An Xin, who saw this scene from a distance, suddenly narrowed her eyes. This Feng Lin not only seemed to be vengeful, but also quite cunning. Just as she was about to walk over, she saw Wang Baishi's expression suddenly change drastically. He stared straight ahead, and then knelt down with a thud.
An Xin was startled and followed his gaze. She saw a sedan chair slowly approaching in the distance. The curtain of the sedan chair was lowered, so she could not see the person inside. But anyone who could make Wang Baishi so afraid must be no ordinary person.
The county magistrate had already knelt down, and even if the people didn't know what had happened, they knew that following suit was the right thing to do. In an instant, a whole crowd of people knelt down, leaving An Xin standing alone on the side, like a crane among chickens.
A kind-hearted person tugged at An Xin and said, "Miss, someone very important must have arrived. Why don't you kneel down?"
An Xin had no concept of kneeling; she couldn't possibly approve of such a barbaric custom. But if she didn't kneel, standing out from the crowd would inevitably cause trouble. So, she reluctantly knelt down, only to see the sedan curtain slowly lifted...
Wang Baishi's voice rang out loudly: "This humble official, together with the people of Yi'an, respectfully welcomes Your Excellency the Right Chancellor!"
An Xin suddenly paused, then abruptly raised her eyelashes. "Right Prime Minister?!"
That's the same Right Chancellor who used official documents to roast meat, who held absolute power in the court, who manipulated the emperor to command the princes, and who almost got his father into legal trouble!
Oh? Then there's even less need to kneel!
That extraordinary person from the capital is truly remarkable!
The Prime Minister is usually elusive, but I never expected him to come to such a remote place for Shui Yue Rou. It's truly an eye-opener!
The sedan curtain that was about to be lifted somehow fell back down, leaving everyone craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the Right Prime Minister.
Right Chancellor!
A saying circulates in Dayi: "Lotus in the clouds, flowers on the roadside, the moon rises in the southern border, and the sunset glows in the western region." It is said that these represent four people. The "flower on the roadside" refers to the current powerful Right Chancellor, rumored to be so stunningly beautiful that even the wild datura flowers blooming on the roadside blush in her presence. What a magnificent sight that must be!
But such a person was deliberately hidden by the thin sedan curtain. How could everyone not be anxious, itchy, and scratching their heads in frustration?
Standing to one side of the sedan chair was a man in scarlet robes, his expression as indifferent as an unyielding glacier, and his voice icy as he said, "The lord has ordered that the case be solved as soon as possible, without delay!"
Wang Baishi trembled and hurriedly grabbed Feng Yi, saying, "Young Master Feng, quickly tell me who the real murderer is!"
Feng Yi then came to his senses. His gaze swept over the sedan chair and then inadvertently fell on An Xin. He was slightly taken aback and subconsciously looked at Feng Lin. Sure enough, the girl was clenching her fists and staring at him with a gloomy expression.
An Xin also noticed Feng Lin's gaze. She raised her eyelashes and their eyes met. One was as fierce as a tiger, while the other was indifferent and calm.
Fortunately, the two did not rush forward impulsively. If they had actually fought in front of the Right Chancellor, things would have been really bad!
Feng Yi took a deep breath and said, "Bring the four suspects up!"
An Xin's eyes flashed, and then she looked thoughtfully at the sedan chair. The curtain was lifted slightly, and it seemed that a gaze was lightly falling on her. An Xin felt that the gaze was somewhat familiar. After all, she had cleared her father's name at Lan Yue Palace, and that Right Prime Minister must have some impression of her. However, how could such a big figure remember a country bumpkin like her?
Given the immense power of the Right Chancellor and the fact that he nearly killed her father, she naturally felt no liking for him. With this thought in mind, she lost all curiosity and shifted her gaze to Feng Yi. Could the real culprit he spoke of be the same person as her?
As the four people were being led in, An Xin's cold gaze fixed on one spot. This was the real culprit! There was no escaping it!
☆ Chapter Seventeen: Who is the murderer?
As soon as the suspect arrived, everyone tensed up. Shui Yue Rou was clearly killed in a sealed room. How did the murderer kill her? This is perhaps the most puzzling mystery in this case!
Feng Yi smiled slightly and said, "Lin'er, I'm leaving her to you."
Feng Lin immediately smiled smugly and said, "Brother Yi, I already know who the murderer is, but I wonder if the murderer Lin'er mentioned is the same person as Brother Yi's!"
Feng Yi was the pride of his family, and he didn't need to take action on such a small case. As for agreeing to let Wang Baishi come here to solve the case, it was just to provide her with some experience!
Feng Yi crossed his arms and laughed, "This case was originally your sole responsibility, so my answer is that it doesn't matter who it is."
