Chapter 37: Cheng Chumo was bewildered. "Director Liu, why can't I understand a word you're saying?"

"What is going on? How could Assistant Minister Wu be dead? And bleeding from all seven orifices?"

After a moment of shock, Hong Wenlu hurried over to the clerk and asked. Liu Shuyi, Liu Yuanming, and the others also stared fixedly at the clerk.

The clerk still wore a look of terror. He shook his head and said, "I... I do not know why Assistant Minister Wu died."

"I received orders to go to the Wu residence to find the Assistant Minister. Upon arrival, I explained my intentions to the housekeeper, who then led me to the Assistant Minister's room. However, after the housekeeper knocked for a long time without a response, he pushed the door open. And the moment we stepped inside..."

The clerk swallowed nervously as he recalled the scene. "We found the Assistant Minister lying on the floor, bleeding from his seven orifices, his eyes wide open, already breathless."

"How could this be?" Hong Wenlu frowned deeply. "That shouldn't be. I once read Assistant Minister Wu's physiognomy; he possessed the features of a long life. Could it be that my training is insufficient, and I misread him?"

Hearing Hong Wenlu’s words, Cheng Chumo, who had originally intended to ask Hong to read his own face, immediately abandoned the thought.

The man was dead right in front of them, yet he was still talking about "features of a long life"! This Hong Wenlu was truly unreliable.

However, for Wu Qi—the man Director Liu needed to see—to die so strangely... Cheng Chumo could not help but glance at Liu Shuyi.

He saw that Liu Shuyi’s dark eyes were flashing with shifting thoughts, as if he were contemplating something deep.

The next moment, Liu Shuyi stated decisively, "Let's go. To the Wu residence!"

Upon hearing this, Hong Wenlu looked to Liu Yuanming. "Junior Minister Liu, shall we?"

Liu Yuanming’s stern face was etched with a heavy frown. He did not hesitate. "Assistant Minister Wu has died without cause. As his colleagues, we cannot simply ignore it. We shall go to the Wu residence as well."

With that, the group followed Liu Shuyi outside. As they walked, Liu Shuyi said, "Zhao Feng, go to the residence of Assistant Secretary Du. Find Lady Du and tell her I have a matter that requires her assistance."

With a death involved—and one that might be related to their case—Liu Shuyi felt it safer to enlist the help of the cold and brilliant coroner.

Zhao Feng nodded and turned to leave.

Unexpectedly, a cold, melodious voice sounded from the side. "There is no need to go looking for me."

Hearing that familiar, icy tone, Liu Shuyi quickly turned toward the sound.

A tall, slim figure wrapped in a white fox-fur cloak, looking cold and stunning, was walking toward them from the courtyard with a black wooden box slung over her shoulder. Who else could it be but the cold coroner, Du Ying?

Liu Shuyi was surprised. "Lady Du, why are you here?"

Du Ying replied, "The Imperial Medical Bureau falls under the jurisdiction of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. I came to the Bureau to inquire about the physicians' situation. I happened to hear that you were here, and then I heard that the person you were looking for had met with an accident. Thinking you might need me, I hurried over."

Liu Shuyi felt a wave of genuine warmth. Though Du Ying appeared cold, unreachable, and aloof, she possessed a heart of gold, always thinking of others.

"Thank you."

Without further ado, Liu Shuyi led Du Ying outside.

Wu Qi’s residence was not far from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; it took less than a quarter of an hour by horse. As he dismounted and looked up, Liu Shuyi could not help but feel a flicker of surprise. The residence before him was quite old. The plaster on the walls was mottled, and the plaque had faded. It was small, even more humble than his own dilapidated Liu estate.

Liu Yuanming caught Liu Shuyi’s gaze and explained, "Assistant Minister Wu’s wife and children passed away in an accident ten years ago, and he never remarried. He was an upright official, devoted entirely to his duties, indifferent to personal gain."

"In the entire residence, there is only an old housekeeper who has been with him for a long time; there are no others."

Liu Shuyi nodded, thoughtful. "Truly an admirable and incorruptible official."

As they spoke, the group entered the residence. No sooner had they stepped inside than the sound of an old man crying wailed through the air.

The housekeeper, appearing to be in his fifties, was kneeling beside the corpse, which was dressed in white inner garments, weeping uncontrollably. He wanted to hold his master’s body, but it seemed he had been warned not to touch anything to preserve the evidence. He could only stretch his trembling hands out into the air, his face streaked with tears.

Seeing Liu Shuyi and his party arrive, the housekeeper looked at Liu Yuanming. "Junior Minister Liu, you must seek justice for my master! He was such an upright and kind official; who could be so hateful, so heartless?"

