Among the people to be investigated today is Ma Huai.

Ma Huai.

This is the object that Chen Chaoyan wanted to investigate a few days ago.

After breakfast, I went to the investigation site. After checking the first two families step by step, Chen Chaoyan walked into Ma Huai's house.

Ma Huai's house is huge, and it is a big house with four entrances and four exits. With the center of the criss-cross as the axis, the big house is divided into four equal parts, and the one in which Ma Huai's family lives in the northeast is divided; The one in which his uncle's house lived in the north-west direction; His uncle's family lived in the south-west quarter. The remaining southeast side is divided into public areas, which are used to receive foreign visitors.

From the layout of one flower and one grass in the southwest, it can be seen that the Ma family's pharmacy business is excellent.

I don't know if it's just because the business is good, or because of the protection of the judicial history of Ma Huai, the county guard, the business has become good.

In short, because of Xie Xuan's presence, everyone in the Ma family was very polite.

Referring to the floor plan of the Ma family displayed on the light screen, the investigation task was arranged, and it took another half an hour to complete the investigation of the public area, Ma Huai's eldest aunt suddenly took out a wooden box of about 18 inches and enthusiastically stuffed it to Chen Chaoyan.

Through the cracks in the wooden box she opened, she could see that it contained a ginseng with many thin whiskers. Chen Chaoyan didn't know how to tell the year of ginseng, but judging from the actions of Uncle Ma Huai stuffing her ginseng, and the corner of her eyes kept sweeping towards Xie Xuan, the year of this ginseng is probably not low.

Of course, Chen Chaoyan would not ask for her ginseng. After clearly expressing her refusal, and she still refused, Chen Chaoyan said intentionally: "I appreciate Madame's kindness, but I don't want this gift." I had the trust of the prince to get the position of this case-solving officer. If I accept this bribe, I'm afraid I won't have to wait for tomorrow, and I will end up with Lord Song! ”

Uncle Ma Huai looked at Xie Xuan twice, "How can this be a bribe, it's just a little caution on my part." ”

Saying this, I don't dare to be as tough as before in action.

Chen Chaoyan took two steps back at the right time, bowed slightly towards her, turned around and followed the official into the courtyard where Ma Huai's family lived.

The courtyard where Ma Huai's family lives is a large courtyard house with two small courtyards, listening to Ma Huai's mother's introduction, Ma Huai and his younger brother live in the east courtyard, Ma Huai's father and mother, and his seven-year-old sister live in the north courtyard. From the floor plan presented on the light screen, it can be clearly seen that the courtyard where Ma Huai's family lives is full of herbs inside and out. The occasional rockery is also planted for the environment where herbs are used to create a forest protection environment.

After roughly understanding the layout of Ma Huai's family's hospitalized, Chen Chaoyan looked back at Ma Huai's mother, that is, Ma's second wife.

Ma Huai's father was not there, saying that he had gone out to collect herbs a few days ago. Ma Huai is also not there, and he is also one of the people who have been exposed in the recent complaint fever. His younger brother Ma Kui is also not there, and he is studying at the county school. Mrs. Ma, the only one who was there, held her seven-year-old daughter, accompanied by Uncle Ma Huai and his uncle, aunt and aunt, who had rushed back on purpose, and followed them nervously.

After routinely listening to the oral confessions of the crowd and making sure that there were no problems or omissions, Chen Chaoyan asked the seven officials who came with him to search the two medicine fields outside the courtyard courtyard in the direction of east to north.

After the servants dispersed, she also entered the medicine field.

The herbs in the field are divided into pieces according to their medicinal properties. Looking at the softness of the soil, it should have been turned in the last four or five days.

Ma Huai's eldest uncle Ma Wenda and younger uncle Ma Wenli were doing everything possible to offer courtesy to Xie Xuan, Chen Chaoyan was impatient to listen to their chatter, quickened his pace, and walked to the front.

Xie Xuan looked at her twice, but didn't chase her, only signaled Ruolan to follow and protect her.

"The Ma family is really big." Yuejian glanced back, and after making sure that the people of the Ma family did not follow, he said in a low voice.

Ruolan glanced around and agreed: "It's really not small. ”

Chen Chaoyan searched for clues intently, and did not answer their words.

After looking left and right with her a few times, Yuejian said, "In such a big place, if you really want to hide one or two pieces of evidence, it should be very difficult to find." ”

Ruolan said succinctly: "It must be difficult for Miss Chen." ”

While talking, several people had already walked to the alley between the courtyard and the wall where Ma Huai and Ma Kui lived.

The alley is very wide, almost six zhang.

On one side of the wall, a row of maple poplars is neatly planted.

In the medicinal fields reclaimed under the maple poplar trees, Banxia and Yuanhu are planted.

Chen Chaoyan followed the path of the sheep intestines in the medicine field, and as soon as he walked to the opposite window, he had already walked to the north alley and called out: "Miss Chen, there is a situation here!" ”

Chen Chaoyan immediately rushed over with his skirt.

When the officials saw her coming, they all said, "Miss Chen, look, there is something wrong with Yuanhu here!" ”

Chen Chaoyan looked in the direction of their fingers and saw that the center of the medicinal field planted with Yuanhu was inexplicably dead. That piece is about a square in size. The cause of the withering is obviously due to the lack of water, but looking at the soil in that area, it is obviously softer than elsewhere!

There's something wrong with this piece of land!

