This was interesting.
The characters tattooed in Moxing were specific—each crime had its designated character, all regulated under the Dajin Luling.
For example, robbery was marked with the character for "robbery," usually behind the ear.
As for "violence," it referred to assaulting someone to the point of severe injury.
Li Yan turned back toward the mortuary with a complicated expression.
That girl was slender and delicate, in the prime of her youth at sixteen or seventeen. If she had the ability to beat someone so severely, how could she have been tied up and left to die?
"Was she trained in martial arts?" Just to be sure, she glanced at Shen Hanzhou.
As expected, Shen Hanzhou shook his head, his tone casual and devoid of emotion. "…Since she bears the Moxing brand, and it looks quite fresh, the magistrate’s office likely has it on record. If you two constables want to clarify her identity, you might focus your search in the Hufang. Check the list of girls sentenced to Moxing over the past two years—you should find her identity there. Once the body’s origin is confirmed, you can narrow your scope and continue the investigation."
"Mr. Shen speaks wisely," the constable said, clasping his hands and beaming. "I’ve often heard Constable Yun praise the manor for its extraordinary talents. Seeing it with my own eyes today has truly been an eye-opener!"
Shen Hanzhou gave a slight smile and nodded respectfully. "Now that we have such clear clues, the manor head and I won’t trouble you further. We’ll return to the manor."
"This…" The constable hesitated.
The sudden statement left Li Yan puzzled as well. She nudged Shen Hanzhou with her elbow and whispered, "What are you doing? I haven’t gotten the wine yet."
But Shen Hanzhou’s eyes tightened. Standing with his hands behind his back, he lowered his voice. "Forget the wine."
Li Yan didn’t understand.
Pressing his lips together, he clenched his fist slightly. "Listen to me. Don’t take it."
Though Li Yan didn’t know what he was scheming, she trusted Shen Hanzhou wouldn’t speak recklessly.
Even with his memory loss, he maintained that dignified air—never one to spout nonsense or act on a whim.
"Gentlemen," Li Yan pondered for a moment before speaking. "Here’s the thing: it’s just the start of spring, and the manor’s merchant teams haven’t been fully arranged yet. Today, we set aside our duties to lend a hand. But further investigation, whether reviewing case files in the Hufang, conducting visits, or assisting in searches—well, we’re outsiders. We don’t have the authority for any of that."
That made sense.
The constable understood. "True, we came unannounced without prior arrangement, troubling the manor head." They clasped their hands again. "The manor head has already been a great help. I’ll report to the magistrate and visit another day to express our gratitude."
"You’re too kind," Li Yan said with a smile, pulling two vouchers from her sleeve. "You must be tired from handling the case these past days. These are internal vouchers from our Feilong Shanghang—they can cover meal expenses, a small token of appreciation. Feel free to use them anytime."
"How could we accept?"
Despite their words, Li Yan’s enthusiasm won them over, and the two constables happily took the vouchers.
Because of this, Shen Hanzhou’s face remained sour all the way from the magistrate’s office to the commercial street.
"Can’t I just hand out two vouchers to win them over?" Li Yan said, exasperated. Sitting in the carriage, she felt his gaze piercing her like a knife. "You know exactly what I meant. Why did you have to interfere?" Shen Hanzhou’s voice was icy, as if coated with frost.
Li Yan saw he wouldn't let it go and had no choice but to tell the truth: "I know there's something fishy about this case. How could the prefectural office investigate for ten days without finding any leads on a person with a Moyin under their collarbone? There are only two possibilities: either this girl has a special status that makes her untouchable, or there are powerful forces behind this case that can't be provoked."
"You knew and still gave out the vouchers? Each voucher is worth fifty taels of silver, two vouchers make a hundred taels. For the shops in the manor, it takes four to five days of pure profit to cover a hundred taels, and you just gave them away like that?"
Li Yan, the esteemed master of Feilong Shanzhuang, was left speechless by his retort in the carriage and could only dodge the main issue: "That's my silver! Why does it sound like the silver belongs to the Shen family?"
"Stop changing the subject." Shen Hanzhou's voice grew even colder. "You want to stay in Qingzhoucheng temporarily and investigate further yourself, but I don't agree." He stated bluntly, "Jingcha happens every three years. At this critical moment, the prefectural office is handing you this hot potato, clearly looking for someone to take the blame. Do you think this is a good thing?"
"You… as an official, you should serve the country and the people. How can you be so petty?" Li Yan complained.
Shen Hanzhou was taken aback, his tone filled with disbelief: "Young mistress, I'm a bandit. Shouldn't I prioritize the entire manor instead of worrying about the government?"
Li Yan shuddered.
In a moment of carelessness, she had misspoken.
The current Shen Hanzhou was not a capital official, nor her father's political rival, but the pillar of Feilong Shanzhuang, loyal to the manor after being tricked by her.
"I grew up in the manor, and even though I've lost my memory, everyone has always treated me well. How can I stand by and watch you jump into a pit?" After saying this, Shen Hanzhou turned away angrily, unwilling to say another word.
His indignation made Li Yan's conscience ache, yet she also felt like laughing.
Shen Hanzhou, oh Shen Hanzhou, look at you now!
If you had known this would happen, why did you oppose her father back then? If the old man had left in peace, you wouldn't be in Li Yan's grasp now.
"Even though you're my childhood friend," she seized the opportunity to tease him deliberately.
The phrase "childhood friend" was like a small hammer striking Shen Hanzhou's head, making his half-turned body stiffen slightly.
"But, I really can't ignore this matter," she explained earnestly. "Think about it—the whip marks on that girl directly implicate me as a suspect. If they investigate us, the entire manor will be dragged into this."
"If it were just me being implicated, that would be one thing, but what is our manor's business? Can it withstand an investigation?" She paused. "And that's the best-case scenario. If the prefectural office acts unscrupulously to protect their own positions and insists on finding a scapegoat, wouldn't I, the one holding the whip, be the perfect fall guy compared to the unseen real culprit?"
"Giving them two meal vouchers was also to get them to come and eat, so I could gather more clues to save myself." At this point, Li Yan leaned forward deliberately, smiling brightly. "We grew up together. You wouldn't really stand by and watch me become the scapegoat, would you?"
Shen Hanzhou leaned back and sneered, not giving her any face: "You just did it for those two jars of wine."
Li Yan was stunned, her smile freezing on her face.
How had he become so attuned to her thoughts in just a month?
"Who doesn't know you're fond of wine and pleasure?" Shen Hanzhou added insult to injury, his expression cold. "I can't rest easy with you alone in the city. I'll go with you."
Just as Li Yan was about to say more, she heard Shen Hanzhou counting on his fingers: "These past two years, you've stayed at your own inn, hired singing girls and male entertainers, and even tipped ten taels each time—such unnecessary extravagance. I must keep an eye on you."
He said fiercely, "I absolutely cannot let the estate fall into ruin at your hands."
Li Yan was left speechless.
When Shen Hanzhou first woke up, everyone in the room hadn't yet figured out how to handle the situation.
Upon discovering his amnesia, they took advantage, chattering away and fabricating a melodramatic tale of a dying father entrusting his daughter to his care.
They claimed that Li Yan's father, on his deathbed, had urged Shen Hanzhou to help Li Yan sustain the estate and make it flourish.
Who would have thought he was so sincere and actually believed it?