The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 60 A Terrifying Guess! He's Not a Good Person!
Liu Shuyi's words were like an invisible hand pressing the mute button.

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.

Cheng Chumo stared wide-eyed, his mouth agape, his lips trembling as if he wanted to say something, but he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

Du Gou's gentle face was full of surprise, and even Du Ying, who was carefully examining the autopsy, raised his head at this moment.

Seeing his sister get up, Du Gou immediately asked, "Was it really taken many blows to cut off Ma Fuyuan's head?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Chumo also quickly looked at Du Ying, who possessed superb skills.

Then Du Ying glanced at Liu Shuyi and said, "If Master Liu suddenly starts performing autopsies one day, I don't think I'll be surprised."

Liu Shuyi smiled. Having investigated cases for twenty years in his previous life, even if he didn't know how to perform autopsies, he could still get a general idea of ​​what was going on in many wounds just by looking at them.

Upon hearing this, Cheng Chumo couldn't help but ask, "Is it really as Liu Yuanwailang said?"

Du Ying nodded directly: "The wound on the victim's neck has clearly visible marks like low steps. This is the result of repeated slashes from a sharp weapon. According to my calculations, the murderer slashed four times in total before completely severing the head."

"Four times?"

Du Gou took a deep breath, looked at Liu Shuyi, and said, "As you said, this is indeed not the place to kill. I was wrong."

Cheng Chumo couldn't help but mutter, "So it really isn't... Does that mean all that effort to narrow down the area was wasted?"

Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "It's better to waste our time than to go in the wrong direction and end up with nothing."

"in addition……"

He looked at the frozen bloodstains on the ground and said, "Actually, you can tell from the bloodstains that something was wrong at the scene."

"Bloodstains?" Cheng Chumo frowned.

Du Gou asked, "Blood splatter?"

He looked down at the bloodstains that had splattered to a distance of two feet, and frowned, saying, "But there's nothing wrong with the splattering."

Liu Shuyi said, "Indeed, there is no problem with the splashing. The murderer must have thought that there would be blood droplets splashing during the process of chopping off the head, so when faking the scene, he specifically faked the blood droplets."

"But there's one thing he overlooked..."

Du Gou and Cheng Chumo both looked at him in confusion. Du Gou asked, "What did you overlook?"

Liu Shuyi didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "Health points."

"Health points?" Du Gou and Cheng Chumo were both taken aback.

Du Ying seemed to realize something. She quickly looked down at the frozen blood on the ground, a look of surprise flashing in her beautiful, cool eyes: "The blood volume is low!"

"Your health is low!?"

Du Gou seemed to understand something, his eyes fixed on the blood on the ground.

"How could I not have thought of these things? I should have noticed them..."

Du Ying looked annoyed. In her opinion, this was something she knew, but she hadn't paid attention to it. If Liu Shuyi hadn't been more attentive than her, this important clue might have been overlooked.

This is her responsibility.

Liu Shuyi glanced at Du Ying and immediately understood what the highly demanding coroner was thinking.

He comforted her, saying, "Miss Du has been studying medicine, and all she has done in the past has been treating the sick and saving lives. She has only been performing autopsies as a coroner for a few days now."

"Even a veteran coroner with decades of experience would probably not notice the amount of blood when examining a body here."

"So it's quite normal for Miss Du to overlook things."

"With this experience, just pay more attention next time and don't overlook it again, and that will be enough."

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, Du Gou noticed his sister's furrowed brows. He was both impressed by Liu Shuyi's thoughtfulness and comforted his sister.

“What Liu Yuanwailang said is right, this is not your fault.”

Du Ying nodded, but she already had a plan in mind: when she returned, she would search for books on coroners and study them carefully.

She cannot rely on her skills to become complacent and stagnant.

Liu Shuyi trusted her, and whenever he encountered a case, the first person he thought of was her. She couldn't let Liu Shuyi down.

Du Ying possessed a pride far exceeding that of other women; she either didn't do something at all, or she did it to the best of her ability.

Seeing that Du Ying's brows relaxed, Liu Shuyi then returned to the topic of blood volume, saying, "A person's blood volume is related to their height and build. I don't know if Vice Minister Du and General Cheng know how much blood a person will have if they bleed out."

