Something was off about Hua Yitang.

After a stretch of going out to banquets every single day, he had suddenly, starting from yesterday, declined every invitation and stayed home. He announced that he would be shutting himself in to study hard and focus on preparing for the Examination of Outstanding Talent to be held in two days.

Lin Sui’an’s response to this: I would have to be out of my mind to believe him!

Before dawn had even broken, he was outside the “Jade Mist” garden where Lin Sui’an lived, loudly reciting poetry at the top of his voice: “the pale cloud drifts light with lingering longing, the warrior in dark robes waits, lost in thought” — over and over, just those same two lines, until Lin Sui’an’s skull was buzzing with the sound. If it weren’t for the fact that he was providing for Qian Jing’s wine, she would have grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and pegged him on the bamboo pole to dry into a strip of salted meat long ago.

At breakfast, he absolutely had to sit directly across from Lin Sui’an, dressed in a wretched, ashen white that made his face look just as pallid and wretched, picking at his food without eating and barely touching his soup. Fan pressed to his brow, he posed in a mournful, desolate attitude and continued reciting: “the mountain pass lies in my dream with lotuses blooming, waking, both sleeves empty.” Lin Sui’an, worn down past patience, asked him what mischief he was up to now — and she might have been better off not asking, because the moment she did, that pampered layabout’s eyes turned faintly red and he gazed at her with an aggrieved expression, as though she were some thoroughly irredeemable villain, and everyone else at the table began looking at Lin Sui’an rather oddly.

After breakfast came Jin Ruo’s training hour. Lin Sui’an was acutely aware that the fighting ability she currently possessed depended primarily on the strength and reflexes of her body. Jin Ruo’s reaction speed was decent enough — what he lacked was strength. So the first phase of the training regimen she had designed was a brutal strength-building program, its form and content quite tedious. Jin Ruo complained bitterly and came close to training himself to tears more than once.

Hua Yitang — whether he had come to laugh at Jin Ruo’s suffering or for some other purpose entirely — had set up a tea table nearby, with a cushioned seat and an armrest, and arranged a few scrolls in a performance of scholarly industry. Yita attended him through the whole session, brewing tea. Amid the bitter, astringent scent of the tea, Hua Yitang’s reading voice carried a similarly bitter melancholy: “who would trade all the riches in the world for one true heart of a hero” — and paired with plaintive sighs, it built a mood of bleakness and sorrow so perfect that Jin Ruo’s desire to cry intensified considerably.

Lunch and dinner were no more peaceful. The poem for lunch was “gazing at Mount Dai in the distance, all emptiness, my heart softly turns,” and by dinner it had become “voice soft and low whispering words, tears soaking my sleeves.” Finally when evening came and it was time to sleep, the wretch was standing in the bamboo grove again, solitary shadow against the night, head raised, reciting aloud: “I read your poem and glance at my temples, and realize the frost has crept through half my hair — oh, woe, alas, and woe again——”

Lin Sui’an’s patience broke entirely. She slapped her hand on the table, flung open the door, and stormed out. “Tomorrow is the Examination of Outstanding Talent — you need to be up early to report to the examination hall. Instead of going to bed and conserving your strength, what are you wailing about out here?”

Hua Yitang turned to look at her, his eyes soft and luminous. “You’ve already said it yourself — tomorrow is the Examination of Outstanding Talent. Do you… have nothing to say to me?”

Lin Sui’an: “……”

Goodness — so all this fuss throughout the entire day was because he was nervous before the exam and wanted a few words of encouragement. He really was nothing more than a self-dramatizing brat in the middle of his teenage years.

Lin Sui’an patted Hua Yitang’s shoulder with a steady, earnest air. “Don’t be nervous. Just perform as you normally would.”

Hua Yitang blinked his wide eyes. “Mm.”

Lin Sui’an patted him again. “Stay relaxed. And if by chance this examination doesn’t work out, just based on the Hua Family’s resources, purchasing an official post isn’t beyond reach.”

