It went without a doubt in regards to the extreme complication of
investigating everything that happened throughout an entire night in
such terrible weather.
The place of the unfortunate incident was not far off from City of Six
Crafts, so news of the Khotan ambassador's murder while he was on
his way here spread throughout the city. The County Magistrate was
scared out of his wits, terrified that he would be looped in.
Coincidentally at this time, from the capital, came a few people on
the Emperor's orders to receive the Khotan Ambassador. Who
could've guessed that before they could receive him, they had run
into a murder case instead?
The County Magistrate of the City of Six Crafts was trembling with
fear, posing inferiority, and he wanted nothing more but to toss the
responsibility away like a hot sweet potato. Yet, what surprised him
was that this important guest from the capital wasn't easy to get
along with at all! He said nothing about it, but accepted the case and
brought people out to investigate.
The County Official Liu Lin raised his head, watching as the wind
gradually died down and the snow coming to a halt. He exuded a
breath.
As a County Official of the City of Six Crafts, it would be difficult for
him to avoid taking responsibility if the Imperial Court wanted to
investigate the death of the Khotan ambassador outside their city. As
he mused over it, he had no idea which bandit was so bold as to
murder the ambassador of another country. But so to speak he had
never heard of any bold bandits in City of Six Crafts. Those who only seek fights would not have dared attempt to create such a big
scene.....
He thought nonsense as he flipped the corpse around to take a look.
The guards were all busy sweeping away the snow that had
gathered, revealing seven to eight corpses that were buried
underneath the snow. Most of them looked like the previous corpse,
having their throat punctured was the wound that claimed their life.
Only the man dressed luxuriously in the horse carriage had a hole
punctured in his chest.
Liu Lin naturally bent down to pull out a knife from the snow and
abruptly exclaimed: "A long knife of the Göktürks!"
"There's a long knife here too!" another constable shouted.
As the knife was being lifted, blood was still present on it. This was a
weapon that had killed many people.
Could it be the Göktürks who did it?! Liu Lin felt astonished.
The more he thought about it, the more likely he felt it was a possible
theory.
Everyone knew that if the Göktürks and the Great Sui engaged in a
war, those who were at the sidelines would dare not sleep in peace
either. For a long time, the Göktürks were displeased at the fact that
Khotan decided to flee and hide under the banners of the Sui
Dynasty, so they might have used this opportunity to murder the
ambassador to cause a dispute between Khotan and the Sui
Dynasty, turning them into enemy countries.
Many people came to the same conclusion as Liu Lin. At this moment, the case was nearing its conclusion, ready to be
wrapped up and determine the cause and reason of the
ambassador's murder, but Liu Lin could not brace himself for the
next headache that was to come: If the Göktürks appeared near the
City of Six Crafts, they might have also entered the city by now. The
Linlang guild recently wanted to hold their annual auction event in
the City of Six Crafts. People across the lands—the wealthy, pugilists
from all clans and sects—would gather there. Yet at this moment,
they had to deal with a murder case.
He could already foresee the fate that awaited him. If he did not
handle his duties well and allowed the responsibility of Göktürks
infiltrating the city to clamp down on his head, he would be doomed.
As he humoured the idea of losing his job soon, Liu Lin could see a
foreboding black cloud before his eyes. He felt his hands and legs
weaken.
Among the important guest's subordinates, there was a young man
by the surname of Pei. He got out of the carriage, holding a small
cabinet.
The model of that cabinet was one that was growing popular in the
capital as of late. It was small and had three layers. Behind the third
layer, eight columns were present. It was convenient to put things
such as cosmetics and little titbits inside. Placing it in the carriage
was indeed convenient and loved by women. Some wealthy women
would even place jewellery and expensive treasuries in them.
Pei Jingzhe held the chest in his hands. Although it was not as lavish
as the ones they saw in the capital, it was still made of good wood
and crafted with excellence. Looking closer, one could even see an
engraving of a woman dressed in Khotan traditional clothes dancing.
The third drawer was pulled out. In the first drawer dried peaches and apricots were placed. In the
second, some jewels and hair ornaments. They discovered some
veneer used by women as they opened the third drawer. There were
patterns of fishes, insects, stars and moons cut out using a golden
foil.
