Chapter 78

Lou Xiwu had just finished changing her clothes when a soft knock sounded outside the door. Zhuo Qing glanced at her, Lou Xiwu nodded, and then Zhuo Qing said aloud, "Come in."

The person who entered the room was Lou Xiyan. Seeing that Xiwu's complexion and spirit had improved quite a bit, Lou Xiyan patted her shoulder dotingly and asked softly, "Do you feel better?"

Nodding, knowing she had made her brother worry, Lou Xiwu nodded vigorously and smiled as brightly as she could, "Brother, don't worry, I'm already fine."

The room door opened, and one could hear the sound of people talking. Zhuo Qing asked, "Did Jing Sa catch the person?"

Lou Xiyan shook his head. Worried that Lou Xiwu would be afraid, he only smiled faintly, "People will always be caught."

Jing Sa's martial arts were not bad, and there were many guards pursuing together, yet the killer still managed to escape! This person's martial arts were either unfathomable, or they were extremely familiar with the terrain of the Prime Minister's Mansion and the capital.

Xiwu's spirit did indeed look good. Lou Xiyan asked softly, "Official Dan would like to ask you a few questions, is that alright?"

Lou Xiwu had been mentally prepared for this, so she nodded and replied, "Alright."

Holding Lou Xiwu's hand, the three of them walked out from behind the screen to the small hall outside. Only then did Lou Xiyan say to the door, "Official Dan, please come in."

Dan Yulan seemed to have been waiting outside the room already. As soon as the words fell, his tall, slender figure appeared in front of the door. Lou Xiwu was, after all, a young lady of a noble family; following behind Dan Yulan were only two young men, while the other yamen runners waited outside the courtyard.

Entering the inner chamber, Dan Yulan bowed politely, "Greetings to the Prime Minister, Madam, and Miss Lou."

The two young men behind Dan Yulan began to scan left and right as soon as they entered the room. The tall, thin man looked around somewhat unscrupulously. By comparison, the other, slightly fairer man was much more reserved; his sharp eyes had already taken in the entire situation as soon as he entered the hall.

They were likely trying to collect evidence but were hindered by the fact that this was the boudoir of the Prime Minister's daughter, making it difficult to act rashly. Zhuo Qing smiled slightly and said, "Official Dan, we haven't moved anything in the room. You can send your men to see what evidence can be gathered. Xiwu is a bit tired, so if you have questions, just ask directly."

What they found most troublesome was that every time a murder occurred, the items in the room and the bodies would be moved by family members, which left them in a very passive position. That this woman could think of preserving evidence made Cheng Hang and Lv Jin curious about her. Their eyes turned in unison toward the young woman sitting beside the Prime Minister. Two knife scars on her cheeks marred her originally beautiful face. Feeling their gaze, she even smiled and nodded at them, her expression composed. The vibrant spirit in her eyes made one's eyes light up.

"Good." Dan Yulan said softly to the men behind him, "Cheng Hang, collect clues as quickly as possible."

"Yes." Cheng Hang entered the inner chamber, and Lv Jin had already taken out paper and pen. Dan Yulan stopped the pleasantries and asked directly, "Miss Lou, did you see the killer's face clearly?"

Lou Xiwu shook her head and admitted, "No, I don't know what happened. I only remember going to bed to rest, and then my memory became blurred. By the time I woke up, my brother was already by my side."

She spoke vaguely, and Zhuo Qing calmly added, "When we heard the noise and rushed over, Jing Sa was chasing the killer away. Xiwu was delirious at the time, and her clothes were disheveled, but she was not violated."

Xiwu's face flushed slightly, and she lowered her head. Zhuo Qing patted her hand to comfort her. A moment later, Lou Xiwu's complexion finally returned to normal.

Just now outside the door, he had already questioned Jing Sa, who said the killer wore a silver-gray mask and his face could not be seen. The only survivor, Lou Xiwu, had been unconscious the whole time and likely couldn't provide any clues. Dan Yulan was somewhat disappointed, but he refused to let go of any detail and continued to ask, "Then, before you went to sleep, did you notice anything different from usual?"

Lou Xiwu thought for a moment, then shook her head: "No, there was nothing different from usual. Su'er brought me ginseng soup to drink, and then I went to sleep."

"And where is that girl Su'er?" Could the ginseng soup have been drugged?

Lou Xiwu clearly didn't know where Su'er was either. She looked at Lou Xiyan with worry. Lou Xiyan patted her shoulder, comforting her while saying to Dan Yulan, "Su'er is Xiwu's personal maid. She usually rests in the small room to the side, but she is currently unconscious as well, and the physician is treating her."

Lou Xiwu's maid was also unconscious, just like the maids in the rooms of the other three victims, who were all senseless at the time. When they woke up, they only saw the corpses. The killer this time likely used the same method, only they were discovered and couldn't continue.

