“Sir, where have you been these days? Although everyone in the Lin family has died, your cousin, Madam Lin, is missing,” Zhang Biao paused, “Is she okay?”
“She’s dead,” Bai Lixin directly dropped these words.
Zhang Biao was a bit dazed, and after a moment, he reacted, “Oh, sir, please accept my condolences.”
He didn’t continue to ask where Bai Lixin had been. County Magistrate Lin and the rest died two days ago, and Bai Lixin and his cousin disappeared two days ago. Now, with Bai Lixin stating that his cousin was dead, it was evident that he had been taking care of her funeral these past two days.
Perhaps Madam Lin was heartbroken by what Magistrate Lin did, so she didn’t want to enter the Lin family cemetery with him.
The coffin bearers continued forward. On seeing this, Zhang Biao quickly bid farewell to Bai Lixin’s and caught up with the procession.
After watching the coffin procession depart, Bai Lixin continued walking along the street.
The escape system’s voice rang out in his mind: [Master Bai Lixin, you have a few hours left before you can leave.]
He opened the taskbar and glanced at it. He entered the copy in the afternoon, and now there were only three hours left until that time point.
With nothing to do at the moment, he wandered around the small town aimlessly and eventually arrived at the yamen.
Because half of the constables had gone to help County Magistrate Lin, the yamen was deserted.
He knocked on the door, got no response, but the door opened by itself.
Seeing no one, he walked in directly.
Shortly after entering the courtyard, he saw the people of Liu Shanmen standing there, all with stern expressions, looking formidable.
“Who’s there?”
One of them heard a sound and looked towards Bai Lixin’s direction.
Unruffled, Bai Lixin walked out boldly, “It’s me.”
“Oh, it’s Sir,” one of them responded, “You came at the right time. We were planning to look for you.”
Bai Lixin: “To look for me?”
A strong voice came through the door, “Is Bai Lixin here?”
Liu Shanmen: “Yes, my lord.”
“Please bring him in,” the person in the study shouted.
Although puzzled, Bai Lixin passed by several people and arrived at the door of the study. He pushed the door open and walked in.
In the room, the imperial envoy in casual clothes was sitting behind a desk, writing vigorously. Hearing the door opening, he reluctantly raised his head for a glance and then continued writing.
Bai Lixin took a look and found that he was writing the final case file.
“Have a seat, pour yourself some tea,” the envoy said with his head down, continuing to write, “Wait for me. I’ll be done soon.”
Bai Lixin walked to the table, sat down, and silently observed this high-ranking official under the emperor’s feet.
Compared to his meticulous appearance in the first two days, his hair was now somewhat disheveled, clothes wrinkled, and there were dark circles under his eyes.
It seemed he had been busy with official matters these days.
This appearance was something Bai Lixin had not seen on County Magistrate Lin.
Escape system: [Master Bai Lixin, do you think County Magistrate Lin might be falsely accused? Wasn’t he possessed by that monster? Maybe some of the bad deeds weren’t done by him.]
Bai Lixin: [The mysterious deaths started more than two months ago, and the Dragon girl mentioned that the monster only became active recently. Even if County Magistrate Lin was possessed, it has only been in the last few months.]
[Whatever he did in these past months can be blamed on the monster, but the actions before were truly done by County Magistrate Lin himself.]
[Did you notice that in the two months when County Magistrate Lin was possessed, no one in the yamen noticed it? Also, other possessed people were not detected by the public.]
Escape system: [I see, what does this mean?]
Bai Lixin: [It means that the monster has a strong learning ability. Perhaps, when it possessed someone, it inherited the memories and personality of the host, seamlessly replacing them. The County Magistrate Lin we’ve seen recently is how he used to be.]
Escape system: [That’s terrifying. Being perfectly replaced, and people around not noticing.]
Bai Lixin: [It’s not easy to accept.]
The sound of flipping papers suddenly echoed, followed by the voice of the imperial envoy, “Alright, I’m done. I want to ask you about something.”
The envoy brought a thick stack of files, “You’ve contributed a lot to the Prince’s Mansion case. Let me tell you about the specific progress.”
