Chapter 114 Progress

Chapter 114 Progress

He Qingxiao was accustomed to using a knife, which had left calluses on his palm. What kind of person would have blackened and hardened knees?

Wu Zuo continued with his deductions: "The deceased had rough skin, and there seemed to be long-term stains between his fingers that couldn't be washed off. He doesn't look like a scholar."

He Qingxiao's mind stirred, considering a possibility.

"Thank you for your hard work. You may go now."

The place where the body was stored was semi-underground, and due to the significance of the case, ice blocks were placed to prevent decomposition, making the room as cold as an ice cellar. Those with weak constitutions could not endure staying there for long.

Outside, a cool breeze blew, and the sunlight was clear and bright, dispelling the chill of the morgue.

He Qingxiao strode out and returned to the government office, giving instructions: "Go and investigate the beggars in various areas. See if any of them, matching the age and height of the deceased, have suddenly gone missing."

The deceased wasn't very old. If he had been doing manual labor, it was unlikely that his knees would show such signs. Even slaves only needed to bow before their masters; kneeling was reserved for those who had committed wrongs and sought mercy. One group of people who often knelt were beggars who begged on their knees.

In the capital, beggars who could beg stably were organized, forming what was known as the Beggar Gang. There were about ten Beggar Gangs of varying sizes in the capital, each with clearly defined territories. Any beggar who crossed these boundaries would face severe consequences.

Although there were many beggars in the capital, the territorial divisions made things easier. The Jinlin Guard approached the leaders of the various Beggar Gangs, who then delegated the task further. Within two days, they compiled a list of beggars who had suddenly disappeared from their respective territories.

He Qingxiao carefully reviewed the list and circled five names. Two of these beggars were from East City.

Of course, besides these five, the list contained many more names. For people at the bottom of society, like beggars, disappearing or dying without a trace was common. Given the time constraints and limited manpower, they decided to start with these five most likely candidates.

Fortunately, when the Jinlin Guard brought a beggar who knew one of the missing beggars to identify the body, one of them recognized him.

"It's Er Gou!"

Upon investigation, Er Gou was one of the two beggars who had gone missing from East City.

This beggar usually begged near the wall outside Swallow Lane. He often accompanied an elderly beggar and a young child.

Under the guidance of another beggar, He Qingxiao met the elderly beggar.

The elderly beggar had been ill for some time and lay on a layer of straw under a bridge, looking frail and barely alive.

Taking care of the elderly beggar was a seven- or eight-year-old child, who was his grandson.

Seeing He Qingxiao approach, the child looked wary, like a small animal suddenly intruding upon its territory.

He Qingxiao squatted down and asked the elderly beggar gently, "Old man, can you speak?"

The elderly beggar's cloudy eyes widened slightly, looking at the guiding beggar in confusion.

The beggar quickly explained, "This is an official from the Jinlin Guard. He has come to ask you questions. Please answer him truthfully."

Hearing this, the elderly beggar became nervous, and the child's pupils constricted in fear.

He Qingxiao, being perceptive, immediately noticed the child's unusual reaction.

"You say—" the elderly beggar struggled to speak.

He Qingxiao instructed his subordinate, "Give the old man some water to moisten his throat."

The subordinate removed a water flask from his waist and fed the elderly beggar a few sips.

The water was still warm, something the elderly beggar hadn't tasted in a long time. After drinking the warm water, he regained some strength.

Seeing this, He Qingxiao began asking questions: "Was there someone named Er Gou who used to beg on the same street as you?"

The elderly beggar nodded.

"When did you last see him?"

The elderly beggar shook his head, his voice hoarse and aged: "I've been sick for half a month, lying here all the time. I saw him before I fell ill."

He Qingxiao looked at the child.

The child tensed up, biting his lip unconsciously: "I, I didn't notice—"

The guiding beggar glared at the child: "Gu Zi, your grandfather has been sick. You go out every day to beg for food. How could you not have noticed?"

Seeing Gu Zi become even more nervous, He Qingxiao took out a handful of copper coins from his purse and handed them to the guiding beggar: "Buy some soft cakes that are easy to digest. Share them with Gu Zi's grandfather."

The guiding beggar happily ran off with the coins.

Gu Zi swallowed, tempted by the mention of soft cakes.

He Qingxiao gestured for his subordinate to keep an eye on the elderly beggar and pointed to a nearby spot: "Gu Zi, let's talk over there."

Gu Zi hesitated but eventually followed He Qingxiao to a nearby willow tree.

It was late autumn, and the willow leaves, like withered butterflies, were blown away by the wind, leaving the tree sparse and desolate.

"Gu Zi, do you know that Er Gou has gone missing?"

He Qingxiao's direct question made Gu Zi's face change dramatically: "I don't know anything!"

He wanted to run but dared not.

The man before him was an official who could decide life or death with a single word.

He Qingxiao noticed the child's fear and spoke more gently: "Don't be afraid. If you answer my questions honestly, I will send your grandfather to a clinic for treatment."

"Really?" Gu Zi's eyes lit up with hope.

"As an official of the court, why would I deceive a child like you?"

"But—" The child hesitated, torn between the desire for his grandfather to be treated and some lingering concern.

He Qingxiao guessed that the child had likely done something he was ashamed of, which made him hesitant to speak.

He reached out and patted the young beggar's shoulder encouragingly. "You're still young. Even if you were forced to do something, as long as it wasn't murder or arson, it can be handled leniently or even overlooked. But if you hide the truth and delay the investigation, that would be troublesome."

Hearing He Qingxiao's words, the child asked cautiously, "Really no punishment?"

"Did you kill or set fire to anything?" He Qingxiao asked seriously.

If such crimes were committed, they certainly couldn't be ignored, and he didn't want to deceive a child.

The child hurriedly shook his head. "No, no!"

He Qingxiao smiled. "Then don't be afraid."

His appearance was striking, and his smile seemed like the first thaw of winter snow, turning into a clear spring stream.

The child was momentarily stunned, a vague sense of trust forming in his heart: Such a handsome adult wouldn't lie, right?

"Will you also treat my grandfather?"

"Yes."

"But my grandfather is very ill, and treatment will cost a lot of money."

The smile on Lord He's lips faltered for a moment before he calmly said, "No problem, I have money."

Finally reassured, the child said, "Then ask away."

"When did you last see Doggy?"

"It was six nights ago."

Six nights ago?

He Qingxiao recalled that the body at the Imperial Academy gate was discovered two days after that.

This meant that the child was likely the last person to see the victim alive.

He Qingxiao took this very seriously but showed no sign of it to avoid pressuring the child. "What happened then?"

"I—," the child bit his lip hard, suddenly choking up, "I saw the murderer!"