Wang Zefang is waiting at the city gate. He is the county magistrate of Changzhou and has been here for more than a year.
Yesterday he received news that Princess Kangle's marriage team would arrive before noon today, so he came here early to wait.
But it was already past noon, but there was still no sign of the team.
He waited patiently for a while, until a group of caravans entered the city in a panic. The leader among them said: "Quick, go to the government office to report the case."
When Wang Zefang heard this, he stopped the caravan and asked curiously: "What case do you want to report? I am the local county magistrate. If you have anything, just tell me."
The man saw Wang Zefang followed by several officials, and knowing his identity, he immediately said: "Sir, when we were passing by Huyue Ridge, we saw corpses all over the ground. There were more than a dozen people dead.
Judging from the way they were dressed, they looked like they were getting married. The carriage was decorated with red silk, and there were a lot of dowries behind it, but the bride was missing."
This group of caravans came to Changzhou to do business, but they never expected to encounter so many corpses on the road. Huyue Ridge was already sparsely populated, and if they had not encountered them, it would have been difficult for them to be discovered.
So they hurried to Changzhou to report to the official.
When Wang Zefang heard that it was a wedding procession, he suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart. He hurriedly said: "You lead the way."
The man did not dare to disobey the order, so he led Wang Zefang and others to Huyue Ridge.
It rained last night, and the bodies on the ground were all soaked by the rain. The blood mixed with the rain seeped into the ground, dyeing the ground red, and it looked shocking.
A yamen officer inspected the corpses on the ground one by one and came back to report: "Sir, they all seemed to have been stabbed in the heart with sharp objects. They looked like hairpins used by women."
Wang Zefang frowned and ordered: "Search carefully to see if there are any other clues?"
Everyone dispersed and searched around. Someone found an official letter from the carriage. Wang Zefang took a deep breath after opening it.
This is a letter of credence sent to Mobei, which can prove that this is indeed Princess Kangle's marriage team.
"Sir, there is another body here."
Wang Zefang heard the movement not far away and walked over quickly. When he saw the appearance of the corpse, he blurted out: "Commander Yang?"
He had seen this man in the capital before. He was a deputy general in the army and the person in charge of this marriage mission. But now his body was lying here in disheveled clothes, and his death was miserable.
Even though Wang Zefang had been exposed to many murder cases, he had never seen one as brutal as the one before him. He clasped his hands and said, "Take all these corpses back."
He probably already knows who the murderer is?
After half a stick of incense, the group rushed back to Changzhou City.
After Wang Zefang returned to the Yamen, he hurried to the study room in the backyard.
Seeing that he was alone, Mu Yunhuan couldn't help but asked curiously: "Didn't you go to pick up Princess Kangle? Why are you back so soon?"
Wang Zefang frowned and said: "The marriage team was assassinated in Huyue Ridge. Dozens of people were all dead, except Princess Kangle. I suspect that she killed everyone and escaped. I must send a message to His Majesty as soon as possible."
Mu Yunhuan was shocked when he heard this.
She had interacted with Shen Wanyue before when she was in the General's Mansion. She only thought that she was soft and weak. Although she had a bad heart, she wasn't capable of killing people, right?
And killed dozens of people?
Mu Yunhuan was stunned for a while before she realized what she was doing and hurriedly followed Wang Zefang into the study. Not long after, a pigeon flew out of the window.