Coroner's Diary

"So many banknotes!" Yan Li was startled and beckoned to Lu Yun, the guard stationed at the door. "Come here, count these..."

Not only was Yan Li surprised, but even Qin Yan, who also came from a wealthy family, widened his eyes. The stack of banknotes on the ground was thick, all stored inside that bamboo tube. Though there was only one stack, each note was of a huge denomination.

Lu Yun finished counting expressionlessly. "Master, one hundred thousand taels of silver."

Hearing this, the expressions of everyone in the room changed. One hundred thousand taels of silver—even if Liu Renli was the head of the Lianghu Salt Transport Envoy, his annual salary combined with all allowances wouldn’t even reach a thousand taels. With this sum, Liu Renli couldn’t have earned it even if he worked as Salt Commissioner for a hundred years. Where did this money come from...

Simultaneously, Yan Li and Wang Huaiyu’s gazes fell upon Pang Fuliang.

Pang Fuliang wore a bitter smile and let out a long sigh before speaking. "I dare not hide this from Your Highness and the Prefect. Brother Liu did come to me to borrow money this time. These one hundred thousand taels in banknotes were indeed what I gave him the day before yesterday."

Yan Li had just touched the bundle and now inexplicably felt there was a strange odor on it, so he stepped even farther away. Raising an eyebrow, he asked, "What does Liu Yuntong, a court official, need so much silver for?"

Pang Fuliang smiled bitterly. "He only mentioned there was some mishap in official business and needed the money to cover it..."

At this, everyone present understood immediately. Yan Li frowned, and Qin Yan’s expression darkened completely. The only possible reason for needing such a large sum to cover official business in salt transport was corruption. Just the previous year, several corrupt officials in the east had been prosecuted. Who would have thought Liu Renli was also deeply involved? A cold glint flashed in Qin Yan’s eyes, and any sympathy he might have had for Liu Renli’s death vanished instantly.

Thinking this, Qin Yan couldn’t help but glance at Qin Guan. It was her earlier reminder that had prompted him to send Zhou Huai to investigate Liu Renli. At the time, they had only uncovered some discrepancies in his salt tax records, and he had made his decision based on that. He had assumed it was just a minor issue, but now it turned out Liu Renli had sought one hundred thousand taels from Pang Fuliang to cover his embezzlement. Such an amount, if discovered by the court, would undoubtedly be a capital offense. Had he allowed Liu Renli into the Marquis’s residence upon returning to the capital, it would have been inviting disaster...

A chill ran down Qin Yan’s spine at the thought, and his regard for Qin Guan grew even deeper.

"How amusing! Needing one hundred thousand taels to cover the losses—the scale of corruption must be enormous."

Yan Li chuckled brightly, then added, "Master Pang truly lives up to his reputation as the wealthiest man in the northwest, casually handing out one hundred thousand taels. And knowing Liu Yuntong was involved in wrongdoing yet still helping to conceal it—how very benevolent of you..."

Pang Fuliang knew Yan Li’s words carried mockery but didn’t dare refute them. "Your Highness, forgive me. At first, I didn’t know what he needed the money for. Later, I guessed a little and asked him, but he refused to explain clearly. Not knowing the full story and considering our old friendship, I didn’t think to report it to the authorities. I was aiding and abetting wrongdoing."

Pang Fuliang’s attitude shifted quickly. Yan Li smiled again. "Master Pang, such behavior is only human. However... to so casually give away one hundred thousand taels—how much tax do your businesses pay in a year?"Pang Fuliang wiped a sheen of sweat from his forehead. "Your Highness jests. While rumors paint the Pang family as immensely wealthy, procuring these hundred thousand taels was no small feat for me. I only agreed to lend it out of friendship—there won't be a next time, as I made clear to Liu Yuntong the other day. As for taxes, the Pang family's enterprises pay more than any other in the northwest—not a single coin is evaded..."

Yan Li chuckled. "No need for nerves, Master Pang. Just making conversation."

Pang Fuliang forced a laugh while Wang Huaiyu eyed the banknotes on the floor. "Gather these first. If Master Pang proves uninvolved in the case, they'll be returned—though his indulgence of Liu Yuntong is another matter."

