Yichuan County No. 41 (4)

  "It's unfair! I'm innocent!"

  This is a classic line from an ancient costume detective drama.

  "Wrongly accused?" The handsome and emotionless official's eyes swept around, and among the onlookers, every woman's mind was no longer on the murder case. "I said you murdered your wife and faked the scene, but did I really wrongly accuse you?"

  Farmer Zhang fell to his knees with a thud: "Your Honor, you must distinguish right from wrong and take charge for the people! This is clearly a bandit raiding our home and attempting to humiliate my wife..."

  The furniture in the house was overturned, the cupboard was wide open, and everything was in disarray. On the floor lay a young woman, stiff and rigid, her clothes disheveled, her pants pulled down halfway, the scene was too gruesome to behold.

  The young man in green official uniform looked at him coldly: "What was lost in the family, do you know?"

  "This... I came back from the fields and saw this scene, I was so shocked that my soul flew away, and immediately went to report to the authorities, where did I have time to examine it!"

  "This thief is quite righteous, all the cabinets in the house have been opened, but somehow they forgot to search! I think your wife is usually very thrifty and has tidied up the drawers so neatly that the thief didn't dare to rummage through them." The official slowly walked around, pulling open the already-opened drawers and cabinets even wider. Although there weren't many clothes and items inside, they were indeed stacked neatly, without any signs of disturbance.

  "When you returned, your wife's body was stiff, which means the thief had enough time to stay in your home. Since he intended to rape your wife, why are her clothes like this? Is it possible to undress like this and still commit the crime? If there was ample time, how could he not have committed the crime, did his conscience suddenly appear?"

  "This... sir, this is a bandit's affair, how can a humble commoner like me know anything about it?"

  "So you really went to cultivate in the field?"

  "Really, sir! I, a humble commoner, left before dawn and didn't return until noon!"

  "What kind of field does your family plant, and what kind of farm tools are you carrying?"

  "The common people at home grow beans, the common people carry hoes..." Before he could say the word "hoe", Zhang Er suddenly froze. Because the man in green had already strolled to the window and grasped the handle of the hoe standing upright by the window.

  The window is directly opposite the door and is at the farthest end from the door.

  The adult's mouth corners rose with a faint smile: "Zhang Er, you're too modest. You said you were so shocked that your soul flew away, but you still managed to rush to the window, carefully place the hoe in its original position, and then go check on your wife's corpse."

  Zhang Er was stunned, but the handsome man would not let up: "From dawn till noon, that's at least three or four hours. You work so hard, why don't you wear short sleeves and casual clothes? Why are you wearing such loose-fitting clothes, and there isn't even a speck of sweat or dirt on your shirt? Is this intentional?"

  The old man squatted down, gently picked up the deceased's right hand: "There is blood and flesh residue between these fingernails, it must have scratched the murderer. Zhang Er, unfortunately you changed into this loose robe with large sleeves to cover it up, but chose the wrong color. If you wore a dark-colored one, it wouldn't be so obvious!"

  As everyone looked closely, it was Zhang's second lock bone and the back of his left arm that a faint bloodstain had seeped onto his hemp-colored shirt.

  Zhang's face turned earthy, but the man continued to say: "The embroidered purse at your waist is faintly visible, which seems to be a token of affection between men and women. I've heard that you and your wife have been married for many years, and it's rare for an old couple like you to still carry this kind of purse."

  This sentence is precisely what reveals the motive for murder.

  Zhang Er fell to the ground with a thud, trembling like a sieve. The people around him were stunned, but the handsome man turned to another green-robed handsome man: "Nie Daoren, I suppose he will confess next, please let the adults handle it."

  "Lord Nie" coldly snorted and simply said: "Take him back!"

  At this time, an old woman rushed out from one side and hit Zhang Er in the face while crying: "You beast, return my daughter's life to me! My daughter has not had a good day since she followed you, and now she has lost her life because of you! You are worse than a pig or dog!"

  Next to him, a handsome young man with a delicate appearance rushed out and steadily supported the old woman. Although he looked young and weak, his strength was actually not small, and the old woman tried her best to struggle but couldn't get close to Zhang Er's body.

  The young man's voice was soft and delicate, yet he gently persuaded: "Auntie, please grieve moderately. The dead cannot be brought back to life. Look at your little grandson watching over there!"

