Criminal Investigation Department of the Qing Dynasty

Capital City Imperial Household Department At the end of autumn, the pale light of day shone upon several leafless trees outside the gate. This was a heavily guarded area of the government, with even ordinary carriages dare not pass by the gate guarded by ferocious beasts. The red lacquered gate of the government office, worn from use, stood before a small path leading eastward. Walking to the end of the path, under a locust tree, lay a dark door where a well-known prison of this dynasty was established. Ordinary folks knew that only those who committed serious crimes against the court would be brought here. People who entered this place intact would leave with their flesh stripped off, and even if they managed to survive, they would have to pass through the halls of the King of Hell. At this moment, water was dripping steadily from the ceiling of the prison. The walls around were hung with shackles and places stained with blood, as well as some red and white stains that attracted mosquitoes. However, on the left side of the facing wall, there was a cell that was noticeably cleaner than the others. A lamp was lit inside, and there were other sounds emanating from it. In this prison cell, a man lay weakly in the darkness. He was tall and thin, with no visible injuries except for the festering wound on half of his face, which had deteriorated to the point of exposing bone. At a glance, his hands were slender and pale, picking at the lamp wick. But looking at his cuffs, he did not seem weak at all, rather, he exuded an aura of authority, like a mature man who had been in high positions for a long time. "Drip." Water dripped softly to the ground. Above the prison cell, a spider was busy spinning its web. Given his status, he shouldn't have been detained in such a place. But due to the notorious Shuntian Prefecture Pigman case, the repercussions were widespread, and this man could not escape. He was also imprisoned along with the others. The Pigman slaughtered people, massacring entire families. This b****y scene had left the people of Shuntian Prefecture sleepless for nights, filled with anxiety and fear. For twenty-seven days, the case remained unsolved, and all the victims across the country who were affected by the Pigman's retaliation had died tragically, shocking the capital. However, it was strange that since he voluntarily came to this prison during the previous dynasty, he had been indifferent to everything except for the old chess book he brought with him. Even though he received three meals a day, he showed no concern for anything else. But the day before, he suddenly said he wanted to see someone and sent a message out as if he had grown eyes. No one knew what message was sent out. But within two days, someone from the court actually came. Now, sitting by the oil lamp, he had just met a man dressed in plain clothes who had come to visit him. When the man stepped into the cell and opened the wooden cage he was carrying, he first presented three boxes of food: a dish of Yang family's round meatballs, a plate of pear-fried chicken, and a palace-style pudding cake flavored with Poria cocos, accompanied by a pot of Tusuk liquor. "Please accept." The man who came to visit him turned and thanked him, as if about to offer a reward. But the prison head refused to allow it, politely backing away, leaving the surroundings completely quiet. The man holding the lantern outside the cell looked around at the ghostly place, then glanced at the man's face with a frown of concern. "I brought medicine for you, but you haven't applied it. Your face is ruined like this, how long do you intend to continue torturing yourself... Everything has been decided, there's no turning back now." "Each time you think you can unravel the puzzle, but you don't realize that you're already trapped in the game. Are you so clever yet still don't understand? Everything, neither you nor I can change." These words were spoken with both sorrow and frustration. The two had been colleagues and friends for many years, rivals and loyal subjects before the emperor. He admired the man's talent and methods, but now, seeing him in this state of self-destruction, he was filled with anger. "Dahaha Su, you're wrong. I have never blamed anyone in this world. I have only blamed myself." "...Do you really insist on catching the Pigman?" With a frown, Dahahasu asked, his expression not looking good. "In this life, as long as I am alive, I will definitely solve this case. The day I die and go to the underworld, I will bring the culprit to justice." The man who had specifically sent a message to him said calmly. This statement sounded like that of a madman. But in this world, only this madman dared to speak such fearless words. "The emperor said he would give you official robes, and you only need to wear them. Whenever you want to return to court, there will be a position for you in the Southern Study. But I only ask you, how many years do you need?" This statement finally made a slight change in the madman lying in the dark prison. "Five years." Looking at the spider webs on the ceiling, the man who had his own plans seemed to have a slight change of heart. "In these five years, have you thought about how to spend them?" "Resign from office and recuperate, wander the four seas. Which one do you think suits me better?" He replied. "Both seem suitable for you, the eccentric. Why not do both?" "Wonderful, let it be so." After saying that, the gloomy man no longer spoke, just coughed weakly, and seemed to have made up his mind. As he spoke, the outcome of the chess game