“Mother—” Zheng Yunní cried softly, hurrying to the woman’s side. She supported her mother while glancing back at Huo Weilou. Seeing that he was not angered, she finally breathed easier.
“Mother, why did you come out?” Zheng Yunní asked gently, but the woman only stared at Zheng Wenyan’s corpse, laughing strangely.
Eunuch Fu’s mouth fell open in shock. The woman whom Zheng Yunní called “Mother” clearly seemed mentally unsound. He glanced at Huo Weilou, whose gaze upon the Marchioness Anqing was dark and heavy.
Eunuch Fu stepped forward. “Miss, is this your mother?”
Zheng Yunní gave a soft “Mm.” At that moment, two maids rushed in, panicked. Seeing the Marchioness, Zheng Yunní’s gentle face hardened as she scolded sharply: “How could you allow Mother to come out alone? What if something happened?”
The two maids fell to their knees. “Please forgive us, Miss. Madam refused her medicine tonight, insisting she wanted to see the snow. As soon as she left, she threw away her cloak and hand-warmer and ran off. We could not catch her in time…”
Mindful of the outsiders present, Zheng Yunní restrained herself. “It is freezing. Take Mother back at once.”
The maids quickly rose, trying to lead the Marchioness away. But she resisted, laughing strangely. Zheng Yunní, fearing a scene, whispered: “Where is Sha Gu? Go fetch her—”
She stepped forward to coax her mother. The Marchioness looked at Zheng Yunní, seeming to regain a trace of clarity. Zheng Yunní seized the chance, and with the maids, half-dragged her mother out.
The courtyard fell silent, the Third Madam’s wailing ceased, and no one dared breathe loudly.
Eunuch Fu tried to ease the tension, turning to the Second Madam. “Second Madam, why does the Marchioness require Sha Gu?”
He had met Sha Gu before. Remembering her lowly status and simple-minded appearance, he was puzzled.
The Second Madam sighed. “My elder sister-in-law has been ill for many years. Sha Gu was picked up by her once on the roadside, perhaps out of pity. The girl is slow-witted, rarely speaks, but my sister-in-law likes her. So when her illness worsens, Yunní often sends Sha Gu to accompany her.”
Bo Ruoyou felt a pang of sympathy. So the Marchioness, long secluded from guests, was suffering from madness. And in her delirium, she favored the company of a foolish, simple-minded girl.
A faint sense of strangeness crept into Bo Ruoyou’s heart. She instinctively thought of the case, but reminded herself that one madwoman and one half-wit were likely irrelevant — perhaps she was being overly suspicious.
Huo Weilou’s expression remained shadowed and unreadable. He spoke at last: “Let’s go.”
Bo Ruoyou quickly followed him out of the courtyard toward the west wing. On the way, Eunuch Fu coughed lightly, trying to break the silence. “I wonder how long the Marchioness has been ill.”
“Over ten years, I’ve heard.”
Huo Weilou clearly already knew. Eunuch Fu pressed his lips together and said no more.
When they reached the west wing, because the wound was in the back, the body was laid face-down on a felt mat. Bo Ruoyou immediately began her examination.
Zheng Wenyan’s robes were neat, with no signs of struggle. The only marks were folds from lying on the desk. The killer had once again used narcotics first, ensuring minimal traces at the scene.
There were no other injuries. After careful inspection, Bo Ruoyou removed the weapon.
“The vajra pestle’s tip is about four inches long. Two and a half inches pierced into the heart. The wound bled heavily, resulting in death caused by massive blood loss from the heart being pierced. No other external injuries. Only slight bruising around the entry point. The wound is deep, its inner walls smooth — a single thrust. Judging from the angle, the killer stood behind the victim. Since he was lying forward on the desk, the killer stabbed straight into his back.”
She frowned slightly, then instinctively glanced at Huo Weilou.
He looked at her, and she continued: “The victim was less than five and a half feet tall, shorter than the Marquis. At the time, he was leaning forward. If the killer were as tall as the Marquis or Eunuch Fu, the angle should have been straight downward.”
Bo Ruoyou lifted the vajra pestle. “Third Master Zheng was unconscious, defenseless. The killer struck only once. In such circumstances, anyone would choose the easiest angle to drive the weapon in. If the killer were tall, stabbing at a slant would be awkward, the grip unnatural, and the thrust less deep. But someone of my height could stab straight down. Yet this wound is slightly slanted…”
Bo Ruoyou concluded firmly: “Unless… the killer is even shorter than I am.”
The old madam had died of sudden illness, Zheng Wenchen from a fall — neither bore direct fatal wounds from the killer. Zheng Wenyan’s robes were neat, his body unmarked, yet the killer chose to use the vajra pestle. That wound was undeniable proof. Who could have guessed such a method would reveal the killer’s stature?
A glimmer flashed in Huo Weilou’s eyes. “The killer’s height is only around five feet.”
Bo Ruoyou nodded. Just then, an Embroidered Uniform Guard entered. “Marquis, there is a discovery outside the courtyard.”
Huo Weilou’s brows lifted slightly. Eunuch Fu quickly said: “Marquis, please go. This old servant will stay.”
Huo Weilou glanced at Bo Ruoyou, then turned and left. As he departed, Eunuch Fu sighed at his back.
Bo Ruoyou asked curiously: “Eunuch, what is it?”
He smiled. “This case grows ever more confusing. Who knows when it will be solved?”
Seeing her still watching, he added: “In truth, the Marquis came to the Zheng estate intending only to glance and leave. But the old madam’s death proved suspicious, then Second Master died. Marquis Xinyang, though aged, personally begged him to stay. Yet the Marquis has other duties. The longer this drags on, the worse for him.”
Bo Ruoyou’s face showed realization. “I will do my utmost.”
Eunuch Fu chuckled, settling into a chair. “I’m not urging you. I can see you’re a diligent girl.”
Bo Ruoyou smiled faintly and returned to her work.
The cause of death was clear, the killer’s method simple—no need for dissection. Yet mindful of Huo Weilou’s pressing duties, she sought more clues. That morning’s rescue lingered deeply in her heart.
But no matter how she examined, the body yielded nothing new. Troubled, she sighed at Zheng Wenyan’s face, still lifelike. Turning, she saw Eunuch Fu slumped in the chair, dozing. Only then did she realize how late it was.
Huo Weilou had not returned — perhaps the discovery outside was important. Bo Ruoyou tidied the corpse, then slipped quietly out.
A mourning lamp hung beneath the eaves, casting pale light. The night wind stirred its shadow. Bo Ruoyou drew her cloak tighter, intending to wake Eunuch Fu lest he catch a cold. But as her gaze shifted, she glimpsed a figure standing in the darkness at the courtyard gate. Her brows knit. She stepped into the yard. “Who’s there?”
She walked a few paces, stopped, and called again. From the shadows, a figure in white robes emerged.
Bo Ruoyou looked closely — and in the next instant, recoiled as if she had seen a ghost.
Because she saw — Zheng Wenyan, whose body she had just examined in detail, now stood upright in the darkness, his eyes black and sunken, staring at her.