The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 181: Case Closed!

"What did you call him?"

"Yang Hui!?"

"He's Yang Hui!?"

Liu Shuyi's address to the murderer was like a thunderclap, exploding in everyone's ears. They stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the thin, ragged murderer before them, their ears ringing.

Didn't Yang Hui fall off a cliff and die?
How could he be the murderer?
Li Xinchun felt as if his brain was mush at this moment. Even though he had reached the end of the case, he was becoming more and more confused.

He couldn't help but ask, "Doctor Liu, what's going on? How could the murderer be Yang Hui? He didn't die back then?"

Everyone stared intently at Liu Shuyi, even the murderer who had kidnapped Deng Hao, his eyes fixed on Liu Shuyi, as if he wanted to know how Liu Shuyi knew his identity.

Liu Shuyi didn't keep them in suspense, saying, "I guessed his identity from three aspects."

"First, we learned from the guards who accompanied Yang Hui on his business trip that year that Yang Hui's departure for business was not due to anyone urging him, nor was it because he had a big business to do. Rather, it was his own initiative to explore trade routes... In other words, his trip was his own decision, and no one influenced him."

"But that's strange. He's encountered a series of misfortunes, and it's already remarkable that he hasn't broken down. How could he still be in the mood to explore any trade routes?"

"Furthermore, considering that he accidentally fell off a cliff during his trip, and that no one witnessed the fall, all that people saw was a figure wearing Yang Hui's clothes falling..."

"This leads me to a bold guess..."

He glanced at Li Xinchun and the others and said, "Could Yang Hui's death not be an accident, but a deception he deliberately orchestrated?"

"scam?"

Li Xinchun frowned: "But Wei Miao and the doctor died just like Yang Hui, so why don't you suspect that Yang Wanli was behind it?"

"Different."

Liu Shuyi said, "Whether it's Wei Miao or the doctor, their whereabouts can be known in advance. Therefore, by making preparations in advance, we can avoid doing things that harm others."

“But Yang Hui is different… First of all, Yang Hui decided on the route of the trade. Before he set off, Yang Wanli had no idea where he was going.”

"Secondly, even if we knew Yang Hui's destination, the journey to Jiannan Road is long and arduous, and anything could happen along the way. There's no way we could know in advance when Yang Hui would rest or when he would be alone."

"In this situation, unless Yang Wanli has planted an inside agent in the caravan, but as the guard Qin Liu also said, when Yang Hui had the accident, the rest of the caravan members were resting where they were, and no one left with Yang Hui. Moreover, Yang Hui left alone on his own initiative, and no one gave him any advice..."

"Therefore, Yang Hui's so-called accident is completely different from Wei Miao's and the doctor's."

Li Xinchun nodded in sudden realization: "I see."

Liu Shuyi nodded and continued, "Secondly, it's about the time when Wei Miao's grave was dug up."

"Wei Miao's grave?" Li Xinchun's eyes flickered, understanding Liu Shuyi's meaning: "Very early?"

"Yes!" Liu Shuyi said, "Shortly after Yang Hui fell off the cliff and died, Wei Miao's grave was dug up."

“We can think about what kind of relationship someone had with Yang Wenwan that would make them so eager to dig up Wei Miao’s grave to verify the matter, just two months after Yang Wenwan’s disappearance and when rumors of her being buried alive with her first appeared?”

"Ordinary relatives? Or extremely close friends whose identities we can't even trace?"

“This…” Li Xinchun frowned, thought for a moment, and said, “Ordinary relatives wouldn’t do this, and even our closest friends whom we can’t trace probably don’t exist…”

Liu Shuyi nodded: "That's right. There are only two kinds of people who can do this: either they are in love with Yang Wenwan and have made a vow to live and die together... But Yang Wenwan and Wei Miao had a very deep relationship. Even after Wei Miao died, she kept Wei Miao's sachet. It can be seen that she did not have any other kindred spirits."

