The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 168 Eight Characters! Five Elements! Crimes Hidden Beneath Taoist Metaphysics!

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's analysis, Li Xinchun did not hesitate at all and immediately turned to Gu Wen, the county magistrate behind him, and said, "What are you all standing there for? Didn't you hear what Physician Liu said? Hurry up and search according to Physician Liu's instructions!"

Gu Wen was afraid that Liu Shuyi would see him and remember his past disrespect, and then strangle him. Now that he heard that he could stay away from Liu Shuyi, he didn't hesitate for a second.

He nodded hurriedly: "This humble official will go right away."

Having said that, he fled as if his life depended on it.

Watching Gu Wen's retreating figure, which looked as if he were being chased by a wild beast, Li Xinchun coughed awkwardly and said, "County Commandant Gu is very proactive in trying to find out the truth of the case as soon as possible."

Ding Feng was unaware of the feud between Liu Shuyi and Gu Wen. Upon hearing this, he wholeheartedly agreed and said, "County Lieutenant Gu is indeed very proactive in handling cases, and he is a model for our court officials."

"Cough cough..."

Li Xinchun almost choked on Ding Feng's words. If he didn't know Ding Feng and understand his personality, he would have suspected that Ding Feng was deliberately mocking him.

Liu Shuyi ignored their awkward conversation; his gaze had returned to the head and severed arm on the white sheet.

"Magistrate Li, have the other parts of Yang Wanli's body still not been found?" Liu Shuyi asked.

Upon hearing the serious matter, Li Xinchun quickly composed himself and shook his head in a deep voice: "No, I ordered my men to search all the nearby streets and trees, but we found nothing."

Liu Shuyi stroked his chin and said, "Since the murderer chose to dismember and dispose of the body, they shouldn't have left other parts behind..."

He turned around, his gaze sweeping across the crowded alleyway, a thoughtful expression flashing across his face.

It was already broad daylight, and there were many pedestrians on the road. Even if the officials of Wannian County had not searched, the people would have noticed anything unusual on the road. But so far, there had been no news, which could only mean two things.

Either the murderer didn't have time to dispose of the rest of the body for some reason, or didn't intend to continue disposing of the body.

Alternatively, the rest of the body may have been disposed of, but not as obviously as the severed limbs and head, making them easily noticeable.

Furthermore, murderers usually dispose of bodies to avoid being discovered as dead, but in this case, the murderer placed the head and severed arm in such an obvious place, clearly hoping that people would discover the victim was dead.

If you want people to discover that the deceased is dead, why not throw the rest of the body parts here as well?
Moreover, even the head and severed limbs were separated by the murderer...

Why would the murderer do this?

Liu Shuyi frowned slightly. The murderer in this case had a different habit from the murderers in the dismemberment and body disposal cases he had encountered in his previous life...

He thought for a moment, then asked Li Xinchun, "Magistrate Li, have you contacted Yang Wanli's family?"

"of course."

Li Xinchun said, "After confirming that the deceased was a Zhengyi Dafu, we immediately sent someone to the Yang residence to inform them and ask them to come and identify the body."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shuyi looked towards the crowd: "Yang Wanli's family has arrived?"

Li Xinchun nodded: "I arrived half an hour earlier than you."

"Look." With that, Li Xinchun raised his hand and pointed to the woman by the wall who was crying so hard that she was almost fainting, and who was being supported and comforted by servants. He said, "Yang Wanli's wife."

Liu Shuyi looked over and saw that Yang Wanli's wife appeared to be in her thirties, with a slender figure and delicate build. She was dressed in white, and with her tearful and heartbroken expression, she truly evoked a sense of pity.

He asked in confusion, "Yang Wanli is already over fifty years old, but his wife looks only in her thirties. Is she his concubine?"

"The principal wife".

Li Xinchun lowered his voice and said, "Yang Wanli divorced his first wife fifteen years ago, and then he married this woman. At that time, Yang Wanli was older than her father."

"Divorce his wife?" Liu Shuyi looked at Yang Shi's pitiful appearance and said, "Is Yang Wanli fickle and easily bored?"

“Not exactly,” Li Xinchun said. “I heard that Yang Wanli was obsessed with Buddhist and Taoist teachings. Once, he calculated the birth charts of him and his wife and found that his wife’s birth chart clashed with his. Moreover, his wife had never had any children, which met the seven grounds for divorce, so he divorced her.”

