Baorongfang was Jiang Lingyao's dowry shop, which was prepared for her by her stepmother and grandfather. She bought it when she just came of age and has been running it herself ever since.
All the products sold in Baorongfang in recent years were rouge and powder that she made herself. Unexpectedly, they were quite popular among the ladies of Yanjing, and the business became more and more prosperous.
If they hadn't gotten married unexpectedly, Jiang Lingyao would have wanted to open a branch by the end of this year.
However, Jiang Lingyao thought as she sat in the carriage that even after getting married, her life would not be much different from before.
This carriage and the driver were both brought from her parents' home. The driver's surname was Li, and he always served her when she went out. The driver's wife's surname was Wang, and she took care of Jiang Lingyao's dowry affairs. The couple were Jiang Lingyao's companions.
The carriage traveled for two quarters of an hour before arriving at Shiyongfang, which was just east of Xuanwumen Street. It had an excellent commercial location and many people traveled north and south through it.
Old Li parked the car directly in front of Baorongfang. Jiang Lingyao lifted her skirt and got out. Then he said, "I have to check the accounts in the store today. My husband will come to pick me up in the evening. Uncle Li can go back and rest."
Old Li smiled and said, "Young lady, be careful today. I will go to the fields to take a look and bring back some from home."
Jiang Lingyao smiled and said, "Okay, I'm just short of help and I miss Aunt Wang."
After arranging the people, Jiang Lingyao held Xingyun's hand and stepped into Rongbaozhai.
It was a sunny noon day, with the sun shining brightly overhead. There were only a few tourists in the shop, and none of the usual customers.
The young second lady was greeting her at the door. When she saw her coming, she immediately stepped forward and said happily, "The boss is here. I'll go call the shopkeeper."
Jiang Lingyao waved her hand: "No, you guys are busy, I'll go sit in the study for a while."
The expression on her face showed that she was relaxed. Xiao Erniang didn't say much. She just bowed and went on with her work.
Jiang Lingyao kept a study room in the back room. The door was usually locked and only she could enter.
People in the shop thought she was developing some new watercolors, but they didn't know that this was the place where she changed her body.
Xingyun accompanied her to the backyard. The back room was filled with rouge and powder. Without sniffing carefully, one could smell the delicate and sweet floral scent, which was extremely pleasant.
Xingyun took out the key and opened the copper lock on the door. Jiang Lingyao walked in confidently, and Xingyun turned around and closed the door.
Jiang Lingyao opened the curtain and just as she entered the inner room, she saw Shen Suning sitting beside the bookcase in a daze, not saying a word.
"Girl, I've told you so many times that you don't have to be so particular," Jiang Lingyao took her hand and asked her to sit down, then said, "Although you call me sir, I know you are actually my junior sister. We are junior sisters living in the same room, why should we have so many rules?"
Jiang Lingyao said this while changing her clothes leisurely.
The narrow-sleeved, slanting-collared official uniform of black blue immediately made her look like a beautiful lady, with a slender figure and a refined and elegant demeanor.
This sixth-rank magistrate position of hers was a special gift that the imperial concubine requested from His Majesty. It was only a criminal justice position and not a permanent position, so her official uniform was simple and elegant, without a round-collared uniform.
After changing into her regular clothes and removing her facial makeup, Jiang Lingyao took off her bun and put on the black gauze hat directly.
After this change, her temperament was completely different from that of Miss Jiang Liu.
Xingyun put away the snacks he brought and handed the bag to Shen Suning: "Miss, I brought some steamed snacks that Sister Shen likes to eat. Just steam them with hot water when you eat them."
Shen Suning pursed her lips and said, "Thank you, Senior Sister."
It was so rare to be called a senior sister. Jiang Lingyao couldn't help but pinch her fair cheeks and said, "Okay, let's go."
There was a back window in the study room. Jiang Lingyao could climb out by herself without Shen Suning's help. When she got out from there and walked all the way to the alley entrance, there was a horse that Shen Suning had prepared for her.
Jiang Lingyao also knew how to ride a horse, and her riding skills were quite good. She usually accompanied the Royal Concubine on hunting and spring outings, and she always came out on top and won a lot of rewards.
The two men mounted their horses, chose a less crowded alley, and rode quickly towards Shuntian Prefecture.
On the way, Jiang Lingyao asked, "Is Coroner Xu done with his work?"
Shen Suning said, "Coroner Xu got up at five in the morning to perform an autopsy. When I came out, he had almost finished writing the autopsy form. The rest of the matters need to be discussed with the adults and the Jinyiwei."
Jiang Lingyao nodded and said, "Okay, do you have the testimony?"
Shen Suning said, "Yes, last night the Jinyiwei had finished interrogating all the people involved in the case and made a book of testimonies, which was sent to Shuntian Mansion early in the morning."
Jiang Lingyao: “…”
Jiang Lingyao couldn't help but sigh: "The Jinyi Guard is still powerful after all."
Shen Suning pursed her lips, and her cold and pretty face looked even colder. She did not answer, but turned her head away as if she was angry.
Jiang Lingyao knew what was on her mind, so she apologized quietly, "It's my fault."
Shen Suning hummed awkwardly, and finally whispered: "Senior Sister, am I too stubborn?"
She thought Jiang Lingyao would give her some words of comfort, but she unexpectedly heard Jiang Lingyao say, "If you persuade others to be magnanimous, God will punish you."
