Chapter 1: the death of a wealthy businessman
In this bustling town in the Song Dynasty, the dawn just cut through the curtain of the night, but failed to bring a trace of warmth and hope to the mansion of the rich merchant Lord Lin. The mansion is always bustling with busy servants shuttling around every corner, but now it is shrouded in a heavy haze.
Zhao Chen, the young and promising constable in charge of the case, rushed to the scene after receiving the report. When he stepped into the Lin mansion, a depressive atmosphere came to his face. In the garden of the mansion, the flowers that were originally in full bloom also looked a little listless under the haze. The breeze blew, and the petals fell sporadically, as if weeping secretly for this sudden tragedy.
Zhao Chen walked through the winding corridor and came to the mysterious secret room. The doors and windows of the chamber of secrets were closed, like a strong fortress, separating the noise of the outside world from the truth. The guard at the door looked nervous, and his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat.
Zhao Chen stepped into the secret room, which was filled with a strange smell. Candlelight flickers in the wind, reflecting the luxurious layout around. The walls are hung with precious calligraphy and paintings, and the ground is covered with a thick blanket. However, none of these can hide the shadow of death.
Master Lin's body was lying on the ground, his face as pale as paper, his eyes were wide open, and his frightened eyes seemed to have seen a terrible scene before he died. Zhao Chen squatted down and examined the body carefully, not sparing any details. He found that master Lin had no obvious trauma, but he held a jade pendant in his right hand, which was engraved with a strange symbol, which was like a puzzle waiting for Zhao Chen to solve.
At this time, master Lin's wife staggered into the secret room with the help of the servant girl. She was crying to the death. Her voice was bleak: "master, why did you just leave! How can we live?" her hair was messy, her makeup was washed with tears, and her eyes were full of despair and helplessness.
Master Lin's children also arrived later. The eldest son, Lin Yu, looked dignified and said nothing, but silently looked at his father's body. The second son, Lin Hao, seemed restless and kept pacing in the secret room. Linxuan, the youngest daughter, hid in the corner and sobbed, her thin shoulders trembling constantly.
Zhao Chen stood up, glanced at the crowd and asked seriously, "did anyone hear anything unusual last night?"
Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads.
Zhaochen frowned and continued to ask, "does Master Lin usually have enemies?"
Lin Yu pondered for a moment and said slowly, "there are inevitably some competitors in my father's business field, but I haven't heard of anyone who has a deep hatred."
Lin Hao suddenly interrupted, "brother, have you forgotten shopkeeper Wang? I had a bad time with my father about business some time ago."
Lin Yu glared at Lin Hao, "don't make random guesses. Shopkeeper Wang is honest and will never do such a thing."
Zhao Chen thought about the words of the people in his heart. He knew that there must be an unknown secret behind the seemingly calm Lin mansion.
Chapter 2: mysterious letters
After Zhao Chen came out of the chamber of Secrets filled with the smell of death, the sun shone on his frown, but failed to dispel the haze in his heart. He stood in the courtyard, looking at the clouds floating in the sky, and fell into deep meditation. The courtyard of Lin Fu is still exquisite and elegant. The running water on the rockery gurgles down and falls into the clear pond, splashing layers of water. However, at the moment, the beautiful scenery seemed so pale and powerless in Zhao Chen's eyes.
Just then, a subordinate came running in a hurry. His footsteps made a rapid sound on the bluestone Road, breaking the original tranquility of the courtyard. The subordinate breathlessly handed a yellowed letter to Zhao Chen and said, "Sir, this was found in the dark room of master Lin's study." Zhao Chen received the letter and his eyes were instantly attracted.
He gently opened the letter, and saw some vague words written on it: "on the night of the full moon, the secret will appear, between life and death, cause and effect are connected." the endless words seemed like a puzzle, which made zhaochen's brow tighter.
With this mysterious letter in her arms, zhaochen decides to ask the people in the Lin mansion again. He walked firmly to the main hall, which was filled with a tense and repressive atmosphere. Mrs. Lin was sitting in a chair, her eyes were red and swollen, and she held a handkerchief tightly in her hand. Master Lin's children are separated on both sides and look different.
Zhao Chen cleared her throat, took out the letter and asked, "have you ever seen this letter?"
Mrs. Lin took the letter with trembling hands, looked at the handwriting for a moment, and then shook her head and said, "I have never seen it before. What is it all about? The master left suddenly, and my heart was in a mess." her voice was crying, and her handkerchief was twisted in her hand.
