Yu Shu found the servants to move all the files in the living room to the study. There was not enough space on the table, so she asked them to find another table and place it by the wall.
The sky was still bright. Yu Shu casually flipped through a few files and found that there were not only records of murder cases, but also some cases that involved heavy punishments. However, they were all related to calamities, which was exactly what she wanted.
When she thought of the day when she could complete a single calamity rule and evolve it into a more profound set of divination, she could truly 'judge calamities'. Yu Shu couldn't help but feel excited.
She had to do it. Without any delay, Yu Shu asked the maids to prepare a brush and ink. After careful consideration, she flipped open a file of a case from a certain place. She first copied down the different 'calamities' recorded on it and organized them so that she could make predictions later.
She did this until the sky was completely dark outside. She only managed to read the second file.
"Miss, have dinner first. It won't be too late to work after that." Xiao Qing came in with tea and reminded her warmly.
Yu Shu put down her brush and rubbed her fingers. She put the paper, which was still wet with ink, on the small stack of notes that she had written on it. She stood up and stretched. She looked at the sky outside the window and asked casually, "Has your young master returned?"
Xiao Qing put down the tray and handed the tea to her. She said obediently, "He just came back. I went downstairs to make tea. Gongzi called me and asked about you. I heard you were busy, so I didn't let anyone come up to disturb you. Miss, gongzi didn't order food. Are you going downstairs or eating in the room? "
Yu Shu hesitated for a moment. She glanced at the box full of files by her feet. She didn't want to leave Xue Rui hanging, so she said, "Go downstairs and tell him. I'll go wash my hands."
"Yes."
***
Xue Rui originally thought that Yu Shu, who avoided him in the morning before dawn, would ignore him for two days. But the fact was that he was sitting at the same table with her for dinner.
"I'll need about a month to sort out the files in the Supreme Court. Do you want to return them together or send them back after I finish reading them? "Yu Shu asked as she picked up some vegetables.
Xue Rui looked at her nonchalant look, and he simply wanted to suspect that he didn't do anything last night.
"Oh. You don't have to go through so much trouble. I'll send it back after you're done. "
Yu Shu nodded and didn't thank him again. She chatted with him from time to time as she usually did when they ate together. Her expression couldn't be more natural.
This made Xue Rui a little depressed. He would rather she lose her temper and put on a stern face. It was good to live like this, as if nothing had happened. Which girl wouldn't blush or get angry after being kissed?
Should he say that she had a good temper, or did she not take it seriously at all?
After dinner, Yu Shu sat downstairs for a while before saying goodbye to Xue Rui and going upstairs. "Brother, rest early. I'll go back and continue to sort out those cases."
"Well, don't stay up too late." Xue Rui reminded her. When she walked to the door, he stopped her again. "Don't get up so early tomorrow. Come with me."
There was a moment of embarrassment on Yu Shu's face. Fortunately, her back was facing Xue Rui, so he didn't see it.
"Oh."
After going upstairs, Yu Shu returned to the room. She sent all the maids away and closed the door. Only then did she relax. She rubbed her sore face and lay down on the soft couch.
She was exhausted from putting on airs the whole dinner.
However, Xue Rui was a shrewd man. If she dared to glance at him more or say a word less, he could see something wrong. She didn't want that guy to find out that she was kissed by him last night. Like a fool, he started to be infatuated.
After lying down for a while, Yu Shu sat up and strode into the study, ready to work.
She was busy with many things these days. How could she have the leisure to think about men?
***
The next day, Yu Shu and Xue Rui went to the Taishi Library together in a carriage. One carried a pen and a box of ink and wanted to go to the library to copy. The other went straight to the observatory and called the official on duty for questioning.
The Supreme Court sent a small team of people to search every inch of the observatory and the surrounding land, but they still did not find any suspicious clues. Other than the note that identified Jing Chen and the rope that was used to strangle Cao Youling, there was no other evidence that pointed to the murderer.
Xue Rui didn't plan to make a wasted trip today. He asked someone to find the subordinate who had been following Jing Chen for the past few days. "Where is Daozi now?"
"Reporting to Your Excellency, Daozi is reading in the east courtyard."
"Isn't he going to give a lecture today?" Although Xue Rui sent people to monitor Jing Chen, he didn't restrict his freedom. Therefore, after the incident, Jing Chen still gave lectures to the students of the Taishi Library. He just couldn't go to the observatory to practice.
"This … Your Excellency doesn't know. The deceased went to a private meeting because of a note from Daozi. These days, most of the students who came to study with Daozi said they were sick. Today, Daozi arrived early in the morning, but I haven't seen any students."
Xue Rui thought for a while and understood.
Gossip was a fearful thing. Even though Jing Chen had a noble status, this matter concerned a person's life and a woman's chastity. Before the truth was revealed, how many people would dare to get close to him? Even the female student who had defended him the other day had to cherish herself more.
"Let's go. Take me there."
.....
