The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 46 Qian Wenqing was stunned. How did you know everything?

Chapter 46 Qian Wenqing was stunned. How did you know everything?
At that moment, Wang Gui felt a chill instantly envelop his entire body, causing him to shiver involuntarily.

If what Liu Shuyi said is true.

The deceased's servants, not long ago, stood here, watching them as if they were witnessing a spectacle.

Furthermore, he excitedly recounted the story of the deceased's self-immolation to other unsuspecting people.

That means the deceased's family was unaware of the accident!

Do not!
This is no longer a matter of knowing or not knowing; the deceased's self-immolation may have been something his family approved of.

The thought of the eerie, quiet smile on the face of the deceased as he self-immolated, and the horrific state he was in now, sent chills down Wang Gui's spine, and he couldn't help but swallow hard.

What kind of family members could be so heartless as to not only witness the victim's gruesome death but also leisurely come here to watch the spectacle after the victim's passing and boast to others about what they saw and heard?

"That person may not have been the deceased's servant."

At this moment, Liu Shuyi's voice suddenly rang out.

"what?"

Wang Gui was taken aback and quickly looked at Liu Shuyi.

He saw Liu Shuyi's deep, dark eyes looking at him, as if he could see through all his thoughts.

"Don't have preconceived notions."

Liu Shuyi said calmly, took a deep look at the surrounding people, and after confirming that the person's figure had completely disappeared, he turned around and went back into the restaurant.

He returned to the charred private room, looked at the waiter, and said, "You just said that the person who booked the private room was the deceased's servant. Did he introduce himself to you? Or did he produce some kind of proof?"

"what?"

The waiter looked bewildered and said, "He was dressed in coarse linen clothes, hunched over, and so thin. He was obviously not a rich man. Yet he booked such a nice private room and said that a distinguished guest would be coming tonight. He couldn't possibly be anyone other than the deceased's servant, could he?"

Liu Shuyi said, "So, he neither told you that he was the deceased's servant, nor did he have any other identification? He just paid to reserve a private room, said someone would be coming that night, and then left, right?"

Xiao Er didn't understand why Liu Shuyi would say that, but he still nodded: "That's how it is."

Liu Shuyi gently stroked the jade pendant at his waist with his fingertips, his face showing a thoughtful expression.

A moment later, he turned to Wang Gui and asked, "Where is the other restaurant? Is it also like this one, where a private room was booked in advance by a servant?"

Wang Gui looked somewhat embarrassed: "This humble official...this humble official didn't ask about these things. As for the location, that restaurant isn't in the West Market; it's located in Yanshoufang."

Yanshoufang?
Liu Shuyi nodded. He was not dissatisfied with Wang Gui for ignoring these details. He simply said, "I ask County Lieutenant Wang to arrange for people to go and inquire as soon as possible. This is a very important clue. If the servant who booked the private room is the same for both of the deceased, then it means that their self-immolation must be related to this servant."

“But if the servants are different, or if it is another private room that does not require a reservation and the deceased went there on his own, then it means that County Magistrate Wang’s idea was correct and the deceased’s family may really know about his self-immolation.”

“In this situation, relying on the deceased’s family to report the case to find out the deceased’s identity is clearly not a viable option. We need to change our thinking immediately and consider other methods.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Gui nodded emphatically.

Looking at Liu Shuyi's expression, he couldn't help but show his admiration.

Unexpectedly, Liu Shuyi discovered a crucial clue in the case that had left him clueless for two days, after only a short visit.

Regardless of the final outcome, whether it's the same servant or not, they will no longer be like headless flies, aimless and confused.

Liu Shuyi truly lives up to his reputation as the man who solved three extraordinary cases in a row; his fame is well-deserved!

Moreover, Liu Shuyi is so capable that he showed no dissatisfaction or contempt when I overlooked crucial clues... If it were Qian Wenqing, he would have already ridiculed me with contempt.

Although they were both assistant directors in the Ministry of Justice, the difference between them was like heaven and earth.

"I will immediately send someone to inquire."

Without any delay, he hurried up the stairs to arrange manpower.

Liu Shuyi then looked at the flustered waiter: "You can go ahead and get busy. I will call you again if needed."

The waiter breathed a sigh of relief and quickly left.

Soon, only Liu Shuyi and his charred corpse remained in the burned-out private room.