Lin Yu came forward, looked at the letter carefully, frowned slightly, and said slowly, "Sir, I really haven't seen this letter."
Lin Hao grumbled impatiently: "this is not the nonsense of some charlatan. It may have nothing to do with his father's death."
Zhao Chen glanced sharply at the crowd and said seriously, "this letter may be closely related to master Lin's death. I hope you can recall it carefully and don't hide it."
Lin Xuan, who had been silent for a long time, said timidly, "Sir, I really don't know. My father suddenly..." before she finished, tears could not stop flowing down again, and her petite body trembled slightly in sobs.
Zhao Chen sighed helplessly and paced slowly in the main hall. His eyes inadvertently fell on the wall of the main hall, where hung a magnificent landscape painting. The cloud shrouded peaks in the painting are looming, as if there are endless secrets hidden.
Just then, a servant hurried in and reported that Master Li, a good friend of master Lin, was visiting. Master Li walked into the main hall with heavy steps, and his face was full of grief. He bowed to Zhao Chen and said, "Lord Zhao, brother Lin suddenly suffered this terrible disaster. It is really sad."
Zhao Chen nodded slightly and said, "Master Li, do you know what happened to master Lin before he died?"
Master Li sighed: "brother Lin mentioned to me before his death that he seemed to have discovered a big secret about business recently, but he didn't tell me what it was."
Zhao Chen moved in her heart and asked, "did he ever reveal any clues about this secret?"
Master Li shook his head and said with regret, "no, brother Lin was mysterious at that time. He just said that the time was not right."
Zhaochen fell into deeper thinking. After leaving the main hall, he came to master Lin's study alone. The study was filled with a faint fragrance of ink. The books were neatly placed on the bookshelf, and an unfinished account book was spread on the desk. Zhao Chen flipped the account book gently, and the figures and annotations on each page seemed to tell of master Lin's busyness and shrewdness.
He searched carefully in his study, never letting go of any corner where clues might be hidden. Outside the window, the breeze blew, the branches swayed gently in the wind, making a rustling sound, as if sighing for this strange murder.
Chapter III: emergence of suspects
Zhaochen came out of master Lin's study, and the afternoon sun slanted on him, but failed to dispel the increasingly heavy haze in his mind. He walked slowly in the garden of Lin Fu. The winding path at his feet seemed to symbolize this complicated case.
In the garden, the delicate flowers swayed gently in the breeze, and the colorful petals sent out bursts of fragrance. However, at the moment, the beautiful scenery in Zhao Chen's eyes is like passing clouds, which can't bring him pleasure at all. The pink peach blossom is like a shy girl, gently dancing its petals, but Zhao Chen has no intention of appreciating this soft gesture.
At this time, his assistant Xiao Li rushed over, his forehead covered with fine beads of sweat. Xiao Li gasped and said, "Sir, after our investigation, several people had a fierce conflict with master Lin before he died, which is highly suspected." Zhao Chen looked at him and asked eagerly, "tell me, who is it?" Xiao Li took a breath and continued: "these people are master Lin's business competitor, shopkeeper Wang, housekeeper Liu Fu of the Lin family and a mysterious stranger."
Zhaochen frowned and said after thinking for a while, "go and meet shopkeeper Wang first."
The two men came to shopkeeper Wang's shop. The shop was deserted. Only a few guys stood listlessly aside. Shopkeeper Wang is sitting behind the counter with a sad face, holding the account book in his hand and sighing. Zhao Chen stepped forward and showed her identity to show her intention. When shopkeeper Wang heard this, he stood up excitedly and said loudly, "Sir, although I have business competition with master Lin, I am a man of good standing. I can never do such outrageous things!" his voice echoed in the empty shop and seemed particularly loud.
Zhaochen remained calm and stared into the eyes of shopkeeper Wang. "Where were you on the night of the crime?" shopkeeper Wang wiped the sweat on his forehead. His eyes were a little dodgy and said, "Sir, I was at home with my family that night and never went out. My mother-in-law and children can testify."
Zhaochen was silent for a moment, continued to stare at him, as if to see the real thoughts in his heart through his eyes, and then said, "I hope you are telling the truth. If there is a lie, it will not be easy." then he turned and left the shop.
Then, zhaochen went to the Lin mansion to find the housekeeper Liufu. Liu Fu was directing the servants to work in the backyard. When he saw Zhao Chen coming, his face turned pale and his eyes showed a trace of panic. Zhao Chen asked directly, "Liu Fu, did you ever hear or see anything unusual on the night of master Lin's accident?" Liu Fu's eyes twinkled and hesitated, "Sir, i... I slept and didn't know anything."
