Chapter 84: Unexpected Discovery (4)

Shen hour

Tixing Mansion Study

A group of people appeared as promised. Two square tables were put together, covered with case files, and several stools were placed around the square tables. Seeing this layout, Zhuo Qing had already guessed that it was Gu Yun who had done it.

Sitting opposite Gu Yun with Lou Xiyan, Zhuo Qing looked around and didn't see Su Ling, and smiled low: "Why didn't General Su come?"

Gu Yun glared at Zhuo Qing fiercely and hummed coldly: "Where is the thing I want?" This woman became gossipy and meddlesome after arriving here.

Throwing the paper in her hand to Gu Yun opposite, Zhuo Qing turned her head, pretending not to see her eye daggers.

Lou Xiyan smiled at the familiar eye-scolding between them. When his eyes swept over a drawing with strange textures on the table, he stopped. Taking the drawing in his hand and looking at it for a while, Lou Xiyan said in a low voice: "This thing looks familiar."

Gu Yun raised her head from the autopsy report Zhuo Qing gave her and was surprised: "You've seen it."

"This pattern is very similar to the pendant of Ningcui Pavilion."

"Are you sure?" Zhuo Qing was also very surprised.

Lou Xiyan laughed and replied: "You should have seen it too. When we were at Lengyue Restaurant, among the things sent by Ningcui Pavilion, there was a pair of jade pendants with this pattern." She really hadn't looked at those things carefully. Originally, he had taken a fancy to this pair of jade pendants and wanted to give them to her, because they were carved with a pair of mandarin ducks, but she didn't like them, so he gave up. Because the jade quality of those jade pendants was superior, and it was rare to carve mandarin ducks so strangely, he had a deep impression.

Zhuo Qing naturally had no impression at all, because she hadn't chosen seriously at all, but she believed in Lou Xiyan's memory. If he said it was a pendant from Ningcui Pavilion, it should be.

"Someone." Dan Yulan handed the drawing in his hand to the yamen runner and said: "Take this pattern to Ningcui Pavilion to verify if there is a jade pendant with this decoration."

"Yes." The yamen runner took the order and left. Another yamen runner hurried over and reported in a clear voice outside the door: "Minister, someone from the Prime Minister's mansion is asking to see the Prime Minister outside the door."

"Invite them in." Dan Yulan looked at Lou Xiyan, and there was a trace of doubt in his eyes.

After a while, a man dressed as a servant entered the room, cupped his hands and saluted: "Master, Minister Dan."

Lou Xiyan asked in a low voice: "What's the matter?"

The man walked to Lou Xiyan's side and said a few words in a low voice. Lou Xiyan's expression remained as usual, still hanging a faint smile.

Waving his hand gently at the man, the man retreated respectfully behind him. Lou Xiyan suddenly stood up and smiled: "Minister Dan, there are some things in the Prime Minister's mansion, I'll take my leave first."

The Prime Minister Lou was in such a hurry to leave, something major must have happened. Dan Yulan remained calm, nodded and smiled: "Please, Prime Minister Lou."

Leaning down slightly, Lou Xiyan whispered softly in Zhuo Qing's ear: "I'm leaving first, the carriage is left outside the door for you. When you're done, Mo Bai will send you back to the mansion."

Zhuo Qing obviously also felt that he was not quite right, and said in a low voice: "Do you need me to go back with you?"

Patting her shoulder, Lou Xiyan's deep voice comforted her gently: "No need, don't worry, nothing happened."

After thinking for a while, Zhuo Qing nodded slowly and replied: "Alright, take care of yourself."

"Mm." Nodding gently at everyone elegantly, Lou Xiyan turned and left, but his steps were slightly hurried.

Lou Xiyan's sudden departure made Zhuo Qing and Dan Yulan think about each other, and both were a little absent-minded.

"This is already the fourth victim, we still haven't found any news about the murderer, but he keeps killing people, not even letting go of pregnant people, it's really hateful!" Cheng Hang slapped the table angrily, shaking the two people back to their senses.

Gu Yun finished reading the autopsy report in her hand and looked at Dan Yulan, who had been keeping silent, and asked: "What does Minister Dan think?"

"Sealed room, sandalwood incense, no struggle from the victim, heart removed and died of blood loss. This case looks very similar to the previous three cases, but it is not exactly the same. There is no terrified expression on the victim's face, the door was broken open, not opened by the accompanying maid, and Miss Wu was pregnant."

Gu Yun raised her eyebrows slightly. Dan Yulan was worthy of being the Tixing Division. He didn't seem to have done anything at the crime scene, but he had already seen the key to the problem. Gu Yun nodded and replied: "I also agree with your view. The autopsy results also show that the direction of the knife wound on the victim's chest and the length of the knife marks are different from the previous victims. I think the biggest difference between this case and the previous three is actually the victim. She was drugged before her heart was removed. I think the murderer and she were acquaintances."

"Right!" Cheng Hang shouted, took out two porcelain cups from the cloth bag, and talked eloquently: "The cups we brought back have been checked, and someone put 'Mi Xin Powder' in them, and there was a faint smell of wine, which shows that Miss Wu drank with someone before she died. It's so late, and she was pregnant, yet she was drinking and having fun with someone. That person must be very familiar with Miss Wu. I asked the maid Fei Er in the afternoon, and she said that Miss Wu told her not to come to serve at night, which is obviously Miss Wu herself sending people away. I think that person might be her lover!"