Liu Shuyi frowned slightly as he looked at the corpse before him.

The most important thing right now is to find out the identity of the deceased.

Without knowing the other party's identity, it is impossible to further investigate the reason why this person committed self-immolation.

But how do you determine the other party's identity?
This person left no words, no identification, and no missing person report...

"Master Liu, Miss Du has arrived."

Lost in thought, Zhao Feng's voice suddenly came.

Liu Shuyi turned his head and saw Du Ying, dressed in a white dress, wearing a thick shawl, with a black wooden box at her waist, exuding a cool temperament and possessing a striking and beautiful appearance, following Zhao Feng up the stairs.

Du Ying arrived at the private room, glanced at the charred, blackened interior, and raised an eyebrow.

But without pausing, she raised her hand to tie her dress tightly, and then, disregarding the possibility of soiling her white clothes with ashes, stepped inside.

"Miss Du, I'm troubling you again today," Liu Shuyi said, cupping his hands in greeting.

"It's alright. I already promised you that you can call me anytime."

Du Ying moved swiftly and quickly. Without exchanging many pleasantries with Liu Shuyi, she placed the wooden box in front of the corpse, then squatted down to carefully examine it.

Liu Shuyi explained the current situation: "The deceased's identity is currently unknown, and we have no other way to find out his identity. So, we would like to trouble Miss Du to conduct a full-body examination on him, the more detailed the better. I need to use his physical condition to deduce his identity."

"it is good."

Du Ying has a cool and aloof personality, and speaks simply and directly.

Seeing that Du Ying was examining the items carefully, Liu Shuyi stopped bothering her.

He went to the window and looked out. He saw that the alley was narrow, with only a few pedestrians passing by occasionally. Compared with the bustling main street of the West Market, it was like two different worlds.

"Master Liu..."

Zhao Feng approached Liu Shuyi and whispered, "When I came up just now, I noticed that Qian Wenqing was questioning all the guests on the second floor last night. Should we go and ask them too?"

"Just now, several clerks and officials approached me and said they were willing to serve as assistant ministers."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered slightly, and he smiled, "It seems I'm not so incompetent after all. In such a large Ministry of Justice, there aren't even a few people willing to follow me."

"Of course!"

Zhao Feng said earnestly, "Whether in terms of personality or ability, Liu Yuanwailang is far superior to Qian Wenqing. It's just that Qian Wenqing has a powerful backer and has been operating in the Ministry of Justice for many years. Liu Yuanwailang has only recently been promoted, which makes others waver for a while. But I believe that before long, truly discerning people will understand who is worth following."

Hearing Zhao Feng's words, Liu Shuyi couldn't help but smile and shake his head. Du Ruhui's arrangement of Zhao Feng for him was truly a brilliant move.

If Zhao Feng hadn't gone to great lengths for him, acting as a bridge between him and others, even if he had been promoted to the rank of Assistant Minister, he wouldn't have been able to consolidate his power so quickly.

He said, "Anyone who wants to follow me can do as I command in a moment. As for asking about the diners, there's no need for now."

Wang Gui had already asked the diners. Although Wang Gui was not very experienced and might have overlooked some details, asking about the situation of the diners before and after the incident last night, and whether anyone could testify, was not something that would lead to a mistake.

He will later ask Wang Gui for the inquiry records; it will be clear at a glance whether these diners have any problems.

Why bother asking around when you can get the information you want in a shorter time and with an easier method?
Zhao Feng had long been a loyal follower of Liu Shuyi, so when Liu Shuyi spoke, he naturally did not object: "This humble official understands."

Liu Shuyi looked away and was about to turn around to look at Du Ying's autopsy.

But just then, his gaze suddenly stopped.

"Ok?"

"What's wrong? Did the official discover something?" Zhao Feng asked curiously, noticing Liu Shuyi's strange behavior.

Then Liu Shuyi reached out and gently ran his fingertips across the blackened, burnt window frame, his eyes thoughtful as he said, "Something's strange here."

"strangeness?"

Zhao Feng looked at the spot where Liu Shuyi's fingertips were touching, and saw that it was the blackened wood that served as the window frame. He asked in confusion, "What's strange about it?"

"Liu Yuanwailang".

Just as Liu Shuyi was about to explain, Du Ying's voice suddenly came.

