People often say that fortune and misfortune are closely related, and this saying makes sense.
Duan Yelin had just sat down at Xiaotong Guan when his subordinates rushed up to report that a murder had occurred in the Military Control Commissioner’s mansion.
This matter would not have alarmed Duan Yelin, but before dawn today, Yuan Sen rushed to Lin County for important matters, and the news reached Xiaotong Guan.
At first, no one would care much about the death of an old housekeeper. But when they first hear that he was stabbed to death by a golden hairpin, it becomes very interesting.
Duan Yelin led a group of people and hurried to the Military Control Commissioner’s mansion. Yuan Ye had already investigated the case with his own people, and he himself was also squatting at the crime scene, observing carefully.
Lao Yang’s body was discovered by a maid who wanted to open the back door early in the morning. When Yuan Ye saw the golden hairpin, he was so scared that he ran back to his room, but the one that Old Madam Yuan gave him was still lying in the box.
Before Duan Yelin came, he secretly compared them and found that the patterns were indeed very similar, except that the one that killed Lao Yang was the same as the one that killed the governor, a little rougher and not as delicate as the one that was given by Old Madam Yuan.
This small firewood house was simple, with no signs of fighting. Lao Yang was sitting on the ground, his back against the table leg, one hand on his wound, the other holding something, blood flowing from his body to the threshold.
Duan Yelin glanced at the door as he entered, noticing that the footprints outside had been cleaned up. He said, “There’s no blood outside the door, so the person must have been killed inside the house.”
Yuan Ye raised his head and smiled slightly: “We’ve made the Commander laugh.”
Duan Yelin walked to Lao Yang’s body, probed his chest with two fingers, and smiled when he saw the golden hairpin: “That guy is still in Hezhou City.”
Yuan Ye also sighed and said, “It seems our previous guess was right. The murderer’s intentions are indeed inscrutable. First, the Governor’s mansion, then the Military Control Commissioner’s—his plan stretches much further than we anticipated.”
“But I don’t quite understand… why would the murderer kill a housekeeper?” Qiao Song stepped forward, scratching his hair. “If he came for revenge, what kind of hatred could he possibly have with… with a housekeeper? Besides, if he truly had a grudge with this old man, why would he come to the Military Control Commissioner’s mansion to kill him?”
Duan Yelin tried to pull out the golden hairpin, and after hearing what Qiao Song said, he said, “If everything is so clear, why do we need to come to the scene to investigate?”
The hairpin was stuck deep, and Duan Yelin had to use a little force to pull it off. He looked at the degree of deformation of the hairpin and said, “It was inserted from top to bottom. The murderer should be taller than Lao Yang.” He asked Yuan Ye, “Are there any other wounds?”
“No, only this one.”
“He’s a skilled fighter,” Duan Yelin said with a slight smile. “Killed in one strike, his heart was cut directly—quick and clean.”
Looking at Lao Yang’s clenched right hand, Duan Yelin reached out and applied a little force to the joint, and the hand gradually loosened, then a peach wood amulet fell out. It looked like something one would get from an ordinary temple.
Turning his head to look again, he saw that the bloodstains led to a cabinet drawer on the side, and there were bloody handprints everywhere. It was obvious that this peach wood amulet was taken out from there. The fact that he could hold it so tightly must have been done by Lao Yang himself before his death.
Qiao Song and the forensic doctor checked the room, which was only occupied by a few people. Everyone shook their heads, as if they had not found any key evidence.
Yuan Ye had an idea at first glance: “I’m afraid the murderer didn’t even enter the room but started at the door.”
Everyone was shocked to hear him draw such a confident conclusion and waited for his next words.
“The door opened inward. There was blood on the outside but none on the inside. Blood was found on the inside of the threshold but not on the outside, which suggests the murder occurred right at the door. There were no footprints of the murderer in the room, nor were there any signs of searching through things. Lao Yang wasn’t tied up or gagged, which means the murderer left immediately after the killing. This also shows he was confident—he wasn’t concerned that Lao Yang would call for help, because he was certain that a single strike would be enough to ensure Lao Yang wouldn’t survive long enough for anyone to arrive.”
Qiao Song listened for a while and asked, “Maybe he came in and cleaned it up?”
“No, there is damp dirt outside the door. If he comes in, it will definitely leave traces that are difficult to clean. When we came in, the ground was covered with Lao Yang’s blood. There was no sign of damage at all. Even if the murderer wiped his footprints carefully after entering the door, can he guarantee that he would not touch the blood on the ground at all?”
Everyone looked down and saw that it was indeed the case.
At this point, this case was extremely simple. It was precisely because it was so simple that there was no clue.
Duan Yelin, who had been silent for a long time, had been looking through the peach wood amulet. Suddenly he asked, “Did Lao Yang believe in Buddhism when he was alive?”
Yuan Ye looked up: “He goes to burn incense every first and fifteenth day of the lunar month. He has never stopped since he came to work in my house.”
“Is there anyone else in his family?”
“No, five or six years ago his only son was hacked to death because of gambling debts, and he has been alone ever since.”
“That’s interesting.” Duan Yelin held the pendant and hung it in front of Yuan Ye to show him. Yuan Ye looked at it carefully. He had often seen this peach wood amulet on Lao Yang and never thought it was anything special.
Seeing that Yuan Ye couldn’t make sense of it, Duan Yelin extended a finger and pointed to the characters on it. “This isn’t just an ordinary amulet. The tiny inscriptions are a rebirth mantra. Some of the spells and seals aren’t meant to ward off evil at all. Items like this are usually used to guide and save the souls of the dead.”
“Maybe Lao Yang was praying for his son’s soul to be reborn.”
Duan Yelin revealed the year carved on the bottom of the peach wood and said, “This thing must be more than ten years old. You said his son died five or six years ago, so this thing couldn’t be for his son.”
Qiao Song felt that Duan Yelin was a bit stubborn: “Commander, it’s just an amulet. Isn’t it normal for the old man to carry something like this?”
However, at this moment, only Yuan Ye truly understood what Duan Yelin meant.
This very old peach wood rebirth amulet appeared on a murdered old man, which was indeed very meaningful.
He stood up, looked around, and nodded: “Not normal, it’s really not normal!”
“What do you mean?”
“Look!” Yuan Ye pointed at the open drawer. “Lao Yang was wounded, yet he struggled to take out this peach wood amulet. Think about it—if someone is being murdered and has even a little strength left, why wouldn’t they cry out for help? Why wouldn’t they try to leave a clue about the killer? Instead, he chose to spend his final moments reaching for an amulet—for salvation?”
Qiao Song slapped his own head and said, “It’s true! Everyone in the mansion said that they didn’t hear any noise last night. Although this place is far away, if he shouts loudly, there will definitely be servants who can hear him.”
“This can only mean… it means…”
“The aggrieved ghosts are seeking revenge.”
Suddenly, an aged yet commanding voice came from the doorway. Everyone turned to look and saw an elderly woman in plain clothing standing silhouetted against the light. Her expression was calm and composed, exuding the poise and presence of someone with noble character and authority.
She was supported by someone, and although she walked very slowly, each step was firm.
When Yuan Ye saw her, he was shocked at first, then rushed forward.
“Grandma?”
