Zhan Yang hadn’t expected Wu Yu to suddenly come report about the case of the Distant Security Count Manor’s eldest young master. After briefly seeing off Ning Buyi, Zhan Yang led Wu Yu into the government office, all the way to the back hall where Zheng Baishi and Qin Wan were present. Zhan Yang quickly explained the situation.
Both Zheng Baishi and Qin Wan were very surprised. Even Daoist Zhang kept staring at Wu Yu. They hadn’t yet solved the serial murder case, and now another case involving the Wu family’s eldest son had emerged.
“Last time when we visited your manor, you said the eldest young master had run away from home,” Qin Wan asked doubtfully. “Can a single sachet prove that something happened to the Wu family’s eldest son?”
Wu Yu’s face reddened slightly. “When the Princess and Lord Zheng visited before, I hadn’t considered this aspect. But this sachet was left to my eldest brother by his mother. He never parted with it. The sachet usually contained agarwood incense, and he would only remove it when bathing or practicing martial arts in the manor. Very occasionally he might forget it when going out, but whenever my eldest brother went on long trips or wouldn’t return home that night, he would take the sachet with him. If he had made up his mind to leave, he might not take anything else, but he would never leave this sachet behind…”
“The treasure box we found was where my eldest brother usually kept his hairpins, rings, and other ornaments. After he left, we didn’t touch his room. It wasn’t until two years ago when his room started leaking that we saw many items getting wet, so we moved my eldest brother’s belongings to storage. No one opened the treasure box to look at that time. But today, my eldest brother’s former servant, who is now a steward in the manor, discovered the sachet while cleaning the storehouse and reported it to me.”
“I discussed it with my second brother, and he also felt that my eldest brother wouldn’t leave without the sachet. Then I carefully recalled that day – my eldest brother left after arguing with his father in the main hall. He turned and left directly, walking straight out of the manor. He was wearing ordinary casual clothes at the time and didn’t take anything else with him…”
Zheng Baishi said, “If what the Third Young Master says is true, since he left angrily after arguing with the Count, forgetting to take the sachet would be normal. Even if he remembered later, the eldest young master might have been too proud to return, and simply decided to leave it.”
Wu Yu smiled bitterly. “I… what Your Honor says is certainly possible, but how much my brother valued this sachet was known throughout our entire manor… Once, a new servant who didn’t know better took the sachet to wash it, and my brother was so angry he sold that servant off immediately. It’s possible he was too proud to return, but many people went looking for him outside – he could have had someone bring it to him. Moreover, my eldest brother was someone who indulged in pleasure. To say he left for distant lands without taking a single coin is truly hard to believe. Back then we asked all his friends, and none said he had borrowed money.”
Wu Yu sighed again. “All these years, we’ve always felt something happened to my eldest brother, but we never formally reported it to the authorities because we still held onto a bit of hope. But this time with the fourth brother’s incident and father lying ill in bed, we wanted to take this opportunity to report the case and have the authorities investigate my eldest brother’s death together. We were hesitating before, but after finding this sachet, both my second brother and I felt something was wrong, so we came.”
After Wu Yu explained so much, Zheng Baishi understood. “I understand your meaning. However, this case is already four years old and won’t be easy to investigate. Right now we’re focusing on investigating the Fourth Young Master’s case. We’ll do our best with your case.”
Wu Yu let out a breath. “That’s good enough, thank you, Lord Zheng.”
Zheng Baishi nodded and instructed Zhan Yang, “Take the Third Young Master to make a registration.”
Zhan Yang gestured and led Wu Yu out. After they left, Zheng Baishi looked at Qin Wan and said, “This eldest young master of the Distant Security Count Manor, Wu Jin, wasn’t a good person either. His birth mother passed early, and the Count was unaccomplished in his youth, so naturally couldn’t teach his son well. Later he married the current madam, but the eldest and second sons wouldn’t submit to their stepmother’s authority. This fourth son was also spoiled from childhood. Except for the third son, the other three all had bad habits. Ironically, the third son isn’t the Count’s biological child.”
Qin Wan frowned slightly. It was already strange that among four sons, only the third was good, and even more peculiar that this third son wasn’t biological. Qin Wan instinctively felt something was odd about the Distant Security Count Manor, but couldn’t immediately identify what. Glancing over, she noticed Daoist Zhang standing to the side, silent but thoughtful.
So Qin Wan asked, “What does the Daoist think of this Wu Yu?”
