Inside the Jing Zhao Prefecture, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive. Jiang Ling sidled over to Ren Yao and asked quietly: “Why haven’t those two come back yet?”

Ren Yao shook her head. “No idea. Stop talking — they’re looking our way from up there.”

Ming Huashang and Xie Jichuan had rushed out that afternoon without warning and had not returned since. Jiang Ling and Ren Yao had waited at the Yan residence for a long time. As the agreed-upon hour drew near and there was still no sign of the two, they had no recourse but to return to the Jing Zhao Prefecture ahead of them.

The Jing Zhao Prefecture had the air of a three-court trial. The Crown Prince sat at the head position, expression dark. The Minister of Justice and the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review sat flanking him to the left and right. The Censorate officials occupied the side benches, eyes like hawks scanning every face in the room, brush handles poised and ready.

Jiang Ling felt his courage fail just looking at the spectacle. It was remarkable that Ming Huazhang could sit completely composed at the center of it all and say: “Another explosion has occurred in Chang’an — this is our failure. Yet the Jing Zhao Prefecture has been investigating for some time now, and our constables have built up recognition of many faces. There is a chance the culprit is among them. To hand the case to the Court of Judicial Review at this moment would mean abandoning a half-finished effort. I therefore submit my request to this assembly: please allow me to continue taking charge of this case until the true culprit is found. I appeal to all the assembled lords for their approval.”

The Minister of Justice said slowly: “Deputy Magistrate Ming, you already promised to break this case within ten days. Now Chang’an has suffered a third explosion, and you have not even identified a suspect. Handing the case to someone else can only expedite its resolution.”

The Jing Zhaoyiin quietly cleared his throat and bowed. “I failed in my supervision. I ask the Minister to assign whatever punishment is appropriate.”

Ming Huazhang’s brow contracted slightly, and for once he let an edge of defiance show through, pressing back with clear insistence: “His Majesty’s deadline is ten days. There are still nine days remaining. How does the Minister already know I cannot break the case?”

The Minister of Justice’s face darkened. “Insolent! You are nothing but a newly entered official — how dare you be so presumptuous? Don’t imagine that passing the imperial examinations gives you license to do as you please. Affairs of the court are not decided at your sole discretion.”

“Ming Huazhang, as a subject, naturally defers to the court’s arrangements. But as Deputy Magistrate of the Jing Zhao Prefecture, he cannot fail to speak for the people and seek justice for the wronged. He asks for neither merit nor personal gain — only to act without shame before his conscience.” Ming Huazhang did not retreat by a single step. “This case is not only about the explosions — behind it lie at least three longstanding old cases. I am currently tracking these threads. If the case is transferred to someone new at this point, that person will need time to familiarize themselves with all the details and time to reorganize their approach. If in that interval the culprit strikes again and another innocent person is killed, what then?”

The Minister of Justice sat stone-faced and said nothing. The Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review slowly turned his jade thumb ring and had no desire to take on this thorny problem either. He glanced with the corner of his eye at the Censorate officials, who were murmuring amongst themselves, and said: “May I ask for the honored opinion of our colleagues in the Censorate?”

Su Xingzhi sat behind his superior and, having been suddenly addressed, swept a look at Ming Huazhang debating with firm conviction on the opposite side of the room, then said: “This subordinate is of low station and would not presume to speak out of turn. But on this point alone, this subordinate feels that Deputy Magistrate Ming has spoken correctly.”

The Chief Justice took the opportunity to say to the Minister of Justice: “My lord, Deputy Magistrate Ming solved the human bones case from last year — he is clearly a man of some ability. Perhaps on this occasion, we might give a young man a chance.”

The Minister of Justice sat with a displeased expression and thought for a long while, then said: “Very well, I will trust you once more. You say you guarantee you will break the case — on what basis?”

Jiang Ling and Ren Yao let out a collective quiet breath of relief. Ming Huazhang’s expression did not change. He was entirely composed, answering without servility or arrogance: “Based on my examination of the scene, this subordinate believes that the person who arranged to meet Yan Jingcheng is highly suspicious. Find out why Yan Jingcheng went outside the city this morning, and we will find the culprit.”

