Qin Yi had someone find a coffin nearby and place all the body parts inside.
This place lay on the border between Bianjing and Yunzhou, though it was even closer to Yunzhou. In theory, if a corpse were discovered here, it should be turned over to the governor of Yunzhou for handling.
Qin Yi looked toward Yan Tongshu.
Yan Tongshu’s brows were tightly furrowed. He was probably already trying to determine how the deceased had died and who the murderer might be.
With a knowing smile, Qin Yi led everyone back to camp and ordered someone to summon the governor of Yunzhou.
Upon learning that a dead body had been found in His Majesty’s hunting grounds, Feng Jien was so frightened that he broke into a cold sweat. He rode to the hunting grounds at the fastest pace possible and knelt on the ground to plead guilty.
“Your Majesty, I, Feng Jien, have failed to live up to your promotion and trust. How could such a murder occur during Your Majesty’s autumn hunt?”
Qin Yi rubbed his temples and told Feng Jien to look at the person in the coffin. “Do you recognize him?”
Feng Jien peered into the coffin.
The man’s head and face were swollen beyond recognition. One look at him would probably give Feng Jien nightmares for half the night.
Suppressing his fear, Feng Jien examined the corpse carefully. Then he knelt and replied, “Your Majesty, this subject has never seen him before.”
Feng Jien did not recognize him, and neither did Yan Tongshu. No one in the hunting grounds knew who he was.
There was no other choice. They could only transport the body back, have someone reconstruct a portrait based on the deceased’s facial features, and post notices asking for information.
After this incident, however, Qin Yi was no longer in the mood for the autumn hunt.
Fortunately, the hunt had originally been scheduled to last only two days. After today’s team competition, they had been due to return to the capital anyway.
Since Qin Yi had lost interest, he ordered Yan Tongshu and Feng Jien to investigate the case together before setting off for the capital ahead of schedule.
Once they reached the palace gates, the officials no longer needed to escort him.
Qin Yi lifted the carriage curtain and let his deep gaze sweep over the assembled officials before finally settling on Yan Tongshu.
Outside the carriage, Yan Tongshu had already dismounted. Along with the other officials, he bowed respectfully to see His Majesty off.
Qin Yi gave Yan Tongshu one long look before lowering the curtain.
The carriage proceeded steadily through the palace gates.
Yan Tongshu and the others raised their heads together.
By then, the palace gates had already closed, and there was no longer any sign of the carriage.
Yan Tongshu frowned slightly. What had that look meant?
Was Qin Yi still angry over the prayer beads?
Forget it. He would think about that later. They had yet to confirm the identity of the deceased.
Yan Tongshu returned to the Kaifeng Prefecture and ordered someone to reconstruct the man’s likeness based on the features of the corpse. Notices were posted throughout both Bianjing and Yunzhou, describing the pattern of the clothes wrapped around the deceased as well as the three characters “Yu Moqing” embroidered on his inner garment.
The next day at noon, after finishing his meal, Yan Tongshu took Pearl and Jinbao out for a stroll and wandered into the Treasure House.
He followed the counters, admiring the exquisite ornaments on display.
Hairpins, headdresses, strings of ornaments, armlets… The selection was dazzling, with everything one could wish for.
From a tray, Yan Tongshu picked up a hibiscus pearl hairpin. Tiny pearls had been carefully arranged into a blooming hibiscus, with mother-of-pearl forming the petals and a piece of jade serving as the flower’s center. It was elegant and distinctive.
“Young sir, you certainly have excellent taste.” Seeing that Yan Tongshu was dressed in an unmistakably distinguished manner, the shopkeeper approached with a broad smile. “This pearl hairpin was personally crafted by the finest artisan in our shop, Madam Li. Its materials are of the highest quality, and there is nothing else quite like it. Are you choosing it for a sister in your family, or perhaps…?”
He paused meaningfully. “Is it for someone special?”
Yan Tongshu shook her head, set the hairpin down, and looked around once more, but nothing caught her fancy.
Pearl blinked and asked in a small voice, “Young Master, you don’t like any of them?”
