The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 59 Liu Shuyi's Analysis, Cheng Chumo and Du Gou's Shock!

Liu Shuyi personally went out to greet him, and the Imperial Guards naturally did not obstruct him any further.

Soon, Du Gou and his entourage entered the Duting Post Station.

Seeing the crowd who had rushed over without stopping after hearing his message, Liu Shuyi bowed formally and said, "I appreciate the hard work of my colleagues in coming here. Time is of the essence, so I will not exchange pleasantries with you all. After this case is solved, I will personally host a banquet to thank you all."

“You flatter me, Assistant Minister Liu. It is my honor to be able to assist you.”

"Please give your orders, Mr. Liu, and I will do my utmost."

"Yes, Mr. Liu, just tell us what you need us to do."

The officials of the Ministry of Justice all spoke up to express their loyalty.

They had just started following Liu Shuyi and needed an opportunity to prove themselves, so they were all eager to make some achievements and leave a good impression on Liu Shuyi.

Du Gou was gentle and mild-mannered, and upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, he simply said softly, "Between you and me, there's no need for words of thanks."

Du Ying goes without saying; she had just separated from Liu Shuyi not long ago, and Liu Shuyi had troubled her more than once or twice.

Wang Gui, who had just investigated a major case with Liu Shuyi and received some benefits from him, was hoping to further their relationship. Upon hearing this, he laughed and said, "Master Liu, don't be so polite with me. Tell me quickly, what do you need me to do?"

Everyone looked at Liu Shuyi seriously, without the slightest hint of pretense.

This scene stirred the emotions of Cheng Chumo, who was standing to the side.

He had just been worried that Liu Shuyi was all alone and wouldn't be able to do anything.

Unexpectedly, so many helpers arrived in the blink of an eye, and all of them were eager to help Liu Shuyi.

Not a single person refused.

Damn!

What should I do if I feel a bit itchy to do it myself?
After all, in terms of close relationship, Liu Shuyi had helped him through a crisis, and his feelings for Liu Shuyi should be even deeper than those for Du Gou.

Unfortunately, I had a mission to complete and couldn't leave my post, so I could only watch helplessly.

Liu Shuyi didn't waste any time and said directly, "Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony with you all."

As he spoke, he looked directly at Wang Gui and said, "County Commandant Wang, divide the officials of my Ministry of Justice into four groups and have them question the people who stayed at Duting Post Station last night. Ask them what they did last night and whether they found anything unusual."

"At the same time, we asked them about their impressions of the deceased Ma Fuyuan, when they last saw Ma Fuyuan, what Ma Fuyuan was doing at that time, what they were doing, and whether anyone could testify to this."

As the county magistrate of Chang'an, Wang Gui was experienced in such inquiries and immediately formed a concrete plan upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words.

"Very well, I will do it right away."

Without any delay, he nodded to Liu Shuyi, then turned around and quickly left with the officials of the Ministry of Justice.

Soon, only Du Gou, Du Ying, Cheng Chumo, and Zhao Feng remained around Liu Shuyi.

Du Gou and his team were the investigation team that Liu Shuyi knew best. They already had a great understanding of each other. Without Liu Shuyi saying anything, Cheng Chumo asked, "Are we going to the scene next?"

Liu Shuyi laughed and said, "General Cheng understands me best."

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's praise, Cheng Chumo, whose face had been dark, immediately grinned.

"I have to guard Duting Post Station and can't do much for you, but I can still do the small thing of guiding you."

With that, he turned around and said, "Come with me."

As a post station for receiving high-ranking officials, Duting Post Station occupies a considerable area and has a variety of functions.

Inside, there were stables for storing horses, a dining hall for officials to eat in, a pavilion for appreciating flowers and playing chess, and separate courtyards prepared for groups such as official delegations or envoy delegations.

After passing through a long corridor and a snow-covered garden, the group arrived at a courtyard.

Outside the courtyard, there is a wooden sign that reads "Meixiangzhai," which is the elegant name of this courtyard.

“The officials of Hebei Circuit all rested at Meixiangzhai last night,” Cheng Chumo said.

