Chapter 1 Just after the third watch drum sounded, Qin Chaochao…
Just after the third watch drumbeat, Qin Chaochao's bedroom was still lit.
Madam Liu sat down beside her daughter and said, "Chaochao, although the Prince Rui's residence is not as comfortable as ours, you are the Prince Rui's principal wife, so no one dares to criticize you. Moreover, the Prince Rui is a truly good match for you."
Her voice was very low, as if afraid of disturbing something, "Mother knows you..."
“Mother, I’ve thought it through,” Qin Chaochao suddenly interrupted her. “It’s my blessing to be able to marry into the royal family.”
Liu looked at Qin Chaochao, her eyes welling up with tears, and her lips trembled slightly.
Finally, she took a deep breath, straightened Qin Chaochao's clothes, and stood up, saying, "Then you should rest early, you have to get up early tomorrow."
After an unknown amount of time, a piercing scream tore through the night sky—
"Ah...Miss...Miss hanged herself!"
***
Just as the carriage passed the city gate, Pei Zhiwei was peeking through the curtain at the city streets when she was drawn to the approaching sound of rapid hoofbeats.
Three fast horses blocked the carriage in a triangular formation. The leading man, dressed as a yamen runner, dismounted and bowed with clasped hands.
"May I ask if the person inside the carriage is the newly appointed Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Lord Pei?"
Pei Lin lifted the carriage curtain, his brows furrowing slightly: "It is indeed I, the official. What brings you here?"
"Your subordinate, Zhou Ping, the head constable of the Dali Temple, is hereby ordered by the Minister of the Dali Temple to request that you immediately proceed to the residence of the Imperial Censor Qin Liang. A murder has occurred, and your personal investigation is required."
Pei Lin was slightly taken aback, his brows furrowing even more: "I have just arrived in the capital and have not yet reported to the Ministry of Personnel, nor have I handed over the official seal to the Court of Judicial Review. According to the law, I cannot interfere in cases..."
“My lord, you are unaware of the truth,” Zhou Ping said, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead, “a major murder has occurred at the Qin residence, and the matter is extremely urgent!”
Lord Qing specifically instructed that he had ordered someone to mediate the process of Lord Pei's appointment, and that he would not allow Lord Pei to have any grounds for criticism.
Because this case... only Lord Pei can solve it.
"Who in the Qin family has been in trouble?" Pei Lin's voice deepened, and his sharp gaze swept over Zhou Ping.
Zhou Ping subconsciously lowered his voice: "It was Lord Qin's only daughter, Qin Chaochao. This morning at dawn, she was found hanged in her room by her maid."
Pei Zhiwei's heart skipped a beat. Although she and her father had just arrived in the capital, she had seen in the official gazette that this Miss Qin had been betrothed to Prince Rui by the Emperor a few months ago.
If I remember correctly, today should have been her wedding day. How could she have suddenly hanged herself?
Pei Lin was clearly somewhat surprised. After a moment of silence, he nodded. "In that case, you all lead the way. My daughter will come with me."
Zhou Ping was visibly taken aback upon hearing this, and looked towards the inside of the car.
Seeing Pei Zhiwei dressed in a pale yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with her hair styled in simple double buns and adorned only with two yellow jade hairpins, clearly a young unmarried woman, he couldn't help but frown.
"My lord, a life has just been lost. Sending women along would be very inconvenient."
“It’s alright.” Pei Lin’s tone left no room for doubt. “My daughter has handled many cases with me. When it comes to investigating crime scene traces, even the most experienced constables may not be able to compare to her.”
Zhou Ping opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't dare to refute it. He mounted his horse, though a hint of disapproval flashed in his eyes.
In his view, how could a mere young woman, even with some minor tricks, compare to the professional inspection of a shop?
The coachman cracked his whip, and the horse galloped off towards the Qin residence.
