Wu Shu’s mournful cries echoed through the prison corridor as Qin Wan slowly turned around. Beside her, Yue Ning and Huo Huaixin had already turned in disbelief, while Xu He was so shocked he nearly dropped the case files in his hands. Except for Qin Wan, the other three almost doubted their ears. The one involved with Song Rou wasn’t Wei Qi. Wei Qi had willingly taken on this stigma.
Yue Ning was the first to step forward impatiently. “What did you say? Your master and Miss Song didn’t have an improper relationship? Then why did the Duke’s household break his leg?”
Wu Shu wept bitterly for a few moments, wiped his tears, and stood up.
“That day, Miss Song came to find my young master, saying she needed his help. Although my young master was angry with the Duke’s household, he was very kind to Miss Song. My young master wanted to help, and Miss Song told him she had feelings for someone else, but when her aunt discovered it, she panicked and gave my young master’s name…”
“When my young master heard this, he found it absurd, but Miss Song kept crying and begging. My young master had no choice but to agree. Later, when my young master asked Miss Song who that person was, she only cried and wouldn’t say. A few days later, people from the Duke’s household came and beat him without explanation. My young master, being proud and already disliking the Duke’s household, and having promised Miss Song, didn’t explain the matter. He intended to confront Miss Song, but her wedding date was approaching, and he heard she had fallen seriously ill. Moreover, my young master needed to recover from his injuries, so there was no opportunity to get a clear explanation from Miss Song. Watching Miss Song marry and leave the capital, my young master wanted answers and was also worried that the person Miss Song was protecting might be a villain, so he followed…”
Wu Shu’s voice was hoarse, but he spoke with utmost sincerity, tears flowing as he explained all of Wei Qi’s grievances and injustice. Taking a deep breath, Wu Shu suddenly knelt and pointed to the sky, saying, “Every word I speak is true. If I speak even one false word, may heaven strike me down with five thunderbolts.”
Looking at Huo Huaixin with mournful eyes, he continued, “My young master had already suffered great injustice, but we never expected the greatest injustice would be here in Jin Zhou – murder… My young master would never kill anyone, let alone kill Miss Song. My young master has such strong principles that he wouldn’t even accept the patrol position the Duke’s household arranged for him, yet he was willing to damage his reputation and lose a leg for Miss Song’s sake. How could he now follow her here to kill her?”
Wu Shu, a grown man, had cried until his eyes were as red as a rabbit’s. If it were anyone else, it might have seemed laughable, but his words were firm and filled with deep resentment. Even Yue Ning felt her heart tremble as she listened.
“Your young master… if what you say is true, then he indeed showed great consideration for Miss Song. But we still don’t know if what you’re saying is true or false. Who can prove your young master wasn’t Miss Song’s love interest?”
Wu Shu was stunned, momentarily at a loss for words. “This… how can I prove it? You can ask around – Miss Song used to visit the Wei household often when she was young, but later she came very rarely. In the past two years, she was hardly ever seen. If my young master and Miss Song were in love, how could Miss Song watch him fall out with the Duke’s household?”
Yue Ning frowned deeply. “What you say makes sense, but you could have made this up. If your young master wasn’t Miss Song’s love interest, then who was?”
Wu Shu became even more aggrieved. “How would I know that? My young master barely knew Miss Song, let alone me.” Suddenly, his eyes lit up. “Ah, I remember someone! Second Young Master! Second Young Master might know. Isn’t he staying at the An Yang Marquis Manor as part of the wedding escort? Why doesn’t the Magistrate ask him? He visited the Duke’s household more often than my young master and was probably closer to Miss Song. Why hasn’t the Magistrate questioned him?”
Before Huo Huaixin could speak, Yue Ning blurted out, “Of course we asked him. He’s the one who told us why your young master’s leg was broken. Some servants from both the Wei household and the Duke’s household know about this. What else do you want us to ask?”
Wu Shu’s eyes filled with despair again. “In the end, you want us to prove everything. But… but why? We have nothing to do with this case, so why must we prove everything!”
