Find evidence
Early the next morning, Xu Lanxin was once again awakened by a string of clear laughter.
I pulled the covers over my head, turned over, and tried to go back to sleep, but was jolted awake by a familiar voice.
I thought Bai Lian would come out, but I didn't expect that only two days would pass.
"Elder sister, why aren't you up yet? You're so lazy. You'll be disliked when you go to your husband's family."
Who else could this voice be but Xu Zhilan's?
This little white lotus doesn't know how to restrain herself and still dares to provoke her.
That's true. With a loving father as a backer, of course one can be willful and unrestrained at home.
"What, you're envious? Then you can have it!"
"Elder sister, I'm doing this for your own good. A woman obeys her father at home and her husband after marriage. Before your husband gets up, you must get up to help him dress, wash, and prepare breakfast."
"Big sister can't stay in bed like this, the sun's high in the sky!"
Xu Zhilan covered her mouth with a handkerchief and smiled charmingly, but the disdain in her eyes only increased.
"Speak, what is it? My house is separated from your courtyard by a moat, and you think I'm going to talk to you about women's virtues?"
Xu Lanxin had no intention of putting on airs with her and wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible, as it was an unlucky time of the morning.
Xu Zhilan was speechless for a moment, feeling that Xu Lanxin, who used to be timid and submissive, was different, as if something was about to get out of control.
After regaining her senses, her smile remained, and she maintained her perfect "pure and innocent" persona.
"Elder sister is joking. Mother asked me to inform you that tomorrow is the day Najib will present his betrothal gifts, and that you should dress up nicely."
"Bring this here."
Several maids filed in carrying trays and lined up in order.
"Big sister, this was prepared for you by Mother,"
She walked to the tray with clothes and pointed, saying, "This is the finest gold gauze, sister, what do you think? And over there are gold and jade jewelry, all of the best."
Xu Lanxin sneered inwardly. It was indeed nice, glittering and seemingly expensive, but the color scheme and the nouveau riche style made it clear what they were up to.
"You've really gone to a lot of trouble, Madam. Thank you so much."
She reluctantly accepted the items, thinking that they would serve as start-up capital when she divorced and sold them, allowing her to start a business and support herself.
"Is there anything else?"
Seeing that she still intended to speak, Lanxin quickly said, "Well, you have to go first. I haven't had enough sleep yet. Take care, and don't see me off!"
"Xiao Xi, see the guest out."
After saying that, he pulled the blanket over his head and continued to dream of Morpheus.
Seeing that she didn't know what was good for her, Xu Zhilan broke her composure and spat under her breath before leaving.
As soon as she left, Xu Lanxin jumped off the bed.
"Is this all the punishment you promised? It's not even a drizzle. At least I went to the nunnery to copy scriptures and chant Buddhist prayers!"
"Young lady, don't be angry. Tomorrow is your big day, and it's not good for Madam to be away! Master only let her out because he considered everything carefully!"
That being said, it was hard for her not to resent this differential treatment.
When Qingyu entered the house, she saw that Lanxin looked unhappy, but she didn't go up to comfort her. The reason was simple: she had no feelings for Xu Lanxin at the moment.
"Young lady, the master requests your presence. Qingyun is waiting outside."
He's contacting her now? We haven't seen each other since that unpleasant encounter; it's a little awkward!
"Okay, I'll be there after I've washed up! Tell Qingyun to wait a moment!"
Lanxin followed Qingyun to the morgue.
Yes, that's right, it looks like she's here to work.
I'd actually put some effort into getting ready, but it was all for nothing.
"Young lady, the master requests your help to re-examine the test."
Lan Xin responded, gathered her hair and twirled it a few times, securing it with a hairpin before covering her mouth and nose with a handkerchief.
"Everyone, get out. Leave one person behind to record the results of my dictation."
Lan Xin carefully examined the body, not noticing that someone had entered.
Cen Yan was immediately drawn to her focused expression as soon as he entered the room.
"The deceased had a deep purple horizontal ligature mark on his neck, accompanied by subcutaneous bleeding."