“These days, I’ve questioned all possible related people. The Crown Prince has confessed to the process and details of his murders. It’s not just Xiao Cui, there are also other women, as well as maids in the Prince’s Mansion.”
“His motive for murder is simple. Whenever the Crown Prince saw someone that the Prince fancied or flirted with, he would go and kill them.”
“I asked him about the reason, and he said he couldn’t bear to see his mother suffer.”
“Heh.” Bai Lixin suddenly chuckled.
The envoy paused, “Why are you laughing?”
Bai Lixin: “He can’t bear to see his mother suffer, but he can accept his mother confessing to crimes on his behalf. Not only did he stay silent, but he also denied it to death.”
“Some spoiled children tend to do things that satisfy their desires in the name of ‘filial piety.’ It’s like putting ‘filial piety’ forward can provide a grand reason, make parents take responsibility for their mistakes, and relieve their own guilt.”
“In simple terms, this crown prince has no sense of responsibility. He’s just shifting blame.”
The imperial envoy remained silent for two seconds and continued, “The Crown Prince also pushed Concubine Shu’s child down.”
“This is the Crown Prince’s confession.”
“As for the Princess, she already knew about her son’s deeds when he killed Concubine Shu’s child. However, she didn’t stop him at the first moment. Instead, she helped him afterward and helped him dispose of the bodies.”
“Fearing that Concubine Shu might expose the Crown Prince, the princess made Concubine Shu go mad, so that no one would believe what she said. As for others, they were all corpses that the princess helped dispose of.”
“While she was saying all this…” The envoy paused, “She cried bitterly, expressing deep regret. If she had stopped the Crown Prince the first time he pushed Concubine Shu’s child into the water, corrected him, maybe he wouldn’t have turned out like this.”
“Although the princess didn’t directly kill, she played a part. She’s not innocent and she can be considered an accomplice.”
“As for the Prince.”
“That Master Cao revealed all the absurd things the prince had done. Rape and humiliation of women, although not a crime punishable by death, it’s not a light crime either.”
“All three of them are not innocent.”
“But there’s a problem here.” The imperial envoy opened the thick file, pointing to a section, “The Crown Prince insisted multiple times that when he took away the pipa, he didn’t touch it, so it couldn’t have fingerprints. He confessed to everything, so he doesn’t have a reason to lie about this. However, the pipa does have a fingerprint on it. What’s going on?”
Bai Lixin looked at the imperial envoy but remained silent.
The imperial envoy just looked at Bai Lixin for a few seconds and was shocked, “Did you fabricate evidence?”
Bai Lixin: “I didn’t say that.”
The imperial envoy: “…”
‘But your expression already betrayed you!’
Bai Lixin: “The Crown Prince has killed many people, and his psychological resilience is very strong. If there hadn’t been for that fingerprint, he wouldn’t have shown any flaws. I just took an unconventional approach to place the evidence where it needed to be.”
The imperial envoy rubbed his temples, “Alright, I understand. I’ll revise the files again. There shouldn’t be any problem.”
However, Bai Lixin’s hand suddenly pressed on the files, “Can I take another look? There seems to be an issue here.”
The imperial envoy leaned over, “Where?”
Bai Lixin pointed to a place, “Here.”
…
With so many funerals these days, fewer people are buying things.
The bustling streets should have been lively, but there weren’t many people now.
Today, Ping Er still had two pieces of tofu left to sell. While she was daydreaming, her view was suddenly blocked by a figure.
She felt delighted and immediately called out, “Customer, buy tofu…”
When she looked up and recognized the person, her expression changed. “Sir, it’s you again. Why are you here?”
Bai Lixin smiled and handed over a piece of silver. “I’m here to buy tofu today. Also, I’m no longer an official, County Magistrate Lin expelled me from the yamen.”
Ping Er was slightly surprised, then quickly took the silver. “Then you must be a good official to be expelled by County Magistrate Lin. The Lin family is all gone now, and everyone says it’s because he did too many bad things and faced retribution. With County Magistrate Lin gone, a new magistrate will surely come to Qingcheng Town soon. Since you have no grievances with the new magistrate, why not return to your post? You’re talented; it would be a waste not to be an official.”
“Even if am not an official, I can still do many other things.”
