While listening, Huang Zixia held up a lantern and surveyed the room.

Indeed, just as Zhou Ziqin had said, it was a very dilapidated earthen house that could be described as bare of furniture. Upon entering, directly facing the door was a low bed piled with disorderly items. The room didn’t even have a table. In the left corner was a stove with two or three chipped pottery pots on it, beside which were scattered firewood and a broken rice jar. On the right was a broken wooden stool against the wall, with a two-foot-long low table in front of it, also covered with various pieces of junk.

Huang Zixia first raked through the ashes in the stove area, finding no remnants of Lingling fragrance, then went to examine the items on the low table one by one. They were mostly everyday items like fire-starting tools, most covered in dust.

She then walked to the bedside and crouched down to investigate. Due to the crowded items in the room, this bed was very narrow, about the size of a door panel. Yet even this door-panel-sized bed was piled with various things: several tattered clothes, a rust-covered pair of scissors, a whetstone, two bundles of yellow prayer paper, and a water gourd.

On the ground in front of the bed lay several scattered items: a wooden pillow, a broken black roof tile, and some bundles of mugwort wrapped in dried lotus leaves.

As she was looking, the ward head came over, his eye discharge not yet cleaned, bowing repeatedly to them: “Officials, didn’t the constables just finish investigating and leave? Why trouble the three of you to come to investigate again in the middle of the night…”

Zhou Ziqin patted his chest righteously: “We eat the emperor’s grain and serve him loyally, performing our duties faithfully and handling matters impartially. What does it matter if it’s the middle of the night? Wherever there’s a corpse… no, an injustice, that’s where we’ll be!”

The ward head was filled with respect and quickly bowed: “Yes, yes!”

Huang Zixia gave Zhou Ziqin a helpless look, then pointed at the items on the bed and asked the ward head: “Sir, do you know what all these things are?”

The ward head turned to look, his face showing disgust: “I know, they’re just those things.”

“Those things?” Zhou Ziqin quickly asked.

“Didn’t he commit that notoriously disgraceful act before? Somehow he wasn’t even held accountable afterward, and he would proudly boast about it daily, truly bringing shame to our entire ward! It wasn’t until the fire at Jianfu Temple a few days ago that killed a eunuch from the princess’s mansion that he became scared, fearing he would also face divine punishment. So in his panic, he started desperately seeking various items to ward off evil. Look, officials – this tile was soaked in black dog’s blood, and this yellow paper was sprinkled with charm water. And these scissors were for self-defense… and look at the walls!”

The ward head raised his lantern high, and they saw several messy talismans and pictures stuck on the walls, picked up from who knows where, some new and some old, some Taoist and some Buddhist. A wooden tablet of Guanyin’s Universal Salvation hung by the window, a small iron plaque of Mulian Saving His Mother was nailed to the door, and surprisingly, a picture of the Child-Giving Guanyin was pasted at the head of the bed.

Zhou Ziqin couldn’t help pointing at the bed and asking: “Such a small broken bed, yet piled with so many things, could he even turn over while sleeping?”

“What need did he have to turn over? With half his body covered in sores, he could only sleep on his side, what turning over!” The ward head despised this shame of the ward, his tone full of contempt. “Officials, let me tell you, when his body was discovered this afternoon, everyone said it was retribution! He violated that girl and went around bragging about it, and I heard the girl had already taken her own life. See now, retribution came quickly! Even though he hid inside, barred the door, locked the windows, covered everything with talismans, and never took a step outside, he still died!”

Zhou Ziqin nodded in agreement: “Yes! That’s why people absolutely must not do evil things!”

Seeing someone affirm his thoughts, the ward head became even more voluble: “They say when they broke open Sun Laizi’s door this afternoon, everyone saw a surge of vengeful qi burst out from inside, with killing qi shooting skyward! Everyone said this was the wronged girl’s spirit departing after getting her revenge, finally able to rest in peace!”

