Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 70 Case Facts
Chen Mo looked at Gao Yuntian in confusion and asked, "Who are you with? Why are you trying to boost others' morale and destroy your own prestige?"

Gao Yuntian immediately stood at attention, bowed, and said, "That's what I said, just to piss him off."

Jia Chuan laughed and said, "He just couldn't stand me finding the clues to the case so quickly. He was like this when we were in Dongzhao County. You've seen it so often that it won't be strange to you. Tonight, the coroner and Shunzi are staying in the same room. He's lucky to be alive today."

Chen Mo said, "I'll go to the Pacification Office first to see if it's true that they failed to bring anyone back alive, as you said."

"Let's go after dinner. It won't take too long." Jia Chuan said.

Chen Mo waved his hand and said, "Forget it. The food you have here... save some space for me to bring back something delicious."

"Is there any meat?" Dong Yuanyuan asked loudly, leaning against the wall with her big head sticking out.

……

After Chen Mo left, Jia Chuan asked Gao Yuntian to take Han Si to rest, while he sat in the yard sorting out the clues he had obtained today.

The small workshop where the deceased Zhang Yu worked is still struggling to survive, but the young apprentice who saw the body at the time is no longer working there. He said that his hands were shaking so badly after being frightened that he could no longer do this job. Other people in the workshop did not notice anything unusual in the two days before and after the incident. It seemed that Zhang Yu was killed when he went back to sleep after work.

But after Jia Chuan learned about the production process of the small workshop, he had his own inference about the course of the crime.

The combined area of ​​the front and back yards of a small workshop is not small. During the production process, the first few steps need to be completed in the front and back yards, and can be completed by multiple people together.

For example, the first step is to pound sand and grind it into slurry. There are many kinds of sand and gravel placed in the front yard. Jia Chuan squatted down and looked at them one by one. Some people in the yard crushed the sand and gravel, some classified the sand according to particle size, and some washed the crushed sand to make "jade-breaking sand".

It is impossible for Zhang Yu to be killed here, there are people in the front yard.

The step of cutting the jade also requires two people to work together with something similar to a saw, pulling the big saw. There is a teapot-like object hanging above the two people. There is a hole at the bottom of the pot. Water mixed with jade-dissolving sand drips onto the jade, increasing the sharpness of the saw so that the jade can be cut.

This step was completed in the backyard. There were fewer people in the backyard, but there were still people there. The house where Zhang Yu's body was found was in the corner of the backyard, at the corner of two rows of houses in the northwest.

There are quite a few houses in the front and back yards, and the main steps later need to be carried out in different rooms. The old master took Jia Chuan to look at each room. While Jia Chuan was marveling at the wisdom of the ancients, he was also trying to figure out whether each place was suitable as a crime scene.

He asked the master craftsman what process Zhang Yu was doing before he was killed. The master craftsman tried to recall but couldn't remember it. He only vaguely remembered that it was either grinding or hollowing. The master craftsman also explained that the latter steps required experienced craftsmen to do.

Although the workshop is small, experienced craftsmen are also specialized in their own fields. However, when the old master was asked to recall which field Zhang Yu was in four months ago, he couldn't remember. This was because Zhang Yu was considered a more versatile one.

Jia Chuan inspected the small rooms required for the subsequent steps one by one. The "Taotang" step took place in a room in the backyard. Beneath the window stood a long table, upon which were placed various pointed tools. The master craftsman explained, "This step is crucial. Tools are needed to hollow out the center of the jade and remove the jade stick. If the force is not right and the stick cannot be removed, the entire piece of jade will most likely shatter. Therefore, this must be done by an experienced craftsman with some skills."

"Zhang Yu is OK?" Jia Chuan asked.

"Of course he can. This is a skill. He came here with skill."

"Will he allow others to watch him while he does it?"

"Of course not. Even an apprentice has to learn step by step. It also depends on whether the master is willing to teach. He has no apprentices. When he works, he closes the door and opens the window to do it himself."

"Do outsiders usually come to the workshop?"

"Occasionally, I come to see the size of the workshop, how many masters there are, and how good their craftsmanship is..."