"I am not you, so I cannot use your own experience to persuade you, but I can tell you that over time, perhaps hatred will fade away."
“But it never goes away.”
When Shen Suning heard this, her eyes welled up in tears. She choked up, but finally held back her tears.
"I just like talking to my senior sister."
Jiang Lingyao is different from all the other ladies in Yanjing. She is greedy for money, loves vanity and is selfish. She seems to be willful but she knows how to judge the situation.
Of course, Shen Suning knew that this was just her superficial appearance, but even if she saw Jiang Lingyao's true face, she could still tell that she was open-minded and optimistic.
Especially at this moment, if others were to say some nonsense about the end of grudges and the beginning of a new life, Jiang Lingyao would not say it.
There were hot spots on Shen Suning's back, and a rare smile appeared on her face.
"Other people can't persuade me, but my senior sister can."
Jiang Lingyao turned around and smiled at her. As they were talking, the Shuntian government office appeared before them.
Jiang Lingyao nodded in greeting to the gatekeeper, then rode in, parked the horses in the stables at the inner gate, and then led Shen Suning quickly to the coffin room.
The coffin room is right next to the Shuntianfu Prison. Outside the room is a whole row of locust trees. Even in late spring, it is still cold and gloomy, with not a single ray of light getting in.
Jiang Lingyao hurried all the way here, and the yamen runners who were familiar with her all nodded and greeted her. Only a few local residents who had made things difficult for her in the past looked at her with squinting eyes and said some unpleasant and sarcastic words to her.
"Oh, our Shuntian Prefecture depends entirely on Master Xiao Qiao. Without Master Xiao Qiao, we can't solve the case."
Jiang Lingyao glanced at them coldly, pulled Shen Suning, and without saying a word, quickly walked through the shade of the locust tree and went straight to the coffin room.
When they reached the study next to the coffin room, Jiang Lingyao heard Yao Yuan's voice from a distance: "Oh my, how did he die?"
Jiang Lingyao reported from outside and received a response before pushing the door open and going in.
There were four people in the room at this time, Yao Qing, Yao Yuan, Li Da, and a tall and strong Jinyiwei wearing a flying fish costume.
Jiang Lingyao glanced at his badge and realized that he was a captain, so she bowed to each of them.
The coroner is a lowly person, but it is a place of right and wrong in the capital, and it has always been occupied by the capable. Xu Qing has been in Shuntian Prefecture longer than any of them. Every yamen runner here has received his favor. Even the officials of the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple have to ask him for help if they encounter difficult cases.
Therefore, even though he had no official position, he still had a place in Shuntian Prefecture.
Yao Yuan said with a smile: "This is Captain Zheng of the Jinyi Guard, who is affiliated with the East Office of the Northern Zhenfu Division and is in charge of supervising the case on behalf of the Zhenfu Envoy."
"Captain Zheng, this is our new magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture, his surname is Qiao."
He paused, then explained: "Judge Xiao Qiao was appointed by His Majesty."
These ten words had several meanings, but Captain Zheng didn't seem to be a smart person. He just said, "Hello, Master Qiao."
Seeing his neither cold nor hard look, Lord Yao began to sweat again.
"Very good, very good, sit down and talk."
After everyone was seated, Xu Qing took out three autopsy forms and handed one to each person: "Please look, everyone. I have already performed a thorough autopsy this morning. This is the autopsy form for the deceased."
He explained page by page: "There were no external injuries on the deceased's body, except for a penetrating wound where the L-shaped ruler was inserted. The wound went from front to back, all the way to the back of the deceased's neck. There were no other obvious sores."
Hearing this, everyone present looked unhappy.
Xu Qing continued, "But external injuries are just external injuries, and have nothing to do with the cause of death. According to previous discussions, the deceased was stabbed in the back by someone after death, and this statement is correct."
Upon hearing this, Captain Zheng could no longer sit still and asked, "How did the deceased die?"
Xu Qing glanced at him and continued slowly, "I cut open the body and checked his stomach. He must have eaten a lot of meat and wine before he died yesterday, which caused his stomach to overflow. I could tell at a glance that he had eaten too much."
Jiang Lingyao frowned, and she immediately thought of the honey on the deceased's cuffs, which was probably related to the wine and meat.
Xu Qing continued, "My Lords, please turn the page again. I checked the blood of the deceased and found that it was not dark because of the night. In the daytime, it was grayish reddish brown, not red. After testing the poison with a silver needle and looking at the symptoms of the deceased, I think the deceased was poisoned by safflower."
Jiang Lingyao raised her head suddenly and murmured, "Red flower?"
Xu Qing nodded: "Yes, everyone should have heard of the safflower poison. It was once very famous in Yanjing. There was an old case more than ten years ago that shocked the whole Yanjing."
As he spoke, Jiang Lingyao clenched her fists tightly in her sleeves, and her round, clean fingers were pinched tightly in her palms, almost to the point of bleeding.
But no matter how shocked she was inside, she remained calm and composed, and her expression was only moved by the case.
Xu Qing continued, "People who are poisoned by safflower take it orally. After a while, their liver and intestines turn black and rot, and they die immediately. The dead person's face is as white as paper, and there are no sores on the body. Only the lips are bright red like flowers, so it is called safflower poison."
"But the deceased didn't have any rotten liver or intestines on his body. He only had gray-black blood."
Xu Qing was also unsure of how the deceased died. After pondering for a moment, he sighed and said, "This is all the clues that the autopsy can provide. You still need to investigate the rest."
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