After glancing at Xie Xuan and the others who also rushed over, Chen Chaoyan ordered: "Dig it up and see what is in the soil!" ”

The officials immediately moved when they heard the order.

Ma Wenli hurriedly stepped forward to stop it, and a human hand was exposed at the right time.

Ma Wenli immediately retreated in shock, "How could it be, there would be ......?"

"What's there?" Ma Wenda also stepped forward. Seeing that most of the body had been dug up, he was also shocked and took two steps back, and immediately turned back to ask Mrs. Ma, "How can there be dead people here?" ”

Shaded by maple poplars and the coolness of the earth, the corpse has just begun to decay, and the smell of the corpse is obvious but has not yet reached the extreme.

Therefore, with just one glance, Chen Chaoyan recognized the identity of the corpse: Li Er!

Li Er's portrait had long been plastered all over the streets and alleys, and after the officials dug up his body and dragged it out of the mud pit, everyone in the Ma family recognized him in an instant.

"This, isn't this the Li Er?" Mrs. Ma San covered her nose and said in shock.

The moment Mrs. Ma saw the official dragging the body out, her legs were already weak. Relying on the support of his mother-in-law, he barely stood still. At this moment, when she heard Mrs. Masan's words, her legs were weak and her eyes were dark, and she fainted.

"Second sister-in-law!"

"Brother and sister!"

Mrs. Ma and Mrs. Ma immediately helped her.

Mother-in-law and handmaidens also rushed up in a panic.

Almost instantly, it was a mess.

Chen Chaoyan didn't have time to pay attention to them.

Her gaze fell on Li Er's corpse.

Li Er's face was blue, his eyes were prominent, and his lips and nails were bruised. The groove on the neck is located in the Adam's apple, and the force around the neck is uniform, and the color is consistent. This is a classic strangulation.

Taking out a handkerchief and covering his hands, Chen Chaoyan took a few steps forward, ready to inspect the corpse up close. Seeing this, Yue quickly stopped her, asked her to wait for a while, and then took out a mask from her pouch and handed it to her, "You said earlier that you wanted to draw a mask style for me, but you haven't painted it." I sewed it on my own terms, and you can see if it fits. ”

Chen Chaoyan should be good.

The mask she made was similar to the style of a modern mask, except that the ear hanging style was changed to a lace-up type. In addition, I don't know what herbs she put in the inner layer of the mask, but after wearing it, the refreshing aroma instantly isolated the smell of the corpse.

After fastening the belt and telling her that the mask was good, Chen Chaoyan's attention fell on the corpse again.

Pressing the corpse's bare arm, the muscles were already limp, and it was clear that it had been more than forty-eight hours since he died. In addition, the cornea has been severely clouded, and the corpse spots distributed on the outside of the right leg, the outside of the right arm, and the right side of the body will not fade according to the press, which can further prove that he died more than 48 hours ago, and can also indicate that he was buried in the pit within an hour after his death.

After putting away the handkerchief, Chen Chaoyan got up and looked around, when the officials came, they didn't know that Li Er's body was buried here, so the scene was not protected, and all the footprints were destroyed.

But......

This is the courtyard where Ma Huai's family lives, and this is the back of the courtyard where Ma Huai and his younger brother Ma Kui live, and the murderer will have no one else except their family.

Looking at the corpse twice, Chen Chaoyan instructed the officials, "Leave two people to bring the body back to the yamen, and the rest of the people continue to search." ”

The officials were very active, scrambling to deliver the corpse.

Chen Chaoyan did not stop their performance, but went to the front to search first.

After Xie Xuan glanced at her, he coldly instructed Ling You: "Immediately go back to the county guard mansion to inform Lord Feng, and let him arrest the Ma clan immediately!" ”

The mausoleum tour should be, a little tiptoe, and people will go away like a shock.

By the time everyone in the Ma family reacted, the others had already disappeared.

"Lord Wang, don't know that Li Er's ...... is buried here" Ma Wenda and Ma Wenli, who were the first to react, quickly knelt on the ground and begged Xie Xuan for mercy, "This is the courtyard of the second child's family, and it has nothing to do with us." ”

"Keep these words for Master Feng." Motioning for Chonglou to stay and watch them, Xie Xuan raised his steps and chased after Chen Chaoyan.

Seeing this, the officials who were still arguing immediately left two people to deliver the corpses, and the rest of the people chased after them.

Chen Chaoyan walked around the periphery of the courtyard where Ma Huai lived, and then stood at the gate of the courtyard where Ma Huai lived, and instructed the officials who followed: "Go, search carefully." ”

The officials should have entered the house one after another.

Chen Chaoyan followed behind them and walked side by side with Xie Xuan, "Judging from the situation of the corpse, Li Er died two days ago. ”

"Two days ago...... Xie Xuan tapped his palm twice with a jade bone landscape fan, "it was the time when Lord Feng ordered the other two slots to also check themselves. ”

Chen Chaoyan glanced at him, "Do you suspect that Li Er's death has something to do with this?" ”

"Nope." Xie Xuan vetoed and said, "You continue." ”

"No one knew that a body would be found here, so the scene was not protected." Chen Chaoyan said as he walked, "Whether you can get other evidence to further confirm that Ma Huai is the murderer depends on the search ......."

Before the words fell, the official who entered the house to search called out, "Miss Chen, the hemp rope that strangled Li Er has been found!" ”