Chapter 5, Thunderbolt Case Solving

Xu Jie let out a sigh of relief. Upon hearing the words, he was momentarily taken aback, but then immediately nodded and said: "Yes, I remember very clearly. The moon was very large and round that night, and it was very bright outside..."

There are rumors that the reason Mr. Zhong has been so indifferent to Miss Zhong is that he was unable to perform in the morning

He was halfway through his explanation when his body suddenly trembled, and his voice came to an abrupt halt

His loud shout startled even the constables in the court

This case occurred in Yong'an County and involves a major crime resulting in loss of life. The governor has issued a strict order for the county magistrate of Yong'an to solve the case within a specified timeframe, which is entirely reasonable

"Yes, that night, the little man drank with Wang Er and only left at the hour of the rat" Xu Jie nodded and said

This has been under review for nearly an hour, and there has been no progress in the case at all, even the meal time has passed

Zhong Mingli looked at the other person kneeling beside Xu Jie and asked, "Wang Er, Xu Jie said that on the evening of the fifteenth of last month, the two of you were drinking at your home, and he did not leave until the hour of the rat. Is this true?"

He turned around and took two steps, then suddenly turned back and asked: "By the way, it was the fifteenth that day. When you left Wang Er's house, the moon must have been very full, and it must have been very bright outside, right?"

The bookish son-in-law of Magistrate Zhong is known to many; it is rumored that he is rigid in character, solely devoted to his studies, and spends all his days locked away in his room, completely oblivious to the beauty of Miss Zhong...

The earlier remarks were full of flaws, the young scribe was aggressive, Xu Jie was sweating profusely, nearly on the verge of collapse, breathing rapidly, and hurriedly explained

Xu Jie shuddered, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead. He changed his words again, saying: "My lord, I was drunk that night and do not remember whether there was a moon..."

No, there is none

The young scribe's expression shifted from indifference to cold severity, leaving Xu Jie momentarily stunned

The deceased was a moderately wealthy official residing outside the city, who was found dead in his home one month ago

Xu Jie shuddered, breaking out in a cold sweat once again, and hurriedly corrected himself: "My lord, it was a mistake on my part. I was drunk that night and cannot recall clearly. It has only just come to my mind that there was no moon that night..."

Tang Ning suddenly changed his tone, pointing at him and said sternly: "The fifteenth of last month was clearly a cloudy day, where did you see the big round moon!"

Splash!

The drink is homemade rice wine, and the accompaniment is 200 grams of pig's head meat

Tang Ning interrupted him, waving his hand forcefully: "I am not asking about the night you killed Mr. Zhao, I am asking about the night before you killed him!"

A constable glanced at the person sprawled on the ground, nudged his companion with his shoulder, and asked, "Did he just confess?"

The small person is not feeling guilty

The case has once again reached a stalemate. Zhong Mingli, already feeling troubled, was experiencing a tumultuous stomach after possibly eating something bad that morning. He glanced at Tang Ning and said, "I will step out for a moment. If there is anything that was not recorded earlier, you can now ask the two of them again."

Do you still dare to argue!

Since experiencing the extreme hunger last time, Tang Ning has become particularly afraid of being hungry. He is somewhat concerned that if his father-in-law continues to delay like this, they might even miss lunch.

The case had reached a bottleneck, and the county magistrate's face was ashen, while others were trembling with fear, not daring to make a sound. The rumbling of Tang Ning's stomach was particularly pronounced.

What kind of wine are you drinking, and what kind of dishes are you eating

Tang Ning's tone suddenly shifted, and he shouted: "Honestly confess, what were you doing that night!"

His companion beside him was still trying to recall whether there was a moon on the night of the fifteenth of last month, and upon hearing this, he asked in confusion: "What did you say?"

Moreover, in this case, one's own advantageous father-in-law encountered trouble

In the corner, Tang Ning looked at the two kneeling below the hall and slightly shook his head

This is precisely the trouble faced by his rather inexpensive father-in-law

Tang Ning crouched down, looked into his eyes, and said: "I was just speaking casually earlier... In fact, there was indeed a moon that night"

All eyes in the hall, both above and below, were inevitably drawn to it

... ...

However, if no torture is used and evidence cannot be found, the criminal will certainly not confess. If a homicide case occurs under his jurisdiction and the murderer remains at large for an extended period, the governor of Lingzhou will have reason to take action against him

After several days of investigation and inquiries by the constables, the suspect was ultimately identified as the son-in-law of the deceased Zhao Yuanwai

public, fairness

Do you know that the butcher Zheng has a nickname called Zhen Guansi?

The night before I killed him ... ...

"Don't be nervous, just wipe your sweat first. I'm just asking casually." Tang Ning smiled and closed the booklet

My father-in-law truly is a source of trouble

Mr. Zhao has no sons and only one daughter with his late wife. If Mr. Zhao were to pass away, his estate would naturally be inherited by his daughter and son-in-law. According to common reasoning, Mr. Zhao's son-in-law, a man named Xu Jie, would have sufficient motive to commit murder. However, the issue is that on the night Mr. Zhao died, Xu Jie had a perfect alibi.

