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墨書 Inktalez
Su Jingliang never expected that after buying the herbs and returning home, he would be greeted by a wall in the guest room.
Due to the cold weather, the traces of the bucket of water that Li Mao had splashed remained, and because of the freezing conditions, the shadow left in the water stain became increasingly clear.
"Is that really a person?"
Su Jingliang asked, his voice much lower than usual. He felt his hands and feet were cold; he both hoped to break through the wall to find the long-missing Nursemaid and feared that when the wall was truly broken, what lay inside would indeed be the Nursemaid. The former would provide an explanation to the steward, while the latter left him at a loss for words.
"Whether it's a person or not, even Fox Demon can't determine right now. However, judging by the shape of that shadow, it should be a person, and an elderly one at that." Xing Ruyi rubbed his hands together. "Su Erge, if everyone is here, shall we break the wall? While it's still light out, everyone will be braver; otherwise, if it gets dark and we really find out it's the missing Nursemaid inside, I reckon everyone will have nightmares after going home."
This last sentence was obviously meant as a light-hearted joke to ease the tension, but Su Jingliang took it seriously. He walked over to an older servant and pointed at the wall. "Let's break the wall. Be careful. Until we clarify what's going on, it's best not to alarm Master and Madam."
"Understood, Second Young Master!"
The servant was quick in his actions; while responding, he swiftly assigned tasks to others. A few servants wasted no time and swung their tools toward the wall.
"Bang!"
The wall seemed to shake slightly before cracking open a gap. The leading servant stepped forward and peered into the opening; his expression changed instantly. He hurriedly turned around and approached Su Jingliang with his head lowered, saying, "Second Young Master, there's a crack in the wall. I took a look inside, and it seems there really is a person in there!"
"Did you see clearly?"
Su Jingliang pressed on, an involuntary hint of tension in his eyes.
"Reporting to Second Young Master, I didn't see much else clearly, but what I did see through the gap was definitely fabric—fabric that someone would wear." The leading servant raised his voice slightly this time; bending down, he continued to ask for instructions. "Should we keep breaking this wall?"
"Smash! Of course, we need to keep smashing, but let them do it. You go find the master and mistress right now and inform them about the situation in the courtyard. Just let them know; there's no need for them to come over. Also, find someone to report this to the authorities. If there really is a Nursemaid behind that wall, it’s definitely a case of murder, and we need to report it!"
"I understand. I'll send someone to report it, and I'll personally inform the master and mistress." The leading servant turned around, exchanged a few words with those holding tools, and then hurried away.
The wall was being broken down again, but this time with a bit more force than before. However, the already cracked wall quickly crumbled apart, revealing the shadow that had been hidden inside.
Indeed, there was a person sealed within the wall. Judging by her clothing, she resembled the missing Nursemaid from the household. Her head was tilted at an odd angle, her hair disheveled, covering most of her face except for one rotting eye that stared lifelessly at the onlookers.
The Nursemaid's clothes were intact, aside from being stained with dirt and some deep brown splotches. From the faint scent of blood wafting through the air, Xing Ruyi could deduce that those stains were dried blood.
The Nursemaid's hands were firmly nailed to the wall, with nails piercing directly through her palms. Her feet were also nailed down, but at the ankles; it seemed some clever technique had been used. A wide strip of cloth bound her waist, secured at both ends with nails, forming a perfect restraint.
Xing Ruyi examined the cloth and asked Su Jingliang, "Is this cloth from the Nursemaid herself?"
Su Jingliang scrutinized it closely. "It might be; it might not be. Before the incident with the Nursemaid, she was not only a mere Nursemaid but also the wife of our household's steward at that time. So she would have had access to some of the household fabrics."
"In that case, it's unlikely we can identify the murderer based on these fabrics."
"Although the Su family has some assets, we are not a wealthy household. The fabrics we use are sourced from local silk shops and aren't particularly valuable. So trying to find the murderer through these fabrics is like looking for a needle in a haystack."
"That may not be entirely true!" Xing Ruyi's eyes darted around before she looked at Su Jingliang and smiled slightly. "Brother Su seems to have forgotten that this courtyard is not a place where just anyone can come and go freely. I remember when I first arrived at the household; Brother Su mentioned that this courtyard is specifically for receiving esteemed guests. Aside from being cleaned daily by designated staff, no other unauthorized personnel are allowed inside. So I wonder if Brother Su thinks it's possible for an ordinary person in the household to secretly hide the Nursemaid's body within these walls without anyone noticing?"
"Impossible! There are only five keys to this courtyard: one is with the steward who oversees cleaning every day; he supervises everything closely while staff do their work. Most of those responsible for cleaning are maids; trying to bring a body in under the steward's nose and brazenly stuff it into the wall would be akin to a nightmarish tale. Additionally, my father and mother each hold one key since they are in charge of the household affairs; although they may not visit this courtyard often, they still have their keys."
"Does Master and the lady each hold their own keys?"