With another obsequious nod, Pang Fuliang complied. Nearby, Yan Chi studied him briefly before shifting his gaze to the doorway.

Outside the main hall, Pang Yiwen—absent for days—peered furtively inside. The crowd deterred his entry, but spotting Qin Guan, his attention lingered on her.

Wang Huaiyu ordered, "Search this place thoroughly. The rest, follow me outside."

He glanced at Yan Chi, who waved him off. "Proceed. I'll remain."

After a respectful bow, Wang Huaiyu departed with his men. Pang Fuliang and Pang Youde trailed behind, where Pang Yiwen hurried forward. "Father, how has another death—"

The question ignited Pang Fuliang's temper. A glare silenced his son, who—still rattled by his father discovering his use of the Golden Dream pills—submissively fell in line.

Inside, Qin Guan surveyed Liu Renli's quarters.

Her inspection halted at an eastern window's bronze crane-shaped lamp stand. The candle had burned completely, leaving only browned wax drippings and a charred wick stub.

Finding no other light sources, Qin Guan frowned—something felt amiss.

Yan Chi approached. "What is it?"

She pointed to the lamp. "The candle burned out entirely."

His brow furrowed in turn. Yan Li joined them. "What of it?"

"Do you let candles burn to the end?" Qin Guan asked.

Yan Li tilted his head. "Light dims toward the end—no reason to burn the wick away. Normally you'd replace it before then..."

"Qinghui Garden attends meticulously to guests. They'd replace dwindling candles promptly," Qin Guan reasoned. "This suggests Minister Liu stayed awake all night—hence the exhausted candle."

Meeting Yan Chi's gaze, she continued, "Explaining why he died fully dressed at midnight. Something must have kept him anxious..."

Yan Li smirked. "With the banknotes secured, what could trouble him?"Yan Chi and Qin Guan exchanged a glance. Qin Guan shook her head, "It's still uncertain. There's something very strange—this room couldn't have had only this one lamp. The candle burned out overnight, so there must have been other lights."

Yan Chi frowned slightly, turned, and walked to the doorway to give Bai Feng a few instructions.

Bai Feng departed to carry out the orders. When Yan Chi returned, he saw Qin Guan staring at Liu Renli's bundle. He strode to her side and noticed her examining the mud stains on the bundle. Wang Huaiyu had mentioned that the bundle was picked up by a yamen runner outside Hui Garden. With the clear weather these past few days, the snow had begun to melt, so any bundle dropped on the ground would inevitably get a bit muddy.

After a moment, Qin Guan lifted her hand—which had been handling the bundle—to her nose and sniffed lightly.

Yan Chi raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

Qin Guan shook her head, "There's a strange smell, not too strong. I can't quite place it yet."

Yan Chi inspected the bundle but didn't see any obvious stains. After a pause, he brought his fingertips to his nose and sniffed. Though he also detected a slightly odd odor, he couldn't identify it either.

Meanwhile, Qin Guan spoke gravely, "Magistrate Liu died in the lotus pond. If this was his courtyard, and here is the lotus pond, while Hui Garden is over there—how did his bundle end up outside Hui Garden?"

She tapped three points on the table, each in a different direction.

Yan Li leaned in, "What if Liu Yuntong really intended to leave at dawn and went to find Master Pang? Then... perhaps the two of them argued over something? Besides, Master Pang giving Liu Yuntong a hundred thousand taels of silver is already highly suspicious... Maybe there was some unresolved issue between them."

Yan Li's theory was likely what any reasonable person would think. The appearance of the bundle linked Liu Renli's death to Hui Garden. Qin Guan shook her head, "While that's possible, Master Pang doesn't seem foolish enough to have a dispute outside Hui Garden, only for Magistrate Liu to end up dead in the lotus pond. The distance from Hui Garden to the lotus pond is about the same as from Magistrate Liu's courtyard to the pond."

Yan Chi narrowed his eyes, "Qing Yun was poisoned while dining with Master Pang, and now Liu Renli's bundle has turned up outside Hui Garden. Both incidents seem clearly connected to Master Pang, yet the connections don't hold up under scrutiny."

"So you're saying the killer did this deliberately?" Yan Li caught on quickly.

Seeing Qin Guan deep in thought, Yan Chi said, "Let's wait and see if Magistrate Wang can uncover anything."