"Do you feel any discomfort now?" If she had been drugged, there should have been some reaction!

Lou Xiwu blinked and shook her head: "No, I feel fine, just a bit sleepy."

Lou Xiwu's answer made Dan Yulan feel a sense of defeat again, but he didn't show it at all. Facing Lou Xiwu, he continued to ask, "Has Miss been out of the mansion recently? Who have you been in contact with these past two days?"

"I went into the palace a few days ago and haven't left the mansion since. These past few days, I've just been with Su'er and my sister-in-law, and haven't been in contact with anyone else." She rarely left the mansion, and the master at Qiansi Pavilion hadn't finished the design for her wedding dress yet. Since her sister-in-law hadn't been feeling well these past few days, she had just stayed at home.

Hearing Lou Xiwu's words, Zhuo Qing suddenly remembered someone and said, "Su Mufeng came by this afternoon."

Lou Xiwu nodded, but then said urgently, "The young master only said a few words and left; there was nothing special." They wouldn't suspect Young Master Su, would they? The young master absolutely couldn't be any killer!

Although Zhuo Qing didn't think Su Mufeng was the killer either, since they were taking a statement, they should explain the situation as thoroughly as possible. Who the killer was, was a matter for the police to investigate.

A flash of light crossed Dan Yulan's eyes, and he asked, "Does Miss Lou also learn the zither from Young Master Su?"

"Also?" This word was used very subtly. Zhuo Qing and Lou Xiyan both felt something strange and looked at each other, but neither showed any emotion.

As Lv Jin recorded, he didn't forget to observe the expressions of the three. The Prime Minister was worthy of being the Prime Minister; he could keenly detect the difference in a single word. And his wife should not be an ordinary person either, otherwise, she wouldn't be a match for him.

Lou Xiwu didn't notice anything strange at all and replied to herself, "Yes, I only started learning this month. The young master only gave me four lessons, and today he came to say goodbye."

"Why not continue?"

Lou Xiwu pouted and replied helplessly, "He said the capital is not peaceful lately, and it's not convenient to enter or leave the Prime Minister's Mansion, so he won't come anymore." She actually still wanted to continue learning the zither from Young Master Su.

Dan Yulan nodded in understanding. Alright, it was unlikely he would get anything more out of this today. At this moment, Cheng Hang also came out of the inner chamber, but he walked toward the wooden door and squatted there, checking for a long while before walking behind Dan Yulan with a solemn expression.

Tilting his head slightly, Dan Yulan asked in a low voice, "Cheng Hang, are you done?"

"Yes, Official." Cheng Hang held several small things wrapped in silk handkerchiefs and spread them out on the table. They were some unburned sandalwood, a silk handkerchief, and some soil debris from who knows where. Cheng Hang asked, "Prime Minister, may I take these away?"

Lou Xiyan nodded: "Of course."

Dan Yulan stood up and bowed again, saying, "I have disturbed Miss Lou. If there is anything else we need Miss's help with, we will disturb you again."

Lou Xiwu also stood up to return the salute and replied in a low voice, "Official Dan is too polite. I also hope to be of help and have the killer brought to justice as soon as possible."

Zhuo Qing had been secretly observing Dan Yulan's expression. His brows remained tightly locked, and he seemed to lack his usual decisiveness and ease. Zhuo Qing couldn't help but ask, "Official Dan, are you confident about this case?"

Dan Yulan's footsteps paused slightly. He shook his head honestly and asked in a deep voice, "Does Madam have any advice?"

Zhuo Qing shook her head and replied, "Before seeing the body, I have no advice to give. However, I can give you a suggestion."

Dan Yulan looked at Zhuo Qing with some anticipation. He also hoped that such a unique woman could offer him some useful advice; he was indeed feeling overwhelmed right now.

Zhuo Qing smiled and replied, "There is one person who can help you solve this case as quickly as possible."

"Miss Qing Mo?" He still remembered Qing Mo's quick-wittedness when handling the Golden Case. She was indeed a woman with extremely strong insight and analytical abilities.

Zhuo Qing nodded and replied, "She is quite good at solving these kinds of serial murder cases." In her memory, there were no fewer than five similar cases that Gu Yun had taken over and solved; some even involved her being transferred from other provinces and cities to help. Therefore, if Gu Yun were here, she should be able to provide some more feasible investigative directions.

"Miss Qing Mo has gone to Pei City in the Northwest; I'm afraid I cannot invite her." He had thought of this before, but Qing Mo was, after all, a person from the General's Mansion, and besides...

Lv Jin said coldly, "Even if that Miss Qing were willing, I'm afraid it would be too late."

"Why?" Zhuo Qing was puzzled.

