Zhan Yang hadn't expected Wu Yu to suddenly report the case concerning the eldest young master of the Weiyuan Earl's residence. After sending Ning Buyi off with a few words, Zhan Yang brought Wu Yu into the government office, heading straight to the rear hall where Zheng Baishi and Qin Guan were both present. Zhan Yang briefly explained the matter.
Both Zheng Baishi and Qin Guan were quite surprised, and even Zhang Daoshi, standing nearby, couldn't stop staring at Wu Yu. With the serial murder case still unsolved, how could the case of the Wu family's eldest young master suddenly emerge?
"When we visited your residence last time, you said the eldest young master had run away from home," Qin Guan said doubtfully. "Can a single incense pouch prove that something has happened to the Wu family's eldest young master?"
Wu Yu's face flushed slightly. "Last time when the Junzhu and Lord Zheng came, I hadn't considered this point. But this incense pouch was left to my elder brother by his mother—he never parts with it. It usually contains a bit of Chen Xiang inside. Unless he's bathing or practicing martial arts in the residence, he would only remove it then. Very occasionally, he might forget it when going out, but whenever my elder brother travels far or doesn't return home overnight, he always carries the incense pouch with him. If he had truly decided to leave, he might leave behind anything else, but this incense pouch—he would never leave behind..."
"The treasure box we discovered is where my elder brother usually keeps his hairpins, thumb rings, and other accessories. After he left, we never touched his room. It wasn't until two years ago, when his room started leaking during rain and many items were getting wet, that we moved his belongings to the storage room. At that time, no one opened the treasure box to check. But today, a former servant of my elder brother, who is now a steward in the residence, found the incense pouch while tidying the storage room and came to report it to me."
"My second elder brother and I discussed it, and he also felt that it was impossible for our elder brother not to take the incense pouch with him. Then I carefully recalled that day—my elder brother had left after arguing with our father. They argued in the main hall, and after the argument, my elder brother turned and left, heading straight out of the residence. At that time, he was wearing ordinary casual clothes and carried nothing else with him..."
Zheng Baishi said, "If it's as the third young master says, since he left in anger after arguing with the Weiyuan Earl, it would be normal for him to forget the incense pouch. Later, even if he remembered, the eldest young master might have been too proud to return for it and simply decided not to bring it."
Wu Yu smiled bitterly. "I... what you say is certainly possible, my lord. But the importance my elder brother placed on this incense pouch was known throughout our entire residence... Once, a newly arrived maid, unaware of its significance, took the incense pouch to wash it. My elder brother was so furious that he immediately sold her off. It's possible that he was too proud to return, but at that time, many people went out to look for him—he could have asked someone else to bring it to him. Moreover, my elder brother was someone who indulged in pleasure. The idea that he would travel far from home without a single coin is truly astonishing. Back then, we asked all of his friends, and they all said he hadn't borrowed any money from them."Wu Yu let out another sigh as he spoke, "To be honest, all these years we've felt something must have happened to our eldest brother, but we never formally reported it to the authorities because we still held onto a glimmer of hope. Now that our fourth brother has met with misfortune and our father is bedridden with serious illness, we thought we'd take this opportunity to file a report and have the authorities investigate our eldest brother's death as well. We were hesitant at first, but after discovering this sachet, both Second Brother and I felt something was amiss, so we came here."
After hearing Wu Yu's lengthy explanation, Zheng Baishi understood. "I see what you mean. However, this matter is already four years old, making it difficult to investigate. For now, our priority is investigating the case of the fourth young master. We'll do our best with your case."
Wu Yu exhaled in relief. "That's good enough. Thank you, Lord Zheng."
Zheng Baishi nodded and instructed Zhan Yang, "Take the third young master to complete the registration."
Zhan Yang gestured politely and led Wu Yu out first. After they left, Zheng Baishi looked at Qin Guan and said, "The eldest son of the Weiyuan Earl's household, Wu Jin, wasn't a good person either. His birth mother passed away early, and the Weiyuan Earl was irresponsible in his youth, so naturally he failed to raise his sons properly. After remarrying his current wife, the eldest and second sons refused to accept their stepmother's authority. The fourth son was spoiled since childhood. Except for the third son, all three others had terrible flaws - and ironically, the third son isn't even the Weiyuan Earl's biological child."
Qin Guan frowned slightly. It was already strange enough that only one of the four sons was decent, but for that one to be the non-biological son made it even more peculiar. She instinctively felt there was something odd about the Weiyuan Earl's household, though she couldn't immediately pinpoint what exactly was amiss. Turning her gaze, she noticed Zhang Daoshi standing silently to the side, lost in thought.
