The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 37 was dumbfounded. "Master Liu, I don't understand what you're saying."
"What happened? How could Wu Sicheng be dead? And why is he bleeding from all seven orifices?"

After a moment of surprise, Hong Wenlu quickly went to the clerk and asked.

Liu Shuyi, Liu Yuanming, and others also kept a close eye on the officials.

The clerk still looked panicked. He shook his head and said, "This humble official doesn't know why Wu Sicheng died."

"I received orders to go to the Wu residence to find Wu Sicheng. Upon arriving, I explained my purpose to the steward, who then led me to Wu Sicheng's room. However, after knocking on the door for a long time without any response from Wu Sicheng, the steward simply pushed the door open, and upon opening it..."

The clerk, recalling the scene, swallowed nervously and said, "We found Wu Sicheng lying on the ground, bleeding from all seven orifices, his eyes wide open, and he was already dead."

"How could this be?" Hong Wenlu frowned deeply. "This shouldn't be. I examined Prime Minister Wu's face, and he has the face of longevity. Could it be that my skills are not good enough and I made a mistake?"

As Cheng Chumo listened to Hong Wenlu's words, he immediately gave up his original idea of ​​having Hong Wenlu read his face.

They're all about to die, yet they still have the appearance of longevity!
Hongwen Road is so unreliable.

However, Wu Qi, whom Liu wanted to see, died in such a strange way...

Cheng Chumo couldn't help but look at Liu Shuyi.

Then I saw Liu Shuyi's dark eyes flickering with a look of deep thought.

The next moment, Liu Shuyi said directly, "Let's go to the Wu residence!"

Upon hearing this, Hong Wenlu quickly looked at Liu Yuanming: "Young Master Liu, what about us?"

Liu Yuanming's face was serious, his brows furrowed. He did not hesitate: "Since Wu Sicheng died for no reason, as colleagues, we cannot ignore it. Let's go to Wu's residence."

With that, the group followed Liu Shuyi outside.

As Liu Shuyi walked, he said, "Zhao Feng, go to Minister Du's residence and find Miss Du. Tell her I need her help with something."

Someone had died, and the deceased might be related to the case. To be on the safe side, Liu Shuyi had no choice but to ask Du Ying for help.

Zhao Feng nodded and was about to leave.

Unexpectedly, a clear and melodious voice suddenly came from the side: "There's no need to look for me."

Upon hearing that familiar, clear, and cold voice, Liu Shuyi quickly looked in the direction of the sound.

Then came a tall, elegant figure draped in a white fox fur coat, carrying a black wooden box, striding out from the courtyard.

If it wasn't Du Ying, then who was it?
Liu Shuyi asked in surprise, "Miss Du, what are you doing here?"

Du Ying said, "The Imperial Medical Bureau is under the jurisdiction of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. I came to the Imperial Medical Bureau to learn about the situation of the doctors. I happened to hear that you came here, and I also heard that the person you are looking for had an accident. I thought you might need me, so I rushed over."

Liu Shuyi was deeply moved upon hearing this.

Du Ying appears aloof and unapproachable, keeping people at arm's length, but her heart is warm and kind, always thinking of others.

"Thank you!"

Without wasting any more words, Liu Shuyi walked out with Du Ying.

Wu Qi's residence was not far from the Taichang Temple; a fast horse could reach it in less than a quarter of an hour.

As he dismounted and looked up, Liu Shuyi couldn't help but show a hint of surprise.

The mansion in front of us was quite old.

The walls were peeling and the plaques had faded.

It wasn't very big, much more shabby than his own dilapidated Liu residence.

Liu Yuanming glanced at Liu Shuyi and explained, "Wu Sicheng's wife and children died in an accident ten years ago, and he has never remarried. He is an honest and upright official who devotes himself to his duties and does not care about personal gains or losses."

"The only servant in the entire mansion was his old butler who had been with him for a long time; there was no one else."

Liu Shuyi nodded, and said thoughtfully, "He really is an admirable and honest official."

As they talked, the group entered the mansion.

As soon as I entered, I heard an old man's weeping voice.

The old butler, who looked to be in his fifties, was kneeling beside the corpse dressed in a white undergarment, weeping uncontrollably.

He wanted to hold his master's body and weep, but seemed to be told not to touch it so as not to destroy the clues. He could only stretch out his hand, trembling and hanging in the air, with tears streaming down his face.

Upon seeing Liu Shuyi and his group arrive, the old steward immediately looked at Liu Yuanming and said, "Young Master Liu, you must avenge Master! Master is an honest and kind official, how could anyone be so hateful and cruel!"

Liu Yuanming nodded solemnly. He looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "Master Liu, everyone says you are a brilliant judge who can solve any case. You must find out the truth and give Wu Sicheng justice."

Liu Shuyi looked at Wu Qi, whose eyes were wide open as if he had died with his eyes still open, and slowly nodded: "That's natural!"

As he spoke, he looked at Du Ying and said, "Miss Du, I'm leaving you with this."

Without uttering a single unnecessary word, Du Ying went straight to the corpse and began the autopsy.