“I can open a school and educate people.”
“I can write books, teaching life lessons through stories.”
“I can be a legal consultant, specializing in writing legal documents for those who can’t read. It can be a joyful endeavor.”
“I could even open a small shop like yours, using my labor to create wealth and help others.”
“Life has endless possibilities, and there’s no perfect answer. Being an official is not necessarily the best.”
Ping Er quickly packed the tofu. “Haha, I may not fully understand, but I think you make sense, sir. Alright, here’s your tofu.”
“Don’t you want to know about Miss Xiao Cui’s case?” Bai Lixin stared at Ping Er.
Ping Er smiled, “Of course, I want to know, but I believe that with the arrival of the imperial envoy, justice will be served. I trust that Miss will find peace in the afterlife, and justice will be done for this case.”
Bai Lixin: “The Crown Prince confessed to everything. He admitted to following both of you after leaving Master Cao’s house, then pushed Miss Xiao Cui into the water, and left with the pipa.”
Ping Er’s hand holding the tofu paused slightly in mid-air, and then her eyes welled up with tears. “That’s great. Miss is blessed, and her murderer has finally been found.”
Bai Lixin: “But the Crown Prince also revealed something else. When he was following both of you, he witnessed a heated argument between you two by the bridge. According to him, Miss Xiao Cui even slapped you. Why didn’t you mention this at that time?”
“Oh,” Ping Er forced a laugh, “because I thought it had nothing to do with the case. If Miss had grievances, I let her vent. She’s my Miss, even if she slapped me, I wouldn’t hold a grudge.”
“Is that so?” Bai Lixin said solemnly. “Perhaps some of the words you two were saying was too impactful, and he remembered one or two sentences. In those sentences, you cursed Miss Xiao Cui to die. Ping Er, can you tell me why you were arguing at that time?”
Ping Er’s expression changed, “Sir, are you interrogating me? You’re not an official now, and I have the right not to answer your questions.”
Bai Lixin: “Of course, you have that right. I was just curious, and you don’t have to answer.”
Ping Er relaxed slightly, “Then I won’t say.”
Bai Lixin: “But, there’s something strange. You said you found your Miss by the river, then saw her jewelry and got greedy. According to your words, your Miss was already dead, right? Otherwise, as close as you two were, you wouldn’t just watch her die, would you?”
Ping Er’s hands trembled.
She put down the tofu, forcing a faint smile. “Yes, when I found Miss, she was already dead. If she hadn’t died, how could I have watched her die without helping?”
Bai Lixin: “Hmm, when did you discover your Miss’s body?”
Ping Er: “It’s, it’s then. The person in black was still there, and I was afraid of being killed, so I ran away. After about an hour, I felt uneasy, so I went back. That’s when I found Miss’s body floating on the shore.”
Bai Lixin: “But generally, if someone drowns, they won’t float up in such a short time. It takes three to five days at least, or a few hours at the minimum, especially considering Miss Xiao Cui had some heavy jewelry on her.”
Ping Er’s face instantly turned pale.
Bai Lixin: “And, when I casually mentioned Miss Xiao Cui’s past while hanging out in the brothel, someone told me about her. They said Miss Xiao Cui grew up by the river, and was skilled in swimming. If it were suicide, I could understand her drowning, but she was murdered.”
“But the strange thing is, you said you found your Miss by the river, and then seeing her jewelry, you became greedy. According to your statement, your Miss was already dead, right? Otherwise, with your close relationship, you wouldn’t have just watched her die, right?”
Ping Er trembled for a moment.
She placed the tofu down and tried to force a smile. “Yes, I found Miss when she was already dead. If she hadn’t died, how could I just watch her die without helping?”
Sin: “Hmm, when did you discover your Miss’s body?”
Ping Er: “It’s, it’s then. The person in black was still there, and I was afraid of being killed, so I ran away. After about an hour, feeling uneasy, I went back and found Miss’s body washed ashore.”
“But generally, if someone drowns, they won’t float up in such a short time. It takes three to five days at least, or a few hours at the minimum, especially considering Miss Cui had some heavy jewelry on her.”
Ping Er’s face turned pale instantly.
