There is a god in the sky

Chapter 117 The Strange Case of Fuchunju 15

As dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight streamed in, Xiao Ji finished asking all the questions he wanted to ask.

The case was complete and seemed flawless, but Xiao Ji felt it was too easy.

Aunt Mu was not the most favored in the Prince's mansion. She only had a maid named Tao Hong by her side, so even if she wanted to meet Ma Long, it was not an easy thing.

"Has Lord Xiao finished asking his questions? Does he need me to sign and put my fingerprint on this document?" Aunt Mu asked proactively.

The clerk beside him handed the recorded confession to Xiao Ji.

"Make her sign it."

If there are no problems with this statement, this case may be over.

However, Xiao Ji still harbored some suspicion. This time, instead of having the young prince guard the suspect, he locked up Aunt Mu in the government jail.

After interrogating the others, Xiao Ji had several confessions in his hands.

Tao Hong's statement was the most useful.

She was Aunt Mu's personal maid, and Aunt Mu entrusted her with tasks that she herself couldn't easily do.

For example, she delivered letters to Ma Long a total of thirteen times.

She even suspected that her aunt and Officer Ma were a pair of star-crossed lovers separated by fate.

Although she felt that Officer Ma was inferior to the young prince in every way.

So when Aunt Mu said she wanted to send a message to Constable Ma yesterday, Tao Hong agreed without hesitation.

Knowing that the old woman delivering the food walked slowly, she deliberately helped her carry the food box and secretly slipped the note into the rice.

She was illiterate and had never seen the note before, so she had no idea what was written on it.

But she guessed it was nothing more than some words of concern.

"My lord, a kitchen maid has come by and brought something for you to see." Sui Feng held up something that looked like charcoal in a handkerchief for Xiao Ji to see.

Xiao Ji looked through it for a while and found a piece of spring in the charcoal.

"Is this a hidden blade? Where was it found?"

“The girl said she saw this in the stove this morning when she was burning it. She cleans the stove every night and was sure it wasn’t there last night, so she brought it to us.”

"This thing was brought from the woodshed to the kitchen, and it was even put into the stove to be burned, which shows that someone wasn't telling the truth."

Xiao Ji thought the case was almost closed, but the appearance of such a small thing almost overturned all the previous testimonies.

"The old woman who delivered the food, the maid Tao Hong, and the five guards are all imprisoned. This time, they will all be locked up together."

Some people lamented that Fuchunju was almost like a prison.

Hearing that Lord Xiao was going to use torture, they all hid far away, not daring to look even once.

Shen Lan looked at several confessions while hearing screams of torture.

Aunt Mu confessed to all her crimes, explaining the details of the crime, including how she cooperated with Constable Ma to commit the murder.

If it weren't for that burned hidden blade, the case would probably have ended there.

"how?"

Shen Lan joked, "It seems that all the cases handled by Lord Xiao go particularly smoothly, with someone always taking the initiative to take responsibility."

Xiao Ji sighed, "In my three years in the Criminal Investigation Department, I've seen the most bizarre cases this year."

"Every man for himself, but there are always some people whose lives are more important than their own, and who are willing to risk their lives to protect them."

"So you think Aunt Mu is taking the blame for someone else?"

"It's just a possibility, isn't it? The adults also have their doubts, otherwise they wouldn't be interrogating them here."

"The Mu family only has Madam Mu left, who has cried herself blind, and a young, unmarried sister. Neither of them seems like the murderer."

Shen Lan, assuming she was Aunt Mu, pondered and said, "They might not even be family."

"Oh?"

“If that person could give her love, guide her, and fulfill her wishes, she would definitely be willing to die.”

"Like Mataki?"

Shen Lan nodded.

Not long after, a new confession was delivered by the shadowy figure.

"The old woman who delivered the food confessed that she shot and killed Ma Long with a hidden dart when the guards weren't looking, then hid the dart in the food box and took it back to the kitchen, burning it at night when no one was around."

"What's the reason?"

She said she was just following orders.

"Whose orders should we take?"

Suiying shook her head. "She didn't know either. Someone threatened her with her son's life, and the hidden arrow was placed in her room by that person."

Shen Lan analyzed, "There are two groups of people. Aunt Mu's side is probably trying to save Constable Ma, while the other side wants to kill Constable Ma in order to keep the case going."

Therefore, the fact that Officer Ma still chose to commit suicide after reading the letter shows that he was not acting under the orders of Aunt Mu.

"There's someone else hiding. Who could it be?"

"Weren't there two other groups of people who went to steal the evidence that night? Aunt Mu could only have Ma Long as her command, so who commanded the other two?"

Sui Feng gritted his teeth in hatred, "What terrible things has the young prince done that so many people want to harm him?"

“If one’s heart is not upright, even if one holds a high position and wields great power, it will be difficult to win the hearts of the people,” Xiao Ji sighed.

Shen Lan no longer heard screams, and her brain functioned much more normally.

She said, "If the sixth victim really did fall into the tiger's mouth, can't we start the investigation from inside the prefect's mansion? There aren't many people who can enter the Hundred Beasts Park."

"Aunt Mu only helped deliver the body to Fuchun Residence each time. She didn't know where Ma Long killed the person, nor did she know where the remaining limbs were hidden. Now that Ma Long is dead, these may remain unsolved mysteries."

On that day, the young prince summoned all his wives and concubines to Fuchun Residence for questioning.

If he can produce one Concubine Mu, who knows if there might be a second Concubine Ruan or Concubine Liu?

Xiao Ji did not stop him. The identities of these concubines were sensitive and not something he could easily investigate.

He focused more of his energy on the three cases he had previously uncovered.

The case of the death of Magistrate Mu led them to find Aunt Mu, and perhaps the other two cases will also yield results.

In the afternoon, a scholar approached Xiao Ji.

"I am Chen Shu, courtesy name Mingzhi, and I have met Lord Xiao." The scholar was refined and cultured, and although he looked poor, he had an extraordinary air about him.

"What business do you have with me?"

If Xiao Ji hadn't seen this person's name in the files, he wouldn't have planned to meet him.

Chen Shu said excitedly, "I heard that Lord Xiao wants to reopen Brother Yang's case, so I came here specifically to plead my case. Please, Lord Xiao, listen to what I have to say."

Chen Shu was older than Xiao Ji, but in front of Xiao Ji, he still had to act as a junior.

"Tell me, the case may not be overturned, after all, words are not enough."

“My lord, Brother Yang is well-educated and reasonable, and he abides by the rules. He would never have an affair with a woman. He is focused on his studies and does not know that wealthy merchant’s daughter at all.”

"Even if they know you, they might not tell you, right?"

"No, Brother Yang and I have always lived together and were classmates. We talk about everything."

Chen Shu's attitude was overly emotional. More than half a year had passed since the case was filed, yet he was so persistent in trying to overturn Yang Shuo's case, which showed how deep their feelings were.

"Your few words alone are not evidence."

It's easy to prove that two people are related, but it's difficult to prove that they are not.

After all, the people involved are dead.

Chen Shu was clearly depressed.

His eyes were lifeless, and he said dejectedly, "I don't know what kind of evidence is needed to overturn his case. I thought Lord Xiao was a good official who spoke up for the people."

Xiao Ji said helplessly, "I am just passing by, and I am not the meddlesome official you think I am. The only breakthrough we can make is the young lady's personal maid."

"As far as I know, that maid was sold by Master Xu, but I roughly know where she was sold to."

Xiao Ji sent Sui Feng to go with Chen Shu to find the person. He wanted to question her personally. If the maid's testimony was consistent with what he had said before, then there would at least be a reason to overturn the case.