novelraw Chapter 164 : The Great Gold Robbery, Another Death in the Lotus Pond
Chapter 164 : The Great Gold Robbery, Another Death in the Lotus Pond
164: The Great Gold Robbery, Another Death in the Lotus Pond
"'Hua Rong Dao'?" Hearing the name, Qin Wan felt a flicker of familiarity. "Is that about Cao Xing from the Wei era?"
Qin Wan's question made Qin Shuang blink in confusion, but Pang Jiayan nodded. "You know it?"
A smile touched Qin Wan's lips. "Over three hundred years ago, during the Wei Dynasty's Three Kingdoms period, Cao Xing was the ruler of Wei. He was defeated in a battle at the Yan River against the other two powers. Legend says the path of his escape was called Hua Rong Dao. That story has inspired many operas."
Qin Shuang glanced at the board in her hand. "So that's it. I need to help this person escape?" She pointed to the piece in the upper left corner.
Pang Jiayan nodded. "Here, let me teach you…"
With no one to play with usually, Pang Jiayan was now in high spirits. As he eagerly began instructing Qin Shuang on how to play the sliding puzzle, Qin Wan's gaze drifted back to his box.
Her eyes were drawn to the acrobat figurines. "Qingniang made these herself? They're truly exquisite."
Qingniang smiled with a hint of shyness. "This servant only knows a little needlework."
Qin Wan took two steps toward the window. "How is Madam?"
At this, Qingniang quickly replied, "Madam is much better. She truly wished to thank you properly, Ninth Young Miss, but… it's inconvenient. She feels very apologetic. The young master is a grateful child. These little toys are just a humble offering; please don't laugh."
Qin Wan shook her head, looking over at Pang Jiayan, who was directing Qin Shuang with the air of a miniature adult. She sighed softly. "For the Third Young Master to be so thoughtful at his young age shows Madam has raised him well. These little toys are very charming."
As she said this, Qin Wan walked over to Pang Jiayan's box and picked up a small figurine. "Then I'll choose this one!"
The figurine in her hand was of a warrior holding a spear. Though it represented an opera troupe's martial artist, the sight of that long spear made Qin Wan think of the night she first met Yan Chi…
"Thank you, Ninth Young Miss. Your thoughtfulness is appreciated."
Since Pang Jiayan had come to express gratitude, refusing his gift might trouble him. By accepting something, his mind would be at ease.
Hearing Qin Wan had taken a figurine, Pang Jiayan quickly glanced over. Seeing she had chosen the warrior figurine, he seemed to relax slightly and continued teaching Qin Shuang. This small action didn't escape anyone; even Bai Ying couldn't suppress a smile.
After instructing for a while, Pang Jiayan frowned. "You're so slow…"
Qin Shuang's brows shot up. She looked pleadingly at Qin Wan. "I really don't know how to move this. I keep going in circles."
Qin Wan raised an eyebrow slightly and stepped forward to examine the uniquely shaped board. The pieces were of different sizes; it wasn't something simply fiddled with until solved. After studying it a moment, she tapped a specific piece. "Move this one up."
Though not exceptionally clever, Qin Shuang was no fool. Qin Wan's hint made her eyes light up with understanding. She focused intently on the board and, before long, had maneuvered "Cao Xing" to escape.
Qin Shuang grinned triumphantly. "Well?! Did I get him out?"
Pang Jiayan gave a soft huff. "Only because someone gave you a hint… Fine, you can pick one."
Qin Shuang had just been playing along. "Who wants your things? I was just teasing you."
Pang Jiayan frowned, even more displeased. He shot Qin Shuang a glare, took back the Hua Rong Dao board, walked to his box, pulled out a jade thumb ring, and placed it on the table. "For you."
Without another word, he closed the box, gathered it up, and left.
Qingniang gave Qin Wan and the others an apologetic, bittersweet smile and a quick curtsey before hurrying after him.
Qin Shuang chuckled, picking up the thumb ring. She was slightly surprised. "Huh, the quality is quite good..." She felt a bit awkward, didn't this make it seem she really had coveted his things?
Though the quality was good, it was after all a child's jade ring. Qin Wan said, "Since he gave it, keep it. Just treat it as a little trinket…"
Qin Shuang thought so too. "This Third Young Master is rather interesting."
With this interruption, Qin Shuang no longer insisted on going out and stayed in Qin Wan's room watching her prepare medicines.
