Chapter 40

Seeing that Qin Ying’s expression was off, Lu Roujia also stopped with her and asked, “What’s the matter, County Princess?”

Qin Ying hesitated but ultimately shook her head, saying, “I made a mistake, it’s nothing. First, send Hongxiu back, and we’ll discuss it in detail later at Qingwu Courtyard—”

Although Qin Ying discovered Madam Liu’s lies, she didn’t know the details, so it was inappropriate for her to comment. Lu Roujia followed her to send Hongxiu back to the side courtyard. Once inside the pavilion, Qin Ying saw that Hongxiu’s bruises had not completely subsided and said, “We still need to get a doctor to take a look.”

Lu Roujia hesitated slightly and couldn’t help but suggest, “County Princess, how about I examine Miss Hongxiu?”

Upon hearing this, Qin Ying’s eyes brightened slightly. Lu Roujia was the only daughter of Imperial Physician Lu and had been learning medicine from him since childhood. However, in this dynasty, women were not appointed as medical officers. As a sheltered young lady, she could not go out to practice medicine publicly, rendering her medical skills largely unused.

“That would be wonderful!” Qin Ying immediately agreed and then said to Hongxiu, “This is Miss Lu. Her father is Imperial Physician Lu from the Imperial Hospital. Let her examine you.”

Lu Roujia, pleased by the permission, began to examine Hongxiu’s injuries and reviewed the prescription from the previous doctor. After a brief assessment, she calmly said, “The prescription is fine, but two herbs must be replaced. Change Strychnos and Seven-Leaves to Scutellaria and Bupleurum. Later, I will send some medicinal wine prepared by my father. Apply the wine externally and take this medicine internally for three days before changing the prescription. Then you can have a doctor check again.”

At this moment, Lu Roujia’s expression was serious and composed, completely different from her usual gentle and delicate demeanor.

Hongxiu looked gratefully at Qin Ying and Lu Roujia, saying, “Thank you, County Princess. Thank you, Miss Lu. I must have the blessings of my ancestors to have encountered the County Princess and to now have Miss Lu treat me.”

Lu Roujia glanced at Qin Ying and said, “It was just a small effort on my part. It’s the County Princess you should really be thanking.”

Hongxiu naturally agreed, “If it weren’t for her, I might have already lost my life. Once I recover, I… no, this servant… this servant will be at your service as repayment for your kindness.”

Qin Ying sighed and said, “There’s no need for you to become a servant. Though you have no living relatives, you are not without skills. When the time comes, finding a stable position would be far better than becoming a servant.”

Hearing this, Hongxiu’s eyes flashed with fear as she said, “I don’t want to play the qin or flute again.”

Qin Ying’s heart tightened, and she quickly understood. In this society, women skilled in music could, at best, become performers. Whether in teahouses, theaters, or pleasure boats, once they appeared in public holding a qin, they would inevitably be looked down upon. Without any support, if they encountered someone with ill intentions, they would truly be defenseless.

Qin Ying said, “Of course, we need to find you a safe and secure path.”

Hearing this, Hongxiu immediately knelt and pleaded, “County Princess, no matter what you ask of me, I am willing to learn. But I do not want to be a performer anymore. I was sold into a theater troupe by my uncle and forced to play the qin. I would rather do the dirtiest, hardest work—if it means emptying chamber pots, I would gladly do it—”

Having endured a life of instability and helplessness, Hongxiu saw Qin Ying’s kindness and wanted to stay in the marquis’ residence as the lowest-ranking servant. No matter how hard the work in the residence might be, it was better than dealing with the treacherous and unpredictable people outside.

Qin Ying leaned forward to help her up, saying, “Don’t worry, I won’t let you become a performer again. Keeping you at the marquis’ residence is only an extra bowl of rice, but you’re not a servant by birth, and you are both clever and beautiful. It’s better to think this through carefully.”

Hongxiu was helped up, but her eyes were red, filled with unease. Seeing this, Lu Roujia cautiously asked, “Would you be willing to learn anything I ask you to?”

Hongxiu earnestly agreed, and Lu Roujia said, “I suggest you help at the medical hall and learn some medical principles. Would you be willing to do that?”

Hongxiu’s eyes lit up momentarily but showed a hint of fear. She replied, “I am willing, but… can I really learn it?”

