Including today, Qin Jiuye had only met Prefect Fan twice in total.
Yet it seemed that every time she saw him, her mind was filled with a terrifying premonition of impending doom and relentless misfortune.
As that short, stout figure appeared at the other end of the stone steps, Qin Jiuye instinctively shrank back.
Whether it was her imagination or not, she thought she heard Lu Zican, standing beside her, let out an imperceptible cold snort before he spoke.
"Prefect Fan looks to be in high spirits today. When I went to your manor yesterday to collect the case files, the yamen official told me you were indisposed and were refusing all visitors."
It turned out she wasn't the only one who found this man difficult; Prefect Fan was apparently abrasive toward everyone.
Qin Jiuye felt inexplicably better. When she peeked up again, Prefect Fan and his entourage had already reached them.
Fan Tong walked straight past Lu Zican, seemingly having no intention of acknowledging him. He merely offered Qiu Ling a skin-deep, mirthless smile, puffing out his belly in a display of feigned concern for the people.
"The Inspector works so hard; how could I, your subordinate, dare to idle away my time? I have been leading men on a search along the river since early morning, and we have indeed made some progress."
Having said this, he turned to signal the people behind him.
"Men, bring the witness forward."
A moment later, two bailiffs dragged a ragged figure down the stone steps.
Crouched in the corner, Qin Jiuye suddenly sniffed the air.
*Strange. Why does this person smell so familiarly of alcohol?*
The next instant, a figure with disheveled hair was brought forward, swaying unsteadily. As soon as he came to a halt, he let out a boozy belch so potent it forced everyone around him back three steps.
Qiu Ling’s brow furrowed slightly. "What is the meaning of this, Prefect Fan?"
Fan Tong replied with unruffled composure, "Did the Inspector not order the bailiffs of my manor this morning to conduct a door-to-door inquiry along the riverbank to see if anyone heard or saw anything? I have made a discovery and brought the man here to fulfill my duty."
Since Qiu Ling was the one who could command Fan Tong, he must have thought of narrowing the scope of the inquiry long ago. Had he been letting her ramble on just now simply to watch the show?
Qin Jiuye’s fingers curled in frustration, but she had a more pressing embarrassment to face.
The man held by the bailiffs slowly raised his head, revealing a weathered face that was impossible to forget. Who else could it be but the charlatan from Liaowu Bridge that day?
At the memory of the absurd scene on the bridge, a small flame of irritation flickered and flared within Qin Jiuye.
If she hadn't been unlucky enough to be crossing the bridge at that exact moment, that ladle of water wouldn't have drenched her. If she hadn't been drenched, she wouldn't have thought to return to Guoran Residence that night. And if she hadn't returned to Guoran Residence, she wouldn't have encountered this "bloody disaster" in the first place...
In the end, this supposedly inevitable calamity was all thanks to this man. If she were truly a person of the martial world, she would have drawn a blade right then and there to poke a few holes in him for justice.
But she was merely a traveling doctor of the unorthodox arts, and now someone had her by the tail. She could only stand aside with a dejected expression, praying that he wouldn't add another stroke to her misfortune.
Prefect Fan had no time to observe her expression; he was busy orchestrating his own little farce.
"This man is a well-known beggar from the southern part of the city. We only know his surname is Du. Years ago, he hung around Tao’er Alley in the south; he was better at snatching food than a stray dog, so everyone calls him Old Dog Du. By day, he wanders the city's waterways telling fortunes and selling talismans and 'divine water.' By night, he hides under various bridge arches; he has no fixed residence. The night before last, after the curfew, he spent the night under Liaowu Bridge in the center of the city. He must have seen or heard something—perhaps he even saw the murderer."
Fan Tong had come today to watch the spectacle. After yesterday's commotion at the yamen, the Su family, with whom he had some prior acquaintance, had begun to treat him with cold indifference. As a Prefect, when had he ever had to endure the slights of a mere merchant? It was only because he had heard rumors from the capital that the Su family had a powerful patron behind them that he had wanted to pay his respects, one way or another.
Yet before he could even offer his devotion, the temple gates had been slammed shut. His previous attempts at fawning were not things he could speak of to outsiders, so he could only vent his frustration on the culprit behind it all.
This new Inspector, acting under the banner of General Pingnan, was constantly ordering his men around. He couldn't oppose him openly, but he could certainly trip him up in roundabout ways.
Having finished his piece, Prefect Fan stood there, waiting for Qiu Ling to take the bait.
"And did Prefect Fan manage to get anything out of him?"
"After witnessing the Inspector's brilliance in interrogation yesterday, I felt my own skills were lacking. Thus, I brought him here immediately to be handled at the Inspector's discretion."
