PFC Chapter 038 Strange Disappearance
Chapter 038 Strange Disappearance
The system gave Lu Zhiyuan a hint: It wasn't Lu Huai who saved Ji Wanwan, but the Prince of Yong'an!
Lu Zhiyuan paused, then asked the system, "Ji Wanwan is no ordinary pawn. Does she have another mission? What exactly is her relationship with that Prince Yong'an?"
The system stammered, like a helpless child.
"This... you'll have to discover it yourself, host."
Lu Zhiyuan rolled her eyes, thinking to herself, "What use is a broken system like yours to me?"
The system didn't respond. Just like last time, it appeared suddenly and disappeared without a trace, making her wonder if there was something wrong with her brain. If the mission failed, would she, like those mental patients, become an misunderstood, confined patient back in the real world?
Thinking of this, Lu Zhiyuan couldn't help but shiver.
She would rather die a gruesome death, reduced to ashes.
Liu Ying, lifting the hem of her skirt, rushed over: "Miss, something terrible has happened! The Zhu family has gone missing."
When they arrived at the Zhu residence, the officers from the Commandant's Office had already surrounded it. Leading the group was Commandant Ma, whom they had seen before at the Marquis's residence. Commandant Ma was somewhat surprised by Lu Zhiyuan's arrival. Young, ill, the daughter of a Marquis—she was the last person who should be here.
Despite his surprise, Commandant Ma, who was well-versed in the ways of officialdom, did not say much. Instead, he answered whatever Lu Zhiyuan asked.
The officers from the Commandant's Office arrived at the Zhu residence at 2:45 PM. They were there to deliver the case closure documents to Old Madam Zhu. The Zhu family's gate was slightly ajar, and the courtyard was completely silent; no one was seen moving about.
This was a two-courtyard house that the Zhu family had purchased when they did business in the capital. Old Madam Zhu and her female relatives lived in the back. Normally, there should have been guards in the front courtyard, but the people from the Commandant's Office called out several times without receiving a response.
Pushing open the door, the courtyard was covered with withered leaves, and there were four side rooms on the left and right, but no one was inside.
As they spoke, Captain Ma pushed open the door to the first room on his right. The room was simply furnished: a table, two stools, a cabinet, and a bed. A teapot sat on the table, both the teapot and the teacups damp with water. The stools were pulled out, as if the owner had just left in a hurry. There were no clothes hanging in the cabinet, only a half-open bundle containing seasonal clothing.
Judging from the color, texture, and style, the room was occupied by two male servants of the Zhu family. The room was tightly closed, and a faint smell of rotting corpses filled the air.
This smell only clings to the pallbearers, not because of ghosts, but because they have the longest contact with the coffin and the corpse inside.
There were two quilts, one folded and the other half-open. Based on the shape of the teapot and teacups on the table, Lu Zhiyuan deduced that they had left last night.
"Why not this morning?" Captain Ma pointed to the bedding on the bed: "Two people, one got up early and folded the quilt neatly. The other got up late, was folding the quilt, and when he heard the master calling, he dropped the half-folded quilt and hurriedly left. The tea on the table, the one who got up early is more likely to be thirsty than the one who got up late."
“The way a quilt is unfolded is different from the way it is about to be folded.” Lu Zhiyuan pointed to the quilt: “When folding a quilt, the inside should be facing up. Even if you only pull one corner, you will subconsciously fold the corner up. The bundle in the wardrobe, the one thrown next to it is an outer garment. If you go out in the morning, the owner will subconsciously put on the outer garment. If it is at night, there is no need to worry about it.”
He picked up the teapot on the table and pointed to the stove placed under the eaves outside the door.
"The Zhu family made a last-minute decision to come to Beijing and did not intend to stay permanently. They made do with whatever they could find in terms of food, clothing, and lodging. The charcoal used for the fire was old; judging from the ash, it had been accumulating for at least two years. The charcoal in the stove was cold but burned thoroughly, which is the state it takes for something to burn overnight."
Unscrew the lid and tilt the teapot: "Although there are no tea leaves in the teacup, the remaining water is colored. The Zhu family's ancestral home is Weinan, where people enjoy drinking yellow flower tea. This is a type of tea that can only be produced locally in Weinan, growing in the mountains and fields. The flower has no fragrance, but the tea brewed from it is exceptionally sweet. Drinking it in autumn can not only quench thirst but also relieve throat discomfort caused by long journeys and poor diet."
Lu Zhiyuan shook the teapot: "This tea is from the previous day."
Commandant Ma took the teapot and smelled it: "Miss actually knows these things?"
“My father was sent to Weinan for many years, and he often asked someone to bring my mother daylily tea. I learned about this by chance.” He walked around the room. “The windows were locked from the inside. Apart from the smell of dust and rotting corpses, there was no other smell. They went out on their own.”
Lu Yun stood at the door: "Miss, we've found something in the room next door."
Commander Ma frowned and glanced at his subordinates standing at the door. They had searched all the rooms here but found nothing unusual, especially in the first room. After seeing the bedding on the bed, they instinctively assumed that the Zhu family had left.
Captain Ma patted his head.
He was also infected by those stupid subordinates. The burden is still there, how can a person leave?
Walking into the next room with his hands behind his back, Lu Yun was pointing to a bloodstain for Lu Zhiyuan. Commander Ma's subordinate nudged him and whispered, "Master, don't you think there's something strange about this master and servant?"
Commander Ma shook his head, and his subordinate gestured with his chin, saying, "It's not surprising that the young lady has a servant, after all, she depends on her master for food. But that's probably all on the surface. In their hearts, who treats such a young child as their master? This lady from the Marquis's mansion is no ordinary person; her servant genuinely respects her. Besides, look at that young lady; she's more experienced than any of us. She doesn't seem like a pampered little princess raised in the Marquis's mansion at all."
Captain Ma crossed his arms and scrutinized Lu Zhiyuan intently. She was indeed different from the young ladies he remembered. Ordinary young ladies would never come to a place like this, let alone squat with their servants examining what appeared to be bloodstains.
On the other hand, it seems normal. She is General Xie's granddaughter, and her mother, Xie Chaoyun, was a veteran. She wasn't just doing odd jobs or filling in the numbers; she was a true fighter, charging into battle and slaying enemy generals.
"It's human blood, and the time of death should be in the latter half of the night. The deceased was half-lying here, with his arm draped over the stool, and blood was flowing from his neck, dripping here. There were no obvious signs of struggle or cleaning in the room. The murderer is very professional, emphasizing speed, ruthlessness, and precision; he's either a professional assassin from the underworld or one carefully trained by the manor."
Lu Zhiyuan closed her eyes, imagining how she would act if she were that assassin.
“A single, fatal blow, a short blade, close to the body, cut here.” Lu Zhiyuan opened her eyes: “There wasn’t much blood on the ground. The murderer covered the victim’s wound and carried him out.”
Lu Zhiyuan pointed to the footprint behind the threshold: "There were no lights on in the house. The murderer tripped on the threshold, and the sound carried to the next room, alerting the people in the next room."
“So…” Captain Ma twirled his finger, “Those two next door heard the noise here and ran out of their rooms. It matches up, it matches up completely.”