It was not dawn outside, and the roosters that were dawning on time were crowing.

Kou Zhun slept on the side on the bed. A simple-eyed servant quietly pushed open the door and walked in, leaned forward and called him quietly: "Master, it's time for you to go to court."

Kou Zhun turned over, as if he didn't hear it, and his eyes were not open.

The servant gently pushed his shoulder: "Master, it's time for you to go to court."

"What courtship is there? Don't go!" Kou Zhun waved his hand and said unhappyly.

The servant stood there in amazement. He was not old, only fifteen or sixteen years old, but he had a son in the Kou family who grew up in the Kou family since he was a child. Since I can remember, I have never seen his master not attending court. I was at a loss for a moment, and I didn't know whether to continue urging you or not.

Kou Zhun covered his face angrily, and a vague voice came out: "Above the Golden Palace, it has become a juggling place for demons and monsters. What else should I go to the court? Should I help or watch the reward?"

The servant stood by the bed with embarrassment, hesitated for a moment before asking: "Master, this... what if the palace asks, how do you answer?"

Kou Zhun pulled the quilt from his face and stared at the servant: "I'm sick! Can't you?"

After saying a word, he covered his face with the quilt again.

The servant looked at Kou Zhun's appearance, sighed helplessly, quietly retreated, and closed the door.

...

Time flies, and it is morning in the blink of an eye.

Kou Zhun sat alone in the garden and drank with a silence, cursing constantly: "A dignified king was actually deceived by such ghosts and monsters, superstitious about magical arts, and was teased by some tricked alchemists in their palms. It's really sad and lamentable!"

Just as he was depressed and pouring himself into drinks, the servant suddenly came to report: "Master, Duzhi Department has sent news. Lord Yang Daqi, the judge of Duzhi Department, died unexpectedly last night!"

Kou Zhun was stunned: "Yang Daqi? He died by accident, what is an accident?"

The servant: "The people from Duzhishi said that Lord Yang was found dead in the study this morning. The doors and windows were closed when he died, and it seemed to be suicide."

Kou Zhun frowned and was displeased: "It seems?"

The servant smiled bitterly: "Yes! That's what the people from Duzhishi said!"

Kou Zhun lowered the wine glass in his hand, and thought for a moment: "Yang Daqi..."

He narrowed his eyes, suddenly raised his glass again, drank it all, stood up, and said with a serious expression: "Prepare the sedan chair!"

At the door of Yang Daqi's house, there were many yamen runners from Kaifeng Mansion who were guarding the door and not allowing irrelevant people to enter and exit at will.

But the irrelevant people naturally do not include the prime minister of the dynasty. Kou Zhun was sitting in a sedan chair carried by the two of them and stopped at the gate of Yang Mansion. The yamen runners wanted to come and drive them away, but when they saw Kou Zhun stepping down from the sedan chair, everyone retreated and did not dare to stop them.

At this time, a head-in-law in his forties walked quickly and met Kou Zhun: "I have met Kou Gong."

Kou Zhun waved his hand indifferently and told him, "Lead the way."

"Yes." The headmaster dared not say much, and led him into the main hall. He saw a middle-aged woman wearing plain clothes sitting on the chair, staring blankly, and she was Yang Daqi's wife.

When Mrs. Yang saw Kou Zhun, she slightly regained her expression, took a deep breath, Yingying stood up and bowed, and she burst into tears before she could speak.

Kou Zhun sighed in his heart, hurriedly stepped forward to help Mrs. Yang up, and persuaded him in pain: "Mrs. Yang, be mourning and following the changes."

Mrs. Yang was helped up by Kou Zhun and cried, "Sir, you must be fair to my master."

Kou Zhun nodded and said seriously: "Don't worry, Mrs. Yang, the court will find out the truth about this matter. I'll go and ask about the situation. Mrs. Yang, please go back and rest. I'll notify you immediately after you have any news."

"Thank you!" Mrs. Yang thanked Kou Zhun, wiped his tears and retreated back to the back hall.

