Chapter 23 Murder!!!!
As dusk fell, the official boat docked steadily at the ferry crossing, and the post station attendants on the shore, carrying lanterns, hurried over to greet it.
According to the laws of Daliang, boats are not allowed to sail at night.
The river was pitch black, and the river pirates seemed to blend into the shadows. They could glide by without making a sound, and if you really encountered them, you wouldn't even be able to see the flash of their swords, let alone protect the documents on the official boat.
Therefore, even the largest official ships had to obediently stop here. Even Prince Xiao Yunzhan had to lower his sails early without exception.
The boatman's arms were bulging with veins as he wrapped the boat rope around the stone post several times, then tugged hard to make sure it was secure before letting out a sigh of relief.
Just as I straightened up, I saw several people coming from the other end of the post station, walking quickly.
At the front was the postmaster, wearing a newly made blue official robe with the collar and cuffs neatly ironed, except for some mud from the ferry crossing on the hem, which must have been splashed on while he was pacing impatiently.
He held the leather-bound book to his chest with both hands, followed by two couriers, each carrying a lantern.
"Your Highness! Lord Pei!" The postmaster bowed from afar, his voice slightly breathless, but he dared not break the rules of etiquette, and approached quickly but calmly.
When he got closer, he straightened up slightly, keeping his eyes down and not daring to look around: "The accommodations in the courtyard have been prepared long ago, just waiting for you all to arrive."
As he spoke, he glanced at Xiao Yunzhan's face again. Seeing that the prince did not show the slightest impatience, he continued, "The detached courtyard in the east wing was swept three times by the servants yesterday."
The charcoal is specially purchased red charcoal, hot water is kept warm on the stove, and the bedding is freshly washed and sun-dried, ensuring a warm night.
"You've worked hard." Xiao Yunzhan's voice was flat.
The postmaster hurriedly replied, "I dare not, I dare not," and as he turned to lead the way, he deliberately turned to the side and glanced back every now and then.
"Please slow down, the road has just been watered," he said as he walked, his tone slightly ingratiating.
"The east courtyard is the best place in our post station. It has three main rooms and two side rooms. The peach blossom paper on the windows was just pasted yesterday. I specially asked the servants to press down all the corners so that no matter how strong the wind is at night at the ferry, it can't get into the room."
Madam Pei followed her into the room, reaching out to touch the mattress on the bed. It felt soft and warm to the touch.
She knew perfectly well that this treatment was entirely due to the Prince's influence; ordinary officials would never receive such a grand reception.
When she turned to look at Pei Zhiwei, her tone softened a bit: "I asked Qingdai to make ginger soup. You should all have a bowl to warm yourselves up. Why does this river wind feel so biting?"
Pei Zhiwei responded and placed her brocade pouch on the table, habitually checking whether the contents were intact.
***
Just as dawn broke, the crowing of roosters outside the courtyard woke Pei Zhiwei.
Before her eyes were fully open and her mind was still foggy, she heard a distorted scream: "Ah...murder...murder...murder!"
The voice was so shrill, like a chicken whose neck had been stepped on, with a shrill ending that made one's heart tighten.
Pei Zhiwei's heart skipped a beat.
Murder?! This is an official post station. Although it's a bit remote, there are guards around. Who would dare to do something here?
Without thinking, she threw off the covers, grabbed her coat and put it on, then rushed out the door while carrying her brocade bag.
Xiao Yunzhan stood on the stone steps, his fingertips pinching his brow, his brows furrowed so tightly they could trap a mosquito, clearly having been forcibly woken up by the shouting.
Pei Lin had his outer garment draped over his shoulder, one hand tugging at his belt, the other still fastening his collar, but his eyes were fixed on the direction in which the courier screamed.
"What happened?" Pei Lin strode towards the screaming courier and asked sternly.
The courier sat on the ground, one of his shoes long gone, his bare feet covered in mud and grass clippings, cold sweat streaming down his forehead and soaking his temples into clumps.
His fingers trembled like a leaf, and his arm shook as he pointed towards the west wing.
"Liu... Liu Mingyuan! I woke him up just now, and when I opened the door, I saw him kneeling in front of the incense table with a dagger sticking out of his chest... The blood was already cold!"
"Chief Postmaster!" Pei Lin turned to look at the chief postmaster who had just arrived, his tone stern.
"Immediately find a coroner and have all the post station staff close the gates and guard the intersections. No one is allowed to enter or leave!"
Summon all the officials, servants, and cooks from the post station to the front yard; not a single one should be left out.
Anyone who dares to hide, anyone who dares to run, will be apprehended!
The postmaster was so frightened that his legs went weak and he almost knelt down. He nodded repeatedly.
"Yes! I'll go right away!" He turned and ran, but before he could take two steps, he turned back and grabbed two couriers, his voice trembling: "Quick! Come with me to close the main gate! You, you go find the coroner! Go now!"
He shouted at the top of his lungs and kicked the still-dazed postman.
The way to the west wing courtyard involves passing through two corridors, and several couriers have already gathered along the way.
A young courier's long pole clattered against a pillar. Startled, he cried out and quickly steadied himself, his lips trembling as he stammered, "I...I just heard some noise in the west wing. How...how could someone be dead?"
Another old courier clasped his hands together, repeatedly chanting "Amitabha," but his eyes were fixed on the west wing, filled with fear: "What a tragedy... how could someone just suddenly be gone..."
Pei Zhiwei walked behind, her ears catching these subtle sounds, and unease welled up in her heart like a tide.
She subconsciously touched the brocade pouch at her waist. To dare to kill someone at the official post station, the murderer must either be insane, have nothing to fear, or even... have already figured out what was going on here.
