The light from the wax candle reflected faintly in the tent. Following Qin Wan’s direction, Yan Chi saw the clear bruising marks on both sides of Fu Desheng’s jaw and around his Adam’s apple.
After a moment of contemplation, Yan Chi said, “So this suggests the victim likely knew his attacker? If he had encountered a hostile stranger, he would never have carelessly turned his back.”
Qin Wan nodded in agreement. “Based on what we’ve found so far, that seems likely.”
Though candles lit the tent, it wasn’t as bright as daylight. Qin Wan frowned slightly, feeling she couldn’t see enough. Yan Chi, noticing her concern, moved closer to the candlestick. Qin Wan bent down and glanced up at him.
As their eyes met, a spark from the candle flickered briefly, reflecting like a shooting star in both their gazes. Yan Chi reached out to brush a stray lock of hair behind Qin Wan’s ear. She smiled slightly before lowering her head again to examine Fu Desheng’s neck wounds. Her smile quickly faded as her expression turned serious.
“The wound is deep, and the bleeding hasn’t stopped yet. It’s not suitable for autopsy now. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to determine the wound’s trajectory,” Qin Wan said softly while examining the torn edges of the wound. “The irregular outer edges suggest weapon-induced abrasion, likely caused when Fu Desheng used his last bit of strength to break free. With such a severe injury, pulling out the weapon was extremely dangerous. He managed to escape and make it from the pharmacy to the edge of the square, but this is also why he died so quickly.”
She continued examining several other areas before gesturing to Yan Chi to turn Fu Desheng over.
Upon turning him, they first noticed several old scars on his body. This Western Liang general, over forty years old, had led troops for many years and devoted his life to military service. Now he lay dead in a foreign land.
Qin Wan’s expression grew solemn as she began carefully examining the bruises on Fu Desheng’s back.
“There’s bruising on the victim’s left shoulder in a dotted line pattern, likely from the killer trying to grab his shoulder before the victim broke free. There’s also a small bruise on his lower back, too small to be from a punch or kick…”
Qin Wan’s brows furrowed deeply as she suddenly asked, “Where was the candlestick found?”
Yan Chi quickly replied, “At the pharmacy entrance.”
Qin Wan nodded, “The candlestick was likely the weapon used!”
Yan Chi considered this. “Fu Desheng broke free, the killer first grabbed his shoulder with their left hand but he escaped, and then the killer struck him with the candlestick in their right hand. Though the blow was severe, Fu Desheng still managed to flee. The killer didn’t dare pursue, and Fu Desheng made it to the square before bleeding to death.”
Qin Wan agreed, “That’s exactly right.”
She looked further but found no other obvious injuries. Standing up straight, she said, “The time since death is too short – some deeper injuries may not have surfaced yet. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to examine further!”
After some thought, she continued, “Fu Desheng was skilled in martial arts, yet someone managed to choke him from behind. This person must not have seemed threatening to him. Either it was someone who wouldn’t seem out of place in the pharmacy, like an apprentice, or someone he knew well. Moreover, this person not only fit one of these categories but was also highly skilled in martial arts. Even if Fu Desheng wasn’t suspicious, an ordinary person couldn’t have easily killed him, right?”
Yan Chi nodded. “Indeed. Even without being suspicious, Fu Desheng would have instinctively defended against someone approaching suddenly. But the killer gave him no chance, showing they were extremely fast. This person wasn’t just martially skilled – their motive for killing Fu Desheng is quite strange. The fact that Fu Desheng didn’t strike first suggests he saw nothing unusual about their presence.”
This question warranted deep consideration, and both Yan Chi and Qin Wan fell silent for a moment.
“Fu Desheng was killed in the pharmacy, yet he wasn’t suspicious at first…”
As Yan Chi muttered this, Qin Wan said, “You should know that I’ve personally handled the medicine these past few days, yet others believe Crown Prince Tuoba’s medicine is being prepared in the pharmacy. Could this be related?”
Yan Chi’s phoenix eyes narrowed. “The pharmacy has been searched, and the medicine pots tampered with. We don’t know if poison was added – you’ll need to check later. If an apprentice was tampering with something and Fu Desheng caught them, they might have given him a plausible explanation to gain his trust but knew that if Fu Desheng told others, it would raise suspicions. So after he lowered his guard, the killer ambushed and killed him.”
“Very possible—” Qin Wan frowned immediately, “But this person couldn’t have been an apprentice – what apprentice would have such advanced martial arts skills? Could it be someone from Northern Wei?”
