Jian Zhaoxing

Chapter 275 Kill three birds with one stone

Seeing Zhou Chongzheng remain silent, Lin Zhiqing stood up decisively: "Lord Zhou, stealing someone's skills is not a respectable act."

After saying that, she walked outside.

This is a psychological game.

To give a simple example, in the past, when Lin Zhiqing was bargaining for things, if they couldn't reach an agreement, he would definitely walk away without looking back.

The merchant will most likely call you over.

Because if you sell something, you can make some profit, or at least avoid losses. But if you keep it stuck in your hands, you will really lose money.

Now, the counterparty in this transaction has become the flute player, and Zhou Chongzheng is the merchant who needs to weigh the pros and cons.

Moreover, the flute player was an unexpected problem. Putting aside the rules of the law, it's definitely better to get rid of him than to keep him, otherwise there will be endless troubles.

If Lin Zhiqing could foresee it, how could Zhou Chongzheng not have thought of it?
Just as Lin Zhiqing was about to walk out of the courtyard, Zhou Chongzheng called out to her.

She returned with a smile: "Well, Lord Zhou, have you made up your mind?"

“Miss Lin, impressive skills.” Zhou Chongzheng said coldly, “I need to write a memorial to report to the Emperor before a decision can be made.”

Unlike other prisoners, the Flute Man's actions were all done passively under the control of others.

According to the laws of Da Sheng, he cannot be treated as an ordinary suspect and killed directly.

If you can't kill him, then you can only lock him up.

It can't be kept out!

If they stay locked up any longer, the Dali Temple might even be demolished.

Moreover, giving the person to Lin Zhiqing is indeed a good idea.

Because this flute player is very conspicuous, even if Lin Zhiqing wants to use him for something, he will most likely be recognized.

Lin Zhiqing's act of taking him away was quite conspicuous; whatever he wanted to do couldn't escape the eyes of others.

In conclusion, it is feasible for Lin Zhiqing to be in charge of the flute player.

This was Zhou Chongzheng's idea.

"Alright, then I'll head straight back to the Lin family. By the way, you have to protect the witnesses; someone might try to silence them." Lin Zhiqing said meaningfully.

"Go back and wait," Zhou Chongzheng said, without giving a direct answer.

But Lin Zhiqing knew in his heart that the Dali Temple had encountered so many problems these days, and they probably didn't want to cause any more trouble.

Otherwise, if we kill him, so be it. Why invite Lin Zhiqing over?

She boarded the sedan chair prepared by the Dali Temple.

She was in a relatively relaxed mood at the moment.

The flute player's move was a classic case of Jiang Liuyun shooting himself in the foot.

Lin Zhiqing achieved three goals at once: he not only stalled Jiang Liuyun, but also gained a hundred taels of silver for free, and he also got the flute player back!
It can be considered as getting something for nothing.

Just as she was pondering Jiang Liuyun's next move, the Lin family arrived.

After getting out of the sedan chair, she went straight to the main hall of the Lin family, wanting to tell Aunt Mu, Lin Congli, and others the good news.

Before she even got close to the main hall, Lin Zhiqing sensed something was wrong.

So quiet!

The servants who usually greeted her with a smile now looked away.

She frowned slightly and quickened her pace.

She arrived at the main hall very quickly.

But there was no one there.

Normally, if he went out, the Lin family would mostly gather in the main hall to wait for him and news, let alone during this special period.

Her heart sank, and for some reason, she felt uneasy.

She quickly turned around; her intuition told her that someone might be waiting for her at Shuqing Pavilion.

The journey that usually takes the time it takes to drink a cup of tea was completed in just half a cup of tea this time.

Lin Congli and Lin Congyan were standing outside Shuqing Pavilion, their faces extremely grave.

Lin Zhiqing narrowed her eyes: "Uncle, Fourth Uncle, what happened?" Hearing Lin Zhiqing's voice, the two looked up simultaneously, a look of sadness in their eyes…

There was even a faint sound of crying coming from inside.

For whom do we grieve?

"Child, go in and take a look." Lin Congli seemed to be speaking in riddles. He looked away, as if he dared not or could not bear to see Lin Zhiqing's expression.

Lin Zhiqing frowned and walked straight into the courtyard, passing the two people.

The closer she got to the inner room, the clearer the sobbing sound became in her ears.

She recognized the voice as coming from Asagao.

Meanwhile, Lin Yangyang, who was silently wiping away tears outside the door, spotted Lin Zhiqing.

She opened her mouth: "Qing-meimei, you're back. Aunt Mu, she..."

Before she could finish speaking, Lin Zhiqing raised his hand to interrupt her and walked inside on his own.

She raised her hand and lifted the beaded curtain, her eyes trembling violently when they met Aunt Mu's bloodless face.

"Miss, Miss, you're finally back!" Chaoyan couldn't hold back any longer, her sobs suddenly growing louder: "My aunt...she..."

Her voice trembled, and she couldn't utter the word for a long time.

Lin Yangyang, who followed in, wiped her red eyes:
“Qing, when I came back, I found Aunt Mu lying in the alley outside the Lin family’s house.”

"When I went to check on her, she was bleeding profusely from her chest; she must have been attacked with a dagger and was already dead..."

Lin Zhiqing acted as if she hadn't heard her and threw off the blanket.

The crimson color stung the eyes of everyone present.

Lin Zhiqing's chest rose and fell slightly. She pulled the blanket back up, sat on the edge of the bed, and reached out to touch Aunt Mu's face.

It's cold.

Lin Yangyang was afraid that Lin Zhiqing wouldn't be able to accept it, so she quickly stepped forward.

But Lin Zhiqing took a deep breath, stood up again, and her voice trembled almost imperceptibly:
"Asagao, change Aunt Mu's clothes."

"Cousin, take me to see where the body was found."

"Qing-meimei, why don't you rest for a while..." Lin Yangyang was very worried.

"Let's go now," Lin Zhiqing interrupted her.

Lin Yangyang couldn't refuse her, so she had no choice but to take her to the alley to the right of the Lin family's house.

There were still people left behind by Lin Yangyang guarding the scene. She knew Lin Zhiqing would definitely come to check, so she had people guarding the place.

Lin Zhiqing stared at the bright red blood on the ground for a long time before looking away.

She crouched down and examined the bluestone slabs beneath her feet.

This alley is made of bluestone slabs, and over time, small moss will grow on it.

Few people come and go in this area; only the moss near Aunt Mu shows signs of being trampled.

She carefully followed the path where the moss had been trampled.

They stopped when they spotted a huge footprint at the corner.

Upon seeing this, Lin Yangyang quickly had someone bring paper and pen to make a rubbing of the footprints.

Looking at the familiar footprints, Lin Zhiqing clenched her fists tightly.

Besides this, there are no other clues.

After the group returned to Shuqing Pavilion, Chaoyan was wiping the bloodstains off Aunt Mu's body.

Seeing Lin Zhiqing return, she wiped away her tears and said, "Miss, Auntie's hands can't be pried open."

Upon hearing this, Lin Yangyang immediately stepped forward.

She pried open Aunt Mu's tightly clenched hand and discovered that the blood on it had already dried.

Furthermore, two words were written in Aunt Mu's tightly clenched palm.

"Female, number two."