Kou Zhun looked serious and asked the constable beside him: "Where is going on? Lead the way."

"Yes!" Seeing that Kou Zhun's face was not good, the constable didn't dare to say anything, and led him to the study.

At this time, a bunch of yamen runners were coming in and out in the study. As soon as Kou Zhun walked to the door, he heard Bao Zheng's annoyed voice inside: "Who was you allowed to move the furniture? These are all important physical evidence. You can't move it easily, do you know it! Move back to your original place!"

The sound of moving furniture came from the room. Kou Zhun walked in slowly and saw Bao Zheng turning his back to him, facing the couch, kneeling on the ground to check things.

Kou Zhun walked over and patted Bao Zheng. Bao Zheng turned his head and saw that it was Kou Zhun. He was shocked and immediately stood up to salute Kou Zhun. He said with a embarrassed expression: "Grandpa Kou, the lower official... the lower official is rude."

Kou Zhun shook his head with a smile: "I'm so loud outside, I guess it's your black charcoal head, as expected."

Bao Zheng was a little embarrassed, moved his mouth and didn't say anything.

Kou Zhun looked at the study with his hands behind his back, and Bao Zheng hurriedly stepped forward to accompany him. Kou Zhun looked around for a while and asked, "Why are your Dali Temple here too?"

Bao Zheng said: "The Yang family members went to Kaifeng Prefecture to report the case. Because the matter involved the court's official appointment, Kaifeng Prefecture reported to Dali Temple."

Kou Zhun nodded and asked Bao Zheng: "What do you think of this case?"

Bao Zheng frowned, thought for a while, and then said with a serious expression: "It's very strange."

"Oh, where is the strange thing?" Kou Zhun stopped and looked at him curiously.

Bao Zheng stretched out his hand and led Kou Zhun to the direction of the bed: "Sir, please follow me."

There is a screen between Yang Daqi's couch and the desk where he reads the outside. There is an antique shelf against the wall of the outside desk. There are various utensils on it, including bottles, jars, strange stones and potted plants. But the most conspicuous one is a wooden carving Eighteen Arhats, all of whom are bigger than adult fists.

Behind the screen is Yang Daqi's study bedside, and an incense burner is placed on the small table next to it.

There are human figures drawn by white lime on the couch.

There were several books scattered under the bed.

There was a stack of books on the long table in front of the couch, and there was a spread out book, which seemed to have just been used by the owner.

Bao Zheng led Kou Zhun to the couch, and then asked Kou Zhun to see the human figure drawn by Lime: "Sir, this is the lying position of the deceased when he was discovered after the incident. From the cushion on the couch and the facial expression of the deceased, the deceased died peacefully, as if he had died in his sleep."

Kou Zhun frowned and nodded, not speaking.

Bao Zheng continued to say: "What I said is that after I checked the body, I could not find the fatal wound. The deceased looked normal on the outside, and there were no traces of poisoning in his nails and no scars on his body."

Kou Zhun listened carefully and his eyes moved to the incense burner.

Bao Zheng followed Kou Zhun's gaze, then nodded and said, "We thought that the incense might have been tampered with, so we had already sent the remaining spices in the incense burner for inspection."

Kou Zhun nodded and ordered in concisely: "Continue."

Bao Zheng raised his head, looked at the windows and doors around him, and said with a serious expression: "The doors and windows of the study were bolted from the inside, and the door was knocked open by a servant from the outside. So at the time of the incident, the deceased should have been alone in this room."

Kou Zhun looked at Bao Zheng: "Then, can't he commit suicide?"

Bao Zheng seriously: "This is of course a possibility! But the first thing the official has to do is to rule out the possibility of killing! Moreover, even if he commits suicide, he must confirm how he committed suicide."

Kou Zhun nodded in praise, pondered for a moment, and said, "It is possible to kill him or commit suicide. This Yang Daqi, he..."

At this time, a man came over and hurriedly saluted Bao Zheng and said, "Bao Jingshi, the coroner has found the cause of the death of the deceased."
Chapter completed!