Chapter 8

Tao Zhu threw a tantrum and twisted the facts, causing Lu Shanrou’s composed and elegant demeanor as a noblewoman to slip away, nearly revealing her “venomous” nature. She slammed her cane heavily onto the ground and said: “Afraid of them? I’d write my name ‘Lu’ backward! Back in the day, my father executed plenty of high-ranking disciples at Xisi Archway. Your matters can wait. If we can’t catch the real culprit, we can’t even leave this establishment. And you, where will you go to act as a hero? In a snail shell?”

Wei Cuicheng, who had thoroughly studied the three volumes of Lu Case Records and knew Lu Qingtian’s methodical approach to solving cases, said, “Madam Lu is not targeting you. Know your enemy, know yourself, and you’ll win every battle. She’s just trying to understand the suspect’s background thoroughly. Since you’re the one who knows their family connections best and told her about them, she asked a few extra questions, and now you’re upset.”

Tao Zhu stomped her foot angrily, her reaction resembling a bristling cat. “Hmph! You two are ganging up on me. I—I won’t play with you anymore!”

Wei Cuicheng and Lu Shanrou exchanged bewildered looks: We’re bullying her? This isn’t a hero—it’s practically an ancestor!

Liu Xiu quickly stepped in to mediate, saying, “Hero Tao! You are the most chivalrous hero I’ve ever seen. It’s the height of summer, and anger can harm your body—it’s not worth it. Come, have breakfast first. Here’s some mung bean porridge, perfect for cooling down.”

Hearing the words “Hero,” Tao Zhu’s sulky and swollen face softened a bit. Like a bristling cat that needed soothing, Tao Zhu—exhausted and hungry after a sleepless night—sat facing away from Wei Cuicheng and Lu Shanrou, angrily drinking porridge and eating breakfast. Liu Xiu continued to address her as a “hero,” calming him down until he stopped making a fuss.

With the firecracker settled, the investigation turned to Young Master Jin, the prime suspect. Before he could be brought back by the constables for questioning, it was necessary to question the courtesans who had attended him the previous night.

Two young women, Yuyan and Feiyan, walked into the canopy. The twin sisters were the star performers of this establishment, known as “Fragrant Grass Pavilion.” Identical in appearance, they were unique and highly sought-after, commanding a reputation unmatched in the entire entertainment district.

According to the sisters, Jin Rong spent lavishly last night, requesting them to serve him together. They performed songs, played music, shared drinks, and eventually shared his bed, mimicking the famed tale of Empress Ehuang and Lady Nüying enjoying bliss together.

Jin Rong’s debauchery lasted well into the late hours of the night. However, surprisingly, he woke early the next day. The sisters attended him as he bathed and dressed, served him breakfast, and escorted him out of the establishment.

Lu Shanrou asked, “Did Young Master Jin leave his room around 3 a.m. during the fifth watch?”

The sisters shook their heads and said, “We drank a lot of wine, lost ourselves in the revelry, and later fell into a deep sleep. We have no idea if he left the room.”

Because Lu Shanrou was a woman, Yuyan and Feiyan let their guard down. They removed their makeup and loosened their clothing, revealing bruises and bite marks all over their bodies. Pitifully, they said: “Young Master Jin appears to be a refined and scholarly gentleman, but once drunk, he turns into a beast. He’s rough in bed and likes to pinch flesh, bite, and sometimes even choke. We’ve experienced it all. That’s why we deliberately drank a lot of wine—to numb ourselves so we wouldn’t feel the pain. As a result, we do not know Young Master Jin’s movements after he got drunk.”

This beast in human skin! Lu Shanrou suppressed her anger, gripping her cane tightly, the pale blue veins on the back of her hand slightly bulging.

The sisters knew nothing. When the servants were questioned, some said, “No, he didn’t leave,” while others said, “Around 3 a.m., during the darkest and sleepiest hour of the night, we were all dozing off and didn’t notice any movement from the guests.”

Lu Shanrou followed the sisters to their room and asked, “Did he carry anything like a small knife or dagger? When you attended him in the morning as he left, did you notice any bloodstains on his body or clothes?”

The twin sisters said, “No, we attended Young Master Jin while he bathed and dressed. We also helped him put on his clothes and accessories. He only carried a fan, a pouch, and a set of ornamental gold items. It’s summer, and his clothing was light—there’s no way he could have hidden a weapon.”

