Henry Clark was utterly terrified, his voice trembling as he cried out, “My lord, I—I really was at Edward Harris’s house that night…”

“Still trying to argue!”

Grace Carter cut him off sharply, waving his hand: “I’m not asking about the night you killed Mr. Turner, I’m asking about the night before you killed him!”

“The night before I killed him, I…”

His previous words were full of holes, and the young clerk pressed him relentlessly. Sweat poured down Henry Clark’s forehead like rain, his mind on the verge of collapse, his breathing rapid as he hurried to explain…

Halfway through his explanation, his body suddenly shuddered, and his voice came to an abrupt halt.

……

Charles Walker returned from the latrine, his body feeling relieved, but his mind still troubled.

If there was no resolution to this case today, who knew how much trouble Governor Reed would give him. As he sat back in the main seat, he realized the courtroom was utterly silent. Looking at Grace Carter below, he asked in confusion, “Why aren’t you questioning anymore?”

Grace Carter turned around, cupped his hands slightly, and said, “My lord, I have finished questioning.”

Crash!

As soon as he finished speaking, the previously silent courtroom suddenly erupted in a thunderous uproar!

A bailiff glanced at the criminal collapsed on the ground, nudged his companion with his shoulder, and asked, “Did he—did he just confess?”

His companion was still racking his brain, trying to remember whether there had been a moon on the fifteenth of last month. Hearing the question, he replied in confusion, “What did you say?”

The bailiff looked at the crowd of onlookers outside, now nearly boiling over, and knew he hadn’t misheard.

This case that had tormented them for nearly a month—was it really solved by The Walker Family’s son-in-law in just a few words?

Was this really the bookish son-in-law from The Walker Family?

His gaze turned to the young man standing in the center of the hall.

Everyone in the courtroom, both above and below, couldn’t help but look over.

Grace Carter stood in the hall, letting out a long breath—now that the case was solved, could he finally go home and eat?

Chapter Six: Changing Impressions

In order to rein in harsh officials and reduce wrongful convictions, the imperial court had recently issued an order strictly forbidding local authorities from using severe punishment to force confessions. Any violation would be severely punished.

However, this was not absolute.

If the evidence was conclusive, or if the outcome of the case was already clear and the criminal still refused to confess, then the court could exercise discretion regarding this prohibition.

Earlier, Henry Clark, in a moment of panic, had inadvertently admitted to killing Mr. Turner. The constables and bailiffs in the courtroom, as well as the people outside, had all heard it clearly—there was no way to deny it.

Knowing the truth was out, he initially tried to resist, but after two rounds of punishment, he couldn’t take it anymore and confessed everything.

Because he coveted his father-in-law’s wealth, he had long harbored murderous intentions, and on the night of the full moon last month, he killed his father-in-law, Mr. Turner…

Before this, he had already colluded with his friend Edward Harris, instructing Edward Harris to give false testimony in court to create an alibi, causing the case to be deadlocked for a whole month…

In addition, he confessed the location where the murder weapon was hidden. Following his confession, two constables successfully found the hatchet…

Thus, the case of Mr. Turner’s murder was finally brought to light.

The performance of the new son-in-law from The Walker Family in the courtroom was deeply imprinted in the minds of the county yamen’s bailiffs and the onlooking townsfolk.

The Walker Residence was right next to the county yamen, so the servants of The Walker Family naturally heard the news at once.

For the first time, their impression of the son-in-law changed.

Was this really just a bookworm who only knew how to study? He solved a case that even their master couldn’t crack, and did it in just a few words. The son-in-law was clearly the smartest of the smart—he just couldn’t get it up in the morning…

Grace Carter was unaware of all this. All he knew was that, in name, he was still The Walker Family’s son-in-law, and The Walker Family’s troubles were his troubles. If his father-in-law got into trouble, he wouldn’t be able to live a peaceful life either.

And most importantly… he was really hungry.

He suspected that last time he’d truly been traumatized by hunger, and now the feeling of hunger was magnified a hundredfold every time. He never wanted to experience that kind of starvation again.

Charles Walker glanced at Grace Carter, who had already eaten two bowls of rice and was serving himself a third. Clearing his throat, he added a chicken drumstick to his bowl and said, “Eat slowly. If it’s not enough, the kitchen can make more.”

“It’s enough, thank you, Father-in-law.” Grace Carter was a bit flattered. Although he felt he deserved the extra drumstick, this was the first time in half a month that the famously stern Mr. Walker had personally given him food.

Not only Grace Carter, but even Emily Walker and the woman sitting on either side glanced at the two of them more than once.

Charles Walker, however, acted as if he hadn’t noticed their reactions. He put down his bowl, looked at Grace Carter, and suddenly asked, “On the fifteenth of last month, was it clear or cloudy?”

Grace Carter took the chicken drumstick out of his mouth and said, “I don’t know…”

“Then why did you…”

“I made it up…”

Grace Carter didn’t know whether it was clear or cloudy on the fifteenth of last month, but he figured Henry Clark probably didn’t know either…

Not only that, but Henry Clark probably hadn’t seen Stephen Chow’s “Lawyer, Lawyer” either…

Charles Walker cleared his throat and looked at him, saying, “We really have you to thank for today.”