Chapter 303: Cause of Death

The little girl was fortunate. Crouching Tiger City had just come through an epidemic, so there were still some medicinal supplies left. The doctors had also gained considerable experience in treating high fevers. After administering two bowls of medicinal soup, she showed some improvement; her body wasn’t as hot anymore.

However, recovery wouldn’t be achieved overnight.

Moreover, she was very young and frail. Whether she could survive was uncertain, even for the doctors.

Yan Huaiwen had Xiao Er lead the way to see the child.

She lay there, small and silent. If not for her flushed face and her still-rising chest, one might have thought she was gone.

Yan Yu sighed inwardly, not wanting to look any longer, and shifted her gaze away. She then noticed the little girl’s brother discreetly retreating towards the door.

She frowned, unsure whether to call him out.

Was he planning to run away like his uncle, that Zhang Xuan?

But no, he just stood against the wall, arms wrapped around himself, hands hidden inside his clothes, his body hunched over, looking particularly odd.

Yan Yu observed without making it obvious.

She seemed to be listening intently to the adults’ conversation, but in reality, she kept a close watch on the boy with her peripheral vision.

Soon, she understood why the boy was acting so strangely.

Li Tou and Peng Tou¹, who had come from the Capital City, arrived hurriedly with their men, reeking of alcohol and looking quite displeased.

It made sense—no one likes to be interrupted in the middle of a good time.

It turned out that the Capital Envoy² who had been attacked… had died.

No one had expected him to die. Earlier, he could still shout and curse, and the doctor hadn’t mentioned anything too serious, just that the wound looked bad and might have consequences…

They thought at most he might be disabled, but who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Peng Tou immediately wanted to bring Zhang Xuan over, and the other Capital Envoys who had come with him were causing a commotion.

Li Tou could no longer hold them back. Fueled by alcohol, the Capital Envoys were extremely agitated, brandishing their swords and shouting.

Brothers who had just been drinking together were now on opposing sides.

One side demanded that the person be brought out immediately, while the other, the Crouching Tiger constables, insisted on following their duties.

The two sides faced off, invisible sparks flying in the air.

With a life lost, someone seized the opportunity to report to Master Tian.

But the Capital Envoys were relentless and couldn’t wait. Emboldened by the alcohol, they were about to storm the jail themselves.

The situation was about to spiral out of control.

Yan Huaiwen stepped forward.

“Everyone, stop!” His aura was commanding, and just standing there, he exuded an intimidating presence.

The Capital Envoys weren’t easily scared.

The Capital City had plenty of officials, big and small, and these constables had seen many. No matter how intimidating, a fake is a fake. Were they supposed to fear a mere Household Registrar from Crouching Tiger?

Yan Yu looked around, finding nothing useful.

Fortunately, the government office’s livestock shed wasn’t far. Her family’s ox cart always had wooden sticks. She grabbed two, one for her uncle as well.

Running over with the sticks, Yan Yu only caught the latter part of her uncle’s speech.

“…You are all experienced officials. The cause of death is not yet clear. After the autopsy, we will address the matter.

The case of Zhang Xuan injuring someone to death will be thoroughly investigated by Crouching Tiger, and we will provide you with an explanation.”

Yan Yu thought it unwise to hand over the sticks to her uncle now, fearing it might reignite the recently calmed situation.

So she squatted down, placing the two sticks on the ground, aimlessly drawing in the dirt with her hands.

In reality, she was tense, her full attention on the agitated Capital Envoys.

If they made a move, she’d rush out with a stick, then grab her uncle and run.

A wise person avoids immediate danger³.

These Capital Envoys were seasoned veterans. They wouldn’t resort to violence, but in a clash, bumps and bruises were inevitable.

Not worth it.

As Yan Yu anticipated, the so-called drunkenness and bravado were just excuses. The Capital Envoys were only testing their strength against the Crouching Tiger constables.

