Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Just as the atmosphere in the courtroom was tense, and Zhang Jingwei pointed out the key to the possibility that "Plum Blossom Taoist" was involved in the case, a series of hurried footsteps and shouts broke the silence in the courtroom.

Constable Yang Xiaoshuan practically stumbled into the courtroom, his face pale, his forehead covered in sweat, and he was panting heavily: "My lord! Something terrible has happened! The cemetery... something's happened at the cemetery!"

Zhang Jingwei's heart tightened, and he immediately pressed, "What's the matter? Tell me slowly!"

Yang Xiaoshuan swallowed hard, pointed outside, and said in a trembling voice, "The coffin... the coffin where Master Hu Sheng was buried! After prying it open... inside... there was more than one corpse inside! Under Hu Sheng's coffin, there was another one! It was already rotten beyond recognition!"

"What?!" A commotion erupted throughout the hall and among the crowd! Two corpses hidden in a coffin? What kind of show is this now?

Zhang Jingwei abruptly stood up: "Yuanliang, continue the questioning! Qianming, keep an eye on everyone here, no one is allowed to leave! I will go check it out myself!" He hurriedly left the courtroom, mounted his horse, and led a team of yamen runners to the cemetery outside the city.

The cemetery was now completely sealed off. Huang Liang, the registrar, had already arrived upon hearing the news and was directing his men, enduring the pungent stench, to carefully remove the newly discovered, highly decomposed corpse from a hidden compartment at the bottom of Hu Sheng's coffin and place it on a spread-out straw mat. Although the face was too rotten to recognize, the corpse's shape, the remaining fragments of clothing, and especially the unique iron plaque at the waist that wasn't completely rusted, made Huang Liang gasp—this feature was strikingly similar to the description of one of the missing Chang brothers in the missing person posters that had been plastered throughout the city months ago and were still up!

"Father, just tell the servants to handle it carefully. This smell..." Huang Liang covered his mouth and nose and said to his father, who was squatting next to the corpse and examining it carefully despite the stench.

Old Huang's white eyebrows were furrowed, and he held a thin wooden stick in his hand, gently poking at the joints and skull of the corpse without looking up: "What do you know! The location of this corpse is suspicious, and the degree of decomposition is different from Hu Sheng's. It's clear that he died a long time ago! We have to carefully check whether the bones are damaged and whether there are any hidden items in the clothing! If we let those clumsy youngsters come, they'll break the key bones in a moment, and the clues will be cut off!" The old coroner's professionalism and stubbornness were on full display at this moment.

When Zhang Jingwei arrived, this was exactly the scene he saw. Although he had handled many cases, being so close to a highly decomposed corpse wriggling with maggots, especially with the horrible smell of mud, bodily fluids, and deep resentment hitting him, made his stomach churn. He could no longer hold back the small amount of congee and side dishes he had barely managed to eat that morning, and he vomited it all up with a "whoosh." Leaning against a nearby tree trunk, he vomited until his face turned blue and he looked utterly disheveled.

"Young...Young Master..." Qian Ming anxiously handed over the water bag and cloth.

Zhang Jingwei waved his hand, covered his mouth and nose with a cloth, and, enduring the discomfort, walked to Huang Liang's side and asked in a hoarse voice, "Registrar Huang, can you confirm my identity?"

Huang Liang pointed to the iron plaque and several distinguishing features, and whispered, "Sir, it's almost certainly the missing eldest son of the Chang family, Chang Wei. However, the body is too rotten, so his family members need to come and identify the belongings, or... examine the bones."

Zhang Jingwei stared at the silent skeleton, its injustice a testament to its innocence, then at the enormous, luxurious coffin beside it, his eyes flashing with a chilling light. The Chang brothers' disappearance! Hu Sheng! These two seemingly unrelated cases were linked in such a bizarre and terrifying way! Hu Sheng's large coffin concealed the body of another murder victim!

"My lord!" At this moment, another group of people who were ordered to search the Hu family returned. Qian Ming's expression was a bit strange. "Young master, the dregs of the medicine have been found. Miss Jiu'er examined them carefully and said that they are all common medicines for treating tuberculosis and cough. The combination is also reasonable and there is nothing special about them."

"Nothing special?" Zhang Jingwei frowned, recalling Hu Sheng's unusual "excitement" that night. "Even Jiu'er couldn't tell?"

Qian Ming nodded: "That's what Miss Jiu'er said."

