A dense grove of pink bell trees surrounded Yun Jin’s study, their trunks rising just high enough to shield the windows from view. This meant that if the manor’s servants passed by outside the grove, they would be unable to see anything happening inside.
Rounding the trees and following a secluded gravel path inward, I saw a small pond flanking the study. Its surface should have been covered in water lilies, but by the time I arrived, the water had been drained, and the lilies lay in a pathetic heap by the bank. Luo Jin must have ordered his men to dig through the mud in search of a murder weapon. I shot a questioning glance at him, and he responded with a bitter smile and a shake of his head. It seemed they had found nothing—a waste of a perfectly good lily pond.
The study was simply furnished. The outer room held several bookshelves and a wide desk by the window. Behind a screen lay a modest bedroom; the bed was neatly made, suggesting he hadn't yet retired for the night when the incident occurred. A chalk outline marked the floor: the head pointed toward the wardrobe, and the feet toward the door leading to Xi Hua’s room. It was said that when Yun Jin was found, he was lying face down.
"Yun Jin’s expression was one of intense fury," Luo Jin said in a low voice, standing in the center of the room. "Note that I said fury, not terror."
I nodded. "Can we be certain the crime took place here? Did anyone hear an argument?"
Luo Jin shook his head. "Yun Jin preferred quiet. All the servants knew that."
Another door in the bedroom led to a side hall. This was where the personal maid, Xi Hua, stayed. It was essentially a passage, connecting Yun Jin’s bedroom on one side to the courtyard on the other. Exiting through this door and passing through the garden and groves led straight to the Old Lady’s prayer hall. The matriarch of the Yun family occasionally stayed there. On the morning of the discovery, Xi Hua had been found unconscious in the woods near that very hall.
Undoubtedly, she had fled from her own room...
"Was the Old Lady in the prayer hall that day?" I asked.
Luo Jin shook his head. "She had caught a cold and returned to her own courtyard to rest. Only an old nurse was at the prayer hall, but she is nearly deaf and heard nothing."
The prayer hall was indeed tranquil. An old woman with salt-and-pepper hair sat with her back to us in a corner, tending to some plants; our passing did not disturb her. Beyond the hall lay a shimmering lake. Luo Jin pointed toward a secluded courtyard shaded by greenery across the water. "That is where the two concubines of the eldest son, Yun Liao, reside." He swept his finger in a circle toward our left. "On the other side of the prayer hall is Yun Liao’s own study. Between his study and the concubines' quarters is the residence of his primary wife, Lady Cao."
Luo Jin then pointed to our right. "Over there are the quarters for the steward and the servants."
My eyes darted back and forth following his finger until I felt a bit dizzy.
Seizing a moment of silence, I quickly asked, "So, the closest places to Yun Jin’s study are the prayer hall, followed by the servants' quarters and the eldest son’s study?"
Luo Jin nodded, a faint smile touching his weary eyes.
"Where was Yun Liao that night?"
Luo Jin’s gaze followed mine toward the red eaves of the distant study. "He was with his wife, Lady Cao, in her quarters."
From our vantage point, Lady Cao’s residence was almost entirely obscured by the shade of the trees.
"Can we re-examine the people in this manor one by one?" I looked up at Luo Jin, adding hopefully, "And let me listen in?"
Luo Jin smiled. "Don't you want to see Xi Hua first?"
Though it was still summer, a bone-chilling wind rushed to meet us the moment we stepped into the Ministry of Justice’s prison. The air carried a strange, sour stench that left one feeling inexplicably wretched.
It was the midday break, and the women’s ward was quiet.
I followed a female jailer deep into the prison. Xi Hua’s cell was in the quietest corner at the end of the corridor. Turning the corner, I saw a frail figure behind the iron bars, staring blankly up at a small window high above.
This had to be Xi Hua. She was even more delicate than I had imagined. At the sound of our footsteps and the clatter of the jailer’s keys, her shoulders flinched, but she did not turn around.
"Xi Hua," I called softly.
