The morning rain had just stopped, and water droplets still clung to the bluestone slabs of the Xuan'an Bureau.
The on-duty constable had just polished the gavel until it gleamed when a matchmaker in red silk burst through the doors. The pearls on her golden hairpins trembled violently, and she clutched half of a snapped hairpin in her hand, her knuckles turning white.
"Official!" Her knees buckled as if to kneel, but the constable hurried forward to catch her. "The younger son of the Liu family's cloth shop in the West City got married today! The bridal sedan had just been carried into the courtyard when the groom dropped dead, falling straight as a board!" She sobbed, her tears splashing onto the red silk and leaving dark spots. "That young bride, Miss Liu, is even weirder! She vanished without even lifting her red wedding veil!
Chapter 16