The Xie family’s servants, armed with pickaxes and shovels, gathered in the woodshed. At Steward Zhang’s command, they surged forward.
In no time, a large hole was chiseled into the inner wall of the woodshed, and a human corpse tumbled out.
“Heavens, there really is a corpse.”
“Look, the body is mummified, how terrifying.”
“Judging by the attire, it looks like a woman. Could it be one of the maids from the manor?”
“Speaking of which, the rumors circulating about the Xie manor these past few years… they were true.”
…
After finishing their task, the Xie family’s servants looked at the fallen body and began to discuss amongst themselves.
Zhong Li glanced at Steward Zhang.
Steward Zhang understood and quickly shooed away everyone gathered around the corpse.
The backyard fell silent again. Zhong Li took the medicine box handed to her by Lin Jin and hurried to the corpse to begin her examination.
Because it had been sealed within the wall, the body was surprisingly well-preserved.
Without immediately focusing on the cause of death, Zhong Li first examined the outer garment the deceased was wearing.
The colors of the clothing had faded over time due to the mixture of earth and the wall, but the style and embroidery were still discernible.
Zhong Li recognized the embroidery as the renowned Luo embroidery from Jinzhou. As for the style…
She looked up at Lu Wuxie.
Lu Wuxie squatted down to examine the clothing on the corpse and said, “A butterfly Luo embroidery peplos. It should be a light summer garment. This butterfly pattern was popular seven or eight years ago.”
Seven or eight years ago? That would be the twentieth year of Anhe.
Zhong Li reacted quickly and continued her examination of the body. She first looked at the deceased’s facial features and teeth, then removed the corpse’s shoes and clothes to analyze the skeletal age.
“The deceased is female, about five feet tall. As for age, she had not yet reached her hairpin ceremony.”
“Not yet reached her hairpin ceremony? So, thirteen or fourteen?” Lu Wuxie asked.
Zhong Li nodded. “Yes.”
“Then how did she die?” Lu Wuxie pressed.
Zhong Li didn’t answer at first. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, but she truly couldn’t tell. It wasn’t until she saw the deceased’s skull that she discovered a nail driven into the top of her head.
“This is likely the cause of death,” she said, gently pushing aside the deceased’s hair.
Seeing this, Lu Wuxie’s brow furrowed. “Who could be so heartless?”
Zhong Li packed up the medicine box, stood up, and walked over to Steward Zhang. “Steward Zhang, do you recall how old Miss Xie Xiaoyun was when she was locked in the woodshed?”
“She was about the same age as this corpse…” he said, slowly walking over to the body. His gaze fixed on the clothing, his pupils suddenly contracted in horror. “This… this… this is Miss Xie, how… how is that possible?”
Zhong Li looked at Steward Zhang, recalling what she had told him about Xie Xiaoyun previously. She already had a suspicion about Xie Xiaoyun’s case, but who the murderer was, and whether it was related to the Second Madam Zhen, required further examination and evidence.
Lu Wuxie understood Zhong Li’s thoughts best. He gestured to Lin Jin.
Lin Jin led the bailiffs forward and began to examine the body on the ground.
“Lier, let’s go to the yamen to conduct the autopsy first.”
-----
The carriage sped along the road.
Zhong Li sat opposite Lu Wuxie, watching him turn Xie Xiaoyun’s hairpin, seemingly lost in thought.
She thought for a moment and said, “Is Your Highness mourning Miss Xie?”
Hearing the question from across from him, Lu Wuxie casually placed the hairpin on the table and shook his head. “My cousin and I have met only twice at most. Mourning is too strong a word.”
“Then what were you thinking just now, Your Highness?” Zhong Li, for some reason, was very curious about Lu Wuxie’s thoughts at this moment.
Lu Wuxie tightened his grip on the small hand warmer and looked into Zhong Li’s clear eyes. “I was thinking, who could be so heartless as to treat a young girl with such cruelty.”
Zhong Li picked up the hairpin from the table and looked at it for a moment. “Doesn’t Your Highness already have a guess?”
Lu Wuxie froze and looked up at her.
“Your Highness mentioned earlier that the reason you came to Jinzhou was due to a letter from Xie Xu, correct?” Zhong Li asked.
Lu Wuxie nodded.
“If it was a coincidence that Your Highness happened to meet me on the street in Jincheng and give me a ride, then from the double homicide case in Jinzhou ending, you deliberately delaying so I couldn’t leave, to Xie Xu’s death, and now when I’m looking for Xie Xiaoyun, you suddenly appear with a flimsy excuse to dismiss me, all of this must have been part of Your Highness’s plan, right?”
As Zhong Li spoke, she actually felt uncertain. All of this was her speculation, but she disliked this feeling, as if everything was within this man’s control.
“Plan?” Lu Wuxie’s eyes showed a hint of helplessness after hearing Zhong Li’s words. “If I could truly control all of this, that would be for the best.”
Zhong Li frowned, slightly perplexed.
“Lier, I don’t know how to say this to you. If I say, when you clearly know something is going to happen but are powerless to stop it, can you feel that helplessness?” Lu Wuxie asked.
Zhong Li remained silent. In her view, her transmigration was unexpected; how could she know what would happen next? What was this helplessness he spoke of?
Lu Wuxie was silent for a long moment. “Lier, solve this case, and then I will slowly tell you, alright?”
Zhong Li looked deeply at Lu Wuxie. This was the first time he had spoken to her in a pleading tone.
She hesitated for a moment, then changed the subject. “Your Highness must have a guess as to who the mastermind behind Xie Xiaoyun’s murder is, right?”
Lu Wuxie heard her say this, knowing that Zhong Li had implicitly agreed to his question.
He curled his lips and replied, “Yes, but…”
“But you always feel that things are not that simple, don’t you?” Zhong Li finished his sentence.
Lu Wuxie remained silent. He greatly admired Zhong Li’s acuity for conspiracies, but he also worried that her sharpness might bring her misfortune.
Thinking of this, his heart skipped a beat. When had he started to care this much?
Zhong Li, unaware of Lu Wuxie’s thoughts, continued, “I think that with all the strange behavior of Old Master Xie over the years, he knew from the beginning that the real Xie Xiaoyun had already died. That’s why he went to Baiyan Lou to find Qi Shuishui, even going so far as to incur a large amount of debt, with the aim of selling the Xie manor and finding Xie Xiaoyun’s remains.”
As she spoke, she recalled Madam Zhen’s actions. According to Xie Xu’s plan, Madam Liang had already stopped managing the household affairs in the ancestral hall. This woman would most likely squander the Xie manor, and then Lu Wuxie, as instructed, would come to the Xie manor, discover Xie Xiaoyun’s body, and thoroughly investigate the entire case.
It was just that Xie Xu never expected that Madam Liang still had feelings for him and would sell all her possessions to protect the Xie manor.
As for her, Zhong Li, she was an even greater unforeseen element for Xie Xu. The best outcome now was that the Xie manor was preserved, and Madam Zhen was arrested.
However, the only thing that puzzled her was why Xie Xu, as the master of the Xie manor, would use such a method to convey this information to Lu Wuxie?
Could it be…
“Qiat grass! There is a hidden culprit within the Xie manor, someone who controls the lifeline of the entire Xie manor with Qiat grass!” Zhong Li finally figured it out.
As Zhong Li voiced her suspicions, the carriage had already arrived at the yamen.
Lu Wuxie gave her a look of admiration and slowly lifted the curtain.
Just as he was about to alight, he suddenly thought of something and turned to Zhong Li. “Lier, what you’ve seen is just the tip of the iceberg.”