Chapter 192 - 190: Doesn’t He Care About His Reputation?! (1st Update)

Chapter 192: Chapter 190: Doesn’t He Care About His Reputation?! (1st Update)

Xu Jing paused slightly in her steps and said, "I’m probably busy, why?"

Having discovered so many clues today, Xu Jing anticipated that there would be new updates on the case tomorrow, so she thought it best not to wander around aimlessly.

Zhou Wan immediately looked disappointed, "Oh, I just found out today there’s a beautiful lake outside the Western Capital. They say you can see swans there! The weather has been so nice, neither cold nor hot, I wanted to invite Jing to go for a little outing with me!"

Xu Jing couldn’t help but smile, saying, "Thank you, Xie Wanwan, for the invitation. Let’s talk about it next time when I’m free. Are you going alone tomorrow?"

Zhou Wan shook her head and cheerfully pointed to Zhou Xian behind her, "Fifth brother is going with me!"

Zhou Xian still looked as unruly as before, not even sparing a glance at Xu Jing.

Xu Jing raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "It’s good you have company. Be careful."

After saying that, she hurriedly headed to her room.

Seeing Xu Jing walk away, Zhou Wan turned around and couldn’t help but smack her fifth brother on the shoulder, exasperated, "You idiot fifth brother, such a petty man. Jing only scolded you once, and everything she said was right! Why do you always give Jing such attitude?"

Earlier, when Xu Jing scolded Zhou Xian in the courtyard, saying he was worse than a four-year-old child, the steward here had already reported every word verbatim to the Zhou Family in Anping County.

Zhou Xian, feeling embarrassed to be lectured by his younger sister, couldn’t help but retort, "Who’s giving that woman attitude? She’s not even womanly, neither gentle nor considerate! What man would want to associate with a woman like that?"

Zhou Wan crossed her arms and said, "What does Jing not being gentle and considerate have to do with you? It’s not like you’re marrying into Jing’s family!"

Zhou Xian: "!!!"

The thought of his brother actually discussing the possibility of him marrying into her family with this little girl was infuriating! Doesn’t he care about his pride!

"Besides, from my point of view, Jing is much better than other women. Apart from Mom, I’ve never seen another woman as capable as Jing! Fifth brother, you obviously appreciate Jing’s abilities! You think I don’t know? You may always put on an indifferent face, but you secretly watch her actions and recently, you’ve been secretly reading medical books. I’ve caught you several times sneaking around the corners while Jing trains the doctors, and even Steward Yuan has been moved to tears several times!"

Zhou Xian: "!!!"

"How on earth does this little girl know so much!"

Zhou Wan glanced at him sideways and said, "Even though you’re my fifth brother, we’re less than a year apart in age. We’ve been playing together since childhood. Don’t I know you well? You clearly agreed with what Jing said when she scolded you back then. Why not just be honest and ask Jing to teach you?"

Zhou Xian’s face suddenly flushed red, and he abruptly looked away, muttering, "Wouldn’t that make me look like I have no pride? I’m not that bad. If I work hard, who’s to say I’m worse than that woman? One day, I’ll make brother acknowledge that I’m better than her!"

Zhou Wan: "..."

She really didn’t want to acknowledge this childish oaf as her brother.

Too ridiculously childish.

Unable to stand being disdained by his sister like this, Zhou Xian quickly changed the subject, "Is that man you met today reliable? He mentioned Feiyue Lake out of nowhere and said you could see swans there. It sounds like he was purposely trying to entice a naive girl like you."

"Oh, fifth brother, don’t worry. Thanks to that gentleman’s warning today, my purse wasn’t stolen by a pickpocket. He’s a refined gentleman. Just by his clothing and demeanor, you can tell he’s not from an ordinary family. Would such a gentleman have nothing better to do than trick a young lady like me?"

Zhou Wan pouted, "Besides, aren’t you coming with me tomorrow? With you there, what should I be afraid of?"

Zhou Xian thought for a moment and realized this was indeed the case, leaving him with nothing to say.

"Also," Zhou Wan couldn’t help but get a little excited when talking about the gentleman who helped her today, "when that gentleman picked up the purse the pickpocket dropped on the ground, he handed it to me using his left hand. He’s a lefty! It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a left-handed person. It’s really fascinating!"

Zhou Xian: "..."

This girl dares to call him childish, yet she’s no better herself!

The next day, as soon as Xu Jing finished her breakfast, Xiao Yi sent someone over, saying there had been a significant breakthrough in the case, and he hoped she could come over to discuss it.

It was quite surprising for Xu Jing to receive news so early, but considering that the case had been personally named by the Holy Emperor, the Ministry of Justice personnel must have pulled an all-nighter investigating.

After a simple tidy-up, she got on the carriage sent by Xiao Yi, only to find it heading straight to the Ministry of Justice.

Xiao Yi’s messenger took Xu Jing directly to what looked like Xiao Yi’s exclusive office at the Ministry of Justice, where, apart from Xiao Yi seated behind the desk, were two men who appeared to be in their late twenties to early thirties.

Seeing Xu Jing, the two men looked somewhat stunned, but Xiao Yi calmly said, "Miss Xu is quite adept at solving cases. I specifically invited her to assist in the investigation.

Please take a seat, Miss Xu. These are doctors from the Ministry of Justice, on the left is Doctor Si, on the right is Doctor Chen."

Evidently, they were Xiao Yi’s direct subordinates. Hearing Xiao Yi speak, they didn’t question further and promptly paid respects to Xu Jing with great courtesy.

While Xu Jing’s expression remained unchanged, inside, she held a certain admiration for Xiao Yi. He always seemed to candidly present her before his colleagues.

He really wasn’t afraid of gossip, such as relying on a woman, which, given the era’s deep-seated prejudices against women, could easily surface.

After Xu Jing sat down, Xiao Yi said, "Last night, I dispatched people to the Commerce Department to screen out merchants matching the characteristics, and we’ve identified four suspects.

Different trade caravans depart and return at different times. Two caravans fixed their departure annually in the first or second month toward the northwest and their return in the seventh or eighth month. Among them, ten personnel are residing in the town north of the Western Capital.

Considering the bodies discovered yesterday, it’s deduced that the culprit has left the Western Capital, and among the caravans that have already disbanded and left, only one fits, narrowing down the suspect list to four people."

The situation had progressed so smoothly.

Xu Jing immediately asked, "When did those caravan members leave the Western Capital, and is it still possible to catch up with them?"

Xiao Yi replied, "They disbanded five days ago, and the members should be leaving gradually these days. However, we’ve learned that one person from this caravan resides in the Western Capital. Early this morning, I sent Doctor Si to inquire at his home. Doctor Si just returned and is about to report."

Then, turning to Doctor Si, he said, "Go ahead."

Doctor Si gave a salute, "Yes. The man, surnamed Jiang, lives in the southeast of the Western Capital. He said their caravan had ten regular members. With the four residing near the northern town of the Western Capital, they often travel home together due to proximity. They just left the Western Capital two days ago.

When I asked him if he noticed any strange behavior from the four men while in the Western Capital, such as frequent disappearances or unusual behavior upon leaving, he immediately mentioned that a man named He Qiusheng matched the characteristics I described. Every time he came to the Western Capital, he behaved mysteriously, seldom joining them for drinks or entertainment, and often vanished on his own.

Whenever he left the Western Capital, he suddenly had stomach issues, causing the entourage to stop and wait for half a day. They all speculated that when He Qiusheng disappeared in the Western Capital, he must have been indulging in some delicacy, thus frequently causing stomach troubles."