Lu Chang held up the arrow case for careful examination, commenting as he looked: “This is a sleeve arrow case, six inches long and made of bronze, single-shot. Its arrow should be about four inches long, matching the one we found in Yang Zishu’s neck. This size is considered small among sleeve arrows – the common ones in the martial arts world are about eight inches long, twice as thick as this.
As for weight…” He balanced the case in his hand and continued, “This case is very light, small yet ingeniously crafted, with delicate spring mechanism. It’s not something readily available in the martial arts world. Such a small and exquisite sleeve arrow is typically used by ladies of noble households for self-defense, designed to be strapped to the arm.”
In other words, this sleeve arrow was very likely used by a woman.
“Brother, look here, there’s writing,” Ming Shu crouched beside him, pointing to a spot on the case.
The characters were tiny, at the top of the case. Lu Chang held the other end and brought it close to examine.
The characters were smaller than ants and extremely complex. After studying them for a moment, they finally made out the text.
“Xie?” they exclaimed in unison, turning to look at each other simultaneously.
With this turn, Lu Chang’s lips nearly brushed Ming Shu’s cheek. He suddenly realized that to examine the arrow case, Ming Shu had crouched right next to him, their heads close together as they studied the case.
The bamboo grove cast dappled shadows, but a ray of light happened to fall on her face, illuminating her unpowdered features. At this close distance, he could see the fine down on her cheeks, her trembling eyelashes, and her naturally pink-tinged lips…
His mind exploded with a boom, and Lu Chang froze.
Ming Shu felt an itching sensation on the cheek closer to Lu Chang. The itch was slight and warm. She unconsciously scratched her face and called out with wide eyes: “Brother?!”
Lu Chang abruptly stood up, nearly causing Ming Shu to fall over.
“Brother!” she complained.
“Sorry.” Lu Chang turned his head away from her, merely extending his hand.
Ming Shu grabbed his hand irritably to stand up, shaking her numb legs while saying: “Even if we discovered the sleeve arrow might belong to Xie Xi, you didn’t need to be so shocked, did you?”
In the academy, Xie Xi was the only one with the surname Xie, and such an exquisitely crafted sleeve arrow couldn’t be obtained without proper background. It perfectly matched Xie Xi’s status as the heir of Marquis Yongqing.
It was almost certain.
“Let’s go back,” Lu Chang said, his emotions unsettled and unable to look directly at Ming Shu, gripping the arrow case and preparing to leave.
Ming Shu quickly held him back: “Brother, why such a hurry? We’ve searched this far, shouldn’t we look for more clues? Since the killer discarded the weapon here, they must have passed through this area, perhaps leaving footprints or other traces…” As she spoke, she took a few steps toward the other end of the bamboo grove, “Besides, the Bamboo Grove Lodge where you all stay should be just ahead…”
Following this path, the killer was very likely someone staying at the Bamboo Grove Lodge. Xie Xi had been staying there while at Songlin Academy, and just yesterday he had quarreled with Yang Zishu. Based on these surface clues, Xie Xi was indeed highly suspicious.
Lu Chang stopped, taking a deep breath to calm his suddenly disturbed thoughts, and quickly said steadily: “Fine. Let’s split up to search.”
After speaking, he still wouldn’t look at Ming Shu as he moved forward to search. Ming Shu humphed and chose another direction to search.
——–
Meanwhile, the crime scene investigation had concluded and was now heavily guarded by soldiers. Zhao Jingran had also moved to Chongming Hall to await news after Lu Wenhan’s gentle persuasion. All the students followed to Chongming Hall, sitting in the courtyard while being questioned by the guards.
Xie Xi and Tang Li were brought to Chongming Hall but were placed in separate rooms without meeting each other, being interrogated jointly by Song Qingzhao, the Headmaster, and the Third Prince’s trusted attendants. Madam He and Madam Lin had gathered all the support staff in Chongming Hall’s side hall for individual questioning about their whereabouts.