“And, when I casually mentioned Miss Cui’s past while strolling in the brothel, someone told me about her. They said Miss Cui grew up by the river, skilled in swimming. If it were suicide, I could understand her drowning, but she was murdered.”
Ping Er: “Maybe the killer first knocked Miss unconscious, then threw her off the bridge?”
Bai Lixin: “Weren’t you watching from a distance? You should remember whether your Miss got knocked out or if she called for help, why is it ‘maybe’?”
Ping Er stammered, “Oh, yes, I watched, I watched. The person in black knocked Miss unconscious, then threw her into the river.”
“But,” Bai Lixin paused before continuing, “as I mentioned earlier, she wouldn’t have floated up in such a short time. And the crown prince also admitted that he was anxious at the time and threw the person into the river without knocking her unconscious. Your Miss was calling for help, and out of fear, took the pipa and ran.”
“Did you forget these details? Didn’t you hear your Miss calling for help?”
A thin layer of cold sweat appeared on Ping Er’s forehead. “I, I, I was too scared at that time. It’s been so long, and I’ve forgotten many details.”
“You’re not forgetting, you’re lying.” Bai Lixin looked steadily at Ping Er. “To cover the first lie, you have to tell ninety-nine more lies.”
“You lied from the beginning, so many testimonies don’t match the Crown Prince’s. Let me tell you what really happened that night.”
“After leaving Master Cao’s house, you and Miss Xiao Cui walked to the bridge. You had a dispute over something, and then you left.”
“Not long after you left, the Crown Prince appeared. He threw Miss Xiao Cui off the bridge and took away the pipa. Oh, and just now, I actually lied to you. Miss Xiao Cui didn’t call for help. The Crown Prince did hit her, but perhaps due to his young age, the force wasn’t enough. When the cold river water hit her, she woke up. But fearing the murderer was still there, she hid underwater or under the bridge.”
“When she confirmed the killer had left, she slowly swam to the shore. That’s when you appeared.”
“You witnessed the murder, and then saw the already weak Xiao Cui. Suddenly, you took action, suffocating her to create the illusion of drowning. But you didn’t stop there, you got greedy and plundered all her jewelry. With the blessing of those jewels, you opened this small stall and started a self-sufficient life.”
“Miss Ping Er, how do you find my story?”
The smile on Ping Er’s face had completely disappeared. She abandoned her usual gentle and obedient demeanor, staring at Bai Lixin gloomily. “No wonder Sir said he could be a writer, your imagination is indeed rich. It’s a pity that County Magistrate Lin treated such a precious talent as a piece of unpolished jade and discarded it.”
“I think you can add something else, sir.”
Bai Lixin: “What should be added?”
Ping Er: “Just add this, after Miss Xiao Cui bought Ping Er, she treated Ping Er as an outlet for her anger. Whenever she suffered from guests or others, she would come and whip Ping Er. Ping Er has numerous scars from these beatings.”
“For example, when Miss Xiao Cui took Ping Er to perform at Master Cao’s house, during the break, those people were just playing with Miss Xiao Cui. But Miss Xiao Cui saw Ping Er on the side and suddenly felt resentful, dragging the originally flawless Ping Er into trouble. Ping Er is just a maid, earning only maid’s wages, but she was forced into the role of a courtesan.”
“Oh, and write this too: when Miss Xiao Cui and Ping Er reached the bridge, although Ping Er was more seriously injured, Miss Xiao Cui refused to move on. She insisted that Ping Er find a sedan chair for her. It was already midnight, where could Ping Er find a sedan chair? Ping Er was bleeding all over, wasn’t this forcing Ping Er to die? So Ping Er argued with Miss Xiao Cui, but in the end, Miss Xiao Cui beat her.”
“Ping Er left in anger. She didn’t actually look for a sedan chair, she just hid in a corner and cried. Later, she raised her head and saw someone throwing Miss Xiao Cui into the river. Ping Er wasn’t concerned about Miss Xiao Cui, she thought it served her right. Seeing how Miss Xiao Cui had caused trouble so often, it was finally retribution.”
“But Ping Er softened later. After a while, when the person left, she went to see if Miss Xiao Cui was alright.”