Hua Yitang lowered his lashes. “Oh……”

Lin Sui’an saw the crestfallen expression on his face and immediately realized she had made an error — perhaps those words had knocked his confidence. She hurried to make amends. “Hua Yitang — I believe in you!”

Hua Yitang’s eyes lifted at once, pupils shining bright, full of expectation.

It seemed he wanted her to say a little more. Was he hoping she would deliver a rousing battle speech on the spot? That was truly asking too much. Lin Sui’an thought — she wasn’t actually a person of ancient times, so she simply couldn’t manage something like that.

She wracked her brain for a long moment, and all she could manage in the end was two words: “Good luck!”

Hua Yitang exhaled a breath so faint it was almost inaudible. His index finger and thumb rubbed at the fragrance ball at his waist, its surface polished to a smooth, oily gleam from all the rubbing. The fruit-wood scent drifted out with every press, growing ever more layered with meaning.

“I have heard that every year there are scholars who crack under the pressure inside the examination hall and try to hang themselves.”

Lin Sui’an’s heart gave a start. This was not good news — with this person’s Conan-level constitution for attracting disasters, going into an examination and stumbling across a murder case was not beyond the realm of possibility.

“You are an examinee. Even if something truly does happen, it’s not your place to intervene. You must not let yourself be distracted — keep your mind on answering the questions.”

Hua Yitang blinked, looking a little uncomfortable. He cleared his throat. “What I meant was — I have always been timid since childhood, and I will be in the examination hall for a full day and night. I… am rather frightened……”

Lin Sui’an sighed. “You should have said so sooner. I hear the Seven-Star Taoist Temple in Daode Ward has peach-wood amulets reputed to be very efficacious — but it’s far too late to go and seek one now.”

Hua Yitang’s eyes lit up. “Why look far when what is needed is close at hand? Right here, right now, there happens to be something far more useful than any amulet.” His eyes dropped pointedly to Qian Jing at Lin Sui’an’s waist.

Lin Sui’an was alarmed. “Are people even allowed to bring weapons into the imperial examinations?”

“Ahem!” said Hua Yitang. “I mean — you could use Qian Jing to carve me a small trinket and give it to me.”

Lin Sui’an scratched her head, genuinely troubled. Such fine, delicate handiwork was quite beyond her skills — but looking at the expectant gleam in Hua Yitang’s eyes, she truly did not have the heart to refuse. After a moment’s thought, she drew the blade from its sheath, swung it casually through the air. The bamboo grove rustled and swayed, dried leaves tumbling down in a soft rain. Lin Sui’an sheathed the blade and opened her palm. A short section of bamboo dropped from the air into her hand — two cun long, the width of two fingers, its green surface beaded with night dew, gleaming in the moonlight — exactly the right size to wrap one hand around.

“This will have to do for now,” Lin Sui’an said.

The words were said, but Hua Yitang went quiet for a long moment.

Lin Sui’an felt somewhat awkward. The gift really was rather too crude and rough — no wonder this pampered layabout didn’t think much of it. She was about to draw her hand back when, all at once, Hua Yitang reached out and closed his hand around her wrist. His fingers gripped tightly, trembling slightly. Slowly, he drew Lin Sui’an’s hand toward himself — then the grip eased, growing lighter and lighter, until he released her wrist entirely and took only the bamboo, holding it tightly in his fist.

He smiled. “This is very good. I’ll keep it.”

For some reason Lin Sui’an could not quite identify, the moment she saw that smile, her heart gave an unruly, startled thud.

The next day. The day of the Examination of Outstanding Talent.

On the first day of the year, as the citizens of the Eastern Capital welcomed the New Year with festive joy, the imperial examination decreed by the Son of Heaven officially commenced.

