Hmph, I’m so scared. Ji Yunshu rolled her eyes, crazy! “If you have what it takes, then sure thing; but you and I both know all you have are your two brothers.”
“What do you mean?”
“It hasn’t even been an hour and the tides have turned – even an idiot would know why!”
Ji Muqing heaved a sigh of relief. She wasn’t an idiot – of course she knew why! It must have been her two loving older brothers who had prepared everything before they arrived. In any case, she need not bear the brunt of this crime, so she turned and left, smoothing out her hair carefreely.
As she turned, Ji Yunshu noticed a small bloodstain on Ji Muqing’s back. A loose thread hung where that spot sat, missing the pearl it once held. Could it be – that that wound was a product of Ji Muqing and Miss Liang’s tussle?
Ji Yunshu walked up to Miss Liang’s corpse when the court had cleared. She knelt down, addressing Minister Liang, “Lord Liang, the young miss is already dead – she won’t been revived even if you mourn her so.”
The sobbing Lord Liang looked up at her, “Teacher Ji, was my daughter’s death purely an accident?”
“I took a quick look previously, she did slip and fall. As to whether she was pushed or not, I’m not sure either.”
“Weren’t you great at solving these cases? Please lend me a hand,” he pleaded desperately.
Ji Yunshu considered briefly, recalling the bloodstain she noticed on Ji Muqing’s back, “Let me have a look at the body.” He nodded and moved aside.
Ji Yunshu pulled off the white cloth covering the body, inspecting every part of Miss Liang’s body, from her hands to her neck, and even her clothes. As someone who paid so much attention to her attire, there was no reason why Ji Muqing had not noticed that missing pearl, so it must have fallen off in their scuffle. But – the young Miss Liang’s body was not stained with blood; Ji Muqing could not have reached behind her back and scratched that pearl off, so, where was that wound from?
“Did you make any discoveries, Teacher Ji?”
She shook her head, covering up the corpse once more, “My sincerest apologies; I have found nothing new.”
“Then, did my daughter really fall to her own death?”
Ji Yunshu kept silent. Honestly, she had not witnessed the scene; the witnesses also claimed their innocence. In a fight, every party was right – only the heavens knew the truth.
“Lord Liang, I think it’s best to bring Miss Liang’s body back home for a proper burial.” Minister Liang began to cry inconsolably once more. After making sure that Lord Liang had left, Ji Yunshu left the yamen herself. “Let’s go!” she called out to Wei Yi who was waiting for her next to the stone lion statues outside.
Wei Yi immediately stood up and chased after Ji Yunshu, questioning, “Shu’er, I saw Big Brother Ji and Brother Ji Huan enter just now – did you see them too?”
“Yes, I did!”
“Did you talk?”
“No!”
“Why not?”
Ji Yunshu made no comment, and dragged Wei Yi towards Yuhua Pavillion.