Половины жизни, посвященной музыке и макияжу

Глава 101

Author's Note: There will be an update next Tuesday at 9 AM!

======================This is the dividing line for analyzing the case===============================

The last chapter of Case 5 has already explained what Yidulou and Qingli and others did, so I won't go into details here.

The man with blue eyes was the one who had met with Su Chen earlier.

When Su Chen killed his first person, it was purely out of revenge. Therefore, there was no smile on the face of the first corpse.

Later, people from the building found him, gave him pills containing the effects of Five-Stone Powder, and trained him to be a killing machine.

Therefore, the four people who were subsequently murdered all had smiles on their faces.

So why did the Liao people do this? This wasn't just a simple murder case; there were many benefits involved.

For example, acquiring information, eliminating dissidents, or threatening the living with the dead...

Now, let's talk about Li Lingke. Li Lingke wasn't involved in the murder, but he did possess the antidote for Zhan Yunzhong's poison.

Moreover, the antidote had been hidden inside the hairpin and given to Duan Chen long ago by the fortune teller at the foot of Yu Liu Mountain.

He also warned Duan Chen to be careful. I haven't gone into the details, but you should think about it.

What does it mean that Li Lingke was able to get his hands on the only antidote that Qingli had?

The relationship between the Liao, Song, and Western Xia dynasties at that time was very delicate, and political matters are never absolute.

Each side has its own allies, creating a three-way power struggle. Li Linke was merely giving Duan Chen a heads-up.

He also gave her the antidote, partly out of affection for her.

On the other hand, if Duan Chen doesn't die, the case will be solved, and the court will take action against the Liao Kingdom. How could he not benefit from that?

People in the imperial court, including those in the Liao Kingdom, are all like Li Lingke; they can't possibly do things for only one reason or with only one purpose.

The actual process is quite complex, and regardless of which outcome it ultimately leads to, they will all benefit.

It's just a matter of degree, and whether the benefits are immediate or long-term.

If there's anything you don't understand, just say so. Everyone says they don't understand, but no one says what they don't understand, so this is the only way I can explain it.

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A brief preview of the next article:

The male lead has already been introduced to everyone: Zhao Qi, courtesy name Yizhi, and in the new story, he is called Jingyi.

As for the female lead, well, she's already appeared before, but I guess most people didn't notice, and I didn't intentionally write about her.

The new story is a food and suspense novel with a focus on heartwarming moments. It will be released once the current case is resolved.

Hope you all will support us! Feel free to join our group so we can chat together~ O(∩_∩)O Haha~

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Chapter Six: Grapes and Crimson Lotus...

Three days passed in this manner, and the group still hadn't found any more clues, nor had anyone come to Kaifeng Prefecture to report the case. The case seemed to have reached a stalemate. Duan Chen went to the coroner's office every day to examine the bodies and made a list of the clues he had obtained from the three deceased's former residences and the bodies, comparing them one by one, but still without any results.

Seeing that Duan Chen hadn't been eating or sleeping well for several days, her cheeks were noticeably thinner, and there were faint bluish tinges under her eyes, Zhan Yun felt a pang of heartache. However, she knew Duan Chen was stubborn and couldn't be forced to listen. Therefore, she helped Duan Chen organize the clues while also trying various ways to coax her into eating fruit. But Duan Chen wasn't like most girls; she didn't like snacks, never touched pastries, and seemed indifferent to candied fruits. Zhan Yun could only place some fresh fruit like grapes on the table, and when no one was around, she would occasionally feed her a few.

It was just past noon when the two sat in Zhan Yun's room looking at files. The sun was blazing outside, so Zhan Yun moved his desk to the back window, where it was cooler and the view was more serene. Opening the window, they could smell the delicate fragrance of lotus flowers.

Zhan Yun gently fanned himself beside him, noticing that the man's brows were slightly furrowed, his phoenix eyes half-closed, as he intently wrote something on the Xuan paper. To keep Duan Chen company, the two even ate lunch indoors. Fortunately, no one else was in the manor, so the prince and princess let them be.

Xiao Changqing, always eager to keep busy, seeing that Duan Chen couldn't offer any help, dragged Zuo Xin along for a boat trip on the lake, insisting they try the famous Lotus Banquet of Bianjing. Zhou Yufei, besides this case, had other work to do, and during these few days of free time, he was running all over the capital, returning home much quieter each evening. Zhao Ting, on the other hand, entered the palace early in the morning. Originally, the three of them planned to visit Zhao Qi together, but considering the potential commotion, they decided to wait until things calmed down. Zhao Ting already frequently visited the emperor, so going alone wouldn't seem too abrupt.

As Zhan Yun pondered, she picked up a grape and brought it to Duan Chen's lips, her crescent-shaped eyes holding a faint smile: "Open your mouth."

Duan Chen was pondering the connection between the three deceased when he heard Zhan Yun's words. He didn't think much of it and subconsciously parted his lips. The cool, sweet grape entered his mouth, but the other person's finger was still lingering on his lips. Duan Chen looked up and saw Zhan Yun's smiling eyes.

Gently stroking the soft, slightly damp lips, his fingertips felt as if they were the delicate petals of a peony after the rain. His eyes deepened, and just as he leaned in to kiss her, he heard the door behind him being pushed open. A hint of annoyance flickered across Xingzhi's brow, but then he caught a glimpse of the faint smile in Duan Chen's eyes, and his cheeks flushed pink. With a sigh, he had no choice but to give up.

Suppressing his resentment and regaining his usual gentle and refined demeanor, Zhan Yun turned to look at the newcomer. He saw Zhou Yufei in a royal blue uniform, his face slightly turned away, his fist to his lips, coughing twice, and whispering, "I'm sorry..."

