Sun Jiawang

Zhang Changshen waved his hand, a smile playing on his lips.

The case was handed directly to him, and he didn't investigate it thoroughly.

However, as a seasoned investigator, he couldn't simply believe everything people said. He had thoroughly investigated the cases of Lady Wei and Wei Qiu. Then he discovered that the Earl of Suiping's Residence had first taken a portrait to various government offices for detailed investigations before finally finding the midwife.

After the Wei Family case was settled, he was planning to take the opportunity to visit the Earl of Suiping and ask who painted the portrait. However, before he could find the time, Wu Zong told him how amazing his newly recognized junior sister's painting was, saying that the portrait looked just like the real person.

Upon further inquiry, he learned that his junior sister was the daughter from the Earl of Suiping's family who had been switched at birth, and he then knew who had painted the midwife's portrait.

Therefore, after the case in Yangzhou came to light, he immediately ordered his men to send the young male servant to the capital, hoping that his junior sister Wu Zong could draw a portrait of the murderer. This serial murder case was too heinous, and it was necessary to be extremely cautious and seize this opportunity to capture the perpetrator to prevent the tragedy from happening again.

He also wanted to see for himself whether this young girl, who had already created her own unique style of painting, was truly talented. If her painting skills were as everyone said, then the painters in their Court of Judicial Review and the various Miss Zhao offices below could all become her students and learn her unique painting techniques from her.

"Then I'll have to trouble Miss Zhao for a while," Zhang Changshen said.

He then asked, "What do you need?"

"We've brought everything we need." Zhao Ruxi pointed to the items Ma Sheng and Qingfeng were holding.

Seeing that the male servant was carrying a wooden frame and the female servant was carrying a bundle containing unknown contents, Zhang Changshen nodded with satisfaction. "Miss Zhao has considered everything very carefully."

Zhao Ruxi smiled.

One's livelihood depends on one's livelihood, and one will never forget it.

The system's voice suddenly sounded in her mind, "Host, I can help you investigate this case and provide a profile of the criminal."

Zhao Ruxi raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly and asked, "How many points?"

"Hmph, you forget about her just because she doesn't say anything." The system's tone was full of the resentment of a woman abandoned by her husband.

Zhao Ruxi was speechless for a moment. "Speak properly."

The system immediately switched to a cold, emotionless, mechanical voice. "Three thousand five hundred points."

Zhao Ruxi was so angry she laughed.

This is her current account balance. This idiot really dared to ask for it, leaving her with only three points.

"Go somewhere cool and stay there," she said.

"Isn't this just asking for an exorbitant price and then trying to bargain?" the system complained again. "Can't we just have some fun together?"

"Cannot."

The system remained silent for a while, pondering the importance of this matter to Zhao Ruxi.

With a "let's try our luck" mentality, it spoke again, "One thousand points?"

Zhao Ruxi ignored it.

"Host?"

"Don't want."

Seeing that Zhao Ruxi's refusal was firm and there was no room for negotiation, the system had no choice but to say, "Alright, alright, fifty it is."

"Wait a minute," Zhao Ruxi hurriedly called out, "How long will it take you to find out? Can't you do it in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea?"

"A cup of tea?" the system exclaimed in surprise. "I wouldn't even be able to reach Yangzhou in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea!"

"Then you won't have a chance to earn those fifty points," Zhao Ruxi said. "I have to draw the portrait soon. By the time you get back from the investigation, it'll be too late."

After finishing the portrait, how could she tell Zhang Changshen a few days later that the portrait she drew differed from the real murderer's appearance? Zhang Changshen would definitely arrest her as an accomplice of the murderer.

system:"..."

The system remained silent after that, and Zhao Ruxi didn't have time to pay attention to it anymore, because the prison warden had already brought Sun Jiawang.

Sun Jiawang was a little boy of eleven or twelve years old. Perhaps due to malnutrition, he was thin and small, wearing ill-fitting clothes with patches, but he was clean all over. He had big, bright eyes and seemed to be a clever boy.

He was somewhat frightened, and after entering the room, he lowered his head, not daring to look at anyone, his body trembling. It was only after the warden gave him a push that he knelt down on the ground and greeted everyone.

Zhao Ruxi had already instructed Ma Sheng to set up the easel. She placed a sheet of white paper between her fingers, held a charcoal pencil in her hand, looked up at Sun Jiawang, and called out to him, "Tell me what the murderer looks like."

Sun Jiawang was a little dazed, seemingly unable to react. The prison warden gave him another push. "Describe the murderer's appearance to this young lady, be as detailed as possible."

Zhao Ruxi frowned.

The little boy is so thin and small, it would be difficult for him to even be a suspect in a serial murder case. Not to mention that he has been interrogated by Yangzhou officials and Zhang Changshen, so he has definitely been ruled out as the murderer. That's why they asked her to draw his portrait so that they could find the real killer.

In other words, this person is an eyewitness, not a criminal suspect. The way the prison warden treated him was really excessive.

However, neither Zhang Changshen nor Wu Zong said anything, and she didn't dare to speak either. She simply said gently to the little boy, "Don't be afraid. Think carefully about what he looks like. I want to draw him. Once the murderer is caught, you can go home."

Sun Jiawang glanced at her gratefully, then lowered his head again. "Yes, yes."

Seeing that even the prison warden was standing, Zhao Ruxi didn't feel comfortable asking Sun Jiawang to sit down, so she asked him directly, "What do his eyes look like? Can you describe them?"

Sun Jiawang thought for a moment before saying, "His eyes aren't big, and they're a bit long and narrow..."

"Wait a minute." Zhao Ruxi interrupted him, quickly drawing several pairs of eyes on a piece of white paper, and called to Sun Jiawang, "Come here, see which pair it is?"

In her past life, she had watched many detective movies and TV shows, where police officers who could draw would create portraits based on descriptions of others—this was the same method she used when drawing portraits of midwives.

As soon as she said that, not only Sun Jiawang, but also Zhang Changshen and Wu Zong came over.

There are five pairs of eyes on the drawing paper, all of them long and narrow, but with many differences in detail.

Sun Jiawang looked at them for a while, then pointed to one pair and said, "This one."

Zhang Changshen and Wu Zong exchanged a glance, both seeing unusual excitement in each other's eyes.

Zhao Ruxi's method is brilliant. When they're investigating cases, they often have to ask eyewitnesses to describe the criminal's appearance. However, human memory is prone to error, and there's a difference between verbal descriptions and what the eyes actually see.

Therefore, even though Wu Zong's painting skills were quite good, the portraits he painted still differed greatly from the real criminals.

Using Zhao Ruxi's method would be much better, at least it wouldn't be too far off. Moreover, her paintings are more realistic, making it easier for eyewitnesses to recognize them. No matter how well Wu Zong paints, it's always ambiguous, making it difficult for people to judge whether it's truly lifelike.