Сhаpter 39: Тhе First Сluеs
Аs they pаssеd by the Qinrеn Ward, Zhu Yan аbruрtlу sроkе up, "Hаve you ever wondеrеd why thе femаlе соrpsе wаs а соurtesаn?"
"Isn't Kuang Zhanхin оne tоo?" Shen Du resрonded tо Zhu Yan's questiоn.
Zhu Yаn shооk hеr hеаd, "I alwaуs fеel thаt in this саse, wе've оvеrlookеd mаny сommonalitiеs. Just like we just leаrnеd thаt besidеs Kuang Zhanхin, аnоther viсtim wаs аlsо а сourtеsаn. And thеn therе are thе disaрреarаnсе сases in the Fеngle Ward. Could it be thаt those femаle cоrpsеs..."
"Аll doubts will bе resolved once we reach the Pingkang Ward. First, we need to confirm whether that female corpse is indeed Lan Yudie."
Hearing Shen Du's reply, Zhu Yan said no more.
Shen Du was right; everything now was just her speculation.
After three years, the face was completely unrecognizable. Regardless, they had to first confirm the identity of the corpse.
Pingkang Ward.
As soon as Rong Zhui saw Zhu Yan approaching, she couldn't help but feel a bit uneasy.
Last time, she had lied about the Liang family matter. Could it be that Zhu Yan was here to hold her accountable this time?
"Rong Zhui, is Lan Yudie one of your people?" Zhu Yan got straight to the point.
Upon hearing the name, Rong Zhui's heart skipped a beat, and she nodded repeatedly, "Yes, but she disappeared several years ago."
Zhu Yan and Shen Du exchanged a glance. Zhu Yan then asked, "Where did she live before?"
"She lived in Lanyan Pavilion with Kong Sui'er."
Having received the answer, the two settled in a guest room prepared by Rong Zhui.
"Rong Zhui, could you please bring out the portrait of Lan Yudie that you kept before for us to see?"
"Please wait a moment."
Rong Zhui politely bowed and then turned to leave.
"I hope my guess is correct."
Zhu Yan recalled her speculation once more, and she already had a plan in mind.
After seeing Lan Yudie's portrait, she placed Kuang Zhanxin's portrait beside it.
There seemed to be a certain similarity between the two, but she couldn't quite pinpoint exactly what it was.
"Rong Zhui, I'll keep these two portraits for now and return them to you after I'm done using them."
"The person is already gone. The portrait only serves to ease the pain of longing, and it doesn't hold much meaning. If you like it, you can take it."
Although she said this, Zhu Yan still decided in her heart to return the portrait after using it.
After all, she was Kuang Zhanxin's biological sister. With the person gone, keeping a portrait as a memento would be good.
Leaving the Pingkang Ward, Zhu Yan confirmed her speculation.
"That female corpse is indeed Lan Yudie."
Shen Du looked at her with some confusion, "What makes you say that?"
"Although the corpse has decomposed and the face is unrecognizable, her portrait shows a thin forehead bone and a slightly small face shape, which completely matches that corpse. It can't be such a coincidence."
All signs indicated that the dead body was Lan Yudie.
With this confirmation, Shen Du also thought of a direction.
The two arrived at the Fengle Ward, where several disappearance cases had occurred before.
However, when they compared the portraits of the missing courtesans from the Fengle Ward with those of Lan Yudie and Kuang Zhanxin,
Both of them were greatly surprised.
Although the appearances of the several women were different, at first glance, there were always a few similarities.
"Don't you think... there's a certain resemblance among these women?"
Zhu Yan furrowed her willow-leaf eyebrows tightly. The similarities before her made her feel that she was almost uncovering the truth of the case.
"I'm not blind yet," Shen Du responded coldly.
Although his words were harsh, the implication was that he agreed with Zhu Yan's observation.These individuals indeed share certain similarities—sometimes in the eyes, sometimes in the mouth, or the eyebrows, or even the way they smile...
"It seems the killer is not blindly murdering but rather selectively targeting specific individuals."
Zhu Yan voiced her observation.
Shen Du nodded seriously, but suddenly, he seemed to realize something.
"Who do they resemble?"
Shen Du's abrupt question startled Zhu Yan.
"Resemble who?"
Zhu Yan turned her gaze back to the portraits. After comparing them repeatedly, her pupils dilated, filled with shock.
"Madam Tang!"
Shen Du remained silent, seemingly tacitly acknowledging Zhu Yan's speculation.
"But... that makes no sense. There's no reason to kill someone just because they resemble you. What could her motive be?"
Although Zhu Yan had never considered Madam Tang a suspect, the striking resemblance between the victims and Madam Tang left her puzzled.
Could it be that someone would kill another simply for looking similar? If so, wouldn't these victims be unjustly wronged?
"I merely noted the resemblance in these portraits to her. I haven't confirmed she is the killer."
Shen Du responded coldly, his sharp eyebrows furrowed tightly like an unsolvable knot.
Zhu Yan was completely bewildered. Without evidence, no one could accuse Madam Tang of being the killer.
Nor could a mere resemblance in appearance be grounds for conviction—that would be utterly absurd.
"Even if she isn't the killer, she must have some connection to the murderer."
Zhu Yan stated her thoughts firmly. "Every victim shares similarities with her. This is no coincidence—it's deliberate. Perhaps the killer intentionally framed her. If there were no grudge between them, why would the killer do this?"
"It's too early to draw conclusions. We must gather solid evidence before making an arrest."
Shen Du issued his final warning, cautioning Zhu Yan that her speculations, whether true or false, should only be shared with him and not disclosed to others.
Zhu Yan understood his implication perfectly. The incident with Princess Yong'an still sent chills down her spine, and she had no intention of acting recklessly again.
"I understand what you mean, and I will comply."
As she spoke, Zhu Yan looked up at Shen Du, and unexpectedly, his gaze met hers.
Their eyes locked, and in that instant, a spark of understanding passed between them, leaving Zhu Yan both surprised and intrigued.
She no longer felt as averse to this man as before...
"Alright, let's head back."
Shen Du collected the portraits, blinking frequently as if concealing something. "Let's see if the servants have prepared dinner."
By the time they left Fengle Ward, night had already fallen.
Walking through the bustling streets, there was a faint sense of a couple returning home after a long day's work.
Although the serial murders had stirred public panic, this was still Chang'an, the imperial capital, and the lives of its people remained vibrant.
Passing by a small jewelry stall, Zhu Yan paused. A red plum hairpin on the display cloth caught her attention.
As an official, her days were consumed with investigations, leaving little time for personal adornment. Yet, she was still a woman, and it was only natural for her to appreciate beauty.
Shen Du noticed her distraction and followed her gaze to the red plum hairpin.
Its design was simple yet elegant.
It would surely look beautiful on her.
"Ahem..."Shen Du cleared his throat lightly and reminded her, "It's getting late. If you're not hungry, you can stay here. I'll head back first."
Zhu Yan was speechless. She wasn't made of iron—after not eating for half a day, she was naturally hungry.
She glanced back at the hairpin one more time. Once she received her monthly allowance, she was determined to buy it.
Having made up her mind, she followed Shen Du and left.
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