Chapter 5 is an insult to the royal family!
Qin Liang stared intently at Zhang Yanzhi, his face dark with fear. "Since you saw someone climb over the wall and enter the mansion, why didn't you call for help? Or even report it to the authorities immediately?!"
Zhang Yanzhi forced a bitter smile, his voice dry and hoarse, full of self-mockery: "Lord Qin, you know perfectly well. Our Zhang family and your Qin family have never gotten along. Not to mention... I even had inappropriate thoughts about Madam Qin before..."
At that critical moment, if I called for help or went to the authorities, who would believe me? It might make it seem like I was deliberately smearing Lady Qin and ruining her reputation!
His eyes were bloodshot, and his voice was so low it was almost inaudible, "Besides... I was... I was out of my mind back then, thinking that the person who climbed over the wall was Qin Niangzi's sweetheart... I thought that if she could use this opportunity to get rid of that arranged marriage... it would be... it would be good..."
"You insolent brat!" Qin Liang slammed his hand on the table in anger, causing the teacup to jump high with a clatter, spilling tea all over the table. "My Qin family has been a family of scholars and gentlemen for generations! Chaochao has been raised by my side since she was a child, and she is the most knowledgeable and reasonable person!"
How could she possibly do such a... such a disgraceful thing as having an affair with another man and bringing shame to the family?! You, you're spouting nonsense!" His finger, pointing at Zhang Yanzhi, was trembling.
"Lord Qin, please calm down!" Pei Lin stepped forward, his voice steady and powerful. "There's no use arguing about these things now. The most urgent task is to find the person who climbed over the wall."
He turned to Pei Zhiwei, his tone decisive, "Have Zhang Erlang take you to see where that person climbed over the wall; perhaps we can find some clues."
Pei Zhiwei nodded, and followed Zhou Ping and Zhang Yanzhi, whose steps were still a little unsteady, out of the main hall.
The back alley was narrow, the ground was compacted yellow earth, and the air smelled strongly of soil.
Zhang Yanzhi led the group to a corner of the wall, his voice weak: "That person... climbed over from here."
Pei Zhiwei took two steps forward and looked up to examine it closely.
This section of wall was about ten feet high, and the top of the wall was covered with blue tiles. Instead of looking at the top of the wall, she squatted down and gently ran her fingers over the soil at the base of the wall that Zhang Yanzhi had pointed out.
As she bent down for a closer look, her eyes suddenly narrowed. There was a half-shoe print in the soil! The blurry cloud pattern on the toe of the shoe was exactly the same as the one on the carpet in her boudoir!
“There were indeed traces.” Pei Zhiwei murmured, deftly taking out a rubbing paper from her sleeve and carefully covering it over the shoe print. Holding a charcoal pencil between her fingertips, she held her breath and concentrated on outlining the shape. “Judging from the depth and direction of these shoe prints, they were left by that person when they climbed over the wall and used the ground for leverage.”
Zhou Ping also squatted down, leaned closer to compare carefully, and clicked his tongue, saying, "This wall is very high. Without real skills, you can't get up by brute force alone."
Pei Zhiwei made a rubbing of the shoe print, then got up and slowly searched along the base of the wall.
Sure enough, several more broken shoe prints were found on the damp soil, extending from the entrance of the back alley all the way to the place where the person climbed over the wall, and even from the place where the person climbed over the wall back to the alley entrance, clearly outlining the path the person had taken.
She quickened her pace and reached the alley entrance, where a bright and open view opened up before her. East Street was bustling with traffic and people. The trail of shoe prints that had pointed out of the alley had long since been trampled away without a trace by countless hooves and footprints.
"This person not only climbed over the wall to get in, but also climbed back out after the deed was done."
Pei Zhiwei pointed to the last shoe print that disappeared at the alley entrance and said to Zhou Ping, "Look at the spacing of these shoe prints. One step is almost equivalent to two steps for an ordinary person. The landing was light and the traces left were shallow. It is definitely not the physique of an ordinary porter or a rough man."
Zhou Ping rubbed his hands, looking troubled: "But... even if he left it there, it only proves that he entered the mansion. Climbing over the wall... can't necessarily prove that he was related to Qin Niangzi's death, can it?"
Pei Zhiwei nodded, "Whether it is true or not still needs to be verified."
Before she finished speaking, her body swayed without warning, and she floated up like a willow catkin blown by the wind, landing steadily on the top of the wall, which was more than ten feet high!
This light-footed skill was so fast it was dazzling, and so light it was almost silent.
Zhou Ping, Zhang Yanzhi, and the escorting constables were all dumbfounded, their mouths slightly agape, heads tilted back, unable to recover for a long time.
Pei Zhiwei stood on the narrow ridge of the wall, his figure as steady as a mountain, his gaze as sharp as a hawk, sweeping into the depths of the inner courtyard.