Ren Yao caught Ming Huazhang’s glance and added: “To report to the Minister — today we went to Yan Jingcheng’s residence to investigate. After questioning everyone there, we unexpectedly learned from a shop clerk that yesterday at the Hour of You, Yan Jingcheng had visited the shop. As he was about to enter, a beggar rushed up and pressed a note into his hand, saying that someone had asked him to pass it along, and that Yan Jingcheng would pay him for it. Yan Jingcheng read the note and did indeed give the beggar two copper coins, then turned and left without ever going into the shop. Normally, no matter how busy Yan Jingcheng was, he would always personally inspect the shop before leaving. Yesterday, he walked away without entering at all — which is why the clerk remembered it so clearly.”

Jiang Ling added: “We also asked the household manager. He said that today Yan Jingcheng had no banquets or social engagements on the books. Even his concubine thought he’d gone out as usual and didn’t know he’d left the city. If it were a normal social occasion, why the need for secrecy? In my view, there was definitely something suspicious about the note the beggar passed him. The person who asked the beggar to deliver that note to Yan Jingcheng might very well be the culprit.”

The Minister of Justice asked: “And that beggar?”

On this point, Jiang Ling scratched the back of his head with a touch of embarrassment. “We’ve sent people out with a sketch to look. But Chang’an has so many beggars — so far, no one has been found.”

The Crown Prince sighed. “Finding a homeless beggar child in Chang’an is no easier than finding a single drop of water in the ocean. By the look of things, this lead has come to nothing again.”

Ming Huazhang said: “The culprit’s attacks are happening with increasingly shorter intervals — which tells us he’s growing more reckless. We cannot put all our hopes on luck; we must take the initiative. I propose dividing our efforts into two directions: one group continues searching for the beggar, while another investigates who recently made large purchases of explosives materials. If the beggar cannot be found, we have another avenue to reach the culprit.”

The Jing Zhaoyiin frowned. “That won’t do. The investigation timeline is already so tight, and our people are stretched thin. Opening a new line of inquiry will only scatter our focus and make the case harder to crack.”

Ming Huazhang argued his point: “But there is no guarantee we’ll find the beggar, and even if we do, there’s no guarantee the beggar knows what the culprit looks like. Yet the fact that the culprit needs large quantities of sulfur and saltpeter to make explosives — that is not in dispute.”

The Jing Zhaoyiin continued to shake his head. “There are only nine days left until the deadline. Changing course now would be sheer recklessness. We are breaking a case, not playing house. Commit all our manpower to finding the beggar, get the culprit out in the open in a stable, reliable way — that is the single most important priority right now.”

The Crown Prince, having listened, found this wholly reasonable. “The Jing Zhaoyiin is right. Finding the culprit quickly so that my mother can enjoy the Flower Festival in peace — that comes first. Proceed as the Jing Zhaoyiin says.”

Ming Huazhang had been about to argue further, but the Crown Prince simply wasn’t listening, his mind set entirely on playing it safe. There was nothing to be done. Ming Huazhang let out a quiet sigh and raised his hand. “Understood.”

All this debate had dragged on until the outside sky had darkened. The Crown Prince, the Minister of Justice, and their ilk were highly placed officials who rarely stayed at the prefecture offices this late. The Jing Zhaoyiin dared not delay these honored guests any further, and respectfully escorted the Crown Prince and Minister out.

As seventh-rank officers, Jiang Ling and Ren Yao could only trail along at the very back. Jiang Ling was quite dissatisfied and leaned over to mutter to Ren Yao: “With Xie Jichuan not here, there isn’t even anyone to put in a word with the Crown Prince for us. What if I went back and mentioned it to my father?”

Ren Yao shot him a sharp look. “Don’t cause trouble. Ming Huazhang will definitely have a plan.”

