TEFSCBSS Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Liu the Butcher’s True-to-Life Performance as the King

“Secret room? Now that’s new,” Han Yueyi’s eyes flickered slightly. He knew that Su Li had been raised in the minister’s house and rarely attended royal banquets, often claiming illness to avoid them. Traveling was out of the question. He guessed she must have fabricated that story.

But with the series of intriguing puzzles, if they weren’t based on personal experience, then perhaps she truly had some clever ideas.

Yet, why was it that after he left the capital, the only news about Su Li was that she had fallen seriously ill and then became somewhat of a minor figure, with only rumors of her quirky personality circulating?

Recently, Han Yueyi had heard many stories—rumors about the fake daughter, Su Li. People said she was incompetent, having been known as the eldest daughter of the minister’s house for over a decade but unable to even write her name properly. She couldn’t even draw a phoenix; it looked like a mountain chicken instead. By contrast, the real daughter, Su Yao, though lost for years, returned with fair skin, beautiful looks, and graceful demeanor, and was said to write well and play the zither beautifully.

People said, “The fake cannot become real.”

However, Han Yueyi didn’t think things were as simple as they appeared. After all, Su Li had grown up with him; they were childhood friends, so he still felt closer to her.

His internal musings lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity.

On the other hand, Wang Bokao, sitting across from him, was no longer concerned about his wine. He stretched his neck to look out the window, eager to see the situation up close.

Han Yueyi shot him a disdainful look. “What are you doing?”

“Stop being weird. Come on, let’s go take a look,” Wang Bokao said eagerly.

“Wait? Aren’t you afraid Su Li will recognize you? After all, you were once engaged to her. How awkward would that be?” Wang Bokao quickly pulled his head back from the window, nearly bumping into the frame.

“She probably won’t acknowledge me first. If she wanted to, she would have already come to find me,” Han Yueyi muttered.

“What do you mean by that?” Wang Bokao’s eyes widened. He thought Han Yueyi was about to say, “If not, I’ll kill her.” “I’m telling you, Han Yueyi, you’re not cold-hearted enough to just get rid of her. You were once engaged to her for over ten years—now you’re thinking of killing her?”

Han Yueyi rubbed his temples. Sometimes, talking to idiots was exhausting. He felt utterly helpless.

“You’re overthinking it. I didn’t mean that,” he said, then turned and walked downstairs without caring for Wang Bokao’s reaction.

By the time they reached the base of the high platform, the area around the makeshift outhouse was crowded with people, all pointing and discussing. From a distance, one might mistake it for a new outhouse appreciation event.

Su Li watched the crowd’s interest peak and decided to continue. “Ladies and gentlemen, the second puzzle is to figure out how this secret room was created. I will ask a few questions, and each answer will earn you one or two silver coins.”

Sure enough, money was the driving force behind their enthusiasm. The crowd immediately quieted down, ready to listen carefully.

“First: Was the groom’s death a murder or suicide? What’s the basis for your judgment?”

“Second: Did the groom die before or after entering the outhouse? What’s the basis for your judgment?”

“Third: If it was murder, how did the killer manage to kill in plain sight without anyone noticing? What’s the basis for your judgment?”

“Each of these questions must have evidence to support the answer—whether that’s testimony or physical evidence, it must be airtight and able to stand up to scrutiny to be considered correct.”

“As for witness testimony, I am an observer of this event. Feel free to ask me any questions, and if I can answer them, I will not hide anything.”

After explaining the rules, Su Li gestured for the crowd to approach the outhouse. “Inside this outhouse, I have created a life-sized cloth doll, using coarse fabric and cotton, to represent the corpse. You can inspect the outer part first, then open the door and check the interior.”

Hearing her words, the crowd surrounded the outhouse but hesitated to approach. It wasn’t that they were cowards—it was just that they had never experienced anything like this.

Several people discreetly looked at Wang Qingmu, the scholar with the highest education, hoping he would come up with a solution.

