Bone Painting Coroner-Chapter 112: The Case (part 1)

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Chapter 112: The Case (part 1)

The hostility within Ji Yunshuโ€™s eyes sent shivers down Ji Shuhanโ€™s spine. โ€˜She was wrong? What does she mean?โ€™ ฦ’๐—ฟe๐˜ฆ๐š ๐—ฒ๐š‹n๐š˜ฮฝ๐™š๐—น.๐‘o๐™ข

Ji Yunshu snarled. โ€œDespite enduring time and time again, it did not abate your cruelty. Your lack of compassion is what has given you this bloodthirsty son.โ€

โ€œWhat are you talking about?โ€ Ji Shuhan frowned.

Ji Yunshu ignored him and flashed a cold glance to Ji Yuanzhi, who was still impaled through the shoulder onto the gate. She looked back at Magistrate Liu and pleaded, โ€œMagistrate, please ready the hall for trialโ€ฆ for the murders at the Wei Mansion.โ€

โ€˜Wei Mansion? Isnโ€™t this about Luanโ€™erโ€™s death?โ€™ thought Magistrate Liu.

Ji Yuanzhi was brought to the great hall of the yamen and knelt down at the center of the room. He had a bandaged hand and a gaping hole in his robe around the shoulder. His hair was messy, and he seemed to be quite uneasy. Jing Rong stood right by him, casting down a look akin to an eagle stalking its prey.

Ji Shuhan was rather confused. โ€˜Why are we back at the Wei Mansion case?โ€™ His heart was struck with sudden apprehension.

Ji Yunshu stood upright by Ji Yuanzhuโ€™s left. In her usual garments, she lacked the proudness and the sharpness of Teacher Ji but gained a womanly softness which rightfully belonged to her normal self. However, the animosity in her eyes expelled almost all of it away; a little more and she would have seemed enraged by hatred, a little less and she would be seemed softhearted.

Magistrate Liu wiped his eyes with his sleeves and habitually reached out for his gavel. He was about to smash the table with it, when Jing Rong interrupted him with a cough. He suddenly realized who was there and immediately dropped the object. He cleared his throat and flashed a glance at Ji Yuanzhi. Then, he shifted his attention toward Ji Yunshu and asked in a much more gentle manner, โ€œYunshu, so, are there any links between the murders at the Wei Mansion and Luanโ€™erโ€™s suicide?โ€

Ji Yunshu did not answer him. Instead, she lowered her eyes toward Ji Yuanzhu, who dodged her eyes and kept his fists clenched. She asked him, โ€œDo you really hate me so?โ€

โ€˜What is she doing? Thatโ€™s not the normal flow!โ€™ thought the Magistrate.

Ji Yuanzhi seemed surprised at the question. He raised his head, showing a contemptuous smile. โ€œYes.โ€

โ€œDo you hate me to the point that you want to see me dead?โ€

โ€œโ€ฆโ€ฆโ€ Ji Yuanzhi frowned. He seemed to have understood her intentions, and he remained silent.

โ€œWhy?โ€ asked Ji Yunshu.

Ji Yuanzhu remained silent.

This exchange was quite puzzling for Magistrate Liu. He asked in curiosity, โ€œYunshu, does this have anything to do with the case?โ€

โ€œOf course it does.โ€

โ€œHow so?โ€

Ji Yunshu kept her eyes fixated on her brother. She skirted around him, and her countenance sank only when she arrived behind him. She asked, โ€œThat night, you joined us only after the feast had started, didnโ€™t you?โ€ She continued without giving Ji Yuanzhi a chance to interrupt her, โ€œThatโ€™s because before you came to the main hall you went to the kitchen. You lingered around its entrance, wondering how you could sneak in, but you did not have a chance to do so.โ€

โ€œWhat nonsenseโ€ฆ I.. why would I want to go there. I havenโ€™t been in the kitchen at all,โ€ retorted Ji Yuanzhu.

โ€œYou donโ€™t need to deny it so quickly. There are probably a few things even you canโ€™t quite understand, such asโ€ฆ why did Madame Wei and Lord Wei die, and why I am unharmed.โ€

โ€œAh!โ€ Ji Yunshuโ€™s calm voice seemed to have pricked a fatal weakness. Ji Yuanzhiโ€™s eyes widened, and his countenance turned ashen. His quickening breath revealed his nervousness: it was clear as daylight.

