Ming Huashang’s appearance caused everyone to pause for a moment. Ming Huazhang was the first to recover. He immediately moved to stand in front of Ming Huashang, threw her a covert glare, and without changing his expression stepped in front of her: “My younger sister is given to reckless behavior — forgive us for the spectacle, Duke Chengguo and Jing Zhaoyiin.”

Duke Chengguo frowned, visibly displeased. Now even every cat and dog felt free to come and bother him? The Jing Zhaoyiin looked her up and down with a penetrating scrutiny: “And who is this?”

“This is—”

“I am the Deputy Magistrate’s younger sister, the Second Young Lady of Duke Zhenguo’s manor.” Ming Huashang cut ahead of Ming Huazhang, raising her voice to drown out what he was about to say. “I came to bring my second elder brother some food and had no intention of disturbing the court’s investigation. But when I heard of Third Young Lady Cheng’s fate, I was deeply grieved. I was acquainted with her, and I cannot bear the thought of her dying without her name being cleared. Duke Chengguo — if you truly love her, can you bear to let her become the gossip of every street and lane, talked about disparagingly even after she is laid to rest? Better to break with the old ways and look to the new — let the truth be thoroughly established, the killer caught, and justice restored to Third Young Lady.”

Earlier, the Jing Zhaoyiin had tried to invoke human sentiment and Ming Huazhang had reasoned with logic — Duke Chengguo had been unmoved by both. They were not the ones who had lost a family member; of course they could speak without pain. But after Ming Huashang finished, the Duke fell silent.

When news of it reached him, he had not even stopped to eat before rushing here to bring his granddaughter home. Yet all along the way, Duke Chengguo had already heard a great deal of malicious talk. Some said Third Young Lady had tried to elope but her partner changed his mind and failed to show up, and that was why she had come to harm; others said she had come to Tongji Ward for an illicit liaison. Within a short time, even an alleged lover had been fabricated with convincing specificity.

The grief of white-haired elders burying the young was already devastating in itself. How could Duke Chengguo endure seeing the granddaughter he had cherished since infancy being pointed at and judged in such a manner? That was why he had been so forceful — unwilling to let Chang’an Prefecture disturb her peace further. But this young girl’s words hit the mark precisely and struck at the Duke’s most vulnerable point.

He could issue a gag order to everyone in the manor, and he could apply pressure to Chang’an Prefecture and the Golden Guard — but could he control the mouths of all the people in the streets and lanes? If this matter was not thoroughly resolved, Third Young Lady would forever carry the stain of having run off to elope or worse. What would they, her elders, be able to face? And what would become of all her younger sisters below her?

Ming Huashang saw the Duke yielding, and pressed the advantage: “Duke Chengguo, please be at ease. I can go in place of the coroner to look at Third Young Lady. Whatever the coroner needs to examine, I will do in his stead and then relay the findings to him — there will be absolutely no impact on Third Young Lady’s reputation. If you are uneasy, you may send servants with me. I will not object in the slightest.”

This seemed to be the best possible arrangement. Duke Chengguo let out a long sigh and said with a grim face: “Very well. I will trust you all once more. If you still cannot find the culprit…”

Before the Jing Zhaoyiin could attempt to smooth things over, Ming Huazhang stepped forward of his own accord, pressing his hands together in a bow to Duke Chengguo: “It is my duty. I will exert my utmost effort. If the culprit still cannot be found, I await whatever punishment the Duke and His Majesty see fit to impose.”

Duke Chengguo said nothing, and ultimately acquiesced. Ming Huazhang brought Ming Huashang to the Duke Chengguo manor. With so grave a case as the murder of a duke’s granddaughter, the Jing Zhaoyiin could no longer simply be a bystander — he came along to the manor as well.

