Chapter 172 The Grand Show Begins
Shen Yanzhou frowned slightly. "Check first, their age should be between fifteen and twenty."
Meng Jingchuan's poor handling of the matter incurred the wrath of Emperor Muzong, who berated him as "stupid as a pig." The case of Xie Mengyao's drowning was immediately handed over to Shen Jin, the Minister of Justice, but the emperor was still not at ease and specifically ordered Shen Yanzhou to assist in the investigation.
Shen Yanzhou and Shen Jin carefully examined the case files. The father and son worked together and made some progress.
Based on the current evidence, the latest witness accusations all point to the future Crown Princess Dou Wenyi as the suspect. However, it is not difficult to see that both the accusations and the sachet are suspected of being fabricated evidence.
It's true that the woman drowned, it's true that the Xie family lost their daughter, and it's true that Xie Guidu claimed the body. So who is fabricating this story?
According to information provided by the Crown Prince, they believe the body is fake. The most direct method would be to have an autopsy performed at the Marquis of Dingyuan's residence, but convincing the victim's family would be extremely difficult.
So he started investigating from the source of the corpses, finding the two places most likely to have them: mortuaries and prisons.
Because once a person is in prison, even if they die, the prison guards can end their life with just a word.
The cell was cold and cramped. Shen Yanzhou carefully checked the prisoners' information from the roster. Just then, a woman's choked voice drifted from the far end of the cell.
"What are you crying for? Shut up!" the jailer shouted.
The sound of crying was immediately terrifying.
The jailer wore a fawning smile. "Sir, look... none of our prisoners are missing, all have been checked, right?"
Shen Yanzhou remained expressionless, gave a faint "hmm," closed the list, and turned to leave.
The exact number of female prisoners does match.
The prison was dimly lit, but the glow of the tung oil fire made Shen Yanzhou's crisp, crimson official robes stand out starkly. In her daze, the woman seemed to see a savior and struggled to squeeze out a weak cry for help, "Help! Brother..."
Shen Yanzhou was taken aback, suddenly stopped and turned around.
In the dark cage, a disheveled woman huddled, dressed in dirty prison clothes, her face barely visible.
Who is your elder brother?
A warm, deep voice sounded, seemingly surprised yet very pleasant to the ear.
"Brother, I was wrong, really wrong! I promise I'll listen to you from now on. Please let me out. This prison stinks! There are rats and cockroaches, and they... beat me every day! Brother, I'll never mess with Dou Wenyi again!"
"Please let me out! I'm still your own sister, you can't treat me like this. Mother will be heartbroken if she can't find me..."
She was sobbing uncontrollably when suddenly she remembered something, and with a thud, she knelt on the ground and kept kowtowing.
Upon hearing this, Shen Yanzhou stepped forward and scrutinized her through the iron bars. "Who is your brother? What is your name?"
The jailer was getting anxious, so much so that he stammered, "Sir... this female prisoner is named Wang Cuihua. She has mental problems and is a murderer. She should have been executed in the autumn, but she hasn't reached the age limit yet..."
"No, my name isn't Wang Cuihua, it's Xie Mengyao. I'm not sick, I'm a young lady from the Marquis of Dingyuan's mansion!"
Shen Yanzhou raised the lantern, and the firelight illuminated the woman's face, allowing him to see her clearly.
A mocking smile appeared on his lips. Xie Guidu was truly an eye-opener. He was indeed not heartless, but to put his own sister in jail and lock her up like a death row inmate was truly an unprecedented event!
Shen Yanzhou stared at the filthy Xie Mengyao and said succinctly, "Who brought you in here? I'm only giving you one chance. If you don't tell the truth, you'll be Wang Cuihua for the rest of your life!"
——
As dusk deepened, Xie Guidu suddenly opened his eyes, and Mo Yu's figure was reflected in them.
Seeing that he was awake, Mo Yu breathed a sigh of relief. "Young Master, didn't you tell me to wait for you at the dock? The boatmen have all left, and there's no sign of you. Why were you sleeping at home? Didn't you say you were going to Plum Garden?"
"Plum Garden?" Xie Guidu scratched his head, completely bewildered. "Yi'er?"
Xie Guidu remembered that he had arranged to meet Dou Wenyi at the Plum Garden. He planned to secretly abduct her, take a sea voyage away from Tianning City, and then settle in Jiangnan.
"Where are Xu Sheng and the others?"
Xu Sheng was Xie Guidu's bodyguard and someone he trusted.
Mo Yu shook his head. He hadn't found them when he returned. "Young Master? Didn't you say that just in case, you told us to split into two groups, and Xu Sheng to take a dozen men with you to Plum Garden? Did you go or not?"
Xie Guidu's expression suddenly changed. Something was wrong; he vaguely felt as if he had gone to the Plum Garden.
He scrambled out of bed, hurriedly picked up his robe, and sniffed it. Sure enough, the outer robe was tinged with a faint plum blossom fragrance. Suddenly, a thought popped into his mind: Xie Mengyao's hiding place has been discovered!
Xie Guidu hurriedly put on his robes and rushed out, but before he could even mount his horse, he was stopped by his mother, Madam Xue.
Xue was dressed in plain clothes, her face grim and terrifying. "Xie Guidu, don't you plan to avenge your sister? I want that bitch Dou Wenyi to pay with her life!"
Xie Guidu frowned, quite impatiently, "Mother, the case hasn't been investigated yet, don't rush me."
Madam Xue grabbed his collar and beat him violently, crying out in anguish, "Can't you bring yourself to do it? My poor Mengyao, only seventeen or eighteen, the prime of her life, was killed by her. Does being the Crown Princess give her the right to commit such a heinous crime?"
"Aren't you her brother? How could you treat her like this?"
Xie Guidu recalled his previous life. If it weren't for Xue Shi and Xie Mengyao's meddling, Dou Wenyi's life wouldn't have been so agonizing.
He was only trying to make Xie Mengyao suffer a little, but if Xue Shi continued to cause trouble, he was afraid it would interfere with his important business.
"Mother, I'm heading to the Ministry of Justice now. It seems there's been a new development in the case. Don't delay me." Xie Guidu mounted his horse and headed straight for the Dali Temple.
Xue's eyes were bloodshot, radiating hatred. Even if Dou Wenyi was the Crown Princess, she would make her pay with her life!
Xie Guidu rode his horse and left the Dingyuan Marquis's residence. Soon after, the news reached the Eastern Palace.
Dou Wenyi and Pei Siyan were playing chess. They glanced at each other and both saw a hint of excitement in each other's eyes.
"Your Highness, are you going too?"
Pei Siyan's eyes were deep, and he smiled playfully, "Of course I'll go."
Over the past few days, he had compiled the suspicious points and clues in this case and had already sent them to Shen Yanzhou. If he didn't go, would he give Shen Yanzhou an opportunity to take advantage of the situation?
After all, the fact that Marquis Xie, the heir of Dingyuan, bravely stormed the Dali Temple, abducted a female prisoner, and imprisoned his own sister was a once-in-a-millennium spectacle, how could he miss it?
He not only wanted to go, but he also wanted people from the palace to go and join in the fun!
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