On this day, Xia Xue disguised herself as a young man, and when she and the Ouyang brothers and sisters passed by Liyuan Village in Pucheng County, they saw a lot of people surrounded by a family.

The house is a typical peasant house, surrounded by a fence wall.

After inquiring, I learned that the male owner of this family was called Guo Kai, who died of illness seven days ago, and last night, Guo Kai's wife Sun hanged herself again. Within a few days, the husband and wife died violently one after another, which was really tragic.

After a while, the Pucheng County Commander and the Commander of the Pucheng County who were examining the body came out and announced: "Sun died by hanging." I think it was because of his husband's illness that he died, so he was in pain and hanged himself. ”

Xia Xue just wanted to conduct an open and secret visit to the criminal investigation and solve the case, so he stepped forward to show the official document of the governor's supervision, which is Xia Xue's commonly used official identity during the civil visit.

When the county commander and the servant saw that it was the governor's inspection, he hurriedly saluted: "Lord Governor, there is a disappointment." The county commander was obese, surnamed Huang, wearing an official uniform, his face was scorched and swollen, but his teeth were white and strong, and when he opened his mouth to smile, he showed two rows of intact semicircular teeth, and his face was full of respectful and humble smiles. He was surnamed Cao, not tall, with a slightly hunched back, wearing an ordinary yamen uniform, with a circle of beard, and his flat sideburns were exposed from under the well-worn hat, with a rigorous face.

Xia Xue asked, "Who found out that Sun was hanged?" ”

The county magistrate replied: "My lord, it is Guo Kai's sister and brother-in-law. ”

At this time, a woman next to her knelt down and said, "My lord, the woman is Guo Kai's sister, and today is the day of the seventh dynasty when the slave brothers died." So my husband and I came early in the morning, and when we saw that the doors and windows were tightly closed, we knocked loudly. But there was no response, so my husband pried open the window and went into the house to check, only to find my brother-in-law Sun hanging from the beams of the house. So he stepped forward to put his brother and daughter-in-law down, but who knew that his body was stiff and he had already died! Within a few days, my brother and sister-in-law died violently, and it was really terrifying—"

Xia Xue walked into the house and saw Sun wearing a white cloth filial piety robe, lying upright on the ground, a white belt still hanging on the second beam of the room, floating constantly.

Xia Xue asked her about the inspection, and she made a report: "The corpse's hair is scattered, the eyes are closed and the mouth is open, the tongue is out of an inch and a half, and there is a trace of hanging under the neck, which is dark purple, obliquely facing up behind the ears, and the eight characters are not crossed." ”

He continued: "The deceased had pale red blood marks on the tips of his fingers, and his toes were downward, and his toes were also pale red and bloody. Abdominal sagging, incontinence. ”

Xia Xue nodded: "Okay, judging from your autopsy, did the deceased commit suicide or did he kill him?" ”

He said confidently: "My lord, according to the autopsy, Sun died by hanging. I think it was because of his husband's illness that he died, so he was in pain and hanged himself. ”

Xia Xue glanced at it and said, "Human life is a matter of heaven, we must be meticulous, we can't jump to conclusions, let me see." ”

Xia Xue borrowed a pair of gloves from the servant, and then carefully examined Sun's corpse, and then checked the belt and beams used for hanging.

After reading it, Xia Xue's face was gloomy, and she reprimanded the county commander and the servant sharply: "Human life is a matter of heaven, let you be careful, but you are careless, you are dereliction of duty, dereliction of duty, are you guilty?" ”

Huang Xian Ling and Cao Yanzuo were so frightened that their faces were as pale as dirt and they fell to their knees.

Xia Xue said indignantly: "After I checked it, I think that the Sun family did not hang himself, but was killed by someone. ”

Huang Xianling was shocked, but Cao Yanzuo looked puzzled.