Inside the Duke Chengguo manor, the women of the household were immersed in grief; the sound of weeping came from every direction. The Duke’s wife saw a group of people in official attire arrive, and her eyes were filled with wariness. The Jing Zhaoyiin rattled off official pleasantries, keeping himself at arm’s length, and so Ming Huazhang had no choice but to step forward and greet the Duchess himself: “This junior, Deputy Magistrate of Chang’an Prefecture Ming Huazhang, pays his respects to the Duchess. Miss Cheng’s death moves us to the deepest sympathy. But the killer who took her life has yet to be captured, and any woman in Chang’an could become the next victim. I hope the Duchess will cooperate and allow us to examine her daughter’s body. Out of respect, I will have my younger sister be the one to conduct the examination, and the Duchess is welcome to have someone present to observe.”

Ming Huashang, hearing this, stepped out from behind Ming Huazhang and gave the Duchess and the heir’s wife a proper bow: “Duchess, and Heir’s Wife — please accept this young lady’s condolences. I am Ming Huashang. I had the fortune of meeting Third Young Lady on several occasions. I have come to accompany Miss Cheng on her final journey and to redress her grievance, and restore her good name in death.”

The Duchess, seeing that the Duke himself was also present, understood this had been approved by him. Her face was grave, and no emotion could be read from it. She said: “Since she was Third Young Lady’s friend, then come in, and see her on her last journey. But Third Young Lady has not yet been prepared for burial — I trust that the gentlemen present will have the courtesy to withdraw.”

Ming Huazhang pressed his hands together in a bow: “But of course.”

With that, Ming Huazhang led all the Chang’an Prefecture officials outside and pulled the doors and windows shut himself. Left inside were only the women. With nothing but women present, there was no need for such a degree of restraint. Ming Huashang asked: “Duchess, may I see Third Young Lady?”

The Duchess sighed: “She is inside. Elder daughter-in-law, take her in.”

A woman whose face was nearly drained of all color — she had apparently just been weeping — stepped forward. Ming Huashang recognized her: this was the Duke Chengguo heir’s wife, Cheng Siyue’s mother. Ming Huashang quickly took her arm to support her as they stepped into the inner chamber.

In the center of the inner chamber lay a wooden board, over which a white cloth had been draped. Ming Huashang sighed and paid her respects to Cheng Siyue, then asked: “Heir’s Wife, after Third Young Lady was brought back, did you bathe her or change her clothing?”

The Heir’s Wife shook her head through her tears: “Not yet.”

Ming Huashang exhaled slightly in relief. In misfortune, at least there was this small mercy — in the midst of their grief, the women of the household had not yet washed and dressed Cheng Siyue’s body. With the Heir’s Wife’s consent, Ming Huashang stepped forward and unfastened Cheng Siyue’s garments.

When she had spoken to the Jing Zhaoyiin and Duke Chengguo to convince them, she had framed it as the coroner directing her remotely while she carried out the physical examination — but in truth, Ming Huashang had herself learned basic post-mortem examination skills. As long as it did not involve cutting open the body, her knowledge was sufficient. When she removed the garments, she drew a sharp intake of breath.

Cheng Siyue’s skin was covered in a patchwork of blue and purple. Across her chest and back there was hardly a patch of uninjured flesh; and below her legs it was even worse than could be described. The Heir’s Wife could not bear to look and turned her head away, weeping bitterly. Ming Huashang listened to the weeping with a heavy heart, but still forced herself to continue the examination of Cheng Siyue’s body.

There were no obvious external wounds, but the wrists bore deep binding marks that had cut into the flesh, with tiny shreds of coarse rope fiber clinging to the wounds — she had clearly been restrained by ropes at some point. Ming Huashang carefully extracted the fibers and placed them in an evidence box. She turned open Cheng Siyue’s eyelids and lips and noticed pinpoint hemorrhages in the eyes.

Death by asphyxiation? Ming Huashang went to examine her fingers — and let out a soft exclamation.

The fingernails showed cyanotic discoloration, consistent with signs of asphyxiation. But far more important was this: the middle finger of her right hand was gone.