After a moment's thought, Zhang Jingwei decisively said, "Jiu'er is skilled in pharmacology, but if it involves unorthodox methods or deliberate disguise... Qian Ming, you immediately take the dregs of the medicine and Hu Sheng's daily medicine pot to Zhou Ji! He is knowledgeable, especially about unorthodox remedies, secret medicines, and even poisons; he might be able to find something!"

"Yes!" Qian Ming didn't dare to delay, picked up his things, mounted his horse, and headed straight for the workshop on the outskirts of the city.

About half an hour later, Qian Ming returned, this time with excitement on his face. He carefully held a handkerchief in his hand, which seemed to contain a small amount of gray powder. He ran to Zhang Jingwei, who was resting in a makeshift shed by the cemetery and whose face was still somewhat pale.

"Young Master! I've found something! That kid Zhou Ji is really something else! He scraped the inside of the medicine pot again and again, filtered out the dregs and ash with water, and finally roasted it over charcoal to get this little bit of powder!" Qian Ming spread out the handkerchief. "He said it contained a special insect, what was it called again... blister beetle! Yes, blister beetle!"

Jiu'er, who had come with Qian Ming, also looked incredulous and admiring. She added, "Sir, blister beetles do exist. Their dried bodies can be used in medicine, and they are extremely poisonous! Southern doctors usually use them externally to treat malignant sores and dog bites. A very small amount taken internally can break up blood stasis, promote menstruation, and induce abortion... However, because they are highly toxic and hot, they can strongly stimulate local tissues and even... cause hallucinations and hyperactivity. If the dosage is slightly careless, it can be fatal!" She paused and asked doubtfully, "But this dregs have already been boiled and then poured away, almost turning to ash. It's truly unbelievable that Zhou Ji could distinguish the blister beetle components from it."

"Hallucinations! Excitement!" Zhang Jingwei's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he grasped the key point. "Jiu'er, if this substance is taken with warm, strong liquor, is it possible to... stimulate lust?"

Jiu'er thought for a moment and cautiously replied, "Theoretically speaking... blister beetles are hot and potent, and alcohol can enhance their effects. If the patient already has a deficiency of internal heat, taking this potent medicine with alcohol could indeed cause temporary, unusual excitement, or even... mental confusion and abnormal behavior. But this is tantamount to drinking poison to quench thirst, and for someone like Hu Sheng with a tuberculous constitution, it would only worsen his condition and hasten his death."

Zhang Jingwei slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed, "Someone actually drugged him!" He turned to Jiu'er, "Can you find Hu Sheng's usual prescription for treating tuberculosis?"

Jiu'er nodded: "Found it. It's a prescription from the clinic in the east of the city. I've seen it. It's the right medicine for the symptoms and doesn't contain any strong ingredients like blister beetles. This blister beetle... someone must have deliberately added it later!"

Qian Ming stroked his chin, his eyes turning sharp and disgusted: "Using aphrodisiacs... and even something as insidious as blister beetles... this despicable and secretive method suddenly reminds me of someone..."

Zhang Jingwei's face instantly turned cold, as if covered with a layer of frost. He slowly uttered two words through clenched teeth:

"Fragrance!"

……

night.

The Gaoyang prison was dimly lit.

Liu Yuan was locked in a relatively clean cell. Clinging to the bars, she saw Yuan Liang walk by and hurriedly pleaded, "Master Yuan! Master Yuan! Please have mercy! I really didn't poison him! Hu Sheng's death has nothing to do with me! I've told you everything I know, can... can you let me out? I can't stay here for another day!"

Yuan Liang stopped and looked at her through the fence, his tone calm and even: "Liu, you conspired with Hu Hai to deceive the government, give false testimony, and try to interfere with the trial. Although you are not the principal offender, your guilt is undeniable. According to the law, even if it is not a capital offense, you will still be subject to imprisonment or hard labor. It is too late to beg for mercy now."

Liu Yuan cried, her face streaked with tears: "Master, I know I was wrong! I shouldn't have been so soft-hearted and agreed to keep it a secret for him... I'll never do it again!"

"You only realize your mistake now?" Yuan Liang shook his head, ignoring her, and walked towards the cell next door.

Hu Hai's mood was completely different from before. Although he was still imprisoned, the news that his younger brother and sister-in-law had not killed anyone but had acted in excessive self-defense lifted a huge weight off his heart. He lay leisurely on the simple wooden bed, staring at the cobwebs on the cell ceiling, lost in thought. He only glanced at Yuan Liang as he walked by and did not get up.