As soon as he finished speaking, an uproar suddenly erupted in the previously silent courtroom

Is the price of meat sold by the butcher Zheng reasonable

This is a case involving human life; throughout history, cases that involve human life have always been significant and serious matters

"On the fifteenth of last month, were you drinking at Wang Er's house?" he asked as he opened the booklet

Zhong Mingli returned from the restroom, feeling physically refreshed, yet his heart remained troubled

Xu Jie was utterly distraught and exclaimed, "My lord, I assure you, I was truly at Wang Er's house that night..."

Xu Jie was momentarily taken aback, then nodded again: "Alright, it is delicious..."

Your words are vague, repetitive, and hesitant, which certainly indicates some concealment. What are you feeling guilty about?

Is this still that bookish son-in-law from the Zhong family

Tang Ning stood in the hall, letting out a long sigh— the case was solved, and he should be able to go back for dinner now

Well, then tell me, what kind of wine did you drink that day, and what dishes accompanied it

Tang Ning took notes with pen and paper, while the surrounding officials were utterly bored, having heard this exchange countless times before

Alternatively, Xu Jie may have been wronged; if that is the case, this matter becomes even more complicated

Does Zheng the butcher know that you killed Master Zhao

Having spoken, he quickly left while holding his stomach

The case has reached this point. According to past practices, as long as Xu Jie is subjected to severe torture, with the methods of interrogation available in this era, unless one possesses an exceptionally strong will, if Zhao Yuanwai was indeed murdered, it will not be long before the suspect can no longer help but confess.

Tang Ning finished reviewing all the case files last night. The case itself is not particularly complex, nor is it filled with twists and turns.

Without waiting for Wang Er to respond, he raised his voice again and said: "Think carefully before you speak. In cases of serious crimes involving human lives, harboring criminals will be punished as if one were guilty of the same crime"

You are lying

Zhong Mingli's gaze turned towards the corner, meeting Tang Ning's eyes

Wang Er, kneeling on the ground, trembled slightly, glanced at Xu Jie beside him, and said in a quivering voice: "Your Excellency, what this humble person has said is entirely true, I hope you will see it clearly!"

The rice wine brewed by Wang Er's family is accompanied by two liang of pig's head meat

The officials standing on both sides looked at Tang Ning as he walked out, their faces displaying a strange expression

The constable glanced at the nearly boiling crowd of onlookers outside and realized that he had not misheard earlier

In the courtroom, Zhong Mingli's expression was extremely grim as he looked at the man below and asked: "Xu Jie, you said that you were drinking with a friend that night. Apart from the two of you, were there any other witnesses present?"

Although Tang Ning had watched many detective dramas similar to "Young Bao Qingtian," "The Great Song Judge," "Detective Di Renjie," and "The Strange Cases of Judge Shi" in her previous life, experiencing the plot of a television series firsthand was a first for her in both lives

Tang Ning looked at Xu Jie and continued to ask, "Is pig head meat delicious?"

Does the butcher Zheng usually engage in bullying and monopolizing the market?

Not knowing ... ... Xu Jie instinctively wanted to respond, but was suddenly startled into a cold sweat, and immediately said: "My lord, I did not kill anyone!"

He stayed up all night yesterday reviewing all the case files. His father-in-law has asked this question countless times, but it is evident that Xu and Wang had conspired in advance, making it impossible to extract any useful information.

He returned home very late that night after drinking with friends

Tang Ning held a notebook in one hand and a pen in the other as he approached Xu Jie.

At the same time, the court has been rectifying the abuses of tyrannical officials over the past two years, strictly prohibiting local county offices from misusing heavy penalties and coercing confessions. Once discovered, they will not be treated lightly.

Tang Ning sighed, silently mourning for his advantageous father-in-law, and began to write.

Xu Jie was drenched in sweat, his lips trembling, unable to speak

Tang Ning turned around, slightly cupped his hands, and said: "My lord, I have finished my questions"

"Why are you trembling and sweating if you have nothing to feel guilty about... Seeing you look so haggard, you must have dreamed of Master Zhao quite a bit these days, haven't you?"

I do not know

Where did you buy it?" Tang Ning asked again

Since he offended the governor of Lingzhou over the matter of marrying off his daughter, the latter has regarded him as a thorn in his side, eagerly waiting to seize any incriminating evidence against him

Tang Ning looked at Xu Jie, raising his voice once more: "Why are you lying? Tell me, what were you doing that night? Did you kill Zhao Yuanwai?"

Tang Ning could replay memories at any time and had nothing to ask, yet still took out paper and pen and walked out from the corner

The man knelt in the hall, his face showing signs of distress, and said loudly: "In response to your honor, on that day I was drinking at Wang Er's house, and besides Wang Er, there was no one else present."

It was fine until he started to rub; as soon as he did, my stomach immediately let out a series of "gurgling" sounds

If there is no conclusion to this case today, it is uncertain how Governor Dong will trouble him. He returned to his main seat and noticed the courtroom was silent. He looked down at Tang Ning and asked in confusion: "Why is no one asking questions?"

... ...

Therefore, when major cases are tried, local citizens will stand outside the courtroom to observe. Once severe penalties are imposed, in full view of the public, it provides the Lingzhou governor with sufficient grounds to take action against him for violating the imperial edict

The butcher of East Lane

His gaze turned towards the young man standing in the hall

He put down his pen, rubbed his belly, and felt a bit hungry

This case, which had troubled them for nearly a month, was resolved just like that with a few words from the son-in-law of the Zhong family