Zhong Li emerged from the woodshed around noon.
The sun beat down relentlessly, and the air outside the woodshed was like a wave of heat washing over their faces. Lin Jin and the others had gone for lunch, leaving only two guards to assist Zhong Li.
“The inspection is complete. I’ll trouble you two young masters to carry the body to the county yamen and compare the footprints on the woodshed door with the shoes on the body,” she instructed. Taking the three scene sketches drawn by Hua Yao with her, she turned and headed towards the backyard of the Li mansion.
As she had expected, a significant amount of tranquilizer components was found in Li Kun’s stomach. Based on the dosage and mixture, it was identical to the previous two cases. It was clear that the same person was responsible for all of them.
However, unlike the previous two instances, Li Kun had died in the woodshed this time. Only Li Kun’s traces were found inside. Zhong Li speculated that since it was a crime committed by someone known, could it be that the woodshed was not the meeting place for Li Kun and the perpetrator?
Lost in thought, Zhong Li arrived at Li Kun’s study.
The study door was tightly shut, and a bronze lock hung on it.
Lu Wuxie had gone somewhere, but fortunately, the Li mansion’s steward was present. Zhong Li identified herself, and the bronze lock was easily opened.
“How many people are in charge of the keys to this study?” Zhong Li asked the old steward, Uncle Chen, as she brushed off some dry grass from her shoes that she had stepped on in the woodshed.
Upon hearing this, Steward Chen bowed to Zhong Li and replied, “To answer you, young sir, there are two keys to this study. I keep one, and Master Li always carried the other himself.”
“Oh? Do the ladies in Master Li’s backyard not have one?” Zhong Li inquired.
Steward Chen shook his head. “No, this study is considered Master’s private space. Unless Master allows it, none of the ladies in the backyard dare to enter.”
Zhong Li nodded and walked into the study.
The layout of Li Kun’s study was no different from that of a common household. The only thing that caught Zhong Li’s eye was the screen separating the study’s couch and the desk.
The screen was made of wood and coated with a layer of paint. Zhong Li recalled Lu Wuxie’s previous explanation of such craftsmanship and estimated that the screen was worth at least five hundred taels of silver.
Li Kun was quite wealthy.
“Steward Chen,” Zhong Li asked the steward waiting at the door, unable to contain her curiosity.
Steward Chen entered the study and said, “What is it, young sir?”
“How long have you been at the Li mansion?”
“For about twenty years, ever since Master Li became the magistrate of Suqing County. I’ve been with him ever since.”
Zhong Li nodded and asked, “Does the Li family have any other businesses besides Master Li’s official position?”
Steward Chen looked at Zhong Li, bewildered.
She clarified, “I mean, besides being the magistrate of Suqing County, did Master Li engage in any other livelihoods, such as small businesses?”
“No, there wasn’t,” Steward Chen replied without hesitation. “Although Suqing County is not large, being an official here is not easy. Especially eight years ago, dignitaries from Jincheng would visit Suqing County during festivals, and Master Li was extremely busy. It was only after Baolin Temple was established that Master Li became a bit freer, but the older generation in Jincheng still had the habit of visiting Suqing County.”
“And was this screen here when the Li mansion was built?” Zhong Li pointed at the screen in front of her.
Steward Chen shook his head. “This screen has always been Master’s favorite. As for when it entered the Li mansion…”
He paused to think. “It must have been about nineteen or twenty years ago.”
“What about the pillars on the veranda?”
“Ah, that!” Steward Chen said. “Young sir, you might not know as you are not from Suqing. About twenty years ago, the Li mansion underwent an expansion, and the veranda was built then.”
“Twenty years ago?” Zhong Li murmured. “Anhe Year 8?”
“Yes, yes!” Steward Chen nodded vigorously.
Zhong Li fell silent and walked around the screen to a small, partitioned resting area, where a tea table and a couch were placed.
