“The first possibility is that he received the news from the Jinlin Guards, but this possibility is unlikely.” Seeing Qiao Zhao listening attentively, Shao Mingyuan patiently explained. “Based on my several encounters with Jinlin Guards Commander Jiang Tang, he’s someone who’s smooth and tactful but doesn’t take sides. He would certainly pay attention to my trip south to Jia Feng, but it’s unlikely he would communicate with local officials.”

Qiao Zhao nodded.

“The other possibility is more interesting. He got his information from the capital side and knew long ago that I would come to Jia Feng, so he stationed people to watch the dock.”

“Your visit to Jia Feng was private business, yet he’s watching so eagerly because he’s afraid your paying respects is fake and investigating the Qiao family fire is real…” Qiao Zhao exhaled lightly. “Then why did you agree to let Magistrate Wang accompany you to pay respects? Aren’t you afraid of alerting our enemies?”

Shao Mingyuan chuckled softly: “That fire happened so long ago. Now we’re not afraid of alerting our enemies, but rather that there are no enemies left to alert.”

After he finished speaking, he noticed the other person staring straight at him and couldn’t help feeling puzzled. He lowered his head and asked: “What’s wrong?”

Qiao Zhao smiled with pursed lips: “You’re right.”

This feeling of having someone fighting alongside her was very novel and very good.

“Come, let’s go tell Coroner Qian.” Shao Mingyuan looked deeply at Qiao Zhao. “Zhaozhao, I want to open the coffin for autopsy in front of Magistrate Wang. Do you agree?”

Qiao Zhao’s face paled, and she lowered her eyes and nodded.

When she had invited Coroner Qian, she never intended to proceed secretly. Otherwise, even if problems were discovered, they could easily be denied by others.

Opening the coffin for autopsy was naturally to expose the Qiao family’s injustice before the world’s eyes.

“Then let’s go.”

Half an hour later, Shao Mingyuan and the others offered incense and paid respects one by one before the Qiao family graves. Magistrate Wang was secretly puzzled: Eh, this ceremony is quite different from ordinary families!

On second thought, perhaps this was the custom from the capital, so he followed along and offered a stick of incense.

The mountain was covered with new graves, and the autumn wind swept paper money flying everywhere, mixed with the faint smell of burning paper. Magistrate Wang unconsciously shivered and smiled at Shao Mingyuan: “Your Lordship, it’s still early. Would you honor us by gathering in the city? This humble official has already ordered people to reserve a banquet at the best restaurant in the city to welcome and cleanse the dust for everyone.”

“This Marquis still has matters to attend to.” Shao Mingyuan declined with a calm tone.

Magistrate Wang was quite surprised and spoke tactfully: “Your Lordship has come from afar and may not find things as convenient as in the capital. If there are any troublesome matters, please just tell this humble official, and I’ll have those little rascals under me handle them.”

Shao Mingyuan smiled politely: “Thank you for Magistrate Wang’s kind intention, but this matter is not convenient to entrust to others.”

“Eh?” Magistrate Wang unconsciously stroked his short beard, uncertain whether he should directly inquire.

Although this Marquis Guanjun was young and modest and courteous, the feeling he gave was not to be underestimated. Based on his years of official experience, this was a tough bone that wouldn’t be easy to gnaw.

How did such a great Buddha end up coming to Jia Feng?

Shao Mingyuan no longer paid attention to Magistrate Wang and stretched out his hand: “Chen Guang—”

Chen Guang handed over a hoe.

Shao Mingyuan took it and struck one of the grave mounds with a shovel.

“Your Lordship, what are you doing?” Magistrate Wang’s voice even changed pitch.

Shao Mingyuan turned his head to look at Magistrate Wang, his tone flat: “Opening the coffin for autopsy. What are you all standing around for?”

As his words fell, countless hooves came down, instantly raising clouds of dust.

“Cough cough cough—” Magistrate Wang kept backing away, coughing violently for a while before catching his breath. He said incredulously: “Your Lordship, you, you want to open the coffin for autopsy?”

