Chapter Four: The Plum Blossom Weeps Blood Chapter Thirty-Six: The Case Revisited

At that moment, a patrol team carrying torches wove through the screens, and by sheer misfortune, collided head-on with the figure in black. Just as everyone expected a scream to erupt, the torchbearers all dropped to the ground in a most uncanny fashion, as though their pressure points had been struck by an invisible hand. They fell stiffly, not so much as a twitch from their fingers engulfed in flame. The eerie terror spread, and in the blink of an eye, everyone in the room became motionless, speechless corpses.

Next, under the direction of the figure in black, all those present rose mechanically and moved together to the edge of the stage. At the snap of his fingers, they leapt down one after another, entirely beyond their own control.

This sudden turn of events sent the onlookers below into a panic. The crowd recoiled in shock, scattering in all directions, leaving a wide, empty space around the stage.

“What’s happening here?”

“How unsettling!”

“Heavens, that’s terrifying!”

“Why does this scene seem so familiar to me?”

“Yes! I feel as though I’ve seen it somewhere before. I have a vague impression, but it’s hazy. Then again, perhaps I haven’t seen it at all…”

“What? You all feel that sense of familiarity too? I thought it was just my imagination!”

By midday, amidst the fervent chatter, the first act had come to its successful close.

“Look! Isn’t that Foolish Jiang?”

“Haha! Even the fool has come to watch the play? That’s a first!”

“He’s so slow-witted—can he even understand what’s being performed?”

“He’s probably just here for the excitement!”

After lunch, the sound of drums and gongs heralded the opening of the second act.

“A decree from the Emperor!” cried a troupe of actors dressed as eunuchs, holding a yellow silk scroll. They ascended the stage, walked to the center, and announced loudly toward the curtain, “Xie Quan, Prefect of Yanzhou, receive the imperial edict!”

“Your humble servant Xie Quan, ready to receive the decree!” At the cue, a flock of young women emerged from behind the curtain, led by a middle-aged man in scholar’s robes. They knelt respectfully before the eunuchs.

“By the mandate of Heaven, His Majesty decrees: Xie Quan, Prefect of Yanzhou, is found guilty of misconduct, imposing excessive and arbitrary taxes, abusing his power, extorting and accepting bribes. He is hereby removed from office and stripped of rank, demoted to commoner! Thus decrees the Emperor!”

“You… you…” The man in scholar’s robes went pale with rage, his whole body shaking as he pointed at the eunuch, unable to utter a word.

“Master Xie, you’d best stay home and reflect!” With a shrill voice, the eunuch finished his proclamation and immediately fled the stage. It was no laughing matter—Master Xie had once been held in high esteem. Linger too long and you’d be pelted with radishes and greens by the townsfolk! Even so, a few who were slow to escape were struck by flying leaves.

Torchbearers crossed the stage again, followed by the night watchman, who struck his wooden clapper as he loudly intoned, “Beware of fire, the air is dry!” After his warning, he descended the steps at the front of the stage.

The scene shifted once more. To the left, some attendants dragged in a door, bolted from the inside. Screens formed two rooms around it. Xie Quan, looking dejected, sat inside, eyes closed in contemplation.

At that moment, a nimble figure in black crept to the window behind the stage, whispering through the opening to Xie Quan about some sensitive matter.

Suddenly, Xie Quan snapped open his eyes. In one swift motion, he pulled the ring from his right thumb and thrust it into his mouth, forcing himself to swallow. But the object was too large and became lodged in his throat. Clawing frantically at his neck, he soon drew blood.

The black-clad man, undeterred, circled to the door. Hearing the commotion inside, he sensed danger and acted swiftly. A transparent silk thread shot from his sleeve, slipping through the crack in the door and descending from the beam above. He looped it around Xie Quan’s neck and whispered urgently. Xie Quan shook his head with difficulty—a gesture that enraged the assassin. At a flick of his finger, the thread was yanked back, hoisting Xie Quan onto the beam as a smile played upon his lips.

This spectacle horrified the onlookers anew. Cries of alarm broke out; the faint of heart covered their eyes, unable to watch, while the braver souls looked on with rapt attention.

As the assassin moved to break the bolt and enter, soft footsteps echoed in the corridor. Realizing he could not act rashly, knowing the disappearance of Lord Chang’s family had already aroused unwanted suspicion, he quickly wound the thread around the door frame and secured it. As the footsteps drew nearer, he melted into the shadows.

