At the third quarter of the hai-hour, Yidu Prefect Chi Season was soaking his feet in comfort, about to burrow into his bedding for a fine night’s sleep, when someone came to report at the door that Military Advisor Hua and Judicial Supervisor Ling had returned, and were waiting for him in the flower reception room to brief him on the latest developments in the Lian Xiaoshuang case.

Prefect Chi was greatly taken aback. The world said that Yangdu’s Hua Fourth Young Master was a good-for-nothing wastrel — utterly unlettered, given only to eating, drinking, and making merry. Who could have imagined that every one of those rumors was complete nonsense? This Hua Fourth Young Master was not only more cunning than a monkey, he was apparently also a workaholic.

There was nothing for it — sleep would have to wait. Prefect Chi yawned his way into his outer robe and shoes, and hurried to the rear compound flower room. He looked over and saw that not only Hua Fourth Young Master was present, but also Grand Court Judicial Supervisor Ling Zhiyan, Lin Sui’an, and Jin Ruo — every one of them with eyes bright as polished steel, completely alert, with every sign of being ready to burn the midnight oil.

Prefect Chi felt profoundly miserable, and deeply envied Chief Historian Xia for living outside the compound and not having people come drag him out of bed to work overtime.

Hua Yitang first summarized the findings from the investigation of Lian Xiaoshuang’s home, then gave a brief account of Jin Ruo’s latest discoveries at the drainage channel.

“The shrubbery surrounding the drainage channel shows numerous broken branches — crushed by a heavy object being dragged over them. The crushing marks are consistent with the crate used to transport the body. At the drainage channel’s outlet, two wooden stakes were found — freshly driven in, with two lengths of hemp rope tied to them. Both ropes were broken. Based on the condition of the breaks, they were pulled apart gradually.”

Hua Yitang tapped his fan rhythmically as he spoke. “My assessment of the killer’s body disposal process is as follows. In the chou-hour of last night, after the night market had dispersed and the streets were empty, the killer used a horse cart to transport the crate containing the body out of the West Market. He pushed the crate down into the depression in the shrubbery by the drainage channel outlet, drove in the stakes, used the rope to initially secure the crate in place, then maneuvered it to the outlet opening — creating a simple timed release mechanism.”

“After that, the killer left. The water flow at the outlet continuously washed against the crate, gradually pulling the rope taut until it snapped. The crate then followed the current into Jin River, and subsequently into Huanhua Creek, where it was eventually discovered. My rough calculation shows that the drainage channel’s flow is not particularly fast — relying on the water’s force to snap the rope would take at least six or seven hours, which means it would be daylight by any reckoning.”

Prefect Chi was thoroughly confused. “But if the killer had already managed to move the crate out under cover of darkness, why bother with a timed mechanism at all? Why not simply throw the crate into the river right then and there — wouldn’t that be completely without a witness?”

Ling Zhiyan: “We suspect this killer wanted the crate and the body to be seen by as many people as possible, which is why the disposal was timed for daylight.”

Prefect Chi was even more baffled. “But why would the killer want that?”

Hua Yitang smiled. “That question might be best put directly to the killer.”

Prefect Chi was startled nearly out of his chair. “Can it be that Military Advisor Hua has already captured the killer?!”

“Only two suspects.” Ling Zhiyan raised his voice. “Bring in Mao San and Wu Zhengli.”

The person who brought in the two suspects was Wu Zhengqing — with a complexion darker than before. It was he who had volunteered to send men to the Wu household and pull Wu Zhengli out of bed.

Wu Zhengli, the head of the Wu Family in the southern district, bore about a fifty-percent resemblance to Wu Zhengqing — somewhat shorter, sallow-faced, and so gaunt he seemed stripped of substance, with eyes that were alarmingly large and stared at Prefect Chi without blinking. “Prefect Chi, you and my Wu Family have known each other for years. To send my own cousin to drag me out of bed in the dead of night — is that really proper?”

The sight of Wu Zhengli gave Prefect Chi yet another shock. “Military Advisor Hua, Judicial Supervisor Ling — what on earth is going on here?”

Hua Yitang’s fan pointed to Mao San. “You — speak.”

Mao San rattled out a long string of words as fast as a pot of popping beans. “My name is Mao San. I belong to the Yamen Gate. This evening around the you-hour, my gate master said Lian Niangzi in Jinxi Ward had been killed and the case had caused quite a stir. Gate Master Wu wanted someone to go and see what was happening, so he sent me to keep watch — but I was caught by—” Mao San cast a glance at Lin Sui’an and gave a shudder “—by this formidable young lady.”

Hua Yitang: “And this gate master of yours — who is he?”

Mao San pointed sideways. “Wu Zhengqing’s cousin — Wu Zhengli.”

