Di Renjie and the Moonlit Mystery

Night fell, and all was silent. A few distant barks broke the stillness, making the peaceful Jiangnan town seem even more desolate. Moonlight spilled like water across the streets paved with blue-gray stone, its glow cold and pale. Yet the largest household in town, the wealthy Ye family, was shrouded in an eerie atmosphere. The main hall of the Ye residence blazed with light. Several servants knelt on the floor, trembling. At the head of the hall, the Ye family patriarch, Ye Zhixian, looked livid. His voice shook as he said, “Lord Di, this is simply... inconceivable! My son was perfectly fine last night, yet today he was found dead in his study! The doors and windows were shut tight, and no one went in or out. Who could have done this?!” Seated in the middle of the hall was a middle-aged man in dark blue official robes. His features were noble, his gaze sharp. He was none other than Di Renjie, the famous detective of the imperial court. Hearing this, he raised a hand to calm Ye Zhixian, then turned to his trusted aide standing nearby. “Yuanfang, what do you make of this case?” Yuanfang frowned slightly and cupped his hands. “My lord, there are many suspicious points. Young Master Ye’s study is a sealed room. No outsider could have entered or left without breaking the doors or windows. Yet there are no signs of a struggle, and the victim has a deep knife wound to the chest. The cut is clean, clearly the work of an expert. I believe there is more to this case than meets the eye.” Di Renjie nodded. After a moment’s thought, he rose to his feet and said firmly, “Take me to the study.”