Unglaublich

Kapitel 13

A gatekeeper led them inside. The two men walked to the main courtyard, where Wei Shenyin greeted them, saying, "Lord Zhang, as you instructed, I sent men to investigate the area. There aren't many gunpowder sellers in the Sichuan region, only fourteen in total. Only this one seller ever sold thirty catties of gunpowder to one person." As he spoke, he led the two men into the house, sat them down, and then said to the constables, "Bring up Wang Datou, the gunpowder seller."

A short while later, a short, middle-aged man with a large head was brought in. Wei Shenyin said to Zhang Wentao, "Lord Zhang, I have taken care of the matter you entrusted to me. Now it is up to you to judge the case."

Zhang Wentao nodded and then asked Wang Datou, "When did you sell so much gunpowder?"

"The third day of the second month of the fifth year of the Jiaqing reign."

"What's that person's name? Where is he from?"

"That man's name is He Laowu, and he's from Suining."

"Why do you remember it so clearly?"

“Sir, no one has ever bought so much gunpowder from me before. The most I’ve ever bought was twenty catties, but this person bought thirty catties at once, so I remember him very well. Besides, his name is He Laowu and mine is Wang Laowu, so our names are very easy to remember.”

"Who is He Laowu?"

"He was a servant in the Cheng family household in Suining."

Wei Shenyin said, “Lord Zhang, I have also investigated this. He Laowu bought explosives on the orders of his steward Jia Cheng. This was obtained by Constable Wang after he invited He Laowu for drinks to elicit information. However, Jia Cheng kept his mouth shut and we couldn’t get a single word out of him.”

"It seems that Jia Cheng is the most crucial figure. Behind him lies the true culprit who killed Cheng Hanxiao."

“Lord Zhang, it’s getting late. Tomorrow we can send someone to bring Jia Cheng to court and get the truth out of him. For today, you two can stay in my office.”

"It's not convenient to go back to the Cheng residence or my residence now, so I'll have to bother you tonight."

"Lord Zhang, please don't be so polite."

The next day was the first day of the fourth lunar month.

Just as dawn was breaking, around 6:30 in the morning, Zhang Wentao, who had just gotten up, heard a flurry of footsteps outside the courtyard. He was about to call someone to inquire when a yamen runner rushed in and said, "Lord Zhang, our master requests your presence."

"What is it?"

"I heard there's been another murder in the Cheng family. Another one where someone was scared to death."

"Who is the deceased?"

"It's Jia Cheng, the steward of the Cheng family."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wentao was so shocked that he fell back into his chair.

The Great Qing Divine Judgment Fifty-One

The crime scene was still inside the Buddhist temple. And the scene was almost strikingly similar to the previous one.

The Buddhist hall still reeked of the strong scent of sandalwood. The lamps before the statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva remained lit. The incense sticks in the censer had burned out, leaving only grayish-white ash. A candlestick still stood on the table to the east of the hall, holding three small, half-burnt white candles. The steward Jia Cheng's body lay supine before the table, one hand clutching his chest, the other clenched into a fist. His face still bore that pained and horrified expression, traces of cold sweat on his skin. A distinct purple ligature mark lay on his neck, much shallower than Cheng Xianju's. This struggle was even more intense. The murderer had finally used something other than the curtain tie. A bloodstained inkstone lay discarded to the side. The deceased's forehead bore repeated blows, his entire forehead stained crimson with blood.

However, there were still no fatal wounds on the body. It was clear that the deceased had also suddenly discovered something terrifying during the struggle and died of fright.

What could be so terrifying? And yet, this terrifying thing couldn't cause the killer any harm.

Could there really be vengeful ghosts?

Zhang Wentao stood in the Buddhist hall, deep in thought. The lead in the lightning strike case had just been broken, and now another corpse had been added to the ghost story in the Buddhist hall. Both cases were becoming increasingly complicated.

This was the second time Zhang Wentao had found himself in such a passive position. The deep pain he felt five years ago from the "Princess's Background Case" resurfaced, making him even more agitated.

"Mu Qingyi," Zhang Wentao murmured his old friend's name, "If you have a spirit in heaven, let me expose the face of this evil ghost."

Zhang Wentao silently recited the words in his mind, his gaze wandering until it gradually settled on the candlestick. In an instant, a flash of inspiration struck him, like a sudden enlightenment. Zhang Wentao walked to the candlestick, pointed at it, and said to Qian Botang and Wei Shenyin, "So the answer is here."

Qian Botang and Wei Shenyin both came over and examined the candlestick closely, but they couldn't figure out what it was.

