The Marquis Mansion’s Elite Class

Zong Jincheng scratched his head and said, "I noticed something, but I don't fully understand it."

"Which part?" the Crown Prince asked patiently.

"The child is innocent, so he deserves to die even more... Does this 'child' refer to Liu Wu or someone else?" The little devil, with his limited information, couldn't deduce the answer.

The Crown Prince wasn't in a hurry to give him the answer. Instead, he had Zong Jincheng observe the procedures of the Dali Temple's investigation.

After Liu's Mother spoke those words, the Minister of Dali Temple had already sensed something unusual. He ordered her to be temporarily detained and sent people to investigate her life history—from birth to marriage, and her relationships with relatives and neighbors—everything was thoroughly examined.

The Crown Prince explained to him, "According to Dali Temple's statistics, eight out of ten cases involve acquaintances as perpetrators. Therefore, after receiving a report, the authorities prioritize investigating the victim's relatives, friends, and neighbors. Liu Wu's father died early, and his family consisted only of a wife and a son. The authorities had already investigated earlier and found that Liu Wu's wife and son had never been abused or mistreated, so there was no motive for the killer to act in self-defense or retaliation."

Zong Jincheng tilted his head and asked, "They only mentioned that Liu Wu was extremely filial to his mother, but how did Liu's Mother treat Liu Wu? Did she dislike him since childhood?"

"Motherly love and filial piety," the Crown Prince said. "That's how people around them described their relationship."

"Clueless, yet full of doubts," Zong Jincheng frowned. "No wonder the case was transferred to Dali Temple for review."

The Crown Prince added, "This case involves Liu's Mother voluntarily confessing. A mother killing her own son is extremely rare and has sparked widespread discussion in the city. The public is demanding her execution. However, there are still unresolved doubts in the case, and it shouldn't be hastily concluded due to external pressure. Otherwise, it would be an injustice to the deceased."

Zong Jincheng nodded heavily. "Dali Temple is right to stand firm. Justice must be served for the deceased."

After saying this, he quickly asked, "Your Highness, can I go see Liu Wu's body?"

The Crown Prince gently refused, "You're still young. You might have nightmares."

The little rascal shook his head vigorously, trying to persuade him. "No, I'm very brave, Your Highness. Please take me to see it. Maybe I can come up with some ideas to solve the case?"

The Crown Prince still smiled and said, "No."

In the following hours, the officials from Dali Temple returned one after another with updates on the case, while the little rascal pestered the Crown Prince, refusing to give up on seeing the body. The two figures, one tall and one small, looked harmonious and somewhat indulgent.

The Minister of Dali Temple stroked his beard and smiled. If only this child were the Crown Prince's, look how happy His Highness is now.

Since Liu Wu had only died two days ago, his body was still well-preserved. The coroner conducted another examination and discovered a new clue: there were two marks on the fatal wound at the back of the deceased's head. The first was lighter, and the second was heavier. Liu's Mother had confessed that she struck him once but failed to kill him, so she struck him again.

The Minister of Dali Temple came to report to the Crown Prince: "However, the shapes of the two wounds are different, indicating that the weapons used were not the same. Considering the difference in height and build between the two, I suspect Liu's Mother might have had an accomplice."

Meanwhile, the investigating officials reported another new lead: "Liu's Mother had a lover in her youth from the same village, but she was forced by her family to marry Liu's father. After that, they had no contact for over twenty years."

The Minister of Dali Temple's face lit up with joy. "Go, find that man and bring him back for questioning."

"Yes."

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‍officials continued their busy work, and the Crown Prince took Zong Jincheng to review Dali Temple's case records, exposing him to various heinous serial murder cases.

The Crown Prince sighed, "All human affairs are burdened by the seven emotions and six desires. Even kind-hearted people, when pushed to a certain point, may pick up a blade and turn it against others."

Zong Jincheng, fascinated by the bizarre case files, immersed himself in the various methods of murder and investigative approaches, absorbing knowledge that flooded into his young mind.

"But Your Highness, could a mother really kill her own son without any remorse?" Zong Jincheng still couldn't understand this question.

Because every mother he knew was kind. His second aunt was good to his brother; Aunt He was good to He Zheng; Aunt Shen was good to Shen Yibai; Aunt Wei, although she often scolded Wei Xinglu, still cared for him deeply; and his grandmother doted on his father and uncle.

And his own mother—though he wasn't her biological child—she treated him as the best in the world.

The Crown Prince lowered his eyelashes and said softly, "Perhaps. In this world, not everyone considers parental love as the most important thing. Money, power, lust, emotions... these might all take precedence over it."

Zong Jincheng still didn't understand. He frowned and shook his head. "Those people are so shallow. They don't cherish such a pure emotion. They surely won't live happily in the future."

The Crown Prince smiled faintly and ruffled his hair.

Child.

If only the world were as simple as you imagine... it would be wonderful.

In the afternoon.

The suspect, Zhao Kun, was brought in. He was surprised to see Liu's Mother. The case had caused quite a stir, and he never expected the murderer to be her. No wonder the authorities had come looking for him.

A mother killing her own son.

Had she gone mad?

The Minister of Dali Temple asked, "Zhao Kun, where were you at the time of the crime? Was there anyone who could testify to your whereabouts?"

The Crown Prince and Zong Jincheng had just arrived and were about to take their seats.

Before they could sit down, they heard Zhao Kun say, "Your Honor, I was at the scene when the crime occurred. I am the killer. You've arrested the wrong person."

Zong Jincheng, utterly shocked, exclaimed, "!!!"

Is Dali Temple's interrogation always this easy?

The suspect confesses as soon as he arrives—what's there to investigate?

The Minister of Dali Temple was also stunned. He quickly glanced at the Crown Prince, and seeing that he didn't intervene, he turned back and continued, "Explain in detail."

Zhao Kun, with a look of resignation, said, "I went to see her the day before yesterday afternoon, but Liu Wu caught us. I was afraid he would spread the scandal, so I used a hammer to crush his skull. She, in order to take the blame for me, willingly came to the authorities to confess."

Liu's Mother's calm expression broke as she glared at him and scolded, "Zhao Kun, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Zhao Kun replied earnestly, "I'm not talking nonsense. We never got together back then, and I've always held a grudge. After Liu Wu's father died, I wanted to reconcile with you. Liu Wu's existence was an obstacle, so of course, I had to kill him."

"You..." Liu's Mother, furious, tried to stand up but was restrained by the officers.

The Minister of Dali Temple was thoroughly entertained by this drama, but entertaining as it was, the case still needed to be resolved. He asked, "From which angle did you strike the deceased's head with the hammer?"

Zhao Kun said, "From behind. I took the opportunity to strike him from behind while he was reaching for a stick. One blow was enough to kill him."

Zong Jincheng looked at the Crown Prince.

That's not right. The rumor about a single blow was just hearsay. The initial autopsy results hadn't been made public, and the correct information was that there were two blows.

Zhao Kun was lying.

The Crown Prince smiled at him, signaling him to keep listening.

The Minister of Dali Temple, of course, knew the real details and turned to Liu's Mother to ask, "Do you admit to what Zhao Kun has said?"