Detective Di Renjie: The Mysterious Dynasty

Chapter 376 The truth comes out
When Lin Yongzhong saw Zhang Yi, he was a little dazed for a moment, and Zhang Yi's eyes widened involuntarily.

The strange behavior of the two was clearly seen by Di Renjie and Zhao Ji who were observing from the side.

Zhao Ji had a blank expression on his face, while Di Renjie showed a look of disappointment, shook his head slightly, and let out a long sigh.

Ruyan seemed to be lost in thought, and Li Yuanfang also noticed that something was wrong with the atmosphere.

Lin Yongzhong adjusted himself quickly, covering up his unnatural behavior just now: "Sir, is there anything you want me to do?"

Di Renjie picked up a thick file from the desk, slowly stood up, and said solemnly, "There are some things. In order to solve the mystery of the murder of Pingnan Hou, this morning I was looking through the old files and accidentally found an old case. I want to ask Yongzhong to discuss it."

Lin Yongzhong frowned and asked in confusion, "I wonder what kind of old case could stump you, Lord?"

Di Renjie slowly unfolded the file and paced around the room. "Ten years ago, a major case occurred in Jiangzhou. More than 30 people on two passenger ships were killed in the reed marshes, and the bodies were not discovered until a long time later."

"After investigation, the government determined that the murderer was a well-known gang of pirates on the Xunyang River. This gang of pirates was extremely vicious and often robbed and killed passenger ships."

"But unfortunately, the Huang Guogong case happened to happen, and Jiangzhou's officialdom was in turmoil. Many officials were implicated, and the case was gradually shelved."

"What's even more bizarre is that the group of brutal pirates disappeared from the scene and never committed any crime again. This matter has become an unsolved case..."

Di Renjie's words, like a sharp blade, inadvertently touched the most sensitive nerve deep in Lin Yongzhong's heart.

The sad memory of his family being brutally murdered by pirates came flooding back like a tide, causing his heart to surge.

The flashing of swords, the crying of children and the elderly, the cruel grins of the pirates, and the blood-stained water of the Xunyang River...

Lin Yongzhong's face turned pale in an instant, his hands clenched into fists unconsciously, and an indescribable pain and anger flashed in his eyes.

Zhao Ji stared at the changes in Lin Yongzhong's expression and continued, "The thirty-odd people who suffered the tragic disaster were none other than Xue Qinglin's family, who were staying with Duke Huang at the time!"

"That group of pirates are none other than the Jiangzhou officials such as Feng Wanchun who have been killed one by one, including, of course, the current Marquis of Pingnan!"

Hearing this, Lin Yongzhong was suddenly awakened from his thoughts, with an expression of disbelief and astonishment on his face.

Li Yuanfang and Ruyan were even more shocked by Zhao Ji's words.

Zhao Ji slowly walked in front of Lin Yongzhong, with a hint of coercion in his tone: "At this point, aren't you going to say anything?"

Zhang Yi could no longer hold back after hearing this, and rushed to Zhao Ji to explain, "You are wrong, I was the one who killed Feng Wanchun, Xue Qinglin, and the others! It has nothing to do with anyone else!"

However, Lin Yongzhong waved his hand in despair and stopped Zhang Yi: "Zhang Yi, there is no need to hide it for me anymore. His Highness already knows the truth."

Seeing Lin Yongzhong confess, Di Renjie shook his head in grief and said, "It's really you! It's really you!"

Lin Yongzhong closed his eyes weakly, and at the same time felt a sense of relief.

"You are not Lin Yongzhong, nor are you a descendant of Duke Huang!" Zhao Ji shook his head, his face full of regret.

Lin Yongzhong admitted frankly: "Yes, I am Xue Qinglin!"

Some fragments flashed through Ruyan's mind. She took a step forward and asked coldly, "Who is Jinniang to you?"

Lin Yongzhong answered without hiding anything: "Jinniang is my daughter, and Zhang Yi is my personal servant." Ruyan was so angry that she trembled all over and slapped him hard: "You beast, you sold your daughter to a villain like Xue Qinglin for revenge, are you still a human being?"

Lin Yongzhong's lips trembled violently, but he couldn't utter a word.

Li Yuanfang grabbed the furious Ruyan and sighed softly.

Di Renjie slowly exhaled a long breath and said with deep emotion: "You really did everything you could to get revenge! If Chengyuan hadn't caught a few key details, this case would have become an unsolved mystery."

Lin Yongzhong had a bitter smile on his face: "I am also very curious. Those who knew about it are all dead. If Zhang Yi and Jin Niang didn't speak up, how could you and His Highness find out that I am the real Xue Qinglin?"

Zhao Ji explained: "The key lies in that secret letter."

Lin Yongzhong was stunned when he heard this: "Secret letter?"

Di Renjie nodded and continued, "The secret letter is very secret. According to Cheng Yuan, the only people who can know the contents of the letter are the writer and the recipient."

"The letter is in the hands of the fake Xue Qinglin, so he is the recipient. He thinks that this letter can hold the emperor hostage and shock the local people. The writer of the letter is also obvious. The inner guards represent her will."

"But Zhang Yi kept talking about revenge, which led to the involvement of a third party. I racked my brains at the time but couldn't figure out how this third party could know the contents of the letter."

Zhao Ji took over Di Renjie's words and continued, "I feel that this matter is unusual. Xue Qinglin is a nobleman, and his behavior is unreasonable in many ways."

"His sworn brothers also behaved strangely, so Di Gong and I checked their official files again, and indeed, we found something."

"The fake Xue Qinglin's age doesn't match the official records! His facial features and bone age show that he is only in his thirties, but the official records say he is forty-two!"

Hearing this, Lin Yongzhong sighed helplessly: "You are right, I am indeed 42 years old this year."

Zhao Ji nodded and said, "Feng Wanchun and his men entered the government from commoners, so the newly established official files naturally recorded it truthfully. But you already have a title, and the official files have long recorded it. How could Xue Qinglin, a pirate, understand this, so he left a loophole!"

"With this incident, I concluded that the deceased Pingnan Hou Xue Qinglin was a fake. So this raises a new question: where did the real Xue Qinglin go?"

Di Renjie sighed and continued, "As the case gradually became clearer, we were encouraged and decided to start from the beginning and carefully investigate every clue in the case."

"The two most critical points in investigating a case are evidence and motive. When it comes to the motive of this case, the first thing that comes to mind is what Zhang Yi said about revenge!"

"Xue Qinglin is a fake, so the idea of ​​Huang Guogong's descendants seeking revenge is suspicious. On the other hand, if Xue Qinglin's family was really killed, his descendants might come to seek revenge on this fake one!"

"Chengyuan thought of the official files again. Xue Qinglin was a light cavalry captain, so his murder was not a small matter. Sure enough, after checking, we found the unsolved murder from that year!"

"This further confirms our suspicions and solves the mystery of the identities of the fake Xue Qinglin and Feng Wanchun."

Di Renjie continued to talk nonstop: "This is the motive, and the second is the physical evidence and witnesses. Yuan Fang saw you kill someone with a sledgehammer, and the bodies of Ge Bin and others can also prove that the murder weapon was a sledgehammer weighing dozens of kilograms."

"I thought of your family. Your grandfather Xue Wanche was extremely brave and had natural strength. I think you also inherited this strength!"

At this point, Lin Yongzhong nodded, his face full of regret: "Yes, I was born with supernatural powers. However, what I regret most in my life is that I didn't practice martial arts, otherwise, I would have been able to protect my family..."

(End of this chapter)