The dismemberment case remains unsolved and another missing person case has occurred.
The next day, Gu Yanzhou was reading in the county yamen when he heard the sound of drums. He went to the front of the hall and saw a man kneeling there. He said, "I am a fisherman near the Chengbei River. I got up early this morning to fish when I heard a few children calling out. I went to see what I found, a rotting corpse. I was frightened, so I came to report it to the authorities and beg for mercy."
Yesterday's headless corpse case hadn't been solved yet, and now there was another case. Silence reigned within the yamen, and County Magistrate Qi broke out in a cold sweat. Two murders had occurred within his jurisdiction. Even if someone above him was involved, he couldn't escape accountability. A quick glance at the case brought a plan to mind. "Gu Tingyuan, this case falls under your jurisdiction. You should go there and make sure to uncover the truth and restore order to Chang'an County."
Soon, Gu Yanzhou and Pei Linyan arrived at the scene of the incident, only to see a male corpse in a muddy pit. The skull, chest, thighs, and internal organs were all gnawed by wild dogs. The yamen runners dug out the nameless male corpse and saw some good meat on the back. It seemed that the body was killed and buried here. This place is backed by Beimang Mountain and close to Chengbei River in front. The vegetation is dense and far away from human habitation. If it hadn't rained yesterday, the body would have been washed out, and wild dogs would have smelled the scent and come to gnaw it. It was later discovered by a child. It was unknown how long it would have been buried deep. Just as the yamen runners were collecting the body, someone shouted, "Here, here, there is another body." Gu Yanzhou heard it and walked quickly, only to see a gnawed skull in the mud pit. Digging deeper, there was nothing. It seemed that there was only a skull.
"Do you think this skull belongs to the same person as the body parts from yesterday?" Pei Linyan asked.
"That's possible, but why did the murderer separate the bodies? Was it to vent his anger or for some other purpose?" Gu Yanzhou asked himself.
"Is it possible that they did this to hide the identity of the deceased? After all, if you can't see the face, you won't know who the victim is." Pei Linyan replied.
Pei Linyan and Gu Yanzhou pondered the entire journey in silence. Banjin arrived to report that the coroner had pieced together the body parts. Arriving at the morgue, they saw the body parts arranged on the white cloth according to the human form. Although some were missing, the initial shape could still be seen.
"The headless victim was about five feet long, with a small pubic bone, so he must be a male. The skull found today matches the cut marks on the spine of the headless corpse, so he must be one person. There were impact marks on the back of his head, and he was beheaded and dismembered after death. The other corpse was five feet and three inches long, with a small pubic bone, so he must be a male. His torso and limbs were all gnawed by wild dogs, and there was a dark blue birthmark on the shoulder blade on his back," said the coroner.
As he spoke, a gust of wind blew by, and the entire mortuary was suddenly dark. Ban Jin and Ba Liang felt a chill on their backs and shivered non-stop. Pei San shouted, "Help! Master, help!" and rushed towards Pei Linyan. Pei Linyan had already clung to Gu Yanzhou as soon as the candle went out, protecting him in his arms. Before Gu Yanzhou could react, he could smell the sweet and slightly intoxicating scent of agarwood on Pei Linyan's body. The warm feeling of Pei Linyan's breath on his face was so strong. "Pei San, be silent!" Pei Linyan shouted.
Pei Linyan took out a tinder from his clothes and lit the candle. The light illuminated Gu Yanzhou's face, which was even more charming under the candlelight. There was an imperceptible blush on his face. The two were so close that they could hear each other's breathing. Pei Linyan's breathing became heavier. "Master, Master, you scared me to death," Pei San said as he walked over.
They both came to their senses and found that half of Pei Linyan's hand was soaked with wax. Gu Yanzhou was about to speak when he was interrupted by Pei San, "Master, is your hand okay? Look at the wax marks. What should I do if it's burned?"
Gu Yanzhou grabbed Pei Linyan's hand suspiciously and looked at it carefully. It was indeed a wax mark, the same wax mark as the one on the beggar's hand.
Pei Linyan stared at Gu Yanzhou with wide eyes, the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
After two consecutive crimes, there was no clue found on the bodies, so the two went to the case room to check the files.
Ban Jin then said, "Around the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, an old woman reported to the police that her son hadn't returned home for a week and she was worried something might have happened. However, due to the lack of staff in the government office, no one paid much attention to it."
"Then look for her address quickly, do you know her address?" Gu Yanzhou asked
"Found it, also near Chengbei River," said the fat man.
There was only a shabby thatched cottage with no fences or bricks, and the path was muddy. The fat man knocked on the door, "Is Niu Er's mother here?"
"Who is it? Who is it?" A sixty-year-old man walked out of the house tremblingly.
Ba Liang said, "These two are Lord Pei, the county lieutenant of Chang'an County, and Lord Gu, the court official of Chang'an County. They have come to inquire about your son Niu Er, who has not returned home for many days."
"It turns out that it's the big boss from the yamen. I, a village woman, kowtow to you and ask you to help me make the decision." After saying this, she was about to kneel on the ground.
