The craftsman who had hanged himself was placed in the mortuary of the Jingzhao Prefecture. Upon hearing that Prince Chu and Imperial Physician Ye had arrived, Liu Yan hurried out to receive them. Noting their orderly attire marred by soot and muddy footprints, he grasped the gravity of the fire at the Armory and said with concern,"Your Highness, might you first wash and change? There is no rush."
Prince Li Ce replied solemnly,"Lord Prefect, I must trouble you to escort us to review the autopsy records, so I may duly report to His Majesty."
Liu Yan said no more and led them to the mortuary. An officer had already brought them pills to mask the stench of corpses, which they tucked beneath their tongues before lifting the curtain and entering.
Inside, beyond the corpse of the craftsman, lay several others. Liu Yan, clearly having overseen the autopsies personally, led them straight to the craftsman's body and handed over the record.
The man appeared to be in his early thirties—short in stature, with a long, square face, a high-bridged nose, and dark skin. The time of death was recent; livor mortis had yet to set in. A rope mark circled his throat. His lips were black, his mouth clenched, tongue pressing against the teeth but not protruding. His eyes were shut, and his body bore no other injuries. His sleeves and garments reeked of kerosene.
Li Ce cross-checked the body against the report, confirming every detail.
Though her stomach churned with dread, Ye Jiao stood before the corpse, mustering the will to inspect it thoroughly.
"No discrepancies," Li Ce affirmed, his doubts only partly quelled.
Artisans being expelled from the Ministry of War was not unusual—so why had this man gone so far as to break down doors and set fires, creating such chaos? He died swiftly and neatly, before the authorities could question him—and, curiously, on the very day of the Crown Prince's enfeoffment ceremony.
In the courtyard, Li Ce asked,"Have you investigated his family?"
"We have," Liu Yan replied. "He was a refugee from last year's earthquake in Ganzhou. He entered the capital amidst the turmoil and was recruited to the Armory for his skills in metallurgy. He lived alone, with no known kin."
Li Ce nodded heavily and, seeing Ye Jiao ill at ease, asked gently,"Are you frightened?"
"No," she said, though her brows knit slightly as she glanced again at the mortuary. "It's just… something about his face seems strangely unsettling."
Liu Yan stroked his beard in thought and said to Li Ce,"I shall dispatch someone to Ganzhou to investigate whether he has any surviving relatives."
To investigate kin was also to trace connections—to search for other clues. Though the case could now be officially closed without dispute, Liu Yan was tenacious by nature; even the faintest doubt warranted relentless inquiry.
Li Ce offered a word of gratitude, and Liu Yan departed, his expression clouded with worry.
The evening wind swept away the scent of smoke clinging to their robes. Only then did Li Ce glance down at his soiled garments, then turned to Ye Jiao and said,"Let us go to the Prince Zhao's manor and find a change of clothes before returning to the Duke Anguo's residence. We mustn't make your aunt worry."
"Not ideal," Ye Jiao retorted. "Running off to change would take longer than climbing over the wall."
A faint, amused smile tugged at Li Ce's lips. He gently reached out to straighten the official's hat atop her head and said with a chuckle,"The walls of the Prince Chu's manor must forever have a missing brick—for my lady to come and go as she pleases."
It was the first time he had called her "my lady"—an endearment that had slipped out naturally, yet as soon as he said it, he flushed red to the tips of his ears.
Ye Jiao gave him a playful shove and strode ahead."Who's your lady, hmm? With how maddening you've been today, even if you had ten wives, they'd all divorce you and remarry in fury."
Li Ce laughed and caught up, though he made no attempt to walk beside her. He simply followed a few steps behind, his gaze never leaving her.
March twenty-ninth, he murmured silently in his heart.
Just as Li Ce stepped into the side gate of Prince Zhao's manor, the steward summoned him to Li Jing's quarters.
Still recovering, Li Jing could walk short distances, though the imperial physician forbade him from venturing outside. Propped against the doorframe, he gasped at the sight of Li Ce's grimy appearance, and then burst out laughing.
"They said you detoured on your way to the Ancestral Temple to fight a fire—I see it's true. Look at you! You're like a silk moth rolled in ash—what part of you still resembles royalty?"
Li Ce scowled and let out a snort. Li Jing hastily stifled his laughter, for the motion tugged painfully at his half-healed wounds. Raising a hand for support, he was ignored as Li Ce walked past him and sat down at the table, draining a cup of cooled tea in one gulp.
"You're surprisingly well-informed, given your current state," he teased.
Li Jing hobbled back to bed, scoffing,"I'm injured, not dead. Such commotion from the Armory—I regret not witnessing it myself. Ninth Brother, sometimes I suspect you're eager to switch parents. But let me tell you, your current ones are decent, only slightly worse than mine."
Die once, reincarnate, and naturally one changes parents.
"I've no wish to trade parents," Li Ce said, setting down his cup. He picked up the untouched bowl of medicine and brought it to Li Jing's bedside. "But I do want to change residences."
Li Jing's expression froze. Refusing to accept the bowl, he snorted,"You're sulking over a joke? Is the food here not to your taste? Have your sister-in-law and I neglected you? Change houses? Go ahead, but support yourself!"
He looked like a petulant child throwing a tantrum.
Li Ce sighed. What was with today? First coaxing one, now another—none of them made life easy.
"The Prince Chu manor is long since completed," he said, offering the medicine again. "The Astronomical Bureau has chosen several auspicious dates for moving in. I thought I'd warm the house before the wedding—wouldn't want to be married and not even know where the bedchamber is."
"Don't pretend!" Li Jing rolled his eyes. "Everyone knows you practically live there already, pestering the Ministry of Works daily to finish faster."
Li Ce knew that Li Jing simply didn't want him to leave, so he listened patiently as the man rambled on.
"Why not hold the wedding right here at Prince Zhao's manor? One more pair of chopsticks at the table, what's the harm?" He paused, then added thoughtfully,"Actually, with Imperial Physician Ye's appetite, one more pair of chopsticks won't suffice—you'd need to slaughter another pig, a sheep, and an entire sack of flour..."
He burst into laughter again.
"Will you drink your medicine or not?" Li Ce asked with mock impatience.
"I will," Li Jing replied, feigning submission, but still refused the bowl—merely opening his mouth.
Li Ce had no choice but to lean down, scoop the bitter liquid with a spoon, and feed it to him.
Li Jing winced at the taste."Being spoon-fed by a man—how revolting."
"Then why not drink it yourself?"
Li Ce raised the bowl, threatening to dump it on his head. The eunuchs and maids at the doorway gasped but dared not interfere.
Li Jing lifted his chin and opened his mouth again with a grin."Revolting, yes—but hurry up and feed me."
Sunlight streamed into the chamber, casting a golden warmth on Li Ce's back. One wore a look of distaste, the other feigned disgust, until the medicine was finally finished.
"That Prince Chu manor..." Li Jing ventured,"Did you leave me a courtyard?"
"You live next door—what do you need a courtyard for?" Li Ce said as he tossed the bowl aside. "Stay out of my house."
"Heartless wretch!" Li Jing cried, seeing him rise to leave. "I've one more dose left! Hey—!"
But Li Ce had already disappeared through the doors. In his haste, the deer-shaped jade at his waist swung up, catching the light, tapping gently against the golden tassel beside it.
His ceremonial robes were dirtied, and his face less than clean—but as he walked out, a certain sharp grace radiated faintly from his very being.