As they spoke, Xu He had already walked to the storage room nearby. Shortly after, he brought out a package containing skeletal remains. “Young Lord, Master, Ninth Young Lady, these are the six-fingered remains…”
Xu He continued, “Ninth Young Lady has examined these remains before. The deceased was around eight to nine years of age at the time of death.”
Qin Wan continued reading other letters and said in a deep voice, “Could it be that two people went missing from their family? By some twist of fate, both were sent to the Qin Manor. What exactly happened back then?”
The remaining letters contained similar information. Qin Wan read them one by one. “Back then, this family also had an eldest daughter who unfortunately died in that great fire. Who is the hidden killer in the manor connected to?”
Thirteen sets of remains – each victim might have family members seeking revenge, but with the identities of these thirteen people unknown, there was no way to investigate unless Qin An could reveal all the details of what happened back then.
Everyone fell silent for a moment. Xu He sighed, “If that child hadn’t died back then, they would be eighteen years old now.”
Yan Chi turned to look at Bai Feng who was standing guard outside. “Go to the front courtyard and see if Qin An can speak yet.”
After Bai Feng acknowledged and left, Yan Chi said, “Previously, Ninth Young Lady mentioned that the person must have been a strong man, as the Demon-Suppressing Stone couldn’t be moved by a woman, but there’s no such person in the Qin Manor.”
Qin Wan narrowed her eyes. “If we can’t find any clues in this direction, then we’ll look in other directions.”
Master Huo put down the letters in his hand. “We still need Qin An to speak. He knows the most about what happened back then. If he doesn’t speak now, who knows how many more people the killer might harm.”
“I’ll go to the front courtyard again with Master Huo later.”
After Yan Chi finished speaking, he frowned slightly. “These remains are too old. Unless there were children of similar age who went missing ten years ago in neighboring counties, we won’t be able to confirm their identities.”
“It’s unfortunate we have to wait several days for news, while we don’t know what that person in the manor will do next.”
Qin Wan added, and Master Huo quickly responded, “Don’t worry, Ninth Young Lady. The Qin Manor is now guarded both inside and out. That person can’t escape, and even within the manor, they won’t be able to act recklessly. We can afford to wait a few days.”
Qin Wan nodded, “With Master’s arrangements, everything should be well-covered.”
Just as she finished speaking, Bai Feng returned from his errand, “Master, the servants in the outer courtyard say that after taking Ninth Young Lady’s medicine, Qin An’s symptoms of agitation have subsided. Although his speech isn’t smooth, he can now speak.”
Yan Chi’s eyes brightened momentarily, “In that case, let’s go see him.”
Master Huo quickly agreed, instructing Xu He to put away the remains while walking out with Yan Chi. Qin Wan thought for a moment and followed them. Seeing this, Yan Chi said, “You’ve been tired for several days. You don’t need to come along today, go rest.”
Qin Wan smiled, “Since I prescribed the medicine, I should verify if it can extend his life.”
At this, Yan Chi had nothing more to say, as they indeed needed Qin Wan to keep Qin An alive.
The group walked toward the front courtyard. Since the autumn rain two days ago, the weather has grown increasingly cold. The once picturesque Qin Manor, with its scenery every ten steps, had become restricted due to recent chaos. The servants were not allowed to move about freely, leaving the flowers and plants unattended. In just seven or eight days, wild weeds had grown along the small paths and around the flower beds. With withered flowers and dead branches untrimmed, the Qin Manor now presented a desolate and declining appearance.
Upon reaching the front courtyard, Captain Qi came forward to greet them. After paying his respects, he led Yan Chi’s group into the courtyard. “Your Highness and Master need not worry. There are guards both inside and out, and he still has those two former Qin Manor servants with him.”
Entering the courtyard gate, they indeed saw two yamen runners guarding the main door, and hearing the commotion, the two old servants also came out from inside. Yan Chi waved off their greetings and strode into the house.
“How is Qin An today?”