Lu Roujia smiled and said, “Since you can learn music, you can surely learn medicine. Our medical hall has an elder who teaches, though he hasn’t accepted female apprentices before. I’ll say a word for you; he likely won’t refuse. However, whether you’re willing to put in the hard work is up to you. If you truly can’t learn, the elder may lose his temper, and I wouldn’t be able to help you then.”

Hongxiu nodded immediately, “I am willing to work hard! I want to learn!”

While the Imperial Hospital had no female imperial physicians, there were female doctors in the community. Especially for illnesses among women, many preferred to consult female doctors. However, even within medical families, few were willing to pass their knowledge on to their daughters. As a result, skilled female doctors were rare. For Hongxiu, learning medicine was an excellent way out of her predicament. If she truly mastered it, she could establish herself as a female physician in the future.

Seeing how much Lu Roujia was helping, Qin Ying felt more certain about bringing her to the Flower Goddess Temple. According to the original narrative, Lu Roujia married into Marquis Changqing’s residence, where she struggled with household matters due to her lowly origins, endured many hardships, and eventually succumbed to heartbreak. Over time, she became a caged beast trapped by her circumstances. Her medical skills were only used to help Cui Muzhi test medicine on Lu Yue’ning. Later, she suffered a miscarriage, fell ill, and was unable to heal herself, ultimately dying in misery.

At Qingwu Courtyard, Qin Ying joyfully said, “There’s no need for gratitude. Compared to helping her find a way to make a living, what I’ve done is just a small effort.”

Lu Roujia shook her head and replied, “County Princess, you saved her life.”

Both of them had helped Hongxiu, so Qin Ying did not argue with Lu Roujia about whose contribution was greater. Instead, she turned to ask, “You spoke to your father and mother about breaking off the engagement. What did they say?”

Lu Roujia sighed, “At first, they were naturally surprised. However, even when the marriage was initially arranged, my father and mother had their concerns. Now that I have explained the situation, they understand that Young Master Cui was unwilling. They quickly agreed to my request without much hesitation. While marrying into a noble family might seem prestigious, the Lu family has been a clean and upright medical family for generations. They would never use my marriage to climb the social ladder to the marquis’ household.”

Qin Ying remarked, “Luckily, you and I both have good fathers.”

In this world where paternal authority reigns supreme, if Imperial Physician Lu did not care deeply for his daughter, it would have been difficult for Lu Roujia to fight back. On the contrary, Cui Wan and Fu Zhen were perfect examples of the struggles women faced. In the original story, Lu Roujia married into the marquis’ household, and Imperial Physician Lu was not favored despite being Cui Muzhi’s father-in-law. Watching Lu Roujia grow increasingly melancholic, both Imperial Physician Lu and his wife, Madam Fang, suffered greatly, and in the end, they even had to bury their own daughter.

Lu Roujia nodded in agreement, but while she had resolved to break off the engagement, her years of admiration for him were not entirely false. At this moment, she felt a sense of loss, her brows shadowed by gloom. Qin Ying noticed this and changed the subject, saying, “I saw you treating Hongxiu earlier. Within moments, you had adjusted the prescription. It’s clear you’ve inherited Imperial Physician Lu’s skills.”

Lu Roujia smiled faintly and said, “I was immersed in it at a young age and later studied medicine with my father, putting in significant effort. But in the end, as a woman, I can’t work at a medical hall or take the Imperial Hospital exam. Learning medicine feels like a wasted effort.”

Qin Ying, however, did not share this perspective. She said, “Even if practicing medicine publicly isn’t an option, once you’ve mastered the skills, they are yours to use. There will always come a time when they are useful. Someday, you might even bring healing to the world. If nothing else, you could open a clinic to teach others or compile medical knowledge into books to pass down through the generations. There is so much you can do.”

Lu Roujia seemed to have never considered this before. Surprised, she asked, “I can really open a clinic to teach?”

Qin Ying smiled and replied, “Although the Imperial Academy has no female instructors, there are many female masters in other professions in the community. Why not? It’s just that in this era, women face numerous restrictions, especially noblewomen, who find it even harder to appear in public.”

Lu Roujia nodded. “True. When I was younger, I often followed my father to my uncle’s medical hall, but in the past two years, I have rarely gone. Mother doesn’t allow me to go anymore. At most, I treat headaches and minor ailments for the maids and servants at home. It feels like all the effort I put in when I was young has been wasted. Once a certain age is reached, it feels like the only path left is to wait in the boudoir for marriage.”

Qin Ying then asked, “You used to visit the medical hall when you were younger?”