Liu Shuyi frowned and said, "Their birth charts clash? Didn't he have his birth charts checked before he and his wife got married?"

Li Xinchun shrugged: "I don't know about that. It's their private matter, and I shouldn't pry."

"Is his new wife a good match for him according to their birth charts?"

“They should be a good match,” Li Xinchun said. “His new wife doesn’t come from a high social class, but Yang Wanli dotes on her. He personally accompanies her on every trip.”

"You personally accompany him on every trip?" Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure it's every trip?"

Li Xinchun said, "I won't idly keep an eye on whether the couple goes out together, but that's what everyone says. My wife has met with Madam Yang a few times and said the same thing. She even blamed me for not treating her well and told me to learn from Yang Wanli how to treat his wife. But I have so many things to do every day, how can I have the time and energy to go out with her every time?"

“Yes…” Liu Shuyi said thoughtfully, “As an official appointed by the court, it’s fine if it’s a sinecure, but if it’s an official with real power, they’re so busy every day that they can’t even breathe. When they get back to their residence, they can’t wait to lie down and rest. How can they have the energy to go out for a stroll…”

"As the former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Yang Wanli was a very powerful official, and he would only be busier. Yet, even so, he still managed to accompany his wife on every trip..."

Hearing Liu Shuyi's meaningful words, Li Xinchun couldn't help but gasp: "What Doctor Liu said really does seem a bit off."

He couldn't help but ask, "Could there be some secret between Yang Wanli and his wife?"

Liu Shuyi shook his head: "Perhaps there's some secret, or perhaps it's just that I like it too much..."

"Let's go."

As he spoke, Liu Shuyi walked directly toward Yang's family: "It's time to have a good talk with the deceased's family."

…………

As soon as Liu Shuyi approached Yang, he heard her uncontrollable sobs and smelled a very distinct odor.

This scent is neither the powder commonly used by women nor the incense used in the homes of the wealthy and noble; rather, it is the most common scent of incense found in temples and Taoist monasteries.

Liu Shuyi felt as if the woman in front of him was not the wife of a high-ranking official, but a nun who often accompanied the incense burner in a nunnery.

"Mrs. Yang."

Li Xinchun introduced to Yang: "This is Liu Langzhong from the Ministry of Justice. He is very experienced and a brilliant judge. With him investigating Dr. Yang's case, I believe he will soon find out the truth, find the real culprit, and avenge Dr. Yang."

Upon hearing Li Xinchun's words, Yang raised her head. She looked at Liu Shuyi, her fair face now appearing even paler, tears streaming down her cheeks, her eyes swollen from crying, and a gust of wind seemed to break her slender waist.

With the help of her maid, she was about to bow to Liu Shuyi: "I have met Doctor Liu before. I have long heard of Doctor Liu's reputation as a divine detective. Doctor Liu must avenge you, sir."

Yang's voice was somewhat hoarse due to excessive grief, but her gentle temperament could still be felt.

"Madam Yang, there's no need for such formalities."

Liu Shuyi raised his hands slightly and said, "As an official of the Ministry of Justice, I cannot ignore any murder case, let alone the case of a colleague."

Yang nodded repeatedly.

Looking at the woman who was still crying, Liu Shuyi got straight to the point: "In order to find the murderer as soon as possible, we won't waste any more time. Madam Yang, when was the last time you saw Doctor Yang?"

While wiping away her tears with a handkerchief, Madam Yang said softly, "Yesterday evening, around 5 PM."

"The master was resting at home as usual when the gatekeeper found him and said that someone had delivered an invitation to him. After receiving the invitation, the master got up and said that he had to go out for a while. As a result, he did not return all night."

"I thought you were staying at a friend's place, but who knew..."

Yang's gaze unconsciously drifted to the white cloth under the tree. When she saw Yang Wanli's twisted and ferocious head, her whole body trembled involuntarily, and her already pale face turned even paler. She quickly looked away, her expression even more grief-stricken: "Who knew that the next news of Master would be that something had happened to him."

"Yesterday at the hour of You..."

Liu Shuyi pondered. Yang Wanli was dismembered and his body disposed of after curfew. There was still some time between the curfew and the hour of You (5-7 PM). He wondered whether Yang Wanli came directly to Anshanfang after leaving the Yang residence, or whether he met with someone first and then came here for some reason, either voluntarily or involuntarily, on his way back.