Seeing their confusion, Zhang Wentao smiled gently and said, "This candlestick just told me that the murderer is a human, not a ghost."

Wei Shenyin asked, "How can a candlestick speak? Lord Zhang, please don't try to be mysterious."

Zhang Wentao took down the candlestick and walked to the door, gesturing, "If the murderer had waited until Jia Cheng entered before striking, wouldn't the chances of success have been much greater? They wouldn't have had to expend so much effort fighting him later. But Jia Cheng not only walked in unharmed, but also calmly placed the candlestick on the table. What does this mean? It means the murderer must have been very familiar with Jia Cheng, and that before killing him, he must have had something to say to him. That's why he didn't immediately kill him."

Similarly, when Cheng Xianju was murdered last time, he also calmly walked to the table with a candlestick and placed it there. Then, a while later, he was attacked by the murderer. Unfortunately, I didn't notice this detail last time.

Not only that, both men arrived at the Buddhist hall at dawn. Could the location and time be mere coincidence? No! I believe someone must have invited Cheng Xianju and Jia Cheng here. Cheng Xianju's story about having a dream in the middle of the night, told to his concubine Hongyu, was just an excuse.

What did Cheng Xianju and Jia Cheng want to say to the murderer? Especially Jia Cheng, who, even after Cheng Xianju's murder, still risked coming to this secluded, haunted house in the middle of the night to meet someone who could kill him at any moment. What did Jia Cheng want to gain? Or what was he afraid of losing? I think this person must have some kind of leverage over the two of them to make them so eager to come and 'seek their deaths'!

"That's all I can speculate about regarding Cheng Xianju and Jia Cheng's psychology. However, I need to know more about the murderer. When the last murder occurred, I already deduced that the perpetrator must be a man from the Cheng household."

"A man?"

“It was definitely a man; a woman wouldn’t have that much strength. And a woman wouldn’t lure a man here.” Zhang Wentao continued, “Based on the clues found in this murder case, I deduce that the murderer is someone with the qualifications and status to lure Cheng Deju and Jia Cheng out, someone who had the opportunity to learn their secrets, and someone who was determined to kill them both. There are only three men in the Cheng family who meet all three of these conditions.”

“Cheng Baochou,” Qian Botang blurted out.

“And Cheng Dexian,” Wei Shenyin said.

"There's one more person you haven't mentioned. It's Cheng Dexian's son, Cheng Yin'ai."

Wei Shenyin asked, "Sir, who do you think is most likely among these three people?"

“I don’t know, but I hope this person—preferably not Cheng Baochou.”

The Great Qing Divine Judgment Fifty-Two

On the fifth day of the fourth lunar month, the weather in Suining had already begun to heat up. The distant mountains were washed clean, their verdant greenness almost dripping. In the back garden of the Suining County government office, wildflowers bloomed among the trees, and birds chirped. Qian Botang, being stout and unable to bear the heat, had already put on a gauze jacket and was fanning himself. Zhang Wentao was still wearing the same clothes he had arrived in, walking with Qian Botang and Wei Shenyin along the garden path.

"Lord Zhang, Brother Qian, you've been investigating for days. Have you found any clues? Of the three—Cheng Dexian, Cheng Yin'ai, and Cheng Baochou—who is most likely the murderer?"

Qian Botang snapped his fan shut and slapped it hard on his hand, saying, "Sigh! These past few days we've questioned everyone in the Cheng family and those from other households who have close ties with the Cheng family. Although we've learned quite a bit of new information, the more we ask, the more we feel that all three of them could be the murderer."

"What do you mean?"

Zhang Wentao shifted his gaze from a melodious oriole and slowly said, "Cheng Xianju, the second son of the Cheng family, and Jia Chengdu, the steward, have a blood feud with Cheng Baochou for killing their fathers. Although Cheng Baochou is only fifteen years old, he is tall and strong, and he is also good at martial arts. He has both the ability and the motive to kill these two men."

Cheng Xiande, the eldest son of the Cheng family, has been at odds with Cheng Xianju for the past two years, especially over the family property. Their reluctance to divide the family assets stems from their mutual unwillingness to compromise and their desire for a larger share; both are also vying to become the head of the Cheng family business, leading to constant open and covert struggles and infighting. Meanwhile, the steward, Jia Cheng, is wholeheartedly loyal to the second son, Cheng Xianju. It's quite possible that Cheng Xiande intends to eliminate these two men to remove two obstacles to his ascension to the position of head of the family business.

