Chapter 17 has a clue
So is Cao Ben's death related to Zhang Ruoqing's death?
Could this be a serial murder case?
Zhou Zhao's mind turned over and over again, and he thought of many questions at once.
She thanked the old lady and followed the direction of her finger and went straight to Cao's house.
Although the Cao family is rich, they are still businessmen, so they don't dare to be too arrogant. The word "Cao Zhai" was simply written on the plaque on the door. If there is anything special, it is that there are two dragon turtles carved in stone to attract wealth, one on the left and one on the right in front of the door.
Zhou Zhao looked up and saw a brand new bronze mirror hanging under the door plaque. There was a red rope wrapped around the bronze mirror, which seemed to be used to ward off evil spirits and avoid harm.
The concierge in gray cloth was spraying water in front of the door. When he saw Zhou Zhao dressed in extraordinary clothes, followed by an adult in official robes, he immediately stood up straight.
Zhou Zhao stepped forward and cupped his hands, "May I ask if the master is here? We are here because of the murder in Wujin Lane last night. Please show us the way."
The concierge was startled, hesitated for a moment, made a gesture of invitation, and trotted forward.
The merchant's status was low, let alone him, even the master's family did not dare to challenge the official.
Zhou Zhao followed the concierge and looked at the layout of the mansion calmly. Everywhere he looked, he could see traces of changes made by the "master".
As soon as everyone reached the garden, they heard the cry of a child.
Upon seeing this, the porter rushed over and whispered to a woman wearing a dark purple skirt.
The woman was holding a child of about five or six years old in her arms. Although the child was chubby, his face was sallow and he showed his teeth and claws like a frightened bird. Zhou Zhao estimated that this should be the youngest son of the Cao family as mentioned by the old lady. .
It was precisely because the child was frightened that the Cao family invited people to perform Nuo dances.
After listening to the porter's words, the woman handed the baby in her hand to the wet nurse, waved her big hand to let everyone leave, then pinched her eyebrows, and then walked over with a sad face.
"The little woman's surname is Cao, and she is the head of the Cao family. What's the matter with all the officials? Although the little woman heard about the Wujin Lane murder case this morning, there was something going on in the house last night, and we were already here before nightfall. Thank you behind closed doors, I really don’t know.”
As she spoke, she glanced around and finally settled on Zhou Zhao.
There were six people in the group, a handsome civil servant, a cold-faced military man, a disheveled dandy, a lost young master, a weirdo wearing a bamboo hat, and a young aristocratic lady. Although she didn’t understand why these people They would gather together, but she could tell that these people were led by the little girl.
"Dawn Garden is Cao Ben's property? How did he die?"
Mrs. Cao was startled when she heard this, and a glimmer of clarity flashed in her eyes. She sighed softly and secretly said something evil.
"My Cao family made its fortune from Shu Brocade, and it is my son Cao Ben who manages the Dawn Garden."
"The officials came to visit today because they want to ask about my son's relationship with Zhang Ruoqing?"
Zhou Zhao was a little surprised. This Cao family was obviously a smart person. They didn't directly explain their purpose, but she had already given the answer.
As Ms. Cao spoke, she raised her hand and rubbed her eyebrows again. Her eyes were covered with black blue and she looked particularly tired.
"The girl named Zhang Ruoqing is indeed a frequent visitor to Dawn Garden."
"The little woman is somewhat capable in business and has earned some family fortune. It's because I'm greedy and want to make the merchants rich, but my status is so low that most people look down on me. I only want my son." Make a living and seek an official career.”
"The Dawn Garden was built just to attract dignitaries to find a way out. But who knew that my son Cao Ben fell in love with that girl Zhang at first sight."
"I warned him that Miss Zhang was born into a noble family, which is not what people like us can imagine. But my stupid son jumped into it and took away a lot of money from his account for Miss Zhang..."< br>
Zhou Zhao listened carefully, and Cao's words confirmed Han Ze's previous remarks.
