Сhaptеr 16: Sеriаl Мurdеr Case (2)
Lifting аsidе a white funеral bannеr, thе stеnсh оf dеcaу grew even stronger. Thе сorрse рlасеd on thе wооdеn bоard insidе had alreаdу turned intо a brown mummy, thоugh the skin still retаined somе еlаstiсitу, with fасial feаturеs faintlу disсеrnible.
А long, hidеоus scar rаn frоm the brоw bone down tо the chin on thе fеmаle сorpse’s fасе, the surrоunding skin wrinklеd аlоng this mаrk, сleаrlу revеaling thе injuries sufferеd at thе mоmеnt of dеаth.
Асcording to thе order of plaсement, the dеgree оf deсоmpоsition worsened further inside. By the last two bodies, they were almost two incomplete skeletons, covered with severely eroded silk. Several damaged bones had been picked out; even after years, the knife marks on the sternum were still visible.
"It seems all the victims suffered the same injuries—their hearts were removed, and the women’s faces were slashed," Zhu Yan noted silently after examining each corpse, quickly reaching this conclusion.
"These two skeletons are the oldest. When unearthed, their wooden coffins had been damaged by wild animals, leaving the bodies incomplete and decomposed. They were pieced together with great effort, but it is difficult to determine the exact time of death. According to the coroner, it was roughly between five to ten years ago."
To the left of the male corpse was a lacquered tray holding scattered ornaments cleared from the coffin, including jade pendants, women’s pearl hairpins, and pearls inlaid on belts.
Shen Du stood before these two remains, his gaze fixed on the lacquered tray. Spotting a cloud-patterned gold plaque inside, he merely gave it a deep look, and Jing Lin immediately understood, stepping forward with white cloth wrapped around his hands to present the plaque to Shen Du.
The gold plaque was about half a palm in size, engraved with a Pi Xiu in the center and a line of small characters at the end. The engraving was shallow, with the first few characters too worn by grime to decipher, but the ones below remained clear.
"Supervisor, Year of Feisheng Seven," Zhu Yan silently memorized the line.
Seeing Shen Du’s furrowed brows and thoughtful expression as he examined the gold plaque, Jiang Ming couldn’t help but wipe the sweat beading on his forehead with his sleeve.
This young and accomplished Great Pavilion Commander was renowned for his tyranny and ruthlessness, and today’s encounter proved no exception. With his narrow, phoenix-like eyes slightly raised, an oppressive aura descended, making Jiang Ming’s legs tremble, fearing he might inadvertently offend this King of Hell.
"Does the Great Pavilion Commander have any instructions?" Sensing Shen Du might have discovered a clue, Jiang Ming ventured to ask.
"The murderer’s first crime was six years ago," Shen Du uttered, his thin lips parting slightly.
Startled, Jiang Ming hurriedly retrieved a charcoal pencil and a palm-sized notebook from his robe to record Shen Du’s words.
"Why?" Zhu Yan instinctively retorted.
Shen Du raised his eyes, his gaze mocking, and Zhu Yan lowered her head, rubbing her nose. "The murderer’s methods are consistent each time, so the timing of the crimes likely follows a pattern. A slight error could lead to a huge mistake. If the speculation is wrong, finding the real culprit won’t be so easy. I’m just considering the Great Pavilion Commander’s esteemed reputation."
Lu Chuichui couldn’t help but chuckle at this, leaning close to Zhu Yan’s ear. "I never knew you had it in you to flatter someone like this. How rare."
Zhu Yan turned and shot her a light glare, to which Lu Chuichui playfully stuck out her tongue. However, the atmosphere in the room was overwhelmingly tense, and Lu Chuichui soon lost her playful mood, fearing she might anger the White King of Hell.Shen Du furrowed his brow, seemingly impatient with Zhu Yan’s verbosity. He paced two steps around the wooden plank holding the corpse, then raised a hand to point at the outer robe on the male body. "This is the Precious Phase Twin Fish Pattern."