By nightfall, Yan Chi and Yan Li arrived at Clear Radiance Garden with Wang Huaiyu.
"Your Highness, still no leads." In the Moon-Gazing Tower, Wang Huaiyu frowned deeply. "From the time Qingjun left the Moon-Gazing Tower, there was an hour and a half. Everyone had their own tasks during that period."
"What about that pot of tea?" Yan Chi suddenly asked. "Was the person who delivered it questioned?"
"The person who delivered the tea was a servant under Steward Pang. When Qingjun left, it was Steward Pang who personally escorted her. At the door, Qingjun requested tea, so Steward Pang had a servant from his staff deliver it. That servant was questioned. He delivered the tea to her room and then left. That would have been about half an hour after Qingjun left the Moon-Gazing Tower."
Clear Radiance Garden was large, but the household servants weren't numerous. Moreover, with the garden's many interconnected paths, it was impossible to deduce the killer's route. Yan Chi narrowed his eyes. "Has the entire garden been searched?"
Wang Huaiyu nodded. "The area around Qingjun's courtyard has been searched."
Yan Chi shook his head. "Not just around that courtyard. We need to search farther afield as well."
Wang Huaiyu's eyes shifted, and he nodded immediately. He then turned to Pang Fuliang, who was waiting nearby. "At present, we can find no leads. I'm afraid we must conduct a search of the garden."
Having one's home searched was naturally not a pleasant prospect, but there was no alternative.
Pang Fuliang hurriedly assented. "Of course, Prefect. Please proceed as you see fit."
Wang Huaiyu, somewhat satisfied, quickly summoned the Chief Constable to give instructions.
Seeing this, Yan Chi walked out. Yan Li promptly followed. "Are you going along, Seventh Brother?"
Yan Chi nodded. "Just for a walk."
Dusk was falling, casting a dim light over the entire Clear Radiance Garden. As darkness approached, the yamen constables quickened their pace. Yan Chi stepped outside, looked around, and headed north, behind the Moon-Gazing Tower.
Yan Li kept pace with Yan Chi. Wang Huaiyu finished his orders and followed as well. "Your Highness, the area back here is quite remote. Steward Pang says no one lives back here."
Yan Chi frowned. "Search it anyway. It doesn't need to be overly detailed, but we should see if anything suspicious can be found."
Wang Huaiyu listened and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes. Your Highness makes perfect sense."
Yan Chi walked a few more steps, then stopped. Wang Huaiyu naturally sent a few constables ahead to investigate. Standing where he was, Yan Chi said, "Prefect Wang, I heard the deceased Qingjun had no family left."
Wang Huaiyu nodded. "That's correct. Furthermore, she originally hailed from Dingzhou. I've already sent men to Dingzhou."
Yan Chi spoke expressionlessly, "But I seem to recall she had a senior sister."
Wang Huaiyu was stunned for a moment, then his eyes brightened as he remembered. "Ah, yes… she did have a senior sister, but she married. I shall inquire with the Shuangqing Troupe members about this later."
Mentioning the Shuangqing Troupe, Wang Huaiyu sighed again. "Qingxian and Yang Ying intentionally framed Qinglan, but they don't admit any involvement in Qingli's death. Qingli's death will likely be classified as an accident."
Yan Chi's eyes darkened slightly. "If it cannot be determined as murder, then it can only be an accident."
Just as they spoke, a guard suddenly ran up from behind. "Your Highnesses, we've found a strange courtyard at the back…"
"Hmm?" Wang Huaiyu's attention was instantly captured. "Where?"
"Just back there. Please follow me, Sir."
Wang Huaiyu looked at Yan Chi. Yan Li was also intrigued. "A strange courtyard? Where? Lead the way!"
At Yan Li's command, the guard naturally didn't dare delay, turning to lead Yan Li forward. Yan Chi followed silently, with Wang Huaiyu behind him. Shortly, they arrived before a small courtyard with its gate locked.
Their current location was extremely remote. The small courtyard ahead appeared somewhat desolate and dilapidated. Wang Huaiyu stood before the gate, frowning. "What's strange about this courtyard? The gate is locked…"
"Sir, though the gate is locked, there is someone inside."
Wang Huaiyu raised an eyebrow. "Someone?!"
"Yes, Sir. Just now, when we were searching here, we heard movement from inside."
