Outside the mourning hall, a servant noticed Jing Rong. The servant from the Wei mansion stepped forward and inquired, "May I ask who you are?" "An old friend." A few words weres enough for Jing Rong to avoid further inquiry. Besides, an old friend coming to grieve was a logical reason to be present. Jing Rong entered the mourning hall and walked to the altar where he bowed in respect, then he patted Wei Yi who was staring blankly. Wei Yi raised his head and saw Jing Rong. His expression was twisted with the pain of grief. He faintly sobbed. "Big brother, my father and my mother died." "I know." "Why did they die?" "…" Jing Rong remained silent. Wei Yi pressed lips together, forcing himself not to cry. His lips trembled a few times before he could finally speak. "Mother told me that if one day she had to leave, I must not cry… but… I can't do it. I cried for a long, long time. Do you think Mother is angry and doesn't want me anymore?" Looking at Wei Yi's appearance only made people's heart ache for him. He was like a plant in a greenhouse, growing up carefree and without worries in a world gravitating around his father, his mother, and Shu'er! Jing Rong wasn't a softhearted person, but despite having hardened his heart behind a wall, at this moment, the wall crumbled because of that fool in front of him. He bent down on one of his knees, leveling his line of sight to Wei Yi. Looking at the other with calm eyes, he asked Wei Yi, "Wei Yi, have you heard about the guan bird?" Wei Yi shook his head. "Every young guan bird, before being fully mature, would grow under the wings of an adult guan bird until they could leave their nest and spread their wings into the blue sky. When they could fly by themselves, they must leave the adult guan bird because the wings of the adult guan bird can only protect them until they grow up. Since the young guan birds are meant to fly to higher skies, they can only look further ahead, leaving the protection of the adult guan bird." Wei Yi looked at him pitifully, but his painful wrinkled expression gradually loosened. He pressed Jing Rong for an answer, "Then, would I be able to see my parents again?" Although Jing Rong couldn't bear seeing Wei Yi in such a way, he could not lie to him. Therefore, he simply nodded. "But I don't want to leave mom and dad. I want to keep being a little guan bird. I want to stay at mom's and dad's side," whined Wei Yi. Jing Rong wasn't good at comforting people. This was something beyond his capacity! He had yet to find some words of comfort, but Wei Yi had already pulled on his sleeve. "Big brother, they all say that Shu'er poisoned my parents. It's not true, right? Shu'er wouldn't do something like that. Big brother, tell me, Shu'er didn't do it, right?" anxiously asked Wei Yi. "Of course she didn't do it," answered Jing Rong. "Do you believe in Yunshu?" Wei Yi nodded while wiping his tears. Jing Rong grabbed Wei Yi's arm and whispered. "Wei Yi, do you want to save Yunshu?" "I want to." "Then I need to take your parents' body to the memorial hall." Wei Yi breathed in as he stared at Jing Rong without understanding his words. Jing Rong continued, "In a moment, you will send everyone out. As for me, I have my own way to snatch the bodies." Wei Yi inquired, "Will doing that really save Shu'er?" Jing Rong nodded. As he looked at his parents' memorial tablets, Wei Yi choked a cry and agreed to it. After the sky darkened, Wei Yi sent everyone out according to Jing Rong's instructions. "Everyone, please leave. I don't want anyone inside of here." A servant asked, "Young master, let us stay here and accompany you." "No need. You can all leave. I want to stay here with the two big brothers." He then pointed at Jing Rong and Lang Po. The servants looked at each other. Since it was their new master's command, they could only obey and withdraw from the courtyard. As soon as everyone left, suddenly, six people jumped off from the roof beam. Their sudden appearance scared Wei Yi who hid himself behind Jing Rong. The people who jumped off the beam clasped their hands toward Jing Rong in greeting. "Your Highness." Jing Rong spoke in a grave voice. "Do your work." "Yes, your Highness!" They hurriedly dashed next to the two coffins and carried away Lord Wei's and Madame Wei's corpses agilely. Oh my gosh! This was body snatching! Right in front of Wei Yi's eyes, they jumped up to the roof while carrying away the two bodies. This was no longer considered body snatching, but brazen corpse robbery! After he saw the bodies being carried away, Wei Yi anxiously ran up a few steps, but Jing Rong pulled him back. "Wei Yi, you have to stay here to keep guard. You must not let anyone enter. Wait here until I come back with your parents' bodies. Do you understand?" "Big brother, I don't want to leave mom and dad. Can't I go with you?" Wei Yi spoke while trying to stifle his sobs. "Wei Yi, you have to stay here." Wei Yi's eyes reddened, but he still obediently nodded. Jing Rong signaled at Lang Po. "You stay here with him just in case something unexpected happens." "Yes, your Highness." Soon after, Jing Rong left the same way as the other men. Following Jing Rong's arrangements, Ji Yunshu didn't stay in the prison cell for long. She changed into a jailer uniform, and quietly left to the memorial hall with the help of some people. Jing Rong's subordinates hastily rushed to the memorial hall while carrying the bodies of the Wei couple. As soon as they arrived, they put down the bodies. Soon after, Jing Rong rushed into the room. Ji Yunshu grabbed him. "Were you able to bring them?" "Fortunately, your little Wei Yi helped!" "What?" "There's no time. Hurry and do the autopsy." He took Ji Yunshu's hand and led her inside the room. He was right. There was no time to lose. It wasn't the time to think about trivial things. Although if she were to learn that Jing Rong stole the corpses, she would probably be torn between laughter and tears.