Huo Huaixin snorted coldly, “Because all evidence points to your master as the prime suspect!”
Wu Shu pressed his lips together, his face showing both grievance and humiliation. Unable to think of any compelling arguments, he could only clench his fists and cry silently. “Though my young master may be unruly at times, how could he commit murder… Now his leg is broken, he can never train horses again, never take office, and if you frame him with this stigma…”
As Wu Shu mumbled through his tears, Huo Huaixin’s eyes widened. “Watch your words! What do you mean by framing? You can’t prove your innocence, and all our evidence points to your master…”
Wu Shu looked at Huo Huaixin, having cursed this muddle-headed official a thousand times in his heart. He turned to look pleadingly at Qin Wan and Yue Ning. “Young ladies, merciful Bodhisattvas, kind-hearted ones, please help maintain justice for my young master. Though my young master may be unruly and perhaps has a somewhat bad reputation, he was willing to take on this stigma for Miss Song. My young master suffered such great grievance and humiliation, and even when his leg was broken, he didn’t betray Miss Song…”
Yue Ning, already harboring doubts due to Qin Wan’s words and hearing this unexpected twist, was uncertain what to think. Worried, she noticed Qin Wan hadn’t spoken for quite a while.
Yue Ning turned and touched Qin Wan’s arm, whispering, “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you asking questions at this golden opportunity? What are you thinking about?”
Qin Wan’s contemplative face finally showed traces of severity. She looked at Wu Shu. “How many years have you served your young master?”
Wu Shu quickly replied, “I’ve followed my young master for seventeen years. I was chosen as his study companion since childhood.”
Qin Wan nodded. “Does your young master currently use his left hand more or his right hand more?”
Wu Shu thought for a moment. “About equal. My young master uses his right hand for swordplay and his left hand for writing. For regular activities like eating or doing things, he can use either hand.”
“Did your young master bring any weapons on this journey?”
Qin Wan fixed her gaze on him, and Wu Shu nodded. “Yes, he brought his usual sword.”
Qin Wan turned to look at Huo Huaixin, who perked up and said, “It’s a short sword, naturally without any bloodstains, but it is indeed very sharp.”
Qin Wan raised an eyebrow, her eyes flickering with a subtle light. “If Wei family’s eldest young master wasn’t the one involved with Miss Song, then this case takes a completely different direction. Magistrate should reconsider the case.”
Huo Huaixin’s face showed traces of bitterness. The case had already dragged on for ten days, and if there were still no results, it would only become harder to investigate. Not to mention having to answer to the officials coming from the capital. Now that they had caught the prime suspect if they completely overturned their previous deductions, wouldn’t they have to start from scratch?
Huo Huaixin glanced at Wu Shu. “Does Ninth Miss believe his words?”
Qin Wan also glanced at Wu Shu. As she looked, Wu Shu immediately gazed at her expectantly, raising his hand again to swear an oath, but Qin Wan had no intention of hearing more. She withdrew her gaze and said, “This case had many doubts from the beginning, and now with new developments, we naturally need to review it. We determined Wei’s family’s eldest young master was the prime suspect largely based on two key pieces of evidence: his relationship with Miss Song and his being left-handed. Now, if he wasn’t involved with Miss Song, relying solely on him being left-handed is hardly enough to judge him as the prime suspect. We still lack the most direct evidence.”
Huo Huaixin stared at Qin Wan with wide eyes, while Wu Shu nodded vigorously on the side. He looked at Qin Wan with shining eyes, as if seeing a savior. Until now, even Yue Ning had maintained a skeptical attitude toward Wei Qi while questioning. Only Qin Wan was the first to say they should reconsider the case.
“But…” Huo Huaixin’s eyes darted around rapidly. “But what Second Young Master said… his words seem more credible…”
Qin Wan looked into Huo Huaixin’s eyes. “Why is that?”
