A murder case suddenly occurred at the Imperial Academy, a sacred place of learning, which immediately caused a great stir.
Liang Zhihong died in his dormitory. His roommates had been on leave for the past few days, so Liang Zhihong was alone in the room. When his roommates returned and opened the door, they saw this bloody scene.
The consequences were predictable. In no time, a crowd gathered outside Liang Zhihong’s dormitory.
“I heard Liang Zhihong was murdered. The wound was on his neck, killed with a single stroke. The perpetrator must be experienced. Tsk, I wonder how such an honest and decent student could have offended these criminals.” The student spreading gossip looked around and lowered his voice, “If you ask me, there’s only one person Liang Zhihong has offended these days.”
It was Qi Xuan, who had an argument with Liang Zhihong that day.
Qi Xuan was the legitimate son of a marquis’ family, and he had an uncle who held a high position in the Court of Judicial Review. If it was him, it would make sense.
A buzz erupted from the crowd of onlookers. These students each held their own views, saying all sorts of things, but overall, almost everyone agreed on one thing: Liang Zhihong’s death must be related to Qi Xuan.
Bai Jiayi shook his head and clicked his tongue, “Unbelievable, truly unbelievable. To think a student of the Imperial Academy could do such a thing.”
“Don’t speak carelessly about things without evidence,” Xiao Jingduo wasn’t afraid of these matters. He looked into the room several more times, still feeling something inexplicably strange.
Li Qingfeng came over, saw so many people gathered outside Liang Zhihong’s room, and curiously asked, “What’s going on? Why are you all gathered here?”
Someone in the crowd recognized him as the person who had helped Liang Zhihong that day. A student sighed and said, “Brother Li, my condolences. Liang Zhihong, he…”
Li Qingfeng’s eyes widened, “How could this be…”
He quickly pushed through the crowd, squeezing to the front. Through the doorway, he immediately saw the figure lying in a pool of blood.
Li Qingfeng’s face showed shock and grief. He cried out in anguish, “How could this happen? When I walked back to the dormitory with Zhihong yesterday, he was fine. It’s been just one night, how could he meet such a cruel fate?”
The people around knew that Li Qingfeng and Liang Zhihong had become very close after the incident where Li helped him. They had hit it off immediately and became good friends. Now, with his newfound friend brutally murdered, Li Qingfeng was understandably distraught. A student nearby sighed and consoled him, “Brother Li, the dead cannot be brought back to life. Please try to compose yourself.”
Li Qingfeng still couldn’t accept this reality. Xiao Jingduo, standing to the side, suddenly asked, “Brother Li, you said you returned to the dormitory with Liang Zhihong yesterday?”
“Yes, yesterday we were engrossed in conversation at the study hall, and before we knew it, night had fallen. I walked him back to his dormitory before leaving.” Li Qingfeng looked at Xiao Jingduo in confusion, “What’s wrong? Is there something amiss?”
Xiao Jingduo’s face showed no expression. He smiled slightly and shook his head, “Nothing. I just wanted to ask if you noticed anything unusual when you escorted him back yesterday.”
“Unusual?” Li Qingfeng thought for a moment, then shook his head, “No.” He seemed to suddenly remember something, his expression hesitating for a moment.
“Brother Li, if you’ve thought of something, please feel free to share,” Xiao Jingduo said.
Li Qingfeng then hesitatingly said, “Yesterday we came back very late. After I escorted him to the dormitory, I returned to my own room. It was already very late, and it happened to start snowing. By the time I got back to my dormitory, I was half soaked. On such a snowy night, no one should be going out, but when I went out to fetch water, I vaguely saw a dark figure. It was snowing heavily with strong winds, and I was far away, so I couldn’t see clearly who it was, but judging from the silhouette, it looked somewhat like Zhihong…”
“Oh?” Xiao Jingduo raised his eyebrows in surprise, “So Liang Zhihong went out again in the snow after returning to his room?”
“It was too dark then, I couldn’t see clearly. It’s possible I saw wrong…” Li Qingfeng was also hesitant, finally shaking his head in denial.
