The first work of the imperial prison

"Hook bone?" Qiu Yiqing has a lot of research on murder, and he is also familiar with human bones. He has his own knowledge structure and system for solving cases, but he can't recognize bones that are too small.

"Human metacarpal bones probably grow here..."

Speaking of professional knowledge, Ye Baiting has always been very rigorous. He took Qiu Xunqing's hand, slid his fingertips across the opponent's palm, and landed on the bottom of the finger, near the outer part of the palm. The bones on the palm are not so recognizable, the shape is different, and the size is also very small. This bone here has a small protrusion where it grows to the outside, as if it has a hook, so it is called the hamate."

Hateful Qing's throat moved almost imperceptibly.

Xiao Zuo looked down at his hands with a very serious expression. Under the moonlight, his fingertips were even more white and lustrous. When they fell on the palm, they were a little cold, and soon melted into his body temperature. Xiao Zuo's delicate life, The fingers are also delicate, smooth and soft, like fine silk satin, very different from his calloused hands that hold knives all year round, they are still very small, as long as his five fingers are close together, they can be easily held in the palm of his hand...

He also pinched him.

More than once.

Qiu Yiqing's deep eyes were hidden in the dark night, and his voice was a little hoarse uncontrollably: "What else? The metacarpal bone, only the hook bone?"

"It's definitely not." Ye Baiting squeezed Qiu Yiqing's hand, teaching on the spot, moving left and down, little by little, slowly pinching, "For example, here, where it is next to the hook bone, this small bone is round. , it looks a bit like a pea, so it is called a pea bone, the one next to the pea bone is shaped like a triangle, it is a triangular bone..."

Ye Baiting almost pinched the entire palm of Qiu Yiqing, and didn't feel that there was anything wrong, because in this 'teaching process', the two of them were bound to be very close, their hair and tails intertwined, and their breathing could be heard.

The bright moonlight is flowing, accompanied by the warm lights on the street, there are fireworks exploding above the head, and the shadows of the two people are stretched long, which is very suitable for the scene of the Lantern Festival. The two people at this moment are involuntarily close to the affection on the street. There is no difference between people, and the atmosphere is even more lingering.

"What are you two doing secretly!"

Suddenly a familiar voice came from the street, Ye Baiting Qiu Suiqing and turning around, it was Shen Jiang.

Shen Jiang immediately felt the sight of death from his boss. He is not a fool, of course he knew it was inappropriate to jump out and speak at this time, but Commander, please pay attention to your surroundings!

This place has been separated from the main street, and there are not many people coming and going. You two are not afraid of being seen when you two are chatting at other people's gates!As long as you choose a good place, a crowded place is fine, you can take advantage of it openly and aboveboard, and it is also convenient if there is no one in a dark alley. As long as the young master does not refuse, why do you like to do it, why do you want to be here... Yes, we Jinyiwei are not afraid of high-profile, what are you doing? They are all righteous, but stealing, cheating, etc., should they be avoided?You are shameless, the young master is not ashamed when you think about it later?If you ignore you for a few days, you will be wronged and dare not quarrel with the young master, the subordinates will not be able to bear your vengeful torment!

For the sake of the young master and his colleagues, Shen Baihu stood up firmly without pretending to be blind.

He also tried his best to roll his eyes left and right, trying to hint to remind his boss, really, he had no bad intentions, it was just a reminder!

Ye Baiting didn't know what Shen Jiang was up to, nor did she feel that there was something wrong with her behavior just now, she was just surprised at this time——

"Today's Shangyuan Festival, don't you need to accompany your wife?"

"I just came out with her!" Shen Jiangxin said that he was indeed my good young master, gentle, considerate, and understanding. When the steps were passed to the door, he naturally went down the donkey, "I bought her two lanterns, She didn't look at anything else, she thought I had bad eyesight, searched out all the private money I hid, and left by herself..."

Ye Baiting straightened his eyebrows and said, "You must have done something to make people angry, right?"

Shen Jiang shook her head straight: "No, she just met a familiar friend and made an appointment to see clothes and jewelry. She thought I was in the way and said that there was no place to store the gentlemen in the store. Let me stroll for a while and turn around. Pick her up."

