Chapter 1614 The truth comes to light
"Master Zhu, Master Zhao, I have something to report for my humble duty." The clerk stepped forward, bowed to Magistrate Zhao and Zhu Ping'an, and said with a somewhat excited expression.
"Master Zhu, this is Zuo Qian, the clerk of our government office. He was born as a child and has always been careful and conscientious in his work."
Zhixian Zhao softly introduced to Zhu Pingan.
"Yes, Secretary Zuo, what did you find?" Zhu Pingan nodded approvingly and asked Zuo Qian.
"Back to your lord, I discovered something when I was inquiring about the records of Liuwang Town Yizhuang. Liuwang Town Yizhuang undertook three funerals during the incident. Among them, when I was doing the funeral for the maid of Zhao's wife in Zhaozhuang, I encountered a strange thing. .when At that time, Zhao Yuanwai sent someone to invite them over, saying that a maid in their family had died unfortunately. When Liuwang Zhenyizhuang arrived at Zhao Yuanwai, the coffin was being closed. They only had time to take a look and saw a young maid wearing a shroud. Lying in the thin coffin, the coffin was closed and carried to the outside of the town for burial. When the people of Yizhuang, Liuwang Town, carried the coffin to the funeral, they felt that the coffin was very light. Although it was a thin coffin, it was a little abnormally light, as if it was inside the coffin. They don't seem to be restrained. At that time, I thought that member Zhao was being stingy and cut corners on the thin coffin for the maid, so I didn’t think much of it.”
Zuo Qian stepped forward and quietly reported the doubtful points recorded in Yizhuang in Liuwang Town to Zhu Ping’an and the magistrate Zhao in detail. .
Zhixian Zhao suddenly became excited when he heard this. This doubt was worth digging into. He looked at Zhu Pingan excitedly.
Zhu Pingan nodded slightly.
"Check who made the coffin for Mr. Zhao's wife at that time and see if any corners were cut." Magistrate Zhao ordered.
"My lord, my position has been verified." Secretary Zuo replied, "It was made by Qianji Coffin Shop in Liuwang Town. Qianji Coffin Shop swore that although the coffin they made for Zhao Yuan's wife was thin, But there is absolutely no cutting corners , they are all using real materials, they are making conscientious money, and they will be punished if they cut corners." "Whether it is cutting corners, or there is something fishy, you will know once you check it out," Zhu Ping'an made a quick decision and decided to go immediately. Check.
Zhixian Zhao immediately made arrangements, "What Mr. Zhu said is absolutely true. Invite the people from Yizhuang, Liuwang Town, and ask where the maid of Zhao's wife's family is buried. Ask them to lead the way. We will bring the widow. Wait, go and open the coffin for an autopsy."
Soon, the county government officials and servants were ready to go.
“Sir, the maid of Zhao’s wife’s family is buried outside Liuwang Town, in the mountain forest belonging to the Zhao family.”
People in Yizhuang, Liuwang Town, remember clearly that they got on the carriage of the Yamen and led the way, leading everyone there.
After hearing about it, Chen Dacheng and his clan members also followed him outside the Yamen.
Soon, the people from Liuwang Town Yizhuang took everyone to the place. In a mountain forest, there was a small tomb in an inconspicuous place.
After a pile of paper money was burned, Zhu Ping'an bowed to the grave bag and said, "I've offended you, I will make the decision for you."
Zhixian Zhao also handed over his hand. After bowing, he waved his hand and ordered the people and servants of Yizhuang to start digging.
Very soon, the coffin was dug out.
As Liuwang Town Qianji Coffin said, although this coffin is thin, it is indeed full of workmanship and materials.
Open the coffin.
The Yamen official began to conduct an autopsy.
Everyone covered their mouths and noses and came forward to look. As soon as they saw it, there was a burst of confusion, "Huh? No, there is something wrong in this coffin. Why is it so flat under the head, as if there is only one layer of clothes? ?”
After Wu Zuohua opened her clothes, there was an unexpected scream, "Why is there only one head, and underneath it is a ball of rotten cotton?"
Although the head was rotten and could not be identified, but It was obvious that this head was the one we were looking for.
Zhixian Zhao couldn't help but look at Zhu Ping'an with admiration. He was so shocked that if it weren't for the wrong occasion, he would have fallen to the ground.
"The night is long and there are many dreams. Magistrate Zhao should give the order quickly." Zhu Ping'an took a deep breath and said to Magistrate Zhao.
