The voice next door was not small, and Ji Huan could hear it clearly. The room fell into a dead silence for a moment, and Ji Huan and Chang Tinglan were a little stunned. Then, there was a woman's mourning cry from the next door. There was a chaos of soldiers and horses. Many shouts and footsteps were mixed together, and Lady Jane ran out with the crowd.
Standing behind Lu Heng, Wang Yanqing silently looked at the expressions of everyone in the room, and suddenly said, "Is the person they said drowning your brother Han?"
Ji Huan and Chang Tinglan seemed to have finally recovered from their shock. Ji Huan half-opened his mouth and said in surprise, "How could such a thing happen to my brother and sister's family! Excuse me, I have to go to the river to watch it. Look, see if there's anything that can help."
Lu Heng nodded also, and said sadly: "It was fine just now, but such a tragic incident happened in the blink of an eye. Lady Jane is alone, weak and slender, how can she deal with such a thing alone? Brother Ji, the matter is It's not too late, let's go take a look."
Wang Yanqing glanced at Lu Heng silently, how could it be "we"? Ji Huan didn't notice the loopholes in Lu Heng's words, he nodded and walked out.
Lu Heng naturally followed behind. When they reached the embankment, many people were already surrounding them. The crowd pointed, and through the cluttered shadows, a woman could be seen lying on the ground, crying over a corpse.
When the crowd saw Ji Huan coming, the neighbors knew that Ji Huan had a good relationship with the Han family, and they were fellow villagers, so they consciously made way out of the way. Ji Huan squeezed out of the crowd. He saw the wet corpse under the willow tree. He felt sad and said in pain, "Brother Han, why did you go at such a young age!"
Ji Huan was in grief, and Lady Jane knelt on the ground and wept bitterly. When everyone saw this scene, they shook their heads and couldn't bear it. A middle-aged woman persuaded: "Ms. Jane, you all mourn and change. If you die, you should report it to the government. Go to the head of the police first."
As soon as these words fell, the voice of the official came from outside the shade of the tree: "Let me go, the government will handle the case, and the idlers will retreat."
The brawny man dressed as an official impatiently pushed the crowd away, and when the crowd saw that it was the official man coming, they quickly gave in. Wang Yanqing and Lu Heng stood at the back of the crowd, they were affected by the crowd and took a few steps back. Lu Heng leaned over to support Wang Yanqing, Wang Yanqing took the opportunity to attach to Lu Heng's ear and asked in a breath, "What did you do?"
Lu Heng glanced down at Wang Yanqing, and said quietly, "What image do I have in your heart? When you meet a dead person, you doubt me?"
Wang Yanqing silently looked at the "official clerk" who was pushing the crowd and cleaning up the scene in front of her. She had already recognized several familiar faces in the face-to-face meeting. Where is this official servant, it is clearly Jin Yiwei!
They don't know where they got the official messenger's clothes, and they came here to pretend to be Shuntian Prefecture. When the people saw that the official was coming, even though they didn't know the face, they would not report to the official again. As a result, the case was intercepted by them without knowing it.
The governor of Shuntian took the blame for Lu Heng without knowing it.
In fact, Wang Yanqing also knew that it could not be Lu Heng, but he said earlier that he would arrange an accident, and then Han Wenyan died. Jin Yiwei pretended to be an official of the Shuntian government to take over the scene. A series of coincidences made Wang Yanqing have to think more. Hearing that it wasn't him, Wang Yanqing breathed a sigh of relief and asked curiously, "Then how did they know there was a murder here?"
"I let them come."
Wang Yanqing looked at Lu Heng unexpectedly. Lu Heng smiled and said, "I actually arranged other accidents. Who would have thought a murder would happen. This excuse is more useful, so I changed the plan."
After changing the plan temporarily and arriving at the scene so quickly, pretending to be a yamen, it is no wonder that the officials in the capital could not fight against Lu Heng, and the loss was not wrong.
Under the deliberate arrangement of Jin Yiwei, the crowd was dispersed, and Lu Heng could just see the murder scene from this corner. Lu Heng seemed to be among the onlookers, but he was actually looking at the crime scene.
This is not what Wang Yanqing is good at, but she still observes it carefully. There is no obstruction on the embankment, whether fishing or mallard water, you can easily enter the water. Willow trees were planted on the bank, and the autumn was sluggish at this time, and the river bank was especially desolate and cold.
