People are in Zhenguan, solving crimes scientifically

Chapter 98 Discovery!The most critical clue!
In the palace, the atmosphere was solemn and depressing.

No one expected that the originally lively farewell banquet would turn out like this at this moment.

Everyone was controlled in the courtyard and could not communicate at will. They could only look at each other and then look at the room in front of them on the right with anxious and bored expressions.

The door of that room was closed, and under the flickering candlelight, several figures were reflected on the window paper.

They knew that at this time, Lin Feng and Xiao Yu were questioning the three people who met Wang Qinyuan alone. Perhaps clues and evidence would emerge.

inside the room.

A table is placed in the middle, with people sitting on both sides of the table.

Lin Feng and Xiao Yu were sitting on one side, and Cao Wenqing, a doctor from the Ministry of Labor, who was the first friend Wang Qinyuan met alone, was sitting opposite.

There is a candle burning on the table.

The dim candlelight danced, alternating between light and dark on the faces of the three people.

In front of Xiao Yu were the four treasures of the study: pen, ink, paper and inkstone. He took the brush and recorded Cao Wenqing's confession.

Lin Feng sat upright and looked at Cao Wenqing with dark eyes. Cao Wenqing was in his 40s, with a square face and thick eyebrows. His expression was very sad and heavy at this time.

"Mr. Cao, when did you meet Wang Sizheng?" Lin Feng asked.

Cao Wenqing sighed: "When I arrived at the palace, Wang Hao told me to go to the study to see Wang Sizheng at the fourth quarter of the hour. It was almost the fourth quarter of the hour, so I didn't go to the hall to greet other colleagues, so I hurriedly I rushed to the study."

Lin Feng said: "In other words, you are the Wang Si Zheng that I met at the fourth quarter of the year?"

Cao Wenqing nodded.

"What was the situation at Wangji Temple at that time?"

Cao Wenqing said: "Wang Si is normal. He smiled when he saw me and spoke in a gentle voice. It is no different from usual."

"Why did Wang Sizheng meet with Mr. Cao alone?" Lin Feng asked again.

Cao Wenqing sighed and said: "To be honest with Lin Sizheng, Wang Sizheng is actually half of my teacher. When I first became an official, Wang Sizheng was my superior. He took great care of me and informed me of things that need to be paid attention to in the officialdom. She sheltered me from wind and rain and helped me get through the initial period of confusion."

"So I have always had great respect for Wang Simasa. Even after Wang Simasa came to Dali Temple and I went to the Ministry of Industry, I would come to visit Wang Simasa every year and festival."

"Wang Sizheng regards me as a half-student, and is about to leave Chang'an. He is a little reluctant and worried about me, so he specially called me here, gave me some advice, and gave me instructions to serve as an official well and not to spend my last few years Make mistakes and fall short.”

Xiao Yu listened to Cao Wenqing's words and couldn't help but nodded with emotion. Based on his understanding of Wang Qinyuan, this was indeed what Wang Qinyuan would do.

Wang Qinyuan was an official all his life. He was very cautious, never made enemies of others, and was very careful and meticulous in his official duties. He hoped that after he retired and returned to his hometown, he would not be poked in the back. After his death, he would be remembered as a good official, not a good official. A filthy official who was reviled by future generations.

Wang Qinyuan would give Cao Wenqing a heads-up and say this, which is enough to show that he really values ​​Cao Wenqing.

The candlelight danced in Lin Feng's eyes. He stared at Cao Wenqing without blinking, taking in every change in Cao Wenqing's expression and every detail when he spoke, so as to judge when Cao Wenqing said these words. Is there anything to hide?

"Have you had tea?"

Lin Feng recalled the two broken tea cups at the crime scene and asked.

Cao Wenqing nodded: "My mentor poured me a cup of tea, but I left before I had time to drink it."

"So anxious?" Lin Feng asked.

Cao Wenqing said: "My mentor talked to me for less than a quarter of an hour. After finishing what he wanted to say to me, he asked me to leave. He said that there were guests coming later, and he would have to go out to receive guests after Xu Shi, so he didn't have that much time. , so I left quickly."

