Chapter 3

Qin Ying was utterly shocked.

Xie Xinglan was born into the Xie family of Jiangzhou. He lost his parents at a young age and was later adopted by his uncle in the capital. His uncle, Xie Zhengze, was a former high-ranking general of the Jinwu Guards and a trusted confidant of Emperor Zhenyuan. However, Xie Zhengze had a reputation for scheming against loyal ministers, making him notorious in court. Xie Xinglan had only been in the general’s residence for two years before his uncle unexpectedly died of illness.

This tragic event spelled disaster for Xie Xinglan. The general’s family believed he had brought bad luck and nearly cast him out. Moreover, as Xie Zhengze’s only son, he suffered relentless torment from his father’s old enemies. By the time he struggled to survive until the age of fifteen and gained entry into the Jinwu Guards through family connections, he had endured immense hardship and witnessed the cruelty of both good and evil. From that day forward, he pursued power ruthlessly, using any means necessary.

At first, he appeared diligent and harmless, enduring humiliation and hardships while secretly manipulating events behind the scenes. He patiently lay low, waiting for the right time. When he finally seized power, he ruthlessly settled old scores. In the latter half of the story, he becomes the biggest antagonist, opposing the male protagonist. However, in the end, he met a tragic fate after choosing the wrong side in the battle for the imperial succession.

The original text did not delve deeply into Xie Xinglan’s troubled youth. However, when he later sought revenge and committed wrongful acts, the author explained the motivations behind his actions. Consequently, Xie Xinglan was not depicted as irredeemably evil. His death scene was portrayed as both brutal and heroic, leaving readers profoundly moved—even Qin Ying could not help but feel pity for him.

At this moment, however, Xie Xinglan was only twenty-one years old. Just a year ago, he had been promoted to Imperial Investigator of the Longyi Guards, still enduring humiliation and hardships. Qin Ying couldn’t understand how he dared to act so recklessly and boldly at this stage. Hadn’t his adoptive father already left him enough enemies? One more enemy meant another obstacle—did he not want to climb higher?

The Longyi Guards drew their swords, signaling that Xie Xinglan was determined to keep them there.

This was practically a direct challenge to Marquis Weiyuan’s residence. Zhao Wangshu shouted angrily, “Xie Xinglan, by what right?!”

Xie Xinglan replied defiantly, “By the authority of the Longyi Guard investigating the case—an imperial privilege.”

Zhao Wangshu’s face turned red with frustration. Getting involved in a murder case was already troublesome enough; if they were to provoke the Longyi Guards further, not only would it damage their reputation, but if word reached the Emperor, who knew what accusations this treacherous man might fabricate against them?

Zhao Yumian grew nervous as well. “Brother, maybe we should stay a bit longer—for Wan’er’s sake.”

Seeing the tension escalating, Cui Jin stepped forward to mediate. “Imperial Investigator Xie, please calm yourself. Nephew, don’t be so agitated. The situation is chaotic enough—must it really come to this?”

“I’ll let it go this time—out of respect for Lord Cui,” Zhao Wangshu found a way to step down from the confrontation.

Xie Xinglan smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping over Zhao Wangshu before coldly lingering on Cui Muzhi, who was still trying to soothe the Zhao siblings. “The Longyi Guards will investigate this case alongside the Capital Prefecture.”

With that, he turned directly toward Qin Ying.

Qin Ying had encountered many criminals before and had long trained herself to possess courage equal to any man’s. In her memory, only once had she ever felt true terror—when she faced a sociopathic bomber with eyes so cold and cruel that they seemed bent on destroying the entire world.

At that moment, her gaze met Xie Xinglan’s. On a late summer night transitioning into early autumn, a strange chill crept into Qin Ying’s heart. His stunning eyes were dark and unreadable, yet within them, she could glimpse a barely concealed ferocity.

This Xie Xinglan looked exactly like the one in the original story who was on the brink of failure—someone who knew his downfall was inevitable but was powerless to stop it. Qin Ying anxiously wondered if her arrival had altered the course of the story.

“What has the County Princess discovered?”

Stepping down the stairs, Xie Xinglan gazed at her intently. His voice was calm and steady, but his presence was imposing. Qin Ying immediately steadied herself, fully alert. As she tried to decipher his motives for taking control of this case, she replied, “I’ve discovered an external injury—there are some abnormalities. It doesn’t seem like a drowning—”

At her words, Cui Jin and the others quickly gathered around.