Zhao Chen was suspicious, and her voice raised a few points: "as a housekeeper, there was such a big thing in the Lin family, but you didn't know it? It seems that it can't be justified." Liu Fu quickly knelt down with a "plop" sound, and said with a cry in his voice, "spare your life, sir. I really don't know anything! I am loyal to master Lin, how can I harm him!"
Zhaochen looked at Liu Fu and was even more puzzled.
Finally, Zhao Chen began to look for the mysterious stranger. He took his men around the streets and alleys to inquire about every possible clue. After many twists and turns, I finally learned from a vegetable vendor that he had wandered around the Lin mansion a few days before the crime, and his whereabouts were very suspicious.
Zhaochen felt as if he were groping in the dark. Each suspect was like a fog, making it difficult for him to see the truth. But he firmly believed that as long as he persevered, he could finally uncover the fog.
Chapter 4: clue interruption
Zhao Chen is looking forward to finding the key clue from these suspects, so as to reveal the truth of this complicated case. However, fate always seems to play tricks on people, but things are not going as smoothly as he expected.
The investigation of shopkeeper Wang is like falling into a boundless swamp. It is extremely difficult to go further. Although Zhao Chen sent a large number of intelligent and capable subordinates to painstakingly verify his whereabouts on the night of the crime, the results were still unsatisfactory. When confronted with the inquiry, the family members of shopkeeper Wang were extremely firm and surprisingly consistent. They insisted that shopkeeper Wang had been safely at home on the night of the crime and had never left home. Zhaochen visited the neighbors in person, but the neighbors were either vague or avoided talking, which made him feel extremely frustrated.
The situation of the housekeeper Liufu is also a headache. Zhaochen asked Liu Fu time and again in the dark interrogation room. The flickering candlelight reflected Liu Fu's pale and nervous face, and beaded sweat kept rolling down his forehead. Zhao Chen stared into Liu Fu's eyes and said in a low and dignified voice, "Liu Fu, you'd better be honest, or you'll be responsible for the consequences!" Liu Fu trembled and said in a weeping voice, "Sir, I really don't know anything. I swear to God, if there's a lie, heaven will strike and thunder will split!" Zhao Chen was angry and even used some severe interrogation methods. But Liu Fu, in addition to his panic at the beginning, clenched his teeth and insisted that he knew nothing about master Lin's death. There were no more valuable flaws.
As for the mysterious stranger, although we learned from some fragmentary clues that he had appeared near Lin Fu, he disappeared like a drop of water into the sea. Zhaochen's men almost turned the whole town upside down. They searched the streets, inns, restaurants, and even the wilderness and temples outside the city, but never found its whereabouts.
Zhao Chen sat in the slightly messy study of the yamen, and the desk in front of him was filled with all kinds of cases and dense transcripts. He frowned and rubbed his temples wearily. His mood became more and more agitated. Outside the window, the originally sunny sky was gradually shrouded in dark clouds, and the wind whizzed past, blowing the branches of the trees upside down. There was a dull thunder in the distance, and a storm was coming.
At this time, his assistant Xiao Li came in dejectedly. Xiao Li's clothes are a little messy, and his hair is also in a mess by the wind. He looked at zhaochen and said helplessly, "Sir, we have almost searched all the places we can find, but there is still no whereabouts of the stranger. The brothers are tired, but they are still insisting."
Zhao Chen slammed the table, stood up and shouted angrily, "keep looking! Expand the search scope, and even if you turn the whole area into the sky, you must find him for me! I don't believe he can disappear without a trace!"
Xiao Li was startled by zhaochen's anger. He quickly answered, turned around and hurried out again.
Looking out of the window at the increasingly dark sky, Zhao Chen secretly vowed: no matter how many difficulties and obstacles ahead, no matter how much it costs, I must find out the truth about this case, return Lord Lin a justice, and return the town to peace!
Chapter 5: turn of the road
The days and nights of running and investigation have made zhaochen physically and mentally exhausted. His eyes are bloodshot, and his face is full of fatigue and anxiety. But there was no idea of giving up in the resolute eyes, and the determination to solve the case was like a burning flame, growing stronger in the plight.
Just when he felt exhausted and almost overwhelmed by the dense fog, an unexpected clue suddenly appeared in front of him like a bunch of dawn.
It was a quiet morning, and the sun was mottled on the ground through the window of the Yamen lobby. Zhaochen, as usual, sat at a table full of case data, frowning intently and sorting out the files in her hands. Just then, a burst of rapid footsteps broke the silence.
