The mind-reading coroner drove the court crazy

Ge Shu pondered for a moment and slowly said, "I've never seen him before. Yan Xiao has always been humble and willing to learn from others. He has never been so arrogant and unkempt."

[That man has a strong sense of pride in his bones, and he can't stand others being better than him. But on the surface, he still has to pretend to be a gentleman with elegant demeanor. He is extremely hypocritical and a true hypocrite.]

Qin Miaoxi caught the fleeting sarcasm in his brows and couldn't help but look at him again - the man's cuffs were embroidered with dark patterns in silver thread, and he had a coarse cloth purse tied around his waist, so it seemed that his family was not well off.

I thought to myself, is he jealous of the deceased?

Nie Kangshun, unaware of anything unusual, took over the conversation and added, "Yan Xiao is the most diligent and hardworking student in our academy. Even during his downtime, he often brings his copy of 'Chun Qiu Fan Lu' to the study to consult with the teacher and discuss writing. Last year, during the Mid-Autumn Poetry Festival, he improvised 'Ode to the Moonlit Nightingale,' and the headmaster personally inscribed his work on the screen wall of the academy."

As he spoke, he pulled out a creased piece of rice paper from his sleeve. When he unfolded it, the scent of ink still lingered. "Since arriving in Jingzhao, his works, 'On Salt and Iron' and 'Strategies for Subduing the Barbarians', have been praised by the doctors of the Imperial Academy as 'essential works for governing the world,' especially 'The Memorial to the Emperor on Leaving the Capital,' which he wrote seven years ago..."

"But what about that essay 'A wise ruler should treat the world as a chessboard, and a virtuous minister should wield the power of justice for the people?'" Liang Hongkai suddenly interrupted, hurriedly taking the rice paper and examining it. "I've seen a copy of this in the archives, and at the time I thought it was the work of a Hanlin scholar."

After reading it, he carefully returned the rice paper.

Nie Kangshun's eyes reddened as he carefully folded the rice paper. "Exactly. Yan Xiao often said that true writing can only be revealed when it is put into practical use."

Liang Hongkai's tone softened slightly, but his eyes swept over the two of them like a hawk: "Do you know if Yan Xiao has behaved abnormally recently, or if he has offended anyone?"

Nie Kangshun had calmed down considerably by this point, and whispered, "Xiao Lang is an upright man. Besides studying hard, he also discusses essays with students from all over the country. As for the most outrageous thing..."

He looked at Ge Shu hesitantly.

"The banker!" Ge Shu suddenly exclaimed, his fingers clenched white in his sleeves. "On the ninth day of the first lunar month, I saw him enter Qianjinfang with my own eyes. He used a sandalwood box to stake ten thousand taels of silver, betting that he would win first place. The shopkeeper even laughed at him, saying, 'A poor student with such arrogance,' but he actually wrote on the spot, 'I will wait until I win the first prize in the imperial examination, and I will return home after spending all my money.'"

Nie Kangshun nodded in agreement, "Apart from that, there's nothing unusual, and I haven't heard of him offending anyone."

Liang Hongkai rubbed his chin, lost in thought. After a moment, he slowly spoke, "Although this gambling incident seems to be just the result of youthful recklessness, there might be something else going on. The forces behind Qianjinfang are deeply intertwined. Perhaps Yan Xiao's bet has disrupted someone's chess game."

Ge Shu frowned slightly, a hint of uneasiness flashing in his eyes. "Your Excellency is absolutely right. The owner of Qianjinfang is not a good person. He is arrogant and might be holding a grudge against Yan Xiao for his extravagant gambling behavior."

Qin Miaoxi frowned slightly and raised her doubts, "This matter is still open to discussion. After all, the imperial examination hasn't started yet. No matter how much Yan Xiao bets, it won't have any impact on the gambling house. If they are afraid of losing a large sum of money, wouldn't it be better to wait and see?"

They looked at each other. What she said made sense. Qianjinfang was not a fool. There was no need to take action now and get into trouble for nothing.

Nie Kangshun's face showed worry, and he muttered, "Could it be that Yan Xiao's criticism of current social ills in his articles offended the powerful officials in the court, and they deliberately tricked Yan Xiao out and pushed him into the water to drown him, in order to confuse the public?"

Liang Hongkai's eyes glared, and he said in a deep voice, "It's possible. We must investigate thoroughly. Nie Kangshun, think carefully about whether Yan Xiao has been particularly close to anyone, or has he received any strange letters or invitations."