She turned hesitantly, appearing startled when she saw me. I took the opportunity to observe her: she was slightly shorter than me and very thin, looking as though she hadn't quite reached physical maturity, though her features were gentle and lovely. She was likely the type men found appealing. Judging by her frame, there were no visible signs of pregnancy yet. Luo Jin had mentioned she was only fourteen. According to the customs of the Yan Tian Kingdom, a girl reached adulthood at sixteen; she was... still so young.
Looking at her bloodless face, I couldn't help but feel a surge of loathing for the man who had gotten her pregnant. That scoundrel was lucky to live in this era; if this were my world...
"You..." She seemed unsure of my identity. "Who are you?"
A sudden inspiration struck me. "He... sent me to see you."
Her eyes snapped to mine, and her already pale face turned ghostly. Even her fingers began to tremble. "What... what did you say?"
Seeing her reaction, I smiled. "I said, he sent me to see you."
She watched in a daze as I opened the food basket and arranged the pastries on the table one by one. I had learned from the Yun manor servants that these were her favorites.
I looked at her meaningfully, and the moment our eyes met, she looked away.
I took this approach because Luo Jin had already tried direct questioning. Furthermore, a crucial question had been bothering me: Was this child truly Yun Jin’s?
What if it wasn't?
"Eat something," I said. "If not for yourself, then for the child."
She gave a miserable laugh. "Doesn't he... want this child?"
*He doesn't want the child?* I was stunned for a second but quickly recovered with a smile. "How could he truly not want it? It is his own flesh and blood, after all. He told me to tell you to take care of yourself. When you get out, he will marry you properly."
She shot me a look of utter disdain. "Properly?"
I blinked. Was there something wrong with that word?
"Properly?" she murmured, repeating the word with a dazed smile. "To be a concubine 'properly'? How could they ever tolerate me?" She turned away, refusing to look at me again.
Her words contained implications I hadn't expected, and I couldn't quite untangle the threads of thought immediately. Just as I was about to probe further, she spoke coldly. "Go back."
I hadn't realized this girl, only two years older than me, could be so imposing when she chose to refuse someone. I was left speechless and had no choice but to retreat in defeat.
The moment I stepped into the sunlight, I took a deep, expansive breath.
Then I saw Luo Jin. He was pacing nearby, waiting for me. Seeing me emerge, he hurried over and asked cautiously, "Did you get anything out of her?"
I nodded, thought for a moment, and then shook my head. Luo Jin’s brow furrowed again.
I asked him, "Among the men Xi Hua could have come into contact with, how many have wives or concubines?"
Luo Jin pondered. "Besides the eldest son, Yun Liao, there are several managers from the shops who frequently visited the Second Master’s study. I’ll have to sort through the specific list."
I looked back at the gloomy entrance of the women’s prison and turned to look Luo Jin in the eye. "I have a feeling about this case. I think... I’m certain I can break Xi Hua’s silence."
I stayed at the Ministry of Justice that night. Luo Jin had prepared a simple bedroom for me. Because my father was worried, he had sent Nanny Fu to stay with me.
A candle flickered on the table, illuminating a thick stack of depositions. I had read through them once and was now mentally organizing the tangled mess. Though it was chaotic, I felt there was a loophole somewhere... I just couldn't quite grasp it yet.
Growing restless, I stood up and paced the room, then wiped my face with a damp towel.
Nanny Fu was asleep, her expression peaceful. Seeing her so soundly asleep calmed me down. I walked over to tuck in her mosquito net and sat back down at the desk to review the statements:
*The Old Lady:* Claimed she went to bed early due to illness. Four or five maids were with her in the room, meaning they all served as each other's alibis.
*Yun Liao and Lady Cao:* Yun Liao stayed in Lady Cao’s quarters that night; they reportedly went to sleep very early. No maids were in attendance, meaning they had no witnesses other than each other.
*Concubine Sun (Yun Liao’s concubine):* Was embroidering in her room with two maids; the three of them provided mutual alibis.
*Concubine Hu (Yun Liao’s concubine):* Was in the small kitchen learning to stew tonic soup with the cook; her two maids were also present. Mutual alibis.
*The Steward:* After his rounds, he was in the side room by the main gate with two or three watchmen. Mutual alibis. No one entered or left the manor after dark, and no unusual sounds were heard.
...
