Upon receiving the order, Ding Yi and Bing Er immediately began their investigation.
Since there was no way to investigate the matter of poison powder being sprinkled on Su Xiaoning's room, the only option was to investigate the fire incident. Since Su Qingcai had already determined that someone could have set the fire by pouring oil, the investigation could begin with checking the flammable materials in the mansion.
Ding Yi and Bing Er clearly defined their tasks and searched the mansion methodically. Ding Yi seemed to have found something in the kitchen and quickly called Bing Er over.
Look at this!
Ding Yi pointed seriously to several bottles in the kitchen. These bottles were all found in the kitchen's storage box and were used to store oil.
The bottle is now mostly empty, so it's unclear whether the oil inside was used for cooking or something else.
“The prince said before that the fire was caused by fuel oil. This fuel oil…” Bing Er frowned, exchanged a glance with Ding Yi, and the two of them had a guess in their hearts.
"The spy in the mansion might be someone from the kitchen, but these things aren't enough to be considered evidence. How can we find this person?"
"Isn't that simple? Just trap them like turtles in a jar, right?"
Ding Yi smiled slightly and whispered his plan into Bing Er's ear.
...
The next day, news spread throughout the entire prefecture.
In order to find the spies in the mansion, Ding Yi and Bing Er will thoroughly investigate the entire mansion, and everyone who possesses suspicious items will be arrested!
After the news spread, Ding Yi and Bing Er waited quietly in the kitchen for the spy to arrive.
The people working in the kitchen are all veterans of the Prince's mansion. They probably betrayed Su Qingcai because someone exploited their weaknesses. Their mental fortitude is probably not as strong as Su Qing's specially trained spies. They might not be able to hold back if threatened.
With this in mind, Ding Yi and Bing Er patiently squatted in the kitchen until dark.
Sure enough, in the dead of night, someone opened the kitchen door and sneaked in furtively.
A rustling sound came from the room, and the man seemed very frightened, cautiously looking around with each step. He groped his way to the storage box in the dark, and just as he was about to take out the oil bottle, his arm was suddenly grabbed tightly, and a ghostly voice entered his ears.
"Ding Dazhuang, you really have some skills! Not only did you betray the Prince, but you also tried to destroy the evidence. What a pipe dream you're having!"
Bing Er came over carrying an oil lamp, while Ding Yi held down the man under his hand tightly. Neither of them looked too good.
Ding Dazhuang, an old chef who had cooked for the Prince's mansion for many years, was someone no one would have imagined was actually the spy in the mansion.
Unexpectedly, Ding Dazhuang was caught. He was shocked and frightened, and immediately knelt down in front of Ding Yi and Bing Er, tears streaming down his face.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I was just momentarily blinded by greed and did such a wrong thing! I know I was wrong, please forgive me!"
"You did something like this, and you still expect us to let you off? Begging us won't help. Let's hear what the Prince has to say." Ding Yi sneered and unceremoniously dragged Ding Dazhuang outside, intending to find Su Qingcai for judgment.
"No! I don't want to see the Prince!"
Ding Dazhuang was terrified, but he was no match for Ding Yi in strength. Just as he was about to be dragged out of the kitchen, he suddenly clenched his teeth and his expression became very strange.
Bing Er had once worked under Su Qinghe. He seemed to have thought of something, and his expression changed instantly. He threw down the oil lamp and quickly spoke, grabbing Ding Dazhuang's chin.
Ding Dazhuang's face turned a deep purplish-red. He coughed violently, and after a short while, he spat out a small pill.
The pill rolled to Bing Er's feet. Bing Er picked it up, looked at it in the moonlight outside the house, and his face became even more solemn.
"Many people working under the Seventh Prince are given a poison pill hidden behind their teeth. They'll take it and commit suicide if there's any chance of it being exposed. It seems the Seventh Prince is involved in all of this..."
Upon hearing this, Ding Yi's gaze darkened, and his eyes grew even more furious as he looked at Ding Dazhuang.
Ding Dazhuang was powerless to fight back and lost his chance to commit suicide. He could only let Ding Yi and Bing Er drag him all the way and throw him directly in front of Su Qingcai and Su Xiaoning.
Bing Er presented the pills and explained the matter to Su Qingcai. Su Qingcai's face showed anger, and he said coldly, "You are also an old man in the manor. The Prince's manor has treated you well. How could you be so foolish as to actually side with the Seventh Prince?"
"Please spare my life, Your Highness..." Ding Dazhuang dared not explain, he just knelt on the ground and kept kowtowing, tears and snot streaming down his face.
Seeing his expression, Su Qingcai became very impatient and waved his hand, saying, "Fine, considering that you have devoted yourself to the Prince's Mansion for many years and that none of the children were injured, I will not make things difficult for you. Get out of here and never return to the Prince's Mansion, or you will be killed without mercy."
Su Qingcai had expected Ding Dazhuang to be grateful, but instead, Ding Dazhuang was terrified. He clung to Su Qingcai's leg, refusing to leave, and cried out with snot and tears streaming down his face, "Your Highness, you can't send me away! The Seventh Prince has captured my family and is threatening me to work for him. I have no choice! If I leave, the Seventh Prince will definitely harm my family..."
He wailed and cried, recounting his relationship with his family and the persecution they suffered at the hands of Su Qinghe.
Su Qingcai remained silent, while Su Xiaoning, standing to the side, felt a pang of sadness.
She thought for a moment and tentatively suggested, "How about... we spare his life for now? After all, he has worked for the Prince's mansion for so many years. Even if he hasn't made any great contributions, he has certainly put in a lot of hard work. We don't need to kill him outright. Besides, we can also let him act as a double agent to help us investigate the situation on the Seventh Prince's side."
Double agent, that sounds plausible.
Su Qingcai nodded slightly, but still didn't speak. He just lowered his head and stared at Ding Dazhuang with a stern look.
Ding Dazhuang understood and quickly assured him, "I'm willing to be a double agent! Your Highness, I swear to you, I will never betray you again. If I do, may I be struck by lightning!"
He made a solemn oath, which seemed convincing enough to convince people.
Su Qingcai nodded in agreement, and then had Ding Yi and Bing Er drag Ding Dazhuang away, preparing to discuss the matter of inquiring about the Seventh Prince's Mansion the next day.
To everyone's surprise, Ding Dazhuang disappeared the next day.
Ding Yi and Bing Er searched the entire Prince's mansion but couldn't find Ding Dazhuang, and assumed he had defected. Just when they were at their wits' end, news came that an unidentified corpse had been found floating in the moat.
Upon hearing this alarming news, Su Xiaoning felt a bad premonition and immediately dragged Su Qingcai to the moat.
The two pushed through the crowded throng and squeezed their way in. When they saw Ding Dazhuang's body on the ground, they both fell silent.
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