Chapter 581: Investigate, It Must Be Investigated
Chapter 581: Chapter 581: Investigate, It Must Be Investigated
Shen Ningning was still worried about Lu Shaoyuan. After thinking for a long time, she decided to follow her second brother to the Ministry of Justice.
Mo Lingwei naturally had to go with her.
When they arrived at the Ministry of Justice, Jiang Shanglong and several of his assistant shopkeepers had already been brought in by the government officers.
Jiang Shanglong’s hands were twisted behind his back. Before they even entered, Shen Ningning heard him shouting.
"How could I possibly harm Second Young Master Lu! What good would that do me? I was hoping he would take over my business as soon as possible!"
Upon entering the interrogation hall, Jiang Shanglong saw Lu Shaoyuan sitting there with a pale face. He immediately spoke again, "Second Young Master Lu, you can’t do business like this! We were having a perfectly good discussion. The moment something happens to you, you drag me down with you. This is completely out of line!"
Lu Shaoyuan stood up. "I don’t even know who did it. We’ll only find out after cooperating with the Ministry of Justice’s investigation."
Jiang Shanglong was furious. Xie Ming’an had Shen Ningning and Mo Lingwei sit behind a screen to avoid attracting attention.
He then emerged from behind the screen. As soon as Xie Ming’an appeared, Jiang Shanglong’s voice subconsciously grew quieter. A stern, cold air filled the hall.
Xie Ming’an, dressed in his official robe, sat in the highest seat. The four characters behind him, reading "A Clear Mirror Hangs High," further added to his imposing presence.
"This case is tricky, so I won’t waste words. Jiang Shanglong, I will ask you a few questions. You must answer them truthfully."
"Please ask, Your Excellency!"
"Second Young Master Lu stated that you left yesterday because of a sudden emergency. You also claim to place great importance on your cooperation with him. What kind of emergency could have prompted you to leave early?"
Jiang Shanglong’s expression stiffened, and he subconsciously lowered his head. "Can I explain this to Your Excellency in private? It concerns my young granddaughter at home, and it’s really not appropriate to discuss it openly in court."
Xie Ming’an pressed his thin lips together. "This is an official investigation, not a chat on a street corner," he said coolly. "If you don’t speak, you won’t be able to clear your name of this crime."
Fear struck Jiang Shanglong upon hearing this. He was in his twilight years; how could he let something like this ruin a lifetime’s reputation?
"My young granddaughter... tried to elope with a servant from our household. She was discovered while trying to escape. She was threatening to kill herself, and my family couldn’t control her, so they urgently called me home to handle the situation."
As he finished, his voice trailed off, followed by a sigh.
When something like that happened, he had no choice but to leave. He never expected to have to broadcast it in the hall—it was like airing his family’s dirty laundry in public.
Xie Ming’an nodded in understanding. He took a register that a subordinate had just handed him and glanced at it.
"Do you know Shuyan?"
"Who?" Jiang Shanglong frowned, not even registering the name at first. He looked at the assistant shopkeepers who had come with him. They all shook their heads, looking confused.
Xie Ming’an put down the register, his dark eyes grave and imposing. "Shuyan is one of the deceased. She was dining with you last night. She claimed to be responsible for serving wine and generally attended to you."
As he spoke, worried they might not recognize her, Xie Ming’an raised his hand. Men brought in a female corpse covered with a white cloth—it was Shuyan.
Jiang Shanglong and the other shopkeepers took turns going up to look. They all shook their heads, saying they didn’t recognize the person.
The expressions on two of the men’s faces were off. Although the change was fleeting, Xie Ming’an still caught it keenly.
He pressed his lips together, his stern gaze sweeping over the two men’s faces.
"What Shuyan? I’ve never even seen her, let alone know her name. And this talk of a serving maid is utter nonsense. I’m not afraid to say it, Your Excellency—I was a fool for a few years in my youth and worked as a pirate. Later, when I got into the shipping business, it was all manual labor. I only kept able-bodied men around me. Even after the business took off, I never had women by my side. This maid has absolutely nothing to do with us. She’s probably from the tavern, right?"
