Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 17 Got a clue
So, is Cao Ben's death related to Zhang Ruoqing's death?

Could this be another serial murder case?

Zhou Zhao's mind raced, and many questions suddenly came to mind.

She thanked the old woman and headed straight for the Cao family's house, following the direction the old woman pointed.

Although the Cao family was wealthy, they were, after all, merchants and dared not be overly arrogant. The plaque above the door simply read "Cao Residence." If there was anything special about it, it was that there were two stone-carved dragon turtles, one on each side of the door, symbolizing good fortune.

Zhou Zhao looked up and saw a brand-new bronze mirror hanging under the plaque, with red ropes wrapped around it, seemingly used to ward off evil spirits and harm.

The gatekeeper, dressed in a gray cloth coat, was spraying water towards the gate. Upon seeing Zhou Zhao's extraordinary attire and the official in robes following behind him, he immediately stood up straight on alert.

Zhou Zhao stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting. "May I ask if the master is here? We have come here because of the murder case in Wujin Lane last night. Please lead the way."

The doorman paused for a moment, hesitated, then gestured for him to come forward and jogged over.

Merchants were of low social status, and not only them, but even the owners of the household dared not challenge the officials.

Zhou Zhao followed behind the gatekeeper, discreetly surveying the layout of the mansion. Everywhere he looked, he could see traces of alterations made by a "master".

As soon as the group arrived in the garden, they heard the sound of a child crying.

Upon seeing this, the gatekeeper rushed over and whispered in the ear of a woman dressed in a dark purple blouse.

The woman was holding a child who looked about five or six years old. The child was chubby, but his face was yellowish, and he was acting like a frightened bird. Zhou Zhao guessed that this should be the youngest son of the Cao family that the old woman had mentioned.

It was because the child was frightened that the Cao family hired someone to perform the Nuo ritual.

After hearing the gatekeeper's words, the woman handed the child to the wet nurse, waved for everyone to leave, then pinched her brow before walking over with a worried expression.

“My surname is Cao, and I am the head of the Cao family. What brings you gentlemen here? I have heard about the murder case in Wujin Lane this morning, but we had business to attend to last night and closed our doors to guests before nightfall. I am truly unaware of the matter.”

As she spoke, her gaze swept around the room before finally settling on Zhou Zhao.

The group consisted of six people: a handsome civil official, a cold-faced military officer, a disheveled playboy, a lost and dejected young master, a strange man wearing a straw hat, and a young noblewoman. Although she didn't understand why these people were together, she could tell that the young woman was the leader.

"Was Fuxiao Garden Cao Ben's property? How did he die?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Cao was taken aback, a glint of understanding flashing in her eyes. She sighed softly and muttered to herself, "What a wretched child!"

“My Cao family made our fortune on Shu brocade and cloth, and Fuxiao Garden is indeed managed by my son Cao Ben.”

"You officials have come to inquire about my son's relationship with Zhang Ruoqing, haven't you?"

Zhou Zhao was somewhat surprised. This Cao was clearly a smart woman. They hadn't even stated their purpose directly, yet she had already given them an answer.

As Cao spoke, she raised her hand and rubbed her temples again. Her eyes were full of dark circles, and she looked extremely tired.

"That girl named Zhang Ruoqing is indeed a regular at Fuxiao Garden."

“This young woman is quite capable in business and has built up a considerable fortune. However, I was too greedy and thought that although merchants are rich, they are of low social status and are often looked down upon. I was determined to make my son successful and secure an official position.”

"The Dawn Garden was built to lure high-ranking officials and nobles to seek their fortunes. But who knew that my son Cao Ben would fall in love with Miss Zhang at first sight?"

"I warned him that Miss Zhang comes from a noble family and is not someone like us can even dream of. But my foolish son has fallen head over heels for her, withdrawing several sums of money from the account for her sake..."

Zhou Zhao listened attentively, and Cao's words confirmed what Han Ze had said earlier.

