Yan Tongshu and her men arrived at the crime scene at top speed.
Zhang Jiu was already directing people to secure the area.
The scribe had already sketched the scene into a diagram.
The flower boat was single-decked but spacious, moored on the river beside Huihua Tower, and was an asset of the establishment.
Yan Tongshu stood at the bow, observing the interior.
The female musician, dressed in a pink gown, lay curled and slumped beside a chair. A large patch of dark crimson spread across her abdomen, and deep, uneven scratch marks scored the deck planks beneath her nails—clearly, she had suffered terribly before death.
Paired with the chair was a square rosewood table carved with floral designs.
On the table sat wine and dishes.
The wine cup on the musician's side was still half full.
The cup across from her was completely empty.
The food was barely touched.
The surroundings were filled with the erotic trappings unique to such establishments—pink drapes, and explicit paintings and ornaments designed to stir the blood.
Because the interior of the flower boat was so provocative, the windows were specially designed. They were latticed, locked from the inside, and impossible to open from without. Rice paper was pasted over the lattice, letting in light but blurring the view within. Inside, gauze curtains hung as further concealment.
Colored lanterns hung from the eaves outside the boat. It was now near dusk and dark, but at the time of the incident, the sky had only just begun to dim, and the lanterns had not yet been lit.
Yan Tongshu found no clues from inspecting the boat from outside. Once the constables lit candles for illumination, she gave Zhang Jiu a nod and stepped into the cabin.
She approached the corpse of the female musician for a closer look.
The woman was curled into a tight ball, which was why Yan Tongshu could not see her face from a distance. When she turned the body over, she saw a familiar face and jolted with shock.
It was the pipa player from Tonghe Tower.
The same pink-clad female musician Ning Yuan had rescued.
And the same timid, withdrawn young woman who had once stopped her, asked many questions, then said nothing more.
There were several livid finger marks on the musician's neck, the kind left by a single-handed chokehold.
The fatal dagger still stuck in her abdomen. Feeling through the layers of clothing, she found more than one wound—the killer must have stabbed her several times before she died.
Yan Tongshu ordered the constables to take the body back to Kaifeng Prefecture.
Zhang Jiu brought the boat keeper over: “Magistrate Yan, this is Ding Shan, the boat keeper on duty today.”
Yan Tongshu looked him over. The man was in his forties, sturdy, wearing rough cotton clothes, with sun-darkened skin and a fierce, ugly scar across his face.
Yan Tongshu asked sternly, “You were on duty today?”
Ding Shan kept his posture low. He was not just a boat keeper; he was also a retired enforcer from Huihua Tower. Old habits made him instinctively put on an ingratiating smile around important officials.
He grinned humbly: “Yes, I've been on duty all day. The flower boat is usually only decked out for festivals. It's rarely used otherwise, but if an honored guest needs it, it can be arranged at any time. When the boat isn't in operation, one or two men are assigned to watch over it. I'm one of the keepers.”
Yan Tongshu: “Did you know the deceased?”
“Yes, she was a pipa player named Pu Xin, folks called her Xinniang,” Ding Shan answered honestly. “Xinniang was thirty-two, with no family or relatives and no savings. She lived on Wuyi Lane and scraped by playing the pipa for a few coppers when people hired her. A while back, one of the pipa girls here was bought out by a patron, and they couldn't find a replacement quickly. Someone recommended Xinniang, so the boss hired her as a stand-in, twenty coppers a job. She was a genuine, hardworking soul, did whatever was asked, never tried to curry favor with the rich. The boss thought she was reliable and wanted to sign her to a long-term contract, but Xinniang didn't like the hustle and bustle, the smoky, noisy atmosphere of the brothel. She just agreed to come whenever the place needed her and she had time.”
