Chapter 42

Qin Ying couldn’t hold back and asked, “How come you’re here?”

Xie Xinglan curved his lips slightly. “The young lady of Prince Xuanping’s residence was murdered, which alarmed His Majesty. His Majesty saw that I solved the two previous cases, so he sent me to replace Zheng Qin.”

“But aren’t you…”

Aren’t you supposed to be taking on the task of the southern inspection tour?

Qin Ying hesitated, and Xie Xinglan replied calmly, “What? In these past two days, I’ve been finalizing the Dou family’s case, and Dou Ye has been sent to the Ministry of Justice prison. It happens to be a good time for me to take on this task.”

Qin Ying wanted to say more, but Cui Muzhi interjected coldly, “His Majesty intended for you to head south, yet you handed that task over to Zheng Qin. I just wonder if Zheng Qin will appreciate your goodwill.”

Xie Xinglan’s expression turned cold. He glanced at Cui Muzhi and said, “I don’t know if Zheng Qin will appreciate my goodwill, but I do know that Marquis Changqing’s residence is far from being able to compare with Duke Xin’s. You should feel fortunate that I’m taking over this case.”

Cui Muzhi’s face turned slightly pale, but Xie Xinglan didn’t intend to delay further. He motioned to Qin Ying with a nod of his chin, “Shall we go inside and take a look?”

Qin Ying had no time to ponder why Xie Xinglan handed over the prestigious task of promotion. She steadied her mind and hurried to the main hall of the mortuary. Inside, Wang Yun and Yuan Shoucheng stood respectfully, bowing their heads. When they saw her and Xie Xinglan arrive, they quickly saluted. At this moment, Cui Muzhi, who had been standing outside, caught his breath and scanned the area, asking, “Where are Zhao Lian and Lord Zhou?”

Wang Yun, hearing this from inside, immediately walked to the door and said, “Captain Zhao was here waiting, but a moment ago, he mentioned needing to return to the yamen briefly. He should be back shortly.”

The deceased was the young lady of Prince Xuanping’s residence, and the entire capital’s yamen dared not delay. Cui Muzhi nodded and proceeded to the back hall, with Yue Lingxiu following nervously.

In the back hall, two corpses were laid out. As soon as they entered, Xie Xinglan and Qin Ying covered their noses and mouths. Their eyes swept over the room, landing on the corpse placed near an ice basin under the bed. As they approached, Qin Ying immediately understood why it had taken two days to confirm the deceased’s identity.

It was a disfigured female corpse, and the most shocking aspect was the face, covered in wounds. The body had been dead for many days, with severe decomposition. The face, veined with purple decay, bore over a dozen knife wounds, each deep enough to expose the bone. The torn flesh wounds were a breeding ground for maggots and flies. Although the body had been cleaned, maggots the size of rice grains still wriggled on the face and neck.

Pulling out a silk handkerchief to cover her nose and mouth, Qin Ying moved closer, examining the body from head to toe.

The deceased was clearly dead for several days. Her face was swollen, her eyes bulging, her lips turned outward, and her tongue slightly protruded from her mouth. Looking further down, her neck appeared thickened, her chest and abdomen were bloated, and her limbs were swollen. All exposed skin had turned a dirty green color, with branching veins beneath the surface appearing purple-black, creating a horrifying and shocking sight.

The corpse was so swollen that it was difficult to recognize, and her face was severely disfigured. Her red dress was covered in mud, and green corpse fluid spread beneath her. Qin Ying found it hard to imagine that this body belonged to Li Fangrui of Prince Xuanping’s residence.

Even with the ice basin slowing the decomposition, the body would not look much better when the Prince and Madam Liu came to identify it. They would struggle to confirm the deceased’s identity. Qin Ying said solemnly, “She went to Xiangguo Temple to offer incense on the 19th and disappeared halfway. Her body was later found in the capital. She either returned to the city herself or was abducted. Even if she was killed on the night of the 19th, today is only the 10th day since then.”

“Now that it’s autumn and the weather is cooling, her body shouldn’t have decomposed so quickly in just ten days. Unless her body was submerged in water after death or stored in a damp and dirty place, accelerating the decay.”

Standing nearby, Cui Muzhi and Yue Lingxiu agreed.

Yue Lingxiu said, “I also find it strange. Usually, corpses examined or sent to the morgue in this weather take about half a month to swell this severely. Later, I asked Captain Zhao and found that the location where the body was discovered was indeed somewhat damp.”