Yan Chi nodded. Qin Wan glanced again at Fu Desheng’s body, “With Fu Desheng’s wound, there must have been heavy bleeding. I suspect the killer would have blood stains on them. It would be best if we could search for that now!”
Yan Chi’s gaze steadied. “We need to investigate both the apprentices and other suspects. Let’s go out first, and find an opportunity tomorrow for you to examine the body again.”
It was late, and the camp was full of prying eyes. Additionally, Fu Desheng’s body was still warm, so there was no benefit to Qin Wan staying longer. She covered Fu Desheng’s body with his clothes before leaving with Yan Chi.
“You return to watch over Tuoba Hong’s tent first.”
Qin Wan nodded and quickly headed toward Tuoba Hong’s tent, while Yan Chi led his men back to the banquet square.
By now, the square had cleared out. Everyone who had remained at the banquet was above suspicion for the murder. As the camp needed to be searched and sealed off, Yan Huan and Lin Zhang had sent all the guests back. Seeing Yan Chi approach, Yan Huan hurriedly asked, “Did the Ninth Miss discover anything?”
Yan Chi replied, “Fu Desheng was killed in the pharmacy. Someone must have been causing trouble there when he discovered them. However, this person’s identity was such that their presence in the pharmacy wouldn’t have seemed strange to Fu Desheng, so he wasn’t immediately suspicious. This is why he was vulnerable to the killer’s attack from behind. The killer’s strike was fatal – they must be highly skilled in martial arts and very familiar with combat. Now, I want to search for people who could have gone to the pharmacy at that time without arousing suspicion.”
Yan Huan raised an eyebrow. “Those who could go to the pharmacy without suspicion – wouldn’t that be the pharmacy’s apprentices and Northern Wei’s attendants? Liu Yun is also ill, so Western Liang’s attendants could have gone too.”
Yan Chi nodded. “Indeed, these are the possibilities.”
Yan Huan immediately said, “Good, you go investigate. I’ll wait in the main tent for your news!”
Yan Chi acknowledged and led his men toward the Northern Wei camp!
When Qin Wan returned to Tuoba Hong’s tent, Tuoba Wu immediately stood up. “How did it go?”
Qin Wan shook her head. “He’s gone.”
Tuoba Wu’s eyes widened. “How can that be? How could someone just die for no reason?”
Qin Wan sighed. Her clothes still carried a faint smell of blood – who could have imagined a night banquet would result in murder? “General Fu was ambushed and killed. The killer stabbed his neck with a candlestick, causing massive bleeding. He only made it to the edge of the square before collapsing and dying.”
Tuoba Wu’s eyes grew large. “Another murder!”
Seeing Tuoba Wu’s shocked expression, Qin Wan didn’t mention that this case might be connected to the Northern Wei incident. She merely offered some brief comfort. Tuoba Wu looked at the medicine pot and stove in the corner of the tent and asked quietly, “Why do we have to do this?”
Since morning, Qin Wan had been brewing medicine in the tent under the pretense of fumigation. Only Tuoba Wu knew that the delivered medicine was used for tent fumigation, while the medicine Qin Wan brewed was what Tuoba Hong drank. This deception was naturally to protect Tuoba Hong, but Tuoba Wu still didn’t fully understand.
After a moment’s thought, Qin Wan explained, “Medicine is crucial. If someone wants to harm Crown Prince Tuoba now, poisoning the medicine would be their only option. That’s why we need this deception. Also, if the killer tries to tamper with the medicine, we can catch them in the act.”
Tuoba Wu nodded, but before she could speak, voices came from outside. Tuoba Wu and Qin Wan exchanged glances before quickly walking out. They found Yan Chi leading men to question people, with Xu Chang and others following behind, all looking indignant and stern. Tuoba Wu asked in surprise, “What’s happening?”
Xu Chang immediately bowed and said, “Princess, Young Lord Yan suspects Northern Wei people are responsible for General Fu’s death tonight.”
Upon hearing this, Tuoba Wu became angry and glared at Yan Chi. “Young Lord, what makes you say this?!”
Yan Chi looked at Tuoba Wu. “Did the guards at the entrance leave their posts earlier?”
Besides Yan Chi’s arranged guards, there were also Northern Wei’s guards at the entrance. Yan Chi’s question was directed at the Northern Wei guards. Tuoba Wu immediately looked at one of the Northern Wei guards. “Did any of you leave?”
The two guards immediately shook their heads. “No, none of us left.”
Tuoba Wu lifted her chin defiantly. “What else does Young Lord have to say?”
Yan Chi made no response and turned to Xu Chang. “Take me to check the other Northern Wei envoys’ tents.”