Qin Guan then asked, "What does the Daoist think of this Wu Yu?"
Zhang Daoshi smiled faintly. "This third young master has the appearance of longevity, but his eyes lack spirit with drooping corners, indicating hidden cunning and methods." Judging by his speech and demeanor, he's also quite smooth in handling affairs. When His Lordship mentioned that only the third young master in the Weiyuan Earl's household was well-raised, I suspect this third young master must have employed considerable scheming."
Qin Guan pressed her lips together, while Zheng Baishi remained silent for a moment. The covert struggles among noble families were no less intense than those in the imperial court. Though Zhang Daoshi's words lacked direct evidence, they represented a highly plausible inference.
Meanwhile, Zhan Yang took Wu Yu to register the new case. Before long, Zhan Yang returned to the back hall. "This third young master should have reported this earlier. Now it's been four years. When he came to inquire before, he didn't say this much."
Previously, the Wu family had only asked whether any victims resembling their eldest young master had been found, without mentioning their suspicion that he had met with misfortune. With the capital's yamen already overwhelmed with affairs, the prefect at that time naturally wouldn't have considered initiating an investigation.
With Zhang Daoshi's words still fresh in their minds, both Zheng Baishi and Qin Guan remained silent for a while. Zhang Daoshi then said, "Your Lordship, Your Ladyship, I've deduced the location. Should we make a trip there?"
Zhan Yang, still haunted by yesterday's events, quickly interjected, "There's no need for Your Ladyship to go. Please return to the Marquis residence first."
Zhan Yang had informed Zheng Baishi about yesterday's incident, and Zheng Baishi fully agreed upon hearing it. Seeing how tense they both were, Qin Guan sighed and conceded, "Very well then, I'll return first."Qin Guan left the government office and boarded the carriage, Zhang Daoshi's words still echoing in her ears.
The laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty only applied to ordinary commoners. Once it involved the official circles and the imperial family, the law encountered many obstacles. The eldest son of the Earl of Weiyuan's family had delayed for a full four years before filing the case—who knew what conspiracies and schemes lay in between?
Qin Guan rubbed her temples. Wu Jin's case was merely a disappearance, while Wu Yu's was a murder case involving four deaths. The relative importance was self-evident. Unfortunately, even with Ning Buyi's help in sketching, the outline of the killer remained unclear.
Meanwhile, Zhang Daoshi followed Zhan Yang away from the government office, accompanied by five or six constables, arriving at the border between the southern and western parts of the city. The area had a cluster of newly constructed residential buildings, and when Zhan Yang arrived, he saw many craftsmen sawing wood to build houses.
Zhang Daoshi remarked, "This place faces the Well constellation of the Vermilion Bird. However, with tools everywhere and no stone materials in sight, the killer likely wouldn't strike here—"
Since it was the Stone Mill Hell, it had to be somewhat related to stone mills. The area was covered in wood, and the stone materials had already been used for the foundation, seemingly unrelated to the Stone Mill Hell. Yet, after the previous incident, Zhan Yang no longer dared to think in terms of possibilities or impossibilities. He immediately ordered several constables to survey the surroundings. Soon, they returned to report on the area's conditions.
This large open space belonged to a wealthy family named Zhu, and the residence was being newly built by the Zhu family. Construction had been underway for a month, and the foundation was already laid.
According to Zhang Daoshi's deduction, the next murder would occur tomorrow night. Zhan Yang personally inspected the surroundings again before leading the constables back to the government office. Having guarded the wrong location last time, he dared not be careless this time. Besides the first heavily guarded residential site, the abandoned mill and the construction site were also highly likely places the killer might exploit.
Zhan Yang reported to Zheng Baishi and mobilized almost all available constables from the government office, setting up heavy defenses at the abandoned stone mill and the construction site, waiting for the killer to fall into the trap the following night.
Qin Guan rose early and headed to the Marquis Anyang Manor. Yue Qiong had already left the capital, leaving only Yue Qing and three female family members in the manor. Despite her advanced age, the Grand Princess was deeply saddened that her son had to go to Jinzhou and would not return until at least the end of the year. Qin Guan went to accompany the Grand Princess in listening to opera.
After the Double Purity Troupe disbanded, Southern Opera troupes became rare in the capital. However, a new Southern Opera troupe named Hechun had recently emerged and was highly popular. Having lived in the south for ten years, the Grand Princess had a great fondness for Southern Opera. Today, she invited two young performers from the Hechun Troupe to the manor to sing. Qin Guan accompanied the Grand Princess through the morning performances, which somewhat eased her heart. After half a day of listening to opera and being amused by Qin Guan and Yue Ning, the Grand Princess grew tired by the afternoon. Qin Guan and Yue Ning escorted her to the inner chamber for a nap. Once the Grand Princess was settled, Yue Ning pulled Qin Guan aside.