The surface of the wall ridge covered with blue tiles was smooth, but upon closer inspection, there were several very shallow, almost imperceptible scratch marks on the edges of the tiles. If she hadn't had amazing eyesight, she would have almost missed them.
“Look here.” She took two light steps forward and pointed precisely at a few blue tiles with her fingertips. “There are very shallow scratch marks on this row of tiles, one after another, evenly spaced. It can only be left by someone stepping on this wall and using it as a stepping stone.”
Zhou Ping finally came to his senses, clumsily climbed onto the wall, and looked into the depths of the Qin family's inner courtyard along the tile marks. He suddenly slapped his thigh: "My God! Did this person climb over the wall all the way to Madam Qin's boudoir? No wonder the guards didn't see a single shadow or hear a sound!"
“Look at these tiles,” Pei Zhiwei added, pointing to the marks left by the trampling, “Although there are scratches, not a single one is broken. The skill is so precise, the force of each step is controlled with ease, as light as a feather. This skill is beyond the reach of ordinary people.”
Before she finished speaking, her figure flickered again, like a fallen leaf returning to its roots, silently drifting back to the ground. Her skirt brushed against the dry, muddy ground, without disturbing even the slightest speck of dust.
The group returned to the somber main hall.
Xiao Yunzhan's fingertips tapped lightly on the smooth table, producing a rhythmic "tap, tap" sound. His gaze swept over Zhang Yanzhi's pale face and then over Qin Liang's face, which was twisted with anger.
"Take Zhang Erlang away first and settle him in a side courtyard. Assign capable men to watch over him carefully. He must not have contact with outsiders, nor is he allowed to commit suicide."
Zhou Ping stepped forward in response.
Zhang Yanzhi suddenly raised his head, as if grasping at the last straw, and hissed at Xiao Yunzhan, "Your Highness! Every word I have said is the truth! I beg Your Highness to investigate the truth and clear Qin Niangzi's name! She... she is definitely not that kind of person!"
Xiao Yunzhan simply nodded slightly, signaling the constables to proceed.
Zhang Yanzhi was half-dragged and half-pulled towards the Manyue Gate. Just as his figure disappeared into the shadows of the gate, a series of rapid, drum-like footsteps suddenly erupted in the courtyard. The steward urgently reported, "My lord! Something terrible has happened! The Vice Minister Zhang of the Ministry of Revenue has arrived!"
Upon hearing the words "Minister Zhang," Qin Liang's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
He and Zhang Qifeng had been locked in a power struggle in the imperial court for over a decade, from the Grand Canal case to the salt and iron monopoly, each case a battle in which he wished he could tear the other to pieces. Why would he come here at this critical juncture if not for his precious son, Zhang Yanzhi?
Xiao Yunzhan didn't even lift his eyelids. "Let him in."
Slightly plump, with a perfectly shaped smile honed in officialdom, he quickly scanned the overturned teacups and messy floor in the hall before his gaze landed precisely on Xiao Yunzhan, who sat at the head of the table. He bowed respectfully, his posture impeccably courteous: "Your subject greets Your Highness Prince Rui."
"Minister Zhang, there's no need for such formalities." Xiao Yunzhan's tone was as calm as a deep pool, without a ripple. "What brings you here at this hour, Minister Zhang?"
He straightened up and laughed loudly, but the laughter had a fake warmth to it: "To my shame, my son is unruly and ignorant, and has offended the Qin family."
"Having just heard His Highness questioning me here, I was terrified and have come to take him back. I will certainly discipline him strictly and without leniency!"
He turned to Qin Liang, cupped his hands in a gesture of apology, and said with feigned remorse, “Lord Qin, my son was ignorant and may have offended you. I hope you will forgive him. I apologize on his behalf.” His bow was perfectly measured.
Qin Liang let out a heavy snort of cold laughter. "Minister Zhang, you have quite the nerve! Your son was sneaking around under the walls of my Qin residence in the dead of night, peeking and groping, and you saw the suspect climb over the wall and break in, yet you kept quiet about it! Who knows what malicious intentions he's harboring? I'm afraid I can't let you take him back just like that!"
"A suspect?!" His eyebrows shot up dramatically, his face contorted with feigned surprise. "Lord Qin, that's quite something! I clearly heard that Miss Qin... she hanged herself. How come a suspect has suddenly appeared out of nowhere? Could it be..."
He deliberately dragged out his words, his gaze lingering meaningfully on Xiao Yunzhan's face, probing, "What...unspeakable secrets are hidden behind Qin Niangzi's death?"
Pei Lin frowned, about to retort, when he saw Xiao Yunzhan calmly pick up the only intact teacup beside him, lift the lid, and take a sip, as if savoring some exquisite tea. His tone remained emotionless: "Minister Zhang's news comes very quickly."
The smile on his face froze for a moment, then he quickly put it back on as if nothing had happened, becoming even more eager: "Your Highness is too kind!"
Such a major incident has occurred at the Qin residence; the news has likely spread throughout the entire capital. I only learned of my son's involvement after overhearing some idle chatter at a teahouse on a street corner when I rushed here just now. I am truly terrified!
