Shao Mingyuan didn’t answer Lan Shan’s question. His cold gaze fell on the night soil collector’s face: “Describe again what you saw about those two people.”

The night soil collector didn’t dare look directly into Marquis Guanjun’s eyes and lowered his head: “This commoner saw… saw those two people dragging something out of Xingzi Alley—”

“Wait.” Shao Mingyuan interrupted him. “What did they do after dragging that thing out?”

Prince Gong of Western Jiang’s brow furrowed deeply.

What did he mean by “dragging that thing”? That was Western Jiang’s first warrior!

Suddenly interrupted by Shao Mingyuan, the night soil collector became even more nervous: “They, they just threw that thing onto the main street!”

“Huasheng’s corpse.” Prince Gong of Western Jiang finally couldn’t help but correct him.

Shao Mingyuan curved his lips slightly, ignoring Prince Gong of Western Jiang’s interjection, and continued asking: “After they threw that thing onto the main street?”

“They just left.” The night soil collector looked bewildered.

Why was Marquis Guanjun repeatedly asking these questions? For some reason, he felt increasingly panicked.

Prince Gong of Western Jiang: “…” These rude Great Liang bastards!

“They just dropped the body and left?” Shao Mingyuan asked again.

The night soil collector nodded: “Yes.”

Shao Mingyuan smiled and looked toward Minister of Justice Kou Xingze: “Minister Kou, the scene where Huasheng’s body was discovered has already been examined, hasn’t it?”

Kou Xingze nodded slightly toward Assistant Minister of Justice Yang Yunzhi.

Yang Yunzhi spoke: “This subordinate has already led people to carefully examine the scene.”

Originally, this kind of homicide investigation could have been left to subordinates, but this time it concerned harmony between two nations—extraordinary circumstances—so he had personally led people to investigate.

“Then, from Xingzi Alley to West Main Street where Huasheng’s body was discovered, was there any blood dripped along this route?”

Everyone was startled.

“Assistant Minister Yang?” Shao Mingyuan called.

Yang Yunzhi wiped his forehead: “This… we didn’t pay attention to that at the time.”

Shao Mingyuan chuckled lightly: “After the incident, Princess of Western Jiang said Huasheng died from his nighttime reconnaissance of the Li residence. I thought Assistant Minister Yang would have had someone investigate this.”

“This subordinate is ashamed, ashamed.” Yang Yunzhi looked embarrassed.

“Why haven’t you sent someone to investigate?” Kou Xingze said in a deep voice.

What a bunch of good-for-nothings, making him unable to sleep peacefully!

Soon, the bailiffs reported their findings: “Reporting to the minister, there were no blood drops from Xingzi Alley to West Main Street.”

“What about the place on West Main Street where the body was discovered?” Shao Mingyuan asked indifferently.

“There was a pool of blood there. Although it was just cleaned today, it still couldn’t be washed away.”

Shao Mingyuan smiled: “Now all the ministers should understand, right? The night soil collector said he saw two people drag Huasheng’s body to West Main Street and then leave. If Huasheng was killed first and then dragged there, how could there be no blood drops along the way? The matter is already very clear—Huasheng was dragged to West Main Street first, then had his throat cut later. The night soil collector is lying!”

“Audacious night soil collector! How dare you speak nonsense!” Kou Xingze slammed the table hard.

The night soil collector collapsed to the ground: “This commoner doesn’t dare speak falsely, truly doesn’t dare! It was dark at the time, this commoner couldn’t see clearly. Perhaps those two people dragged the person there and then casually gave him a slash…”

“Marquis, as far as I know, this coachman from the Li residence is your guard?” The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review suddenly said.

The implication was that for a personal guard of the mighty Marquis Guanjun, cutting someone’s throat would be a matter of an instant.

Shao Mingyuan suddenly laughed: “Minister Zhang is very concerned about this marquis’s affairs?”

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review smiled: “Just happened to hear someone mention it.”

