Chapter 35

Qin Ying arrived at the Dou residence. Just as she jumped off the carriage, an Imperial Guard stationed at the entrance approached and said, “County Princess, Official Zhou and Official Cui from the Ministry of Justice have arrived. They are currently in the front hall speaking with Old Master Dou.”

Qin Ying was slightly shocked. “Why are they here?”

The Imperial Guard seemed frustrated. “Official Cui claims that he was a classmate of the deceased and is deeply concerned about this case. Now, not only are we and the Jingji Magistrate’s Office handling this case, but even the Ministry of Justice is getting involved.”

With a peculiar expression, Qin Ying headed into the residence. She walked along the corridor on the left side of the front hall and proceeded directly to the eaves veranda. Before she even reached the entrance, she heard Cui Muzhi’s voice from inside the hall.

“The coroner at the magistrate’s office has already determined the cause of death, and you’ve investigated the testimonies of the people within the residence. Since Ge Mingzhou is the prime suspect, he should be promptly arrested and thoroughly interrogated. When the murderer set the fire, they may have destroyed all evidence. Are you saying that just because no evidence has been found, you will leave him in the residence unattended? Such a straightforward case, yet it’s dragged on for days. Is this how the Longyi Guards handle matters?”

Hearing this, Qin Ying couldn’t help but curl her lips. Within the hall, Xie Xinglan responded with a faint smile, “Official Cui, new officials often take ambitious actions upon assuming office. However, how the Longyi Guards handle cases is none of your concern—unless Official Cui intends to overstep his authority and believes he can take charge on behalf of His Majesty.”

Cui Muzhi, clearly displeased, replied, “There is no need for such distortions of truth. The three judicial offices inherently hold the right to supervise other investigating authorities. Furthermore, apart from Ge Mingzhou, who else could be suspected? Fifth Master Dou has been devoted to his Taoist pursuits for many years. Why would he, without reason, harm his nephew? But Ge Mingzhou, out of jealousy toward Dou Yu, could have resorted to murder.”

Dou Qiguang, in a somber tone, added, “Yu’er has been dead for several days. While I am reluctant to suspect Mingzhou, since others have provided alibis, you should arrest Mingzhou soon and resolve this matter. This will also put the hearts of those within the residence at ease—”

“Ge Mingzhou is not the murderer.”

As Dou Qiguang finished speaking, Qin Ying appeared at the doorway. Her words shocked everyone in the hall, but Qin Ying only looked at Xie Xinglan. “The real murderer has deceived us—”

Dou Qiguang, along with Officials Zhou and Cui, looked visibly stunned. Xie Xinglan stood up and asked, “What do you mean?”

Qin Ying glanced at the people in the room. “There are too many people here, and this is not the place to explain. Let’s go to Hanguang Pavilion.”

Xie Xinglan immediately nodded, but at that moment, Cui Muzhi also stood up. Cui Muzhi said, “Official Zhou and I came here today specifically to inquire about the case. What could you say that we are not allowed to hear?”

Xie Xinglan narrowed his eyes. “Cui Muzhi, you are overstepping your bounds.”

Zhou Xianchen looked at Xie Xinglan and then at Cui Muzhi, trying to mediate with a laugh. “Lord Xie, Official Cui is deeply invested in this case and has already reviewed the records. We’re all just trying to do our jobs. Let’s not let tempers flare. Once the case is solved, the credit will still go to the Jinwu Guards.”

Dou Qiguang, feeling slightly better today, leaned on his cane as he stood up. “I’ve long heard County Princess Yunyang is assisting with this case. May I know what the County Princess meant by her earlier statement? This old man is also curious about the tricks the murderer has played.”

Xie Xinglan was clearly displeased with the situation, but Qin Ying seemed unbothered. She simply said, “If that’s the case, let’s all go to Hanguang Pavilion to clarify.”

