Chapter 431 - 429: The Minds of the Nobles (Part 1)

Chapter 431: Chapter 429: The Minds of the Nobles (Part 1)

Xu Jing pondered for a moment and said, "Were there guards outside Princess Ling’s room at all times, and did they say if there were any strange noises when those five people went in?"

Governor Zhang, however, shook his head gravely and said, "Although there were guards outside Princess Ling’s room, they weren’t stationed close to the door. After all, the rooms in the Full Moon Building, while large, are still just rooms in an inn, and they’re not particularly soundproof. Princess Ling is a noblewoman, so to avoid suspicion and to prevent eavesdropping on the privacy of important people, the guards were stationed a little farther away.

But because the entire Full Moon Building had been booked by them, and Prince Ling and his party were all staying on the third floor, there were soldiers watching outside all parts of the inn. In theory, as long as they stood where they could see the door to Princess Ling’s room, there should have been no problem.

Therefore, they couldn’t clearly hear the sounds from Princess Ling’s room. As Miss Xu knows, women and maids from noble families speak elegantly and softly, unlike common town citizens who shout loudly, so it’s normal that they couldn’t hear clearly.

Unless there were times when Princess Ling was speaking emotionally, they might hear her more clearly. For example, earlier when Princess Ling... was scolding Consort Fang..."

This indeed poses some difficulty.

According to Governor Zhang, the guards wouldn’t have been able to know whether the people inside were alive when the five entered.

As Xu Jing was deep in thought, Governor Zhang suddenly said, "The Full Moon Building is just ahead, right there."

Xu Jing raised her eyes and saw a tastefully and elegantly decorated inn not far away in the dim morning light, with a sign above the entrance grandly inscribed with the words "Full Moon Building."

Looking from the front, several soldiers in armor with serious expressions stood outside the inn’s gate, and glancing to the side, soldiers could also be seen standing outside the pathways adjoining the inn.

It was still early, with only a few pedestrians on the street, but as they passed by the Full Moon Building, they dared not linger, quickly scurrying past without even glancing back.

At this moment, Governor Zhang said, "Not just the main entrance; every possible entry or exit point of the inn, even a dog hole, is watched by people assigned by General Han."

Xu Jing: "..."

Such security is indeed like a fortress of iron and steel.

Under these circumstances, suggesting that the murderer came from outside seems improbable.

Governor Zhang led her to the inn’s entrance. The soldiers guarding the entrance clearly recognized him, immediately saluted him, and made way for them to enter the inn.

The security inside the inn was even more intense, with nearly a soldier posted every few steps.

As Governor Zhang walked, he said, "It’s still early. Prince Ling and his party likely haven’t risen yet. I’ll first take Miss Xu to see the room where Princess Ling met her end..."

Before he finished speaking, a rough voice called out from nearby, "Governor Zhang, so early today?"

From a distance, a man eight feet tall, with a dark complexion, a red face, and a long beard, strode towards them. He wore thick armor, a large knife at his waist, warrior boots, and his presence was as fierce as a tiger, his sharp eyes indicating he was no ordinary person.

Perhaps due to recent events, his expression was slightly grave, making him even more intimidating.

Governor Zhang looked at him and bowed, "General Han, His Majesty specially sent Miss Xu to help investigate the case. I’m taking Miss Xu to the crime scene."

The man in front, Han Yi, blinked and looked at Xu Jing, suddenly saying, "Are you Miss Xu, Qi Lang’s wife?"

Xu Jing looked at him, somewhat surprised. A smile finally appeared on Han Yi’s grave face, and he said, "Are you curious about why I know Qi Lang? I used to follow Qi Lang’s grandfather, Mr. Xie, to war. When Qi Lang was young, I even taught him martial arts.

If it weren’t for that Eight Clans’ Chaos back then... never mind, no need to mention the past. I didn’t expect Qi Lang, with all his choices, ended up marrying a great detective. Miss Xu, I’ll leave this case to you. The murderer played me for a fool, as if disregarding me entirely. I won’t let him get away with it!"

As the man in front spoke, he grew fiercer, as if he would cleave the murderer the moment he appeared. Xu Jing watched him for a while, smiled slightly, and said, "I see, General Han, escorting Prince Ling and his party to the Capital City must have been a hard task."

"Why would it be hard? It’s easier than going to war. It’s just tiring to meet the constant demands of Prince Ling and his party. I truly can’t understand the thoughts of these nobles." Han Yi waved a hand dismissively, his face stern, "If not for this inexplicable murderer, I’d have long delivered them to the Capital City and completed my task.

Anyway, moving forward, no one else can be harmed. Governor Zhang, Miss Xu, make yourselves at home. I’ll inspect the security around." With that, he walked past them and left.

Xu Jing turned to glance at Han Yi and asked, "What does General Han mean by the winding thoughts of these nobles?"

Governor Zhang was taken aback and replied, "I’m not quite sure either. It seems that General Han, accustomed to military life, isn’t suited to the intricate demands of nobles. I heard that initially, General Han didn’t always seek the best inns for lodging, but just adequate ones, prioritizing safety. Princess Ling and Consort Ling, however, had strong opinions on this.

Apparently, General Han even considered traveling overnight, which was denied by Prince Ling."

If Miss Xu is curious, she can ask General Han about it later."

Xu Jing nodded thoughtfully and said, "We’ll discuss it later. Let’s first go to the room where Princess Ling was murdered."

Princess Ling’s room was on the third floor. The third floor consisted of only six rooms, all for distinguished guests.

After climbing the stairs, they first saw two rooms, and further inside on the left and right, there were two more rooms on each side.

Governor Zhang led Xu Jing to the right, "The two rooms just off the stairs are unoccupied. Prince Ling and Consort Ling reside in the two rooms on the left, while Consort Fang and Princess Ling stayed on the right. Princess Ling lived in the outer room.

Since the weather is warming up, any evidence in the room cannot be left too long, or it will start to rot, so I’ve had the room tidied a bit, but we’ve tried to preserve the original layout as much as possible."

With that, they arrived at the door of the room. Governor Zhang opened the door, stepped aside, and let Xu Jing enter first.

Though the room had been tidied, and the blood stains cleaned, Xu Jing still smelled a strong scent of blood that hadn’t dissipated when she walked in.