"Did anyone else come here before Zhang Yu was killed?"

The old master thought for a moment and said, "I can't remember. At that time, it seemed that apart from the owner of the jade shop who came every day to check on the progress, and occasionally someone came to see the size of the workshop, no one else came."

"Why don't you see the workshop owner?"

"The boss is away all year round and has business in Nanjing as well."

Jia Chuan stayed in the hut for a while, carefully examining the traces on the ground.

……

The wall of the workshop's backyard was very high. Jia Chuan had asked Gao Yuntian at the time if it were him, would it be possible for him to climb in and out again without other tools?

Gao Yuntian shook his head.

Jia Chuan then asked the master what time the owner of the jade shop usually came.

The old master said that he usually comes in the afternoon, and sometimes in the evening, mainly to see what stage the work is done and whether it will affect delivery.

Jia Chuan looked at the distance from the hut to the staff dormitory where the body was found. He asked the old craftsman Zhang Yu about his approximate height and weight, and then asked about the jade shop owner's physique. Then he asked another question: "When the jade shop owner comes, does he always bring an entourage with him?"

The old master replied: "Not every time, but twice."

Jia Chuan frowned and asked, "Are you sure it was twice?"

The old master said hurriedly: "That man looked fierce, so I remember him more clearly. At other times, the jade shop owner came on his donkey."

Jia Chuan thought for a while and then asked, "Has Zhang Yu ever asked for leave to go out?"

The old master nodded and said, "Yes, and he often goes out. He has been out since he took this job."

"Does he have relatives or friends in Beijing?"

"I don't know about that. He's a very quiet guy and he doesn't say a word when I ask him."

Afterwards, Jia Chuan and his companions went to the home of the jade shop owner. The so-called home was actually the backyard of the shop. The owner was not from Beijing, and he was the only one in the family living in Beijing. The rest of the family stayed in Nanjing. These circumstances were clearly written in the files, but the files did not mention who served him as he was the only one staying in the capital.

But what Jia Chuan saw was no longer a jade shop. Two months ago, the shop was transferred and turned into a rouge shop.

The file said that the person who reported the case was a clerk in the jade shop, but did not mention any followers.

The rouge shop owner didn't dare to offend the Jinyiwei, so he didn't stop Jia Chuan from wanting to see the backyard. However, the new shop owner had rebuilt the backyard and it no longer looked like its original appearance.

……

"Today's trip...nothing gained?"

Gao Yunduo's voice pulled Jia Chuan back from his thoughts.

"Ah? Have you eaten?" Jia Chuan asked subconsciously.

"Didn't you say we should wait for Captain Chen? Yuanyuan didn't do it, so let's talk about what we've gained today." Gao Yunduo picked up a wooden stool by the wall and placed it next to Jia Chuan, then sat down.

"Well..." Jia Chuan cleared his throat. Gao Yunduo was too close to him at this moment, or at least he felt that she was too close, which made him a little distracted.

Gao Yunduo dragged his chin and asked, "You didn't find anything? But my brother said you did."

"Hmm! I can deduce the entire crime process, but I haven't found the motive yet. How could a craftsman anger the owner of the jade shop? That person was working for him, so wasn't he afraid of not completing the task on time? Since the jade shop owner was in cahoots with the person behind the scenes, why was he also killed?"

Gao Yunduo frowned and asked, "Can you say something I can understand?"

It occurred to Jia Chuan that Gao Yunduo didn't know the general circumstances of the case, so he patiently explained it. By then, the light in the courtyard had gradually dimmed, and Jia Chuan sensed a hazy beauty. He thought of a high school classmate who was nearsighted but refused to wear glasses. Unable to see the words on the blackboard, he copied from his deskmate. Jia Chuan was that classmate. He had reminded him several times to get glasses, but the classmate finally said, "You don't know, a blurry world is more likely to produce beauty! The girls in our class can't wear glasses."

The woman in front of him was already beautiful to Jia Chuan's heart, and coupled with this light...

"What are you looking at? Go on, is there a portrait of that attendant on my face?"

