After hearing Ji Yunshu’s words.

Liu Qian said nothing more and immediately ordered his subordinates, “Someone, go to Qing’an Temple at once. You must apprehend and bring the perpetrator to justice.”

“Yes!”

The yamen runner was about to leave…

But was stopped by Ji Yunshu, who said, “Actually, there’s a more convenient way.”

To catch a perpetrator, there could be a more convenient way?

The yamen runner froze in place, looking toward the magistrate sitting in the high hall. Liu Qian waved his hand, dismissing them to the side.

Then he asked, “What convenient way?”

Ji Yunshu didn’t answer!

She simply furrowed her brow and turned toward Old Chu, who had shrunk to the side.

With a somewhat meaningful tone, she said, “Master Chu should know that even a coroner who has just entered the profession couldn’t possibly miss the suspicious points I just mentioned. Yet Master Chu, you’ve been a coroner for decades. There’s no reason you couldn’t understand such a simple corpse and case, right? How could you make a mistake that even a novice coroner wouldn’t make?”

“I…”

He stammered!

He felt an ominous premonition coming toward him.

“Master Chu, you needn’t be nervous. As the saying goes, birds die for food, people die for wealth. Who hasn’t had a moment of greed?”

Her words carried implications—strange implications!

And as she spoke, a mysterious, inscrutable smile floated to the corners of her mouth.

Old Chu’s head tilted sideways. He didn’t quite dare meet Ji Yunshu’s gaze, his voice trembling as he said, “I… I don’t understand what you mean.”

Ji Yunshu leisurely paced around him, her gaze falling on the jade pendant at his waist with one corner showing. As she walked, she said, “The position of coroner doesn’t pay much in salary. I see Master Chu, your shoes are worn through yet you haven’t changed to a new pair. Moreover, the clothes you’re wearing have several patches. You don’t look like someone who came into sudden wealth. Yet that jade pendant at your waist is clearly new jade, and worth quite a bit of money, isn’t it? A coroner who won’t even change his shoes yet has a piece of superior jade—that’s quite strange.”

Old Chu’s face showed extreme panic. His hands immediately covered his waist, trying to hide that piece of jade.

It was precisely this action that made him appear even more guilty!

He still struggled to defend himself, “Can’t I buy a piece of jade?”

“Of course you can. But this jade wasn’t bought by you—it was given to you by someone else.”

“This… I bought this myself.”

Ji Yunshu’s expression grew serious as she continued calmly, “I said earlier that as a coroner of several decades, there’s no reason you would make such a low-level mistake. Combined with this jade pendant at your waist, it all proves one thing: that you deliberately confused the evidence, directing all suspicion for the murder toward Fu Bo. Because someone gave you a priceless jade pendant to help fabricate false testimony, thereby covering up the fact that he violated someone.”

Uh!

“I… I didn’t.”

He suddenly raised his head, his pupils dilating, his eyes full of terror.

“Master Chu, even now, are you still unwilling to say who that person is? You should know that we need only make one trip to Qing’an Temple, and in the end that person will still be ferreted out. Why don’t you speak up yourself and avoid a heavier sentence?”

That’s right!

He should turn state’s witness!

Old Chu grew terrified. Those unfocused eyes trembled as they scanned the ground. He was probably weighing the severity of the matter in his mind.

Finally—

With a thud, he fell to his knees.

He pulled out the jade pendant from his waist and held it in his hands, tears in his eyes. “Magistrate Liu, this humble one was blinded by money. I accepted this jade pendant and agreed to fabricate false testimony to frame Fu Bo. This humble one was wrong. I beg Your Honor for mercy!”

He kowtowed heavily to the ground!

Liu Qian’s entire face was as cold as frozen frost. “Speak! Who exactly instigated you?”

“It was Master Xie Yuan from the jade shop in the north of the city. He knew I was going to examine the deceased’s body. That very night he came to my home and pressed this jade pendant on me. When I saw how valuable the jade pendant was, I was momentarily possessed and agreed. This humble one has elderly parents above and young children below—my whole family depends on me for support. Your Honor, please show mercy and spare this humble one.”

Heart-wrenching!

The secretary recording on the side also remembered something and said, “Your Honor, that Xie Yuan is indeed missing a finger on his right hand.”

Liu Qian was furious. He struck the gavel forcefully. “Someone, go bind Xie Yuan and bring him to this official.”

“Yes!”

The yamen runners hurried off.

“You, Old Chu! This official saw that you had held the position of coroner for many years and invited you back to the yamen to assist in solving cases. Yet behind the scenes you engage in such underhanded dealings. Someone, drag him down and give him fifty strikes of the heavy rod. Strip him of his coroner position, throw him in prison, and deal with him later.”

Old Chu was dragged away crying out to heaven and earth.

This case was also considered solved!

The onlooking crowd praised Master Ji on one hand while feeling greatly satisfied on the other!

However, because Liu Qian came from a military background, he was very strict about rules and regulations, even to the point of being meticulous. This case of murder and corpse burial had been tried, so naturally, he also had to try the matter of Ji Yunshu’s nighttime intrusion into the yamen.

He said, “Master Ji, can you now address this official’s doubts?”

Ji Yunshu didn’t hide or conceal anything, speaking directly and clearly, “I know that breaking into the yamen at night was wrong, and going to examine the corpse was even more against protocol. But to uncover the truth, I had no other choice.”

“This is the yamen. Master Ji, regarding your nighttime intrusion, whether for public or private reasons, this official cannot turn a blind eye. Punishment is due, and you must be punished.”

She only smiled.

From within the crowd, another voice rose up.

“Then, should you try me as well?”

Jingrong walked in, his extraordinary bearing seemingly condensing a mass of cold air.

Liu Qian recognized him.

Five years ago, after the war between Dalin and Qujiang ended, he had followed his commanding general to the palace for an imperial audience. At court, he had seen Jingrong once. At that time, Jingrong didn’t speak much—in fact, throughout the entire session, he hadn’t said a single word. It was all the Crown Prince and Prince Yi chattering away.

Seeing him now, though he was momentarily stunned, he quickly recovered.

He had heard that the Emperor had ordered Prince Rong to go to Yu Prefecture to investigate the matter of disaster relief silver. Based on the itinerary, he should have reached Yu Prefecture long ago. He hadn’t expected him to only just reach Jinjiang.

Liu Qian quickly descended from the high hall, though not timidly like Liu Qingping—he carried the natural bearing of a military man.

Considering there were still common people present, he said, “This young master, please move to the back courtyard.”

Jingrong nodded.

In the back courtyard!

Jingrong sat in the seat of honor, Ji Yunshu beside him, while Liu Qian stood.

A pot of fine tea was served.

No one spoke first.

Until Tang Si’s sharp, thin voice came from outside, breaking the silence.

“How come your yamen doesn’t even have a martial arts training platform? The Anfu Yamen has one.”

Looking outside, one could see Tang Si complaining to a yamen runner.

The spitting image of a little shrew.

Lang Bo quickly pulled her back, saying, “Miss Tang, His Highness is speaking inside. Either be quiet, or I’ll send you away right now.”

“I was just asking if there’s a martial arts training platform. Why are you being so fierce?”

“When was I ever fierce?”

“Just now!”

Lang Bo was at a loss for words.

Inside the room, Ji Yunshu let out a soft laugh.