Chapter Fifty-Two: Slashed Open!

The Classic of Filial Piety says: "Body, hair, and skin are given by one's parents; one must not dare to harm them. This is the beginning of filial piety." In the eyes of the ancients, even the slightest damage to hair or skin was forbidden, let alone the act of cutting open the abdomen and extracting the liver. Such a deed was not only a profound insult to the deceased but would also condemn the spirit to eternal wandering between the realms, unable to reincarnate—forever a lonely ghost.

"My husband has already died a miserable death; his body must not be desecrated further. If his corpse is incomplete, he will descend into hell. I would rather die than consent to this. I beg the magistrate to uphold justice!"

"Surnamed Li, you have already killed our leader, and now you wish to insult his corpse. How cruel you are!"

"Please, noble magistrate, punish the murderer severely and grant us justice!"

The widow Sun and the gang of ruffians raised a clamor in the courthouse, wailing and adamantly refusing to allow the body to be cut open.

This put County Magistrate Cao in a difficult position. Destroying the corpse was indeed taboo, and the plaintiffs were resolutely opposed. He could not force the order. However, the defendant was not an ordinary person, but a scion of the imperial clan of the Tang dynasty. If the case were not thoroughly investigated and the young man's innocence unjustly tarnished, Cao would bear enormous responsibility. He was caught between two sides—what was he to do?

No fear—Li Zhao had a solution! And what was it? Four simple words: Money can move the gods!

"Madam Sun, your husband's death is suspicious. To uncover the truth, we must cut open the abdomen and examine the liver. Here is my proposal: If you consent, no matter the outcome, I am willing to provide two thousand strings of cash for your husband's burial expenses. I will also invite esteemed monks from Caotang Temple to conduct rites for his soul, so he may swiftly ascend to paradise. What do you say?"

"You will truly give two thousand strings of cash?"

"Indeed!"

"Very well, I agree!"

As the proverb goes: "Fish seek fish; shrimp seek shrimp; turtles and tortoises belong together." Li Dayong was a scoundrel, and his wife was no better—greedy, lazy, and eager for wealth. Hearing Li Zhao's offer, her tears ceased immediately.

With two thousand strings, she could build a grand house, feast daily, dress in silk, and perhaps attract a young, handsome husband for nightly pleasures. The thought alone made her drool with delight!

As for her deceased husband—Li Dayong—she could burn extra paper money for him each Qingming Festival. The other ruffians were likewise tempted; if Sun could feast, surely they could taste some of the broth. Thus, opposition faded, save for one man with a blue birthmark on his face, who seemed inclined to protest, but seeing everyone else agree, dared not speak.

With the plaintiffs no longer objecting, Magistrate Cao immediately ordered the body to be opened and the liver examined for poison.

Sharp knives, iron hooks, wooden basins, warm water, incense, offerings, a bowl of roasted millet, and a few chicks—all the necessary items were prepared with precision, and the examination began.

The old coroner first arranged the offerings and lit three sticks of pure incense, respectfully bowing three times before Li Dayong's corpse, chanting prayers to appease the spirit, explaining he was merely following orders.

He then took up the sharp knife and made a half-foot-long incision in the belly, using an iron hook to pull out the bloody liver, cut off a piece the size of an egg, and dropped it into a basin of warm water.

After a brief soak, he ladled some of the bloodied water and mixed it with millet, placing it on the courthouse floor. The chicks immediately began to peck at it.

Hundreds of eyes in the courthouse were fixed on the chicks, waiting to see their reaction.

---

A stick of incense burned—no reaction from the chicks.

Two sticks—still no reaction.

Nearly half an hour passed, and the chicks remained lively, running about the hall.

This spelled doom.

If the chicks did not die, it meant the blood-soaked water from the liver contained no poison, and Li Dayong had not died from poisoning, but from Li Zhao's iron palm!

There was no turning back.

"Bang! The liver has been extracted, the blood tested. Li Zhao, what do you have to say? Though you are of the imperial clan, you cannot escape the severe punishment of the Tang laws. I now order you to be detained—chirp, chirp—chirp, chirp—thud!"

The magistrate struck the gavel, beginning to pronounce judgment upon Li Zhao, intending first to imprison him and then transfer him to Chang'an—Ancestral Court, where the Chief of Protocol would mete out justice.

The law is impartial: Even princes must pay for murder with their lives!

