Chapter 309 Identification of the Corpse
Liu Tuiguan shook his head. "There's no list. There are simply too many female visitors to Tianyuan Temple, and the woman's body had been dead for some time when it was discovered. It's impossible to investigate from the pilgrims alone."
"Just based on the injuries on the female corpse, we can't rule out the monks from Tianyuan Temple as the murder weapon. Not only are hairpins easy to obtain, but men also use them to tie their hair. There are many sharp objects similar to hairpins..."
Liu Tuiguan thought that Prince Jing was quite direct in his words. Given the disparity in their status, he felt no resentment. "We've questioned the monks at Tianyuan Temple, but the man was dead for at least a month before he was discovered, and their identity remains unknown. Finding a suspect through investigation is simply impossible."
Qi Shuo looked away from the case file: "The deceased found yesterday was killed not long ago. Do you have any clues to his identity?"
Liu Tuiguan smiled bitterly: "Because I have lost my head, it is difficult to find out my identity for the time being."
"Master Liu, have you inquired with the counties under your jurisdiction, especially the two Jing counties, to see if any residents have reported missing family members recently? If so, if the missing person's age and gender match the headless female corpse, you can invite them to identify the body."
Liu Tuiguan looked ashamed. "I was busy searching for clues at the scene yesterday. I didn't get back until dark, so I didn't have time to ask."
He immediately arranged for people to go to the two county governments for questioning.
Officials from Tianyuan Temple continued to investigate. Qi Shuo did not rush to the scene, but waited for news from the county government with Liu Tuiguan.
The two county offices were both located in the capital, and it didn't take long for a reply to arrive.
Five missing persons were reported in Dongcheng County within three months, and three missing persons were reported in Xicheng County within three months, for a total of eight missing persons cases. Four of the cases involved young children, two involved young girls, one involved an adult man, and one involved an elderly woman.
Putting aside other circumstances, the two people who reported the girl missing were soon invited to the government office.
"I've met the great Lord Qingtian."
Liu Tuiguan gently called the two of them to stand up.
The two people who reported the case were an old man in his fifties and a woman in her thirties.
"Uncle, please tell me about your granddaughter's situation first."
The old man rubbed his eyes and spoke bitterly, "My granddaughter's name is Lanhua, she's sixteen years old this year. Five days ago, Lanhua said she'd made an appointment with a friend to pick wild vegetables, but she didn't return until dark. I went to her friend's house to ask about it, and the girl said Lanhua had picked a basket of wild vegetables and left first... I looked everywhere for her but couldn't find her, so I reported it to the authorities..."
The old man knelt down and said, "Lanhua's parents passed away early, leaving behind only this granddaughter to depend on. I beg you to help me find my granddaughter..."
After trying to comfort her, Tui Guan Liu asked the woman again.
The woman's eyes were swollen, and it was obvious that she had been crying for the past few days. "My daughter is called Yan'er, she is fifteen years old this year. The day before yesterday, she said she was going out to play, but she never came back. I asked her friends who usually play together, and they all said they didn't see her that day..."
The sound of a woman crying was heard in the hall.
Liu Tuiguan glanced at Qi Shuo. Seeing that he had no intention of speaking, he sighed and said, "A female corpse was found in Tianyuan Temple yesterday. It is estimated that she was between fourteen and twenty years old—"
"Your Excellency, are you saying that something happened to my granddaughter?"
"Yan'er, my Yan'er!"
Liu Tuiguan hurriedly said, "Please calm down, both of you. We are only asking you to come here to identify the body."
The old man and the woman looked at each other, and then looked at Liu Tuiguan together.
That look made Liu Tuiguan unable to bear to look any longer, and he gently reminded them, "It's just that the corpse is a little scary, so you two should be prepared."
"How horrifying?" the woman asked immediately.
The old man also stared at Liu Tuiguan closely.
Liu Tuiguan hesitated for a moment, then said slowly, "There is no head."
No head?
When the old man and the woman realized what was happening, their faces turned pale, one was staggering, and the other was covering her mouth with her hands and crying.
A group of people came to the temporary place where the bodies were placed.
It was a sunny day, but the morgue was cold and chilly, which made people feel uneasy.
Liu Tuiguan stopped and did not approach: "It's right there, you two can go and take a look -"
The old man walked a few steps before he could no longer walk and his whole body was shaking violently.
On the contrary, the woman was obviously very scared, but she dragged her heavy feet step by step closer to the corpse covered with white cloth.
The bailiff reached out to lift the white cloth, but was stopped by the woman: "I... I can do it myself..."
The bailiff looked at Liu Tuiguan, and when he nodded, he silently took a step back.
The woman stared at the corpse through the white cloth, her eyes becoming redder and redder, and finally she mustered up enough courage to remove the cloth covering the body.
Even though she was mentally prepared, the woman couldn't help but scream and step back when she saw the headless corpse.
The old man closed his eyes and opened them again, and was able to see the corpse clearly first.
"It's not an orchid!" the old man shouted with joy.
Liu Tuiguan immediately asked, "Why are you so sure, old man?"
The old man was a little excited, but he tried hard to suppress his emotions, so that his expression was a little distorted: "My orchids are black and strong!"
Although the corpse was already decomposed, one could still tell what a person's foundation was. The headless corpse had slender hands and feet, and delicate skin, suggesting a fair and graceful young woman.
"Orchids are very strong. This is not an orchid, not an orchid—" The old man spoke incoherently, and when he saw the stunned woman, he suddenly stopped talking.
The woman woke up as if from a dream, rushed over, supported herself on the wooden board with her hands, and stared at the corpse.
In just a few breaths, she burst into tears: "Yan'er, my Yan'er! How could you be like this? How could you be like this!"
Seeing the woman about to pounce on the corpse, the bailiff quickly stopped her.
Qi Shuo walked over and asked: "Are you sure this is your daughter?"
"There's no mistake." The woman covered her face with her hands, tears streaming from between her fingers. "Yan'er has a birthmark on her wrist. The position and shape are exactly the same..."
Qi Shuo nodded to Tuiguan Liu.
Liu Tuiguan understood and ordered his men to bring the old man and the woman back to the hall.
The woman kept crying, and the old man fell silent after his initial relief.
Even if the body identified today is not the granddaughter, it does not mean that the granddaughter is safe. Moreover, no one would feel good to see a mother who has lost her daughter.
"Old man, you can go back first. I will arrange for someone to investigate the whereabouts of your granddaughter."
"Thank you, sir." The old man kowtowed to Liu Tuiguan.
In the capital, many people go missing every year, especially young children. It is almost impossible to expect the government to find them, and many people will not even report to the authorities.
As for murder cases, there are actually more unsolved cases than solved ones.
The old man left, leaving the woman crying. Liu Tuiguan wanted to ask her several questions, but seeing that Qi Shuo was waiting quietly, he patiently gave the woman time to vent her emotions.
Finally, the woman stopped crying and knelt before the two men. "I beg you two sirs to find the murderer who killed my daughter!"
Qi Shuo helped the woman up and asked gently, "Sister-in-law, do you remember the exact time your daughter left home?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
