Noticing the visible surprise of the other party, Su Yunkai ceased to speculate. He was sure that his guess had been correct. “It was you, then.”
The girl moved her lips, but in the end, she did not deny it. “How do you know? No one else knew about our relationship. I didn’t tell anyone that sent the money.”
“Bai Ying mentioned you in his letter before he died. Although he didn’t give your name, I thought it unlikely that the person who had sent the money was his colleague. A person who could get so much silver must have a high status. Moreover, Bai Ying’s younger sister said that the handkerchief wrapped around the silver carried a fragrance, so it seemed like a woman had sent it.”
“How did you know I would be here?”
“The people in the Ministry of Justice noticed that someone has been wandering in front of the yamen without going inside. I thought it might be that girl, so I came.”
She bit her lip. “What do you want from me?”
“I want to find Bai Ying’s murderer.”
Hearing this, the girl’s eyes were filled with tears. Soon, they began to roll down. “I don’t know what happened. He was very busy that month and we barely saw each other. The last time I ever saw him, he told me he was nearly done with a case, but I didn’t expect…that we’d be separated forever.”
Su Yunkai sighed. She still hadn’t forgotten him, even after so many years. If Bai Ying hadn’t….
Su Yunkai forced himself to stop harboring these thoughts. Sometimes, the more you thought, the worse you felt. She seemed like she was in her early twenties, but as her hair was not tied up, she was clearly unmarried. She had waited so long, yet Bai Ying was now a corpse. “You’re lingering here because you want to go inside to see him?”
She shook her head and finally said, “I want to… but I don’t dare.”
“Why?”
She was silent for a long time. Then, she raised her head and smiled. Still, the tears in her eyes threatened to drop at any moment. “I’m going to get married next month. I’m getting old… People keep on gossiping about my parents. My parents can’t stand it.”
Su Yunkai paused. His heart became even heavier with regret. “Bai Ying would be happy for you.” Su Yunkai added, “He liked you and he obviously wanted you to be happy. If you don’t have a good life, how can he be happy?”
The girl was stunned. The tears in her eyes spilled out again. She almost couldn’t stand straight. She bit her lip to prevent herself from crying out, resisting until her shoulders shook and she could no longer talk. After a while, she said, “Lord Su, can you…help me get in so I can say goodbye to him?”
Su Yunkai gently nodded. “I will. Afterwards, don’t come back again. Otherwise, others will see and it won’t be good.”
The girl was still in tears. She nodded unwillingly, finally agreeing.
Su Yunkai sighed again.
When she finally calmed down, Su Yunkai sent her away and headed back to the Ministry of Justice to fulfill his promise to her.
When Li Kang heard that Su Yunkai had come, he hurried over to the morgue. “You faked your illness and resisted the edict. The emperor is turning a blind eye to this matter, but if you’re too obvious, even the emperor can’t protect you.”
“Brother Li, have you done what I asked of you?”
“I made a request for the emperor to investigate, only…I requested once and the emperor rejected me. I might have to unite with other officials or ask the Duke of An to come to the palace.”
Su Yunkai looked at the corpse lying on the plank. In just five years, the corpse had become completely devoid of flesh and blood. It was clear that the poison had been strong. The more Su Yunkai looked at it, the more angry he became. “I’m leaving.”
Li Kang stamped his feet anxiously. “We made such a big commotion that the Marquis of Pingxi must know what we’re up to! If you’re too obvious about this, you’ll die!”
If the bait could lure the snake out of its hole, it was worth it.
When Su Yunkai came home from the department, he noticed that the door was open. Meanwhile, the servants were searching around the nearby alleys. Once they spotted him, one of them ran over and said, “Young master, there are people here from the palace. They just left. The master asked you to go to the study right away.”
Su Yunkai entered. As soon as he knocked, someone inside let him in.
Su Gu saw his son come in, motioned for him close the door, and handed him an edict. Su Yunkai paused. “The emperor wants me to leave again?”
Su Gu’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, but his voice was gentle. “Letting you leave is an act of protection. The emperor understands the stakes. If you stayed in Kaifeng, it would not be conducive to the investigation under the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice.”
