The Delicate Lady Coroner

Once Bó Ruò Yōu uttered that sentence, everyone’s gaze landed on her person.

Huò Wēi Lóu fixed his eyes, “Talk about in detail.”

Bó Ruò Yōu mumbled something to herself briefly before she spoke prudently: “There were two murderers that day. Previously, we deduced that if Féng daren was a murderer, then he would be the person who used a sharp weapon to harm Great Master Jìng Kōng. Under this supposition, there would only be one murderer who is still at large, but the post-mortem autopsies conducted over the past few days, and in addition to a few side and minor details, makes min’nü feel that perhaps there is an error in the previous deductions.”

After giving a pause, Bó Ruò Yōu then stated: “Just prior, Gonggong mentioned that Wú daren and Wáng daren invited General Yuè to view the pagoda together, but General Yuè glanced at the sky before rejecting it. If the skies didn’t change that day, perhaps it wouldn’t mean much, but it did rain that day. Hou’ye should still remember that when we saw the two Daren at the Library Pavilion that afternoon, their hair was still damp, and that was because they were drenched in the rain when they went to the Pagoda.”

Lín Huái furrowed his brows, “What you mean to say is, Yuè Míng Quán knows how to observe the weather? And the people who stole the Śarīra back then, managed to predict that it would rain that day since they knew how to observe the weather, and thus decided on that method of theft?”

Bó Ruò Yōu nodded, but Lín Huái was slightly doubtful, “But Yuè Míng Quán and Wú Yú are not on friendly terms to begin with, the rejection that day might be a coincidence as well.”

Bó Ruò Yōu replied, “Lín daren’s words are reasonable. Certainly, it could be a coincidence, but Hou’ye also said that Jìng Kōng might not necessarily look for Féng Lún and Wú Yú at the start. Beyond that, he might even harbour suspicions towards the two, and would instead find someone he isn’t familiar with on normal days, who look like they would be completely unrelated to the Śarīra theft, which would be General Yuè and Wáng daren.”

“General Yuè is a military leader, Wáng daren might be a civil official but he happens to be at the prime of his life that year, and being able to use knives, swords, or other sharp implements is extremely common. This matches the conditions of when Great Master Jìng Kōng met his demise.”

Huò Wēi Lóu’s pupils dilated, “You’re even suspecting Wáng Qīng Fǔ?”

Bó Ruò Yōu nodded again, “It was just known today that Wáng daren came from Qiangzhou. Qiangzhou is the hometown of magic tricks; while not all Qiangzhou natives are capable of magic tricks, Wáng daren grew up in Qiangzhou during his youth and should be incredibly familiar with magic tricks. If the Śarīra theft really involves a diversionary tactic where someone hid inside the mechanism, min’nü believes that, perhaps this method was conceived by Wáng daren.”

Fu gonggong clicked his tongue, “One has an understanding of magic tricks, while the other is capable of observing the weather, it is indeed possible. However… the two in question aren’t well-acquainted, on the contrary, Wáng daren and Wú daren have been intimate friends for many years.”

Bó Ruò Yōu shook her head, “That’s only on the surface. On the day min’nü arrived at the temple with Hou’ye, she noted that Wú daren and Wáng daren’s speech revealed that they were on friendly terms, but that’s not all, General Yuè appeared slightly dissatisfied with this—”

Huò Wēi Lóu narrowed his eyes as he recalled how the Wáng and Wú duo had reiterated that they travelled together, which directed more suspicion towards Yuè Míng Quán since he didn’t have any witnesses. Judging from that scene, anyone would have presumed that it was the Wú and Wáng duo who shared the same air and were linked branches.

“But today, there were a few sentences from General Yuè that min’nü found incredibly strange.”

