Mrs. Yang said: "Our Yangjia Village is halfway up the mountain, there is no mountain peak in front of it, and the terrain is open, so the wind will blow hard." I can blow off the thatch on the roof. So keep the window paper on the outside. ”

Song Yun'er remembered that when she saw the wind and snow in this corridor last night, Old Lady Yang and Steward Pang said that the snow in this Yangjia Village is strong and windy, especially in winter and spring, which can blow away all the stones on the ground. But what's the matter with this pasted window paper?

Yang Qiuchi saw that Song Yun'er was still at a loss, and said with a smile: "I just praised you for being smart, why are you stupid again." This window paper should be pasted in the window lattice, and when the wind blows, it will easily blow off. If the paste is on the outside, there is a window lattice blocking it, and it will not blow off. ”

"Yes," said Old Lady Yang, "in addition to the wind, there is also the problem of hot kang and frost and snow. In winter, ordinary people have no money to buy charcoal fires, so they can only hide on the warm kang, which is almost all under the window, if the window paper is pasted inside, it is easy to peel off by the heating. ”

"We have a lot of snow and cold this winter, and if the window paper is pasted inside, the frost and snow will accumulate on the window lattice railing, and it will soak the window paper, making it wrinkled and unsightly, and it is easy to fall off. Therefore, the window paper in our Yangjia Village is pasted outside. With the protection of the window lattice, this thief can't get in. ”

Song Yun'er and Song Tongzhi understood now. Song Tongzhi asked: "Virtuous nephew, this, so it seems, you, do you mean to say that this is really murderous, there is another person, and it is through this window lattice?" ”

Song Tongzhi was no longer surprised that Yang Qiuchi found that the real murderer was someone else when he solved the case, and such a precedent had existed before. It's much better to find out now than to find out again after the case is settled.

"Yes," Yang Qiuchi said, pointing to the window paper, "have you noticed?" This piece of window paper is slightly different from the paper on other window mullions, and should be pasted separately. ”

Song Yun'er didn't notice this, she leaned in to observe carefully, and then took a few steps back to look at it from a distance, sure enough, the color, new and old of this window paper is slightly different from the window paper on other window lattices on the same window, but she won't notice it if you don't look carefully.

Yang Qiuchi touched the window paper on the other window lattices and said: "Twenty-four, sweep the house, twenty-five, paste the windows, so, the windows on this small attic should be pasted on the twenty-fifth day of the lunar month, this case happened on March 20, a difference of more than three months." You see, the paper of this window is so strong that it cannot be removed. ”

Therefore, the murderer should first tear off the old one, then use a small saw to cut the tenon of the window lattice and the crosswood, get in and kill the person, and then drill out, re-erect the crosswood, and then re-paste it with new window paper. There is only a three-month difference between the old and new window paper, and you can't see the old and the new if you don't look carefully. ”

That's right! Speaking of this, Yang Qiuchi suddenly thought that since the murderer had re-pasted the window paper, and the small attic was locked after the crime, and no outsiders came in or out, it was very likely that the murderer's fingerprints were left on the window paper, maybe it was glued and printed on the window paper, maybe only the old sweat and dirt fingerprints.

Yang Qiuchi carefully blew off the surface dust on the window paper, and used the light to obliquely observe, but he still couldn't see clearly, and there were some dust spider webs and the like stuck to it.

Yang Qiuchi took a low stool and placed it under the window, and asked Song Yun'er to stand on the stool with her back against the window. Although Song Yuner didn't know what Yang Qiuchi was going to do, she obediently complied.

Song Yun'er's hair was very long, and Yang Qiuchi picked up her hair and carefully swept away the dust stuck to the window paper.

The dust was swept away, but the tips of Song Yuner's hair were also covered with dust. Yang Qiuchi said apologetically: "Yun'er, I'm sorry, I soiled your hair. ”

Song Yun'er was quite generous: "It's okay, I'll wash it later." Brother, what are you doing here? ”

"I can't tell you now, but you'll know later." Yang Qiuchi put his head on the window and carefully observed the window paper, especially the part of the window paper on the window lattice.

