The Killer's Cleansing Manual

Lin Shan smiled tiredly and pulled her sleeve: "Just sit down. If you have anything to say, just say it directly. Why are you doing all this? There's no point in scolding each other between friends."

Seeing this, Ye Xi felt a little relieved, but he still spoke frankly:

"To be honest, I've been in and out of the palace with my brother since we were young. We're the same age as Her Royal Highness the Princess, so to put it in a slightly higher-class way, we're childhood sweethearts and have a very close relationship."

"However, five years ago, my brother broke his promise and went to the border alone, leaving the heavy burden for Your Highness to bear alone. As a result, Your Highness has suffered a lot of injustice over the years."

"We are fighting on the frontier battlefield. I believe the intrigues and deceptions in the capital are even more dangerous. I also feel guilty about this matter."

She raised her head and met Lin Shanjuan's gaze, who was staring at her silently. "Ever since we became close friends, I've admired your talent and your skills. You're a very good person, so I hope you and His Highness can stay together forever."

"Your Highness... she's been alone for too long, and she needs a wife like you to accompany her. So when I heard about your relationship discord, I was deeply worried. I'm worried that someone with ulterior motives might be plotting against Your Highness, and I'm also worried that if you leave the capital, we'll never have another chance to drink and chat."

She sighed, realizing she had said too much and was meddling too much, and apologized shamefully:

"I have to get these things off my chest. If you blame me, you deserve it. This is a family matter between you two."

Lin Shanjuan did not feel offended. On the contrary, she respected Ye Xi's character more and more.

A capable and intelligent person who is so loyal to his boss, and who still speaks frankly even though he knows his words may anger others, must be what is called a "pure minister" on TV.

She shook her head and raised her glass. "I've taken note of everything you said today, and I don't blame you. The fact that you said all this proves you weren't deliberately trying to instigate me."

Ye Xi was deeply moved and clinked his glasses with his own: "The one who understands me is Shan Juan."

Lin Shanjuan got goosebumps after hearing the flowery words. She shook her head and said, "It's all in the wine!"

Ye Xi was stunned for a moment, then immediately moved by the boldness of the words: "Okay! It's all in the wine!"

After drinking it all in one gulp, the two smiled at each other, and all the hesitation and hesitancy they had when they came were gone.

After three rounds of drinks, Bai Shu suddenly knocked on the door.

"Boss, someone is dead, come and have a look!"

The Qingzhengsi was in charge of all cases, big and small, in the capital. Even if a pet was lost, someone would write a report and hand it in, let alone a human life.

Lin Shanjuan and Ye Xi exchanged a glance, then both stood up and opened the door at the same time: "Let's go."

The three of them came to the Tianzi private room diagonally opposite, where a man was lying limply under the table, with black blood oozing from all his orifices. It looked like he had died of poisoning.

Lin Shanjuan touched his neck and found it was still warm, so he thought he must have died not long ago, so he began to look around.

Ye Xi also squatted down to check the man's clothes, trying to find information from the deceased.

"His cloth clothes were torn in many places, and he looked like a scholar. Perhaps he was a candidate for the Spring Examination."

Spring Examination?

Lin Shanjuan carefully calculated the days. The Spring Examination was over, and the results were just announced yesterday. Why didn't this person leave? Could it be that he was confident that he would pass?

Ye Xi subconsciously searched his body and indeed touched a hard object. She took it out and saw that it was a suicide note.

Lin Shanjuan didn't have much patience for this kind of thing, so he stood up and looked around the house, trying to find any useful clues.

She glanced at the food and wine on the table: three meat dishes and one vegetable. There was a wine cup in front of the deceased, and the chair opposite him was not moved away, as if he was drinking here alone.

But is it really that simple?

Ye Xi, who was standing nearby, also came up with a similar conclusion after reading the final letter: "In the letter, he said that he had failed the imperial examinations many times and felt ashamed to face his parents. So he prepared poisoned wine and drank it, hoping to become a great man in the next life."

It sounded like a good reason, but Lin Shanjuan still felt something was wrong.

How could a frustrated man, dressed in rags and so dejected, have the heart to bother coming to such a fine restaurant and even booking a private room? These dishes alone would have cost over a dozen taels of silver, enough to cover a poor family's expenses for over a year. How could he, so destitute and destitute, have come up with so much money?

Even if there is, I won't eat a single bite of the food. What's the point of ordering it? Just to make up for this poisonous wine?

What's more, he wrote "I feel ashamed towards my parents" in his suicide note, which shows that he was somewhat filial. Then how could he not send so much money back home, but instead squander it when he was dying?

This way of thinking is totally irrational.

She shook her head and said, "Something doesn't feel right. Call the waiter downstairs."

Not long after, a waiter came in with a notebook, kowtowed to Lin Shanjuan carefully, and took the initiative to hand the notebook to her.

"Sir, this is our restaurant's reservation for today. It's the Tianzihao Restaurant. This room was indeed reserved by this person. It was yesterday. I remember it clearly."

Lin Shanjuan glanced at the man's name: Wang Xing, took note of it, and spoke directly to the waiter.

"What did he do to make such a deep impression on you?"

The waiter frowned as he spoke, "This guy is completely lost in thought, completely mad. He just walked in from outside and fell down. Then he got up and started yelling about booking the best private room for today, saying things like... 'I'm going to be rich soon' and so on."

"At the time, a customer complained about his slovenly clothes. He got angry and yelled at the customer for looking down on others. He was then beaten up and thrown out by the customer."

Wow, this guy can do such a thing, no wonder people are so impressed.

But this sentence also reveals another suspicious point - the suicide note said that his talent was not fully utilized and he died of depression, but when he came to make a reservation, he was full of words saying "he will be rich soon".

Did something unexpected happen that night that caused his mood to take a sharp turn for the worse, or... did someone kill him and forge a fake suicide note?

Lin Shanjuan's gaze fell on the seat opposite Wang Xing, and he suddenly wanted to argue.

“Do you have a fixed number of cups in your store?”

The waiter nodded repeatedly: "Of course! To be honest, our shopkeeper is very stingy! Not to mention the cups, even the chopsticks are counted!"

Lin Shanjuan suppressed a smile and said, "You're really stingy. Could you please check if there are enough cups and chopsticks after today's meeting? Then come to the Qingzheng Department tomorrow and write me a reply."

The waiter agreed readily, and there was nothing else to ask. Coincidentally, the coroner from the office came to inspect the body. The office sealed the room and returned to the Qingzheng Office.

The next morning, Lin Shanjuan opened her eyes and heard that the waiter had arrived. She washed up and returned to the hall. The waiter had a bitter face:

"Sir, these wine glasses and chopsticks are missing. One cup is missing, and a pair of chopsticks is missing. Our shopkeeper is going to fine me my monthly salary."

Lin Shanjuan was pleasantly surprised when he heard this - this proved that Wang Xing was not the only one eating alone at that time. There was clearly another person sitting opposite him, but that person watched him drink the poisoned wine and then took the evidence and left.

With this clue, if we follow Wang Xing's interpersonal relationships, we will definitely find some clues.

Moreover, he also participated in the imperial examination, so the files are still there. It is entirely possible to compare the handwriting on the files to see if it was written by the same person as the suicide note.

After the direction of the investigation was determined, Qi Zhen and Bai Shu acted separately. One went to visit where Wang Xing had lived and who he had contact with during this period, and the other visited along the route of Wang Xing's usual activities.

The truth that someone wants to cover up will always come to light.