Why are these bones black?

The yamen runners beside the coffin exchanged confused glances with each other, their faces full of bewilderment.

Ji Yunshu, however, calmly observed the disorderly pile of bones in the coffin, coldly uttering two words.

“Poisoning!”

When a person dies, if their bones appear deep gray bordering on black, there are two possible explanations.

First, poisoning.

Second, they consumed large quantities of pain relief medication before death.

But Ye’er had been in good health during her lifetime and had never taken pain medication. Moreover, when someone dies after consuming large amounts of pain relief drugs, the gray-black coloring on the bones appears scattered. However, this skeleton’s coloring was uniform, clearly indicating that she had indeed died from poisoning.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Xie immediately threw herself beside the coffin, her trembling hands reaching inside as she said with heart-wrenching desperation, “That’s not true, my daughter definitely didn’t commit suicide. Master Ji, I beg you, you must help my daughter find the murderer.”

“Stand up first.”

Ji Yunshu helped her to her feet, consoling her, “Ye’er did indeed die from poison, but as to what actually happened, we still need to continue investigating. You must take care of your health.”

Aunt Xie wiped her tears, choking with emotion.

Afterward, Ji Yunshu instructed someone to first escort her back to her room to rest, promising to notify her immediately when there was news.

After she was sent away, Zuo Yao stepped forward, glanced at the bones in the coffin, and asked in an inquiring tone, “Master Ji, was she really poisoned to death?”

She nodded.

“So does that mean the deceased really committed suicide?”

“…”

“If that’s truly the case, doesn’t that mean there’s nothing left to investigate?”

Ji Yunshu’s expression remained calm. “Lord Zuo, could we please use some common sense? Even if the deceased truly died from poisoning, that doesn’t prove she committed suicide.”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

“I now need to piece the bones together to facilitate further investigation. If Lord Zuo is worried about soiling his clothes, please stand farther away.”

“Not afraid, not afraid.” Zuo Yao’s face was full of smiles, his mouth speaking casual words, but his feet honestly shuffled to the side.

Ji Yunshu paid him no mind and ordered someone to bring over a long table. Then, wearing gloves, she carefully took the bones from the coffin one by one and arranged them on the table, piecing them together.

Because the coffin had been buried at the base of the mountain, where rainwater from the forest flowed down and covered it, over the three years, the coffin had long since been soaked until it burst open. This affected the bones inside as well—those white bones were in extreme disarray, stickily clumped together.

Some were covered with fine mud, some dripped with undried sewage, and others…

Looked like a plate of sweet and sour white bones!

Indeed, the quality of a coffin matters greatly.

On another front!

At the Yufu courier station.

Jingrong sat in the seat of honor in the hall, his sword-like eyebrows drawn, his sinister eyes downcast. That face was cold and unapproachable, thin cold lips pressed together, giving off an aura of authority without anger.

On the table beside him sat a cup of tea that had gradually cooled from warm.

Lang Bo stood at his side, also wearing a matching stern expression.

However, one was the original, the other a high-quality imitation.

In the center of the hall, several station officials stood in rows, each hunching their backs, hands tucked into their sleeves and hanging at their sides, not daring to look directly at the prince before them who seemed to emanate thorns from his entire body.

The atmosphere in the entire room was extremely tense!

After a long while, Jingrong’s sharp eyes swept imperceptibly over those people before he asked one attendant official, “Attendant Official Lin, this prince has been commanded to investigate the matter of the disaster relief silver. You should know this, correct?”

“This humble official knows.” His tone carried a feeling of extreme caution.

“According to the case files from these years, that batch of disaster relief silver was dispatched from the capital and never opened along the way. Moreover, the officials transporting the disaster relief silver stated that the boxes containing the silver never left their sight until they were delivered to the Yufu courier station.”

“Yes, in previous years the disaster relief silver sent here was transported to the station and then carried to the yamen. During this process, those boxes were never opened. We truly don’t know why each time they were moved to the yamen and opened, we discovered the disaster relief silver was missing and inside were… actually stones.”

His voice grew increasingly faint, mixed with varying degrees of fear.

Terrified this matter would fall on his own head!

Jingrong’s cold eyes swept over. “Attendant Official Lin, this prince is not here today to assign blame, but to have you explain the entire process clearly. If this matter is unrelated to you, you need not be frightened.”

“This official will follow the prince’s instructions completely.”

“Good. This prince asks you, in previous years after the disaster relief silver arrived at the station, who had contact with it?”

“Apart from official personnel, no one else approached it.”

“Then how long afterward was it transported to the yamen?”

“One day.”

“During that day, where was the disaster relief silver kept?”

“In the warehouse specifically for storing silver.”

“Did anyone enter?”

“After the disaster relief silver was moved inside, the main door was locked. During that time, it was impossible for anyone to enter.”

Question and answer!

Jingrong’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He smoothed his robes and stood, commanding, “Take this prince to the warehouse.”

Attendant Official Lin bowed slightly. “Yes.”

Most respectfully.

He then led them over.

The warehouse was located in the most heavily guarded northern courtyard of the station. That building was constructed to be perfectly square and airtight, like a modern giant safe. Beside the warehouse were several other rooms, also used for storing passing goods.

Outside each room, there were also two attendant guards watching!

“Open the door.” Jingrong ordered.

The attendant official waved his hand, and the guards opened the room used to store the disaster relief silver.

Everyone entered.

Inside could truly be called impregnable—no windows, no small openings. When the door was closed, not even a ray of light could leak through. Even a mosquito couldn’t hope to fly in. If someone were locked inside, they might very well suffocate to death.

In such a place, even a world-renowned thief couldn’t possibly break in and silently switch the disaster relief silver for stones.

Attendant Official Lin explained from the side, “This is the warehouse specifically used to store disaster relief silver. It’s impossible for anyone to enter. There are also guards outside, and the door key has always been with this humble official. This place normally just sits empty like this.”

After listening, Jingrong turned his head to ask him, “Attendant Official Lin, at that time, who were the people carrying and moving that disaster relief silver?”

“The officials transporting the disaster relief silver were responsible for unloading it, while my people were responsible for moving the silver inside here.”

“During that time, were there any accidents?” Jingrong looked at him coldly.

Attendant Official Lin’s body stiffened, knowing what he suspected. He quickly said, “Prince, this humble official has always been careful in his work, and my subordinates would never make mistakes. Moreover, when moving it, this official was also watching from the side. During this process, there absolutely could not have been any error.”

Absolutely certain!

He thought to himself, good grief, surely they won’t pin this mess on me?

So unjust!

Jingrong walked around the room, lightly tapping the walls inside with his hand. Very solid. He contemplated for a long while, then said to Attendant Official Lin, “If no accidents occurred when the disaster relief silver was moved into this room, then something must have happened on the road when transporting the silver from here to the yamen.”

“On the road, there… wasn’t.” Even he lacked confidence in his own words.

He couldn’t remember anything happening on the road!