“I’ve heard that Lord Qin is known for his integrity and uprightness, and is a formidable figure who would risk his life to remonstrate before the emperor,” Pei Zhiwei suddenly said, her voice tinged with doubt.
“My father has been serving as an official away from home for many years and has never had any dealings with Lord Qin. We have just entered the capital today, and my father has been singled out for investigation. There must be something fishy about this.”
"This week, Ping just said that Qin Chaochao hanged herself."
Pei Zhiwei analyzed, "Then the Dali Temple has already made a judgment, so why bother Father, who has not yet taken office as a junior minister?"
Unless… Lord Qin does not agree with this assessment, and the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review does not wish to make an enemy of Lord Qin.”
As they were talking, the carriage had already entered the alleyway near the Qin residence.
"Have you heard? Miss Qin has hanged herself!" A man dressed in coarse cloth shorts stood on tiptoe and peered into the Qin family mansion, his tone filled with excitement.
The woman beside him quickly tugged at his sleeve: "Keep your voice down! That's the daughter of the Imperial Censor! How could she hang herself on the eve of her wedding?"
"Isn't it because she doesn't want to marry Prince Rui?" another voice chimed in, tinged with mystery.
"My cousin's aunt is the cook in the Qin family. She said that Miss Qin already has someone in her heart and was forced to marry Prince Rui by Lord Qin!"
Pei Zhiwei listened to these discussions and frowned. "Prince Rui, Xiao Yunzhan, is the current emperor's younger brother."
If Lady Qin truly hanged herself because she refused marriage, then it would be a slap in the face to the imperial family.
Pei Lin looked grave and nodded, saying, "Let's go take a look first."
*
"Lord Pei, this way please." Zhou Ping led Pei Lin toward the main hall, and then said to a young constable who had been following behind him, "Xiao Li, take Madam Pei to the scene."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Li immediately showed a reluctant expression and leaned close to Zhou Ping, muttering in a low voice, "Boss Zhou, are you really sending a woman... sending Madam Pei to a place like that?"
How can we allow outsiders to freely observe the scene?
Zhou Ping glared at him: "This is Lord Pei's order, just do as he says! What's with the fuss?"
After saying that, he turned to Pei Zhiwei, his tone becoming much harsher, "Madam Pei, we and the coroner have examined the scene. You... may take a look, but please don't touch anything."
Pei Zhiwei ignored the disdain in his words and followed Xiao Li toward Qin Niangzi's boudoir.
“I’m saying, Madam Pei,” Little Li said, leading the way with his head down, his tone full of disapproval.
"It's not that I'm being nosy, but someone just died in that house, and it's filled with a heavy yin energy. If you, an unmarried young lady, were to see it, you'd probably have nightmares."
Besides, Zhou and the coroner have already examined it; it was a suicide by hanging. The rope marks and shoe prints on the footstool match. You wouldn't find anything new even if you went there.”
Pei Zhiwei continued walking, saying calmly, "Whether we can find out or not, we'll know after we see it."
Xiao Li pursed his lips and stopped talking, but quickened his pace.
"That's the one." Xiao Li pointed to a side room on the far east side. Two yamen runners were guarding the door. When they saw them coming, they immediately stood up straight and their eyes lingered on Pei Zhiwei for a long time.
"This is Lord Pei's daughter, here to see the scene," Xiao Li introduced casually.
The two constables exchanged a glance, their lips curling into a subtle, mocking smile.
One of them crossed his arms and deliberately raised his voice, "Hey Li, is it appropriate to have a young lady handle Xing Ming's affairs?"
"Don't let it scare you so much that you can't sleep at night; we can't afford that."
Another person chimed in, "That's right. Besides, Madam Qin clearly hanged herself. The marks on the rope and the footstool under her feet match up perfectly. What's there to investigate?"
Could it be that this Miss Pei has an extra pair of eyes and can spot something extraordinary?
Pei Zhiwei ignored her. She first walked around the house to check the outer walls, then pushed the window frame, and finally carefully checked the door before entering the house.