  It turned out that he had keenly discovered the two little girls who were led by the old woman before, although they were not yet sensible, but each stared at everything with a pair of dark and beady eyes in horror.

  "Mother, mourn in moderation, don't scare the child, the children are pitiful."

  The old woman's thoughts were successfully diverted to the child, and her impulsiveness turned into sobs. The surrounding villagers also rushed over, supported the old woman, and began to persuade her in a word-by-word manner.

  I quietly watched all of this until "Nie Daren" let out a sigh and said: "Let's head back."

  This is one of our daily routines in Ikawa County.

  Since I settled in Yichuan County, there are indeed many things to do, so life seems busy and fulfilling. More than a month has passed, the county abolished miscellaneous taxes, reduced corvée labor, rectified official affairs, re-examined prisoners, and Yichuan County's situation began to have a fresh atmosphere.

  Only I feel depressed, because I basically can't do anything. In fact, I don't dare to do it. Just like today, solving the case is Nie Qiuyuan's job, handling the aftermath is Luo Dachun's job, and comforting the victim's family member Han Meilan did a good job. What about me? I can only stand by and watch.

  I couldn't rush up and say, "Look, look, there are scratch marks on her fingernails! How long has she been dead? This scene is so awkward!" If I said that, they would think I'm a freak. Besides, with Nie Qiuyuan here, it's not like I need to say anything anyway.

  During this period, Master Yinye came over several times, basically all of which were summoned by me. As a result, calling him over didn't accomplish much, we just chatted casually. Only once did he bring an old case file's autopsy report for me to take a look at, saying that Autumn was being indecisive, and he privately brought it over for me to take a look.

  Because of this situation I had learned before, so I immediately pointed out the places that need attention. He showed a happy face and couldn't help but praise me.

  "Alas, I'm afraid it's up to you now. You must do your best and help Nie Qiuyuan well. If there's anything strange, remember to secretly bring it to me for a look, who knows what might happen? You absolutely must remember this!" I reminded Ye Ye Gongzi.

  He smiled and said: "Don't worry. I think they think you're useless, so they don't give you anything to do. Now that you're idle, isn't it just right to help with the case?"

  I'm also unclear whether this is a compliment or an insult.

  To sum it up, this first month was quite boring for me, to the point where I started thinking about some really weird questions when I had nothing better to do, like how to take on the role of the Dragon King and bring rain to Ikawa County.

  Just as I was lost in thought, I had unknowingly walked back to the county government office. Before we even reached the second hall to catch our breath, we saw Wang Jinzhi hurrying over with a scroll in hand, beaming with joy.

  He stood still in front of us, and with a flick of his wrist, the scroll slid open with a rustling sound, revealing a painting.

  "The portrait of an adult is complete, and this time's painter is really skilled!"

  This painting shook me upside down and I was petrified in front of it at once.

  As soon as I stepped into Yichuan County, I had a feeling that something was off. At this moment, I finally understood what that something was.

  When I first saw Nie Qiuyuan's portrait in the historical archives, I fell in love with him. Later, after reading about his life and how he governed as an official, solving cases like a god, I became deeply enthralled and couldn't pull myself out.

  Yes, the painting I saw is this one right in front of me! The rubbing copy I saw was already blurry and unclear due to its age, but I could feel that the person in the painting had a very good temperament. But now, I can see it clearly, and it's not Nie Qiuyuan in the painting, but Luo Dachun.

  I suddenly became extremely bewildered. The man I've been infatuated with and fought desperately for eight years, does he really exist?

  The warm and handsome man in the picture is not Nie Qiuyuan. Because they exchanged identities, what I read about him in historical records may also not be Nie Qiuyuan.

  So he is Luo Da Chun?

  It seems that's not the case either. Because I suddenly realized in my heart, the male god I had a crush on unknowingly already contained the existence of several people and became a collective entity. Nie Qiuyuan, Luo Dachun, Han Meilan, yes, even the figure of Master Yuye is also included. In this, it even includes myself.

  The man I had a crush on has become someone I don't even recognize, and to make matters worse, he's even incorporated me into his own being! This conclusion not only left my mind in disarray but also left me crying with laughter.