Unable to make sense of it all, Zhu Yan returned to the courtyard. “Are you certain no one has visited him recently?”
“No…” The villagers shook their heads, looking at each other, indicating they hadn’t seen anyone.
“There are signs that more than one person has been living in the room. Think carefully, has anything strange happened recently, or have you heard any unusual noises at night?”
After pondering for a moment, they still shook their heads.
One of them spoke up, “Since he moved in, he’s lived here alone. We don’t live with him, so we can’t know everything.”
Others nodded in agreement. Zhu Yan didn’t press further. “Thank you all for your help. By the way, since you’ve all seen him, can anyone draw a portrait of him for us to post? This person is very important to the current case.”
“I’ll do it,” a sturdy villager volunteered. Others nodded, saying he was the only one who could draw.
“Thank you for your effort,” Zhu Yan nodded gratefully. The villager was then taken back by a yamen runner.
Zhu Yan began to reflect. So far, her grasp of the case was limited. It was necessary to meet the suspect, the victim’s brother Li Kairui.
Just as Zhu Yan was about to leave, Pan Chi quickly spotted her.
He appeared beside her shortly after she started walking. “Where are you going?”
Surprised by Pan Chi’s appearance, Zhu Yan glanced back at him. “I’ve finished examining this place and haven’t found much. I’m going to see the suspect now.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“No need,” Zhu Yan quickly said. “You should stay and help here. I’ll be fine on my own.”
Pan Chi stopped, looking back at Shen Du, who was investigating the scene not far away. His face darkened, eyes cold, and he shivered.
“Forget it, I’d rather be your assistant than stay here.” He quickened his pace to catch up with Zhu Yan, who smiled helplessly. “You’re quite afraid of him.”
“Who says I’m afraid? I’m just not bothering with him,” Pan Chi said righteously. “I can’t stand men with that kind of male chauvinism, always acting like they’re above it all, yet still doing mortal things. I wonder if they ever get tired.”
“Pfft…” Zhu Yan laughed at Pan Chi’s words. This Young Master Pan was indeed humorous.
“If you want to help, go to the yamen and get a portrait, then meet me at the prison.”
“Leave it to me,” Pan Chi said, and disappeared in a flash.
As a martial artist, he naturally moved faster than ordinary people. Now with Zhu Yan’s request, he was even more enthusiastic.
After returning to the yamen, Zhu Yan went directly to the prison. Li Kairui was still there. Seeing Li Kairui’s appearance, Zhu Yan had a rough idea of what the headless corpse might have looked like.
After all, they were brothers, and there would be some similarities.
Hearing someone approach, Li Kairui quickly turned to the prison door. Seeing it was a woman, the light in his eyes immediately dimmed.
Zhu Yan stopped in front of Li Kairui, looking at him scrutinizingly. “Are you Li Kairui?”
Hearing the woman call his name, Li Kairui was surprised. Zhu Yan had obtained his information from the jailer but needed to confirm.
“I am,” Li Kairui nodded repeatedly. “You are…?”
“My name is Zhu Yan. I’ve been sent by the imperial court.”
Hearing this, Li Kairui fell to his knees as if he’d seen his savior. “My Lady, I’ve been wrongly accused, My Lady.”
“Don’t rush to claim innocence. Just answer my questions,” Zhu Yan said calmly.
Li Kairui nodded repeatedly. “Yes, I’ll do anything as long as you can clear my name.”
Zhu Yan’s eyes darkened. “First, tell me in detail what happened that day. I need to understand the full story.”
“Alright.” Li Kairui spoke with determination. His account matched what Pan Chi had previously reported.
After he finished, Zhu Yan nodded seriously. At this moment, Pan Chi arrived with the portrait.
“How’s it going? Did I miss anything?” Pan Chi handed the portrait to Zhu Yan and asked straightforwardly.
Zhu Yan shook her head. Seeing Pan Chi’s respectful attitude towards Zhu Yan, Li Kairui became even more convinced of her identity.
“My Lady, I truly am innocent. Please investigate thoroughly,” Li Kairui, not wanting to miss any chance to plead his case, kowtowed twice more to Zhu Yan.
“Stand up first. Do you recognize the person in this portrait?” Zhu Yan said, presenting the portrait to Li Kairui.
Li Kairui recognized him immediately after a glance. “Isn’t this my brother’s neighbor… Liu Zongyuan?”
“How much do you know about him?” Zhu Yan asked, taking out a small notebook to record.
Li Kairui seemed to realize something and looked at Zhu Yan in disbelief. “My Lady, are you suspecting him? It can’t be. He’s not the killer.”
“We’ll be the judge of whether he is or isn’t. Just answer my questions,” Zhu Yan replied.
Hearing this, Li Kairui spoke no more and answered honestly, “He’s from out of town, a tenant of the neighbor. He’s a very good person. Since he moved in, he’s been in harmony with the neighbors and had an excellent relationship with my brother. On the day of the incident, I had invited him and my brother for drinks, but he had something to do that day and declined. As a result, no one can prove my innocence.”
“Do you know where he’s from?” Zhu Yan continued to inquire.
Li Kairui shook his head. “I’m not sure about the details. He’s just a merchant, but very clever. He even helped my brother with our family business, offering advice. He’s very friendly. The killer can’t be him.”
Hearing Li Kairui’s words, Zhu Yan fell into deep thought.
Li Kairui’s description matched what the neighbors had said. In essence, they all claimed Liu Zongyuan was a good person.
“What was he doing on the day of the incident? Do you know? Is there anyone who can confirm it?”
“I think he went to meet a friend. It’s been so long since it happened. If he were lying, the officials would have found out by now. So he’s innocent, just like me.”
“In your opinion, who is most likely to be the killer?”
Zhu Yan’s sudden question startled Li Kairui.
“What do you mean, My Lady? Are you suspecting me?”
“I just want to tell you that before a suspect is confirmed, everyone is suspicious. You can hardly protect yourself, yet you want to defend others. This will mislead my judgment.”
Zhu Yan’s words were righteous and conveyed firm authority, intimidating Li Kairui.
Pan Chi, standing nearby, looked at Zhu Yan admiringly. This woman’s demeanor was incomparable. He indeed hadn’t misjudged her.