The Qing Dynasty Mysteries - Books 1-3

by Amanda Roberts

  Wangshu stared at him, squeezing the hilt of the sword she held in front of her. They stood silently, at an impasse.

  “Wangshu!” the young man the inspector had accosted in the hall earlier yelled as he burst into the room. “The crowd is growing restless. They refuse to believe the show is over or leave. We need you to come back and sing your last song.”

  “Are you kidding?” Inspector Gong hissed at the man. “She just killed someone. I have to arrest her.”

  “But…the audience…” the man stuttered.

  Inspector Gong stepped out of Wangshu’s room and peeked around the wall to the stage and the crowd beyond it. He had been so focused on catching Wangshu he hadn’t thought about the hundreds of patrons who were assembled only feet from the victim. He looked at the dead body of Fanhua and then at the people who were standing at the edge of the stage within arm’s length. How they hadn’t figured out that Fanhua was dead was beyond him. But he supposed that was the power of the man’s performance.

  He then realized the audience was rather a large problem. They could easily storm the stage, corrupt the murder scene, even steal the body if they wanted to. They could riot or turn on Wangshu. If the audience realized the truth, all of the actors could be in real danger.

  They needed to end the show and dismiss the crowd without incident before he could actually deal with the crime that had taken place. He couldn’t believe what he was about to say, but he didn’t think he had a choice.

  “Wangshu,” he said, stepping back into her room. “You need to go out and sing your last song. You need to end the show and send the patrons away. Do you think you can do that?”

  He didn’t think she could. She looked like a terrified leaf, trembling in the wind. But at the mention of going back on stage, a surreal calmness seemed to wash over her.

  “I can do it,” she said. She held up her head and walked toward the door.

  Inspector Gong stopped her, reaching for the sword. “I need you to give that to me.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t,” she said. “I need it for the final act.”

  Inspector Gong pressed his lip. Actors! “Fine,” he said. “But if you try to hurt anyone else with it, I will stop you myself.”

  She gave a small nod and moved toward the edge of the stage. Inspector Gong knew it was crazy to let her go back out there, back to the scene of the crime, holding the murder weapon, out of his grasp where she could try to flee, but he wasn’t sure he had another choice. He needed some way to clear the audience.

  As she stepped onto the stage, the Lord of Hell froze, and if not for the layer of makeup he was wearing, Inspector Gong would have sworn the man’s face blanched. He backed up and then fled from the stage. He probably thought that Wangshu had come to kill him as well.

  But instead, Wangshu slipped back into the role of Xueyan, the woman who had saved the world by killing her lover. She walked over to the body of the general and wept. Then she opened her mouth to sing her final song.

  She sang about how unfair the world was for women—both the mortal world and the underworld. How to be a filial daughter to the King of Hell she had to betray her heart and her lover. How she had to be subject to the emperor even though she knew he had acted wrongly. How she had to betray her own heart to fulfill the expectations placed on her. How the only way she could avoid having to live in the underworld with what she had done for all of eternity she would have to cut out her own heart.

  Inspector Gong gasped as he listened to her words. He hadn’t considered that she would hurt herself with the sword. Dammit! He shouldn’t have let her return to the stage. But what could he do now? If he ran out there and stopped her, the audience would know that something terrible had happened—or was about to happen—and he had no idea how they would react. They most certainly wouldn’t leave the theater quickly, easily, or orderly.

  He glanced up at the box where Lady Li and Prince Kung were. They were still in the box, but they were not sitting. They were both crowded in the front corner, watching intently, talking heatedly. They both knew that something terrible had happened, but they didn’t know what to do about it either. They probably thought that Inspector Gong had already captured Wangshu and were shocked when she came back on stage. He waved at them from the edge of the stage, trying to tell them that he had everything under control.

  But he had nothing under control. He had no idea what Wangshu was going to do or how to stop her. All he could do was watch.

  Wangshu continued singing about her plan to end her own life so she could be with the general for eternity. She raised the sword, which was still stained with the General’s blood.

