Recalling the expression on Xiao Jin Yu's face when he entered the yamen on the second day of the lunar new year, Jing Yi lifted his gaze from the documents and looked at Chu Chu. "Chu Chu, do you remember how the Prince of Wu Commandery angered Wang Ye that day?"
Chu Chu nodded. Words like those spoken about Wang Ye were something she would never forget in this lifetime.
"Repeat his exact words to me."
Chu Chu lowered her head and bit her lip, remaining silent.
Any words that spoke ill of Wang Ye were something she refused to utter, let alone such remarks...
"Chu Chu, if you don't tell me, I can't help him."
Chu Chu immediately brightened. "You already know where he went?"
"I'll only know after you tell me."
Chu Chu hurriedly recounted the events of that day without omitting a single detail—from witnessing how the embroiderers attended to Xiao Jue, to gritting her teeth as she described how Xiao Jue provoked Xiao Jin Yu into leaving.
The guard listening felt his ears burning with embarrassment, but Jing Yi silently drew a sharp breath, a chill running down his spine.
He had thought Xiao Jin Yu summoned him back to rescue the situation, but hearing this now...
As soon as Chu Chu finished speaking, Jing Yi placed both hands on her shoulders, leaning slightly forward to stare intently into her glistening dark pupils through the tears welling in her eyes. He spoke with grave seriousness, word by word: "Chu Chu, did Wang Ye ever personally tell you before that he would definitely marry you?"
Chu Chu's heart and mind were wholly preoccupied with Xiao Jin Yu's safety. Suddenly questioned like this by Jing Yi, she froze momentarily before nodding vigorously. "He already requested the Emperor to amend the Imperial Decree! We're to be married on the ninth day of the first lunar month!"
Jing Yi was well aware of the amended decree—he had personally delivered the memorial to the Emperor. When the Emperor first saw the cover of the memorial, fine sweat instantly beaded on his forehead. Upon unrolling it, that fine sweat transformed into furrowed brows.
The memorial, symbolizing the highest level of state secrets, contained just one sentence:
"Your subject petitions to change the wedding date to the ninth day of the first lunar month in the fifth year of Longji reign."
Xiao Jin Yu was concise and to the point; the Emperor was even more focused. Without another word, he picked up his vermilion brush and circled the character for "change," then had Jing Yi return the memorial.
By all reasoning, this matter should have been settled beyond doubt, but what Jing Yi was asking had nothing to do with what was written in the decree.
"Not the Imperial Decree..." Jing Yi asked again with utmost seriousness, "Did he tell you himself, personally, that he wants to marry you?"
Chu Chu thought carefully, biting her lip before shaking her head.
Just as Jing Yi's heart began to sink, he heard Chu Chu softly add, "He only said it when he was drunk... on New Year's Eve night... and he said it over and over many times..."
Chu Chu lowered her head and pressed her lips together, her voice almost inaudible. "I know those were just drunken words—they don't count... But I just want to become his wife sooner..."
Jing Yi let out a soft sigh of relief. There were still promises he had made personally that remained unfulfilled—that was good.
Jing Yi patted Chu Chu's shoulder. "Don't worry. Among all the words that come from his mouth, his drunken promises are the most reliable."
Chu Chu raised her tear-filled eyes. "Really?"
Jing Yi nodded earnestly, then looked up and spoke solemnly to the guard, "I'll handle matters here. Help me fetch someone from the Suzhou Governor's office."
"Who?"
"Someone Wang Ye invited. I came in too much of a hurry and entrusted them to the Suzhou Governor first..." Jing Yi took two steps forward, leaning close to the guard's ear to whisper rapidly, "Wang Ye's life depends on that person."Chu Chu didn't hear anything, but the guard heard it clearly and looked at Jing Yi in astonishment. However, Jing Yi's expression and tone didn't seem like he was joking. "Alright... I'll return as soon as possible."
Before the guard's words fully faded, he darted out of the room. Seizing the moment before Chu Chu could gather her wits and press for Xiao Jin Yu's whereabouts, Jing Yi asked, "Chu Chu, what was Wang Ye doing before he left the county office?"
The moment Jing Yi said he would take charge of the matter, Chu Chu's gaze toward him shifted entirely. She answered without hesitation, "Examining the corpse." Afraid her answer wasn't detailed enough, she quickly added, "He said he wanted to see the cross-shaped marks on the body, so I brought him a leg... I held it for him to see, keeping my distance, and didn't let him touch the corpse!"
Thinking of the corpse and the morgue, Chu Chu slapped her forehead hard. "How could I forget to report it to the authorities! If we ask Zheng County Magistrate to send people to search, it'll surely be faster!"
"That's also a way... Alright, you go summon Zheng County Magistrate. I'll give him the order, and he'll surely spare no effort in the search."
"Good! Thank you, Brother Jing!"
After Jing Yi gathered all the case files from the table into a box, he waited in the room. He had expected Zheng Youde to be dragged and hauled in by Chu Chu, but before he even saw Chu Chu, a stretcher carried by two men rushed in. Zheng Youde was kneeling on the stretcher, his official robe hastily thrown over his sleepwear, his head wrapped in bandages, and his legs bound with wooden splints. The moment the stretcher touched the ground, he began kowtowing frantically.
"This humble official is guilty! This humble official is guilty! This humble official is guilty..."
Jing Yi assumed Chu Chu, in her panic, had told him everything, scaring him into such a state. He quickly said, "It's alright, it's alright... There's still time to atone for your mistakes, still time..."
Zheng Youde was nearly in tears. "It's too late, it's all burned to ashes..."
This sentence genuinely startled Jing Yi. "What's burned to ashes?"
"The pigs, the pigsty... all burned to ashes..."
Jing Yi felt a wave of dizziness. Taking pity on Zheng Youde's wretched state, he patiently asked, "Why did you burn it?"
Zheng Youde kowtowed while weeping genuine tears. "This humble official was momentarily confused, deceived by that tea merchant from the capital. I burned the pigs and the pigsty, attempting to evade punishment. Truly, while the death penalty might be spared, living punishment is unavoidable..."
The moment Chu Chu said Jing Yi was looking for him, he had already prepared this explanation in his mind.
Jing Yi was utterly bewildered and exasperated, but he managed to grasp one thing: although they were talking about completely different matters, what Zheng Youde described was related to Xiao Jin Yu. "Tell me everything from the beginning, truthfully, and I'll grant you that while the death penalty may be spared, living punishment is unavoidable."
"Yes, yes, yes..."
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