This shout was so earth-shaking that even though people were some distance away from the county prison, they could still hear it clearly.
Duan Nanqi hadn't shown any expression yet, but Pei Yu frowned and asked the yamen runner outside, "What's going on?"
However, before the runner could ask any questions, a tall figure quickly approached from outside.
Jiang Lingyao looked carefully and found that it was Zheng Feng who left after capturing the strange man yesterday.
Zheng Feng greeted Duan Nanqi first, then said in a serious tone: "Sir, we have already washed and dressed that man, and let him eat. He was very cooperative during this period, but when everything was ready for questioning, he started to talk nonsense. I had no choice but to torture him. As soon as I took out the whip, he struggled and screamed like a madman."
Duan Nanqi hummed, then he looked at Zheng Sanji: "Mr. Zheng, do you know medical skills? Can you tell whether a person is pretending or really crazy?"
Judging whether a person is sick is also the job of a coroner. Zheng Sanji said, "My medical skills are not very good at curing lives, but I can judge a person's death. Unless they have used secret medicine or are really deep-minded, I can tell 90% of those who are pretending to be crazy."
Duan Nanqi nodded, stood up decisively and said, "Master Qiao, Coroner Zheng, why don't we go meet this weirdo first."
He said in a cold voice: "How did he know that we thought he was the murderer?"
The group soon entered the county prison. The county prison was not as big as Shuntianfu Prison. It only had a dozen cells in total, and it looked very dilapidated due to years of disrepair. The ground of the county prison was covered with moss and one might fall if not careful.
The county government also has three classes and six offices, among which the jailers under the criminal department are in charge of the county jail. However, Wanping is not a big county and the people in the city live and work in peace and contentment, so the number of jailers is not large. Most of them are sons who inherit their father's business and are local residents.
Wanping had not seen such a major murder and corpse dumping case for three years, so the prison guards were all ready to go, waiting for the Jinyiwei to bring a group of suspects for interrogation.
So when they entered the county prison, not only were all the jailers there, but even the jailer was there. He was wearing a red robe with a broken corner, and he immediately stepped forward and said, "Sir, the torture instruments are ready. Please use them as you like."
Duan Nanqi ignored him and walked quickly into the cell. After only three or five steps, they arrived in front of the largest cell.
The cell was dark, with flickering lights and shadows. Only the oil lamp illuminated the path beneath my feet. A pale and thin figure was hung on the rack.
Unlike other prisoners, his hands and feet were tied tightly, and there were no signs of torture on his body. The Jinyiweiqi riders on both sides had cold expressions and just stared at him with frowns.
It wasn't so much for the purpose of interrogating him, but rather because they were afraid that he would struggle madly and hurt himself.
Jiang Lingyao followed Duan Nanqiao into the prison. She did not react to the foul smell in the prison. She just suddenly noticed that Zheng Sanji beside her paused slightly, as if he had discovered something.
Jiang Lingyao turned her head and looked at Zheng Sanji: "Brother Zheng?"
Zheng Sanji shook his head at her and asked her to wait for a moment.
Duan Nanqi waved his hand and the Jinyiwei brought three chairs, and the three of them sat down opposite the suspect.
"Lift his head up," Duan Nanqi said, "and see what he looks like."
Ti Qi stepped forward, grabbed the suspect's chin, and lifted his head up hard.
The suspect's head hit the rack behind him with a bang, making a muffled sound, followed by Zheng Sanji's gasp.
"This……"
Zheng Sanji's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.
This time, even Duan Nanqi noticed his abnormality. He looked at Jiang Lingyao and saw Jiang Lingyao shaking her head at him, so he knew that Jiang Lingyao didn't know this person.
Duan Nanqi spoke up: "Mr. Zheng, do you know this person?"
Before Zheng Sanji could even open his mouth, the suspect on the rack began to struggle again as if being stabbed by a needle: "Coroner, Coroner, the Coroner will not harm anyone, the Coroner will not harm anyone."
He really seems like a madman.
Jiang Lingyao's attention was not attracted by the suspect. She kept staring at Zheng Sanji, watching his initial shock turn into frustration, and finally his face full of regret.
Jiang Lingyao suddenly had an idea. She hesitated and said, "Brother Zheng, could this person be Chen Zhen?"
After hearing this, even Duan Nanqi was a little surprised. His cold eyes fell on Zheng Sanji, as if as long as he told a lie, he would be caught by the Jinyiwei.
Zheng Sanji probably didn't expect Jiang Lingyao to be so sharp. He was stunned for a long time before he wiped his face fiercely and said bitterly: "Yes, he was the coroner in Tongzhou at that time, and the only suspect in this case - Chen Zhen."
Following Zheng Sanji's words, Jiang Lingyao and Duan Nanqi's eyes fell on the suspect.
According to Zheng Sanji's testimony, he was about 25 or 26 years old when the crime occurred 14 years ago, so today he is over 40 years old.
However, when Jiang Lingyao's eyes fell on his ferocious face, she could not connect him with a forty-year-old middle-aged man. At this moment, Chen Zhen already had white hair, an old face, and his eyes were full of madness.
He was like a madman at the end of his rope, already very old and lifeless.
Only when he was hoarse did he have a glimmer of hope that was hard to extinguish.
