The search at the double corpse scene can only go as far as this, and more clues will have to wait for Zheng Sanji to go back and re-examine.
Jiang Lingyao always felt that this scene looked quite weird. No matter whether Zhou Sen committed suicide or he killed him, his death completely turned the case into an unsolvable mystery.
The identity of the deceased that year seems to be impossible to find out.
Jiang Lingyao suddenly felt a little depressed. She no longer felt happy at all, and was left with only the frustration that the mystery could not be solved.
Seeing that she remained silent, Duan Nanqi whispered, "The case has been solved at this point. The three victims can rest in peace. This is enough."
Jiang Lingyao nodded silently and thanked Duan Nanxi: "Thank you, Master Duan, for your enlightenment."
The two did not say anything more after that. After reviewing the situation at the scene, Jiang Lingyao and Duan Nanqi returned to the county government office.
After returning, Duan Nanqi ordered the Jinyiwei to have a good rest at night and to check the files tomorrow. He only asked Zheng Sanji to work harder and get up early tomorrow to perform the autopsy.
After making these arrangements, he went home with Jiang Lingyao.
Jiang Lingyao was very tired today after running around all day. When she returned to the Jiang residence, she subconsciously wanted to enter the middle gate with Duan Nanqi.
Shen Suning still pulled her hand and led her to the west wing.
Duan Nanzhu paused slightly, he turned around to look at Jiang Lingyao's back, his eyes darkened a little, but he didn't linger for long.
Jiang Lingyao went to bed early today.
Her mind was a little confused, and the clues were intertwined, making it impossible for her to fall asleep no matter how sleepy she was.
She always felt like there was a rope pulling her, it was Xiaozhen's unfocused eyes and her pale and stiff face.
In a trance, Jiang Lingyao fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, Jiang Lingyao woke up in a dizzy state. When she opened her eyes, she felt darkness in front of her eyes, as if it was not yet noon.
Jiang Lingyao moved and turned over, but still felt a little dizzy. It was obvious that she did not sleep well last night.
She felt a little annoyed and tossed and turned in bed for a long time but couldn't fall asleep again. She simply sat up and leaned against the bed to think about the case.
As she thought about it, she couldn't help but think of Duan Nanqi's words.
He said that the case had been solved and there was no need to worry about the rest. Otherwise, there would be thousands of cases piling up in the future. If every case had a mystery that was not solved, and she was entangled in every one of them, how could she handle the new case?
She admitted that Duan Nanqi was right. Perhaps he had been in the Jinyi Guard for too long and had become accustomed to the hatred and entanglements and had seen through the corrupt human hearts, so he could treat it calmly and not care at all.
But Jiang Lingyao could never get used to it.
Beneath Duan Nanqi's sometimes cynical and sometimes cold-blooded appearance, his heart may have already been sealed by ice, and nothing can cause any disturbance.
However, as a young master of a marquisate, born into wealth and splendor, why would he have such a heart?
Jiang Lingyao couldn't figure it out and couldn't understand it.
Even though he looks like this, he is still a trustworthy and loyal minister to Your Majesty, which is even more puzzling.
Although the current emperor is often a bit soft-hearted and partial to those he likes, he is not stupid. Even a fool knows how important the position of the head of the Jinyiwei Beizhen Fusi is. Your Majesty will never hand it over to a fool who can do nothing.
This leader needs to be extremely capable, able to command the ferocious cavalry of the Beizhenfusi, and also be trusted wholeheartedly by His Majesty, so that he can become the sharpest knife in His Majesty's hand.
No matter how you look at it, Duan Nanqi doesn't seem like that kind of person.
Jiang Lingyao pondered for a moment and felt her mind clearer. She opened the curtain and found that it was already bright daylight, with the golden crow hanging high in the sky. The misty early morning had already passed.
The bedroom was quiet. Jiang Lingyao called out, "Xingyun?"
There were hurried footsteps coming. Xingyun pushed open the door and looked inside: "Miss, are you awake? Do you want me to wake you up?"
Jiang Lingyao nodded: "Get up."
After washing and changing her clothes, Jiang Lingyao asked Xingyun to comb her hair and did not put on any makeup.
Xingyun asked in a low voice: "Miss, I heard from Lord Shen that the case has been solved, why do you still have to go to the county government today?"
She must have delivered meals to Shen Suning in the past, and thus learned about the case.
Jiang Lingyao sighed slightly: "The final conclusion of the case has not yet been made, and we will have to investigate further today."
She said, "I always feel something is wrong, but I can't put my finger on it."
Xingyun said, "Then the young lady must come back early today. I came to check on her several times last night, and she didn't sleep well. She must have a good rest today."
Jiang Lingyao patted her hands and said with a smile, "I know."
After the refreshing shredded chicken noodles and mushroom chicken soup were served, Jiang Lingyao had her breakfast comfortably.
"Where's your aunt?"
Xingyun replied, "Miss, the aunt left early and left a message for you, saying that he went to the county government office. If you have anything to do, please ask the servants to go to the county government office to look for him."
Jiang Lingyao nodded, and asked Xingyun to pack up the roast pork puffs and sesame candies that Chef Jiang had prepared yesterday. She then carried them directly to the west wing.
After entering the west wing, Jiang Lingyao was surprised to find that Mother Wang was at home.
Mother Wang was a tall and thin woman. She looked somewhat like a married couple with the rickshaw driver, Lao Li. Both of them looked very ordinary middle-aged people, except that there was a hint of joy between their brows, which made people feel friendly at first sight.
Aunt Wang was her mother's dowry and had always been with her to serve her. She was extremely loyal.
Wang's mother hadn't seen her for a few days, so she was immediately delighted when she saw her. "Young lady must have been tired these days. Look at how thin her face has become."
