Meanwhile, Dongfang Rui’s other two subordinates retrieved from the yamen all the evidence, testimonies, and coroner notes that the Qinglu County Yamen had gathered on this case.
After reviewing the coroner notes, Dongfang Rui’s brows remained furrowed. In her eyes, the coroner’s scribblings were utter nonsense. Not only had they failed to reach any useful conclusions, but they were filled with superstitious judgments as well. The case had been prematurely labeled an unsolved mystery before the investigation was even complete. Dongfang Rui seriously wondered if this coroner knew the first thing about performing an autopsy—or if Qinglu County had simply enjoyed peace for so long that the position had become nothing more than window dressing.
Upon hearing that The Jade-Faced Divine Strategist had arrived in person, the Qinglu County Magistrate dispatched over a dozen bailiffs to assist. Dongfang Rui organized the local bailiffs into three teams, each led by one of her trusted lieutenants. One team gathered clues, another investigated recent missing persons in Qinglu County, and the third carried descriptions of the victim’s appearance on posters to distribute in neighboring prefectures, widening the search.
That left Zhang Wei. Dongfang Rui assigned him a separate secret task.
From the evidence gathered so far, this case was proving exceptionally tricky. Leaving aside the Qinglu County Magistrate’s inaction and the golden opportunity he had squandered, the motive alone gave Dongfang Rui a very bad feeling.
Killing wasn’t so frightening. What was truly terrifying was that the perpetrator seemed intent on turning this into an unsolved case. The victim was headless, the scene bloodless—yet two sets of footprints marked the snow, matching the victim’s shoes perfectly.
Without identifying the victim, there was no way to narrow down the suspects. This was no simple murder…
Most crucially, Dongfang Rui was on a mission from the Emperor himself. She had to escort Pingjia County Princess safely back to the capital before the first day of the second lunar month!
Pingjia County Princess was the cherished granddaughter of Commandery Prince Yan of the Thousand Years and the last surviving heir of his line. Prince Yan was the current Emperor’s own elder brother, enfeoffed in Taizhou Prefecture. He had once had three sons and a daughter: the eldest and second sons died young, the eldest daughter perished in childbirth with both mother and child lost, leaving only his youngest son. That boy had grown to adulthood under his father’s devoted care and been named Heir of Prince Yan.
Tragedy struck, however. Ten years ago, the Heir of Prince Yan and the Yan Prince Consort had met with misfortune while traveling. They left behind only their daughter, Pingjia County Princess.
The Old Yan Prince’s hair turned white overnight. Citing Taizhou Prefecture’s poor feng shui for his descendants, he sent the seven-year-old Pingjia County Princess to the capital to live under the current Empress’s protection.
The Empress doted on her grandniece, as did all the imperial princes and grandsons. Pingjia County Princess enjoyed treatment in the palace that rivaled even a true princess.
At first, she studied alongside the imperial princes and grandsons at the Royal Academy. But the County Princess took no interest in books, so the Empress arranged for her to train under two martial arts masters. After half a year, she grew bored with that too. When the Empress inquired about her aspirations, Pingjia County Princess—having heard tales of The Jade-Faced Divine Strategist’s fame—insisted on taking her as a master. The Empress prevailed upon the Emperor to issue a decree, and Dongfang Rui accepted Pingjia County Princess as her disciple. Five years had passed since then.
After coming of age, Pingjia County Princess returned to Taizhou Prefecture each year for the New Year celebrations. Dongfang Rui personally escorted her there and back to the capital before the first day of the second month.
Everything had always gone smoothly—until this year.
When the Old Yan Prince heard of the murder in Qinglu County, he grew worried for his only remaining kin. He demanded either that the court send heavy troops to fetch her or that his own mansion guards escort her back—otherwise, she would not return to the capital.
But the Liang Dynasty had an ancestral precept: Imperial troops did not enter a vassal king’s fief, nor could a vassal king’s private soldiers step one foot beyond their borders. No exception could be made for a single county princess.
Only after Dongfang Rui’s persuasion did the Old Yan Prince reluctantly compromise, demanding that she solve the case swiftly and bring the killer to justice.
Dongfang Rui massaged her throbbing temples. Unwittingly, she had arrived at the Embroider Maiden’s courtyard.
With the case at a temporary standstill, she decided to pay a visit to that friend of Miss Wu’s.
It wasn’t that Dongfang Rui had any grudge against Wu Wei. It was just unfortunate timing: the two people Wu Wei had encountered at Hundred Flavors Building that day included the young one—Pingjia County Princess herself.
Pingjia County Princess was a vital balance between the court and Taizhou Prefecture. The Emperor and Empress’s affection for her was genuine.
From the day Pingjia County Princess entered her tutelage, Dongfang Rui had received a secret decree: Ensure the County Princess grew up happily and protect her safety with your life.
Over these five years, Dongfang Rui had kept tabs on anyone who appeared near Pingjia County Princess more than twice. How much more scrutiny, then, for Wu Wei, who had crossed paths with her at Hundred Flavors Building?
Dongfang Rui knocked on the Embroider Maiden’s door. “Knock knock knock.”
“Who is it?”
“I’m Dongfang Rui. Please open the door, miss—I have a few questions for you.”
