Chapter 12: Suspected Visitor 1
Du Ruyue, the daughter of Du Zhimo, the Minister of Rites and Left Censor-in-Chief, and Liu Fang, the daughter of Liu Wei, the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, were killed one after the other, with tragic appearances. As the modus operandi was the same, the two cases were combined into one big case for trial. In the court, Du Zhimo was still able to remain calm, but Liu Wei, who regarded his daughter as the apple of his eye, could not control his grief and fainted in court. After the court was dismissed, Emperor Xuanhe left the decision in the imperial study.
"Two people have died, how come there are still no clues?"
Cheng Jue said: "The murderer came prepared and acted carefully and meticulously. Every step seemed to have been rehearsed countless times beforehand, leaving no clues behind."
Emperor Xuanhe was furious, but the anger dissipated as soon as it rose. If others had not found out anything, they would have apologized with fear and trepidation. Only Cheng Jue would stand in front of him and tell him the truth, without hiding anything, and without any intention of doing anything wrong. Whatever Cheng Jue said must have been the result of his best efforts.
Emperor Xuanhe looked at him and seemed to see Feng Jue, his proudest sister who had never given up in the past.
"Both Du Zhimo and Liu Wei are important officials of the court. This case must be solved quickly. Otherwise, it will cause a lot of discussion and instability in the court. Who knows what will happen in the future." Emperor Xuanhe asked in a deep voice, "Chengjue, are you sure you can solve the case?"
"I will do my best to find out the truth of the case as soon as possible." Cheng Jue thought of something, and his eyes revealed a bit of tenderness. He added, "If I can solve this case, I would like to ask for grace from Your Majesty."
Cheng Jue didn't ask for anything easily. The last time he did it seemed to be for the little female official in the Dali Temple. Emperor Xuanhe became interested: "Tell me first."
Cheng Jue said, "I have been in the Dali Temple for the past few years, and I have reached the right age to get married. I never thought about getting married until I met someone I like. Now that I have met someone, I want to spend the rest of my life with her. I hope Your Majesty will agree to this."
He is the child of Princess Fengjue, a legitimate royal bloodline, and if he wants to get married, it must be arranged by Emperor Xuanhe. Since it has been determined that it is that person, Cheng Jue does not want to wait any longer, if His Majesty intends to let him marry someone else, it will be troublesome to deal with it at that time.
"Or is it the young female official from your Dali Temple, the one with the surname Zhou?"
"To answer your majesty, it is her."
Emperor Xuanhe's eyes flashed with a strange emotion. He didn't agree or refuse directly, but just said: "The most important thing now is the current case. It won't be too late to discuss the rest after the case is settled. Besides, you are my nephew. Your mother is not around, and I am your closest elder. Your marriage cannot be decided in a few words. I have to take good care of it."
Cheng Yude was suspicious, his brows slightly furrowed, and without saying anything more, he bowed and said, "I obey your order."
The palace maid escorted Cheng Jue out of the palace. Emperor Xuanhe pinched his sore forehead and sighed deeply.
Liang Duoshi, the chief eunuch, asked, "Your Majesty, are you tired?"
"Wei Qing's personality is exactly the same as his mother's. At that time, Feng Jue was determined to marry Cheng Jin, regardless of Cheng Jin's background or career. Once he fell in love with her, he would not care about anything else. Now Wei Qing is the same. If I issue an order today, he would wish to marry Zhou Zhenzhen tomorrow."
Liang Duoshi smiled and said, "It's good that the son looks like his mother."
"I don't have the idea of marrying someone of equal status, but this Zhou Zhenzhen..."
After Cheng Jue spoke up for Zhou Zhenzhen for the first time, Emperor Xuanhe ordered the secret guards to investigate her background. The secret guards of the royal family were all first-class in their ability to investigate, but after nearly a month of investigation, they only found out that Zhou Zhenzhen had lived in various places, learned hypnosis, carved wood carvings, and entered Chang'an City at the beginning of this year, working as a handyman in the Manyue Teahouse. As for her origins and her family background, they did not find anything useful.
This person is like a painting, with herself splashing layer after layer of colorful paint on it, suppressing her true appearance and preventing people from knowing it.
If it weren't for her dedication in the Dali Temple and Cheng Jue's respect for her, Emperor Xuanhe would not have kept her for so long. But if Cheng Jue wanted to marry such a woman of unknown origin, he was really worried.
Liang Duoshi has been with Emperor Xuanhe for decades, and can be said to be the person who understands him best: "Master Cheng has a delicate mind, and I guess Master Cheng has also thought about your concerns. Even if he has never thought about it before, he should be able to see through it from your Majesty's words just now. With Master Cheng's ability, it won't be difficult for him to find out the details of someone around him, so your Majesty can relax."
Emperor Xuanhe opened his eyes and said thoughtfully, "I just hope that he will not be blinded by this love affair and can still maintain his smart and clear nature."
