Chapter 15: The Joint Trial

Di Jiang and Wen Yao went to the dungeon where the serious offenders were held. They saw that the people from Yangchun Manor had been separated into four cells. The Madam, Second Madam, and Elder Madam were in one cell; Meng Changle and Meng Changxin were together in another; and the male servants and female maids were each confined in separate cells.

Di Jiang surveyed the group of old and young individuals, totaling no more than twenty people, and couldn’t help but think how sparsely populated Yangchun Manor was—its decline evident. At a glance, it seemed only the Second Madam’s son barely resembled a proper young master, while Meng Changle… far from having merely some intellectual issues, he appeared outright simple-minded.

Di Jiang’s mouth hung slightly agape as she mentally calculated how much money the Meng family must have spent on this marriage arrangement. She added dozens of gold bricks to her estimate for the dowry given to the Zhang family.

However, fate had other plans. Their scheme had backfired spectacularly. Not only had they failed to secure an alliance with Minister Zhang, but they had also lost their entire fortune and ended up with their entire household imprisoned. All of Elder Meng’s life’s work had gone down the drain.

Di Jiang approached the innermost cell and saw the Elder Madam lying pale and unconscious in the corner. Her face sagged with deep wrinkles that rose and fell with her labored breathing, though mostly exhalations without inhalations. It seemed unlikely she would survive this ordeal. The Madam sat beside her, her expression heavy with worry.

Meanwhile, the Second Madam seemed detached from them. She sat alone in the opposite corner, arms crossed over her knees, head resting on her hands. Her eyes were vacant, and she continuously muttered under her breath.

Di Jiang crouched down to listen carefully and finally discerned her words: “Everyone must die… everyone must die…”

After listening for a while, Di Jiang realized the Second Madam repeated the same phrase endlessly, as if entranced. Growing tired of it, Di Jiang nodded to Wen Yao, and they left the cell.

Once outside the dungeon and back in the courtyard, Wen Yao anxiously asked, “Shopkeeper, who among them is the immortal? I truly can’t tell…”

“Who is the mischievous immortal… it’s actually quite obvious…”

Before Di Jiang could finish, a startled voice called out behind her, “Doctor Di, what are you doing here? Are you fully recovered?”

Di Jiang turned hastily and saw Wu Rui’an standing at the entrance of the yamen, his face filled with astonishment. Beside him stood several constables and coroners, their expressions clearly asking, “When did she get in here?”

“Did you see her come in?”

“No, we didn’t see anything…” The constables exchanged puzzled glances.

Di Jiang’s expression stiffened, realizing they could see her. She glanced at Wen Yao, then herself, and noticed their invisibility spell had somehow been dispelled.

Awkwardly smiling, Di Jiang pulled Wen Yao into a curtsey and greeted, “Your humble servant Di Jiang and Wen Yao pay respects to Prince Rui’an. May Your Highness enjoy boundless blessings.”

“Rise quickly,” Wu Rui’an rushed down the steps in three strides, landing precisely in front of Di Jiang. He took her hand and helped her up, saying, “You’re still recovering—why go through such formalities? Given our relationship, there’s no need for such formality.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Di Jiang finished speaking, her expression visibly awkward as she tried to withdraw her hand from Wu Rui’an’s grip. But he held firmly, and despite her attempts to pull away, he showed no intention of releasing her.

Wen Yao glanced at the two of them, pouting as she pondered the meaning of Wu Rui’an’s phrase “such formalities.” If simply bowing counted as a grand gesture, then what should the ritual of officials prostrating themselves during heavenly sacrifices be called?

Startled by Wu Rui’an’s intense gaze, Di Jiang coughed deliberately, “Ahem, ahem—”

Wu Rui’an snapped out of his reverie, hurriedly releasing her hand, and smiled, “Why is Doctor Di here?”

“We came to see the murd—” Wen Yao began eagerly, but before she could finish, Di Jiang cut her off, “I’ve come to thank Your Highness for saving my life. Hearing that you’ve been busy with official duties, I thought to check if there was anything I could assist with. As a victim, I might know a thing or two.”

Upon hearing this, Wu Rui’an’s eyes brightened further, his expression overwhelmed with gratitude. With a long sigh, he said, “The case has been mostly investigated. The murderer is undoubtedly among those dozen or so people—or perhaps all of them. The most troublesome part is confirming the identities of the deceased. Seven or eight out of ten are servants from Yangchun Manor, while others remain unidentified due to the passage of time…”

As Wu Rui’an spoke, Di Jiang observed him quietly. She noticed faint stubble on his lips, bloodshot eyes, and an overall look of exhaustion—he clearly hadn’t rested well in days.

“Since the case seems under control, I won’t disturb Your Highness further. I take my leave.”

Wu Rui’an was taken aback, “Leaving so soon?”

“Your Highness, the sooner you conclude the case, the sooner you can rest. My presence here would only disturb you, and they’ve already waited long enough,” Di Jiang said, glancing at the group of people on the steps. Their expressions suggested they were quite accustomed to such scenes.