Bai Jiayi, standing next to Xiao Jingduo, also found Li Qingfeng’s words strange: “With such heavy snow last night, what did he go out for?”
Before they could figure it out, the Director of Studies and people from the Court of Judicial Review arrived. The court officials immediately dispersed the crowd and cordoned off Liang Zhihong’s body and dormitory. The Director also sent all the students back to study.
“Everyone go back to your studies. No more discussing irrelevant matters,” the Director said, though he didn’t specify, it was clear he was referring to Liang Zhihong’s case. He issued what was almost a threat, imposing a gag order on everyone, then went with the court officials to examine the scene.
The students who had been watching could only reluctantly leave. Xiao Jingduo and others followed the crowd, walking slowly.
Bai Jiayi’s curiosity was not satisfied. He moved closer to Xiao Jingduo and asked in a low voice, “Xiao Jingduo, what do you think about this? What do you think Liang Zhihong went out for last night?”
Xiao Jingduo’s gaze was calm, as if he was pondering something. After a moment, he shook his head and said casually, “He lied.”
“Ah?” Bai Jiayi was shocked, “You mean Li Qingfeng? Are you saying Liang Zhihong didn’t actually go out, and he made it up for some reason?”
Xiao Jingduo turned and glanced lightly at Bai Jiayi. His roommate usually appeared carefree and frivolous, but he was surprisingly sharp when it came to important matters. With just one look, Bai Jiayi had also become suspicious.
Xiao Jingduo didn’t say much in response to Bai Jiayi’s question. Li Qingfeng had indeed lied, but not about that part. It was likely that Liang Zhihong did go out in the snow last night.
Why would an ordinary student go out in the snow at night? And why would this lead to his murder? And Li Qingfeng, why did he lie?
That night, the wind was bitterly cold, the moon dim and stars few.
A figure pushed open a door and came out. He looked left and right, and after making sure no one noticed, he nimbly jumped over the wall of the Imperial Academy and ran swiftly towards the main street.
But he didn’t notice that shortly after he left, another figure emerged from behind a corner. Just then, the moon peeked out from behind the clouds, casting the person’s tall shadow on the wall.
Xiao Jingduo, dressed all in black, silently watched the departing figure in the cold wind.
Li Qingfeng quickly ran to the front of a house. He glanced back once more, smiled inexplicably, then turned and pushed open the gate.
Xiao Jingduo followed to the gate. He looked from afar, memorized the location and landmarks, and was about to leave. He wasn’t foolish enough to walk into a trap alone.
But just as Xiao Jingduo was about to move, he suddenly heard a sound in the darkness. His senses heightened, and he immediately dodged.
Seeing the first attack miss, the person hidden in the darkness didn’t panic, but immediately followed up. He made three more moves, all of which Xiao Jingduo evaded.
The black-clad attacker’s suspicion grew. He secretly steeled himself, thinking he could no longer heed his master’s order to capture alive. He’d have to wound this tail first, as long as he left him alive.
The attacker swung his arm, about to deliver a fierce blow, when suddenly a spark flashed in the darkness, followed by a flame igniting.
Xiao Jingduo had lit a fire stick and was warily watching the other person: “Who are you, daring to lurk in the imperial city and harm people?”
At this moment, the gate behind Xiao Jingduo creaked open. While staying alert to the knife-wielding attacker, Xiao Jingduo glanced back. In the weak firelight, he easily recognized this mysterious mastermind.
The person seemed surprised for a moment. Before Xiao Jingduo could speak, she voiced his thoughts: “It’s you?”
Li Qingfeng stood to the side, pointing at Xiao Jingduo and saying, “Princess, it was him who followed me all the way here. Oh, and he was also trying to get information out of me during the day.”
Rong Ke and Xiao Jingduo stared at each other, both silent for a long time. Finally, Xiao Jingduo dropped his defensive stance and bowed to Rong Ke: “Xiao Jingduo greets the Princess.”
“Hm?” Li Qingfeng was confused, “You know each other?”
