Chapter 108 Pomegranate Tree (I can’t make up for it, so I’ll just update today. I owe you one more chapter) ^^…
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Yan Siqing didn't comment too much on a case he didn't know much about. When he arrived at the place, he got off the carriage.
In front of me is a busy alley.
It was already very lively, but a bit unruly and dirty.
The stinking place where chickens were being slaughtered and feathered was right next to a steaming tofu stall. A scantily clad woman leaned against the mossy wall at a small, closed doorway, cracking melon seeds and calling for customers. In a nearby doorway, a poor child, helping his parents with the vegetable business, knelt on the ground, doing his homework on a makeshift wooden board...
This noisy bustle and unreasonable silence are certainly not caused by any one of them, because they are equal enough, without any excessive "nobility" or "authority". No matter what noises they make, it will not cause the group to panic.
Unless you are a government official.
The Dali Temple's guards waved their swords, and the local village head and county officials took the lead. They had already taken care of the route and were just waiting for people to come.
There were many officials in the officialdom, and only the officials from the Dali Temple wearing dark red robes and carrying swords were seen coming in a line. Among the line, there was a young man with an upright figure and stern features, wearing a more superior civil and military black robe and led people into the alley.
The prostitute hiding behind the doorway saw through the gap that the person carefully escorted by the young man and other guards walked slowly towards them.
This guy seems like he can never get dust on the soles of his boots.
She was dressed simply, but was obviously a woman. She walked through the alleys covered with moss. The water that each household had dumped into the ditches on the side roads, but was crowded and smelly due to blockage, made a clattering sound under her boots.
But these people didn't care much.
It seems like they are talking about something.
With a low voice, gentleness and composure, he walked through the most indecent corner of Chang'an.
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"The deceased, Luo Xuan, wasn't from a wealthy family, but he started out as an apprentice in a small business, running a wine shop and brewing workshop that had become a well-established business for about thirty years. Now forty-five, he was in the prime of life and physically strong. After earning some money, he set up shop and bought this old Ginkgo house with two courtyards, settling his entire family there."
"Luo Xuan has traveled extensively and has a lot of connections. People like him are not lacking in long-distance experience. He died in the wild forest, and there were no signs of a fight at the scene, not even signs of dragging, only some footprints."
"The footprints are normal, though a bit messy, but we can confirm that they were probably two people walking normally, not fighting or dragging. Based on the boot prints and size, I'm waiting to compare them with Luo Xuan's family to see if the other person is a servant or someone else traveling with them."
Yan Siqing took the shoe print rubbing from Jian Wuliang and discovered a rough topographical map of the forest. It showed everything from the footprints to the location of the body, the distribution of some major trees, the path, and even the presence of grass and leaves blocking the path.
This is a far greater level of meticulousness and caution than the Dali Temple's previous approach to handling cases.
Li Yu laughed secretly on the side: My master always remembers that I am not as good as others in my job, and he is also working hard to learn and improve himself in private.
Now everyone in the Dali Temple believed that Yan Siqing's excellent logical thinking could not be learned overnight, but she paid great attention to environmental details when investigating cases. She believed that the corpse was the result that the murderer had to deal with the most painstakingly. It was too difficult to find the real clues. Instead, it was the surrounding environment. Because of its large size, the murderer often did not have the time and sufficient meticulousness to deal with all the traces.
Instead, it is a breakthrough point.
However, this kind of investigation is very tiring. However, for the Dali Temple, the top judicial center of the empire, it has a large number of people and abundant talents. As long as they are willing to pay attention, this tedious investigation is not difficult for them.
then.
When Jian Wuliang handed over the paper, there was confidence in his eyes, but also a little nervousness.
Yan Siqing noticed it, but did not comment much. She was not the other party's superior, so it was not appropriate for her to be condescending and make comments. If she intervened as a friend to help, she would look at the paper again, write down all the details on it, and then look at the two shoe prints.
Actually, I don't see any problem here.
We'll have to wait until we see the Luo family to find out the details.
