The so-called “talisman” of unclear origin, Jiang Wang had no intention of keeping it on his person.

That mysterious fortune teller was an existence he currently couldn’t see through or comprehend. He didn’t know if the person harbored good intentions or ill will, nor did he have the confidence to contend with such a peculiar powerhouse.

In short, caution was paramount.

If he couldn’t provoke them, he could always evade them.

Meeting Lin Youxie outside the city gate, the two flew towards Zhao Heng City.

With Huang Yixing dead, the affairs of Hengyang Prefecture were currently being overseen by Gao Shaoling, the Town Pacifier of Chibei Prefecture.

Within the prefectural government of Hengyang Prefecture, many officials had been promoted by Huang Yixing himself, a significant portion of whom were old Yang bureaucrats. The Qi Court had not interfered with this arrangement, indeed granting him the authority a Town Pacifier should possess. From this, one could glimpse the Qi Court’s absolute confidence in the situation in the Yang lands.

Former Prime Minister Yan Ping had planned to pacify through diplomacy, but the Fierce Butcher Chongxuan Chu Liang’s decisive battle shattered that notion. The Yang lands were indeed in the bag. Since their incorporation into the map, they had never caused any trouble.

However, this time, the Qi Court did not let Hengyang Prefecture’s existing officials temporarily take the Town Pacifier position. Instead, they transferred the Town Pacifier of the neighboring Chibei Prefecture, Gao Shaoling, to concurrently manage the affairs. The implications of this decision were thought-provoking.

The reason for selecting Gao Shaoling over the similarly adjacent Tian Antai was likely influenced by the punishment Gao Changhou received before the Taizhao incident.

Worldly affairs were inherently interconnected; a single stone dropped into water could cause ripples that spread for hundreds of miles.

It was Jiang Wang’s first time meeting Gao Shaoling.

This person wore a complete set of official attire, his hair bun hidden within his official hat, and even his waist belt was fastened in a precise position. His entire demeanor was extremely serious.

He looked completely different from his family’s young master.

Frankly speaking, Gao Zhe was a bit frivolous as a person. Of course, this frivolity paled in comparison to his brother who had painfully lost his inheritance rights.

At this moment, in the prefectural office of Zhao Heng City, Gao Shaoling sat in the main seat, appearing meticulously precise: “…The general situation is like this. I have already issued instructions: whatever requests the two constables have in handling this case, Hengyang Prefecture will certainly cooperate to the best of its ability.”

Although Jiang Wang and Lin Youxie were investigating the case under imperial decree, upon arriving, they still had to first visit the prefectural office. Investigating in Hengyang Prefecture required the cooperation of the prefectural office in countless places.

Furthermore, Gao Shaoling was only temporarily managing this prefecture concurrently. He had no conflict with them; on the contrary, they had common interests. If the matter was handled properly, the position of Hengyang Prefecture Governor, where the former Yang capital was located, was far more important than that of Chibei Prefecture Governor.

This trip had Jiang Wang as the lead, so it was also Jiang Wang who engaged in the exchange: “We will first go to the scene to inspect. If we have any requests, we will trouble the prefectural office again.”

“Good, good.” It was only at this moment, as they were seeing the guests off, that Gao Shaoling showed a hint of a smile: “You and Gao Zhe are friends, so please don’t be polite with this office.”

Jiang Wang naturally exchanged a few more polite words, then left with Lin Youxie.

He and Gao Zhe had indeed interacted for a period, but their personalities weren’t particularly compatible, and their connection had faded. Of course, they had never become enemies. If anything, they could be considered drinking buddies.

Speaking of which, it was quite a thought.

The prefectural office of Zhao Heng City was remodeled from the mansion of the original Yang Country’s Great General, which was also the former residence of the Tianxiong Ji family.

Although it had been remodeled into a prefectural office, that aura of slaughter was still faintly discernible.

As for the former Yang King’s Palace, it had been preserved in its original state to serve as the Son of Heaven’s traveling palace.

Plundering after a major war was almost a given rule. Soldiers who had fought life and death needed to vent their emotions. That kind of chaotic situation was often beyond human control.

The fact that the Yang King’s Palace remained completely undamaged after a nation-breaking war also demonstrated the Fierce Butcher’s ability to manage his army.