As soon as Ji Yunshu saw the already blackening corpses lying on the freezing plank, her heart couldn't bear such a sight and her eyes quickly reddened. She took in a deep breath to calm her mind. She put on gloves and went in front of Madame Wei's body. Her hands gripped her chest as spoke while trying to choke her sobs. "Aunt Wei. If your spirit is still amongst us, you must tell me in any way who killed you." Jing Rong, who stood by her side, kept his silence.
Ji Yunshu touched Madame Wei's throat and pressed on it a few times. "As expected, she was poisoned!" As soon as the words were uttered, she picked up a dagger and sliced open Madame Wei's throat. Ji Yunshu spoke while doing the incision. "The pitohui poison is a poisonous substance found on the pitohui's feathers. The feathers are coated with a substance that would not claim anyone's life when in a dry state. However, when it comes in contact with water, and someone ingests the contaminated water, the potency of the poison is enough to kill a human!" Jing Rong's subordinates stood at the entrance motionlessly and unperturbed. Only their ears were listening with attention. Jing Rong asked her, "Then, what do you want to verify by cutting an opening in her throat?" Ji Yunshu increased the strength in her hand. She frowned and replied, "I just want to validate if they were poisoned after drinking the tea or before drinking it." "This can be verified?" "By examining their throats… I'll see who the murderer is." Her words sounded rather strange. The dagger gradually penetrated the throat, freeing a dark coagulated blood that had a texture similar to slime and was extremely sticky. Finally, it cut through, penetrating into the throat inch by inch until the incision was wide enough to reveal to the light the blackened throat. Fu Bo timely entered the room with a pot of heated vinegar. "Yunshu, do you want to use this tonight?" Ji Yunshu pulled out the dagger and put it next to her before nodding at Fu Bo. "Of course." As soon as she spoke, she took a piece of cloth and imbibed it with the heated vinegar mixture before wiping of the skin around the incision on Madame Wei's throat. Then, she wiped off the inside from the old blood, and gradually, the hyoid bone became increasingly visible. Moreover, the bone revealed itself to be white in color. Jing Rong moved closer for a better look. His brows creased at the sight. "How come it's like that?" Asking the question like a student in the learning process. As for Ji Yunshu, her expression became solemn. She slowly spat out two words. "As expected!" 'What do you mean by as expected?'
"Usually, when pitohui poison is mixed with tea or water and ingested, the hyoid bone would remain black even after being wiped by vinegar. In the case the hyoid bone turns white, there's only one possibility: the pitohui poison was drunk with alcohol. It's only in such case that the black hyoid bone would return to white after being wiped with vinegar." Jing Rong appeared to understand. He softly spoke, "That means that they were already poisoned before drinking that cup of tea." "Yes." Ji Yunshu nodded in affirmation. "Then why was there poison in the tea?" "The poison itself is very potent. If it entered the mouth, there would be some of it on the lips which explained why some of it could be found in the tea Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei drank." She pondered for a moment. "Yesterday night, there was a banquet at the Wei Mansion. Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei both drank wine. So, they should have been poisoned at that time." Jing Rong's brows loosened. "Then, this case has nothing to do with you." 'Nothing to do?' She shook her head with a wry smile. "Could it be that your Highness forgot that people at the mansion found the incriminating pitohui's feathers in my courtyard? They have already considered me the murderer, so they don't care at what time Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei got poisoned." As she pointed out the problem, she picked up a needle near her and started to sew back Madame Wei's throat. Jing Rong lowered his eyes and looked at her. "Regardless, I absolutely will not let anything happen to you." Hearing his words, her hands slightly stopped while her expression faltered a bit. "Many thanks your Highness." "I don't need your thanks." He closed the distance between them and continued. "I'll do it because I believe in you." His words wrecked havoc in Ji Yunshu's heart, but on the surface, only her sewing accelerated and in an instant, Madame Wei's throat was completely closed. After that, she took the cloth that was stained with blood and threw it away before diverting the subject. "I'll trouble your Highness again. Please return the bodies to the Wei mansion." The truth was Ji Yunshu didn't want to reply to his confession. Jing Rong nodded. He knew that the time wasn't right to speak of love. However, sometimes, he could not stop himself from acting in such a way. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Right away, the men waiting outside came in. "You can return the corpses." "Yes, your Highness." Once again, they carried the bodies and speedily left the memorial hall. Ji Yunshu didn't forget to add. "In fact, your Highness only needed to bring one of the corpses." 'I didn't bring it. I stole it.' How would he know she only needed one corpse? In short, as long as he could snatch it, he didn't want to waste time. Jing Rong laughed, "Alright, next time, I'll just bring one." 'Would there be a next time?' "I need to go back to the Wei mansion. Wei Yi is still waiting for me." "Your Highness." Worry could be seen on her face as she looked at Jing Rong. "Wei Yi is a victim. He already lost his parents. I don't wish for this case to hurt him further." Jing Rong showed that he understood her meaning. "Rest assured. I give you my words that he won't be involved in all of this. I'll make sure he will properly complete his parents funeral properly." Jing Rong had no other choice but to ensure her as he clearly understood her mind as if her heart was completely laid out for him to see.
