Chapter 493: Late November

Late November.

Early morning.

The north wind, carrying grains of fine snow, lashed fiercely against the carriage, producing a "rustling" sound.

As the wheels rolled over the bluestone road coated in thin ice, the jolting brought with it a bone-chilling cold that crept in through the gaps in the carriage curtains, making one's skin tighten.

Li Shuren leaned sideways against the soft cushions of the carriage, his dark official robe covered by a plain fox-fur cloak. His eyes were half-closed, his brows knitted into a deep furrow, and his fingers unconsciously pressed against his throbbing temples; his expression was full of weariness.

At this moment, the feeling of lethargy grew heavier, as if a mass of damp mist were clogging his skull, leaving him dazed and his thoughts sluggish.

"These are truly troubled times lately..." His lips moved slightly, his voice so low it was almost inaudible, with only his warm breath condensing into a wisp of white mist in the icy carriage. "I still have to investigate the case of Military Advisor Han and Military Advisor Zhang, who were murdered one after another!"

The carriage jolted violently as it rolled over a raised ridge of ice. The carriage swayed sharply, Li Shuren tilted slightly, and a wave of dizziness suddenly struck him, causing his vision to go briefly black.

Before long, the jolting of the carriage ceased abruptly, and the crisp sound of the wheels rolling over the ice came to a sudden stop.

From outside the carriage came the respectful, low whisper of a servant, tinged with a caution that trembled from the north wind: "My Lord, we have arrived at the Prefecture Office!"

Li Shuren slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of brief sluggishness crossing his gaze before it cleared slightly.

He raised a hand to rub his still-aching temple and responded in a low voice from his throat: "Very well."

The carriage curtain was gently lifted by the servant, and the bone-chilling wind, carrying fine snow, rushed toward his face. He instinctively pulled the collar of his fox-fur cloak tighter, swaying slightly as he stood up due to the lingering dizziness.

Once he regained his balance, he leaned forward and stepped onto the footstool that had already been placed, his feet landing on the cold bluestone, and he stepped steadily off the carriage.

Looking up, the vermilion gates of the Jingzhao Prefecture Office stood towering in the morning mist.

On both sides of the gate, several guards on duty had already caught sight of the approaching carriage and all straightened their backs.

Seeing Li Shuren step down through the snow, they immediately bowed in unison, their rough voices sounding exceptionally clear in the cold morning wind: "Greetings, Junior Prefect Li! Greetings, Junior Prefect Li!"

Li Shuren waved his hand slightly, his tone calm: "No need for formalities."

His gaze swept over the guards' faces, reddened by the cold, and the snow-dusted brims of their hats. His brows furrowed slightly, then he softened his tone and instructed warmly: "The end of the year is approaching, and the city is already chaotic. Recently, the office has been swamped with cases. You must stay alert and perform your duties well while guarding the gates; do not be negligent!"

"Rest assured, Junior Prefect Li! We would not dare to be slack for even a moment!" the guards replied in unison, their voices so loud they shook a few flakes of snow from the eaves, their reddened faces full of respect and determination.

Hearing this, Li Shuren's tense brows relaxed slightly, a flicker of warmth crossing his eyes. He nodded with satisfaction, his tone carrying a hint of praise: "That is good!"

He paused, swept his gaze over them, and added, "You have been diligent in your duties and have worked hard. When the year ends, I will petition the Prefect to grant you merit and reward you well!"

Hearing this, a look of intense gratitude instantly erupted in the guards' eyes. Their faces, previously stiff from the cold, brightened, and they all bowed and cupped their hands, responding loudly: "Many thanks, Junior Prefect Li!"

Li Shuren waved his hand, his tone indifferent: "That is all. I shall go attend to official business now."

Having said this, he turned and walked away, the hem of his official robe sweeping across the residual snow in front of the gate, preparing to head deep into the Jingzhao Prefecture Office.

The guards watched his retreating figure, cupping their hands in salute, about to say in unison, "Farewell, Junior Prefect Li." But they had barely begun when they were interrupted by an abrupt "Ugh!"

