When You Xiaotian and her husband were brought to the yamen, they clearly appeared very nervous and somewhat dazed, as if they indeed knew something bad had happened, but had not expected it to be so serious. As soon as the yamen officers released them, the couple immediately collapsed and knelt down weakly.
Originally, everyone had only five parts suspicion, but seeing their reaction, the doubt instantly increased to eight parts.
Are they just guilty conscience?
Seeing that Xie Yu did not respond, Chen Wei took the initiative to speak for him, “Are you You Xiaotian and Liu Xi kneeling before the court?”
Both of them shuddered slightly and nervously kowtowed, “Yes.”
Xie Yu gestured for Chen Wei to continue questioning, so he asked, “You Xiaotian, do you have a cousin named Wang Zheng?”
At the sound of that name, You Xiaotian’s face instantly turned deathly pale, and Liu Xi beside her also tensed up.
“Yes.” You Xiaotian’s breathing became rapid, as if recalling many unpleasant memories, and she seemed on the verge of collapse.
Ma Bing noticed that compared to You Xiaotian’s simple fear and disgust, Liu Xi’s emotions seemed to include more anger—he clenched his teeth quickly.
“On the tenth day of the fifth month, did Wang Zheng visit your house as a relative?” Chen Wei continued to press.
“Yes…” You Xiaotian’s arms, which were supporting her body, were shaking, her lips turned pale, and sweat gradually appeared on her forehead.
Ma Bing, who had been watching her closely, was startled by this sight. She quickly looked at the other woman’s fingers on the ground, and indeed noticed they were thick at the ends.
She, like Wang Zheng, had heart disease!
“What did he do after arriving? Did you quarrel?” Chen Wei continued to press.
According to the autopsy results, Wang Zheng had obvious bruises on his neck and face. The neck injuries were definitely caused by someone, and after much speculation, everyone agreed that the facial bruises also seemed to be caused by physical assault.
Realizing the danger, Ma Bing disregarded etiquette and immediately spoke up to remind, “Minister Chen, slow down! Let her rest first!”
Chen Wei did not know what was happening and hesitated, then looked toward Xie Yu.
Normally, a woman without official rank could not act so boldly in court, but she had come with Xie Yu, and everyone at the Kaifeng Prefecture respected her, so Chen Wei dared not be careless.
Xie Yu rarely saw Ma Bing so agitated, so he guessed something important must be happening and immediately ordered, “Bring You Xiaotian out to rest!”
However, it was already too late.
Before the yamen officers could step forward, You Xiaotian suddenly stiffened, her face alternating between green and white, showing signs of pain. “Commoner… commoner…”
Her breathing became even more labored, and after a few utterances, she rolled her eyes and fainted on the spot.
No one had expected such a sudden turn of events!
Chen Wei, Wang Shaoqing, and others immediately jumped up from their seats, about to speak, but saw a figure rush over.
Ma Bing had noticed something was wrong with You Xiaotian earlier, and recalling Wang Zheng’s heart condition, she became alert. Thus, as soon as You Xiaotian fainted, she was the first to rush forward.
“Xiaotian!” Liu Xi was also terrified and instinctively reached out to grab his wife.
Xie Yu quickly walked down from the hall, “Stop him!”
Family members of patients often became emotionally agitated, which could interfere with treatment, and in extreme cases, even harm the doctor.
The yamen officers who had originally intended to take You Xiaotian away quickly turned, lifting their batons to pin Liu Xi in place.
“Don’t touch her!” Ma Bing shouted, “Do you know she has heart disease? Did you bring medicine?”
Liu Xi seemed stunned, only calling his wife’s name repeatedly.
Ma Bing first laid You Xiaotian flat, loosened her collar, and quickly examined her before applying pressure to her pulse points. But when she turned around and saw Liu Xi still staring blankly, she couldn’t help but raise her voice again, “The medicine!”
If you keep standing there like that, she’s going to die!
“Ahh, medicine, medicine, medicine!” Liu Xi tried to get up to find the medicine, but was held down again by the officers. He struggled a few times without success and pointed at You Xiaotian’s inner garment, “There’s a small bottle inside, take two pills.”
Ma Bing reached in and indeed found a small blue porcelain bottle, quickly pouring out two pills, prying open You Xiaotian’s mouth to insert them, then gently pushing with one hand while the other assisted at the throat. Everyone saw You Xiaotian’s throat move slightly and collectively exhaled in relief.
Good, she could still swallow.
Ma Bing did not dare to be careless, after a few moments of massage, she took out a needle case and inserted several needles.
Her movements were fast and urgent, yet orderly, her hands moving as if creating afterimages, fluid and graceful.
Before anyone realized, several trembling silver needles were already on You Xiaotian’s body.
Only after You Xiaotian’s breathing stabilized and her complexion regained its rosy hue did Yuanpei lead the group in exhaling.