“What does the emperor know?”
Su Gu looked outside and confirmed that there was no one around before speaking. “Li Kang secretly requested that the emperor thoroughly investigate officials all over the country. All the arrows point to the Marquis of Pingxi. You’ve been coming in and out of the Ministry of Justice. The Marquis of Pingxi has sought you out many times. Naturally, the emperor had his suspicions. When the emperor asked me to enter the palace for questioning, he asked and asked until I began to sweat profusely. I don’t know what you’ve been up to recently. You’re investigating the case of Bai Ying, but it’s somehow related to the Marquis of Pingxi, I…” Su Gu had already guessed part of it. He sighed. “Kaifeng is under the feet of the emperor. Don’t think that you can hide anything from the emperor. You are a member of the Ministry of Rites. It is not reasonable for you to intervene in this case. What’s the use of staying here?”
Hearing what his father had said, Su Yunkai knew that if he didn’t stop, the Marquis of Pingxi would no longer hold back. Still, he was one step away from revealing the real murderer. How could he just leave? “If I leave and no one continues investigating this matter, the marquis will walk free. From what you’ve seen, do you think the people who work at the Temple of Reason will continue to persist under such heavy pressure?”
Su Gu was a little dazed. “Why are you so intent on this matter?”
“Doesn’t father understand? Because I’m one of the Su family. As officials, we don’t ask why. We just ask whether or not we deserve our post.”
He was offending the powerful and endangering his own life, but he would not leave, just like the rest of the Su family. They had been like this for generations. However, aside from being an official, Su Gu was also a father. He was not afraid to lose his life, but his only son was standing at the edge of a cliff. He couldn’t just let his son walk into danger like this without doing or saying anything.
When his heart as a father overtook his heart as an official, he forgot that he was of the Su family.
Once Su Gu had come to this realization, he found that his son was already kneeling on the ground. Su Yunkai kowtowed to his father three times. With every time his son’s head touched the ground, Su Gu became more and more certain that his son had made up his mind. There was no possibility that Su Yunkai was turning back. Su Gu released a lengthy sigh. He was still worried. “Li Kang’s words were light and there was no evidence in his hands. It is impossible for him to investigate a marquis. Let me help you. I’m doing this for the government.”
Su Yunkai was stunned. He originally wanted to enter the palace himself to convince the emperor, but it turned out that his father was willing to intervene. “Father,” Su Yunkai said.
Su Gu made plans to enter the palace a little while later. He got up and patted his son’s shoulder. “As a father, I don’t want you to let Miss Ming down. With her always staying at the Li residence, your mother does not feel at ease. You should bring her here sooner so that we can finally make things up to the Ming family.”
When Su Yunkai heard these words, he kowtowed to his father deeply. As he stood, he felt the heavy money bag at his waist, which only emphasized the heaviness of his heart. “I will also enter the palace to see the emperor!”
*
It was late at night, yet Ming Yue was still awake, even after two circles around the garden. Perhaps because the rain was about to come, the courtyard was stuffy and windless. Whenever she ceased fanning herself, she could feel the heat rolling over her body in waves.
When the servants saw her in the garden, they hurried over. “Miss Ming.”
Ming Yue thought that Madam Li was calling for her to rest, so she said, “I’ll go back to my room now.”
The servant said, “Miss Ming misunderstood me. Someone is looking for you outside.”
“Who?”
“The son of the Duke of Yan.”
Qin Fang? Ming Yue hadn’t seen him for many days. When she heard that it was him, she asked the servants to lead the way.
After a couple days without meeting, both of them could feel that the other party was less spirited.
Qin Fang raised his hand and waved the servants away. He walked up to Ming Yue and asked, “Has Shui Shui come here?”
“No. Isn’t she at the Su residence?”
Qin Fang’s eyebrows twisted. “I’ve just been there. She’s not there, so I wondered if she was here.”
Ming Yue lowered her head and thought carefully. Suddenly, she was a little nervous. “Shui Shui may have gone to the ministry again. With her temperament, it’s not easy for her to sit quietly in wait for results. Still, she wouldn’t be insensible and walk around randomly. She’s probably at the ministry.”
