As their voices faded, Ming Shu jumped up, unable to contain her joy as she quietly cheered.
Song Qingzhao was both surprised and delighted, quickly asking, “How did you discover this?”
Ming Shu repeated her and Lu Chang’s earlier deductions.
Because of the sleeve arrow cylinder that had confused everyone, and because all students were accompanying the Third Prince today, everyone’s attention followed the cylinder into the bamboo grove. The initial assumption was that the killer had sneaked into Huantao Hall through the bamboo grove and escaped the same way, overlooking other possibilities. However, this contradicted the fact that they couldn’t find any footprints despite searching the entire bamboo grove and flower beds, which led them to shift their attention to Yusong Hall where Tang Li was.
On the other hand, even if Xie Xi and Tang Li wanted to kill Yang Zishu, they had many better opportunities to do so. Why specifically choose Huantao Hall and the time when the Third Prince was leading everyone around? And why throw the arrow cylinder into the bamboo grove? No matter how reckless or foolish Xie Xi and Tang Li might be, they wouldn’t make such an elementary mistake. The reasoning behind this was puzzling. Moreover, based on Lu Chang’s analysis of the murder process, the possibility of Tang Li being the killer was very low, seemingly bringing the case to a standstill.
Unless the bamboo grove wasn’t the killer’s escape route at all. The killer had taken another path, and the arrow cylinder was planted in the bamboo grove beforehand to frame Xie and Tang. This would explain certain puzzling points. Additionally, since Yang Zishu had sneaked into Huantao Hall early on, this proved the murder wasn’t spontaneous. Therefore, the killer choosing Huantao Hall must have a deeper meaning. So Ming Shu tore out the layout diagrams from the booklet and pieced them together, trying to find the reason for the killer’s choice of Huantao Hall.
Indeed, she found a crucial element.
An element everyone would naturally overlook. The killer didn’t enter and exit Huantao Hall from the back but secretly slipped in from the front through the gap between the buildings beside Huantao Hall. From Chongming Hall, along the Third Prince’s tour route, there were three other halls very close together: Beihai Pavilion, Thousand Books Tower, and Moon Listening Pavilion. Although these three buildings were close together, there were still narrow alleys between them wide enough for someone to pass through, hidden by vines and vegetation, difficult to notice from outside. Ming Shu found the manuscript in the alley between Moon Listening Pavilion and Thousand Books Tower.
However, while the manuscript’s discovery could prove the killer’s route, it raised an even bigger question. If the killer went to Huantao Hall through the alley between Thousand Books Tower and Moon Listening Pavilion, how did they manage to slip into the alley and quietly kill Yang Zishu in Huantao Hall without being seen by anyone outside?
Lu Chang’s reminder gave her inspiration.
The area behind a person is a blind spot, and when a group of people is moving in formation with something attracting attention in front, few would notice what those in the back rows are doing. Especially when everyone was following the Third Prince, with his attendants flanking him, there was no one following near the tail of the procession, and the student formation was so long that those in front couldn’t see the end. Ming Shu remembered clearly that when they reached Thousand Books Tower, the Third Prince was inspired by the couplets and improvised one for all students to complete. At that time, everyone’s attention must have been on the Third Prince and the students matching couplets. No one would have noticed the back, especially the person standing alone in the last row—Zhang Song.
The distance from Thousand Books Tower to Huantao Hall wasn’t far, and the time spent stopping in front of the tower plus the Prince’s tour inside was more than enough for Zhang Song to slip away to Huantao Hall, commit the murder, and return without anyone noticing. The person standing in front of him wouldn’t notice, or even if they did notice something, Zhang Song’s quick return would create the illusion he hadn’t left at all.
This was why the killer chose Huantao Hall—only this way could he have a perfect alibi.
This also explained why Yang Zishu went to Huantao Hall. It was all a trap. Zhang Song was Yang Zishu’s friend, and Yang Zishu had no reason to doubt his suggestion.
Hearing Ming Shu’s explanation, Song Qingzhao had a sudden realization. Their deductions, plus the blood-stained manuscript, and the information he had just gathered—all evidence pointed to the same person.
Not Tang Li, nor Xie Xi, but the thin, small scholar who followed Yang Zishu—Zhang Song.
“But these are still just speculations. We have no concrete evidence to convict him, and most importantly, as Brother Lu said, Yang Zishu died from a stabbing, so the killer must have blood on them, but Zhang Song doesn’t. Where are the bloodied clothes? In such a hurry, did he have time to change clothes?” Song Qingzhao pinpointed the problem.
“What if he didn’t change clothes?” Lu Chang slowly said.
Both were stunned, and Lu Chang continued with another sentence.
Ming Shu’s eyes widened: “That would work?”
Song Qingzhao also found it incredible: “Brother Lu, are you sure? What if it’s a misunderstanding…”
“It’s just my speculation,” Lu Chang replied.
Ming Shu bit her lip, narrowed her eyes, and said with a mischievous smile: “What are we afraid of? We’ll know if it’s a misunderstanding once we try.”
As she spoke, she beckoned to them both and whispered a sneaky plan in a low voice.
Song Qingzhao couldn’t help but smile.
Lu Chang did too.
————
As night deepened, the mountain air grew colder, and the cross-breeze in Chongming Hall’s courtyard made the seated students shiver. As the students’ hands and feet grew cold, they began complaining quietly. Soon after, guards brought in numerous braziers.