Xu Chang nodded, his face still showing exhaustion. He and his fellow soldiers had been sleeping when Yan Chi suddenly burst in, announcing Fu Desheng’s death. Why should Northern Wei be connected to Western Liang’s affairs? When Tuoba Hong was attacked, Liu Yun was extremely gleeful about the misfortune. Now that Western Liang was in turmoil, Xu Chang felt quite satisfied!
Watching Yan Chi leave, Tuoba Wu sniffed dismissively. “It’s already been proven that Liu Yun wasn’t behind my brother’s attack. Are we supposed to kill Western Liang people for revenge now?! Why come questioning us?”
Qin Wan sighed. “Princess, General Fu was attacked in the pharmacy.”
Tuoba Wu turned around, blinking. “The pharmacy? What does the pharmacy have to do with us Northern Wei?”
Qin Wan led Tuoba Wu into the tent before quietly explaining what she hadn’t said earlier. After listening, Tuoba Wu frowned, her anger finally subsiding…
Meanwhile, Yan Che and Yan Qi, having searched the entire camp, arrived at Yan Huan’s tent.
Yan Che reported, “Your son led men to search the eastern half of the camp. Apart from catching a group of lazy imperial guards, we found nothing!”
Yan Qi raised an eyebrow. “Father, I have caught two suspects.”
Yan Che and Yan Huan both looked at Yan Qi. How had Yan Qi found suspicious individuals when Yan Che’s search had yielded nothing?
With a hint of pride in his eyes, Yan Qi stated firmly, “Father, these two suspects were found outside the horse paddock. They were drunk, and when we found them, one was grabbing the other and they were arguing. When I questioned them, they each accused the other of suspicious behavior.”
Yan Huan quickly asked, “Have they been arrested?”
Yan Qi nodded. “Yes, they’re bound and awaiting judgment.”
Yan Huan nodded. “Good, let’s wait for Yan Chi’s return to hear his findings.”
Yan Qi glanced briefly in Yan Che’s direction and said solemnly, “During tonight’s banquet, such a bloody incident occurred in the camp. Besides blaming the killer, the camp’s security was inadequate, otherwise, the murderer couldn’t have escaped so easily. After the last incident, Father had intended to tighten camp security, but I wonder how the Crown Prince arranged it?”
This was questioning Yan Che’s responsibility as the hunt’s supervisor.
Yan Che frowned. “Father, I…”
Before Yan Che could explain, Yan Huan raised his hand to stop him. “Now is not the time for this discussion. Let’s see how things are going with Yan Chi. Liu Yun will certainly cause an uproar when he wakes tomorrow – we’d better have an explanation tonight.”
Just as he finished speaking, Yan Chi entered from outside. After paying his respects, Yan Huan quickly asked, “How did it go?”
Yan Chi’s expression was grave. “Your Majesty, we found little. Neither Northern Wei nor Western Liang attendants showed any suspicious activity tonight. As for the pharmacy apprentices, they were sent to the medicine storehouse to sort medicines at dusk.”
Yan Huan raised an eyebrow. “Sort medicines?!”
Yan Chi nodded. “It was Ninth Miss’s afternoon order. Crown Prince Tuoba needed both medicinal soup and wound medicine. The pharmacy’s supplies alone weren’t enough, but that afternoon, Western Liang’s Third Prince was also using medicine. The apprentice couldn’t leave then, so they waited until the evening banquet began. However, the guards outside the pharmacy had been lured away.”
Everyone’s expression changed slightly. Yan Chi continued, “Before the incident, the pharmacy guards say they saw a shadow flash past behind the pharmacy. Finding it suspicious, they gave chase toward the northwest but found no one. When they returned, they learned of General Fu’s death.”
Yan Huan quickly asked, “During the earlier examination, could you determine any other characteristics of the killer?”
Yan Chi shook his head. “Nothing else for now. General Fu had just died today – it’s not suitable for autopsy and deeper injuries aren’t visible yet. Tomorrow, another examination will reveal more.”
Yan Qi and Yan Chi both frowned simultaneously. Yan Qi couldn’t help asking, “Examination? Didn’t no coroner come with the camp?”
Yan Huan frowned, realizing he had misspoken. Seeing this, Yan Chi quickly said, “It’s one of my guards who, while training in martial arts, also mastered forensic skills. Not a coroner from any official department.”
Yan Qi nodded, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as he recalled the scene at the Lin’an City funeral home three months ago. Didn’t Yan Chi indeed have someone skilled in examining corpses?
With this thought, Yan Qi’s brows furrowed deeply – had that person also come on this hunting trip?!