"But I can tell you two that with Ma Fuyuan's height of eight feet and slightly plump physique, if his blood flowed freely, it would fill at least half of the water buckets we usually use to fetch water."

"With Ma Fuyuan's head cut off, the major arteries connecting his entire body were exposed. Without external force to stop it, not all of his blood would flow out, but most of it would flow out through the wound."

"But what about the amount of blood on the ground right now?"

Liu Shuyi's gaze returned to the ground, and he said, "Although it looks shocking, upon closer inspection, it's clear that it's definitely not the normal amount of blood I mentioned."

"Because the charcoal brazier used for heating went out at some point, the room was extremely cold, so all the blood was frozen and did not evaporate or diminish."

"In other words, the bloodstains we see are all the blood that flowed out, not a drop more or less."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Chumo finally understood. He said, "Therefore, the amount of blood on the ground is not enough to cover the normal amount of blood Ma Fuyuan would have lost, which means he was not killed here, otherwise the amount of blood would not have decreased."

Liu Shuyi nodded: "The two clues corroborate each other, which will definitively confirm that this is definitely not the primary crime scene!"

Du Gou and the other two had no further doubts and all nodded emphatically.

"Where would the real crime scene be?" Cheng Chumo wondered.

Du Gou frowned as he recalled the way they had come, saying, "We didn't see a trace of blood along the way, not even a drop in the courtyard outside the gate... If, as Liu Yuanwailang speculated, Ma Fuyuan's head wasn't cut off here, how did the murderer ensure that no blood dripped from the wound during the process of moving the body?"

Liu Shuyi looked thoughtful and said, "Preventing the blood from dripping isn't difficult. The simplest way is to temporarily seal the wound on the neck using a bandage..."

"As for where the actual crime scene is..."

He stared at the head, its eyes wide open, as if he could see the deceased's unwilling cry from those open eyes, and said in a deep voice, "Search."

“A decapitation would inevitably result in a large amount of blood. The blood that Ma Fuyuan is missing must be from the actual crime scene. However, the murderer had limited time and may not have been able to clean it up completely…”

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, Cheng Chumo knew he was in for a job, even without Liu Shuyi saying a word.

He said directly, "Leave it to me, I will lead the Imperial Guards to search."

Within his authority, this is the most suitable thing for him to do.

After saying that, he turned around and walked out without any hesitation.

As the clanging sound of the axe striking the ground faded into the distance, Liu Shuyi slowly exhaled, turning his thoughts to another matter.

He looked at Du Ying and asked, "Miss Du, did the autopsy yield any results?"

"A few, but not much."

Du Ying looked at the headless corpse on the ground and said, "This room is too cold. The blood is frozen, and the corpse is frozen as well. Just like the corpses of Zhao Chengyi's wife and children, I can't determine his exact time of death based on a simple autopsy."

Liu Shuyi asked, "Is an autopsy necessary?"

"Currently, there is no other way besides autopsy."

Liu Shuyi nodded: "Then let's dissect it."

He made a quick decision: "The time required to travel to and from the Ministry of Justice is too long. My time is limited, so I will dissect the body at Duting Post Station!"

"I'll have Qin Yi find you a room later, and you can go there to perform the dissection, is that alright?"

Du Ying said, "Of course, I always carry the tools with me and can get started at any time."

Liu Shuyi laughed and said, "After I've examined the corpse, you can make your move."

"it is good."

Liu Shuyi squatted down and carefully examined the corpse.

Ma Fuyuan was still wearing his official robes, which showed no obvious wrinkles or dirt.

Du Ying's voice rang out at this moment: "Ma Fuyuan has a wound in his back, judged to be from a dagger or similar sharp blade, which pierced through his heart and should be fatal."

"Apart from that, there were no other injuries on his body."

Upon hearing this, Du Gou pondered and said, "So, the murderer attacked Ma Fuyuan from behind, killing him instantly and leaving Ma Fuyuan no chance to struggle?"

Du Ying nodded: "At least that's the answer the corpse gave me."

Liu Shuyi said, "The clues on the robes are the same."

After he finished speaking, he raised the corpse's left hand, examined it carefully, and then picked up the right hand to examine it just as closely.

The deceased's hands were very smooth and fleshy, with some calluses on the part where he held the pen, indicating that Ma Fuyuan had lived a fairly good life during his years as an official.

