Inside the inner room, Pan Anping was lying motionless on the pear - wood table with his eyes wide open. His mouth was slightly agape, and there seemed to be something black around the corner of his mouth. Wei Shuxuan, standing at a distance, couldn't tell what it was.
Wei Shuxuan lowered her head. She saw broken porcelain pieces on the ground. Some were relatively large, while others were small. She then looked in the direction of the maid, frowned slightly, but then relaxed. Her gaze fell on Pan Anping's right hand, which was holding something like a letter...
"What on earth is going on!" The middle - aged man Wei Shuxuan had seen earlier finally spoke up, his voice quite stern.
"I... I don't know!" The maid cried out. As soon as she entered, she saw their master lying on the table like that, with his eyes still staring at her. It was so terrifying that she let out a scream immediately.
Just as someone was about to go over and carry Pan Anping's body down, Wei Shuxuan suddenly spoke up and stopped him. "Wait! Don't destroy the crime scene yet!"
Xin Zizhao looked at Wei Shuxuan. There was a somewhat surprised and complex expression on his handsome face. Was this person going to...
Dan Linghai, the prime minister, heard the voice, turned his head, and saw a handsome young man in tight - fitting clothes. If it weren't for the men's clothing, he would have thought this person was a woman. However, the voice didn't sound like that of a man...
"May I ask who you are?" Dan Linghai looked at Wei Shuxuan, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"I'm just a guest invited by Master Pan to the treasure - appraisal meeting."
"Oh? Then what's your opinion on Master Pan's death?" Dan Linghai quite admired Wei Shuxuan's courage.
"I think Master Pan was..." Wei Shuxuan's mouth curled up slightly. "He was murdered."
Everyone present couldn't help but gasp, and then they couldn't help but start discussing.
"Why do you say so?" Dan Linghai asked her.
Wei Shuxuan walked out of the crowd and came to the side of the deceased Pan Anping. She pointed at Pan Anping's right hand holding the letter. "From my observation, Master Pan was left - handed. However, he's holding this letter with his right hand. Isn't that strange? People will use their dominant hand without deliberately controlling themselves. It's an innate reflex."
She lowered her head and looked at the paper in Pan Anping's hand. It was a suicide note!
She picked up the suicide note and quickly scanned its contents. It roughly said that Pan Anping had discovered that his wife was having an affair with someone else, and his son wasn't his own. He was going to drive his wife and son out of the Pan family. Finally, he said that he would leave all his inheritance to his only younger brother, Pan Leping.
"What's that in your hand?" Dan Linghai asked her.
"It's the suicide note written by Pan Anping."
Wei Shuxuan respectfully handed the suicide note to Dan Linghai for inspection. Dan Linghai took it and saw that it was indeed Pan Anping's suicide note. It said that he committed suicide because he couldn't bear wearing the cuckold for so long and raising someone else's son for so many years, so he decided to end his life.
Anyway, it seemed a bit too hasty to die for this reason. Pan Anping was a successful candidate in the imperial examinations. How could he commit suicide because of such a thing?
While Dan Linghai was reading the suicide note, Wei Shuxuan motioned for Xin Zizhao in the crowd to come out and examine the body. "Hurry up, Xin Zizhao. Come out and help me take a look. I don't know how to conduct an autopsy!"
Since Xin Zizhao refused to come out, Wei Shuxuan had to go over and pull him out. Xin Zizhao then helped her examine Pan Anping's body.
Xin Zizhao turned over Pan Anping's body. The deceased's pupils were dilated, his face was purplish - blue, there was black saliva at the corner of his mouth, his lips were purple, his fingers were bent like hooks, and his fingernails were slightly black. "He died of poisoning. This poison is quite powerful. The deceased must have suffered a great deal before his death, but his death came quickly."
"Do you think the poisoned wine was forced into him?" Wei Shuxuan raised her question.
"Unlikely. He should have drunk the wine without knowing it was poisoned. If he had been forced to drink it, there should have been more signs of struggle. From the condition of the body, there was only very slight struggle."
Xin Zizhao took out a handkerchief from his clothes, wiped his hands, and then threw it aside.
"Alright, thank you."
The person who could make Pan Anping drink the wine without suspicion must be someone he knew. Wei Shuxuan stroked her chin. She should start by questioning people.
Wei Shuxuan fixed her gaze on Han Xinran, Pan Anping's wife, who was sobbing softly on one side. Since the moment she entered and saw Pan Anping's body, Han Xinran had been crying, crying very sadly.
"Sir, what's the result of the autopsy?" Dan Linghai looked at Wei Shuxuan.
If Dan Linghai hadn't asked her, she might have forgotten that there was a prime minister present at the scene.
"Sorry. According to my friend, Master Pan was poisoned after unknowingly drinking the wine mixed with poison."
"What do you plan to do then?" Dan Linghai stroked his beard.
"I plan to question some people in the Pan Mansion first and then conduct further investigations." After saying that, Wei Shuxuan thought for a moment. "Prime Minister, would you allow me to investigate this case? I will definitely find out the truth."
"Good lad. You're quite courageous. I admire you. Well, I'll leave this case to you for investigation."
The charming purple - clothed girl standing beside Dan Linghai took a look at Wei Shuxuan and then left the room with Dan Linghai.
As they walked out of the room, Dan Linghai asked the girl beside him, "Xueyao, what do you think of that young gentleman just now?"
"He's very courageous. Few people dare to talk to you like that, Father. His appearance is quite good. As for his intelligence, it depends on whether he can find out the truth of this case."
"Hahaha. That's really good. By the way, that friend beside the young gentleman also seems quite good, but..." Dan Linghai stopped halfway. Some heretical words couldn't be said out loud. It was better to just think about them in his mind.
"What is it, Father?" Dan Xueyao looked at Dan Linghai, who seemed to have something on his mind.
"Nothing. Let's go back first."
After Dan Linghai and his daughter Dan Xueyao left, Wei Shuxuan stopped Han Xinran, who was about to come forward. "Madam, I have some questions for you."
Han Xinran looked at Wei Shuxuan with tear - filled eyes. This person had just been permitted by the prime minister to investigate this case, so he was probably not someone to be trifled with. Moreover, she also wanted to find out the truth of Anping's death as soon as possible.
"Sure, Mr. Wei."
Wei Shuxuan followed Han Xinran to the front hall. Just as Wei Shuxuan was about to start asking questions, suddenly someone burst in from outside...