Murong Ci sternly shouted: "You think so, and you say so. Did the forty members of the Li family die because of your resentment? You have no conscience."
Prince Wang argued anxiously: "My lord, I am wronged. I really did not kill anyone. After I left Li's mansion, I called three or five friends to drink in a restaurant. I drank too much that night."
She noticed that his expression was not quite right, first he froze, then his eyes widened in horror, and then his eyes were filled with panic and fear, he was at a loss, and he didn't know how to place his feet.
Shen Zhiyan also noticed his strangeness, "What's wrong with you?"
"He must have remembered something. Didn't he drink a lot that night? He forgot it at the time, but now he suddenly remembered it." Actually, she was tentative.
"What do you think of, tell me quickly," Shen Zhiyan asked majestically.
"I'll think about it, I'll think about it again." Prince Wang pretended to have a headache, scratching his hair and thinking hard, "I drank with three or five friends that night, and I drank a few more glasses. It seems that I said something about the Li family."
"what words"
"I said that I was tricked by the Li family, cheated by the Li family and said that I lost face, and the ancestors of the Wang family followed suit and said that I would not make the Li family feel better, I want revenge He bowed his head guiltyly, his voice getting smaller and smaller.
"You also said that everyone in the Li family is not a good person, Miss Li is even worse, you said that you will kill everyone in the Li family." Murong Ci said it for him.
"It's almost like this, but my lords, I'm drunk, that's drunk talk, he can't take it seriously," he explained anxiously, "I drank a lot that night, and I didn't know how I got back until the next day. I didn't wake up until noon. If you two adults don't believe me, you can go to my mansion and ask the servants."
"You can buy a murderer when you're drunk, and you only need to pay the money, and you don't have to do anything."
"It's impossible that I didn't pay murder to kill me. My lords, I've said everything, you have to find out." Wang Gongzi looked bitter, "If I really bought murder to kill, why can't I think about it?" I remembered everything I said to my friends when I got drunk that night."
"If you don't plead guilty, stay in the cell." Shen Zhiyan said coldly.
"Don't let me be afraid of mice and cockroaches the most." Prince Wang wept sadly, but he was as firm as iron, "I don't plead guilty to things I haven't done, and I don't plead guilty to torture."
"Then stay in the cell for a few more days, and when you figure out the confession, you will be released." Shen Zhiyan picked him up and dragged him to the cell.
Prince Wang yelled and begged all the way, but was thrown into the cell in the end.
Murong resigned from the cell, saw Shen Zhiyan also came out, and said, "What do you think?"
He frowned and said, "He shouldn't have lied."
She agreed, but said helplessly: "The clues are all broken, and the case is deadlocked."
Just when they were frowning, he suddenly remembered, "By the way, we haven't gone to the Ministry of Rites yet."
She clapped her hands suddenly, and said angrily, "That's right, why did Ben Gong forget about this?"
He said with shame: "I also completely forgot about it."
So, they immediately went to the Ministry of Rites.
The Ministry of Rites is where Li Chunqiu works, and the officials of the Ministry of Rites get along with him every day, so they probably know a lot about him.
Seeing the arrival of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, He Guangan, Minister of the Ministry of Rites, greeted him with respect and respect.
Shen Zhiyan said: "Lord He, this time His Highness and the officials came here to ask Li Chunqiu."
"Lord Li, I didn't expect Master Li's family to die so terribly. No one could have imagined that." He Guang sighed sadly, "Your Highness, just ask whatever you want."
"Does Master He think that Li Chunqiu is still conscientious during his tenure?" Shen Zhiyan asked politely.
"Master Li has served in the Ministry of Rites for five years. He has been conscientious and conscientious, and has never made any omissions. He is quite talented, humble and polite, and strict with himself. Although he is a bit withdrawn and eccentric, he gets along well with all his colleagues." He Light came slowly.
"During the past five years, did Li Chunqiu have any disputes or suspicions with any of his colleagues in the Ministry of Rites?" Murong Ci turned his head and glanced over coldly.
"This is true, but it's just a few quarrels, it's nothing."
"Who got into an altercation over what?"
"I had a quarrel with the doctor, Mr. Lu." He Guang said slowly, "About a month ago, shortly after Mr. Lu was transferred to the Ministry of Rites, Mr. Li found an obvious flaw in the files he had sorted out, and raised it loudly in front of everyone. , the words were more intense. Mr. Lu lost face, got angry at Mr. Li's sharp words, and retorted angrily. Mr. Li became angry when he saw that he did not realize his mistake, and scolded him for not admitting his mistakes, and he was not qualified to be a doctor Arguing and arguing, the two of them quarreled more and more, no matter how much other colleagues tried to persuade them, they almost fought."
Murong Ci asked: "I was persuaded to let go later. Master Li and Master Lu had a rift because of this. Isn't it embarrassing to see each other without looking up?"
He nodded, "There was a rift between the two of them, after that they ran into each other and pretended not to see them, or just let out a cold snort."
Shen Zhiyan asked: "Master Lu, how can this person be the one who must take revenge?"
He Guangdao:
"Although there was a rift between the two, Mr. Lu is not so narrow-minded. Mr. Lu has a bold and unrestrained temperament. He is indeed a little careless, but he is a good person who can stab his friends in both sides."
