Chapter 107 Xinyue's Death
Zhang Xinyue is dead.
He was hanged on the beam of the cell with a skipping rope.
Shangguan Zhengming, the director of the Imperial College, immediately sent someone to report the case to the Jingzhao Prefecture, and then ordered the Imperial College to be sealed off, with no one allowed to enter or leave.
There was silence in the Imperial College, and everyone was so shocked by this sudden tragedy that they were speechless.
Shangguan Zhengming stood in the middle of the cell with a livid face, his eyes flashing with anger and confusion. He turned to the accompanying officers and said in a cold voice: "Go and ask the Jingzhao prefect to come here immediately. I want him to investigate this case personally."
Soon, the prefect of Jingzhao arrived with a team of coroners and runners. The prefect was about fifty years old and had a serious face. He felt the tense atmosphere as soon as he entered the room. He cast a glance at the corpse, then turned to Shangguan Zhengming and bowed slightly: "Shangguan, what happened?"
Shangguan Zhengming briefly recounted what had happened. The prefect frowned after hearing it and ordered the coroner to go forward and carefully examine the body.
The coroner was a middle-aged man with sharp eyes. He squatted down and began to examine the body carefully. While examining, he talked in a low voice with the prefect.
Coroner: "There are obvious marks of strangulation on the deceased's neck. He must have been strangled to death by a rope. But judging from the condition of the body, he died no more than an hour ago."
The prefect: "Are there any other clues in the house?"
Coroner: "The room was clean and tidy. Apart from the body, no other abnormalities were found. However, there were some traces of ropes on the beams, which seemed to have been cleaned by someone."
Shangguan Zhengming interrupted coldly, "Clean up? This rope is a common skipping rope in the cell, and anyone could have taken it. But the rope on the deceased was obviously cut by someone and then hung up."
The prefect nodded, turned around and ordered the officers: "Immediately seal all exits of the Imperial College and check all personnel one by one. No one should be left out."
Following the prefect's order, the atmosphere in the Imperial College became more tense. The coroner continued to examine the body while the prefect talked with Shangguan Zhengming.
Prefect: "Sir Shangguan, who do you think is involved in this case?"
Shangguan Zhengming pondered for a moment and said, "Zhang Xinyue is an excellent student in the Imperial College, and she usually has good relationships with others. But she seems to have something on her mind recently. I have advised her many times, but she always avoids talking about it. If this case was not committed by an outsider, then it must be an insider."
The prefect nodded, his eyes flashing with a sharpness: "Insider? Lord Shangguan, do you know who Zhang Xinyue has had close contact with recently?"
Shangguan Zhengming shook his head: "Zhang Xinyue is an introvert. She rarely interacts with people except her classmates. I didn't notice anything unusual about her."
The prefect nodded slightly and turned to the coroner: "Continue to check and see if there are any other clues."
The coroner nodded and continued to examine the body carefully. At this time, an officer rushed in.
Officer: "Sir, we found a broken skipping rope outside the cell, and there were obvious cut marks on both ends of the rope."
The prefect immediately stood up and walked out of the cell with Shangguan Zhengming to the place where the rope was found. The prefect picked up the rope, observed it carefully and said: "This rope is the same as the rope on the dead body, it should be the same rope."
Shangguan Zhengming said in a deep voice: "It seems that the murderer should be an insider and is very familiar with the situation of the dormitory."
The prefect nodded, his eyes flashing with determination: "Yes, we must find the murderer as soon as possible, otherwise the reputation of the Imperial College will be seriously affected."
As the investigation deepened, the atmosphere in the Imperial College became increasingly tense. Coroners and runners were busy investigating every corner, while the students were gathered in their dormitories and were not allowed to move around freely.
Shangguan Zhengming and the prefect stood in the corridor outside the dormitory. Their eyes met and they could feel the pressure from each other.
Shangguan Zhengming: "Sir, who do you think the murderer is?"
The prefect shook his head slightly: "It's hard to say now. We need more clues. However, I am sure that the murderer must have had close contact with the deceased."
Shangguan Zhengming was silent for a moment, then said, "I have an idea, but I don't know if it's correct. Zhang Xinyue seems to be getting closer to a student named Wei Suyi recently. Have they ever had a dispute?"
The prefect's eyes gleamed: "Wei Suyi? I've heard of this name. He's a smart but lonely student. I'll send someone to investigate his relationship with Zhang Xinyue immediately."
As the investigation deepened, the atmosphere in the Imperial College became increasingly tense. Students whispered to each other, speculating on the identity of the murderer, while the coroner and the guards carefully searched for clues in the cells.
Just then, an officer came running over in a hurry.
Officer: "Sir, we found some clues in Wei Suyi's residence. Under his bed, we found a cut skipping rope, which is the same as the rope on the deceased's body."
The prefect immediately ordered: "Bring Wei Suyi back to the prefect's mansion. I want to interrogate him personally."
With Wei Suyi's arrest, the atmosphere in the Imperial College reached a climax. Students were discussing the matter, some sympathized with Wei Suyi, while others believed that he was the murderer.
At the prefectural governor's mansion, Wei Suyi was brought to the court. He looked a little flustered, but there was a hint of determination in his eyes.
Prefect: "Wei Suyi, why did you kill Zhang Xinyue?"
Wei Suyi shook his head: "Sir, I am innocent! Although Zhang Xinyue and I are closer, there is no conflict between us. I will never hurt her."
The prefect looked at Wei Suyi coldly: "Then why is there a cut skipping rope under your bed?"
Wei Suyi was silent for a moment, then said: "I picked up the rope. I wanted to throw it away, but then I changed my mind. I don't know what the rope has to do with Zhang Xinyue's death."
The prefect nodded slightly and turned to Shangguan Zhengming: "Sir Shangguan, what do you think?"
Shangguan Zhengming pondered for a moment, then said: "Although Wei Suyi was close to Zhang Xinyue, he does not seem to have the motive to kill her. We need more evidence to confirm his guilt."
The prefect nodded and ordered Wei Suyi to be temporarily detained and continue investigating the case.
As the investigation deepened, the atmosphere in the Imperial College became increasingly tense. The students were uneasy and the teachers were worried. Shangguan Zhengming and the prefect continued to look for clues.
Just then, an officer came running over in a hurry.
Officer: "Sir, we found a line of writing on the wall of the cell. It seems to be written with charcoal."
The prefect immediately brought Shangguan Zhengming to the cell, and they saw the words on the wall: the murderer is Wei Suyi.
The prefect said coldly: "This line of handwriting should be left by the murderer to frame Wei Suyi. We must find the real murderer and clear Wei Suyi's name."
Shangguan Zhengming nodded, his eyes flashing with determination: "Sir, I believe the truth will eventually come out. We will continue to investigate until we find the real culprit."