At the first watch of the night, the sky was ink-dark. Dim lanterns lined the corridor, casting light on the swirling snowflakes. Standing beside Yang Yun, Song Huaijin asked, “Was it here that you stood at the time?”
Yang Yun nodded. “Yes, sir. I have a habit—every night around the hour of Yin, I wake to relieve myself. That night, I left my room to head toward the latrine in the northwest corner. As I passed here, I saw General Xin walking toward the secluded courtyard.”
Song Huaijin nodded. “Good. Now pay close attention—”
The wind cut like knives. Yang Yun hunched his shoulders, staring blankly in the direction Song Huaijin pointed. Soon, a figure appeared.
Yang Yun froze. “Sir, why are you asking me to look at Zhang Xun?”
Song Huaijin frowned. “Look carefully.”
Yang Yun squinted hard. After a long moment, he said in confusion, “It *is* Zhang Xun. He’s worn that cotton robe all winter—I know it well.”
Song Huaijin called out. The figure stopped and turned—it was Xie Nanke, wearing Zhang Xun’s robe. Jogging closer, he revealed himself, and Yang Yun realized he had been mistaken.
Flustered, Yang Yun stammered, “I… I didn’t mean to misidentify him…”
Song Huaijin waved it off and turned to Qi Xun. “So that night, the one walking here was not Xin Yuanxiu.” He glanced at Xie Nanke. “The killer’s build must be nearly identical to Xin Yuanxiu’s.”
Qi Xun added, “When I examined General Xin’s body, I noticed his robe buttons were fastened incorrectly. I thought he had dressed in haste. But now it seems the killer struck him first, then donned his robe to impersonate him. After deceiving Yang Yun, he returned and redressed Xin Yuanxiu, fastening the buttons wrong.”
The cold bit at her hands, and she breathed warmth into them. “The killer meant to cast suspicion on the heir. I suspect he knew we had examined the blade that day and wanted to confuse us further. But in doing so, he revealed his own build.”
Song Huaijin said, “Xin Yuanxiu was a soldier, tall and upright. Few at the post match his stature. Moreover, the killer is strong, knows the station well, even Yang Yun’s nightly habit, and is familiar with Buddhist hell lore. Meeting all these conditions narrows the suspects. Among those from Li Village and Lotus Village we saw today, several fit the profile.” He dismissed Yang Yun to rest, then conferred with the others. Within moments, they had five or six names.
Song Huaijin instructed Xie Nanke: “If the snow stops by morning, I’ll take men to the back mountain. You and two others go into the village and investigate these suspects.”
Xie Nanke accepted.
Song Huaijin glanced toward Fu Jue’s courtyard, hesitating. “Now that we’ve unraveled the killer’s trick, the heir is no longer under suspicion. The medicine residue under Xin Yuanxiu’s nails may have been planted deliberately. Shouldn’t we inform the heir at once?”
Qi Xun smiled. “Of course. Otherwise, he’ll think we still doubt him.”
Resolved, Song Huaijin said, “Then come with me.”
Qi Xun and Xie Nanke exchanged looks. Qi Xun stepped back. “I just remembered—the remains of Wu Yue are not yet fully examined. That cannot be delayed. Sir, let Xie Nanke accompany you instead.”
Xie Nanke tried to decline, but Qi Xun had already slipped away, faster than a rabbit. Song Huaijin clicked his tongue and led Xie Nanke to Fu Jue.
At Fu Jue’s courtyard, Lin Wei teased, “What now, Lord Song? Another suspicion against us?”
Song Huaijin coughed lightly. “The case has progressed. The killer used deception that night. I’ve come to report to the heir.”
Fu Jue lay against his couch, dark hair loose, an empty medicine bowl at his side, a thick blanket over his legs. Listening to Song Huaijin recount the events, he raised an eyebrow but showed no blame. “Your coroner is rather clever.”
Relieved, Song Huaijin said respectfully, “Yes. She has a sharp mind, often finding the key in small details.”
Fu Jue asked, “How did she enter the Court of Judicial Review?”
The Court of Judicial Review was one of the Three Judicial Offices. Though coroners were of low status, they were crucial. How had a young woman like Qi Xun gained entry?
Seeing Fu Jue’s admiration, Song Huaijin first felt pride, then sighed at the thought of her past. “The girl’s life has been hard. She hails from the Qi clan of Qizhou in the west, a family of officials for generations. But more than ten years ago, her branch committed a crime in Qizhou, and the entire clan was punished.”