Two teacups were on the tea table. Zhong Li went over and examined the color of the tea in each. As she had expected, the water in one cup was cloudier than the other. If she guessed correctly, the cloudier cup belonged to Li Kun, containing the tranquilizer found in his stomach.
As for the couch, there were neatly folded bedding on it. She leaned in to sniff and detected a faint scent of soapberry mixed with a hint of dusty earth. It seemed Li Kun rarely rested here. Beside the jade pillow on the couch was a small box.
Curiously, Zhong Li picked up the box to examine it. Inside, she found a small pill. With a hint of curiosity, she brought it to her nose to sniff. A slightly fishy odor made her uncomfortable, and she made a peculiar expression that no one could understand. She then placed the box back.
Just as Zhong Li felt she had checked enough and was about to examine other places, her gaze inadvertently swept under the couch. There was a leaf there.
She crawled onto the floor and reached under the couch to retrieve the leaf. It was a Bodhi tree leaf.
“Did someone come to see Master Li yesterday?” Zhong Li asked Steward Chen.
Steward Chen thought for a moment and shook his head. “Master returned late yesterday. If anyone came looking for him, I sent them away.”
This was strange.
Zhong Li looked at the fresh leaf in her hand, a sense of confusion rising within her.
“Where did Master Li go when he returned yesterday?” she asked again after a moment’s thought.
“To the study. He went straight into the study upon his return. I thought it was strange,” Steward Chen said, scratching his head. “Normally, when Master returns that late, he goes to the seventh concubine’s room.”
“What if he had official business?” Zhong Li proposed a hypothetical situation.
Upon hearing this, Steward Chen acted as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world and waved his hand. “Master is very health-conscious and never stays up late.”
Hearing this, Zhong Li quickly walked to the desk and flipped through the items placed on Li Kun’s desk.
Li Kun’s desk was kept very clean. The brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were neatly arranged at the corner. The only book placed in the center was a legal code of Nanyue. Judging by the creases in the paper, he must have read it frequently.
Zhong Li hadn’t expected to find anything in this booklet. She was just casually examining it when a slip of paper fell out from within.
With curiosity, she picked up the slip of paper that had fallen onto the floor along with the pages.
It was written with a few characters: "The matter is settled, don't panic!"
The handwriting looked so familiar.
But she couldn’t recall where she had seen it before.
Just as she was at a loss, a familiar voice suddenly came from outside: “Let me in, let me in!”
Zhong Li tucked the paper into her sleeve and walked out of the study to investigate.
Tian Lianxue had appeared at the entrance at some point, and Steward Chen, bowing respectfully, politely blocked her from entering the study.
“Steward Chen,” Zhong Li called out.
Steward Chen turned his head. Zhong Li emerged from the study and bowed to Steward Chen, saying, “Miss Tian is a friend of the Young Master. She must be here to see him. I’ve caused you trouble.”
With that, Zhong Li gave Tian Lianxue a look to follow her and walked towards the backyard.
“Miss Tian, you’re here to see the Young Master, aren’t you?” Zhong Li asked as they walked.
Tian Lianxue walked beside Zhong Li and glanced at her sideways, saying mysteriously, “Young Master Zhong, guess.”
Zhong Li was not Lu Wuxie and had no time to play guessing games with her.
She clasped her hands and quickened her pace, ignoring Tian Lianxue.
Tian Lianxue, left behind, was not annoyed. She rolled her eyes and said, “Young Master Zhong is still troubled by Master Li’s case, isn’t he?”
Zhong Li’s steps faltered, and she turned to look at Tian Lianxue.
“If I said that I already know who the killer is, would you be interested, Young Master Zhong?”
As Tian Lianxue spoke, she leaned closer to Zhong Li, and a faint, delicate fragrance emanated from her.
Zhong Li coldly turned her head away and said, “So, Miss Tian, is this why you’re looking for the Young Master?”
“Mmm!” Tian Lianxue nodded confidently. “You’d never guess that the killer is her.”
Zhong Li stopped and watched as Tian Lianxue’s lips parted, uttering the name of the person word by word. Her eyes instantly became strange.