  She then plunged the sword into her chest and fell backward onto the stage. Several people in the audience cried out in shock.

  Then they erupted into cheers.

  5

  Lady Li gasped as Wangshu plunged the sword into her own chest. Where was Inspector Gong? How could he have let Wangshu return to the stage? She had just killed the actor who had been playing the general. He was still there on the stage, the blood growing dark. This was no act. And now was Wangshu dead as well? She seemed to have been in shock after the general fell to the floor. How could she then do the same thing to herself? It didn’t make sense.

  Prince Kung turned to exit the box.

  “Where are you going?” Lady Li asked, gripping his arm.

  “To send for my guards so they can dismiss the audience quickly,” he said. “Something has gone wrong. We need these people out of here.”

  “But the guards could make it worse,” she said. “They could cause a panic. Right now, the audience seems oblivious to what they have just witnessed.”

  “But when the general doesn’t get up for his final bow,” the prince said, pulling away from her and stepping out of the room, “they will know it wasn’t an act.”

  “What can I do to help?” Lady Li called after him.

  “I’m not sure,” he said. “Go backstage and see if Inspector Gong needs your assistance.”

  Lady Li nodded. She wasn’t sure how she could help, but she felt she needed to do something. She was glad the prince hadn’t simply dismissed her and ordered her to go home.

  She motioned Eunuch Bai to her side. His wide eyes told her that he had not missed any of her words to the prince and that he knew exactly what was going on. “Take the girls home right now,” she said.

  “But what about you, mistress?” he asked, alarmed. “Surely it would be safer if you came home as well.”

  “I don’t know what’s going on, but I can’t leave just yet. I need to find out what happened to Wangshu,” she reasoned. “Take the girls home and then send the sedan chair back for me. I’ll come home as soon as I can.”

  Eunuch Bai wrinkled his nose, as though they both knew she wouldn’t be returning home anytime soon, but he knew better than to say anything. He simply gave a bow and then picked up First Daughter, who had slumped over and was soundly sleeping on the hard bench. He then took Second Daughter by the hand and pulled her away.

  “But I want to stay,” Second Daughter begged, trying to pull her hand from Eunuch Bai’s grasp. “Can we go backstage and meet Wangshu?”

  “Not tonight, darling,” Lady Li said. “It’s too late.”

  Second Daughter groaned her unhappiness, but she let Eunuch Bai lead her away.

  Lady Li went down the stairs and started to work her way through the crowd. The people were still clapping, talking, milling about, waiting for something else to happen. No one seemed to be trying to leave.

  Finally, the crowd erupted into cheers again. Lady Li strained her neck to see what had everyone so excited and saw Wangshu stand up and bow to the crowd. She then waved to the sidelines and several of the other actors came out as well and they all bowed together. But the general still laid there dead.

  Wangshu stepped forward and addressed the crowd. “I’m afraid that Fanhua is committed to his role and will not stand up until after everyone lea
ves,” she said with a laugh. The audience laughed along with her. She shot a pointed look to The Lord of Hell.

  He tossed his head back and let out a jolly belly laugh. “Perhaps I should have Horse Head and Ox Head drag him to the underworld.”

  The audience cheered their agreement, but Wangshu playfully slapped his arm.

  “That would be so rude,” she said. “I’m sure he will come backstage with us as soon as everyone stops looking at him.”

  At that, all the doors to the theater were thrown open and Prince Kung’s guards started to usher everyone out.

  A few drunken patrons tried to be belligerent, but for the most part, everyone filed out in an orderly manner. Except for Lady Li. When the crowd had thinned enough, she made her way backstage.

  She found Inspector Gong just as the actors also made their way backstage.

  The Lord of Hell grabbed Wangshu’s arm and spun her to face him. “What have you done?” he yelled in her face, shaking her vigorously.

  Wangshu dropped her sword, and it clattered to the floor. She started to cry and moved to put her hands to her face, but she froze, as though seeing the blood on them for the first time and started screaming.