He continued, "Do you know who sent the invitation to Doctor Yang?"

Madam Yang shook her head: "The Yang family has strict rules. No one is allowed to touch anything related to the master without his permission, so only the master can see the contents of the invitation."

"Have you asked your doorman if the person who delivered the invitation to your master has seen him?"

Madam Yang said, "After Magistrate Li questioned me, he sent someone to summon him."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shuyi looked at Li Xinchun, who nodded and said, "Judging by the time, he should be arriving soon."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a yamen runner dismounted and said, "Magistrate Li, the gatekeeper of the Yang residence has arrived."

Liu Shuyi and Li Xinchun exchanged a glance and quickly looked over.

Then they saw a middle-aged man in his forties. He was rather short, and his head did not even reach the shoulders of the tall yamen runner.

"This humble servant greets Magistrate Li." The gatekeeper hurriedly bowed to Li Xinchun.

Li Xinchun said sternly, "If Liu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, wants to ask you questions, answer truthfully. If you dare to conceal even a single word, I will not let you off!"

The man instinctively shrank his neck and quickly said, "I have met Doctor Liu. Doctor Liu, please ask me anything, and I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly and asked directly, "Do you know the person who sent the invitation to your master?"

"I don't recognize him." The gatekeeper shook his head. "I've never seen him before."

"Describe his physical characteristics."

The gatekeeper recalled for a moment and said, "This man looked to be around thirty years old. He was very thin and wore coarse linen clothes with patches on them. He looked very poor."

"His appearance... is very ordinary, and my memory of him is not very deep, but if I see him again, I will definitely recognize him."

Wearing coarse linen clothes with patches on them?

Liu Shuyi, Li Xinchun, and Ding Feng exchanged glances, each seeing a hint of suspicion in the other's eyes.

Generally, the person delivering the invitation is the master's servant.

Servants represent their masters' image, and while they shouldn't dress extravagantly or excessively richly, they should at least be as neatly dressed as the gatekeeper before them. They had never seen a servant wear patched clothes.

Isn't this blatantly telling others that their master is poor?

Liu Shuyi said, "When you saw him wearing patched robes, didn't you ever ask him which family's servant he was?"

The gatekeeper dared not conceal the truth and said, "To be honest, Doctor Liu, when I first saw his patched coarse linen clothes, I suspected he was a beggar and wanted to drive him away. But he spoke very fluently, and the invitation he took out was inlaid with gold thread, which looked very valuable and dignified, so I handed him the invitation."

Despite all the talk about eloquent speech, in the end, it was the gold thread inlaid on the invitation that made the difference.

If an invitation can be inlaid with gold thread, then even if the clothes worn are shabby, it might just be performance art or a matter of personal preference, and doesn't mean that the person behind it is poor or powerless.

The doormen's specialty was tailoring their service to people based on their social status.

Liu Shuyi asked, "What did that person tell you?"

"He didn't say anything, just that his master had sent him to deliver an invitation to my master. After that, he didn't say anything more, and he left when I went to deliver the invitation. So when my master asked me to bring the person who delivered the invitation into the mansion to pay his respects, I couldn't find him and ended up getting scolded by my master."

"After your master has read the invitation, he wants to meet the person who delivered it?"

"Yes."

"What was your husband's expression at the time? Happy? Or angry?"

The doorman thought for a moment and said, "It doesn't seem like happiness, but it doesn't seem like unhappiness either; it's more like an accident."

"Accident?"

Liu Shuyi pondered to himself, under what circumstances would someone be surprised by an invitation?

Was the identity of the person who sent the invitation unexpected for Yang Wanli? Or was the content of the invitation unusual?
He pondered for a moment, then asked, "If someone else delivers an invitation to your master, will your master meet the servant who delivered the invitation?"

"of course not."

Without a second thought, the gatekeeper replied, "What kind of person is the master? Why would he meet with just any servant?"

In other words, this invitation was indeed different from ordinary invitations. It is unknown whether the person who wrote the invitation was the same person as the murderer, or whether it was purely a coincidence that Yang Wanli was invited out.

Liu Shuyi continued, "During the process of delivering the invitations, didn't you accidentally glance at their contents?"