Grenn’s Rants Corner
*playing some Naruto soundtrack to enhance the mood*
The bodies were carried away while Ji Yunshu returned to her prison cell. Jing Rong quickly brought the corpses of Lord Wei and Madame Wei back to the mourning hall in the Wei mansion. After Jing Rong's imperial bodyguards put the corpses back in their respective coffins properly, they stealthily hid themselves on the beam roof without neither god nor devil sensing them. Everything was back as it was, as if nothing had happened and the corpses were there all along. Wei Yi laid down next to the coffin and started to whimper. Every time he did, he used his sleeve to wipe his tears before they spilt out of his eyes. Seeing him this miserable, Jing Rong truly felt distressed. Jing Rong turned to Lang po and said, "Pass my order. Inform everyone in the Wei mansion, especially that housekeeper, Wei Fu, not to mention about his parents' poisoning in front of him. They also cannot mention about the matter concerning Miss Ji. I want him to have some peace of mind while mourning his parents. This time, you don't need to come with me. Look after Wei Yi." Lang Po lowered his head. "Yes, as you wish your Highness." Jing Rong once again rested his sight on Wei Yi. He walked over and began conversing with him, "Wei Yi, didn't you say that your mother didn't want you to cry? So, you can't cry any more. You have to let them leave with peace in mind." Wei Yi cried and sniffled a few more times before inhaling deeply. Then, he turned to Jing Rong. "Big brother, you said that I can save Shu'er." "Yes, she's fine. Don't worry about her." "Is Shu'er really alright?" asked Wei Yi with widened eyes. Jing Rong nodded. "Yes. In a few days, you will leave this place to bury your parents." Wei Yi energetically nodded, then immediately tidied the mourning clothes he was wearing before going back to kneel in front of the altar. After wiping his tears, he stared at the two coffins. "Dad! Mom! Yi'er won't cry. Yi'er promises you that I will be obedient and behave, so don't worry about me. I can take care of myself." A breeze blew, the flames of the few candlelights flickering. In retreat, Jing Rong appeared to be in deep thought. Then, he ordered Lang Po to remain with Wei Yi while he quietly left the place. He directly went to that room in the reception hall. Since that place was the crime scene and Magistrate Liu had already sealed the perimeter to preserve it, no one had entered the room ever since. As he pushed open the doors and entered, his nose was assailed by a dense bloody smell! He lit a candle and began to meticulously examine the whole room. Two chairs and a table were left at a crooked angle, likely when the servants carried off the bodies. They must have knocked on these furnitures at that time. On the ground, the blood had dried and obviously nothing had been cleaned. On the table, there was a teapot with two teacups. The tea water was black because of the contamination, caused by the poison test that was conducted. Everything had been preserved and nothing had been moved by anyone. He brought the candlelight near the teacups and carefully examined them for a moment. According to Ji Yunshu's autopsy, the poison inside the teacups should've come from their lips. If so, someone must have put it in the wine during the banquet yesterday night. Knowing that point, he left the room and went to find the servants to interrogate them about the wine yesterday, and to find out if anyone had tampered with the drinks. He was about to move the candle away when something inside the teacup caught his attention; there was sawdust stuck on the rim of the teacup. If it wasn't for his meticulous observation, it would have been easily overlooked. This was the result of observing Ji Yunshu during her investigations of criminal cases, which made him more alert to the small details. He took a handkerchief from his belt and and wiped the rim of the teacup with it, collecting the sawdust within. Afterward, he carefully folded the handkerchief and tucked it back under his belt. Finally, he snuffed out the candlelight and left the reception hall.