The room was large and elegantly furnished. On the dressing table was a complete set of mother-of-pearl jewelry boxes, the lid of which was slightly open, revealing the sparkling hairpins and rings inside.
Several flower and bird paintings hung on the wall, their delicate brushstrokes revealing the refinement of a well-bred lady.
"See that?" The constable guarding the door sneered, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe.
"The room was neat and tidy, even the jewelry was properly arranged, and there were no missing items or signs of a struggle."
"Lady Qin was so despondent that she took her own life."
Pei Zhiwei ignored him and slowly scanned the room with her gaze.
A bright red ribbon hung from the roof beam, tied in a regular knot at the end, with the footstool underneath overturned on the ground.
There was also a half-faded shoe print on the stool, which, judging by the size, belonged to a woman's embroidered shoe.
“Miss Pei, look at this footstool,”
Xiao Li walked in and pointed to the overturned stool, saying, "The coroner said that the shoe print on this perfectly matches Miss Qin's embroidered shoes, and she must have kicked it over herself."
Moreover, the position of the stool legs was exactly aligned with the red silk on the roof beam, and the height was just right; everything matched perfectly.
Pei Zhiwei squatted down and examined the stool carefully.
The stool surface is made of mahogany, which is hard in texture. The shoe print is indeed left by a woman's embroidered shoes, with some blurry edges, as if it had been stepped on forcefully.
Strangely, apart from this half-shoe print, there were no other marks on the stool, not even a speck of dust; it was almost too clean.
“The rope marks have also been examined.”
Seeing that she remained silent, Xiao Li added, "The coroner said that the strangulation marks were made before the death, and there were signs of life on the edges, but no signs of secondary injury."
To put it bluntly, it was suicide by hanging; it's a done deal, and it doesn't matter who investigates.
Pei Zhiwei stood up, her gaze falling on the carpet.
The carpet was dark in color, embroidered with intricate patterns, and had a thick, dense pile.
She paced slowly around, her gaze as sharp as a hawk's, not missing a single detail.
"Miss Pei, what are you looking for?"
Xiao Li urged impatiently, "This carpet is cleaned by maids every day, and the pile is combed with a fine brush. It's very clean. What clues could there be?"
Besides, the coroner and we both examined the scene; there were no signs of a struggle. Don't waste your energy.
Pei Zhiwei did not answer. Suddenly, she stopped beside the dressing table, turned slightly to the side, and adjusted her angle.
Sunlight streamed in through the window and fell directly on the carpet at her feet, revealing a faint indentation in the seemingly smooth pile.
The indentation was so shallow that it was impossible to detect unless the angle of the light was followed.
She immediately crouched down to examine it closely.
The shape is the front half of a typical men's boot, with faint cloud patterns visible at the toe. The edges of the indentation are slightly deformed, obviously caused by uneven force.
"What is this?" Pei Zhiwei looked up at the yamen runner at the door, her voice as cold as ice.
Xiao Li leaned closer and looked in the direction she was pointing. The mockery on his face gradually turned into surprise: "This...this is a shoe print? How did it get here?"
"Who has been here?" Pei Zhiwei pressed, her fingertips gently brushing against the carpet's plush.
The edges of the indentation still retained a slight elasticity, indicating that it hadn't been there long.
Xiao Li scratched his head and stammered, "The coroner came in during the autopsy, but he was wearing cloth shoes with soft soles, so he couldn't have made such marks..."
The rest is about Zhou Tou bringing me here for an inspection, but there are specific rules for inspecting a crime scene, and I didn't step on this spot.
Pei Zhiwei stood up, her gaze returning to the half-shoe print.
Why is there only half a footprint? If it were a normal entry, there should be a series of footprints on the carpet, not just this lonely half.
"Besides you, were there any other men who entered the scene?" she continued, her tone leaving no room for argument.
"No more, no more," a constable hurriedly waved his hand.