Han Wenyan's body was lying not far from the river. He was wearing a blue shirt, soaked in water, and his clothes were covered with green algae. His body was stiff, his skin was pale, his eyes were wide open, there were tiny white foams on his nose and mouth, his fingers were half-fisted, resting on the ground stiffly, and his abdomen was slightly bulging. The "officials" took off his shoes, and could see the sand in his socks and between his fingernails, and the soles of his feet were pale and wrinkled, wrinkled like the hands of a washerwoman.
More and more people gathered around to watch the fun. They were afraid and curious, and gathered together to whisper. Wang Yanqing actually couldn't read the corpse. Seeing that Lu Heng was observing seriously, she didn't bother him, quietly left, and went to inquire about the news in the crowd.
The murder case attracted all the people nearby. With so many people gathered together, it can be described as a large-scale exchange of gossip. What kind of grievances and grievances Han Wenyan has, and even what he ate yesterday, he can find out for you. Wang Yanqing sneaked in and eavesdropped for a while, maybe he could get some unexpected gains.
At this time, the advantages of women are revealed. When everyone was chatting, they noticed that Wang Yanqing was approaching, and no one cared. If it was replaced by a tall and powerful man like Lu Heng, the people would probably be on guard and would not talk about it.
Wang Yanqing wandered among the crowd, and heard several women sighing at the river bank: "That daughter-in-law of the Han family is only twenty-three or four, and she has no children, so she is a widow, what will you do in the future?"
"What about her family?"
"Her family was in Qingzhou. If she lived well in her hometown, she wouldn't have come to the capital. Besides, she and Scholar Han are cousins and there are no other brothers in the family. Scholar Han is both her husband and her maiden brother. Now that Han Shusheng is dead, There is no one to rely on."
"Qingzhou? Huh, they and Ji Xiu are from the same town?"
"Isn't it? Otherwise, why did Ji Xiucai help Scholar Han to find a living and rent his house to them at a low price."
"It turns out that they are all fellow villagers, I thought..."
Before the woman could finish speaking, the person beside her gave her an elbow and winked to the other side. When the woman saw the person behind her, she understood it and stopped talking.
Wang Yanqing followed the line of sight of the women and found that Chang Tinglan was standing at the end of the crowd, a little uneasy. Wang Yanqing noticed that Chang Tinglan's face was pale, and she kept rubbing her hands. Someone was talking to her next to her. She seemed startled, and took a while to respond.
Looking at her random nodding, she probably didn't understand what the other party said.
Wang Yanqing walked over and whispered, "Miss Chang."
When Chang Tinglan heard someone talking to her, she turned back to see Wang Yanqing, her shoulders tightened, and she smiled reluctantly: "It's you. You also saw that there was a murder in our neighbor, I'm afraid the renting house... "
Wang Yanqing smiled kindly and said, "It's not in the way, it's not that people are missing in your room, we are not taboo. Mrs. Chang is not in a hurry to refuse. My cousin and I like this location very much. ."
Chang Tinglan nodded slowly, avoiding Wang Yanqing's gaze, and said, "I will tell the boss."
Wang Yanqing approached, held Chang Tinglan's hand, and said softly: "When such a big thing happened, is Mrs. Chang frightened? Alas, after all, they are people who get along with each other day and night. I met them not long ago, but now they're gone. , how can it not be scary."
It is normal for women to have intimate behaviors. Although they were strangers not long ago, Wang Yanqing stepped forward to hold Chang Tinglan's hand, and no one thought it was strange. After Wang Yanqing got started, she felt Chang Tinglan's fingers were cold and sweaty. When she said "I saw it not long ago", Chang Tinglan's fingers tightened unconsciously.
Chang Tinglan's reaction didn't seem like a dead neighbor. No matter how close the relationship between neighbors is, after learning the news of the death, they will not worry about it like this.
Wang Yanqing took Chang Tinglan's hand and asked caringly, "Miss Chang, do you know why Young Master Han fell into the water?"
Chang Tinglan lowered her eyes, her expression was not unusual, but her arms were stiff, and she said, "I don't know either. This river is deep, and people often drown. Maybe he walked carelessly and fell into the river after slipping. Come in."
Wang Yanqing sighed softly and sighed: "That's such a pity. Young Master Han has been in and out for so long, why did Du Du stumble today? Lady Chang, have you seen Young Master Han today? Is he feeling unwell? , did you accidentally have an accident?"
Chang Tinglan pursed her lips slightly and said, "How do I know this? Han Wenyan is Lady Jane's man, she should know better."
Wang Yanqing nodded and said, "Yes. It's a pity that Lady Jane will be a widow at a young age. Young Master Han is both her husband and her family. When Young Master Han is dead, how will she make a living by herself in the future?"
