A eunuch?

“Absurd!”

Jing Yi immediately denied his statement.

And said, “The criminal has already signed the confession and voluntarily admitted to everything. Jingrong, you’re now saying he’s a eunuch! What basis do you have for this?”

But Jingrong remained composed.

He stepped forward and said to Emperor Qizhen, “Your son would never speak such nonsense casually. Although Gan Chouliang has admitted to his crimes, he is indeed a eunuch. If I may ask, how could a castrated man defile those victims?”

“That man clearly has an Adam’s apple!” Jing Yi insisted firmly.

Jingrong looked at him and explained, “Yes, he does have an Adam’s apple, because he was castrated after the age of sixteen, when his Adam’s apple had already begun to develop, but the development was incomplete. That’s why his Adam’s apple, like a woman’s, is somewhat rounded and not protruding.”

Jingrong’s words were crystal clear!

Of course, all of this was written in Ji Yunshu’s letter.

Jing Yi’s gaze dulled for a moment, and he swept his sleeve, “Impossible!”

A desperate struggle!

“The man is currently in the Ministry of Justice prison. If Prince Yi has any doubts, feel free to send someone to verify, and you’ll naturally know whether what I say is true or false,” Jingrong said.

At this moment, Jing Yi’s face turned ashen. Everything had been under control, yet such a complication had arisen midway.

But he was unwilling to give up and refuted Jingrong, “Even if, as you say, Gan Chouliang is a castrated eunuch, this doesn’t prove he’s not the murderer. The evidence all points to him, leaving no room for his defense. It only means that there may be two killers, or even several.”

“Even if you’re correct, Prince Yi entered the palace to report this disappearance case to Father Emperor without clarifying the truth. If I hadn’t pointed out these discrepancies, this case would have been closed due to Prince Yi’s carelessness. Wouldn’t the real killer still be at large?”

“Uh!”

He hadn’t expected to be accused in return!

Emperor Qizhen’s expression instantly darkened. He looked at Jing Yi with clear displeasure, his fist striking the table.

“Jing Yi, if what Jingrong says is entirely true, you’ve handled this case absolutely outrageously.”

“Father Emperor…”

“Say no more.” Emperor Qizhen raised his hand, looking disappointed, and angrily ordered, “For now, send someone to investigate whether it’s as Jingrong says, whether this person is truly a eunuch. If it’s true, you need not interfere with this case anymore. Let Jingrong investigate thoroughly and quickly find the real killer.”

Jing Yi’s face turned deathly pale. His eyes blazed with fury as he glared at Jingrong.

He hadn’t expected that before this chess piece could even be placed on the board, it had already lost all hope.

But he could only accept the order, “Yes!”

Emperor Qizhen then let out a sigh, “So early in the morning, my peace of mind has been disturbed.”

Hearing this, the old eunuch beside him stepped forward with concern, “Your Majesty has been reviewing memorials all night. Perhaps you should have some warm porridge and rest.”

“Mm!”

The old eunuch immediately ordered someone to bring porridge.

Emperor Qizhen rested one hand on the desk, supporting his heavy head, while his other hand lifted slightly, his wide sleeve waving.

“All of you, withdraw.”

Jingrong and Jing Yi could only bow their heads and exit Fuyang Hall.

Coming out from inside, the two walked together for a stretch.

When they reached the South Court Gate, Jingrong was stopped by Jing Yi.

“You did this deliberately?” These words had probably been held back by Jing Yi the entire way.

“What do you mean?”

Jingrong asked lightly.

Jing Yi’s expression was ugly as he restrained his anger, “When you stopped me outside the palace gates, you didn’t mention that Gan Chouliang was a eunuch. You clearly hoped I would enter the palace to see Father Emperor, so that you could then strike at me before Father Emperor.”

Child, do you have paranoid delusions?

