Chapter 6

In Dingzhou, March had melted the winter snow. Willows swayed gently, and the riverside market bustled with life.

Jin Shu was still fuming and refused to share a carriage with Li Jin. Instead, she squeezed into the front with Zhou Zheng and took on the role of coachman.

The carriage rocked along the road toward the fishery on the outskirts of town. Jin Shu and Zhou Zheng sat side by side, watching the cityscape recede. But her mind kept circling back to the man inside the carriage.

Though she was annoyed, she had to admit—Prince Jing, Li Jin, had a real talent for criminal investigation. How he connected a three-strand hemp rope to a plate of fish in a restaurant still baffled her.

“Zhou Zheng, change course. Head to the brothel.” The voice from inside the carriage snapped Jin Shu out of her thoughts. She turned to Zhou Zheng, eyebrows raised nearly to her hairline.

The brothel?

To her surprise, Zhou Zheng tugged the reins and turned the carriage toward the commercial district. “His Highness isn’t that kind of man,” he said after a pause, catching Jin Shu’s expression from the corner of his eye.

The death of a courtesan in Dingzhou’s red-light district had already stirred up a storm. By the time the three of them arrived, the “Peony Pavilion” where the girl had worked was already cordoned off by constables. Inside, a group of courtesans sobbed together. Among them was an older woman with a constant smile, who called everyone “sir.” Clearly, she was the madam of the establishment.

“Have you seen the body?” Li Jin asked.

The madam, recalling the disfigured corpse from the night before, staggered and nearly fell.

Li Jin gestured for Zhou Zheng to bring her a stool, then continued, “Is she definitely one of your missing girls?”

The madam sat down shakily, forcing a bitter smile. “Ah, that girl Xiao Li… such a short-lived beauty.”

“Tell me everything.”

Zhou Zheng brought over a chair and sat beside her, his expression sympathetic.

“Xiao Li had been with us for about a year and a half. She had no family. She was a good worker, and was just about to buy her freedom…” The madam sighed.

“A year and a half and already close to freedom? Sounds like she was your star performer,” Li Jin said, glancing around the brothel. “What a pity.”

The madam waved her hands. “Not a star—just lucky. Someone offered to pay her way out. But she didn’t live to see it happen.”

Buying a courtesan’s freedom was no small expense.

Li Jin twirled his fan thoughtfully. “Must’ve been a romantic young gentleman.” He paused. “Did Xiao Li have any enemies here?”

The madam froze. Even the sobbing women fell silent, as if someone had pressed pause.

Jin Shu and Li Jin exchanged surprised glances.

All eyes turned toward one woman. Her face went pale. She stammered, “It wasn’t me! It wasn’t me! I swear!”

“What’s your name? What grudge did you have against Xiao Li?” Li Jin asked, sensing he’d found the case’s turning point.

The woman dropped to her knees. “I’m Xiao Fang. I didn’t kill her!”

“I asked what grudge you held. You’d best be honest.”

Xiao Fang, overwhelmed by the accusing stares, bowed her head to the floor. “I was just… jealous. We both served Young Master Su for over a year, but only she won his favor and was about to be freed…” She began to sob. “I did insult her sometimes, but I’d never dare kill anyone!”

Li Jin frowned slightly at the sound of her wailing.

The madam quickly waved her hand, signaling for someone to take Xiao Fang away.

“She’s probably not the killer,” the madam said, frowning. “Just the other day, someone from the Su family mentioned seeing Xiao Li at the night market. And since she was gone, Xiao Fang had been covering her shifts.”

The night market?

Jin Shu blinked and turned to see Li Jin looking at her, too.

“When was the last time you saw Xiao Li?” he asked.

“Five days ago. She said she had an errand and told us that if she came back late, Xiao Fang should take her place.”

With that, the puzzle pieces began to align in Li Jin’s mind.

Only one key figure remained. Young Master Su.

He turned to Jin Shu with a smile. “Master Jin, anything else you’d like to see or ask?”

“Yes.” Jin Shu glanced at the women nearby, then turned back. “I want to see Xiao Li’s room.”

The Peony Pavilion had a front building for business and a two-courtyard residence in the back. The innermost room was where the girls lived. It was dark, damp, and smelled of mildew.

Jin Shu covered her nose and followed the madam, who pointed to two small cabinets. “These were hers. No one’s touched them since.”

A clear iron lock hung on one cabinet.

Li Jin, as if reading her mind, softly called Zhou Zheng. He stepped forward, pulled a small iron pick from his belt, and in a blink, the lock clicked open.

Jin Shu was stunned. Zhou Zheng stepped back, expressionless—as if lockpicking was standard for Six Gates officers. She pursed her lips and turned her attention to the cabinet. Inside were everyday clothes, a delicate bundle, and a few silver pieces wrapped in cloth.

Everything was neat and untouched. Which meant Xiao Li hadn’t planned to be gone for days. She’d intended to leave and return the same day. She just hadn’t known she was walking into a death trap.

“Madam,” Jin Shu turned, “this Young Master Su—is he the second son of the Su family who runs the Dingzhou fishery?”

“Yes!” the madam nodded. “The wealthy second son of the Su family.”

Jin Shu glanced at Li Jin, who stood smiling nearby. Her suspicion deepened. Last night, how had he managed to trace the clue of a three-strand hemp rope directly to the fishery? Was his talent for solving cases really that extraordinary?