One servant hunched his shoulders and cautiously replied, “The Master can occasionally speak a few words…”
Yan Chi asked no more questions and walked directly into the inner chamber. Upon entering, the smell of medicine filled everyone’s nostrils. Yan Chi’s brow furrowed as he looked around. Yesterday, Qin An had been in a frenzy and was tied up, but today he lay quietly in bed, his hands and feet untied, with a thin quilt covering him.
He had his eyes closed weakly, groaning softly in pain. Perhaps hearing footsteps, he opened his eyes. Seeing Yan Chi’s group enter, his gaze remained blank for a moment before showing any reaction, though he seemed not to recognize Yan Chi. He merely reached out from under the brocade quilt to scratch at the sores on his face.
“Master, you mustn’t…”
Seeing him try to scratch his face, one old servant quickly stepped forward to hold down his hand.
Qin An’s brows furrowed, his clouded eyes filled with waves of pain, his lips deeply set, his voice extremely hoarse, “Hurts… itches… itches… let me scratch, let me scratch just once…”
The old servant sighed, “You can’t scratch it, Master, or it won’t heal.”
On Qin An’s face, the corners of his mouth had begun to rot extensively, with purple sores almost spreading to his neck. The brocade quilt covered him loosely, revealing patches of sores on his neck, some scratched open and oozing pus. On the back of his hands, the syphilitic sores had spread to his fingers, looking incredibly horrific and frightening.
Master Huo turned his gaze and stepped forward, “Brother Qin, how uncomfortable are you now?”
Qin An’s clouded eyes gradually showed a few sparks of light, as if recognizing Master Huo. He stared directly at Master Huo, his lips trembling, “Uncomfortable… un… uncomfortable…”
Master Huo let out a long sigh, “Brother Qin, do you know you’ve been poisoned!”
Master Huo spoke very loudly as if talking to a deaf person. Upon hearing this, Qin An took a moment to react before showing terror in his eyes. He raised his hand, speaking with great difficulty, “Poi… poisoned…?”
Master Huo nodded, “Yes, someone wants to harm you, wants to take your life.”
Qin An’s brows furrowed deeper, the terror in his eyes growing heavier. He coughed lightly twice, his eyes darting around as if looking for where the poisoner might be. Master Huo patted his shoulder, “Brother Qin, don’t worry, we’re also looking for that person. Rest assured, I’ve posted guards inside and outside your courtyard to protect you.”
Only then did Qin An’s terrified expression stabilize, but Master Huo spread his hands, “However, Brother Qin, we’ve been searching for several days without finding them. Although we don’t know who she is, we do know her purpose…”
Qin An’s eyes showed slight confusion as he stared directly at Master Huo, who suddenly said coldly, “Brother Qin, the relatives of those children from back then have returned. They’ve come to take your life. You violated their children, and they want to cut you into a thousand pieces. Do you see those sores on your body? They want you to die slowly like this…”
Qin An’s throat made a snorting sound, his eyes suddenly widening as if remembering something. Even deeper fear appeared in his eyes, and his slightly raised hand began to shake violently. He tried to grab Master Huo’s robe hem, but just as he was about to grasp it, Master Huo stepped back.
Master Huo lifted his chin, “Brother Qin, it’s not that I don’t want to save you or help you. We don’t know anything about what happened back then. If you could tell us where those children came from, perhaps we could find the person behind this sooner. Once we dig out that person, we can better ensure your safety. Otherwise, even with all our precautions, you might still be poisoned to death. After all, that person has become someone in your Qin Manor now, perhaps a maid or a servant, we don’t know.”
Master Huo’s words were both concerned and threatening, frightening Qin An so much that he began to tremble. He still stared with wide eyes, making continuous gurgling sounds in his throat. Yan Chi and Qin Wan stood at a distance watching. Soon, Qin An looked pleadingly at Master Huo.
“Traffickers, traffickers… kidnapped…”
Qin An spoke with great difficulty, but Master Huo understood. He frowned, unwilling to easily believe Qin An.
“Just traffickers? How did you know them? Where did they kidnap from?”
