Chapter 49: Long-tongued ghost? People in the imperial capital are not ordinary. ...
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There were a lot of people making a mess down there, but Yan Siqing didn't care much. She had tried her best to avoid the princesses and the young masters' mischief, and did not participate in such strange things.
She didn't arrange the rooster either.
By not getting involved, she would have the initiative. She just stood behind the railing and watched quietly for a while.
The big rooster was carefully arranged by the Dali Temple in order to complete the show.
Who would have thought that these big roosters would come together to crow? Doesn't that prove that there is something fishy going on?
In this way, there is no need to hunt down the human villain, but if such things are publicized and become a big deal, the people will be even more excited, and the ghost villain will definitely have to be hunted down.
How to check it?
Jian Wuliang's initial plan was that if this was an unsolved case, as long as the murderer did not commit crimes again, he could use the White Horse Temple's name to suppress evil and go through the full ceremony, and the matter would be over. The Dali Temple would still be stable, and his official position and life would remain.
However, the attempt to steal a chicken ended up with nothing but loss of the rice.
The evil was not subdued, but became even more serious.
——————
It is unknown how ugly Jian Wuliang's expression was, but Princess Huaixuan was frightened and left with her daughter.
Xie Rong and his sister didn't want to stay for long, but before leaving, Xie Juanshu looked back and forth at Jiang Hui and Yan Siqing, hesitated, and then retreated.
The Xie family also didn't want to be involved with this case.
She wouldn't come here tonight unless it was necessary.
Unfortunately, it still failed.
On the way back, Xie Rong was still trembling and frightened. The servants were unable to comfort him and felt helpless. They were so anxious that they wanted to leave the temple overnight for fear of being haunted by ghosts.
Xie Juanshu stamped his feet, and the servant holding the umbrella did not dare to move anymore.
In the rain, Xie Juanshu's originally graceful peony-like eyes and eyebrows became cold and sharp.
"According to the intelligence, if that woman is the prince's hidden daughter, she is not only highly regarded, but also attracts my cousin's attention. This means she has control over the entire palace. Xie Rong, how can you imagine our Xie family to be so powerful and arrogant?"
"Without Prince Yan's Mansion, we are nothing."
"Of course, even if there is Prince Yan's Mansion, that doesn't necessarily mean..."
She lowered her voice and didn't say the whole thing, but Xie Rong suddenly calmed down.
He remembered something that no one else knew.
——Prince Yan’s princess consort is Jiang Hui’s biological mother. She is not a direct descendant of the Southern Xie family, nor even a direct descendant of their side branch. Instead, she is an inconspicuous stepdaughter who later changed her surname to Xie and married Prince Yan.
This is certainly not because the Xie family neglected the powerful Prince Yan, but... Prince Yan chose her himself and even used his military merits to ask for a marriage.
The emperor was furious at the time, and a rift arose between father and son, a rift that continues to this day.
They didn't know what happened in the meantime, but they got married after all, and later Jiang Hui was born. Prince Yan was busy, and the backyard was empty except for this mistress. She was always fighting and never went home. But because of the delegation of power and the respect given to her, outsiders did not doubt the mistress's background, and even thought that the two families were a strong alliance and inseparable.
Only the Xie family and the emperor knew what was going on.
The Xie family has never been on the same side as Prince Yan's palace.
This is why the so-called romantic affair impeached by the censor was just a pretext for attacking Prince Qi, but made the Xie family feel like they were facing a formidable enemy.
This also put Xie Juanshu under great pressure - because she was reprimanded by her superiors and asked to pay more attention.
Unfortunately, before she could even put her own thoughts into practice, her younger brother acted foolishly.
It's just a beautiful shell, good for nothing.
Xie Rong also knew his own limitations. He touched his nose and muttered softly, "Then why do you insist on living with me?"
Xie Juanshu's face became even uglier, and he didn't speak for a long time. Xie Rong finally reacted - due to family orders, Xie Juanshu had to get close to Jiang Hui, contact him, and gain his favor so that the latter would agree to the marriage. After all, Jiang Hui was already strong enough, and he could decide his marriage to a large extent. Even if Prince Yan disagreed, the latter could bypass his father and directly ask the emperor of his ancestors to grant the marriage, so all he had to do was to win over Jiang Hui.
So if she wants to have contact, she must have the opportunity to have contact, no matter whether this opportunity is embarrassing, indecent, or involves calculation, first of all, she must have the opportunity to have contact.
It was obvious that Jiang Hui wanted to protect Young Master Yan and regarded his safety as the most important thing. He even placed his most powerful internal guards by her side. This showed how much he valued her.
It can be said that wherever Master Yan is, the Crown Prince is there.