Liu Shuyi nodded. He looked into the courtyard and saw that it was quite spacious, with a pavilion and stone tables and benches inside. However, due to the freezing weather, the stone tables and benches were just for show.

Behind the courtyard was a row of rooms. Liu Shuyi counted them; there were ten rooms in total. If people squeezed in, it wouldn't be a problem to accommodate twenty or thirty people.

However, only ten Hebei Province officials stayed here last night, enough for each of them to have a room, so their stay should be quite comfortable.

He thought for a moment, then turned his head to look at the east side of Meixiangzhai, and saw another courtyard not far away.

Upon seeing this, Cheng Chumo said, "That is Lianxiangzhai. The officials from Bingzhou stayed there last night."

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly: "They don't live too far away. What about the Xueyantuo envoy delegation?"

"There were quite a few of them, and they stayed in the largest courtyard of Duting Post Station, right there..."

Cheng Chumo raised his hand and pointed further away: "That's the biggest courtyard, called Juxiangzhai."

Liu Shuyi glanced at it and estimated the distance in his mind.

It is located to the east of Lianxiangzhai, and is the furthest from Meixiangzhai, but both are within Dutingyi, so it can't be that far away.

"What about the officials at Duting Post Station? Where do they live?" Liu Shuyi continued.

Cheng Chumo said, "We still need to go further in; it's twice as far as Juxiangzhai."

Liu Shuyi nodded, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Are there guards at the entrances of these courtyards at night?"

Cheng Chumo shook his head: "It's freezing cold. If you stand outside at night, your hands and feet will go numb from the cold. In addition, the post station has not had any accidents for many years, so people have become a little lax. Therefore, apart from the two main gates of the post station, there is no one on duty in other places."

Liu Shuyi gently stroked the jade pendant with his fingertips, a subconscious action he often performed when thinking.

"So, does that mean that at night in Duting Post Station, you can wander around outside without anyone noticing?"

"Not really."

Cheng Chumo said, "Although there are no personnel on fixed duty, there are post station soldiers patrolling."

"patrol?"

Liu Shuyi asked, "How frequent are the patrols? Are they conducted at fixed times or randomly?"

“Two teams of couriers patrol every night, each patrolling once every hour, with their departure times differing by half an hour.”

Liu Shuyi understood for a moment and said, "So, that means someone will patrol the Duting Post Station every half hour?"

"Yes."

Are the patrol routes fixed?

"Dutingyi is only so big, and there's no special route."

"That means the patrol routes are fixed..."

A thoughtful look flashed in Liu Shuyi's eyes as he said, "The patrol times are fixed, and the patrol routes are fixed... So as long as we know their times and routes, we can completely avoid the patrolling couriers."

Zhao Feng's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "If you want to know the exact patrol time and route of the courier, you have to stay at the inn for at least one night, so the murderer must have stayed here for more than one night."

As he spoke, he looked at Cheng Chumo and asked, "General Cheng, which of these people stayed for more than one night?"

Cheng Chumo said, "Except for the Bingzhou officials who arrived in Chang'an yesterday at noon, everyone else stayed for more than a night."

"In other words, at least these people from the Bingzhou official delegation can be excluded..."

Zhao Feng said thoughtfully.

"It cannot be ruled out."

But to everyone's surprise, as soon as he finished speaking, Liu Shuyi and Du Gou's voices rang out at the same time.

Zhao Feng looked at the two of them blankly, and Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "Let Du Sicheng speak."

Du Gou nodded and said, "The post station is not an important location, and no accidents have happened there for many years, so their patrols are certainly not taken very seriously."

"In other words, they may not have changed their patrol times and routes for several years."

"Whether it's officials from Bingzhou or other regions, they all come to the capital every year to report on their duties and stay here. So the situation of the post station is no secret to them at all."

Liu Shuyi continued, "Even if the post station changes the patrol time and location, as long as someone has stayed there recently, it will still be known. If the murderer really wants to, he can find out by asking around."

Zhao Feng nodded in realization: "If that's the case, then wouldn't it mean that no one can be ruled out?"

Liu Shuyi laughed and said, "We haven't even looked at the crime scene yet, and we haven't even examined the body, but we're already trying to rule someone out. We're getting a little anxious..."

