Chapter 113: The Case of Matricide
Yue Huai smiled, looked at the others in the inn who were still fast asleep, and spoke.
"This place will definitely be sealed off by the yamen runners tomorrow, so we'd better get going again."
Jingwu nodded in agreement upon hearing this, then suddenly looked up as if he had thought of something: "We must send these three souls to the underworld."
"really."
After Yue Huai responded, he took out his Qiankun bag and released the three fragments of soul.
The souls of the two children were translucent, pure and flawless, untouched by any karma.
Meanwhile, the spirits beside them had already been corrupted by the formation and were filled with yin energy.
Jingwu and Yuehuai sat cross-legged and chanted the Rebirth Mantra together to help the three people pass on to the afterlife.
Then, Jingwu opened the Gate of Hell and sent all three of them to the underworld.
After all that commotion, the sky began to brighten.
Since Jingwu figured he couldn't sleep anyway, he decided to go downstairs to find something to eat.
Just then, the waiter was sitting at the counter, dozing off. She went up to him and knocked on the counter.
Xiao Er suddenly woke up with a start, looking at the person in front of him with sleepy eyes.
"Young lady, is there anything I can help you with?"
Jingwu named a few dishes and then sat down on the stool.
Although the waiter was unhappy with the man for coming to find food before dawn, the manager had instructed them that they must satisfy any needs the guests might have that night.
He rubbed his eyes as he woke up the chef and told her the names of the guests' dishes.
Jingwu sat in the chair and soon the dishes were served.
She picked up the soy milk and sipped it slowly, then picked up a steamed bun and started eating.
She glanced at the time outside, calculated the time, and finished her breakfast before the yamen runners arrived.
Just as Jingwu put down his chopsticks, a large group of yamen runners walked in.
The magistrate followed behind. He saw the girl sitting there, nodded kindly, and then ordered his constables to take control of all the workers in the shop.
He had just brought Fang Yushu and Zhao Peng back to the county government office and interrogated them overnight.
As soon as it was light, they quickly led their men to search the area.
The constables knocked on the doors of each room, and many guests came out in great dissatisfaction, ready to unleash their fury. But when they saw that it was the government officials, they suppressed their anger.
Upon hearing the noise, Shao Chengrui immediately got up, dressed, and went outside. When he saw his cousin sitting below with several constables surrounding her, he became anxious, fearing that the constables had made a mistake and arrested her.
"That's my sister, she's only..."
He rushed down the street, and the moment he saw the magistrate's smile, he felt completely relieved.
"Cousin, something's come up, we need to set off earlier than planned." Jingwu patted his shoulder reassuringly and said with a smile.
Although Shao Chengrui didn't know what had happened, he still trusted his cousin, so he nodded and silently went back to pack his luggage.
"Master, are you leaving now?" The magistrate looked at the person in front of him, hesitant to speak, "I still have a case I would like to ask you for help with."
This is a cold case from over ten years ago. The criminal has been in jail ever since, and there is no direct evidence to convict him.
But this person is indeed the most suspicious. If we can get the master's help, we can definitely find evidence to convict him directly.
Jingwu looked at the person in front of him and carefully calculated the distance.
It takes more than a month to travel from Pingyao County to the capital, and it is only almost October now, while the imperial examination will be held in February of the following year.
They figured they'd make it in time, so they nodded in agreement.
"Alright, I'll go back to the county government office with you later."
"That's wonderful! With your help, Master, this case will surely be resolved quickly." The magistrate smiled broadly, then quickly turned to instruct the yamen runner beside him to go back and tell his wife to prepare four superior rooms.
Jingwu smiled and took a few sips of tea.
Looking up, I saw Yue Huai, who had changed his clothes and tidied himself up, coming down the stairs.
He looked at the two remaining steamed buns on the table, blinked, and asked seriously.
"Is this the breakfast you left for me?"
Jingwu then remembered that when she came downstairs, the boy had specifically asked her to order breakfast for him as well.
But I forgot.
She scratched her face awkwardly, about to explain, when she saw the boy turn to call the waiter to prepare another breakfast.
The waiter was being watched by the constables and didn't dare to move, so he could only pretend he hadn't heard anything.
The magistrate, with great foresight, ordered his constables to take the waiter and cook to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
The cook was also extremely flustered, making one mistake after another while cooking. It took him half an hour to finally prepare breakfast and serve it out.
