Although the murder case is solved, the mystery remains
Before the verdict was announced, a bailiff said, "Your Excellency, a body was found in a field east of the city, and it seems that the body was buried alive."
Gu Yanzhou and Shen Shaobai looked at each other, both with suspicion in their eyes, but County Magistrate Qi looked calm.
Arriving at the fields east of the city, they found the soil muddy and covered with fine sand, unlike the land inside the city. Everyone's shoes and socks were soaked. A head lay on the soil, blood oozing from a wound on the right side of the forehead. There was dirt and gravel in the mouth and nose. The deceased had curly hair, pale blue eyes, and a prominent nose, unlike someone from the Central Plains. When the body was exhumed, it was revealed to be five feet five inches tall, broad-shouldered and thick-set. The coroner's report stated, "The cause of death was asphyxiation due to mud and sand covering the mouth and nose. The wound on the right side of the forehead was inflicted by a farmer while digging in the fields. He had likely been dead for three days."
Gu Yanzhou said, "You two take the portrait of the deceased and go to the Barbarian Residence to find out about this person."
After a while, Banjinbaliang returned to the hall.
Ban Jin said, "The deceased's name was Herda. His father was a Xiongnu and his mother was from Chang'an. He made a living as a translator between the Xiongnu and the Central Plains. Recently, his mother fell ill, so he traveled extensively to raise money for her medical treatment."
"Gu Tingyuan, although the Five Elements murder case has been solved, there has now been another case of burial alive. The people in the city are in a state of panic, and the court is full of discussions. When will the real culprit be found?" said Qi County Magistrate.
"County magistrate, we will do our utmost to apprehend the murderer as soon as possible." Gu Yanzhou said
"Gu Yanzhou, I'm glad to know this. No one will protect you now. If you fail to do your job properly, it will be considered dereliction of duty and you will be sent to prison. I hope you take care of yourself." County Magistrate Qi said contemptuously and walked away.
Shen Shaobai came over and said, "There's so much mud and sand on the ground. Did you slip and fall into the water or did you forget to change your shoes and socks?"
Gu Yanzhou looked suspiciously, only to see some muddy and yellow earth footprints left by County Magistrate Qi where he had stood. Gu Yanzhou changed his mind and whispered to Shen Shaobai, "You go and hold County Magistrate Qi back. I'll go to his room. Remember to keep him here for at least an hour." After hearing this, Shen Shaobai went to find him.
Seeing no one in Magistrate Qi's room, Gu Yanzhou sneaked in, finding the room empty of books and documents. Suddenly, he bumped into the bed and knocked on it, revealing a passage beneath. Holding a candle, he continued forward, but reached a dead end. Groping for a way, he found a ring under a stone. Pulling it hard, he entered the room, revealing everything from gold and jade artifacts to antiques, calligraphy, and paintings. On the table lay two account books: salt accounts—12 dou sold on the fourth day, 20 dou sold on the tenth day...
Iron Tent - Bows and crossbows sold on the 15th, 30th and 20th, swords sold on the 15th
Gu Yanzhou broke out in a cold sweat. Salt and iron were state monopolies, and this account book showed that Magistrate Qi was selling private salt and reselling cast ironware, which was a serious crime. He quickly went out and found Shen Shaobai and said, "I found a secret room under Magistrate Qi's bed. It contains a large amount of treasure and two salt and iron account books. I am afraid that the matter involved is quite serious. I hope Brother Shen can introduce him to the Prime Minister."
In the Prime Minister's residence, Shen's father took the upper seat. Gu Yanzhou bowed and said, "I am Gu Yanzhou, a clerk in Chang'an County. Last month, I came across two account books while investigating a case. I am afraid that my ability is beyond my ability to understand their contents, so I have come to report."
The Prime Minister asked, "Is this true? Then present the account books." His face turned from its usual color red to black. "They are selling illegal salt and reselling forged ironware. They are so audacious and reckless, disregarding the laws of the country and putting the people in danger. How did Gu Tingyuan know about this?"
"Last month, I was investigating the headless corpse case. While searching for the murderer, Li San, I discovered a large amount of contraband salt stored in his secret room. Before I could apprehend him, he was murdered to silence him. In the Five Elements Murder Case, the victims were Chen Liuzhi, a miner in Xingyang; Song Qi, a clerk in a Chang'an iron shop; Zhang Wu, a transport escort in Jiaodong; and Qin Wen, a lieutenant in the Luoyang Imperial Guards. All of them were key figures in the iron smuggling operation. The murderer has been apprehended, but now there's a body burial case. I suspect that Lord Qi, the magistrate of Chang'an County, is deeply implicated in the case, so I'm reporting this to you, hoping for your guidance, Lord Prime Minister."
"I am aware of what you reported. I will report this to Her Majesty the Queen Mother. You should proceed as usual and do not act rashly." The Prime Minister said.
Shen Shaobai asked, "Why do you think the corpse burial case is related to County Magistrate Qi?"
"First, County Magistrate Qi didn't go to the crime scene, but why are his shoes covered in the muddy and yellow soil unique to the farmland east of the city? Second, don't you realize there's a missing link in the ironware smuggling industry chain?"
"One ring is missing? What does that mean?" Shen Shaobai asked
"Look at the iron smuggling operation: Chen Liuzhi was in charge of mining, Zhang Wu was in charge of transportation, Song Qi was in charge of manufacturing, and Qin Wen was in charge of releasing the goods. So how did they communicate with the sellers? Herda spoke both Xiongnu and Central Plains dialects, acting as both a translator and a liaison between the buyer and seller. All six of them knew each other, and County Magistrate Qi must have been their supplier. I suspect Herda's mother was seriously ill and needed money, so he threatened Herda with this. Fearing his actions would be exposed, County Magistrate Qi killed Herda. At that time, rumors of the Five Elements murders spread throughout the city, so he buried Herda alive to frame her and confuse the public, making us believe all five crimes were committed by one person. Unfortunately, we had already found the murderer by then."
When he returned to the yamen, he heard the yamen runner say, "Qi County Magistrate, he committed suicide by taking poison."
Someone inside the curtain said, "Qi Huang is a fool. He's more trouble than good. When did I say I wanted to kill Li San? He actually took the initiative and deserved death. Fortunately, he didn't have much involvement in the illegal ironware manufacturing. Gu Yanzhou, I'm very interested in you."
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