I set down the stack of papers. Xi Hua’s sorrowful eyes flashed through my mind, along with her disdainful, disbelieving retort: *"To be a concubine 'properly'? How could they ever tolerate me?"*
It was true that one should never judge by appearances; she certainly didn't look like such a fierce person. So, who was "he"? How could I make her speak willingly?
The sky outside was full of stars, but I didn't feel the slightest bit sleepy.
Perhaps because it was night, the foul air of the prison felt even heavier.
The flickering torchlight stretched the shadows of the jailer and me. Behind the bars on either side of the corridor, I could see bodies sprawled in various positions amidst messy bedding and tangled hair. In that eerie light, they hardly looked like living beings.
The thought frightened me, and I began to regret my impulsive decision.
As expected, Xi Hua was still awake. The pastries on the table remained untouched. She didn't seem surprised to see us. The jailer fixed the torch to the wall, gave me a few instructions, and stepped out.
I sat on a worn stool outside the bars. This stool was higher than the one inside the cell, and since I was taller than most girls my age, sitting there gave me a sense of being able to psychologically press down on her.
"To let you in at this hour," she suddenly spoke, "he must have spent a great deal of silver."
I smiled. "Your words weren't clear. If I go back and tell him that, he won't be satisfied."
Xi Hua sat like a wooden puppet in the same spot as before, her posture unchanged, only her eyes betraying her exhaustion. "What is there to be unclear about? What is there left to say? Hasn't he said everything he needed to say? What more does he want?"
"He said... for you to take care of yourself. If you don't eat or sleep, the child..." Before I could finish, she interrupted me, her patience snapping. "If he had said such things back then, why would the Second Master have flown into such a rage? What use is saying it now? The Second Master isn't coming back..."
My heart skipped a beat, and my voice trembled despite myself. "Did the Second Master truly have feelings for you?"
"Nonsense!" She raised her tear-streaked face, glaring at me. "The Second Master always treated me like a younger sister. How could he be like *him*?"
I dug my nails into my palms, desperately suppressing my racing thoughts as I followed her lead. "But he said... the Second Master was angry because he didn't want anyone else to take you away..."
Xi Hua stood up indignantly. "Is that what he told you? He’s lying! He’s lying again! He was always jealous of the Second Master, I’ve known that for a long time..." She seemed to fall into an uncontrollable state, muttering to herself, "Liar! Liar! He lied to me, he lied to the Second Master, and he lied to the Old Lady... the entire Yun family has been deceived by him!"
The entire Yun family had been deceived by "him"?
I felt as though I couldn't catch my breath—the shock was too sudden.
Because I hadn't slept well, Luo Jin looked at me apologetically as we set out the next morning. "If Ziyu saw you like this, he’d surely beat me with a stick. Wu Chao, after this case is over, please get some good sleep before going home."
I didn't have the energy to respond. I caught a quick nap in the carriage before we reached the Yun manor.
At the Yun manor, outside the Han Xiang Residence.
An old maidservant came out and told us, "The Old Lady hasn't rested well for days. She has a fever now and truly cannot see the Minister."
Luo Jin glanced at me, unable to hide his surprise. On the way back to the city, he had told me that since the murder, the Old Lady had sent people daily to urge him to solve the case. Now that he had come to her door, she was ignoring him. The maidservant gave us a slightly uneasy bow and retreated.
The gate to the courtyard swung shut again.
Luo Jin and I walked back along the path, feeling helpless. Behind us was the Yun manor’s steward, Shun Bo, who followed silently. As we were about to leave the garden, he suddenly spoke. "Master Luo, there used to be an iron hammer in the Second Master’s study, but when I checked yesterday, it was gone. I wonder..."
"An iron hammer?" Luo Jin and I exchanged a look, our spirits instantly lifting.
"Are you certain?" Luo Jin pressed.
Shun Bo nodded. "Xi Hua asked me for it during the New Year. She said the Second Master’s friends had sent many walnuts. I remember seeing it on the windowsill in the outer room the day before the incident."
The pond in front of the study had been drained, proving nothing was inside. Could it have been taken away, or perhaps thrown into the lake behind the prayer hall? I shook my head. Dredging a lake would be far more difficult than draining a small pond.
