Chapter 4: Are there any suspicious persons?
Xiao Yunzhan twirled the paper with the footprints on it between his fingers, then suddenly looked up at Qin Liang, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible inquiry: "Zhang Yanzhi, the second son of Minister Zhang?"
Qin Liang's face turned a deep purplish-red, his fingers gripping the edge of the table tightly. "It's that bastard!" he practically spat out the words through clenched teeth.
"Back then, during the corruption case involving the Grand Canal, I argued with his father in court and threw the evidence of the Zhang family's embezzlement in front of the emperor. From then on, we became mortal enemies."
Who in the entire capital doesn't know that the Qin and Zhang families are sworn enemies? That brat dares to covet Chaochao; it's an utter disgrace!
Pei Zhiwei had seen records of the Grand Canal transport case in the official gazette. Back then, Qin Liang forced the emperor to conduct a thorough investigation by remonstrating with his life. Although the Zhang family was not ultimately brought down, they lost three important officials, and the feud between the two families was thus firmly established.
According to the maid, Zhang Erlang had given Miss Qin a brocade box on the third day of last month.
Given the bitter enmity between the Qin and Zhang families, why would he intentionally get involved with Madam Qin?
Xiao Yunzhan raised an eyebrow and handed the paper back to Pei Zhiwei. "Given the feud between the Zhang and Qin families, Zhang Erlang still dares to provoke Qin Niangzi. It seems that this Zhang Erlang is quite bold."
He turned and walked towards the door, his bright red wedding robe sweeping across the threshold in a gust of wind. "Someone come here."
Zhou Ping quickly stepped forward: "Your subordinate is here."
"Go to the residence of the Vice Minister of Revenue and invite Zhang Erlang to the Qin residence." Xiao Yunzhan's voice was devoid of emotion. "Tell him that I have something to ask him."
Zhou Ping was taken aback: "Your Highness, isn't this against the rules? After all, Young Master Zhang is a family member of an official of the imperial court..."
"Rules?" Xiao Yunzhan turned to look at him, the coldness in his eyes silencing Zhou Ping instantly. "The lady of the Qin family is dead. Shouldn't the men who were involved with her be questioned? Or do you think I don't even know the rules for inviting someone?"
Sweat beaded on Zhou Ping's forehead as he quickly bowed and said, "Your subordinate will go right away!"
Watching Zhou Ping's hurried departure, Pei Lin whispered, "Your Highness, Vice Minister Zhang and Lord Qin serve in the same court. Such actions might..."
He suddenly chuckled, "I'm very protective of my own. If one of my people dies under mysterious circumstances, I don't care who it is, I'll skin him alive to find out."
Pei Zhiwei was organizing her notes from the on-site investigation when she heard this and paused.
She remembered that there was a cloud pattern on the toe of the shoe with the half footprint. Nowadays, men in the city love to wear boots with cloud patterns. The cloud pattern is embroidered on the upturned part of the toe. It is comfortable to walk on and can leave cloud patterns, which means "to rise to the top". However, the patterns and the materials vary in complexity and price.
The cloud pattern on the coin was simple and looked like the most common style, but she felt something was off, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She needed an artist to draw the details precisely on the spot so she could compare them carefully later.
"Father," she suddenly stood up, "I want to go and see Madam Qin's room again."
Pei Lin nodded: "Go ahead, be careful."
Xiao Yunzhan turned his head and looked at her back. "I will go with you."
Pei Zhiwei paused slightly and turned to look at him. His eyes were surprisingly bright, not like a prince who had just lost his fiancée, but more like a wolf that had caught the scent of its prey.
"Your Highness is of noble status; it would be inappropriate for you to go to such a place," she said, carefully choosing her words.
"What's wrong with that?" Xiao Yunzhan strode past her. "My future princess is dead. It's only natural for me to go to her room to see her."
The two walked through the corridor one after the other, and the maids and servants all gave way, not daring to breathe.
Pei Zhiwei could feel the gazes around them fixed on them, especially Xiao Yunzhan's eye-catching red robe, which seemed out of place with the somber atmosphere in the mansion.
"Miss Pei seems very persistent in investigating the case?" Xiao Yunzhan suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.
"It's not so much about being persistent, but rather feeling that it's my duty," Pei Zhiwei answered truthfully. "Only by finding those overlooked traces can we give the deceased justice. Every detail holds the truth, and bringing the truth to light is the best way to give the deceased a proper account."
Xiao Yunzhan raised an eyebrow: "Oh? So how many undiscovered details do you think are hidden this time?"
"I can't quite put my finger on it." Pei Zhiwei walked to the door of Miss Qin's boudoir and pushed it open. "Aside from this half shoe print, the scene does indeed lean more towards suicide by hanging, but I just feel that something is very strange."
The room remains exactly as it was.