Just after the fourth watch, everyone rose early, took a hasty breakfast, and set out together to see Hua Yitang to the examination hall. The hall was situated within the Imperial City — the “Southern Court of the Ministry of Rites” on the south side of the Ministry of Rites in the Department of State Affairs, under the direct administration of the Ministry of Rites. One street over stood the Selection Court of the Ministry of Personnel. Fifteen days from now, the golden list of successful candidates would be posted on the eastern wall of the Southern Court. At that moment, one list could mean heaven, another could mean the depths of the earth — it would be an entirely different scene.

At three quarters past the fourth watch, the carriage arrived at the Imperial City. The morning drums of Yingtian Gate had barely finished echoing when the road before Yongfu Gate was packed solid with carriages and horses, lanterns scattered high and low. Starting from Xuanren Gate, examination candidates could only proceed on foot — accompanying parties were required to wait at the gate. The examination lasted a full day and night. Whether the papers were finished or not, all candidates had to leave the examination hall by dawn the following day. Because the test duration was so long, each candidate was required to bring some personal necessities.

Mu Xia had prepared a red sandalwood examination basket for Hua Yitang, similar in shape to an ordinary food carrier but longer and wider, with four internal compartments and two small drawers. It contained: candles, charcoal, fur knee warmers, hand-warming muffs, a small shoulder cape, one porcelain bowl, one silver bowl, two pairs of silver chopsticks, a tea cup, ground tea powder (ground personally by Yita — without any unusual additions), a silver water flask, and three plates of steamed buns with mutton filling, which were Hua Yitang’s favorites. The buns were only for snacking between meals, as the examination hall provided three meals a day. According to Ling Zhiyan, the food was quite decent — going hungry was not a concern.

Fangke reached in and tucked two small white porcelain bottles into the examination basket. Hua Yitang stared at him in alarm, and Fangke said without expression, “One bottle is pills for treating wind-chill. The other is pills for clearing the mind and sharpening alertness.”

Hua Yitang let out a breath of relief. “My thanks, Brother Fang.”

He wore no fragrance ball today and carried no fan. According to the examination regulations, candidates were not allowed to bring any paper-based materials, and clothing was to be as plain as possible. This was the simplest and most unadorned that Lin Sui’an had ever seen Hua Yitang dressed since she had known him — an ash-white cotton robe, black cotton cloth boots, warm and practical. The only adornment was the short section of jade-green bamboo hanging at his waist, its surface gleaming with an oily sheen, as though some special treatment had been applied.

Everyone noticed the object at his waist and grew rather curious. Hua Yitang didn’t hide it at all — he did a slow spin so everyone could see it more clearly, and said with a self-satisfied air: “Lin Sui’an made it especially with Qian Jing. It wards off evil! Pretty, isn’t it?”

Yita: “Pig-hand craftsmanship — good!”

Jin Ruo: “Can this terrible thing actually ward off evil?”

Mu Xia: “……Distinctive and original.”

Fangke: “It’s ugly.”

Lin Sui’an pressed a hand to her forehead. “Just go in already!”

Hua Yitang flashed a delighted grin, bowed to the assembled group, picked up his examination basket, and sauntered toward Yongfu Gate with a gait that declared absolute indifference to all living things. Among all the candidates present, he was the only one who walked like that.

The Jinwu Guards in golden armor conducted inspections at the gate one by one. Most likely because the candidates for the imperial examination were all of notable standing, the guards’ manner was quite genial. They had divided into six teams of three — one to verify the candidate’s identity, one to inspect the examination basket, and one to search the candidate’s person. Only after a clean check were candidates admitted.

The group watched Hua Yitang pass through the checkpoint, let out a collective breath of relief, and followed the flow of the crowd back toward the entrance. To their surprise, they found Ling Zhiyan waiting beside the carriage.

Ling Zhiyan was dressed in his official robes, pacing in front of the carriage as though he had been there for some time. He let out a breath of relief when he saw them returning. “Has Fourth Young Master gone in?”

Lin Sui’an nodded. “Why didn’t Judicial Inspector Ling go forward to see him off?”

“I’m in official dress — it didn’t seem appropriate.” Ling Zhiyan smiled. “Besides, today I came to find Lin Niangzi and Doctor Fang.”