Lin Feng and Xiao Yu looked at each other. So far, they didn't find any obvious problems in Cao Wenqing's words.

Lin Feng thought for a moment and said, "Did your teacher bolt the study door when you left?"

Cao Wenqing shook his head: "Probably not. The door was closed when I left. The teacher didn't lock the door at that time... But after I left, I didn't know."

Lin Feng asked: "What about when you went there? Was the door locked from the inside?"

Cao Wenqing said: "The door I knocked on was opened by the teacher from the inside. I don't know if it was locked from the inside."

Lin Feng's fingertips lightly traced the table. He pondered for a moment and said, "Did you meet anyone else when you left?"

Cao Wenqing shook his head: "No, I didn't see other colleagues until I arrived in the hall."

Lin Feng nodded slightly, looked at Xiao Yu and said, "Mr. Xiao, do you have anything else to ask?"

Xiao Yu thought for a while and realized that Lin Feng's inquiry was thorough enough, so he said, "Nothing at the moment. Mr. Cao is going to rest first. If there is still need, I will call Mr. Cao again."

Cao Wenqing stood up immediately, cupped his hands and said: "Wang Si Zheng was killed, and I am very sad and angry in my heart. I hope Xiao Si Qing Lin Si Zheng will find the murderer as soon as possible and avenge Wang Si Zheng!"

Xiao Yu nodded and said, "That's natural."

Cao Wenqing didn't waste any more time and turned around to leave. But as soon as he took two steps, Lin Feng suddenly said: "Mr. Cao, can I take a look at the soles of your two shoes?"

Cao Wenqing was startled and raised two feet respectively.

After seeing it, Lin Feng's eyes flashed slightly. He took a deep look at Cao Wenqing, nodded calmly, and said, "Thank you, Mr. Cao. Mr. Cao, go and rest."

Cao Wenqing left immediately.

After Cao Wenqing left, Xiao Yu couldn't wait to look at Lin Feng and said, "Zide, there are blood stains on the soles of his shoes, is it him?"

Lin Feng frowned slightly and shook his head: "Don't rush to make a judgment yet. Although there are blood stains on the soles of his shoes, his confession is normal and there are no obvious logical loopholes. Don't jump to conclusions for the time being. Let's look at the next two people."

Xiao Yu looked at Lin Feng and saw that Lin Feng could still keep calm even at this time. He couldn't help but said with relief: "Yes, you are much better than I thought. I was almost worried that you would lose your former calmness and be affected by anger and emotions." Interfering with thoughts.”

Lin Feng knew Xiao Yu's worries, and he said softly: "Don't worry, Mr. Xiao, I know exactly what state I should be in when deciding the case."

Xiao Yu knew Lin Feng's ability, so he stopped wasting time and said loudly: "Captain Guo Yi, please."

Not long after, a burly man wearing armor walked in. He was also in his 40s. There was sadness, anger and murderous intent in his eyebrows. As he approached, a bloodthirsty oppression felt slightly. Attack.

Lin Feng's eyes moved slightly and he realized that this was a fierce general who had taken many lives on the battlefield.

"Xiao Siqing, Lin Sizheng." He cupped his hands and spoke.

Xiao Yu nodded: "Qi Duwei, please sit down. Next, we will ask Qi Duwei some questions, and we hope that Qi Duwei will answer truthfully."

Qi Chengqiang sat down with Jin Dao, his back straight like a spear, and his voice was loud: "That's how it should be! Wang Si is treating me well, and he is my benefactor. Now I want to find the murderer quickly, and then I will cut him into pieces with my own hands and avenge Ojimasa!"

Lin Feng heard this and asked curiously: "Qi Duwei said that Wang Si is your benefactor. I wonder what's going on?"