As he spoke, Qin Guan walked to the doorway. She stood there, frowning in contemplation for a moment, then took a few steps forward into the courtyard. She looked toward the gate and around the yard before finally stopping at the entrance.

Qin Shuang was the first to follow Qin Guan outside, with Yan Li also stepping out shortly after, leaving Yan Chi a step behind. Qin Shuang approached Qin Guan, "What are you looking at?"

Qin Guan replied solemnly, "I'm trying to figure out how Magistrate Liu left."

"What do you mean?" Qin Shuang blinked her large eyes, confused.

Qin Guan glanced toward the lotus pond, "There are no signs of a struggle inside the room, and the courtyard appears completely normal. It's likely Magistrate Liu walked out on his own."

With that, she began walking along the southern path leading to the lotus pond.The winter lotus pond held no scenic charm. Even during the day, only Pang Jiayan would go there to play. At night, it was even more deserted. Qin Guan walked slowly along the narrow path, her eyes dark and contemplative.

She was pondering the case, but Qin Shuang had followed her, trailed by Yan Li and Yan Chi. Bringing up the rear was Qin Yan, strolling at a leisurely pace. At one point, Qin Guan paused slightly and turned to see this entire entourage behind her, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

She hadn’t noticed anything unusual along the way and was almost convinced her deduction was wrong. Seeing everyone following her now, she couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated. Qin Shuang asked, “Why did you stop? Where are you even going? The lotus pond?”

Indeed, just ahead lay the lotus pond, but Qin Guan doubted Liu Renli would come here alone at night. She shook her head. “There’s nothing here. Let’s turn back.”

Qin Shuang naturally had no objections, but Yan Li stepped forward with a puzzled expression. “This place is quite remote.”

Liu Renli’s courtyard was located slightly north of the central axis of the estate, while the lotus pond lay to the southwest. The path they had taken wound through lush gardens and scenic spots, far from the main thoroughfare. At night, it would be even more deserted.

“Right. Let’s just wait for Prefect Wang’s search results,” Qin Guan said, about to turn back when Yan Li suddenly sniffed the air.

“Wait—do you smell that?”

Having grown up in luxury, Yan Li had an acute sensitivity to odors. He frowned, his expression one of distaste.

At his words, Qin Guan halted. Just then, a cold gust of wind blew in from the southwest. A glint flashed in her eyes as she continued forward along the path. Yan Li rubbed his nose and followed. Soon, even Qin Guan caught the scent—the same strange odor that had clung to Liu Renli’s bundle, now stronger and more pungent in the cold wind.

“I smelled this earlier in that room,” Yan Li muttered to himself.

But Qin Guan quickened her pace. Before long, she spotted the rockery north of the lotus pond. The area around the pond featured two separate rock formations, each hollow inside and full of hidden intricacies. Qin Guan’s brow furrowed slightly at the sight before she strode toward the rockery.

“Is it here?” Yan Li asked, joining her in searching. Yet after circling the rockery, Qin Guan found nothing unusual on the outside. Then, abruptly, she stopped.

“This smells like lamp oil…”

At her words, Yan Li seemed to recall something. “Why would there be lamp oil here?”

As he spoke, he noticed the entrance to the rockery ahead. Curiosity piqued, he ducked inside. Qin Guan’s heart skipped a beat—could the answer lie within? No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than Yan Li’s voice echoed from the passageway inside the rockery. “Here! Over here! Found it—”

Qin Guan immediately stepped inside. Though the rockery was hollow, small openings in the walls allowed light to filter through. Within a few steps, she saw Yan Li standing in the cavern, staring at the ground. She hurried over and looked down to find a shattered lantern lying on the passageway floor. Qin Guan’s frown deepened instantly.Yan Li said in surprise, "Why would he be here? Late at night, Liu Yuntong not only came to the lotus pond area but also went inside the rockery? Could he be playing hide-and-seek too..."

As he said this, Yan Li couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine, naturally recalling the time he had seen Pang Jiayun in that bowl.

Soon after, Yan Chi and the others caught up. Seeing Yan Chi enter as well, Qin Guan said, "Magistrate Liu wouldn't have come here without reason. Unless... something lured him here."