Chapter 355 Monster Hospital (Fifty-Four)
The moon was bright and the stars were sparse. It was a murder scene. The Minister witnessed and caught the murderer. Although the county magistrate had never dealt with such a situation before, it was much better than not knowing who the murderer was. There were both witnesses and material evidence. He only needed to follow the procedure and make a final conclusion. However, he felt that he could not sleep well that night.
Especially early in the morning, I heard the master come to report, "Sir, the county magistrate, Boss Sun who is imprisoned in the prison is not feeling well. Do you want to go and take a look?"
"Why is he not feeling well? Wasn't he fine last night?" After all, he was the murderer. It would be unconscionable if he died in prison before being tried. He quickly stood up, feeling strange.
"Sir County Magistrate, actually, when the person was brought in last night, he was already feeling unwell. We called a doctor at the time and have been keeping watch. Just now, he reported that his condition has worsened." This matter involved a lot of things, and the lawyer did not dare to be careless. After hesitating for a while, he still explained in a low voice, "Yesterday, the Minister said that when he saw Boss Sun committing a crime, he alarmed his guards. In order to save the person, he took action in a hurry, but the hand was a bit heavy."
When they arrived at the prison, the county magistrate finally understood what "this subordinate is in a serious condition" meant, because Boss Sun was almost unrecognizable, with multiple knife wounds on his body. He was also in a coma and was relying on the doctor's medicine to keep him alive.
The doctor was brought here after the incident yesterday. He didn't know much about the Sun family's murder case, nor did he know why the usually kind Boss Sun suddenly appeared in the prison. However, he still took good care of him. Seeing the county magistrate, he didn't dare to talk nonsense and bowed quickly. "County magistrate, Boss Sun has many external injuries, none of which are fatal. The only fatal one is the knife that stabbed into his abdomen. I have treated and bandaged the wound, but the yamen runner called me a little too late. He has already lost blood, so I can't guarantee whether he can survive."
After the doctor finished speaking, he was sent away to boil medicine. The county magistrate also discovered the problem. After most people had left, he asked the lawyer, "Didn't you order the yamen runners to find the doctor when the person was transferred to the government office yesterday? Why did it take so long?"
The lawyer looked around and lowered his voice, "It's not that the bailiff was late. I was there when the minister sent the man here, and I asked someone to invite a doctor. The doctor said that the wound should have been caused half an hour before Boss Sun was sent to the government office..."
The lawyer did not say anything else, because Nanyue Inn was just to the south of the government office, and in order to take care of the Minister at all times, they arranged for it to be nearby. From Nanyue Inn to the government office, even if one walked slowly, it would take less than a quarter of an hour to get there. But why was it that Boss Sun was not sent here until half an hour after he was injured?
Before the county magistrate could think more, Boss Sun, who was lying down, seemed to be a little better after taking the medicine. He opened his eyes and before he could see clearly where he was, he saw the county magistrate first. Without caring about anything else, he stepped forward and grabbed the hem of the county magistrate's clothes.
"County leader... County magistrate, please..." But he ignored his own physical condition. As soon as he moved, the bandaged wound began to bleed. "Please... redress my wife's injustice..."
He spoke with difficulty, and each word required a lot of effort to utter, but he refused to put down his hand that was stretched forward. They were neighbors who saw each other every day. Before the Minister said those words, he did not think that Boss Sun would be the murderer, especially when he looked like this now, so he still leaned forward and put his ear close.
"Yes...it was the Minister, I saw him...doing something indecent to my wife, and then he killed her in front of me...killed her..." He was hurt and heartbroken, and his words were stumbling with hatred and crying. His tears fell on the county magistrate's hands, hitting his heart and startling him.
Just as he was about to ask something, he heard some noise outside the prison. He had no choice but to put Boss Sun's hand down and hurriedly said in a low voice, "If you are really wronged, I will help you, but you are not well yet. No matter what you hear later, pretend to be unconscious. I will come to see you again. Remember this."
When the lawyer nearby heard this, his face turned pale. It was unclear whether it was because he knew some big secret or because of the county magistrate's actions.
When Boss Sun finally closed his hopeful eyes, the county magistrate stood up and saw the minister coming in from outside. He asked calmly, "I heard that the county magistrate came to the prison early in the morning to ask for a confession. I, as a witness, followed him to see if there is anything I can help you with."
Although he said he was here to help, after he came in, his eyes were always on Boss Sun, taking the opportunity to observe whether the other party would show any signs of waking up. His gaze paused for a moment on the wound in the other party's abdomen that was bleeding.
A commoner innocently pointed out an official of the imperial court, an official of a much higher rank than himself. However, the official of the imperial court said that the commoner was the murderer and had witnessed the crime scene. Logically, the county magistrate felt that he should believe the latter. However, it was the bloodstains on the clothes of the minister last night, the body of the proprietress who died tragically in the coroner's room, and the wise words spoken by Boss Sun after he had briefly regained consciousness, that made him change his mind.
