There is a god in the sky

Chapter 46 The Murder of a Wealthy Family in Jianzhou (Part 9)

"Hey, isn't that Master Liaochen? Why is he going out?" Fu Qingyan saw a monk flash by on the street.

When Shen Lan looked over, the person was nowhere to be seen.

Fu Qingyan hurriedly said, "It really is him, that big bald head is too conspicuous."

Shen Lan stood up: "You all sit for a while, I'm going downstairs to buy something."

Without waiting for Fu Qingyan's reaction, he went straight downstairs.

She walked around the street, went into almost every shop, but couldn't find Chen.

As darkness fell, Fu Qingyan followed behind her and said, "Miss Shen, Master Liaochen will eventually have to leave after he recovers from his illness."

Shen Lan stopped and gave a relieved smile.

"You're right, let's go back."

After returning home, she went to Chen's room and found him meditating, not looking like he had been out.

When asked, the two servants of the Xiao family said they had not seen Master Chen leave.

Fu Qingyan then thought he had misread it.

That night, Xiao Ji returned and called Shen Lan to his study.

A thick stack of autopsy reports lay before him. "I've been busy today and haven't had a chance to look at them closely. Miss Shen, could you help me organize these?"

"Okay." Shen Lan was also eager for the case to be closed as soon as possible, drawn by the generous reward.

Xiao Ji had a few more candles lit and moved the light source closer to him.

The two quietly went about their own business.

After Shen Lan finished compiling the statistics of the forty-odd tables, she made a summary and extracted the useful information for Xiao Ji to use.

Of course, she felt that some of the content might be untrue.

Xiao Ji pinched the bridge of his nose.

He's been working non-stop these past few days; if he weren't young, his health would probably have collapsed.

"My lord, you should take care of yourself and get some rest." Shen Lan didn't want her long-term meal ticket to die young.

Xiao Ji smiled and said, "Don't worry, it will only take a couple of days. Once the case is sorted out, we just need to follow the clues one by one to find the answers."

Shen Lan showed him the summary table. "The Wu family has more than forty members. The time of death, from the earliest to the latest, does not exceed half an hour. The murderer killed Wu Zhongjin first, and then the rest of the Wu family."

Therefore, I have a guess that the murderer is someone Wu Zhongjin knew, and that his entry into the mansion that day did not arouse the suspicion of anyone in the Wu household.

Xiao Ji showed her a list.

"This is what Officer Lei found out. The government has already questioned some of the families who have been in close contact with the Wu family recently."

Shen Lan saw Han Rong's name, but there was an X next to it, presumably to clear her name of suspicion.

She also saw Chen's name, as well as the abbot of Fayin Temple, both on the list.

"Such a major murder case would be difficult for an ordinary person to commit. First of all, we can rule out someone who is not skilled in martial arts and has little strength."

With a stroke of his pen, Xiao Ji crossed out most of the suspects.

Shen Lan's heart was beating a little fast.

She felt that Liao Chen stood out on the list, making her wonder if he was the murderer.

As a result, Xiao Ji crossed out Liao Chen's name as well.

For some reason, this made her feel a great sense of relief.

“This young monk stayed overnight in Xiaoguo Village that day, and there are villagers who can testify to this.”

Shen Lan couldn't help but speak up for him, "Master Liaochen is kind-hearted and devoted to Buddhism, it couldn't be him."

Xiao Ji was somewhat surprised.

This girl had always been aloof and indifferent to everyone, yet she defended a monk she had just met.

"Do you know what news we heard when we went to Xiaoguo Village today?"

"Hmm?" Shen Lan listened intently.

"The Zhang family said that the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva in Xiaoguo Village was very efficacious. I thought it was just a joke, but I didn't expect it to be true."

"How to say?"

"Since the year before last, many villagers who have prayed to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva have had their wishes fulfilled, except for those who prayed for wealth or children."