Liu Yuanming nodded solemnly. He looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "Director Liu, they say you are a master of deduction, capable of solving any case. You must uncover the truth and bring justice to Assistant Minister Wu."

Liu Shuyi looked at the wide-eyed, expressionless face of the deceased Wu Qi and nodded slowly. "That goes without saying!"

He then turned to Du Ying. "Lady Du, it is in your hands."

***

Du Ying did not waste a single word and immediately went to the body to begin the examination.

During the wait, Liu Shuyi looked to the housekeeper. "Who has been to the Wu residence today?"

The old man shook his head. "No one, I believe. The master did not say he was entertaining guests today."

"'Believe'?" Liu Shuyi asked. "Did you leave?"

The housekeeper nodded. "The master was ill and needed nourishment. About half an hour ago, I went out to buy an old hen."

"But I was back in less than a quarter of an hour, and I have not left since."

Less than a quarter of an hour... Liu Shuyi nodded slightly.

His gaze swept across the room. This was Wu Qi’s bedroom. As Liu Yuanming had described, Wu Qi was frugal and did not care for luxury, so the bedroom was quite simple.

The room was divided into an inner and outer chamber. The outer chamber contained a table, four stools, a cabinet against the wall, and a bookshelf—clearly for receiving guests. The inner chamber held an aged wooden bed, and beside it, a small cabinet with a bowl and two paper packets.

The charcoal brazier crackled, keeping the room as warm as spring.

Liu Shuyi went to the table and saw a tea set. A kettle sat in the middle with three inverted porcelain cups, and one cup filled with water placed at the edge of the table. He picked up the full cup and found it still slightly warm. He then picked up the kettle, gave it a light shake, and opened the lid; a puff of steam rose into the air.

He asked the housekeeper, "Did you fill this with hot water for the Assistant Minister?"

The housekeeper nodded. "Before I went to buy the chicken, I made sure to fill it for the master, so he wouldn't be thirsty."

Liu Shuyi set the kettle down and turned to walk into the inner chamber. As he passed the charcoal brazier, his feet suddenly paused.

Liu Shuyi squatted down and looked at the ashes in the brazier. There were some remnants of burned paper, and on the edge, a small piece remained unburned. He picked it up and examined it; the characters "Prince Xi" were faintly visible.

Liu Shuyi’s gaze darkened. He tucked the paper scrap away and walked into the inner chamber.

The bedding on the bed was disheveled. On the bedside cabinet, the bowl contained a few drops of black liquid—evidently the dregs of a herbal decoction. He picked up the paper packets from the cabinet and opened them to find medicinal herbs inside. He did not know exactly what they were.

"Director Liu."

At that moment, Du Ying’s voice rang out.

Liu Shuyi’s heart skipped a beat. He hurried out of the inner chamber to the side of the corpse. "How is it?"

Du Ying said, "There are no signs of struggle on the body. He died of poisoning. The time of death was within the last hour."

"Within the last hour?"

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow. The housekeeper had left half an hour ago and returned in less than a quarter of an hour. Other than that, no one else had been here. If it were murder, the killer could only have struck during that time, which matched the window provided by the housekeeper.

"What kind of poison?" Liu Shuyi asked.

Du Ying pondered for a moment. "It appears to be a combination of *Veratrum* and *Asarum*, combined with a catalyst, causing Assistant Minister Wu to be heavily poisoned and die quickly."

"*Veratrum* and *Asarum*? Are those poisonous?"

Du Ying shook her head. "Both are medicinal herbs. In small doses, *Veratrum* can resolve phlegm and kill parasites, but large doses are harmful. *Asarum* can dispel cold when used alone. Used separately and in proper amounts, they are perfectly safe."

"But when mixed, they produce a violent toxicity. If combined with a catalyst, it can be lethal very quickly."

Liu Shuyi frowned. "So, they aren't poisons per se, but medicinal herbs..."

He thought for a moment, then turned back to the inner chamber and retrieved the two paper packets from the bedside cabinet. "Lady Du, take a look at these."

Du Ying quickly took the packets, opened them separately, and carefully examined the contents.

***

Before long, Du Ying raised her head. Her cold, beautiful eyes met Liu Shuyi’s. "These two packets contain *Veratrum* and *Asarum*, respectively."

"Without a doubt, Assistant Minister Wu died from the combination of these two medicines."

"How can that be!?"

Hearing Du Ying’s words, the housekeeper looked disbelieving. "The master got these medicines from the Imperial Medical Bureau himself. How could they be poisonous when mixed?"