“She was a concubine-born daughter; her mother died young. When her father’s principal wife was sentenced to execution, she was taken along with the clan and escorted to the capital. After half a year in prison, she was assigned as a convict laborer. Normally, a girl like her would have been sent to the entertainment quarters, but she refused to fall into that life. At that time, the authorities happened to be selecting convicts to serve as corpse collectors and custodians of the public charnel house. Remarkably, this little girl volunteered.”
Fu Jue listened intently, while Lin Wei was astonished and couldn’t help asking, “How old was she then?”
Song Huaijin thought for a moment. “Seven or eight? Maybe nine? In any case, not yet ten. The Qi clan of Qizhou was implicated in a major examination fraud case, a scandal that dragged on for a year. Several waves of arrests followed. Those of her branch who survived were either exiled to the frontier or sent to the entertainment houses.”
Song Huaijin worried Fu Jue might find him long-winded and was about to stop, but Lin Wei glanced at Fu Jue and, seeing no impatience, urged him on. “And then? Go on—”
So Song Huaijin continued: “At first, she worked in the charnel house of Luozhou, helping to collect corpses and guard the place. She often saw officials bring coroners to examine bodies. By chance, an old coroner took her as his apprentice, and that’s how she entered the trade. The old man was skilled; later, he served at the Jingzhao Prefecture and, two years ago, was transferred to the Court of Judicial Review. But after only a year there, he fell gravely ill. Before dying, he recommended Qi Xun, and with a letter of support from Jingzhao Prefecture, she was admitted to the Court. At first, it was probationary, but once they saw she truly inherited her master’s craft, they kept her on.”
Song Huaijin spoke in one breath, his own feelings returning to the shock he’d felt when first learning her story. Beyond astonishment, he deeply admired her perseverance. “This girl grew up through much hardship. Now she is deft, quick-witted, her forensic skills surpass many male coroners, and she endures the grind. When traveling with us on assignments outside the capital, she never puts on airs.”
His words brimmed with praise. Fu Jue allowed a faint smile. “Quite rare indeed.”
Song Huaijin was delighted. Earlier, Qi Xun’s examinations had produced evidence unfavorable to Fu Jue, yet now Fu Jue bore no grudge and even spoke with some appreciation. That eased Song Huaijin’s heart. He didn’t linger, only mentioning that tomorrow he would search the back mountain for Wu Shuang’s remains, then took his leave.
As soon as he left, Fu Jue’s smile vanished completely. Outside, the wind and snow howled. His gaze grew dark and piercing, as though it could pierce the courtyard walls. When Lin Wei returned from seeing Song Huaijin out, he caught sight of Fu Jue’s expression and felt a sudden chill in his heart.
…
Meanwhile, Song Huaijin, still unsettled by Qi Xun’s tragic past, walked with Xie Nanke toward the morgue. It was the first time Xie Nanke had heard of her background, and he sighed softly. “Qi Xun is always lively and clever. You’d never guess she’s endured so much.”
Song Huaijin replied, “You’re not alone. Even I never imagined it. For a young woman, it’s truly not easy.”
When they reached the morgue, Qi Xun was still cleaning Wu Yue’s bones. Seeing them return, she asked, “Did the heir take offense?”
Song Huaijin answered with relief, “Of course not. On the contrary, he praised you. His temper is better than I expected.”
Qi Xun clicked her tongue. “Sir, that’s not what you said two days ago.”
Song Huaijin grinned. “Well then, any oddities in the remains?”
Qi Xun was working on the skull. “Nothing yet. But the ear canals on both sides look different. I don’t know if it was damaged when we dug it up. I’ll need to clean it thoroughly to be sure.”
“As long as it isn’t a mark left by the killer back then.”
The room had no heating, and it was as cold as an ice cellar. Song Huaijin coughed twice. “The snow is lighter now. By morning, it should stop. You’re the most meticulous—come up the mountain with us tomorrow. For now, get some rest.”
Qi Xun’s fingers were stiff with cold despite her gloves. Thinking that the traces on the bones wouldn’t vanish, she agreed. Catching Xie Nanke’s sympathetic gaze, she startled. “Why are you looking at me like that, Officer Xie?”
He covered a cough. “Nothing. Just surprised you’re not afraid, working here at night.”
Qi Xun removed her gloves, clapped them into the chest, and laughed.
