Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 78: Invisible Man Kills People? (Second Update)
"Since it's an unreasonable request, there's no need to say anything!"

Haiyue really wanted to say this and admire the other person's expression, but her group's admission to the Imperial College was indeed due to the favor of this young chief academic, and the teaching assistant was not far away, so she asked calmly, "Did that scream result in a death?"

Yan Shifan's face was very grim: "Zhao Qilang is dead, I suspect Gui Deyu killed him..."

Haiyue raised her brows.

Did Gui Zai, the son of Gui E, the second-in-command of the current dynasty, kill the brother-in-law of Guo Xun, the Marquis of Wuding, in the Imperial College?

However, since Yan Shifan used the word "suspected", it meant that there was something fishy going on in the case. Hai Yue paused and said in a deep voice, "Brother Yan, could you tell me about the whole process of the case?"

"Brother Hai is indeed a good friend. Others would avoid such things as much as possible. If you don't mind, just call me Donglou!"

Yan Shifan felt better, and immediately showed a friendly look. Then he sighed again: "Alas! I don't know what's wrong with Deyu. He's so distracted that he suddenly has to take the Imperial College entrance examination, and now such a big thing has happened..."

Deyu is Guizai's courtesy name. The osmanthus tree symbolizes the virtues of a gentleman, who is magnanimous and capable of carrying all things, and who can move forward steadily and achieve long-term success. "Yu" inherits the meaning of "Zai" which means carrying, and it is indeed a good courtesy name.

Yan Shifan also had a courtesy name, Deqiu, which was given by Yan Song. It sounds strange, but it is actually a good blessing. Needless to say, "de" means "deqiu". "qiu" originally refers to beautiful jade. The clearness of the jade chime is used to symbolize the nobleness of virtue. Yan Song hopes that his son will become a virtuous person.

It’s just that later generations are more familiar with the name Yan Donglou. His name is Donglou and his nickname is Qinger, and Yan Shifan also prefers others to call him by his name.

Hai Yue asked, "Is it Master Gui's idea that I come to the Imperial College to take the exam today?"

Yan Shifan nodded: "Yes! And it was a sudden idea. I only knew about coming to the Imperial College today after seeing him..."

Hai Yue asked, "Brother Donglou, didn't you ask the reason?"

Yan Shifan smiled bitterly, "Gui Deyu has a gentle temperament and usually answers all my questions. But today, I asked him twice and he became quite irritated. I won't say much."

Hai Yue noted this and continued, "Then why do you say it's suspected murder? Didn't you witness it yourself?"

Yan Shifan described: "After we entered the Imperial College, we weren't together. I was in the next room at the time and heard the screams, which led me to rush over! I saw Zhao Qilang lying in a pool of blood. Deyu was in the same room with them. According to their servants, there were only two of them in the room at the time. They seemed to be about to talk, so they sent the servants out of the courtyard in advance and forbade them to approach..."

"Are there only two people in the room?"

Hai Yue looked up at the bright sun and said, "This is broad daylight. If there were really only two people in the house and one died, the other would naturally be the biggest suspect. Why do you think, Brother Donglou, that Master Gui might not be the murderer?"

"Deyu has a gentle personality and is definitely not the type to kill. Furthermore, the person he killed was Qilang. The three of us have been together for several years and have a deep friendship!"

Seeing Hai Yue's expressionless face, Yan Shifan knew that this subjective opinion was not enough to be trusted, so he said in a deep voice: "And there is something extremely strange at the scene!"

Haiyue asked, "Where?"

Yan Shifan pursed his lips and bowed, "Brother Hai, you have the ability of a great detective. You have uncovered the Annan thieves' deception. Would you please come with me to take a look? Whether I succeed or not, I will be grateful to you!"

Hai Yue looked at him, already understanding what was going on. She said sternly, "Brother Donglou, do you know that if I were to go to the scene, I would not distort the facts, regardless of whether they favor Master Gui or not?"

Yan Shifan said without hesitation: "The country has its own laws, and we should abide by the laws of the Ming Dynasty. How can we condone this? If I ask someone to forge it, not only will I be disrespecting the sages' books that I have been reading, but I will also be ashamed of my father's daily teachings!"

'I hope you are what you say you are!'

Haiyue analyzed that Yan Shifan was so active because the current suspect was the son of the second prime minister of the dynasty, and the deceased was the brother-in-law favored by the most powerful nobleman. If the case could be solved, he would get huge rewards.

As for the country having its own laws and judging cases according to the Ming Dynasty laws, this might have been what a fledgling official had hoped for, but it would soon be shattered by the cold reality.

Although Yan Shifan was young, he had seen the ups and downs of officialdom. These words did not seem to come from the heart, but since he had made a promise, Haiyue was willing to go and see the scene: "Let's go!"

"please!"

Yan Shifan was cheered up and led the way.

The two of them soon arrived at a classroom and saw several principals and teaching assistants standing outside, as well as a trembling old doctor who looked like he was about to faint.

With such a murder happening in the Imperial College, I'm afraid it will face a huge uproar!
Yan Shifan saluted them with great courtesy, even calling out each of their names and comforting them, fully demonstrating the cultivation of a young chief priest, and then walked in with Haiyue.

This school was quite spacious and bright, and was obviously much better than the place where everyone had taken exams before. However, the tables and chairs were in a mess, and the air was filled with a bloody smell.

One person is standing, the other is lying, separated into two halves.

Haiyue first looked at the lying corpse.

Zhao Chen, the brother-in-law of Wuding Hou Guo Xun.