Nie Kangshun recalled for a long time and slowly shook his head: "I really can't think of it. The people around Yan Xiao are all like-minded students. I have never seen him come into contact with any mysterious people."

Ge Shu said sourly, "We're all studying inside all day, how do we know what he's doing outside? Don't forget he said that after coming to Beijing, we're competing for popularity. Studying alone is useless, and making connections is the only way to get promoted in the future. I see he hasn't studied at all these days, and has been spending all his time socializing."

Qin Miaoxi looked at the two of them. "Do you remember when Yan Xiao was sure he would win? When did he start studying instead of studying?"

Ge Shu replied firmly, "It will be after the poetry meeting on the eighth day of the first lunar month."

Nie Kangshun said: "That's right, he was acting strangely at the poetry gathering that day. We asked him what was wrong but he wouldn't tell us. The next day, on the ninth day of the lunar calendar, he went to Qianjinfang to place a bet."

Liang Hongkai's eyelids twitched, and he hurriedly asked, "What happened at the poetry gathering?"

Nie Kangshun recalled, "No, it was just an ordinary poetry gathering. However, the poetry gathering that day was originally hosted by several famous scholars in Beijing, and Yan Xiao was not originally invited. But he got the news from somewhere and squeezed in. At the poetry gathering, he was unusually active, even a little... a little flamboyant."

Ge Shu took over the conversation, his tone tinged with disdain. "It's more than just being flamboyant. He's like a completely different person. While he's usually conceited, he's not so arrogant. That day, he not only stole the spotlight from others, but he also publicly refuted the poems of several famous scholars with sharp, unrelenting words."

Qin Miaoxi frowned slightly and asked softly, "Did he mention anything special? Or, has anyone talked to him privately?"

Nie Kangshun pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh, right, Yan Xiao left the table for a while during the poetry gathering. When he came back, his face was rosy, but when I asked him what happened, he just smiled and said, 'Great things are about to happen.'"

Liang Hongkai's eyes flashed with a gleam, and he asked, "Did he mention what he was going to do after leaving the table?"

Nie Kangshun shook his head: "Yan Xiao didn't mention this."

Ge Shu snorted coldly and interrupted, "I think that person is most likely a daughter of some powerful family. Yan Xiao must have climbed up the social ladder and is getting carried away with pride."

Qin Miaoxi was curious, "Were there any women in that poetry gathering?"

Ge Shu sneered, "Yes, that poetry gathering was originally set up for the daughters of Jingzhao Prefecture to meet talented young scholars. If a young lady takes a fancy to you, you can rise to the top and become the son-in-law of a powerful family. It's really an easy win!"

Nie Kangshun hurried forward to advise: "Brother Ge, the person is gone, there is really no need to speak so sharply."

Ge Shu snorted coldly, his tone tinged with sarcasm: "Yan Xiao usually thinks highly of himself and looks down on others. Now that he has ended up like this, it can be said that he deserves it."

Upon hearing this, Nie Kangshun frowned, his tone filled with displeasure. "Brother Ge, the dead are the greatest. Although Yan Xiao was arrogant, his talent and hard work are obvious to all. Now that he has met with an unexpected tragedy, we should seek justice for him instead of being sarcastic here. It would also be a way to improve our moral character."

Ge Shu was choked by Nie Kangshun's words, his face changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and said calmly, "I'm just telling the truth. Yan Xiao's death may be related to his usual behavior."

At this moment, Qin Miaoxi and Liang Hongkai looked at each other and said, "Sir Liang, the members of the poetry club need further investigation."

"I understand." After saying this, he couldn't help but think of the corpse's horrific private parts. He raised his hand to stop the two people's quarrel and asked cryptically, "Did Yan Xiao bring his wife or maid with him when he came to Beijing this time?"

Nie Kangshun smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Of course not. We came to Kyoto alone this time, and the imperial examination is just around the corner. Who has the time to care about romantic relationships?"

The scene fell into a brief silence, and the atmosphere became increasingly solemn.

Liang Hongkai's eyes were like torches as he scanned the yamen runners before him. He said in a deep voice, "Half of you will stay and thoroughly investigate this place. Don't leave out a single clue. The rest of you will follow me to Yan Xiao's residence and seal off the area immediately. Don't let any clues go unnoticed!"

"Yes!"