Hearing this, the tavern’s shopkeeper, who had also been brought in for questioning, hastily tried to distance himself. "That woman was clearly brought here by you! How could she be one of ours? You have to be reasonable!"
The two sides started to argue, both afraid of being implicated in a death, and began to shift the blame.
Lu Shaoyuan just wanted clarity and justice, but after listening for some time, not only had these people said nothing of substance, they were also making the scene more and more chaotic.
Xie Ming’an watched with a cold gaze, observing the expressions on their faces.
His gaze was like the glint of snow, leaving no place for any filth or ugliness to hide.
Just then, a government officer came out from behind the screen and whispered in Xie Ming’an’s ear, "Your Excellency, the Princess believes someone here is lying. She suggests they should be detained separately and questioned one by one."
This was precisely what Xie Ming’an had been thinking. He nodded slightly, then slammed his hand on the table, ordering silence.
"The final outcome of this matter will only be clear after a thorough investigation. For now, go and cooperate by giving written statements."
Jiang Shanglong and the others were led away. Lu Shaoyuan also went to dictate his account of what he knew.
Taking advantage of the moment, Xie Ming’an went around the screen and looked at Shen Ningning. "Second Brother is going to perform an autopsy now. Are you afraid? If not, you can come and watch."
Mo Lingwei put down his teacup, his brows knitting slightly. He was about to refuse for her, but to his surprise, Shen Ningning shot to her feet.
"I’m not afraid at all. I’ll go with Second Brother."
Mo Lingwei’s lips tightened into a thin line. He could only stand up as well. "Then I’ll go have a look, too."
Xie Ming’an raised an eyebrow but didn’t refuse.
They arrived at the cold hall where the bodies were kept. This place was perennially shaded from the sun and was often sprinkled with realgar. The moment they stepped inside, they felt a gloomy chill.
At this moment, two bodies were laid out: Shuyan and the servant boy.
Xie Ming’an put on fish-intestine gloves and, under full protection, began the autopsy on the servant boy.
Shen Ningning turned her back, waiting only to hear the results.
Mo Lingwei silently moved to stand protectively beside her. He had heard that bodies release gas after death.
Xie Ming’an quickly came to a conclusion.
"This is a typical drowning victim. The base of the tongue is swollen, the eyes are rolled back and have a watery appearance, and there’s clear congestion behind the teeth..." Xie Ming’an turned the body slightly and nodded slowly. "He was knocked unconscious and then held underwater until he drowned."
That was why there were no signs of a struggle.
Next, he went to examine Shuyan’s body.
Shen Ningning suddenly remembered something. "If she was lying and wasn’t a maid for Jiang Shanglong and his men, can you find any clues from her body?"
Xie Ming’an chuckled. "Of course."
Mo Lingwei pursed his lips. He looked in Xie Ming’an’s direction, but his words were for Shen Ningning. "Your second brother is said to be able to make the dead speak. This shouldn’t be too difficult for him."
Xie Ming’an was very pleased with this acknowledgement. Especially since he wanted to show off his skills for his little sister, his previously casual attitude turned serious.
"The female corpse has almost no calluses on her hands, so serving tea doesn’t seem likely. But the calluses on her heels are thick. She must be someone who travels frequently... Hmm, the fatal wound is the self-inflicted injury to her heart. There are no traces of poison, either."
Shen Ningning was just about to turn around when Mo Lingwei suddenly covered her eyes.
"Wait!" His tone was somewhat urgent. "Your second brother isn’t finished with his examination."
Shen Ningning hadn’t seen anything clearly. In her peripheral vision, she had only caught a glimpse of Xie Ming’an seeming to examine the female corpse’s body.
She was a little flustered. Her long eyelashes gently brushed against Mo Lingwei’s palm.
’It had been a long time since they had been this close.’