Jiapingguan Chronicle

Chapter 2872 Master Qingsong 90.0
"Miaomiao, don't be like that. Even Lord Ling had his moments of youthful ignorance, right?" Looking at Jin Miaomiao's expression, Shen Cha said with a wry smile, "If he hadn't fainted back then, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way, right?"

"I never expected this! Didn't he always claim to be immune to all poisons? He was actually scared by something like jail. I'll see him next time."

"What do you want to do?" Merlin looked at Jin Miaomiao nervously. "Don't poke at her old wounds, that wouldn't be good."

"If he doesn't cause trouble, we can live in peace. But if he makes things difficult for me," Jin Miaomiao snorted twice, "then don't blame me for exposing his dirty secrets!"

"You two," Song Yaojia looked at Jin Miaomiao curiously, "have you met before? Have you had a falling out?"

"It's not exactly a feud, it's just that we can't stand each other. I don't like him, and he probably doesn't like me either, but more than that, it's a kind of feeling of being angry but not daring to say it."

"Afraid to speak out against their anger? Why?"

"We didn't make a good impression on each other when we first met, so..."

"What happened? Tell me about it."

“It was the year before last, I returned to the capital with the Duke and Xiao Cha. Just a few days after arriving, a major case occurred. The second son of the Earl of Guangqu died a violent death in the early morning. The coroner determined it was caused by a rare poison. The case was handled by the Court of Judicial Review, but their people couldn't identify the poison or its characteristics. So, His Majesty specifically invited me to the palace to assist the Court of Judicial Review in investigating. But…” Jin Miaomiao spread her hands, “Lin Yao refused and begged His Majesty to rescind his order. What did he say? Let me think!” She thought for a moment, then slowly said, “I don't remember the specifics, but the gist was that the case involved nobles and needed to be kept confidential, so it wasn't convenient for outsiders to participate. He also said that if the Court of Judicial Review didn't have such people, the Ministry of Justice would, and if the Ministry of Justice didn't, the Imperial Hospital would, and the case could be solved smoothly, so His Majesty shouldn't worry.”

"Ah, now that you mention it, I remember!" Song Yaojia gently patted the table and said, "When I was paying my respects to the Empress Dowager, I heard His Majesty mention to her that when Ling Shaoqing said those things, you happened to be behind the screen in the Imperial Study. After hearing what he said, you argued with him in front of His Majesty, didn't you?"

"What are you saying, Your Highness? Arguing in front of His Majesty is not only disrespectful, but also punishable by a beating," Jin Miaomiao snorted. "Even if His Majesty doesn't punish me, the Duke and Xiao Cha won't forgive me when I get back." She glanced at Shen Haolin and Shen Cha, and continued, "No matter how angry I am, I won't do something so inappropriate. Besides, he's not worth arguing with. You can't talk about ice with a summer insect. Why should I bother with someone who's never seen the world?"

"Miaomiao, the tone you're using right now doesn't mean you're not bothered!" Song Yaojia wagged a finger at her and said, "However, that's just how Ling Yao is. Ever since he took office as the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and started handling things independently, he hasn't been happy for anyone to interfere with his cases. He's not targeting you, or anyone else, but..."

“I know, once bitten, twice shy. He’s been rejected, ridiculed, and betrayed before when he asked for help, so he’s wary of people who offer help or those he doesn’t consider his own.” Jin Miaomiao rolled her eyes. “I can understand his mindset, but it’s only if it doesn’t affect the overall situation, right?”

“That’s right, solving cases is the top priority.” Song Yaojia nodded. “Because no one is good at identifying poisons, the Dali Temple has been stuck there for a long time. If you hadn’t come to the capital, His Majesty would probably have invited you to come too, since you are the most authoritative person in this field.”

"Your Highness flatters me. I dare not accept such a title. After all, Lord Ling doesn't agree with it. He's content to stay within his own little world and work in isolation. What can I do?" Jin Miaomiao spread her hands. "I didn't argue with him or cause any trouble. I just asked him one question, and I don't know what happened, but he went crazy." "His Majesty said you asked Ling Yao if he knew the murderer and if he wanted to help the murderer get away with it, right?"

“Yes!” Jin Miaomiao snorted. “As a result, his face changed color, and he flew into a rage on the spot. I asked him if I had hit the nail on the head, and that’s why he was so angry. He almost rushed up to hit me, but Zhai Banban stopped him. Even after he was stopped, he was still very angry, pointing his finger at my nose and saying something.” She thought for a moment, then shook her head. “Never mind, I can’t remember, but I remember what I said. I said that although I’m just a doctor in Shen’s army, and my kung fu is indeed not very good compared to others, if it came to fighting him, I could still take on ten of him by myself.”

“You didn’t argue or make a scene, and you were very calm, but every word you said hit his sore spot.” Shen Cha couldn’t help but rub her forehead. “Ling Shaoqing is a bit insecure, which is why he appears so tough on the outside. What you’re saying is like tearing off his mask and disguise.”

“Scholars value their reputation, especially those from humble backgrounds; they value it above all else.” Shen Haolin nodded. “No wonder you two are always so tense when you meet; now you know the root of the problem. But…” He looked at Jin Miaomiao, “Well said, well done!”

"Thank you, Your Excellency. I also think I performed quite well!"

"And then? How was it resolved?"

"This isn't over yet!" Jin Miaomiao took a sip of tea and continued, "I don't know why, but seeing him so angry yet unable to do anything about it makes me feel very comfortable and especially happy. Although I look down on him, every word I say is the truth and very fair, isn't it? As the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, his most important task is to solve cases, catch the real culprit, comfort the souls of the victims, and give the families of the deceased an explanation. But because he wanted to save face and avoid hurting his so-called self-esteem, he delayed the opportunity to solve the case and let the culprit escape. That is dereliction of duty and abuse of power, and he should go to jail."

“That’s right.” Shen Cha nodded. “If Ling Shaoqing behaved the same way in front of us, we would say the same thing.”

"And then?" Merlin looked at Jin Miaomiao curiously. "Did you wake him up by scolding him?"

"Whether I can wake them up or not, I don't know, and I don't care about that." Jin Miaomiao spread her hands. "I am here to assist in the investigation by imperial decree. My job is to identify what kind of poison it is and who made it. Everything else is the responsibility of the Dali Temple. They can believe my conclusions if they want, or not if they don't. I won't force them. I just need to give His Majesty an explanation."

"But Ling Shaoqing still accepted your conclusion, and facts have proven you right." Shen Cha smiled, looked at Mei Lin, and explained, "The aunt of Guangqubo's second son wanted to marry into Guangqubo's household and become Guangqubo's stepmother, but Guangqubo's eldest and second sons both opposed their aunt marrying their father. So, this aunt harbored resentment and killed the second son. Originally, she planned to get rid of the eldest son as well, but on the day of the incident, there was something going on at the Imperial Academy, and the eldest son was called away."

"I see." Merlin nodded, looked at Jin Miaomiao, and said, "From now on, you two will hate each other?"

"Right?" Jin Miaomiao waved her hand. "It doesn't matter. As long as he doesn't provoke me, we can pretend we don't know each other. But if he does provoke me," she snorted twice, "then I'm sorry, his little secret won't be able to be kept."