Who knew that with such an inch of foot, he would walk here and meet the commander and the young master by random choice of road!

The young master is holding a bunny lantern in his hand, and a fluorescent bunny in his hair. It looks pretty good. It looks like it was bought by the commander. The two of them are celebrating the Lantern Festival!Huh?No, the young master seems to be holding something in his hand?Like... little bones?Why was the young master caught and screamed by him without any shame?Don't be ashamed, and don't scold a few words?

No no no, this is not normal, this is definitely not making out, it is something else hidden!

Shen Jiang felt that he had finally discovered the truth. He misunderstood the commander!The commander didn't attack him with the death vision attack, it was because he misunderstood, maybe the commander was criticizing him why he came now?Such a big deal!

Shen Baihu's expression was sober, not only did not turn around to leave, but also walked up to the two of them, pointing at the thing in Ye Baiting's hand: "This is..."

Ye Baiting handed the small hook bone to Shen Jiang: "Human bones, on the palm of your hand."

Shin Kang almost threw the bone, hand, palm?

He wasn't afraid of bones, the commander's eyes were too scary, as if the small bone fell on his hand, and his palm would also be broken.

But isn't this... a big deal?

Shen Baihu was vague for a long time, and finally he could only say: "Shang, Shangyuan Festival, why don't you two play something, this?"

Didn't you say you have a long holiday for the new year?Is it because the New Year's Eve dinner is not delicious or the lanterns are not fun, why is there another case?He just rested for a few days, what did he miss!

"Play?"

Ye Baiting closed her eyes, resisted not hitting anyone, at least to save face for Shen Jiang, don't lose face in front of his wife when she turned around, patiently, and briefly told Shen Jiang about the recent events.

Shen Jiang was really anxious this time: "Why didn't you call me for such a big matter? The Jinyiwei of Beizhen Fusi have all rested, so it's okay to let the conductor work alone! No, I have to join!"

He actually got really angry and asked to work overtime on his own initiative!

Ye Baiting: ...

"Your wife..."

"It's because of her that I have to work overtime!" Seeing the young master's expression in a daze, Shen Jiang knew that he didn't understand, so he sighed, "Young master is not married yet, so I'm afraid I don't understand, my mother-in-law raised me like raising a dog. I'm busy with things outside, don't worry about it, I know it's enough to go home and pay the money and food. I want to watch her every day, and follow her. She is still annoying, and she will beat me if she screams twice. I have to be on business. Busy, so busy that her feet don't touch the ground, she will feel sorry for me when I go back, cook me delicious food, wash my feet with water, squeeze my shoulders and beat my back, and won't just slap the door on my face casually. You won't ask me to kneel on the washboard..."

Ye Baiting looked at him with pity: "...you have worked hard."

Shen Jiang raised his chin: "It's not hard work, it's hard work with my wife, just... just play, and there will be a lifetime in the future. You have to have fun in your daily life. I'm not afraid of her. It was coaxing her, she was happy, she closed her eyes with a smile, and I was also happy watching it."

Everyone has said so, how could Ye Baiting refuse to work overtime in exchange for his wife's compassion and love, but there is still one problem——

"You said that you would send your wife home later, when did you make an appointment?" If it's too late, forget it, today is the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, let other couples have a good time.

"What's the use of an appointment? With her temper, how can I finish my shopping? It's too late, and the stall is about to be closed and then I can pick her up. It's okay, I know it!"

Ye Baiting had never been in a relationship before, he didn't understand the taste of old couples, he still had doubts in his heart, but he didn't speak.

Shen Jiang saw it, and was a little frightened: "Don't worry, young master, I will listen to something, and I will never delay picking her up, and I won't be taught by her ear, and it won't affect tomorrow's work. Really, her habit Time, I am the most familiar, like a commander, don’t you know when you get up and sleepy, what do you want to eat occasionally, and what kind of temper are you throwing?”

Ye Baiting: ...

When Shen Jiang saw the little rabbit lamp, he immediately became excited: "Look, he also knows that you like the little rabbit lamp!"

Ye Baiting subconsciously looked at Qiu Yiqing.

Qiu Yiqing had a calm expression of "it's no big deal" and just looked at Shen Jiang, finally no longer the sight of death, but with encouragement.

