Zhu Yuxuan's father was Minister Zhu, a high-ranking official in the Imperial Court.
Minister Zhu had led a smooth and successful life, but he was unsatisfied in the matter of offspring. He had one primary wife and three concubines. His virtuous wife and beautiful concubines had given him a total of six daughters, but no son.
Minister Zhu was anxious. Would the Zhu Family lineage end with him?
Whenever he wasn't attending court, he would take his wife and concubines to various temples to pray and make offerings. They had worn down the thresholds of every temple in the capital with their frequent visits. Their residence was plastered with images of Guanyin, the goddess of mercy who grants children. They had even tried every folk remedy for conceiving a son.
After the birth of two more daughters, heaven finally answered their prayers. His wife gave birth to a chubby baby boy. Minister Zhu was already forty-seven years old. Watching his son's birth, he wept with joy and ran to the ancestral hall, kowtowing repeatedly: "Ancestors of the Zhu Family, our lineage will continue!"
Minister Zhu named his son "Yuxuan." The character "Yu" represented the space of heaven and earth in all directions, while "Xuan" had multiple meanings including doors, windows, and study rooms. Together, the name implied literary and military talent, broad-mindedness, lofty ambitions, and righteousness.
This child, born with such high expectations, was treated like a precious treasure. Minister Zhu was afraid to let him fall when holding him, afraid he might melt if kept in his mouth. He never spoke a harsh word to the boy, let alone hit or scold him.
As Zhu Yuxuan grew older and started causing trouble, Minister Zhu, though troubled, remained optimistic. "He's still young," he thought. "What child isn't mischievous at this age? He'll mature on his own when he's older."
It was this doting and indulgence that turned Zhu Yuxuan into the detestable figure he was now. Standing before Jiang Ning, he thought he had everything under control, unaware that death was silently approaching.
Zhu Yuxuan, irritated by Jiang Ning's contemptuous gaze, slapped the shoulders of his servants Seven and Nine. "What are you standing there for? Grab this wench! I want to gouge out those dog eyes of hers first!"
Jiang Ning, also impatient, didn't retreat but advanced directly towards the two servants rushing at her.
Seven and Nine, seeing her charge forward, thought she was trying to escape. They grinned, each reaching out to grab her arms.
However, before they could touch even a corner of her clothes, Jiang Ning raised her hand, swiftly moving from left to right. A flash of cold white light passed before their eyes, and the next moment, their throats bore knife wounds. Blood gushed out, and the two fell straight down, instantly lifeless.
Zhu Yuxuan, watching his two servants suddenly fall, hadn't yet grasped what had happened when Jiang Ning was already in front of him. With a flick of her wrist, she changed the direction of her dagger and plunged it diagonally downward into his fat-laden belly.
Intense pain suddenly radiated from his abdomen. Zhu Yuxuan felt all strength leave his body in an instant. He tried to scream, but the woman gripped his chin. With a "crack," his jaw dislocated, and he could no longer control his mouth or make a sound.
"Fool!" he heard the woman curse again. He struggled to open his eyes, only able to see those cold, emotionless eyes.
Jiang Ning pulled out the knife. Unable to support himself, Zhu Yuxuan fell backward. His massive body hit the ground with a "thud" in the empty alley.
But in fact, that stab hadn't hit any vital organs. He was too fat, his belly full of flesh. Jiang Ning had deliberately avoided a fatal spot, choosing a place where he could still be saved.
The reason for this, of course, was to stab him multiple times. What fun was there in killing with a single blow?
More importantly, she needed to stage the scene and clear herself of suspicion. She couldn't let Zhu Yuxuan die so easily.
Now that she had control of the situation, Jiang Ning bent down and wiped the blood from the blade on Zhu Yuxuan's brocade robe. Then she walked back to Liu Ming'an's side and safely placed him in her spatial pocket.
When she turned back, Zhu Yuxuan had already dragged his bleeding body several steps towards the alley exit, exactly as Jiang Ning had anticipated.
Jiang Ning walked unhurriedly to Zhu Yuxuan's side as he slowly crawled on the ground. She kicked him over and once again plunged her knife into his stomach.
Zhu Yuxuan's eyes suddenly widened. The pain made his whole body tremble uncontrollably. In the moonlight, his face, which had been arrogant and domineering just moments ago, was now covered in cold sweat and drained of all color.