Everyone focused their eyes and saw Li Shuren, who had only just stepped through the gate, sway violently. His eyes closed tightly, the blood drained from his face, and he collapsed straight forward onto the ground.

"Junior Prefect Li!"

Several exclamations pierced the silence. Seeing this, the guards on duty turned pale, their previous gratitude and respect instantly replaced by panic.

They didn't care about tidying their robes, but instead took long strides, stepping on the residual snow as they rushed forward.

The two leading guards were the first to throw themselves beside Li Shuren, shaking his shoulders cautiously yet urgently. Their rough palms brushed against the cold fox-fur cloak, their voices full of anxiety: "Junior Prefect Li! Wake up! Junior Prefect Li!"

Another guard crouched down. Seeing there was no movement for a long time, he reached out with trembling fingers to check Li Shuren's breath, but his fingertips touched only coldness.

He held his breath, and after a moment, he jerked his hand back, standing frozen in place as if struck by lightning, his face as pale as paper.

Immediately afterward, his whole body trembled violently, his voice shaking uncontrollably, and he exclaimed with a sob: "The Junior Prefect... he seems to have stopped breathing!"

A young guard nearby was stunned, his pupils contracting sharply. The panic on his face was instantly replaced by extreme astonishment, and he shouted out: "What?!"

His body swayed as if all his strength had been drained away. He gripped the corner of his robe tightly, unable to stop himself from trembling.

The cold wind carrying fine snow hit his face, but he was completely unaware of it. His lips quivered, his eyes unfocused and terrified, and he muttered in disbelief: "Li... Junior Prefect Li... has he also died suddenly?!"

The old guard who had been leaning over to call Li Shuren, still clutching the lapel of the Junior Prefect's fox-fur cloak, stiffened violently at these words.

The last trace of blood drained from his face, leaving it paler than the residual snow beneath his feet. His pupils dilated from extreme terror, his lips quivered, and even his breathing became rapid and heavy.

The cold wind carrying fine snow hit his face, but it could not freeze the cold sweat oozing from his forehead, which slid down his deeply lined cheeks. He blurted out: "Li... Junior Prefect Li has also died suddenly in full view of everyone?!"

Following Military Advisor Han and Military Advisor Zhang, this was already the third official...

Could the blood-written words on the wall really be true?!

"This... what should be done now?"

The guards were completely thrown into chaos. Some paced back and forth, rubbing their hands, while others stood at a loss looking at Li Shuren on the ground. Their panicked whispers intertwined in the cold wind.

Just as chaos reigned, a tall and sturdy guard clenched his fists and said in a deep voice: "What is there to panic about! The most urgent matter is naturally to go and petition the Prefect immediately!"

His voice was steady, finally suppressing some of the commotion.

A guard nearby immediately echoed him, nodding as if waking from a dream: "Right! This matter is of utmost importance. We subordinates cannot make the decision; we must ask the Prefect to decide! Let's go!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone quickly divided the work: the remaining guards continued their duties and moved the body to the morgue.

The two calm guards took off running, rushing toward the inner courtyard where the Prefect worked.

Liu Bingzhong, dressed in a brocade robe, stood silently by the window with his hands behind his back.

Outside the window, the north wind swirled with snow, and the withered branches in the courtyard were covered with a thin layer of white. The world was desolate, just like his heavy heart at this moment.

His brows were tightly locked, knitted into a deep "chuan" character, his eyes full of sorrow that could not be dissolved, and his whole person exuded an indescribable melancholy.

"Military Advisor Han died mysteriously, and even Zhang, the Legal Officer in charge of judicial investigations and prisons, has died so inexplicably..." His lips moved slightly, his voice low and hoarse, carrying endless anxiety: "What on earth should be done about this case!"

After a long time, he finally couldn't help but let out a long sigh: "Sigh!"

It wasn't that he didn't trust Junior Prefect Li's ability, it was just that this case was extremely tricky...