Wu Rui’an hesitated, his face troubled. After a moment, he nodded reluctantly, “Very well. It’s late already—Doctor Di, please rest early. The public trial will take place in three days. Once this case is resolved, I’ll come to visit you.”

“Yes, thank you for your concern, Your Highness.” With that, Di Jiang led Wen Yao in a respectful bow before taking her leave.

“Shopkeeper, Prince Rui’an truly cares deeply for you,” Wen Yao nudged Di Jiang with her elbow but was immediately met with a cold, sharp glare from Di Jiang. She quickly shut her mouth.

As they walked out, two elegantly dressed women approached them, each carrying a food box. The aroma wafted through the air, and even Wen Yao could tell what was inside.

“Shopkeeper! It’s Chen Family Wine Shop’s ‘Throat Burn’ liquor and their fragrant chicken!” Wen Yao exclaimed, turning back repeatedly as she watched the two women approach Wu Rui’an. They handed him the boxes, saying, “Your Highness, we came first today—you must try our midnight snack!”

Wu Rui’an laughed heartily, indulgently replying, “Thank you, my beauties! How could I possibly refuse?” With that, he escorted them into the yamen, leaving everyone else to speculate about what might happen next.

Wen Yao stood there, dumbfounded, fuming. “Shopkeeper! Why are there always new women around His Highness?”

“Isn’t this normal? If he weren’t like this, would he still be Wu Rui’an?” Di Jiang smiled faintly. “No wonder the constables didn’t bat an eye when they saw us. Thinking back to every time we encountered Wu Rui’an before, wasn’t he always surrounded by beauties, looking left and right? It seems the constables have grown used to it over these past few days.”

“Why is that?” Wen Yao started to ask but then answered herself with sudden realization. “Ah, yes! It must be that women frequently visit to comfort him during this period. Our appearance wouldn’t be surprising at all!”

Di Jiang nodded approvingly, smiling. “Your keen ability to uncover the truth in this matter is impressively sharp—but I find it rather tragic.”

“Shopkeeper, are you praising me or scolding me?” Wen Yao pouted.

“Guess,” Di Jiang replied with a sweet smile, her mood light as they headed home.

This trip had given her the answers she sought. As for Wu Rui’an, she didn’t give him much thought—what kind of man he was simply didn’t affect her.

Two more days passed. Shuxiang remained unconscious but had regained much of his complexion compared to before. He was merely asleep, with no immediate danger to his life.

On this day, the Empress issued an imperial decree ordering a joint trial involving the three highest judicial bodies—the Jingzhao Prefecture, the Ministry of Justice, and the Imperial Censorate—to investigate the Yangchun Manor skeleton case. By noon, nearly half of Taiping Prefecture’s population had gathered at Guangde Ward, completely blocking the roads.

Di Jiang and Wen Yao struggled greatly to squeeze their way to the entrance of the yamen.

On the raised platform, Prefect Wen Li of Jingzhao sat in the center, flanked by Minister Ci Wen of the Ministry of Justice and Prince Wu Rui’an. Above their heads hung the polished plaque reading “Justice and Brightness.” The number of constables present was four times the usual, armed with swords and standing neatly in rows to maintain order.

Outside the yamen, emotions ran high. Half the crowd condemned Yangchun Manor for its cruelty and lack of morality, while the other half admired Wu Rui’an’s handsome appearance.

For instance, Wen Yao tugged excitedly at Di Jiang, exclaiming, “Shopkeeper, look! His Highness wearing formal court robes is so incredibly handsome—it’s making me swoon!”

“...” Even Di Jiang couldn’t bring herself to criticize him in that moment.

He was indeed extraordinarily handsome—unparalleled.

If Di Jiang herself was impressed, the other women were absolutely smitten. Every time Wu Rui’an glanced up, fainting spells swept through the crowd. Especially when he spotted Di Jiang, waved at her, and flashed a gentle smile. Even the men nearby seemed breathless, momentarily losing their bearings.

“Cough, cough...” Minister Ci Wen cleared his throat loudly.

Prefect Wen Li snapped out of his daze and declared sternly, “Silence! This commotion is utterly inappropriate!”

Reluctantly, Wu Rui’an lowered his head, resting his cheek on his hand, and secretly peeked at Di Jiang from under his sleeve. However, she didn’t seem to be looking at him; her gaze wandered as if searching for someone... Wu Rui’an’s heart sank as he guessed who she might be looking for.

“Has Zhong Xu not arrived?” Di Jiang asked after scanning the crowd without success.

Wen Yao shook her head. “Who has time to care about him? Let’s focus on the prince—he’s much more pleasing to the eye.”

Di Jiang rolled her eyes and muttered, “Superficial.”

As soon as Di Jiang finished speaking, Prefect Wen Li struck the gavel and announced loudly, “Bring the accused to the court!”