The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 170 Birth Date and Time, the Secrets of Metaphysics! A bizarre case from ten years ago resurfaces!
Led by the yamen runners, Liu Shuyi and his entourage quickly arrived at a mansion.

The walls of the house are mottled and the wooden gate is rotten and broken, clearly indicating that it has been abandoned for at least several years.

A plaque hangs on the door, but the erosion of time has caused it to fade completely, and the characters on it are no longer legible.

"Dr. Liu, Magistrate Li..."

County Lieutenant Gu Wen strode out of the courtyard and said to the two men, "As instructed by Physician Liu, I questioned the local residents. When I questioned a family on this street, I learned that they heard some noises last night."

"However, they were already asleep at that time. They heard some noises in their half-asleep state, but they couldn't determine the source of the sounds. They even wondered if they were dreaming."

"Upon receiving this news, I immediately led my officers to search the nearby houses one by one. Finally, we found a large amount of blood in this abandoned house."

As they talked, the group entered the courtyard.

Upon entering, Liu Shuyi and the others were immediately drawn to the shocking bloodstains in the courtyard.

Then they saw that the ground, covered with withered grass, was covered with scarlet bloodstains, and next to the bloodstains was a blood-stained axe.

There were quite a few pieces of meat around the axe.

Without much thought, it's obvious that these pieces of flesh fell off when Yang Wanli's corpse was being hacked apart.

In front of this large bloodstain, there was a dilapidated table.

The table was empty, but on the ground in front of it were some things... a pig's head, fruit, and a wine pot.

Liu Shuyi picked up the wine pot and shook it. The wine pot was empty. He thought for a moment and then put the wine pot in front of his nose and smelled it. There was a distinct smell of wine in the wine pot.

Behind the wine jug was a charcoal brazier, which was full of ashes.

Liu Shuyi pinched a handful of ash, gently rubbing it between his fingertips, and said, "The ash is very fine; it's not the ash from burning charcoal or wood."

"Not charcoal or wood? Then what is it?" Li Xinchun asked.

Liu Shuyi did not answer. He saw a pine stick with its tip blackened by burning next to the charcoal brazier, so he picked it up and rummaged through the ashes.

"There's something!"

Lu Yangyuan, with his sharp eyes, immediately spotted a piece of paper hidden in the ashes.

He quickly reached out and precisely removed the piece of paper.

Everyone quickly looked over and saw that it was a piece of dark yellow paper that had not been completely burned.

Ding Feng examined it carefully and said, "It looks like yellow paper."

Li Xinchun nodded: "It's yellow paper. I burned this kind of paper when I went to pay respects to my ancestors a few days ago."

Lu Yangyuan couldn't help but say, "Who burned the yellow paper? The murderer? It's strange enough that he dismembered and disposed of the body according to the Five Elements method, but now he's burning yellow paper at the scene of the murder and dismemberment..."

"Who was it burned for? It couldn't have been burned for Doctor Yang, hoping that Doctor Yang wouldn't haunt him after he died, could it?"

Hearing Lu Yangyuan's words, Ding Feng and Li Xinchun both frowned, feeling that the case before them was truly bizarre.

First, there was the method of dismembering and disposing of a body using the Five Elements theory; now there's the burning of yellow paper at murder scenes...

And the pig's head and other items in front of the table—pig's head, wine pot, fruits… these are clearly items used for sacrifices or offerings to deities!
Why would the murderer lay these things out at this bloody scene?
Even though Ding Feng and Li Xinchun were both very knowledgeable, they still felt a chill run down their spines at this moment.

The murderer's actions were truly bizarre and outlandish!

"Besides what's in front of me, I've discovered something else."

At that moment, Gu Wen's voice suddenly rang out.

Liu Shuyi turned his head and saw Gu Wen holding something in both hands, with a fawning expression on his face, humbly handing it to Liu Shuyi.

Gu Wen had made up his mind that no matter what, he had to eliminate the bad impression he had in Liu Shuyi's mind and make Liu Shuyi let him go, this little ant... Chang'an City was only so big, and he couldn't hide from Liu Shuyi forever, so the only way was to do everything he could to make Liu Shuyi satisfied with his performance.

Liu Shuyi sensed Gu Wen's attempt to ingratiate himself, but he didn't say anything. His attention was entirely focused on what Gu Wen was holding.