Even Madam Lin couldn’t help but ask, “County Princess, how do you know?”

Qin Ying turned back and crouched once again beside Cui Wan’s body. “If it were a drowning, water inhalation during the struggle would cause foamy mucus to appear around the nose and mouth after death. Additionally—”

Xie Xinglan asked coldly, “What is foam fungus?”

Qin Ying turned her gaze to him, their eyes meeting. At that moment, an inexplicable image surfaced in her mind—the scene of his tragic death in the original novel. Unconsciously, her tone softened as she asked, “Envoy Xie, have you ever seen a crab?”

Xie Xinglan’s eyelid twitched slightly at the unexpected question, but Qin Ying continued on her own. “It’s like the foam that crabs spit out. Additionally, the victim’s palms and fingernails are unusually clean. The bottom of Yingyue Lake is covered in silt—if she had drowned, there would be traces of mud under her nails. And as for the external injury—”

Qin Ying reached out and touched the back of Cui Wan’s head. “There is a depression in the occipital bone. She must have been attacked first and then thrown into the water. By the time she entered the water, she was already dead.”

Hearing this, Madam Lin felt as if a knife had been twisted in her heart. She covered her mouth, unable to hold back her sobs.

Qin Ying spoke sorrowfully, “After her dress, shoes, and socks were soaked in water, the light stains faded, but only the deepest marks remained. The heavy wear from the hem of her skirt to her heels clearly shows that she was dragged. There must be drag marks and bloodstains at the crime scene—the murderer likely didn’t have time to clean up after killing her.”

Her expression grew serious. “Judging from the wound on the back of her head, the weapon used was most likely a blunt object, perhaps a smooth river stone.”

The crowd looked at her in disbelief. Even Xie Xinglan’s eyes flickered with a hint of intrigue. He gestured for the guards behind him to step forward before turning to the head constable, Zhao Lian. “Search the banks of Yingyue Lake, focusing on the upstream current—the eastern side of the lake.”

He had been there for quite a while, silently listening to every conversation inside the Chaomu Pavilion without uttering a word. After giving his instructions, he turned to face the dozen or so men and women behind him. “Although testimonies have already been taken, your chaotic discussions make your words unreliable. From now on, each of you must give your statements separately. Answer only what you are asked—the Longyi Guards will record everything.”

Cui Muzhi turned to the others and said, “I’ll arrange for paper and ink.”

“Hold on,” Xie Xinglan interrupted, stopping him. “Leave such tasks to the household servants. Right now, you are also a suspect, Young Master Cui. Without permission, it would be best not to leave the Marquis’ rear garden, or things may become difficult to explain later.”

Cui Muzhi’s brows furrowed as he immediately turned back to glare at Xie Xinglan. Standing at the base of the steps, Xie Xinglan returned his cold stare. Their gazes locked, and in the night breeze, the tension between them was palpable—like drawn swords ready to clash.

Although the power of Marquis Changqing’s residence far exceeded that of Marquis Weiyuan’s, Xie Xinglan clearly showed no respect to anyone tonight. Qin Ying watched with unease, unable to grasp what had caused such a drastic change in him.

Sensing the situation turning sour, Cui Jin quickly interjected, “Imperial Investigator Xie, Muzhi is Wan’er’s brother—there’s no way it could be him…”

Xie Xinglan remained unmoved, his gaze growing even sharper. “Lord Earl, do not speak too soon. I have seen many cases where the perpetrator is the person closest to the victim.”

Cui Jin was about to speak again, but Cui Muzhi stopped him and sneered, “The Longyi Guards solve cases like divine beings. We shall follow their lead. I only hope that Imperial Inspector Xie does not disappoint us and can quickly uncover the true culprit behind Wan’er’s murder.”

Xie Xinglan curled his lips slightly. “As long as Lord Earl and Madam cooperate.”

The female guests who remained today included Qin Ying and Lu Roujia, as well as Zhao Yumian, the daughter of Marquis Weiyuan’s residence, and Jian Fangfei, the young lady from the Ministry of Officials. Additionally, there were two more: Fu Ling, the second young lady of the Honglu Temple Minister’s family, and Wu Shuyue, the eldest daughter of Commander Wu of the City Defense Battalion.

