Chapter 7: 7

Chapter 7 – A Leaf

For the sake of her father’s career prospects, Shen Jiajia readily agreed to this matter. However, it was inconvenient to wear women’s clothes, so she changed into men’s clothes and immediately followed her father out.

She was worried of being disclosed, so she also brought a folding fan to cover her chest.

Xie Chengfeng stood on her shoulder and mocked her in a low voice, “It’s autumn and yet you are still fanning around, are you afraid that people won’t know you’re a fool?”

Shen Bukuai who was in front turned his head and asked in a rough voice, “What is this mad bird muttering about?”

Shen Jiajia smiled and said, “It said that it was a fool.”

“Ha, this stupid bird actually has some self-knowledge.”

Xie Chengfeng pecked her ear angrily.

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Along the way, Shen Bukuai told Shen Jiajia about Imperial Censor Qian’s family situation briefly. Imperial Censor Qian was born in a family of farmers and scholars[1]. After he became a successful candidate in the imperial civil service examination, he could be considered as to have brought honor to his ancestors. He currently had a wife and a concubine in his family, and each of them had children. Imperial Censor Qian had a bad temper; not only did he scold those officials in the imperial court, but he also frequently rebuked his wives and children when he returned home, and he was also very harsh with his servants. He had been in a bad mood after scolding Assistant Minister Zhou the day before and quarrelled with his wife during dinnertime yesterday. He slept in the study that night and was found dead in the study room early this morning.

Standing on Shen Jiajia’s shoulder, Xie Chengfeng commented in a low voice, “What a mad dog.”

When they arrived at Imperial Censor Qian’s residence, the two people and one bird were led by the housekeeper to the crime scene. The housekeeper was a little puzzled. “Didn’t you just come here?”

Shen Bukuai smiled straightforwardly. “Just looking once more.”

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Imperial Censor Qian’s study was located in the southeast corner of the inner manor. The study was isolated with stone path and green bamboo forest; it was a quiet and secluded elegant place. The name of the study was “Hall of Excellence”, which was taken from “there is no nobleness without living simply, there is no excellence without tranquillity” saying.

Shen Jiajia entered the study and saw that the study was about one square zhang[2], and the interior furnishings could be seen at a glance: one bookcase that covered one of the walls, on its racks were books and antiques; one writing desk, on its surface was stationeries such as brush, inkstick, paper, inkstone, paperweights, and so on which was somewhat in a disarray at the moment; one divan, below it was a low stool; on the wall across the bookshelf hung two roll of paintings, both of them were serene and distant landscape paintings; in front of the window was a flower pot that didn’t reach one chi in depth, in it was small lotus flower—by this time, the flowering period has long passed, so more than half of the palm-sized lotus leaves had withered while the rest were listless and washed out.

Shen Jiajia carefully and meticulously examined the room, itching to turn over every corner. Seeing her squatting while feeling the ground around, Shen Bukuai couldn’t help reminding her, “The ground has been knocked, there were no holes.”

In the end, Shen Jiajia half knelt on the ground to look at the broken door and asked the housekeeper, “How did you get in?”

“Earlier this morning I called for the Minister twice but he didn’t wake up, so I called people to break into the door together, then I saw the Minister, he… sigh.”

“Did something unusual happen last night?”

“No. This Sir, I heard that our Minister didn’t commit suicide. This this this, if he was really murdered, how did that person get in and get out? Could it be a case of spirited away[3] by ghost?”

Shen Jiajia said with a smile, “If it was really a case of spirited away by ghost, then they would kill as is, why bother faking the crime scene? …I already know how this person came and went, Father, take a look.” After speaking, she pulled out the door latch, got up and brought it in front of Shen Bukuai, then lifted her index finger and tapped in one place.

Shen Bukuai was embarrassed to say that he didn’t understand what to look for in front of the housekeeper, so he nodded with a profound expression.

