Qin Yan frowned deeply. “His hands and feet were all chopped off?”
Little Li Zi nodded, his face pale. “Yes… Uncle Zhang said so. They haven’t told the Young Master yet. Uncle Zhang doesn’t know what to do…”
Sun Muqing’s expression turned serious. “Lead the way!”
Little Li Zi was completely flustered. He had originally intended to let Madam Lin handle this, but when Madam Lin heard about the death, she too was frightened. Now that Sun Muqing had given an order, he immediately turned to lead the way. After all, Sun Muqing was a member of the Sun family, and seeing this, Madam Lin tacitly approved.
Qin Wan maintained a grave expression and followed along, but Qin Yan grabbed her arm. “Ninth Sister, where do you think you’re going?”
A murder case had occurred right in this residence. Not only were they going to stay here for a few more days, but even if they weren’t, she couldn’t possibly stand idly by. Qin Wan struggled briefly before saying in a low voice, “Third Brother, aren’t you worried something might happen to us if we don’t figure out what’s going on?”
Hearing this, Qin Yan realized the gravity of the situation. Although Sun Muqing meant well, and Divine Doctor Sun had his reputation, how could things in this world be so simple? Besides the murder case, if one thought about it, even they couldn’t completely avoid being implicated. Qin Yan released Qin Wan. “I’ll go look. You all stay in the courtyard.”
Qin Wan shook her head. “Third Brother, have you forgotten? I know medical arts too. Someone with medical knowledge might be able to discern something.”
Qin Wan didn’t want to argue further with Qin Yan. Ahead of them, Sun Muqing heard Qin Wan’s words and paused, turning around. Seeing Qin Wan’s unwavering determination to follow, his lips moved slightly but he said nothing.
Qin Shuang stamped her foot. “Don’t worry, Third Brother. When the Qin Manor had that incident before, Ninth Sister helped the Young Master and the Magistrate investigate. They both trust Ninth Sister very much. I want to go too…”
With these words, Qin Shuang followed Qin Wan forward, making Qin Yan appear somewhat left behind. Qin Yan narrowed his eyes, glancing at Qin Wan’s retreating figure before following along.
Since their masters were going, Fu Ling, Wan Qing, and the others naturally had to follow. Meanwhile, Zhou Huai quickly walked up to Qin Yan and whispered, “Young Master, this matter seems unusual. Please be careful.”
Qin Yan nodded. “Go check the front and see if all our people are accounted for. We must not get involved in this.”
Zhou Huai departed with his orders, and Qin Yan caught up with the main group.
Little Li Zi was practically jogging as he led the way. Sun Muqing turned back to Madam Lin again. “Madam Lin, you mentioned earlier that Little Song Zi was missing. Was this discovered this morning?”
Madam Lin was elderly and struggled to keep up. Catching her breath, she replied, “Yes. The residence doesn’t have many servants. In the kitchen, usually only this servant and another cook, Madam Xu, prepare meals. Little Song Zi was a helper, just three people in total. This morning, when breakfast was almost ready and Little Song Zi hadn’t shown up, Madam Xu and I were busy and didn’t go to the servants’ quarters to look for him. We first sent Little Li Zi to call him, but Little Li Zi said he wasn’t in the servants’ quarters. Seeing we were running out of time, we simply asked Little Li Zi to help instead.”
Little Li Zi, walking at the front, quickly added, “This humble servant went to check, and Little Song Zi truly wasn’t in his room at the time.”
Sun Muqing nodded. “Let’s go see first…”
They headed east, not quite reaching Renxin Court before turning onto a small path, winding left and right before coming around to the back eaves gutter of a courtyard. As soon as they turned the corner, the smell of blood wafted out. Sun Muqing, walking in front, saw something and raised his hand to stop those behind him.
“Don’t come any closer—”
At these words, Qin Shuang’s face showed fear. She couldn’t even bear to look at a dead cat, let alone a human corpse. She had only followed out of curiosity. But Qin Yan spoke up, “Master Sun, there’s no need to worry. If you can look, so can we. Those who are afraid can simply stay outside…”
Hearing this, Sun Muqing no longer tried to stop them, and the next moment, Qin Yan and Qin Wan stepped forward together.
