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However, Lu Xuan didn’t immediately present the evidence. Instead, he orchestrated a feigned death scenario to emotionally discern the true father of the child. There were two reasons for Lu Xuan’s approach. First, it bought time for the investigation and evidence gathering outside the court. Second, it engaged the emotions of the onlookers, making them empathize with Han Xian’s situation and recognize their new magistrate as a compassionate and reasonable person, not just a detached figure of authority.

“Commoner Han Xian thanks the lord…” Han Xian knelt down, weeping tears of gratitude. The trial, full of twists and turns, reached its climax with Lu Xuan’s decisive intervention.

The mood outside the court shifted significantly. The people, who initially viewed Lu Xuan with distrust and fear, gradually developed respect and admiration for the new magistrate.

Lu Xuan took a sip of tea and announced, “Court is adjourned.”

The next morning, Lu Xuan stretched as he stepped outside. The little fox scampered over, curling up on his shoe. Lu Xuan chuckled to himself, feeling immobilized by the enchanting creature.

Cheng Lingzhu embraced him from behind, rubbing her cheek against his back. Lu Xuan turned his head slightly, smiling, “Are you asking for a piggyback ride?”

“If people see a strange man and woman walking out of the magistrate’s residence, that could cause trouble,” Cheng Lingzhu pointed out.

“Then I’ll carry you to the door, and we can change into the magistrate and advisor’s appearances when we leave,” Lu Xuan suggested.

“Okay,” she agreed.

So, Lu Xuan crouched down, lifting the little fox and Cheng Lingzhu hopped onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck. As they walked through the residence, Cheng Lingzhu curiously asked, “How does it feel to carry me?”

After a moment’s thought, Lu Xuan mused, “Compared to before, it feels like there’s a greater distance between our hearts.”

After all, the difference between front-to-back and face-to-face was something Lu Xuan could distinctly feel.

Cheng Lingzhu playfully hit him, then hugged him tighter. She thought it must be the thickness of their clothes.

Otherwise, she and he could definitely be closer.

Inside the yamen, Magistrate Lu Xuan was holding court. Li Ming and Lu Ping had already prepared tea for him with eager diligence. Lu Xuan looked at the yamen runners standing below; each of them stood straight, their eyes shining with a new sense of purpose. This was a stark contrast to their listless demeanor just a few days ago.

All the yamen runners had participated in yesterday’s case, some maintaining order inside the yamen, others investigating outside. When the case was solved and the stubborn criminal finally brought to justice, they all felt a sense of accomDlishment. This morning. their greetings to Lu Xuan were much more robust, indicating a boost in morale due to his leadership.

As Lu Xuan was holding court, not yet finished with his first cup of tea, the sound of a drum came from outside the yamen. Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips. Yesterday, Han Xian had hesitated to beat the drum to report his case. Today, someone had already rung the complaint drum early in the morning, a sign that his handling of yesterday’s case had made an impact.

Lu Xuan knew that the people felt he could deliver justice for them, which meant they trusted him enough to bring their issues to the yamen. Typically, the complaint drum was reserved for serious cases, but Lu Xuan didn’t adhere to such formalities. As the Qingxian City yamen was just established, he was eager for more cases to handle.

“Report!” A yamen runner rushed in, “Reporting to the lord, there’s a case outside the yamen!”

“What is the matter? Is there a complaint document?” Lu Xuan asked.

“Uh… no,” the runner quickly clarified, “It’s not a complaint, but a case.”

Lu Xuan’s eyes narrowed slightly. A complaint usually meant a dispute needing resolution, but a case implied something had happened.

“What’s the case about?” Lu Xuan inquired.

“This morning, a farmer named Li Xian from the east of the city was working in the fields when he passed by a ditch and discovered a body. He immediately reported it to the yamen,” the runner explained.

“Alright,” Lu Xuan pondered, “Have the person who reported it wait outside the yamen. I’ll head over with some men to inspect the crime scene.”

After a moment, he called out, “Li Ming.”

“Present,” Li Ming stepped forward.

“You are quick-witted. I appoint you to stay behind in the yamen today. If anyone comes to report a case, calm them down and record their case and demands. Report them to me when I return,” Lu Xuan instructed.

“Yes, lord,” Li Ming accepted the order.

“Lu Ping,” Lu Xuan turned to the chief clerk.

“Present!” Lu Ping stepped forward, speaking in short sentences to avoid stuttering.

“You have multiple roles, both as the chief registrar and the only coroner of our yamen. Can you determine the time of death of a body?” Lu Xuan asked.

“Yes, lord… I can inspect,” Lu Ping replied.

“Good, select ten yamen runners to accompany me to the east of the city,” Lu Xuan ordered.

“Yes!”

After a cup of tea’s time.

A carriage pulled up at the entrance of the yamen. The yamen runners mounted horses, while the magistrate and Advisor Cheng boarded the carriage. Lu Ping, doubling as the coachman due to the shortage of personnel in the newly functional yamen, was also the chief registrar and the coroner. In emergencies, he took on the additional role of coachman, deeming it critical to personally drive for the magistrate.

Li Xian, the farmer who reported the case, rode alongside the yamen runners, leading the way to the crime scene. By the time they arrived, a crowd had already gathered around the ditch.

“Clear the area, the yamen is investigating!” the yamen runners began to disperse the crowd. However, several individuals dressed in dark green clothes with silver snake emblems on their chests — members of the Qingxian Society remained, ignoring the yamen runners’ orders.

Lu Xuan stepped out of the carriage and exchanged a glance with Cheng Lingzhu before heading towards the ditch. The report described a body “lying” in the ditch, but that was not entirely accurate. The victim was face down in the water.

“Magistrate Wu,” greeted a member of the Qingxian Society with a bow.

Lu Xuan returned the gesture, “What brings you gentlemen here?”

“Since a homicide has occurred, the Qingxian Society naturally has a right to be involved,” the leader of the group replied.

“Oh? Do you also investigate cases?” Lu Xuan asked with a smile.

“It’s not difficult,” one of them scoffed. “Simply identify the victim and investigate his surroundings. In my opinion, this is clearly a case of murder.” “Why murder?” Lu Xuan inquired.

“Well, why else would a perfectly healthy person be dead? Someone must have harmed him,” the man stated matter-of-factly. “He’s dressed so poorly, obviously without money. Who would rob him? It must be murder.”

“Take a closer look,” Cheng Lingzhu interjected. “The ground near the riverbank is moist and soft, imprinting the tracks of anyone walking by. There’s only one set of footprints coming from the east and stopping here, then abruptly ending. There are also signs of something rolling down the bank. It’s likely that the person slipped and fell into the river… This could be an accident.”

“The advisor’s theory seems a bit far-fetched,” frowned the Qingxian Society’s leader. “This small river is barely deep enough to cover the feet. How could someone drown in such shallow water?”

“It’s not necessarily impossible,” Lu Xuan said with a smile.. “What if the victim had drunk a lot of alcohol before falling into the ditch?”