A little beggar in rags rushed to him. His face was covered with dust, and his eyes showed panic and urgency. Before he could stand still, he shouted, "Sir, sir, I have something important to tell you!" zhaochen was attracted by the sudden cry, looked up at the little beggar, saw his look flustered, and quickly got up and said, "don't worry, son, come slowly."
The little beggar swallowed his saliva, tried to calm his breathing, gasped and said, "Sir, I saw a suspicious looking man in a broken temple outside the city a few days ago. I heard from people in the street that you are looking for a stranger. I think that person is very similar to what you are looking for."
When Zhao Chen heard this, his tired look was replaced by excitement. He asked eagerly, "can you see his face and whereabouts?"
The little beggar frowned and tried to recall the scene at that time: "there was a long scar on his face, extending from the corner of his eyes to his chin. It looked very fierce. He was sneaky at that time. I was afraid of being found and didn't dare to look more. Later, I saw him leave the ruined temple in a hurry and go to the mountains and forests in the West."
After hearing this, zhaochen made a quick decision: "come on, prepare horses and dry food, and follow me to the mountains!"
A moment later, zhaochen took a group of capable men and galloped to the mountains and forests in the West. The trees in the mountains are luxuriant, and the tall trees are crisscrossed with branches and leaves. The sun is hard to shed through the cracks. The ground was covered with thick leaves, and each step would make a "creak" sound. Thorns and thorns were growing, and from time to time they crossed their clothes and skin.
Zhao Chen shuttled cautiously through the woods, holding his sword tightly in his hand, and glanced around cautiously. His men were also nervous, breathless, and did not dare to slack off. At this time, a colorful bird suddenly started from the branches and fluttered to the sky. Zhao Chen was so worried that she stopped and listened attentively to what was going on around her.
Suddenly, one of his subordinates shouted, "Sir, there is something here!" Zhao Chen hurried over and saw some messy footprints on the ground, deeply and shallowly imprinted on the wet soil. Beside the footprints, there was a torn corner with blood stains on it.
Zhao Chen squatted down, picked up the corner of his clothes and looked carefully. It was a piece of black coarse cloth with rough texture and uneven thread ends at the edges. He thought to himself: could this be left by the stranger? If so, what happened to him?
At this moment, there was a loud noise in the distance, including shouting and fighting, which was particularly abrupt in the silent mountains and forests. Zhaochen frowned, waved and said, "come with me and hurry in the direction of the voice!" the crowd quickened their pace and ran toward the unknown danger.
Chapter 6: the truth is becoming clear
Zhaochen and his men hurried to follow the noise, and the fallen leaves were trampled "rustling" under their feet. They pulled away the overlapping branches, and the scene in front of them surprised everyone. The two figures were fighting fiercely in a relatively open space. The fist wind roared and the moves were fierce.
One of them was really a stranger with scars on his face, who was hard to find. His eyes were fierce and his moves were fierce. Every time he shot, he made a desperate decision. The other man was Liufu, the housekeeper of the Lin family. At this time, his hair was messy and his clothes were untidy, but he also tried his best to resist the attack of strangers.
Zhao Chen shouted, "stop!" the roar sounded like thunder on the ground. Both of them seemed a little panicked when they heard about their body shape. There was a flash of confusion in the stranger's eyes, while Liu Fu's face was pale and beady sweat fell down his cheeks.
Zhao Chen walked forward with a steady pace, stared at them fiercely, and asked, "what the hell is going on?"
Liu Fu lowered his head, his eyes twinkled, and did not dare to face Zhao Chen's eyes. He hesitated and said, "Sir, I... I came to catch the murderer. I found his whereabouts and chased him all the way here."
The stranger snorted coldly, and the scar on his face was more ferocious because of anger: "you thief, don't talk nonsense! It's clearly that you have an evil heart and want to cover up your crime!"
Zhaochen frowned and glanced back and forth between the two. She had already guessed for a while. He looked gloomy and said, "take them back to me and put them on trial! I want to see what the hell you are doing!"
Back in yamen, the atmosphere was oppressive and dignified. In the interrogation room, the candle flickered, stretching and twisting the shadow of people. Zhao Chen sat at the table, looking coldly at the stranger tied to the pillar.
"Come on, if you tell me the truth, you may be able to take it lightly." zhaochen's voice did not contain a trace of emotion.
The stranger breathed heavily, and after a moment of silence, he finally revealed the truth: "Sir, I am a member of master Lin's business partner. Some time ago, because of the interest dispute in business, master Lin's partner sent me to threaten him and ask him to give in. But I really just scared him. I didn't expect him to die unexpectedly. I'm afraid of being involved, so I 've been hiding."
