How did the magistrate and his son open the coffin to solve the case?

There is a scholar in Shandong named Wang Kexian, who is well-known in the local area. His son, Wang Xiaozu, was witty since he was a child. 18 years old was still a scholar. He was appointed as the magistrate of Hangzhou.

There is a saying that "there is heaven above and Suzhou and Hangzhou below". Wang Xiaozu went to be the magistrate and took Wang Kexian over, on the one hand, he could honor his father; On the other hand, you can also let your father often guide you to be an official. So the son was promoted to the director of the church outside, handling cases, and the father handled official documents and official duties inside. Whenever they are free, the father and son discuss the city's bureaucracy, customs and people's feelings. Wang Kexian speaks to the point and is well founded. Wang Xiaozu was deeply impressed and gradually mastered the way of being an official. In his first year in office, he made great achievements and won the appreciation of his boss and the admiration of his colleagues.

One day, Wang Xiaozu went out of town on business and happened to meet a big landlord who went to the funeral. The memorial ceremony was very imposing. White banners and bands were playing, and there was a long queue in undertaker. According to the custom, no matter which official should avoid, Wang Xiaozu should avoid the roadside. A Dai Xiao woman followed the car carrying the coffin. At this time, a gust of wind blew, and the skirts of mourning clothes were lifted by the wind, revealing bright red underwear. Wang Xiaozu couldn't help wondering: How could it be a white mourning red wedding dress? Upon inquiry, the woman was the wife of the deceased, and she became suspicious. Did the deceased die suddenly? He ordered the coffin to be hung in a nearby temple until the body was examined and then buried for safety.

After all, it's the judge's decision. Although the bereaved relatives are dissatisfied, they dare not disobey.

Wang Xiaozu returned to the yamen and told his father the situation. Wang Kexian thinks that although it is suspicious, there is no evidence in hand. Once the autopsy finds nothing, these squires are not to be taunted.

So what should we do?

In the study, Wang Xiaozu also felt embarrassed and drank tea in succession. Wang Kexian paced up and down, lowering his head in thought.

Finally, he said, "well, don't say that you are sick when you leave the yamen, and delay the autopsy;" I went out for a private visit and didn't deal with it until I knew the truth. "

Wang Xiaozu nodded.

Wang Kexian disguised himself as a fortune teller and secretly went out to visit.

During a visit, the county magistrate's father was disturbed. It turned out that the deceased was a Guo-zi-jian diploma. Although there are no immediate relatives, there are many scholars and students among these relatives, all of whom are rich and powerful. If anything goes wrong, my son's future will be ruined

The next day, Wang Xiaozu didn't go to the yamen office. Relatives of the deceased clamored for an autopsy. Hearing that the county magistrate was ill, everyone thought he was afraid to show up and threatened to sue. A few days later, Wang Xiaozu's face was still missing, so they signed a letter urging an autopsy as soon as possible. Wang Xiaozu ignored it. In this way, the funeral can not be held and the coffin can not be buried, which has aroused public criticism. Even the officers thought Wang Xiaozu had gone too far.

Moreover, Wang Kexian visited privately for many days, but he did not find any clues about the murder of Guo-zi-jian diploma, nor did he find the person who exposed it, and he was secretly worried.

One night, he went out in the wild and was exhausted, so he got into a small straw shed in a roadside field to rest. Soon, a farmer came and asked him why he came here and why he lived in a hut. Wang Kexian hastily got up to apologize and lied that he was in a foreign land and lived by divination. I missed the inn tonight and stayed here. The farmer believed it, but he was generous and promised to keep him overnight.

It turns out that the farmer is an employee of the landlord and comes to the hut to see the crops every night.

This night, the bright moon hung high and the moonlight was like water. This is a good day to enjoy the moon.

The people watching the crops stay awake, and Wang Kexian chats with them. The two chatted speculatively, and the people who looked after the crops took out the tables and drinks they had brought. After a glass of wine, Wang Kexian said, "It seems that the lives of ordinary people here are not bad, and the local officials are not bad!"

The farmer nodded and said, "Yes, the new magistrate is young, but he thinks of the people, but unfortunately he won't stay here for long."

Wang Kexian deliberately asked "why". After two glasses of wine, the farmer said, "It's about the dead Guo Jian Zi.". How can the magistrate find out the cause of death of Guo Jian's diploma? "

"There's something in here!" Wang Kexian was secretly happy. He is busy pouring another glass of wine for the man. The man had a drink and told his true feelings-

The dead Guo Jian Zi is the master of this man. Guo-zi-jian diploma was always in good health and suddenly died. Out of curiosity, the man asked a young servant about it. It turned out that Guo-zi-jian diploma's wife had an affair with her cousin who died not long ago. She killed her husband and wanted to marry her cousin. When the Guo-zi-jian diploma is killed, things will succeed at first sight. Unexpectedly, the county magistrate stopped the funeral and said that an autopsy was needed. Guo Jian-sheng diploma's wife was very anxious and encouraged her relatives to oppose the county magistrate. These relatives coveted the property of the Guo-zi-jian diploma, so they went to the county government to make trouble.

"So what about the sheriff's autopsy?" Wang Kexian asked.

"The magistrate doesn't know why, but it hasn't been tested yet." The man said, "Actually, just open the coffin and check the top of the dead body."

While pouring wine, Wang Kexian pretended to be puzzled and asked, "How did Cha Tou know?"

The man took a sip and whispered mysteriously to Wang Kexian.

"Oh, so that's it!" Wang Kexian finally understood the truth of the matter.

At dawn, Wang Kexian said goodbye to the people guarding the crops and hurried back to the yamen.

Wang Xiaozu hid in it, unable to eat or sleep well, and got up early in the morning. Now I see my father smiling and stepping into the door. I know I have heard the inside story, so I quickly say hello to him. Wang Kexian told his son about the places he had visited. Wang Xiaozu can't help applauding.

On the same day, Wang Xiaozu boarded the church and ordered the coroner and officers to go with him for an autopsy. The temple where the coffin was parked was crowded with relatives of the deceased. Wang Xiaozu ordered to open the coffin and let the coroner examine it carefully.

When I saw the abnormal face of the body, it seemed that I was in pain when I died, but when I looked carefully, I didn't find any scars.

"Check the top of your body." Wang Xiaozu said.

Leave your hair out and pull out a long bloody steel nail from the top of the body.

So, everyone present was shocked.

The relatives of the Guo-Jian diploma were angry and asked Wang Xiaozu to catch the murderer.

Wang Xiaozu waved his hand and shouted, "Is so-and-so there?" Everyone said with one voice. Indeed, that person is in the crowd, the cousin of Guo-zi-jian diploma's wife. He was pale and trembling all over.

Wang Xiao ordered the burial of the body and the wife, little servant and Guo Jianzi's cousin arrested by officials.

Back to the yamen, court trial, three confessions.

It turns out that Guo-zi-jian diploma's wife and her cousin are accomplices. One night, the Guo-zi-jian diploma was as drunk as a fiddler at a friend's house. His wife ordered the little servant to tie the Guo-zi-jian diploma with a leather rope and nail the steel nail into her husband's head.

After the truth came out, Wang Xiaozu wrote the details into a case file and presented it to his boss. The boss appreciates him very much and is going to write a memorial to the court to commend him and promote him. However, Wang Xiaozu lamented: "Being an official is too hard, and it also makes my old father hard. It's really not what a son should do. " I resigned and went back to my hometown to serve my father.