Or was it that she liked someone she couldn’t wear it for?
Yan Tongshu rested her chin in her hand. “I haven’t really decided what to buy. I’m just browsing.”
“Haven’t decided what?” Chen Meirong suddenly appeared behind Yan Tongshu, startling her so badly that she gave a little jolt. When Yan Tongshu realized who it was, she patted her chest and said, “Auntie, you scared me to death.”
Chen Meirong paid no attention to that. She arched her brows and winked. “Tongshu, what are you doing at the Treasure Pavilion? Don’t tell me you’re picking out a gift for someone special. Who is she? Which family’s young lady? Come on, tell me.”
“Auntie.” Yan Tongshu could neither laugh nor cry. “I’m really just browsing.”
“Really? There’s no one?” Chen Meirong clearly didn’t believe her.
Yan Tongshu said, “Really, there isn’t.”
Chen Meirong looked terribly disappointed. “You’re already twenty-three.”
By rights, someone that age ought to have children already.
Chen Meirong pursed her lips. “Tongshu, Liangyu is so much younger than you, and she’s already nearly married. You can’t afford to be so unconcerned.”
Yan Tongshu was helpless. With the way she was, how could she take a wife?
She hurriedly changed the subject. “Auntie, did you come to the Treasure Pavilion to buy something too?”
“Yes.” Chen Meirong had her maid stand to one side before moving closer to Yan Tongshu. “Liangyu and the Pei family have settled on the marriage, haven’t they? There are so many things a bride-to-be needs to prepare. I heard the Treasure Pavilion recently received a new shipment, so I thought I’d come see whether there was anything suitable for Liangyu to wear when she marries. Even if nothing is suitable, something truly beautiful would make an excellent addition to her dowry.”
“Then I’ll help you choose,” Yan Tongshu offered.
“Now that’s wonderful.” Chen Meirong immediately broke into a broad smile. “You’ve always had a good eye. The patterns you design are the best-selling ones at our cloth shop, so I’m sure your taste in jewelry is just as good.”
Chen Meirong loved gold, silver, and jewels, and was a frequent customer at the Treasure Pavilion. The moment the shopkeeper saw her, the smile on his face became several shades more sincere than it had been when he was speaking to Yan Tongshu.
The items displayed outside the Treasure Pavilion were ordinary goods for regular customers to choose from. As for newly arrived treasures like these, they were generally reserved first for the shop’s established clientele—something akin to modern VIP treatment.
Thus, when Chen Meirong asked about the new merchandise, the shopkeeper immediately smiled and said, “The newly arrived treasures have all been set aside for valued regulars like you, Mrs. Qian.”
At the shopkeeper’s call, a shop assistant brought out two trays of treasures, filled to the brim with glittering gold and jewels.
The display perfectly suited Chen Meirong’s taste, and she began selecting pieces with great delight.
The shopkeeper smiled as he introduced each item to her. “Mrs. Qian, take a look at this gilt-gold floral hairpin inlaid with gemstones. It’s made entirely of pure gold. Just look at its size, its luster, its weight…”
“Stop, stop, stop.”
Yan Tongshu quickly cut him off. If Liangyu wore that on her head, her neck probably wouldn’t be able to straighten on her wedding day.
Chen Meirong’s eyes were practically welded to the golden hairpin. She slowly ran her fingertips over it. “But isn’t it beautiful?”
Yan Tongshu sat down beside Chen Meirong. “Shopkeeper, we’re choosing something for a bride. Pick out something festive, but not too extravagant.”
Chen Meirong did not understand. “How is this extravagant?”
Yan Tongshu lowered her voice. “This hairpin alone weighs over two taels—nearly three. Put it on her head, and it’d take up half of it.”
And Liangyu had such excellent proportions, with a rather small head to begin with. Yan Tongshu did not dare imagine what it would look like on her.
“Oh, so you’re selecting for a newlywed bride.” The shopkeeper suddenly understood and went inside to bring out a tray of jewelry that was decidedly not to Chen Meirong’s taste. “What do you two think of this batch?”
