Chapter 51: Detective Jiang Jiang Mingyu

There were not many pedestrians on the main street; Jiang Jiang Mingyu followed behind the Prince of Qi on horseback, and though passersby on both sides occasionally glanced and gathered to watch, none dared approach.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu frowned slightly, murmuring to himself: "Yes, it must be so." A hint of alertness flashed in his eyes, as if he had sensed something unusual.

"If my method truly was at fault, then mass coal smoke poisoning would occur." Jiang Jiang Mingyu's voice grew even lower, filled with a vague worry.

A terrifying image floated in his mind: people shrouded in smoke, struggling to breathe, trapped in danger.

His eyes turned colder, a chill that could not be ignored spreading out.

"Yet others are perfectly fine, which is odd; this death case seems riddled with suspicious details, suggesting someone acted deliberately."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu frowned deeply; he felt an invisible hand behind him manipulating the entire event, and that none of this was accidental.

"But we cannot rule out that the deceased met with an accident while burning coal alone..."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's tone held a hint of doubt as he began to consider different possibilities.

He understood the matter was not simple, with many unknown factors requiring consideration.

Just then, Jiang Jiang Mingyu felt someone watching him.

His gaze instantly locked onto the Prince of Qi seated on the horse; he detected something strange in the Prince's eyes: "My lord, what are you muttering about?"

A hint of mockery leaked through the Prince of Qi's tone.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled faintly, revealing none of his inner suspicions: "Not thinking that heads will roll, scaring you half to death?"

His tone carried a touch of coldness, as if he was already mentally prepared for the truth about to be unveiled.

The Prince of Qi suddenly showed a trace of sarcasm: "Self-inflicted harm cannot be survived; if you knew this would happen today, why did you act as you did back then?"

His tone was full of disdain and ridicule, seeming to relish the misfortune befalling Jiang Jiang Mingyu.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu remained silent; he knew he was already trapped in a cage, unable to escape this situation.

After a stick of incense, the victim's house came faintly into view: dilapidated and crude, with peeling plaster, loose doors and windows, and a faint scent of coal smoke wafting from it.

An ominous premonition surged in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's heart; this crude environment seemed to have some underlying connection to the suspicious details of this case.

"We have arrived, My lord," the Prince of Qi sneered. "Go in and inspect your 'masterpiece'."

Jiang Jiang Mingyu knew the "masterpiece" in the Prince of Qi's mouth was a mockery of the deceased; he could not help but sigh, seeing that the Prince of Qi had no intention of enforcing justice fairly, but only wished to use this to eliminate him, a thorn in his side.

The room was empty; the deceased's body lay quietly inside, black coal soot still staining the corners of his mouth.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu examined the crude room in detail: the remaining coal in the brazier was only half-burnt, water stains remained on the floor, and the windows were thick with dust... these signs all revealed something suspicious.

The Prince of Qi spoke with a mocking tone: "I give you half an hour to think; decide for yourself how to confess." With that, he led his men out of the room, leaving Jiang Jiang Mingyu alone in that cold chamber.

The door slammed shut, leaving only Jiang Jiang Mingyu alone in the entire room.

He stood quietly in the center of the room, gazing at everything around him.

Dust-filled windows and corners lit by weak light outlined a strange and mysterious atmosphere.

Half an hour passed, and the knocking on the door arrived as promised, rough and impatient: "My lord, haven't you seen enough yet?" That voice conveyed an undeniable sense of oppression.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu slowly pulled the door open; before him stood the Prince of Qi with a mocking face.

He sneered: "Pondering for so long, did you find an excuse to clear yourself?" Those words were full of provocation and ridicule.

The corners of Jiang Jiang Mingyu's mouth curled slightly: "I have made some progress." His tone revealed a hint of confidence and disdain, as if he had already found the key to overturning the situation.

The Prince of Qi sneered again: "Jiang Jiang Mingyu, in a case involving a human life, how can you be allowed to speak such nonsense?"

His tone was full of disbelief and threat, seeming to have no faith in Jiang Jiang Mingyu's defense at all.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu shook his head gently: "Do not rush; there is more." His tone revealed a faint smile, as if he already had a further plan in mind.

With that, he took the Prince of Qi's hand and walked straight back into the room.

The crowd followed closely behind, the room filled with a tense atmosphere.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's gaze fixed on the room, searching for more clues.

Moments later, his gaze stopped on the dust-covered window.

His eyes flashed with sharp light, detecting something unusual.

