mtl008 Chapter 432 A dull sound
Chapter 432 A dull sound
Ding Yun frowned, his eyes filled with choice and hesitation, as he looked at the people gathered on the shore, many of whom were rushing over after hearing the news.
Officials should be aware of the people's sentiments and put the people first.
Weddings and funerals are major ceremonies for the people.
With so many eyes watching, in such a significant matter as a ceremony, if we are too forceful in the absence of clear evidence, it may appear unreasonable, leave a bad impression on the people, and shake their trust in the government.
Ding Yun pondered for a moment, his furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and he allowed Xin'er to go and inform her first.
Xin'er went to the bridal sedan chair and told her young mistress everything that had happened on the boat. While speaking, she didn't forget to call him "that Lin guy" and complain about Lin Lezhi's loose tongue, giving him a good scolding.
Lin Lezhi scratched her head slightly, turning her eyes to the side to ease the awkwardness, but caught a glimpse of Xiao Yihuo's upturned lips.
At first, she didn't think much of it, but when she saw Xiao Yihuo's smug smirk and his eyes drooping slightly, she felt a little annoyed.
Last night, when he heard the sedan bearers calling out "Xin'er," he was worried that Xiao Yihuo would be saddened to hear a word that sounded the same as his mother's title. But now he can still laugh, so it seems that it has no effect on him.
There's no need to worry about him unnecessarily.
After learning what had happened, there was a moment of silence inside the sedan chair, followed by a soft yet firm voice that said, "I am aware of what happened and will certainly assist you in investigating the case and bringing the murderer to justice to put the people at ease. However, as a daughter, I cannot disobey my parents' wishes. I am willing to extend my hands outside the sedan chair to help you in your investigation. If I am still suspected in the end, I will certainly step out of the sedan chair and accompany you back to the yamen for trial."
"Miss…!"
“Xin’er, don’t worry. Now that a murder has occurred on the ship, we, as citizens of Northern Qi, should cooperate. We believe that you, sir, will investigate thoroughly and bring the real culprit to justice. However… please grant me a request.”
"What request?"
“This humble woman has lived a secluded life in her chambers since childhood and has never seen any other men except for her family and friends. Therefore, I would like to ask you, sir, to come to the sedan chair alone.”
"it is good."
"This humble woman thanks Your Excellency for your compassion."
At her request, Ding Yun walked alone to the front of the sedan chair.
After a long while, a pair of fair and slender hands, with a hint of shyness, slowly emerged from the side of the curtain at the sedan chair window, their fingertips trembling slightly.
In the sunlight, the exquisitely embroidered cuffs of the wedding dress were particularly bright red, making the hands peeking out from behind the curtain appear even more delicate.
Her hands were fair and slender, with no marks on the palms. Calluses had formed on the sides of her right index and middle fingers, as well as on the pads of her thumb, index, and ring fingers. A few thin calluses were also visible on the second joint of her ring finger.
Read it.
Ding Yun looked at everyone and said, "There are no marks on her palms, so we can rule her out as a suspect for now."
The words were spoken.
The hand that had been extended out of the window was quickly returned to the sedan chair.
Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from the deck. The officers sent by Ding Yun to search the rooms ran through the crowd to Ding Yun, looking frightened, and reported truthfully: "Sir, we searched the two rooms on the north side as you requested, but... but there was no one in either room."
Upon hearing this, Ding Yun's eyes instantly turned cold and serious.
"This...this is impossible!" The guards who had been standing watch outside Lu Huaijin's room last night looked as if they had seen a ghost, their faces filled with disbelief and horror. They retorted, "We were guarding outside the door all night. They turned off the lights and went to sleep shortly after Master Lu went to rest. They didn't leave the room even once all night. How could we not see him?"
Ding Yun looked at the four people on duty and asked with a deep gaze, "Did you really not have any gaps in your shifts last night?"
One of the guards said with certainty, "Since we were hired by Master Lu and came to the ship, we have been taking turns guarding the gate according to the ship's schedule. We arrive at the gate half an incense stick in advance to take over each shift. We have never dared to be negligent or careless."
The person next to him seemed to remember something, and fear crept into his eyes as he added, "That's right. This morning when we were changing shifts, we heard a strange thumping sound coming from their room. However, we thought it was just the wind blowing the bamboo curtains against the window frames, so we didn't think much of it."
"Now that I think about it, the sound was very strange. A bamboo curtain wouldn't make such a loud and muffled sound."
As he spoke, the terror in his eyes deepened, as if he had witnessed that horrifying scene. His voice trembled as he said, "It...it could only be...Master Lu's...body..."