Cheng Yin'ai may have committed murder for love. The steward, Jia Cheng, had two daughters. The elder daughter was already married, and the younger daughter, Jia Zhenlian, was eighteen and of marriageable age. Two years ago, Cheng Yin'ai and Jia Zhenlian had become inseparable. Cheng Yin'ai had repeatedly declared within the Cheng family that he would not only marry Jia Zhenlian but also make her his principal wife. This was opposed by the eldest and second wives, and by everyone in the Jia family. They wouldn't even allow him to take Jia Zhenlian as his principal wife, let alone as a maidservant. The second son, Cheng Xianju, was particularly vehemently opposed, even though neither Cheng Yin'ai nor Jia Zhenlian was his son or daughter. Jia Cheng was the strangest; although this was a golden opportunity for his family to climb the social ladder, he had threatened suicide to prevent Cheng Yin'ai from approaching Jia Zhenlian. People are often blinded by love, and love can be the most absurd thing. Cheng Yin'ai was usually taciturn, withdrawn, sensitive, and suspicious. As the only grandson of the Cheng family, he was spoiled and domineering. It's not impossible for him to commit this crime.

After listening attentively, Qian Botang replied, "I believe that Cheng Baochou is the least suspicious."

Zhang asked Tao with a smile, "Tell me about it."

"Those who opposed the marriage between Cheng Yin'ai and Jia Zhenlian were not only Cheng Xianju and Jia Cheng. Besides these two, there were also Cheng Baochou's father, Cheng Xiande, and mother, Cheng Keshi; the Cheng family's second wife and two concubines; the Cheng family's two matriarchs; and Jia Zhenlian's mother. Almost the entire household, except for the Cheng family, opposed the marriage. Unless Cheng Yin'ai killed his entire family and the Jia family, this marriage would be difficult to achieve. But even if he were heartless, acted like a beast, and was deeply in love, and wiped out both families, could he really be with Jia Zhenlian? With his intelligence, he shouldn't be that foolish!"

Zhang Wentao nodded and said, "Shi Liang's (Qian Botang's courtesy name) analysis is reasonable and insightful. I had thought so too. But every time I talk to Cheng Yin'ai, I always see a murderous look on his face and a cold glint in his eyes; his words are harsh and ungrateful, cynical and resentful. I always feel that something is wrong, so I dare not easily give up my suspicions about him."

Wei Shenyin had been listening attentively, and upon hearing this, he stopped and said, "So, in fact, Cheng Xiande and Cheng Baochou are the most suspicious. If it's Cheng Xiande, that's fine, but if the murderer is Cheng Baochou, then Cheng Xiande will also be suspected of being one of the masterminds behind his father's murder, and a third murder might be inevitable. It would be better to detain these two separately as a precaution."

Just as Wei Shenyin finished speaking, he heard hurried footsteps coming from the moon gate in the back garden. A yamen runner ran over and said, "Master, Master. Another murder has occurred in the Cheng family."

Qian Botang abruptly stopped waving his fan and said to Wei Shenyin, "You were absolutely right." But then the yamen runner said, "The steward Jia Cheng's daughter, Jia Zhenlian, died in the Buddhist hall of the Cheng family mansion. She was also frightened to death."

The three of them were all taken aback when they heard this!

The Great Qing Divine Judgment Fifty-Three

This time, unlike the previous two, Jia Zhenlian's body was slumped on a huanghuali wood chair. Although her expression was still one of terror, there were no signs of struggle around her, and Jia Zhenlian's clothes were perfectly intact, with no injuries on her body.

“What a beautiful woman! No wonder Cheng Yin’ai was captivated by her. But why did she commit the murder in broad daylight this time?” Wei Shenyin asked.

“Jia Zhenlian committed suicide,” Zhang Wentao said somberly.

Wei Shenyin and Qian Botang were both taken aback. They asked in unison, "How do you know?"

"The scene was very clean and tidy, and the deceased was sitting steadily in the chair. Although she looked pained, her teeth were clenched, and her head was bowed, showing that she had been enduring pain before her death."

"Wasn't she scared to death? Look at her face, and these freshly dried sweat stains," Wei Shenyin asked.

"I was also misled by this appearance before, and couldn't figure it out no matter how hard I tried. But didn't you notice that when Cheng Xianju, Jia Cheng, and Jia Zhenlian died, they all clutched their chests and their expressions showed more pain than fear, and their limbs were stiff rather than limp? Their lips and nails were not the pale white of someone who had been frightened, and their tongues were pale red. These symptoms all indicate that the three of them died from palpitations (tachycardia) induced by a poison. This poison is actually quite common; it's aconite. However, the toxicity of aconite itself is not enough to cause immediate death after ingestion. But aconitine, which is purified from aconite, is more than a hundred times more toxic and can cause immediate effects within a third of a quarter of an hour (five minutes) after ingestion, or even in the blink of an eye."