…
The Embroider Maiden opened the door. Dongfang Rui promptly presented her imperial golden token. The Embroider Maiden dropped into a deep bow. “Commoner Liu Sanniang pays respects to Your Excellency.”
Dongfang Rui swiftly helped her up. The Embroider Maiden stepped aside to let Dongfang Rui enter. Crossing the hall in two strides, they entered the bedroom. Surveying the bare, impoverished room, Dongfang Rui couldn’t help recalling Wu Wei hauling firewood to Hundred Flavors Building to sell.
“Your Excellency, please… have a seat. My home is humble…”
“May I trouble you for a bowl of water?”
The Embroider Maiden immediately ladled a bowl of hot water for her. There wasn’t a decent stool in the house, so Dongfang Rui sat cross-legged on the kang and invited the Embroider Maiden to sit across the kang table.
The Embroider Maiden demurred politely before sitting down, though her heart remained uneasy. Dongfang Rui was a legendary figure from storytellers’ tales—a capital official, even higher-ranking than the county magistrate.
Dongfang Rui finished the water and asked for another bowl. She smiled. “Miss Liu needn’t be nervous. Just chat with me as if we’re old friends passing the time.”
“Yes! Alright…”
“Do you live here alone?”
“My mother is still with us, along with two elder sisters, their husbands, and a nephew. Oh, and my second sister is expecting—another little one on the way.”
“Congratulations. Then why do you live here by yourself?”
The Embroider Maiden’s face flushed crimson. She stammered, “I… I was separated from the family.”
“A woman being divided out from the family? That’s unheard of.”
The Embroider Maiden bit her lower lip and said nothing. Dongfang Rui didn’t press and changed the subject. “How did you and Wu Wei meet?”
Remembering Wu Wei’s parting instructions—and with Dongfang Rui’s manner so kindly and conversational, impossible to guard against—the Embroider Maiden answered honestly. “That day was the first after I was divided out…”
Talking about Wu Wei eased her tension, like a warm current flowing through her heart. She recounted their shared moments in vivid detail, down to trifles Wu Wei herself might have forgotten.
Through the Embroider Maiden’s account, Dongfang Rui easily obtained the information she sought. But suspicion stirred again. Casually, she remarked, “It’s rare for Miss Liu to remember such trivial matters so clearly.” Dongfang Rui watched the Embroider Maiden’s face, taking in every reaction.
The innocent Embroider Maiden had no idea she was under subtle interrogation. She pursed her lips and replied softly but firmly, “Without Weiwei, this commoner would have frozen to death in this very room long ago. My father always taught us sisters to know gratitude and repay kindness.”
“…Before meeting you, Wu Wei lived in the charity mortuary?”
“Yes. Weiwei’s had a hard life too. Once the house was repaired, I invited her to live with me. All our savings now are thanks to her.”
“I know that. Wu Wei and I crossed paths once at Hundred Flavors Building—she was there selling firewood.”
“Yes. Before the New Year, Weiwei delivered firewood there several times and sold fish once. Then we went to my second sister’s for the holiday.”
Dongfang Rui’s doubts largely dissipated. Her journey back to Taizhou Prefecture with Pingjia County Princess had been highly secretive, and their stop at Hundred Flavors Building a spur-of-the-moment decision with no prior plan. A quick check at the restaurant—if it matched Liu Sanniang’s account—would confirm Wu Wei’s encounter with the County Princess was mere coincidence.
Whether Wu Wei was unregistered with the authorities didn’t concern Dongfang Rui; that was the yamen’s affair, not the Bright Mirror Division’s remit. “Vagabond” had merely been a pretext to detain her, all to ascertain if Wu Wei harbored any ill intent toward Pingjia County Princess.
“Very well, it’s getting late. I won’t disturb you further—farewell.”
“Yes!”
The Embroider Maiden rose and saw Dongfang Rui to the door, watching her depart. Suddenly, she called out, “Your Excellency!”
Dongfang Rui turned. The Embroider Maiden hurried forward, mustering her courage. “Your Excellency, I’ve heard you’re a divine detective—impartial as iron. Could you please help Weiwei?”
“Wu Wei? What injustice does she suffer?”
“I don’t know much, but Weiwei originally planned to go to the capital and petition the throne. Come spring, she’ll head to the capital to seek justice for her father!”
Embroider Maiden’s heart pounded like a drum, her palms slick with sweat, but she harbored no regrets. She believed this legendary official would surely help clear Wu Wei’s father’s name of the grave injustice!
…
Dongfang Rui spurred her horse back to the county seat. The county magistrate had already prepared a residence for her stay. There, Dongfang Rui recorded the evidence she had gathered that day and took the opportunity to organize the clues she had obtained from Embroider Maiden.
A knock came at the door. It was Zhang Wei, the man she had sent to investigate Wu Wei’s background, returned at last.
Zhang Wei placed a thick stack of testimonies on Dongfang Rui’s desk. “This subordinate visited Little Locust Village and met Liu Sanniang’s second sister’s family,” he reported. “I obtained important testimony regarding Wu Wei. Milord, should we head to Zhang Family Village, where Liu Sanniang’s second brother-in-law Zhang Shuisheng lives, to gather further evidence?”
“Not for now,” Dongfang Rui replied. “Let me finish reviewing these testimonies first. Where is Wu Wei being held?”
“In the county jail.”
“Bring her here in half an hour.”
“Yes.”
