Chapter 4

Rushing to the scene was Luo Haicheng, the current prefect of Datong. A major case like the sudden death of the Prince of Dai would naturally be reported to him. Startled by the news and hearing that the parties involved had already been brought to the County Government Office, he decided it would be inconvenient to have the Prince of Dai’s body transported back to the prefectural office. Instead, he hurried down to the county magistrate’s yamen himself.

Li Weizhi, who shared jurisdiction with the prefecture, usually found his role as the local official quite restrictive and far from satisfying. But now, seeing Prefect Luo felt like seeing his savior—and he even wanted to slap himself for not thinking earlier to shift the blame onto Prefect Luo. It was all Zhu Xunshuo’s chaotic interference that had muddled his mind!

Without wasting a single word, Li Weizhi swiftly scrambled out from behind the official desk and respectfully invited Prefect Luo to take the seat of authority.

Prefect Luo, a proper scholar who had passed the Imperial Examination as a second-tier jinshi, had risen quickly through the ranks. Surprisingly, he was a few years younger than Magistrate Li, being only thirty-nine this year. A man of decisive action, he didn’t engage in unnecessary pleasantries with Li Weizhi. Sitting down immediately, he took charge of this thorny case.

After reviewing the previous testimonies and conducting another round of interrogations, Prefect Luo had already formed a clear understanding. His conclusion aligned with Li Weizhi’s: the case was straightforward—the Prince of Dai had choked to death.

Zhu Xunshuo refused to accept this. He was furious that Doctor Chu had dared to retract his statement—Doctor Chu, being an honest man, had reconsidered under Prefect Luo’s authoritative demeanor, which was far more decisive than Magistrate Li’s vague handling, and truthfully restated the facts.

Zhu Xunshuo flew into a rage and stormed over to intimidate him. Prefect Luo, however, remained calm and said, “Prince of Commandery, there’s no need for haste. This is a major case. Doctor Chu’s diagnosis alone cannot be conclusive. Naturally, further examination is required.”

Prefect Luo had brought along the coroner from the prefectural yamen.

The coroner proceeded to examine the body on the spot. Kneeling before the Prince of Dai’s corpse, he carefully inspected the head and face. Zhu Xunshuo’s expression darkened. After a while, the coroner suddenly pried open the prince’s mouth and reached inside—

Seizing the opportunity, Zhu Xunshuo roared in fury, “How dare you! Are you defiling and desecrating my father’s remains?!”

He lunged forward to attack the coroner, who dared not fight back but only evaded, keeping his hand inside the prince’s mouth. Enraged further, Zhu Xunshuo ordered his servants to join in. Chaos erupted in the hall until Prefect Luo slammed the court gavel heavily and shouted, “Order in the court!”

Taking advantage of the momentary silence, the coroner hooked two fingers and pulled out something. Protecting it, he stood up quickly and hurried to the official desk, holding it up. “Your Honor, please see this.”

Prefect Luo focused his gaze—it was a small piece of steamed bun.

This most ordinary of objects had taken the life of a prince, causing him to perish inexplicably on the bustling street.

The coroner elaborated, “Your Honor, observe the scratches on the Prince of Dai’s throat. These were left as he struggled in agony, choking—”

As he spoke, his colleague had already begun recording the details, preparing the evidence for the corpse report.

Zhu Xunshuo exploded in anger, “Nonsense! My father was clearly poisoned!”

Others from the Prince Dai Manor chimed in, especially the servants, emboldening Zhu Xunshuo. Repeating his earlier tactic, he advanced toward the official desk, pressuring Prefect Luo: “Prefect Luo, as an official, you cannot ignore my father’s wrongful death. You must know—even the current Emperor would address my father as uncle—”

“Xing’er!”

Xu Shi suddenly let out a cry of alarm. After Luo Zhifu entered, Zhan Jianxing was temporarily released. Xu Shi cradled his bruised and bleeding fingers, her heart aching as if twisted into knots. Once she finished answering another round of Luo Zhifu’s questioning, she hurriedly pulled Zhan Jianxing tightly into her arms, fearing he might suffer again.