Wang Qingmu caught on and walked over to Liu the Butcher. “Old Liu, what do you think of this?”

“Are you asking me?” Liu the Butcher was surprised. He hadn’t expected Wang Qingmu to be so adaptable. Perhaps he had finally recognized his worth, and next time, Liu could speak more kindly in front of his stepmother.

“I’m just a rough man, so I don’t have much of an opinion, but I do have a guess…”

“Oh?” Wang Qingmu was intrigued. Could Liu the Butcher be sharp-minded?

“Go ahead, tell us what you think. Let’s work together and figure it out.”

The crowd eagerly nodded. Yes, Liu the Butcher! Boldly speak your mind. Today, he seemed almost enlightened, raising several key points. Following his lead would mean silver in hand!

“I think…” Liu the Butcher began with growing confidence. “This must be a crime of passion!”

“From what Boss Zhao said, the body was found with a silver hairpin sticking out of the groom’s chest. It must have belonged to a woman. But all the people present were friends and family of the groom. Moreover, men and women sit separately at these gatherings. If the killer were a woman, how could she not be noticed? So, I guess the hairpin must have been a token of love!”

Liu the Butcher’s face grew more serious as he imagined the scene, his gaze filled with sadness. “That’s right! It must be! Wuwuwu… it must have been Wang Qingmu who took my love! He married my stepmother, and out of desperation, my stepmother returned the token of our love to me. But I know Wang Qingmu is petty and miserly, a poor match for her. She killed him in shame and rage, using the silver hairpin. Wuwuwu…”

As he became emotional, Liu the Butcher broke into sobs, acting as though he were the protagonist in the story. Meanwhile, Wang Qingmu…

Wang Qingmu’s face turned an ominous shade of green. What nonsense was this?!

It was true that he would marry the stepmother—after all, they were a perfect match—but how did he end up as the victim in this story? This was blatant revenge! Liu the Butcher, wait until I get you back!

The crowd turned to Su Li to see if this was the correct answer. Unbeknownst to them, Su Li was also stunned by Liu the Butcher’s wild imagination. She thought to herself, “This man is truly something. I must recruit him!”

“Well… Liu the Butcher’s answer isn’t exactly correct…” The crowd was eager to hear the conclusion.

“Let’s just say… it’s completely unrelated.” The crowd was disappointed.

The mood in the air was like a rollercoaster, swinging up and down.

Amidst the crowd, Han Yueyi clicked his tongue. Liu the Butcher had a knack for storytelling. He didn’t even need a script; his face stayed calm while spinning such wild tales. Truly, a remarkable character.

This time, it seemed that Han Yueyi and Su Li’s thought processes oddly aligned.

Wang Bokao, however, wasn’t paying attention to the conversation. Now that he, the eldest son of the Wang family, was here, he had to make sure to take a good look. Meanwhile, he was also competing with Han Yueyi to protect his precious wine.

He swaggered forward, but the stairs were too crowded. Unable to move upward, he decided to climb onto the platform, not forgetting to wave to his brother, Han Yueyi, to hurry over.

Han Yueyi twitched his lips. He caught Su Li’s curious gaze. For some reason, he didn’t want anyone to know Wang Bokao was his brother at this moment.

Straightening his posture, Han Yueyi focused his energy and swiftly ascended the platform with ease.

Oh ho! Lightfooted skills!

Su Li’s eyes sparkled. As expected, this was ancient times—there was such a thing as lightfooted skills! Amazing! So handsome! I want to learn!

Wang Bokao didn’t care. He had known his brother loved showing off for years. With a casual air, he reached Han Yueyi’s side. “So, little third brother, what do you think?”

What? Little third brother?

Su Li, standing nearby, didn’t recognize that this was the third prince, who had been engaged to the original Su Li for over ten years. She only noticed the term “little third brother.”

Oh ho, ancient people were open-minded!