You can't tell anything from these grasses, after all, there must have been someone around the well who helped bring the body up.

However, there seemed to be a slightly different spot on the edge of the well, as if it had been chipped by something.

Gu Xin reached out and touched it, then squatted down and searched carefully in the weeds, finding nothing but some small pebbles on the ground.

She got up and looked around the courtyard wall again. The walls on the left and right sides were not as old as the wall on the side of the gate, so it seemed that these two walls were built long after the gate wall was built. The walls were covered with vines that had already sprouted green buds.

"This is Miss Xie!" Suddenly, a trembling female voice from the main room brought Gu Xin back to her senses.

It seems someone has recognized the deceased.

Gu Xin then went to the main room.

The speaker was an eighteen-year-old woman, who, judging from her clothes and appearance, should be a young married woman.

“Third Miss, this is Zhu Shi, the daughter-in-law of the family across the street,” Zhang Bing said softly as he stood next to Gu Xin.

Gu Xin nodded.

"Madam Zhu, have you seen clearly? Is this indeed the Miss Xie you spoke of?" Officer Gao asked.

“Brother Constable, I’ve seen it clearly. I’ve seen Miss Xie several times.” Zhu carefully looked at it a few more times, then pointed to the jade pendant at the deceased’s waist. “I made the knot on that jade pendant. I usually do embroidery and make knots to sell at the Xie family’s embroidery shop. I sold knots once during the first month of the lunar year, one of each style. Miss Xie was in the shop at the time, liked it, and took it. Later, I saw Miss Xie wearing this on the street.”

Gu Xin then realized that the deceased was dressed in men's clothing, indicating that she was also a fan of cross-dressing. She hadn't noticed this when she watched Zheng Qiu's autopsy.

"Is she a girl from the Xie family's embroidery shop in the south of the city?" Constable Gao asked, frowning.

“Yes, that’s right, that’s right. My sister-in-law and I often buy thread from their house, and we also sell our embroidered items there. I’ve met Miss Xie a few times,” Zhu said.

Officer Gao frowned even more deeply.

The Xie family's daughter has gone missing. On the second day of the second lunar month, she was scolded by her father at home and went out shopping because she was unhappy. She hasn't returned home since.

Master Xie had already gone to report to the authorities early on the third day of the lunar new year, and this Master Xie was none other than the brother-in-law of their prefectural magistrate.

"Madam Zhu, do you know who Miss Xie knows in Xima Alley?" Gu Xin asked when Officer Gao didn't speak.

Zhu Niangzi looked at Gu Xin with some fear.

"This is Princess Xin Xin. His Majesty has issued a special imperial decree appointing her to assist in the investigation of cases in the yamen." Officer Gao, having regained his senses, introduced her to Madam Zhu.

"Ah..." Zhu Niangzi's eyes lit up. Princess Xinxin, the living Princess Xinxin! She wasn't afraid of the dead person lying next to her anymore.

"Yes, please answer the question I just asked, Madam Zhu," Gu Xin said kindly.

“Oh, okay, Princess. I don’t know if Miss Xie knows anyone in Xima Alley. Besides, Miss Xie is a pampered daughter of Master Xie and Madam Xie, so she probably doesn’t even know where Xima Alley is, and she probably doesn’t recognize anyone from our area. She might remember me and my sister-in-law, because she likes my sister-in-law’s embroidery.” Madam Zhu told her everything she knew.

Gu Xin nodded and glanced at Constable Gao. Constable Gao understood her meaning perfectly and had the yamen runners call in other people. The next one was Zhu Niangzi's sister-in-law, Ye Cuiru.