After reading the letter, Xiao Lou had mixed feelings.
His first instinct was right. This young lady was indeed aloof and indifferent to worldly affairs. She had seen through the illusions of the world and decided to become a nun. Therefore, she was indifferent to the fact that the eldest son of the Lin family frequented brothels and was unmoved by her father's birthday banquet.
This afternoon, she was still in the Buddhist Hall, striking the wooden fish and chanting scriptures. Perhaps in her mind, spending her life with only the light of a lamp and the company of Buddha was the best ending for her. Unfortunately, she didn't get her wish—she intended to help others, but others might not have had the same kindness.
After reading the letter, Yu Hanjiang frowned: " Princess Ninth, what is your relationship with Miss Eldest?"
Princess Ninth said, "In terms of seniority, I am her aunt, but I am only four years older than her. She has been in poor health since childhood. After being taken home at the age of ten, she fell ill again. My brother sent her to the capital for treatment for a period of time. That year, she lived in my princess residence, so we are quite familiar with each other. But this is the first time she has written to me."
The princess paused, then continued, "I rushed to Jiangzhou this time because of this matter." As she said this, she couldn't help but look away guiltily.
Yu Hanjiang had interrogated countless prisoners, so he naturally noticed that her expression was abnormal. This princess not only had terrible acting skills, but her cross-dressing was also awful. Anyone with eyes could see that she was a woman, and she couldn't compare to Qu Wanyue's male attire at all.
Yu Hanjiang then asked, "After the princess came to the palace, has she seen the eldest young lady?"
Princess Ninth shook her head: "No, I went straight to the side hall to wait for the banquet to begin. I never expected that Miss Eldest would be murdered." She frowned and said angrily, "It must have been the Fourth Miss! Her affair with Young Master Lin was exposed, and maybe she wanted to kill A-Yao to silence her!"
Seeing the princess's agitation, Yu Hanjiang immediately interrupted her: "There is currently no direct evidence to suggest that the Fourth Miss is the murderer. Your Highness, please return. I will certainly investigate this case thoroughly."
Princess Ninth earnestly instructed: "You must catch the murderer. A-Yao cannot have died in vain!"
Yu Hanjiang said, "Don't worry."
Princess Ninth turned to leave, but Yu Hanjiang suddenly said, "Please wait here, Your Highness's maid. I have some questions for her."
Princess Ninth asked in confusion, "Why ask her?! Didn't I already give you the letter? Would I lie?"
Yu Hanjiang said calmly, "Questioning the maids and guards is a necessary step in the investigation. I ask for your cooperation, Princess."
Ninth Princess nodded, leaned close to Qu Wanyue's ear, and whispered, "Don't say things you shouldn't say."
Qu Wanyue smiled and said, "Princess, don't worry. I will definitely tell her."
Princess Ninth left with peace of mind.
Long Sen closed the door, looked at his wife dressed as a man with a complicated expression, and muttered to himself, "You look quite handsome dressed as a man, don't you?"
Qu Wanyue looked at him with a smile and joked, "Then how about I dress as a man from now on and wear a suit to my wedding?"
Long Sen awkwardly touched his nose: "I'd better not..."
Qu Wanyue walked up to Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou and said solemnly, " Captain Yu, Ninth Princess is lying."
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "I can tell, her trip to Jiangzhou this time wasn't just about the young lady, was it?"
Qu Wanyue said, "She hurriedly fled the capital because the emperor wanted to arrange a marriage for her."
Xiao Lou asked with interest, "Oh? What exactly is the situation?"
Qu Wanyue explained in detail: " Princess Ninth is the youngest daughter of the Former Emperor. The Former Emperor had her late in life and doted on her, which fostered her spoiled and domineering personality. The Former Emperor had arranged a marriage for her back then, a matter that Lord Yu should be aware of. Later, the Former Emperor passed away and a new emperor ascended the throne. His Majesty is very troubled by this little aunt and also wants her to get married as soon as possible. This time, he has found a general for her. Princess Ninth found out about it in advance and ran away with me before His Majesty could even speak."
Yu Hanjiang said knowingly, "It seems she ran away from her arranged marriage to Jiangzhou?"
Qu Wanyue nodded: "Take care of the young lady's matter while we're at it."
Xiao Lou pondered for a moment and asked, " Teacher Qu, did you obtain any other clues at the Princess's residence?"
Qu Wanyue said, "The princess talks to me about palace gossip every day. It is said that the current emperor's mother was poisoned to death by Consort Shu, and later Consort Ming killed Consort Shu. The women in the harem fight each other, and when the Former Emperor died, he issued an imperial edict ordering them all to be buried with him. In the end, all their fighting was for nothing. The princess said that she does not want to be born into the royal family in her next life. She would rather be a free and unrestrained commoner woman who can choose her own husband."
After listening to Qu Wanyue's description, Xiao Lou's opinion of Princess Ninth changed slightly. She didn't actually have any feelings for Yu Hanjiang; it was just that the Former Emperor had arranged the marriage, and Yu Hanjiang had politely declined, which made her feel embarrassed.
Qu Wanyue and Jiu
The letter brought by the princess pointed directly at the Fourth Miss and Lin Shaobo.
