Chapter 62 Miss Confrontation is getting impatient.
The case file archive was not a suitable place for conversation. Yue Yining spent some more time finding all three volumes of files, and the group took the files to the inner hall for the trial.
On the way there, Ye Miheng quietly walked up to Yue Yining and asked her in a low voice, "Did you really have your fortune told just now?"
"How did you calculate that? I didn't even see you take the plate out!"
Yue Yining said calmly, "As you said, I didn't even take out the plate, so how could I have calculated it?"
"Then why did you tell him...?"
"After a brief negotiation with this Magistrate Zhang, I concluded that even without using divination, it's essential to reveal the identity of the Celestial Master," Yue Yining said. "You previously mentioned that His Highness the Fourth Prince confuses Celestial Masters with exorcists, mistakenly believing you can handle matters involving ghosts, which is why he confidently sent you to Suyang. Wei Jing's thinking is not unique; the common people know very little about Celestial Masters, many are unaware of their capabilities, and hold powerful Celestial Masters in awe."
As the state religion, Yingtianmen boasts hundreds of temples scattered throughout Dongxi, but only the three major celestial temples house statues of the Heavenly Ancestor. Celestial Masters from these three temples are extremely rare, and those who roam the common people for extended periods are even fewer. She had a sudden inspiration, realizing she might be able to use this to deter Judge Zhang from harboring any wicked thoughts.
But Yue Yining also understood that even if it had an effect, it would only be temporary.
The magistrate was just a minor official. Magistrate Zhang wouldn't dare to do these things on his own initiative; even if there were benefits, he wouldn't get the lion's share. There must be someone behind this instructing him.
“This case is not simple,” Yue Yining patted Ye Miheng on the shoulder and said earnestly, “You should also keep a close eye on it.”
Ye Miheng looked completely bewildered, clearly only having a vague understanding. He wanted to call out to her, "No, then how did you...?" How did you find the first volume of the dossier so precisely?
Before he could finish speaking, Yue Yining had already quickened her pace and walked away. Ye Miheng could only swallow his words and follow her dejectedly.
Xie Qingyu, who was behind the two, witnessed the entire scene.
Upon entering the inner hall, Magistrate Zhang and Yue Yining, along with two others, sat down and began to peruse the scrolls. Yue Yining lowered her eyes, flipping through the scrolls quickly, skimming over many complex descriptions and extracting only the key parts.
The people who came to report to the authorities all said they saw the green ghost near the mint, while others said they saw it near their windows. All the green ghosts that appeared were fleeting, moving extremely fast, and their bodies were a strange lake green color.
Let's look at the case files for infant deaths. The deceased infants ranged in age from one to two years old, including both boys and girls. One family had parents who were farmers, another had a father who was a businessman and a mother who stayed home to manage the household, and yet another had both parents who worked at a mint. All the deaths occurred during the day. In all cases, accidents happened when the parents were not constantly supervising the infants; by the time they were discovered, the infants were already having difficulty breathing, and their faces were pale or purple. By the time a doctor was called, it was too late.
“There are too few clues,” Yue Yining said, closing the file. “We still need to call in witnesses to ask.”
Ye Miheng: "Summon the doctors who treated these three cases to the courtroom."
The doctors who treated the patients were three elderly men, each older than the last, the last of whom had a hunched back and his eyebrows and beard were almost entirely white.
Yue Yining spoke first: "Thank you for your help, doctors. I would like to ask if you arrived at the scene immediately when these three cases occurred? Were the infants already dead at that time, and what were your diagnoses?"
The doctor on the left said, "When I arrived, the child was already lifeless; there was nothing I could do to save him..."
The doctor on the right also said, "Me too, my face was completely white when I arrived."
"When I arrived, the child was still alive." It was the old man in the middle, whose eyebrows, beard, and wrinkles were all layered together. As he spoke, his beard twitched, the curve so subtle it was almost invisible. "But it was only ten breaths. The moment the needle was inserted, the child was gone."
Yue Yining observed the expressions of the three elderly people. Ye Miheng pressed on, "What were the child's reactions before death? Was anything found amiss during the examination?"
"This..." The two doctors looked at each other, their expressions hesitant to speak. One of them cupped his hands and said, "When we arrived, the child was already gone. Further treatment would be useless, sir..."
The old man in the middle stroked his beard and said, "My initial diagnosis was that the child was having difficulty breathing, had a weak heartbeat, and was already unconscious. I immediately decided to administer acupuncture, but I still couldn't save him."
“I asked the elderly person in that family who was in charge of taking care of the child. The child is healthy and has no illnesses or disasters. He has not shown any abnormalities recently, except that his appetite has decreased. Sometimes he will not move at all and will not respond even when called. It is like…” The old doctor with long eyebrows and a long beard moved his lips slightly. His hand, which was wrinkled like tree bark, stopped at the middle of his beard. He said in a deep voice, “It is like he is being haunted by a ghost.”
For a moment, no one spoke in the hall. Yue Yining stared at the old man when a clear and gentle voice suddenly rang in her ears. It was Xie Qingyu who spoke: "Doctor, do you mean that the infant's death was caused by a ghost?"
The old man lowered his head: "I am only answering your questions, sirs, and dare not discuss this matter."
"I suppose the three doctors don't know the cause of the infant's death either," Judge Zhang said with a smile, trying to smooth things over. "This kind of question should be directed to the coroner."
Yue Yining: "Then let us summon the coroner in charge of this case to court."
The clerk responsible for calling people into the hall bowed and whispered a few words to Magistrate Zhang. Upon hearing this, Magistrate Zhang's face immediately showed reluctance.
