Chapter 323 Darkroom
“We are not lying. Although the princess and Master Fu have both escaped, Master Fu’s residence is still there. You can search it and you should be able to find some clues.”
"Yes, we can take you to where Elder Fu is staying to take a look."
Meng Lingge wiped away Lushui's tears, "Why don't you go back to the carriage and rest first, I'll go check on her."
Zheng Qingshan and Lushui hadn't seen each other for many years, but their sibling bond was genuine. Meng Lingge worried that if they saw something they shouldn't, Lushui wouldn't be able to handle it.
“I’m fine, miss, take me with you. Whether what they’re saying is true or not, I should go.”
Lu Shui's agitated emotions gradually calmed down, and she forcefully wiped away her tears.
If her brother was indeed murdered after his skin was replaced, she would try to find his body, give him a proper burial, and avenge him.
If not, she would expose their lies and find peace of mind.
Two male concubines led the group to a small courtyard on the east side of the princess's residence. The courtyard door was tightly closed. At Meng Lingge's signal, the guards kicked open the door, revealing the simple furnishings inside.
The three small houses were furnished with simple furniture and everyday necessities, and had nothing special about them.
Green Water secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although she had prepared herself mentally, she still kept praying that it wasn't true. Now that she saw that the courtyard was normal, she felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. Just as she was about to reprimand the two male concubines, she smelled a strange odor.
The smell of blood was very strong.
As a doctor, she was very sensitive to the smell of blood, especially since the smell of blood was extremely strong and intense; anyone with an open nose could smell it.
The two male concubines were looking around the small house when they heard people talking behind them.
"Can you smell anything?"
"Yes, but I don't know what it smells like. It's really awful."
The official who came in with them explained, "After sealing off the princess's residence, we searched all the houses inside. We noticed a strange smell, but the guards didn't find anything after a thorough inspection, so we didn't bother with it."
Seeing that Lüshui was holding her forehead with both hands and looking pained, Meng Lingge quickly asked, "Are you feeling unwell? Sit down and rest first."
Green Water shook her head, her expression becoming even more unpleasant.
“Miss, there’s a bloody smell here. If there’s nothing wrong with the room, there must be a hidden room or a secret compartment.”
As soon as she finished speaking, someone immediately echoed her.
"Yes, it's the smell of blood. No wonder it smells so bad."
"The smell of blood in the dark room and the hidden compartment is so strong, could someone have just died there? Princess Qiongxiao wouldn't be..."
The official interrupted, "Don't talk nonsense." He turned to Meng Lingge respectfully and asked, "Your Highness, do you think we should send someone to search again more thoroughly?"
"Investigate!" Meng Lingge said sternly, "Find the secret room or hidden compartment even if you have to dig three feet into the ground."
Princess Qiongxiao keeping male lovers is none of her business, and the matter of saving Guan Yi'an from prison can be overlooked because she had informed the Meng family. However, if she were to commit the act of changing faces and taking lives, she must be brought back no matter where she escapes to.
The officials immediately ordered the guards to carefully search every item in the courtyard. They quickly found a loose floorboard in the left room. When they knocked on it, they could hear an echo. They lifted the floorboard and saw a hole extending downwards in the shape of a staircase.
"It's dangerous here, Your Highness. Please wait upstairs while I take some men to investigate."
Meng Lingge nodded in agreement and instructed the two guards she had brought to follow her.
A moment later, terrified screams and hurried footsteps came from below.
The official was the first to climb up, and as soon as he poked his head out, he said tremblingly to Meng Lingge, "Your Highness, the case is of great importance. Please allow me to go and invite the Censorate to investigate..."
He no longer cared about making a good impression on the princess. The scene below almost scared him to death. If the guards hadn't pushed him from behind, he wouldn't have had the strength to crawl out.
After the official crawled out, his guards also crawled out one after another, but they were all pale-faced. Two of them couldn't hold on and ran outside to vomit.
The two guards sent by Meng Lingge came out last. They were relatively calm, but their mouths trembled slightly as they spoke.
"Below are two dark rooms containing various scalpels, skinning knives... One of the rooms is soaked in blood, judging by the color, it must be from three days ago. Under the table are three human skins, all soaked in medicine, looking as if they were just cut off. There are also two wooden frames with chains, covered in blood..."
"I also found this."
One of the guards handed over a wooden plaque with the number nineteen engraved on it. The bottom half of it was already soaked in blood, turning a deep red.
Upon seeing this, the two male concubines quickly said, "These are number nineteen. We each have one, just with different numbers. We put them away after Princess Qiongxiao left. These are ours, please take a look, sir."
The two men each took out a wooden plaque from their pockets, which was engraved with number four and number seven respectively. The style and pattern of the wooden plaques were exactly the same as number nineteen that the guard had brought up.
The male concubine looked at Green Water and said, "Miss, we understand that you can't accept the death of your loved one, but we have no reason to lie. This wooden plaque is the evidence. Number Nineteen must have died in the secret room downstairs after Old Master Fu changed his face. Please accept our condolences..."
Green Water felt a sharp pain in her heart.
She hadn't been this sad when Meng Lingge told her that Zheng Qingshan was different from what she had imagined and might have become a wicked person.
She thought that no matter what, she would make sure that the young lady spared her brother's life, even if she injured or crippled him. She could support him for the rest of his life, and as long as he was alive, she would still have family in the world.
Who would have thought that what I would receive now would be the devastating news of my elder brother's death.
And he died such a gruesome death, his face peeled off, his body nowhere to be found. His face was even used by a villain who used it to commit heinous acts.
It is said that those whose bodies are incomplete cannot go to heaven, but can only go to hell.
Even in the underworld, he'll be bullied by other little devils. He was a pitiful human, and now even as a ghost, he can't find peace...
"I'm going down to take a look." Green Water's teeth chattered, her pupils contracted, and she was about to rush into the dark room through the hole without a second thought.
"No." The official stood up, trembling, trying to make his voice sound normal. "This is the scene of the crime, a very sensitive area. Do not disturb the crime scene. Besides, it is extremely bloody and horrific, not suitable for a young lady to go there."
Besides blood and human skin, there were still some bits of human flesh left on the knives, which now emitted a putrid stench. Even now, the thought of it still makes his heart pound.
I'm definitely going to have nightmares for a long time.
Meng Lingge thought for a moment and stepped forward to advise, "There are no corpses inside, and you won't see anything if you go down. Guan Yi'an has taken the mask from Number Nineteen. Right now, it's more important to track down Guan Yi'an's whereabouts and find out about the other dead."
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