This is a scarecrow the size of a palm.

The scarecrow was covered in blood and had many wounds on its body, which looked like they had been deliberately cut open with a sharp blade.

It has no facial features, and its face is covered with countless scratches, as if someone harbors a deep hatred for it and is wantonly taking revenge on it.

It was wrapped in a layer of cloth, the original color of which was no longer visible. On this cloth, which served as clothing, were some small words written.

Liu Shuyi looked at it carefully and said, "It seems to be a birth date and time."

"Birth date and time? Whose?" Li Xinchun asked curiously.

Liu Shuyi thought for a moment and then asked Gu Wen, "County Commandant Gu, where did you find this scarecrow?"

Gu Wen hurriedly pointed to the corner of the wall on the right and said, "There are traces of burnt wood there. If I'm not mistaken, it should be the wood that the murderer used to burn Doctor Yang's severed arm. On the ground next to those traces, someone drew a strange picture, and the scarecrow is in the center of the picture."

"painting?"

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow and walked straight over.

When they reached the corner, they indeed found that something had been drawn on the ground.

But this painting...

"hiss……"

Upon seeing the painting, Lu Yangyuan, who was following behind Liu Shuyi, had his pupils dilate and gasp in shock: "What is this painting? How can it be so eerie?"

At the center of the painting is an eye, its pupils deep and dark, like an abyss, seemingly capable of sucking in everything it sees.

Above the eyes are rolling, dark clouds that block out the sun; below them are raging flames that burn endlessly; to the left is a bull's head; to the right is a horse's face; and on the outermost edge are twisted Bagua symbols...

In addition, the painting is drawn with messy lines, which are chaotic, twisted and full of urgency, giving people a sense of physical discomfort at first glance.

It was indeed exceptionally strange.

"This...this can't really be some kind of bizarre ritual like the Ma Qingfeng family massacre, can it?" Li Xinchun said with a furrowed brow as he looked at the painting that made him feel dizzy and uncomfortable.

Ding Feng was also seeing this pattern for the first time, and his expression was equally solemn.

Liu Shuyi didn't rush to conclusions. He continued to ask Gu Wen, "Where exactly is the scarecrow located in this painting?"

Gu Wen quickly pointed to his eyes and said, "Above the eyes."

"Eye……"

Looking into those eyes that seemed to suck everything in and seemed to represent an ominous sign, Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes.

"Is the scarecrow positioned above the eye a representation of the hope that this eerie eye will suck the scarecrow in?"

"The scarecrow also has the birth date and time marked on it..."

Liu Shuyi suddenly turned around and said, "Go and bring Madam Yang here."

Upon hearing this, Gu Wen did not hesitate at all, and without even using his subordinates, he went to carry out Liu Shuyi's order himself.

Not long after, the frail and tearful Yang was invited over by Gu Wen.

As soon as Madam Yang entered the courtyard, she saw the large bloodstains on the ground. Her delicate body trembled, and if it weren't for the maid supporting her, she might have fainted from fright.

"Dr. Liu, this... could this be...?"

Yang had already guessed what was going on.

Liu Shuyi did not hide anything and nodded, saying, "This is where the murderer dismembered the body."

"really……"

Yang closed her eyes in anguish, and two lines of tears fell again.

"Although the master is very strict, he doesn't mistreat anyone. He sets rules, and as long as the servants follow them, he never makes things difficult for them... The master is actually a very good person, but God is too unfair. Why did this hardship fall on the master?"

Hearing Yang's words, Li Xinchun and Ding Feng looked at each other in bewilderment.

If a servant accidentally saw or touched Yang Wanli's things, he would gouge out their eyes, cut off their tongue, break their hands and feet, and throw them away... Such brutal behavior was, in Yang's words, considered a good person.

Moreover, Yang was confined by Yang Wanli, treated like a prisoner, and forced to burn incense and pray for blessings every day like a nun... She had no freedom, no wealth and honor that a principal wife should have, yet Yang could still praise Yang Wanli as a good person! They didn't know if Yang's perception had been distorted by the torment she suffered at Yang Wanli's hands, or if she was simply ignoring the facts for the sake of the dignity of a wealthy family.

Liu Shuyi didn't care what Yang was thinking; he had called her over to confirm something.

"Mrs. Yang."

