lcionline Chapter 106 Meticulous
Chapter 106 Meticulous
Liu Shan stopped, pointed to the doorplate, and said with a wry smile, "Lord He, it seems I still can't let go of this case. Li Jichang is a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), and there might be clues hidden in his home. Why don't we go in and investigate? Perhaps we can find something."
What else could He Qiong say but nod in agreement?
Just as the two were about to push the door open, they found two seals on it that read "Official Seal".
Liu Shan withdrew his hand and said with a forced smile, "It seems we have no choice but to find another way and take an unconventional path."
Before he could finish speaking, Liu Shan leaped over the wall with one hand, leaving He Qiong dumbfounded outside.
He Qiong's gaze swept over the seal, then over the earthen wall that was half a head taller than him. After a moment's thought, he called out, "Lord Liu, is it possible for us to tear off the seal and have the yamen runners put it back on later?"
Liu Shan poked half his head out and laughed, "Tearing off the seal is against the rules. As the county magistrate, how can I lead the way in breaking the law? Why don't you lend me a hand, climb over the wall, and quickly investigate and leave?"
He Qiong smiled helplessly, took a deep breath, took a few steps back, took a few running steps, and jumped with all her might, barely managing to stick half her head out.
Their noses were touching, their mouths were half an inch apart, their breaths mingled, and an ambiguous atmosphere filled the air between them.
Liu Shangang was about to complain when he suddenly noticed that He Qiong's face had quickly turned red.
He was startled, suddenly realizing that this ambiguous situation was not what he wanted. He quickly composed himself and said in a serious tone, "Lord He..."
“Ta-da… ta-da… ta-da…”
Liu Shan heard a series of rapid kicking sounds against the wall.
He turned his head to look and was surprised to see that He Qiong's short, thick legs had left afterimages as they kicked.
He was startled; He Qiong's legs were surprisingly agile, which was completely inconsistent with his physique.
Gradually, Liu Shan's expression changed. Cracks began to appear in the earthen wall. Amidst the flying dust, He Qiong suddenly exerted her strength and actually leaped over it.
Liu Shan stared at He Qiong in disbelief and exclaimed, "Lord He, your skills are truly impressive!"
He Qiong, panting heavily, gave an awkward smile: "Lord Liu, let's hurry up and look for clues."
The two quickly searched the house but found nothing suspicious.
Li Jichang's house was searched twice by the yamen runners, and then searched thoroughly by Han Cheng's family three times, making it almost impossible for them to leave behind anything suspicious.
At this moment, He Qiong curiously picked up an ancient thread-bound book. The writing on the cover was already blurred, but the words "Complete Book" could still be vaguely discerned.
After just one glance, He Qiong exclaimed, "The Complete Book of the Great Xia Dynasty! This is actually the first edition of the Complete Book of the Great Xia Dynasty. It is extremely rare and has now become a rare and unique copy."
He Qiong carefully opened it and found that every page of this rare book was slightly damaged and yellowed, as if it had been read countless times.
Liu Shan was not interested in the "Complete Book of the Great Xia Dynasty" and did not want to take the imperial examination, so there was no need for him to study these ancient books.
He looked around and his gaze fell on a dilapidated wooden box in the corner. He walked over and gently opened it. Inside were some yellowed old clothes, but he didn't find anything that could provide any clues.
He Qiong seemed to be immersed in the world of ancient books, reading them softly and savoring them carefully.
When he read the classic passages, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile, as if he were communicating with the ancients in spirit.
Upon seeing this, Liu Shan sighed inwardly, thinking, "As expected of Lord He, he values ancient books so much."
Suddenly, He Qiong noticed a page in the book was slightly curled up. He carefully opened it and found a bloody handprint hidden inside.
The handprint was bright red and glaring, as if it had just been made, standing out starkly against the tattered and yellowed pages of the book.
He Qiong's expression changed drastically, and he whispered, "Lord Liu, come quick, there's been a discovery here!"
Liu Shan quickly moved closer, his sharp gaze fixed on the blood-red handprint, and a chill ran through him.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the edges of the handprint were slightly blurred, as if it had been hastily pressed on.
The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the surprise and doubt in each other's eyes.
The appearance of the bloody handprint cheered the two up, as it was very likely a key clue in the case and could very well be the last straw that broke Liu Xinian's back.
Liu Shan said in a deep voice, "It seems that Li Jichang's death is not as simple as it appears on the surface."
He Qiong nodded, her brows furrowed: "This handprint might be a key clue. We should investigate it thoroughly. It would be best to bring all the books in the room back to the county office and study them carefully to prevent any details from being overlooked."
However, Liu Shan shook his head and said, "Lord He, this is time-consuming and laborious. Why don't we first carefully go through all the books in the room, pick out the books with bloody handprints, and then compare them one by one to find related clues?"
He Qiong thought for a moment, found it reasonable, and nodded in agreement.
The two divided the work and began to carefully examine each book, searching for those with bloody handprints.
A moment later, the two had finished reading all the books in the room and found no other bloody handprints.
Liu Shan frowned and said, "This handprint might be the only clue."
He Qiong nodded and suggested, "How about we take this 'Complete Book of the Great Xia' back to the county office and study it carefully?"
However, Liu Shan still shook his head.
There was a crucial point he didn't tell He Qiong: there was a repeatedly cut wound on the right index finger of Li Jichang's corpse.
If he's not mistaken, this bloody handprint was most likely left by Li Jichang on his own initiative.
The purpose is clearly to convey some kind of information in this way, perhaps pointing to some hidden truth.
Liu Shan was agitated. Even with such serious evidence against Liu Xinian, Li Jichang had only hidden it in a secret compartment on the roof…
The fact that Li Jichang would hide the evidence so carefully in such a secret place must mean it was a matter of life and death.
Liu Shan took a deep breath, spread the "Complete Book of the Great Xia" on the table, and said in a low voice, "Lord He, there is no time to lose. Why don't we immediately examine the ancient books and collect evidence?!"
"What evidence is in this book?" He Qiong was stunned, not understanding Liu Shan's meaning.
Therefore, Liu Shan briefly explained the connection between Li Jichang's corpse and the "Complete Book of the Great Xia".
Upon hearing this, He Qiong's eyes flashed with realization. She sighed inwardly, thinking how meticulous Li Jichang was, befitting his status as a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations). It was just a pity...
If nothing unexpected happens, Li Jichang will surely grow into a pillar of Cangzhou and even the entire Great Xia Dynasty.
Thinking of this, He Qiong couldn't help but feel a pang of regret, and at the same time, her hatred for Liu Xinian grew even stronger.
At this moment, Liu Shan had already begun flipping through the book. "Lord He, I'll be responsible for finding the characters with bloody handprints, and you'll be responsible for putting them together into a sentence."
He Qiong nodded in agreement, also eager to know what clues Li Jichang had left behind.
Is it the final straw that breaks the camel's back for the Liu family, or crucial evidence that uncovers a certain case?!
Liu Shan found the first character covered by the bloody handprint, which was the character "Iron".