Yan Tongshu narrowed her eyes and pointed at Cao Jian’s mouth. “Not entirely sure yet. Write this down first. His gums have bluish-black lines at the base, and the gum edges are thick and don’t hug the teeth tightly. The gingival papillae—the parts that protrude between the teeth—are swollen and cover part of the teeth. It’s gingivitis…”
What was gingivitis?
Wu Suowei didn’t understand, but she didn’t want to interrupt Yan Tongshu’s train of thought, so she jotted everything down, planning to ask Yan Tongshu about it later.
Yan Tongshu looked at Lady Cao, who stood outside the door with a grief-stricken face. “Lady Cao, has Master Cao shown any signs of emotional instability, irritability, abdominal pain, or trembling hands of late?”
Lady Cao was taken aback. “Minister Yan, how did you know?”
Yan Tongshu nodded. “Every ailment has its cause. I inferred these from the condition of Master Cao’s body.”
Yan Tongshu lowered her gaze, deep in thought.
Gingivitis, bluish-black mercury lines on the gums, irritability, abdominal pain, trembling hands, swollen fingertips, pigmentation—all were symptoms of heavy metal poisoning.
But judging from the state of Cao Jian’s corpse, his poisoning hadn’t reached the later stages. It shouldn’t have been enough to kill him.
After examining the limbs, hair, and mouth, Yan Tongshu began to unbutton Cao Jian’s clothes.
“What do you think you’re doing!”
Xiao Jun rushed over and reached out to grab Yan Tongshu. Zhang Jiu swiftly stepped sideways, placing himself between Xiao Jun and Yan Tongshu, meeting Xiao Jun’s gaze squarely, standing as straight and firm as a pine.
Xiao Jun withdrew his hand in frustration and snapped, “Minister Yan, Commander Cao is the deputy commander of my Divine Strategy Army. Show some respect. Do not defile his remains.”
Yan Tongshu’s face was expressionless. “I’m conducting an autopsy.”
Xiao Jun: “In broad daylight, you’re stripping him!”
Xiao Jun’s face burned with indignation, as if Yan Tongshu had committed some heinous crime.
Yan Tongshu’s expression grew even more wooden.
She was unbuttoning his shirt, not his trousers.
Cao Jian had been a military officer. When the weather turned hot, he’d often strip off his own shirt and run around the training grounds. Since when was removing his clothes considered a disgrace?
Yan Tongshu took a deep breath. “Fine. I’ll have the body transported to Kaifeng Prefecture for examination.”
At that moment, the Minister of Punishments stepped forward. “Absolutely not! Commander Cao’s status is unique. This case must be jointly investigated by the Ministry of Punishments and Kaifeng Prefecture. The body cannot be taken to Kaifeng Prefecture—it must be transported to the Ministry of Punishments.”
Yan Tongshu: “…”
These two were impossible.
After a moment’s thought, Yan Tongshu had the body moved to the adjacent room. She would examine it first, then settle the question of whose jurisdiction the body fell under.
Yan Tongshu opened Cao Jian’s clothes again. There were some old scars from years past, along with one or two bruises that looked like they came from blows or kicks.
Other than that, there were no other wounds.
The lower half of the body showed the same condition.
Yan Tongshu returned to the study to inspect the windows. Xiao Jun and the people from the Ministry of Punishments were also examining and taking notes.
Zhang Jiu stood by the window in the southeast corner and called out, “Minister Yan.”
Yan Tongshu came over. “What is it?”
Zhang Jiu removed the window latch rod. “Look here.”
He turned the latch over. There were fresh scratch marks on the rod, as if made by a sharp blade.
That meant someone had opened the window from the outside, entered, and then closed the window again from the outside.
Yan Tongshu had Zhang Jiu secure the evidence and make a record, then she turned her attention to the table in the southeast.
Based on the current evidence, Cao Jian had been sitting in the chair on the southeast side when he was shot with an arrow through the northwest window.
The teacup still had half its water left.
The silver needle test on both the teapot and the teacup showed no poison.
