How Deep the Crimson Leaves Run: Chapter Thirty-Seven: Exposure

Inside the Chen Medical Clinic, Sixi, the steward of the Wang estate, was confronting the physician with a flushed and frantic face. "How can a person just vanish into thin air? Explain yourself!"

The physician, intimidated by the steward and the servants standing behind him, desperately tried to distance himself from the situation. "I truly do not know, sir."

As the two sides were arguing, Guyu hurried in from outside. Sixi looked as if he had just seen a savior. "Constable Guyu, you have arrived!"

Guyu glanced between them and frowned. "What is going on here?"

Sixi’s face was etched with evident anxiety. "This morning, the master ordered me to come to the clinic to check on the brothers who were injured. Who would have thought that both Gu Lifu and Li Fu would be nowhere to be found?" He pointed at the physician. "And this doctor claims he knows nothing. At such a critical time, this is enough to drive a person mad!"

The physician looked aggrieved. "After I finished treating them last night, I went to the back hall to rest. How could I possibly know how these two disappeared?"

Guyu’s mind raced. He asked Sixi, "When you gave me the roster yesterday, I memorized the addresses of both men. Do not worry; I will go look for them."

In Jintai Ward, Guyu followed the address into the alley. Li Fu’s home was deathly silent. He gave the door a light push, and the courtyard gate swung open without a sound. He drew his iron ruler from his waist, stepped one foot inside, and then eased his entire body through. It was an ordinary courtyard, with the main house facing south and the kitchen on the left. He scanned the environment vigilantly, but everything looked perfectly mundane. He strode toward the main house, but it was empty. After circling the room, his gaze settled on a chest of drawers beside the bed.

The cabinet was not fully closed, and a corner of clothing protruded from the gap. There was a bloodstain on the fabric. Guyu grew instantly alert. Holding the iron ruler in his right hand, he grabbed the cabinet door with his left and pulled it open. The sight that greeted him sent a jolt of shock through him: the corpse of Gu Lifu lay crumpled inside the cabinet!

Guyu tucked the iron ruler back into his belt and grabbed Gu Lifu’s arms. Being much leaner than Gu, he used all his strength to drag the body out of the cabinet and lay it flat on the floor. He pressed two fingers to Gu’s neck. Gu’s clothes were soaked in blood and torn at the chest; his face was drained of color, and his pulse had long since ceased. His heart sank. Returning to the chest, he reached inside and rummaged around, pulling out a night-traveler’s outfit drenched in blood. Near the abdomen was a circular hole over an inch wide—the very same garment Tang Haiqiu had been wearing last night.

It really was him! He had once suspected Li Fu, but the man was cunning and sly; he had managed to set a fire in the estate without leaving a trace and had even cleared himself of suspicion by feigning self-harm. Now that the evidence was in his hands, it was clear that the person assisting Tang Haiqiu in his villainy was none other than Li Fu. A wave of deep regret washed over Guyu.

He clutched the bloodstained clothes and hurried out of the house, rushing toward the Shuntian Prefecture.

At Grandma Wang’s tea stall, Madam Fang stepped out carrying a bamboo basket. Being frail and sickly since childhood, she could not perform heavy labor. Since Fang Wei’s salary was meager, she had taken on some needlework from Grandma Wang to earn a few extra coppers to help cover their daily meals. Fang Wei had not returned home all night, and she had stayed awake until the small hours. This morning, after Fang Wei finished his breakfast, she had come to the stall to pick up more work. Though the sun was bright, she suddenly felt a wave of dizziness. She leaned against the wall to catch her breath, watching the crowd of pedestrians pass by.

Before long, the dizziness subsided. She gripped her basket and turned into the alley. Footsteps sounded behind her, and she turned to look, but there was no one there. A flicker of confusion crossed her face. She adjusted the basket on her shoulder and walked quickly into the depths of the alley.

At the entrance of the Shuntian Prefecture office, Aunt Qian was anxiously pleading with the guards. "I am not lying to you, officer! My neighbor really has been kidnapped."

The guard looked impatient and pushed her away. "You have no proof. How can we believe you based on mere words alone? It is chaotic enough as it is. Please, have some mercy and do not add to our trouble."

Li Zheng walked over from a distance, frowning at the commotion. This morning, Liu Yongji of the Five Cities Patrol had formally notified the Shuntian Prefecture, and both offices had dispatched their elite forces to capture Tang Haiqiu as quickly as possible. Prefect Wan Ziyue and Judge Cheng Jie were naturally overjoyed. To show their resolve, they had pulled most of the available personnel from the fast-response squad, and even Li Zheng’s men had been diverted from the Bald-Tailed Mountain case to support the search efforts.

Cheng Jie was his superior, and with Prefect Wan’s approval, Li Zheng dared not resist, but he was deeply annoyed. He had slipped away when no one was looking, and just as he returned, he witnessed this scene. As a crowd of onlookers began to gather, he cleared his throat and stepped forward. The guards recognized him and quickly saluted, "Constable Li."

Li Zheng kept a stern face. "What is the meaning of this shoving and pushing in the middle of the street? What is going on?"

Before the guard could answer, Aunt Qian, sensing his authority, fell to her knees and kowtowed to Li Zheng. "I beg you, Officer, save them! Please, save them..."

In the middle of the crowded street, Li Zheng found it difficult to remain cold. He softened his tone and helped Aunt Qian up. "Old woman, stand up and speak. What is your trouble? Tell me about it."

Aunt Qian sobbed, "I live in Jintai Ward. My neighbor is named Li Fu, and he works as a guard at the mansion of a high official in the Ministry of Personnel. This morning, I heard strange noises coming from his house. I thought a thief had broken in, but it turned out he and his daughter had been kidnapped."

Li Zheng asked suspiciously, "Which official’s mansion does he work for?"

Aunt Qian rolled her eyes upward, thinking as she spoke. "What was the name... I am old, and my memory is hazy. It seems the surname is Wang—Wang Chengjian!"

At these words, a chill ran down Li Zheng’s spine, and he stared at Aunt Qian in disbelief. It was no secret within the prefecture that Dong Xinfu had set an ambush at the Wang estate last night. Furthermore, when Prefect Wan and Judge Cheng had requested his men, they had detailed the case to prevent any misunderstandings. He was about to press further when he caught sight of Guyu rushing out from the corner of the street, heading urgently toward the office.

A thought struck him. He grabbed Aunt Qian’s arm. "The case you speak of involves two lives. Come inside with me and tell me the details." Aunt Qian was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly. With Li Zheng supporting—or rather, dragging—her, she hobbled inside.

Guyu did not notice the two of them. Like a small whirlwind, he bounded up the steps, showed his token to the guards, and was allowed entry. He tucked his token away and went straight to the duty room. After hearing his report, Dong Xinfu’s face remained impassive. "So, it was him." It seemed he had suspected him all along. But then, Dong asked, "And what about Gu Lifu?"

Guyu replied, "Could it be that Gu Lifu discovered Li Fu was an inside man for Tang Haiqiu, but was discovered and silenced while tailing him?"

Dong Xinfu stroked his beard, contemplating for a moment before asking, "Does Li Fu have a daughter?"