“What if someone left besides those two tables of guests without calling for someone to settle the bill?” Qi Shuo suddenly asked.

The servers looked at each other. One of them said: “Those who come to dine aren’t alone. If someone finished their meal and left without settling the bill, we would definitely notice.”

Dining and dashing—how outrageous!

Qi Shuo raised his eyes to glance at the staircase, his tone unhurried: “Guests in the private rooms on the second floor don’t need to come down this staircase to reach the privy, do they?”

The manager hastily said: “No need. Going down the stairs on the other side leads directly to the privy.”

The privy used by guests in the second-floor private rooms was the same as the one used by main hall customers. If main hall customers wanted to use the privy, they had to enter through the side door in the corner.

Cheng Maoming’s heart stirred. “Then what if someone came down the stairs on the other side of the second floor, circled around to the side door, came out, and left through the main hall?”

“This—”

The servers looked at each other, stammering.

Seeing Cheng Maoming’s expression darken, the manager scolded: “When the officials ask questions, answer truthfully with whatever you think.”

One server said awkwardly: “It was mealtime. We were busy serving wine, bringing dishes, and attending to guests. If someone passed through the main hall from the side door and went straight out, we might not have noticed.”

“During that time period… I saw someone leave.” Lin Hao spoke carefully, immediately drawing countless gazes.

Yang Zhe also looked at her quietly.

If it were an ordinary young lady, being watched by so many people would inevitably make her flustered and shy. But having spoken, Lin Hao became composed instead: “There was a young man with a build similar to Top Scholar Yang’s who walked out.”

When Commander Cheng asked about this, she had thought of it. The reason she hadn’t spoken immediately was because she had concerns.

She and A’Shuo had come to Five Flavors Hall happily to eat crab-stuffed oranges, never expecting to encounter the Crown Prince’s poisoning. In such a matter, logically one should stay as far away as possible.

But thinking of Prince Wei, whom she’d first met at Qinglu Temple—who despite his obesity making walking difficult remained gentle and courteous—and thinking of the Crown Prince who had asked the teacher to act as matchmaker to facilitate a good marriage for her elder sister and brother-in-law, she ultimately couldn’t remain coldly detached.

Regardless of the truth, the Crown Prince shouldn’t die in confusion.

So she spoke up after all, transforming herself from a bystander into someone involved.

“Does Second Miss Lin remember what that person looked like?” Minister Shen’s beard trembled, unable to conceal his urgency.

After a brief silence, Lin Hao nodded. “I have some impression.”

Minister Shen was delighted. “Can the Heir draw him?”

The matter of the Heir of Prince Jing drawing the true culprit who killed Princess Yuliu based on a teahouse server’s description was now known to everyone.

Cheng Maoming didn’t speak, but his eyes held slight confusion as he looked at Qi Shuo.

This didn’t make sense. Second Miss Lin had noticed, yet someone as capable as the Heir hadn’t paid attention?

Of course he wouldn’t ask this aloud, to avoid causing trouble for the Heir of Prince Jing.

Qi Shuo understood Cheng Maoming’s expression and proactively explained: “I was ordering food at the time and didn’t notice anything else.”

A server jumped out to testify: “This commoner remembers—the Heir was ordering food at the time and even asked this young lady what she wanted to eat.”

Cheng Maoming’s expression changed from confusion to realization.

As expected, the Heir’s greatest weakness was being infatuated with his wife!

He couldn’t help glaring at the server.

What was there to testify about? Had he eaten too much?

The server’s scalp went numb under the glare and quickly shut his mouth.

“Can the Heir draw him then?” Minister Shen couldn’t help asking again, thinking to himself that at such a crucial moment, why was Commander Cheng staring at a server?

“I’ll try.”

Qi Shuo’s answer was gentle and modest. Appreciation flashed in Minister Shen’s eyes.

Imperial family members with talent who were also modest and courteous like the Heir of Prince Jing were far too rare.