Xie Juanshu could only cling to the Jingxin Courtyard to find an opportunity to spend time with Jiang Hui - he had arrived at the White Horse Temple in advance and stayed in the royal villa. Jiang Hui was originally staying there, but he never set foot in. He stayed in the Jingxin Courtyard, saying that he was there to watch the corpse, but what was he really doing?
In a sense, my sister is a ruthless person who is willing to lower herself to achieve her goals.
It was just the truth, but if she had to say it herself, it would mean that her good-for-nothing brother was indeed useless.
Xie Rong immediately bowed his head and apologized, "I was stupid, I understand."
Xie Rong: "That's right, you can't live with a corpse."
At least he is not stubborn, he just speaks without thinking.
Xie Juanshu was speechless, but he didn't bother to say anything more. Xie Rong added with both concern and anger, "So Yan... So is she a man or a woman? What if she's a man? Our intelligence is fragmented and untrue, and there's no way to get past the iron walls of Prince Yan's mansion to confirm the truth. Right now, we don't even know if that woman is Yan Que's wife. The case files we sent to the local government office to investigate the case don't even contain any information about Mrs. Yan's body. Even if it's like this for the person involved, what about others?"
"What if this person is a man? Wouldn't that be a disgrace to your reputation? And then what's the point of holding a marriage banquet at the palace?"
Xie Juanshu: “…”
You can't spit out ivory from a dog's mouth.
"If it's Madam Yan Que, then it must be a daughter. This is an old story. Although Yan Que happened to be working in the Imperial Medical Bureau in another city during the years when they had their child, he later returned to Chang'an with his wife and daughter to join the Imperial Hospital. Madam Yan Que was also well-known back then, and she had many encounters at official banquets, so it's certain that it's a daughter."
"As for whether she is Madam Yan Que, that is a matter for Prince Qi and the others to calculate and deduce."
"For our Xie family, her existence and the existence of her daughter are huge troubles."
Xie Juanshu's purpose was clear, and she knew what she should do. She was also more deeply aware of Prince Yan's "tyranny and partiality" towards that lady, as well as the abnormalities in some of Jiang Hui's words and deeds, which made her feel more urgent.
Those two were not like this before. Both father and son were cold-blooded and ruthless. Why did they suddenly become like this?
so......
She looked back at the Jingxin Courtyard that was already far away, the lush bamboo forest and elegant garden, and the drizzling rain. In the deep night before dawn, the umbrella could be heard dripping. She frowned and pursed her lips.
"There must be something extraordinary about him."
"Perhaps this case can give us some clues."
——————
Now comes the real business.
Jiang Hui didn't care about avoiding suspicion anymore. He went into the hospital and waited quietly in the study for a while. Not long after, Jian Wuliang arrived.
The two looked at each other.
Jian Wuliang said with a cold expression, "Your Highness came very quickly, without any hesitation, as if he was afraid of missing this opportunity."
Jiang Hui: "Laughing at you? Your Highness is not that boring."
Jian Wuliang: "That's not what I'm talking about."
Jiang Hui's eyes darkened, but he didn't say anything.
Because that's what he really thought - only when he had serious business could he naturally get close to her, discuss and conspire with her.
Besides that, he even had to think carefully before looking at her.
When it was quiet, Yan Siqing came and looked at the two people who were on edge but collectively silent. Her eyes moved around but she didn't say anything.
Jian Wuliang took a deep breath, but still had to bow in front of Jiang Hui, "Mr. Yan, can you help me, the Dali Temple, to solve this case together?"
This is really eye-opening. You have come to this day!
Let you be powerful! Let you be arrogant! Let you use your official position and the emperor's favor to bully others!
Xiaoyun and others felt relieved when they saw this.
Yan Siqing was no exception and said frankly, "Master Jian, if I openly laugh at you now, will you feel relieved, but will we forget the grudge between you and me, or will you feel ashamed and angry, and resent me for taking advantage of your misfortune?"
Jian Wuliang said expressionlessly: "It's all reasonable, and I have no complaints."
I suspect that I'll just feel ashamed, resentful, and uncomfortable in my heart, but I won't complain about it out loud. As for whether I'll take revenge in my actions...
Jian Wuliang raised his eyes and said, "Master Yan has a noble person to protect him, are you still worried that I will retaliate against you in the future?"
Jiang Hui chuckled.
Yan Siqing glanced at him and answered Jian Wuliang.
"Who can have the support of your lord? Aren't you afraid too?"
Gentle as water, dignified and self-possessed.
But Jiang Hui and Jian Wuliang were both quiet.
Putting aside their identities, they are far inferior to her in terms of thinking skills.
Business is important, no need to talk about it anymore.
Jian Wuliang didn't even bother to sit down and drink his tea. He glanced at the sky and said, "There's still an hour until dawn, but the news must have spread. After all, there was too much noise just now. The abbot and I had a few words, and they stopped us from coming over, saying they were afraid of violating taboos. So no matter how many powerful people live in the White Horse Temple, no one has come to investigate yet. It's just that the news spread, and the commotion will spread at dawn."
