"Enough talk, let’s quickly get to work..." the other said.
The Capital city awakens earlier than other cities. Even before the dawn breaks, street vendors with their carts and baskets flock to the street, calling out in long, drawn-out pitches.
"Flatbread, just out from the pot..."
"Deep-fried dough sticks, Tofu pudding, hot and fresh dough sticks, tofu pudding..."
As the vendors call out, they look around, trying to find their customers.
However, when their eyes land on the Capital’s most famous brothel, ’Lian Xiang Pavilion,’ everyone’s gaze freezes.
From the windows on the second floor of Lian Xiang Pavilion, three pallid bodies hang - one man and two women. All three unconscious, crudely tied together with a rope, their scene is extremely indecent.
Most striking is the man, or rather, what used to be a man, as the significant marker of manhood has been cut away, leaving only a bare body continuously dripping blood. No one knows how long it’s been or if the person is dead.
"My, oh my, what happened here?"
With the outcry of the vendor, a large crowd quickly gathers, discussing amongst themselves while looking on with perverse interest.
The madam of Lian Xiang Pavilion quickly hears about the situation. When she sees Wuchang Duke hanging from her window, she almost jumps out of her skin. She collapses to the ground, her eyes wide, her face as pale as a ghost, muttering, "This is the end...the end..."
Jin Dapeng’s attendants spent the night in Lian Xiang Pavilion. Early in the morning, they wake up to the commotion outside. Reluctantly leaving the bed of his lover, an attendant opens the window. He follows the crowd’s gaze to the naked, castrated spectacle of Jin Dapeng and runs in terror to Jin Dapeng’s room.
Jin Dapeng’s life hangs by a thread. He didn’t die despite bleeding all night; he’s just unconscious from blood loss. His attendants, in a flurry, load him onto a horse carriage and rush him back to the Mansion of Marquis Wuchang.
Then, Master Zhao Hongwang, the prefect of Ying Tianfu, arrives at the scene personally, seals off ’Lian Xiang Pavilion,’ and throws everyone associated into the jail. Every patron who visited the Pavilion last night is summoned, and even the Pavilion’s neighbors are investigated.
Given the high-ranking status of Jin Dapeng as the brother of Empress Jin and the uncle of the Prince, the Prefect has to solve the case quickly or risk losing his head!
While Master Zhao is busy dealing with this case, another person comes in to report a crime. The informant identifies himself as Steward Cao from the State Duke’s Mansion. As soon as he sees Zhao Fuyin, he falls to his knees and bursts into tears.
It turns out that the main halls in the State Duke’s Mansion were suddenly infested with various types of snakes overnight. These creatures of all sizes are crawling everywhere. The dowager was bitten by a snake and is currently unconscious. The eldest grandson and his family were killed by the snake bites, their faces filled with horror upon death. The other young masters and misses were either snake bitten or so frightened that they’ve gone mad. Currently, the State Duke’s Mansion is completely chaotic!
State Duke Du Ruohai luckily spent the night at Aunt Liao’s place, narrowly avoiding the calamity. However, when he learned of the deaths of his eldest grandson and heir, he reacted as if his sanity had slipped, shouting his intention to personally report the matter to Ying Tianfu. He was held back by his family members...