Jiang Lun recounted the entire incident in detail. Only after he finished did he realize that his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his excitement.
At this time, Qiao Sanhe was standing in front of the window with his hands behind his back, looking at the flowers and plants outside the window in a daze. He was over sixty years old, and his beard had turned gray without him knowing when. The years had left deep marks on his face.
He recalled the scene fifty years ago when he first followed his father into the mountains to open a coffin and perform an autopsy.
At that time, he was both scared and excited. He followed his father nervously, learning step by step how to examine the corpse.
"The duty of a coroner is to help those who are no longer able to speak to tell their stories and clear their names."
This sentence is also the family motto of the Qiao family who have been coroners for generations, and it is also the motto he will remember throughout his life.
"Grandpa, when can you perform another autopsy?" Jiang Lun was relatively inexperienced, and compared to Qiao Sanhe, he seemed a little anxious.
Qiao Sanhe understood his grandson's anxiety to help others, so he patted him on the shoulder gently to comfort him.
He said in a deep voice, "It's not difficult to re-examine the body, but the problem is that the original case was concluded with the cremation and burial of the Liu family girl. Even if we find something now, what can we do?"
Jiang Lun was stunned for a moment, then he understood the deep meaning of his grandfather's words.
"You mean..." he began hesitantly.
"After three years, if you carry out a corpse that has turned to bones and claim that it is the daughter of the Liu family, who will believe it easily? If Princess Xianning accuses you of passing off the real thing and uses other corpses to impersonate her, how are you going to prove your innocence?" Qiao Sanhe's eyes were deep as he pointed out the possible difficulties one by one.
He stared at Jiang Lun, his eyes filled with expectation and instruction: "If you want to overturn the verdict, you must ensure that every piece of evidence is impeccable and leave no room for doubt."
Although his grandson was deeply admired by him for his talent and character, he still needed to learn more if he wanted to gain a foothold in officialdom in the future, especially the complexity and sinisterness of human nature.
Jiang Lun was worried, his expression solemn. "What should we do now? Xianzhi has already returned to the Princess's Mansion. What if Princess Xianning attacks him again..."
"Wait," Qiao Sanhe suddenly interrupted him, his brows furrowed, "Are you saying that Master Zhang has returned to the Princess's Mansion?"
"yes."
Qiao Sanhe looked up and thought, quickly going over all the information his grandson had told him in his mind, and suddenly he caught a glimmer of inspiration.
"Not good!" He slammed the table. "From the beginning, Lord Zhang had no intention of letting me re-examine Miss Liu's body. His real purpose was to examine his own body!"
…
In the Imperial Examination Hall in the capital, as the morning light gradually fell, many students had gathered at the east wall in front of the hall, anxiously waiting for the announcement of the results.
They were either gazing intently or talking in low voices, and the air was filled with a tense and expectant atmosphere.
There was a constant stream of carriages and people, and the entire square in front of the Imperial Examination Hall was packed. Many students from the capital and their families also rushed there, waiting for this exciting moment together. Everyone's face was filled with anticipation and nervousness, as if waiting for the judgment of fate.
The carriages of the Xingyuan Marquis Mansion and the Jiang Mansion were parked side by side. The female members of the family got off the carriages gracefully, recalling that the last time they were here was when they were taking the Spring Examination. In the blink of an eye, it was the day of the results announcement, which made people sigh that time flies.
Xue Huichun and her fifth sister Xue Shanqiu paid their respects to the second wife of the Jiang family, Mrs. Qiao.
Mrs. Qiao was all smiles, her eyes revealing her deep love for her future daughter-in-law Xue Huichun. She held her hand tightly, as if she didn't want to let go.
The servants of the two mansions struggled to squeeze through the crowd, their eyes fixed on the east wall, hoping to find their son's name on the list as soon as it was announced, so that they could bring them the good news.
The third son, Xue Jiyan, stood beside the carriage, feeling uneasy. From time to time, his classmates and friends came to greet him, and he congratulated them one by one on their success in the imperial examination. Although he tried hard to remain calm, a hint of nervousness still revealed between his brows.
Hong Yingrong looked at her youngest son Xue Jiyan and Jiang Lun who was talking with Xue Zhongfu, and felt deeply moved.
She clearly remembered that in their previous life, one of them had passed the imperial examination and the other had won the third place. As long as all went well, they should both be able to pass the imperial examination again.
More and more people gathered in front of the Imperial Examination Hall, and other wives of officials also came to greet Hong Yingrong and Qiao. For a moment, no one paid attention to Xue Zhongfu and Jiang Lun who were talking in a low voice.
"I understand. I'll go find Xianzhi right away." Xue Zhongfu glanced at the women beside the carriage and said to Jiang Lun, "Today is the day when your exam results will be announced. You should stay here and keep your aunt company."
"Okay, then you better be careful!" Jiang Lun warned solemnly.
Xue Zhongfu nodded, explained to his mother Hong Yingrong that the Ministry of Works had some urgent matters to deal with, then he jumped on his horse and galloped away.
Just as everyone was eagerly waiting, shouts of "The results are out!" suddenly rang out, breaking the tranquility of the early morning.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on the list that would determine their fate.
"I won! I won!" someone shouted ecstatically, his voice full of excitement.
However, there were also people who squeezed through the crowd with full expectations, repeatedly looking for their names on the list, but found nothing. They actually sat on the ground and burst into tears on the spot.
"My son passed the exam! He was ranked among the top three Jinshi!" The voice was like a thunderclap, exploding in the crowd.
In front of the list, some were laughing and some were crying, and everyone's eyes were cast on the list hanging high on the east wall.
Jiang Lun's mother, Mrs. Qiao, looked extremely nervous at this moment. She clasped her hands tightly together and kept chanting "Amitabha" silently, as if seeking spiritual comfort.
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