Jiang Hui: "You still expect to force others to help you solve the case in just one hour?"
His role was to suppress Jian Wuliang and prevent him from forcing Yan Siqing by asking for help.
If the case was so easy to solve, it wouldn't have caused such a big fuss.
Jian Wuliang was frustrated. "I don't have such intention. Do you think I, the Junior Official of the Dali Temple, am just here to eat for free?"
As he said this, the deputy behind him coughed.
As a reminder.
Jian Wuliang suddenly became quiet.
He can't help laughing when he thinks about the series of stupid moves he made recently after being forced into a desperate situation.
What's more, they are the two heroes of Chang'an. It's embarrassing to be in front of them.
Jian Wuliang remained silent. Fortunately, Yan Siqing didn't act meanly either. He heard the roosters crowing outside had stopped and asked, "Have you caught them all?"
"Yes, they were all caught, not a single one was left alive."
Yan Siqing sincerely praised: "Amazing."
The people of Dali Temple: "......"
It’s better not to praise.
——————
There was a water trough in the Zen room. Although it rained continuously and the water accumulated, it would flow into the underground sewer after being cleaned in the trough. The grass and trees were beaten to be tender and withered. Yan Siqing walked into the open space outside the Zen room with an umbrella and saw some scattered feathers with dazzling colors. It was obvious that the roosters selected by the Dali Temple were all of excellent quality and strong.
The fluttering of its wings last night was like an eagle swooping down to hunt, which frightened the martial arts generals present.
Sometimes it seems that they do their job perfectly and are very good at choosing chickens.
Yan Siqing found it funny, but didn't show it. She just picked up a feather stuck to the railing with her fingers and looked at the base.
The roots of the feathers are connected to the skin and flesh, and there are faint bright red bloodstains, which shows that they are healthy. They were only pulled off by the Dali Temple guards when the animal was trying to avoid capture, and the feathers were not lost due to poisoning.
Jian Wuliang's eyes flashed, and a thought flashed through his mind: to confirm her ability, should I let her investigate on her own, or should I confess on her own?
Two hesitated.
He leaned to one side.
So he took the initiative and said, "I've checked the condition of these roosters and found that they are not poisoned and are very healthy. The temple has also carefully fed them for a few days and there is nothing wrong with them. I don't know how they were driven here together on purpose. They are not scavengers, so they can't just rush here because they smelled a rotting corpse."
The reason why he took the initiative was that he had defeated her in the small courtyard in front. He could judge her ability from a small glimpse of her. Moreover, the specific details and file analysis of the previous cases were all under his review in the Dali Temple because of his authority. Therefore, he knew Yan Siqing's ability better than Xie Rong Huaixuan and others, so he did not waste time testing her. Since he had asked for help, he should solve the matter quickly instead of bowing his head in vain.
Jiang Hui was not surprised by this man's decisiveness, and he did not say a word to delay the two people's investigation. He just stayed not far from Yan Siqing, keeping an eye on the surroundings and the corpses, fearing that there would be any more accidents.
To be honest, those big roosters are still locked in the cages. They seem to be still restless, jumping around as if they want to jump out, eager to go to the meditation room.
Yan Siqing had already entered the door, and the smell of a rotting corpse hit his nose. As expected, the Dali Temple had commonly used incense to prevent this kind of corpse stench, but because it was wet due to rain, the fishy smell from the ground mixed with this strange smell, making it particularly unbearable.
Jiang Hui and his men were often on the battlefield or at the scene of murders, so they didn't feel anything. Yan Siqing was the only one who was not in the system, but... she looked normal, and she didn't even cover her mouth and nose with a handkerchief to block out the smell.
The bodies were arranged in order of time of death, namely Yan Guangxue, the Minister of Zhongdu, Chen Kaizhi, the General of Xuanwei, Liu Yu, the Junior Craftsman, Zhao Yue, the Earl of Zhongyuan, and Zhou Yuanxing, a student of Xie Wengong Academy.
They have different official positions, identities, backgrounds and ages.
Even the remaining parts of the burned bodies were different. The one who was burned most thoroughly was Zhong Yuanbo Zhao Yue. Rumor has it that he was reduced to ashes, and Xiaoyun also heard the same thing. In fact, there were still some bones left, but because bones are more difficult to burn and can withstand high temperatures, the bones were particularly obvious under the white cloth, black and red. There was only a pair of boots left hanging on the charred and dry feet.
The Dali Temple disciples were quite careful when cleaning up the scene and the body, and preserved them very well.
The common features of these corpses are: locked rooms, alone, and self-immolated.
