Chapter 46: Betting "Then please pick up the dead man's severed hand...
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Jiang Hui did not interfere because he could see Yan Siqing's attitude towards the case. However, through the open air and rain curtain of Central, he saw that in the open room, the body of an unknown person was in the same room with her.
If it is not necessary, who would want to get involved with such a rotten corpse that has been provoked by ghosts and gods?
She loves cleanliness, is decent and considerate, but because of a series of accidents, she has to travel a lot and has to deal with important cases because of these right and wrongs.
It’s the same here.
The reason was simply given by Jian Wuliang: she was the only one he was not afraid of offending.
In fact, it is more like saying: the closer to Chang'an, the less he can decide her safety.
This was also why he understood why she changed her mind and didn't go to Chang'an.
It's not that she didn't believe him, but she saw that it was the emperor's heart that had the final say.
Jiang Hui remained silent, his expression deep and unknown what he was thinking. Yan Siqing also had times when she didn't understand him, but more often than not, she didn't want to understand and restrained herself from probing him.
Only his subordinates could notice that His Highness always had his hand on the hilt of the sword. The sword was given by the emperor, and he had killed countless enemies with it since he was young.
It means "killing without limit, power".
His Highness...
He has murderous intentions towards Jian Wuliang.
Inside the house, Yan Siqing didn't pay too much attention to what a certain man or some men were thinking. She didn't like that and was more accustomed to discussing the matter at hand.
When things happen, just deal with them.
The corpse is right in front of us, so let’s take a look.
As I said before, knowing something is better than being ignorant.
Even Prince Yan and the Dali Temple intended to use this matter to "interrogate" and "arrange" her.
Yan Siqing's face was calm, motionless, coldly looking down at the broken arm on the ground, judging its decay cycle and the pus flowing from the broken end...
He had been dead for a month, and was indeed burned to death. Whether it was the severed flesh and blood or the pus and decay on the limbs, all of it matched the information of the deceased in the case.
Now it depends on who the deceased is.
In a moment, she met Jian Wuliang's cunning and cold gaze, as if he were judging a suspect, and replied, "Is this the left hand of Master Liu, the Junior Architect? Master Shaoqing."
At the door, Xie Rong leaned against a pillar and looked out, her pretty face filled with surprise. "Hey, um, Master Yan, did you know that this body belongs to Lord Liu?"
Did Jian Wuliang say that? Or was this man unfathomable, able to predict the movements of the Dali Temple. To be honest, the Xie family didn't know why the Dali Temple suddenly transported the body to the White Horse Temple. This was unusual.
Not only did the Xie family not know, it seemed that Princess Huaixuan and Crown Prince Jiang Hui did not know either.
This is very secretive. Who would believe that there is no imperial order?
How could Mr. Yan know such a serious and suspenseful matter?
Princess Huaixuan was originally watching the fun, bending over and looking through the window, but now she restrained her expression and looked back and forth through the window at Yan Jian and his companion in the opposite room.
Although she was noble, she didn't know much about the affairs of the post station, and she only knew some rumors about the Red Flame Ghost Fire serial case. Therefore, she was the one who was most surprised by Jian Wuliang's behavior, and she was also the one who was most shocked by this "Mr. Yan" of unknown origin.
Young master? Young lady? She couldn't tell, but she straightened her expression, thinking that there was some secret behind this, and that this Yan might be a person involved in a major case.
Only people like Jiang Hui were not surprised and just watched quietly.
Yan Siqing glanced at Xie Rong without saying anything, but Jian Wuliang said, "Based on the condition of the body, it's confirmed to be one of the victims in the Red Flame Will-O'-the-Wisp serial case. Based on the time of decomposition, the deceased's identity was confirmed. Given a month's death, it could have been either Lord Liu or General Chen. But why did Master Yan identify it as Lord Liu and not General Chen?"
Yan Siqing: "Perhaps, considering your situation once again, the only person you can bring before me without causing the deceased's family to complain and the censor to impeach him is Liu Shaojiang, a man without any relatives and from a poor family."
These words also correspond to what Jian Wuliang said just now: He can only afford to offend this Mr. Yan.
Sarcasm, criticism? Or just a light-hearted validation?
Jian Wuliang remained calm, "Thank you, Master Yan, for your affirmation of me. Are you sure about this? What if it's not true? How about we take a gamble."
Yan Siqing: "What's the bet?"
Jian Wuliang: "If you lose, you will serve me at my behest. You must answer any questions I ask and personally handle any matters."
Bastard! Isn't this asking Madam Yan Shao to intervene in all aspects of the case, even involving Prince Yan's impeachment case, and letting her say whatever she wants and do whatever she wants?
The people in Prince Yan's Mansion were a little anxious, but Jiang Hui could not hold back until he heard Yan Siqing's answer to Jian Wuliang.
Yan Siqing: "A cow or horse that can speak human language?"
puff......
Huai Xuan laughed out loud.
Jiang Hui was depressed for a moment, rubbing his nose. He couldn't laugh. When he first went to Yancheng, his plan for her was "either die or be an obedient cow or horse."
He was just using her as a controllable chess piece.
Apparently, the Shaoqing of the Dali Temple also had such an intention - he was not a righteous judge who enforced justice on behalf of heaven.