Although they didn’t know where she was for certain, they at least had an idea, so Qin Fang said, “I’m going to go look. I’m worried.”
“Be careful, then.”
“I will.” As Qin Fang raced out of the Li residence, he could feel the sweat soaking the front of his garment. The heat made him even more impatient.
The two stone lions in front of the criminal department were ferocious and upright. It seemed as if they were able to force the ghosts and gods to retreat.
Bai Shui stood in the alley opposite the entrance, occasionally glancing around. Once her brother had been brought to the department, she had not seen him again. She did not dare, but she also couldn’t bear it. Now that she was so close, she didn’t dare get any closer. How could she comfort her brother’s spirit in heaven if she didn’t catch the murderer?
She was so badly injured that her legs began to shake after she stood for too long. She chose a clean place to sit down. After a while, she would go back. She still wanted to stay with her brother for a while. It must be cold all alone in the morgue.
The long street in front of the department seemed reflected by fire. Dozens of lanterns illuminated the dark sky at the same time, making the front of the Ministry of Justice seem clear and dignified.
Bai Shui used to wall to rise to her feet. She looked over and saw a man dismounting his horse and entering the ministry. She was stunned. Yu Fenglin?
She moved forward, her eyes reflecting the lights of the lanterns. The people following behind Yu Fenglin were clearly his bodyguards.
The next moment, there was a sudden noise. The Marquis of Pingxi was still walking in front. Now, he was followed by four or five people. Something was being carried out. Bai Shui nearly spat blood. That Yu Fenglin actually dared to carry her brother’s body out!
Li Kang was so anxious that sweat was rolling from his forehead. He stood in front of the entire party and hurriedly stopped the marquis. “Marquis, this corpse belongs to a member of the yamen. This case is still under investigation…”
“Yamen? Which person from the yamen?”
“Bai Ying, a Kaifeng constable.”
Yu Fenglin sneered. “How can you prove that this is his identity?”
Li Kang’s cold sweat continued to roll down. “His waist badge and his uniform.”
“I’m asking you—how can you prove his identity?”
Yu Fenglin asked the questions coldly. Li Kang was dazed. Suddenly, Li Kang realized and was about to explain, but Yu Fenglin cut him off again. “If someone killed him, they could’ve simply changed his clothes and thrown over a waist badge to prove that it’s him. I suspect that Bai Ying stole something from my residence, killed the bodyguard I sent in pursuit, and disguised the dead bodyguard as himself. Now, I’m going to bring this corpse back to show my bodyguard’s family. I’ll ask them to identify him.”
Li Kang knew that Yu Fenglin was stealing the body. Still, the marquis was right that Bai Ying’s identity couldn’t be proven by the waist pendant alone. If the emperor asked about it later, Yu Fenglin could simply say that he had been anxious and made a mistake.
At least for Yu Fenglin, preventing Bai Ying from “revealing” the crimes that the marquis committed was much more important than stealing a corpse from the Ministry of Justice.
Hiding in the alley and seeing that her brother was about to get carried away, Bai Shui moved forward to intercept them. Suddenly, she was held back and pushed against the wall. She raised her hand to chop at the person, but her wrist got caught.
“Shui Shui.”
Bai Shui was stunned for a moment. Seeing Qin Fang, her hard heart softened. “You got out?”
“Yes.” Qin Fang had just come. He didn’t know what had happened, but once he heard that Yu Fenglin was taking away Bai Ying’s remains, he knew that Bai Shui would rush over, so he had to stop her. “What can you do if you go over there?”
Bai Shui grit her teeth. “He can’t take away my brother’s remains. If he does, he’ll destroy them.”
“Alone, how many people can you beat? You can’t even defeat just Yu Fenglin.”
“Then what do I do?!” Bai Shui’s voice trembled with anger. “Watch him take away my brother and destroy the evidence?”
“I’ll stop him.” Qin Fang saw that she was going to break free of his hold. “I’ll stop him. If I can’t, I’ll use my own body to block him.” Qin Fang released Bai Shui’s hand and walked over without hesitation.
