Su Liuyue smiled faintly. Through the thin veil, she looked at the astonished face before her and said: “How I came to know, I’ll explain later. But if Assistant Prefect Lu truly takes Shopkeeper Yuan back to the Capital yamen now, there may be no turning back.”
Assistant Prefect Lu’s expression shifted. Thinking of that man’s terrifying aura and thunderous methods, he felt his official hat already hanging by a thread.
Su Liuyue caught every subtle change in his face. She raised her brows slightly and said calmly: “I may be but a humble woman, yet I have some insights into this case. Would Assistant Prefect Lu be willing to spare a moment to hear them?”
Assistant Prefect Lu snapped back to himself, staring at her suspiciously. The crowd also fixed their eyes on Su Liuyue. The noisy alley suddenly fell into an uncanny silence.
At last, Assistant Prefect Lu ground his teeth and said: “Fine. This official will listen. What remarkable insight do you claim to have? If you are mocking me, I’ll drag you back together with Shopkeeper Yuan!”
Ersi and Er’an turned pale, gazing anxiously at their mistress.
But Su Liuyue didn’t even glance at them. She chuckled softly and said: “It’s nothing remarkable. Assistant Prefect Lu, please step aside with me for a word.”
And so, under the curious eyes of the crowd, Su Liuyue and Assistant Prefect Lu walked to a corner.
Meanwhile, Shopkeeper Cao, who had been dazed since arriving, suddenly seemed to awaken. He turned sharply, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Shopkeeper Yuan, his voice trembling: “Shopkeeper Yuan! For so many years, my Qilu Bookshop has stood beside your Manyifang. We’ve always helped each other. When your cook retired and your business declined, I even rallied friends to support you. Is this how you repay me?!”
Shopkeeper Yuan froze, shaking his head in panic: “Shopkeeper Cao, I was innocent with your wife. I did not kill her. Please believe me…”
“With all this evidence before us, if my wife wasn’t killed by you, then who else could it be?!”
Shopkeeper Cao suddenly roared. The usually refined man’s veins bulged at his temples as he lunged toward Shopkeeper Yuan. The officers rushed to restrain him, but no one expected his strength. One officer nearly failed to hold him, and only with two together did they manage to subdue him.
The onlookers were stunned. Zheng Yaozu whispered: “Shopkeeper Cao is usually so gentle and scholarly. This is the first time I’ve seen him so agitated…”
Beside him, Liu Ergui curled his lip and said: “Any man would lose his composure in such a situation. Besides, the shopkeeper and his wife were always close. To think Madam would commit adultery. Our shopkeeper is far superior to Shopkeeper Yuan—handsomer, gentler, more learned. Madam must have been blind to fall for such a man!”
Though a young woman had just stepped forward to claim Shopkeeper Yuan wasn’t the killer, they all shared their shopkeeper’s belief: if not him, then who?
After all, every clue pointed straight at him.
Miss Sun stood beside them, her face deathly pale, clearly unused to such a scene.
“Oh? You’re merely clerks of the shop. How do you know that the shopkeeper and his wife were always close?” A calm, pleasant female voice suddenly sounded behind Liu Ergui and Zheng Yaozu, so close it seemed to come from the back of their necks. Startled, both men instinctively jumped forward a step. Turning around, they saw that the speaker was none other than the mysterious veiled young woman from earlier!
When had she come up behind them?! And judging from her voice, she had been very near indeed! Still shaken, they could only stare at her in shock.
Su Liuyue’s lips curved faintly. She didn’t expect them to answer, and said evenly: “There’s no need to be so frightened. I only have a few questions for you.”
Zheng Yaozu and Liu Ergui looked at her in alarm and suspicion. Was this woman deliberately toying with them? Who asks questions by suddenly appearing behind people like a ghost?
But Su Liuyue ignored their expressions and continued: “First question: you all work at *Qilu Bookshop*. What is your relationship with Shopkeeper Cao?”
The three clerks exchanged glances. Though they couldn’t understand why she asked, seeing that Assistant Prefect Lu beside her said nothing, they dared not object.
Finally, Liu Ergui stepped forward and answered: “Among the three of us, I’ve worked at Qilu the longest, so I’m most familiar with Shopkeeper Cao. He usually entrusts me with important tasks. Azhu (Zheng Yaozu) came about two years ago. He can read a little, but most importantly, he’s tall and strong, so Shopkeeper Cao values him. He handles most of the heavy lifting in the shop. Miss Sun joined only half a year ago. She’s the most literate among us, so Shopkeeper Cao usually has her manage the paperwork.”
As he spoke, Zheng Yaozu, Miss Sun, and Shopkeeper Cao himself remained silent, confirming his words were true.
Su Liuyue nodded, then suddenly turned to Miss Sun: “So, among the three of you, the least familiar with Shopkeeper Cao is Miss Sun.”
Liu Ergui blinked, then nodded earnestly: “Yes, that’s normal. She came the latest, and she’s a woman. Not only Shopkeeper Cao—even we aren’t very familiar with her. We only speak when working.”
Su Liuyue cast a calm glance at Miss Sun, who had remained silent as if tacitly agreeing, and smiled: “I understand. Now, the last question: are you certain that today, Madam only came to the bookshop once?”
Her final words were spoken softly and slowly, carrying a strange gravity.
Zheng Yaozu and Liu Ergui froze. Just as they were about to nod, something seemed to occur to them. Hesitation flickered across their faces.
Assistant Prefect Lu, standing beside Su Liuyue, immediately barked: “Are you deliberately hiding something?!”
Concealing the truth—such a charge is grave!
Zheng Yaozu and Liu Ergui jolted in fright. Flustered, they waved their hands and stammered: “Injustice, sir! We wouldn’t dare hide anything! It’s just that we suddenly remembered—after Madam left, we went together to deliver a batch of newly arrived books and inkstones to Yangzheng Academy. During that time, we don’t know who might have come to the bookshop!”
“Yes, yes, just as Ergui said. We wouldn’t dare conceal anything!”
Assistant Prefect Lu’s face darkened. They hadn’t mentioned this earlier!
He pressed them sternly: “Just now, Zheng Yaozu and Miss Sun also said they went to Yangzheng Academy to deliver goods. Why would you need to deliver twice?!”
Liu Ergui quickly explained: “You may not know—Yangzheng Academy often places large orders for books and writing supplies. Each batch is heavy and difficult to deliver in one trip. The first load that Azhu and I carried was the heavier items—books and inkstones. The second load was lighter, so I had Azhu and Miss Sun take it instead. Not long after, I heard screams outside. When I went out, I saw Madam and Shopkeeper Yuan lying in the alley…”
Before he finished, Assistant Prefect Lu suddenly turned to glare at Miss Sun, his voice sharp: “So during that time, you were alone in the bookshop. Tell me—did you see Madam again?”
Miss Sun seemed terrified. Her face went pale as paper, and she stepped back, stammering: “I… I…”
“Speak!”