Once Yongsheng had gone inside, the Divine Guards silently crept up behind the servant and struck him unconscious with a single palm blow. Another Divine Guard stepped forward, and together they swiftly dragged the man away.
When Yongsheng came back out, all he saw was a lantern flickering faintly on the ground, surrounded by darkness.
Unease stirred in his heart, and he picked up the lantern.
Suddenly, a sinister chuckle rang out.
The sound was like laughter and weeping at once, as shrill and mournful as a vengeful ghost.
Smoke billowed through the air.
Terrified, Yongsheng clutched the Heavenly God talisman hanging around his neck. “What is that?”
“Heh heh heh heh…”
A woman’s laughter echoed in a string of eerie giggles.
A headless female ghost dressed in Princess Xing’an’s gown floated out.
The person Meng Zheng had hired was a professional opera performer who specialized in playing female roles. When she performed the ghost’s drifting steps, it looked as though she were floating just above the ground—utterly convincing.
The female ghost faced Yongsheng and let out a puzzled hum. Then, as if searching for something, she asked, “Where is my head?”
As a believer in the Heavenly God religion, Yongsheng naturally believed that ghosts existed in this world.
Trembling, he began reciting the Bible.
The female ghost suddenly surged forward and cried out joyfully, “Lord Yongsheng!”
Yongsheng gripped the Heavenly God talisman tightly and asked in a quavering voice, “Who are you?”
“Lord Yongsheng!” The ghost exclaimed in delight. “It’s me! I’m Xing’an. I’m looking for my head. Huh?”
The ghost drifted one step closer. “The New Church’s Bible? Lord Yongsheng, are you a follower of the New Church?”
When Yongsheng heard that she was Xing’an, much of his fear faded. He raised his head fiercely and glared at the female ghost with loathing.
“You’re already dead! You shouldn’t be here! Disappear at once, or I’ll have the Heavenly God take you away!”
“I’m already dead?” The female ghost muttered to herself as though she had lost her mind, drifting aimlessly back and forth.
“How did I die?”
She asked Yongsheng.
After a moment of confusion, she suddenly realized something. “Was it you who killed me? Then where is my head?”
Yongsheng took out some holy water and aimed it at the female ghost. Though this holy water, which could destroy ghosts and spirits, could not grant immortality, it was still extremely precious. He could not bear to waste it on Princess Xing’an and shouted angrily, “Princess, you did wrong. The Heavenly God issued an oracle commanding the Liao to march south and unite the realm. But you, your father, and Empress Dowager Xiao defied the Heavenly God’s command. That is why the Heavenly God took your life. If you still refuse to repent, the Heavenly God will surely scatter your soul!”
“Oh, so you were the one who killed me!” The female ghost’s voice suddenly turned feral.
“No. The Heavenly God took your life. We were incompetent and failed in our assassination attempt, but the Heavenly God is omnipotent. Every life is bestowed by Him. You did wrong, so the Heavenly God reclaimed the life He had given you. But so long as you sincerely admit your fault, the Heavenly God will surely forgive you and grant you a new life.”
The more Yongsheng spoke, the firmer his faith became. By the end, a lofty power had risen within his heart, and he no longer felt the slightest fear of Princess Xing’an’s ghost before him.
He lowered the holy water and advised her in a tone filled with pity, “Princess Xing’an, turn back before it is too late.”
“No!” the female ghost shrieked. “It was you traitors of the New Church who killed me! The Heavenly God is exalted and sacred. He would never harm a believer or hurt any of His people!”
“You still refuse to admit your wrongdoing!” Yongsheng straightened his chest and declared arrogantly, “I have questioned everyone. No one laid a hand on you. You died by your own doing. After your death, there were so many of the Heavenly God’s oracles in your room. How can you still not understand? Princess Xing’an, you are already dead. Do you still refuse to repent?”
With that, Yongsheng charged at the female ghost, clutching the holy water.
His attack came so suddenly that the female ghost was caught off guard, and he actually managed to grab her.
