Chu Chu pursed her lips and secretly glanced down at her chest.
Just as Xue Ming shot Ashina Suwu a glare cold enough to kill, Xiao Jin Yu timely cleared his throat lightly. "Since everyone is here... let the court session begin."
As soon as Xiao Jin Yu took his seat behind the judge's bench, all the demons and monsters in the tent immediately quieted down. After Ashina Suwu took the first seat to the left of the bench, everyone else either sat or stood according to their rank. Chu Chu stood properly at the very end, watching Xiao Jin Yu from afar, whose authority was felt even without anger.
Xiao Jin Yu's voice was slightly deep. "All tedious formalities are omitted.".. only one rule: this case is special. To ensure it is concluded smoothly today, anyone who disrupts the court will be executed immediately."
"Yes."
"Bring in the deceased."
As soon as Xiao Jin Yu finished speaking, eight soldiers carried in four stretchers covered with white cloths, neatly arranged on the ground. Looking at the four stretchers, Leng Peishan's thick eyebrows furrowed into a tight knot, Xue Ming pressed his slightly dry lips together, and Du Li had long since shrunk behind Ashina Suwu's chair, blinking with panicked eyes.
"The four deceased: Cheng Yu, a fifth-rank general; Zhang Peng, a fourth-rank general; Zhong Xiang, a deputy fourth-rank general; and Xue Qin, a third-rank general. According to the coroner's examination... all died of illness."
Chu Chu pursed her lips, Xue Ming's body stiffened slightly, Ashina Suwu's eyebrows lifted faintly, and Leng Peishan nearly jumped up to shout "Impossible!" But restrained by Xiao Jin Yu's earlier words, he could only turn his face as wrinkled as lychee skin.
Xiao Jin Yu seemed completely unaware of everyone's reactions and continued calmly, "Bring in the three physicians from the Medical Tent and six medicine dispensers."
When the nine were brought in, their faces were progressively paler. Especially upon seeing Du Li hiding behind Ashina Suwu, one particularly thin and small dispenser ducked behind a broad, stout colleague, his legs trembling so badly he could barely walk. Leng Peishan shot a fierce glare at him, and the young dispenser's knees buckled. He fell to the ground with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly. "Wang Ye, spare me! Wang Ye, spare me!"
With his kneeling, the remaining eight also scrambled to kneel. "Wang Ye, spare me!"
Xiao Jin Yu coughed lightly twice, gazing indifferently at the nine below. "No need to rush... Only one of you deserves to die. The one who should die may beg for mercy; the others need not."
The hall fell silent instantly.
"General Leng," Xiao Jin Yu said mildly, turning to Leng Peishan, whose face had gone from lychee skin to the bottom of a black pot. "Are these nine all from the Medical Tent in your camp?"
"Reporting to Wang Ye, yes."
"How were they selected?"
"The three physicians were carefully chosen by the Imperial Hospital on the Emperor's orders. The six dispensers were selected by the three physicians from among the practitioners of several major clinics in Liangzhou."
Xiao Jin Yu nodded slightly and swept a glance over the group. "Since all are experienced medical practitioners... Prince Su Wu, would you allow these gentlemen to examine Mr. Du Li?"
Ashina Suwu turned to look at Du Li still hiding behind him. "Sure, he has plenty of ailments anyway."
Hearing this, the thin, small dispenser kowtowed repeatedly, his voice trembling with tears. "Wang Ye, please investigate clearly, Wang Ye... I'm just a dispenser, a dispenser...""There's no need to fear..." Xiao Jin Yu spoke unhurriedly, "As long as you're careful, Mr. Du Li won't casually cast spells on people."
The young assistant's face turned another shade paler.
"Anyone who fails to provide a diagnosis within one ke will be considered equally guilty as the murderer... All written diagnoses will be recorded in the case files presented to His Majesty. Ensure your handwriting is clear and legible."
The nine men immediately scrambled to their feet, rushing toward Du Li in unison. Startled by the sudden approach, Du Li barely had time to shrink back before Ashina Suwu grabbed him by the collar and pulled him forward. Ashina Suwu sternly muttered a few low reprimands at Du Li that no one else understood, but Du Li immediately quieted down and efficiently rolled up his sleeve to expose his left arm.
After hastily checking Du Li's pulse, the nine men hurried to a table to quickly write down their diagnoses. True enough, within one ke, they all submitted their papers to Xiao Jin Yu.
Xiao Jin Yu skimmed through the pages before turning to Ashina Suwu. Ashina Suwu looked at Du Li, who pressed his lips together, blinked, and decisively raised a finger to point.
Xiao Jin Yu looked at the medicine assistant being pointed at and pulled out one of the papers. "Your name is... Wu Chen?"
The assistant froze for a moment. "Y-yes."
Xiao Jin Yu gazed calmly at him. "Do you know why Mr. Du Li pointed at you?"
"This humble one doesn't know."
"Because your hand was the steadiest when taking his pulse."
Leng Peishan started in surprise, looking incredulously at Ashina Suwu who wore a faint smirk. This was clearly prearranged between Xiao Jin Yu and Ashina Suwu, but how did this stern-faced, iron-willed Prince and this grinning brat end up collaborating...
"Do you know why I could call out your name?"
"This humble one... doesn't know."
"Because among the nine diagnoses submitted, your handwriting wasn't the most beautiful, but it was the clearest and neatest." Xiao Jin Yu's brow furrowed slightly as he coldly regarded the pale-faced man. "They all feared Du Li, more than they feared His Majesty... Only you weren't afraid, because only you knew that Du Li doesn't know any spells at all. The rumor about Miaojiang sorcerers using magic to harm people started with you, correct?"
All eyes suddenly focused on this unremarkable medicine assistant. Moments earlier, he had been bowing his head with a pale face and shrinking posture, appearing thoroughly intimidated. Now he seemed much calmer, his honest and straightforward face making it hard to believe he was the murderer who had thrown the entire military camp into chaos.
"Answering Wang Ye," Wu Chen knelt on the ground, properly bowing his head, "This humble one wasn't afraid because my family has been physicians for three generations. We've never believed in such sinister and unorthodox practices."
"Is that so... Coincidentally, this Prince doesn't believe in them either." Xiao Jin Yu offered a faint smile colder than the ice and snow outside. "In your opinion, if these four people weren't killed by sinister and unorthodox means, then how should they have died?"
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