Skeletal Remains
Madame Jiang's clothes were made of fine silk and satin. Her accessories were jade bracelets, gold hairpins, and silver earrings. Every piece was a treasure.
Her attire was comparable to that of Ji Muqing and Old Madame Ji.
In the future, Ji Yunshu would have to remember the location of the grave.
If she was lucky enough to dig it out, it would be a blessing.
Unfortunately, the person dressed in this manner seemed to have the word "arrogant" carved into their forehead. Their posture was straight, their demeanor was cold, and their tone always carried a commanding tone.
If she hadn't announced her name, Ji Yunshu would have thought that she was also a member of the Ji family.
However, this kind of woman was never easy to deal with.
Hearing that she wanted to bring the skeleton back, Magistrate Liu naturally wouldn't allow it.
"Madame Jiang, this is a matter of life and death. I can only give the skeleton to you after the investigation is completed."
"What life? I only know that it's my husband's skeleton. I want to bury him immediately." Madame Jiang's tone was heavy, and her eyes were filled with hostility.
"I won't allow it. This is a murder case. Once it's brought to the yamen, the truth must be investigated thoroughly. No matter who it is, they cannot disregard the law. Everything must be handled according to the laws of the Great Lin. Madame Jiang, you are not an exception."
'Oh my, Magistrate Liu, you're so proud.
Ji Yunshu has almost become your fangirl! '
Madame Jiang's gaze was like a sharp sword as she stared at Magistrate Liu. "Lord Liu, you want to talk about the law with me? Fine, I'll have a good talk with you. " She took two small steps forward and raised her chin. "Which part of the Great Lin's law forbids a family member from bringing the skeleton of their relative to be buried? Which part of the law says that the yamen can detain a skeleton? That skeleton is my husband's. Do I need the yamen's permission to bring my husband's remains to be buried? "
"…"
'The Great Lin's law doesn't have these two rules!'
Magistrate Liu was at a loss for words. He didn't know how to reply.
Ji Yunshu shook her head slightly. 'Where's the arrogance from before? Why is it so weak now? '
Feeling helpless, Ji Yunshu brushed her sleeves and stepped forward.
"Madame Jiang, you can't bring that skeleton back at the moment."
Madame Jiang's words were countered by their voices.
Only then did Madame Jiang notice her. She had delicate features and seemed like a gentle breeze. However, her ink-like eyes clearly carried a cold temperament.
"And who are you?"
"This humble one is only a painter in the yamen. I hope that Madame Jiang can understand the severity of the situation. Old Master Jiang died a tragic death, and the murderer has yet to be found. Therefore, I will absolutely not allow you to bring back his remains."
Madame Jiang had always been used to bossing people around, so how could anyone talk back to her?
Her voice became shrill, "My husband lost his mind and went missing. Now that he has been found, I just want to bring back my husband's remains. I don't care about anything else. As for the matter of him dying a tragic death, where did that come from? What a load of nonsense. "
Although her slender eyebrows didn't waver, her imposing manner was enough to intimidate people.
Ji Yunshu continued her words, "Madame Jiang, a murder case is a murder case. Since it happened, it should be handed over to the yamen to handle. On Old Master Jiang's skeleton, there are more than twenty marks left by a sharp knife. There are also bruises on his ankles, proving that he fought with someone before he died. All these signs are enough to prove that Old Master Jiang was killed."
"Enough."
Madame Jiang waved her long sleeves. Her eyes were filled with sparks of fire as she looked at Ji Yunshu.
She was extremely displeased, "You're just a little painter. Do I have to believe a few words of nonsense? Let me tell you, no matter what happens today, I will not allow this matter to be investigated any further. In the end, this is my Jiang family's matter. Whether you want to investigate it or not, it's all up to me. "
"You're clearly trying to cover up."
"Cover up? What nonsense are you spouting? "Madame Jiang became even angrier.
Ji Yunshu bluntly said, "Old Master Jiang's death was witnessed by an old man in the Jiang family. He has already told me the whole truth. He also agreed that once the portrait is released, he will naturally testify in court and point out the murderer!"
When the magistrate heard this, he hurriedly moved forward and asked, "Yunshu, is this true? Then who is the murderer? "
Ji Yunshu's gaze was full of certainty as she met Madame Jiang's gaze.
She said, "He personally told me that the murderer is Madame Jiang's younger brother."
"How could I kill my brother-in-law?" The one who spoke was the man standing next to Madame Jiang. With an anxious expression, he stepped forward to refute. He pointed at Ji Yunshu and continued, "Don't slander me. I didn't do it. On the day my brother-in-law went missing, I wasn't even at home."
Only now did Ji Yunshu take a closer look at this man. Her first impression was that he was sloppy and frivolous!
Ji Yunshu firmly said, "These words were said by that old man. He saw it with his own eyes."
"What a joke." Madame Jiang coldly snorted and pulled her younger brother behind her. She looked Ji Yunshu up and down and said, "Little Gongzi, if what you said is true, then why did he secretly tell you who the murderer was? Why didn't he report it to the yamen? Gongzi, you shouldn't casually accuse people. You have no evidence to prove who the murderer is. Isn't this ridiculous? "
"What I said …"
Ji Yunshu hadn't finished speaking when Madame Jiang interrupted her again.
"Presumably, the old man you're talking about should be Seventh Uncle, right? Unfortunately, this morning, Seventh Uncle's illness flared up and he passed away. "
Ah!
"Died?" Ji Yunshu was stunned for a moment. She couldn't come back to her senses.
Was she trying to silence him?
Madame Jiang became even more aggressive. She immediately pointed the handle of her spear at the magistrate. "Lord Liu, I don't want to say any unnecessary words. Please immediately return my husband's remains to me so that I can bury him as soon as possible."
Magistrate Liu said, "But there are indeed traces of a knife wound on the skeleton."
"Lord Liu doesn't know that when my husband was alive, he had already lost his mind. He would often stab himself with a dagger. Those wounds must have been accumulated over many years. It's absolutely impossible for someone to have killed him."
"Then … after Master Jiang disappeared, Madame Jiang moved to the capital. But why was Master Jiang's remains found under the big tree in your estate?" Magistrate Liu was puzzled.
Madame Jiang's expression didn't show the slightest bit of panic. She looked at Ji Yunshu and said in a calm tone, "Didn't this little gongzi just say that my husband sprained his ankle when he was alive? My husband sprained his ankle when he was alive. Perhaps not long after I moved to the capital, my husband came back and unfortunately sprained his ankle. His head hit a tree and he died. This is a possibility. "
Sophistry!
Magistrate Liu asked Ji Yunshu in a low voice, "Was there a hit on his skull?"
She nodded. "There was, but the force of the hit was very small. It definitely wasn't a fatal injury. At most, it could be considered a knock."
"Since my husband's head did hit the tree, regardless of the force of the hit, I'm right." Madame Jiang was still as arrogant as before.
Without any new evidence, she was powerless to refute.
Moreover, Seventh Uncle was already dead!
If she couldn't produce any evidence now, then this skeleton might really be taken back by Madame Jiang.
"Don't tell me that you're still not willing to hand it over? If I report this to the Supreme Court, I'm afraid that you won't be able to keep your official position. "She threatened.
But just as she finished speaking …
"What if I don't allow it?"
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