Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 80 - 79: Death Is Not Worth Mourning

In front of Cao Tianbao, Zhu Yu asked Cao Chenfeng for his sword, which was obviously very telling.

The Capital Governor cautiously glanced at Cao Tianbao, feeling a pang of worry for the small Chief Historian of the Prince Xiaoyao Mansion.

Cao Tianbao looked at his nephew with a stern face, his gaze fixed on the sword at Cao Chenfeng’s side, as if preparing for an impending storm.

Cao Chenfeng gritted his teeth, slowly taking off the sword from his waist and handing it to Zhu Yu.

Zhu Yu took it, drew the sword, and shook her head slightly.

The blade of this sword was too wide; it wasn’t the one that killed Zhuang Lanlan.

Cao Chenfeng had been watching Zhu Yu intently, and when he saw her shake her head after drawing the sword, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Great General, this sword is not the murder weapon," Zhu Yu truthfully told Cao Tianbao.

Capital Governor wiped his forehead and was about to speak, providing a way out for Cao Chenfeng, when on the other side, Zhuang Zhi suddenly jumped up: "My lord! This lord!

That sword was not the murder weapon that killed my daughter! Because when I found my daughter dead, the sword was stuck in her body, it wasn’t removed!

Now that sword should still be in the government office, how could it be on Cao Chenfeng’s body!"

Blood vessels at Cao Tianbao’s temple swelled up. Though his voice was laced with anger, he remained slightly restrained, waved a hand, and said to the Capital Governor, "Lord Wu, have someone retrieve the murder weapon.

This sword is not the one my nephew usually carries.

The sword he used to carry daily is the one I gifted to him, he never leaves it, and now he suddenly inexplicably has changed it for this broken sword hanging on his side, even I, as his uncle, feel something’s wrong.

I’ve spent my lifetime on the battlefield living by the sword, but I have never wrongfully taken a life, nor have I falsely killed an innocent.

If Zhuang Lanlan’s death truly has something to do with my useless nephew, I, Cao Tianbao, will not tolerate it for even a moment!

Quickly bring the murder weapon!"

Having said this, what else could the Capital Governor do but turn around and command someone to fetch the sword stuck in the corpse back then.

Zhu Yu looked at General Cao with some surprise, his reaction somewhat earning her respect.

One would assume such a high-ranking Assistant General, if intent on protecting his nephew, would have gone along when she mentioned the sword didn’t match the wounds on Zhuang Lanlan, helping Cao Chenfeng escape blame.

Unexpectedly, he didn’t protect his kin at all, instead, he seemed inclined towards upholding justice over family.

Cao Tianbao seemed to sense Zhu Yu’s gaze and looked back at her, "What else did you notice inside earlier?"

Zhu Yu shook her head, "Great General, forgive me for not being able to answer you now; everything must wait until the murder weapon is retrieved for further distinction."

These words carried a hint of precaution against Cao Tianbao, but he didn’t seem to mind, refraining from questioning further, his gaze fixed intensely on Cao Chenfeng as if trying to carve a piece of flesh from him.

Cao Chenfeng, under his uncle’s intense gaze, dared not look back and could only kneel on the ground shivering.

Zhu Yu didn’t know what kind of behavior Cao Chenfeng usually exhibited, but based on what he did, regardless of whether he murdered Zhuang Lanlan, it was clear that Cao Tianbao had backed the wrong horse in trying to support this nephew to uphold the Cao Family’s honor.

Before long, governmental officials from the Jingzhao Mansion brought over the sword removed from Zhuang Lanlan’s chest, along with the scabbard.

The sword appeared much better in quality than the one hanging at Cao Chenfeng’s waist, even someone like Zhu Yu, who didn’t know much about weapons, could see at a glance that the sword held by the officials was undoubtedly a fine one.

The intricately engraved lion-head hilt, inlaid with pearls and jade, faintly displayed the "Cao" character, the golden inlay forming a decorative guard, the double-edged blade shimmering with a chilling light, its seemingly shallow arch forming a swallow-tail tip.

Zhu Yu took this sword, which could serve both as a distinguished ornament at the waist and a convenient weapon when drawn, from the officials, examining it closely in her hands.

Seeing the sword, Cao Tianbao’s eyes burned with almost explosive anger, barely containing his fury, he asked the officials, "Was this the sword stuck in that woman’s body?"

"Yes..." the official replied nervously, "The sword was stuck in the woman’s body, and the scabbard fell beside, so we collected both..."

"Nonsense!" Cao Tianbao’s beard trembled in anger as he pointed at Cao Chenfeng, whose face had gone ashen, saying to the Capital Governor, "This is utter nonsense!

That sword was made by craftsmen and given to him when he came of age, with our Cao family’s inscription on it, and you truly couldn’t recognize it?!

I, Cao Tianbao, have always stood upright, never indulging in corruption or favoritism!

Are you trying to frame me for misconduct?!"

"No, Uncle! I really didn’t kill Zhuang Lanlan! Uncle, I am wronged!" Cao Chenfeng, hearing his uncle’s implication, quickly crawled over, "I swear by the heavens, I truly didn’t kill her!"

"You!" Cao Tianbao, not expecting Cao Chenfeng to still deny it at this point, could hold back his anger no longer, drawing his whip from his waist and striking Cao Chenfeng.

This was no mere show; the whip not only was raised high but also came down with considerable force, and just hearing the sound made Zhu Yu’s heart skip a beat.

Cao Chenfeng let out a terrible scream as the whip lashed his body, leaving a bloody mark instantly visible through the thin fabric.

Cao Tianbao, fury in his eyes, stood there like an Angry-eyed Vajra, and the single streak of blood on Cao Chenfeng’s body wasn’t enough to quell his rage, the whip raised again like a lightning bolt, cutting through the air to strike once more.

Cao Chenfeng rolled on the ground in agony, soon beaten beyond recognition, with blood and dirt mixed together in a dark red smear, looking utterly miserable.

Not wishing to be inadvertently caught by Cao Tianbao’s furious whip, Zhu Yu took advantage of their flurry, circled to the side, set the sword under the sun to dry, and stood guard nearby.

"Old General! Old General, please stop!" The Capital Governor couldn’t bear to watch any longer, hastening forward to stop him, "At this rate, he’ll be dead soon!"

"Corruption and murder, death is too good!" shouted Cao Tianbao in anger. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Uncle... I’m wronged... wronged! I really didn’t kill Zhuang Lanlan... even if... even if you beat me to death today, I can’t admit to something I didn’t do..." Cao Chenfeng, already nearing death’s door from the beating, spoke weakly but still fiercely denied killing Zhuang Lanlan.