Yongsheng froze. “Why are you warm?”
Meng Zheng waved his hand. “Move!”
The Divine Guards quickly lit their torches, illuminating the entire courtyard. Two of them rushed at Yongsheng and forced him to the ground.
Chancellor Yelu emerged with an ashen expression. Looking down at Yongsheng, he said in profound anguish, “Yongsheng, I was the one who promoted you. You served under me for nine years. I truly never imagined that you were the spy.”
“Yes, you promoted me.” Pinned down by the Divine Guards, his cheek pressed against the cold ground, Yongsheng denounced him furiously. “But I am a Liao subject and a believer of the Heavenly God. You—you are a pack of traitors who have betrayed the Heavenly God and sold out your country.
“So many of our people in the Liao have died, yet you have forgotten our hatred. You have forgotten your own people. All you think about is compromise and marriage alliances! You are sinners who will be condemned for all eternity! The Heavenly God has already taken Princess Xing’an’s life, and He will take yours as well.”
“You’re insane.” Chancellor Yelu spoke with heartbreaking sorrow. “How did you become like this?”
“Heh heh… Traitors. Turncoats!” Yongsheng continued to curse him.
Meng Zheng stepped forward and asked coldly, “Where are the other New Church remnants who made contact with you?”
“The Heavenly God is everywhere,” Yongsheng replied firmly.
Extreme believers were like this. They had their own logic and their own views on life and death. No amount of questioning would make them talk.
Meng Zheng ordered, “Take him back and interrogate him under torture.”
Just as the Divine Guards were about to haul Yongsheng up, he suddenly exploded into action and swallowed a brown pill. Then he smiled in satisfaction.
His soul was about to ascend.
He was going to join the Heavenly God.
Bastard!
Meng Zheng flew into a rage and unleashed a barrage of punches against Yongsheng’s stomach, forcibly beating the poison back out of him. Then he barked, “Take him away!”
The two Divine Guards, who had been stunned by what they had witnessed, swallowed nervously and answered in unison, “Yes!”
Meng Zheng bowed to Qin Yi and Yan Tongshu, then took his leave.
Yan Tongshu’s gaze remained fixed on the two Divine Guards escorting Yongsheng away.
The guard on the left had a sachet hanging from his waist. An odd pattern was embroidered on it, one very similar to the ornament Xie Li had given her to fasten to her belt.
Qin Yi glanced at the prayer beads around Meng Zheng’s wrist. Then he raised his left hand, revealing the gold medallion bracelet on it, and waved him off. “Go.”
Meng Zheng: “Yes.”
After Meng Zheng left, Chancellor Yelu bowed to Qin Yi and clasped his hands apologetically. “Your Majesty, Hezhu failed to judge people properly and allowed a traitor to infiltrate the peace delegation. Hezhu would like to express his deepest apologies—and his deepest gratitude. Thank you and Lord Yan for helping us root out the spy.”
Qin Yi said mildly, “There is no need for that. Finding him is what matters. I believe that peace is the shared wish of the people of both nations, the will of Heaven and the desire of the people. It cannot be destroyed by one or two petty criminals. King of Liao and I, our dynasty and the Liao, will surely build lasting trust and friendship in the future.”
Chancellor Yelu placed one hand over his chest and bowed. “Yes. Hezhu shares the same hope.”
Qin Yi gave a slight nod and left with Yan Tongshu.
The two walked side by side. Yan Tongshu said, “Although we failed to capture the other members of the Heavenly God religion, based on Yongsheng’s confession, we can at least rule out the Heavenly God religion as the culprit. As for the others, the only people who were in the courtyard that night were A-Fu, Qin Yunduan, Xie Li, and Penglai. Princess Xing’an died from suffocation…”
Suffocation?
Yan Tongshu stopped in her tracks.
She had been led astray.
There was a pillow on the bed, and on the pillow were traces of face powder and lip rouge. But that did not necessarily mean Princess Xing’an had been smothered to death with the pillow.
