Chapter 902: Bodies Don't Lie

Zu An looked hesitant. "Won't this be too much trouble for you?" he asked. "It's fine; I can start investigating from outside."

"No trouble at all, no trouble at all. Please come in, Sir Zu," Han Fengqiu said, a smile plastered on his face, but cursing inwardly. Letting him investigate from outside would essentially seal off Prince Qi's Mansion.

Zu An continued to decline, while Han Fengqiu persisted with his cordial invitations. Eventually, Han Fengqiu was almost in tears. Why did those gatekeepers have to provoke this troublemaker, of all people?

"Alright then," Zu An finally relented, "since you're so insistently inviting me, it would be disrespectful of me not to come in, Brother Han."

Han Fengqiu forced a smile. "Please, Sir Zu, please!"

Rage points from Han Fengqiu +233 +233 +233...

Once he felt he had collected enough rage points for the time being, Zu An swaggered inside.

The guards under him exchanged glances, each seeing admiration in the other's eyes. Moments earlier, they had been helpless against Prince Qi's Mansion's subtle resistance, but Sir Zu had effortlessly resolved the situation. No wonder he had achieved so many great merits lately.

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

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

He pointed to the railings by the bank and asked, "With so many railings here, how did Prince Qi's Secondary Consort fall into the pond?"

Han Fengqiu replied, "These railings were added after the incident to prevent similar occurrences. Sir Zu, if you observe closely, you'll notice the paint on them hasn't even dried yet."

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

With so many craftsmen coming and going to install the railings, any potential clues would have been thoroughly destroyed.

"I'm afraid I don't quite understand your words, Sir Zu," Han Fengqiu replied. "The Secondary Consort's unfortunate incident was clearly an accident. What clues would need to be specially preserved?"

Zu An snorted. "Whether it was an accident is not for you to decide. We'll only know after an investigation."

Han Fengqiu had originally intended to retort sharply, thinking, *Are the affairs of Prince Qi's Mansion not for us to decide, but for you to meddle in?* However, recalling the disadvantage he had suffered at the entrance, he held back. *Forget it,* he thought, *our family doesn't stoop to the level of such a petty person.*

Zu An instructed his subordinates to look around for any missed traces. Having been assigned to this case, they were all professionals, and any real clues would not escape their eyes.

Unfortunately, after several thorough searches, the few of them quietly shook their heads at Zu An. Clearly, Prince Qi's Mansion had been well-prepared, and all traces at the scene had been completely destroyed.

Zu An no longer pressed the matter. "Where is the Secondary Consort's bedchamber?" he asked.

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

Han Fengqiu's heart tightened. Unsure what new trick the other party was planning, he quickly said, "It's not inconvenient at all."

He quickly led them to a courtyard. The courtyard was quite spacious, and the architectural details showed considerable skill and care, clearly indicating that this Secondary Consort had been quite favored previously.

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

Moreover, there was no one in the entire house at the moment. As if guessing their doubts, Han Fengqiu explained, "After the Secondary Consort's incident, this courtyard was abandoned. Ordinary maidservants don't dare to come here, fearing ghosts or similar things."

Zu An smiled. "Are they afraid of vengeful spirits seeking retribution?"

Han Fengqiu's expression changed. "Sir Zu, please don't speak carelessly. It's only natural for these ignorant maidservants to fear ghosts; there's nothing more to it."

Zu An smiled, said nothing more, and went straight into the house to look around.

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

Zu An sent his subordinates out and went to Prince Qi's Secondary Consort's bedroom himself.

A faint scent of fragrant powder lingered in the bedroom. As Prince Qi's Secondary Consort, she clearly used very expensive varieties; the scent was refreshing, but alas, the beauty was gone.

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

"After all, she was Prince Qi's consort; such privileges naturally wouldn't be withheld from her," Han Fengqiu replied.

