The mind-reading coroner drove the court crazy

Qin Miaoxi rushed to the Zhao Mansion as fast as she could. As soon as she stepped through the gate, she ran into the editor, Mr. Zhao.

"Lord Zhao!" Qin Miaoxi hurried forward, and with a flash of her body, she steadily blocked Lord Zhao's departing footsteps.

Mr. Zhao looked her up and down with a puzzled look on his face. "Who are you?"

"I'm the coroner assisting Jingzhao Yin in handling the case." Qin Miaoxi spoke concisely and without any hesitation.

Lord Zhao suddenly realized what was going on, and a look of understanding appeared on his face. He said hurriedly, "Oh! You are the Marquis's wife. I have long admired you. I am so sorry for the disrespect."

Everyone in the court, civil and military officials, knew that she was the only woman who served as a coroner assisting in the investigation, so as soon as she was mentioned, Lord Zhao instantly understood her identity.

"Madam, may I know why you came to see me this time?" Lord Zhao asked politely.

"I am currently working on a case. Please address me as Qin the Coroner, Sir Zhao." Qin Miaoxi looked serious and spoke in a firm tone.

Lord Zhao was slightly startled, then he reacted and quickly nodded in response, "Of course, Qin the Coroner."

Qin Miaoxi stared at him with a sharp gaze, and asked in a low but clear voice, "I wonder if Lord Zhao knows the Minister of Rites' distant nephew, Prince Wang?"

"I know him." Lord Zhao was very frugal with his words and did not explain much, but there was a look of suspicion on his face.

Seeing this, Qin Miaoxi frowned slightly and then asked, "I heard that Prince Wang has a close relationship with you. Is this true?"

"That's true. We are just making friends through books. What's the problem?" Lord Zhao looked sincere and spoke in a calm tone, but his answer aroused Qin Miaoxi's suspicion.

She thought to herself, if they were just friends, why did they emphasize the word "normal"?

"Making friends through books? Do you often discuss books together?" Qin Miaoxi asked.

"That's right. The Minister has a large collection of books at home. Whenever Young Master Wang comes across a good and exquisite book, he will bring it to me to appreciate and share with me." Lord Zhao responded calmly.

Qin Miaoxi's eyes were fixed on Lord Zhao, not missing any subtle changes in his expression. She continued to ask, "I heard that Young Master Wang found an ancient book a few days ago. I wonder if you have seen it?"

"Ancient books? Which one are you talking about, young lady? Young Master Wang has shown me "Lianshan Yi" and "Taigong Yinfu" before." Lord Zhao looked puzzled and asked patiently.

"It's a book that records content related to ancient religions." Qin Miaoxi stared at Lord Zhao's eyes with burning eyes.

Lord Zhao frowned slightly and fell into deep thought.

After a moment, he shook his head apologetically and said, "I haven't seen it."

"That ancient book was purchased by Prince Wang from Qian Baiwan."

Upon hearing this, a hint of barely perceptible panic flashed across Lord Zhao's eyes. However, he quickly adjusted his expression, pretending to be calm, and said with a tone full of doubt: "Old Qian? I've never heard of him getting any ancient books!"

Qin Miaoxi's eyes were like knives, with a sharp light flashing in them. She stabbed directly at Lord Zhao and said word by word, "Isn't he a close friend of yours?"

A subtle, inexplicable emotion flashed across Lord Zhao's face, and his tone carried a touch of sophistication. "Mr. Qin, although Old Qian and I are good friends, he's a businessman after all. Merchants prioritize profit, so there are some things he won't tell me. If you want to know about the ancient book, why not ask Old Qian directly? Since he got it, he's sure he knows the whole story."

"Qian Baiwan is dead." Qin Miaoxi looked stern, her face was as frosty as ice, and her voice was as cold as ice.

"Dead?" Lord Zhao's eyes widened, filled with shock and confusion. The astonishment on his face didn't seem fake. He opened his mouth slightly for a long moment before uttering two words, "How could he be dead? Don't lie to me."

"Why would I lie to you? Jingzhao Yin has sealed off the Qian residence. You'll find out if you go and check it out."

Qin Miaoxi stared at Lord Zhao's face closely, her beautiful eyes moving around, not missing any subtle changes in his expression.

But Lord Zhao looked calm as usual, as if he really had no idea that Qian Baiwan was murdered.

"Who is the murderer? Why did he kill Lao Qian?" Lord Zhao's face turned red instantly, veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes were wide open, obviously enraged by the news of his best friend's death.

"We are investigating." Qin Miaoxi's face was solemn and her words were concise.

Lord Zhao lowered his head in thought for a moment, his brow furrowed. Suddenly, he raised his head, a serious look in his eyes. "Could it be related to that ancient book? I'll go with you to find Young Master Wang. Since he took the ancient book, he must know the inside story."

"No need, he's dead too." Qin Miaoxi looked indifferent, and her voice was cold.

"What?" Lord Zhao swayed, nearly losing his balance. His face was filled with disbelief, his eyes wide open, his mouth wide open, and he muttered to himself, "How could this happen? Could it really be that ancient book that brought about this fatal disaster? What kind of ancient book was it?"

Qin Miaoxi looked at Lord Zhao meaningfully and said slowly, "We have found a man named Wang Biao and suspect he is the murderer of these two people. His whereabouts are unknown. Do you know him?"

Lord Zhao shook his head almost without hesitation, his eyes frank and his tone firm: "I don't know him. Who is he? Maybe I can help you find him."

A trace of disappointment flashed across Qin Miaoxi's eyes, and she shook her head gently. "He's just an ordinary villager. Since Lord Zhao doesn't know him, I won't waste your time. Goodbye!"

Just as Qin Miaoxi turned around, a faint laughter sounded in her ears, which was full of pride and ridicule.

[Wang Biao? These idiots actually thought he was the murderer. How ridiculous! I'm afraid by the time they find him, Wang Biao will have already turned into a pile of bones.]

Qin Miaoxi had a cold smile on her face. As expected, her guess was correct. This Lord Zhao was an insider.

"Zi Yan, you must keep an eye on him personally. Don't let him go anywhere."

"Yes."

Qin Miaoxi was extremely anxious. She hurried back to the yamen, went straight into the study, and couldn't wait to open the bamboo slips she got from Prince Wang.

She concentrated her attention and read carefully word by word, not missing any details, but she only found records about human sacrifices. As for the key methods of selecting sacrifices and the location of the sacrificial ceremony, there was no mention of it on the bamboo slips.

She frowned and subconsciously tapped her fingers on the table, making a rhythmic sound.

The scenes of three murders emerged involuntarily in my mind: the first victim was found dead by the river, the second victim died suddenly in an abandoned house, and the third victim was killed at home.

At first glance, these places seem completely unrelated.

As she pondered, she subconsciously marked the locations of the three deaths on the map. The moment she finished marking, she suddenly stopped and froze.

The positions of the three marks on the map correspond exactly to three of the four directions.

Is this just a coincidence?

Or is there some unknown connection hidden in it?

"Come here, gather the men and immediately go to the Stone Mountain in the south to search for people."