Among the five remaining gentlemen, besides Cui Muzhi, one was also related to the Cui family—Lin Qian, the second young master of the Ministry of Revenue and the nephew of Madam Lin, Lord Earl’s wife. The other three were Xue Ming, the eldest grandson of the Grand Academician of the National Academy; Pei Shuo, the young master of the Marquis Pingchang family; and Lu Zan, the second young master of the Duke Lu Residence—each of them belonging to prominent and influential families.

Xie Xinglan waved his hand, and the guards opened the main hall and eastern wing of Chaomu Pavilion. They then invited everyone for questioning in order, with Qin Ying, Lu Roujia, and Fu Ling placed last, temporarily remaining outside the western wing.

At that moment, Xie Xinglan asked Cui Jin and Madam Lin, “May I ask, among the gentlemen present today, was there anyone who had been particularly close to Miss Cui in the past or perhaps had romantic feelings for her?”

Before Cui Jin could react, Madam Lin was already furious. “Xie Xinglan, my daughter has died tragically, and yet you seek to tarnish her reputation? She had long been betrothed to the heir of the Huainan Prince’s household—how could she have been involved with any other man?”

Madam Lin’s gaze was fierce, and in front of Qin Ying and the others, she grew increasingly resentful of Xie Xinglan, as if he were deliberately humiliating them.

Xie Xinglan, however, remained unbothered. “Murders in this world usually fall into a few categories—greed, vengeance, passion, or incidents of violence and accidents. We can rule out accidents and violent disputes. Those who strolled through the garden tonight are all wealthy or noble and have close personal ties to Miss Cui. That makes financial motives unlikely, leaving only passion or vengeance. And Lord Earl has just stated that Miss Cui had a kind temperament and never made enemies.”

Qin Ying raised an eyebrow as she listened from the side. Xie Xinglan truly deserved his reputation after years of training in the Jinwu Guards—he was at least far more professional than Zhao Lian. His true intentions seemed to matter less now; as long as the Longyi Guards could solve the case, that was all that mattered.

“Absolutely impossible!” Madam Lin exclaimed sharply before looking at Cui Wan’s pale face. “My daughter was the most well-behaved and observant of proper etiquette. How could she have secretly developed feelings for another man? Or… perhaps it was an act of vengeance? Although Wan’er never made enemies, it is possible that someone secretly resented her.”

Cui Jin added, “Indeed, Wan’er would never have done such a thing. She was betrothed to the heir of the Huainan Prince for many years—how could there be any dishonorable matters involved?”

“When was the engagement with the Huainan Prince’s household arranged? Did Cui Wan herself approve of it?”

“It was settled five years ago.” Thinking about the marriage arrangement, Cui Jin sighed. “I have been an old friend of the Huainan Prince. It was an excellent match, and Wan’er herself was willing.”

Xie Xinglan looked at Madam Lin. “Since the engagement was settled five years ago, why was the wedding only planned for this year? In Great Zhou, it is not too late for a woman to marry at nineteen, but most engagements are finalized before eighteen, and the bride has already wed by then.”

Madam Lin held Cui Wan’s hand, still shedding tears, as if determined to stay by her side. Seeing her silence, Cui Jin sighed and explained, “Wan’er fell ill shortly after the engagement was decided. Later, her mother took her to Sanqing Mountain to pray for blessings, and they stayed for half a year before returning. A Daoist master from Sanqing Mountain predicted that she should not marry before the age of nineteen.”

Xie Xinglan asked, “What illness was it?”

“It was asthma. Two years ago, her condition was quite severe, so her mother wished to keep her home for a couple more years. The prince’s household was very understanding, and since the prince’s heir was preparing for his imperial examinations, there was no rush to marry. Thus, the wedding was scheduled for this year. But who would have thought…”

Qin Ying listened in surprise. She recalled that during the banquet earlier in the day, Cui Wan had eaten spicy food. Moreover, in recent years, she had seen Cui Wan at literary gatherings and had never noticed any signs of illness. As she pondered this, Xie Xinglan voiced the very question on her mind: “How is her health now?”

Cui Jin said, “We sought a renowned physician to treat her, and now she has fully recovered.”

Xie Xinglan remained silent, but Qin Ying couldn’t help feeling doubtful. Asthma is difficult to fully cure even with modern medicine, let alone in ancient times. From her own memories, she had encountered Cui Wan nearly a hundred times over the years, yet had never witnessed her having an asthma attack.

Xie Xinglan then instructed, “Summon Miss Cui’s personal maids.”

Cui Wan had two trusted maids, Biyun and Zijuan. As they arrived at the guest chamber and saw Cui Wan’s lifeless body, they began to sob and wipe away their tears.