"The Qin family has very strict etiquette. After the body was discovered, the head maid and a group of maids took the body off the ground. Lord Qin immediately ordered someone to report it to the authorities."
We immediately sealed off the courtyard, and no one except the coroner, Zhou Tou, and Xiao Li has come in.
We brothers all know the rules; we know we need to protect the scene, and we would never dare to step on or move anything recklessly.
Pei Zhiwei remained silent for a moment, then took out a soft measuring tape from her crossbody bag and carefully measured the size of the half shoe print.
She then measured the distance from the shoe print to the roof beam, which was exactly three steps away. This distance was somewhat subtle, neither like preparation for hanging herself nor like something left from a casual stroll.
She then took out her small handbag and noted down the shape and size of the half-shoe print before turning and leaving the room.
"Miss Pei, what... what does this mean?" Xiao Li looked at her solemn expression and felt a little uneasy.
"It's still too early to tell," Pei Zhiwei said calmly, putting the items back into her bag. "Take me to see my father."
On the way to the main hall, as they passed through a corridor, they suddenly heard several maids whispering in a corner. Their voices were very low, but they still reached Pei Zhiwei's ears.
"...What a tragedy! Our wife was so good, and now she's gone just like that." The maid sighed, her voice filled with regret.
Another, slightly older, maidservant chimed in, "Who says otherwise? I heard from the maids in the lady's courtyard that she doesn't want to marry Prince Rui, and she's argued with the master and mistress about it several times."
Could it be that he really has someone he likes, which is why...?
"Shh! Keep your voice down!" The maidservant beside her quickly interrupted her, glancing around warily.
"This is a marriage bestowed by the Emperor himself; if word gets out, you'll lose your head!"
Besides, who is Prince Rui? Having suffered such a humiliating disgrace, would he let it go? The Qin family is probably finished this time…”
"That's right. Any man would find it hard to swallow this insult, let alone a prince of such high status..."
The one she loved? Pei Zhiwei paused slightly.
Xiao Li said that the Qin family had very strict etiquette, and no male servants were even used to dissect the corpse. If Qin Chaochao really hanged herself to refuse the marriage, why would there be this strange half-shoe print at the scene?
Who owns those shoe prints? And why would they deliberately hide the fact that they've been here?
Before the two even reached the entrance of the main hall, they heard a fierce argument coming from inside, mixed with a woman's suppressed cries.
"It's my fault! It's all my fault! I knew she was unwilling, I knew she had no feelings for Prince Rui, but I forced her to nod, insisting it was a great blessing..."
"If I hadn't nagged her every day, if I hadn't been pressuring her just yesterday, how could she have driven herself to such a desperate end!"
"Shut up!" Qin Liang trembled slightly as he suppressed his anger.
"I raised Chaochao myself, and I know her personality best!"
Even if I'm unwilling, I would never do something so self-destructive and disgraceful to the Qin family!
"Then how did she die?" Liu's voice was sharp and desperate.
"On the eve of her wedding, she hanged herself in her boudoir with a red silk ribbon! If it wasn't to refuse the marriage, what else could it be for?"
"It's my fault! It's all my fault! I knew she didn't want to marry him, yet I forced her to marry Prince Rui. I killed my own daughter!"
"Insolence!" Qin Liang roared, sweeping the teacup off the table and shattering it with a crash.
"This is a marriage bestowed by the Emperor, how dare you speak nonsense? There must be something fishy about Chaochao's death. I have already asked Lord Pei of the Dali Temple to investigate, and he will surely clear her name!"
"Innocence?" Liu's sobs grew louder. "Your daughter is gone, who are you going to prove your innocence to? You're just disgracing the Qin family..."
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps sounded outside, accompanied by a servant's panicked report:
"Prince Rui has arrived!"
Everyone in the hall was stunned, and Qin Liang and Madam Liu's faces turned completely pale.
No one expected that at this time, Prince Rui, who should have been the groom, would personally come to the door.
A note from the author:
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