Chapter 5: A Silver Hairpin

Leng Yi glanced once more at the place where the middle-aged man's body was hidden; there was no movement, indicating that the body had not yet been discovered. He turned and said, "Let us hurry back to the county; there are still tricky matters to handle"

The shopkeeper took down the silver hairpin and handed it to Leng Yi

The first case I encountered was unexpectedly the murder and rape of a wealthy man's concubine, and it took place in the toilet of the yamen, which was indeed quite tricky. No wonder the governor set a deadline for solving the case and refused to accept bribes. Leng Yi imitated the manner of Master Dong, tugging at the short beard on his chin, pondering over this case.

This person dares to force the court officials to their deaths, and if he can say someone is dead, it is certainly not an ordinary individual. What he wants to inquire about is undoubtedly not a trivial matter! Could it be that a county official he impersonated is actually involved in a shocking major case?

He returned to the inn, carefully wrapping up the belongings left by that person in the clothes and pants, placing them in his own package to be disposed of after returning.

Leng Yi took the items out of the shop and got onto the carriage. Master Dong also followed him onto the carriage, smiling as he said: "Is this the hairpin that Dong Weng bought for his wife?"

The next day, he deliberately got up very late, wanting to see the reaction of the two corpses in the alley behind.

Leng Yi felt a chilling sensation, yet he was not one to shy away from challenges. At this point, he resolved to move forward.

No wonder the marks on the neck and the *illustration* are relatively faint; they were only put on after death. Leng Yi thought to himself that if he had a little more time, he should be able to uncover the true cause of death

Leng Yi had already changed into a plain long robe, so the shopkeeper did not recognize him as the county magistrate. Seeing his ordinary attire, the shopkeeper spoke in a somewhat languid manner.

What exactly does he want to interrogate that county magistrate about? From the words of that middle-aged man just now, it is understood that the county magistrate, whom he impersonated, did not commit suicide by hanging himself. Instead, he died under this person's coercion, likely from pain-induced shock or pre-existing heart or brain conditions that were triggered, leading to sudden death. Then this person fabricated the story of the county magistrate's suicide. It is very likely that he died from pain-induced shock or had pre-existing heart or brain conditions that were triggered, leading to sudden death. Then this person fabricated the story of the county magistrate's suicide.

The shopkeeper hurried over and said, "What would this esteemed guest like to purchase?"

He rinsed out the contents of his mouth with water, stripped the man of his clothes and pants, and examined the surface of the deceased's body. There were no identifiable scars, birthmarks, or anything of the sort, which immediately put him at ease

Show it to me

Leng Yi did not expect that this person would take his own life after only saying a couple of words. He couldn't help but stand there in a daze. Who exactly was this person

Leng Yi shook his head and said: "I just want to hear your thoughts on this case. What kind of person do you think committed it? It doesn't matter whether what you say is right or wrong"

After completing these tasks, he lay down to sleep

Three thousand six hundred wen. No bargaining and * illustrations * books

After his head was deformed, no one could recognize him anymore

Leng Yi placed the brocade box into the package and smiled, saying, "Indeed."

Master Dong, seeing that the county magistrate did not respond to his speculation, chuckled twice and said, "What insights does the esteemed elder have?"

The governor has arrived in person, and the coroner has already conducted an investigation, stating that the death was by hanging, with no signs of murder. It is unclear where this madman came from, and the governor has ordered the body to be taken outside the city for cremation.

Leng Yi examined the naked male corpse and carried it out of the backyard. He removed the cloth wrapped around its head and discarded the bare body into a concealed stinking ditch. By the time the foul odor of decay attracted attention, the corpse would likely be in an advanced state of decomposition, making it even more impossible to identify.

Leng Yi asked him, merely wanting to inquire about the basic situation of the case. After listening, he felt that this assistant was somewhat clear-headed; being able to make such a judgment based on the case details was quite commendable.

It is best to burn the body; it seems that this Governor Liao prefers to avoid unnecessary trouble. Once the body is burned, even a homicide will cease to exist

While speaking cheerfully, he took the scales, weighed the silver, and used scissors to cut it, returning the excess to Leng Yi. He then took a brocade box for hairpins, wrapped the hairpin in a piece of fine satin, carefully placed it inside, closed the lid, and presented it to Leng Yi with both hands

Master Dong quickly agreed, went down to instruct the groom to prepare the horses, and then helped Leng Yi carry the luggage down. He did not ask any further questions about an extra suitcase and a bundle of clothes.