Gu Yanzhou pretended to stop him. "Old man, your condition is serious. I will definitely help you. Do you remember any characteristics of Niu Er?"
"Yes, such as disabled, lame, blind, broken hands, broken feet and so on." Pei Sandao
"Master, my son is strong, tall and mighty. He is a blessed man at first glance." said the cow mother.
"Who's asking you this? Our time is precious, don't ramble on."
"Is there any hidden spot that only you know about and no one else knows about?" Gu Yanzhou asked
"Yes, yes, yes, there is a dark blue birthmark on my son's shoulder blade." Mother Niu said
Pei Linyan and Gu Yanzhou exchanged a glance, and it became clear to them that the body found today was Niu Er. Then they asked, "What does Niu Er do for a living, and where does he go every day?"
"My son Niu Er opened a pork shop on Chang'an Street. He never argued with anyone and had no bad habits. He went out early and came back late. Please, Master, make the decision for him." Niu's mother cried loudly.
Before he could finish his words, a yamen runner came running over from a distance and said, "Master Pei, Master Gu, someone is beating the drum at the yamen gate again to protest his injustice."
After the drums stopped beating, a middle-aged man walked in from outside the door and knelt down, saying, "Please, sir, please help my brother."
"What's your name and why are you calling me Yuan?" County Magistrate Qi asked unhappily.
"Your Excellency, I am Zhao Si, a native of Chengbeihe Village. I make a living by sculpting statues. This December, Wang Yuanwai of Luoyang celebrated his eightieth birthday, and he asked me and my sworn brother Wanwu to go to the White Horse Temple to sculpt his statue. However, my brother Wanwu, missing his wife Liu Jiaojiao at home, returned to Chang'an from Luoyang on January 5th and never returned. I finished my work on January 18th and returned to Chang'an. On January 20th, I went to Wanwu's home to look for him, and heard from his wife Liu Jiaojiao and our neighbor Sun Ma that my brother had left home on January 8th. I have not heard from my brother for twelve days, and I am afraid something must have happened. I have come to ask the county magistrate for help." Zhao Si said
"Zhao Si, please stop being unreasonable. If everyone in Chang'an County doesn't go home, then I will have to spend time and energy on trivial matters every day. If my time and energy are occupied by you, how can I serve you?" Qi County Magistrate said angrily.
Although Zhao Si also traveled around the streets and had a wide range of social contacts, he had never seen the county magistrate get angry. He was immediately frightened and his face turned pale and his heart trembled.
"Master Qi, what you said is inappropriate. Officials should prioritize the welfare of the people, followed by the country, and their official positions and salaries. They should treat the people's parents as their own parents and the people's children as their own children. Only then can society be harmonious and the country be stable." Gu Yanzhou said loudly
"Gu Yanzhou, you are so brave, how dare you..." Before he could finish his words, Pei Linyan stared at him fiercely with a cold look in his eyes.
County Magistrate Qi changed the subject and said with a fake smile, "Gu Tingyuan, you are truly a good official who serves the people. I have a stomachache right now, so this case depends on Lord Pei and Gu Tingyuan." After that, he pretended to have a stomachache and slipped back to the back court.
"Zhao Si, you are telling the truth," Gu Yanzhou asked
"Of course, sir, everything I said is true."
"Then tell Liu Jiaojiao and Sun Ma." Gu Yanzhou said
From time to time, three people knelt in the hall, one was a fifty-year-old woman named Sun Ma, one was Liu Jiaojiao, and the other was Zhao Si.
"Liu Jiaojiao, let me ask you if Wanwu has returned home." Gu Yanzhou said
"My lord, Wanwu returned home on the seventh day of the first month and returned to Luoyang on the eighth day of the first month. I haven't seen him since then." Liu Jiaojiao answered in a soft voice with a coquettish look.
Pei Linyan saw Liu Jiaojiao pretending to be gentle and glared at her fiercely. Liu Jiaojiao felt a murderous aura above her head and did not dare to look up.
"I heard from Zhao Si that Wan Wu was worried about you. He left Luoyang on January 5th and should have returned home on January 7th. If he was worried about you, why did he return to Luoyang so early on January 8th instead of staying at home for a few more days?" Gu Yanzhou asked sternly.
"How would I know? Maybe the work schedule was too tight, so they rested for one night and went back early. Besides, Aunt Sun also saw Wanwu early in the morning on January 8th." Liu Jiaojiao cried.
"Yes, sir, I got up at midnight on January 7th to go to the bathroom and saw Wanwu. I even chatted with him and said, "Wanwu, you really put Jiaojiao at the top of your heart. You came back after being away for a few days. You are really a loving couple. On January 8th at midnight, I opened the door and saw Wanwu going out." Sun's mother said
"Then the three of you think carefully, have you missed any of them?" Pei Linyan asked.
"No, no," the three of them thought and said
"Since there are no additional supplies, everyone can go home and wait to be summoned later." Gu Yanzhou said, and everyone dispersed.
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