Huo Huaixin’s mouth opened, but he realized that if he had to explain why he trusted Wei Yan Zhi, he couldn’t give any concrete reasons. Qin Wan curved her lips slightly and said, “Because the Second Young Master was part of the wedding escort and has been cooperating with the Magistrate’s investigation since the incident. The Magistrate feels he has been very thorough, and believes Second Young Master has no connection to this case. If he had something to hide, he certainly wouldn’t be so calm and meticulous. The Magistrate doesn’t think he looks like the killer or someone with a guilty conscience, so due to his favorable impression of him, the Magistrate trusted his words in this case as well.”
Huo Huaixin’s eyes widened, and he nodded. “That’s exactly right.”
Qin Wan sighed. “But suspects can deceive people. The Magistrate thinks they are lying, but perhaps… someone else is lying. Or perhaps the Magistrate, to avoid too much trouble, wants to close the case quickly and thus intends to stick to the theory that the eldest young master is the killer, even with these doubts?”
Huo Huaixin’s eyes flickered quickly. “That’s certainly not true!” After a brief pause, he continued, “If that’s the case, perhaps we really should reconsider this case. As for them, they’ll remain in custody for now…”
Qin Wan nodded, and Wu Shu’s eyes suddenly brightened. He shuffled backward on his knees and kowtowed repeatedly to Qin Wan and the others. “Thank you, merciful Bodhisattvas, thank you, righteous official…”
Huo Huaixin, hearing the word “righteous,” felt somewhat satisfied. Meanwhile, Wu Shu continued, “Miss just mentioned that Second Young Master said the eldest young master was involved with Miss Song. I wonder… could the righteous official arrange for the Second Young Master to visit our eldest young master once? The Second Young Master and the eldest young master are as close as brothers. We can’t do much while in prison, but we just hope the Second Young Master could visit us once. If the eldest young master tells the Second Young Master the truth, the Second Young Master will surely help us!”
At these words, Qin Wan’s brow twitched.
Indeed, Wei Yan Zhi must know that Wei Qi had been arrested. Had he expressed any desire to see his brother?
Qin Wan turned to look at Yue Ning, who hesitated before saying, “Wei family’s Second Young Master… is still ill. When I left today, I hadn’t seen him, so I don’t know what he thinks…”
Qin Wan’s brow twitched again, and she turned to ask Wu Shu, “Are Second Young Master and your master truly as close as brothers?”
Wu Shu nodded. “At least that’s how it seems to us servants… Second Young Master ate and studied with my young master since childhood. As they grew up, he followed my young master in everything. From childhood until now, they only disagreed about joining the patrol. My young master knew the Duke’s household looked down on the Wei household and didn’t want to accept their favors, but the Second Young Master did…”
A flash of insight crossed Qin Wan’s mind. “Second Young Master studied and wrote with your master since childhood? Didn’t he find it strange that your master was left-handed as a child?”
Wu Shu stared blankly at Qin Wan, not understanding why she asked this.
“It wasn’t strange at all. When Second Young Master was young and saw my young master writing with his left hand, he even learned to write with his left hand too. Later… later after those rumors, the old master gave strict orders to the tutor to correct the young master’s habit. Around seven or eight years old, my young master’s habit was finally corrected…”
Qin Wan’s expression suddenly changed. Her eyes narrowed slightly, her brows furrowed, and her face showed an intensely focused expression. Flickering lights danced in her eyes as if she was rapidly thinking about something.
Yue Ning, seeing her like this, became curious. “What’s wrong?”
Qin Wan suddenly lowered her gaze and stared intently at Wu Shu. “The rumors you mentioned, were they about your young master being cursed for using his left hand? And that he developed red spots because of it…”
Wu Shu was startled. “How does Miss know…”
Qin Wan’s eyes brightened, and she leaned forward slightly. “Does your young master dislike lacquerware?”
Wu Shu nodded, his face showing bewilderment, seemingly surprised that Qin Wan knew so much.
Qin Wan suddenly straightened up and turned to Huo Huaixin. “Magistrate, where is the testimony about Young Master Wei that you had the Song family’s guards write that day at the Marquis Manor?”