Ming Huashang urgently asked the Heir’s Wife: “Madam, were Third Young Lady’s hands normal?”

“Of course,” the Heir’s Wife said. “Her fingers were especially beautiful — long and slender. She always took great care of her hands.”

So was the missing finger accidentally broken, or had the killer taken it? Ming Huashang leaned in for a closer look and noticed that the cut at the severed finger was very clean — the tendons had been sliced through and the joint separated neatly and precisely.

Such clean handling of a joint could only mean the culprit had deliberately taken it. Ming Huashang unexpectedly recalled the tibia bones that had been neatly extracted in the Huang Caiwei case.

But why a finger? And of all fingers, why specifically the middle finger?

After conducting a careful examination, Ming Huashang solemnly helped Cheng Siyue put her clothing back on. She went out and reported her findings to the coroner. In the presence of Duke Chengguo and Ming Huazhang, the coroner did not dare issue instructions to Ming Huashang; and in truth there was nothing he could add. The coroner said appreciatively: “Miss Ming conducted a very thorough examination — nothing has been overlooked. We are grateful to you, Miss.”

“It is what I ought to do,” Ming Huashang said. “This killer is brutal and inhuman. Catching him is ridding the world of a scourge. Contributing my part is only right.”

Ming Huazhang said: “After we return to the manor, I will have my younger sister give an oral account and I will personally write up the post-mortem record. I trust that the Jing Zhaoyiin and Duke Chengguo can be at ease. May I ask the Duke’s permission to have the people who attended Third Young Lady come to speak with us?”

With the body already examined, there was no grounds to refuse an interview as well. Duke Chengguo waved his hand in agreement. He was, after all, getting on in years, and after a whole morning of this ordeal, his face showed plain signs of exhaustion. Seeing this, everyone invited the Duke to withdraw and rest. The Jing Zhaoyiin naturally fell into step escorting the Duke to the study, offloading the tedious, laborious business of questioning onto Ming Huazhang.

Not a trace of resentment or frustration showed on Ming Huazhang’s face. He was as composed and steady as ever, first dividing the many yamen runners into groups, then assigning tasks according to each person’s capabilities, with the time, location, and content of each task communicated with perfect clarity and in orderly succession. The officials took their respective orders and departed one by one. At last, Ming Huashang came forward eagerly: “Second Elder Brother, what about me?”

Ming Huazhang gave her a cool glance: “I want to send you home. What do you think?”

Ming Huashang blinked, her big eyes looking at him in silence.

Ming Huazhang sighed in helpless resignation: “All right — stay here and keep the Cheng Madam company. There’s no need to deliberately fish for information. Follow your instincts — just offer her some comfort.”

Ming Huashang agreed and sincerely said: “Second Elder Brother, you truly know how to put people to the best use.”

Ming Huazhang gave her a cool sweep of the eyes: “There’s no one around. You don’t need to flatter me.”

Ming Huashang pouted and gave a light huff: “I genuinely meant it as a compliment, but you don’t recognize a kind heart.”

That Ming Huashang had followed along throughout Chang’an Prefecture’s investigation was conspicuous and notable in others’ eyes. Ming Huashang pushed it all off as having come to bring her elder brother food and accidentally stumbling upon a murder case involving someone she knew — unable to bear it for the victim’s sake and wanting to ease her elder brother’s load, she had simply tagged along to have a look.

Everyone in the city already knew that the two of them were twins; that close siblings would be this inseparable was plausible enough, and no one gave a young woman any extra trouble over it. After Ming Huazhang made a point of instructing Zhao Cai to stay at Ming Huashang’s side without exception, he went to attend to his own business. Ming Huashang returned to the main hall to continue accompanying the Duchess and Heir’s Wife.

The Duchess, her energy spent, had gone to rest in the inner hall. The Heir’s Wife sat with powder freshly applied to her face — it was obvious she had been weeping again. Ming Huashang had never seen her mother since the day she was born, and looking at the Heir’s Wife now, she could not help wondering whether her own mother had been like this.