Qin Ying thought of the narrow alley on Baicao Street. “The body couldn’t have been left there for several days—”

Seeing Xie Xinglan’s puzzled gaze, Qin Ying explained, “On the way here with Lord Cui and Coroner Yue, I went to check the alley where the body was found. The alley was damp, and the place where the corpse was discovered was a filthy heap. Roujia mentioned that there were warehouses nearby where several medicine merchants stored their goods. I took a look, and the heap was filled with rotting medicinal materials and miscellaneous items like bamboo crates used for packing.”

A flicker of light flashed in Xie Xinglan’s eyes. He hadn’t expected Cui Muzhi to bring Yue Lingxiu to ask Qin Ying’s help. Considering this, he asked, “Li Fangrui has been missing for several days, which I was aware of, but now that her body is in such a state, how were they able to confirm that the deceased is Li Fangrui?”

Cui Muzhi stepped forward and explained, “It was because of a mole beneath Li Fangrui’s left eye and the calluses on her hands. Unlike most martial artists who predominantly have heavy calluses on their right hands, she had them on both hands due to her fondness for using twin swords. The calluses on her finger joints and the base of her thumbs are particularly distinct.”

“Additionally, when Li Fangrui went to offer incense at Xiangguo Temple, she was wearing a pale moon-white dress. However, she was known for her love of wearing red. We suspect that after separating from her attendants, she returned to the capital secretly and changed into her favorite red dress. That dress was embroidered with patterns of the tangdi flower, which was her favorite.”

Qin Ying examined the deceased’s face again. After a long look, she indeed found a mole beneath the left eye, but it was near the edge of a curled wound. Coupled with the severe facial swelling, it was nearly impossible to determine the mole’s precise position. The deceased’s hands did show signs of calluses, but as the skin had begun to harden and peel, the original shape of the calluses was no longer visible.

Unable to hold back, she asked, “Are there no other physical evidence? Moles and calluses aren’t exactly unique.”

Cui Muzhi said, “That’s all. At first, the Princess Consort absolutely refuses to believe the deceased is Li Fangrui. However, when she saw the tangdi flower pattern embroidered on the deceased’s red dress, she could no longer deny it. The tangdi flower, with its lush leaves, is often a metaphor for brotherly affection, making it exceedingly rare to appear on women’s dresses. The Princess Consort commented that among all the noblewomen in the capital, she had never seen any young lady embroider such patterns on her dress.”

Qin Ying inspected the deceased’s red dress and asked, “Has she seen this outfit before? Even if Li Fangrui liked it, embroidering such a dress would take significant effort and could not have been done by her own hands.”

Cui Muzhi frowned and replied, “She indeed has not seen the outfit. However, Li Fangrui was a spoiled and opinionated individual. Before visiting Xiangguo Temple, she left the mansion several times to stay at another estate or residence in the city. Many dresses were arranged at these locations.”

After a slight pause, Cui Muzhi added, “Prince Xuanping said that Li Fangrui might have planned this beforehand. She may have prepared her travel attire in locations unknown to them.”

Qin Ying nodded in agreement, “With so many coincidences coinciding, it is indeed difficult to believe it was anyone else.” She walked around the mortuary bed, examining and lightly pressing on the corpse’s body with a cloth covering her hand. Then she leaned in and asked, “Coroner Yue, what did you find during your previous examination?”

Yue Lingshou replied with a grim face, “I found nothing. By the time the body was discovered, it was already infested with maggots, and the abdomen was bloated. From head to toe, no fatal wounds or bone injuries were found, nor were there any strangulation marks. It was also impossible to identify signs of suffocation, drowning, or poisoning. At the time, I wanted to seek your help but hesitated due to the unknown identity of the deceased. It wasn’t until yesterday, when it was revealed that the deceased was the eldest daughter of Prince Xuanping’s household, that I informed Lord Cui and realized that consulting you was necessary.”

Qin Ying furrowed her brows slightly and asked, “If she were not the daughter of Prince Xuanping’s household, would you have let the matter drop?”

Her tone was not sharp, yet her question caused Yue Lingxiu’s face to turn abruptly red. He embarrassedly confessed, “I will, of course, do my utmost. However… considering the distinguished status of the County Princess, if it were an ordinary person, I wouldn’t dare trouble her.”

Qin Ying shook her head, saying, “Next time, regardless of who has died, if you think I can help, feel free to come to the Marquis’ residence to find me.”

Her words brightened Yue Lingxiu’s eyes, but Qin Ying’s expression remained somber. “However, this time, I fear I’m powerless.”