Liu Shuyi handed the scarecrow to Yang and said, "Take a look at the birth date and time on this scarecrow. Is it Dr. Yang's?"

"Birth date and time?"

Upon hearing this, Yang opened her eyes and looked at the blood-soaked and wounded scarecrow that Liu Shuyi handed over. A hint of fear flashed in her eyes.

But she didn't flinch. Instead, she took a deep breath and took the scarecrow directly, looking at the cloth covering it.

After she saw the birth date and time on the cloth, a look of surprise appeared on her face: "It is indeed the master's birth date and time. How could the scarecrow have the master's birth date and time? The master believes in Taoist mysticism and would never reveal his birth date and time. I know the master's birth date and time once when he married me. After that, the master has never taken out his birth date and time."

It was indeed Yang Wanli's birth date and time.

The scarecrow bearing Yang Wanli's birth date and time is covered in so many scars, its face is slashed, and it's placed on those eerie and ominous eyes...

Liu Shuyi had a guess in his mind.

However, he still needs to confirm...

Liu Shuyi looked at Lu Yangyuan and said, "Deputy Lieutenant Lu, go to the Bureau of Astronomy and invite Yuan Tiangang, the Lingtai Lang, here."

This case is clearly related to metaphysics. To understand the profound meaning of the Five Elements theory and the specifics of this strange pattern, one can only seek help from a professional.

Fortunately, his experience investigating cases during this period allowed him to make many connections, including with metaphysical masters.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yangyuan immediately replied, "This humble official will go right away."

After saying that, he quickly left.

Liu Shuyi let out a soft breath and retrieved the blood-soaked scarecrow. Seeing that Yang's face was pale and her whole body was trembling, he knew that the bloody scene here had been too much of a shock for her.

His tone softened slightly as he said, "Madam Yang, please go out and rest for a while. If needed, I will summon you again." Madam Yang nodded gratefully, her voice gentle, "Please, Physician Liu, find the murderer and avenge my husband..."

Liu Shuyi stared directly into Yang's eyes, his gaze seemingly able to see through everything, causing Yang's heart to tighten and her to subconsciously look away.

Liu Shuyi understood. It seemed that Madam Yang had not been tormented by Yang Wanli to the point of developing a mental illness. She was only saying these things to fulfill her duty as a wife.

"Madam Yang, rest assured, we have found all of Doctor Yang's remains, and now we have even found the place where the body was dismembered. I believe it won't be long before we find the murderer."

After saying that, he waved his hand, signaling the bailiffs to take Yang away.

While waiting for Yuan Tiangang, Liu Shuyi took another look at the house in front of him.

This residence is not large, but it is a two-courtyard complex. In Anshanfang, which is located in a relatively remote area, it should be considered a wealthy family's residence.

"County Commandant Gu, do you know who this mansion belongs to? And why it is abandoned?"

Gu Wen quickly replied, "Reporting to Physician Liu, I just asked the neighbors, and they said that the owner of this mansion is a wealthy merchant with a large business and is very rich."

"But ten years ago, the wealthy family suffered a series of mysterious misfortunes, and in the end, the entire family perished."

"People around believed that the wealthy merchant's mansion had bad feng shui, was located in an inauspicious position, and attracted unclean things, causing a once prosperous family to be ruined and its members killed."

"Therefore, after the wealthy merchant's family got into trouble, no one paid any attention to this house anymore. The surrounding people were afraid of being associated with this house and being targeted by unclean things, so they would walk around it."

Listening to Gu Wen's words, Li Xinchun inexplicably felt that the desolate and dilapidated courtyard suddenly became somewhat eerie.

He tightened his sleeves and said, "This is the first time I've heard of this mansion."

Gu Wendao said, "After all, when the incident happened, our Great Tang had only been established for a short time. At that time, the world was still in chaos. To be honest, the life or death of an ordinary wealthy merchant family was not a big deal. Moreover, at that time, Magistrate Li was not yet the magistrate of Wannian County, so it is normal that he had not heard of this matter."

Li Xinchun nodded: "That's true."

Liu Shuyi ignored the feng shui of the mansion and said, "You said that the wealthy merchant family has been experiencing a series of strange misfortunes. I wonder what kind of strange misfortunes they have experienced?"

Gu Wen said, "The neighbors mentioned it casually. Apparently, this wealthy businessman has a son and a daughter. First, his daughter suddenly seemed to lose her mind and didn't recognize anyone. She rushed out of the house like a madwoman and then disappeared into thin air."

