Сhарtеr 4: The Вuddhа Dеvоurs Sin (1)
Zhu Yаn gasped shаrрly, the рain jolting hеr bасk tо hеr sеnses.
Pаnting heavily, anger surged frоm thе deрths of hеr hеаrt. Withоut evеn turning his hеаd, Shеn Du сommаnded, "One tеаm esсort the bridal sеdan into thе mansion. Тhе оthеr tеаm, fоllow me."
Аs his wоrds fell, dust swirlеd intо thе air. Zhu Yаn cоughеd for a lоng whilе befоre she cоuldn’t help but cursе:
"Ноw has this mаn becomе sо аrrogаnt!"
"Ноw соuld hе humiliatе уou likе this!"
Twо voicеs cоndеmnеd in unison. Zhu Yаn wаs tаkеn aback. Тurning toward the sourcе of the voiсes, she sаw her friеnd Lu Сhuichui, drеssed in official robes, standing indignantly beside the bridal sedan. She had no idea when Lu Chuichui had arrived.
"Second... Second Sister, how are you here?"
Addressing Lu Chuichui, who was the second daughter of the Lu family, Lu Chuichui seemed to snap out of a daze. "Me? I remember now! The Chang’an Magistrate handed over a case. The official in charge said the deceased involved the son of an official family, and the condition of the corpse was extremely bizarre. He couldn’t make a decision and asked me to bring you there immediately. Let’s hurry. If we’re late, we won’t even be able to afford tea next month. Come on, let’s go!"
Lu Chuichui had come on horseback. With no other carriage or horse available, Zhu Yan had to sit behind her, removing the hairpins from her head while listening to the case details.
The crime scene was at the Western Brightness Temple in Yankang Ward. According to Lu Chuichui, the body was discovered when a young novice monk, digging for bamboo shoots in the morning to make porridge, unearthed a severed arm in the bamboo grove behind the temple.
Since the Western Brightness Temple was a capital temple, enjoying imperial favor, the abbot immediately reported the case to the Chang’an Magistrate after the young novice informed him. The magistrate then ordered the body to be exhumed.
The deceased were a man and a woman. The man was Liang Chenzhong, the legitimate son of a seventh-rank official. The woman was Kuang Zhanxin, a renowned courtesan raised in Pingkang Ward. They died embracing each other, their postures peaceful and natural. If not for their hearts being gouged out from their chests and the woman’s face being completely disfigured, the case might have been closed as the tragic ending of some sorrowful tale.
"Was an autopsy conducted? Was there poisoning? Were there any enemies?" Zhu Yan asked.
"The Chang’an Magistrate ordered a coroner to examine the body at the Liang family’s request," Lu Chuichui said, helping Zhu Yan dismount. "When they heard their legitimate son had died, they wept bitterly and were furious, almost demanding an autopsy as soon as they arrived."
"An immediate examination?" Seeing Lu Chuichui nod, Zhu Yan lowered her eyes thoughtfully. "What were the autopsy findings?"
"Liang Chenzhong’s throat showed slight darkening. The Liang family left as soon as they saw it," Lu Chuichui explained. "The coroner told me the poison was diluted dieffenbachia, but the dosage wasn’t lethal. The cause of death was still blood loss."
Lu Chuichui pointed to the heart area. "This was the only external injury."
Zhu Yan pondered. "In your opinion, what kind of person do you think the murderer is?"
Lu Chuichui’s lively eyes suddenly stopped blinking as she looked at Zhu Yan with a mournful expression. "How would I know? If I knew, I wouldn’t be working as a clerk but would seek an official post at the Dali Temple instead. But you know well—even you, the legendary Sixth Lady, weren’t accepted by the Dali Temple, let alone someone as disorganized as me."
Zhu Yan was neither widely nor narrowly known in Chang’an, but at least the Unrighteous Agents, the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, and the prison investigators recognized her.
First, because of her retired master, Chen Wen, the former prison warden skilled in interrogation and capture. Second, because Zhu Yan had always been peculiar since childhood.The third daughter of the Zhu family, Zhu Yuan, was known for her straightforward and unrestrained nature, excelling in ball games and horse racing. However, the sixth daughter’s fame did not stem from such pastimes, but rather from her genuine lack of scholarly pursuits, spending her days chasing after criminals instead.
Yet her pursuit was no mere pretentious fascination. By the age of sixteen, she had already assisted in solving numerous cases, both large and small.
For a young woman, a daughter of an official family, this was nothing short of extraordinary.
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