It would seem like there were women among this company, Liu Lin
thought.
This was not surprising. According to rumours, the ambassador of
the Khotan Kingdom was a relative of its king. It was perfectly natural
for them to bring a concubine or two when they travelled out of the
kingdom. However, it was regretful that before they could even
witness the grandiose of Daxing City, they had already lost their
lives.
"Look around for female corpses." At the same time, the man also
spoke.
When he gave the order, everyone listened to him immediately,
dismounting their horses to embark on the search.
The expensive coat that previously belonged to the man, at this
moment, was discarded on the ground amidst the snow. Liu Lin
watched in heartache and muttered to himself, before gathering his
attention and joining the search.
Among this company, except for the mounted bodyguards, there
were four carriages present. The Khotan ambassadors shared one.
One was used to carry provisions. Another contained tributes meant
for the Sui Emperor. The last, a smaller carriage, must have been for
the female servants of the ambassador. Soon they discovered two
female corpses buried deep in the snow near that carriage. The very
same deep gash across their throats that claimed their lives was
observed.The two maids were quite beautiful. Liu Lin thought that they might
both have been the ambassador's bed warmers as well as his
servants.
But as the man knelt over, his nose nearly touched one of the
deceased female maids, almost as if he was going to kiss her.
Watching such handsome features near the face of a deceased that
had splotches of green and black, Liu Lin could not help but shiver.
But the man didn't seem to care much and remained in that position.
He examined the corpse closely, sniffing all the way down and even
reached out to undo the corpse's collar with his fingers. He looked
exactly like a perverted man! The young man who previously looked
very calm also could not bear the sight before him and shouted, "My
Lord!"
"What are you shouting at?" the man replied and walked over to the
other corpse and knelt once again, sniffing for a long time before
declaring, "There is another woman. Search for her."
Was there an extra person like that? Liu Lin was stunned.
The man, a little impatiently, explained, "Inside the carriage, I smelt a
scent that I did not find on the body of these two women. They are
not the same. So, there is another woman around. Find her!"
Everyone quickly moved to search, but in the end, they only
managed to uncover twenty-one bodies; other than the two female
corpses, the rest were males.
The man spoke to Liu Lin, "Leave one team here to attend the crime
scene. Bring the rest of the bodies back."
So, is it done already? The Khotan king would want to investigate the murder of his
ambassador here. If the bodies were removed and the sun rose
again, all evidence would be wiped out. Then, how would they still
investigate the case?
Liu Lin looked confused. He wanted to ask but dared not to, so he
could only look at Pei Jingzhe and gave him a few hints with a few
glances.
Pei Jingzhe sighed. He picked up the expensive coat that was
discarded to the ground and braced himself for a good scolding. "My
Lord, are we going to leave? We're not bothering with the carriages
and the horses?"
The man asked him back, "Tell me, by remaining here, what more
can be done?"
Liu Lin was stammering as he intercepted, "Shouldn't we bring the
carriages and the weapons back to be solid evidence? In the future,
if people asked, at least we have something to show them."
The man replied, "There is no need for the carriages, but the
weapons can be brought back together with the bodies."
He did not explain himself much as he got up on his horse and
turned around. His white robes fluttered in the wind as he went. The
remaining men looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
The constables situated in small regions were not as trained and
skilled as those in the capital. To compare them with men from the
Jiejian Bureau, even lesser things could be said. Pei Jingzhe could
only remain behind and give Liu Lin instructions on how to clean up
the crime scene. A team of men would send the bodies and
weapons back to the city before returning to Qiushan Manor. Qiushan Manor was situated in the Southeast of the City of Six
Crafts and surrounded by mountains and bodies of water, offering a
sense of quiet amongst restlessness. County Magistrate Zhao's wife
belonged to a very wealthy family among the locals; thus, this manor
had been his wife's wedding gift. Every spring break, he would bring
his family there to live for a few days. This time, before the
ambassador from the capital had yet to arrive, he had already
assigned servants to tidy up the manor. Once the important guest
arrived, they could lead him here directly. If the guest was
comfortable, he would also have fewer troubles to face.
