Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 104 Love at first sight
As soon as Zhou Zhao called out, Liu Huang immediately came out of the awning boat, carrying a large box on his back, and stood obediently behind Zhou Zhao.

Min Zangzhi, however, seemed to have been paralyzed, frozen in place, her neck stiff and her face flushed.

Zhou Zhao followed his gaze and saw Chu You's figure dressed in plain clothes.

She paused for a moment, raised an eyebrow, and called out to Min Cangzhi, "Min Wenshu, you've got bird droppings in your mouth."

Min Zangzhi shuddered and immediately covered his mouth. He rushed to the edge of the plank road and squatted there to dry heave.

"Zhou Zhao, you really can't say anything nice. What have I done to offend you that you're so disgusting?"

As Min Cangzhi spoke, he found even the ornate feather fan in his hand displeasing, feeling that the incense on it had become foul. Without hesitation, he threw the feather fan into the pile of wood shavings.

Zhou Zhao looked at him and shook his head. "Do you even need to ask? In this Chang'an city, is there anyone you haven't offended? Tonight you don't seem like an old clerk. I've already solved the case; the rest is up to you."

Min Zangzhi blushed slightly, and he covered his face with his sleeve and coughed lightly, "I'm listening."

He paused, then asked, "That girl, is she Chu You? The Chu You who was at the scene of the Shanming Changyang case?"

Zhou Zhao nodded. "It's that Chu You."

Min Cangzhi's lips moved slightly, but the words on the tip of her tongue were abruptly changed. "How do you know that there are two murderers, not just one? How did you determine that Wang Liu's death was related to Zhaixing Tower? And when did you determine that the murderer was Wang Chang?"

As they talked, they left the Star-Picking Tower.

“It’s very simple. Wang Liu’s body went downstream, so the body was dumped upstream. The sawdust on the soles of his shoes was very fresh and almost completely covered in mud, which means that he barely stepped on any mud after stepping on the sawdust and was killed very quickly. So the place where he was killed was very likely in an area with lots of sawdust.”

"And I happen to know that the Zhaixing Tower on the upper reaches of the Dongshui River is under construction."

“Wang Liu had signs of a struggle, but the fatal wound on the back of his head was consistent with a fatal sneak attack. Therefore, the most likely scenario is that he was killed by another person during a fight.”

"Of course, we cannot rule out other possibilities. It is also possible that during the fight, the murderer hid and then ambushed and killed Wang Liu from behind."

Zhou Zhao spoke very quickly and clearly. As Min Cangzhi listened, the blush on her face faded, and she earnestly recalled the scene in her mind.

"But you saw traces on the ship, ruling out the second possibility."

Zhou Zhao listened to Min Cangzhi's analysis and nodded. "The boat is too small to hide anything. But more importantly, I noticed Wang Xun and Wang Chang a long time ago."

“Wang Liu faked his death on the mountain, so someone had to cover for him. That person could only be his master and fellow disciples. As soon as we arrived, Chu Hang mentioned Wang Liu’s master, Wang Xun. I noticed him at the time. He was fine, but the expression on Wang Chang’s face said it all.”

As Min Cangzhi listened, he couldn't help but sigh, even if Li Youdao himself were to fight tonight, he might not be able to defeat Zhou Zhao.

The six court officials of the Court of Justice each had their own strengths, and the two officials in charge of grain transport each had their own unique skills, which originally maintained a balance between the two sides.

Zhou Zhao's sudden emergence is truly a thunderbolt, poised to change the situation at the Court of Justice.

The more Min Zangzhi thought about it, the more regrettable it seemed.

It's a pity Zhou Zhao is a woman; otherwise, given her achievements in Tianying City, how could she have been relegated to a mere judicial clerk, assigned to Li Youdao's subordinates? It's clear that those in power want the horse to run but don't want it to eat grass.

They wanted to use Zhou Zhao's investigative skills, but they also hoped that she would always remain a minor official and never be able to stand in the imperial court.