She turned and left. Xie Xinglan followed with a sullen face, and Feng Xiao, Xie Jian, and others filed out in turn. Zhou Xianchen glanced at Cui Muzhi, who silently walked out as well. Zhou Xianchen’s eyes darted with thought as he walked alongside Dou Qiguang, who was at the rear.

Qin Ying walked in front, reflecting on the findings from the past few days. Upon arriving outside Hanguang Pavilion and seeing the layout of the eastern wing, she became increasingly certain of her hypothesis. She turned to Xie Xinglan and said, “We’ve been deceived by the murderer’s sleight of hand and miscalculated the time of the victim’s death. Dou Yu did not die on the afternoon of the twelfth.”

The others had just emerged from the bamboo path when they overheard this statement. Dou Qiguang was the first to react, unable to suppress his astonishment. “Yu’er didn’t die on the twelfth? Then when did he die?”

Xie Xinglan also looked at Qin Ying with urgency. Qin Ying furrowed her brows and replied solemnly, “He must have been murdered on the night of the eleventh. Based on the timeline, it should have occurred between midnight and 2 a.m.”

Cui Muzhi and Zhou Xianchen were already aware of the case’s progress, and Dou Qiguang had consistently instructed his servants to report the Jinwu Guards’ investigations. They stared at Qin Ying in shock.

Cui Muzhi frowned and asked, “What makes you say he was murdered on the night of the eleventh? And why pinpoint midnight to early morning? Bear in mind that his servant saw him at noon the next day and even had breakfast that morning.”

Qin Ying anticipated everyone’s skepticism but disliked Cui Muzhi’s interrogative tone as if she were a liar whose words were inherently untrustworthy. She glared at him coldly and said, “The servant only glimpsed his silhouette through the window lattice and didn’t even clearly see whether his eyes were open or closed at the time. As for the breakfast, the food box was merely emptied—the servant didn’t personally witness him eating it.”

Cui Muzhi said sharply, “But he was standing behind the window. If he was already dead, how could he still stand there?”

“Because of rigor mortis,” Qin Ying replied calmly and assertively, her words precise and impactful. “After death, the human body stiffens, and joints become difficult to bend. If the body hasn’t been moved, the initial posture at the time of death remains fixed. The murderer utilized this phenomenon, causing the victim to lie flat and rigid. Once rigor mortis peaked, the murderer made the deceased ‘stand’ upright.”

Xie Xinglan and Zhou Xianchen were familiar with the concept of rigor mortis, but Cui Muzhi only knew that a body turns cold and stiff after death. He frowned at Qin Ying, seemingly intending to ask further, but before he could speak, Qin Ying interrupted, “I know you want to ask why I claim Dou Yu died between midnight and 2 a.m.—”

She anticipated his question, which made Cui Muzhi’s face darken further.

Qin Ying continued, “Rigor mortis begins quickly after death, appearing within half an hour. After an hour or so, it becomes noticeable, as parts of the body’s muscle fibers stiffen. In three to four hours, it spreads to all joints. After six to seven hours, rigor mortis peaks, and the body becomes too rigid to bend. Twelve hours after death, it starts to diminish. These symptoms vary depending on the deceased’s physical condition, age, and the surrounding environment. In colder weather, rigor mortis develops more slowly but lasts longer. In warmer weather, it develops quickly but also resolves quickly. In extremely humid environments, the process slows down as well.”

“On the day the servant Zhishu delivered breakfast at the beginning of the morning hours, the murderer, knowing the timing of Zhishu’s delivery, prepared the scene beforehand. To make Dou Yu ‘stand’ behind the window, Dou Yu had to have been dead for at least three to four hours. Therefore, his time of death must have been between midnight and 2 a.m. the previous night. Otherwise, Dou Yu couldn’t have been made to ‘stand’ upright.”

“In front of the east wing window, there was a zither table and a half-human-height porcelain vase. These items could support the stiff body of the deceased, making it appear as if he were standing. As the rigor mortis subsided, the body slumped and collapsed. The fire consumed the zither table, leaving only a porcelain vase on the side, making it impossible for anyone to discern the arrangement of the deceased.”

