Volume One, Chapter 18: Someone Was Killed at the Jingzhao Prefecture Office!

The Jingzhao Prefecture had practically become the private courtroom of the Wen family!

Prefect Chen Lin set down the silver spoon in his hand, teased the parrot perched on the birdcage, and asked casually, “Originally, it was agreed that only that concubine and the illegitimate daughters would be questioned; it was just a servant’s death. Although it was a signed contract, there was no need to escalate things. So what’s this all about now?”

Outside the yamen, the drumbeat continued incessantly, startling the parrot.

Chen Lin raised an eyebrow, displeased. “Why are they still drumming?”

“This time, they came prepared. The maid who cried injustice refuses to enter, bringing along a crowd of the elderly, the weak, and the disabled, shouting outside the yamen that the scoundrel slave is oppressing her master, plotting to murder him, framing others, and ruining the master’s reputation. The constables, out of respect for the Marquis’s household, hesitate to forcibly disperse them.”

Oh? This is getting interesting.

Chen Lin washed his hands. “Change your clothes.”

“Sir! Sir!” Someone rushed in, tumbling forward. Chen Lin kicked the man several steps away, shouting angrily, “What’s all this shouting? Have you no manners?”

“There’s been an incident.”

“What kind of incident?”

“We went to take the fifth young lady of the Marquis’s household. We heard she was attending patients in a very remote charity clinic in the north of the city. When we arrived, she was seeing to an old woman. When we tried to take her, that old miserly woman wouldn’t give way, and there was a scuffle... the old patient—” The constable hesitated.

“Was she injured? That’s worth reporting?” Chen Lin changed his clothes leisurely, brushing it off.

“No, it’s worse. She was beaten... beaten to death.”

“Beaten to death?”

A constable in Jingzhao Prefecture killing someone? These were seasoned men—how could they make such a mistake?

“Who could have expected that a gentle shove would kill her! There were many people in the charity clinic. When we tried to take the fifth young lady, tempers flared. Then someone was pushed to death, making the situation even more chaotic. Now, the body is being brought here, blocking the yamen gate.”

“Damn it!” Chen Lin kicked again, scolding, “Is this your first day on duty? How could you let this mess reach the yamen?”

The constable’s face was mournful. “Sir, they were too many and too quick, like an ambush. As soon as the cry went up that someone had died, a crowd seized our men and carried the body straight to the yamen.”

“Sir.” A guard outside reported, “Prince Tang, the Marquis’s wife, and the young marquis have arrived.”

Chen Lin’s fury instantly cooled. He straightened his official robe and sneered. “This temple, though grand, cannot hold so many great statues. Since the drumming and shouting have begun, let all the players take the stage!”

“Find the coroner. We will have the body examined.”

Inside the main hall of Jingzhao Prefecture, the atmosphere was heavy. Above the central seat hung a plaque inscribed with “Justice Like a Mirror,” flanked by imposing constables holding water and fire cudgels, their eyes sharp as blades.

Prefect Chen Lin sat behind the desk, dressed in official robes and a black gauze hat, exuding undeniable authority. Prince Tang, the young marquis, and the Marquis’s wife sat on either side, each holding a teacup in silence.

Officials in the capital excelled at reading subtle signs; the family sitting on opposite sides was clearly a call for Chen Lin to choose sides.

Below the dais knelt a girl disguised as a boy, flanked by two maids and two men.

“Who are you below the hall, and why are you crying injustice? Speak everything truthfully,” the clerk spoke first, a small table beside him ready to record.

Qin Weishu lowered her eyes. Wen Yunxiu stood there, wearing a simple male robe, her hair disheveled, face pale, eyes filled with anger. Hearing the clerk, she immediately said, “I am the fifth young lady of the Marquis’s household, Wen Yunxiu. As for why I am here, I would like to ask you, sir, what crime have I committed to be dragged here? And—” Wen Yunxiu choked up, “—and they beat my patient to death!”

Chen Lin’s face lost composure and he coughed dryly, “Early this morning, someone accused you and your mother of poisoning a bonded servant! The coroner’s report confirmed death by poisoning, so naturally, you were summoned for questioning.”

Suddenly, the little maid Dongqing cried out, “Sir! Sir! The real poisoner is someone else, not my lady! It was Peilan! She poisoned my lady’s food today. Luckily, my lady was at the charity clinic and didn’t eat it—only greedy Mama Lü died!”

Chen Lin frowned. “I haven’t finished questioning you, yet you yell in court—”

Just as Chen Lin was about to lose his temper, Wen Yunmu softly said, “Dongqing, sir is still asking about your lady. Please be patient for now. Since you say there’s more to this, sir is discerning and will not pin the guilt on your lady without full investigation.”

A soft blade, cutting deep. The young marquis is formidable indeed.

Chen Lin embarrassedly said, “Yes, the young marquis is right.”

“If Dongqing says there’s more to this, may I boldly ask: Has the coroner’s examination been completed? Are the causes of death for both deceased confirmed? If not, I have some medical knowledge and would like to observe to prove my innocence.”

“Yunxiu, cases in Jingzhao Prefecture follow strict rules. Let us wait patiently here,” Qin Weishu finally spoke. She never expected such a mistake to occur, nor that Wen Xuqing and Ye Chuiyun would rush over, making the situation extremely delicate.

Concubine Zhao was detained in Jingzhao Prefecture, Wen Yunxiu was at the charity clinic, yet the poisoned woman was a servant — clearly, no one would suspect the mother and daughter of poisoning.

“Honorable judge! This is all their ploy to shift guilt onto others. The poison was theirs. They poisoned my mistress; naturally, they could poison this old woman too!” A man suddenly knelt, banging his head on the floor repeatedly, weeping bitterly. “My wife said that courtyard was hell. These mother and daughter, skilled in medicine, toy with their servants, always feeding them strange broths. The whole staff was sick; every year, many had to be carried out! Ask any lord, and they’ll tell you!”

Wen Yunmu sighed inwardly. Her stepmother truly had deep schemes. Even the useless people she assigned to Wen Yunxiu could be twisted into evidence against mother and daughter.

“Nonsense! The fifth young lady is not the kind you say. She has healed so many at the charity clinic. How dare you slander her!” Another man suddenly knelt, crying out, “Sir, my mother was healthy and safe last year thanks to the fifth young lady’s patient care. Now the elders of the household have beaten her to death without reason. We beg the honorable judge to intervene!”

“Honorable judge, honorable judge, it wasn’t me who poisoned them! I didn’t kill Mama Lü, and I wouldn’t dare poison my lady!”

For a moment, the main hall of Jingzhao Prefecture was livelier than any theater troupe.

But the three seated were calmer than anyone.

Today was not about right or wrong, but about who could catch Chen Lin’s mistake. Whoever did would be the victor.

Wen Yunmu glanced at Ye Chuiyun, no doubt that the deadly case at the charity clinic was the “mistake” Ye Chuiyun had found to trap Chen Lin.