As if channeling something, Squad Leader Chen took an uncomfortable deep breath. He squatted down and picked up a tree branch from nearby. This small area was basically all bamboo—this branch had obviously been broken from elsewhere, its leaves already slightly withered.

"He should have been waiting here for someone to come... sitting here... the stool or chair must have burned... He waited quite a while, injured, severely injured, but still didn't plan to leave, still waiting here... By this time, he might have already killed the Yang Yi and Yang Heng family..."

Speaking thus, he looked toward the ruins on the riverbank, plucked a leaf to consider, put it in his mouth, and immediately frowned.

"This isn't right, not the female assassin's style. If it were really some martial artist, they wouldn't be injured this badly..."

Deputy Xu on the other side also frowned: "You're saying Gu Yanzhen's case was done by someone else?"

"Very likely, extremely likely. That person..." Squad Leader Chen paused. "That person killed the Yang Yi and Yang Heng family for some reason. He... was injured, severely injured... still waited here, then when Gu Yanzhen and his servants came, killed them too. Look at the ground here..."

Squad Leader Chen pointed at the forest floor ahead. Basically fallen bamboo leaves accumulated here, with some subtle things hidden among them, not very clear in the twilight.

"He was chewing this kind of tree leaf—very bitter taste, kept chewing. Why do this? Because here, here... he vomited twice. Though not much, he couldn't cover these traces when leaving... Why stay here so long? Why vomit? Why chew these leaves? Can't be some special preference..."

Squad Leader Chen paused. "He was injured, severely injured, needed these leaves to stay alert. Such severe injuries even caused him to vomit twice. He sat here waiting, perhaps not confident of killing, but... had to see who came..."

Deputy Xu looked at the chewed leaf remnants and vomit: "This complicates things."

"I know it complicates things." Squad Leader Chen spat out the leaf in his mouth, then threw away the branch in his hand. "Really don't want to chew a second piece... The Yang Yi and Yang Heng brothers have been in the kidnapping business these years—kidnapping 'meat pigs.' Some for vendetta killings, some commissioned by wealthy families to kidnap certain desired women. Gu Yanzhen coming at night shows he's no good either—probably commissioned them to kidnap someone... The person sitting here, don't know if family members were kidnapped or he himself was kidnapped, so he had to wait here for the mastermind to appear..."

"Anyone who could kill the entire Yang family must be a tough, ruthless character—probably not someone who'd let himself be kidnapped."

"Too ruthless..." Squad Leader Chen sighed. "After killing the Yang family and being severely injured, still able to quietly wait here, holding out until the mastermind came, then killing even Gu Yanzhen and his servants... Old Xu, we've been constables for so many years, of all the desperados we've handled, how many could do this?"

"Severely injured yet still killed Gu Yanzhen and servants—could it be that female assassin? Assuming someone important to her was kidnapped, the Yang brothers threatened her with this, causing her severe injuries, but she still killed the whole Yang family. Then bold with her skills, she waited here for Gu Yanzhen and servants to appear and killed them..."

"Not a bad theory. But the next day when she appeared to kill those two Gu family servants, she still seemed vigorous..." Squad Leader Chen shook his head. "This person might not know martial arts, but is ruthless to the extreme—ruthless to others and himself. Risking his life to see the mastermind here, because he wouldn't tolerate someone watching him from behind while he didn't know who. Such a person is too terrifying..."

"Then... the case has changed. How do we report this?" Deputy Xu asked tentatively.

"How can we report it? His Lordship already said those things—should we tell him this might be another case? Besides, what can these things prove? Hard to use as evidence. Once this rain comes, everything will be gone anyway." Squad Leader Chen patted the bamboo beside him and shook his head. "Combine the cases. Confirm everything was done by that female assassin, issue arrest warrants. The Yang brothers probably had over ten murders on their hands, and that Gu Yanzhen who came to commission kidnapping wasn't anything good either. If my family was kidnapped, I'd kill their whole family too! Before things are clear, you and I will investigate secretly."

Folk performance stories always praised upright and selfless officials beloved by common people. But in reality, being upright required method—fine for small matters, but if your temper stayed ox-stubborn at all times, you'd never reach this position. Especially daring to stubbornly oppose matters that could get superiors scolded and reprimanded, reducing performance evaluations—don't be surprised the next day when they make trouble for you. Only reporting after completely investigating could make everyone happy.

After Squad Leader Chen finished speaking, Old Xu beside him nodded: "That's how it should be."

Not long after, the torrential rain began falling.

Time passed mid-June, and the effects of flooding upstream on the Yangtze began showing. When Ning Yi returned to Jiangning, refugees were already trickling in from the west. This was just the beginning—the city atmosphere grew slightly tense, not obviously, but those with such experience roughly knew what would happen.

Meeting with Old Qin and Old Kang, also reuniting with Li Pin and others, everyone expressed concern about his burned left hand. When asked about the process, Ning Yi naturally used the excuse he'd given the Su family. Su Chonghua originally told him to rest more days, but he couldn't rest for half a year straight. After a few days, he returned to teaching at Yushan Academy.