As they turned the corner, Qin Yan’s pupils contracted violently. Although he had heard Little Li Zi describe the dead person’s condition, when he saw it with his own eyes, he still couldn’t suppress the tremor in his heart. He had to bite his teeth hard to keep down the surge in his stomach.
Last night’s heavy snow had covered the entire Hundred Herbs Garden in white again, except for the areas sheltered by tree shadows and under the eaves of each courtyard, which remained dry. Little Song Zi’s corpse sat slumped against the wall, his head tilted awkwardly to one side. His sideburns hung loose, matted against his face with blood foam. His eyes were wide open, with blood stains at the corners of his mouth and on his chest. But what was most shocking were his hands and feet. He appeared to be only seventeen or eighteen years old, with a thin frame and long limbs…
However, now his right hand had been chopped off and lay on the ground, his left hand hanging by a thread of flesh from his arm. Both legs bore multiple wounds, bloody and mangled with visible white bone, the flesh barely connected like his left hand. On his chest and abdomen, dark black blood had frozen into icy crystals, forming a horrifying scene of brutality along with his tattered clothes and several bright red bloody holes…
Qin Yan looked carefully, but the more he looked, the harder it became to suppress the acid rising in his stomach. After a few more moments, when he could no longer hold back, he instinctively turned his head away, only to see Qin Wan beside him, calm and composed.
Qin Yan was startled. Qin Shuang had been too frightened to come look and stood outside, but Qin Wan not only came in to look, but her current demeanor seemed even more relaxed and composed than his…
“Heavens… *urgh*…”
Madam Lin was the last to follow, having fallen behind earlier due to a lack of strength. As soon as she turned the corner, she let out a cry of shock, which was immediately followed by retching as she turned away.
How could ordinary people handle such a scene?
Sun Muqing covered his nose and mouth with his hand and looked toward a middle-aged man standing to the side with eyes full of distress. “Uncle Zhang?”
The middle-aged man nodded with reddened eyes. “Young Master… This humble servant discovered him.”
“How did you discover him?”
When Sun Muqing asked, the middle-aged man’s face showed disbelief. “This servant got up this morning intending to sweep the snow from around Renxin Court, but I needed some tools, so I came to the storage yard. Before I even reached it, I saw a black cat. Yesterday, Old Dong mentioned that there might be stray cats in the courtyard these days and told everyone to catch and drive them out if we saw any. When I saw that black cat, I immediately thought to chase it away, but the wild cat darted into this alley. As I followed, scolding it, I turned the corner and saw Little Song Zi…”
As Uncle Zhang spoke, his eyes showed terror. Qin Yan thought about how he would react if he had stumbled upon Little Song Zi in such a state without any warning, and his heart tightened – even he would likely have lost his composure…
“Where is Uncle Dong? No matter what, we must report this to the authorities. Where is the nearest government office?”
At this question, Uncle Zhang quickly replied, “This place falls under Yuan Prefecture’s Ji County. The county office is over seventy li to the east. If we go to report it, it would take two days and nights round trip.”
Sun Muqing frowned. “Regardless, we must report it. Uncle Zhang, quickly go find Uncle Dong to make arrangements.”
Uncle Zhang nodded. Meanwhile, Madam Lin had finished retching and turned back, still unable to look at Little Song Zi, crying as she spoke, “How could this happen? Little Song Zi was always so obedient and well-behaved, how could someone harm him like this…”
Sun Muqing frowned but stepped forward toward Little Song Zi. Little Song Zi had died brutally – he sat slumped with a large pool of blood beneath him on the ground. Due to the cold, it had formed a crimson ice lake in the remaining gutter space.
Seeing Sun Muqing approach, Madam Lin quickly said, “Young Master, what are you doing? Don’t dirty your shoes.”
Sun Muqing narrowed his eyes. “Little Song Zi died so brutally. The killer harbored deep anger and hatred. Madam Lin, did Little Song Zi have any enemies?”
Madam Lin shook her head. “No, no. It was precisely because Little Song Zi was so well-behaved that I had earlier thought about adopting him as my godson. Since it was approaching the end of the year, I was planning to discuss it after the New Year.”
Madam Lin wiped away tears, clearly showing great fondness for Little Song Zi.
Sun Muqing took a deep breath. “In a case like this, the first three days after the incident are the best time for investigation. We should investigate everything we can, not wait for the officials to arrive.”