Fangke’s eyes lit up. “More people dead? How many? Will there be a dissection?”

“No, no!” Ling Zhiyan waved his hands with an exasperated laugh. “Today is the first day of the new year — it would be terribly inauspicious for there to be another murder case. Zhang Shaoqing has specially arranged a coroner examination for Doctor Fang. If Doctor Fang passes, he will become an officially certified coroner recognized by the Court of Judicial Review, and his examination reports will no longer be subject to doubt.”

Lin Sui’an was delighted, privately thinking that the Court of Judicial Review was pulling strings for them — if Doctor Fang passed, he would be a licensed, duly credentialed official coroner going forward, and the examination records he produced would have legal standing.

“An examination?” Fangke glanced at Ling Zhiyan. “What does it involve?”

Ling Zhiyan: “Four senior coroners of the Court of Judicial Review will serve as examiners. There are four sections: written theory on bodies, written theory on wounds, written theory on poisons, and practical dissection of an actual corpse.”

“There’s an actual corpse to dissect?”

“Ahem — yes.”

Fangke nodded, climbed into the carriage, retrieved his large wooden case, and climbed back down. “Let’s go.”

This time both Ling Zhiyan and Lin Sui’an couldn’t quite hold back an exasperated laugh.

“Additionally, I have something important I’d like to discuss with Lin Niangzi,” said Ling Zhiyan. “If Lin Niangzi isn’t otherwise occupied, would you be willing to come along to the Court of Judicial Review with Brother Fang?”

Lin Sui’an thought it sounded perfectly fine — with Hua Yitang off taking his examination, she had nothing in particular to do — and agreed without hesitation.

Walking north from Yongfu Gate along the outer wall of the Imperial City for the duration of a quarter-hour brought them to Xuanren Gate, which led directly to the Court of Judicial Review. Lin Sui’an had been there several times now and knew the route well. The clerk at the gate even greeted her warmly as she arrived.

Fangke’s coroner examination was set up in a side hall, and a court attendant was already there to show him in. Ling Zhiyan then led Lin Sui’an in the opposite direction, talking as they went. He pointed out in turn: the main hall of the Court of Judicial Review, the second chamber, the third chamber, the reception hall, the administrative office, the records hall, the prison of the Court of Judicial Review — the second chamber, third chamber, reception hall, administrative office, records hall — the third chamber, reception hall, records hall——

By the third circuit, Lin Sui’an had lost all patience. “Judicial Inspector Ling, please just say what you mean. There’s no need to keep circling.”

Ling Zhiyan rubbed his nose and invited Lin Sui’an into the reception hall. The tea had been brewed long since, still steaming and fragrant. A ladle filled a cup, the surface scattered with a layer of Sichuan pepper. Lin Sui’an picked it up and sniffed — fiery and sharp. Quite stimulating.

“To be honest, when I traveled to Yangdu last time, I had already wanted to ask Lin Niangzi — would you be willing to take up a post here at the Court of Judicial Review?”

Oh! Lin Sui’an was suddenly very alert.

So the handsome Judicial Inspector Ling was offering to recruit her to the Court of Judicial Review — in modern terms, this would be comparable to an offer from the nation’s Supreme Court!

Thrilled though she was inwardly, there was still an appearance to keep up.

Lin Sui’an touched her lips to the tea, set down the cup. “Is Judicial Inspector Ling in earnest?”

Ling Zhiyan spoke with all gravity. “Lin Niangzi’s thinking is precise, her martial arts exceptional, her character upright, and her heart warm and generous. She is an extraordinary talent in investigative work. The post of Chief Constable of the Court of Judicial Review has been vacant for quite some time. I wish to recommend Lin Niangzi for the position. What does Lin Niangzi think?”

A Chief Constable — most likely a contracted, non-tenured position.

Lin Sui’an thought a moment. “What is the salary?”