He strode directly into Meixiangzhai and said, "Let's go, let's take a look at the crime scene first."

The group quickly entered Meixiangzhai.

Cheng Chumo said, "The fifth room on the left is Ma Fuyuan's room."

Liu Shuyi nodded. As the leader of the Hebei Circuit officials, Ma Fuyuan needed to stay in the middle position, which was the fifth or sixth room.

Since the Tang Dynasty considered the left side to be superior, it was predictable that Ma Fuyuan would choose the fifth room on the left.

If the murderer had planned the killing in advance, they might have considered these factors beforehand, or even tampered with the room beforehand.

While they were thinking, the group arrived in front of the room.

There were guards outside the gate.

"Open the door," Cheng Chumo said.

The guards dared not delay and quickly opened the door.

As soon as the door opened, the bloody scene behind it instantly assaulted everyone's eyes.

Crimson blood froze on the floor.

Sunlight streamed through the door, shimmering with a terrifying luster as if the blood were still flowing.

A headless corpse lay facing them in a pool of blood.

So they could clearly see the headless neck wound.

You can clearly see what blood vessels, bones, and flesh are inside the neck.

On the table behind the corpse, an inverted head was facing them.

Those rolled-back eyes and the smiling corners of their lips were as if they were looking at a close friend, quietly gazing at them.

It gave them the feeling that Ma Fuyuan would say something like "Welcome" at any moment.

Three unburnt incense sticks were stuck in the left nostril, seemingly mourning the deceased, or perhaps praying to the gods—it was truly bizarre.

Zhao Feng thought he had experienced many big scenes by following Liu Shuyi, but seeing this strange scene still made him feel goosebumps.

Liu Shuyi stood at the door, carefully examined the scene inside the room, and did not rush in. He asked, "After discovering that Ma Fuyuan had an accident, who entered the room?"

Cheng Chumo said, "Several officials from Hebei Circuit have entered the area. The postmaster of Duting Post Station, who is in charge of all affairs at Duting Post Station, also entered the area after Ma Fuyuan's incident."

"No one else entered besides them."

"After confirming that Ma Fuyuan had an accident, the courier of Duting Post Station immediately ordered everyone to leave the room and ordered the postmen to guard the door and not allow anyone to enter, so as to prevent the clues from being destroyed."

Liu Shuyi nodded: "This courier is quick to respond."

He looked at the three incense sticks that had not burned out and said, "I remember you just said that when the courier found out about the incident, these incense sticks were still burning and there was blue smoke rising. Now these incense sticks are out. Did they go out naturally, or did someone put them out?"

"This..."

Cheng Chumo said, "The courier extinguished it. He was afraid that the incense might be an important clue. If the incense burned out, he wouldn't be able to investigate it. So he extinguished the incense to prevent it from burning away."

Liu Shuyi understood.

His gaze continued to sweep around the room, finally settling on the table located directly behind the corpse and facing the door. He asked, "Was the table originally placed there?"

"do not know."

Cheng Chumo shook his head: "The messenger didn't tell me anything. When I arrived here, the messenger only told me what he had done and what the situation was like. I didn't ask for more, and he didn't say anything more either."

"If you want to know more details, I'll have someone bring him here?" Cheng Chumo looked at Liu Shuyi.

Liu Shuyi pondered for a moment, then said, "Alright."

Cheng Chumo immediately summoned a Jinwu Guard and ordered him to bring the man away.

Liu Shuyi memorized the scene inside the room and, after confirming that he could not gain anything more from it, said, "Let's go in and take a look."

Then everyone entered the room.

The room was fairly spacious.

It is divided into two rooms, an outer room and an inner room. The outer room contains a table, a low stool and a cabinet, while the inner room contains only a bed and a small dressing table.

In the outer room, cabinets were placed close to the wall, and low stools were neatly arranged next to the cabinets.

A set of cups was placed on the cabinet lid, and next to the cups were the Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper).

The brush rests casually on the inkstone, which contains black, frozen ink.

Several sheets of Xuan paper were placed to the side.

Liu Shuyi went to the cabinet, picked up a sheet of Xuan paper, and casually flipped it open.

