Coroner's Diary

"Ninth Miss, you may ask me whatever you wish to know now..."

Chang Shi gazed at Qin Guan with reddened eyes, while Pang Jiayun clung to her mother in a daze, half her body shrinking behind Chang Shi. Qin Guan looked at the mother and daughter pair, her lips parting slightly, yet she found herself unbearably reluctant to speak.

Perhaps sensing Qin Guan's hesitation, Chang Shi forced a bitter, thin smile. "Ninth Miss need not worry. Yun'er doesn't understand what we're discussing..."

This only made Qin Guan's heart clench tighter. Facing Chang Shi's tormented gaze, her words came out fragmented, "I... I just... How did Miss Pang..."

The initial confusion Qin Guan had felt was now ninety percent clear. She wasn't sure what more she could even ask. Chang Shi tightened her arms around Pang Jiayun slightly before answering hoarsely after a moment, "Ninth Miss, do you see this pavilion? This is the most exquisite building in the entire estate. I heard it was originally built for a Princess of the Blood. After Jiayun turned nine, she was moved here to live alone. Though exquisitely beautiful, it's rather isolated. I was strongly against it, but... I had no say in household matters. Given Yun'er's... special status in the Pang family, I thought—if they wouldn't treat her as one of their own, at least let her live in comfort and peace. But... I was wrong..."

As she spoke, Chang Shi's gaze drifted to the open window where, two cups of tea ago, Pang Yiwen had jumped to his death.

"This place became Yun'er's nightmare. That beast Pang Yiwen... during a three-day absence of mine, he did unspeakable, inhuman things to her. When I returned, Yun'er was already showing signs of mental disturbance, yet the entire Pang household conspired to keep it from me. I didn't understand until... until I saw the marks on Yun'er's body..."

At this point, a tear rolled down Chang Shi's cheek. "I wanted to report it to the authorities, but Pang Fuliang threatened Yun'er's life. By then, the Pang family had become one of the wealthiest in the northwest, while the Chang family had declined rapidly. I had no recourse—and there was still Jiayan to consider. Yun'er didn't receive timely treatment, and her mind... was permanently damaged. All these years, Jiayun has been kept like a prisoner in the northern rear courtyard. If I behaved, I could see her. If not, I might go two or three months without laying eyes on her."

Tears fell from Chang Shi's eyes like jade beads. Pang Jiayun clung tighter to her mother yet seemed utterly oblivious to her grief. Chang Shi turned, cupping Pang Jiayun's face tenderly with both hands. "All these years, I've watched helplessly as Yun'er lived without awareness, only crying out in her nightmares. Later, I thought... perhaps now that Yun'er was ill, that beast would leave her be. But I was wrong..."

Chang Shi wept pitifully, while Pang Jiayun's expression remained blank.

Qin Guan's heart had never felt heavier. Looking at Chang Shi, now dissolved in tears, she even felt a flicker of anger at the woman's perceived weakness—though she quickly checked herself. She wasn't Chang Shi; she couldn't truly understand, nor could she ask why Chang Shi hadn't fought to the death. Her gaze settled on Pang Jiayun's delicate, lovely face. At this age, the girl should have been lively and radiant. Yet her expression showed nothing but dependence on Chang Shi, completely devoid of any other emotion.

"Madam... do you intend to report this to the authorities now?"Chang Shi shook her head. "Pang Yiwen... Pang Yiwen got what he deserved. As for this matter... it's best if Ninth Miss knows about it."

Qin Guan hesitated to speak further. Her own daughter had suffered such hardship, and Chang Shi herself had been brutally beaten by Pang Fuliang. Could it be that even now, she still didn't consider leaving the Pang household?

Even if Pang Yiwen was already dead, Pang Jiayun had been reduced to this state. Whether for her own sake or because of her daughter's madness, Qin Guan couldn't imagine Chang Shi continuing to live with Pang Fuliang for the rest of her life.

"Madam, have you never considered petitioning the authorities for a divorce?" After a long pause, Qin Guan finally asked.

Chang Shi seemed momentarily stunned, a trace of confusion appearing in her eyes. Then she suddenly asked Qin Guan, "Would the authorities interfere in the Pang family's domestic affairs?"

The corners of Qin Guan's mouth twitched, but she couldn't bring herself to give a definitive answer. Even for divorce, there needed to be valid reasons—few in the Great Zhou Dynasty could truly obtain one. Although she knew the Pang family was the wealthiest in the northwest, she wasn't aware of the full extent of Pang Fuliang's influence. Thus, she couldn't give Chang Shi a definite response...