Ling Zhiyan looked as though he had just choked on something. He was silent for a long moment before saying, “One guan per month.” Seeing Lin Sui’an’s face fall, he hurried to add, “Room and board are covered.”

Lin Sui’an scratched her head. “Judicial Inspector Ling, I don’t mean to be mercenary, but as you know my circumstances — quite apart from the monthly retainer the Hua Family pays me, which is as high as two thousand gold a month, there is also the maintenance cost of Qian Jing. This salary would not come close to covering it.”

Ling Zhiyan rubbed his nose again. Lin Sui’an had the impression his bridge of nose was nearly worn through at this point. “I have discussed this with Zhang Shaoqing. It would not be difficult to arrange — as long as Lin Niangzi agrees, the Court of Judicial Review can find a way to list the Full Jade required for Qian Jing as an official expense. As for the salary, this is already the highest paid at this equivalent rank within the Court of Judicial Review.”

“If I may be so bold — Judicial Inspector Ling, what is your own monthly salary?”

“……Four hundred thousand coins per year.”

Which amounted to a little over three thousand coins per month for a Judicial Inspector of the Court of Judicial Review.

Lin Sui’an ran her finger along the rim of the tea cup, undecided.

It was a good position. The pay, however, was simply too little.

Ling Zhiyan: “The salary is certainly no match for the Hua Family, but a position at the Court of Judicial Review offers far greater stability. If you distinguish yourself, promotion follows swiftly. The previous Chief Constable of the Court of Judicial Review was elevated to a military adjutant in the Jinwu Guards after a distinguished achievement — a bright path forward.”

It turned out that the handsome Judicial Inspector Ling, for all his apparent reserve, was quite skilled at painting enticing pictures.

Lin Sui’an picked up her tea cup and took a sip. The liquid hit her tongue with a sharp burning heat, making her tongue recoil. “This involves my future — please allow me a few days to think it over.”

Ling Zhiyan nodded repeatedly. “Of course, that is only right.”

Fangke’s examination proved to be far shorter than expected. In less than one hour, a court attendant came to report that all examination sections had been completed. When Fangke came to find Lin Sui’an, his face was set with impatience and he shot Ling Zhiyan a glare.

Ling Zhiyan was puzzled. He looked at the nearby court attendant. The attendant’s face had gone green. In a low voice the attendant said, “The corpse used for the dissection was an old vagrant found on the roadside. By the time he was discovered, he had already been decomposing for several days.”

Ling Zhiyan: “And then?”

“And then — all four coroners vomited.”

“Boring. Let’s go home,” said Fangke, hoisting his large wooden case and storming out the door in a temper.

Lin Sui’an took her leave of Ling Zhiyan and caught up with Fangke, noticing that his face was thoroughly out of sorts — he was clearly quite angry.

“Did Doctor Fang encounter some injustice?”

“The Court of Judicial Review’s coroners are nothing but dead weight eating free rice. That vagrant obviously starved to death, and they insisted on calling it a death from natural causes.”

“Perhaps because today is New Year’s Day — calling it a natural death sounds more auspicious?”

“Already dead — what use is ‘auspicious.'” He paused. “And that Shaoqing fellow stopped me on the way out and said if I passed, he’d like to invite me to come and work at the Court of Judicial Review as a coroner.”

“The Court of Judicial Review is a whole den of scheming people.”

“Taking advantage of Hua Yitang being away to poach people — most ungentlemanly.”

Lin Sui’an silently turned her head and looked at a winter plum tree growing against the wall of the Court of Judicial Review. Its buds had just begun to form — a branch reaching just a little way over the top of the wall, swaying delicately in the cold wind.

Lin Sui’an felt a tickle at the tip of her nose and sneezed.

Side Story

Inside the examination hall, Hua Yitang felt a sudden chill pass over him. He hurriedly fished out one of the cold remedy pills Fangke had given him and swallowed it, then gripped the bamboo tube Lin Sui’an had given him with both hands and peered furtively around, muttering, “Surely it can’t actually be that uncanny, can it?”