One wave has not yet subsided, another wave has come
"Sir, this is terrible, this is terrible, Lieutenant Qin Wen of the Imperial Guards has suddenly burned himself to death at home."
Gu Yanzhou asked, "Qingyan and Xiaohong can stay at home?"
"Sir, we have been waiting for several days, but the gates are always closed and no one has left the house." Banjin said
"Could it be that the evil gods are killing people? In recent days, many immortality believers have appeared on Chang'an Street. They are dressed strangely and have strange expressions. They say they are offering sacrifices to thank God and offering sacrifices to heaven."
"Nonsense! I think someone is using the name of the evil god to kill people." Gu Yanzhou said softly.
"The Lieutenant of the Praefectus Urbi was the one who guarded the capital and commanded the Northern Army. He had a heavy responsibility, but he set himself on fire for no reason. It is strange to think about it. On New Year's Eve, one person died from thunder, and soon another person died from boiling water. Thunder, water, fire, the five elements kill people. Could it really be the work of a cult?" Shen Shaobai said.
Arriving at the residence of Lieutenant Qin Wen of the Imperial Guards, I saw the hall in a mess.
Thick smoke was still rising from the charred body on the ground, and it was no longer recognizable as a human being.
"My poor husband, oh my God, you are gone, what should I do? Take me away." Madam Qin beat her chest and cried.
The lady was wearing a curved-hem gown, a fox fur coat around her neck, and a purse with a pattern of twin peonies hanging around her waist.
Gu Yanzhou consoled her, "I hope you will accept my condolences, Madam Qin."
"Excuse me, who are you?" Mrs. Qin said
"He is Gu Yanzhou from Chang'an County. He is here to investigate the death of Lieutenant Qin Wen of the Imperial Guards." Shen Shaobai said
"It turns out to be Gu Tingyuan. I'm sorry for not welcoming you. It's a pity that this happened in my house. I hope you can forgive me for my poor hospitality." Mrs. Qin said
"I dare not, I dare not. When did Lieutenant Qin commit suicide by burning himself? Was there anything unusual before and after?" Gu Yanzhou said
"My husband was supposed to go out today, but he said he had a headache and then asked for leave to go to the study to rest. Not long after, he suddenly had a seizure and ran to the yard to burn himself. He was normal during the whole process and there was nothing unusual." Mrs. Qin said
"Then let's go to the study first." Gu Yanzhou said
"Master Gu, please do as you please. I will not accompany you any longer." Madam Qin said
Then he walked into the study and smelled a strange odor. He saw white powder and a circle of water stains on the desk. On the right was a picture of a lady with a poem that read, "The affectionate peony has not yet bloomed in spring, while the weak peony is scattered on the branches." On the left was the "Book of Changes" and there was a quilt on the soft couch.
When he went out, he met a servant and asked, "How is the relationship between the general and his wife?"
"The general and his wife have a very good relationship." said the servant
"How do you know?" Gu Yanzhou asked
"Madam makes ginseng soup for the general every day. Even if the general is not at home, she will ask Xiaoyu to deliver it." said the servant.
"Yanzhou, you don't know that General Qin is from Luoyang and is more than ten years older than Madam Qin. Fortunately, age is not an obstacle, and the two of them are very much in love." Shen Shaobai said
"Then General Qin and Madam Qin are married." Gu Yanzhou asked
"Of course not. Most men in our dynasty are married at the age of twenty. Madam Qin is a second wife. I heard that General Qin's original wife was burned to death in his home in Luoyang." Shen Shaobai said
Returning to the front hall, Gu Yanzhou asked, "Mrs. Qin loves peonies the most."
"Only the peony is the true national beauty, graceful and elegant, enjoying the prosperity, and monopolizing all love, so it is my favorite." Mrs. Qin said
"Excuse me for disturbing you. I'll take my leave first." Gu Yanzhou said
"Xiaoyu, please hurry up and see Mr. Gu and Mr. Shen off for me." Madam Qin said
Xiao Yu walked over gracefully and said, "Master Gu, Master Shen, please take care."
When I looked up, the figures of the two people overlapped and they were 70% similar.
Three days later, there was still no progress in the case. At noon, Ban Jin reported, "Sir, a body was found in the woods north of the city today. The death was tragic."
Gu Yanzhou and Shen Shaobai arrived at the woods, only to find a corpse pierced by thousands of arrows, its blood long since drained. Gu Yanzhou observed that most of the arrows had fallen around it, and felt that the man had accidentally walked into it. He walked outside and saw a stele in the center. The inscription read, "In gratitude for the kindness of our ancestors, every year within fifteen days before and after New Year's Eve, we shoot arrows and pray for blessings to commemorate the martyrs, so that our descendants will not forget."
Gu Yanzhou took a closer look and saw that the word "Yi" was engraved on each arrow. Looking down, he found that the man had a pair of peonies hanging around his waist.
The coroner found him dead yesterday at 11:00 PM. Four major cases remain unsolved. Gu Yanzhou had a suspicion, so he sent Ban Jin to Luoyang and Ba Liang to visit Chang'an.
"Your Excellency, Your Excellency, someone is beating the drum to report the incident." said the bailiff.
"Bring it to the hall," said Qi County Magistrate
"I am Chen Da, a native of Xingyang. I travel with my master between Chang'an and Xingyang, mining for a living. On New Year's Eve, my master did not return and his whereabouts are unknown. I hope the county magistrate will make a decision." Chen Dadao
A hint of surprise flashed across County Magistrate Qi's eyes, and he calmly said, "Gu Tingyuan, this case is your responsibility, so I'll leave it to you to handle. I'll be in court to listen."
Gu Yanzhou bowed and said, "Okay, then when did he leave home? Do you have any impression?" Gu Yanzhou asked
"The host received a letter at noon on New Year's Eve and went out wearing a silver satin gown." Chen Dadao
"What are your master's characteristics?" Gu Yanzhou asked
"My master is five feet tall, dark-skinned, fat, and has six fingers on his left hand, so his nickname is Chen Liuzhi." Chen Dadao
A charred corpse was carried into the hall. It had six fingers on its left hand and was dressed in silver satin. It was Chen Liuzhi.
Chen Dadao "Master, Master, you are so miserable, how could this happen."
After a while, they came back with their belongings and whispered something in Gu Yanzhou's ear. Gu Yanzhou said, "Call Qingyan, Xiaohong, Madam Qin, and Xiaoyu to the court. Will you four confess your crimes?" Everyone was in an uproar, completely bewildered.
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