When applying window paper, you need to press it with your hands or a small broom. The murderer is more likely to be concealed, so it is unlikely that a small broom will be specially prepared, and it is most likely that he will press it with his hands, in which case, it is likely to leave fingerprints on it.

Sure enough, on the edge of the window paper, Yang Qiuchi found a few light gray fingerprints, which were very faint and could not be found if he didn't pay attention.

It must have been when the window was pasted, the murderer's fingers were glued, and there was some dust on the window paper itself or the wall and window lattice next to it.

Because the fingerprints are very light, the type and texture of the fingerprints cannot be seen clearly at all, it seems that only by patiently waiting for Feng Xiaoxue to bring his forensic physical evidence investigation box and extract it with a magnetic fingerprint brush can it be clearly revealed.

However, Yang Qiuchi still looked at these fingerprints as carefully as possible, hoping to find something from them.

Song Yun'er also came up and looked around on the window paper, but she didn't know the essentials, and those fingerprints were very light, and they could only be found by using a certain light and angle, so Song Yun'er didn't find anything wrong. Moreover, even if she showed it to her, she didn't know what the fingerprint meant to identify criminals. Because at that time, there was no knowledge of the unique surname of fingerprints.

Song Yun'er didn't know what Yang Qiuchi was looking at, and when she saw that Yang Qiuchi was concentrating on studying something, she didn't dare to ask indiscriminately, for fear of disturbing his train of thought.

Yang Qiuchi looked at it for a while, and always felt that these fingerprints were a little strange, but he didn't know where the strangeness was. I carefully looked at the past one by one from top to bottom, and finally found that there was something strange, a few of these fingerprints could not be seen, probably because the finger was not glued with paste or dust, so there were no visible fingerprints. In this case, it can only be found and extracted by using a magnetic fingerprint brush or a manifestation agent such as gold powder and silver powder.

The discovery of fingerprints made Yang Qiuchi very excited, this can be said to be a major breakthrough, as long as Feng Xiaoxue took his forensic evidence extraction box, after extracting the fingerprints, compared with the fingerprints of all the people in the Yang family compound, it was easy to find the real murderer.

Luo Xiancheng came to the small attic with Song Tongzhi, and at this moment, the two of them were sighing with Old Lady Yang that the murderer had a careful plan and good intentions. Fortunately, Yang Qiuchi was aware of everything and found the murderer's way to enter the room, and now it is very clear that this so-called secret room can be entered and exited from the window. In this way, the murderer is not limited to the wet nurse and the little maid Zhichun!

At this moment, Song Tongzhi suspected that the second aunt Tai Zhang and the nurse shouted that they didn't kill the third aunt last night, maybe they were really wronged, no wonder Yang Qiuchi didn't say anything last night, it turned out that he had already discovered that there was a problem here.

Song Tongzhi looked at Yang Qiuchi and asked a little embarrassedly: "Virtuous nephew, then, this, what do you think should be done?" ”

"Keep looking!" Yang Qiuchi replied very simply.

The scope of this case is relatively small, the case occurred in the middle of the night, the walls of the Yang family compound are tall, and there are nurses, and there are no traces of outsiders sneaking in at that time, and from the murderer tore off the window paper, sawed off the window lattice, entered through the window, and re-covered the entrance and exit after coming out, this series of behaviors is premeditated, planned and prepared, and is very familiar with the scene, it is very likely to be someone in the Yang family compound.

This person must have used incense or the like to stun the nurse Lu Shi and the little maid Zhichun first, and then sneaked in to kill people.

Because the inner house of the compound was to be closed at night, the time of the incident was two o'clock in the evening, and the gate had already been closed from the inside at that time, and the ordinary servants of the outer house could not enter. Therefore, the scope of detection is limited to the people who lived in the inner house that night.

Old lady Yang asked Steward Pang to inform the Yang family of Yang Qiuchi and Song Tongzhi's decision to continue the investigation, and asked everyone to cooperate with the investigation of the case.

Hearing that the investigation would continue, all the people in the Yang family suddenly became nervous again. It's still the old rule, go back to the house and don't move around at will. Song Tongzhi brought some arrests, and there were enough people to carry out this alert task. The temporary lobby is still located in the small attic.

