Unglaublich

Kapitel 12

Zhang Wentao ordered someone to send Hongyu back, and then had Cheng Xiande from the eldest son's family summoned in. Because Cheng Xiande had the title of Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations), he did not kneel upon entering, but simply bowed to the two men, and then sighed, "Lord Zhang, Master Wei, the death of my second brother is truly strange."

Zhang Wentao didn't respond to his question, but calmly asked, "How did you know that Cheng Xianju was murdered in the Buddhist hall?"

“I always get up early. This morning, around 5 a.m., I went out again. I was going to take a walk in the back garden, but on the way, I ran into Hongyu rushing up behind me in a panic, crying as she ran. I asked her what was wrong, and she told me about my second brother’s murder. I quickly called for help, but when we got into the house, my second brother was already dead.” Cheng Xiande’s voice was still somewhat weak, as if he was still immersed in grief and fear.

“Say it again, where did you see Hongyu?”

"On the way to the back garden. It's the inverted Xiamen building in front of the North Courtyard."

“You’re lying,” Zhang Wentao sneered. “Yu Hong said she met you in the veranda of the West Flower Hall, and that she bumped into you head-on. But you said it was at the reverse gate in front of the North Courtyard, and that you chased after her from behind. What do you mean?”

Cheng Xiande stiffened, his face flushed, and he hurriedly said, "Perhaps, maybe Yu Hong was frightened and remembered it wrong."

"You still want to argue with me? I checked your bedroom when I inspected the other rooms. There was a knocked-over bronze incense burner with nine coils inside, and the incense inside was extinguished. I asked your maid, and she said the incense was lit at Hai Shi, which is the second watch (9 PM). Each coil of incense burns for half an hour, and when the fourth coil burned, it was exactly the fourth watch. At that time, you left the room in the dark and accidentally extinguished the incense. It is this extinguished incense that tells me about your strange behavior of going out in the middle of the night. Tell me, where did you go at the fourth watch? What did you do?"

Wei Shenyin listened to Zhang Wentao's meticulous observations and insightful analysis, and his admiration grew even stronger. He also asked sternly, "Do you know that the person before you is the Great Qing Divine Judge, appointed by the late Emperor Gaozong? Don't harbor any illusions."

Large beads of sweat appeared on Cheng Xiande's forehead. He lowered his head, his face flushed, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Wei Shenyin angrily said, "I have already investigated, and Cheng Xianju has no enemies. If you weren't plotting to seize the family property, who would be so ruthless?"

"Your Honor, I've been wronged!"

"Where does this injustice come from? How can the matter of the nine incense burners be explained?"

"Well, sigh..."

"Guards!" Wei Shenyin ordered, and the two constables responded in unison. Wei Shenyin said fiercely, "Seize him! I will petition the education commissioner to strip him of his academic titles, and then torture him severely. No matter how tough your tongue is, you must pry out the truth!"

Several constables rushed up and had just subdued Cheng Xiande when a woman called out from outside the door, "Sir, please wait!"

As they spoke, a woman entered, dressed in a low-cut blue top and purple skirt. The skirt's surface and hem were trimmed with black embroidered borders, and the cuffs were edged with wide, white borders embroidered with peonies in full color. She had an oval face, arched eyebrows, and a pair of captivating, sparkling eyes. Her teeth were like pearls, and her lips were touched with rouge. She was an extremely beautiful woman, appearing to be only thirty-one or thirty-two years old, but her identity remained a mystery.

The woman walked in, knelt down and said, "This humble woman, Cheng Yue, pays her respects to Lord Zhang and Master Wei."

"Who are you?"

"I am the old master's concubine."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wentao and Wei Shenyin exchanged bewildered glances. Zhang Wentao asked in surprise, "What did you mean by 'wait a moment'? Since you are Cheng Qishan's widow, you should be observing mourning at home. You should avoid suspicion, so why did you personally come here to plead for Cheng Xiande?"

"Replying to Lord Zhang, Cheng Dexian indeed dared not light a lamp last night, and sneaked out of his room in the dark around four in the morning. But he did not go to the Buddhist hall, but to my daughter's room."