Huo Huaixin was stunned and turned to Xu He, who said, “That… that testimony was only half-written. Later, when Ninth Miss offered her suggestion, the Magistrate took everyone away from the Marquis Manor. Since the unfinished testimony wasn’t going to be used, it was left at the Marquis Manor. Now, we don’t know where it went…”
Qin Wan frowned, and Yue Ning quickly asked, “What’s wrong? Why do you want to see the testimony?”
Qin Wan lifted her chin. “I want to confirm if what I’m thinking is correct…”
Yue Ning asked again, “What is it?”
Qin Wan looked at her, her eyes sparkling. “I’ll tell you once I can confirm it.”
Yue Ning sighed. “What can we do now that the testimony is gone?”
Qin Wan’s lips curved into a smile as she suddenly strode toward the exit. “Let’s find Prince Chi!”
As Qin Wan left, Yue Ning naturally followed, and seeing this, Huo Huaixin also followed. Wu Shu, seeing everyone about to leave, cried out anxiously, “Sir, Sir, are you going to send my young master back to prison…”
Huo Huaixin waved his hand impatiently. “Xu He, go take him down.”
Xu He acknowledged, while ahead, that Qin Wan had already walked far. Huo Huaixin almost had to jog to catch up. “Ninth Miss? What are you trying to confirm? What does it have to do with the case?”
Qin Wan paused. “If this is confirmed, Magistrate will know who the killer is!”
After a brief pause, Qin Wan turned to look at Huo Huaixin. “Has the Magistrate ever suspected Wei Second Young Master?”
Huo Huaixin was taken aback but nodded. “Indeed, I did.” Then, as if remembering something, he continued, “Come to think of it, there’s something Miss doesn’t know yet. The night someone dressed as a ghost to scare Miss, when we went to the East Garden, the Second Young Master said he was practicing calligraphy. Later, Miss told me that the stains on the wedding dress were pine soot ink. Based on this, I initially suspected Second Young Master, but he isn’t left-handed, and ink stains are quite common. Plus, after Second Young Master told us about the relationship between First Young Master and Miss Song, I shifted my suspicions to First Young Master… Could it be…”
Qin Wan indeed hadn’t known about this, and upon hearing it, her expression became even more certain. “Good, I understand now. Please wait a moment, Magistrate. If my suspicions are confirmed, I will naturally come to tell you.”
Huo Huaixin nodded, wanting to ask more, but Qin Wan had already turned and quickly walked away.
…
…
After leaving the courthouse, Qin Wan walked quickly toward the carriage. Yue Ning asked from behind, “Where are you going?”
“To the Marquis Manor! To find Prince Chi!” Qin Wan answered decisively, already climbing into the carriage. Seeing her urgency, Yue Ning didn’t dare delay and quickly got in as well.
The Marquis Manor’s carriage guard cracked his whip, and the carriage headed straight toward the west of the city.
There was still some distance from the courthouse to the west of the city. Yue Ning asked dubiously, “Have you thought of something?”
Qin Wan’s eyes brightened. “I’ve remembered something I overlooked before!”
Yue Ning’s expression also brightened, knowing that Qin Wan’s discovery must be something that could change the case. Thinking of this, Yue Ning urged the carriage guard, who then increased the speed. After less than half an hour, the carriage arrived at the An Yang Marquis Manor.
As soon as the carriage stopped, Qin Wan got out. Yue Ning followed from behind, saying directly, “Prince Chi must be in Pine Garden now! Follow me—”
Qin Wan knew where Pine Garden was, but Yue Ning led her along the shortest route. The two took shortcuts through the manor’s covered walkways, and soon Pine Garden was in sight. Before they got close, Bai Feng suddenly walked out from the courtyard gate. Seeing Qin Wan and Yue Ning, he was slightly startled and quickly bowed. “Greetings to the Princess and Ninth Miss…”
Yue Ning stepped forward. “Where is your master?”
Bai Feng glanced at Qin Wan. “Master is inside.”
Yue Ning nodded. “We have business with him…”
Bai Feng understood. “Princess and Ninth Miss, please enter. Master is currently writing a letter to the capital.”
