Chapter 98 The Qi-Liang Border (010) Destroying the body to cover up the crime, framing someone else. ...
When everyone arrived at the yamen, they found that Xu Bai had arrived first and had already explained to Yan Shu that he wanted Yu Qi to treat Si Rou. Yan Shu naturally agreed, and while explaining to Yu Qi, he ordered the yamen runners to prepare an empty room in the back yamen, move a bed in, and temporarily settle Yu Qi there.
Yan Shu laughed and said, "Chen Zifang's wife has been making a scene all morning, and Xu Qing has also come to testify. Although neither Lord Qi nor I believe that you would commit arson and murder, we have no choice but to follow the rules. We can only ask you to stay at the yamen for a few days. Actually, this is quite convenient. If you sleep at the yamen, Lord Qi and Constable Zhang can discuss things with you."
The implication was that they not only didn't believe Yu Qi would commit arson and murder, but also wanted him to participate in the investigation privately. Yu Qi laughed, "What merit do I have that Lord Yan and Lord Qi would trust me so much?"
Yan Shu beckoned, and the coroner who had been waiting stepped forward and reported, "I have examined the body. The deceased is Chen Zifang, thirty-three years old. Although the body was burned beyond recognition, the copper lock he wore and the six toes on his left foot confirm that this is him. His wife, Liu, has also confirmed it. However, upon closer examination, there are fracture marks on the back of Chen Zifang's skull, indicating repeated blows with a blunt object. There is no ash in his mouth, nose, or throat, and the body shows no signs of struggling to survive in the fire. Therefore, it can be concluded that he was not burned to death, but rather died from repeated blows to the back of his head with a blunt object."
No wonder Yanshu was so trusting. Zhang Da was both surprised and delighted. "So, Chen Zifang's death has nothing to do with that fire. You're innocent, sir! You're really unlucky to have run into this fire and then have a body pulled out of it!"
Yu Qi lowered his eyelids and walked to sit down on the chair. "Yesterday I arrived at the Qi residence, and after I left, a fire broke out there. Ironically, a corpse was burned. I don't think this is a coincidence."
Xu Bai asked doubtfully, "Sir, are you saying that someone deliberately set fire to the corpse and tried to frame you?" After saying this, he coughed twice.
At this moment, he did not take advantage of his misfortune to kick him while he was down because of personal grudges, which made Yu Qi look at him differently. Just then, his arm was resting on the square table in the middle, and Yu Qi reached out to pull his arm over and take his pulse.
"I only used three-tenths of my strength in that palm strike last night. It's just that your physique is too weak. What's the use of a man who only studies and doesn't exercise? Even if you have great ambitions, I'm afraid you won't live to realize them in the future." While looking down on him, he also recited a prescription, "Remember it, and take it every morning when you have time."
Xu Bai was caught between anger and resentment, and could only awkwardly withdraw his hand, thanking him in a confused manner. He then felt that this thanks were unjust, as the injury was clearly inflicted by him, and today, with just a few casual words, it was as if he owed him a favor.
Knowing that the two had some misunderstandings over the marriage, Na Yanshu took the opportunity to put down his teacup and smiled. "This case involves the Qi family and also you, sir. I think you two should put aside any past grievances and focus on solving the case first, so that no one with ulterior motives can take advantage of it. Officer Zhang, go and get a pair of handcuffs. Mr. Yu, I'm sorry to trouble you to wear them for now. If you're going to be out in public, you should at least keep yourselves out of sight."
So Yu Qi put on a pair of handcuffs and, together with Xu Bai, Zhang Da, and Du Zhong, went straight to the Qi residence to treat Si Rou. Since Si Rou fainted from fright after seeing the corpse at the fire in the morning, she had been incoherent, either sitting still and not speaking, or talking nonsense, constantly shouting "There are ghosts."
Yu Qi glanced at her indifferently and saw that she was disheveled, pale-faced, and huddled on the bed with a panicked look in her eyes, hugging her knees tightly and muttering incoherently. He thought that when he came to the Qi family yesterday, it was this lady of the house who ordered the servants to invite him to wait in the Four Seasons Pavilion. If it was about burning the body to cover up the crime and framing someone else, she should be the most suspicious.