And so, Jiang Ning stabbed him every now and then, until after half an hour, Zhu Yuxuan finally died in agony.
Jiang Ning bent down, cut a piece of cloth from the dead man's clothes, dipped it in the still-warm blood, and walked to the wall. Standing on tiptoe, she wrote a few words in blood:
"Minister, long time no see."
The woman had taught Jiang Ning that there were two methods to handle a crime scene. One was to erase all possible clues pointing to oneself, making the case impossible to investigate. This method was suitable for assassins like them, killing without leaving a trace, avoiding being targeted.
The other method was the exact opposite – deliberately leaving clues at the scene to mislead investigators and direct the case in a completely different direction, thus clearing oneself of suspicion.
Jiang Ning was employing the second method this time.
She and Liu Ming'an had quarreled with Zhu Yuxuan in public view. If he were to die just like that, even the dumbest investigator would call them in for questioning. Although Jiang Ning was confident she could remain unflappable in court, she couldn't guarantee that all the officials in ancient times were as simple as Song Ming from Lingshan Town.
What if they tortured a false confession out of them to give Minister Zhu an explanation?
Moreover, officials in the capital might have seen her face before. She wasn't ready to expose herself and didn't want to ruin her well-laid plans because of these three fools.
So, Jiang Ning left the blood writing on the wall, turning this accidental homicide into a premeditated revenge killing, pinning the crime on someone who held a grudge against Minister Zhu.
Furthermore, when killing the two servants and each time she stabbed Zhu Yuxuan, Jiang Ning deliberately used an awkward method. If modern forensic analysis were performed, the medical examiner would conclude that the killer was a left-handed man nearly 1.9 meters tall.
Although she wasn't sure if ancient coroners had such skills, Jiang Ning did her best to perfect the details.
Because it was revenge killing, Zhu Yuxuan couldn't be allowed to die easily. This was why Jiang Ning had dragged out his torture for half an hour. She personally had no interest in cruel killings.
With the scene processed, Jiang Ning recalled what the woman had said about the three key elements in solving a case: witness testimony, physical evidence, and confession.
The physical evidence was complete, and there would be no confession. Therefore, she needed to create an "eyewitness" to completely clear them of suspicion in this murder case.
Jiang Ning put away her knife and entered her spatial pocket. Liu Ming'an was sleeping quietly on the bamboo bed. She walked out of the bamboo house and sat on the steps, patiently waiting.
This place was indeed rarely visited. Jiang Ning waited until the moon was high in the sky before she heard the sound of a bamboo tube being struck.
"Second watch of the night!"
The newcomer was the Night Watchman. He didn't enter the alley, only shouting from the open street outside.
But this was enough for Jiang Ning.
She emerged from her spatial pocket and silently walked to the alley entrance, no more than a hundred meters from the Night Watchman. Then she pinched the skin over her vocal cords...
Being a Night Watchman required courage. After all, wandering around late at night wasn't a job for the faint-hearted.
The Night Watchman of Jinse Street had been doing this job for over a decade. But recently, after Master Jia had died in this area and the surrounding residents had moved away, not even a ghost could be seen here at night. He still felt uneasy every time he passed this alley.
On this Lantern Festival night, the moon in the sky was so bright it hurt the eyes. The Night Watchman didn't bring a lantern, carrying only his bamboo tube as he walked in the moonlight, feeling a bit more confident.
However, as he approached a certain alley, he seemed to hear voices.
The Night Watchman stopped and listened carefully. Indeed, someone was speaking. The voice was hoarse, clearly belonging to a burly man.
"...Hahaha, Minister Zhu, this is what happens when you cross my master!"
The Night Watchman's heart tightened. Then he heard heavy footsteps, "thump, thump, thump," allowing him to imagine how tall and strong the walker must be.
The sound of footsteps and voices gradually faded away from him. The Night Watchman's heart was pounding, but unable to resist his curiosity, he turned and walked into the alley.
A faint smell of blood lingered in the air. The Night Watchman swallowed hard, looking at the alley before him with a tightening throat. Mustering his courage, he called out, "Who's there? Is anyone there?"
No one answered.
Reason told him he should turn back immediately, but curiosity gnawed at him like a hundred claws scratching his heart. The Night Watchman finally entered the alley, where he saw three lifeless bodies lying silently on the ground.
"Ah! Murder! There's been a murder!"
The Night Watchman screamed, throwing down his bamboo tube and running towards the government office without looking back.