Something seemed to block Qin An’s throat. His mouth opened, but he couldn’t speak for a moment. Seeing this, the old servant hurriedly stepped forward to gently pat Qin An’s chest to help him breathe. After a while, Qin An continued, “I… I… under the pretense of buying female slaves… bought two… later afraid… afraid their families would come looking… so I found out about the traffickers…”
For someone like Qin An, the head of a wealthy household, buying female slaves was normal. However, most female slaves in the market were sold by their parents. Although entering the Qin Manor made them household servants, their families inevitably knew of their existence and might come looking. This would expose his horrific preferences, so rather than buying legitimate female slaves, he found it better to buy those without homes or roots from traffickers. Once they entered the Qin Manor, he could do as he pleased with them.
Master Huo understood Qin An’s meaning as he listened. Turning his head to see Yan Chi and Qin Wan, he quickly straightened his posture.
Having been in officialdom for so many years, he naturally knew that many wealthy families had unspeakable private vices. Having previously been friendly with Qin An, he now feared Yan Chi might think he had been complicit in such deeds.
Master Huo’s voice turned stern, “What was the trafficker’s name? Where are they now?”
“Qing… Yuan… Pawn… Shop… Owner…”
Qin An spoke each word extremely slowly. Master Huo’s brow immediately became serious. Turning to see Yan Chi and Qin Wan’s confused expressions, he quickly explained, “Your Highness, the Qing Yuan Pawnshop is one of the largest pawnshops in Jin Prefecture. I’ve heard they’ve expanded to the capital. While they operate as a pawnshop on the surface, they secretly conduct such transactions with other officials and nobles. I’ll send people to arrest and investigate them immediately…”
Qin Wan frowned deeply. Yan Chi wasn’t surprised – in families of culture and propriety, whether for reputation or prospects, no one would display such scandals openly. Yet in the marketplace, there were people specifically catering to the nobles’ various tastes. While this was relatively rare in Jin Prefecture, there were many more in the capital who conducted legitimate business on the surface while secretly engaging in such heinous acts.
Yan Chi made a sound of acknowledgment, “We’ll discuss this later. Continue questioning.”
Master Huo nodded heavily and turned back to Qin An, “Did you kill all those children with your own hands back then?”
Qin An’s pupils contracted. His lips pressed together slightly, his breathing becoming unsteady. It was clear he was struggling with whether and how to answer, as it involved over a dozen lives.
“I… ordered it… Liu Chun… administered… the drug…”
Liu Chun! Yan Chi’s eyes immediately filled with cold fury – Liu Chun was also deserving of death!
After saying these words, Qin An’s eyes inexplicably grew wet. He seemed to know his fate, but being in such pain now, he couldn’t resolve to die and could only strive for better treatment.
Master Huo’s eyes filled with anger, his tone becoming severe, “What about the Second Concubine?”
At the mention of the Second Concubine, Qin An’s eyes immediately showed signs of vigor. His lips moved several times but no words came out, as if he was lost in some memory. Master Huo impatiently said, “I’m asking you! If you don’t speak…”
“It was… that trafficker… couldn’t gather enough people… so searched within Jin Prefecture…”
“Caught a child… but her mother… caught up…”
“Initially wanted to kill… but saw her beauty was… exceptional…”
Master Huo’s eyes widened, “So you captured both mother and daughter?! They weren’t just kidnapping children, but other young women too?”
Qin An’s throat seemed blocked again and he couldn’t speak, his eyes rolling back. The old servant hurried forward to help him. Master Huo turned angrily to Yan Chi and said, “Your Highness may not know, but there are indeed such traffickers who kidnap girls between thirteen or fourteen to their early twenties from their homes, drug them, and sell them to brothels or wealthy households. It’s quite profitable!”
Yan Chi’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly. Though he had been on the battlefield since childhood, he wasn’t ignorant of such dark and evil matters. On the contrary, he knew quite a lot. “Continue questioning.”
Master Huo only wanted to appear as righteous and principled as possible at the moment. Jin Prefecture wasn’t so large that only the Qin Manor engaged in such transactions, and Master Huo didn’t want Yan Chi to suspect him.