Jingrong gave him a cold glance, “Jing Yi, I’ve never wanted to claim credit before Father Emperor, nor have I wanted to strike at you. When we were outside the palace gates, I already gave you a chance. It was you who insisted on interfering.”

“I’ve truly underestimated you.”

“I’ll say it again—I won’t compete with you. If you hadn’t been so resolute just now, unwilling to leave anyone any room, I wouldn’t have done this either.” Jingrong’s expression was serious.

What this earned, however, was a mocking laugh from Jing Yi.

He said harshly, “Now, you’re the one leaving no room for others. You keep saying you won’t compete, but everything you do proves you are competing. You know very well that all the court officials, countless pairs of eyes, are watching you and me, because they all know in their hearts that the future bearer of the imperial seal will be either you or me, not Jing Hua! If you want to compete, then I’ll compete with you to the very end.”

These words lingered and echoed in Jingrong’s ears.

And Jing Yi had already swept his sleeves and left!

…

On the other side, Ji Yunshu returned to Prince Rong’s manor from the Ministry of Justice prison.

Her heart was uneasy, unable to describe that feeling.

Just as she arrived at the East Garden, she saw Wei Yi sitting on the stone steps, holding a white paper lantern in his hand, swinging it back and forth.

Wei Yi suddenly looked up, the gloom on his face swept away, grinning foolishly at Ji Yunshu.

“Shu’er!”

His voice was very loud!

Ji Yunshu walked to his side and slowly sat down, “How did you know I came in?”

“Has Shu’er forgotten?”

“Hm?”

Wei Yi pointed to her ankle and said, “You’re wearing the chain I gave you. I heard the bell sound from far away.”

Wow! What sensitive ears!

Ji Yunshu herself couldn’t hear that light, delicate bell sound, yet from such a distance, Wei Yi could hear it.

Even more sensitive than a whale’s ears.

Wei Yi continued proudly, “If Shu’er ever can’t find your way home in the future, don’t be afraid, because as long as I hear this bell sound, I can find you.”

Ji Yunshu smiled, “Alright, if one day I can’t find my way home, then you’ll come find me.”

“Mm!”

Ji Yunshu saw the lantern in his hand and asked, “Why are you sitting here holding a lantern?”

He lifted the lantern in his hand and said, “Because I was worried Shu’er would come back very late, so I wanted to light the lantern when evening came to illuminate your path, so you won’t fall.”

These past few days, being busy with the disappearance case, Ji Yunshu had indeed been running around in confusion, with hardly any time to keep Wei Yi company.

The times she returned home all seemed to be very late.

His saying this was understandable!

“Silly!” Ji Yunshu affectionately patted his head.

Wei Yi simply nuzzled his head against her palm, then grasped her slender arm and rested his head on her shoulder.

Pouting, he asked, “Shu’er, will we always stay in the capital?”

“Why do you ask that?” Ji Yunshu looked at him from the corner of her eye.

“Because ever since we came here, Shu’er, you’ve been so busy. I can’t follow you around every day like before. And the capital is so big, I don’t know my way around, and Uncle Lu won’t let me go out. Shu’er, I don’t really like it here.”

How pitiful!

“So, do you want to go back to Jinjiang?”

Wei Yi shook his head, rubbing his head against her shoulder a few more times, grasping Ji Yunshu’s hand even tighter.

As he said, “Shu’er, it’s not that I want to go back to Jinjiang. I just want to be with you. Before Mother passed away, she said that Shu’er would become my wife in the future, and we’ll always be together, right?”

In Wei Yi’s heart, he perhaps didn’t understand the true meaning of wife, but he knew that a wife meant lifelong companionship.

Ji Yunshu felt a lump in her throat, her body shivering involuntarily.

“Shu’er?” Wei Yi called her name.

Ji Yunshu came back to her senses, her lips parting slightly, “Wei Yi, I promised your parents that I would always take care of you. Rest assured, I will always be with you.”

“Mm!”

Wei Yi was overjoyed!

The two huddled together, intimately close!