Zu An nodded and casually asked, "What clothes did she wear when she went out that night? Were they her own formal clothes or more casual attire?"

Han Fengqiu replied, "Her own clothes, but they were relatively plain."

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 mean that! Don't talk nonsense! This concerns the Secondary Consort's reputation, Sir Zu, please choose your words carefully!"

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

Han Fengqiu stiffened. He was not used to such casual familiarity and, at the same time, worried that Zu An might suddenly launch a sneak attack, leaving him utterly defenseless. But pushing him away directly seemed like it would completely offend the other party. If Zu An then made a fuss about it, that would be troublesome.

After much thought, he concluded that the other party probably wouldn't make a move against him in a place like Prince Qi's Mansion, and he gradually relaxed. While he was caught in this internal struggle, he completely failed to notice that as Zu An casually closed the wardrobe door, he smoothly took one of Prince Qi's Secondary Consort's dresses and placed it into his Glazed Pearl.

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

Han Fengqiu smiled. "They have already been prepared for Sir Zu." With a wave outside, a group of maidservants and female attendants soon walked in. Naturally, those who served the Prince's Secondary Consort would not be men.

Zu An looked thoughtful, observing that Han Fengqiu seemed to have everything under control. He had his other subordinates question the other maidservants separately, while he called the leading maidservant, whose clothes were noticeably of better quality, into the room for a private interrogation.

Han Fengqiu, seemingly to avoid suspicion, waited directly outside the courtyard.

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

"Qiuyue," the maidservant replied, her head lowered.

"Are you Prince Qi's Secondary Consort's personal maidservant?"

"Yes."

"Since you're her personal maidservant, why weren't you by your mistress's side that night, allowing her to fall into the water with no one to save her?" Zu An's voice grew stern.

The maidservant answered nervously, "My mistress went out secretly in the middle of the night; she didn't call us."

Zu An sneered, "As a personal maidservant, you claim not to know when your mistress got up in the middle of the night?"

The maidservant quickly replied, "I don't know why, but that night I slept unusually soundly. Normally, I wake up at the slightest noise."

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

The maidservant looked puzzled. "I don't know, but in a place like Prince Qi's Mansion, how could there be sleeping incense or criminals?"

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

The maidservant's face turned pale with fright. "Sir, please don't speak carelessly. Our mistress was devoted to the Prince; how could she be close to anyone else?"

Zu An sneered, "I merely asked who she was close to, not whether it was a man or a woman, yet your first reaction was 'man.' Isn't that a confession without prompting?"

The maidservant hastily explained, "Sir, although this Prince's Mansion cannot compare to the imperial palace, it's inevitable that the Prince's various consorts, striving for favor, will... will have some..."

"Are you trying to say 'infighting'?" Zu An grew impatient, seeing her continue to prevaricate.

The maidservant's expression changed. "This servant dares not speak ill of the consorts behind their backs... but in such an 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 against? Who in the mansion hated her the most?"

The maidservant shook her head. "Perhaps there were some open and secret struggles among the consorts, but it wouldn't escalate to murder. Although the Prince is magnanimous, he has always been wise and just, and anyone who commits such an act would never be tolerated. Therefore, the other consorts wouldn't need to take such a great risk. Moreover, our mistress has lived a secluded life for years and had a gentle and kind nature, rarely making enemies. 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?" the maidservant asked, looking puzzled.

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 again, "Oh, by the way, how well did your mistress treat you?"

"My mistress was gentle and kind, extremely benevolent to her servants, and treated me like a sister. Alas... alas..." The maidservant's face showed grief, and she began to weep silently.

Seeing that he couldn't get any more information, he signaled for her to leave.

Then he walked straight out. The other guards had also finished taking their statements one after another. Seeing him, they all subtly shook their heads, clearly having obtained no useful information. Prince Qi's Secondary Consort's death, by all appearances, seemed to be an accidental drowning.

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

Living people might lie, but corpses do 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?"