He nodded, lowered his right hand, and after confirming that there was nothing wrong, he was about to get up.

"Ok?"

But just then, he suddenly discovered something and found himself at the feet of the corpse.

"What's wrong? Did you find something?" Du Gou asked, approaching Liu Shuyi quickly, noticing his unusual reaction.

“Du, look at his official boots.”

"Official boots?"

Du Gou listened to Liu Shuyi's words and looked over.

The boots Ma Fuyuan was wearing were very common official boots, but they were covered in dust because Ma Fuyuan had been traveling.

This makes it look like it's no longer valuable.

But apart from that, Du Gou didn't find anything wrong.

Seeing Du Gou's puzzled expression, Liu Shuyi raised his hand and pointed to the top of his left official boot, saying, "There's a square mark here..."

"A square mark?"

Du Gou listened to Liu Shuyi's words and looked over.

There was indeed a mark on the shoe, which he had just seen, but he didn't think there was anything special about it, so he didn't pay any attention to it.

"What kind of mark is this? Is there a problem?" Du Gou asked.

Liu Shuyi shook his head. He reached out and touched the mark, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

"It seems to have been pressed out by something..."

As he spoke, he simply took off the boot.

The boots were tight, and as the boots were taken off, the thick white socks were also pulled down.

The soles of their feet, frozen and white, were exposed.

Liu Shuyi stood up, holding the boots, and his eyes suddenly narrowed as he looked at the marks on them.

"Minister Du, you say..."

Liu Shuyi abruptly asked, "Could the murderer be Liu Yuanming's accomplice?"

"Liu Yuanming?" Du Gou was taken aback.

He was unaware of what happened in the Ministry of Justice prison last night, and therefore remained unaware of Liu Yuanming and his accomplices' conspiracy.

Du Gou is Du Ruhui's son, and he will find out Liu Yuanming's secret sooner or later. Therefore, Liu Shuyi did not hide anything from him and simply told him what happened last night in a few words.

This also explains what his next task is.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of Du Gou and his sister both changed.

"It's actually like this..."

Du Gou looked at Liu Shuyi with a solemn expression: "No wonder I knew nothing about what happened at Duting Post Station before you sent someone to summon me. No wonder this case was handed over to you directly without anyone else being asked to investigate it first. Indeed, only you have the ability to solve the case in the shortest time and resolve the current crisis."

Du Ying frowned and said, "But one day is too short. You should try to get more time."

Liu Shuyi shook his head: "Judging from the performance of these officials in Hebei Province, it will probably be a day late... It's not that His Majesty doesn't want to give me time, but that the traitors won't give the Tang Dynasty any time."

Du Ying was well aware of all this, but it did not diminish her concern for Liu Shuyi.

Liu Shuyi didn't say much about the matter. He asked Du Gou, "Does Vice Minister Du think there's a high probability that this case was committed by Liu Yuanming's accomplices?"

Du Gou pondered for a moment, took a deep breath, and said, "Huge! Extremely huge!"

"Why?"

Du Gou looked at the upside-down head on the table, his gentle face filled with solemnity.

“I didn’t know the inside story before, so I couldn’t understand why the murderer would cut off Ma Fuyuan’s head, place it upside down, and even stick three incense sticks in it.”

"But now, I understand."

He said, “My sister said that this incense is benzoin, which is mainly used for sacrifices and summoning souls. So lighting three sticks of benzoin is exactly the same as when we worship our ancestors in the ancestral hall.”

“The only difference is that we use incense burners, while he uses a skull.”

"But a head is not like an incense burner. If a head is stained with blood, lighting the benzoin used in sacrifices is not auspicious, but rather inauspicious, and is disrespectful to the deceased..."

"Also, the murderer deliberately moved the table to a spot directly opposite the door. When we stand at the door and look inside, it gives us the feeling of a sacrificial ritual with Ma Fuyuan's head as an offering..."

"The incense is ready, the offerings are ready... and considering that Ma Fuyuan is a former subordinate of the Prince of Xi, could we interpret it this way..."

Du Gou took a deep breath and said, "This is a sacrificial ceremony specially prepared for the Prince of Xi."

"However, this ritual uses the heads of the former subordinates of the King of Xi as offerings, and uses blood-stained heads as incense burners..."

