CH 24

T/N: Again, this is one of those chapters where you might have to read the footnotes in order to understand the conversation.

After a short break, Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu set off to the home of Zheng Wan, who was killed first.

Zheng Wan, the previous Right Fufeng, has been dead for more than a month, and his body has long been laid to rest in the ground, but everyone in his home was still in mourning clothes, the mourning banner had not been kept away; scented candles and incense lingered in the courtyard. A woman in mourning garb came out to greet them leaning on her maid. She wore a white flower pin1 slanted in her forelocks, her face was haggard, and her whole body was so pale white that the only colour were her eyes that had reddened from crying.

After offering a few words of comfort, they were led directly to the courtyard where the incident occurred. The governor’s office had come to examine the scene before, and had already held a funeral, so most of the objects here were not as they were at the time of the incident. Only the faint bloodstains on the stone slabs of the courtyard that could not be washed away were left, a silent memorial of everything that has happened.

After Su Shiyu stood in front of the book case and looked at it for a long time, he picked up a few documents and concentrated on something in contemplation. Chu Mingyun retracted his gaze, but felt that he couldn’t see anything odd in the courtyard, so he turned and walked towards Mrs. Zheng.

The look on Zheng Wan’s face as if he did not die a peaceful death2 was still vivid in her eyes, and this other courtyard had become a wound to Mrs. Zheng’s heart. She was unwilling to set foot in it again, so she had been waiting for them outside the courtyard the whole time.

”Ms. Zheng,” Chu Mingyun asked, “Since it is said that your husband was killed late at night, then what did he stay here for instead of going back to bed to sleep?”

”There were still some official documents in the mansion, so Husband brought them back to the study to review.” Madam Zheng replied slowly.

”Zheng Wan does this often?”

”Not exactly often,” she thought for a while, and said, “If some important documents were just sent to him (before he left his office), Husband is used to taking them home to slowly read.”

”So if the murderer is not in your house. The attendant is someone who is familiar with You Fufeng.” A gentle voice sounded behind him, and Su Shiyu walked steadily.

Chu Mingyun looked at him and smiled slightly: “Was there something Master Su found?”

“I didn’t find any useful clues originally,” Su Shiyu said, “but the question Master Chu just asked reminded me.

” …Grand Secretary, why do you say that?” Madam Zheng looked at Su Shiyu, the light in her eyes flashed.

Su Shiyu smiled faintly, “It’s just my guess, but it should more or less be correct. There are still guards’ bodies in this courtyard, which means that the killer’s skill is not good enough to go completely unnoticed, but no one in the other courtyards were aware anything happened here, even Madam only found out yourself the next morning that Master Zheng was killed, so it seems that the murderer entered this yard directly.”

Madam Zheng frowned and looked at him uncomprehendingly, “What Your Honor has said, what does this have to do with the identity of the murderer we were talking about?”

Chu Mingyun has already understood, “He means that the other party must know that Zheng Wan has the habit of approving official documents here, and also knows the layout of your mansion, so he could immediately find it here, it won’t be someone unacquainted with your husband.” He paused, turned his head and said to Su Shiyu: “And it has to be someone who knew that Zheng Wan had important documents that night.”

Su Shiyu nodded and wanted to speak, so he listened to Mrs. Zheng. The voice trembled and said: “How could it be…”

They looked at her in a little surprise.

”How…can that be…” Madam Zheng’s fingers twisted her sleeves tightly, unable to accept it, “My husband is kind, and we have never wronged any of the servants in this residence , and all of them have served us for many years. Nobody left after the incident, even the little girl from the accountant’s family came to comfort me…how could they be murderers!”

”Madam Zheng…”

”If it is someone familiar with us…” Tears have appeared in her eyes and her figure trembled slightly, the maid next to her hurried to hold her up, she hung her head in compassion. Madam Zheng took a deep breath and stared at them, extremely confused, and in a near-interrogating tone asked, “Since they are familiar with us, why would they commit an act so vicious?”

Chu Mingyun and Su Shiyu had no words to answer.

Chu Mingyun looked at him, baffled, “Are you talking to me?”

”This……this subordinate did not do things well……but……” The man raised his head and quickly glanced at Chu Mingyun, shaking like chaff, “I beg my lord to be magnanimous!”

The jailers suddenly sucked in a breath, unanimously turning to stare at Chu Mingyun.

Su Shiyu watched on thoughtfully, but did not speak.

Chu Mingyun tilted his head and looked at the man for a moment, then suddenly shook his head and laughed, “You want to drag me down with you yet you didn’t even get your facts straight, there isn’t anyone as ugly as you among my subordinates.”

The man’s words were immediately choked off.

Su Xing glanced at Chu Mingyun with a subtle expression, then turned his head and said to Su Shiyu, “Yu’er, you’re not going to ask anything?”

Su Shiyu smiled faintly, “Since he is pleading with Master Chu for mercy, then let Master Chu lead the interrogation.”

Hearing this the man quickly looked at Su Shiyu, continually pleading: “Grand Secretary, Your Honor! This peasant has committed a grave crime, and I know I’ll be put to death3……but, but that wife and child of mine are innocent after all, I plead Your Honor to save them.”

These words held rather deep meaning, Su Shiyu looked at him with serious eyes, only smiling wordlessly.

Chu Mingyun glanced at Su Shiyu, and then said to the man again: “Okay, stop yelling. I ask you, it’s been so long since Zheng Wan was killed, you didn’t escape from Fufeng County earlier, why did you show up today instead? “

The man looked straight at Chu Mingyun, distorted his face a little, and said: “I just acted according to orders, since my lord has said this to clear himself of suspicion, how could I explain it clearly.”

The man glanced at him, not understanding his intention, and paused for a moment. Then he whispered: “Yes, as long as they’re safe, it doesn’t matter whether I live or die.”

”You remind me of a person.” Su Shiyu smiled softly, “You know the previous Minister of Works Tan Jing?” The

(T/N: Honestly, Shiyu has so much patience, Chu-chu is so vulgar in his flirting any lesser man would have stabbed/slapped him by now. Translating instead of sleeping, give me energy by commenting)

1.白簪花 – I can’t exactly confirm this but judging from the contextual clues this is probably that fabric flower worn in the hairstyles of mourning women, although I believe this should only be for members of the imperial family.

2. 死不瞑目 – this is usually taken as the equivalent of ‘rolling over in one’s grave’ but the text says Mdm Zheng vividly remembers the look of it, so it has perhaps been used in its literal meaning, which is ‘to not close one’s eyes even in death’, i.e. he died unpeacefully so his eyes were open.

3. 自知当死 – literally ‘I already take myself as a dead person’.

4. 回事儿 – ‘回事’ is an archaic term for reporting to one’s master, but adding the ‘er’ character to the end makes it sound informal on CMY’s tongue so I translated it to ‘manner o’ reporting’.

5. 安置 – refers to settling someone down i.e. finding a house for them and making sure they have a way to live like the way Chu Mingyun settled Chen Siheng.

6. 陪睡 – I translated it literally, but it actually means to trade sexual favours for benefits.

7. To say one is thin-skinned means that they are easily embarrassed.