Sishui City, Chididun.
Bai Yutang rode by and caught a glimpse of a group of people working hard on the river project, sweating profusely. Judging from the progress, completion was not far off. Thinking this, a smile appeared on Bai Yutang's lips.
Bai Yutang initially came to the capital to obtain the title "Imperial Cat" for Zhan Zhao, where he happened to meet Yan Chasan, who was on his way to take the imperial examination. Upon their first meeting, Bai Yutang found Yan Chasan to be an upright man and decided to befriend him, using the alias Jin Maoshu to freeload off him. Yan Chasan showed no resentment. Later, Bai Yutang revealed his true identity and they became sworn brothers.
Yan Chasan was a man of great learning and excelled in the imperial examination, achieving the highest score and enjoying a successful career thereafter. Now, thanks to Lord Bao's recommendation, the emperor has promoted Yan Chasan to the position of imperial inspector, tasked with investigating floods and overseeing river works and the people's livelihood.
Jiang Ping, the "River Rat," was highly skilled in water-based combat. He had a good relationship with Yan Chasan because of his connection with Bai Yutang. Since he happened to have nothing to do, he came to Sishui with Yan Chasan.
Upon arriving in Sishui City, Bai Yutang first encountered his fourth brother.
Jiang Ping saw a figure in white riding a horse approaching from afar. At first, he wondered why the figure looked so much like his fifth brother. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was indeed his fifth brother.
Bai Yutang also saw from afar a sallow-skinned, sickly-looking man standing under the plaque of the yamen, and immediately recognized him as his fourth brother.
The horses kicked up a cloud of dust as they stopped. Jiang Ping shook his hand and looked at Bai Yutang with a puzzled expression as he dismounted with a smooth and elegant movement. He said, "Fifth Brother, what brings you here? Could it be that you've been missing me terribly and came to see me on your own?"
"You're overthinking it. I'm here to investigate a case."
Bai Yutang pulled on the reins, and Jiang Ping glanced at him, quite surprised. The two turned and entered the yamen. Jiang Ping said, "I heard from my elder brother that you went to Chenzhou with Lord Bao. I thought it was just a whim, but it turns out it wasn't."
Bai Yutang laughed and said, "That time it was indeed a whim. But this time it's not. This case is too interesting, and I really want to find out the truth about it."
Jiang Ping pondered how bizarre a case would have to be for Jinmaoshu to be considered interesting.
After the two met Yan Chasan, Yan Chasan was first surprised, then delighted, and had food prepared to welcome Bai Yutang.
While waiting, Bai Yutang briefly explained that Pang Yu was not the mastermind behind the Chenzhou case, and revealed that his purpose in coming here was to find out Xu Yiwei's background.
When Bai Yutang mentioned with a slightly disdainful tone that "a charlatan predicted that the Prince of Xiangyang was the mastermind," Yan Chasan and Jiang Ping exchanged a glance, their expressions subtly shifting.
Bai Yutang saw it clearly and asked, "Is there something wrong with it?"
Yan Chasan said, "What my sworn brother said about the charlatan is probably quite accurate."
Bai Yutang: ...
Yan Chasan recounted everything he had encountered since he began his work on flood control.
When Yan Chasan first arrived in Sishui City, the people of Chididun complained that a water monster was disturbing their lives. The people were already suffering from floods, but recently a ghost had appeared in the water, often appearing to harm people and destroying their shacks, leaving the people of Chididun with nowhere to go.
The next day, Yan Chasan climbed Xixu Mountain to view the water, while Jiang Ping led several constables to Chididun to investigate the true appearance of the water monster. That night, the water monster appeared, and after the group captured it, they discovered that it was actually a person covered in animal skins, robbing the people of Chididun.
Jiang Ping brought the "water monster" back to the yamen. Yan Chasan interrogated them overnight and learned that the water monster was a group of thirteen water bandits from the Sanhuang Temple, located two or three miles downstream from Chididun. They robbed boats during the day and disguised themselves as water monsters at night to frighten the people.
