Case One: The Twin Corpses in the Flower Bed
The carriage sped along the road.
Zhong Li compared the two portraits with the autopsy report, scrutinizing them closely.
It had only been a short time since she had left the yamen, and Ren Zhong’s words still echoed in her ears:
“Temple Judge Zhong, the Yue family is a prominent and wealthy clan in both Jinzhou and Yongcheng. Old Master Yue has at least seven or eight children. The proprietor of the Piaoxiang Teahouse in Jinzhou is Yue Tianping, but he’s known for his terrible temper. Believing that as a scion of the Yue family, the officials should give him some leeway, I went to seek him out today. He claimed to be resting and told me to come back tomorrow, politely refusing my request.”
Zhong Li sighed, gathered the portraits in front of her, and casually pulled aside the carriage curtain, gazing out at the empty, dark Yonghua Street.
Though the Piaoxiang Teahouse was closed, a faint aroma of tea still wafted from its surroundings.
Having followed Lu Wuxie for a long time, Zhong Li could even discern the type of tea by its scent. She sniffed the air and concluded that at this moment, it should be… the finest Jasmine Qing.
The Jinzhou Restaurant was not far from the Piaoxiang Teahouse.
Zhong Li alighted from the carriage, and Lin Jin was already waiting by the carriage shaft.
“Where is the Young Master? I haven’t seen him since then.” She had already walked several steps, her foot almost entering the restaurant, but she couldn’t resist turning back to ask Lin Jin, who was about to drive away.
Lin Jin lowered the whip he had half-raised and, with a rare slight smile, replied, “Replying to Miss Zhong, someone from the Xie family found the Young Master this afternoon. After finishing his urgent matters, the Young Master returned quickly to the Xie family. There must be something urgent at home.”
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li recalled the conversation she had overheard that morning in the Tianzi Room. It seemed Xie Xu’s philandering had thrown his household into chaos.
“Alright, I understand,” she nodded and turned to enter the restaurant.
“Miss Zhong.” Lin Jin suddenly called out to stop her.
Zhong Li paused but did not turn back.
“The Master said you should investigate the case with peace of mind. There are still two days, so there’s no need to rush.”
“I understand,” Zhong Li nodded and quickly headed for the second floor.
-------------------------------------
The next day.
Zhong Li rose early and, after a simple breakfast at the restaurant, was already seated in the yamen hall, waiting for Yue Tianping.
It wasn’t until the sun was high in the sky that Yue Tianping, picking his teeth and swaggering with a drunken gait, entered the yamen.
Upon seeing Ren Wenshu, he sneered, unceremoniously took the tea cup still in Ren Wenshu’s hand, drank it, and tutted, “What kind of tea is this in the yamen? It’s not as good as the lowest grade flower tea at Piaoxiang Tower.”
Ren Wenshu was relatively mild-tempered and, wanting to give the Yue family some respect, could only offer an awkward smile and agree.
Zhong Li had a cold disposition and no intention of indulging others. She cast a cold glance at Yue Tianping and asked, “Are you Yue Tianping?”
Yue Tianping was taken aback to be directly called by his name, as everyone in Jinzhou called him—Master Yue.
He scanned Zhong Li from head to toe, finding a pretty young girl. He clicked his tongue twice and plopped down on a stool, saying, “Where did this little girl come from? Come and serve your Master Yue.”
As he spoke, Yue Tianping tilted his neck, his intention to be served evident.
Ren Wenshu’s expression stiffened, and he quickly interjected, “Young Master Yue, this is Miss Zhong, the Temple Judge from Jincheng, who is responsible for the Yue family case. You…”
“Her?” Yue Tianping’s lips curled upon hearing this. With a roguish air, he asked, “Has the Dali Temple run so short of people that they need a woman to investigate cases?”
“Uh…” Ren Wenshu faltered and was about to say more when Zhong Li raised her hand to stop him.
“Whether the Dali Temple is short of people or needs women to investigate cases is not something for Young Master Yue to worry about. If I recall correctly, the yamen arranged for you to come at Chenshi, but it’s now Wushi. Why are you only arriving now?” Zhong Li asked.
