Chapter 22 This official wants to see her.

That night, the Zhao residence was as peaceful as ever.

It wasn't until after dawn that the steward, seeing that the master hadn't left the house, couldn't help but knock on the study door, but there was no response from inside.

He pushed the door, and it opened.

"Master, Madam?" The butler stood at the door for a moment and called inside.

The study was quiet.

He called out a few more times, but still received no response. Hesitantly, he entered the study and went around to the inner room.

As soon as he stepped inside, he smelled a strong, fishy stench. The butler was startled and quickly took a few steps. He found a large pool of blood on the ground, along with blood-stained footprints. The footprints were very small, seemingly left by a child of a few years old.

He stepped forward and lifted the tightly drawn bed curtains, revealing three people lying side by side on the bed.

The master and mistress, with young master Wenqi in between.

Of the three, only Young Master Wenqi had a normal complexion and was breathing evenly. The other two had lost all color in their faces, and below their faces, only bones remained on their necks exposed outside the blankets.

The butler only glanced at it before screaming and running out. He tripped and fell before leaving the house, his face covered in blood.

"The master is dead! Go report it to the police immediately!"

When the Jingzhao Prefecture heard that the deceased was the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief, they immediately sent someone to report it to the Ministry of Justice.

Soon, the Ministry of Justice sent someone to the Zhao residence, and the official leading the team was Xue Mingtang.

When Xue Mingtang heard the report from the Jingzhao Prefecture, he only heard that the dead were Zhao Ming and his mistress. When he arrived, he learned that Zhao Ming's parents had also died.

Now, the only one who can make decisions in the entire mansion is the unmarried second daughter, Zhao Wenyue.

When Zhao Wenyue woke up, she heard that her grandparents and biological father had all died overnight. She was completely stunned, and when she saw Xue Mingtang, the joy on her face was gone.

"Lord Xue... what happened to my father?" Zhao Wenyue asked anxiously, as if she were clinging to Xue Mingtang as her lifeline.

"I was just about to take the coroner to see the body, please wait a moment, Miss Zhao."

Xue Mingtang didn't waste any time with Zhao Wenyue. He summoned the Zhao family steward, who was of some use, and had him take them to Zhao Ming's study. He also sent another team to Zhao Ming's parents' house to examine their bodies.

The butler couldn't help but think of the scene just now as he approached the study, and didn't dare to go in. Xue Mingtang didn't force him, and had two subordinates guard the door before taking the coroner and the others inside.

When the butler ran out, he only remembered that his master was dead and completely forgot that Zhao Wenqi was still inside.

When Xue Mingtang saw the boy sleeping soundly next to the two corpses, he frowned. The boy had a deep knife wound on his face, but it had stopped bleeding. He turned his head and ordered, "Wake the child up."

A clerk from the Ministry of Justice stepped forward and patted Zhao Wenqi's face. Zhao Wenqi rubbed his eyes and sat up, still half asleep.

He hadn't figured out why he woke up in his father's study when he turned and saw his parents lying in bed. He called out, "Father, Mother."

Just as he was about to reach out to push his unresponsive parents, the clerk from the Ministry of Justice swiftly picked him up.

Zhao Wenqi was caught on a piece of cloth and struggled incessantly. His foot happened to hook onto the blanket, which was then pulled up.

Under the blanket, two skeletons lay side by side, their internal organs still in their original positions, only the flesh was gone.

They didn't disappear; they were neatly stacked beneath them.

Such a horrifying scene left even seasoned coroners from the Ministry of Justice speechless, let alone Zhao Wenqi, who was only a few years old.

He let out a short scream, then his eyes rolled back and he fainted.

"Sir, what about this child?" the clerk asked Xue Mingtang.

Xue Mingtang looked at the children's shoes that had been taken off beside the bed, then glanced at Zhao Wenqi's feet, and said, "Compare them with the footprints in the room."

The comparison results came out quickly: those bloody footprints were left by Zhao Wenqi.

"Take the person out for a look, and we'll talk again after the autopsy results are out."

"Yes." The clerk from the Ministry of Justice obeyed the order and carried Zhao Wenqi out.

Xue Mingtang's gaze swept over the two skeletonized corpses, his brows furrowed the entire time.

He left the coroner to examine the body, instructed his subordinates to search for other evidence in the inner room, and went to the study outside.

Xue Mingtang walked to the door, instructed his subordinates to not allow anyone to enter, and then closed the door to the study.

When he first met Zhao Ming, he left his personal jade pendant with him as a token. Now he needs to find it as soon as possible, and given Zhao Ming's cautious nature, he might have other preparations.

