Yan Tongshu stared at his flushed face and instantly understood. Xu Qiu’s so-called “carousing and wanton pleasure” was probably the same sort of pleasure Yu Weizhu and Yu Moqing indulged in—pleasure between men.
If that was the case, then the eight victims had very likely all shared a taste for men. That was the reason the killer had targeted them.
Xu Qiu continued, “Then one day, Feng Feng had a falling-out with the lover he kept at home and drove him out. He left the house that evening and never returned. At first, Liu Ling assumed Feng Feng was simply having too much fun outside and would be back eventually. He never imagined that Feng Feng had vanished without a trace.
“He had no choice. He couldn’t leave the house empty forever, so he packed up all of Feng Feng’s belongings, cleaned the place up, and rented it out again. Liu Ling didn’t know Feng Feng was dead at first. He only found out recently, when he saw the notices we had posted everywhere. Afraid of getting himself into trouble, he didn’t dare say anything. It wasn’t until he confirmed that the Kaifeng Prefecture government was handling the case that he worked up the courage to follow us and strike up a conversation after seeing the portrait.”
Yan Tongshu nodded. “What happened to Feng Feng’s belongings?”
Xu Qiu waved to the men outside. Intimidated by the emperor’s imposing presence, they carried the small chest inside, then scrambled out the door one after another.
Qin Yi spoke up at that moment. “Who is Feng Feng?”
As Yan Tongshu gestured for Xu Qiu to open the chest, she gave him a concise explanation. “After we discovered the victim at the hunting grounds, Lord Feng and I investigated further and found that there had been seven other victims in the same area over the past five years. Feng Feng was one of them. The condition of the bodies and the methods used to dismember them were all connected, so we suspect a series of murders—”
Before she could finish, Yan Tongshu’s eyes went wide.
Qin Yi instinctively followed her gaze.
Half the contents of the opened chest consisted of dildos, lubricating gels, and all sorts of other miscellaneous implements.
Yan Tongshu shouted, “Close it! Close the chest!”
She was so frantic that she nearly vaulted over the desk to reach it and slam the lid shut.
Xu Qiu was so startled by her cries that he failed to react for a moment.
Pearl and Jinbao covered their eyes, their faces burning with embarrassment.
Even Eunuch Lu Xi, who had seen just about everything, turned his back and refused to look any longer.
Qin Yi stared at the chest, his pupils dilated and his thin lips slightly parted. He had clearly been caught off guard as well.
Yan Tongshu hurried around the desk and rushed over, slamming the chest shut with a sharp snap.
She covered her face, unwilling to confront reality.
Yan Tongshu demanded, “Didn’t you inspect it beforehand?”
Xu Qiu scratched his head and explained awkwardly, “Zhang Zheng inspected it. He said there was nothing dangerous inside, so I didn’t look.”
Yan Tongshu covered her face again.
“Ahem.” Qin Yi coughed twice and looked away. “Let’s continue investigating the case.”
Yan Tongshu quickly ordered Xu Qiu to carry the chest outside, remove that pile of bizarre items, and then bring the chest back in.
Facing the accursed chest, Yan Tongshu drew a deep breath and reached out to open it.
Only after confirming that it contained nothing else private did she finally let out the breath she had been holding.
At the very top of the chest lay two distinctive outfits belonging to a wealthy merchant.
When the clothes were lifted, a token lay pressed beneath them. Under the token were two books: *Spring Blossoms* and *Song of the Wind*, both classic plays passed down from the previous dynasty to the present day.
Yan Tongshu picked up the token and examined it carefully.
The token was forged entirely from black iron. Its front was engraved with an abstract design composed of ancient runes, lines, and triangles.
On the back, the character for “Ling” was engraved in Liao script.
Qin Yi’s gaze sharpened. He strode over and held out his hand. “Let me see.”
Yan Tongshu handed it to him.
After examining it closely, he said, “It’s the Black-Iron Token of the Northern Prefecture’s secret agents in the Liao Kingdom.”
The Northern Prefecture’s secret agents answered directly to the Liao royal family.