Feng Lin said, "Shui Yue Rou died at the hour of Zi in Shui Yue Pavilion. There was arsenic in her body and her lips were purple, which clearly indicates that she died of poisoning. Many people thought it was a suicide, but how could a person who commits suicide have ligature marks on their neck?"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone was shocked. These details were naturally not something that ordinary people would notice. Most people only saw a superficial appearance!
An Xin narrowed her eyes slightly. She had to admit that, so far, everything this woman had said was correct!
"This alone is enough to conclude that Shui Yue Rou was murdered!" Feng Lin said confidently.
Even though everyone already knew that Shui Yue Rou had been murdered, they still gasped in shock when the Feng family confirmed it. How could a murder have happened in a sealed room?!
"How exactly did the murderer kill Shui Yue Rou? As you can see, Shui Yue Rou did indeed die from poisoning. At that time, Shui Yue Rou's aunt was still in the shop and hadn't disappeared, so there was absolutely no way she would have had time to kill her! As for her uncle, he was always at the casino. Although he went to the toilet once, it was only for half an incense stick's time. It's impossible for him to travel back and forth between the casino and Shui Yue Pavilion in half an incense stick's time! Unless he has unparalleled lightness skills!" After saying this, Feng Lin suddenly attacked, and a fierce palm wind quickly slashed towards Fu Xin Ren. Fu Xin Ren couldn't dodge in time and was instantly hit, falling to the ground on the spot!
"He couldn't even withstand a casual move from me, let alone his unparalleled lightness skill!" Feng Lin withdrew her hand triumphantly. Feng Yi nodded approvingly, while Wang Baishi suddenly realized what she meant. The onlookers praised the girl's keen observation. She was just a little girl from the Feng family, yet she could easily solve such a complicated case. No wonder she was from a century-old family!
"As for Xu Huai'an, he made a living by writing calligraphy. When Shui Yue Rou died, he still handed over the calligraphy he had written to the person who asked for it, which means that he was still in the capital at that time. It takes a whole day to travel from the capital by carriage. At that time, it would have been impossible for him to come to Shui Yue Pavilion to kill someone!"
Feng Lin slightly raised her chin, giving An Xin a cold laugh. Yes, how could this woman compare to her? She was born into a prestigious family, of noble status, beautiful, and exceptionally talented. She had been pampered since childhood. How could she, an unknown and impoverished commoner, possibly compare to her?
How dare someone like that hit her! He's practically asking for it!
An Xin looked at her with a strange gaze, and Feng Lin's pride surged like waves. Envy? Jealousy? She had experienced countless such gazes since childhood. This was the difference! This was the hierarchy! This was something this woman could never overcome in her entire life!
“Miss, then the murderer is…” Wang Baishi rubbed his hands together, looking at Feng Lin uneasily.
Feng Lin curled her lips and sneered, "The answer is obvious! The murderer is her!" She pointed a finger, and everyone gasped in shock. The person she pointed at immediately turned ashen-faced!
An Xin relaxed slightly, stepped to the side, casually tore off a willow leaf and put it in her mouth to chew slowly. A faint bitterness filled her taste buds, but her eyes were clear and bright.
Inside the sedan chair, the gently swaying folding fan paused, and a soft laugh filled the air.
The man outside the sedan chair, his expression as cold as ice, asked, "Why is Your Excellency smiling?"
"The name of the Feng family is not commensurate with its reputation!" The tone was extremely beautiful, as moving as a zither string, sparse and lazy, yet it had an overwhelming domineering presence.
Shen Zhuo was puzzled and turned his gaze to Feng Lin. At this point, he felt that what the girl said seemed to be true.
"Ying Gu! You still won't admit your crimes!?" Feng Lin coldly rebuked.
Ying Gu suddenly staggered back a step, her face pale, and said, "I, I..."
"You already harbored murderous intent that day, because Shui Yue Rou almost killed you before she died! You didn't put the arsenic in her tea because you wanted to create an alibi. So you mixed the arsenic into her lipstick. Shui Yue Rou, unaware of this, applied the arsenic-laced lipstick to her lips. Then you talked to her about the xiaolongbao (soup dumplings). Shui Yue Rou suddenly had a craving for some, so you prepared the tea and left. The clueless Shui Yue Rou drank the water because she was thirsty, and then died from poisoning! What a brilliant scheme!"
The moment those words were spoken, the entire room went cold!
Good heavens! If Feng Lin says so, doesn't that mean Ying Gu has both an alibi and the ability to kill Shui Yue Rou in the secret room?!
Wang Baishi's face darkened as he roared, "Ying Gu, you still won't confess your crime!"
Ying Gu trembled and slowly collapsed to the ground, unable to utter a single word.
"How terrifying! They actually poisoned their own master to death!"
"I think it was Shui Yue Rou's brutal beating that made her want to kill! In a way, Shui Yue Rou brought it on herself!"