However, all the Xuan paper was very clean, with no writing on it whatsoever.

He thought for a moment, put down the Xuan paper, and went to the table where the head was placed.

Then he realized that the reason the head was able to sit steadily upside down on the table was because the blood from the severed head had flowed down to the top of the head and frozen onto the table.

The bloodstains spread about half a foot outwards from the head before stopping.

At the edge of the bloodstains, on the table, Liu Shuyi found some ink stains.

The ink stain is very light, and it's impossible to make out any specific content.

"These incense sticks seem different from ordinary incense sticks..."

At that moment, Du Gou's voice rang out from the side.

Liu Shuyi looked at Du Gou and saw Du Gou pull out an incense stick.

Du Gou said, "Ordinary incense is finer than this incense, and this incense also has auspicious cloud patterns on it, so it must have cost a lot to make."

Liu Shuyi has never been to a Taoist temple or Buddhist temple in either his past or present life, and he knows absolutely nothing about incense.

Fortunately, he had a stroke of luck in becoming a stunningly beautiful coroner.

Liu Shuyi took the incense from Du Gou, then looked at Du Ying, who had already begun the autopsy, and asked, "Miss Du, have you ever seen this kind of incense before?"

Upon hearing this, Du Ying raised her gaze from the corpse, her cold and elegant eyes glancing at the incense in Liu Shuyi's hand, and said, "This is benzoin."

"Benzoin?" Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow.

Du Ying said, "As its name suggests, it is used for deliverance and summoning souls. However, the benzoin in your hand is thicker than ordinary benzoin, and it seems that something else has been added. Bring it close to my nose and let me smell it."

Du Ying had blood on her hands from performing an autopsy, so she couldn't take the benzoin herself.

Liu Shuyi was afraid of sticking the incense directly into Du Ying's nose, so he squatted down next to Du Ying and placed the incense horizontally in front of her nose.

As he drew closer, the crisp fragrance of lotus blossoms filled his nostrils.

"There is a scent of agarwood, which suggests that agarwood chips were added to extend the burning time of the incense."

"Increase the combustion time?"

Liu Shuyi nodded thoughtfully and said, "Can you tell me how long it will take to burn out?"

Du Ying shook her head: "This is not an ordinary incense. I have never used it before, so I can't make any judgments. However, you can go to the West Market to ask. Most of the incense in Chang'an is sold in the West Market. As long as this incense was not made by the murderer himself, you may be able to find the same incense there."

To encounter a coroner like Du Ying, who was skilled in both treating illnesses and performing autopsies, and who, having followed Sun Simiao, knew many strange and unusual things, was truly an stroke of incredible luck.

Liu Shuyi immediately stood up, looked at Zhao Feng, and said, "Zhao Lingshi, it's up to you now."

Zhao Feng took the unburnt incense stick and nodded directly: "Rest assured, Lord Liu, I will investigate as quickly as possible." After saying that, he turned around and left quickly.

Liu Shuyi slowly exhaled, no longer disturbing Du Ying's autopsy, stood up, and glanced at the door.

The door latch was still intact, and there was no sign of damage to the door.

The windows were all typical straight-lattice windows, which could not be opened or closed, and showed no signs of damage.

Liu Shuyi stroked his chin and said slowly, "It seems that Ma Fuyuan took the initiative to open the door and let the murderer in."

Du Gou, having also noticed the intact doors and windows, nodded and said, "Ma Fuyuan knows the murderer."

Liu Shuyi thought for a moment, then turned and went into the inner room.

The interior room is much smaller than the exterior room.

Looking at the bed, one can see that the bedding is neatly folded, and there are no marks on the mattress.

Upon seeing this, Du Gou, who had come along, speculated, "Did Ma Fuyuan not sleep at all, or did he get up and refold the quilt because someone was coming?"

Liu Shuyi pondered, "If he didn't sleep, why didn't he sleep? Or did the murderer kill him before he had a chance to sleep?"

"If he rearranged the blankets because someone was coming... even though he was the one who was disturbed, he treated the visitor so seriously. Doesn't this prove that the visitor is of high status? At least in Ma Fuyuan's eyes?"

