But with the vast sea of people before her eyes, where could she search?
Lichuan, you promised you wouldn’t abandon me, but in the end you still broke your word!
Ji Yunshu was as angry as she was heartbroken.
She had finally found him with such difficulty.
She couldn’t just give up like this!
She calmed down and thought—Lichuan had said he had pledged himself to a master in Yanjing eight years ago. This time, he hadn’t completed his mission to hunt down Wen Yu. Most likely, he must have returned to Yanjing to report!
Ji Yunshu wasted no more time and planned to head to Yanjing.
But just as she was about to return to the inn to pack her things—
A group of soldiers rushed out.
They surrounded her!
“Stop right there!”
Huh?
Before Ji Yunshu could even react to what was happening, those officers seized her.
She struggled to no avail: “What are you doing?”
The officer said: “What are we doing? You killed someone, so naturally we’re arresting you.”
Killed someone?
When had she ever killed anyone?
“This is absolutely ridiculous!”
“Men, escort her to the yamen.”
The officers gave her no chance to explain and publicly escorted her to the Jiahe yamen.
The courtroom was already set up!
Outside, it was immediately surrounded by common people.
That county magistrate had graying hair, a face full of wrinkles, and could barely keep his eyes open!
Judging by his age, he must be close to seventy!
Ji Yunshu was escorted inside and forced to kneel.
The old county magistrate rubbed his eyes. His hunched body leaned forward as he asked: “This official asks you—what is your surname and name? Where do you reside? What is your age? Speak clearly. If you conceal anything, this official will have you beaten with the punishment rod.”
His tone was labored, and he spoke extremely slowly.
Ji Yunshu was anxious to chase after Lichuan, yet she’d been brought to this place—truly a disaster from nowhere.
But faced with the current situation, she had to remain calm, so she answered: “This common woman is Ji Yunshu, a native of… Yanjing! I am twenty-three years old.”
“Then why did you plot to take a life?”
A life?
Ji Yunshu was completely baffled. She had only just stepped into this Qujiang border town of Jiahe—how had she become a murderer?
This was truly absurd!
“This common woman does not know what the magistrate means?”
“Still playing ignorant?”
“The magistrate says I killed someone! Who did I kill? When and where did I kill them? Is there a witness? Is there physical evidence? If there’s nothing, then the magistrate arresting this common woman here is a dereliction of duty!”
Uh!
The county magistrate was startled. Already advanced in years, he was nearly knocked over by her rapid-fire series of questions.
This was the first time he’d encountered such an eloquent criminal.
Little did he know, interrogating people was a technical skill at which Ji Yunshu was an expert.
The county magistrate took a long while to recover before saying: “Someone, bring up the deceased and the witness.”
“Yes!”
After a short while, two officers carried in a stretcher. The stretcher was covered with a white cloth—clearly there was a corpse underneath.
Behind them followed a man with downcast eyes full of grief!
Ji Yunshu was shocked.
Wasn’t that man the same one they’d encountered in the ruined temple last night?
This meant the deceased was that submissive woman!
How could this be?
How had she inexplicably become a murderer?
The man entered, glared fiercely at Ji Yunshu once, then knelt on the ground begging: “Magistrate, please dispense justice!”
The county magistrate said slowly: “You… you quickly explain the whole sequence of events clearly.”
“Yes.” The man said in a choked voice, “This humble person is named Liu Zhi. I’m a private school teacher. I was traveling here with my wife to visit relatives when we were caught in heavy rain last night and had to take shelter in a ruined temple to rest. Inside we encountered this young lady and a man traveling with her. At the time we only exchanged a few simple words before each sitting on opposite sides. But this young lady, for some reason, insisted on giving my wife two steamed buns. Such enthusiasm was difficult to refuse, so we could only accept. Who could have known that after my wife ate those steamed buns, she died suddenly this morning! I originally thought it was because her health was poor, but she was spitting black blood from her mouth. When the coroner examined her, we learned she died from poisoning! This humble person thought it over repeatedly—my wife and I ate the same things throughout our journey, but I never touched those steamed buns! Fortunately one steamed bun remained. When the coroner examined it, sure enough, there was poison in the steamed bun! The exact same poison my wife was poisoned with! I beg the magistrate to dispense justice!”
He prostrated himself and kowtowed!
They were husband and wife?
Ji Yunshu was somewhat surprised, but she didn’t rush to deny it. She listened carefully to this entire account.
These words indeed sounded flawless!
Everything connected logically.
The county magistrate raised the gavel and weakly struck it against the desk: “Audacious criminal! Now there’s both witness and physical evidence. What else do you have to say?”
“This common woman has not killed anyone!”
Liu Zhi said: “Magistrate, every word this humble person spoke is true, without the slightest falsehood! Moreover, this humble person holds the title of xiucai and has read the classics of the sages—how could I falsely accuse someone?”
“Mm, this official naturally believes you wouldn’t lie. I will certainly dispense justice for you.”
“Thank you, Magistrate!”
The county magistrate turned to ask Ji Yunshu: “Now the evidence is here—there’s no room for you to deny it! In this court, quickly explain clearly your motive for committing this crime.”
Ji Yunshu was certain that this scholar who bore the title of xiucai and appeared gentle and courteous was clearly a sinister person.
The poison in those steamed buns must surely have great hidden significance.
She said calmly: “Since you say there’s poison in the steamed buns, may the magistrate have the steamed buns brought up for examination?”
“Since you make this request, this official will let you see clearly.” The county magistrate ordered, “Go bring up the poisoned steamed bun.”
The officer ran out again.
This time he brought back not only the poisoned steamed bun, but also an elderly man.
The elderly man knelt on the ground.
The officer also placed the poisoned steamed bun in a bowl on the ground.
The county magistrate looked at the elderly man and asked: “Coroner Zhou, tell us—is there poison in this steamed bun or not?”
This person was the coroner of Jiahe town.
Quite experienced!
Coroner Zhou said: “Magistrate, this humble one examined the deceased’s body and discovered she was poisoned by something called strychnine. This poison takes one or two days after consumption before causing death! And in the steamed bun, this humble one also found this poison—moreover, there was a large amount of strychnine inside.”
Strychnine?
That wasn’t some highly potent poison, but eating too much of it would cause death.
Ji Yunshu had a rough idea in her mind.
She said: “Magistrate, this common woman only met these two people once. There’s neither grievance nor enmity between us, much less any murderous intent. Even if I had killed them, there would be no benefit whatsoever for this common woman.”
Liu Zhi refuted: “Wicked hearts need no reason!”
Ji Yunshu said calmly: “Young sir, I respect that you are a scholar, so I wanted to give you some face before exposing you. Yet you show not the slightest remorse and continue to so brazenly falsely accuse others!”
Falsely accuse others?
Everyone in the courtroom erupted in clamor.
They began discussing in low voices.
Liu Zhi was shocked and stunned. His face changed dramatically as he said: “Clearly you killed someone! Yet you say I falsely accused you. I can face heaven and earth with a clear conscience, and face my own conscience.”
“You’re clearly full of lies!” Ji Yunshu’s words rang out resoundingly.