Yan Tongshu frowned in thought. “Hmm?”
Zhang Jiu: “What is it?”
Yan Tongshu crouched down and beckoned to Zhang Jiu, who crouched beside her.
Yan Tongshu pointed at a faint whitish spot beneath the chair. “Look here. The color is off.”
Zhang Jiu examined it closely. “Indeed. It looks like something has been smeared over this area.”
Yan Tongshu had a yamen runner hand her a small knife. Carefully, she scraped off the white substance beneath the chair, placed it on a piece of paper, then rubbed a little between her fingers. It was fine, crystalline grains.
She brought it to her nose. No odor.
She couldn’t identify it for now, so Yan Tongshu had the runner store it properly for later verification.
Yan Tongshu rose and walked over to the desk.
Cen Xu was inspecting that area. When he saw Yan Tongshu, he said, “There are clear signs of a search here. Whoever it was probably was groping around in the dark, so many things weren’t put back properly. It’s quite messy.”
Yan Tongshu: “What were they looking for?”
Cen Xu shook his head. “I’ve compared everything one by one. There’s nothing of particular importance here. The locked drawers contain only routine official documents—nothing special. However, there was one thing that stood out a little…”
Yan Tongshu: “What?”
Cen Xu took out a letter. Yan Tongshu opened it. Inside was a letter of severance, written in Cao Jian’s own hand, declaring that he was severing all ties with Cao Jinyue and Cao He, and that none of the family’s assets would go to those two.
Yan Tongshu, Cen Xu, and Zhang Jiu all simultaneously looked at Lady Cao, who stood at the doorway with a face full of grief.
His daughter, Cao Jinyue, had cried her eyes swollen. His son, Cao He, wore a look of deep sorrow.
Evidently, all three were mourning Cao Jian’s death.
When they noticed Yan Tongshu and the others looking their way, Lady Cao’s gaze shifted slightly. “Is something wrong?”
Cen Xu took the letter back and walked over to Lady Cao. “Lady Cao, have you seen this before?”
Lady Cao read it, appearing utterly devastated. “He…he actually…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Lady Cao’s body fell backward, and she fainted.
Cao Jinyue and Cao He immediately caught her, frantically calling for a physician.
Cen Xu raised an eyebrow and returned to Yan Tongshu’s side. “When she fainted, she deliberately shifted half a step to the left, away from the steps, to avoid hurting herself. She’s faking it.”
Yan Tongshu rubbed her chin.
Protesting too much, wasn’t she?
Was it possible that Lady Cao had been unfaithful, and that Cao Jinyue and Cao He were not Cao Jian’s biological children?
The Minister of Punishments saw Cen Xu standing close to Yan Tongshu and barked, “Cen Xu. Get back here.”
Cen Xu gave Yan Tongshu an apologetic smile and returned to the Minister’s side.
Zhang Jiu frowned. “That man is trouble.”
He meant Cen Xu.
Yan Tongshu replied calmly, “No matter. Let him be.”
One by one, they finished inspecting the crime scene and began interrogating the people connected to Cao Jian.
Given Cao Jian’s special status, the case was jointly handled by Kaifeng Prefecture and the Ministry of Punishments.
And because Cao Jian belonged to the Divine Strategy Army, Xiao Jun insisted on sitting in on the proceedings.
Two chairs were placed at the head of the room to serve as the judges’ seats.
Yan Tongshu and the Minister of Punishments sat down together to preside over the hearings.
The first to be questioned was Zheng He, the servant on duty at the study the previous night.
The Minister of Punishments commanded, “Recount yesterday’s events in full detail.”
