Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

Zhang Boshan respectfully led a group of officials to stand in the middle of the hall, and bowed again, saying: "Young Master, you have been tired on the journey. I have prepared a bed in the back house. Please come in and rest."

Regardless of whether he came here really to investigate the case or for some other purpose, it would always be right to settle the person down and serve him well with food and drink first.

"Don't worry." Chen Zhao looked at his slightly lowered eyes and asked slowly, "I came here to investigate the serial murders that have occurred every few years over the past decade. It has been several months since the first case this year. I wonder what Sir Zhang has found?"

"This..." Are you really here to investigate the case? Zhang Boshan looked at him with a puzzled look, then bowed and replied, "Sir, please check. When the case first broke out eleven years ago, Lord Li worked day and night to investigate for four or five years but didn't find anything. This humble official has only been investigating for less than half a year..."

Chen Zhao picked up the gavel and knocked twice. "So, you haven't found any clues yet?"

Zhang Boshan lowered his head and said, "It's not that I don't want to find out. It's just that the criminal is too elusive. No matter how hard I try, I can't find any trace of him."

Chen Zhao looked at him nonchalantly and said, "Tell me how Lord Zhang pursued and intercepted us."

"This……"

"I'm new here and I'm still unfamiliar with Hongyuan County. How I investigate will depend on Lord Zhang's experience in investigation." Chen Zhao said calmly, "I hope Lord Zhang won't hide anything."

Such soft tactics in public but hard tactics in private, leaving him no way out at all, made Zhang Boshan break out in a cold sweat.

Although Hongyuan County was a lower county, he was still an official of the fourth rank. The hard work of investigating a case could be handed over to the judicial department, so there was no need for him to run around in person.

But Chen Zhao's official position was higher than his and he deliberately wanted to make things difficult for him, so he had no choice but to submit.

After wiping his forehead with his wet sleeve, Zhang Boshan said anxiously, "It has been raining heavily recently, which has made the investigation very difficult. I can only arrange pursuit and interception on every road in the village where the crime occurred. The only clues I have found so far are the place where the deceased was found, the identity of the deceased, and the testimony of his family."

Chen Zhao waited for a moment before asking, "No more?"

"It's raining too hard, and I don't have any other options..." Facing Chen Zhaoqing's cold eyes, Zhang Boshan awkwardly changed his words and said, "That's all for now, and the rest is still under investigation."

Chen Zhao looked at him quietly for a few seconds, then glanced at the others, "Where is the judicial officer?"

Ding Lisheng stepped forward tremblingly, bowed with difficulty and said, "I am Ding Lisheng, your humble servant, and I greet you, young master."

Chen Zhao looked at his fat head, big ears and big belly and asked uncertainly, "Lord Ding, the judicial officer?"

Ding Lisheng immediately said, "I'm here."

Chen Zhao looked at his big belly again uncertainly, "What does Lord Ding think about this murder case?"

Ding Lisheng quickly shook his head: "No."

Chen Zhao raised his voice slightly: "No?"

Ding Lisheng said anxiously, "I am a stupid official. If you have any orders, please tell me."

Chen Zhao stared at him for a long while, "Then please trouble Lord Ding to get the case file for me."

"Case report..." Ding Lisheng raised his head cautiously, "The case is not yet fully investigated, and we have to write a case report?"

Chen Zhao said calmly: "Then bring me the corpse form."

"Corpse, corpse list..." Ding Lisheng secretly looked at Zhang Boshan, looking for help.

Zhang Boshan quickly turned his head to the other side to distance himself from him.

Chen Zhao glanced at Zhang Boshan, then looked back at him: "Neither?"

Ding Lisheng knelt on the ground trembling, "Yes, but it's raining so hard, do you want to go and rest first..."

Chen Zhao interrupted him, "Chan Yi, give the umbrella to Lord Ding."

Chan Yi agreed, and came over with an umbrella in her hand. As she handed it to him, she said, "This umbrella is our young master's favorite. Lord Ding, please be careful not to get it dirty or damaged."

Ding Lisheng didn't dare to answer. He knelt down twice, holding his stomach tightly, and said in a tearful voice, "Please forgive me, sir. I know I was wrong. I will write it right away."

"There is no case file, and there is no body form. I think Lord Ding is familiar with the case." Chen Zhao said unmoved, "May I ask Lord Ding, when did the first case of this year happen? Who was the victim? Who was the first to discover it?"