Chen Meirong examined the pieces carefully. No matter how she looked at them, she felt they were inferior to the gold hairpins from before. Those hairpins had been so large and so lovely.
“Is there anything else?” Chen Meirong asked.
The shopkeeper hesitated. “There is an even finer set, but it has already been reserved by Young Master Pei’s household. They said there was a happy occasion approaching in the residence, so they placed the order half a month in advance.”
Pei Jin'an?
Chen Meirong gave an “oh,” her heart blooming with delight. Yet she did not reveal that the Pei family’s happy occasion was their marriage to her daughter. The corners of her lips could not help but curve upward. “Then I’ll keep looking.”
Yan Tongshu could not help smiling as well.
Still curious, Chen Meirong continued browsing as she asked, “Just how much better is that finer set?”
The shopkeeper’s smile deepened. “It is this year’s newly designed bridal collection from the Yu family of Xianzhou. Only three sets were made in total. The bridal crown alone was painstakingly crafted by seven artisans over more than half a month.
“The Yu family of Xianzhou is truly remarkable. I’ve heard that the jewelry they make has caught the eye of the Imperial Supply Bureau, and next year they are to provide tribute pieces for the palace. Eldest Young Master Pei is friends with our young proprietor. The moment he saw this month’s inventory ledger, he selected that set on the spot. The goods had not even arrived yet when the Pei family reserved them.”
Hearing how seriously the Pei family regarded her daughter, Chen Meirong felt even more delighted, her face breaking into a broad smile.
Yan Tongshu, however, frowned slightly. “You said... the Yu family of Xianzhou?”
The shopkeeper nodded. “The Yu family of Xianzhou has worked with our Precious Treasure Pavilion for many years. Their craftsmanship in jewelry-making is beyond reproach.”
The Yu of Yu Moqing?
Could it really be such a coincidence?
Yan Tongshu pressed on sharply. “Which Yu?”
The shopkeeper traced the character on the counter with his finger.
It was indeed the Yu of Yu Moqing.
Yan Tongshu asked again, “When did members of the Yu family come to deliver the goods?”
“About ten days ago,” said the shopkeeper.
“How many people came to make the delivery?”
“There were five in all. The one leading them was the Yu family’s Second Young Master, Yu Weizhu. We all call him Mr. Yu.”
Not Yu Moqing?
Yan Tongshu asked, “Does Yu Weizhu have any other name?”
The shopkeeper shook his head. “That, I do not know.”
“Where are they now?” Yan Tongshu asked.
The shopkeeper smiled. “They were making a delivery. Once the payment was settled that day, they naturally left for home.”
Yan Tongshu lowered her gaze in thought.
The goods had been delivered ten days ago. Payment had been settled that same day, and they had departed immediately.
The dismembered victim had been dead for more than seven days.
The timeline matched—but that name...
Chen Meirong gently tugged at Yan Tongshu’s sleeve, her eyes filled with confusion. “What is it?”
Yan Tongshu gave Chen Meirong a reassuring look, then sent Jinbao outside to ask the Kaifeng Prefecture constables for a sketch of the deceased.
Then Yan Tongshu pressed the shopkeeper further. “What was the delivery schedule between your shop and the Yu family? Was it always Mr. Yu who came?”
“The Treasure Pavilion has worked with the Yu family for many years,” the shopkeeper replied. “Every year around this time, the Yu family comes to the capital to deliver goods. For the past five years, Mr. Yu has handled the deliveries himself.”
Yan Tongshu nodded to show that she understood.
After a while, Jinbao returned with the sketch. Yan Tongshu unfolded it and asked the shopkeeper, “Is this the man?”
The shopkeeper took one look and immediately widened his eyes, his face changing dramatically. “Th-this… How could this happen? He was perfectly well… How did he suddenly…”
From the shopkeeper’s reaction, Yan Tongshu had already drawn her conclusion. Nevertheless, to be cautious, she confirmed once more, “Was he Yu Weizhu?”
The shopkeeper nodded, then asked, “May I ask, Young Master, how Mr. Yu was killed?”
Yan Tongshu shook her head slightly. “We can’t determine that yet. The investigation is still under way.”
