Wei Shilai walked over to Liu Sanniang. "What do you need to prepare?"
Wei Shilai had never believed in psychics or witches, but his colleagues were officials. Many of them had Taoists whom they were on good terms with. When they encountered something they could not solve, they would seek help from those Taoists.
Wei Shilai didn't believe in it personally.
However, he saw a righteous look on Liu Sanniang's face. For some reason, Wei Shilai did not want to reject her.
Liu Sanniang smiled. "Please extend your hand."
Wei Shilai frowned. Telepathy was a very difficult task. Didn't she have to prepare anything?
Suspicious, Wei Shilai offered his hand.
Officer Zhou was more nervous. Just as Wei Shilai had said, Liu Sanniang could find out about his little secrets by just asking around, but to find out secrets about the magistrate, it was hard.
If Liu Sanniang really had the ability, there might be hope for him to find his daughter.
Lin Zheng didn't think much of it. He had been with Wei Shilai for so many years, and all the cases that His Lordship had solved had been done painstakingly. If His Lordship didn't believe in witchcraft, he naturally didn't either.
Lin Zheng thought that Liu Sanniang was just playing a trick to achieve her goal.
Liu Sanniang reached out and gently touched Wei Shilai's finger. She was completely focused. She didn't know how far this ability could go, but she used all her energy to see through his mind.
She even closed her eyes. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she said, "I see a house. It is very, very old."
When Liu Sanniang first spoke, Wei Shilai was surprised. But when Liu Sanniang said the following words, Wei Shilai revealed a shocked expression.
Liu Sanniang was still talking. "I see an old woman. She is very old. She can't stand up straight. She is sewing clothes. Her son is going on a long trip…"
Liu Sanniang's face was a little pale. She was mentally exhausted and a little overwhelmed, but she tried to see more, to see more clearly.
Wei Shilai had already retracted his hand. Tears filled his eyes and his voice was a little choked. "There's no need to say anything else. I believe you."
What Liu Sanniang saw was his mother, who had passed away many years ago. No one in Yong County knew about his humble background.
He had never even told his wife about this. The fact that Liu Sanniang could tell him this was enough to prove herself and convince Wei Shilai.
Wei Shilai was not a rigid person. There were always things in this world that he did not know about. He wouldn't reject the fact that it existed just because he didn't know.
Lin Zheng was shocked. "Sir…"
In Lin Zheng's opinion, Liu Sanniang had only said a few strange words. Why did his lordship suddenly believe her?
On the other hand, Officer Zhou was extremely excited. His eyes were filled with hope as he looked at Liu Sanniang. When he caught the arsonist of the mortuary, he would ask Liu Sanniang for help. No matter how much money it cost, he was willing to sell everything.
Wei Shilai raised his head and tried to force the tears back. He turned his back. "Miss Liu is not a swindler. I was very poor when I was young. I remember my mother very clearly. She passed away many years ago. Even my wife doesn't know about this."
Lin Zheng was surprised. He knew that Magistrate Wei wouldn't lie, but he still found it difficult to believe it.
If solving a case was so easy, what was the point of having officers?
Wei Shilai quickly calmed down and said to Liu Sanniang, "Miss Liu, how do you plan to help us find the arsonist?"
Liu Sanniang heaved a sigh of relief. "I know who the arsonist is. As long as you bring the people here and let me touch the person, I will definitely be able to find evidence."
Wei Shilai asked her quickly. "Who's the arsonist?"
Liu Sanniang replied firmly., "It was Liu Cheng who did this. In order to burn his wife's corpse, he burned down the entire mortuary."
Wei Shilai frowned.
Lin Zheng retorted. "That's impossible. You're saying that Liu Cheng burned down the entire mortuary in order to frame your family. What can he get from doing that?"
Burning down a whole mortuary just for money? If he was really the arsonist, the families of so many innocent people would drown Liu Cheng with their saliva.
Wei Shilai was also shocked, even though he had witnessed many atrocities.
Sometimes, it didn't need a reason for one to commit a crime. Many major cases often started from just a small matter.
Liu Sanniang said, "I won't know why until I see him."
