"Bang!"
Magistrate Zhu slammed the gavel again and shouted: "You said you saw a shadowy figure climb over the wall and leave after killing someone. Why did the police search the flowerbed under the wall today and find no footprints or signs of trampling on flowers and plants?"
Zhang Yang was stunned, her beautiful almond eyes rolled around, "This, this..."
Zhang Xian immediately said: "Sir, how did the thief sneak into the house, and how did my mother know? The county police can't find out, and you can't impose the crime on my mother and son."
Damn mother and son, please don't insult these two words, you are the stepmother's vomit (?)... Xu Qian'an couldn't listen anymore.
Magistrate Zhu was furious: "You are so eloquent, come and punish me."
The interrogation process these days is generally like this, interrogation and torture, in the absence of evidence, this is the only way.
Therefore, torture often results in confessions.
But there is no way, it is very difficult to obtain evidence, and there is a lack of equipment and professional technology. So the criminal law became an indispensable procedure.
There are both advantages and disadvantages.
Zhang Xian shouted: "Are you going to torture him into confession? My uncle is the Minister of Rites, so you don't want to impeach him?"
The so-called uncle is actually a distant relative of five generations. However, although the blood relationship is distant, the relationship is very close, because the Zhang family often provides benefits to that distant relative.
The sharp words hit the nail on the head, and County Magistrate Zhu's eyebrows jumped. He knew that the Zhang family had a little background.
"You dare to threaten me, come, punish me with twenty sticks."
Four yamen runners came forward, two of them crossed their necks with sticks, and the other two took off Zhang Xian's pants. The yamen runners began to use force, and the sound of clapping resounded throughout the court.
Zhang Xian screamed.
County Magistrate Zhu had a gloomy face. Twenty sticks were not enough to make a person confess to murder. Fifty sticks were possible. But it was also possible to beat someone to death.
Moreover, even if Zhang Xian confessed and the case was submitted to the Ministry of Justice, Zhang Xian might still overturn the verdict. Don't forget that he has a relative who is a censor.
At that time, he might even be accused of being tortured into confessing.
While Zhang Xian was being beaten on the ground, Xu Qiyan waved to Ding who was beside County Magistrate Zhu.
Ding hesitated for a moment, silently stepped back a few steps, and then trotted over.
"Please tell the master to adjourn the court for a while. I have an idea." Xu Qiyan whispered.
"What ideas do you have? Don't talk nonsense. You've implicated me." Ding looked unconvinced.
"Even if there is no result from the trial, the master is in a dilemma now. He will agree to treat you to a drink later." Xu Qiyan said.
"Okay..."
Ding walked quickly to County Magistrate Zhu and whispered a few words in his ear. County Magistrate Zhu immediately turned his head and looked in the direction of Xu Qiyan.
He pondered for a moment, retracted his gaze, and slammed the gavel: "First, put the two people in jail, and adjourn the court."
...
In the inner hall.
County Magistrate Zhu took a sip of the hot tea served by the maid.
Xu Qi'an, who had been in the system for a few years and had a half-understanding of the rules of officialdom, immediately took a sip of tea.
"Xu Ningyan, what do you think?"
Xu Qi'an was surprised by the attitude of County Magistrate Zhu, who was surprisingly gentle and did not show off his authority.
In his impression, County Magistrate Zhu would not be so polite to the clerks in the county government. Could it be that after traveling through time, his face became more beautiful?
"I can give it a try."
"Without torture?"
"Of course."
County Magistrate Zhu became even more curious, put down his teacup and looked over: "Tell me about it."
You don't understand game theory, so what's the point of talking about it... Xu Qian'an smiled and said, "Let me keep you in suspense, and wait for good news."
In the quiet confinement room, Yang Zhenzhen was brought here, her moist eyes turned, and she was restless.
Originally thought that the clerk wanted to embarrass her, and whoever wanted to bring her here would leave, but this could not dispel her uneasiness.
"Squeak..."
The wooden door was pushed open, and a young man in a constable's uniform walked in. He was tall and straight, with hard facial lines and handsome features.
"Don't be nervous, just chat." The young man even made tea and smiled: "You can call me Xu Sir."
Xu She?
Yang Zhenzhen, who had never received such high-quality treatment, did not speak, and stared at him vigilantly.