This instantly reminded Jia Chuan of his high school English teacher who angrily yelled, "Why are you looking at me? Look at the blackboard. The answer is on my face."

"No, I'm the type who gets distracted when I think."

Gao Yunduo nodded and asked, "You just said that the jade shop owner's attendant was suspicious. Since he was an attendant, he must be trustworthy and someone who has been with him for a long time. Logically, he should be the first to discover the body."

"You are very smart."

"My brother always says I'm stupid."

"You don't have to take your brother's opinion to heart."

"Why?" Gao Yuntian suddenly appeared in the courtyard in the darkness. "You told my sister so much detail, why did you ignore me when I asked you this afternoon?"

Jia Chuan coughed lightly and said, "I have to think about it. There are still many things I haven't figured out in the afternoon."

"Have you figured it out now? What does this case have to do with Earl Anping? Is it just because he wanted to buy these jade artifacts?" Gao Yuntian also carried a stool and sat in front of the two of them.

Jia Chuan was so angry! But he couldn't say anything, and he suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. Gao Yunduo was so concerned about this case, could it be because her marriage with Anping Bofu had not yet been finalized?
Gao Yunduo said, "I think it depends on whether Lord Anping goes back to other jade shops to buy what he wants."

Gao Yuntian slapped his thigh and said, "That makes sense! If this case has nothing to do with him, and he's desperate for these things, he'll definitely buy them from another store. If there's no further news, then it must be related to this case."

Gao Yuntian looked at Jia Chuan after he finished speaking, but Shunzi's voice came to his ears: "Is jade so important? Why are you in such a hurry to buy it?"

Jia Chuan sighed lightly, and Shunzi had already sat down in front of him.

"Is dinner ready?" Jia Chuan felt the jujube trees in the yard sway as Dong Yuanyuan's voice rang out. "No, we're just chatting and helping Jia Chuan with some ideas." Shunzi stood up and let Dong Yuanyuan sit in his seat. He then found a stool and sat down.

Jia Chuan looked at the crowd gathered around him, scratched his nose, and asked, "Is the coroner okay?"

Gao Yuntian said: "He fell asleep. I persuaded him a few words and he seemed to feel more at ease. He lay down and fell asleep."

"Is the coroner useful to the case?" Gao Yunduo asked.

"Aren't you talking nonsense? What did I teach you before?" Gao Yuntian asked loudly.

Jia Chuan asked in confusion, "You taught her? Who taught you?" Then he said softly, "It was important before, but it's not important now. Otherwise, the Shuntian prefect wouldn't have released him, or let him live until today."

"So serious? What's the reason?" Dong Yuanyuan asked curiously.

Shunzi quickly whispered, "I'll tell you in detail later."

"It's impossible to judge the coroner's testimony right now. Hey, didn't you and Old Zheng examine the bones? If so..."

Jia Chuan interrupted Gao Yuntian and said:

"The cause of death for the young lady from the Ma family remains unknown, and I've concluded she didn't commit suicide. Both victims in this case had their throats slit by a sharp blade. Knowing the cause of death eliminates the need for further inquests. Furthermore, the testimony the coroner can provide right now won't be very helpful in uncovering the truth. Now is not the right time to determine the Shuntian prefect's rights. Let's just talk about the case. I can't understand why the murderer would place the victims on the beds. Couldn't they just leave them where they were killed?"

"Of course not!" Gao Yuntian said, "Won't it be discovered immediately if it's left there?"

Jia Chuan nodded and said:

"In other words, the murderer was trying to buy himself time to escape. Let me assume the murderer is the jade shop owner's follower. He killed two people in succession. Killing Zhang Yu could be considered the jade shop owner's idea. But what about killing the jade shop owner?"

Shunzi said, "Maybe it's because the boss is too harsh."

Gao Yunduo said seriously, "To be able to kill someone with a single stab from behind... ordinary people can't do that."

"Duoduo hit the point." Jia Chuan said softly.

"Brother Shunzi, why didn't you get to the point?" Dong Yuanyuan asked anxiously.

"The follower is not an ordinary person, he kills without blinking an eye. He killed someone right in front of the jade shop owner. For a person like him, the owner will always unconsciously have a limit to his harsh treatment, and subconsciously dare not go too far..."