When saying these words, Wang Yanqing's eyes moved slightly, staring at Chang Tinglan's performance calmly. She saw Chang Tinglan pouted, and it was fleeting, and then she said, "The boat will naturally go straight to the top of the wall. There are so many widows in the world, Lady Jane will always find a way."
Wang Yanqing responded lightly. She was about to continue her routine when suddenly a gentle call came from behind: "Cousin."
When Wang Yanqing heard the title, her expression paused for a while, and when she turned around, she saw that it was Lu Heng. With a smile, Lu Heng walked straight to their side and said, "Cousin, why are you standing so far away, telling me to be easy to find."
Wang Yanqing glanced forward, and as expected, the "official officers" had finally finished their work and were covering the corpse with a white cloth. Wang Yanqing was helpless and could only act with Lu Heng: "I was scared when I saw the corpse, so I came here to talk to Mrs. Chang."
With an expression of sudden realization, Lu Heng said, "That's right, I forgot that you are timid, and you don't even dare to look at killing chickens. Weren't you scared just now?"
Seeing Lu Heng coming over, Chang Tinglan lowered her head to avoid him: "Since Young Master Lu is back, I won't bother you anymore."
Lu Heng enthusiastically helped Chang Tinglan to show the way: "I just saw Brother Ji comforting Lady Jane in front, and Lady Chang went over there to take a look."
Facing Lu Heng, Chang Tinglan was instinctively frightened, thanked him dryly and left quickly. After Chang Tinglan walked away, Wang Yanqing lowered her voice and asked Lu Heng softly, "What did you see?"
Holding Wang Yanqing, Lu Heng walked in the sunlight, and said unhurriedly, "The skin is clammy and cold, the color is pale, and there is no obvious swelling, it is a very fresh corpse, and it should be in the water soon; his footsteps are already wrinkled, and according to the current water temperature, It is roughly estimated that it has been soaked for two to three hours. His fingernails have mud and sand, his abdomen is bulging, and there is sticky foam on his nose and mouth. It can be determined that he entered the water before his death. However, his fingers are half-curled, his eyes are slightly closed, and he does not seem to have struggled for help. Looks like he should have fallen into the water incapacitated."
Wang Yanqing could not understand what he heard, but he could still feel how powerful Lu Heng's observation ability was. He stood by and watched for a while, and found so much information. Wang Yanqing asked tentatively, "So..."
"So, Han Wenyan was murdered, and probably fell into the water between the hours of Chen and Shi this morning. He was still alive when he entered the water. He was probably in a coma and drowned after being thrown into the river."
Wang Yanqing finally understood: "I can understand this. Next time, you can directly say the final conclusion."
"What if I'm wrong?"
Wang Yanqing looked up at him: "Can you be wrong?"
Lu Heng laughed and clenched Wang Yanqing tightly, which was very useful to him. The voices of the "official officer" and Mrs. Jane could be heard intermittently from the river bank, and the "official officer" could vaguely hear that they were going to carry the body back for inspection. If there was no problem, Mrs. Jane would be notified to pick up the body.
All deceased cases must be reported to the government, and only after the government has verified that it was not a homicide can they be buried freely. There was an uproar when the crowd heard that the government was going to conduct an autopsy. One person shouted in a hurry: "Isn't it possible that Scholar Han fell into the water?"
The "official servant" had a cold face, refused to speak in detail, and mercilessly drove away the crowd. The "officer" carried the corpse and left quickly, without casting a glance in Lu Heng's direction the whole time.
After the "official messenger" left, the enthusiasm of the onlookers continued unabated. Some people were afraid and others were excited, and the murder case was being discussed everywhere. Wang Yanqing looked at Jin Yiwei's retreating back, and asked Lu Heng in a low voice, "Who found the body?"
"A group of old men fishing." Lu Heng said, "Five or six of them came together, and they are old and frail, so there is no possibility of committing the crime. The murderer is someone else."
Wang Yanqing nodded. According to the normal process, after ruling out the suspicion of the person who first discovered the murder scene, it was time to suspect the deceased's partner. Wang Yanqing asked, "Where is Lady Jane?"
Lu Heng looked down at Wang Yanqing and smiled, "You talked to Chang Tinglan for so long, I thought you were suspicious of her."
Wang Yanqing shook her head without saying a word: "You said it, it is the most taboo to be preconceived in investigating a case. Chang Tinglan is indeed a little suspicious, but the people at the pillow are the easiest to start with."