If it wasn’t the pillow, then what else could have caused Princess Xing’an to suffocate?
Aside from Qin Yunduan, Xie Li, Penglai, and A-Fu all had alibis, and their stories corroborated one another.
Lost in thought, Yan Tongshu climbed into the carriage and, in a daze, sat down with Qin Yi’s help.
She pondered carefully.
It was also possible that Princess Xing’an had not been murdered by a person at all, but killed by some mechanism.
The state of Princess Xing’an’s corpse and many of the objects in the room were strange.
Especially that chest.
That chest…
If it had been some kind of mechanism, how could it have controlled the exact time of Princess Xing’an’s death?
She had died ten to twelve hours earlier—precisely around the time Qin Yunduan had left at nine that evening.
If it hadn’t been Qin Yunduan, how could anyone have done it?
If it hadn’t been Qin Yunduan, when had the mechanism involving the candle been prepared? What about the cotton thread, the rice paper, the evidence that she had been smothered in bed, and the freshly made bed?
And the incense…
There were simply too many things.
There was no such thing as a perfect crime. A killer who had gone to such lengths should have left behind even more clues.
Yan Tongshu was still thinking when she suddenly felt a weight around her waist. Looking down, she realized that she was sitting on Qin Yi’s lap, while Qin Yi was gently massaging her waist again and again.
Seeing that Yan Tongshu had come back to herself, Qin Yi smiled. “After we rode back from Yunzhou last time, you kept complaining that your waist hurt. We’ve been running around all day today, so it must be uncomfortable again. Let me massage it for you.”
Yan Tongshu blushed. “I’m fine today.”
“Mm.” Qin Yi’s hands did not stop. “When you finish the mutton, tell me. I’ll have Lu Xi pick out another batch and send it over.”
“Mm.” Yan Tongshu lowered her head and said nothing.
All right, she admitted it. Just like Liangyu, she was a sucker for this kind of treatment.
Before long, the carriage arrived at the gates of the Yan residence. Pearl and Jinbao were waiting outside with lanterns.
Qin Yi let go of Yan Tongshu and sighed. “Sigh, someone doesn’t have to attend court in the morning. I, on the other hand, have to go back and rest for barely any time at all before I have to get up and attend court. But never mind. As long as I can see the person I love, I’m happy to do it.”
“Did Pei Jin’an teach you that line too?” Yan Tongshu asked, both exasperated and amused.
Qin Yi nodded.
“What a sycophant.” Yan Tongshu had nothing but contempt for Pei Jin’an.
Qin Yi corrected her, “A loyal minister.”
Yan Tongshu laughed. After thinking for a moment, she turned around and hugged Qin Yi. “Be careful on your way back.”
Qin Yi asked, “No kiss?”
Yan Tongshu glared at him.
Qin Yi glared back. “You love glaring at people whenever you get shy.”
Yan Tongshu looked at Qin Yi, her eyes shifting slightly.
Princess Xing’an and Xie Li had simply missed their chance. No one knew when death or accidents might come knocking. Worrying too much about the future only meant hurting the present.
Even in the modern world, there was no way to guarantee a lifetime of devotion between one man and one woman. So why let fear of an uncertain future consume the life you had now?
With that thought, Yan Tongshu lowered her head and pressed a kiss to the corner of Qin Yi’s lips. Smiling, she said, “Go back and get some proper rest. You really don’t have to accompany me every day. Going back and forth like this is exhausting.”
That single kiss instantly dispelled all of Qin Yi’s irritation.
“See you tomorrow,” he said.
Yan Tongshu could do nothing about his stubbornness and could only reply, “See you tomorrow.”
After Yan Tongshu got down from the carriage, Qin Yi lifted the curtain and watched until Pearl and Jinbao had escorted her into the residence. Only then did he order in a low voice, “Back to the palace.”
The Shenwei Army soldier disguised as the coachman replied, “Yes.”
When they returned to her room, Pearl came in carrying hot water, her lips pursed as she grumbled unhappily.