Qin Liang roared, "Stop pretending to be crazy! I think you came here today not for your precious son at all! You just want to find out the cause of Chaochao's death so you can muddy the waters and pin the blame on my Qin family!"
"Lord Qin! You've gone too far!" His smile vanished abruptly, his face darkening, his tone hardening with official authority. "There may be some old grudges between us regarding the canal transport case from back then, but for Lady Qin to pass away so young... it is a great loss to me..."
Just as tensions were running high and the air seemed to freeze, the coroner's voice, tinged with weariness yet exceptionally clear, came from outside the door: "Your Highness, Lord Pei, Lord Qin, the autopsy records have been thoroughly examined!"
The two people locked in a tense standoff in the hall were instantly interrupted by the sound, and everyone turned to look in the direction of the voice.
The old coroner walked in heavily, carrying a roll of yellow paper. He bowed deeply and presented the record to Xiao Yunzhan with both hands.
Xiao Yunzhan took it, his gaze quickly sweeping over a few key lines, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly, before handing it to Pei Lin beside him: "Take a look."
Pei Lin took the booklet and carefully read it word by word.
The neat handwriting on the grid, the ink still fresh, the cold words stating the cruel truth:
Qin Chaochao was eighteen years old. The ligature mark on her neck was circular, three inches wide and half an inch deep, with neat edges, matching the texture of the silk hanging from the roof beam. There was obvious congestion on the skin at the ligature mark, confirming it was formed before her death. There were no signs of secondary friction at the back of her neck where it was lifted.
No signs of struggle were found on the body; the nail folds were clean with no skin or flesh residue. The oral and nasal mucosa were dry, with no foreign objects obstructing the airway. Examination of the stomach contents revealed no toxins, confirming death by suffocation.
"Suffocated to death..." Liu Shi, who had been holding on, murmured these four words. As if all her bones had been removed, her vision suddenly went black, and she slumped backward. If it weren't for the quick-thinking maid behind her supporting her, she would have collapsed to the ground on the spot.
She sobbed uncontrollably, "Then...then it really was suicide? My Chaochao..."
"Impossible!!" Qin Liang, like a raging lion, snatched the book from Pei Lin's hand. His fingertips trembled violently from the excessive force. He stared intently at the few lines of text, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.
He looked at the document three times over, then slammed it down on the table. "Nonsense! This document must be wrong! There's something fishy going on here! Chaochao would never commit suicide!"
Pei Zhiwei, who had been observing silently, suddenly spoke up. Her sharp gaze was fixed on the words "neat edges" on the grid: "If it was really a suicide by hanging, the body would have instinctively struggled before suffocation. The edges of the ligature marks should be irregularly jagged, and the point of force on the side of the neck would often have secondary bruises and contusions caused by the rope slipping."
"But the label says 'needle marks are smooth, with no overlapping marks'..." She looked directly at the coroner. "This is too neat, it's illogical."
The old coroner was taken aback by the question, clearly not expecting this young woman to notice such a subtle detail. He stammered somewhat embarrassedly, "Madam Pei, you may not know this, but some of the deceased were determined to hang themselves and did not struggle when they did so, or they died instantly. In such cases, the ligature marks would appear... unusually neat."
"What about the shoe prints on the footstool?" Pei Zhiwei pressed on relentlessly.
The label only says that "the shoe print matches Miss Qin's embroidered shoes", but does not mention the completeness of the shoe print or the point of application.
The shoe print on the low stool was only clear on the front half of the right foot's forefoot. If someone had actively stepped on it to use as leverage to hang themselves, they should have put weight on the entire forefoot or even part of the arch of their right foot before kicking the stool away.
But these marks clearly suggest that the person hastily used their toes to gain leverage on the low stool, and before they could even regain their footing, they kicked the stool away. Does this match the behavior of someone who hanged themselves?
A harsh, cold laugh rang out from the side, filled with undisguised contempt: "Ha! Madam Pei's words are far-fetched! The coroner has been examining corpses for many years and is very experienced. Does he not know as much as a young unmarried girl like you?"
In my opinion, the matter is crystal clear!
He turned to Qin Liang, his tone carrying a feigned regret, "Lord Qin, now that the evidence is irrefutable, what good will it do for Madam Qin's reputation or the Qin family's honor if we continue to make a scene?"
Lady Qin must have been having an affair with that man, hoping to elope but was cruelly rejected. In shame, anger, and despair, she hanged herself.
Alas, how pitiful... Although she made a mistake in a moment of confusion, she is ultimately the princess consort personally chosen by His Majesty. His Highness is kind and benevolent, so he probably won't investigate too deeply.
If you insist on investigating to the point of complete chaos, causing a city-wide uproar and making it public knowledge... protecting the Qin family's reputation is a minor matter, but damaging the imperial family's face is something you, Lord Qin, cannot afford to bear!
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