Chapter 906: The Corpse Does Not Lie

Zu An looked hesitant. "Won't this be too difficult for you? It's fine, I can check from outside just the same."

"Not at all, not at all, Administrator Zu, please come in," Han Fengqiu said with a smile on his face, though he was cursing inwardly. "If I let you investigate from outside, wouldn't that mean sealing off Prince Qi's estate?"

Zu An kept declining, while Han Fengqiu kept insisting with grand invitations. In the end, Han Fengqiu was almost in tears. He thought, "Why did the gatekeepers have to provoke this 'demon star' of all people?"

"Alright, since you're so sincerely inviting me, it would be disrespectful to Brother Han if I didn't go in," Zu An finally conceded.

Han Fengqiu forced a smile. "Administrator Zu, please, come in quickly!"

Once he felt he had sufficiently provoked Han Fengqiu's anger, Zu An confidently strode inside.

The guards under his command exchanged glances, each seeing admiration in the others' eyes. Moments ago, they had been stumped by Prince Qi's subtle resistance, but Administrator Zu had effortlessly resolved the issue. No wonder he had achieved so many great accomplishments recently.

Soon, the group was led to the back garden. Han Fengqiu pointed to a spot and said, "The consort drowned right here."

Zu An noticed the pond was quite large, easily resembling a small lake, so it wasn't surprising that someone could drown in it.

He pointed to the railings along the bank and asked, "With so many railings here, why did Prince Qi's consort fall into the pond?"

Han Fengqiu replied, "These railings were newly installed after the incident to prevent similar occurrences. Administrator Zu, if you look closely, you'll see the paint on them hasn't even dried completely."

Zu An was speechless. "So, you've completely destroyed the crime scene?"

With so many craftsmen going back and forth installing railings, any potential clues would have been thoroughly obliterated.

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand your meaning, Administrator Zu," Han Fengqiu replied. "The consort's unfortunate incident was clearly an accident. What clues would need to be specifically preserved?"

Zu An scoffed, "Whether it was an accident or not isn't for you to decide. We'll only know after a thorough investigation."

Han Fengqiu had initially intended to make a sarcastic remark. "Do I need your interference in matters of Prince Qi's estate, as if my own word isn't enough?" he thought. However, recalling the disadvantage he had suffered at the gate earlier, he held back. "Forget it," he thought, "my family doesn't stoop to the level of such petty individuals."

Zu An instructed his subordinates to search around for any overlooked traces. Having been assigned to this case, they were all professional experts, and if there were any clues, nothing would escape their notice.

Unfortunately, after several searches, the few men quietly shook their heads at Zu An. Clearly, Prince Qi's estate was well-prepared, and the scene's traces had been thoroughly destroyed.

Zu An stopped pressing the point. "Where is the consort's bedchamber?"

Han Fengqiu hesitated slightly. Zu An smiled, "What, is it inconvenient?"

Han Fengqiu's heart tightened. Unsure what trick the other party might pull next, he quickly said, "No, it's not inconvenient at all."

Soon, he led them to a courtyard. The courtyard was quite spacious, and the architectural details showed considerable refinement and care, indicating that the consort had clearly been quite favored before.

However, now the courtyard was strewn with many dead branches and fallen leaves, and the large space inexplicably exuded a sense of decay.

Furthermore, the entire house was deserted at the moment. As if guessing their confusion, Han Fengqiu explained, "After the consort's accident, this courtyard was abandoned. Ordinary maids don't dare to come here, fearing ghosts or similar things."

Zu An chuckled, "Are they afraid of vengeful spirits seeking retribution?"

Han Fengqiu's expression changed. "Administrator Zu, please don't speak nonsense. It's simply the nature of these ignorant maids to fear ghosts, nothing more."

Zu An merely smiled, said nothing further, and directly entered the house to look around.

Han Fengqiu remained expressionless. There was nothing incriminating here, so he could search as he pleased.

Zu An sent his subordinates to various parts of the house and went to Prince Qi's consort's bedroom himself.

A faint scent of fragrant powder still lingered in the bedroom. As Prince Qi's consort, she clearly used extremely valuable products; the fragrance was delightful, but alas, the beauty was gone.

He opened a nearby wardrobe and saw a dazzling array of beautiful dresses. He couldn't help but exclaim, "She has so many clothes!"

"As Prince Qi's consort, of course, she wouldn't be deprived of such provisions," Han Fengqiu replied.

Zu An nodded and casually asked, "What clothes was she wearing when she went out that night? Her own formal attire or casual clothes?"

Han Fengqiu replied, "Her own clothes, but relatively simple ones."

Zu An looked into his eyes. "From what you're saying, it sounds as if she deliberately wore such inconspicuous clothes to secretly meet someone in the middle of the night."