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Shen Bukuai was still looking at the door bolt until they left Imperial Censor Qian’s residence. “Sanniang, what is wrong with this?”

“If I guessed correctly, the murderer should have pulled the bolt from outside the door.”

“Ah? How is this possible?”

“By tying the door bolt with silk thread in a mooring hitch knot[4] to move it, and then passing the silk thread through the door slit. The person holding the silk thread would then stand outside and close the door—once the thread was pulled, the door bolt will be pulled into the slot. Because the knot can be undone from one side, pull the other end of the silk thread from outside the door, and the knot would be untied and the silk thread could be pulled away, and so on. Gods wouldn’t know and ghosts wouldn’t perceive[5].”

“This…this…” Shen Bukuai still felt this a little too unimaginable, “is there any evidence for this?”

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Shen Jiajia pointed to a part of the door bolt. “Didn’t I let you see it, there is a thin slit at the bottom of the door bolt. The slit is very straight, and it looks like it was scratched with a knife. What normal person would use a knife to scratch a narrow slit on a door bolt? Unless…”

Shen Bukuai finally understood and patted his head. “Unless it’s to hold the thread and allow it to be securely fastened on the bolt!”

Shen Jiajia smiled and said, “Father is really smart.”

“Hehe.”

Xie Chengfeng stood on her shoulder and rolled his eyes.

Shen Bukuai laughed then became puzzled again. “Now we have figured out how the assassin got out, but how did he get in?”

“When he came out, it was clear that the exit was the door—if there is another way, there is really no need to move the bolt. Since we can’t find any possibility of opening the door from the outside, then there is only one way—the door was opened by Imperial Censor Qian on his own initiative.” Shen Jiajia held her chin and said in a certain tone, “Therefore, Imperial Censor Qian must have known this person and was completely defenseless against this person.”

The more Shen Bukuai listened, the more he felt astonished. “Ri- right.”

“Not only that, but I also found this from the crime scene,” Shen Jiajia said, took out a leaf from her sleeve and handed it to Shen Bukuai.

“This is… Crabapple’s leaf?”

“Yes, earlier I chatted with the housekeeper and inquired him—Imperial Censor Qian attaches great importance to the neatness of his attire. Although there is a possibility that he walked into the study with a crabapple leaf on his body, it is very unlikely. This leaf is more likely to be brought in by the murderer. So, we can now narrow down the scope of the suspects a little more: those in Imperial Censor Qian’s residence who may have come into contact with the crabapple tree or perhaps passed under the tree.”

Shen Bukuai looked at her with his mouth open wide, blanked for a while, and murmured, “I… I’m so amazing.”

Xie Chengfeng: ? ? ?

What does that have to do with you?

Shen Bukuai said, “To actually give birth to such a capable daughter.”

Xie Chengfeng: ……

O-kay.

Having said that, Xie Chengfeng felt inexplicably worried about Shen Jiajia’s future husband. Marrying a wife like this, that person was destined to have no secrets in the next half of his life, tsk, so pitiful.

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The author has something to say:

Shen Bukuai: I am so amazing!

Xie Chengfeng: What does that have to do with you?
Shen Bukuai: To actually give birth to such a capable daughter!
Xie Chengfeng: ……Okay.
——
Xie Chengfeng: I am so amazing!
Shen Bukuai: What does that have to do with you?
Xie Chengfeng: To actually marry such a capable wife!
Shen Bukuai: Son of a……

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[1] 耕读 – both farmer and scholars: work the land and also undertake academic studies.

[2] 1 zhang (丈) = 10 chi (尺) ≈ 3m plus ≈ 10 ft. This study is about 9m2 or 100sqft.

[3] The specific term here literally means “ghost demanding for someone’s life” but I think spirited away can fit too.

[4] Literal translation: Live knot. (not a specific boat related knot technique)
Youtube link – With this knot, you don’t have to actually touch the surface of where you tie this knot to untie it by having the release end of string longer.

[5] Traceless; nobody will know.

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