Farmhouse Green Plum

Chapter 640 Interrogation

Yuan Qing nodded. "It should be accurate. I asked when I came back, and the group of detectives did take a boat to Linqing."

Zhang Renzhi's eyes darkened as he said, "Zhizhou Wang is the official of the prefecture. The Inspector General should take over this matter. I will write a letter and inform Wan Shiheng of my doubts."

Wan Shiheng was a classmate of his inspector.

The grain boat left Zhangqiu and continued south.

After noon, the sun's scorching heat faded, leaving only a layer of amber warmth that lazily spread over the green-tiled eaves of the prefectural government office.

However, all the Wang family members in the inner courtyard of the government office felt as if they had fallen into an icy cave. The sudden death of the head of the family was like the sky falling down to them.

In the flower hall, Mrs. Wang clutched a handkerchief and cried uncontrollably in front of the corpse of Magistrate Wang.

"Madam, you have to cheer up," Yu Ma, the personal attendant, advised with tears in her eyes, "Master's funeral arrangements are still waiting for your decision. The mourning hall needs to be set up, the mourning clothes need to be made, and the notice of death needs to be sent..."

Before she could finish her words, hurried footsteps were heard outside, and a maid came in quickly, "Madam, Censor Wan wants to summon Nanny Yu for questioning."

Mrs. Wang suppressed her grief and said, "Old Yu, please go over and give me a proper answer."

After discovering that her master was dead, Mrs. Wang felt that something was wrong and immediately wanted to report the case, but her master was the Judge of Linqing, and she didn't know who to report to.

He then sent for the Tongzhi and Tongpan to come. After they arrived, they said that they could not make the decision on the matter, so they invited the Yushi Wan.

After Censor Wan arrived, he investigated very carefully. Mrs. Wang hoped that he could find out the truth so that her master could rest in peace.

Moreover, the Wang family came from humble beginnings and had little foundation in officialdom, relying entirely on the master's single-handed strength to maintain their reputation. Now that the pillar of support had collapsed, the elderly, the weak, the women, and the children in the mansion were like a swaying lamp in the wind and rain, without support, and they could not easily offend anyone.

After arriving, Nanny Yu bowed respectfully.

"Zhang Renzhi and his group are staying at the Wang Mansion. Are you responsible for their accommodation?"

Nanny Yu was stunned. She didn't expect Censor Wan to ask this. Isn't the most important thing right now the master's death?

An officer on the side shouted, "You rude and treacherous slave! You haven't answered the inspector's questions yet!"

The sound was like thunder, frightening Yu Ma so much that she trembled all over.

Censor Wan raised his hand to stop her, saying gently, "Madam, there's no need to panic. I'm deeply saddened by Lord Wang's sudden death. I will do my utmost to get to the bottom of this matter."

Upon hearing this, Nanny Yu relaxed her tense body a little, and hurriedly replied respectfully, "In reply to your Excellency, our Master has always respected those with outstanding talent and learning. Master Zhang has achieved fame at a young age, and his name is known throughout the world. Our Master admires him greatly. Madam specifically instructed this old servant to ensure that Master Zhang and his group are properly accommodated."

Censor Wan nodded slightly and tapped the table twice with his slender fingers. The "knock knock" sound was particularly clear in the silent hall.

Hearing this, Nanny Yu felt very nervous. Could it be that the master's death was related to Master Zhang and his group?

She tried hard to recall the events of the past few days. Censor Wan suddenly leaned forward, blocking the sunlight from the window. "So how many servants did they bring with them on this trip? What are their names?"

Perhaps it was because the sunlight was blocked, Yu Ma's heart trembled inexplicably. After calming down, she said, "I don't know the names of the four maids. I only know that two of them are named Zhang. Three of them serve Madam Zhang personally. One is named Yanqiu, the head maid, and the two second-class maids are named Xier and Queer.

A servant named Yinzhu, and two guards named Poyun and Chuanyue.

There is also a Mr. Yuan, a scholar of the 12th year of the Qianyuan reign, who is not yet twenty years old and whom our master admires very much. There is also a Miss Song, who is Mrs. Zhang’s sister.”

Censor Wan said unhappily, "Mrs. Zhang's maiden name is Yu. How can a girl named Song be her sister?"

Nanny Yu was stunned for a moment before she realized that this Censor Wan and Mr. Zhang were of the same age, and perhaps they had a personal relationship and knew his wife's maiden name.

She explained, "I don't know Mrs. Zhang's maiden name. I only heard Miss Song call her Sister Lingwan, and Mrs. Zhang called Miss Song Sister Lingwei, so I thought they were from the same family."

The displeasure on Wan Yushi's face dissipated a little, and he continued to ask, "What is the relationship between these two people and the Zhang family?"

Nanny Yu thought to herself, "If I knew, I wouldn't have thought Miss Song and Madam Zhang were sisters." She shook her head, "This old servant doesn't know, but Miss Song and Mr. Yuan were engaged. They..."

Censor Wan interrupted: "What are the facial features and characteristics of these people? Please describe them one by one."

Nanny Yu was shocked again. She lived in the inner house, but her master was the governor of a state. She knew some rules of investigating cases from what she had seen and heard.

Asking for such details, perhaps some unusual trait that could identify the murderer, or perhaps to track down the murderer, made her suddenly anxious and angry: "Sir, could it be that our master's death is really related to them?"

Wan Yushi said with a dull expression, "Mrs. Yu, you only need to answer."

Nanny Yu was certain that the murderer who killed her master was among them, and she immediately described the appearance and characteristics of the group in detail...

After leaving Zhangqiu, the grain boat passed through Jingmen Gate, Acheng Gate, Qiji Gate and other gates and entered the Dongchangfu area.

On the Grand Canal, Dongchang Prefecture has the most sluices, so this section of waterway is also called the Sluice River.

The autumn sun is setting in the west, the dusk is like rust, and the shadows of the dead willow branches cut diagonally across the river, cutting the setting sun into pieces, which float up and down with the waves.

On the canal boat, Yuan Qing finished practicing calligraphy, put down his pen, looked up and saw Song Ying opposite him holding a volume of "Supplement to Materia Medica", his knuckles resting on the pages, but his eyes were vaguely fixed on the deck not far away.

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes sweeping across the yellowed scroll, and found that she was still reading the same page from half a quarter of an hour ago. "What's wrong with you these days? Are you feeling unwell?"

Hearing the voice, Song Ying came back to his senses. Following his gaze, he saw the pages of the book that had not been turned for a long time. He rubbed his temples and said, "No, I was just thinking about the connection between epilepsy and the one soul, two houses, and two diseases. I have read many books in the past two days, but I haven't found any basis for it."

"Is epilepsy related to the one soul and two houses?" Yuan Qing was a little surprised. He remembered that in Zhangqiu Town before, she said that the cause of epilepsy was due to phlegm blocking the mind, and the one soul and two houses were related to the brain. How could there be a connection?

"I think so!" Song Ying frowned. "Epilepsy, it's just the brain not being able to control the body..."

Rumble!

Before she could finish her words, a sudden thunderclap exploded in the sky, knocking the medical book in her hand to the ground with a clatter. She stroked her chest and laughed, "Wow, did I reveal the secret?"

Yuan Qing chuckled and looked up at the sky. He saw dark clouds as black as ink, rolling and swallowing up the last ray of setting sun. In the blink of an eye, the entire sky was covered. "The weather is going to change. Hurry and get into the cabin."