“You don’t know what I used to do. This is nothing.”
She was unconcerned. Xie Nanke’s lips moved but he said no more. Song Huaijin avoided mentioning her hardships again. After a few more words, they all left for their quarters.
At dawn, Qi Xun woke early. Outside, the sky was still dim, but the snow had indeed stopped. After washing, she donned her cloak and went to find Song Huaijin. At his quarters, she found Zhu Yun and Wang Su talking at the door.
Seeing her, Zhu Yun asked, “That day you entered the forest of Buddhist inscriptions—what verse did you see?”
Qi Xun shook her head. “I didn’t go in that day. Why?”
Wang Su said, “I was telling him about the verse the Buddha gave me: *‘All is for sentient beings; delusion naturally fades.’* Could it mean I’ll spend my whole life working at the Court of Judicial Review without promotion—that this is about abandoning ambition for the sake of others?”
Zhu Yun laughed. “Perhaps the Buddha was urging you to cast aside worldly fame and fortune, to become a monk and spread the Dharma—that would truly be saving all beings.”
Listening nearby, Qi Xun felt the verse sounded strangely familiar. “Officer Wang, what was your verse again?”
“All is for sentient beings; delusion naturally fades.”
When Wang Su repeated it, something in Qi Xun’s mind snapped taut. She asked in puzzlement, “Did you walk separately that day, or together? How is it that your verse is the same as Lord Qi’s?”
Wang Su was startled. “We walked separately, precisely so we’d each receive a different verse. I didn’t walk with Lord Qi—otherwise I wouldn’t have come out so late.”
Qi Xun had already guessed they took different paths, since everyone emerged at different times. Song Huaijin had said he disliked circling around, so he chose the shortest route—yet he still couldn’t catch up with Qi Ran. That meant Qi Ran was even more familiar with the stele forest, which was why he came out faster.
But the verse Qi Ran quoted turned out to be the one Wang Su saw. This meant that he hadn’t truly paid attention to the inscriptions at all. When asked, he fabricated a line to cover his distraction.
Qi Ran had claimed it was his first time at the stele forest, yet he also said he’d never visited the Guanyin Temple before. If he had nothing to do with the case, why lie?
Qi Xun quickly asked, “Where is Lord Song now?”
“Counting men with Lord Liu. We can find them outside the west gate,” Wang Su replied, then asked, “Why? Is there something wrong with the verse?”
Qi Xun pressed her lips together and shook her head. She decided to keep her suspicions until she saw Qi Ran in person. The three of them walked northwest. At the gate, they found Song Huaijin and Liu Yishan tallying twenty attendants. Yang Fei, Wu Han, and Liu Xie stood nearby—but Qi Ran was absent.
Qi Xun asked, “Why isn’t Lord Qi here?”
Song Huaijin, having finished the count, waved it off. “No matter. It’s cold today—if he doesn’t come, it’s fine. Let’s finish quickly and set out.”
The attendants had their tools ready. At Song Huaijin’s command, the group moved like a long dragon toward the back mountain.
Qi Xun and her companions walked at the rear.
Song Huaijin recalled, “Yesterday it was Lord Qi who reminded us the remains might be on the mountain.”
Qi Xun couldn’t help glancing back. The gate was shut, the station blanketed in snow, and a chill seeped into her heart. She hesitated, deciding to speak to Song Huaijin later when fewer people were around.
The group followed the path uphill, bypassing the Guanyin Temple and heading east toward the leveled pine grove. Qi Xun kept her doubts to herself. But just as they neared their destination, the attendants at the front suddenly cried out:
“Look—who’s that?!”
“Someone’s there—!”
The dawn sky was gray-blue. The ground, once covered in green pine needles, now lay under pure white snow. In the midst of it knelt a man in fine robes, head bowed. The attendants didn’t recognize him, but those at the rear did at once.
Wu Han exclaimed, “Lord Qi!”
Everyone trudged through ankle-deep snow toward him. Song Huaijin reached him first, instinctively patting his shoulder. “Lord Qi—”
At the touch, Qi Ran’s body swayed and collapsed sideways. Only then did they see his face, streaked with blood. Even Song Huaijin gasped.
Qi Xun, at the back, felt her steps turn heavy as lead. She hadn’t yet voiced her suspicions, and already she was staring at his corpse. Why was the killer always one step ahead of them?
Just then, Song Huaijin shouted, “Qi Xun, come quickly! He might still be alive—”