Chapter 39: The Private Secretary Cannot Distinguish

The Patrol Office was a unique institution in Linhe; precisely because this place was wealthy and its geography subtly critical, its scale even surpassed that of the main county government office in Baisha County by quite a margin.

The Linhe government office likewise maintained the standard three shifts and six offices, lacking neither runners nor clerks to keep operations running; it merely awaited the day an imperial edict would arrive to promote it exceptionally to the status of a county seat.

As for the coroner, he belonged to the Justice Office among those six rooms.

Now, inside the morgue, Wang Ling returned after relieving himself and, seeing Xu Qing lost in deep thought, felt compelled to test him.

"Junior Brother, what is your assessment of this corpse?"

To a coroner, there is no beauty or ugliness; all corpses under heaven are the same.

Wang Ling certainly was not referring to Sai Yuxian's prostrate body; apart from his professional duty of preparing the dead for burial, Xu Qing cared nothing for a corpse's appearance.

At this moment, the two were discussing nothing other than Sai Yuxian's true cause of death.

"The fatal injury on this corpse lies in the ligature marks on the neck; the only distinction to be made is between hanging and strangulation."

Although in his previous life Xu Qing had achieved neither literary success nor martial prowess, that did not prevent him from being a jack-of-all-trades, master of none.

While speaking, Xu Qing donned fish-skin gloves, transforming himself into the 'Great Yong Judicial Commissioner,' and then, drawing upon the foreknowledge granted by the Running Horse Lamp, he casually rattled off various arguments.

"In cases of hanging, the ligature marks on the neck typically show a 'deep groove at the point of force, shallow on the opposite side' phenomenon known as suspension, while the cheeks will exhibit petechial hemorrhages, and the lips and nails will turn purple-cyanotic."

"However, the pupils of the deceased before us are dilated, the ligature groove left on the neck is extremely uniform with basically consistent depth, showing no suspension; thus, hanging can essentially be ruled out." As he spoke, Xu Qing used his fingers to pry open Sai Yuxian's eyelids, engaging in a stare-down with death.

Hearing this, Wang Ling stroked his beard and nodded; although his junior brother's explanation was not comprehensive, for someone who had never worked as a coroner to possess such insights was already remarkably commendable.

Next, Wang Ling supplied numerous additions to the points Xu Qing had missed, such as the differences in the state of the deceased's hand flexion and extension, facial characteristics after a rope strangled the neck versus the neck strangling the rope, and most importantly—

"Ordinary individuals who hang themselves cannot place their hands on their necks to struggle free, so there will be no flesh remnants under their fingernails; whereas those strangled by others, unless poisoned into unconsciousness, will mostly bear scratch marks left by the murderer or themselves on the neck, and their fingernail gaps will contain flesh remnants."

Guided by Wang Ling, and combining this with the Running Horse Lamp vision from superintending the deceased, Xu Qing gave his final conclusion: "There are flesh remnants in this woman's fingernail gaps; according to Senior Brother's reasoning, this should result from struggling, yet there are no scratch marks anywhere on her body, meaning the remnants in her nails most likely came from the murderer."

"If that is indeed the case, we follow the clues, compile a list of people the victim had contact with shortly before her death, then based on interpersonal relationships identify suspects with motive, examine their bodies, and see if they bear any scratch marks."

As for more complex matters, such as a murderer intentionally erasing scratch marks using tattoos, burns, or other external forces, or cases within cases involving framed accusations, these are matters for later; one would not abandon the current investigation process merely because of such possibilities.

Hearing this, Wang Ling turned, took a duplicate copy of the case file from the shelf, and handed it to Xu Qing for review.

A moment later, Wang Ling asked with a smile, "Well? Any leads?"

"The leads are not yet clear, but since ancient times most murders stem from passion; according to the case file, Sai Yuxian's husband claimed his wife committed suicide by hanging out of shame after an affair was exposed, yet he and Sai Yuxian originally met in a brothel and knew each other thoroughly; just how ashamed must Sai Yuxian have been to resort to hanging herself?"

Hearing this, Wang Ling laughed heartily and, feigning mystery, said, "Yesterday, Sai Yuxian's husband came to the government office wanting to retrieve the corpse; guess what I discovered?"