  The Lord of Hell slapped her so hard, her neck snapped to the side and she fell to the floor.

  Inspector Gong stepped forward and restrained the Lord of Hell. “That’s enough,” he said. “She’s in shock.”

  Lady Li ran to Wangshu’s side. “Are you all right?” she asked. “What happened?”

  Wangshu sat up and held her hand, the blood upon which was brown and dry, to her cheek and she continued to cry. “I don’t know. I don’t know,” she mumbled as she started to rock.

  Inspector Gong checked to make sure the audience had been cleared out.

  “Hey! Get away from there,” he yelled to two of the other actors who were hovering around the dead general’s body.

  Wangshu looked in his direction and then cried out when she saw the body. Lady Li took her by the arm and turned her so she didn’t have to face it.

  “Wangshu,” Lady Li said, looking into her eyes. “Do you remember me? I was a lady-in-waiting for the empress. I’m Lady Li.”

  Wangshu looked at Lady Li for a moment, her brow scrunched, then she nodded. She sniffed, but her wailing had stopped. Lady Li rubbed her shoulder.

  “Good,” she said. “Now can you tell me what happened?”

  Wangshu used one of her long, draping sleeves to rub her face, smearing her perfect makeup. “The sword…” she said, glancing to where it still lay on the floor. “It…it’s just a prop. The blade is supposed to fold into the handle…” She shook her head in disbelief. “But it didn’t. It just…it went in and…” She held her hand to her mouth as she started to gag.

  Lady Li shook her gently to get her attention. “Don’t do that,” she said. “I need you to stay strong for me, okay?”

  Inspector Gong walked over to the sword and picked it up by the hilt. He tested the blade against a wooden beam. It did not collapse as Wangshu had described.

  “It’s a real sword,” he said, and the other actors gasped. He turned to the Lord of Hell. “What do you say? Was it supposed to be a fake sword?”

  The Lord of Hell nodded. “All the weapons we use are merely imitation.” He went over and grabbed a lance. As he shook it, the blade quivered. “Real weapons would be too heavy or dangerous to use while on stage.”

  Inspector Gong handed the sword to the Lord of Hell. “Shouldn’t the girl have noticed if this sword was heavier than usual?”

  The Lord of Hell hesitated as he eyed the blood on the blade, but then he took it and bounced it in his hand. “This is a rather light sword, so it is similar in weight to the prop she should have used. The prop sword is more durable because it has to look like it is really entering the body, but as she said, it should have collapsed when pressed firmly against Fanhua’s body. But this looks nothing like the prop sword. The design on the hilt is completely different.”

  “We only rehearsed the play once,” Wangshu said. “I didn’t memorize what the stupid sword looked like.”

  “So this is your story?” the inspector asked Wangshu. “That the sword was switched so you killed him by accident?”

  “It’s not a story,” she said. “It’s the truth! I would never kill someone!”

  “But you did kill someone,” the inspector said. “Accident or not, you ran him through with your own hand. And there are hundreds of witnesses.”

  Wangshu stood up and backed away from the inspector. “But I didn’t do it!” she said. “I mean…I…I didn’t try to. I didn’t…”

  “I know what you mean,” the inspector said as he walked slowly toward her. “But you are still a murderess and I’m going to have to arrest you.”

  “No!” she gasped, turning away and trying to flee, but Lady Li stood in her path. “Lady Li,” Wangshu begged. “Don’t let him do this. It was an accident.”

  Lady Li sympathized with Wangshu. She did not think that the girl was a cold-hearted killer. But she didn’t think there was anything she could do. “I’m so sorry,” Lady Li said.

  Inspector Gong grabbed Wangshu by the arm.

  “No! Stop!” she screamed as she tried to pull away, her tears starting up again.

  “What’s going on?” Prince Kung demanded, walking up the aisle and hopping up onto the stage.

