Lu Anran suddenly realized that if another death occurred due to the same murderer, the case would be assigned to Yun Qi's tenure. Moreover, the nature of the murder was so egregious that it would inevitably cause panic among people both inside and outside the royal capital.
At that time, the emperor will definitely ask the criminal department to arrest the murderer within a time limit to reassure the people. The criminal department should not but should do so.
She considered it carefully: "Who were the people who died before?"
Yun Qi had no intention of speaking, so Guan Yue answered on his behalf: "The youngest son from the concubine of Lieutenant Xu, the concubine of the Fourth Master of the Xue Mansion, and a young boy in charge of purchasing from the Jiang Mansion."
Lu Anran thought of Chunmiao's words on New Year's Eve and asked curiously: "Where is the head of Rongan County in the Gu Mansion? I heard that only Miss Gu survived here."
Everyone said that General Gu had a spirit in heaven and was blessing him.
Yun Qi waved his hand: "It's different."
Lu Anran thought for a moment, "So it's not the master of Rongan County who has a great destiny, it's not the same murderer at all."
"Hmm." Yun Qi rubbed his chin with the handle of his fan, "If you don't mention the matter about Lord Rong'an County, this case is in ruins."
The identities of the dead people were different, but the scene was exactly the same——
The deceased knelt down and prostrated, with his right hand clenching his fist close to his chest, his left hand palm facing up, and the back of his hand touching the ground. It looks like the most devout believers are kneeling down to pay homage. However, the 'believer's' head was cut off alone and placed on his left hand, with his eyes closed and two red blood stains winding down from the corners of his eyes, flowing down his face.
There were three bowls placed at the front. The contents were not wine, but blood. There is a flag placed next to the wine bowl, which is used to attract souls. It is different from the usual soul-attracting flags that people have seen. There is only a piece of white coarse cloth on it. There is no name, family background, and birth date. There are only a bunch of ghost symbols drawn on it. I don’t know whose soul it is attracting and what it is attracting.
Because the method of killing three people was the same, it was initially concluded that there was one murderer, but there has been no progress. After the incident involving the nearest deceased, the young man from the Jiang family, there was no movement for more than three months. It was as if the murderer disappeared after completing these three cases.
It turns out, apparently not.
"Jun Tao..." Yun Qi knocked on the table with his fan, "The deceased in the latest case, unfortunately, she died in such a miserable way."
Lu Anran nodded to express his understanding. Jun Tao was the name of Gu Mansion's maid.
But she cared about another thing, "Leave the soul-drawing flag aside for now, this way of dying is more like..." She rubbed the tea cup with her fingers, frowning slightly, but didn't say anything for a while.
Yunqi raised his eyebrows and said, "Military punishment."
Lu Anran's pupils trembled, and he suddenly looked at Yun Qi, then shook his head, "I have never heard of such a law in the military regulations of this dynasty."
"Who told you about this dynasty?" Yun Qi smiled and turned his peach-blossom eyes to the window, "After the prosperous dynasty unified all countries, Prime Minister Wen personally set the military regulations of 17 laws and 54 kills. In the third dynasty of the previous dynasty, When the acting emperor Ming Xianhuang ascended the throne, he added three more items."
"Those who rebel against the country and flee from the country or commit rebellion will have their bodies cut into pieces on five horses, their bones crushed and ashes thrown away, and their blood sacrificed to heaven."
"Those who run away during war and disturb the morale of the army will have their flesh and blood exposed for three days to serve as a warning to others."
"Those who betray their friends for glory, and those who betray their trust, will take their own heads on their own necks and bear thorns to plead guilty."
Looking at the charges alone, it is not an exaggeration to say that this kind of person is despised by thousands of people. However, after Zisang Jiuxiu came to power, in order to show his benevolent government, he abolished many cruel punishments, and these three items were also included in the ban.
