Snow falls and the wind blows

Chapter 10

"Because that girl committed suicide by drowning." Old Tao's words immediately silenced Old Master Li's impassioned rant, while he rolled his eyes at him. How old is he? Still so impulsive! He should have let the other person finish speaking before getting agitated. He's a prefect, after all, and in front of three juniors, he's so unsettled.

The old man choked, rubbed the back of his neck, and sighed deeply: "I knew it! I thought I had been careless back then..."

Xiao Duan's lips curled slightly, Zhao Ting's eyes revealed a faint smile, Zhan Yun smiled gently and said in a warm voice: "Lord Li is dedicated to relieving the people's worries and difficulties, which is truly admirable."

Li Qinglan waved her hand: "It's all the proper thing to do. Xiao Tao, please continue."

The word "Little Tao" immediately made Old Tao, who had been respectfully addressed as "Mr. Tao" or "Registrar Tao" by the younger generation for many years, very uncomfortable. He paused in tapping the edge of the table and glared at Li Qinglan.

Zhan Yun's smile deepened, his handsome, crescent-shaped eyes curving slightly. Zhao Ting also chuckled softly, but then, remembering that these two beside him were elders, it seemed somewhat inappropriate for him to laugh out loud. He quickly clenched his fist and coughed lightly to cover his laughter.

Xiao Duan, however, maintained a slight smile, his phoenix eyes remaining aloof and cold. The young boy, who was helping to clear the table and set the table, curled his lip, thinking to himself, "What's so arrogant about this guy! Look at how poor he is, wearing the same blue robe all year round, so poor he can't even afford a decent hairpin, yet he's acting all high and mighty!"

In truth, Xiao Duan rarely smiled; his expression was always indifferent, and it wasn't feigned. Having experienced much joy and sorrow in his youth—crying bitterly and laughing heartily—he gradually understood that when venturing out alone, remaining calm and composed was the best way to protect oneself. Revealing any true emotion could unnecessarily expose oneself, bringing trouble or even danger. If Zhao Ting's coldness was innate, then Xiao Duan's coldness was entirely cultivated.

The group was discussing the case in a very harmonious atmosphere, and Xiao Duan wasn't unhappy about it. However, he had gradually developed a neutral temperament, and with the pain in his shoulder burning like fire, it was a miracle he could keep a straight face; he couldn't possibly manage a smile.

Grandpa Li was completely unaware that his simple address had displeased his longtime friend, and he couldn't understand why the two children were laughing. Puzzled and annoyed, he noticed that Xiao Duan remained calm and collected, his gaze clear and his expression composed. His appreciation for the boy grew even stronger. The old man nodded repeatedly; Xiao Duan was indeed reliable!

Old Tao felt awkward for a while, but the culprit was staring at Xiao Duan with a smug smile. Old Tao gritted his teeth and thought, "Fine, I'll explain the case first and settle accounts with this old man when I get back!"

Tao Hanzhi stroked his small mustache, cleared his throat twice, and continued, "The girl who died was named Han Jinglian. Her family originally ran a medicinal herb business in Hangzhou, so they were considered wealthy young ladies. However, that winter, about three and a half years ago, her family's business was swindled, and they lost all their money. Her mother had died young, and her father, seeing that the business had failed and all his life's work had gone down the drain, fell ill and died not long after."

Old Tao took a sip of tea and sighed again: "That girl was all alone now. Although her father lost all his shops and possessions, he at least left her a house and some odds and ends. She could easily marry well and live a comfortable life for the rest of her days. But who knew that one early summer night, she left only a letter and quietly walked to the Broken Bridge in the rain, then threw herself into the lake. It rained for over ten days that year, and the lake level was high. It took seven or eight days before her body was recovered from more than ten miles away from the Broken Bridge. Alas… what a tragedy!"

"Can we be sure it's suicide?" Xiao Duan asked calmly, his face expressionless.

Old Tao took another sip of tea and nodded solemnly: "I've read that suicide note more than once. I had someone find some of the poems and lyrics that girl usually wrote, and I compared them carefully. It's definitely written by her own hand. The autopsy was done in Jiangcheng, which also proved that she drowned herself, not that she was pushed in or anything like that. I also had someone go to that elegant house twice to ask the ladies there. They all said that Miss Han hadn't been to the elegant house for several days before she jumped into the lake. It seemed that she was in a rather low mood during that time. But it was always cloudy and rainy back then, so it's quite normal for someone to not go to the elegant house for a few days, so no one thought anything of it."

Xiao Duan nodded, her delicate brows slightly furrowed. Zhan Yun, holding a folding fan in one hand, glanced at his palm in the other: "In that case, there's no problem with Han Jinglian's death." Then, tilting his head, his brows furrowed slightly: "That's not right either! If she really drowned herself and wasn't murdered, then why did that Miss Lan say, 'Her soul has returned to seek revenge on them'?" Zhao Ting also fell into deep thought. All three felt that something didn't make sense, but they couldn't figure out what it was.