To everyoneโ€™s astonishment, Ji Yunshu brought a fabric pendant out of her pocket. She held the thread with her index finger and swung it in front of Ji Yuanzhuโ€™s eyes. โ€œYou should recognize this. After all, Wei Yi said that you were the one who dropped it, and he didnโ€™t forget to ask me to return this to youโ€ฆ Heโ€™s nice like that.โ€

Ji Yunshu flung the object at Ji Yuanzhu with a flick of her finger. It fell onto Ji Yuanzhiโ€™s dirty robe with a thud. It seemed like a ball of fire to Ji Yuanzhi. He shook it off with vigor, causing it to fall far away from him. โ€œThatโ€™s not mine.โ€

โ€œOh, really? Am I blind or illiterate? Can you tell me whatโ€™s written on it?โ€

โ€˜Thereโ€™s something written on it?โ€™ Magistrate Liu was curious enough to leave his seat. He picked up the pendant and pointed at Ji Yuanzhi. โ€œHey, this is yours. Look, your name is sewn on it.โ€

โ€œIโ€ฆโ€ Ji Yuanzhi stuttered; the focused air in his eyes was gone.

Ji Shuhan could not hold it in anymore. He grunted at Ji Yunshu, โ€œYunshu, what exactly are you trying to do? First, you say that Yuanzhi is at fault for Luanโ€™erโ€™s death, and now you are expecting us to believe that Yuanzhi is somehow related to the case at the Wei Mansion with a pendant and a few nonsensical remarks? Heโ€™s your third brother! Wonโ€™t you stop at nothing until heโ€™s dead?โ€

โ€˜Third brother? Iโ€™d love to know a time when he thought of me as a sister.โ€™ Ji Yunshu maintained her composure, but resentment flashed through her eyes. โ€œIโ€™m not the one wishing his death, quite the opposite actually.โ€

โ€œWhat nonsense?โ€ shouted Ji Shuhan.

Ji Yunshu quirked her lips and turned her head toward Ji Yuanzhi, who was collapsed on the ground. โ€œListen, and I will throw light upon your confusion.โ€

She took a deep breath and fought against the tears in her eyes. โ€œThat day, before you came to the Wei Mansion, you prepared a pair of chopsticks identical to the ones used by the hosts at the Wei Mansion and soaked them in Pitohui poison for a few hours. When you arrived, you found an excuse to the kitchen and waited there until you saw a maid carry utensils. You knew that what she had was meant for me, so you offered a hairpin and used it as a distraction to swap the chopsticks with the poisoned ones you were hiding.โ€

At this point, the main hall had sunk into a complete silence. A silence due perhaps to surprise or shock. Despite the implausibility of the tale, even Ji Yuanzhi did not speak out against it. Ji Yunshu continued, โ€œWhat you didnโ€™t think of, however, is that when you were about to leave, Wei Yi bumped into you. In doing so, he caused his parents chopsticks, carried by another maid, to fall into the same container as mine; yes, the chopsticks were identical, so the two maids simply picked them up randomly.โ€

โ€œThe pair which was meant for me was split up. One was given to Uncle Wei, and the other one, to Aunt Wei.โ€

โ€œNoโ€ฆ stop it! STOP IT!โ€ Ji Yuanzhiโ€™s suddenly exploded into a frenzy. He raised his hands and was about to leap toward Ji Yunshu. However, before he could do so, Jing Rong arrived, quick as a gust of wind. He pulled Ji Yunshu behind him, raised his leg, and dealt a mighty kick to Ji Yuanzhiโ€™s chest. The latter flew for nearly a meter and fell to the ground with blood on the corner of his lips.

Ji Shuhan hurried to help Ji Yuanzhu, but Lang Po and another bodyguard stopped him. โ€œIf you lay even a finger to help, Iโ€™ll end you right here, right now,โ€ growled Jing Rong.

Ji Yuanzhi laid prostrate, looking at Ji Yunshu with hatred. He protested in a last-ditch effort, โ€œYou are lying. I havenโ€™t, I havenโ€™t!โ€

โ€œYou may not know, but you gave me the evidence I needed.โ€

โ€œโ€ฆโ€ฆโ€ Ji Yunshu took out the handkerchief wrapped around the poisoned chopsticks out of her sleeves and cast it to the ground. โ€œLook at your own thumb.โ€