Zheng He knelt, prostrating himself, and spoke in a trembling voice: “Your Honors, last night, around the hour of xu, a quarter in, I suddenly heard shouts outside—someone crying, ‘He’s fallen in the water! Quick, help!’ Out of curiosity, I craned my neck to look. Just then, the Commander returned and was walking past the bamboo grove. He ordered me to go and see what the commotion was about. I went over, and it turned out to be the elder brother—the Commander’s elder brother, Cao Yang. Somehow, he’d wandered onto the lake’s surface to play, and the ice couldn’t hold his weight—it cracked underneath him, and he fell into the water. I and others hurried over and managed to pull the elder brother out. Afterward, I changed out of my wet clothes and came back. The Commander had already returned to the study. I stood at the study door to report the matter, but the Commander said nothing, just told me to keep watch outside.”
Yan Tongshu asked, “You stayed at the study door the whole time? You never went inside?”
Zheng He replied, “Those of us who serve as servants usually only wait outside the room to receive orders. Moreover, when I returned, the general was in the study speaking with someone, so it was not convenient to disturb him. I had not been waiting outside the courtyard for long when I heard the sound of an argument between the general and Manager Bai.”
The Minister of Punishments frowned. “Who is Manager Bai?”
“Manager Bai is the head of the Dingsheng Troupe, Bai Qingmu. Oh, yes, he also has a younger sister named Bai Qinglan. The general had invited the Dingsheng Troupe to perform at the residence...” At this point, Zheng He’s voice grew quieter and his wording more evasive: “Because of some matters, the general and Manager Bai argued, and before long, Manager Bai was driven away by the general. They quarreled fiercely at the time, and I did not dare to bring trouble upon myself by drawing attention. So I waited quietly outside the courtyard.”
He paused, then said, “Around the hour between chou and yin, I felt sleepy, but seeing that the candlelight in the room had not yet been extinguished, I entered the courtyard and asked through the door whether the general would be staying overnight in the study. The general gave a reply and extinguished the lamp. I did not dare to ask further and withdrew to the courtyard gate. I kept watch all night. Near dawn, when my shift was about to end, I asked the general whether he wished to have breakfast, but he did not answer. I assumed he was still asleep, so I handed over my duties to Wang Er.
At noon, the young lady came looking for the general, saying she wanted him to take her riding outside. Wang Er knocked on the door, but no one answered. He had not fully received my handover notes and assumed the general had already left. The young lady went to ask the gatekeeper, who said he had not seen the general leave the residence. After checking with everyone, they realized something was wrong and reported it to the lady of the house. She knocked on the door, and still no one answered, so she led us in breaking down the study door.”
Yan Tongshu searched his memory concerning the candles in the study.
There were candles in all four corners, but only the one on the southeast side, near the desk where Cao Jian had died, showed the shortest length.
The wick had snapped and was buried in hardened wax, as if it had been cut off by a sharp blade.
Yan Tongshu asked, “At the yin hour, did you personally see General Cao asleep?”
Zheng He said, “The moment I spoke, the lamp went out, and I did not see clearly. However...”
Zheng He tried hard to recall. “I do not know if I mis-saw it. I think I saw flowers bloom.”
Yan Tongshu said, “Flowers blooming? What kind of flowers?”
Zheng He scratched his head. “I must have been mistaken, surely? I cannot remember clearly either. It was the flowers on the desk, I mean—today they look unopened, but at the yin hour, I truly believe I saw them bloom.”
Yan Tongshu also remembered that there was a vase on the desk, with several dry branches inserted in it. The branches were quite dry, resembling firethorn branches. Firethorn does not flower at this season—it only bears fruit.
The Minister of Punishments could not understand either. “How could flowers bloom?”
Zheng He shook his head.
Finding no immediate answer, Yan Tongshu pressed further. “What did Manager Bai of the Dingsheng Troupe and the general quarrel about?”
Zheng He lowered his head and stammered, “This...”
The Minister of Punishments gave him a stern look. “If you withhold anything, you will feel the magistrate’s rod.”
“No, no, no.” Zheng He kowtowed repeatedly in fear. “Your Honor, Your Honor, it is not that I deliberately conceal anything—it is just that I felt this matter would harm the general’s reputation, and it has little to do with this case.”
The Minister of Punishments said, “It is not for you to decide whether it pertains to the case. Speak!”