If Young Master Jin is the murderer, the weapon couldn’t have been taken out, so it must still be somewhere in the establishment. Lu Shanrou led the group to search Young Master Jin’s entire room but found no blade with a missing edge.

Suspecting that the weapon was hidden elsewhere in the establishment, Lu Shanrou showed the item lodged in Young Master Li’s throat and said, “Search for a weapon with a notch the size of a fingernail, shaped like a crescent moon.”

She emphasized, “Don’t just look in the usual places like under the bed or inside cabinets. Pay special attention to toilets, roof beams, tiles on the roof, kitchen hearths and ash pits, pickle jars, and bundles of firewood in the wood storage.”

Wei Cuicheng nodded repeatedly. Based on the investigative techniques in the three volumes of Lu Case Records, he knew these spots often yielded “surprises.” Specifically, places like toilets, hearths, and pickle jars were notorious hiding spots for items.

“Yes!” The constables accepted the order and began turning the establishment upside down in their search. Meanwhile, Young Master Jin had already been captured and brought in for questioning.

Lu Shanrou told Wei Cuicheng, “Young Master Jin might look down on me because I’m a woman, which would require more effort and words to deal with him, wasting precious time. Time is tight, so I’d like to ask you to take the lead in questioning him. I’ll stay behind a screen and pass you notes with suggestions on what to ask. Would that work?”

Young Master Jin, being a relative of the imperial family and the cousin of the current Empress’s brother, was a formidable figure. On the other hand, Wei Cuicheng’s foster father was Mou Bin, the Jinyiwei Chief. The two sides were evenly matched. Lu Shanrou cleverly leveraged Wei Cuicheng’s position, bringing him into her camp.

Excited to play a pivotal role in what could become a storybook-worthy case, Wei Cuicheng eagerly prepared himself. “Of course! I, Wei, am willing to serve with all my might.”

Young Master Jin was escorted to the canopy. He was dressed in pale moon-white sleepwear, clearly having been dragged straight out of bed.

Like Young Master Li, Young Master Jin also bore the appearance of someone drained by indulgence in wine and women. He was thin, pale, and exuded arrogance. With a haughty demeanor, he shoved the constables aside and sneered, “Get lost! Filthy dogs, you’ve sullied my body.”

At dawn, Young Master Jin was dreaming of promotions and titles when the constables dragged him out of bed, stuffed him into a sack, gagged him, and tied him up. Furious, he charged at Wei Cuicheng, who was seated in the main position.

Wei Cuicheng’s gaze turned icy. Having been on the battlefield, he knew how to strike decisively. Before Young Master Jin could get close, Wei Cuicheng expertly grabbed a chair and, like swatting a fly, knocked Young Master Jin to the ground. “Refusing the wine of courtesy and choosing the wine of punishment—tie him up!”

Young Master Jin often presented himself as a charming and scholarly gentleman, yet he had never earned any academic titles—not even the lowest rank of scholar. According to Ming dynasty law, scholars couldn’t be punished until their titles were revoked. However, Young Master Jin was a commoner, while Wei Cuicheng was a fifth-rank military officer who was free to beat and scold him.

With that strike, the chair broke apart. Young Master Jin spat out two bloody teeth and sneered, “How dare you hit me? Do you know who I am? Do you know who my cousin is? Who are you? Do you want to lose your head?”

From behind the screen, Lu Shanrou swiftly wrote a note: “Don’t answer. Maintain control.”

Wei Cuicheng understood and said, “You have no right to question me. Answer honestly.”

Lu Shanrou nodded in approval, thinking: This commander is teachable.

Young Master Jin, however, remained defiant, hurling curses and vulgarities. With two front teeth missing, his words were literally “bloody accusations.”

At that moment, the constables approached with ropes—red ropes specifically used for playful acts in the establishment. Young Master Jin grabbed a broken chair leg from the ground and swung it wildly. “Who dares tie me up? I’ll kill you!”

The constables hesitated. From behind the screen, Lu Shanrou struck her cane on the ground three times—thud, thud, thud.

Young Master Jin, though a relative of the imperial family, lacked the real power of someone like Grand Secretary Li. Moreover, he was now a suspect in the murder of Young Master Li.

The constables swarmed forward, forming a formation with long sticks, pinning Young Master Jin to the ground. They tied him up with red ropes, binding him like a crab ready to be steamed, leaving him unable to move.