The yamen constable spoke earnestly. Wang Huaiyu, having no reason to doubt him, walked up to the gate and pressed his ear against it.
He held his breath, listening for a long moment, but heard no sound.
In that brief time, night had fully fallen. Just as Wang Huaiyu was about to turn and question the constable, suddenly, a little girl's voice rang out.
"Little child, hide-and-seek, giggling behind the big gate…"
The voice was childish and ethereal. In this quiet, desolate place, its abrupt emergence sent a chill down even Wang Huaiyu's spine.
He stumbled back a step, staring disbelievingly at the courtyard gate.
He had heard clearly: that strange voice came from behind the gate.
Yan Li, standing beside Yan Chi, was also slightly startled. "Who's in there?"
"Little child, hide-and-seek, giggling behind the big gate…"
Perhaps hearing human speech again, the person inside spoke once more. She repeated the earlier words, but this time her tone held a hint of eerie, maddened laughter…
Wang Huaiyu couldn't help but take another step back. Gritting his teeth, he ordered, "Men, go fetch Master Pang. Have this gate opened!"
At his command, the yamen constables hurried off. Wang Huaiyu looked at Yan Chi, then at Yan Li, still feeling a chill on the back of his neck. "Your Highness, this…"
"Little child, hide-and-seek, giggling behind the big gate…"
Before Wang Huaiyu could finish, the voice inside called out again. Wang Huaiyu felt goosebumps rise on his arms. Even watching Qin Wan perform an autopsy that night hadn't induced such a chilling sensation.
The person behind the gate clearly heard their speech yet showed no reaction. Moreover, she kept repeating this bizarre nursery rhyme. Either she was doing it deliberately, or her mind was unwell.
Seeing the courtyard's desolate state, Wang Huaiyu frowned, recalling some rumors he'd heard before.
As Wang Huaiyu pondered, Pang Fuliang and Pang Youde approached from the path behind, one after the other. Seeing Yan Chi and the others before the gate, Pang Fuliang naturally understood the situation. Panting slightly, he came forward. "Your Highnesses, Prefect Wang…"
Wang Huaiyu pointed at the gate. "Master Pang, who is inside?"
Hearing this, Pang Fuliang's expression immediately became uncomfortable. After hesitating a moment, he finally replied, "Your Honor, inside is… my eldest daughter, Jiayun."
Wang Huaiyu's expression turned somewhat awkward. Pang Fuliang had no biological daughters but had a stepdaughter. Most ordinary folk in Yuzhou City knew this, and he, as the local official, naturally knew too. However, he had never met this stepdaughter and certainly wouldn't pry into others' family affairs. He hadn't expected to encounter her under such circumstances.
"Little child, hide-and-seek, giggling behind the big gate…"
The voice behind the gate sang the nursery rhyme again as soon as Pang Fuliang finished speaking.
Pang Fuliang's face alternately flushed and paled. Yan Chi raised an eyebrow. "Since she is a young lady of the Pang household, why does she reside in such a remote place? And why is her courtyard gate locked?"
A thin layer of sweat broke out on Pang Fuliang's brow. "I dare not hide it from Your Highness. My eldest daughter, for reasons unknown, fell ill with a… madness disorder four or five years ago. Since then, she has been… not right in the head. I invited physicians, but none could cure her. With no other recourse, I had her moved to this rear courtyard. Later, she would howl and scream at the slightest noise, so we locked the gate. Ordinarily, we dare not let servants disturb her…"
He smiled bitterly. "Family ugliness should not be aired in public. I apologize for this unsightly matter, Your Highnesses, Your Honor."
Yan Chi glanced at the gate. "Open it."
Pang Fuliang immediately turned to Pang Youde. Pang Youde quickly stepped forward with a key. With a *click*, the lock on the gate was opened. As the lock fell, rustling footsteps sounded from behind the gate. Pang Youde pushed the gate open. Yan Chi only caught a glimpse of a slender, shadowy figure darting quickly into the house.
Pang Fuliang explained, "You see, Your Highness? Jiayun is rather afraid of people. When many come, she first hides. If she cannot hide, she begins to yell and scream."
Yan Li frowned. "What was she saying just now?"
Pang Fuliang quickly replied, "Your Highness means that nursery rhyme? That's a rhyme Jiayan liked to sing when he was very little, and Jiayun would play with him. Back then, Jiayan was only two or three…"
The courtyard was pitch black. Even an adult would find it frightening, let alone a young girl. Moreover, Yan Li had seen clearly: Pang Jiayun appeared to be fourteen or fifteen, yet her singing voice was that of a child of seven or eight. The thought sent a shiver of uncanny dread through him.