Xu Lanxin pried open the corpse's eyelids and examined it: "The pupils are dilated, and the tongue is purplish-black and sticking out."
The deceased had bruises on his chest, arms, and back, suggesting possible abuse before his death.
"Where was the primary crime scene for the deceased?"
Xu Lanxin remained focused on examining the body, without looking up.
"The lake at the Imperial Academy was discovered a couple of days ago."
Hearing the familiar, cold voice, Lan Xin suddenly looked up.
Why is he here? I thought he didn't want to see her!
Xu Lanxin stopped her random thoughts and continued to concentrate on dissecting the corpse.
These ancient anatomical tools are so inconvenient.
"The deceased's fingernails were free of mud, sand, and weeds; there were no mushroom-shaped bubbles in the mouth and nasal cavity; after the autopsy, there were no foreign objects or pulmonary edema in the trachea; there was no urine in the stomach; and there were no pressure marks on the ribs."
"The deceased did not drown; the body was disposed of after death. The ligature marks on the neck were the fatal wound. The ligature groove was closed in a ring shape, the cartilaginous plate of the scapula was fractured, and the edges of the ligature groove were smooth."
Were any murder weapons found at the crime scene?
The man stared at her blankly without saying a word. Helpless, she could only look at Qingyun.
Qingyun shook his head.
Lan Xin immediately understood: "Send someone to find some soft cloth strips or thinner rope strips."
Seeing that she looked tired, Cen Yan went up to her and walked to her side.
Slender, fair fingers lifted her hair and tucked it behind her ear.
"Go wash your hands, I'll wait for you outside."
Lan Xin nodded obediently, and the man seemed satisfied.
A crimson figure stood under the eaves, upright and tall. Sunlight filtered through layers of leaves, casting dappled patterns on him, like a silhouette painting, in which he was the only color.
As if he heard footsteps behind him, he turned around. His back was to the light, and his expression was not very clear, but the slight upturn of his lips showed that he was in a good mood.
"you"
The two spoke at the same time, but then stopped talking.
"Did the adults go to the scene? Are there any on-site investigation records?"
Lan Xin spoke first, breaking down the barrier.
"Come with me."
He led the way and continued:
"This murder case involves three sons of officials, which has enraged the Emperor. The case has now been transferred to the Court of Judicial Review for investigation."
He turned his head and looked over: "I'm afraid the coroner wasn't thorough enough, so I asked you to come and examine it."
"Your conclusions are more detailed than the coroner's."
I felt a little embarrassed after he praised me. Why is that?
Soon, the two arrived at the Shaoqing Hall, where he worked.
Lan Xin quickly scanned the case; the scene had been disturbed, and there was no usable information.
"When a murder or other crime occurs, the scene should be protected immediately, and then examined and recorded by professionals. None of this was done."
According to the record, there were too many students watching at the time, and the footprints were messy and chaotic. The scene had been destroyed, and there was no more favorable evidence.
The best course of action now is to find the rope used to strangle Li Sheng as soon as possible.
You mean we need to protect the scene?
"I believe that notices should be posted in various places to inform everyone that upon discovering a murder, they should immediately report it to the authorities and preserve the scene until the investigators arrive."
No one may disturb the scene; anyone who does so will be detained for five days.
Lan Xin put down the case file and looked at him: "Sir, why don't we go to the scene? We might find something!"
"Can."
The two got into the carriage and each sat in a separate spot, not getting too close.
"Are you hungry? Let's go eat first!"
This really resonated with her. She ate a steamed bun as soon as she left home that morning. She didn't realize it until it was mentioned, and now that it's been brought up, she feels listless.
"My lord, let's eat at the Imperial Academy's student canteen."
It's been so long since I've had a student meal. I wonder if the food in the student cafeteria here is as good as in modern student cafeterias?
"I really miss my school days!"
"Have you ever attended school?"
In a moment of excitement, I blurted it out.
She laughed awkwardly, "You're joking, sir. I've never been to school. I've only read about it in storybooks!"
"A storybook, one of mine?"
