The mind-reading coroner drove the court crazy

The atmosphere inside the palace was solemn.

The Jie envoy's face flushed red as he righteously listed the so-called evidence. Pointing at the kneeling Taoist nun, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Your Majesty, we have now established that the eldest princess and this maid conspired to murder our crown prince. This is irrefutable evidence. Shouldn't Your Majesty give our country a fair and satisfactory answer?"

The emperor sat upright on the dragon throne with a straight posture and a stern and solemn expression. A ruby ​​earring was placed on the dragon table in front of him.

He looked at the people below with a dignified gaze, without saying a word, but an aura of majesty emanated from him without anger.

At this moment, a clear yet arrogant voice suddenly rang out: "Who said the case has been solved? How was it solved? Where is the so-called evidence?"

Before seeing the person, I heard his voice first. Lu Qingchen strode into the hall with his head held high, looking aloof and unruly.

He stared intently at the Jie envoy and spoke sharply, "We have already ruled out the Princess and the Taoist nun as suspects of murder, but the envoy is still insisting on it. Could it be that he is harboring some other ulterior motive?"

The Jie envoy was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He immediately jumped up and down, shouting at the top of his voice: "Stop talking nonsense and making false statements here!"

Lu Qingchen raised his lips in a scornful arc, sneering, "Tsk tsk, you know quite a few words, but it's a pity you use them all in the wrong places. It's you who's really talking nonsense here, trying to stir up trouble between the two countries!"

The Jie envoy was choked speechless by his words. In exasperation, he could only look at the emperor for help and said anxiously, "Your Majesty, please make a decision quickly and don't be deceived by this treacherous man!"

"Well, you can't produce any evidence, and you want to put the blame on our Longyuan Nation. I think you have ulterior motives."

Lu Qingchen looked him up and down with disdain, "You guys aren't trying to use this incident to force Long Yuan Nation to make concessions to you, are you?"

Originally, the matter was kept secret, but since Lu Qingchen broke the window paper, we can no longer have a good discussion. We need to show the demeanor and dignity of a great country.

The emperor and all the courtiers turned their eyes to the envoy.

At this moment, the envoy was like a trapped beast, unable to dismount. His face flushed crimson, but he could only force himself to speak: "In short, we found the ornaments of your country's eldest princess on the body of Crown Prince Shan Ji."

"Your Majesty, the Princess did not have the opportunity to commit the crime, and the Taoist nun could not possibly have moved the body. I hope Your Majesty will investigate carefully."

The Emperor's eyes, sharp as a hawk's, swept over the two men. Then, with a solemn expression, he said to the envoy, "I will thoroughly investigate this matter. Please return to the posthouse and await further information."

The envoy seemed to be about to speak, but a cunning look flashed in his eyes, and he immediately bowed his head and left the hall.

After he left, the emperor turned his gaze and asked, "Marquis Xuanping, since you claim the murderer is not the eldest princess, then who is the real murderer?"

Lu Qingchen showed a bit of embarrassment on his face, and said hesitantly: "This... I haven't been able to find out yet."

The emperor looked angry and was about to say something when he heard shouting coming from outside the palace.

"Report! Emergency at the border! A Jie army of 30,000 is charging straight at Pingyang Pass. General Qi Fu of Pingyang Pass has been killed, and the city gate has been lost."

The emperor stood up in shock and said in disbelief, "General Qi Fu of Pingyang Pass was killed? Who killed him?"

The man knelt before the emperor and said with a sorrowful look on his face, "Ghost-faced Judge."

The court officials were immediately in an uproar, and Lu Qingchen refuted sharply, "This is impossible."

The Ghost-Faced Judge, always dedicated to the welfare of the people, was surely unaware of the suffering that comes with war. Furthermore, how could he, facing a vast army and with swords drawn, assassinate his own commander, thus putting countless soldiers and civilians in dire straits?

The man stepped forward and held something high in his hands. "Your Majesty, this is the order left by the Ghost-Faced Judge at the scene beside General Qi. It's irrefutable evidence. The murderer must be the Ghost-Faced Judge without a doubt."

However, the emperor seemed to have not heard what he said. His deep gaze was cast directly at Lu Qingchen, and he said slowly: "My dear Lu, what do you think about this matter?"

Lu Qingchen remained calm, neither servile nor overbearing, and replied, "Your Majesty, I believe the murderer is definitely not the Ghost-Faced Judge."

The emperor raised his eyebrows slightly, as if he was doubtful. "Oh? Lu Qingchen, tell me, how do you want to prove it?"

As he spoke, the emperor's slender fingers gently stroked the judge's order, as if he was lost in thought.

Seeing this, Lu Qingchen calmly and respectfully asked, "Your Majesty, may I have a look at that judge's order?"

Eunuch Wu held the judge's order in both hands and respectfully presented it to Lu Qingchen. Lu Qingchen took it, his eyes slowly scanning the token. The surface of the token bore several mottled marks of corrosion, as if gnawed by time or some unusual substance. Within the uneven, deep grooves, faint traces of an unknown substance could be seen.

Lu Qingchen looked at it for a long time and was certain in his heart that this was indeed the judge's order, but it was definitely not made recently. He also deduced the source of this judge's order.

His face was so gloomy that it seemed like water could drip out of it. He muttered to himself in a low voice: "Humph, now I finally know where the Judge's Order of the Liu family is."

The Emperor fixed him with his hawk-like eyes and asked, "Lord Lu, what did you just say?"

Lu Qingchen hurriedly bowed and said in a clear voice: "Your Majesty, I have stumbled upon some clues. I beg Your Majesty to grant me permission to investigate first."

Upon hearing this, the emperor lowered his head slightly and fell into a brief contemplation.

A moment later, a court official stepped forward, his face filled with anger, and shouted, "Young Marquis, the border has been lost. This is a matter of great importance to the country. Why are you still so focused on such trivial matters as investigating a case?"

Lu Qingchen's lips curled up into a mocking smile, and he retorted, "Your Excellency is so harsh in speaking, is it because you think I am good at fighting and intend to recommend me to go to the border to repel the fierce Jie army and recapture the lost city?"

The court official was choked by Lu Qingchen's words and his face turned red. He stammered and couldn't say anything for a long time.

The Emperor raised his eyes, sweeping them over the court, and finally landing on Lu Qingchen. He said in a deep voice, "My dear Lu, the five-day deadline is almost up. Go and investigate thoroughly. If the murderer is truly someone else as you say, I will clear the name of the Ghost-Faced Judge. But if you can't find out, hmph!"

The emperor hadn't finished speaking, but the threat he contained was obvious.

Lu Qingchen bowed respectfully and said, "I will obey your orders and will not let your majesty down."

After saying this, he turned around and strode out of the court, his posture as straight as a pine tree, his steps firm and powerful, his sleeves fluttering in the wind behind him.

After leaving the palace, Lu Qingchen went straight back to the Marquis' Mansion.

Shortly after entering the mansion, he found Wen Zhu and whispered a few words to her, then went straight to find Qin Miaoxi.

When Qin Miaoxi saw him, her eyes suddenly lit up. Without saying anything, she grabbed his arm and said anxiously, "Come with me to a place."

Lu Qingchen was completely bewildered and was dragged by her into a dark room.

In the darkness of the room, seven or eight men were blindfolded and huddled in a corner.

"Who are these people?"

Before Lu Qingchen finished speaking, Qin Miaoxi responded solemnly, "They are all guards who once served beside Crown Prince Shan Ji."

Upon hearing this, Lu Qingchen's expression suddenly changed, and he asked in surprise, "Why are they here?"