Chapter 112 - 111: Major Murder Suspect (First Update)

Chapter 112: Chapter 111: Major Murder Suspect (First Update)

After the official left, the County Magistrate of Jingning County, perhaps not wanting to appear too incompetent in front of the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, consulted Xiao Yi and then took his men to inspect the crime scene.

Wei Dadong was already in deep grief, and after the previous inquiry, he seemed to have lost all strength, leaning slowly against the wall, his hands pressed against it, his head hanging down without speaking.

Xinghua looked at him with a face full of hesitation as if she wanted to say something but chose to remain silent, quietly staying by his side.

Nianxia seemed still filled with anger, glared at Xinghua through tears, and walked to the bedroom door, looking as if she wanted to enter but dared not, her eyes already swollen from crying, and again tears fell as she murmured incessantly, "Madam, how could you just leave like this? How am I to answer to the old madam and the lord..."

Xu Jing glanced at Wei Dadong, then said indifferently, "If Mr. Wei is feeling unwell, he may rest on the stone chair in the courtyard."

The courtyard outside their bedroom was cozily arranged, the dense shade of the pomegranate tree on the left was at its peak, the season when the small red flowers bloomed, like little chubby red lanterns hanging from the tree, irresistibly cute.

Under the thickest branch of the pomegranate tree hung a simple swing.

On the other side was a well-trimmed lawn, with a stone table and four stone chairs, surrounded by various potted flowers, most of which were blooming beautifully, in a vivid array of colors.

The bright morning sunlight quietly shone on the table and the flowers, making it easy to imagine how pleasant it would be to sit here, sipping tea and enjoying some snacks, in the gentle morning or afternoon sunlight.

Wei Dadong was taken aback, shook his head, and said, "Thank you, Lady Xie, for your concern, but I’m fine. Wan’s body is still cold, and the murderer has not been found; I cannot be so idle."

With that, as if to show his determination, he suddenly stood up straight.

Xu Jing slightly curled her lips, then looked at the courtyard and said, "Did your lady arrange all this?"

Wei Dadong followed Xu Jing’s gaze, his face briefly dazed, his words more sorrowful, "Yes, Wan loved life very much, she would often study how to make delicious pastries, how to grow beautiful flowers...

This courtyard originally had nothing but a pomegranate tree; now, all of this was arranged bit by bit after Wan married in."

Xu Jing remained silent for a moment, then said indifferently, "I see."

She said nothing more.

Xiao Yi sensed something and glanced at her.

Just as he was about to ask something, the official who had been sent to the inn hurried back, saluted Xiao Yi, and with a strange tone, said, "Reporting to Vice Minister Xiao, after consulting the shopkeeper and staff at the inn ahead, they said that Young Master Sang from the Tongfu Inn hurriedly checked out about half an hour ago.

Moreover, they mentioned that Young Master Sang seemed emotionally disturbed when he left, his face deathly pale. Previously, before he left the inn, he would deliberately find fault, but he said nothing this time. A staff member even said he saw Young Master Sang hurriedly running back from the backyard this morning with dark red stains on his sleeve, which looked... like blood!"

Everyone was shocked, and Xiao Yi immediately asked, "Does the staff remember when they saw Young Master Sang?"

The official said, "The inn’s staff is sensitive to time, so they remember clearly. It was shortly after 7 a.m. (8 a.m.)."

a.m., roughly the time the victim was murdered!

Xu Jing frowned subconsciously, while Xiao Yi ordered, "Take more people and bring Sang Shaochen here immediately."

"Yes!"

Xinghua couldn’t help but scream, "I told you! The murderer must be that Young Master Sang! It must have been during a meeting with the madam this morning when some argument broke out, and Young Master Sang killed her!"

Wei Dadong looked incredulous, murmuring, "How could it be, how could it be..."

Nianxia’s face was as white as a sheet, but in such circumstances, she seemed unable to say anything helpful, so she shook her head helplessly, "No, the madam has nothing to do with Young Master Sang, truly!"

Xu Jing’s face also darkened slightly.

The direction of this situation was not quite what she had imagined.

She suddenly turned to Nianxia and asked, "You say you were brought here from your lady’s family as her maid, so you must have been by her side for many years?"

Nianxia looked helplessly at Xu Jing, though she didn’t understand why she was asked this, she still replied, "Yes, I was bought by the madam’s mother when I was ten to serve the madam, who was only eight at the time. One could say I grew up with her."

"Do you remember if your lady ever injured her occipital region before?"

Only a severe blow would cause a person’s occipital bone to cave in.

If the depression in the deceased’s occipital region had occurred while alive, it must have been a significant accident, one that those around her could not have been unaware of.

Nianxia paused, shook her head, "No, the old madam and lord have only one daughter, the madam, whom they doted on, worried sick even if she had the slightest fall, so she hardly ever had the chance to hurt herself."

"What about before you came to serve your lady? Have you ever heard of any major accidents happening to her before she was eight?"

Nianxia shook her head again, "No, let me boldly say, the madam and I were as close as sisters; she would tell me all her secrets, and she never mentioned such a thing, so it must not have happened. If you don’t believe me, you could ask the old madam and lord!"

By old madam and lord, she meant the deceased’s parents.

At this moment, the County Magistrate of Jingning County, who had gone in to inspect the crime scene, came out. Although they were in the room, they were well aware of what transpired outside and knew that the young master of the Tongfu Inn had a significant suspicion of committing the crime.

The County Magistrate of Jingning County, overhearing Xu Jing’s inquiry towards Nianxia, couldn’t help but ask curiously, "Why does this lady keep asking whether the deceased had injured her occipital region when alive?"

Xu Jing looked at him, saying softly, "When I examined the body earlier, I found a slight depression in the deceased’s occipital bone, but no swelling or bleeding on the scalp. If this depression wasn’t an old injury on the deceased, it is likely to have formed post-mortem by a hard hit to the occipital region."

The forensic doctor Sun Wuzuo, brought by the County Magistrate of Jingning County, was both surprised and embarrassed.

He had also performed an autopsy on the deceased but had entirely overlooked the depression in the occipital bone mentioned by this lady.

Indeed remarkable to be someone brought by the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, even as a woman, none should underestimate her.

The County Magistrate of Jingning County hesitated slightly, asking, "Does this... signify anything? Could it be that after killing, Young Master Sang struck the back of the deceased’s head in anger?!"