Chapter 63 A Female Corpse
The Peach Blossom Banquet at Yunwu Manor ended not very peacefully. Throughout the entire banquet, only the Duke of England's Mansion was memorable.
Zhang Ran lost one leg, and Zhang Ruru and the prince were in love. The Empress Dowager ordered that the wedding be completed in the middle of this month and named Zhang Ruru as the prince's concubine.
And it happened on the second day after the Peach Blossom Banquet.
A female corpse was floating in the river closest to Fanlou. After the people reported it to the police, the constables from Kaifeng Prefecture rushed to fish out the corpse, and someone recognized the identity of the corpse.
When the crowd exclaimed "Mrs. Xue", the surrounding discussions were drowned out by one another.
When Qi Zhan from Kaifeng Prefecture rushed over, he saw Madam Xue, whose face had turned pale from being soaked in the river water. His eyelids twitched, and he cursed in his heart that such bad luck always happened to him.
"Wen Yang, go and take a look." Qi Zhan glanced at Liu Wen Yang who was carrying the wooden box, and walked towards the corpse covered with white cloth while speaking.
Liu Wenyang walked up to the corpse and uncovered the white cloth.
When Qi Zhan saw a silver hairpin stuck in the white blisters on Madam Xue's neck, he shouted angrily, "This is too vicious!"
After Liu Wenyang gave it a rough inspection, he stood up and said to Qi Zhan, "The fatal thing was the silver hairpin. The time of death was probably between the hours of Shen and You yesterday."
As the words fell, there was another commotion around. An Englishman, over sixty years old, appeared in armor, standing on horseback. He was still in good health, and the crowd immediately made way for him.
British official Zhang Yu dismounted from his horse and walked towards the corpse with a serious face.
Looking at the person who was still alive and standing in front of him yesterday, and now separated from him by the Yin and Yang after just one night, he felt an indescribable feeling in his heart.
"Duke." Qi Zhan stepped forward, his tone cautious, "I just discovered it. I don't know who the Madam has an enemy with, but don't worry, I will do my best to investigate this matter thoroughly!"
The Duke of England did not seem to hear Qi Zhan's words. He simply squatted down and pulled out the silver hairpin from Madam Xue's neck.
When the silver hairpin was pulled out, there were many surprised sounds around. The hairpin seemed to be professionally made, with two tiny inverted hooks on the tip, which hooked out the blistered flesh when it was pulled out.
Qi Zhan watched the Duke of Yingguo examine the silver hairpin repeatedly, then leaned over and said, "Duke, this thing is simple in appearance, without any other features, not even patterns or beads. It seems that the person who killed the lady was a cautious person."
The Duke stood up and said to Qi Zhan, "Sir Qi, please send my daughter back to the Duke's Mansion."
"Your Excellency is too polite. This is my duty." Qi Zhan, seeing that the Duke had no intention of embarrassing him, immediately nodded and said. Seeing that the Duke was about to leave, he immediately said to the surrounding constables, "Hurry, carefully escort the lady back to the Duke's Mansion. Be careful."
"Yes, sir!"
As the detectives lifted up Mrs. Xue one after another, there were many speculations in the crowd.
Liu Wenyang stood in one place, his gaze moving from the corpse covered with white cloth to the southwest. Opposite him was the crowded Fanlou.
In one of the private rooms on the third floor of Fan Building, which was close to the river, Xie Rongying stood in front of the window, wiping the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief in her hand, her eyes meeting Liu Wenyang across from her.
*
Yesterday, at the Peach Blossom Banquet.
Gu Xun dragged Hong Zhi's body to the back mountain of Yunwu Manor. Xie Rongying looked around and thought that there was no one on this road. After dealing with the body, the master and servant were about to go back, but they saw a man standing next to the rocks.
Gu Xun immediately wanted to deal with the person standing next to the rock. Xie Rongying was a little surprised when she saw that person.
Things in this world are so coincidental. The reason why the Yongyi Marquis' Mansion was able to reach another peak under the leadership of Qin Junchen in the previous life was not only because of Qin Junchen's extraordinary means, but also because Qin Junchen was good at using people.
At that time, the Mansion of the Marquis of Yongyi, the Mansion of the Earl of Yongqin, and the Mansion of the Duke of Yingguo all stood on the side of the Crown Prince and were irreconcilable with the King of Wei. However, when Qin Junchen took over the Mansion of the Marquis of Yongyi, it was obvious that the Crown Prince was no match for the King of Wei.
Qin Junchen naturally would not let the Yongyi Marquis' Mansion become a victim of the game between the superiors.
He rebelled when no one expected it. In order to show his loyalty to King Wei, he destroyed the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion with his own hands. The fatal blow to the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion was the affair between the Duke of Yingguo and his daughter Zhang Tu.
It shocked the entire court and caused quite a stir in Bianliang.
The entire Xue family was massacred not because the murderer could not be found, but because the matter was suppressed.
The only living person of the Xue family appeared and testified to the scene of the murder of his loved ones. It was also Zhang Tu who told him in person that the daughter adopted by the British Duke was not a real daughter, and why the Xue family was massacred, under Qin Junchen's arrangement.
Although the affair between Duke Ying and Zhang Tu was shameful, what was fatal to Duke Ying's mansion was the massacre of the entire Xue family.
The emperor was furious. Even though he knew that the incident at the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion was a contest between the King of Wei and the Crown Prince, he still had the people from the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion imprisoned.
At that time, Duke Ying and the only living descendant of the Xue family were in court, and Xie Rongying was also present.
Therefore, when Xie Rongying saw Liu Wenyang in Yunwu Manor again, she was shocked. In a moment, she came up with a plan.
When Gu Xun wanted to kill Liu Wenyang, he was stopped by Xie Rongying.
Liu Wenyang also didn't expect that the lady who looked so weak and frail but was not afraid in front of the corpse would stop her guards.
He said, "Madam, I was just passing by and didn't see anything."
"I know you didn't see anything." Xie Rongying said calmly.
Hearing this, Liu Wenyang nodded slightly and turned to leave. Just as he turned around, he heard his wife's voice behind him: "Although what I say may seem a little strange and abrupt to you, I still want to say that if you trust me, I will let you know the truth you want to know."
Liu Wenyang stared at Xie Rongying sideways and raised his eyebrows: "What are you talking about?"
"Zhang Tu, Madam Xue from the Duke of Yingguo's Mansion." Xie Rongying said clearly.
"What do you know?" Liu Wenyang's face turned serious.
Xie Rongying laughed and said, "It just so happens that I have some grievances with Madam Xue. If you have time, why don't you ask her for the truth behind the massacre of the Xue family?"
Liu Wenyan originally didn't want to pay attention to Xie Rongying, but because of the "truth about the Xue family being massacred", he followed Xie Rongying and left the back mountain.
He saw with his own eyes that Madam Xue was taken to a small room next to the stables at Yunwu Manor. When Xie Rongying entered the room, she said to him, "If you get the truth you want, then we can be friends."
——
Xie Rongying sat by the window and watched the crowd across from her disperse. Liu Wenyang had left at some point, so she sat down again, picked up her wine glass and took a sip.
Gu Xun asked, "The Duke of England should know that Madam Xue has had a conflict with you, my master, recently."
"Really?" Xie Rongying put down her wine glass and smiled faintly, "He won't have the chance to avenge Madam Xue."
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