Dongfang Wei led a team of secret guards to search the murder scene, while Xiao Man took Xiao Zhen's body back to the mansion. Ling Xuan accompanied her into the city, saying, "Xiao Man, I need to report to the Ministry of Punishment. I'll leave first. The coroner will arrive at the General's Mansion later."
Xiao Man paid no attention. Ling Xuan left on his own. The carriage traveled smoothly. Xiao Man knelt beside Xiao Zhen's body, her teeth clenched, trying hard not to cry, "Father, did you not leave me a signal, or did you not have time to leave one?"
"Father, rest assured, no matter who the murderer is, your daughter will find them and tear them to shreds!" Xiao Man said through gritted teeth. She couldn't imagine how much pain Xiao Zhen had suffered before his death, but she would definitely make the murderer experience what her father went through in his final moments ten, a hundred, even a thousand times over!
As soon as she returned to the General's Mansion, the coroner also arrived. He was a renowned coroner from the Jingzhao Prefecture, who had solved countless difficult cases for them. After greeting Xiao Man, he entered the General's Mansion.
Xiao Man ordered someone to go to General Xue's mansion to call He Qingyi and Xiao Ling back. She instructed them to prepare a bed, set up a mourning hall, and replace the red lanterns hung for the New Year with white ones. The gates from the main gate to the inner gate were all opened and covered with white paper. Once preparations were complete, she sent people to notify relatives and friends.
Xiao Man changed into mourning clothes and led the coroner to Xiao Zhen.
"I need to know how many injuries my father sustained, what kind of injuries, how they were caused, what the fatal injury was, and the cause of death. No injury, big or small, can be missed."
The coroner agreed and meticulously examined him from head to toe. Not even a single cut was overlooked. He recorded everything. Xiao Man, suppressing her grief, waited for the coroner to finish his examination before cleaning Xiao Zhen's body and dressing him in his burial clothes.
Ying Xue hurried to General Xue's mansion. Xiao Man had instructed her not to make a fuss. It was a grand day for General Xue's mansion and General Bai's mansion. She was just to quietly call He Qingyi and Xiao Ling back.
At General Xue's mansion, Wen Mohan felt uneasy. He kept looking into the crowd. Several colleagues saw his distracted state and chuckled, "Lord Wen, what's wrong? Are you envious seeing Commander Xue get married?"
Wen Mohan simply smiled, "I am already engaged, and my wedding is not far off. Why should I be envious?" Wen Mohan said gently, "It's just that, for some reason, I feel a bit gloomy."
"Perhaps it's just too many people."
"By the way, why don't we see Princess Yongning today?" someone asked abruptly. The Xue and Bai families were closely related to the General's Mansion. It was understandable that the Great General was not here for the marriage between these two families, but why wasn't Xiao Man present?
"Earlier, someone from the Bai mansion came to inquire if the Great General was at home."
"The Great General isn't here either?" Wen Mohan asked. Logically, the Great General should attend such a joyous occasion for his subordinate. And Xiao Man, who said she was going to the Bai family to see Miss Bai off, hadn't arrived yet, and it was getting dark.
"She's here. Isn't that Princess Yongning's personal maid? If she's here, Princess Yongning should be here too. Lord Wen, you don't need to worry anymore."
Facing his colleagues' teasing, Wen Mohan merely smiled gently, his gaze fixed on the entrance, but Xiao Man's figure was nowhere to be seen.
Ying Xue searched through the crowd and found He Qingyi.
"Mother, isn't that Miss Ying Xue from my elder sister's side?" Xiao Ling, with sharp eyes, spotted Ying Xue and quickly waved.
Ying Xue finally saw who she was looking for. She pushed through the crowd and quickly went to He Qingyi's side, whispering something in her ear. He Qingyi's face changed drastically, and she immediately pulled Xiao Ling and hurried away from the General's Mansion.
Dugu Mingyu and Yan Yuqing were also at the Xue family's wedding banquet. Seeing He Qingyi leave in a hurry with a pale face, they frowned. Dugu Mingyu tugged at Yan Yuqing, "Stop drinking. It seems something has happened."
Yan Yuqing was confused, "What happened?"
"Miss Ying Xue, who is with the eldest young lady, has taken the madam away." Dugu Mingyu, worried that Xiao Man might be in trouble, stood up and followed her. Yan Yuqing, holding his wine pot, chased after them. He didn't dare to let Dugu Mingyu out of his sight. If anything happened to Dugu Mingyu, Xiao Man would surely fight him to the death.
"Brother Dugu, Brother Yan, where are you going?" Xue Meng came to toast them. Seeing the two of them rushing out, she asked repeatedly. To her surprise, they left without looking back.
"What happened?" Everyone exchanged glances.
Wen Mohan felt a growing unease. At that moment, Wei Feng hurried in from outside, "Young Master, something big has happened."
"What has happened?" Wen Mohan asked as he walked outside.
"Great General Xiao has been murdered."
Wen Mohan's face instantly changed. He quickly chased after him, "The Great General has been murdered? What is going on?"
"I don't know. The Jingzhao Prefecture received a report and discovered the victim was the Great General. They immediately notified Princess Yongning to come over. By now, Princess Yongning has likely returned to the General's Mansion with the General's body."
"Was the killer caught?"
"No. The secret guards said that Princess Yongning is not well."
Wen Mohan left the Xue residence, immediately mounted a horse, and galloped towards the General's Mansion. He was exceptionally worried. The Great General always had secret guards with him and was a skilled fighter himself. How could he have been suddenly murdered? Man'er must be heartbroken right now. Sudan Novel Network.
When He Qingyi returned to the General's Mansion, a memorial archway had already been erected in front of the main gate. All the decorations in the mansion had been changed to white, even the red lanterns that Xiao Zhen had personally hung for the New Year had been replaced with white ones. The servants in the mansion were all wearing mourning clothes and had somber expressions.
"Mother, who has passed away?" Xiao Ling asked, somewhat bewildered.
He Qingyi steadied her emotions, "Quickly change into mourning clothes and go to the mourning hall. The General has been murdered. Your elder sister should be keeping vigil in the mourning hall."
"What, Father has been murdered?" Xiao Ling was shocked. She quickly had her mourning clothes changed and hurried towards the mourning hall.
Dugu Mingyu and the others rushed back and saw the General's Mansion draped in white. Their faces turned pale, and they hurried into the mansion.
When everyone arrived at the mourning hall, Xiao Man had just finished dressing Xiao Zhen in his burial clothes and setting up the memorial. The coroner took his leave. Xiao Man gave him ten taels of silver and sent him away.
"Eldest Young Lady."
Xiao Man turned her head, her expression filled with grief, "Mingyu, my brother is far away at the border, and there is no one to look after things outside. Go change into plain clothes and look after the male guests who come to pay their respects. Inside, I will trouble Mother."
"Alright." Dugu Mingyu pulled Yan Yuqing. The two changed into plain clothes and looked after the guests paying their respects outside. Xiao Man and Xiao Ling kept vigil. The news of Xiao Zhen's murder quickly spread.
The Emperor was reviewing memorials when Hu Wan hurried in, "Your Majesty."
The old Emperor, without looking up, said, "What are you panicking about?"
"Your Majesty, the Ministry of Punishment reports that the Great General has been murdered."
The old Emperor looked up in shock, "Xiao Zhen has been murdered? How is this possible?"
Hu Wan nodded repeatedly, "It is absolutely true. The Ministry of Punishment has reported that the Great General was murdered outside the city. His body has already been transported back to the General's Mansion."