The gatekeeper hurriedly replied, "How dare I? Without the master's permission, anyone who dares to peek at or touch the master's things will have their eyes gouged out, their tongue cut off, their hands and feet broken, and be thrown out. When I deliver invitations, I wish my eyes were on the top of my head; how could I dare to peek around?"

Hearing the gatekeeper's words, Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes. He looked at Ding Feng and said, "Imperial Censor Ding, are the rules in your residence so strict?"

Ding Fengzhi shook his head: "Although there are some rules in my household, it's not to the point that if someone accidentally sees or touches something, they'll gouge out their eyes or cut off their tongue..."

Liu Shuyi then looked at Li Xinchun. Before Liu Shuyi could ask, Li Xinchun quickly shook his head: "My household has even fewer requirements. As long as they work efficiently, are honest, don't steal anything, and don't say anything out of line, there are no other requirements."

Liu Shuyi nodded, looking at the grieving Madam Yang, and said, "Madam Yang, do you know why Doctor Yang set such strict rules? These rules are so strict that they are comparable to those in the palace."

While wiping away her tears, Madam Yang said, "When I married into the Yang family, this was the rule. My husband said that without rules, there can be no order. Only strict rules can ensure the peace and tranquility of the Yang family."

Upon hearing this, Ding Feng couldn't help but whisper to Liu Shuyi, "I have a feeling that Yang Wanli has something to hide and doesn't dare to let anyone find out."

Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered; in fact, he had the same feeling.

The rules of the Yang family can no longer be described as normal.

If anyone accidentally saw or touched anything belonging to Yang Wanli, they would have their eyes gouged out, their tongue cut off, and their hands and feet broken. Their cruelty was comparable to that of some of the most notorious tyrants in history.

But Yang Wanli was just an ordinary official, and this was the case even before Yang Shi married into the family. This shows that Yang Wanli acted so cruelly when he was still a minor official... Wasn't he afraid that if this got out, it would affect his reputation and thus his career?
A person who can sit in the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel must care about his career, but he still does this, which can only mean that... once someone comes across his things, the impact may be far greater than the impact on his career.

This Yang Wanli definitely has a secret he's hiding!
Moreover, it shouldn't be limited to his corruption and cheating in performance evaluations.

After all, the earliest assessment he was in charge of was five years ago, in the sixth year of the Wude era. At least fifteen years before that, he had already done so...

Liu Shuyi looked at Madam Yang with his dark eyes and said, "Madam Yang, I've heard that you and Doctor Yang have a very good relationship. He accompanies you every time you go out, is that right?"

Yang unconsciously tightened her grip on the handkerchief. Without looking into Liu Shuyi's eyes, she nodded, choking back tears, "Yes, Master loves me very much."

Looking at the bluish veins showing on Yang's fair hand, Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered slightly, and he said, "Before His Majesty ascended the throne, Doctor Yang was very busy with official duties and could only spare a limited amount of time. But Madam said that Doctor Yang accompanied you every time you went out. So, when Doctor Yang could not accompany you, would you not go out?"

Yang lowered her eyelids slightly, pursed her lips, and said, "My master loves me and doesn't want me to go out alone. If I need anything, the servants will buy it for me. So, when my master can't accompany me, I really won't go out alone."

"You won't go out alone..." Liu Shuyi suddenly stepped forward, a tremendous pressure bearing down on Yang: "Or, you can't go out alone?"

Yang was taken aback by Liu Shuyi's sudden change of attitude. She instinctively shrank her shoulders and took a half step back, her choked sobs coming to an abrupt halt: "What... what does Doctor Liu mean?"

Liu Shuyi stared intently at Madam Yang, not missing a single subtle reaction. He asked, "I wonder what Madam Yang usually does at home?"

"What should I do..." Madam Yang said nervously, "Of course, I should do what the mistress of the house should do."

"What should a lady of the house do? Manage the household affairs? Or..." Liu Shuyi's tone lowered, becoming increasingly imposing: "Burning incense every day, like a nun?"

Suddenly, Yang's swollen eyes widened.

She looked at Liu Shuyi in disbelief: "Doctor Liu, you... how could you..."

After all, Madam Yang was just a weak woman. Over the years, she had been tightly controlled by Yang Wanli's rules and regulations. She did not have the scheming mind of other mistresses of the mansion. Therefore, she was easily intimidated and tricked by Liu Shuyi, and everything was exposed.

