Chapter 27

The person speaking wore the same official robe as Xie Xinglan and was lazily seated on the open chair at the room’s north end. In front of him, clerks came and went, busily handling documents and case files, making him seem superior.

Xie Xinglan hadn’t expected to encounter Han Qi here. He sneered, “What bad luck—to enter the room and immediately hear a dog barking.”

Han Qi was only sarcastic, but Xie Xinglan blatantly insulted him. Furious, Han Qi jumped up from the chair and shouted, “Xie Xinglan, who are you calling a dog?!”

Xie Xinglan responded coldly, “Whoever answers to it.”

Han Qi gnashed his teeth and said, “Do you think I don’t dare to fight you?”

Xie Xinglan raised an eyebrow. “You’ve already climbed the high branch of Duke Xin’s residence, so what’s the harm in fighting me?”

Han Qi’s expression froze momentarily. However, having his actions exposed didn’t shame him—instead, his arrogance grew. But Xie Xinglan continued, “Yet, if General Zheng finds out about your dealings with Marquis Ningyuan’s residence, I wonder how much longer you’ll be barking in the Longyi Guards.”

Duke Xin’s residence is the maternal family of the current Empress Dowager and Empress, belonging to the Zheng clan. The previous Duke Xin, Zheng Chengde, and Empress Dowager Zheng were full siblings. He was also the Grand Marshal of the national armed forces, known for his merits during the Fengzhou rebellion. Later, he sacrificed his life to quell the remnants of the rebel forces.

The current Duke Xin, Zheng Mingyue, is Zheng Chengde’s eldest son and the elder brother of Empress Zheng Shu. He currently commands an army of 100,000 stationed in the western frontier. The “General Zheng” mentioned by Xie Xinglan refers to Zheng Chengde’s second son, who serves as the Left General of the Jinwu Guards. He, Duke Xin, and the Empress are full siblings, each holding significant power.

As for Zheng Qin, who was mentioned by Emperor Zhenyuan last night, he is the only son of Zheng Mingyue and has already been titled the heir to Duke Xin.

Regarding the Duan clan of Marquis Anyuan’s household, they are a rising force among the noble families. Their influence now trails only behind that of the Zheng and Cui clans. The head of the household, Duan Min, serves as the Right General of the Jinwu Guards, while his son, Duan Zhe, joined the Jinwu Guards at an early age and was later titled a Jinwu General alongside Zheng Qin.

Since the death of Xie Zhengze, Emperor Zhenyuan avoided appointing a Grand General to prevent the Zheng clan from monopolizing power. Instead, he heavily relied on the Duan clan. Within the Jinwu Guards, Zheng and Duan now stand as equals, with their respective subordinates aligning with one faction or the other. Individuals like Xie Xinglan, who remain independent, are extremely rare. Previously, he endured humiliation and burdens, never making a single misstep. Coupled with the care of the remnants of Xie Zhengze’s former subordinates, he managed to maintain his position within the Jinwu Guards. Moreover, last year, he saved Emperor Zhenyuan’s life, which allowed him to remain independent.

In such a situation, the most taboo behavior was trying to please both sides. Han Qi never expected that his secret actions would be exposed, let alone that Xie Xinglan would publicly reveal them. Furious and humiliated, he shouted, “You’re crazy! How dare you say such things?!”

Xie Xinglan sneered coldly at him. “Five days ago, at the second quarter of the hour of the pig (10:30 PM), you were holding—”

“Lunatic! Stop spouting nonsense!” Han Qi interrupted him, his back chilling. Seeing Xie Xinglan’s sharp and unrestrained gaze, Han Qi began to regret provoking him. He hurriedly stammered, “Yes, I did visit Marquis Anyuan’s residence, but it was purely for official duties to meet the Right General. I have important tasks assigned by His Majesty and don’t have time to argue with you—”

He rushed out of the room, practically fleeing in panic. The clerks in the room kept their eyes on their work, not daring to make a sound.

Only then did Xie Xinglan say to Qin Ying, “Follow me.”