Lu Roujia began recounting her experiences of accompanying Imperial Physician Lu to the medical hall to treat patients. Her eyes sparkled as she spoke. She also mentioned traveling with Imperial Physician Lu to Namming Mountain to gather medicinal herbs. The more she spoke, the more animated she became. Qin Ying listened quietly until Lu Roujia’s throat became dry from talking so much. Embarrassed, Lu Roujia smiled and said, “Look at me, I rarely talk about these things with anyone and just couldn’t stop. You must have found it boring, County Princess.”

Qin Ying shook her head and said, “Not only do I find it interesting, but I also think it’s a pity for you to waste your knowledge. How about this: I’ll entrust Hongxiu to you for treatment, and before she recovers, I won’t consult other doctors. Are you willing?”

Lu Roujia felt delighted and replied, “Of course! While I wouldn’t dare to claim expertise in rare and complex diseases, I am confident in treating such injuries. You can rest assured, County Princess, in seven days, she will be fully recovered!”

Seeing the joy in Lu Roujia’s expression, Qin Ying also felt her mood lifted. The two conversed for a while longer until dusk began to fall. Qin Ying personally escorted Lu Roujia to her homebound carriage.

With Dou’s family’s case initially settled, Lu Roujia planned to call off her engagement. Additionally, Hongxiu’s future had found direction. Feeling content, Qin Ying decided to join Qin Zhang for dinner.

When Qin Zhang heard about Lu Roujia wanting to make Hongxiu her apprentice, he complimented the idea. Qin Zhang then speculated that his dutiful daughter truly had set aside her feelings for Cui Muzhi. He then asked, “Tell me, what did the Empress Dowager talk to you about when she summoned you to the palace today?”

Qin Ying frowned slightly at the thought and replied, “Can’t you already guess? The Empress Dowager is planning a marriage arrangement for me.”

Qin Zhang chuckled and said, “Which family is it this time?”

Qin Ying sighed, “It’s still Prince Xuanping’s family, no new match.”

Qin Zhang hesitated and said, “I know a bit about Li Yunqi, the heir of Prince Xuanping. He has been spoiled since childhood, resulting in a very arrogant disposition. After returning to the capital three years ago, he joined the Shence Army, but I’ve heard he has caused quite a few problems. As your father, I don’t think he’s a suitable match. Let’s wait and see. Among the three candidates selected by the Empress Dowager, I think the young man from the Xiao family is quite decent.”

Qin Ying’s memory was somewhat vague, “Young man from the Xiao family?”

Qin Zhang explained, “The young man from Minister Xiao’s residence whom you visited last time—Xiao Houbai. This spring, he excelled in the imperial exam and now serves at the Hanlin Academy. His future prospects are limitless, and as a civil official, he is bound to be cultured and amiable—a truly excellent choice.”

Qin Ying felt her scalp tingle as she recalled meeting Xiao Houbai. He had appeared unusually indifferent, seemingly disapproving of her, and now she realized it was because she had previously rejected his arranged marriage proposal.

Qin Ying took a deep breath, “Father, I wish to spend a few more years by your side—”

Upon hearing this, Qin Zhang was moved, thinking back to how Qin Ying had once eagerly wanted to marry into the Marquis of Changqing’s family. He was so touched he almost shed tears. He slammed the table and said, “Don’t worry, my dear daughter. Unless you willingly agree, no one can force you to marry!”

Hearing these words, Qin Ying was nearly moved to tears.

…

Xie Xinglan personally interrogated Dou Ye for two days and ultimately discovered that Dou Wenbin was indeed unrelated to the plot against Dou Yu. On the third day, he sent Dou Wenbin back to the Dou residence, finalized the case files, and delivered them to the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review before meeting the Emperor.

As they approached the Xuanwu Gate, Xie Jian asked suspiciously, “Lord, this case wasn’t personally assigned by His Majesty. Are you really planning to enter the palace to report to him?”

Xie Xinglan replied, “Or should we wait for Cui Muzhi to report instead?”

Xie Jian clicked his tongue. “Exactly. Our family has old grievances with the Cui family. We can’t let Cui Muzhi snatch the credit. If he reports to His Majesty, who knows how he might frame us? Besides, he doesn’t even like the county princess.”

Xie Xinglan remained silent, but Xie Jian saw a glimmer of clarity in his gaze as if the clouds had parted to reveal the moon.