Zheng He shrank his neck, and because of fear, his voice trembled slightly. “The Dingsheng Troupe never performs inside the residence, but the general led troops to force the troupe...”
He stole a glance at the Minister of Punishments’ expression and continued. “Manager Bai of the Dingsheng Troupe has a younger sister named Bai Qinglan, who is very beautiful and also a physician. She is in excellent health. A fortune-teller said that her fate harbors prosperity in bearing sons—that she has a natural destiny for birthing male heirs. Therefore, the general wanted Lady Bai to marry the eldest young master, to bear him sons and continue the family line. But my eldest young master... he... he is over forty and has been mentally deficient since birth.
Bai Qinglan had traveled far and wide with the troupe, which delayed her marriage prospects, but she is only eighteen—how could she be willing? Manager Bai cherished his younger sister and naturally could not bear it either. Yesterday, the general and Manager Bai argued fiercely, with voices growing louder as time went on, and I overheard some of it. Roughly, Manager Bai begged the general to retract his order and spare Lady Bai, but the general refused, even saying that if Bai Qinglan would not marry the eldest young master, he would ensure that the Dingsheng Troupe vanished without a trace from this day forth.”
That was still Zheng He’s softened account—in reality, Cao Jian’s threat was that he would have every last member of the Dingsheng Troupe buried in a nameless grave.
The Minister of Punishments asked in a low voice, “Which fortune-teller was it who said that Bai Qinglan’s fate was suited for bearing sons?”
Zheng He shook his head. “That, I truly do not know. What I heard was only bits and pieces from around the residence—I could not possibly know such details.”
Yan Tongshu ran Zheng He’s timeline back and forth in his mind several times before asking, “You said your eldest young master has been mentally deficient since birth. Yesterday, how did he fall into the pond? And who were around him at the time?”
Zheng He shook his head. “Honored sirs, I am truly just a minor servant. I go about my days in a daze, muddle-headed as it is. Sometimes I can hardly remember what I ate the day before. I really do not know that much or remember that much.”
With that, Yan Tongshu had Zheng He dismissed.
After Zheng He left, Zhang Jiu and Cen Xu returned. The two had earlier gathered all the servants of the general’s residence and asked who had seen Cao Jian the previous day.
Zhang Jiu bowed and said, “Your Honor Yan, I and Officer Cen have already queried—yesterday, General Cao departed the residence at the hour of si, at the third quarter, and returned around the hour of xu, at the third quarter. The gatekeeper on duty at the time was Duan Zhou. Duan Zhou suddenly got stomach pains and had to make a trip to the outhouse. When he came back, he happened to see General Cao entering the residence and heading directly toward the study.”
Cen Xu added, “After that, several other servants also saw General Cao from a distance on the path to the study, and their testimonies corroborated one another without issue.”
Zhang Jiu said, “Around the first quarter of the hour of hai, the general’s elder brother Cao Yang fell into the pond, which alarmed many people in the residence...”
At this point, Zhang Jiu hesitated and trailed off. He glanced at Yan Tongshu, then at Xiao Jun, and swallowed the words, deciding to wait until everyone had dispersed to report privately to Yan Tongshu.
Zhang Jiu went on. “Although the general placed great importance on this elder brother, who has been mentally deficient since birth, and assigned two personal servants to attend to him at all times, Cao Yang’s mind is no more than that of a young child, and the servants often grew negligent, letting Cao Yang wander about on his own. At the time of the fall into the pond yesterday, not a single person was watching over Cao Yang.”
Cen Xu said, “But according to servants in the vicinity, they saw Bai Qinglan, Manager Bai’s younger sister, leaving the scene in a flustered manner. Cen Xu suspects she may be connected to Cao Yang’s fall.”
The Minister of Punishments nodded. “Summon Bai Qingmu and Bai Qinglan.”
The Dingsheng Troupe had entered the residence around the fourth quarter of the hour of wei the previous day, with a scheduled performance of acrobatics tonight. Thus, all members of the troupe were staying at the Cao residence on standby.