Then, one after another, people began to breathe again.
Only now did they realize that they had been too tense to breathe.
They had always known Ma Bing was skilled in medicine, but today’s performance further elevated everyone’s perception of her.
After carefully checking You Xiaotian’s pulse again, Ma Bing finally felt reassured.
“She’s temporarily out of danger,” she slowly exhaled, “but the next two days still require caution. It’s best not to move her around too much. First, find a wooden board and carry her flat to the back hall to rest.”
Chen Wei quickly said, “Bring someone to do as Miss Ma instructed. Have someone immediately prepare the room in the northwest corner of the yamen’s backyard!”
In You Xiaotian’s current condition, it was inconvenient to send her home, so it was better to keep her at the yamen for observation for a few days.
They must not let the killer escape while another person falls victim.
Ma Bing pushed herself up from her knees, and as she moved, Xie Yu immediately bent down to support her arm.
He remembered how she had collapsed from exhaustion after treating a candidate at the palace gate before.
Ma Bing also knew her own chronic condition; squatting for too long would cause dizziness and vertigo when standing up. She did not hesitate and leaned most of her weight onto Xie Yu’s arm. After standing up and closing her eyes for a moment, she thanked him.
“A doctor cannot treat herself,” Xie Yu slowly withdrew his arm, but kept the other one hovering slightly behind her back, frowning as he spoke, “Before saving others, you should take better care of yourself.”
How many years had it been since someone last nagged at her like this? Ma Bing felt momentarily dazed and gave him a careless smile.
She knew her own condition—too much thinking, too many worries, and for years she had rarely had a peaceful night’s sleep.
With so many things on her mind, she could only recover naturally once a major issue was resolved.
Seeing her trying to brush it off with her usual methods, Xie Yu’s lips curved downward slightly, but he ultimately said nothing more.
She was too stubborn and too independent; unless she voluntarily opened up, no one could guess what she was thinking.
Such a person was the most determined, and also the most likely to… go down a single path until the end.
Well, after returning, he would simply have Wang Heng forcibly take her pulse!
Ade quietly poked Yuanpei from behind and whispered, “Why do I feel something strange?”
It seemed as if the two of them were hiding a secret unknown to everyone else; even simple words and expressions seemed to carry hidden meanings.
Yuanpei turned to look at him and expressed satisfaction, “It seems eating more chicken really helps.”
Now you’ve developed some brains!
Ade: “…”
He looked at Zhuang Peng with a puzzled expression, “What does he mean?”
Zhuang Peng sighed and patted his shoulder, saying meaningfully, “Be nicer to your wife and children after returning home.”
It must be tough for them to follow such a dull man.
Because of this incident, Xie Yu directly arranged a seat for Ma Bing and ordered tea and snacks to replenish her energy.
Everyone had witnessed her bravery and decisiveness earlier, so they were very impressed and no one objected.
It was another quarter of an hour before things returned to normal.
Seeing his wife saved, Liu Xi first knelt to thank Ma Bing, then gave up all resistance and honestly said, “Your Honor, please allow me to speak. I did hit Wang Zheng that day… but, but I really didn’t kill him!”
Actually, he had vaguely heard something on the street yesterday, and his vision had gone black. He had even gone to look at the notice specifically, which made him even more anxious.
After returning home, he and his wife You Xiaotian discussed the matter and were very afraid.
The county magistrate was a good person, but this was a matter of life and death. If the killer could not be found, what would happen if they were taken as scapegoats?
There were still elderly people at home and two young children who had not yet grown up. If they went to prison, everything would be ruined!
Out of fear of the government, fear of imprisonment, respect for the county magistrate, and the pangs of conscience, the couple repeatedly hesitated between turning themselves in and avoiding the issue, and thus kept delaying until now…
Back on the tenth day of the fifth month, Wang Zheng came again “to visit relatives.” Liu Xi and You Xiaotian were both very annoyed, but since he was a relative, they could not truly refuse him.
Wang Shaoqing couldn’t help interrupting, “If you didn’t want to see him, you could have just pretended not to be home.”
If you can’t deal with him, can’t you at least avoid him?
Liu Xi gritted his teeth, disregarding his shame, and frankly revealed everything.
“It’s really because we’ve accepted favors from him and feel indebted…”
It turned out that in earlier years, when Wang Zheng first returned, he had acted very generously, talking about family bonds and affection, and had been very fond of the two children of You Xiaotian, often bringing them fabrics and snacks to eat and wear.
As Liu Xi and You Xiaotian’s son grew older, Wang Zheng even said he would help pay his tuition so he could go to school, which made the couple feel deeply grateful.
However, to their great surprise, seeing that the couple were honest and simple, Wang Zheng became increasingly brazen, almost treating their house as his second home, shouting orders and giving instructions as soon as he entered.