"So, only the last type of person remains..."

Liu Shuyi shifted his gaze to the murderer and said, "My closest relative!"

“Closest relatives? Yes! Only close relatives would do something as crazy as digging up a grave to verify something, and only they would be so impatient, not wanting to wait even a quarter of an hour longer.” Li Xinchun nodded repeatedly.

“Think about when Yang Hui had his accident in Bazhou, and then calculate the time it took for him to return to Chang’an from Bazhou…” Liu Shuyi said, “and we will find that the time when Wei Miao’s grave was dug up is basically the same as this time!”

"Hiss..." Li Xinchun couldn't help but gasp. If Liu Shuyi's previous reasoning was deduction, then the question of time was a circumstantial confirmation.

He actually knew all of what Liu Shuyi was saying, and he even knew about it earlier than Liu Shuyi because he had come to investigate the case first.

But I never compared them together, and I never even considered that there was such a relationship between them...

Li Xinchun shook his head and sighed, finally understanding the gap between himself and Liu Shuyi.

thinking!

Faced with the same clues and information, and his own limited thinking, he was like a blind man facing a mountain of gold. Liu Shuyi, on the other hand, was the world's most successful businessman, possessing a mountain of gold... The outcome was self-evident.

"As for the third one..."

Liu Shuyi didn't delay and continued, "It was the murderer's act of revenge against Yang Wanli."

"The murderer not only cut and tortured Yang Wanli while he was alive, but also performed a wicked ritual to draw the Eye of Evil after his death, so that Yang Wanli would be forever suppressed in hell and would not be able to rest in peace even in death."

"If the murderer was just a relative or friend of Yang Hui's family, I think he would have killed Yang Wanli at most and that would have been enough revenge. Why would he be so cruel to Yang Wanli even after his own death?"

"It is impossible for someone who does such an extreme thing to harbor deep hatred for Yang Wanli, or who is an enemy who wishes he could tear Yang Wanli apart."

"I had already suspected that the murderer was Yang Hui, so combining these three aspects, I can basically confirm the murderer's identity."

After listening to Liu Shuyi's entire reasoning process, everyone nodded in complete agreement.

Any one of these three points would be enough to identify the murderer, but Liu Shuyi presented three...

With such logical and well-founded reasoning, even if the murderer said he wasn't Yang Hui, they wouldn't believe him.

Li Xinchun remarked with emotion, "Investigating cases together with Physician Liu, Physician Liu truly surprises us at every turn..."

"but……"

Li Xinchun looked at the murderer, who was still gripping the dagger tightly and showed no reaction to Liu Shuyi's words, and asked with a puzzled expression: "Why would Yang Hui create the illusion of an accidental death? What is his purpose in doing so?"

Gu Wen and the others nodded emphatically; they were just as curious.

Liu Shuyi's dark eyes met Yang Hui's. Seeing the sorrow and pain in Yang Hui's eyes, he said, "He must have sensed something..."

"As a successful businessman, Yang Hui must have a sharper sense and a more sophisticated mind than ordinary people. Others may think that what happened to his family was due to bad luck or bad feng shui, but Yang Hui may not think so."

"Therefore, he might realize that there is an invisible hand, like playing with ants, controlling the life and death of his family."

"If he continues to live under the identity of Yang Hui, he might be the next one to die... So, he made a plan to fake his death and escape."

"In full view of everyone, make sure that the identity of 'Yang Hui' is completely destroyed, and then he returns to Chang'an under another identity to secretly investigate the cause of the series of strange events that happened to the Yang family, so as to find out the mastermind and avenge his family!"

Li Xinchun thought Liu Shuyi's speculation made a lot of sense, and he asked Yang Hui, "Is that so? Surely you can answer this question for us?"