Yue Lingxiu was stunned, and Xie Xinglan and Cui Muzhi were also surprised.

Qin Ying sighed helplessly, “I’m not a deity—” She gestured toward the corpse. “Look, her abdomen and neck are so swollen. If the body’s surface hasn’t been cleaned, the corpse worms must have already consumed it. Now, her internal organs must be infested with maggots. Even if the Prince’s residence agreed to an autopsy—which they don’t—unless she swallowed gold and died, it would be difficult to find anything useful.”

Yue Lingxiu couldn’t help but ask, “Then what should we do? Without identifying the cause of death, how can we investigate the murderer?”

Qin Ying’s gaze fell on the red dress of the deceased. “Start with the body and the site where it was dumped. Look into the friends and family of the deceased before her death. Didn’t she have a prior plan? Then why did this happen?”

Qin Ying gestured to Yue Lingxiu, and together, they removed the red dress from the deceased. Once the red dress was taken off, only the inner garments remained, which were stained with marks left by the corpse’s decay. The lower abdomen, in particular, had turned a greenish hue from decomposition, with mold spots growing on the inner garments. Tiny corpse worms wriggled in the folds of the clothing, a sight that would be too much for anyone with a weaker mind.

Cui Muzhi, who had only been in the Ministry of Justice for less than half a month, felt uncomfortable. He wanted to step back, but seeing Xie Xinglan standing motionless beside him, he forced himself to endure and said in a low voice, “Concerning the marriage matter, Minister of Rites Wei Chong intended to establish a marital connection with the Prince’s household. At the start of this year, the two families had already arranged for the marriage of their children. If nothing had gone wrong, the betrothal gifts and formalities would have been exchanged next month—”

Cui Muzhi’s tone slightly faltered as he reached this point, pausing briefly before continuing, “But Li Fangrui did not wish to marry into the Wei family. She disapproved of Wei Meng, the Wei family’s son, considering him just a bookish scholar. Because of this, she had been at odds with her family for half a year. However, the Prince and his wife believed this marriage was an excellent match and ignored her objections. They thought her drastic actions were an attempt to escape the marriage.”

Hearing this, Qin Ying couldn’t help but remark, “Why is it always about marriage again?”

Back then, Earl Zhongyuan forced Cui Wan into marriage to establish ties with the Prince of Huainan’s mansion, leading to many later tragedies. Now, at Prince Xuanping’s residence, his daughter is also being pressured into marriage. Yet, Li Fangrui was evidently more determined. Even before the engagement was finalized, she resisted her parents’ orders by running away from the arranged marriage.

Thinking of this, a trace of compassion emerged in Qin Ying’s eyes. In this world, marriages for women were mostly arranged by their parents. Li Fangrui likely never imagined that her attempt to escape marriage would cost her life.

Just as this thought crossed her mind, Cui Muzhi remarked with pursed lips, “Li Fangrui was trained in martial arts since she was young and aspired to marry a military man. However, Prince Xuanping did not like military men as sons-in-law. He felt her temperament was better suited to a gentle and scholarly husband, which he believed was in her best interest. But her fiery and untamed nature ultimately led to this great misfortune.”

Qin Ying, lamenting Li Fangrui’s fate, could hardly believe Cui Muzhi’s words and retorted, “So, her murder was entirely because of her fiery nature? If Prince Xuanping truly cared for his daughter, why would he disregard her wishes entirely?”

Cui Muzhi solemnly said, “Children’s marriage should naturally follow the parents’ orders and matchmaker’s arrangements. Moreover, Prince Xuanping and his wife acted with good intentions. In the eyes of outsiders, the union between the two families was considered a perfect match of social status and talents. If she hadn’t stubbornly run away from the arranged marriage, she would now be enjoying dinner at the Prince’s residence instead of lying here cold and lifeless.”

Qin Ying, filled with indignation, couldn’t resist mocking, “Just because Lord Cui likes unions between well-matched families and talented individuals doesn’t mean everyone else does. Besides, if a man ends up in an unwanted marriage, he can still take multiple wives and keep the ones he likes by his side. Can women do the same?”

Cui Muzhi was caught off guard by Qin Ying’s veiled criticism. Remembering the Lu family’s annulment yesterday, he suddenly realized that Qin Ying was aware of the situation. He felt conflicted, annoyed that Lu Roujia had disclosed the matter to Qin Ying and embarrassed about how it appeared. After all, while he claimed to want to marry Lu Roujia, he privately maintained relationships with other women. In Qin Ying’s eyes, wouldn’t this make him seem fickle and irresponsible?