"If the message could truly be conveyed to the King of Xi in the underworld through sacrifice, what would the King of Xi think?"

"I'm afraid he won't be able to rest in peace for a long time!"

"So, if the former subordinates of the Prince of Xi knew about this, wouldn't they think that this was a deliberate attack against them?"

"Not only did they kill their leader, but they also used such vicious methods to curse the deceased King Xi. How disgusting they are..."

"And in the entire Tang Dynasty, who would harbor such deep malice towards the deceased Prince Xi and his followers?"

His expression was solemn, and his tone was slightly somber: "They will only believe it's the imperial court! They will firmly believe that all of this was done by the imperial court!"

“I can’t imagine what will happen then, and this… fits perfectly into Liu Yuanming and his accomplices’ conspiracy. Therefore, I believe this is definitely their doing!”

Du's work is well-organized and logically sound.

After listening, Du Ying nodded and said, "Brother is right. The murderer deliberately lit benzoin, probably to show it to the former subordinates of the Prince of Xi."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shuyi remained silent, his eyes still fixed on the head on the table, as if he had some other thoughts.

Upon seeing this, Du Gou couldn't help but ask, "What do you think is wrong with what I said, Assistant Minister Liu?"

Liu Shuyi shook his head: "Although at first glance it's not easy to think that deep, it can't withstand the special explanations and inflammatory words."

“For Liu Yuanming’s accomplices, they don’t need the former subordinates of the Prince of Xi to think as deeply as you do, because they will explain these things. And once they explain, combined with the scene before them, the former subordinates of the Prince of Xi will naturally understand that this is a curse on the Prince of Xi and a sign of malice towards them.”

Seeing that Liu Shuyi agreed with him, Du Gou became even more puzzled: "Then you..."

"Master Liu, I'm back!"

At this moment, Zhao Feng's voice suddenly came from outside, interrupting Du Gou's words.

The group turned around and saw Zhao Feng wiping the sweat from his forehead as he hurried in.

"Have you found it?" Liu Shuyi asked.

Zhao Feng nodded emphatically: "After arriving at the West Market, I went straight to the largest shop selling incense. I handed the benzoin to the shopkeeper, but after examining it, he said he didn't have this special benzoin." "However, before I could be disappointed, he told me that there was a small shop at the end of the West Market that sold specially made incense for nobles, and that I might be able to find this benzoin there."

"I rushed to the shop again, but..."

He took out a wooden box from the bundle he was carrying and said, "Sure enough, I found the same benzoin there!"

As he spoke, Zhao Feng opened the wooden box.

Inside the wooden box lay more than twenty sticks of benzoin, which were exactly the same as the benzoin sticks inserted into the head, in terms of both thickness and color.

Du Ying took out a stick of benzoin, smelled it carefully, examined it again, and then said, "It is indeed the same kind."

Du Gou relaxed and then asked Zhao Feng, "These benzoin incense sticks are specially made, so there shouldn't be many buyers. You can ask the shopkeeper who has purchased them."

Zhao Feng nodded repeatedly: "I had also thought of these things, so I asked the manager."

"The shopkeeper said that this benzoin is known for its long burning time, so wealthy merchants and gentry would buy it when someone in their family passed away and they needed to keep vigil or burn incense continuously to worship their ancestors."

"Therefore, there are not many people who buy benzoin, but there are also quite a few. Normally, at least twenty or thirty people will come to buy it in a month."

"But these people are all servants of noblemen, and sometimes they will not reveal their identities, so the shopkeeper only knows about some of them."

Du Gou frowned. Even if few people went to buy, it wouldn't matter if the shopkeeper didn't remember his identity.

Liu Shuyi didn't care about these things. If the murderer was cautious enough, he would not have personally bought benzoin, which was so easy to find a place to sell. So most likely, he had someone else buy it for him. Even if the shopkeeper could remember everyone who bought it, there were probably many intermediaries involved, so it would be difficult to find the murderer.

What he cared about was something else entirely.

"You said this benzoin is known for its long burning time, I wonder how long it can burn?"

Liu Shuyi asked Zhao Feng, "Do all the benzoin incense burn for the same amount of time, or are some longer and some shorter, making it inconsistent?"