Ding Shan swallowed and went on: “Yesterday, General Meng suddenly booked this flower boat, ordered five dancers, and specifically requested Xinniang to provide the music. So the boss had the boat cleaned and prepared. This afternoon, around shen time, about a quarter past the hour, General Meng arrived. I stayed outside, couldn't see what was going on inside, but I heard the familiar sound of music. Then, before I knew it, something happened—General Meng sent all the dancers away, keeping only Xinniang, and ordered that no one be allowed inside.
Of course, given General Meng's status, I didn't dare ask questions. I just waited at the door. A little while later, General Meng came out, looking grim. I waited outside a bit longer, and when Xinniang didn't come out, I called out to her from the bow. No answer. Called again a moment later. Still nothing. After several calls, I finally went inside to look for her, and that's when I found her dead.”
Yan Tongshu: “From the time General Meng left until you went in, how much time passed?”
Ding Shan looked up, thinking: “Not long—just a little over a quarter of an hour.”
Yan Tongshu: “Why did you wait so long before going in?”
Ding Shan gave an awkward, suggestive smile: “Magistrate Yan, you may not know—guests who book a flower boat are often looking for some… excitement. Who knows what sort of business goes on inside? When General Meng kept Xinniang alone, I figured he was planning some special fun. I was afraid that if I barged in right after he left, I'd stumble onto some indecent scene and embarrass us both. That's why I called out several times before daring to go in.”
He lowered his voice: “Who would have thought General Meng played this rough?”
Yan Tongshu shot him a cold glare, and Ding Shan quickly shut his foul mouth.
She ordered in a low voice: “Go fetch the madam of Huihua Tower and bring everyone who was on the boat today.”
Ding Shan: “Yes, sir.”
A few moments later, the madam arrived with the five dancers and two musicians.
Performing songs and dances required musicians to coordinate with one another, so no one ever expected just one musician. It was impossible for Xinniang to have been alone.
As these seven people filed past Yan Tongshu one by one and then stood in line, her brow furrowed deeply.
The five dancers were all seventeen or eighteen, graceful and lithe.
The two musicians: one man, about forty, who played the qin; one woman, in her twenties, holding a bamboo flute.
It was the exact same combination as when Cao Jian and Meng Yi had dined at Huihua Tower with a song-and-dance performance.
Yes.
That time Cao Jian and Meng Yi had their falling-out at Huihua Tower—Xinniang had been dressed in red then, playing a pipa tune.
Yan Tongshu stood on the shore and had them recount what had happened before the incident.
They piped up one after another, and the sequence of events was quickly reconstructed.
The day before, a short, ordinary-looking man with no distinguishing features had come to the madam of Huihua Tower, booked the flower boat, and specifically requested the same performers.
Whether this man was sent by Meng Yi was still yet to be confirmed.
Then today, Meng Yi arrived on time at Huihua Tower and was led onto the flower boat.
The dancers and musicians performed together.
Meng Yi drank wine and watched the performance. After a moment, he suddenly raised his hand, pointed at Pu Xin, and ordered her to stay. Everyone else was dismissed, and no one was to enter under any circumstance.
After that, it all matched Ding Shan's account.
The boat was moored along the shore, with Ding Shan watching at the front, ensuring no one went in.
No other boats were near the flower boat—only a stretch of quiet river. The windows were specially designed and couldn't be opened from outside. With the gauze curtains drawn, no one could witness the scene inside, and no one else could get in.
Naturally, the murderer could only have been the one person who was uniquely present at the time of the crime — Meng Yi.
There seemed to be little room left for questioning.
Yan Tongshu and Zhang Jiu exchanged a glance, both wearing looks of bewilderment and doubt.
Could it truly have been Meng Yi who committed the murder?
Yan Tongshu turned to leave, but after only a few steps, her eyes lowered.
No.
That wasn't right.
Yan Tongshu turned back and asked, "Xinniang was your accompanying musician, playing the pipa. Then where is her pipa now? There was no pipa of hers on the boat."
