Chapter 146 Solving the Case
Zeng Anmin's gaze fell on Liu Ji, with a sharp look in his eyes.
At this point, all suspicions and speculations are just wild thoughts without evidence.
If you want more clues, you should first look at the crime scene.
Some people were burned to death.
There was an inexplicable light in Zeng Anmin's eyes.
He did not look at the corpse first, but instead focused his eyes on the burnt wooden building in front of him.
"This building is the Governor's office, which means the thieves are targeting Huang Yuangao."
Zeng Anmin lowered his brows and thought deeply.
wrong.
If they were targeting Huang Yuangao, why did they burn the building?
He thought of an extremely crucial clue.
It’s on the case file.
On the night of April 12, the 13th year of Jianhong's reign, at 11:00 PM, a fire broke out in the South Courtyard of the Xuanjingsi. All officials cried out for help. The fire was extinguished at 12:00 AM. The officials returned to the North Courtyard to report. Governor Huang died suddenly in the courtyard, his blood spilling all over the floor.
The fire in the South Courtyard occurred at the hour of Hai.
It took only two minutes to put out the fire.
Such a big building was burned down, and it only took thirty minutes to put out the fire?
The thief also realized within these 30 minutes that Huang Yuangao was not working in the building, and then rushed to the North Courtyard and killed Huang Yuangao?
There are too many unreasonable things here.
"grown ups?"
County Magistrate Liu Ji bowed his body and looked at Zeng Anmin cautiously.
Bai Ziqing also said nothing and cast a curious look.
He saw Zeng Anmin in deep thought, and his originally heavy heart became much lighter.
In his eyes, as long as Zeng Anmin started to ponder, it meant that the case was close to being solved.
"cough."
Zeng Anmin came back to his senses, he coughed lightly, and said solemnly:
"Where is the body?"
"Please follow me, sir."
At this time, no matter how stupid Liu Ji was, he would have reacted.
Among the two in front of me, it seems that this young man is in a dominant position.
In an instant, he guessed Zeng Anmin's identity.
It can make the imperial envoy follow him obediently...
Could it be some prince?
You must know that this imperial envoy is the Beitidu of the Imperial City Bureau!
"Um."
Zeng Anmin and Bai Ziqing looked at each other, then followed Liu Ji towards the ruins of the wooden building.
Soon, the three of them arrived behind the ruined building.
There are two guards guarding the body covered with white cloth on the ground.
So many days have passed.
The corpse had already rotted and smelled bad.
This stench comes from within the soul.
There's no way to hide.
"Greetings, sir."
When the two guards saw Liu Ji, they saluted respectfully.
Liu Ji ignored them, but turned around respectfully and saluted Zeng Anmin, saying:
"Would Your Excellency like to perform the autopsy yourself?"
Zeng Anmin didn't see the coroner either, so he nodded calmly, "Lift up the white cloth."
"yes."
The two guards lifted up all the white cloths.
Six rotten and charred corpses were exposed to the air.
Zeng Anmin and Bai Ziqing did not feel uncomfortable at all.
Bai Ziqing needed no further explanation. He had seen many more horrific and ugly corpses in the Imperial City.
Zeng Anmin had already prepared himself mentally, and he was a man of strong will, so he didn't care much about such things.
He looked around at the body.
Then he turned his gaze to Liu Ji and asked:
"After so many days, has the body been claimed by any family members?"
Liu Ji's shoulders drooped respectfully:
"Sir, these corpses belong to officials of the Xuanjing Division."
"A few days ago, family members came to identify him, but because the case is still pending, I dare not make any moves."
“Well done.”
Bai Ziqing looked at Liu Ji with appreciation.
It can be seen that Liu Ji is not just here to eat and do nothing.
Know that after the incident, the first thing to do is to protect the crime scene.
"Um."
Zeng Anmin did not comment.
He came to the bodies.
He slowly squatted down and looked at the charred corpse in front of him.
"Where were these bodies found?"
Zeng Anmin looked up at Liu Ji.
Liu Ji said seriously, "They are in their respective rooms."
Something is wrong.
After hearing this answer, Zeng Anmin narrowed his eyes slightly.
People who died by fire had one most obvious characteristic.
Suffocation and inhalation of toxic and hot gases.
Therefore, the mouth of the dead in the fire cannot be closed.
In addition, Liu Ji said that the bodies of the deceased were found in their respective rooms.
This is also a huge doubt.
After discovering a fire, the first thing to do is to run away.
The body must be in the corridor or between the stairs.
How could it happen in my own room?
Zeng Anmin looked up.
Look at Bai Ziqing.
He saw the suspicion flickering in Bai Ziqing's eyes.