The journey from Xianzhou to Bianjing was a long one. The route into the capital was in the opposite direction from Yunzhou, so Yu Weizhu should not have passed through Yunzhou on his return journey either. Why, then, had his body appeared on the road between Bianjing and Yunzhou, the very route one had to take?
Had he had other goods to deliver?
Or had the place where he was killed been not far from that stretch of wilderness?
Yan Tongshu rose, gave Chen Meirong a few instructions, and returned to the Kaifeng Prefecture offices with Pearl and Jinbao.
Now that they knew the deceased’s identity, the investigation would be much easier.
Yan Tongshu summoned the constables and ordered them to find out where the Yu family’s delivery caravan was, which inn Yu Weizhu had stayed at after entering the capital, and whom he had met.
Yu Weizhu was from out of town and came to deliver goods only once a year. He should not have known many people in Bianjing.
He was a wealthy young man who had been killed after receiving payment for the goods he delivered, yet there had been nothing of value in the bundle with his body.
As she had initially suspected, it was very likely a case of murder for robbery.
But why had the killer chosen to abandon the body on the road between Bianjing and Yunzhou?
And when exactly had Yu Weizhu been killed?
Yan Tongshu wrote all her thoughts in her notebook and set them aside for the time being before turning to her official duties.
The following afternoon, Yan Tongshu was handling official matters when a constable came to announce that Lord Feng, the governor of Yunzhou, had arrived. Yan Tongshu immediately ordered that he be shown in.
Feng Jien bowed to Yan Tongshu. “This subordinate pays his respects to Lord Yan.”
“Rise,” Yan Tongshu said.
Feng Jien straightened.
After being personally questioned by His Majesty at the imperial hunting grounds, Feng Jien had returned to Yunzhou and investigated the case through the night. He had then ridden at full speed to Kaifeng. After all that, he had slept for less than two hours. He was therefore dusty and travel-worn, with heavy dark circles beneath his eyes.
“Lord Yan,” Feng Jien said, “after returning, I carefully questioned the magistrate of Tai County, the county nearest to the hunting grounds, and examined the local government office’s records. I discovered something truly astonishing.”
Yan Tongshu watched him without blinking, waiting for him to continue.
Feng Jien extended a hand. A Yunzhou constable beside him presented a thick stack of official documents and records with both hands to Pearl, who then placed them on Yan Tongshu’s desk.
As Yan Tongshu leafed through the records, Feng Jien said, “Over the past five years, there have been seven reports filed in the vicinity of Tai County. In every case, local villagers discovered severed limbs and other remains in that stretch of desolate woodland. The cases were complicated and yielded no clues. The magistrate of Tai County was replaced three times, yet none of them managed to solve the crimes. In the end, the cases were sealed away and left unresolved.
“The victim from five years ago was likely the killer’s first. He was still inexperienced. The body had been dismembered into only three pieces, and the cuts were crude, without the slightest sign of technique. The remains had been dumped carelessly as well; nearby hunters discovered them within a day.”
Following Feng Jien’s instructions, Yan Tongshu first turned to the records from five years ago.
There were no photographs, only sketches of the corpse drawn by the clerks, along with written details.
The coroner’s report clearly stated that the victim had been divided into three roughly equal sections, from head to foot. The method was bloody and brutal, but just as Feng Jien had said, it showed no skill whatsoever.
This meant that the killer had no understanding of the structure of the human skeleton and had dismembered the body purely by guesswork.
Yet from another perspective, it also revealed one of the killer’s characteristics.
Human bones were extremely hard. The killer had used such a brutally simple method, and had succeeded in severing the body with no more than two blows in each place. This suggested that his weapon was extraordinarily sharp and that he possessed great strength.
Yan Tongshu continued reading the autopsy report.
It stated: “The victim sustained an injury to the back of the head, apparently caused by a blow from a heavy object. There were marks around the neck, resembling those left by strangulation. Preliminary examination suggests that the victim was strangled to death by the killer, then dismembered and abandoned.”
Yan Tongshu carefully recalled the condition of the corpse discovered that day.