As Yan Tongshu brushed her teeth and washed her face, she asked, “What’s wrong, little Pearl?”
Pearl pouted even more. “Young master, I don’t like His Majesty.”
“Why not?” Yan Tongshu set down the hot towel and tilted her head to look at her.
Pearl huffed angrily. “His Majesty bullies you, young master. He takes liberties with you. I don’t like him. I really don’t.”
“Oh.” Yan Tongshu lowered her head guiltily. “Actually…”
Pearl took the hot towel from her and called for the maids outside to bring in the footbath.
Yan Tongshu hesitated, unsure how to explain.
A while later, she slipped her feet into the hot water, and the warmth instantly soothed her icy feet.
“Meow~”
Yan Tongshu was still wavering over how to explain things to Pearl when she suddenly heard a cat’s meow. It sounded like Yuanzi.
“Pearl,” Yan Tongshu asked, “did you hear Yuanzi just now?”
Pearl looked around. “No, young master. You must have heard wrong.”
Really?
Yan Tongshu frowned. “Where’s Yuanzi?”
“I don’t know. She probably ran off to play somewhere. I didn’t see her when I came back.” Pearl paid it no mind.
Yuanzi had originally been a stray cat. She had only grown familiar with them after spending so much time around them.
Besides, although Yuanzi was a female cat, she was an astonishing fighter—clever and alert, the undisputed queen of the neighborhood. She was always the one bullying others; no one could bully her.
Yuanzi loved to play, so it was perfectly normal for her to disappear for a day or two now and then.
Yan Tongshu knew what Yuanzi was like, so she did not dwell on it after asking once.
Her eyes rolled, and she said, “Actually, Yuanzi is very impressive. Last time I saw her get into a fight, she beat that tabby cat so badly it was yowling in tears.”
Pearl nodded repeatedly. “That’s right, that’s right. Our Yuanzi is the fiercest cat there is.”
Yan Tongshu continued, “Yuanzi is beautiful too. After getting beaten up, that tabby brought her a mouse the very next day.”
“Oh, young master, don’t talk about that,” Pearl groaned. “I get goosebumps every time I think about that dead mouse.”
“Yuanzi even stands up for others.”
“Exactly, exactly.” Pearl nodded furiously in agreement.
Their Yuanzi was the best, the prettiest, and the most adorable.
Yan Tongshu said, “It was actually me who allowed His Majesty to take liberties with me.”
“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm.” Pearl continued nodding.
Yan Tongshu added, “Yuanzi isn’t picky about food either. She lets people hold and pet her, and she has a wonderful temperament.”
“Yes, yes.” Pearl grew more animated as they talked. “Once, when I was sick, Yuanzi even came to sleep beside me. She was so thoughtful.”
“That’s right, that’s right.” Yan Tongshu nodded. “I’m finished washing. Pearl, have someone take the water out.”
“Yes, young master.” Pearl called for the maids to carry away the bathwater, then left with them so Yan Tongshu could rest properly.
She stood outside and slowly closed the door. Suddenly, Pearl cried out in surprise, “What?”
Bang.
Pearl threw the door open and rushed in. “Young master, what did you just say?”
Pearl’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth and pointed at Yan Tongshu. “Young master, you’re feeling guilty! That expression of yours is definitely guilt! You actually feel guilty!”
Yan Tongshu lowered her head, her face flushed. “I don’t really know how it happened either. I just… went with the flow, followed the current, took advantage of the situation, and somehow, by following along, things ended up like this.”
“Hmph!”
Pearl disliked His Majesty even more now.
She hated every bad person who tried to steal her young master away from her.
“Meow~”
A faint, feeble cry.
Yan Tongshu looked around in confusion. “Pearl, are you really unable to hear it?”
Pearl snorted coldly. “Young master, don’t change the subject.”
She planted her hands on her hips. “Now, explain yourself properly.”