“You haven’t been in Linzi for long, yet you interact with Yan Fu and Li Longchuan like old friends. But your friendship with Gao Zhe doesn’t seem very deep, why is that?”

After walking out of the prefectural office, Lin Youxie suddenly asked: “Although the Gao family isn’t as prominent as the Yan or Li families, as the designated young master, the resources he can mobilize might not be inferior to those two.”

Jiang Wang frowned: “Why are you asking this?”

Gao Zhe, before becoming the Gao family’s young master, couldn’t cope with jealousy.

After becoming the Gao family’s young master, he couldn’t suppress his arrogance.

Not a good friend.

This was Jiang Wang’s personal judgment of the man, but he was unwilling to speak ill of him behind his back.

“To determine your true relationship with the Gao family. Based on that, we’ll decide how much involvement Gao Town Pacifier needs in the subsequent case process,” Lin Youxie said casually.

Jiang Wang said seriously: “We will handle our case. It has nothing to do with Gao Town Pacifier, and we don’t need him to participate.”

“Alright,” Lin Youxie said indifferently, “You are in charge of the case, so I’ll listen to you.”

“Of course, I should control the general direction,” Jiang Wang nodded with an air of official authority, then very naturally asked, “Where do we start investigating?”

Lin Youxie: …

“Let’s go examine the corpse first,” she finally said.

It was still late at night.

The corpse examination room, located in the north of the city, felt gloomy and cold even with bright candles burning.

Jiang Wang simply released a large flame flower, tempering the temperature and suspending it from the dome, which brightened the area considerably.

In such a large room, there was only one corpse platform, and on it lay the rigid body of Huang Yixing.

Lin Youxie wore a pair of semi-transparent gloves, the material of which was unknown, and meticulously examined the corpse.

Jiang Wang stood by the door, softly questioning the local constables and the coroner.

Asking the local coroner didn’t yield much. The capital’s Patrol Inspection Office had already issued a remote order, forbidding anyone within Hengyang Prefecture from examining the corpse, sealing all information, and awaiting the arrival of the people from Linzi.

The local coroner had only briefly observed the body earlier, confirming that Huang Yixing was indeed dead.

As for the local constables, the case had become a matter of the highest importance, and they had nothing further to investigate. They had only performed some preliminary work, such as recording testimonies and drawing a portrait of Huang Yixing’s death state…

Jiang Wang’s questioning of them was primarily to understand the attitude of the local people.

Because his task was not solely about the truth of the matter.

“Right,” Jiang Wang asked, “Who was the painter who drew the portrait of Huang Yixing?”

The constable said, “It was our head constable who drew it himself.”

“Oh, where is he?” Jiang Wang asked.

“He’s resting at home,” the constable replied. “Shall I go call him?”

“No need for now,” Jiang Wang thought, then asked again, “Have you all been very busy lately?”

The constable said bitterly, “With something like this happening, the people in the city are in a panic now. There are always some people who want to take advantage of the chaos. The adults above don’t really have the mind to manage…”

He stopped speaking there.

Jiang Wang naturally understood.

The common people were in a panic due to the murder case. The Qi Court had directly appointed Gao Shaoling from the neighboring prefecture to temporarily manage the situation, which also caused panic among the officials in Zhao Heng City.

With everything in disarray, it was naturally difficult for those responsible for maintaining order.

The coroner, however, had darting eyes, occasionally glancing at the corpse platform with a very uncomfortable expression.

If a coroner who was accustomed to seeing dead bodies could feel uncomfortable, Lin Youxie’s skill was evident…

The fourth-rank senior blue-card constable, Lord Jiang, did not turn back to look, and with the demeanor of a senior official, asked, “You haven’t been a coroner for long, have you?”

“Ah? Ah, yes,” the coroner snapped back to attention, answering somewhat nervously.

“It’s alright,” Lord Jiang smiled understandingly, “Let’s step outside to talk.”

Both the coroner and the constable immediately turned and walked towards the outside as if escaping. Jiang Wang followed suit, his expression unchanged.

“Lord Jiang!”

Lin Youxie’s voice rang out from behind. “Give me a hand.”