Bó Ruò Yōu’s irises darkened, “Hou’ye commanded the three to come to the morgue courtyard for interrogation, and after they arrived, General Yuè was the first one to enter. After he came out, he was resentful in his heart, then Wú daren said that Hou’ye’s interrogative questioning was probably the result of min’nü obtaining some clues from examining the skeletal remains. Afterwards, General Yuè suddenly remarked that min’nü is extremely skilled in post-mortem autopsies, but he never asked how min’nü examined it. At that time, Great Master Jìng Kōng’s skeleton had been macerated which caused its bone colour to change, and among the people present then, only General Yuè wasn’t present at the white birch forest. Since he didn’t follow along, it goes without saying that he shouldn’t know how min’nü examined the bones—

“When the two shifu Liǎo Fán and Liǎo Jué arrived later, they noticed that Great Master Jìng Kōng’s bones had changed at a glance, and they proceeded to ask what was going on. With this comparison, General Yuè’s remark becomes rather strange, as if he knew how min’nü had examined the bones.

“After min’nü went to the white birch forest to put the bones inside the cavity, Hou’ye and the two Daren left. Did Hou’ye encounter General Yuè at all after that?”

Huò Wēi Lóu’s eyes did not stray away, “Not once.”

He already understood what Bó Ruò Yōu was implying, so he took over and said: “We didn’t see Yuè Míng Quán at all, and of the people that saw you examining the bones, only Wáng Qīng Fǔ and Wú Yú went back to their own meditation halls. There were two double-hours in between, and in that span of time, one of the two met up with Yuè Míng Quán, and told him how you examined the bones.”

Bó Ruò Yōu gazed at Huò Wēi Lóu with glittering bright eyes, “That’s precisely so! Wáng daren and Wú daren appear to be on friendly terms, but it’s very likely that one of them was already acquainted with General Yuè a long time ago, and chose to feign unfamiliarity in front of others. Given that, no one would think that they were actually the ones colluding for evil.”

Fu gonggong frowned, “But why couldn’t it be Wú daren? He washes his clothes daily, his martial skills aren’t bad…”

Bó Ruò Yōu replied, “Min’nü still remembers that on the first night, Wú daren was the first person who couldn’t resist dry heaving and stepping out of the door, and it was later mentioned that he washed his clothes, which indicates that he has a fondness of cleanliness. There are some people in this world who genuinely have a compulsive preference for cleanliness, hence just basing off the fact that he washes his clothes, really isn’t the biggest point of suspicion. Moreover, the point about Wú daren washing his clothes was brought up by Wáng daren.”

Huò Wēi Lóu suddenly raised his eyebrows as well, “Wáng Qīng Fǔ appears as though he is speaking for Wú Yú, but his words were rather suggestive, and during the subsequent interrogation, he reiterated that Wú Yú was interested in Buddhism and got along with Jìng Kōng. If [we] were going by the previous conjecture, it would naturally increase the suspicion on Wú Yú.”

Huò Wēi Lóu’s statement affirmed Bó Ruò Yōu’s deduction even more. If Yuè Míng Quán was the one Wáng Qīng Fǔ truly got along with and wanted to protect, then being hostile on surface while steering the spearhead in Wú Yú’s direction was the smartest idea. Unfortunately, Bó Ruò Yōu and Huò Wēi Lóu had picked up on the spider’s thread and horse tracks.

蛛丝马迹 (pinyin: zhu si ma ji) – fig. tiny hints, traces, clues.

Lín Huái’s expression contorted, then he said with knitted brows: “But there isn’t any substantial evidence right now….”

Much of what they were saying were inferences. If there was no substantial evidence, Yuè Míng Quán and Wáng Qīng Fǔ could naturally quibble however they pleased.

In response, Huò Wēi Lóu curled his lip corners coldly, “Since the two of them are the suspects, wanting substantial evidence won’t be difficult either.”

Having said that, he instructed Lù Kē: “Go and check Yuè Míng Quán’s background, and then investigate if he had been acting abnormally after the Grand Śarīra Ceremony ten years ago. He was serving as the Commander-in-Chief in Luozhou previously, if he really knows how to observe the weather, then it must have been revealed in the army to some extent. The Luozhou garrison troop is exceedingly close, one day is enough for a round trip.”

During an army march, there were a lot of instances where they had to look at the sky for time. If Yuè Míng Quán wanted to put on a good performance, then he would never conceal this skill.