Du Gou frowned: "If it's the second possibility, looking at the entire post station, who is of a higher status than him, a fourth-rank official...? The governor of Bingzhou? Or perhaps Yehu Bazhuo of Xueyantuo?"

Liu Shuyi shook his head. There was too little information to confirm anything further.

In this situation, anyone can be suspected, but you must never focus on suspecting anyone when the clues are insufficient. Otherwise, once you have a subjective bias, you will not be able to maintain absolute rationality and will subconsciously look for problems with the other party.

If the direction is correct, then it's fine.

But if he goes in the wrong direction, he will be plunged into an abyss of no return, given that he only has one day to investigate the case.

"Liu Yuanwailang, Qin Yishi has arrived."

At that moment, Cheng Chumo's voice came from outside.

Liu Shuyi and Du Gou exchanged a glance and quickly went to the outer room.

Then they saw a middle-aged man, around forty years old and dressed in an official robe, looking nervously and anxiously into the room.

Upon seeing Liu Shuyi and Du Gou arrive, he first glanced at their faces, then hurriedly cupped his hands to Liu Shuyi and said, "This humble official, Qin Wuyuan, the postmaster of Duting Post Station, greets Assistant Minister Liu."

Qin Wuyuan did not know Liu Shuyi, but he had met Du Gou, which enabled him to accurately locate the person.

Liu Shuyi nodded and said, "Envoy Qin, there's no need for such formality or nervousness. I've ordered someone to summon you here because I have some questions I'd like to ask."

Qin Wuyuan nodded repeatedly: "Please ask me anything, Mr. Liu. As long as I know the answer, I will answer to the best of my ability."

Time was of the essence, so Liu Shuyi didn't exchange many pleasantries with Qin Wuyuan.

He got straight to the point, saying, "Qin, the postmaster in charge of the post station, did you hear anything last night? Did the patrolling and guarding post station soldiers report anything unusual to you?"

"No."

Qin Wuyuan shook his head: "This humble official has not heard any news. Everything at the post station is normal... Otherwise, this humble official would have sent people to protect the safety of all the officials long ago. How could I have allowed Governor Ma to suffer such a disaster?"

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly and continued, "Who arranged for Governor Ma to stay in this room?"

"Yes, it is your humble servant."

Fearing that Liu Shuyi would suspect him, Qin Wuyuan quickly explained, "However, I arranged it according to the rules, and I did not specifically choose this room."

Liu Shuyi reassured him, "Courier Qin, there's no need to be nervous. I'm just asking a normal question; I don't suspect you."

Qin Wuyuan nodded hurriedly and said, "Liu Yuanwailang, I am absolutely not the murderer. You should also know that the murder occurred in Duting Post Station, which is under my jurisdiction. Regardless of whether the murderer is found in the end, I will be punished and my demotion is a foregone conclusion."

"If I were truly the murderer, why would I do this to myself? There are so many places to commit murder; there was no need to choose Duting Post Station and leave myself with such trouble."

Liu Shuyi said with a smile, "Don't worry, Qin Yishi. As I said, I have no suspicion of you. Don't scare yourself."

Qin Wuyuan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

"I wonder what Qin the messenger did last night?" Liu Shuyi continued to inquire.

"At the fourth quarter of the hour of You (5:45 PM), I will host a banquet for all the officials and envoys in the Duting Post Station."

"Around 7:45 PM, the banquet ended. I was a little drunk, so I went straight to my room to rest."

"After that, I never left again and slept until about 4:45 this morning."

Liu Shuyi calculated the time in his mind and said, "You said that you hosted a banquet last night, and Governor Ma also attended?"

"Yes."

Qin Wuyuan said, "Everyone participated, and we all left at the same time."

"How was Governor Ma's mood at the banquet? Did he have any contact with anyone other than the officials of Hebei Circuit?"

"My mood wasn't particularly high."

Qin Wuyuan thought for a moment and said, "The officials in Hebei Province aren't in a particularly good mood, but that's normal, after all..."

He peeked outside furtively, then lowered his voice and said, "They were all promoted by the Prince of Xi."

Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes: "So how did you treat them? Did you value them or underestimate them?"