Stepping aside to let them pass, Qin Wan nodded and followed Yue Ning inside.
Qin Wan had been to Pine Garden before and followed Yue Ning straight to the main hall. Just as they reached the doorway, Yan Chi, wearing a long black robe, walked out from a side warming room. “What has happened?”
Yue Ning and Qin Wan coming together surely meant something important. As soon as he finished speaking, Qin Wan stepped forward and said, “Last time, Prince Chi’s people brought news from the capital about the Duke’s Manor and Wei Manor. I remember Prince Chi saying the letter contained very detailed information. I wonder if that letter is still available and if I could take a look?”
Yan Chi raised his eyebrows slightly, looked at Qin Wan for a moment, then turned around. “Come in.”
Qin Wan and Yue Ning exchanged glances and followed Yan Chi into the warming room, which was a small study. As Bai Feng had said, there was indeed an unfinished letter on the desk. Qin Wan and Yue Ning stood at the doorway while Yan Chi walked behind the desk, opened the drawer below, and quickly took out a letter.
Yan Chi walked over and handed it to her directly, without asking why she wanted it.
Qin Wan took it, feeling its substantial weight in her hands, her heart steadying. She deftly opened it and pulled out the letter inside. It was a long letter that, as Yan Chi had said, detailed the internal affairs of the Duke’s Manor and Song Manor. Qin Wan read through it carefully, focusing particularly on the parts related to Wei Qi and Wei Yan Zhi.
Seeing Qin Wan reading intently, Yan Chi walked behind his desk, added a few more strokes to the unfinished letter, then affixed his seal, folded it, and sealed it. He called out, “Bai Feng—”
Bai Feng entered from outside, and Yan Chi instructed, “Send this out at the fastest speed possible.”
Bai Feng acknowledged and took the letter before leaving.
Yue Ning watched patiently, and seeing that Yan Chi didn’t ask anything, she said, “Prince Chi isn’t going to ask why she’s reading the letter?”
Yan Chi simply sat down behind his desk. “It must be about Miss Song’s case. Wei’s First Young Master has been arrested…” As he spoke, he glanced at Yue Ning’s short boots. “You’ve been to the magistrate’s office?”
Yue Ning raised an eyebrow. “How does Your Highness know?”
Yan Chi replied matter-of-factly, “There’s black moss on the Princess’s boots, which is most common in prison cells.”
Yue Ning was slightly surprised, and even Qin Wan, who was reading the letter, looked up at Yan Chi for a moment.
Yue Ning spoke admiringly, “Your Highness is incredibly observant…”
Yan Chi curved his lips but didn’t speak. Yue Ning continued, “We did go to the magistrate’s office and saw Wei Qi and his servant. Both were tortured but wouldn’t confess. Moreover… Wei Qi’s servant said that the one involved with Song Rou wasn’t Wei Qi, but someone else whose name Song Rou wouldn’t reveal. Wei Qi only agreed to take the blame because Song Rou begged him. He came to Jin Zhou to find out who that person was. On the night Song Rou died, Wei Qi was at the Ten Li Temple, but he didn’t kill anyone.”
“The one involved with Song Rou wasn’t Wei Qi?” Yan Chi caught this most important point and narrowed his eyes. “In that case, this case needs to be reconsidered.”
Yue Ning glanced at Qin Wan, who was still reading the letter, and said, “Yes, she previously examined the corpse at the public mortuary and brought back some debris, remember? Later, she studied it and found it was gold-flecked paper.”
Yan Chi raised an eyebrow, and Yue Ning asked, “Does Your Highness also know about gold-flecked paper?”
Yan Chi nodded. “Small gold-flecked paper, with a special fragrance…”
Hearing this, Yue Ning showed a slight smile. “That’s right. She even knows how gold-flecked paper is made. The things found in Song Rou’s stomach must have been eaten on the day she went to Ten Li Temple. This paper – she probably read a letter and then swallowed it because she couldn’t dispose of it properly. Combined with the fact that she was killed in the birch forest, this letter must be connected to her murder.”
