Early in the morning, Su Yan arrived at the yamen.
Since Banxia would be living with them from now on, Su Yan decided not to continue living in the mortuary.
In the past, Su Yan wouldn't have cared about Su Bao'er's opinion, but now that Banxia is here, things are different.
After all, she was a girl, and there were many things to consider in the future, so Su Yan came to the yamen early in the morning to collect her wages.
With his own salary of three taels of silver, plus the ten taels bonus that Shen Yao mentioned, renting a new courtyard and raising two children shouldn't be a problem.
As soon as I stepped into the county government office, I saw that the surroundings were empty and deserted.
Logically speaking, there shouldn't be a situation where there's no one in the county government office.
Just as Su Yan was wondering where everyone had gone, she heard a commotion coming from the back hall. When she went over to take a look, she saw a group of people gathered behind a stone pillar, watching the commotion with great interest.
Su Yan walked over with a face full of curiosity and asked the constable beside her, "What happened?"
"Princess Jingning has come to see Magistrate Shen again," the yamen runner replied.
"Really?" Su Yan was very surprised.
It's human nature to enjoy watching a spectacle, and Su Yan instantly became interested, craning her neck to look ahead.
All that could be seen was a woman dressed in a light pink dress standing in front of the desk, seemingly locked in a stalemate with Shen Yao.
Shen Yao's expression was very unpleasant, as if he was trying his best to suppress his impatience.
In fact, Su Yan had heard quite a bit about Shen Yao's romantic entanglements. After all, Shen Yao was a favorite of the Crown Prince in Chang'an, so he naturally attracted the attention of many high-ranking officials and nobles.
Speaking of Princess Jingning, one cannot help but mention the old story: during the autumn hunt two years ago, Princess Jingning almost fell off a cliff, and it was Shen Yao who saved her.
Ever since that heroic rescue, Princess Anning has secretly fallen for Shen Yao and has already turned down two or three suitors for him.
Princess Jingning was born into a noble family. Her father, Jingyan, was the emperor's younger brother and the famous Prince Zhennan of the Great Liang Dynasty. She was raised by the empress from a young age and held a position equivalent to that of a princess. The favor she received was no less than that of a princess.
“Brother Shenyao, the weather is so nice today, shall we go hunting…” Princess Jingning’s big, watery eyes sparkled with intelligence as she looked on expectantly for Shenyao’s answer.
“Princess, as the county magistrate, how can I neglect my duties? There is still a case waiting for me to solve…”
"What case?" Jing Ning asked curiously.
"Dismemberment case".
Jing Ning's pupils dilated instantly, and her face turned pale in a flash, as if she was frightened by the case. After all, she had never even seen a dead person before, let alone a corpse.
Jing Ning hesitated before saying, "How about we leave it to our subordinates to investigate..."
“Princess, I am an official appointed by the imperial court. If I don’t personally take charge and set an example, how can I expect my subordinates to charge into battle?”
"I...I didn't mean that..."
“I know that’s not what the princess meant, but I really have a lot of official duties and no time to entertain the princess.”
Hearing Shen Yao say this, Princess Jingning felt extremely wronged, but she held back and did not show it.
“That’s not what I meant…” Princess Jingning retorted.
After all, Jingning was a princess, so Shen Yao couldn't say much. The two of them were in an awkward stalemate.
At this moment, Shen Yao's gaze fell on the heads peeking out from behind the stone pillars, and he suddenly coughed loudly.
The crowd, who had been hiding behind the stone pillars to watch the show, were terrified when they heard Shen Yao cough and scattered in all directions, fearing they would be caught.
Originally, Su Yan was standing at the back when she was pushed forward by the tall and strong yamen runners.
Before Su Yan could react, she had been completely exposed to Shen Yao and Princess Jingning.
The constables who were originally with her had long since disappeared.
Under their gazes, Su Yan gave an awkward smile, "I was just passing by...you two continue..."
After saying that, Su Yan turned around and tried to run away.
Before Su Yan could take a few steps, Shen Yao grabbed her by the collar, as if she were a chick, seizing control of her fate by the throat.
“Princess Jingning, I must continue investigating the case with my men, so I will not accompany you any longer. Please forgive me…”
After saying that, he grabbed Su Yan by the neck and walked out the door.
Su Yan struggled and cried out, "My lord, I think it's better not to..."
Before she could finish speaking, she was already being led outside by Shen Yao in a very passive manner.
Only a bewildered Jingning and her maid were left staring at each other in confusion.
Jingning's maid, Pinglian, was indignant on her behalf. "Princess, Lord Shen has gone too far with you. You must ask His Highness the Crown Prince to vent your anger for you..."
Although Jingning knew Pinglian meant well, she wouldn't allow anyone to speak ill of Shen Yao, and scolded, "Shut up... I know Brother Shen Yao doesn't like me, but I won't allow you to disrespect him either..."
Pinglian shut her mouth, looking helplessly at Jingning who was heartbroken over the man.
…………
At the entrance of the government office.
Su Yan struggled incessantly and finally broke free from Shen Yao's clutches. She knew that Shen Yao was using her as a shield to avoid the princess.
“Lord Shen, what you are doing is wrong... Princess Jingning is deeply in love with you.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Yao's eyes were filled with murderous intent, as if he couldn't wait to devour her.
Ever since Su Yan learned that Shen Yao was a ruthless person with a warm heart, Su Yan was not afraid of Shen Yao's terrifying gaze at all, and said with a righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor.
"Lord Shen, I'm telling you the truth. That's Princess Jingning. If you marry her, you'll be the son-in-law of the current Prince of Zhennan, and your future will be limitless..."
Shen Yao did not refute, but instead warned Su Yan in a serious tone, "What do you know... I have never relied on climbing the ladder of power and wealth to get to where I am today. My relationship with the princess is completely innocent. If you continue to spread rumors, and if the Prince of Zhennan investigates, I will not be able to protect your life."
Su Yan immediately covered her mouth in fear, quickly indicating that she would not say anything more, as she knew the dangers of speaking carelessly.
Seeing Su Yan's frightened expression, Shen Yao couldn't help but laugh and teased, "So you do have moments of fear after all..."
Su Yan realized she had been tricked and looked at Shen Yao with a speechless expression.
After leaving the yamen, the two arrived at Guozi Lane, where Wu Tiezhu collected night soil.
Guozixiang is located in the West Market of Chang'an, with a small river running through it. Most of the people living nearby are engaged in low-class professions.
“I ordered my men to search the area, but there was nothing suspicious. I suspect the murderer threw the remaining body parts into the river.”
Su Yan looked at the calm river surface thoughtfully. "If the murderer wanted to choose a place to dump the body, the river was indeed a good place. But why did he choose to dump it in the chamber pot in the first place? I think the murderer must have hated the deceased very much to insult the deceased in this way. I think it is unlikely that the murderer would choose to dump the remaining body parts into the river."
After this analysis, Shen Yao felt that Su Yan's words made a lot of sense.
"So where do you think the killer will choose to dispose of the body next?"
"With just these clues, I can't figure out the killer's next move. However, there is a curfew in Chang'an, so it's unlikely that the killer would dispose of the body at night. It must have been during the day. But let's ask the nearby residents if any suspicious people have been around recently."
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