Chapter 34: Mutual Enchantment

The crowd gathered their attention as the Third Sister, focused and head held high, cupped a hand to her ear to listen, appearing ready to sweep away the shame of the past.

Her conclusion rang out clear: "Coroner Hu examined the body and claimed the deceased had been struck by a lotus-patterned arrow three days prior, accidentally falling into the lotus pond in the dark and drowning."

"According to Coroner Wu’s findings, the victim has been dead for over a month. The culprit first confused the time of death by freezing the body and then soaking it. After refuting Coroner Hu’s conclusion, they sewed up the body and faked an arrow wound to obscure the cause of death. As the body swelled from soaking, the killer, aiming to match the crime scene, adapted to the circumstances by changing the victim’s clothing."

"One might say that to cover up one detail, one must cover up all of them—"

"Once the body swelled, standard-sized clothes would no longer fit, so they commissioned a tailor to make a set identical to Song Ruozhao’s, only larger, to make it easier to dress the corpse."

"After dressing it, they used a sharp gold instrument to tear the skirt, creating the pretense that the fabric had burst under the pressure of the bloating body."

The Third Sister added, seizing control of the narrative: "We should actually thank the killer for being too clever by half and revealing their own flaws!"

"Eldest Sister, do you remember when we five sisters went out for a spring outing last year? Second Sister was wearing this very dress when it got caught on thorns. Who helped her sew it?"

The Eldest Sister answered without hesitation: "After the dress tore, since there was no replacement, and our hands were stained with mulberries, Second Sister had to sew it herself."

"Eldest Sister’s memory is excellent—exactly!"

"Someone stole the dress, but since it didn't fit the corpse, they had to fake a larger version. They could steal the appearance of the clothes, but they could not steal the history behind them."

The crowd pondered this, and Wu Chuo nodded in agreement.

"They did not anticipate that the mending was done in reverse, as it was difficult to remove the garment at the time. The stitches should run from bottom to top, with the knots hidden on the inside—a method vastly different from standard sewing. Therefore, this is not my Second Sister’s clothing."

Her eloquent and logical argument left everyone in the room thoroughly convinced.

However, the eagle-like sharpness in her eyes gradually faded, clouding over as if misted. She seemed willing to reveal only half the truth: "The killer used a matching outfit and faked the crime scene to confuse the victim’s identity and exploit the rifts between us sisters to frame me."

"Third Lady, your talent is genuine, but..."

Piercing through the fog, a rebuttal came from Ju Sifu, whose voice dripped with mocking admiration: "All of the above only proves the cause of death was forged. Who can doubt the identity of the deceased? This matter has been the talk of Chang’an for over three days. If the Song family's Second Lady is not the skeleton lying there, why has she not shown herself?"

"Any conclusion should proceed from the surface to the core to be convincing. Why hide your light, Third Lady? Genetic tracing, blood-testing, bone analysis—are these not your specialties?"

At the height of his agitation, he waved his arms, gesturing as if to force her: "The Song sisters are all here in this hall. Is there any one of you who isn't living proof?"

The statement stunned the room. Few noticed the Third Sister’s clenched fist trembling; she wondered if she even knew what she was thinking herself.

***

In the corner, a woman behind a veil caught the gaze of the onlookers. Ruozhao saw it clearly—the Third Sister’s decision.

The Third Sister spoke with conviction: "Since you claim she is my Second Sister, I will find the evidence and present it to the public."

"Spitfire" said anxiously, "Zhaozhao, look! That venomous woman with the forked tongue is taking the knife to her after all!"

"Mofuyu" lay on her shoulder, lazily basking in the sun, shaking its head with a sigh: "Poor Zhaozhao, unable to show your face, poisoned into muteness, and now you have to become a ghost without an identity."

"Care to bet?" she asked, her eyes playful.

The shrimp claw gestured like a soldier’s blade, as if its master were the god of all things, and declared: "Fine! I bet on the Song younger brother’s treasure chest."

"???"

Watching as the Third Sister dissected the Second Sister’s remains, frantically searching for any trace to prove her identity, the young Song brother wept bitterly, only to suddenly let out a comical yawn as his shoes and socks were pulled off.

