Nine Chapters of Strange Cases

Chapter 8 The Case-Solving Competition
Zhang Ran acted swiftly and decisively. From the time Zhou Zhao left to the time the recruitment notice was posted at the Court of Justice, only an hour had passed.

"Have you heard? Wujin Lane was haunted last night. Someone saw with their own eyes that a little girl was eaten by a ghost!"

"That's right! That demon has fangs a foot long, a blue face and red hair, and a roar that shakes the heavens. It swallows a person's head whole in one gulp!"

"They didn't just eat one! My second great-aunt lives in Puningfang. She said it bit eight to death, and the blood flowed like a river! But they kept it a secret! Now the government is scared and has posted notices looking for a master who can exorcise ghosts!"

The last woman to speak, an elderly woman, won decisively with eight to one, attracting almost everyone's attention.

She raised her chin smugly, "You know that the locust tree in Wujin Lane has become a spirit?"

"Four years ago, the locust tree spirit had half its head bitten off by the immortal master. Now it's causing trouble again, trying to find a new head for itself..."

Everyone listened, and their hearts skipped a beat again.

Upon hearing this, the junior clerk from the Court of Justice who was announcing the notice immediately shouted in displeasure, "What nonsense are you spouting? This notice says that if anyone can solve the case within three days, they can become an official in the Court of Justice! Where did this 'immortal master locust tree spirit' come from!"

"See these sticks in this bamboo tube? There are ten sticks in total. Whoever thinks they are capable can take one!"

"If you don't have the ability, don't even think about pretending to be something you're not. Otherwise, you'll make a fool of yourself, lose more than you gain, and ruin your future. Don't say we didn't warn you!"

Zhou Zhao listened attentively and looked at the small document.

Compared to the dashing Min Zangzhi of last night, this young man was extremely irritable, with dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept for several nights.

Upon hearing this, the old woman who had been scolded rolled her eyes at the young man, "Wu Qingshan, I saw you worshipping the mountain god on Mount Fu at the beginning of this month. Why are you suddenly talking about immortals and spirits today?"

The young man named Wu Qingshan coughed a few times and put on a stern face. "The Wu Qingshan on Fushan was on leave. The one standing here now is Wu Wenshu from the Court of Justice. It's not the same person."

As he spoke, ignoring the old woman, he raised his chin and scanned his surroundings, "Do any of you dare to give it a try?"

Seeing that it was about time, Zhou Zhao walked straight forward, pulled out a bamboo stick from the bamboo tube, and said, "Zhou Zhao."

The young man named Wu Qingshan was stunned. He stared at the hair ornament in Zhou Zhao's hair for a moment, then his mouth moved a few times. When he saw that Zhou Zhao had already stepped into the gate of the Court of Justice on his own, he came back to his senses and opened his mouth wide in surprise!

A murmur of discussion broke out in the crowd, and the old woman who had spoken earlier exclaimed at the top of her lungs, "You still say you're not looking for a celestial master!"

"How could a young girl try to snatch an official position with a lottery ticket? She's clearly a celestial master who's come to exorcise ghosts and demons! Didn't this old woman know right?"

Wu Qingshan got anxious too. He was about to run after them when he saw another person squeeze out from the crowd.

"My lord, what if two people solve the case at the same time?"

Wu Qingshan stamped his foot and began to explain to the man.

Hearing the noise behind him, Zhou Zhao raised the bamboo stick in his hand and waved it, then walked straight toward Min Zangzhi, who was standing under the peach tree at the Court of Justice. "Lord Min, where should I go next?"

Min Zangzhi did not wear any flowers in his hair today. He was wearing the same official robe as Wu Qingshan outside. He shook the feather fan in his hand and winked at Zhou Zhao.

"You are quite an interesting person. Let's wait until a few more people start together, that would be fair."

Zhou Zhao smiled and nodded, "Lord Min is more interesting when he wears flowers in his hair."

Min Cangzhi listened, gave Zhou Zhao a meaningful look, and then his gaze fell on the doorway. A boy of about seventeen or eighteen years old walked in. He was wearing a dark yellow long robe and looked like a walking clod of earth.

He wore a wide gold belt around his waist, from which hung various gemstones.

