Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 277 - 276: Words Are Useless

Zhu Cheng fell into silence, and neither Zhu Yu nor Lu Qing said anything either.

After a while, the guard from earlier ran back and bowed to Zhu Cheng: "Prince, we have searched every inch of the Jia Family, inside and out, and found no traces of the canvas. Whether it was the furnace or the lavatory, we have inspected them all to ensure nothing was overlooked."

Zhu Yu looked at the guard somewhat sympathetically. His complexion was indeed not good, but it was unclear whether it was more due to the search process or the result.

"So what should we do now?" The guard, seeing Zhu Cheng remain silent, turned to Zhu Yu for help.

"It’s okay," Zhu Yu waved her hand at him. She had already anticipated this outcome, knowing that since the other party dared to set up such a scheme, they would have been fully prepared. "Let’s change our approach. Such a large piece of cloth isn’t something anyone can easily bring out.

As far as I know, our Shuo Country is not particularly skilled in weaving. It wouldn’t make sense to weave such a wide piece of cloth without any reason and just store it.

So, start with the cloth workshops and see if anyone might have bought such a large piece of cloth.

If that leads nowhere, and nothing is found, then check whether anyone has recently been asked to paint a picture.

After all, suddenly needing such a large painting, especially for covering a body, doesn’t seem like it would be a precious masterpiece. It might just be a newly commissioned piece."

Zhu Cheng also found Zhu Yu’s suggestion reasonable and nodded: "Yes, let’s do that!"

The guard quickly agreed and hurriedly left the Jia Family with his men.

"Let’s go. There’s nothing more to investigate here. Since the people have already been taken to the dungeon, we should head over there. I want to personally interrogate them!" Zhu Cheng said to Zhu Yu and Lu Qing.

"Father, there’s no rush," Zhu Yu shook her head at him. "As you said, the people are already locked in the cells. They can’t fly away, so there’s no urgency to interrogate them right away. It might be better to just leave them in the prison for now."

"What do you mean?" Zhu Cheng, having come to understand that his second daughter was not as impulsive as his first, Zhu Ning, and was in fact very prudent, knew she must have her reasons for saying this.

"Those with a clear conscience won’t care how long they’re left there; they remain untroubled.

But for those who have prepared in advance, if you go to interrogate them now, they can easily lean on their pre-prepared excuses. Those well-rehearsed lies could be seamless and hard to pick apart.

It’s better to disrupt their expectations, not following their preplanned process, so they end up disoriented."

Zhu Cheng found her reasoning indeed logical and couldn’t help but reassess this second daughter of his, feeling as though he was meeting her for the first time.

He sighed deeply, expressing his amazement: "I never expected a girl like you to have such a mind, nor did I expect your mother’s nature to produce a daughter like you."

Zhu Yu only smiled and did not respond.

While it was a compliment, it felt somewhat odd and not exactly pleasing. But since such words came from someone as stubborn as Zhu Cheng, she could just about accept it.

Seeing Zhu Yu did not wish to continue the topic, Lu Qing timely interjected, addressing Zhu Cheng: "Do you have any plans regarding the Pang Family’s overreach?"

His question abruptly redirected Zhu Cheng’s attention from the previous conversation with Zhu Yu, rendering him silent.

"What? You still haven’t made up your mind, Father?" Lu Qing asked again after waiting for a while without a response from Zhu Cheng.

"This matter... it is so significant that it’s truly difficult to decide." Zhu Cheng lowered his gaze, his expression a bit embarrassed. Were anyone else to ask, he could have deflected and avoided answering.

But since Lu Qing had risked so much this time to bring water to the Shuo Land and helped expose the Pang Family’s issues, Zhu Cheng felt he couldn’t brush him off too obviously: "You may not know, but Yu should have heard from her mother.

Back then, without the support and help of the Pang Family, I might not have been able to become this Prince Shuo, which is a public matter.

Privately, I am also married to someone from the Pang Family. She bore me children and managed the inner household.

Although the Pang Family crossed the line first, considering the larger picture, I thought to use this event to warn them, retract their overreaching hands, and as long as they know to behave and stop future transgressions, I won’t pursue the past too harshly.

The ties between the Zhu Family and the Pang Family are deeply entangled, if not totally enmeshed, and tearing completely with them would not benefit me."

"Father must be joking," Zhu Yu’s face grew cold upon hearing Zhu Cheng’s words, delivering a feigned smile, "Pang Family always ruled the inner household strictly; when did my mother have so many opportunities to speak intimately with her daughter?

I may be dense, but I know one thing well — once untrustworthy, forever untrustworthy.

If being a wealthy family second only to one in Shuo Land could satisfy the Pang Family’s ambitions, there wouldn’t be the current turmoil, as you have seen today, Father." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Zhu Cheng’s face froze, his brows furrowed: "Alright, stop it. I’ve made up my mind, and saying more is meaningless."

Lu Qing discreetly tugged Zhu Yu’s sleeve from behind, prompting Zhu Yu to press her lips together and stay silent.

Lu Qing himself maintained a calm expression, seemingly unsurprised by Zhu Cheng’s decision: "Setting aside the pros and cons of your considerations, Father, there’s one thing that needs to be thought through in advance.

If you do use this matter to knock down the Pang Family, you will undoubtedly alert them, prompting precautions on their part.

Should they not hold the same sentiments as you, always remembering the old ties, any new developments may slip out of your control, putting the Zhu Family in a very passive position."

Zhu Cheng remained silent, as though he was absorbing Lu Qing’s words but still refused to make any response.

Zhu Yu felt utterly disheartened, not even bothering to maintain a fake smile, and said to Zhu Cheng with pursed lips: "Since you’ve decided, Father, then so be it.

Weren’t you planning on deploying people to the Black Iron Mine to replace the Pang Family’s people? There is no reason to stay here, so let’s return."