Chapter 51

Yuan Shoucheng glanced at Qin Ying and then Xie Xinglan, as if weighing their intentions. After a moment, his tightly pressed lips moved slightly, and he began, “When the authorities investigated the case back then, they claimed the arrested culprit, Jin Wenyuan, had deceived Yuping by asking her to take on private embroidery work—”

Recalling the events, Yuan Shoucheng’s voice was strained, “But as far as I know, the Changfu Silk Workshop, where Yuping worked, strictly forbade its embroiderers from taking private jobs. Changfu Silk Workshop was a place where Yuping’s mother had worked in her youth, and her position there was entirely thanks to a connection from her mother’s old friend. Yuping cherished the job deeply and would never dare break the workshop’s rules.”

“On the day of the incident, it was already quite late. Yuping, timid by nature, wouldn’t have followed a strange adult man willingly. By the time I returned, the case had been closed, but it had stirred significant public attention—enough that even common folk knew the details. After investigating further, I felt something was amiss, suspecting Jin Wenyuan had deceived the authorities. Later, I personally began investigating Jin Wenyuan.”

Yuan Shoucheng took a deep breath. “The three victims at the time met horrifying deaths, which led to rumors portraying Jin Wenyuan as a monstrous and inhuman figure. However, when I looked into the Jin family, I discovered that the official narrative was entirely false.”

Qin Ying and Xie Xinglan listened intently, their expressions serious, as Yuan Shoucheng continued, “Jin Wenyuan indeed lost his parents early and severed ties with relatives and friends. He often gambled and accumulated significant debts. His wife and child did leave the capital, but this wasn’t because of his gambling—it was due to his daughter’s severe illness.”

“His daughter was born with a heart condition and required expensive medicinal treatments from a young age. To afford this, he frequently borrowed money from relatives and friends. However, as her illness persisted and he couldn’t repay the loans, his relatives—who weren’t wealthy themselves—gradually distanced themselves from him. Jin Wenyuan was uneducated and worked odd jobs to make ends meet. That year, during the New Year, his daughter’s condition suddenly worsened, leaving him desperate. He turned to gambling, hoping to win big.”

Yuan Shoucheng sighed, “At first, he won a little money and thought he could use gambling to pay for his daughter’s treatment. But within two months, not only did he fail to earn enough, he ended up owing even more to the gambling house. To avoid debt collectors, he lost his job and sent his wife and daughter out of the city to hide while he stayed in the capital to find another solution.”

Looking at Xie Xinglan and Qin Ying, Yuan Shoucheng added, “Jin Wenyuan was foolish, but he wasn’t inherently evil. How could someone like him suddenly turn into a monster who would rape and murder innocent women?”

Xie Xinglan narrowed his eyes and asked, “Where did you learn all this?”

Yuan Shoucheng replied, “I found one of his aunts. She explained that he had borrowed heavily in recent years, and his relatives understood why he needed the money and sympathized with him. However, they also resented him for being unable to repay the loans. She wouldn’t have defended Jin Wenyuan, and the authorities only questioned people from the gambling house.”

“The gambling house staff only saw Jin Wenyuan gambling daily and borrowing large sums from them, so they assumed he was addicted to gambling and caused his own downfall. The rumor about him selling his daughter originated from the gambling house. When they pursued him for debts, they threatened to use his wife and daughter as collateral. This threat spread and turned into the story that Jin Wenyuan was a heartless beast willing to sell his daughter for gambling money.”

Yuan Shoucheng sighed deeply and said, “At first, I only wanted to understand Yuping’s character, then I felt Jin Wenyuan’s testimony seemed false. I sought to uncover the truth. However, as I continued my investigation, I found more and more signs that everything was fabricated. Jin Wenyuan loved his wife and daughter deeply. With their lives depending on him, how could he bring himself to commit such heinous crimes?

“He was caught red-handed and confessed readily. Even without education, he would’ve known that killing three people meant inevitable execution. With his wife and daughter left helpless, how could he willingly face death?”

Yuan Shoucheng’s voice grew colder. “The only explanation is that he had no choice. But who could force him to confess? There are only two possibilities: either the real culprit held significant power or was extremely ruthless.