Just as this heavy sigh still lingered in the hall, there was a loud "bang," and the door was violently pushed open. The cold wind, carrying snow foam, rushed in instantly.

The two guards who came to report were covered in sweat, their hair disheveled, having run wildly all the way here.

They didn't even have time to catch their breath, stumbling as they threw themselves into the center. Their faces were as pale as paper, their voices hoarse and distorted from rapid running, as they shouted urgently to Liu Bingzhong: "Prefect! Prefect! It's bad! Something major has happened!"

Liu Bingzhong turned around abruptly, his already tightly locked brows knitting even tighter. The sorrow in his eyes was instantly replaced by impatience and anger.

He stared at the two guards who had broken in so unceremoniously, his tone as cold as frozen bluestone, carrying extreme displeasure: "Panicking like this, what kind of decorum is this! What has happened again?"

The tall and sturdy guard bent over, supporting himself on his knees, breathing heavily, his thick breath spraying out mixed with white mist.

He caught his breath, suddenly raised his head, his face deathly pale, his voice still carrying the lingering urgency and unbelievable panic: "Prefect... Junior Prefect Li... he just stepped off the carriage a moment ago, and even instructed us on duty matters. He had just turned around to walk inside, and after only two steps..."

"He collapsed suddenly and stopped breathing!"

He said the last few words quickly and tremblingly, as if he had used up all his strength.

Another guard stood to the side, his face even paler than the tall guard's. His Adam's apple rolled violently, and he swallowed hard, his tongue feeling cold and trembling.

Fearing the Prefect hadn't heard the key point, he hurriedly stepped forward half a step, his voice sharp and urgent, adding with a cracked, terrified tone: "Prefect! That's not all!"

"The way Junior Prefect Li collapsed, and the symptoms of his sudden, silent death, are almost exactly the same as when Military Advisor Zhang and Military Advisor Han met with their accidents!!"

Liu Bingzhong was shaken, the anger and impatience on his face instantly blown away by extreme shock.

His pupils contracted sharply, and he stared fixedly at the two guards. His previously steady face turned as pale as paper, his lips quivered, and his voice lost its usual steadiness, exclaiming with an unbelievable trembling tone: "You... what did you say?!"

The tall guard took a deep breath, suppressing the rapid rise and fall of his chest, his eyes full of certain panic, and repeated loudly again: "Prefect, it's true! Junior Prefect Li just stepped off the carriage. A moment ago he was instructing us on duty matters, and as soon as he finished speaking and turned to walk, the next moment he fell straight to the ground and died on the spot!"

He paused and continued: "The way he fell, the way it happened without warning, is exactly the same as when Military Advisor Zhang had his accident!"

Liu Bingzhong stumbled back several steps, his back hitting the cold window lattice heavily. His voice was shaking uncontrollably, carrying a shattered disbelief: "Junior Prefect Li also... did not escape...?"

The cold wind crept in through the window gaps, making his whole body feel cold, but it was far less bone-chilling than the cold in his heart.

"Could that not be true?!" He raised his voice abruptly, his eyes full of panic.

At that moment, fear grew like wild vines, sprouting crazily along his spine, wrapping around his heart, tightening more and more, making the dignified Jingzhao Prefect almost unable to breathe.

Seeing this, the tall guard cautiously stepped forward half a step to ask for instructions: "My Lord, we did not dare to move Junior Prefect Li's body without authorization, so we have temporarily moved it to the morgue for safekeeping..."

"We have also sent someone to invite the coroner, who is on the way..."

"Do you want to go and take a look first?"

Liu Bingzhong suddenly waved his hand, almost roaring: "What is there to look at!"

The two guards were so frightened that their whole bodies trembled, and they both said "Ah?" in unison.

Their faces were full of astonishment and confusion, standing blankly in place, their eyes full of incomprehension.

Liu Bingzhong stamped his feet suddenly, his voice cracking from emotional agitation, urging the two guards in a panicked yet urgent manner: "Quick! Quick! Don't just stand there! Hurry and prepare the carriage!"

"I must go to the Wannian County Office immediately!"