The woman wearing a butterfly hairpin stepped forward: "To answer Your Honor Yan, the pipa is in my keeping. At the time, General Meng suddenly pointed at Xinniang and ordered her to stay behind. Xinniang had always been timid, fearful of hardship and quick to cry. I explained to General Meng that Xinniang was not one of the flower girls of Huihua Tower, but General Meng insisted that Xinniang alone remain. I did not dare defy General Meng, so I had no choice but to comply.
As we were leaving, Xinniang handed her pipa to me, asking me to keep it safe for her for the time being, until she returned to retrieve it. The pipa was Xinniang's livelihood, and she treasured that instrument dearly. I imagine she feared that General Meng might make some special demand that could damage the pipa, which is why she entrusted it to me to take away."
Yan Tongshu asked, "And where is the pipa now?"
The woman bowed, went back to Huihua Tower, and returned with the pipa.
Yan Tongshu examined this pipa that Pu Xin had used for many years with great care.
In Bianjing's dry winter climate, a pipa requires careful oiling and maintenance, which costs a great deal.
But Xinniang had to travel constantly to earn her living, so the pipa still bore many fine scratches.
Yan Tongshu narrowed her eyes.
The pattern on this pipa bore some resemblance to the ancestral jade pendant that had been lost from the Meng family.
With this question in mind, Yan Tongshu immediately brought the pipa back to Kaifeng Prefecture, retrieved the painting she had found in Cao Jian's bedchamber, and compared them one by one. There was no mistake — it matched the family heirloom jade pendant that Meng Yi had lost twenty-six years ago.
Cao Jian, Meng Yi, Pu Xin.
What was the relationship between these three people?
A family heirloom jade pendant, though valuable, was it really that precious? Precious enough to repeatedly lure Meng Yi, who was afraid of Madame Meng, to a place of pleasure and entertainment like Huihua Tower?
Yan Tongshu looked at Zhang Jiu: "Vice Prefect Zhang."
Zhang Jiu: "Yes, I am at your command."
Yan Tongshu: "Investigate the relationship between Pu Xin and Cao Jian."
These two knew each other?
Though puzzled, Zhang Jiu immediately accepted the order and went to carry it out.
Yan Tongshu stored the pipa and the painting away, then made her way to the morgue.
By then, Wu Suowei had already finished the autopsy.
Yan Tongshu examined Pu Xin's corpse as she asked, "What do you have?"
"There are bruises on the waist, legs, and shoulders, strangulation marks on the neck, and at least three stab wounds to the abdomen before death was inflicted," Wu Suowei said, his voice tight. "The deceased's fingers clawed at the floorboards of the boat in agony — two fingernails were torn off completely. It was... truly gruesome."
Yan Tongshu lowered her gaze in thought.
Three wounds before death was inflicted.
Would Meng Yi need three strikes to kill a defenseless music teacher?
Would he even need to use a blade at all?
Yan Tongshu examined the knife. It was an ordinary fruit knife, stamped with the mark of Huihua Tower on the blade.
The murderer must have picked it up on the spot.
Wu Suowei produced a sheet of paper: "Your Honor Yan, this fingerprint was found on the victim's collar. It appears to have been accidentally transferred onto the fabric of the collar when powdering the face, and when the murderer gripped the neck, his thumb pressed down on the collar, leaving it behind by accident. Please take a look."
Yan Tongshu took it.
If the murderer truly was Meng Yi, then this fingerprint should be his.
Yan Tongshu stored the fingerprint away and tucked it into her sleeve.
Regardless, she had to meet with Meng Yi at least once.
As Yan Tongshu came out of the Shenming Pavilion, Li Fulin was already waiting at the gate.
Yan Tongshu looked at him, puzzled: "Shouldn't you be on patrol inspecting the city defense and water conservancy works with the Ministry of Works right now?"
Li Fulin's square face was taut with worry. Instead of answering her question, he asked, "Is Your Honor planning to go to the Meng residence to interrogate General Meng?"
Yan Tongshu nodded.
Of course. Meng Yi was the person involved, and at present, the only suspect.
Li Fulin's brow furrowed even deeper. "I will go with Your Honor Yan."
