How did I, a mere son-in-law lying down, become a "Fenglang Juxu" (a legendary martial art

When Liu Shan arrived at the Li family's house, he found the courtyard in chaos, and Li Jichang's body had already been laid out.

The county coroner stood by with his hands at his sides, waiting for Liu Shan to ask him questions.

Liu Shan's sharp gaze swept across the surroundings, and he asked in a deep voice, "How did Li Jichang die?"

The coroner respectfully replied, "Your Honor, the deceased did indeed die by hanging, and there are obvious ligature marks on his neck."

Liu Shan stepped forward and glanced at Li Jichang. He saw that Li Jichang's face was contorted, blood was spilling from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were wide open. He was obviously in great pain before he died.

On his neck, Liu Shan discovered a deep purple ligature mark, consistent with what the coroner had said.

Liu Shan nodded slightly and then asked, "How can we determine that it was a suicide out of fear of punishment?"

The coroner handed over the suicide note, which Liu Shan took and read carefully. The handwriting was trembling but clear. It mentioned that he had exploited the people and had realized his mistake in time, but he was ashamed of the teachings of the sages and the high expectations of the people. He felt that he was guilty and that only by dying could he find peace of mind.

Liu Shan frowned deeply. His suicide note did not specify the details of the looting, nor did it state where the looted items went.

To just commit suicide like that seems far too hasty, doesn't it?

With many doubts in his mind, Liu Shan turned to the yamen runners and said, "Immediately seize Li Jichang's property and investigate where the money went."

Then, he looked at the coroner again and asked seriously, "Was Li Jichang really a suicide?"

The coroner replied, "Sir, that is indeed the case."

Liu Shan was still uneasy. After a moment's hesitation, he ordered the coroner to test for poison with a silver needle in front of him.

The coroner performed the procedure in accordance with the law, and the silver needles did not change color.

Liu Shan felt somewhat relieved, but still felt something was amiss, so he ordered the coroner to examine the neck marks again to determine if there were any signs of external force involved.

After careful examination, the coroner confirmed that the ligature marks were of uniform depth, indicating that it was indeed caused by hanging.

Even so, Liu Shan was still not satisfied. He swept his gaze across the constables and asked, "Does Li Jichang have any family members present? If so, summon them for questioning immediately."

A constable replied, "Sir, Li Jichang is all alone, with no relatives by his side, and he rarely has any friends or relatives visiting him."

Liu Shan sighed. Now that the cause of death is clear and the case is well-documented, it is time to close the case and let Li Jichang rest in peace as soon as possible.

However, Liu Shan was extremely cautious, fearing that the slightest mistake might occur.

The reason is simple: Li Jichang's identity is too special.

He was intelligent and studious from a young age, excelling in both character and academics. At the age of sixteen, he passed the imperial examination and became a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level imperial examination). At twenty-three, he passed the provincial-level imperial examination and became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) at twenty-six. Now, at twenty-seven, he is a true young talent with a bright future ahead of him.

Moreover, shortly after Liu Xinian was dismissed from his post, he became a candidate magistrate of Jinhua County.

He has not yet officially taken office due to his lack of experience.

How could someone so young and promising suddenly commit suicide?

Liu Shan became increasingly suspicious. Li Jichang was a man of great talent and had a bright future. Why would he commit suicide so easily out of fear of punishment?

Moreover, the reason for the suicide was actually the exploitation of the people?

What kind of greed must he have had to give up a promising future to scramble for meager wealth?

However, these are not the key reasons why Liu Shan was so cautious.

The key lies in Li Jichang's identity: a candidate for magistrate of Jinhua County.

If nothing unexpected happens, Li Jichang will soon officially take over as county magistrate.

The problem is that Liu Shan, as the assistant magistrate of Jinhua County, is also qualified to succeed the county magistrate...

Thus, from an outsider's perspective, Liu Shan was the biggest beneficiary of Li Jichang's death.