He immediately went to the kitchen. The place had been a complete mess ever since the banquet yesterday. With Lord Wei and Madame Wei passing away, there wasn't any time for anyone to clean up everything. Within the kitchen, several servants were busy with their tasks. They stopped for a moment after seeing a new face in the kitchen. "Who are you?" "I'm an old friend of Lord Wei." Once again, he used the "old friend" excuse. The answer remained as effective as before since the servants didn't ask any further and returned to their tasks. Fortunately, Wei Fu wasn't present today since he had to go to the courtroom for the trial. If he was here, he would have recognized Jing Rong and revealed his identity as a prince. "Are those the tablewares your masters used during the feast?" questioned Jing Rong. One of the servants replied, "Yes. There wasn't any time to clean it up yet." Jing Rong no longer spoke as he observed the tablewares in front of him. After a short moment of reflection, he inquired again, "Who was in charge of the banquet wine? And where did the wine come from?" "That… The wine came from our residence. After the wine bottle is filled by the wine jar, it would be sent back." "Which tableware did your lord and mistress use yesterday?" Another servant pointed to a set of tableware. "Those over there." Jing Rong looked in the pointed direction and saw a neatly arranged and almost covered set of tablewares. Unfortunately, they were already cleaned and dried. The servant, who had pointed, started to explain. "Milord had instructed us before the feast that he would receive noble guests which required the use of proper sets of tableware." As he spoke, he pointed a particular set. "This is the set used by milord and mistress." The set of tableware was composed of two pairs of chopsticks, a wine bottle and two wine cups, in addition to two pairs of exquisite bowls and plates. Such a magnificent set of tableware truly deserved to be found in a wealthy household! Jing Rong muttered in a low voice, "They have already been cleaned, how am I going to check it?" Regardless, Jing Rong still took the wine bottle and the two wine cups and stated, "I'll be borrowing them for a bit." Before the servants could realize what was going on, he had already escaped without leaving a trace! At first, he planned to take those things to Ji Yunshu, but as he contemplated the idea and saw that the day was getting late, he decided against it in order to let her rest tonight. He would bring everything tomorrow. Hopefully, what he had found would be of use to Ji Yunshu. At this moment in the prison. It was unclear whether or not Jing Rong had bribed the jailers, but Ji Yunshu was transferred to another cell, one that was quite similar to Madame Jiang's cell. It was furnished with a table, a chair and a bed which also included a quilt. It even had two hot furnaces! She barely went inside when she heard sounds of activities coming from outside before hearing the echo of hurried footsteps approaching her cell. It was Luan'er, bringing with her a four layered lunchbox and a blue cloak. As she took in the inside of her young miss' cell, her worry lessened a bit, but it didn't stop her from tearily looking at her young miss. After the jailer opened the cell door, Luan'er quickly went inside. She put everything on the table and pulled Ji Yunshu close. Her voice was filled with distress as she spoke. "Miss, you must have suffered." She choked from her upheaval of emotions. "Luan'er? Why did you come?" "I went back home to kneel and beseech milord to save you. Right now, he must have already left for the yamen to find Lord Liu. Young Miss, nothing will happen to you." Her tone was a bit grave as she was doing her best convincing herself that her words were true. Ji Yunshu sneered. "Luan'er, don't be stupid. This time, it's impossible for father and grandmother to save me." "That can't be! Milord will save young miss. You didn't kill anyone, so nothing will happen to you." Seeing Luan'er filled with tears, Ji Yunshu couldn't bear shattering the hope her young maidservant firmly believed in. She went along with Luan'er. "Alright, alright! Stop worrying about me. I can take care of myself." "Hmm!" Luan'er pursed her lips and energetically nodded. Immediately after, she took the cloak and draped it over Ji Yunshu before opening the four-layered lunch box, revealing several plates which contained only pastries Ji Yunshu loved to eat! "Miss, it's cold here. Your body won't be able to endure it. What's more, I baked some of your favorite pastries. You should eat a bit more." "Okay, calm down. I can take care of myself, so don't worry." Ji Yunshu grabbed Luan'er's hand and told her, "You shouldn't stay here. In the case something happens, I don't want to involve you." "Young miss…" "I don't want to scare you, but truthfully, I am not completely optimistic about the current situation. Besides, I am in prison and dealing with certain matters is quite inconvenient. Luan'er, listen to what I say. If misfortune befalls me, I left you money, take it and leave the Ji family. Do you understand?" She spoke every word while looking straight at Luan'er's eyes, fearing that the little girl wouldn't listen to her. The maidservant shed tears while shaking her head. Her expression completely showing her extreme unwillingness to part with Ji Yunshu. It caused Ji Yunshu to grip her hand tighter. She pressed on. "You must listen to what I say." "But Miss, I don't want to leave you. Milord and Old Madame will certainly think of a way to save you." "Luan'er, just do what I say." "Miss, you will be fine." The naivety of this foolish little girl was quite a rare thing. Ji Yunshu's hand gently wiped the tears off Luan'er's face. After a short moment, she pushed the other away. She spoke with an unwavering expression. "Go back quickly. Promise me that you won't involve yourself with this matter." "Miss! Let me help you." Luan'er tried to close the distance between them with small steps, but Ji Yunshu retreated each time, keeping their distance unchanged. "You don't want to listen to me?" Ji Yunshu uttered harshly. "No, it's not that." Luan'er hurriedly shook her head. "I… promise you. I will obey you." "Then, hurry and leave." Luan'er was extremely reluctant to leave Ji Yunshu, but despite the aggrieved expression, she still acquiesced. While biting on her lips, she paced around a bit. Seeing that her young miss was unwavering in her decision, she left while turning back three times at each step. After Luan'er left, Ji Yunshu's resolute expression gradually loosened, replaced by one of sadness. If something bad really happened to her, she absolutely didn't want Luan'er to be implicated. She had to harden her heart otherwise her maidservant would refuse to listen to her. She lightly sighed as her sight landed on the pastries placed on the table. Her slender fingers picked up a sticky rice pastry and brought it to her mouth. She took a small bite of it, the sweetness slipping on her tongue and washing away the bitterness inside her heart. Like the fluttering of a butterfly wing, her lips slowly arched.
………………………… In a room within the yamen. Magistrate Liu's expression was grave as he fixed the cold tea in front of him. His hand clenched into a fist. A runner came in to notify him. "Milord, Lord Ji has come." Ji Shuhan came! Your daughter was imprisoned. As her father, how could you not come too?
Grenn’s Rants Corner
I like soundtracks.