Huang Zixia and Zhou Ziqin exchanged a glance, neither responding—because they had just spoken with the “wrongfully dead” Dicui that afternoon.

After examining everything inside and carefully checking the door bolt and window locks, Zhou Ziqin reattached the seal, signing it with the character “Zhou.”

Wang Yun removed his face covering and looked back at the house, then turned to gaze at Huang Zixia, sighing: “Chonggu, only today did I realize how difficult your job is. I truly admire you.”

Huang Zixia lowered her head to avoid his gaze, mumbling: “It’s fine… it’s not always like this.”

“This is not bad! Last time when Chonggu and I were digging up a corpse, you should have seen it, and that time we fished a body out of the water canal…”

Huang Zixia could only pretend not to hear, walking to her horse first.

Wang Yun asked beside her: “In such an almost completely sealed room, how could someone kill the person inside? And how… will you uncover the truth?”

Huang Zixia mounted her horse and said softly: “We’ll investigate slowly. I believe that no crime can stay hidden forever.”

“Exactly! In my heart, Chonggu is a detective genius on par with my beloved, how could there be any case too difficult for her?” Zhou Ziqin said proudly as if Huang Zixia’s glory was his own.

Huang Zixia wasn’t sure whether to thank him for omitting the three words “my beloved Huang Zixia”—Zhou Ziqin wasn’t that foolish, of course, he wouldn’t tell Wang Yun that his beloved was his fiancée.

Fortunately, Wang Yun showed no interest in Zhou Ziqin’s beloved. Seeing they had reached the intersection, he just smiled slightly and said to Huang Zixia: “Well then, Chonggu, Ziqin, see you tomorrow.”

“Great! We’ll be on time to eat at your place tomorrow~” Zhou Ziqin waved.

After Wang Yun left, Zhou Ziqin rode leisurely on the street while discussing with her: “Chonggu, this case is quite thorny, don’t you think?”

Huang Zixia nodded and said: “Yes, the door bolt and window locks are different from the one at the public burial ground, absolutely impossible to pick with copper strips or anything like that.”

“Exactly,” Zhou Ziqin said worriedly, “You could almost say the victim died in an airtight iron cage!”

At this point, he froze, then let out an “Ah!” exclamation: “Chonggu! Do you… do you remember that painting at Zhang Xingying’s house? The strange painting displayed in the hall is said to be bestowed by the late emperor!”

Huang Zixia nodded, saying slowly: “Of course I remember.”

“Those three strange ways of dying in that painting… the first was being struck and burned to death by heavenly lightning; the second was dying trapped in an iron cage; the third was being pecked to death by a phoenix!” Zhou Ziqin looked at her, his expression both excited and horrified. “Now, two of these three methods of death have appeared on Dicui’s enemies!”

Huang Zixia was deep in thought, just nodding once: “Mm.”

“Aren’t you surprised at all? Do you think this is a coincidence, or is someone doing it deliberately? Don’t you think this is too strange?”

“Ziqin.” Huang Zixia turned to look at him, her gaze steady in the dim street lights. “Let’s discuss this tomorrow when we see Zhang Er-ge at the Capital Defense Office.”

Zhou Ziqin nodded firmly, his face full of pride: “See, Chonggu, I finally thought of something you hadn’t!”

“Yes… I’m humbled.” As she said this, looking at Prince Kui’s mansion visible in the distance, she couldn’t help thinking about that most important matter—

The third method of death… would it appear?

The next day dawned clear and fine. In Chang’an with its million inhabitants, the death of one or two people was insignificant, and everything remained peaceful as usual.

When Li Shubai took Huang Zixia to the Ministry of Works, he didn’t get out of the carriage, just asked where they were clearing the waterways today, then headed straight there.

Today the Ministry of Works was repairing waterways in the Tongji Ward area. When they arrived, they saw a group of laborers carrying silt from the waterway entrance, while Director Jiang from the Ministry squatted there watching below. The waterway below was pitch black and reeking, and he covered his nose while frowning at it, at a loss for what to do.

