Bone Painting Coroner

Jing Rong really had no idea what to do next. At that moment, he was still hesitating; to be precise, he had conflicting priorities. On one hand, this case involved the Imperial Duke and the army of a hundred thousand. On the other hand, if he reported the case to the royal court, he might implicate Wei Yi and even Ji Yunshu. Then the Imperial Court would definitely dispatch their soldiers and rivers of blood would be spilled in the capital. Who would be willing to see that happen?

Mo Ruo had been his friend of many years, and they grew up together. Naturally, he understood Jing Rong's concerns. Unlike his usual idle self, Mo Ruo said seriously, “I know what you're worrying about; it's an inevitable dilemma. On one hand, you're the prince and it's your duty to protect Great Lin by reporting this case to the imperial court. On the other hand, the lives of the commoners are at stake. You don’t wish to see the numerous deaths that would be the result. Too many parties are implicated in this issue. Everyone will be caught in the same dilemma if they were in your shoes.”

Jing Rong stared at Mo Ruo, “So, what do you think?”

“Me?” Mo Ruo pointed at himself. He was just as confused as Jing Rong. Not only did he play no role in this case, but he also had never been interested in the going-ons of the Imperial Court. Isn’t asking Mo Ruo this question as good as talking to a wall?

How absurd! Mo Ruo could not help but chuckle.

Mo Ruo stood up and walked towards Jing Rong, then reached out to pat Jing Rong on his shoulder. With a solemn tone, he advised, “If I were you, I'll do nothing, and… I'll wait.”

“Wait?” Jing Rong was dumbfounded.

“Yes. I'll wait,” Mo Ruo repeated. “This is the best solution for most problems. You only have to wait for someone to provide you the answer, and for the best timing to execute the most efficient plan.”

Despite Jing Rong's intelligence, he could not wrap his head around Mo Ruo's words. “Get straight to the point,” Jing Rong said, this time with a more serious tone.

Mo Ruo heaved a deep sigh, “You asked me for my opinion and I told you to wait.”

What exactly do you mean? I don’t understand! Jing Rong gave Mo Ruo a look. He was already deeply troubled by the case and yet this jerk was giving him this nonsense.

What am I supposed to wait for? However, at that moment, realization seemed to finally hit him.

Without further ado, he summoned Lang Po. He looked out of the window and asked, “Where is Teacher Ji?”

“He went out.”

“Where did he go?”

Lang Po pursed his lips before he hesitantly replied, “The prison.”

“The prison?” Jing Rong put on a scowl. This woman has become so disobedient! How dare she visit the prison in such a sensitive situation?

While Jing Rong was vexed with Ji Yunshu, Shi Ziran arrived. He ran to Jing Rong and said nervously, “Your Highness, Teacher Ji is back. After she went to the prison, she visited the yamen and brought that little girl home. Now, she has gone back to her courtyard.”

Upon hearing that, Jing Rong immediately headed for Ji Yunshu's courtyard.

In the backyard, Little Xiyue was pouting as she stared at the plate of delicious snacks before her with her big round eyes.

Qiao'er picked up one of the pieces and placed it on Little Xiyue's hand. “Little Xiyue, don't you like this? Eat more. I'll bring more if this is not enough for you.”

However, Little Xiyue pushed the plate of snacks away with her tiny hand. She lifted her gaze to stare at Qiao'er with her watery eyes. She pouted her red lips as she looked at Qiao'er pitifully. “Sister Qiao'er, can you talk to Big Brother? I want to look for my parents and stay with them. Also, I want to find my elder brother. I want to know if they are doing fine.”

“But…” Qiao'er was put in a very difficult position. She hated seeing anyone cry, let alone this petite and adorable girl. At that moment, tears welled up in her big eyes, causing them to glisten. It was a heartbreaking sight.

Qiao'er reached out to ruffle her hair as she comforted Little Xiyue with a soft voice, “Little Xiyue, this… is not something I have a say in. Your parents made a mistake and they are now locked up in the prison. Even Teacher Ji can't help you.”

“Why?”

“Because…” Words stuck in Qiao'er's throat.

Little Xiyue grabbed Qiao'er by her hand and swung it as she pleaded, “Please talk to Big Brother. My parents are not bad people. They never had the intention of killing anyone, I swear!”

At that moment, a fierce voice wafted into the courtyard. “Your parents led troops in a rebellion, , stole the relief silvers, and killed many of the officials who were sent to Yufu to investigate the case. These charges are more than enough to sentence them to death a thousand times over. How can you say that they had no intention of killing anyone? Do we look blind to you?”

Hmph! It was Tang Si who spoke. She coiled the silver whip in her hand as she entered the courtyard. All the repressed anger accumulated from being tied up by Zuo Yao, was vented on Little Xiyue through a malicious glare.

Tang Si had always been Little Xiyue's sworn enemy. Whenever they met, Tang Si never failed to pinch her cheeks until they were red. Now, she even cursed her parents and said that they deserved to die. How could Little Xiyue let this go?

All of a sudden, Little Xiyue summoned all her energy into her tiny body. She stood up abruptly and pointed at Tang Si with her little finger. “Nonsense! My parents would never kill anyone, neither would they steal the relief silvers. You’re maligning them!” Her tone was full of menace.

“Malign?” Tang Si sneered, “Little Xiyue, everyone talks about how you could recognise a thousand words by the age of three and know the classics as well as the back of your hand. Yet, you are such a headstrong girl. You saw it with your own eyes when your mother came to capture us with her men. You also know that your father ordered his men to surround the Si Residence in order to capture Prince Rong and his men. How can you plead ignorance while knowing all these?”

That’s right! She knew all these better than anyone else.

“But they are my family nonetheless,” Little Xiyue's tone was no longer resolute like before. Instead, her statement was laced with a hint of sorrow as she sobbed. Despairing, she flopped weakly onto the chair.

Looking at how Little Xiyue slowly dropped her head, Tang Si began to feel bad for the girl. She realized that she was acting a little too mean at Little Xiyue. After all, the had played no part in these crimes. She felt so guilty that she almost wanted to give herself a slap!

She immediately comforted Little Xiyue, “Lass, there's no need for you to be sad. Everything I mentioned just now has nothing to do with you. You know how straightforward I am and I always exaggerate things. Please forgive me for being mean.”

There was no reply from Little Xiyue.

“Little Girl, I truly…” But before Tang Si could finish her sentence...

“Ahem!” Ji Yunshu let out a couple of coughs as she came out of the room and entered the courtyard. Her eyes darkened as she heard Tang Si's words. Worried, she took a glance at the sorrowful Little Xiyue before she glared angrily at the unsympathetic Tang Si.

She pulled Tang Si to the side and said, “Why do you have to say things like that? It has nothing to do with her.”

“I know…”

“Also, for now, she will live with us. Therefore, you need to watch your mouth.”

“Huh?” Tang Si exclaimed before she quickly covered her mouth. She gulped and stared at Ji Yunshu in disbelief. “That girl is going to live here? Are you going to raise her? Do you want to be her mother?”

Ptooey! Young lady, can you talk like a sane person?