Zhao Feng said, "The shopkeeper said that this benzoin can last all night, and since he sells it to wealthy merchants and nobles, he is most afraid of problems that might offend them. Therefore, the production process of all benzoin is very strict to ensure that every stick is like this."

"Does 'not extinguished overnight' mean six hours?" Liu Shuyi confirmed.

Zhao Feng nodded: "That's right."

"If every single one is like this, then it means the quality control is stable, and there won't be much difference in the time it takes..."

Liu Shuyi stroked his chin and looked up at the two sticks of benzoin still stuck in his head.

The two sticks of benzoin were of roughly the same length, with neither being taller than the other, which matched the shopkeeper's description of "each one being the same".

After a moment's hesitation, Liu Shuyi took out a stick of benzoin from the wooden box, and then pulled out a burnt stick of benzoin from his head.

Place the two incense sticks together and compare their lengths.

"The benzoin inserted into the skull was about one-third shorter than the original benzoin, which means that from the time the murderer lit it until it was extinguished by Qin Yishi, the benzoin burned for about two hours."

"The courier went to find Governor Ma at Chenshi (7-9 AM), and then discovered that Governor Ma had an accident. He screamed and called for help... The whole time should have been no more than half a quarter of an hour."

"If we include that half-quarter of an hour, and also take into account the time it took for the murderer to move the body and kill the victim..."

"So, the approximate time the murderer committed the crime should be..."

Liu Shuyi looked up at the group and said, "Between the hours of Chou (1-3 AM) and Yin (3-5 AM)!"

Seeing that Liu Shuyi could quickly deduce the time of the murder based on just one stick of benzoin, Zhao Feng couldn't help but feel admiration.

He couldn't help but exclaim, "Master Liu, you're amazing! You pinpointed the time of the crime in no time!"

Du Gou and Du Ying exchanged a glance and nodded.

They had already realized that they could indirectly determine when the murderer lit the benzoin by observing the burning progress of the incense, thus deduce the time of his crime.

But while they could think of it, their mental calculations were far slower than Liu Shuyi's casual remark.

This made them realize that Liu Shuyi was not only good at investigating cases and knew many autopsy techniques, but now he was also very good at calculations.

This made them even more curious about Liu Shuyi.

They felt that Liu Shuyi was like a mysterious box, and no one knew how many skills were contained in it. Only when needed, when Liu Shuyi casually took out one skill, would they know that there were other skills in the box.

Du Ying stared intently at Liu Shuyi, eager to know just how many other skills he possessed that she didn't know about.

She had never felt such intense curiosity and a desire to explore anyone before.

"Although we can estimate the time, it's still best to confirm it just to be on the safe side."

Liu Shuyi looked at Du Ying and said, "Miss Du, I'll leave the confirmation to you."

Du Ying nodded slightly, as decisive and efficient as ever: "I'll go verify it now, wait for my results."

Liu Shuyi said, "Zhao Lingshi, go find Qin Yishi and ask him to find us an uninhabited room, and then find a few people to carry Governor Ma's body there."

Zhao Feng understood Liu Shuyi's meaning and immediately said, "This humble official will take care of it right away."

Soon, Qin Wuyuan arranged a room, and the Imperial Guards also carried away Ma Fuyuan's body.

The blood-soaked room seemed to feel less cold after the headless corpse was gone.

Liu Shuyi didn't wait for others to finish their work. He went to the cabinet, casually placed the cups and writing implements on the low stool, and then opened the cabinet lid.

As the cabinet lid was opened, a round bundle was seen placed close to the left side of the cabinet.

Liu Shuyi took out the bundle and casually untied it.

The bundle contained two sets of official robes, two sets of everyday clothes, and a pair of clean official boots.

Based on the dusty clothes and shoes Ma Fuyuan was wearing, indicating he had been traveling, it can be concluded that Ma Fuyuan was very concerned about meeting Li Shimin.

He didn't want his attire to make him seem disrespectful or unserious, thus displeasing Li Shimin.

Or rather, he didn't want to give the court the opportunity or reason to punish him for these trivial matters.

This is enough to demonstrate their caution, unease, and vigilance.

Besides the clothes and shoes, the bundle contained only the fish-shaped tally to prove his identity, the pass for passage, and a money bag embroidered with auspicious clouds in gold thread.