If it really was her, she was probably just pretending to be crazy. So he sat down by the bed and took her pulse. Her pulse was indeed like a taut string, with an irregular rhythm, which was a sign of being frightened and unsettled.
He struck up a conversation with Sirou, asking, "What ghost did you see, Madam?"
Si Rou ignored everything else, but when she asked about the ghost, she spoke with great detail and seriousness, "It's a black-headed, black-skinned ghost! It followed me back, and it's in this room!" As she spoke, she looked across the corner of the wall, "It said it died unjustly and wants to seek revenge on the person who harmed it!"
Yu Qi turned around and saw Enoki looking terrified, glancing sideways behind her as if she wanted to look but dared not. In the corner stood a black lacquered washbasin stand, with a square mirror embedded in it, reflecting the movement of a curtain hanging on the screen opposite.
"He's coming!" Si Rou suddenly shouted.
Enoki was startled and quickly stepped aside to stand between Xu Bai and Xu Yun, her face filled with shock.
Yu Qi turned around and looked at Si Rou for a moment, then withdrew his hand, the chains rattling a few times.
Xu Yun, standing nearby, asked, "Sir, how is my mother? Is she alright?"
“Madam, this is a sign of shock. My shop has a calming and tranquilizing pill. Zhong’er, go back and get a few pills. Give Madam one pill every morning and evening.”
Xu Yun then asked, "Will it make you better if you eat it?"
Yu Qi smiled and shook his head. "That's hard to say. Everyone's constitution and courage are different. The medicine can only alleviate the symptoms of palpitations and vivid dreams. Whether she can regain her senses depends on whether Madam can change her mind. Has Madam always been somewhat afraid of wind and rain, timid and cowardly?"
Si Rou's dowry maid, Wang Mama, hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Madam has been pampered since childhood and is somewhat timid. When she was a child, she would be so scared by thunder that she couldn't sleep. What's more, this morning she suddenly saw a charred corpse, but it wasn't completely burned. Underneath the black charred skin, pink flesh was still showing! Alas, let alone a young lady like Madam who comes from a noble family, even an old woman like me who has seen many dead people was almost scared out of her wits! Our second concubine was so scared that her legs went weak and she couldn't stand up for a long time."
Yu Qi glanced at Enoki and smiled, “Second Aunt is definitely bolder than Madam.”
Enoki moved the corners of her mouth and forced a smile. "I was also terrified, but I was originally a commoner girl, so I've experienced a lot of funerals and have been to cemeteries before."
Yu Qi stood up with a smile, and everyone followed him to the outer room. Yu Qi discussed with Xu Yun and Xu Bai, "Since Madam said she saw a ghost, why don't we invite a few Taoist priests to perform a ritual? People who believe in ghosts naturally believe in gods. We can tell her that the ghost has been driven away, so that she can feel at ease and gradually come to her senses."
Both of them agreed that this made sense, so they instructed their servants to go to Baiyun Temple immediately to invite a Taoist priest. Enoki, however, had to take her leave to prepare for the ritual.
Xu Yun bowed to Yu Qi, saying, "I have always heard that you have superb medical skills, and indeed you are extraordinary. You not only rely on acupuncture and medicine to treat diseases, but you can also use this method."
“Treating illness is merely for saving lives. What method can’t be used to save lives?” Yu Qi waved his hand. “I’m here for more than just treating your illness.”
Xu Yun understood and said, "Xu Bai and I are busy with official business and don't take care of household chores much. Usually, my mother manages the household affairs, with the help of my second aunt and the help of my eldest madam."
As she spoke, the eldest madam, Manbao, stepped forward and gave a slight curtsy. Yu Qi had met Manbao when the two families were discussing marriage. She was about the same age as Xu Yun, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. The couple had a daughter who was still an infant.
Xu Yun asked Man Bao, "Who is currently in charge of supervising and guarding the outer courtyard?"
"It's Steward Chai."
