Wen Lingyang
After that, Jing Rong and the others stayed in the yamen. Fang Mingshan arranged a few clean rooms for them and ordered servants to prepare meals. Everything was well taken care of.
In order to not waste time, Ji Yunshu had Fang Mingshan bring over the files of the three cases.
When Constable Zhang passed it to her, he asked in confusion, "Has Teacher Ji been to Yuzhou before?"
Ji Yunshu flipped through the files without lifting her head.
"I've been here once."
"When?"
"A few months ago."
"Then … did you go to an inn?"
"Yes."
"Was there a murder case in that inn?"
He looked like he was pursuing her relentlessly.
Ji Yunshu lifted her eyes to look at him, the corners of her lips curling up. "There was one."
"But that case …"
Before he could finish, Ji Yunshu interrupted, "Constable Zhang seems to have something to say."
"No, no. I just feel that your figure and the way you walk is very similar to someone."
"Someone? Which someone? "
Interesting!
Constable Zhang began, "A girl with the same surname as you. A few months ago, she solved a murder case in an inn outside of Yuzhou City. Prince Rong was there as well."
The meaning of his words was clear.
He was obviously trying to say that this Teacher Ji was the veiled woman from a few months ago.
However, he still had some doubts and didn't dare to make a direct conclusion.
Ji Yunshu smiled faintly and closed the files in her hands.
"Constable Zhang is indeed someone who doesn't like to feign ignorance."
"Teacher, what do you mean?"
"When I saw Constable Zhang a few months ago, the way you spoke and acted was not much different from how you are now. Since you already know my identity, I won't hide it anymore. However, Constable Zhang, I'm currently dressed as a man for the sake of convenience. I hope you can keep your mouth shut, and it will be convenient for me."
She admitted it!
Constable Zhang's eyes widened and he said excitedly, "So it's you, Miss Ji. I knew it was you. I didn't expect that Miss Ji would become the famous Teacher Ji in the capital. My apologies for not recognizing you."
He cupped his hands and bowed deeply.
It was as if he had seen a living Buddha.
Ji Yunshu was speechless.
"When I first saw Miss Ji solve the case, it was simply amazing. It was also an eye-opener for me. Not long after Mister entered the capital, you solved another missing persons case that the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Justice couldn't solve for several months. Then, you took on the 'Lin Capital Case' from fourteen years ago. It is truly admirable. I heard that before Mister came to the capital, you also solved many cases in Jinjiang City. Each and every one of them were major cases. I didn't expect that I would be able to meet Miss Ji today and investigate a case with you.
He puffed out his chest!
It was hard for him to conceal his excitement.
Ji Yunshu smiled modestly. "Constable Zhang, you should just call me Teacher Ji. You calling me Miss Ji over and over again really makes me shudder."
If people knew that she was a woman, there would be trouble.
Constable Zhang hurriedly replied, "Yes, Teacher Ji."
Ji Yunshu didn't argue with him anymore. She opened the other files and carefully read them.
The contents were roughly the same as what the old man and Fang Mingsan had told her in the dilapidated temple.
On the night before their deaths, the three victims all claimed that they had seen a ghost. The next night, they were found hanging from a tree in their own courtyard. Their legs were stiff and their fingers were stiff and curled. Their eyes were wide open, and their faces were filled with malevolence.
They looked like … they had been scared to death!
But why would the murderer frighten the three victims to death, then hang them from a tree?
Ji Yunshu had no clue at the moment.
She flipped through the files again. Suddenly, she raised the file and asked Constable Zhang, "Was this written by your county's coroner?"
"No, it was recorded by our county's advisor."
"Your county's advisor is a very attentive person. The contents are very detailed."
"Of course. Our yamen's advisor is a young and promising scholar."
Oh?
Constable Zhang continued, "His name is Wen Lingyang, a famous scholar in Yuzhou City. After he became an imperial scholar, he entered the yamen as an errand boy. His handwriting is excellent, and many people ask him to write letters to their families."
"I didn't see him just now."
"Lingyang went to the victim's house to find out more about the situation. He should be back by now." He craned his neck to look outside, and when he saw something, he called out happily, "Lingyang."
A tall man walked in from the outside.
He was dressed in a plain robe, looking neat and tidy. His fair and clean face exuded the aura of a scholar. His deep eyes shone brightly, making it hard for people to look away from him.
This person called Wen Lingyang looked very much like Ji Pei!
For a moment, Ji Yunshu thought that he was Ji Pei.
Wen Lingyang saw her staring at him and was confused. He cupped his hands in greeting, "You must be Teacher Ji? My apologies for not being able to welcome Teacher Ji when I went to the Chang residence just now. Please forgive me. "
His voice pulled Ji Yunshu back to reality.
She immediately stood up and walked around the table in front of her, cupping her hands in greeting as well. "Advisor Wen, you're too kind. You've been working hard for the case, how could you have failed?"
Wen Lingyang smiled, glancing at the files she had spread out on the table.
"I wonder if Teacher Ji has finished reading these files?"
"I have."
"If there's anything you're not clear about, you can ask me."
Ji Yunshu picked up the files, saying, "Advisor Wen's records are the most detailed I've seen in all these years. Even the court's historian couldn't remember as much as you did."
"Teacher Ji is too kind."
"I heard from Constable Zhang that Advisor Wen went to the victim's house again. Did you find anything else?"
Wen Lingyang shook his head and sighed, "There were very few clues, and there were no traces left behind by the murderer. I went to the tree where the victim was hanged, but there were no clues either."
"Have the three victims been buried?"
"Two of them have been buried. The one who died a few days ago will be buried tomorrow, so I went to see if there were any other discoveries."
Ji Yunshu thought for a moment, then continued, "Did the yamen coroner conduct a detailed examination? Were the strangulation marks on the neck and the direction of the curling of the tongue correct? Were there any other wounds on the body, and the degree to which the deceased's hands were curled? Did the coroner verify all of these? "
She asked a series of questions!
Constable Zhang was still in a daze.
Wen Lingyang continued her questions, saying, "The coroner said that the victim was hanged to death. There were no other strangulation marks on the neck, and there were no other wounds on the body. The deceased's hands were curled towards the palms, probably because he struggled before he was hanged. There was a small thread under his fingernails, but there were no clues about the murderer."
"What about the theory of ghosts and spirits?"
"According to the deceased's family, they all encountered a ghost when they returned home at night, and the location was the same – the guest room of the House of Serenity."
"Hmm?"
"It's said that a few years ago, an official died in a room on the second floor of the House of Serenity, and the three victims happened to encounter a ghost in the same room. That's how the theory of vengeful spirits came about."
His answer was logical and logical!
It was such a waste to be an advisor in the yamen!
Ji Yunshu frowned, "What kind of place is the House of Serenity?"
"It's … a place to seek pleasure."
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