Chapter 61 I saw him come here.
The night wind whipped the colorful ribbons on the broken wood, making them flutter wildly. Dark red bloodstains still remained on the newly cleared ground. Although the onlookers had retreated somewhat, some still craned their necks to look in this direction.
After listening to Lu Fanghui's words, Liu Jingchang turned to look at Xiao Yunzhan. His face was expressionless, and he said in a deep voice, "Since Your Highness has asked this question, then let's proceed according to the rules."
He beckoned to a yamen runner and said, "Take some men and find Wu Ming, the deputy head of the liquor store. Tell him the government is investigating a case and ask him to come over for questioning."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Wei Wu pushed his way through the crowd, his expression grave, and whispered in Liu Jingchang's ear:
"Sir, there are too many people at the scene. We've asked all the diners and staff in the restaurant, but we haven't found any useful clues."
Many people are starting to panic, and some are saying things like, "The scaffolding collapsed because it's haunted."
"I fear that if we continue to gather like this, someone might take the opportunity to cause trouble, and then it will be difficult to control."
Liu Jingchang followed his gaze and glanced around. Sure enough, he saw several people huddled together, whispering to each other.
There were even a few men dressed in shorts, their eyes darting around, glancing at the pile of broken wood every now and then, as if waiting for their chance.
He pondered for a moment, then said to Wei Wu, "Then let's do it according to the rules, and let five people go every quarter hour."
Instruct the yamen runners to notify the village head and neighborhood head based on the names and addresses provided by everyone during the interrogation.
They were instructed to work in groups of five, with each group supervising the others.
If problems arise, these five households, along with the village chief and neighborhood chief, will be held jointly liable.
They were also told that if they remembered any clues in the future, they could go to the government office at any time.
The remaining people should not be allowed to gather together; they should be spread out on both sides of the street and not allowed to approach the crime scene.
At that time, the yamen runners will record names and addresses at the street corner, and those inside will be dealt with the same way.
"Yes!" Wei Wu replied, turning around to call out to the yamen runners.
Pei Zhiwei thought for a moment and decided to call him back.
"Officer Wei, wait a moment."
Liu Jingchang and Xiao Yunzhan both turned to look at her, and even Lu Fanghui stopped his instructions to the steward and focused his gaze on her.
Pei Zhiwei took a deep breath and slowly said, "I was just inspecting the remaining broken section of the main rope at the observation deck."
One side was more than seven-tenths of an inch deep, and the other side was more than five-tenths of an inch deep, but neither was cut through. In the end, it was broken by the weight of the wooden frame.
Although the two breaks were even, they showed signs of multiple cuts.
He is probably not someone skilled with sharp blades.
If it were a skilled person with a sharp blade or a good hand, such as... for example, Prince Xie or His Highness, they could cut this kind of hemp rope in one stroke and reach the desired spot without having to make repeated cuts.
Similarly, experienced butchers or people who frequently cut hemp ropes do not need to.
Furthermore, judging from the broken ends of the rope, the blade he used must have been extremely sharp, so it's impossible that the need for repeated cutting was due to a dull blade.
Xie Ji, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but interject: "That's right! If it were me or Prince Rui who wanted to cut that rope, why would we need to go through all that trouble?"
You tell me where to cut, and I'll cut there in one stroke, absolutely no error whatsoever.
Her knuckles pressed against her chin as she continued to speculate, "And the murderer probably wouldn't dare use a long, sharp blade."
After all, I think that besides Zhang Xiao and his group, carrying long, sharp blades would attract extra attention.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Cheng immediately came out to confirm, "What this lady said is correct, because today Governor Zhang and other officials are hosting a banquet for distinguished guests in our humble shop."
The villain had made ample preparations long ago.
To ensure that nothing goes wrong and spoils your enjoyment, I specifically instructed that anyone who comes to the shop today carrying a clearly visible sharp weapon should be refused entry, citing that the shop is full.
Only because of Zhang Langjun's status did they not stop him.
"Therefore, the murderer must have used a dagger, which is small, easy to carry, and would not attract attention."
I measured the railing of the observation deck; it's four feet high.
The rope was tied to the outside of the railing, and the distance from the railing to the end of the rope was measured.
To reach out and cut the rope without making a big movement that would attract attention, you need to use force.
Based on all of this, this person's arm length must be at least two feet and five inches.
He should be at least five feet nine inches tall.
Liu Jingchang frowned and asked, "Why didn't Madam Pei mention these things earlier?"
Pei Zhiwei was also somewhat embarrassed, "Actually, I didn't say it just now because I was afraid there might be changes."
What if the murderer used a stick or something to extend their arm, or used some other method to smuggle in a longer, sharper weapon?
The calculated height and arm length would then be inaccurate, potentially misleading the investigation.
The worst thing you can do when investigating a case is to have preconceived notions. I don't want my speculation to cause others to overlook other possibilities.
But now... the situation isn't so good.
Besides these, there are no other clues, so we can only prioritize eliminating possibilities in this direction.
"Madam Pei's consideration is very thoughtful. I thank you for your help." Liu Jingchang said, and even bowed.
Pei Zhiwei was taken aback by the man's unusual temperament and quickly returned the greeting, saying, "Lord Liu, you flatter me."
Liu Jingchang's tone was much gentler than before, "Madam Pei, please don't be modest. Having these clues is already much better than searching blindly."
Wei Wu, you should have people prioritize releasing the elderly, women, children, and those who do not meet the conditions set by Lady Pei.
While we have this free time, let's focus on asking those who are over five feet nine inches tall and have long enough arms.
