“What do you mean by that, Master? My daughter is already dead, yet you still say fortunate?” Master Zhou asked.

Ji Yunshu said gravely, “What I mean by fortunate is that fortunately, Miss Zhou died with her eyes open, leaving us an obvious clue – this protrusion on her shoulder bone, this raised formation.”

“Raised? This?”

Ji Yunshu calmly took out a pair of white gloves and put them on, then opened the sandalwood box she had brought. Inside were not painting tools, but implements like tweezers and scissors.

She selected a small sharp knife and, under everyone’s watchful eyes, cut into Miss Zhou’s shoulder, penetrating deep into the flesh.

Congealed dark purple blood clots oozed within the viscous, rotting skin, with some red blood threads still clinging to the bones, like thin foam, staining Miss Zhou’s neck, hair, and gorgeous brocade garments.

What a waste of such exquisite funeral attire!

The small knife in her hand went deeper, deeper, still deeper, until the protrusion on the shoulder bone was exposed.

This action naturally terrified everyone. Their faces turned pale, they covered their mouths, nearly vomiting.

Ji Yunshu, however, remained completely composed. She wiped the small knife clean, placed it back in the sandalwood box, felt the bones on both of Miss Zhou’s shoulders, and examined the protrusion on the shoulder bone. Gradually, she arrived at a satisfactory answer.

Indeed, it was exactly as she had suspected.

“This type of protrusion was caused by someone lifting her arms and dragging her. On her wrists, I also found marks from being grabbed and squeezed.”

Everyone suppressed their nauseating disgust, but listened in bewilderment.

Madam Zhou, her face full of anguish, asked in confusion, “Master, what does this have to do with my daughter’s death?”

“Of course it’s related.” Her eyes were resolute. She swept her gaze over the servants and maids in the hall and asked, “When Miss Zhou died, who was nearby?”

From the crowd, a small maid walked out trembling, head lowered. “This servant was beside her at the time.”

Ji Yunshu looked her up and down – a small figure, only thirteen or fourteen years old, with delicate features, but her hands tightly gripping her wrists, appearing quite frightened.

“Let me ask you – are you certain your young miss died falling from the building the morning before yesterday?”

“Certain. Miss died from falling from the building. I saw it with my own eyes.”

“You’re lying.”

As soon as Ji Yunshu spoke these words, the entire hall erupted.

Without another word, Madam Zhou walked up to the maid and slapped her across the face.

“You wretched girl! Speak! Did you push Miss from the building? Why did you want to harm my daughter? Wasn’t she good to you?”

“Madam, it wasn’t this servant! It really wasn’t this servant who pushed Miss from the building! Even if you gave this servant all the courage in the world, this servant wouldn’t dare!”

“Even Master says you’re lying – if not you, then who? Someone come! Seize this vile girl! I want her to pay with her life for my daughter!”

“Madam… this servant is wronged!”

Ji Yunshu’s head ached from the commotion. Frowning, she sighed and intervened, “Madam, I didn’t say the murderer was this young lady. Why don’t you rest on the side and wait until I’ve finished speaking?”

Master Zhou also quickly pulled his wife aside, persuading her, “Madam, your health isn’t good. Don’t get agitated. Let’s listen to Master. Master will surely restore justice for Ning’er.”

Madam Zhou had nearly fainted just now in her panic. Clutching her heaving chest, she could only sit to the side.

“Stand up.” Ji Yunshu bent down and helped the crying, trembling maid to her feet.

However, just as she touched the maid’s wrist, the girl let out a pained “Mm” before slowly rising.

This naturally did not escape Ji Yunshu’s notice.

Turning back, Ji Yunshu returned to the coffin’s side and said seriously, “Master Zhou, Madam Zhou, the reason I said this young lady was lying is because she was not actually beside Miss Zhou at the time. If she had been, she would certainly have discovered that Miss Zhou was already dead then, and the time of death was the previous evening.”

“What?” Master Zhou was shocked.

Everyone began discussing amongst themselves. Miss Zhou had clearly died falling from the building the morning before yesterday – how could it have been the evening two nights ago?

Moreover…