Madam Lin made a sound of surprise and hadn’t finished speaking when Uncle Dong’s voice carried over.
“Young Master, should we investigate this matter ourselves?” everyone turned around to see Uncle Dong walking around the corner. He first glanced at Little Song Zi, then lowered his eyes with a pained expression before sighing, “If we wait for the officials, it might be too late.”
Sun Muqing frowned. “While we should investigate ourselves, this is still a murder case. We can’t not report it.”
Uncle Dong pondered for a moment. “Very well, I’ll go speak with the Young Master right away.”
Sun Muqing sighed. “Good, go ask Senior Brother’s opinion.”
Uncle Dong glanced at Little Song Zi once more, then turned to Qin Yan and Qin Wan. “Master Qin, Miss Qin, I deeply apologize for such an incident occurring in our residence. Please return to your quarters, especially Miss Qin – we wouldn’t want you to be frightened.”
Qin Yan shook his head. “Uncle Dong, in such circumstances, please don’t treat us as outsiders. It’s better if we all work together to clear this up, to prevent any further incidents.”
Qin Wan added, “Don’t worry, Uncle Dong. I have some medical knowledge and have seen patients before. Such scenes don’t particularly frighten me.”
Uncle Dong looked at Qin Wan with surprise, could only sigh and nod, then instructed those waiting outside, “Keep watch here carefully. Don’t let anyone else enter.”
Meanwhile, Sun Muqing crouched down to examine the corpse closely. “The hands and feet were cut with a sharp blade, but the cuts are very messy. The killer seems to have been in a rage, venting… The wounds on the chest and abdomen are extremely deep, likely the fatal wounds.”
Hearing Sun Muqing’s analysis, Madam Lin quickly asked, “Young Master, you truly know how to examine this?”
Sun Muqing didn’t deny it. “I only know a little. We’ll need the coroner from the magistrate’s office for details. Best not to move him. Find something to cordon off this area for when the officials come to investigate.”
Madam Lin was slightly surprised. “We’re not going to move the body inside?”
Sun Muqing shook his head. “The cold outside will help prevent the body from decomposing.”
Qin Wan stood behind Sun Muqing. Though she hadn’t looked up close, she could see the chaotic and brutal nature of the wounds, and while Sun Muqing’s observations were correct, they weren’t detailed enough. Qin Wan hesitated – with no one clearly in charge, should she examine the body?
Just then, footsteps came from outside. Qin Wan turned to look and saw Uncle Dong returning with a grave expression. “Young Master, I’ve spoken with the Young Master. He also says we should request the county officials to come. I’ve already sent two people out – the county officials should arrive by dark tomorrow.”
Sun Muqing stood up. “Good. Uncle Dong, as I just told Madam Lin, don’t disturb anything here. The officials will look for clues when they arrive. The cold weather will help preserve the body.”
Uncle Dong nodded, understanding Sun Muqing’s meaning. Sun Muqing turned and glanced around, noticing Qin Wan still staring intently at Little Song Zi. Even Qin Yan couldn’t bear to look at such a scene, yet Qin Wan seemed to be studying it with great focus. Somewhat surprised, Sun Muqing stepped back two paces. “Ninth Miss, aren’t you afraid?”
Uncle Dong had already ordered people to prepare barriers. Qin Wan moved further back and shook her head. “No, I’m not.”
Sun Muqing was briefly startled. From around the corner, Qin Shuang peeked her head out. “Of course, Ninth Sister isn’t afraid. When the Qin Manor had that incident before, Ninth Sister helped the officials examine human bones…”
The Qin family didn’t know exactly what Qin Wan had done to help the officials, but many had witnessed her examining bones. Hearing Qin Shuang’s words, Sun Muqing’s eyes brightened further. “Could Ninth Miss know forensic techniques?”
Qin Wan lowered her eyes. “It started with medicine. My parents knew some medical arts and began teaching me from childhood. Later, I happened to read some mystery novels and writings by Lord Shen Yi, the former Chief Minister of the Court of Judicature. I suddenly realized that forensics and medicine have much in common – one deals with the living, while the other lets the dead speak.”
Qin Wan looked up, her expression calm and composed. “I was already deeply fascinated by medicine, and when I discovered forensics’ connection to medicine, I sought out many books to read. Naturally, I came to understand more than most people.”