Xie Xinglan asked, “How long have you been serving Miss Cui?”

“Four years.”

“Four years.”

The two maids spoke almost in unison, causing a trace of unease to flicker across Xie Xinglan’s mind. He then turned to Cui Jin and asked, “Was there any servant who had grown up alongside Miss Cui since childhood?”

Cui Jin shook his head. “Four years ago, Wan’er fell seriously ill. The two maids who had grown up with her failed to take proper care of her, and in her mother’s anger, she sold them all off. These two were purchased later and have been by Wan’er’s side ever since.”

Xie Xinglan studied the two maids. “Has your mistress had any worries recently? Or has she had any conflicts with anyone?”

Biyun and Zijuan exchanged glances before shaking their heads. Zijuan choked up as she replied, “Our mistress has always been kind and treated people well. She never had any disputes with anyone. Over the past two months, she has only been preparing for her marriage and had no troubles.”

Xie Xinglan asked no further questions. At that moment, a Yiwai Guard arrived to summon Qin Ying and her two companions to give their statements. Qin Ying did not delay and promptly entered the eastern wing of Chaomu Pavilion with Lu Roujia and Fu Ling.

All the questions were exactly as Qin Ying had anticipated, and she answered fluently. Her statement was recorded quickly. As she stepped out of the eastern wing, she saw the guards delivering everyone’s testimonies to Xie Xinglan. Under the dim, flickering lantern light, he stood tall and imposing in his official robes, his gaze intensely focused as he reviewed the statements. However, an unmistakable air of menace lingered between his brows.

In her past life, she had never encountered Xie Xinglan. Now, she struggled to search her memories for any significant information about him. As she pondered, a figure in a green dress suddenly appeared on the distant stone pathway.

“County Princess—”

The newcomer was Bai Yuan, the maid who had grown up with Qin Ying since childhood. She had entered from the outer courtyard, intending to reach Chaomu Pavilion, but the Longyi Guards stationed outside stopped her. Qin Ying immediately walked toward her.

Due to her noble status, the guards did not obstruct her. However, when they saw her step outside to speak with her maid, one of them hurried over to Xie Xinglan and reported, “Lord, the Yunyang County Princess has gone to speak with her maid. We did not dare to stop her.”

Xie Xinglan lifted his gaze and glanced in Qin Ying’s direction from afar. He said nothing, and after the guard departed, he asked his trusted attendant, “Is this Yunyang County Princess the one who loved Cui Muzhi but was unable to win his heart?”

Xie Jian, who had followed Xie Xinglan for years, nodded. “Yes, it’s her. She went to great lengths for Cui Muzhi. He loved painting, so she hired the best artist in Great Zhou to teach her. He wanted to take the imperial examinations, so she sneaked into the National Academy to study literature. He visited the Panchun Pavilion twice to watch opera, and she—despite her noble status—actually apprenticed herself to an opera performer.”

Xie Jian’s tone was laced with disdain, and Xie Xinglan frowned slightly. “I didn’t expect her to examine the corpse.”

Xie Jian scoffed. “Perhaps she secretly studied it for Cui Muzhi’s sake. She’s done many strange things over the years. Now, if she ends up as his concubine, I wouldn’t be surprised—especially since he’s set to marry that young lady from the Lu family. But Cui Muzhi is truly heartless. The Lu family girl was falsely accused, and he hasn’t lifted a finger to help her.”

Xie Xinglan’s expression suddenly darkened, and Xie Jian, realizing he had spoken too much, quickly shut his mouth. At that moment, he noticed that Xie Xinglan merely skimmed through Qin Ying’s testimony before moving on to the next.

Hesitating, Xie Jian asked, “Lord, don’t you suspect the Yunyang County Princess?”

Without lifting his head, Xie Xinglan replied, “There is no use in suspecting her.”

Xie Jian was baffled but did not dare to question further. Soon, Xie Xinglan finished reviewing all the testimonies and turned to Cui Jin in the distance, saying, “Lord Earl, please lead the way to the Lotus Pavilion where Miss Cui’s body was found.”

Cui Jin acknowledged the request and promptly guided Xie Xinglan toward Yingyue Lake. Only then did Xie Xinglan glance again in Qin Ying’s direction. The Yunyang County Princess seemed somewhat different from the rumors he had heard—but there was indeed no need to suspect her.

After all, in ten days, it would be the day of her death.