Upon hearing Yun Xi's words, Constable Li frowned and shook his head.
"We've found no trace of the culprit so far. We've only determined that the blood is animal blood."
So there was no need to worry about a murder. It was probably just an attempt to scare or warn the Prime Minister's Mansion.
"May I ask, Your Highness, do you know what important business the Prime Minister is attending to during his absence from the capital?"
Yun Xi frowned, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
"Are you suggesting that this incident is related to what my father is currently doing?"
"Exactly."
Constable Li nodded, making a bold speculation based on his years of experience.
"If they were ordinary thieves, they wouldn't have ignored the valuables and only ransacked the study. Leaving evidence behind is highly unusual. Moreover, this is the first time such a thing has happened in the Prime Minister's Mansion."
"So I suspect that the Prime Minister may have crossed someone's interests recently. This could be a warning, an attempt to force him into submission."
Constable Li's words seemed reasonable, but Yun Xi felt that they were missing something crucial.
Her father had been away from the capital for quite some time. As the Prime Minister of the country, he shouldn't have been away from the court for so long.
What could be so important that it required his personal attention?
Not only had her father left without a word, but she also had no idea when he would return.
The case hit a dead end. Constable Li promised to assign more men to the investigation and then left. Yun Xi, however, remained rooted to the spot. Suddenly, a cold voice came from behind her.
"Your Highness, the thief will return."
Yun Xi was slightly surprised. She turned around and fixed her gaze on Nightingale.
"How can you be so certain?"
To her surprise, Nightingale's thoughts echoed her own!
Although the case seemed straightforward, there were many suspicious points. The culprit seemed to be leading them to think it was an act of revenge or coercion. But there might be a deeper secret hidden behind it all.
And that was the real motive!
Yun Xi had expected Nightingale to have a different opinion. Instead, Nightingale simply replied with two words.
"Intuition."
Yun Xi had been listening intently. She almost choked on Nightingale's words. But she quickly regained her composure, her black eyes lighting up.
"In that case, let's set a trap and catch the culprit red - handed?"
Looking at Yun Xi's expression, it was Nightingale's turn to be surprised.
"Your Highness, aren't you suspicious of my words?"
"Why should I be?" Yun Xi retorted.
Intuition might seem unreliable at times, but it wasn't completely unfounded. It was just difficult for the person experiencing it to explain.
After discussing the plan with Constable Li at the Prefectural Office, Yun Xi quickly put it into action without informing the rest of the mansion. She simply said that she was worried about the old lady and would stay in the mansion for a few days, so she didn't return to her courtyard.
After half a month of waiting, the culprit finally showed up!
This time, they were well - prepared and had set up an inescapable net. As soon as the thief stepped into Yun Sheng's study, they were surrounded on all sides. There was no way out!
Constable Li, who had been disguised as a servant, rushed forward and pulled off the thief's hood as soon as the culprit was captured.
Just as he was about to interrogate the thief about his origin and purpose, the man tilted his head and died!
"He poisoned himself!"
A constable felt for a pulse on the man's neck and reported to Constable Li.
Everyone was disappointed. Yun Xi's eyes darkened. It seemed that the situation was far more complicated than she had thought!
"This is a deadly agent from the Li State!"
Constable Li suddenly spoke up, pointing at the man's ornaments and weapons. To confirm his speculation, he quickly rolled up the man's sleeve.
"Sure enough, there's a skull totem!"
Having handled many cases over the years, they had encountered numerous spies and agents from other states. So they were familiar with these signs.
The deadly agents from the Li State were the most covert group among their spies. They never gave up until their mission was accomplished. And once captured, they would rather poison themselves than be interrogated.
Constable Li's words caused an uproar. Everyone was thinking the same thing.
Why would a deadly agent from the Li State break into the Prime Minister Yun Sheng's study? And why did they keep coming back? Was their goal really just to scare Yun Sheng?
Or was there a hidden secret between the Li State and Yun Sheng?
At this thought, everyone broke out in a cold sweat, and Yun Xi was no exception.
No matter what the outcome was, if it was proven that the Prime Minister's Mansion was involved with the Li State, it would bring endless trouble. The current emperor was already a suspicious man. If this matter got out and her father was not in the capital, even with their silver tongues, the Prime Minister's Mansion would be in great danger!
So she had to find a way to turn the situation around immediately.
Yun Xi pursed her lips. A thought flashed through her mind, and she immediately spoke up.
"Constable Li, I'm not so sure."
Saying this, she boldly knelt down in front of the body and pointed at the skull symbol on the man's arm.
"If you can recognize the man's identity at a glance, couldn't others deliberately use this to mislead us?"
"Look at his clothes, ornaments, and even the weapon he used. These obvious features are recognizable not only to you, Constable Li, but also to ordinary people."
"If this was a secret operation, why didn't the culprit hide his identity? Instead, he made such a show of it. Isn't this like hiding a secret in plain sight?"
Yun Xi's successive questions were so forceful that even Constable Li was convinced. He began to think deeply about this issue.
Indeed, they couldn't simply judge the man's identity based on his appearance.
The deeper the case, the more mysterious it became. Especially when it involved the current Prime Minister, they couldn't afford to make hasty judgments or be careless!
"Your Highness, please rest assured. I will report this matter to our superior seriously. Until the truth is clear, we will keep this a secret."
Hearing Constable Li's words, Yun Xi secretly let out a sigh of relief. She thanked him sincerely.
"Thank you, Constable Li, for your understanding."
"It's my duty."
After Constable Li sternly warned everyone present, he left with the body.
The old lady, who had been carried over after hearing the news, turned pale as a sheet outside the door. Although she was a woman, she knew that being involved with the Li State meant a disaster of epic proportions!
When Yun Xi finally came out, the old lady's lips trembled. For the first time, she really looked at her granddaughter.
"Your father is not here. The whole mansion depends on you. If you need any help, just ask."
Surprised to see the old lady not putting on airs, Yun Xi couldn't help but curl her lips.
"I don't need your help. As long as you don't cause any trouble, that's enough."
Although it sounded like a sarcastic remark, it was actually the truth.
The old lady always thought she was smart and liked to be in control. If she caused any more problems at this critical moment, it would be impossible for Yun Xi to handle the situation.
Hearing Yun Xi's words, the old lady was unhappy but couldn't refute. She knew that at present, her only hope was this granddaughter. Even if she didn't like it, she had to endure it. At least until her son returned to the capital, then she could deal with this girl.
However, the old lady didn't wait for her son's return. Instead, she received tragic news.
One day, Prime Minister Yun Sheng accidentally fell off a cliff while inspecting a local area. His whereabouts were unknown, and his life or death was uncertain.