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Lù Kē accepted his order, personally leading some men to descend Xixia Mountain. Whereas inside the room, Lín Huái asked doubtfully: “But if it’s Yuè Míng Quán and Wáng Qīng Fǔ, why did they steal the Śarīra?”

Huò Wēi Lóu narrowed his eyes, “The Śarīra is still the most valuable treasure in Buddhism when all is said and done. There are too many rumours about it, and if someone believes it, they will take the risk out of desperation, even if they don’t believe in the Buddha. You’ve been in the officialdom for a long time, such things aren’t rare by any measure.”

Lín Huái’s expression became slightly complicated at that moment. Huò Wēi Lóu muttered irresolutely to himself for a short beat before he said: “Wáng Qīng Fǔ was the Vice-Secretary of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices that year, and he was later promoted to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices’ Secretary, which took him five to six years at least, that isn’t strange per se.”

Pensive, Lín Huái replied: “Wáng daren is usually reserved and never one for ostentatious displays within the Capital, and it’s almost unimaginable that he’s the type of person who would steal the Śarīra in hopes for great wealth and nobility or immunity to all illnesses.”

Huò Wēi Lóu fiddled with the black jade ornamental ring on his thumb, “Since the two of them bear the highest possibility of colluding in secret, then [we] only need one of them to admit the truth and that will suffice.”

A glint flitted past the bottom of Huò Wēi Lóu’s eyes, and he promptly issued an order: “This will be discussed again when Lù Kē returns. There’s no need to mention this to anyone else.” Huò Wēi Lóu peered at Huò Qīng Hóng, “There’s no need to inform Guī Lán as well.”

Huò Qīng Hóng immediately raised his hand and swore: “Older Brother can rest assured; I definitely won’t speak a word of it!”

The hour was getting late, but a certain kind of confidence emerged on Huò Wēi Lóu’s visage like he had a card up his sleeve. Neither fast nor slow, he told everyone to withdraw and rest, before ordering for tighter surveillance on Yuè Míng Quán and the other two. On this night, it would be impossible for these three people to take a single step outside of their respective rooms. 

Yuè Míng Quán and the other two were officials within the imperial court, with the lowest being fourth ranked, which meant that it wasn’t polite to treat them irreverently. Hence, even if the embroidered emissaries were ordered to guard them, they were courteous and well-mannered, not in the least barbaric or coarse. But that evening, ten embroidered emissaries were stationed inside their meditation halls; not only were their rooms completely surrounded, but even their food was personally delivered by the embroidered emissaries. Upon seeing this scene, let alone someone who had ghosts in their heart, even if they didn’t have any ghosts, they would feel a little flustered. Emperor Jianhe had given Huò Wēi Lóu the right to act first and report later. If there were any unforeseen incidents, Huò Wēi Lóu could deal with the three of them as he wished.

That night, none of them slept peacefully.

The strict guarding lasted until dusk of the next day. The three were not allowed outside their rooms. While there was food and water, the embroidered emissaries had switched their deeply respectful attitude to the current callous treatment and refused to answer any questions, which caused the trio to feel tormented in their hearts. Could it be that Huò Wēi Lóu had obtained some momentous clue, which was why Huò Wēi Lóu was acting this way? When they thought of this point, an ominous hunch rose from the bottom of their hearts.

When the night colours descended, Lù Kē arrived at the foot of the mountain covered in dust and stepped into Famen Temple. Once he arrived in front of Huò Wēi Lóu, he reported with some agitation: “Hou’ye, General Yuè is really capable of observing the weather! In his youth, he once followed a wandering Taoist Priest as his disciple for two years and picked up this skill. When he entered the barracks at the start, he was heavily used because he knew how to observe the weather and later became the Commander-in-Chief. Similarly, because this skill is rather practical, it can be assumed that after entering the Zhenxi Army, this skill was used for army marches and fighting in battles.”

If the army had such a talent, even Huò Wēi Lóu would accept him as subordinate, so he was not surprised to hear that, “Since there is substantial evidence, suspecting him is no longer without reason.”