“After the murders, the true killer was desperate to find a scapegoat and chose Jin Wenyuan, a gambler. Most gamblers might indeed be reckless outlaws and difficult to coerce, but Jin Wenyuan was still loyal despite his descent into gambling. Either he was driven to act for his daughter’s illness, or someone threatened the lives of his wife and daughter, forcing him to take the blame.”

At this point, Yuan Shoucheng let out a bitter laugh. “My subsequent experiences seemed to confirm my suspicions. Back then, I sought out Master Kang, thinking that as a government official, he would discern right from wrong and have connections within the Yamen. However, he didn’t believe me. The Kang family wasn’t as influential as I’d thought. With no other avenues and fearing to alert anyone prematurely, I had no choice but to first arrange care for Yuping’s mother and then return to my military service.”

“A year later, I found an opportunity to obtain a recommendation letter from my superior. Armed with it, I returned to the capital and joined Jingji Yamen as an officer. Over time, I grew acquainted with other investigators and discovered they had noticed several inconsistencies in the case back then. Yet Jin Wenyuan easily brushed aside these discrepancies, and the Captain, Guo Zhongyun, didn’t look into them further. My doubts only deepened.”

“Later, I had a chance to access the old case files. I intended to study them closely, but Guo Zhongyun discovered me. At the time, he didn’t say much—he merely reminded me that not everyone was authorized to view old case files and told me to be cautious. I was relieved, thinking he wasn’t involved. But I could never have imagined that just one month later, he orchestrated my demotion to the mortuary as a guard.”

Yuan Shoucheng added, “Guo Zhongyun publicly ordered me to deliver the case files, but the next day, he claimed I had lost one of them. He mobilized the whole Yamen to search for it, but it seemed to vanish into thin air. Unable to defend myself, I was convicted of negligence. Apart from myself, no one else likely doubted that I had failed in my duties.

“Thinking back, I hadn’t offended Guo Zhongyun in any other way. The only explanation was that my review of the old case files had made him wary. Guo Zhongyun wasn’t originally from the capital nor from a prominent family. He lacked the influence to threaten Jin Wenyuan, which means there must’ve been someone far more powerful behind him—someone capable of both coercing Jin Wenyuan into taking the blame and using Guo Zhongyun to cover their tracks.”

Qin Ying couldn’t help but ask, “Did you never find another chance after that?”

Yuan Shoucheng replied gravely, “Guo Zhongyun was later injured and resigned, leaving the capital. After he left, Zhao Lian replaced him. Zhao Lian was unscrupulous and had been Guo Zhongyun’s most loyal subordinate. Whatever Guo Zhongyun had instructed him before leaving, Zhao Lian kept a close eye on me. I was left as nothing more than a mortuary guard. I thought of leaving, but I had become too familiar a face to infiltrate another Yamen. Thus, I could only endure in the mortuary.”

“After serving in the Yamen for two years and in the mortuary for six years, I witnessed many officials who put great effort into investigating cases involving the nobility but treated the grievances of commoners perfunctorily. Until the day I saw the County Princess at the mortuary. Although I couldn’t see the back hall, I knew the County Princess instructed the coroner. The Dou family, despite their immense wealth, lacked high social standing. That day, I felt a glimmer of hope.”

Xie Xinglan asked, “As someone who worked in the Yamen, you should know that altering a corpse is a criminal offense. The crime isn’t murder, but you did tamper with the body. Aren’t you afraid of going to prison?”

Yuan Shoucheng answered, “Of course, I know. According to the laws of the Great Zhou, tampering with a corpse is punishable by a reduced sentence of the charge of manslaughter—at least two years of imprisonment. I’ve waited ten years. If it means uncovering the truth behind Yuping’s death, what is two years in prison?”

Qin Ying asked, “And what about Fan Yuping’s mother?”

At the mention of Miao Huilan, a trace of worry appeared in Yuan Shoucheng’s eyes. He looked at Qin Ying and said, “I anticipated you would discover me, so I sent her away beforehand. You are correct—I took her in and cared for her after all these years. But it hasn’t been as good as you might think. Her condition is unstable. On her better days, she’s like any normal person. On her bad days, she cries out for Yuping, sometimes screaming and lashing out. However, I’ve made arrangements. She should be safe for the next two to three years.”