Rong Ke pressed her brow, seeming to suppress her anger: “You sent me a message saying you had urgent matters to discuss tonight, and just now you said you successfully lured the snake out of its hole. Is this the person you brought?”
“Isn’t he the person we’re looking for?” Li Qingfeng was also shocked. He shouted at Xiao Jingduo, “If you’re not a spy, why were you following me? You nearly scared me to death on the way, you know?”
“Enough, there are too many eyes outside. Let’s talk inside,” Rong Ke said, signaling her subordinates to lower their weapons, and leading the way into the courtyard.
The courtyard wasn’t large, looking ordinary and unremarkable, but the furnishings inside the house were quite extraordinary, in stark contrast to the simple courtyard. Many palace maids and eunuchs stood inside, and upon seeing Rong Ke enter, they bowed in unison: “Princess.”
Rong Ke casually sat at the head, with maids immediately surrounding her to serve. After the servants withdrew, Rong Ke looked at Xiao Jingduo and the others, saying, “Now you can speak. How did you follow us here?”
Xiao Jingduo was also puzzled: “I saw Li Qingfeng acting suspiciously, so I followed to investigate. But Princess, it’s so late now, why are you still outside the palace?”
“The incident at the Imperial Academy was orchestrated by me. Now that the situation has changed, who else could he report to if not me?” Rong Ke said indifferently. “Besides, this place isn’t far from the Eastern Palace, returning to the palace isn’t an issue.”
The Eastern Palace was staffed similarly to the imperial court, just on a smaller scale. If Rong Ke really wanted to enter and exit the Eastern Palace at night, the curfew wouldn’t stop her. Xiao Jingduo once again marveled at the extent of this ancestor’s willfulness.
But Rong Ke hadn’t come out of the palace casually this time. She looked at Xiao Jingduo and finally got to the point: “Tell me, what exactly is going on?”
In this short quarter of an hour, Xiao Jingduo’s emotions had been on a rollercoaster. He had followed Li Qingfeng out of suspicion, but he just learned that the mastermind behind Li Qingfeng was actually Rong Ke.
Xiao Jingduo couldn’t believe that the Crown Prince’s daughter would harm a student without reason, so he temporarily set aside his doubts and explained in detail why he was here.
“Today, a fellow student at the Imperial Academy, Liang Zhihong, died. Li Qingfeng’s behavior at the scene was very suspicious. I suspected he was connected to the murderer, so I secretly watched him tonight. Unexpectedly, Li Qingfeng really did leave in the middle of the night, acting furtively. I followed him here, and the rest, Princess, you know.”
Li Qingfeng never thought he’d be described as acting furtively. His feelings were complex, and he didn’t know which point to address. Finally, Li Qingfeng gave up on this and curiously asked: “How could my behavior at the scene be suspicious? I rehearsed several times…”
Xiao Jingduo looked at Li Qingfeng with disdain. This person was indeed problematic to say such things. Rong Ke also asked, “What did you say at the time?”
“I said that when I walked Zhihong back to the dormitory yesterday, he was fine. How could he meet such a fate after just one night? I even made sure to appear very grief-stricken. There was no mistake.”
Rong Ke sighed, looking at Li Qingfeng with disappointment: “How did you ever pass the Court of Judicial Review’s assessment? To make such a basic mistake.”
“Court of Judicial Review?” Xiao Jingduo was surprised. He suddenly looked at Li Qingfeng, “You’re from the Court of Judicial Review? You’re not Li Qingfeng?”
Li Qingfeng sighed: “Alas, to be honest, my name is Li Qingyun, and I’m the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. Brother Xiao, I really want to know, where did I slip up?”
“You said ‘How could he meet such a fate after just one night?’ At that time, you were just standing in the crowd and hadn’t gone forward to examine Liang Zhihong’s body. How did you know he was murdered and didn’t commit suicide?”
Li Qingfeng was stunned for a moment: “Blood was all over the floor. If it wasn’t murder, what else could it be?”
“Does suicide not involve bleeding?” Xiao Jingduo calmly retorted.
Li Qingfeng was momentarily speechless.
