Liu Jingyi took the incense box and sniffed it carefully, and then plucked the sandalwood in the incense box with her hand.

"Childe, this box of incense has been touched, and it was originally placed in it, not only sandalwood, but also other incense." Liu Jingyi looked at Jing Ziyan and said.

"Yi'er, are you sure that there is any incense that has been let go of here?" Liu Jingyi said.

"It's a kind of incense made of pine and cypress. This incense is not as precious as agarwood and sandalwood, and the pine and cypress materials are inexpensive, but it takes several years to grow, so it is not easy to obtain. However, its smell is similar to sandalwood, and it is easy to be confused if you don't distinguish it carefully. Liu Jingyi explained.

"But Sun Xinglai is particularly proficient in incense, how can he not distinguish sandalwood from pine and cedar." Liu Jingyi was puzzled.

Jing Ziyan seemed to think of something, and said: "Unless, this incense that is mixed is synthesized with sandalwood and pine and cedar incense. ”

Liu Jingyi took the incense burner used by Sun Xinglai to entertain guests, sniffed it carefully, and gave a definite answer. "Childe, there is indeed the smell of pine and cedar incense in this incense burner."

At this time, Ding Yi, who was standing on the side, began to tremble unconsciously.

Jing Ziyan turned his head to look at Ding Yi who was standing on the side, and understood eight or nine points in his heart. "Your name is Ding Yi? When did you learn to make incense from your master? ”

"Master Hui, I have followed Master since four years ago." Ding Yi said cautiously.

"Four years ago... Jing Ziyan lowered his head and pondered, "How does your master usually treat you?"

Ding Yi said with a humble heart, "Master has always been kind to people, and he is even more kind to villains, and Master has no heirs, so he has always regarded me as a parent." The villain's family is poor, and the master often takes out money for the villain to send home to supplement the family. ”

"Oh?" Jing Ziyan glanced at Ding Yi, and looked at the skin on Ding Yi's arm that was not covered by the sleeves: "What's the matter with the injury on your arm?" ”

When Ding heard this, he hurriedly pulled down his sleeves to cover the scars. "I accidentally touched it."

Jing Ziyan stepped forward, and Ding Yi, who was forced by the aura around him, couldn't stop retreating. Jing Ziyan didn't give Ding Yi a way out, stepped forward and grabbed Ding Yi's arm, neatly lifted Ding Yi's sleeves, and his arms were covered with whip marks.

"Tell me, what's going on?" Jing Ziyan frowned. "You swapped the incense in the incense box."

Ding Yi dodged Jing Ziyan's gaze.

"Back to the adult, the villain listens. I don't understand what the adults are saying. Ding's words flickered.

"Oh, I'll give you a heads-up." Jing Ziyan's eyes skimmed a hint of sarcasm. "This incense box is indeed owned by your master, but in addition to sandalwood, it is also mixed with other spices, such as pine and cedar incense."

"You have been learning incense with your master for 4 years, and you have been working on the development of some spices, mixing sandalwood and pine and cedar incense, and then making the appearance of sandalwood, the aroma of cedar is not as thick as sandalwood, so a small amount of pine and cedar incense is mixed in sandalwood, and if you don't distinguish it carefully, it is not easy for idle people to distinguish it."

"This... Do you say it yourself, or let us go to your lodgings and search for the materials you use to make incense, although you may have burned the utensils, but you will definitely leave traces. Jing Ziyan said.

"My lord, I said that this year's business of the sachet shop is not as good as before, although the income is the same as before, but the expenditure has increased significantly, so the profit of the small shop is getting thinner and thinner, and it is no longer enough to maintain daily life, but Master still wants to burn this expensive sandalwood, so I want to replace the expensive sandalwood with cheap pines and cypresses." Ding Yi whispered.

"Use pine and cypress as raw materials to make incense? Your master makes incense all year round, how can you not tell the difference between sandalwood and pine and cedar? Liu Jingyi couldn't help but ask.

"Actually, my master has had problems with his sense of smell in the past two years, and some spices can no longer distinguish the smell." Ding Yi said.

When Liu Jingyi heard this, she was a little embarrassed. If the person who makes incense has a problem with his sense of smell, it is equivalent to having no chance with incense. How can a person who has served spices all his life withstand such a blow.

"And what's the matter with the whip marks on your body?" Jing Ziyan continued to ask.

"When the Master found out about me secretly changing spice materials, Master severely punished me. Master said that fortunately, he was only cutting corners on his own incense, and if he cut corners on the materials used by the customers he sold, it would be a deception. Master said, be honest. Ding Yi lowered his head and said.

Jing Ziyan's face softened, and he sighed and said: "Your master is right to punish you, you must be honest in life, and you must be honest in business." ”

But Jing Ziyan was puzzled, if Sun Xinglai was like Ding Yiyan, then what should be said about the materials in these two sachets? Replacing ice grass with ice chips is not only expensive, but also has different effects.

"It's expensive... Jing Ziyan looked up at Ding Yi fiercely: "You just said that your expenses have increased greatly this year. ”

Ding Yi nodded puzzled.

"I'm going to look at your ledgers." Jing Ziyan said with a gloomy face.