Seeing Yan Tongshu’s confusion, Qin Yi explained, “The Liao Kingdom’s military and government are divided between the Northern and Southern Prefectures. The Northern Prefecture is controlled by the old nobility, while the Southern Prefecture is controlled by the new nobility. The two prefectures keep each other in check, yet are closely intertwined. The Liao Kingdom has harassed our dynasty for years, severing the military, political, and economic ties between our two countries. The Southern Prefecture has suffered the most and advocates peace, constantly seeking to ease relations between the two nations. The Northern Prefecture, however, lies in the north of the Liao Kingdom and has been less affected. It favors war.”
Qin Yi looked at Yan Tongshu. “When did that man die?”
“Lord Feng said it was half a year ago. Two letters were also found inside the clothes wrapped around his body parts.” As he spoke, Yan Tongshu entered the inner room of the study, opened a drawer, retrieved the letters, and handed them to Qin Yi.
Qin Yi opened them. The paper was covered in incomprehensible text and strange numbers—thirty-one, thirty-two, nineteen, twenty, and so on. Strange drawings were sketched on the backs.
They must have been encoded messages.
“Half a year ago—that was precisely when the Liao Kingdom proposed peace talks,” Qin Yi said.
Yan Tongshu understood.
Half a year ago, this Northern Prefecture spy from the Liao Kingdom had disguised himself as a merchant and come to Bianjing to exchange information with certain people within the imperial court, intending to sabotage the peace negotiations and reignite the war.
Unfortunately, while living in disguise, he had indulged himself in pleasure and was accidentally raped and murdered.
Yan Tongshu lowered his gaze and stared at the encoded message. There had to be some sort of pattern to it; they simply could not decipher it for the time being.
Curious, Yan Tongshu asked, “What is that strange, blue-faced, fanged creature drawn on the back?”
Qin Yi set the letters down. “It’s the totem of the Northern Prefecture Grand Marshal’s family. The Grand Marshal of the Northern Prefecture was Xiao Jing, the Liao King’s sworn younger brother. After taking office twenty-seven years ago, he repeatedly launched raids southward. Yinzhou, Zhenzhou, and other regions fell one after another, and our army suffered devastating defeats. Xiao Jing’s prestige in the Liao Kingdom reached its peak. For the first time, he won the Southern Prefecture’s recognition and was appointed Grand Marshal of the Southern Prefecture. To this day, he remains the only Grand Marshal ever recognized by both the Northern and Southern Prefectures.
“Later, after seven consecutive years of fighting—when the war had reached its most critical point—the Grand Commandant at the time, Sikong Tang, presented a stratagem of sowing discord. He sent secret agents into the Liao Kingdom to fabricate the appearance that Xiao Jing had grown too powerful and was about to rebel. The Liao King fell for the ruse and urgently summoned Xiao Jing back before having him imprisoned. Later, Xiao Jing mysteriously died in prison. Everyone suspected that the Liao King had secretly executed him, and Xiao Jing’s son disappeared soon afterward. From then on, the Northern Prefecture Grand Marshal’s totem was abandoned and replaced with the clan emblem of the Liao King, the Yelü family.”
So this was a totem that had already been discarded.
Yan Tongshu furrowed his brows.
If Xiao Jing had already been discarded—and had even died at the hands of the Prince of Liao—why had he appeared again? And why in the hands of a Northern Bureau spy who took orders directly from the Northern Liao imperial family?
She shook her head, realizing she had let her thoughts wander too far.
Regardless of why the cipher bore the Grand Marshal’s family crest, it had nothing to do with this case.
Yan Tongshu turned to Xu Qiu, her gaze deep and thoughtful. “Liu Ling said Feng Feng lived in a rented house, indulging in wine and women. He disappeared only after having a falling-out with the lover he kept there. What about that lover?”
Xu Qiu answered respectfully, “My lord, that person could hardly be called a lover. Feng Feng was extremely debauched, and he was particularly fond of slender, beautiful young men. He went to a pleasure house and hired three companions. One of them was called Little Ye’er. He was fourteen years old, a young male courtesan the establishment had only just purchased, and he had yet to be initiated. Feng Feng paid a high price to take him away and even promised to treat him well for the rest of his life.
