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墨書 Inktalez
Perhaps it was the coldest time of the year. Although the sun was shining outside, the air was nearly cold enough to freeze one's breath. I wrapped myself in the bright red satin embroidered cotton cloak from my bedside, picked up a wooden cane leaning against the wall, and cautiously limped out the door, making my way down the corridor.
I had no idea who had left this cloak by my bedside or who had carved this cane for me, but its shape resembled those issued by modern hospitals. My right arm and left leg were uninjured, so a single cane was truly a great companion for me. Moreover, the person who carved this cane must have known exactly where I was hurt, as it was undoubtedly designed for use with my right hand.
Leaning on the cane, I walked slowly, unable to suppress a smile. I could sense the essence of the person who had carved this cane; such a shape could only be made by someone with an open mind and rich imagination. I felt that its creator must be someone curious and tolerant about everything—someone like Night.
“Miss Ye can walk on her own now? Congratulations, young lady, you’re recovering quickly!”
Just as I stepped into the sunlit, barren backyard after crossing the corridor, a warm voice startled me. Turning around, I saw Lord Bai Qianfan standing not far away in a brown round-neck outfit, smiling at me.
“Lord Bai, forgive me for not being able to greet you properly due to my condition…” I quickly apologized in a soft voice, which elicited a chuckle from Bai Qianfan.
“Miss Ye need not be so polite; we’ve crossed paths at White Horse Temple before. Back then, you were dressed as a man and quite impressive. Moreover…” His gentle eyes looked at me, but there was a hint of sharpness hidden deep within them. “In my humble opinion, what you harbor within is far more than mere impressiveness.”
I couldn’t help but furrow my brows. What did he mean by what I harbored? Was he referring to my investigative skills? But we had hardly met more than a few times! The only formal meeting we had was over drinks for official business; afterward, when the case was solved, we met two or three more times during private gatherings of men that I hadn’t attended at all. Could he really discern something from that?
I didn’t believe it!
However, he continued, “You’ve been bedridden for quite some time due to your injury; it must have been quite stifling for you. Just now, someone reported that there has been a murder in town. I’m going to take a look shortly; would you be interested in joining me? If you take a carriage, it shouldn’t be too much trouble.”
I found myself somewhat stunned. I always prided myself on my acting skills being comparable to those of an award-winning actress, yet he had only seen me twice and was inviting this “Delicate Lady” to see a Corpse—wasn’t that seeing right through me? Was there any other better explanation?
“I…” I momentarily didn’t know how to respond.
Bai Qianfan smiled lightly and said, "It seems you want to go? Please wait a moment, I will change my clothes and prepare the carriage, then we can set off."
As a result, I was somewhat confusedly led by Bai Qianfan to the crime scene.
The carriage was a bit bumpy, but I realized that it hardly affected my wound. It seemed that the Imperial Physician truly was skilled; I was recovering quite quickly. Surprisingly, Bai Qianfan turned out to be quite talkative, rivaling Luo Dachun. As we chatted along the way, I had mostly grasped the current situation.
After the White Horse Temple incident, Li Shimin reviewed Fang Xuanling's summary report and without hesitation selected one of the top ten detectives he deemed most suitable to transfer to the capital to familiarize himself with his duties, preparing him to take over as Governor of Yongzhou. This person was none other than Bai Qianfan. At this time in the Tang Dynasty, there was no established Jingzhao Prefecture, so administrative affairs in the capital were managed by Yongzhou Prefecture. The position of Governor of Yongzhou was typically held by an important prince in name, while the real authority lay with the Governor himself. Thus, it was a position of both significant power and importance, akin to being the protector of the imperial city.
Ironically, Li Shimin had just ascended to the throne, and many relationships were still unorganized; he himself still held the title of Governor of Yongzhou. Therefore, in name, Bai Qianfan's direct superior in Yongzhou Prefecture was none other than Li Shimin.
The chaos following the end of the Sui Dynasty had devastated people's livelihoods, and even now recovery was slow; various disturbances often arose even within Chang'an. Consequently, cases handled by Yongzhou Prefecture were numerous and varied, making for a busy environment. However, seeing Bai Qianfan's calm demeanor suggested that he had everything under control.
Since I needed to recuperate here, Nie Qiuyuan and Luo Dachun could not simply lounge around at the official residence either. With two such distinguished detectives on hand, it would be a waste not to utilize their skills. Thus, both of them were voluntarily assisting Yongzhou Prefecture with investigations and had put in considerable effort. This explained why I rarely saw them; I often lay alone in solitude.
Time passed quickly, and before I knew it, we arrived at the crime scene. Bai Qianfan wiped away his smile and helped me down from the carriage. Supporting me with my crutch, he guided me toward the location of the incident.
It was clear that the body had only recently been discovered; there had been no disturbance at the scene. The crime scene was located inside a silk shop in Chang'an's West Market, where Shop Owner Zhang Laosan had been found dead behind the counter in a gruesome manner. The body had been discovered after noon today because normally Zhang Family's shop opened early in the morning but had not opened on time today. After noon passed without any sign of activity, neighboring shopkeepers felt something was amiss and decided to poke through his window paper. Upon looking inside, they were so frightened that they didn't dare open the door and hurriedly reported it to the authorities.
Previously, county constables from Wannian County had come to investigate; however, due to current chaos, after Bai Qianfan took over as Chief Clerk of Yongzhou, he mandated that all homicide cases be reported immediately. This case should have originally been investigated by Wannian County, but after receiving notice from Bai Qianfan that he would personally attend, they secured the scene so that it remained largely untouched.
I couldn't help but feel puzzled; it seemed unnecessary for a Chief Clerk to rush to a county case like this when they could simply review reports after Wannian County provided preliminary findings. Could it be that he came personally just to set me up?
Thinking about it further, that seemed unlikely.
As we pushed open the door to the Zhang Family's silk shop, the acrid smell of blood hit me like a wave, tightening my heart. Instinctively, I immersed myself in the case, forgetting everything I had just been thinking about.
The shop was a chaotic mess; every possible place had been searched. The drawer at the counter was pulled out, and it was clear that the money had been taken. Poor Zhang Laosan lay behind the counter, his body punctured with several transparent holes. He wore light-colored clothing, making the bloodstains all the more shocking.
Yet, this was all too common. The brutality of the crime was extreme; the most horrifying aspect of the scene was that both of the victim's arms had been severed at the upper arm, lying beside his body. Beneath him were two pools of dark red blood.
Bai Qianfan waved for the County Constable to come over and asked, "What have you found out?"
The County Constable bowed and replied, "From the looks of this scene, it appears to be a home invasion robbery. There are two types of weapons involved: one is a dagger-type, and the other is a cleaver-type. I have sent someone to check recent case records from Chang'an County and Wannian County to see if there have been similar robberies."
Bai Qianfan nodded and said, "Continue your investigation." Then he turned to me.
"Miss Ye, you seem quite focused. I am very curious to hear your thoughts on this case," he said quietly in my ear as the officials busied themselves around us, and he stood at the door where there were no others nearby.
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