The pain from his fingers radiated to his heart, and Zhan Jianxing had been sitting still, enduring it quietly. But upon hearing Zhu Xunshuo’s arrogant words, he suddenly broke free from Xu Shi’s embrace and rushed toward the Official Desk.

Everyone’s attention was fixed on Zhu Xunshuo, and even Luo Zhifu frowned slightly, intending to wait until Zhu Xunshuo finished his tirade before responding. Unexpectedly, Zhan Jianxing dashed forward, grabbed something from the Official Desk, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed twice with puffed cheeks, and swallowed.

Luo Zhifu snapped back to his senses and was momentarily speechless. “You—”

“This commoner begs forgiveness for his rudeness,” Zhan Jianxing said, stepping back and bowing respectfully. “The Prince of Commandery insists that the steamed buns from my family’s shop were poisoned and caused the death of the Prince of Dai. Now, everyone can see that this piece of steamed bun was taken directly from the Prince of Dai’s throat. If it is indeed poisoned, then by eating it, I shall rightfully pay with my life for the Prince of Dai’s death, without complaint. If it is not poisoned, and I remain unharmed, then I implore Your Honor to clear my mother and me of all accusations.”

—What he had snatched and eaten was none other than the piece of steamed bun presented by the coroner.

After speaking, Zhan Jianxing straightened up. His face and lips were pale, and beads of weak sweat dotted his temples, but his eyes shone with an extraordinary brightness.

In an instant, the gazes of everyone in the hall shifted from Zhu Xunshuo to him—even the youngest boy from Prince Dai Manor looked his way.

The boy had been one of those who had fought over the steamed bun earlier. His status in Prince Dai Manor was unclear, but he had remained quiet since entering the hall, standing in an inconspicuous corner and observing everything with a gaze that seemed both curious and indifferent—an indescribable expression.

Now, that peculiar gaze swept over Zhan Jianxing, lingering briefly on his pale, bloodless lips before flickering down to his swollen fingers hanging at his sides.

Luo Zhifu was also watching Zhan Jianxing. Seated, his eyes met Zhan Jianxing’s at eye level. A flicker of admiration passed through his gaze, though his expression remained neutral. “This is an excellent method. Prince of Commandery, we can both bear witness to whether the steamed bun is truly poisoned or not.”

Zhu Xunshuo was momentarily stunned.

He had never paid any attention to the people he intended to frame, focusing all his efforts on arguing with the presiding official. He hadn’t spared Xu Shi or Zhan Jianxing a second glance. Never did he expect that these insignificant commoners, pushed to their limits, would refuse to accept their fate and die to cover up the Prince of Dai’s disgrace—instead, they had resorted to such an unexpected trick!

This move seemed like a feeble last struggle, yet it struck at the heart of the matter—the other party had “staked their life” on it. Wasn’t that proof enough of their innocence?

The word “justice” in this world was often muddled, but no matter how obscured, it still existed.

The might of the powerful may crush spines like mountains, but it could never suppress the hearts of the people.

Luo Zhifu smiled faintly, facing Zhu Xunshuo’s darkened expression with patience, and even took the time to analyze the situation for him: “The Xu family’s steamed bun shop is located in the middle of the street. After the Prince of Dai seized the bun there, he collapsed by the end of the street—a span of no more than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. If the bun was poisoned, the poison should take effect within that same timeframe. Prince of Commandery, please remain calm. Let us wait a moment longer to see the outcome.”

The wait naturally didn’t yield a second outcome. Whether the steamed buns were poisoned or not was something everyone already knew in their hearts.

Luo Zhifu pronounced Xu Shi and her son innocent right there in court.

Zhan Jianxing returned to Xu Shi’s side, who hugged him tightly, weeping with joy. The tension in Zhan Jianxing’s chest finally eased, his eyes also reddening. Mother and son kowtowed before the Official Desk in gratitude.

