Ning Shu asked, "Who exactly attended the banquet last night?"
"In addition to the Seventh Prince and me, there was also Minister Zhao of the Secretariat, Minister Liu of Qingche, the third son of Assistant Minister Wang, the eldest son of Secretary Sima, and the fourth son of Minister Jiang …" Tan Sixian reported a string of names and then continued, "Last night, other than admiring the moon and drinking and having fun, we didn't do anything out of the ordinary. The Seventh Prince was the first to leave. Because he was afraid that the Emperor would punish him, he hurried back to the palace at seven. The rest of us stayed until nine and then left one after another. "
Ning Shu asked directly, "Who was the last to leave? What time was it? And who stayed at the Xunfang Terrace? "
Tan Sixian coughed awkwardly and said, "I should be the last to leave. It was about a quarter to nine. After sending the rest of the officials and young masters out, I left. The ones who stayed at the terrace should be Minister Liu, Childe Sima, Childe Wang, Childe Jiang, and myself. "
"According to what you said, the envoy should have stayed at the top house last night. Why did he come back to the terrace?"
"I wasn't there after that. I was shocked when I heard that the envoy was killed this morning, so I immediately rushed over. As for what the envoy and the other young masters did after that, I really don't know. "
"Then which top house did the envoy choose last night?"
"If I remember correctly, it should be Miss Susu."
Ning Shu nodded. Seeing that Huimo had finished checking the surrounding terrain, she hurriedly waved her hand and asked him to come over. She asked him to check the leftovers, wine jugs, and wine glasses.
After checking, Huimo shook his head at Ning Shu in disappointment.
Although Ning Shu was mentally prepared, she still couldn't help but feel disappointed. She glanced around and suddenly found half a plate of leftover roast mutton, "Before I came, I looked at the menu of the Xunfang Terrace. It didn't seem to be this dish."
Tan Sixian glanced at it and said, "Oh, I bought it separately. It's in the restaurant across the street. His family's roast mutton was especially famous. It was personally roasted by a chef from the Western Regions. The taste was especially different from ours, and the aroma could be smelled from far away. The seventh prince had just arrived and said that he wanted to eat. How could the envoy not be satisfied? Hence, he instructed the servants to buy some for him. When the owner of the restaurant heard that His Highness the Seventh Prince had come, he was very attentive. He ordered the waiter to keep an eye on the chef and send it over as soon as it was done. When it was sent upstairs, it was still boiling hot. The taste was indeed extraordinary. "
"What about the waiter?"
"He left after delivering the mutton."
After carefully inspecting every corner of the balcony, Ning Shu looked at the exquisitely decorated balcony that was filled with blood. She was silent for a long time. Then she turned her head and looked seriously at Tan Sixian. "Eldest Young Master, please tell me honestly. After coming to the capital, has the envoy made enemies with anyone, offended anyone, or done anything inappropriate?"
Tan Sixian was stunned for a moment. He pursed his lips and didn't speak. After a while, he said, "It is not a gentleman's behavior to speak ill of others behind their backs. However, this matter concerns the cause of the envoy's death. I can only be a villain for once. After the envoy came to the capital, he often went to brothels. Most of the time, he was accompanied by me. Even when he was drunk, I would persuade him from the side. There was only one time when I saw a few fresh scratches on the envoy's neck. Out of curiosity, I asked what happened. The envoy replied, "Last night on the road, I ran into a little wild cat that threw itself into my arms. I wanted to have some fun with it, but I was scratched by the little wild cat." As for the identity of the little wild cat that you speak of, I have no way of knowing. "
Ning Shu frowned. "Does Eldest Young Master remember what day of the month it was when the envoy said this?"
"The ninth day of the fifth month."
The ninth day of the fifth month … Ning Shu kept this date in her mind. Suddenly, she remembered the weak and desperate cry she heard not long ago by the Chaobai River.
Jade Hairpin Flower, Xunfang Terrace, Lady Susu … could it be her?!
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