Opening the money bag revealed that it contained not the usual copper coins, but round, lustrous, and crystal-clear pearls and luminous pearls.

Liu Shuyi has never come into contact with these precious jewels in his past or present life, and is unaware of their specific value.

"Du Si Cheng."

Fortunately, he had Du Gou, who came from a wealthy family.

"Come and look at these treasures, are they valuable?"

Upon hearing this, Du Gou strode over.

When he saw the pearls and luminous pearls that Liu Shuyi poured out of his hand, his eyes suddenly flashed.

He picked up a luminous pearl, brought it close to his eyes, and examined it carefully. Then he picked up another pearl, looked at it in the sunlight for a moment, and said, "In terms of color and texture, it is comparable to the tributes from the palace."

The implication is clear: Expensive! Extremely expensive!
Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes: "Why would Ma Fuyuan, an official from out of town who came to Chang'an to report on his duties, bring so many precious jewels?"

"Even if he spends a lot on the road, or buys a lot of goods, he couldn't possibly use this much, could he?"

Du Gou said, "What you're talking about, one luminous pearl is enough."

"so……"

Liu Shuyi looked at Du Gou and said in a deep voice, "Why is he preparing so many valuable items? Is he going to give them to someone to curry favor with? Or is it for his own escape in case of an emergency?"

"Or..."

"Whom should be financially supported to work for him in Chang'an?"

Every guess Liu Shuyi made weighed heavily on Du Gou's mind.

After Liu Yuanming ruthlessly exposed Du Gou's current situation, causing Du Gou to deeply reflect on himself, Du Gou became more composed than before and thought more deeply about things.

He understood the deeper meaning behind Liu Shuyi's words: "In either case, it means that some of the former subordinates of the Prince of Xi in Hebei are probably having second thoughts."

At this moment, Liu Shuyi truly felt the real pressure.

If the former subordinates of the Prince of Xi have already harbored inappropriate thoughts, what they lack now may be a legitimate reason to take action.

In other words, as the saying goes... having a legitimate reason for attacking.

If Liu Yuanming's accomplices were to spread the news of what had happened here to Hebei at this time, it would be like a godsend.

By then, the unrest will probably happen faster than I originally expected!

So, he really doesn't have much time left.

He had to deliver the truth to the former followers of the Prince of Xi before they received the news, mobilized others, and rose up in rebellion.

Let them know they've been tricked! It's all a thief's conspiracy.

Although some of the former subordinates of the Prince of Xi who had already made up their minds might still want to take action, others who were still undecided would waver and hesitate. In addition, since they did not have a reasonable reason to act, they could temporarily suppress these former subordinates of the Prince of Xi who were trying to take action.

So, be quick!

He needs to find the real culprit as quickly as possible!
But right now, he hasn't even identified a single suspect...

Looking at Liu Shuyi's furrowed brows, Du Gou felt as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, unable to calm down.

The more he learned about the inside story of the case, the more he realized the heavy burden and pressure that Liu Shuyi was under at that moment.

But he couldn't really help Liu Shuyi...

Du Gou's teeth ached from the helplessness and anxiety.

"Master Liu!"

Just then, a familiar voice came from outside.

The two had a sudden thought and quickly went out of the room.

Then Wang Gui, who had gone to ask for a statement, walked over quickly.

Du Gou said, "County Commandant Wang, have you finished taking the confession?"

Wang Gui shook his head: "How can it be so fast? There were more than three hundred people at the inn last night. It will take at least a few more hours."

"Then what are you doing?"

Wang Gui looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "Cui Lin, the judicial officer of Bingzhou, wants to see Liu, the assistant minister."

"Cui Lin?"

Du Gou suddenly frowned.

Seeing this, Liu Shuyi asked, "Does Vice Minister Du know him?"

Du Gou nodded and said, "He is from a collateral branch of the Cui family of Qinghe. He is quite capable. He rose from a judicial officer in the lower state to a judicial officer in the central state, and finally to a judicial officer in the secondary capital, Bingzhou."

"Moreover, he has been in Bingzhou for almost four years. Given his abilities, achievements, and background, he should normally be transferred to Chang'an this year..."