But midway through the verdict, the chicks suddenly emitted cries of agony, hopped a few times, and dropped dead.

The chicks had died.

The blood contained deadly poison. Li Dayong had indeed died by poisoning, and Li Zhao was innocent.

"Our young master is not guilty—he is innocent!"

"That's right, release him! Do not wrong a good man!"

"Bang, bang—silence—silence!"

With such a result, the courthouse erupted. Cai Bo, Qing Yi, White Bread, and the villagers from Hidden Dragon Hill all cried out for justice for Li Zhao. Magistrate Cao repeatedly struck the gavel to quell the uproar.

The case had taken a dramatic turn and required a thorough reinvestigation.

Magistrate Cao immediately dispatched a trusted team of constables, accompanied by several old physicians, to search Li Dayong's home for clues—how had he been poisoned?

An hour later, they returned, bringing a black ceramic pot used for decocting medicine, which contained some leftover dregs. Upon examination, the physicians identified toxic ingredients.

In other words, someone had secretly added poison to the herbal medicine Li Dayong drank, causing his death. But who was the culprit?

Interrogation revealed that after Li Dayong returned home injured, he had not gone out, nor had any strangers visited; only Sun and the group of ruffians were present. The medicine was prepared by them. Thus, the poisoner was likely among them!

"Honorable magistrate, I would never harm my own husband. I am wronged—boo hoo!"

"We are innocent! We did not poison anyone!"

"Silence—silence!"

Magistrate Cao struck the gavel and began to interrogate Sun and the ruffians, seeking the murderer.

But they all cried out their innocence, none willing to confess.

The case was complex, suspects many, and evidence scant. After more than an hour of questioning, no progress had been made, and exhaustion weighed on everyone in the hall.

---

"Your honor, there are too many doubts in this case to resolve quickly. The day grows late; perhaps it would be best to detain Sun and the other suspects overnight and continue the inquiry tomorrow. As for Li Zhao, although he is not the murderer, the case began with him, and further questions remain. He should not yet be released, but rather placed under comfortable house arrest in the jail, well-fed and cared for, until the truth is fully revealed."

"That seems reasonable."

A minor official suggested adjournment, and Magistrate Cao hesitated for a moment before reluctantly nodding.

On the other side, Li Zhao was displeased. What nonsense—return him to jail? That place was fraught with peril. Last night, only because the mastermind underestimated him and he possessed some skill did he escape unharmed. If he were imprisoned again, the enemy would surely attempt his life, and he might not survive.

What to do? If he wished to avoid jail, there was only one way: find the murderer and close the case immediately.

"Your honor, please wait. I have a method that will reveal the true culprit within half an hour."

"Oh? Can this be true?"

"Of course!"

Li Zhao stood, surveying the crowd in the hall, his youthful face bearing a mysterious smile.

"Three years ago, while I was out on an excursion, I happened to save the life of an old monk. In gratitude, the monk gifted me a bronze bell.

He said: This bell is extraordinary, forged from primordial golden essence, immortal green gold, phoenix blood red gold, dragon-marked black gold, and more than ten rare celestial materials. It was smelted in the furnace of pure yang for eighty-one days, making it a treasure of the Buddhist sect.

Kept at home, it wards off evil, brings peace, prosperity, and abundance of wives and concubines. Even more wondrous, it can communicate with spirits—bridge the realms of man and ghost!

If someone has died unjustly, within seven days, a strand of their hair placed inside the bell and the bell set in a dark chamber will summon the departed's soul. If touched by the innocent, the bell remains silent; but if touched by the murderer, it will emit a mournful cry, clearly audible!"

---

"Oh, who would have thought such a divine object exists? But where is the bronze bell now?"

"It is at my home. If brought here, we can find the murderer within half an hour."

In the Sui and Tang dynasties, Buddhism flourished, and tales of spirits found fertile ground.

Li Zhao spoke with eloquence and conviction, and those present were nearly convinced.

"White Bread, ride swiftly back to Hidden Dragon Hill and fetch the bronze bell."

"Master?"

White Bread was stunned; he had always been inseparable from his young master, yet had never heard of a rescued monk or seen any bronze bell.

"What are you staring at? Hurry up!" Li Zhao approached, whispered a few words in White Bread's ear, and the latter, suddenly enlightened, mounted his horse and galloped off.