“Oh.” Yan Tongshu skipped over the struggle, skipped over the embarrassing aphrodisiac, skipped over everything that came afterward…
By the end, there was nothing more to say.
Pearl grew even angrier.
“All right, all right.” Yan Tongshu tugged at Pearl’s hand and flashed her a brilliant smile. “Good Pearl, don’t be angry anymore. I didn’t mean to keep it from you. It’s just that Qin Yi and I still have a lot of problems to work through.”
Pearl pouted. “Then, Young Master, does His Majesty know about that?”
Yan Tongshu shook her head. “I’m not sure.”
Pearl asked worriedly, “If you can restore your identity someday, will you enter the palace?”
Yan Tongshu fell silent.
That had been the reason she pushed Qin Yi away in the first place.
She didn’t want to enter the palace. She didn’t want to become an imperial consort or lose her freedom and live as a caged songbird.
Although the problem still hadn’t been resolved, Qin Yi had shown her his sincerity.
And so, her heart had softened.
But the problem remained.
“Forget it.” Yan Tongshu smiled. “We’ll deal with things one step at a time. We’ll see what happens when the time comes.”
Pearl grabbed Yan Tongshu’s arm. “Young Master, I’m worried.”
“It’s fine. Your Young Master is blessed with great fortune. I always escape danger, and everything goes smoothly for me.” Yan Tongshu stood up and thumped her chest, putting on an exaggerated expression.
Suddenly—
“Meow~”
Pearl let out a startled sound. “That sounded like Yuanzi.”
The two exchanged a glance and began searching in perfect understanding.
They looked on the rafters, by the windows, and under the bed, but found nothing.
At that moment, the sound stopped again.
The two of them were baffled.
Pearl said, “The sound was very faint. Yuanzi might have been playing in the courtyard and only meowed once or twice, just loudly enough for us to hear.”
Yan Tongshu nodded slightly.
Since they couldn’t find Yuanzi, that was the only explanation they could think of.
After chatting with Pearl for a while longer, Yan Tongshu lay down to rest.
She had been exhausted all day. The moment her head touched the pillow, she fell asleep.
The next morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
Pearl came in to attend to Yan Tongshu as she washed up.
While Yan Tongshu brushed her teeth and washed her face, Pearl opened the wardrobe to pick out the clothes she would wear that day.
“Meow~”
Yuanzi’s voice rang out again, clearer than it had been the day before.
Yan Tongshu set down her toothbrush and hurried over.
She and Pearl tilted their heads and listened together.
“Meow~”
“Wuu~”
The sound was coming from the corner.
Working together, the two of them dragged out the small box in the corner. When they opened it, Yuanzi was lying inside, meowing and whining pitifully. Its two round eyes gazed sorrowfully at Yan Tongshu and Pearl.
They quickly lifted Yuanzi out, held it in their arms, and gently soothed it.
As Yan Tongshu stroked Yuanzi, she asked anxiously, “What happened, little one? How did you end up locked inside the box?”
Pearl summoned the three maids in the room and questioned them. Only then did they learn what had happened.
Early the previous morning, one of the maids had entered the room to tidy up. After finishing with the boxes, someone had called her away to help with something. When she returned, the box was closed. She had assumed that she must have closed it herself before leaving, so she put the box back in the wardrobe and left.
Poor Yuanzi had been trapped inside for an entire day.
“Wuu~”
Yan Tongshu felt even more distressed. Had Yuanzi been starving for an entire day?
Yuanzi loved to eat just as much as she did. How could its body withstand going without food for a whole day?
“Pearl.” Yan Tongshu immediately looked at her.
Pearl understood at once. She dashed to the kitchen, grabbed some shredded meat and egg yolk, and hurried back as fast as she could.
Yuanzi had been starving for an entire day. The moment it saw the food, it began eating frantically.
The sight broke Yan Tongshu’s and Pearl’s hearts. Yan Tongshu poured Yuanzi some warm water, while Pearl went back to the kitchen and brought back a large pile of food.
After Yuanzi had eaten for a while, its pace finally slowed.