After great effort from the old servant, Qin An finally caught his breath. Master Huo then asked, “What happened next? How did you bring both mother and daughter into the manor?”
Qin An panted, his face deathly pale. “I went to select people… saw her…”
“At first… didn’t know…”
“Later learned… she… died by jumping into a well…”
As he spoke, his gaze grew distant, as if imagining how delicate and beautiful the Second Concubine had been before her death by drowning.
Master Huo glared, “What about the fire at that household in Yang County?!”
Qin Wan trembled at Master Huo’s shout. The light in his eyes immediately dimmed, and after coughing twice, he said flatly, “She begged me… to release her… I… took the opportunity to ask… about her family…”
With this, everything became clear. Master Huo gritted his teeth, “You… she thought you would let her go, but instead you sent people to set fire and kill?!”
By the end of his account, Qin An showed no sign of remorse in his voice. When Master Huo questioned further, he turned to look at Master Huo instead, “Now… can you… find… them…”
Master Huo was so angered he laughed. After saying so much, it was truly just to find the culprit behind this. Master Huo gave a cold laugh, “Even if we search, it will take time. Brother Qin had better pray, pray that heaven protects you.”
Hearing this, Qin An seemed to feel he had been deceived and immediately glared at Master Huo. In his anger, his breath caught again, and like someone being strangled, his eyes rolled back and his whole body convulsed. The old servant beside him became busy again. Seeing Qin An like this, Master Huo shook his head and walked to Yan Chi’s side, saying, “In his condition, he can’t be sent to prison. Once he finishes Ninth Young Lady’s prescription, he can be directly imprisoned to await trial. Now that we’ve uncovered the Qing Yuan Pawnshop’s involvement, I’ll go arrest them immediately!”
As Master Huo spoke, Qin Wan walked to the bedside and checked Qin An’s complexion before instructing the old servant, “Continue with this prescription, one dose per day, four times daily, and change the medicine daily. The remaining dregs can be boiled to wash the affected areas.”
The old servant hurriedly agreed, and only then did Qin Wan leave. Yan Chi and Master Huo walked out together, with Yan Chi saying, “We don’t yet know how far this case extends. If it’s just the Qing Yuan Pawnshop, that’s one thing, but if there are others, the Prefecture Governor should investigate them all.”
Master Huo gave a heavy “mm” of agreement, his face showing excited solemnity, “Your Highness, rest assured. I never imagined such dealings existed under my jurisdiction in Jin Prefecture. This time, I will eliminate them!”
As he spoke, he clenched his fist, his determination evident!
Yan Chi seemed somewhat satisfied, “Master Huo, please proceed. I’ll handle matters within the manor.”
Master Huo was full of vigor and spirit. He clasped his hands and bowed to Qin Wan and Yan Chi before striding out.
Watching Master Huo’s determined departure, Fu Ling couldn’t help but sigh, “Master Huo is swift and decisive in action. Having such a good official is truly a blessing for the people of Jin Prefecture…”
Yan Chi and Qin Wan unconsciously exchanged glances, both with hints of amusement in their eyes.
Master Huo was indeed swift and decisive now, but his earlier performance had still contained some elements of pretense. If Yan Chi hadn’t been present, he might not have acted this way.
Qin Wan looked at Yan Chi, and Yan Chi looked at Qin Wan, his eyes bright. Qin Wan was slightly startled.
Their shared knowing smile and mutual understanding surprised her.
Qin Wan was the first to look away and walk toward the door, with Yan Chi following, his chin slightly raised, saying softly, “Now that the inner workings of this case are revealed, does Ninth Young Lady find the world treacherous?”
Though Qin An’s confession lacked detail, it had at least exposed a deadly trade. That Qing Yuan Pawnshop had likely harmed many more people. For a young lady raised in seclusion, this would probably be unimaginable upon first hearing.
Hearing this, Qin Wan turned to look at Yan Chi, “I am not a delicate flower raised in seclusion. I learned of the world’s treachery long ago.”
