Magistrate Zhen Shicheng pushed open the door, and the familiar scent of blood wafted toward him.
He first surveyed the room, frowning at the chaotic bloody footprints on the floor.
The numerous footprints of various sizes indicated the chaos at the time of the incident.
The candlestick used as the murder weapon lay on the floor, its tip a dark red, gleaming with a cold luster.
Zhen Shicheng turned and asked, “Which wardrobe?”
Xie Qingyao glanced at Jiang Si, then pointed to the wardrobe that Jiang Si had previously opened.
“Everyone else should stay outside,” Zhen Shicheng instructed, entering with his capable subordinate to investigate.
He first examined the indicated wardrobe.
As Jiang Si had discovered, there were two partial fingerprints in an inconspicuous spot inside the wardrobe. Judging from their angles, they appeared to be where someone’s hands would naturally rest while crouching inside.
Such prints indeed couldn’t have been left by maids handling clothes.
Zhen Shicheng studied the prints thoughtfully.
For prints to be so distinct, sweat was one factor, but perhaps the person’s hands had been covered in something.
As he carefully examined the wardrobe’s contents, his eyes suddenly narrowed. “Bring me the tweezers and oiled paper,” he called to his subordinate.
Taking the items, he carefully extracted something from the slightly disheveled clothes at the top, placing it on the oiled paper.
Two strands of hair.
Zhen Shicheng grew excited.
The wardrobe contained only clean clothes, and in a noble household like this, how could there be loose hairs among the lady’s clean garments?
The possibility was extremely remote—the most likely explanation was that these hairs belonged to the killer!
Despite his discovery, Zhen Shicheng maintained his composure. He handed the evidence to his subordinate for safekeeping and continued examining the room meticulously, working for nearly half an hour before emerging.
Seeing him exit, Earl Yongchang asked eagerly, “Magistrate Zhen, what did you find?”
“I’d like to know when this wardrobe was last organized?”
A timid maid immediately responded, “Your servant put away clothes at sunset yesterday. The right wardrobe was full, so some items were placed in this one.”
“So the clothes were stored before nightfall yesterday?”
The maid nodded quickly.
Zhen Shicheng stroked his beard before answering Earl Yongchang: “Someone appears to have hidden in the wardrobe.”
“Truly?” Earl Yongchang was shocked, and his shock quickly turned to overwhelming rage.
Someone had hidden in the wardrobe in his and his wife’s chambers—who else could it be but his wife’s murderer?
Earl Yongchang gripped Zhen Shicheng’s hand firmly: “Magistrate Zhen, please, you must find my wife’s killer!”
“Rest assured, my lord, I will do my utmost. Where is the Lady’s body being kept?”
Earl Yongchang hesitated.
Zhen Shicheng spoke frankly: “No evidence or conjecture is as important as examining the victim’s body.”
Earl Yongchang continued to hesitate.
Though he had agreed to involve the authorities at his children’s urging, when the moment came, he still struggled to accept the idea of coroners examining his wife’s remains.
It was almost unthinkable.
“My lord, I brought a female coroner,” Zhen Shicheng said, understanding Earl Yongchang’s hesitation.
For common households it was different, but in noble families—even merely wealthy ones—it was rare for families to accept coroner examinations of female victims.
Being meticulous by nature, Zhen Shicheng couldn’t bear letting the truth be buried with victims due to social conventions, so he trained female coroners.
His current female coroner was the daughter of a veteran coroner who had worked with him for years—truly a remarkable young woman.
“Father—” Seeing Earl Yongchang’s silence, Xie Qingyao called out pleadingly.
Earl Yongchang finally made his decision and accompanied Zhen Shicheng.
Passing by Jiang Si, Zhen Shicheng’s gaze lingered on her briefly.
He was curious how this young lady had thought to check the wardrobe, but now wasn’t the time to ask—he would have to find another opportunity.
The memorial hall was set up in the adjacent courtyard.
In the heat of the sixth month, ice basins surrounded Lady Yongchang’s coffin, creating a cool atmosphere that could be felt upon approaching.
A young woman with a blue headscarf, following Magistrate Zhen’s instructions, stepped forward to begin the examination.
“My lord, let’s discuss matters elsewhere.” Knowing many families found it difficult to witness examinations, Zhen Shicheng left guards to watch the memorial hall and accompanied Earl Yongchang’s party away.
While the female coroner conducted her examination, Zhen Shicheng wasn’t idle. He immediately turned the hall into a temporary court, questioning first the personal maids of Lady Yongchang.
Three senior maids knelt before him, all pale-faced.
Zhen Shicheng smiled. “Please stand to answer questions. This isn’t the official court, and I’m not here to prosecute. No need for kneeling.”
His gentle manner somewhat eased the maids’ tension as they hesitantly stood.
Zhen Shicheng glanced at the three maids and said slowly, “Usually, maids of your rank come in even numbers—two, four, or six, correct?”
The maids were startled, and one blurted out, “There’s also Qiulu!”
Chunfang, Xiayu, Qiulu, and Dongxue were Lady Yongchang’s four senior maids.
“Where is Qiulu?” Xie Qingyao demanded.
Having lost her mother and seen her father wrongly accused of murder had made this normally gentle young lady suspicious of everything.
Jiang Si gently patted her arm.
Under her friend’s comforting touch, Xie Qingyao calmed down.
The three maids looked at each other, none able to account for Qiulu’s whereabouts.
Chunfang knelt again, trembling all over: “Your Honor, yesterday… yesterday Qiulu was supposed to be on night duty!”
This immediately made Qiulu the prime suspect. Zhen Shicheng decisively ordered, “My lord, please have your entire household search for Qiulu immediately.”
Whether Qiulu was the murderer remained uncertain, but the disappearance of the maid who should have been on duty that night was a lead that couldn’t be ignored.
Soon the entire household was mobilized to search for the maid Qiulu.
Since the household staff knew the estate best, Zhen Shicheng only assigned a few constables to assist in the search.
As time passed without any news of Qiulu, the female coroner completed her examination of Lady Yongchang’s body and came to report.
“The fatal wound is in the chest, but there are three additional wounds around it of varying depths, one caught on the rib…” After describing her findings, the coroner concluded, “Such patterns typically indicate either an inexperienced killer or someone lacking physical strength. Your servant believes the killer was likely female…”
Earl Yongchang’s face changed dramatically: “Has Qiulu been found yet?!”
The coroner’s conclusion that the killer was female, combined with Qiulu’s disappearance, made her the most likely suspect.
However, Zhen Shicheng remained composed, showing no expression.
It was too early to conclude—everything would depend on finding Qiulu first.