Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 168 Zhang Ran is dead
Zhang Ran died, just as they came knocking on their door.

A chill ran from the soles of his feet straight up to the top of his head, making Zhou Zhao shudder.

She was still just speculating, hadn't confronted Zhang Ran, and didn't have any concrete evidence, when Zhang Ran suddenly died.

Zhou Zhao thought to himself, his voice a little hoarse.

When and why did Lord Zhang leave?

The butler was taken aback, clearly not expecting that Zhou Zhao hadn't come to offer condolences. He wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve and bowed slightly to Zhou Zhao.

"After autumn arrived, I felt unwell. I felt a little better a few days ago, and thinking that the autumn air was crisp and clear, I went horseback riding with a few young masters. Who would have thought that I would feel worse after returning? His Majesty sent the imperial physician to see me, who said that when Miss Ruoqing went there, the lord was so grief-stricken that he damaged his lungs and internal organs."

The autumn chill and cold winds entered the body, and after the race, the cold air seemed to rise to the head, just as illness strikes like a landslide...

These past two days, the young master of this household has been praying to various deities, and medicine from the palace has been delivered in like a flowing stream, but unfortunately, it's still all in vain."

Zhou Zhao took a deep breath. The steward of the Zhang family had a look of grief in his eyes. Every word he said was reasonable and well-founded, and did not seem to be faking it.

Could it be that such a coincidence exists in the world? They had just investigated Zhang Ran when he actually died of illness.
Zhou Zhao thought for a moment, then cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to the steward, "Please take me and Captain Su to see Lord Zhang for the last time."

People can lie, but corpses don't.

Without hesitation, the butler nodded, gestured for them to proceed, and then bowed to lead the way.

White banners were hung everywhere in the mansion, and the heart-wrenching wails coming from the mourning hall could be heard from afar. The sound was just like the squeals of pigs being slaughtered in the East Market, equally chilling.

Zhou Zhao followed the steward all the way to the front of the mourning hall.

Zhang Ran's body was placed in a large black lacquered coffin, and his several tall and strong sons, dressed in mourning clothes, knelt in a row, their cries shaking the heavens.

Madam Zhang knelt there quietly, like a stone statue.

Zhou Zhao and Su Changying knelt down directly on the prayer mats placed in front of the door. Upon seeing this, the group of filial sons and grandsons immediately knelt back in unison.

The moment they looked up, Zhou Zhao noticed that their eyes were swollen shut, as if they had been stung by bees.

Zhou Zhao and Su Changying stepped forward to offer incense before walking to the coffin.

Zhang Ran lay there quietly, looking very peaceful. Although he had been somewhat disguised, it was still clear that he looked sickly. Apart from that, there were no obvious fatal wounds on his body.

There were no marks on the neck, no cyanosis, no white foam in the mouth, and no poisonous blood flowing from the face.

It doesn't look like an accidental death.

Zhou Zhao's eyes flickered as he pondered how to persuade the Zhang family to allow Liu Huang to perform an autopsy, when he heard Madam Zhang's cold voice.

"We haven't even announced the death yet, and Lord Zhou and General Su have already come to offer their condolences. They must have other matters to attend to. Perhaps we should move aside to avoid disturbing the deceased's peace."

As Madam Zhang spoke, without waiting for Zhou Zhao's agreement, she stood up on her own, put on mourning clothes, and walked towards the door.

Zhou Zhao glanced at the Zhang brothers out of the corner of her eye and saw that they were still wailing and did not seem to care. Their behavior reminded her of an old friend in Tianying City. Could that guy be the Zhang family's lost son? He was just as good at wailing.

Lost in thought, she followed Madam Zhang into a private room to the side.

The moment the door closed, there was no peace at all; the wailing continued unabated.

"Madam, please accept my condolences. Your sons' filial piety is truly touching. I am ashamed to say that I was unaware of your passing beforehand and thus came to your door without any preparation. I hope you will forgive my rudeness."

Madam Zhang was the first to kneel down at the table. Her expression was indifferent, but there was a hint of mockery in her eyes.

"What filial piety? They're just grieving for their father's death. His Majesty will surely distance himself from these good-for-nothings in the future, and the Zhang family's towering building will collapse."

Zhou Zhao was taken aback by Madam Zhang's bluntness.

Madam Zhang seemed unconcerned. "The Court of Justice and the Northern Army have come together, which means there's a case. You've come to see Zhang Ran; is there something important?"

Zhou Zhao's eyes flickered, and he sat down opposite Madam Zhang, cupping his hands in a respectful gesture. "Was Lord Zhang's death caused by someone?"

"What?" Now it was Madam Zhang's turn to be taken aback.

She looked at Zhou Zhao in surprise, "You're quite direct! The three imperial physicians, Qi, Wang, and Li, came together. If there's a problem, His Majesty will have someone investigate. It's rare for a person to live to seventy. Although he's far from seventy, it's not unusual for him to die of illness at this age."

Zhou Zhao was speechless.

She finally saw it.

Madam Zhang didn't slap Zhang Ran five times a day, but she certainly did it in her heart.

As Madam Zhang spoke, she suddenly added, "He was very afraid of dying and actually preferred riding in an oxcart to riding a horse. He suddenly wanted to go horseback riding, and then his condition worsened. Perhaps it was fate."

Zhou Zhao pondered Madam Zhang's words, and then paused...

"I don't have much time left to give you. My eldest son has already gone out to announce the death. Guests will be arriving soon. His deep affection and loyalty to me are known throughout Chang'an. I should go to the mourning hall and kneel before him. At my age, there's nothing I can't ask."

Zhou Zhao thought for a moment and then asked, "Lord Zhang and Princess Changyang... Zhang Ruoqing bears a resemblance to her."

Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang remained silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

“You’re right, Zhang Ran is in love with Chang Yang. But Chang Yang has been outstanding since childhood, what could he possibly see in Zhang Ran? Is he old? Is he poor? Is he stupid or crazy? With a gem like Fan Fuma around, Zhang Ran, who is just a piece of sand that can be found anywhere in the riverbank, naturally wouldn’t dare to speak up.”

As the old saying goes, "Every dish has its proper bowl." It's disgusting to think that a small fish hiding in a stinking ditch can eat a gyrfalcon.

Zhou Zhao looked at Madam Zhang, whose words were sarcastic but whose eyes were full of sorrow.

I don't know if it's for Zhang Ran or for myself.

Zhou Zhao looked at her for a long time before finally asking, "Did Zhang Ran do anything unusual on June 15th four years ago?"

Madam Zhang was taken aback and frowned. "You think Zhang Ran is the murderer of Princess Changyang? Impossible. We've known each other since childhood. He doesn't have that ability. He didn't study martial arts. He learned all his skills in fights. If he wanted to kidnap Marquis Lu, even if his ancestors' graves were to emit auspicious smoke, it wouldn't work."

As she spoke, she thought for a moment and then added, "If there was anything unusual, he was indeed preoccupied during that period. He often sat alone by the window in silence."

As Madam Zhang spoke, she sighed softly, her voice so faint it was almost inaudible.

“I don’t get along with him, and I know very little about him. But…” Madam Zhang paused, “but I once heard him mutter a sentence when he was drunk: ‘A common man is innocent, but he is guilty of possessing a treasure.’”