After a brief pause, Yuan Shoucheng’s gaze deepened as he said, “My original intention was never to harm anyone nor to desecrate the deceased woman’s body. But I feared that if I waited any longer, I’d never have the chance in this lifetime. I don’t mind going to prison, but I have to ask—will Envoy Xie and the County Princess truly investigate the old case to uncover the truth? Now that it’s known the Prince’s eldest daughter wasn’t murdered, will the authorities still pursue the matter?”

Xie Xinglan didn’t respond immediately, but Qin Ying firmly stated, “Yes, the investigation will continue just the same.”

Xie Xinglan then added, “We had already planned to investigate Jin Wenyuan’s background, but ten years have passed, and finding his surviving relatives is now difficult. The information you’ve provided has been helpful. If you recall anything else, you can report it at any time. Once the case is resolved, I will explain to the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice the circumstances behind your actions to ensure you receive a lenient sentence for tampering with the corpse.”

Yuan Shoucheng nodded in agreement, his eyes reflecting a mix of emotions at the thought of the old case finally being revisited. Xie Xinglan glanced toward Yuan Shoucheng’s main room and asked, “Where did you find the elderly couple to claim the corpse?”

Yuan Shoucheng replied, “I found them in the southern part of the city. They do labor work and wait daily to be hired for odd jobs. I paid them silver, and after they took the body out of the city, they handed it over to me outside the city gates. I then brought it back into the city myself. They earned a substantial sum and have since returned to their village. I don’t know their current whereabouts.”

Yuan Shoucheng clearly feared that Xie Xinglan might hold the elderly couple accountable for their involvement, but Xie Xinglan merely asked, “Did you alter the corpse here in your courtyard?”

Yuan Shoucheng nodded and said, “It was in the west wing. The west wing is a storage room; my aunt didn’t know what I was doing. Later, I bought a red silk dress and asked her to embroider tangdi patterns on it. I understand this was unfair to the young lady, but I had no choice. I even burned incense inside to accelerate the corpse’s decay. Wang Yun didn’t thoroughly inspect the body, but I was still worried he might recognize it. Fortunately, he is superstitious, so by the time the corpse was returned to the mortuary, it had decayed beyond recognition, and he didn’t dare take a closer look.”

This linked all the clues together. During Qin Ying’s inspection of the body, the ash found on the soles was indeed picked up from the hiding spot. The corpse, transported via a small cart to Baicao Street in the southern part of the city, was bent unnaturally due to the cart’s limited space. Yuan Shoucheng had set out from Le’an District, made a roundabout route to Baicao Street, and successfully misled the Yamen’s investigation.

Xie Xinglan pondered briefly and said, “To ensure security, you will be held in the Jinwu Guard’s prison until the case is thoroughly investigated. Your sentence will not be determined yet.”

Yuan Shoucheng showed no resistance and replied, “I’ll follow Envoy Xie’s orders.”

Xie Xinglan glanced at Xie Jian, who immediately led the guards to escort Yuan Shoucheng out of the courtyard. Xie Xinglan then inspected the house with his team. The west wing had been cleaned thoroughly, except for a cabinet containing some unused incense candles.

With Li Fangrui safely returned and Yuan Shoucheng apprehended, the case officially turned into a re-investigation of the old case.

Xie Xinglan and Qin Ying left Yuan Shoucheng’s house and headed directly to Jingji Yamen. With Jingji Yamen and Jinwu Guards conducting a joint inquiry, such a significant change couldn’t proceed without informing Zhou Xianchen.

On their way, Qin Ying lifted the curtain and said, “Yuan Shoucheng mentioned earlier that Zhao Lian was Guo Zhongyun’s most trusted subordinate. If so, even if Zhao Lian wasn’t privy to the details, he must have noticed that Guo Zhongyun was trying to cover up for Jin Wenyuan. Furthermore, Guo Zhongyun instructed Zhao Lian to suppress Yuan Shoucheng before leaving. There’s no way Zhao Lian was completely unaware.”

Xie Xinglan nodded. “Guo Zhongyun’s hometown is in Cangzhou. I’ve already sent a letter there, but any response will take at least a month. We can’t wait for that and must investigate further in the capital.”