"The Feng family truly lives up to their reputation as upright and just families! This little girl is incredibly clever; she solved the case so easily at such a young age! Her reasoning was absolutely brilliant!"
...
A chorus of praise erupted. Feng Lin made no attempt to hide the smugness and pride in her eyes, her gaze sweeping over An Xin with cold disdain, silently saying, "Country bumpkin!"
Wang Baishi rubbed his hands together and respectfully looked toward the sedan chair, saying, "Sir, the murderer has been caught. Are you... alright now?"
Shen Zhuo coldly replied, "The lord has ordered that the execution be carried out immediately!"
Wang Baishi hurriedly agreed, then coldly shouted, "Why haven't you dragged this murderous maniac away yet!"
Ying Gu, her face pale, let herself be pulled along. A hand gently rested on her shoulder; the small hand, though not strong, seemed to possess an extraordinary, heartwarming power. Ying Gu's body trembled slightly, and she slowly raised her eyelashes.
She saw a pair of clear and firm eyes, which reflected her disheveled figure. At that moment, Ying Gu suddenly regretted her past actions and wanted to cry out in anguish for her difficult and painful life.
"Who dares to disturb me in the performance of my duties!" Wang Baishi shouted as soon as he saw An Xin!
An Daming suddenly cried out in a shrill voice, "An Xin! My lord! It was she who forced me to take down the official post! My lord, please investigate!"
Yang Hu's expression changed. He didn't know why An Xin would barge out at this time. If he didn't stop her, the adults might punish her as well!
Feng Yi's eyes flashed. She revealed the official list? Did she know from the beginning that this was a murder?
Upon hearing An Daming's words, Wang Baishi became even more enraged. The Right Prime Minister was here; if this woman angered him, no one would be able to escape unscathed!
"Guards! Someone, drag her away!"
An Xin slowly straightened up, her gaze falling lightly on Wang Baishi, her voice clear and fearless as she said, "Does Your Excellency intend to disregard human life in front of the Right Chancellor?"
Wang Baishi's facial muscles twitched, and he pointed directly at An Xin, angrily saying, "You, what nonsense are you talking about!"
An Xin said calmly, "I said, Ying Gu is not the murderer. Are you trying to deceive the Right Prime Minister by disregarding human life? If that's the case, then so be it. Do you also want the Right Prime Minister to bear the blame for disregarding human life?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell into a deathly silence!
---Aside---
A full chapter, please add it to your favorites~
Chapter 18 Life is Innocent
The Feng family, a century-old clan, has never misjudged a murder case. Yet today, they have been refuted by an unknown girl. This is undoubtedly a provocation against the Feng family's century-old reputation!
The first to react was Feng Lin, who suddenly shouted, "You dare question my reasoning!?"
An Xin remained calm and said indifferently, "The wrong will inevitably be questioned! Wrongfully convicting the innocent while letting the real culprit go unpunished will leave the dead weeping and their souls restless!"
Feng Lin gritted her teeth and sneered, "Who do you think you are? You bumpkin who doesn't understand the secrets of solving cases dares to question me!?"
An Xin's eyes were clear as evening stars, but her voice was slightly unsteady: "The essence of solving a case... isn't the essence of solving a case to reveal the truth?!"
Feng Yi looked at the girl in front of him with a strange expression. Her appearance was not stunning, but she had an unforgettable temperament. That temperament was hidden in her skin and bones, which was elegant, outstanding and righteous!
A gentle breeze suddenly swept across the lake of his heart, rippling its surface, and the young man was momentarily lost in thought.
"You think you can bring the truth to light?! You think you can outdo my Feng Clan's centuries of experience? You lowly, despicable person!" Feng Lin said the last four words with viciousness.
Shen Zhuo's icy voice rang out: "The lord has given the order, and it is approved!"
Feng Lin's expression suddenly turned somewhat unpleasant.
Wang Baishi shuddered. Originally, the matter had been resolved, and he didn't care who the murderer was, as long as the murderer was found. However, he didn't expect that a Cheng Yaojin would suddenly appear, making the originally clear case confusing again. He had already planned to hold An Xin accountable as well, but he never expected that the Right Prime Minister would actually believe it!
This is terrible! If the murderer really isn't Ying Gu, then he will definitely be punished for his misjudgment. Thinking of this, Wang Baishi broke out in a cold sweat. The Right Chancellor's temperament is unpredictable! Moreover, he always has clear likes and dislikes, and if he dislikes something, the consequences are usually not good!
An Xin said calmly, "Before pointing out the murderer, let me first tell you how Shui Yue Rou died. Because there was arsenic in Shui Yue Rou's body, everyone thought that Shui Yue Rou died of poisoning, but in fact, Shui Yue Rou was already dead before she was poisoned!"
Everyone was shocked, and someone asked in disbelief, "How can a dead person be poisoned?!"