What plan could there be now, other than hoping for good fortune? Ren Yao didn’t know. But she knew that in all the time she had known Ming Huazhang, he had never failed to keep a promise. She trusted Ming Huazhang. If it truly came to the point where the family’s connections had to be called upon, she would swallow her pride and go to beg her grandmother — but only if Ming Huazhang said so. Until then, Ren Yao chose to trust him.

Jiang Ling gave a small shrug and said no more. The Crown Prince, Minister of Justice, and Jing Zhaoyiin were exchanging pleasantries in the courtyard. Jiang Ling, with nothing to do, hung back at the edge of the group. The polite conversation was nearly finished when, far away, a bright young woman’s voice rang out: “Wait — Your Highness the Crown Prince, please stay a moment!”

Ren Yao and Jiang Ling looked up, surprised and delighted, to see at the far end of the long street, two familiar figures running toward them through the dusk.

Ming Huashang led the way, skirts lifted, sprinting. Xie Jichuan led his horse with one hand — the horse’s back bearing a plaque — and followed at an unhurried stroll behind her. Seeing Ming Huashang charging at them like a lit firecracker, something unidentified in hand, the guards reflexively moved in front of the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince extended a hand to stop them, and said pleasantly: “It’s all right. Let her speak.”

Ming Huashang stopped before the assembly. She caught her breath as best she could, gave the Crown Prince a proper bow, and said: “Your Highness the Crown Prince, this girl has urgent news to report. We have found the culprit’s secret!”

By the time the Crown Prince heard the second half of her sentence, he had already lost hope. Seeing the expressions of the people gathered around her, Ming Huashang knew they didn’t believe her. She put aside any concern for dignity and pressed on: “The culprit does not choose targets at random — when committing each killing, he leaves a clue at the scene with the name of his next victim.”

Everyone was visibly startled. Ming Huazhang’s expression shifted. “Second Young Lady — you say this is true?”

“It is.” Ming Huashang held up the longevity lock in her hand. “This is the longevity lock I just retrieved from Liu Shi’s son. The current year is not a Year of the Horse, and Liu Shi’s son was not born in a Year of the Horse either — yet he mysteriously received a horse-head longevity lock several days before the Lantern Festival. The second case’s victim was named Chu Ji — ‘ji’ meaning a horse. At Chu Ji’s pharmacy, I also found a gift of unknown origin — a plaque inscribed with the words ‘Great Physician’s Utmost Devotion.’ The third case’s victim was named Yan Jingcheng — and ‘jingcheng’ means utmost devotion.”

As she spoke, Ming Huashang turned to show the evidence, only to see Xie Jichuan still making his leisurely way from a considerable distance. She couldn’t help herself: “Brother Xie, would you walk a little faster! We brought the plaque inscribed with ‘Great Physician’s Utmost Devotion’ — Your Highness and all the assembled lords, please inspect it.”

The Minister of Justice and the Chief Justice exchanged a glance — both sensing that something extraordinary was unfolding. The Minister gestured, and an attendant immediately ran to Xie Jichuan’s horse and carried the plaque to present before the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince looked at the inscription. He wasn’t sure whether to feel glad or troubled. He was glad because a tremendous breakthrough had finally emerged, and he need no longer spend every day in dread. He was troubled because a culprit with a mind this cunning would not be easy to catch.

The Crown Prince suddenly realized something. “Then today’s crime scene…”

“We suspected the culprit had left a forewarning there as well. This afternoon we deliberately returned to the site to look — unfortunately, we couldn’t find where the culprit had hidden the name.” Ming Huashang said. “So I wish to entreat Your Highness to send additional men to thoroughly search the pavilion and find the culprit’s next intended target as quickly as possible. Chang’an cannot bear another death.”

Ming Huazhang had absolutely not anticipated that Ming Huashang would go out for a day and come back with an advance of this magnitude. He also said: “Your Highness, Second Young Lady speaks correctly. In addition to searching for the beggar, we now have two more leads. Tracking down the person who sent the longevity lock to Jin Xiu Tower and the person who sent the plaque to Chu Ji — following these threads will lead us to the culprit. I ask that Your Highness mobilize the northern garrison, so the true culprit may be swiftly apprehended and peace restored to Chang’an.”