While waiting, Liu Shuyi looked at the steward and asked, "Who has visited the Wu residence today?"

The old butler shook his head: "There shouldn't be anyone. The master didn't say he was going to entertain guests today."

"Should I?" Liu Shuyi asked, "You've left?"

The old butler nodded: "Master is ill and needs nourishment. About half an hour ago, I went out and bought an old hen."

"But I was back in just over fifteen minutes, and I never left again after that."

A little over fifteen minutes later... Liu Shuyi nodded slightly.

His gaze swept across the room.

This is Wu Qi's bedroom.

As Liu Yuanming said, Wu Qi was honest and incorruptible and did not care about personal enjoyment, so his bedroom looked very simple.

The bedroom is divided into two rooms, an outer room and an inner room. The outer room has a table, four low stools, a cabinet against the wall, and a bookshelf against the wall, which should be a place specifically for entertaining guests.

Inside the room was an old bed, next to which was a small cabinet with a bowl on it and two paper packages beside it.

The charcoal brazier crackled and burned, making the whole room warm and cozy.

Liu Shuyi came to the table and saw a set of cups on it. The kettle was in the middle, three porcelain cups were upside down, and one porcelain cup was filled with water and placed on the side of the table.

He picked up the porcelain cup filled with water and found that the cup was still warm, and the water was not yet cold.

Liu Shuyi raised his fingertips and picked up the kettle again.

I gave it a gentle shake, and the water inside the kettle sloshed around slightly. When I opened the lid, a burst of steam escaped.

He asked the old steward, "Did you prepare hot water for Wu Sicheng?"

The old butler nodded: "Before buying the chicken, I made sure to fill the master's cupboard with water so that he wouldn't get thirsty."

Liu Shuyi put down the kettle and turned to walk into the inner room.

Just then, as he passed the foot of the charcoal brazier, he suddenly stopped.

Liu Shuyi squatted down and looked at the charcoal brazier. He saw that there were some ashes from burnt paper in the brazier.

And on the edge, there was a small piece of the corner that hadn't been burned off.

He picked up the corner and looked at it; he could vaguely see the words "Prince Xi".

Liu Shuyi's gaze suddenly deepened. He tucked the edges of the paper away and went into the inner room.

On the bed, the bedding was spread out to one side, and on the bedside table, there were a few drops of black liquid remaining in a bowl, which looked like the finished decoction.

Pick up the paper package on the cabinet, open it, and you'll see some medicinal herbs inside.

But Liu Shuyi didn't know exactly what kind of medicinal material it was.

"Master Liu."

At that moment, Du Ying's voice rang out.

A thought struck Liu Shuyi, and he quickly walked out of the inner room to the corpse, asking, "How is it?"

Du Ying said, "There were no signs of fighting on his body. He died from poisoning within an hour."

"Within an hour?"

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow. The old butler had left half an hour ago and returned a little over fifteen minutes later. Apart from that, no one else had been here.

If it was murder, then the killer could only have committed the crime at this time, which matches the timing mentioned by the old butler.

"What kind of poison?" Liu Shuyi asked.

After a moment of contemplation, Du Ying said, "It must have been the combination of Veratrum nigrum and Asarum, along with a growth-inducing drug, that caused Wu Sicheng to be severely poisoned and die quickly."

"Veratrum nigrum? Is that a poison?"

Du Ying shook her head: "Veratrum and Asarum are both herbs. Veratrum can relieve phlegm and kill parasites in small amounts, but it can be harmful to the body in large amounts. Asarum can be used alone to dispel cold. As long as the amount is appropriate, there will be no problem if the two are used alone."

"But when they are used together, they produce a potent toxicity, and if a stimulating agent is added, it can be fatal very quickly."

Liu Shuyi frowned: "It's not pure poison, but a medicine for treating illness..."

He thought for a moment, then suddenly turned around and went into the inner room, taking the two paper packages from the bedside table.

"Miss Du, take a look at the medicine in this paper package."

Upon hearing this, Du Ying quickly took the paper package.

She opened each paper package and carefully examined the medicine inside.

Not long after, Du Ying raised her head, her clear and beautiful eyes fixed on Liu Shuyi, and said, "These two packets of medicine contain Veratrum nigrum and Asarum respectively."

"Unsurprisingly, Wu Sicheng died from the mixture of these two packets of medicine."

"how come!?"

Hearing Du Ying's words, the old steward looked incredulous: "These medicines were all obtained by the master himself from the Imperial Medical Academy. How could they be poisonous when mixed together?"

"You're saying your master got these two packets of medicine from the Imperial Medical Academy himself?" Liu Shuyi looked at the old steward and said, "Didn't you get a doctor to prescribe them for you?"

The old steward shook his head: "The Imperial Medical Academy is located in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Why would you go to such lengths, sir? Besides, you know some medicine and understand some medical principles. Over the years, when you have been ill, you have always gotten your medicine from the Imperial Medical Academy yourself, and there has never been a mistake."