Lin Zheng asked her sarcastically. "If you don't know, how did you know that he was the arsonist?"
"Are you telling us that you are just drawing an assumption without hard evidence? Ridiculous!"
Liu Sanniang pursed her lips. "It's Liu Shun, Liu Cheng's cousin. I met him at the entrance of the government office. He grabbed my wrist. I saw him instigating Liu Cheng to set the fire."
Lin Zheng felt that it was even more ridiculous. "Sir, this woman's words are without rhyme or reason. She can't be trusted at all."
When investigating a case, one had to be down-to-earth. Psychic? What a joke.
If psychic powers could help capture the real arsonist, then they, the constables, and the officers could cease to exist.
Liu Sanniang was a little anxious. "Sir, everything I said is true. I can communicate with spirits, but I'm not a god. I don't know everything. But as long as you let me touch Liu Cheng, I can definitely find evidence."
When the evidence was found, Liu Cheng would have to confess!
Officer Zhou was also anxious. "Sir, just believe Miss Liu. She's really not a liar."
Lin Zheng said sarcastically, "Do you think with just a few words from you, Magistrate Wei will be so muddle-headed as to arrest someone without any evidence? Ridiculous."
Liu Cheng and his family had the advantage, so how could the magistrate arrest them? At this point, a lot of people were keeping an eye on this case. If the magistrate didn't arrest the arsonist, they would definitely report to the emperor to ask for a better magistrate.
But in the next second.
Wei Shilai ordered him. "Lin Zheng, bring Liu Cheng and his family here. Tell them that I want to apologize to them."
Lin Zheng was stunned. "Sir?"
He had just said that it was impossible for Magistrate Wei to do so, but in the next second, he was slapped in the face. Lin Zheng found it unbelievable.
Wei Shilai emphasized. "Do my words carry no authority now?"
Lin Zheng looked at Liu Sanniang and lowered his head. "I'll go immediately."
Lin Zheng was furious, but he was only angry that Liu Sanniang had deceived Wei Shilai.
Officer Zhou held back his laughter.
Liu Sanniang felt very tired, but in order to save her mother, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and persevere.
Wei Shilai came up to Liu Sanniang. "Miss Liu, sit down and rest for a bit. Have a cup of tea to calm yourself down."
Liu Sanniang nodded. "Thank you, sir."
Wei Shilai was a good official. Liu Sanniang felt that he had a righteous aura which was especially comfortable.
She hadn't seen much when she tried to read Wei Shilai. She'd focused on the deepest memories, but that one memory had been sweetest for Wei Shilai.
He didn't feel embarrassed because of his poor and humble background.
An honest official like Wei Shilai deserved to be respected and admired by the people.
Truly, he was a good official.
While waiting for the constable to bring Liu Cheng and his family back, an officer rushed in and reported to Wei Shilai in a low voice. "Sir, a woman has come in, claiming that she knows who the arsonist is."
As soon as he heard that, Wei Shilai quickly said, "Bring her in."
Wei Shilai said to Liu Sanniang calmly, "Miss Liu, rest here first. When Liu Cheng comes, you can see what he has in mind telepathically."
Liu Sanniang nodded.
The woman who came must have something to offer about the mortuary case.
Wei Shilai exited the back room into the front hall.
Madam Li felt a little uneasy. "Greetings, Your Lordship."
Madam Li bowed and asked with a smile. "Sir, will there be a reward for providing clues about the arsonist?"
Wei Shilai took a look at Madam Li. He nodded and said, "There will be a reward. As long as the clues you provide are useful, there will be two taels given as a reward."
Madam Li frowned. "Only two taels? Is such a vicious arsonist only worth two taels?"
Wasn't two taels too little? Some people got rewarded with 180 taels for providing clues related to some vicious criminals.
Wei Shilai smiled. "You haven't provided a clue yet, Ma'am. One clue isn't enough for us to catch the arsonist. If you can provide a few more, the reward will double."
Although Madam Li was seeking money, as long as the clues she provided were useful, it would help him a lot.
Madam Li smiled. "Sir, I suspect that my stepson is the arsonist."
Wei Shilai asked her calmly. "What's suspicious about him? Why did you make such a deduction?"
