Feng Chunming sneered coldly, “If not you, then who? Wu Meixue, even if you speak with the eloquence of a golden tongue today, you cannot escape your guilt!” Then he said to County Magistrate Qin, “Your Honor, a life for a life—please sentence Wu Meixue to death to comfort my sister’s spirit in heaven!”

County Magistrate Qin didn’t just listen to his one-sided words. He ordered someone to retrieve the box of pearls from the Wu family and compared them carefully, finding that they were identical in size, color, and luster.

After this comparison, he had made up his mind. “Wu Meixue, now that both witness and physical evidence are present, what more do you have to say?”

“This commoner woman doesn’t know what’s going on with this pearl or the night watchman, but this commoner woman truly didn’t kill anyone. Even if Your Honor asks this commoner woman a hundred or a thousand times, this commoner woman’s answer will remain the same.”

County Magistrate Qin’s face darkened as he said, “If you still won’t tell the truth, this magistrate will have to resort to severe punishment!”

Yunyi pressed her lips together in silence, her expression constantly changing. After a long while, she secretly sighed and was about to speak when Wu Laosan beside her spoke first, “Your Honor, please don’t use torture. Feng Chunxiu’s death truly has nothing to do with Meixue. She… she…” He gritted his teeth hard and said the following words, “It was this commoner who killed her!”

Everyone was shocked, never expecting that he would confess to this murder. Feng Cheng was the first to react, pointing at him and saying, “How dare you, Wu Laosan, speak nonsense in court! The person was clearly killed by Wu Meixue.”

“No, it was truly me, I…” Before Wu Laosan could finish speaking, Yunyi had already said, “Father, your daughter didn’t kill anyone. You don’t need to confess on your daughter’s behalf!”

Wu Laosan raised his trembling hand to stroke Yunyi’s face, “My child… my dear child… after Father is no longer by your side, you must take good care of yourself.” Every deep wrinkle on his face, carved as if by knife, showed worry and sorrow.

Feng Cheng glared at them and said, “Your Honor, this father and daughter are extremely cunning. Without severe punishment, they won’t tell the truth.”

County Magistrate Qin stared at the pearl in his hand for a long time, then said coldly, “Come, bring the torture devices!”

“Your Honor…” Yunyi had just said two words when she heard a voice behind her, “County Magistrate Qin, may Shimin speak a word?”

County Magistrate Qin looked with surprise at the tall, jade-like young gentleman of extraordinary bearing standing outside the hall. This person… seemed very familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere. Where was it?

After thinking hard for a moment, County Magistrate Qin finally remembered and quickly rose to welcome him, “So it’s the Second Young Master! This subordinate failed to welcome you properly. Please forgive this subordinate’s offense.”

Li Shimin bowed and said, “Shimin came here abruptly and disturbed Your Honor’s trial. It should be Shimin who asks Your Honor’s forgiveness.”

After exchanging courtesies, Li Shimin said, “Since my father began his official career, he has never liked forcing confessions through torture, because under interrogation, there are inevitably wrongful convictions that harm innocent people.” As County Magistrate Qin repeatedly agreed, he continued, “I’ve been listening to this case for quite a while, and I feel there are still many suspicious points in the entire case. The murderer may not necessarily be Wu Meixue. County Magistrate Qin should still conduct a careful trial.”

Although County Magistrate Qin disagreed with Li Shimin’s words, he dared not offend him and replied, “What the Second Young Master says is absolutely correct. This subordinate was hasty.”

Seeing that they were about to torture Wu Meixue, only to have Li Shimin interfere, Feng Li felt angry and blurted out, “The murderer is obviously Wu Meixue. What else is there to be suspicious about?”

Li Shimin stared at him and said, “Then tell me, what was Wu Meixue’s motive for murder?”

“She and Chunxiu have had grievances for more than a day or two. Every time Chunxiu came back, she would mention this matter. Moreover, on the ninth day, Chunxiu had peeped at her bathing, and in her anger, she killed Meixue.”

Li Shimin said calmly, “If people killed over minor grievances, wouldn’t there be hundreds or thousands of murder cases every day?”

Feng Li was stumped by his question and couldn’t speak. Feng Cheng reacted quickly and immediately said, “Ordinary people naturally wouldn’t kill over minor grievances, but it’s hard to say when encountering someone with a vicious heart. Besides, both witness and physical evidence are present—how could they be fake? Second Young Master, although your status is noble, you cannot show favoritism toward Wu Meixue.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t show favoritism to anyone!” After saying this, Li Shimin walked to the night watchman and said, “You say you saw with your own eyes that Chunxiu and Wu Meixue were arguing in the street. Is this true?” After the night watchman gave an affirmative answer, he asked several more questions about the situation on the street at that time, then said to County Magistrate Qin, “County Magistrate Qin, I’d like to reenact the situation at that time. May I?”

“Of course, but…” County Magistrate Qin hesitated, “How would this be reenacted?”

Li Shimin smiled and called Duan Zhihong over, giving him some instructions. After the latter bowed and withdrew, Li Shimin walked to the guard who had spoken earlier, “What’s your name?”

The guard was startled, then said, “This subordinate’s surname is Li, with the single name Feng.”

“So you share my surname.” With that, Li Shimin suddenly asked a question that Li Feng hadn’t expected, “What’s your relationship with the Feng family?”

Li Feng quickly recovered and answered truthfully, “Feng Cheng’s wife is this subordinate’s sister.”

Upon hearing this, County Magistrate Qin probed, “Second Young Master, is there some problem?”

Li Shimin shook his head, “Nothing, I was just asking casually.”

After a while, Duan Zhihong returned, saying everything was arranged. Li Shimin immediately ordered the night watchman to lead them to the place where he had originally seen Feng Chunxiu and the other person arguing. According to his account, they were about four zhang apart.

Li Shimin nodded slightly and said to Duan Zhihong, “Begin.”

“Yes.” With this word, Duan Zhihong held up a roll of wide black cloth and leaped up, flying between the eaves on both sides. Following his movements, the impermeable black cloth gradually covered the street, blocking out the daylight. As both ends were also covered with black cloth, it became completely dark, as if it had suddenly become night with visibility of barely a hand’s length. Then a lantern lit up on a pole outside a wine shop.

All this left everyone confused and puzzled. Feng Cheng boldly asked, “Second Young Master, what are you doing?”

Li Shimin ignored him and only said to Duan Zhihong, who had walked over, “Take Wu Meixue and Jiang Caiping to the place pointed out earlier.”

After arranging all this, Li Shimin had Li Feng bring another lantern, and after lighting it, handed it to the night watchman, saying, “The brightness of that lantern above should be about the same as the moonlight when you originally saw the two of them arguing. Take a look and see if you can clearly make out Wu Meixue and the other person standing in front.”

The night watchman raised the lantern in his hand, squinted, and strained to look at the figures several zhang away. Unfortunately, it was too dark, and even with his utmost effort, he could only vaguely make out a little.

“Well, can you see clearly?” Faced with Li Shimin’s question, the night watchman said quietly, “I can… I can see clearly. It’s Wu Meixue and Jiang Caiping standing there.”

“Are you certain?” After the night watchman nodded, Li Shimin called out loudly, “Remove all the cloth!”