Did Cao Ben die because of Zhang Ruoqing? How did he die?

Cao's thoughts were suddenly pulled back by Zhou Zhao's question. She shook her head and gritted her teeth, "Yes and no. He was possessed by an evil spirit, went mad, and then jumped into the latrine and drowned." "Possessed by an evil spirit?" Zhou Zhao was somewhat surprised.

Upon hearing this, Min Zangzhi immediately picked up a feather fan to cover his mouth and nose, as if the name Cao Ben had been tainted by his stench!

Madam Cao nodded heavily, her eyes slightly reddening. "Ever since he became infatuated with Zhang Ruoqing, he has been living in Fuxiao Garden and rarely comes back. I have gone to look for him several times, but each time it ended badly."

"About three months ago..."

Cao paused for a moment, "Now it is June 16th. Around the third day of the third month, Cao Ben's servant Jian'an rushed over, saying that he was possessed by an evil spirit and was acting like a madman."

“He has feigned illness more than once or twice in order to get money out of me. I was angry at the time, so I didn’t take it seriously.”

"Before dawn on the second day, Jian'an returned to report the death."

Seeing Zhou Zhao's furrowed brows and disbelief, Cao shook her head. "I didn't believe it either, so I asked someone from Fuxiao Garden to ask. Cao Ben was acting crazy at the time, and Jian'an had no choice but to hire a Nuo opera. In front of everyone, Cao Ben suddenly rushed out."

"When they caught up, they heard a loud crash from the outhouse. When Jian'an went in, Ben'er was still struggling, but by the time they pulled him out, he was already dead."

Having said this, Cao had already guessed Zhou Zhao's identity.

She was no ordinary young lady; having been a merchant for so many years, she was quite well-informed. In the entire city of Chang'an, apart from Zhou Zhao of the Zhou family, there was really no other woman who could solve cases.

“Miss Zhou, although I don’t know how to investigate cases, I will not let my son die without knowing the truth.”

"Because Ben'er was not well, Jian'an gathered everyone in Fuxiao Garden together to pray for Ben'er. When he went into the outhouse, he looked carefully and found that there was no one else inside."

Cao wiped her eyes and sighed again.

Zhou Zhao shook his head. "You really don't know how to investigate cases. If my guess is correct, Cao Ben was probably pushed down."

Cao's body trembled, and she raised her head in disbelief. She reached out to grab Zhou Zhao's sleeve, but then withdrew her hand.

The young girl in front of him was too imposing. Although she was not wearing an official robe, her dark-colored blouse was like the strict law of the previous dynasty, making it impossible for anyone to feel any contempt for her.

"Miss Zhou! This, this..."

Zhou Zhao stared intently at Cao Shi. Although there were still many doubts in the case, she thought she had already understood some of the ins and outs.

“It’s not just Cao Ben. The reason your youngest son cries at night is not because he’s lost his soul, but because he was kidnapped. You paid a large sum of money to get him released, right?”

"How did you know?" Cao asked, covering her mouth in surprise.

Zhou Zhao didn't answer, but continued, "You're very superstitious and always invite the same people to perform Nuo rituals. Cao Ben does the same. On the day he was possessed, which was the third day of the third lunar month, people were also invited to perform Nuo rituals at Fuxiao Garden, right?"

“Since you investigated, you should know what Cao Ben was muttering after he was possessed! He was terrified…”

"He said not to seek revenge, right?"

Cao's expression changed drastically.

Zhou Zhao glanced over indifferently, "Jian'an told you, didn't he? Cao Ben killed someone."

"So, you didn't report it to the authorities, nor did you publicize his death. Otherwise, such a bizarre way of dying—falling into a cesspool—would be..."

Zhou Zhao turned to look at Han Ze, who was standing at the back with his ears perked up, and said, "It must have spread all over Chang'an by now."

Unlike now, even Han Ze, who was pointing the finger at Cao Ben to pay off Zhang Ruoqing's debts, was completely unaware of the situation.

(End of this chapter)