The yard was so dark one couldn't see their own hand; the interior of the house was the same. Yan Li couldn't imagine how a young lady could live alone in such a place.
"There isn't even a single lamp inside. How can you bear to let her live here?"
Pang Fuliang's smile was pained. "It's not that I am heartless. It's that Jiayun herself prefers to hide in the dark. And during the day, she absolutely will not come out…"
Yan Li's frown deepened. What kind of illness was this in all the world?
Pang Fuliang lowered his gaze, his tone bitter. "It is… entirely a domestic matter. I apologize, Your Highness."
It was indeed a Pang family matter. Yan Chi frowned. "Since it is Master Pang's family affair, we shall not interfere further." He looked at Wang Huaiyu. "Let's search elsewhere."
Wang Huaiyu assented and turned to follow Yan Chi. Seeing this, Yan Li followed as well. Pang Fuliang stood for a moment, glanced at the dark courtyard, and instructed Pang Youde, "Lock the gate."
…
…
"Seventh Brother, don't you think it's strange?" Yan Li strode to catch up with Yan Chi. Seeing Wang Huaiyu leading the constables toward the next courtyard, he stepped closer and asked in a low voice.
Yan Chi nodded. "Strange."
Yan Li's brow furrowed. "Then why not investigate?"
Yan Chi replied expressionlessly, "How?"
Yan Li gave a bitter smile. "Call the girl out, see if she's truly mad. Besides, even if she is mad, how could a perfectly fine young lady go mad? There must be a reason."
Yan Chi sighed upon hearing this. "This is Pang Fuliang's family affair. Moreover, that girl has no connection to this case. How can we drag her out for questioning? Even if we discover something, her father and mother are both here in this manor. If her own mother doesn't intervene, how can we?"
Yan Li was momentarily stunned. "Right, why doesn't her mother intervene…"
He lowered his head, lost in thought, his expression momentarily crestfallen.
Yan Chi seemed somewhat unwilling to leave it at that, so he said, "Don't be anxious. This matter is not without opportunities." He narrowed his eyes, gazing into the vast darkness of Clear Radiance Garden. "This garden… has more and more uncanny aspects."
Yan Li gave a soft snort. "Indeed. A dead person, and a mad stepdaughter."
Yan Chi said no more, simply strode toward the eastern part of the garden. Seeing his direction, a slight smile touched Yan Li's lips. "Seventh Brother going to see Ninth Young Miss?"
Yan Chi walked briskly ahead and gave an affirming "Mm."
"What does Seventh Brother need from Ninth Young Miss?"
"There is one matter I'm not entirely certain about. I wish to ask her."
Yan Chi spoke quickly, his pace equally swift. Yan Li almost had to jog to keep up.
Yan Chi suddenly glanced back at him. "If you find following me inconvenient, you can go amuse yourself at Tianxiang Tower."
Yan Li let out a soft laugh. "Going to Tianxiang Tower isn't as fun as following you, Seventh Brother. You've been at the Western Frontier for so long, now that you're finally back, of course I want to stick with you…"
Hearing this, Yan Chi felt a slight tingle in his ears. He shook his head and said no more.
Since Yan Chi was here to investigate the case, visiting Qin Wan wasn't out of place. He strode quickly to Qin Wan's guest courtyard just as Fuling emerged. Seeing Yan Chi, Fuling hurriedly bowed.
"I wish to see your young lady."
Yan Chi spoke directly. Fuling assented and hurried back inside.
Yan Li said, a hint of schadenfreude in his tone, "That little maid seems somewhat afraid of you, Seventh Brother…"
Yan Chi offered no comment. Before long, he saw Qin Wan come out.
Qin Wan seemed not to have expected Yan Chi's visit at this hour; she emerged hastily, not even wearing her cloak.
Snow still lay unmelted outside the courtyard, and with nightfall, the biting wind was particularly sharp. Seeing her without a cloak, Yan Chi's brow instantly furrowed. Fuling hurried out after her, cloak in hand. "Young Miss!"
Qin Wan turned, and Fuling helped her into the cloak. Qin Wan shook her head. "It's fine."
Only after fastening the cloak's ties did she walk toward Yan Chi.
