Chapter 108: The Song of the Wordless Stele (Part I)

The North Market was the largest commercial hub in the Eastern Capital, Luoyang. Bustling and exceptionally vibrant, it differed from Chang'an with its diverse Western merchants; here, the traders were relatively uniform, primarily Sogdians. The outer residence that had caught fire was considered quite large for the North Market, where land was as precious as gold. The surrounding area was inhabited by Sogdians, known for their high noses, deep-set eyes, and fair skin.

Di Renjie, as the Minister of the Supreme Court and a high-ranking official of the imperial court, was a man of action who cared little for pomp. Refusing a carriage, he walked to the scene to conduct his investigation personally. A large contingent of Supreme Court officials, coroners, and bailiffs accompanied him. An examiner from the Ministry of Justice had arrived, and while Lai Junchen of the Censorate was notoriously overbearing, he had still sent a few censors to make an appearance. Ironically, the officials of the Luoyang Prefectural Office were utterly useless; not a single official of rank showed up, sending only a head bailiff to lead the clerks and runners. They swarmed the streets and alleys, seemingly hoping that quantity could make up for quality.

Upon reaching the site, Di Renjie waved his hand, scattering his men to search for clues. He knelt on the ground, examining charred fragments of walls and roof tiles blackened by the fire. He also inspected the positioning of the corpses; the doors showed no signs of forced entry, and many victims had died on their beds, arranged in an orderly fashion.

"When did the fire start?" Di Renjie asked, his back turned to the Sogdian merchants who had been waiting anxiously for some time. The coroner was busy examining the bodies nearby, the stench of blood nauseating, but Di Renjie remained unmoved.

An elderly Sogdian merchant reached out to stroke the curls hanging by his cheeks. "It was around the Hour of the Ox. I woke up to relieve myself and decided to check on the silver vault on my way. That was when I saw the fire."

"How intense was the blaze?"

"A flash of light, and then it soared into the sky. The flames were higher than the roof beams."

"Did any of you hear anything?" Di Renjie turned abruptly to question the others.

Unexpectedly, they all looked at the old man in unison, none daring to speak. The old man continued as their spokesman, "We heard a few screams, and the sound of weapons clashing."

"Did the screams occur before or after the fire started? Was the fighting inside or outside the house?" Di Renjie pressed sharply.

"I am old and my eyes are dim; I did not see clearly," the old man replied, shaking his head. The other merchants followed suit, claiming ignorance.

Di Renjie frowned deeply, walked closer to them, and said sternly, "With both fire and screams, yet the authorities received no report—what were you doing?"

The old man answered with composure, "Forgive us, Excellency. We are foreigners, timid and afraid to speak or act. After the incident, we gathered our clansmen to protect our own homes and property from the fire."

Di Renjie's expression was complex as he scanned them. "You enjoy the protection of the imperial court and the tolerance of the people while building your fortunes in the Great Tang. You should have a sense of duty and reciprocate. To care only for yourselves and watch idly as others suffer is a total lack of morality."

The Sogdian merchants quickly expressed their willingness to donate money and silk to help the authorities provide for the victims' families. Between their chatter, they soon gathered fifty thousand strings of cash and four hundred bolts of silk. Once offered, they seemed to think the matter settled, showing no signs of having learned a lesson; it was clear that if another disaster struck, they would again huddle together, caring only for their own kin.

A flash of anger sparked in Di Renjie's eyes, but it quickly faded. There was no point in quarreling with foreigners, as it would only diminish the dignity of the Celestial Empire. He waved them away.

After spending over half an hour inspecting the ruins, the coroner reported that the victims were indeed young and strong, and their remains contained an unknown, potent poison. Di Renjie was not surprised. He stood up, dusted off his hands, and went to observe the testing process.

"Clatter, clatter, clatter." A rider arrived at full gallop, dismounting in a rush. He bowed and reported, "Minister, there is treachery in the Court. Two of the suspects who surrendered have been murdered. They were severely wounded and are not expected to survive. The assassin escaped, though wounded, and we have already ordered a city-wide manhunt."

