Chapter 38 Double Fatal

"Strange?"

These words brought Lin Yongde, who had been standing to the side, unable to extricate himself from the pain of losing his beloved daughter, back to reality.

"What? Your Highness, what do you mean by this?"

What does it mean to have a suspicious death?

Seeing his concern, Li Jin remained silent for a moment, then took a half step to the side: "Let the gentleman answer Lord Lin's questions."

In the mourning hall, white funeral banners hung high, and Jin Shu, dressed in black robes, stood in front of the coffin, silent for a long time.

She had already mentally reviewed what she could and couldn't say.

He swallowed back the information that might upset Lin Yongde: "Based on Miss Lin's stiffness, the time of death was between 9 PM and 11 PM last night. The fatal injury was a blunt force trauma to the back of her head, resulting in a skull fracture and skin detachment. However, the wound angle was blunt and the edges were irregular. Preliminary examination showed that the entire fracture was star-shaped, with severe bleeding. There were large areas of purplish-blue lividity on her head and face, consistent with the position of being face down after death."

As soon as she finished speaking, she heard Lin Ruxue's mother, Liu, crying so hard in the mourning hall that she fainted.

In the ensuing chaos, everyone saw her helping them up and hurriedly went to fetch a doctor.

Standing in the mourning hall, Lin Yongde looked at Mr. Jin in front of him, his lips trembling slightly. He tried hard to suppress the grief in his heart and waved his hand: "All of you, get out. No one is allowed to come in without the Prince's permission."

After the family members left one after another, Jin Shucai continued, "The space inside the coffin was small, so it was impossible to see clearly whether there were any bone marks left by the murder weapon on the girl's head. But judging from the current situation, the murder weapon used did not seem to be a hammer or other object with neat edges and sharp corners. It seemed to be something with flat features."

"Only relatively flat and hard objects can create large abrasions on the wound, causing massive bleeding from the blood vessels in the head." As she said this, she took two steps forward and glanced at Lin Ruxue, who was lying inside, looking incredibly peaceful.

“But…” Jin Shu paused, her gaze fixed intently on Li Jin, and hesitated for a moment.

Seeing her hesitation, Lin Yongde quickly raised his hand and bowed respectfully: "Please speak freely, sir! As long as it is a clue that helps find the murderer, I, Lin, am willing to accept it!"

This sight made Jin Shu even more conflicted. She frowned and looked at Li Jin, waiting for his instructions on what to do next.

Li Jin glanced at the scene before him and hesitated for a moment.

Lin Yongde is known for spoiling his daughter, but if you don't tell him, he'll definitely keep nagging.

Only after seeing Li Jin nod did Jin Shu continue, "The severe injury to the occipital region is merely a fatal external injury."

Li Jin, who was standing to the side, was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly took two steps forward: "Did you look carefully?"

The fact that the injury was only a fatal external wound means that Miss Lin may also have serious internal injuries.

Even Lin Yongde was shocked by these words. He quickly stepped forward, stood at the edge of the coffin, pursed his lips, and peered over.

"Sect Master, Lady Lin, please look." Jin Shu pointed to Lin Ruxue's lips, "There are many ulcers on the outer sides of her lips."

Then, she raised her hand and pressed her lower lip down: "Bleeding gums, loose teeth, and a clear dark mercury line on the gums."

She opened Lin Ruxue's lips and lifted them slightly: "Large-area ulceration and erosion inside the mouth, with traces of vomit. All of these are characteristics of short-term, acute, and large-volume mercury poisoning."

"What?!" Lin Yongde's eyes widened, and he leaned his entire upper body into the coffin, looking at his once lively and smiling daughter. He suppressed his grief and carefully examined all the places that Jin Shu had mentioned.

Li Jin stood to the side, his expression extremely solemn.

The current situation is truly unexpected.

In a typical murder, there is only one fatal wound. But even if Lin Ruxue didn't have the fatal wound on her head, she would still die from mercury poisoning.

Why would the killer go to such lengths to inflict such severe head injuries on her?

Logically speaking, with such a degree of mercury poisoning, Lin Ruxue would also succumb within fifteen minutes.

Could it be that these are two different groups of people, one after the other, both trying to kill her?

That would be even more surreal. What serious trouble had the illegitimate daughter of a Vice Minister of Works gotten into that she would be targeted and killed by two different groups of people?

Li Jin remained silent for a long time, glanced at Jin Shu, and said calmly, "What do you think, sir?"

Jin Shu hesitated for a moment, pondering for a long time: "Mercury is not something that ordinary people can obtain. It is highly poisonous, but most people who are unaware of its properties still regard it as a great elixir for cultivating immortality. As a result, in the hands of some charlatan alchemists, a few drops of this substance can fetch a hundred taels of silver."

“But to cause damage like Miss Lin’s, it would have to be at least…” She paused, “and it would have to be the full cup of tea that the Prince usually drinks from.”

A full cup.

Let alone ordinary people, even Li Jin might not be able to get his hands on it.

Ordinary people mostly couldn't afford it, while Li Jin couldn't buy it because he couldn't find it.

Such items are in large quantities in the hands of some alchemists, and the imperial court mostly buys them to repair imperial tombs, so they don't usually end up in the hands of ordinary people.

But there is one exception.

"Lord Lin," Li Jin asked, "did you use a lot of mercury during the recent renovations of the imperial mausoleum?"

Lin Yongde was stunned for a moment, then jumped up abruptly: "Does Your Highness mean that my daughter might be poisoned while still in the manor?!"

He was furious and slammed his fist on the coffin: "I will thoroughly investigate everyone in this household! I will demand justice for my poor daughter!"

It's no wonder that Li Jin and Lin Yongde just don't get along. Lin Yongde has a fiery temper and is as stubborn as a mule. He often misses the point when listening to others, which makes him seem particularly obstinate in Li Jin's eyes.

Li Jin frowned, raising his voice slightly: "Lord Lin!"

Seeing that Lin Yongde's gaze had fallen on him, he continued, "How could it possibly be mercury that flowed from the Ministry of Works? Lord Lin, please be careful with your words."

In that instant, Lin Yongde felt as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water, and he suddenly sobered up.

Indeed, if the mercury used for repairing the imperial mausoleum were to flow from the construction site of the Ministry of Works into the general public, not only would Lin Yongde be held accountable, but the entire Ministry of Works would likely be thrown into chaos.

Even if such a possibility exists right now, it cannot be spoken of or shown.

Especially now that so many people are coming to the house to pay their respects, and so many different opinions are circulating, if word gets out, the entire Ministry of Works will be in deep trouble.

He calmed down a bit, took a deep breath, and cupped his hands in greeting: "Thank you for your guidance, Your Highness."

"I was just about to ask you, where did the mercury come from when the Ministry of Works repaired the imperial mausoleum? Through what channels could it be obtained? I really don't know the answer to this question, and I need Lord Lin's guidance."

He spoke calmly and slowly, his tone gentle and soothing, leaving Lin Yongde stunned for a long time.