Coroner's Diary

Gazing at the golden plaque of the Ink-Stained Painting House, Yue Ning asked, "Does this painting house have significant connections?"

Having just returned to the capital, Yue Ning naturally knew little about which restaurants were excellent or which painting houses were remarkable. Upon hearing she wished to purchase calligraphy and paintings, Wei Qizhi immediately brought her here.

Wei Qizhi explained, "This painting house employs numerous masters. Besides creating works for noble families in the capital, they also sell many renowned calligraphic pieces and paintings. Of course, one needs a reliable person to discern authenticity, as some pieces are imitations made by later generations."

Just as Wei Qizhi finished speaking, a young attendant emerged from the painting house and expressed surprise upon seeing him.

"Young Master Wei! What brings you here today?"

Wei Qizhi glanced at Yue Ning but did not reveal her identity, simply smiling as he said, "I've brought a friend to buy paintings. Is Master Ning available?"

The attendant apologetically replied, "Master Ning has gone out. Today, the Duke of Zhongguo's residence is hosting a banquet and has invited Master Ning to paint."

While speaking, the attendant glanced at Yue Ning. She noticed Yue Ning's tall and graceful stature, clear and refined features, and though there was a subtle elegance about her, her demeanor and bearing were extraordinary. When Yue Ning swept her gaze over the attendant, the young boy quickly smiled and invited them inside.

The Ink-Stained Painting House was exceptionally spacious. Upon entering, the main hall came into view, adorned with numerous paintings. At a glance, many works by famous artists were visible. Just as Yue Ning expressed mild surprise, Wei Qizhi remarked, "These are all imitations. The authentic pieces the County Princess seeks are inside."

Although Yue Ning was not skilled in calligraphy or painting, having been raised under Jiang Shi's tutelage, she might not create art but could certainly appreciate it. "These imitations are remarkably lifelike. The master painter must possess extraordinary skill," she observed.

Wei Qizhi smiled. "Most of these are by Master Ning's hand."

With that, he dismissed the attendant and casually browsed with Yue Ning.

Many famous paintings from previous dynasties earned their renown largely due to the artists' superior techniques, which created irreplicable artistic conception and charm. When later generations attempted to imitate these works, they often failed to capture that essence. Connoisseurs of calligraphy and painting could typically distinguish authenticity at a glance. However, some highly skilled painters meticulously studied the masters' techniques and brushwork, combining them with their own skills to replicate famous paintings with seventy to eighty percent accuracy. Some could even produce imitations nearly indistinguishable from the originals.

As Yue Ning examined the paintings on the wall, she felt that Master Ning, whom Wei Qizhi mentioned, indeed produced excellent work.

Wei Qizhi added, "This painting house was founded by Master Ning, the most famous painter in the capital. He has even been invited to paint in the imperial palace. He creates his own works and also paints for others. These imitations are reproduced for sale. Many of the original paintings have long been lost; he studied them from rubbings. Yet, through his brush, he captures the charm of the originals. Don't assume these are mere imitations—their prices are quite substantial."

Yue Ning listened and nodded as she followed Wei Qizhi. After viewing the works, she agreed that Master Ning's skills were indeed impressive. After a moment's thought, she asked, "What authentic paintings does he have here?"An authentic painting by a renowned artist from the previous dynasty was worth a considerable sum. Since Yue Ning was not particularly skilled in this Path, it was only natural for her to ask a few more questions. Hearing this, Wei Qizhi replied, "I'm not entirely certain about that either. The ones I know of include Cao Dejian's Ancient Pine and Liu Qianshan's Thousand Rivers Racing. Beyond those, I'm afraid I don't know much. I had originally hoped that Master Ning would be here to assist you, but unfortunately, he's absent today. Since you mentioned wanting to decorate your residence, why not select a couple of paintings from the outer hall?"

Yue Ning had genuinely intended to choose a painting for the Anyang Marquis, but with Master Ning unavailable, she abandoned the idea. As for decorating the house, it made little sense to hang priceless masterpieces meant for eternal appreciation in a living space. The two paintings Wei Qizhi had mentioned, once acquired, would likely be stored away in a chest, only to be brought out occasionally for admiration.

"In that case, I’ll just browse casually."

Yue Ning walked around and selected several paintings—two for the Grand Princess, two for Yue Qing, and one for herself. As for Jiang Shi and Yue Qiong, she decided to leave the existing paintings in the manor as they were.

Satisfied with her purchases, Yue Ning left the Ink-Stained Painting House and mounted her horse. Wei Qizhi then escorted her to the next stop—a porcelain shop. Knowing the Grand Princess had a fondness for official kiln pieces from the previous dynasty, Yue Ning, upon Wei Qizhi’s recommendation, met with two shopkeepers and had them select two fine items. She also picked out a few everyday decorative pieces. With that, her acquisitions of antiques, calligraphy, and paintings were complete.