"Second Brother recently found two treasures. Come with me—"Yue Ning eagerly pulled Qin Guan toward Yue Qing's courtyard. Yue Qing had already begun his duties at the Ministry of War and was away from the residence during the day these days. Upon reaching Yue Qing's courtyard, Yue Ning led Qin Guan straight into his study. Qin Guan smiled wryly, "Second Brother isn't home. Isn't it improper to enter like this?"
Yue Ning scoffed, "We're just going into his study, not his bedroom! I often come here to borrow books. Don't worry at all."
Yue Qing's study was also separate from the main living quarters. Seeing this, Qin Guan felt somewhat reassured. The moment she entered the study, she paused to look at the paintings hanging on the walls. Yue Ning glanced at the wall and laughed, "What do you think? I bought it. Not bad, right?"
Hanging on Yue Qing's wall was a painting titled "Thousand Rivers Racing." The painting appeared quite new, clearly a replica, yet Qin Guan found it strangely familiar.
"Where did you buy this?"
Yue Ning quickly replied, "I bought it from Master Ning's gallery! Last time we ran into Wei Qizhi, he took me there. Do you remember?"
Qin Guan suddenly understood, "Of course I remember..."
Noticing Qin Guan's odd expression, Yue Ning asked, "What's wrong? Is there something about this painting?"
Qin Guan said somewhat helplessly, "I feel like I've seen this painting somewhere before..."
Yue Ning's eyes shifted, "Did you see it at a painting gallery? Or perhaps somewhere else? There are many replicas of this painting, so it wouldn't be strange if you've seen one—"
Qin Guan shook her head, "No, the first time I went to a painting gallery was with you and Meng Yao. I hadn't been to one before. Although this painting is famous and has many replicas, most lack the essence. This replica, however, captures the vast and majestic spirit perfectly. The one I saw before was likely painted by the same person, but I can't recall where I saw it!"
Yue Ning explained, "This was replicated by Master Ning. His gallery has many replicas, and I took a liking to this one at first sight."
Qin Guan had already guessed—though it was a replica, the skill and artistic conception were masterful, something only Ning Buyi could achieve. But where exactly had she seen this painting before?
As Qin Guan pondered, Yue Ning walked to the bookshelf and pulled out a booklet. "Come here... Look at this. Second Brother has been collecting books recently and actually found a manuscript of 'Record Collection of Redressing Injustices at the Court of Judicial Review' written by the former Minister Shen Yi..."
Qin Guan's heart jolted violently. She hurried forward to look, almost snatching the manuscript from Yue Ning's hands. Yue Ning smiled at her reaction, "I knew you'd like it! Second Brother originally wanted to give it to you himself, but then decided to have me pass it to you. I forgot last time I went out. Since you're here now, you can take it back yourself."
Qin Guan's heart raced wildly. Opening the manuscript, she confirmed it was indeed her father's handwriting!
This manuscript appeared even newer than the one Yan Chi had previously found for her. It documented several major cases her father had handled after arriving in the capital. Qin Guan had long known about her father's habit of keeping records. In addition to official documents for the court and necessary paperwork for the Court of Judicial Review, he would personally write about significant cases he handled. By comparing and summarizing them, he became the most outstanding judicial official in the Great Zhou Dynasty!Qin Guan had only read four or five pages when a wave of shock ran through her. Every case within contained detailed reasoning, crime-solving clues, and specifics of the Corpse Examination. Unlike the previous Record Collection, this volume documented all the cases from her father's final year as an official. Qin Guan quickly flipped to the last page, but what she saw wasn't the Prince Jin case...
Had her father not finished writing it, or had that part of the case been destroyed?!
Her heart pounded wildly, yet she was so overwhelmed with excitement that she grabbed Yue Ning in a tight embrace. "Yue Ning, this is incredibly important to me! I truly don't know how to thank you enough..."
Yue Ning chuckled, "If you want to thank me, then tell me the details of those cases."
Qin Guan released her hold. "If you want to hear them, of course I can share..."
But Yue Ning wasn't joking. She pulled Qin Guan down to sit. "Then tell me, how exactly did the first victim die? There are countless rumors outside, all sounding utterly terrifying..."
"The first victim was—"
Qin Guan had intended to explain, but as soon as she began, her expression shifted abruptly. Something seemed to occur to her, and she jerked her head up to stare at the painting on the wall. "I know! I know where I've seen this painting before!"
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