As I was lost in thought, Shun Bo said, "The Eldest Young Mistress is coming."
Luo Jin and I looked over. From behind a grove of trees, several women appeared. Leading them was a tall young woman. When she saw us, she froze and turned to avoid us.
Luo Jin quickly instructed Shun Bo, "Please ask the Eldest Young Mistress to come over. We have a few more questions for her."
Shun Bo hurried over and soon returned with Lady Cao. Her expression was unreadable as she bowed to us, speaking in a slow, soft voice. "On the day of the incident, officials from the yamen already recorded our statements. I wonder what else Master Luo wishes to ask?"
I spoke up before Luo Jin could. "We only wish to confirm the statements from that day with the Eldest Young Mistress. May I ask, where were you on the day the Second Master met his end?"
Lady Cao looked at me in great surprise, then turned an arrogant, indignant gaze toward Luo Jin. Luo Jin, however, maintained a serious expression, waiting for her answer as if he were all ears. Lady Cao’s expression shifted from anger to resignation. "After dinner that night, my husband and I remained in my quarters," she said reluctantly.
This was consistent with her previous statement. However, judging by her attitude, she seemed quite unwilling to be questioned by me. Looking down on me? I wanted to continue, but Luo Jin stopped me, speaking politely to Lady Cao. "Thank you for your time, Young Mistress."
As Lady Cao left, she shot me a resentful glance, as if I had rudely offended her.
I watched her walk away and couldn't help but roll my eyes at Luo Jin. "I wanted to bait her into saying more," I whispered.
Luo Jin whispered back, "I know. But this Young Mistress is very shrewd. If there really is something hidden, your direct questioning would only alert the enemy. To get information, we need to find..."
As we were whispering, Shun Bo called out politely, "Eldest Young Master."
Luo Jin and I looked at each other, both surprised. Speak of the devil. What a coincidence.
The young man walking toward us was pale and appeared to be about twenty-five or twenty-six. He was tall and thin with refined features, possessing the air of a scholar.
"Master Yun," Luo Jin greeted him politely. "Just returning?"
Yun Liao hurried forward to bow. He looked surprised to see me, seemingly unsure how to address me. He gave a hesitant nod in my direction before turning back to Luo Jin. "I was just at the shops. Master Luo, this is..."
Luo Jin gave me a subtle glance. I quickly said, "It’s like this: we wanted to see the Old Lady about some matters, but she isn't feeling well. We were just about to leave."
He nodded, looking a bit lost for words. I added, "We happened to run into the Eldest Young Mistress just now."
Yun Liao’s gaze immediately snapped back to me. He seemed to care quite a bit about his wife. I smiled and said casually, "We told the Young Mistress that we came to the manor to confirm everyone’s statements. By the way, Eldest Young Master, where were you on the day the Second Master met his end?"
Yun Liao looked me up and down with surprise, then said calmly, "I was in my wife’s room. We retired very early."
"Retired very early?" I deliberately widened my eyes and stared at him. "Are you sure you aren't mistaken, Eldest Young Master?"
Yun Liao was startled by my words, and his expression shifted. "What do you mean by that, Miss?"
I smiled. "Nothing much. It’s just that sometimes, people misremember things."
Yun Liao’s face turned from pale to flushed; he looked like he was about to lose his temper. I quickly added, "Don't misunderstand me. I’m just suggesting you think carefully—could you have misremembered? Because the Young Mistress just said you were both playing chess that night and didn't sleep until very late."
Yun Liao’s expression softened slightly. He looked hesitantly at Luo Jin, who was watching him with a serene smile, looking as gentle as a schoolteacher who had just received his wages.
"Perhaps... I did misremember," Yun Liao said, appearing uncertain.
My heart sank, but I kept a relaxed expression. "Think again. Were you playing chess?"
Yun Liao nodded, as if Luo Jin’s expression gave him some unspoken comfort. He looked at me and said seriously, "Yes... we were playing chess. I misremembered just now."
Luo Jin nodded nonchalantly. Nothing could be read from his eyes.
I couldn't help but think to myself: *What an old fox.*
***
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