They intimidated the people so that they could demolish the embankment after the people left. Upon further interrogation, it was discovered that they were retainers of the Prince of Xiangyang, and that they were acting on orders to impersonate water monsters at night to scare people.
The Prince of Xiangyang sent them here to cause trouble, firstly to harm the people, and secondly to deplete the national treasury. If this continues, ships will have to take detours, and residents will live far away. Eventually, they will occupy Hongze Lake, which will become a strategic choke point.
The fact that the Prince of Xiangyang harbored rebellious intentions greatly shocked Yan Chasan. The next day, he led his men to the Three Emperors Temple to capture the remaining twelve river pirates.
The leader of the thirteen river pirates was named Wu Ze. All thirteen are currently imprisoned, awaiting delivery to the capital for interrogation upon completion of the project. Fortunately, the news was discovered in time and was not leaked out; to this day, the Prince of Xiangyang remains unaware of Wu Ze and his men's capture.
Yan Chasan's mouth was dry from talking, so he picked up his teacup and took a sip of tea.
...Yan Liang was actually right?
After listening for a moment, Bai Yutang said, "Now we just need to find out the connection between Xu Yiwei and the Prince of Xiangyang. Once we have the confession of the river pirates, we can surely prove the crimes of the Prince of Xiangyang's family and clear Pang Yu's name."
Yan Chasan nodded in agreement, while Jiang Ping asked, "You just mentioned that a charlatan predicted that the Prince of Xiangyang's heir was connected to the Chenzhou case. May I ask which expert this is?"
Although he asked the question, Jiang Ping also had a slightly teasing attitude. Bai Yutang spoke of the charlatan with disdain, but his face was filled with a lighthearted smile, suggesting that he got along very well with the man.
Upon hearing this, Bai Yutang said, "That kid can hardly be considered a master. He's about my age, named Yan Liang, and is just a fortune teller with some skills."
Jiang Ping said meaningfully, "So he's a skilled fortune teller? When I get back to Bianliang, I'll definitely have him tell my fortune."
Jiang Ping knew Bai Yutang's personality very well. He disliked things related to gods and ghosts, and by extension, he also disliked fortune tellers and charlatans. Now that Bai Yutang had personally said that he was "a capable fortune teller," they must be very compatible.
Bai Yutang choked, remembering how he had told Yan Liang he would never believe him...
Yan Chasan said longingly, "To gain my sworn brother's approval, I suppose I also have a chivalrous heart similar to my sworn brother and Lord Zhan."
Bai Yutang: "..."
A chivalrous heart? Zhan Zhao certainly deserves that title, but Yan Liang is another story.
"My lord, the meal is ready. Would you like to eat?"
A servant came to remind him, and Jiang Ping got up first, walked towards the door, and said with a smile, "Let's go eat quickly. After you finish eating, go and find out the news. Then we'll go back to Bianliang together."
After the three had eaten together, Yan Chasan went to inspect the river works, and Jiang Ping went with him. Bai Yutang found a local constable to guide them. The three then parted ways.
The constable had grown up in Sishui City and had a deep impression of the old Mr. Chen that Bai Yutang had mentioned. He was a passionate jade carver. It could be said that all the jade in the area was made by him.
Bai Yutang stroked the jade pendant shaped like a small persimmon, lost in thought.
Upon arriving at Mr. Chen's door, the bailiff knocked. There was a long silence inside. He knocked again, and a loud, angry roar came from within: "Stop knocking! I'm coming!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened. The old man who opened the door had white hair but a youthful face, dressed in coarse linen clothes, and looked at the two of them with displeasure.
The constable bowed and introduced Bai Yutang to him.
"This is Inspector Yan's sworn brother. He's from Kaifeng Prefecture and has some questions for you."
Mr. Chen was somewhat surprised; this was the first time in all the years he had lived here that someone had come to him to handle a case.
The constable had official business to attend to, so he left Mr. Chen's house after the introductions. Bai Yutang followed Mr. Chen into the house, where the old man poured him a cup of tea and then asked, "What brings you here?"