Upon seeing the lot in Zhou Zhao's hand, the young man's eyes lit up, and he leaned closer. "My name is Ji Yun. I'll offer a hundred gold coins in exchange for your A lot! I'm a step too late and only got a B lot!"

Zhou Zhao decisively handed over the bamboo slip in his hand, receiving one hundred gold coins in return. What difference did it make whether he signed it or not?
A hundred gold coins? Only a fool wouldn't take that!

Ji Yun took the first draw and chuckled, "I didn't want to come, but I heard that when Zhang Ruoqing died, there was a chessboard on the table, and the chess pieces on the board were engraved with the names of some of the most outstanding young talents in Chang'an."

“So I came here…” Ji Yun said, smiling shyly, “I wanted to see if my name was on the list.”

Zhou Zhao looked at him with a complicated expression. She didn't speak to Ji Yun again and started thinking about the case.

Before long, two more people arrived.

The first person was a familiar face. Zhou Zhao recognized him as Chen Yuzhao from the Chen family, who was also well-versed in the Nine Chapters of Law. Although his reputation was not as widespread as his elder brother Zhou Yan's, he was still a renowned talent in Chang'an.

He hasn't been in Chang'an for the past few years, and she thought he had gone to a prefecture or state to serve as an official. She didn't expect that he still hasn't entered officialdom.

After a long absence, Chen Yuzhao appeared much more composed and quiet.

Upon seeing Zhou Zhao, Chen Yuzhao was surprised for a moment, but did not speak, only nodding slightly at her.

The second person was someone Zhou Zhao did not recognize. He had gray hair and looked to be at least forty-five years old. He was wearing a faded cloth robe. As soon as he saw Zhou Zhao, he shouted, "The world is going to the dogs! Can women even be officials?"

Everyone looked over.

Zhou Zhao wasn't annoyed at all. He gave the old man a thumbs up and said, "Could this old man be my mentor? Otherwise, how could he have recognized me at a glance as the person who can solve cases and become an official? I really appreciate your kind words!"

The white-haired old man hesitated, but seeing that no one else agreed, and noticing that Zhou Zhao was dressed in a fine manner, he knew she was not someone to be trifled with, so he remained silent.

After waiting for a while longer without seeing the newcomers arrive, Min Cangzhi did not wait any longer and led the group to Zhengming Courtyard, which was not far away.

Zhou Zhao walked among the crowd and looked around.

The room was already packed with people, some of whom were wearing the armor of the Northern Army, while two others wore official robes similar to those of Wu Qingshan and Min Zangzhi. They were likely clerks from the Court of Justice.

“Chang Zuoping, four people have arrived. Time is of the essence, so let them investigate the case first. If more people come, I’m worried that there will be more people standing in the mortuary than lying down, crowding around the corpse. The deceased might even think he has a bunch of filial sons and grandsons.”

Chang Zuoping, who was reading the case file, suddenly looked up when he heard Min Zangzhi's words. He glared at Min Zangzhi, but his gaze fell on Zhou Zhao.

Zhou Zhao's palm tightened.

Fortunately, Chang Zuoping frowned, as if he had thought of something, and then looked away, "Since it is an assessment, someone needs to supervise it."

"Since you all dared to take this fortune stick, you must all be experts at solving cases. I won't waste any more words. Each of you will be accompanied by a clerk from the Court of Justice who will record your every word and action during the investigation. In addition, a Northern Army soldier will accompany you to hunt down the murderer."

"As for the coroner who performs the autopsy and the search for eyewitnesses, each of you will have to rely on your own abilities."

As Chang Zuoping spoke, he glanced at the four people.

"Our Court of Justice is different from other places. If it's okay, it's okay; if it's not okay, it's not okay. Please take care of yourselves."

As he spoke, he waved to the crowd, and Min Zangzhi led them out again.

“Let’s each choose one person to follow. Solving a case in three days is harder than climbing to heaven. If we dawdle any longer, it’ll be too late! I’ll choose first. I’ll pick the prettiest one of the four! This young lady, Zhou!”

As Min Zangzhi spoke, he walked to Zhou Zhao's side and then waved his goose feather fan at the group of Northern Army soldiers.

"Zhu Li, why don't you come too? Maybe we'll see someone send themselves to jail a second time, wouldn't that be great?"

(End of this chapter)