*Of all places to hold an interrogation, he chooses the middle of the street. Of all people to interrogate, he chooses a drunkard.* If Prefect Fan didn't have some malicious intent, even a blockhead like Jin Bao wouldn't believe it.
Qin Jiuye finally understood: Prefect Fan was using the excuse of "fulfilling his duty" to humiliate Qiu Ling.
However, looking at Old Dog Du’s state, forget identifying a murderer—if one asked him what year it was, he would probably have to think for half a day. Even if Qiu Ling were to interrogate him, he would have to wait for the man to sober up.
At this thought, she felt inexplicably relieved.
The next moment, a light breeze blew along the riverbank. The charlatan gave a start and woke up. He opened his swollen, puffy eyes, looked around, and his gaze fixed squarely on Qin Jiuye’s face.
"Young lady, it’s been a long time! Tell me, did that bloody disaster I mentioned last time come true?"
As soon as these words were uttered, the eyes of everyone present instantly focused on the inconspicuous woman in the corner.
Qin Jiuye felt her scalp go numb. She wished she could bash her head against the stone steps, lie down next to Kang Renshou, and pull a white cloth over herself.
Prefect Fan, meanwhile, had clearly recognized her as the unlucky village girl who had defied him in court yesterday. The gloating expression on his face was almost impossible to hide as he turned to the muddled Old Dog Du.
"You said you saw her before?"
Old Dog Du swayed his head. "A chance encounter."
Fan Tong continued his leading questions. "When did you see her?"
"The day before yesterday."
Prefect Fan immediately adopted an "as I thought" expression. He clapped his hands, and the sabers of the two attendants behind him instantly cleared their scabbards.
"Vile woman, I have finally caught you today. What are you waiting for? Throw her into the dungeon!"
In the past, Jin Bao had mentioned something about her horoscope being cursed, but she had never taken it to heart. Now, it seemed she truly had some insurmountable karmic hurdle with this Prefect Fan.
It was truly a case of escaping the first day only to be caught on the fifteenth. Yesterday she had just crawled out of that green-water pit, and today she had fallen right back into this stinking gutter.
Seeing the two bailiffs flanking her, Qin Jiuye clenched her fists. She was already planning how to dive into the Ershuibin and swim away when she suddenly heard the young Inspector speak.
"Hold on."
Fan Tong’s eyes shifted, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction. "Now that both witness and evidence are present, what is there to hesitate about, my Lord? Surely you haven't been moved to pity by this criminal's feigned cries of innocence and her... passable looks?"
He was still wary of Qiu Ling’s status, so he phrased it with some restraint, but it was blunt enough—he was practically accusing the other of protecting the real killer out of lust.
Yet no matter how ugly the words, no trace of anger could be found on the young Inspector’s face. There was only a faint, chilling coldness.
"This man only said he saw Shopkeeper Qin the day before yesterday. He did not say when or where, nor did he say he witnessed her committing murder or destroying a body. How can this be considered testimony?"
Fan Tong was speechless. He was not good at reasoning; he was good at being difficult and fishing in troubled waters.
Meanwhile, Qin Jiuye didn't know whether to first protest the label of "vile woman" or correct the absurd claim that she had "passable looks."
Her hands shook with rage as she glared at the alcohol-soaked Old Dog Du.
"I did indeed meet him, but it wasn't the night before last—it was before the city gates closed that day! At the time, he failed to sell me his talismans and divine water, so he cursed me. I barely managed to get away. Now he is so drunk he probably wouldn't recognize his own parents; how can anything he says be trusted? How can it be used as evidence in court!"
Fan Tong suddenly rushed up to her, pointing at the top of her head and shouting with spittle flying. "If I say it's trustworthy, it's trustworthy!"
"All of you, silence!" The young Inspector’s face was as cold as frost, his voice carrying an irrepressible aura of slaughter. "What do you think this place is? A Prefect and a suspect, standing at the site of a fresh murder, shouting and accusing each other in the street, waiting for the whole city to come out and watch the joke? Do you think I dare not exercise my duty as Inspector right here on the street to thoroughly investigate and discipline the city's guards? Or do you think I am like those fence-sitting Censors, too lazy to submit a memorial to His Majesty to clearly explain the negligence of the officials and the unruly nature of the people within these walls?"
As Qiu Ling’s voice fell, the entire Ershuibin fell into a dead silence.
This was the first time Qin Jiuye had heard Qiu Ling say so many words at once.
Usually, when a person is angry, intimidating three or five people is considered authoritative. But seeing the man before her, she began to understand why General Pingnan, who had spent his life on the battlefield with countless capable generals under him, had ultimately sent a young man barely twenty years old to Jiugao to handle the case.