Where once Shen Wan had learned forensics first and medicine second, now Qin Wan reversed the order, matching the Ninth Miss’s background while not arousing Sun Muqing’s suspicions. She knew she couldn’t hide her forensic knowledge forever, so it was better to be open about it. Sure enough, Sun Muqing’s eyes lit up with delight. “How coincidental…”
Qin Wan looked at Sun Muqing. “What do you mean, Master Sun? What’s coincidental?”
Sun Muqing took a deep breath. “I mentioned before that Ninth Miss shares the same character ‘Wan’ in her name as my little Junior Sister, but I never expected that you would also be versed in forensics.”
Qin Wan raised an eyebrow, remaining modest. “I wouldn’t say I’m versed in it. I just understand more than the average person from the books I’ve read and my medical training…”
“No, no, it’s truly remarkable. How many young ladies would develop an interest in forensics?” Sun Muqing’s chest heaved as he looked at Qin Wan with bright eyes. “Ninth Miss doesn’t know, but my Junior Sister was…”
Sun Muqing stopped himself mid-sentence. Shen Yi’s entire family had become criminals, and he wasn’t sure if he should mention them. With a sigh, he changed course. “My Junior Sister was also skilled in forensics. Someone in her family did this work, so she learned forensics before medicine – the opposite of Ninth Miss’s path.”
Qin Wan’s lips curved slightly. “That is indeed quite coincidental, but unfortunately…”
She trailed off, and Sun Muqing’s eyes darkened. “Yes, unfortunately… If things were different, she would surely have loved to be friends with Ninth Miss.” Turning back to Little Song Zi, he asked, “What does Ninth Miss make of this?”
Qin Wan narrowed her eyes. “The killer was brutal. The fatal wounds are likely knife wounds to the chest. Judging by the width and angle of the wounds, the weapon was probably a cleaver or similar short blade.”
She looked at the large bloodstain on the wall above Little Song Zi’s head.
Besides the blood on and under Little Song Zi’s chest and abdomen, there was a large bloodstain on the wall he was leaning against, with an especially dark patch above his head. Qin Wan continued, “He was likely stabbed while pinned against the wall, then his hands and feet were cut off after he collapsed. With wounds like these, if the killer wasn’t a madman who enjoys brutal murder, they must have harbored a deep hatred for Little Song Zi.”
Sun Muqing listened with brightening eyes. He had been examining Little Song Zi’s wounds but hadn’t noticed the bloodstains on the wall. He nodded. “Exactly. Instead of fleeing after the kill, they chose to continue mutilating the body. They must have been driven by hatred. But… Madam Lin said Little Song Zi never made enemies.”
Qin Wan shook her head. “I don’t know about that, but we can look for the murder weapon. If we find it, tracking down the killer will be much simpler.”
Uncle Dong, who had been listening to their conversation, quickly asked, “Ninth Miss says it was likely a cleaver?”
Qin Wan nodded. “Uncle Dong, could you check if all the regular cleavers are accounted for?”
Uncle Dong was about to instruct servants to inquire, but Madam Lin spoke up. “Cleaver… Little Song Zi was responsible for chopping firewood in the kitchen. He would chop the wood bought from outside before bringing it to the kitchen. I remember… I remember he had an ax and a cleaver…”
Uncle Dong frowned. “Little Li Zi, go check Little Song Zi’s room and the woodshed. See if the knife is still there.”
Little Li Zi acknowledged and left immediately. Two male servants brought over barriers to cordon off Little Song Zi’s body. Soon, Little Li Zi came running back. “Uncle Dong, couldn’t find it. It’s not in his room or the shed.”
Everyone was stunned briefly before Sun Muqing quickly realized, “Did the killer take Little Song Zi’s cleaver?”
Qin Wan nodded. “That’s very possible.”
She looked around the back gutter area. The ground was covered in white snow, with no footprints visible except those they had just made. Qin Wan turned to Uncle Zhang, who had first discovered the body. “Uncle Zhang, when you first found Little Song Zi, did you notice any distinct footprints on the ground?”
Uncle Zhang shook his head. “No, only the cat’s prints, if any.”