Xu Qiyan was also examining this beautiful woman. She was indeed a woman favored by the rich man. She was naturally beautiful, and her looks were inferior to those of his aunt.
She was also very old. In his previous life, women in their thirties were the most plump and juicy.
"Look at you wearing gold and silver. Zhang Yourui treats you very well." Xu Qiyan opened the topic.
Yang Zhenzhen did not comment.
"Actually, I think that at your age, it is probably Zhang Yourui's problem that you have not been able to get pregnant for so many years." Xu Qiyan said.
Yang Zhenzhen originally thought that it would be a torture, but she did not expect that the attitude and tone of this young man were surprisingly gentle.
It was different from the impression of the official.
Moreover, when it comes to not being able to get pregnant, most people put the blame on women. Xu Qiyan's words were very pleasant to hear. She slowly let down her guard and said softly:
"It's all my fault. I'm pregnant after so many years, and the master met with harm at this time."
Her eyes turned red again.
"The dead cannot be resurrected," Xu Qian'an comforted her, and then asked: "Does Zhang Yourui usually go to brothels?"
"Of course I often go there." She said: "From ancient times to the present, how can the masters and officials not go to brothels?"
Oh, you should be careful with your words... You are over 50 years old, and you often go to brothels, and your coffers are empty... I can almost confirm that the child in your belly is from the neighbor next door... Girls who like to hang out in nightclubs will not have bad pregnancy. The same is true for young women who stay alone in the empty room.
"I suddenly understand you very well." Xu Qi'an said twice: "Women are like wolves at 30 and tigers at 40, but they sit on the ground and absorb dust at 50. Zhang Yourui is over 50 years old, and he lingers in brothels and ignores you. It is reasonable for him to have an affair."
"But killing someone is wrong."
Yang Zhenzhen's face changed slightly: "I don't know what the officer is talking about."
Xu Qi'an smiled, "I have read the files, and Zhang Xian is seven years younger than you."
Yang Zhenzhen said with a straight face: "What do you mean by that, officer?"
"You are an eagle eating a chick."
"I don't understand." Yang Zhenzhen really didn't understand this time.
"Then tell me something you know." Xu Qian'an said in a deep voice: "Zhang Yangshi, you were alone in your empty room and couldn't stand the loneliness. So you seduced your stepson and did something shameless and immoral."
"On the night of the incident, you took advantage of Zhang Yourui's rent collection in the countryside and had an affair with your stepson. Unexpectedly, Zhang Yourui returned early and caught you two having an affair. The father and son started fighting, and you killed Zhang Yourui from behind with a vase."
"In order to cover up the crime, you dragged Zhang Yourui's body into the yard, disguised as a thief who stole and killed people. Zhang Xian deliberately left footprints on the wall to confirm your words."
Yang Zhenzhen's face was pale, staring at Xu Qian'an in disbelief.
"I didn't, I was wronged." Yang Zhenzhen said loudly, clenching her fists, her palms sweaty.
She panicked... Xu Qi'an, who had worked hard in the field of interrogation, restrained his gentleness, expressionless, and indifferent:
"Aren't you surprised why I know so much? Because Zhang Xian has confessed."
This is impossible... Yang Zhenzhen's eyes flashed with such emotions, her face paled a little, and she tried to be calm, still refusing to admit it: "I am innocent."
"Do you think your adulterer will never confess?" Xu Qi'an had no expression on his face.
Although there was no harsh threat, it made the beautiful woman feel even more uneasy.
"Because you thought you handled it perfectly, but in fact, there are many loopholes."
"Zhang Xian only left footprints on the wall when he left, but no footprints when he entered the house. If the thief has good body skills, he will stimulate his potential when escaping and will not leave footprints at all. This is the first reason."
"Second, Zhang Yourui died from blunt force trauma, not sharp weapons. According to the Dafeng law, anyone who enters a house without reason at night will be beaten with 80 sticks. If the host kills him immediately, there will be no punishment." Xu Qian'an knocked on the table:
"Let me ask you, which thief who breaks into a house to steal would not bring a weapon? But Zhang Yourui died from a blunt weapon."
Yang Zhenzhen's face was dull.
"I haven't finished yet..." Xu Qian'an sneered. After breaking down Yang Zhenzhen's psychological defenses, the next step is the killer move.