Yan Chi narrowed his eyes, a glimmer of light flickering in them as he looked at Qin Wan, who was still intently reading the letter. Her profile was serene, with excited sparks dancing at the corners of her eyes. Yan Chi knew she must have found what she was looking for!
After Yue Ning finished speaking and received no response from Yan Chi, she looked up to find him staring intently at Qin Wan. Yue Ning, though inexperienced in matters of the heart, had seen her parents and other married couples. She knew the look in the eyes of those in love, and thinking of this, her brows furrowed as she looked at Yan Chi.
“I understand now—”
While Yue Ning was deep in thought, Qin Wan suddenly put down the letter. She looked up at Yue Ning and Yan Chi, her eyes filled with certainty.
Yue Ning quickly asked, “What is it? What did you miss?”
Qin Wan glanced at the letter again. “I overlooked Wei Qi’s preferences. For this, I must thank Prince Chi!”
Yan Chi made a sound of acknowledgment. “How so?”
Qin Wan placed the letter on the nearby desk and spoke steadily, “That day, Prince Chi told me about the news from the capital. However, at that time, we had just learned that the one involved with Miss Song was the Wei family’s First Young Master, and everyone was almost certain that he was the killer, so we didn’t carefully examine these details.”
Looking at Yue Ning, Qin Wan said, “Princess knows best that what was in Song Rou’s stomach was gold-flecked paper.”
Yue Ning nodded, and Qin Wan turned to Yan Chi, saying, “When I discovered those papers were gold-flecked, I felt I had overlooked something very important but couldn’t recall what it was. Just now, in the prison cell, when Wei Qi’s servant mentioned Wei Qi’s habits and preferences several times, I suddenly remembered!”
“Remembered what? Hurry and tell us!”
Yue Ning, who had been tormented by this “overlooked something” for two days, could hardly wait any longer!
Qin Wan smiled and spoke more quickly. “Previously, Prince Chi told me that Wei Qi was left-handed since childhood, and only through later training could he use his right hand. He also mentioned that when Wei Qi was very young, he was cursed for being left-handed, saying his body would often break out in red spots – quite terrifying to think about.”
As she finished speaking, Qin Wan patted the letter beside her. “I just read through it carefully again. Wei Qi was freed from these red spots around age seven or eight. Before that, he had sought medical treatment many times without success, and then rumors of a curse began to spread. Once the word ‘curse’ is attached to someone, it’s considered unlucky – likely one of the reasons the Duke’s household disliked him.”
“But do curses exist?” Qin Wan’s faint smile disappeared as her expression turned serious. “When I first heard Prince Chi mention it, I felt something was off, but I hadn’t examined all these details closely and couldn’t be certain. Now looking at it, I understand the reason for Wei Qi’s red spots. Though I haven’t tested it, I can deduce the cause.”
Yue Ning asked doubtfully, “I don’t believe in curses either, but what caused these red spots?”
“Lacquer.” Qin Wan’s cherry lips emphasized this word heavily. At the same time, Yan Chi’s brows furrowed, while Yue Ning’s eyes brightened slightly as if realizing something.
Seeing their expressions, Qin Wan nodded. “Lacquer is ubiquitous in our world, and no one would consider it a poison. However, for a very small number of people, lacquer is indeed toxic. Prince Chi told me Wei Qi disliked lacquerware. The letter mentions that Wei Qi’s rooms contained mostly gold, silver, and jade items, and he couldn’t stand the smell of lacquer. Though this aversion seems general, when connected to Wei Qi’s strange ‘curse,’ it reminded me of two people I’d seen before who developed incurable red spots, which were eventually discovered to be lacquer poisoning. As a child, Wei Qi surely couldn’t identify what caused his red spots, but over time, he instinctively came to dislike lacquerware. If he disliked even lacquerware, how could he have used gold-flecked paper made with gold lacquer?”
She continued with certainty, “The gold-flecked paper in Song Rou’s stomach must have no connection to Wei Qi.”
