Chu Chu’s heart leaped with joy. Such a major case must involve a Divine Detective, and Mr. Dong probably hadn’t caught wind of it yet! Just as she was listening intently, Shi Niang’s sharp voice cut in, “Are you so full you’ve got nothing better to do? Stop wasting time and get to the point about this person.”
Xiao Jin Yu cleared his throat softly and continued where he had left off, “Though the case is significant, it lacks complexity. The investigators assigned are all trustworthy, so I refrained from intervening, planning only to oversee the trial to prevent any last-minute disruptions... On the day of the hearing, an urgent matter kept me from attending, and I never reviewed the documents. It wasn’t until Wu Jiang brought me the accounts that I noticed—though the letter was delivered by the courier station chief, the seal at the end bore Xue Yue’s mark.”
Shi Niang turned to stare at Xiao Jin Yu in astonishment, but he had already shifted his gaze to Xu Ru Gui. “I’ve questioned the courier station chief. He confirmed that Xue Yue visited him unexpectedly one night, handed him the letter, and insisted it was urgent correspondence for the capital, demanding it be delivered personally to the Censorate. The chief recalled that Xue Yue left in a hurry, mentioning before he departed that he was staying at As Returning Pavilion and could be contacted there if needed.”
“As Returning Pavilion is bustling with guests day and night, all either wealthy or noble. Whether Young Master Xue visited, I would need to check the records to confirm.”
Xiao Jin Yu shook his head lightly. “No need for the trouble. I’ll help you remember, Manager Xu...”
Suddenly dizzy, Xiao Jin Yu braced his left hand on the armrest, furrowing his brow slightly as he adjusted his position in the wheelchair. He could feel his strength waning, but now was not the time to collapse.
Summoning his resolve, Xiao Jin Yu deepened his voice. “Xue Yue did visit As Returning Pavilion and was quite close with Gu Yao. You should recall what Gu Yao told Jing Yi—compared to Lian Cheng and Xiao Lin, Xue Yue treated him the best because Xue Yue was... different.”
Xu Ru Gui’s face stiffened. “It seems... that’s true.”
“Manager Xu, how do you suppose Xue Yue treated Gu Yao so exceptionally well?”
Xu Ru Gui’s face turned ashen. Under Shi Niang’s piercing glare, he forced out a few words, “Matters of... intimate relations... are not my area of expertise...”
“Then let me enlighten you. Xue Yue suffered from a hidden ailment that impeded his... performance. That’s why he sought out a popular male courtesan like Gu Yao instead of a celebrated courtesan. In fact, it was Xue Yue who... served Gu Yao. The only reason Xue Yue could record these accounts was thanks to Gu Yao, who was renowned among capital officials for his... charms. If you need verification, ask your top courtesan, Manniang. She hasn’t told you, but she’s confessed everything to Jing Yi.”
“The imperial son-in-law Lian Cheng died three months ago, meaning you replaced Gu Yao’s medicine at least three months ago. You intended to eliminate Xue Yue discreetly, but he never used the medicine because he knew it would be futile...”
“It wasn’t until the embezzled silver was suddenly seized that you realized Xue Yue was still at As Returning Pavilion and decided to eliminate this threat immediately... because he had grown suspicious of the pavilion, and you couldn’t risk him uncovering evidence that the silver had initially passed through your hands... But given Xue Yue’s unique status, you dared not involve anyone else, especially not your own people at As Returning Pavilion. So, you had no choice but to handle it yourself.”"You forcibly administered the medicine to Xue Yue, only to discover that the potent drug you had concocted had become ineffective on him. In a moment of panic, you killed Xue Yue by driving an iron nail into his skull—a method ordinary corpse examinations would easily overlook... After discovering the dumping site Gu Yao used, you disposed of Xue Yue’s body in the same manner. Then, you continued deceiving Gu Yao into using the substituted night-blooming jasmine until it attracted the authorities. You attempted to shift the blame onto Gu Yao, hoping to get away with it..."
"Fortunately, Miss Chu uncovered the true cause of Xue Yue’s death and also helped me obtain the evidence that Xue Yue had been unable to find before his death..."
Xiao Jin Yu spoke in one breath, leaving Xu Ru Gui no chance to interject despite several attempts. Now that Xiao Jin Yu had paused, Xu Ru Gui found himself at a loss for words.
He had realized the mistake he had made, but it was already too late.
Xu Ru Gui knew where he had gone wrong, but Chu Chu was still unclear about what she had done right. She hadn’t even figured out the identities of the deceased, so how could she have helped Xiao Jin Yu obtain evidence of the illicit silver? Under Shi Niang’s piercing gaze, Chu Chu grew uneasy and blurted out, "You... if you have something to say, say it clearly! I didn’t take anything from here without permission!"
"The one who took things without permission wasn’t you—it was Shopkeeper Xu..." Xiao Jin Yu turned to Shi Niang. "If I recall correctly, the money shop under the As Returning Pavilion, Juyuan Hao, does not engage in business with any external merchants."
Shi Niang shifted her gaze from Chu Chu and nodded. "Juyuan Hao was established solely to facilitate the As Returning Pavilion’s out-of-town operations. It is set up within a few of our affiliated businesses, known to very few outsiders, and has never dealt with external parties."
"Is the Juyuan Hao branch within the As Returning Pavilion managed by Shopkeeper Xu?"
"Correct."
Xiao Jin Yu looked at Xu Ru Gui, who stiffly nodded in confirmation.
Xiao Jin Yu took out a brocade pouch and pulled out a string of copper coins, placing them in his palm and extending them toward Chu Chu. "Did you string these using the copper coins Shopkeeper Xu exchanged for you?"
The coins were indeed strung with the hemp twine she had borrowed from the As Returning Pavilion—ten coins per string, with two tight knots at the ends. Who else could have strung them but her?
Staring at the twine, Chu Chu jolted and suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no, oh no! I forgot to return the hemp twine I borrowed!" She frantically searched her person until she finally pulled out the half-bundle of twine, heaving a sigh of relief. Cupping it in both hands, she presented it to Shi Niang. "I borrowed this hemp twine from a worker at the As Returning Pavilion and promised to return it after use. Is it alright to return it to the Pavilion Master?"
Shi Niang was taken aback as Chu Chu placed the twine on the table before her and even bowed. "Thank you, Pavilion Master!"
Xiao Jin Yu glanced imperceptibly at Xu Ru Gui’s ashen face and smiled faintly. Her meticulousness had come at just the right moment... He tossed the string of coins at Xu Ru Gui’s feet and said coldly, "Since these copper coins were exchanged through you, Shopkeeper Xu, why is it that nearly half of the five hundred thousand coins are privately minted by Bao Hui Money Shop?"
Shi Niang’s brow furrowed. "Privately minted?"
"I’ve had people monitoring Bao Hui Money Shop’s private coin minting for over half a year. However, the Sixth Prince instructed me to hold off and await his orders—otherwise, we could have raided that den of thieves when we seized the illicit silver earlier... If Shopkeeper Xu had no dealings with Bao Hui Money Shop, where did this large quantity of privately minted coins come from?"
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