Chapter 174: Following the Current

The officers immediately stepped forward and tightly restrained the man.

The man was so frightened he nearly wet his pants; the Prince was not someone to be bullied like a mere woman, so he just kept begging for mercy:

"Spare my life, Prince Chen, this has nothing to do with me."

Quan Tianchen remained unmoved and asked:

"I can spare your life, but I have a condition: you must clearly explain who instructed you to cause trouble here."

The man’s eyes flickered; he dared not look Quan Tianchen in the eye and stammered:

"Your Highness, it is not that I won't tell you, but I only know it was a young lady wearing a veiled hat. I truly could not see her face."

The man’s expression did not escape Quan Tianchen’s eyes. Convinced the man was hiding something, he immediately said to the officers:

"Search him."

The officers rummaged through the man’s person for a while and pulled out a red silk handkerchief.

Quan Tianchen took the handkerchief, and the pungent scent of cosmetics made him frown.

On it was embroidered an ink-colored orchid, the petals vivid and lifelike.

As soon as Jun Chengcai saw that ink-colored orchid, he felt it looked familiar.

"This seems to be the property of Lady Molan from the Yihong Academy."

He had once been a frequent visitor to the Yihong Academy, and he had seen this handkerchief before.

Jun Zijin and He Linger, who had been silent, exchanged a glance. Both knew of the scene at the teahouse opposite the Bibo Pavilion; perhaps this person was a breakthrough.

Although solving cases was the business of the Jingzhao Governor, if that person had truly walked right into their trap, they would not mind crushing them to death.

Thinking of this, Jun Zijin spoke slowly:

"Tell us who you are. I think with this handkerchief, it won't be hard to find out your identity."

Quan Tianchen also looked at the man and threatened:

"If you speak for yourself, I can consider sparing your life, but if I find out from someone else..."

The man was stunned; he never imagined that the handkerchief he carried in his bosom every day would become his death warrant.

Molan from the Yihong Academy was his lover. Things had reached this point; he could no longer deny it.

However, he knew in his heart that given his master’s ruthlessness, he would likely die even if he confessed.

But if he didn't confess, he would die right now. After weighing his options, he gritted his teeth and said:

"Spare my life, Your Highness! I am a guard at the Prince An’s residence. It was Princess Jiahe who forced me to do this."

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense. Wang Dazhuang and the families of the deceased looked at each other in disbelief that all of this was actually related to the Prince An’s residence.

They had originally only wanted justice for their loved ones, never expecting this matter to involve Princess Qingping, alarm Prince Chen, and now implicate a Prince’s residence.

"Princess Jiahe, what is she trying to do?"

Quan Tianchen’s voice remained gentle, but a flash of killing intent crossed his eyes as he continued to ask the guard:

"Did you kill them?"

The man fell to his knees with a thud:

"Spare my life, Your Highness! Princess Jiahe threatened my life; I was forced into this."

Quan Tianchen let out a cold snort:

"Even if coerced, taking another’s life is unforgivable. Take him to prison for the crime of murder and await sentencing."

The officers immediately dragged away the guard, who was desperately begging for mercy.

The entrance to the Tong'an Hall finally quieted down, and the last rays of sunset were about to fade from the horizon.

Yet, the commoners who had watched the spectacle for so long and delayed the free clinic were unwilling to leave the Tong'an Hospital.

Seeing the sea of people waiting for medical treatment, Jun Zijin announced that for the next three days, all medical services would be provided at cost.

As soon as she finished speaking, the commoners suddenly knelt down in a rush and began kowtowing to Jun Zijin.

The deafening cheers of the commoners rose up:

"The Princess is truly a great person, our great benefactor!"

Jun Zijin smiled slightly and graciously accepted the gesture. Only after the commoners finished kowtowing did she raise her voice:

"Everyone, please rise. This is the first hospital in our Tianqi. All our medical staff must undergo strict selection and regular training before they can start work. Here, whether a patient is poor or wealthy, we are all equal. I hope this hospital can become a place you all trust."

Jun Zijin took the opportunity to promote the hospital.

As soon as she finished, Quan Tianchen led the applause, and suddenly, the sound of clapping echoed through the sky.

Jun Zijin tilted her head, signaling for everyone to be quiet. Then she pulled He Linger over:

"This is our hospital’s Vice Dean, He Linger. If you have any issues, you can also look for Dean He; her words carry the same authority as mine."

He Linger smiled gracefully at the crowd and said crisply:

"Thank you all for your trust. Since this is the first hospital in our Tianqi, it differs somewhat from your existing perceptions. The hospital is divided into three departments: Medicine, Pharmacy, and Nursing. I am mainly responsible for nursing. So-called nursing... means that patients here will receive the most attentive care."

He Linger explained in detail, and everyone listened attentively. When she finished, there was another round of thunderous applause.

All of this was watched intently by Jun Zhidie, whose eyes were filled with resentment from across the street.

She blamed Princess Jiahe for being stupid; her schemes had instead helped Jun Zijin not only steal the spotlight but also provided ample publicity for her hospital.

She hated her so much she cursed Princess Jiahe’s entire family.

The Tong'an Hall case was finally resolved satisfactorily, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Jun Zijin looked at Quan Tianchen and said with a faint smile:

"Fourth Brother, thank you for your hard work, and thank you for helping me out of this predicament."

Quan Tianchen shook his head in response:

"With Yu'er away, I naturally must look after you for him. We are family; there is no need for such formalities."

Jun Zijin and Quan Tianchen entered the palace together to report the matter to the Emperor and Empress.

Inside the imperial palace, the halls were towering and magnificent, gleaming with gold and jade.

The Emperor and Empress sat on the high dragon throne, and upon seeing Jun Zijin and Quan Tianchen enter, joyful smiles immediately appeared on their faces.

The Empress walked quickly down the steps, took Jun Zijin’s hand, and looked at her with eyes full of affection:

"Good child, you finally came. Why haven't you come to the palace to see your mother in so long? I have been missing you."

Quan Wuji laughed, his tone carrying a hint of dissatisfaction and a touch of teasing:

"Girl, it has been quite some time since you entered the palace. If not for this incident, were you not planning to come and see your father and mother?"

A playful look appeared on Jun Zijin’s cold face, and she followed the flow, calling him "Father" as the Emperor had suggested.

"Father is blaming me now; I have been busy with the hospital, after all."

The Emperor waved his hand.

"Enough, enough. I have heard about today’s events; you handled it well."

The Empress also nodded with a smile.

"Zijin is indeed intelligent and kind."

The Empress did not let go of Jun Zijin’s hand and turned to say to Quan Wuji:

"If it weren't for Zijin, I fear I would never have seen Your Majesty again in this lifetime."

The Empress brought this up now to intentionally remind the Emperor that in handling the Tong'an Hall case, he must not chill Jun Zijin’s heart for the sake of preserving the royal family’s reputation.

Although Prince An was a Prince of a different surname without real power, Princess Jiahe was betrothed to the Fifth Imperial Prince, Quan Tianjiao.