"But how could palpitations alone cause a look of terror on the deceased's face?"

“These people did see something that frightened them, but not enough to kill them. The real killer is likely aconitine,” Zhang Wentao said, before gently moving Jia Zhenlian’s body to the floor and tapping it lightly with his knuckles.

Wei Shenyin asked, "Then who used this medicine to harm people? Was it Cheng Baochou or Cheng Xiande? And what about the matter of Cheng Hanxiao's ghost?"

Qian Botang continued, "It definitely wasn't Cheng Baochou. If it were Cheng Baochou who killed Cheng Xianju and Jia Cheng, that would make sense. But Cheng Baochou had no connection with Jia Zhenlian whatsoever, so why would he intend to harm her? Besides, Jia Zhenlian committed suicide. How could Jia Zhenlian meet alone with a young man she wasn't close to in the Buddhist hall and willingly take poison?"

Wei Shenyin said, "Then only Cheng Xiande remains. After eliminating his rival for the position of head of the household, Cheng Xiande also harmed Jia Zhenlian for the sake of his son's marriage. Jia Zhenlian, invited by her future father-in-law and current master, naturally dared not refuse. She was probably tricked by Cheng Xiande into taking this drug. After the drug took effect, although Jia Zhenlian understood the truth, in order to protect the reputation of Cheng Yin'ai and his father Cheng Xiande, she endured the pain and died without crying out for help or struggling."

Zhang Wentao stopped knocking and stood up, saying, "That's right, Jia Zhenlian died because she cared about the Cheng family's reputation. But the person she met in the Buddhist hall today was not Cheng Xiande, but Cheng Xiande's son, Cheng Yin'ai."

Qian Botang and Wei Shenyin were both taken aback when Zhang Wentao suddenly revealed the murderer's name, and that it was actually Cheng Yin'ai. They stared at Zhang Wentao in stunned silence.

Zhang Wentao laughed and said, "I just patted the area below the navel and below the heart of this corpse, and it was as hard as iron, making a clanging sound. This is the sign of death while pregnant. Jia Zhenlian died pregnant. So, who could have impregnated her?"

“Cheng Yin’ai!” Qian Botang blurted out.

“Yes, it’s him! After Jia Zhenlian becomes pregnant, she will definitely tell Cheng Yin’ai. And after Cheng Yin’ai finds out, he will definitely…” Zhang Wentao stopped there and said to Wei Shenyin, “Brother Wei, please send someone to bring Cheng Yin’ai here and let him tell the truth himself.”

The Great Qing Divine Judgment Fifty-Four

“I did not kill Jia Zhenlian!” Cheng Yin’ai said, kneeling on the ground with his head held high. His voice was filled with sorrow, and he was deeply grieved by Jia Zhenlian’s death.

"It's true that Jia Zhenlian committed suicide, but you gave her the poison. Also, your second uncle Cheng Xianju and steward Jia Cheng were also forced to take this poison and died. Why did you kill these two people? And how did you use the name of Cheng Xiaohan's ghost? Confess the truth."

“I don’t understand what you’re saying, sir. If Jia Zhenlian was going to commit suicide, why did you ask me to give her poison? And why did she go to the Buddhist hall to kill herself? I have no grudge against my second uncle or the steward Jia Chengben. Although they opposed my marriage to Jia Zhenlian, I could have just eloped with her. Why did you do something so pointless?”

Zhang Wentao snorted and said, "I'm also very curious, and I was just about to ask you for an explanation!" He turned to the constables beside him and asked, "Have you searched Cheng Yin'ai's room?"

"They've searched everything. As per your orders, sir, all suspicious pills and powders have been brought over."

"Let me see it."

A yamen runner brought over a medicine box. Zhang Wentao ordered him to open it, and after carefully examining it for a while, he took out a medicine bottle the size of a fist.

He gently poured out a few pills and carefully sniffed them. The pills were about the size of broad beans, and their bright red color was frightening.

"What is this?"

"This is prepared aconite root. I suffer from headaches and need to take it occasionally."

"It seems you know a bit about medicine, but isn't this pill a bit too big? And judging by its bright color, isn't its purity a bit too high? Since you've taken this medicine before, you should take it in front of me! Someone, bring him a bowl of water."