For example, if a family in the village lost a cow, after praying to the Buddha, the cow was found within two days.

There was a gambler who owed a lot of debt. He went to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva for guidance, but the next day he was found dead outside the temple.

It turns out he sold his wife and children, and even abducted several children from the village; he deserves to die.

Furthermore, when disputes arise among villagers, they seek the judgment of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who simply throws a divination cup. If either side disagrees, they will be plagued by nightmares until they are convinced.

It sounds like something out of a fantasy.

Except for the last point, the rest can be considered coincidences, but entering a dream is such a difficult thing that it cannot be explained from a scientific point of view.

"So Zhang also prayed to Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva? With the Luo family facing this calamity, she must have hoped that the Wu family would also be destroyed."

"Yes, I have already sent people to investigate the Luo family's matter. If it was indeed Wu Zhongjin who framed them, then he deserved to die."

Xiao Ji took out the luminous pearl that he had taken from the body of the bodyguard.

“I had someone knowledgeable examine this bead, and it was indeed unearthed from an ancient tomb. Zhang was not lying.”

Shen Lan leaned closer to take a look; she had never had the chance to see such an antique before.

What exactly are the differences?

It was a somewhat worn pearl, a bit larger than usual, but perhaps because it had been around for so long, its luster was no longer visible.

"Can this bead really preserve a corpse from decay for a thousand years?"

Xiao Ji shook his head. "It's not that simple. It requires various methods and has requirements for coffins, burial sites, and so on. This thing can only provide psychological comfort at best."

Shen Lan couldn't help but laugh, "So Lord Xiao doesn't believe in this either."

"Hmph, once word gets out about this, it will definitely attract all sorts of big shots to fight over it, and how to deal with it will be a real headache."

Possessing a treasure is a crime, and Xiao Ji was well aware of this.

"Why not offer it to the Emperor? This would not only bring some benefits to the Zhang family, but also allow the pearl to be properly circumvented."

If anyone wants to steal something in the future, they should go to the emperor.

Xiao Ji had to admit that this girl was really quick-witted.

"Alright, I'll write a report tomorrow and send it back along with the items."

Shen Lan winked at him, "Sir, you can also plead for Young Master Fu. Today at the teahouse, we discovered that the story of his elopement with a courtesan has even reached Jianzhou."

This story must have spread far and wide.

Xiao Ji listened to her suggestion and immediately spread out a sheet of paper and wrote a letter.

He used precise language, reasoning with him and appealing to his emotions, changing Fu Qingyan's departure from home from his own initiative to being tricked into leaving the capital, and how he cleverly fought against the enemy, finally escaping the tiger's mouth despite serious injuries.

In his writing, Fu Qingyan is portrayed as a courageous, resourceful, alert, and decisive person.

If Shen Lan hadn't known Fu Qingyan, she would have thought he was some great general who could go to the battlefield.

As Xiao Ji wrote, he said, "When Marquis Pingyang was young, he fought on the battlefield and disliked weak scholars the most. However, Fu Qingyan liked literature and disliked martial arts, so he was not very pleased with him."

Furthermore, the aunt and the Marquis had been separated for many years and their relationship was strained; the Marquis preferred his illegitimate son, who had grown up by his side since childhood.

"So, Lord Marquis really intends to take this opportunity to replace the heir?"

"I know about this matter. The Emperor has not approved it. Since ancient times, there has been a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate heirs. Fu Qingyan is not dead, so the Emperor will not immediately agree to change the heir."

Shen Lan, with the utmost malice, suspected that there might be more to Fu Qingyan's elopement than met the eye.

"He must have been well protected by his mother since childhood." Otherwise, he wouldn't have developed such a simple and sunny personality.

Xiao Ji nodded in agreement: "Not only my aunt, but he is also the apple of the eye of the old lady of the Marquis's mansion."

With his grandmother's blessing, Fu Qingyan's chances of winning are not small.