Lín Huái was currently standing by his side, and he replied: “What if he refuses to admit it even to his death? Although he appears heroically fierce and brusque, he comes from the army when all is said and done, and his temperament is firm and persistent. If he bites down on the fact that he has nothing to do with the incidents that year…”

Huò Wēi Lóu’s mouth edges lifted slightly, “If he is the only murderer that is left in world right now, it would be difficult, but there’s still one Wáng Qīng Fǔ. Wáng Qīng Fǔ is his weak spot.”

Lín Huái frowned, “If that Wáng daren is truly involved in what happened that year, then he isn’t a simple person at all…”

Ever since Wáng Qīng Fǔ arrived at Famen Temple, he had been unflustered and calm from beginning to end, even drawing the suspicion onto Wú Yú’s person imperceptibly, as if he had been friends with Wú Yú for all these years just for the sake of making him the scapegoat for this moment. With that thought in mind, he could not help but feel that not only was Wáng Qīng Fǔ patient, but his mind was also unfathomably deep, which was chilling.

That being said, without any direct evidence, how was he going to get them to confess?

Huò Wēi Lóu’s phoenix eyes shifted towards Lù Kē, “Do you understand what you have to do?”

Lù Kē nodded, “This subordinate understands.”

    ……

As the night’s curtain gradually fell, Yuè Míng Quán was deeply worried and uneasy as he waited inside his own room. For some unknown reason, a tremendous and incomparable panic surged in his heart, like something was definitely going to happen tonight.

The night sky outside the window was pitch-black, bereft of the moon and stars, which made the haze at the bottom of his heart become thicker. The embroidered emissaries outside his room had been guarding him for a day and night, and they have not relaxed in the slightest up until now. Yuè Míng Quán gripped the dagger at his waist, though his fingertips were trembling slightly. Even if he practised martial arts, even if he had an army knife at hand, how was he supposed to take on an entire group of embroidered emissaries as his opponents?

Having thought to this point, Yuè Míng Quán pressed down on the dagger heavily.

Stay calm, it hasn’t reached that stage yet.

“Peng—”

A loud noise suddenly rang out, directly scaring Yuè Míng Quán into a standing position. When he looked outside his door, he saw more than ten embroidered emissaries barging through the door, which caused Yuè Míng Quán’s body to stiffen, “All of you… What is the meaning of this?”

The embroidered emissary at the forefront stared at Yuè Míng Quán with a cold gaze, “Hou’ye invites General Yuè to the front for questioning.”

Yuè Míng Quán’s heart lurched audibly, but he forcibly maintained his composure, “It may be a questioning, but benjiang is a titled official in the imperial court, do all of you have to be so impolite?” He said, feigning calmness by smoothing out his robes before he strode outwards without any hesitation.

本将 (pinyin: ben jiang) – a self-address that a General uses.

However, just as he was walking past the leading embroidered emissary, he was stopped by a raised hand.

The embroidered emissary felt around his waist, extracting the dagger from his waist in one motion. Yuè Míng Quán faltered momentarily before he adopted a resentful appearance, “Do you have to go to such extremes? Benjiang has always worn that weapon on his person, it’s just an object that is typically carried along.”

The embroidered emissary sneered, “General does not need to speak more, if [you] have anything to say, say it in front of Hou’ye later.”

On the way there, Yuè Míng Quán was basically treated as a convict, which made his complexion slightly ugly, but he had no choice but to turn around and continue walking forward. His footsteps were slightly weak and unstable, but his back was propped up and erect. When he arrived at the entrance of Huò Wēi Lóu’s meditation hall, he promptly saw Lù Kē bringing a group of embroidered emissaries out of the courtyard. Judging from where they were heading, it seemed to be in the direction of Wú Yú and Wáng Qīng Fǔ’s meditation hall.

Yuè Míng Quán’s eyelid jumped fiercely.

The embroidered emissary shoved Yuè Míng Quán, “What are you looking at, the two Daren Wú and Wáng have already been questioned, only General Yuè is left.”

Yuè Míng Quán felt like he had been plunged into an ice cellar, “They were already questioned?”

The embroidered emissary pushed him again, not giving a single word in response. Yuè Míng Quán stepped into the meditation hall with leaden footsteps.

