Chu Chu quickly scrambled up to help him, finally getting a clear look at the man—a fifty-something old fellow not wearing official robes.
"You're not a lord from the Ministry of Justice?"
The old man clutched his nearly rattled-apart bones, grimacing. "Who said I was any lord? I'm the gatekeeper!"
"It's dark—I didn't see clearly..."
"If you couldn't see clearly, why'd you shout like that!"
Seeing the young girl gazing at him pitifully, the old man's anger dissipated. "Which lord are you looking for?"
"I'm not looking for any lord. I'm here to take the exam."
"For the coroner position?"
"Yes!"
Rubbing his waist, the old man frowned as he looked Chu Chu up and down. "Since when does the coroner's office hire young girls?"
"They do! Brother Jing said they do!"
"Which Brother Jing?"
"Jing Yi. The Jing character as in 'sun' and 'capital,' the Yi character as in 'stand' and 'feathers.' Jing Yi, Brother Jing."
The old man showed a flicker of recognition. "Oh, you must be Chu Chu?"
"Yes! Chu Chu as in 'delicate and charming' Chu Chu."
The old man nodded. "Now I remember. Lord Jing mentioned you last night. You're here quite early—even Prince An hasn't arrived yet... Wait below the steps. I'll post the official notice shortly. Go wherever it says and do whatever it instructs, understood?"
"Understood!"
☆、3 Jujube Ginger Soup (Three)
Clutching his sore waist and still-pounding heart, the old man headed inside. Just as he lifted a foot to enter the gatehouse, he heard Chu Chu's voice, even clearer than before.
"Long live the Emperor!"
This was followed by the sound of a palanquin settling and horses halting.
The case the Ministry of Justice was trying today reportedly involved imperial relatives, with Prince An presiding personally. It wasn't impossible for the Emperor to make a surprise appearance.
This girl arranged by Jing Yi might have some worldly experience.
Without time to ponder, the old man dashed out. In his haste, he tripped over the main threshold again. Unable to rise quickly, he knelt directly on the ground and boomed, "Long live the Emperor, ten thousand years!"
After kneeling for a long moment without hearing any response, the old man cautiously raised his head to peek down the steps and nearly fainted on the spot.
Chu Chu was kneeling solemnly in the middle of the path with perfect form, but facing her was clearly Prince An's palanquin. Two senior guards from Prince An Manor sat astride their horses holding lanterns, staring at him with dark expressions.
His old face had completely shamed itself today...
The old man hurriedly stood up, limped down the steps, and with a dark expression yanked Chu Chu to her feet. Bowing repeatedly toward the palanquin, he pleaded, "This wild girl doesn't know any better. Please forgive her, Your Highness, please forgive her..."
There was no sound from within the palanquin. The bearers directly carried it up the steps through the Ministry of Justice's main gate, while the two riders circled toward the rear entrance.
Even after these people had disappeared from sight, the old man remained terrified out of his wits—until Chu Chu's question snapped him back to reality.
"That wasn't the Emperor?"
"What made you think that was the Emperor?!"
"Golden-topped palanquin with lotus lanterns, tall horses riding side by side—that's exactly how Mr. Dong described it... And you shouted 'Long live the Emperor' too, even 'ten thousand years'!"
"For heaven's sake, girl, shut your mouth!"When Wu Jiang entered the room, Xiao Jin Yu was sitting inside holding a cup of tea that had just been steeped in hot water—the leaves hadn't fully unfurled yet—waiting for the Ministry of Justice clerk to sort out and bring over the documents related to the case to be tried later.
After Jing Yi left yesterday, he had worked through the night at the Three Thoughts Pavilion and hadn't had time to tend to the injuries on his face. Thus, his typically inscrutable countenance today looked particularly eventful.
What others might think, Wu Jiang didn't know, but he himself was nearly choking back laughter.
"Wang Ye, I've inquired. The girl is named Chu Chu, seventeen years old, and she came from Chu Shui Town in Suzhou's Zizhu County to take the coroner examination."
Xiao Jin Yu frowned slightly. "We're only recruiting two coroners to fill vacancies. How did the official notice reach as far as Suzhou?"
Wu Jiang shook his head. "Not exactly. I heard there are about sixteen or seventeen applicants from the capital, nearly ten from the outskirts, and she's the only one from outside the region. It's said..." Wu Jiang hesitated briefly, "It's said this girl was recommended by Lord Jing."
Xiao Jin Yu's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Jing Yi?"
Wu Jiang nodded, pulling a few sheets of paper from his clothing and presenting them respectfully to Xiao Jin Yu. "This is the application form she just filled out at the gatehouse. Please have a look, Wang Ye."
Xiao Jin Yu set down his teacup and took the papers, flipping through them casually.
For such a reckless young girl, her handwriting was surprisingly neat and elegant.
His gaze settled on one line, and Xiao Jin Yu frowned again. "You're familiar with Suzhou—have you heard of any prominent Chu family from the official class in Zizhu County?"
Wu Jiang shook his head again. "Zizhu County is a remote area. There isn't a single family that could be considered an official lineage, though many criminal cases have been reported from there in recent years."
Xiao Jin Yu nodded gently and handed the form back to Wu Jiang. "Has the examination started already?"
"They're currently taking the corpse examination in the west autopsy room."
"Once the documents arrive, have them placed on the table."
Wu Jiang immediately furrowed his brow. "Wang Ye, Master Ye repeatedly insisted that you absolutely must not..."
Xiao Jin Yu calmly cut him off. "I know."
"The area is crowded with people. This humble officer should accompany you."
"No need. I just want to speak with Lord Jing for a few words."
"Lord Jing isn't in the autopsy room at the moment."
"I know."
Chu Chu thought that the Six Doors was truly the Six Doors—even taking a coroner exam was more complicated here than anywhere else. Just to enter, she had to fill out such a lengthy form.
She had originally been the earliest to arrive and the first to finish filling out the form. But just as she completed it, an elderly man in his fifties approached with paper and brush, saying he wasn't very literate and begging her to help him fill it out.
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