"Master Cheng is the son of the Princess and the Minister of the Central Secretariat. He will definitely not disappoint Your Majesty."
"I hope so."
Cheng Jue walked to Qing'an Gate, where Deputy Commander Zeng Tai was. Cheng Jue usually didn't smile much, and his expression was no different from usual, but Zeng Tai still felt that something was wrong with him... as if there was a hint of sadness between his brows.
"Master Cheng, what's the problem?"
Cheng Jue rubbed his face, not realizing that his expression was so obvious. He shook his head and said, "Nothing."
Having said that, he still felt a little anxious.
After walking out of Qing'an Gate, Cheng Jue thought about it and decided to go to the Manyue Teahouse.
The door of the teahouse was wide open to welcome guests. The cold gaze suddenly became gentle when it touched the cute figure. Zhou Zhenzhen held the crab in one hand and waved the other hand, saying something to Meng Fan beside her. The dimple on her cheek softened the scorching sunlight into the shallow moonlight at midnight.
Emperor Xuanhe's attitude towards Zhou Zhenzhen must have a reason. Cheng Jue was completely sure about it, but now he couldn't help but think about it more carefully.
"Zhenzhen, what on earth are you hiding from me?"
Afternoon, Detective Department.
When Zhou Zhenzhen and the other two came back from the Full Moon Teahouse, Cheng Jue was already there. Zhou Zhenzhen pursed her lips and looked at Cheng Jue with a smile. He was slightly startled and nodded gently.
Zhou Zhenzhen inexplicably felt that something was not right. Doubts turned over in her mind and then surged up, but she finally suppressed them under her lips and tongue.
Cheng Jue looked away and tapped the table with one finger: "Everyone, sit down!"
The three of them sat down, and Cheng Jue said, "I have already reported the case that happened in the past few days to His Majesty. His Majesty ordered the Dali Temple to solve the case as soon as possible to comfort the family of the deceased and to reassure the country and the court. I called you here because of this case. Meng Fan, tell me what you know first."
"On August 14, in the Kuailv Villa built by Prince Min, Du Ruyue, the daughter of Du Zhimo, the Minister of Rites and the Left Censor-in-Chief, fell from the rockery in the backyard. Her limbs and head were shattered, and her face was bloody and unrecognizable. Zhou Zhenzhen and Zheng Xiangru, the head of the Ministry of Justice, were present at the time of the crime. Du Ruyue died between 9:00 and 5:00 that day. Her limbs and head were cut so that only a layer of skin was attached. They were connected with a machine and controlled by someone far away, so Zhou Zhenzhen saw Du Ruyue fall with her own eyes. But the murderer had frozen the body, which led to the initial speculation that the time of death was between 5:00 and 5:00. Therefore, no one who was in the Kuailv Villa at the time was suspected."
"On August 19, in the Muer Tower in Chang'an City, Liu Fang, the daughter of Liu Wei, the left vice minister of the Ministry of War, was dropped on the roof by a rope and then fell to death on the spot. There was a voice transmitter placed by the murderer on the roof. Before Du Ruyue and Liu Fang died, their brothers received a doll with similar words written on the back, asking Du Rufeng and Liu Yan to rush to the crime scene. According to Liu Yan, who had communicated with the murderer, the murderer asked him to choose between his life and his sister's life. He finally chose himself, and Liu Fang was killed."
Zhou Zhenzhen got goose bumps on her arms when she heard this. She was the only one who witnessed the miserable plight of Du Ruyue and Liu Fang. Fortunately, she called out to Zheng Xiangrui at Kuailv Villa that day and made her turn back. Otherwise, if a weak girl like Zheng Xiangrui had seen it, she would have been scared to death.
Cheng Jue half closed his eyes and didn't speak for a while. After Meng Fan finished speaking, the entire Detective Department fell silent.
Zhou Zhenzhen frowned and looked over, but Cheng Jue suddenly opened his eyes. The light in his eyes made her heart tremble, and then she heard him say, "What do you think?"
"From the methods and the choice of targets, we can now conclude that the two cases were committed by the same person. This person is not only scheming, but also very familiar with the streets and alleys of Chang'an City. That's why he even knows about a secret place like Hexi Tower. In addition, this person is proficient in mechanical skills and was able to carry Liu Fang to such a high Mu'er Tower without anyone noticing. He must be a strong man..."
Cheng Jue's eyebrows moved almost imperceptibly. Others would not notice it much, but Zhou Zhenzhen could detect even the slightest movement of his. Of course, she saw it. She stopped talking and did not say anything else.
The room fell into a strange silence again.
Meng Fan secretly covered his chest. Why did he feel that something was wrong today? Everyone looked weird?
At this moment, the door was pushed open, and cold wind blew in, making Zhou Zhenzhen shiver. Yan An's face was pale, with blue stubble on his chin, and he had a strange smell on his body, both fishy and rancid.