Pearl patted her chest, still shaken. “Thank goodness, thank goodness. Fortunately, Yuanzi was only hungry. If it had hurt itself from being unable to relieve itself, that would have been a real disaster.”
Yan Tongshu’s eyelid twitched.
Unable to relieve itself?
Princess Xing’an had died from suffocation.
If she hadn’t been smothered with a pillow, then how had she suffocated?
That box!
There had been wax around the box, but it hadn’t been ordinary sealing wax. It had been used to seal the box shut.
Because Princess Xing’an had died inside the box, her body had remained in a position with both legs bent.
Yan Tongshu rose from her chair.
There had been wood splinters beneath Princess Xing’an’s fingernails, and the upper side of the box bore scuffed marks.
It was very likely that, before her death, Princess Xing’an had used her fingernails to leave information about her killer on the inside of the box. After discovering those marks, the killer had used something to scrape them away.
But that was only a conjecture.
When Pearl saw Yan Tongshu’s expression change drastically, she asked, “Young Master, what’s wrong?”
“Go to Duting Post Station and find Chancellor Yelu.” Yan Tongshu murmured to herself, “Everything is still only a guess. We need evidence. The evidence can only be found inside Princess Xing’an’s body.”
Yan Tongshu handed Yuanzi to one of the maids and immediately set out for Duting Post Station with Pearl and Jinbao.
An escort led Yan Tongshu to Chancellor Yelu’s room. After giving him a brief bow, she went straight to the point.
“Chancellor Yelu, I want to perform an open-chest autopsy on Princess Xing’an.”
“What?”
Chancellor Yelu trembled from head to toe. “Lord Yan, I know you are highly skilled at examining corpses, but she was the Princess Xing’an of Liao!”
“That is precisely why she must be examined.” Yan Tongshu argued firmly, “Princess Xing’an’s body is the final clue she left behind, and it is our strongest evidence for catching her killer. If we truly respect her, then we should respect her body even more and help her find the murderer so that she may have vengeance.”
“But Xing’an, she already… she already…” Chancellor Yelu choked out, grief-stricken. “Her body has already been cruelly mutilated. Must I really refuse to preserve even the rest of her?”
Yan Tongshu did her best to persuade him. “Chancellor Yelu, when I examined the body, I found that Princess Xing’an’s fingernails were bluish-purple and that her livor mortis was a dark reddish-purple. These are signs of oxygen deprivation, confirming that she died of suffocation.
“Then, at the crime scene, we discovered that Princess Xing’an’s bed had been deliberately straightened. There were traces of rouge and lip color on the pillow. Based on these clues, we initially suspected that the killer had smothered Princess Xing’an with the pillow. But today, I suddenly thought of another possibility.”
Yan Tongshu continued methodically, “Aside from the clues on the bed, there were two boxes beside Princess Xing’an’s wardrobe. One was normal, while the clothes inside the other had been thrown into disarray. There were also numerous fresh scrape marks inside the wardrobe, and the opening of the box had been resealed with wax.”
Yan Tongshu reminded him, “Chancellor Yelu, you followed behind me the entire time when we inspected the scene. Do you remember the position of Princess Xing’an’s body? She had been dead for five or six hours at the time, which meant that her body was still in rigor mortis. She had retained the position she was in before death and could not have changed at all. Chancellor Yelu, doesn’t that position resemble someone who had been locked inside a box?”
Images of Princess Xing’an’s headless body leaning against the windowsill flashed repeatedly before Chancellor Yelu’s eyes.
Her legs had been bent, and she had been lying on her side.
Yes.
If she had been in the box, then everything made sense.
But…
That was Xing’an.
She was the little princess he had watched grow up, the most beautiful princess on the grasslands.
She was his own niece.
Chancellor Yelu’s heart burned with unbearable grief. He struggled again and again, wavering between countless conflicting thoughts.
He could not make the decision.
He could not bring himself to give the order to damage his own niece’s body.
He simply could not.
