Perhaps Shen Yao's threat had an effect, because Ying Liu remembered something and said tremblingly, "My lord, the lady Xu who sews the dance costume for my young lady has a very similar figure to Manager Xin. Yesterday, Manager Xin even sent me to invite lady Xu for a chat."
What time yesterday?
"Wei Shi (1-3 PM)".
"really……"
Yingliu nodded frantically, "If I utter even half a word of complaint, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death."
"I believe you."
After saying that, Shen Yao beckoned for someone to take the three of them away.
Su Yan and Sun San stood aside, their jaws nearly dropping to the floor in astonishment as they watched Shen Yao interrogate someone.
Both of them had served in the county government for a long time and had seen all kinds of officials, but this was the first time they had ever met a county magistrate like Shen Yao who didn't play by the rules.
Sun San secretly moved behind Su Yan and muttered in a low voice, "Brother Su Yan, no matter how I look at him, Magistrate Shen doesn't seem like an official, he seems more like a bully!"
Su Yan nodded in agreement, "I think so too..."
As Shen Yao sheathed his sword and turned around, he saw Su Yan and Sun San whispering to each other. "What are you two talking about?"
Su Yan and Sun San immediately waved their hands, hastily concealing their guilty conscience, and put on an righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor, explaining, "We didn't say anything, we were just discussing that the deceased might be Xu Cuiyun..."
Shen Yao had no interest in asking questions and looked directly at Su Yan. "You said that the murderer appeared at Baima Temple at Chenshi (7-9 AM), and Xu Cuiyun was called away at Wushi (11 AM-1 PM). Judging from the time, Xin Yunniang had enough time to commit the crime."
“Lord Shen, Xin Yunniang is indeed a prime suspect, but the most urgent task is to confirm the identity of the fourth victim. Since the maid has said that Xu Cuiyun and Xin Yunniang are similar in build, why don’t I go to the Xu family to check the situation?”
Shen Yao did not refuse Su Yan's request and readily agreed, "Okay..."
Following the address given by Ying Liu, Su Yan found Xu Cuiyun's house. Upon inquiring, she learned that Xu Cuiyun had indeed been called away at noon yesterday and had not returned since.
They then took Xu Cuiyun's parents to the county government office to identify the body. Although the body was disfigured, how could parents not recognize their own flesh and blood?
All morning, the county government office was filled with heart-wrenching cries as parents mourned the loss of their children. Su Yan watched this with a heavy heart.
The victim's identity was confirmed, and all that remained was for the murderer to be caught. Under the government's all-out search, good news finally came at noon the next day.
The city gate guards recognized Xin Yunniang, who had disguised herself and fled the city, from the portrait and quickly brought her back to the county government office.
When Su Yan arrived at the county government office after hearing the news, Shen Yao was already interrogating Xin Yunniang in the courtroom.
With a slam of the gavel, Xin Yunniang knelt alone in front of the hall, looking around. Her bright red official robe was striking and eye-catching. Shen Yao sat upright in front of the 'Mirror Hanging High'.
“Xin Yunniang, you committed murder and fled. Confess the truth.”
Xin Yunniang, kneeling in the courtroom, had seen all kinds of storms and waves. Her face showed no fear or panic. She adopted an attitude of "I am innocent" and gave Chen Yao a flirtatious look, speaking in a soft and weak voice.
"What do you want me to confess, sir? I'm an honest businessman who's been arrested for no reason, and I'm the one who's wronged..."
Perhaps because of Guo Huan, Xin Yunniang wanted to cover up her crime in the same way as Shen Yao.
But Shen Yao was not a womanizer and was disgusted by Xin Yunniang's behavior. He continued the trial with a cold face, "Bring in the witnesses."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yingliu walked into the courtroom.
When Xin Yunniang saw Yingliu, a hint of panic flashed in her eyes, and she subconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.
When Yingliu recounted in detail how Xin Yunniang had asked her to take Xu Cuiyun to her private residence, Xin Yunniang began to panic.
Xin Yunniang originally held onto a sliver of hope that no one but herself knew the deceased's true identity, and that as long as she insisted that she had nothing to do with the case, the authorities would be powerless to do anything to her.
However, she did not expect that Xu Cuiyun would be found out so quickly.
Shen Yao looked at Xin Yunniang and said, "Xin Yunniang, according to Ying Liu, Xu Cuiyun went to your house and was murdered. What is your explanation for this?"
Upon hearing this, Xin Yunniang's attitude immediately softened, and she tearfully pleaded, "My lord, Xu Cuiyun did indeed go to my residence, but I truly did not kill her, I did not kill her..."
"If you didn't kill anyone, why did you disguise yourself and leave the city...?"
"I didn't kill the person, so why can't I leave the city?"
Upon hearing this, Shen Yao realized that Xin Yunniang was truly determined to see things through to the end.
She gave the constable beside her a look, and the constable presented her with a glass ring. "This ring was taken from Xu Cuiyun's stomach. Take a close look and see if it's yours."
"You don't really think you can get away unscathed by using Xu Cuiyun's death, do you?"
When Xin Yunniang saw the ring, she was shocked and collapsed to the ground. Her original plan to deny everything was now just wishful thinking.
"Xin Yunniang, even now, you still won't confess to the murder. Do you really think you can get away with this?"
“I had no choice. If I didn’t find a substitute to die for me, I would be the next one to die… I really didn’t want to kill Xu Cuiyun, it was just an accident.”
Xin Yunniang's eyes were bloodshot, and she tried to struggle to stand up, but the yamen runners pressed her back down with sticks, preventing her from resisting.
“An accident? The deceased had more than a hundred stab wounds all over his body, and you’re telling me it was just an accident?”
Xin Yunniang's eyes were filled with tears, and her expression was full of remorse. "I never intended to kill her, but she wouldn't grant my request. I had no choice, sir. I was forced into it..."
Since Yun Hua, Yun Ying, and Jing Ci have had one accident after another, Xin Yun Niang's inner fear has been like an inescapable nightmare, gradually growing larger day by day and tormenting her relentlessly, because she knows that she will be the next one to die.
Who can calmly await and accept the arrival of death? Even a trapped beast will struggle with all its might, and she also knew very well that the murderer would not let her go easily.
So she came up with a plan: she could find a substitute to take her place and escape to a distant place.
So the first person he thought of was Xu Cuiyun. He originally planned to use money to seduce her, but he didn't expect that Xu Cuiyun was proud and concerned about her reputation, and was not tempted by money at all.
Xin Yunniang decided to go all the way and decided to kill Xu Cuiyun. On the way home, she drugged Xu Cuiyun, tattooed her with the same tattoo as herself to disfigure her, and then decisively ended her life.
In order to clear her name, Xin Yunniang thoughtfully scattered yellow paper all over the ground, just like in the previous three cases.
Xin Yunniang had planned everything meticulously, but she never expected that Xu Cuiyun would steal her ring and that it would fall into the hands of the authorities so quickly.
After calmly recounting her murders, Xin Yunniang cried out in protest, "My lord, I admit to killing Xu Cuiyun, but I really didn't kill Yunhua, Yunying, and Jingci."
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