Qi Chengqiang looked at Lin Feng and said without hiding anything: "This is no secret. Before entering Dali Temple, Wang Si was serving at the Yushitai. He had accompanied the army to supervise. In the military camp, due to lack of restraint, the general's officers robbed some After Wang Sizheng found out about the food for the people, he strictly ordered me to severely punish these soldiers."

"Although I punished them in time, the news still reached His Majesty's ears. His Majesty was very angry and wanted to strip off my clothes and punish me severely... It was Ojimasa who personally wrote a letter explaining the reason and letting His Majesty know that at that time I am busy with the war and have no time to be distracted. Moreover, these soldiers did these things secretly, and I have no idea about it. Moreover, after the incident happened, I also dealt with it in time."

"It is precisely because of Ojimasa's letter that His Majesty's anger has been eliminated, and I can continue to serve in the army. Therefore, I will always regard Ojimasa as my benefactor and respect him forever."

As a military general, Qi Chengqiang had the usual straightforward characteristics of a military general. He said everything he wanted without any hesitation. Even when he talked about his problems at the time, he did not hide anything.

After hearing this, Lin Feng nodded slightly: "I see, Captain Qi respects Wang Sizheng for this, and he should indeed."

Qi Chengqiang nodded and said: "I have a clear distinction between grudges and grudges. A favor is a favor. As long as I live forever, I will remember him forever."

Lin Feng said: "Tell me what happened tonight. When did Captain Qi meet Wang Si Zheng? What was Wang Si Zheng's condition at that time?"

Qi Chengqiang shook his head, to the surprise of Lin Feng and Xiao Yu, and said: "This general has never seen Wang Sizheng."

"Didn't you see it?" Xiao Yu was startled and couldn't help but said: "How come you didn't see it?"

Lin Feng also narrowed his eyes and stared at Qi Chengqiang.

Qi Chengqiang said: "I actually came a little late today. After Wang Hao informed Wang Si that he was about to meet me in the study, I hurried to the study."

"It was already past the time Wangji asked me to go, but when I arrived in front of the study, I knocked on the door, but there was no sound in the study."

"I called Ojimasa several times, but there was still no response."

"Because I was already late at that time, I wondered if Ouji Masami didn't go there on time. Knowing that I was delayed by something, I left early and didn't stay in the study to wait for him. General, after knocking on the door and getting no response, I left and went to the hall."

When Xiao Yu heard Qi Chengqiang's words, he couldn't help but frown, his eyes shining brightly.

He couldn't help but look at Lin Feng, and saw Lin Feng's hands crossed, his two thumbs constantly circling, Lin Feng's eyes showed a thoughtful look, and he was obviously thinking about something.

When he saw this, he did not disturb Lin Feng.

After a while, Lin Feng spoke again: "In other words, Captain Qi never saw Wang SiZheng from the beginning to the end?"

Qi Chengqiang nodded: "That's right."

"Did Lieutenant Qi notice anything unusual in the study when he knocked on the door?"

Qi Chengqiang frowned and shook his head: "No, it was quiet in the study, there was no sound at all, otherwise I wouldn't have thought that Wang Sizheng had left."

"Were there candles burning in the study at that time?" Lin Feng asked again.

Qi Chengqiang nodded without hesitation: "With the candle light on, I took a special look at the window paper. There was no shadow on the window paper. It was also because of this that I was sure that Wang Si was leaving."

Lin Feng pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly: "I understand, thank you Captain Qi for your cooperation, Captain Qi can go and rest. If necessary later, we will invite Captain Qi again."

Upon hearing this, Qi Chengqiang said straightforwardly: "No problem, as long as I can help you find the real murderer, I'll do anything."

With that said, he turned around and was about to leave.

Lin Feng stopped Qi Chengqiang at this moment and said, "Qi Duwei, can I take a look at the soles of your shoes?"

Qi Chengqiang said happily: "Of course."

As he spoke, he raised his two feet.

After looking at Qi Chengqiang's soles, Xiao Yu's pupils shrank slightly, and his expression suddenly changed slightly. Lin Feng also squinted his eyes, nodded and said: "Captain Qi can go and rest."