Yuan Liang didn't care. He went straight to the cell where Hu Rong and Hu Jiao were being held. He took out a portrait he had prepared beforehand, unfolded it, and looked at the two sisters. The portrait depicted a young woman with charming eyes and brows, but who looked sickly and thin.

"Hu Rong, Hu Jiao," Yuan Liang said calmly, "do either of you know this person?"

Hu Rong examined the portrait carefully, her eyes somewhat blank, and slowly shook her head: "I don't recognize him..."

Hu Jiao, who was standing next to her, exclaimed "Eh!" and leaned closer to take a look. She hesitated and said, "I... I think I've seen her somewhere before. Yes! Over at Changteng Canal! She was a very pretty woman, but... her complexion was terrible, and she was frighteningly thin, as if she would fall over in the wind. I took a second look at her."

Yuan Liang pressed further, "Did you have any conversation with her? Or did you see her in contact with anyone?"

Hu Jiao shook her head: "No. It was just a fleeting glance. I thought she was somewhat special, so I remembered her appearance. There was no contact."

Yuan Liang put away the portrait, gave the two sisters a deep look, and said with a hint of warning in his tone, "Hmm. I hope that this time, you haven't lied again."

Upon hearing this, Hu Rong trembled slightly. She raised her head, looking at Yuan Liang with unfathomable despair and a sliver of hope in her eyes: "Master Yuan... what will become of us... us sisters? Will we... be beheaded?"

Yuan Liang remained silent for a moment, seemingly considering his words. In the end, he chose to tell the truth, his voice low and clear: "According to the 'Laws of the Celestial Empire': Although Hu Jiao did not intend to kill anyone, she conspired with you afterwards to move the body, disguise the body, deceive the government, steal the body (referring to the substitution of the body), and give false testimony. She is guilty of multiple crimes, and the circumstances are serious. According to the law, she should be sentenced to beheading."

Hu Jiao's face turned deathly pale instantly.

Yuan Liang then changed the subject: "However, the law often provides for leniency for children and teenagers under the age of fifteen. If we can make appropriate adjustments to their final confessions and statements of the case, emphasizing their youth, their eagerness to protect their sister, and that it was an act of self-defense in a fit of rage, perhaps... we can secure a chance to change their sentence to exile three thousand miles away to the frontier as slaves."

He looked at Hu Rong, his gaze even more complicated: "And you, Hu Rong. You've come of age, and in this case, although you're a victim, you're also the mastermind behind the moving of the body, the disguise, and the fabrication of evidence. Not to mention... the crime of patricide is the most heinous of the ten crimes, forgivable by both moral principles and the law. Even if there were reasons for it, and Hu Sheng's actions were worse than those of a beast, once the charge of 'patricide' is confirmed... I'm afraid... there's no way to reverse it."

The four words, "too little, too late," pierced Hu Rong's heart like four icicles. All her strength seemed to drain away; her knees buckled, and she collapsed to her knees on the cold, dirty ground with a thud. She kowtowed heavily to Yuan Liang, her forehead hitting the ground with a dull thud, accompanied by a resolute lament.

"Please, Master, grant my request! I will take full responsibility for all the crimes! I was the mastermind! I forced Jiaojiao to help me! It was all my doing! I beg you, Master... please find a way to save my sister's life! Hu Rong... in my next life, I will repay your great kindness!" She knew this was the only chance to save her sister.

"Sister!" Hu Jiao cried out in anguish, rushing over to hug Hu Rong tightly. "No! We'll die together! In our next life... we'll still be sisters!"

Hu Rong hugged her younger sister tightly, tears streaming down her face, but she tried to make her voice sound firm: "Silly girl... it's better for one to die than both of them. Master Yuan is a lawyer, he... he will definitely find a way to save your life. As for me... with such a disgraceful thing happening to our family, I... I have no face to live anymore. It's just... I feel ashamed of failing my master's kindness in raising and teaching me..." She stroked her sister's hair, her voice choked with sobs, "Jiaojiao, if you live, even if you become a slave, even if you are exiled to the ends of the earth... at least... at least there are still people in this world who remember our master, and perhaps... perhaps we can take care of her in her old age and see her off in her final days..."

"Sister...Sister..." Hu Jiao sobbed uncontrollably, clinging tightly to her sister.

In the dimly lit cell, the two sisters' figures, embracing and weeping, were stretched long and short by the flickering torches on the wall, reflecting the deepest despair and the most humble plea before parting from a loved one. Yuan Liang stood quietly outside the bars, watching this scene, a barely perceptible trace of heaviness and helplessness crossing his usually calm face.