Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 117 Speculation on Intent
Zhou Zhao thought to himself that the moon wanes after it is full, and words go too far when they are full. Xu Yun spoke so confidently that he was not worried about things going wrong in the future.

However, after thinking about it for a moment, he didn't say it aloud.

“What I just said is all based on evidence. You can ask the old coroner, Min Zangzhi, for details. The deceased must be Sun Yiyang without a doubt.”

Xu Yun hesitated for a moment when mentioning Sun Yiyang, then lowered his voice and said, "I heard from Sun Yiyang's son's confession that Sun Yiyang killed his wife Jin Shulan. Is this true?"

Zhou Zhao nodded. "That's true. The body was sealed in a kiln and dried into mummies. It's the same one we found at the bottom of the Dongshui River."

Upon hearing the word "kiln," Xu Yun's face suddenly turned ugly, and for a moment he even found it difficult to swallow his saliva.

Zhou Zhao glanced at him sympathetically. It seemed that Xu Yun and Sun Yiyang were indeed acquaintances. Xu Yun must have used Sun's porcelain, perhaps even teaware.

As if seeing through Zhou Zhao's thoughts, Xu Yun's eyes widened, and he instantly became irritable again. "Put away your thoughts, you brat. I am a court official, and I have seen countless corpses. Why would I care about such things? I am just lamenting that Lady Jin was no ordinary woman. She was once a powerful figure among merchants. I never expected her to end up like this."

"It's a pity that the woman met the wrong man."

As he spoke, he looked at Zhou Zhao with some resentment, "Is there anything else you want to ask? If not, I'm going back!"

Zhou Zhao looked at his angry and glaring appearance and twitched his lips speechlessly.

Touching the fur in the direction of its fur is helpful, but it only provides temporary relief.

Xu Yun has turned back into a grumpy old man.

"Is there anything suspicious about the murderer, Zheng Jiuchuan? For example, was someone behind him instructing him to burn down Linjiang Tower?"

The prisoner's confession in the case file was a crime of passion. But if, as she speculated, someone did not want to build a tall building on the banks of the East River, then the arson case at Linjiang Tower back then and the collapse of Zhaixing Tower now should be the same: the murder was a pretense, and the destruction of the building was the real purpose.

The murderer was used as a tool by the man in black behind the scenes.

Xu Yun frowned, racking his brains to recall this old case. His nostrils flared as he breathed heavily.

After a long pause, he frowned and said, "Zheng Jiuchuan confessed to the arson at the time... He set the fire on a whim and killed someone, and there was no indication that he was threatened or hired to do so."

"Zheng Jiuchuan still has a widowed mother and a younger brother at home..."

Xu Yun's voice abruptly stopped as she spoke.

Zhou Zhao immediately pressed on, "How is your widowed mother and younger brother?"

Xu Yun's voice was somewhat muffled, "After Zheng Jiuchuan was sentenced to death, no one came to collect his body. I once sent my subordinates to his home to inquire, and they said that the gate was locked up tight, and Zheng Jiuchuan's mother and brothers had already left Chang'an long ago."

When a family produces a murderer, many relatives move away because they can't stand the gossip from the neighbors. At the time, the arson case had been closed and the murderer had been brought to justice. He had other cases on his hands and only felt that they were a little strange, so he let it go. Now, combined with the Zhaixinglou case that Zhou Zhao was handling, he felt that it was quite meaningful.

As Xu Yun spoke, she touched her face. Even though she hadn't been hit, her face still hurt.

As he thought about it, his voice involuntarily deepened, and his volume increased. "This doesn't prove that someone is behind it."

Zhou Zhao nodded and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Xu Yun, "Yes, yes, Uncle Xu is right."

Xu Yun's face darkened. He felt that Zhou Zhao and his partner were slapping him in the face repeatedly!
He just said that the case he investigated was absolutely correct, but if Zheng Jiuchuan was acting under someone's instructions or coercion, then he would be wrong.