Shao Mingyuan’s expression suddenly turned severe: “Minister Zhang is correct—this coachman from the Li residence is indeed this marquis’s guard, and this further proves that this night soil collector is lying.”

“How does the Marquis mean this?” Everyone didn’t understand his meaning.

Shao Mingyuan chuckled: “If it was my guard who killed someone and was seen by this night soil collector, how could he still be alive? Surely you gentlemen don’t think my guard is a good-for-nothing, unable to discover a night soil collector pushing a cart of excrement hiding not far away?”

Everyone was struck speechless.

That’s right! Just the smell from the night soil collector’s work—forget about Marquis Guanjun’s guard, even an idiot could detect it!

Shao Mingyuan’s sword-like eyebrows rose slightly as he glanced at Prince Gong of Western Jiang: “Of course, there’s one most important point.”

“What?” Prince Gong of Western Jiang asked instinctively.

“Taking ten thousand steps back, even if the Western Jiang warrior was truly killed by my guard, what relationship does that have with Princess of Western Jiang’s death?” Shao Mingyuan asked word by word.

Qiao Zhao had been standing beside Shao Mingyuan. Hearing him finish, she couldn’t help but smile faintly.

She had originally planned to speak up, but now it seemed she had worried unnecessarily.

She hadn’t expected Shao Mingyuan to be so eloquent in debate.

As if guessing that Qiao Zhao was praising him in her heart at this moment, Shao Mingyuan secretly squeezed her hand once before quickly releasing it, his smile deepening.

“If you ministers want to know the truth, why not properly interrogate this night soil collector to see who instructed him to come forward with false testimony to frame this marquis?”

“Someone come! Take the night soil collector down for strict interrogation!” Kou Xingze shouted sternly.

“If there’s nothing else, this marquis will take his leave first.”

Lan Shan watched Shao Mingyuan with a face dark as water, finally nodding slowly: “Marquis, please go ahead.”

“Chief Minister Lan—” Prince Gong of Western Jiang called out unwillingly.

Lan Shan said, “Your Highness, this witness’s testimony indeed has numerous loopholes. We can discuss further after a strict interrogation. Moreover, even if it’s finally proven that the Li residence’s coachman killed your country’s warrior, the princess’s murder still requires a thorough investigation.”

This Prince Gong of Western Jiang was truly naive. Even if the Li residence’s coachman had killed the Western Jiang warrior, forget about detaining Marquis Guanjun—they couldn’t even detain the coachman!

Breaking into a private residence at night—even if beaten to death, it would at most be settled with compensation. Though involving foreign guests would be more troublesome, it wouldn’t lead to imprisonment.

Hearing even Lan Shan say this, Prince Gong of Western Jiang could only nod.

Before leaving, Shao Mingyuan reminded: “This concerns harmony between two nations. The ministers had better instruct their subordinates to keep Princess of Western Jiang’s murder strictly confidential.”

“Naturally.” Everyone agreed.

However, not long after these words were spoken, news of Princess Western Jiang’s tragic death at the Foreign Guests’ Lodge spread throughout the capital’s streets and alleys as if it had grown wings.

“What are they saying outside?” In the study of the residence next to the Li residence, Shao Mingyuan rubbed his brow.

“Reporting to the General, outside they’re saying you flew into a rage for a beauty, killing the Princess of Western Jiang to vent anger for Miss Li.”

Shao Mingyuan lowered his eyes and sipped his tea.

“General, this subordinate noticed that the common people are applauding—no one is speaking ill of you.”

Shao Mingyuan didn’t respond, instead instructing: “Go see if Miss Li has arrived.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a young woman’s gentle voice came: “Tingquan, I’ve heard about the situation outside.”

Shao Mingyuan went to meet her, took Qiao Zhao’s hand, and returned to sit inside the room, dismissing his guard.

“Zhaozhao, this incident should be aimed at me. The mastermind certainly has more moves planned.”