Outside the mourning hall, a servant noticed Jing Rong. The servant from the Wei mansion stepped forward and inquired, "May I ask who you are?" "An old friend." A few words weres enough for Jing Rong to avoid further inquiry. Besides, an old friend coming to grieve was a logical reason to be present. Jing Rong entered the mourning hall and walked to the altar where he bowed in respect, then he patted Wei Yi who was staring blankly. Wei Yi raised his head and saw Jing Rong. His expression was twisted with the pain of grief. He faintly sobbed. "Big brother, my father and my mother died." "I know." "Why did they die?" "…" Jing Rong remained silent. Wei Yi pressed lips together, forcing himself not to cry. His lips trembled a few times before he could finally speak. "Mother told me that if one day she had to leave, I must not cry… but… I can't do it. I cried for a long, long time. Do you think Mother is angry and doesn't want me anymore?" Looking at Wei Yi's appearance only made people's heart ache for him. He was like a plant in a greenhouse, growing up carefree and without worries in a world gravitating around his father, his mother, and Shu'er! Jing Rong wasn't a softhearted person, but despite having hardened his heart behind a wall, at this moment, the wall crumbled because of that fool in front of him. He bent down on one of his knees, leveling his line of sight to Wei Yi. Looking at the other with calm eyes, he asked Wei Yi, "Wei Yi, have you heard about the guan bird?" Wei Yi shook his head. "Every young guan bird, before being fully mature, would grow under the wings of an adult guan bird until they could leave their nest and spread their wings into the blue sky. When they could fly by themselves, they must leave the adult guan bird because the wings of the adult guan bird can only protect them until they grow up. Since the young guan birds are meant to fly to higher skies, they can only look further ahead, leaving the protection of the adult guan bird." Wei Yi looked at him pitifully, but his painful wrinkled expression gradually loosened. He pressed Jing Rong for an answer, "Then, would I be able to see my parents again?" Although Jing Rong couldn't bear seeing Wei Yi in such a way, he could not lie to him. Therefore, he simply nodded. "But I don't want to leave mom and dad. I want to keep being a little guan bird. I want to stay at mom's and dad's side," whined Wei Yi. Jing Rong wasn't good at comforting people. This was something beyond his capacity! He had yet to find some words of comfort, but Wei Yi had already pulled on his sleeve. "Big brother, they all say that Shu'er poisoned my parents. It's not true, right? Shu'er wouldn't do something like that. Big brother, tell me, Shu'er didn't do it, right?" anxiously asked Wei Yi. "Of course she didn't do it," answered Jing Rong. "Do you believe in Yunshu?" Wei Yi nodded while wiping his tears. Jing Rong grabbed Wei Yi's arm and whispered. "Wei Yi, do you want to save Yunshu?" "I want to." "Then I need to take your parents' body to the memorial hall." Wei Yi breathed in as he stared at Jing Rong without understanding his words. Jing Rong continued, "In a moment, you will send everyone out. As for me, I have my own way to snatch the bodies." Wei Yi inquired, "Will doing that really save Shu'er?" Jing Rong nodded. As he looked at his parents' memorial tablets, Wei Yi choked a cry and agreed to it. After the sky darkened, Wei Yi sent everyone out according to Jing Rong's instructions. "Everyone, please leave. I don't want anyone inside of here." A servant asked, "Young master, let us stay here and accompany you." "No need. You can all leave. I want to stay here with the two big brothers." He then pointed at Jing Rong and Lang Po. The servants looked at each other. Since it was their new master's command, they could only obey and withdraw from the courtyard. As soon as everyone left, suddenly, six people jumped off from the roof beam. Their sudden appearance scared Wei Yi who hid himself behind Jing Rong. The people who jumped off the beam clasped their hands toward Jing Rong in greeting. "Your Highness." Jing Rong spoke in a grave voice. "Do your work." "Yes, your Highness!" They hurriedly dashed next to the two coffins and carried away Lord Wei's and Madame Wei's corpses agilely. Oh my gosh! This was body snatching! Right in front of Wei Yi's eyes, they jumped up to the roof while carrying away the two bodies. This was no longer considered body snatching, but brazen corpse robbery! After he saw the bodies being carried away, Wei Yi anxiously ran up a few steps, but Jing Rong pulled him back. "Wei Yi, you have to stay here to keep guard. You must not let anyone enter. Wait here until I come back with your parents' bodies. Do you understand?" "Big brother, I don't want to leave mom and dad. Can't I go with you?" Wei Yi spoke while trying to stifle his sobs. "Wei Yi, you have to stay here." Wei Yi's eyes reddened, but he still obediently nodded. Jing Rong signaled at Lang Po. "You stay here with him just in case something unexpected happens." "Yes, your Highness." Soon after, Jing Rong left the same way as the other men. Following Jing Rong's arrangements, Ji Yunshu didn't stay in the prison cell for long. She changed into a jailer uniform, and quietly left to the memorial hall with the help of some people. Jing Rong's subordinates hastily rushed to the memorial hall while carrying the bodies of the Wei couple. As soon as they arrived, they put down the bodies. Soon after, Jing Rong rushed into the room. Ji Yunshu grabbed him. "Were you able to bring them?" "Fortunately, your little Wei Yi helped!" "What?" "There's no time. Hurry and do the autopsy." He took Ji Yunshu's hand and led her inside the room. He was right. There was no time to lose. It wasn't the time to think about trivial things. Although if she were to learn that Jing Rong stole the corpses, she would probably be torn between laughter and tears.
