PC Chapter 11

Su Cen initially found organizing case files to be a rather boring task, but after a few days of copying them down, he began to uncover some of their mysteries. Each case had been solved by the wisdom of predecessors, revealing the truth in the most minute details. The truth often wore the guise of lies, yet someone would always strip away this disguise and expose the truth to the world.

During the Wude era, due to the early days of the nation’s founding, the criminal laws and regulations were still incomplete. Fortunately, the entire nation was preoccupied with rebuilding and restoring the country, which had been in turmoil for many years, so no major cases occurred. By the Yonglong era, when Emperor Taizong, Li Yu, came to power, he purged a large number of elders from the previous dynasty. At that time, there were rumors that Li Yu’s ascension to the throne was not legitimate. It was said that Emperor Taizu had initially intended to pass the throne to his virtuous crown prince. However, on his deathbed, the crown prince suddenly fell seriously ill and even died before Emperor Taizu. Upon hearing the news, Emperor Taizu passed away in shock. It was rumored that Li Yu, then the Prince of Yu, had imprisoned the royal family members in the Sanqing Hall. By the time they were released, Li Yu had already ascended the throne.

Such a major event inevitably sparked public criticism. However, Li Yu was no ordinary person. In the early Yonglong era, the prisons were bustling; many were executed for speaking out of turn. More than half of the ministers from the Wude era were brutally killed. Those ministers who were on good terms with the crown prince during his regency either died or retired, leaving only Ning Yi, the Grand Preceptor who had served four reigns.

Although Emperor Taizong was ruthless in his methods, he was also a talented and visionary ruler who could be considered one of the greatest emperors in history. During his 23-year reign, he was adept at employing capable people, was transparent and insightful, and ruled with authority and virtue. Despite the numerous executions, his reign also saw the emergence of many talents who could support the country.

Chen Guanglu, the former Minister of Dali Temple, was one such figure.

During the Yonglong era, the vigorous enforcement of laws led to gradual improvements in criminal codes. Chen Guanglu, who was then the Deputy Minister of Dali Temple, oversaw the compilation of the “Great Zhou Code,” which became a standard for future generations. He revised and established new laws based on the foundation of the previous dynasty, tailoring them to the current situation. The code achieved the goal of “punishment varies by era, with clear principles and distinctions,” truly creating a standard for sentencing.

During his tenure, Chen Guanglu handled over a hundred cases. He could discern the slightest clues and see through the smallest details, ensuring there were no unjust, false, or erroneous judgments. His achievements were later compiled into the “Chen’s Criminal Law,” providing precedents for handling and adjudicating cases ever since.

Su Cen was copying a case from the eighteenth year of Yonglong involving a ghost infant: “The deceased’s face was swollen, eyes bulging, tongue protruding, chest and abdomen bloated, and the fetus was delivered after death due to pressure from blocked air.” He marveled at Master Chen’s brilliance. Someone had committed a crime under the guise of a ghost infant, and Master Chen insisted on an exhumation a month after the death. In the height of summer, when the corpse was highly decomposed, Master Chen personally opened the coffin and explained the origin of the ghost infant, pointing to the green corpse fluid.

Amidst the overwhelming stench, Su Cen was completely engrossed in his copying when someone suddenly pushed the door open. The sunlight hit his face, startling him.

Looking up, he saw that it was Xiao Sun from the front office. Xiao Sun was in charge of serving tea and running errands in the front office and rarely came to the back hall.

“What happened?”

Xiao Sun, panting, said, “Master Song wants you to come to the front office.”

“Me?” Su Cen frowned. Song Jiancheng, a fifth-rank official of the Temple, was his direct superior. From the first day Su Cen joined the temple, Song had shown a dislike for him, likely following the instructions of certain people to assign him to the back hall to organize case files.

“Come on, hurry up. A case is being tried up front.”

Su Cen closed the record book with a frown, stood up slowly, and followed Xiao Sun to the front office.

When he arrived, he saw a woman kneeling in front of the hall, her hair disheveled and her clothes in disarray. Beside her lay another person, covered in bloodstains, seemingly already dead.

Before Su Cen could figure out why he was called in for a murder case, he heard Song Jiancheng shout from the hall, “Kneel down!”

Startled, Su Cen glanced at the bailiffs on both sides, each holding cudgels with menacing expressions. Deciding it was wiser to avoid trouble, he reluctantly knelt down.

Song Jiancheng continued, “Do you recognize this woman?”

Su Cen looked around at the woman. Despite her messy makeup, there was still a hint of charm in the corners of her eyes and brows. Her clothing was stained with blood. When she saw him looking, she grinned and said, “I am the wife of the top scholar.”

Su Cen: “…”

Until then, the woman had been bowing her head, so he hadn’t realized that she seemed somewhat mentally unstable.

Su Cen replied, “I don’t know her.”

Song Jiancheng slammed the gavel on his desk. “She keeps insisting she’s your wife. What more do you have to say?”

Su Cen retorted, “Have you investigated her background thoroughly?”

