Just after the Lantern Festival, another murder occurred
During the Lantern Festival, Chang'an was peaceful and tranquil. Suddenly, lightning and thunder roared, and a storm broke out. A thunderbolt struck in the distance, rumbling loudly until it was drowned out by the noise of the crowd.
"You said the thunder yesterday was really loud. I have never heard it in my life. It felt like the ground was cracking. I don't know what it was." Ba Liang said to Ban Jin.
"Yes, there was a huge thunder last night." Banjin replied.
The two sides were chatting casually when they heard a yamen runner in the distance trotting along, saying, "It's terrible! On the streets south of the city, a man was punished by the God of Thunder and turned into charcoal."
When Gu Yanzhou arrived, he saw that the streets in the south of the city were crowded with people, and the corpse was surrounded by the crowd. "Get out of the way, get out of the way, the court official is here, everyone get out of the way." Banjin said.
There was a charred corpse on the ground. The face was completely unclear, but the six fingers of the left hand were covered with black footprints. Gu Yanzhou squatted down, close to the corpse, and carefully searched for clues. He felt a tempting fragrance, and he didn't know if it was the smell of burnt human flesh. Looking closely, he found that the clothes were silver silk satin, which was extremely exquisite, but there were many scratches and half a footprint. The body was carried into the morgue of the government office. The coroner found that he was killed by lightning, and there were no other fatal injuries. The county magistrate had unexpectedly closed the case.
The next day, another man died in the East City Iron Shop. Gu Yanzhou arrived and found the room intact, with no signs of a struggle. There was incense on the table, mingling with an alluring fragrance. He looked inside the boiler and saw a man in the boiling water, his skin torn and flesh exposed, his face and body covered in cooked meat. He was five feet five inches tall and had a burly build. The coroner examined him and said, "This man must have been knocked unconscious and thrown into the boiling water, where he suffocated and died. There were no water stains on the floor, no scratches on his hands, and a silk scar inside his clothes that read, 'Meet at the Iron Shop at Si Hour.'"
Today, Gu Yanzhou was thinking, could it be that the fragrance was just a coincidence? Banjin entered the case room and said, "A servant came to report that the master did not return home on New Year's Eve. It has been more than two days now, and there is a fear that an accident may have happened." Gu Yanzhou held the silk book in his hand and wondered if there was any connection between the two cases.
"Yanzhou, how are you these days?" Shen Shaobai came over with a lunch box and said, "Everything is fine. Thank you for your concern." Gu Yanzhou said with a smile.
Shen Shaobai pondered, "What exactly happened between Pei Linyan and Gu Yanzhou? From their tit-for-tat confrontation at the Jinyu Tower to a handshake at the lantern riddle stall; risking their lives to save each other in the West Market; and working together to solve the headless corpse case in Chengbei Village. It's really strange that one of them angrily joined the army after the New Year, while the other buried himself in paperwork."
Gu Yanzhou was holding a silk book. Shen Shaobai said, "This is made of excellent material. It's the Hu satin that's only available in Jiangnan. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor rewarded some of their close ministers. It's a shame to use it to write letters. Is this from Pei Linyan? How heartless! He's been away for so many days and hasn't sent a single word. Yet, he's using the finest Hu satin to write a letter to you."
A letter? Was it the silk that had been torn and then secretly stained? It still lay quietly under the pillow. Every day, he would take it out and read it. He saw only the words, "I'm going home. I'll be back soon. Don't worry, Lin." Shen Shaobai snatched it away. On the silk was written, "See you at the iron shop at 9:00 PM." There was also a faint fragrance.
"Which courtesan in Huaichunlou wrote this letter to the court official? No, why is the invitation to the iron shop at this hour?" Shen Shaobai asked in confusion.
Gu Yanzhou came back to his senses and asked, "Why do you think it was written by the courtesan of Huaichunyuan?"
"That's because of the incense on the silk. This incense is called 'Yuchun Xinke'. It is made from Tianshan Snow Lotus, East China Sea Ambergris, Jiangnan Suhe and Northern Xinjiang Agarwood. One gram is worth ten gold coins. Only the courtesan of Huaixiang Tower uses it. Even after bathing, this incense will last for several months. Lin Yan has this smell on his body." Shen Shaobai said with a dull look.
