Holding a lantern, guiding souls across, Lady Hou comes from the underworld.

Since Ren Fengjue had said so, even if the villagers were unwilling, they could only wave their hands and let the steward take people over.

He himself found an excuse to avoid it and went to the inner garden.

At this moment, Zhuang You was admiring her makeup in the mirror in her boudoir.

In another half month, she will be able to marry into the Yu King's mansion and become the Yu King's wife.

So these days, she has been preparing for her wedding.

On the table were various kinds of jewelry and headdresses. She picked one out and was about to try it on when a voice announced from outside the door that her father, the farmer, had arrived.

Zhuang You immediately stood up, thinking that King Yu Zhao Xiao had sent him some good stuff again.

She greeted him with a smile, only to find that her father's expression was rather unpleasant.

"Father, who made you angry?"

The farmer waved his hand, dismissing all the maids beside him, before saying, "People from the Ministry of Justice just arrived to investigate your cousin's case."

Zhuang You's expression changed slightly. She quickly put down the hairpin in her hand, pouted, and said, "Didn't we already come before? Father can send us away."

The farmer glanced at her helplessly and said, "Last time it was Guan Yue, who was easy to deal with, but this time it's Ren Fengjue!"

"Ren Fengjue?"

Zhuang You was also taken aback. "Father, when did he return to the capital? Didn't we say he went to the Northern Border?"

The farmer said irritably, "They must have just returned in the last couple of days. They really don't stop for a moment."

Then he said to his daughter, "Not only that, he even brought an insignificant person with him this time."

Zhuang You couldn't help but ask curiously, "Who is it?"

The farmer sneered, "The one who went against you at Tianxiang Pavilion last time, almost costing you your life."

Upon hearing this, Zhuang You was indeed excited. "It's that Xia Ximo? She actually dared to come here?"

Last time, she fell seriously ill and almost lost her life because of her encounter with an evil spirit.

She held a grudge and blamed Xia Ximo for the whole thing.

Although the farmer discovered the other party's identity, he chose to suppress the matter. He comforted his daughter, saying, "Even if you want to get back at her, you should at least wait until she marries into the royal family."

Zhuang You was unwilling, but he could only endure it.

But now, they actually dare to come to the Censorate? This is clearly a provocation!

"Father, she dared to come here with Ren Fengjue; she's clearly bullying me because she has the backing of the Marquis of Renxuan's mansion!"

As Zhuang You spoke, his voice trembled with tears, and he even managed to squeeze out a few drops.

The farmer always indulged his daughter; normally, he would have granted her every wish.

But now, with a stern face, he said, "Stop fooling around. At this time, you shouldn't do anything, understand?"

Zhuang You was shocked to hear his father say such a thing. His heart sank, and he pressed his lips down, immediately bursting into tears.

The villagers were easily moved to tears when they heard her cry, but they still hardened their hearts and gave her a warning.

"Father said that even if you really want to take revenge on Xia Ximo, you must wait until after you marry into the Prince's Mansion. Before that, you absolutely cannot ruin things, otherwise all your previous efforts will be in vain!"

"Besides, if Ren Fengjue finds out that your cousin's death is related to you, your future will be completely ruined, do you understand?"

Hearing this, Zhuang You gradually calmed down. She stopped crying but asked cautiously, "Father, they shouldn't be able to find out about me, right?"

The farmer glared at her. "Your father came to tell you that you're staying in your room today. No matter what happens outside, you're not allowed to go out!"

Zhuang You pursed her lips again, then reluctantly agreed, "Daughter understands."

……

Meanwhile, Ren Fengjue and the others had arrived at the pond in the back garden.

The butler pointed to the pavilion by the pond and said, "Miss Biao's body was found right next to that pavilion."

It's been cold lately, and there's nothing to see in the back garden; even the edge of the pond is covered with a thin layer of ice.

Why did Miss Zhou come here alone?

Ren Fengjue asked, "Does Miss Zhou have any maids to serve her?"

The steward looked troubled: "We did send two maids to serve, but His Highness Prince Yu sent a lot of things over that day, and we need people to go and count them. As you know, in half a month, it will be the wedding day of my young lady and His Highness Prince Yu, and the manor will inevitably be busy."

Ren Fengjue nodded and asked, "The housekeeper just said that Miss Zhou is in poor health and suffers from asthma?"

"yes…"

"She lives quite far from here. Why would a patient like her come to a place like this on such a cold day?"

Faced with Ren Fengjue's suspicions, the butler had a countermeasure. He said, "People with asthma often feel short of breath. Perhaps Miss Zhou wanted to go out for some fresh air that day, which is why she accidentally fell into the water."

Upon hearing this explanation, Ren Fengjue smiled and said, "Could you take us to Miss Zhou's residence?"

The butler paused slightly, then said, "Sir, the room the patient stayed in might have a strange smell. Are you sure you want to go check it out?"

Guan Yue, standing to the side, said unhappily, "What kind of scene hasn't my lord seen? Lead the way!"

The butler hesitated for a moment, but had no choice but to obediently lead them there.

The courtyard where Miss Zhou lived wasn't particularly remote, but when I went there, the gate was locked, and it seemed that the inside had already been "cleaned up".

When the butler opened the courtyard gate, a strong medicinal smell wafted out, mixed with a strange, cloyingly sweet odor.

Ren Fengjue paused for a moment, feeling as if he had smelled this scent somewhere before.

Xia Ximo, who was standing nearby, suddenly spoke up and suggested, "The sugar figurine shop."

This reminder made me realize that the cloying sweetness was clearly the result of many sugars mixed together over time.

Guan Yue also asked in confusion, "Why is there a sweet smell in this courtyard? Did Miss Zhou add sugar to her medicine?"

The steward, of course, smelled it too. He tried to explain, "The doctor is joking. Everyone says that good medicine tastes bitter, so how could it be mixed with sugar? It must be some maid who ate some snacks, which is why it smells like this."

Guan Yue frowned. "How much did they eat? The smell is so strong!"

Pushing open the main house door, the sweet smell was even more overwhelming.

Guan Yue disliked sweets, and the smell made him dizzy. He stopped at the doorway and said, "What's the difference between this and falling into a candy jar? It's definitely not just about snacks!"

The butler, running out of excuses, lowered his voice and said, "To be honest, I don't know what this smell is, which is why I said the room the patient stayed in had a rather unpleasant odor..."

Ren Fengjue covered his nose and looked around the room.

As for Miss Zhou's belongings, they had long been cleared out, and indeed nothing could be discerned anymore, except for that suspicious smell...

He suddenly remembered the maid he had seen in front of the sugar figurine shop last night, so he turned to the steward and said, "Please call all the maids in the manor over. I have some questions I'd like to ask them in person."