*Foxes use the old; tigers use the young.*
Even if it was a young tiger without a deep foundation, the monkeys in the mountains would still tremble.
The Prefect Fan, who just moments ago had been full of official airs and surrounded by followers, was now silent. The crowd behind him shrank into a huddle, and even the onlookers peeking from a street away dispersed in an instant.
The poor green-clad coroner, standing closer to Qiu Ling, felt that thunderous wrath like a giant bronze bell ringing in his ears. In his shock, he involuntarily knelt on the ground, unable to recover for a long time.
But the young Inspector, who had just cowed everyone, regained his composure in a single breath, returning to his usual lukewarm demeanor.
"Since everyone is present today, I will make things clear once and for all." He turned his gaze toward the Prefect who had just been "humiliated," seemingly determined to crush him completely today. "The Sangma Street murder and the Ershuibin case have been merged. The killer may still be in the city waiting for another chance to strike; until this case is solved, there will be no peace in the city. From this day forward, all matters of city patrol and defense, excluding the inner courtyard of the Prefect's manor, will be taken over by me and my subordinates. During this period, every matter, no matter how small, must be reported to me. Anyone who conceals, delays, or withholds information will be dealt with by military law. I have come to Jiugao to oversee this case by order of General Pingnan, with my seal and plaque displayed. If anyone is dissatisfied, they are welcome to ride to the capital overnight to file a complaint against me. If you don't have the courage, then do your jobs honestly, and I will naturally not dwell on your past mistakes."
After yesterday's events and the scene just now, the officials and bailiffs who had been following the Prefect to see which way the wind blew—including the clerk Cao Jin—all remained silent.
Where there is sunlight, there are shadows; who didn't have a few things they'd rather keep hidden? It wasn't worth provoking such a person who held a great banner, was immune to both soft and hard tactics, and was utterly unyielding.
Fan Tong himself was caught off guard. He didn't understand why the man before him had suddenly displayed such unprecedented strength, nor did he understand when the situation had begun to turn or when he had lost the initiative. He couldn't even find a word of rebuttal.
Seeing her "number one enemy" suffer a fatal blow, Qin Jiuye was secretly celebrating on the side when she felt a gaze fall upon her.
"All those connected to this case must be cautious in word and deed and keep to their places. From this day forward, you are confined to your lodgings. You are not to wander the city at will, and certainly not to leave the city without permission. Following the principle of proximity and stability, Shopkeeper Qin and this witness will stay at Tingfeng Hall together to await questioning until the killer is brought to justice. If you need to go out during this time, you must report to my Adjutant. If anyone is found to have gone out privately or intentionally concealed their whereabouts, they will be presumed guilty and subjected to rigorous interrogation."
What? It was bad enough that she had the misfortune of running into that charlatan twice, but now she had to be confined with him and forbidden from going out?
They said enemies met on narrow paths, but this wasn't a matter of the path being narrow—there was simply no path left at all.
Sweating with anxiety, she gritted her teeth and took a step forward. Before she could even voice her attempt at bargaining, she was wordlessly blocked by the bearded Adjutant.
Lu Zican did not look at her, but his words were clearly meant for her ears.
"This move is also for the sake of Shopkeeper Qin and those around her. If we let you return to your homes and something happens later, it will be impossible to clear your names. Only under the Inspector's supervision can you prove your innocence. As for that villain... if it truly is someone else, it's hard to say they won't look for a scapegoat among you to ensure dead men tell no tales. Don't you agree?"
The logic was sound, but Qin Jiuye still felt incredibly uneasy.
"But..."
Before she could reach a "but," Qiu Ling’s voice rang out coldly.
"Does Shopkeeper Qin wish to return to the Prefect's manor to catch the breeze by the pond, or perhaps sit in the dungeon for a cup of tea?"
The small woman’s shoulders immediately slumped. She shook her head with a miserable expression. "No, I don't."
"Then it is settled." The young Inspector’s tone suddenly became light, as if the last concern of the day had been resolved and everything was under control. "After all, I still remember the words you said to me at the yamen that day. Shopkeeper Qin must be true to her word."
***
**Glossary**
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
杜老狗 | Old Dog Du | The nickname of the beggar/charlatan witness.
绦儿巷 | Tao’er Alley | A location in the southern part of Jiugao City.
听风堂 | Tingfeng Hall | "Listening Wind Hall," the location where Qin Jiuye is to be confined.
掾史 | Clerk | A subordinate administrative official.
曹进 | Cao Jin | The name of the clerk/official mentioned.
疑罪从有 | Presumption of guilt | A legal stance where a suspect is treated as guilty if there is doubt (opposite of "innocent until proven guilty").
