NOVEL NEXT Chapter 51: Culprits?
Chen Yuming found himself in front of a small shack at the very end of one of the slum lanes of the Capital. The people surrounding the shack - small and malnourished - had long been driven away. They had fled, fear and distrust clear in their eyes as they looked at him and the group of Imperial Guards behind him. He frowned. As much as he disliked it, he could not deny the ugly reality of what hid behind the glamour and shine of the Capital nor could he deny the fact that the courtiers and imperial officers usually made it worse.
He pushed the thought out of his head. He had a job to do at the moment.
He had been surprised when he had been summoned by the Emperor, with Grand Commandant Han Qin present there instead of Eunuch Li. He had been even more surprised at the fact that he was being assigned to lead the investigation of the attack on Concubine Qing and Prince Xu. This was usually the territory of the Embroidered Uniform Guard - the secret police that served only the Emperor.
Apparently, they were doing the job. But he was assigned as the leader.
“I am honoured, Your Majesty. But why me?”
The answer was simple.
“We do not trust them to do the investigation properly.”
Chen Yuming blinked. “Pardon me. I do not understand, Your Majesty.”
The thought that the Embroidered Uniform Guard would not do their duty properly was laughable.
The Emperor sighed. “We are aware that many are dissatisfied with Lady Qing and )ur son due to their … backgrounds. The Embroidered Guard is full of second and third sons of nobility. We are not so blind as to not see how they would look down upon Our concubine and son. If We had time, We would have made a proper example of anyone who would dare so. However, time is the one thing We do not have. The culprit behind this may have already escaped. We have ordered a lockdown of the entire Capital to ensure they cannot get out. However, We cannot keep the Capital locked forever. Therefore, the investigation must be conducted with utmost urgency and seriousness. We want you to lead it.”
“Your Majesty, forgive me for asking.” He frowned. “If you do not trust the Embroidered Uniform Guards, then why do you trust me?”
The Emperor looked at him. “We have seen you with Our son, Yuming. You care for him. You would not have testified for him if you had not. You also have a strong sense of justice and are efficient in your work. It reminds Us of Han Qin in his youth. As such, I wish for you to lead this task.”
Chen Yuming had felt his face getting hot and quickly ducked his head in a bow. “It is my honour, Your Majesty.”
There was amusement in the Emperor’s voice as he spoke next. “Report directly to either Us or Han Qin.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Han Qin had then introduced him to the four Embroidered Uniform Guards who would work under him, stating that they knew “how to keep their mouths shut and follow orders even if they don’t like it.”
And it was true. With them working smoothly under his commands, the investigation went smoothly. The hardest part was getting a confession from one of the assassins. The Embroidered Uniform Guards were good at their jobs, however. It took merely two days for them to break and tell them who gave them the job. Apparently, it was one of the underground ‘brokers’ who usually brought them jobs. They were skilled martial artists, but not assassins. They were initially hesitant to take the job but it paid well and apparently, they were assured the job would be easy despite it being inside the Inner Palace. They were given a map of a hidden path that opened at the back wall of the Imperial Palace on one end and right next to the Yomgyagong on the other.
It was clear that someone had provided inside information, especially since that path was not well known outside of the Emperor and a select few. This was even a greater security risk than they thought. The two ends were sealed with bricks enforced by talismans which could only be undone by the Emperor himself.
The investigating team got to work. They traced the broker - Chen Yuming watched with fascination as the Embroidered Uniform Guard threatened him into becoming their informant with just a few menacingly placed words - and from there it was not hard to find who had commissioned the job and where they were.
And it was this small shack.
Chen Yuming almost slammed his fist against the door. “We know you are in there. If you do not come out yourself, we will break in!”
Chen Yuming waited a few more minutes before sighing and stepping back, the guards surrounding him clueing in on what he was about to do and imitating him. A kick was all that was needed for the door to give in and break. It was not even enhanced by chi.
He nodded at the men behind him and stepped inside. It was only two steps he had taken before he stopped dead in his tracks.
There, on the floor, lay the supine, lifeless body of Kang Yu, blank eyes staring into oblivion and froth coating the corner of her lips.
“She committed suicide?!”
Samaya truly did not know how to feel. Enraged? Happy? Relieved? She truly did not know. She felt the numbness that once used to be familiar to her. The numbness she felt when she did not know what to feel. The last time she felt this… was just a day before she went on the mission that brought her here.
“Yes.” She looked up at the Emperor sitting opposite to her. “Her body was already cold by the time they got to her.”
She had honestly been surprised when the man came with information only a day after they spoke about the investigation. Apparently, he was having the Embroidered Uniform Guard investigate. She had seen those guys once or twice in some towns closer to the Capital. But in general, they operated on the down low. Much like herself.
She asked for Chen Yuming to be involved. He was the only person who knew Manu personally and he had a good reputation as an up and coming Captain in the military. He didn’t have to do the investigations himself, but she was hoping that he would supervise. She would prefer Han Qin, but she was sure that the Grand Commandant had a lot of other duties.