Qin Ying, having observed for quite some time, found Xie Xinglan’s complete lack of restraint astonishing. She recalled that in the original text, this Han Qi was particularly insidious and ruthless. Today, Xie Xinglan had struck at Han Qi’s most vulnerable point without leaving any room for retreat.

Turning left after entering the hall, they proceeded straight down a cool corridor. In the side rooms they passed, clerks were busy at work. After a short while, they arrived at a side room. Xie Xinglan stopped, pushed the door open, and retrieved a booklet from a cabinet in the southwest corner.

Xie Xinglan handed it to her, “This is the Zhou Code.”

Qin Ying thanked him, found a chair by the window, and sat down, flipping through it casually.

This was a detailed description of the criminal laws of the Great Zhou dynasty. As Qin Ying skimmed through it, although it aligned with her expectations of ancient laws, every detail deepened her cold dread. The Great Zhou implemented five punishments: beating with a stick, flogging, imprisonment, exile, and death. Each punishment was divided into three to five grades. If Mo’er and Huan’er were initially sentenced to exile for two thousand li, an additional degree of severity would mean exile for two thousand five hundred li.

In such a world, for weak women who couldn’t even tie a chicken, forced to walk two thousand five hundred li with heavy shackles, survival to the place of exile was uncertain. Furthermore, the exile destinations were mostly barren, impoverished lands, only slightly better than a death sentence.

Qin Ying focused all her attention and read for over half an hour. Bai Yuan and Shen Luo watched her in amazement—it was the first time they saw her so engrossed in a book. Beside her, Xie Xinglan leaned against the window frame, observing her thoughtfully.

After a long while, Qin Ying looked at Xie Xinglan, “After a regular trial, is there any method to reduce the sentence?”

Xie Xinglan gazed into her clear, serene eyes, “Unless His Majesty orders a general amnesty, exemptions are rare. If you intend to plead for them, there’s no need. This code has been inherited from the previous dynasty and has been in use for over a hundred years. Considering their status, they’re already fortunate not to have received extra-legal punishment; regardless, exile is inevitable.”

Qin Ying understood. In such a world, the ‘Zhou Code’ was not absolute. For those of low status, extra-legal punishment and fabricated penalties were commonplace. She exhaled deeply and returned the book to Xie Xinglan, “I understand. If one is guilty, punishment is deserved. However, regarding exile, is the destination changeable?”

Xie Xinglan said, “That would be the responsibility of the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice.”

Qin Ying nodded, then looked outside at the sky. Seeing the sun already setting in the west, she said, “Thank you for today. With this case resolved, one of my worries is lifted. It’s getting late, so I won’t take up more of your time.”

Hearing this, Xie Xinglan quickly replied, “There are still files left to review.”

Qin Ying shook her head. “No need. You’ve already asked clearly. As long as the recording clerk hasn’t made any errors, there should be no discrepancies.”

After speaking, she stepped forward to leave. However, Xie Xinglan suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking her path. Qin Ying looked at him, puzzled. “What’s the matter with you?”

From the moment he walked sideways, Qin Ying thought he was acting oddly, and now he was even stopping her from leaving?

Xie Xinglan maintained his composure. “I noticed you have a keen interest in investigations. It reminded me of a few unresolved cases—would you like to take a look?”

Qin Ying hesitated. “What kind of unresolved cases? Murder cases?”

Xie Xinglan nodded. “Yes, murder cases.”

Qin Ying immediately furrowed her brow. In the past, solving murder cases was ingrained in her, and now, even in a different world, that instinct still drove her. She took a deep breath. “I can take a look.”

Xie Xinglan’s expression slightly relaxed. He turned and led her out of the room. Returning to the main hall, he guided her along the corridor to the right. Along the way were small offices bustling with clerks, and soon, they arrived at a dark room. Xie Xinglan entered and opened a cabinet, motioning to the files inside. “These are mostly unresolved cases from the Right Jinwu Guards over the past three years.”

The Jinwu Guards were divided into left and right divisions. The Left Jinwu Guards were responsible for guarding the imperial city and ceremonial duties, while the Right Jinwu Guards oversaw city defenses, arrests in the capital, and patrols. Each department had distinct responsibilities, with the Longyi Guards directly under the emperor holding the greatest power.

