I bring bad luck to my husband, you bring bad luck to your wife.

"Before my elder brother got married, he had a maidservant in his room who had served him for many years. She wasn't particularly favored, but because she was his first woman, he still had some affection for her. After he married my sister-in-law, she found the maidservant an eyesore, so my brother sent her to live outside."

Dong Xingsheng wiped away his tears and continued speaking.

"A while ago, that girl got pregnant. It's my eldest brother's first child, and he wanted to keep it. He even wrote to my sister-in-law about it. Unexpectedly, my sister-in-law quickly sent back a divorce agreement, saying that if my brother dared to keep the child, she would divorce him. If he didn't want a divorce, she would get rid of the girl. My brother was definitely unwilling, so he came to her door, wanting to have a good talk with her." Dong Xingsheng's words differed greatly from what Constable Wang had previously investigated.

"You mean, your sister-in-law killed your brother because of this?" Officer Wang felt this was simply unbelievable. He had watched Lin Yujun grow up, and in his memory, Lin Yujun was not the kind of girl who couldn't tell what was important.

"You can't imagine how jealous my sister-in-law can be. Since she got married, there hasn't been a single young woman or boy left in my brother's courtyard. They've all been replaced by old nannies and ugly servants. This servant who came with my brother this time is the only one in his courtyard who's even remotely presentable. By the way, where's that servant?"

"He died a few days ago." That's the truth; with his body rotting like that, he definitely couldn't have survived.

"Dead? How could he be dead? Did my sister-in-law beat him to death?" Dong Xingsheng stood up abruptly.

Everyone present fell silent, because Lin Yujun had indeed killed the servant.

However, this servant was under a death contract, the master's private property, so even if he was beaten to death, there was no way to pursue the matter.

With Dong Xingsheng's arrival, the investigation seems to be shifting its focus back towards the Lin family.

When I got home that evening, Xiangxi was still awake, waiting for Yang Tongchuan.

"Why aren't you asleep at this hour? What are you holding?"

"It's getting cold, so I learned from my mother how to sew you a pair of thick-soled boots."

When Xiangxi first started learning to make boots, she pricked her hand several times with the awl used for sewing shoe soles.

For Xiangxi, sewing boots is much simpler than making clothes.

"Don't do it tonight, it'll hurt your eyes." Yang Tongchuan put the things away.

"If you really want to do it, do it when it's bright during the day." Yang Tongchuan helped Xiangxi walk to the bedside.

Xiangxi has been experiencing occasional cramps lately, and once she almost fell over during one of them, which has made Yang Tongchuan extremely careful about Xiangxi's every move.

"Is the case involving the man surnamed Dong still under investigation?"

"No, the Dong family came today. This family is really interesting. After we finished our routine inquiries, instead of asking when we could bury his brother, he asked where the goods his brother brought had gone."

Yang Tongchuan helped Xiangxi take off her shoes and socks, and then applied a layer of ointment to prevent frostbite to Xiangxi's heels.

He only found out after they got married that Xiangxi's heels would crack every winter, and the pain was so bad that she dared not put her heels on the ground when she walked, and she always had to walk on tiptoe.

I'll take care of myself a little earlier this year and wear thicker shoes and socks so I won't suffer anymore.

"I told him that the goods were sold but the money was lost, and he immediately jumped up and down. It was as if his brother's life wasn't as important as those few banknotes."

Yang Tongchuan is now at a loss as to who he should sympathize with in this case.

During his investigation, Yang Tongchuan discovered that the aphrodisiac incense used in Dong Xingzhi's room at the time of the incident had quite a history.

It is not the common currency found on the market, but a carefully modified version.

According to the pharmacy owner's analysis, it not only contained precious medicinal materials such as ginseng, deer antler, and seahorse, but also a large amount of aconite, realgar, and a small amount of cinnabar.

Yang Tongchuan asked the boss if such a dosage would cause death.

Several pharmacy owners said that although the drug is potent, it is not enough to cause death. Unless taken every day, poisoning symptoms may occur after accumulating to a certain amount.

"The man surnamed Dong isn't very old, why use such a strong drug? Shouldn't this kind of thing be consensual?"

"I guess he's been messing around with too many women, so it's not working anymore." Yang Tongchuan didn't like hearing Xiangxi discuss other men with him.

"Men can be incompetent too." Xiangxi had no chance to make a comparison, and thought that all men in the world were like Yang Tongchuan.

"Hehe, there are plenty of cases that don't work. You're lucky to have found someone like me."

"Ugh. Let's get serious."

"I'm serious. If I weren't exceptionally gifted, how could you have gotten a child so quickly?"

Xiangxi was speechless. No matter what he said, Yang Tongchuan could always steer the conversation back to the topic of the bed.

That night, after Yang Tongchuan put Xiangxi to sleep, he also pondered this matter.

As a normal, energetic man, he understands men's needs regarding sex.

However, according to the investigation, Dong Xingzhi's demand is abnormal, or rather, it is close to being pathological.

Why is this happening?

The next day, Yang Tongchuan took the incense to a madam who was in charge of training courtesans and asked her for advice.

After hearing Yang Tongchuan's question, the madam looked at the things he had brought.

"I can only say that the person who concocted this thing is ruthless. This thing isn't for women; it's specifically for men, especially for men who can't get an erection."

"You mean, this will make even men with erectile dysfunction achieve an erection? Really?"

"It's genuine. Because it's for women, they wouldn't use such good materials. Most products for women contain sedatives that can cause unconsciousness, not so many tonics. Only wealthy men who can't perform sexually would use this kind of thing; they consider it a tonic, not medicine."

The madam's words made Yang Tongchuan realize that everyone said Dong Xingzhi was addicted to sex, but in reality, he was already impotent.

There must be a big problem here.

"Under what circumstances would a healthy, strong adult man be unable to get an erection?" Yang Tongchuan asked his question.

"Oh~, could it be that Officer Yang... well, does your friend have this kind of trouble?" The madam looked at Yang Tongchuan with ill intent.

"Please don't joke with me. I'm so stressed out from investigating this case these past few days."

"Okay, I won't tease you anymore. I've heard about that case you mentioned, the one who died in bed, right? At that age, it's no good. Most of the time, she's been ruined."

"Broken? This really can break!"

"How could it not break? I've only ever heard of oxen dying from exhaustion, never of land ruined from plowing. When you're young, you don't take care of yourself and dare to do anything. Once you've drained your body, you naturally won't be able to keep up." The madam had seen too many scoundrels who took their frustrations out on the girls when they couldn't perform.

After leaving the madam, Yang Tongchuan had an idea.

The person who would be willing to use such fine things must be someone close to him, if not Dong Xingzhi himself.

Or rather, this was delivered to him by the person he trusted most.

For example, Lin Yujun.

In order to prevent Dong Xingzhi from going out and messing around, Lin Yujun naturally tried every means to keep him at home.

Over time, Dong Xingzhi would also have times when he lost his enthusiasm, and Lin Yujun could use this incense to cheer the couple up.

By the time Dong Xingzhi discovered he had health problems, he was already dependent on the aromatherapy product.

But these are all just speculations. If Dong Xingzhi was really killed by Lin Yujun with incense, where is the evidence?

When Yang Tongchuan rushed back to the yamen, intending to discuss the issue with Constable Wang, he found Constable Wang packing his things to take his men out.

"Tongchuan is back! Quick, follow him! Something's happened to Chief Escort Lin!"