The bamboo forest was dark and gloomy. Duan Nanqi just glanced at it and quickly turned around without looking around again.
However, Jiang Lingyao felt a buzzing in her ears, her mind was blank, and she was shocked and stood there, not knowing how to react.
The first time she heard the soothing voice, she did find it somewhat familiar, but Duan Nanqi usually spoke in a glib tone, and his voice was not that low, but still had the clearness of a young man.
The two are the same age, and Duan Nanqi is not yet nineteen years old, which means that Duan Nanqi is not yet twenty.
Being so young, even if he is really favored by His Majesty, he cannot hold an important position after all. That is why there are so many paid Jinyi Guards in the capital.
Giving me a high position with generous salary but not holding a real job is already a gift from Your Majesty.
Besides, the Beizhen Fusi of Jinyiwei has direct reports to the emperor, and is even more than Jinyiwei, which only accepts the invitations of His Majesty. Those who can enter the Beizhen Fusi are all capable people who are loyal to His Majesty, and are also talented people that His Majesty values and trusts.
Not to mention that this newly appointed envoy of peacemaking is in charge of the newly established East Office, which means that because of him, Your Majesty personally set up the East Office and put him in charge.
How could such a talented and loyal man who is trusted by His Majesty be Duan Nanqi?
Even if Duan Nanqiao used his toes to guess, it would be impossible.
Therefore, no matter how much Jiang Lingyao thought he was similar, she didn't think that this person was Duan Nanqi. She even found it funny. Duan Nanqi looked so nonchalant. Even if it was him, how could the arrogant Tiqi of Beizhen Fusi be willing to send him to do his bidding?
But what we see before our eyes are facts.
The Beizhenfusi Dongsifang Zhenfushi, who has been hiding mysteriously behind a screen and can only be heard but not seen, is Duan Nanzhu.
Why is it him? How could it be him? And how could it be him?
Countless questions swirled in Jiang Lingyao's mind, disturbing her mind and making her dizzy. For a moment, she didn't know how to deal with it.
Shen Suning had never met Duan Nanqi in person, but she knew what he looked like. On the day of Jiang Lingyao's wedding, she was also at the Jiang family to see her off.
Not only Jiang Lingyao was surprised at this time, but she had nothing to do with Duan Nanzhui after all, so she was only shocked for a moment and quickly came to her senses.
The Jinyi Guards were so close that Shen Suning didn't dare to make a sound. She gently tugged at Jiang Lingyao's sleeve to wake her up from the chaos.
Jiang Lingyao felt a breeze blowing over her head, and the fog in her mind gradually dissipated. She blinked her eyes and then slowly exhaled.
She had held her breath without realizing it just now, and now she felt a sharp pain in her chest because she had held her breath for too long.
Jiang Lingyao bit her lower lip hard, using the stinging pain on her lip to wake herself up. She gestured to go back, and the two of them retreated cautiously.
After exiting the deep bamboo forest, Jiang Lingyao quickly turned around and walked quickly towards the front yard with Shen Suning.
At this moment, Jiang Lingyao has completely calmed down.
Shen Suning asked: "Sir, is that really the Third Young Master Duan?"
Jiang Lingyao nodded, her voice was very soft, but her words were clear: "The person we saw just now was indeed Duan Nanjue. As far as I know, Duan Nanjue is indeed a fourth-rank garrison commander, and the day before yesterday he also said that because of his marriage, His Majesty gave him another real position. He is indeed serving in the Jinyiwei now."
"We just saw that the East Office has assigned ten people to investigate the case today. So whether Duan Nanqi is one of them or he is the head of the East Office is still unknown."
Jiang Lingyao paused for a moment before taking a deep breath and said, "But no matter what, his identity has nothing to do with us. We are investigating the case in Shuntian Prefecture, and the Jinyiwei is arresting the Jinyiwei prisoners. We don't need to be afraid of him."
Shen Suning stayed beside Jiang Lingyao. Seeing her calm face and steady tone, she couldn't help but feel relieved.
She said, "Yes, Duan Nanqi is Duan Nanqi, and my sister is my sister. Even if he is a peacemaker, what does it have to do with him?"
But at this moment, only Jiang Lingyao knew that her hands, clenched tightly at her sides, were trembling slightly.
She never expected that Duan Nanqi would be of such an identity.
Although she said that Duan Nanqi might just be an ordinary Jinyiwei, after spending a few days with him and after the trial that day, she recalled carefully and was able to find similarities between the two people.
She was 90% sure that two people could be one person.