Lu Anran lowered his head and looked at the calm tea in the cup. Just blowing a breath could make waves again, just like the seemingly stable and prosperous Royal Capital or even the Ning Dynasty.
Yun Qi didn't let Lu Anran's expression change, and after a while, he asked curiously, "Why don't you say anything?"
Lu Anran opened his eyes, stared at Yunqi with his dark eyes, and repeated: "Take the head on your own neck, and bear the thorns to plead guilty."
Yun Qi: "Is it the same?"
Lu Anran did not answer, but asked: "Isn't the prince specially here to answer my questions today?"
In fact, she had already heard the implication of Yun Qi's words. This case might involve the previous court, which meant trouble, and she was a person who was very afraid of trouble.
The Daning Dynasty lasted only sixteen years, and the previous dynasty fell only sixteen years ago. Even though the current Daning Dynasty is peaceful and peaceful under the governance of Zisang Jiuxiu, in the darkness beneath the surface, those pairs are ready to move. His eyes are like those of a wolf hiding in the dark, waiting for just the slightest chance to pounce on you and eat them up.
"My prince likes how direct you are." Yun Qi closed his fan and patted his palms, blinking frivolously, "Do you want to go out at night with me again?"
Lu Anran lowered his eyes, then raised his eyes again: "Your Majesty, you want me to perform another autopsy on Jun Tao?"
Yun Di nodded: "I'm not used to other roles in the capital. After all, we have a tacit understanding."
Lu Anran pursed her lips, she didn't need it.
After thinking for a moment, Lu Anran said: "If I agree, the favor I owed before -"
Before the words "cancel" were spoken, Yun Qixiao, the monster, said decisively: "It's a beautiful idea."
—
The drizzle turns to heavy rain, and the rain falls with loud bangs, and the roof of the carriage beats out short and varied music.
Lu Anran opened the curtain of the carriage. It was raining and foggy, black clouds were rolling in the sky, and there were a few faint thunders.
On the other side, Yun Qi leaned against the wall leisurely. This time, he held a white jade pot in his hand. It was crystal clear and you could see the wine sloshing inside.
Lu Anran turned back and frowned slightly.
This man never sat seriously and always looked like a lazy and careless nobleman. No one could connect him with the cold-blooded black-clad killer in Mengdu City.
Yun Qi poured a sip of wine from the white jade pot into his mouth with a very chic gesture. He wiped a drop of wine stain from the corner of his mouth with his thumb and chuckled: "What?"
The aroma of the wine was mellow, as if it could arouse the desire of people's taste buds. Lu Anran's steady breathing was just a beat, and he said in a light tone: "Thunder started at the beginning of spring, and this year's situation is uneven."
Yun Qi's smile deepened, "You can also tell fortunes by predicting stars?"
Lu Anran heard the teasing tone and was not angry about it. Unexpectedly, Yunqi nodded: "I know a little bit."
Yun became interested, leaned forward a little, and said, "Then what else can you see?"
Lu Anran: "The prince is very boring."
Yun Qi secretly considered whether this sentence meant that he was bored, or was a secret satire that he was boring.
Thunder rolled and roared from the thick clouds, like a struggling and roaring dragon in the sky. Each sound was louder and louder than the last, about to soar into the sky and tear apart the cage.
Lu Anran said in a low voice: "I wonder if this thunder is as powerful as the winter thunder that Yinjia Village encountered that day."
"Father and son of the Yin family?" Yun Qi chuckled: "Those who do unrighteousness will surely die."
Lu Anran looked at him, his black eyes were clear and sharp, "Your Majesty, aren't you curious?"
"oh?"
"Thunder comes very cleverly, and falls even more cleverly."
Yunqi smiled, suddenly like a spring breeze, all the flowers were blooming, and there was something mysterious hidden in his expression, "This is called heaven's punishment."
When the carriage stopped, Lu Anran looked at the words 'General Zhongwu's Mansion' on the door of the mansion, and subconsciously looked at Yun Qi, his eyes filled with confusion.