Jiang Lingyao leaned over to her side and muttered, "That's right. I came here to relax. Who would have thought that I would encounter a case right after I arrived?"
Mother Wang patted her back lovingly, and did not ask Xingyun to serve her, and she helped Jiang Lingyao change into the mansion herself.
As she tied the belt for Jiang Lingyao, she said, "Miss, yesterday Miss Shen and I asked around at the old inns here, but we couldn't remember such a person. Only an old shopkeeper said that if you came to Wanping a dozen years ago, there was an inn called Yuelai that was very famous, and many merchants stayed there. We should go and ask around."
Jiang Lingyao asked, "Have you found the Yuelai Inn?"
Mother Wang sighed, "Of course, the Yue Lai Inn was good a dozen years ago, but then the owners changed one after another and the business plummeted. Now it can only do some business as a peddler with the location of the inn. When I went there, I found that they were all young employees who didn't know what happened fifteen years ago."
Jiang Lingyao pondered, "If I were Li Hong, I would not go to the Yuelai Inn. After all, Li Hong had a special status back then. If he suddenly disappeared, wouldn't Shuntianfu look for him? If he came to Wanping, whether he settled down or just passed by, he would only stay in a small inn with few people. Aunt Wang, you have to work harder today and go to a small inn like this to ask."
Aunt Wang looked at her with a smile and said, "What do you mean, young lady? I've been working so hard."
As she spoke, she lifted her official hat and put it on Jiang Lingyao, her voice full of bitterness: "Miss, we will definitely find the truth, right?"
Jiang Lingyao held Wang's mother's hand: "Yes."
Mother Wang smiled gently.
Jiang Lingyao gave Wang's mother a portion of the snacks she had prepared, telling her not to get hungry. Wang's mother smiled and said, "What other young lady is like ours, worrying all day long?"
After talking with Wang Ma for a while, Jiang Lingyao went out alone and arrived at the county government office in just a moment.
Today the county government office is not as lively as yesterday. Many of the Jinyiwei soldiers have withdrawn from the county government office, making it seem a bit deserted.
As soon as Jiang Lingyao entered the county government office, she saw Pei Yu coming out from the backyard.
The two of them exchanged greetings, and Jiang Lingyao did not ask him where he was going. Instead, Pei Yu said, "Master Qiao, Master Duan is in the funeral room right now. You can go there directly."
Jiang Lingyao thanked him and quickly went to the coffin room.
At this moment, except for Shen Suning who was checking the files, the rest of the people were in the side room of the coffin room. When Jiang Lingyao arrived, Duan Nanqi and Zhao Zhe had already had a bowl of tea, but Zheng Sanji had not come out yet.
Because there were two corpses, Zheng Sanji spent more time today than the day he examined Xiaozhen. Jiang Lingyao greeted the two of them and sat down to wait together.
Zhao Zhe said, "Xiao Qiao, Xiao Duan has just explained the case. What do you think?"
Jiang Lingyao is his junior, and when Zhao Zhe saw such a promising young talent, he couldn't help but want to teach her, so he took the opportunity to ask her when he had time.
Jiang Lingyao understood what Zhao Zhe meant in an instant. She felt a little nervous and said everything she was thinking.
Finally, she said, "I still think Zhou Sen would not commit suicide. If he died, how could the four lamps be lit? Wouldn't that mean all the previous efforts would be wasted?"
Zhao Zhe nodded and said, "You are very sharp. That's right. Investigations must combine all clues. We cannot rely solely on evidence or corpses. No matter how complicated a case is, it always has its own story."
"The coroner only examines the body, and the runners only ask for clues. As prosecutors, we have to combine all the clues into one and make it into a story that belongs to this case."
"When this story has a beginning and an end, the case will be solved."
Listening to your talk is better than reading for ten years.
Every word the old man said was an experience, and Jiang Lingyao felt that she benefited a lot from it. After thanking Zhao Zhe, she said, "It's a pity that Zhou Sen is dead, and many questions in this story have no answers."
Zhao Zhe said: "Zhou Sen is dead, but there are still people who may be able to find out. Sometimes a casual remark can become a clue."
Jiang Lingyao blushed: "What the old man said is very true, I was too impatient."
Duan Nanqi kept his eyes lowered and sipped his tea. He listened quietly to the conversation between the two generations of prosecutors, one old and one young, without saying a word.
But after another cup of tea, the door of the coffin room was opened, and Zheng Sanji walked out while splashing vinegar water on himself, while the little apprentice beside him fanned him with a banana leaf.
Zheng Sanji slowed down in the vent for a while, then came to the side room and said, "My lords, let's talk outside."
After several people arrived at the courtyard, Zheng Sanji said, "Based on the previous investigation, is it confirmed that the female deceased is Zhou Yi? And the male deceased is Zhou Sen?"
He was just asking a routine question. Jiang Lingyao was stunned and said, "Based on Zhou Ru's confession, it should be correct."
Zheng Sanji nodded, looking through the autopsy form, making a slight revision, and said, "The deceased was Zhou Yi, 13 years old. Her stomach was empty when she died, and she had not eaten for at least two or three days. The cause of her death was simple and clear, that is, she was strangled to death by the neck. There were no other marks on her body except for scratches on her fingernails and strangulation marks on her wrists."
Zheng Sanji said: "The cause of death of the deceased Zhou Sen was two knife wounds in the abdomen, and he died of excessive blood loss. It is impossible to distinguish whether it was suicide or homicide. There were no other wounds on his body, but according to my experience as a coroner..."
Zheng Sanji raised his head and looked at them with a gloomy look: "His left leg is badly injured, he probably can't move the body."
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