Now, at the Minister of Punishments’ summons, Bai Qingmu and Bai Qinglan, brother and sister, were brought forward within moments.
The two knelt and kowtowed.
The Minister of Punishments swept his cold gaze across them. “Do the two of you bear resentment against General Cao?”
Yan Tongshu glanced sidelong at the Minister of Punishments out of the corner of his eye, but the Minister ignored him.
Bai Qingmu and Bai Qinglan exchanged a glance. Bai Qingmu bowed his head and said, "Your Excellency, we two are street performers, just trying to make a living. If you honored sirs are willing to favor us, it is our good fortune. How would we dare speak of holding a grudge?"
The Minister of Punishments narrowed his eyes, clearly not believing Bai Qingmu's words. "General Cao forced a marriage upon you, and you truly bear no resentment?"
Bai Qingmu opened his mouth, at a loss for how to answer.
His dear younger sister, forced to marry a fool over forty years old—who wouldn't harbor resentment in their heart?
But now that General Cao had died a violent death, if he admitted to resentment, wouldn't that plainly draw suspicion onto himself?
Besides, they were common folk. Speaking of resentment toward a high official—wasn't that a grave disrespect?
Bai Qingmu's mouth hung open for a long while, but not a single word came out.
Yan Tongshu stepped in to ease the tension: "Just speak what is truly in your heart. Investigating a case relies on evidence. Without solid proof, Minister Chu will not casually wrong an innocent person based on mere testimony alone."
With those words, Bai Qingmu felt somewhat reassured. He said, "I truly did not wish for my sister to marry General Cao's elder brother, and I did argue with General Cao over this matter."
Yan Tongshu: "When did this argument take place?"
At this, Bai Qingmu's eyes reddened with anger: "To be frank with you honored sirs, after the Dingsheng Troupe entered the mansion, we had finished dinner and practiced our performance for the next day. Just as we were about to pack up, the steward came to speak with us. His words were full of warnings—telling us to know our place and not to think of fleeing the Cao residence. After the performance concluded, my sister Qinglan was to spend a few days getting acquainted with General Cao's elder brother. After becoming familiar, they were to consummate the marriage. The steward said that once Qinglan became pregnant, the General would see to it that she was properly welcomed into the household as the elder brother's bride. From then on, the whole Dingsheng Troupe would enjoy food, clothing, wealth, and honor without worry.
When I heard this news, it struck me like a bolt of lightning. I had thought that by retreating again and again, and agreeing to perform inside the mansion, we could buy ourselves a peaceful existence. I never imagined that what General Cao wanted was not our troupe performing within the mansion—he wanted my own sister."
Bai Qingmu ground his teeth: "I couldn't swallow that insult, yet I had neither power nor influence to do anything about it. So I drank some wine. With the alcohol clouding my senses, I rushed straight to the study to demand an explanation from General Cao. He berated me for not knowing what was good for me, struck and cursed me, then threw me out. It was all my fault—I'm useless, unable to protect my sister."
The Minister of Punishments looked at Bai Qingmu with suspicion: "And you simply let it go at that?"
Bai Qingmu wept: "I didn't want to let it go, but what could I do? I know no martial arts, I hold no power. People like us—tiny figures—what could we possibly accomplish?"
Zhang Jiu could no longer bear watching the Minister of Punishments badger Bai Qingmu, as if trying to pin the case on him and be done with it. He spoke up: "Minister Chu, General Cao was highly skilled in martial arts, and he was shot from outside the window. Such strength is beyond the capability of ordinary people."
The Minister of Punishments gave Zhang Jiu a contemptuous glance: "I am merely asking questions."
Yan Tongshu turned to Bai Qinglan, taking over the line of questioning: "Miss Bai, servants of the Cao household said they saw you near the pond where Cao Yang fell into the water. Why were you there?"
Bai Qinglan's eyes showed panic: "I..."
The Minister of Punishments barked sternly: "Confess truthfully, or I shall have you taste all seventy-two tortures of the Ministry of Punishments."