Qin Ying wasn’t finished yet. She fixed her cold gaze on Cui Muzhi and said, “In this kind of world, it’s difficult for women even to seek separation from their husbands. Yet parents often disregard their children’s wishes as though their daughters are mere puppets. How is this ‘good intentions’? I wonder what Prince Xuanping and his wife think, seeing their daughter lying here cold and lifeless?”

Cui Muzhi felt a pang of discomfort and forced himself to respond, “Children enjoy the protection and privileges brought by their family. Naturally, they must make sacrifices for the family when they grow up. After all, there’s no such thing as perfection in this world.”

Qin Ying curled her lips coldly while fiddling with the deceased’s red dress, saying, “Indeed, there is no such thing as perfection, but if it’s truly for the family, why disguise it as parents acting solely for their children’s benefit?”

Cui Muzhi hadn’t expected Qin Ying to be so sharp-tongued. In front of Xie Xinglan, she made him seem like a petty woman with no demeanor and one who couldn’t even hold his own. Though completely contrary to his thoughts, Qin Ying’s words still stirred a ripple in his otherwise calm heart. He refrained from arguing further with Qin Ying and simply said,” Prince Xuanping and his wife deeply regret their actions, but it is too late now. Therefore, the two government offices must quickly find the culprit who murdered Li Fangrui.”

Despite differing views on other matters, everyone present agreed on this point. Qin Ying did not respond further but instead carefully inspected the red dress.

Xie Xinglan’s gaze fell on Qin Ying, his heart trembling and unable to settle for a long time. Although he had remained silent earlier, he hadn’t expected Qin Ying’s mocking words toward Cui Muzhi to align with the entire story trajectory from a previous life.

After marrying Lu Roujia, Cui Muzhi raised the second daughter of Duke Lu’s mansion in his household. Though she wasn’t given an official title, she was treated like a secondary wife. Meanwhile, Li Fangrui married Wei Meng in her previous life, fervently sought a separation, and when unsuccessful, she ended up confronting Wei Meng violently.

A strange feeling flickered in Xie Xinglan’s heart. It wasn’t the first time he suspected that Qin Ying was like him, but if that were the case, Qin Ying’s changed temperament could be explained. However, how could she have such a grasp of investigative methods?

Xie Xinglan couldn’t figure it out. Just then, Qin Ying suddenly picked up the deceased’s red dress and started pondering. He stepped forward and asked, “Have you discovered anything unusual?”

Qin Ying shook her head. “There’s a sense of strangeness, but I can’t quite pinpoint what’s odd about it. This dress is not of superior quality, but considering Li Fangrui was fleeing from home, it makes sense.”

The red dress in Qin Ying’s hands was made of ordinary cotton fabric, wrinkled and soaked in corpse fluid, covered in mud stains, and giving off a stench of decay. After examining the dress, she inspected the deceased’s undergarments and trousers. Suddenly, a tear on the deceased’s trousers caught her attention. “The innerwear is thin cotton, not silk. There’s a tear on the right leg of her trousers, likely caused by snagging on something sharp. But apart from stains left by the corpse fluid, there’s no mud on the trouser leg.”

Xie Xinglan, without hesitation, moved closer to her and also examined the spot she pointed out. He quickly remarked, “It seems to be torn by a nail or some kind of wooden splinter. The alley wasn’t the primary location for disposing of the body; the tear was likely caused while the killer transported the deceased.”

Qin Ying examined the red dress again and quickly frowned. “But there’s no tear on the dress.”

Xie Xinglan replied, “If the hem of the dress was bunched up, it’s not surprising that only the trousers were torn.”

The two continued investigating closely together, and Yue Lingxiu also stepped forward to examine without hesitation. Cui Muzhi stood to the side, momentarily appearing like an outsider. He wanted to interject but lacked direction. At that moment, footsteps were heard coming from the outer hall.

Soon, Zhao Lian entered the inner hall with two government officers. “Apologies for my delay, my lords. Ah, Lord Xie and the County Princess are here as well—” He clasped his hands in a salute, Xie Xinglan nodded briefly, and Qin Ying glanced at Zhao Lian. Knowing his character, she chose not to acknowledge him.

Cui Muzhi explained, “The Jinwu Guards reassigned Lord Xie to oversee this case, and the County Princess is here to assist.”