Do you take me for a child, still asking me to guess!

Xu Qing played the fool, saying, "How could I possibly guess that? Don't tell me Senior Brother just happened to see scratch marks on his body?"

"."

Wang Ling's smile stiffened slightly, then he suddenly clapped his hands, exclaiming, "Junior Brother, you actually guessed correctly!"

Just as the two brothers were busily examining the corpse, deeply engrossed in their study, a shout suddenly came from outside the door.

Hearing the voice, Wang Ling frowned, saying, "Private Secretary Tang? In this pitch darkness, what business does he have with me?"

The two walked out of the morgue and saw a middle-aged scholar standing at the entrance with an extraordinary appearance.

Lychee-shaped eyes, a jutting chin, and two whiskers shaped like the character 'eight'; he might as well have written the word 'shrewd' right on his forehead.

As for his attire, he wore a neat, brand-new green long gown under a dark blue horse-jacket, looking for all the world like a fortune-telling master!

"Brother Lingyuan is truly a model for our kind; even after office hours, you are still here handling official duties."

Private Secretary Tang lightly pinched a strand of his whiskers between his index finger and thumb, greeted them with a beaming smile, and then shifted his gaze to Xu Qing.

"And who is this?"

"My own junior brother; we studied under the same master. He came specially today to learn the skills of the coroner's trade."

"Excellent, excellent! I observe that your junior brother is a handsome talent; he is sure to become a capable officer in the future." Private Secretary Tang was smooth and adaptable, speaking human language to humans and ghost language to ghosts.

Even now, facing a corpse, his speech remained impeccably polished.

After exchanging these customary pleasantries, Private Secretary Tang grasped Wang Ling's arm, pulled him close, turned his back to Xu Qing, and began whispering.

Xu Qing had just transformed into an Iron-Armored Wandering Corpse; how sharp his hearing was! Even though the other party intentionally turned away, he heard every word clearly.

"Old brother, in my view, there is nothing suspicious about this case involving Liu Sheng. Sai Yuxian was born an actress, as you must have heard; these performers are all unpredictable in temperament. Perhaps one day she became so immersed in a role, felt life was meaningless, wished to imitate the drama of a lover committing suicide by slashing her throat, and thus hanged herself."

Saying this, Private Secretary Tang glanced at the fair-complexioned young man picking his nose and flicking his fingers nearby, then surreptitiously drew a ten-tael silver ingot from his sleeve and slipped it into Wang Ling's cuff.

"Today Liu Sheng came to see me; I could see he was truly heartbroken. When he spoke of his late wife, tears streamed down his face like raindrops; this clearly shows he is a good husband, a true man!

How could such a person commit the act of killing his wife? What do you think, Brother Lingyuan?"

Wang Ling fell silent for a moment, then shook his head and sighed softly, "Indeed, he is a good husband!"

Watching the two of them there spinning tales and speaking nonsense, Xu Qing thought to himself that there are still many good people in this world!

Private Secretary Tang laughed heartily, grabbed Wang Ling's arm, and prepared to head out.

"Today there is a small gathering at the Pear Garden; Liu Sheng, missing his late wife, has specially reserved a private pavilion and invited guests to attend a memorial. Since it is currently the spring month, the Pear Garden's Spring Brew is a marvelous delicacy; Brother Lingyuan ought to accompany me to taste it."

Unable to decline, Wang Ling planned to first escort Xu Qing out of the government office before attending the banquet.

Private Secretary Tang smiled and said, "Since he is your junior brother, he is family; he may come along as well."

At the Pear Garden Theater, inside the Spring Return Pavilion.

Private Secretary Tang Zhou swayed his head rhythmically, listening to the opera he had specially requested, humming along with convincing style.

"For him, I exposed myself to public view and walked the goat paths; for him, I endured all the wind and rain hardships along the way..."

"I too was a daughter of an official family, having read a few chapters of books since childhood; in vain were my two eyes born without insight, mistaking that heartless man for a loving husband."

"All bitterness I sought myself, thus falling into this state; truly, one misstep brings eternal regret, and turning back requires a hundred years."

On the stage, the performer sang lyrics about a heartless man. Below the stage, Liu Sheng wore a face full of smiles, offering wine and refilling tea for Private Secretary Tang.