Wu Zhengli’s eyelid began to twitch wildly. He glared at Mao San with fury. Mao San’s face went white and he shrank in on himself.

Hua Yitang: “Wu Zhengli, what was your relationship with Lian Xiaoshuang?”

Wu Zhengli stiffened his neck. “There was no relationship!”

Hua Yitang: “Mao San, you say!”

Mao San shook from head to foot, glancing from one face to another, until he caught Lin Sui’an’s eye. Lin Sui’an grinned at him. Mao San’s face went even paler. “That Lian Xiaoshuang was a woman of ill repute. Gate Master Wu was one of her clients!”

Wu Zhengli exploded with fury and kicked out. “Utter nonsense!”

“Cousin! Stop!” Wu Zhengqing grabbed Wu Zhengli’s arm. Even so, Mao San took two kicks to the face, leaving a large bruise on one side.

“Calm yourself, Gate Master Wu,” said Prefect Chi, quickly intervening. “Mao San — do you have any evidence for what you say?”

Mao San clutched half his face, looking deeply aggrieved. “This was never an openly acknowledged thing — Wu Zhengli always did it behind others’ backs. Over the past half year, every time someone sent a cart to Lian Xiaoshuang’s home to collect her, it was our Yamen Gate brothers doing the driving. Each time, people would come at nightfall to pick her up, take her to a villa on the outskirts, and return her after a day and a night. If she wasn’t a woman in that trade — what else could she be…”

“Utter rubbish!” Wu Zhengli was incandescent with rage. “My wife has poor health and has been recuperating at our estate on the outskirts. Her only pastime is embroidery — she especially loves embroidering crabapples. So every so often I would invite Lian Niangzi to stay at the estate for a while, to keep my wife company and exchange embroidery techniques.”

With that, Wu Zhengli clasped his fists and said, “If the honored officials do not believe me, you are welcome to summon my wife for questioning!”

Ling Zhiyan: “If the purpose was simply to invite Lian Niangzi as a guest, why not use the Wu Family’s own carriage, and instead employ the Yamen Gate? And why send for her only at night?”

“She herself requested to be picked up at night — I had no idea what her reasons were. Perhaps she wished to avoid gossip.” Wu Zhengli was red-eyed with anger. “You cannot accuse me of having improper relations with Lian Niangzi simply because I did not use the Wu Family’s carriage! Wu Zhengqing, are you a dead man?! Say something in my defense!”

Wu Zhengqing kept his composure, though a trace of displeasure crossed his face. He lowered his voice. “Cousin, what you did was indeed out of the ordinary and naturally raises suspicions. Never mind Judicial Supervisor Ling — even I myself—” The rest went unsaid, but his implication was clear: even he had suspected Wu Zhengli of some murky involvement with Lian Xiaoshuang, which had unsettled him.

Could that be the reason for Wu Zhengqing’s strange behavior upon seeing Lian Xiaoshuang’s body? Lin Sui’an thought about it — it seemed plausible enough, yet something still felt forced about the explanation.

“I give the Yamen Gate so much money every year — what’s wrong with having them do me a small favor? Who does that inconvenience?! Wu Zhengqing, you’re supposed to be a military affairs advisor, and you can’t even clear your own cousin’s name. You should resign that post of yours — you’re an embarrassment!”

Wu Zhengqing’s face went iron-gray. “Wu Zhengli, we are in the prefectural office. Restrain your tongue!”

“Let’s not argue, let’s not argue — this is all a misunderstanding. No need to damage the feelings between cousins,” Prefect Chi said, hurrying to smooth things over. “Military Advisor Hua, Judicial Supervisor Ling — do you have anything else you wish to ask?”

Hua Yitang tapped his fan against his chin. “Gate Master Wu, where were you between the you-hour and the chou-hour of last night?”

Wu Zhengli: “Is Military Advisor Hua implying I killed Lian Niangzi?!”

Wu Zhengqing: “Military Advisor Hua has asked you a question. Answer it!”

Wu Zhengli shot a vicious glare at Wu Zhengqing. “Wu Zhengqing, you remember this!” He spat, then said: “Military Advisor, you want to know? Last night I was at the home of Fang Shi-yi-niang in Hongxiang Ward drinking with some friends. We drank through till dawn. The singing girls at Fang Shi-yi-niang’s place can all vouch for me. Feel free to check.”

Ling Zhiyan looked at Wu Zhengqing. “And you, Advisor Wu?”

At this, Prefect Chi’s mouth dropped open wide enough to fit two whole eggs. “Judicial Supervisor Ling — Wu Zhengqing is our Yidu prefectural office’s military affairs advisor — surely it is not appropriate to—”

He was cut off by Wu Zhengqing himself. Though his manner showed some displeasure, there was no outright anger. He lowered his voice and said evenly: “Last night I was in the document hall organizing case records the entire evening. The document clerks can testify.”