Yan Chi’s heart stirred slightly. Qin Wan had lost her parents at a young age, then lived under others’ roofs, moving from the capital to Jin Prefecture. She must have seen much of life’s cold realities and was indeed not someone ignorant of the world’s dangers.
Seeing the complexity in Yan Chi’s gaze, Qin Wan’s lips formed a faint smile. “However, this Qing Yuan Pawnshop did surprise me. I thought this was just Qin An’s evil heart, but I never imagined someone had turned this into a business, seemingly developing quite extensively in secret. Thinking about it deeply sends chills down one’s spine.”
Yan Chi’s heart relaxed – yes, this was right. It would have been strange if Qin Wan showed no fear about this matter.
“This time, it was all revealed step by step by the person behind it. Otherwise, the Prefecture Governor would never have known, nor would you and I.” Speaking thus, Yan Chi looked at Qin Wan, “Do you think she is good or bad?”
At Yan Chi’s question, Qin Wan found herself at a loss for words. This returned to the question she had pondered before.
“What does Your Highness think are law and justice?”
Yan Chi had meant to question Qin Wan but found himself questioned instead. Contemplating her meaning, he smiled after a while, “Law is black and white on paper. In today’s world, it most often stands with those who hold power rather than with justice. As for justice, right and wrong have their public verdict – even if it comes late, it won’t be absent.”
The first half of Yan Chi’s words seemed disheartening, but Qin Wan deeply knew this was how the world worked. Looking at the desolate gloom above the Qin Manor, she murmured, “The Great Zhou Dynasty values propriety, righteousness, benevolence, wisdom, and trust. If the law cannot reveal justice, then it’s the incompetence of those in power. If those in power let it be, they force people toward evil – commoners toward evil, court officials toward evil, and those who command armies toward evil. What happens in the end? This empire will collapse, and that supreme position will also…”
Qin Wan’s words suddenly broke off as she came to her senses. Her inner indignation had been provoked, causing her to say too much at once. She turned her gaze and indeed met Yan Chi’s deep eyes. Qin Wan gave a bitter smile, then lowered her face and sighed, “I just feel it’s not worth it for those thirteen children. Your Highness is right – justice wasn’t absent, their remains were finally unearthed, and Qin An will be punished. But their deaths, their families – all innocent victims without compensation.”
Qin Wan shook her head, “It’s still unfair… unfair…”
Qin Wan’s melancholy seemed to be lamenting for those thirteen children, but Yan Chi continued watching her. At that moment just now, he suddenly felt that within Qin Wan burned a raging fire of hatred and anger as if the injustice of those thirteen children had been inflicted upon herself. Qin Wan was kind-hearted, compassionate, pitying, sympathetic, and even empathizing with those thirteen children, but Yan Chi still felt something was amiss. Was it the sharp edge in Qin Wan’s words earlier? Or that she dared to discuss the empire and throne?
Yan Chi couldn’t conclude, but seeing Qin Wan’s downcast, dejected appearance made him feel sympathetic. These past days, Qin Wan had worked tirelessly, whether examining corpses or bones, always conscientious and diligent. In Yan Chi’s heart, she seemed unlike any ordinary person, uniquely brilliant and graceful. Suddenly seeing her dejected and sorrowful, Yan Chi felt a heavy stone pressing on his heart.
“The world is thus, but those who tend toward good are always more numerous than those who tend toward evil. In court, there are also upright officials like the former Chief Minister of Justice Shen Yi. Ninth Young Lady must not lose hope in worldly affairs.”
“Shen Yi?” As Qin Wan spoke these two words, she gave a slight laugh.
Yan Chi’s eyes deepened, feeling that Qin Wan’s laugh contained both mockery and grief. His expression changed as he remembered that Shen Yi had already been executed and became a criminal minister. Thinking this way, Yan Chi understood Qin Wan – many of her books came from Shen Yi, showing she must have greatly admired this Chief Minister of Justice, but now…
“Does Ninth Young Lady not believe in Shen Yi’s crimes?”