Pei Jingzhe quite enjoyed being in Qiushan Manor, especially when
the snow hadn't fully melted and branches and new leaves were
already beginning to sprout. It had an elegance which he could not
find in the capital, so every time he visited, his mood would
automatically turn for the better.
Even if he knew that the Second Commander of the Jiejian Bureau's
mood would be foul for the next few days.
The copper bell chimed as the man who moved ahead and went
back to Qiushan Manor first, arrived. He looked drawled and lazy, yet
his fingers were deft and skilled as they rolled up a letter before
inserting it into a bamboo tube.
Pei Jingzhe could not help lightening his steps, but the other man's
eyelashes quivered as if he already noticed his presence.
"Send out some men to investigate the woman that ambassador
brought with him." Feng Xiao said as he passed the bamboo tube
containing the letter to Pei Jingzhe.
The county of Qiemo was a place situated between the City of Six
Crafts and the Khotan Kingdom. On the surface, it belonged to the
Sui Dynasty. However, the Göktürks and Southern Dynasty were at war with the county of Qiemo. Hence they had not given much
thought to this place.
From the Central Plains to the Western Regions, Qiemo County was
a place they inevitably had to pass. After a long time, this had
become a place to restock supplies. People from all across the lands
would gather there to take a breather. The Jiejian Bureau had long
since placed a stronghold there so they could send letters containing
information conveniently.
Pei Jingzhe taking the bamboo tube could not help but ask, "Do you
have a lead on this case at the moment?"
Feng Xiao taking a document tossed it towards him.
Pei Jingzhe catching it clumsily opened it. The ambassador's name
was Yuchi Jinwu, the nephew of the Khotan King. In the letter, the
Khotan King expressed his sincerity and admiration for the Sui
Dynasty, hoping that they could form an alliance and help each other
defeat the Göktürks.
The truth was finally out: The Khotan King had wanted the Sui
Dynasty to assist them in dealing with the Göktürks, yet they were
also afraid that the Sui Dynasty would impose their rule upon them.
So on one side, the Khotan King strived to form a relationship with
the Sui Dynasty, but on the other hand, they were also wary of the
Sui Dynasty.
The royal edict was only meant for the Emperor of the Sui Dynasty,
but since the ambassador was now dead, to solve the case, it had
become part of the evidence; therefore, it was entrusted to their
care.
The assassination of Yuchi Jinwu and his company was neither for
riches nor belongings. Yet the imperial edict was still left in the
carriage. Everything was in its place. Pei Jingzhe closed the royal scroll and after finishing reading spoke
to Feng Xiao: "My Lord, a Khotanian was murdered within Sui lands.
This would bring shame to the Sui Dynasty's pride as well as
creating a discourse between Khotan and the Sui Dynasty. This does
seem like something the Göktürks would do."
Feng Xiao twitched an eyebrow, "They came into our lands and
murdered someone. Why did they have to use a long knife? If they
had just used a sword made in the Central Plains, we would not
have a lead to work on."
Pei Jingzhe touched his chin, "Göktürks have always been impulsive
and violent. If they had murdered under broad daylight, it wouldn't be
unusual. Other than that, now the Göktürks and the Central Plains
are crossing swords. So if they took our weapons, we would've
known?"
Feng Xiao: "Did you not notice, in that carriage, something else was
missing?"
Pei Jingzhe thought long and hard. The royal scroll, which was the
most important evidence, was still left there. What else could have
been missing? The tributes brought in by the Khotan ambassador
were all there as well….
Suddenly, a light of knowing flashed across his eyes, "The tribute list!
We did not find any list concerning the tributes."
Feng Xiao let out an 'Mn' as if he felt that Pei Jingzhe wasn't entirely
beyond hope.
Pei Jingzhe had long since gotten used to the Second
Commandant's queer mannerisms, so he was surprised to receive
approval from Feng Xiao. He added further, "The murderer took
away the tribute list, could it be that they took one of the tributes and didn't want us to know? But then we only need to ask the Khotan
King, and all will be clear."
Feng Xiao, "The time which takes for travelling to and fro would be
enough for a lot of things to be done. Fetch me that cabinet you
found earlier."
Pei Jingzhe obeyed and brought out the cabinet, pulling each drawer
open.
Feng Xiao, "Something is missing."