Perhaps because he hadn't heard his own name for a long time, Chen Zhen stood there in a daze. His confused mind tore at his sanity, causing him to briefly regain his rationality.
He stared at Zheng Sanji with his cloudy eyes, looking at him with difficulty.
In just a moment, he widened his eyes and said in a hoarse voice: "Zheng... Sanji?"
Zheng Sanji, however, did not feel the joy of reunion after a long separation. At this moment, his face was full of guilt, frustration, and deep regret.
He almost choked up.
"It's me," Zheng Sanji said unsteadily, "It's me, it's me, you... why are you here? Why are you... there?"
This question seemed too difficult, and Chen Zhen was just confused at the moment.
Zheng Sanji took a deep breath. He wanted to say a few more words, but the sob in his throat blocked his voice and he couldn't utter a word.
Jiang Lingyao suddenly understood why he was like that.
When talking about the old case yesterday, Zheng Sanji once said that neither Xu Qing nor he believed that Chen Zhen was the murderer. At that time, Chen Zhen was already seriously ill and he simply could not leave the city often. It was too difficult for him to kill someone and dump the body. Therefore, when the government finally acquitted Chen Zhen, Xu Qing and Zheng Sanji both testified.
But who would have thought that many years later, the old case was reopened and Zheng Sanji met the suspect again at the latest death scene.
In any case, this is no coincidence.
Zheng Sanji did not collapse immediately and doubt his judgment at that time, because he was no longer the little apprentice he was back then. He had been handling cases independently for more than ten years and had become an experienced coroner.
Jiang Lingyao didn't know what kind of relationship they had, and they had never obtained the files from that year, so she didn't know what the old case was about. If she only relied on what Zheng Sanji said, Jiang Lingyao would not think that Chen Zhen was the murderer based on her own judgment.
But Chen Zhen's appearance in Jingye Garden was too coincidental, so coincidental that everyone couldn't help but suspect him.
Probably only Duan Nanzhi and the Jinyiwei in this room were not shocked. They had seen too many cases where black and white were reversed and people and ghosts were not distinguished. After a brief surprise, Duan Nanzhi coughed lightly and looked at Zheng Sanji.
"Coroner Zheng, no matter who he is, he is now a suspect or witness in this case. We should still question him first."
"You can see that he is very resistant to the Royal Guards. He is unwilling to talk to them and gets crazy if they ask him questions. But he knows you."
"Zheng Sanji," Duan Nanqi said word by word, "You are now the coroner of this case. You need to be sober when facing each suspect."
Zheng Sanji was shocked. Yes, he had been trapped by the past cases in the past two days and forgot that the case that just happened was right in front of them. Their best chance to solve both the new and old cases was at hand.
Zheng Sanji clenched his fists hard, trying to calm himself down. He raised his eyes and looked at Chen Zhen. There was a determination in his drooping eyes that no one could stop.
"Chen Zhen, it's me, I'm Zheng Sanji."
When Chen Zhen heard his name and his voice, the confusion in his eyes gradually disappeared, and he looked straight at Zheng Sanji with his wrinkled eyes.
"Zheng... Sanji," he said hoarsely, "is it really you?"
Jiang Lingyao noticed that he was only lucid for a moment when he looked at Zheng Sanji.
Zheng Sanji nodded heavily. He did not exchange pleasantries with Chen Zhen. He just asked him, "Brother Chen, why are you here and why are you going to Jingye Garden?"
Chen Zhen's expression was numb to his question. He thought for a long time, so long that Jiang Lingyao thought he would not answer, then she heard his hesitant voice: "I... I came here to follow clues, but what clues... what clues am I following?"
Jiang Lingyao was startled, and he and Duan Nanqi looked at each other, and both of them saw understanding in each other's eyes.
Zheng Sanji sighed and said, "When that happened, you were stripped of your job as a coroner, and Master said he would find you a new job, but you disappeared. Where did you go? What is the clue you mentioned?"
This time, he actually exchanged a few words of greeting.
Chen Zhen fell silent again.
Jiang Lingyao now understands that Chen Zhen may have been pursuing clues in his early years, and he has been tracking her all the way, but as time went on and the longer he wandered, the crazier she became, so crazy that she even forgot why she came, and she could only speak a few normal sentences when she saw old friends.
Sure enough, Chen Zhen thought for a long time before he stammered, "I don't know. I only know that I have to find the murderer. Only by finding the murderer can I clear my name."
"I didn't kill anyone. I'm a coroner. How could I kill anyone?"
Chen Zhen's voice was low and hoarse, like crying and complaining, which made people feel sad.
Zheng Sanji's expression improved slightly. Looking at Chen Zhen's condition, he should not have been able to commit yesterday's murder. So the reason he appeared here must be that he came across some clues in the chaos, or he heard that there was a murder in Jingye Garden and went to Jingye Garden based on instinct.
Even if he goes crazy, he will find the real murderer and clear his name.
Jiang Lingyao's mind was slightly moved. She whispered a few words in Zheng Sanji's ear, and Zheng Sanji asked, "Brother Chen, why did you come to Wanping that year? Do you still remember? What is the clue you mentioned?"
Chen Zhen thought for a long time, so long that everyone had given up hope, and then he suddenly spoke: "I...I accidentally heard someone say that they saw the second dead person in the capital."
Chen Zhen stammered, "It's that prostitute."
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