Chapter 212 - 210: He Had Planned This for a Long Time (Part 1)

Chapter 212: Chapter 210: He Had Planned This for a Long Time (Part 1)

Xiao Yi immediately said, "Did you discover something?"

At this moment, Steward Liao was lying flat, and Xu Jing reached into the back of his head. She slowly withdrew her hand, revealing traces of blood that hadn’t completely dried!

She looked at a nearby guard of the Duke Mansion and said, "Please turn Steward Liao’s body over."

Once Steward Liao was turned over, everyone immediately noticed a bloody lump on the right side of the back of his head, as if it had been struck hard by something.

Xu Jing murmured, "No wonder there are no signs of a struggle on his body. He must have been knocked out and then tied up... But if that’s the case, it’s strange..."

As she spoke, she pulled out a handkerchief from her waist, wrapped it around her hand, and touched the wound on the back of Steward Liao’s head, carefully feeling it: "The lump on the back of the deceased’s head is obvious, and the skull is slightly deformed. Judging from the shape of the wound, the weapon should be something long and slender..."

While feeling around, she suddenly found a small sharp object tangled in Steward Liao’s hair. When she picked it up, it turned out to be a blood-stained wood splinter.

Suddenly she seemed to realize something, stood up, and looked around the ground. Zhao Jingyi hesitated and asked, "What is Miss Xu looking for? You can tell us, and we will help search."

"The murderer should have used a wooden stick to knock Steward Liao unconscious, and the strength used was considerable. The stick likely broke on the spot, leaving wood splinters in Steward Liao’s hair."

While looking around, Xu Jing said, "Given the scenario at the time, Steward Liao’s head should have bled a lot. If he was knocked unconscious near here, there should be traces..."

After a pause, her eyes deepened, and she walked to the bush where Steward Liao’s body was found and squatted down. She saw a small drop of blood on the ground in front of her, which had gone undiscovered before due to its small size and hidden location.

Zhao Jingming hurriedly came over, looked at the blood drop, and gritted his teeth, "With the injury on Steward Liao’s head, how could there be just one drop of blood?!"

Xu Jing calmly said, "Of course not, it’s because the murderer cleaned up the scene. The murderer clearly had an elaborate plan this time. Every step, from the initial poisoning, framing Steward Liao, to the later murder and hiding the body, was meticulously and rigorously executed, suggesting he had been planning for a long time."

This speech made the hearts of the Zhao Family jump. Zhao Shao Hua couldn’t help but shiver and said, "Who exactly harbors such deep-seated hatred against our Duke Mansion?"

Moreover, they realized that without Xu Jing’s presence, they might have fallen into the murderer’s trap, mistakenly believing Steward Liao was the poisoner.

If so, the real murderer could continue to lurk in the Duke Mansion, waiting for the next opportunity to commit evil. Who wouldn’t be terrified at the thought?!

At this moment, Xu Jing stood up and said, "Just now Zhao Liulang mentioned that Vice General Sun has been found. Where is he now?"

Zhao Jingyi immediately replied, "Vice General Sun is very agitated. I was worried about bringing him over for fear of an incident, so I had him bound and temporarily detained. If Miss Xu needs to question him, I’ll have him brought over immediately."

Xu Jing shook her head and said calmly, "No need, please prepare a room and bring all the suspects there."

Does she intend to question all suspects at once?

Zhao Jingyi was taken aback and subconsciously glanced at Xiao Yi, who nodded at him. Only then did he say, "Alright, I’ll go prepare the room right away."

Seeing this, several suspects couldn’t help but shout their innocence again. Now that Shen Jie had been cleared of suspicion, their anxiety grew. Everyone knew that once labeled as the murderer, their lives would be precarious.

Feng Zhao, with a pale face, said, "Please, madam and lords, discern wisely. I really didn’t poison or kill anyone! I was with Chen Sheng on duty outside Lord’s courtyard all afternoon. How could we find time to commit murder while thick with suspicion of poisoning?"

Since discovering Steward Liao’s body, Zhao Jingming had been seething with rage. He glared at them and gritted his teeth, "The storeroom is not far from my parents’ room. If you run, it doesn’t take long to go back and forth, and you’d have ample time to fabricate evidence in Steward Liao’s room of his hurried escape. You dare say you didn’t leave the courtyard entrance during your duty?!"

Usually, guards patrol the backyard of the Duke Mansion, but today most guards are stationed at various gates, with the remaining ones focusing on key areas, leaving the backyard unattended.

If they did something during this time, it would be unimpeded.

Panic flashed across Feng Zhao’s eyes, and Chen Sheng suddenly looked at him and said, "I remember, before the Lord was carried back, you said you left for a while to use the toilet!"

Feng Zhao responded quickly, "I... I really had to go at that moment! Besides, I was back in less than a cup of tea’s time!"

Seeing the suspicion in everyone’s eyes, Feng Zhao panicked and said, somewhat recklessly, "I can swear to heaven, I really did nothing! If leaving during that time makes me suspicious, then Chen Sheng is equally suspect. He could have done something elsewhere during my absence!"

Chen Sheng’s face turned white, "I..."

"Enough!" Zhao Jingyi frowned, stopped them, and said, "The innocent will remain innocent, Vice Minister Xiao, and Miss Xu will surely find the true criminal! Take these three suspects away!"

Zhao Jingming was already somewhat confused. It seemed now that all four suspects had the opportunity to commit the crime.

Who is the true murderer?!

At this moment, possibly distracted by what just happened, Feng Zhao, while being escorted, accidentally stepped on the foot of Qingyun who was walking in front of him.

Qingyun stumbled, almost falling to the ground. Fortunately, she quickly supported herself with her hands to avoid falling.

Among the three, only Qingyun, being a woman, was not escorted by guards. She appeared quite dejected, and despite the fright, only her face turned pale, and she continued walking silently.

Feeling somewhat sympathetic, Zhao Jingming couldn’t help but frown and said, "Feng Zhao, how could he be so careless? Usually, he doesn’t seem this agitated."

Those chosen to be by Duke Liang’s side must have some capability.

Zhao Jingyi said calmly, "When it comes to life and death, few can remain calm. Feng Zhao and Chen Sheng are young, and Father thinks they aren’t steady enough, that’s why he placed them in the mansion."

He then looked toward Xu Jing and said, "Miss Xu, you asked to put the four suspects in one room for questioning. Do you have any clues about this case?"

Xu Jing withdrew her gaze from the escorted people and said, "There are indeed some clues, but I’m still missing the most crucial evidence. Zhao Silang, have you found any other suspicious items nearby? Like the wooden stick used to hit Steward Liao or the rope used to strangle him."