Yan Chi’s eyes narrowed, and Yue Ning couldn’t help but sit up straighter. Qin Wan had just explained two things: first, the reason for Wei Qi’s left-handed “curse” and his aversion to lacquerware; second, returning to Song Rou’s case, the gold-flecked paper was made with gold lacquer and wood pulp, with a faint lacquer scent – how could Wei Qi have used it?
Yue Ning looked at Qin Wan admiringly but then thought, “But… how can we verify this?”
Qin Wan smiled. “That’s quite simple. We just need some raw lacquer and bring it close to or touch Wei Qi’s arm to see if there’s any reaction.”
Yue Ning nodded. “While this might prove the gold-flecked paper letter wasn’t related to Wei Qi, it still doesn’t completely prove he wasn’t involved in Song Rou’s death… After all, he is left-handed.”
Qin Wan shook her head. “The left-handed detail came up when someone dressed as a ghost to scare me, while the gold-flecked paper is the most direct evidence found in Song Rou’s body. This gold-flecked paper witnessed Song Rou’s murder, and in many cases, one key clue can lead to a breakthrough and reveal the truth.”
Yue Ning looked at Qin Wan. Today she wore a jade-colored pleated long dress with a mung bean-green wide-sleeved robe over it and a matching shawl on her shoulders. She was already naturally elegant and beautiful, but now, as she carefully analyzed the case, her face showed a unique radiance. Her eyes were as clear as a jewel-filled spring, and her words carried a decisive force quite different from her usual demeanor. This commanding presence tempered her usual gentle elegance. Looking at Qin Wan, Yue Ning suddenly felt regretful – how had she been so blind before, thinking Qin Wan was just another delicate young lady from a wealthy family, as fragile as a lotus in the wind…
“As for being left-handed, this letter helped me again.” Qin Wan patted the letter once more. “Just now in the prison, Wei Qi’s servant said Wei Yan Zhi and Wei Qi were close brothers who studied together as children, and Wei Yan Zhi even learned to write left-handed like Wei Qi. However, what I read in the letter differs somewhat from what the servant said.”
Yue Ning frowned. “How so? Did the servant lie?”
Qin Wan shook her head. “No, he didn’t lie. He just beautified the story.”
Yue Ning’s eyes showed confusion, and Qin Wan continued with a deepened gaze, “In a family with two children – one legitimate and one born to a concubine – the concubine’s son excelled in everything and understood brotherly respect, while the legitimate son, though without bad habits, had an innate ‘defect.’ Yes, we can call it a defect. Wei Qi’s left-handedness brought him much criticism, and with the later red spots and rumors of a curse, while the old master Wei might have just felt regretful, what about Wei family’s main madam?”
Yue Ning was startled. “How did Wei family’s main madam get involved?”
Qin Wan picked up the letter and waved it. “It says here that Wei Qi’s mother, that lady from the Duke’s household, before Wei Qi had changed his habit and while he was still young, forced Wei Yan Zhi to also write with his left hand. If Wei Yan Zhi refused, he would be beaten and scolded at best, and at worst, would be locked alone in her courtyard, forbidden to leave.”
As Qin Wan revealed these internal affairs of the Wei family, she glanced at Yan Chi. While Yan Chi had said he would investigate the Wei household and Duke’s household for Princess Tai Chang, Qin Wan hadn’t expected his intelligence to be so detailed, even uncovering events from over a decade ago. She couldn’t help but wonder if Yan Chi had planted spies in both households.
Putting aside these thoughts, Qin Wan continued, “If one child who was naturally left-handed could be forced to use his right hand, then naturally, another child could be forced to switch from his natural right hand to his left.”
Yue Ning exclaimed, “Ah! You mean Second Young Master Wei can also use his left hand?”
Qin Wan nodded. “This happened over ten years ago, and Wei family’s main madam kept it very secret. Few people know now that Wei Yan Zhi can use his left hand… Instead, when people think of left-handedness, they only remember Wei Qi. If the killer left traces of left-handedness, wouldn’t people immediately think of Wei Qi?”
Yue Ning nodded continuously, finding everything Qin Wan said logical. “So now you suspect Wei Yan Zhi?”