Liu Shuyi calmly looked into Madam Yang's eyes: "She is clearly Dr. Yang's lawfully wedded wife, yet she can only burn incense every day like a nun, and doesn't even have the right to go out alone. Madam Yang... do you really think this is love?"

"I..." Madam Yang opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.

It was obvious that she understood everything.

However, she couldn't speak ill of her husband's family in public.

Liu Shuyi said, "Madam Yang, you have seen how tragically Dr. Yang died. If you really want me to find the murderer who killed Dr. Yang, then you must not hide anything from me. Otherwise, even a single word of concealment from you could lead to the real culprit going unpunished."

"You have already concealed the truth from me, but I understand that you were thrown into disarray by this sudden turn of events, so I will not hold it against you. However, if you continue to conceal the truth, I may begin to suspect that you are connected to the real culprit and do not wish for us to uncover the truth..."

Yang's face turned even paler from Liu Shuyi's fright. She quickly shook her head and said, "No, of course I hope you can find out the truth."

"What's next?"

"I will tell you everything."

Seeing how Liu Shuyi had so easily controlled the secretive Yang Shi with just a few words, Ding Feng and Li Xinchun couldn't help but sigh inwardly. When it came to controlling people's hearts, Doctor Liu was truly awe-inspiring.

Fortunately, Doctor Liu was of good character and full of justice; otherwise, if he had used his skills to do bad things, it would have been a nightmare for everyone.

Seeing that Madam Yang was finally willing to fully cooperate, Liu Shuyi's expression softened a bit. He said, "Then Madam Yang, please answer my previous questions again."

Madam Yang unconsciously gripped the hem of her dress and said, "As Doctor Liu said, it's not that I don't want to go out, but my master has instructed me that he will not accompany me and I am not allowed to go out alone. In the mansion, I do burn incense and pray for blessings every day, but other than that, my master does not allow me to do anything else."

Hearing Yang's words, Ding Feng and Li Xinchun exchanged a glance. Judging from Yang Wanli's actions towards Yang, this was not something a normal husband would allow his wife to do.

Ding Feng couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't Yang Wanli allow you to go out alone? And why did he ask you to burn incense?"

Madam Yang bit her lip and said, "My husband said my birth chart is very auspicious and that I will bring him good fortune. I burn incense and pray for him every day so that his wishes can come true. As for going out alone... my husband is afraid that someone will take me away. He said he cannot lose me."

Will someone try to take over the Yang family's property?

Ding Feng and Li Xinchun exchanged bewildered glances. What was the reason? How could Yang Wanli have such an idea?

Liu Shuyi was concerned about something else: "Dr. Yang said you could help him make his wish come true, but I wonder what his wish is?"

Madam Yang shook her head: "Master didn't say."

"What does Doctor Yang usually do at home?" Liu Shuyi asked again.

After thinking for a moment, Madam Yang said, "Master locks himself in his study every day, and only leaves on the first and fifteenth of each month."

"Locked up in the study? Reading? Or doing something else?"

"I don't know either. Master doesn't allow me into his study, but he likes books on the Eight Trigrams and Five Elements. I've seen him spend a lot of money to buy them from outside a few times."

“The Eight Trigrams, the Five Elements, and the Eight Characters…” Liu Shuyi’s expression flickered. He then asked, “He leaves on the first and fifteenth of each month. Where does he go?”

"It must be a Taoist temple or a Buddhist temple. The master is very superstitious about these gods and Buddhas."

They have a strong belief in gods and Buddhas, and even spend a lot of money buying books on the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams...

Suddenly, Liu Shuyi turned his head sharply and looked at the severed arm and head on the white cloth under the tree.

"The severed arm... was charred black from the fire, and the surface was carbonized."

"The head... was pierced through a piece of wood and placed on the tree trunk."

"Fire is fire!"

"A piece of wood piercing through the skull is wood!"

"Fire and wood are two of the five elements, therefore..."

Liu Shuyi's eyes flashed sharply as he said to Li Xinchun and Ding Feng, "I understand now. Why did the murderer choose such an obvious place to dump the body, yet hide the other parts? One disposal would have been enough, so why did they separate them..."

"Because the murderer disposed of the body according to the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth!"

"Fire and wood, we have found them."

"The remaining part that we haven't found lies within... the elements of metal, water, and earth!"

(End of this chapter)