Li Shubai and Huang Zixia got down from the carriage just as the head laborer was reporting to Director Jiang, saying: “It’s all clear below now, Director… perhaps we could settle the payment first?”

Director Jiang hesitated and asked: “Is it cleared?”

“You can trust my work!” The head laborer beat his chest in assurance. “After all, I got this job because the Ministry trusts me, I wouldn’t mess it up! If it’s not properly cleared, you can come find me!”

“So you’re saying it should be completely clear now?” Li Shubai asked languidly from behind Director Jiang.

The head laborer didn’t know his background but could tell at a glance he was no ordinary person, and quickly said: “Oh my, noble sir, don’t worry! When Zhang Liu’er handles things, there’s absolutely no problem!”

Director Jiang turned around and saw Li Shubai, hurriedly bowing: “Prince Kui, how could you come to such a filthy place? Ah, quickly move to the upwind side…”

“No need.” Li Shubai, known throughout the capital for his cleanliness, stood at the waterway entrance and looked down, asking, “That Zhang Liu’er is in charge of this?”

“Yes, he knows all the large and small sewers in the capital like the back of his hand. When the Ministry recruited waterway workers a few years ago, he became the head. He receives a monthly salary from the Ministry, plus additional payment each time they clear a waterway.”

Huang Zixia listened from behind, thinking: who made such a poor rule that they get extra money each time they clear a waterway? Won’t these people just hope for the sewers to get blocked, wishing for minor blockages every three days and major ones every five days? How could they possibly work wholeheartedly?

Li Shubai said nothing, just gestured for Zhang Liu’er to come over, then asked: “It’s really cleared below?”

“Cleared, truly!”

“When you say clear, do you mean you’ve dug a hole through the silt and garbage in the waterway that’s barely enough for water to flow through, just to complete the task? Or has all the silt and garbage in the waterway been thoroughly cleaned out with no obstructions left?”

“Oh my, listen to what you’re saying, Your Highness! Of course, we cleaned everything out thoroughly, not daring to leave even a speck of silt!” Zhang Liu’er, calculating that Li Shubai wouldn’t go down to check, spoke with great conviction. “The court pays us, brothers, a monthly salary, and we know this matter concerns the livelihood of Chang’an’s people, how could we dare to be negligent? Everyone works with utmost dedication, not daring to show the slightest carelessness!”

“Good.” Li Shubai didn’t say much, just gestured for Jingyu to bring forward the two locks from behind. Those two huge iron locks indeed drew everyone’s attention, with all eyes turning to look.

“From today, the Ministry has new rules for waterways, and I will conduct the first trial today. Since you say it’s completely clear below, and I know our dynasty’s waterways have always been built with blue bricks, three feet high and five feet wide, it’s not difficult for a person to walk through while bent over, let alone crawl through.” Li Shubai pointed to the first lock and said, “After the waterway is cleared, you, as the head laborer in charge, will go down into the waterway, and I will personally lock it. You can then proceed through the supposedly clear waterway while I walk above. I will walk along this waterway you’ve cleared to the exit ahead, then return and walk it again. When I reach the exit the second time, whether you’ve come out or not, I will lock that exit with the second lock and take the key with me.”

Zhang Liu’er’s face instantly turned pale white, his lips purplish-blue, his throat making hoarse sounds unable to speak.

Li Shubai picked up the first lock, gesturing for Huang Zixia to open it, preparing to lock the waterway: “Also, since you say there isn’t even a speck of silt left down there, if you come out covered in too much mud, I might not be too pleased.”

“Your… Your Highness!” Zhang Liu’er trembled like a sieve and collapsed onto the street with a thud. “Please… please allow me to… to go check one more time… lest… lest there be any oversights!”

Li Shubai placed the lock back on the tray with a half-smile: “Go ahead.”