Seeing Ji Yinshu like this, Jing Xuan was puzzled!

But before she could ask anything, Ji Yinshu had already rushed out, her feet moving as if on wind again, heading toward the front courtyard.

Coincidentally at this moment, Jingrong had also returned from Peach Blossom Garden.

He ran into her in her haste!

“What’s wrong?”

“The murderer—I know who the murderer is.” Her voice was anxious.

Jingrong’s sharp brows furrowed slightly!

Ji Yinshu continued, “But I need Your Highness to help me investigate two people right now.”

…

Half an hour later, the Capital Magistrate hurried over, naturally bringing some materials with him.

“Master Ji, you asked me to investigate information on all the butchers in the capital—it’s all here.”

The materials were handed over, but Ji Yinshu didn’t take them. “Set those materials aside for now.”

“Hm?”

The Capital Magistrate didn’t understand.

Jingrong’s expression was grave. He stepped forward and handed the Capital Magistrate two scrolls from his hands.

He instructed, “Capital Magistrate, this prince now orders you to immediately send people to secretly monitor the man in the painting, and also send people to constantly protect the woman in this painting. If there are no accidents, we will soon be able to apprehend the real murderer behind this disappearance case.”

Opening the two paintings!

One was precisely that cook from the restaurant.

The other was the female customer who had caused such a commotion in the restaurant today.

The Capital Magistrate was completely confused and asked, “Your Highness, this is?”

Without waiting for Jingrong to answer, Ji Yinshu said, “Regarding that piece of white cloth, I said that the murderer was very likely a butcher, but I overlooked one point—that there’s another possibility: a cook. I reviewed all the materials from the previous disappearance cases. Every victim before they disappeared had one thing in common—they all went to the same place and experienced the same thing.”

“What?”

“Before they disappeared, they all went to Changxiang Restaurant. Inside, there’s a woman who sings called Mei Xiang’er. But because of her physical disability, they had all publicly humiliated her. Then, those women disappeared either that same night or the next day.”

As Ji Yinshu spoke, the Capital Magistrate thought carefully—it really was true!

And Ji Yinshu continued, “The man in this portrait is called Gan Chouliang. He is precisely a cook at Changxiang Restaurant. The woman in this portrait is Miss Ruan Ya’er from the Ruan family. Today, I happened to see Miss Ruan at that restaurant. Because of the scar on Mei Xiang’er’s neck, she publicly humiliated her, and Gan Chouliang’s eyes were filled with fury as he looked at Miss Ruan. I think Gan Chouliang and Mei Xiang’er must have some relationship. At that time, I suddenly remembered something else. Previously when I went to eat at that restaurant, I discovered the meat they served had a very strange taste—it wasn’t pork at all. It wasn’t until I finished reviewing all the materials from those disappearance cases that I felt my thinking shouldn’t be wrong. That cook is very likely the murderer.”

After everyone heard her words, they looked at each other in dismay!

“Could it be that the meat in that restaurant is human flesh?” Someone exclaimed in shock.

Just saying it made them feel extremely disgusted.

After the Capital Magistrate digested her words, he swallowed and, holding the two portraits in his hands, asked, “So Master Ji’s meaning is that you believe this murderer will strike again?”

“That’s right. Although right now there’s no substantive evidence proving that Gan Chouliang is the murderer, if he really did kidnap those women because others humiliated Mei Xiang’er, then since Miss Ruan humiliated Mei Xiang’er, Gan Chouliang definitely won’t let her go. So I hope, Capital Magistrate, that you send people to secretly monitor Gan Chouliang on one hand, and on the other, protect Miss Ruan.”

She explained it clearly!

Jingrong at the side waved his hand. “Capital Magistrate, go handle this immediately. Human lives are at stake—don’t delay any longer. But remember, conduct a secret investigation. Don’t alert the enemy.”

“Yes!”

Soon, the Capital Magistrate issued orders and left with the two scroll paintings.

The case now had leads. If Gan Chouliang was the murderer, tonight he might really come out to kill.

At that time, they could catch him in the act.

Ji Yinshu’s hands in her sleeves rubbed together tightly. Her mind on the case, she was thinking deeply when Jingrong reached out and waved in front of her.

He said, “The case already has a direction. Now, shouldn’t it be this prince’s turn to ask you something?”

“What?”

“You went out today?”

What must come will always come.

She nodded. “Yes.”

“To do what?”

“To see Li Shiyan!”

Jingrong’s expression immediately changed, concealing the sourness in his chest as he asked, “Is your relationship with him very good now?”

“Not good.”

“Then why did you go see him?” Jingrong’s tone sounded very calm, but that hidden force was tightly surging through his words.

Ji Yinshu was thinking about the case and had no mind to answer his questions at all.

“Your Highness, right now I’m not in the mood to answer these things.” As she spoke, she sat down at the side, planning to wait for news.

Jingrong looked at her, his mood gloomy. Fine, when this matter was concluded, he would settle accounts with her.

Taking the initiative—

He also sat down, quietly waiting for news.

Hidden at the side, Jing Xuan saw everything and heard it all.

The admiration in her heart for Ji Yinshu surged up like overturning seas again.

She worried that Jingrong would discover she had secretly come here, so she could only secretly return to the palace.

Just as she returned to the palace, she was caught red-handed by Noble Consort Xiao.

Noble Consort Xiao looked at her angrily. “You went to Prince Rong’s Manor again?”

Jing Xuan showed a smiling face and sat beside Noble Consort Xiao, acting coquettishly. “Mother Consort, I just went out for a walk. I didn’t go to Imperial Brother Jingrong’s manor.”

“You don’t need to deceive me. I’ve had people watching your movements.”

“Mother Consort!”

“Don’t try that with me.” Noble Consort Xiao lightly scolded, with an expression of disappointment, pulling Jing Xuan’s hand and patting it twice. “Xuan’er, you are a princess—you must act like a princess. Look at you now, running outside the palace all day long, not even bringing guards. What if something happens?”

“Nothing will happen. No one can bully me yet. Mother Consort, just rest assured.”

“I don’t care what you say. You’re not young anymore—sooner or later you’ll have to marry. I’ve already discussed your marriage with your Imperial Father. Your Imperial Father has agreed to carefully select for you. The other party must either be a general or minister, or from a prestigious family. So stay obediently in the palace, don’t go anywhere, and properly correct this wild temperament of yours.”

Hearing about marriage, Jing Xuan refused, pouting and turning away. “Your daughter doesn’t want to marry.”

“How can a daughter speak like this?”

“But… even if I must marry, your daughter wants to choose for herself.” Jing Xuan said willfully.

Noble Consort Xiao’s eyes darkened as she asked, “You honestly tell Mother Consort—have you… fallen for that Master Ji?”

“Mother Consort, I…” Her heart’s secret suddenly exposed, Jing Xuan’s face flushed as she lowered her head, pressing her lips together. Then she bashfully said, “Actually, Master Ji is really very clever. Even this disappearance case—she was able to solve it. Your daughter… truly admires Master Ji very much.”

“What did you say?”

“Although she has no official rank, your daughter believes in her…”

Noble Consort Xiao interrupted her words, her expression anxious. “I’m not asking you about that. You said she’s already solved the disappearance case?”

Jing Xuan nodded.

She said, “I saw and heard it with my own eyes and ears.”

“Saw what? Heard what?”

Jing Xuan didn’t think much of it and told Noble Consort Xiao everything she knew.

Noble Consort Xiao’s expression grew darker and darker!