“Sir, where have you been these days? Although everyone in the Lin family has died, your cousin, Madam Lin, is missing,” Zhang Biao paused, “Is she okay?”
“She’s dead,” Bai Lixin directly dropped these words.
Zhang Biao was a bit dazed, and after a moment, he reacted, “Oh, sir, please accept my condolences.”
He didn’t continue to ask where Bai Lixin had been. County Magistrate Lin and the rest died two days ago, and Bai Lixin and his cousin disappeared two days ago. Now, with Bai Lixin stating that his cousin was dead, it was evident that he had been taking care of her funeral these past two days.
Perhaps Madam Lin was heartbroken by what Magistrate Lin did, so she didn’t want to enter the Lin family cemetery with him.
The coffin bearers continued forward. On seeing this, Zhang Biao quickly bid farewell to Bai Lixin’s and caught up with the procession.
After watching the coffin procession depart, Bai Lixin continued walking along the street.
The escape system’s voice rang out in his mind: [Master Bai Lixin, you have a few hours left before you can leave.]
He opened the taskbar and glanced at it. He entered the copy in the afternoon, and now there were only three hours left until that time point.
With nothing to do at the moment, he wandered around the small town aimlessly and eventually arrived at the yamen.
Because half of the constables had gone to help County Magistrate Lin, the yamen was deserted.
He knocked on the door, got no response, but the door opened by itself.
Seeing no one, he walked in directly.
Shortly after entering the courtyard, he saw the people of Liu Shanmen standing there, all with stern expressions, looking formidable.
“Who’s there?”
One of them heard a sound and looked towards Bai Lixin’s direction.
Unruffled, Bai Lixin walked out boldly, “It’s me.”
“Oh, it’s Sir,” one of them responded, “You came at the right time. We were planning to look for you.”
Bai Lixin: “To look for me?”
A strong voice came through the door, “Is Bai Lixin here?”
Liu Shanmen: “Yes, my lord.”
“Please bring him in,” the person in the study shouted.
Although puzzled, Bai Lixin passed by several people and arrived at the door of the study. He pushed the door open and walked in.
In the room, the imperial envoy in casual clothes was sitting behind a desk, writing vigorously. Hearing the door opening, he reluctantly raised his head for a glance and then continued writing.
Bai Lixin took a look and found that he was writing the final case file.
“Have a seat, pour yourself some tea,” the envoy said with his head down, continuing to write, “Wait for me. I’ll be done soon.”
Bai Lixin walked to the table, sat down, and silently observed this high-ranking official under the emperor’s feet.
Compared to his meticulous appearance in the first two days, his hair was now somewhat disheveled, clothes wrinkled, and there were dark circles under his eyes.
It seemed he had been busy with official matters these days.
This appearance was something Bai Lixin had not seen on County Magistrate Lin.
Escape system: [Master Bai Lixin, do you think County Magistrate Lin might be falsely accused? Wasn’t he possessed by that monster? Maybe some of the bad deeds weren’t done by him.]
Bai Lixin: [The mysterious deaths started more than two months ago, and the Dragon girl mentioned that the monster only became active recently. Even if County Magistrate Lin was possessed, it has only been in the last few months.]
[Whatever he did in these past months can be blamed on the monster, but the actions before were truly done by County Magistrate Lin himself.]
[Did you notice that in the two months when County Magistrate Lin was possessed, no one in the yamen noticed it? Also, other possessed people were not detected by the public.]
Escape system: [I see, what does this mean?]
Bai Lixin: [It means that the monster has a strong learning ability. Perhaps, when it possessed someone, it inherited the memories and personality of the host, seamlessly replacing them. The County Magistrate Lin we’ve seen recently is how he used to be.]
Escape system: [That’s terrifying. Being perfectly replaced, and people around not noticing.]
Bai Lixin: [It’s not easy to accept.]
The sound of flipping papers suddenly echoed, followed by the voice of the imperial envoy, “Alright, I’m done. I want to ask you about something.”
The envoy brought a thick stack of files, “You’ve contributed a lot to the Prince’s Mansion case. Let me tell you about the specific progress.”