As soon as Ji Yunshu saw the already blackening corpses lying on the freezing plank, her heart couldn't bear such a sight and her eyes quickly reddened. She took in a deep breath to calm her mind. She put on gloves and went in front of Madame Wei's body. Her hands gripped her chest as spoke while trying to choke her sobs. "Aunt Wei. If your spirit is still amongst us, you must tell me in any way who killed you." Jing Rong, who stood by her side, kept his silence.
Ji Yunshu touched Madame Wei's throat and pressed on it a few times. "As expected, she was poisoned!" As soon as the words were uttered, she picked up a dagger and sliced open Madame Wei's throat. Ji Yunshu spoke while doing the incision. "The pitohui poison is a poisonous substance found on the pitohui's feathers. The feathers are coated with a substance that would not claim anyone's life when in a dry state. However, when it comes in contact with water, and someone ingests the contaminated water, the potency of the poison is enough to kill a human!" Jing Rong's subordinates stood at the entrance motionlessly and unperturbed. Only their ears were listening with attention. Jing Rong asked her, "Then, what do you want to verify by cutting an opening in her throat?" Ji Yunshu increased the strength in her hand. She frowned and replied, "I just want to validate if they were poisoned after drinking the tea or before drinking it." "This can be verified?" "By examining their throats… I'll see who the murderer is." Her words sounded rather strange. The dagger gradually penetrated the throat, freeing a dark coagulated blood that had a texture similar to slime and was extremely sticky. Finally, it cut through, penetrating into the throat inch by inch until the incision was wide enough to reveal to the light the blackened throat. Fu Bo timely entered the room with a pot of heated vinegar. "Yunshu, do you want to use this tonight?" Ji Yunshu pulled out the dagger and put it next to her before nodding at Fu Bo. "Of course." As soon as she spoke, she took a piece of cloth and imbibed it with the heated vinegar mixture before wiping of the skin around the incision on Madame Wei's throat. Then, she wiped off the inside from the old blood, and gradually, the hyoid bone became increasingly visible. Moreover, the bone revealed itself to be white in color. Jing Rong moved closer for a better look. His brows creased at the sight. "How come it's like that?" Asking the question like a student in the learning process. As for Ji Yunshu, her expression became solemn. She slowly spat out two words. "As expected!" 'What do you mean by as expected?'
"Usually, when pitohui poison is mixed with tea or water and ingested, the hyoid bone would remain black even after being wiped by vinegar. In the case the hyoid bone turns white, there's only one possibility: the pitohui poison was drunk with alcohol. It's only in such case that the black hyoid bone would return to white after being wiped with vinegar." Jing Rong appeared to understand. He softly spoke, "That means that they were already poisoned before drinking that cup of tea." "Yes." Ji Yunshu nodded in affirmation. "Then why was there poison in the tea?" "The poison itself is very potent. If it entered the mouth, there would be some of it on the lips which explained why some of it could be found in the tea Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei drank." She pondered for a moment. "Yesterday night, there was a banquet at the Wei Mansion. Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei both drank wine. So, they should have been poisoned at that time." Jing Rong's brows loosened. "Then, this case has nothing to do with you." 'Nothing to do?' She shook her head with a wry smile. "Could it be that your Highness forgot that people at the mansion found the incriminating pitohui's feathers in my courtyard? They have already considered me the murderer, so they don't care at what time Uncle Wei and Aunt Wei got poisoned." As she pointed out the problem, she picked up a needle near her and started to sew back Madame Wei's throat. Jing Rong lowered his eyes and looked at her. "Regardless, I absolutely will not let anything happen to you." Hearing his words, her hands slightly stopped while her expression faltered a bit. "Many thanks your Highness." "I don't need your thanks." He closed the distance between them and continued. "I'll do it because I believe in you." His words wrecked havoc in Ji Yunshu's heart, but on the surface, only her sewing accelerated and in an instant, Madame Wei's throat was completely closed. After that, she took the cloth that was stained with blood and threw it away before diverting the subject. "I'll trouble your Highness again. Please return the bodies to the Wei mansion." The truth was Ji Yunshu didn't want to reply to his confession. Jing Rong nodded. He knew that the time wasn't right to speak of love. However, sometimes, he could not stop himself from acting in such a way. He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Right away, the men waiting outside came in. "You can return the corpses." "Yes, your Highness." Once again, they carried the bodies and speedily left the memorial hall. Ji Yunshu didn't forget to add. "In fact, your Highness only needed to bring one of the corpses." 'I didn't bring it. I stole it.' How would he know she only needed one corpse? In short, as long as he could snatch it, he didn't want to waste time. Jing Rong laughed, "Alright, next time, I'll just bring one." 'Would there be a next time?' "I need to go back to the Wei mansion. Wei Yi is still waiting for me." "Your Highness." Worry could be seen on her face as she looked at Jing Rong. "Wei Yi is a victim. He already lost his parents. I don't wish for this case to hurt him further." Jing Rong showed that he understood her meaning. "Rest assured. I give you my words that he won't be involved in all of this. I'll make sure he will properly complete his parents funeral properly." Jing Rong had no other choice but to ensure her as he clearly understood her mind as if her heart was completely laid out for him to see.
