Night yields to dawn.
Zhong Li, having had a bit too much to drink the previous night, woke up nearing noon. She requested some hangover soup from the inn's attendant to soothe herself before leisurely getting up to have her meal.
Lu Wuxie was already waiting for her in the main hall.
His tolerance for alcohol was indeed better than Zhong Li's. He seemed to have slept well, appearing more energetic than when he arrived.
Zhong Li sat opposite him, looking at the clear porridge before her. The people of Linzhou had strong flavors and a fondness for meat. She had only requested some appetizing pickled vegetables and ate them listlessly.
Both were taciturn; neither mentioned what had happened the night before, and the atmosphere became rather somber because of it.
"Young Master, Lord Zhong!"
Just as Lin Jin, seated beside them, was about to flip the table out of discomfort, a runner from outside the inn hurried in. Upon seeing Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie, he immediately said, "My Lord requests your presence."
The Prefecture Governor's mansion had prepared a banquet. It seemed the people of Linzhou preferred to discuss matters over drinks. Tian You, while serving, began to get straight to the point.
"Regarding the case files of the victims shown to the Young Master and Lord yesterday, I received news early this morning. I'm unsure if it's good or bad news for you, my Lords."
Zhong Li ladled a bowl of soup and said, "Lord Tian, please speak freely. As far as I'm concerned, the worst thing that could happen to this case is creating a rift between Yingzhou and the Southern Yue Kingdom."
"Indeed, indeed!" Tian You nodded and said, "My A Li said that the employees at their shop saw someone this morning."
"Who?"
"The family of Shan You, who was killed a year ago," Tian You replied.
"Shan You? Wasn't he a Northern Di? Why is he still in Linzhou?" Zhong Li put down her wooden chopsticks and asked.
"That's right. The Shan family is primarily involved in business and has always had trade with A Li. With autumn approaching, people in Linzhou begin stocking up on provisions. Naturally, the Shan family would appear here," Tian You replied.
"So, if we can meet the Shan family, perhaps we can inquire about matters related to the killer?" Zhong Li asked.
Tian You nodded, but his expression carried a hint of worry.
"What is it?" Lu Wuxie, being observant, inquired.
"It's like this. I also assisted the Shan family in handling this case last year. Shan You was the clan head of the Shan family. The killer sent the Shan family half of Shan You's leg. The ransom demanded was also substantial, around twenty thousand taels," Tian You said.
"So much?" Zhong Li was surprised. She knew that amount of money could buy half of the Prefecture Governor's mansion.
Tian You sighed and said, "Yes. Last year, after spending so much money, the Shan family only got Shan You's head and the other half of his leg back."
Upon hearing this, Lu Wuxie's brows furrowed. "How was the twenty thousand taels paid?"
Tian You replied, "According to the killer's demands, it was delivered in four installments."
"Why four installments?" Zhong Li asked.
"Actually, at first, this group only wanted three thousand taels and said the person was alive," Tian You sighed, popping a peanut into his mouth, and continued, "The Shan family delivered the money at the agreed time. Guess what happened?"
Zhong Li, recalling her colleagues' dealings with kidnappers at her previous job, asked, "The person died?"
Tian You gave a cold laugh and nodded. "Yes, the person died. They wrapped him in a tattered cloth and sent back his head."
Zhong Li's heart sank. While killing the victim in a kidnapping case was not uncommon, such a brutal act was rare.
"Was there a reason for the killing?" she asked.
Tian You shrugged. "At the time, the three thousand taels were sent by the Shan family in the common currency of the Southern Yue Kingdom. Their reason was that they didn't want paper currency, only silver. The Shan family violated the agreement."
He said this and angrily pounded the table. "It's all my fault. I thought if the money was sent in paper currency, they would have to exchange it at a bank, and we could track them down from there. I never expected these people to see through it and simply kill Shan You!"
Zhong Li's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly upon hearing this. She recalled the dismembered body parts of Shen Tuju, noting that the hands and feet were severed from a dead body. It was possible that Shan You had already been dead, and the group was merely finding an excuse.
This thought flashed through her mind, but without seeing Shan You's body, making such a conclusion would only make the case more complicated.
When Tian You spoke of the Shan family, his mood seemed to sour. He took a sip of the strong liquor on the table and continued,
"At that time, the Shan family's matriarch was so furious that she nearly fell ill and died. However, a person who died should at least have their body intact. This group took advantage of this loophole and contacted the Shan family again for extortion. There were a total of four installments, amounting to twenty thousand taels in total. The last three installments were paid in silver and gold."
"Silver, gold?" Zhong Li repeated the question. "How were nearly twenty thousand taels of silver and gold, which are so heavy, transacted?"
"Speaking of the transaction, this group was extremely cunning, constantly changing meeting locations. In the end, they disappeared with the money, and only the other leg of Shan You's body was returned," Tian You replied.
"Did this group contact the Shan family again after that?" Zhong Li asked.
Tian You shook his head. "The Shan family lost heart. They stopped doing business and returned to the Northern Di last year."
After listening, Zhong Li had some understanding of the perpetrators. It seemed these people had strong counter-reconnaissance abilities.
"Where is the Shan family now?" she asked.
"A Li went to invite them. They should be here soon..."
"They're here, they're here! The adults have arrived!"
As Tian You was speaking, a young servant from the entrance hurried towards the inner hall.
Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie looked towards the entrance and saw a man dressed in a dark purple brocade robe, wearing an animal fur cloak over it, hurrying towards them.
The man was robust, broad-shouldered and stout. The mustache by his mouth added a touch of shrewdness to his somewhat simple face.
"This is the current clan head of the Shan family, Shan Ji. The deceased was his elder brother," Tian You quietly introduced to Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie before quickly stepping forward to greet him.
"Lord Tian, it has been a long time," Shan Ji's voice was loud and resonant. As his voice emerged, the porcelain cups on the table vibrated.
Tian You led Shan Ji into the inner hall. After introductions, Shan Ji cupped his hands towards Lu Wuxie and said, "I heard early this morning that the court of the Southern Yue Kingdom has also begun to pay attention to the Shan family's case. Initially, I didn't believe it. Now that I see the Young Master Lu, the Judicial Inspection Officer of the Ministry of Justice, and Lord Zhong, the Junior Minister of Dali Temple, are truly here, I feel this trip was not in vain."
Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie exchanged glances and returned the greeting to Shan Ji by cupping their hands.
Lu Wuxie said, "Brother Shan, it is not that our country has only just begun to pay attention to this case. It is that Jincheng has been unaware of its existence all along. Otherwise, your brother might not have died so tragically last year."
"Alas!" Shan Ji sighed, his face filled with grief and helplessness. "The culprits avoid the authorities and only kill foreigners. Jincheng is surely unaware. We can all understand this. However, my brother died miserably, and even now, his coffin does not contain his complete body. If you two can solve this case, it would be a comfort to my brother's soul in heaven."
As Shan Ji spoke, he picked up the wine pot on the table and took a large swig.
Watching him, Zhong Li felt as if the hangover she had just shaken off had returned.
Lu Wuxie glanced at her, smiled, picked up his wine cup, and clinked it with Shan Ji's.
"Brother Shan," Zhong Li said, seeing Shan Ji put down the wine pot. Knowing that time was of the essence, she asked, "May I ask you a question, Brother Shan? Who was the person who transacted with the killers last year?"