"Of course we value it."

Qin Wuyuan hurriedly replied, almost as if he wanted to swear: "No matter who promoted them, they are all important officials of the court. I am just a lowly postman. How dare I look down on them?"

Liu Shuyi chuckled and said, "I've already told you, Qin Yishi, not to be nervous. Why are you always so easily startled? Anyone who doesn't know better would think you have something to hide."

Qin Wuyuan's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly said, "I'm just afraid of getting into more trouble... This case has already brought me no good. If there are any other troubles, I'm afraid I'll have to take off my official robes for good."

Liu Shuyi understood Qin Wuyuan's concerns and stopped trying to scare him.

He continued, "Tell me about his behavior at the banquet."

Qin Wuyuan dared not delay and said, "These officials in Hebei Province have always been very cautious and never take the initiative to toast anyone. They will only drink a cup when I raise my cup."

"You mean... no one else besides you offered to drink with them?"

"No."

Qin Wuyuan smiled wryly and said, "Nobody knows what their future holds... At this time, nobody wants to get involved with them, lest they cause trouble later."

"It is my duty as a messenger to respect them; otherwise, I would like to stay as far away from them as possible."

Liu Shuyi's fingertips gently traced the jade pendant. After a moment's thought, he asked, "How many days have they been here? What have they been doing?"

"Two days."

Qin Wuyuan said, "They arrived in Chang'an the day before yesterday and only stayed for two nights in total."

"They came to the capital to report on their duties and need to wait for news from the Ministry of Personnel. However, the Ministry of Personnel has not yet arranged a specific time for them to meet His Majesty, so they have been waiting at the post station for the past two days."

"They've been waiting at the inn the whole time...and haven't left?"

"No."

"Not a single person? Didn't you ever think of taking a stroll around the bustling capital?"

"No."

Liu Shuyi and Du Gou exchanged a glance.

Under normal circumstances, local officials may never have the opportunity to visit the capital more than a few times in their entire lives.

Therefore, every time they came to the capital, they would take a break from their official duties to experience the prosperity of the capital.

The imperial court not only did not obstruct this, but sometimes even allowed the Ministry of Personnel to arrange for local officials to go on a trip.

Only by witnessing the prosperity of the capital could local officials truly feel the power of the Tang Dynasty, thus planting a seed of ambition in their hearts and motivating them to work harder to earn the opportunity to be transferred to Chang'an.

Therefore, the fact that none of the ten officials in Hebei Province went out, even though they knew there was time, can only mean one thing...

Their inner vigilance and unease had reached a certain level.

If they were like that, the other officials who remained in Hebei Province would certainly be even more so.

In this situation, if news of the leader Ma Fuyuan's tragic death were to reach Hebei Province...

Liu Shuyi's heart sank.

The situation was worse than he had anticipated.

He even suspected that Liu Yuanming's accomplices might have started spreading rumors in Hebei Province, otherwise why would Ma Fuyuan and others be so uneasy?
They came here last year too.

That was the first year of Li Shimin's reign. He had just killed Li Jiancheng and eliminated Li Yuan and Luo Yi, the most powerful of Li Jiancheng's former subordinates.

Shouldn't things have been even more dangerous for Ma Fuyuan and his group at that time?
Liu Shuyi asked, "When Governor Ma and his entourage came to report on their duties last year, did they go out for sightseeing?"

Qin Wuyuan thought for a while before nodding and saying, "They went out. I remember they took a lot of things with them when they left."

really!

I felt more at ease last year than this year.

Something must have happened in Hebei Province.

What could it be?

Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered, and as he pondered, his gaze fell on the upside-down head on the table.

After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Was this table originally placed here?"

"table?"

Qin Wuyuan immediately shook his head: "No, the table is near the window."

"Near the window?"

Liu Shuyi looked towards the window, which was indeed empty, giving a sense of disharmony.

A thoughtful look flashed in his eyes. After a moment, Liu Shuyi said to Qin Wuyuan, "Alright, I have no other questions for now. Qin, please go outside and rest for a while. If I have any further questions, I will come to you again."

Qin Wuyuan nodded quickly, then bowed and withdrew.

