Chapter 39: Framing

It was already evening when he emerged from the Prince of Jing's manor.

Xi Bing stood inside the manor gates, waving goodbye to him, while Chen Ji stood on Anxi Street, his heart heavy with thought.

As he walked through the afterglow of the sunset, the aroma of cooking wafting from the houses along the street finally allowed him to breathe a sigh of relief.

A dark cloud poked its head out from under the eaves and leaped into his arms from across the air: "Who beat up the White Prajna? It wasn't me!"

Chen Ji smiled and stroked its head: "No one beat it up; it was just an excuse for Consort Yun to summon me into the manor."

He murmured to himself, "At the time, Consort Yun said that Consort Jing's lead-barium glass cup was a gift from her maternal relatives, so I didn't think much of it. But looking at the relationship between Consort Jing and the Liu family now, it might have been done intentionally... Has she cursed the Liu family recently?"

"Yes, she cursed her brother, Liu Mingxian. She used some very foul language."

"That makes sense." Chen Ji felt a sense of melancholy. "At the time, I was too focused on logical reasoning and failed to consider the depths of human nature. As expected, human nature cannot be judged by common sense. But I didn't kill Old Master Liu, I didn't give her the cup, and I didn't kill Liu Shiyu. If she isn't going to take revenge on the Liu family or the Secret Intelligence Division, why target me... Hiss, Liu Shiyu was also silenced by the Liu family. This Liu family has a ruthless person among them!"

Chen Ji drew in a sharp breath. Reviewing all the clues, he suddenly realized that the Liu family acted with extraordinary ferocity, showing no regard for kinship even toward their own: "Could Old Master Liu in the coffin have been killed on the spot as well?!"

The dark cloud expressed solemn respect: "That's intense!"

Was this ferocity useful? Naturally, it was. If they weren't this ruthless, Yun Yang and Jiao Tu wouldn't have been thrown into prison; instead, the Liu family would have committed the crime of deceiving the Emperor.

Returning to the medical clinic, Old Man Yao was behind the counter, looking at the ledgers while flicking an abacus, giving off an air of being deeply calculating yet unable to make ends meet...

Chen Ji teased with a smile, "Master, why don't you just flip some coins to calculate the accounts and be done with it?"

Old Man Yao glared at him. "Stop talking such nonsense. It seems your skin is itching for a beating. Divination can only predict direction; how can it calculate exact amounts down to the last cent?"

"Where are my senior brothers?" Chen Ji asked curiously.

"In the backyard cooking," Old Man Yao said, glancing sideways at him. "Weren't you supposed to be treating that cat? Didn't you prescribe some medicine for it?"

"I didn't..."

Old Man Yao sneered. "And here I thought you were being cautious. Even if it isn't injured or sick, you should have prescribed some cheap wound ointment to send into the manor. You have to play the part fully, otherwise, you'll be discovered sooner or later."

Chen Ji froze for a moment. "Thank you for the reminder, Master. Old ginger is indeed spicier. I'll send some Cnidium in tomorrow."

He walked toward the backyard. In the kitchen, only Liu Quxing was washing rice and cooking porridge; She Dengke was nowhere to be seen.

Just as Chen Ji was about to head toward the apprentices' dormitory, he saw She Dengke pushing the door open to come out.

She Dengke was startled to see Chen Ji. "Eh? Weren't you going to the manor?"

Chen Ji said, "The white cat's injury wasn't serious; I just took a look and came back. Senior Brother She, what were you doing in the room just now?"

"I was just changing clothes. Come, help me pick vegetables. If we're slow with the cooking, Master will scold us again," She Dengke said, pulling Chen Ji toward the kitchen.

However, at that very moment, the sound of synchronized footsteps echoed from outside the clinic, accompanied by the clanking of iron scale armor as guards marched.

Chen Ji noticed that the hand She Dengke had on his arm suddenly tightened; he could feel the sweat in the man's palm even through the fabric.

Old Man Yao walked to the door, frowning. "Miss Chunhua, General Wang, what is the meaning of blocking the entrance to my Taiping Clinic?"

Chen Ji broke free from She Dengke's grip and walked outside. Liu Quxing also popped out of the kitchen holding a ladle. "What's happening? What's happening?"

Outside the Taiping Clinic, Chunhua was exceptionally plain today, wearing only a light green *ruqun* without a single piece of jewelry, her hair held up by a simple wooden hairpin.

Chunhua looked apprehensive, hesitating to speak. Beside her, the manor guards stood with long halberds, clad in heavy iron armor, led by a man with a commanding presence and a sharp, piercing gaze.