"Please, Private Secretary Tang! Please, Mr. Wang! And please, this young brother..."

It was rare for Xu Qing to enjoy a free meal, but as he ate, he suddenly recalled something.

Given Liu Sheng's financial standing, he could not possibly afford the expenses of this banquet; if Xu Qing's guess was correct, the silver used to bribe Private Secretary Tang and the money for hosting the feast must have all been earned by Sai Yuxian from entertaining clients.

He had originally thought that the freeloading customers he had superintended in the past were already as despicable as possible, yet he had not expected that beyond men there are greater men, and beyond heaven there is higher heaven; beneath the dung bucket, there was actually a pile of stinking dog shit!

Private Secretary Tang had listened to the opera for quite some time and consumed much wine; he was now slightly intoxicated.

The performer came down from the stage to share a few cups with the group; unable to hold out any longer, Private Secretary Tang swayed unsteadily, intending to relieve himself.

Among everyone present, only Xu Qing had employed a slight trick and not touched a drop of alcohol.

Seeing that Private Secretary Tang was drunk, he reached out to stop Wang Ling, saying, "Senior Brother, take your time; let me accompany the Private Secretary to relieve himself."

With that, he supported Private Secretary Tang and walked outside.

Along the way, Private Secretary Tang, his face glowing red, patted the arm Xu Qing was using to support him, saying, "You child are quite clever; study the craft well under your senior brother. When your senior brother grows old someday, I will reserve this iron rice bowl of a coroner for you."

Smelling the familiar scent of empty promises, Xu Qing chuckled.

He had never yet used his Dream-Weaving Technique on another person; now, with this Private Secretary delivering himself right to his door, he seemed an excellent candidate.

After accompanying the Private Secretary to finish his business, as they exited the latrine, Xu Qing pressed his palm, covered in yin energy, against the back of the other man's head.

Private Secretary Tang, humming the heart-stabbing little tune about the heartless man, walked comfortably along the path back, when suddenly the back of his head went cold, and he collapsed to the ground.

Xu Qing withdrew his hand, took a stick of Soul-Bewildering Incense from his robe pouch, pressed his palms together, gently pinched it, and catalyzed yin fire to ignite the incense tip.

After planting the incense in the empty ground beside Private Secretary Tang's head, Xu Qing chanted a spell to guide the fragrance, murmuring incessantly as he recited demonic whispers.

"It is precisely because you bent the law for personal gain and coveted petty profits, releasing Liu Sheng, the murderer who killed his wife, that many years later Liu Sheng, feigning past affection, deceived your daughter, who was innocent and inexperienced in the world."

"Alas, such a sensible and obedient daughter, solely due to your erroneous choice back then, suffered endless torment, was strangled to death by Liu Sheng in some desolate wild mountains, and even her bones were devoured by jackals and wild beasts."

A Dream-Weaver needed to guide the dreamer's thoughts to make them fall into a Nanke dream realm.

By the time Xu Qing reached this point, Private Secretary Tang before him should have fallen into a grand dream interwoven with regret and hatred.

But unexpectedly, Private Secretary Tang's eyeballs began to dart rapidly; he looked as though he were about to wake up!

Xu Qing furrowed his brows.

This isn't right, is it? Could it be that this Private Secretary's heart of corruption is so unshakably firm that he cares not even for his own kin and children?

Just as Xu Qing was puzzling over this, he heard Private Secretary Tang muttering indistinctly in his sleep.

"I never had a daughter; this is wrong, wrong..."

"."

Xu Qing was speechless; it turned out the direction of his guidance had gone awry!

The reason the Dream-Weaving Technique feels so real is that the people, events, and scenery within the dream all have reflections in reality, which is why they strike so deeply.

Helpless, Xu Qing had no choice but to discard the original dream setting and weave a new little story to cater to this clear-thinking elder.

"For most of your life, you had no daughter; seeing that the daughters of your colleagues, friends, and relatives were all obedient, clever, considerate, and filial, you felt immense envy. Then one day, while you were handling official duties at the government office, joyful news suddenly arrived from your home: your wife was pregnant."