After hearing this, zhaochen narrowed her eyes slightly, thinking about the credibility of this remark.
Later, Liu Fu was brought in. As soon as he entered the interrogation room, his legs trembled.
Zhao Chen suddenly patted the table and shouted, "Liu Fu, now, you are not honest?"
Liu Fu knelt down on the ground with a "plop", tears streaming down his eyes: "Sir, I was wrong. I was motivated by money. I wanted to steal the property of master Lin in the secret room, but I accidentally killed him. I was afraid of being found, so I kept it hidden."
Zhaochen listened to their confession, and the mystery in her heart was gradually solved. But he always felt that the matter was not so simple. Behind the seemingly reasonable confession, there seemed to be a deeper secret. For example, what does that mysterious letter mean? Also, what is the relationship between the business secrets discovered by master Lin and all this?
Chapter 7: clear the clouds and see the sun
Although Zhao Chen got a seemingly reasonable confession from strangers and Liu Fu, his keen intuition told him that the matter was not so simple, and his doubts remained as if they were a haze. He knew that if he wanted to thoroughly uncover the truth of this bizarre murder, he must not miss any details that might be ignored.
So, on a cloudy morning, zhaochen stepped into the Lin mansion again. At this time, there was still a depressing atmosphere in the Lin mansion, and the flowers and plants in the courtyard seemed to have lost their vitality in the past. Zhao Chen walked with firm steps through the silent corridor and looked sharply at everything around him.
He first came to master Lin's bedroom. In the bedroom, heavy curtains hung low, and the air was filled with a faint smell of sandalwood. Zhaochen searched the room carefully, not sparing any corner. When he squatted down and examined the bottom of the bed, he found an extremely hidden dark space. His heart beat faster, as if he had a hunch that the key to solving the mystery would be hidden in this dark space.
Zhao Chen carefully opened the dark box and put an old account book inside. The cover of the ledger has been worn, and the yellowing paper exudes the breath of time. He gently opened the account book, on which all kinds of transactions and current accounts were recorded densely, neatly and carefully. However, Zhao Chen soon found that several pages of the accounts had been altered, and the traces of alteration were very new, in sharp contrast to the old handwriting around.
Zhao Chen felt a move in her heart and realized that this might be an important clue. He immediately summoned the people of the Lin family to inquire. In the hall of Lin mansion, master Lin's wife, children and a group of servants gathered together. Lin Yu, the eldest son of master Lin, stood in front of the crowd with a trace of uneasiness in his eyes.
Zhao Chen raised the account book, stared at Lin Yu closely, and asked seriously, "young master Lin, do you know the mystery of this account book?"
Lin Yu's face suddenly became very ugly. His eyes flickered and stammered, "Sir, i... I don't know."
Zhao Chen snorted coldly, and his voice was filled with dignity: "Lin Yu, up to now, you still don't tell the truth? This account book is enough to prove that master Lin's death was not accidental. If you hide it again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Lin Yu's body trembled slightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Forced by Zhao Chen's burning eyes and powerful momentum, he finally couldn't support himself. His legs softened and he fell to his knees.
"My Lord, I was wrong!" Lin Yusheng burst into tears. "In order to compete for the family property, I combined with Liu Fu to tamper with the account book. Unexpectedly, my father found out. He was furious and threatened to donate all the family property. I was so impulsive that I wanted to kill myself. I thought I could hide it, but I didn't expect..."
Zhao Chen sighed and finally solved the mystery one by one. He looked at the young man who was blinded by greed, and his heart was full of regret.
"The net of heaven is wide, and there are no omissions. Lin Yu, if you commit such a crime, you will be punished as you deserve." Zhao Chen said.
At this point, the truth of this complex case has finally been revealed, and zhaochen can finally give an account to master Lin and return peace to the Lin family and the whole town.
Chapter 8: dust settled
After the truth was revealed, zhaochen took Lin Yu, Liu Fu and the stranger into custody, waiting for the court's final judgment.
The whole town is talking about this bizarre and tortuous case, and the people praise Zhao Chen for his wise decision.
After the storm, the Lin mansion gradually recovered its calm. Mrs. Lin and her children began to reorganize the family business, trying to restore the former prosperity of the Lin family.
Sitting in the yamen, Zhao Chen recalled the details of the case and was filled with emotion. He knew that as a captor, the road to justice was always full of challenges, but he never had the idea of flinching.