After returning to the county town, Lin Xue took five taels of silver and handed it over to Constable Zhang.
"Thank you all for your help today. Please take this money and have some tea!"
Zhang and his two companions were surprised that Lin Xue would offer them money and quickly refused. They knew the current situation of the Lin family and were too embarrassed to accept her money.
“Take it. You’ve seen where this money came from. Our family’s wealth is indeed more than ten taels of silver. I just couldn’t stand the villagers bullying the weak, so I deliberately taught them a lesson!”
"This ill-gotten gain cannot be kept overnight, so please help me share some of it!"
Although everyone knew what had happened, Officer Zhang didn't expect Lin Xue to reveal it.
"You've just moved to the county town, so you'll have to buy everything on the spot. You should keep this money for yourself. We'll be colleagues from now on, so don't be too formal!"
Officer Zhang still didn't want to accept Lin Xue's money, after all, it was really not easy for her to raise five children from her husband's family.
"Officer Zhang, you haven't forgotten the mutton from yesterday, have you? With my hunting skills, how could I not earn money?"
Seeing that Officer Zhang genuinely didn't want to accept it, but Lin Xue was truly giving it to him.
From now on, everyone will be working in the county government office, and the strongest relationship will be one based solely on mutual benefit.
Lin Xue also hoped that her days in the yamen would be easier, so it was necessary to build a good relationship with the head constable.
"So it turns out that the goat last night was hunted by Constable Lin. You can invite me to go hunting next time. I love meat too, but unfortunately I'm usually stuck at the yamen and rarely have the chance to go hunting!"
Officer Zhang genuinely didn't know that the mutton from last night was hunted by Lin Xue, and his superiors hadn't mentioned it either. They all assumed it was bought from outside!
"When Brother Zhang takes a break, let's go hunting together outside the city. I also need to teach the boys in my family hunting skills!"
Officer Zhang called himself "Brother Zhang," and Lin Xue immediately took advantage of the situation, which quickly brought them closer.
After exchanging some more pleasantries, Constable Zhang finally accepted the five taels of silver.
"Boss, a murder has occurred in the west of the city. The magistrate is investigating there and told me to wait at the county office. He'll call you over as soon as you get back!"
Lin Xue and her group had only been standing in front of the county government office for a short while when some sharp-eyed constables spotted them and ran over.
"A murder has occurred? Let's go check it out!"
Upon hearing that a murder had occurred, Chief Constable Zhang immediately tensed up and returned to work mode.
"Xiao Cang, you go home first!"
"Take this five taels of silver and keep it safe when you get home. I'm going to go check on things and will be back later!"
Upon hearing about the murder case, Lin Xue, despite being the magistrate's wife's bodyguard, was quite interested in the case.
After sending Zhou Xiaocang home to take care of her younger siblings, she went to the west of the city with Constable Zhang.
"My lord, we're back!"
Officer Zhang first greeted the county magistrate, and then began to inquire about the situation from the family members.
Lin Xue walked over to the magistrate's side and looked at the corpse in the middle of the courtyard.
"This person died of poisoning within three hours. There should have been signs of struggle when the poison took effect, as there are red blood vessels under his fingernails, indicating that he scratched another person who was with him during the struggle!"
Lin Xue examined the corpse carefully and then recounted her findings.
"Guard Lin, you can even perform autopsies?"
The magistrate was surprised that Lin Xue had discovered so many problems with just one glance, and what she said was almost identical to the results of the coroner's previous examination.
“I often go hunting in the mountains, and I’ve seen quite a lot of animal carcasses. Also, when I was young, I learned a few medical tricks from a wandering divine physician, so I learned some medical principles!”
Seeing that the county magistrate did not stop her from participating in the investigation, Lin Xue examined the corpse even more carefully.
"The degree to which the deceased's fingers were bent suggests that he was tightly clutching something in his hand after his death. I wonder what that thing was?"
Lin Xue examined the deceased's right hand and noticed that his fingers were bent inward, as if he were holding something.
This degree of bending is not a natural clenching of the fist, but rather caused by gripping something too tightly with excessive force.
And the fact that he maintained this posture for some time after his death indicates that the thing in his hand was not taken away at the time.
"When the family reported the case, we didn't find anything in the deceased's hands!"
"Furthermore, the deceased's family did not find anything in the deceased's hand, so it seems that the object was taken away beforehand!"
The magistrate had already learned about the whole situation, and he immediately gave an answer when Lin Xue asked the question.
This official also wanted to see Lin Xue's abilities. If she had the skills, he would have another person to rely on in the future.
"May I take a look at the crime scene?"
Finding no clues on the deceased, Lin Xue stopped paying attention to the body.
"It's in that open room. I've already had the crime scene secured. You can go take a look!"
Lin Xue turned her head and saw that Constable Zhang was also in that room.
She nodded to the magistrate, then went inside to inspect the scene.
There is a pattern made of white ash on the ground, which should be how the deceased was found.
Lin Xuezai looked around carefully and finally came to a conclusion in shock.
"This is not the primary crime scene. The deceased must have been moved here after death!"
Upon hearing Lin Xue's voice, Constable Zhang immediately approached. "How did you figure out this wasn't the primary crime scene?"
Lin Xue scanned the room again before stating her judgment.
"There were many bits of grass on the hem of the deceased's clothes. Although the deceased's clothes seemed to have been tidied up, there were still bits of dry grass in the gaps between the hem and the cuffs!"
"It's something very, very fine, like powder, Officer Zhang, you understand, right?"
After Lin Xue finished speaking, she pointed to the inside of the house, which was spotless and without a speck of dust.
"I want to take another look at the body!"
Reminded of this, Constable Zhang immediately returned to the courtyard and carefully examined the deceased's sleeves and hem.
Do you have a cattle pen? Or other livestock sheds?
Lin Xue found the owner of the house and asked him if he raised cattle or other livestock.
"We don't have any cows, but we do have two horses, which my eldest son uses for his business!"
"It's right behind the house. I can take the adults to see it!"
The speaker was the deceased's sister-in-law. After this tragedy, the two elderly people had fainted from crying and were lying in the house.
With her husband not at home and the other men all by the magistrate's side, she had no choice but to take the girl in front of her to the backyard to check.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com