Chapter 238: Retaliation

Mo Junheng's face broke into a cold smile: "Hmph, she dares to oppose me, she's still a bit green. Tell Liu Jinming not to hold back; give me a good lesson to teach her, so she'll remember forever."

"Yes, my subordinate has already instructed; not only her but also the shopkeeper's boy in the World's First Manor—none can escape. Liu Jinming has wanted to serve you for a long time, and this is his chance to prove himself."

"Very well, I'm not forced to see that Southern First Young Master. If I could take her life outright, or cripple her healing hands, that would also be possible."

"My subordinate understands; I think Liu Jinming will certainly do something to satisfy you."

At that moment, in the Jingcheng Prefect's office, Chi Nan Yi stood in the main hall while several people knelt on the ground beside her, crying out loudly.

"Sir, please arbitrate for us! This black‑hearted thing, she actually… actually tramples on lives! My husband died so unjustly!" The woman wept bitterly, and the man beside her had red eyes as well: "Sir, my wife's death is so unjust!"

The Jingcheng Prefect Liu Jinming coldly stared at Chi Nan Yi, lifted the gavel and struck heavily: "Bold, aren't you kneeling yet?"

"I do not know what fault I have?"

"How dare you, your shop killed people, yet you claim no fault?" Liu Jinming shouted angrily: "Lives are of utmost importance; you act so wantonly, treating lives as weeds. Such a heart deserves execution!"

"Sir, you made a conclusion without even investigating; how can you be sure they died because they ate our shop's food?"

Chi Nan Yi's words fell, the kneeling woman beside her eyes reddened, shouting angrily: "You still argue! My husband ate nothing today, yet he died in your shop; if not you, then who?"

"He ate nothing?" Chi Nan Yi sneered: "Your husband really can endure hunger, skipping breakfast and lunch, just waiting to eat at my place in the afternoon?"

"So what's the problem? Your shop's medicinal dishes are so expensive, my husband naturally has to be frugal." The woman cried: "My husband died so terribly! So terribly! Sir, you must arbitrate for the people!"

Liu Jinming glared fiercely at Chi Nan Yi: "Still not kneeling?"

After the words, several imperial officers stepped forward, raised their sticks and struck at her knee.

If struck, that knee would be not only crippled but severely wounded.

Chi Nan Yi's gaze hardened, and she used subtle foot force to kick the two sticks aside.

Due to inertia, the officers fell to the ground, the sticks flew sideways and heavily struck Liu Jinming.

"Sir! Sir!" the bailiffs hurried forward to help him up.

Liu Jinming was knocked down, his black silk hat fell off somewhere.

The crowd helped him to stand; the fall left him dizzy.

"You! You! Bring her to me! Beat her with thirty heavy boards! No! Fifty!"

Want to beat her?

Chi Nan Yi sneered: "Sir, are you trying to force a confession through beating?"

"Force a confession through beating? Hmph, to be honest, even if I beat you to death, no one can stop me." Liu Jinming put on his black silk hat, his eyes filled with anger mixed with contempt: "Beating a court official adds a higher crime."

"If it weren't for you letting them beat me with sticks first, I wouldn't have retaliated."

Liu Jinming has been Prefect for many years and has never heard a criminal claim they don't want to be beaten yet fight back.

"You… how can this be! How can this be! Drag him down! Beat him with eighty boards!"

Eighty… that could truly cause death.

Chi Nan Yi, hearing this, remained unflustered, and said softly: "Strike him! I don't mind; as long as you can endure the Emperor's thunderous wrath, that's enough."

Emperor?

Liu Jinming heard her words and felt a weight in his heart.

"What does that mean?"

"Lord Liu, your rank is not high; many matters are unclear to you. I am the Emperor's personally appointed chief physician for Prince Li, responsible for Prince Li's leg injury."

Emperor, Prince Li…

Anyone could easily take his life.

Especially when it involves Prince Li, that ancestor must never be offended.

"You…"

"Now, Lord Liu, may you listen to my explanation?"

"Yes, yes… of course I can." Liu Jinming swallowed, softened his tone, straightened his black silk hat, his facial skin twitched a few times, trying to appear friendly.

The two kneeling people exchanged glances; the woman shouted loudly: "Sir! Sir, you must…"

"Silence!" Liu Jinming struck the gavel: "This is a public hall; you cannot make such noise here."

The woman retracted her neck, ceased speaking; the man kneeling beside also dared not speak, lowered his head, occasionally glancing at Chi Nan Yi.

"Sir, you previously said those two died because they ate from my shop; is there evidence? Has the coroner examined the bodies?"

"This…"

"You! How cruel your heart! You killed my husband, and now you want to dissect his body! No! No!"

The woman screamed hoarsely; everyone thought she loved her husband deeply, but Chi Nan Yi saw clearly the panic she tried to hide.

"Your husband is dead, I also feel regret, but precisely because of that, we must uncover the true cause of his death. If he died from our shop's food, I will take full responsibility, but if there is another cause…" Chi Nan Yi looked at her face, curling a profound, inscrutable smile: "We must also capture the real culprit, right?"

Chi Nan Yi's voice was low and carried a deep, all‑seeing tone; the woman felt a tightening in her heart, forgetting what she intended to say.

Liu Jinming naturally knew the coroner had not yet examined the bodies; his actions today were to convict her.

"This…" Liu Jinming forced a smile: "To be frank, the coroner has family matters and hasn't returned yet."

"Then the bodies haven't been examined. Since that's the case, I, though unskilled, am versed in coroner techniques and can examine them myself."

As Chi Nan Yi finished speaking, someone beside shouted: "No! No! How can you examine the bodies? What if you hide evidence?"

"There are other coroners in the city; at worst I can have them watch while I examine, or let a city coroner do it."

Liu Jinming moved his lips, wondering what to do now.

Since she is proficient in coroner arts, she will inevitably reveal a flaw during the examination.

Before he could speak, Chi Nan Yi murmured: "Are you afraid? Or does the Sir have some concern?"

"No, no…" Liu Jinming turned, nervously wiping sweat from his head, exchanging a glance with the person hidden behind the curtain; his eyes were full of anxiety.

Gao Feng's gaze was cold as ice, like a bucket of icy water poured over him.

Liu Jinming was caught in the middle, with Prince Li and the Emperor on one side, and the Crown Prince on the other.

Which one to choose… obvious at a glance.

Liu Jinming turned his head toward Chi Nan Yi, smiled and said, "Since that's the case, let the coroner come over!"