Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 90 - 89: Elder Brother

Everyone followed the direction she pointed and couldn’t help but gasp in shock.

Standing in the direction Zhu Yu was pointing, wasn’t it Duke Yan, Zhao Bi!

This startled everyone present.

Who is Duke Yan? He is a noble whose sneeze could shake all of Da Jin, revered as a benefactor and talent scout by Cao Tianbao, once almost sacrificing his life to save Emperor Jin.

Even Emperor Jin, the Sovereign of the World, has to show Duke Yan some respect, let alone someone like Prince Xiaoyao, Lu Qing!

And now, this little Chief Historian by Lu Qing’s side actually points at Duke Yan, claiming to know who killed Zhuang Lanlan?!

This guy must be insane!

He’s not only courting death for himself but also trying to drag Prince Xiaoyao down with him!

When Zhu Yu pointed, she heard everyone around gasping, and upon closer inspection, she realized that Duke Yan had somehow changed his position, standing just in front of the person she intended to point out.

She quickly retracted her finger and clasped her fists: "Duke Yan, my apologies, could you please step aside?

Ladies and gentlemen, I am referring to the maid Little Tao’er behind Duke Yan."

Duke Yan’s face turned as black as the bottom of a pot when she pointed at him, just about to lose his temper, but after hearing Zhu Yu’s explanation, he turned around suspiciously, only to find that the maid Little Tao’er was indeed standing behind him.

Earlier, he wanted to see what kind of trick Lu Qing’s capable Chief Historian was playing, reluctantly moving closer, not expecting to just happen to block Little Tao’er, almost leading to a big misunderstanding.

Zhao Bi looked displeased, but Zhu Yu’s attitude was nothing but respectful, and it was indeed his abrupt movement that caused this result, so he couldn’t very well explode at this moment. He could only huff, flick his sleeve, and walk away.

Little Tao’er had been huddling at the side, almost forgotten by everyone, and now being suddenly pointed out by Zhu Yu, she became the center of everyone’s attention in an instant. This young maid in her teens didn’t have the strength to withstand such pressure, and her legs gave out as she slumped to the ground.

"Little Tao’er?" Zhuang Zhi was a bit dumbfounded. "Sir, what do you mean by questioning Little Tao’er? How could she know who the murderer is?

Didn’t you say... the murderer who killed my daughter was very strong, able to kill with one strike... But... Little Tao’er obviously isn’t strong enough to even truss a chicken... This..." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"I didn’t say she was the murderer; I just said she knows who the murderer is." Zhu Yu waved at him, then asked the now somewhat bewildered boatman, "Earlier, when the Great General questioned you, you said that after waiting on that side for a short incense stick time, Cao Chenfeng suddenly hurried back, urged you to set sail.

Was he indeed bare-chested when he boarded, without his robe or inner clothing?"

"No, no, absolutely not!" The boatman, coming back to himself, quickly shook his head. "This young lord seemed to be in a hurry when he boarded, but his clothing was all properly worn, never disheveled!"

Zhu Yu nodded at him and then looked at Little Tao’er: "So this is the part I’ve been finding puzzling from the start.

If Little Tao’er wasn’t aware of Zhuang Lanlan’s murder, and merely saw Cao Chenfeng hurriedly leave from the embroidery tower, it was already deep in the night, pitch black all around.

Little Tao’er, what kind of eyes do you have to see through clothing in such darkness and see Cao Chenfeng’s protective heart hair and the ’birthmark’ on his back?"

Little Tao’er was left speechless by this question, her face turning pale, sweat starting to bead on her forehead.

"If you only mentioned the protective heart hair, that wouldn’t be too suspicious." Zhu Yu ignored her panic and continued, "At most, it’s your belief that Cao Chenfeng was the most suspicious, wanting urgently to find someone to punish as the murderer for your mistress.

But you just had to be clever, with vivid details, claiming to see a red birthmark on his back.

Cao Chenfeng originally had no marks on his back, and because of this, upon hearing your words, General Cao felt secure in asking Cao Chenfeng to take off his shirt to prove his innocence.

In such conditions, the unhealed burn marks on his back ended up validating your statement, seemingly confirming his suspicion.

However, in your most successful framing attempt, you also exposed your biggest flaw — when Cao Chenfeng left, it was virtually dark outside, and he was clothed.

If someone hadn’t been in the room with him and Zhuang Lanlan when they were being intimate, hearing her pregnancy and panicking to escape, accidentally getting burned by a candle, how could they have used this to frame and establish his murder suspicion?

By now, as Zhu Yu laid out her theory, Little Tao’er was already collapsed on the ground.

Zhu Yu didn’t spare her, continuing, "I originally suspected you were in the room at the time, but that thief can prove no one slipped in after Cao Chenfeng left.

So while you’re not the one who killed Zhuang Lanlan, you have a close relationship with the murderer, learned about Cao Chenfeng’s burn details from them, used your position as Zhuang Lanlan’s personal maid to testify, falsely accusing Cao Chenfeng to cover the true murderer."

After listening to Zhu Yu’s detailed conclusion, the first person to react was Zhuang Zhi.

Having been more familiar with his household servants, he listened to Zhu Yu’s full account, seemingly coming to a realization in his heart.

He visibly trembled, pointing at Little Tao’er, and when he spoke, his lips quivered: "Why... why would you do this to me!

I’ve treated you two siblings well!

Back then, when you were both nearly starving to death, if not for my kindness in taking you in, you’d likely be nothing but bones by now!

I’ve been so kind to you, why would you harm me, and my poor daughter this way..."

Finishing his words, out of breath, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed straight backward. If it weren’t for a governmental official standing nearby catching him, he would have fallen to the ground.

Seeing Zhuang Zhi, furious and pale, gasping for air, unable to speak, the Capital Governor decided not to wait for him to recover. Given his earlier outburst had already clarified the murderer and Little Tao’er’s connection, he directly instructed his subordinates, "Go and search Boss Zhuang’s home, bring in Little Tao’er’s brother!"