Chapter 50: There Is Only One Truth!

Seeing Li Goudan earnestly plead and rush off to fetch Jiang Jiang Mingyu, the female plaintiff finally abandoned her idea of traveling to Jingcheng to file a complaint.

At this moment, the female plaintiff, eyes red with tears swirling in their sockets, looked at her husband's corpse on the ground and said with a choking voice, trembling: "Husband, rest assured and go in peace; I will certainly seek justice for you." Her heart was filled with grief, desiring only to avenge her beloved.

The time it takes to burn two sticks of incense passed quickly, yet the so-called "murderer," Jiang Jiang Mingyu, remained completely silent and absent. The onlooking commoners talked amongst themselves, each adding their own words, growing impatient with the wait.

"Why does the Imperial Envoy handle affairs so slowly? Why doesn't he return quickly? We are all still waiting to watch the show," an old man complained dissatisfiedly.

"With such a huge incident occurring, he has probably already fled for his life," another person speculated, his tone revealing schadenfreude.

"He is, after all, the Imperial Envoy; what can we small folk do against him? We can only swallow this anger," a middle-aged man sighed, shaking his head.

Just as the crowd was buzzing with discussion, Jiang Jiang Mingyu's anxious voice suddenly cut in: "Fathers, elders, and fellow villagers, this official has returned!"

Having just been heavily fleeced of silver by He He Dachuan, he had originally been in a good mood, but Li Goudan's sudden appearance threw him into a fluster.

The incident happened so suddenly that he had no time to ask for an explanation before rushing back to the county yamen with Tu Tu Kesiluo and others, his mind racing to formulate a countermeasure.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu rushed back to the county yamen, panting heavily, only to see a woman in ragged clothes, sallow and emaciated, her eyes bloodshot, glaring deathly at him like an enraged lioness.

"Jiang Jiang Mingyu, you murderer!" she gritted her teeth, her whole body trembling. "The inferior coal you supplied killed my husband; what excuse do you have left to argue?!"

Before Jiang Jiang Mingyu could open his mouth, Liu Liu Churan, the woman he had previously saved, spoke up first: "Big Sister, have you made a mistake? The Imperial Envoy is a great good man; he just saved me from Young Master He's hands; how could he possibly do such a thing?"

Upon hearing that the person who saved her was the newly arrived Imperial Envoy, Liu Liu Churan was also so shocked she could not speak. But at that time, Jiang Jiang Mingyu had been busy dealing with the He father and son and had no time to let her kneel and pay respects.

The female plaintiff completely ignored Liu Liu Churan, staring straight at Jiang Jiang Mingyu, waiting for his answer.

The female plaintiff completely ignored Liu Liu Churan, staring straight at Jiang Jiang Mingyu, waiting for his answer.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's face looked ugly as he asked in a deep voice: "What exactly is going on?"

The female plaintiff, without any beating around the bush, wiped away her tears and repeated the situation once more, finally pointing at the corpse on the ground and saying: "My husband's corpse is right here; the evidence is conclusive, so there is nothing left to argue about, is there?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu forcibly parted the crowd and approached the corpse. After just one glance, his eyebrows knitted tightly together, and his face sank as if it could drip water.

The deceased's face was twisted, with remnants of vomit at the corner of his mouth, indicating he had undergone a painful struggle before death.

There was still a wet stain on his frozen trousers, suggesting the deceased had suffered incontinence for some time due to suffocation.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu knew very well that these were typical symptoms of coal smoke poisoning; in his original era, this was already common knowledge.

Tu Tu Kesiluo's eyebrows twisted into two small knots as he hurriedly asked: "My lord, what is happening?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu let out a deep sigh and finally spoke the conclusion with pain: "It is indeed undeniably death caused by coal smoke poisoning."

The atmosphere instantly became much more solemn. Upon hearing this, the crowd began discussing again, and the scene fell into chaos once more.

"He was truly smoked to death by burning coal; how terrifying!" An old man watching the scene wore an expression of terror on his face, while others whispered, each looking frightened. "I said long ago that we should continue going up the mountain to chop firewood for warmth; this coal is not reliable at all," a middle-aged man urgently advised his neighbor, his brows locked tight.

"The coal provided by the Imperial Envoy has now resulted in a death; there is a good show to watch," a sturdy man in blue clothes said quietly with schadenfreude. The crowd's discussions rose and fell, making the atmosphere at the scene even more chaotic and panicked.

The female plaintiff, her eyes bloodshot, glared deathly at Jiang Jiang Mingyu, her gaze filled entirely with resentment and grief: "Good, you finally admit it! If not for the inferior coal you provided, my husband would not have died so inexplicably; you murderer!"

No, this woman is so certain; there must be something suspicious about this matter.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu frowned and fell into silent thought, his heart filled with doubt and confusion.

Although he had not studied chemical engineering in his previous life, he still understood common knowledge related to burning coal. According to his methods, such severe poisoning should not have occurred; there must be a problem within this.

Just as Jiang Jiang Mingyu was still frowning in deep thought, a clear male voice suddenly rang out from outside the crowd: "His Highness Prince Qi has arrived!"

As soon as the voice fell, Prince Qi and Ma Ma Defake, whose face was covered in a full beard, appeared.

Prince Qi looked up and down at the slightly chaotic scene, a cold smile playing on the corners of his mouth, and glanced meaningfully at Ma Ma Defake.