"Ah!" Qian Botang, standing behind, couldn't help but shout, "Cheng Dexian has committed adultery with his concubine's mother! You've really ruined Brother Wei's life. Adultery with one's concubine's mother is a heinous crime punishable by immediate hanging. Don't you value your lives, or do you want Wei Shenyin to remain an official?"

Cheng Yueshi originally intended to exonerate Cheng Xiande from a serious crime, but unexpectedly she incurred a serious charge herself. She was so shocked that her face turned pale, and she kept kowtowing, saying, "This young lady was just talking nonsense."

Zhang Wentao never expected that the investigation would uncover a case of incest. According to the laws of the Qing Dynasty, if an incest case occurred in this county, the county magistrate would be severely punished, with the most serious penalty being dismissal from office. He couldn't help but glance at Wei Shenyin.

Wei Shenyin glanced at the two men with disgust and said, "Investigate Cheng Xianju's case first. These two scoundrels, send them to jail immediately!"

Several bailiffs came up and dragged him away. Cheng Xiande knelt down with a thud and said, "Sir, I have something to say, I have something to say."

Wei Shenyin said angrily, "Once we're in the main hall, you'll naturally have your turn to speak."

Cheng Xiande struggled to leave, crying out, "I am only obeying my father's orders and have no other choice."

Wei Shenyin sensed the hidden meaning in his words, gestured for the constables to drag him back, and walked him to Cheng Xiande, asking, "You just said that your father told you to do this?"

"Yes, sir. As the saying goes, of the three unfilial acts, the greatest is to have no offspring. It's a pity that twenty-three years ago, I had been married for ten years, and I had neither a son nor a daughter. I wanted to take a concubine to have a son, but my wife, the shrew of Hedong, forbade me to take a concubine. I could only watch as others had many children and grandchildren, while I remained childless, unable to enjoy the simple joys of family life!" At this point, Cheng Xiande wiped away a tear and continued, "Later, my second brother found a fortune teller to tell our fortunes." My second brother, however, was destined to have daughters but no sons. He later married one wife and two concubines, and indeed, they had five daughters. Two died young, leaving three precious daughters. My second brother didn't believe it at the time and went to the City God Temple to draw lots again, receiving the same result. My father had no choice but to place his hopes for a grandson on me. But although my wife couldn't have children, she was extremely jealous and refused to let me take a concubine, not even a maid. So the matter was delayed. Later, I fell in love with this opera singer... Sanqiao, I redeemed her from her servitude. Originally, I intended to secretly marry her as a mistress, but word got out. My wife caused a huge scene at home, and even brought her family to force me to sign a written agreement that I could never take another mistress. My father, enraged, declared he would marry Yue Sanqiao, and the turmoil subsided. However, although my father brought Yue Sanqiao into the family, he never entered her courtyard. He secretly told me that he was old and frail and could no longer consummate the marriage. He asked me to do it for him, to ensure the Cheng family line continued. At first, I refused, but my father said he was the only son in three generations and couldn't let the line end here. He said it was his fault for arranging this marriage for me, bringing home a shrew. Now he wanted me to suffer again, and although I felt bad, there was nothing I could do. Later, he even knelt before me. I actually had some feelings for Yue Sanqiao, and with my father's kneeling pleading, I finally agreed.” Cheng Xiande, at this point, was already sobbing uncontrollably. Lu Yueshi over there was also crying her eyes out.

After listening, Wei Shenyin remained silent for a long while before saying, "Two strange cases have occurred in one day, one a bizarre criminal case and the other a complicated love case. Lord Zhang, what do you think should be done about this case?"

Zhang Wentao was an official who had resigned due to the death of a parent, while Wei Shenyin was a serving county magistrate. Moreover, this was a civil case, and Wei Shenyin had no reason to need his guidance. Zhang Wentao understood that Wei Shenyin wanted his help in getting away with this question, hoping to preserve Wei Shenyin's own official position. Zhang Wentao also felt a pang of pity for the two men, finding their relationship both strange and genuine. So, he did them a favor, saying, "Today we've encountered both a bizarre criminal case and a complex emotional one; it's quite interesting. Since Cheng Xiande said it was his father's order, and your father and Lu Yueshi have no marital relationship, it's an acceptable precedent. However, you are not allowed to leave the manor for the next few days until Master Wei has investigated the case and made a decision!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Shenyin knew that Zhang Wentao had given him a way out, and he felt relieved. He then said to Cheng Xiande and Cheng Yueshi, "You may leave now."