He bowed and said, "Your Excellency, you are too polite. I just woke up early this morning and heard the doctor report that the murderer was seriously injured and might not survive. So I came to see if he was awake and if he could leave any evidence of his confession to avoid any criticism in the future. But from the looks of him, he won't be awake for a while, so it seems we have to wait for this case."
After hearing his explanation, the tense expression on the minister's face relaxed a little. He thought to himself that he felt that the county magistrate seemed a little old-fashioned last night, but he didn't expect that he had changed a little when he woke up today. He was polite on the surface. "According to the laws of our dynasty, even if the murderer is seriously ill and cannot be questioned, as long as there are witnesses and evidence, he can still be convicted. Such a murder case has occurred in Dongyang County, and I believe people are panicking. The county magistrate needs to find out the process of the incident as soon as possible and give an explanation to the people and the court. As for Boss Sun, his crimes are heinous and his methods are cruel. I am afraid that he will do something heinous after he wakes up. Let my guards stay here and wait for him to wake up before calling you to question him."
He looked at the things behind him. The guard who had been following the Minister last night was about to step forward, but was stopped by the county magistrate. "Then there's no need. How dare we trouble your men?"
The county magistrate refused calmly. Seeing that the minister's face was getting worse, he quickly added, "The key is that the facts of this case are very clear. I don't think it's necessary to perform an autopsy on the deceased's side. However, the minister and this guard were both witnesses last night. I need you two to give complete testimony before I can make a final conclusion on this case. How can I let the guard do such a thing? There's nothing else to do here. How about we go out and talk about it?"
The assistant minister was a little worried at first, but when he heard that the other party suddenly did not want to perform an autopsy and only wanted a testimony to close the case, he felt relieved. Although he didn't know whether the other party had noticed something or was simply a small county magistrate who wanted to add some political achievements and suddenly became easy to talk to, this was the result he wanted anyway. If the other party didn't insist and just saved face, then that would be fine.
He then waved his hand, turned around and walked out in the direction of the county magistrate's hand. "What the county magistrate said is absolutely right. My guards and I are both eyewitnesses and witnesses. We know exactly what happened at the scene. There is no need to ask Boss Sun."
If the county magistrate had only a little doubt just now, he is now eighty percent sure. Why is the assistant minister so anxious suddenly? He doesn't want him to perform an autopsy, nor does he want to give him the opportunity to question Boss Sun. He just wants to understand the case quickly. With a flattering smile on his face, he followed the other party out and winked at his master who was following behind him.
The content of the testimony was very ordinary, and there was nothing wrong with it. Moreover, the whole process was narrated very briefly by the Minister and the guard.
During the few days they stayed at the Nanyue Inn, they discovered that Boss Sun and his wife did not have a good relationship. During the day, the inn was open and people were coming and going, and they were always in harmony. But at night, quarrels would always break out in places where no one could see. It was said that this might be related to the fact that the two had been married for so long but had no children. On the night of the incident, the Minister said that he was awakened by the sound of a fierce quarrel. When he opened the door, he saw Boss Sun at the well in the backyard, trying to kill someone with a wood-cutting knife. Then the guards were also awakened and saw the same scene.
Later, in order to save the man, the Minister ordered the guards to take action, but the man was not saved and Boss Sun was also injured. Then the two of them immediately brought the deceased and the murderer to the government office to report the case.
Although this is said simply, some of the details in it are so difficult to tell to outsiders. After all, an outsider has no idea whether the couple's relationship is good or not.
But Dongyang County is not a big place after all, and everyone knows what goes on between neighbors. It is not difficult to find out some information. However, the Minister is not a local after all, and does not know many inside stories. Therefore, this testimony, which seems to be fine at first glance, is actually full of loopholes.
Boss Sun and his wife are already quite old, so it is indeed strange that they have no children, and it is inevitable that neighbors will gossip about them. However, they are not native people of Dongyang County, but fled here in the early years. They are both children of poor families. The boss's wife's family encountered bandits in the early years, and everyone died. Only she was left after being injured and survived, but she can never have children again.
When the two met, the boss's wife confessed this fact. Boss Sun knew about this situation, but he didn't care about it. He just wanted to live a good life with her. It's just that the boss's wife's health has always been not good. Boss Sun asked the county magistrate to find a famous doctor in Lin County. When the famous doctor treated her, he confessed these early events and asked the county magistrate to keep it secret. He didn't want his wife to be talked about by others.
So why would a man who was willing to visit famous doctors and save his wife's body for her infertility, and was unwilling to let his wife suffer from other people's gossip, turn his sword against his wife?
Besides, what time is it now? An official appointed by the imperial court is staying in his own inn. Even if the two of them are not well-educated, they understand that family disgrace should not be made public. How could they let the minister hear them arguing every night?
According to the Minister and the guards, the incident happened next to the well in the backyard. Even if the two were arguing, wouldn't they go back to their own room and argue behind closed doors? Why did they choose this open place?
According to the Minister, not long after he left the house, the guards were also woken up, and it was the guards who stopped Boss Sun from committing crimes. How could it be possible that a guard was not awakened by the Minister?
