Xiao Jinyu furrowed his brows, opened his eyes, and turned to look at Chu Chu. "Did Gu Yao tell you all this?"
"He said it to me himself!" Chu Chu's eyes were slightly red as she pouted. "He also said he liked them and was heartbroken when they died. He kept their bodies in a chest under his bed, hoping they would come back to life... Only when another person died in the same way would he reluctantly send the previous one away... When I told him I was a coroner, he even asked me to check if I could revive the person he kept under his bed... These people died from taking aphrodisiacs themselves. Young Master Gu Yao even showed me the Night-Blooming Jasmine recipe. You can't blame Young Master Gu Yao, let alone Boss Xu!"
"You have the Night-Blooming Jasmine recipe?"
Chu Chu quickly covered the front of her robe. "I promised Young Master Gu Yao I wouldn't show it to anyone."
Xiao Jinyu's expression softened slightly as he took a piece of paper from his sleeve. "Then look at this one. Does it differ from what Gu Yao gave you?"
Seeing Chu Chu hesitate to take it, Wu Jiang stepped forward, took the paper, and pressed it into her hands. With a stern face, he said, "Lives are at stake. You must examine it carefully."
Only then did Chu Chu reluctantly unfold the paper. After giving it a quick glance with pursed lips, she shook her head. "It's not the same. Several medicines marked with red circles here aren't on Young Master Gu Yao's recipe."
Xiao Jinyu nodded faintly. That confirmed it.
Chu Chu returned the recipe to Wu Jiang. Watching Xiao Jinyu close his eyes as if deep in thought, she said somewhat guiltily, "Young Master Gu Yao originally asked me to keep these matters secret. If you hadn't wronged Boss Xu, I would never have spoken of them..."
"Did Gu Yao mention anything about the iron nail driven into Xue Yue's skull?"
"He did. He said all external injuries on these people were self-inflicted with their consent. They enjoyed it that way. So the iron nail must have been the same."
Seeing Xiao Jinyu frown slightly and fall silent, Chu Chu added, "Now you understand, right? Boss Xu is such a good person—he even helped me exchange silver notes. Without solid evidence, you can't wrongly accuse an innocent person."
Xiao Jinyu curled his lips into a cold smile. "Even without evidence, he deserves to die a thousand deaths."
"You..." Chu Chu stamped her foot. "You're no different from Bai Wuchang!"
Both Wu Jiang and Xiao Jinyu froze momentarily, neither understanding the key term. "Bai... what?"
Chu Chu shot Xiao Jinyu an unimpressed glare. "And you call yourself the high official overseeing all cases under heaven? You don't even know Bai Wuchang! He's the one who 'prospers the compliant and destroys the defiant, wears official robes over bandit bones with a black heart, decides cases by whim, and spends his days busily claiming lives'! He was eventually captured by 'Little Chili,' the only female Divine Detective among the Nine Great Arresters."
Chu Chu spoke with passionate fervor, while Wu Jiang listened with exasperation. What nonsense filled this little girl's head...
Xiao Jinyu coughed twice, his face dark. "If you keep talking like this, I really will charge you with a crime."
Wu Jiang lacked Jing Yi's ability to read subtle cues and couldn't tell if Xiao Jinyu was truly angry or just intimidating her. As he prepared to say something to ease the tension, before he could speak, he saw Chu Chu puff out her chest and declare with boundless courage, "Everything I said is true. If you charge me with a crime, you're a corrupt official."
Wu Jiang started in alarm. This was no joking matter."Alright, then I won't punish you... But if you say such things again, I'll hold Wu Jiang accountable."
"Why should Big Brother be punished!"
Xiao Jin Yu gently closed his eyes, "He's a guard in my residence. Rewards and punishments depend on my mood."
Wu Jiang felt like crying but had no tears. Wang Ye, you're joking, right...
Chu Chu looked up at Wu Jiang's innocent expression, bit her lip, and said, "Then... I won't say it if you don't want me to."
☆、17 Jujube Ginger Soup (Seventeen)
Jing Yi and Xu Ru Gui returned just before the quarter-hour mark, following behind a plainly dressed woman around thirty years old. Jing Yi wore a calm and composed expression, while Xu Ru Gui was already sweating profusely from anxiety.
The woman entered and sat directly across from Xiao Jin Yu. Her noble features and exquisite facial structure made her appear even colder than Xiao Jin Yu. "Speak quickly and leave quickly after you're done."
Chu Chu had been hiding behind Wu Jiang, secretly watching Xiao Jin Yu. Suddenly hearing the woman's words, her curiosity was immediately piqued. Since arriving in the capital, she had seen everyone treat Xiao Jin Yu like a revered Buddha—this was the first time she heard someone speak to him like this.
Hearing such words, Xiao Jin Yu slowly opened his eyes without a trace of anger on his face. Even Wu Jiang and Jing Yi didn't reprimand the woman for her disrespect toward the Prince. Xu Ru Gui looked as if he wanted to bury his head in the ground.
Is this the Pavilion Master? It seems the Pavilion Master is even more powerful than the boss.
Xiao Jin Yu gave the Pavilion Master a deep look, then turned to the two men beside him. "Wu Jiang, go to the palace and inform His Majesty that I have matters to report. Ask him to wait for me in the One Heart Garden reception hall. Then you stay in the residence to protect His Majesty... Jing Yi, go to the Ministry of Justice and explain the details of this case to the Minister. Have him prepare the arrest documents and bring people to wait outside As Returning Pavilion. Keep watch over the Ministry personnel—no one enters As Returning Pavilion without my order."
Jing Yi and Wu Jiang exchanged glances. While others might not notice, they knew perfectly well these two matters weren't actually urgent, nor did they require such arrangements. This was simply Xiao Jin Yu's way of sending them away.
They couldn't change Xiao Jin Yu's decisions.
"Yes."
Before stepping out, Wu Jiang quickly whispered a few words in Chu Chu's ear. Chu Chu glanced at Xiao Jin Yu and nodded.
After the two men used qinggong to swiftly leave As Returning Pavilion, Jing Yi paused atop a tree and stopped Wu Jiang. "You left Wang Ye with that girl?"
Wu Jiang smiled bitterly. "I told her Wang Ye is seriously ill and asked her to take care of him. I'll personally escort her home later."
Jing Yi laughed and patted Wu Jiang's shoulder. "You've improved."
"About Wang Ye and her..."
"Hey now, Steward Zhao said—less talk, more work!"
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