The mind-reading coroner drove the court crazy

Qin Miaoxi hurried all the way to the Jingzhao Yin Yamen, but saw that the escort team did not stop, but passed straight through the Yamen gate and headed towards the palace.

Her brows furrowed slightly, her doubts growing even more intense. She was about to follow when a deep voice suddenly rang out from behind her: "Coroner Qin, please stay!"

She turned around and saw Shi Xinzhe walking out of the yamen quickly, looking at her calmly.

He raised his hand slightly, signaling her to stop, and said solemnly, "Coroner Qin, can you please excuse me?"

Although Qin Miaoxi had some doubts in her heart, seeing Shi Xinzhe's serious expression, she nodded and followed him to a secluded place.

Shi Xinzhe looked around and confirmed that no one was paying attention before lowering his voice and saying, "Mr. Qin, this matter should not be made public. The emperor has ordered that this case be directly handled by the Imperial Guards, and our Jingzhao Yin Yamen is not allowed to interfere."

Qin Miaoxi frowned upon hearing this, her tone filled with dissatisfaction, "Why is this so? We were the ones who investigated this case, so why did they suddenly hand it over to the Imperial Guards? Doesn't His Majesty trust us?"

Shi Xinzhe shook his head, his tone filled with helplessness. "It's not that I don't trust you, but this case is too wide-ranging, involving many important officials of the court. His Majesty was worried that the Jingzhao Yin Yamen was understaffed and unable to handle it, so he sent the Imperial Guards to take over. We only need to hand over the evidence we have, and leave the rest to them."

Qin Miaoxi was silent for a moment, then said solemnly, "I understand, but are those arrested really involved in the case?"

Shi Xinzhe sighed heavily and said, "It seems that you also have doubts, but these people were all interrogated from Cui Zhibao's confession."

"You think so too?" Qin Miaoxi sneered, her tone full of sarcasm.

These people are all great scholars of the time, and are deeply loved by the people. But now they are told that they are participants in human sacrifice. This is simply ridiculous!

Shi Xinzhe was suddenly speechless. The two looked at each other, but fell into silence, with nothing to say.

They all knew this list was likely fabricated by Cui Zhibao to implicate others. Yet the emperor preferred to believe it. For now, arrests were only the first step. If even the slightest clue damaging to the court were found in these ministers' residences, even the smallest, it would be magnified immensely. And that wasn't the most terrifying possibility; the only real danger was the fabrication of something completely unfounded. That would be the final straw that broke the camel's back, leaving them with no chance of recovery.

Shi Xinzhe sighed again and tried to comfort him, "Now, this matter is no longer under our control. Don't worry, the Imperial Guards will investigate thoroughly."

These words were more comforting than nothing. They knew they couldn't take any further action at this moment, as doing so would only anger the Emperor and be detrimental to the ministers.

Qin Miaoxi sneered inwardly. Imperial Guards? Ha, what truth could she expect them to uncover?

But she said nothing in the end, but her eyes were still fixed on the direction of the palace, with a cold and unfathomable expression.

"Thank you, Lord Shi, for your advice. Goodbye!" Qin Miaoxi said and turned to leave without further entanglement.

Shi Xinzhe breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this. Watching her retreating figure, he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "I hope Qin the Coroner understands that guilt or innocence depends entirely on the word of the superior. If she acts rashly again, it won't just be herself who will be affected, but also the Marquis of Xuanping."

The emperor appears to be very kind to Marquis Xuanping, but there are too many complicated external factors involved, and no one knows how long this favor can last.

After leaving the Jingzhao Yin Yamen, Qin Miaoxi did not go home directly, but wandered aimlessly on the streets.

Shi Xinzhe's words kept echoing in her mind, and her heart felt like it was being weighed down by a huge rock. The Imperial Guards taking over was undoubtedly the emperor's attitude. It didn't matter whether those ministers were really accomplices or not. The most important thing was that this case had to be concluded as soon as possible, even if it meant being a sacrifice.

Suddenly, she seemed to have thought of something, she paused, and a gleam of light flashed in her eyes.

Inside the palace, there were more than a dozen ministers standing outside the main hall, and they kept asking Eunuch Wu questions.

"Eunuch Wu, when will His Majesty be able to see us?"

"Yes, Eunuch Wu, we really have an urgent matter. Please go in and report to His Majesty."

They all looked flustered, clearly implicated in Cui Zhibao's case and eager to explain things to the Emperor. Several ministers also spoke up for them, asking the Emperor to investigate further to see if there was any misunderstanding.