He held the tray, his hands trembling violently, making a very rhythmic sound.
Jingwu was instantly drawn to the sound, turned his head to look, and hesitated before speaking.
Breakfast was placed in front of the two of them, and Yue Huai calmly ate it.
After finishing their meal, Shao Chengrui and Yan Shengming packed up their things and came downstairs.
Jingwu then mentioned that they were going to the county magistrate's office, and everyone boarded the carriage together and headed to the county magistrate's office under his guidance.
It took more than half an hour to reach the county magistrate's office.
The county magistrate's wife had received the report long ago and had prepared the main room well in advance.
Upon hearing that a distinguished guest was arriving soon, she immediately came out and stood at the door to greet him.
The carriage stopped at the gate. Yue Huai got off the carriage first and was about to turn around to help Jing Wu when he saw that she had already jumped down by herself.
He casually withdrew his hand and followed the girl.
The county magistrate's wife stood at the door and looked the four people up and down, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
She turned her gaze to Yue Huai. Among these people, only he was dressed with the most noble air and had a noble appearance. Could this person be the master?
But judging from his attentive manner towards the girl, they didn't seem to be in a master-servant relationship.
She was still lost in thought when she suddenly looked up and met Jingwu's gaze.
For some reason, she always felt that his gaze was incredibly captivating, making it impossible for her to look away.
As the two men stared at each other, the county magistrate approached and broke the silence.
"Lier, these are our distinguished guests today. Has the banquet been prepared?"
The county magistrate's wife immediately looked away and smiled, "It's all set. Our distinguished guests may now take their seats."
Led by the two men, Jingwu entered the courtyard and sat down at the banquet.
Without further delay, she sat down and turned to ask, "Sir, what kind of case are you referring to?"
The magistrate poured her a glass of wine and sighed, "This case is from over ten years ago; it's a case of matricide. The son had an argument with his mother about getting married. The next day, the mother died mysteriously at home, while he was fast asleep."
The magistrate could not hide his worry, and then continued.
“We investigated everyone in the neighborhood who had contact with their family, and they all had alibis for the night before. We interviewed the neighbors, and they all said that Lu Sheng had a big argument with his mother the night before, and then went to a restaurant and got drunk before returning home. That night, the neighbor who lived across the street got up to use the bathroom and saw him walking towards his mother with a knife. But he was too sleepy at the time, so he thought he must have seen wrong.”
“We checked again and suspected that he was drunk and killed his mother in a moment of impulse. We did find bloody footprints by his bedside, which were indeed Lu Sheng’s. But after we brought him back to the county office, no matter how severely we tortured him, he insisted that he did not kill his mother.”
Yan Shengming asked, puzzled, "With witnesses and physical evidence, why is he refusing to admit it and just dragging it out?"
The magistrate sighed deeply, picked up his wine cup, and took a sip.
"Young master, you may not know this, but Lu Sheng's ancestors were officials for two generations. It was only because his father died early that his family declined. He was a child prodigy from a young age, ranking among the top three in the provincial examination and becoming a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination). At that time, he was favored by several high-ranking officials in the capital, who were waiting for him to go to the capital for the metropolitan examination so that they could recruit him into their ranks. The reason why this case has dragged on for so long is because several people above have given orders that the truth must be revealed and he must confess before the case can be closed."
"Murder has always been a serious crime. At best, one is beheaded and loses their life; at worst, they are torn apart by five horses or hung on the city wall to dry for three days," Shao Chengrui said with a sigh, taking a sip of water.
Upon hearing this, Jingwu looked up at his cousin, then quickly looked away.
"After the meal, we'll trouble you, sir, to take us to see that Scholar Lu."
Upon hearing this, the county magistrate immediately agreed.
Over the past decade or so, the high-ranking officials in the capital have stopped pressuring him, but this case has become a knot in his heart. He can't get over it if the case is closed without a clear explanation.
Jingwu took a bite of Mapo Tofu and was completely captivated by its flavor, so he quickly ate several more bites.
She couldn't help but think to herself, "The magistrate's chef is really good at cooking!"
Yue Huai sat down next to her, helping her serve the food. Looking at her cheeks, which were puffing out, a smile couldn't help but appear in his eyes.
When Shao Chengrui saw this, his face immediately fell, as if he were seeing his own little cabbage being targeted by a wild boar.