Yan Chi suddenly had a flash of insight, looking at Qin Wan.
Qin Wan suddenly raised her head, also looking at Yan Chi. She pressed her lips together, her gaze suddenly flickering, “Shen Yi’s crimes… have already been concluded. I… dare not disbelieve…”
Though she said this, her voice was strained. Yan Chi looked at her for a moment, then suddenly gave a light laugh.
He suddenly leaned forward and said softly, “Ninth Young Lady dares to speak of the empire’s collapse, yet doesn’t dare say Shen Yi was wronged?”
Qin Wan blinked, “Then what does Young Lord think of this matter?”
With Qin Wan speaking this way, she had almost acknowledged the matter. Yan Chi smiled, “When this happened, I was still on my way back to the capital. Later when I learned of it, I initially didn’t believe it either. Moreover… the capital is complex, with political factions. Ninth Young Lady may not know, but such struggles usually harm innocent bystanders. Master Shen’s case is indeed strangely unusual.”
Qin Wan blinked again, her earlier indignation subsiding. Yan Chi’s words almost moved her.
“However…” Soon after, Yan Chi’s eyes became completely calm, “As Ninth Young Lady said, this matter has been concluded, and it’s the Emperor’s decree with wide-ranging implications. So, such words, Ninth Young Lady may only speak plainly to me in the future.”
The faint light in Qin Wan’s eyes dimmed, but she truly calmed down. This matter was the Emperor’s decree and involved a prince and a favored imperial concubine, naturally becoming a taboo in the capital. Who in the world would dare question it?
Those who questioned would at best be seen as disrespecting the Emperor, at worst as rebels…
Qin Wan had always understood that her father’s case wasn’t a minor one, and now Yan Chi had merely confirmed it. Given Yan Chi’s royal background, this attitude was already quite remarkable. Qin Wan let out a breath, still feeling grateful.
“Yes, I understand…”
Qin Wan spoke softly, and Yan Chi changed the subject, “These past two days, reading many of Master Shen’s writings, I can’t help but feel regret. If not for the previous incident, having such a Chief Minister of Justice would truly have been Great Zhou’s blessing.”
“So… I can also understand Ninth Young Lady’s admiration and protection of Master Shen.”
Yan Chi looked at Qin Wan, who could only manage a bitter smile. Her feelings for Shen Yi were not simply admiration and protection.
Qin Wan didn’t want to say too much on this topic – the more she spoke of Yan Chi’s thoughts, the more she might reveal. She brightened up and said, “Your Highness, shall we go look at the Purple Bamboo Grove again?”
Yan Chi showed slight confusion, and Qin Wan continued, “Although we can almost certainly say this person behind everything did it all to expose the evil deeds of the past, she still committed wrong, and this matter needs truth.”
Yan Chi nodded immediately, “Good, let’s go look…”
Qin Wan nodded, slightly lifting her skirts, and walked ahead with large steps.
Yan Chi slowed his pace slightly. The current Qin Wan seemed more like the one he was used to seeing, but her earlier abnormality still echoed clearly in his mind…
The Purple Bamboo Grove now was no longer the gloomy, quiet place it had been. When Qin Wan entered again, she only saw the chaos left after digging for remains. Under layers of withered branches and leaves was rainwater that hadn’t yet dispersed, and above, mud and soil clumps were scattered sparsely. Footprints from the yamen runners searching back and forth were everywhere. This gloomy Purple Bamboo Grove could no longer cause Qin Wan any fear.
The autumn wind whistled, creating a rustling sound as it passed through the purple bamboo. After walking a few steps, Qin Wan suddenly said, “Does Your Highness remember? That day, Granny Zhao saw ghost fire in the grove, but with the well being so deep, how could fire from inside be seen outside?”
Yan Chi had been looking around, and upon hearing this, he also frowned, “Indeed. You mean someone deliberately set a fire?”
“If deliberate, just sprinkling some phosphorus powder could create the illusion of ghost fire…”
As Qin Wan spoke, her feet unconsciously walked toward the well. Because they needed to dig out all the remains, a horizontal trench had been dug in the grove. Qin Wan walked around the well’s mouth, thinking about how to set fire there.