“The other two didn’t take those words spoken in bed seriously, but Little Ye’er was still an innocent boy. He had only just entered the pleasure house and had yet to learn how treacherous people there could be. The first person he met was someone like Feng Feng—a man skilled at sweet talk, gentle, and promiscuous. Naturally, Little Ye’er believed him. That day…”
Xu Qiu proceeded to recount the details.
That day, Little Ye’er returned from listening to an opera and saw Feng Feng packing his things. Assuming Feng Feng had encountered some urgent matter, he caught hold of his hand and asked, “My lord, where are you going? Has something happened at home?”
Feng Feng merely glanced at him. His voice was no longer as tender as it had been before; instead, it was cold enough to make one’s teeth ache. “I’m leaving Bianjing tomorrow.”
Leaving?
Little Ye’er panicked. “My lord, what about me? Am I going with you? Or should I stay here and wait for you to come back?”
Feng Feng swept him a cold look. “Go back to the pleasure house.”
The pleasure house?
No.
He didn’t want to go back to that terrifying place.
Little Ye’er grabbed Feng Feng and cried until both his eyes were red. “My lord, you’re joking, aren’t you? You said you would buy my freedom, take me home, and let me stay by your side and serve you for the rest of my life.”
Feng Feng had completed his mission, so of course he had to return and report.
Besides, he had had his fill of the boy and was tired of him. Now, merely looking at Little Ye’er’s well-used flesh made him feel disgusted.
He shoved Little Ye’er away. A vicious smile appeared on his face. “You actually believed what I said in bed? What a fool.”
Yesterday, they had been deeply enamored; today, Feng Feng refused to acknowledge him. Little Ye’er had never experienced anything like this. He clung to Feng Feng and refused to let go.
Feng Feng found him irritating. Annoyed that Little Ye’er was disturbing him as he packed, he seized him by the arm, dragged him out of the room, and threw him outside.
Feng Feng was a secret guard skilled in martial arts. Little Ye’er was merely an ordinary fourteen-year-old boy with thin arms and fragile legs—how could he possibly be a match for him? Thrown out without the slightest mercy, he slammed into the ground, and stars immediately swam before his eyes.
Little Ye’er knocked on the door and cried out, but the main gate remained tightly shut, without even the slightest crack opening.
At last, after crying himself exhausted, Little Ye’er collapsed unconscious in front of the gate. Feng Feng opened the door.
Little Ye’er thought Feng Feng had finally softened.
He was wrong.
Feng Feng did not even spare him a glance. He simply vanished into the night.
After that, Feng Feng disappeared. Little Ye’er was dragged back by the people from the pleasure house, and he never saw Feng Feng again.
Xu Qiu added, “After Liu Ling told us what he knew, we found Little Ye’er at Chonghua Pavilion, next door to Huihua House. We questioned him and learned the full story.”
Yan Tongshu pressed him further. “Did Feng Feng ever say anything unusual to Little Ye’er in the course of their daily conversations?”
Xu Qiu shook his head. “We asked Little Ye’er about that as well. He said the only strange thing was that Feng Feng once remarked, ‘As expected, the male courtesans here have much softer, smoother skin. Unlike those beyond the frontier—they’re all rough-skinned, burly men.’”
Yan Tongshu let out a sigh and instructed Xu Qiu, “We’ve confirmed that two of the deceased were men who favored other men. Investigate the other six thoroughly as well.”
Xu Qiu’s eyes widened. “Lord Yan suspects that all the victims were men who preferred men?”
Yan Tongshu nodded.
Xu Qiu exclaimed in astonishment, “But four of them had wives and children!”
Some even had more than one child.
Then Xu Qiu realized what Yan Tongshu meant and promptly fell silent.
There were plenty of wealthy gentlemen in Bianjing who kept male courtesans. They all had wives and children—indeed, there had even once been a craze for keeping male courtesans.
At the time, the imperial court had placed explicit restrictions on taking concubines: men of each rank were allowed only a certain number, while women of servile status were in short supply. Forcing respectable women into concubinage was punishable by law, so people began seeking an alternative. They competed over whose household kept male courtesans who were fairer, softer, younger, and more supple, as though the higher the quality of one’s male courtesans, the more prestige one’s family possessed.
