Constable Wang sat in the main seat, his face grim and silent.
These days, the first thing Magistrate Zhu did upon waking was to inquire about the case’s progress. When Constable Wang couldn’t provide valuable information, he would unleash a torrent of colorful language.
All the pressure fell on Constable Wang’s shoulders. His subordinates hid under his protective umbrella, not only failing to share his burdens but even arguing with him!
Constable Wang had reason to be angry. He felt he was bearing pressure unsuitable for someone his age.
Liu Qi’an, who had obtained the case files, sat at the table, studying them intently. His colleagues surrounded him, exchanging silent glances.
Liu Qi’an’s thoughts were quite studious. The best way to appease Old Wang was to solve the case.
If that wasn’t possible, they could always invite Old Wang to Peach Blossom Spring Cave for some fun. They had known each other for many years, and their friendship was still solid.
Moreover, Liu Qi’an’s resistance to slacking off wasn’t just due to his principles; he also wanted to help ease Old Wang’s burdens.
[The deceased was named Zhang Yourui, 51 years old, a wealthy dog owner living on Kangping Street. He owned over ten qing of good farmland in the suburbs of Lele County and three shops in the capital selling silk, rouge, and general goods.
His first wife had died early, and he had remarried a woman twenty years his junior from a good family. Zhang Yourui had one son from his late wife and no other children.]
Twenty years younger, an old rod in a new abalone, pear blossoms pressing down on begonias… Liu Qi’an silently quipped to himself.
This was the so-called “If you work hard to make money, your future wife might still be in kindergarten” scenario.
[Four days ago, Zhang Yourui went to the countryside to collect rent and returned home around the Hour of the Tiger (3-5 AM). His sleeping wife suddenly heard a scream and went to investigate. She found Zhang Yourui dead in the courtyard. The wife saw a dark figure leaping over the wall…]
That was how the events unfolded.
When Liu Qi’an saw the coroner’s autopsy report, he noticed another suspicious point.
Patiently continuing to read, he finished reviewing the testimonies of the deceased’s family members and servants. He closed his eyes, organizing his thoughts.
Constable Wang snorted coldly and sneered, “May I ask, Constable Liu, who is the murderer and where are they?”
“Don’t rush, Chief,” Liu Qi’an opened his eyes. “I saw in the case files that footprints were left on the outer wall of the Zhang residence, right? You used this to deduce that the thief escaped by climbing over the wall, confirming the young woman’s statement.”
Constable Wang grunted in affirmation.
“The footprints were facing outward, so they were left during the escape,” Liu Qi’an said.
“What’s the problem?” Constable Wang frowned.
“Why were footprints left?”
“Because there was mud on the feet.”
“Why was there mud?”
“Because there’s a flower bed by the wall.”
Liu Qi’an nodded, “Then why aren’t there any footprints showing entry into the courtyard in the case files?”
Constable Wang was stunned.
In the silence, the other constables felt he had lost face and tried to supplement: “Perhaps the thief was careful not to leave traces when entering.”
Another said, “But after the murder, in their haste to escape, they carelessly left footprints.”
Liu Qi’an glanced at them, “That’s possible. But if there’s a flower bed below the wall, are there footprints from when they entered? Logically, if the thief could leap from outside the wall, over the flower bed without leaving prints, with such lightness skill… then when escaping, they wouldn’t need to step on the wall for leverage.”
The group looked at each other, unable to answer.
They didn’t need to answer; Liu Qi’an already knew. The answer wasn’t “yes” or “no,” but “unknown.”
The constables hadn’t investigated this.
“Ning Yan, what’s the point of arguing about this?” someone said, unconvinced.
Liu Qi’an didn’t reply. He looked at the frowning, pensive Constable Wang and continued, “The deceased died from a blunt force trauma to the back of the head, right?”
Constable Wang nodded, “Died on the spot.”
Liu Qi’an said, “I have a question. Why a blunt object? Someone engaged in such activities would naturally carry a weapon. Wouldn’t killing with a knife or sword be more efficient?”
The side hall fell silent as everyone realized this issue. Little Li guessed, “Perhaps the thief initially didn’t intend to kill?”
“No!”
This time, it wasn’t Liu Qi’an who refuted, but Constable Wang. He stood up, his eyes slightly widened: “A blunt object strike to the back of the head, killing instantly, shows intent to kill.”
He sat back down, muttering, “Yes, why a blunt object? Why not a sharp weapon?”
“Unless the killer didn’t have a suitable weapon at the time,” Liu Qi’an said.
Constable Wang’s eyes suddenly lit up, as if he had caught onto something, but hadn’t fully grasped it yet.