Duan Nanqi's new identity has a great impact on Jiang Lingyao, but she and Duan Nanqi have never had a deep relationship. Although they are married, it is just a temporary measure. Both she and Duan Nanqi understand it very well in their hearts and know how to get along with each other on the surface.
Jiang Lingyao closed her eyes slightly, recalling the "agreement" they had made yesterday evening, and then she gradually calmed down.
So what if Duan Nanqi is a peacemaker? Isn't it good that he is the emperor's confidant? Jiang Lingyao is just Duan Nanqi's wife. If he succeeds, can't she, as a pet, also succeed?
However, in a blink of an eye, Jiang Lingyao had thought through all the matters before and after, and had also figured out how to deal with them in the future.
After figuring all this out, Jiang Lingyao was no longer panicked. She walked faster and soon led Shen Suning to the front yard.
Since Duan Nanqi is in the back alley, Yao Yuan must be in the front yard.
Sure enough, as soon as Jiang Lingyao appeared, Yao Yuan came running over. He wiped his sweat as he ran, and his handkerchief was almost wet like a landscape painting.
"Hey, Xiao Qiao, you're here," Yao Yuan said in a weak voice, "What should we do? The day after tomorrow is the Queen Mother's birthday. Can we still close this case?"
Jiang Lingyao's face was calm. She first greeted Yao Yuan, and then followed him to the pagoda.
"Don't panic, sir. Let's take a look at the scene first, and then analyze the case," Jiang Lingyao said in a calm tone. "Sir, there are no more than 20 to 30 people left in the prison, including the eunuchs who supervise the workers. There are no more than 20 craftsmen left. There should not be many of these 20 people who have had a grudge against Chen Shuangxi. In the case of Rong Jingui, we have already found many clues, and now we can use them."
Jiang Lingyao spoke as she walked forward without stopping.
"Since Chen Shuangxi is also a suspect in the Rong Jingui case, the two cases can be investigated together. Xu Baocai has already been taken into custody, so there are even fewer suspects left."
"Besides," Jiang Lingyao changed the subject, "besides, we still don't know why Chen Shuangxi died. What if he committed suicide?"
If it was suicide, the case would be easy to solve.
Seeing her so calm and decisive, Yao Yuan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, and he felt like all the sweat on his body was drying up.
"You're right," Yao Yuan said with a wry smile, "I was too impatient."
Jiang Lingyao whispered, "A bystander sees things more clearly."
Just like when she saw that the peacemaker was Duan Nanqi, Shen Suning was even calmer and more steady. She said, "The two sides have nothing to do with each other."
However, those in power are confused, while those who are watching can see clearly.
Jiang Lingyao arrived at the crime scene and quickly focused her attention on the pagoda. Before she got close, she smelled a strong smell of blood.
Dozens of new glazed lanterns were lit in the front yard, illuminating the entire pagoda. Under the light of the flames, the seated Guanyin with clear eyes appeared majestic and solemn, looking down at all living beings with compassion.
And under the pagoda, on the other side that no one could see, blood was flowing down from the pagoda, forming a pool of water vapor on the ground.
The strong smell of blood came from the blood.
Jiang Lingyao asked Yao Yuan: "Master Yao, when will Uncle Xu arrive?"
It is better not to have two masters for one thing. If the first case of the Yu Yongjian was an autopsy performed by Xu Qing, then the second case must also be Xu Qing.
Yao Yuan said, "We should be there soon. His home is a little far from home, not much different from yours."
Jiang Lingyao didn't ask any more questions. She and Yao Yuan went around the horizontal beam set up under the pagoda, and then went to the back of the pagoda.
When Jiang Lingyao came to investigate the Rong Jingui case the day before, she had already discovered that the interior of the pagoda was hollow, with a sitting Guanyin on the front and an opening with a door on the back.
According to what the supervisor said before, this should be the sutra box, but it has not been fully completed and is still placed in the warehouse.
Yesterday they went to the warehouse and saw the sutra box, which was about the size of an ordinary wooden box.
The doorway at the back of the pagoda is not too big, just big enough to fit a sutra box inside. If you are thin, you can squeeze in.
At this moment, under Jiang Lingyao's slightly surprised gaze, Chen Shuangxi turned sideways to face the crowd. He was curled up inside the pagoda. A sharp demon-subduing pestle pierced through his abdomen and pierced him through.
The wound opened directly on his waist and abdomen, causing blood to flow out and drip onto the ground through the hole.
Before she even got close, Jiang Lingyao could smell the strong smell of blood and the lingering dampness.