“Dou Yu died from poisoning, which caused him to vomit, suffer diarrhea, and endure unbearable pain. Therefore, at the time of his death, his mouth and eyes were slightly open—proving he couldn’t possibly have died in the fire.”

Seeing Qin Ying able to explain herself clearly, Cui Muzhi racked his brain, trying to find flaws in her reasoning. ‘What about the breakfast?’ he asked.

“Dou Yu didn’t consume breakfast. After Zhishu left, the killer took the breakfast out of the food box and tossed it into the bamboo forest in front,” Qin Ying replied while glancing at Xie Xinglan. “Yesterday, when I came here, I happened to encounter servants chopping bamboo. They discovered a burnt ant nest. I found it odd because the soil in the bamboo forest is hard, damp, and unsuitable for ants to nest. So, where did so many ants come from?”

Xie Xinglan frowned and said, “It was Dou Yu’s breakfast. He likes sweets, so he threw the pastries into the bamboo forest, which happened to attract ants to forage. The fire started at night, and over the course of a day, it attracted enough ants.”

Cui Muzhi only knew how to question Qin Ying, but Xie Xinglan helped her add to her statement, easing Qin Ying’s mood and softening her tone, “That’s right. Thus, when Zishu delivered lunch at noon, he found the food box empty. Coupled with seeing Dou Yu’s figure, it was naturally assumed that Dou Yu had eaten breakfast. You previously mentioned the killer delayed the fire, but they were even cleverer in confusing the time of death, thoroughly preparing an alibi for themselves.”

Cui Muzhi noticed the change in tone between Qin Ying and Xie Xinglan and felt an inexplicable mix of emotions. He then coldly asked, “But you just said that corpse stiffness would only subside after twelve hours. However, when Ge Mingfu arrived that afternoon, it was only Shen Hour—barely over eight hours since his death—and yet, she didn’t see Dou Yu’s figure. Did the killer return to Hanguang Pavilion during this time?”

Qin Ying hadn’t expected Cui Muzhi to remember the details of the case so meticulously. She was about to ensure his conviction when Xie Xinglan sarcastically sneered, “Lord Cui, as a noble gentleman, why must you aggressively question a young lady? She clearly just said that in hot weather, corpse stiffness resolves faster. The killer, in order to start the fire, moved the brazier from the central hall to the east wing early in the morning. The killer had prepared the brazier and roasted Dou Yu’s body for four hours, allowing him to ‘stand’ until after noon. Once corpse stiffness resolved and the body softened, naturally, it couldn’t stand anymore. Lord Cui, surely you’re not foolish enough to misunderstand even this?”

Cui Muzhi only wanted to find flaws in Qin Ying’s words and couldn’t think comprehensively. Now, Xie Xinglan caught him in his mistake, and his cold, stern face immediately turned red and green with embarrassment. Yet, Xie Xinglan did not relent. He turned to Zhou Xianchen and Dou Qiguang, saying, “Old Master Dou, Master Zhou, did you understand?”

Zhou Xianchen, a bystander who had served as a magistrate for many years, was naturally not foolish and immediately nodded. “Understood, I understood everything clearly.”

Dou Qiguang also murmured, “I didn’t expect Yu’er to have been murdered the night before…”

Xie Xinglan mocked Cui Muzhi with a sharp gaze as if saying, “You’re not even as wise as an elderly man nearing his twilight years.”

Qin Ying glanced at Xie Xinglan with a mix of amusement and bewilderment. In her previous life, Xie Xinglan only openly clashed with Cui Muzhi three or four years later, but now, he clearly harbored significant displeasure toward him.

Cui Muzhi’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot, but he remained persistent, asking Qin Ying, “Who taught you this? How could you possibly understand this?”

Qin Ying sighed, “It doesn’t matter who taught me. If you don’t believe me, find the mistakes and refute them. If you can’t find any, stop wasting time here with pointless arguments.”