Everyone subconsciously looked at Yang Hui behind Deng Hao, and at that moment they noticed that Yang Hui's hand holding the dagger was trembling slightly, as if Liu Shuyi and Li Xinchun's words had touched the deepest, most painful wound in his heart.

Yang Hui closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them again.

His eyes, filled with pain yet seemingly on the verge of release, looked at Liu Shuyi, and he finally spoke: "You are the most capable investigator I have ever met. If I had met you ten years ago, if you had been the one investigating the disappearance of my children ten years ago, perhaps I could have saved them in time, and perhaps they wouldn't be dead..."

"Perhaps we can still live happily together..."

"Why? Why did you only show up now!?"

Yang Hui was very agitated, and the dagger in his hand pierced Deng Hao's skin, and blood dripped down instantly.

Deng Hao's legs went weak: "Don't kill me, please don't kill me..."

"Shut up!"

Yang Hui suddenly shouted, "Say one more word and I'll kill you right now!"

Deng Hao quickly shut his mouth tightly, not daring to breathe.

“I’ve been wondering why I didn’t meet you ten years ago… but time in this world can’t be turned back,” Liu Shu sighed.

"Yes, time cannot be turned back... My wife, my children, can never come back to life."

Tears streamed down Yang Hui's gaunt face. He didn't wail. For the past ten years, he had endured immense pain day and night, and now he no longer needed to break down and cry to release his emotions.

He waited quietly for his tears to dry, and said in a hoarse voice, "However, there is one thing you deduced wrong."

"Oh?" Liu Shuyi asked, "Which place?"

Looking at the young and vibrant Liu Shuyi, Yang Hui thought that if his own son were still alive, he would be about the same age as Liu Shuyi now.

He said, "You said I sensed someone was manipulating us..."

“You’re wrong about that. I was going through a series of blows at the time, and I didn’t sleep for several days and nights. My mind was completely blank. How could I calmly analyze what happened to my family and why?”

Li Xinchun was puzzled: "If you can't analyze things calmly, then why did you fake your death to escape?"

Yang Hui said, "I really can't analyze this calmly, but when I was sorting through my wife's belongings, I saw the farewell letter she wrote..."

"A farewell letter?" Liu Shuyi and Li Xinchun were both somewhat surprised, as this was information they had never known before.

That farewell letter was clearly an unbearable pain for Yang Hui. Even though ten years had passed, just recalling it made him tremble with pain.

He said, "My wife hid the farewell letter at the very bottom of the wardrobe. If I hadn't been sorting through her belongings, I would never have found it..."

"And in the letter, she said..."

Yang Hui clenched his teeth tightly: "She said that someone gave her a letter that told her that my children were in his hands, that he had a grudge against my Yang family, and that if she wanted him to release my children, she would have to pay with the lives of other members of the Yang family..." "My wife was on the verge of a breakdown at that time because of her search for the children. When she suddenly received such a letter, she was unable to think calmly at all."

"And she was worried that if I saw that letter, I would rush to die... so..."

"so……"

Yang Hui's eyes were tightly closed, and veins bulged on his forehead: "So she kept it from me, and to save the children and prevent me from sacrificing myself, she threw herself into the well and committed suicide..."

Listening to Yang Hui's painful account, Li Xinchun and the others couldn't help but sigh and shake their heads.

Yang Wanli is truly inhuman. Not only did he steal Yang Wenwan and her brother, but he also forced their parents to die in order to eliminate any future troubles!

"How can there be such a vicious person in this world?" Li Xinchun couldn't think of any words to describe Yang Wanli's cruelty.

Liu Shuyi shook his head and said, "After you discovered your wife's farewell letter, you realized that behind all these strange events in your Yang family, there was a vicious person in control. You knew that he would not let you go alone, so you decided to fake your death to escape?"

"Yes!"

Yang Hui gritted his teeth and said, "He caused my family to be destroyed. As long as I have a breath left, I will find him and avenge my family! It's just a pity that after I lost my money, everything became very difficult, and investigation was even more difficult... This investigation has yielded no results in ten years."

