After a moment's silence, Lord Xue suggested to the sad-looking man in front of him.
On the one hand, it is because the case itself involves many unsolved mysteries that need to be clarified; on the other hand, it is a convention that whenever such a murder occurs, the victim's closest relatives often become key suspects and receive special attention.
Therefore, no matter what, a comprehensive and detailed examination and interrogation of this person must be conducted before a conclusion can be reached.
So, after receiving a positive answer, the two yamen runners immediately stepped forward and led Xu Junming, who had a heavy expression on his face, out of the room he was currently in.
Then, his gaze turned to the young man who was still standing there, and he saw Master Xue calling gently, "Little friend, please come here. I have a few words to ask you about the situation."
Afterwards, under the guidance of an assistant in charge of document management, Hong Sheng obediently followed him away from the scene.
"Can we conclude that this case is undoubtedly a homicide?"
Taking advantage of the gap, Fu Yu next to him lowered his voice and asked softly. It was obvious that he had a preliminary guess in his mind but still needed further confirmation.
"According to the investigation, the maid Xueliu had marks on the back of her head from being struck by a hard object. Judging from the location and depth of the scars, she must have fainted after being violently struck with a hard object."
Lord Xue said slowly, "After she lost consciousness, she was most likely pushed directly into the turbulent river. We also found some important clues at the scene, namely the man's footprints."
"A man's footprints?"
Fu Yu repeated, his eyes becoming sharper.
"That's right," Lord Xue confirmed with a nod. "Based on the analysis of the shoe prints left at the scene, it's clear that these footprints belong to an adult male. This further proves that someone committed the crime maliciously."
"Master Xue, please make sure to find out the truth and give an explanation to the deceased."
Fu Yu asked Master Xue earnestly with a firm tone.
In terms of official rank, he and the prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture were both at the level of fourth-rank officials; but considering that Fu Yu's identity was not just an ordinary minister - he was also the eldest son of the Duke of Anguo, and would inherit the title in the future, Lord Xue naturally attached great importance to this case.
"Don't worry, I will spare no effort and exhaust all means to investigate this matter."
Lord Xue made a solemn promise.
After saying this, he turned his gaze to Wen Zhu, who was silent at the side, and said, "Miss, do you have any additional information you would like to explain to us?"
"My mother is usually gentle and wouldn't offend others easily. Could this sudden incident be because someone with ulterior motives is trying to take advantage of this opportunity to hurt me?"
Wen Zhu spoke softly, a hint of panic in his voice.
"Miss, are you saying that someone deliberately framed your mother to take revenge on you?"
Hearing Wen Zhu say this, Lord Xue immediately frowned and asked.
"Perhaps I accidentally said something I shouldn't have said, unintentionally touching someone's sensitive nerves; or perhaps I unknowingly affected their interests; or perhaps even my very existence posed a threat to them..."
As he spoke, hatred gradually burned in Wen Zhu's eyes.
Seeing this, Master Xue immediately asked, "Does the young lady have a few specific suspects in mind?"
Faced with the question, Wen Zhu lowered his head slightly and fell into a brief period of thought.
In fact, she already had several suspected targets in her mind.
Like Zhao Manxiang.
If Zhao Manxiang knew that she had found her long-lost relative, then perhaps she would deliberately ask her mother to meet her.
After all, considering her mother's deep love for her, she naturally would not refuse such an invitation.
If this was indeed done by Zhao Manxiang, then what she must have hoped to see was that after learning the news, she would feel extremely sad, not only would she lose her appetite, but she might even have a negative impact on the baby in her belly due to excessive emotional fluctuations.
And there is Xue Bingnan who I just met.
Because he was severely punished by Fu Yu when he bullied Hong Sheng before, would he feel vengeful and want to take some form of revenge on them?
For example, venting the long-accumulated resentment in your heart by hurting her or her mother?
Of course, there are other people who may have this possibility, right?
For example, Mrs. Ji.
That day, the two of them had only a slight disagreement in words. She just helped Fu Shuyao escape from the shackles of the so-called "filial piety" and go to Hongdu to reunite with her beloved.
Such a small conflict shouldn't make her hold a grudge and do something so cruel, right?
So apart from this, who else did you have any interactions with?
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but turn his suspicious eyes to the Princess.
However, although the Princess of the County behaved rather strangely and abnormally in some ways, given her noble status, there was no need for her to care about someone of low status like the concubine's mother. Moreover, committing such extremely bad behavior was simply a fantasy and unlikely.
Wen Zhu sat there silently thinking for a while, trying to sort out the confusing information and then check them one by one.
"Please let me sort out my thoughts and see who are the most likely candidates."
She said seriously.
"Okay, Miss, please let me know as soon as you think of any clues."
Lord Xue replied politely.
"Thank you very much for your help. It's all thanks to you that we can get to the bottom of this."
After saying this, Wen Zhu slowly stood up from his seat and bowed deeply to the elder who had helped him as a sign of respect.
Upon hearing this, Lord Xue immediately agreed solemnly and promised to thoroughly investigate every detail of the matter and never let go of any suspicious points.
"There's another thing I need to tell you. In order to conduct a more comprehensive and thorough investigation into the specific cause of death of your mother and the maid, we need to send their remains to a charity cemetery that specializes in autopsies for further in-depth examination."
Having said this, Lord Xue's voice became noticeably deeper and his expression became more solemn.
His eyes were full of understanding and sympathy, but also revealed a sense of helplessness.
After all, in some families with deeply rooted traditional concepts, such an approach may be considered extremely offensive and disrespectful, and many families may find it difficult to accept and refuse any form of cooperation or support.
"Yes, as long as it is to be able to find out the truth."
Wen Zhu nodded slightly to show her understanding and support, but then she requested, "Please let me know when the whole process is over. I want to personally arrange the funeral for my mother and the maid."
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