The two men kowtowed and were about to leave when Zhang asked Tao, "Cheng Xiande, I would like to bring a few people to stay at your residence to investigate the case at our own pace. Is that permissible?"

Cheng Xiande said, "Please stay, sir. It would be an honor for the Cheng family. I will have someone prepare a quiet and elegant courtyard immediately."

Great Qing Dynasty Divine Judgment Forty-nine

That evening, Zhang Wentao and Qian Botang, along with several yamen runners, stayed in a courtyard house on the north side of the Cheng residence.

Zhang Wentao spent the entire day questioning people about the case, but still couldn't make heads or tails of it. Instead, he was bombarded with stories of Cheng Hanxiao's ghost. After dinner, Zhang Wentao and Qian Botang sat under the lamp and discussed Cheng Xianju's case again.

Qian Botang poured Zhang Wentao a cup of tea, handed it to him, and said with a smile, "Why is the Cheng family so suspicious? Not only the master, but even the servants believe in the story of Cheng Hanxiao's ghost entering the house. If it really is a vengeful ghost killing people, wouldn't Lord Zhang have to solve a ghost case?"

Zhang Wentao adjusted the lamp, brightening the room considerably, before saying, "The matter of Cheng Hanxiao's ghost isn't that simple. Since everyone in the household saw the ghost, then the ghost truly exists!"

Qian Botang paused for a moment, put down the teacup he was holding, and said, "Didn't you say, sir, that matters of gods and ghosts are too fantastical? In all matters, one must carefully examine and analyze doubts, and never entrust them to gods and ghosts?"

“It’s not a real ghost, but a fake one! I’ve said it before, this case must have been committed by someone from the Cheng family. This person first pretended to be a ghost before committing the crime, so that all the blame could be placed on the ghost.”

Just as Zhang Wentao finished speaking, a yamen runner came in to report that Cheng Baochou, the son of the Cheng family, was requesting an audience.

Zhang asked Tao suspiciously, "I already questioned him during the day, what is he doing here so late?"

Qian Botang said, "You're not here to refute the fact that his father became a ghost, are you?"

Zhang Wentao said to the bailiff, "Let him in."

The bailiff obeyed and soon brought in a boy. The boy was only about fifteen or sixteen years old, but he was very tall and strong. He had the same round face as his mother, but his eyes were different from his mother's small eyes. They were large, bright, and piercing, and above them were two very thick eyebrows.

The young man entered, kowtowed, and then raised his head, saying, "Master Divine Judge, I have long heard of your reputation. I have come tonight to ask you to seek justice for my father, but please, please don't tell anyone that I have been here."

This was the first time Zhang Wentao had been called "Master of Divine Judgment" by someone, so he couldn't help but smile and said to him, "You are Cheng Baochou, the son of the youngest daughter of the Cheng family? Get up and speak. I am currently in mourning for my father, so there is no need for so many formalities."

Cheng Baochou kowtowed again before standing up and said, "Your Excellency, my father was murdered, not struck by lightning. Your judgment is excellent; only you can redress my father's grievances."

Zhang Wentao had already learned during the day that Cheng Baochou's father, Cheng Hanxiao, who was also the son-in-law of the family, had been struck by lightning and died three years ago on Wolong Mountain outside Suining City. Cheng Hanxiao owned a villa on the mountain and was staying there that day. Rumor had it that the location where Cheng Hanxiao built the villa had bad feng shui, blocking the path of the gods and Buddhas, thus incurring their wrath. Although Zhang Wentao didn't believe in this, he thought it was just a natural disaster or man-made calamity and didn't take it seriously. But hearing Cheng Baochou say that Cheng Hanxiao had been murdered, he couldn't help but think of this again and asked, "What makes you say your father was murdered? Did he have any enemies?"

