Chapter 61 Entering prison felt like returning home
"The Yang family on North Street, the maid in the mansion saw your paper figure and killed the matriarch of the Yang family and her personal maid."
"ah?"
Tao Tao looked at him with a puzzled and strange expression.
If it weren't for his serious demeanor, I would have had to retort a couple of times, but what he said was just too outrageous.
Not only her, but even Gao Shaoguang thought he had gone a bit too far.
That's what Master Yang said, but he certainly didn't believe it in his heart. The talk of ghosts and gods was nonsense. Since they had mentioned her so accurately, he naturally had to ask them about it.
The strange thing is that Chengnan Street and Chengxi Street are in two different directions, and the Yang family and the Tao family have no connection whatsoever.
How did Tao Tao know what the Yang family's deceased daughter looked like and to whom she was sold?
These are the questions they want to ask.
"You don't mind if we come in, do you?"
She smiled slightly and stepped aside.
Gao Shaoguang walked in, habitually surveying his surroundings, and suddenly frowned.
He hadn't expected to see funeral supplies scattered everywhere in the courtyard, but then he thought that most funeral shops were like that.
"Your Honor, please have a seat."
Tao Tao stood by the stone table, smiling at him with a calm and composed expression, showing none of the fear and caution that ordinary people would have when they see government officials.
Gao Shaoguang asked, "Where's your paper figure?"
"Unfortunately, the paper lantern is gone. I didn't throw it away; it just disappeared on its own."
She spoke very sincerely, and did not seem to be lying or being perfunctory.
Is it really just such a coincidence? They just happened to be investigating a case, and then they just happened to disappear. Or did the paper figure really come to life?
If it's missing from the outside world, then it's likely that someone with ulterior motives used this paper figure as a decoy to commit murder.
Where did it go missing?
"It disappeared in this courtyard."
Suddenly, Gao Shaoguang's face showed surprise, his eyes narrowed, and his gaze became unfriendly.
"Tao Tao, do you think I'm a fool? It disappeared in your own yard, and you don't even know where it is?"
"Is it strange? There are some things in your house that you yourself might not even know where they are."
She countered, asking why she would put herself in a self-justification trap.
Wait a minute, she suddenly thought of the woman who bumped into her on the night of the Ghost Festival and didn't apologize. Could that woman be a member of the Yang family?
She was the one who died...
He was momentarily speechless when she asked him that question.
He doesn't really know everything in the house. Wait a minute, is he being led astray by this young lady?
"Speak properly. Answer my questions directly and don't say anything meaningless."
Seeing that he was not happy, Tao Tao quickly admitted her mistake: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's my fault, sir, please ask whatever you want."
Seeing how quickly the young woman's face changed, he was momentarily speechless.
It seems that people who come from merchant families are eloquent and have the ability to speak to people in a way that suits them, and they really have to believe it.
"I'm asking you, when did you realize it was missing?"
"The day before the Ghost Festival, which was just one day ago, I lost something worthless and didn't pay much attention to it."
"If you hadn't come, I really wouldn't have known about this."
Tao Tao told him the truth.
"Do you only have one? Even if there are many styles, you can't possibly only make one paper figure if you're in the funeral business, right?"
"I actually made one, but that one was just for fun. Besides, look at my hands, it's already good enough that I could make one."
She helplessly stretched out her hands, which were completely covered and not a single inch of skin was exposed.
There is currently no evidence to prove that Tao Tao is involved in this matter, except for this paper figure.
"Two lives have been lost because of this paper figure. If we don't find it, there's no guarantee that a third person won't die."
"I made the paper figure, I admit that. Why don't you tell me what happened, and I'll see if I can help."
Gao Shaoguang ignored her words, stood up, and looked around: "We need to search this place."
"You can search, but don't destroy my things."
Tao Tao stood in the courtyard, arms crossed, her face somewhat cold.
To get into this mess all of a sudden, what kind of situation is this?
He led the way inside.
The search was quick; in no time, the people came out empty-handed, clearly having found what they were looking for.
"What? Why would I lie to you?"
"You need to come back to the government office with us. Once the truth comes out, I will release you."
Tao Tao looked at him with a hint of surprise, then glanced at the other guards in the government office.
She really didn't have the right to say no.
She clenched her fists, her face tense: "I can go back with you, but I'll leave a letter for my mother first, otherwise she'll worry."
Seeing that he didn't speak, I took it as his consent, then went into the room, wrote a sentence, and then took it out and placed it on the stone table in the courtyard, weighing it down with a teapot.
Gao Shaoguang stood to the side and saw the words: If you have something to do and will be home late, don't worry.
They took her to the government jail and locked her up without saying a word.
Looking at the familiar surroundings and layout, Tao Tao felt a strange mix of emotions, like returning to another home. It wasn't quite right, but rather a wonderful feeling.
She sat on the stool and sighed helplessly.
She began to ponder what was going on and who was framing her.
Could it be that I was too high-profile before, which offended some people?
Previously, because she had prepared the body of Qiu Yanling, the Grand Councilor of the Privy Council, for burial, and because the Qiu family and Duan Gan were at odds, coupled with the discovery of the silver needle, she was hunted down that very night.
Although Duan Gan appeared later, the pursuers did not reappear.
Then came the Chen family mansion, where she discovered that the main cause of Master Chen's death was poisoning. She had uncovered a secret she shouldn't have known, and the head wife of the Chen family wanted to kill her.
She escaped to the Privy Council and narrowly escaped another disaster.
Could it be someone from one of these two families? But upon closer inspection, that seems unlikely.
They come from a humble but prestigious family; why would they go to such lengths to kill her? Such a despicable framing tactic is too underhanded for them.
So who else is there...?
Tao Tao rested her chin on her palm, her fingertips unconsciously twirling the straw on the table as she fell into deep thought.
On the other side, the Yang family.
Gao Shaoguang stood in front of the mourning hall set up for Madam Yang and found that there was only one coffin.
He turned to Butler Wang and asked, "Didn't they say two people died? Where's the third one?"
Steward Wang smiled obsequiously and said, "Sir, that was just a maidservant. To avoid soiling the courtyard, she was already thrown into a mass grave."
"What?"
Gao Shaoguang looked at him in surprise, his eyes darkening slightly.
"An autopsy is a crucial step in the investigation. Your arbitrary decision-making has delayed the progress of the case. Can you bear the responsibility?!"
Steward Wang turned pale with fright. "My lord, please forgive me. It was my fault. I'll have someone drag the body back right away."
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