Yue Ning emerged alone on horseback, having placed all her purchases in Wei Qizhi’s carriage. Feeling obliged to see things through, Wei Qizhi accompanied her all the way to the Marquis Anyang Manor. At the entrance, he declined to enter, but upon Yue Ning’s inquiry, she learned that Yue Qing was inside. Not wanting to dismiss Wei Qizhi outright after his assistance, Yue Ning called Yue Qing out to receive him. Left with no choice, Wei Qizhi finally entered the manor, first paying his respects to the Grand Princess and Jiang Shi before conversing with Yue Qing.

Upon entering the manor, Wei Qizhi had sent a servant to report to the prefectural office. When Zheng Baishi received the news, he instructed Zhan Yang to investigate. Soon enough, Zhan Yang obtained further information.

Qin Guan, however, did not learn of this until evening. Having spent half the day at the office, she had already left by the time Wei Qizhi’s servant arrived to deliver the message. It was Yan Chi who specifically sent someone to inform her.

Baiying reported, "The messenger said they’ve found the concubine Zhao Jiaxu has been keeping outside. She has been living there for six months. Zhao Jiaxu bought her from a brothel—she was originally from an official family but fell into hardship after her family was convicted. Eventually, her uncles sold her off. Zhao Jiaxu was smitten, redeemed her, and settled her in that small house in the alley. He kept this hidden from Yu Shi, claiming he would bring her home only after she bore him a child, fearing Yu Shi would not tolerate her. Since Yu Shi has been unable to bear a son, Zhao Jiaxu has grown increasingly discontent."

Qin Guan narrowed her eyes. In this world, a woman’s inability to bear a son after marriage was treated as a crime.

"Did Zhan Yang send someone to question them?"Baiying nodded, "Yes, this is what the girl told us. She's currently living in constant fear and doesn't dare to contact Yu Shi. Although Zhao Jiaxu gave her money, the residence is only rented. She's now planning to pack up and return to her hometown, afraid she won't be able to make a living here in the capital. However, with Zhao Jiaxu's case still unresolved, even though she knows he might not have truly loved her, they've developed some affection over the past six months. She still wants to know what really happened to Zhao Jiaxu, which is why she went to the Wei residence to inquire that day."

This matter was actually discovered by Wei Qizhi. When Qin Guan first heard Baiying mention it, she was quite surprised.

Just as they were speaking, Yue Ning arrived.

Glancing at the sky outside, Qin Guan was somewhat astonished and hurried out to greet her. Yue Ning had come to Pine Breeze Courtyard accompanied by Granny Yu. Qin Guan asked, "Why have you come? It's almost dark—has grandmother's health..."

Yue Ning smiled, "Don't worry, grandmother is perfectly fine."

Yue Ning's sudden visit had made Qin Guan instinctively think that the Grand Princess had fallen ill and Yue Ning had come to request medical assistance.

Qin Guan breathed a sigh of relief and linked arms with Yue Ning as they entered the courtyard. "Then why did you come so suddenly? I was planning to visit the marquis' estate tomorrow to see grandmother and my adoptive mother..."

Yue Ning replied, "Last time I told you to take me along when you investigate cases, but you forgot."

Upon hearing this, Qin Guan couldn't help but laugh. "You came because of this?"

Once inside the room, Yue Ning sat down and said, "Are you investigating the death of a schoolteacher?"

Qin Guan was startled. As she poured tea for Yue Ning, she asked, "How did you know?"

Yue Ning's smile deepened. "I went out shopping today and ran into Wei Qizhi. Guess what he was doing?"

At these words, Qin Guan's eyes shifted as she immediately understood what Yue Ning was referring to. She couldn't help but laugh wryly. "He wasn't following some respectable young woman, was he..."

Yue Ning had intended to tell this as a story to Qin Guan, never expecting her to guess it immediately. She instantly realized Qin Guan already knew about this matter!

"You already know about this! How so quickly!"

Qin Guan smiled, "His Highness sent someone with the message. I went to the magistrate's office this morning. I assisted with the corpse examination for this case, so I'm naturally interested in any updates."

Yue Ning understood now. Qin Guan asked further, "So you saw Young Master Wei following someone?"

Yue Ning nodded, "Not only did I see him following someone, I actually joined him in following that person."

Qin Guan blinked, "You followed along with him?"

Yue Ning's face broke into a radiant smile, showing excitement about having done something unconventional. "Yes, and I even know where that girl lives. When I first encountered Wei Qizhi, I thought he was up to no good."

Knowing Yue Ning's strong sense of justice, Qin Guan chuckled, "Did you go up and punch him then?"

Yue Ning raised her chin slightly, "If he hadn't given me a proper explanation, I certainly would have."