For the past six months, his master had been idle, to the point where describing it as “detached from worldly affairs” would be an understatement. During this time, Han Qi achieved significant accomplishments, and another inspector, Zhu Bangyan, was entrusted by His Majesty with a major task—investigating corruption in Binzhou’s salt trade. Yet, none of this seemed to faze his master. Even when Duan Zhe and Zheng Qin were promoted to generals, which was almost a foregone conclusion given their powerful families, Xie Jian couldn’t help but feel stifled as he watched Han Qi and Zhu Bangyan gain His Majesty’s favor.

For six months, he had been gloom-ridden. But now, at long last, his master had rekindled his fighting spirit and was starting to show himself before His Majesty again. In two days, it would be August, marking the annual imperial inspection to the south!

Xie Jian thought with delight that his master clearly knew what he was doing. Although he had let the first two opportunities to gain power and recognition slip by, he would undoubtedly spare no effort to seize this southern inspection trip.

Last year, Duan Zhe was in charge of the southern inspection, and by the year’s end, he and the more senior Zheng Qin were both promoted—a testament to how critical the inspection was. Now that Zhu Bangyan had yet to return to the capital, only Han Qi remained as a competitor. Thinking of this, Xie Jian couldn’t help but exhale a breath of pent-up frustration. Given his master’s patience and skill, unless he willingly gave up the opportunity, Han Qi stood no chance.

When Xie Xinglan tossed the whip to Xie Jian, he noticed a radiant glow on Xie Jian’s face and eyes that sparkled brightly, as if he had consumed an entire bottle of tonic. Perplexed, Xie Xinglan frowned slightly and proceeded toward the palace gates.

When Xie Xinglan arrived at the Xuanzheng Hall, Emperor Zhenyuan had just finished reading two memorials and was looking solemn. After reviewing the document that Xie Xinglan submitted, his expression softened slightly, though his tone remained serious. “Although this isn’t a major case, solving it within three days shows a bit of the diligence you displayed last year.”

Xie Xinglan replied, “This case was resolved thanks to County Princess Yunyang.”

The Emperor raised his brows slightly. “Yunyang again?”

Xie Xinglan then explained how Qin Ying deduced that the victim had not been burned to death and how she uncovered the culprit’s attempt to fabricate the crime scene. Emperor Zhenyuan let out a faint hiss of surprise. “I haven’t seen her for days. How has she become so sharp?”

Xie Xinglan remarked, “Everyone has their own strengths—perhaps she hadn’t discovered her area of expertise until now?”

The Emperor mused for a moment, still skeptical. “That’s something only you would say. If anyone else said it, I wouldn’t believe it. Yunyang has always been clever, but to have such exceptional talent in solving cases is truly unexpected.”

Xie Xinglan replied, “I would never deceive Your Majesty. County Princess Yunyang indeed has an extraordinary knack for this. It’s just a pity that women in our dynasty cannot take official positions. If she were a man, even I would be eager to recruit her under my command.”

The Emperor set the document aside and chuckled. “I’ve never seen you praise anyone like this. Technically, her meddling in yamen affairs is against protocol. But since she’s actually helpful, I’ll turn a blind eye for now. Let’s just hope she isn’t doing this out of amusement. If she becomes an uncontrollable force, I doubt the officials at the yamen could handle her.”

Xie Xinglan tactfully remarked, “The County Princess I’ve observed is quite different from the rumors.”

Emperor Zhenyuan couldn’t help but laugh, “That’s good; otherwise, even the Empress Dowager would have a headache.” Speaking of the Empress Dowager, his expression grew colder. “You’ve handled these two cases well, and the impeachment memorials from the Censorate against you have become fewer lately. Wrap up these two cases quickly, and I might assign you to another task.”

Though Emperor Zhenyuan’s demeanor remained neutral, a faint expectation lingered in his gaze. Over the past six months, Xie Xinglan had been disappointingly idle, and the Emperor had shown him no favor during this time. His current statement was layered with meaning, a subtle message that he was certain Xie Xinglan could understand.

However, Xie Xinglan’s expression remained calm as he replied, “The case regarding Earl Zhongyuan’s residence has been concluded. It has been handed over to the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review for verification and sentencing. However, the case concerning the Dou family remains unresolved. Their tavern has been involved in coercing women into prostitution, and many court officials frequented the establishment for entertainment. Knowing that this matter is sensitive for Your Majesty, I intend to conduct a thorough investigation.”

Emperor Zhenyuan’s breath caught in his chest. “You won’t assign these trivial matters to Han Qi?”

