‘Late last night, I had a talk with Minister Wu. He did not say much about the conclusion, but he mentioned that the empress is also very anxious for a quick conclusion to Xuanji’s case. Speculation about the murder case was spreading like wildfire, with all the sordid details imaginable. Her Majesty did not think that it could turn into anything of positive energy for the maintenance of the social stability of the Tang Empire. So the earlier the conclusion, the better for all concerned. An approval for the execution of Xuanji would be quickly made.

‘She could be executed as early as today.’

So that was the end.

Judge Dee nodded over the note, stroking his graying beard in a gust of wind.

After all, people saw a murder case, like anything and everything else in the world of red dust, from their own perspective. And, whether consciously or not, in the light of their own interests, too.

For Empress Wu, the political stability of the Tang Empire was the top priority, particularly at a time when people were complaining about the traditional social hierarchy being turned upside down with her – a woman of dubious background similar to Xuanji’s – now sitting on the throne. Talk about the Xuanji case with all its spicy details spelled a negative criticism of the current regime, adding fuel to the fire. A quick execution of the poetess with an acceptable, convincing conclusion would therefore prove to be in the interests of the empire, whether she was truly guilty as charged or not.

Internal Minister Wu might not have been too pleased with such an outcome as he failed to obtain anything from Xuanji’s latest confession that would incriminate Prince Li, but Wu was in no position to argue with the empress, for he had nothing concrete to support the scenario casting the prince as an accomplice to murder. Still, with both Judge Dee and the prince driven out of the capital for the time being, Minister Wu would have more opportunities for the materialization of his ambitious plan. So the conclusion turned out to be not that unacceptable for the moment.

As for Xuanji, was such an ending acceptable – at least more acceptable than others?

Because of her ultimate sacrifice – at least so she could have imagined – Prince Li remained undiscovered and untouched. For her, that was the best thing that had ever happened to her in her sad, short life. She believed that the prince cared for her, so much so that he took the risk to visit her in the nunnery, and to help her out with the burial in the backyard that night. It was simply overwhelming for her to finally find such a ‘true-hearted lover’ in the prince.