Ding Yi hurriedly went to the back of the counter in the front hall store to take out the account book, and handed it to Jing Ziyan with trembling hands. Jing Ziyan asked Ding Yi to bring over the previous year's account book, and he wanted to make a comparison. Liu Jingyi also stepped forward to help read the account book.

"Childe, there is a discovery." Liu Jingyi compared the number of borneol purchased from the two ledgers and showed them to Jing Ziyan.

In this year's ledger, Jing Ziyan found that the number of borneol imported this year was three times that of previous years. Jing Ziyan frowned and asked Ding Yi, "The number of borneol you have this year is actually twice as high as that of the previous year?" How much more ice chips will be needed this year? ”

"Back to the adult, the villain doesn't know how much to buy every year, and what goods need to be purchased, all of which are personally in charge of the master, and the villain doesn't know." Ding Yi said.

"Then do you count the goods after they are finished?" Jing Ziyan asked.

"It's an inventory. Oh, my lord, there was a strange thing when it came to stock this year. Every time I finished buying, I counted it, but after this time I finished buying, I found that the quantity of borneol was not the same as the quantity on the ledger. Ding Yi said.

"What do you say! The number of borneol is less, how much less? Jing Ziyan narrowed his eyes.

"Twice as little."

Jing Ziyan didn't continue to ask, but looked at Liu Jingyi, "Yi'er, you have a perennial season for medicinal herbs, and you know the price of borneol and ice grass. ”

"The price of ice grass is twice the price of ice chips."

That's it. The amount of ice chips recorded in this ledger is false, and the extra amount is exactly the price of ice grass at twice the price.

Jing Ziyan felt that this Sun Xinglai was not as Ding Yiyan said, with a noble character. He always felt that the sachet was inseparable from Sun Xinglai.

This trip is worth it. The spices that were replaced, the number of extra borneol, and all kinds of doubts made Jing Ziyan feel that Sun Xinglai's death was not simple.

Jing Ziyan looked at Liu Jingyi and saw that she was still looking for clues. "Yi'er, what else have you discovered?" Liu Jingyi looked around the living room, and always felt that something was wrong, what was wrong?

Liu Jingyi shook her head, at this moment, she felt strange, but not sure. She still has doubts, although she found that the aroma on Sun Xinglai's clothes is rosin, this does not prove that Sun Xinglai died of poisoning.

"Yi'er, we need to go to Yanfu." Jing Ziyan said. "Let's go, let's go back to the yamen."

At this point, it's getting late. "Childe, Jingyi understands that you are anxious to investigate the case, but if it is too late today, you should still be careful, otherwise Mrs. and Aunt Youxi will also be worried."

Jing Ziyan stopped his steps, looked at Liu Jingyi, sighed and said, "It's okay, go back to the yamen first, tell Master Jiao what we have learned today, and then we will go home." ”

Back at the Yamen of the Criminal Division, Jing Ziyan informed Jiao Zhen of the exchange of Sun Xinglai's spice materials and the amount of borneol on Sun Xinglai's account book, which was twice as much as the amount of ice chips in the account book, but twice as less in actual purchases.

Jiao Zhen fell into deep thought when he heard this, his face was slightly gloomy, and he said heavily: "It seems that this matter is not simple, especially this ice chip, it seems to be premeditated, for today's plan, we still have to go to Yanfu to inquire again, after all, this matter involves Yanfu, and the stakes are very high." ”

"Ah, Jing Han, it's getting late today, and tomorrow you will go to Yanfu with me." Jiao Zhen said, "Today, you will go back and rest first." ”

Jing Ziyan and Liu Jingyi silently walked out of the yamen of the Criminal Division, and Liu Jingyi helped Jing Ziyan board the carriage home. Along the way, Liu Jingyi carefully recalled the layout of Sun Xinglai's living room, and kept shaking her head. "Yi'er, what do you want?"

"Childe, I've always felt that the living room where Sun Xing came was very strange, but I can't tell where it was strange." Liu Jingyi's inky eyes looked straight at Jing Ziyan.

At this time, in front of Liu Jingyi, Jing Ziyan's tense nerves had relaxed, there were only two of them in the carriage, but Jing Ziyan felt a rare relaxation.

He said to Liu Jingyi with a slight smile: "It's late today, just put these things aside, go home and rest well, and let Shiso cook you some dishes you like." Get a good night's rest, there's a lot to do tomorrow. ”

The carriage drove rapidly down the country road. Although Jing Ziyan was dark and calm, and his whole body was relaxed, his thoughts did not stop because of this. Jiao Zhen said that this matter involves the Yanfu and is of great importance. So was his poisoning affected this time, or was it deliberately done by the person who poisoned him?

Jing Ziyan felt so tired, after getting out of Mu Wangfu, although he had been living in seclusion, his heart was not very relaxed, especially after the poisoning, he seemed to have a tight string in his body, and he was extremely tired.

"Childe, there's something I've always wanted to say. In the entire Liuzhou Mansion, there are a total of four families who buy sachets, the Zuo family and the Liu family are all business giants, and our family is also a businessman, only the Yan family is the home of the eunuch. According to Yan Zitong's narrative, this matter was laid out as early as a year ago, so the whole thing may be a conspiracy against the Yan family. Liu Jingyi said suddenly. We should perhaps check the Yan family's dealings in officialdom. ”

A sharp light flashed in Jing Ziyan's eyes.