There is a god in the sky

Chapter 126 The Strange Case of Fuchunju 24

He fled in disarray.

Shen Lan sat back down opposite Xiao Ji, enduring his teasing gaze.

"You're really bold. How did you come up with that guess?"

Shen Lan was also guessing; investigating cases involves making bold guesses and carefully verifying them.

"Does Your Excellency think it's possible that if the Princess Consort knew Yang Shuo and was attracted to him, she might want to avenge him?"

“She is the Princess Consort!” Xiao Ji emphasized.

He didn't think that a princess consort would be attracted to a poor scholar.

They couldn't believe that the Princess Consort would do something so outrageous for a mere scholar.

But if he brought the Princess Consort into the position of the mastermind, he felt that many things could be explained.

In particular, the fact that the murderer could move freely in and out of Fuchun Residence and act so mysteriously is something that would be very difficult to achieve unless one was an insider.

In the evening, Xiao Ji was invited over by Prefect Dou, presumably because the Prefect was very concerned about the tense situation of the case.

Shen Lan rarely had free time, so she took Xuan'er for a walk in the street.

The nightlife in Tanzhou was more vibrant than anywhere else she had ever seen.

Perhaps because King Zheng was a person who loved entertainment, he inspired the people of Tanzhou to come up with all sorts of fun activities.

Xuan'er was overwhelmed by the sights along the way.

Shen Lan bought her a sugar figurine and a string of beads, which made the little girl extremely happy.

"Sister, it's so good to be away from home!"

Shen Lan asked, "Do you miss home?"

"At night, especially when my sister isn't around, I feel a bit lonely and wonder what my parents are doing at that time."

"Once you go to Bianjing, I don't know when I will be able to return home. If you want to send a letter home, you can tell me."

"Okay, once I learn to write, I'll write letters to them myself and broaden their horizons!"

The little girl's eyes reddened as she said this.

Shen Lan knew very well that she had been sold by her own parents and harbored resentment in her heart.

However, her blood ties also made her think about them, creating a conflicting feeling.

"Sister, look! There's a street performance over there! I remember seeing it once when I was little in Jianzhou City, during the New Year."

The two of them squeezed in hand in hand and watched a spectacular performance.

In terms of skill, it was better than any modern circus Shen Lan had ever seen, only the entertainment value was slightly inferior.

On several occasions, she worried about the safety of the actors.

After watching the acrobatic performance, Shen Lan planned to take her to try some local snacks from Tanzhou.

Someone suddenly blocked their way.

"Are you Miss Shen?"

"you are?"

Shen Lan sized up the other person; she was a pretty and delicate maid, and judging from her clothes, she should be from the Prince's mansion.

"This servant is Juanhong, who serves by the side of the Princess Consort. Our Princess Consort invites you."

Shen Lan looked around but did not see the Princess Consort.

"It's so late, why is the Princess Consort still outside?"

With such an incident at Fuchun Residence, the young prince was so worried that he couldn't eat or sleep. How could the princess consort possibly have the leisure to go out and play?

Juanhong pointed ahead and said, "The Princess Consort has invited several of her close friends to watch a play at the theater. She invites Miss Shen to join them."

Shen Lan grasped Xuan'er's hand and said to her, "Xuan'er, go back and tell your father so he won't worry."

“Miss Shen and Lord Xiao truly have a deep bond,” Juanhong said sarcastically.

A perfectly appropriate blush appeared on Shen Lan's face.

"There's nothing we can do; Lord Xiao is keeping a close eye on things."

Although Xuan'er didn't understand what secrets the two were hiding, she still obediently left.

Shen Lan followed the maid forward.

There was no theater on this street, so they walked to the end of the street and turned into a small alley.

“This way is the shortcut,” Juanhong explained.

Shen Lan remained noncommittal and asked, "Your name is Juan Hong, so are you related to Tao Hong?"

"We were maids who entered the manor at the same time."

"So you weren't born into a family?"

"No, the General's Mansion is short-staffed. The Princess Consort bought us before her marriage and brought us to the Prince's Mansion."

Shen Lan paused, and asked in surprise, "Tao Hong is also a maid of the Princess Consort? Then why is she serving Aunt Mu?"

"Naturally, it's because Aunt Mu has no one to serve her."

Juanhong didn't say anything more, but Shen Lan's doubts deepened.

It seems that the relationship between Aunt Mu and the Princess Consort is indeed not simple.

As we walked, the light grew dimmer and dimmer.

Shen Lan could barely see the road ahead, but Juan Hong showed no sign of stopping.

The theater was supposed to be a lively place, and you should be able to hear the opera from a distance, but it was quiet all around.

"Juanhong, you've led us the wrong way, haven't you?" Shen Lan stopped and asked.

Juanhong turned around and looked at Shen Lan with a smile, "Miss Shen, I didn't lead you astray. This is the road that will take you to the Yellow Springs."

"I didn't expect that a mere maid like you would have such a big mouth. Did you learn that from the Princess Consort?"

"How dare you speak ill of my Princess Consort!"

Shen Lan took a step back, her face beaming with smiles. "Originally, I only guessed that the murderer was the Princess Consort, but before I could find any evidence, she delivered herself right to my door."

What? Are you so afraid I'll find evidence against you?

Juanhong's face changed, and she cursed, "What do you know? The Princess Consort is punishing the wicked and eliminating evil. Instead of arresting the evildoers, you want to investigate the good people who are eliminating evil. You are truly ignorant!"

Shen Lan swept her foot towards the bamboo pole by the wall, and the bamboo pole instantly fell forward.

Juan Hong rose lightly, a flash of cold light in her hand, and thrust it towards Shen Lan.

It was a miniature dagger, only the length of a palm. It spun smoothly in the other person's palm a few times before heading straight for Shen Lan's chest.

Shen Lan could tell from her movements that this little maid had excellent light-footed skills.

She pushed off the wall with one foot, leaped high to the other side, and landed directly on the wall.

"How could a princess consort be so foolish? What good would it do you to kill me? Does she think she could kill Xiao Ji as well?"

Juanhong missed her attack, then turned and chased after her, saying, "Why not?"

Shen Lan frowned. If the other party really intended to wipe them all out, then with the young prince's abilities, it would indeed be difficult to find the real culprit.

Seeing that Juanhong had already jumped onto the wall, Shen Lan ran to the other side, then jumped over the roof of a house, wanting to get back to the main street as soon as possible.

She wasn't sure if the other party had only sent one person to kill her.

This is Tanzhou, the territory of the Princess Consort. If she gets surrounded while all alone, it will be troublesome.

"Do you think you can still run away?"

Shen Lan was startled when she saw the high wall ahead.

She was unfamiliar with the roads in the area and ended up in a dead end.

She turned around and decisively threw a throwing knife at the other person. The knife grazed her rosy face, leaving a bloody mark.

"I never expected a mere coroner to know martial arts!" Juanhong said angrily, wiping her cheek.

Shen Lan retorted sarcastically, "I never expected that a mere maid would kill someone!"