The crowd saw that Qin Xianyue's figure was slender and her demeanor was dignified. Although her full appearance could not be seen, her calm temperament was unlike the timid nature of ordinary young ladies.
Especially when they saw that after entering, she was not led to the back hall to avoid guests like other female relatives, but instead followed the Crown Prince directly into the main hall, and even took her seat in a specially arranged seat beside the Crown Prince, the atmosphere in the hall became even more subtle.
The Prefect of Jingzhao, bracing himself, carefully began to ask.
"Your Highness, who is this..."
Xie Jinyuan took the tea offered by the bailiff, without even lifting his eyelids, and said indifferently.
"This is the Hua Shi I found. The portrait of the suspect issued by the Zhencha Division for assistance in the investigation previously was drawn by her."
As soon as this was said, the entire hall was shocked!
Everyone in the yamen had seen that portrait from the day before. Its exquisite skill and great help in apprehending the criminal were evident to all.
They had also discussed it privately, wondering when the Zhencha Division had acquired such a skilled Hua Shi.
They never expected it to be this... young woman standing before them?
After the shock, doubt and suspicion began to grow like vines.
A woman? Could she really be that capable?
Could it be that His Highness favored her greatly and deliberately attributed this achievement to her?
Some even sneered inwardly, thinking that the Crown Prince was being too frivolous, treating a serious criminal investigation as a place for an outing with a beauty.
Qin Xianyue sat quietly beside Xie Jinyuan. Through the gauze of her veiled hat, she took in all the overt and covert glances, the surprise, and the disdain.
She did not feel the slightest bit awkward or uneasy due to the strange gazes around her, but merely straightened her back slightly.
Xie Jinyuan gently placed the teacup on the desk. The crisp sound instantly silenced all the subtle noises in the hall.
His gaze swept over the crowd below, whose expressions varied, and he spoke in a calm tone, yet with an undeniable authority.
"Bring the eyewitness of the theft case and the previous Hua Shi responsible for drawing the portrait to the hall for questioning."
Soon, the watchman who had reported the crime and the young Hua Shi who had previously been responsible for drawing the suspect's portrait were brought to the hall.
Qin Xianyue first signaled a bailiff to present the portrait that the young Hua Shi had drawn based on the watchman's description, and spread it out on an empty desk nearby.
It was a reasonably neat portrait, depicting a lean man with a fierce look, wearing a common, worn felt hat.
Without saying much, she turned to the watchman and said gently.
"Uncle, there's no need to be nervous. Please tell me the appearance of the person you saw that night, in as much detail as possible."
The watchman stammered through his account, which was no different from his previous statement:
Lean, not tall, the felt hat was pulled down low, his face couldn't be seen clearly in the moonlight, but he remembered his nose seemed a bit flat and his eyes looked fierce.
As Qin Xianyue listened, she had already spread out a new piece of Xuan Paper, dipped her brush in ink, and began to sketch.
Her brushstrokes were swift and powerful, and in a short while, a portrait of the thief was completed.
Everyone in the hall, including the Prefect of Jingzhao and the experienced court clerks, craned their necks to look.
In comparison, Qin Xianyue's portrait, apart from its more fluid and skilled brushwork, did not differ in appearance from the one drawn by the young Hua Shi.
Some exchanged glances secretly, scoffing inwardly:
As expected, a woman is still a woman. Even if her painting skills are a bit better, what of it? She still only drew a rough sketch based on the description.
To expect this to catch the culprit? I'm afraid His Highness will be disappointed this time.
As for that previous suspect portrait, it was either a lucky guess or there was something fishy about it.
Qin Xianyue seemed unconcerned by the subtle disappointment and doubt around her. She frowned, examining her own painting, and after a moment of thought, turned to the watchman again.
"Please tell me in more detail about the encounter with the thief."
The watchman recalled that he had encountered the thief at a street corner. The moonlight was shining, and the thief, wearing a hat, had darted over the rooftops. Before leaving, he had glanced back at him.
Qin Xianyue adjusted the portrait based on the testimony.
With a stroke of her brush, it was done. She handed the painting to the watchman.
"This should be the person you saw."
The watchman looked at it and then exclaimed in surprise.
"Yes, it's exactly this person. It's amazing."
The hall erupted in an uproar!
Those who had been sneering inwardly moments before now looked at the painting in shock, then at the excited watchman.
"This... why is this?"
The Prefect of Jingzhao couldn't help but ask.
Before Qin Xianyue could speak, the young Hua Shi standing silently beside her, as if a sudden realization had dawned, stepped forward and bowed deeply to Qin Xianyue.
"Miss, your skill is extraordinary, I understand now!"
He turned to the crowd and explained.
"Usually, portraits only depict a person's inherent appearance, but they neglect that light and shadow differ with different positions.
For the same person, under top light, side light, or backlight, the facial contours and shadows change, and the impression of their appearance also varies greatly.
Previously, the watchman was looking up at the thief, so his appearance was slightly different from reality."
Only then did the crowd understand. Their gaze towards Qin Xianyue had changed from initial suspicion and disdain to astonishment and admiration.
This woman's meticulousness, keen observation, and deep understanding of the relationship between people and their environment far surpassed that of ordinary Hua Shi.
Xie Jinyuan sat in the main seat, observing all of this.
His expression was impassive, but he tapped his finger lightly on the armrest, his gaze falling on Qin Xianyue's serene profile, his eyes deepening slightly.
"Since it has been confirmed, based on this new portrait, dispatch more personnel to thoroughly search the Refugee Street for individuals matching this build and appearance."
He commanded in a deep voice.
"Act quickly."
"Yes!"
The Prefect of Jingzhao quickly agreed and immediately made arrangements.
With official matters temporarily concluded, Xie Jinyuan still needed to discuss other administrative affairs with the Prefect of Jingzhao and several officials. He asked Qin Xianyue to wait in the back hall for the time being.
Just as she turned into the back hall, a subordinate official hurried in from outside.
"Reporting to Your Highness, the Commander of the Zhenfu Division, Lord Gu Yanchi, has something important to report and is waiting outside."
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