Shen Jiang's heart was in full bloom, he knew he was right!Just do it!

So in the next sentence, he asked: "So this little bone is someone that none of us know? Then Guan Xiuzhu not only embezzled dirty money, committed suicide in fear of crime, and even killed people before he died...buried in this yard? "

"You'll have to dig to find out."

Ye Baiting said, thinking of something, she narrowed her eyes slightly, a little cunning: "Maybe it's not someone else, but Guan Xiuzhu himself?"

Shen Jiang really jumped back in fright: "Don't, don't, don't come to this kind of fraudster! It's scary... How could the Dali Temple of the Ministry of Criminal Justice let people go if they committed such a big crime and a certain case? Don't let him die? I don't believe it!"

Qiu Yiqing has already opened the door: "Go in and have a look."

Ye Baiting followed: "That day Guan Xiuzhu worked overtime late, got off the office, ate something along the long street, guessed lantern riddles, walked around this yard, and then went home?"

"No," Qiu Yiqing said, "he has returned to the official office of the household department."

Ye Baiting was stunned for a moment, a little annoyed: "So the study where he died is not the study at home!"

He thought about it carefully. It wasn't that he couldn't see clearly, but that the description of the place of death in the files of the Criminal Ministry was not clear. He also pointed out that no one in the household department was left-handed from top to bottom. Subconsciously imagined that the place of death was at Guan Xiuzhu's house...

In this case, except for Guan Xiuzhu's close entourage who turned against the water and died of a sudden illness, he has nothing to do with the housekeeper. The matter is a matter of the household department. There is no need to focus on recording particularly important key information in the most critical place.

Is it intentional?Or is it that the person making the record has insufficient logic and experience in handling the case?

Shen Jiang came in at the end: "What's in this yard? Guan Xiuzhu doesn't go home at night, what is he doing here? Could it be that there is something particularly important in the room?"

Qiu Yiqing: "Look first."

Shen Jiang nodded: "Yes, I found human bones just now. The most important thing is to find more and confirm the identity... No, young master, can we be sure that there is a dead person with just a small piece of palm bone? If someone else suffers What about injuries? For example, fighting with weapons or something, if a hand is broken, people will not die."

Ye Baiting looked at him like a fool: "When did I say that there must be a dead person? If it is true, it will be confirmed immediately, and I still have time to joke with you? Didn't the commander say it, first look, look for it, and confirm it." Say it again."

Shen Jiang: ...

So you are playing with fools, right?The boss is not a man, and the boy is also imitating it!

Because it was night, the light was not so bright, and there were not many people, the three of them just walked around the yard, and looked through the snow, but they didn't expect that there were so many. After a while, they found more than a dozen pieces of broken bones , these bones themselves are not big, and on the surface they can’t be seen as human bones at all, at least Shen Jiang can’t tell, during the Chinese New Year, everyone’s table will add a big dish, eat chicken bones, duck bones, and pig bones that are thrown away , can be found everywhere, thrown outside to be chewed by dogs, scattered existence is normal.

But the young master's expression is getting more and more serious, which is not normal...

"Is there really a problem?"

Ye Baiting didn't say a word, but leaned closer to the weak light outside the rabbit light corridor and carefully identified them.

"This is the bone around the foot... This is the patella... These three are the vertebrae, the thoracic vertebrae and the lumbar vertebrae, all of which are found in humans."

Shen Jiang didn't say anything now, if it was just the hands and feet cut off for some unexpected reason, the person wouldn't die, but the spine came out... No one can survive in this situation, right?

There really is a corpse!It's still the cruelest kind... the dismemberment case!

Qiu Yiqing stared at a bone: "The black thing attached to it is human flesh?"

To be precise, it is the muscle tissue, connective tissue, muscle fiber, fibrous membrane, etc. attached to the bone, not necessarily meat, but Ye Baiting knew what Qiu Yiqing meant, and nodded: "Yes, unnatural death After being buried, the corpses decompose and decompose, and some people try to speed up the process of ossification."

It takes time for the corpse to turn into bones, but if external conditions are introduced, it is not necessarily the case, such as chemical drugs, such as gnawing by wild animals...

