At that moment, Zhuyan was entering the door behind Shen Du when a figure suddenly inserted itself between them, causing Zhuyan to freeze in place.
This woman was incredibly bold, abruptly wedging herself into their space. What was she trying to do?
Shen Du also noticed but merely glanced back before ignoring it.
Zhuyan was completely shocked. She saw impatience in Shen Du’s eyes, but he didn’t drive the woman away, allowing her to stay so close to him.
This…
Her heart churned, as if a vat of vinegar had been poured into it, a mixture of sourness and bitterness.
Zhuyan couldn’t express it, but this feeling was extremely uncomfortable.
It’s worth noting that on their wedding day, Shen Du held a sword to her throat and established the “Three Delusions.”
Compared to how he treated this woman now, the difference in treatment was stark.
Zhuyan pursed her lips, forcibly suppressing her discomfort as she followed the two into the main hall.
The victim’s body had already been sent to the Ministry of Justice, and the next step was the autopsy.
Entering the side room, Zhuyan forced down her unease, trying to focus on the case and examine the body before her.
But somehow, her mind was in utter chaos.
Yunque also maintained the appearance of a well-behaved girl, standing silently beside Shen Du, waiting for the two of them.
But this scene was truly an eyesore to Zhuyan, making it impossible for her to investigate normally.
“Get out,” Zhuyan said coldly.
Yunque blinked, seemingly not understanding the meaning.
“This is the Grand Secretariat Prefect. Even if you’ve contributed to the investigation, you can’t just dismiss people here.”
“I said for you to get out,” Zhuyan snapped, straightening her back and staring at Yunque. “As a young woman, don’t you know where you are? Barging in here carelessly, do you truly have no sense of propriety?”
Yunque was left speechless by Zhuyan’s words. She turned a grieved look towards Shen Du, hoping he would say something on her behalf to let her stay.
Unexpectedly, Shen Du remained cold, not even glancing at her as he said frostily, “What are you standing there for? When told to leave, leave.”
Yunque dared not disobey Shen Du’s words. She could only bow timidly and retreat.
Just as she reached the doorway, she saw Qi Yeyun standing there, looking at her mockingly.
Seeing Qi Yeyun, Yunque became furious. She lowered her voice and demanded, “What are you standing there for? Get out quickly.”
“Hmph,” Qi Yeyun snorted coldly, looking at Yunque with disdain. “Master told you to get out, not me. I’m here to assist Master with the investigation. You’d better not disturb us here.”
Yunque was utterly speechless. This little boy turned out to be the disciple of that female coroner inside.
In the end, they were all on the same side, and she was the only outsider.
Yunque felt embarrassed and said no more, hurriedly leaving the side room.
After Yunque left, Zhuyan suddenly felt much more at ease.
She glanced at Shen Du beside her, who was now staring at her with a meaningful look.
“What are you looking at? Never seen it before?”
Zhuyan glared at him, bending down to continue searching for clues.
Far from being annoyed by Zhuyan’s rebuke, Shen Du found it quite interesting, his lips curling up involuntarily.
This woman looks quite beautiful when she’s jealous…
The deceased lay flat on a straw mat. There was nothing noteworthy on the front, but on the back, they discovered a fire moth tattoo.
It looked very similar to Madam Tang’s, but Madam Tang’s tattoo was on her shoulder, while this person’s was on their back.
Could it be that it truly had nothing to do with her?
Zhuyan couldn’t quite understand. She felt that the two cases were related, but the evidence before her eyes proved her worries unfounded.
What was the connection between them? Where should she start her investigation?
Seeing that Zhuyan had finished her examination, Shen Du asked, “Have you found anything?”
Zhuyan shook her head, her brows furrowed tightly in confusion. “I can’t quite figure it out. If the two cases aren’t related, then all our previous speculations were wrong. I feel in my gut that there’s a connection, but judging by the fire moth tattoo on the body, it shouldn’t have anything to do with Madam Tang.”
“Then… can you be certain?” Shen Du continued to ask.
Zhuyan didn’t respond immediately, as if deep in thought. After a while, she looked at Shen Du and said, “Let’s first find out who the deceased interacted with regularly.”
Shen Du nodded in agreement. Just as the group reached the doorway, they saw Yunque waiting there.
Shen Du looked disgusted but said nothing. Seeing everyone come out, Yunque joyfully rushed forward. “You’re finished? How was it? Did you find any clues?”
Everyone ignored her and headed straight for Wannian County, where the incident occurred.
Seeing that no one paid attention to her, Yunque wasn’t angered. She just happily followed along.
As she was about to squeeze next to Shen Du again, Qi Yeyun quickly stepped forward and held her back. “Look, stop causing trouble. This is a special time. If you keep pestering and anger the Grand Prefect, he might chop off your head with one stroke, and no one could stop him.”
Hearing Qi Yeyun’s words, Yunque became more restrained. She had long heard of Shen Du’s nickname “White King Yama” and his ruthless methods, which made her heart tremble. It was better to be more reserved.
Soon, the group arrived at the deceased’s home in Wannian County.
As they opened the old wooden door, a strong smell of blood wafted out.
Upon entering, Zhuyan immediately noticed writing on the wall of the deceased’s home. It read: “The scholars laugh at moths flying into fire, not knowing that they are mayflies, born in the morning and dead by night, not entering the cycle of rebirth. The moth passes through fire without dying and is reborn through the cycle.”
These words were like an incantation, flowing when spoken but seeming profound and impenetrable in meaning.
Zhuyan was puzzled. Finding nothing else in the room, she went out to inquire from the neighbors.
After extensive inquiries, Zhuyan finally learned more about the deceased. This person had retired to their hometown, and everything had been normal before. They were well-regarded, with neighbors praising them, and there had been no known disputes. It was unclear why they had met with such a violent death.
She also learned that the deceased’s husband had been an upright official with a good reputation. The fact that his wife had met such a tragic end was truly regrettable. Moreover, the surrounding residents had voluntarily raised money for the woman’s funeral, a touching display of affection.
Even the neighbors found the matter suspicious. Zhuyan was even more perplexed – how could such a good person become the target of a murderer?
After questioning the surrounding residents, Zhuyan returned to the deceased’s home.
Shen Du was leading a thorough search, with Yunque constantly following him.
In this girl’s eyes, it seemed there was no one else but Shen Du. Was he the only person in the world to her?