Mentioning the cat reminded Qin Wan of the cat’s corpse. Her voice grew solemn. “This will be difficult to investigate. The killer left no footprints, suggesting they left before dawn. Uncle Dong can only ask who went out during the night. Anyone with suspicious movements would be the first suspect. With such heavy snow, even if the killer left other clues, they’d be covered up. As for the knife, it could be hidden in any snowbank and would be extremely hard to find.”
Sun Muqing sighed. “Uncle Dong, please make an effort to search first. We don’t know the killer’s motive, and none of us will feel at ease until this is cleared up. By the way, what did Senior Brother say?”
Uncle Dong quickly replied, “The Young Master said to let this old servant handle it. He won’t interfere, and we’ll hand it over to the county officials when they arrive.”
Hearing this, Sun Muqing realized that Sun Haoyue had no interest in the matter. Even a murder case wasn’t as important to him as treating Bai Feiyan. Sun Muqing nodded. “Very well, then we’ll trouble Uncle Dong. There aren’t many servants in the residence. If you need anything from me, just say so.”
Qin Yan added, “Uncle Dong, feel free to deploy the Qin Manor guards.”
Uncle Dong waved his hand and sighed. “No, no, how could we trouble the Young Master and our guests? I’ll gather everyone together and have them search. If we find something, good. If not, we’ll have to wait for the county officials.”
Qin Yan said a few more words, but Uncle Dong still felt uncomfortable using the Qin Manor’s people. Seeing this, Qin Yan stopped insisting. Uncle Dong asked them to return and rest, saying he’d inform them of any developments. Thus, Qin Yan had to lead Qin Wan and Qin Shuang back to their quarters, while Sun Muqing, being a member of the Sun family, stayed to help.
On the way back, Qin Yan asked quietly, “Ninth Sister, what do you make of this?”
Qin Wan narrowed her eyes. “It seems like revenge, but Madam Lin said Little Song Zi was very well-behaved. A normal argument wouldn’t escalate to murder, especially not such a brutal method.”
Fu Ling had seen Little Song Zi’s condition. Despite having followed Qin Wan for so long and seen headless Song Rou, Madam Liu, and Steward Liu, and piles of white bones, she still nearly vomited at the sight of Little Song Zi. Even as they approached their courtyard gate, her back was still cold. She couldn’t imagine what kind of hatred would drive someone to stab Little Song Zi so many times…
“Could someone be trying to take revenge on Hundred Herbs Garden?”
Qin Yan paused mid-step, suddenly suggesting this. Qin Wan’s eyebrows raised slightly. “Revenge on Hundred Herbs Garden?”
Questioned like this, Qin Yan became uncertain. “It’s just a guess. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense.”
Qin Wan sighed softly. What was there to take revenge on Hundred Herbs Garden for? Sun Haoyue was treating his wife’s illness and had helped many people nearby. Even if someone wanted revenge on Hundred Herbs Garden, they wouldn’t kill Little Song Zi.
“We still don’t understand this place well enough. We shouldn’t jump to conclusions.”
Qin Yan nodded. “Indeed. We shouldn’t speculate or interfere. You two go back first and don’t go anywhere once you’re in the courtyard. Better to lock the courtyard gate too.”
Qin Shuang’s face paled upon hearing this. “Even lock the gate?”
Qin Yan made an affirmative sound. “What if the killer plans to kill again…”
Fear filled Qin Shuang’s eyes. Back in the courtyard, she refused to return to her room alone, insisting on staying with Wan Qing, Xiu Yun, and Qin Wan. They hadn’t eaten breakfast that morning and could only eat some leftover snacks from yesterday. Besides, it would be dull to return to their rooms alone in broad daylight, and staying together allowed them to talk.
While Qin Shuang chattered away as usual, Qin Wan was only waiting for news from Sun Muqing. After about an hour, there was a knock at the courtyard gate. “Ninth Miss… please open the door.”
Hearing Sun Muqing’s voice, Fu Ling quickly opened the door. Sun Muqing entered carrying fresh food. “Let’s eat first. We must eat regardless.” Seeing Qin Wan’s eager look, he said directly, “Let’s eat first, and I’ll tell you while we eat.”