Apart from Mr. Lu, Li Chunqiu never had any quarrel with any of his colleagues.
Later, they met Master Lu in a separate room.
Mr. Lu was a little embarrassed, guessing their purpose of looking for him, "Does Your Highness want to ask about the relationship between the official and Mr. Li?"
"You and Mr. Li had a rift because of a trivial matter, so you just hate him, don't you?" Shen Zhiyan asked suddenly.
"Master Shen, you don't have to scare me." Master Lu said uncomfortably, but his brows were quite straightforward, "Yes, I really don't like Li Chunqiu, and I even hate him a little, but I don't want to hold grudges. It was my negligence that made a mistake, but he shouldn't scold me so loudly in front of so many people. Is it because I have a higher official position than him, and he should always give me some face? Is this what I am most nervous about? Face, he made me lose face, I must hate him."
"A little bit of hatred is enough to erode a person's nature. It accumulates over time and eventually leads to a catastrophe. Although you and Li Chunqiu have a rift, it's just a trivial matter, but it is enough to constitute the reason for you to kill and commit crimes." Murong Ci said coldly Analysis, "Master Lu, you'd better tell the truth, otherwise your family and clan will be implicated."
"Your Highness, I really didn't kill Mr. Li's family because of such a trivial matter. I was really wronged." Mr. Lu knew the seriousness of the matter, and defended in panic.
"If you tell the truth, I can spare your family and clansmen, otherwise" she deliberately prolonged the emphasis.
"Your Highness, I've told you everything I know." He knelt down heavily, with a face full of tears, "Your Highness, you and Mr. Shen have to find out."
Murong Ci and Shen Zhiyan looked at each other for a moment, judging from Mr. Lu's subtle expression, he should not have lied.
Well, the murderer is someone else.
Before leaving, Shen Zhiyan told him that he must stay in the imperial capital for the next few days, and maybe he would send him another question in two days.
Seeing them leave, Lord Lu heaved a sigh of relief.
In the carriage, Shen Zhiyan stroked his chin and said, "Your Highness, do you think Mr. Lu is the kind of person who hides his secrets?"
Murong Ci shook his head, "He's probably not that kind of person. Besides, the hatred between him and Mr. Li is just a trivial matter, and it won't kill the whole family."
He nodded, "I feel the same way, Mr. Lu doesn't look like the kind of person who will take revenge."
It's a pity that I went to the Ministry of Rites and found no useful clues.
It was time for dinner at dusk, he smiled and said: "Your Highness, go back to the palace, let's discuss it tomorrow."
She was a little tired, so she went back to the East Palace.
On the morning of the second day, Murong Ci and Qin Ruo arrived at Dali Temple. They just drank a cup of tea and were about to reorganize the case with Shen Zhiyan. Another massacre happened."
They looked at each other and walked out immediately.
"Do you know which family it is?" Shen Zhiyan asked hastily.
"The man said just now that it is the house of Jianshen, the head secretary of our Dali Temple." The yamen servant said.
Shen Zhiyan stopped suddenly, and there seemed to be a hint of hostility in his eyes, "It really is Mrs. Jane's house."
The yamen servant replied: "That's what the person who reported the letter said."
Murong Ci has never seen Shen Zhiyan's hostility so severe. He has been under too much pressure in the past few days, coupled with the frequent occurrence of earth-shattering massacres, too many people have died, and the murderer is too rampant. How can he not be angry? , do not feel heavy
Jian Shen is a minor official in Dali Temple, but Shen Zhiyan and Jian Shen have worked together for many years, so there is naturally a friendship between colleagues, Shen Zhiyan's grief and indignation are natural.
Arriving at Jian's house, Murong Ci patted him on the shoulder, "Surveying the scene and looking for clues is the best thing to avoid being emotional, can you?"
He nodded firmly, "I can."
The police officers from Jingzhao Mansion were already inside, they walked in quickly and found Lord Lu and Wang Yuzuo.
In the dormitory, Wang Yuzuo stood in front of the bed to examine the corpse, shook his head and said heavily: "Mr. Jian's family should have been killed in his sleep. There is only one fatal wound on his body." He pointed to the blood-stained neck of the deceased, "The murderer should have used a sharp weapon to cut a long and thin wound on the neck of the deceased, and the deceased bled profusely to death."
Murong Ci turned his eyes to look at the dormitory, the room was orderly, without any signs of fighting, only a few drops of blood under the bed.
Shen Zhiyan also checked Master Jian, and said solemnly: "Master Jian died about four o'clock. The fatal injury was a long and thin wound on his neck, and the murder weapon should be a long sword."
Wang Yu said: "Master Shen, except Master Jian, other people such as Lord Jane, Mrs. Jane, and the daughters and servants of the Jian family were all fatally wounded by the hostility pierced through the chest. The methods are very similar."
She nodded, "Zhiyan, let's look elsewhere to see other corpses."
Shen Zhiyan followed her out. It was indeed as Wang Yuzuo said that the murder in Jian's house was very similar to that in Li's house. Except for Mr. Jian, everyone else was lying dead on the floor in front of the bed in the bedroom. The fatal wound was on the chest. Organs were punctured and bleeding profusely.
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