“There’s one last point that I’m particularly concerned about,” Liu Qi’an glanced at the case files. “When the deceased’s family was brought to the county office for questioning, Madam Zhang Yang suddenly fainted from prolonged kneeling. After the physician’s diagnosis, it was discovered she was pregnant.”
“It’s a posthumous child.”
“How pitiful, the child will be born without a father.”
The peanut gallery was annoying, interjecting one after another.
“Madam Zhang Yang had been married to the deceased for nearly ten years, right? Why did she only become pregnant now?” Liu Qi’an waited for them to finish before he had a chance to speak. “Perhaps the child isn’t even the deceased’s?”
If a man and woman are physically healthy and normal, it’s impossible not to have children for ten years unless they deliberately avoid it.
One of them must have had a physical problem, making it difficult to conceive. And with ancient technology for treating infertility, while not entirely impossible, the success rate would certainly be very low.
Constable Wang’s breathing suddenly became heavy, “Ning Yan, explain clearly, explain clearly…”
Liu Qi’an took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, “Perhaps this isn’t a case of breaking, but a case of adultery and murder. Madam Zhang Yang was having an affair behind her husband’s back. The adulterer could be either an outsider or the deceased’s son. The two secretly met while the deceased was out collecting rent. Who would have thought the deceased would return early, catching them in the act? A conflict arose, and in a fit of rage, the adulterer grabbed a vase or some other blunt object and killed the deceased.
“Madam Zhang Yang and the adulterer hurriedly dealt with the scene and dragged the deceased to the courtyard, disguising it as a thief breaking in.
“Since the adulterer was planning to meet secretly, he had previously scouted the area and learned the patterns of the night patrol soldiers, which is why he wasn’t encountered by the Imperial Blade Guard soldiers. If the thief was really after money, they wouldn’t have chosen to act that night but would have waited for the deceased to exchange the rent money for silver notes, which could be easily carried away.
“Madam Zhang Yang’s statement conveniently took advantage of the rent collection situation, leading your thoughts towards the ‘seeking money’ direction.”
The room full of constables was dumbfounded.
“This, this… you can determine the culprit just by looking at the case files?”
“Ning Yan, this isn’t a joke, don’t make things up.”
“But doesn’t it make a lot of sense?”
Liu Qi’an’s series of deductions gave them a feeling that could be summed up in four words: impressively beyond comprehension.
“I’m just making bold guesses based on the details of the case. This may not be the truth; it needs to be verified,” Liu Qi’an responded to his astonished colleagues.
The process of solving a case involves collecting clues, then reasoning and analyzing, and finally verifying and collecting evidence.
The thief evaded the night patrol soldiers… the timing of the break-in was off… using a blunt weapon instead of a sharp one… Madam Zhang Yang’s pregnancy… After Liu Qi’an’s scrutiny, these seemingly trivial details converged into logically coherent clues.
Constable Wang felt like a whole new door had opened in his professional career. He took a deep breath to calm his tumultuous emotions. After careful consideration, he found one point in Liu Qi’an’s words that puzzled him: “Why would you think the adulterer might be the deceased’s son?”
“I suspect him for two reasons,” Liu Qi’an slowly took a sip of tea. Under the eager gazes of Constable Wang and his colleagues, he gradually explained:
“The deceased’s son, Zhang Xian, stated in his testimony that he was reviewing accounts in the study that night, not sleeping with his wife. If he was awake, how could he not have heard the commotion in the courtyard?
“Madam Zhang Yang was awakened by a scream, indicating the noise was extremely loud. How is it reasonable that he, being awake, didn’t hear anything?
“Secondly, if we can’t find traces of the thief entering through the flower bed, then this so-called thief might not exist at all. Based on this, the deceased’s son becomes highly suspicious.”
It was like a sudden enlightenment.
Constable Wang asked, “So, the footprints on the wall were likely deliberately left to mislead us.”
Liu Qi’an speculated, “Yes, and we should directly compare them with the son’s boots.”
“He wouldn’t leave his footprints, would he?” Constable Wang said.
Liu Qi’an looked full of admiration, delivering a rainbow fart of flattery: “Chief, you’re indeed wise and brilliant, understanding immediately. Truly the divine constable of Great Feng.”
Liu Qi’an had just delivered a long, shocking speech to establish his image, then immediately turned to give 350-degree all-encompassing flattery, which felt quite comfortable… Constable Wang’s face, dark like an old farmer’s, broke into a smile.
He felt his image had been elevated considerably as well.
“I’ll go to Lord Zhu immediately. You all get ready to accompany me to the Zhang residence again,” Constable Wang’s face, dark like an old farmer’s, showed an expression of uncontainable excitement.
He pointed at Liu Qi’an, letting out two tractor-like laughs, and hurriedly rushed out of the restroom to find the County Magistrate in the back hall.