Liu Yuanming said, "It's not just Wu Sicheng. Many officials in our Taichang Temple will go to the Imperial Physicians' Office for treatment and medicine if they get sick. Of course, we pay for it; it's not free."

"He was knowledgeable in medicine, he prepared his own medicine, and yet he died from the medicine he prepared himself..."

Listening to their conversation, Cheng Chumo couldn't help but say, "This sounds a bit like he committed suicide by poisoning himself."

"impossible!"

The old butler shook his head vigorously: "Master couldn't have committed suicide. He had no reason to do so!"

"I don't think so!"

Just then, Du Gou's voice suddenly came from outside the door.

Du Gou strode into the room, glanced at the corpse bleeding from its seven orifices on the ground, and said to Liu Shuyi, "I followed your instructions and questioned the imperial guards at the mausoleum, and... I did indeed find something."

Liu Shuyi's eyes flashed, and he said, "Tell me."

Du Gou said, "On the fourth night after the coffin of Prince Xi was placed, around 9 PM, the soldiers of the mausoleum guarding the entrance of the main hall heard some loud noises."

"They looked in the direction of the sound and saw two clerks from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices repairing tools not far away. The sound of the hammers hitting the ground was very loud."

"But because these things happened right under their noses, and the two officials from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices did not stay long and left after finishing the repairs, they did not pay any attention to it."

"Upon learning of this, I immediately returned to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, found the two clerks, and questioned them. They admitted to doing those things that night, but they told me..."

Du Gou lowered his head and looked at the corpse on the ground with its eyes wide open, and said, "That was the order from Wu Qi, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Wu Qi told them to repair it as soon as possible, saying that it would be used the next day."

Upon hearing Du Gou's words, Cheng Chumo's eyes widened, and he exclaimed excitedly, "There's no mistake! The thief must be him!"

"No wonder the imperial guards didn't hear the thief knocking on the coffin nails. It turns out he had prepared in advance and used the voices of his subordinates to attract the imperial guards' attention, thus making them ignore his noise."

"No wonder he would take these two drugs that would be poisonous when mixed together. He was afraid! He was afraid of being discovered, afraid of being caught, afraid of not being able to keep the secret, so he committed suicide by poisoning himself, using his death to protect their secret!"

At this moment, Cheng Chumo felt a clarity of mind and meticulous thinking he had never experienced before. He finally understood how exhilarating it was for Liu Shuyi to solve cases and deduce the truth.

He looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "Wu Qi understands medicine and medical principles. He definitely knows that the mixture of Veratrum nigrum and Asarum is poisonous. Moreover, these two drugs are used to treat completely different diseases. There is no reason for him to take both drugs at the same time. The only explanation is that he had already planned to commit suicide by poisoning himself if there was any danger of exposure!"

Upon hearing Cheng Chumo's words, Liu Yuanming and Hong Wenlu from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices both changed their expressions.

Hong Wenlu couldn't help but say, "This... how could Wu Sicheng do such a thing? He doesn't seem like that kind of person!"

Liu Yuanming's stern forehead was furrowed into a deep frown as he asked, "Could there be some misunderstanding?"

"How could there be a misunderstanding?"

For once, Cheng Chumo was surprisingly clever. He wasn't intimidated by Liu Yuanming and said, "Then tell me, where did I go wrong? Was it a lie that he gave the order to the clerk, or was it a lie that he knew medicine and was dispensing the medicine?"

“This…” Hong Wenlu was speechless.

Liu Yuanming frowned and looked at Liu Shuyi.

But Liu Shuyi seemed not to have heard Cheng Chumo's words and was whispering something to Du Ying.

"When Wu, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Medical Academy, goes to the Imperial Medical Academy to get medicine, will the Imperial Medical Academy keep a record of it?" Liu Shuyi asked.

Du Ying nodded: "Of course, all the medicines in the Imperial Medical Bureau are inventoried every month. If there is any error, the officials will be held responsible. So, records will be kept of who dispenses the medicines and what medicines they dispense."

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly and said, "In a little while, find someone to go to the Imperial Medical Bureau and ask for Wu Qi's prescription records."

Without the slightest hesitation, Du Ying nodded directly: "Okay."

"Manager Liu, why aren't you saying anything!"

Just then, Liu Shuyi heard someone calling him.

He turned around and saw Cheng Chumo looking at him with a somewhat aggrieved expression. Cheng Chumo said, "Did you hear my deduction just now? Do you agree with me? This Wu Qi is the thief we're looking for!"

"This..."

Liu Shuyi nodded: "I heard you, what you said makes a lot of sense..."

Cheng Chumo nodded happily.

Then Liu Shuyi continued, "If the thief heard this, I'm sure he would be very happy."

　I found online that Veratrum nigrum and Asarum are toxic when used together. It says that the two together produce synergistic toxicity, inhibiting the central nervous system and disrupting blood clotting function. The Compendium of Materia Medica also says, "Veratrum nigrum is incompatible with Asarum; eating them together can kill." I am not knowledgeable about medical theory, so please forgive me if there are any errors.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)