Therefore, Liu Shan had to act cautiously to avoid giving others cause for criticism.

Moreover, he would be better off quickly turning this case into an airtight case in order to clear himself of suspicion.

Thinking of this, Liu Shan took a deep breath and ordered, "Later, go and invite the coroner from the neighboring county to conduct a re-examination. If it is indeed suicide, record the details of the case and report it to the prefectural government tomorrow."

The constables obeyed and left.

Before leaving, Liu Shan glanced at Li Jichang's corpse and sighed inwardly: What a pity.

At night, Liu Shan lay in bed, tossing and turning.

The results of Li Jichang's re-examination are in, confirming that it was indeed a suicide.

Despite some lingering doubts, Liu Shan placed more faith in the judgment of professionals.

However, that lingering doubt remained in my mind, refusing to dissipate.

"Heh~"

Liu Shan chuckled softly, realizing he was being delusional. When had he become so suspicious?

Could it be the time at the blacksmith shop?

Or is it the backstabbing and intrigue within the officialdom of Cangzhou?

In short, Liu Shan felt that he had changed and was no longer the straightforward boxer he had been in his previous life.

In his past life, no matter what kind of conspiracy or trickery he faced, he always used his fists as a shield and his strength to break through the situation, never hesitating to think twice before acting.

Back then, a pair of iron fists were enough to make an enemy bleed from the mouth and nose, unlike now...

and many more!

Liu Shan sat up abruptly, his mind racing. A thought flashed through his mind: Li Jichang did not commit suicide!

It was very likely a meticulously planned murder!

If he remembered correctly, blood trickled from the corner of Li Jichang's mouth after he died, but people who actually hang themselves don't have blood trickling from their mouths, which is clearly a sign of poisoning.

The problem is, why didn't the coroner find anything unusual when he used a silver needle to test for poison in front of him?

Could the coroner have been bribed as well?

It's possible, but silver needles are absolutely impossible to fake. The only two poisons in the Xia Dynasty that could quickly kill a person were arsenic and Gelsemium elegans, and both of these could be detected by silver needles.

With a sudden thought, Liu Shan quickly put on his clothes and got up, deciding to go to the county government office to examine the body again in person.

Moreover, to be absolutely certain, he brought along his attendant, Tian Fugui.

The night was as dark as ink. Liu Shan and Tian Fugui rushed to the county government office, pushed open the door of the morgue, and were met with a blast of cold wind.

Liu Shan, with his sharp eyes, carefully examined Li Jichang's body and indeed found unusual bloodstains at the corners of his mouth.

He ordered Tian Fugui to take out a silver needle and carefully examine it for poison.

A moment later, Tian Fugui put away the silver needles and said with a solemn expression, "Sir, the silver needles have not changed at all. Li Jichang did not die from poisoning."

Liu Shan nodded solemnly, but his doubts grew. He asked, "If it wasn't poisoning, where did the bloodstains come from?"

After a moment's thought, Tian Fugui replied, "Sir, hanging is also known as strangulation. A small number of people who hang themselves will bleed from the corners of their mouths due to ruptured blood vessels in their throats. Although this phenomenon is rare, it does occur."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shan frowned, his doubts still lingering. He then ordered Tian Fugui to examine the corpse's neck, carefully scrutinizing the strangulation marks to determine if there were any signs of external force.

This time, Tian Fugui quickly provided an answer: "Sir, the marks on Li Jichang's head are of varying depths, not from hanging."

Liu Shan was startled and hurriedly asked, "Is the evidence conclusive?"

Tian Fugui nodded and said, "The evidence is conclusive. Not only that, I also found that Li Jichang had multiple fractures in his sternum, which were obviously caused by a severe blow before his death. Based on this, it can be inferred that the blood at the corner of his mouth was most likely caused by internal bleeding from the fractures, rather than by hanging."

Liu Shan's face turned ashen. He deduced that both coroners from earlier that day had lied to him, concealing the true cause of Li Jichang's death.