TGCFNM -Chapter 187 Dare to Scheme Against Me?

After Chu Ling went to the backyard, she was delayed for quite some time and did not come out. Not only was Xuanyuan Shou anxious, even the people waiting outside were growing restless.

Xuanyuan Shou considered sending Fan Yao to check on her, but whenever he approached, Zhang Dong would adopt a posture as if ready to attack, scaring Fan Yao back repeatedly.

“What exactly do you mean, sir?!” Xuanyuan Shou asked coldly.

Zhang Dong cupped his hands and replied earnestly, “Sir has already signed a contract with the young master. You may rest assured.”

“You!” Xuanyuan Shou gritted his teeth, cursing angrily, “Just a mere servant, and yet you dare—”

“If this lowly servant risks harming the young master, it would be disastrous for his precious body. So I ask that the young master step back a little,” Zhang Dong said calmly, not paying any attention to Xuanyuan Shou’s words.

Xuanyuan Shou clenched his fists, about to teach him a lesson, when Chu Ling returned with Xiao Hua.

As soon as Chu Ling stepped out, she saw the murderous rage on Xuanyuan Shou’s face and arched her brows, smiling.

“I’ve already investigated and will now pass judgment,” Chu Ling said, sitting down again and instructing Xiao Hua to first bring out the broken porcelain cup, showing it to the people outside.

“Usually, teacups come in pairs, but the cups in Fan Mingzhu’s room were in odd numbers. After searching thoroughly, I finally found this fragment. Upon my examination, it contains traces of a sedative’s bitter taste. Someone deliberately laced it with poison to deceive her into drinking it.”

“Only someone familiar to Fan Mingzhu could have made her invite them into her room unguarded and also managed to poison her. Therefore, the culprit is someone she knows.”

“In addition to this porcelain cup, I also found a comb in her pear-wood box. This comb was clearly a gift from a man. A comb is a private item, often given as a token of affection. So this man likely harbored feelings for Fan Mingzhu, and she reciprocated.”

“Combining these two pieces of evidence, the culprit is someone familiar to Fan Mingzhu and also someone she is fond of.”

“The wooden comb clearly bears the engraved characters ‘Xuanyuan.’ So, Young Master Xuanyuan, do you have anything to say?”

Having said this, Chu Ling fixed a cold gaze on Xuanyuan Shou. The people outside could not help but gasp.

Xuanyuan Shou lifted his robe and sat down calmly. “It’s well-known that Fan Mingzhu has feelings for me. Even if she bought a comb and had ‘Xuanyuan’ engraved on it herself, how could that implicate me?”

Fan Mingzhu, eyes red, rushed forward. “How could it be unrelated? Didn’t you say this comb belonged to your mother and was meant for a future daughter-in-law?!”

Chu Ling held the comb, glancing sideways. “This comb has a faint fragrance and is likely not cheap. Fan Mingzhu also cherished it enough to place it at the bottom of her box. You tell me she just bought it casually—who are you trying to fool?”

Xuanyuan Shou remained confident. “You may investigate freely, ask anyone you wish. In any case, this comb has absolutely nothing to do with me.”

Chu Ling’s hand froze, holding the comb as she slowly looked at Fan Mingzhu.

Fan Mingzhu, both anxious and angry, said, “How could it have nothing to do with you? Is this comb something sold casually on the street?”

At that moment, someone outside shouted, “This is from the Xuanyuan family’s newly opened comb shop. They still sell them, all engraved with ‘Xuanyuan.’”

Xuanyuan Shou smiled at Chu Ling. “Sir, any further questions?”

Finally, Chu Ling took out the jeweled hairpin. In front of Xuanyuan Shou, she twisted the pearls off it and poured some powder into a porcelain dish, carefully shielding it as she said, “This is the drug that caused Fan Mingzhu to lose consciousness. Young Master Xuanyuan, do you recognize it?”