Leng Yi took a look and found that this hairpin was quite finely crafted. What he liked most was the pair of mandarin ducks carved on it, which looked vividly lifelike. He was very fond of it, so he took out a few pieces of broken silver he had searched from the assassin and placed them on the counter

Now, the body must be dealt with urgently

He wrapped his head in clothing and secured it tightly, swinging his fist in a wide arc to deliver a series of heavy blows to his cheek. He could hear the sound of the cheekbone shattering, and the head wrapped in clothing had become completely deformed. Already encased in thick fabric, and after death, the blood no longer flowed, so the amount of blood that oozed out was significantly less, failing to seep through the clothing.

Leng Yi feigned surprise: "Hanged to death? Who was it?"

The fine rain fell in a drizzling manner, and the cold wind blew in, causing Master Dong to shiver continuously. Cold Yi had a sturdy physique and was not afraid of the cold, yet he pretended to feel chilly. He muttered, "What a dreadful weather, why is it so cold?"

Despite it being only the first day since his arrival, and the novelty not yet worn off, he quickly fell asleep after a series of events. This is a good habit cultivated over many years of working as a criminal investigator. Otherwise, with the daily exposure to various impressive cases and evidence, he would be unable to sleep, leaving him with no energy to handle investigations.

The carriage left the inn and traveled along the cobblestone street towards the outskirts of the city. Leng Yi looked out the window and suddenly shouted, "Stop!"

Master Dong said with a bitter smile: "Students just cannot solve cases. How about we apply some pressure on Captain Wu and the others, give them a beating, and let them figure out a way to crack the case?"

The shopkeeper, seeing his decisiveness, immediately changed to a smiling face and said: "This esteemed gentleman truly has an eye for quality. This hairpin is a product from the capital, and there is only this one in the entire Bazhou. There is no other style like it. It is most suitable as a gift for your wife or beloved!"

Leng Yi said: "We have less than three days left for this case. How should we solve it? Do you have any ideas?"

Has the government come?

Indeed, after dawn, he heard a commotion behind him, but he continued to feign deep sleep. It was not until someone knocked on the door that he got up and opened it, only to find Master Dong, who said: "Not good, Dong Weng, someone has been found hanged in the alley behind the inn."

Leng Yi nodded and sighed, saying: "How pitiful!"

Master Dong smiled and said: "Our Bazhou is indeed abundant in rainfall, with rain throughout the four seasons. This winter is no exception, as it has been raining for over half a month. The rain, however, is not heavy, just a light drizzle. Everything is damp and unpleasant."

I do not know, but I heard from the constables at the investigation site that he was a madman. Yesterday during the day, someone saw him wearing strange clothes, with short hair, running around everywhere. The constables tried to catch him, but he managed to escape. Unexpectedly, he was found hanged in a secluded alley in the backyard. It was discovered by early risers.

Leng Yi slowly surveyed the various pieces of jewelry on the counter, and his gaze finally settled on a silver hairpin. He inquired, "How much is this?"

The carriage came to a stop, and Leng Yi jumped down, walking into a jewelry shop by the roadside, with Master Dong following closely behind.

Master Dong stroked his goatee, pondering for a moment, then said: "The concubine of Mr. Lai was murdered in the outhouse of the yamen, her clothing disheveled, exposing her lower body, which was stabbed. In my opinion, this was likely a case of sexual robbery. This person dared to commit such a heinous act of robbery and murder in the yamen's outhouse, and to stab the victim in such a manner shows audacity and extreme brutality, indicating that he is either a habitual offender or a discontented bandit against the court"

In ancient times, there were no modern forensic methods such as fingerprint identification or cranial reconstruction, and communication was extremely underdeveloped, making it very difficult to verify the source of corpses. Therefore, it was relatively easy to create a headless case. After all, this is Bazhou Prefecture City, not one's own Yinling County; a murder case would not fall on one's own shoulders.

Master Dong also sighed sympathetically

It was said that one should take good care of the family of the county magistrate. During the first meeting, it would be inappropriate not to bring a small gift.