"The wealthy family hurriedly searched for their daughter, but their son also mysteriously disappeared one night."

"The wealthy couple were devastated when their son and daughter disappeared. They first reported it to the authorities, but after several days of investigation, they found no clues and gave up the search."

"They were unwilling to give up and continued their search. As a result, half a month later, the wealthy merchant's wife threw herself into a well and died one night."

"The wealthy merchant was devastated. He barely managed to pull himself together to handle his wife's funeral arrangements. But not long after, he fell off a cliff during a business trip and was never seen again."

"The wealthy merchant family disappeared within a month. Some threw themselves into wells, and others were left without a trace. The remaining servants, seeing this, felt that the mansion was eerie and terrifying. They looted all the valuables in the mansion and scattered. After that, the mansion remained empty until this day."

Listening to Gu Wen's story, Li Xinchun and Ding Feng both felt goosebumps.

Li Xinchun said, "A family of four, all of whom had accidents within a month of each other, and the circumstances of the accidents were all different. At first glance, it does seem a bit strange."

While rubbing his arms, Ding Feng said, "The disappearance or death of the four people doesn't seem to involve any persecution by outsiders. It's no wonder that the surrounding people are talking nonsense; it is indeed very strange."

Liu Shuyi pondered for a moment and said, "There should be a file on this matter in the Wannian County government office, right?"

Gu Wen hesitated for a moment: "At that time, the Tang Dynasty had just been established, and its main goal was to conquer the world, so the rules and regulations were not particularly perfect. The only thing they reported to the government was the disappearance of a son and a daughter. A missing person case was nothing to the Wannian County Government at that time. Therefore, I dare not confirm whether the Wannian County Government at that time wrote the case file according to the rules. I need to go back and look for it to find out."

Liu Shuyi nodded and said, "Then I'll trouble County Lieutenant Gu to make the trip for me."

Gu Wen had been looking for an opportunity to make up for his previous mistakes. Upon hearing this, he said without hesitation, "Don't worry, Physician Liu, as long as they have written the dossier, I will definitely find it."

After saying that, he turned and left without any hesitation.

Watching Gu Wen's departing figure, Li Xinchun couldn't help but ask, "Does Doctor Liu suspect... that the case of Doctor Yang's murder is related to the mysterious incident involving the wealthy merchant family back then?"

Ding Feng also looked at Liu Shuyi with curiosity.

Liu Shuyi surveyed the dilapidated courtyard before him and said, "There are many places where the murderer could have committed the crime. Why did he choose Anshanfang? And why did he choose this house to dismember the body?"

"Furthermore, the locations where the murderer disposed of the bodies were all near this house, and upon closer inspection, the distances from each disposal point to this house are almost identical."

"Even the blacksmith shop that replaces the metal element of the Five Elements is exactly the same distance from this house as the house is from other dumping sites."

"Does this mean that the killer was very familiar with this place and knew everything about it?"

"If that's the case, then it means that the murderer's choice of this place to commit the crime may not be accidental, not because he just happened to find this place, but because he actively chose this place for some reason."

"So, considering the unusual nature of this house, and the strange encounter of the family of four ten years ago, there may be a secret."

Liu Shuyi's analysis was reasonable and well-founded. As soon as he finished speaking, even the most critical censor Ding Feng could not find a single point of objection.

Ding Feng couldn't find anything wrong with it, let alone Li Xinchun.

Li Xinchun nodded: "I see. Then we should indeed pay attention to what happened ten years ago. I just hope that the county government at that time can write the case file according to the rules, otherwise it will be troublesome."

"Let's do our best first..."

Liu Shuyi never intentionally caused internal strife. Whether things would develop as he expected would only be known after Gu Wen returned. Until then, he would not worry about things that had not yet happened.

"Let's go and take a look around this house."

Liu Shuyi carefully put away the scarecrow, then cautiously avoided the bloodstains on the ground and arrived at the row of houses behind the yard.

Because these houses have been neglected for a long time, some windows are broken and some tiles have been blown off by the wind, leaving a thick layer of dust on the floors of these rooms.

Liu Shuyi pushed open the half-closed door and went inside.

This is the main hall for receiving guests. It is not small and has several tables and stools, but at this moment, all the tables and stools are overturned, and there are broken teacup fragments on the ground.

