262 - Destroyer of Ice and Fire

Ning Song Wu clutched two pork belly buns, eating as she walked out of the mansion, lamenting the hardships of being a leisurely prefect. Cha Le reported that a villager, while hunting in Cangya Mountain, chased an injured deer to the mouth of a cave. Inside, he found a skeleton reduced to bare bones and quickly descended to report to the officials. The remains were now at the yamen, awaiting Ning Song Wu’s return to preside over the case. Ning Song Wu asked, “Did you notify the Wu Zuo?” Cha Le replied, “Mao Zi went to call him; he should be at the yamen by now.” In no time, the carriage arrived at the yamen. Ning Song Wu stuffed the last bite of the bun into her mouth. “Get off the carriage. Why are you staring at me?” Cha Le licked his lips and touched his still empty stomach, suppressing a growl of hunger, before jumping off the carriage. Inside the autopsy room, a skeleton wrapped in tattered clothing lay flat. It was of medium build, undoubtedly female, with no other immediate information available. The Wu Zuo said, “Sir, I’ll start the autopsy first.” “Sir, look, this was found on the skeleton,” said Mao Zi, a bit excited, having not encountered such a serious case in many years as a yamen officer. He presented a shabby pouch and a butterfly-shaped jade pendant to Ning Song Wu. Ning Song Wu examined the jade pendant. It was smooth and lustrous, with a fine texture, not something a commoner would possess. On closer inspection, a tiny character “Lin” was inscribed on the lower left corner of the jade. She opened the worn pouch, and a musty smell mixed with soil wafted out. Inside the pouch was a scroll. Ning Song Wu squinted her eyes, pinched her nose with her left hand, and placed the scroll on the table with her right hand, slowly unrolling it. Gradually, a landscape painting with faint and partially damaged sections revealed itself. The silk-like material and the embroidery depicting the scenery were exquisite, a masterpiece. The words "Magnificent Rivers and Mountains" were clearly visible in the upper left corner. Magnificent Rivers and Mountains? A memory flickered in Ning Song Wu’s mind. As a child, her academy teacher mentioned that there were three treasures in the world: a vast collection of gold and silver from the previous dynasty, the "Magnificent Rivers and Mountains" painting, and the "Mysteries of Healing" by the first generation of Hua Tuo. The “Magnificent Rivers and Mountains” was rumored to be a treasure map hiding the location of the previous dynasty’s hoarded wealth, and it had vanished years ago. Why had it turned up in this remote Chongzhou? And who was the identity of the anonymous skeleton? Before coming to Chongzhou, Ning Song Wu had set principles for herself—to deal with superiors pragmatically, comfort the commoners, and rule with laissez-faire, seeking neither wealth nor fame but only peace and self-preservation. She thought life in far-off Chongzhou, away from political centers, would be free from strife and danger. Yet, upon assuming office, she confronted a once-in-a-century flood disaster, and now this unsolved murder case. Her principles seemed challenging to maintain. Reflecting on her situation, she mused that ruling with laissez-faire was far from easy. She might have been better off staying in the capital. There was a long-standing rumor, since the early days of North Liang’s establishment, that the previous dynasty had hidden a massive treasure to fund a future resurgence, with the treasure’s location encoded within an embroidered artwork named "Magnificent Rivers and Mountains." This artwork, crafted by the original wife of Lin Yuan Ye, an official embroiderer of the previous dynasty’s weaving department, used a now-lost hidden stitch technique to conceal the treasure map within the embroidery. Over twenty years, numerous treasure seekers had emerged, all returning empty-handed, and the rumors had gradually subsided in recent years. Cha Le interrupted her thoughts, "Madam, the autopsy results are out." The Wu Zuo reported, "According to the examination, the skeleton belongs to an unidentified woman. The right index finger joint is slightly swollen and blackened, with wide hips, indicating the deceased was female, aged between twenty and thirty, had given birth, and was approximately six feet two inches tall." "The cause of death was a knife wound to the abdomen, leading to excessive blood loss. The exact time of death is difficult to determine, but based on the cave’s climate and the condition of the bones, it’s estimated to be around eighteen to twenty years ago." Ning Song Wu instructed, “Cha Le, have an artist sketch the shape of the jade pendant, and compile a missing person notice based on the autopsy findings to see if any relatives come forward.” “Mao Zi, gather a few people and meticulously search through records in the archives for missing persons cases from eighteen to twenty years ago.” She thought, if reported to the court, the secret might get out, potentially drawing fatal trouble. Unable to leave her post without orders, her best plan might be to send it secretly to her father, who could then pass it to the Emperor. Her deputy, Meng Zhu, who had been observing silently, suddenly spoke, "Ma'am, this scroll is damaged and doesn’t seem to be the work of a renowned artist. Why not leave it to me for handling?" Meng Zhu, around fifty years old, had temporarily served as prefect before Ning Song Wu’s arrival and maintained a seemingly humble and honest appearance. Ning Song Wu replied, “I’ll keep it for now. My wife enjoys embroidery; this scroll’s work is quite impressive. I’ll take it home for her to appreciate.” Meng Zhu pressed, “Madam, it’s evidence.” Unyielding, Ning Song Wu responded calmly, “No matter, my wife will enjoy it for a few days, then I’ll return it.” Meng Zhu kindly reminded her, “Ma'am, this is against the yamen's regulations.” Ning Song Wu retorted, “Who is the master of this Chongzhou?” Meng Zhu, taken aback by Ning Song Wu’s usually approachable demeanor, was left with no choice but to comply quietly. Identifying the unknown woman would be incredibly challenging. Without anyone claiming or further leads, she would likely end up in a pauper’s grave after a while. Before leaving, Ning Song Wu specially instructed that the importance of the unidentified woman’s possession of the painting must not be spread. At this time, Ning Jing Yang had just secured the services of the famed physician Hua Tuo and was en route from Yongzhou to the capital. Ning Song Wu awaited news of his safe arrival. She had secretly brought the "Magnificent Rivers and Mountains" back to the prefect’s mansion, hiding it in the beam of her house, though her furtive actions did not escape the notice of Ran Fan Yin. *At Liang Mountain Village, the hall was brightly lit as the mountain bandits woke up one by one, discovering they had been drugged. They rushed to the woodshed, finding their captives had already escaped. Tang cursed vehemently; the cooked duck had flown away. He summoned those who had guarded the gate the previous night.