The man who was tall, strong and full of vigor before now had distorted facial features, his eyes were wide open, and his bloodshot eyeballs seemed to be bulging out. There was disbelief and astonishment in his eyes, as if he was questioning the murderer in front of him why he wanted to kill him.

Seeing this tragic sight of someone dying with his eyes wide open, Yan Shifan quickly averted his gaze, his face pale: "If Lord Wuding saw this... Alas!"

Guo Xun was the fifth-generation grandson of Guo Ying, Marquis of Wuding, a founding hero of the early Ming Dynasty. During the Great Ceremony Incident, he actively responded to Zhang Cong and thus received huge political rewards. He was appointed as the commander-in-chief of the Left Army of the Capital and was granted the title of Taibao and Taifu of the Crown Prince. He often represented Emperor Jiajing in offering sacrifices to heaven, earth, and ancestors.

Among the nobles of the Ming Dynasty today, he is undoubtedly the number one.

This man's wife, Zhao, was his second wife, not his first. She was much older than Guo Xun and was awarded the first-rank imperial edict by the court. Her family was also awarded. It can be said that when one person succeeded, the whole family benefited.

Guo Xun doted on Zhao Shi very much. Zhao Chen was Zhao Shi's younger brother, so he loved her as well.

With such a sister and brother-in-law, Zhao Chen naturally entered the circle of great etiquette, and his relationship with Gui Zai was actually closer than that with Yan Shifan. However, at this moment, this powerful son of the capital collapsed to the ground, surrounded by blood, and had become a cold corpse. If Wuding Hou Guo Xun saw his brother-in-law's tragic death, he would surely be furious!

"What a disaster!"

When Yan Shifan thought of the most powerful nobleman who was known for his arrogance and domineering behavior in the capital, he also felt a sense of panic.

Haiyue's gaze shifted from the corpse to the murder weapon.

A short knife fell on the right side of the corpse.

It is one foot and two inches long, with a blade width of one and a half inches. Judging from the ornaments on the handle and scabbard, it is obviously made by a famous artist and is very valuable.

Rich young men all like to wear this item. They usually tie it on the belt around their waist. The blade is tilted to fit the curve of the robe. It can be used to cut roasted meat during banquets. The tip of the blade is used to pick up food and serve to guests as a sign of elegance. For example, in "Jin Ping Mei", there is a description of Ximen Qing wearing a knife to cut a goose.

Now, this short knife worn close to the body has become a murder weapon, and the tip of the knife is stained with blood.

After observing the corpse and the murder weapon, Haiyue turned to the suspect Gui Zai. After taking a quick look, her eyes suddenly moved.

He realized what the strange thing Yan Shifan was talking about was.

There is no blood on Gui Zai!

Gui Zai was wearing a moon-white brocade robe with a mutton-fat jade belt tied around his waist, which made him look very noble. However, this outfit was also very easy to get stained. A small stain would be quite eye-catching, not to mention bloodstains.

But Gui Zai was standing on the other side of the school in a daze, trembling, but his clothes were still as white as snow.

How is this done?
Yan Shifan followed Hai Yue's gaze and whispered, "Brother Hai, if Deyu really killed him, there wouldn't be any blood on his body, right?"

Haiyue turned her gaze back to the corpse, scanning Zhao Chen's abdominal wound and the bloodstains on the ground, and said in a deep voice, "Let's go!"

When the two men arrived in front of Gui Zai, he was still in a state of daze. Only when they got closer could they hear his trembling lips murmur, "I didn't kill him... I didn't kill him...!"

Yan Shifan stretched out his hand and waved it in front of his eyes: "Deyu! Deyu! It's me! Yan Shifan!"

"East Building!"

Gui Zai woke up as if from a dream, with a panicked look on his face: "Donglou, I didn't kill anyone. I didn't kill Qilang!"

Yan Shifan nodded repeatedly, revealing a comforting look: "I believe you! I believe you! Tell me slowly, who harmed Qilang?"

"Who? Who?"

Gui Zai said in a trembling voice: "I didn't see it, I couldn't see it!"

Yan Shifan frowned and said slowly, "Deyu, since you didn't kill him, what did the murderer who broke in look like? And how did he leave?"

Gui Zai's eyes were filled with fear: "I really didn't see it... The murderer stabbed Qilang to death in front of me... Qilang spoke to him in pain... But I couldn't see him at all..."

"what?"

Yan Shifan just felt confused.

Hai Yue narrowed her eyes slightly and asked, "How many people were in the room at that time?"

Gui Zai shuddered, "Two... no! Three... there's another person I can't see. He was the one who killed Qilang!"

"Secret passage? Hidden door? Mechanism? Silk thread?"

Hai Yue looked around and immediately asked, "Did you come to this academy specifically after entering the Imperial College?"

Yan Shifan shook his head: "No, I just came all the way here. The teaching assistant took me there."

The three children of powerful nobles did not take the exam with the others. This was something she had noticed before. Hai Yue then asked, "Did they change their route during this period?"

Yan Shifan whispered, "No, Deyu and Qilang didn't say anything! When we got here, the teaching assistant handed out the test questions, and I went to the next room to do it..."

After all this time, you are taking the exam for someone else.

Haiyue shook her head secretly, walked to the window, and looked at the courtyard with a wide view.

If Gui Zai was the one who killed the person, then it would be nothing. It was just a conflict between two of the most powerful sons of the capital. For some unknown reason, they suddenly killed someone, and then they were afraid of punishment and denied it afterwards.

But this can't explain why Gui Zai killed someone, but his white robe was spotless...

If the person was not killed by Gui Zai.

That is, the deceased was murdered in broad daylight at a randomly chosen location by an invisible murderer.

This case is quite interesting...

Invisible man kills?
(End of this chapter)