Perhaps too focused on her thoughts, Qin Wan didn’t notice when she bumped into a cluster of bamboo. She meant to walk around the bamboo cluster, but as she stepped back, she saw a shallow mark on the bamboo, as if it had been scraped by a blunt knife, slightly indented.
Frowning, Qin Wan lightly touched it with her fingertip.
“What is it?” Seeing Qin Wan’s unusual expression, Yan Chi immediately walked over.
Qin Wan pointed out the mark on the bamboo, “Here, there’s a mark, as if something rubbed against it, or crashed into it…”
Yan Chi focused his gaze to look, and Qin Wan sighed again, “However… these past days, with yamen runners coming and going in this grove, occasionally brushing or bumping into things isn’t strange…”
Hearing this, Yan Chi didn’t immediately dismiss his suspicions. He looked for a moment longer, then suddenly went to look at nearby bamboo. Seeing this, Qin Wan was somewhat moved but felt uncomfortable. She didn’t think everything she noticed was correct, and if Yan Chi spent so much time searching just because of something she said, it would make her feel embarrassed.
“Young Lord—”
Qin Wan hesitated to speak, but Yan Chi suddenly said, “There’s one here too, come look.”
Qin Wan’s eyes brightened. If finding one mark was a coincidence, finding another greatly reduced that possibility. She lifted her skirts and hurried to Yan Chi’s side.
The bamboo cluster where Yan Chi stood was only a few steps from Qin Wan. When she went to look, indeed, this cluster of purple bamboo had the same shallow indentation marks they’d seen earlier. Yan Chi pointed to another spot, “Look, this stalk has it too.”
Yan Chi moved aside, and Qin Wan stepped closer, almost walking between him and the bamboo, though in her eagerness to investigate, she didn’t notice this. “There are marks… On that cluster of purple bamboo over there, only the outermost stalk has a mark, but here two stalks have them. Why is that? If it’s coincidence, it seems too much of one?”
Qin Wan spoke intently, and as she finished, she instinctively turned to look at Yan Chi.
With this turn, Qin Wan suddenly realized she had practically walked into Yan Chi’s embrace, and they were extremely close – if she leaned forward any more, her forehead would touch his chin. Qin Wan’s breath caught, and she quickly leaned back.
Yan Chi paused before stepping back, remaining unperturbed as he nodded, “Yes, it doesn’t seem like a coincidence.”
Qin Wan felt an inexplicable tightness in her chest. She quickly turned away and went to look elsewhere. “These bamboo clusters are closest to the well. I’ll check the others…”
Full of hope, Qin Wan went to look at the next cluster, but after circling it completely, she found no marks. “There’s nothing here… Was it just a coincidence earlier?”
As she spoke, she stubbornly walked to the next cluster. “Nothing here either…”
Before she finished speaking, Yan Chi said from the other side, “There’s one here.”
Qin Wan had instinctively chosen to walk in the opposite direction from Yan Chi, and now he stood across from her. She made a surprised sound but didn’t walk toward him, instead continuing to circle the well, examining two more bamboo clusters. After crossing the trench, just when Qin Wan thought the next cluster would have nothing, she found another mark!
“There’s one here. How strange – why are they only on the east side of the well, but not the west?” Qin Wan lightly touched the mark on the bamboo, then looked up its length. As she did, she noticed the bamboo tops leaned toward the well. Looking around, she saw that all the marked bamboo stalks pointed toward the well.
Qin Wan walked toward Yan Chi’s position, examining cluster by cluster. Indeed, every cluster on the well’s east side had scrape marks. Qin Wan frowned, “Not every bamboo stalk has marks, only the outer one or two in each cluster.”
“No, this one has three marked stalks…”
Yan Chi stood before a bamboo cluster. Qin Wan looked at him as something suddenly flashed through her mind. She immediately went over and stood behind the cluster to look at the well. Meanwhile, Yan Chi said, “Were these bamboo stalks used to tie something?”
