weren’t bound in iron chains, he truly wanted to strangle Ji Yunshu to death with his own hands.

Actually, Ji Yunshu knew about this matter. The original owner of this body had unfortunately fallen into water at age ten. At that time, only Ji Yuanzhi’s mother nearby knew how to swim, so she went into the water to rescue her. Unfortunately, she caught a cold that entered her body, and not long after, she passed away.

From then on, Ji Yuanzhi simply hated Ji Yunshu to death!

And this burden naturally fell to this new Ji Yunshu to bear!

But to say she was wronged seemed not quite right either.

After all, this body did indeed belong to Ji Yunshu.

Ji Yuanzhi’s eyes reddened with fury as he continued to roar, “You deserve to die, you deserve to die! You should have been buried with my mother! I’ve endured you for a long time. If you hadn’t framed Lingzhi for pushing Muqing into the water this time, I wouldn’t have hardened my heart to poison you to death.”

That appearance was truly hateful!

Ji Yunshu had not known that this third brother of hers had long wanted to kill her!

Tears gleamed at the corners of her eyes as she met those eyes. But how could she not hate as well?

“But do you know that you killed three lives?”

“They died for you, they died in your place. Even if they become vengeful ghosts, the person they’ll seek is you.”

These words actually made Ji Yunshu’s entire body suddenly tremble with anger!

Ji Yuanzhi clenched his fist and pounded it into the ground. “I truly regret not killing you directly to avenge my mother!”

Under the guise of avenging his mother, he killed three people. What difference was there between such a man and a murderous maniac?

Ji Yunshu’s almond eyes darkened as she asked him, “Let me ask you, when you switched the poisoned chopsticks for mine, did you have even a trace, even the slightest trace, of reluctance?”

“No!”

He answered crisply and decisively, grinning widely with laughter. “If you have the ability, then kill me, kill me! Otherwise, I will definitely kill you.”

Like a manic lion.

Unable to watch any longer, just as the county magistrate was preparing to give the order, Jingrong took the lead.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, carrying an irrefutable commanding power.

He said, “A life for a life—the law of Great Lin. Execute immediately without pardon. Ji Yuanzhi, you are dead.”

“Your Highness…”

Along with Ji Shuhan’s voice!

He rushed forward and with a “thud” knelt on the ground.

His trembling body pleaded, “Your Highness, spare his life! Your Highness, spare his life!”

Jingrong’s face remained impassive, his tone even harder. “Spare his life? Ji Yuanzhi killed three people. Even drawing and quartering him would be letting him off easy.”

“I beg Your Highness to show mercy. Even considering that the Ji family has served the court loyally unto death for several generations, please spare Yuanzhi’s life.”

That Ji Shuhan had finally wilted completely, all his previous arrogance entirely gone.

Kneeling on the ground, he desperately begged for mercy.

Jingrong snorted and paid no attention at all, glancing at the county magistrate.

The county magistrate understood tacitly and nodded. “Guards, imprison Ji Yuanzhi. When the Ministry of Justice’s official document arrives, select a date for execution.”

While speaking, he had already taken a command arrow from a wooden tube on the desk. With a flick of his hand, he threw it to the ground!

Clap—

Extremely crisp!

At this, Ji Shuhan’s eyes widened sharply, his body stiffened, and unable to catch his last breath, he fainted to the ground.

He was propped up by two of Jingrong’s guards.

Meanwhile, Ji Yuanzhi still wore a smile as the bailiffs dragged him up from the ground, preparing to escort him to the prison.

As Ji Yuanzhi was dragged away, he kept shouting, “Ji Yunshu, you deserve to die, you deserve to die!”

The voice gradually faded away, disappearing from the court hall.

Jingrong glanced at the unconscious Ji Shuhan and waved his hand. “Carry him away.”

“Yes.”

The guards received the order and carried Ji Shuhan to the Ji residence.

The court hall was now exceptionally quiet.

Though the case was clearly resolved, no one’s heart felt the slightest sense of relief. Instead, they felt heavier and heavier, as if sinking into an abyss, somewhat suffocating!

The county magistrate lifted his official robes and came down, walking to Jingrong’s side. With a tone that awaited instructions, he called out, “Your Highness?”

Jingrong raised his hand, signaling the county magistrate to be quiet.

His gaze was fixed tightly on Ji Yunshu.

This woman was too quiet—quiet to an unreasonable degree!

After a long while, Ji Yunshu parted her lips.

“I need to go to the prison. Before he dies, I must ask him one thing.”

Hmm?

What matter?