Seeing the increasingly forceful tactics, Young Master Jin realized that resisting further would only bring more trouble. Helpless and isolated, he thought to himself, A wise man knows when to retreat. Once I’m out of here, I’ll report this to my cousin and see how they deal with you!

Reluctantly, he said, “Fine, I give up. Ask your questions quickly.”

Gone was his arrogant self-proclamation as “Master,” replaced by a tone of submission.

Lu Shanrou unfolded a prepared note. Wei Cuicheng asked, “What is your name? Where do you live? Who else is in your household?”

These were routine questions, but Young Master Jin laughed in disbelief. “You dragged me out of my house and don’t even know who I am or where I live? Are you joking?”

Lu Shanrou shook her head and raised the same note, signaling Wei Cuicheng to repeat the exact same questions.

This question highlights the psychological tactics used during interrogation. The seemingly trivial questions serve to test the suspect’s compliance, establishing authority and breaking their resistance to extract truthful answers.

Wei Cuicheng, with a commanding gesture, ordered, “Administer ten strikes.”

Young Master Jin protested loudly, “You hit me because I insulted you, and now you’re hitting me even though I’m cooperating? This is unjust!”

Ignoring his complaints, Wei Cuicheng waited until the punishment was complete before calmly stating, “You answer what I ask. That’s the rule. What is your name? Where do you live? Who else is in your household?”

Young Master Jin, unaccustomed to such harsh treatment, found himself unable to endure the pain. His privileged lifestyle had never exposed him to such suffering. Broken by the punishment, he confessed quickly, “My name is Jin Rong. I live in Xicheng Mingyu Alley, Shilaoniang Lane. I live alone.”

Wei Cuicheng pressed further, “What about your family?”

Jin Rong replied, “My family is in Cangzhou. I have parents, a wife, and two sons.”

Wei Cuicheng asked, “What did you do at Fragrant Grass Pavilion yesterday night? When did you leave? And what did you do afterward?”

Jin Rong replied, “The night before last, I had a night of revelry with two courtesans, Feiyan and Yuyan. The next morning, I went to the Marquis of Shouning’s estate—he’s my cousin. He was hosting a banquet to celebrate his newborn daughter’s first month. I delivered a congratulatory gift, stayed at the banquet all day, and returned home to sleep that night. Afterward, you people dragged me here.”

No wonder he skipped his usual long sleep—it turns out he had an important banquet to attend. The Marquis of Shouning, Jin Rong’s powerful backer, was someone he couldn’t afford to offend.

Again with Marquis Shouning! Grand Secretary Li’s political rival and adversary of his family further increased suspicion toward Jin Rong.

Wei Cuicheng glanced at the screen to check Lu Shanrou’s written prompts and continued, “You and Li Zhaoxian had a grudge and fought several times. How many times was it?”

Jin Rong stammered, “Four… three, I… I can’t remember. His father, Grand Secretary Li, and Marquis Shouning don’t get along. Every time we meet, we end up arguing, usually just verbal disputes. Both of us consider ourselves scholars and gentlemen—we argue but don’t resort to violence. Only when we get drunk do we end up fighting physically, so I can’t recall how many times. I’m not intentionally hiding anything, I honestly forgot. Please, please don’t hit me again!”

Wei Cuicheng asked, “Did you drink a lot last night?”

Jin Rong quickly replied, “Who comes here to play without drinking? But I—”

Wei Cuicheng interrupted, “Yes or no?”

“Yes!” Jin Rong shouted. “I drank a lot. Those two courtesans are too good at pouring drinks. They even used their shoes as cups to toast me, one shoe after another. I couldn’t refuse, so I drank it all.” Men often excel at blaming their own indulgence on women.

Wei Cuicheng asked, “Tell me truthfully about every time you fought with Young Master Li—whether weapons were involved and who intervened to stop the fights. Say as much as you can remember.”

Terrified, Jin Rong trembled and said, “Sir, may I ask—did something happen to Li Zhaoxian? Was he at Fragrant Grass Pavilion last night? Oh no, if I’d known he was there, I wouldn’t have gone. It has nothing to do with me. I’m innocent!”

From behind the screen, Lu Shanrou wrote the word “ten.”

Smack! Wei Cuicheng slammed the paperweight down. “Breaking the rules again—ten more strikes.”