When they arrived at the guest room door, even more people gathered, but none of them dared to step over the threshold.
A cook lost her grip on a copper basin, spilling water onto the floor with a "splash." She didn't bother to wipe it up; she just stared into the room, tears welling up in her eyes.
"Lord Liu asked me for a bowl of hot soup yesterday, saying he had a bad stomach... how could this be..."
A servant tried to pull her away, but the cook jumped back as if burned, her voice shrill: "Don't touch me! What if... what if the murderer is still nearby!"
"Everyone step back three feet, and don't touch anything." Xiao Yunzhan's voice rang out, deep and imposing like that of a prince.
The onlookers instinctively stepped back, even holding their breath, with only the chattering of teeth being heard.
Pei Zhiwei followed them into the room, and a strong, yet undeniable, smell of blood hit her, making her empty stomach feel slightly uncomfortable.
She crouched down, her gaze falling on Liu Mingyuan's corpse.
The chest of his blue robe was stained with blood, and dark bloodstains trickled down the fabric, forming a small puddle on the ground.
The dagger pierced his left chest, with only the hilt sticking out.
Her fingertips hovered lightly above the bloodstains, but she didn't dare touch them.
The bloodstains were round, without any trailing marks. This showed that he was stabbed right here, and had not been moved.
Xiao Yunzhan had already spread out the Xuan paper, and the "rustling" sound of the brush gliding across the paper became the only noise in the room.
He drew it in great detail, marking the positions of doors and windows, the distance between Liu Mingyuan's knees and the ground, and even the tilt angle of the half-burnt incense stick in the incense burner.
When he painted the incense burner, he looked up and asked the courier at the door, "Was the incense burner placed here last night when you brought hot water? Has the incense been touched?"
The courier's face was ashen, and his teeth were chattering as he spoke: "No...no, I just glanced at it when I delivered the water, and the incense burner was right here, and the incense sticks were this long..."
Pei Zhiwei stood up and walked to the window.
The brass latch was intact, without any signs of tampering; a thin layer of dust covered the windowsill, and rubbing it with a fingertip left only fine powder, no fingerprints or scratches. The murderer did not enter through the window.
She turned to the door; the old wear and tear on the wooden door was clearly visible, and there were no new marks on the bolt. The door hadn't been pried open either.
"When you called Liu Mingyuan this morning, was the door locked from the inside?" she asked the courier who had discovered the body, trying to keep her voice steady.
The courier swallowed hard, his eyes unfocused. "No...no. I knocked three times, but no one answered, so I tried pushing it...and the door opened."
The door was unlocked.
Pei Zhiwei frowned even more. This was an official post station, and all those who could stay there were officials. All the post station clerks, servants, and even the cooks were registered.
Normally, not only would unauthorized people be allowed to enter or leave, but even getting close to them could result in being driven away by the post station officials.
Last night, another prince of the current dynasty stayed there, and the official post station was under tight security. The murderer should not be someone from outside.
That means the people currently inside the official post station did it without any signs of resistance, without prying open the doors or windows, and it was someone they knew.
"Was it someone you knew?" Pei Lin's voice sounded from behind, tinged with seriousness.
No sooner had he finished speaking than the hurried footsteps of a courier came from outside the courtyard. Before he even arrived, his voice drifted in.
"Sir! The coroner has arrived!"
Pei Zhiwei looked down at the pool of blood again. The dagger was completely embedded in his body, which should have been a fatal blow, but there were no signs of Liu Mingyuan struggling on the surface of the blood.
Did he completely trust the murderer, or was the incident so sudden that he didn't even have time to prepare?
Or was he already under control before the murderer made his move?
She crouched down, her gaze sweeping over Liu Mingyuan's cuffs and fingernails, both of which were spotless, not like someone who had been in a fight.
Xiao Yunzhan handed the finished drawing to Pei Lin; the ink was still wet.
"Have you checked the wardrobe?" Pei Lin asked, staring at the location of the wardrobe on the diagram.
“It was empty, except for Liu Mingyuan’s old clothes, neatly folded, with no signs of being hidden,” Pei Zhiwei replied.
A hurried sound of footsteps grew closer and closer. The coroner jogged in with a box, still out of breath as he bowed. "Your subordinate... Your subordinate has been ordered to examine the body."
"Conduct an on-site inspection." Pei Lin flashed his waist badge as usual and gave the order in a deep voice.
The coroner first circled the body to observe it, then squatted down and carefully examined Liu Mingyuan from head to toe, before opening Liu Mingyuan's clothes...
A moment later, he stood up and said firmly, “Reporting to you, sir, there were no signs of resistance or binding on the deceased’s body. The blood droplets were full and hanging like beads, with no signs of dragging.”
The cause of death was a dagger piercing the heart, a fatal blow. There were no other wounds on the body, so no autopsy was necessary.
"I will fill out the autopsy report and submit the details to you, sir."
“The dagger was aimed from top to bottom, meaning the killer was taller than him, or the killer attacked from behind while he was kneeling,” Pei Lin said.
“The dagger is very ordinary, without any markings, the handle is smooth, and the blade shows normal wear, as if it were something the murderer carried with him,” Pei Zhiwei added.
The murderer did not pull out the weapon, so there was no blood splattering. If the victim had been wearing clothing with tight sleeves, the blood might not have been on their clothes at all.
At this moment, the postmaster rushed back, his official robes soaked with sweat, and said breathlessly, "Sir! Everyone has gathered, more than twenty people in the front yard."
Four officials staying at the post station, along with several servants they brought, and the rest were handymen and cooks… The officials were all asking what had happened…
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