Judge Zhang stood up and bowed slightly to the three men: "Your Honors, the coroner did not perform an autopsy. The reason is that none of the three families' parents were willing to hand over their children's bodies to the yamen for processing, and we could not force the relatives to hand over the bodies, so there is no autopsy report."
"It's been seven days since the last case, and I imagine all three children have been laid to rest..." Magistrate Zhang bowed again and said in a low voice, "...have all been laid to rest."
Standing to the side, Fu Yao subconsciously looked at her young mistress. Yue Yining sat on a wooden chair, her hands clasped in front of her chest, one hand rubbing the little finger of the other.
This is a habitual action of the young lady when she is impatient.
Yue Yining smiled gently: "I see, then it's understandable."
"However, I would like to ask, are there any cases that have been missed?" she said slowly. "Has the Suyang government office only received three reports of infant deaths this month?"
Upon hearing this, the other officials all raised their heads, exchanging glances, but none dared to utter a sound in response to Yue Yining. Zhang Tongpan clenched his fist in his sleeve, but his expression remained impassive as he obediently replied, "Yes."
"If any other similar cases occur, they will certainly be included in the Green Ghost case for investigation. However, this month, there have indeed been no reports of infants dying without cause in their homes."
Yue Yining nodded, her smile fading slightly: "In that case, I would like to trouble Judge Zhang to summon the other witnesses to the court."
......
Day three.
As dusk settles, all thirty-six glass lamps in the nine-tiered banquet hall are lit, golden beasts exhale smoke, and jade cups overflow with precious nectar.
Yue Yining entered the banquet hall and took her seat. After investigating the case, she went back to her room to change her clothes; she was already considered late.
Jin Yuanxiu saw a familiar figure in green take a seat, and turned around with a smile to greet her: "Lord Yue, how did the investigation go today?"
Yue Yining looked up and returned the gaze, a smile playing on her lips. "Please rest assured, Lord Jin, everything will proceed smoothly."
Jin Yuanxiu let out a few muffled laughs from his chest: "That's good, that's good."
Yue Yining sat down and slowly suppressed her smile.
Ha, if things really go smoothly, Jin Yuanxiu won't be able to sit still, will he?
Yue Yining had no interest in dealing with these people; her mind was preoccupied with the case. Ye Miheng had been seated opposite her today, and he had already arrived. Of their group, only Xie Qingyu, who was beside her, had not yet arrived, and her seat was still empty.
Yue Yining frequently glanced outside the hall, noticing that most of the people in the banquet hall had arrived and it was almost time for the banquet to begin.
Yue Yining beckoned to Fu Yao: "Yao Yao, go and ask if something has happened to Xie Qingyu that's causing this delay."
Fu Yao ran out to ask someone for directions and didn't return for quite some time.
She crouched down and whispered, "Miss, I asked the guards at the Xie residence, and they said that Lord Xie is unwell and will not be attending the banquet tonight."
Yue Yining was taken aback: "Are you feeling unwell?"
"Yes, they said that after Lord Xie returned, he felt dizzy and had a poor appetite. He only ate some simple porridge and has already rested."
Upon hearing this, Yue Yining frowned.
Sick again?
Is this perfectly normal grown man really a porcelain doll?
While Yue Yining was still grumbling to herself, news of the banquet had already spread from Jin Yuanxiu's side.
Three claps rang out, and two rows of blue-clad maids emerged from the corridor, carrying gilded platters into the hall, bringing the dishes to the table in a continuous stream.
The dishes were naturally excellent. The crystal pig's trotters were translucent and sweet, the honey-marinated bear's paws were as thin as cicada wings, and the whole camel hump was inlaid with agate-red goji berries. As soon as the silver wire cover was lifted, the aroma of meat was irresistible, making one's mouth water.
But Yue Yining looked at the dishes with a smile on her face, though her eyes were cold and still.
Rumors circulate that the Green Ghost only appears at dusk, and many people have witnessed its appearance and disappearance near the mint, while almost no one has seen it during the day.
They had planned to investigate the infant deaths during the day and stake out the Green Ghost near the mint at night. However, every time they returned to the city lord's mansion after completing their investigations, Jin Yuanxiu would drag them out for drinks and banquets, claiming it was a respectful hospitality. He dared not neglect them in the slightest, but by the time the banquets ended, a curfew had been imposed in the city, and they could no longer go out.
Jin Yuanxiu, drunk and sprawled on a square chair, raised his wine cup, laughing loudly. His face was already purplish-red from the smell of alcohol. His voice was booming: "Gentlemen, drink up! This is all the finest wine. Since I've brought it out to entertain you all, I'm not worried about running out. Today, let's drink to our hearts' content!"
The officials below showered Jin Yuanxiu with compliments and raised their glasses.
Yue Yining smiled and picked up her teacup, but couldn't help squinting her eyes as she covered her face with her sleeve.
The banquets have been going on for three days straight. When will it end?
The delicate glazed teacup lightly touched the base, and Yue Yining looked up, suddenly startled.
Several colorful skirts floated past, the misty gauze clinging to her fair skin and slender waist, fluttering and dancing.
In just a short while, several unfamiliar young men and women appeared in the banquet hall. The women were beautiful and slender, and the men were handsome and slender; both were exceptionally good-looking.
Yue Yining was wondering why the hall was so empty today, since Jin Yuanxiu had invited song and dance performances to entertain guests at his banquets the previous two times. It turned out that the performances were only starting now.
Just as Yue Yining thought these people were about to start dancing, the young men and women draped in colorful veils went straight to their seats, giggling and leaning against the officials' sides, some even reaching out to touch their chests.
Upon seeing this, Yue Yining's hand holding the teacup trembled.
Her eyes widened.
Wait, what's going on here?
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