Originally, the couple thought they lacked ability and that their children might rely on this cousin in the future, so they endured it.
Who would have thought that Wang Zheng would become more and more presumptuous, openly and covertly ridiculing Liu Xi for his lack of ability, and repeatedly saying things like, “If Xiaotian had married me back then, she wouldn’t be wearing such shabby clothes now,” especially when he was drunk.
Hearing this, the couple felt both ashamed and angry, not knowing what to do.
In recent years, their children had received much help from Wang Zheng, so they felt they were already in a lower position. If he really turned against them and asked for repayment, where could they find so much money in such a short time?
But Wang Zheng showed no restraint. Seeing the couple’s timidity, he even started making advances toward You Xiaotian.
Liu Xi was furious and secretly resolved to repay all the favors they had received over the years and then act as if this annoying relative had never existed!
On the tenth of this month, Wang Zheng came again, dressed up as usual.
Liu Xi and You Xiaotian had originally decided not to open the door for him, but Wang Zheng stubbornly refused to leave, banging on the door and loudly shouting about how he had always spent so much on his two nephews and niece, and now they were turning their backs on him…
“He came in and deliberately said our door dirtied his clothes, and wanted to change in front of everyone, just to show off!” Liu Xi said angrily. “After he had a little wine, he started talking nonsense, and I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I grabbed his neck and punched him hard twice!”
Over the years, Wang Zheng had taken advantage of the couple’s timid and obedient nature, thinking they were easy to bully, never expecting that a rabbit would bite when cornered.
He was a thin and weak man, how could he compare with Liu Xi, a carpenter who worked hard all year round and was strong and powerful? He couldn’t resist at all and hadn’t even had time to react before he was hit hard twice.
You Xiaotian had not expected her usually obedient husband to erupt so terrifyingly, and was also frightened. After regaining her senses, she first sent her two children back to their room, then went forward to mediate.
It wasn’t that she was afraid Liu Xi would suffer, nor was she afraid of losing this wretched relative, but she was worried that her husband, in a fit of rage, might not control his strength and end up seriously injuring Wang Zheng.
After venting his anger, Liu Xi gradually calmed down, quickly let go, and threw all the things Wang Zheng had brought at his face, spitting loudly, “Get out, and never come to my door again! We remember everything you’ve given us over the past few years, and even if we have to sell everything we own, we will repay you!”
After Liu Xi finished speaking, everyone couldn’t help but whisper among themselves.
He didn’t kill him?!
But if it wasn’t him, then who else could it be?
They thought the case was about to be wrapped up, but unexpectedly, it took a dramatic turn and reset the investigation back to square one!
Liu Xi was not lying.
Xie Yu looked at his expression and already had a conclusion in his mind.
Liu Xi probably wasn’t lying, and this matter should also be easy to verify.
In the past, Xie Yu had encountered and heard of many cases where someone took the blame for another person. To prevent any concealment, he had one of the yamen officers on the court play the role of the deceased, Wang Zheng, and had Liu Xi reenact the beating he had inflicted.
Liu Xi did as instructed.
Xie Yu looked toward Zhang, the coroner, and Ma Bing, and both nodded.
The location and shape of the injuries roughly matched. The person who had inflicted the injuries back then was indeed Liu Xi.
“You say you didn’t kill Wang Zheng. Is there any witness?” Xie Yu asked.
After all, Liu Xi had admitted to hitting Wang Zheng. In the eyes of others, he had both motive and capability, and there were injuries on Wang Zheng’s body as evidence. Without other witnesses or physical evidence appearing, it would be difficult to escape suspicion completely.
Liu Xi was stunned, “This commoner really didn’t kill anyone!”
How could he prove it?
He was terrified by the sudden accusation of murder, his mind went blank, and only after the officers reminded him did he remember, “Right, right, neighbors! We argued so loudly that the neighbors should have heard everything!”
They lived in a small place, with neighbors next door, so they could usually hear what was going on in each other’s homes.
That day they had argued and fought so loudly that there might even be people secretly watching the commotion!
Chen Wei then sent someone to invite Liu Xi’s neighbors to testify.
Soon, several neighbors arrived. They first knelt down and kowtowed politely, then answered respectfully, “Your Honor, on that day we indeed heard someone arguing inside Liu Xi’s house.”
“It seemed to be that cousin of the wife. He used to come around often too.”
“Yes, my wife didn’t even finish her meal. She secretly peeked through the door crack…”
His wife immediately gave him a sharp elbow jab beside him.
How can you say such nonsense outside!
Despite the inappropriate timing, everyone in the hall couldn’t help but glance sideways.
You must be really interested to even skip eating!
But the wife of the man who spoke was very open about it.
She thought meals could be eaten any day, but once a spectacle was missed, it was gone forever! Of course, she had to rush to see it!
