Yao Shu’s mind suddenly lit up, and she followed Zhao Shaobai’s line of thought: “Master Chen may not know—could it be that Wang Baichuan, being of low status, never thought he could openly be with Chen Suqing? And since we suspect Chen Suqing may still be alive, the ransom of three hundred taels of gold—could it have been part of a scheme she planned together with him?”
“To cut off one’s own foot alive just to stage a scheme with her lover? Interesting. Let’s go meet this Wang Baichuan,” Fu Xiujin said, his gaze turning southward, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
The southern district was a bustling hub of merchants, every inch of land precious. At the foot of the hills near the outskirts, the modest signboard of Putuo Charity Hall stood out.
The carriage stopped at the entrance. A young boy sweeping the yard saw Yao Shu alight, dropped his broom, and ran inside. Soon, a man in plain scholar’s robes came forward to greet them.
“Honored guests, are you here to donate? I am Wang Baichuan, steward of the charity hall. Please, come inside.”
What a coincidence—they hadn’t even gone looking, and the man himself appeared.
“To be frank, we are here about the case of Chen Suqing. We came specifically to find you, Steward Wang.”
In the sunlight, Wang Baichuan’s face showed surprise at Fu Xiujin’s words. He sighed helplessly and led them into the hall.
“I don’t know why you suspect me. Miss Chen was merely my employer. We didn’t interact much—she came here only two or three times a month, and we spoke only about the hall’s income and management.”
He looked uneasy, his washed-out robe wrinkled in his grip. Yao Shu glanced at his wrists, wondering if he had the strength to snap a leg bone in one blow.
“Not much contact, yet you occasionally sent her rouge?” Fu Xiujin probed, unsure if Wang Baichuan would tell the truth. To his surprise, Wang Baichuan assumed the Court had already uncovered something and, startled, admitted their relationship.
“Suqing and I were deeply in love. But her father disapproved of me and ordered me to give up. He even threatened to expel me from the charity hall if I continued to pursue her, since the hall belonged to the Chen family. Suqing couldn’t bear to see me suffer, so we pretended to sever ties, maintaining a master-servant façade while secretly meeting whenever we could. Suqing was gentle and kind—I cannot fathom how anyone could be cruel enough to kill her.”
Star-crossed lovers. Yao Shu thought this matched her earlier suspicion: a wealthy young lady and a poor scholar conspiring to take money from her family, faking death to live happily together.
Yet the grief in Wang Baichuan’s eyes seemed genuine, and his worn clothes suggested hardship, casting doubt on the theory.
Fu Xiujin studied him for a long moment before asking, “Where do you usually live? Can anyone vouch for you?”
“I’ve always lived in the charity hall. Even after Suqing was gone, I never left. I’m an orphan with nowhere else to go. Without Suqing giving me this job, I’d have starved on the streets. Everyone here can testify—we all eat and live together. I would never harm Suqing. She is my moonlight.”
At this, Fu Xiujin signaled Zhao Shaobai, who immediately went to question others in the hall.
The three at the table sat in silence. Yao Shu, feeling the atmosphere heavy, excused herself to walk outside. When she returned, Zhao Shaobai had just come back as well. He reported that after asking around, it was confirmed: since becoming steward, Wang Baichuan had never spent a night away from the hall. If he had conspired with Chen Suqing, it was impossible that they hadn’t met in secret for so long.
“Honored guests, you’ve worked hard for Suqing’s sake. If you don’t mind, why not stay for lunch before leaving? Our charity hall’s braised pork is famous—many donors linger to taste it. Suqing herself used to love it.”
Fu Xiujin and Yao Shu weren’t interested, but Zhao Shaobai’s eyes lit up. He looked pleadingly at Yao Shu, knowing Fu Xiujin would refuse but hoping she might agree.
Yao Shu, moved by his pitiful look, reluctantly nodded. Fu Xiujin, unusually, did not object. Zhao Shaobai, delighted, sat among the children, eagerly grabbing at the braised pork, much to Fu Xiujin’s disapproval.
“Miss, why don’t you eat more? The braised pork here is quite good,” a kindly woman said, breaking Yao Shu’s train of thought.
“No, I have a small appetite. I’ve had enough.”
“Do you think it’s not tasty? I also think Uncle Lü’s cooking isn’t as good as Uncle Niu’s. Only Aunt Chen can’t tell the difference,” a child chimed in, smiling with rice stuck to his lips.
“Stone, you picky child,” Aunt Chen scolded gently, patting his head and adding another piece of pork to his bowl.
As they ate and chatted, a burly man suddenly burst in. “Is there a woman named Liu Yu missing here?”
“Fan Zhongliang? What are you doing here?” Zhao Shaobai looked up in surprise, recognizing him.
“And you? Weren’t you investigating the rouge shop with His Highness?”
Zhao Shaobai swallowed his food and pointed toward Yao Shu. The man then noticed her and Fu Xiujin.
“Your Highness, you’re here too. What a coincidence. You asked me to check for women around twenty-five who went missing three years ago. I found one—Liu Yu. Her height matches, and she disappeared half a month before the crime.”
“Fan Zhongliang, responsible for field investigations at the Court. Yao Shu, our new apprentice coroner,” Fu Xiujin introduced them briefly.
Fan Zhongliang grinned, showing white teeth, and Yao Shu returned the smile.
“This lady, we did have a Liu Yu here, but she’s already been found. After we reported her missing, our cook located her within days. The two of them left together by boat to return home.”
It was Aunt Chen who spoke, embarrassed, apologizing for forgetting to cancel the report, mistaking Fan Zhongliang for a local magistrate’s officer.
“Yes, our former cook, Niu Daguai, found her. Liu Yu is his wife. She quarreled and wanted to return home. He found her late at night, rushed back for his bundle, and they left for the docks without saying proper goodbyes.”
Wang Baichuan stepped in to smooth things over, worried Fan Zhongliang might trouble Aunt Chen. But Fu Xiujin’s brows suddenly furrowed as he asked sharply: “Did any of you actually see Liu Yu in person?”