As Qi Chengqiang left, Xiao Yu looked at Lin Feng solemnly and said, "Zide, did you see the soles of his shoes!?"

Lin Feng understood what Xiao Yu meant, and he nodded: "I saw it, and there were traces of blood on the soles and toes of his shoes."

"Why is there blood on the soles of his shoes? Could it be him?"

Xiao Yu's eyes widened and his face was filled with confusion. Why were there blood stains on both of them?
Lin Feng shook his head, his eyes flashed slightly, and he said solemnly: "Interesting, it would be even more interesting if there were blood stains on the soles of the third person's shoes."

He looked at Xiao Yu and said, "Mr. Xiao, let's meet the third person."

Xiao Yu nodded immediately. Without hesitation, he directly asked someone to bring the last person in.

Soon, the censor Zeng He, the censor's attendant, arrived.

Lin Feng had met Zeng He once when he was investigating the arson case at Yushitai. Although they had not communicated with each other, they were not completely strangers like Qi Chengqiang and Cao Wenqing.

Zeng He is younger, about 35 or [-] years old. He is slightly chubby and has good facial features. He is the kind of person who looks very pleasing to the eye. The more he looks at him, the more attractive he becomes.At this time, Zeng He's expression was full of sadness, his eyes were slightly red, and it was obvious that he had just shed tears.

"The lower official has met Xiao Siqing, Lin Sizheng."

Shi Yushi is a sixth-grade official, lower in rank than Lin Feng, but in the court, even Xiao Yu, who is higher than Lin Feng, is not willing to mess with these sixth-grade Shi Yushi.

Xiao Yu nodded and said gently: "Censor Zeng, please sit down. Next, Lin Temple will ask Censor Zeng some questions. I hope Censor Zeng can answer them truthfully."

Hearing Xiao Yu's words, Zeng He did not hesitate. He said seriously: "As a royal censor, I never lie. Lin Si is just asking."

Zeng He really has some of Wei Zheng's magnanimity.

Lin Feng said directly: "What is the relationship between Zeng Yushi and Wang Sizheng?"

Zeng He made no secret: "Xia Guan came into contact with Wang Si Zheng due to official duties. Wang Si Zheng was a gentle man, with a pure personality, serious work, and liked Xia Guan very much. Therefore, in addition to official duties, we also had many contacts in private. As time went by, we became close friends."

Wang Qinyuan is in his 50s and Zeng He is in his 30s, so they can be regarded as year-end friends.

Lin Feng nodded slightly. Zeng He was different from Cao Wenqing and Qi Chengqiang. His gratitude to Wang Qin was not that of a benefactor, but the friendship between friends.

He said: "Let's talk about what happened tonight. Did Zeng Yushi see Wang Simasa?"

Zeng He shook his head without any surprise and said: "We have not."

"Why not?" Lin Feng asked with an unchanging expression.

Zeng He said: "After the official received the notice from Wang Hao, he went to the study, but at the door, the official knocked on the door for a long time, but no one came to open the door."

"Xiaoguan felt strange, so he looked into the room, but the candlelight was bright and there was no one there, so he felt that Wang Sizheng might have left for something and was not in the study."

Zeng He's confession was similar to Qi Chengqiang's. Lin Feng thought about it and said, "Then Yushi Zeng left?"

Zeng He nodded: "Yes, the official thought that Wang Sizheng might have something important to deal with, so he left temporarily. After waiting for more than a quarter of an hour, he felt that Wang Sizheng might go back to wait for him, so he went back to wait for him. Went to the study."

"What's the result?" Lin Feng asked.

Zeng He sighed and continued to shake his head: "The result was still the same as before. There was no response when I knocked on the door. The official felt a little strange at the time."

"With Ojimasa's character, it would be understandable if he was delayed for a short while, but if he was delayed for more than a quarter of an hour and left me waiting outside without any news, then it would be the same as Ojimasa's. Very inconsistent with his temperament.”

"So I thought something was unreasonable, so I went to the palace's servants and asked them if they knew the whereabouts of Wang SiMasa."