“These days, I’ve questioned all possible related people. The Crown Prince has confessed to the process and details of his murders. It’s not just Xiao Cui, there are also other women, as well as maids in the Prince’s Mansion.”
“His motive for murder is simple. Whenever the Crown Prince saw someone that the Prince fancied or flirted with, he would go and kill them.”
“I asked him about the reason, and he said he couldn’t bear to see his mother suffer.”
“Heh.” Bai Lixin suddenly chuckled.
The envoy paused, “Why are you laughing?”
Bai Lixin: “He can’t bear to see his mother suffer, but he can accept his mother confessing to crimes on his behalf. Not only did he stay silent, but he also denied it to death.”
“Some spoiled children tend to do things that satisfy their desires in the name of ‘filial piety.’ It’s like putting ‘filial piety’ forward can provide a grand reason, make parents take responsibility for their mistakes, and relieve their own guilt.”
“In simple terms, this crown prince has no sense of responsibility. He’s just shifting blame.”
The imperial envoy remained silent for two seconds and continued, “The Crown Prince also pushed Concubine Shu’s child down.”
“This is the Crown Prince’s confession.”
“As for the Princess, she already knew about her son’s deeds when he killed Concubine Shu’s child. However, she didn’t stop him at the first moment. Instead, she helped him afterward and helped him dispose of the bodies.”
“Fearing that Concubine Shu might expose the Crown Prince, the princess made Concubine Shu go mad, so that no one would believe what she said. As for others, they were all corpses that the princess helped dispose of.”
“While she was saying all this…” The envoy paused, “She cried bitterly, expressing deep regret. If she had stopped the Crown Prince the first time he pushed Concubine Shu’s child into the water, corrected him, maybe he wouldn’t have turned out like this.”
“Although the princess didn’t directly kill, she played a part. She’s not innocent and she can be considered an accomplice.”
“As for the Prince.”
“That Master Cao revealed all the absurd things the prince had done. Rape and humiliation of women, although not a crime punishable by death, it’s not a light crime either.”
“All three of them are not innocent.”
“But there’s a problem here.” The imperial envoy opened the thick file, pointing to a section, “The Crown Prince insisted multiple times that when he took away the pipa, he didn’t touch it, so it couldn’t have fingerprints. He confessed to everything, so he doesn’t have a reason to lie about this. However, the pipa does have a fingerprint on it. What’s going on?”
Bai Lixin looked at the imperial envoy but remained silent.
The imperial envoy just looked at Bai Lixin for a few seconds and was shocked, “Did you fabricate evidence?”
Bai Lixin: “I didn’t say that.”
The imperial envoy: “…”
‘But your expression already betrayed you!’
Bai Lixin: “The Crown Prince has killed many people, and his psychological resilience is very strong. If there hadn’t been for that fingerprint, he wouldn’t have shown any flaws. I just took an unconventional approach to place the evidence where it needed to be.”
The imperial envoy rubbed his temples, “Alright, I understand. I’ll revise the files again. There shouldn’t be any problem.”
However, Bai Lixin’s hand suddenly pressed on the files, “Can I take another look? There seems to be an issue here.”
The imperial envoy leaned over, “Where?”
Bai Lixin pointed to a place, “Here.”
…
With so many funerals these days, fewer people are buying things.
The bustling streets should have been lively, but there weren’t many people now.
Today, Ping Er still had two pieces of tofu left to sell. While she was daydreaming, her view was suddenly blocked by a figure.
She felt delighted and immediately called out, “Customer, buy tofu…”
When she looked up and recognized the person, her expression changed. “Sir, it’s you again. Why are you here?”
Bai Lixin smiled and handed over a piece of silver. “I’m here to buy tofu today. Also, I’m no longer an official, County Magistrate Lin expelled me from the yamen.”
Ping Er was slightly surprised, then quickly took the silver. “Then you must be a good official to be expelled by County Magistrate Lin. The Lin family is all gone now, and everyone says it’s because he did too many bad things and faced retribution. With County Magistrate Lin gone, a new magistrate will surely come to Qingcheng Town soon. Since you have no grievances with the new magistrate, why not return to your post? You’re talented; it would be a waste not to be an official.”
“Even if am not an official, I can still do many other things.”