Bai Yutang handed him the letter from the manager of Yurunzhai, saying, "Your junior brother asked me to bring this to you. You'll understand once you read it."
Mr. Chen took the letter, opened the envelope, and chuckled after reading its contents. Looking up at him again, he asked, "Let me see that jade pendant. If I carved it, I can probably find out where it came from."
Bai Yutang handed the jade pendant to him. After taking it and glancing at it, Mr. Chen said with certainty, "This is the Xu family's jade pendant."
Bai Yutang was surprised that he recognized him so quickly, but he was also surprised by what he said, "It's Xu, not Xu?"
Old Master Chen snorted softly, "How could I forget what I carved myself?" He paused, a hint of melancholy in his expression. "Besides, this family... I'm afraid I'll never forget them in my entire life."
Bai Yutang's expression hardened. "What happened to the Xu family?"
Old Mr. Chen glanced at him, returned the jade pendant to him, and said, "The Xu family is no more now. They were all burned down in a fire thirteen years ago."
...Thirteen years ago?
Bai Yutang narrowed his eyes.
"Back then, the Xu family was the most enviable family in Sishui City," Mr. Chen sighed. "It's just a pity that fate was unfair and they suffered a tragic accident."
...
After returning to the yamen, Bai Yutang ordered someone to find the files related to the fire at the Xu family's residence in Sishui City thirteen years ago.
Thirteen years ago, the Xu family consisted of twelve people: the head of the family, his wife, his sister, the young master, and eight servants. All twelve perished in a fire; none survived.
Who is Xu Yiwei?
If Xiao Shizi's mother was indeed Xu Yiwei's aunt, how did she escape the fire and end up in Tanhua Village?
Based on age, Xu Yiwei could only be the young master Xu, but there were indeed twelve corpses counted back then.
Bai Yutang flipped through the files, staring at the "twelve people" with a deep frown.
After pondering for a long time without finding a solution, Bai Yutang closed the case file and went to find the coroner who had been in charge of the Xu family fire case back then.
We can't figure anything out just by looking at the case file, so let's find the people who saw the body with their own eyes and observed it up close back then.
The coroner was in his prime thirteen years ago, but now he looks a bit old, and the marks of time on his face are very obvious.
"The Xu family...?"
Caught off guard by this question, Wei the coroner's face revealed a hint of something, and his eyes flickered.
"The Kaifeng Prefecture is investigating a case that involves the Xu family. If you know anything about it, you should tell them as soon as possible and not hide it."
Bai Yutang looked down at him from his superior position, his fierce aura causing beads of sweat to appear on Wei the coroner's forehead.
"I...I'll say..."
Wei, the coroner, wiped his forehead, thinking to himself that someone who had seen so many corpses was actually scared by a living person; if people knew, they would probably laugh themselves to death.
“There were indeed twelve corpses back then, adults and children alike… However, there was one corpse, Miss Xu’s. At the time, the body was burned to a crisp, and the face was unrecognizable. When I examined the body, I found a token embedded in the flesh at the waist. There was a word on the token…”
"Do you still have that token?"
“I lost it… After all, it’s a dead man’s stuff…” Seeing Bai Yutang’s furrowed brows, Wei the coroner continued hesitantly, “But I remember very clearly that the side of the token with the words on it was on the inside, and the words were still very clear. It was the two characters ‘Zhao Qi’.”
Zhao Qi? Zhao?
Bai Yutang subconsciously thought of the Prince of Xiangyang and his family.
"Why didn't you say this back then?" Bai Yutang said coldly. "The Xu family was most likely targeted in retaliation. That fire was not an accident."
Wei, the coroner, lowered his head in embarrassment. "It's better to avoid trouble... If I speak out, I might face retaliation."
After all, he was a villain who set fire to the house of twelve people. Even though Wei, the coroner, only had a guess at the time, he dared not risk speaking it out.