"Shallow what?" Gao Yuntian asked.

Jia Chuan waved his hand and said, "It's not important. What's important is when did this follower start following the boss? For now, I can only ask the boss's family in Nanjing, but with the letters going back and forth, I don't have enough time."

"So there's no one left to take action?" Gao Yunduo asked. "Now that they know the Shuntian prefect and the officials from the Ministry of Justice... at least something is wrong with their investigation, why don't they arrest them and torture them?"

"Alas, I really taught you in vain before. When Dad was alive, he always said that we should abide by the law. If we feel something is wrong, we should arrest the suspect and interrogate him. Then why do we need so many officials? Just us Jinyiwei are enough."

"What are you yelling about?" Jia Chuan said unhappily, "Explain it to her slowly. She doesn't understand the intricacies of officialdom."

"Do you understand?" Gao Yuntian asked with his eyes wide open.

"I don't understand either, but I know the word 'rules' and know to follow them. Even the emperor can't do whatever he wants. I remember there was an emperor who was adopted by the previous emperor because he had no children. He wanted to confer the title of..."

Jia Chuan stopped talking halfway because he thought that the emperor was also from the Zhu family, but had not been born yet.

He quickly interrupted, "Once the rules are established, they must be followed. If the rules are broken, the world will be in chaos..."

"I heard that big brother is very powerful! Now... is it not yet time for big brother to be powerful?" Dong Yuanyuan asked puzzledly.

Shunzi said quickly, "Jia Chuan is amazing. Even though he looks like he's stumped, I wonder what he saw or thought of that suddenly gave him an idea."

"In my opinion, the only way now is to find someone who has seen the follower, draw his portrait, and issue a warrant for his arrest!" Gao Yuntian said confidently.

"Has it been impossible to find any of the guys in the jade shop?" Gao Yunduo asked.

Jia Chuan shrugged and said:
"I asked other shops on the street today, and they all said they hadn't seen them. If we really wanted to investigate, we might be able to find them, but even if we did, they'd still be corpses. I feel like if they're hiding now and still alive, investigating would only endanger their lives. So, I won't investigate these things tomorrow. I'll go meet... Lord Anping first!"

……

Chen Mo came back a little late that night. In addition to asking whether the criminal was mentioned, he also had to report his work to Wang Yu.

But he did bring back a lot of food.

The lights were on in the courtyard and everyone sat around and had dinner together.

From the moment Chen Mo entered the yard, Jia Chuan knew from his expression that his previous inference was correct. The two poor brothers had suffered this unexpected disaster and had already died. All the witnesses had been released, and none of them could be found at the moment.

This is indeed the case. Chen Mo said while eating:
"...Many people have died in government offices due to the excessive detention. It's easy to single out this one and accuse a single official, but it doesn't help us understand the case. It's plausible that the witnesses, after being released, went into hiding elsewhere. Who knows when this case will be brought up again? It just so happens that none of the witnesses in this case are native to the capital, so it's normal for them to move far away. But when these things are put together, it becomes unusual. Add to that the numerous omissions in the files... The pacification envoy's intention is to find solid evidence."

Dong Yuanyuan was already hungry. Although she and Gao Yunduo were eating in the backyard, she ate so fast that she wiped her mouth and ran to the front yard to eavesdrop. She happened to hear Chen Mo's words and asked, "You said so much, but it seems like none of them were useful."

Chen Mo was startled when he saw a big head sticking out from the corner of the wall in the darkness. He took a deep breath quickly, but he didn't dare to say anything. He knew what position this girl, who was taller than him, held in Jia Chuan's heart.

Shunzi quickly apologized, "Captain Chen, please don't bother with her. She has always been so blunt in her words."

Chen Mo quickly waved his hand and said, "It's okay, it's okay! It's really useless to say it. It still depends on whether Jia Chuan can come up with a solution."

"Jia Chuan said he will go to the Anping Marquis' Mansion tomorrow." Gao Yuntian pointed at Jia Chuan and said.