The situation favored him; it would not take long before he could eliminate Jiang Jiang Mingyu and avenge his previous defeat.

Feigning a face full of regret, Prince Qi looked at the corpse on the ground and sighed lightly: "Official Jiang, what is going on here?"

Putting on a serious air of acting for the people, he said: "That woman, rest assured; this Prince will certainly seek justice for you."

Then, pretending to be deeply worried, he said: "Official Jiang, for your coal to cause such an incident is truly heartbreaking, truly heartbreaking!"

"Although you and I are both court officials, the law allows no favoritism. If today you do not give this woman justice, the hearts of the people will be difficult to convince."

"For the sake of stabilizing the hearts of the people of the city, it seems this Prince can only escort you to Jingcheng to be dealt with by His Majesty."

Having finished speaking, he clapped his hands together and shouted loudly to the soldiers behind him: "Men, quickly bind Official Jiang!"

Just as two soldiers were about to make their move, Jiang Jiang Mingyu unhurriedly frowned and opened his mouth to say: "Wait a moment."

Prince Qi snorted coldly, widened his eyes, and said sternly: "What? The evidence is conclusive, and you admitted it with your own mouth; does Official Jiang intend to resist arrest?" His tone brooked no argument, projecting an air of self-righteous justice.

"Committing Zhi Fa Fan Fa adds one degree to the crime. If you do not recognize my offer of grace, do not blame this Prince for not recalling our past friendship." Saying this, he nodded with feigned seriousness.

However, Jiang Jiang Mingyu keenly noticed that deep within Prince Qi's severe gaze, there faintly lurked a hint of obscure smile.

What is going on?

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's eyes turned, and he still spoke calmly and composedly: "Your Highness Prince Qi, you have arrived truly quickly."

Prince Qi remained serious and said: "Acting for the people is this Prince's duty." He puffed out his chest, looking down from a high position.

"Fortunately, this Prince arrived in time; otherwise, relying on these pitiful commoners, they truly could do nothing against you, Official Jiang." His tone revealed obvious contempt.

"Enough; the sky is already dark; whatever needs to be said can be explained to His Majesty back in Jingcheng later." He waved his hand impatiently, intending to take Jiang Jiang Mingyu away.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu, however, calmly shook his head: "This official only wishes to first go to the deceased's home to see exactly what happened."

"If it truly is this official's responsibility, this official is willing to compensate, even if it means paying for the bottom of his coffin." His tone was sincere.

"But if it is a deliberate frame-up, that is another matter entirely."

Upon hearing this, Prince Qi subtly glanced at Ma Ma Defake beside him.

After receiving the other's confirming gaze, Prince Qi smiled triumphantly, thinking that this Jiang Jiang Mingyu had completely fallen into the trap; it was time to let him taste the flavor of failure.

He glared fiercely at Jiang Jiang Mingyu, then changed his face to an expression of contempt: "This trick of delaying time is very foolish."

"But it doesn't matter; since you have such an interest, this Prince will indulge you and let you die with understanding!" Prince Qi clenched his fist, looking as if victory was already in his grasp.

"That woman, lead the way," Prince Qi commanded arrogantly. He firmly believed the corpse's home was nearby, and by then, Jiang Jiang Mingyu would have no way to escape.

The female plaintiff, single-mindedly wanting Jiang Jiang Mingyu to pay with his life, bit her lip and still hesitated to say: "My lord, what if he finds an opportunity to flee?" Her heart was uneasy, fearing the plan would be ruined.

Prince Qi narrowed his eyes and threatened: "Then this Prince can only chop him down with one stroke of the blade; I believe His Majesty will understand." His cold and ruthless tone made the woman unable to help but shiver.

"Do you agree, Official Jiang?" Prince Qi asked Jiang Jiang Mingyu in return, wanting to provoke him.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu remained calm, his tone humble: "Your Highness Prince Qi, rest assured. This humble official is not so base. Let us go."

Prince Qi's triumphant smile deepened; he believed Jiang Jiang Mingyu had taken the bait completely, ready to bring about mutual destruction.

On the road to the victim's home, Lord Murong Murong Yunhai was as nervous as an ant on a hot pan, his mind racing to find a way out.

"Isn't that the newly arrived my lord? Why is he being escorted away?" a middle-aged woman exclaimed, her face full of confusion.

"I heard he caused a death; now my lord Prince Qi is escorting him to Jingcheng for trial." A neighbor gossiped incessantly to her, her eyebrows dancing with excitement.

"I originally thought he was a good official who truly served the people; I never expected... human hearts are hard to fathom," an old man sighed, shaking his head, his tone faintly tinged with disappointment.

Surrounded by Prince Qi and his subordinates, Jiang Jiang Mingyu walked through the streets; the commoners peering from the roadside chattered in a frenzy, causing him to frown involuntarily.

Liu Liu Churan felt uneasy under the curious gazes. She leaned close to Lord Murong Murong Yunhai and whispered, "My lord Lord Murong, my lord Tu, the Imperial Envoy is about to be taken away. What shall we do?" Anxiety filled her voice.

Lord Murong Murong Yunhai's face was equally grim: "With matters come to this, there is little we can do; we can only hope the victim's family discovers something." He anxiously rubbed his temples. Just as the two were at a loss, Jiang Jiang Mingyu, at this critical moment of life and death, remained calm, his mind racing with thought.

Hearing the murmurs beside his ears, his heart gave a jolt; he vaguely guessed the truth within: "It seems there is only one truth..."