Placid Chang'an

It took a lot of effort to disperse the crowd who feared that the world would not be chaotic. Song Jiancheng's face was livid, and he pointed at Su Cen and scolded: "You have done a good thing, and you will make people in the capital panic. Let's see who can protect you."

protect him?Su Cen smiled indifferently. In Chang'an City, there are some who want to suppress him, some who hate him, and some who even want to take his life, but no one wants to protect him.

Su Cen said seriously, "It's not the ghost that killed people, I'm afraid someone is using the name of ghost to commit the crime."

Although he was unwilling, this person could indeed discover some details that others could not. Song Jiancheng still reluctantly asked, "How?"

"Will Li Gui get hurt?" Su Cen asked.

Song Jiancheng was taken aback.

Su Cen didn't hold back any more, and motioned for someone to turn the body over, saying, "There is a bloodstain on the dead man's back that doesn't belong to him."

Sure enough, there was a scratch-like bloodstain on the clothes of the deceased, because the clothes of the deceased were originally dark brown, so they were almost ignored.

Song Jiancheng stiffened his neck, "The deceased's neck was cut, and it's not surprising that there are bloodstains on his back."

"But the dead man's neck was cut after he was hung up." Su Cen slowly explained, "There was no sign of struggle, and it was located on the left side of the corpse. How can anyone look at someone cutting his neck face to face and remain indifferent? It can only be On the premise that he no longer has the ability to resist. Moreover, the neck of the living will be cut, which will cause a large amount of blood to spurt, while the amount of blood on the deceased is obviously insufficient, which means that the deceased may have been on the verge of death or even died at that time. "

Everyone froze.

"There is also this broken rope." Su Cen paused, and picked up the rope that hung the corpse. "No one would take out a broken rope to kill someone, so the rope was broken during the murder."

"I've seen it. There are two scars on the corpse, both of which are blue-purple, which means that the people were alive when the two scars were carried out. At that time, the murderer should have strangled the man from behind first, forming a cross-necked neck. However, the murderer did not expect that Yuan Shaochun was not strangled to death, but passed out for a while. When the murderer hanged the man on the tree, Yuan Shaochun could wake up and break the rope. The two of them were like this There was a fight, and the murderer was injured during the fight. But in the end Yuan Shaochun was subdued and hung from a tree, forming a second cord mark behind the ears. It was at this time that the murderer put the wound on his body The blood was on the back of the deceased. Maybe the murderer was afraid that someone would break the rope again, and the murderer made another stab at his neck."

Song Jiancheng nodded, realizing that he actually agreed with this person's statement, and kept his face stern.

Su Cen didn't point it out, and continued: "The so-called murder by ghosts is just a cover, and the murderer is most likely someone who spread rumors."

Song Jiancheng finally got smart for a while, and told the little official behind him: "Go and investigate the person who just made a fuss in the crowd."

"Also," Su Cen interrupted, "the focus is on those who have failed the scientific examination and stayed in the capital. It shouldn't be a coincidence that he singles out those who have passed the examination. The murderer is between seven feet and seven and a half feet in length, and---he has injuries on his body. "

After giving the order, Su Cen turned around and continued to look at the crooked-neck tree where the crime occurred, and carefully checked the scratches on the ropes on the branches.

Song Jiancheng stared at Su Cen's back in a daze. A fledgling boy, but he was able to pinpoint the main points of the case, boldly raised doubts, and carefully sought evidence.An experienced foreman might be able to deduce the murderer's figure based on the angle of the knife edge and the position of the hanging, but Song Jiancheng wondered how this kid could tell at a glance?

Su Cen stood under the tree but had other thoughts.He didn't say a word just now. From the scene, it seems that the murderer should be a weak or frail person. Otherwise, he wouldn't have to strangle someone again if he didn't strangle him once, and he wouldn't be able to kill someone who just breathed a sigh of relief. people can injure themselves.

But Qu Ling'er said last night that the man who brought Lu Liang into Dongshi had kung fu. Although this man was not serious at ordinary times, it didn't look like he was joking when he looked at him swearing.

Who is right and who is wrong?Who is right?Or... the one who brought Luliang into the East City and the murderer were not the same person at all?

After all the people in Dali Temple packed up their things and left, Su Cen walked back slowly, passed by the corner of the Gongyuan, and couldn't help being taken aback.

It was here that day, and a group of people burned paper here, saying that it was to pay homage to the dead in the tribute courtyard.

Su Cen squatted down, staring blankly at the small cluster of ashes in the corner, and after a while, reached out and twirled the ashes.

The embers are dry and fine.

And it just rained two days ago!

That is to say, the imperial examination has already passed for more than a month, but there are still people coming to pay homage, just in these two days!

Su Cen turned around abruptly, and within a hundred steps he could see the crooked-neck tree.

A chill can't help but feel... When this person burns paper here, will Yuan Shaochun hang on the crooked neck tree?