The Crown Prince wavered. He also wanted the case broken quickly — the problem was that the northern garrison was not his to command. He was only the Crown Prince; if he called up the garrison, what would the Empress think?

The Crown Prince still did not dare take the risk. He frowned. “The culprit has not yet been identified — mobilizing the garrison would make too much of a stir. How about this — I’ll send you a few men from the Eastern Palace.”

Ming Huazhang looked at the person before him — both a stranger and intimately familiar. He pressed his lips together and could not for a moment find the words. What did the current state of affairs look like to anyone with eyes? The Crown Prince had only just been summoned back to the capital, and the Eastern Palace barely had a presentable retinue. Where was he supposed to find people to send?

It was precisely because the Crown Prince’s position was so precarious that he urgently needed to establish his authority. This case was a risk — and an opportunity. If the case were broken, the Crown Prince would win enormous prestige in Chang’an. The people had always favored the House of Tang’s former line; if the Crown Prince established his standing, with senior officials’ support from within and the public’s trust from without, what did Prince Wei and Prince Liang have left to compete with?

And military authority — it was something that could go unused, but never something one could afford not to have. Right now the opportunity was there to take legitimate control of the garrison under the pretext of investigating the case. If this chance were passed up, when would another come?

Such a straightforward calculation, and yet the Crown Prince agonized over it, hesitating and second-guessing, squandering the moment through sheer indecision. The Crown Prince of the realm, and not even this much courage — he was truly…

Ming Huashang took a quick glance at Ming Huazhang’s face and dimly understood his intention. She braced herself, decided, and said: “Your Highness the Crown Prince — the truth is, the culprit is not entirely without clues. I can attempt to sketch a profile of him.”

The Crown Prince’s pupils contracted. He looked at her with surprise. “A profile?”

“Not a portrait in the ordinary sense.” Ming Huashang took a breath, unsure herself whether what she was doing was right or wrong. But she pressed on: “I will try. If Your Highness is interested, please come inside.”

The deliberation hall had only just seen off its distinguished guests, and here it was being reopened again. The bailiffs poured hot tea for all the assembled lords, lit the lamps, and quietly withdrew.

Ming Huashang asked a bailiff to hang up a blank sheet of paper. She held a brush and said, gesturing as she spoke: “The culprit in this case is different from ordinary killers. He does not kill for passion, money, or personal vendetta — his purpose is higher, one might even say it is an ideal. Combining witness testimony, we know he is male, of modest stature, and physically lean and slight.”

The Chief Justice had been expecting some divine ability to conjure the culprit’s exact appearance onto paper. Hearing only this, he was fairly disappointed. “The culprit is male — that is self-evident. Is this your profile?”

“It is different.” Ming Huashang refuted this calmly. “The culprit’s sex and age are fundamental — they are the very hinge upon which the profile turns. Once we establish the culprit is male, we can draw a great deal of information from that. For instance: why would a man use a method as complicated and roundabout as planting explosives? Qian Yi was a vigorous man in his prime, admittedly not easy to overpower. But Chu Ji was only an old and weakened apothecary — wouldn’t it have sufficed to lure him into an alley and kill him directly? Yet he didn’t; he chose a method that was hundreds of times more troublesome. I also suspected for a time that the culprit might be a woman, but more and more evidence has since ruled that out. A man using these methods tells us two things. First: he is physically frail and has no accomplices, and cannot subdue a grown man on his own — hence he must rely on explosives. Second: he is learned, broadly knowledgeable, and holds himself in high regard. When I say learned, I don’t mean the kind who is well-versed in classical texts and histories, as with last year’s Master Lu — I mean he has had access to very obscure knowledge: alchemy, medical arts, and the like, and has studied these subjects thoroughly, able to integrate them and devise his own formulas. Brother Xie — does your family keep books on alchemy and occult techniques?”