Especially when the guards were still in charge, how could they let a dignified minister treat the boss's wife? The blood-stained collar looked strange no matter how they looked at it.
He also secretly summoned a coroner to perform an autopsy on the boss's wife, and found signs of sexual assault on her. The knives on her body did not look like those from a chopping knife. Only the marks on her neck were fatal, and the marks on her body looked more like sword wounds.
Boss Sun would not harm his own wife. Even if he wanted to kill his wife, he could just push her into the well and then lie that his wife went to the next county to purchase something. Wouldn't that hide the truth for a while? Why did he have to make such a big fuss?
All these signs were reasons for the county magistrate to be suspicious, but what really made him come to a conclusion was that he secretly summoned his own legal advisor that day and asked him to find someone to go to the counties where the murders had occurred to investigate some matters. However, the results of his investigation surprised him.
Because those counties had all been inspected by the Minister, and especially when the murders happened, the Minister happened to be there, as if the murderer had been following the Minister's footsteps, moving between the counties.
The difference is that in several murder cases in Lin County, the women were abducted to small roads in the suburbs and raped and killed. Their deaths were horrific, so other county magistrates speculated that the bandits killed these decent women in order to seize them. The husbands of those women were not charged with murder, only Boss Sun and others became murderers.
"Sir? County Magistrate?" The lawyer stood by with sweat on his forehead, looking at the information he had asked someone to find. He felt that this was a difficult problem, so he shouted anxiously twice. After the other party came to his senses, he said hesitantly, "Sir, in two days, the Minister will leave Dongyang County. This murder case should be solved as soon as possible while the Minister is in Dongyang County."
The legal advisor was already very old. He was born and raised in Dongyang County and had served several county magistrates. He knew that the one in front of him was the most senior official. But it was also because of this that he gave his advice. Although it was very obscure, the county magistrate still understood it.
The other party is the high and mighty Minister. No matter who the real murderer is, it is not something that a small magistrate of Dongyang County like him can control. Moreover, in this matter, the Minister is the witness. According to the current facts, no one will have any doubts about the verdict except the boss Sun who has no relatives and is still waiting for him to seek justice in prison.
But if he insists on investigating the real culprit of the murder and digging out the secrets behind the murder, it may even involve murders in other counties. This is not something a small county magistrate like him can do, especially when the other party is the powerful minister and a witness in the case. Does he really want to take such a big risk for a boss named Sun who has no relatives or friends?
Wouldn't it be better to sacrifice one person and serve as the county magistrate of Dongyang County?
Seeing the expression on the county magistrate's face, the lawyer knew that this was not an easy decision to make. He thought that he was worried about Boss Sun who might have been wrongly accused, so he spoke again, "As long as the case is settled within two days, the Minister will leave Dongyang County. How to deal with Boss Sun in the end still needs you, the county magistrate, to make the decision..."
If you really don't want to kill another life, then it's not impossible to find a way to release the person when the time comes.
The county magistrate understood the implied meaning of the other party's last sentence. How could he not know what the other party said? But if this was really the case, then what about the proprietress's life that was wrongly died, and those other innocent women who died in the county?
Until the sun rose in the east, the county magistrate seemed to have not made up his mind.
Nan Huan and Bei Xi were not far away. They saw him struggling for an entire night with calm faces, as if no matter how long he struggled, the final choice had been determined from the beginning.
"What do you think made him make this decision? Was it his original intention to be a good official after reading a lot of books and taking the imperial examinations, or was it his sense of responsibility to do his job well?"
Bei Xi didn't know what he was thinking about, and asked Nan Huan with some curiosity, as if he wanted to explore the reasons why the county magistrate made these choices.
"I don't know," Nan Huan shook his head honestly. "If it were me, I would probably just do it so that I could sleep peacefully every night. Most ordinary people are not the type to shout slogans like "I will go forward even if there are thousands of people against me." They are not that great and do not think that they will leave a strong mark in history. Most ordinary people just want to live a more peaceful life."
They haven't seen the shadow of the gods yet, but Nanhuan has a hunch that it might happen soon.
Because after daybreak, the county magistrate had already made up his mind to put an end to the case. With both witnesses and no evidence, Boss Sun was soon identified as the murderer and the matter was announced to the other citizens of Dongyang County.
The Minister seemed very satisfied with the outcome of his handling of the case. After the case was concluded, he decided to leave Dongyang County early. Before leaving, he also promised to say a few good words about the county magistrate's achievements.
Just the posted notice attracted a lot of attention from the people of Dongyang County. After all, Boss Sun was a kind person in daily life and did not look like someone who would kill people. This action shocked everyone, but the government's notice was written in black and white, so they had to believe it even if they did not want to. Soon, in everyone's opinion, Boss Sun went from being a kind person to being a heinous criminal.
Those little quarrels and disputes he had with others on a daily basis were immediately magnified infinitely and became evidence of his murder and a stain on his character. Naturally, no one felt that he was wronged.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
