The county magistrate walked down from the high hall and looked up following her gaze.

“Mirror Hung on High!”

Was there something wrong with these four characters?

He waved his hand in front of Ji Yunshu’s eyes.

Ji Yunshu didn’t react, her large eyes still staring at that plaque!

The county magistrate couldn’t help but ask, “Yunshu, what’s wrong?”

She shook her head.

“Could there be something wrong with these characters?” The county magistrate stroked his chin, scrutinizing them carefully with furrowed brows, muttering softly, “There’s nothing wrong!”

Hearing his muttering, Ji Yunshu withdrew her gaze and glanced at him with a disdainful expression. “Stop being so weird and fussy.”

“…”

“The Zhou family case is concluded. I need to write a case report for you.”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

“Then I’ll borrow the magistrate’s study. After I finish writing, I’ll go back.”

How strange—usually Ji Yunshu would write at home and then send it to the magistrate’s office. Why was she staying at the office to write today?

He had no idea that because of Ji Lingzhi’s disruption this morning, if she went back now, she might not even have the chance to sit on a chair.

That cold, cold floor was waiting for her.

Ji Yunshu was too lazy to explain this.

After all, even the wisest judge cannot settle family disputes!

The county magistrate led her to the back courtyard and into the study.

“You may leave. I don’t like being disturbed when writing case reports.” Ji Yunshu’s tone was cool.

The county magistrate adopted the demeanor of a fawning lapdog and smiled. “Good, good, good. The brush, ink, paper, and inkstone are all on the desk. Write well—this official won’t disturb you.”

Having said that, he shuffled out in small steps, hurrying away.

This small study had everything one could need. Bookshelves lined the walls all around, packed full with books.

In these five years, this was Ji Yunshu’s first time entering the county magistrate’s study. The scent of books was strong, and the arrangement was quite refined and elegant.

That stuffy monkey of a county magistrate actually had this level of appreciation.

Not bad, not bad!

Out of curiosity, she wandered around the bookshelves, raising her eyes to look at the books one by one.

Displayed on the shelf, a case file titled “Cases of the Capital” caught her attention.

She reached out and took it down.

Flipping through it, what met her eyes was a line reading “Case Records of Duke Yuguo.”

Duke Yuguo?

It sounded somewhat familiar. She searched through her mind but could only grasp a vague shadow.

Meanwhile, outside the door, just as the county magistrate had stepped out, his back collided with a tall, sturdy chest. He was about to curse angrily.

Which blind fool!

He turned around and found himself face to face with Jingrong’s sharp gaze.

He immediately shrank into a small cat, stammering, “Your Royal…”

Before he could finish, Jingrong softly stopped him. “Shut up.”

In a panic, the county magistrate covered his mouth, not daring to speak.

Liu Qingping, this prince’s scholar—was it comfortable leaning against me just now?

Jingrong waved his hand dismissively, his brow furrowed. “You’re not needed here anymore. Go far away. Unless there’s something important, don’t come disturb us.”

Not daring to make a sound, the county magistrate covered his mouth, nodding repeatedly, backing up a few steps before turning and hurrying away.

Jingrong shook his head slightly.

Forget it, this prince is not a petty person.

He then stepped into the study.

As soon as he entered, he saw Ji Yunshu with her back to him, examining some book.

“Having just solved a case, shouldn’t you be resting? Yet here the Master is being quite diligent!”

That leisurely voice startled Ji Yunshu. The case file in her hands snapped shut.

Turning around, she saw Jingrong’s frivolous expression and that suspended hand of his.

What an inexplicably amusing sight!

Ji Yunshu spoke up. “Why is Your Highness here?”

“Is that not allowed?”

“Of course it’s allowed. It’s just that at this time, shouldn’t Your Highness be recuperating from your injury, or perhaps pursuing the culprit who poisoned your subordinate?”

As she spoke, Ji Yunshu set down the case file and walked to the desk to sit. She spread out a sheet of rice paper on the table, picked up the ink stick with one hand, and with the other gathered up her long, loose robe as she began grinding ink in the inkstone.

It would have been fine if she hadn’t mentioned the culprit, but now that she had, Jingrong was somewhat displeased.

He stepped forward and stood across from Ji Yunshu.

With dissatisfaction, he asked, “Do you know what kind of place the mortuary pavilion is?”

Ji Yunshu laughed. “Where does Your Highness’s question come from?”

“Do you know that this prince was left by you at the mortuary pavilion and slept there for a night?” His voice was full of resentment.

Even though he was accustomed to eating wild mountain game and sleeping on damp red wooden planks, sleeping at a mortuary pavilion for a night was unprecedented.

Tell me, which prince of which dynasty has ever slept at a mortuary pavilion?

Ji Yunshu raised her eyes to look at him. So he came to confront her about this matter!

She shrugged her shoulders slightly, her tone still indifferent. “If Your Highness has come to condemn this humble one for this matter, then how about this—this humble one will also go sleep at the mortuary pavilion for a night. How does that sound?”

“That’s it? That settles it?”

“What else does Your Highness want?”

Just as she finished speaking, Jingrong suddenly grabbed her hand that was grinding ink and pulled it toward his chest.

If not for the desk between them, Ji Yunshu would have fallen into his embrace again!

Were the Emperor’s sons truly all this domineering?

Her wrist was gripped by a powerful force, causing Ji Yunshu’s brow to ache terribly.

“Please release me, Your Highness!”

But Jingrong’s expression was serious, his gaze fixed on her. “This prince doesn’t want you to sleep at the mortuary pavilion. Rather, this prince is dissatisfied with your way of handling matters.”

“What?”

“You’re investigating cases for this prince. Regarding how the case ultimately concludes, you should naturally report clearly to this prince in person. How could you have someone relay a message instead? You yourself fled without a trace. Is this how you handle this prince’s cases?”

His displeasure was obvious!

For a moment, Ji Yunshu actually felt somewhat choked up!

The next moment, Jingrong continued, “You fled without a trace like that—did you truly not want to face this prince again?”

This made Ji Yunshu’s whole body tremble.

“Your Highness, please release me first.”

Her wrist truly hurt terribly!

But not only did he not release her, he actually increased the pressure and pulled again. Half of Ji Yunshu’s body collapsed onto the desk.

That scene truly looked somewhat unseemly!

“This prince was injured because of you. Do you see?”

He moved his arm, slightly raising his injured hand.

Where on earth did this ball of anger come from? It left Ji Yunshu somewhat confused, yet her heart was in turmoil.

Especially when she met those eyes that were clearly angry yet burned with heat, it seemed as if a fire blazed in her heart, growing fiercer and more fierce!

After a long pause, Ji Yunshu’s crimson lips parted lightly: “Then what does Your Highness want this humble one to do? Should this humble one go sleep at the mortuary pavilion for a night, or should this humble one report the case details anew, or perhaps have this humble one’s arm broken as well to share in Your Highness’s pain?”

“This prince doesn’t care for any of that. Little scholar, this prince now has only one usable hand and finds things inconvenient. Starting today, you will stay by this prince’s side, thoroughly reporting all the details of this prince’s cases to me without missing a single word, while also attending to this prince’s daily needs—until this prince’s injury heals!”