“Minister Shangguan…you know the stories about the plum blossom, don’t you?” Murong Qing asked when she saw recognition in his face.
Of course he did. The Plum Blossom Thief had committed another crime only days earlier, yet no one could catch him. Even the Heavenly Empress had taken an interest and offered rewards without result.
Shangguan Jin had once confronted the thief. The encounter had been anything but cordial—at least from his perspective. The red-haired criminal, dazzlingly conspicuous against Chang’an, had seemed thoroughly entertained.
“We crossed paths once,” he said.
Murong Qing nodded. She had met the thief once as well, but never again.
Elder Ning interrupted. “Deputy Minister Murong, Minister Shangguan—the Plum Blossom Thief may not have killed Lord Li.”
Murong Qing frowned and stepped closer.
“Look at his complexion and the slight contraction of his limbs. I believe he was poisoned with aconite.”
“Aconite?” Murong Qing stared. “It is not commonly available. It is chiefly used on arrows or by the army. How did it reach this room?”
“Someone intent on murder needs only poison,” Shangguan Jin said. “No other weapon would be necessary.”
They needed to learn where Li Ren had gone that day.
“But we cannot begin until morning,” Murong Qing said.
Shangguan Jin gave a cold laugh. “My warning was not merely about lost time. Others will be watching how this case develops. Court factions may use it to threaten you.”
He kept his voice low enough for only those inside. Elder Ning ignored politics and continued collecting evidence.
Murong Qing had not expected the investigation to entangle her so quickly.
“The Court currently has no one else to lead it,” Shangguan Jin continued. “I will investigate with you.”
“Thank you, Minister.”
—
She needed a guide. She had only just entered court, knew little of its hidden rules, and her sex made reckless action even more dangerous.
After recording the scene, she rolled up her notes and accompanied Shangguan Jin to Li Ren’s residence.
The Li estate was modest, which was unsurprising under the Heavenly Empress’s rule. The family’s fortunes would likely continue to decline unless its faction regained power. None of that belonged to Murong Qing’s duties.
A woman hurried from the courtyard and nearly collapsed to her knees at the sight of Shangguan Jin. He stepped forward and steadied her.
“Minister, what has happened to my husband?” Lady Li wiped tears from her eyes. “I wanted to look for him yesterday, but a maid said he had other business and would not return.”
“Which maid?”
Lady Li began to lead him inside, then noticed Murong Qing behind them.
“Who is this woman?”
Murong Qing introduced herself before anyone else could. “I am Murong Qing, the newly appointed deputy minister of the Court of Judicial Review.”
Lady Li recognized the name. “It is difficult for a woman to hold office. Do your work well and at least you will leave no regrets.”
Who in Chang’an had not heard of the Murong massacre? Lady Li sighed at the memory, visibly frightened that such a calamity might reach her own household.
“Come inside.”
Her courtyard was lush and full of life. Maids continued their work until Lady Li pointed toward one beside a flower bed.
“A’Mei!”
The maid startled. When she saw Shangguan Jin, her nervousness deepened, and the object in her hands nearly fell.
Murong Qing watched carefully. A’Mei knew something. When she met Shangguan Jin’s eyes, she understood that he suspected the same.
“Deputy Minister Murong, question her,” he said, his face still unsmiling.
Murong Qing approached. “A’Mei, when did Lord Li leave yesterday?”
“During the shen hour,” the maid answered after thinking. “I was tidying things when the master boarded a carriage. Inside the carriage…”
She stopped and glanced at Lady Li.
Pain crossed the older woman’s face. She took out a handkerchief.
“There was another woman,” A’Mei admitted. “I could not see her clearly, but they were intimate. It did not appear to be their first meeting.”
She hesitated, then told the whole truth. Silence would only make the investigators suspect her. Besides, the affair had continued for a long time. Nearly every maid in the household knew, but no one dared tell Lady Li, whose health was poor. If outsiders learned, the family would become the capital’s disgrace.
“Lady Li, did you know?” Murong Qing asked despite her discomfort.
“I had heard,” Lady Li whispered, wiping her tears. “But I never dared ask my husband. I feared he would quarrel with me again.”