The victim had indeed suffered a blow to the back of the head. The killer had cut off the head, leaving the flesh around the neck mangled and bloody. Although there was bruising, it was impossible to determine with certainty whether it had been caused by human hands.
Yan Tongshu quickly read through all seven autopsy reports. Some of the bodies had already decomposed by the time they were found, leaving no evidence to examine. Including the victim from five years ago, only three had been discovered soon enough for any traces to be identified.
Those three victims had died six months ago, three years ago, and five years ago. All had suffered injuries to the back of the head and bruising around the neck. The coroner concluded that two had been strangled to death, while one had been strangled after death.
The methods of killing were similar. The locations and methods of disposal were alike, as was the practice of using the victims’ own clothing to wrap the body parts and bind them together. It could almost certainly be confirmed that the same person had committed all the murders.
“Strange.” Yan Tongshu murmured to himself, “Why would the killer choose strangulation?”
If the killer strangled his victims first, then whether they were already dead or not, there would have been no need to strike them in the back of the head afterward.
The only possibility was that the killer first approached from behind and knocked the victim unconscious with a heavy object, then strangled him to death before dismembering the body. At times, he might have struck too hard and killed the victim outright without realizing it, then continued strangling him in an attempt to make certain he was completely dead.
But why strangulation?
The killer had a sharp weapon in hand. Killing someone with it would have been simple enough, yet he had deliberately chosen the most laborious method of all.
Moreover, psychologically speaking, strangling a victim was a typical form of intimate crime.
Did the killer know all eight of his victims, including Yu Weizhu, and harbor some grudge against them?
The emperor himself had taken an interest in the case, so Feng Jien dared not be careless. Hearing Yan Tongshu’s words, he pressed him for an answer. “Lord Yan, have you discovered something?”
“Hard to say.” Yan Tongshu continued flipping through the examination reports. “Go on. Tell me what you know.”
“Yes.” Feng Jien said respectfully, “Of the seven deaths over the past five years, the identities of six have been verified. Only one remains unidentified. All six were merchants who traveled between the two places, and every one of them had been stripped of their valuables by the time they were found. I suspect the killer murdered them for their money.”
“Your theory has some merit.” Yan Tongshu first acknowledged Feng Jien’s conclusion.
Her initial suspicion had been the same as his: murder for the sake of robbery.
But the method of strangulation made her harbor some doubts.
Yan Tongshu said cautiously, “Let me first look over the details of the seven victims.”
The seven bodies had been discovered on the following dates, from earliest to latest: March 21 five years ago; July 12 four years ago; September 23 and November 11 three years ago; June 9 and September 24 two years ago; and February 3 half a year ago.
The unidentified victim had been found on February 3, half a year ago. The corpse was one of the three discovered early enough for the face to remain recognizable.
This nameless corpse had a tattoo around its waist: a black-and-blue tiger with wings, its fangs bared and its appearance exceptionally ferocious.
Aside from the same bruising on the back of the head and strangulation marks around the neck, it resembled another corpse in one other respect: the flesh on the inner thigh had decayed more severely than the flesh elsewhere. The first victim had also had abrasions on the inner thigh.
Among the clothing of the unidentified corpse, the authorities had discovered several letters soaked in blood. The letters were filled with disjointed, nonsensical phrases, and their meaning could not be discerned. On the reverse of each letter was a drawing of a blue-faced, fanged creature—an extremely strange animal that did not resemble anything from the Central Plains.
The remaining six victims all appeared to be around twenty-six or twenty-seven years old. Their appearances varied greatly. Some were burly men of average build with full beards; some had refined features; some looked excessively effeminate; and one had a square, stern-looking face.
Their identities had been confirmed by their families based on their clothing and skeletal features.
Four of the six had already married and had wives and children. The other two were in the process of arranging their marriages when they were killed.
Moreover, the six victims came from different places, spoke with different accents, and worked in different trades.
Some sold cloth, some sold rice, some sold wine, and some owned taverns.
The Yu family dealt in jewelry.