Yan Tongshu looked at him, bewildered: "What exactly is the matter with you?"
Li Fulin spoke with grave solemnity: "Your Honor Yan, General Meng is not like Princess Tijia. General Meng is the Commander of the Divine Guard Army. His family has served as generals for three generations, all holding high and vital positions. When the former Crown Prince passed away, it was the Meng family who supported His Majesty in becoming Crown Prince, and it was the Meng family who supported His Majesty in ascending the throne. General Meng also saved His Majesty's life during the eastern tour."
He lowered his voice, each word slow and weighty: "Your Honor Yan, you absolutely cannot approach General Meng with the same methods you used to interrogate Princess Tijia or Xiao Jun. Absolutely not!"
Li Fulin stepped forward, speaking earnestly and with deep concern: "Your Honor Yan, you are a clever person, and you understand better than I do what kind of man His Majesty is, and the precarious situation you and I now face. Whether it was Princess Tijia's case or the bandit case, the reason Kaifeng Prefecture has been able to remain on the winning side, prevailing in every instance, is because His Majesty stands behind us. In the game between His Majesty and Prince Ming, when you win, it is a victory for you, for Kaifeng Prefecture, and above all, a victory for the imperial will."
He looked Yan Tongshu straight in the eye: "I know full well that Your Honor is a woman of integrity, but please do not remain stubbornly unyielding. Sometimes, flexibility and tact can also lead us to the truth. Why gamble with your life and your career?"
Yan Tongshu gazed at Li Fulin for a long moment. Now she understood why Li Fulin had abruptly cut short his inspection tour and hurried back.
He had come both to counsel her and to protect her.
Yan Tongshu lowered her eyes in silence for a moment, then suddenly looked at Li Fulin: "Vice Prefect Li."
She asked, "Tell me, does General Meng truly deserve the eight words 'high in position, vested with power, and distinguished in merit'?"
Li Fulin did not understand why Yan Tongshu was suddenly asking this, but he nodded nonetheless.
No one in the current dynasty deserved those eight words more than General Meng.
Yan Tongshu pressed her lips together: "Then is General Meng also 'one whom no one dares to interrogate'?"
"Precisely because of that," Li Fulin said, his face stern, "I must accompany Your Honor Yan. I beg you, do not act impulsively."
Yan Tongshu mulled things over as she walked.
This case was filled with an eerie strangeness, as though it had been engineered with deliberate design.
But regardless, at the time of the crime, only Meng Yi and Pu Xin were on that boat.
Now Pu Xin was dead, and only Meng Yi knew what had happened.
Yan Tongshu and Li Fulin took a carriage, with yamen runners clearing the way, and arrived at the Meng residence. After the gatekeeper announced their arrival, the party was shown inside.
Meng Zheng was on duty that day and was not at home.
Meng Yi stood in the center of the hall with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze sweeping over the people from Kaifeng Prefecture, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips: "Your Honor Yan sends quite a procession. Bringing all these people to my residence — is it another investigation?"
Meng Yi didn't yet know that Pu Xin was dead?
Yan Tongshu and Li Fulin exchanged a look.
Meng Yi extended his hand, gesturing for Yan Tongshu and Li Fulin to sit across from him.
Once they were seated, Li Fulin spoke first: "General Meng, today, on the pleasure boat of Huihua Tower, a female musician named Pu Xin, known as Xinniang, was murdered aboard the boat. Kaifeng Prefecture received the report and went to investigate..."
The corners of Meng Yi's eyes suddenly contracted. "Who did you say died?"
Li Fulin handed over the case file: "Pu Xin. The musician who played the pipa for you, General, on the boat today. She was known as Xinniang."
Meng Yi opened the file, and his face gradually grewheavy with gravity.
Yan Tongshu began, "The boatman Ding Shan said that at the time, only General Meng and Xinniang were on the flower boat. About fifteen minutes after General Meng left, he called out repeatedly but got no response. When he entered the boat, he discovered Xinniang's body. She had multiple bruises on her body and strangulation marks on her neck."