After careful analysis, Yu Hanjiang summoned the servants of the Prince's mansion for questioning.
Maids, servants, and kitchen staff—not one was missed.
Yu Hanjiang asked detailed questions, and Xiao Lou took very detailed notes.
Lord Yu and his wife worked together seamlessly to solve cases, which amazed the servants of the Prince's Mansion. After leaving, they discussed among themselves: "I've never seen a woman help her husband with a case before!" "This Lady Yu is no ordinary woman. I heard she can even perform autopsies!" "She's not afraid of corpses at all. She's a remarkable woman. No wonder Lord Yu dotes on her so much."
Long Sen overheard the servants' gossip and was both amused and exasperated.
Our Professor Xiao's specialty is Forensic Doctor. What's a corpse? He wouldn't be afraid of a Morgue.
Inside the room, Xiao Lou handed the prepared transcript to Yu Hanjiang for analysis.
The servants mentioned two points:
Firstly, Madam Qing, Madam Han, and Madam Yun are outwardly friendly but inwardly at odds. Because the position of the principal wife is vacant, the three of them often engage in open and covert struggles.
Madam Yun is the most senior member of the Prince's household and has given birth to two sons, Qi Fenghua and Qi Yiyao, making her the most likely candidate to become the Princess Consort. Madam Qing and Madam Han have always been dissatisfied with each other. Madam Qing is outspoken and has clashed with Madam Yun many times in the backyard; Madam Han has also competed for the Prince's favor quite often, only recently calming down due to her illness.
Secondly, the young lady is taciturn and usually prefers to stay in the Buddhist Hall. She has never had any open conflicts with anyone in the Prince's Mansion.
Therefore, both Madam Qing and Madam Han have alibis. Although they have a deep-seated grudge against Madam Yun, they have no conflict with the eldest daughter. If it were for the position of princess, they would have killed Madam Yun, not the eldest daughter. Therefore, the suspicion of the two madams can be ruled out.
The Second Miss, Third Miss, and Fourth Miss have not yet been interrogated.
Yu Hanjiang first invited Second Miss over.
Qi Yi'an, the legitimate daughter of the Prince's Mansion, was personally bestowed the title of Princess Shuan by the Emperor.
Of the four girls, only she truly deserved the title of "a lady from a distinguished family." The first time Xiao Lou saw her, he was struck by her bright eyes and white teeth, dignified appearance, elegant demeanor, and commanding presence. To betroth a princess like her to Zhao State would certainly be a fitting match.
Qi Yi'an was very polite to Yu Hanjiang, saying, "I and Zhao State..." The Third Prince's wedding is scheduled for the end of the year. Today is my father's birthday, and the Prince of Zhao State, to show his sincerity, sent an envoy to offer birthday wishes to my father. An official from the Ministry of Rites also came from Zhao State to explain to me some customs to observe on the wedding day. I learned from them at the inn where they were received, and only returned to the royal palace at dusk.
She paused for a moment and said, "After I went back to my room, I picked up my pen to write a letter. Before I finished writing the letter, I heard someone scream outside. My third sister ran to me and said that my eldest sister had an accident and asked me to come over."
Yu Hanjiang looked at Long Sen: "Is there an envoy from Zhao State visiting today?"
Long Sen nodded: "Yes, they came over this afternoon to deliver a congratulatory gift to the Prince, but it was inconvenient for them to attend the banquet. Second Miss did go with them to the inn that is specially for receiving guests of Zhao State."
Second Miss was a princess personally appointed by the emperor. Customs differed between Zhao State and Qi State, and she was to marry into Zhao State, requiring attention to many details. She mentioned returning to the palace around 8 PM, which would be too late for her if she were the murderer. Furthermore, she had no grudge against the eldest daughter, and as she was about to marry into Zhao State as the crown princess, she had no motive for committing the crime.
Yu Hanjiang asked, "Princess, do you and the eldest young lady interact often?"
Qi Yi'an smiled slightly and said, "My sister often stays in the Buddhist Hall copying scriptures. I don't like to go out either. I usually like to practice the zither at Xiushui Pavilion. I only see her a few times a month."
Yu Hanjiang then asked, "Are you aware of the relationship between the eldest young lady and her other sisters?"
Qi Yi'an shook her head: "I don't know. I don't have much contact with my third and fourth sisters. My third sister is good at martial arts and carries a sword with her every day. She likes to run out of the palace to play and isn't close to me. My fourth sister always covers her face with a white veil. Every time she sees me, she only calls me 'Princess' and is very polite and distant to me." She paused and said lightly, "I don't know how the three of them are related, and I'm not interested in knowing."
She was about to be sent to Zhao State for a marriage alliance, and she might never have the chance to return to her hometown again. In addition, her sisters were not born to the same mother, so they were dispensable to her.
As the legitimate daughter, she only needs to mind her own business. The wisest course of action is to avoid getting involved in the power struggles among the other ladies of the Prince's household.
