Zongzheng Mingzhu saw that Wang Yue was trying to stall for time. Knowing he was waiting for reinforcements, he immediately said, "Why don't we start questioning everyone one by one? Someone might have seen the steward, and we could learn what's really going on."
Fang Duobing found Zongzheng Mingzhu's eagerness suspicious. He asked seriously, "Since when are you so helpful?"
Wang Yue also suspected Zongzheng Mingzhu had an ulterior motive. He remembered that Zongzheng Mingzhu seemed to have ties to Wansheng Dao, which was supposedly coming to Yuanbao Mountain Villa to search for something.
Wondering what could have brought Zongzheng Mingzhu here in such a hurry, Wang Yue said casually, "You all saw what the secret chamber looked like. Jin Mantang and Dong Ling must have died at about the same time. So why was one of the riding boots at Jin Mantang's feet missing? They're so difficult to put on that it couldn't have fallen off during a struggle."
Guan Hemeng's eyes lit up at Wang Yue's reminder. Excitedly, he said, "I know! There must have been a third person in the basement. They were looking for something on Jin Mantang, so they took off his boot."
Li Lianhua listened to their confident deductions and smiled. "The secret chamber must have been locked at the time. Two people died inside, and the third person left with whatever they'd found. We all know the steward knew how to open it, so it probably wasn't him. Then who was it?"
When Fang Duobing heard Li Lianhua say the same thing, he immediately turned to Zongzheng Mingzhu. "Zongzheng Mingzhu, your people are everywhere in this courtyard. Were you the one who went inside?"
Zongzheng Mingzhu's eyes widened at Fang Duobing's words, and he was about to respond when Gongyang Wumen spoke up.