The four of them were brought to the Supreme Court's main hall. When they saw that the people inside were all officials, they immediately shivered.
They didn't dare to make a fuss.
Gamblers were terrified of officials.
The guard reported, "Your Highness, they've been waiting outside Wenlai Pavilion, saying that they want Zhao Zhiwen to return the money."
The four of them shrunk back, not daring to speak. They lowered their heads, not daring to meet the eyes of the officials.
The arrogance they displayed outside Wenlai Pavilion was gone!
Jing Rong's sharp eyes swept over the four of them, scrutinizing them. "You … what's your relationship with Zhao Zhiwen?"
"…"
They stuttered.
"Zhao Zhiwen is already dead, yet you keep asking him to return the money. Is this a fabrication? Or do you have other intentions? "" It's not a fabrication! " One of them quickly took out an IOU. "It's written in black and white that Zhao Zhiwen owes us twenty thousand taels of silver. He promised to return the money today, but he died. This is twenty thousand taels of silver. It's only right and proper to repay a debt. Even though he's dead, his family is still alive.
That's why he has to return the money. "One of the fat men no longer cowered like before and said confidently.
Hmm, it's only right and proper to repay a debt.
His words made sense.
The IOU was clearly written in black and white, stating that Zhao Zhiwen owed a certain casino twenty thousand taels of silver. The repayment date was today.
But …
Yu Dali questioned, "How could he owe you so much money?" "What's so strange about a gambler owing so much money? He owes us a hundred thousand taels of silver. Every time he signs an IOU, he waits for the third day to repay the money. He says that there's a benefactor behind him. As long as he asks, that person will pay him. We also know that he's the president of Qiyang Enterprise.
He must have money, so we give him two days. But this time, he's dead. This twenty thousand taels is not a small sum. He must return it. "
Ji Yunshu heard the keywords.
Benefactor behind him?
Is he the same person as the "idiot" behind him that the women from Spring Inn mentioned?
If so, who is that person? Why does he clean up after him every time?
Ji Yunshu immediately asked, "Then, do you know who's the one who's helping him repay the debt?"
The bearded man said, "I don't know. We only recognize money."
"Did he go to your casino last night?"
A few of them shook their heads. "Nope."
He didn't go to House of Spring, nor did he go to the gambling den. Then where did he go from the back door of Wen Lai Pavilion?
Her heart was in a knot again.
Jing Rong returned the promissory note to the men and warned them, "Before the case is closed, all of you better behave yourselves. Don't cause any more trouble, or else all of you will be thrown into prison."
"Then our silver …"
Jing Rong's eagle eyes twitched.
The few of them shuddered and left dejectedly.
Yu Dali said, "Could it be that Zhao Zhiwen was killed before he could reach the gambling house or Spring Full House?"
"Impossible." "According to Liu Zhinan and Luo Mingyang, Zhao Zhiwen left Wen Lai Pavilion at the hour of the eleventh, but he died at the hour of the eleventh. He must have crawled to the gambling house and the House of Spring, but where was he during this time?"
Yu Dali understood and hurriedly said, "Then this lowly official will immediately send someone to investigate."
Thus, according to the time period between the eleventh and the eleventh, the Supreme Court and the capital magistrate asked along the way from Wen Lai Pavilion, but no one saw Zhao Zhiwen on the streets and alleys.
Not even a shadow.
Since there was no sign of him, where did he go?
"How did the murderer kill without anyone knowing?" The capital magistrate and many officials were frantic.
Ji Yunshu frowned slightly.
"The murderer can disguise himself. Of course it's easy for him to kill someone."
"Isn't that like looking for a needle in a haystack? We still haven't found the murderer's true appearance. What if he disguises himself and leaves the city? Are we just going to wait like this? "
Yes!
They could only wait!
Currently, there were only two days left until the Chamber of Commerce Festival.
"On the day of the Chamber of Commerce Festival, the capital will be packed with people. We have very few clues about the culprit, so we cannot run around like headless flies. Right now, the most important thing is to increase the security. We must ensure that there will be no more murders on the day of the Chamber of Commerce Festival. We must check the entrances and exits of the city carefully.
Anyone who leaves the city must be verified. As long as the murderer is still in the capital, he will be brought to justice. "
"Yes."
The day before the Chamber of Commerce Festival.
The capital was already bustling with activity. The streets and alleys were decorated with lanterns and colored banners.
The imperial court also sealed off the three murder cases in the shortest time possible. Those who knew about it were also 'warned' to prevent more people from finding out and causing unnecessary panic.
Prince Rong's estate.
Ji Yunshu was distressed for the whole day. This was the first time she encountered a murder case, but she could only sit and wait. Even the clues about the murderer were ambiguous. The murderer was like a shadow, untraceable. She knew he was there, but she couldn't find him.
She was anxious, worried, and confused.
She sat in the room with her hand on her forehead, staring at the three masks that had been removed from the dead man's face.
Ox ghost.
Horse ghost.
Snake ghost.
Each one was more terrifying than the last.
A bamboo basket came in with a basin of water. Seeing that she was lost in thought, she looked at the three masks on the table.
He asked with a trembling voice, "Miss Ji, what are you thinking about?"
Ji Yunshu snapped out of her trance and said, "Nothing."
The maidservant stood still. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to ask something. She even took small steps to carry the basin of water to Ji Yunshu's side.
'Huh?'
"What's wrong?"
The bamboo basket swallowed and asked in a low voice, "Miss Ji, do you think … the murderer … will he kill again?"
There was a clear fear in her voice.
But Ji Yunshu didn't dare to be sure.
"Go and do your work first."
"Oh." The bamboo basket made a muffled sound. It was inevitable that she felt a little apprehensive. She turned around and was about to put the basin on the washstand. Unexpectedly, she lost her soul and tripped over the leg of the table.
"Bang!"
She fell to the ground along with the basin.
The wooden basin hit the ground, and the water splashed out, splashing all over the ground.
At the same time, the Ox Ghost Mask that was originally placed on the table fell down due to the shaking of the table. It fell right into the wooden basin that was still half-filled with water.
Seeing this, Ji Yunshu quickly helped the bamboo basket up.
She asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you okay? "
The upper half of the bamboo basket was soaked in water. She looked like a drowned rat.
She rubbed her knees and wanted to cry. "Thank you, Miss Ji. I … I'm fine."
Only then did Ji Yunshu pick up the ox ghost mask from the basin.
The mask was already wet and dripping with water.
"It's all my fault, Miss Ji. I … I didn't mean it." The bamboo basket panicked.
"It's okay!"
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