Obviously, although Bai Ziqing's brain is not very good, he has seen many corpses after all.
Even if there is no professional coroner, he knows much.
But he still knew about the bodies that were burned to death.
The two of them narrowed their eyes almost at the same time.
"Um."
Zeng Anmin did not express his doubts at the first moment.
He looked at Liu Ji deeply and asked the initial doubt in his heart:
"Who discovered the fire? Where is the man? Let him come to see me."
"yes."
Liu Ji felt that the young man in front of him exuded calmness and majesty in every word and action.
He did not dare to be negligent in the slightest, so he sent someone to call for help.
A moment later.
Zeng Anmin saw a man in armor walking towards him.
"Greetings to the Imperial Envoy Angel."
The armored man was extremely respectful.
Kneel on the ground.
Salute to Zeng Anmin and Bai Ziqing.
Zeng Anmin looked at the armored man indifferently, with a strong sense of oppression emerging from his body.
A lavender righteous spirit slowly brewed in his chest.
"Who are you? What do you do? What were you doing on the night of the incident?"
The sound is not loud, but very intimidating.
The magnificent momentum is breathtaking.
"I am Wang Wu, a red-robed officer of the Xuanjing Division. I was on patrol at the division on the night of the crime."
Wang Wu felt his throat tighten and didn't dare to be negligent.
Like pouring beans out of a bamboo tube, he let everything out.
Zeng Anmin had a blank expression on his face. He put one hand behind his back and asked in a deep voice:
"Did you spot anyone suspicious while on patrol?!"
"How did you discover the fire?!"
Bai Ziqing was looking at Zeng Anmin with great interest at this time.
He crossed his arms.
His eyes were fixed on Zeng Anmin's face.
My dear brother Quan Fu...you have a unique spirit when handling cases.
Zeng Anmin didn't notice Bai Ziqing's eyes. He looked at the man indifferently.
Wang Wu knelt on the ground, kowtowed, and spoke quickly:
"We at the Xuanjing Division rotate our shifts every half hour, but when it's our turn to be on duty, we have to wait half an hour in advance."
"After I took my turn, I arrived in front of the building and saw that the main building had suddenly caught fire."
"I was so frightened that I didn't pay attention to the suspicious people and just shouted for help."
Having said that, he even felt a little guilty.
Obviously, he did not notice the "suspicious person" that Zeng Anmin asked about.
Zeng Anmin nodded lightly.
It was clear from the man's words that he was not lying.
When a normal person sees a fire, the first thing they would do is call for help to put out the fire.
Few people would first observe the suspicious people around them.
"In other words, you were waiting for your shift at 3:30 AM, and as soon as you changed shifts, a fire broke out?"
Zeng Anmin frowned deeply.
"yes."
Wang Wu nodded respectfully.
"wrong."
Zeng Anmin raised his head and looked towards Bai Ziqing, his voice full of solemnity:
"If it was a normal fire, it wouldn't have suddenly spread so quickly in a quarter of an hour."
"Starting a fire is a process."
"But from what this person said, it seemed as if a huge fire broke out in an instant."
Bai Ziqing also frowned. He thought for a while, then looked up at Zeng Anmin and asked:
"You mean... that there might be something igniting?"
Zeng Anmin narrowed his eyes, looked at Wang Wu and Liu Ji and asked:
"After the fire started, did you two smell anything strange?"
A large amount of kerosene can indeed set a building on fire in an instant.
There are also some things that have the same use as kerosene, but they are all accompanied by a strong pungent smell.
It's impossible not to smell it.
this……
Liu Ji and Wang Wu looked at each other.
Then Liu Ji replied tremblingly: "I do smell something strange..."
Upon hearing this answer, Zeng Anmin's eyes suddenly lit up.
really!
Subconsciously, he looked directly at Liu Ji: "In that case, have you done any investigation these days?"
"If you want to set a building on fire instantly, you'll need a lot of kerosene!"
Zeng Anmin paused again when he said this.
Then he frowned and looked at Liu Ji:
"But it's impossible for outsiders to transport so much kerosene into the Xuanjing Division without anyone noticing!"
Bai Ziqing also narrowed his eyes suddenly, and looked at Zeng Anmin with a determined expression:
"There's a traitor in the Xuanjing Division?!"
Zeng Anmin looked towards Liu Ji fiercely, his eyes like sharp arrows, and his voice was filled with a hint of heavy pressure:
"Liu Junshu, it's spring now, and the weather is getting warmer. Have you carefully checked the movement and purchase of such a large amount of kerosene?!"
In his impression, how could a good-for-nothing become a county magistrate?
What I can think of in such a short time, Liu Ji will definitely think of it.