Ling Zhiyan gave a nod. “Thank you for your cooperation, Advisor Wu. However, as this case has a connection to the Wu Family, I would ask that, to avoid any appearance of impropriety, Advisor Wu refrain from participating in this investigation going forward.”

Prefect Chi: “Quite right, quite right — Judicial Supervisor Ling is thinking of you, old Wu. This is for your own protection, you understand.”

Wu Zhengqing let out a quiet sigh. “I understand.”

“Something about the Wu cousins feels off,” Jin Ruo said, “but I can’t quite put my finger on exactly what.”

“Judicial Supervisor Ling feels the same.” Ling Zhiyan replied.

Lin Sui’an yawned, glanced at the sky — it was already past the second quarter of the chou-hour. Even night owls had gone to sleep, yet these people were standing outside the prefectural office gate still eagerly discussing the case, apparently not the least bit tired.

Hua Yitang stared blankly into the distance, his fan waving absently in a rhythm that produced faint pattering echoes in the empty street.

“Hua Yitang, where is the carriage?” Lin Sui’an asked.

Hua Yitang snapped back to attention, looked all around, and let out a surprised noise.

In Lin Sui’an’s experience, the all-capable steward Mu Xia was a near-impossible existence — no matter when or where, he could always locate Hua Yitang’s whereabouts with unerring accuracy, arriving with the carriage at precisely the right moment. Yet tonight, standing at the prefectural office gate being buffeted by a cold wind for some time now, not even the shadow of a Hua Family carriage had appeared.

That was rather strange indeed.

“It is no matter — it is not far. We can walk.” Ling Zhiyan set off first.

Jin Ruo followed for a few steps, then stopped. “Wait — that Wu Zhengqing is both the military affairs advisor and the judicial affairs advisor. The clerks and constables all used to serve under him, and they’d definitely do whatever he says. Whether Wu Zhengli’s alibi is real or fabricated is entirely in his hands. I don’t trust it.” He looked at Lin Sui’an. “Shifu, I’m going to Hongxiang Ward.”

Before Lin Sui’an could even intervene, Jin Ruo had already vanished like a streak of light.

Lin Sui’an: The dedication is a bit excessive, isn’t it…

Ling Zhiyan also stopped. “Judicial Supervisor Ling still feels the Peach Blossom Killer case has loose ends. I’ll return to the document hall—”

Lin Sui’an felt cold sweat break out: Grand Court Judicial Supervisor Ling Zhiyan’s reputation had preceded him all the way to the Eastern Capital. This sixth-grade official, at the peak of his career, had once spent four days and three nights in the document hall without a wink of sleep, burning through five rotations of clerks and achieving legendary renown among the capital’s officials — the reigning “scroll champion.” (“Document scroll” being the intended pun.)

But before Ling Zhiyan could take a single step, Hua Yitang spun in a languid pirouette, his body swaying like a willow in the wind, and leaned against Ling Zhiyan’s shoulder. Ling Zhiyan reflexively reached out to steady him. Hua Yitang snapped his fan shut and propped his head against it with an air of theatrical fragility. “Oh my, oh my — I am a pampered and delicate wastrel who simply cannot endure this kind of exhaustion. I have been busy all day without so much as a proper cup of tea, and now my feet ache, my legs ache, my backside aches, my head aches, my waist aches, and my back aches. Sixth Brother, take pity on me and help me home to rest, won’t you?”

Ling Zhiyan, simultaneously wanting to laugh and cry, said: “Is not Lin Niangzi here — do you really need me?”

Lin Sui’an was quite indignant. “Hua Yitang is built so tall and sturdy — how could Judicial Supervisor Ling bear to make a delicate little lady like me look after him?”

Ling Zhiyan: “……”

Hua Yitang took the opportunity to sling his arm around Ling Zhiyan’s shoulders. “Sixth Brother, you know what they say — the most important thing in life is to know when to stop and rest. You cannot be wound so tight all the time. If one day you snap entirely, won’t that be dreadful?”

Ling Zhiyan could not withstand the combined stubbornness of the two of them, and resigned himself with helpless grace. Of course, though he gave up his late-night visit to the document hall, the case discussion could absolutely not stop. The three of them walked and talked, analyzing and reviewing as they went.

Ling Zhiyan: “The killer was very familiar with Lian Xiaoshuang’s residence and the surrounding terrain. We cannot rule out the possibility that this was a crime committed by someone known to her.”

Hua Yitang: “If the original Peach Blossom Killer truly has already been executed, then this new Peach Blossom Killer is most likely a copycat imitator, eight times out of ten.”