Watching Qin Wuyuan's departing figure, Liu Shuyi's gaze deepened, and he said, "Minister Du, what are your thoughts after hearing what Envoy Qin said?"

"Difficult to kill!"

"Difficult to kill?" Cheng Chumo was taken aback.

Du Gou nodded and said, "From Qin Yishi's words, we can see that Ma Fuyuan and other officials in Hebei Province are very vigilant and uneasy. Under such circumstances, they will inevitably be wary of anyone and anything."

"It was no easy task for the murderer to kill the wary Ma Fuyuan."

"and……"

He looked at the intact door and frowned, saying, "Ma Fuyuan was so vigilant and cautious, so what exactly is the murderer's identity that Ma Fuyuan would open the door to greet him so unguardedly when he visited late at night?"

“This…” Cheng Chumo frowned and said, “It really is, both difficult to kill and strange.”

"Will..."

He looked at Du Gou and Liu Shuyi and guessed, "Is the murderer an official from their Hebei Circuit? Is that why Ma Fuyuan opened the door without any suspicion?"

Du Gou didn't know what Liu Shuyi was thinking, but he did have this suspicion: "The possibility is not small."

“Master Liu, what do you think?” Cheng Chumo asked, seeing that Liu Shuyi was staring at the frightening head without saying a word.

Du Gou also looked at Liu Shuyi.

“I’ve been thinking about a question…” Liu Shuyi began slowly.

"Problem? What problem?" The two were taken aback.

Why didn't Ma Fuyuan shout?

"What?" Cheng Chumo was taken aback.

Liu Shuyi looked at him and said, "There are people living in the rooms on both sides of this room, and the soundproofing of the room is not very good. If he had shouted anything when he was murdered, others would have heard it."

"But no one heard it..."

"why?"

"Did the murderer kill him before he had a chance to scream? Or was there something else?"

Cheng Chumo was stunned for a moment: "I really didn't think of that..."

"besides……"

Liu Shuyi looked at Du Gou and saw that Du Gou was frowning and thinking about what he had just said, as if he had discovered something.

He continued, "As for beheading... General Cheng should have experience with it. Does General Cheng think beheading is easy?"

"Forehead……"

Cheng Chumo really didn't have this experience, but he was too embarrassed to say it.

As a dignified General of the Golden Guard, it's shameful to admit that I've never even beheaded an enemy.

Fortunately, he had experience cutting off an enemy's arm, and said, "It depends on the situation. If it's on the battlefield, when the blade is sharp, the strength is at its peak, and the momentum is strong, it's not too difficult."

"But at other times, it's not so easy."

Liu Shuyi asked, "What about beheading after death?"

"After death?"

Cheng Chumo shook his head: "After death, the body lies on the ground, making it difficult to cut."

Will there be any sound?

"Of course, the bones in a person's neck are also very hard."

Liu Shuyi stared at the inverted head, looking at the gruesome wound, and continued, "If one cut isn't enough, and you make many cuts, will the sound be very loud?"

"Of course, chopping bones is no quieter than hammering nails."

Liu Shuyi looked at him: "So..."

"Why didn't the two people living next door hear the sound of a head being chopped off?"

"What!?" Cheng Chumo was stunned.

Du Gou's pupils suddenly contracted, and he looked sharply at Liu Shuyi.

Liu Shuyi looked at the two men and said slowly, "The murderer could strike unexpectedly and kill in one blow, without giving Ma Fuyuan a chance to shout."

"But he beheaded him, and judging from the wound, it wasn't a single cut. In that case, there must have been several chopping sounds..."

"He can control the shouts, but he can't hide the sounds of slashing and hacking."

"Why didn't anyone nearby hear it?"

"Are they sleeping too soundly to hear the banging, or is it..."

Liu Shuyi turned his head and looked at the empty courtyard outside the door. His voice was faint and deep, like a boulder that instantly crashed into the hearts of the two people, splashing up huge waves.

"This isn't the place where Ma Fuyuan was killed at all!"

"If it wasn't the primary crime scene, then..."

He looked at the two of them: "Does your so-called 'opening the door without any suspicion' mean that it doesn't exist?"

(End of this chapter)