Zhao Lian wasn’t surprised but hadn’t expected Qin Ying, a noble County Princess, to accompany corpses regularly. He smiled and offered a few words of flattery before turning to Yue Lingxiu. “So? Still can’t determine the cause of death?”

Yue Lingxiu nodded in frustration, and Zhao Lian sighed, “Based on my years of experience, I suspect Miss Li was suffocated to death. The killer might have used a cotton pillow or similar object, leaving no visible traces. Considering Miss Li was fleeing from an arranged marriage and traveling without servants, she likely carried gold and silver. Yet when her body was found, there wasn’t a single piece of jewelry. I suspect she fell victim to a robber.”

Qin Ying shook her head silently, but Cui Muzhi reacted quickly. “If it were robbery, why disfigure her face?”

Zhao Lian’s eyelid twitched. “Perhaps… perhaps the killer was struck by her beauty?”

Qin Ying remarked, “The corpse is severely decomposed, making it impossible to determine whether the victim was violated before death. However, if the perpetrator were a stranger robbing her, they would either disregard her appearance entirely or, upon noticing her beauty, be more likely driven by lust. Disfiguring the victim’s face so cruelly either indicates a twisted psychological desire for sadistic abuse or an act of revenge. Hence, your hypothesis doesn’t hold.”

Zhao Lian laughed apologetically, “I’m foolish and was merely speculating.”

At this point, Xie Xinglan asked, “Were you the one leading the investigation when the corpse was discovered?”

Zhao Lian confirmed, and Xie Xinglan continued, “What was found?”

Zhao Lian answered seriously, “The alley is remote, surrounded by warehouses, and the nearest residential building is dozens of meters away. The corpse was discovered on the morning of the 26th. When questioned, the locals said there were no unusual occurrences on the night of the 25th. We interviewed several dozen people in the area. Among them, only an elderly servant guarding a warehouse had been in the alley on the morning of the 25th to dispose of a basket of spoiled medicinal herbs. None of the others had entered the alley. The old servant reported not seeing the corpse then, indicating that the body was dumped between the morning of the 25th and dawn of the 26th.”

Cui Muzhi added, “Both ends of the alley are accessible and interconnected, but disposing of a body there would require considerable effort and would have to avoid detection. This suggests the body was likely dumped late on the evening of the 25th.”

Qin Ying suddenly asked, “When the corpse was discovered, was it inside a bamboo basket? What was its posture?”

At the mention of this, Zhao Lian couldn’t help but shudder. “The entire body was curled up inside the bamboo basket, but slightly tilted, almost as if… as if it had been in that position for quite some time.”

Qin Ying seemed deep in thought, and Zhao Lian continued, “We’ve already inquired at several estates where Miss Li might have gone. The people from the Prince’s mansion said they hadn’t seen Miss Li. It’s possible she visited a friend whose intentions were malicious and ended up being murdered there. However, we and the Jinwu Guards have investigated all her close acquaintances, and none of them reported seeing her.”

Qin Ying thoughtfully said, “Then we must start with the corpse and the disposal site. It’s essential to locate the original crime scene. As for this red dress, the texture of the deceased’s clothing—from inner to outer layers—was ordinary, likely intentional. Yet, as Princess Consort has mentioned, the design of the tang pattern on this dress is quite distinctive. Even if she had planned this escape in advance, she would have chosen new attire. Moreover, after returning to the city, she would need a new place to stay—”

At this moment, Xie Xinglan asked, “Which shop is that old servant guarding the warehouse for?”

Zhao Lian was momentarily stunned by the question and quickly called out, “Zhao Qing! Come in and report—”

Zhao Lian summoned someone and somewhat guiltily explained, “It was one of my subordinates who went to inquire.”

Xie Xinglan frowned, also feeling that Zhao Lian had been too careless. Soon, a middle-aged officer in his thirties entered the room. The moment he walked in, he looked visibly apprehensive. He kept his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him, seemingly intentionally avoiding looking at the corpse.

As he approached, Xie Xinglan spoke sternly, “You’re an officer and have seen many deceased individuals. Why do you still show such fear?”

Zhao Qing looked uncomfortable, as if avoiding something, and seemed hesitant to speak. Seeing his reaction, Xie Xinglan’s voice grew sharper, pressing, “Have you perhaps uncovered some detail and are hiding it?”

Panicked, Zhao Qing hurriedly replied, “Reporting to you, my lord, I wouldn’t dare. It’s just that Miss Li’s death reminded me of a case from ten years ago.”