Song Tongzhi sat in the court to ask about the case, Luo Xiancheng and Yang Qiuchi were jurors on the left and right, and Song Yuner still sat on a stool next to Yang Qiuchi to listen to the trial.

As soon as Song Tongzhi and Yang Qiuchi discussed, the first thing to check was the eldest young master Yang Qingshui.

As for how to investigate this case, Song Tongzhi had no bottom in his heart, and asked Yang Qiuchi for help, but Yang Qiuchi did not shirk and promised to preside over the trial by himself.

Bringing Yang Qingshui to the temporary lobby, Yang Qiuchi brought a chair for Yang Qingshui to sit down, after all, there is no evidence to prove that he is the murderer, Yang Qiuchi does not dare to mess around, otherwise, even if the case is solved, this relative will be offended, it will be meaningless.

There was a five-pin Tongzhi sitting in the lobby, and he Yang Qingshui had no fame, so it stands to reason that he should kneel. But Yang Qiuchi brought him a chair for him to sit, Yang Qingshui was a little flattered, and saw that Song Tongzhi had nothing to say, so he sat down with his ass on his side.

Yang Qiuchi said: "Cousin, I am now the magistrate of the county, and I am entrusted by Lord Song Tongzhi Song to be responsible for the investigation of this case. I'm going to ask you some questions, and if you offend something, ask your cousin for forgiveness. ”

Yang Qingshui hurriedly stood up and bowed: "Don't dare, cousin, ah no, Lord Yang is serious." Then sit down.

Yang Qiuchi is now promoted to ask about the case, that is the identity of the imperial court, Yang Qingshui still understands this measure.

Yang Qiuchi asked, "Cousin, what were you doing on the night the third aunt died?" Although it has been two years, Yang Qiuchi believes that such a big thing will be remembered by the Yang family.

Sure enough, Yang Qingshui did not hesitate and said, "I went to bed early that night. ”

"Do you have a certificate?"

"There are my mother and children to testify, and the maid in the courtyard."

"Have you ever been out late at night?"

"Nope. The door of the small courtyard shall be bolted at night, and the servants shall watch. ”

"Cousin," Yang Qiuchi asked with a very curious look, "When I first arrived in our village the day before yesterday, my uncle once took me to look around the Yang family's compound, and I found that the walls of your respective small courtyards are only as high as one person, right?" ”

"Yes, the outer house has high walls, and the inner house also has it, so there is no need to build a small yard so high, otherwise it will be too breathless."

"Oh~! I see, that is, even if the door of your small yard is closed, it shouldn't be difficult to climb over the wall with a ladder or a high stool, right? ”

"It's not difficult, it's easy-cousin, ah no, what does Lord Yang mean by that?" Only then did Yang Qingshui react.

"It's nothing, just ask, don't be nervous." Yang Qiuchi smiled meaningfully, and then his face turned blank: "Your bedroom has doors in front and back, and the wall courtyard is not high, you climb over the wall in the middle of the night, and the maid and servant who live at the gate of the courtyard will not know." - The official is now asking you, did you sneak out over the wall and kill the third aunt that night? ”

Yang Qiuchi's official authority is not bad, this remark startled Yang Qingshui, his face changed, and he said repeatedly: "Lord Yang, I didn't, I didn't kill the third aunt, I have no grudges with the third aunt, why kill her!" ”

"No grudges?" Yang Qiuchi smiled coldly, "Why did the third aunt run to your yard first?" Why don't so many men she hug, but the first one to come and hug you? ”

Yang Qingshui lowered his head: "How, how do I know." ”

"You don't know?" Yang Qiuchi asked, "Then let me ask you again, what did the third aunt say when she was a nymphomaniac hugging you that day?" ”

Yang Qingshui's face was like ashes, and he said: "I, I can't remember." ”

"No, what the third aunt said scared you so much, you can't remember? You don't have to hide it, in fact, Yahuan Zhichun has already told us that the third aunt and you are 'I will promise you everything'" Yang Qiuchi turned his face and asked Song Tongzhi: "Lord Song, what I said is right." ”

Song Tongzhi nodded: "Ya, Yahuan Zhichun did say so." ”

Yang Qiuchi asked Yang Qingshui: "Cousin, why did the third aunt say that, she said to promise you, what did she promise you?" ”

Yang Qingshui's head hung lower, and he didn't say a word.