Aside from being of similar age, standing between 165 and 170 centimeters tall, and coming from wealthy families, the six victims had nothing in common.
The killer seemed to have murdered them at random for their money before abandoning their bodies in the wilderness.
There was also the matter of how the bodies had been dismembered. The technique used on the first corpse, five years ago, had still been quite clumsy. By the time the second corpse was found four years ago, the killer had already begun to show some proficiency.
And with Yu Weizhu, whose body had been discovered this time, the killer’s technique had become so practiced that the dismemberment was as effortless as a master butcher carving an ox.
Could the killer really have perfected the technique after only seven victims?
Seeing that Yan Tongshu had nearly finished reviewing the records, Feng Jien spoke up. “There is one more thing—something very strange.”
Yan Tongshu raised her eyes. “What is it?”
Feng Jien said, “The three magistrates of Taixian each took the discovery of a body seriously and worked diligently to solve the case, so their investigations were extremely thorough. Aside from the one whose identity could not be determined, the other six all disappeared after entering Bianjing. None of them had any record of leaving the city. Later, their dismembered bodies were found in the wilderness between Bianjing and Yunzhou.”
“You suspect the victims were actually killed in Bianjing?” Yan Tongshu asked.
Feng Jien nodded.
Yan Tongshu frowned.
If the victims had truly died within Bianjing, why would the killer go to such lengths to dump their bodies far outside the city?
Dismembering the bodies would have made them easier to dispose of, yet the killer had handled the disposal so crudely, simply tossing the remains into depressions in the barren woods.
The dismemberment was meticulous, but the disposal was careless.
In a city as vast as Bianjing, was there really nowhere to dump them?
Anyone entering or leaving Bianjing had to pass through an inspection at the city gates. If the victims had been killed inside the city, how had the killer managed to transport their bodies out?
Even if the bodies had been dismembered and wrapped in cloth, there would have been the overwhelming stench of blood, not to mention all the blood seeping through. And the heads would have been unmistakable to the touch. Even if every guard at the gates had been blind, surely their noses would not have failed them as well?
Besides, even if the inspections at the gates were lax, would the killer really have needed to take such a risk? Why not dump the bodies somewhere inside the city, or throw them into the river?
Yan Tongshu asked, “Lord Feng, what were these victims doing in Bianjing during the few days before they disappeared? Where had they been?”
Lord Feng let out a troubled sigh. “That is precisely the problem. All of the victims were merchants. They came to Bianjing either to place orders or deliver goods, and they were all carrying payment for their transactions. After finishing their business, they would usually stay in Bianjing for another day or two before returning home. During that time, the victims generally chose to part ways with their fellow travelers and explore the city on their own. Since they were outsiders, few people knew them, and even fewer knew where they had gone.”
Yan Tongshu was at a loss as well.
So much time had passed since the earlier victims’ deaths. Even if she wanted to investigate their movements now, she feared there would be no trace left to follow.
Yan Tongshu organized her thoughts.
For now, the only lead seemed to be Yu Weizhu. He had died seven days ago, and enough time had not yet passed. There was still a chance of finding something.
But in fact, there was another lead.
Yan Tongshu located the records concerning the first victim.
The first victim, Jiang Han, was the most distinctive case. It had been the killer’s first crime, and the killer had been inexperienced. The dismemberment had been clumsy, and the body had been discovered by local villagers within a day of being dumped. It had not yet begun to decompose, leaving behind more evidence than any of the others.
Yan Tongshu read through Jiang Han’s autopsy report once again.
Jiang Han, twenty-two years old, was the heir to Xibaolai Restaurant in Taixian, Yunzhou. He frequently traveled between Bianjing and Yunzhou to deliver and purchase goods.
Seven days after becoming engaged to his fiancée, he went to Bianjing to purchase goods. He stayed at Wangfeng Inn, having prepaid half a month’s lodging. After five days there, he left the inn one night and never returned.
According to the autopsy report, in addition to the blunt-force trauma to the back of his head and the strangulation marks shared by the other victims, Jiang Han also had bruises caused by squeezing on his arms, waist, buttocks, inner thighs, and calves.