Qin Wan put down the letter, her lips slightly pursed. “You’ve seen Wei Qi’s condition, and with these deductions, I now believe he has nothing to do with Song Rou’s death. Someone deliberately left these clues to lead us to Wei Qi, and the killer didn’t expect me to find the gold-flecked paper in Song Rou’s stomach, and probably hadn’t considered this aspect at all.”
“The killer isn’t Wei Qi, and he wasn’t the one involved with Song Rou. You heard Wei Qi’s servant – Wei Yan Zhi was closer to the Duke’s household and had more contact with Song Rou. Could it be that Wei Yan Zhi was involved with Song Rou? Song Rou was skilled at the zither, and Wei Yan Zhi was also very familiar with zither music. This letter mentions that although Wei Qi once liked string instruments, that was six or seven years ago. After that, Wei Qi fell in love with raising and training horses, while Song Rou’s love for playing the zither remained constant.”
“That night by Lishui Lake, Wei Yan Zhi said he recognized the zither piece because Wei Qi played it every day, but Wei Qi’s daily zither playing was from six or seven years ago. The piece ‘Seagulls Forget Their Cares’ is about lovers living like seagulls, retreating to the mountains, and living a carefree life like wild cranes. To play a piece well, one must understand its meaning. Since this piece is about love, six or seven years ago, Wei Qi was only fourteen or fifteen – he probably didn’t even have someone he admired, so how could he play this piece daily? Only someone who has a lover and hopes to live an unworldly life with them would love this piece so much…”
Yue Ning’s eyes brightened. “So the one who played this piece was Song Rou?”
Qin Wan nodded. “That’s most likely. Besides this, Wei Yan Zhi could also have been behind the ghost incident. He already knew about Song Rou’s second wedding dress. In contrast, Wei Qi couldn’t even see Song Rou, and couldn’t even visit the Duke’s household during that time – how could he have known about Song Rou’s second wedding dress?”
“Wei Yan Zhi knew, and he was familiar with the wedding escort team, making it much easier for him to act. Also, only he had seen my first autopsy. Perhaps fearing my involvement in Song Rou’s case, he wanted to scare me away from the Marquis Manor.”
After a pause, Qin Wan continued, “And those rumors that spread from the East Garden were also meant to drive me away from the Marquis Manor. Later, at Lishui Lake, someone tried to harm me – I guess it was his doing too. Princess, remember how before that day, we had accidentally met Wei Yan Zhi in the manor? He mentioned not knowing how Song Rou was doing at the public mortuary, and I carelessly replied that Song Rou was fine. I guess this response let him know that Magistrate Huo had already asked me to examine the body at the mortuary. Fearing I might discover something, he then tried to kill me at Lishui Lake…”
Qin Wan smiled slightly. “As for the later fire at the mortuary…”
“Wei Yan Zhi was there that night! Only we few knew you were going to perform another examination early the next morning!” This time Yue Ning spoke faster than Qin Wan. “Having witnessed your skills, he decided to go all out and burn down the mortuary!”
Qin Wan nodded. “Exactly.”
Yue Ning’s chest heaved a few times, also becoming excited. “When you put it this way, everything makes sense! He is indeed the most suspicious! Although he appears close to Wei Qi and was raised by the main madam, in reality, there’s still a huge status gap between him and Wei Qi. If something happened to Wei Qi, he would become the Wei household’s only child – only then might he truly gain recognition from Old Master Wei and the Duke’s household.”
At this point, Yue Ning frowned again. “But these are just our speculations. Although they make sense, we still have no evidence. When he sparred with me, he didn’t show any sign of being able to use his left hand in combat.”
Qin Wan narrowed her eyes. “He probably won’t leave any obvious evidence. Speaking of evidence, there’s only one way…”
“What way?!” Yue Ning was even more excited than Qin Wan because, in her view, Wei Yan Zhi didn’t seem like a killer, but precisely because of this, she was eager to verify…
Meeting Yue Ning’s eager eyes, Qin Wan said, “Find Song Rou’s head.”