These men were not necessarily attracted exclusively to other men. They simply enjoyed playing with young men’s bodies.
To wealthy and powerful gentlemen, a plaything was a plaything, regardless of whether it was male or female.
Later, the late emperor decided that such behavior was utterly indecent and launched a severe campaign to stamp it out, finally curbing the depraved trend.
It had only been a few years, yet Yan Tongshu had already forgotten that this had once been commonplace and found it shocking.
Xu Qiu composed himself and replied, “Yes, Lord Yan.”
With that, he turned and took his leave.
After Xu Qiu departed, Yan Tongshu returned to his desk to work.
Qin Yi gave Lu Xi a meaningful glance. Lu Xi led Pearl and Jinbao out as well.
Once everyone else had left, Qin Yi returned to the desk and sat down beside it. He looked at Yan Tongshu with interest. “Tell me exactly what’s going on with this case.”
The matter was too complicated, and explaining it in detail would be exhausting. Yan Tongshu simply took out the case files and handed them to Qin Yi, letting him read them for himself.
After a while, Qin Yi finished reading the files and asked, “What’s your view?”
Yan Tongshu raised his head, thinking as he spoke. “At present, we’ve confirmed that both Feng Feng and Yu Weizhu were men who favored other men. Judging from the farewell letter Yu Moqing left before disappearing, Yu Weizhu must have betrayed him as well. I suspect the killer is also involved in this sort of relationship and was betrayed by a man himself. That would explain why he harbors such intense resentment toward faithless, heartless men and chose to target them. When the killer murdered his victims, he identified with them as the injured party. That’s why, after knocking them unconscious with a blunt weapon, he chose to strangle them—a method of killing that requires close, intimate contact.”
Yan Tongshu paused, then continued, “Once Xu Qiu and the others confirm whether the other victims were also fond of that sort of thing, we’ll know what prompted the killer to choose his victims. However, the key to this case isn’t the motive. It’s how the killer disposed of the bodies and acquired such skilled dismemberment techniques. My instincts tell me that once we figure out those two points, we’ll be able to identify the culprit.”
When she finished speaking, Yan Tongshu looked at Qin Yi, wanting to hear his thoughts, only to find a faintly resentful look in his eyes.
Puzzled, Yan Tongshu stared at him. Qin Yi slowly said, “I was asking what you think of these people—men who seek pleasure with other men while marrying women and having children.”
“Absolutely unacceptable!” The moment this came up, Yan Tongshu could no longer suppress her anger. “Especially those two bastards, Yu Moqing and Yu Weizhu. If they think they’ve found true love, then they should stay faithful to it for the rest of their lives and stop ruining other people’s lives.”
Qin Yi’s eyes flickered. “So if it were you, even if you had no children, you would never marry or have children?”
“Of course not.” Yan Tongshu’s tone was firm.
Qin Yi smiled, then pressed the corners of his mouth down and picked up a memorial. In a calm voice, he replied, “Mm. I feel the same way.”
“Mm?” Yan Tongshu’s lashes fluttered instinctively. “What?”
The corners of Qin Yi’s lips lifted in the faintest of smiles. “Nothing.”
At last, it was time to leave for the day. Yan Tongshu’s eyes lit up, and she immediately began gathering her things with great cheer. But as she tidied up, she suddenly realized that there was now another person in the room. She looked at Qin Yi, a bright smile spreading across her face.
“Your Majesty, it’s time to go.”
“Mm.” Qin Yi’s voice was lazy as he rose to his feet.
Yan Tongshu looked at him expectantly.
Hurry up and leave.
Only after the boss left could an employee enjoy clocking out.
Qin Yi summoned Lu Xi. “Have the memorials on the desk packed up and sent to the Yan residence.”
“Why?” Yan Tongshu couldn’t understand.
Qin Yi bent down and met her gaze. “The new cook at your residence is indeed quite talented. I only had her cooking once, but I’ve already begun craving it.”
Yan Tongshu glared at him. “Your Majesty, you’re not planning to steal my cook, are you?”
“You’re overthinking it.” Qin Yi replied leisurely, “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Yuanzi. I miss it.”
That settled it. The shameless emperor wanted to take advantage of her inattention and spirit Yuanzi away to the palace.
