It was a woman in her forties.

Several inner palace attendants were already terrified, standing frozen in place, trembling uncontrollably, barely able to move.

The swordsman was also shocked – not expecting the mantis stalking the cicada while the oriole waited behind. The black-clothed figure had accomplices! The hands twisted around the black-clothed figure also froze momentarily.

“Wanted that palace maid to secretly identify people? Too bad she’s still dead!” The black-clothed figure laughed coldly, looking challengingly at the swordsman. However, the swordsman’s initially shocked eyes slowly also showed amusement. The black-clothed figure was puzzled by this, and in their momentary confusion, saw the woman on the ground suddenly sit up, covering her chest. Her eyes were full of hatred, as if wanting to tear apart everyone in the courtyard. She pointed at the person in the courtyard and used all her strength to shout hoarsely: “It’s you! You’re the one who killed people back then! You even sent assassins to kill now – this is definitive evidence. Masters of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, quickly!”

Just then, the courtyard’s doors were violently kicked open. A blue-robed man holding a crossbow led several young men rushing out, saying gravely: “Others step back. By imperial decree, the killer’s identity is special – once confirmed, kill on the spot to avoid complications.”

He whistled low, and the men formed a line, raising their crossbows aimed at the bone-holder in the courtyard…

The black-clothed figure previously restrained by the swordsman took advantage of the swordsman’s distraction, landing an elbow strike that knocked the swordsman back several steps. Simultaneously with the black-clothed figure on the opposite eaves, they leaped before the bone-holder, saying quietly: “Master, leave quickly – leave this to us!”

“Not good!” The bone-holder suddenly cried out, face changing dramatically.

The swordsman knocked back from the eaves suddenly produced something from their chest and threw it skyward.

With a “whoosh,” all inner palace attendants had collapsed to the side as a firework rapidly rose into the clear daylight sky.

…

From the two groups of black-clothed figures shooting the woman behind the pillar, the woman falling and rising again, to the courtyard ambush rushing out with crossbows aimed at those in the courtyard – these scenes played out in different courtyards, some earlier, some later.

The only courtyard where the plot had a turning point was this one.

Only in this courtyard did the black-clothed figures reach the bone-holder’s side for protection. The others didn’t.

Shortly after the firework rose, urgent footsteps outside the courtyard broke the deathly silence within.

Several people appeared before the bone-holder. The young person at the front wore dark red official robes with a black gauze cap – none other than Suzhen, who hadn’t appeared until now. Following closely behind were Xiao Zhou, Zhui Ming, and Wu Qing.

Meeting face-to-face with the bone-holder in an instant, everyone’s face showed indescribable shock, or perhaps… subtlety.

“How could it be like this…” Xiao Zhou was first to cry out, then after a long while murmured: “Within reason, beyond expectation.”

The swordsman who had pretended to be knocked back by the black-clothed figure on the eaves leaped down – powerful fists, vigorous – it was Tie Shou, the last missing person from the Criminal Investigation Bureau.

Wu Qing nodded to the blue-robed young man: “Thank you for your hard work. Please rest first.”

The blue-robed man smiled and nodded, quickly leading his people to step aside.

The two black-clothed figures loyally protected their master, still staring intently at everyone. The bone-holder was much more relaxed than them, even with a slight smile at the corners of his mouth, but his sharp eyes clearly showed fierce, intimidating coldness.

“This play was performed so well, Magistrate Li.” Finally, this person’s gaze slowly fell on Suzhen.

Suzhen showed no smugness, instead frowning tightly. After a long while, she replied quietly: “That required your cooperation too, General Murong.”

The person observing the bone steaming in this courtyard was none other than Empress Dowager Xiao’an’s brother, the current emperor’s uncle, Protector General Murong Jinghou.

“Did His Majesty join hands with you to force this old man out?” he asked.

“Haha, His Majesty… the child I taught for ten years! Good, truly good. He already knew yet could still speak and laugh pleasantly with me and the Empress Dowager, completely respectful.” He then laughed loudly, the fierce look in his eyes undiminished but with added desolation.

“Tell me, how long has he known?” He stepped forward, pressing Suzhen for answers.

Seeing his murderous look, Wu Qing and the others were greatly alarmed, immediately drawing their swords and positioning themselves in front of Suzhen. Could someone who trained the battlefield king and supreme military commander Huo Chang’an be underestimated in martial prowess?

The blue-robed man also quickly leaped out, ordering his subordinates to surround Murong Jinghou and the two black-clothed figures in a circle, raising their crossbows again. If this Protector General made any violent move, they’d immediately shoot his two subordinates first, somewhat reducing the difficulty of dealing with him.

