#123: The Sudden News of Death

As the women shook their heads, they began to discuss why Chunxiu was in such a hurry to leave the mansion, speculating wildly. The most common guess was that she was rushing off to meet her lover.

They didn’t have deep feelings for Chunxiu and mostly treated the matter as a joke. However, what surprised them was that by evening, Chunxiu still hadn’t returned. Could it be that she wasn’t planning to come back?

Considering the generous treatment at the Taishou’s mansion and how hard she had worked to return to the Yuefang (music hall), it seemed inconceivable that she would just leave like that. It was truly puzzling.

Over the next few days, Chunxiu didn’t return. Just as everyone was beginning to forget about her, a shocking piece of news spread throughout the mansion—Chunxiu had been murdered!

Madam Wan gazed at the vividly colorful butterflies fluttering inside the glass tank and said indifferently, “So, Chunxiu is really dead?”

The steward Lin answered respectfully, “It’s absolutely true. Her family has already reported it to the county magistrate. The coroner examined the body and confirmed she’d been dead for three days. Because the location was so remote, the body was only discovered now.”

“Three days…” Madam Wan furrowed her delicate brows and said, “I remember Chunxiu left the mansion around three days ago, correct?”

Steward Lin flattered her with his response, “Madam has an excellent memory. It was indeed three days ago. Based on the coroner’s report, she must have died shortly after leaving the mansion.”

Madam Wan plucked a camellia from the basket held by her maid and tossed it into the glass tank, her voice cool as she asked, “How did she die?”

“The lowly one heard that she was killed by a blow to the head with a blunt object. By the time the body was discovered, her face was almost completely disfigured. She was identified by a birthmark on her body. The coroner mentioned finding a bloodstained rock nearby, and the wound matched, so it’s likely the murder weapon.”

“Has there been any progress identifying who killed Chunxiu?” In response to Madam Wan’s question, Steward Lin shook his head. “The county office hasn’t made much headway yet.”

Madam Wan replied indifferently, “I see. Settle Chunxiu’s wages and send them to her family, then remove her records.”

Steward Lin bowed deeply. “This servant will take care of it immediately.”

Not long after Steward Lin left, he hurriedly returned, causing Madam Wan to frown slightly. “What is it now?”

Steward Lin bent forward and said, “To inform you, Madam, Chunxiu’s family has gathered outside the gate, demanding justice for her death from the Taishou and yourself!”

Upon hearing this, Zhixing couldn’t help but laugh. “How amusing. Didn’t they already report the case to the county magistrate? Why are they here demanding justice from you? You’re not a county official. Besides, do they really think they can see the Taishou or you just by asking?”

Although the Taishou could oversee cases within his jurisdiction, he only took over when either party felt the county magistrate’s ruling was unfair and appealed for a retrial. He typically didn’t handle new cases directly.

Madam Wan raised her hand and asked, “What’s going on exactly?”

Steward Lin glanced at Madam Wan and hesitated before saying, “…they say…”

His hesitation displeased Madam Wan, who sharply said, “Speak your mind.”

Steward Lin clenched his teeth and obeyed. “They claim the murderer is someone inside the Taishou’s mansion!”

Madam Wan was momentarily stunned before rebuking him. “Ridiculous! Chunxiu was killed outside. What does it have to do with our mansion?”

Steward Lin sighed helplessly. “That’s exactly what I told them, but they refuse to leave and keep insisting on seeing you.”

“What a bunch of unruly troublemakers,” Zhixing remarked. “Madam, let me go and send them away.”

“They’ve come all this way; it won’t be easy to dismiss them with a few words.” Turning to Steward Lin, Madam Wan asked, “Has the Taishou been disturbed?”

“Not yet,” Steward Lin replied. Seeing this, Madam Wan stood up and said, “Fine. Since there’s nothing urgent to attend to right now, let’s go take a look.”

Zhixing acknowledged and accompanied Madam Wan, along with Steward Lin, to the mansion gates. After ordering the gatekeeper to open the doors, they saw a group of people standing on the steps outside. One man was forcibly pinned to the ground, his hands and face bearing visible signs of having been beaten. When they noticed Steward Lin emerging, they immediately demanded to see Madam Wan.

Steward Lin pointed to Madam Wan and announced, “This is the lady of the mansion. Speak your piece.”

Seeing Madam Wan appear in person, the crowd fell silent for a moment. Finally, Feng Cheng, a man with sharp, triangular eyes, stepped forward and pleaded, “We implore you, Madam, to hand over the murderer and bring justice for my daughter Chunxiu.”

Madam Wan stepped forward, fixing her gaze on him. “Chunxiu was your daughter?”

“Yes, Chunxiu was my only daughter,” Feng Cheng said hoarsely. “She was always obedient and sensible. Last autumn, when she heard the Taishou’s mansion was hiring, she came here to help support the family. Thanks to your favor, she became a dancer in the Yuefang. This should have been a wonderful opportunity, but someone harbored resentment over some minor dispute and… ultimately… killed Chunxiu. Now, as an old man, I’ve lost my child—a tragedy no parent should endure.”

Beside him, Feng Li’s wife, overcome with emotion, collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. “Please, Madam, bring justice for Chunxiu. Don’t let her die so unjustly.”

Madam Wan asked, “You demand that I hand over the murderer. Who exactly do you accuse?”

At this, Feng Cheng grew agitated. “The murderer is Wu Meixue, another dancer in the Yuefang! She killed Chunxiu! It was her!”

“Wu Meixue?” Madam Wan recognized the name but couldn’t connect her to Chunxiu’s death. “What evidence do you have to support this accusation?”

Feng Cheng replied, “On the night three days ago, Chunxiu returned home briefly. She was very excited, claiming she had found evidence. I was half-asleep at the time, so I didn’t hear the specifics, but I clearly remember her mentioning Wu Meixue’s name. Whatever evidence she found, it was related to Wu Meixue.”

Madam Wan raised an eyebrow. “So, based solely on this, you believe Wu Meixue is the murderer?”

“If that were all, we wouldn’t dare make such an accusation. But after learning of Chunxiu’s death, I investigated further, hoping to uncover clues. And I did discover something.” He pointed to an elderly man with graying hair standing among the crowd. “This man is the night watchman in our village. Every night, he patrols the streets. He says that around the fourth watch, he saw Chunxiu arguing with someone on the street. He heard her shouting at the person to let go. Unfortunately, he was delayed by something and couldn’t intervene immediately. By the time he returned, both had vanished. Shortly afterward, Chunxiu met her demise. There’s no doubt this person is the murderer.” Turning to the old man, Feng Cheng urged, “Night watchman, tell Madam who you saw that night.”

Startled, the old man nodded nervously. “Yes… it was Meixue. She was struggling with Chunxiu on the street, as if they were quarreling.”