Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

In the feudal society ruled by Confucian culture, if you want to go to school or become an official, the background check is more stringent than in modern times. Zhao Ren's family starved the elderly to death, which was a crime punishable by death, but he was still able to pass the imperial examination?

Thinking about the inaction of Zhang Boshan, Zhang Lisheng and others, Chen Shao's mood suddenly became complicated: the Chen Guogong Mansion almost perished to protect this country, but they were like termites, biting away the only flesh and blood of this country bit by bit, how sad! Ridiculous!

Muramasa felt the coldness coming from her and didn't dare to speak again.

Chen Shao closed his eyes slightly and forced his attention to the current case: since the murderer chose the thatched cottage where the old man lived as the place to kill, it is impossible that he did not know that the two brothers Zhao Jianshu and Zhao Jianshan had starved their father to death, but the murderer did not kill any of the two brothers. This further proved that the murderer did not kill to "punish evil and promote good", but had other motives!

But what was the motive? After investigating several villages and towns involved in the case, Chen Shao still had no clue.

After asking Muramasa to tell the villagers the consequences of not reporting the crime, and asking Muramasa to lead the way to the place where Mani's body was dumped, Chen Shao returned to the thatched cottage. He checked every corner and made sure that the murderer had not left any clues, and then returned to the prefect's mansion.

Zhang Boshan, who had received the news, had already returned to the prefectural government and was waiting.

This time he learned his lesson and did not wait at the gate of the prefect's mansion, but waited directly outside Chengfeng Courtyard.

Chen Shao first went back to his room to wash off the odor on his body, then changed into new clothes, drank half a cup of tea, and rested for half an hour before calling Zhang Boshan in and asking, "Have you finished your inspection?"

Zhang Boshan bent his waist slightly and said with great insight: "It will be done soon. We will finish it with one more patrol tomorrow."

Chen Shao said, "After the first round of patrol, we will start the second round. We can't relax until the murderer is brought to justice."

Zhang Boshan was about to show a bitter face, but Chen Shao gave him a sharp look. He immediately raised his eyebrows and said, "That's what I was thinking too."

Chen Shao snorted, looked at him, then at Ding Lisheng, and asked Chan Yi to take out the list provided by Lao Zhou and Zhao Liangzhu and hand it to Ding Lisheng, then said, "Take a copy and bring it back to me later."

Ding Lisheng took it and wanted to leave, but Chen Shao stopped him, "Don't be in a hurry, listen to me. No matter what method you use, please invite the people on these two lists to the prefectural governor's mansion before June 1st."

Ding Lisheng's face fell instantly. Chen Shao asked slowly, "What's the matter? Is there a problem?"

Ding Lisheng's fat face trembled twice, and he quickly smiled and said, "Don't worry, sir, I will definitely invite everyone here."

Chen Shao: "Then go ahead."

After Ding Lisheng left, Chen Shao looked at Zhang Boshan again. Zhang Boshan lowered his head quickly. Chen Shao was amused by his actions, and asked Chan Yi to bring the tree knot that Lao Zhou had tied to him. Without waiting for him to show a bitter face, he ordered sternly: "Go to the goods store tomorrow to find their shopkeeper and ask them to register a list of people who can tie this knot and give it to me. Also, issue a notice that before June 1st, anyone who can tie this knot should voluntarily come to the prefectural governor's office to register. People who know how to tie this knot can supervise those who can tie this knot. If they don't come to register by the time, they can report to the prefectural governor's office. If the report is successful, each person can receive a reward of ten taels of silver."

This job was simple, Zhang Boshan said with a smile: "Then the patrol of the village..."

Chen Shao asked back: "Will these two things take up a lot of your time?"

Zhang Boshan quickly shook his head.

Knowing that he couldn't show him a good face, Chen Shao deliberately put on a stern face: "I'll say it again, from now on, if there is another case, you will no longer be the governor! Whether you want to continue patrolling the village is up to you!"

Zhang Boshan's face turned pale, "Young Master..."

Chen Shao said coldly: "Get out!"

Zhang Boshan wanted to say something, but when he saw the coldness on her face, he quickly swallowed his words and left obediently. After leaving Chengfeng Courtyard, he sighed and fell.

It was a rare night of peaceful rest.

The next morning, after Chen Shao had finished breakfast and had just instructed Fu Jiu to bring in the pebbles and bloody footprints, Zhao Qiang arrived.

After handing her the results of the investigation, Zhao Qiang said, "We have already checked everything, and no problems have been found so far."

After reading the written survey results, Chen Shao handed over another piece of paper and said, "I have to trouble you again."

Zhao Qiang took it and saw that there were only two names, one of which was the accountant of Rongfa Commercial Bank, so he asked, "Is it the same as before?"

Chen Shao nodded, "Same."

Zhao Qiang was about to leave when Chen Shao suddenly stopped him and asked, "Which pastry shops sell pastries made from ground rice?"

"Rice cake?" Zhao Qiang asked. Seeing Chen Shao nod, he said, "I think cake shops sell them."

Chen Shao asked, "Are there many people buying this kind of rice cake?"

Zhao Qiang said: "It should be quite a lot."

After Chen Shao said, "I know," Zhao Qiang saw that she had no other instructions, so he left.

Fu Jiu brought the pebbles into the house and placed them one by one on the coffee table in the hall according to Chen Shao's instructions. He also brought in the bloody footprints and placed them one by one under the coffee table. Afterwards, Chen Shao instructed him and Chan Yi to hang the rope with the case files in the hall and also bring out the desk in the study.

It was that time of the morning when the sun was mild and bright.

Chen Shao held a pebble and stood under the eaves at the door, using the light to look at the fingerprints on the pebble. The fingerprints on the pebble should have been left by the murderer when he was selecting the stone to stuff into the victim's stomach. There was a thumbprint of the right hand on the front of the pebble, and several other fingerprints on the back, but compared to the thumbprint, the fingerprints on the back were not very clear.

In the sunlight, the scar on the thumb that crosses the fingerprint becomes clearer.

Such a long scar...

What kind of job, or what kind of action, would cause accidental injury to this area?

Chen Shao looked at her hands. She had many small wounds on her hands before. During the two years she studied with Chen Zhao in the capital, she no longer had to go up the mountain to collect herbs, nor was she forced by Huiyin to practice martial arts. Her hands gradually healed.

Calling Fu Jiu down from the tree, Chen Shao handed him the pebble and said, "Go and study how to leave such a scar on your right thumb."

Fu Jiu took the stone and flew up the tree again. Chen Shao reminded her, "I'm only asking you to study it, not to cut your own finger."

Fu Jiu took out the dagger and was about to test it, but then she quietly put the dagger back into her sleeve.

Li Tianliu, who had climbed two floors higher than him, saw this and chuckled playfully.

Fu Jiu threw the pebble at him and said, "I have nothing to do, so take a look."

Li Tianliu said, "It's none of my business," but he still reached out and took the pebble. Fu Jiu jumped down from the tree and went back to the house to find Chen Shao and get another pebble.

While the two of them were bickering and arguing about the formation of scars, Chen Shao and Chan Yi had already carried a bloody footprint under the eaves and were observing the bloody footprint in the sunlight.

It was dark the day before yesterday, and I could only see the size of the bloody footprints, and the lines on the footprints were not very clear. Now facing the sunlight, the lines instantly became clear.

Chan Yi said, "The soles seem to be woven with hemp thread, and they are woven very tightly. They must be expensive."