"You say these two packets were obtained by your master from the Imperial Medical Bureau?" Liu Shuyi looked at the housekeeper. "Not prescribed by a physician?"

The housekeeper shook his head. "The Imperial Medical Bureau is right there in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; why would the master look further afield? Furthermore, the master knew some medicine and understood the principles; for years, he had been getting his own medicine from the Bureau, and there had never been a mistake."

Liu Yuanming added, "It’s not just Assistant Minister Wu. Many of us in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices go to the Imperial Medical Bureau when we are ill. Of course, we pay for it; we don't take it for free."

"He knew medicine, he got his own herbs, and he died from the very herbs he obtained..."

Cheng Chumo, listening to the others, couldn't help but say, "Doesn't this sound a bit like he committed suicide by poisoning?"

"Impossible!"

The housekeeper shook his head vigorously. "The master would never commit suicide! He had no reason to!"

"I’m not so sure!"

At that moment, the voice of Du Gou came from outside.

Du Gou walked into the room, cast a glance at the corpse on the floor, and said to Liu Shuyi, "I followed your instructions and questioned the Imperial Mausoleum Guards. The result... we truly gained something."

Liu Shuyi’s eyes flashed. "Tell me."

Du Gou said, "Around the hour of the Pig, on the fourth night the coffin of Prince Xi was held, the guards stationed at the gate of the main hall heard some loud noises."

"They looked toward the sound and saw two clerks from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices repairing tools nearby. The sound of their hammers was quite loud."

"Because this was happening right under their noses, and the two clerks didn't continue for long—leaving as soon as they finished—the guards didn't think much of it."

"After I learned this, I immediately returned to the Court and found those two clerks. I questioned them, and they admitted they had been doing that work that night. But they told me..."

Du Gou lowered his head to look at the corpse. "It was under the orders of Assistant Minister Wu. He told them to finish the repairs as quickly as possible because they were needed the next day."

Hearing this, Cheng Chumo’s eyes went wide, and he said excitedly, "It must be him! The culprit is definitely him!"

"No wonder the guards didn't hear the sound of the thief hammering the coffin nails. He had planned it all along, using the noise from his subordinates to distract the guards so they would ignore the sound of his own actions!"

"No wonder he obtained these two toxic herbs! He was scared! He was afraid we would find out, afraid we would catch him, afraid he couldn't keep the secret, so he took his own life to protect it!"

At that moment, Cheng Chumo felt his mind had never been so clear and his reasoning so sharp. He finally understood how satisfying it felt to solve a case. He looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "Wu Qi knew medicine. He definitely knew that *Veratrum* and *Asarum* were toxic when mixed. And since these two herbs treat completely different ailments, there was no reason for him to get both at once. The only explanation is that he had already decided: if there was any risk of exposure, he would poison himself!"

Hearing Cheng Chumo’s words, Liu Yuanming and Hong Wenlu from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices both changed color.

Hong Wenlu couldn't help but say, "This... how could Assistant Minister Wu do such a thing? He doesn't seem like that kind of person at all!"

Liu Yuanming’s rigid brow creased into a "chuan" shape. "Could there be some misunderstanding?"

"How could there be a misunderstanding?"

For once, Cheng Chumo was clever, and he didn't even shrink back from Liu Yuanming. "Tell me, then, where is my reasoning wrong? Is it fake that he ordered the clerks to do that? Or is it fake that he knew medicine and got the herbs?"

"This..." Hong Wenlu was left speechless.

Liu Yuanming frowned and looked at Liu Shuyi.

However, Liu Shuyi seemed not to have heard Cheng Chumo at all; he was whispering something to Du Ying.

"Does the Imperial Medical Bureau keep records of when Assistant Minister Wu obtained medicine?" Liu Shuyi asked.

Du Ying nodded. "Naturally. All herbs in the Imperial Medical Bureau must be inventoried every month. If there is a discrepancy, the officials must take responsibility. So, who came to get medicine and what they got is all recorded."

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly. "Help me find someone to go to the Imperial Medical Bureau and request Wu Qi’s prescription records."

Du Ying did not hesitate for a second. "Understood."

"Director Liu, why aren't you saying anything!"

At that moment, Liu Shuyi heard someone calling him. He turned to find Cheng Chumo looking at him with a aggrieved expression. "Did you hear my deduction just now? Do you agree with me? Wu Qi is definitely the thief we are looking for!"

"Ah, that..."

Liu Shuyi nodded. "I heard you. What you said makes a lot of sense..."

Cheng Chumo nodded happily.

Then he heard Liu Shuyi continue: "If the real culprit heard you, I am sure he would be very happy, too."