Di Renjie twitched the corner of his mouth, remaining calm. "Let's go. Follow me to the Yi River."

The Yi River was far to the south of Luoyang. Di Renjie boarded his carriage, closing his eyes to ponder amidst the gentle jolts. He had already swapped those two wounded men; even if they died, it was merely the loss of two death-row inmates, a matter of no consequence. He wasn't even particularly interested in the assassin's identity. The fact that someone had risked killing them in the heavily guarded Supreme Court—where success was impossible—was the true point of suspicion.

The assassin might not have been there to kill them at all.

Upon arriving at the Yi River, they found the pleasure boat docked at the bank. Once a place of luxury and song, it was now in shambles after only a few days, covered in spiderwebs and insects. The private rooms were in chaos, with leftovers scattered about. A jade wine cup still held a drop of dregs, attracting flies.

Di Renjie circled the boat but found nothing unusual. He sniffed the air; the fragrance inside was off. After just a few breaths, he felt a strange heat rising in his body. "Is there anyone among you skilled in identifying scents?"

"Reporting to the Minister, there is a master with an extraordinary sense of smell in the Court, but he did not accompany us to the Eastern Capital. I shall arrange for him to be summoned from Chang'an immediately." The accompanying official had already grasped his new superior's style and acted with equal efficiency.

Di Renjie nodded. "That is all for today. Everyone has worked hard; you may disperse."

The runners obeyed and left in succession. Di Renjie stepped onto his carriage with a leisurely, mocking air. "Let us return to the Court and see who is so desperate to silence their targets, and where they intend to lead us."

"Understood," the officials of the Supreme Court replied in unison.

Di Renjie nodded, lowered the carriage curtain, and then suddenly threw it open, shouting, "Men! Keep an eye on that vegetable farmer!"

It was a step too late. The man in the tattered gray clothes, barefoot and carrying a vegetable pole, had broken into a mad sprint. Dodging the guards, he leaped from the pier onto the pleasure boat. A flick of a fire-striker, and as the spark touched him, his entire body erupted into a raging inferno. In a matter of moments, only a charred skeleton remained in the orange flames. The boat, too, exploded into fire, becoming a massive fireball drifting on the sparkling water—a scene of extreme, eerie horror.

Di Renjie’s face turned ashen. He raised his thick eyebrows, his whole body trembling with rage. "Wicked scoundrels! Utterly wicked!"

In the Shanglin Ward, there stood an inconspicuous residence shaded by two great locust trees, each so wide that three men could barely link arms around them.

The woman in black gauze, who had been spotted at the Princess Yiyang’s mansion, was staying there. She held a piece of paper, studying it repeatedly; she had not let it out of her sight since it arrived the night before. Her eyes were fixed on it, and she spoke in a cold, clear voice, "Is Fuqu alright?"

"No, she is terrified," Yunu replied with a hint of guilt. Her arrangements had been flawed; she had failed to stop Fuqu’s journey, leading to seven women drowning themselves right before her eyes.

The woman in black gauze sighed and fell silent.

A moment later, a stranger entered. His figure was familiar, but his face was unrecognizable; it was Juedi, after using a disguise. "Lady, everything is going according to plan. The farmer has met his end, and the three assassins will follow soon."

The woman in black gauze remained silent, her jade-like fingers tracing the ink on the paper as if touching a rare treasure.

"Deeply in love with Mount Song, where the Dance of the Startled Goose is performed in the hall. I have often sat and forgotten the world upon hearing the gulls and egrets. Beneath the courtyard stands a plum tree, shedding its fruit every time the white dew falls. Once the season passes, the frost will descend."

The woman in black gauze murmured to herself, as if no one were there, "You little rascal, with so many lives paved all the way to Lijing Gate, you must make sure to return safely."

Drip, drip. Tears fell onto the paper, blurring and distorting the ink of the words "Dance of the Startled Goose."

Thinking of something, she wrinkled her delicate nose and spat, "Pah!"