on the roof had already been decided. A draw. Thirteen years, the Imperial Palace. The sweltering summer heat made everyone waiting outside the palace gates sweat profusely, eagerly watching for any movement behind the curtains of the Imperial Palace. Inside the palace, court physicians and palace attendants were coming and going. Since ascending the throne, the current emperor had been known for his diligent governance. However, his sudden illness had come aggressively. On the twenty-first day. The imperial carriage returned to the palace. At first, it was said to be a fever, but for two consecutive days, the emperor remained bedridden. Urgent decrees were sent out overnight to summon trusted officials back to the capital. It was only after they returned to court that the old ministers learned what the emperor intended to do. "I, burdened by the past usurpation, hereby establish the crown prince and pass the throne to Prince Bao... Additionally, after my passing, remember to grant a general amnesty, and all prisoners except those guilty of murder and treason are to be pardoned and released back to the people, and no one shall hinder this." This statement was essentially a declaration of abdication. The emperor had been decisive since he usurped the throne, but this illness seemed to remind him of many unresolved matters from the previous dynasty. However, originally, this amnesty was not only for ordinary prisoners, but it seemed that someone else would also be pardoned. Yet, no one dared to object in the court, knowing the emperor's favor towards a certain individual. Thus, everything was settled. August twenty-third, thirteenth year. The emperor finally succumbed to his illness and was buried in the Qing Western Tomb, posthumously honored as Emperor Shizong. First year of the new emperor's reign. A strange incident occurred in the capital. The distinguished scholar selected by Emperor Shizong, the youngest among the officials in the Southern Study, suddenly fell ill and mysteriously disappeared from the capital. This official, surnamed Duan, was said to be an extraordinary talent. Years ago, he had become famous in the capital for solving a peculiar case. It was said that in the eighth year of the current dynasty, a corrupt official in the southern province, who had embezzled food funds, could not be found guilty despite numerous investigations. The emperor was furious and demanded to uncover the amount of grain and money the official had embezzled over the years. At that time, this official was only twenty years old, but he boldly declared that he would find a solution. His method was unconventional. Instead of resorting to t*****e or investigations, he insisted on a different approach. He ordered that the corrupt official be fed a type of food made from "Guanyin soil" every day in prison, accompanied by large amounts of cold water. People did not know what Guanyin soil was and thought it was a delicacy. In fact, Guanyin soil was only consumed by starving peasants during famines. Normal people could not digest it; it would only accumulate in their stomachs, causing them to swell until they burst, leaving them unable to speak, with excrement and urine blocked in their intestines, eventually leading to death within ten days. The corrupt official, who had swallowed so much relief funds over the years, was forced to eat the Guanyin soil. Under the pressure of this punishment, he cried in pain in the prison, his belly bloated and unable to speak. Finally, he confessed that his account books were buried under his home's lotus pond, and they could only be found by gutting the fish. This case, which exposed massive corruption, came to be known as the "Fish Belly Case". This young official, who had solved the case, quickly rose through the ranks and was trusted by the emperor, becoming one of his closest advisors. After Emperor Shizong personally wrote a character for him, "Yuheng", praising his unparalleled intelligence, he became known as Duan Yuheng. However, in the first year of the new emperor's reign, amid a general amnesty, this remarkable official disappeared from the capital without a trace. Thanks to the intercession of the elders in the Southern Study, the new emperor decided to allow him five years to reflect at home. When he had finished reflecting, he could return to service. But rumors spread among the common people that this official, who had served two emperors, had once been a notorious playboy in his youth. Concerned for the people, full of youthful vigor, he was nothing like the rumors of a cunning and inaccessible snake. Yet, such a remarkable figure had vanished without a trace. In October, an old carriage with a worn curtain passed through the city gate. The coachman was an old man, and the passenger inside wore plain clothes, flipping through a book of chess. Neither wearing official robes nor adorned with a feathered crest, he truly seemed like an ordinary person. "The rope cuts wood, the water wears away the stone, the seeker of the Way must exert effort. When the water reaches the channel, and the melon is ripe, it falls off the vine. The seeker of the Way... leaves it to fate." Speaking these words to himself as he looked out of the carriage, he bid farewell to the capital city for the time being. Thus, the final chapter of the Shuntian Prefecture Pigman case became an unsolved mystery. A transcendent genius, fleeting in an instant, the people wondered where the youthful and righteous Duan Yuheng had gone. But looking back, he had temporarily left the officialdom, embarking on a journey into the common world, and a truly remarkable story began