“I found it strange at the time, which is why I asked if you noticed anything unusual when you escorted Liang Zhihong back. Indeed, you said you changed clothes because of the snow. I was suspicious then, and after hearing you say that, I became even more certain. You already knew Liang Zhihong was dead and had carefully examined his body, knowing he was killed with a single stroke. And those clothes you changed out of were likely not wet from snow, but stained with blood, which is why you had to destroy them. I initially suspected you were the one who killed Liang Zhihong.”
Xiao Jingduo glanced at Rong Ke and continued: “Now it seems, although you’re not the murderer, you’re deeply involved with Liang Zhihong. That night, for some reason, you went to Liang Zhihong’s room again, only to find him dead. In your surprise, you carefully examined Liang Zhihong’s body, noting many details before returning to your own dormitory and changing out of your bloodstained clothes. But you didn’t want others to know about your actions. The next day, you deliberately walked past Liang Zhihong’s door, pretending to have just learned about the incident, thus clearing yourself of suspicion. Unfortunately, you were prejudiced, already knowing Liang Zhihong had been murdered, which is why it slipped out in your words.”
“I see. Being too clever backfired,” Li Qingfeng smiled bitterly, then bowed to Xiao Jingduo. “Brother Xiao, you’re young but incredibly perceptive. I admire you. Would you be interested in working at the Court of Judicial Review? I’m not worthy, but perhaps I could pull some strings for you…”
Sitting at the head, Rong Ke didn’t get angry hearing Li Qingfeng’s words. She just smiled lightly, her eyes twinkling as she looked at Xiao Jingduo and Li Qingfeng.
Xiao Jingduo found Rong Ke’s smile terrifying. He hastily declined: “I wouldn’t dare. Brother Li, please don’t joke.”
Li Qingfeng affected a sigh: “Alright then. If Brother Xiao changes his mind, be sure to come find me!”
Xiao Jingduo sensed that continuing to talk about pulling strings in front of Rong Ke would cause trouble. He quickly changed the subject: “Princess, I’ve explained my situation. Could you please clarify some things for me? Why was Brother Li – no, Brother Li Qingyun – lying in wait at the Imperial Academy? Why did Liang Zhihong meet with misfortune? And…”
Why are you, a young lady, sneaking out of the Eastern Palace late at night, taking such a roundabout way, and what are you planning to do?
Rong Ke rested her chin on her hand, still looking lazy and casual. She suddenly brought up another matter: “Do you remember the plague last summer?”
Xiao Jingduo sighed: “Of course I remember.” He had been involved with the medicine formula, how could he forget?
“This plague came on fiercely, and its source was in the well water. If it was just one well infected, that would be one thing, but many wells in the southern part of the city simultaneously broke out with the plague. How could this be natural?”
Xiao Jingduo’s expression turned serious: “Princess, are you saying someone deliberately poisoned the wells?”
“Yes, someone threw diseased poultry into the wells, spreading the plague to nearby residents through the water. Hah, not content after being beaten once, they’re resorting to these underhanded tricks.”
If the plague was deliberately caused, then this matter was extremely serious. Perhaps the subsequent rumors about the Benevolent Crown Prince and ghost soldiers were also orchestrated by someone behind the scenes. Xiao Jingduo asked, “What did the common people do to deserve such a cruel fate? Do we know who’s behind this?”
Rong Ke didn’t speak. Li Qingfeng answered for her: “The Court of Judicial Review and the Eastern Palace have investigated for a long time. We suspect this was done by people from outside our borders.”
Xiao Jingduo’s eyes widened: “Who?”
“The Uyghurs1“回纥” (Huíhé) refers to the Uyghurs, specifically the Uyghur Khaganate, which was a powerful nomadic empire that existed in what is now Mongolia and parts of Central Asia from the 8th to the 9th centuries. The Uyghurs were often in conflict with the Tang Dynasty of China during this period, alternating between being allies and enemies. .”
After these two words were spoken, the entire room fell silent. After a moment, Xiao Jingduo’s voice broke the silence: “Then, who exactly was Liang Zhihong?”
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