"He's an official in the criminal justice system, so any transfer should be to that system. And the only vacancy in Chang'an a few days ago that was suitable for his rank in the criminal justice system was..."

Liu Shuyi's eyes flashed, and he said, "An Assistant Director of the Ministry of Justice?"

"Yes!" Du Gou nodded.

Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes: "So, you mean I took his position? Therefore, he might be resentful towards me?"

Du Gou had studied the classics since childhood and was of good character. He did not like to speak ill of others behind their backs. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Perhaps I am judging a gentleman by the standards of a petty person."

Liu Shuyi understood Du Gou's character. Du Gou would specifically remind him that he only represented this judicial officer from Bingzhou, who would inevitably harbor resentment towards him.

But thinking about it, it's understandable. If it were me, and I was about to get promoted, but then someone suddenly appeared out of nowhere and took away the position that was rightfully mine, I would be just as unhappy.

At other times, Liu Shuyi might have been in the mood to play around with him, just like he dealt with Qian Wenqing. It was a way to make an example of him and secure his position.

But now, he's pressed for time and doesn't have much time to argue with the other party.

He said, "Do you know why he wants to see me?"

Wang Gui was surprised to find that Cui Lin and Liu Shuyi had such a connection. His expression changed slightly, and he quickly bowed and said, "He did not tell me. When I asked him, he said that he had important business to discuss with Liu Shuyi and that Liu Shuyi would regret it if he did not see him."

"regret?"

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow and laughed: "In my entire life, I have never done anything I regret."

"Tell him that he is now a suspect, and to adopt the right attitude. If what he says is important and related to the case, then don't keep him in suspense, just say what you mean!"

"I am acting on His Majesty's orders to investigate this case! Anyone who conceals anything from me will be treated as an accomplice of the murderer!"

"If he dares to conceal anything, he knows what will happen to him!"

"If the important matter you're referring to is unrelated to the case, then keep it to yourself!"

Liu Shuyi's tone turned unusually cold: "I have no time to play around with him."

He was pressed for time. If he couldn't find the murderer, not only would Hebei be in chaos, but the Tang Dynasty would be in chaos, and he himself might die. So at this moment, he wouldn't tolerate anyone who crossed him.

This was the first time Wang Gui had ever seen Liu Shuyi with a cold face. He felt a chill run down his spine and his knees felt weak.

"Liu Yuanwailang's anger is truly terrifying!"

Wang Gui dared not hesitate and quickly said, "This humble official will immediately convey Liu Yuanwailang's words to Cui Canjun."

Having said that, he ran away as fast as the wind.

Watching Wang Gui's departing figure, Du Gou couldn't help but worry, saying, "By doing this, you might completely alienate us..."

Liu Shuyi laughed: "If I treat him with kindness and flattery, like a dutiful daughter-in-law, he won't blame me for taking his position?"

"This..." Du Gou shook his head and ultimately said nothing more.

Liu Shuyi said, “Du, not everyone in this world is a gentleman like you. You can’t put yourself in others’ shoes; you have to put others in your own shoes… That way, you won’t suffer losses in the future.”

"Not to mention, the fact that he used the word 'regret' to convey the message already proves his arrogant and condescending attitude."

“Even if this kind of person really wants to tell me something that will help the case, I have to warn him first and make him understand his situation. Otherwise, he will never answer me honestly.”

Du Gou understood that when it came to grasping and understanding people's hearts, he was far inferior to Liu Shuyi.

He nodded and said, "I understand, but I don't know if he really has any important clues."

"I've even invoked His Majesty's name. If he really has it, he'll send it over soon. There's no need to rush..."

Liu Shuyi had plenty of experience dealing with this kind of person, and he wasn't worried at all that this military advisor from Bingzhou, a branch of the Cui clan of Qinghe, one of the seven clans and five surnames, would dare to play any tricks on him at this time.

The moment Cui Lin spoke, he had no choice.

Now, Liu Shuyi is only thinking about one other thing.

Where was the first crime scene?
There are no more clues left in Ma Fuyuan's room.

To find more clues, we need to go to the actual location of the crime.

However, Cheng Chumo has been searching for a long time, but there's still no news...

"Master Liu..."

Just then, Cheng Chumo's loud voice suddenly came from afar.

"found it!"

The location where the murderer committed the crime has been found!

(End of this chapter)