  “I’m arresting Wangshu for the murder of Fanhua,” the inspector declared. “There might be more to the case, and I’ll look into it, but there is no denying that she killed the man.”

  “What do you mean more to the case?” the prince asked, crossing his arms.

  Inspector Gong released Wangshu and took the sword from the Lord of Hell, handing it to the prince. “She says that the sword was switched. She thought she was using just a prop sword, a collapsible one, but she was actually holding this one. She says the death was an accident.”

  The prince tested the blade. “And do you believe her?” he asked the inspector.

  “I don’t know yet,” the inspector said. “And I’m not sure her intentions matter. Either way, the man ended up dead at her hand.”

  Wangshu grunted in frustration. “But I didn’t do it!” she said, stomping her foot. “Someone switched the sword! That person should be arrested, not me!”

  “Who do you think switched the sword?” the inspector asked.

  “I…I don’t know,” she said, holding up her hands, which were covered with her long sleeves, helplessly.

  “Why would someone switch them?” the inspector pressed. “Who would want Fanhua dead?”

  “You’re the inspector,” Wangshu spat. “You should be finding out instead of arresting me.”

  The inspector stepped forward, gripping her arm roughly. Lady Li placed her hand on his arm to still his anger.

  “That’s enough, both of you,” she said, using a tone typically reserved for her children. She then turned her attention to Inspector Gong. “There must be something you can do to help her.”

  “Help a murderer?” he asked. “You saw her kill the man just as I did.”

  “But these are extreme circumstances,” Lady Li said. “If you only arrest her, you could be letting the real killer, a very dangerous and brazen one, go free.”

  “I said I would look into the switching of the blade,” Inspector Gong said. “But I still need to arrest Wangshu.”

  “But if you arrest her, the Ministry of Justice might put her death in a matter of days!” Lady Li finally said bluntly. She didn’t want to scare Wangshu further, or give her cause to run, but Inspector Gong was ignoring the fact that once he took her in, what happened next was beyond his control.

  “What?” Wangshu yelled, her face going pale even under her smeared makeup. “But…but…I—”

  “I know,” Inspector Gong said, interrupting her and rolling his eyes. “You didn’t do it.”

  “Well, I didn’t,” she said through gritted teeth.

  “Enough,”
the prince said stepping forward. Everyone silenced. “This is a serious matter. But there is a lot more going on here. While Wangshu should be held accountable for her crime in some way—”

  Wangshu gasped but quickly shut her mouth when the prince looked at her.

  “There is most likely a far more sinister, and possibly more dangerous, killer on the loose,” the prince continued. “For now, Wangshu will not be arrested, but one of my guards will watch her to make sure she doesn’t escape. In the meantime, Inspector Gong will look for whoever switched the blade and find out what is really going on here.”

  “Yes, your highness,” Inspector Gong said as he dropped Wangshu’s arm, which she then rubbed dramatically.

  “All of you,” the prince said looking at the various actors. “Are to cooperate with the inspector’s investigation. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, your highness,” they all said with a bow.

  The prince then turned away and ordered someone to bring a sheet to cover Fanhua’s body. The inspector went over to talk to him.

  “That inspector has it out for me,” Wangshu whispered to Lady Li. “He won’t be satisfied until he sees my head roll.”

  “No,” Lady Li said, trying to comfort her. “I have known him for a long time, and I have only ever seen him try to get to the truth of the matter.”

  “But I’m telling the truth!” Wangshu said. “Why would he want me arrested when it was an accident?”

  Lady Li sighed. “I am sure he feels that he is in a difficult position,” she said. “After all, we did see the actual crime take place. I cannot think of another time when the person who committed a murder was not an actual murderer.”

  “So, I’m the first woman to perform opera in public,” Wangshu said, holding her head high. “And I’m the first innocent murderer.”

  Lady Li had been so focused on saving Wangshu, she hadn’t given much thought to the actual crime yet, but Wangshu’s words resonated with her.

  “Do you think that your performance might have something to do with the murder?” she asked.