And on all the bones found, there are tooth marks, and they are very obvious.

Qiu Yiqing looked at the bones carefully: "Look at the tooth marks, it looks like a dog."

Shen Jiang also saw it, and his eyeballs almost popped out: "My God, how hungry is this dog that gnaws so hard? Dogs gnaw bones and sometimes swallow the meat and bones together. We only found this little bit. Is the rest..."

Call the dog to eat it in the stomach!

Just thinking about it makes Shen Jiang shudder, this is a human...

Ye Baiting's eyes drooped slightly: "I still have to search, as many as I can find."

How did a living person turn into a corpse and appear here again, being gnawed by wild beasts, with no trace of flesh and bones, and almost no bones to be found. Who is this person, what is his name, and where is his home? What kind of work do you do, and who are the close people around you?

They all have to know.

With his index finger in front of his lips, he blew whistles of different lengths and rhythms. Soon, a guard in plain clothes came over the wall and half-kneeled on the ground to salute: "See Commander!"

Qiu Yiqing didn't talk nonsense, and directly deployed the order: "Call a team over, carefully search the yard, looking for human bones, or various suspicious traces; notify the housekeeper, come and explain, and, this house is temporarily closed by Beizheng. Fusi seals it up, idlers, etc., don't get close."

"Yes!"

Ye Baiting and Shen Jiang started to walk inside.

The little rabbit lamp had already been hung on the eaves outside by Qiu Yiqing, probably because it was too fragile to be damaged, so Shen Jiang quickly found the lantern outside the house, and lit it all the way inside.

This small courtyard is the same as what Qiu Yiqing said. It may be related to the terrain. The layout is very special. The two sides are not very wide, similar to ordinary houses, but the depth is extremely deep. Beyond the courtyard, there are verandahs, patios, and masters. There is still room for the guest room, and there is still room for the study, the hall, the storeroom, and so on. After that, there is an exquisite small house with windows on all sides, which is very large and made of Looking at the banquet hall, there are scattered rockeries and overgrown bushes outside the window. It looks like a well-manicured scene. If it comes to spring and summer, when the flowers bloom, the scenery must be excellent.

"I said before that everyone from the household department had dinner here, and that's where it is."

Qiu Xunqing had already followed up at some point: "Because this is a private house under the name of Guan Xiuzhu, he doesn't live in it very much, so he doesn't have any servants. Usually, someone at home will come to clean it regularly, and the household department gathers here. I will be disturbed by anyone, eat and drink...there is a restaurant next door outside the courtyard, just say hello, others can send me noodles, last spring and summer, the Ministry of Households met here more than once."

No matter what it was like last year, half a year has passed, and after several cleanings, there is no doubt that there will be no more traces here. They can only look for things related to the owner of the house from the details.

For example, the books in the study room, the ones that have been turned over, the ones that have been turned over a lot, and Guan Xiuzhu's poems and paintings... It is not difficult to find that this person is indeed somewhat idealistic and talented, He didn't feel restrained in this study, he was very comfortable, he could write and draw whatever he thought of, and he didn't worry about being discovered by others.

"He's very comfortable." Ye Baiting thought, "I like this place and value this place because it can make him relax?"

Qiu Yiqing discovered another point: "He has a dog."

Shen Jiang looked left and right but didn't see it: "Is there any? Where is it?"

Ye Baiting looked around the room, but saw something, and pointed to it: "Takraw ball."

Xuanfeng loves to play this game. He likes to let people play ball throwing games with him. It is best to throw it far away. He jumps up and catches it with a groan, and then sends it back with his tail. Dogs seem to like this kind of game. People who have a soft spot for dogs will naturally be ready at any time.

For example, behind the main hall of Fusi in Beizhen, there is a room where Qiu Yiqing rests temporarily. He actually rarely goes to that room, and at most he just changes clothes, but even so, there is still a sepak takraw ball in it.

"Since you have a dog...you must have a dog house!"

Where does the little thing live, it has to be settled!

The three of them continued to search, and soon found the compartment of the firewood room. There was a small empty room. Because the room was empty, it looked rather small. There were small cushions and small toys on the floor, and there were water basins and food basins on the ground beside the wall. , There are large and small dense scratches on the wall, which are left by dog ​​paws.