Liu Shuyi had an idea and immediately turned around to stand beside Du Ying.

Looking at Du Ying, whose white skirt was smeared with black ash but who didn't seem to care, he asked, "How is it?"

"Something strange."

Du Ying pried open the deceased's mouth and looked inside, saying, "Although the deceased died from self-immolation, there was much less ash in his mouth than in his nose."

Is there less ash in your mouth than in your nose?
Liu Shuyi's eyes flashed: "What does that mean?"

“From the moment it was burned until it died, it hardly opened its mouth,” Du Ying said.

Upon hearing Du Ying's words, Liu Shuyi's pupils suddenly narrowed.

It seemed that in that instant, he had figured something out.

Zhao Feng frowned, somewhat bewildered: "Isn't this exactly what Xiao Er and the others said? The deceased didn't shout or scream during the self-immolation process; he maintained a smile throughout. That's how it should be, right?"

"That shouldn't be the case!" Liu Shuyi said directly.

"What?" Zhao Feng was taken aback.

Liu Shuyi looked at him and said, "A person's will can indeed be as hard as iron at times, but the body's reactions often do not follow the command of the will."

"Just like when I tap the ligaments below your knee, you will subconsciously lift your leg; it's a spontaneous bodily response."

"Self-immolation is an extremely painful thing. Even in the early stages, a person's will can bear this pain, but slowly, as the will crumbles and the pain increases, it becomes impossible to control oneself as perfectly as when one is conscious."

"At that time, he might not have had the strength to scream because he was on his deathbed, but his mouth would definitely not be able to close tightly anymore. The stimulation of the thick smoke and the pain would make his mouth open involuntarily, and he would subconsciously want to take a deep breath to gain a chance to live..."

Zhao Feng hadn't considered this at all: "Is that so?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Du Ying's eyes as she looked at Liu Shuyi: "Sometimes, I wonder if you've also studied medicine."

Liu Shuyi smiled and shook his head: "I certainly haven't studied medicine, but I've read a lot of miscellaneous books, so I know a little about many things."

He didn't explain much, but after thinking for a moment, he said to Du Ying, "Examine his eyes carefully. If I'm not mistaken, there should be some problems around his eyes."

"Eye?"

Without hesitation, Du Ying picked up the tweezers after hearing Liu Shuyi's words and began to carefully remove the charred skin and soot around the deceased's eyes.

Then I took a damp towel and gently wiped it, making the remaining eye socket and surrounding flesh appear more clearly in front of my eyes.

As the charred skin faded, revealing the burnt, mangled flesh, Zhao Feng couldn't help but gasp.

When he went to see the dead man, he found the manner of his death even more horrifying.

But the aloof coroner seemed to feel no disgust or horror. After cleaning the area around the eyes, he carefully examined the condition of the deceased's eyes.

First the eyeball, then the eye socket, and finally the surrounding skin...

"This is?"

At this moment, Du Ying seemed to have discovered something.

Liu Shuyi asked, "How is it?"

"Come and see."

Du Ying waved to Liu Shuyi.

Liu Shuyi squatted down next to Du Ying, and the pleasant fragrance of lotus flowers immediately filled his nostrils. "There's a small wound here."

Du Ying raised her fair finger and pointed to the area under the deceased's left eye, saying, "It's easy to miss if you don't look closely."

Liu Shuyi looked over and, sure enough, saw a small wound there, like a needle prick.

"What about your right eye? Does it have the same wound?" Liu Shuyi asked quickly, his eyes flashing.

"Don't worry!"

Du Ying followed the same method and quickly cleaned the dust and charred skin from the area under her right eye.

A careful search followed immediately...

"Yes!"

Looking at the needle puncture wound, which was in almost the same location and the same size as the one under his left eye, Liu Shuyi's lips slowly curled up.

"Sure enough!"

"I think……"

He looked at the two of them, his eyes deep: "I should know how the deceased committed suicide by self-immolation, and why the self-immolation was so bizarre."

Hearing Liu Shuyi's words, Zhao Feng suddenly raised his head, his face full of excitement, and said, "Really!?"

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly: "However, we still need to confirm this."

He looked at Du Ying and said, "Next, I will have someone send the body back to the Ministry of Justice. I would like to trouble Miss Du to perform another autopsy on it."