Yan Tongshu gave a tiny huff.
The group returned to the Yan residence from the Kaifeng Prefecture. After dinner, Qin Yi sat in the study teasing Yuanzi, while Yan Tongshu sat nearby, reading a picture book with one eye and keeping watch for any attempt by Qin Yi to kidnap Yuanzi with the other.
As evening deepened, thick clouds as black as ink piled layer upon layer overhead.
Rumble—
A deafening clap of thunder shook the sky.
Lightning split open the heavens.
Torrential rain came pouring down.
Qin Yi raised his eyes and glanced out the window. Then he calmly looked away and said in an unhurried tone, “It seems I’ll have to spend the night at Minister Yan’s residence.”
Yan Tongshu ground her back teeth. “Your Majesty, my residence has umbrellas.”
“Minister Yan.” Qin Yi arched a brow and smiled. “The last time you and I shared a bed, you drank your wine too quickly, and we didn’t get to discuss things in depth. Since Heaven itself has decided to keep me here tonight, why don’t we sleep side by side again and have a proper, thorough discussion?”
Who wanted to have a thorough discussion with him?
Yan Tongshu shook her head frantically. “Your Majesty, there are guest rooms at my residence.”
“No need to trouble yourself.” The smile at the corner of Qin Yi’s lips deepened.
Yan Tongshu continued shaking her head. “It’s no trouble. Truly, no trouble at all.”
Qin Yi gently set Yuanzi down on the couch, then rose and smoothed his sleeves. “Come along, Minister Yan. It’s time to wash up.”
Before he had even finished speaking, he had already walked over to Yan Tongshu and taken her hand, pulling her up from the chair.
Qin Yi forcibly dragged Yan Tongshu back to her room. Yan Tongshu frantically cast Pearl pleading looks, silently begging her to save her.
Lu Xi was quick on the uptake. He stepped sideways and firmly blocked Pearl’s path.
Pearl stamped her foot anxiously. “Eunuch Lu Xi, what has His Majesty done to my young master?”
Lu Xi guiltily looked away. “Lately, His Majesty has been paying ever more attention to Lord Yan. He wishes to… sleep side by side with Lord Yan and discuss state affairs in bed.”
What?!
Pearl felt as if she had been struck by lightning, and her head began to buzz.
No!
Absolutely not!
Her young master and His Majesty could never sleep in the same bed!
Pearl shoved Lu Xi aside and dashed toward Yan Tongshu’s bedroom.
With a bang, she flung open the door and gasped, “Your Majesty! The guest room has already been prepared. It’s the largest and most comfortable room in the residence!”
“No need.” Qin Yi dipped both hands into the basin of clear water. “Tonight, I wish to discuss the revision of the laws with Minister Yan.”
He leisurely rubbed his fingers clean. His tone was calm, yet carried an air of absolute confidence. “The matter has already reached the middle stage. We’re currently gathering opinions from the various prefectures and provinces.”
Damn dog emperor.
Yan Tongshu clenched her fists. He had spent so long playing with Yuanzi without bringing it up, yet now he suddenly wanted to discuss it.
He had deliberately chosen this moment because he knew she wanted to find out how the ban on brothels and gambling houses was progressing.
“Pearl,” Yan Tongshu said irritably, “you may leave first.”
Pearl grew frantic. “Young master!”
Yan Tongshu gave her a meaningful look.
Pearl grew even more anxious. His Majesty was a man, while her young master was a woman. How could a man and a woman… How could they…?
In any case, it simply could not happen!
Yan Tongshu’s voice turned stern. “Leave.”
Pearl glared viciously at the emperor, opened the door, and with a sharp snap, closed it gently behind her—throwing the smallest possible tantrum at Qin Yi.
Standing outside the door, Pearl whimpered inwardly: I’m sorry, young master. I’m too much of a coward.
Lu Xi stood to one side, keeping his eyes lowered and his nose to his heart, not daring to make a sound.
When he saw Yan Tongshu standing motionless, Qin Yi walked over, took her hand, and, without giving her a chance to refuse, pressed her cool fingers into the basin of warm water.
Ripples spread across the surface, and warmth traveled up from her fingertips.
He said, “We’re both men. What are you afraid of?”