Xie Jichuan was leaning against a pillar, arms folded, and even at being suddenly addressed he showed no reaction, lazily giving a slight nod. “We do.”

Ming Huashang turned to Jiang Ling. “Young Heir Jiang — does your family have books of that kind?”

Jiang Ling, not expecting to be included, was caught off guard. He hesitated, then said: “We don’t.”

But he had learned some of it during his time with the Xuan Xiaowei. Not that he’d made any progress to speak of.

Ming Huashang did not elaborate further, but she trusted that everyone present was intelligent enough to understand the implication of those two examples. Sure enough, both the Minister of Justice and the Chief Justice had adopted expressions of quiet reflection. Ming Huashang continued: “Meeting both of these conditions at once tells us this man is not very young. So on the question of age, my profile reads: he is a man between forty and fifty years of age — living alone, solitary by nature, given to studying obscure and esoteric subjects, in declining health in recent years, with no children at his side.”

The hall fell entirely quiet. Neither the Chief Justice nor the Minister of Justice spoke. Ming Huashang’s words were not a physical portrait, and yet they surpassed one. By the time she had finished, an image had taken shape in the minds of nearly everyone in the room — a sense of exactly what kind of person this was.

Even the Crown Prince, who was not particularly adept at political affairs, understood, and nodded. “Continue.”

Ming Huashang moved to a new section of the paper and kept writing and sketching. “What I just described was his outward appearance. Now let me draw his inner portrait. Many thanks to all the constables who worked tirelessly to gather information — it is because of you that I was able to identify the thread connecting Qian Yi, Chu Ji, and Yan Jingcheng. By the world’s measure, all three appeared to be models of success and happy family lives. In truth, each had climbed to his position over the bodies of those he had harmed. Yet all three were clever enough to conceal their misdeeds well — even the authorities, with their suspicions, could find nothing to use against them. The culprit’s choice to target these three men reflects his inner world. He is not an evil person — quite the contrary: he is someone with an acute sense of justice and a powerful loathing of wrongdoing. But that justice went unacknowledged for too long. The villains he despised lived better and better with every passing year, and the goodness within him curdled into hatred, hardening gradually into obsession. And so he decided to appoint himself their judge. He chose to blow them to pieces at the very height of their glory and reputations — and in that moment, all the fame, the wealth, the prestige and praise that had never rightly belonged to them — everything that had been built on false foundations — collapsed in an instant, burned to ash.”

When Ming Huashang finished speaking, she looked at the scrawl on the paper before her — truly too ugly to bear looking at directly. She was overcome with regret that she hadn’t applied herself properly when Duke Zhenguo had asked her to practice calligraphy, and said, embarrassed: “The handwriting is rather ugly — I apologize for the poor impression. I’ll have someone copy it out properly right away…”

As she spoke, she started to roll up the paper, but the assembled lords all waved their hands, indicating it wasn’t necessary. Never mind the Minister of Justice and Chief Justice, who were both seasoned officials — even the ordinary constables standing to one side listening knew exactly what sort of person to look for. Ming Huazhang bowed to the Crown Prince and said: “Your Highness, with this profile, our officers will know what kind of person to focus on when searching. I ask that Your Highness persuade His Majesty to deploy the northern garrison to search the city, and bring the culprit to justice without delay.”

Xie Jichuan, seeing the Crown Prince still hesitating, exhaled quietly and chose, unusually, to actively involve himself in matters that were not his concern. “Your Highness — the culprit sent the longevity lock to Jin Xiu Tower and the plaque to Hui Chun Tang. Both items would need to be specially commissioned at a shop. As long as we locate those shops and thoroughly investigate their past customers, we will certainly find this person. The Flower Festival is approaching — the sooner the culprit is caught, the better. I hope Your Highness will make an early decision.”

With those around him urging him one after another, the Crown Prince was moved. He thought of Prince Wei, ever watching with hungry eyes, and Prince Liang, who seemed to pursue pleasure without ambition. He clenched his teeth and made up his mind. “Very well. I will enter the palace immediately and petition my mother.”