Qin Wan looked through the bamboo cluster at the well, and suddenly her eyes lit up!
“Your Highness is right! Something was tied here!”
Yan Chi looked over intently, and Qin Wan’s face became animated, “Your Highness, I know now!”
Yan Chi looked at Qin Wan, then at the bamboo cluster, and then around the area. He seemed to have realized something too. “You know how the killer moved the Demon-Suppressing Stone?!”
Qin Wan’s eyes brightened as she pointed to the nearby bamboo, “Using the bamboo!”
Yan Chi’s lips curved slightly, but he asked questioningly, “Using bamboo?”
Qin Wan seemed encouraged, her face showing confident certainty, “Yes! Using bamboo! I was wrong before – moving the Demon-Suppressing Stone did require great strength, but it didn’t necessarily need a strong man. With these bamboo stalks, even a woman could do it!”
Yan Chi smiled silently, while Fu Ling, who had followed them, asked in confusion, “Miss, what do you mean? Moving stones with bamboo?”
Qin Wan turned to look at Fu Ling, “Yes! Moving stones with bamboo!”
Seeing Fu Ling still confused, Qin Wan suddenly grabbed a bamboo stalk and tried to bend it down.
Fu Ling hurriedly said, “Miss, what are you doing? Let me do it, be careful not to hurt your hands…”
As Fu Ling walked forward, Qin Wan suddenly let go. When she released it, the bent bamboo immediately straightened, causing the top to sway with a rustling sound. “See? This is the power of bamboo. I used all my strength to bend it down, but the bamboo pulled back equally hard. If one bent bamboo has little force, what about many? Tie the rope to both the bent bamboo and the Demon-Suppressing Stone, and add human strength – wouldn’t that equal the strength of a powerful man?”
Qin Wan turned to look at the Demon-Suppressing Stone. “This stone has been moved and is now north of the well, but Your Highness should remember, when we first came, the stone was east of the well!”
“And these indentations on the bamboo were made to keep the ropes from slipping off as the bamboo bent! The bamboo clusters vary in density, and she couldn’t tie all the stalks in a cluster, nor would that provide enough force even if she could. So she chose the outermost, easiest-to-bend stalks. That’s why several clusters have marked stalks, all east of the well!”
Fu Ling’s eyes widened in disbelief, “This method… it’s truly ingenious!”
Qin Wan felt a surge of emotion. The method was indeed ingenious. Without seeing these marks, how could she have imagined someone would use such a method? Bamboo is inanimate but flexible – using its natural force to make people think several people, or one extremely strong man, had moved the stone. This kept them from suspecting the truth from the beginning.
“Liu Chun had pastry crumbs under his fingernails – he had eaten something and was likely drugged when killed. As for Madam Liu, the killer probably caught her by surprise, and being a woman, she wouldn’t have had much strength to resist.”
Qin Wan looked at Yan Chi somewhat frustrated, “I was wrong from the start. The killer must be a woman, and with all these bamboo stalks, this person can’t be very strong.”
Yan Chi walked over, “Someone used misdirection, and none of us saw through it. Now that you’ve solved how the Demon-Suppressing Stone was moved, we can investigate other directions. Don’t be upset.”
Qin Wan sighed, “If it’s a woman, she’s likely someone of status in the inner court – perhaps one of the housekeepers, or maybe an old servant who knew about this matter back then and had some relationship with Liu Chun, which is why he trusted her.”
Speaking thus, Qin Wan suddenly thought of Old Lady Liu.
Qin Wan’s eyes brightened, “I know someone – she told me about the Second Concubine’s matter last time. When that hadn’t been revealed yet, she didn’t say much, but I always felt she knew more. If we ask now, she might tell us more – it’s Old Lady Liu who’s in charge of the kitchen.”
Yan Chi nodded, “Good, you go find her. I’ll question others. A few days ago, Prefecture Governor Huo had a list of people who’ve been at the Qin Manor for over eight years, including several female attendants.”
Qin Wan nodded and eagerly headed west toward the servants’ quarters with Fu Ling.