The crowd outside the courtroom erupted in cheers, many shouting “upright and just magistrate,” their excitement and joy no less than that of Xu Shi and her son.

For the monstrous beast that was Prince Dai Manor had been unleashed after lying dormant for eight years. If they could persecute Xu Shi and her son today, they could do the same to others tomorrow. Luo Zhifu’s ability to withstand the pressure and uphold justice had given them a glimmer of hope for themselves.

Zhu Xunshuo, however, was in a foul mood. Seeing Zhan Jianxing helping Xu Shi up to leave, his humiliation turned to rage. He ordered his servants to block the courtroom doors, preventing their exit.

Luo Zhifu frowned, but Zhu Xunshuo barely regarded this fourth-rank official. “Luo,” he said, “you’ve twisted the verdict just to polish your own reputation. By your judgment, does my father’s death mean nothing? If these commoners say there was no poison, then there was none? But everyone in Prince Dai Manor believes there was poison! How is it that their words count, but ours as the aggrieved party do not?”

This was pure obstinacy, and Zhu Xunshuo made no attempt to hide it. Pointing at Luo Zhifu, he declared, “Mark my words—I’ll petition the court as soon as I return. Until then, if you dare let these criminals escape, I’ll hold you accountable with your life!”

Xu Shi hadn’t anticipated this turn of events. Her legs weakened, and the color drained from her face once more.

Luo Zhifu’s gaze cooled. After a moment’s thought, he replied calmly, “The passing of the Prince of Dai is a grave matter. Not only must the Prince of Commandery submit a petition, but I too must report the details to the court. Since Your Highness insists on your stance, please sign and seal the testimony so I may submit it together.”

During the earlier interrogation, all statements had been recorded, but those from Prince Dai Manor lacked signatures. Now that these were to be sent to the capital as evidence, the formalities had to be completed.

A clerk promptly brought the testimonies for the Prince Dai Manor household to review and sign. At the end, the clerk exclaimed in surprise—one person had been overlooked.

A young boy standing in the corner had gone unnoticed due to his position and age, even escaping Luo Zhifu’s attention.

The clerk hurried to the Official Desk to report. Luo Zhifu nodded and called the boy forward to complete his testimony.

The boy didn’t move. In a flat, almost wooden tone, he said, “I don’t know.”

Luo Zhifu raised an eyebrow. “How can you not know? Just say what you saw.” He then asked for the boy’s name and identity.

The boy’s eyes shifted toward Luo Zhifu, his gaze oddly vacant, as if he were looking at him yet not. His words were even stranger: “Today was my first time leaving the manor. I don’t understand what you’re talking about. If Second Uncle says there was poison, then there was poison.”

He didn’t answer Luo Zhifu’s second question, but by addressing Zhu Xunshuo as “Second Uncle,” it was clear he was also a descendant of the Prince of Dai—likely a grandson.

Zhu Xunshuo listened to their exchange, growing somewhat impatient but still grudgingly satisfied. “Did you hear that? Everyone in Prince Dai Manor believes it was poisoned. Make sure you remember that clearly!”

Luo Zhifu paid no mind to his bluster. Instead, his furrowed brow relaxed slightly—the youth’s response had seemed casual, even bordering on reckless disregard for human life, no better than the others from Prince Dai Manor. Yet in truth, it was the only different answer given so far.

At least he had said “I don’t know,” rather than the outright lie of “it was poisoned.”

The clerk quickly recorded this statement and brought it over for the youth to sign and fingerprint.

When the inked brush was handed to him, the youth didn’t take it. “I can’t write,” he said.

Luo Zhifu couldn’t hide his surprise—judging by the boy’s stature, he had to be at least thirteen or fourteen. Even if he hadn’t studied much, how could he not write his own name?

This was the grandson of a prince!

Suppressing his urge to question further, Luo Zhifu instructed the clerk to have the youth simply press a fingerprint instead. He then took the statement back and personally wrote the name on his behalf.

He asked once more, and this time, the youth finally answered: “Zhu Chengjun.”