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The flames inside the meditation hall were brightly lit tonight. More than ten embroidered emissaries were standing guard inside the hall, each carrying a blade at their waist, their expressions grave and stern. Just looking at this battle formation alone was rather frightening; Yuè Míng Quán gnashed his molars, stepping through the main doors slowly.

Shortly after he entered the door, the door was promptly closed from the outside.

Bright lights were blazing inside the room as well. Huò Wēi Lóu’s handsome visage was chilly, exuding an oppressive aura as he sat in the main seat while Fu gonggong and Lín Huái flanked him from the sides, though Bó Ruò Yōu’s figure was nowhere to be seen. If there was a lady, perhaps the atmosphere in the room would be gentler by a degree, but the current Huò Wēi Lóu was oozing a cold and austere killing intent from his entire body, with Lín Huái and Fu gonggong donning cold demeanours as well, which made it hard for Yuè Míng Quán to breathe normally instantaneously.

“Greetings to Hou’ye—”

Yuè Míng Quán cupped his hands and bowed solemnly. His body was bent in a rather deferential manner, but Huò Wēi Lóu did not open his mouth to spare him from the courtesy after his body bent down. Yuè Míng Quán became increasingly uneasy at the bottom of his heart and this posture was quite taxing, hence he felt a thin layer of perspiration emerging on his forehead very quickly.

“Yuè Míng Quán, a native of Cangzhou, entered the military at fifteen years old, first serving in the Cangzhou Garrison, before holding a post in Wenzhou Garrison, then relying on his great ability in martial arts and weather observation, continued on a path of promotions until he entered the Luozhou Garrison as the Commander-in-Chief, it can be considered a broad and level official career.”

Huò Wēi Lóu finally spoke, his tone of voice callous, each word pronounced. Yuè Míng Quán raised his head involuntarily and happened to meet Huò Wēi Lóu’s gaze. Yuè Míng Quán’s pupils trembled before he lowered his eyes again. Huò Wēi Lóu’s cold eyes were akin to knives; if he looked for another second, his flesh would be peeled off and his bones scraped, giving way to all kinds of errors and negligence.

“Thirteen years ago, you, who entered the Luozhou garrison, learned of the existence of Famen Temple’s secret treasure that was the Śarīra. Since you were stationed in Luozhou, you naturally knew about the multitude of rumours concerning the Śarīra. Besides that, you relied on your position as the Commander-in-Chief to make discreet inquiries in many areas, and even found out that one of the Buddhist scriptures recorded the method for unlocking the treasure chest. Afterwards, you ordered someone to illicitly purchase that Buddhist scripture from Famen Temple.”

After listening to this point, Yuè Míng Quán abruptly raised his eyes, “Hou’ye—”

“You bought the Buddhist scripture, and using the convenience of your duties, sourced for sideshow performers before the Grand Śarīra Ceremony and hid him inside the lotus pedestal. On the day of the Grand Ceremony, you observed the weather and predicted that there was going to be heavy rain, so you ordered the person to use the mechanism within the lotus pedestal to noiselessly steal away the Śarīra under the cover of the umbrella.”

Cold sweat was dripping down Yuè Míng Quán’s forehead. He wanted to open his mouth to explain but Huò Wēi Lóu did not give him the chance to interrupt.

“You thought that these actions were carried out in absolute secrecy, but you did not expect that Jìng Kōng would come to discover that the Buddhist scripture had been sold. Wú Yú and Féng Lún were both people who worshipped the Buddha and he had reservations about them, which was why he looked for you, and spoke about this matter to you and the former Court of Imperial Sacrifices’ Vice-Secretary Wáng Qīng Fǔ.

“However, he did not anticipate that you were actually colluding with Wáng Qīng Fǔ for this matter. Thus, under your coercion, Wáng Qīng Fǔ had no choice but to help you deceive Jìng Kōng into going to the Buddha sculpting workshop of that time to be slaughtered.

“Your martial art skills were well-practised and formidable, and you learned some medical knowledge from the Taoist priest that you followed years ago, thus granting you a deep understanding of human bones and nerves. In a quick and efficient manner, you dismembered Jìng Kōng, and afterwards, both of you hid the corpse inside the Buddha statue in order to destroy the corpse and remove the traces.”