Lu Heng nodded his head in a serious manner: "Cousin Gao sees it. Then, as my cousin said, go and ask Jian Yun first."
Only then did Wang Yanqing know that Lady Jane's boudoir's name was Jian Yun. She gave Lu Heng an angry look, and said, "Don't come here. Why do you even know the name of Ji Huan's neighbor's wife?"
"Are you jealous?"
"What am I jealous of. If you want to make a fool of yourself, can I control it?"
Lu Heng finally couldn't help laughing, and hugged Wang Yanqing hard: "Of course I can, I'm afraid you don't care."
Wang Yanqing hurriedly glanced around. Fortunately, everyone was concerned about the murder case, and no one paid attention to their side. Wang Yanqing breathed a sigh of relief and pinched Lu Heng's hand hard: "Let go, there are so many people, what are you doing?"
According to the etiquette, even a husband and wife cannot kiss in front of others, let alone Wang Yanqing and Lu Heng who are still wearing cousins. Lu Heng sighed inwardly, Yiyan let go of her, and reluctantly regained the appearance of a cousin.
Han Wenyan fell into the water and drowned, and is still being carried away by the government. The news immediately caused a sensation in the neighborhood. Neighbors rushed to Han's house to visit, and even people from other places came to watch the fun. Jian'an Lane was full of people, and the Han family courtyard was even more crowded. Thanks to the crowd, Lu Heng and Wang Yanqing sneaked in, and no one thought it was weird.
A middle-aged woman stood at the door, sighing. Wang Yanqing recognized that this was the grandson's sister-in-law they met when they came. She approached quietly and asked, "Sister-in-law, have you heard about the Han family?"
Sister-in-law Sun raised her head and saw a fairy-like figure standing in the sun, she suddenly thought she had hallucinations. Sister-in-law Sun was stunned, and only when she saw the man behind her, she remembered that this was the young couple who came to ask the room not long ago.
She swept over the two of them and sighed, "You haven't left yet?"
"Yeah, I just happened to hear the bad news, so I'll stay and have a look." Wang Yanqing appeared to be hesitant to say anything, and asked in a low voice, "Sister-in-law, the first time I encountered this kind of thing, I was almost scared. You and I'll be honest, is this the first time this house has had an accident, or has it happened before?"
When Sister-in-Law heard this, she quickly said, "Don't worry, this is not a haunted house. I have lived here for more than 20 years, and this is the first time I have encountered such a thing."
"Really?" Wang Yanqing was skeptical, "but the government has carried people away, and I heard that the autopsy will be carried out. It's really scary. There shouldn't be any filth between their husband and wife, right?"
"No." Sister-in-law Sun shook her head vigorously, "Ms. Jane is weak, what can she do? Today, Scholar Han called me over as soon as he went out. We stayed together all the time, making needles and sewing, and we even had meals together. , she's absolutely fine."
Lu Heng knew that Wang Yanqing was better at interrogation than him, so he completely handed over the control to Wang Yanqing. When he heard Sister-in-law Sun's words, his eyes moved, and Wang Yanqing seemed to understand what he was saying, and asked the next sentence: "When is Han Wenyan going out?"
The people in the neighborhood are different from the people in the public gate, and they don't value time as much. Sister-in-law Sun thought about it for a while before she said unsurely, "I didn't notice either, it should be the end of the hour."
Wang Yanqing's heart beat violently when he heard this time. The time when Han Wenyan went out was very similar to the time when he fell into the water. Could it be that he was killed after going out
Jian Yun has been staying at home since her husband left, and there are witnesses throughout the process. It seems that the murderer is not her. Wang Yanqing temporarily ruled out Jian Yun's suspicion, and asked, "Then Han Wenyan will have some enemies and be sought for revenge?"
Sister-in-law Sun scratched her head in confusion, and said in embarrassment: "Scholar Han is a bit sour, but he has never heard of offending anyone. They are not familiar with people in Beijing, so they usually write books and copy letters for others. Who can offend? "
Write a book? Wang Yanqing intuitively caught something, and hurriedly asked, "Han Wenyan still writes books?"
"Yes," said Sister-in-law Sun. "It is said that it is well written and appreciated by nobles. I don't understand this. Ji Xiucai's family are all elegant people. You can ask them."
After asking Sister-in-law Sun, Wang Yanqing fell silent. Lu Heng laughed at her cheek and asked, "What are you thinking?"
"Brother." Wang Yanqing suddenly raised his head, his eyes shining brightly, "Who do you say who wrote "The Legend of Heroes"?"