But she felt it was a shame to waste time, so she told Jian Wuliang, "I remember the person who reported the case was a local woodcutter. He was passing by while cutting wood when he smelled the stench of decay and watched in confusion... Then, frightened, he called the villagers he was traveling with and went over together. After confirming that it was a dead body, they reported the case. The government officials arrived first, located the body, and felt it was not right, so they notified the Dali Temple... The case files concerning the Xu family had only just been transferred to the Dali Temple."
Jian Wuliang: "Yes, I also asked someone to call these two firewood workers over to avoid wasting time."
This case was a civilian one and had nothing to do with the country. There was no emperor issuing a life or death order, and no pressure to solve the case quickly. He didn't need to be in a hurry, but Yan Siqing was involved, and her time was more urgent.
He seemed to understand Yan Siqing's meaning in advance - she wanted to see the two woodcutters.
"There's something wrong with those two."
It is one thing to call someone in, but it is another to have a problem.
Jian Wuliang investigated and the testimonies of the two men proved that they were definitely not the murderers.
The deceased died five days ago.
Both men had alibis from five days ago.
but.....
Jian Wuliang knew Yan Siqing must have noticed something was wrong, so he didn't hide it. "The wild forest they passed through, after all these years, actually belongs to Gutong Village. These two people belong to Lijia Village, across the river from Gutong Village. The woodcutters are not unscrupulous. They usually only cut wood in the real wilderness. There is no reason for them to cut wood in the forest of someone else's village. These two people must have gone there secretly."
It was a wild forest ten years ago, but great changes have taken place in the past ten years. The imperial court has promulgated land administration, and the rights and interests of villages in various places have their own rules.
It is actually no longer a wild forest.
"If they went over there and found a body, they would report it to the police. This would easily expose their violation of the rules and cause trouble for Gutong Village. They could have avoided it, but they still reported it..."
"Perhaps, they are of noble character, or they are afraid of ghosts and gods and dare not hide it, or..."
Yan Siqing: "Either they are being manipulated by someone, and there are other benefits, which are enough to make up for the loss of offending the people of Gutong Village."
Jian Wuliang: "We've sent people to keep watch for two days, so we should find something."
"Let's go to the Luo family first... We're here, this is the one."
Jian Wuliang pointed, and Yan Siqing looked up and saw an old pomegranate tree full of red pomegranates.
The courtyard gate was cleaned and when it was opened, there was a gloomy atmosphere inside, which was a sign of funeral. Some relatives and friends of the Luo family came to accompany the victim's family. If they really wanted to hold a funeral, they would have to wait until the body was retrieved from the Dali Temple.
However, the news of death was already a fact, and the Luo family had to prepare according to custom.
When the Dali Temple came for a surprise inspection, the guests were unable to escape and were very quiet in fear and trepidation.
Yan Siqing walked in and saw the Luo family, young and old, at a glance.
The parents were old and had suffered such a blow that it was difficult for them to cooperate with the investigation. Jian Wuliang whispered, "The local village head is familiar with their family. He said that the old man never took care of the family and was just in retirement. He didn't know much about his son. The only one who took care of the household and helped support Luo Xuan's business was his wife, Tang Miaoxin... Tang Miaoxin."
He changed his usual abbreviations for women such as wives and directly replaced them with their full names. Yan Siqing looked at Tang Miaoxin who came over to pay her respects. The latter had swollen eyes and heavy bags under her eyes. She must have been tired for many days and cried late at night, but she looked very calm during the day.
Very polite.
"Go inside."
Yan Siqing had no intention of questioning his hard-working wife in front of others, after all, people's words were scary.
After entering the room, cut off from the noise outside, after the tea was served, Yan Siqing asked Luo Xuan about his daily business and social habits...
Tang Miaoxin knew that the Dali Temple was here to investigate the case. She was a little confused, but she still answered all the questions in detail.
"My husband has always been cautious in his business dealings. After all, starting from a young age wasn't easy. He also knew that once his business took off, there would always be many people watching him, especially in Chang'an, where wine shops are very profitable. Many people are looking for trouble with him so they can take over his workshop and business."