Yan Tongshu brought out the fingerprint she had lifted and spread it flat on the table. "Is this the fingerprint from Xinniang's neck? Is it General Meng's?"
Meng Yi's temple throbbed suddenly.
So this was where he had been led.
Meng Yi pressed his lips tightly together, his eyes dark as the deepest night, and said nothing.
Yan Tongshu pressed on. "Is this fingerprint yours, General Meng?"
Meng Yi tightened his grip on the teacup in his hand. "It's mine. But I didn't kill her."
Thank heavens.
As long as Meng Yi didn't commit the murder, everything was fine.
Li Fulin let out a huge sigh of relief.
Otherwise, with Lord Yan and the Emperor going head-to-head, he'd be stuck in the middle and lose his mind.
Li Fulin couldn't help but press further. "Then how did the strangulation marks on Xinniang's neck come about?"
Meng Yi set down his teacup. The cup landed with a clatter, and warm tea splashed out, slowly spreading across the table in a dark stain.
Yan Tongshu lowered her gaze to Meng Yi's thumb.
Meng Yi's expression was grim, his eyes murky. "She tried to seduce me. She sat on my lap. I grabbed her by the neck and threw her off. That's why there were marks on her neck and bruises on her body."
Yan Tongshu's mind flashed to Pu Xin's face—to her behavior at Tonghe Tower.
No. Pu Xin wasn't the kind of woman who clung to the powerful.
Yan Tongshu asked, "Why would she try to seduce you?"
Someone so timid, so fragile.
The patrons of Huihua Tower were all wealthy or noble, and Pu Xin had never been swayed. Why of all people would she choose Meng Yi?
Why Meng Yi—the man known throughout the capital as deeply devoted to his wife, a man who feared nothing in heaven or earth except his own wife's displeasure?
Meng Yi countered, "How would I know what she was thinking?"
"Then let me rephrase." Yan Tongshu cut straight to the heart of the matter. "Was the flower boat at Huihua Tower booked by you, General Meng? You're known for your self-restraint, a man who has only ever loved his wife. Last time, you were forced to go to Huihua Tower because Cao Jian used the Meng family heirloom jade pendant against you. Why did you go again this time? Why watch the song and dance on the boat? Why keep Xinniang behind alone? What was so special about her to you? What exactly did you talk about on that boat? And did you notice that Xinniang's pipa bore a carving identical to the one on the Meng family's heirloom jade pendant?"
Meng Yi's gaze shot out like a drawn blade, meeting Yan Tongshu's squarely.
Li Fulin quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "General Meng, Lord Yan's questions may be a bit hasty. If there are any you find inconvenient to answer, perhaps you could start with the ones you can."
Meng Yi rose to his feet and looked out at the snow piled beyond the door. "This involves the private affairs of my family. I have nothing more to say."
Yan Tongshu took a deep breath. "General Meng, if you refuse to speak honestly, how can you clear your name?" Meng Yi was Meng Zheng's father, a pillar of the court. As a general, he was adored by his soldiers; as an official, he was praised by the people; as a husband, he had an enviable reputation.
Someone like that—Yan Tongshu truly didn't want to believe he could be the killer.
But Meng Yi's attitude was infuriating.
Refusing to say a single word—how were they supposed to solve the case like this?
Meng Yi's voice was low. "I apologize, Lord Yan. Please, see yourselves out."
Yan Tongshu was genuinely furious.
Last time, investigating Cao Jian's case, Meng Yi had been exactly the same way—stubborn as a mule.
One small word of concession from him would have helped her untangle the whole case, but he wouldn't say a thing. When she asked, he just talked in circles.
Yan Tongshu slammed her hand on the table and stood. "You—"
Li Fulin quickly clamped a hand over her mouth and lowered his voice. "Lord Yan, calm down! Please, remain calm!"
General Meng was no ordinary man, after all.
