Grace Clark was planning his own future, while the three clerks in the room automatically ignored him, only feeling surprised in their hearts—how come, after Grace Clark arrived, the stuffy and unbearable document archive suddenly became cool and comfortable...

Grace Clark sat in the chair for half an hour. Taking advantage of the time he still had, he decided to try his luck at the Academy of Unusual Arts.

He walked out of the document archive’s main doors and entered the courtyard of the Office of Pure Officials. With a glance, he noticed a crowd gathered at the entrance of the main hall, and there were also many figures outside the yamen.

Driven by curiosity, Grace Clark moved his feet and went over to join the crowd.

Inside the main hall of the Office of Pure Officials, the yamen runners stood in two rows. In the very center, a straw mat was laid out, covered with a white cloth, under which only a pair of feet was exposed.

A young man dressed in luxurious clothes sat cross-legged on a chair. He glanced at the straw mat on the ground and said, “She hanged herself. Why did you call me here?”

Looking at the arrogant young man, who showed not the slightest sign of panic, the official presiding over the hall felt a headache coming on. He rubbed his brow and asked, “Someone saw Madam Wang enter your residence yesterday, and today she was found hanged at home. Do you have any explanation for this?”

The young man shook his head and said, “She did come to my house yesterday, but that was because she took my silver and willingly came to keep me company. After we were done, she left. She hanged herself at her own home—what does that have to do with me?”

The official said, “If she was willing, then why would she hang herself?”

The young man replied impatiently, “Sir, what are you saying? She hanged herself—what does that have to do with me? Maybe she was troubled by something else. Who knows...”

The courtroom fell silent for a moment.

At this moment, an old man kneeling beside the straw mat burst into tears and cried, “Sir, that’s not true, that’s not true! My daughter has always been virtuous—how could she do such a thing? I beg you, please clear my daughter’s name and give her justice!”

The official was silent for a moment, then slowly said, “Madam Wang’s hanging cannot be proven to have a direct connection with Charles Foster. This case will be further investigated by the Office of Pure Officials...”

This was clearly a statement meant to appease. Hearing this, the old man’s face turned ashen, as if all the strength had been drained from his body. He collapsed to the ground, muttering, “Wronged, my daughter is wronged...”

At this moment, the young man sitting in the chair slowly stood up, cupped his hands to the official, and said, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave...”

“Wait.”

He had just taken two steps when a voice came from outside the door.

The crowd outside the main hall parted to make way, and a figure slowly walked in. He first cupped his hands to the official, then said, “Sir, Madam Wang did not hang herself—she was murdered.”

Before the official could speak, he pointed at the body under the white cloth and said, “If someone hangs themselves, their feet will hang limp and touch the ground. But this corpse’s feet are stiff and point upward, which means she was likely already dead before being hanged, and for some time. Also, those who die by hanging will have their tongue protruding and their face contorted and purple, but if someone is hanged after death, their tongue will be retracted and their face will be pale rather than purple. Whether the deceased hanged herself or was murdered and then hanged can be determined by lifting this white cloth...”

As Grace Clark finished speaking, the young man not far in front of him had a barely noticeable contraction of his pupils.

The official, who had been about to dismiss the court, gave Grace Clark a deep look, then asked the coroner in the corner, “Is what he said true?”

The coroner was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, “Yes, sir, it is true.”

The official pointed to a yamen runner and said, “Lift the white cloth.”

“Yes, sir!”

The yamen runner responded, quickly walked to the straw mat, and lifted the white cloth, revealing the face of a young woman beneath. She was beautiful, but her face was somewhat pale. She lay there quietly, evoking pity in those who saw her.

Her face was indeed pale, and her tongue was not protruding.

“Just as expected!”

“So, this woman was murdered and then made to look like a suicide?”

“Isn’t that Clark the Clerk? How does he know more than the yamen’s own coroner...”

...

In the courtroom, the official took a deep breath and slowly said, “There are many suspicious points in this case. Young Master Foster, you cannot clear your name for now—I’m afraid you’ll have to endure some inconvenience for a while.”

The young man didn’t mind and smiled, “No problem. I trust you will give me justice, sir.”

The official lightly tapped the gavel and said, “This case requires further investigation. Detain Charles Foster for now. Court is adjourned.”

The young man named Charles Foster, accompanied by two yamen runners, looked back at Grace Clark as he left the hall, his gaze full of meaning.

Just as Grace Clark stepped out of the hall, a hand grabbed him and pulled him straight into the document archive.

A middle-aged man in official robes frowned at Grace Clark and said, “At a time like this, why did you have to show off? Do you think the coroner couldn’t tell if she was hanged alive or after death? Do you think the official didn’t know there was something strange about this case? You think no one knows but you’re the clever one?”

Although Grace Clark didn’t know the man in front of him, he quickly guessed his identity.