After they both ate breakfast, Lu Jiang came in and whispered something into Jing Rong’s ear. Jing Rong nodded and his expression turned solemn.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Yunshu asked.

“Old General Li has already entered the capital,” Jing Rong replied.

Old General Li? Ji Yunshu didn’t expect that. She leaned forward a bit.

“I heard that Old General Li had sworn to never set foot in the capital again. He didn’t even attend Shuiqing’s funeral, so why now? Is it because of the Emperor’s birthday?”

He shook his head. “It’s probably due to the Lin Capital case. If the tragedy on that year was somehow related to him, it will explain why he decided to come to the capital now of all times.”

“If it’s truly like this, then this case is far from simple.”

“Hence, this Prince is being patient while awaiting Lord Qin’s news.”

“Lord Qin?” Ji Yunshu gave him a baffled look.

He nodded and explained, “Lord Qin will visit Old General Li and probe him first. If nothing comes out of it, I will personally make a trip to meet that Old Eccentric. I don’t believe I will not be able to handle him.”

How domineering!

She glanced at him with the urge to hit him with a frying pan.

Her little expression was caught by Jing Rong’s sharp eyes. He slightly raised his jaw and arrogantly spout, “If this Prince can manage to deal with a little demon like you, who else can’t I deal with?”

His words always managed to leave her speechless.

Unable to retort, she went back into the room and continued examining a skull while shaping the original face with a lump of clay. Quickly, she became immersed in her work.

Jing Rong appeared quite bored and was in no hurry to leave. Instead, her work fascinated him, so he inquired, “It has already been four days. Is it very difficult to reproduce the original appearance of those skeletons?”

“Hm!”

“What is so difficult about it?”

Ji Yunshu explained to him, “Fourteen years ago, those people were burned in a fire for a day and a night. Hence, their corpses had underwent numerous changes as a result. Let’s say that someone died when they were in the midst of a struggle, the deceased’s cheek bones and lower jaw will often have more distance between them which might induce a margin of error when reproducing the lips and nose. If the deceased died from suffocation due to the smoke of the fire and then was burned afterwards, the parietal bone and the zygomatic bones would be deformed. This changed the distance between the brows and the size of the forehead. Those are all details that need to be taken into consideration when reconstructing the original appearance of a destroyed corpse. I used pottery clay to facilitate the facial reconstruction of this skull. Based on the degree of the burn of the corpse and the deformations the bones underwent through high temperature, I will need to make a lot of corrections after each examination until I am sure of the final result.”

Jing Rong was blown away after hearing her. What kind of freak was she? He couldn’t help but shook his head with the corner of his eyes twitching. “Our future child is bound to be a genius.” He exclaimed.

“Stop spouting nonsense!” Ji Yunshu said, feeling a headache creeping in.

He earnestly tutted, “I think that it’s better to give birth to a son. If we have a daughter, and she is just like you – running all day around corpses – how dreadful it is. Yeah… A son is better. He can practice swordplay with me and study whatever literary books he wanted. That’s better.”

“Who wants to give birth to your son?”

“You of course, because this Prince can’t give birth.” He made a sound argument.

Ji Yunshu gritted her teeth in anger. ‘Why don’t you get lost?’ She sworn that having a daughter is better. If she had a son who behaved just like Jing Rong – being all flirty like this with girls – won’t that be dreadful?

Jing Rong seemed in the mood to tease her until she was flustered. After bickering back and forth a few more times, she gave up. Fortunately, due to the Emperor’s birthday approaching, he had to spend time preparing the gifts, thus he didn’t stay long. Before his departure, he didn’t forget to grab her tender hands and reminded her, “Don’t run everywhere and stay here. Imperial Father’s birthday is coming soon which is in a few days. During this time, you cannot stir up any new troubles. I will also be busier in the meantime, but I will still come see you when I can.”

“Oh.” She nodded.

After she sent off that great ancestor, she resumed to her tasks.

At the General Mansion.

Ji Muqing was in a room, hands on her waist and ordering the maidservants. “Be careful when you place that thing! Put it lightly over there. If you break it, I will make all of you pay for it.”

This braindead woman actually brought with her more than a dozen of jade vases during their long journey from Jinjiang to the capital, and every single one of them was a good piece of craftsmanship.

The poor servants suffered the most, have to move the vases around the entire morning. Wasn’t Ji Muqing only here to participate in the Crown Princess selection? Why did it feel like she was moving her whole house instead?

Crash!

As soon as Ji Muqing told them to be careful, one of the jade vases fell onto the ground and shattered. The little servant girl was scared, and her whole body was covered in cold sweat. She quickly kneeled, kowtowed many times.

“Eldest Miss, this servant didn’t mean to. This lowly one really didn’t mean to. Please have mercy!”

Ji Muqing’s anger flared up looking at Yu Ping, who was prostrated on the floor. She went forward with her hand raised and heavily slapped her face.

“Cheap wench! Do you know how expensive this vase was?”

“This servant didn’t mean to. I really didn’t mean to.”

“You didn’t mean to? It looks like I have to teach you a good lesson today.” As soon the words were uttered, she grabbed the servant girl’s hair and raised her other hand, about to give the other party a round of beating.

Yet, the next moment, Ji Wanxin’s voice was heard. “Stop!” She quickly trotted to them and pulled back her sister while trying to reason with her. “Eldest Sister, it is only a flower vase, why should you get angry for that?”

“This was a high quality vase! All thesese cheap servants can’t afford to pay for it even after working an entire lifetime!”

“Don’t tell me you want to beat her to death until you are satisfied?”

Ji Muqing sneered with her eyebrows raised. She shook off Ji Wanxin before glaring at the maidservant. “It’s just one servant less. We can always buy another one with a few silver, so what’s wrong with beating her to death?

Ji Wanxin coughed several times, then she walked to the trembling little servant. She supported her up and whispered in a calm tone, “Don’t be scared. You should go out first.”

“Second Miss…”

“It’s fine.” Ji Wanxi patted the girl’s hand and hinted at the other girls, “All of you should leave as well.”

“Yes, Miss!” The maidservants present hurriedly withdraw.

Ji Muqing watched the scene, with both arms folded. Her voice was tinted with cold sarcasms. “I really don’t understand why you are so kind to them! They are mere cheap servants. What did they do to deserve your sympathy?”

Ji Wanxin didn’t change her expression, although she coughed quietly a few times. “Servants are still people. They also have parents. Can’t you be more magnanimous?”

“Magnanimous? Ji Wanxin, are you lecturing me?” Her expression darkened immediately.

Her anger flourished.

Ji Wanxin gently said, “It’s only a reminder.”

Paf!

A resounding slap was heard and a red handprint appeared on Ji Wanxin’s pale cheek.