Autopsy and debut
Chen Yun entered the Imperial Hospital as a doctor as a man. At this moment, she and a doctor were walking on the road to the palace of Qiankun Kingdom under the summer and autumn sun.
The doctor was Fang Zheng. On the way, he taught Chen Ying the precautions in the palace and urged him to talk less and do more. Facing such a good mentor, Chen Ying was also very respectful.
The two of them parted ways when they reached the gate of the Eastern Palace. Chen Yun walked into the Crown Prince's study and saw Li Lin chatting with a guard inside.
Li Lin saw Chen Yun and blinked one eye, and Chen Yun responded with the same expression.
"Zifeng, please step back first!"
After the guards left, Chen Yun stopped pretending and sat down to drink by himself.
Chen Yun: "Your Highness, I heard that good things have happened to you. Your mother is going to select a concubine for you."
Li Lin smiled helplessly, then said, "I'll let you bring Little Pumpkin and Little Winter Melon to live with me. I'll exempt you from the selection process, and you don't need to suffer here, disguised as a man."
Chen Yun said proudly, "I'm not that stupid! The Shang Pharmacy doesn't have as much special income as the Imperial Medical Bureau. And the monthly salary at the Imperial Medical Bureau is hugely different for men and women. I'm sure I'll make a lot of money as a man!"
Li Lin was about to speak when Queen Xue Lian and two women suddenly broke into the study without notifying him.
Chen Yun immediately stood up, bowed respectfully, and took a few steps back. Xue Lian's sharp eyes focused on Chen Yun.
Li Lin immediately stepped forward to block Chen Yun, "Mother, why are you so anxious?"
Chen Yun looked up slightly. The face of the person before him bore the marks of history, yet a hint of charm remained. She wore the casual attire of a noble in the palace, yet her every gesture exuded a domineering air. A shudder trembled inwardly: "Is this the Empress? Ugh—I just feel like she's difficult to get along with."
The two women also saluted Li Lin: "Your servants pay their respects to the Crown Prince."
Xue Lian said, "My mother brought here Li Zi, the daughter of the Minister of Works, and Chen Youyou, the daughter of the Deputy Imperial Physician. They are candidates for the imperial selection. I heard that Lan Xixi has returned to the capital. Besides the two in front of me, the third person to be the Crown Prince's concubine is her."
Li Lin and Chen Yun reacted instantly: "No!"
Chen Ying immediately realized that he had said the wrong thing and covered his mouth.
Chen Youyou stepped forward and said, "How dare a mere imperial physician be so disrespectful to a member of the royal family?"
Xue Lian also didn't let the rude person go. "How dare you! How dare a mere imperial physician make such a noise here! Come, take him down and give him ten slaps!"
Li Lin immediately chimed in, "Wait! Mother! Lan Xixi once disregarded your son's advice and left for a distant land. She even did many hurtful things to this imperial physician some time ago. She must not be made a concubine."
Li Lin nervously stole glances at Chen Yun, fearing she would be sad or act up. Chen Yun still secretly harbored resentment towards Lan Xixi, and his grip on his sleeves tightened even more.
Xue Lian's eyes were filled with scrutiny and suspicion towards Chen Yun. Then he looked at Li Lin, "Grand Tutor's daughter, why did you attack a commoner? But you, by acting like this towards a commoner, are you feeling threatened by him?"
Li Lin was also helpless after hearing this. He was not threatened at all. He just wanted to protect Chen Yan from harm. However, he could not say this thought out loud.
Chen Yun took the initiative to speak earnestly, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is an outstanding person. I am very fortunate to have known such an outstanding person. Therefore, I believe that the Crown Prince's achievements today are due to Your Majesty's careful training. Blood is thicker than water. You are also someone he can rely on. His Highness is fully devoted to his father, the Emperor and his mother, the Empress. He has no ulterior motives. I hope you understand."
Xue Lian was not relieved by Chen Yun's words. Instead, she became suspicious of him. "You are being disrespectful by intervening between me and the Crown Prince. Do you really think I will be fooled by your sweet talk?"
Chen Youyou scolded again: "Can't you just be a good imperial physician? You have to rely on the Crown Prince's grace to act arrogantly in front of the Empress. An inferior person is an inferior person."
Li Zi sneered and thought to herself, "This Chen Youyou... she's trying to get some glory right after the Queen finished speaking, but she doesn't realize it will only make the Queen angry."
Chen Yun, however, was unconvinced and asked back, "How can a mother not trust her own child?"