With that in mind, the ache in Ming Huashang’s heart deepened further. She said the obligatory words about accepting one’s grief, but she knew in her heart that no mother could simply accept the loss of a daughter who had died so violently. She sat quietly with the Heir’s Wife, and once the woman’s emotions had steadied somewhat, Ming Huashang gently asked: “Madam, why did Third Young Lady go out yesterday?”

At this, the Heir’s Wife’s expression mingled hatred and anger: “No one let her go out — she snuck out herself!”

Ming Huashang’s brows shot up in surprise: “She snuck out?”

“That’s right.” The Heir’s Wife said: “She used the excuse of wanting to practice her calligraphy and sent all her maids out. None of us know when she actually slipped away. It wasn’t until dinnertime that evening that I noticed something was wrong. I pressed the maids for the truth and found out she had already gone missing since that morning. I had people search everywhere all night without sleeping — and the next morning, word came that…”

The Heir’s Wife stirred up her grief again and covered her face as she wept. Ming Huashang sighed and asked: “Where is the maid who waited on Third Young Lady?”

“Still kneeling in the courtyard.” The Heir’s Wife said through gritted teeth. “If it weren’t for their negligence and concealment, how would my Yue’er have had this accident?”

Ming Huashang could not very well pass judgment on this, so she paused and gently asked: “Madam, may I go and speak with them?”

Ming Huashang entered the courtyard where Cheng Siyue had lived in life. A row of maids knelt on the stone tiles. In the bitter cold of this weather, they had been outside on their knees for a full day and night, shivering all over, and some had already fainted.

The maids, seeing someone coming in, trembled even more violently, thinking the Madam was about to sell them off. Ming Huashang sighed inwardly and said: “There’s no need to be afraid. I have come at the request of Chang’an Prefecture’s Deputy Magistrate to ask you some questions.”

Ming Huashang walked slowly through the room, carefully looking over Cheng Siyue’s personal effects. One of the maids stood against the wall, shaking from head to toe, barely able to stand, but still managed to bow with trembling: “This servant greets the honorable official.”

“You needn’t call me that,” Ming Huashang said gently. “I’m only asking casually. Did Third Young Lady enjoy practicing her calligraphy here?”

The maid’s face crumpled at the words “in life” and she nodded: “Yes.”

“Why did she send you all out yesterday?”

The maid looked equally confused: “This servant does not know. Third Young Lady often closed the door to practice her characters. This servant only assumed it was as usual and had no idea the young lady intended to slip away. If this servant had known Third Young Lady meant to go out, she would never have dared conceal it from the Madam.”

Ming Huashang had done similar things herself and knew that if the person in question was determined to leave, even three pairs of arms on each maid would not be enough to keep watch. She asked: “Do you know why she went out?”

The maid shook her head, clearly frightened Ming Huashang would turn her anger on her, and her gaze was flinching and helpless. Ming Huashang tried another approach: “In the past few days, was there anything unusual about her?”

“Unusual?” The maid pondered blankly for a long while, then hesitantly said: “The day before yesterday, the young lady went for a walk in the garden and came back in very high spirits — she spent the whole evening trying on clothes. Other than that, I can’t think of anything.”

Trying on clothes? Ming Huashang felt as though she were on to something. She asked: “How old is Third Young Lady this year? Is she engaged?”

“The young lady is sixteen in nominal years. Her engagement has not yet been settled.”

“Did she have a young gentleman she was fond of?”

The maid’s face showed awkwardness: “Miss Ming, our Third Young Lady was the most gentle and compliant sort of person — she would never have entered into a private engagement on her own.”

Ming Huashang knew this was a topic all great families avoided. She did not press it and redirected: “I was only asking casually. Was there a friend she was close to and had been seeing frequently of late?”