Madam Li lowered her voice and said, "My stepson is a blacksmith. His name is Chu Yan. He's very tall and strong. He has a strange temper and often comes home at midnight. I don't know where he went. Moreover, when he returned home today, he packed some stuff and left, so I made a bold guess…"
Wei Shilai frowned. Madam Li's guess was not unreasonable. A young and lonely man with a strange temper who did not go home in the middle of the night was the easiest to do something immoral.
"I asked him what he was going to do. Lord, you don't know. His gaze is like that of a ferocious beast. It almost scared me to death. It was as if he's going to kill someone in the next second."
"Also, Chu Yan was very strange when he was young. As his stepmother, I wanted to discipline him, but he actually attempted to strangle me…"
The more Madam Li spoke, the more certain she became. "Sir, I'm sure that Chu Yan is the murderer. He's very bad. Some people are born bad!"
Yu Simai frowned. Madam Li was exaggerating, but Chu Yan was indeed very suspicious.
Wei Shilai called a few officers over. "Go and check if Chu Yan is still in town. If not, find out where he is going."
Madam Li smiled obsequiously. "Sir, where should I go to collect my taels?"
Wei Shilai said calmly, "Ma'am, don't be anxious. When the arsonist is caught and your clues are confirmed to be useful, you can come to the government office to collect your money."
Madam Li frowned when she heard that. It was so much trouble.
However, she had already provided the clues. She wouldn't come all the way here for nothing, right? She thought for a moment and said, "Sir, you mustn't tell anyone that it is me who provided the clues. Otherwise, Chu Yan will kill me."
Wei Shilai said solemnly, "Don't worry, I and the officers will keep it a secret. We will definitely not let the secret out."
Madam Li thought about it and nodded. As a magistrate, Wei Shilai was the most upright and trustworthy.
After Madam Li left, Wei Shilai returned to the back hall.
He looked at Liu Sanniang's food box. "Miss Liu, you're here to deliver food to your family, right?"
She nodded. "Yes."
She wasn't a capable woman, and wasn't acquainted with anyone of high status. Although she'd lived to the age of seventy-five in her previous life, she hadn't experienced much. What she was experiencing now was the grimmest.
If she had not lived to 75 years old, she would probably be scared enough to only cry and do nothing at this moment.
Wei Shilai was a little impressed. Such a sensible and kind girl. It could be seen how well her parents had raised her.
Wei Shilai smiled. "Do your parents know that you have the psychic ability?"
Liu Sanniang shook her head. "Father and Mother don't know, and I don't want them to know. If it wasn't for the fact that my family is in trouble, I wouldn't let anyone know."
She did not have any big ambitions and just wanted to live a peaceful life. If she could marry a good husband to make up for her regrets in her previous life and have a child, she would be satisfied.
Yu Shilai nodded. Liu Sanniang looked like a kind-hearted girl from a small village and deserved to have a good life.
"When Liu Cheng is here, you only need to sit here. I will put up a curtain between you and them so that your identity won't be exposed."
Wei Shilai really felt that Liu Sanniang was good. She was gentle, sensible, and intelligent. Such a good girl should be protected.
Therefore, it was very important to hide her identity.
Liu Sanniang was delighted. "Thank you, sir."
She was also worried about her identity being exposed. It was good that Magistrate Wei showed some consideration for her.
Yu Shilai smiled. "Miss Liu, you're welcome. My wife often tells me that she wants a daughter. Now I know why she wants a daughter."
Liu Sanniang was a little shy upon hearing that.
Wei Shilai smiled and instructed the servants to take care of Liu Sanniang before getting up to leave.
The assistant who went to investigate Liu Sanniang soon returned. What Liu Sanniang said was true, but how she had gained that kind of power was unknown.
At the same time, Lin Zheng also brought Liu Cheng and his family to the government office.
Liu Cheng's family was dressed very well. They had even washed up and were smiling. It was the first time that Liu Cheng's mother entered the government office, so she was awestruck, "Son, look at this government office. It's so grand."
Liu Cheng's mother felt that she would be able to show off to her relatives the fact that she was invited to the government office by his lordship.
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