Chapter 548: Ping’an Solves the Case—Part III

“Your Honor, please arrest this man—he is the murderer.”

While the crowd was still immersed in the unfolding case—watching the magistrate issue orders, gesturing toward the involved parties, and exchanging their own chaotic speculations—this voice suddenly rang out. Clear. Firm. Abrupt.

Like a thunderclap splitting the still air.

It struck the crowd so sharply that those lost in gossip felt as though their minds had been jolted into disarray.

Arrest this man—the murderer?

This man? What does that mean? Is he saying the killer is right here, at the scene?

The testimonies had only just been given—two accounts, perfectly aligned, without contradiction. Not a single person had even suggested who the murderer might be. And yet now, suddenly, someone was pointing a finger—declaring the culprit was present?

Who do you think you are?

You’ve got some nerve, spouting nonsense in front of both the county magistrate and the Tongzhi!

Who the hell are you?

You say he’s the murderer, and that makes it so? What gives you the authority? Why don’t you take a look at yourself first?!

What fool is this—where did he come from?!

Shocked, the crowd turned as one, their gazes converging on the source of the voice, eager to see who this reckless speaker was.

And then—

They saw him.

The sun had just risen in the east. Standing slightly to the west of the magistrate, facing the light, the young man had stepped out from the crowd. The rippling morning sunlight shimmered over him, casting layers of gold and silver halos across his figure, making him appear strangely radiant—almost dazzling against the backdrop of the river.

And yet—

He looked utterly ordinary.

A young man with a simple, honest face. At this moment, he was still pointing at the boatman Wang Gui, having just finished speaking. There was nothing in his expression, nothing in his bearing, that suggested brilliance or extraordinary insight.

If it had been a figure like Bao Zheng or Di Renjie delivering such a bold judgment, perhaps people would have accepted it. But this? A seemingly naïve, almost dull-looking youth attempting to imitate such legendary discernment?

It was laughable.

Impossible.

The brief silence—barely two breaths long—shattered instantly into a storm of noise. Even the presence of officials could not suppress it.

“Hah! This fool must be drunk! Look at him—jumping in without knowing where he stands. Let’s see how he gets out of this!”

“Who are you? Are you sick in the head? You call the boatman a murderer and that makes it true? You can’t just say whatever you want!”

“Tch, I bet this idiot’s taken a fancy to the widow. Look at her—crying but still swaying her waist. Clearly not a virtuous woman. Maybe she’s the one who had her husband killed!”

“Exactly! That Zhao Erlang seems far more suspicious to me. Maybe the two of them—those adulterers—conspired together, finding Master Zhang an obstacle to their pleasures, and killed him!”

“Didn’t you see? When the magistrate asked her who she met this morning, she hesitated. Clearly guilty—trying to cover for her lover!”

The crowd glanced between Zhu Ping’an and the magistrate, shaking their heads repeatedly. Not a single person believed his words.

Not one.

The testimonies had only just been given—no contradictions, no clear clues, no mention of how Zhang had died or who might have killed him. And yet this young man had already named the culprit?

Too hasty.

Too absurd.

“How could anyone believe him?”

Even the elderly man who had shared a cabin with Zhu Ping’an recognized him. He sighed deeply, shaking his head in disappointment.

“This young man must have read too many books—he’s lost his senses. And he still plans to sit for the academy examination? What a waste…”

His reaction mirrored that of the entire crowd. After their initial shock came nothing but disdain.

Even Zhang Wangshi herself was no exception. She stared in disbelief, first at Wang Gui beside her, then at Zhu Ping’an, her eyes filled with doubt.

The most dramatic reaction came from the accused himself.

Under the scrutiny of countless eyes, the boatman Wang Gui trembled visibly, as though overwhelmed with indignation. His eyes widened, blazing with fury as he glared at Zhu Ping’an—like a man grievously wronged, as if he bore the injustice of Dou E reborn.

The Chun’an magistrate, who had just ordered Zhao Erlang to be brought in, was momentarily taken aback. A flicker of surprise crossed his otherwise composed face as he looked toward Zhu Ping’an.

“You there—bystander! Step back immediately!”

Two yamen runners quickly reacted, hands resting on the hilts of their sabers as they strode toward Zhu Ping’an with stern expressions.

“If you interfere with the magistrate’s handling of the case, don’t blame us if our blades show no mercy!”

Without hesitation, they moved to drive him away, treating him as just another meddlesome troublemaker. In their experience assisting magistrates over the years, they had seen countless such busybodies—people who spoke out of turn, seeking attention where it was not their place.

As they reached out to push him back, they even felt a trace of pity. If not for our new magistrate’s unusually lenient and upright nature, this wouldn’t end with a mere warning—you’d be getting a beating at the very least.

The magistrate glanced briefly in their direction, then turned his gaze away, refocusing on Zhang Wangshi and Wang Gui.

In his mind, Zhu Ping’an had already been categorized as just another idle interloper. Since the officers were handling it appropriately—without excessive force—there was no need for him to intervene. The case itself was what mattered.

After all that buildup…

No one paid him any real attention.

Zhu Ping’an swept his gaze across the crowd, taking in their reactions. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he shook his head lightly.

Then, just as the officers reached to push him back, he calmly slipped a hand into his robe.

From within, he produced a document—one strikingly similar to the one the Tongzhi had displayed earlier—and unfolded it before their eyes.

An official credential.

Stamped with a bold, crimson seal—undeniably genuine. And in this era, forging such a thing was unthinkable; it was a capital crime, one that could implicate entire families.

The two officers had been ready to shove him aside without a second thought. But the moment that document appeared before them, their expressions froze.

A cold sweat broke out across their foreheads.

Their legs went weak.

With a loud thud, both men dropped to their knees.

Heavens above… what kind of day is this?

First a high-ranking official… and now another?

The earlier one had been a Fifth-Rank Tongzhi. This one—though a rank lower—was a Sixth-Rank official from the prestigious Hanlin Academy.

Both outranked their own magistrate.

“T–this humble one greets Your Excellency! Please forgive our offense!”

The two yamen runners kowtowed repeatedly, their voices trembling as they begged for pardon.