But he certainly didn't think Yan Siqing could help him solve this serious and widely related Red Flame Ghost Fire serial case.
It is possible to attack Wei and save Zhao.
He wanted to use Yan Siqing's breakthrough in the case of Prince Yan's Mansion to satisfy the emperor or give an explanation to the court, so as to reduce his poor performance in the Red Flame Ghost Fire serial case.
Who among those in officialdom doesn’t do something to protect his own life and future?
Jiang Hui pressed his back teeth with the root of his tongue, touched the hilt of the sword again with his fingers, and looked at Yan Siqing again, and found that there was a folded towel on the table next to the latter.
He paused and held back again.
Jian Wuliang's dead face paused, "It's not that inhumane."
"Then Master Yan is unwilling?"
Yan Siqing: "What if I win the bet?"
Jian Wuliang: "I will not bother you any more."
Yan Siqing: "Okay, then what about the identity of this corpse?"
Jian Wuliang: "Of course, it's Lord Liu or General Chen. If Master Yan has already confirmed the former, then..."
Yan Siqing: "No one."
Jian Wuliang was speechless and stared at him.
"No one, then who do you think it is? Minister Yan, or Lord Zhao?"
Xie Rong and Huai Xuan, who were watching curiously at the door because of the bet, were surprised again.
Yan Siqing: "This body is not any of the victims in the Red Flame Will-O-Wisp serial case."
"Officials and nobles, in all cases, were burned in secret rooms. Given the circumstances, they would have been wearing clothing. Given their status, clothing would have been made of silk, which, when burned with the body, would have blended with the body's sebum, leaving dark brown, sticky marks. However, the skin on this severed arm is very clean. It's possible that the deceased wasn't wearing such fine clothing, or even nothing at all."
"There are some strange marks under the nails. It's probably the rouge that melted into oil during the burning process and absorbed into the nails, creating the mottled color."
"But the deceased was a man."
"Was it a prostitute who was burned to death while enjoying himself in a brothel?"
"Each nail has such mottled colors, it's not just for fun and playfulness with women, it must be made up for the purpose."
"But ordinary cases don't get brought to the Dali Temple."
"Whether he was burned to death intentionally or died accidentally, it wouldn't warrant an investigation by the Dali Temple. However, I remember that according to imperial law, any case would first be handled by the local government. If there were any related cases or if it touched upon judicial taboos or was beyond the reach of the local authorities, it would be transferred to the Dali Temple for investigation. This person's case... should be located in the Andingmen area, where the Dali Temple is located. There's a brothel there—Fan Huayuan."
"Then the deceased should have been burned to death in Fanhuayuan."
"But everyone should know what kind of place Fan Huayuan is. Not everyone can go there."
Yan Siqing did not mention that it was the place for official prostitutes, and meant Zhangtai.
She doesn't like places like this.
But it always exists.
"The deceased was not an official, someone that Lord Jian could provoke at will."
"Then, he can only be a male prostitute."
The male prostitute who was burned to death is not important, but he entered the Dali Temple and was burned to death in the official prostitute Zhangtai... It is very likely that he was killed by some powerful people.
The purpose of this case is not to investigate the case, but to close it.
"There shouldn't be many people like this. There's a list of names in Fanhuayuan, but I don't know their specific names."
"Does this mean I've passed the test, Master Jian?"
Since he was not a significant figure, he was dead and the case was probably closed, so the body could be used.
To deceive her.
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The rain is still falling, but this quiet place of Buddhism has become a little noisy.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, there is also artificial silence.
After a while, Jian Wuliang said, "He's truly formidable. No wonder Lin An and his men fell at the hands of Master Yan..."
He paused for a moment, emphasizing the definition of the title, and vaguely revealed that he must have been even more shocked by the latter's strength because of his preconceived notion of the latter's identity as "Mrs. Yan".
This is an inherent cognition and also the state of the world.
Yan Siqing didn't care and didn't ask him whether he won or lost.
Fortunately, no matter how unscrupulous Jian Wuliang was, he wouldn't break the contract in front of so many powerful people, even with Jiang Hui present. He said sullenly, "Master Yan wins. This person is indeed a prostitute from Fan Huayuan."
"From now on, I will not bother you again."
As for who manipulated him and burned him to death, he didn't say, and he couldn't say. Yan Siqing didn't have the hands to fish out the mud he was stuck in.
In silence, Jian Wuliang only heard the man say two sentences.
"Then please pick up the dead man's severed hand."
"It's been on the ground for a long time."
A corpse is naturally horrifying, especially one that is still rotting. Not only would ordinary people find it hard to accept mentally, but it would also be uncomfortable for their five senses to see.
Xie Rong had already changed several pillars to dig, as he was curious and couldn't stand the stench.
Only the respectable Yan Siqing remained calm and stood there for a long time, which made Jian Wuliang's arrangement seem very indecent - if the one who started first loses, it would seem more unreasonable.
Jian Wuliang was in the wrong, but he still twitched his eyebrows after hearing her words, and stared at her with dark eyes.
But in the eyes of others, who can ignore the beauty of jade in such a terrifying environment?
Huai Xuan seemed to be lost in thought, and only smiled after a long while. Only the nanny beside her heard her whisper.
“It’s truly extraordinary.”
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