She then turned to Xie Xinglan. “Previously, the time of the crime was miscalculated, leading suspicion to fall on Ge Mingzhou. This proves that he isn’t the culprit. Now, we need to start investigating from the night of the eleventh. Zishu came that night to clean Dou Yu’s room. The culprit must have come after he left, and the poisoned item was the grape pastry.”

Xie Xinglan added, “Dou Yu didn’t have the habit of eating after dinner, but he still ate the grape pastry, which shows he had a close relationship with this person. The culprit committed the murder at night and arranged the scene the next morning. These two times—night and morning—both required a solid alibi.”

He immediately instructed Xie Jian to gather everyone at Sijin Pavilion.

Cui Muzhi’s gaze turned dark and unfathomable. He stared at Qin Ying for a moment before suddenly saying to Zhou Xianchen, “Summon your bureau’s forensic specialist, Yue Lingxiu. County Princess Yunyang is not an official of the bureau; how can we rely solely on her words to determine the case?”

Zhou Xianchen hesitated slightly but had no choice but to instruct a constable to summon Yue Lingxiu from the bureau.

Seeing Cui Muzhi’s attitude, Qin Ying raised her eyebrows but didn’t bother to say more. She turned and headed toward Sijin Pavilion, with Xie Xinglan following her. He asked, “How did you figure it out?”

Qin Ying sighed, “Last night, my father spent the entire night reading scriptures in the study. This morning, when I went there, I saw his shadow on the window lattice and thought he was still reading. But upon entering, I discovered he was sitting upright and asleep, leaning back against the chair and hugging a soft pillow. This made me realize that a deceased person can also ‘stand,’ but only for twelve hours.”

Upon hearing this, Xie Xinglan suddenly frowned. “But if that’s the case, the killer must be someone who understands corpse rigidity.”

Qin Ying paused slightly. “Exactly—”

Xie Xinglan continued, “Ordinary people only know that a body becomes stiff after death, but this killer clearly understands the hours of postmortem stiffness and its resolution. Could someone in the Dou family have studied forensic techniques?”

The Dou family, being immensely wealthy and now part of officialdom, had no reason to study such lowly skills for murder. Qin Ying furrowed her brows deeply. “It is indeed peculiar. Let’s first investigate the timeline of the crime.”

The two arrived at Sijin Pavilion. While waiting for the Dou family to gather, Dou Qiguang, Cui Muzhi, and Zhou Xianchen joined them.

Xie Xinglan originally disliked Cui Muzhi, who clung like a persistent plaster. But he suddenly realized how enjoyable it was to see the lofty Cui Muzhi repeatedly humiliated in front of Qin Ying. Why should he stop Cui Muzhi from embarrassing himself?

The Dou family members arrived quickly. This time, Dou Qiguang was present, and no one dared to act out of line. When Xie Xinglan asked about everyone’s whereabouts on the night of the eleventh and the morning of the twelfth, everyone showed a bit of surprise.

Dou Wenyun was the first to speak: “That night, I rested in the room of my concubine, Madam Song. I went to bed before midnight. Both Madam Song and her attendants can testify to this. I didn’t get up until halfway through Si Hour the next day. But why is the night of the eleventh being brought up all of a sudden?”

Dou Qiguang, seated in the main position with his hands resting on his cane, spoke sternly, “Answer the questions you’re asked. Where do all these unnecessary inquiries come from?”

Dou Wenyun didn’t dare to talk back and reluctantly replied. With him setting the tone, everyone else dared not be careless and reported when they went to bed that night, who could testify, and other details. As the questioning continued, everyone claimed they went to bed early without anything unusual. Xie Xinglan scanned the crowd and asked, “What about Dou Wenbin and Dou Ye? Did they leave for business?”

Previously, only Ge Mingzhou and Dou Wenjia were being monitored, while the other family members were unrestricted. The Dou family’s legitimate businesses ran smoothly and were managed by overseers, leaving the main and fourth branches relatively idle. However, the third branch of the family managed their business independently, and the father and son worked diligently, going out early and returning late every day.