Although the coffins containing the two bodies had been damaged and the clothing on the remains was severely corroded, after cleaning, the pattern woven with gold thread on the shoulders could still be discerned.
Zhu Yan pondered carefully in her mind, but the pattern was too unfamiliar to her. Moreover, if this person had truly been killed six years ago, she would have been just a ten-year-old child at the time. Naturally, she would have had little interest in the decorative patterns on men’s clothing and knew very little about them.
She stood silently to the side, waiting for Shen Du to continue.
Wu Taiming, the chief clerk of the Ministry of Justice, had remained silent until now. Upon hearing Shen Du’s words, he exclaimed in surprise, "The Precious Phase Twin Fish Pattern? Could it be…"
These words felt strangely familiar. Jiang Ming racked his brains to recall, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind. Startled, he clapped his hands and exclaimed, "The Brocade Workshop!"
"This Precious Phase Twin Fish Pattern was a special design from the Brocade Workshop back then, and it was all the rage in the capital!"
"Ahem."
Seeing Jiang Ming’s momentary excitement and loss of composure in front of Chief Clerk Wu and Shen Du, Zhu Yan couldn’t help but cough lightly as a reminder.
Jiang Ming snapped back to his senses, realizing that his reaction had been too intense and his behavior somewhat improper. He composed himself and clasped his hands in apology. "Great Pavilion Commander, Lord Wu, please forgive my rudeness."
"No matter, continue," Shen Du said, his expression stern but not angry.
"Yes!"
Reassured by Shen Du’s words, Jiang Ming calmed down and moderated his tone. "The Brocade Workshop was the largest silk workshop in the capital at the time. The fabrics they produced were worth a fortune, and the city’s high-ranking officials and nobles all prized Brocade Workshop fabrics for their beauty. On the first day of every month, the Brocade Workshop would also present silk to the palace."
"However…" Recalling past events, Jiang Ming hesitated. But Shen Du’s gaze weighed on him like a mountain, forcing him to steel himself and continue. "However, in the sixth month of the eighth year of the Feisheng era, the Brocade Workshop was charged with treason for presenting summer clothing to Princess Runing that exceeded regulations."
Zhu Yan’s eyes brightened—so it was this incident!
She did have some impression of the silk workshop’s treason case. However, during those years, the Empress heavily relied on harsh officials, and a culture of denunciation and accusation flourished in the court. Cases of treason leading to convictions and confiscations of property occurred every few months, so the silk workshop’s case, buried among them, left little impression.
Although Princess Runing had managed to preserve her life in this incident, her consort was executed by waist-cutting. The truth of what had actually happened had long since become something no one dared to investigate. After the consort’s death, the princess, as a convicted criminal, took vows at the Mingsheng Temple and was forbidden from stepping outside the temple for the rest of her life.
Overnight, the once-thriving Brocade Workshop was reduced to ashes. The female artisans who had designed and crafted the clothing for the princess were all executed by hanging. Men and women in the city hurriedly burned any Brocade Workshop clothing in their homes to avoid suspicion and potential accusations.
Although Brocade Workshop silk was exquisite, it was also exorbitantly priced. Dr. Zhu, known for his integrity, naturally would not have allowed such extravagant fabrics to be purchased for the household. Thus, the panic of closing doors and burning clothing did not occur in the Zhu residence.
But from Jiang Ming’s account, Zhu Yan quickly realized one thing: after the sixth month of the eighth year of the Feisheng era, absolutely no one in the capital would have dared to wear Brocade Workshop fabrics in public.
This male corpse must have died before the Brocade Workshop’s treason case."The eighth year of Feisheng was six years ago, but this gold medal was made in the seventh year of Feisheng. It's not impossible that this person died in the seventh year of Feisheng." Jing Lin, having grasped the connections, couldn't help voicing his doubts.
"Impossible." Shen Du's tone was indifferent, yet carried an unquestionable firmness. "The Precious Phase Twin Fish Pattern was a spring garment style produced by the Brocade Workshop in the eighth year of Feisheng, sold from the second to the fourth month of that year."
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