Everyone looked over at the man who had suddenly appeared. Yu Fenglin also stopped for a moment. Seeing that it was Qin Fang, his features relaxed. “LIttle Marquis, why have you come at such a late hour? Where did you go to make merry just now?”
His words were full of mockery, but Qin Fang didn’t care. It was his own fault that he had spent his entire life being a dandy who only knew how to eat-drink-play. He had always thought that he would inherit his father’s title and spend his days playing with other dandies with no achievements on his belt. How could he prove his image wrong if he let a marquis who had military merits ridicule him?
The fault was his own! He had never had any ambition or initiative!
Qin Fang looked up at Yu Fenglin and said, “I was just passing by and I heard the commotion. Who knew that I’d bump into the Marquis of Pingxi stealing a corpse? Eh? That’s not right, now, is it? Stealing people from the Ministry of Justice isn’t reasonable.”
“I suspect that this corpse is one of my bodyguards. I am bringing it back for his relatives to identify.”
“Even if the corpse really is a bodyguard from your residence, the department can help you investigate it. Stealing someone like this—isn’t it a crime? Moreover, instead of spending time pestering the department, it would be better to call over the family members of the bodyguard. It would also be faster that way.”
Yu Fenglin was determined to take the body away. Even if Qin Fang could recite the entire law code, the marquis would not be afraid. “I will plead my case with the emperor. My bodyguard’s family, however, has been waiting for many years. Now, they are bedridden and they cannot come. Qin Fang, you haven’t inherited your father’s title yet. You don’t have an official position. Even if someone were to stop me, it wouldn’t be you.”
Qin Fang saw that the guards were going to carry the body away. He came forward and took one of them by the hand. Qin Fang said in a cold voice, “You can’t take this man away.”
Yu Fenglin snapped, “Who are you and what right do you have to stop me?”
“He can’t, but I can.”
Hearing this resolute voice, Qin Fang’s heart sank. He looked up. Bai Shui had emerged from the alley. When her pale face was completely revealed, everyone recognized her. They were all stunned.
“You’re still alive?”
Bai Shui stood before everyone and said, “Yes, I am still alive.”
Li Kang still hadn’t reacted. “If you’re still alive, whose body was it?”
Bai Shui looked at the Marquis of Pingxi and said, “I don’t know. When I went to Mount Gu to investigate the case, I was knocked unconscious. As soon as I woke up, I discovered that my clothes had been removed and that my waist badge was gone. As soon as I returned to the city, I heard the news that I was dead, so I wanted to ask about it, but the yamen’s door was closed. Just now, I came to the ministry to find that the marquis was robbing a body in the middle of the night.”
The white cloth on the stretcher didn’t completely cover the corpse. When Bai Shui saw the naked white bone, she nearly couldn’t stay standing.
The Marquis of Pingxi looked at her coldly. This statement had completely covered up her act. Moreover, there was no witness to prove anything. “Constable Bai can do whatever you please. I still have something to do.”
Seeing that he was still determined to take the remains, Bai Shui angrily pressed a palm on the stretcher. She glared at the marquis and said harshly, “You can’t take him away.”
“Why not?”
“He’s my friend.”
Yu Fenglin didn’t listen. He reached out to push her aside, but she dodged his hand. He attacked again with a backhand, but she still didn’t move. He paused, examining her from head to foot. He suddenly felt as if the dodging movement seemed familiar. He must have fought with her somewhere before.
Suddenly, he suddenly remembered that he had fought before, at the summer resort!
That palm attack had clearly confirmed that the assassin was a woman. He had still been thinking about who it might’ve been when he headed down the mountain that day.
Yu Fenglin reached out to tear at her clothes.
Qin Fang quickly stepped forward and seized his wrist. When Yu Fenglin saw, he attempted another backhand, but was stopped by Bai Shui. He was forced to step back. Yu Fenglin was instantly angry. After weighing his options, he felt that it was most important that he leave with the corpse. He called, “Come. Stop them and take the body away.”
“You can’t go!”
“So what, if you’re Bai Ying’s friend? You aren’t related. How can you tell that it’s him?”
“Because he’s my brother!”
.
A Hint of Spring 