The investigation progressed quickly. Most of the support staff had also been attending to the Third Prince today, except for two cooks and three kitchen helpers who had been busy in the kitchen since morning preparing meals for the Third Prince and Lu Wenhan and could vouch for each other.
Thus, throughout the academy, only Tang Li and Xie Xi completely lacked alibis.
When Lu Chang and Ming Shu returned, Song Qingzhao was reporting Xie and Tang’s testimonies to Zhao Jingran and Lu Wenhan. Ming Shu and Lu Chang stood outside the hall, first listening to Song Qingzhao’s report.
According to Xie Xi’s testimony, he had been confined to his room, and when the guards came to get him, he hadn’t left his room at all, having been reading the whole time with no one to verify his whereabouts. Similarly, Tang Li had been resting in his room due to a cold and hadn’t stepped out, also without witnesses.
After relating this, Song Qingzhao added: “There’s one more thing – although Tang Li claimed illness, from my observation, he… shows no signs of being sick.”
As soon as he said this, Headmaster Xu made a deep bow to Zhao Jingran: “Your Highness, Tang Li’s claimed illness was my idea. He isn’t an official student of the academy – he’s an orphan I took in from outside ten years ago. Seeing his pitiful state, I allowed him to stay at the academy. This child showed a love for learning from a young age, so I let him take classes. Today, with Your Highness visiting, given his humble status, I feared he might offend Your Highness, so I had him claim illness and stay in his room. This matter was my poor judgment, and I request Your Highness’s punishment.”
As he spoke, Headmaster Xu wiped the sweat forming on his forehead, involuntarily nervous under Zhao Jingran’s gaze.
Zhao Jingran remained silent. This explanation only clarified why Tang Li falsely claimed illness but still couldn’t prove what he was doing during the time of the murder.
“An orphan taken in ten years ago? Headmaster Xu, what about his parents, their ancestral home, and how did you come to meet and take him in?” Lu Wenhan asked with a smile.
Ming Shu thought that perhaps her earlier impression had been wrong – Minister Lu’s smile wasn’t paternal at all. It concealed daggers – this must be what that expression meant.
Headmaster Xu wiped his forehead again, carefully considering before answering: “He is the orphan of a fellow townsman of mine. This couple passed away from illness ten years ago, entrusting him to me on their deathbed.”
“If he was the child of your fellow townsman, why would his status be so humble that he couldn’t formally enroll in the academy?” Lu Wenhan was still smiling.
Ming Shu found this minister’s smiling demeanor somewhat frightening now.
Headmaster Xu grew more nervous, saying: “Because his father committed a crime and died in prison, he cannot take the imperial examinations, so…”
“Committed a crime?” Lu Wenhan echoed, then smiled at Zhao Jingran, “Your Highness, this official feels it necessary to investigate Tang Li’s background thoroughly to see if there’s anything suspicious. What do you think?”
“Minister Lu makes a good point. Then please trouble the Headmaster to explain in more detail.” Zhao Jingran followed.
Headmaster Xu’s face turned pale, and suddenly he fell to his knees with a thud: “Your Highness, he… he is Su Changhua’s descendant.”
While Zhao Jingran was unfamiliar with this name, Lu Wenhan recognized it: “Su Changhua, the Vice Minister of Personnel who was dismissed and had his property confiscated ten years ago for involvement in Prince Shun’an’s embezzlement case.”
“Your Highness, please forgive me. I studied with Su Changhua for six years and had a personal friendship with him. When the Su family was investigated due to Prince Shun’an’s case, he acknowledged his deep crimes and willingly accepted exile. Before leaving, he entrusted his only son to me. Though I despised his actions, seeing the innocent child, I felt compassion and took him in at the academy.”
Lu Wenhan smiled without speaking. Zhao Jingran said: “The academy is a place for sages and virtuous men, yet you used your official position to secretly harbor a criminal’s descendant?” After thinking, he added, “Very well, now is not the time to pursue this matter. The investigation takes priority – we’ll discuss this later.”
Ming Shu stood outside the hall with furrowed brows, her mood seemingly troubled. Lu Chang noticed her distress first and asked softly: “What’s wrong?”
