Chapter Sixteen: A Wife-Murder Case

When Ji Yingying woke up, it was already afternoon. She was hungry and about to eat when Granny Xia came to report that Zhang Siyuan had arrived.

Who is it?

Ji Yingying couldn't remember who this person was for a moment, until she saw him and realized that he was the one who was going to install underfloor heating.

Zhang Siyuan was speechless. How could Master Ji not remember him? This was truly... so difficult!

"Sir, what brings you here? I haven't had lunch yet. Would you like to eat together?"

Zhang Siyuan immediately replied, "Young Master Ji is such a kind person. Thank you very much, Young Master Ji."

【I...you...&&xx...】Ji Yingying was just being polite, but she didn't expect this person to be so shameless, still trying to freeload. She had already paid five thousand taels of silver.

"Quickly get Lord Zhang a set of bowls and chopsticks."

Granny Xia immediately sent someone to fetch it, while she stayed by his side.

"Young Master Ji, these are the drawings I have prepared. Please take a look and see if they are the same drawings you mentioned today."

Ji Yingying glanced at it as she ate: "No, that's not how it is."

Although I've never seen a kang (heated brick bed) like this before, I've seen them on TV. Those kangs are definitely not like this. Let me think...

Zhang Siyuan listened from the side, wanting to hear what she was thinking, but to his surprise, even after the meal was over, she still had no thoughts to share.

"I'm full. Let's go to the study."

Since she became an official, Fang Yulan has prepared a study for her, but she hasn't been to see it yet.

“My mom is amazing, this study is just like my dad’s.”

After sitting down, Ji Yingying began to draw, and the kang (a heated brick bed) she drew relied entirely on her imagination.

That's about it...

[It's barely manageable. If I had Baidu or Douyin, I could probably draw it correctly. This is just too difficult.]

"Okay, I'll go back and look into it. Thank you very much, Master Ji." Not long after Zhang Siyuan left, Fang Yulan came over.

“My son, the Second Prince’s wife has sent us an invitation, saying that she is inviting our family to her family’s full moon celebration on the tenth of next month.”

[What is the Second Prince's wife trying to do? It seems like she's been attending court for two days and hasn't seen any of these princes, except for the Crown Prince. What's going on?]

【Oh well, who cares? What does it matter to me if he doesn't attend court?】 Ji Yingying reached out and picked up a piece of pastry. These pastries were delicious, but they were too dry and made her choke.

…………

Just as dawn broke, Granny Xia came to call this little darling to court again. It had been three days already, and Granny Xia had gotten used to not being able to wake Ji Yingying in the morning and not being able to urge her to go to sleep at night.

"Miss, it's time to get up. The morning court session is about to start." Granny Xia was worried, but she didn't know what to do!

"Hey, stop shouting, are you trying to call back my soul? It's not even dawn yet." Ji Yingying waved her hand, completely ignoring him.

It was almost time, but thankfully Fang Yulan arrived and had Xia Mama carry the person onto the carriage.

"Oh dear, son, wake up and have breakfast, or you'll be hungry again."

"Dad, why do I have to go to work?" Ji Yingying asked with her eyes closed, looking extremely aggrieved.

"Oh dear, working for the Emperor, why ask so many questions? Besides, you'll have to get used to it. After you get married, you'll have to pay your respects to your husband's family morning and evening!"

"Bullshit! I'm not getting married. What, you don't want me anymore?"

Ji Cailiang couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh dear, what is this child saying?"

With just that one sentence, Ji Yingying came to her senses, but then felt wronged again.

He barely ate any breakfast before entering the Hall of Diligent Governance. As soon as he entered, he told Xiangxiang to find some melons to eat.

[Xiangxiang, let's see what gossip we have to share. What a load of rubbish about getting married! I was a staunch non-marriage advocate in my past life. I'm over thirty, and my parents haven't even pressured me once. I'm only ten! I've only lived one-hundredth of my life! The best years of my life, going to serve some whole family? Are you crazy?!]

[Host, you're just afraid of marriage. What are you afraid of? If you ask me, you should marry if you're going to. If you don't have a good life after marriage, we'll make that whole family eat pig swill.]

【You're right. If a man treats you badly and even beats and verbally abuses you, just castrate him. Men these days still care about their reputation. Quick, give us some juicy gossip, let's see some stories about wives abusing their husbands, so I can wake up to reality.】

Okay, see the old man on the left? That's Cui Chengli, the one who killed his wife.

[Good heavens, he actually murdered his wife! He claimed she died of illness, but it turns out he disliked her because she was ugly and because she was a businesswoman. So he put a slow-acting poison in her food, killing her. Not only that, he disposed of the body, feeding it to wild dogs. Now the tomb is empty. So cruel!]

[If you don't believe men can live forever, come and shout with me: Amen!]

[Host, stop fooling around. Dating can be quite fun.]

Yes, being in love is sweet, but what's the point of dating if you only watch other people's relationships look good?

[Damn, he even poisoned his own son! What kind of 'cutting ties with the past' means a new beginning, a fresh start'? Why didn't he just commit suicide and start over? It's like eating someone else's food and then cursing them after putting it down—unbelievable!]

[He doesn't even consider where everything he has comes from. Seriously? His current wife isn't a good person either; to compete for his favor, she actually sent his concubine to brothels for other men to enjoy. That couple is ruthless, a perfect match!]

Choi Sung-rye was panicked. How did she know about such a secret?

Just then, the Emperor entered, and the Minister of Rites immediately stepped forward: "Your subject has a memorial to present."

"explain."

"Your subject accuses Vice Minister Cui of murdering his wife and children."

Good heavens, they actually found out! Such a secret matter... Oh, so it turns out their son, hiding in the red-light district, has been found. This son has never stopped thinking about revenge. Back then, that mother and son suffered with him, earning money to help him pass the imperial examinations, and yet he tried to kill them. Luckily, he met a good servant who replaced his own son, otherwise, the son would have really been killed.

"Oh, is there any evidence?"

"I have witnesses."

The Emperor immediately ordered his men to arrest the man and detain Cui Chengli. Cui Chengli was completely panicked and didn't dare to move. He wanted to cry out for justice and curse Ji Yingying, but the Emperor Taizu grabbed his neck tightly, and he really didn't want to move at all!

Not long after, a man came up, who was indeed Cui Chengli's son, and also accused him of killing his wife and son.

"Your Majesty, I will take full responsibility for my actions. I beg Your Majesty to spare my family."

Why should we let your family off the hook? You're all alone; besides your own son, none of your family members are your children—they're all cuckolded.

Choi Sung-rye vomited blood.

He was wrong. If he could do it all over again, he would definitely spend his life with his wife and son.

The man was dragged away, and Ji Yingying's inner thoughts continued: [Good, good, another of the Second Prince's henchmen has been eliminated. I heard the Third Prince fell from power and was killed by the Emperor and sent back to Linfeng Kingdom. That Second Prince... hmm! His methods are very cruel!]