“My father was a good man, kind, courteous, gentle, and humble. In the entire Suining county, not a single person spoke ill of him. How could such a good man be punished by Heaven?”

Qian Botang sighed, “Since ancient times, how many good people have died? You are still young, your heart is pure, and you do not yet know that the ugliness, evil, goodness, and beauty of the world are not actually under the jurisdiction of gods and Buddhas. Otherwise, why have there been no shortage of injustices in the world since Nuwa created humans 30,000 years ago?”

Cheng Baochou retorted, "The day my father had his accident, although the sky was overcast, it didn't rain. There was only one clap of thunder that day. I was standing on the roof looking towards Wolong Mountain when the thunder sounded, and I didn't see any lightning. I think it was a false thunder. Someone must have been plotting against my father."

Zhang Wentao listened to the child's logical explanation and secretly praised him. He then asked, "Since you say your father was murdered, but you also say your father was very popular and wouldn't make enemies, then who would harm your father?"

"My father was excellent at accounting and financial management, and he was also good at business, so he was highly regarded by my maternal grandfather. My mother also said that my two uncles were not very good at business. If they had focused on pursuing officialdom, they might have been successful; but in business, they would have been good enough at maintaining the status quo. So my maternal grandfather intended to pass the position of the head of the family business to my father. In previous years, my father was always my maternal grandfather's favorite manager. I think it was my two uncles who plotted to seize the family property and the position of the head of the family business, which is why they killed my father."

Zhang Wentao listened and couldn't help but re-examine the child. Cheng Baochou's analysis was insightful and his observations were meticulous; he had endured three years of harboring hatred for his father. This child was truly remarkable. He nodded and asked, "Does your mother also believe your father was murdered?"

“My mother only said that her family was unfortunate, and later she rarely talked about my father. I think it was probably because she couldn’t bear to part with her brother and sister.”

"Why didn't you report it to the authorities three years ago?"

“Three years ago, I was only twelve years old, and my mother was unwilling to report it to the authorities. My two uncles were very powerful, so how could I dare to report it to the authorities so easily? If I had reported it to the authorities back then, I don’t know if I would still be able to see the Divine Judge today.”

“This child is quite like me back then,” Zhang Wentao said with a smile to Qian Botang, then turned to Cheng Baochou and said, “Alright, I agree to let you handle this case. If it is found that this case is indeed as you say, and that someone did indeed use a fake thunderbolt to kill your father, I will definitely avenge your father’s death.”

The next day, Zhang Wentao, under the pretext of investigating the case and searching for the ghost, demanded to reopen the coffin for an autopsy. Since Zhang Wentao was not a local official, he needed Wei Shenyin to issue an official warrant, retrieve the case files, and notify the Cheng family.

When Wei Shenyin heard Zhang Wentao say he wanted to open the coffin and examine the body, he asked in surprise, "Lord Zhang, do you really think this was done by Cheng Hanxiao's ghost?"

Zhang asked Tao, "I suspect that Cheng Hanxiao was murdered three years ago because he was struck by lightning, so I want to open the coffin. To prevent the Cheng family from obstructing or tampering with it, I have to use the pretext of searching for a ghost to investigate the case."

Wei Shenyin replied, "I've heard of this case too. But so much time has passed; three years have gone by. The body has long since turned to bones. How could it possibly be detected?"

"That's not difficult. If someone dies from a lightning strike, their bones will be charred yellow, with a split jaw and disheveled hair. The injuries will mostly be on the head and back, with many gaps in the skull. Other parts of the bones will at most be charred yellow, but there won't be any obvious cracks. However, if someone dies from a gunpowder-made lightning strike, their bones will be either black or white, with multiple fractures and numerous bone fragments, and the remains may not even be intact. It's not difficult to distinguish between a real lightning strike and a fake one from the bones."

“This is the first time I’ve heard of what Lord Zhang has said. I’ve certainly learned something new.” Wei Shenyin then issued an official warrant to the Cheng family to open the coffin and search for the ghost. He also asked someone to choose a date for the opening of the coffin, which was set for March 20th.