Cao Cheng was confused and a little unconvinced: "May I ask my lord, if you have any doubts, my subordinates will listen to you!" ”

Xia Xue said: "First, when you open the lips of the deceased, you can see that there are a few gray linen fibers between her teeth, and there are skin chips in the nails of the index finger, middle finger, and ring finger of both hands, and there are no scratches on the deceased's body, indicating that the skin chips in the nails belong to someone else, have you ever found this?" ”

Cao Cheng listened, stepped forward and turned Sun's lips, and sure enough, it was as Xia Xue said. With a tug of his hand, the root of the tooth was also a little loose, and there was purple bruising; There were also skin chips in the nails of the index, middle, and ring fingers of both hands. So he nodded reluctantly.

Xia Xue said: "Second, there is only one mark on the beam, according to common sense, people who hang themselves, after their feet leave the ground, because of the rope strangulation of their necks, difficulty breathing, will involuntarily struggle, will inevitably pull the rope on the beam, so most of them have several staggered rope traces." I don't know if you're in favor of it or not? ”

Cao Qizuo pondered for a moment, then nodded.

Xia Xue continued: "Third, the deceased's selfishness. There is a man's J. fluid left everywhere, have you ever found this? ”

Cao Qizuo lowered his head: "This ...... I was a little embarrassed about this just now, I didn't check! ”

Xia Xue Zhengse said: "As a servant, you should be discerning, distinguish between right and wrong, and give the deceased justice, uprightness, and righteousness, how can you be embarrassed and derelict in your duties and make a misjudgment!" ”

Cao Yanzuo was severely criticized by Xia Xue, and his face was immediately red, he was ashamed, and he knelt on the ground and had nothing to say.

Xia Xue then said to the county order and the surrounding people: "According to this official, someone came here last night and tried to insult the Sun family. Sun swore to die, and bit somewhere on the comer's body, only to tear off a few strands of gray linen fibers, and scratch him. And this gangster must be a man dressed in gray linen clothes, and there are scratches on his body. ”

Cao Qizuo immediately retorted: "The deceased's eyes are closed, and his mouth is open, what is the explanation? ”

Xia Xue said: "The murderer first stunned Sun, and then hung her, because the blood is still flowing, the situation after death can be the same as hanging herself!" ”

Cao Yanzuo continued to argue unconvinced: "It is clearly written in the ancient detective book: Anyone whose neck marks are in the shape of a figure eight must have hanged himself, and if it is a complete circle mark, he will be strangled to death." On Sun's neck, there are only figure-eight neck marks, why don't you see pinch marks or complete circle marks? ”

Xia Xue recalled a case of hanging death, and the tragic situation seemed to be still in front of her. The afterlife state of people's unnatural death, the most terrible and abominable is hanging. Because although there is no blood dripping from hanging, it seems to be like a scorpion in an ice kiln, a dark needle in cotton wool, and there is a horror of cold thorns. Anyone who has seen it with their own eyes will never forget it. The person who was hanged to death that Xia Xue saw was a man, his name was: Mu Xiangxu, although it was only a glance, it was still deeply imprinted in her mind. When Xia Xue went to the scene, Mu Xiangxu had already been put down, lying on his back on a copper bed with thin snails, wearing a set of gray robes, his abdomen was terrifyingly swollen, his black lips were open, revealing two rows of miserable white teeth, the tip of his tongue was slightly out between the teeth, his eyes were wide open, his face was purple and red, and there were some traces of foam on his jaw, which clearly leaked from the corners of his lips.

The neck of the deceased showed a thick and wide streak, but it completed a complete circle.

The person in charge of the autopsy also followed the records in the ancient detective books: those whose neck marks are in the shape of a figure of eight must have hanged themselves, and if they were completely circled, they were strangled to death. It was determined that Mu Xiangxu was strangled to death.

In the end, Mu Xiangxu's younger brother Mu Xianglin was arrested as a suspect, because his younger brother had been to Mu Xiangxu's house before the deceased's death.

After visiting and investigating, Xia Xue found that Mu Xiangxu's younger brother was very decent, and he did go to Mu Xiangxu's house before Mu Xiangxu's death, but he was only to comfort his brother. There was a servant present to testify to this, and he comforted him for a while before leaving, not knowing that his brother had subsequently hanged himself.