Oh no, who was that big mouth who said that? It must be that traitor Qingyu.
It was so awkward that I didn't know what to say, so I could only look outside.
But then her waist tightened, and he pulled her into his arms, the rich scent of agarwood surrounding her nose.
"Alright, you can say it later if you want, or you don't have to now."
His eyes were full of sincerity, but she didn't want to talk about it right now.
Lan Xin wrapped her arms around his neck and slowly rested her head on his shoulder.
Cen Yan felt her closeness and was very happy.
Let the little fox hide if it wants.
Upon arriving at the Imperial Academy's dining hall and seeing the dishes, Xu Lanxin's face immediately fell.
I'm still a student here, and I never expected the cafeteria to be so terrible—tofu, vegetables, and dried fish.
"Sir, why didn't you say so earlier? We might as well have just eaten a bowl of plain noodles outside!"
"Didn't you want to come? You rarely make requests of me, so you have to grant them."
A low chuckle reached my ears; it was something he couldn't hold back any longer.
At that moment, Xu Lanxin felt that he was doing it on purpose.
The familiar, mesmerizing voice of "sister-in-law" belonged to that chattering kingfisher.
Today, the kingfisher is dressed in a white school uniform, a round-necked blouse with black trim, and a royal blue rope tied around its waist.
The person ran over and sat opposite Lan Xin, right next to Cen Yan. Cen Yan looked at him with some disdain.
“Sister-in-law, you and Zijin have come to see me today! I’m treating, so please order whatever you like.”
Thank you! But I don't want to eat, okay? I'm already full from looking.
"Young Master Yan'an, are you familiar with Li Sheng?"
The man's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a look of sorrow.
"I thought my sister-in-law was here to see me, but it turns out you're here for the case."
That pitiful little expression made Lan Xin feel a little sorry for him.
"Why wasn't I here to see you? I came here specifically to see you; the case was just something I came up with on the side."
The kingfisher's expression changed so quickly; it was happy now. But what's wrong with that big shot next to it? His eyes were practically freezing; you could feel the chill across the table.
The kingfisher, oblivious, began to chirp.
“Li Sheng and I are not in the same dormitory and don’t interact much. He doesn’t talk much and usually just reads books when he’s not doing anything. But he always ranks first in exams and no one can surpass him.”
The man covered his mouth slightly, lowered his head, and whispered, "I heard that the Imperial Academy really likes this student and is even planning to take him as their last disciple!"
"Does he usually have close relationships with anyone?"
"I'm not sure, he always keeps to himself, but you could ask his roommates."
Without hesitation, he got up to go find the person, but Lanxin stopped him.
"Wait a minute, take off the rope around your waist and let me see it!"
"Thump!" He was so startled that he fell off the stool.
"Sister-in-law, isn't that a bit inappropriate? Zijin is here. I still want to live to see tomorrow's sun!"
You're overthinking it, young man!
"Give it to her," the dark-faced man finally spoke up.
Lanxin took the rope and observed it for a while.
Looking across at Yan'an: "Do all your student uniforms and accessories look the same?"
"The student uniforms we wear every day are all issued as a set, and the style and accessories are exactly the same."
The Prince of Yan'an looked puzzled, but still answered honestly.
"Is anyone coming and going from the Imperial Academy right now?" This time, she looked at Cen Yan, since this was under his jurisdiction.
"After the murder, no one is allowed to enter or leave this place. Currently, everyone who enters or leaves is registered."
Lan Xin handed the rope to Cen Yan: "Sir, you might want to take a look at this. It may be the tool used to strangle Li Sheng."
"Sister-in-law, please don't take it off me, I've been wearing it on me the whole time."
The sudden outbreak in Yan'an caused great alarm.
Lan Xin looked at him with disdain; this person's brain structure might be different from that of ordinary people.
"Don't make such a fuss. I didn't say it was you. I just said the murder weapon might be a drawstring from a student's uniform."
After hearing this, the man patted his chest and then wiped away the cold sweat that hadn't appeared on his face.
"Sir, check the scene for any missing ropes."
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