Volume One: The Youngest Among Three Hundred Chapter Twenty: Connections

At a quarter past nine in the morning, Chen Chang’an and Su Dingfeng arrived at the well in the rear courtyard of the Princess’s residence, where the body had been retrieved. Chen Chang’an squatted down in contemplation. On the way here, Li Shu had recounted the sequence of events in precise detail, and the coroner’s report, when cross-checked, revealed no inconsistencies or omissions.

Though the report was brief, it was not without substance!

Searchers continued combing the scene and even sent people down the well several times, but no further useful clues emerged.

“If that’s the case… if that’s the case… supposing this is connected to the group that abducted the princess last time, why would they target only the chief maid?”

“But if there’s no connection, then why, on the very day after Princess Changning was rescued, did a maid die so tragically and inexplicably in the residence? Is it merely a coincidence?”

Tapping his fingers on the rim of the well in rhythm with the blue-and-white porcelain, Chen Chang’an plunged into deep, intricate analysis.

Princess Changning, impatient, tugged at the colorful ribbons fluttering from her skirt, anxiously awaiting results and doubting his ability. In truth, had it not been for the strong recommendations of Li Shu and Wu Yuanheng, and their insistence that she owed her safe return to this blind man, she would never have engaged him.

Meanwhile, Li Shu and Wu Yuanheng, who had vouched for him before the princess, stood rigid beneath the scorching noon sun of June, sweat trickling down their foreheads in beads, silently praying Chen Chang’an would not let them down, lest they find themselves in trouble.

As for the former brother-in-law, Su Dingfeng, he was currently locked in a comical standoff with a yellow dog in the princess’s courtyard. Oddly, when everyone had stepped over the threshold upon entering, the dog had shown no reaction, yet now it barked furiously at the white-robed swordsman.

Su Dingfeng rolled his eyes; the dog barked all the more fiercely.

Man and dog, in mutual defiance, were soon at odds. Su Dingfeng drew his iron sword half an inch from its scabbard, the blade singing as it scraped against the sheath, baring his teeth in warning: “Out of my way. Su’s sword does not cut down beasts!”

The yellow dog barked in retort.

Su Dingfeng drew his sword out another half inch, his brows arched sharply. “Out… can’t you understand human speech? I will not stoop to quarrel with a mere animal!”

The dog, tail stiff and right front paw scraping the ground, barked ever louder.

Su Dingfeng: “…”

Watching the absurd contest between man and hound, Hua Mulan lowered her eyes with a sigh. “So long and still not a single clue—just sitting by the well, lost in thought. It seems last time was pure luck. I said it before, how could a blind man possibly solve a case?”

She suddenly recalled how, only yesterday, she had questioned herself in the mirror’s edge about the worth of her own eyes—a thought that now seemed rather hasty!

In the end, the doubtful gazes of the group converged, their eyes and expressions alike betraying disappointment. As the one who had suggested seeking Chen Chang’an’s help, Li Shu looked down in embarrassment. “I… I…”

Just then, still crouched by the well, Chen Chang’an snapped his fingers and stood up. “There’s truly not a single clue here. But don’t worry—just because there’s nothing here doesn’t mean there’s nothing elsewhere!”

“Elsewhere?” Princess Changning was the first to speak, her tone both curious and excited. Li Shu, Hua Mulan, and Wu Yuanheng all turned to look at him in unison.

Chen Chang’an leaned back. “Why are you all looking at me like that? Go search Xiao Lian’s room. There might be clues there. Killing someone is never a spur-of-the-moment impulse; there’s always a process.”

“During that process, the murderer would have had close contact with Xiao Lian several times. Places and objects related to her are bound to hold traces.”

Chen Chang’an couldn’t be bothered to explain further. Blindly, as if peering through a frosted glass, he found Princess Changning’s position and bowed slightly. “Your Highness, if you would please lead me to Xiao Lian’s room.”

“Very well, follow me!” Princess Changning deliberately stomped her steps so Chen Chang’an could follow the sound.

Li Shu, Hua Mulan, and Wu Yuanheng exchanged glances and shrugged, then trailed after the pair.

In the princess’s residence, there were strict arrangements regarding the servants’ quarters, all assigned by rank. Xiao Lian, being of higher status, lived in a place called the Parasol Courtyard.

Her room was number three in the Parasol Courtyard.

Once inside, Chen Chang’an sat cross-legged by the open window, enjoying the cool breeze. Spreading his hands, he said, “I’ll trouble you three to search for any usable clues!”

Hua Mulan blew her bangs away with a puff. “You asked to come to Xiao Lian’s room, but now you’re not searching yourself?”

“I’m blind!” Chen Chang’an replied without missing a beat.

“Forget I said anything.” Hua Mulan obediently began rummaging through drawers and cabinets, and Li Shu and Wu Yuanheng joined in without complaint, forming an impromptu search party.

Before long, Li Shu cried out in surprise, “So… so much silver! Based on a maid’s monthly wages, there’s no way Xiao Lian should have this much silver!”

A gleam flashed in Chen Chang’an’s cloudy eyes. Ending his relaxed pose, he stood up. “Now we’re getting somewhere!”

Hua Mulan was skeptical. “You mean this is a clue?”

“Yes.” Chen Chang’an’s tone grew more assured. “In an investigation, anything out of the ordinary deserves attention. If someone’s assets exceed their income, there are only two possibilities.”

“Either she stole it, or someone gave it to her. Servants in the princess’s residence are paid in copper coins; they would never have silver ingots.”

“Your Highness, has any silver gone missing recently?”

Princess Changning shook her head. “No, and it couldn’t have been mine. All the royal silver is marked with special insignia.”

Pinching his chin, Chen Chang’an made his judgment. “Only Your Highness would have so much silver to steal, but since it’s not yours, someone must have given it to her!”