Daoist Zhang smiled slightly. “This Third Young Master has a face that indicates longevity. However, his eyes don’t reveal their spirit and droop at the corners – a sign of someone who conceals schemes and methods. Judging by how he speaks, he’s also someone who handles matters smoothly. Earlier when Your Honor mentioned that only the third son in the Distant Security Count’s family was raised well, this Third Young Master must have put in considerable effort.”
Qin Wan pressed her lips together, and Zheng Baishi was momentarily speechless. The overt and covert struggles in noble families were no less intense than those at court. Though there was no direct evidence for what Daoist Zhang said, it was quite a possible inference.
Meanwhile, Zhan Yang took Wu Yu to register the new case and soon returned to the back hall. “This Third Young Master should have reported the case earlier. Now four years have passed, and when he came to inquire before, he didn’t say so much.”
Back then, the Wu family had only asked if there were any victims matching the description of their eldest son, without mentioning their suspicion that something had happened to him. The capital’s government offices were already busy with many matters, so naturally, the prefect at the time wouldn’t think to take the initiative in opening a case.
With Daoist Zhang’s words still fresh in their minds, Zheng Baishi and Qin Wan remained silent for a moment. Daoist Zhang said, “Your Honor, Princess, I’ve deduced this location. Shall we go take a look?”
Zhan Yang, still shaken by yesterday’s events, quickly said, “The Princess need not go. You should return to the Marquis Manor first.”
Zhan Yang had informed Zheng Baishi about yesterday’s incident, and hearing this, Zheng Baishi strongly agreed. Seeing their concern, Qin Wan sighed and had to say, “Very well then, I’ll head back first.”
Qin Wan left the government office and got into her carriage, Daoist Zhang’s words still echoing in her ears.
The Great Zhou’s laws only applied to common people. Once it came to officialdom and the royal family, the laws encountered many obstacles. The eldest young master of the Distant Security Count’s family had waited a full four years before filing a case – who knew what schemes and calculations lay in between?
Qin Wan rubbed her temples. Wu Jin’s was just a disappearance case, while Wu Yu’s was a murder case with four victims. The priority was obvious. Unfortunately, even with Ning Buyi’s help in drawing the portrait, the killer’s features remained unclear.
Meanwhile, Daoist Zhang followed Zhan Yang out of the government office, taking five or six constables to the intersection of South and West City. There was a patch of newly constructed houses there. When they arrived, Zhan Yang saw many craftsmen sawing wood in preparation for building houses.
Daoist Zhang said, “This place faces the Well Mansion of the Vermilion Bird, but there are tools everywhere and no stone materials visible. The killer probably won’t act here—”
Since it was the Stone Mill Hell, it should have some connection to the Stone Mill. This place was full of wood, with stone materials already laid in the foundation, seemingly unrelated to the Stone Mill Hell. However, after the last time, Zhan Yang no longer dared to think in terms of possibilities and impossibilities. He had several constables look around the area, and they quickly returned to report on the surroundings.
This large empty plot belonged to a wealthy household surnamed Zhu. The residence was also one that the Zhu family planned to build anew, having started construction a month ago with the foundation already laid.
According to Daoist Zhang’s calculations, the next murder would occur tomorrow night. Zhan Yang went around the area himself before leading the constables back to the government office. Having guarded the wrong place last time, Zhan Yang didn’t dare be careless this time. Besides the first residential area of extreme importance, both the abandoned mill and the construction site were very likely to be utilized by the killer.
Zhan Yang reported to Zheng Baishi, and they mobilized almost all available constables from the entire government office, setting up heavy defenses at the abandoned stone mill and the construction site, just waiting for the killer to be caught the next night.
Qin Wan rose early to visit the Peaceful Sun Marquis Manor. Yue Qiong had left the capital, leaving only Yue Qing and three female family members in the Peaceful Sun Marquis Manor. Though the Grand Princess had reached such an age, with her son going to Jinzhou and not returning until at least year’s end, she couldn’t help feeling very sad. So Qin Wan went to accompany the Grand Princess in listening to opera.
After the Shuangqing Troupe disbanded, southern opera troupes were rarely seen in the capital. However, today a new southern opera troupe called Hechun has emerged and is very popular. The Grand Princess had lived in the South for ten years and was very fond of Southern opera. Today she invited two minor performers from the Hechun Troupe to sing in the manor. Qin Wan accompanied the Grand Princess in listening to the first half of the songs, managing to lift the Grand Princess’s spirits somewhat. After listening to opera for half the day and being made to laugh and joke by Qin Wan and Yue Ning for another half, the Grand Princess grew tired by afternoon. Qin Wan and Yue Ning escorted the Grand Princess to her inner chamber for rest. After seeing the Grand Princess settled, Yue Ning finally pulled Qin Wan out.