Soon everyone went indoors. Listening to Lin Hao’s description, Qi Shuo’s brush outlined the image of a young man.

Looking at the lifelike portrait, Cheng Maoming couldn’t help praising: “Second Miss Lin truly has an excellent memory.”

Qi Shuo’s brush paused as he raised his eyes to glance at Cheng Maoming.

Cheng Maoming blinked.

His words… were there a problem?

“Done.” Qi Shuo set down the brush and casually asked: “What color were the clothes?”

“That person wore black.”

“This doesn’t match.” Minister Shen stroked his beard, his brow slightly furrowed.

Cheng Maoming felt this wasn’t an issue. “If even faces can be changed, what’s one set of clothes?”

Minister Shen nodded.

That was true.

Soon Cheng Maoming had his subordinates take the portrait for everyone in the tavern to identify. Fortunately, one tavern patron also had an impression: “This commoner called a server to bring wine and saw this person walk past, though I didn’t pay attention at the time.”

With Lin Hao’s and this patron’s statements, it was enough to prove such a person existed.

Cheng Maoming and Minister Shen immediately ordered their subordinates to search for the person based on the portrait.

Though the portrait provided a clear direction for the search, it obviously couldn’t be found immediately. Cheng Maoming and Minister Shen moved to a private area to discuss.

“The Jinlin Guard’s security is strict—of course keeping these people at the Jinlin Guard would be safer.” Minister Shen immediately kicked the ball over as soon as he opened his mouth.

Cheng Maoming smiled without warmth. “Minister Shen is too modest. No one has ever escaped from the Ministry of Justice’s prison either.”

Old fool—useless at investigating cases but quick at dumping burdens.

The two went back and forth, ultimately deciding that Yang Zhe and the others who had been drinking with the Crown Prince would be detained at the Jinlin Guard, while everyone else would be temporarily invited to the Ministry of Justice’s prison.

“What about the Heir of Prince Jing?” Minister Shen asked in a low voice.

Cheng Maoming looked utterly baffled. “The Heir will naturally return to the princely mansion.”

Minister Shen: “…” Then what had he been playing ball for earlier? Wasn’t it precisely because the Heir of Prince Jing was among the tavern patrons that made this thorny?

He hadn’t expected Commander Cheng to show favoritism so righteously.

Seeing Minister Shen’s silence, Cheng Maoming felt even more bewildered. “Never mind that the Heir and Second Miss Lin helped us so much—even if there were a problem, could the great Prince Jing’s mansion run away?”

Minister Shen suddenly understood. “The Commander is quite right.”

Soon the orders were transmitted. Upon hearing they had to squat in prison, some people wept, some pleaded, some were frightened senseless—reactions varied.

Cheng Maoming and Minister Shen went to the palace together to report the investigation’s progress. Other government offices weren’t idle either, busying themselves in a state of panic with the Crown Prince’s funeral arrangements.

Walking on the way back, Qi Shuo apologetically took Lin Hao’s hand. “You’re hungry, aren’t you?”

Lin Hao shook her head, her complexion not good. “I was hungry originally, but now I don’t feel hungry anymore.”

With the Crown Prince’s death, the situation that had stabilized after suppressing news of Princess Lingque’s death would become chaotic again—likely greatly chaotic.

Thinking of these things, Lin Hao’s heart grew heavy.

“A’Shuo, do you think Yang Zhe is innocent in this matter?”

The sun had already shifted westward. Pedestrians hurried along the street, the vast majority still unaware of the shocking event that had occurred at Five Flavors Hall.

“What do you think?” Qi Shuo asked in return, his calm voice somewhat low.

The young lady walking beside him turned her head, letting the gentle, diffuse evening sunlight fall upon her jade-white face. “I just feel… it’s too coincidental.”

Even if there was another true culprit, how could they ensure Yang Zhe would go to the privy in the middle of drinking?

Rather than calling it coincidence, it would be better to call it coordination.