Chapter Eighteen: The Capital Bureau’s Murder Case!
March 2nd.
Li Yunjie had been under house arrest for three days.
After a day of staunch protest, he had at least secured the right to use the restroom freely. The only condition was that someone had to accompany him.
“I’ve really had enough of this!” Li Yunjie leaned against the windowsill, his face full of indignation.
“That vicious woman Su Qingmeng! Why is she so utterly unyielding?”
Li Yunjie was growing despondent. No phone, no computer, not even allowed to cultivate. His days consisted of nothing but eating, drinking, and sleeping. How was this any different from being in prison?
“Can’t you think of a way out of this?” he snapped at Eleven, who was idly lounging by the window.
Eleven looked rather aggrieved and muttered, “Young master, it’s not that I don’t want to help. The formation these sorcerers set up isn’t aimed at me. I can come and go as I please.”
If only it were directed at me, I could just slice it open with my blade, Eleven thought to himself.
Li Yunjie drooped his head, the look of utter resignation returning to his face. He continued to sprawl at the windowsill, bemoaning his fate.
Just then, two maids led a white-bearded old man past the corridor outside. Judging by his attire and the box he carried, he was almost certainly a physician.
Li Yunjie called one of the maids over and asked, “Is someone in the household ill?”
The maid shook her head. “Young sir, that physician is here to see Second Miss.”
Su Xiyan?
Li Yunjie was puzzled. Hadn’t he just seen her skipping about in the courtyard?
“Is it for her speech loss?” He could think of no other reason.
The maid nodded, about to leave.
“Why not call an imperial physician?” Li Yunjie stopped her again, frowning slightly. Could a traveling physician possibly be more effective than the emperor’s own doctors? Given his father-in-law’s status and connections, it was hardly difficult to summon the best imperial physicians.
The maid replied, “Since Second Miss lost her voice, Master has invited every imperial physician from the palace, but even they were at a loss. So Master thought to try these traveling doctors—perhaps they might have some family secret remedy that could cure Second Miss.”
Traditional medicine is vast and profound; who’s to say a secret prescription from an obscure sect wouldn’t work? Perhaps it was worth a try.
“I’m curious,” Li Yunjie suddenly asked, “do you know why your young lady suddenly lost her voice?”
The maid thought for a moment. “I only recall that when Second Miss was six, she caught a chill while playing outside. She had a fever for three days and nights, and after that, she could no longer speak.”
Did the fever damage some nerve? Li Yunjie wondered.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave,” the maid said.
The maid curtsied and left with quick, light steps.
Li Yunjie sighed and resumed his aimless daydreaming.
After the time it takes for two sticks of incense to burn, the white-bearded physician left, looking utterly defeated—clearly he had no solution either.
No sooner had the old man departed than it began to rain. With Qingming approaching, the rain was to be expected. It had always been this way, even in his previous life.
Li Yunjie looked up at the sky and murmured, “It’s almost time.”
“What’s almost time?” Eleven asked, puzzled.
Li Yunjie glanced down the corridor. “That girl will be coming by soon.”
No sooner had he spoken than Su Xiyan appeared, sneaking about and glancing furtively in both directions.
She tried to look casual as she hurried past them.
“A pale yellow dress, tousled hair…”
Li Yunjie smacked himself. Why am I singing…?
From his observations over the past few days, Li Yunjie had roughly figured out the patterns of those in the corridor outside.
For example, Su Qingmeng practiced martial arts in the courtyard at dawn. The maids brought breakfast from the kitchen at the hour of the dragon. The men tidied the garden a little later…
As for the hour of the sheep, only one figure would appear in the front courtyard.
“Su Xiyan sneaks to the kitchen every afternoon to steal food,” Li Yunjie mused to himself. “Is she really that greedy?”
“How can you be so sure Second Miss Su is there to steal food?” Eleven asked, puzzled.
Li Yunjie snorted. “She goes in looking clean and comes out a mess. Isn’t it obvious?”
Eleven looked at Su Xiyan, who was just leaving the kitchen, her mouth still smeared with grease, and suddenly understood.
As Su Xiyan passed Li Yunjie’s door, she seemed to remember something. She abruptly turned and walked over, stretching out her hand expectantly.
“What is it, little sister?” Li Yunjie asked in confusion.
Su Xiyan frowned, pouted, and took a step closer.
Li Yunjie glanced at the roast goose fat still on her hand and suddenly remembered.
“Ah, sorry. I was planning to buy you some roast goose these last few days, but your sister put me under house arrest.”
Su Xiyan’s frown deepened and her large eyes scrutinized Li Yunjie. After a moment, she left, disappointed.
...
By dusk, the sound of hurried footsteps in the corridor roused Li Yunjie from his nap.
Two guards, swords at their sides, strode quickly through the flower gate, their dark iron armor glinting coldly in the evening light.
“Are you sure?” came a gruff voice. “The dead man was really with the Imperial City Division?”
“Absolutely. That badge had golden dragon patterns—couldn’t be fake…”
The voices faded into the distance.
A murder in the Imperial City Division?!
Li Yunjie’s eyes flew open.
The Imperial City Division were the emperor’s own guards, directly under his command. In all of the capital, who didn’t tremble at the mention of their name? Yet someone dared to kill one of them?
This was like lighting a lamp in an outhouse—looking for trouble!
Li Yunjie sprang to his feet. “Eleven, follow them and see what’s going on.”
Eleven obeyed, trailing after the two guards.
It did not take long to reach the scene of the crime.
A light rain had been falling over the city all day, shrouding the capital in a thin mist.
On Lin’an Street, several constables from the Prefecture were investigating. On the ground, a coroner drew three silver needles from his kit and inserted them into the corpse’s nose and mouth.
“Chief, Commander Su is here.”
Su Qingmeng dismounted with a graceful leap, landing steadily before the corpse, her face grave.
“Commander Su,” Chief Wang greeted her with a bow, quickly tilting his umbrella to shield her from the rain.
“What happened?” Su Qingmeng asked coldly.
“Half an hour ago, my colleagues and I found this body while patrolling the streets,” he replied. “We immediately sent word to the Imperial City Division.”
As he finished speaking, the coroner pulled out the silver needles and slowly stood up.
“Well?” Su Qingmeng asked, a hint of urgency in her voice.
“Please be patient, Commander Su,” the coroner said, examining the needles with a puzzled look.
...
Night, at the Prime Minister’s residence.
Eleven knocked on Li Yunjie’s door.
“Well?” Li Yunjie asked eagerly.
“They found the body of an Imperial City Division guard on Lin’an Street,” Eleven reported. “The cause of death is very strange.”
“There are no external wounds, no sign of poisoning—it looks like sudden death.”
Li Yunjie stroked his chin. The Imperial City Division’s guards were all highly skilled and in peak condition. How could one just drop dead?
“Was there anything suspicious at the scene?”
Eleven hesitated for a moment before clicking his tongue. “Does the location count as suspicious?”
“How so?”
“The guard died right next to Drunken Moon Tower…”