Zhuo Qing's lips stiffened in place; the man's manner of questioning was hardly courteous. She reluctantly lowered the hand that had been shielding her mouth, her voice icy and tinged with unmistakable indifference as she replied, "Magistrate of the Investigation Department, I believe you are mistaken. I am neither your servant nor a criminal. You may have the right to question me, but whether I choose to answer depends entirely on my disposition."
Shan Yulan was taken aback by her retort, momentarily stunned. Meanwhile, Lou Xiyan's smile grew ever more pronounced; it seemed that impulsiveness and audacity defined his character. In retrospect, his treatment of her last night had been surprisingly polite.
"Impertinent!" Wu Zhigang quickly reprimanded, fearing Shan Yulan might lose his temper. "The Magistrate questions you, and you dare remain silent?!"
Crossing her arms, Zhuo Qing remained unruffled, even responding with a teasing smile, "I am conversing with the Magistrate himself. And you, sir, dare to interrupt?"
"You—" Wu Zhigang was utterly flustered, his face flushed with rage, chest heaving violently, and finger trembling as he pointed at Zhuo Qing. Yet no further words came forth. Zhuo Qing was somewhat taken aback; had she really said anything so provocative? She half-feared he might suffer a stroke—the resilience of these ancient men was, indeed, questionable.
Fortunately, two constables escorted a middle-aged man into the chamber, breaking the tense silence. "Your Honor, Li Ming has been brought in."
Shan Yulan endured Zhuo Qing's insolence without a word. Lou Xiyan maintained his composed demeanor, while Wu Zhigang, simmering with fury yet unable to vent, directed a furious tirade at Li Ming.
"Li Ming, Lin Bokang was murdered last night, and you were the only person who saw him then. What did you witness? Did you kill him?"
Li Ming knelt swiftly, head bowed. Though his voice trembled, his account was coherent: "Your Honor, I am falsely accused! I am merely the steward of the Lin household. The master has languished in prison for months, suffering greatly. I only came to deliver clothes. The master was in poor spirits, so I dared not linger, offering only a few words of comfort before leaving. I stayed inside the cell no longer than the burning of a single incense stick. It was pouring rain outside; trees near the prison were torn asunder by the wind. I even helped the constables move some fallen branches."
Li Ming's frame was sturdier than the deceased's, capable of strangling someone into unconsciousness and hanging them from the rafters. Yet, given the time of death, he remained the prime suspect—though evidence was lacking. Case deductions were always Gu Yun's forte; she handled the autopsy quietly.
Retreating a few steps, Zhuo Qing leaned lazily against the stone wall outside the cell, yawning repeatedly—her involvement likely concluded.
"Tell me, since you came to deliver clothes, did Lin Bokang change into new garments or shoes before you?" Shan Yulan glanced briefly at the plainly dressed man. Li Ming lowered his gaze and replied softly, "No."
His voice was calm yet suffocatingly oppressive. Shan Yulan pressed further, "Besides delivering clothes, did you do anything else for him?"
Without hesitation, Li Ming answered, "I merely handed the clothes to the master, said a few words, and left."
Suddenly, Shan Yulan stepped inside the cell, approaching the crude wooden plank bed scattered with disheveled straw. He lifted a few strands and revealed a faint muddy footprint.
"On the edge of the deceased's bed lies a muddy footprint. But he wore new shoes. Even if they had been old, Lin Bokang scarcely left the cell during those months, so they wouldn't be so filthy. Last night's heavy rain corresponds with this timeframe, and only you entered the cell then. This footprint must have been left while you were suspending the body. Isn't that so?"
Zhuo Qing squinted at the footprint, barely visible among the tangled straw. Shan Yulan must have only stood outside the cell door until now—remarkably perceptive.
Li Ming trembled, stammering, "N-no—"
"Remove his shoes and verify!" Wu Zhigang snapped impatiently.
Two constables promptly obeyed, pulling off Li Ming's shoes. Upon inspection, they confirmed, "Your Honor, Li Ming's shoes perfectly match the footprint."
With this evidence, Wu Zhigang's arrogance swelled. "So it is you! Li Ming, what audacity!"
Zhuo Qing scoffed. This at most proved he had stepped on the board—it was merely corroborative, insufficient for conviction. Li Ming, trembling like a leaf, collapsed to the floor, pleading, "Your Honor, I… I acted unintentionally, not with malice toward the master!"
Had he confessed? Something felt amiss to Zhuo Qing, though she couldn't pinpoint the cause. Lou Xiyan's eyes flickered with a sharp glint before quickly masking it.
"You were inside the cell no longer than an incense stick's burn, yet managed to kill, change clothes, and stage a hanging scene. You claim it was an accident? Unless you are hiding something. Speak!"
Shan Yulan's voice rose with determination, his gaze unwavering, radiating authority. Even Zhuo Qing was shaken. Li Ming's eyes darted about in terror, begging ceaselessly, "Spare me, Your Honor, spare me!"
If Li Ming had meticulously planned this murder, he must be a cold, calculating man. But now, he was utterly distraught. As steward to Lin Bokang, what motive could he possibly have?
"Li Ming! Ungrateful wretch! Your master treated you well in life!" Mrs. Lin could no longer contain her fury, unable to believe the killer was their longtime steward.
The villagers seethed, eager to punish the traitor. Chaos erupted within the cell.
Shan Yulan decisively declared, "Detain this man. I shall examine Lin Bokang's case files before proceeding. Truth and justice will prevail."
"Yes, sir." The constables immediately escorted Li Ming to a nearby cell. Mrs. Lin and the villagers were likewise led out.
Lou Xiyan lightly applauded, lips curling into a lingering smile. "The entire court praises Magistrate Shan's fairness and wisdom. Seeing it in person, he is truly deserving of his renown."
Lou Xiyan's calm expression remained as they walked side by side from the cell.
Wu Si approached Lou Xiyan gratefully, "Prime Minister, thank you for standing with us. Rest assured, we were wrong to kidnap the lady, but we did not harm her. She is a good person—helped us write petitions and even assisted with the autopsy earlier. The lady—"
"Wait!" Lou Xiyan's usually smiling face stiffened. "You say the youth who performed the autopsy was Qing Feng?"
Qing Feng? That youth was actually a girl? Shan Yulan's face filled with astonishment. Qing Feng was indeed extraordinary—few could provoke such a look of frustration from Lou Xiyan.
Qing Feng? Wasn't her name Zhuo Qing?
Wu Si looked around, puzzled, instinctively searching for Zhuo Qing—but the cell was empty.
"Huh? Where is she?"