Going around from the back, the sugar water shop in front of the Gongyuan gate is still open, and there are many people sitting there, presumably they all came over after watching the excitement.

Su Cen also went to find a table, and as soon as he sat down, he heard someone behind him say: "It's really a ghost who killed people, so I said that I should go to worship that day. Look, two of them are dead now."

Su Cen turned around when he heard the sound, and couldn't help raising his eyebrows. It just so happened that he was the fat man who burned the paper that day.

When the sugar water came up, Su Cen was about to get it, but remembering that he had touched the corpse and hadn't washed his hands, he could only hold his hands resentfully, and turned to staring at the fat man intently.

The three people at that table were whispering with their heads against each other. The volume was just high enough to be heard by those who wanted to hear it, and ignored by those who didn't want to hear it.Su Cen looked around, and he wasn't the only one listening to gossip.

The fat man said again: "The one who died yesterday was still the top three, and today this one is the second one. If you continue to die, will you end up with the top three? I don't know which unlucky child won the number one prize this year. If it was me, I would hide at home and not go out.”

Su Cen: "..."

Inexplicably, the funeral has been arranged by someone.

Su Cen stepped forward in two steps and knocked on the table of those three people. All three of them raised their heads to look at him.

"It's you?" The fat man has good eyesight, and he recognized him immediately after more than a month.

Su Cen was not polite, and sat down on the empty side, stared at the fat man, and asked, "You keep saying that evil spirits commit crimes, why, have you seen it?"

The fat man smiled naively, "If I've seen it before, can I still be here? But—" The fat man waved his hands, and several people lowered their heads. Only Su Cen was unmoved, seeing the fat man pointing at the Gongyuan and lowering his voice: "This Inside, people really died."

Su Cen faced the sun and looked at the Gongyuan not far away. The big characters inscribed by old man Lin were shining brightly in the sunlight. How many people have studied hard all their lives to get here for the gold list. Not long ago, he was still working hard inside. The pen is quick to write, and now the tea is cold, and the gate of the courtyard is closed, allowing everyone to speculate and spy.

"Don't believe it," the fat man looked at Su Cen's erratic expression and thought he didn't take it seriously. He raised his hand and called the old man selling sugar water over, pulled him forward, pointed at Su Cen and said, "You tell me He, has anyone died here?"

The old man smiled embarrassedly, but Su Cen looked away from the entrance of the Gongyuan, and smiled at the old man, "Just say what you know."

The old man sighed, and said: "There was indeed such a person more than ten years ago. After entering through that door, he never came out again."

"Didn't come out again?" Su Cen frowned, "Can you remember clearly what happened more than ten years ago?"

"He drank sugar water from me and went in, and gave more silver. I waited for him to come out and return the silver to him, but he couldn't come out until the door was closed."

"People must have died inside, turned into ghosts, and picked out high school students." The fat man picked up a bowl of sugar water with his right hand, frowned, then switched to his left hand, and continued after drinking it all in one go: "I told you to burn some paper back then, but if you didn't listen, look, now that the evil spirits have come out to commit murder, you don't know who will be next?"

"Arm hurt?" Su Cen's eyes were sharp, and she saw the action of changing the bowl at a glance.

"It's an old problem. When I was young, I fell off a tree when I was climbing. When it rains, I get sore." The fat man twisted his arms nonchalantly, and smiled at Su Cen.

Su Cen raised his head and looked at the sky, it was as blue as washing, and it didn't look like it was going to rain at all, so he couldn't help but frowned, turned his eyes away and asked, "Are you still going to burn paper now?"

"What are you still burning now? We missed again, and the ghosts can't find us." One of them replied.

"Missed?" Su Cen raised his eyebrows imperceptibly, "Your family is from Beijing? Since you didn't win, why are you still here?"

"Central Beijing is so prosperous," one person clicked his tongue twice, "I don't know when the next time I will come, it's not easy to come here, maybe I can stay for a few more days."

"After three years, there will be another test, how many people won't come?"

The fat man shook his head, "I'm from the middle class, my father is a butcher, and the family doesn't have much money. This time I went to Beijing and my family has already given everything to me. I'm going to go home and open a private school to teach and educate people." Maybe one day those gentlemen in the Ministry of Officials will think of it and assign me to a county government office as a clerk."

Su Cen remembered that the fat man was scolded by others in the Gongyuan on the day of the test and he was sweating all over his head. He must have limited talent and learning, so he nodded and smiled: "That's pretty good."

"We are destined for each other," the fat man held up the bowl to Su Cen, "I'm Gao Miao, if you dare to ask brother Gao's name, if we meet again by fate in the future, it will be regarded as a friendship."

Su Cen looked at his hands, and wiped the hem of his clothes helplessly, then picked up the bowl, "Su Cen."

"Su Cen?" The three of them looked at each other, "Is this name familiar?"

Su Cen rubbed her nose: "I'm that unlucky kid."

Three people: "..."