Grenn’s Rants Corner
*playing some Naruto soundtrack to enhance the mood*
The bodies were carried away while Ji Yunshu returned to her prison cell. Jing Rong quickly brought the corpses of Lord Wei and Madame Wei back to the mourning hall in the Wei mansion. After Jing Rong's imperial bodyguards put the corpses back in their respective coffins properly, they stealthily hid themselves on the beam roof without neither god nor devil sensing them. Everything was back as it was, as if nothing had happened and the corpses were there all along. Wei Yi laid down next to the coffin and started to whimper. Every time he did, he used his sleeve to wipe his tears before they spilt out of his eyes. Seeing him this miserable, Jing Rong truly felt distressed. Jing Rong turned to Lang po and said, "Pass my order. Inform everyone in the Wei mansion, especially that housekeeper, Wei Fu, not to mention about his parents' poisoning in front of him. They also cannot mention about the matter concerning Miss Ji. I want him to have some peace of mind while mourning his parents. This time, you don't need to come with me. Look after Wei Yi." Lang Po lowered his head. "Yes, as you wish your Highness." Jing Rong once again rested his sight on Wei Yi. He walked over and began conversing with him, "Wei Yi, didn't you say that your mother didn't want you to cry? So, you can't cry any more. You have to let them leave with peace in mind." Wei Yi cried and sniffled a few more times before inhaling deeply. Then, he turned to Jing Rong. "Big brother, you said that I can save Shu'er." "Yes, she's fine. Don't worry about her." "Is Shu'er really alright?" asked Wei Yi with widened eyes. Jing Rong nodded. "Yes. In a few days, you will leave this place to bury your parents." Wei Yi energetically nodded, then immediately tidied the mourning clothes he was wearing before going back to kneel in front of the altar. After wiping his tears, he stared at the two coffins. "Dad! Mom! Yi'er won't cry. Yi'er promises you that I will be obedient and behave, so don't worry about me. I can take care of myself." A breeze blew, the flames of the few candlelights flickering. In retreat, Jing Rong appeared to be in deep thought. Then, he ordered Lang Po to remain with Wei Yi while he quietly left the place. He directly went to that room in the reception hall. Since that place was the crime scene and Magistrate Liu had already sealed the perimeter to preserve it, no one had entered the room ever since. As he pushed open the doors and entered, his nose was assailed by a dense bloody smell! He lit a candle and began to meticulously examine the whole room. Two chairs and a table were left at a crooked angle, likely when the servants carried off the bodies. They must have knocked on these furnitures at that time. On the ground, the blood had dried and obviously nothing had been cleaned. On the table, there was a teapot with two teacups. The tea water was black because of the contamination, caused by the poison test that was conducted. Everything had been preserved and nothing had been moved by anyone. He brought the candlelight near the teacups and carefully examined them for a moment. According to Ji Yunshu's autopsy, the poison inside the teacups should've come from their lips. If so, someone must have put it in the wine during the banquet yesterday night. Knowing that point, he left the room and went to find the servants to interrogate them about the wine yesterday, and to find out if anyone had tampered with the drinks. He was about to move the candle away when something inside the teacup caught his attention; there was sawdust stuck on the rim of the teacup. If it wasn't for his meticulous observation, it would have been easily overlooked. This was the result of observing Ji Yunshu during her investigations of criminal cases, which made him more alert to the small details. He took a handkerchief from his belt and and wiped the rim of the teacup with it, collecting the sawdust within. Afterward, he carefully folded the handkerchief and tucked it back under his belt. Finally, he snuffed out the candlelight and left the reception hall.