Xue Rui walked through layers of steps and entered the fragrant hut built on the stone hill of the flower garden. He pushed aside the bamboo curtain hanging under the eaves and saw Jing Chen sitting on the ground.
In this place where birds were singing and flowers were fragrant, there was green outside the window and smoke curling up from the stove. On a mat woven from lantern grass, the man was wearing a silver-grey Daoist robe with wide sleeves hanging on his knees. He held a scroll in one hand and read it with his head lowered. Only a pair of indifferent eyebrows could be seen. It was as elegant as a painting.
Although Xue Rui had some prejudice against Jing Chen, he had to admit that the man in front of him had a strong character. There was no one else like him in the entire Anling City.
When Jing Chen heard the sound of the curtain, he raised his head calmly and saw Xue Rui in front of the door. He wasn't surprised and flipped the scroll in his hand to the side.
"Lord Xue."
Xue Rui walked in and looked around the quiet room. He said to Jing Chen, "Daoist's place is quiet. Are there no students here today?"
Jing Chen said calmly, "They are afraid because the murder case has not been solved."
Xue Rui walked over to the wide open window and glanced at the dense greenery outside the window, then he turned around and asked, "If Daoist Child isn't the culprit that lured Young Miss Cao to death, then the real culprit would surely want to frame you. Aren't you worried?"
"Blessings and misfortunes have their own reasons. I don't need to worry." Jing Chen sat motionlessly on the mat. There was not a trace of emotion in his eyes.
"Hehe." Xue Rui suddenly sneered and asked, "Someone killed a person just to frame you. The victim is innocent. Don't you feel guilty? "
Jing Chen frowned slightly and became silent.
Xue Rui could tell that he wasn't completely unmoved, so he seized the opportunity and asked, "Judging from the current situation, the murderer is coming for you. Why would someone have such a grudge against you that they'd kill without hesitation? Do you have an idea? "
“.....”
"I can't think of it. Or I don't want to say it."
Xue Rui did not intend to let him stay out of it. According to his and Yu Shu's inference, this murder case was likely to involve the group of people who caused Jing Chen to lose his memory. This was not just a murder case.
Xue Rui knew quite a lot of inside information about Jing Chen's encounter when he left the mountain and entered the capital. For example, that group of people did not kill Jing Chen. Instead, they used some means to make him lose his memory and abandon him on the river.
For example, after Jing Chen's memory was restored. But he could not remember how he was framed on the road.
This created a mystery. No one knew where this group of people came from or why they wanted to harm Jing Chen, the princess's son, who had a special status.
Xue Rui had grown up in the Capital City, so he was used to seeing power. He acutely smelled the scent of a conspiracy from these two faintly related incidents. He had a feeling that if he was unable to find the culprit, then the young lady of the Cao family would definitely not be the last innocent person to lose her life because of this.
Under Xue Rui's aggressive gaze, Jing Chen's expression was a little thought-provoking. He frowned at first and then lowered his head. After thinking for a while, he raised his head and looked at Xue Rui with a hesitant expression. He was also a little confused.
"I … can't think of anything."
Xue Rui was disappointed. He could see that Jing Chen was not lying. He had heard from Yu Shu that Jing Chen did not lie.
But he still did not give up. He wanted to find out something from Jing Chen, so he walked over and stopped in front of him. He continued to ask, "Then have you ever thought about who could imitate your handwriting so well?"
Imitating handwriting was not a very difficult thing. Among the calligraphy masters that Xue Rui knew, there were two people who could imitate the handwriting so well that it was difficult to distinguish the real from the fake.
But this needed to be done with reference to the person's handwriting and a lot of effort.
In other words, the person who could do this must have seen Jing Chen's handwriting, and he must have seen a lot of it.
Xue Rui's question made Jing Chen fall into another round of deep thought. It was not until the song of the oriole outside the window that he opened his mouth and said, "There should be only three people in the capital who know my handwriting well."
"Who are they?"
"Chong Yun, my junior sister Shui Yun, and …" Jing Chen's voice stopped. There was another person who seemed to be difficult to say. He opened and closed his mouth several times before he said this person, "Yu Shu."
Xue Rui slightly narrowed his eyes. He did not hear it wrong. Jing Chen directly called Yu Shu's name, as if he wanted to draw a line. Thinking of the silly girl who had suffered so much for the man in front of him, he could not help but sneer and said, "Let's not talk about the fact that she was an illiterate idiot last year. Even if she could write your handwriting, she would not hurt you even if someone put a knife to her neck."
Jing Chen's face suddenly froze. He unconsciously clenched his fists on his knees. When he opened his mouth again, his voice was not as calm as before, "I only said that there is someone who knows my handwriting well. I did not suspect her. Don't misinterpret my words."
Xue Rui did not miss his small movements, but he was too lazy to admit that he did it on purpose.
He had asked what he wanted to ask. He did not want to talk with Jing Chen for a long time. He reached out to brush away a fallen flower on the windowsill and walked out of the hut. His voice was left behind to Jing Chen.
"If you really feel guilty, pay more attention to the people around you."
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