Oh, and we also need to check for objects that can extend arm length, such as short poles or wooden rulers.
Wei Wu nodded quickly: "I've got it. I'll go make the arrangements right away." With that, he turned and walked away quickly, his steps even more hurried than before.
Pei Zhiwei breathed a sigh of relief and was about to say something to Xiao Yunzhan when she caught a glimpse of Zhang Cheng's strange expression out of the corner of her eye.
He was perfectly fine just now, but now he keeps looking down and then looking up at them, as if he has something to say but doesn't dare to.
Pei Zhiwei's heart skipped a beat, and she asked, "Manager Zhang, what's wrong? Did you remember something?"
Zhang Cheng seemed lost in thought, but when he was asked the question, he jumped in fright.
"Madam Pei... I... I just remembered something, but I don't know if I should say it."
I saw Wu Ming tonight and even greeted him.
"Oh?" Liu Jingchang immediately looked over. "When did you meet him? Where did you meet him?"
"About half an hour before the accident."
Zhang Cheng wasn't entirely sure about the exact time, so he thought about it carefully.
"I had just come out of the kitchen and was about to go with the waiter to deliver food to the governor's private room when I met him at the bottom of the stairs."
He asked me why I was so busy, and I told him that the governor was entertaining important guests upstairs, so I had to keep a close eye on things.
He smiled and said he wanted to go upstairs to see the view. I didn't think much of it and led the people to serve the dishes.
I hadn't paid much attention to it at first, but then I heard Madam Pei talking about arm length and height...
I suddenly remembered that Wu Ming is not short!
I am 5 feet 7 inches tall, and he is more than half a head taller than me, so he must be over 5 feet 9 inches!
And his arm length... I always felt it was longer than the average person of that height, so it must have exceeded that number..."
The air around them became quieter as soon as he said that.
Xiao Yunzhan's eyes darkened as he looked at Liu Jingchang: "Lord Liu, it seems we need to find Wu Ming as soon as possible."
Liu Jingchang instructed the yamen runner beside him: "Go and urge the people who went to summon Wu Ming to hurry up. Make sure they find him."
Just as the constables were about to leave, Wei Wu led a young man dressed in a gray cloth jacket and ran over.
The young man looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, with a somewhat childish face, but he was terrified and turned pale. When he saw Liu Jingchang, he quickly bowed and said, "Lord Liu, I... I have something to say."
"Go on," Liu Jingchang said, softening his tone so as not to frighten him.
The waiter swallowed hard and said slowly, "I'll be in charge of taking care of the third floor tonight."
Around 7 PM, Mr. Wu Ming arrived and initially requested a private room on the second floor.
But they came down shortly after going up, saying the view from the second floor wasn't good and they wanted to go to the third-floor observation deck.
The younger one told him that there were no private rooms available on the third floor today, but he said it was fine, the weather was nice, and it was nice to have some fresh air.
Later, he asked the younger servant if the manager had personally served the dishes that day.
The junior told him that the governor was entertaining distinguished guests in a private room upstairs, and the innkeeper was busy taking care of them.
He nodded and said that he didn't need the servants to wait on him and that the servants should go about their business.
"I'll go and refill the tea for the other guests."
As he spoke, he secretly glanced at Xie Ji, his eyes filled with tension: "Then...then I heard this young man arguing with Zhang young man."
Everyone crowded around to look, and even the younger one squeezed in for a quick peek. When he turned back, Mr. Wu was nowhere to be seen.
"Didn't you see when he left?" Pei Zhiwei pressed.
"No, I didn't see it." The waiter shook his head vigorously.
"At that time, everyone was watching the fight, it was chaotic."
I didn't notice... After the fight was over, I went back to the observation deck, but Master Wu was no longer there.
Pei Zhiwei turned to Zhang Cheng and asked, "Manager Zhang, does Wu Ming often come to Yuhuchun?"
Zhang Cheng quickly shook his head: "How can I come here often!"
He opened his own restaurant, "Zuiyuelou," in the west of the city. Although it wasn't as big as Yuhuchun, it was still a proper restaurant.
If he wants to entertain guests, he will definitely go to his own restaurant, which is both convenient and prestigious.
He would only come to Yu Hu Chun during festivals and when the guild held large banquets and invited the gentlemen.
And every time I come, I come with a group of people; I've never come alone like this time.
"So, his visit this time is quite unusual?" Xiao Yunzhan asked.
I came alone, and chose to sit on the viewing platform, only to find the scaffolding collapsing.
These factors combined make Wu Ming a prime suspect.
"Thinking about it now, it does seem a bit unusual," Zhang Cheng pondered.
“He’s always been shrewd; he does everything with a purpose, and he wouldn’t waste his time here for no reason.”
As everyone was talking, two constables came running up, panting and looking anxious. They rushed up to Liu Jingchang and shouted, "Lord Liu! We can't find Wu Ming!"
We went to his house, and his wife said he had left in the evening without saying where he was going.
He went to Zuiyuelou again, but the waiter said he hadn't been there, and even the manager hadn't seen him!
Liu Jingchang's face immediately darkened. If Wu Ming was innocent, how could he suddenly be missing?
"Wei Wu, send another twenty constables to search the places Wu Ming frequents."
Search restaurants, guilds, and even relatives' or friends' homes.
Tell the constables that no matter what, they must find Wu Ming, alive or dead!
Then tell his relatives and friends that if they know about it but don't report it, and if it is found that Wu Ming is the murderer, they will be accomplices.
Let them decide for themselves.
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