“I can open a school and educate people.”
“I can write books, teaching life lessons through stories.”
“I can be a legal consultant, specializing in writing legal documents for those who can’t read. It can be a joyful endeavor.”
“I could even open a small shop like yours, using my labor to create wealth and help others.”
“Life has endless possibilities, and there’s no perfect answer. Being an official is not necessarily the best.”
Ping Er quickly packed the tofu. “Haha, I may not fully understand, but I think you make sense, sir. Alright, here’s your tofu.”
“Don’t you want to know about Miss Xiao Cui’s case?” Bai Lixin stared at Ping Er.
Ping Er smiled, “Of course, I want to know, but I believe that with the arrival of the imperial envoy, justice will be served. I trust that Miss will find peace in the afterlife, and justice will be done for this case.”
Bai Lixin: “The Crown Prince confessed to everything. He admitted to following both of you after leaving Master Cao’s house, then pushed Miss Xiao Cui into the water, and left with the pipa.”
Ping Er’s hand holding the tofu paused slightly in mid-air, and then her eyes welled up with tears. “That’s great. Miss is blessed, and her murderer has finally been found.”
Bai Lixin: “But the Crown Prince also revealed something else. When he was following both of you, he witnessed a heated argument between you two by the bridge. According to him, Miss Xiao Cui even slapped you. Why didn’t you mention this at that time?”
“Oh,” Ping Er forced a laugh, “because I thought it had nothing to do with the case. If Miss had grievances, I let her vent. She’s my Miss, even if she slapped me, I wouldn’t hold a grudge.”
“Is that so?” Bai Lixin said solemnly. “Perhaps some of the words you two were saying was too impactful, and he remembered one or two sentences. In those sentences, you cursed Miss Xiao Cui to die. Ping Er, can you tell me why you were arguing at that time?”
Ping Er’s expression changed, “Sir, are you interrogating me? You’re not an official now, and I have the right not to answer your questions.”
Bai Lixin: “Of course, you have that right. I was just curious, and you don’t have to answer.”
Ping Er relaxed slightly, “Then I won’t say.”
Bai Lixin: “But, there’s something strange. You said you found your Miss by the river, then saw her jewelry and got greedy. According to your words, your Miss was already dead, right? Otherwise, as close as you two were, you wouldn’t just watch her die, would you?”
Ping Er’s hands trembled.
She put down the tofu, forcing a faint smile. “Yes, when I found Miss, she was already dead. If she hadn’t died, how could I have watched her die without helping?”
Bai Lixin: “Hmm, when did you discover your Miss’s body?”
Ping Er: “It’s, it’s then. The person in black was still there, and I was afraid of being killed, so I ran away. After about an hour, I felt uneasy, so I went back. That’s when I found Miss’s body floating on the shore.”
Bai Lixin: “But generally, if someone drowns, they won’t float up in such a short time. It takes three to five days at least, or a few hours at the minimum, especially considering Miss Xiao Cui had some heavy jewelry on her.”
Ping Er’s face instantly turned pale.
Bai Lixin: “And, when I casually mentioned Miss Xiao Cui’s past while hanging out in the brothel, someone told me about her. They said Miss Xiao Cui grew up by the river, and was skilled in swimming. If it were suicide, I could understand her drowning, but she was murdered.”
“But the strange thing is, you said you found your Miss by the river, and then seeing her jewelry, you became greedy. According to your statement, your Miss was already dead, right? Otherwise, with your close relationship, you wouldn’t have just watched her die, right?”
Ping Er trembled for a moment.
She placed the tofu down and tried to force a smile. “Yes, I found Miss when she was already dead. If she hadn’t died, how could I just watch her die without helping?”
Sin: “Hmm, when did you discover your Miss’s body?”
Ping Er: “It’s, it’s then. The person in black was still there, and I was afraid of being killed, so I ran away. After about an hour, feeling uneasy, I went back and found Miss’s body washed ashore.”
“But generally, if someone drowns, they won’t float up in such a short time. It takes three to five days at least, or a few hours at the minimum, especially considering Miss Cui had some heavy jewelry on her.”
Ping Er’s face turned pale instantly.