Cheng Hang snorted coldly and replied irritably, "Sending a message by carrier pigeon from here to Pei City takes at least four days. By the time Miss Qing packs her luggage and arrives in the capital by carriage, it will likely be twenty days later, and there will be less than ten days left until the final deadline. Even if Miss Qing is brilliant, it is impossible to solve the case in such a short time. Distant water cannot put out a nearby fire."

Dan Yulan did not appear agitated, but the two young men's faces were full of indignation. Zhuo Qing looked at Lou Xiyan and asked, "What final deadline? And what happens after this deadline?"

Lou Xiyan glanced at Dan Yulan and sighed, "The Emperor has set a deadline for Official Dan of one month. If this case is not solved by then, he will be dismissed from office and imprisoned for three years." It was just that the Emperor doing this was indeed forcing Dan Yulan, but if such a case appeared before the celebration and wasn't solved, where would Qiongyue's face be?!

If the case isn't solved, he has to go to jail!

How could this be?! Lou Xiyan and Dan Yulan's expressions told her that Yan Hongtian was indeed capable of this! In her heart, she cursed Yan Hongtian's ancestors for eighteen generations, but Zhuo Qing knew well that this wouldn't solve the problem either!

Thinking for a moment, Zhuo Qing asked, "From Pei City to the capital, how many days does it take at the fastest?"

Cheng Hang replied, "Even for a young, strong man with high martial arts, riding a fast horse without sleep or rest, it would take five days."

Reaching out to take the brush from Lv Jin's hand, she pulled out a piece of white paper and carefully wrote a few words. After finishing, she handed it to Lv Jin and said, "Send this by carrier pigeon to Pei City immediately. Nine days from now, she will definitely arrive!"

"Lcey, the case is tricky, return quickly! Nancy."

Lv Jin looked at the simple words in his hand; he didn't recognize half of them. Not to mention what secret code might be on it, even if that Miss Qing Mo wanted to rush back, as a young lady, it would be impossible for her to make it back in time!

Cheng Hang snorted directly in disbelief, "This is impossible!"

Zhuo Qing smiled confidently and replied, "I don't know if others can do it, but she can." She had witnessed Gu Yun's madness; to reach a goal, her adrenaline could rise to a level unimaginable to ordinary people! If anyone could manage to rush back in five days, she definitely could!

And she chose to write the letter using their English names mainly because, since it was a carrier pigeon message, the text had to be very brief, and it was written with a brush, so crooked that even she could barely tell it was her own writing. To make Yun believe this was her letter, the English names were the easiest to identify.

Zhuo Qing was full of confidence. The others didn't believe it, but Zhuo Qing couldn't be bothered to explain. When they saw the person, they would naturally believe it!

Turning slightly, Zhuo Qing whispered in Lou Xiyan's ear, "Xiyan, I want to go see the body. You should rest early; you have to be busy tomorrow. I'll be back in a while."

Lou Xiyan sighed in a low voice, "Your health has only just improved, and it's so late; go tomorrow." But he knew she would definitely go anyway. Sure enough, Zhuo Qing insisted, "I have plenty of energy, and with Mo Bai accompanying me, you don't need to worry about my safety. The longer the body is kept, the more information is lost. I want to see the body as soon as possible!"

Lou Xiyan nodded slowly and replied, "Alright." If he forbade her from going, she might not go, but given her personality, she would definitely be angry, and she would absolutely rush out of the Prime Minister's Mansion first thing tomorrow morning.

Zhuo Qing secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She really had been worried that Xiyan would not let her go out. She didn't expect him to agree. Joyfully, she whispered in his ear, "Your tolerance will make me fall even more hopelessly in love with you. Goodnight!"

"Official Dan, can I go see the body now?" After saying this, Zhuo Qing turned and walked toward Dan Yulan. Lou Xiyan, however, was momentarily dazed by her words just now. Coming back to his senses, he couldn't help but chuckle; she seemed to have already learned how to soothe him.

"Now?" Dan Yulan was also startled. It was already past midnight. He carefully glanced at the Prime Minister and saw that his expression was normal, so Dan Yulan didn't say anything else. Bowing to Lou Xiyan, he said, "Prime Minister, this official will take his leave. If Madam wishes to go, please."

Zhuo Qing followed Dan Yulan's group and left. Lou Xiwu finally came back to her senses and looked blankly at Lou Xiyan, asking, "Brother, why is sister-in-law so interested in corpses?"

Lou Xiyan remained silent, because he also wanted to know.

Qing'er's familiarity with and ability to identify corpses actually surpassed Dan Yulan's. It was impossible for her to have achieved this just by being interested in autopsies. And then there was Qing Mo; that woman was not just ordinarily smart. Qing'er's relationship with her seemed very good and very familiar, not at all as distant as it was with Qingfeng. He had a feeling that Qing'er's so-called amnesia was just an excuse. So, should he investigate, or should he wait until she was willing to tell him herself?!

Lou Xiyan fell into deep thought...

(End of chapter)