Chapter 65 Curiosity Killed the Cat

The next morning, just after Chenshi (7-9 AM), the number of people going to the funeral outside Yanxing Gate gradually increased.

This place is closest to a funeral area outside the capital, and most of those entering and exiting through this gate are ordinary people who come to worship their ancestors.

The city gates open at dawn, and the soldiers guarding the city change shifts for the first time at dusk.

During these two hours, some people, having stood for a long time, would feel the urge to relieve themselves and would think of finding a secluded corner with tall grass where no one would notice, to let loose and relieve themselves.

Today, the soldiers guarding the city had only drained half the water when they noticed a dark, murky thing not far away, beside the canal.

Driven by curiosity, he pushed aside the tall grass in front of him and slowly walked over.

But then they saw a headless corpse lying in the Dragon Head Canal, its blood mixed with the water, slowly flowing downstream.

The horrific scene turned the surrounding soil black, creating a truly terrifying sight.

He was so frightened that he lost his mind and rushed back to Yanxing Gate screaming all the way. He could only say a few words before he fainted.

Jin Shu, who hadn't started work yet, was lying on the stone table in the courtyard, sighing and complaining.

“Brother Jing has such a sharp eye. I heard from Uncle Yan that the robes of the Six Doors are all custom-made. Yours fits perfectly, and no one has ever taken your measurements…”

Jin Rong chuckled and brought the fruit and pastries he had brought from the Prince Jing's residence to the stone table in the courtyard. Looking at Jin Shu, who was frowning, he handed her an orange.

"That shouldn't be the case. Sis, you're so thin you can't tell the front from the back. It can't be based on your figure." He took a bite of the apple. "Mmm! As expected of the Prince's fruit, it's delicious!"

Jin Shu, with one eyebrow higher than the other, looked down at her chest and felt that his words, while not very hurtful, were extremely insulting. She raised her hand and made a slapping motion with her hand: "What are you saying!"

After saying that, she looked at the bowl of fruit in his hand and asked in surprise, "Are you going to study at Prince Jing's mansion, or are you going to fleece him?"

“I have them all.” He took another bite and chuckled, “Take more, let’s get back the money my sister got ripped off.”

Upon hearing this, Jin Shu beamed with joy: "Well done!"

“Sister, if you want to fool Prince Jing, you have to find another way,” he said. “For example, build good relationships with your colleagues. If you treat them like brothers for a long time, everyone will treat you like a brother, and then Prince Jing will have nothing to say.”

The young boy uttered some surprising words.

Jin Shu looked at him in surprise, pondered for a moment, and actually found it to make some sense: "That's really good! You've got a knack for it! I'll go and study it right away."

Seeing her get up and walk outside, Jin Rong ate an apple while silently muttering to himself.

Brother Prince Jing, I'm so sorry, if you don't run faster, my sister will be kidnapped!

So, not long after, the scene inside the Six Doors and on the small square became very strange, making Li Jin's forehead throb.

"What are you doing here?" He frowned and glanced at the group surrounding Jin Shu, watching her play the card game "Three Kingdoms Kill".

That's impressive. All eight members of Shadow, including him, are here.

Jin Shu thought for a long time about how to build good relationships with her colleagues.

She was no match for the group of constables from the Six Doors, whether they were skilled in swords, clubs, or chess.

The former was mainly due to her lack of physical strength; she couldn't even lift a longsword. The latter was mainly because the people in the shadows were mostly young masters from noble families who had been immersed in Go and chess since childhood. She would lose eleven times out of ten games, which was particularly miserable.

So they simply leveraged their past advantages and introduced the game "Three Kingdoms Kill," a game that combines brainpower and reasoning, into this era.

Li Jin frowned slightly as he looked at the characters and skills on the cards. He picked up Jin Shu, pulled her behind him, took over all the cards in her hand, and sat in her seat.

Li Jin, who was playing this game for the first time and was not even familiar with the rules, was truly unexpected.

"Your Highness, use the brocade pouch to cross the river and then dismantle the bridge!"

Li Jin glanced at her and snorted, "Someone like you think you can fight them?"

Jin Shu was taken aback as he used a "Steal" card.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Prince Jing, Li Jin, single-handedly slaughtered the remaining seven members of the Shadow Gang.

Jin Shu, as an onlooker, explained the rules of the game while repeatedly expressing her amazement.

This Li Jin is definitely a wolf in sheep's clothing, cunning and calculating, taking every step with meticulous care. Even when playing cards, he's all about ruthless destruction.

After everyone had left, Li Jin crossed his arms and glanced at Jin Shu's face: "Was it fun?"

"It's fun." She nodded.

"You can play with me from now on."

"Huh?" Playing with him wouldn't be fun!

Jin Shu waved his hands repeatedly: "No, no, no, Jin Shu is not very knowledgeable and cannot beat the sect leader."

Li Jin raised his eyebrows, a half-smile on his face: "One round, one tael."

"Alright, alright, alright." Jin Shu's expression changed faster than flipping through a book. She immediately became righteous and solemn, "Playing cards with the sect leader, win or lose, is an honor!"

Seeing her honest appearance, which seemed to prioritize money above all else, Li Jin stood up and flicked his fan: "But if you play with someone else and I catch you, you'll be fined two taels per game."

Jin Shu was stunned. Could this really be happening?

But Li Jin rattled off a string of platitudes, raising his eyebrows as he said, "If one person's work time affects seven others, who else should be punished if not you?"

"What if there's no time to work?"

“Protecting the people is the duty of the Six Doors. Tell me, when are you unable to get any work done?”

Seeing the bright smile on his face, Jin felt relieved and nodded in agreement, "I understand."

He'd said both the truth and the sarcasm he wanted, so I guess I'll have to find a different approach to building camaraderie with him.

Li Jin's gaze swept across her puzzled face, and she chuckled softly.

He didn't understand what Mr. Jin was trying to do. All the constables in the Six Doors were truly capable, and he tried his best to keep her distance from them and protect her from being exposed as a woman.

She's alright, she's clearly not good at socializing, and she's quiet and reserved, but today I don't know what got into her, she's been eagerly going in.

Shen Wen and Zhou Zheng, who are good at tracking intelligence, are alright, but Zhang Xin and Su Shangxuan, two experts in mind reading, could have their genders exposed in the blink of an eye if they get too close.

"He's a real handful."

As he said this, Feng Chao, the Prefect of Jingzhao, hurriedly stepped over the threshold, wiped his sweat with his sleeve, and ran towards Li Jin.

So much so that Jin Shu subconsciously took Li Jin's comment about Feng Chao as Li Jin's complaint and didn't take it to heart.

Feng Chao, in his forties or fifties, was panting heavily and his face was deathly pale. He hurriedly bowed as soon as he stood up and said, "This humble official, Feng Chao, greets Your Highness Prince Jing."

After speaking, he looked up at Jin Shu standing beside him and coughed lightly: "Um... I've come to borrow Mr. Jin's things."

Li Jin waved her fan gently, watching him, and then glanced sideways at Jin Shu, who looked somewhat surprised.

Feng Chao was truly at his wit's end.

A body, its head severed from its body, lay brazenly outside Yanxing Gate. If the case isn't solved quickly, the Prefect of the Capital City might lose his head!