Xuanyuan Shou nodded. “Of course I do. My personal servant, Shi Er, had feelings for Fan Mingzhu, so he borrowed a hairpin from me—supposedly as a token to win her favor—and intended to deliver it to her himself. But Fan Mingzhu looked down on his background, so Shi Er harbored resentment. He went to the Lin family apothecary, bought a sleeping drug, put it in the hairpin, and lied that it was a gift from me.”

“And Shi Er?” Chu Ling asked.

“He committed suicide,” Xuanyuan Shou sighed lightly, regretfully. “He only intended to use the drug to pursue his desires. Who knew Fan Mingzhu would suddenly take her own life? Panicked and afraid, he ended up taking his life as well.”

After instructing Su He to handle the drug carefully, Chu Ling said lightly, “So, the only witness is dead.”

Xuanyuan Shou let out a faint laugh. “Indeed, Your Excellency. How do you plan to continue the investigation?”

Chu Ling lowered her gaze slightly and murmured, “This is troublesome…”

Xuanyuan Shou’s expression brightened with satisfaction. He had Zhang Yao make some fresh tea, while his eyes flicked to Chu Ling’s arm.

He could hardly wait to see her lose her arm, be driven out of Dongle City, and then he would naturally take over the confiscated shops.

A mere minor official, and yet daring to challenge the aristocracy—truly reckless!

Chu Ling remained silent for a moment, then looked up at Xuanyuan Shou and asked, “But what if Fan Mingzhu suspected something in advance and wrote a blood letter?”

“You’re talking nonsense! She doesn’t know how to read or write!” Xuanyuan Shou exclaimed, frowning.

Chu Ling shook her head. “No, that’s not right. When I first came in, I heard people say she could read. She even took a private tutor from another family and studied diligently for quite some time. After all, someone told her that she would become a lady someday; naturally, she needed to prepare herself.”

Xuanyuan Shou gritted his molars. “Your Excellency, are you planning to fabricate evidence now?”

“Don’t worry. Once you see her blood letter, you’ll understand,” Chu Ling said, gesturing for Xiao Hua to bring a handkerchief. Wrapped inside it was another handkerchief embroidered with mandarin ducks.

Chu Ling had Xiao Hua hand it to Xuanyuan Shou. “Young Master Xuanyuan, take a look yourself. This is a love poem—and the opening line clearly couldn’t be from anyone other than you, Lord Shou.”

Xuanyuan Shou forced himself to appear calm as he took it. The moment he read it, his expression brightened. “It’s merely a poem expressing her affection for me. She even used her own blood to write it. How unlucky! Fortunately, she didn’t give it to me.”

Chu Ling nodded. “So, Young Master Xuanyuan, you can confirm this is indeed Fan Mingzhu’s handkerchief, her handwriting, correct?”

Xuanyuan Shou tossed the handkerchief aside. “So what if it is?”

“If it is, then it’s easy to deal with.” Chu Ling smiled and produced another handkerchief. “This one clearly states: ‘Lord Shou asked me to handle a matter for him. Once it’s done, I can enter the residence. When that time comes, I’ll bring this handkerchief in with me.’”

Xuanyuan Shou stubbornly replied, “It’s just one thing. The Fan family was already under the protection of the Xuanyuan family. She’s overthinking. She’s truly delusional.”

Chu Ling looked at him with a hint of pity. “Fan Mingzhu had a habit of keeping notes. Even if you came to her in the middle of the night the day before, she still briefly recorded it.”

“She’s nothing but a deranged woman! Daydreams cannot be taken seriously!” Xuanyuan Shou shouted.

Chu Ling suddenly slammed the table and stood up, pointing at Xuanyuan Shou. “You colluded with Fan Mingzhu, using a fake death to obstruct my investigation and trying to drive me out of Dongle City. Who knew the fake death would become real, and Fan Mingzhu would lose her life! And you, after causing someone’s death, remain unrepentant and scheming against me. Now that the physical evidence exists, do you still intend to deny it?”