After investigation, it was found that Mu Xiangxu was a prodigal who ate, drank, prostituted and gambled, and was degenerate and owed a lot of foreign debts. It was precisely because of his improper conduct that he was angry with his father, and before his father died, he wrote a suicide note and gave all the inheritance to Mu Xiangxu's younger brother Mu Xianglin, he was angry, coupled with a series of blows such as the creditor forcing the debt and his wife running away, he felt that the future was hopeless, and he committed suicide.

Xia Xue carefully inspected the hanged white cloth belt, and found that the belt was thin and narrow, if it was around the head and neck, not only could the feet be suspended in the air, but the overflow marks on the neck would of course also form a circle. However, the traces of this circle are still different from those of those who were strangled to death. Because of this, although the strap was wrapped around the head and neck twice, the first circle was completely connected, but the second circle only reached behind the ears, and it became a figure-eight shape when it went diagonally upward.

He only knew one and didn't know the other, so he mistakenly thought he was strangled to death. This hanging method is the most powerful, and when the chair is kicked down and the body is suspended in the air, it will take two or three minutes to be fatal, and it will not be easy to rescue.

Later, under Xia Xue's detection and investigation, it was determined that Mu Xiangxu hanged himself, and his younger brother Mu Xianglin's innocence was returned.

Therefore, the record in the book is not necessarily the golden rule, it is absolutely correct.

Xia Xue reprimanded: "It is better to believe in a book than to have no book!" The knowledge in books also needs to be used flexibly. ”

She looked at the corpse again and analyzed: "If the murderer puts a cloth on it, or pinchs it and does not die, it will not leave a scar!" ”

Cao Yanzuo pondered for a moment, and then asked: "When the deceased was found, the doors and windows in the house were closed, if there was a murderer who committed the crime, then how did he get out of this room?" ”

Xia Xue said: "If the murderer wants to go out and lock the doors and windows, he can't do it without tools, but when I check the doors and windows, I will definitely find something." ”

Then, Xia Xue came to the window, looked down at it, and shook her head regretfully. Then he came to the door again, observed it, and then said: "The murderer went out from this door, everyone, please see, the gap between the door panel and the door frame of this door is large, and after inserting the latch, there is still a gap of about an inch." And in the corresponding part of the latch, the accumulated knife marks are clearly visible. From this, it can be seen that the murderer not only straightened the latch when he went out, but also gently opened the latch when he came in, and then broke into the house. ”

Everyone stepped forward to take a look, and sure enough, they couldn't help but praise Xia Xue's observation and analysis skills.

Xia Xue also gave a special demonstration to everyone, she asked people to close the door from the inside, and then stood outside the door and inserted a dagger through the crack in the door. entered, easily opened the latch and opened the door; Then, he closed the door again, straightened the latch with a dagger from the outside, and closed the door, all of which was easily realized, further confirming Xia Xue's judgment.

Later, after Xia Xue's in-depth investigation and investigation, it was found that Zhang Gou, an idle bachelor in Liyuan Village, was the most suspicious, and found a gray linen dress in his house, and there were a few fibers missing from the shoulders, and the few fibers were consistent with the gray linen fibers left between Sun's teeth. And he had obvious fresh scratches on his body.

Zhang Gouyu, thirty-two years old, tall and thin, dark complexion, triangular eyes, collapsed nose, very ugly, plus idle, like to drink and gamble, so, no woman wants to marry him. After interrogation, Zhang Gouyu finally admitted that he saw Guo Kai's wife Sun at Guo Kai's funeral a few days ago, and he was lustful for a while, killed Sun, and disguised herself as a fake suicide hanging, not wanting to be recognized by Xia Xue's sharp eyes.

After this incident, Huang County Ling and Cao Yanzuo of Pucheng County were punished. However, as a result, Xia Xue also has an eager desire for good officials who are good at solving cases.