‘Have something or somebody covered up?’ Mayor Pei repeated the question. ‘Now you mention it, some people above did talk to me about the urgency of getting to the very bottom of it, and bringing the people involved to justice, whatever their position or status. That’s what was said to me, I remember – something to that effect, at least.’

It was the third time that Pei mentioned ‘some people above,’ who must have an undisclosed reason to bring pressure to bear upon the mayor like that.

A shudder ran down through Judge Dee’s spine. It confirmed the scenario he had contemplated the previous night, the more so in the light of the peony poem written by Xuanji. And it was the very poem delivered by the flower girl the night before.

‘What specifically do you mean by “some people above,” Your Excellency?’

‘Well, I’m just a low-level mayor on the outskirts of the capital,’ Mayor Pei said, abruptly sounding evasive again. ‘There’re so many people high above in the great capital, demanding this and that, as you may well imagine.’

‘Just as the old saying goes, “It’s so difficult to serve as an official in the capital.” There’re so many people high above you here. That’s why I have no choice but to leave.’

‘Come on, Your Honor. You’re one of those most trusted by Her Majesty. You don’t have to say that to me. But it’s true: it’s far more difficult to serve as an official on the outskirts of the great capital, with far more people high above.’

‘And with the case dragging on, bringing about more and more collateral damage—’

‘What do you mean by “more collateral damage,” Your Honor?’

‘Have you heard of the death of Wei, Mayor Pei?’

‘Wei, the good-for-nothing man connected to Xuanji?’

‘Yes, he was killed yesterday afternoon on the road in front of the nunnery. According to some villagers there, Wei’s the man kept by her in a hut she purchased for him.’

‘Oh, I did not know anything because I did not go to the office yesterday. Is there anything – any details – you happen to know about the killing of Wei near the nunnery?’

‘Possibly a chance mugging that went wrong. But I doubt it. Wei did not make a likely target. And it happened in broad daylight, too. According to a villager who hurried out to the crime scene a little later, catching only a glance of the back of a black-attired rider galloping out of sight, Wei was killed with something like a saber. The attacker delivered two or three vicious swipes from the black horse.’

‘A black-attired rider on a black horse! I’ll be damned, Your Honor. It’s getting more and more weird and complicated. I’ll check into it this morning. So you think Wei’s death is related to Xuanji’s case?’