"Miss, how can a person become so unfamiliar?" Ying Xue looked back at Du Yulan, whose expression was ferocious, and asked in confusion.
"The most unpredictable thing is the human heart, and the most changeable thing is also the human heart," Xiao Man said softly. "I originally saved her life, but now it seems I made a mistake."
"Miss, could the petals of the seven-colored lotus ornament left at the scene belong to her?"
Xiao Man didn't speak. On that day, Du Yulan was not in the mansion, and there was a blue cloth carriage at Prince Qi's mansion. Coupled with the horse she gave to Nangong Yi, too many coincidences converged into the truth.
"She's not someone I'd worry about. In a few more days, she won't be the high and mighty Princess Qi anymore!"
Xiao Man's gaze swept over a familiar figure, and she couldn't help but frown slightly.
"Miss, that seems to be the Third Concubine. Should we send someone to follow her?"
"No need to bother. Some people won't stop until they hit a dead end. She won't turn back until she hits the southern wall," Xiao Man said coldly.
"Xiao Man." A voice called from behind.
Xiao Man frowned and pretended not to hear, walking forward quickly.
Ling Xuan saw that Xiao Man ignored him and immediately caught up, blocking her path: "Xiao Man!"
"Captain Ling, what is the crime for addressing this commander by name?"
Ling Xuan choked, cupped his hands, and saluted: "Greetings, Commander Xiao."
"Captain Ling, do you need something?"
"Regarding the case of the Great General's murder, neither the Ministry of Justice nor Jingzhao Prefecture has any leads. His Majesty has also given a deadline, requiring us to solve the case within the time limit. Does Commander Xiao have any leads?"
"I heard the Empress Dowager has an illegitimate son."
Ling Xuan was a bit confused by Xiao Man's abrupt remark: "What does this have to do with the Great General's murder?"
"I heard the Ninth Princess disappeared from the palace out of thin air."
"What does this have to do with the Ninth Princess's disappearance?" Ling Xuan was even more bewildered, not understanding what Xiao Man meant. "Don't you want to catch the murderer of your father?"
"The leads I have are the same as the leads you have," Xiao Man said calmly, looking at Ling Xuan. "All my leads come from the wounds on my father's body and the items left at the scene."
"You are hiding evidence I don't know about!" Ling Xuan stated confidently. Although his men had searched the scene several times, Xiao Man's people were unconventional and might have found some unexpected clues.
"The leads I have are all given to me by you."
Ling Xuan choked, but he didn't want to let Xiao Man go: "My intuition tells me you've found very important leads!"
Xiao Man sighed and looked at Ying Xue, who took out a small box and handed it to Ling Xuan.
"This is a fragment that our people found at the murder scene. After investigation, this item came from the Treasure Pavilion and is a newly popular seven-colored lotus ornament. And the person who bought this ornament, in the entire Imperial Capital, there are only thirteen people. Ying Xue, give him the list too."
Ying Xue handed the list of purchasers of the seven-colored lotus ornament to Ling Xuan. Ling Xuan looked at it. These people were all wealthy and noble, and any one of them was not easy to deal with. Xiao Man was asking him to be the vanguard!
"These are all difficult to deal with. Are there any other leads?"
"Someone personally witnessed a blue cloth carriage going to the murder scene. The horse pulling the carriage was a tall, reddish-brown warhorse with four white hooves. This type of warhorse comes from Beirong. There are only a handful of people in the entire Imperial Capital who own such a warhorse!"
Ling Xuan's face lit up with joy, and then he reacted: "Since you have found so many leads, why don't you go catch the murderer?"
"Catching the murderer is not my business," Xiao Man said coldly. "If I have to catch the murderers, what are the Ministry of Justice and Jingzhao Prefecture for? Are they just for show?"
Ling Xuan gritted his teeth: "The victim was your father!"
"Yes, the victim was my father!" Xiao Man said coldly. "My father was accompanied by several experts, veterans of many battles. It was as difficult as ascending to heaven for ordinary people to kill him, yet he was still murdered outside the Imperial Capital. Why?"
"The murderer holds high authority?"
"The wounds on my father's body were not inflicted by one person. Nanluo Mountain Villa, several groups of people have been there one after another. What were these people doing there?"
"They... were accomplices?"
"Even if they weren't accomplices, they were accessories to my father's murder. What I want to catch is not any single murderer, but the mastermind behind it!" Xiao Man pushed Ling Xuan aside. "No matter who the murderer is, I will make him pay blood with blood!"
"Xiao Man, have you already found out who the murderer is?"
"If I had found out who the murderer was, do you think I would still be so calm?" Xiao Man retorted.
Ling Xuan frowned. From his understanding of Xiao Man, if she knew who the murderer was, she would have already gathered the former subordinates of the Xiao family and gone to kill them, and would not be so calmly giving him information.
"Your father's matter..."
"You just need to do your job. You don't need to worry about other things," Xiao Man interrupted Ling Xuan. "Also, with so many things happening today, are you that idle? You still have time to block me."
"The matter of the Crown Prince is handled by the Ministry of Rites. The Ninth Princess disappeared in the palace, so the Imperial Guards are responsible for finding her. As for the rumors outside, the Censorate and the Court of Diplomatic Relations will investigate and verify them." Ling Xuan followed behind Xiao Man. "The urgent task for Jingzhao Prefecture is to catch the murderer of the Great General."
"How do you know that the murderer of my father has nothing to do with these matters?" Xiao Man turned her head and asked meaningfully.
Ling Xuan looked at Xiao Man, somewhat inexplicably: "How could the Great General's death be related to these matters?"
"Perhaps, my father's death is just the beginning," Xiao Man continued to walk forward. "After my father, more people will be murdered. Ling Xuan, as a constable, you must not overlook any case. Perhaps in the case you overlook, there lies the key to solving the case."
Ling Xuan's brows furrowed even deeper: "You mean, this is a serial case?"
"I haven't said anything," Xiao Man glanced at Ling Xuan faintly. "If you have the spare time to guess here, you might as well hurry up and investigate the case. Following me won't make the truth reveal itself."
Ling Xuan stopped and watched Xiao Man's receding figure, then asked the small constable beside him: "Do you think Xiao Man is becoming more unfathomable?"
"Sir, isn't Miss Xiao always like this?" the small constable asked with a confused look. "But it's a bit different."
"Right? Even you feel it's different."
"She doesn't hit you anymore. If it were in the past, if you dared to get in her way like this, she would have hit you long ago!"
"What do you mean?"
"Sir, I'm telling the truth. Miss Xiao's temper has gotten much better recently. She doesn't hit people at the slightest disagreement anymore."
"That's because she's in the Capital Garrison, where she can openly beat people without being criticized, so she's too lazy to lay a hand on me!"