"Greetings to Your Highnesses."
Qin Wan's etiquette was meticulous. Yan Li chuckled genially. "Rise, rise. Did you get a fright too, Ninth Young Miss? On such a cold day, coming out without a cloak won't do."
A faint smile touched Qin Wan's lips. "I was in too much of a hurry. When Your Highnesses arrived suddenly, I thought something urgent had happened."
Yan Li glanced at Yan Chi. "Whether it's urgent or not, Ninth Young Miss will know upon hearing." Saying this, he walked some distance away, clearly to give them privacy.
Qin Wan showed no coyness. Seeing Yan Li move away, she asked, "What happened?"
Yan Chi took a step closer, reducing the distance between them by two parts. He shifted slightly, blocking the wind from the upwind direction. Qin Wan noticed, and warmth shone clear in her eyes.
"I've found out a little about that senior sister of Qingjun's."
Qin Wan's eyes brightened. "Oh? Where is she now?"
Yan Chi's expression turned somber for a moment. "She is dead."
"Dead?" Qin Wan frowned. "Was she very old?"
Yan Chi shook his head. "Not at all. Her age was similar to Qingjun's, maybe two or three years older at most. She died fifteen years ago."
Fifteen years ago, Qingjun was still the leader of the Shuangqing Troupe, at the peak of her fame.
Seeing the look in Yan Chi's eyes, Qin Wan knew there must be a story behind this senior sister's death.
"Qingjun's senior sister was named Qingxi. Back then, she and Qingjun took over the Shuangqing Troupe together. They were co-leaders, following the troupe's tradition. But little over a year after taking over, Qingxi left the troupe. The reason was marriage. All the girls and workers of the Shuangqing Troupe came from humble backgrounds, and because they performed a lowly profession, even if they married, they usually couldn't marry into good families. Moreover, from the first generation of troupe leaders, not a single leader of the Shuangqing Troupe had ever married."
Qin Wan's eyes widened slightly. "If they never met a good match, not marrying is one thing. But if they did meet a good person and still didn't marry, wouldn't that be unfair to themselves?" She quickly asked, "Did Qingxi marry well?"
Yan Chi lifted his chin slightly. "Do you know of the post of General Zhenwu of the Northwest?"
Qin Wan tilted her head, thinking. "General Zhenwu… seems to be a fifth-rank commission on the Northwestern circuit?"
A light shone in Yan Chi's eyes. "Exactly. The one who took a fancy to Qingxi and sincerely sought her hand was a General Zhenwu surnamed Zhang at that time… So, by that measure, Qingxi married exceptionally well."
Qin Wan's eyes brightened. "Wasn't that wonderful?"
Yan Chi shook his head. "It was, at first. But later… not so."
His tone grew heavy. "In the 224th year of the Great Zhou dynasty, a major case occurred on the Northwestern circuit that caused a sensation at the time. I suspect you may have read about it in some dossiers or perhaps in some of Shen Yi's writings."
A major case from years past? Qin Wan's expression grew focused, her heart lifting.
Yan Chi looked into her bright eyes and said gravely, "That year, the barbarian Rong Di launched a massive invasion. The Western Frontier Army and the Northern Garrison Army, totaling over two hundred thousand troops, were stationed at the northwestern border, preparing to meet the enemy. On the eve of a major battle, the national treasury couldn't disburse military funds in time, so they allocated one hundred thousand taels of gold from the reserves. That gold was transported from Lin'an Prefecture all the way to the northwest."
"Upon reaching Dingzhou, due to rampant banditry in the west, the commanding officer in charge of the transport split his forces into four groups. Two groups, carrying no gold, traveled through areas with the most bandit activity as a diversion. The other two groups, led by two commanders under the pretext of traveling with their families, followed behind. The gold was split in half and transported by these two groups, one taking the Liangzhou route, the other the Mengzhou route."
"They thought this plan would divert attention. Yet in the end, the fifty thousand taels of gold on the Mengzhou route vanished without a trace. The commander transporting that gold, along with his entire family and several dozen soldiers disguised as household servants, were all killed. The site of the massacre was a relay station west of Mengzhou. After the deed, the station was burned to the ground, leaving no trace at the scene."
"The case caused a sensation at the time, but the true culprits were never found." He paused slightly. "The commander who died then was Qingxi's husband. Qingxi and her two children also perished in that fire."
Qin Wan held her breath, taking a long moment to recover.
