She's skilled in medicine, martial arts, and even understands animal language—the abandoned dau

Chang Qing took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm, saying, "Lord Lin, don't make false accusations! Although I don't know why these clothes were there, I really did not kill Lord Zhou."

That day I went to see Lord Zhou only to discuss the details of trade. We merely disagreed, exchanged a few words, and then parted ways. How could there be any talk of murder?

Chu Zhiyi stared intently at Chang Qing and said coldly, "Since you say you didn't kill anyone, then tell me, why did this garment end up behind Lord Zhou's room? And why did you previously deny having any argument with Lord Zhou?"

Sweat rolled down Chang Qing's forehead as he trembled and said, "Your Highness, I really don't know! Perhaps someone is deliberately framing me, stealing my clothes and hiding them there in an attempt to mislead me."

As for my previous denial of the dispute, I was merely afraid of getting into unnecessary trouble. After all, Lord Zhou's death was too suspicious, and I worried that I would be implicated for no reason.

Shen Man quietly observed Chang Qing's expression. She felt that Chang Qing's reaction did not seem like he was lying, but the clothes were indeed key evidence, which made her unsure.

“Those are your personal belongings. Who else but yourself could have your clothes? Lord Chang, stop making excuses!” Lin Simiao continued.

Shen Man carefully observed Lin Simiao's every word and action, and found that he seemed very eager to pin the murder on Chang Qing.

However, it was precisely his behavior that made Shen Man feel that he was no less suspicious than Chang Qing.

Suddenly, she remembered something Li Mufeng had told her long ago: the hand shape of martial artists is different from that of ordinary people. Their finger joints are more prominent, and their palms are thicker. She felt that perhaps by examining the two people's hand shapes, she could find the real murderer.

The fact that Zhou Yu was able to be killed with a single stab in such a short time demonstrates that the murderer not only possessed strong mental fortitude but also exceptional hand strength. Furthermore, the fact that the perpetrator was able to bury clothing after committing the crime suggests that this person was definitely a martial artist.

"Both of you, stop arguing. Please stretch out your hands and let me see them, okay?"

Lin Simiao and Chang Qing were both taken aback by what Shen Man was up to.

Even Chu Zhiyi couldn't see Shen Man's intention, but he still urged, "Stretch out your hands!"

Chang Qing and Lin Simiao exchanged a glance, hesitated for a moment, and then slowly extended their hands.

Shen Man carefully examined the two people's hands. Chang Qing's fingers were long and slender, his palms were delicate, and there were no obvious protrusions at the joints. There were calluses on the pads of his thumb and index finger, which were clearly the marks left by years of handling paperwork.

Lin Simiao's palms were noticeably thicker, and his knuckles were more distinct, especially the knuckles of his index and middle fingers, which showed signs of long-term stress.

"Your Highness, the one who killed Lord Zhou should be him!" Shen Man suddenly pointed at Lin Simiao and said to Chu Zhiyi.

"You woman, stop spouting nonsense! All the evidence points to Chang Qing, why are you slandering me? Are you trying to protect Chang Qing?"

Lin Simiao's words carried a clear hint of provocation.

Shen Man glanced at him and calmly said, "I've heard that Lord Lin is a scholar, but the calluses on your hands are rather peculiar. They shouldn't be from holding a pen all the time, right?"

Lin Simiao's expression changed slightly, and she subconsciously pulled her hand back, arguing, "I only occasionally practice some fist and foot techniques to strengthen my body. These marks must be from when I was practicing swordsmanship."

Chu Zhiyi keenly noticed Lin Simiao's unusual behavior, his gaze sharpened, and he pressed, "Lord Lin, what else are you hiding?"

Lin Simiao's eyes flickered, and he quickly waved his hand, saying, "Your Highness, don't believe this woman's one-sided story. Just because of the calluses on my hands, you can't conclude that I am the murderer."

"I didn't conclude you were a murderer just because of the calluses on your hands," Shen Man said calmly. "It's because of the handkerchief you accidentally dropped under Lord Zhou's bed, and the white powder under your fingernails. If I'm not mistaken, you also put that powder in Lord Zhou's room, didn't you?"

Upon hearing Shen Man's words, Lin Simiao's face turned deathly pale, and her eyes were filled with panic.

He instinctively clenched his hands, trying to cover the white powder remaining under his fingernails, but Chu Zhiyi and Shen Man saw all of this.

"Lin Simiao, now that things have come to this, do you still want to argue?" Chu Zhiyi glared at him, his voice as cold as ice shards in the dead of winter.

"I suspected you from the beginning, and now the evidence is irrefutable. Why don't you confess immediately? Why did you kill Lord Zhou? Who instructed you?"

Lin Simiao knelt down with a thud, his body trembling, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead and wetting the ground in front of him. He opened his mouth, as if wanting to explain, but his throat seemed to be blocked, and he couldn't speak for a long time.

“I… I…”

Lin Simiao's eyes darted around, trying to find a glimmer of hope, but seeing the resolute expressions on Chu Zhiyi and Shen Man's faces, he knew he had nowhere to run.

"Lin Simiao, you're really something! You killed someone yourself, and now you're crying 'stop thief!' Frame me!" Chang Qing said, pointing at Lin Simiao's nose.

Song Tian and Zuo Cong'an were also very surprised. "Lord Lin, Lord Zhou had no grudge against you, why did you kill him?"

Faced with the questioning of the crowd, Lin Simiao gritted her teeth and remained silent.

"Lin Simiao, if you tell the truth, I might spare your life. But if you remain obstinate, don't blame me for being ruthless!" Chu Zhiyi's voice was devoid of any warmth.

“Your Highness, now that we’ve confirmed he’s the murderer, let’s detain him for now and interrogate him later when we get back to Chiyan. There’s no need to waste time here,” Shen Man said to Chu Zhiyi as she stepped forward.

"Who exactly are you, and why are you ruining my plans?" Lin Simiao stared fiercely at Shen Man, as if he wanted to devour her alive.

Shen Man sneered, "Who I am is not important. What's important is that I won't let a villain like you get away with it."

"Hmph, my father is the Imperial Censor, and my father-in-law is the Marquis of Qingyang. Let's see who dares to touch me!"

"Lin Simiao, do you believe I will kill you right now?" Chu Zhiyi was furious upon hearing this and drew the sword from his waist.

"Your Highness, please don't be impulsive. If you kill him, we'll have no way to explain ourselves." Shen Man quickly stopped him.

“Your Highness, he is, after all, the son-in-law of the Marquis of Qingyang. Why not take him back to the border camp and let the Marquis interrogate him personally before making a decision?” Fu Kai also chimed in with his advice.

"General Fu, take this man away and keep him under strict guard!"

"I will obey your orders!"

After Fu Kai finished speaking, he immediately ordered his men to take Lin Simiao away.