Third Madam Jiang said, “Today, my husband went to the eastern part of the city to settle accounts, and Ye’er went to the southern part to procure goods. They both left the manor early in the morning and likely won’t return until evening. On the eleventh, my husband stayed with me the entire time, and Ye’er rested in his courtyard. He practices martial arts, so he rises early and sleeps early. This is his daily routine, and you can confirm this by asking the servant Shifang from his courtyard.”

The guards summoned Shifang, and soon, Shifang nervously entered Sijin Pavilion.

When Xie Xinglan asked about the night of the eleventh, Shifang said, “That night, the young master and we retired early. This is the young master’s rule. After the young master went to bed, we all went to sleep as well. At the time you’re asking about, we were all sound asleep. The next morning, the young master got up halfway through Chen Hour, had breakfast with the master, and left the house accompanied by the servant Jiuyun.”

Xie Xinglan frowned, “Was there any unusual activity that night?”

Shifang hesitated slightly before shaking his head. “No, the young master’s courtyard only has three servants in total. That night, we all slept together and didn’t even get up during the night. The young master’s side was very peaceful, and we didn’t hear him call for anyone.”

Xie Xinglan gazed steadily and said, “Since they were not by your side, they cannot count as witnesses. The same applies to others.”

Just like Dou Ye, Dou Huan was also involved. The young ladies had maids keeping watch in their rooms at night, but the young masters, being older, did not require such measures. Hearing this, Dou Huan, suppressing his displeasure, said, “I really went to bed early because I had an arrangement to play polo the next morning. I didn’t indulge in any mischief that night. Besides, there’s nothing in my courtyard and nothing to mess around with.”

Dou Huan meant that there were no maids or concubines in his courtyard. As soon as he said this, Dou Qiguang’s sharp gaze fell on him. Dou Huan shrank back slightly and muttered, “If you insist I sneaked out and caused harm, then I have nothing to say. I am clean and innocent and not afraid of investigation.”

Xie Xinglan stood up and said, “Mere words are useless. Both your and Dou Ye’s courtyards must be searched—”

Xie Xinglan insisted on leading the search himself, and Qin Ying followed him. Cui Muzhi was about to join them, but Zhou Xianchen remained still. When Dou Huan realized the Longyi Guards were going to search his room, his face drastically changed as if he had suddenly thought of something. But just as he rose, Dou Qiguang, seated in the prime position, ordered, “Sit down. If you are truly innocent, you should have no fear of their search.”

Coughing lightly as he spoke, Dou Qiguang added, “I’ll stay with you all today and see how far the authorities can investigate. I, too, wish to know who is so cruel as to harm Yuer.”

With this, no one dared to act rashly. Third Madam and Dou Tong exchanged glances but were even calmer than Dou Huan.

At this moment, Cui Muzhi hesitated to follow, feeling it might seem awkward. Thinking of Xie Xinglan and Qin Ying entering and leaving together, he clenched his fingers on the armrest tightly and only managed to calm himself down with great effort.

Led by Shifang, Xie Xinglan and Qin Ying first went to Dou Huan’s courtyard. Upon entering, they saw that it was similar in size to Linfeng Hall’s courtyard. They went straight to the main room for the search while Xie Jian and Feng Xiao headed to the west wing’s warm quarters. Xie Xinglan entered the eastern wing’s bedroom, and as soon as he stepped inside, he noticed the corner of a book sticking out from beneath the pillow on the bed.

Dou Huan had clearly hidden the book. Xie Xinglan swiftly moved forward and lifted the pillow, revealing not just one but several books hidden underneath. His brows furrowed as he picked up the book and flipped it open for a glance, and he froze in shock.

Qin Ying, who had been inspecting the items in Dou Huan’s treasure cabinet, noticed Xie Xinglan’s stiff posture and approached, asking, “What did you find?”

Upon hearing her approach, Xie Xinglan’s previously hesitant movements became swift. He quickly shoved the book back under Dou Huan’s pillow and replied, “Nothing—just a few collections of poetry.”

