Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

The uninformed people thought that Tongchun Hall was going to be closed down again, and in a short while, they surrounded the area tightly.

It was under such circumstances that Shopkeeper Zhou, shouting "Make way, make way" all the way, delivered the food to Chen Shao.

Chan Yi took Chen Shao's portion of food, arranged it in the carriage, and then went downstairs with the waiters from Xianjulou to distribute the rest of the food one by one. "Before they come out, eat it all in the shade. When you come back in the evening, Master will reward everyone."

The yamen runners and some of the imperial guards hid under the eaves or in the shade of trees.

Xu Guang, Li Tianliu and the remaining Yulin Guards were still guarding around Chen Shao's carriage.

After dinner, when the yamen runners and imperial guards returned to their teams, the shopkeeper, the two doctors from before, two other doctors in their sixties, and the accountant came out. The shopkeeper respectfully handed over the Tongchuntang's patient registration book, stepped back half a step, and introduced: "They are the insiders."

Chen Shao glanced at the people who came later and said calmly, "Get in the car, it's time to set off."

The shopkeeper took a few people to the back.

The convoy moved and the onlookers quickly made way for the road being blocked.

Chen Shao flipped open the patient registration book and found the record of the patient's visit to the Imperial College. After carefully reading the column recording the patient's condition, he handed it to Chan Yi and said, "It is indeed the symptom of poisoning by the golden silkworm poison."

Chan Yi looked through it and said, "Golden silkworms are rare. Let's see how he can deny it this time."

"Since the shopkeeper of Tongchun Hall said that he forced the golden silkworm to be bought and raised," Chen Shao instructed, "when you come back later, take Madam Gao to the academy to see if the golden silkworm is still alive."

Chan Yi agreed.

Xue Meilan's tomb is located at the foot of Wu'an Mountain, near a depression in the Dafeng River. After the convoy stopped at the foot of Wu'an Mountain, Mrs. Gao and Chen Shao searched for a long time before they found the tomb that was washed away by the river and then buried again by mud and sand.

Xu Guang walked around the grave and said, "After being washed away by the water like this, I don't know if the coffin can be saved."

Chen Shao said: "Let's dig it up and take a look."

Mud and sand are easier to dig than soil. The yamen runners and the imperial guards stepped forward, threw the pebbles on the grave aside, and dug out the coffin in a short while.

Fortunately, the coffin was still intact.

A few brave Yulin guards pried open the lid of the coffin, pushed it aside, and said, "There is no talisman paper or black donkey hoof in here."

Xu Guang followed Chen Shao forward, looked at the swarm of ants in the coffin and said, "If we hadn't come, this coffin would have rotted away in less than three months."

As he said this, he squatted down, wrapped his trouser legs tightly and was about to enter the coffin. Chan Yi pulled him back and said seriously, "Wait a minute, this is a poisonous ant."

Chen Shao glanced around and told the Yulin Guards nearby, "Go cut down a few small trees, just enough to pry open the coffin."

After the Yulin Guards cut down the tree, Chen Shao instructed them to pry the mud and sand out of the coffin and pour out the body inside. After the ants had dispersed, they stepped forward to pick up the two ribs.

The bones in the cross section of the ribs were black and uniform in color. Just like the two corpses found on Anshan Mountain, they were all poisoned before death.

He glanced around, and then at the coffin. The coffin was no longer usable, so he dug it up and buried it on the spot. If there was another flood, it would be easily washed away. After thinking for a moment, Chen Shao simply ordered: "Collect all these bones and take them back!"

If Luo Zhengxin continues to make excuses, he can use these bones and the glutinous rice that he had collected earlier to conduct poison experiments.

After returning to the county town, when passing by the academy, Chen Shao asked Xu Guang to stop the carriage and said, "Take Madam Gao to the academy now. Whether you can find the golden silkworm or not, return to the prefectural government as soon as possible."

After Chan Yi got off the carriage, she reminded him again: "No matter who comes to you for something, just ignore them."

After Chan Yi agreed, Chen Shao was still worried and continued to instruct the Yu Lin guards who followed her, "If someone forcibly stops us, don't worry about the consequences. If warnings are ineffective, we will teach them a lesson or arrest them if necessary."

After the Imperial Guards also agreed, Chen Shao watched them enter the gate of the Imperial College, then he looked away and signaled Xu Guang: "Let's go."

When the carriage started moving, Chen Shao was about to ask Li Tianliu to send someone to invite Mr. Fan Er and Mr. Fan San, but when he met his inquiring gaze, he asked inexplicably, "What's the matter?"

"It's okay." Li Tianliu looked away. After a while, he couldn't help but look over again. After looking her up and down twice, he winked and said, "Have you taken Chan Yi into the room?"

Chen Shao looked at him silently for a while, "Do you have any objection?"

"I don't have any opinions," Li Tianliu looked at her twice again and said slowly, "It's just that Mr. Chen has just recovered from his old illness, so he must take care of himself."

"Thank you for your concern." Chen Shao said calmly, "Is there anything else? If not, then quickly send two people to the Fan family to invite Mr. Fan Er and Mr. Fan San to the prefect's residence."

Li Tianliu beckoned over two Yulin guards, and after telling them what she had said, he looked over again and asked nonchalantly, "When did you receive him into the room? Why didn't you offer me a drink?"

Chen Shao’s answer was to put down the Xiangfei bamboo curtain.

Li Tianliu said in amazement: "You're still shy, interesting."

Chen Shao ignored him.

When we returned to the prefectural mansion, it was not yet completely dark.

Chen Shao did not even bother to go back to Chengfeng Courtyard to clean up, and went straight to the second hall. He asked Xu Guang to put the talisman paper, black donkey hooves, and glutinous rice on the table, and then took out the Tongchun Hall's medical registration book.

The first person to come was Ding Lisheng.

Ding Lisheng entered the second hall, glanced at the shopkeeper and doctor of Tongchun Hall, and then glanced at the talisman paper and other items on the table. He quickly walked to the center of the hall, bowed respectfully, handed the petition he brought to Li Tianliu, and then said, "Sir, under the urging of this official, the noble families such as the Gu family, the Zhu family, the Fan family, and the Qi family replied that they can prepare the remaining coffins as soon as possible, but it will still take a month to prepare them all."

Chen Shao looked at him twice: "What about you?"

"This subordinate..." Ding Lisheng hesitated for a while before answering nervously, "This subordinate asked the coffin shops in the county town one by one this afternoon. It will take them nearly a month to prepare nearly a hundred coffins."

"Really?" Chen Shao raised his eyes from the petition he handed over and glanced at him calmly, "If that's the case, you don't have to worry about it. I'll figure it out myself."

"How about," Ding Lisheng hesitated, "I should go and urge them again, or think of other ways?"

"No need." Chen Shao said calmly, "You've been busy all day and haven't come up with a proper solution. It's useless to urge them or think of other solutions. You're just wasting time!"

Ding Lisheng's face turned pale.

When Master Fan Er and Master Fan San, who came with the Yulin Guards, heard her words, they all stopped.