Bai Qinglan, terrified, clutched tightly at Bai Qingmu's sleeve: "I... I did not want to marry Cao Yang. In that moment, I felt both ashamed and furious. I happened to run into the simple-minded Cao Yang, and in a fit of anger, I threw his ball into the pond, telling him to go fetch it himself."
The Minister of Punishments snorted coldly: "I think you weren't telling Cao Yang to fetch a ball—you were trying to drown him."
"No!" Bai Qinglan clutched Bai Qingmu even tighter. "I was too frightened at the time. All I wanted was to escape, so my mind went astray for a moment. I never meant to kill anyone—I was just momentarily angry..."
The Minister of Punishments: "Outrageous! Your intentions—"
"Minister Chu." Yan Tongshu shot him a cold glare. "We are trying a case, not grabbing someone at random and sending them to their death."
This was no way to rush a conclusion.
Yan Tongshu took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and turned back to the Bai siblings: "Besides all this, do either of you have anything else to say?"
Bai Qingmu and Bai Qinglan both shook their heads.
Bai Qingmu asked cautiously: "Your Excellency Yan, my sister was merely foolish for a moment... and General Cao's elder brother is unharmed, is he not? Could... could she not be held accountable?"
The Minister of Punishments was still present, so Yan Tongshu could not show open partiality. He said, "The case of General Cao has not yet been fully investigated, and nothing has been finalized. Once everything is clear, your sister's matter will be adjudicated together."
The Minister of Punishments cast a sidelong glance at Yan Tongshu but said nothing.
Yan Tongshu asked again: "At the hour of chou, where were the two of you?"
Bai Qingmu said: "After being thrown out by General Cao, I felt worthless, unable to protect my sister, so I drank a great deal more. Then I drank too much and vomited. My fellow apprentices and Qinglan took turns caring for me until dawn."
Yan Tongshu looked at Bai Qinglan: "According to the Cao household servants, General Cao heard from a fortune-teller that your fate is auspicious for bearing sons, and so he wanted you to marry Cao Yang to continue his bloodline. When did you have your fortune told? And where is that fortune-teller now?"
Bai Qinglan shook her head: "Five days ago, I had just returned from free medical consultations. On Liutai Road, a fortune-teller grabbed me and insisted on telling my fortune. I thought it amusing, so I agreed. The fortune-teller spouted all sorts of nonsense, and I didn't take any of it seriously. I never expected General Cao would somehow come to know of it. Later, I tried to find that fortune-teller, hoping he could explain to General Cao that it was all idle talk not to be trusted. But it turned out the fortune-teller wandered the streets hawking his trade, without any fixed stall. I searched for a long time but could not find him."
Bai Qinglan's tone was complicated—laced with grievance, resentment, and indignation.
Who could have imagined that a casual fortune-telling on a whim would bring about such a disaster?
Anyone would find that hard to accept.
After the Bai siblings were dismissed, the Minister of Punishments summoned the other members of the Dingsheng Troupe to question them about Bai Qingmu and Bai Qinglan.
Everyone's statements matched the testimony of Zheng He, who had been on duty at the study at the time.
They had packed up and entered the Cao residence at the fourth quarter of the hour of wei, then worked without rest to organize their belongings.
Because they had just moved in, the acrobatic troupe had many belongings, and everyone was busy with their own tasks—no one paid attention to where anyone else was.
Later, during practice, each person practiced their own routines. After that, the steward came and issued his warnings, and everyone's mood grew heavy.
Bai Qinglan, heartbroken, ran out, while Bai Qingmu drowned his sorrows in drink.
Bai Qinglan returned to the troupe's courtyard after Cao Yang was rescued from the water. Because it was her first time harming someone, she was extremely flustered, which drew the attention of her fellow apprentices. At the time, they thought she was still upset over the forced marriage, so they gathered around her to comfort her.
As for Bai Qingmu, after arguing with Cao Jian, he went back to his room and, in a bitter mood, kept drinking. His fellow apprentices tried one after another to dissuade him, but to no avail. He remained drunk until dawn.
