TGCFNM -Chapter 383 This Matter Has Nothing to Do With Me

After a short while, Wan Sanjin came running over, supporting Su He with one hand. Frowning, he said, “My lord, someone has died. It’s not Pei Ningzhu—it’s a woman named Yu Xiangxiang. She seems to be Pei Ningzhu’s cousin.”

Su He asked, “Where’s your Fu Qingyu?”

Wan Sanjin wore an utterly incredulous expression. “Qingyu really did help the injured Pei Ningzhu back to her room. But after settling her inside, he went to look for members of the Pei family, thinking they should probably escort Miss Pei home first.”

“And then?” Chu Ling pressed.

“And when Qingyu returned, he saw Pei Ningzhu collapsed outside the room in fright. Her personal maid was crying miserably, saying someone had died… Qingyu immediately thought to come find you, my lord, and happened to run into us on the way. That’s when we saw the deceased—Yu Xiangxiang.”

After finishing, Wan Sanjin let out a deep breath.

“You wasted your lightness skill training,” Su He said disdainfully, pushing Wan Sanjin’s hand away.

Wan Sanjin pressed his forehead. “I just panicked and forgot… My lord, please come take a look. Qingyu is holding people back over there and hasn’t let anyone enter the room to disturb the scene.”

Chu Ling gave a soft hum. “Let’s go.”

Bai Su glanced at Chu Ling, then at Ghost Scholar. “Fu Qingyu dodged a disaster this time, right?”

Ghost Scholar smiled. “He certainly did—cleverly. Otherwise, instead of not knowing who the murderer is, we’d be saying the murderer is none other than the Great Zhou’s number one young master, Fu Qingyu.”

When they arrived, Chu Ling first told the others to step back.

At that moment, Xu Gong stepped forward, raising a brow with a smile. “Since my lord was able to solve the Courtesan case, this sort of case should be nothing difficult. I suppose—”

“If you interrupt me again, I’ll sew your mouth shut.” Chu Ling narrowed her eyes, staring at him threateningly. “Don’t think I don’t know what certain people are plotting. I only have one sentence for that person…”

“If you dare scheme against me, have you already picked out a good burial spot?”

Xu Gong’s expression darkened. Before he could speak, Zhuang Tianyou pulled him away.

“Lord Chu, you are the only court official here. This matter must be handled by you. If you require anything, please feel free to give orders,” Zhuang Tianyou said with a cupped-fist salute.

Chu Ling responded faintly and was the first to push the door open and step inside.

Zhang Dong remained outside and looked at Pei Ningzhu and the maid beside her. “Miss Pei, is your maid still able to answer questions?”

Pei Ningzhu glanced at her trembling maid and forced herself to speak. “I’ll answer. I had arranged to go out for a stroll with a few sisters. On the way back, I accidentally twisted my ankle. My personal maid happened to see Young Master Fu, so she asked him to help support me back.”

Zhang Dong listened carefully and continued, “After that, Young Master Fu went to find members of the Pei family.”

Pei Ningzhu nodded. “Actually, this temporary resting room was shared by my cousin and me. When I entered, I saw one of her feet hanging down from the couch inside. I asked my maid to help her up, but… but my cousin was already dead.”

As she spoke, Pei Ningzhu began trembling in fear.

“Miss Pei, didn’t your cousin have a personal maid?” Zhang Dong asked.

Pei Ningzhu shook her head. “For some reason today, my cousin absolutely refused to bring her maid. She said she had matters to attend to and wouldn’t let me go out with her.”

After finishing his questions, Zhang Dong entered the room as well and closed the door behind him.

Wan Sanjin rested his hand on the screen, his expression grim. “Xiao Hua went in to help. Su He is conducting the autopsy.”

Zhang Dong carefully relayed everything he had found out to Chu Ling. “My lord, when Miss Pei spoke, her fear and nervousness seemed genuine. She didn’t look like she was lying.”

“So she really sprained her ankle?” Chu Ling asked.

Zhang Dong nodded.

Chu Ling instinctively felt that something was off. “Go ask her where exactly she sprained it, then investigate that area… Also, have Fu Qingyu come in. He must know something.”

Zhang Dong gave a soft acknowledgment and left the room.

After a while, Fu Qingyu entered.

Chu Ling folded her arms and looked at him with a bright smile. “Young Master Fu, unlucky, aren’t you?”

Fu Qingyu smiled helplessly. “My lord, you’re unlucky as well, aren’t you?”

Chu Ling neither confirmed nor denied it. Someone had plotted against her, and someone had plotted against Fu Qingyu. She had been dragged here as a witness, while Fu Qingyu had been dragged here as the suspect.

“Young Master Fu, tell us what happened,” Chu Ling said.

Fu Qingyu recounted his experience. It matched exactly what Pei Ningzhu had described. However, when he escorted Pei Ningzhu back to her room, she had looked extremely pale—so much so that he felt that if he left, she might be in danger. While he was hesitating, he caught a faint smell of blood. Using that as an excuse, he went out to find members of the Pei family.

Chu Ling frowned, opened the door, and stepped outside. Seeing Pei Ningzhu about to go elsewhere to rest, she called out to her and quickly walked over.

“M-My lord, what is it?” Pei Ningzhu jumped in fright.

Chu Ling raised her hand. “I am a physician.”

Pei Ningzhu, not understanding what was happening, also raised her hand.

Chu Ling turned her palm over and pressed two fingers to her pulse. After a moment, her brows knitted tightly. “You were likely exposed to a specially formulated knockout incense. That’s why you felt dizzy on the way back and sprained your ankle. By the time you returned to your room, your complexion would have been extremely poor… Miss Pei, you were set up.”

Pei Ningzhu’s eyes widened in shock. “My lord, I really did feel dizzy when I came back.”

Zhuang Tianyou walked over. “Is there such a fast-recovering knockout incense? My lord, the Zhuang family has practiced medicine for generations and has some knowledge of anesthetics and sedatives. Forgive my ignorance, but I have never encountered such incense.”

“You’ll know soon enough,” Chu Ling said.

Suddenly, with lightning speed, she struck the maid standing beside Pei Ningzhu, knocking her unconscious. Without the maid’s support, Pei Ningzhu nearly fell, but Zhuang Tianyou quickly caught her.

“Is there a maid or matron who can conduct a body search? She must have something on her,” Chu Ling said, then looked at Pei Ningzhu. “This is your family’s maid. You decide how to handle her.” With that, she turned and left.

Pei Ningzhu stared at the maid lying on the ground, her face pale with fright. So the one who poisoned her had been by her side all along?

Zhuang Tianyou immediately summoned two matrons from the estate—one to assist Pei Ningzhu, the other to take the unconscious maid inside for a search.

Sure enough, they found knockout drugs on the young maid, along with a fifty-tael banknote.

Zhuang Tianyou clenched the banknote tightly. “Quite generous with the payment.”

Shangguan Shi stood beside him and reminded him, “I suggest that no one be allowed to leave until my lord has completed the investigation. And this time, it’s obvious who the target was—you should know that clearly.”

Zhuang Tianyou frowned. “This matter has nothing to do with me.”