Zhou Yufei turned to look at the two men, his forehead covered in a thin layer of sweat and his cheeks flushed, clearly having run all the way back. His expression was solemn: "The young lady of the Shi family in the south of the city was just found drowned in her own pond. After the body was dragged out, it was discovered that her heart had been removed. As soon as Lord Cao received the news, he sent someone to inform me, saying that everyone should go and see if it was related to the case from a few days ago."

Duan Chen and Zhan Yun exchanged a glance and hurriedly followed Zhou Yufei out of the house. Zhao Tingjin hadn't returned from the palace yet, and the other two probably wouldn't return to their residences until dark, so the three of them boarded the Prince's carriage and headed south towards the city.

Led by the steward to the backyard, they saw that the constables from Kaifeng Prefecture had already arrived, and the coroner was examining the body inside. Faint noises could be heard from inside, as if some argument had broken out. Zhou Yufei wiped his face and glanced at Duan Chen: "You and Xingzhi continue investigating; I'll go in and see what's going on."

A constable quickly approached and led the two to the pond behind the house, explaining rapidly, "When we arrived, Miss Shi's body had already been retrieved and placed in her bedroom. Lord Cao has given orders that in the event of another murder, no strangers are allowed near the scene, and no object is to be touched." The young constable waved to a few people on the other side of the pond, then smiled at the two, "We've already spoken to the steward; a few men are guarding this area, and no one has been allowed near the pond since we arrived. Miss Shi's bedroom is locked, and her body is currently in the next room."

Zhan Yun nodded approvingly, cupping his hands in greeting to the constables with a faint smile on his lips: "Thank you all for your hard work."

The constable hurriedly waved his hand, looking somewhat embarrassed: "No, no! It's all part of our job. Lord Cao has already given instructions that if you need anything, just let us know. If we all work together, we can quickly find the murderer and restore peace to the people."

Upon hearing this, Duan Chen couldn't help but secretly admire Cao Minde's skill in leading his men. He nodded to the constable and then looked at the double-ringed lotus pond beside him. The pale pink lotuses were in full bloom, their large leaves densely packed together, faintly revealing the emerald green water flowing beneath. Unlike the lotus ponds in ordinary mansions, which carried a faint fragrance of lotus blossoms, the pond before him emitted a strange odor. Everyone present knew it was the smell of blood mixed with lotus blossoms, a faint, sweet-smelling stench that made them feel uneasy from the bottom of their hearts.

Duan Chen walked halfway around the pond, then looked at the constable from before: "Could you please ask the people in the manor for some bamboo poles, the longer the better?"

The constable responded and hurried to the front of the house to find the steward. Zhan Yun, fanning himself with a folding fan, looked around the pond, then at Duan Chen standing a little further away: "You mean..."

Duan Chen nodded slightly: "Whether it was done by the previous murderer or not, they wouldn't throw someone into the pool for no reason." So there might be some clues left in this pool.

Soon, the constable returned carrying seven or eight bamboo poles, each about half a meter long. Zhan Yun reached out and took one, gesturing for the other constables to each take one as well. The group then gathered around the pond, using the bamboo poles to lift away the layer of lotus flowers covering the water.

The pale pink lotus flowers, stained with mud, lay crookedly on the edge of the pond, their emerald green leaves stirred up. Soon, the entire pond was revealed to be its original state. Because of the stirring with bamboo poles, the water was no longer its normal clear emerald green, but rather tinged with a faint scarlet, and the previous sweet, fishy smell became even more pronounced. Two constables nearby, leaning on bamboo poles, nodded a few times, somewhat dizzy, before one of them stumbled and fell directly into the pond.

Zhan Yun quickly reached out and pulled him up, then called over the other two to help him up: "Don't get heatstroke from the sun. There's nothing else here, you can go inside and rest for a while and have some tea."

Several constables thanked him profusely and helped each other walk towards the front of the house. Zhou Yufei strode over, waving a round fan he'd found somewhere, fanning himself while tugging at his clothes with the other hand. His tone was somewhat irritated: "That old man surnamed Shi is incredibly stubborn. He absolutely refused to let old man Shui examine the girl's body. I had to use so much of my persuasion, even bringing in the Kaifeng Prefecture's Ministry of Justice, using a combination of coaxing and intimidation, before he finally went back to his room to rest, looking back every few steps..."

Seeing him sweating profusely, Zhan Yun knew that he must have been tormented just now, so she quickly and gently advised, "Don't be angry. His daughter just passed away. She was a pure and innocent girl. It's no wonder he was unwilling to have to expose her body to strange men after her death."

Zhou Yufei glanced at the crimson pool water, sniffed, and then looked at the two of them again: "Is there something wrong with this pool water?"

Duan Chen and Zhan Yun exchanged a glance, pondered for a moment, and nodded slightly: "We'll find some containers to take back later and examine it carefully. Two constables seemed to have a reaction to this smell earlier."

"What's the reaction?" Zhou Yufei fanned his nose with a fan, then frowned. "To be honest, this smell is a bit strange. Why do I feel so hot just from smelling it?"

Zhan Yun smiled faintly: "Those two constables were both dizzy and disoriented; one of them almost fell into the pond. I didn't smell anything, but what about you, Chen'er?"

Duan Chen frowned slightly and answered truthfully, "I just think it tastes a little fishy and sweet, but I don't have any other feelings."

The three of them walked back to the front yard as they talked. Zhou Yufei asked a constable to find some tools to fill up some water from the pond and bring it back to the government office.

The old coroner was conducting a preliminary examination inside the room when he saw the three men enter. He greeted them with a smile: "Lord Zhou, Young Master Zhan, Young Master Duan."

Duan Chen noticed that the woman's hair was loose and without any beads or earrings, but her clothes were neat and tidy, and she had a light pink veil tied around her arm. He couldn't help but frown.