Emperor Muwu continued, "Someone, quickly send Qin Zheng over to investigate the truth."
Chu Huan was the third brother of the sixth miss of the Chu family, and he couldn’t believe that Chu Huan would be so ruthless as to kill someone.
"Yes," the chief eunuch hurried to comply.
Emperor Muwu pondered the name Sun Yaozu for a moment and furrowed his brow. "This Sun Yaozu, isn’t he a student of Elder Cao?"
Elder Cao was quite capable. Despite coming from a humble background, he had established himself in the court through his own efforts. Moreover, he had a temper and only accepted students from similar backgrounds. He wouldn’t even look at the children of aristocratic families who came to seek apprenticeship.
Ye Siheng nodded. "That’s right."
Emperor Muwu’s expression became serious. "This could be troublesome. Elder Cao has a stubborn personality. Once he gets hold of this matter, he won’t let go."
"Your Highness, rest assured, I believe my brother is innocent of killing someone," Ye Siheng said.
Emperor Muwu felt a slight headache. He waved his hand. "That’s for the best. You need to avoid suspicion in this matter, otherwise Elder Cao won’t be convinced."
Ye Siheng raised his eyes, his gaze indifferent. "Your Highness, if I avoid suspicion, will Elder Cao really believe it?"
Emperor Muwu realized he had something in mind and could only say, "Then you handle it."
Ye Siheng wasn’t in a hurry. After reading some memorials, he went to the Ministry of Justice.
Qin Zheng had already temporarily detained the relevant people, awaiting interrogation.
As for the deceased Sun Yaozu, his body had also been moved to the Ministry of Justice.
Upon Ye Siheng’s arrival, Qin Zheng naturally came to greet him.
"This case is urgent. I trouble Minister Qin," Ye Siheng said. "I hope we can have results in the next two days."
Qin Zheng bowed and said, "The coroner is about to examine the body. We’ll know how Sun Yaozu died soon. Please rest assured, Your Highness."
Ye Siheng nodded slightly.
Outside the main hall, a man dressed in the attire of a second-rank official strode in. He was none other than Elder Cao, a minister of the cabinet.
With a cold face, he greeted Ye Siheng with a bow, then said coldly, "It seems Your Highness is indeed concerned about your brother-in-law. By blocking the way here, do you think the coroner and the Ministry of Justice will dare to tell the truth?"
Ye Siheng wasn’t surprised by Elder Cao’s attitude. He replied without hesitation, "Elder Cao should be grateful for my respect for the elderly. Otherwise, based on Elder Cao’s unfounded accusations just now, I could have already charged you with a crime."
"Thank you for your generosity, Your Highness. My student was inexplicably killed. I’m grieving, so I may have spoken out of turn. Please forgive me," Elder Cao said arrogantly and angrily.
Ye Siheng turned to face him directly, his gaze icy. "I heard that Sun Yaozu had a sharp tongue. It wasn’t without reason. If I had such a student, I would reflect on myself."
"You..." Elder Cao gritted his teeth. "The deceased is great. Your Highness, there’s no need to be unforgiving with your words."
"Some people, in life, contribute nothing. Even in death, they still bring trouble to others. Don’t blame me for being harsh," Ye Siheng said.
Elder Cao’s face flushed red, but he knew that arguing further was useless. So he said, "I brought a coroner from the Ministry of Justice. For fairness and justice, I ask Minister Qin to allow the coroner from the Ministry of Justice to accompany us for the body examination."
He came to clarify why his student had died. If it was true that Chu Huan had killed his student, even if it meant offending Ye Siheng and the royal family, he would seek justice for his student!
Qin Zheng broke out in a cold sweat and looked at Ye Siheng. Caught between a prince and a senior minister, he felt extremely pressured.
He thought Ye Siheng would stop it, but to his relief, Ye Siheng nodded slightly, indicating his consent. This greatly relieved Qin Zheng, and Elder Cao’s expression instantly improved.
Two coroners went to examine the body.
Qin Zheng also wanted to watch.
Elder Cao sat waiting for news, showing a hint of grief now. He glanced at Ye Siheng and felt resentment rising in his heart. "This case involves the relatives of the princess consort. Your Highness shouldn’t intervene to avoid accusations of unfairness."
Ye Siheng raised an eyebrow at him. "I act with righteousness. What is there to fear?"
Elder Cao snorted. "I hope when the results of the examination come out, Your Highness won’t abuse your power to cover up."
Before long, Qin Zheng and the two coroners emerged. They all had traces of blood on them, emitting a foul odor.
Ye Siheng sat on the grandmaster’s chair, looking calm. "How is it?"
Qin Zheng pursed his lips, unsure how to begin.
Elder Cao asked again, "Minister Qin, what were the results of the examination? How did Yaozu die?"
One of the coroners was brought by Elder Cao. Although Qin Zheng felt troubled, he was fair and just, adhering to the law. Taking a deep breath, he said, "There were fresh bruises on Sun Yaozu’s chest. Both coroners agree that he died from a severe blow to the chest, causing his heart to rupture."
Ye Siheng raised his eyes, his pupils slightly contracted.
Clutching the wooden beads in his hand, he paused abruptly.
Elder Cao trembled, then looked at Ye Siheng with sorrow and anger. "Your Highness, did you hear that? My student was killed by Chu Huan!"
Before Ye Siheng could respond, a clear voice sounded from outside. "Although someone saw my brother hitting someone, how could he, who isn’t skilled in martial arts, cause someone’s heart to rupture so easily?"
Nanli walked in quickly, her dress fluttering, her expression grave.
Seeing her arrival, Ye Siheng politely stood aside, making his intentions clear.
He was here to support his own princess consort.
Seeing this, Elder Cao became even more infuriated, veins popping on his forehead.
"If someone with profound internal strength wants to hide their true abilities, it’s not difficult at all!" Elder Cao said. "Your Highness, Princess Consort, now there are eyewitnesses and autopsy results as evidence. Are you still going to shield Chu Huan?"
Nanli said, "Please don’t be so hasty, Elder. I’m just pointing out doubts. The specifics need to be examined by Minister Qin."
Elder Cao raised an eyebrow. "In that case, may I observe the trial?"
Qin Zheng said, "Elder Cao is Sun Yaozu’s teacher and a minister of the cabinet, so naturally he can."
With that, he instructed to bring out Chu Huan and the junior official for interrogation.
Chu Huan, upon learning he might have killed someone, felt dazed, his eyes unfocused.
"Third Brother," Nanli called out to him anxiously.
Chu Huan raised his head, his eyes gradually focusing.
Seeing Nanli’s worried expression, his heart settled slightly.
The interrogation began, with Ye Siheng and Nanli sitting on the left side of the hall, while Elder Cao sat on the right.
Initially, Qin Zheng simply asked about the cause of the incident.
The junior official dared not hide anything, stating that Sun Yaozu’s troublemaking led to the altercation, and Chu Huan, who cherished his sister, was driven to act in anger. However, he hadn’t expected Chu Huan to kill Sun Yaozu.
Chu Huan didn’t deny any of this. It seemed he had already concluded that he was responsible for Sun Yaozu’s death.
"Why was I so impulsive? If only... if only I had been more calm," he trembled with regret.