Only then did Qin Wan and the others sit down. As they ate, Sun Muqing explained, “We haven’t found the weapon. There are only twenty-three servants in total in this residence, now twenty-two with Little Song Zi dead. Uncle Dong and Madam Lin gathered everyone to question them. No one went out last night. The two sent to the county office have witnesses too. Coincidentally, Little Song Zi lived alone in a side room. Two people saw when he went to sleep, saying his room had a light on, and when they went to bed, his light was out. But no one knows when he left his room…”
Qin Wan frowned deeply. “That’s impossible.”
She had barely eaten anything and put down her chopsticks after hearing Sun Muqing’s words. “It’s impossible for everyone to have alibis. Either someone is lying, or we’re missing something. The murder happened inside the residence – it can’t be completely airtight. Have the servants’ quarters been searched?”
Sun Muqing nodded. “Uncle Dong had them search each other’s quarters. Nothing suspicious was found.”
Qin Wan’s eyes darkened. “So we can only wait for the county officials?”
Having servants search each other could still leave gaps and oversights. Others lacked authority, and only government officials could investigate thoroughly from an outsider’s perspective.
But the county officials wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow night. If nothing else, just the intervening night made everyone uneasy.
Sun Muqing stayed a while longer before leaving. Qin Shuang said, “This is terrible. Once the officials arrive, we probably can’t leave until the case is solved. What should we do?”
Qin Wan shared this concern, but at this point, she only hoped the county officials would arrive quickly.
……
……
The sudden murder not only worried the Qin family members but also cast a dark cloud over Hundred Herbs Garden. Yesterday’s wind and snow had turned to fine flurries during the day, but as darkness approached, the snowflakes seemed to grow larger again. Before it was completely dark, Qin Shuang brought a brocade quilt to Qin Wan’s room.
“Wan Qing, Xiu Yun, bring that couch over. Tonight you’ll sleep outside with Fu Ling and the others.” While giving instructions, Qin Shuang entered the inner room and put her brocade quilt on Qin Wan’s bed.
Qin Wan frowned. “What are you doing?”
Qin Shuang coughed lightly. “The weapon hasn’t been found, and there’s no trace of the killer. I think Third Brother makes sense – the killer might strike again, so we should stay together for safety.”
Qin Wan watched Qin Shuang impassively. After a moment, Qin Shuang finally said with a bitter expression, “Please let me stay here. I’m really scared to sleep alone. Even though the gate is locked, what if the killer climbs in?”
Qin Shuang’s words made Fu Ling and the others pale slightly. Qin Wan looked at Qin Shuang for another moment. Just as Qin Shuang thought Qin Wan would refuse, she said, “Bring another quilt. The night will be cold.”
After all this fuss, Qin Shuang finally achieved her wish of staying with Qin Wan. Before bed, Qin Shuang was worried about Qin Xiang and went with Wan Qing and Xiu Yun to visit her courtyard. Fu Ling and the others thought she would stay a while, but she returned angrily after just a moment. “How ungrateful! Why did I even bother checking on her!”
Fu Ling looked at Qin Shuang sitting beside Qin Wan in surprise and asked quietly, “What happened, Sixth Miss?”
Wan Qing came in from closing the courtyard gate, brushing snow off herself and shaking her head helplessly. Qin Shuang snorted coldly, “I went to tell her to be careful, saying she could even stay in my room if needed – we’re in the same courtyard after all. But not only did she refuse, she also lectured me, saying…”
Qin Shuang broke off, glancing briefly at Qin Wan, then changed course. “Anyway! She’s truly ungrateful. Let her stay alone over there. When I went over, she was still admiring those jade butterflies.”
Fu Ling curved her lips slightly. “Don’t be angry, Sixth Miss. Fifth Miss has her considerations.”
Qin Shuang sniffed. “Indeed… she has grand ideas. I can’t control her. Never mind, let’s wash up and rest early. I just hope the snow stops soon…”
Fu Ling looked at Qin Wan, who nodded before allowing Fu Ling to help her prepare for bed. Soon the lights were extinguished, and everyone slept together. Indeed, with more people in the room, they felt less uneasy than before.
Even so, the night passed in light sleep, and Qin Wan woke early the next morning.
Qin Wan wasn’t used to sleeping with others, but turning over, she saw Qin Shuang sleeping soundly on the inner side, even snoring slightly. Qin Wan got up carefully, finding Fu Ling and the others already awake outside.
“Was it quiet during the night?”
When Qin Wan asked, Fu Ling quickly nodded. “There wasn’t a sound, and the snow has stopped too!”