“And, when I casually mentioned Miss Cui’s past while strolling in the brothel, someone told me about her. They said Miss Cui grew up by the river, skilled in swimming. If it were suicide, I could understand her drowning, but she was murdered.”
Ping Er: “Maybe the killer first knocked Miss unconscious, then threw her off the bridge?”
Bai Lixin: “Weren’t you watching from a distance? You should remember whether your Miss got knocked out or if she called for help, why is it ‘maybe’?”
Ping Er stammered, “Oh, yes, I watched, I watched. The person in black knocked Miss unconscious, then threw her into the river.”
“But,” Bai Lixin paused before continuing, “as I mentioned earlier, she wouldn’t have floated up in such a short time. And the crown prince also admitted that he was anxious at the time and threw the person into the river without knocking her unconscious. Your Miss was calling for help, and out of fear, took the pipa and ran.”
“Did you forget these details? Didn’t you hear your Miss calling for help?”
A thin layer of cold sweat appeared on Ping Er’s forehead. “I, I, I was too scared at that time. It’s been so long, and I’ve forgotten many details.”
“You’re not forgetting, you’re lying.” Bai Lixin looked steadily at Ping Er. “To cover the first lie, you have to tell ninety-nine more lies.”
“You lied from the beginning, so many testimonies don’t match the Crown Prince’s. Let me tell you what really happened that night.”
“After leaving Master Cao’s house, you and Miss Xiao Cui walked to the bridge. You had a dispute over something, and then you left.”
“Not long after you left, the Crown Prince appeared. He threw Miss Xiao Cui off the bridge and took away the pipa. Oh, and just now, I actually lied to you. Miss Xiao Cui didn’t call for help. The Crown Prince did hit her, but perhaps due to his young age, the force wasn’t enough. When the cold river water hit her, she woke up. But fearing the murderer was still there, she hid underwater or under the bridge.”
“When she confirmed the killer had left, she slowly swam to the shore. That’s when you appeared.”
“You witnessed the murder, and then saw the already weak Xiao Cui. Suddenly, you took action, suffocating her to create the illusion of drowning. But you didn’t stop there, you got greedy and plundered all her jewelry. With the blessing of those jewels, you opened this small stall and started a self-sufficient life.”
“Miss Ping Er, how do you find my story?”
The smile on Ping Er’s face had completely disappeared. She abandoned her usual gentle and obedient demeanor, staring at Bai Lixin gloomily. “No wonder Sir said he could be a writer, your imagination is indeed rich. It’s a pity that County Magistrate Lin treated such a precious talent as a piece of unpolished jade and discarded it.”
“I think you can add something else, sir.”
Bai Lixin: “What should be added?”
Ping Er: “Just add this, after Miss Xiao Cui bought Ping Er, she treated Ping Er as an outlet for her anger. Whenever she suffered from guests or others, she would come and whip Ping Er. Ping Er has numerous scars from these beatings.”
“For example, when Miss Xiao Cui took Ping Er to perform at Master Cao’s house, during the break, those people were just playing with Miss Xiao Cui. But Miss Xiao Cui saw Ping Er on the side and suddenly felt resentful, dragging the originally flawless Ping Er into trouble. Ping Er is just a maid, earning only maid’s wages, but she was forced into the role of a courtesan.”
“Oh, and write this too: when Miss Xiao Cui and Ping Er reached the bridge, although Ping Er was more seriously injured, Miss Xiao Cui refused to move on. She insisted that Ping Er find a sedan chair for her. It was already midnight, where could Ping Er find a sedan chair? Ping Er was bleeding all over, wasn’t this forcing Ping Er to die? So Ping Er argued with Miss Xiao Cui, but in the end, Miss Xiao Cui beat her.”
“Ping Er left in anger. She didn’t actually look for a sedan chair, she just hid in a corner and cried. Later, she raised her head and saw someone throwing Miss Xiao Cui into the river. Ping Er wasn’t concerned about Miss Xiao Cui, she thought it served her right. Seeing how Miss Xiao Cui had caused trouble so often, it was finally retribution.”
“But Ping Er softened later. After a while, when the person left, she went to see if Miss Xiao Cui was alright.”
