Chapter 488: The Two Qiaos Locked In The Brass Bird (2/2)

”Aren’t you a little too dedicated? The first thing you do is come to the crime scene!” remarked Captain Tang. “You must be tired. I have booked a hotel for you. I’ll take you out for dinner once you’re settled in.”

Xiaotao turned a meaningful gaze towards me, hinting that I should play the villain. After all, as a member of the public security bureau, there were certain pretences Xiaotao couldn’t forego.

”Captain Tang, you’re being too polite!” I said. “Forget about dinner. These murders have been characterized as part of a vicious serial killing. The murderer is very likely to commit another crime. We’d like to solve the case as soon as possible.”

”You’re the Great Detective Song Yang!” exclaimed Captain Tang. “I've heard a lot about you. Won’t you do me a favor? It's a great honor to receive the special team at our bureau. Don't worry, we won’t use public funds. It'll be from my own pocket.”

Switching the subject to the details of the case, I learned from Captain Tang specifics that were already reported in the case file.

”By the way, we found some drag marks on Qiushi Road. Would you like to have a look?”

”Where’s this road?” I asked.

”It’s within the school premises,” explained Captain Tang. “God knows who came up with these names. They all sound so poetic.”

”And what is this road called?” I asked curiously.

”Chunshen Road!” replied Captain Tang.

When I heard the name, I felt the gears in my mind spinning wildly. Pulling out the second photo, I carefully examined every inch of it with Cave Vision and soon found a sparrow engraved on the metal cage.

”The brass bird locked up the two Qiaos!” I burst out.

”What?” The others stared at me in bafflement.

”This is what the murderer is trying to convey!” I cried. “Chunshen Road, the sparrow on the metal cage, and the two girls in ancient costumes–piece those together and that’s what you get!”

”Was Xiao Qiao a concubine?”

”Yes, Da Qiao was Sun Ce's concubine, while Xiao Qiao was Zhou Yu’s.”

”They’re so famous I assumed they were both official wives!” Bingxin uttered.

”It's better to be a concubine! Which man has ever loved his official wife?” Then, turning to me, Xiaotao asked, ”What about the first victim?”

Having deciphered the pattern, I explained, ”The clue from the first victim is the open gut and the old tree. The body was discovered at 5 in the afternoon. Isn't there a poem that matches this...”

”On the withered vine entwined gnarled tree, the evening crows come roosting. The sun dips down in the western sky. Heart-torn, lovelorn, the wanderer at the ends of the earth a-roaming!” Xiaotao and Bingxin recited in unison.

”That’s amazing! You guys took no time at all to suss out the clues,” praised Captain Tang. “We had seven days and we still came up with nothing.”

”But we need more information,” I sighed. “Captain Tang, please lead the way. I’d like to examine the bodies.”

Meaning fruits of autumn or the fall harvest. Metaphorically, it refers to a moral achievement or a virtuous person.

Meaning late in spring.

Excerpt from the poem called Red Cliff by Du Mu. The original line is 铜雀春深锁二乔 (Tong qiao chun shen suo er qiao). If Wu and Shu hadn’t been victorious in the Battle of Red Cliffs, the Sun and Zhou concubines would have been captured by Cao Cao and locked away in his palace.

Sun Ce (175-200): general and major warlord of the Later Han Dynasty.

Zhou Yu (175-210): famous general of the southern Wu kingdom and victor of the Battle of Red Cliffs

Tian Jing Sha by Ma Zhiyuan. Adapted from Andrew W.F. Wong’s translation.