Bone Painting Coroner

Is this over? Will Yunshu be able to solve it in time? Translator: Iris, Editor: Choufleur

What Jing Yi said was an obvious ploy to conceal the truth and close the case hastily in order to claim undue credit. Jing Rong would never let him do that. "We don't have enough evidence, let alone the conclusive proof that Zhang Daqi is the murderer. If you submit that case report, you'll be guilty of deceiving His Majesty."

"When did I do that?" Jing Yi retorted, "This stone right here is my evidence that Zhang Daqi is the murderer. It doesn't matter if he denies it; as long as I have this, I can say that he's the guilty one. If you want to save him, fine. Just find proof that he's not the murderer. Or else, all your talk is of no use." He declared haughtily.

Jing Rong snapped back in return, "If you submit that case report, I'll get the Ministry of Justice to hold a trial immediately."

"Good. Let's see which would happen first, the Ministry of Justice's trial, or Zhang Daqi's fingerprint printed on my case report?" He meant that before dawn breaks, he would make sure Zhang Daqi's fingerprint would be on his case report, even if it meant chopping off his hand. What a despicable man.

Jing Rong shouted an order. "Men, go to the Yi estate and bring Zhang Daqi to the Ministry of Justice."

Lang Po obeyed and gathered a small team with him, only to be stopped by Jing Yi's guards. They blocked his path with unsheathed swords. Two opposing sides formed in an instant.

JIng Yi questioned Jing Rong nervously, "What are you doing?"

"Don't forget, Jing Yi. You're in the Rong estate, not the Yi estate."

"You…"

Right then, Jing Rong snapped his fingers. More than ten archers appeared from the surrounding rooftops, each of them armed with arrows aimed squarely at Jing Yi and his guards. All they needed was a command before they unleashed a rain of arrows. Jing Yi looked around frantically, if Jing Rong really ordered them to kill him, there's no way that he would be able to escape.

But, he taunted back. "I dare you."

"Try me."

"If you hurt me, you'll die too."

"Relax, I never planned to hurt you." Jing Rong said, "But you'll have to stay in the Rong estate until Zhang Daqi arrives at the Ministry of Justice. Feel free to try to escape this place, I don't mind testing how sharp these arrows are."

For the first time, Jing Yi found himself caught in a trap, and it was a trap he had walked into himself. He felt like he could not say a thing, as if something was stuck in his throat.

Jing Rong ordered his men, "Quick, go to the Yi estate and bring him to the Ministry of Justice."

"Wait." Jing Yi stopped him. "Do you really think it's that easy to enter the Yi estate? That you can just take anyone away as you pleased?"

"You're held here by me, of course they'll listen to me."

"Yes, I may have walked into your trap. But don't forget, Zhang Daqi is still in my hands at this very second." He met Jing Rong's cold glare and let out an unnerving chuckle. "Let me be frank, before I came here I've already instructed my men that if I don't return in 2 hours, they are to kill Zhang Daqi. When that happens, both of us would lose. And with him dead, it would be even easier to obtain his fingerprint. I'll just add that he had killed himself out of fear and guilt and tie up that loose end. What use would a dead body have to you then?"

"Do you think I believe you?"

"Jing Rong, I don't care if you believe me. But I have the same reply as you, you're welcome to try." The elder prince stared back with a cunning glint in his eyes.

JIng Rong weighed his options, but he could not decide. He knew that Jing Yi was capable of such underhanded tactics. If Zhang Daqi died, there would be no way to refute Jing Yi's fake confession. And if he weren't the killer, then another innocent man would have died for nothing. The risk was too great.

As he was trying to make a decision, Ji Yunshu stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "Let them go."

Jing Rong turned to look at her in confusion. But his confused gaze was met with her unflinching eyes as she answered softly, "Lives are more important."

Jing Rong understood where she was coming from. He gritted his teeth and slowly lifted his hand, gesturing with his palm facing downwards. The archers stationed at the rooftops all put their arrows away.

With his life out of immediate danger, Jing Yi grew even more brazen. Zhang Daqi was a chess piece that both of them were fighting over; now that he is firmly in his hands, he naturally became even more arrogant. Jing Rong's sharp, stern glare was like a thousand needles, piercing every pore on his skin, but he did not care one bit as he let out a chilling laugh. Then, surrounded by his own guards, Jing Yi left the Rong estate with a swing in his step.

But Ji Yunshu called out to Wen Shisan with a hushed voice, "Do you truly believe you can count on Prince Yi?"

"What are you hinting at?"

"He would sacrifice Zhang Daqi's life for the sake of glory. One day, he would sacrifice yours as well."

Wen Shisan took her advice, but on the surface, he scoffed, "I called you Shifu because I respect you. I never interfered with your climb to success, so don't interfere with mine either. Besides, it's not up to you to decide if Prince Yi would sacrifice me. Right now, he has the winning hand, so you best think of yourself and Prince Rong's escape plan." He left after that speech. Truly, just like an ostrich with its head stuck in the sand.

Jing Rong walked to her with a sour look, looking like he regretted letting Jing Yi go. He said with knitted brows, "Jing Yi will enter the palace and submit his report first thing tomorrow morning. Once he submits that evidence, His Majesty would close this case."

Ji Yunshu remained quiet.

The next day, they heard that Zhang Daqi had confessed to murder and signed the case report. The case report in question was written beautifully by Wen Shisan and brought before the Emperor by Jing Yi.

Very soon, the Emperor issued a decree: Zhang Daqi was to be imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice until his execution. When the other copy of the case report arrived at the Supreme Court, Vice-Chancellor Yu quickly made an extra copy and sent it to Jing Rong.

Wen Shisan did present a beautiful case report; it was both detailed and neatly written. But within it was an accusation soaked in blood. To all of their surprise, Zhang Daqi had bitten off his own tongue and nearly died from the ordeal. He signed the confession, but he could not recount how he committed the crime. Still, the stone was enough evidence to prove his crime. It was a perfect case report, almost without a fault.

But Ji Yunshu racked her brain over the details. "Zhang Daqi is someone with barely enough strength to kill a chicken - how could he have killed Sha Si with a silver needle? And how was the large Buddha statue moved? If Gao Meng had never opened that box of tiger pelts, how did the stench get onto his hands? Why is the murderer targeting people born in the year, month, day and hour of Yin? What brought Gao Meng to that dilapidated temple anyway? None of these were addressed in the case report. They just brushed it under the rug with Zhang Daqi's voluntary muteness. The case report is beautiful, but they can't close the case just because Zhang Daqi had confessed, not with so many questions left unanswered."

How could anyone consider this case resolved?