Upon hearing Zhen Shicheng’s words, Earl Yongchang and others immediately gathered closer to look.

On the yellowed oil paper lay two long strands of hair. One was completely black, while the other was mostly white from the root. These two strands of hair had a distinct characteristic – they were wavy like ocean waves. Looking at Dou Niang’s loose hair, it was indeed curly like seaweed.

People with naturally curly hair like this were extremely rare. No one would believe it was a coincidence.

The crowd’s gaze towards Dou Niang instantly changed, filled with disgust, hatred, and curiosity.

Master Zhen had found hair matching Dou Niang’s at the killer’s hiding place. Undoubtedly, Madam must have been killed by Dou Niang. But why would a cook like Dou Niang harm Madam? Madam had shown her kindness.

Everyone pondered this question simultaneously, staring intently at Dou Niang.

Suddenly, an older female servant exclaimed in surprise.

Zhen Shicheng immediately looked at her, “Have you thought of something?”

The woman looked uncertain and hesitated to speak.

“You can say whatever comes to mind. It’s fine if you’re wrong; no one will hold it against you,” Zhen Shicheng reassured her while glancing at Earl Yongchang.

Having gone from mistakenly believing he had killed his wife, to suspecting the head maid Qiu Lu and the concubine Chao Yun, and now finally identifying Dou Niang, Earl Yongchang was most eager to know Dou Niang’s motive for murder. So, after Zhen Shicheng’s cue, he quickly said, “The Master is right. Say what you’ve thought of. It doesn’t matter if you’re wrong, and if you say something useful, you’ll be rewarded later.”

Hearing this, the woman no longer hesitated. She quickly glanced at Dou Niang and said, “Seeing Dou Niang’s hair, this old servant suddenly remembered a maid. That maid also had naturally curly long hair, but she was sent away more than ten years ago.”

Zhen Shicheng’s interest was piqued.

The register stated that Dou Niang was 34 this year. Ten-odd years ago would have been the right age for her to be a maid.

“That maid was called—” the woman tried hard to remember, then suddenly slapped her thigh, “This old servant remembers now! That maid was called A Wan!”

At the mention of “A Wan,” some of the older staff in Earl Yongchang’s household vaguely recalled something.

The head steward who had been answering Zhen Shicheng’s questions earlier stared at Dou Niang, his expression changing dramatically. He blurted out, “You’re A Wan?”

Dou Niang’s eyelids trembled slightly as she slowly turned to look at Earl Yongchang.

That glance was filled with deep-seated hatred.

The head steward’s words suddenly made everything clear to the older female servant: “I was wondering why Dou Niang looked so familiar! Heavens, she is indeed A Wan who was sent away years ago!”

More than ten years was enough time for a person to become unrecognizable, especially for those who weren’t familiar with them. It wasn’t surprising that they couldn’t recognize her after so long.

However, once a distinctive feature was pointed out, people’s memories were unlocked.

The older woman went from initial doubt to final certainty, clapping her hands and saying, “That’s right, she is A Wan!”

The crowd began to discuss among themselves.

“Who is A Wan?” a young maid curiously asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve never heard of such a person in the household.”

“You weren’t working here then. I have a vague recollection. More than ten years ago, there was a maid called A Wan who was sent away for displeasing the Earl and Madam. I can’t remember where she worked though…”

Dou Niang stood in the center, allowing people to discuss. Although she appeared calm on the surface, her hands at her sides trembled slightly.

Had she finally been recognized? She had wrapped her hair so tightly. How did Master Zhen determine that the two strands of hair found in the wardrobe were hers? Was it merely because she was one of the only two people left in the kitchen?

Zhen Shicheng temporarily set Dou Niang aside and continued questioning the older woman: “Why was A Wan sent away back then?”

The woman clearly remembered and immediately looked towards Earl Yongchang.

Earl Yongchang couldn’t recall A Wan at all. How could he remember a minor maid sent away more than ten years ago? He promptly said, “Speak!”

The woman steeled herself and said, “At that time, Madam was pregnant with the heir, so she wanted to choose a concubine maid to serve the Earl. Madam had selected several and finally decided on Chun Mei. Unexpectedly, A Wan suddenly ran to Madam, insisting that the Earl had… had already taken her virginity. Madam believed A Wan was lying to become a concubine and tarnish the Earl’s reputation. Believing her intentions were impure, Madam sent her away…”

As Earl Yongchang listened, he frowned, vaguely recalling something.

More than ten years ago, there seemed to have been a maid who came crying to his wife, but he hadn’t paid any attention to it, not even noting the maid’s name.

Could it be that this disaster was rooted in that incident from years ago?

At this moment, hurried footsteps were heard.

“Master, we found it!” A yamen runner quickly approached Zhen Shicheng, presenting him with an object.

It was a pair of women’s cloth shoes, looking somewhat old with oil stains on the surface – very fitting for someone working in the kitchen.

“Master, these shoes were found in Dou Niang’s room, inside a chest, wrapped in this garment,” the runner said, holding up a half-worn piece of clothing.

Wrapping an old pair of shoes in a garment was unusual.

The runner quickly turned the shoes over to reveal the soles: “Master, look!”

There were faint patterns on the soles, with some areas embedded with dirt and others showing a brownish color.

Zhen Shicheng stared at the brown areas, his eyes narrowing.

From experience, this was likely blood that the shoes had stepped in.

Zhen Shicheng held the shoes in front of Dou Niang: “Dou Niang, you might be able to explain away the two strands of hair, but what about these blood-stained shoes?”

He had earlier sent his subordinates to search Dou Niang’s room for clues, specifically emphasizing shoes. The reason was simple.

Dou Niang could have worn two layers of outer clothing before committing the crime, removing and burying the blood-splattered outer layer afterward, leaving her body clean. But she was unlikely to have prepared two pairs of shoes, as that would have been too inconvenient. This meant Dou Niang couldn’t bury the shoes she wore along with the bloody clothes, or she would have had to return to her room barefoot, which would have been suspicious if she encountered anyone.

Given Dou Niang’s meticulousness, she certainly wouldn’t wear the shoes from the crime again, but she wouldn’t have had time to destroy them in such a short period. Hiding them temporarily was the best option.

And the facts proved his deduction correct.

“Master, there’s also this,” the runner produced a plain sachet and presented it to Zhen Shicheng. “This was found inside Dou Niang’s pillowcase. This subordinate smelled an unusual fragrance and, noticing how well-hidden it was, thought it might be significant, so I brought it along.”

Zhen Shicheng brought the sachet to his nose and sniffed, then coldly smiled, “Dou Niang, the unusual fragrance left in the wardrobe matches this sachet perfectly. What do you have to say now?”

Dou Niang stared at the sachet, her lips pale, knowing the game was up. She laughed bitterly, “I have nothing to say. I only regret that Earl Yongchang didn’t kill his wife by mistake out of shame and take his own life. Truly, the heavens are unjust!”