Chen Mo looked at Jia Chuan and asked, "What can we find out by going to Anping Marquis' Mansion? We can't just ask directly."

Jia Chuan shrugged and said, "Since the file says this case originated from the order of the Earl of Anping, then of course I have to go there."

Shunzi asked, "Is it possible that the two cases are completely unrelated, and Shuntian Prefecture couldn't find the murderer, so they put them together and framed the brothers?"

"I think Brother Shunzi is right!" Dong Yuanyuan squatted in the dark and said in a heavy voice.

"Has the coroner finished his meal?" Jia Chuan asked loudly.

Han Si appeared at the door.

Jia Chuan waved his hand and Han Si walked closer.

Jia Chuan asked, "Did you carefully examine the wounds on both bodies? Could you possibly determine that the murder weapon was the same?"

Han Si nodded without hesitation and said, "The length, depth, and width of the wounds are very similar, and the location of the wounds on the deceased is also the same."

"The deceased were all killed by someone who cut their throats from behind?"

"This... I can't confirm it."

"Is the blade deeper on the left and shallower on the right, or deeper on the right and shallower on the left?"

"No, I don't remember."

Jia Chuan sighed lightly and said, "Go back and rest."

Han Si turned around and walked quickly into the house.

Dong Yuanyuan asked in confusion, "Does this murderer always enjoy slashing people's necks from behind? Why does he sound as skilled as me chopping wood?"

"Why would someone like that be willing to work as an attendant in a jade shop? How could he have the opportunity to kill someone in a jade shop? If the owner of the jade shop is simply a ruthless person, and has hired some desperate criminals to commit murder and rob... then why would he open a shop in Beijing?"

Chen Mo said: "I'm afraid the jade shop is just a cover. Someone is behind it and using it to do some illegal things."

Jia Chuan stood up, stretched, and said, "If it's as you said, why did the person behind the scenes kill this pair of white gloves?"

"what?"

"The jade shop owner was able to do something for someone, and it was such a shameful thing. It should have been someone close to him. How could he be killed without authorization? And in the capital, if the jade shop owner really caused trouble, such as letting Shuntian Prefecture find out that Zhang Yu's death was related to him, the person behind it should have made the jade shop owner leave the capital. Look at this case, the murderer has been found, and the jade shop owner doesn't need to bear any responsibility. He doesn't even need to leave. He can just go to court and give false testimony."

Chen Mo said, "That makes sense. Why would the person behind this want to kill him? Besides, if they really wanted to kill him, wouldn't it be better to lure him out of the city and kill him in the wilderness than to cause trouble for Shuntian Prefecture like this?"

"You hit the nail on the head! The most inappropriate thing about this case is that the body of the jade shop owner was discovered, and it was discovered many days after his death. The Shuntian Prefecture could handle the death of one craftsman, but then the shop owner died. Just like Shunzi said just now, wouldn't it be better to make it two cases? It would save a lot of trouble. It can only be said that no one took these two lives seriously at the beginning. It was not until the emperor paid attention that they realized the disaster they had caused..."

"So what? You can't think of a solution either. A few months is enough for them to clean up the mess without leaving any trace." Gao Yuntian interjected.

Jia Chuan raised his eyebrows:
"Who said there were no traces? The attendants are the best trace. Master said the owner of the jade shop only brought his attendants with him twice. He went every day, so why did he bring his attendants with him on two days? Master, it's been so long since I remember which two times they were. Coincidentally, the deceased Zhang Yu was someone who liked to take leave and go out. We can assume that one of the times was the time he took action, then the other time must have been before this time. Why didn't he take action that time?"

Everyone was lost in thought. Jia Chuan looked around as if he was looking for a writing board. This kind of case analysis would be very important. Only by sorting out the clues could we further infer and find the next direction. Unfortunately, there was no writing board here. Jia Chuan sighed lightly, sat back on the stool, and continued his analysis seriously:
"Is it possible that the first time he brought the attendant, he was looking for someone? He didn't find him because Zhang Yu had taken leave and was out. The second time he found him, he immediately took action. This attendant never appeared in the shop assistant's confession. Can we infer... he was not an attendant in the first place?"

(End of this chapter)