Song Jiancheng was taken aback. He saw the man kneeling below him, looking straight at him with clear eyes, like a bright crescent moon. Su Cen’s voice was crisp and articulate as he said, “If I’m not mistaken, this woman should be a girl from Red Silk Lane. She ran off with a scholar who came to the capital to take the imperial exams, but she was sent back and given a brutal beating. She went mad at that time, constantly claiming to be the wife of the top scholar. If I recall correctly, the metropolitan exam hadn’t even been held yet, so there was no top scholar. This incident was talked about all over the teahouses and taverns in the city. How could you not know about it, Sir?”

Song Jiancheng’s face darkened immediately. He had intended to summon Su Cen to intimidate him, but he hadn’t expected to lose face by being questioned in court for poor investigation.

Song Jiancheng cleared his throat awkwardly and said, “Of course, I know all this. I just called you here to assist in the investigation.”

“Oh?” Su Cen raised an eyebrow. “Then may I stand up?”

Song Jiancheng could only wave his hand in agreement.

After getting up, Su Cen didn’t leave. Instead, he respectfully cupped his hands and asked, “Since I’m here to assist in the investigation, may I examine the body?”

Song Jiancheng gritted his teeth, swallowing his resentment along with the blood boiling inside him. He ignored Su Cen and instructed the scribe beside him, “Continue.”

Unfazed, Su Cen crouched down to examine the body on his own.

The scribe read aloud, “The deceased is Lü Liang, a native of Huzhou, 28 years old, who passed the provincial exam in the eighth year of Tianshou. He came to the capital this time to take the metropolitan exam. He passed the third-class examination and was appointed as a clerk in Jingyang County… He died on the eighth day of the fourth month—last night—in an alley behind Red Silk Lane in the Eastern Market. His body was discovered this morning, and beside him was a girl named Xiu Niang from Red Silk Lane.”

As Su Cen carefully examined the body, he listened attentively. Jingyang County is about a hundred miles from Chang’an, considered a crucial area near the capital. Although the position of county clerk is only of the ninth rank, it offers significant promotion opportunities due to its proximity to the capital. It had been more than ten days since the results of the imperial exam were announced, and those who had received appointments had long gone to their posts. It was unclear why Lü Liang was still lingering in the capital.

After examining the wounds, Su Cen stood up and said, “The corpse’s mouth and eyes are open, hands relaxed, and there is a smell of alcohol in the mouth. There were countless knife wounds all over the body, but none of them were fatal. There is a knife wound on the right side of the neck, three inches deep and two inches long, which severed a major artery, this is a fatal wound. The knife wound is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, deep at the top and shallow at the bottom.”

The scribe looked at the autopsy record of the coroner below and found it was exactly the same.

Su Cen then walked up to Xiu Niang and squatted down: “What did you see last night?”

The dazed woman raised her head blankly, stared at Su Cen for a long time, and suddenly screamed and jumped up, “It’s a ghost, it’s an evil ghost! The evil ghost killed people! The evil ghost killed people!”

Su Cen: “…”

“How dare you!” Song Jiancheng shouted in the hall, and immediately a bailiff came forward and pressed Xiu Niang to the ground. She was still shouting that the evil ghost killed people, and she curled herself up tremblingly.

Su Cen frowned, walked to the front of the hall, cupping his hand respectfully to Song Jiancheng, “Can I borrow your teacup?” Before Song Jiancheng could respond, Su Cen had already picked up Song Jiancheng’s teacup and walked to Xiu Niang, handing it over, “Don’t be afraid, this is the government office, there are no evil spirits, drink some water to calm your nerves.”

Xiu Niang shrank and looked at him, and finally took it carefully, grinning at him: “I am the wife of the top scholar.”

“This crazy woman went into a frenzy and killed the man. There is no need for further questioning, just take her away.” Song Jiancheng frowned and waved his hands, realizing that he could not get anything out of Xiu Niang. Fortunately, she was stupid, and everyone would be happy if the crime was put on her.

“She didn’t kill anyone.” Su Cen suddenly stood up and said.

“What?!” Song Jiancheng was ready to leave the court, but was interrupted by Su Cen before he could even stand up. He looked as if he had eaten a fly.

“She didn’t kill the person.” Su Cen said again, pointing at Xiu Niang, “From the bloodstains on her clothes, she was pinned under Lu Liang when he was attacked, so there is a splash of blood above her chest and only blood stains below.”

“Even if she was being pressed down, she could still kill people!”

“She can kill people when she is being pressed down,” Su Cen smiled, “but the fatal wound is on the right side of his neck. She can only form such a wound if she is left-handed, and I have just checked–”

Everyone turned around with Su Cen and saw Xiu Niang holding a teacup in her right hand and laughing at everyone.

“The wound is wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, deep at the top and shallow at the bottom. It is obvious that the wound was first stabbed from the front of the neck and then pulled backwards. If the person pinned underneath were the attacker,” Su Cen made a fist and gestured, “in order to facilitate the use of force, they would pull the knife towards themselves, which can also prove that she did not kill the person. And who stay after killing someone, waiting to be caught? She is crazy and cannot defend herself, but you make false accusations!”

Song  Jiancheng was humiliated and his face turned black. He stared at Su Cen fiercely and said, “She didn’t kill him, so who is the murderer?”

Su Cen looked back at Xiu Niang and said, “I’m afraid she’s the only one who knows who the murderer is.”

“Let’s keep her in custody for a night and see if we can get anything out of her.” Su Cen returned the empty teacup and walked to the rear hall, leaving everyone in the hall staring at the crazy woman.

 

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