Without Liu Shuyi needing to say anything more, their tacit understanding allowed Du Ying to directly grasp Liu Shuyi's meaning.

She nodded: "I know what to do."

Liu Shuyi smiled. Although Du Ying was aloof and gave people the feeling that she was not easy to approach.

In reality, Du Ying is kind and intelligent, and much easier to get along with than those seemingly gentle and considerate women.

Especially after the two became familiar enough, with Du Ying's intelligence, he didn't even need to say many words; a single glance was enough for them to understand each other's meaning.

It is extremely efficient.

He looked again at the charred corpse and said, "I found an old wound on the victim's abdomen. Can you determine what weapon caused it?"

Du Ying had already noticed the wound when she was examining the body. She said, "The wound is deep and everted, like a child's lip... When my mentor and I were treating people in Taibai Mountain, we saw a wound like this on a person."

"And according to him..."

Du Ying looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "That was when the Turks launched a surprise attack on the border. He was slashed on the back by a Turkic scimitar while fleeing for his life."

"Turkic scimitar!?" Zhao Feng was startled.

Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes, revealing a thoughtful expression.

"Besides that, are there any other unusual features on this corpse?"

Du Ying nodded: "The bone in the left ankle is larger than the bone in the right foot."

"What does that mean?" Zhao Feng asked.

Liu Shuyi guessed: "Was your left foot injured?"

Du Ying nodded: "He should have a slight limp."

Liu Shuyi stroked his chin and said, "The information we can glean from the corpse is that he was wounded by a Turkic scimitar and also injured his left leg, which is why he was somewhat lame... Also, according to the waiter, he was over forty years old, dressed in fine clothes, and had a bad temper..."

A thoughtful look flashed across his eyes as several thoughts quickly surfaced in his mind.

"Master Liu, news has come back."

At that moment, the voice of County Lieutenant Wang Gui came.

He quickly climbed the stairs and entered the private room. When he saw Du Ying, a cold and beautiful woman, handling the corpse, he was stunned.

But soon, he seemed to realize something and hurriedly said, "Is this Miss Du, who is rumored to be the best female coroner in the Tang Dynasty?"

Du Ying was somewhat bewildered; when did she acquire this title?
Liu Shuyi coughed. He knew that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, this title must have originated from his own mouth.

Although Du Ying had a cool and aloof personality, she was not arrogant. When Wang Gui greeted her politely, she responded very appropriately.

Then she looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "If there's nothing for me here, I'll go to the Ministry of Justice first and have him dissected as soon as possible to verify your conjecture."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shuyi didn't stand on ceremony with Du Ying. He did need to get the results as soon as possible to confirm his thoughts.

He nodded: "Thank you for your hard work. I will host a banquet to thank you after this matter is over."

"Why bother talking about this between you and me?"

Without delay, Du Ying ordered the body to be carried away after Liu Shuyi nodded, and then picked up the wooden box and left with him.

Liu Shuyi watched Du Ying leave, and after Du Ying's figure disappeared from sight, he looked at Wang Gui and said, "County Commandant Wang, you just said that you had news of someone returning. Is it your subordinate who was sent to the other restaurant who has returned?"

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, Wang Gui's attention was quickly drawn back.

He nodded emphatically and quickly said, "My men, following the instructions of Assistant Minister Liu, inquired about the reservation with the waiter and manager of that restaurant, and the result..."

He looked at Liu Shuyi, his face full of excitement: "Just as Liu Yuanwailang predicted, the waiter said that someone did indeed reserve a private room in advance, and that person, according to the waiter, was a very thin man who looked as if a gust of wind could blow him away."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Feng's eyes lit up.

He hurriedly said, "It can't be such a coincidence! It's impossible for the servants of the two deceased to be so thin, just like skeletons! These two servants must be the same person!"

Wang Gui nodded repeatedly: "That's right, I also think it's impossible for such a coincidence to happen!"

He said to Liu Shuyi, "Master Liu, we've really found the way! This servant is definitely directly related to their self-immolation!"

"If we can find him, we'll know why these two people set themselves on fire!"

Wang Gui was extremely excited. He never expected that the breakthrough in the case would come so suddenly!

All of this was given to him by Liu Shuyi.

Liu Shuyi arrived here in less than an hour, but his gains far exceeded what he had gained in two nights and a day.