Seeing him talking eloquently and in high spirits, Lv Jin couldn't help but smile: "You've made great progress."

Nodding unceremoniously, looking at the two ordinary cups on the table, Cheng Hang still couldn't help but ask: "By the way, I've always wanted to ask, how did you see that those two cups had problems?"

Gu Yun replied casually: "There were five cups on the tray, and only two cups had their handles facing out, which shows that they should have been used."

Just that simple? Cheng Hang puzzled: "This can explain that they have problems?" What's strange about using cups placed in the room?! This can't explain anything, right?

Her cold eyes raised, Gu Yun looked at Cheng Hang seriously and said in a deep voice: "Only by checking and investigating every small suspicious point that looks inconspicuous at the crime scene will you have the chance to find out whether they have problems."

The hoarse voice didn't sound pleasant, but Cheng Hang was shocked for no reason. Her attitude toward the case made him ashamed. Cheng Hang nodded vigorously and replied: "I understand."

Dan Yulan looked at Cheng Hang, who rarely admired anyone on weekdays, sitting beside Qing Mo with his head lowered, and the handwriting on the autopsy report they mentioned was clearly Lv Jin's. When did he willingly do such small things as recording? Smiling, Dan Yulan asked: "Two Miss Qings, I wonder if you are interested in taking apprentices." If Cheng Hang and Lv Jin could learn their skills, it would be a great help to the Ministry of Justice. After all, he couldn't always rely on the two Madams of the Prime Minister's mansion and the General's mansion to assist in handling cases!

Cheng Hang and Lv Jin looked up at the same time, staring blankly at Dan Yulan. What did the Minister mean? Did he want them to bow to two little girls as teachers?! How could this be! Thinking about it, they seemed to be inferior in skills. They were still struggling, but two cold female voices had already replied at the same time: "Not interested!"

Not wanting to take an apprentice was one thing, but being rejected was another. Their faces stiffened at the same time, staring at them awkwardly, not knowing what to say for a while.

Resting her chin on her hand and ignoring their gazes, Zhuo Qing smiled lazily: "How much they can understand depends on their own comprehension. I don't take apprentices."

"Agreed." Gu Yun looked down at the case files and echoed coldly.

Did that mean they would still teach, just not take apprentices? Lv Jin and Cheng Hang looked at each other, not knowing whether they should be happy or angry. Not having to call such young little girls master was indeed a good thing, but what was frustrating was that people didn't bother to let them call them master.

The atmosphere in the study was a bit cold for a while, fortunately, the yamen runner who had just left came back: "Minister."

"Come in."

Standing at the long table, the yamen runner reported: "The owner of Ningcui Pavilion said that he did have a pair of jade pendants with this pattern, and this pattern was specially carved by the master of Ningcui Pavilion, and there is only one pair. The jade pendant was bought by Miss Wu five days ago, and she also asked them to carve a bellflower pattern on this pair of jade pendants. The day before yesterday at noon, Miss Wu went to pick up the jade pendant."

"This is the jade pendant pattern obtained from Ningcui Pavilion." The yamen runner took out a drawing from his arms.

Dan Yulan took it, waved his hand and said: "Good, you may withdraw."

"Yes."

The paper was spread out on the table, and four exquisite circular patterns were clearly drawn on it, which were the front and back compositions of the two jade pendants respectively. The front was carved with the same "Xi" (happiness) character, and together they became "Shuang Xi" (double happiness). On the back were two cute mandarin ducks, which were very joyful.

After looking for a long while, Cheng Hang sighed: "Miss Wu's room has been thoroughly searched, but the jade pendant was not found. Could it be that she gave both jade pendants to others?" Even if she gave them to a lover, she should only give one, right!

Rubbing his chin, Lv Jin guessed: "According to the servants in the mansion, Miss Wu usually didn't go out of the door, and the man who had an affair with her should be someone in the mansion, or someone who could enter and leave the Wu mansion frequently."

"Cheng Hang, find a painter to draw more jade pendant patterns and check them one by one in the Wu mansion to see if anyone has seen the jade pendant. Lv Jin, you are responsible for secretly visiting the maids and servants around Miss Wu to see who often contacts the young lady on weekdays."

"Yes." It had been more than a month, and finally there was a clue. This time, the murderer must not be allowed to escape again!

Against the background of black clothes, Gu Yun's face looked even paler. Zhuo Qing advised in a low voice: "You've been tired for several days, go back and rest first."

Gu Yun nodded gently, she seemed to really be unable to hold on.

The two stood up, Zhuo Qing smiled at Dan Yulan: "Minister Dan, we'll take our leave first. If there is any news, please let us know."

Dan Yulan replied: "Good." Watching their backs as they walked away, the smile on Dan Yulan's face faded. When the two sisters were in Haoyue, what were they doing? Why were they so familiar with murder cases? What about Qingfeng? What skills did she have?

Walking out of the Tixing Mansion all the way, Gu Yun's face became more and more gloomy. Zhuo Qing asked: "What's wrong? Still thinking about the case?" Yun was even more of a workaholic than her!

Shaking her head slowly, Gu Yun replied in a low voice: "I'm thinking, should I go back to the General's mansion!" Su Ling was back, and he and she were fundamentally incompatible!

It turned out to be worrying about this. Zhuo Qing smiled: "You must!"

"Why?" What reason did she have to go to the General's mansion?

Of course, it was because of Su Ling! But this couldn't be said. Zhuo Qing coughed lightly and replied seriously: "Because of the Golden Bagua Disk!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 85 =====