She had thought that Qingxi, leaving the Shuangqing Troupe and finding a good match, must have had the best life. She never imagined such a tragic end. And as Yan Chi said, she was aware of this case.
When it happened, she was only two years old, a babbling toddler who couldn't remember events. Naturally, she hadn't experienced it firsthand. But around seven or eight years ago, when her father held a post in Yunzhou, north of Yuzhou, he had once compiled statistics on unsolved cases in the northwest. The Great Gold Robbery was among them. At the time, Qin Wan had seen her father frowning over it, but she hadn't looked into the details then. She never thought that, seven or eight years later, she would learn the details of that case in this manner.
"The case remains unsolved to this day?"
Yan Chi nodded. "Unsolved. At the time, the two diversionary vanguard groups served their purpose. Yet for some reason, General Zhang's group was still discovered. Not only was the gold stolen, but everyone was killed."
Qin Wan's brow tightened. "Since they had such a strategy, could there have been a traitor within the transport team reporting their movements?"
Yan Chi shook his head. "That's impossible to know now. Ultimately, the case was attributed to the savage bandits of the northwest. After that difficult victory against the Rong Di, the Western Frontier Army conducted several bandit suppression campaigns in the western regions. That area is peaceful now. But this case was never solved. I don't know the specific details, but it was investigated during the suppression campaigns as well."
Mengzhou was north of Dingzhou, even farther than Yuzhou. Being so distant, Qin Wan didn't feel any grand ambition to solve this case for her father. She only sighed for the fate of Qingxi's family and those soldiers, then said, "Since Qingxi is gone, Qingjun truly had no close kin. For now, we can only wait for news from Dingzhou and question the older members of the Shuangqing Troupe."
Yan Chi nodded. "Learning of this in the afternoon also surprised me. I never imagined a past event would be connected to someone from the Shuangqing Troupe."
"So that's why you came?"
Yan Chi gave an affirmative "Mm," then added, "Earlier, while searching Clear Radiance Garden, we found a mad young girl in a dilapidated courtyard in the north. Pang Fuliang said she's his stepdaughter."
"A mad young girl?"
Qin Wan's heart skipped a beat, immediately recalling that figure that had teased them that night.
"What did she look like? How was her voice?"
Qin Wan asked instinctively. Yan Chi replied, "I didn't get a clear look at her appearance. When the gate opened, she ran into the house. But she seemed only able to recite a single nursery rhyme children sing while playing…"
"‘Hide-and-seek'?" Qin Wan reacted swiftly.
Yan Chi was slightly surprised. "How did you know?"
Qin Wan immediately recounted the night they were teased. Yan Chi found it strange. "But today when we saw her, her courtyard gate was locked. How did she get out that night?"
Qin Wan, remembering that night, still felt a chill. She shook her head. "I don't know. It's just… eerie."
Yan Chi nodded. "Indeed eerie. And somehow, I keep feeling this manor harbors some secret. Perhaps more incidents will occur. You must be careful here."
Seeing the deep concern in Yan Chi's eyes, Qin Wan quickly assured him. "I know. Don't worry. Bai Ying's injuries are almost healed. She'll accompany me when I go out. Besides, I seldom go out normally. You needn't worry. Inform me if there's any other news."
After a pause, she added, "There's another matter. Third Brother says we might not wait for this case to be fully solved before leaving. As long as it's confirmed we have no connection to the case, that's sufficient. Given the current progress, who knows when the case will be solved. Third Brother doesn't want to return too late, after all."
Yan Chi nodded naturally. "I understand. I'll know once you've decided on a time."
Seeing they had spoken for so long while standing outside, Yan Chi said no more and urged Qin Wan to return to her room first. Only after watching Qin Wan enter the courtyard did he turn to leave.
Night had deepened. The entire Clear Radiance Garden returned to peace only around midnight.
Wang Huaiyu and the others left Clear Radiance Garden, naturally having found nothing.
And what Qin Wan never expected was that Yan Chi's warning, spoken out of concern for her – "perhaps more incidents will occur" – became reality early the very next morning.
As the first light of dawn tinged the sky, a piercing scream tore through the air above Clear Radiance Garden.
Within the time it took to drink two cups of tea, Qin Shuang ran in great strides into Qin Wan's room. "Get up, get up… Another person is dead… That Commissioner Liu… Commissioner Liu fell into the lotus pond and drowned!"