The high-proof alcohol distillation experiment was basically settled. Without Lu Hongti living in the small courtyard, Ning Yi didn't bother going there daily for experiments. So in the afternoons, he basically went to the Qinhuai riverside to play chess and chat with Old Qin. During his absence from Jiangning, Li Pin had basically taught those children, so after returning he treated him to a meal as thanks. Li Pin was similar to Old Qin and Old Kang—recently all concerned about the refugee situation.

"...By now, four places upstream are flooded, the Yellow River has broken its banks. After July, refugees will surge in like a tide—they'll probably close the four gates again. Today grain prices are already soaring. Ah, this autumn who knows how many will die..."

That many would die this autumn was already consensus. Of course, little unrest showed in Jiangning city yet—life continued daily, brothel and pleasure boat business remained good, officials and scholars sang nightly while worrying about country and people, producing some decent verses expressing concern for country and people. These days grain carts could be seen entering and leaving the Su residence gates. Referencing the trajectory each time such disasters erupted, many wealthy households were already hoarding grain. Su Tan'er was also worried, though her concerns had different directions.

"Recently business everywhere has been declining. When the city gates close in mid to late July, shops in the city will probably have to close too... We'll need to provide congee and meals inside and outside the city, plus donate a large batch to the government. The household doesn't have many carrier pigeons prepared—if they fly out and get shot down for food it'll be even more troublesome. Hiring messengers and fast horses during such times costs even more. Several months' time will probably all be delayed..."

At night on the second-floor corridor, she ate while discussing these matters with Ning Yi. Despite being quite busy recently and all her complaints, her spirits seemed good—probably from progress on the imperial merchant matter.

At the end of June when eating at Zhu's main shop, he encountered Yuan Jin'er once. She'd probably come with nothing to do, running over to play with her Sister Yunzhu. Seeing Ning Yi arrive, she volunteered to bring out a bowl of century egg and lean pork congee, slamming it down on the table in front of Ning Yi with a bang that startled him. Only when seeing this somewhat familiar figure did he smile: "Waiter, so unprofessional—careful someone complains."

"Complain then!" Yuan Jin'er stood with hands on hips, stuck out her tongue making a nasty face, then turned and walked inside. Soon after Nie Yunzhu came out smiling, and she followed, sitting beside Nie Yunzhu at the table with a stern face for quite a while before saying: "Scholar Ning, write me a poem."

Ning Yi ate his century egg and lean pork congee and nodded: "Sure."

"Ah?"

Ning Yi's straightforward answer startled her. After freezing for a long moment she said: "You'll really write for me?"

"You helped promote century eggs last time. Since you've asked now, there's no reason to refuse you."

"Hmph, last time I was helping Sister Yunzhu." Yuan Jin'er propped her chin thinking for a while, fingers tapping her cheek. "But didn't that Daoist only write two poems?"

"This time we'll say a monk wrote it."

Yuan Jin'er held back a smile: "But I'll take it out to sing, you know. I'll say Ning Liheng wrote it for me, say Ning Liheng wrote it 'specially' for me!"

Ning Yi spread his hands.

Yuan Jin'er looked at him for a while, then at Nie Yunzhu: "You're actually not bad, but I still hate you. Sister Yunzhu let's go, we don't want his poem and won't talk to him!"

She pulled Nie Yunzhu's hand and left. Nie Yunzhu called "Jin'er, Jin'er" several times but was still forcibly dragged away.

Ning Yi had heard about Yuan Jin'er's dissatisfaction from Nie Yunzhu earlier—basically because he'd supported Qilan in the courtesan competition. This matter couldn't be reasoned with, and of course didn't need reasoning.

June's end still fell within the Three Fu days, the weather hot, yet upstream flooding and disasters made even Jiangning's atmosphere grow heavy and desolate.

Flood conditions, refugees, students studying at the academy, occasional discussions with Li Pin—he also occasionally watched government movements. After Gu Yanzhen's death, they seemed to have asked Li Pin and Nie Yunzhu about some situations. Zhu's business was already very good, while the Su family busily prepared for the disaster response. Su Tan'er continued her plans, one day bringing back a palm-sized piece of extremely bright silk, secretly showing Ning Yi at night: "Pretty?"

This noon after drinking congee, going to the Qinhuai riverside in the afternoon, he met both Old Qin and Old Kang there. The flood season was actually nearing its end, but perhaps one last big surge remained. The two elders recently discussed matters and methods regarding post-flood disaster relief.

"Shaohe is in Jiangzhou—he'll be busy next. Disaster relief differs from other matters. For such urgent affairs, Siyuan should provide more guidance." Kang Xian spoke of Qin Siyuan's eldest son Qin Shaohe, currently serving as an official in the Jiangzhou area. Qin Siyuan nodded: "I've already sent several family letters the past two months. What needed saying has mostly been said. The situation there we basically learn from his return letters."

At this time it was basically Old Qin and Old Kang chatting while Ning Yi thought about some matters. After a while when Old Qin asked, he smiled: "Just some ideas... Mm, I'll organize them tonight and bring them tomorrow to look at. If they're useful... heh, I'll give Old Qin two gifts."