With that thought, Xu Yun lowered his rolled-up sleeves. "If you have no other questions, I'm going to continue reviewing the files." He said, and without waiting for Zhou Zhao's reply, he strode back to the left courtyard.

Their steps were so fast, it was as if a ghost was chasing them.

Xu Yun sat back down among a pile of files. He couldn't help but look out the window. Zhou Zhao was still standing there, seemingly lost in thought, and showed no intention of coming in.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief, his gaze falling on a teacup on the table. He looked around, then casually tossed the teacup into his bundle.

Under the cover of night, Zhou Zhao sighed softly and shook his head.

Three years later, Zheng Jiuchuan has been brought to justice, and his relatives have left Chang'an and disappeared without a trace. It will likely be difficult to determine whether someone instigated him.

With that thought in mind, she walked toward the academy where Min Zangzhi was located.

Upon entering, one is greeted by the scent of incense. There, in the courtyard, a scholar in a green robe stands performing a shamanistic sword dance in front of an incense burner. Every now and then, he looks up at the moon in the sky, muttering incantations.

Zhou Zhao felt that he might let out a wolf howl at any moment!
On the other side of the courtyard, Min Zangzhi lay on a bamboo chair, having changed into casual clothes and even combed his hair again. Beside him was an incense burner, but this time it was burning incense. Behind the incense burner was a small table with fruits, snacks, and a pot of fine wine on it.

All that's missing is a beautiful woman playing the piano and singing a little tune opposite him.

The small Court of Justice is truly a place where hidden talents abound.

Upon seeing Zhou Zhao standing at the door, Wu Qingshan sheathed his sword, raised his chin, and looked over. "This is a time for rest and recline. Wu Qingshan is praying to the gods, while Wu Wenshu is not."

Zhou Zhao nodded silently. "Peace and safety at midnight, Wu Qingshan."

Seeing that she understood, Wu Qingshan nodded to her with satisfaction, then kicked Min Cangzhi's chair.

With a loud crack, Min Cangzhi woke up and jumped up.

Wu Qingshan calmly withdrew his outstretched leg and dusted off his robes. "Lord Zhou is looking for you."

Min Cangzhi was still a little sleepy, but when he saw Zhou Zhao across from him, he immediately woke up and gave a wry smile. He hurriedly ran to Zhou Zhao's side and said, "You've come at the right time. I couldn't find you earlier. Although the case is not closed, she and Chu Hang are indeed innocent."

“I wanted to release her from prison, but I didn’t have Li Youdao’s seal. I went to Chang Zuoping, but Chang Zuoping said to release her tomorrow.”

"I arranged for her and Chu Hang to be separated, and also provided them with food and bedding."

As Min Zangzhi spoke, he coughed, his expression somewhat unnatural, and put his hand to his mouth.

Zhou Zhao gave Min Cangzhi a deep look, then walked away without saying a word. Once they were in a secluded spot, Zhou Zhao asked about the Linjiang Tower case. Although she felt that Xu Yun had no reason to lie, it was still better to confirm the testimony.

Upon hearing this, Min Cangzhi shook her head. "I don't know about the birthmark, but I do remember the broken bone."

Zhou Zhao's eyes were like deep wells. She looked towards the shade of a tree to the side, where Su Changying was waiting for her.

Min Cangzhi noticed Zhou Zhao's gaze, pursed her lips, and lowered her voice, saying, "Zhou Zhao, have you ever considered the possibility that the person who killed your brother back then might also be Su Changying? This would explain why the murderer only killed Princess Changyang and your brother, but not Marquis Xiao Lu. Because he himself is the murderer."

Seeing that Zhou Zhao was about to speak, Min Cangzhi continued, "Su Changying was able to disguise himself as Zhu Li back then, and neither you nor I noticed anything amiss when we were together. So how can you be so sure that the person you brought back to Chang'an isn't someone with ulterior motives disguised as Su Changying?"