Hearing that the renowned Qing Dynasty diviner was going to exhume a grave to judge a ghost, Suining City was immediately abuzz with excitement. By March 20th, the Cheng family's ancestral cemetery was already packed with onlookers. What was once a desolate, overgrown cemetery was unusually bustling that day. The cemetery was filled with the roar of voices and the jostling of people. Birds took flight and rabbits scattered in fright, as if at a market. Zhang Wentao and Wei Shenyin arrived at the cemetery together, first offering sacrifices to Heaven, Earth, and the spirits, then ordering the grave to be opened.

Several militiamen dug open the tomb door, pulled out the coffin, pried off the long nails, and moved the coffin lid. Just as they moved it, the militiamen cried out in unison. This cry startled the onlookers.

The story of the Cheng family being haunted had already spread like wildfire throughout Suining County. These people had come specifically today to witness the Qing Dynasty's divine judgment of ghosts. Hearing the loud shouts and cries of the villagers, they assumed a ghost had emerged and all retreated.

Zhang Wentao walked over and asked, "What is it?"

A militiaman ran over to report: "Sir Zhang, this is an empty coffin. There are no remains inside!"

"Ah?" Zhang Wentao went over to look and, sure enough, it was an empty coffin. However, the coffin pillow, mattress, and blanket were still intact inside. Unwilling to give up, Zhang Wentao bent down and searched the coffin for a long time. Finally, he straightened up, holding something in his hand.

He examined the object closely against the light for a while and said, "This is a piece of white bone from the pelvic area. Although I can't be entirely certain, it's entirely possible that Cheng Hanxiao was killed by a fake lightning bolt."

The Great Qing Divine Judgment Fifty

March 21st, a dilapidated courtyard on Wolong Mountain outside Suining City. The villa where Cheng Hanxiao once lived.

The trees were lush and green, and birds chirped. Zhang Wentao and Qian Botang walked among the broken walls and ruins.

The roof was overgrown with weeds as tall as a person, and green vines twined around the beams. The eaves tiles had fallen off, and several broken windows were crooked. Thick moss covered the base of the walls.

Qian Botang carefully walked across the dilapidated place and said to Zhang Wentao, "Teacher, I think the murderer who killed Cheng Hanxiao must be Cheng Xiande without a doubt."

"How can you tell?"

"The fact that the body was moved is clear evidence. If they weren't guilty, why would they move the body?"

"This only proves that Cheng Hanxiao must have been murdered, because there is no evidence that the Cheng family moved the body. The news of the exhumation had already spread throughout Suining County. The murderer could be anyone in Suining County. However, the piece of bone carelessly left behind by the person who moved the body has become strong evidence that Lei committed murder."

Zhang Wentao stopped and pointed to a large crater in the courtyard, saying, "Hehe, we've found another piece of evidence. This crater was left by a thunderbolt back then. Look over there, the walls have collapsed, the houses have crumbled, and bricks and stones are flying everywhere. If it really was struck by lightning, it should have struck from above, so how could it have shaken bricks and stones onto the roof? And lightning wouldn't leave such a large crater in the ground. These phenomena are more likely caused by a gunpowder explosion. To create such a powerful force, it would probably take at least thirty catties of gunpowder."

Qian Botang looked at the large pit and muttered to himself, "It's been three years. Can the murderer still be found? I still think Cheng Dexian is the most likely suspect."

"Perhaps your deduction is entirely correct. But we haven't found any evidence against him yet, so let's not act rashly on him for the time being. However, the murderer's true colors have already begun to show; haven't you noticed?"

"The students are ignorant and haven't seen a single clue."

“As I just told you, it’s about those thirty catties of gunpowder. Very few people can buy that much gunpowder at once. According to the laws of the Qing Dynasty, buying gunpowder requires a permit from the local government, and each household can only obtain one permit per year. Therefore, this person could only obtain one permit and buy gunpowder once. Once we find this person who bought thirty catties of gunpowder at once, we can follow the trail to find the murderer. This matter will require the help of Brother Wei Shenyin.”

March 30th, night.

A few barks broke the silence of the dark night. Several flickering lanterns in front of the Suining County government office illuminated the area. Two sedan chairs hurriedly emerged from the darkness and proceeded to the county government office. Zhang Wentao and Qian Botang stepped out of the sedan chairs.