“We apologize for the inconvenience today, but as the case remains unclear, we must ask you all to stay a while longer. His Highness knows the mountain air is cold and has specially ordered braziers brought for your warmth. He has also arranged hot food for you all to fill your stomachs,” Zhao Jingran’s guard captain announced loudly from the front of the courtyard, then gestured for the guards to place the braziers and distribute food.
More than ten braziers were brought into the courtyard and arranged around its perimeter, with extra ones placed near the entrance. The charcoal was already burning strongly, and with over ten braziers working together, the temperature in the courtyard quickly rose, especially near the doors where it was notably warmer than elsewhere.
Steaming food was also brought in, with guards delivering bowls to each student—it was a spicy soup made with generous amounts of dried ginger, pepper, cinnamon, and other pungent spices.
Having gone hungry all day and being exhausted from the ordeal, the student’s eyes lit up at the sight of the spicy soup. They quickly finished their bowls, with some already shouting for seconds. Under the combined effect of the braziers and spicy soup, people soon began complaining about the heat, wiping sweat from their brows and loosening their collars to fan themselves.
Among all these people, only one person sat as still as a mountain, not touching the spicy soup the guards brought, and despite sweat appearing on his forehead and neck, he didn’t touch his collar, as motionless as a monk in meditation.
This person was Zhang Song, one of Yang Zishu’s friends at the academy. He was thin and small, unremarkable in appearance, sitting alone at the very back, neither speaking to others nor being approached by anyone.
“Why aren’t you drinking? This spicy soup is quite potent, it’ll make you feel better,” a crisp voice rang out.
Zhang Song turned his head to see Lu Chang’s sister crouching beside him.
She was also holding a bowl of spicy soup, sipping it slowly while talking to him: “Haven’t eaten all day, you should fill your stomach.” As she spoke, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and blinked at him.
“I’m not used to spicy soup,” Zhang Song quickly explained.
“That’s too bad,” Ming Shu said regretfully, finishing the last sip of soup in her bowl. She sighed contentedly and stood up with the empty bowl, but she rose too quickly and accidentally kicked over his full bowl of spicy soup.
The soup immediately spilled across the ground, flowing onto his clothes that were pressed against the floor. He jumped up immediately, but his clothes from buttocks to legs were already soaked through.
“Oh no, I’m so sorry!” Ming Shu apologized frantically, then added, “Your clothes are all dirty now, shall I ask one of the guard brothers to accompany you to change?”
“No need, no need. It’s just a small stain, it’s fine,” he immediately refused, stepping back from Ming Shu. Ignoring his dirty, wet clothes, he sat back down on a clean spot, as if his feet were rooted to the ground.
Ming Shu left after apologizing profusely, but as soon as she turned around, she flashed a triumphant smile at Lu Chang and Song Qingzhao in the distance.
————
About a cup of tea’s time later, the officials from the Kaifeng Prefecture finally arrived to take full charge of Yang Zishu’s case.
The scholars sitting in the courtyard waited a moment longer before finally receiving the Third Prince’s permission to leave. Everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief as they got up from the ground and dispersed in small groups.
Soon, the road outside Chongming Hall was empty of people. At this time, a short, thin figure darted past, crouching into the shadows of trees under the eaves, avoiding the crowds as he headed toward Thousand Books Tower, soon turning into the alley between it and Moon Listening Pavilion.
The alley was narrow, and covered with scattered rocks and weeds. He crouched down, feeling around in the dark for something when suddenly, a light appeared ahead.
“What are you looking for? Would you like me to shine a light?” A girl’s clear, smiling voice rang out, and in the gradually brightening lamplight, a flower-like smiling face slowly came into focus.
Ming Shu approached slowly with her lamp, Lu Chang following behind.
The person on the ground saw the situation was bad and turned to run, but there were also people with lamps coming from behind.
“Zhang Song, where are you going?” Song Qingzhao said coldly.
Blocked from both ends, Zhang Song had nowhere to run and could only stand up straight.
“Are you looking for this?” Ming Shu raised her hand, holding the crumpled but flattened manuscript.
Zhang Song’s face changed instantly, but he forced himself to remain calm: “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I was just taking a shortcut back.”
“Is that so?” Lu Chang moved past Ming Shu to join Song Qingzhao in closing in on Zhang Song from both sides.
“What… what are you going to do?” Zhang Song pressed against the wall in fear.
“Ming Shu, turn around,” Lu Chang said coldly.
“Oh,” Ming Shu obediently turned away.
The sounds of fighting and wailing arose behind her, and she closed her eyes, though burning with curiosity. Soon, the fighting sounds ceased except for the wailing. Ming Shu bit her lip and quietly turned around.
As she turned, she ran into Lu Chang’s chest, completely blocking her view.
“No peeking!” Lu Chang said.
Ming Shu stamped her foot in frustration—having a brother who knew her too well wasn’t always good.
Behind Lu Chang, Zhang Song had been stripped of his outer robe and middle garment, left only in his innermost clothes, with Song Qingzhao holding his hands behind his back and pressing him to the ground.
His inner clothes were covered in blood stains.
Outside the alley, countless lights appeared as Zhao Jingran’s guards and the Kaifeng Prefecture’s constables surrounded them.
Zhang Song had been caught red-handed.