Li Xinchun could understand Yang Hui's situation after faking his death and escaping. It would be better if he had no money, as he could still survive by begging. But after faking his death and escaping, Yang Hui would no longer have a legitimate identity. Under such circumstances, it would be extremely difficult for Yang Hui to even enter Chang'an City, let alone investigate Yang Wanli, a fourth-rank official of the imperial court.

To be honest, Li Xinchun thought it was a miracle that Yang Hui was able to kill Yang Wanli with his own hands and truly avenge his family.

This is tantamount to ants killing an elephant.

Liu Shuyi nodded. The case of Yang Wanli's murder was now clear.

He asked one last question: "How did you manage to lure the cautious and wary Yang Wanli out?"

Yang Hui did not answer this time. He shook his head and said, "You don't need to know about this matter. You only need to know the result."

Ok?
Unwilling to talk about it?
Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered slightly.

Yang Hui personally exposed even the deepest, most painful scars in his heart, laying them bare before them. Yet, he refused to talk about a trivial matter in the case. Why?
Liu Shuyi stared intently at Yang Hui, whose eyes flickered as if afraid Liu Shuyi would see through him, and then looked away.

He has a secret...

Liu Shuyi was resolute.

Unlike Liu Shuyi, Li Xinchun didn't dwell on such a trivial matter. He said, "The case is clear now. Yang Hui, listen to us. Put down the dagger and hand Deng Hao over to us... Don't worry, although you killed Yang Wanli, we can understand your revenge. We will consider your motives. You may not have to die with Yang Wanli."

"But if you kill Deng Hao in front of us, then even if we understand you, we can't save you!"

To everyone's surprise, Yang Hui shook his head and said in a very calm tone, "The only reason I've lived for the past ten years is to avenge my family. Now that I've avenged them, it's time to reunite with them."

As he spoke, he increased the force, saying to Deng Hao, "Don't be an accomplice to evil people in your next life..."

"No! Don't kill me..." A foul stench emanated from Deng Hao's crotch, and he cried with tears streaming down his face.

But Yang Hui had made up his mind, and who could stop him from going to his death?

"Yang Hui! Just wait and see who I've brought!"

Just then, Liu Shuyi suddenly grabbed the little sparrow's hand and pushed it in front of him.

Li Xinchun and the others were taken aback by Liu Shuyi's inexplicable behavior.

Even the little sparrow had a bewildered look on its tear-streaked face.

So many of them couldn't persuade Yang Hui, who was just a little girl who had just begun to understand things. How could she possibly persuade Yang Hui?
But then... the unexpected happened.

The moment Xiao Maque was pushed in front of Liu Shuyi, Yang Hui, who had been resolute and ready to kill and then commit suicide, suddenly stopped moving.

He looked at the little girl with tears streaming down her face, and his expression changed instantly: "Why did you bring her here? You don't think a little girl who has nothing to do with me can stop me, do you? Take her away right now!"

But Liu Shuyi knew countless people, and he couldn't possibly hide Yang Hui's different reaction from before.

He said, "Deng Hao is not your direct enemy compared to Yang Wanli. You have already paid tribute to your family when you took revenge at the Yang residence. Your memorial ceremony is complete. Why go through all the trouble and risk to bring Deng Hao out of Chang'an?"

"Deng Hao is not qualified to enjoy higher treatment than Yang Wanli."

"So, the only reason you would do this is because you can't kill Deng Hao in Deng Hao's residence."

“You’ve already infiltrated the Deng residence and taken control of Deng Hao. What reason do you have not to kill him? Or is there something special about the Deng residence that could prevent you from committing bloodshed there?”

Liu Shuyi's gaze shifted to the little sparrow whose face was pale from the cold, yet who still tried her best to straighten her back, and he said, "After thinking it over, it's only her."

"Why me?" the little sparrow asked, puzzled.

