Chapter 793
Chapter 793
Miaozhen was anxious: "How could it just disappear? What happened next?"
After thinking hard for a moment, Xiao Hong said, "Later, I practiced dancing and singing with the girls in the building, but it's all very vague, I don't remember it very clearly?"
Pan Yun: "Who killed you?"
Xiao Hong's smile faded, and she shook her head: "I don't know, I don't remember much."
She asked doubtfully, "Is my soul not complete yet? Why don't you perform another ritual for me and recite a soul-summoning incantation?"
After looking her up and down, Pan Jun said, "Don't worry, your soul is intact now. It's common for people to lose their memory after death. If you can't remember, that's fine. We'll go directly to Ji'an County."
The group went directly to the outskirts of Ji'an County and then walked into the town.
Pan Yun checked the time; it was still early before noon, so he went directly to the county government office.
I wonder how far the investigation has progressed, who's changed the magistrate of Ji'an County, and whether they're willing to investigate further after seeing Xiao Hong, this wronged ghost...
The group stood at the entrance of the county government office. Just as they looked up, the man who had just stepped onto the steps turned around and his eyes widened instantly.
Pan Jun's eyes widened in surprise: "Wow, Magistrate Wu, why didn't you say you had connections earlier? You made me worry about you even when I went to sea."
Magistrate Wu: "...Master Pan, please be careful with your words. What background do I have?"
Pan Yun leaned close to him and whispered, "You have no connections? With such a big incident happening under your jurisdiction, how can you possibly keep your official position?"
Magistrate Wu looked at her resentfully: "Do I look like someone who can keep his official position?"
Pan Yun leaned back and looked him up and down, pity in her eyes: "Magistrate Wu, it's only been half a year, how come you've gotten so thin? Oh dear, you've even got gray hair, and your face is so wrinkled..."
Magistrate Wu slapped her hand away and looked directly at Xiao Hong, who was standing under the umbrella: "This is... Liu Xiao Hong?"
Pan Yun nodded.
Magistrate Wu swallowed hard and asked in a low voice, "Is it a person or a ghost?"
If Pan Yun hadn't been there, he would have seriously doubted whether Liu Xiaohong was dead. But with Pan Yun here, it was hard to say whether she was a person or a ghost.
Pan Yun also lowered her voice and said, "A ghost! And we found the rest of her remains."
Magistrate Wu's eyes brightened slightly, and he asked in a low voice, "Then she remembered?"
Pan Yun shook her head.
Magistrate Wu sighed in disappointment, but quickly rallied: "In the past six months, I have consulted many Taoist priests and monks, and I have also looked up a lot of books. I know that once a person dies, in order to prevent their soul from being attached to their relatives and lingering, they usually lose some of their memories. It's better that she doesn't remember, so as to avoid being sad."
Magistrate Wu said, "She died a tragic death. When investigating the case, we should avoid getting involved as much as possible and just tell us what we know."
Pan Yun looked at him in surprise.
Magistrate Wu: "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Pan Yun: "I never expected Magistrate Wu to be so kind."
Magistrate Wu didn't understand what she was saying and frowned, saying, "What are you talking about? Never mind, whatever you're saying, let's go into the yamen and talk about it." As soon as she entered, the county lieutenant, clerk, and yamen runners she had seen before were still there, and they all looked thinner and haggard.
Pan Yun couldn't help but ask, "Did the Ming Dynasty not pay you your salaries? Or did they withhold them? Why does everyone look so miserable?"
Magistrate Wu glanced at her and said, "After the incident, I immediately ordered someone to rush to the capital to report it."
Pan Yun nodded: "I know about that. And then what?"
"This case is of great importance, and since it involves the Yang family, the Ministry of Justice immediately dispatched inspectors. Thanks to the confessions you obtained, the investigation was completed in less than a month, with the relevant confessions, witnesses, and physical evidence being gathered and taken to the capital by the inspectors from the Ministry of Justice."
Pan Yun nodded.
Magistrate Wu sighed, "But the case has been delayed since it arrived in the capital. Before the inspector, Lord Xiang, left, he told me that this case spans a long period of time and was already a long-standing case before my arrival. The main responsibility doesn't lie with me. Moreover, I actively solved the case after it broke out. Although I can't keep my position as magistrate, I should be able to be transferred to another county as a county assistant or county commandant. But, after he left, I haven't heard from him again..."
“I have been pressing for answers, but as you know, I am just a county magistrate. According to the rules, I need to go through the prefectural government office to the provincial administration office, and then to the capital to inquire.”
Before Magistrate Wu could finish speaking, Pan Yun's eyes already showed sympathy.
You can't say the program is wrong, after all, it guarantees fairness and impartiality to a certain extent, but sometimes it really takes a lot of time.
The clerk brought a teapot to pour tea for them, and Magistrate Wu continued, "After two months of urging, the case reported upfront said there were errors in the confessions, so officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Censorate were sent down to assist in the investigation."
Pan Yun: "Are you here?"
“You’re here. You’ve only been gone for two months,” Magistrate Wu looked up at her. “Qian Zhixiao and Xue Xin have both gone back on their word. The officials who came down investigated for more than a month. Fortunately, although they went back on their word, the physical evidence and witness testimonies we found are all in order. It’s just that we haven’t heard from them for two months. The Prefect said that the court has been busy with the lifting of the sea ban and the matter of the Japanese silver mines for the past two months, so they have no time to deal with us.”
"Nonsense! Civil and military officials each have their own duties. Are they only going to discuss the lifting of the sea ban and the Japanese silver mines every day? Don't they do anything else?" Pan Yun frowned. "Someone is interfering."
Magistrate Wu sighed, "Who can argue with that? With this knife hanging over my neck, threatening to fall but not quite, how can I possibly live a good life?"
Pan Jun's eyes darted around, and he leaned towards him, asking across the table, "Magistrate Wu, who is trying to interfere? And why?"
Magistrate Wu moved closer to her and whispered, "I have also thought about this matter seriously. Among those people locked up in prison, I'm afraid some of them haven't vomited completely. People outside are afraid they'll pull out some dirt, so they have to protect them. I guess, of course, without evidence, but I have reason to suspect that this matter is related to Liu Xiaohong's death."
He glanced quickly at Liu Xiaohong and whispered, "Of all the people, Liu Xiaohong's death was the most unusual. There was no portrait of her at the time of her death, and no one knows who killed her. Even the way her remains were disposed of was different."
Pan Yun: "Who?"
Magistrate Wu looked worried.
Pan Yun clicked her tongue and said, "What are you afraid of? We're talking about this in private. I'm not going to sell you out."
Magistrate Wu said in a low voice, "I've been keeping a close eye on things for the past six months. I've noticed that Xue Xin's attitude is a bit off. The longer he's in jail, the more confident he seems to be that he can get out. Moreover, his family keeps pouring money into the jail and bribing officials at all levels."
"Wasn't Qian Zhixiao the highest-ranking official?"
Magistrate Wu said in a low voice, "Qian Zhixiao is almost dead. I think he is very disheartened. Although he has changed his mind, he is struggling in his death throes and has no confidence that he can get out."
Seeing Pan Yun deep in thought, Magistrate Wu immediately said, "Of course, these are all just my guesses. Without evidence, they cannot be taken seriously. Alas, especially now that the case is progressing so slowly, without concrete evidence, even if it's submitted, it will be rejected." (End of Chapter)