Yuè Míng Quán’s face was already as white as a ghost. His lips trembled and he finally couldn’t stop himself from saying: “Hou’ye… What does Hou’ye mean by those words? Where did these come from? Xiaguan is genuinely incapable of understanding a single word!”

Huò Wēi Lóu was completely unmoved as he continued to speak in a cold voice: “Jìng Kōng’s disappearance was covered up, you illegally obtained the Śarīra, then used silvers to appease Wáng Qīng Fǔ. Since he’s a capital official, he understood the severity of being involved in this matter, and it goes without saying that he wouldn’t dare to speak a word of it, until Jìng Kōng’s skeletal remains were discovered. For these ten years, he was tormented by regrets daily, whereas you, upon knowing that Féng Lún had some cognition of the events that year, actually laid a cruel hand on Féng Lún. Yuè Míng Quán, you truly are incomparably shrewd, both heartless and merciless.”

Yuè Míng Quán moved his lips corners, which unexpectedly tugged into a hint of a bitter smile, “Why does Hou’ye slander xiaguan in such a manner? If xiaguan was the murderer, how could he be unruffled for the past few days? Xiaguan looks forward to Hou’ye finding the murderer every day, and would never be the murderer regardless of the circumstances. Jìng Kōng was not familiar with xiaguan that year, even if he learned of sold Buddhist scripture, it’s unlikely that he would come and find xiaguan.”

As Yuè Míng Quán spoke, he seemed to have found confidence in himself as he suddenly straightened his posture, “Hou’ye, xiaguan is aware of the principle that there can never be too much deception in war, but xiaguan harbours magnanimity and a clear conscience in his heart; no matter how Hou’ye slanders xiaguan, he will not obtain the truth.”

Huò Wēi Lóu’s countenance remained utterly unfazed. He stared at Yuè Míng Quán frigidly, as if he still had some unknown handle in his hands, and any quibbling was bound to be futile. Huò Wēi Lóu’s fingertips rapped on the armrest lightly, his black jade ornament ring and vermillion-lacquered cedarwood causing a crisp and sonorous sound upon impact. He asked slowly, “Are you truly unaware of where benhou obtained everything he knows from?”

Yuè Míng Quán’s back was already soaked through with sweat. Although the expression on his visage was strange, he still persisted in maintaining his cool on the surface. “Regardless of where Hou’ye obtained this information, someone must be besmirching xiaguan, and one asks Hou’ye to be impartial!”

Huò Wēi Lóu’s phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, finally revealing a trace of regret in the stern and emotionless depths of his eyes as he stated: “Benhou established himself through military achievements, and heard that you had made quite a bit of contributions in the Zhenxi Army. Benhou treats everyone under the Heavens with an iron mask, but towards those that protect and defend the country, only then does he exhibit some leniency and generosity. However— if you are unable to appreciate the clemency, then benhou’s kindness has been wasted.”

Yuè Míng Quán’s fingertips started trembling and he subconsciously tried to reach for the dagger at his waist, only to realise in hindsight that the dagger had been confiscated. He gritted his teeth, “Hou’ye does not have to use both hard and soft tactics. Why does xiaguan have to admit to anything when he has done nothing? Hou’ye doesn’t trust xiaguan, xiaguan doesn’t know how to prove himself either. If [you] insist on asserting that xiaguan is guilty, xiaguan can only use death to prove himself—”

His fists clenched tightly, his outward appearance brimming with stern righteousness, but Huò Wēi Lóu’s gaze was keen, and he had seen through the panic hidden beneath his righteousness early on. Huò Wēi Lóu gazed at him with squinted eyes for a few seconds. At this moment, a series of footsteps suddenly rang out outside the door within the meditation hall.

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Huò Wēi Lóu’s gaze shifted, while Yuè Míng Quán’s heart lurched from the noise. Very quickly, Lù Kē’s voice sounded from outside the door, “Hou’ye, Wáng daren has arrived.”

Yuè Míng Quán’s mouth moved like he was going to speak, but Huò Wēi Lóu’s eyes chilled, making a silencing hand gesture towards him.