"Yes, yes, yes..." After a long while without any result, Ding Lisheng tightened his stomach again and kowtowed, "This subordinate deserves death. This subordinate will write it right away."

Chen Zhao turned his eyes to look at the others. After seeing everyone lower their heads, he retracted his gaze and asked nonchalantly, "It's raining so hard, can Lord Ding hold the pen?"

Ding Lisheng cried, "I can lift it, I can lift it."

"Okay." Chen Zhao picked up the gavel again and tapped the table. "What are the names of the victims, how old are they, where do they live, who is in the house, who did they have a conflict with, who was the first to find the body, what the body looked like, were there other people nearby when the body was found, etc. We need to find out everything before dark tomorrow. Can you do it?"

Ding Lisheng nodded repeatedly and said yes.

"Thank you for your hard work, Lord Ding." Chen Zhao stood up, took the umbrella handed to him by Chan Yi, and walked towards the back house.

Zhang Boshan quickly followed and respectfully led the way.

"Oh my God, we have to investigate all five cases before dark tomorrow. It's raining so hard, how can we survive?" As he heard the footsteps fade away, Ding Lisheng immediately stopped being so timid and sat on the ground, crying and shouting, "It's obvious that they are asking me to die."

People who had or had no grudges against Ding Lisheng all sighed with sympathy.

Young Master Chen Liu's power is really too ruthless.

They have just arrived in Hongyuan County, but they are not even given a chance to catch their breath. Instead, they are being so aggressive. Isn't he afraid that they will secretly make things difficult for him and prevent him from solving the case?

Even a strong dragon cannot defeat a local snake, let alone a young boy who hasn't even grown all his hair.

You really don't know the rules!

But when he took a look at the imperial guards in green cloaks and black armor standing outside the door in groups of three or four, he suddenly felt fortunate that he was not using them to establish his power.

The green cloak and black armor are the unique attire of the emperor's most trusted personal guards.

The emperor asked his personal guards to escort him all the way, which shows how much he values ​​him.

After all, he is just a young man with no talent. With such a big support, he does not remove one or two people to make an example of them, but only uses it to establish his authority. It is really a waste.

Thinking of this, everyone immediately comforted Ding Lisheng with a few words, either intentionally or unintentionally, and then quickly dispersed.

Ding Lisheng did not write a corpse form, and they also had a lot of official business that had been delayed. Who knows if that guy is just trying to establish his authority today and will kill a chicken to scare the monkeys tomorrow? It is better to clear up all the backlog of official business before he takes action.

While everyone was busy dealing with the chronic problems, Chen Zhao, under the guidance of Zhang Boshan, also arrived at Chengfeng Courtyard in the back house.

"This Chengfeng Courtyard is the largest and best courtyard in the rear quarters of the prefect's mansion. Although we didn't know you would be coming, we have sent people to clean and prepare it. Please take a look first. If you need anything, just let me know and I will arrange for someone to prepare it." Zhang Boshan bowed slightly and said in a rather flattering manner.

Chen Zhao glanced at the exotic flowers and trees and the rockery and flowing water in the garden and said calmly, "That's it."

Zhang Boshan's heart was relieved. "My lord, you must have traveled a long way. Please go inside and rest for a while. I will come back to bother you when the people who went to Juxian Tower to prepare the banquet come back."

"No need for a banquet." Chen Zhao closed his umbrella and went into the corridor, then turned back to look at him, "I'm here to investigate the case, not to enjoy myself. If Lord Zhang is really interested, then go and urge Lord Ding to write the case file for me as soon as possible."

"I'll go right away." Zhang Boshan bowed awkwardly and turned to the Judicial Department.

Chan Yi followed him out and watched him walk away from the door. She still worriedly asked Fu Jiu to stay outside while she quickly went into the house and checked it inside and out before coming out and saying, "Although it's not as clean as the Duke's Mansion, it's still clean."

Chen Zhao withdrew his gaze from the increasingly heavy rain and ordered her, "Bring the case file to me."

Chan Yi called Fu Jiu and asked him to drive the carriage over. She then said coquettishly, "Although investigating the case is important, you have been traveling for twenty days. Aren't you tired, young lady?"

Chen Zhao glanced at her calmly and said, "When you are out, never let your guard down."

Chan Yi said crisply, "I understand, sir."

Chen Zhao said "hmm", went into the room and sat down behind the desk. He scanned the layout of the room, but his mind was unconsciously empty.