Noticing Qin Guan's hesitation, Chang Shi continued, "Then would the authorities arrest the murderer?"

Qin Guan's brows immediately furrowed. "What do you mean by that, Madam?" After a brief pause, she nodded firmly. "Of course. The murderer would definitely be arrested..."

Chang Shi seemed to relax slightly. "In that case, why should I report to the authorities?"

Qin Guan's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean by that, Madam? Are you saying Master Pang would be arrested?"

Chang Shi looked at Qin Guan for a moment, then quickly lowered her head as if afraid. Qin Guan couldn't help but step forward. "Madam, do you know something?"

Chang Shi raised her eyes hesitantly. "Ninth Miss..."

Her tone was full of uncertainty. Qin Guan quickly reassured her, "Madam, don't be afraid. If you know something, just say it."

Chang Shi glanced toward the staircase and lowered her voice slightly. "I only trust Ninth Miss."

With that, she took a small step forward. "That lady who died that day... she had come in previous years too. Not only that, but every time she came, Pang Fuliang would give her a large sum of gold and silver—far beyond just the Double Purity Troupe's payment. The troupe was first a cover, and second, its rising reputation did help with social engagements."

Qin Guan's heart raced. "When did this start?"

Chang Shi replied, "From the year I married into the family..."

"Without fail?"

Chang Shi shook her head firmly. "Never missed once."

As Pang Fuliang's wife, though he treated her poorly, Chang Shi had at least borne him Pang Jiayan. Moreover, to the outside world, Pang Fuliang maintained the facade of a harmonious marriage. Thus, Chang Shi indeed had more opportunities to know things others didn't. Qin Guan took a shallow breath. "What about this time?"

Chang Shi's eyes flickered as if recalling. "This time, that person came clearly knowing about Qing Li's death and came to demand an explanation. Not only that, but this time, she also suspected Pang Fuliang was behind Qing Li's death."

"Why that suspicion?"

Chang Shi pressed her lips together and looked at Pang Jiayan. "Jiayan, you tell them."Pang Jiayan, who had been standing beside Qing Niang, finally stepped forward. He walked over to Chang Shi and looked at Qin Guan, saying, "That day, I heard Father arguing with that lady. She demanded the Ten Directions Inn from him, but Father naturally refused. Then the lady said if he didn’t agree, she would ruin his reputation..."

Qin Guan’s heart immediately leaped—ruin his reputation?!

"Did the lady say why she could ruin his reputation?"

Pang Jiayan tilted his head in thought. "No, I was outside and couldn’t eavesdrop for long..."

As he spoke, he added, "It seemed like she said... Father owed her a certain amount of gold..."

Gold?! Qin Guan held her breath... If it involved gold, could it be related to the Gold Heist Case?!

"What happened next?" Qin Guan pressed urgently.

Pang Jiayan shook his head. "Then I left..."

Qin Guan’s heart raced. She had thought Pang Jiayan must have heard more, but his answer was unexpectedly sparse. A flicker of disappointment crossed her mind before she turned to Chang Shi. "So... you believe there was some financial entanglement between Master Pang and that lady?"

Chang Shi nodded quickly. "Pang Fuliang came from humble origins. His family ran a martial arts school in his early years, but after it went bankrupt, he struggled to make ends meet. Later, he somehow came into a windfall and started his business. At first, it was small-scale, but it grew rapidly—likely through shady means. I suspect that woman not only had financial ties with him but also held some secret of his, which is why she could threaten to ruin him."

She continued, "And then there’s this Lord Liu..."

At this, Qin Guan tensed, and Chang Shi went on, "I don’t know how Pang Fuliang explained it to the authorities, but ever since I married into the Pang family, I knew of Lord Liu’s existence. Back then, he was still an official in the east, far from here, yet he visited every couple of years. Pang Fuliang thought I was unaware, but I knew—every time he came, Pang Fuliang would give him large sums of gold and silver. Lord Liu’s smooth rise in his career was likely due to those bribes."

Qin Guan’s spine prickled as her suspicions grew stronger.

"Was this eleven years ago?"

She asked urgently, and Chang Shi nodded again.

Qin Guan’s brows furrowed deeply. "Liu Yuntong is from Dingzhou—is Master Pang also from Dingzhou?"

Chang Shi shook her head. "I don’t know Lord Liu’s background, only that he frequented the household early on. Back then, his rank wasn’t high, and I wondered why Pang Fuliang associated with such a person and supported him so heavily."

"What about this time?"

At Qin Guan’s question, Chang Shi replied, "I only know that after that lady died, he was furious with Liu Yuntong for a couple of days. When he returned, he even scolded Lord Liu, saying he had ruined his plans and didn’t know how to restrain himself even in front of Qin Shizi."