"Impressive! With Lord Zhou here, Chang Zuoping will be overjoyed. Finally, someone has come who won't embarrass the Court of Justice."

For the first time, Min Zangzhi realized he wasn't good at praising people; even when he did, it always sounded sarcastic. He thought for a moment, then abruptly changed the subject, clearing his throat, "Um, is Miss Chu You engaged? What do you think if I were to propose?"

Zhou Zhao, Su Changying, and Liu Huang all stopped in their tracks.

"Those two are blockheads," Zhou Zhao said bitterly. "I advise you not to use your flirtatious skills from the world of romance on my sister Chu You."

Min Cangzhi shook his head. "It's not just for show. When I look at her, I feel a thousand beautiful chapters in my heart."

As Min Zangzhi spoke, he raised his head as if to recite a poem while gazing at the moon, but as soon as he raised his chin, he remembered Zhou Zhao's words that had been meant to scare him, and immediately lowered his head, no longer daring to try anything funny.

He cleared his throat, realizing that he was not very familiar with Zhou Zhao and was having too much to say, and then he mounted the white horse.

"I was in a hurry to get those two to sign and put their fingerprints on the document, so I left first."

As he spoke, Min Zangzhi spurred his horse and rode away.

The market, now empty except for the three remaining people, suddenly became deserted.

Zhou Zhao and the other two led their horses at a leisurely pace. "Is there anything wrong with your stepmother? If you can't deal with her, just come and find me."

Su Changying recalled the looks his stepmother and younger brother gave him when he returned to the mansion, and shook his head. "It's alright. There won't be any open conflict. But since you and Ah Huang are new to the Court of Justice, if you need anything from me, be sure to come to me."

As he spoke, he glanced at Liu Huang, who nodded in response.

He didn't care about any fake family ties; from beginning to end, all he cared about was...

Thinking it over, Su Changying placed her hand on the spot where the red dot was.

The Northern Army still had to patrol, so they escorted Zhou Zhao and Liu Huang back to the Court of Justice. Then, he led Zhu Li, Han Ze, and others to search all over Chang'an for those who had violated the curfew.

The next day, it wasn't Li Youdao on duty, but the court official who brought Chen Yuzhao. They slept peacefully through the night, and nothing happened.

Zhou Zhao went to Zhaixing Tower again before curfew, but still found nothing. Chu You and Chu Hang checked carefully, but found nothing amiss. And so, when they opened their eyes again, it was already the morning of the third day.

Today's breakfast at Tingwei Temple should be millet porridge with vegetable buns, and pickled vegetables that smell so sour they make your teeth ache.

Zhou Zhao had just finished breakfast and sat down, not even having time to pick up the dossier in his hand, when he saw Xu Jin limping in. Xu Jin glared at Zhou Zhao fiercely and sat down angrily at his desk.

"Senior Xu, what happened? It looks like you tripped and fell on flat ground?"

Xu Jin was furious; he hadn't just tripped and fallen!
He'd had some terrible luck these past two days. Either his knees buckled and he'd fallen, or it was as if a ghost had tripped him, causing him to slump to the ground. One such incident could be considered unlucky, but two days in a row was more than just bad luck; it meant he'd messed with someone!
"What business is it of yours? Have you finished the case file yet? Why are you lecturing your seniors?"

Xu Jin thought to himself, then glanced at Zhou Zhao out of the corner of his eye. Seeing that her expression was normal, he thought to himself that it probably wasn't Zhou Zhao, and he couldn't help but feel troubled again.

Besides Zhou Zhao, who else did he have enemies?

Zhou Zhao was preoccupied with the matter of Zhaixing Tower and didn't bother with him. She started reviewing the case files quickly and finished them before noon. Zhou Zhao peeked out and saw that Li Youdao hadn't come today. She tidied up her desk and headed towards the gate of the Court of Justice.

Liu Huang was already squatting by the corner of the wall, waiting.

"Ah Huang, let's go to the Star-Picking Tower for a drink!"