Shen Jiang wrinkled his nose: "Why is it a bit fishy? The place where Xuanfeng lives is not so careless."

Ye Baiting walked to the wall, knelt down, touched the traces on the wall with his fingers, and sniffed it up to his nose: "It does have some smell."

The light was too dim, so they could only light the lantern and see the scratches left by the dog's paws on the wall, as well as the less obvious dark colors, but they couldn't make out what these dark colors were.

Qiu Yiqing rubbed his fingers against the wall, felt the dampness, and frowned slightly: "This place has also been cleaned."

It is very likely that it has been wiped.

Because the light was too dark, the three of them didn't walk all the way fast, but the butler's mansion was not far from here. An old servant soon came over, and when he followed Jin Yiwei, he was very cautious and looked sad, thinking that he knew most of Jin Yiwei. To ask about the young master at home, after so long, no one is willing to mention it again.

How could Qiu Yiqing take into account his mood, and asked directly, "Where is Guan Xiuzhu's body now?"

Sure enough.

The old servant sighed: "Third young master had an accident last year, it's a bit disgraceful... The owner of the family loves his son, and it's not just this one son, he must always think of others, for fear of being implicated, the third young master's body was not buried in the ancestral grave , buried outside."

Qiu Yiqing: "Is there someone guarding?"

"Yes," the old servant said immediately, "at any rate, his surname is Guan. He is a man of his own family. It is already aggrieved that he cannot enter the ancestral grave. How can he be negligent? The owner raised the reward and sent a few of his sons to visit the grave. He is a young and strong man, full of yang energy, not afraid of trouble."

"When was the last time a grave was repaired?"

"This... the third young master has only passed away for half a year, and this grave has not been repaired yet."

"Will someone else repair it for you?"

What Qiu Xunqing said was meaningful, and he tried his best to be tactful.

The old servant came to his senses and immediately waved his hand: "It's absolutely impossible! How could those young and strong servants not handle things carefully after receiving the big bounty? The third young master's tomb is well seen, and there is absolutely no way they will be passed over!"

The room was immediately quiet.

Ye Baiting asked, "Guan Xiuzhu has a dog."

Old servant: "Yes."

"He seems to live at home?"

"Yes."

"Since you live at home, why do you keep the dog here and not take it home?"

"Because the young master is afraid of dogs," the old servant said, "The third young master is a filial man who loves his younger brother. He thought he could keep the dog anywhere, so he didn't bring it back."

Ye Baiting: "That's why the housekeeper's family knows that he has a dog, and it's only because of his younger brother that he keeps it here."

Old servant: "Yes."

"Then where is the dog now?"

"Run away, not found."

"When?"

"It was right after the death of the third young master..." the old servant sighed, "At that time, the household department was very tense, and the family was also busy and scared. They were worried every day, and people couldn't take care of them. How could they want a dog? When I remembered, more than ten days had passed, and I was afraid that the dog would starve to death, so I hurried over to look, but the dog was gone.”

"Did you find it?"

"I've been looking for it for several days. The third young master has already gone. This dog is the only thing he left behind. He should always treat it well. But after searching for a long time, I can't find it. I have no choice but to give up."

Ye Baiting and the three quickly exchanged glances.

What a coincidence today, when I wanted to investigate Xiuzhu, I found a new human bone. There might be a dead body. When I was looking for the animal that bit the dead body, I found that there was a dog in this yard. I wanted to see this dog, so I was caught Informed that the dog was missing and had already run away.

Where did the human bones in this yard come from?Did it pop out of a crack in the rock?Or was it picked up by another wild dog?

The author has something to say: Ye Baiting (looking at the palmistry posture, pinching and touching): this is the hamate, here is the pisiform bone, the triangular bone...

Qiu Yiqing (holds the opponent's hand instead, squeezes and touches): I don't remember clearly, here is the hook bone, what kind of bone is this, and here...

Ye Baiting (teaching again): ...do you remember everything?If not, I can teach it again!

Qiu Yiqing (throat moved slightly): I still want to know the bones in other places...

Ye Baiting (Haomai): Where, come!

Qiu Yiqing (with deep eyes): the whole body.