But Suzhen paid no attention, ordering: “All of you stand down! With your meager skills, how dare you show off before General Murong!”

Everyone looked tense and didn’t dare retreat. Suzhen simultaneously drew with both hands, pushing aside swords and blades, walking step by step before Murong Jinghou.

She smiled: “Would the General hold this official hostage?”

Murong Jinghou looked at her, the fierce killing intent in his eyes actually retreating somewhat, his lips even curving into a smile again: “Would this old man make things difficult for a young woman?”

“Li Huaisu, this old man never understood why His Majesty chose you as Great Zhou’s magistrate. Today I finally somewhat understand. But you and His Majesty really shouldn’t have used that Song Tingyun to scheme against me. Do you know what today’s results mean?”

“General,” Suzhen shook her head, “His Majesty and I did join forces – without his support, I couldn’t accomplish many things. But in this matter, from beginning to end, there was fundamentally… no Song Tingyun.”

Murong Jinghou’s eyes widened suddenly, his expression full of astonishment: “This isn’t Song Tingyun? Could she actually be Song Jingxue?”

“You, you were calling a deer a horse that day, forcibly claiming Song Jingxue was Song Tingyun to draw everyone into the trap? You and Song Jingxue had already conspired, having her publicly pretend to admit being Song Tingyun?”

“Song Jingxue? No, have you ever seen such a fierce village woman?” Suzhen extended her hand, slowly pointing to the injured woman on the ground.

“She’s not Song Jingxue either?” Murong Jinghou’s eyes narrowed as he blurted out.

The woman covered her chest wound as the blue-robed man helped her up. She gritted her teeth and straightened, bowing to Suzhen and Murong Jinghou. Her face no longer showed hatred but a smile of relief: “Reporting to the General, like these brothers, this subordinate is a Six Doors constable.”

“A Six Doors female constable?” Murong Jinghou’s brow contracted sharply. Soon he laughed aloud again, his gaze turning cold as the nameless female constable’s voice reached his ears.

“Magistrate Li said the sound of a blade entering flesh cannot be faked no matter what. This wound had to be endured. An ordinary person would have died long ago, but with our martial arts training, we could secretly shift when the sword struck, making it miss slightly and barely preserving our lives.”

Murong Jinghou didn’t look at her, only stared at Suzhen, falling into silence and contemplation. Slowly, his eyes gained some clarity as he spoke mockingly: “If this old man hasn’t guessed wrong, every courtyard here probably has such a female constable pretending to be Song Tingyun?”

Suzhen didn’t deny it, quietly nodding.

“Yes, there was no Song Tingyun, only Song Jingxue. The one who didn’t die was always only Song Jingxue,” she answered.

“Haha, does heaven also want to destroy the Murong clan? Making these Song sisters resemble twins, letting you gain inspiration from Gu Shuangcheng and Gu Xiluo’s affair to set this trap?! Your Criminal Investigation Bureau people’s cunning isn’t shallower than those in the palace. Acting completely ignorant, your performance was quite good – no one could see the flaws.”

Murong Jinghou laughed without stopping.

“No, General,” Suzhen still shook her head. “Where are there so many coincidences in the world? Though Song Jingxue is Song Tingyun’s sister, they weren’t twins and don’t resemble each other like Consort Gu and Gu Shuangcheng, who though not blood-related, still share six or seven parts resemblance. The real Song Jingxue never entered the palace at all.”

“I had His Majesty urgently find twin sisters in the capital of similar age to the Song sisters. Such twins weren’t easy to find because one had to be newly dead. Only the emperor’s vast authority and manpower could find people matching these special circumstances in such short time. We had to desecrate the deceased, using knives to cut away half her skull to match Song Tingyun’s death appearance, while the dead woman’s sister pretended to be Song Jingxue.”

“This fake Song Jingxue then cooperated with me in being identified as the deceased Song Tingyun.”

“Whether the Song sisters looked similar – the killer had so many people to murder, using subordinate assassins, and wouldn’t pay attention. The assassins were the same – entering houses to kill anyone they saw. Would they care about the sisters’ specific appearances? But the killer was truly powerful. Though the morgue had imperial guard protection, could everything inside be airtight? No, guards and even coroners could be bribed, but did they know what the Song sisters looked like? They had no idea. This perfectly conveyed news of my privately ‘discovering’ Song Tingyun was alive to interested parties.”

At this point, not only was Murong Jinghou stunned, but everyone from the Criminal Investigation Bureau was also shocked for a long while. Zhui Ming said angrily: “Old man, speaking of cunning, how can we compare to you people? We didn’t even know that Miss Song was fake.”

“My goodness, Huaisu, you even kept us in the dark about the sisters’ affair!”