Chen Ji asked with a smile, "Miss Chunhua, what is this all about?"

But he heard Chunhua say to the head guard, "General Wang, a few days ago, my lady lost the South Sea pearl that the Prince gave her. We first checked the maids in the Evening Star Courtyard but found no trace of it. After thinking it over, the only person who has entered and exited the Evening Star Courtyard and handled my lady's belongings was this medical apprentice named Chen Ji!"

Chen Ji frowned. Consort Jing!

After losing her son and nephew, this Consort Jing's revenge was coming fast and furious—it didn't even wait overnight!

General Wang stared coldly at Chen Ji. "Do you have anything to say? Can you prove your innocence?"

Chen Ji remained silent for a moment before saying calmly, "When others accuse me of theft, it is very difficult to prove one's innocence."

On Anxi Street, shopkeepers and clerks were all peering out from their doorways. They were about to close for the day, but they hadn't expected to witness such a massive scandal.

Someone whispered, "Did the little doctor Chen from the Taiping Clinic steal something from the manor?"

"I heard it was the South Sea pearl given to the Princess by the Prince of Jing. I've heard of those—a single pearl is as big as a longan, and one can sell for hundreds of taels of silver!"

...

...

Chen Ji's expression remained unchanged as he listened to the surrounding chatter.

General Wang gazed at him for a long time before finally saying grimly, "Control this apprentice. Search him!"

With that, two guards grabbed Chen Ji by his arms, one on each side. Their arms were like iron rings, squeezing his arms so tightly he could not move and felt a sharp pain.

Chunhua followed the guards into the clinic. "General Wang, let me help search as well. I have seen that pearl; it will be easy to recognize."

Chen Ji watched her enter the clinic, pulling open medicine cabinet drawers and rummaging through the herbs, leaving them in disarray.

Old Man Yao watched coldly. "General Wang, if a thief truly exists in my Taiping Clinic, I will resign and return to my hometown, never to step foot in Luocheng again. But if there is no thief in my clinic, how will you account for this?"

General Wang cupped his hands toward him from a distance. "Imperial Physician Yao, I am merely acting on orders. Miss Chunhua brought Consort Jing's command token; I must obey orders to apprehend the thief. Furthermore, one can never truly know a person's heart. How can you be sure your apprentice isn't a thief?"

Old Man Yao suddenly let out an angry snort. "I am certain he is not!"

Chen Ji looked at Old Man Yao in surprise; he hadn't expected the old man to step up and speak for him at a time like this.

While they were speaking, Chunhua had already entered the backyard. She first rummaged through the kitchen and then proceeded to the apprentices' dormitory.

He saw her searching frantically through the bedding before finally setting her sights on the apprentices' wardrobes.

Chen Ji understood. Her previous searching elsewhere had been mere theater; this was her true target.

Chunhua had known the pearl was here from the very beginning!

Chen Ji looked toward She Dengke, only to see the man's large, sturdy frame trembling with anxiety. His hands were twisted together, and his lips were devoid of color.

Seeing Chen Ji looking at him, She Dengke hurriedly averted his eyes, not daring to meet his gaze.

This was a premeditated frame-up between She Dengke and Chunhua!

Chen Ji frowned. But She Dengke clearly hadn't left the clinic, and Chunhua hadn't visited the clinic today. How had they exchanged information and the pearl?

Chen Ji scanned the surroundings. The backyard of this clinic was separated from the manor by only a single wall; one could hear a conversation from the backyard if it was held on the other side of the wall.

The wall was not high; throwing a pearl over it would not be difficult.

Chen Ji suddenly asked, "Senior Brother She, do you like Chunhua?"

She Dengke froze, instinctively taking a step back. "Huh? What are you talking about? I don't know what you mean."

Chen Ji shook his head. "Never mind..."

Beside him, Liu Quxing looked at Chen Ji with worry. "You didn't actually steal something, did you?"

Chen Ji denied it. "No. I would never engage in such petty theft in my entire life."

Liu Quxing believed him upon hearing this, but he could clearly sense that Chunhua was acting with absolute confidence and certainty.

He looked back at his master. "Master, please, say something!"

But Old Man Yao remained silent. If evidence was actually found, no one would be able to help Chen Ji.

At that moment, the guards emerged from Old Man Yao's main room and shook their heads at General Wang.

Everyone's eyes turned toward Chunhua in the apprentices' dormitory. She was rummaging through the wardrobe like a madwoman before finally standing frozen in front of it. With her back to the crowd, her body began to tremble, and she burst into tears.

(End of Chapter)