Yue Tianping had initially assumed the woman opposite him was a pushover, but she turned out to be a fiery little chili. He hadn’t been challenged since opening his shop in Jinzhou. His nostrils flared a few times, and he raised his chin, saying, “I’ll come whenever Master Yue wants to come. Are you, a little girl, planning to arrest me?”
Zhong Li had seen Lu Wuxie’s arrogant and decadent demeanor, and she paid no heed to someone like Yue Tianping who was boastful without any real backing.
She rose and took a few steps forward, snatching the cup still in Yue Tianping’s hand and returning it to Ren Wenshu. “I’ve only encountered people like Young Master Yue in the case files from Jincheng before.”
“What do you mean?” Yue Tianping blinked, confused.
“Jincheng once had a ruffian who constantly disregarded the laws of the Southern Yue Kingdom. Once, when a murder case was to be summoned by the Court of Judicial Review, he went to the Huaman Tower to play. He was two hours late. Guess what happened?” Zhong Li asked calmly, her eyebrows slightly raised as she looked at Yue Tianping.
Yue Tianping blinked, still looking blank.
“The Minister of the Judicial Inspection Office was enraged and sentenced him to castration,” Zhong Li said.
Yue Tianping was initially dazed, but upon hearing “Judicial Inspection Office!” and “castration,” he snapped awake.
Who was the Minister of the Judicial Inspection Office in the Southern Yue Kingdom? Lu Wuxie!
Everyone knew that Lu Wuxie was currently in Jinzhou. The Yue family’s case was currently in the hands of the Dali Temple, and the Court of Judicial Review could not intervene for the time being. However, if the Temple Judge of Dali Temple failed to investigate it thoroughly and it fell into the hands of the Court of Judicial Review, and this girl opposite him then sowed discord with Lu Wuxie, he would have no peace for the rest of his life.
Yue Tianping’s expression changed rapidly. He looked at Zhong Li with newfound clarity and sincerity and said, “Are you Temple Judge Zhong? Whatever you wish to ask, I will speak the truth and hide nothing.”
Zhong Li looked at Yue Tianping’s calculating, merchant-like reaction. It seemed the saying “it takes a villain to catch a villain” was true.
“I ask you, are Yue Tiannan and Yue Tianhu your brothers?” Zhong Li sat back in her seat and stared at Yue Tianping opposite her.
Yue Tianping nodded, “Yes, they are my brothers, but… I am not born of the same mother as them.”
Zhong Li remained silent, waiting for his next words.
“Yue Tiannan and Yue Tianhu were born to the first wife; I was born to the third wife,” Yue Tianping said.
“I heard the Yue family’s businesses are all over the world, is that true?” Zhong Li asked again.
“Yes, the Yue family also has shops in Jincheng, called the Hongyun Teahouse.”
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li understood why she hadn’t seen any Yue family shops in Jincheng; they had changed their names. “Why not call it Piaoxiang Teahouse?”
Yue Tianping pursed his lips and remained silent.
“Young Master Yue, I advise you to speak the truth. Moreover, your brothers are dead. If you don’t cooperate actively with the Dali Temple’s investigation and keep delaying, do you realize this will increase your suspicion?” Zhong Li said coldly.
Yue Tianping hadn’t expected this slender-looking woman to see through his thoughts at a glance. He wiped his forehead, his eyeballs darting around.
Knowing that Yue Tianping was still conflicted, Zhong Li pressed her advantage: “If this case remains unsolved because of you, Yue Tianping, aside from the possibility of you having killed these two, your attitude alone will lead the Dali Temple to charge you with obstruction, resulting in a few days in prison. It is currently the Anhe reign, and you should be aware of how the Emperor deals with such people.”
“I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you!” Yue Tianping knew the current Emperor’s methods; even in Jinzhou, his Yue family could not escape.
“Don’t look at how prosperous our Yue family is; in reality, we brothers and sisters are not on good terms!”