“I—I’m not afraid!” Yan Tongshu’s voice lacked conviction.
Qin Yi stared at her without blinking, his gaze deep and heavy, as though he meant to see straight into the depths of her eyes.
“Yan Tongshu.”
Yan Tongshu’s eyes darted away. “What?”
Qin Yi looked directly into her eyes and slowly began, “Have you realized…?”
Realized what?
Yan Tongshu tensed nervously, straightening her body.
Qin Yi continued, “…that you sleep rather disgracefully, and are afraid you’ll kick Me out of bed again?”
Yan Tongshu was furious. She drove an elbow into Qin Yi’s waist and abdomen. The blow was neither light nor heavy, yet Qin Yi merely laughed.
Yan Tongshu looked at him in puzzlement. “What are you laughing at?”
“Yan Tongshu.” The amusement in his eyes deepened, though his voice grew even more leisurely. “You’re becoming bolder and bolder in front of me.”
Even when he addressed himself as “I,” she now dared to show him attitude.
Yan Tongshu shot him a sideways glance, quickly washed her hands, then snatched up a cloth and wiped them dry haphazardly.
The servants brought out the hot water and replaced it with fresh water.
A while later, the two of them had finished washing up. Yan Tongshu sat on the edge of the bed, every inch of her body tense with discomfort.
The flickering candlelight cast a hazy glow over the entire room.
Qin Yi rose, walked around the screen, removed his outer robe, and changed into clean inner garments.
The faint rustle of fabric came from behind the screen. Yan Tongshu lowered her eyes, staring at the tips of her toes without moving a muscle.
After a moment, Qin Yi emerged and looked at her. “Aren’t you going to change?”
Yan Tongshu was screaming internally, but outwardly she forced herself to remain calm, giving no sign of her panic.
She went behind the screen and began undoing her clothes piece by piece.
This was the screen in her own room, and it was translucent.
When Qin Yi had changed just now, even though she had deliberately looked away, she had still been able to catch the vague outline of his figure from the corner of her eye.
Now it was her turn.
With her scalp prickling, Yan Tongshu turned her back and changed her clothes before coming out.
Fortunately, Qin Yi was leaning against the headboard, flipping through her little picture book. He had not been looking in her direction.
Only the tips of his ears were faintly red.
Yan Tongshu walked over and glanced at the cover. Luckily, it was just an ordinary picture book—not the rather risqué kind she had once brought to Xianlin Academy.
“Your Majesty.” She steadied herself and sat down beside Qin Yi. “How is the revision of the laws going? Is there much opposition from the local authorities to banning brothels and gambling houses?”
“Half and half.” Qin Yi seemed quite interested in Yan Tongshu’s picture book, *Records of Strange Tales of Monsters*. He continued turning the pages without looking up and answered casually, “As for the brothels, half the local officials and gentry are opposed. If we persist later on, it should be possible to pass the measure. But nearly eighty percent oppose banning gambling houses.”
Yan Tongshu was stunned.
Were gambling houses actually harder to ban than brothels?
She voiced the question burning in her soul. “Why?”
In her agitation, she instinctively moved closer to Qin Yi.
The motion of Qin Yi’s hand paused slightly. His back tensed unconsciously. “Gambling houses generate enormous cash flow and high tax revenues. They are an important source of income for quite a few prefectures and provinces.”
When it came down to it, it was all about money.
Yan Tongshu snorted. “What about the losses they cause and the damage they do to people’s livelihoods? Do they not take any of that into consideration?”
“That is why…” Qin Yi set down the picture book and turned his head to look at her. “To make this happen later, we will need more detailed and reliable data to prove that the losses caused by gambling houses and brothels far outweigh their profits.”
Yan Tongshu nodded. “Understood.”
The candle flame flickered, while rain pattered softly outside the window.
As she answered him, Yan Tongshu tilted her head back, searching her mind for how she should go about gathering the necessary data.
His snow-white neck and delicate skin were bathed in the candlelight, taking on a soft, warm glow.
Qin Yi looked away. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his fingers curled ever so slightly.
Something inside him seemed to have been awakened.
In truth, ever since the hunting grounds, he had been dreaming as well.