As the vice magistrate of the Criminal Bureau, Wu Yuanheng was the first to sense something amiss. “So Xiao Lian’s death may be because someone bribed her to do something and then silenced her afterward.”

“Clever!” Chen Chang’an snapped his fingers.

Hua Mulan asked, “But Xiao Lian was just a maid. What could she possibly have been bribed to do?”

Li Shu nodded in agreement.

Chen Chang’an already had the answer in his heart. “Indeed, she was just a common servant—so what could she do? But there was one thing that others could never manage, but Xiao Lian could, and easily at that. Don’t forget, she was Princess Changning’s personal maid!”

That one reminder sent a chill down the spines of the three seasoned investigators. Hua Mulan gasped, “You mean the real target was Her Highness?”

Chen Chang’an nodded. “So it seems.”

Princess Changning pinched her pale, egg-shell smooth cheek and pouted. “But if the culprit killed Xiao Lian to silence her, that means the job she was bribed for is already done. If it involved me, why am I still unharmed?”

Li Shu and Wu Yuanheng echoed in unison, “Why?”

Hua Mulan murmured, “Perhaps the deduction is wrong. It’s certain Xiao Lian was bribed, but perhaps the task wasn’t related to the princess.”

Chen Chang’an, however, was adamant. “No, the only reason to bribe Xiao Lian was to target Her Highness. The goal is achieved, but the outcome has yet to manifest.”

At the same time, he recalled all the details from the Sanyuan Abbey case. Even without the final rescue, had not Princess Changning survived her abduction unscathed?

It was clear—the culprits were not after the princess herself, but something intimately connected to her. With this reasoning, Chen Chang’an became even more convinced that Xiao Lian’s murder and the Sanyuan Abbey crime were committed by the same group.

The princess’s abduction and Xiao Lian’s murder were connected!

Guided by his murky vision, Chen Chang’an bowed. “May I ask, Your Highness, was there any special reason why those criminals abducted you last time?”

Princess Changning’s pretty face tensed, her reply unnatural. “N-no, it was simply rebellion—they wanted to use me to threaten the court!”

She stamped her foot, changing the subject. “We’re talking about Xiao Lian now. The last case is the authorities’ concern. If you can’t solve it, just admit it—I won’t blame a blind man!”

“….”

Her agitation suggested she was hiding something. If you won’t cooperate, how can you blame me for failing? Chen Chang’an couldn’t help but grumble inwardly.

He was certain: if the two cases were related, then Xiao Lian had been bribed to carry out the unfinished plan from the Sanyuan Abbey incident, but what exactly was it? And why was Princess Changning unwilling to say?

As he pondered, a constable rushed in, not even pausing to wipe away the sweat pouring down his face, and reported in a panicked voice, “Reporting to the three lords! In the western district woods, an unidentified headless corpse has been found. The coroner’s initial examination indicates the time of death was this morning, between five and seven!”

This morning… at dawn…

In an instant, Chen Chang’an’s nerves twisted into a knot. The time of death matched Xiao Lian’s exactly—could this be another coincidence?

…

In the Armory Tower’s sixth floor on Black Robe Lane, Cao Wu, clad in bright silver armor, her hair tied back in a high ponytail, sharp-featured and cold-eyed, was gazing intently at the geomantic map of Chang’an. There was nothing unusual at hand—just her professional habit.

Her attendant, Cai’er, stood quietly beside her, fanning in silence.

Soon, a capable woman in black uniform entered and reported, “Deputy Commander Cao, we’ve just received word—a maid at Princess Changning’s residence has been murdered. The Three Bureaus are investigating. Should we intervene?”

By the original mandate, the Black Robe Guards only handled major events threatening Chang’an’s stability or those involving officials of fifth rank or higher and royal affairs. A mere maid’s death did not merit their concern.

But since it happened in the princess’s residence, and with the Empress’s birthday approaching, it was vital to ensure nothing went awry—thus her subordinate had come to ask.

Cao Wu considered for a moment. “Though the victim was the princess’s personal maid, she was still only a servant. It’s not for the Black Robe Guards to intervene, especially with the Three Bureaus already involved—there’s no need for us to meddle.”

“Yes, ma’am, I understand.” The woman saluted and turned to leave, muttering as she went, “The Three Bureaus are getting more and more useless—now they even need a blind son-in-law to solve a maid’s murder!”

“What did you say?” For the first time, the ever-composed Deputy Commander and founder of the women’s corps, Cao Wu, sprang to her feet.

The woman, startled, spun around, fearing she had misspoken, and quickly apologized, “Deputy Commander Cao, I shouldn’t have spoken ill of our colleagues. I know my mistake!”

Cao Wu waved her off. “That’s not what I meant. Just now you said the Three Bureaus invited a blind son-in-law to investigate—was it Chen Chang’an, who found Princess Changning before?”

The woman breathed a secret sigh of relief and replied earnestly, “Yes, Deputy Commander. It’s the Su family’s son-in-law, Chen Chang’an.”

A flicker of unplaceable brilliance flashed across Cao Wu’s face. She instructed, “The Black Robe Guards are not to interfere in this case, but keep a close eye on developments. Report to me in detail and without delay how Chen Chang’an conducts his investigation and what the final outcome is.”

“Yes!” The woman saluted, her voice crisp as breaking ice.

Cao Wu nodded, signaling her to withdraw, then turned to her attendant, her tone softening, the previous coldness fading. “Cai’er, there’s another task I need you to handle.”

“Yes, Sister Cao!” Cai’er curtsied.

Cao Wu said, “The Black Robe Guards will begin recruiting new members in half a month. Draft a notice, and after the Empress’s birthday festivities, post it in all the wards.”