Ming Shu rose on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear: “Brother, I might have discovered something about Tang Li, but I don’t know if I should say it.”
“Why?” Lu Chang didn’t ask what she had discovered, only her reason for hesitation.
“I can’t confirm if this matter is related to the case. I’m afraid if I speak up, I won’t help the investigation but might hurt an innocent person. I… I feel troubled,” Ming Shu said with difficulty.
Lu Chang followed her gaze to Madam He.
Madam He was being firmly supported by Madam Lin as she teetered on the edge of fainting, her hands clutching tightly at her chest, eyes filled with worry and anguish as she watched her husband.
Headmaster Xu was already guilty of harboring a criminal’s descendant at the academy. If it came out that he had also deceived the Third Prince…
Ming Shu had spent several days at the academy. Madam He had treated her very well, and Headmaster Xu was a good person too. If she exposed that matter, the impact on the Headmaster and his wife would likely be devastating. She had originally planned to return to the city to investigate quietly before deciding what to do, but now events had developed beyond her expectations. She felt extremely conflicted.
Should she reveal that discovery at this moment?
“Ming Shu, speaking up or staying silent are both choices, neither right nor wrong. Don’t take others’ sins upon yourself. Also, what is truly innocent? Only those genuinely free of crime and error can be called innocent. Those who would be punished because of what you discovered are not innocent. Among emotion, reason, and law, you need to first be clear about which weighs heaviest in this matter before making your decision,” Lu Chang said gently.
Ming Shu’s teeth gradually loosened their grip on her lip. She looked at Lu Chang with partial understanding, wanting to ask something but unable to form the words. Just then, the Third Prince’s side began questioning the case’s progress again. Lu Chang tapped her head: “Let’s listen first.”
The guards continued reporting their findings.
After careful questioning of all seventy students present and all the servants, Yang Zishu’s character became clear. He was extremely unpopular in the academy – fellow students either despised or feared him. Many students had been bullied by him, and quite a few had grievances and hatred toward him. He was truly a plague upon Songlin Academy.
Speaking of motives for murder, several people could be suspects, but they all had alibis. The greatest suspicion still fell on Xie Xi and Tang Li, as they both had conflicts with Yang Zishu.
Not only had Xie Xi fought with Yang Zishu just the previous day, pinning him to the ground and beating him severely – news that had spread throughout Songlin Academy – but in recent times, Yang Zishu had also quarreled severely with both Xie Xi and Tang Li on several occasions.
“Xie Xi, the heir of Marquis Yongqing? Why isn’t he at the imperial school properly preparing for the metropolitan examination at this time? What is he doing at Songlin Academy?” Zhao Jingran frowned upon hearing this. “And what grudges do they have?”
The guards brought forward two students and replied: “Your Highness, upon investigation, these two students were fairly close to Yang Zishu and on good terms with him. According to them, Yang Zishu was mediocre in his studies and often punished by the teachers. To avoid punishment, he frequently copied his classmates’ work, especially targeting weaker students who couldn’t resist his harassment. Tang Li was one of them. Tang Li was good at poetry and prose but was quiet and solitary. Yang Zishu targeted him, repeatedly forcing him to write papers for him, even including the poetry assessment for Your Highness’s visit today. Xie Xi was close friends with Tang Li, and their disputes with Yang Zishu likely arose from Tang Li’s harassment, with Xie Xi standing up for him.”
The two students stood trembling beside them, hands lowered, without being questioned.
As Zhao Jingran swept his gaze over these two, processing this information, Lu Wenhan had already noticed Lu Chang and Ming Shu who had been waiting outside for some time. He waved to them: “Lu Chang, Ming Shu, have you found anything? Come report.”
Lu Chang and Ming Shu walked side by side into the hall and together bowed to Zhao Jingran and Lu Wenhan.
“Reporting to Your Highness and Minister Lu, this student found what is likely the murder weapon’s case in the bamboo grove.” Lu Chang presented the sleeve arrow case wrapped in cloth with both hands. While Zhao Jingran and Lu Wenhan examined it, he repeated what he had discussed earlier with Ming Shu, finally adding, “There is an inscription on this case.”