When Yan Siqing examined the body, Ruoqin and the Dali Temple officials had already peeled back the white cloth and were assisting her. Jian Wuliang was also there, and noticed that she didn't touch the body easily. Instead, she first examined the remaining cloth on the body, then the body's surface...
Yan Siqing: "They were all burned alive. Their bodies showed signs of struggling, but they didn't make any noises for help. This suggests the problem came from their necks or throats first. So, have their throats been examined?"
Jian Wuliang took out a booklet from his clothes, which was still warm.
Jiang Hui glanced at him sideways.
Jian Wuliang had no embarrassment in hiding something, he opened the notebook seriously and moved closer to show it to Yan Siqing, intending to discuss it together, but Yan Siqing avoided him, reached out to take the notebook, walked away a few steps and flipped through it himself.
Jian Wuliang suddenly realized: She didn't like to have contact with other men, and would avoid them if possible, even if it was for serious matters.
Jiang Hui was stunned for a moment, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
Yan Siqing realized his behavior, glanced at Jiang Hui, and continued watching as if nothing had happened.
"The ash is in their throats, indicating they were burned alive, not cremated after death. However, the base of their tongues is swollen, four or five centimeters larger than usual. This seems to interfere with the deceased's cries, making it difficult for them to call for help."
"If these symptoms are present, it must be poisonous, but a thorough examination of the body hasn't revealed any other toxins. It's hard to say what kind of poison could be so potent and so effective against the moth."
Jian Wuliang added, "If it's a long-term throat condition that's made it hard to speak, there are many poisons or diseases in the world, and simply anger could be the cause. But before these deceased people entered the secret room, they all had contact with other people, and there were no abnormalities. Their speech was clear and their minds were normal. After returning home, they were alone in their rooms or secret rooms, locked the door, with no one knowing, no one accompanying them, and no sound. They just burned to death."
"I have suspected that someone used a rare poison on their throats, or perhaps that the self-igniting toxin originated in the throat and spread throughout the body, ultimately causing spontaneous combustion. However, the doctors at the Imperial Hospital were clueless. They either believed that such a rare poison did not exist, or that the autopsy was flawed and refused to cooperate."
He mentioned the Imperial Hospital specifically, his eyes fixed on Yan Siqing.
The Yan family is a family with an orderly inheritance of medical knowledge. There are more than two or ten people who have served as the president of the Imperial Medical Bureau, spanning several dynasties.
Every profession has its own expertise. If she had even a little bit of ability in writing poems, she would be competent enough to do autopsies and understand the myriad of tricks involved in medicine and poisons.
He was willing to bow to Yan Siqing because he valued the other party's family background - the previous cases showed that he must know some medical knowledge.
Even understand very well.
Yan Siqing had already exposed this matter to Jiang Hui, who also knew that she was a master of poison, but Jian Wuliang didn't know. He just hoped that the other party could see something from the corpse.
Yan Siqing took the pliers to clamp Yan Guangxue's body to look at his throat. Jiang Hui took it first and helped. She didn't look at him, but moved closer to look down at the horrible throat of the corpse.
Jiang Hui took the initiative to hold back his tongue so she could see.
They are a little rotten and fat, which makes them even weirder and a little scary. If it weren't for investigating a case, who would like to watch this.
Yan Siqing took a look, then looked at the other bodies besides Zhao Yue. He put on gloves and pressed on the chest cavity. After a moment's thought, he said, "Zhong Yuanbo was burned to bones, but the others' self-immolation didn't hurt their tongues. Everything else was burned, even the upper chest and torso were shriveled and sunken. The high temperature burned from the inside out, and the skin and flesh lost their fat. Only this place still has any flesh left?"
No wonder the Dali Temple found it so difficult, it was unbelievable to her.
How is this burning method? You can also avoid burning certain parts while burning other parts vigorously.
If it is not caused by evil spirits, it is difficult to find other reasons.
Jian Wuliang: "That's why I went to the imperial physician to ask about the poison. There are rumors about ghosts and gods in the streets. They all say that it's a long-tongued ghost that's causing trouble - these officials have said something taboo, or concealed some secret, and the evil ghost is taking their lives."
Yan Siqing: “…”
She said tactfully, "Before you people in Chang'an spread rumors about ghosts and gods, did you know to act according to the confidentiality of the case and the local conditions? The people in the imperial capital are not ordinary."
What she cared about was the inside story of the autopsy, which everyone outside knew.
Then it must be the Dali Temple’s problem.
The people at the Dali Temple were really impressed. This Mr. Yan really spoke...
Jian Wuliang said with a stern face, "There is a traitor who betrayed his own people and has been punished."
He felt that the case had not been solved yet, and he was really at a loss in front of this man.
She was very skillful. She suppressed him without making a sound and stripped away his self-confidence. Only then could she gain more trust and investigate the case smoothly.
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