Meng Fan pinched his nose and stood up: "Doctor Yan, what are you talking about?"
Yan An shook his hands and snorted unhappily: "How about letting you stay awake all night with two corpses?"
He took a deep breath, bowed to Cheng Jue, and said, "I carefully examined the two bodies, and from the food residues taken from Liu Fang and Du Ruyue's mouths, I detected a faint scent of crabapple flowers..."
"You..." Meng Fan felt so sick that he felt nauseous. He leaned against the wall and coughed violently a few times. Huo Chi also looked not very well.
Yan An chuckled and continued, "According to my identification, both of them were poisoned by a drug called 'Begonia'. This drug is mixed in food, and just a little bit of it can knock out an adult."
"So, Du Ruyue and Liu Fang were both drugged by the murderer and then abducted, but..."
Zhou Zhenzhen said: "Du Ruyue leaves Chang'an every year to go to Suizhou to worship her mother. Normally, she shouldn't be in Chang'an on August 14th. Why is she in Chang'an? Could it be that the murderer targeted her as soon as she left the city?"
Cheng Jue stood up, and several people followed suit. This case was of a bad nature, but it seemed like an unsolved case so far. The strange dolls that appeared, the choice game that cost human lives, the murderer who was cleverly arranged and controlled everything from a distance... all these were things that Cheng Jue had never encountered since he took over the Dali Temple.
As the atmosphere became tense, Cheng Jue chuckled softly. The other people looked at each other, wondering if Lord Cheng had gone mad and was about to have a stroke.
Cheng Jue laughed enough and waved his hand: "Go and do your own things!" Then Cheng Jue left the Detective Department. Meng Fan nudged Zhou Zhenzhen's arm with his elbow and pointed his chin towards the opposite side.
Zhou Zhenzhen understood, took a deep breath, and bravely went to be a pathfinder.
Cheng Jue stood in front of the desk, threw the messy files aside, took a new piece of rice paper and spread it out. Before he dipped his pen into ink, he saw a shadow peeking out from the corner of his eye. He pretended not to see it and continued writing and drawing.
After a long time, the person outside finally couldn't control himself anymore and knocked on the door: "Master Cheng..."
"What's up?"
The voice outside paused for a moment, and then became quieter: "It's nothing, I just came to ask if Master Cheng is hungry?"
Cheng Jue almost laughed out loud, and answered in a straight voice, "I'm not hungry."
"oh……"
Although there was a door between them, Cheng Jue could still imagine her with her head hung and a look of frustration on her face.
After a moment, the voice became three times quieter: "Then I won't bother you anymore, Master."
At this time, Cheng Jue stopped writing and said compassionately, "Come in, Zhenzhen."
Zhou Zhenzhen pushed open the door. All her previous thoughts of finding out information disappeared during this time. She had no confidence and could no longer figure out Cheng Jue's thoughts. She stood there looking a little timid.
Cheng Jue glanced at her and said with a mischievous smile, "How can you trick me from such a distance? Come here."
Zhou Zhenzhen blushed and slowly moved to his side. She glanced at the rice paper on the table and was stunned: "Master Cheng painted Kuailu Villa?"
Cheng Jue put down his pen, grabbed her slender white wrist and pulled her towards him. In a blink of an eye, she was in front of him and he hugged her from behind, with his chin resting on her neck. The tip of his nose was behind her ear, and his breath gently tickled her mind, and her face was very hot. But he seemed not to notice, and took her finger and placed it on the paper, and said seriously: "When the crime happened, you were standing at this position, and Zheng Xiangrui was sitting here... Du Ruyue fell from here. The murderer must have pulled the mechanism rope on the opposite side of the rockery, so that Du Ruyue could fall like this, right?"
Zhou Zhenzhen nodded dazedly. Cheng Jue chuckled and took a new piece of rice paper. He held her hand and sketched on the paper: "The roof of the Muer Building, the sound transmission mechanism is embedded here... There is a road in front of the building, there is no shelter, and the murderer cannot hide. The murderer must be in the small woods at the back... Like this, right?"
"Yeah……"
…
"Zhou Zhenzhen wants to marry Master Cheng, is that right?"
"Yes..." As soon as the words came out of her mouth, Zhou Zhenzhen suddenly realized that something was wrong. She struggled and said hurriedly, "I'm not, I..."
"I knew Zhenzhen had deep feelings for me, but I didn't expect you to be so eager to become her wife." Cheng Jue sighed pretentiously and said, "Well, you are much younger than me, so I will naturally follow your will in these matters, so that people won't accuse me, Cheng Jue, of bullying a little girl."
Zhou Zhenzhen finally realized that she was set up. She turned around in his arms, her eyes watery, shy and angry, her face pretty and covered with blush: "I didn't know that Master Cheng was so bad before."