The maid shook her head again: “Third Young Lady had a gentle and sweet temperament. She had close friends, but they only exchanged pleasantries at banquets; there was not much private contact. Far less so than with the First Young Master.”

Ming Huashang caught a new name: “The First Young Master is…”

“Third Young Lady’s own elder brother by the same mother. He is currently studying at the National Academy.”

Ming Huashang was about to ask in detail about the First Young Master of the Cheng family when a knock came at the door from outside: “Miss Ming, the Deputy Magistrate is here.”

Her second elder brother had arrived? Ming Huashang hurried out. As she opened the door, she noticed a pigeon spreading its wings and flying off from the treetop. She found it strange — did Cheng Siyue keep birds? She hadn’t noticed any birdseed in the room.

But Ming Huazhang was already waiting outside the door, and Ming Huashang dismissed the thought in an instant and ran toward him quickly: “Second Elder Brother!”

Ming Huazhang stood outside the courtyard gate amid the bleak, desolate chill — the only vivid color in all of heaven and earth. He caught hold of her wrist, and said as he walked: “We need to leave. I will take you back to the manor now.”

Ming Huashang was surprised: “Where are you going?”

“The National Academy.” Ming Huazhang said concisely. “Just now, Duke Chengguo sent people to bring the First Young Master of the Cheng family back from the National Academy. We have only now learned that Cheng Siyue went to the National Academy yesterday. Her brother says he saw Cheng Siyue at midday when classes let out and he had specifically hired someone to escort her back to the manor — but somehow she went missing along the way. We are going to the National Academy to ask questions. I have no time to look after you, so I am sending you back first.”

Ming Huashang heard this and immediately said: “Such an important lead — why are you still dithering here? Go quickly and take care of things at the National Academy. I can get back on my own with Zhao Cai and the others.”

“No.” Ming Huazhang refused decisively. “Cheng Siyue disappeared on the way home in the middle of the road. The killer is still at large. How could I be at ease?”

Cheng Siyue had gone to the National Academy before her death — this was arguably the most significant development since they had taken on the case. The Jing Zhaoyiin, Duke Chengguo, and everyone else were watching. If Ming Huazhang chose at this critical juncture to escort his younger sister home rather than go to the scene himself, all his previous efforts would be wasted — and worse, it would damage his official reputation and draw censure from the Censorate.

Neither was willing to give ground. After a brief standoff, Ming Huashang thought of a compromise: “Second Elder Brother, how about this — you go to the National Academy, and I stay at Duke Chengguo’s manor to keep the Madam company and look into Cheng Siyue’s matters on the side. When you are done, come to the Duke Chengguo manor to collect me. How’s that?”

Ming Huazhang hesitated, frowning: “You weren’t well acquainted with the Cheng family before — leaving you here alone in the Cheng manor…”

“It’s all right.” Ming Huashang waved her hand with magnanimous confidence. “People get familiar with time. Give it a little while and we’ll be well acquainted.”

Ming Huazhang was at a complete loss for words, and once again found himself overwhelmed by the sheer scope of Ming Huashang’s social abilities. He sighed: “Very well then. But staying this long would impose on the Duke Chengguo manor too much — come with me to the Duchess first and let her know.”

The Duchess had not expected that the young and handsome Deputy Magistrate who had left a short while ago would actually come back. This time he had his younger sister with him, and he gave the Duchess a respectful junior’s bow: “Madam, I must go to the National Academy to make inquiries and am unable to look after my younger sister. I trouble the Duchess to watch over her for a moment. Once matters there are settled, I will come to collect her immediately. I am very sorry to impose on you.”

The Duchess was a little surprised. The Duke Chengguo manor had so many maids and servants that looking after one young lady was nothing at all, but that Ming Huazhang came so formally to say so was showing the utmost consideration.

The Duchess looked at him with approval. It had long been heard that the Ming family had produced an outstanding young person in this generation. Looking at him now, Duke Zhenguo had indeed raised his son exceptionally well. No wonder he had remained unmarried for so many years and poured his entire heart into cultivating his only son.

