Chapter 1265: Chapter 1265

Jin Zijin and King Jin had naturally prepared a mountain of witnesses and evidence, but Jin Wei’s sudden suicide had thrown everyone into disarray.

Even if he faced the courtroom tomorrow, he wouldn’t be afraid. But tomorrow, too many uncertainties awaited.

Gu Youyou, however, had seen through it all even more clearly. She anxiously said, "That old bastard is like a shameless rogue. Even if your evidence is ironclad, he won’t admit to anything. And your father will hesitate to act rashly, always fearing to upset the balance of power. If you don’t take action, King Jin’s game might be over just like that."

Jin Zijin froze for a moment, then looked up at Gu Youyou. "What do you suggest?"

Gu Youyou sneered coldly. "To deal with a rogue, you have to use a rogue’s methods. Think about it—what will it take to make him confess?"

Jin Zijin gave a bitter smile. "Even if I kill him, he wouldn’t confess. Admitting to this would mean extermination of his entire family."

"Then kill him," Gu Youyou’s face turned ruthless. "There’s an old saying, ’When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter.’ As long as he dies..."

Jin Zijin suddenly froze, his eyes narrowing slightly.

A moment later, he abruptly stood up, lunged toward Gu Youyou, embraced her fiercely, squeezed tightly, then let her go. He grabbed his coat and strode toward the door.

Gu Youyou was dumbfounded, completely unable to decipher his sequence of actions.

She ran to the door and shouted loudly, "The sky’s growing dark, and the snow’s coming down hard. Come back early!"

Inside the prison, Jin Shien was indeed brimming with confidence.

He sat upright in a pile of straw in the Ministry of Punishment’s Prison, iron chains clinking on his wrists.

The prison guards didn’t dare make any trouble for him.

The Ducal Residence’s current head might have been put behind bars today, but the family itself was still intact. For all anyone knew, he might walk out of here tomorrow. Who could predict such matters with certainty?

A man of his status—these guards usually wouldn’t even catch a glimpse of someone like him. Some of them even thought this might be an opportunity to curry favor. If they could win over someone like him, maybe they’d find a better position for themselves in the future. Anything would be better than languishing in this dark and gloomy prison as a lowly guard.

But could someone as powerful as the Ducal Residence’s master truly be won over by mere prison guards?

The guards hesitated, shoving one another until finally, a skinny guard stepped forward. He walked to the cell holding the Ducal Residence’s head and asked obsequiously, "Your Grace, the weather is cold, and the night promises to be harsh. How about I fetch you a quilt to make it more bearable?"

Jin Shien opened his eyes and glanced indifferently at the skinny guard, letting out a faint "Hmm."

The guard beamed with joy, nodding and bowing as he retreated. A moment later, he returned with a blue cloth quilt in hand.

The other guards looked at him with envy and regret. They thought bitterly to themselves—why hadn’t they been bold enough? In this world, fortune favors the brave. If the Ducal Residence’s head left this place and remembered the skinny guard’s kindness, who knew? That guard might just end up with a lucrative position, soaring to new heights.

The skinny guard opened the cell door. As he cheerfully laid the quilt on the straw for Jin Shien, he said, "This quilt is freshly issued and has never been used. It’s a bit plain, but it’s clean. Please don’t mind, Your Grace."

"What’s your name?" Jin Shien seemed quite satisfied with the guard’s attentiveness.

The skinny guard, trembling with excitement, replied quickly, "Your Grace, my name is Li Si. My surname’s Li, and I’m the fourth-born in my family."

"Hmm, Li Si." Jin Shien nodded slightly, saying, "Very well. I will remember you."

"Oh, thank you greatly, Your Grace!"

Li Si was overjoyed, and after spreading the quilt, he left the cell humming a little tune as he walked away.