Liu Shuyi glanced around, and after confirming that there was nothing noteworthy in the house, he left and went into another room.

Before long, Liu Shuyi had walked through all the rooms in the front yard.

These rooms were all very similar, with tables and chairs overturned and floors in disarray. Apart from that, there was nothing else, which showed that the servants had indeed taken all the valuables with them when they left.

"Let's go check out the backyard."

Liu Shuyi arrived at the backyard. Compared to the front yard where guests were entertained, the backyard was where the owner lived, and finally there were some traces of life there.

crunch--

The door was pushed open, and Liu Shuyi and the others walked in.

Upon entering this time, they finally saw a different scene from the rooms in the front yard.

The room was filled with pink gauze curtains, exuding a girlish atmosphere. It had no distinction between inner and outer rooms, but was separated by a screen.

The screen has faded, but you can still faintly see the flying cranes embroidered on it.

Outside the screen was the reception area. The stools were overturned, the table was pushed aside, and all the cabinets against the wall were opened, with clothes scattered everywhere. Some were thrown on the floor, and some were hanging on the cabinets. Ten years of erosion had caused these once valuable clothes to fade.

Liu Shuyi picked up a piece of clothing from the ground and examined it closely. It was a green dress, not very big; he estimated it was the size of a girl around ten years old.

Was the wealthy businessman's daughter only about ten years old when she went missing?

Liu Shuyi gently put the skirt back in the wardrobe and turned to go behind the screen.

Behind the screen was a dark red bed with a pink quilt on it, neatly folded. Liu Shuyi reached out and gently touched the quilt before withdrawing his hand.

Looking at his clean palms, Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes.

His gaze then shifted to the dressing table by the bedside. All the drawers of the dressing table were closed, and on top of it was a sachet with the character "淼" embroidered in red thread on its surface.

Liu Shuyi picked up the sachet and, looking at the degree of fading in the fabric, knew that the sachet, like the clothes, must have been exposed to the elements for at least ten years.

When the sachet is placed under the nose, no smell can be detected.

Time is cruel. No matter how fragrant this sachet was back then, it cannot withstand the passage of time. Now, it is not even as fragrant as the wooden furniture.

Liu Shuyi put away the sachet, took one last look at the clean and tidy bed, and turned to leave.

After that, he went to several other bedrooms.

After being ransacked by the servants, these bedrooms were all in the same state: wardrobes were turned upside down, clothes were scattered all over the floor, and the rooms were extremely dirty and messy.

But one thing is surprisingly consistent... whether it's the wealthy couple's bedroom or the son's room next door, the beds are always very neat and clean.

The quilt was folded very neatly, and there wasn't a single wrinkle on the bed.

This was like a completely different world compared to the mess in the rest of the room.

As a result, Li Xinchun and Ding Feng also noticed the abnormality.

"Why is the bed the only thing so clean and tidy?" Li Xinchun asked, puzzled.

Ding Fengdao said, "There isn't a speck of dust on it; it looks like it was specially cleaned up."

Listening to their conversation, Liu Shuyi said calmly, "It doesn't seem like it. It's been specially cleaned up... Moreover, the window paper in these rooms is all torn, and the roof tiles are also broken, so it's easy for dust from outside to drift in."

"Even so, there wasn't a speck of dust on the bedding. What does that mean?"

Li Xinchun thought for a moment and said, "Does that mean it was recently cleaned up?"

"Who do you think organized this?" Liu Shuyi asked again.

Ding Feng said directly, "Is that even a question? Only the murderer and Yang Wanli came here. Yang Wanli is a high-ranking official of the imperial court; he wouldn't be making up a bed for no reason..."

Liu Shuyi nodded: "That's right. Yang Wanli had no reason to make the bed, so the person who made the bed must be the murderer."

"But if the murderer just wanted a place to stay, one room would have been enough. Why bother making all three rooms so clean and tidy?"

"I think there can only be one reason..."

Liu Shuyi looked at the two men and slowly said, "The murderer definitely has some kind of special relationship with this family!"

"That is to say..."

Under Li Xinchun's excited gaze, Liu Shuyi nodded slightly: "I wasn't wrong, the murderer deliberately chose this mansion! If we can uncover the secrets of this mansion, the murderer's identity might... automatically reveal itself!"

(End of this chapter)