A young man who was elegant and accomplished, steady and earnest, who did not waver before powerful authority and did not lose propriety over small things — one who truly deserved to be raised with the full resources of a great clan. Whether there were other sons was entirely beside the point.

Ming Huazhang was about the same age as the Duchess’s grandchildren. The more she looked at him, the more she approved, and she said: “You are working wholeheartedly to help Third Young Lady seek justice — it is I who should be thanking you. Those few useless granddaughters of mine are forever complaining that life is dull. Second Young Lady has come just in time — let the young ladies keep each other company. Go on without worrying. With this old woman watching over Second Young Lady, she will not suffer any grievance.”

Ming Huazhang was finally reassured. He bowed once more and said: “Many thanks to the Duchess. There is one more thing I must ask — please, no matter what, do not allow her to leave before I come, even if she herself wishes to go home.”

The Duchess understood his meaning perfectly. With Chang’an erupting in murder after murder, every household with young ladies was living in fear. Ming Huashang was about the same age as Cheng Siyue — of course Ming Huazhang was worried.

Unyielding before authority in public, yet capable of such thoughtful care for those close to him — this kind of young man was truly rare. The Duke Chengguo heir’s manor had a well-known reputation for a son who doted on his younger sister, but yesterday when he had seen his sister sneak out, all he had done was hire a carriage to send her home.

Of course, one could not fault the Cheng First Young Master for that — after all, one’s career comes first, and he could not possibly attend to his younger sister personally for everything.

This was precisely what made Ming Huazhang’s quality all the more exceptional. The Duchess could not help but remark: “You two siblings are so close — I heard you are also twins? No wonder.”

Ming Huashang had been quietly hanging in the background since the moment they entered, and when she heard the Duchess mention twins, she felt a pang of unease and instinctively glanced sideways at Ming Huazhang.

He had lowered his gaze, his expression composed to the point of being unreadable — impossible to tell what he was thinking. He thanked the Duchess once more, then turned to Ming Huashang and said: “Wait for me to come and fetch you.”

Ming Huashang nodded obediently. He gave Ming Huashang one last look, then strode swiftly away.

After he left, the Duchess said admiringly: “A gentleman is slow of speech and swift of action. He says little and does much — even many grown men cannot match his sense of responsibility. He is truly only sixteen years old?”

Ming Huashang felt pride on his behalf and smiled softly with eyes lowered: “Of course. He is the finest person in all the world.”

It was a pity that such a fine person was someone else’s young gentleman. With the Cheng family having just lost a daughter, there was no way to pursue a match. Duke Chengguo’s wife felt a genuine pang of regret, then said: “Second Young Lady, make yourself at home — no need to be reserved. I’ll have someone send word to Duke Zhenguo’s manor, so your family won’t be worried.”

In truth, when Ming Huashang had left the house, she had written a note home; and the moment Ming Huazhang saw her, he had already sent someone back to the manor to tell them Ming Huashang was with him, so Duke Zhenguo’s manor would have known her whereabouts all along. But this was, after all, the Duchess’s kind intention. Ming Huashang did not decline it, and smiled her thanks.

When Ming Huashang smiled, her expression was both sweet and soft, like sunlight warming its way into one’s heart — it went a great way toward consoling the Duchess, who had just suffered the loss of her granddaughter. Ming Huashang accompanied the Duchess in conversation for a while, then made her way in turn to speak with the Heir’s Wife, Cheng Siyue’s sisters, and even the inner-household servants. Making full use of her advantage of being beautiful and warm in her smiles, within just that one afternoon she had become fast friends with everyone in the Cheng household — fitting in so thoroughly that she was practically ready to move in with her belongings.

Even Zhao Cai, watching all this, could not help but sigh in quiet awe: fortunate that their young lady was lazy by nature — otherwise, all of Chang’an would be her pond of fish.