Tao Hanzhi stroked his mustache, his long, narrow eyes narrowing slightly: "I've been pondering this case as well. As you two said last night, we still need to investigate that Layman Meng Lian."

Li Qinglan turned her head and gestured to the boy standing nearby to fetch the booklet. She then turned back to the three of them: "This morning, Xiao Tao already transcribed the layman's identity and background. You can take a look later. If you need anything else, just let me know. I've been busy with various matters lately, so I can only hear about the case from you when I get back tonight. Solving cases isn't really my forte. I'll have to trouble the three of you to try and solve it as soon as possible!"

Author's Note: Hmm... So a letter stirred up our young prince's unrest... A wound caused our young master Xingzhi's heart to be in turmoil.

12

Chapter Seven: Questioning at the Qian Residence and the Banquet...

As the three stepped out of the government office gate, they heard someone call Xiao Duan's name from behind. Turning around, they saw Jiang Cheng running up to them, panting and waving a hairpin and a piece of paper in his hand: "Xiao Duan, I've found out." Jiang Cheng took a deep breath to calm himself down, and then said, "First, about the murder weapon. I compared the scratches, and it should definitely be a hairpin. No, I should put it this way: the scratches on the faces of the three victims were all made by a hairpin. This hairpin might just be one of the murder weapons."

Upon hearing this, Zhan Yun closed his folding fan and frowned slightly: "What do you mean?"

Jiang Cheng shook the folded paper in his hand and unfolded it for the three of them to see: "Look, this is what our government sent people to the Zhang family to ask questions after Miss Zhang was murdered a few days ago."

Although Lord Li claimed he wasn't skilled at investigating cases, he was exceptionally meticulous and attentive, and his subordinates were equally conscientious. This piece of paper contained a detailed record of the jewelry and ornaments Miss Zhang should have been wearing at the time of her death. Since all her jewelry, such as hairpins and bracelets, was missing when she died, the constables who went to the Zhang residence to question her thought they should ask as many questions as possible, as they might come in handy sometime later.

And sure enough, it came in handy! On the first line of the paper, the words "Plum Blossom Silver Hairpin" were clearly written. Zhan Yun nodded slightly and tapped his palm with his folding fan: "In that case, this hairpin really is a murder weapon."

“Yes! Think about it, this hairpin belongs to Miss Zhang. Miss Zhang died by the lake near the Broken Bridge, her face was scratched by a sharp object similar to this hairpin. Also, the tip of this hairpin is hooked, and there are still bits of flesh and blood stuck to it! The blood was washed away by the water, but the flesh is still there!” Jiang Cheng became more and more excited as he spoke, reaching out to put his hand on Xiao Duan's shoulder to let him see the tip of the hairpin.

Xiao Duan groaned, his already pale face turning even paler. Jiang Cheng, who was standing next to Xiao Duan, immediately recognized his expression and knew it was his earlier slap that had caused the problem. He quickly raised his hand and asked anxiously, "Xiao Duan, what happened? Did you hurt your shoulder? How did you get that? You were fine yesterday!"

Xiao Duan clenched his teeth, slowly exhaled, and smiled slightly: "It's nothing. I bumped into it by accident."

Seeing Xiao Duan's expression, her pink lips slightly pursed, Zhan Yun felt waves of guilt washing over him. But they were still in Jiang Cheng's presence, and he couldn't very well apologize. After all, he had injured Xiao Duan, and if he said the truth, Xiao Duan would lose face! Zhan Yun was always thoughtful and considerate, always thinking of others. However, what he didn't know was that although Xiao Duan liked to put on a brave face, she wasn't particularly concerned with saving face. If he had said those words out loud, Xiao Duan wouldn't have been angry; at most, she would have just thought he was being nosy.

Jiang Cheng had spent some time with Xiao Duan before and knew his temperament quite well. He knew the injury was definitely not simple; Xiao Duan was just putting on a brave face. But in front of the other two, Jiang Cheng didn't want to ask any more questions. He glanced at the other two, folding the paper in his hand, and said, "We've finally figured out the murder weapon. I don't know if it will help your investigation. I'll let you know if I find any more clues."

Xiao Duan nodded: "So you mean that the scratches on the faces of the other two victims, even if they weren't made by this hairpin, were made by a hairpin or similar object."

“Yes. I’m certain that this hairpin was used to slash someone. I’ve carefully compared the scratches on Miss Qian’s face, who was murdered yesterday, and they are very similar, but it’s not necessarily this hairpin.” After saying that, Jiang Cheng glanced at the two men again and tugged at Xiao Duan’s sleeve: “Xiao Duan, this morning Old Wang next door caught a lot of big carp and even gave me one. Come to my place for dinner tonight, I’ll make you a sweet and sour fish, and stir-fry a couple of side dishes, and we’ll have a good drink together! A few days ago, I got a jar of excellent ‘Jade Chain Hammer’ wine, didn’t you say you wanted to try it last time?”

Xiao Duan smiled faintly: "Okay. I'll come see you tonight."