Although Wei Qizhi was a man, his martial skills were only average. In a real fight, he wouldn't stand a chance against Yue Ning. Qin Guan hadn't expected such an encounter between Yue Ning and Wei Qizhi. She asked a few more questions, to which Yue Ning replied, "Later he took me to buy some calligraphy, paintings, and a few cultural artifacts and porcelain. The painting house we visited was called the Ink-Stained Painting House."

A faint light appeared in Qin Guan's eyes. "Was the proprietor Master Ning Buyi?"Yue Ning exclaimed in surprise, "You know about it too?"

Hearing this, Qin Guan knew her guess was correct. She smiled and said, "He's extremely famous in the capital. I've seen paintings he did for other families before—his skills are excellent. Though highly skilled, he doesn't put on airs, so many people in the capital are willing to hire him for paintings."

Only then did Yue Ning realize Wei Qizhi hadn't been exaggerating.

"Then tell me, what's going on with this case? I know someone else died before this."

Since there was nothing urgent at the moment and Yue Ning was asking, Qin Guan briefly explained the whole story of the case. After hearing it, Yue Ning widened her eyes, "There's actually so much to it?! So the mastermind behind this must have some shocking purpose? How can Zhang Daoshi be released after being arrested?"

"According to what Zhang Daoshi said, the killer probably wants something. For Zhang Daoshi to be released, they need to catch this killer and see if she's the culprit from the case six years ago. Only if she is can his suspicion be cleared."

Yue Ning frowned slightly, "This killer is connected to both families..."

As Yue Ning fell into thought, Qin Guan shook her head with a light laugh. She had told Yue Ning these things not to make her worry. "If you want to know, I can tell you. I can also inform you when there are results, but you don't need to ponder this yourself—the authorities will investigate."

Yue Ning understood this well and didn't ask further. After a pause, she said, "Your two elder sisters are about to get married. Have your uncle and aunt said anything about your own situation?Qin Guan keenly sensed something unusual and first responded, "The Empress Dowager has said she must approve my marriage, so my uncle and aunt can't do anything about it." Why are you suddenly asking about this?"

Yue Ning sighed, "Someone actually came to propose marriage to me!"

Qin Guan was slightly surprised, "Who? Who wants to marry you..."

Yue Ning shook her head, "I didn't ask, and mother didn't agree, but I still found out about it."

So Yue Ning's visit wasn't just to hear about the case. Seeing the faint worry on Yue Ning's face, Qin Guan pressed her lips together. Yue Ning's temperament was quite different from ordinary girls, and she was a year older than Qin Guan. In Great Zhou's view, she had indeed reached marriageable age. Even Qin Guan herself had reached marriageable age.

"What do you think yourself? This is something you'll have to face sooner or later."

Yue Ning propped her chin by the window and sighed, "Can't I just not get married?"

Qin Guan didn't respond. In Great Zhou, only one kind of person could avoid marriage—nuns in Buddhist convents.

"Haven't you met anyone you somewhat like?Qin Guan tested. Yue Ning turned to look at her, "Do you also think I must get married?"

Realizing Yue Ning had misunderstood, Qin Guan quickly shook her head, "How could that be? That's not what I meant at all. It's just that you know how society is nowadays—if you don't marry, life will be very difficult for you. Naturally, I hope you get what you wish for."

Yue Ning leaned against the windowsill, thinking it over. Among all the women she knew, there really wasn't a single one who hadn't married. Those living alone were either widowed or estranged from their husbands, but most were enduring the hardships of marriage. Yue Ning couldn't see what was so appealing about getting married."The very best scenario is that you have someone you truly love, who also loves you, and you spend your entire lives together. That way, both sides are perfectly content. The more common option is to choose a reliable husband—someone from a well-off family with excellent character. Even if you don't love him, he respects you. He might take concubines, but you can still live together respectfully for a lifetime. Only then comes what you mentioned—not marrying at all. If Great Zhou were truly a place that allowed women to remain unmarried, not just you or I, but many other women would likely never consider marriage. But in Great Zhou, even if you struggle desperately to avoid marriage, you'd end up alone and free-spirited. The terrors of societal norms are far from as simple as we imagine..."

Qin Guan's voice was gentle and utterly sincere. Yue Ning sighed, "So my idea has become the worst option."

Qin Guan smiled bitterly. If she hadn't met Yan Chi, she'd probably be thinking the same as Yue Ning—especially since she carried the weight of a blood feud. After a moment's thought, she added, "You hold the title of Princess." There are actually ways to live freely. Marry someone reliable who understands your heart. Though married in name, it would be as if you weren't—you'd simply be living somewhere new. How does that sound to you?"

Qin Guan understood Yue Ning's feelings but dared not advise her to simply refuse marriage—that was the talk of naive girls. Now, she saw the world clearly.

Yue Ning pondered this, her expression brightening considerably. "That's not a bad idea. I believe there must be men in this world who aren't particularly eager to marry either. The pity is, I don't know where to find such a person."