Manbao then ordered a maid to call Chai Fang in. Chai Fang was about forty years old and knew the situation of all the servants in the house very well. Xuyun then sent him to accompany Yu Qi to Sishixuan. On the way, Chai Fang described Chen Zifang's character in detail. There was nothing particularly special about him, except that he had some bad habits of whoring and gambling.
"How much does he earn in a month to support his eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring?"
Chai Fang glanced at Xu Bai, feeling somewhat awkward speaking in front of his master. Xu Bai returned the glance, then clasped his hands behind his back, saying, "Say what you have to say. I'm not one of your wives, and I don't care about your private affairs."
Chai Fang still didn't dare to speak, only offering an awkward laugh. Yu Qi already knew a thing or two, so he asked, "What does Chen Zifang manage?"
"He was in charge of purchasing daily necessities for the household, such as incense, paper money, candles, soap and other small items. In addition, he was a good eater and knew a lot about good food and fun things, so everyone liked to ask him to buy these things."
These things may seem insignificant and worth little money, but for a family like the Qi family, even though they have fallen on hard times, there are still quite a few people in the household, and their use would be a considerable expense.
Zhang Da laughed and said, "Chen Zifang must make a profit from all this purchasing, no wonder he has money for eating, drinking, gambling and whoring. I heard his wife, Liu, is also in charge of purchasing in the kitchen?"
Chai Fang nodded, and Xu Bai then realized that not only was their Qi family losing money externally, but their internal resources were also being emptied out by these parasites. They were truly on their deathbed, and if they didn't find a way to revitalize the family, they feared that even their empty shell would be difficult to maintain in the future.
As they spoke, they arrived at the Four Seasons Pavilion near the corner gate, where they saw a patch of scorched earth with some unburnt beams remaining on the ground. Chai Fang led the three of them to the back and pointed to a pile of burnt wooden planks, saying, "This is where the body was found this morning."
Yu Qi looked around, then walked back a little distance and pointed in front of the three of them, saying, "I remember there was a screen here, and the corpse was behind the screen?"
Chai Fang nodded. "If you remember correctly, sir, that screen was also burned. It was used to separate the inside from the outside, and there were some unused tables, chairs and cabinets inside."
Yu Qi walked back, squatted down to examine the pile of burned wood, and then clapped his hands and said, "This looks like a round-cornered cabinet. I suppose the body was hidden in this cabinet before I entered the house yesterday."
Xu Bai frowned. "So, the Four Seasons Pavilion is the scene of our first love?"
Yu Qi stood up and nodded. "I think the murderer not only wanted to burn the body to frame someone, but also wanted to burn down the crime scene."
Yesterday, when he was sitting here, he was only thinking about Jiu Li's whereabouts and didn't pay attention to anything else. But now, recalling it, he seemed to faintly smell blood in the musty smell, but he didn't realize it at the time.
He glanced around, then led the way out, his tone tinged with regret, "Now any remaining clues have been lost to the flames."
Zhang Da chuckled behind him, "But what the murderer didn't expect was that being smashed to death and then burned is very different from being burned alive. He wanted to frame you, sir, but his plan has failed."
Upon hearing this, Chai Fang realized that Yu Qi was not the arsonist. No wonder the two gentlemen treated Yu Qi this way; they were indeed knowledgeable officials.
If the intention was to frame someone, then among all the family members, Si Rou was the most suspicious. Ever since the Yu family rejected her marriage proposal, Si Rou had been seething with hatred whenever she mentioned the Yu family at home, and had even said that she would make the Yu family suffer sooner or later. Yesterday, it was she who insisted on inviting someone to this Si Shi Xuan to sit on the sidelines. Could it be her?
He thought this way, but when it came to actually involving the lady of the house, he certainly didn't dare, so he just kept his head down and didn't say anything.
Xu Bai also thought of this and turned to ask him, "Has Chen Zifang done anything lately to anger your wife?"
Chai Fang frowned and thought for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "No, since last year, Madam has only been in charge of the farm affairs and checking the total accounts of expenses. If she has any instructions or anything to say, she tells Second Madam, and Second Madam then sends us to do it. The only thing was that she personally sent Chen Zifang to buy some things at the end of last year. After that, she never summoned him in again. Even if we meet, it's just by chance in the mansion."