He immediately went to the kitchen. The place had been a complete mess ever since the banquet yesterday. With Lord Wei and Madame Wei passing away, there wasn't any time for anyone to clean up everything. Within the kitchen, several servants were busy with their tasks. They stopped for a moment after seeing a new face in the kitchen. "Who are you?" "I'm an old friend of Lord Wei." Once again, he used the "old friend" excuse. The answer remained as effective as before since the servants didn't ask any further and returned to their tasks. Fortunately, Wei Fu wasn't present today since he had to go to the courtroom for the trial. If he was here, he would have recognized Jing Rong and revealed his identity as a prince. "Are those the tablewares your masters used during the feast?" questioned Jing Rong. One of the servants replied, "Yes. There wasn't any time to clean it up yet." Jing Rong no longer spoke as he observed the tablewares in front of him. After a short moment of reflection, he inquired again, "Who was in charge of the banquet wine? And where did the wine come from?" "That… The wine came from our residence. After the wine bottle is filled by the wine jar, it would be sent back." "Which tableware did your lord and mistress use yesterday?" Another servant pointed to a set of tableware. "Those over there." Jing Rong looked in the pointed direction and saw a neatly arranged and almost covered set of tablewares. Unfortunately, they were already cleaned and dried. The servant, who had pointed, started to explain. "Milord had instructed us before the feast that he would receive noble guests which required the use of proper sets of tableware." As he spoke, he pointed a particular set. "This is the set used by milord and mistress." The set of tableware was composed of two pairs of chopsticks, a wine bottle and two wine cups, in addition to two pairs of exquisite bowls and plates. Such a magnificent set of tableware truly deserved to be found in a wealthy household! Jing Rong muttered in a low voice, "They have already been cleaned, how am I going to check it?" Regardless, Jing Rong still took the wine bottle and the two wine cups and stated, "I'll be borrowing them for a bit." Before the servants could realize what was going on, he had already escaped without leaving a trace! At first, he planned to take those things to Ji Yunshu, but as he contemplated the idea and saw that the day was getting late, he decided against it in order to let her rest tonight. He would bring everything tomorrow. Hopefully, what he had found would be of use to Ji Yunshu. At this moment in the prison. It was unclear whether or not Jing Rong had bribed the jailers, but Ji Yunshu was transferred to another cell, one that was quite similar to Madame Jiang's cell. It was furnished with a table, a chair and a bed which also included a quilt. It even had two hot furnaces! She barely went inside when she heard sounds of activities coming from outside before hearing the echo of hurried footsteps approaching her cell. It was Luan'er, bringing with her a four layered lunchbox and a blue cloak. As she took in the inside of her young miss' cell, her worry lessened a bit, but it didn't stop her from tearily looking at her young miss. After the jailer opened the cell door, Luan'er quickly went inside. She put everything on the table and pulled Ji Yunshu close. Her voice was filled with distress as she spoke. "Miss, you must have suffered." She choked from her upheaval of emotions. "Luan'er? Why did you come?" "I went back home to kneel and beseech milord to save you. Right now, he must have already left for the yamen to find Lord Liu. Young Miss, nothing will happen to you." Her tone was a bit grave as she was doing her best convincing herself that her words were true. Ji Yunshu sneered. "Luan'er, don't be stupid. This time, it's impossible for father and grandmother to save me." "That can't be! Milord will save young miss. You didn't kill anyone, so nothing will happen to you." Seeing Luan'er filled with tears, Ji Yunshu couldn't bear shattering the hope her young maidservant firmly believed in. She went along with Luan'er. "Alright, alright! Stop worrying about me. I can take care of myself." "Hmm!" Luan'er pursed her lips and energetically nodded. Immediately after, she took the cloak and draped it over Ji Yunshu before opening the four-layered lunch box, revealing several plates which contained only pastries Ji Yunshu loved to eat! "Miss, it's cold here. Your body won't be able to endure it. What's more, I baked some of your favorite pastries. You should eat a bit more." "Okay, calm down. I can take care of myself, so don't worry." Ji Yunshu grabbed Luan'er's hand and told her, "You shouldn't stay here. In the case something happens, I don't want to involve you." "Young miss…" "I don't want to scare you, but truthfully, I am not completely optimistic about the current situation. Besides, I am in prison and dealing with certain matters is quite inconvenient. Luan'er, listen to what I say. If misfortune befalls me, I left you money, take it and leave the Ji family. Do you understand?" She spoke every word while looking straight at Luan'er's eyes, fearing that the little girl wouldn't listen to her. The maidservant shed tears while shaking her head. Her expression completely showing her extreme unwillingness to part with Ji Yunshu. It caused Ji Yunshu to grip her hand tighter. She pressed on. "You must listen to what I say." "But Miss, I don't want to leave you. Milord and Old Madame will certainly think of a way to save you." "Luan'er, just do what I say." "Miss, you will be fine." The naivety of this foolish little girl was quite a rare thing. Ji Yunshu's hand gently wiped the tears off Luan'er's face. After a short moment, she pushed the other away. She spoke with an unwavering expression. "Go back quickly. Promise me that you won't involve yourself with this matter." "Miss! Let me help you." Luan'er tried to close the distance between them with small steps, but Ji Yunshu retreated each time, keeping their distance unchanged. "You don't want to listen to me?" Ji Yunshu uttered harshly. "No, it's not that." Luan'er hurriedly shook her head. "I… promise you. I will obey you." "Then, hurry and leave." Luan'er was extremely reluctant to leave Ji Yunshu, but despite the aggrieved expression, she still acquiesced. While biting on her lips, she paced around a bit. Seeing that her young miss was unwavering in her decision, she left while turning back three times at each step. After Luan'er left, Ji Yunshu's resolute expression gradually loosened, replaced by one of sadness. If something bad really happened to her, she absolutely didn't want Luan'er to be implicated. She had to harden her heart otherwise her maidservant would refuse to listen to her. She lightly sighed as her sight landed on the pastries placed on the table. Her slender fingers picked up a sticky rice pastry and brought it to her mouth. She took a small bite of it, the sweetness slipping on her tongue and washing away the bitterness inside her heart. Like the fluttering of a butterfly wing, her lips slowly arched.
………………………… In a room within the yamen. Magistrate Liu's expression was grave as he fixed the cold tea in front of him. His hand clenched into a fist. A runner came in to notify him. "Milord, Lord Ji has come." Ji Shuhan came! Your daughter was imprisoned. As her father, how could you not come too?
Grenn’s Rants Corner
I like soundtracks.