It was the dead of winter, the windows tightly shut, yet he found a clear Shou Yin in the dust on the window frame. That Shou Yin was clearly visible, as if it had just been left.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu stroked his chin, his eyebrows frowning slightly: "The victim said that when the incident occurred, she was working outside, so the murderer must have entered and exited through the window."

His tone revealed alertness and calmness, as if he was close to the truth.

He resolutely pushed open the window; the cold wind swept in. At the same time, a pale blue strip of cloth was blown by the cold wind into Jiang Jiang Mingyu's line of sight.

He accurately caught that piece of cloth; the water stains left on it explained something.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu sneered: "As I suspected." His tone revealed deep thought and certainty, as if he had obtained conclusive evidence.

"Ma Ma Defake, do you think you can fool your way through with this?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu suddenly turned to Ma Ma Defake, his voice conveying coldness and a warning.

Ma Ma Defake rolled his eyes: "What do you want?" His tone was full of disdain and provocation.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu smiled faintly: "You have always hated me, haven't you? You hold a grudge over Xia Duo's death."

His voice carried reasoning and speculation, as if he had unraveled a huge conspiracy.

Upon mention of Xia Duo, Ma Ma Defake's anger flared like Xiong Xiong: "So what?" His tone was full of rage and dissatisfaction, seeming to hold suppressed emotions toward Jiang Jiang Mingyu's revelation.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu shook his head calmly: "So you killed that man and framed me?"

His tone revealed firmness and condemnation, as if he had already found a corner of the truth.

"Such disregard for human life, Ma Ma Defake, what crime should you be punished for?"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu's voice was full of accusation and resolve, as if he had already passed judgment on Ma Ma Defake's crimes.

His words left everyone present dumbfounded.

Ma Ma Defake's face changed; he roared: "Nonsense! What evidence do you have? Spouting lies with your eyes open in broad daylight!"

Jiang Jiang Mingyu reached into his sleeve and pulled out that strip of cloth, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom.

He raised his hand and pointed vaguely at the hem of Ma Ma Defake's long robe with red trim, speaking with mockery: "This, was it not accidentally torn when it got caught on the window lattice as you hastily climbed through the window?"

Ma Ma Defake could not hide his panic; his hands clenched tightly, his gaze shifting restlessly.

He then realized that an inconspicuous tear had appeared on the hem of his robe at some unknown time.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu gave him no chance to catch his breath, immediately crouching down and pressing the strip of cloth in his hand against the tear in Ma Ma Defake's robe, comparing them carefully.

The length, color, and edge of that cloth strip matched the damage on the trimmed robe with startling precision.

"Well? Does it fit perfectly?" Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked up at Ma Ma Defake, his calm tone laced with mockery.

Ma Ma Defake's face turned deathly pale, sweat pouring down like rain.

He spoke incoherently, "This alone is not enough to prove I am the murderer... My Lord, do not slander me with false accusations!"

"Hmph, do not rush." Jiang Jiang Mingyu stood up. "There is even more evidence to come."

Qi Wang, watching from the side, also turned pale, a chill rising in his heart.

He never expected that Jiang Jiang Mingyu could find such damning evidence in such a crude environment; for a moment, he regretted this journey.

Jiang Jiang Mingyu remained calm and composed, showing no fear of the two men's changing attitudes.

He strolled to the window and pointed to a clear Shou Yin on the window lattice. "Commandant, is this your Shou Yin?"

Ma Ma Defake's pupils suddenly contracted. He shouted, "No... no... it is not my Shou Yin."

"Whether it is or not, one test will tell!" With that, he pulled Ma Ma Defake's hand and pressed it against the mark; it fit perfectly as well!

Jiang Jiang Mingyu looked at the deathly pale Ma Ma Defake and sneered, "Commandant, what excuse do you have left now? Do not tell me you climbed in through the window just to look around out of sheer boredom."

Ma Ma Defake was utterly desperate, his face as gray and white as a corpse.

He opened his mouth but did not know how to refute the ironclad evidence of Jiang Da Ren.

At this moment, Qi Wang, who had already panicked, quickly adjusted his expression and said hypocritically, "Commandant Ma, I never expected that you, my trusted subordinate, would commit murder in secret! As a soldier in the army, to cause a death over a personal grudge and frame a loyal subject is a crime worthy of death!"

Changing his tone, Qi Wang added, "Since this is the case, I shall establish new military law today and execute you as a warning to others!" With that, he suddenly drew his sword from his waist, appearing ready to strike Ma Ma Defake.

This sudden turn of events left Ma Ma Defake completely unprepared.

Before he could even finish a single sentence, a flash of cold light appeared, and Qi Wang's long blade was already before his face.

The sharp edge of the blade nearly touched the tip of his nose!