"Doesn't Madam know that Chen Zifang is embezzling money in private?"
When Chai Fang heard him ask this, he could only smile awkwardly. "Second Master doesn't manage the household, so how would he know that this kind of thing is common in families like ours? Of course, Madam knows, but she just turns a blind eye. It's just like working in the government office. If you really start to take it seriously, you can't do your job."
Xu Bai sneered, "You're quite right. Won't Madam get upset about this and cause trouble for Chen Zifang?"
Yu Qi couldn't help but glance at him. Although Si Rou wasn't his biological mother, she was the head of the household and, in theory, his mother. Why didn't he cover it up but instead took the lead in asking questions? Was he being selfless, or was there already a rift between the legitimate mother and the illegitimate son?
As he was pondering this, the sun began to set in the west. A maid came up to him and said, "Second Master, the Master said that a banquet has been prepared inside. He invites Mr. Yu and Constable Zhang to have dinner before returning to the yamen."
So the group strolled towards the inner courtyard.
Within half a day, before Lian Jiuli was even fully aware of Yu Qi's situation, a middle-aged man seeking medical treatment came into the shop and, in a roundabout way, asked A Xiang a bunch of questions, all of which boiled down to whether Yu Qi had committed murder and arson. Although his words were questioning, his tone implied that he already believed it to be true.
Ah Xiang, tongue-tied and stammering, waved his hands repeatedly, "No, oh, that's not true, listen to me—"
Jiuli was in the inner room taking someone's pulse when she heard this and was furious. She rushed out and yelled at the man, "Are you here to see a doctor or to spout nonsense? Which eye of yours saw my uncle commit murder and arson?! If you keep talking nonsense, I'll beat you out of here with a stick!"
Seeing that A Xiang was young and that she was a girl, the middle-aged man was not afraid at all. Instead, he put one arm on the counter and laughed, "I'm sure I'm not talking nonsense. I saw it this afternoon. Doctor Yu was being led around in the street with his hands in shackles. Why would you put him in shackles for no reason? If I were really sick, would I dare to let your Yu family treat me? I don't want to end up losing my life in your shop instead of getting better."
The woman inside, who had just had her pulse checked, rushed out in a panic upon hearing this, but Jiu Li quickly grabbed her, saying, "Your prescription hasn't been written yet!"
The woman hurriedly waved her hand and said, "I'm not opening anymore," and ran out of the shop.
Jiuli was already worried about Yuqi, and now she was furious. She rushed up and slapped the man across the face. "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll go to the yamen and sue you for slander!"
The man covered his face and roared angrily, "It wasn't me who sued you! What slander and defamation? Do you think I don't know the law?! Go listen up on the street, it's not just me saying this, do you think you can sue me?! You rude brat, you even dared to hit me, wait till I teach you a lesson!"
As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves. Seeing this, Ah Xiang hurriedly ran out of the cabinet. Before he even got close, the man clenched his fist and was about to swing it down when someone suddenly appeared out of nowhere and struck him on the arm with a stick. The man took a hard hit, his fist loosened, and he grimaced in pain, shaking his arm.
Yuqing slammed the stick down on the ground with a thud and cursed, "Do you think we're all alone and you can bully us? Look at you, you sallow-faced, skinny weasel! You want to hit someone? Let me tell you! When your old mother was beating up men in the countryside, you were probably still looking for shit to eat in some latrine. You try to fight me again? I'll teach you a lesson!" As she spoke, she swung the stick again as if to hit him, "Get lost!"
Jiuli, hands on hips, pressed forward, "Get lost! Or I'll drag you back and break your legs, and I'll pay for your medical treatment!"
The man had no choice but to slink away.
Du Zhong turned his head and came in. "Hey, who's that? He looks unfamiliar. Is he here for a medical checkup?"
Ah Xiang shook his head and said, "He's not one of our regular customers. He just popped up out of nowhere and came in asking about the master. He even started shouting that our master had committed murder and arson, which scared all the patients away."
Du Zhong pondered, "No one in the government office dares to leak the news, so where did he hear it from?"
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Author's note: Thank you for reading.
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