Qin Wan went to the window to look. Indeed, the snow outside had stopped.
Qin Wan felt relieved. Just as she finished washing up, there was a knock at the courtyard gate. Zhou Huai’s warm, deep voice called from outside, “Ninth Miss… breakfast is ready…”
Qin Wan glanced at Wan Qing. “Go wake your mistress.”
She walked out to answer, and Fu Ling opened the gate. Qin Wan headed toward Qin Yan’s courtyard but didn’t see Sun Muqing. While she hesitated, Qin Yan seemed to read her thoughts. “Master Sun went to Divine Doctor Sun’s quarters. He won’t be joining us for breakfast…”
Qin Wan had only wanted to know how things were in the residence. Hearing this, she nodded in acknowledgment. Soon Qin Shuang arrived in the courtyard, and everyone ate together. Due to the snow delaying their journey and the murder at Hundred Herbs Garden, Qin Yan, Qin Wan, and Qin Shuang all looked gloomy. Only Qin Xiang seemed in good spirits, apparently not anxious to leave and feeling fortunate for not having seen the death scene. After breakfast, she returned to her courtyard alone.
Qin Wan and Qin Shuang also returned to their quarters. After noon, Sun Muqing came to Qin Wan’s courtyard.
“Senior Brother Haoyue went to see Little Song Zi yesterday afternoon too. He ordered all the servants to stay together so any suspicious behavior could be noticed. Nothing happened last night – perhaps because of this.”
“Having everyone stay together is indeed a good way for mutual protection and monitoring.”
Sun Muqing sighed. “I asked Uncle Dong and Senior Brother about how the servants came to be here. Uncle Dong said half were bought from outside six months ago when they settled here. Uncle Dong himself bought them – he was a manor steward in Yizhou before and investigated everyone thoroughly. Little Li Zi and Little Song Zi were both bought then. Little Song Zi had no parents and was very dedicated after arriving. Since Madam Lin wanted to adopt him as her godson, he was very filial to her. Last night, Madam Lin cried until she fell ill. She only got up this morning after taking medicine. Who could have imagined such a thing would happen?”
Qin Wan’s heart sank. “We were worried about last night, but everything was fine. Once the county officials arrive tonight, things will be better. Master Sun needn’t worry too much. Does Madam Sun know about this?”
Qin Wan thought Bai Feiyan shouldn’t know such things while ill, but Sun Muqing shook his head. “Sister-in-law has been unconscious these past few days, so naturally she doesn’t know. Although nothing happened last night, with the killer’s methods being so brutal, we can’t rest easy until they’re found…”
Hearing this, a sudden thought flashed through Qin Wan’s mind. “Right! That person…”
Sun Muqing was startled, and Qin Shuang in the room didn’t understand what Qin Wan meant. Qin Wan looked at Qin Shuang. “Do you remember? That person we met that night, the one Uncle Dong said was mentally unstable…”
Qin Shuang’s eyes showed recognition. “Remember! Of course, I remember! The person who suddenly appeared and startled us!”
Qin Wan nodded and turned to Sun Muqing. “I remember telling Master Sun that on our first night here when we went out to get something, we encountered someone mentally unstable. Uncle Dong said he was a patient confined in the residence.”
Sun Muqing suddenly realized. “Yes, yes, yes! Ninth Miss did mention that!”
Qin Wan narrowed her eyes. “When Uncle Dong questioned the servants, did he question the patients in the residence? The person who killed Little Song Zi was so brutal – besides harboring deep hatred for Little Song Zi, if the killer was mentally unstable, that could also explain such a horrific scene.”
Sun Muqing’s eyes brightened momentarily. “I forgot to ask about that!”
With these words, he immediately stood up. “I’ll go ask Uncle Dong right away…”
Qin Wan nodded, and Sun Muqing ran out of the courtyard. Qin Wan’s heart was slightly raised – if only things were as simple as she suspected…
Not only was Qin Wan anxiously waiting, but Fu Ling and the others were also on edge. After two full cups of tea worth of time, Sun Muqing finally reappeared at Qin Wan’s courtyard gate. He strode in with a dark expression and sighed, “Ninth Miss, it’s not related to the patients. Uncle Dong said the patients were sent away the day before yesterday.”