Yuè Míng Quán’s mouth corners stiffened, not daring to utter a single word. On the other hand, Huò Wēi Lóu said: “Benhou is tired, bring him to the right wing-room. Order him to write down everything that he said just now, and ensure that it is clearly written.”

When Yuè Míng Quán heard that sentence, he immediately became a touch flustered. He only heard Lù Kē verbally complying before he entered the right wing-room with the accompaniment of heavy and complicated footsteps. As Yuè Míng Quán listened to the noise, he could almost imagine how Wáng Qīng Fǔ was being escorted and taken into custody.

Very quickly, Lù Kē’s voice travelled over from inside the right wing-room. “Wáng daren, make sure to describe everything in meticulous detail, especially how General Yuè looked for your help that year, and how he threatened you, write it down clearly. Wáng daren has been an official for many years, and should be aware that this concerns the future sentencing; whether it is  an exile of a thousand miles, or a beheading in the city centre, it will depend on the clarity of Wáng daren’s account.”

Yuè Míng Quán’s eyes widened slightly, but judging from the self-composed appearance that he was affecting in front of Huò Wēi Lóu, it seemed like he did not believe in this ruse, and still held onto that last vestige of hope.

Following closely, however, was Wáng Qīng Fǔ’s voice.

“Yes… Xiaguan no longer dares to conceal it. For the past ten years, xiaguan has been living with constant, trembling fear. Now that Hou’ye has seen through it, xiaguan feels like his body and mind has been unburdened as well. I was just a small vice-secretary that year, from a clear water government office like the Court of Imperial Sacrifices too. If it were not for him seeking me out, I would never have done such a reckless thing no matter what—”

Wáng Qīng Fǔ’s voice was trembling, bereft of his usual unhurried and cultured tone. Apart from his shaking voice, the brittle sound of paper folding could be heard. Yuè Míng Quán’s complexion became uglier and uglier, beads of perspiration forming on his forehead as well. When Huò Wēi Lóu’s gaze landed on his person, he could still force himself to meet his eyes for a second or two, but by the end, he could only lower his eyes and stare at the ground in front of his feet. The light and darkness at the bottom of his eyes were fluctuating, as if he was struggling in his fear, whereas Huò Wēi Lóu’s gaze was akin to a knife dangling above his head from start till end. The incandescent flames in the room, the silent and cold eyes from Fu gonggong and Lín Huái, everything was like a net covering the top of his head, forcing his heart to become increasingly panicked and scared.

At a certain moment, the sound of the table and chair shifting suddenly resounded from the right wing-room. Lù Kē said: “Wáng daren has nothing more to write?”

“Xiaguan can only remember this much right now. If he can recall anything else, he will definitely come again to report.” Wáng Qīng Fǔ said weakly and without strength, as if his heart was dead and despaired. Suddenly, he sounded rather fearful as he said: “That Yuè Míng Quán looks like a soldier, but the truth is that he’s nothing more than a desperate criminal, who is ruthless to the extreme. If Hou’ye wants to arrest that person, he must be cautious, if he acts abnormally, never be soft-hearted towards him.”

The sound of footsteps, the door opening, the report from the door, all of these sounds were accompanied by the flickering lamp lights. Yuè Míng Quán was slightly dazed at the moment. Anyone could hear that Wáng Qīng Fǔ’s previous sentence was essentially reminding the embroidered emissaries that they had to kill him if it proved necessary.

“Hou’ye, Wáng daren has finished writing.”

Lù Kē’s voice rang out again. The arch of Huò Wēi Lóu’s brows moved slightly, and just as he was about to open his mouth, Yuè Míng Quán suddenly raised his head with red eyes, “Hou’ye, there’s no need to look at whatever he wrote. He was lying from start to finish and he’s basically trying to frame xiaguan. That year… That year, he was the one who looked for xiaguan—”

Huò Wēi Lóu’s pupils shifted slightly, expressing for him to go on.

Meanwhile, outside the room, Lù Kē wiped away the thin perspiration that had gathered on his forehead after hearing that line, before he kneaded his sore throat, and released a long, drawn-out exhale.