By the time they arrived at Jingji Yamen, it was already midday. As they entered, they saw Zhou Xianchen berating several officers in the hall. Spotting Xie Xinglan and Qin Ying, Zhou Xianchen quickly restrained his anger and walked forward to greet them.

Xie Xinglan asked, “What has upset you, Lord Zhou?”

Zhou Xianchen sighed and said, “It’s still about the Prince’s eldest daughter’s case. They searched the southern part of the city for two days and found nothing. Moreover, this morning, Wang Yun came to the Yamen to report that the Prince’s residence returned the body to the mortuary. When he received the corpse last night, the Prince’s servants told him the deceased wasn’t their eldest daughter. What’s going on?”

Xie Xinglan replied solemnly, “We came to inform you that the Prince’s eldest daughter was found last night and has returned to the mansion. The deceased was actually an unidentified female corpse that had been sent to the mortuary earlier.”

Zhou Xianchen was stunned, as were the officers behind him, who audibly gasped. Once Zhou Xianchen regained his composure, he quickly invited them inside. “Please, Envoy Xie and County Princess, come to the side hall and explain in detail.”

Once seated in the side hall, Xie Xinglan recounted the entire story of Yuan Shoucheng’s scheme. Zhou Xianchen listened with astonishment and exclaimed, “So Yuan Shoucheng has confessed?”

Xie Xinglan replied, “He confessed to everything. I’ve already ordered him to be held in the Jinwu Guards prison. Until the old case is thoroughly investigated, we won’t determine his sentence.”

Zhou Xianchen, still shocked, exclaimed, “So it was all his doing—he fooled all of us just to push us into investigating a ten-year-old case. What a remarkable man, Yuan Shoucheng! He waited for six years in the mortuary!”

Though Yuan Shoucheng’s scheme was bound to be exposed eventually, its impact was undeniable. Even Emperor Zhenyuan took notice of the case. Yuan Shoucheng sacrificed his military career to uncover the truth behind his beloved’s death, entered the Yamen alone, endured years of humiliation at the mortuary, and cared for Fan Yuping’s mother all the while. Zhou Xianchen couldn’t help but feel a certain admiration for him.

Sighing, Zhou Xianchen said, “By my estimation, he must be about thirty-two years old now, right? All these years without marrying or having children, dedicating himself solely to this matter—I couldn’t have done it. In that sense, I also support pleading for leniency on his behalf.”

Xie Xinglan added, “That’s a matter for later. For now, we need to reinvestigate the old case and locate the relatives of the unidentified female corpse. However, given the state of the body, identifying her family will be challenging.”

Zhou Xianchen agreed, “Don’t worry. I’ll monitor reports of missing persons today and post notices. As for the old case, it’s been a decade—it won’t be easy to dig into. Do you and the County Princess have a plan?”

When asked, Qin Ying glanced outside the hall and said, “Has Captain Zhao gone to search the southern part of the city again? There’s no need to investigate that lead any further. Have him return; there are some questions we need to ask him.”

Zhou Xianchen, visibly irritated, replied, “He’s on leave today and hasn’t come to the Yamen. If it were an ordinary day, it would be forgivable. But now there’s an active case, and everyone else diligently works while he takes advantage of a rest day. It’s completely unacceptable.”

Though Zhou was angered, Xie Xinglan and Qin Ying weren’t surprised. Zhao Lian had always been lazy and indifferent—so long as the case didn’t implicate him, he wouldn’t bother to exert himself, no matter how urgent.

Xie Xinglan said decisively, “We’ve visited the families of the three victims but gathered little information. For now, we need to locate more witnesses. In addition to Zhao Lian, three others were involved in the investigation back then. I’d like to request their assistance from Lord Zhou. Today, we should visit the crime scene.”

The three individuals Xie Xinglan referred to included Zhao Qing and his team. Zhou Xianchen immediately agreed. “Of course, there’s no problem. Envoy Xie resolves cases quickly. If it helps to clarify this matter soon, we’ll fully cooperate.”

After confirming, Zhou Xianchen called for Zhu Qiang and the other two. Seeing time was passing, Xie Xinglan decided to promptly visit the site where the murders occurred. Qin Ying, valuing the significance of the crime scene, naturally agreed and followed without hesitation, boarding the carriage alongside him.