“Second Brother recently found two good things, come with me—”
Yue Ning excitedly pulled Qin Wan toward Yue Qing’s courtyard. Yue Qing had already taken up a position in the Ministry of War and wasn’t in the manor during the day these days. Arriving at Yue Qing’s courtyard, Yue Ning pulled Qin Wan directly into Yue Qing’s study. Qin Wan smiled wryly, “Second Brother isn’t in the manor, is it appropriate for us to enter like this?”
Yue Ning scoffed, “We’re just entering his study, not his bedchamber! I often come here to get books, you can set your mind at ease.”
Yue Qing’s study was also independent, which finally put Qin Wan at ease. As soon as she entered the study, Qin Wan stopped in her tracks at the sight of the painting hanging there. Yue Ning looked at the wall and smiled, “How is it? I bought it, not bad right?”
Hanging on Yue Qing’s wall was a “Thousand Rivers Competing Flow” painting. Judging by how new it looked, it was certainly a replica. However, this replica seemed very familiar to Qin Wan—
“Where did you buy this?”
Yue Ning quickly said, “From Master Ning’s place, of course! Last time when we met Wei Qizhi, he took me there, remember?”
Qin Wan suddenly recalled, “Of course I remember…”
Seeing Qin Wan’s odd expression, Yue Ning asked, “What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with the painting?”
Qin Wan said somewhat helplessly, “I feel like I’ve seen this painting somewhere…”
Yue Ning’s eyes rolled, “Did you see it when you visited the gallery? Or perhaps you saw it somewhere else? Many people have copied this painting, it’s not strange that you’ve seen it before—”
Qin Wan shook her head, “No, last time with you and Meng Yao was my first time visiting the gallery. I hadn’t been there before. Although this painting is very famous and many have copied it, most copies lack spirit at first glance. This copy, however, is painted with great breadth and spirit. The one I saw before was probably painted by the same person, I just can’t remember where I saw it!”
Yue Ning quickly said, “This is Master Ning’s copy. His gallery has many copied paintings, I chose this one at the time.”
Qin Wan had already figured it out. Although this was a copy, its technique, and artistic conception could be considered masterful – naturally only Ning Buyi could achieve this. But where had she seen this painting before?
As Qin Wan pondered, Yue Ning had already walked to the bookshelf and taken out a volume. “Come here… look what this is. Second Brother recently collected books and found a manuscript of the ‘Collection of Washing Away Grievances from the Court of Judicial Review’ written by former Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Shen Yi…”
Qin Wan’s heart suddenly jolted, and she hurried forward to look. She almost anxiously took the manuscript from Yue Ning’s hands. Seeing this, Yue Ning smiled, “I knew you would like it! Second Brother originally wanted to give it to you, but after thinking about it, he still asked me to give it to you. I forgot last time I went out, but since you’re here now, you can take it back yourself.”
Qin Wan’s heart was racing wildly. Opening the manuscript, it was indeed her father’s handwriting!
This manuscript’s handwriting was even newer than the one Yan Chi had found before, and what it recorded were several major cases her father had handled after entering the capital. Qin Wan had long known about her father’s habit of writing collections – besides official documents for the court and necessary documents for the Court of Judicial Review, he would write down major cases he handled, comparing and summarizing them, thus becoming the Great Zhou’s most outstanding judicial official!
After reading just four or five pages, Qin Wan was shocked. Every case’s reasoning process, investigative clues, and autopsy details were all recorded. Unlike the previous collection, this one recorded all the cases from her father’s final year in office. Qin Wan quickly flipped to the last page, but what she saw was not the Prince Jin case…
Had her father not finished writing, or had that case’s section been destroyed?!
Qin Wan’s heart was pounding wildly, but she was so excited that she suddenly hugged Yue Ning. “Yue Ning, this is so important to me! I don’t know how to thank you…”
Yue Ning smiled, “If you want to thank me, then tell me the details of those cases?”
Qin Wan released Yue Ning. “If you want to hear them, of course I can tell you…”
But Yue Ning wasn’t joking. She pulled Qin Wan to sit down. “Then tell me, how did the first person die? There are many rumors outside, all saying terrifying things…”
“The first victim, well—”
Qin Wan had intended to tell Yue Ning, but just as she started speaking, her expression suddenly changed. She seemed to have remembered something and abruptly raised her head to look at the painting on the wall. “I know now, I know where I’ve seen this painting before!”