They’d push forward a bit, then retreat, their faces fierce, but without saying anything too harsh. Everything was done with restraint.

Yan Yu increasingly felt that even the Crouching Tiger constables seemed somewhat fake…

This whole development left her quite puzzled.

But one thing she was sure of: Zhang Xuan probably wouldn’t survive.

With this in mind, Yan Yu turned to find the boy.

She saw him curled up, only his tear-streaked eyes visible, looking over with sorrow and hatred.

His body was tightly wound, so when he trembled, Yan Yu finally understood the reason for his earlier strange behavior.

Inside his tattered clothes, something didn’t belong to him.

Yan Yu averted her gaze, pretending not to see.

Why meddle unnecessarily?

Whatever he was hiding, it had nothing to do with her.

Let it be.

Finally, Master Tian arrived.

The Capital Envoys restrained themselves, presenting another demand: they wanted to conduct the autopsy themselves.

To prevent Crouching Tiger from playing tricks.

This demand made Yan Yu laugh.

Why would Crouching Tiger play tricks? They must be out of their minds.

Magistrate Tian didn’t indulge them. He simply told Peng Tou to keep his men in check and ordered the coroner to conduct the autopsy.

A chair was brought over, and Magistrate Tian sat down to wait for the results.

Yan Yu returned the two sticks to the cart, circled back, and stood behind her uncle.

Yan Huaiwen sensed her presence, glanced at her, and said, “It’s crowded and chaotic. Don’t run around.”

Yan Yu nodded obediently, naturally placing her hand in her uncle’s warm hand.

She looked like a frightened child in need of someone to hold her hand.

Yan Huaiwen had no choice but to lead her to Master Tian.

Yan Yu wisely withdrew her hand and stood aside.

Yan Huaiwen gave her an approving look.

She returned a shy smile.

Yan Yu: Haha! So happy to have made it to Master Tian’s side.

Perfect spot!

She maintained the demeanor of a worldly child—calm and composed.

The coroner returned quickly, accompanied by the doctor who had treated the Capital Envoy.

Magistrate Tian first asked the doctor about the Capital Envoy’s condition.

The man was dead, and with such a commotion, the doctor didn’t hold back. He explained the injuries clearly and presented his prescriptions, both for external application and internal use. The ointments and remnants were all brought forward.

Even the blood used to clean the wounds, which hadn’t been disposed of, was presented.

Many doctors were present, and after examining everything, they all found no issues.

The doctor then bowed and stepped aside, standing with an impassive expression.

Next, the coroner reported.

The coroner stated that the deceased had been injured in the abdomen and below, with the weapon being the stone Zhang Xuan had wielded.

But it wasn’t an ordinary stone.

Zhang Xuan must have planned this. One end of the stone had been sharpened. Given more time, it might have become a stone knife.

The bleeding was stopped in time, but the area was a blur. The coroner speculated that internal organs might have been damaged. To confirm further, he requested to perform an autopsy.

(End of Chapter)

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Translator’s Notes

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1. Li Tou and Peng Tou: The suffix ‘Tou’ (头) literally means ‘head’ and is used here as a colloquial title for a leader or head constable. In the context of the Ming or Qing-style local government depicted, it refers to the ‘Butou’ (捕头), the head of the bailiffs or constables responsible for law enforcement and arrests within a jurisdiction. ↩
2. Capital Envoy: The term ‘Jingchai’ (京差) refers to runners or lower-level officials dispatched from the capital on official business. While they hold low rank, their association with the central government often gives them an air of superiority over local ‘Crouching Tiger’ (Huju) provincial authorities, explaining the friction between the two groups. ↩
3. A wise person avoids immediate danger: This is a translation of the Chinese idiom ‘Hǎohàn bù chī yǎnqián kuī’ (好汉不吃眼前亏), which literally means ‘a hero doesn’t fight when the odds are against him.’ It reflects a pragmatic philosophy of retreating or de-escalating in the face of certain physical harm to wait for a better opportunity. ↩