Zhao Jingran and Lu Wenhan brought the case closer to look and indeed saw the characters.
BANG—
Zhao Jingran slammed the table in anger: “Bring Xie Xi here for questioning!”
Song Qingzhao stood to the side, staring at the arrow case with furrowed brows.
“What else did you find?” Lu Wenhan continued questioning the pair.
“This object was discarded in the bamboo grove, right along the path from Huantao Pavilion to the Bamboo Grove Lodge. Your Highness, Minister, please look.” Ming Shu opened her notebook again, showing them the terrain map.
With the layout map, it was clear at a glance – the arrow case’s location was between Huantao Pavilion and the Bamboo Grove Lodge.
“The Bamboo Grove Lodge is where Xie Xi stays?” Lu Wenhan asked.
“Exactly,” Ming Shu said, then mentioned another discovery, “There’s also something strange. When my brother and I searched the bamboo grove with Your Highness’s two guards, we found no footprints. There’s a flower bed outside the grove that was watered this morning, and the soil hasn’t dried. If the killer truly went from the bamboo grove to Huantao Pavilion, they would have surely left footprints in the wet soil, but we found none.”
This contradicted everyone’s assumption that Xie Xi had gone through the bamboo grove to Huantao Pavilion to commit the murder. As doubts multiplied, Song Qingzhao spoke up: “Your Highness, Minister Lu, please hear me out. This case still has countless mysteries – we’ve barely uncovered one-tenth of the truth. Yang Zishu could have been killed at any time, so why did the killer choose today, specifically while Your Highness was touring the academy with everyone, to strike at Huantao Pavilion? Such a brazen murder, then throwing the weapon in the bamboo grove – it doesn’t make sense.”
“This student agrees with Brother Song,” Lu Chang also spoke up in support of Song Qingzhao.
Song Qingzhao sent him a grateful look, which Lu Chang acknowledged with a nod. Ming Shu tilted her head to look – hadn’t her brother forbidden her from getting close to Song Qingzhao just days ago? Had her brother become friends with Song Qingzhao?
“Moreover, as this student mentioned earlier, this sleeve arrow is typically used by women for self-defense. Xie Xi is a tall man with broad hands – this sleeve arrow wouldn’t suit him. He must have had it made as a gift for someone,” Lu Chang added.
Ming Shu’s mind stirred, and she was about to speak when the guards brought Xie Xi in.
After paying his respects, Xie Xi stood quietly to the side, showing no signs of panic, simply waiting to be questioned.
“This belongs to Xie Xi.” Upon seeing the arrow case presented by the guards, he admitted without hesitation, then continued, “But this weapon disappeared a few days ago. I don’t know if it was stolen or lost accidentally. I searched everywhere in the academy but couldn’t find it. I never expected it would be used for murder.”
“Was it your possession?” Lu Chang questioned.
“Yes.”
“Not meant as a gift?”
“It was meant as a gift, but I hadn’t given it yet. It was intended for the County Princess,” Xie Xi said calmly.
Ming Shu suddenly clenched her fists: “You’re lying!” She couldn’t tolerate Xie Xi using Wen’an as a shield at this moment, dragging the most innocent Wen’an into this mess.
Xie Xi glanced at her, still speaking coldly: “I’ve been betrothed to the County Princess since childhood. What’s strange about giving her a trinket or two? This sleeve arrow was made for women – if not for her, who else could I give it to? There’s no one in the academy I could give it to.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Chang heard Ming Shu grinding her teeth.
He thought Xie Xi had angered his young lady.
“There is! There’s someone in the academy you meant to give it to! Tang Li is a woman!”
As soon as these words fell, Ming Shu heard shocked gasps around her. From afar came Madam Lin’s low cry – Madam He had fainted.
Ming Shu closed her eyes briefly, her fists clenching tighter.
Suddenly, a warm palm covered her fist.
Lu Chang had gently taken hold of her small clenched fist.