Xie Xinglan lowered his gaze and replied, “Inspector Han Qi just finished investigating the corruption case in Wenzhou and seems to still be wrapping it up. Besides, the Dou family’s case was initially under my investigation, so it’s only proper to follow through till the end. Rest assured, Your Majesty—I will uncover every name on the list and present it to you.”

Since his ascension to the throne, Emperor Zhenyuan had advocated for simplicity and integrity in the court, and indeed, he disapproved of officials consorting with courtesans. However, even if such a name was found in the investigation, the Emperor could only issue a reprimand at most, as the law did not explicitly prohibit it. He had no way to convict the officials. Compared to this, the southern tour in August was the top priority. But Xie Xinglan seemed entirely uninterested in it.

The Zheng and Duan families were fiercely competing for the task of the southern tour, yet Xie Xinglan, in his effort to win the Emperor’s favor, missed the mark entirely. Emperor Zhenyuan squinted slightly—was it possible that after half a year of decline, Xie Xinglan truly no longer understood the imperial will?

This thought left Emperor Zhenyuan both helpless and somewhat relieved. After all, no ruler liked their subordinates to be overly clever. So, he tentatively asked, “Then there’s no rush—could you investigate this and report back within half a month?”

Xie Xinglan immediately clasped his hands in salute, “Your servant will do his utmost.”

Internally, Emperor Zhenyuan rolled his eyes. Half a month? By then, the opportunity would be long gone. It seemed Xie Xinglan was in no hurry at all. Suppressing his frustration, the Emperor nodded, “Fine, if you like investigating, carry on with it for now. You may leave.”

At this moment, Xie Xinglan sensed the Emperor’s displeasure. He glanced at Emperor Zhenyuan in confusion but quickly lowered his gaze and hesitantly withdrew.

As soon as Xie Xinglan left, Emperor Zhenyuan exclaimed, “What does he mean by this? Truly useless!”

Huang Wanfu, observing the Emperor’s tone, gently replied, “Xie Xinglan used to be incredibly sharp, but he has grown much duller recently. However, his mind is now pure and solely focused on serving Your Majesty, which is still a good thing.”

The Emperor no longer stayed angry and calmly said, “I used to worry about his overambition. Now, it seems I was overly concerned. Let Zheng and Duan compete; I will choose someone soon.”

Emperor Zhenyuan’s intentions were clear to Xie Xinglan, but he knew all too well what lay ahead with the southern tour.

In his previous life, the southern tour was jointly led by him and Yan Song, the deputy minister of the Department of Personnel. Over the course of the four-month tour, dozens of corrupt officials were investigated and held accountable. Upon returning to the capital, Emperor Zhenyuan was impressed by Xie Xinglan’s decisive and effective methods and quickly appointed him to oversee the investigation into the military expenses of the Zhenxi army. Although the appointment seemed justified, the Emperor’s true goal was to dismantle the Zheng family’s loyalists within the army. However, given the strict discipline of the Zhenxi army, Xie Xinglan’s efforts yielded little, which only fueled Emperor Zhenyuan’s suspicions upon his return to the capital.

Reflecting on the matter, Xie Xinglan realized that although Emperor Zhenyuan admired the talents of Second Prince Li Kun, he ultimately distrusted the Zheng family. This led him to choose Fifth Prince Li Yue, born of Consort Cui. Unfortunately, Xie Xinglan had erred by aligning himself with Li Kun in his previous decision.

The whims of imperial power were unpredictable. Logically, Xie Xinglan merely needed to align with Fifth Prince Li Yue early on in this lifetime. However, his experiences over the past six months revealed that even opposite decisions couldn’t alter the trajectory of events. It was as if an invisible hand of destiny constantly corrected and disturbed the course of actions, leaving him, much like Dou Ye on that fateful night, helplessly lamenting the injustice of fate. Every significant upheaval traced back to the night of Cui Wan’s death.

With this thought, Xie Xinglan quickened his pace toward the palace gates. Upon exiting, he immediately instructed Xie Jian, “Go to the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review to inquire about the case involving Earl Zhongyuan’s residence. If there’s no verdict yet, push for it.”

Xie Jian asked in confusion, “Master, why inquire about this case? It’s already been investigated—doesn’t the verdict have nothing to do with us?”

Xie Xinglan shot him a glance and, mounting his horse, said, “If the verdict is ready, inform the Linchuan Marquis residence.”