"Yes." Zhixian Zhao nodded vigorously, and then ordered his subordinates to arrest the head, "Follow the order, and member Zhao will be arrested and brought to justice."
"Follow your orders." The captain took the order.
"Wait a minute. At the same time, search Yuan Zhao's home carefully, don't miss any place, whether it's a well, a secret room, or a tunnel, dig three feet into the ground to find Chen Erlang's wife Zhang If they are not found, they will take everyone from Zhao Yuan's family into custody. Ask one by one if they have seen Mrs. Zhang, if there is a secret room in the Zhao Mansion, and where Mr. Zhao has been frequently and mysteriously coming in and out of recently. After asking, go to the place immediately, find Ms. Zhang and bring them back to the county government together; if they cannot find it, When we get to the Zhang family, arrest Zhao Yuanwai first," Zhu Ping'an stopped the arrester and gave further instructions.
After the leader is found, the case becomes clear. The instigator of Chen Erlang's wife-killing case was none other than Zhao Yuanwai, and the victim was a maid in Zhao Yuanwai's house. The reason why the maid's head was cut off was to confuse the public and make people mistakenly think that the victim was Zhang; and in this way The purpose is self-evident.
"Oh, yes, yes," Zhao Zhixian said thoughtfully and nodded repeatedly.
"Yes." The captain took the order and set off immediately with the servants.
"Clan Chief Chen, people in the county government may not know Mr. Zhang, so you should go along and identify her." Zhu Pingan said to Chen Dacheng and others.
"Yes." Chen Dacheng clasped his fists at Zhu Ping'an, saluted heavily, and then led his tribe in pursuit.
About an hour later, the Yiwu county government officer, Chen Dacheng and others returned to the county government with a rich middle-aged man tied up and a woman dressed in a flowery dress.
"Your Excellency, I have been ordered to arrest Zhao Tongming and Zhang Yuanwai, and found Zhang Chunmei and Mrs. Zhang in the secret room of Zhao's study." It went very smoothly. After arresting Yuan Wai Zhang, At first, the Zhang family was not found in the Zhang Mansion, but the housekeeper of Zhang Yuanwai's Mansion confessed that there was a secret room in the Zhao Mansion. When he opened the secret room, he found a woman hiding. Chen Dacheng, who was traveling with him, directly called the woman's name. It's Chen Erlang's wife Zhang.
"Okay, very good!"
Zhao Zhixian nodded excitedly.
Zhang was found, Yuan Wai Zhao could no longer hide his crime, and he confessed everything at the first trial.
Zhao Yuanwai is also a scholar, but he is an arty scholar, and he has poetry and poetry with Chen Erlang. One time, member Zhao went to visit Chen Erlang at his home. When he saw Mr. Zhang, he was astonished.
Zhao Yuanwai is a master, rich and extraordinary. After several attempts, I hooked up with Mr. Zhang.
The two often had affairs while Chen Erlang was out meeting friends. Sometimes Zhao Yuanwai secretly came to Chen's house, but he was worried about being discovered. More often, Zhang went out for reasons such as going to worship Buddha, returning to his parents' home, or going to the market. Zhao Yuanwai would pick up Zhang in the carriage halfway, and the two of them would wait in the carriage. Secret meeting.
The two are not satisfied with stealing the sun, and intend to stay together forever.
Zhao Yuanwai thought hard for half a year and came up with an idea. He bought a maid who was about the same height and figure as Zhang and had a simple net worth. After murdering her, he cut off her head and put her head in a In the coffin, fill the body with cotton clothes and put it in the coffin Buried; put her body in Zhang's clothes, carried her to Chen Erlang's house at night, and framed Chen Erlang for killing his wife; as for the maid's funeral, Zhao Yuanwai gave the maid's family a hundred taels of silver to appease the maid's family, and the maid's family was in poverty. , received one hundred taels of silver, and was so happy that there would be no further investigation.
Zhao Yuanwai hid Zhang in a secret room in his home, preparing to wait for Chen Erlang to kill him. After the matter was completely settled, Zhang changed his appearance
Zhao Yuanwai and Zhang thought they were satisfied. Plan, spend this period of time sleeping and flying together in the secret room. It's so uncomfortable, just waiting for Chen Erlang to take action.
Unexpectedly, I met Zhu Pingan.
The two were clever but their cleverness was mistaken. The missing head became the key to solving the case. In the end, evil was rewarded.
"Thank you, sir, thank you, sir." Chen Dacheng helped his brother kneel down and kowtowed excitedly. He couldn't hold it back and his head was swollen.
(End of this chapter)