The dead man was not the murderer.
"On what basis do you say that?" Zou Chengyi, who had not yet had time to be happy, frowned upon hearing this.
"My lord, please observe." The coroner opened the man's hands. "A swordsman's calluses are usually found at the tiger's mouth, the sides of the index finger and thumb when the hand is closed, the tips of the four fingers, and the palm. However, this man's hands only have calluses on the fingertips and palms, indicating he was not skilled with a saber."
"If he poisoned Liu Ling to death, then the one who killed Yuan Yi must be someone else."
So this was an accomplice case?
Zou Chengyi immediately summoned the person in charge to inquire about the situation at the time.
"Feng Luan was at the scene?" The person in charge had not mentioned this before. However, now that Zou Chengyi specifically asked, the person in charge did not conceal it. Upon hearing that Feng Luan was at the scene, Zou Chengyi had a strange feeling.
"Yes, she was present, claiming to have heard the news and came to watch the excitement!"
The person in charge scoffed at this explanation. Zou Chengyi, however, did not offer any opinion but further inquired, "So, the deceased was not holding a saber at the time, is that correct?"
The person in charge nodded, "No!"
"Do you think... forget it, you may go."
Zou Chengyi had originally wanted to ask the person in charge about Feng Luan's presence at the scene and her role in the case. But after thinking about it, he realized there were only a few possible scenarios, and forming rigid ideas now would not be beneficial for solving the case.
After dismissing the person in charge, he summoned Feng Quan and said, "The coroner's examination revealed that the deceased was not skilled with a saber."
Feng Quan asked, "Does my lord mean that the culprit is not alone?"
Feng Quan did not believe that they had apprehended the wrong person. Although he had not accompanied the person in charge to apprehend the culprit, he knew that this person had died by poisoning himself. If he had truly been wronged, it would be a simple matter to go to the Ministry of Justice. Even in the worst-case scenario, he would have had the opportunity to clear his name, which was hardly worth dying for.
Zou Chengyi nodded. Feng Quan pondered for a moment, reviewing all the known information in his mind. "The height of the killer was determined after examining Yuan Yi's body. If this deceased person is not the one who killed Yuan Yi, then was this person framed and used as a scapegoat? Or, by sheer coincidence, did he merely resemble the killer of Yuan Yi?"
Previously, they had assumed that the killer of Liu Ling and the killer of Yuan Yi were the same person. Therefore, the killer's characteristics were: seven feet tall, skilled with a saber, skilled with poison, and held a grudge against Liu Ling or Feng Luan!
But if there were two people now, then the seven-foot height would belong to the saber-wielding killer, not the poisoner of Liu Ling.
However, the person he found by following the poison clue had the same physique as the saber-wielding killer.
In the current situation, it was impossible to determine whether the two people's physiques were inherently similar, or if this person who died by poisoning was merely a scapegoat pushed forward by the saber-wielding killer.
But if that were the case, there were still many flaws.
Since he was a scapegoat, why would the other party expose such a significant flaw as calluses?
Could it really be that their physiques were identical?
Zou Chengyi felt that this case was full of doubts. He pressed his temples, unable to figure out the crux of the matter. He wanted to hear Feng Quan's opinion on the issues he hadn't discussed with the person in charge earlier.
The Ministry of Personnel was responsible for investigating cases, and Feng Quan was an expert in this field.
"Feng Luan was at the scene?"
Feng Quan had not expected Feng Luan to be present. However, judging by her height, she would not be the saber-wielding killer.
"Does my lord suspect that Feng Luan orchestrated everything?" In fact, the actions of the man who died by poisoning were very much like those of a trained assassin. If this were the case, the saber-wielding killer might not be the mastermind either; there should be someone behind it.
But Feng Luan... after all, killing required motive. Feng Luan had no such great enmity with Liu Ling.
To put it bluntly, Liu Ling was just Liu Ling. If Feng Luan truly wanted to get rid of him, would she go to such great lengths? The Medicine King Valley should have plenty of odorless and colorless poisons that were undetectable by examination.
Zou Chengyi nodded, then shook his head. "It's not a suspicion, just that his actions were somewhat strange."
In fact, there was one thing Zou Chengyi dared not say: could the mastermind behind this matter be the Regent Ji Jinmo?
After all, those in power would not care about the life or death of those below them when making plans.
Feng Quan thought for a moment. With the case still unclear, it was indeed impossible to rule out anyone's suspicion. He then said, "My lord, since the clues have run dry, why not start by investigating Liu Ling?
"Investigate Liu Ling's past and see who in the capital held a grudge against Liu Ling or Lord Liu!"
Zou Chengyi sighed. After going in circles, they were back to square one. The most crucial point was that Feng Luan's recently cleared suspicion was now overturned.
"That's all we can do!"
...
On Sishui Street, Yat Dan was so frightened that she covered herself with a blanket and curled up in a corner, refusing to come out. Gouzi could only squat beside her, anxiously watching.
Nan Shiying skirted the crowd and entered the ancestral hall from the back door, pushing open the main door.
Hearing the sound of the door opening, Gouzi suddenly raised his head. Upon seeing the person who had arrived, his tense nerves instantly relaxed, and the heart he had been holding finally settled. He couldn't deny that Nan Shiying's arrival brought him a sense of security, but he was unwilling to admit it, and his voice was somewhat sharp as he asked, "Why are you here?"
Nan Shiying ignored him, walked forward, lifted the blanket covering Yat Dan, and hugged her.
The scent of iris flowers wafted into Yat Dan's nostrils. Her struggling, stiff body instantly softened, like a lost little beast finally finding its way home. Yat Dan grabbed the corner of Nan Shiying's clothes and buried her head in her chest.
Holding the trembling child, Nan Shiying comforted Yat Dan while saying to Gouzi, "Pack up, we can't stay here anymore."
"Why?" Gouzi asked.
Sishui Street was fine. He didn't want to go to Yunlan Street and couldn't get used to it.
Nan Shiying's expression was somewhat solemn. She didn't believe that the other party hiding near the ancestral hall on Sishui Street was a coincidence.
If it were, it would be too coincidental.
It was as if someone knew about her relationship with these brats, and had deliberately led her here, or perhaps deliberately linked her to Liu Ling's death.
Regardless, Sishui Street was no longer safe.
Even with a one-in-ten-thousand chance, Nan Shiying was unwilling to take the risk, especially since she had promised Poison Old that she would look after this child.
Hearing Gouzi's question, Nan Shiying didn't explain much, merely glaring at him fiercely, "Why so much nonsense? Just move when I tell you to move!"
Gouzi: "..."
Fine, you win!