Yan Tongshu stomped on Li Fulin's foot. He winced in pain and let go.
Yan Tongshu shouted in fury, "General Meng, if you refuse to explain yourself, then with all those soldiers in your mansion, I can't take you back to Kaifeng Prefecture today. But mark my words—before sundown, word will spread all over Bianjing that General Meng Yi went to Huihua Tower twice in one day for pleasure, with women all over him. And Madame Meng will learn exactly what you've been up to behind her back!"
Meng Yi whirled around, eyes blazing. "Shameless."
Yan Tongshu lifted her chin with an air of pride.
Shameless? So what.
As long as it worked.
Let Meng Yi try not to be afraid.
Meng Yi barked, "Guards!"
The Shenwei Army filed in.
Yan Tongshu ground her teeth.
If the Shenwei Army clashed with the Kaifeng Prefecture constables, Kaifeng wouldn't stand a chance.
Li Fulin was in a panic, sweating buckets, dashing between Yan Tongshu and Meng Yi like an ant on a hot pan, trying to mediate.
Just as the two sides were locked in a standoff, Meng Zheng strode in with a hearty laugh. "'Guards'—were you calling for me?"
Meng Zheng, clad in cold, hard armor, walked up to stand beside Yan Tongshu. "Lord Yan, I've come to lend you a hand."
Yan Tongshu stared at him in shock.
Since the case involved Meng Yi, and Meng Yi was the commander-in-chief of the Shenwei Army—its highest authority—she had never thought to call upon the infantry division under Meng Zheng's command.
Meng Zheng leaned in and whispered, so only she could hear, "Ran into Zhang Jiu on patrol, asked him a quick question."
Yan Tongshu was silent for a moment, then said, at a loss for words, "This is your own father, you know."
Meng Zheng raised an eyebrow. "His temper's harder than cowhide. He could use a lesson."
Yan Tongshu: "..."
She shot a sidelong glance at Meng Yi. Oh my. His face was more expressive than hers and Li Fulin's put together.
Yan Tongshu whispered, "Can you beat your father in a fight?"
Meng Zheng: "Absolutely not."
Yan Tongshu: "..." Then what good was that?
The top commander of the Shenwei Army was Meng Yi. The moment Meng Zheng's soldiers laid eyes on Meng Yi, they'd switch sides on the spot.
Meng Zheng flashed a sly grin. "But I sent someone to fetch my mother."
Yan Tongshu's neck went stiff as she turned to look at him.
This man truly had no fear of death.
The moment Madame Meng arrived, she'd hear all about the Huihua Tower business. There was no way Meng Zheng would escape Meng Yi's wrath without being skinned alive.
"What's going on?"
A gentle voice came from the courtyard.
Madame Meng walked in gracefully, her gaze calm as still water. She looked around the room and asked softly, "Why has everyone even drawn their swords?"
At her quiet inquiry, the Shenwei soldiers behind Meng Yi sheathed their blades at once, bowing in unison. "Madame."
Madame Meng came to stand beside Meng Yi. "What's happened?"
Meng Yi's fists, clasped behind his back, were so tight his knuckles went white. The look he shot Meng Zheng was near murderous.
Madame Meng gave him a reproachful glance. "If there's a misunderstanding, just explain it properly. No need for all this shouting and threatening. The Shenwei Army belongs to the Emperor, not to the Meng family personally."
Meng Zheng nodded vigorously.
See? His mother's perspective was on a whole different level.
Meng Yi's lips were pressed into a thin line, and he said not a word.
Madame Meng gently tugged at his sleeve. "What's going on?"
The fists behind Meng Yi's back clenched, then loosened, then clenched again.
Finally, in a low voice, he spoke. "Nothing major. A musician died. She was last seen with me alone, so I'm the prime suspect. Now I need to go with Lord Yan back to Kaifeng Prefecture for questioning."
Yan Tongshu, Meng Zheng, and Li Fulin: "..."
His mouth really was made of iron.
He'd rather sit in a prison cell than open up and talk.