We just need to follow this clue to investigate those merchants who sell kerosene, and it won’t take long to track down the arsonist!
Unexpectedly, Liu Ji heard this and gave a bitter smile. He bowed to Zeng Anmin and said:
"I have checked, but I can't find any clues about the kerosene purchases by merchants over the past six months."
"Can't find out?"
Zeng Anmin frowned.
Now we want to make a breakthrough in this arson and murder case.
The only way to break through is through this kerosene...
Zeng Anmin's eyes were on the corpses.
His brows furrowed slightly.
These corpses made him feel something was wrong.
Why do the bodies of people who died from fire seem a little too peaceful?
Could it be that everyone is having a wet dream?
etc.
Zeng Anmin's eyes suddenly narrowed.
Dream? !
Eastern religion?
Kerosene?
Liu Ji...
Zeng Anmin nodded calmly, then looked at Liu Ji and said:
"Where is Mr. Huang's body?"
Liu Ji bowed slightly and said, "In the North Courtyard, please move over."
"Walk."
Zeng Anmin pulled Bai Ziqing.
At this time, Bai Ziqing was still in deep thought.
"Okay, stop thinking about it and just go."
Zeng Anmin urged.
He looked at Bai Ziqing with some pity.
Brother Bai, you'd better use your poor little head to worship me later.
"Oh."
Bai Ziqing was stunned for a moment, then followed Zeng Anmin towards the north courtyard.
…
See the two courtyards in front of you.
Zeng Anmin's eyes flashed with nostalgia.
I just came here through time.
It was in this courtyard that I met Emperor Jianhong.
It was also reborn in this courtyard.
Not far from this courtyard is the Zhitu Courtyard of the Xuanjing Division.
"This is where Huang Yuangao was found dead."
Bai Ziqing looked at the table in the yard.
His brow furrowed slightly.
"Mr. Huang's body was found at 12:15 PM in front of the peach tree in this courtyard."
When Liu Ji said this, a look of uneasiness appeared on his face:
"After seeing Mr. Huang's body, I immediately led all the red-robed soldiers from the Xuanjing Division to search the city for the thief..."
"Um."
Zeng Anmin didn't say anything.
Looking at the entire layout of the yard calmly.
"Besides Huang Yuangao's body, are there any other bodies?"
Zeng Anmin looked at the yard indifferently.
His eyes looked towards Liu Ji.
Liu Ji took a deep breath and replied respectfully:
"Yes, four old slaves and four maids, all died tragically at the hands of the thieves. Since taking office, Mr. Huang has been handling official business at a fixed location every day, and after the office is closed, he returns to the courtyard to rest."
Hearing this, Zeng Anmin nodded calmly.
Then he asked, "Where is the body?"
Liu Ji sighed softly, "Mr. Huang's body was taken away by the Huang family after the incident."
"The only things left in the Xuanjing Division are the bodies of those servants."
"Take me to see it."
Zeng Anmin didn't waste any words and looked at Liu Ji seriously.
"yes."
After leaving the yard.
After turning left and walking a few dozen steps, he arrived at the house where the bodies were kept by Xuan Jingsi.
Enter the house.
Zeng Anmin and Bai Ziqing both frowned.
It stinks.
This is the morgue.
Many bodies were placed here.
"This is it."
When he came to a row of corpses, Liu Ji shuddered.
The morgue was cold and gloomy.
The special design during construction is mainly to ensure that the corpses decay more slowly.
"Um."
Zeng Anmin turned his gaze to the maids and servants.
His eyes never moved away.
The clothes on several bodies were torn.
This is understandable, as the coroner has to cut open the clothes to perform an autopsy.
"What did the coroner say after the autopsy?"
Zeng Anmin raised his head indifferently and looked at Liu Ji, with a hint of indifference in his eyes.
Liu Ji saluted respectfully and said, "The fatal wounds were all sword marks on the neck."
"oh."
Zeng Anmin didn't waste any words. He squatted down and looked at the corpses with a frown.
The body was completely decomposed.
Zeng Anmin set his eyes on the eight corpses.
Then, his eyes began to slowly flash with brilliance.
Then he looked up at Liu Ji and asked:
"When Huang Yuangao died, he was under the peach tree in the yard. What was he wearing?"
Liu Ji didn't understand what was going on. He looked at Zeng Anmin blankly and replied:
"Clothes stained with blood..."
"oh."
Zeng Anmin narrowed his eyes and spoke slowly:
"Something's wrong."
"What?"
Liu Ji looked at Zeng Anmin blankly.
When Bai Ziqing heard this, he was delighted.
good!
Every time he heard Zeng Anmin say this, he knew that the case was close to being solved!
(End of this chapter)
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