Ci Jinzhi

  Chapter 113 Interrogation

   Shopkeeper Gu is not stupid. This kind of Jin Linwei in casual clothes suddenly showed his sign, which is obviously not a good thing!

   "Are you two adults going to buy books?" Shopkeeper Gu asked respectfully, bending his waist low.

   Jin Linwei, who put away his badge, said coldly: "Master Gu, come with us."

   Shopkeeper Gu's face turned pale instantly: "What did Xiaomin do? Did your lord make a mistake?"

   Jin Linwei sneered: "If Shopkeeper Gu wants everyone on the street to know that you were taken away by Jin Linwei, even if you don't cooperate."

   Shopkeeper Gu wilted like an eggplant beaten by frost.

   "Let's go." Two Jinlin guards in casual clothes went forward and back, sandwiching shopkeeper Gu in the middle.

Shopkeeper Gu walked out with his head slumped, his legs seemed to be filled with lead, and when he was about to go out, he turned his head and gave the frightened guy a wink, and then he was pushed by Jin Linwei who was walking behind, and his figure disappeared into the the door.

  The clerk was stunned, and it took some time before he realized it, and ran to the door of the store to look out.

  There are people coming and going on the street, and there is no trace of the ancient shopkeeper.

   "My boss... I want to tell my boss!" The man rushed to report the letter.

   "The shopkeeper Gu was taken away by Jin Linwei?" The owner of Yaxin Bookstore heard the report from the staff, and his handsome face suddenly sank.

   "It was just taken away. Those two Jinlin guards were wearing casual clothes. When they came in, they showed their identities and took away shopkeeper Gu. Master, what should we do?"

   "Did they say why?"

   "Didn't say anything—" The guy's face suddenly changed, and he lowered his voice, "Boss, could it be that what we did was found out?"

  The young man's eyes were heavy, and he naturally thought of this possibility.

  The buddy was puzzled: "But even if it is found out, it's not about Jinlinwei's business."

   They are at most a competition in the business field. Even the murder case of Guozijian will still be tried by Shuntian Mansion and the Ministry of Criminal Justice.

   "Wait and see." The young man frowned.

  The buddy wanted to ask the shopkeeper what to do, but he didn't dare to say anything when he saw the gloomy face of the shopkeeper.

  The young man chooses to wait and see what happens. In fact, he is not complacent, but feels that it is not worthwhile to provoke Jin Linwei because of a shopkeeper, as long as Jin Linwei does not come to him.

   To be able to open such a large bookstore in Dongcheng, it has flourished in just a few years, and the young people also have backgrounds.

  In the early years, the young man's father failed to manage his family well and ruined the family business. The young man's family was in decline, and with his good looks, he became the door-to-door son-in-law of a doctor in the household department. Regardless of the low official position of the household doctor, and the fact that he has connections with in-laws. In short, it is not easy to gain a firm foothold in the capital.

   "Go and inquire, and report in time if there is any movement."

  Treasurer Gu was trying to stay calm at first, but when he was brought into the small black room of Jin Linwei for interrogating people, his legs immediately went limp.

   "My lord, my lord, Xiaomin is a law-abiding citizen—"

  A man in his thirties walked into the interrogation room and glanced at Shopkeeper Gu: "Did someone bring it?"

  The two Jinlin Guards clasped their hands: "Bring it."

  The man is a deputy Qianhu under He Qingxiao, his name is Yan Chao, and he can be regarded as a general.

   "Tell me, what is your intention to arrange for people to spread rumors that evil spirits can come out of "Painted Skin" to harm people, causing panic in the whole city?"

   Upon hearing this, shopkeeper Gu hurriedly shouted: "Xiaomin didn't do such a thing!"

  Yan Chao sneered: "You think that our Jinlin Guard is a dry food, and you are brought here for no reason? You dare not admit it, are you afraid that the murder of your life will be exposed?"

   This time the shopkeeper Gu was frightened, and his voice became louder: "The sky is a lesson, the little people dare not kill people!"

"Don't dare? I think you don't cry when you see the coffin!" Yan Chao has a high nose and thin lips, and he already has a stern look, and with the blessing of Jin Linwei's status, the pressure on people can be imagined, " Didn’t you instigate the death of the deceased in front of the Guozijian gate in order to harm Qingsong Bookstore’s business?”

   "Really not! Although our two bookstores don't deal with it, it's all business matters. At most, they say a few bad words. How could they kill people!"

   Yan Chao narrowed his eyes: "So, you admit to spreading rumors?"

   Shopkeeper Gu's lips trembled, as if someone had strangled his throat.

   "It doesn't matter if you don't admit it. It's rare for a small person like you to come in here. Wouldn't it be a pity if you don't gain knowledge. Come—"

  Seeing a person approaching with a whip, shopkeeper Gu knelt down without any hesitation: "My lord, spare my life, my lord, please, my villain!"

  The corner of Yan Chao's mouth twitched.

   A whip has not been hit...

Shopkeeper Gu knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly and confessed: "I heard that a student died in the Imperial College, and his heart was still cut open. Xiaomin thought of "Painted Skin"... Ever since Qingsong Bookstore released "Painted Skin", our bookstore business has plummeted. Min was confused for a moment and spread such rumors..."

   "What about the dead?"

   Shopkeeper Gu was stunned, his face turned pale with fright: "My lord, the dead man has nothing to do with Xiaomin! Xiaomin is just a shopkeeper, so there is no reason to do such a thing!"

   "It's not worth it? So, your boss—"

   Shopkeeper Gu waved his hands frantically: "No, no, our boss will never kill people..."

   "Two whips first." Yan Chao raised his chin at his subordinates.

   As soon as the whip was pulled down, shopkeeper Gu let out an earth-shattering scream, and the second time the whip was pulled down, he smelled a foul smell.

  Yan Chao: "..."

  As he raised his hand, the executioner Jin Linwei stopped.

  The shopkeeper Gu burst into tears and begged for mercy: "My lord, the deceased of the Imperial College really has nothing to do with our bookstore, please spare Xiaomin, Xiaomin dare not speak nonsense anymore..."

  Yan Chao held his breath and walked out, reporting to He Qingxiao who just came back.

   "My lord, the shopkeeper Gu of Yaxin Bookstore has admitted that their bookstore spread rumors, but he firmly denies the murder. Judging from the experience of many years of interrogation in humble positions, it does not seem to be a lie. The murderer of the dead at the gate of the Imperial College must be someone else."

   "Send him to Shuntian Mansion."

"yes."

  Because the Guozijian was involved and there was such a commotion, not only the Shuntian Mansion was in charge of the case, but also the Ministry of Punishment, and even the Dali Temple began to intervene. Now that it is confirmed that the deceased was not a person from the Imperial College, there is still no progress in the identity of the deceased. Without knowing the identity of the deceased, it is even more difficult to find the murderer.

  Yin of Shuntian Mansion was already in a state of desperation, and when he heard that there was such a troublemaker as Shopkeeper Gu, he immediately put him in prison.

  He Qingxiao took advantage of the situation and proposed to take a look at the corpse.

  Yin of Shuntian Mansion has just accepted Jinlinwei's affection, so it is naturally difficult to refuse such a small request.

  He Qingxiao took Beizhen Fusi's assistant to the place where the corpse was stored, and carefully inspected the corpse.

  Beizhen Fusi's experienced operator, after inspection, in addition to the original operator's recorded description, he also noticed a little abnormality.

   "My lord, the dead man's knees are black and hard, which should be caused by long-term friction..."

  He Qingxiao listened and fell into deep thought.

  (end of this chapter)