"Did Cao Ben die because of Zhang Ruoqing? How did he die?"
Cao's thoughts were suddenly pulled back by Zhou Zhao's question. She shook her head and gritted her teeth, "Yes and no. He was possessed by evil spirits, went crazy, and then jumped into the latrine and drowned." "Evil?" Zhou Zhao was a little surprised.
When Min Zangzhi heard this, he immediately picked up the feather fan to cover his mouth and nose. The name Cao Ben seemed to be tainted with the smell!
Mrs. Cao nodded heavily, her eyes slightly red, "Ever since he fell in love with Zhang Ruoqing, he has lived in Dawn Garden and rarely comes back. I went to look for him several times, but in the end he ended up unhappy."
"About three months ago..."
Ms. Cao paused for a moment, "It's June 16 now. It was probably on the third day of March. Cao Ben's chief, Sui Jian'an, ran over in a hurry, saying that he was possessed by evil spirits and was like crazy."
"In order to take the money from me, he didn't pretend to be sick once or twice. I was angry at the time, so I didn't take it seriously."
"It was still dark on the second day, and Jian'an came back to report the funeral."
Seeing that Zhou Zhao frowned and didn't believe it, Cao shook his head and said, "I couldn't believe it at first, so I asked someone from Dawn Garden to ask. Cao Ben was crazy at the time, and Jian'an had no choice but to invite a Nuo opera." In full view of everyone, Cao Ben suddenly rushed out. ”
"When they chased after him, they heard a loud noise from the toilet. When Jian'an went in, Ben'er was still struggling. When the person was fished out, he ran out of breath."
When Cao said this, he already had a guess about Zhou Zhao's identity.
She is not a boudoir girl. She has been a businessman for so many years and can be considered well-informed. Apart from Zhou Zhao of the Zhou family, I really can't think of another woman who can solve cases in Chang'an City.
Check out the 16-9 book bar and see the correct version!
"Miss Zhou, although I don't know how to investigate the case, I won't let my son die in an unknown way."
"Because Ben'er was not well, Jian'an gathered everyone in Dawn Garden to pray for Ben'er. When he entered the hut, he looked carefully and saw that there was no one else inside."
Mrs. Cao wiped the corners of her eyes and sighed again.
Zhou Zhao shook his head, "You really don't know how to investigate a case. If my guess is correct, Cao Ben should have been pushed down."
Ms. Cao was shocked and raised her head in disbelief. She stretched out her hand to grab Zhou Zhao's sleeve, but she retracted it again.
The little girl in front of her was so powerful. Although she didn't have an official robe, her black dress was like a strict law from the previous dynasty, making it impossible for anyone to look down upon her.
"Miss Zhou! This, this..."
Zhou Zhao looked at Ms. Cao steadily. Although there were still many doubts about this case, she thought she already understood some of the ins and outs.
"It's not just Cao Ben. The reason why your little son cries at night is not because he is lost, but because he was kidnapped. You paid a large sum of money and he was released, right?"
"How do you know?" Ms. Cao covered her mouth in surprise.
Zhou Zhao did not answer, but continued, "You believe in God very much, and you always invite certain people to come to dance, and Cao Ben does the same. On the day when he was possessed by the evil spirit, which was the third day of March, there was also a scene in Dawn Garden. Is it right to invite someone to dance Nuo?”
"Since you have checked, you should know what Cao Ben was mumbling after he was possessed by the evil spirit! He was very scared..."
"He said not to seek his life, right?"
Cao's expression changed drastically.
Zhou Zhao looked over calmly, "Jian'an told you, Cao Ben killed a person."
"So, you didn't report his death to the public, or make his death public, otherwise, he would have died in such a bizarre way as falling into a manure pit..."
Zhou Zhao turned to look at Han Ze, who was standing at the end and raised his ears, "It must have spread throughout Chang'an a long time ago."
Unlike now, even Han Ze, who pointed out that Cao Ben paid Zhang Ruoqing's debt, had no idea.
(End of chapter)