"So he rarely tells anyone where he goes or where he is."
“There are many things I don’t know.”
Yan Siqing: "Including his relatives?"
These words are very sharp.
Xiaoyun immediately thought of the many guests in the yard just now, surrounding the three adult men. They were shouting loudly, looking like they were in charge, but they did not look tired. Instead, Luo Xuan's wife looked very haggard.
There's something behind this.
Tang Miaoxin paused, looked at Jian Wuliang, then looked at Yan Siqing, and thought about the visitor saying he was from the Dali Temple...
Some things are known to everyone in Chang'an.
She had already bowed, but this time she suddenly knelt down again.
"Greetings, Her Royal Highness."
Yan Siqing's hand holding the teacup paused, and after being surprised, she didn't have time to stop the other person, but Xiaoyun helped him up.
"My husband really didn't tell his parents and brothers about his itinerary. It's hard to say the specific reason."
There are quite a few Luo family members outside.
Luo Xuan alone has four brothers, and under them are a large group of followers.
The second courtyard was originally not small, but with so many people living there, the small compartments seemed crowded.
So the owner of the local tavern who seemed to have a great reputation outside actually did not look very respectable at home.
At least they were all wealthy businessmen. Li Yu and others could see at a glance the huge gap between Luo Xuan and Yan Siqing - the latter's openly displayed family fortune in Yancheng alone was terrifying, and the shopkeepers under her all had large houses.
Looking at this shopkeeper Luo, why does he feel so awkward?
Everyone was a little confused when Yan Siqing asked, "Who is in charge of the restaurant and the workshop now?"
Tang Miaoxin paused and said, "I."
Only then did Yan Siqing take a sip of tea.
Jian Wuliang raised his eyebrows and suddenly smiled, with some admiration in his eyes.
She did not let her husband's parents and brothers swallow up the family property. She took care of everything, was decent and thoughtful, and made herself and her children strong.
It’s really amazing.
It also shows that the couple has always been wary of their parents and siblings, but Luo Xuan is also a complicated person.
"Why buy this? He has enough money to buy a better house, or you... don't have to live together."
Jian Wuliang suspected that the people who killed Luo Xuan were most likely his closest relatives, because once he died, these people would be the ones who benefited.
Tang Miaoxin, Luo's parents, brothers, and business rivals.
"The first is filial piety. My husband doesn't want outsiders to accuse him of being unfilial—especially since his parents are likely to say the same thing to others."
"Secondly, my husband and I toiled day and night to create the secret recipe for brewing wine. However, because my grandfather used to be a wine seller, my parents and brothers claimed that my husband's brewing skills were created by my grandfather, not just his own, and that they should have a share of the family business. This is so complicated and hard to explain, and it's a family scandal that can't be aired publicly, so my husband can't escape this."
"Third, my husband likes that pomegranate tree."
Um?
This time, Tang Miaoxin was much more sincere and less wary than before. This deviation made Jian Wuliang feel sad: although he admired Yan Siqing very much, who was the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple?
After hearing this, Yan Siqing thought for a moment, his gaze lingering on some of the decorations in the room. Thinking of the clothing on the corpse, he asked, "I see his clothes are quite thick and tough. Actually, they're not comfortable to wear in this season, and it's hot and stuffy, but such clothes are convenient for riding and avoid rubbing the leg flesh. So, did he ride back and forth on horseback?"
Tang Miaoxin nodded, "It's like this. My husband always carries two sets of clothes when he travels. One set is formal attire for business meetings, which is more respectable. The other set is riding clothes, which he rides all the time. However, he doesn't keep horses at home, and he doesn't let his family know..."
Afraid something might happen to the horse.
She didn't tell the whole story.
But everyone understands.
Yan Siqing seemed to be thinking about something. "Well, he used a small carriage on the way back. Did you know that?"
ah?
Not to mention Tang Miaoxin, Jian Wuliang and others didn't know either.
Is that true? It seems they haven't found out yet.
How did Yan Siqing know that?
Jian Wuliang subconsciously looked at the wild forest topographic map.
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