Yun Qi stood up slowly, flicked his robe, and smiled, "On the way."
—
Gu Mansion
After one cup of tea, another cup of tea.
Yun Qi lightly tapped the edge of the cup with the tea lid, threw it on the tea table next to him, opened the folding fan with a swish, and said with a half-smile, "It seems that I won't be able to see Second Master Gu today?"
The housekeeper of the Gu family stood aside, bowed slightly when he heard the words, and repeated without any emotion: "The second master has not returned home yet."
When Mr. Gu was away, Mrs. Gu said she couldn't afford to be ill and hastily sent the housekeeper to deal with it.
Yun Qi sighed softly: "It just happened, what a coincidence. Have you seen the beautiful lady next to me? She is a disciple of the Jixia Palace doctor. The second lady is feeling unwell, so I asked her to go and have a look."
Lu Anran glanced over with a cold look - this doctor is not that doctor, she is a member of the non-medical sect, looking at death rather than life.
The housekeeper of Gu Mansion grinned and said with a dry smile: "Madam, I occasionally feel cold, and the doctor has prescribed medicine, so I won't bother you, noble disciple of Jixia Palace."
"Hey, let's talk about whether it's expensive or not. General Zhongwu's spirit will live on forever. Your Gu family can be regarded as the new rich man of the day. You deserve it. You deserve it."
The Gu Mansion's housekeeper's face twitched, and he almost couldn't control his curse. He only felt itchy in his heart, "It's true... the prince was joking."
Lu Anran had known Yunqi's bad temper for a long time, so he was not surprised by such overt and covert words of praise.
Yun Qi raised his eyebrows: "I, the prince, hold the post of Chief of the Criminal Division, and I have time to talk nonsense with you for fun? Do you think you are here to act as my prince?"
The Gu Mansion's housekeeper's eyebrows skipped a beat. He had heard a lot about Yun Qi's deeds. Regardless of whether they were true or false, the reputation was always bad. Some say that he has a vicious temperament and likes to be rough with women during sex. Many women have been killed in the past. Some say that he spends a lot of time drinking and even built a wine pond and meat forest in Shengle County. There is a pond of fine wines, and he spends most of his time in it. Just having fun; and it is clear that Yun Qi has a hidden illness that cannot be explained by others...
The housekeeper of the Gu family didn't take this person seriously at first, but when he met him, Yun Qi gave him a look that made him shudder involuntarily.
Therefore, this time, his posture was a little lower, "Shi..." Under Yun Qi's arrogant eyes, he changed his words: "My lord, forgive me, it is really a last resort. After the general passed away, the second master took charge of the affairs of the house and was running around all day long. The young lady encountered a gangster again years ago, and now the second lady is also ill..."
Yun Qi waved his hand to stop him and said, "Don't you still have a mistress in the Gu family?"
The face of the housekeeper of the Gu family changed, as if he had something to hide.
Lu Anran said from the side: "As the housekeeper, do all matters in the house pass through your hands?"
"This..." Gu Mansion's housekeeper thought about it and said, "Master has given instructions, and no one dares to be careless about it."
Lu Anran nodded: "Tell me about Jun Tao."
Yun Qi pointed his finger at the table and curved his mouth, knowing that Lu Anran could tell that they might as well just ask the housekeeper if they couldn't wait for the master of the Gu family to come forward today.
"Jun Tao," Gu Mansion's housekeeper paused and then added, "She usually follows the Second Madam and serves her closely. She is skillful and careful, and is highly valued by the Second Madam."
"Since she is the eldest maid in the second lady's courtyard, how many people does she control?"
The housekeeper of Gu Mansion said: "Jun Tao, like Chunzhu, is only responsible for the matters in the second lady's room."
Lu Anran nodded and asked, "What is her temperament like, and how does she get along with others on weekdays?"