"Pei Linyan, Huaichunyuan, Huduan, Yuchun Xinkexiang, so that's it." Gu Yanzhou said in surprise
He stood up and walked towards Pei Linyan's courtyard. It was an elegant little courtyard with three entrances and exits, surrounded by verdant pines and cypresses, tender bamboos and delicate flowers. Banjin knocked on the door and said, "Open the door quickly, the court official is here."
"Why are you knocking? Do you know where this place is? How dare you be so presumptuous?" A little head popped out from the door and said in a coquettish voice.
"This person is Mr. Gu Yanzhou, the court official of Chang'an County."
"Chang'an County Court Clerk? That's not as senior as our Lord Pei Linyan, the County Lieutenant of Chang'an County. And you have to know that we are backed by the Anguo Duke's Mansion, and the Anguo Duke's Mansion has the Empress Dowager behind it. You'd better be more respectful." He said angrily and pretended to close the door.
"Xiaohong, you don't recognize me." Shen Shaobai said
"Master Shen, you are finally here. Master Pei is not at home, and our young lady is about to be bullied to death by these robbers. Please do something for our young lady." Xiaohong changed her face and sobbed, and then invited the group in.
In the courtyard, Shen Shaobai sat at the top, Gu Yanzhou sat at the lower right, and Qingyan sat at the lower left.
Shen Shaobai said, "Yanzhou, no, Lord Gu came to hear the news about the two recent murders. You don't have to worry."
"I was born in a place of brothels and have a poor life. Most of the people I meet are jackals, tigers and leopards. Only Xiaohong protects and loves me. It turns out that I have seen too many dirty things and have become more cautious. When I open my mouth, I am always right and have to be sarcastic. I hope Lord Gu will forgive me." Qingyan said.
"Nothing, I just came to inquire about the case. I hope you can tell me the truth." Gu Yanzhou said calmly
"Oh, Master Gu, what case do you want me to tell you? I live in the garden all year round and rarely go out. When I go out, I go to Famen Temple to pray for blessings. I hope Master Pei will return to the court victorious and safely as soon as possible." Qingyan said with a smile
Gu Yanzhou clenched his fist under his sleeve and said calmly, "Miss Qingyan, you can use incense."
"I love the natural, refreshing agarwood, the solemn sandalwood, and the soothing cypress." Qingyan said calmly.
"Is the new Yuchun still useful?" Gu Yanzhou asked
"I won't use it once I leave Huaichun Tower. This incense is extremely expensive, worth several gold coins per gram. How can a little girl like me afford it?" Qingyan said.
"Does this thing look familiar to you?" Gu Yanzhou said, and then took out a silk book from his sleeve.
Seeing Xiaohong's hands trembling slightly, there was a moment of panic in his eyes.
"What is this? It looks like very fine lake satin." Qingyan said calmly
"Oh, then I'll have to trouble Miss Qingyan to take up the pen and copy the words on the silk book." Gu Yanzhou said
"My daughter's hand was burned, so it's inconvenient for her to copy. Let me do it for her." Xiaohong said, showing the "Yi" tattoo on her hand.
Gu Yanzhou glanced at her and became suspicious. "Silence," he said. "This is a murder case, involving two lives. Chang'an is peaceful, how can we treat it so lightly? I see Miss Qingyan often visits Buddhist temples, so she must be a kind person, and she will definitely put the people first."
"Of course, since you have such a kind invitation, I will copy one." Qingyan said. However, the handwriting on the two copies was completely different.
"How did Miss Qingyan get her left hand burned?" Gu Yanzhou asked
"Yesterday it was cold, Xiaohong poured me a cup of tea, but it was too hot and I burned my hand. I'm sorry to bother you." Qingyan said
"The left hand is not convenient for copying. Don't worry, I think it won't take long for Miss Qingyan's left hand to recover as before. I will ask Miss Qingyan to copy another one later." Gu Yanzhou said
Everyone said goodbye. "You two keep a close eye on them, don't miss any clues, and report any actions to me." Gu Yanzhou said.
"You suspect Miss Qingyan is involved in the murder." Shen Shaobai asked
"Better safe than sorry. A fox will always show his true colors. Let's wait for the opportunity." Gu Yanzhou said
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