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墨書 Inktalez
I actually have another question. Some of these cases occurred in Chang'an, while others took place in Luoyang, and the jurisdictions vary as well. In ancient times, without the internet or a case database, how did Guilin obtain information about these cases and compile them together?
"You probably haven't heard the news yet. Earlier this year, the Jade Balance Bureau established a 'Cold Case Division.' All unsolved cases, suspicious cases, and those without leads will be reported to the Cold Case Division for investigation. The Cold Case Division is currently under the jurisdiction of Zhongshu Province, but it may soon be transferred to the Dali Temple. It was suggested by a certain expert to the Sovereign."
As he spoke, Guilin cast a meaningful glance at Nie Qiuyuan beside him.
I couldn't help but admire this development. With such an organization in place, they could rely on central investigative experts to tackle cases that local authorities couldn't solve. Additionally, it would help identify commonalities among these suspicious cases, allowing for the merging of cases and potentially catching the cunning perpetrators before new crimes could occur.
"Brother Gui, regarding the merging of cases related to the Ritual Ceremony, is there a reason for combining them? What about the other cases?" I couldn't help but blurt out.
Nie Qiuyuan's expression darkened at my words. A flicker of surprise crossed Guilin's face before he quickly regained his usual composure.
It suddenly dawned on me that I had mistakenly used the wrong form of address.
Previously deceived by Ren Pingsheng, I had been calling him "Brother Gui" all along at Wanzi Mountain. The version of Guilin portrayed by Ren Pingsheng was playful and wild like a stray cat, but the current Guilin was serious and composed—a true gentleman. How could I have addressed him so casually?
Moreover, this blunder revealed to Nie Qiuyuan how I had referred to Ren Pingsheng! No wonder his expression was somewhat grim; this was truly unfortunate.
However, Guilin handled it well. He cleared his throat lightly and smoothly shifted the topic, successfully diffusing the awkward atmosphere.
"The incident at Mushui Temple in Luoyang and the theft at Hongli Temple in Chang'an can naturally be linked together since both temples were tasked with selecting attendants for the April Seventh Ritual Ceremony when their incidents occurred."
Guilin began to explain at a measured pace. His thoughts aligned perfectly with mine, and I found myself nodding unconsciously.
"So we can also include the Military Camp General Case since it relates to the Ritual Ceremony?" I interjected.
Guilin nodded in agreement, indicating he had considered that as well.
But what about the other three cases? It seemed there were fewer clues available for those.
"Is it because both the Cuihua Mountain case and the Fisherman Case mentioned the Plague that they are being considered together?" I speculated after a moment of thought.
Nie Qiuyuan smiled slightly, but I noticed he shook his head almost imperceptibly.
"No, that's not it. The Fisherman Case alone cannot be determined to involve the Plague," Guilin explained. "I included Lord Fang's case from Cuihua Mountain because the escaped criminal mentioned a location—Emerald Pavilion. The location of Emerald Pavilion is very close to the altar used for the Ritual Ceremony. As seen in the Left and Right Garrison case, Emerald Pavilion is an important site where the garrison planned to deploy troops during the festival."
I was taken aback. Could it be that the motive behind these cases was related to the Ritual Ceremony? In other words, was it aimed at Emperor Li Shimin?
Based on my historical knowledge, Emperor Li Shimin could not possibly die in his second year of reign; he was meant to rule for many more years and usher in a prosperous era. But is history truly unchangeable? Moreover, I had never seen any mention of this aspect regarding the Ritual Ceremony in any historical records.
At that moment, Lin Jiu walked in with some materials, interrupting our conversation.
While Lin Jiu was busy with Luo Dachun and Guilin, Nie Qiuyuan, sitting next to me, winked at me and whispered in a low voice:
"Silly girl, you're not looking at all the documents. If you did, you might discover some clues."
With that, he waved a stack of papers in his hand.
I glanced over at Guilin and the others; they were focused on some document, completely unaware of us. So I pouted and shot him a glare before snatching the stack of papers from his hand.
Oh my gosh, how did I become like this! This is my idol! Why am I behaving so recklessly and spoiled in front of him? It felt as if everything I did was completely natural, as if I should act this way and be indulgent before him.
Oh no, I've forgotten to play it cool! How am I going to manage like this? Holding the papers, I looked up at Nie Qiuyuan with a guilty conscience, but he gazed at me with a smile in his eyes, showing no signs of anger; instead, he seemed a bit pleased?
Forget it! I lowered my head to examine the papers in my hands and found they contained details about several crime scenes and autopsy materials.
No wonder constables and coroners in big cities like Chang'an and Luoyang record the conditions of crime scenes and bodies so meticulously. With such detailed records, one could really analyze a lot from them.
"However, it's better not to look at it. The problem lies hidden within, and it's hard to discover. If it were you, you might not notice it at all. So, it's best to just listen to Lord Gui's explanation," Nie Qiuyuan said, first insulting my Intelligence Quotient with a sly smile before suddenly adopting a serious expression.
I instinctively wanted to explode, but then I felt something was off. Looking closely, I realized that Luo Dachun and the others had finished discussing their matters.
What a damn Best Actor! I cursed silently in my heart. Yet, I was somewhat surprised; this person was increasingly diverging from the image of the idol I had in mind. However, why did this version of him make my heart race even more?
It felt as if I was gradually relaxing in front of him, almost to the same extent as when I was with Night Phantom. Yes, those around him seemed to gradually diminish the shadow of Night Phantom. How could this be? Suddenly, I was struck by a thought: Nie Qiuyuan was becoming more and more like Night Phantom, wasn't he?
"Where did we leave off just now?" Luo Dachun asked with a frown.
"Regarding the reasons for consolidating other cases," Guilin continued to explain, "it's due to the footprints at the scene and the knife wounds on the victim."
So that's how it is! I silently marveled in my heart. It truly is extremely professional!
"In the case of General Garrison's suicide, the footprints left at the scene match some of those found in the Deputy Minister of Revenue's murder case; both have the same shoe size and sole pattern."
"Just based on shoe size alone, no conclusions can be drawn," I couldn't help but interject. "Visually, Lord Gui and our County Magistrate have the same shoe size, and since you all wear official shoes, the patterns would naturally be similar."
Guilin smiled slightly. "I not only reviewed the materials for these two cases but also consulted Captain Hu who investigated them. They clearly identified the characteristics of the footprints at the scene. From the footprints, we can determine that this person is about five feet tall, has a relatively sturdy build, with a natural stride of two feet three inches. The left footprint is shallower than the right one, suggesting that the left leg may have an injury that hasn't fully healed yet. If both cases' footprints perfectly match these characteristics, it would be too coincidental and would inevitably raise suspicions that they were committed by the same person."
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