However, Eunuch Wu stood at the palace entrance, his expression indifferent, his tone perfunctory: "My Lords, His Majesty is currently attending to important matters and is temporarily unable to see guests. Please be patient and wait for the summons."

Upon hearing this, the ministers showed disappointment on their faces, but they did not dare to say much. They could only discuss in low voices. The atmosphere was depressing and tense.

Inside the hall, flickering candlelight illuminated the emperor's solemn face. His gaze shifted slightly to the side, landing on the man sitting beside him.

The man wore a mask depicting a ferocious blue dragon. His eyes were cold as ice, radiating a chilling majesty. He was clad in pitch-black armor, the dragon patterns on it gleaming coldly in the candlelight. The sword dangling casually from his waist seemed like an ornament, but in the emperor's eyes, it was more of a deterrent.

Looking at him sitting only a few meters away from him with an arrogant attitude, yet as if he were a world of his own, like another ruler of Longyuan Kingdom, the emperor's heart sank again and again. This was the leader of the four imperial guards of Longyuan Kingdom - Qinglong.

In the silent hall, Qinglong's slender fingers tapped lightly on the armrests of the chair. The sharp armor collided with the wooden armrests, making a dull "dong dong" sound. Each sound was like a soul-calling command, making people uneasy.

The emperor met the man's gaze and couldn't help but shudder, feeling an indescribable sense of oppression in his heart.

He suppressed his uneasiness and asked in a deep voice, "Sir, what is the important matter that brought you here today?"

The man chuckled softly, his voice low and hoarse, as if coming from the depths of hell: "Your Majesty, why do you still ask when you already know the answer? Why do you want to arrest some people?"

The emperor's expression changed slightly upon hearing this, and his tone was somewhat tentative: "Your Excellency, those ministers are all accomplices pointed out by Cui Zhibao, and I am also..."

Before he could finish his words, Qinglong suddenly stood up, and the friction between his armor made a harsh sound, and the emperor stopped talking abruptly.

He walked up to the emperor, looked down at him, and said with a hint of sarcasm: "Where is the evidence?"

The emperor's heart trembled, and a fine layer of cold sweat oozed from his forehead. He forced himself to remain calm and whispered, "This matter has far-reaching implications. I have already sent the Imperial Guard to investigate each of those individuals' homes."

Qinglong sneered, his tone filled with disdain: "Are we going to investigate one by one or make something up out of nothing?"

Upon hearing this, the emperor's face turned pale instantly. He gripped the armrests of the dragon throne tightly with both hands, and his knuckles turned white from the force.

He took a deep breath, his tone conciliatory, "Have you heard some false rumors? I am investigating this case based on Cui Zhibao's confession."

The Azure Dragon was like frost falling on a cold night. Its cold eyes slashed across the Dragon Throne beneath his buttocks like a knife. Its words were sharp and pointed, "Only those who are wholeheartedly committed to the well-being of the people of Longyuan Kingdom are worthy of this Dragon Throne! Your Majesty, are you sure you can sit on it safely after acting like this?"

The emperor's expression suddenly changed. He refused to give in and argued, "Your Excellency, from what you're saying, do you have evidence proving those people's innocence?"

The eyes under the Qinglong mask narrowed slightly, and the cold gaze pierced the emperor like a knife.

He slowly raised his hand, tapping the hilt of the sword at his waist with his fingertips, and said with a hint of sarcasm: "Your Majesty, are you questioning my ability, or the fairness of the Four Imperial Guards?"

The emperor's heart tightened and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

He forced himself to remain calm, his tone tentative, "Your Excellency is too kind. I just... just want to know the truth."

Qinglong sneered, his voice low and hoarse, as if coming from the depths of hell: "The truth? This is the truth that the emperor wants!"

After saying this, he placed a booklet in front of the emperor.

The emperor took only a quick glance and fell down on the dragon throne in shock. On the throne was the account book that Qin Miaoxi had never found. It recorded the names of several ministers and how many people they had killed and eaten during this period.

"They..., I... I didn't know they dared to be so presumptuous."

The emperor looked at Qinglong helplessly, begging for forgiveness, like a child who had made a mistake. But when Qinglong didn't react, he couldn't help but clutch the booklet tightly and immediately promised, "I...I will definitely deal with it as soon as possible."

Qinglong snorted, with a hint of warning: "I hope you will do what you say."

As soon as he finished speaking, the cold armor suddenly disappeared from his sight.

It comes and goes without a trace, as mysterious as a ghost.

The emperor's heart could not calm down at all. A deep feeling of powerlessness surged in his heart. His pale face no longer showed the look of helplessness and servility, but deep resentment and anger.

He slowly closed his eyes, gritting his teeth and growling in his heart: This country is my country.