Cui Mingyue, after being scolded by General Cui, was filled with anger as she left the general’s mansion and headed straight for Princess Rongyang’s residence.
Princess Rongyang disliked the heat and would go to her summer retreat every year at this time. However, even without its mistress present, the princess’s residence remained bustling and orderly.
Princess Rongyang hated anything that felt desolate.
“Young Miss—”
Ignoring the servants of the princess’s residence who were bowing to her, Cui Mingyue rushed straight to Jiaoyue’s Residence.
Princess Rongyang and General Cui did not live together, and Cui Mingyue spent most of her time at the princess’s residence. Her living quarters were especially exquisitely furnished.
At this moment, Jiaoyue Residence was in full bloom, but Cui Mingyue ignored the rare and exotic flowers, heading directly to the back.
The back area was separated by a fence, creating a small enclosed space where two spotted deer were lying down.
“Open the door!”
The maid standing guard immediately opened the wooden door.
Cui Mingyue walked in.
Seeing Cui Mingyue enter, the two spotted deer shrank back timidly.
Cui Mingyue pulled out the whip wrapped around her waist and with a beautiful yet fierce flourish, lashed out viciously at the deer.
Surprisingly, the deer didn’t run. They meekly endured the lashing, letting out low whimpers from their throats.
Cui Mingyue’s lashing became increasingly violent, and soon both deer were covered in whip marks.
The maid guarding the door couldn’t bear to watch the deer’s teary eyes and quietly lowered her head.
Cui Mingyue continued whipping until one of the deer collapsed, only then did she stop. She threw the whip aside and walked out.
“Clean this up,” Cui Mingyue said coolly as she passed the maid.
The maid hurriedly responded, “Yes, Young Miss.”
Cui Mingyue gave the maid a cold glance: “Keep your mouth shut.”
“This servant understands.”
Cui Mingyue returned to her chambers and drank a cup of flower tea, finally feeling somewhat calmer. She raised her hand to look at the red marks on her fingertips and bit her lip slightly.
Whipping deer wasn’t as satisfying as whipping people.
When she was young, she had accidentally seen her mother viciously whipping a maid. At the time, she was frightened, but after seeing it many times, she found her initial fear laughable.
After all, those servants were no different from cattle and horses, and even less valuable than deer. It’s just that people could talk, and she still had to maintain her reputation.
Cui Mingyue thought of her father’s scolding and became irritated again.
Her brother’s leg was broken, yet her father didn’t care at all. He even said that her brother deserved to be taught a lesson. It was clearly because her father didn’t want to trouble the son of the Earl of Dongping.
No, she should say that her father didn’t want to trouble Su Shi’s son.
Cui Mingyue vaguely knew something about her parents’ past, but she learned more from Princess Rongyang’s side. Naturally, she saw Jiang Si’s mother, Su Shi, as a vixen who deserved to be cut into a thousand pieces.
“Jiang Zhan, just you wait,” Cui Mingyue muttered.
The case of the Minister of Rites’ grandson drowning in Gold Water River had become a matter of great concern in the capital, as it had been brought to the Emperor’s attention. Everyone was waiting for the Prefect of Shuntian to catch the arsonist and male companion, to see who this audacious criminal was.
However, this time people were destined to be disappointed. The legendary case-solving Prefect Zhen had failed to solve this case for an unusually long time.
In the Shuntian Prefecture office, Zhen Shicheng was organizing piles of case files.
These files were all about the situations of Yang Shengcai and the other three over the years. After looking through these files, Zhen Shicheng couldn’t help but sigh that it was truly not easy that someone had finally come to settle accounts with these little brats.
As for solving the case? Difficult!
He had originally planned to start by investigating those who had rented boats on the day of the fire, but after sending his subordinates to check, they came up empty-handed. This lead had been cut off.
Although there was no substantial progress, Zhen Shicheng’s experience told him that this was not a simple matter. It was as if an opponent hiding in the shadows had anticipated his plans early on and plugged all the loopholes.
How interesting.
Casually flipping through the case files, Zhen Shicheng got up and walked out, strolling to clear his mind.
“Father,” a young man’s clear voice called out.
Zhen Shicheng stopped and looked at his eldest son, whom he hadn’t paid much attention to for several days.
Hmm, the boy’s complexion had improved. It seemed he had recovered from the previous setback.
The slight guilt Zhen Shicheng had felt a few days ago disappeared without a trace. He asked, “Didn’t go out today?”
Zhen Heng smiled and said, “The exams are coming up, so I’m not going out. How’s the progress on Father’s case?”
“No progress,” Zhen Shicheng said casually.
Zhen Heng’s smile froze.
His father’s tone in saying there was no progress seemed a bit too nonchalant, leaving him at a loss for how to offer the consolation he had prepared.
After examining Zhen Shicheng’s expression, Zhen Heng gently advised, “Father, don’t be anxious. I believe that with your ability, you’ll surely get to the bottom of this.”
“This case will probably just remain as it is.”
Zhen Heng froze again, carefully choosing his words: “Father, you needn’t take it to heart. Sometimes human effort has its limits. It’s not your fault.”
Zhen Shicheng glanced sideways at his son: “Why are you worrying about this? Go study.”
Who’s the father and who’s the son here?
Zhen Heng’s mouth twitched slightly. Remembering how he had inadvertently seen his old father looking worried a few days ago, he swallowed his anger and comforted him, “Father, I know you feel bad about not being able to solve the case, but—”
“But what? Who said I feel bad about not solving the case?” Zhen Shicheng frowned at his son. “You’re so young, why are you so long-winded?”
How could young ladies like this? Young ladies these days prefer those cool, quiet pretty boys.
“A few days ago, I saw you sighing at the moon—”
Zhen Shicheng stroked his beard: “Ah, at that time I was worried that if I solved the case and sent the culprit to death row, it would weigh on my conscience. But deliberately not solving the case doesn’t align with my principles.”
Now it’s fine. He could not truly solve the case, so he could face his conscience.
Zhen Heng: “…” What happened to being impartial and incorruptible? Was his father an imposter?
“Go study!” Zhen Shicheng roared.
Zhen Heng rolled his eyes and quickly left.
Zhen Shicheng shook his head and walked back with his hands behind his back.
His son was still too naive. Even the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty couldn’t achieve true impartiality, let alone people.
The case dragged on until the golden autumn of August. Under pressure from various factions, Zhen Shicheng frankly reported to Emperor Jingming that the case could not be solved.
Memorials impeaching Zhen Shicheng for his ineffective handling of the case flew like snowflakes to the Emperor’s desk.
Emperor Jingming slammed a stack of memorials on the table and sneered, “Just because one case can’t be solved, they want to remove the Prefect of Shuntian from office? There are countless unsolved cases in the world. If this were the standard, all officials should be dismissed!”
Grand Eunuch Pan Hai listened silently, secretly shedding tears of sympathy for the Crown Prince.
The Emperor, angered by these shortsighted officials, would likely take it out on the Crown Prince again. After all, the grandson of the Minister of Rites was the Crown Prince’s brother-in-law.
The next day at court, a censor stepped forward, angrily accusing the Prefect of Shuntian of incompetence, turning a simple arson case into a mystery. Several others followed, impeaching Zhen Shicheng.
Emperor Jingming listened impassively, then asked those who had stepped forward in a good-natured tone: “The position of Prefect of Shuntian is important and cannot be left vacant. I wonder which of you gentlemen is willing to take on this role and handle the pleasure boat arson case?”