Chapter 7272 Cheng Mansion
Xu's Teahouse is different from the roadside tea stalls for resting.
The teahouse not only has storytellers who tell stories regularly, but also has private rooms specially prepared for literati in addition to the lobby.
Although the stone bridge and flowing water are man-made, they are also elegant.
In addition to literati and poets, prestigious elders and nobles in the capital would also come to the teahouse.
Manager Xu has made a lot of money over the years.
The officials surrounded the teahouse in three layers inside and outside.
Shopkeeper Xu was taken away. Xiyan stood behind the remaining officer and nervously pulled at her handkerchief.
The common people were talking about it.
"I heard that someone was murdered."
"He must have murdered someone. When the soldiers came to arrest him, he tried to escape through the back door, but was caught red-handed. The package he was carrying was scattered, and it was full of jewels. He was trying to flee far away."
"That Xiyan...Xiyan is a pitiful girl. Even at that age, no one has found a husband for her. And now...Alas."
Xiyan stood in the bustling street, surrounded by familiar neighbors and officials, but the noise gradually faded away. She felt like a lone boat drifting on a big river, not knowing where she would be blown.
A hand was placed on Xiyan's shoulder.
Xiyan withdrew her thoughts and looked at Su Yan.
She had met Su Yan before, a kind-looking girl who could compliment anyone and everyone who met her liked her very much.
Shopkeeper Xu once blamed Xiyan for not being able to speak and drove away many guests.
Su Yan said with a smile, "Miss Xiyan, please come with us."
*
During a search of the teahouse, the officers discovered blood-stained clothes and a machete.
The machete was placed in the kitchen. There was blood on the blade. Manager Xu said it was a knife for killing chickens.
In the Ministry of Justice prison, Manager Xu was tied to a wooden chair with his head hung, and there were torture instruments on both sides.
Captain Zhao doesn't like to torture people, and County Magistrate Qin doesn't care much about murder cases in the county. Su Yan doesn't even know what these torture instruments are called.
The prison was eerie and Su Yan seemed to be able to see the blood left on the torture instruments.
Su Yan: You don’t even know how to wash, Shi’er is so lazy.
Shi Er:?
Liang Yi arrived late.
Liang Yi arrived, and Su Yan felt more confident. She whispered, "Should we...try not to torture people?"
The idea of not using torture and avoiding forced confessions is deeply rooted in Su Yan's heart.
Shi Er nodded and the trial began.
He threw the bloodstained clothes in front of Shopkeeper Xu and said, "These were found in the teahouse. We found out that Cheng Jian and Cen Da had been to the teahouse before they died."
Shopkeeper Xu hung his head and did not move.
Two officers brought cold water and poured it on him.
Shi Er continued, "We found white porcelain fragments on Cen Da's body. The rouge smell of the white porcelain fragments is the same as the rouge used by Xi Yan."
Liang Yi habitually sang the opposite tune: "Can you convict someone just based on a jar of rouge?"
Shi Erdao: "Besides the smell of rouge, there are other smells."
Liang Yi: "Yes, it smells like a dead person."
Shi Er rolled his eyes at Liang Yi and said, "Su Yan told me all this."
Liang Yi put his hands on his hips and said, "Why didn't you tell me first? Humph."
Shi Er: “Childish!”
Shi Er walked slowly to the front of Shopkeeper Xu. He looked exceptionally tall, and his hair had become dull from not having been washed for several days.
“It smells like tea leaves.”
The rouge covered the other smells, which were very familiar. Su Yan remembered that this was the smell he had smelled in the teahouse.
Liang Yi, with his hands on his hips, continued to make trouble: "Just based on the smell of tea leaves..."
Shi Er interrupted him forcefully, "Someone has witnessed Mr. Cen making advances towards Xiyan. Cheng Jian once bought a hairpin before he died, which was actually given to Xiyan. The hairpin has been found in Xiyan's room. You'd better think it over before you speak!"
When Su Yan saw Xiyan for the first time, he knew that she was beautiful, but since Manager Xu was around, he didn't think too much about it.
After associating it with the smell of tea, Su Yan realized that Cheng Jian loved beautiful women. He took the silver and went to buy a hairpin. He must be going to meet a certain woman. Could the person he wanted to meet be Xiyan?
Su Yan stared at Shopkeeper Xu without saying a word.
After bringing Manager Xu back from the teahouse, he never raised his head.
Su Yan had a bad feeling.
She walked quickly to Shopkeeper Xu, and Shi Er was still pretending, "Today I will eliminate the..."
Shi Er was pushed away by Su Yan.
Su Yan lifted up Shopkeeper Xu’s head.
His eyes were closed, his breathing was weak, and his lips were purple.
"He's been poisoned!" Su Yan exclaimed, "Find a doctor!"
Liang Yi looked confused.
Shi Er was also stunned for a moment, and immediately asked someone to take Manager Xu away.
The prison became quiet.
Liang Yi: "What's going on?"
Shi Er said: "He was still conscious when he was taken to the prison."
There were many people at the time, so Shi Er didn't notice anything unusual. That's why he "talked to himself" to Shopkeeper Xu for a long time.
Su Yan frowned, "He was poisoned. Someone poisoned him first."
Liang Yi asked: "Is it the relatives of the deceased who are seeking revenge?"
Su Yan shook his head.
Liang Yi said: "Don't keep me in suspense, tell me."
He pulled Su Yan aside and whispered, "Tell me quietly so I can laugh at Shi Er."
Shi Er: “…”
He looked at Su Yan restrainedly, pretending not to care, "I can find out."
Su Yan whispered, "Actually, I have never said it before. I suspect that there is another murderer who killed the imperial physician and the chief. He is the one who used the silver needle to force the imperial physician and the chief to confess."
Liang Yi was dumbfounded.
Su Yan's tone was solemn, "He knew that Mr. Cen was dead, so he deliberately placed the white porcelain with the smell of rouge to lure us."
Liang Yi: “!!”
Shi Er, who was trying hard to listen, said: "..."
This Su Yan is quite good at whispering, I really can't hear anything at all.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