A woman carrying a food box approached the door and knocked gently. “Husband, it’s late. I’ve brought you supper. Will you open the door?” Receiving no reply, she glanced around at the darkness, fear creeping in. She knocked again, voice trembling, “Husband, please open up. Have a bite to eat?”

Still, there was no response. The hidden man knew this could not continue. He fetched a servant’s attire from beneath the eaves, donned it, and boldly approached.

“Madam, is something wrong?” He played the part of a lowly servant, even more humble than the rest.

“My lord… my lord, he… he won’t answer me!” The woman, now frantic and in tears, recognized him as a household servant and pleaded for help.

“Let’s break down the door! Something might have happened!” He threw his weight against the door, and just as he was about to search the room, more servants, roused from sleep, rushed in.

The lady fainted at the sight within. Fearing exposure, the impostor quickly slipped away into the shadows.

Several torch-bearing attendants hurried to the door. The crowd clogged the small entrance, not noticing that the burning torches instantly melted the silk thread on the frame. In a blink, the entire thread vanished, and the body dropped.

Just then, the clear crow of a rooster pierced the night.

“Ah! I know now! This is the infamous ‘Death at Rooster’s Crow!’”

“Yes, I knew I’d seen it before! This play is reenacting the case from eight years ago!”

“Then the previous act depicted the ‘Blood and Plum Blossoms’ case from eight years past!”

“That means the man in black is the murderer in both cases!”

“But who is he really?!”

“He’s so ruthless! He killed so many people! What could possibly be going through his mind?!”

“Do you think he’s haunted by fear in the dead of night?”

“Only he would know!”

Amid the murmurs of speculation from the crowd, Yu Bing sat calmly behind the scenes. She set down her teacup and nodded to the attendants waiting beside her, signaling them to begin.

With weapons in hand, the attendants burst out from both sides of the stage and surrounded Foolish Jiang, who wore a vacant, idiotic expression.

As the crowd remained baffled, a sharp shout rang out, “Magistrate Xu has arrived!” All extraneous actors withdrew backstage, and two teams of attendants, wielding staves, jogged onstage to stand guard on either side.

Xu Zhong, dressed in official garb, strode calmly to the center of the stage, surveying the bewildered audience below. He barked sternly at Foolish Jiang, “Jiang Shenyang! How long do you intend to feign madness and stupidity?!”

“Heh… heh heh… hehehe!” The only reply was a series of senseless giggles.

Backstage, Kai Xin asked Yu Bing, puzzled, “Sister Bing, are you sure you’ve got the right person?” She lifted the curtain and peered at the fool onstage, then turned to continue, “He doesn’t look anything like a murderer!”

“Do you think he looks unlike a murderer?” Yu Bing offered no explanation, simply sipped her tea with leisure.

“Ugh!” Receiving no answer, Kai Xin turned to the silent Yan’er, “Is this fool really your master? What could he possibly teach you?”

“Who told you he was my master?” Yan’er retorted icily.

“Uh…” Kai Xin was left speechless by her frosty words.

“You’ve never seen your master?” Yu Bing paused, surprised, and glanced at Yan’er.

“Never his true face. He always wore black,” Yan’er answered matter-of-factly. To her, her master existed only as a figure in black—any other guise would be unrecognizable.

“If he truly is your master, will you do as you promised?” Yu Bing pressed her once more.

“I… I don’t know…” Yan’er hesitated; on one side was her master, on the other, someone inextricably linked to her own fate.

“If you dare go back on your word…” Kai Xin reached for the flexible sword at her waist, her eyes cold, threatening, “If you hurt Sister Bing, I’ll still recognize you—but my Willow Moon Sword won’t!”

“She won’t,” Yu Bing replied with certainty. She had already surmised that Yan’er was likely Lord Chang’s orphaned child. In the face of her family’s nemesis, Yu Bing trusted Yan’er would make a wise choice.

“Sister Bing!” Kai Xin was anxious.

“I trust her, just as I trust you.”

Kai Xin fell silent. Though Yu Bing’s decisions often seemed unfathomable and free of any flaw, they had never been wrong.

Backstage quieted for a time, but at the front, the crowd was in an uproar.

“What? You’re saying he’s pretending to be a fool?”

“How is that possible?”

“He’s been like this for seven or eight years! How could anyone keep up an act for so long?”

“Exactly, Magistrate Xu! Are you sure you have the right man? He doesn’t look like he’s pretending at all!”

A streak of brilliance shot from behind the scenes, arrowing straight toward Jiang Shenyang onstage…