Hundreds of boats, large and small, dotted the Golden Waters River, carrying thousands of revelers. As night fell, the river became one of the capital’s most enchanting sights.

This provided great convenience for Jiang Si.

Although Zhen Shicheng was incredibly perceptive, he wasn’t a deity. Finding clues about the arsonist among so many people and vessels would be as difficult as ascending to heaven. Even if he managed to uncover some leads, it wouldn’t be accomplished in a single day.

Jiang Si didn’t let her guard down because of this. Her previous encounters with Zhen Shicheng had taught her not to overlook any detail.

The boat Old Qin had rented needed to be properly dealt with.

She vividly remembered the scene of Yang Shengcai desperately clinging to the boat’s gunwale as he tried to climb aboard. When Yang Shengcai fell back into the water and silently died at the bottom of the river, there was a good chance he had left traces on the gunwale.

Zhen Shicheng was a man of great wisdom. If he started investigating the boat renters from the previous night and examined the vessel, discovering those traces might lead him to suspect the person who rented the boat. Following this trail, even though she had instructed Old Qin to disguise himself when renting the boat, unpredictable situations could still arise.

Jiang Si certainly didn’t want to invite trouble due to her carelessness.

“Old Qin wants Miss to rest assured. He has taken care of everything,” reported a servant.

“That’s good,” Jiang Si smiled.

She trusted Old Qin’s abilities; otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so calm watching her second brother fall into the water the night before.

The Golden Waters River wasn’t rapid; it was a very gentle, long river. This made it perfect for pleasure boats to meander along, allowing people to enjoy themselves freely.

It was precisely because of this that, with Old Qin’s skills and swimming ability, rescuing her second brother in time was practically guaranteed.

A’Man still hadn’t recovered from the shock of witnessing her mistress’s “heroic” act of killing. With a face full of admiration, she said, “Miss, how did you know to deal with that boat? This servant went to relay the message to Old Qin, and he said you were too amazing, almost like you could predict the future.”

Jiang Si gave a self-deprecating smile. “I’m not that impressive. It’s just because I take things very seriously that I think more thoroughly.”

Having been reborn, her life certainly wasn’t just about “revenge,” but protecting her loved ones was one of the most important things. Otherwise, allowing the misfortunes of her previous life to occur while she lived carefree alone? She absolutely couldn’t do that. So, even if it meant bloodying her hands, she would do whatever it took.

In the Shuntifu yamen, Zhen Shicheng paced slowly with his hands behind his back.

Not long ago, the coroner had reported something to him.

Wood splinters had been found under the deceased’s fingernails!

What did this mean?

According to Cui Yi and the others’ accounts, as soon as the fire broke out on the pleasure boat, they all jumped into the river from the windows. This meant the wood splinters under the deceased’s nails weren’t related to the pleasure boat.

So, what was the most likely scenario for wood splinters to appear under the deceased’s nails?

Zhen Shicheng was a man who dared to imagine. Soon, a bold guess formed in his mind: after jumping into the river, the deceased desperately swam towards the nearest boat and firmly grasped either the gunwale or an oar.

But he wasn’t saved, and wood splinters remained under his nails.

Yang Shengcai’s failure to be rescued was quite perplexing to Zhen Shicheng.

He had personally observed the Golden Waters River; the current was very gentle. Moreover, with countless boats nearby and the night brightly lit, how could he not have been saved? It was worth noting that everyone else from the pleasure boat, even the intoxicated Second Young Master of the Dongping Earl’s Manor who had fallen into the water, had been rescued.

Considering all this, Zhen Shicheng’s guess became clearer: the person from whom the deceased sought help was most likely the murderer!

This meant the male prostitute had at least one accomplice, and they had at least one boat. With luck, traces of the deceased’s nails might be found on the gunwale or somewhere else.

As Zhen Shicheng pondered these things, his mood wasn’t particularly good.

Although he maintained a fair attitude when handling cases, seeking the truth regardless of the victim’s identity, Yang Shengcai’s death did bring him a sense of satisfaction.

Such a scoundrel, responsible for numerous deaths even in his teens, who knew how many more people he would have harmed if he had lived to old age?

Regardless of his thoughts, Zhen Shicheng decisively ordered, “First, inquire with the owners of those pleasure boats if anyone rented a boat yesterday, and if so, whether the boat has been returned.”

As his subordinate left to carry out the order, another came to report, “Sir, someone from the Minister of Rites’ residence is here.”

Zhen Shicheng nodded and headed towards the main hall.

The visitor from the Minister of Rites’ residence was Yang Shengcai’s father. Yang’s Father’s eyes were bloodshot, his face slightly swollen, looking very haggard.

For an elder to bury the young was an unbearable pain for anyone.

Although Zhen Shicheng had no fondness for Yang Shengcai, he sympathized with Yang’s Father and greeted him in a gentle tone, “Brother Yang, you must take care of your health.”

Yang’s Father laughed coldly, “Prefect Zhen, there’s no need for such pleasantries. I wonder, has that arsonist male prostitute been found yet?”

Although he had two young concubine-born sons, Yang Shengcai was his only beloved son from his principal wife. Even though he often scolded and beat his son for causing trouble, he loved him to the bone.

Now that his son was gone, if the culprit couldn’t be found, he felt like burning down the Shuntifu yamen.

“Not yet,” seeing the other’s poor attitude, Zhen Shicheng’s tone also cooled.

What did it matter if he was from the Minister of Rites’ residence?

Did they think his position as the Prefect of Shuntifu was gained through intimidation?

Zhen Shicheng had climbed up from humble beginnings. Such a person might have lacked connections in their youth, but to reach his current position, was far more complex than officials who relied solely on family background could imagine.

“A whole night has passed, why haven’t you found him yet?” Yang’s Father pressed aggressively.

Zhen Shicheng calmly stroked his beard, “There were at least thousands of people on the Golden Waters River last night. Does Brother Yang think I’m a three-headed, six-armed deity who can pinpoint a person’s location with a mere calculation? Moreover, that male prostitute also jumped into the water. For all we know, he might have drowned as people speculate.”

Hmph, like father, like son. If he continued to rant, Zhen Shicheng would wash his hands of it and let the Three Judicial Offices investigate. If they found out who the culprit was, he’d award them a commendation banner!

Zhen Shicheng was never a rigid or pedantic person. As the Prefect of Shuntifu, his duties weren’t limited to solving cases. He invested most of his energy in this area simply because it interested him the most. Occasionally playing the role of an uninvolved superior wouldn’t bring him any trouble.

“Then tell me, when exactly will you find the person?” Yang’s Father demanded.

“That’s hard to say. Brother Yang, asking this way is putting me in a difficult position,” Zhen Shicheng replied.

“You!” Yang’s Father very much wanted to vent his anger but faced with Zhen Shicheng’s calm and composed expression, he couldn’t bring himself to do so.

“I heard that the person who rescued the Second Young Master of the Dongping Earl’s Manor was one of your subordinates, Prefect Zhen. Now, I suspect that person might be connected to my son’s death. Could you summon that person for me to meet?”

Unable to clash with Zhen Shicheng, he at least wanted to confront the yamen runner who had saved the Dongping Earl’s son but not his own!

Zhen Shicheng’s tone became peculiar, “Brother Yang wants to meet my subordinate?”