The Third Sister vowed, "Everyone, look. All six of us Song sisters inherited a sixth toe from our father, and this female corpse also has six toes."

Mofuyu found joy in misery: "Zhaozhao, what does it matter if you're a ghost? I'll carry the Song brother's treasure chest and take you to wander the world!"

The team's spirit pet had already planned the escape route when the situation shifted abruptly—

"What you think is a sixth toe is actually not what it seems. It was bone-grafted and faked after the victim was killed." The Third Sister pulled a thin, bee-sting-like needle from the toe bone.

The firmly fixed needle slid out easily in her hand.

She sighed slightly, "The oral cavity is damaged, there are traces of bile in the stomach, and the corpse spots differ from a normal person’s, indicating she suffered from venereal disease. Coupled with multiple fractures, she must have faced a tragic end."

"According to official household records, a maid in Pojiao Village, Taibai County, once reported her master, Xiao Wu, for imprisonment and abuse."

The Jingzhao Governor was incensed upon hearing this: "Magistrate Chen, bring me the case files!"

Magistrate Chen’s knees went weak, and he stammered, the retrieval of the files proving difficult.

"Later, for some reason, the maid withdrew the case and vanished from the world, until this floating corpse case at the Song residence."

As the Third Sister finished, several people emerged from the crowd, clutching the corpse, crying out for their daughter and sister, cursing heaven and earth.

Ju Sifu sneered, "Old folks, don’t cry at the wrong grave. Are you absolutely certain?"

"It’s not her!" The old man spat, feeling as though the man before him was rubbing salt into his wounds, and collapsed in grief. "I wish it weren't! My daughter had a cinnabar mole behind her ear, distinct from others—how could it not be..."

***

Ju Sifu went to examine it himself. The water clock ticked away, the air deathly silent. The red mole appeared—sometimes faint, sometimes deep—a tragic, lingering mark, as if a goddess had fallen from the world.

He had thought he held the winning hand, using the false accusation against the Third Sister to confirm that Song Ruozhao was dead—two birds with one stone!

Every step had been planned, starting from the theft of the body, yet the body had already been swapped!

Realizing this with a jolt of shock, he looked up at the Third Sister. Her gaze was familiar; he remembered the night he spied on her examining a corpse and guessed the victim's identity—he had felt the same disbelief then.

The meticulously arranged chessboard lay scattered on the ground.

He had thought he was the chess player.

He never imagined that behind the player, there was another hand pushing the pieces.

Who was calculating whom?

And who was the one finally being outmaneuvered?

Hoofbeats clattered as Xu Chi'an reined in his horse and walked into the hall, bowing respectfully: "The Matron’s birthday is approaching. My mistress and the Second Song Lady have become fast friends, like mother and daughter. Three days ago, she invited her to help prepare for the banquet, but the servant sent to deliver the message failed to convey it properly. This absurdity has unfolded, and the Third Song Lady is already on her way to Chang'an County."

The sisters had not seen each other for days, and hearing of this was better than meeting; besides, the turmoil had caused the Eldest Sister much distress. Ruohua, the Eldest, could not wait to see her Second Sister.

She moved to rise, but the Third Sister gently pressed her shoulder, declining Xu Chi'an’s offer: "Please tell Master Xu that since Second Sister is dutifully serving Madame Cui for the birthday preparations, there is no need for her to come. To disrupt such a joyous occasion and unnecessarily disturb the deceased would be highly disrespectful."

Xu Chi'an nodded: "The Second Song Lady thought the same. Once everyone understands, she will rest easy staying behind."

As the carriage began to move, the Madame lightly twirled her chopsticks. Gone was the sharp tongue she used before her husband; she was as gentle as a plum blossom, her eyes filled with pity. "My child, what kind of divine or demonic forces have you offended?"

Song Ruozhao shook her head. She, too, wanted to know: what kind of "divine" forces were they?

Ju Sifu’s gaze was like a dart, pinning the departing carriage in place.

Song Ruozhao, you have won again.