Qin Ying looked at the cabinet full of case files, her expression turning serious. “There are so many unsolved murder cases?”

She casually pulled out a case file to examine, but after skimming for just a moment, she said, “This is the case where Zhang Ting, a junior official in the Ministry of Works, reported three years ago that Luo Qing, the secretary of the Ministry, embezzled funds intended for the renovation of Jingren Palace. It says here that Luo Qing fled to avoid punishment…”

Qin Ying flipped through more pages and remarked, “Looks like it’s been three years, and they still haven’t caught him. Is this the murder case you were talking about?” She turned to Xie Xinglan, who also looked puzzled.

Disinclined to question further, Qin Ying grabbed another file but frowned after just a few pages. “This is the case from two years ago when Princess Chaohua lost her cat in the Shanglin Gardens. According to this, thirty officers from the Imperial Guards and servants from her residence searched through the night but couldn’t find it…”

Qin Ying was exasperated. At this point, Xie Xinglan also began to sense something was amiss. After searching through four or five more files in the cabinet, they found that while these were all unsolved cases, none were murder cases. The most significant was the Ministry of Works corruption case. The rest ranged from missing pets belonging to nobility to street brawls involving aristocratic youth.

Xie Jian, standing nearby with a guilty expression, said softly, “Lord, actually… we haven’t handled local cases for over a year. Back at the office, we also seldom dealt with murder cases. This location doesn’t seem to be where murder case files are stored.”

Qin Ying fixed him with a piercing gaze, causing even Xie Xinglan to feel a bit awkward. He quickly offered a serious explanation, “In the past, we mostly handled public cases assigned by His Majesty. However, to my knowledge, there are indeed unresolved murder cases in the office. Please wait here for a moment—”

With that, Xie Xinglan left. Qin Ying, taken aback, watched as the evening shadows lengthened and muttered in disbelief, “What’s going on here? Is today all about finding me busywork?”

She shut the cabinet and stepped outside, where she saw Xie Xinglan heading toward the main hall, seemingly to consult the registrar. Xie Jian coughed lightly and said, “Forgive me, County Princess. Our Lord has been handling tasks assigned by His Majesty recently, but for the past six months… well, let’s just say his focus hasn’t been on official duties. He also avoids vying with others, so things may seem a bit peculiar.”

Qin Ying was surprised. So, in the past six months, not only had Xie Xinglan impeached the Cui family and fought Du Ziqin, but he’d also been slacking off at the office? Could Xie Xinglan really be so detached from worldly affairs?

With curiosity and doubt, Qin Ying took a couple of steps toward the main hall when the voices of two clerks from a nearby room reached her ears. They seemed to be cross-checking case files—one spoke while the other wrote—and their fragmented dialogue caught her attention.

“Smoke and ash in the nose and mouth, head charred, face blackened, mouth and eyes slightly open…”

“Skin shriveled, limbs slightly curled…”

“…Determined to be accidental death by self-immolation…”

As Qin Ying listened to the intermittent conversation, her brow furrowed. She turned and walked toward the room. Sure enough, two clerks were indeed verifying case files. Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked, “What were you just reciting?”

The clerks turned around, startled—they had already heard that Xie Xinglan had brought County Princess Yunyang to the office. They quickly stood and bowed. One of them explained, “County Princess, I was reading the report from an investigation. Five days ago, the second son of the Dou family in the southern city burned himself to death at his private residence. The fire was quite intense, and the Imperial Guard patrol was the first to arrive…”

Before he could finish, Qin Ying moved closer to examine the document they were working on. The deeper she read, the darker her expression grew. “Has this case been closed?” she asked.

One clerk replied, “Not yet, but it will be finalized tomorrow, and the Dou family will be notified to collect the body.”

As Xie Xinglan approached, he saw Qin Ying standing before the clerks’ desk with a somber expression. Confused, he asked, “What happened?”

Qin Ying turned to him and replied, “You don’t need to search any further. There’s an unresolved suspicious death case right here.”