TGCFNM -Chapter 36 Didn’t Catch Anyone

Footsteps echoed outside the yamen, and the gathering crowd quickly made a path as two breathless constables rushed in.

“Your Honor, the madam stopped us!”

“Your Honor, Yang Huaishan has escaped!”

Magistrate Zhang slammed his hand on the table and stood up. “What!”

The two constables immediately dropped to one knee. “Your Honor, it’s our incompetence. Madam ordered people to stop us. We simply couldn’t overpower them and had to watch helplessly as Young Master Huaishan was taken away in a carriage.”

“Lawlessness, truly lawless!” Zhang Zhifu’s face darkened like soot as he waved his hand. “Zhao Yi, personally lead men to bring Yang Huaishan back. If Madam dares to interfere again, bind her and send her to the yamen!”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

Wan Sanjin leaned toward Chu Ling and whispered, “Is this him fleeing out of fear of punishment?”

Chu Ling shook her head—definitely not.

“Your Honor, someone’s coming,” Zhang Dong suddenly said.

Sure enough, the crowd parted to reveal Zhao Yi escorting Yang Huaishan. Judging by the time Zhao Yi had left, Yang Huaishan must have come to the yamen on his own, and the two parties happened to meet.

Zhao Yi cupped his hands and reported, “Your Honor, Yang Huaishan attempted to flee out of fear of punishment, but we have captured him.”

“You scoundrel! I came back on my own!” Yang Huaishan struggled violently. The constables immediately tightened the hemp ropes, pressing him down, forbidding any resistance.

“Young Master Yang tried to escape, so we had no choice but to bind him with ropes,” Zhao Yi continued.

Magistrate Zhang responded indifferently, giving a subtle glance.

Immediately, Zhao Yi pressed Yang Huaishan’s knees to the ground with a sweeping motion of his leg. Yang Huaishan cried out in pain, a cold sweat forming on his forehead.

Zhang Zhifu sat back down and struck the judge’s wooden block. “Yang Huaishan, the criminal kneeling before the court, do you know the crime you are accused of?”

“I am innocent! I had no idea Shen Lizhou had died. I’ve been studying quietly in my residence and never hired someone to kill anyone!” Yang Huaishan fumed, veins standing out on his forehead, his eyes almost popping.

Zhang Zhifu sneered. “I just learned about the hired murder today, and you claim you already knew nothing of it? Only the perpetrator would know about hiring someone! Yang Huaishan, do you have anything to say?”

Yang Huaishan continued struggling. “I didn’t kill anyone!”

“Of course you didn’t kill anyone; you merely hired someone to do it,” Zhang Zhifu said, his face like frost. “I shall ask you: on the first day of the seventh month, at the Mountain God Temple outside the city, did you have a dispute with Shen Lizhou?”

“Yes, but we just—”

Zhang Zhifu interrupted. “During the dispute, did you not make threatening words?”

“Yes, but it was only verbal,” Yang Huaishan replied hastily.

Zhang Zhifu paid him no mind and said bluntly, “On the first day of the seventh month, you quarreled with Shen Lizhou. You left in anger, but your anger grew, so you hired someone to kill him. At that time, four other scholars were in the temple. Afraid they might cause trouble, you used a sedative to incapacitate them.”

“Then you used your aunt, under my name, to threaten the four students into not speaking the truth, changing the date to June 29. But you weren’t even in Chengyang on June 29, so that would immediately clear you of suspicion. Is that true or not?”

Yang Huaishan froze. His aunt had no children and doted on him as if he were the apple of her eye. Today, she had secretly arranged for someone to help him escape—if he hadn’t insisted on returning, she would have risked her life to protect him.

If asked whether his aunt had used her status as the magistrate’s wife to pressure the other students, he truly couldn’t say for sure.

“Hmph!” Magistrate Zhang cast him a cold glare. “At this point, what more do you have to say?”

Yang Huaishan froze on the spot. Could it be that because he went back and complained to his aunt, she had someone teach Shen Lizhou a lesson—and unexpectedly, Shen Lizhou ended up dead?

Was it him, indirectly causing someone’s death?

“I…I don’t know…” Yang Huaishan no longer struggled; he knelt on the ground, looking increasingly pale and terrified.

“Hmm, if Young Master Yang has nothing to say, then I have something to say.” Chu Ling slowly stood and bowed to Magistrate Zhang. “Your Excellency asked me to assist in the investigation and allowed me to sit in judgment here in this court. I, your subordinate, am grateful, Your Excellency.”

Magistrate Zhang narrowed his eyes. “County Magistrate Chu, what do you wish to say?”

Chu Ling took a piece of paper from her sleeve. “This is my coroner’s report. Coroner Su personally wrote this autopsy report. Please, Your Excellency, review it.”

“An autopsy report?” Magistrate Zhang pressed heavily on the table.

Chu Ling smiled. “We retrieved Shen Lizhou’s body from the mass burial site, and Shen Lizhou’s biological mother, Mrs. Li, personally identified it—it is indeed Shen Lizhou.”

Originally, while Sun Yang sent the Chengyang news to Mr. Zhang, he also sent another message back to the students of Sishui County. So the students of Sishui escorted Mrs. Li to Chengyang in person.

Last night, Mrs. Li had already seen Shen Lizhou’s body with her own eyes, confirmed it was her child, and pressed her fingerprint on the autopsy report.

Yang Huaishan looked up, staring blankly at Chu Ling.

Chu Ling slowly walked in front of the students, wearing a solemn expression. “I imagine that as Shen Lizhou’s close friends and classmates, you are also heartbroken at his sudden passing. Therefore, we owe him the truth, don’t we?”

The students had not yet fully reacted when Chu Ling suddenly turned.

“The autopsy report has been carefully examined. Shen Lizhou died by homicide—a sharp weapon pierced his chest, killing him instantly. Additionally, he had multiple bruises from struggling. On Shen Lizhou’s right elbow, there was a crescent-shaped blade wound. Combined with the narrow cut on his back, we can determine that the murder weapon was a small crescent knife.”

“The small crescent knife was once popular in the capital. About the length of a forearm, with a narrow, curved blade. When thrust in and pulled out, it widens the original wound, creating a large injury.”

Chu Ling spoke, smiling at the crowd. “I had originally planned to bring the body here for everyone to see, but considering it has been dead for some time, the smell would be unpleasant, so we spared the townspeople. However, if anyone doesn’t believe me, you can come with me to see it personally—the body is still in Chengyang.”

The onlookers waved their hands; they did not want to see it.

Chu Ling scanned the students and curiously asked, “The small crescent knife shouldn’t be unfamiliar to you. Those from wealthy families might even own one for decoration.”

Pei Yuan immediately raised his hand. “My family has one.”

Yang Huaishan’s face also changed. “My family has one too.”

The other three students shook their heads. They did not have such a knife; after all, scholars wielding knives would be unseemly.

“According to your statements, someone suddenly rushed into the abandoned temple. It should have been mountain bandits demanding money. But the bandits did not target the well-dressed young masters—they singled out Shen Lizhou. Why?” Chu Ling said, lowering her eyes toward Yang Huaishan.

Yang Huaishan immediately realized. “No, that day they said that if we were well-dressed, Shen brother would be afraid to associate with them. So we changed into rough hemp clothes, just like Shen brother.”