Located in the southeast corner of Guangdefang in the western part of the capital, in the Jingzhao Prefecture.
"Lord Qiao, another person died in the Duke of Ying's mansion half an hour ago," the man said.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Chu's expression changed drastically.
A month ago, the Marquis of Guide, one of the "Three Dukes and Four Marquises," died suddenly.
His limbs were intact, but there was a bloody hole in his chest, and his heart was missing.
Afterwards, deaths occurred frequently in the mansions of the Three Dukes and Four Marquises, ranging from lowly maids and servants to high-ranking princes and dukes. Eyewitnesses confirmed that the murderer was the heartless and deranged "Gu Shen".
The identity of the culprit has been revealed to the world, but his capture and arrest seem to be a long way off. Qiao Chu, as the person in charge, has repeatedly endured the accusations and anger of the Three Dukes and Four Marquises, as well as Emperor Yumin.
Emperor Yumin, having reached his limit of tolerance for the numerous evil deeds committed by petty villains under the emperor's nose, issued a decree ordering Qiao Chu to resolve the case within seven days. If he failed to do so within the deadline, Qiao Chu would face dire consequences.
Qiao Chu rubbed her throbbing forehead. "Who is the deceased this time?" The Duke of Yingguo passed away yesterday, so it wouldn't shock Qiao Chu the slightest if someone else died now.
"A stable boy's servant." The man reported everything to Qiao Chu in great detail. Qiao Chu got the gist of it, and her doubts grew stronger.
To this day, Qiao Chu still doesn't understand Gu Shen's criteria for killing.
Gu Shen killed Duke Wei Guo, Xiao Chengrui, because Xiao Chengrui coveted her beauty first. She also harbored deep hatred for the Zhengye Marquis's family because they were unscrupulous, swindling her out of her money and then trying to exploit her one last time, selling her niece for personal gain. The people in the Zhenguo Duke's family shared the same sentiment.
But why would Gu Shen attack someone he'd never met before?
Qiao Chu investigated the Duke of Wei, the Duke of Ying, the Duke of Zhenguo, the second young master of the Zhengye Marquis's mansion, and the young masters, ladies, servants, etc. of the various mansions of the "Three Dukes and Four Marquises" multiple times, and found that there was nothing in common among these people.
"My lord, there's no need to overthink it. Gu Shen is a murderous maniac," someone said incisively.
She's a serial killer; she kills without reason, solely based on her own will.
Qiao Chu racked her brains but couldn't figure it out, and then nodded.
The deceased was just a servant, so Qiao Chu didn't care. She asked, "Have you found any trace of Gu Shen?"
The visitor replied, "No, it seems Gu Shen is not in the capital."
Not in the capital?
After committing the crime, was "Gu Shen" no longer in Beijing?
Qiao Chu suddenly realized.
No wonder he couldn't find "Gu Shen" for so long. After the incident, he used to search house to house in Beijing, subconsciously ignoring the small mountain villages and temples outside Beijing.
"Someone, immediately send someone to investigate outside the capital," Qiao Chu ordered.
"yes."
"Remember, do it secretly, and don't alert them." Qiao Chu was cautious, as he had been badly hurt by Ji Xiaoxiao and had to be careful.
At dusk, a group of people slipped out of the capital without a sound.
The Zhenguo Duke's Mansion, formerly Gu Zhige's study.
"That old fellow, the Duke of England, said that my father had evidence that the three dukes and four marquises were involved in smuggling salt and selling out the country for personal gain, so they had no choice but to kill them."
Yesterday, Ji Xiaoxiao's assassination attempt on the Duke of Yingguo terrified the British intellectuals, who inadvertently revealed crucial information: the original owner's father died during a mission, a result of the combined efforts of the "Three Dukes and Four Marquises."
That's right, it's the "Three Dukes and Four Marquises," and the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion is also involved.
Ji Xiaoxiao thought about it briefly and concluded that the death of the original owner's father would be most beneficial to the current Duke of Zhenguo.
"It's them!" Ji Xiaoxiao said with a soft laugh.
I had planned to save them for last, but now it seems like God wants them dead.
Ji Xiaoxiao secretly rummaged through drawers and cabinets, but after turning everything upside down, she couldn't find any evidence.
Straightening her back, Ji Xiaoxiao glanced around.
The bookshelves and desks were enormous, and the decorations were immediately apparent.
This is it!
Ji Xiaoxiao's gaze lingered on the bookshelf.
The evidence that the original owner's father possessed regarding the crimes of the "Three Dukes and Four Marquises" should have been paper ledgers or similar paper items. To truly conceal the truth, it would be safest to put a drop of water into the ocean.
Ji Xiaoxiao took a few steps forward, and the bookshelf in front of her seemed even larger.
Ji Xiaoxiao picked up a book at random and slowly flipped through it.
After finishing one book, she continued reading, displaying remarkable patience.
The moon sets and the sun rises; a brand new day begins.
"Finally found it."
In an ordinary book, Ji Xiaoxiao found a piece of paper with the four small seal characters "Peach Blossom Cottage" written on it, in the handwriting of the original owner's father, Gu Zhige.
"Peach Blossom Cottage? The original owner's courtyard?"
Ji Xiaoxiao was not in a hurry. After browsing through all the books on the bookshelf and finding nothing unusual, she took advantage of the deep night to head to Peach Blossom Cottage.
As its name suggests, Peach Blossom Cottage is planted with peach trees. In spring, the peach blossoms are in full bloom, creating a breathtaking scene. However, in late summer and early autumn, only a few withered yellow leaves remain on the peach trees, making the landscape desolate and barren. With a slight increase in wind, the trees will soon be completely bare.
"It's completely deserted, is it haunted?" Ji Xiaoxiao exclaimed in astonishment.
The Peach Blossom Cottage was exquisite and beautiful, with a garden full of spring colors, and was famous in the capital. Countless young ladies and literati rushed to flatter the original owner, not to climb the social ladder, but simply to admire the fairyland of peach blossoms.
Such a good place, yet it's left idle. Were the original owner's heartless relatives blinded by their snobbishness?
Ji Xiaoxiao made a few sarcastic remarks, then immediately began searching for evidence.
"No, no, it's not anywhere."
Ji Xiaoxiao leaned against the pillar with one hand, breathing slightly heavily.
No, there is no evidence whatsoever in Peach Blossom Cottage.
Ji Xiaoxiao turned and walked towards a clean room. She wanted to carefully recall the original owner's memories, reviewing them frame by frame and second by second without missing a single one.
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