#131: A Series of Clever Moves

Li Feng repeatedly signaled to Feng Cheng, but the latter stubbornly ignored him, leaving Li Feng seething with frustration. What a reckless fool! Couldn’t he show some restraint in this situation? If he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have agreed to help Feng Cheng at his sister’s request. This time, the Feng family had truly dragged him down with them.

While Li Feng silently cursed under his breath, Magistrate Qin barked, “It is true that Chunxiu was murdered, but that doesn’t mean Wu Meixue is the killer. Stop making wild accusations here!”

Feng Cheng pointed at Li Shimin and accused, “We clearly took one pearl, yet there were still eleven pearls in the box. This proves that Li Shimin has been lying all along, going to great lengths to exonerate Wu Meixue!”

“The sixteen pearls gifted to Meixue by my elder brother and me are indeed accurate. The box should have contained ten pearls,” Li Shimin explained calmly. “As for why there was an extra pearl…” He extended his hand, slowly uncurling his tightly clenched left fist. In his palm lay a red ribbon threaded with a pearl. The ribbon bore clear marks where something had been forcibly removed.

Feng Cheng exclaimed in astonishment, “Isn’t that…?” His gaze shifted to Jiang Caiping, who proudly raised her delicate chin and declared, “That’s right—it’s the red ribbon I wore earlier!” She lifted her wrist, revealing that the ribbon was now gone. “Second Young Master suspected your conspiracy with Li Feng long ago, so on our way back, he quietly asked me for the ribbon. It was all part of his plan to expose your deceitful scheme. And as expected, you fell right into his trap, using despicable methods to frame Elder Sister Wu.”

Feng Cheng’s pupils contracted as he glared at Li Shimin. “When did you put it in the box?” When Magistrate Qin entered, he immediately inspected the box—there should have been no opportunity for Li Shimin to tamper with it.

Li Shimin gave a faint smile. “Have you forgotten when Magistrate Qin nearly tripped?” Just before Magistrate Qin reached the desk, Li Shimin deliberately caused him to stumble. While steadying the magistrate, he surreptitiously placed the pearl taken from the ribbon into the box, creating the illusion that no pearls were missing.

Feng Cheng never imagined such a thing could happen. He was always the one deceiving others, yet today, he had been outwitted and made a fool of. His anger boiled over, nearly bursting his lungs.

Feng Chunming had initially thought supernatural forces were at play, but now he realized it was all Li Shimin’s doing. Overcome with regret, he couldn’t understand why thunder had suddenly roared if it wasn’t due to divine intervention. Was it just a coincidence?

Li Shimin, sensing his thoughts, explained, “There was no thunder outside—it was firecrackers set off by Zhihong!” On their way back to the county office, he had already devised a plan, using superstition to force the Feng family into confessing the truth.

Realizing they had been deceived, Feng Chunming was filled with both regret and hatred—but it was too late. Everything he shouldn’t have said had already been said; there was no turning back.

Feng Cheng gritted his teeth and accused, “As the second young master of the Taishou’s mansion, how could you resort to such underhanded tactics?”

Jiang Caiping spat back, “Stop slandering others! If it weren’t for Second Young Master’s brilliance in exposing your conspiracy, Elder Sister Wu would have been framed and killed by you. How dare you stand here and criticize him!”

Humiliated by her words, Feng Cheng snapped, “What do you know, girl? Deception is wrong, no matter what!”

Before Jiang Caiping could argue further, Li Shimin interjected, “Magistrate Qin, may I visit the crime scene? Perhaps I’ll find something useful.”

Impressed by Li Shimin’s intelligence and keen observation, Magistrate Qin immediately agreed. “Very well, I’ll accompany you.”

By this time, it was not yet dark, and the group arrived at the forest where Chunxiu’s body had been discovered. The spot where the body was found still bore dried, blackened bloodstains.

Li Shimin surveyed the area and asked, “Aside from removing the body, nothing here has been disturbed, correct?”

The bailiff confirmed, “Yes, aside from the body and gathering necessary evidence, nothing else has been touched. Moreover, it hasn’t rained recently, and this place is rarely visited, so everything should remain as it was.”

Li Shimin nodded and began examining the surroundings carefully. The location was at the base of a slope, with dense grass and shrubs covering the hillside above. While he conducted his investigation, Yunyi noticed Wu Laosan’s uneasy expression and whispered, “Father, what’s wrong?”

Wu Laosan forced a smile and tugged at his wrinkled cheeks. “Nothing, it just feels eerie. There are usually plenty of rabbits and foxes around here, and I often come hunting. But now, with someone dying here, it feels unsettling. I think I’ll avoid this place in the future.”

Yunyi consoled him, “Don’t worry. We didn’t kill anyone. Even if there are ghosts, they won’t come after us.”

Wu Laosan managed a weak smile. “You’re right. We have nothing to fear.”

Li Shimin gazed upward for a moment before climbing the steep slope. Though it wasn’t particularly high, it was treacherous, requiring him to grasp weeds and bushes to ascend. After spending some time at the top, he descended.

Magistrate Qin approached eagerly. “Did you discover anything, Second Young Master?”

“Not yet,” Li Shimin replied. He then summoned the bailiff and instructed him to indicate the exact position of the body and the stone used as the murder weapon. He asked detailed questions about the number of wounds on the body, its orientation when discovered, and even the placement of the stone.

Fortunately, the bailiff had a good memory, and since the incident had occurred just the day before, he answered Li Shimin’s questions thoroughly.

Feng Cheng grew impatient. “Second Young Master, how long do you intend to look?”

Ignoring him, Li Shimin retrieved a stone similar in size to the original and placed it in the corresponding position. He then pulled Magistrate Qin aside, pointing to the slope and whispering a few words. Afterward, he called over Duan Zhihong, instructing him privately. Zhihong nodded and began climbing the slope, only to roll down moments later amid gasps from the crowd. Due to the steepness of the slope, he rolled quickly, stopping just short of the stone. Thankfully, Li Shimin pulled him back in time, halting him less than a foot away.

Before anyone could react, Magistrate Qin sighed in admiration. “Second Young Master, your insight is truly remarkable. I am deeply impressed!”

Feng Li’s wife, harboring resentment toward Li Shimin, wiped her tears bitterly and muttered, “What insight? The murderer who killed my daughter still hasn’t been found.”

Magistrate Qin scoffed. “Ignorant woman—the second young master has already identified the culprit!”

Hearing this, the Feng family was astonished. Feng Cheng urgently demanded, “Who’s the murderer? Who killed my daughter?”