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墨書 Inktalez
"Let me handle this? I have indeed studied systematically, but my knowledge is purely theoretical. Although I've had the fortune of working alongside Zhang Yang several times and have witnessed many real-life situations, if I were to lead an investigation myself, I would have no experience at all."
"I can't do it," I said frankly. The purpose of my studies was to assist Nie Qiuyuan, not to seek the spotlight for myself. A murder case is no child's play; I don't want to rush in blindly when I know I can't handle it.
Qiu chuckled, lifting her sleeve to wipe away whatever dirt or dust was on my face.
"I thought Zhenzhen was fearless, but it turns out you can be cautious too. Don't worry, I'm here with you!"
I worked for the Dali Temple; although I didn't hold an official position, I was formally registered with the Jade Balance Bureau. Thus, even as a woman, I managed to earn an ancient salary. Currently, Nie Qiuyuan is the head of the Dali Temple and truly my boss. His extreme partiality towards me in official matters always made me feel quite pleased.
So, I decided to share my thoughts with him—if I were the main investigator, how should I start an investigation based on what I've learned?
"When we solve a case, we generally follow three steps: determine the nature of the case, delineate the scope, and outline the profile," I summarized.
"Oh?" His interest was piqued immediately, and his attention sharpened. "Zhenzhen, go on."
I believed that with Nie Qiuyuan's intelligence and practical experience, he must be following these specific principles in his work; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to solve so many complex cases perfectly. However, in our time, information is more advanced, data is more accurate, and tools are more complete. Therefore, modern people are certainly better at summarizing than those in ancient times. What I've learned are the principled investigative approaches summarized by experts based on their practical experiences. Following this line of thought allows for a comprehensive consideration of issues—even without practical experience, one won't stray too far off course.
"First, based on the report or the situation at the scene and all available information that can be collected, we need to determine the nature of the case; otherwise, our thinking will be skewed. For this unidentified female corpse, the first question we should consider is whether it was suicide or homicide."
Nie Qiuyuan nodded. "Homicide without a doubt. We can skip this question; however, your reasoning is sound."
His remark of "homicide without a doubt" was understated, but I had complete confidence in him. I believed that his mind was already rapidly integrating a wealth of information and judgments.
If it were someone else speaking, I might have argued a bit—can one simply conclude it's homicide based solely on methods? Such a conclusion would be too arbitrary.
If it were suicide, then this wouldn't be a case requiring our effort to investigate. Determining whether a death is a suicide or homicide is a delicate matter; it's challenging to summarize a unified method and must instead be analyzed specifically according to each case's circumstances.
In general, if there are Wounds or other Mechanical Injuries on the corpse, one must consider whether these injuries could have been self-inflicted. In some cases, it is obvious that they could not have been, such as when the body has been dismembered into several pieces; that is something one cannot do to oneself. Whether an injury can be self-inflicted can usually be determined by common sense, but there are also some peculiar situations where one should not be too hasty in judgment.
For example, if someone has been stabbed in the back with a knife, could they have done that to themselves? It seems unlikely. However, I once read about a case where the deceased had frozen a knife into the ground with the blade facing up using ice cubes, and then fell backward from a height onto the knife, allowing it to pierce through their back. By the time people arrived, the ice had melted, making it appear as though it was a murder scene.
With such cleverness and imagination, it would truly be better spent on living well; what problems couldn't be solved? Nevertheless, this method of suicide has not appeared in any of the cases I have encountered. I asked Zhang Yang about it, and he had never seen anything like it in reality either.
However, I have seen some bizarre situations in real life. There was someone who committed suicide by driving two long nails deep into their Cranium; I really don't know how they managed to do that.
Therefore, without rigorous proof, one cannot make any conclusions on this matter. I have seen cases where individuals committed suicide by poisoning, cutting their wrists, and hanging themselves simultaneously; as expected, they did not survive.
Thus, this female corpse has Strangulation Marks and a Stab Wound but died from Poisoning; these alone do not rule out suicide. The absence of a weapon and strangling rope nearby should provide some evidence, but this woman appears to have been dead for some time. We haven't conducted an external investigation yet; perhaps those items could still be found nearby since wild animals are everywhere.
The reason for my certainty that this woman was murdered lies in her feet.
She was barefoot, yet her socks were clean and free of dirt. Therefore, she could not have walked here on her own; she must have been placed here by someone else. I believe that Qiu also made a definitive judgment about this woman being murdered based on this point.
"Well, after determining it was a homicide, we should analyze the scene and the condition of the body to ascertain the Murderer's Motive; this is also part of determining the nature of the case," I continued to steer the conversation.
Qiu smiled knowingly and said, "I think so too. So what do you think is the reason the Murderer killed her?"