Pei Zhiwei walked straight to the edge of the carpet, squatted down and examined the half footprint again. Her fingertips gently brushed the down, counting the direction of the cloud pattern. The simple cloud pattern outlined in three strokes was exactly the style that the people of the capital had been wearing the most recently.
Xiao Yunzhan stood behind her, his gaze following her fingertips to the footprints.
The room was elegantly furnished, exuding the refinement of a well-bred lady. Just as the constable had said, there was no sign of a fight.
"Officer Li," Pei Zhiwei called out, "Does the manor have anyone skilled in painting? Please summon him. Not only these footprints, but the entire scene must be painted perfectly."
Xiao Li just replied, "I'll go look for it right away."
Xiao Yunzhan suddenly spoke up: "No need."
He looked at Pei Zhiwei, his gaze falling on the brocade pouch slung across her waist. "I just noticed that Lady Pei carries with her the four little treasures she uses for recording information during surveys. May I borrow them?"
Pei Zhiwei was taken aback for a moment, then quickly handed over a small roll of Xuan paper, several small wolf-hair brushes, and a dish of prepared ink. These were tools she used to record details of traces when she accompanied her father on investigations.
Xiao Yunzhan took out a sheet of Xuan paper and laid it on his forearm. He then picked up a wolf-hair brush from Pei Zhiwei's collection of small treasures and gestured to Xiao Li beside him with his chin: "Come here and straighten your back."
Xiao Li was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly straightened his back and leaned closer.
Xiao Yunzhan gently pressed the Xuan paper onto his back, pressing his fingertips against the edge of the paper to prevent it from slipping, and then lowered his head to put brush to paper on this temporary "painting table".
He stood still, his gaze slowly sweeping across the room, his pen moving nimbly.
First, a few strokes outlined the entire room: the location of the doors and windows, the orientation of the dressing table, the curve of the red silk hanging from the beam, and even the wear and tear on the edge of the flower and bird painting scroll hanging on the wall.
Once the overall layout was finalized, he shifted his focus and suddenly enlarged the half-footprint on the carpet several times over. The angle at which the plush was trampled and tilted to the northwest, the subtle tremors of the cloud patterns at the turning points, and even the blurry edges caused by uneven pressure were all clearly rendered with different shades of ink.
Immediately afterwards, he moved the tip of his pen toward the overturned stool.
The half of the shoe print belonging to Qin Chaochao was already blurry, but Xiao Yunzhan, through observation, vividly depicted the broken edges of the shoe print caused by stepping.
After asking Pei Zhiwei, he even marked the distance between the stool legs and the red silk in small print.
The whole process took less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Xiao Li's back was already soaked with cold sweat and stiff as a stone slab.
When Xiao Yunzhan finished writing, the paper not only had close-ups of two key footprints, but also clearly marked the opening and closing angles of the mother-of-pearl jewelry box on the dressing table and the gap between the edge of the carpet and the foot of the bed, as if the entire room was condensed on this piece of paper.
"Your Highness's painting skills..." Pei Zhiwei leaned closer to take a closer look and found that he had even drawn half a thread embedded in the shoe print on the low stool. She couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "He can see these details so clearly from several steps away."
Xiao Yunzhan took the paper from Constable Li's back and casually handed it to Pei Zhiwei, saying, "I just practiced it for a few years out of boredom."
His tone was indifferent, as if he hadn't been the one drawing on the person's back just now.
Only then did Xiao Li dare to breathe a sigh of relief. His back was so sore that he couldn't move, but he didn't dare to utter a sound. He could only secretly marvel at the abilities of this Prince Rui.
A series of hurried footsteps sounded, and Zhou Ping rushed in, panting: "Your Highness, Madam Pei, Zhang Erlang is here and waiting in the main hall!"
Pei Zhiwei and Xiao Yunzhan exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of coldness in each other's eyes.
“Let’s go and meet this Zhang Erlang.” Xiao Yunzhan took the lead and stepped out.
In the main hall, a young man dressed in a moon-white robe stood there. He had a handsome face, but his complexion was somewhat pale.
Upon seeing Xiao Yunzhan enter, Zhang Yanzhi hurriedly curtsied and said, "This humble subject, Zhang Yanzhi, greets Your Highness."
Xiao Yunzhan did not sit down immediately, but leaned against the table, his fingertips casually fiddling with the lid of the teacup, the celadon porcelain making a soft, tinkling sound as it struck each other.
“Zhang Erlang.” His voice was flat, revealing neither joy nor anger. “I never expected you to be so bold.”
Zhang Yanzhi's back tensed abruptly, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead: "This humble subject...does not understand why Your Highness would say such a thing."
Xiao Yunzhan chuckled and finally looked up at him. "Back then, when your Zhang family lost power in the Grand Canal case, the Qin family was the first to submit an impeachment memorial. Now you're 'admiring' the Qin family's wife, aren't you afraid your father will break your legs?"
These words were like a needle, precisely piercing Zhang Yanzhi's feigned composure.