The sticky smell of blood lingered in her nose. Jiang Lingyao couldn't help but frown. She covered her mouth and nose and murmured, "Why is he here?"
This question puzzled everyone present.
Yao Yuan stood beside her. He was used to such scenes and remained calm. He just said, "Well, who knows? The Jinyi Guard has just gone to investigate. They should be able to find some clues."
Hearing the words "Jinyiwei", Jiang Lingyao asked calmly, "Sir, have you seen the governor of Jinyiwei?"
The coroner had not arrived yet, so they could not touch the scene for the time being. Jiang Lingyao only stood one foot away from the cave entrance, looking up and observing carefully.
If she got any closer, she would step on the blood on the ground.
Yao Yuan was quite excited at this moment. He looked around and saw that everyone around him was from Shuntian Prefecture, so he spoke.
"Hey, Xiao Qiao, you didn't know that the mysterious peacemaker showed up today. Guess what?"
He spoke like a storyteller, with a lot of jokes and compliments, and was very rhythmic.
Jiang Lingyao was very cooperative and asked, "What's going on?"
Yao Yuan was so excited that he almost jumped up from the ground: "That envoy actually told me that his surname is Duan, his given name is Nanjue, and he was appointed by the emperor to lead the Eastern Office of the Northern Prosperity Department."
Although Jiang Lingyao had already guessed 90% of the answer, she still couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat when she heard the definite answer.
Fortunately, she already knew the answer in advance, so she was able to hold on and continued to ask, "What's wrong with this person?"
Yao Yuan subconsciously looked around again, then took two steps forward, wiped his sweat and said, "But this is not right. Lord Duan is not even twenty years old yet. He was originally a Jinyiwei garrison commander who was given a low status. He only received salary but did nothing. His reputation is not good."
"Oh, you never care about this, and you probably don't know about these playboys in the capital," Yao Yuan said, "Everyone says that this Third Young Master Duan rides a horse and parades around the streets all day, eating, drinking and having fun. Apart from going to brothels, he doesn't do anything serious to make a living, so what's wrong with that?"
Jiang Lingyao paused for a moment, and with her back to Yao Yuan, she asked with some curiosity, "Is it inappropriate for him to be incapable of such an important task?"
Yao Yuan shook his head and sighed slightly: "You are wrong."
His cheerful voice, which was always accompanied by laughter, became a little colder in front of the blood-filled pagoda.
"You should think about which one is the real him," Yao Yuan said, "If you are an ordinary person, you will definitely not be able to control those crazy dogs in the East Office."
——————
Jiang Lingyao turned around and glanced at Yao Yuan from a distance.
I saw him still standing not too far away, and because of nervousness, his face was sweating a lot. His round and fat face was slightly red, and he looked very embarrassed.
Such an easy-going Shangguan, at this moment, spoke so loudly that it shocked people.
But this was not the time for her to think carefully, so she just pretended to be casual and said, "I heard that those who can enter the Beizhen Fusi are all close ministers of the emperor. Maybe the emperor just likes Lord Duan, who knows?"
From the corner of her eye, she saw Yao Yuan frowning slightly, but he didn't say much this time. He just said, "Anyway, if we run into him in the future, we should be careful about these things and not make the wrong decision."
Jiang Lingyao hummed. She was not disturbed by Yao Yuan's words and immediately turned her gaze back to the pagoda.
Chen Shuangxi's death was strange and horrifying, especially in the dark of night. Just one look at it would give an ordinary person a nightmare.
But Jiang Lingyao would not do that. She seemed to be born to be suitable for such bizarre crime scenes, suitable for searching for clues in every scene and then finding the truth about the death of the deceased.
She wants to seek justice for all the wronged souls.
With such belief, she is fearless and moves forward courageously.
Jiang Lingyao carefully searched the inside of the pagoda. As she looked, she explained to the two people behind her: "The inside of this pagoda is hollow. If it were solid, it would be very heavy and difficult to move. Therefore, it is empty from the bottom to the top. But even so, even the thinnest person cannot stand up straight after entering."
"Unless the person entering is a child under ten years old."
Chen Shuangxi is obviously not a child. Although he is not tall, he is a normal man.
Yao Yuan understood what Jiang Lingyao meant: "In other words, he crawled in by crawling on his hands and knees."
Jiang Lingyao nodded: "Yes, sir, and he crawled in on his own initiative, kneeling down. This hole can only accommodate one person in and out. If he was forced, he would not have been able to enter so smoothly without leaving scratches on his clothes around the hole."
Shen Suning also stood beside her and watched with her.