Then she added, "Jiayan, you tell her yourself."Pang Jiayan thought for a moment and said, "I only heard Father and Steward Pang mention that he was growing increasingly dissatisfied with Magistrate Liu. They said that after holding office for so long, Magistrate Liu's greed had grown larger, that he was incompetent, and that it was always Father who had to clean up his messes. They also said that this time, with the incident in the household, Magistrate Liu was likely the one who caused the most trouble, and that he was afraid—that the matters from back then hadn’t been handled thoroughly enough."

Qin Guan’s palms were damp with a thin layer of sweat. She glanced at Chang Shi, then at Pang Jiayan, and asked solemnly, "Is everything Madam and the Third Young Master have told me today true?"

Chang Shi nodded, then looked down at Pang Jiayan, who quickly nodded as well.

Qin Guan took a shallow breath before speaking in a steady voice, "If one day you are required to testify before the authorities, would you dare?"

Pang Jiayan looked somewhat bewildered, as if he didn’t fully grasp Qin Guan’s meaning. Chang Shi, holding Pang Jiayun in one arm, reached out with her other hand to grasp Pang Jiayan’s. After looking at her son and daughter beside her, she nodded firmly. "We dare."

Qin Guan nodded slowly, taking a moment to digest what she had just heard. Then, she said, "Good. I understand. Is there anything else Madam wishes to tell me?"

Chang Shi’s lips moved slightly, but in the end, she said nothing more.

Qin Guan nodded and turned toward the staircase. Qing Niang had been waiting there and immediately lowered her head respectfully upon seeing Qin Guan. Qin Guan acknowledged her with a nod and hurried down the stairs. Just as she was about to step off the last stair, her gaze caught a smudge of black soot on Qing Niang’s skirt, along with a small burnt hole.

Frowning slightly, Qin Guan remarked, "Qing Niang, your skirt is stained—"

Qing Niang snapped out of her thoughts and looked down, her expression shifting slightly.

She hastily bowed to Qin Guan. "Thank you for pointing that out, Ninth Miss. It must have happened when I came upstairs earlier."

Qin Guan gave a faint "Mm" and quickly descended to the second floor.

There, Yan Chi and Yan Li stood, but Wang Huaiyu was nowhere to be seen.

Seeing Qin Guan come down, Yan Chi stepped forward. "Well?"

Qin Guan glanced at Yan Chi, then at Yan Li, her voice lowering. "Madam Pang told me some things."

Noticing the silent exchange between Yan Chi and Qin Guan, Yan Li scratched his head. "Uh... should I go wait downstairs first?"

Qin Guan quickly averted her gaze to Yan Li, hesitating slightly. When Yan Chi remained silent, Yan Li blinked at her with a grin before cheerfully bouncing down the stairs. Once he was gone, Baiying and Fuling also stepped farther away to give them space. Yan Chi glanced toward the narrow passage between the two second-floor chambers and tilted his chin, signaling Qin Guan to follow him inside.

The passage was flanked by the chambers, with a latticed window at the end. Yan Chi strode to the window and pushed it open. Immediately, a cold wind carrying the scent of smoke rushed in, dispersing some of the dust in the room. Yan Chi turned to Qin Guan, who stood before him. After a pause, she recounted everything she had heard, word for word.

Downstairs, Wang Huaiyu sighed. "Master Pang, please accept my condolences."As he spoke, Wang Huaiyu glanced upstairs. "I just went up to check. Only the eldest young lady was hiding in the cabinet, so the only people in this building were the eldest young master and the eldest young lady. At the time, all of us clearly saw the eldest young lady was on the first floor, which means the eldest young master was alone on the third floor. Never mind why the eldest young master was with the eldest young lady in the first place—I suspect... the eldest young master realized the fire had broken out below while he was on the third floor, then pushed open the window to look down, but accidentally fell from above... That's how this tragedy occurred. Master Pang, you—"

Before Wang Huaiyu could finish, Pang Fuliang suddenly released Pang Yiwen's hand and stood up.

Wang Huaiyu was taken aback. "You—"

Pang Fuliang raised his eyes and glared fiercely in the direction of the third floor, about to speak, when Yan Chi emerged from the first floor. Pang Fuliang's expression stiffened as he watched Yan Chi approach. Meanwhile, Wang Huaiyu immediately stepped forward the moment he saw Yan Chi come out.

Yan Chi glanced at Wang Huaiyu but ignored Pang Fuliang, instead turning his gaze to Pang Youde.

"Take Steward Pang back for questioning."