Chapter 151: The Case of Patricide

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation        Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“Alcohol?” The members of the Qingxian Society were taken aback by Magistrate Lu’s observation.

“Lu Ping,” Lu Xuan called.

“Present!” Lu Ping’s voice was loud and clear.

“Take your tools and examine the body in the river… Be careful to approach from that side to avoid disturbing the scene,” Lu Xuan instructed.

“Yes!” Lu Ping, carrying a bag of coroner’s tools, circled around to the body without disturbing the crime scene.

He turned the body over and frowned. After a brief examination of the victim’s face and a check of the nose and mouth, Lu Ping announced loudly, “Lord, this man… drowned! There’s a strong… smell of alcohol on his body!”

The Qingxian Society members were visibly surprised.

“I have a keen sense of smell,” Lu Xuan remarked calmly.

“Magistrate Wu, Advisor Cheng,” a member of the Qingxian Society spoke up, “Even though this man drowned and had been drinking, isn’t it possible that someone killed him elsewhere and then dumped his body in the ditch?”

The speaker, named Bo Kai from the Bo family, was regarded as the leader among the Qingxian Society members present.

“Brother Bo’s point is not without merit,” Cheng Lingzhu nodded. “However, the evidence at the scene suggests that there was no second person present. Look at the footprints on the ground; they are not deep, which matches the slim build of the deceased… Later, we can have Lu Ping compare the footprints. If a murderer had carried the victim here, the combined weight would have left much deeper impressions.”

Bo Kai had to agree with her logic. “Advisor Cheng is wise; I was not thorough in my thinking.”

The footprints near the riverbank were clear and intact. Even though a significant time had passed since Li Xian found the body, attracting many curious onlookers, the scene remained well-preserved. This was partly because the body was discovered in the morning, a time considered inauspicious for such discoveries in local custom, prompting people to keep their distance despite their curiosity.

“Lu Ping, can you identify the victim?” Lu Xuan asked.

“I… I don’t recognize him! We might need Li Xian to come over,” Lu Ping replied. He was not from the eastern part of the city and couldn’t possibly recognize everyone in Qingxian City.

“Bring Li Xian here,” Lu Xuan ordered the yamen runners. They promptly escorted Li Xian to the front.

“Li Xian, do you recognize this person?” Lu Xuan pointed to the body in the river, which Lu Ping had turned over to reveal the face. Despite some mud and sand on the face, the basic features were still identifiable.

Li Xian looked and showed a surprised expression: “Responding to the lord, I recognize him. His name is Sun Hong, and he lives in the east.”

“Tell me about this person,” Lu Xuan requested.

“This…” Li Xian hesitated for a moment before speaking, “Well… This man, he was a gambler.”

“A gambler?” Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow.

“Not to hide anything from you, lord,” Li Xian continued, “Sun Hong was addicted to gambling and also loved to drink. Before gambling, he drank; after gambling, he drank whether he won or lost. He would go out every night to gamble and wouldn’t return home until noon the next day. I’ve seen him on the road before, staggering drunk, barely able to walk straight, as if a gust of wind could knock him over. Due to his gambling, his family was impoverished.

Everyone in the nearby villages knew him; he had a reputation for thievery…” Li Xian poured out everything he knew about Sun Hong.

“Returning home at noon?” Lu Xuan nodded slightly. “Lu Ping, can you estimate the time of death?”

“Responding to the lord,” Lu Ping looked up, “It should have been… Yesterday, around noon.”

“So, Sun Hong died on his way home yesterday,” Cheng Lingzhu concluded.

“Did Sun Hong have any family members?” Lu Xuan asked.

“He had a wife and a son. Back then, Sun Hong hadn’t yet fallen into his gambling vice…” Li Xian recalled, “But his wife and son suffered greatly because of him. They worked the fields, and the money his wife earned from sewing and mending was also gambled away by him. After losing, Sun Hong would beat them while drunk. I heard… Recently, he even planned to sell his wife…”

“So, Sun Hong was not a good man,” Lu Xuan nodded.

“That’s true, lord,” Li Xian agreed. “In my opinion, his end is likely divine retribution for his actions.”

Lu Xuan made no comment on this. “Do you know where Sun Hong’s home is?”

“Yes, lord,” Li Xian responded promptly, “Sun Hong’s house is nearby. I can take you there.”

Lu Xuan turned to Bo Kai and the other Qingxian Society members. He then asked, “Will you accompany us?”

The Qingxian Society members exchanged glances. Bo Kai shook his head and responded, “Since it’s likely an accident, we won’t go. We’ll leave this matter to Magistrate Wu and Advisor Cheng.”

After hearing Li Xian’s description, Bo Kai also understood Sun Hong’s family’s financial situation..