Bai Yutang sighed silently, then asked, "Do you remember anything amiss with Young Master Xu's body?"
"No... that is indeed Young Master Xu, his age and build are the same."
...If that's the case, then who exactly is Xu Yiwei?
Bai Yutang frowned. "Were the bodies of all twelve members of the Xu family burned to a crisp?"
"yes."
The fire reduced a happy family to ashes. The prefect at the time was inactive, leaving the task of collecting the bodies entirely to the coroner, Wei. By then, the bodies were burned beyond recognition, and Wei also discovered the strange token. Fearing that someone was seeking revenge, he ultimately closed the case as an accidental fire.
The token bearing the name "Zhao Qi" was discarded by the coroner, Wei, and all twelve members of the Xu family perished. Thirteen years later, there was no way to reopen the case.
Bai Yutang waved for Wei the coroner to leave, then stood in the courtyard gazing at the full moon reflected in the lake, lost in thought.
It was getting late, and the backyard was quiet. Yan Chasan and Jiang Ping had gone out and had not yet returned. Bai Yutang stood alone in the yard, listening to the chirping of insects and the croaking of frogs.
The little black man eavesdropping in the shadows only heard Bai Yutang tell Wei the coroner to leave, but Bai Yutang lingered and remained, which puzzled him. Just as he was pondering the deeper meaning behind Bai Yutang's actions, a shadow fell over him. Before the little black man could react, someone grabbed him by the back of the neck and made him kneel down in pain.
Bai Yutang scaled the wall and, sure enough, found the eavesdropper. After subduing him, he smiled smugly and said, "Trying to eavesdrop on Fifth Master Bai's private conversations? No way!"
The little black man was then surprised to realize that Bai Yutang had discovered him long ago and deliberately waited until he finished listening before coming to capture him.
When Yan Chasan and Jiang Ping returned from their inspection, Bai Yutang gave them a big surprise.
“This man has been following me all the way, and he was eavesdropping on my conversation just now. My two brothers, you must interrogate him properly for me.”
Yan Chasan stared at the person in the very center who was tied up in a ball, and fell silent.
How exactly did his sworn brother manage to tie someone up like that?
Bai Yutang leaned against the door frame, his eyes brimming with undisguised smugness.
Upon hearing this, the man struggled to move his body, looked at Bai Yutang behind him, his lips opening and closing, but he couldn't utter a word.
Bai Yutang laughed and said, "Do you think I didn't notice you? Fifth Master Bai's martial arts are superior to yours. Even if you disguise yourself, your aura and gait will not change."
...Miscalculation, miscalculation.
Seeing that Bai Yutang had no reaction the whole way, he thought that the man was not as good as he seemed.
The man showed a hint of annoyance, which Bai Yutang noticed clearly. He asked, "Who sent you?"
"The Crown Prince of Xiangyang".
This man decisively betrayed his master.
Bai Yutang: "...Don't you think you're being too decisive?"
"I never considered him my true master." The man curled his lip, his round face making a rather unsightly expression. "Did Pang Yu ever tell you that someone let him escape halfway?"
Yan Chasan and Jiang Ping were unaware of this matter, but Bai Yutang knew it clearly.
He raised an eyebrow. "Could it be that person..."
"It is I."
The man shook his hands, which were tied behind his back, and said, "Let me go."
Bai Yutang snorted coldly, "State your name first before that."
"My name is Chen Miao, and Miss Xu is my junior sister."
The man spoke slowly and deliberately, his tiny, beady eyes fixed intently on him.
Bai Yutang: "..."
He remembered the tattered book that Little Persimmon cherished, which did indeed record many strange poisons.
The Chenzhou case has actually drawn out so many people...
Pang Yu, just how miserable is he?
Bai Yutang thought so.
Author's Note: I'm here!
Sishui City here is the area around Hongze Lake in Jiangsu.
Thank you so much to all my lovely angels for cheering me on! I'll keep going! Just one last exam left, and after that I can go home for Chinese New Year! Hahahaha!
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