His voice trembled: "Your Highness, please forgive me! I have only ever admired Lady Qin from afar, and have never dared to have any improper thoughts! Last month, I was confused when I handed her the brocade box, and she immediately pushed it back. I have not dared to approach her since!"
"Oh?" Xiao Yunzhan slowly sat down in the main seat, picked up his teacup and took a sip. "In that case, where were you last night from 1-3 AM to 3 AM?"
Zhang Yanzhi, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, gasped again. "Last night... last night I was studying in the mansion, as my page can attest."
He spoke hastily, his voice trembling slightly at the end, which made him seem even more suspicious to Xiao Yunzhan.
Pei Zhiwei's gaze fell on the shoes on Zhang Yanzhi's feet. They were a pair of blue cloud-patterned boots, half an inch too big. The cloud patterns on the toes were intricate and exquisite, clearly indicating that they were expensive. Although they were cloud-patterned, just like the footprints on the scene, they were much more ornate than the simple ones.
She gave Xiao Yunzhan a wink, indicating that it didn't match.
Seeing this, Xiao Yunzhan waved his hand and said, "Zhang Erlang, go to the side room and wait a moment. If you remember any clues, come and report immediately."
Zhang Yanzhi hesitated slightly, but still bowed and took his leave.
Watching his retreating figure, Pei Lin said in a deep voice, "The Qin and Zhang families have a deep-seated grudge. If he appeared near the Qin residence at the time of the incident and his whereabouts are unclear, there are indeed many suspicious points."
Xiao Yunzhan gently stroked the rim of the teacup with his fingertips, and after a while, he looked up and said, "Zhou Ping, go to the Zhang residence."
He paused, then emphasized, "Bring Zhang Yanzhi's page and ask him carefully whether the Second Young Master Zhang was really in the mansion last night."
Zhou Ping accepted the order and left. About half an hour later, he returned with a trembling servant.
The pageboy was only thirteen or fourteen years old. When he saw the scene in the main hall, especially Xiao Yunzhan's still-present bright red wedding robe, he was so frightened that his legs went weak and he knelt down on the ground.
"Was your second son in the manor from the hour of Chou to the hour of Yin last night?" Xiao Yunzhan's voice was not loud, but it carried a chilling intent.
The pageboy was terrified. "Your Highness... my second master went out last night and returned around dawn. He looked very unwell when he came back..."
"He'll only be back at the hour of Yin?" Xiao Yunzhan raised an eyebrow, his eyes instantly turning cold. "Zhou Ping, 'invite' Zhang Yanzhi back."
When he was escorted back to the main hall, Zhang Yanzhi's face was paler than rice paper.
Upon seeing the kneeling page, he swallowed hard, knowing he could no longer hide it. His legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Xiao Yunzhan: "Yes, I did go to the Qin residence last night! But I didn't harm her!"
"What were you doing at the Qin residence so late at night?" Pei Zhiwei took a half step forward, staring sharply at him.
Zhang Yanzhi held his head in his hands, his voice trembling with sobs: "I know she was unwilling to marry Prince Rui, and she disdained to have anything to do with my Zhang family... but I just... just wanted to see her one last time."
He sniffed and choked up, saying, "I stood outside the wall for about half an hour when I suddenly saw a dark figure climb over the wall."
"What kind of shadowy figure?" Xiao Yunzhan pressed, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the table.
"He looked rather thin, and moved as fast as a cat." Zhang Yanzhi tried hard to recall, "I thought he was her sweetheart, someone who had come to elope with her... I thought she could finally get what she wanted, so... I left."
Xiao Yunzhan gestured for his men to step back, picked up the drawing tools Pei Zhiwei had placed aside from the table, and laid them out flat on the table: "Think about it carefully again, when that person climbed over the wall, did they use their left hand or their right hand to brace themselves first? Were there any items hanging from their waist?"
His pen hovered over the paper, his gaze calmly fixed on Zhang Yanzhi. "Don't miss a single detail."
Although Zhang Yanzhi did not understand its meaning, he still described it in detail.
As Xiao Yunzhan listened, he drew. In no time, a blurry but recognizable figure appeared on the paper: narrow shoulders, long legs, and he did not use his hands to support himself when climbing over the wall. There seemed to be something hard hanging from his waist.
"Is that so?" Xiao Yunzhan handed him the drawing paper.
Zhang Yanzhi looked at the figure in the painting and nodded repeatedly: "Yes! That's exactly it! Exactly the same!"
“It seems that this is the kind of person we need to find.” Xiao Yunzhan handed the drawing paper to Zhou Ping. “Take this picture and check for suspicious people near the Qin residence in recent days, especially those with similar builds and wearing simple cloud-patterned boots.”
Zhou Ping accepted the order and left. Inside the main hall, Zhang Yanzhi was still sobbing softly, while Qin Liang and his wife looked increasingly grim.
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