If he had known that Liu Shuyi was really as powerful as the rumors said, he wouldn't have bothered begging Qian Wenqing; he would have clung to Liu Shuyi's coattails long ago.

Seeing Wang Gui's excited expression, Liu Shuyi smiled and was about to say something when a smug voice suddenly came from outside: "What's making you so happy? Do you already know that I've found a clue and am about to find out the truth?"

Upon hearing this, both Zhao Feng and Wang Gui were taken aback.

Liu Shuyi also raised an eyebrow and looked towards the door.

Then Qian Wenqing, surrounded by a group of officials from the Ministry of Justice, walked in with his chin held high, looking like a victor, quite smug.

Wang Gui couldn't help but ask, "Master Qian, you said... you've found a clue? You're about to uncover the truth? Really?"

Qian Wenqing glanced at Liu Shuyi, his smugness barely concealed. He nodded lightly, “While questioning the diners just now, I caught one lying. In this situation, he still dares to lie, so he must be someone who knows about the self-immolation case. All we need to do is pry open his mouth and we will know the truth of the case.”

Was the diner lying?

Wang Gui was somewhat bewildered: "Who lied? I asked them myself, how come I didn't find anything?"

That's why I say you're incompetent!

Qian Wenqing had heard Wang Gui praising Liu Shuyi from afar and was very dissatisfied with Wang Gui, who was a fence-sitter. Now that he had the opportunity, he naturally satirized him without any mercy.

Wang Gui's expression froze instantly.

Qian Wenqing ignored the lowly county magistrate and looked at Liu Shuyi with undisguised smugness and mockery in his eyes: "Master Liu, I'm really sorry, it seems you'll have made a wasted trip this time."

"I told you before you came that you should stay in the Ministry of Justice. Although no one can help you with your work, at least you won't have to travel back and forth."

"Now look what you've done. You've made a wasted trip and the case remains unsolved. If word gets out, it will damage the reputation you've worked so hard to build. What a pity!"

Although it was a pity, the joy on his face was impossible to hide.

Hearing Qian Wenqing's sarcastic words, Zhao Feng's heart tightened: "Master Liu, he's also made a gain, what should we do?"

"Did you achieve anything?"

Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered as he recalled the clues he had obtained. Looking at Qian Wenqing's smug smile, Liu Shuyi smiled as well.

"What a coincidence!"

"I also gained some insights."

Qian Wenqing was taken aback: "You also gained something? What did you do? You actually gained something?"

Liu Shuyi looked at him with deep eyes and said with a smile, "Master Qian wants to know? Then why don't we each share the clues we've obtained?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Wenqing's expression immediately became wary: "You're not trying to steal my clues, are you?"

Liu Shuyi smiled and shook his head: "If Magistrate Qian is worried, I can speak first, but..."

He stared intently at Qian Wenqing and said meaningfully, "I'm afraid that once I speak, Master Qian will never be able to say it again. Does Master Qian really intend for me to speak first?"

"Master Qian, what does Liu Shuyi mean? Does he not believe the clues we have?"

"Why does he seem so mysterious? What clues does he have?"

"Could this be a deliberate attempt to provoke us and extract clues?"

Hearing his confidant's words, Qian Wenqing's gaze deepened. He had specifically ordered someone to keep an eye on Liu Shuyi, so he knew very well that Liu Shuyi hadn't had much contact with anyone involved in the case, and had only talked with Xiao Er for a while at most.

But he had personally asked the waiter, who knew nothing at all. He didn't believe Liu Shuyi could find out anything.

Therefore, he felt that Liu Shuyi was deliberately bluffing, knowing that he had obtained useful clues, and had to do so in order to save face.

Thinking of this, Qian Wenqing sneered, "Fine, then I'd like to see what Liu Yuanwailang has gained."

Liu Shuyi was not surprised by Qian Wenqing's reaction. He looked at Qian Wenqing intently and said slowly, "The gains weren't too many."

"That is..."

"We now know how to identify the two deceased."

"We now know how the murderer staged the self-immolation scene."

"And, I know how to find the murderer."

As soon as the sound faded, the entire room fell silent.

Everyone stared blankly at Liu Shuyi.

I don’t know how long it took.

Only then did Qian Wenqing's confidants exclaim in surprise.