There is a god in the sky

Chapter 198 Who is the Murderer 5

Xiao Ji could also sense Zhao Shangshu's intention to cultivate him.

He just felt that things were a bit too hasty.

He had just returned to Beijing and had not yet established himself in the Ministry of Justice. Getting involved in factional strife too early would not do him any good.

His official rank was too low, so the crown prince wouldn't value him, and the court officials would think he was a sycophant.

Rather than engaging in factional infighting, he was more interested in investigating the case thoroughly and proving himself through his achievements.

Whoever ascends the throne in the future will not neglect capable officials without reason.

On the contrary, if you choose the wrong side, you will suffer a complete defeat.

Unfortunately, there are not many officials in the court today who are willing to remain aloof and self-serving.

Xiao Ji rested at home for half a day. When Sui Feng returned to report, he took his men to the yamen.

"The Marquis of Zhenyuan does not admit to knowing Miss Wu. I have also found out that the Qixiu Workshop is now being managed by the Marquis's wife."

To be able to marry the heir of the Marquis of Zhenyuan, this heir's wife must have come from a good family. She was experienced and capable in dealing with people and was highly valued by the Marquis's family.

Therefore, it was absolutely impossible for Wu Qing to marry into the Marquis's mansion.

"My lord, let's close this case as an accident. I don't think there are any more suspicious points."

Xiao Ji propped his head up and casually drew a building on the paper, saying in a low voice, "I just want to figure out where she fell from. She couldn't have climbed onto the roof, could she?"

They had also seen the rooftop; ordinary people couldn't climb it at all.

"Is it possible that the shop assistant locked the door after the person fell?"

"I rushed up to the third floor immediately. Unless there was someone in the private room, no one could have done it faster than me."

Otherwise, from the moment the waiter learned someone had fallen to the moment he locked the door, he would definitely not be faster than Xiao Ji.

"Find a few unfamiliar faces and have them walk around Qixiu Workshop every day, secretly observing those employees and seeing if they do anything unusual."

Sui Feng immediately made the arrangements.

Qixiufang was not far from Jifeng Study, and he also stopped by Shen Lan's place for a free meal.

"Miss Shen, please don't take offense. It's just that your cooking is too good. My master hasn't had a good appetite these past few days, and he can only eat more when he eats your cooking."

Shen Lan didn't mind at all; it was just a matter of cooking a little more food.

Moreover, Sui Feng always gives money.

Shen Lan refused to accept the gifts, so he sent them here instead.

"Is Lord Xiao still investigating the case of Miss Wu's fall from the building?"

Sui Feng nodded, "Yes, there are some things the master can't understand. He won't be satisfied until he finds out where the person fell from."

Shen Lan couldn't help but ask, "If the murderer were someone like the heir of the Marquis of Zhenyuan, how would this case be judged in the end?"

In the capital, can a powerful official be punished the same as a commoner for murder?

Shen Lan thought it was impossible.

This is the first case Xiao Ji has officially taken over since taking office. If it doesn't go smoothly, will it have a negative impact on his career and his character?

Sui Feng scratched his hair, thought for a moment, and laughed, "The sir is not actually a stubborn person. He is just more persistent about the results of the investigation. As for whether the murderer can be brought to justice, sometimes it is not up to him alone."

Will he be content with that?

"What can I do if I'm not satisfied? The Provincial Judicial Commissioner's Office is much better than the Capital Prefecture. The Capital Prefecture has far more cases to smooth over every day."

Shen Lan secretly went to Qixiu Workshop at night.

Her doubts were the same as Xiao Ji's; she always felt that there was something wrong with the people in this building.

That day in the shop, the shopkeeper and the clerk were very cooperative, answering questions fluently and honestly.

But if everyone had told the truth, Wu Qing shouldn't have died there.

Qixiufang was only closed for one day before it was reopened.

But since someone had just died, business plummeted, and hardly anyone even passed by the door.

"What bad luck, for something like this to happen during the Lunar New Year."

Xiao Liang was off work that day and didn't see what happened.

Seeing that the shopkeeper and the others didn't seem to care much, he asked curiously, "Aren't you angry?"

As the shopkeeper tallied the month's accounts, he scolded him, "Isn't it better to be idle? Do you have to serve others to feel comfortable?"

Xiao Liang retorted, "The better the business, the more bonuses we get each month. Didn't you always value performance the most, boss?"

To his surprise, the shopkeeper replied, "Don't worry, the young master's wife has instructed that this month's reward will be the same as last month's, not a penny less."

Xiao Liang was overjoyed. He had known that business was best and the rewards were highest in the last month of the year, but he never expected his wife to be so generous.

He patted his chest and said, "Our lady is truly a living Bodhisattva!"

He didn't notice that the other shop assistants in the shop didn't seem to be in much interest.

Looking down from the roof, Shen Lan felt the height was manageable; as long as there was something to grab onto, she could jump right down.

If someone is determined to die, there's a possibility they might just throw themselves into the water.

However, when Shen Lan examined the body, she noticed that the deceased had dressed up specially before leaving home, with full makeup on her face.

She must have put on that makeup just before leaving the house, which means she was in a good mood before going out.

It's not like she just found out today that she and the heir of the Marquis of Zhenyuan can't be husband and wife, so why would she be so distraught at this time?

Moreover, the last words she uttered were "Save me," demonstrating a strong will to live, unlike someone who would attempt suicide.

Shen Lan braced herself against the roof with one hand, slid down with both feet, kicked open the window of the room, and landed lightly on the ground.

She sat in the chair, looking at the window, and suddenly a question came to mind.

If there was another murderer in the room besides Wu Qing, then the fact that he was able to leave quickly after the murder without being seen by Xiao Ji might mean that there was a second passage downstairs.

She heard that the people downstairs had left and the shop had closed, so she got up to open the door.

I thought the door would lock, but it opened easily with a pull.

Shen Lan walked out in the dark.

She remembered that the stairs were on her left, so she took a few steps to her right.

There is a door here, and most people would assume that there is another room behind it.

She pushed open the door and entered, finding herself in a lounge with a screen directly opposite the door.

As she was about to leave, a scene flashed through her mind.

When she and Xiao Ji were questioning the waiter on the third floor, he seemed to be glancing in their direction frequently.

The door was locked at the time, so she didn't suspect anything.

But what if the murderer was hiding here at the time?

Shen Lan continued walking inside, wanting to see if there were any clues left in the house.

She stepped around the screen, lost her footing, and fell to the ground.

Her first thought was: Is this a trap?

She seemed to have fallen into the slide, spun around a few times, and then landed on her feet on the first floor.

This was the first time Shen Lan had ever seen such a modern slide in this era, like the ones she used to play on in children's playgrounds.

She stood up and looked around the place in the light from outside.

It looked like a small warehouse, with shelves piled high with fabrics. It seemed that the slide was probably used to facilitate the movement of goods up and down in the shop.

The door to the small warehouse was locked, so Shen Lan couldn't get out.

She went down the slide back to the third floor, then came down the stairs and stood outside the small storage room.

So this is it. This door leads directly to the back door of the shop.

If the murderer had escaped from here, it wouldn't have taken even a minute.