The Second Miss didn't provide any useful information, but the Third Miss gave Yu Hanjiang a clue—
Qi Yiru said, "When I went to the toilet in the evening, I saw my fourth sister hurriedly pass by the rockery and turn to walk towards the Red Plum Garden. I ran over and asked her what was wrong. She kept avoiding my eyes and said that she was not feeling well and needed to go back to take medicine."
Yu Hanjiang asked, "Are you and the Fourth Miss very close?"
Qi Yiru nodded: "Yes, among the sisters in the Prince's Mansion, the eldest sister hides in the Buddhist Hall every day and knocks on the wooden fish, and the second sister sits in the pavilion of Xiushui Pavilion every day and plays the zither. I have nothing to talk to them. I usually like to practice martial arts. If I accidentally fall and get hurt, it would be too troublesome to go to the clinic. My fourth sister knows medicine, so I go to her for treatment. She will bandage my wounds."
She paused, then added, "The murderer couldn't be Fourth Sister! She's usually so gentle and weak, how could she have the guts to kill someone?! I think she might have seen the murderer, which is why she fled in panic from the rockery!"
Yu Hanjiang called over the key suspect, Fourth Miss.
She still covered her face with a white veil, her eyes lowered timidly, not daring to look at them.
Yu Hanjiang asked directly, "Fourth Miss, did your eldest sister already know about your affair with Young Master Lin?"
Fourth Miss: "..."
...
Xiao Lou glanced at Captain Yu with a rather helpless expression.
She still hadn't changed her straightforward habit. The fourth sister probably didn't expect the other party to ask such a question, and she was so frightened that she trembled all over.
A layer of cold sweat immediately seeped out from her exposed forehead, and her fingers clenched tightly at her sides as she said, "I...I don't know what Lord Yu is talking about. Please don't slander a woman's innocence."
Yu Hanjiang simply handed her the letter that Ninth Princess had given her: "Fourth Miss, please take a look at this."
Fourth Miss stared wide-eyed, and upon seeing the passage "I want to fulfill their wish and become a nun," her eyes immediately welled up with tears.
She covered her face, crying and saying intermittently, "Sister...she originally wanted to let us be together...I'm so sorry to her...Waaah...I'm so sorry to my sister..."
Seeing that she couldn't stop crying, Xiao Lou said gently, "Fourth Miss, why are you covering your face with a white veil?"
Fourth Miss remained silent for a long time before gently removing her veil.
Her face has a striking beauty on the right, with fair and smooth skin. However, a thumb-sized, elongated birthmark on her left cheek mars her appearance.
It's like a piece of crystal-clear jade with a noticeable crack, making people feel regretful.
Fourth Miss, trembling, carefully put on her veil and said, "This is how my face is naturally. I don't want people to gossip about me, so I cover my face with this white veil. Actually, Young Master Lin and I don't have an affair. We knew each other long before he got engaged to my sister..."
Xiao Lou jotted down this key point and then said, "You and Young Master Lin have already pledged your lives to each other?"
Fourth Miss nodded: "A year ago, on the mountain outside Jiangzhou City, Young Master Lin accidentally broke his leg. I happened to be passing by and saved him. He had seen what I looked like, didn't mind that I was ugly, and said he wanted to marry me... He treated me sincerely, and I fell in love with him at first sight. We... often made excuses to go outside the city to meet in private."
"A few months later, the Lin family brought betrothal gifts to propose marriage. I was overjoyed, thinking they were coming to propose to me. But in the end, it turned out to be his marriage to my eldest sister!"
At this point, Fourth Miss's fingernails dug deeply into her palm; the shock and grievance she felt at that moment were beyond words.
Yu Hanjiang said coldly, "After the engagement was arranged, you dared not disobey your parents' orders, so you kept meeting in secret? Today, you secretly met in the backyard. Was it just a coincidence that the young lady saw you?"
Fourth Miss trembled slightly but did not reply, clearly having been proven right by Yu Hanjiang.
Yu Hanjiang's sharp gaze swept directly to the jade pendant at her waist: "Jade pendant, was it a gift from Young Master Lin?"
Fourth Miss was stunned when she realized that even this had been predicted. Her face turned deathly pale.
Yu Hanjiang said calmly, "Tell me, how did you and Young Master Lin conspire to kill the young lady?"
Fourth Miss's eyes widened, and she hurriedly shook her head: "It wasn't me... I didn't kill my eldest sister! After she saw me, I ran away in a panic. I really don't know how she got into trouble!"
Yu Hanjiang asked pointedly, "You fled in a hurry, but what about Young Master Lin?"
" Young Master Lin?" Fourth Miss suddenly froze. Clearly, she had rushed back to Red Plum Garden in a panic and bumped into Third Miss on the way. She made an excuse that she was not feeling well and needed to go back to take her medicine. She did not know where Young Master Lin had gone.
Yu Hanjiang asked Long Sen, "Have you found Young Master Lin?"
Long Sen shook his head: "I asked all the guards, but I didn't find any trace of Young Master Lin in the palace courtyard. I didn't find him among the guests who left through the front gate either. However, there were a few broken tiles on the wall at the back gate. He probably climbed over the wall through the back gate and slipped away."
Yu Hanjiang coldly said, "Arrest Lin Shaobo immediately!"