Tang Dynasty Prison Administration

014: The Strange Case of Youzhou

Looking at the deceased He Yan, Cui Wuyi bowed to Su Wen and said, "Dr. Su, you are truly a master, incredibly capable. This bizarre case was completely solved in less than a day since you arrived. I, Cui Wuyi, am truly impressed!"

Su Wen smiled slightly and said, "Magistrate Cui, you flatter me!"

Cui Wuyi said, "After listening to Dr. Su's words of instruction today, I have been pondering them repeatedly since returning to the county office and home. I find that Dr. Su's words are very accurate. People of the gentry should not be so arrogant, much less look down on everyone. Confucius said, 'When three people walk together, there must be one who can teach me!' Dr. Su's words, 'Learning has no end,' have greatly benefited me. Cui Wuyi would like to apologize to Dr. Su!"

Su Wen bowed to Cui Wuyi and said, "Then I will accept your apology. I hope that Magistrate Cui will treat the people well in the future, set an example for the gentry, and bring benefits to the people of the Tang Dynasty!"

"Yes, Mr. Su, I will host a banquet for you at the best restaurant tomorrow, and we will have a good drink together!" Cui Wuyi said.

Su Wen bowed in response and said, "Then I thank Magistrate Cui for hosting such a grand banquet!"

Cui Wuyi bowed again.

......

After cleaning up the inn and watching everyone leave, Zhao Qing asked softly, "Dr. Su, you're really amazing. You solved this case in less than a day. So, where do we go next?"

Su Wen didn't rush to speak, but waited until everyone outside had left before slowly saying, "The case isn't solved yet!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qing exclaimed in shock, "But didn't He Yan already admit it and then hang himself?"

"He wasn't the only killer. He doesn't know medicine, so he was just one of many. There were others, including one exceptionally skilled doctor!"

"A master of medicine?" Zhao Qing asked, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Do you know where your heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys are located?" Su Wen asked.

"Of course I know, it's right here!" Zhao Qing gestured to his abdomen.

Su Wen smiled slightly and said, "Those who are not proficient in medicine simply cannot make accurate incisions. Look at those deceased people, every single one of them was made with perfect precision, without the slightest deviation!"

At this point, Su Wen paused and continued, "Furthermore, although the two women appeared to have been chopped into several pieces, the cutting of the corpses was done with very precise techniques, not just random hacking. Therefore, this person was not only skilled in medicine but also adept with a knife!"

"What?" Zhao Qing exclaimed in surprise, "This case is so complicated?"

Su Wen poured himself a glass of water, took a sip, and slowly said, "Solving a case is like playing chess. We're playing against the murderer, and we've broken through their attack. The murderer has realized this, so they've sacrificed some pieces to maintain the overall situation. Therefore, what we need to do now is relax. For the next few days, let's stop investigating and completely relax, letting the murderer think we've won. Only then will the murderer start setting up their next move!"

Su Wen paused, took another sip of his drink, and continued, "We still have one more lead: gastrodia elata powder. This requires us to go to the ghost market on the 15th of this month, which will take a few more days, so let's rest for a few days!"

Zhao Qing nodded in agreement: "Okay!"

......

The following day, Cui Wuyi hosted a banquet at Zuixianglou.

Su Wen changed into a new set of clothes, washed up, and then went to the banquet with Zhao Qing.

Upon seeing Su Wen, Cui Wuyi bowed and said, "Dr. Su, please!"

Su Wen bowed and said, "Thank you for your hospitality, Magistrate Cui!"

Upon entering the room, Cui Wuyi saw five people already waiting there. After bowing to them, she slowly said, "Come, Dr. Su, let me introduce you all!"

Su Wen responded.

Cui Wuyi introduced, "This is Xue Song, the Judicial Advisor of Youzhou. You should have met him before!"

Su Wen bowed to Xue Song, who returned the bow, saying, "Dr. Su, please forgive me for what happened yesterday!"

Su Wen smiled and said, "General Xue Song did nothing wrong, and I won't mind!"

Cui Wuyi said, "This is He Fang, the county magistrate of Lu County. Dr. Su already knows him, so there's no need for introductions!"

"This is Zhang Shuo, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner of Hebei Province!"

Su Wen was quite surprised upon hearing this. This was no ordinary person; the Hebei Circuit Inspector, whose status was second only to the Hebei Circuit Military Governor. To encounter someone of such rank in this setting meant that this banquet was no ordinary event.

After Su Wen bowed, Cui Wuyi continued, "This is Lu Xingwen, the governor of Youzhou, from the Lu family of Fanyang!"

Then, Cui Wuyi turned to another person and introduced, "This is my cousin, a skilled painter. She studied under Wu Daozi, the foremost painter of the Tang Dynasty, and is the great-granddaughter of Cui Renshi of the Boling Cui family. She is Cui Lingyu!"

After Su Wen bowed to Cui Lingyu, he looked up at her. Cui Lingyu bowed back and then lowered her head slightly.

According to Tang Dynasty etiquette, women were not allowed to raise their heads and make eye contact with men!

Cui Lingyu was an absolute beauty, truly stunning.

However, just seeing these five people in front of him made Su Wen feel uneasy, and he was extremely nervous.

It should be noted that although it was the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, that is, 715 AD, there were still forty years before the An Lushan Rebellion in 755 AD. However, at this time, conflicts had already begun to emerge between the Hebei Group (Hebei gentry) and the Longyou Group (Guanlong Group), and some conflicts were so great that they could break out at any time.

The An Lushan Rebellion was, in essence, merely an attack launched by the Hebei group against the Longyou group under the pretext of An Lushan's death. Otherwise, An Lushan would have died in the second year of the rebellion, but the rebellion still lasted for eight years.

Cui Wuyi bowed to Su Wen and said, "This is Dr. Su Wen, the criminal investigation expert!"

The five people present today, whether in terms of official rank or status, are far beyond the reach of Su Wen, a mere criminal justice scholar and a minor official.

Su Wen's unease grew stronger. To these people, he was nothing more than a tiny ant that they could crush with a flick of their wrist!

The key point is that all these people are from the Hebei Group, not a single one from the Guanlong Group. Of course, people from the Guanlong Group wouldn't come to such a remote place as Youzhou, since they are all officials around Chang'an and Luoyang. People who don't belong to them are naturally excluded. Although their official positions are high, as the saying goes, "meeting in the central government is three levels higher." This statement is a reality, both in the past and in the future!

Cui Wuyi said slowly, "Please take your seats, everyone!"

Cui Wuyi even specially arranged his seat next to Cui Lingyu. To be honest, even though Cui Lingyu was beautiful, Su Wen had no interest in her at the moment. He was extremely nervous, just like when he took the forensic exam back then, his heart was pounding!

After Cui Wuyi took his seat, he raised his wine cup and said, "I have invited you all here today for two reasons. First, to celebrate Dr. Su's success in solving such a bizarre case in just one day since he arrived. It is truly admirable! Second, although our various aristocratic families are still renowned throughout the land, the Emperor has already shown his intention to weaken us..."

Before Cui Wuyi could finish speaking, Su Wen pretended to choke on the wine and coughed repeatedly, interrupting Cui Wuyi's words.