Yang Qiuchi said again: "Since my cousin refuses to talk about this, then I won't talk about it yet, but since you don't want to talk about it, then I won't tell you another thing about the third aunt." Speaking of this, Yang Qiuchi picked up the teacup and drank the tea slowly.

People are curious, and Yang Qingshui is no exception, and finally couldn't help asking, "What is Lord Yang talking about about the third aunt?" ”

Yang Qiuchi looked at Yang Qingshui and saw that he was eager, just by this point, a fool could see that his relationship with the third aunt was different. I couldn't help sighing and said, "Forget it, I'll tell you, I saw the ghost of the third aunt in the small attic the night before yesterday, you know this, but do you know what she said to me?" ”

Yang Qingshui nodded, and immediately shook his head, that day he heard that Yang Qiuchi saw the ghost of the third aunt, he was very nervous, and he always wanted to ask Yang Qiuchi about the detailed process of meeting the ghost of the third aunt, but it was difficult to speak. Now that Yang Qiuchi took the initiative to talk about it, Yang Qingshui leaned forward and almost pricked up his ears.

Yang Qiuchi got up and walked to Yang Qingshui's side, leaned over to his ear and whispered, "The third aunt is too ghostly to say, she is so cold down there, she regrets rejecting you." ”

Yang Qingshui's eyes were wet, and he asked, "Really?" Did the third aunt really say that? ”

Yang Qiuchi nodded: "Yes, I was going to tell you that day, but there are too many people, and it's inconvenient." Yang Qiuchi was a little embarrassed and a little ashamed of himself using ghosts to induce confessions, it seems that without modern equipment, his forensic doctor is not much stronger than the ancients.

The vast majority of the ancients believed in ghosts, and Yang Qiuchi's hallucinations that night were very realistic, and Yang Qingshui immediately believed it and said: "It's all my fault, I hurt her." ”

As soon as they heard this, Yang Qiuchi and Song Tongzhi both felt that there was a door, it seemed that there was really no problem in judging, it was this Yang Qingshui who killed the third aunt Tai Guo, and both of them judged in their hearts that it was probably Yang Qingshui and the third aunt who were annihilated, and they were discovered by the old lady Yang. It may also be that this Yang Qingshui was forced to annihilate and suddenly had the intention of killing.

Yang Qiuchi didn't speak, he knew that since Yang Qingshui opened his mouth, he would definitely continue.

Sure enough, Yang Qingshui continued: "Lord Song, Lord Yang, since you suspect that I killed the third aunt, it seems that it is necessary for me to explain my relationship with her to you clearly. ”

Yang Qiuchi and Song Tongzhi both smiled heartily and waited for him to confess.

Yang Qingshui paused for a long time before he mustered up the courage to say: "Actually, the third aunt was brought home by me, and she was originally going to be my concubine." ”

Hearing this, Yang Qiuchi and Song Tongzhi were dumbfounded, it turned out that there was such a big secret in it.

Yang Qingshui continued: "The third aunt I met when I was studying in Yingtianfu, although she is from a poor family, she is very kind and virtuous, and she looks very sweet. At that time, I was thinking about finding a concubine, and as soon as I told her family, her family agreed. But I have to take her home to show my father and mother first, and if I like it, I can officially take a concubine. ”

"As soon as I brought her home, my father told me to go to Yangzhou immediately to collect a debt, saying that the debtor was about to go south to do business, and I don't know when I would come back, if this debt could not be collected, I would lose a lot of money."

"My dad urged me to leave immediately, and I couldn't delay for a moment. I didn't dare to disobey, so I had to set off immediately. Because I know that if this matter is not done well, my father and mother may not agree to let me take a concubine. ”

Yang Qiuchi was a little curious and asked, "How could it be?" The concubine is for your family to inherit the lineage. ”

(To be continued)