Tang Dynasty Prison Administration

013: The Strange Case of Youzhou

When He Yan saw Su Wen emerge from the shop with a joyful expression, he hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Shangguan, what makes you so excited?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just got a few clues from sashimi chef Ki Ming, so I'm happy!"

"Dr. Su is truly remarkable. In just one day, we've already uncovered new leads. Which direction should we take our investigation now?"

After pondering for a moment, Su Wen slowly said, "Since the murderer wants to set up the Twelve Zodiac Formation, then he must need an altar. Since the Twelve Zodiac Formation is all around, according to the Four Symbols and Eight Trigrams, we can first find the center of the formation and then fill it in, severing the center of the Twelve Zodiac Formation. That way, even if he kills everyone, it won't matter, because without the center, the formation has no effect!"

Su Wen paused, stretched, and said, "Calculating the core of the formation requires a map and some further calculations. That's all for today. I'll go back and do the calculations. He Shangguan, let's part ways for now!"

Upon hearing this, He Yan nodded in agreement and bowed, saying, "Very well, please, sir!"

After Su Wen saw He Yan walk away, he went to the Governor's Mansion.

......

midnight.

"squeak..."

With a crisp sound, the door slowly opened, and a person dressed in dark purple quietly slipped into the room. He glanced at the person on the bed, then tiptoed toward the bed. As he approached the bed, he revealed a dagger. A cold glint flashed, and the person on the bed immediately jumped up, kicking the man in the abdomen.

The man took two steps back, and Zhao Qing pointed and shouted, "You audacious thief, how dare you attempt an assassination!"

The man was shocked and realized something was wrong. He turned to run away, but the door was opened and several armored soldiers with knives entered the room and surrounded him.

The man was momentarily at a loss for what to do. Su Wen, standing at the door, said, "He Yan, why don't you surrender!"

Upon hearing this, Cui Wuyi, He Fang, and the others standing behind Su Wen were shocked and looked incredulous.

Cui Wuyi said, "What are you saying? How is this possible?"

He Yan merely glanced at Su Wen, gave a cold snort, ripped off her veil, and asked Su Wen, "How did you know it was me?"

Su Wendao said, "I've said it before, these kinds of cases are very easy to solve because they have logic and methods, so they're easy to solve. On the contrary, those cases where someone kills and hides the body on a whim are the most difficult to solve!"

"Why did you start suspecting me?"

Su Wen laughed and said, "I already suspected you when we were in the drain. Because in most murder cases, the killer will return to the scene to look around. One reason is to enjoy the thrill of having no one solve the case, and the other is simply to see the victim's morbid psychology again!"

"You're just a lowly household registration clerk; with a murder case at stake, aren't you rather out of place there?"

Cui Wuyi responded, "Yeah, I was wondering why you came with us to examine the body in the drain that day!"

"Just because of that?" He Yan sneered.

Su Wendao said, "Of course not. I discovered that all the victims had one thing in common: they had no external injuries. Their internal organs were removed while they were still alive. But how could a living person willingly have their internal organs removed? If the deceased were all voluntary, then at the very least, there would be a pain response, such as fingernails digging into their palms or their fingernails scratching other parts of their bodies. After all, the pain of having one's internal organs removed while still alive is not something that can be easily endured!"

"Since the deceased did not consent, they must have been drugged and rendered unconscious to allow for the live harvesting of their internal organs!"

Therefore, I began to suspect a flower—the datura!

"This flower can be made into powder that can induce drowsiness, so I sent Zhao Qing to investigate the Hu merchants, but they found nothing. However, when we went to the tattoo artist today, I discovered that when he tattoos people, he gives them a medicine called Gastrodia elata powder. After taking it, the person will fall into a deep sleep. This is the method of live organ harvesting!"

"Hmph!" He Yan couldn't help but sneer, "What does this have to do with you suspecting me?"

Su Wen smiled and said, "Your cleverness has backfired. The reason you're suspected is precisely because you killed those two women, which led me to focus my attention on the Green Robe Pavilion and then on the stabber. And that's why I suspected you, the Registrar of Household Registration, who shouldn't have been at the crime scene!"

Do you think you don't understand what I'm saying?

When Su Wen asked the question, He Yan just sneered and did not answer.

Su Wen laughed and said, "Today, the sashimi vendor reminded me of something, and it suddenly dawned on me!"

"What is it?" He asked.

Su Wen said, "He said that this gastrodia powder has an extremely strong and unpleasant smell. Even if you put it in water, people can smell it, so they won't drink it rashly. If you force someone to drink it, they will definitely have a chance to resist. But as he just said, the deceased had no wounds on their bodies, which is enough to show that they knew the murderer and that the murderer tricked them into drinking the gastrodia powder!"

"The most difficult part of the Twelve Zodiac Animals Formation isn't setting up the formation or killing people, but rather, how did the murderer know the zodiac signs of the victims?"

Su Wen looked at He Yan and said, "I just arrived yesterday and immediately summoned you to the main hall. I asked you about the zodiac signs of the people who were just dug up. You thought for a moment and said I was right. There are only two possibilities. First, you are the murderer; you remember their birth dates and zodiac signs! Second, you are flattering me. But I am just a lowly coroner, and a minor official. Any official of the Tang Dynasty would feel resentful upon seeing someone like me, just like Magistrate Cui. But you are different. You were very respectful to me the first time you met me. This... is precisely your biggest problem!"

Upon hearing this, He Yan couldn't help but laugh out loud: "You're really something. So, actually, from the moment you walked out of the sashimi shop, you already knew I was the murderer?"

Su Wen nodded, and He Yan laughed, "Hmph, you do have some tricks up your sleeve!"

"Actually, when I told you that I would draw the core of the Twelve Zodiac Formation when I returned, I was lying to you. I don't know anything about the Twelve Zodiac Formation. I just happen to know the arrangement points of the formation, but I don't understand its core at all. This was just a little trick I used to force you to attack me!"

Upon hearing this, He Yan couldn't help but laugh a few times: "Haha... I actually guessed it too, but... I couldn't help it, I was afraid. I was afraid that you would know the core of the formation and then order people to set up defenses. After we separated, I followed you, and I saw you enter the Governor's Mansion. I was afraid that you would have the Governor's Mansion mobilize troops to turn the core of the formation into a military camp. Even if I finished setting up the Twelve Zodiac Formation, I wouldn't be able to successfully activate it. Therefore, I had no choice but to eliminate you before you drew the core of the formation!"

"You're making a mess of things!"

He Yan couldn't help but burst into laughter, saying, "Hmph... Hahaha... But I'm not afraid. At worst, I'll just die. None of you can judge me!"

After saying that, He Yan picked up the dagger and, without saying a word, plunged it into his throat. With a forceful slash, he cut a very long gash in his throat, and blood gushed out like a spring.

He Yan fell heavily to the ground. This scene brought a great visual shock to Su Wen. Although he was a forensic doctor and had come into contact with many corpses, he was still shocked to see a throat being slit!