Lin Feng said: "What do you say, servant?"

"The servants don't know where Wangji is. In order to prepare for tonight's farewell banquet, the servants are very busy. They have been going back and forth between the kitchen and the main hall. No one has seen Wangji, but I am looking for Wangji. They also sent out people to look for him in the palace."

"But in the end, it was still not found, and at that time..."

Zeng He looked at Lin Feng and said: "They suddenly discovered that there was thick smoke. The place where the thick smoke appeared was the study room. Lin Sizheng also knew what happened next."

Lin Feng was thinking and analyzing Zeng He's words in his mind.

Neither Zeng He nor Qi Chengqiang saw Wang Qinyuan, and they knocked on the door but received no response.

It's just their personalities and their understanding of Wang Qinyuan that determine what they do differently.

Because Qi Chengqiang arrived late, he felt that Wang Qin had left early before he could go, so he didn't think much about it.

Zeng He, who had been friends with Wang Qinyuan for many years, knew Wang Qinyuan better than Qi Chengqiang, so he went to find Wang Qinyuan twice but failed to find him. He also did not get any information from Wang Qinyuan, so he noticed something unusual.

But by then, it was obviously too late.

However, although the two men did different things, their confessions were basically the same and could be compared with each other.

Lin Feng thought for a while and continued to ask: "Did you find anything unusual when you went to the study twice?"

"No."

"Was the study door locked at that time?"

"The official just knocked on the door and did not try to push the door impolitely, so I didn't know whether it was locked at the time, but later after the fire broke out, the door was knocked open."

Zeng He's answer was very rigorous and did not make any assumptions. It was very consistent with the character of the censor.

Lin Feng and Xiao Yu looked at each other. Lin Feng nodded slightly and said, "Yushi Zeng, can we see the soles of your shoes?"

"Of course!"

Without any hesitation, Zeng He raised his two feet one after another, with the soles facing Lin Feng and Xiao Yu.

When Xiao Yu took a look, his pupils jumped violently and he almost lost his calm.

Because Zeng He’s soles were actually stained with blood!

The soles of these three people's shoes were actually stained with blood!

Lin Feng's eyes also flickered. He took a deep look at Zeng He and said, "Thank you very much, Yushi Zeng, for your cooperation. Yushi Zeng should go and rest first. If anything happens, we will call Yushi Zeng."

Zeng He nodded, turned around and left sadly.

After the confessions of the three people had been interrogated, Xiao Yu put down the brush in his hand and looked at the contents recorded on the paper, but his brows did not relax.

He frowned and said: "There is nothing wrong with the confessions of the three people. There is no suspicion between them and the deceased. There is no motive for killing."

"On the contrary, their relationship with the deceased seems to have nothing to do with the murder."

"What's even stranger is..."

He looked at Lin Feng again and said, "The soles of the three of them's shoes are all stained with blood."

After listening to Xiao Yu's words, Lin Feng leaned back, closed his eyes, and his brain was running at high speed to analyze the testimonies of several people, the changes in their expressions, and the blood stains on the soles and the scene.

When Xiao Yu saw this, he quickly kept silent so as not to interfere with Lin Feng's thinking about the case.

The night wind howled outside the window, making the window paper whistle.

Not long after, Lin Feng opened his eyes, and Xiao Yu hurriedly asked: "How?"

Lin Feng shook his head: "There is one more thing that needs to be determined now."

"what?"

Lin Feng looked at Xiao Yu and said: "Mr. Xiao, let us people from Dali Temple ask the servants and other people. After Cao Wenqing went to see Wang Sizheng, until the fire was discovered, during this period of time, ...Except Cao Wenqing and the other two, has anyone else been to the study or walked the path to the study?"

Xiao Yu's eyes flashed slightly: "Do you suspect there are others?"

Lin Feng said: "Their confessions and motives cannot directly determine the problem, so there may not be a fourth person. After all, neither Qi Chengqiang nor Zeng He met Wang Sizheng and left after that. If there is a fourth person as the murderer, They won’t find out either.”