As Xue Mingtang pondered this, his gaze began to wander throughout the study.

He had been restless ever since he learned of Zhao Ming's murder.

The Mingjing Division was keeping a close eye on things, and he didn't want to go through the trouble of immediately dealing with Xiaolin, but Zhao Ming couldn't wait to ask him to fulfill their agreement and help him get rid of Xiaolin.

In addition, on the day of the Flower Festival, Kobayashi spoke rudely to his sister, so he used the Snow Needle Serpent and then cleaned up the mess, preventing the Mingjing Division from finding any clues.

Mr. Kobayashi had been dead for some time, and as expected, no one noticed anything amiss. He thought everything was over, but unexpectedly, something still happened.

Soon, Xue Mingtang found two hidden compartments in the study, one hidden behind a painting and the other hidden behind a bookshelf, obscured by a pile of books.

The first hidden compartment contained a box with a stack of silver notes, several gold ingots, and several land deeds underneath.

In another hidden compartment was a wooden box containing a stack of letters.

Xue Mingtang took out the stack of letters and, sure enough, found something in one of the middle letters.

The envelope contained the jade pendant he had given to Zhao Ming.

He took out the jade pendant and put it away, but couldn't help wondering if Zhao Ming might write down some evidence against him and put it in these envelopes.

Just as he was considering how to deal with the letters, the clerk guarding the door suddenly shouted, "Halt!"

Xue Mingtang's expression changed, and the next moment, the tightly closed study door shattered, and a wooden box flew out of the door.

The two people inside and outside the house exchanged a blow across the distance, causing the wooden box to explode and the letter inside to shatter into countless pieces that flew through the air.

Xue Mingtang put his slightly trembling hands behind his back and walked out with a calm expression.

Outside the study, Feng Yang, who had fought with him before, stood at the front, followed by a squad of Mingjing Guards.

"What does it mean to be appointed as a commander of a thousand households?" Xue Mingtang asked, his tone accusatory.

"Our Mingjing Division has taken over the Zhao family's case."

Xue Mingtang's face darkened, and his tone became firm: "There is no such rule. The case has already been handed over to the Ministry of Justice by the Jingzhao Prefecture. If you do not want me to get involved in this case, you will need the Ministry of Justice to issue an order."

"Is it not allowed for me to give the order?"

Just as Xue Mingtang and Feng Yang were locked in a stalemate, a deep voice came from behind them, and the guards of the Mingjing Division quickly formed two lines to make way for them.

Bai Xiuming wore a dark purple robe with wide sleeves and a straight hem, on which dark dragon patterns were faintly visible, appearing and disappearing as he walked.

He did not go to the yamen today, but came from the Ming Prince's mansion after learning of the Zhao family's troubles.

"Greetings, Lord Bai." Xue Mingtang bowed deeply. "Since it is Lord Bai who wishes to investigate this case, then this humble official will immediately take his men and leave."

"Leave?" Bai Xiuming looked at the scraps of paper scattered on the ground. "Until Lord Xue explains clearly what your intention was in destroying the letters at the crime scene, I'm afraid you can't leave."

Xue Mingtang immediately explained, "I thought it was an intruder breaking in, and I threw the wooden box in the study as a weapon. This was my fault, and I am willing to accept the punishment."

"So, Feng Yang startled Lord Xue?"

Cold sweat broke out on Xue Mingtang's forehead. He dared to confront Feng Yang, but he dared not disrespect this garrison commander, not because of Bai Xiuming's status, but because the other party's cultivation was enough to crush him.

"It is my fault."

"Since you have made a mistake, Lord Xue, you shall stay here and reflect on your actions for the time being."

After Bai Xiuming finished speaking, he walked towards the study.

At this moment, the coroner from the Ministry of Justice had finished examining the body and was surprised to find that it was actually people from the Mingjing Division who walked in.

Feng Yang stepped forward and asked, "What did they find?"

The coroner immediately reported the findings: "Your Honor, these two died from being sliced ​​alive. Strangely, the angle and force of each cut were exactly the same, something even the most skilled executioner could not achieve."

"My lord?" Feng Yang turned to look at Bai Xiuming.

Bai Xiu asked, "Who was that dead woman?"

"She is Zhao Ming's mistress. The son Zhao Ming recently adopted is his illegitimate child with this mistress."

How many people know the truth?

"Zhao Ming's parents should also be here; they're dead too."

Bai Xiuming pondered for a moment: "Send people to find the Lin family's grave, dig it up, open the coffin... and summon the soul."

"Yes." Feng Yang immediately sent someone out.

"Also... keep an eye on Ji Chan. I want to see her after the case is investigated."