Qin Ying responded with an “Oh” and then proceeded to the west wing. Shortly after, she returned, saying, “Apart from noticing that he doesn’t like reading, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong.”

As these words settled, Qin Ying felt a jolt of realization. Looking at Xie Xinglan doubtfully, she said, “Wait, that’s not right. If he doesn’t like reading, and there isn’t even a single piece of paper in the warm chamber, why would he have so many poetry books hidden under his pillow?”

Her thoughts racing, she quickly headed toward the bed. Xie Xinglan’s expression changed, and he called out, “Hold on!”

He attempted to stop her, but Qin Ying, suspecting something unusual about the “poetry books,” refused to listen. She grabbed the pillow, picked up a book, and flipped it open. Her brows furrowed as she read aloud, “Mandarin Duck Secret Manual?”

The words on the title page made her hesitate, and as she flipped to the next page, before she could fully see the illustration, a large hand reached over from behind her and snatched the book away. Startled, Qin Ying turned around and met Xie Xinglan’s helpless gaze.

Xie Xinglan was so close to her while taking the book that Qin Ying could even catch a faint whiff of sandalwood from him. She frowned and asked, “What is it? Dou Huan doesn’t read, yet he keeps these books around. Isn’t that odd…”

Xie Xinglan’s expression turned conflicted, as though he wanted to speak but stopped himself. Qin Ying had never seen him look like this before. She muttered softly,”Mandarin Duck Secret Manual? That name sounds… almost like it’s…”

A sudden realization struck her, and she blurted out, “Could it be…?”

Xie Xinglan’s expression remained unchanged, clearly not believing she had guessed it. Qin Ying gave him a once-over and shook her head, saying, “No wonder you’re reacting this way. It makes sense—Dou Huan frequently visits brothels. What else would he be reading?”

Startled, Xie Xinglan asked, “You know?”

Qin Ying admitted,”Mandarin Duck Secret Manual—just hearing the name doesn’t sound very proper…”

Xie Xinglan’s brows shot up as he demanded, “You’ve read it?”

Qin Ying stepped back and denied, “Of course not.”

But Xie Xinglan didn’t believe her. How could she recognize it just by name if she hadn’t read it? His eyes were filled with a mix of shock and distress. “I thought you were out of line, but I didn’t think you’d go this far. You’re a young lady—do you even know what kind of behavior this is…?”

Qin Ying exclaimed, “Don’t falsely accuse me! I haven’t had the chance to look, and I didn’t see it clearly earlier—”

Not “didn’t look,” but rather “didn’t have the chance to look.” With those words, Xie Xinglan found her even more unreasonable. He threw the book onto the bed and stormed out, saying, “It seems Marquis Linchuan really needs to teach you properly.”

At the door, Xie Jian heard this and asked curiously, “Lord, teach the County Princess what?”

Xie Xinglan shot him a sharp glare, left the room, and ordered Shifang to lead him to Dou Ye’s courtyard. Xie Jian was baffled and, turning around, saw Qin Ying walking out with a puzzled expression. He approached her, asking, “County Princess, what happened to my master?”

Qin Ying snorted and said, “Your master is the most virtuous gentleman.”

Xie Jian, utterly confused, quickly followed her out of the courtyard.

At Dou Ye’s courtyard, even Feng Xiao and Longyi Guards noticed Xie Xinglan’s foul mood and carried out the search in complete silence. Qin Ying thought it wise to exercise caution in a man’s room; she merely observed without touching anything. Half an incense stick’s worth of time passed, and Dou Ye’s room turned out to be very simple—aside from having two long swords, it was no different from Dou Huan’s room. Dou Ye clearly wasn’t fond of reading either.

After thoroughly searching the area, Xie Xinglan found nothing and saw Qin Ying waiting at the door. He shot her two unpleasant glances and was the last to exit the warm chamber. But just as he stepped out, his gaze caught sight of a faint shadow on the empty northern wall, causing him to halt and furrow his brows.