“I don’t trust your Embroidered Uniform Guards to work properly for ‘peasant bastard’.”
The rage she had seen on the man’s face as she reminded him what most of the nobility thought of her child was honestly relieving and gratifying. The man at least cared about Manu. So, he agreed.
After that, the man kept updating her about the investigation. He came when they foudn out about the hidden path when they spoke to the broker and now… when they found the culprit. He kept his word. She was glad.
Now, though, the results of the investigation did not give her much satisfaction.
“She had this note in her hand.”
The man presented her with a folded piece of paper that looked like it was crumpled for a while before someone attempted to smooth it out. She took the paper and opened it before her eyes ran over the words.
I have always strived to please my masters and mistresses. This has led me to make terrible decisions that uprooted me from my home. Feeling lost and angry, I committed the ultimate scene. I wished and schemed harm upon Virtuous Lady Qing and Imperial Prince Xu. I know what I have done is unforgivable but I do not have the courage to face the punishment that awaits me in the Imperial Prison. They are coming for me and there is nowhere for me to go. Except to the gods above. I can only pray that the gods may have pity on my soul. Forgive me, if possible, Lady Qing, Your Highness Xu.
She exhaled softly. It was a perfectly understandable reaction to the apprehension of being caught and executed, possibly with torture preceding it. Still, there was something nagging at her brain. “Where is the body?”
“In the morgue. It will be cremated tomorrow.”
“So… the case is closed?”
“Yes.” The man tilted his head. “Should it not be?” He did not sound curious or confused, he sounded like he was testing her.
Whatever. She was not going to care about being cautious when her son’s life was on the line.
“Probably. Probably not.” She sighed. “I have a feeling this is not the end of it. Is it possible to identify the type of poison she consumed?”
“Yes. the Imperial Physician already did it.” He said. “It is Spider Vein.”
She blinked. “Spider Vein?” At the man’s affirming nod, she frowned. “That’s… strange.”
“What is?”
“Spider Vein is notorious for being excruciatingly suffocating. It comes at a reasonable price but it is painful. So much so that the veins around your throat swell and bulge, taking on the appearance of a spider web. Hence, the name Spider Vein.” She said all of these staring straight into his eyes, daring him to question her about her knowledge. “If she was so afraid of pain that she would commit suicide, then it makes no sense to use such a painful method.”
“Maybe it was the most she could afford,” the Emperor replied. If he was surprised or uneasy about her knowledge of poisons, he did not show it. “Most poisons up to that price range are painful.”
“Yes. But… in that case, she could have slit her wrist. She could have hung herself. All less painful than this.” She tilted her head. “Speaking of money, where did she get the money to hire those thugs? Did she have any pieces of jewellery with her when she left the Palace?”
“I would have to check with the officers who handled her exile, but usually, no, the women exiled from the Imperial Palace have nothing but the clothes on their back and, in some cases, a bit of money handed to them.”
“So she could not have had the money to hire the assassins?”
“No, most probably not.”
“So, either she stole the money from someone else or-”
“Or someone else used her to order the assassination.”
It was coming together. She looked at the man and the closest word she could think of to describe the expression on the man’s face was satisfaction.
She ignored it and looked down at the note. “But who?”
“The Embroidered Uniform Guard is trying to find that out.”
So, the investigation was not closed after all.
She frowned, absent-mindedly rubbing her fingers on the corner of the note. “If only we could match the handwriting …” she mumbled
“Hund… ri… what?”
Samaya blinked at the man, realising she used an English word which did not directly translate into that language.
“Ah, I meant calligraphy.”
“Calligraphy? For what reason?” The man leaned forward. Well, now he was curious, wasn’t he?
She nodded. “Yes. Everyone’s calligraphy is different, isn’t it? The way I write is different than the way you write.”
“You mean the illegible strokes you brush down?” He asked, a smirk on his face.
Ouch. That stung. Her handwriting had never been beautiful, even back home.
She ignored the jab though and continued. “So, however she must have written must be different too. If we can find something she wrote… we could be sure whether she write this note or not.”
She was almost sure that the note was not written by her,
“How fascinating.” The man’s voice was almost a whisper. “We would certainly like to peek into your mind, see the way you think, the things you see and learn.”
“I would most certainly not like that, Your Majesty.” She said firmly. “And I am sure you or one of your cleverer subordinates would have come up with the idea sooner or later. Calligraphy is different for everyone. We know it for a fact.”
“And yet not one of us thought of it at first glance like you did. You should give yourself more credit, beloved concubine.”
Well, she had modern forensic handwriting recognition to thank for that.
“I am flattered, Your Majesty.” She said flatly. “So? What will happen now?”
“We shall take your suggestion into consideration and continue the investigation.”
Continuing the investigation was probably the plan anyway. This man was testing her for the heck of it. He seemed to get some sort of thrill from it, trying to unearth the secrets she held close.
“Now, I believe it is time for Manu to return from playing with his sisters. Shall we have lunch together?”
She sighed and called for lunch.
Here they went again, for another round of banter over the food.
