“Of course I know you framed me. Tell me what exactly happened…” Shen Yao pressed.
Su Yan sighed softly and told Shen Yao the whole story.
"This is so unlucky! I should have had someone notify you in advance yesterday. Now we're in such a passive position," Su Yan said, on the verge of tears.
After listening to Su Yan's account, Shen Yao seemed to understand something. "You mean you heard the teahouse owner and a woman talking before you completely lost consciousness?"
Su Yan nodded, emphasizing in her tone, "That's right, and I think that woman's relationship with Dong Dayong seems to be more than just casual."
"So it seems that woman is also connected to the dismemberment case..."
“That’s natural. Before this, I asked Dong Dayong, and he didn’t deny the dismemberment case. I guess Dong Dayong may have been involved in the murder and dismemberment, but I don’t think he was the mastermind.”
"Woman..." Shen Yao murmured to himself, then suddenly remembered something, "Could that woman be Dong Dayong's mistress?"
After all, it's a lone man and woman, sneaking around in the middle of nowhere; their relationship could never be that of husband and wife.
Su Yan thought Shen Yao's words made a lot of sense. "It's very possible. When I followed Dong Dayong, his expression and demeanor made it seem like he was going to see his lover on purpose... Lord Shen, I think Dong Dayong's case and the dismemberment case might be related. As soon as possible, we should investigate Dong Dayong's old flame..."
"What about Dong Dayong's body?"
“I’ve already checked beforehand. The murder weapon was stabbed into the heart, killing me instantly. There were no other fatal wounds on the body. The time of death was around ten hours ago, which is about two hours after I was knocked unconscious…”
“However…” Su Yan hesitated, “Dong Dayong had an embarrassing wound on his body…it seems he was humiliated before he died…”
"What injury?" Shen Yao asked, puzzled.
"Um... it's the kind of injury you get after having sex with a man, but I've seen it. Dong Dayong didn't do it willingly; he was forced into it."
"You mean besides the woman, there was another man present..."
"Hmm... there might be men, but I think there should be more than just one or two..."
After hearing this, Shen Yao looked at Su Yan with a shocked expression, as if a new world had been opened to him.
Are you telling the truth?
Su Yan nodded seriously, "Although Dong Dayong's body has been cleaned, the injuries to his lower body cannot be erased. There is excessive tearing in a certain part, which could not have been caused by just one or two people."
Shen Yao was deeply shocked after hearing this, his expression showing a hint of helplessness. "Dong Dayong's private life is so messy, should I investigate male or female extramarital affairs..."
"Sir, you're overthinking it. You don't need to investigate the men, just the women..."
Why?
“Even if Dong Dayong was gay, it would be impossible for him to have relations with several people at the same time. Moreover, Dong Dayong was the one being forced from the beginning. I suspect that the murderer may have deliberately tortured the victim.”
"What kind of hatred could drive a murderer to torture Dong Dayong like this before he died..."
Su Yan shrugged, indicating that she didn't know either.
"Lord Shen, don't you feel that in both the dismemberment case and Dong Dayong's case, the murderer seems to have a particular hatred for the victim?"
After thinking about it carefully, Shen Yao also felt that Su Yan's words made a lot of sense. The dismemberment case was not enough; the perpetrators were also thrown into a latrine and fed to the dogs. Dong Dayong was even more miserable; he was raped before he died.
"Judging from this, the murderer and the victim must have been old acquaintances..."
Su Yan seemed to understand something, "My lord, why don't we start by investigating the people around Dong Dayong..."
"Alright... then I'll just have to make you stay in jail for a while."
Su Yan smiled obsequiously at Shen Yao, "This subordinate is not wronged at all. If Your Excellency could clear my name again, I would be happy with even the slightest compensation..."
Shen Yao naturally knew what Su Yan was planning, and refused without hesitation, saying, "You can stay in jail for a few days, even if you are absent from work for a few days. I'm already being lenient by not deducting your wages."
Upon hearing this, Su Yan panicked. "My lord, are you kidding me again?"
Shen Yao revealed a sly, fox-like grin, "Guess..."
After saying that, he picked up the food box without hesitation and quickly left the cell, without giving Su Yan a chance to speak.
Su Yan watched helplessly as Shen Yao's figure receded into the distance, then cried out to the heavens, "Lord Shen, please forgive my rudeness! You can't deduct a single penny from my wages... Lord Shen... please don't deduct my money!"
Watching Shen Yao's figure disappear at the end of the corridor, Su Yan lay back on the bed in despair, feeling sorry for herself.
Shen Yao is a man of his word, and it seems he's going to lose his monthly allowance this month.
After Shen Yao left the prison, he saw Sun San standing anxiously at the door. As soon as he saw him, he immediately ran over to him.
"Sir, how is Brother Su? I think I just heard him shouting." Sun San asked with concern.
When he learned that Su Yan was in trouble, he didn't bother to recover at home and rushed straight to the prison.
Shen Yao's face was beaming with a triumphant smile, even the curve of his lips was dazzling. He smiled at Sun San and said, "He's doing great, eating and drinking well, living a very comfortable life."
Hearing Shen Yao say this, Sun San finally felt relieved. "Lord Shen, what exactly happened to Brother Su? How did he get involved in a murder case?"
"Officer Sun, I don't have time to explain the reasons in detail. Do you know Dong Dayong, the owner of Guozi Lane?"
Sun San frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "I know him... I used to patrol the streets of Guozi Lane, and I've had some dealings with Dong Dayong."
What is this person's temperament like?
"He's a good-for-nothing spendthrift. After his parents died, he squandered all his family fortune in just two or three years and now makes a living by running a teahouse stall."
Shen Yao recalled the first time he met Dong Dayong. He didn't seem like the type to do business. Not only was he lazy, but he also didn't entertain guests when they came.
"Does the family rely on him to earn money all this time?"
"How could Dong Dayong, who is like that, possibly be supported by his wife Xu Jingniang all this time? Xu Jingniang is a rare and virtuous wife. It's a pity that such a beautiful flower is stuck in cow dung."
How is their relationship?
"I don't know... After all, even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes."
"It seems we need to see Xu Jingniang. Is she still at the yamen?"
Sun San shook his head. "After the court session ended, Xu Jingniang went home. She's probably setting up her stall now..."
"Let's go... come with me to see Xu Jingniang."
After saying that, Shen Yao led Sun San away from the yamen and headed towards the vegetable market where Xu Jingniang had set up her stall.
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