Shao Mingyuan straightened up, supporting himself with the hoe in one hand, and said flatly: “Yes. Does Magistrate Wang have an objection?”

“Of course—” Meeting the other’s sharp gaze, Magistrate Wang forcibly changed direction. “Of course I wouldn’t dare have an objection, but Your Lordship should think thrice before acting! The Qiao family has been buried for more than half a year. Wouldn’t doing this disturb their peace?”

Seeing Shao Mingyuan unmoved, Magistrate Wang looked at everyone and said anxiously: “Everyone, please persuade His Lordship!”

Seeing they were all young people who didn’t understand, Magistrate Wang shook his head. With one glance, he spotted the village chief hiding to the side like a quail and shouted: “You’re the village chief of Baiyun Village? Come over here and properly persuade His Lordship!”

The village chief walked over with an equally unpleasant expression: “Your Lordship, the county magistrate is right. You cannot do this!”

“Hmm?”

The village chief kept wiping sweat: “How can there be a reason to open the coffins of people already buried? Letting the ancestors’ remains see daylight again is greatly inauspicious and greatly unfilial!”

He didn’t care about filial piety, but if this ruined Baiyun Village’s feng shui, what would happen to the villagers in the future?

Shao Mingyuan quietly listened to the village chief finish, then lifted his hoe.

The village chief slipped behind Magistrate Wang with a whoosh.

Magistrate Wang: “…”

This old fellow was even older than him, yet his legs and feet were so nimble!

“Your Lordship—” Magistrate Wang smiled at Shao Mingyuan.

Could it be that Marquis Guanjun’s previous gentle refinement was all pretense, and he would swing a hoe at the slightest disagreement?

The young general held the hoe with a slight smile at the corner of his mouth: “So Magistrate Wang still has objections?”

Perhaps out of habit of keeping the best tools for his own master, the hoe in Shao Mingyuan’s hand was actually brand new, gleaming with cold light under the sunlight.

Magistrate Wang watched with fear and trepidation, laughing dryly: “This humble official wouldn’t dare, wouldn’t dare.”

Shao Mingyuan looked at the village chief: “Village chief needn’t worry. This Marquis is acting out of filial devotion to my father-in-law and mother-in-law, which is why I’ve decided to open the coffin for autopsy.”

The village chief had already stepped out from behind Magistrate Wang and asked tremblingly: “How do you mean this, Your Lordship?”

He was getting old, and his energy was failing. He’d better faint depending on the situation later.

Shao Mingyuan looked at Magistrate Wang and said flatly: “After this Marquis fell asleep last night, Lord Taishan suddenly appeared in my dream, reproaching me for being unfilial, only coming to pay respects now, causing him to be unable to rest peacefully underground for these months, suffering and waiting for me. After this, Marquis woke up, I thought it over, and decided to open the coffin to investigate.”

Magistrate Wang naturally didn’t believe it in his heart, but didn’t dare show it on his face. He could only persuade: “Your Lordship must have misunderstood Lord Qiao’s meaning. He was waiting for you, and now that you’ve come to pay respects, you’ve seen him. How could he want you to open the coffin?”

Shao Mingyuan’s expression was serious as he placed the hoe horizontally between the two men: “Magistrate Wang doesn’t know – Lord Taishan repeatedly instructed that this Marquis must meet with him face to face, otherwise he would die with his eyes unclosed.”

The four words “die with eyes unclosed” were spoken by Shao Mingyuan with icy coldness, making Magistrate Wang involuntarily shiver.

Not far away, villagers gradually gathered to watch the excitement. After Shao Mingyuan’s words spread, the villagers’ discussion grew louder, but no one dared approach. Several young men had somehow appeared in the crowd, silently observing.

After digging for a while, Chen Guang straightened up: “General, it’s exposed.”

Qiao Zhao unconsciously stepped forward.

Shao Mingyuan turned sideways to block her view and asked Coroner Qian, “Coroner Qian, shall we open the coffin here?”