Xie Jian suddenly understood, “Ah, right—the County Princess must be concerned.” After asking, he furtively observed Xie Xinglan, “Master, you’ve successfully handled two cases in succession; will His Majesty reward you?”

Xie Xinglan said, “As a servant of the emperor, one only does their duty—what need is there for a reward?”

Xie Jian was so shocked that he nearly fell off his horse.

That evening, upon returning to the general’s residence, Xie Xinglan’s desk was covered with criminal case files sent by the Jinwu Guards. These files mainly consisted of homicide cases that had occurred in the capital over the past five or six years. Even Xie Jian couldn’t understand why Xie Xinglan suddenly became interested in these cases. Even during their early days at Jinwu Guards, they seldom handled homicides from civilian areas. Investigating a murder case often took days or even months without identifying the real culprit. It was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and rarely earned recognition. They only took on such tasks when no other assignments were available and acted under orders.

Xie Jian was full of doubts. Later that evening, the people sent to investigate Prince Xuanping’s residence returned. After hearing their report, Xie Jian’s expression turned solemn, and he hurried to meet Xie Xinglan. “Master, the investigators at the prince’s residence have sent word.”

Xie Xinglan immediately raised his eyes. “What did they find?”

Xie Jian said gravely, “On the surface, nothing unusual, but the martial guards of Prince Xuanping’s residence have been searching for someone in the city these past few days. Their heir, Li Yunqi, hasn’t reported for duty at the Shence Army for six or seven days. Instead, he’s been leading troops out of the city daily. After reaching Shangguan Road, he heads straight for Xiangguo Temple, even investigating villages and towns along the way. They say he’s looking for a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl in red.”

“Sixteen or seventeen…”

Xie Xinglan pondered for a moment, then suddenly frowned. “If I recall correctly, their mansion has a young lady who has just turned seventeen this year. Could they be looking for her? Besides her age and attire, what other descriptions do they have?”

Xie Jian replied, “They also said the girl has almond-shaped eyes, a tear mole under her left eye, can perform martial arts, and has an old scar on her left palm. Nothing else was mentioned.”

Xie Xinglan appeared deep in thought. In his previous life, Prince Xuanping’s residence was allied by marriage with Duke Xin’s family, but their fate had been rather tragic. The young lady of their household eventually married Wei Meng, the son of the Minister of Rites, Wei Chong.

Xie Xinglan remembered this so clearly for two reasons: first, because the this Prince’s residence was aligned with his faction; second, because the eldest daughter of the Prince’s residence later had a tumultuous marriage with Wei Meng. To achieve a divorce, she beat Wei Meng to the point of being half-crippled and then tied him up and hung him on the city gate.

This incident shocked the court and the public. Everyone was astonished at how fierce and terrifying this Li family girl was, but Xie Xinglan couldn’t recall any other major incidents she had caused before.

Soon, Xie Xinglan said, “Keep sending people to monitor them. They haven’t reported to the authorities, which shows it’s a private matter they don’t want others to know about.”

Xie Jian responded and left. Xie Xinglan leaned back in his chair, pondered for a moment, then glanced out the window at the ink-black night sky. It was late, so he put down the case files and went back to his room to rest.

It was a starless, moonless early autumn night. The night watchman in Yongdingfang, in the southern part of the city, had just finished striking the fifth watch drum and was about to head home to rest when he suddenly heard dogs barking in a nearby alley.

The watchman yawned. “What’s all the barking about? So noisy!”

As soon as he said that, the barking grew louder. There were many stray dogs in the area, but he had never heard such howling at night before. Curiosity piqued, he took his nearly burnt-out lantern and walked a few steps into the dark alley.

As he entered, he saw several stray dogs baring their teeth near a pile of filthy, broken bamboo baskets, seemingly fighting over food. He shouted at them, scaring the dogs into scattering. Yawning again, he was about to leave when he caught a glimpse of something bright and colorful at the edge of a bamboo basket. His eyes widened—could it be that someone had lost something valuable?

With this thought, the watchman hurriedly approached the bamboo basket with his lantern. The dim light barely illuminated the area, and before he reached the basket, a foul stench hit his nose. Covering his mouth and nose with one hand, he brought the lantern closer to the basket. Initially expecting to find something valuable, he was horrified when he saw what was inside.

The basket contained the twisted body of a girl in a red dress. What made the watchman scream in terror was her swollen face, crawling with corpse worms and covered in countless knife wounds.