“In fact,” the woman hurried to clarify, “it wasn’t just me watching! Because that Liu family’s wife suddenly gained a wealthy cousin a few years ago, all the neighbors envied them greatly and often talked about it secretly…”
Who wouldn’t want unexpected fortune!
Of course, when discussing it, people didn’t just talk about money. Some sharp-eyed individuals speculated that Wang Zheng had ulterior motives, clearly targeting You Xiaotian.
Others had connections with the elders of Wang Zheng and You Xiaotian, knowing a bit of gossip from years ago. Now they brought it up again, feeling it was solid evidence, and thus looked at Liu Xi’s head turning green.
Xie Yu observed the wife’s darting eyes and immediately knew she was a gossip, feeling somewhat displeased.
“The notice has been posted for days. Since you saw and heard something, why didn’t you report it to the authorities?”
The several people hesitated, finally stammering, “We’ve been neighbors for decades. After all, it was just a fight, and Liu Xi didn’t kill anyone. How could we bring ourselves to be the villains by stepping forward!”
Everyone thought clearly:
If Liu Xi didn’t commit murder, rushing to report it to the authorities would seem like deliberately causing trouble. We are neighbors, seeing each other daily, how could we get along afterward?
If Liu Xi indeed committed murder, they were just commoners, how dare they confront such a violent man!
If word got out, whether Liu Xi would eventually be punished aside, who knows if he might come in first and silence everyone!
So everyone thought, since so many people saw and heard it, even if I don’t speak up, others will. No problem, no problem…
Unfortunately, everyone thought the same way, and the matter remained hidden until now.
After hearing this, everyone felt both annoyed and helpless.
Especially Chen Wei, his sunburnt old face turned red, pointing at them with trembling fingers, “You… you! Sigh!”
The several people also felt guilty toward Chen Wei, merely kowtowing, “A thousand mistakes, all our faults, please don’t let Your Honor get angry and harm your health.”
Wang Shaoqing, being in the same situation, fully understood his feelings and joined in comforting him.
Xie Yu also feared that Chen Wei, being old, might get seriously angry, so he said, “Seeking benefits and avoiding harm is human nature. Besides, the law doesn’t require them to speak. Master Chen needn’t be angry or blame yourself.”
Chen Wei sighed deeply, shakily stood up, and bowed toward the imperial palace, “Your Honor is generous. Though true, I still feel I’ve failed the Emperor’s grace.”
Seeing this, the several people felt even more ashamed.
Xie Yu comforted Chen Wei again, subtly mentioning the Emperor’s satisfaction with him. Immediately, Chen Wei was moved to tears, wishing to rush to the fields to work hard and repay the Emperor’s favor.
After calming Chen Wei, Xie Yu continued questioning, “You say Liu Xi didn’t kill anyone. Did you see it with your own eyes?”
The several people exchanged glances and then answered, “We wouldn’t dare to speak falsely, but we did see Wang Zheng walk out lively and cursing behind him. He certainly didn’t look like someone about to die.”
Upon hearing this, Liu Xi clasped his hands in thanks, making the neighbors who secretly criticized him for being a cuckold feel extremely embarrassed.
“When he left, was he riding a mule? And was there any package on the mule’s back?”
The several people hesitated.
At that time, they were too busy watching to pay attention to what Wang Zheng carried.
“Hmm…”
It was still that wife who skipped her meal to watch. She was very certain, “There indeed was a bundle, wrapped in blue satin with entwined branch lotus patterns! Such a bright color!”
She had seen that satin at the county’s silk shop, costing ten taels per bolt. She dared not even touch it, yet Wang Zheng actually used it as wrapping cloth, clearly showing his wealth.
Everyone looked at her in unison.
How carefully you observed!
“Did Liu Xi go out after Wang Zheng left?” Xie Yu asked again.
Even if he didn’t act then, he might have followed later.
The enthusiastic spectator had become the most credible witness, answering quickly and well, “He certainly didn’t. I clearly heard the young couple talking all night inside, and she cried several times.”
Everyone: “…”
You really eavesdropped openly!
But it was fortunate she did, otherwise even if everyone thought Liu Xi couldn’t have committed murder, they couldn’t prove it publicly.
If the victim Wang Zheng didn’t have obvious pressure marks on the back of his head, perhaps everyone might think he fell off the mule drunk and drowned accidentally.
Or after returning home, he became angrier and angrier, suffering a heart attack from anger, with no one nearby to rescue him, thus drowning.
But the problem was, if the murderer wasn’t Liu Xi, then who was it?
Just when the case seemed to have a breakthrough, it suddenly took a sharp turn, once again shrouded in thick mist, leaving everyone at a loss on where to begin.
Everyone in the hall fell into deep thought.
Now, the only remaining undisproven evidence was the still-missing bundle…
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