Pei Jingzhe looked shocked. He hadn't noticed anything missing
even though he looked for a few times now.
But if he dared speak that thought out loud, he would certainly be
scolded. So Pei Jingzhe only answered honestly, "I apologize for my
slowness. My Lord, please enlighten me."
Feng Xiao, "Cosmetics."
People who were able to remain by the Second Commander's side
would never be too stupid. Pei Jingzhe immediately connected the
dots.
"There are veneers in the cabinet, so there should also be lipstick
and perfume. But the perfume and fragrance in the carriage are not
of the same scent found on those two maidservants. Thus there
should've been another woman; in fact, it is likely a beloved
concubine of Yuchi Jinwu. Was she kidnapped? No, that's not right.
The cabinet is neither messy nor haphazard. Everything is neatly
placed. When she was taken, it surely wasn't out of force…"
When he reached at the end of his analysis, he exclaimed, "The
murderer is the missing woman?!" Feng Xiao flipped his sleeves, "She might not be, but she is certainly
related to the case. The murderer used long knives, but they might
not be Göktürks. Look into the matter and report to me in three
days."
Pei Jingzhe nodded in shock, "Yes, sir."
…..
Three days is not a long time, but it's not a short time either. The
days went by lazily, and it was arduous to sit through them.
Pei Jingzhe knew Feng Xiao's mannerisms. Three days meant
precisely three days. He would not stand a delay of even an hour. So
at Feng Xiao's order, he sent messenger pigeons and at the same
time sent out men on horses. The pigeons he sent out in Qiemo
were met with a windstorm and never returned. Thankfully, he had
prepared backup plans. On the third day, the men he sent out
returned with letters.
Feng Xiao spoke with half-lidded eyes, "Speak, speak."
Pei Jingzhe replied with sincerity, "Yuchi Jinwu came to the Central
Plains a few years ago; he met a woman in the City of Six Crafts by
the surname of Qin. After many pursuits, he took her as his
concubine and brought her back to Khotan. Yuchi Jinwu highly
treasured Maiden Qin. Whenever he came to Central Plains to offer
tributes, he would bring her along. After the travelling group was
annihilated, it is very likely that it was this Maiden Qin who went
missing."
Feng Xiao, "Is that all?"
Pei Jingzhe continued, "As to where this Maiden Qin lives, we have
investigated into it. It was a long journey there, but I've managed to
find something. Her parents are both deceased; thus, she lived in the house of her aunt. After she left with Yuchi Jinwu, her aunt also
moved with her. According to her neighbours, she's very religious.
Before she got married, she would always go to the Jade Buddha
Temple and Zixia Daoist Temple. Every month on the first lunar day
and the fifteenth lunar day, she would go there to pray in person."
Feng Xiao finally widened his eyes, "Ha! After speaking for so long,
this was the only useful information!"
Pei Jingzhe replied, feeling wronged, "Then, I also need to finish
saying the first part before I can proceed to the last part! The Jade
Buddha Temple has been greatly welcomed and usually always
crowded, but the Zixia Daoist Temple is a bit strange. Abandonment
has filled this temple for quite a long time. You would seldom see
any soul there. If this Qin lady wanted to pray, why not look for a
more rowdy temple?"
Feng Xiao remained quiet, so he continued on, "It's quite strange
though that two months ago the Zixia Daoist Temple received a new
Temple Master. Immediately after, it became crowded again.
Everyone says that the healing arts of the Zixia Temple are excellent,
and the new Temple Master there is generous and kind. As long as
there's a call for help, he would answer it."
Feng Xiao, "What is the name of this new Temple Master, and what
of his background?"
Pei Jingzhe, "His surname is Cui, his full name is Cui Buqu. I heard
he's a travelling Daoist, although his real background remains
unknown."
Cui Buqu1.
To refuse to go where? And why? The earth beneath the heavens is vast, is there a place forbidden to
go?
Feng Xiao clicked his tongue at the name, the corner of his lips
curved upwards in a smirk.
Indeed, this is very interesting.
======
[1] Cui Buqu: Cui is a surname. Buqu (不去) literally means 'refuse to
go' or 'not going'. It's a very unusual / strange way to name someone
in that manner.