Chapter 482: It’s not suicide, it’s homicide!

Xie Yingmian said, "The file clearly states that there was a fist-sized water stain on Madam Liu's back. No water stain was found on the ground. Because of the hot weather, four hours had passed between the time Madam Liu was killed and the time her body was discovered. The water stain on her clothes had evaporated considerably."

"We can speculate that there might be more moisture on Liu Niangzi's clothes than at the time of the crime. Or perhaps there was moisture on the ground as well, but it had already dried."

Ji Yunzhang agreed with this view.

He waited for Xie Yingmian to continue.

Xie Yingmian: "The file clearly states that the window is intact and undamaged, but there are a few scratches on two of the window frames."

The coroner drew the scratch marks.

Xie Yingmian asked Fu Mo to find an extremely sophisticated crossbow that was less than the size of a palm.

"Master Ji, look at this mark. Does it look like it was caused by a crossbow of similar size?"

Ji Yunzhang deals with cases all year round.

He already understood what Xie Yingmian meant.

"Princess Ling meant that the arrows on the crossbow were replaced with ice spikes. When Madam Liu was using the restroom, she triggered the crossbow mechanism, causing the ice spike to shoot out and hit Madam Liu's heart."

Xie Yingmian: "Yes and no."

Ji Yunzhang said, "According to Princess Ling's reasoning, the murderer had to pull the trigger of the crossbow to fire the ice cone, but don't forget that the purification room is a secret room."

"The windows of the toilet were very high, and the gaps between the window frames were very small. If the murderer wanted to shoot Madam Liu from the window, he would need a ladder or other tools, and he would also need to aim at Madam Liu's heart."

"It rained the night Madam Liu died. The soil in the yard behind the window is soft and soft. If there was a ladder or someone approached, they would have left footprints."

"It was already daybreak when Madam Liu died, and the mansion was bustling with people coming and going. It would have been impossible for the murderer to kill in public."

"So, I don't think your reasoning is valid."

Xie Yingmian said, "I never said that the murderer was Madam Liu who was shot on the spot."

Ji Yunzhang was startled: "You mean..."

Xie Yingmian nodded: "Mechanism."

"If we examine the toilet bowl used by Madam Liu, we should be able to find some clues."

Ji Yunzhang immediately returned to the Dali Temple.

Not long after, Ji Yunzhang hurried back.

"Princess Ling, I've found a new clue." Ji Yunzhang glowed. "There's a tiny hole drilled into the toilet pedal. It's very small, and I found a small piece of fishing line in it."

"We simulated a crime scene, where one end of the fishing line was tied to the toilet pedal and the other end was attached to the trigger of a crossbow."

"There's a mechanism on the toilet bowl, so if no one's using it, it stays in a balanced state."

"When Lady Liu squats, her weight pushes down the pedal, slackening the fishing line. When she stands up, the pedal pops up, instantly tightening the fishing line. Pulling the trigger launches the ice spike, piercing Lady Liu's heart at a preset angle."

When Ji Yunzhang said this, his brows furrowed again.

"But there is a very tricky problem."

"We tried the thickest, sharpest ice picks, and even in the most frozen conditions, they couldn't kill anyone."

"After the murderer set up the trap, it's impossible for Madam Liu to go to the restroom right away. The temperature is so high, the ice cone won't last long."

Xie Yingmian said, "I still say the same thing. I never said that the ice needle was the cause of death."

Ji Yunzhang was convinced.

He cupped his hands and bowed deeply: "Please enlighten me, Princess Ling."

Xie Yingmian: "Go find Madam Liu's family and ask them to open the coffin for an autopsy."

"When you go to discuss this with Lady Liu's husband, bring a strong magnet with you."

When Ji Yunzhang heard the words "strong magnet", he suddenly had an epiphany.

Ice needles cannot kill people, but real needles can be hidden in ice needles.

Given the size of the crossbow, it is impossible to directly fix a real needle.

Because the smallest crossbow arrow is the size of a palm.

If it was Madam Liu who was shot by a crossbow arrow, the coroner would not be able to fail to find out.

However, if the ice cone is made into the size of a crossbow arrow, the deadly needles can be frozen inside the ice cone.

After the deceased triggered the mechanism, the ice cone with the needle shot into Liu Niangzi's heart.

The acupuncture needles penetrated into Lady Liu's body without anyone noticing, causing her to suffer cardiac arrest.

The needle was as thin as an ox hair, and because it had been in the ice cone, the temperature was extremely low. The moment it pierced into Lady Liu's body, no blood oozed out of the tiny wound.

This also led to the coroner finding no abnormalities during the autopsy.

Xie Yingmian looked at Ji Yunzhang and knew that he had already understood the method of killing.

"It seems that Lord Ji already knows the identity of the real murderer." Xie Yingmian said, "Madam Liu has been dead for a long time, so it is difficult to find evidence. If the murderer refuses to admit it, we can't arrest him directly."

"So, the best way is to catch the perpetrator red-handed."

Ji Yunzhang said, "Princess Ling is absolutely right."

"I'll go right away."

Ji Yunzhang left in a hurry.

Tu Bufan, whose appearance had changed, watched in amazement.

He scratched his head and said, "No, what on earth are you talking about?"

"So, the case is solved?"

Xie Yingmian felt a little disgusted with Tu Bufan in disguise.

Tu Bufan never showed his true self in front of guests, so he disguised himself when he learned that Ji Yunzhang was coming.

Why disguise yourself in any other way, but stick a big mole on your face?

The mole, which was bigger than a thumb nail, was stuck to my nose. Just one look at it made me feel uncomfortable for the whole day.

"The case is solved." Xie Yingmian said, "By tomorrow at the latest, Ji Yunzhang will be able to apprehend the real culprit."

Tu Bufan: ...

He understood what he heard, but he didn't quite understand the last step.

"So, who is the murderer?"

Xie Yingmian ignored him.

Tu Bufan looked at Fu Mo.

Fu Mo looked at Yu Lingye eagerly.

Yu Lingye said, "The real murderer is Madam Liu's husband. He was the only one who had the opportunity to commit the crime."

Fu Mo: "It's actually him?"

"I thought it was the maid who called Madam Liu to get up."

Tu Bufan felt the same way: "Me too."

Yu Lingye said, "That maid was just a witness, a witness who could provide an alibi for the real murderer."

Xie Yingmian: "That's right."

Yu Lingye continued, "It's midsummer now, so it's difficult for the acupuncture needles to be frozen into the ice cones. If they were put in now, the effect cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, the real culprit must have been planning this in winter."

"Because of the special nature of ice cellars, generally speaking, families with ice cellars guard them very strictly, and only people of high social status have the opportunity to enter the ice cellar."

"Hiding the needle in the ice pick is just the first step."

"To achieve the goal of murder, several key elements are required, such as being able to freely enter and exit Madam Liu's bedroom, being very familiar with Madam Liu's daily routine and habits, having Madam Liu's trust, and having a certain degree of influence."

"In summary, only Madam Liu's husband meets these conditions."

Tu Bufan and Fu Mo: It seems like they need to grow brains.

Xie Yingmian: "Let me sort it out. The timeline should be like this..."