After everyone settled down in the hall, Fu Bo hurried to build a fire and brought out a large pot of hot tea.

“The weather has been like this recently, especially these past two days. The northern regions are nearly flooded. If this continues, there will be flooding just like a few years ago. I expect the court will have its hands full again.”

As he spoke, he poured hot tea for everyone.

Ji Yunshu held the hot tea in her hands and first glanced outside.

Then she asked, “Fu Bo, how has your health been lately?”

He smiled, “Same as always. Just old ailments. Every time the wind blows or it rains, my bones ache.” He sighed, then asked, “By the way, Master Ji, did you return this time to handle some case?”

She nodded slightly. “A case in Yufu County.”

“Yufu County?” He was surprised. “From here, it will take quite a few days to get there. What kind of case is it? Didn’t you go to the capital? How did a case in Yufu County end up being assigned to you? It’s so far away—does Yufu County not have capable county magistrates and coroners to handle cases? Why must you go?”

Good questions.

She smiled and stretched her hands closer to the fire, simply saying, “This case has its own difficulties.”

“That’s true.” He asked again, “Then, Master Ji, will you still come to Jinjiang in the future?”

“We’ll see how fate unfolds.”

Fu Bo nodded.

Then he poured another cup of hot tea and handed it to Wei Yi.

The gaze that fell on Wei Yi was filled with extraordinary kindness, even a hint of joy.

“This is Young Master Wei, right? I still remember the last time I saw you on the main street. Back then, you were only this tall…” He gestured with his hand to indicate a height. “Now seeing you again, you’ve grown so much.”

Wei Yi smiled slightly and bowed his head toward him. “Greetings, Fu Bo.”

His voice was loud and clear!

“Ah, good, good, good…”

The corners of Fu Bo’s mouth held an unmistakable smile.

His hand also lightly patted Wei Yi’s hand several times.

After Wei Yi finished that bowl of hot tea, he poured him another cup.

“Thank you, Fu Bo.”

“As long as you’re well, Fu Bo is well too.”

However, Wei Yi handed the hot tea in his hand to Ji Yunshu, saying, “Shu’er, you drink it.”

“No need, you’ve just recovered. Drink more hot tea.”

“Mm.”

With a gentle smile, he nodded.

Fu Bo on the side kept staring at Wei Yi, his face bearing a kind of fatherly kindness.

This unusual behavior made people feel quite puzzled.

Even Jingrong, sitting across from them, noticed this.

At this moment, Ji Yunshu remembered her painting and quickly took it out, slowly unfolding it by the fire.

It revealed a portrait drawn on the paper. Because it was colored, the image on the painting was lifelike, like a photograph.

Tang Si, sitting across from her, craned his neck to look but couldn’t see clearly, so he simply moved around to sit next to her, staring at the painting whose colors had been smudged by water.

“A’Ji, who is this? Why are you carrying a man’s portrait?”

“This is a portrait of a dead person.”

“A dead person’s portrait?” Tang Si scooted to the side.

Hearing this, Fu Bo also walked over. After glancing at the portrait, the teapot in his hand made a small “thud.”

The sound was soft and didn’t attract anyone’s attention!

He said, “Master Ji, your painting is all wet. Give it to me, I’ll help you take it to the room over there to dry. There’s a drying stove there.”

“That works.”

She rolled up the painting and handed it to him.

Fu Bo took the painting and left the main hall, going to the adjacent room that was often used for boiling white vinegar water.

After a while, Jingrong turned his head and asked Lang Bo, “Is there any cold-dispelling medicine left in the carriage?”

“It seems…” Lang Bo thought for a moment. “Yes, there’s cold-dispelling tea leaves.”

“Go get them and brew a pot.”

“Yes.”

Lang Bo immediately went to fetch the tea.

He quickly returned with a brewed pot.

But just as the pot of tea was brought up and about to be poured—

Muruo, who had been groggy all along, wrinkled his nose slightly. His whole person suddenly became alert, abruptly sitting up and covering the teapot’s spout with his palm.

With a serious expression, he asked, “What is this?”

“Cold-dispelling tea.”

“Who gave it?”

“This…” Lang Bo looked at his prince with concern, hesitating for a moment before saying, “It was… given by Miss Mujin earlier.”

Upon hearing this, Jingrong’s eyes tightened.

Ji Yunshu also heard but continued warming herself by the fire as if nothing had happened.

Then, with a “bang!”

That pot of cold-dispelling tea was directly pushed over by Muruo and fell to the ground.

Everyone present was stunned!

“This cold-dispelling tea contains poison,” Muruo said.

“What do you mean?” Jingrong asked.

“The tea leaves contain a poison called sheli fragrance. Once it enters the mouth, it becomes a slow-acting poison. It won’t be detected in the short term, and the poisoning time is one month later.”

How interesting!

One month later?

“Slow-acting poison?” Jingrong immediately questioned Lang Bo. “This tea? Was it really given by Miss Mujin?”

“It was indeed given by Miss Mujin. She said it was cold-dispelling tea, so this subordinate…”

“Send someone back to Anfu to investigate this thoroughly.” His expression was cold and severe, his eyes staring at the vigorous fire, growing darker and darker.

Lang Bo could only respond, “Yes!”

Ji Yunshu was also quite surprised. Miss Mujin administered the poison?

Just as everyone was shocked—

Suddenly.

“Bang bang bang.”

The mortuary’s main gate was being forcefully struck from outside.

Fu Bo came out from the small room on the side, walking unsteadily to open the door.

The door had barely opened a thin crack when it was forcefully pushed open from outside.

It directly struck Fu Bo, causing him to stagger several steps and fall heavily to the ground. His oiled paper umbrella fell, and the heavy rain assaulted his thin, skeletal body.

Then, five or six bailiffs wearing official robes rushed in with swords, barging inside.

Each one looked fierce and menacing!

The lead bailiff gave an order as soon as he entered: “Arrest him.”

Several bailiffs immediately lifted Fu Bo from the ground.

At a glance, Ji Yunshu knew they were from the Jinjiang County yamen.

However—

She had worked at the yamen for five years, and although these people wore the official robes of the Jinjiang County yamen, they were all unfamiliar faces.

She had never seen them before.

Could it be that after she left Jinjiang, that muddle-headed Liu Qingping had done a complete overhaul?

Seeing Fu Bo about to be taken away, she immediately stepped forward.

She called out, “Wait.”

Hearing her voice, the bailiffs finally noticed the group of people sitting in the mortuary’s main hall.

The lead bailiff stood in place in the rain, looking Ji Yunshu up and down. He extended his hand holding the sword forward and questioned, “Who are you?”

“I’m just a passerby. I’d like to ask what crime this elderly person has committed.”

“What business is it of yours?” The man rebuked, then ordered the bailiff beside him, “Take him away.”

Just as they were about to leave—

“Is this how your Magistrate Liu has you handle cases?” Ji Yunshu’s tone grew several degrees colder.

Hmm?

The lead man fixed his sinister gaze on her, looking her up and down.

“Who exactly are you? How dare you interfere with how our Magistrate Liu handles cases?”

Ji Yunshu was no longer as courteous as before, furrowing her brow.

She demanded sternly, “I’ll ask you one last time: what crime has Fu Bo committed?”

“The crime of burying a corpse and murder.”