Xie Xinglan spurred his horse westward and said, “We’re not far from Xing’an Bridge. Let’s head there first.”

Xing’an Bridge was the site where Fan Yuping was murdered, located in the southeastern part of the capital. Within less than the time it takes for three incense sticks to burn, the group arrived at Xing’an Bridge by the Yuguan River.

Yuguan River is one of the inner rivers of the capital, originating from Weiyang Pond in the northwest and flowing diagonally through most of the city from west to east before exiting into the moat outside the capital. Across Yuguan River, there are seven stone bridges, with Xing’an Bridge being one of the quieter ones. Now in late August, the elm and willow leaves along the banks had turned slightly yellow, but the shrubs lining the riverbanks remained lush. As the group approached the embankment, Zhao Qing, who had accompanied them, spoke.

“This stretch of the embankment near Xing’an Bridge is lined with many willows, making it a great scenic spot during summer. On both sides, there are shops selling items like antiques and ceramics. It’s not very lively during the day, and even quieter at night. After ten years, the surroundings haven’t changed much—only the willow trees have grown thicker. The morning after the incident, a shop assistant from a ceramics store went to the river to rinse an ink slab. He discovered a person under the bridge and, upon closer inspection, found the victim.”

Finding the carriage inconvenient when moving around, Qin Ying alighted and walked along the embankment toward Xing’an Bridge. This section of the Yuguan River is four or five zhangs wide, with calm and bottomless waters. Both banks feature stone paths flanked by greenery, and every ten zhang or so, there are stone steps leading down to the river. Due to days without rain, the mud along the banks was cracked and dry.

Zhao Qing continued, “When we arrived back then, we first noticed messy footprints on the path leading to the bridge underpass. There were two sets of footprints, suggesting Fan Yuping had been dragged there. We then found her body—she was wearing a red dress that was filthy and torn. Her face had deep wounds, with blood covering her face and neck. Her hands were also injured, scratched by the stones under the bridge.”

Some of Zhao Qing’s description was recorded in the case file, but minor details had been omitted. Both Xie Xinglan and Qin Ying listened intently. When they reached the Xing’an Bridge, they saw stone steps descending on both sides of the bridge. Underneath the bridge lay a stone platform. During high water levels, the platform would be submerged; during low water levels, it would be exposed and covered with mud and debris.

Zhao Qing added, “Back then, children used to play under the bridge. After the incident, the locals began telling children that a ghostly woman haunted the area. Even beggars seeking shelter from the rain stopped coming.”

Zhao Qing spoke with a hint of unease in his expression. Qin Ying calmly said, “Let’s go down and take a look.” She stepped toward the stone staircase, but Xie Xinglan quickly overtook her, striding ahead and forcing her to pause mid-step. She raised an eyebrow in mild irritation, but suddenly, loud cries came from upstream along the Yuguan River.

Xie Xinglan, now a step down the stairs, turned to look upstream. “What’s going on?”

Xie Jian replied, “Could someone have fallen into the river?”

As soon as he spoke, Xie Jian ran upstream with his men. Qin Ying and Xie Xinglan stood in place, observing the calm water. Though the river was deep, it wasn’t particularly fast-flowing, and the banks were shallow with cracked and dried mud, making it unlikely for someone to slip.

However, moments later, Xie Jian returned, his expression grave. “My lord, County Princess, someone has drowned!”

Both Qin Ying and Xie Xinglan’s expressions darkened. Neither had expected to encounter a drowning at this moment. They quickly followed Xie Jian upstream. After crossing Xing’an Bridge and walking a short distance, they saw a crowd of more than ten people gathered by the Yuguan River. A man dressed in black lay face down by the water’s edge.

“The authorities are here!” shouted one of the onlookers. The crowd quickly cleared a path. Xie Jian rushed to the riverbank and, with great effort, flipped the body over.

As the man’s pale, waterlogged face was revealed, Xie Xinglan and Qin Ying, standing at the front, simultaneously paled. Behind them, Zhao Qing gasped in shock. He exclaimed in disbelief, “Captain Zhao?!”