Li Xinchun and the others were also full of doubt.

Liu Shuyi sighed and said, "I think... he probably saw his daughter's shadow in you, right?"

"His daughter?"

Li Xinchun and the others were shocked.

They couldn't help but look at the well-behaved and sensible little sparrow, and then at Yang Hui, who was staring blankly at her.

At that moment, even if Yang Hui didn't admit it, they all knew that Liu Shuyi was right.

Liu Shuyi said, "Little Sparrow is brave, kind, independent and self-reliant. She doesn't complain about herself when things happen. Plus, she has a lovely appearance. I think there are some characteristics that Yang Wenwan possesses."

"So when Yang Hui saw her, it was as if he saw his own daughter. He didn't want his daughter to see such a cruel and bloody scene, and he didn't want to frighten the little sparrow..."

"Therefore, he took Deng Hao out... because he originally planned to kill Deng Hao and then commit suicide in front of his wife's grave, so he simply brought Deng Hao here."

Gu Wen murmured, "Is that really true? He could actually suppress his murderous intent to kill his enemy because of a little girl who looks like his daughter..."

No one needs to answer; Yang Hui's reaction has already proven everything.

His hands were trembling, and his eyes were filled with complex emotions and struggle: "Take her away! Take her away!"

"Take her away, but where to?"

Liu Shuyi countered, "Deng Hao has done so many evil deeds, he is bound to die. Once Deng Hao is dead, Little Sparrow will be without parents. Where can she go? To a beggar's den?"

"I..." Yang Hui shook his head vigorously; he didn't know.

A glint flashed in Liu Shuyi's eyes. He was skilled in psychological warfare and knew that Yang Hui's defenses had reached their limit.

“You can take care of her,” he said suddenly.

"What?" Yang Hui was stunned, and the others were also taken aback.

Liu Shuyi said, "I can assure you that you will not die for killing Yang Wanli. At most, you will be imprisoned for a few years... During these years, I can take care of Little Sparrow. When you get out, you can give Little Sparrow a home."

"With Little Sparrow around, you are no longer all alone... The fact that she could appear in front of you at this time, and that you gave up directly killing Deng Hao because of her, I think this must be destiny."

"Perhaps this is the wish of your wife and children in the afterlife. They hope that after you have avenged yourself, you can live well for yourself."

"Yang Hui—"

Liu Shuyi suddenly shouted, "Do you want to disappoint your wife and children at their graves?"

“I…” Yang Hui’s face showed obvious struggle.

Looking at the little sparrow with its pale face, his original plan began to waver violently.

"Live on..."

Suddenly, Little Sparrow stepped forward and approached Yang Hui step by step, saying, "Although I am not that sensible, I have always known from the believers who came to ask the master for divination that living is a very, very important thing."

"They are willing to give up all their wealth to survive... and you, you can survive simply by nodding."

"at the same time……"

The little sparrow grabbed Yang Hui's hand and looked up at him: "You can give me a home too."

"Give her a home..."

As Yang Hui listened to the little sparrow's words and felt the cool touch on the back of his hand, he couldn't help but recall the image of his daughter holding his hand when she was the same age.

"Wen Wan...is this what you mean?"

Yang Hui closed his eyes tightly, and finally... released the dagger, then hugged the cold little sparrow in his arms.

Li Xinchun never expected that the young girl Liu Shuyi brought would actually be able to persuade Yang Hui to give up his suicide attempt.

He hurriedly said, "Quickly arrest Deng Hao, this criminal!"

The constables acted swiftly, separating Deng Hao from Yang Hui. Even if Yang Hui turned hostile again, he would not be able to kill Deng Hao in front of them.

They were finally able to learn the identities of the other four innocent people from Deng Hao.

Liu Shuyi breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.

Yang Hui was willing to live, and Deng Hao did not die... This operation can be considered a complete success.

(End of this chapter)