Seeing Xiao Duan smile, Zhao Ting's heart was in turmoil! He'd almost never seen this man smile since he met him. He was usually indifferent when Zhao Ting spoke to him, and sometimes, if he said something inappropriate, Xiao Duan would give him a cold shoulder. How could this Jiang fellow's few words have made Xiao Duan beam with joy? Although the smile was still faint, the slight pursing of his pink lips softened even his clear, cold phoenix eyes, like ripples on a still lake—a sight that stirred the heart!

Zhan Yun also saw Xiao Duan's smile and couldn't help but glance at Jiang Cheng carefully, thinking to himself, "This man is quite capable!" Lord Li prepared a room for Xiao Duan, but Xiao Duan refused to stay. Registrar Tao tried to engage Xiao Duan in conversation, but Xiao Duan remained unmoved and didn't respond. How come this man not only invited Xiao Duan to dinner but also managed to win a smile from a beautiful woman?

Jiang Cheng was initially pleased when Xiao Duan agreed. He was thinking of buying some fresh celery and bamboo shoots from the market on the east side of the city to cook a couple of light dishes for Xiao Duan before leaving that evening. Just as he was making these plans, he glanced up and met the gazes of two men fixed intently on him. Zhan Yun was alright; his handsome features and gentle demeanor made it bearable even with their stares. But that guy surnamed Zhao—his eyes were terrifying! Did he owe him some money or something? He looked like he was about to kill someone!

Xiao Duan paid no attention to the strange exchange of glances between the three people, and was gritting his teeth and enduring the pain with his eyes down. His shoulder was already in great pain, and with Jiang Cheng's slap just now, Xiao Duan really thought that his shoulder might be ruined! Right now, it was burning with pain, and he didn't care what other people's expressions were.

Jiang Cheng couldn't figure out what the two people meant either. He nodded to Xiao Duan, rubbed the back of his neck, and turned away, completely bewildered.

The three of them originally planned to question people at each house, visiting the Zhang, Zhou, and Qian residences to see if they could find any new clues. They had only taken a few steps when Zhan Yun reached into his sleeve, took out a medicine bottle, handed it to Xiao Duan, and said softly, "This medicine is for treating external injuries. Take it back and apply it; it will help you heal faster. I'm really sorry about last night."

This time, Xiao Duan didn't refuse, taking the medicine bottle and thanking him softly. Zhan Yun was surprised that Xiao Duan accepted the medicine so readily, and his face froze for a moment before a smile curved his lips. Xiao Duan's reaction meant he had forgiven him, right?

On the other side, Zhao Ting had been feeling uneasy since breakfast that morning. He couldn't quite put his finger on why. He was just annoyed by the letter, unhappy about the man surnamed Jiang, and even more so by Duan's cold and indifferent expression.

The Zhang and Qian families lived on the same street. The three of them walked north. Xiao Duan felt the pain in his shoulder had finally subsided. After steadying his breathing, he said, "I was looking at Song Qiao's information earlier. This guy is really strange. If we have time today, we should go to his house and take a look."

Zhan Yun narrowed her crescent-shaped eyes, looked ahead, and nodded gently: "Yes, he has already passed the imperial examination. Why doesn't he stay in Bianjing? He ranked third in the palace examination and was granted the title of Jinshi. If he stays in Bianjing, he can become an official very soon."

Xiao Duan frowned: "It's fine if he doesn't want to be an official. Isn't he from Wuzhou? If he doesn't stay in Tokyo to be an official, why doesn't he go back to his hometown? Why does he stay in Hangzhou and even become a lay Buddhist?"

"Being a lay Buddhist is one thing, but he insists on going to that lousy abode to teach the Book of Poetry and the Book of Songs, attracting a bunch of young ladies and maids to follow him around like madmen. He's clearly up to no good!" Zhao Ting was usually cold, but today his words were not only cold but also sharp, like he'd swallowed a gunpowder. Zhan Yun, walking on the other side of the path, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, thinking, "What's gotten into our young Prince Zhao? It seems like no one has upset him this early in the morning."

Xiao Duan's glare wasn't in vain this time, because although Zhao Ting's words were a bit harsh, the meaning was sound. Just then, the three of them arrived at the Qian residence, greeted the doorman, and said that the government had come to investigate a case. Upon hearing this, the doorman, pulling up his trousers, ran inside, shouting as he went, "Master, Madam, people from the capital have come to investigate a case!"

Yesterday morning, Master Qian had already gone to the yamen to identify the body. Several constables had also come to the mansion to question him, but Madam Qian cried and made a scene, clinging to them and refusing to leave. The constables, unable to bear it any longer, told the Qian family that a high-ranking official had been dispatched from the capital specifically to investigate the case, and that it would surely be solved soon. So when the gatekeeper opened the door today, upon hearing that the three men were officials coming to inquire about the situation, and noticing that two of them were dressed quite well, with jade pendants on their waists clearly worth a considerable sum, he immediately understood – these must be the high-ranking officials from the capital the constables had mentioned yesterday!