He Qingxiao was accustomed to using a knife, so there was a cocoon in the tiger's mouth. What kind of person’s knees become black and hard?
Wu Zuo continued to deduce: "The deceased's skin was rough, and there seemed to be stains on his fingers that could not be washed away for a long time. He did not look like a scholar..."
He Qingxiao thought about it and thought of a possibility.
"Thank you for your hard work. Let's go out first."
The place where the corpse was parked was already semi-underground. In addition, the eucalyptus was so noisy that ice cubes were placed to prevent the corpse from rotting. The whole room was as cold as an ice cave, and those with weak constitutions would not be able to bear it for a long time.
There was a cool breeze outside and clear sunshine, sweeping away the coldness of the morgue.
He Qingxiao strode out and returned to the Yamen to make arrangements: "Go and check the beggars everywhere to see if there are any beggars of similar age and height to the deceased who have suddenly disappeared."
The deceased was not very old. If he only did manual labor, this condition would not occur in his knees. Even a slave only needs to bow to his master. Kneeling is only required when he makes a mistake and begs for mercy. One type of person whose knees rub against each other for a long time is the beggar who kneels down to beg.
In the capital, those beggars who can beg safely are organized, which is the so-called beggar gang. There are about a dozen large and small beggar gangs in the capital. They have divided their spheres of influence early. If there are beggars who cross the boundary, they will not be able to beg.
Although there are many beggars in the capital, it will be easier to handle if there is a division of power. Jinlinwei approached the leaders of various beggar gangs, who then arranged the tasks. Within two days, they found out the list of beggars who suddenly disappeared in their territory.
He Qingxiao read the list carefully and circled five people. Two of these five beggars were in Dongcheng.
Of course, in addition to these five people, there are many more on the list. It is too common for people living at the lowest level, such as beggars, to disappear or die quietly. Taking into account the tight time and limited manpower, we will start with the five most likely beggars.
As luck would have it, Jin Linwei took beggars who knew the missing beggar to identify the body, and one of the beggars recognized him.
"It's Ergou!"
After learning, Ergou was one of the two missing beggars in Dongcheng.
The beggar mainly begged at the base of the wall outside Yanzi Hutong. He is often accompanied by an old beggar and a young beggar.
Under the leadership of a beggar, He Qingxiao met the old beggar.
The old beggar had been ill for some time. He was lying on a layer of straw under the bridge, looking like he was dying.
The person taking care of the old beggar is a seven or eight-year-old beggar, and they are grandparents.
Seeing He Qingxiao coming over, the little beggar looked wary, like a small beast that had suddenly been intruded into his territory.
He Qingxiao squatted down and asked the old beggar in a gentle tone: "Old man, is it convenient for me to talk?"
The old beggar's cloudy eyes widened slightly, and he looked doubtfully at the beggar who was leading the way.
Beggar hurriedly said: "This is the master of Jinlin Guard. He comes to you to understand the matter. You must answer his words well."
Hearing what the beggar said, the old beggar couldn't help but feel a little nervous, and the little beggar even shrank in fear.
He Qingxiao was so perceptive that he immediately noticed that the little beggar's reaction was somewhat unusual.
"You said -" the old beggar struggled to speak.
He Qingxiao ordered the men who were following him: "Give the old man some water to moisten his throat."
The man untied the kettle hanging from his waist, pulled out the stopper and fed the old beggar a few mouthfuls.
The water was still warm. The old beggar hadn't drank anything warm for a long time. After a few mouthfuls of warm water, he actually regained some energy.
When He Qingxiao saw this, he asked, "Is there a man named Ergou begging on the same street as you?"
The old beggar nodded.
"When was the last time you saw him?"
The old beggar shook his head, his voice hoarse and old: "The villain has been sick for half a month and has been lying here. I saw him before he fell ill."
He Qingxiao looked at the little beggar.
The little beggar was tense all over and bit his lip unconsciously: "I, I didn't pay attention -"
The beggar who led the way glared at the little beggar: "Guzi, your grandpa is sick. Don't you go begging for food every day? How could you not pay attention?"
Seeing that the little beggar named Guzi was even more nervous, He Qingxiao took out a handful of coins from his purse and handed it to the beggar who was leading the way: "Go buy some soft cakes that are easy to digest. You and Grandpa Guzi can fill your stomachs."
The beggar who led the way grabbed the copper coins and ran away happily.
When Guzi heard about the soft cake, she couldn't help but swallow her saliva.
He Qingxiao signaled his men to keep an eye on the old beggar and pointed not far away: "Guzi, let's go there and talk."
Gu Zi hesitated for a moment, but finally did not dare to resist, and followed He Qingxiao to the willow tree not far away.
It is already the end of autumn, and the willow leaves are blown away by the wind like dead butterflies, and the willow trees that are no longer lush look a bit desolate.
"Guzi, you know that Ergou is missing, right?"
He Qingxiao's straight to the point made Guzi's face change greatly: "I don't know anything!"
He wanted to run but didn't dare.
The man in front of him was the official, and one word could kill him and his grandfather.
He Qingxiao saw the little beggar's fear and her tone became gentler: "Don't be afraid. As long as you answer my questions well, I will send your grandpa to the medical center for treatment."
"Really?" Gu Zi's eyes were filled with enthusiasm.
"I am an official of the imperial court. How could I lie to you about a child?"
"But -" Guzi hesitated, not only excited that grandpa could be cured, but also worried about something.
He Qingxiao guessed that Gu Zi might have done something disgraceful, which made him afraid to say anything.
He reached out and patted the little beggar's shoulder encouragingly: "You are still young. Even if you are forced to do something, as long as it is not murder or arson, you can be treated leniently or even not investigated. If you conceal the truth, it will delay the investigation. If it progresses, there will be trouble."
After hearing He Qingxiao's words, Gu Zi asked cautiously: "Are you really not going to pursue the case?"
"Then did you commit murder and arson?" He Qingxiao asked seriously.
If he really committed such a crime, it would be impossible not to pursue it, and he didn't want to deceive a child.
Gu Zi shook his head hastily: "No, no!"
He Qingxiao smiled: "Then don't be afraid."
He was born extremely well, and his smile was like the first melting of winter snow, turning into a clear spring in spring.
Guzi was dumbfounded, trusting Momo Huhu in his heart: Such a good-looking adult should not be able to lie to others.
"Then you will also treat my grandfather?"
"meeting."
"But my grandpa is very ill, and treatment will cost a lot of money."
The smile on Mr. He's lips froze, and then he said calmly: "It doesn't matter, I have money."
Gu Zi finally felt relieved: "Then you can ask."
"When was the last time you saw Ergou?"
"It was... six nights ago."
Six nights ago?
He Qingxiao recalled that the body at the entrance of the Imperial College was found in the early morning five days ago.
In other words, Gu Zi was probably the last person to see the deceased.
He Qingxiao paid great attention to it and didn't show it at all, so as not to put pressure on Gu Zi: "What was the situation at that time?"
"I -" Gu Zi bit her lip hard and suddenly choked, "I saw the murderer!"