Han Fengqiu's expression changed. "I didn't imply that! Don't talk nonsense! This concerns the consort's reputation, Administrator Zu, please choose your words carefully!"

"Just a joke, Master Han, don't be so tense." Zu An patted his shoulder and casually put his arm around him, leading him outside.

Han Fengqiu stiffened. He was unaccustomed to such familiarity and simultaneously worried that Zu An might suddenly attack him, leaving him utterly defenseless. But if he pushed him away directly, it seemed he would completely offend the other party. It would be troublesome if Zu An then used that as an excuse to make a scene. After much deliberation, he figured the other party wouldn't dare to attack him in a place like the Prince's estate, so he gradually relaxed.

While he was internally conflicted, he completely failed to notice that as Zu An casually closed the wardrobe door, he smoothly took one of Prince Qi's consort's garments and stored it in his Glazed Pearl.

After leaving the courtyard, Zu An asked again, "Where are the consort's personal maids and servants?"

Han Fengqiu smiled. "They've already been prepared for Administrator Zu."

After speaking, he waved his hand towards the outside, and soon a group of maids and servant women entered.

Those serving the prince's consort naturally wouldn't be men.

Zu An looked thoughtful, observing that Han Fengqiu seemed to have everything under control. He had his other subordinates question the rest of the maids separately, while he called the leading maid, whose attire was noticeably better, into the room for a private interrogation.

Han Fengqiu seemed to wait outside the courtyard, perhaps to avoid suspicion.

"What's your name?" Zu An asked.

"Qiuyue," the maid replied, keeping her head down.

"Are you Prince Qi's consort's personal maid?"

"Yes."

"Since you are her personal maid, why weren't you with your mistress that night, leading to her falling into the water with no one to rescue her?" Zu An's voice sharpened.

The maid replied nervously, "My mistress went out quietly in the middle of the night; she didn't call for us."

Zu An sneered, "As a personal maid, you're telling me you didn't know when your mistress got up in the middle of the night?"

The maid hastily replied, "I don't know why, but I slept exceptionally soundly that night. Usually, I wake up at the slightest sound."

"Oh?" Zu An raised an eyebrow. "Were you drugged with an anesthetic incense or had your sleep-inducing acupoints pressed that night?"

The maid looked puzzled. "I don't know, but in a place like Prince Qi's estate, how could there be anesthetic incense or villains?"

Zu An pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Who was your mistress particularly close to in her daily life? I mean, besides Prince Qi."

The maid's face turned pale with fright. "Sir, please don't say such things! Our mistress was devoted to the Prince; how could she be close to anyone else?"

Zu An sneered, "I only asked who she was close to, not whether it was a man or a woman, yet your first reaction was to assume a man. Isn't that a confession?"

The maid quickly explained, "Sir, although this estate cannot compare to the imperial palace, it's inevitable that among the Prince's various consorts, to vie for favor, there will be... there will be some..."

"Are you trying to say 'infighting'?" Seeing her constantly hesitate, Zu An grew impatient.

The maid's expression changed. "This servant wouldn't dare to gossip about the consorts behind their backs... However, in this environment, it was naturally impossible for our mistress to be very close to other women."

Zu An asked again, "Then who did she have a grudge with? Who in the estate hated her the most?"

The maid shook her head. "Perhaps there was some overt and covert struggle among the consorts, but it wouldn't go as far as murderous intent. Although the Prince is magnanimous, he has always been wise and just. Anyone who committed such an act would never be tolerated, so the other consorts wouldn't need to take such a great risk. Moreover, our mistress had lived a secluded life for years and had a gentle, kind nature, rarely making enemies with others. I find it hard to imagine who would want to kill her."

"So you also think her death was an accident?" Zu An stared into her eyes.

"The Prince also investigated this matter before, and the conclusion was that it was an accident. Is there some hidden truth, then?" the maid asked with a puzzled expression.

Zu An fell silent. After a moment, he waved his hand, signaling her to leave.

As she reached the door, he suddenly called out to her, "Oh, by the way, how did your mistress treat you?"

"My mistress was gentle and kind, exceptionally benevolent to her servants, and treated me like a sister. Unfortunately... unfortunately..." The maid's face showed sorrow, and she began to cry silently.

Seeing that he couldn't get anything more from her, he gestured for her to leave.

He then walked directly out the door. The other guards had also finished taking their statements one after another and discreetly shook their heads at him, indicating they had found no useful information. Prince Qi's consort's death appeared to be an accidental drowning in every respect.

He thought for a moment, then went outside the courtyard and said to Han Fengqiu, "Master Han, please take us to her coffin. We need to examine her remains."

The living might lie, but a corpse does not.

Han Fengqiu's expression immediately changed. "No, absolutely not! Although she was not Prince Qi's principal consort, she was still the Prince's woman. How could she be desecrated by others?"