"Not necessarily. For example, my mother has all her keys managed by the Head Maid who has been by her side for a long time and is absolutely trustworthy."
"The butler has one key, and Master Su and Madam Su each have one. So where are the remaining two keys?"
"Oh, one of the remaining two is with me. Since I am responsible for welcoming guests at home, I carry a key to the You Lai Courtyard with me." Su Jingliang said as he pulled out a set of keys from a bag he was carrying, then pointed to one of them for Xing Ruyi: "This is the key to the You Lai Courtyard. I used this key to open the main door when I brought Si Niang and Bells Maiden here yesterday. As for the keys to the individual rooms, they are hanging in that wooden box outside the door. The main door is usually kept closed, so there’s no worry about someone taking the keys from the doors."
"And this last key, could it be with Eldest Young Master or Third Young Master?"
"Ruyi is correct. This last key is with my Third Brother, Jingrui. He is responsible for external affairs of the family. Although he spends most of his time away, he always returns during the New Year when guests often come. He is familiar with these guests and handles their reception."
"On the Night of the Dark Moon, when the wind is high and fires are set. Murder and robbery are naturally best carried out in the dead of night. After killing someone, to cover up the crime, most would choose to do it while others are asleep, ensuring their actions go unnoticed for an extra layer of safety. Suppose this person is Nursemaid, who was murdered late at night; then who could have secretly brought her into the You Lai Courtyard and calmly sealed her inside, even painting over the walls to match the surroundings?"
"What do you mean, miss?"
"My meaning is clear: the murderer must be someone familiar with the internal workings of the Su Family in the You Lai Courtyard. Only someone from within would know when there are people around, when it’s safest, and when renovations were taking place."
"I have been thinking about how big or small the You Lai Courtyard is. It doesn’t matter; one could easily find a place to bury a Corpse. Why did they not choose to bury it in a corner, underground, or under a tree but instead chose to bury it within a wall?"
"If they intended to bury it within a wall, why did they choose this particular spot instead of another room? Was it randomly selected or just chosen because it looked good?"
"The answer is certainly not!"
Since it involves burying a corpse and requires such effort, the murderer certainly hopes that it will be as difficult as possible for others to discover. The reasons the murderer chose this particular room are likely as follows. First, the house here is shaded by trees in front, making it mostly cool during the summer. Although the murderer buried the corpse in the wall, they were still concerned that guests might smell the stench of decay. We all know that in hot weather, a corpse decomposes more quickly, but judging from the corpse in front of us, the rate of decomposition is average. This means that the murderer buried the corpse in the wall before it exhibited signs of advanced decomposition.
“Ruyi, can I interrupt you for a moment? What exactly is this 'advanced decomposition' you just mentioned?”
“Advanced decomposition refers to a state that occurs after death. If no preservation methods are applied within 5 to 8 hours post-mortem, a corpse will transition from decay to advanced decay, producing large amounts of gas that fill the soft tissues and cause the entire body to swell into a grotesque form. At this stage, the face of the corpse becomes particularly swollen, with bulging eyes, thickened and everted lips, protruding tongue, distended abdomen, and skin taking on a strange greenish hue.
The corpse we see before us does show signs of decay, but not to such an extreme extent. Additionally, there is another condition that can help us make a judgment: rigor mortis.
Rigor mortis refers to the stiffening of muscles starting about one hour after death, causing hair to stand on end. After one to two hours post-mortem, rigor mortis begins to dissipate, and the body becomes soft again—soft enough to feel like a lump of clay. Look at the nails on this corpse; when rigor mortis is present, it is difficult to move or nail down. Therefore, this person was either sealed into the wall immediately after death or within one to two hours afterward.
Whether sealed immediately or within one to two hours post-mortem, this person's actions had to be sufficiently discreet. Thus, if the murderer was not among the five people who had keys, they must have obtained a key in a way that went unnoticed. Based on this reasoning, Su Erge, do you think finding this murderer has become easier?”
“So I am also considered one of the suspects?”
Su Jingliang smiled wryly: “Earlier when you arrived, I mentioned that there was a reason why the murderer chose this particular guest room; what was that reason again?”
“Oh right, I almost forgot! I only mentioned the first point; there’s also a second point. Fox Demon remembers Su Erge mentioning that ordinary merchants from the Su Family do not accommodate guests except during festivals when they might allow guests at You Lai Courtyard. This guest room is indeed closest to the lobby but is not favored by distinguished guests because being near the lobby means it can be noisy. When arranging accommodations in the house, other guest rooms are usually recommended.
The murderer must have known this fact; hence they chose this room—closest to the lobby yet least frequently occupied—to bury the corpse. The reason Su Erge chose this room for Si Niang and Bell also lies here: because this room is rarely occupied and historically has hosted mostly male guests. Therefore, having them stay here was most appropriate. Thus, Su Erge, your suspicion can be dismissed because a true murderer would not arrange for someone to stay in this room.”
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