I pondered for a moment and replied, "First of all, it shouldn't be for sexual assault. From what can be seen on the corpse, there were signs of previous intimacy before her death, but it doesn't seem like it was forced. There are no signs of tearing or bleeding typically associated with violence in her lower body, and there are almost no abrasions or bruises from struggling or resisting. Therefore, it's likely that she willingly engaged with the Murderer. Moreover, the poison does not appear to have been forcefully administered but rather taken unknowingly. This Murderer is likely someone she knew or was familiar with."
Nie Qiuyuan nodded with a smile, encouraging me to continue.
"It also doesn't seem to be for financial gain; if it were for robbery, why go through such complicated means to kill her? I think it might be revenge because poisoning her while also strangling and stabbing her seems like something only someone who deeply hated her would do."
"Zhenzhen," he said with a playful glint in his eye, "if you hated me so much, would you still share a bed with me?"
I couldn't help but spit at him. Honestly, ever since we got married, we had grown closer, but our conversations had lost their shape. He was no longer the cool and handsome man I remembered; instead, he seemed like a clingy rogue.
He chuckled softly and whispered, "As expected of my clever Wife, you make perfect sense. However, the truths we can uncover in this small space might be even more than what you think. There’s still a lot left to tell about Zhenzhen, and it's too late now. Tonight, I want to be close to you, heart to heart, and share everything."
It was getting more absurd by the moment. Before I could get annoyed, I heard a distant call: "Lord Nie...?"
A few officials dressed in formal attire hurried toward us, followed by a group of Constables. The leading figures were all in red robes, indicating they held positions of fifth rank or higher. The central figure was a man in his forties with a dignified appearance and a bit of facial hair that made him seem reliable.
So this was what Autumn meant by "it's too late now." What keen perception he had.
The officials approached us quickly, and upon recognizing our faces, the central figure showed signs of surprise.
"May I ask... are you the Deputy Minister of the Dali Temple, Lord Nie?"
Nie Qiuyuan stepped forward and nodded slightly. "Deputy Minister of the Dali Temple, Nie Qiuyuan, visiting Blessed Land. Thank you for your labor, Governor."
I thought that Autumn must have identified their status through their official robes. Sure enough, as soon as he greeted us, everyone bowed deeply: "Suzhou Magistrate Ma Anyang, Zhao Yi, He Xue Ting, accompanied by Legal Officer Yue Lantian, greet Lord Nie!"
Nie Qiuyuan gestured to assist them while responding, "You all need not be so formal. Entering your territory unexpectedly led to some unforeseen events. I initially only wanted to invite the Judge over; who would have thought that all of you would come personally? I truly feel quite apologetic."
Magistrate Ma Anyang hurriedly replied, "Your Excellency is too kind; it is my humble duty. Your arrival in Suzhou is to address the urgent needs of our people. We were unprepared and slow to respond; it is indeed a shame that you encountered such unfortunate matters."
Nie Qiuyuan smiled and said, "Not at all! You know well that investigating cases is the responsibility of my Dali Temple. Encountering a case might just be fate; how could it possibly be your fault?"
Ma Anyang chuckled and said, "Lord Nie is so approachable; it truly impresses us all. However, upon seeing Lord Nie, we hardly dared to recognize you. Who would have thought that the Deputy Minister of the Dali Temple would be so young and so handsome? You could easily be compared to Song Yu or Pan An!"
I felt goosebumps all over at that remark. The Deputy Minister of the Dali Temple held a fourth-rank position while the Suzhou Governor was lower-ranked; we had requested them to come from Suzhou after all. It was only natural for Suzhou Prefecture to send everyone out to welcome him. Yet here was Nie Qiuyuan acting so politely and insincerely suggesting only the Judicial Officer come over—how could that possibly be?
Listening to the flattery from the officials in Suzhou, their perfectly timed compliments made me secretly admire them. It seemed that without a bit of acting skill, it was truly difficult to navigate the world of politics.
It wasn't about judging who was good or bad; there was no sincerity among them, and who could really see through whom? However, it was nice to see everyone laughing and getting along.
"This is..." The Governor finally turned his gaze toward me.
Dressed in men's clothing and lacking a specific title, I found it quite challenging to introduce myself.
"This is my confidant; I ask all of you to take good care of them," Nie Qiuyuan said with a smile.
Originally, a confidant would refer to a subordinate, but being a high-ranking official, he specifically instructed the officials in Suzhou to "take good care" of me, which clearly indicated my unusual status. Everyone present was sharp-witted and immediately understood without further questions, treating me with great respect. The Chief Clerk responsible for accompanying me even praised me privately a few more times.
"Without further ado," Nie Qiuyuan said, "I ask the Judge to quickly take people over to examine the body. The corpse has been tampered with; we acted first, and upon returning, please relay our findings to the Judge."
Yue Lantian nodded in acknowledgment, expressed his thanks, and took people over to inspect the body.
At that moment, He Xue Ting from Suzhou hesitated for a moment before calling out from a distance, "Lantian, is it still that person's doing?"
Yue Lantian merely glanced at the corpse briefly before confidently replying, "To answer your question, my lord, just one look confirms it. This is the seventeenth life lost in Suzhou!"
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