Jiang Lingyao asked her, "Did you notice anything unusual?"
Shen Suning's face froze, and she thought seriously for a moment, then she said hesitantly, "Is it hot and humid inside?"
Jiang Lingyao's face relaxed and she nodded affirmatively: "Yes."
"Even if Chen Shuangxi was killed by the demon-subduing pestle piercing his waist and abdomen, he couldn't have bled so much. Moreover, the color of this blood is not dark or sticky. Instead, it has a diluted pink color."
"I suspect there is a lot of water in this pagoda."
Yao Yuan sighed and said, "But when we checked yesterday, there was nothing in the pagoda, not to mention this demon-subduing pestle that is the length of an ordinary person's calf."
Yes, this pestle was another surprise.
It shouldn't be here, and it didn't seem to be a prison item, because they didn't see such a prison item in the warehouse yesterday.
At this time, the blood on the ground was thicker and kept spreading forward. Jiang Lingyao frowned and took two steps back.
"Sir, did the Royal Guard say when they would patrol?"
Yao Yuan said, "Although this is the crime scene of the Rong Jingui case, the Rong Jingui case has been investigated and we will file and close the case tomorrow and hand over the case closure to Your Majesty. Therefore, the Jinyiwei will reduce the number of patrols and patrol once from the beginning of the Shen hour to the end of the You hour. However, the patrols are not thorough, and they only check to see if there are any idle people around."
That is to say, there was no one patrolling here for at least two hours. Even when patrolling at 3 p.m., the captain of the Jinyiwei didn't know whether there was anyone here.
Jiang Lingyao nodded thoughtfully and said, "Let's not talk about how Chen Shuangxi escaped from the custody of the Jinyi Guards. He appeared here, so he had plenty of time. Assuming that there was no one else here at the beginning of the afternoon, he would have two hours to enter the pagoda."
Jiang Lingyao continued to talk, "Let's assume that he entered the pagoda on his own initiative. Then why did he enter? What did he seek by entering the pagoda?"
This series of questions confused everyone.
Yao Yuan: “…”
Lord Yao felt that he had sweated ten kilograms in the past two days.
He sighed: "Check again, check again, we can find out."
Finally, he asked tremblingly, "Is it possible?"
If he can't figure it out, he can just give up the black gauze hat on his head and just find a small town in the south of the Yangtze River to be a comfortable county magistrate.
This time, it was not Jiang Lingyao who answered him, but another cold voice.
"Everything has a cause and an effect. As long as you put your heart into it, you can solve the case."
Xu Qing's face turned blue from being shaken by the fast horses of the yamen runners. He walked quickly to the pagoda and looked up.
Under the firelight, there was no expression on the old man's skinny face, only his eyes were bright and sharp, looking at Chen Shuangxi inch by inch.
He stood there and watched. Jiang Lingyao explained the clues she had seen in detail. He nodded and turned to ask Yao Yuan: "Master Yao, how can I get through? How can I perform an autopsy without touching the body?"
Yao Yuan looked at the pool of blood on the ground, and finally called two yamen runners to lift him up and put him on the crossbar.
Although Xu Qing was in his fifties and skinny, looking like a skeleton, he was still quite agile and played steadily on the crossbar.
When Jiang Lingyao saw this, she asked Shen Suning to help her onto the horizontal beam. Her body was not that stable, so she half-crouched and moved to the door of the pagoda.
Both of them just stood on both sides of the back door of the pagoda, leaning against the pagoda and looking inside.
The closer you get, the stronger the smell of blood becomes. The air is extremely humid, sticky, and smelly, making you feel very uncomfortable.
Xu Qing's expression did not change at all. He asked his apprentice to record the autopsy results while pointing at the blood on the ground and said, "This blood must be mixed with water. If it is ordinary human blood, it will easily turn black after leaving the body. Even if it is not black, it will be dark red and will dry up after a while. But this blood is somewhat pink, and..."
He reached out and touched it, and exclaimed, "And it's too thin."
As Xu Qing spoke, he reached out and touched the clothes of the deceased. He immediately said, "He's all wet."
Jiang Lingyao was a little surprised, and reached out to touch it. It felt sticky and damp. It might be because the deceased had been dead for two hours, so there was only a little dampness left, and no trace of water.
When you take a closer look, you can see Chen Shuangxi's eyes are wide open. His face is filled with shock. He is lowering his head, looking at the demon-subduing pestle on his chest.
Jiang Lingyao asked Xu Qing: "Uncle Xu, did he die from being stabbed in the chest by the demon-subduing pestle?"
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