Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

Shi Xing replied: "It has been so long that I can no longer remember where I put it."

Chen Shao: "You can't remember clearly, or you don't dare to take it out?"

Shi Xing was terrified: "My Lord, if you investigate the case, I will never dare to hide anything."

"I can't find the butcher knife, so is the injury just a coincidence?" Chen Shao sneered.

Shi Xing was still terrified, "I am a teacher at the academy, saving people is my duty."

Chen Shao said calmly: "Since it is natural, then tell me about the time you drugged the horse."

"Your Excellency is wise," Shi Xing kowtowed, "I have never drugged any horse."

"Before Sun Chengyi practiced horse archery," Chen Shao looked at him, "you were the only one who touched that horse!"

Shi Xing kowtowed and said, "When I was washing clothes by the stream, I did run into Sun Chengyi, who was leading his horse to give him water, and I did speak to him a few words, but I never drugged the horse."

Chen Shao questioned: "The veterinarian in the academy has found out that the horse was drugged before it went crazy, and no one touched the horse except you before it went crazy. You said it wasn't you, so who was it?"

Shi Xing said: "I don't know, but I am definitely not a villain."

I already knew that without solid evidence, he would not easily confess. Chen Shao looked at him quietly for a few breaths, then asked, "Where is the account book of the horse farm?"

Shi Xing apologized, "I borrowed the horse farm's account book to calculate how much I have spent on renting horses over the years, and whether the money is enough to buy a good horse. If it is enough, I will just buy a horse. It is always inconvenient to keep renting horses like this."

Chen Shao reminded: "That's not what you said when you went to get the account book from Manager Xia."

Shi Xing knelt down and turned around to apologize to Xia Biao, saying, "I was too mean-spirited. I was worried that Manager Xia would not lend me the account book, so I lied and said that the academy needed it. I hope Manager Xia will be magnanimous and not hold it against me."

Xia Biao quickly avoided his courtesy and looked at Chen Shao for help.

Chen Shao picked up the gavel and knocked twice, "Where is the account book?"

Shi Xing stammered, "I accidentally lost the account book."

Chen Shao sneered, "I can't remember where I put the butcher knife, I accidentally rubbed my right hand to a bloody mess while saving someone, and I accidentally lost the account book... Well, let's just assume that there are so many coincidences in the world, then what about the time you rented the horse?"

"Sir, I have something to say!" Liu Deming suddenly stood up and looked at Shi Xing and said, "In the afternoon, on the way to Qingshui Town, I discussed with Sun Qi and others that Master Shi did have a scar on his right thumb! If Master Shi denies it, I am willing to go back to the academy and gather other students to testify!"

Shi Xing seemed to have not expected Liu Deming to stand up and testify against him. He looked up at him in surprise and said sadly, "I have scars not only on my right thumb, but also on other fingers of my right hand and the fingers of my left hand."

As he spoke, he tremblingly stretched out his uninjured left hand and said, "These injuries were inflicted when I was helping them or the villagers with their work. If you don't believe me, you can send someone to check it out."

Liu Deming was speechless again for a moment.

Chen Shao looked at him with a little pity, then looked at Shi Xing's outstretched hand. His hand was indeed covered with many wounds. If he was not a murderer, and he did not help those lonely people to select his targets, then she would definitely admire him. Unfortunately, he was not only a murderer, but also helped others for other purposes.

Chen Shao frowned and shouted, "Answer my question!"

Shi Xing said helplessly: "Your Excellency is wise, and I don't know why the murderer always kills people on the day I rent a horse."

Chen Shao said coldly: "So, you are innocent?"

Shi Xing said: "I really didn't kill anyone."

"Okay." Chen Shao slammed the gavel hard. "It was a coincidence that the murderer killed you on the day you rented the carriage. It was also a coincidence that he killed people in the villages and towns you visited on that day?"

Shi Xing's body tensed slightly, "I don't know."

"Don't know?" Chen Shao leaned back in his chair and said slowly, "You said you don't remember the cases from a few years ago, so I can believe you for now. The six cases that happened this year all happened on the day you rented the carriage, and they happened to be the villages and towns you visited. It's impossible for you not to remember them. Then tell me when you rented the carriage, when you went to those villages, which family you went to, what you did, when you left, where you went after you left, and who you met."

Shi Xing's body tensed up again, "Villain..."

"Don't say you don't remember. It's impossible for anyone to not remember such a coincidence." Chen Shao interrupted him and said calmly, "If you say you don't remember, then I can only conclude that you are the murderer! I am the Minister of the Dali Temple. I don't need to send you to the capital for retrial. I can just execute you by slow slicing. So, you'd better think it over before answering."

Shi Xing's fingers slowly curled into fists.

"Let's talk about May 16th first." Chen Shao ordered.

Shi Xing was silent for a long time before he slowly spoke, "At the beginning of the morning on May 16th, I rented a horse from Manager Xia's stable. After replacing the old donkey, I drove the carriage to Zhao Cong's home in Zhaojia Village. Zhao Cong..."

"What time do you want to arrive at Zhao Cong's house? Tell me clearly. By the way, I want to remind you," Chen Shao said coldly, "I have arranged for people to go to these villages to collect evidence, so you'd better not lie."

Shi Xing clenched his fists tighter and tighter. "It was noon when we arrived at Zhaojia Village. After helping Zhao Cong feed his chickens, ducks, and sheep, I helped them weed two plots of land and picked about three days' worth of vegetables for them. At two o'clock in the afternoon, I left Zhaojia Village and went..."

Shi Xing couldn't answer for a long time where he went.

Chen Shao took the gavel and knocked gently on the table again and again without saying anything to urge him.

"After leaving Zhaojia Village, I went to..." Shi Xing hesitated, "to Dafeng River to relax."

Chen Shao smiled and said, "Go on."

Shi Xing's forehead was covered with sweat, but he didn't dare to wipe it off. Chen Shao was young, and he didn't speak harshly, but it was this gentleness that made him feel more and more uncomfortable as the confrontation lasted longer. After organizing his thoughts, he continued, "I was relaxing at Dafeng River until 3 p.m., when it suddenly started to rain. The rain got heavier and heavier, so I had to find a big tree to shelter from the rain. The rain didn't stop for a long time, and I fell asleep without realizing it. When I woke up, it was the next morning. I hurried back, returned the horse to Shopkeeper Xia, and went back to the academy."

"Okay." Chen Shao picked up the pen and wrote down the time node he mentioned, then gestured, "Let's go on to April 29th."

Shi Xing thought and said, "On April 29th, I also rented a horse from Manager Xia's horse farm at the beginning of the Chen hour. After replacing the old donkey, I went to Xiaochang Village. I arrived at Xiaochang Village half past the Chen hour. I went to Xiaochang Village to take care of Uncle Zhou. After chopping wood and carrying water for Uncle Zhou, I worked in the fields for half a day and did not leave until after dinner. When I left, it was the end of the You hour. I originally planned to go directly back to the academy, but halfway through the journey, I remembered that I had not washed Uncle Zhou's clothes. It was already late, and I did not want to disturb Uncle Zhou, so I stopped the carriage on the road and rested for the night. The next day..."

He got stuck again.