However, because there were outsiders present, the incident did not escalate.
After the meal, without any delay, they immediately led the group to the dungeon.
As soon as Jingwu entered the dungeon, he smelled an unpleasant odor and couldn't help but frown.
Just then, an embroidered handkerchief was handed to her. She looked up and met the boy's eyes.
"Covering your mouth and nose will make you feel better."
Yue Huai's eyes curved into a smile as he handed the embroidered handkerchief over a little more.
Jingwu looked at the silk embroidered handkerchief in front of him, took it without hesitation, and covered his mouth and nose.
The next second, she smelled a refreshing fragrance.
It's not the usual incense on the market; it smells more like medicine, and it brings a sense of tranquility as soon as you smell it.
Jingwu covered his mouth and nose and walked into the dungeon.
It was a bit colder inside the dungeon than outside, making it feel rather chilly.
She only revealed her eyes, scanning the cell next to her before fixing her gaze on a man not far away.
The magistrate walked up to the man's cell, stopped, turned to the people behind him, and said, "This is Lu Sheng."
The man in the cell was wearing a dirty prison uniform, his hair was messy, his beard grew wildly like weeds, and his eyes were dull and lifeless as he stared at a corner.
He heard a sound, his eyes gradually focused, and he looked in this direction.
Upon seeing the county magistrate, they immediately pounced on him, stretching out their hands to grab him, shouting loudly.
"I didn't kill anyone! I didn't kill my mother! I didn't kill anyone! Your Honor, I'm innocent! The imperial examination is coming up soon, please let me go out and take it!"
Lu Sheng spoke more and more desperately, his voice growing softer and softer. Then he slammed his head against the wooden railing, making a loud banging sound. He looked completely deranged.
This action caused the others to step back, fearing that he would rush out and harm them.
Jing Wu and Yue Huai, who were standing next to him, were still standing in place, looking at the people in front of them with their eyes slightly narrowed, as if they had discovered something.
"Sigh, it wasn't like this for the first two years. Later, he somehow found out that the imperial examination was over, and he gradually became abnormal."
The magistrate looked at the man in the prison, and the image of him in his prime when he passed the imperial examination flashed through his mind. He sighed deeply.
"Why did he and his mother quarrel?" Jingwu suddenly asked.
"His mother wanted him to marry the daughter of the Du family, who were of equal social standing to theirs, but he refused because the Du family wanted him to marry into their family and change his surname." The magistrate recalled what the neighbors had said and felt even more that fate was cruel.
"But his mother refused, so she cried, made a scene, and threatened to hang herself, forcing him to marry the Du family girl. He had initially compromised, but later, probably because the Du family girl was too arrogant and domineering, he refused again. His mother, of course, refused, and again tried to cry, make a scene, and threaten to hang herself, so the two of them started arguing."
"The Du family?" Jingwu asked in confusion.
“The Du family is also a family of scholars, with members serving as officials in the imperial court for generations. If Lu Sheng’s father hadn’t died, the Lu family would be just like theirs now.”
After hearing the magistrate's explanation, Jingwu nodded and was about to say something when the prisoner suddenly reached out and grabbed her dress, a maniacal smile on his face.
"I passed the imperial examination and became a Juren! I'm going to the capital soon to take the metropolitan examination! Miss..."
Upon seeing this, the magistrate immediately stepped forward and slapped his hand away: "Who do you think you are, arresting people like this?"
A glint of light flashed in Lu Sheng's eyes as he looked at the girl in front of him and withdrew his hand.
He remained silent for a long while, then said frantically, "My family has a huge collection of books! Who can have as many books as my family! But now that my family is gone, who will get those books?"
Upon hearing this, the magistrate immediately reassured him, "Those books have already been moved to the county office. If the case is solved, they will be returned to you in full."
He also came from a family of scholars, so he naturally knew the importance of collecting books.
After hearing this, Lu Sheng didn't say anything more, and walked blankly to the corner and sat down.
Hearing these inexplicable words, Jingwu's eyes flashed, and he immediately said, "Let's go to his house and take a look."
Upon hearing this, the magistrate hesitated for a long time before saying, "Master, since the Lu family has been without anyone, their house has been occupied by many homeless people. If we go to look now, I'm afraid there will be nothing of importance left."
With the owner gone and the house empty, many people would naturally try to loot the valuables. That's why he moved all the books back to the county government office and preserved them carefully.
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