"An old clam bearing a pearl is truly a gift from heaven. After carrying the child for ten months, your wife gave birth to an exceedingly beautiful girl; neighbors, colleagues, friends, and relatives all lavished praise upon her. You went to the Water Gate Bridge to consult a fortune-telling immortal master, who told you that your daughter was a reincarnated lucky star, but that she would face one tribulation in her fate, intended to alleviate your disasters and offset the karmic obstacles you created in the past..."

"Fifteen years later, your daughter grew ever more outstanding and lovely, and your official career, blessed by the arrival of the lucky star, advanced step by step..."

"But alas, storms arise unexpectedly in the sky, and misfortunes befall people overnight. Just as your beloved daughter was setting a wedding date with the new Top Graduate of the imperial examination, she was abducted by Liu Sheng, the murderer who killed his wife whom you had once released due to bending the law for personal gain. Though your beloved daughter was a delicate woman, her temperament was exceptionally fierce; she would absolutely never do anything to disgrace her family or damage her father's reputation."

"After Liu Sheng was arrested and imprisoned, he revealed all your past actions; you, once highly respected, instantly became a laughingstock. Your wife, consequently resentful toward you, died of depression. Your son severed father-son relations with you, and those former colleagues and friends who despised your character gradually drifted away."

"His Majesty, fearing this matter would affect the dignity of the imperial court, therefore dismissed you from office and ordered an investigation..."

"Alas, what a pity! The brilliantly intelligent Private Secretary Tang, whose future should have been bright and clear, merely due to a moment of greed and delusion, ended up disowned by all his kin, with both wife and daughter dead, and his reputation in old age utterly ruined!"

Xu Qing was so immersed in his narration that, had he not lacked training in opera, he would have wanted to sing a concluding aria to deliver the final verdict on Private Secretary Tang's stifled life.

Having undergone this grand dream, Private Secretary Tang still lay on the ground; although he had not yet awakened, two streams of heart-rending clear tears had already burst forth.

Spring Return Pavilion.

At this moment, the opera continued on stage, but it was no longer the piece cursing the heartless man; it was a new repertoire.

Presumably, taking advantage of Private Secretary Tang's absence, Liu Sheng had secretly changed the performance.

Xu Qing supported the unconscious Private Secretary and returned to the tea seating area.

Liu Sheng, acting as if he were seeing his father-in-law, showed great concern.

"What has happened to the Private Secretary? Should we summon a physician?"

"It's nothing; he must have drunk too much wine and passed out. He'll be fine after a rest."

Hearing this, Liu Sheng felt such pity that he immediately ordered a servant boy to bring sobering soup, which he personally spoon-fed to Secretary Tang.

"Mm..." Before long, the secretary slowly regained consciousness; blinking his usually sharp eyes in a daze, the first thing he saw was Liu Sheng's big head shoved right before his face, brimming with concern.

"Secretary, you're awake?"

"Hah—Get away!"

Secretary Tang let out a loud cry, jolting upright from his drunken dream.

His two hands exerted all their strength, shoving Liu Sheng to the ground.

"Secretary, what are you doing? It's me, Liu Sheng! You just got drunk; how could you forget me?"

"Forget? I'd remember you even if you turned to ash!"

Secretary Tang's eyes bulged with rage; usually gentle toward others and never prone to anger, his face now bore a hint of murderous intent!

"My Yinyin died an untimely death because of you, you beast!"

"Who is Yinyin?" Not only was Liu Sheng confused, but Wang Ling was equally baffled.

"That was my beloved daughter's milk name; when she grew up, I named her Yuqin."

"Yuqin? A daughter?" This time, not only were Wang Ling and the other confused, but even Xu Qing and Secretary Tang himself were stunned.

Xu Qing was stunned because he had never given names to the figures in the dream; in other words, the maiden names Yinyin and Yuqin were chosen by Secretary Tang within the dream itself.

Thinking of this, Xu Qing truly felt some curiosity about what exactly Secretary Tang had experienced in that dream.

At that moment, after Secretary Tang, the person concerned, had called out his daughter's maiden name, he suddenly froze on the spot, then slumped back down as if his soul had departed.

Only after a long while did he belatedly murmur:

"So it was all just a dream."

Two-in-one chapter

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(End of chapter)