The Ming Dynasty took an unconventional approach

Pan Yun stared at the last blank piece of paper and gently closed the album: "She is dead."

Pan Jun opened Xi Yan's portrait and asked, "Do you recognize her?"

Fu Danian took one look and said, "This is Xiyan, she is also from Wanchunlou, she used to be an oiran, and Chaoyan was named after her."

Pan Yun felt a little depressed and asked, "What is Chao Yan's real name?"

Fu Danian shook his head: "They may have forgotten their real names, how can we know their real names?"

Magistrate Wu: "Do you suspect she is the corpse with the soul-locking nail?"

Pan Yun's face was gloomy, and he clenched the portrait in his hand: "Didn't the county lieutenant say that he initially investigated this case because a girl named Liu Xiaohong went missing? Find someone from the Liu family to identify the body!"

"But the bodies have turned into bones. How can we recognize them?" If Pan Yun hadn't used extraordinary means to make the residual souls appear, they wouldn't have been able to recognize any of the bodies.

We can only identify the bodies by investigating the missing persons.

Pan Yun remained silent and said, "Just find someone here, I have my own way."

Mr. Li handed her a handkerchief.

Pan Jun didn't answer.

Master Li said softly, "Take it. You are about to cry."

Pan Jun ignored him, put away all the albums with red eyes, and said in a deep voice: "Let's go, go back now!"

Everything in the dark room had to be moved back to the county government office, not a single thing could be left behind.

Young Master Li hurriedly followed to collect the things. The county government was in urgent need of manpower, so Magistrate Wu even used people like Master Li and his son.

Young Master Li followed Pan Yun closely and asked in a low voice, "You don't really know anyone here, do you?"

Pan Yun ignored him and ran straight to the backyard of the county government office in a rage.

"You're back? Hey, you..."

Pan Yun said nothing and walked straight past him into the formation.

She stood in the formation, looking to the left at the fourth-rank experienced officer who was tortured to the point of having his skin torn and flesh exposed, and to the right at the fourth-rank former prefect who was tortured to the point of having a dazed look.

After a moment of contemplation, she reached out to grab Qian Zhixiao, dragged him out of the circle of ghosts, threw him to the ground, grabbed his hair and forced him to look up, and thrust a painting in front of him: "Do you recognize her?"

Qian Zhixiao's pupils suddenly shrank, and he was already extremely frightened and trembled in Pan Yun's hands. His already pale face instantly became even paler and faintly blue?
Pan Yun whispered in his ear: "Are you so scared? What are you afraid of? She will be here for a while..."

Qian Zhixiao trembled and shook his head repeatedly: "No, it's impossible. She was sent far away. She can't come back, she can't come back..."

"Can't I come back if I turn into a ghost?"

"No, no, she can't come back, she's been sent away, sent away..."

Pan Yun's heart was moved. He thought that what he meant by "send away" was to send the person away. If it was...

Thinking of the three missing bones of the corpse, Pan Yun squeezed his arm tightly and said sinisterly: "Are you talking about the corpse that was sent away? It was dug out, and she is back..."

Qian Zhixiao screamed, and in fear, he pushed Pan Yun away fiercely. He hurriedly crawled to the corner of the wall and tried to shrink himself back: "No, no, it's impossible. There is a soul-locking nail. She is nailed to death. She can't come back, she can't come back..."

Pan Jun still had something unclear, so he stood up and put the painting away.

Li Wenying rushed over and was surprised to see the painting in her hand: "Isn't this the little ghost you raised?"

Pan Yun said expressionlessly, "Brother Li, please don't wrongly accuse me. I am a law-abiding and good person, but I don't practice evil techniques like raising ghosts. That ghost was raised by Zhang Weiliang, and I rescued him from him."

Li Wenying: "...If you say so, then so be it. How could she...she die like this?" Pan Jun rolled up the album, his eyes filled with daggers: "Senior Brother Li, I'll take care of this matter!"

Li Wenying: "As long as you are happy."

Pan Xiaohei also meowed.

Magistrate Wu got the picture album and an account book, together with the letters collected by Fu Danian, and all the people who were thrown in the backyard were legitimately taken to jail.

When the picture album and the account book are compared, a lot of people are implicated.

Moreover, quite a number of them were in Nanchang Prefecture, which was beyond the jurisdiction of Magistrate Wu.

He just wanted to use the excuse that "all county affairs are decided by the county magistrate" to arrest people.

This matter can only be reported to the court, which will be responsible for its handling.

The magistrate of Wu County went to court overnight.

The trial lasted one night and one day, and by the time he had compiled everyone's statements, it was already evening the next day.

Pan Jun sat on the steps in the lobby in a daze, with no one around.

Magistrate Wu brought over a stack of confessions and handed them to her.

Pan Yun took it and asked in confusion: "What for?"

Magistrate Wu: "I forced Fu Danian to copy some portraits last night, and had someone make two copies of the account books. This one is for you."

Pan Yun: …

"Confession, album, account book, do you want me to go through the drama of seeking justice in the capital again?" Pan Yun looked up at Magistrate Wu.

Magistrate Wu smiled bitterly, "I am a lowly official. I have sent someone to the capital to file a complaint with my documents. The remaining part will be submitted to the government office according to the procedures. I don't know whether the case can be investigated further or to what extent. But I know that no matter how the case ends, I will not be able to serve as an official anymore."

"If this case ends up being left unresolved, the evidence in your hands will be their last hope," Magistrate Wu said, "Master Pan, you are a good person. If there is a chance in the future, please let their grievances see the light of day."

He bowed deeply to Pan Yun and said, "Please."

Pan Yun held the thick confession in her hand. She tilted her head to look at the morgue. After a long while, she said "hmm" softly.

Magistrate Wu stood up with red eyes and breathed a sigh of relief.

"I have posted notices asking their families to come and identify the bodies, but they all came from prostituted backgrounds. They were either sold by their families or abducted. They have long lost contact with their families, and very few can be contacted. So the county government decided to bury them first and put up wooden plaques. If their families come looking for them in the future, they can use the plaques to dig up the bodies and take them back."

Pan Yun said: "Give me Chaoyan's body. I want to take it away."

Magistrate Wu: "According to their confessions, it has been confirmed that Zhao Yan is Liu Xiaohong. Their family has moved to Beiyuan Township. I have asked the yamen runners to notify their village head..."

Pan Yun interrupted him: "The county lieutenant said that Xiaohong was sold to Wanchunlou by her father?"

County Magistrate Wu paused, then nodded and said, "Yes, it is recorded in the case file. When the Liu family came to report the case, the cause of the case was recorded. Liu Xiaohong was sold to Wanchun Tower by her father because her family member was seriously ill."

Pan Yun said, "Then there is no need to wait. I will take the remains away. If they want to bury her remains themselves, please come to Longhu Mountain to find me."

Magistrate Wu: "I wanted to ask you this last night. Do you know her?"

Pan Jun raised her head and smiled at him: "I recognize you. I already said you are my sister."

Magistrate Wu: "...How old were you when she died? She had never left Ji'an in her life. Were you in Ji'an at the time?"

Pan Yun: "Who said she has never been out of Ji'an? She is free now and can go anywhere in the world." (End of this chapter)