There Must Be Something Tricky
"The body was found in the alley ahead." Wei Ling raised her chin.
"People who live nearby know this is a dead end—no one passes through. Today, a few children were playing nearby. I saw some wood carvings on the ground, picked them up, and entered the alley—only to find a corpse."
"The children were frightened, and their words were a bit incoherent. All I gathered was that a dozen or more small wooden carvings, shaped like little eagles and chicks, were scattered all over the ground." Chen Buyu led everyone into the alley.
"The corpse was examined by Old Madam Niu. The preliminary findings suggest the cause of death is the same as Niu Daji and Niu Erji—both were victims of a cesarean murder. However, Old Madam Niu's eyes were gouged out before her death, and her cheeks were slashed with two poisoned words carved into them."
Governor Yu slapped his thigh. "It must be revenge! If this were the work of a random serial murderer, why would they target the Niu family? And why go so far as to carve something onto Old Madam Niu's face? This reeks of deep hatred!"
"But what does Chen Ergou's death have to do with this?" Wei Ling asked, puzzled.
Wu Yong, a yamen runner from the governor's office, replied, "Based on our investigation over the past few days, Chen Ergou had no connection to the Niu brothers. However, he used to work at Prince Liang's Mansion but was later dismissed by the government for being lazy and incompetent."
"Prince Liang's Mansion?" Yu Shoudao frowned, unable to see the connection.
"Never mind that for now. Transport Old Madam Niu's body to the charity house and have the Niu family identify her."
"The Niu family only had two brothers. Now, with both of them and Old Madam Niu dead, only the eldest brother's new wife remains." Wu Yong sighed. "To think, that poor girl came from a scholar's family and ended up in this mess."
"You're saying the eldest Niu brother only just got married this year? How much did he pay as a bride price?" Yu Linlang suddenly asked.
"Oh, this little guy is sharp!" Wu Yong chuckled. "He paid a full ten taels of silver!"
This was a fortune for a family like the Nius. In most village marriages, three taels were considered generous, and sometimes families even shared wedding banquets to save money.
"I heard the wedding banquet was quite extravagant too, giving the scholar's family plenty of face. But even after half a year, the new bride hadn't conceived. Old Madam Niu had begun complaining, always glaring at her eldest daughter-in-law in frustration."
"What's there to complain about?" Wei Ling sneered. "It's not like the second wife is pregnant either. Maybe the Niu family just isn't fated to have children."
"Oh, but that's not entirely true. According to my findings, Niu Daji had a previous wife who was pregnant two years ago. However, she went missing right before giving birth. When she was finally found, she was dead in the mountains—both mother and unborn child lost. A truly tragic case."
"Then tell me—how long would it take for a poor farmer to save up ten taels of silver?" Yu Linlang stood at the alley's entrance, gazing at them. "Two years ago, Niu Erji and his wife sold themselves into labor at the governor's mansion, signing a ten-year contract."
"If they were that poor, how did they afford a ten-tael bride price?" Yu Linlang turned to Wu Yong. "If you were in charge, under what circumstances would you pay such a large sum to marry a second wife for your eldest son?"
"Uh… only if there was a surplus of money in the family."
Chen Buyu immediately understood. "Are you suggesting the Niu family had more than ten taels of silver hidden somewhere?"
"Niu Daji died at the Changle Gambling House. His younger brother also argued with his wife frequently over gambling. How much money do you think these two lost there? Lord Wu, surely you've looked into this?"
"A farmer's finances are straightforward—income, harvest, savings. If the numbers don't add up, something is amiss. When investigating a case, shouldn't we start by carefully piecing the details together instead of randomly chasing leads?"
"This case seems bizarre, but it's clearly man-made. Since it has nothing to do with your Demon Suppression Department, you should hand it over to Lord Lu of the Criminal Prison Department as soon as possible." With that, Yu Linlang turned and walked away.
Chen Buyu and Wei Ling exchanged glances, feeling slighted.
Wu Yong scratched the back of his head and muttered, "Uh… my lord, I think the girl has a point."
Governor Yu looked at his stunned subordinates and roared, "Well? What are you waiting for?! Go search the Niu family's house, question the neighbors, and find out exactly what's going on! Also, check the Changle Gambling House's records for how much money they lost. And bring the Niu family's eldest daughter-in-law to Fucheng for questioning!"
He finished barking orders and turned to Chen Buyu, who remained expressionless. "Right, Lord Chen?"
Chen Buyu nodded and told Wu Yong, "Go and do it."
Governor Yu smirked. "Lord Chen, Lord Wei, don't take the girl's words too personally."
"Of course not," Chen Buyu said calmly. "Lord Lu is busy dealing with famine and disease throughout the city. He has no time for this case. Leave it to us."
"By the way, Governor, what exactly did your daughter do in the past?" Wei Ling asked curiously. "She examines bodies, analyzes cases, and sees through details we overlooked. Surely she didn't just sit idly in the yamen before?"
The governor chuckled. "You jest, Lord Wei. My daughter has been recovering in the countryside for years due to illness. She only returned home a few days ago."
Just then, a yamen runner hurried over, bowing. "My lord, the prince has ordered a citywide lockdown. The murderer will be hunted down tonight."
---
In Yuchun Garden
That evening, Huo Yupian and her mother sat together, chatting warmly.
The atmosphere was pleasant until the topic shifted to Yu Linlang. At that, Huo's expression subtly stiffened.
"I hear she's been following your father around these past two days, busy with the investigation." Huo took a sip of tea. "A proper young lady should act like one."
"I don't know when she'll learn from your quiet and graceful demeanor."
"Sister Linlang is quite impressive. Not just anyone could understand such matters." Yu Pianpian smiled. "By the way, Mother, have you heard any updates about sending someone to pick up those old ladies from Xiaofu Village?"
"That will take time," Huo replied. "The roads are difficult in this cold weather. A round trip will take at least half a month. If things go well, they should be here by the end of the month."
"In time for the New Year?" Yu Pianpian's eyes sparkled. Then, she turned to her mother. "Mother, wouldn't it be nice if Sister Linlang attended our Shuyun Women's College?"
Huo looked at her daughter, surprised. "Why do you think so?"