When Xiao Yu heard this, he immediately stood up and said, "I will send someone to investigate right now."

With that said, Xiao Yu left in a hurry.

Lin Feng didn't move at all. He tapped the table gently, listening to the rhythmic thumping sound. His brain analyzed the existing clues again and again, and then began to arrange and combine them, and countless possibilities appeared.

If the fourth person exists, what is the possibility?

If the fourth person does not exist, what is the possibility?

Many ideas kept emerging, but were forced to stop because there was no evidence.

Lin Feng couldn't allow himself to be preconceived, lest he go astray like Lu Chenhe and get further and further away from the truth, which would be troublesome.

Without thinking any more, Lin Feng stood up directly and returned to the study.

Standing at the door, looking at the blood stains in front of the door.

I saw the blood marks in the study, starting from the corpse, all the way to the door, and even took a few steps outside the door before finally disappearing.

Lin Feng knelt down and looked at the blood stains outside the door. He looked at the very obvious bloody footprints and squinted his eyes.

After pondering for a moment, he stood up and walked behind the door to see what was going on behind the door.

I saw that the latch that locked the door had been broken in the middle. There was no doubt that Zhao Shiwu knocked it open when he hit the door.

He picked up the broken door latch and examined the door latch carefully. He found that there were many holes cut by sharp tools on one side of the door latch. His fingers traced these holes and they were very rough.

Xiao Yu came over at this time and saw the door bolt in Lin Feng's hand. After looking at it, he made a judgment: "These holes should have been made by a sharp weapon such as a dagger. Could it be..."

He looked at Lin Feng and speculated: "The murderer was outside the door, using a dagger to move the door latch bit by bit, so that the door latch locked the door?"

Lin Feng nodded slightly and said, "It's the same technique that Zhao Minglu used when he sneaked into Zhou Waner's room."

"And even a scholar like Zhao Minglu can do it, let alone others."

Xiao Yu said: "I didn't expect the murderer to use such a simple method. He is not afraid of being cracked by us at all!"

Lin Feng put down the door latch and said slowly: "Although the method is simple, it is effective enough to prevent anyone from entering the study room, thus delaying the discovery of Wang SiMa's death. No one knows the exact death of Wang SiMa Time...and the simpler the technique, the more people can do it, but it is difficult for us to narrow down the scope of the murderer based on this technique."

"Many times, it is actually easier to find clues and crack the clues of a resourceful murder plan than a sudden and passionate murder."

"The more calculations there are, the more complex the techniques, the more traces and clues are left. Killing someone suddenly and then walking away without any unnecessary cover-up makes this kind of case actually more difficult to detect."

Xiao Yu has rich experience. When he heard Lin Feng's words, he couldn't help but nodded and said: "That's true."

He looked at Lin Feng with a sad look on his face and said: "Judging from the condition of the door latch, this murderer is the kind of person who pursues simplicity and effectiveness. It seems that it will not be too easy to find out the truth."

But who knows, Lin Feng said: "Xiaoguan thinks exactly the opposite."

"What?" Xiao Yu was startled.

He couldn't help but look at Lin Feng in confusion: "Didn't you say that the simpler the murderer's method, the harder it is to detect it?"

Lin Feng squinted his eyes and said: "Judging from the method of creating the secret room, the murderer is indeed someone who pursues simplicity and effectiveness."

"But this does not mean that he really has no calculations. On the contrary... In this case, the murderer did a careful calculation in order to increase the suspicion of others. But as everyone knows, because of this careful calculation, The incident gave us a breakthrough!"

When Xiao Yu heard this, he was startled at first, and then his eyes widened suddenly. He looked at Lin Feng with burning eyes, and asked quickly: "Zide, what did you find?"

Lin Feng raised his toes, tapped the ground, and said: "It!"

"it?"

Xiao Yu subconsciously looked down and saw the dazzling bloody footprints under Lin Feng's feet!

(End of this chapter)