Lin Sui’an yawned repeatedly. “The motives of a copycat killer are really only so many — either concealing the true motive for the crime, or simply being a deranged person craving notoriety, or being so supremely arrogant as to want to challenge the authorities — or… I’m so sleepy…”

Ling Zhiyan: “Judicial Supervisor Ling’s view is that we should approach this case through Lian Xiaoshuang’s personal relationships — screen the people around her, see whether a vendetta killing or a crime of passion is possible.”

Hua Yitang: “There is also the murder weapon and the peach blossom brand — I have a feeling that the murder weapon in this case is the key to breaking it. As for the peach blossom brand — consulting the official records is one approach, but on another front—”

Lin Sui’an: “Something about the peach blossom brand feels deeply odd. Tomorrow I will go with Jin Ruo to visit the Yidu Pure Gate branch — perhaps some different leads can be sifted out from the Pure Gate’s sources. Also, Wu Zhengli and Wu Zhengqing — even though they speak with conviction — oh? Hmm?”

Lin Sui’an and Hua Yitang stopped simultaneously, and turned around.

Ling Zhiyan had suddenly gone still, and had not said another word. He stood bolt upright in the deep night, gazing fixedly after the two of them. The wind lifted the hem of his robe, which swayed lightly.

Hua Yitang waved his fan. “Ling Sixth Brother, what are you daydreaming about?”

Lin Sui’an was puzzled. “Could it be he is so tired he has fallen asleep standing up?”

Ling Zhiyan’s eyes shifted. Then, suddenly, he smiled — a smile like a summer breeze gliding over a lake flooded with starlight, silver ripples spreading in rings, ring upon ring, like something from a dream.

Hua Yitang was alarmed. “Oh no, oh no — Sixth Brother Ling must have been enchanted by a fox spirit on the night road!”

Lin Sui’an cast a glance at Hua Yitang’s elaborately festooned robes. “With you around, what fox spirit would dare?”

Ling Zhiyan shook his head with a smile. “I am only feeling glad. It has been a very long time since I discussed a case so freely and wholeheartedly with others.”

Hua Yitang and Lin Sui’an both exhaled together in relief.

Hua Yitang sauntered back over, draping his arm around Ling Zhiyan’s shoulder. “Sixth Brother, rest assured — you will have plenty of such occasions in the future.”

Ling Zhiyan asked, puzzled: “What makes you say that, Fourth Young Master?”

Lin Sui’an sighed. “Because this fellow has extraordinarily, spectacularly good luck.”

Hua Yitang said through gritted teeth: “Everywhere he goes — someone ends up dead.”

Ling Zhiyan burst out laughing.

The three of them chatted on and off, and before they knew it had arrived back at the Hua Family’s Ninety-Nine Residence. They called out for some time — but no one came to answer the gate. They pushed it open themselves, but no one was even standing watch inside. Walking in, the entire sprawling estate had not a single servant in sight. The only sign of life was a faint drift of guqin music from the direction of Mochou Lake — as though some kind of banquet were being held there.

The three were quite baffled, and quickened their pace. Rounding the Viewing Mountain Garden and passing through the Nine-Bend Covered Walkway, they found the Qiuyi Pavilion at the shore of Mochou Lake blazing with light, bright as midday. Layer upon layer of curtains billowed wildly in the lake breeze, indescribably untamed and opulent. Ahead still, not a single servant appeared. The discordant guqin sounds grew louder — if “playing the guqin” it could be called — rather than playing, it sounded more like someone was smashing the instrument.

Hua Yitang’s expression gradually turned grave. He signaled to Ling Zhiyan and Lin Sui’an to stop outside the Qiuyi Pavilion and go no further.

Lin Sui’an was still wondering what was happening, when suddenly a shadow burst out from the curtains with the speed of lightning and launched itself directly at the group. Lin Sui’an’s face changed — Qian Jing was nearly out of the scabbard — when, unexpectedly, Hua Yitang moved faster still. He grabbed her elbow, pulled her into his chest, and spun them both aside like a top, all the while shouting: “Sixth Brother Ling, watch out — quick, step back—!”

Hua Yitang called the warning too late. Ling Zhiyan stood frozen in place, one hand on his sword in a half-drawn posture, eyes wide open and completely fixed on what lay before him.

Something had appeared on Ling Zhiyan’s person — an extra person. On their head hung a carmine-red silk sash; like a great tree sloth they clung to him with all four limbs. The lake wind stirred, and the sash floated like a faint wisp of early dawn falling into the water, revealing a face of drunken, hazy, devastating beauty.

It was Hua Yitang’s third sister — Hua Yimeng.

Interlude

Lin Sui’an was instantly wide awake: Oh ho ho — drama’s arrived!

(Author’s note: updating a bit early today — wishing everyone a good start to the week on Monday! La la la~)