Xue Lian hesitated, but the tiny thorn pricked her, causing her to bleed and tremble with anger. She pondered Chen Yun for a long time, then pulled him up. Just as she was about to slap him, Li Lin grabbed his mother's hand and shook his head.
Xue Lian's eyes widened with anger as he shouted, "Take him away and give him ten lashes to serve as a warning to others!"
The moment Chen Yun was dragged away, she gasped and could only sigh in her heart: "So, he has reached the point where he won't even listen to his own child. How pathetic."
Li Lin knew that Chen Yun's eyes were filled with disappointment in him, but didn't he want to change? As the crown prince, he couldn't change others' doubts about him and could only shake his head helplessly.
At this time, a guard arrived. "Greetings to the Queen, and to the Crown Prince. The Censorate requests an audience with the Imperial Physician Chen Yun, Miss Chen Youyou, and Miss Li Zi regarding the corpse mutilation case."
Xue Lian and Li Lin looked at each other and said, "Put the punishment on hold for now. You will all follow me to the Censorate to investigate."
Passing through the palace under the sunlight, they entered a crowded hall. Kneeling in the center, facing the censor, was Fang Zheng and two fetid corpses. The stench of decay reached their brows, making the newcomers nauseous. Chen Yun immediately realized he was assisting in the investigation of a murder case and knelt in obeisance.
On the stage, Censor Song slammed the chopping board and asked, "Who are the present? Medical engineer Chen Yun, the daughter of the Minister of Works, Li Zi, and the daughter of the Deputy Imperial Physician, Chen Youyou?"
The other three also responded.
"Chen Yun, you work closely with Fang Zheng and should be aware of his recent whereabouts. So I hope you can answer truthfully. Did Fang Zheng, the Imperial Medical Bureau physician, discuss any issues regarding Chen Youyou, Li Zi, the Ministry of Works, or the Imperial Medical Bureau?"
Chen Yan thought for a moment, "I've only been in the palace for a short time, and I haven't paid any attention to the people around me. I don't know if I ask him." Then he looked at Li Zi and Chen Youyou, and replied, "I haven't heard or seen anything about Doctor Fang recently. What is it?"
Chen Youyou asked, "I wonder why Censor Song invited the two of us here?"
Censor Song said, "Isn't it the case of the missing maidservants of both of you? The bodies were found in the palace today, and they are the two bodies in front of you."
Chen Youyou and Li Zi immediately came to the corpse, lifted the white cloth, and the next second they vomited and their eyes were filled with tears.
Li Zi immediately knelt down and said, "Replying to Censor Song, they are indeed our personal maids. Xiao Tao and Chen Youyou's maids, be careful. Fang Zheng once had a conflict with our father in the officialdom. That's why he is taking revenge on our family! He also beat us up two days ago. Please, Censor, punish the evildoer severely!"
Fang Zheng immediately defended himself, "This Imperial Physician has no interest in you. Instead, you're the ones constantly slandering me in order to become the Crown Prince's concubine! That's truly despicable. Also, you claim I assaulted you, but do you have any evidence? Your Majesty, please investigate this matter and punish these two women!"
Seeing that both sides were arguing with each other, Li Lin asked, "Chen Yin, is there any way to judge these two cases?"
Chen Yun looked at Li Lin in surprise, but Li Lin nodded slightly with a determined expression. Chen Yun realized that Li Lin wanted her to take the task.
Chen Yun looked at Li Lie'ao, then at Xue Lian, thinking to himself, "He wants me to take on this case? Hmm... I'm in the palace now. If I disobey the emperor's orders, I'm afraid my life will be in danger immediately. But if I take on this difficult task, maybe I can win the emperor's favor, and my life in the palace will be smoother. I can also avoid the empress's punishment. Hmm... It's better than just sitting there and waiting to die."
Chen Yun came to the two bodies and completely removed the half-covered white cloth. Except for their faces and fingers, their bodies were completely covered in blood and flesh. Time had turned the blood and flesh black. Everyone couldn't help but look away.
Chen Yun looked at the body and said, "Please repeat the case. And let me see the autopsy report."
Censor Song gave a signal and arranged for the soldiers to hand over the autopsy report to Chen Ying.
Censor Song said, "Two days ago, Chen Youyou and Li Zi argued with Fang Zheng at an inn in the capital over the disappearance of their personal maids. Their appeals allege that Fang Zheng had molested and abused them, but an examination revealed no bruises on their bodies. Today, the two maids were found in the ice cellar of the Imperial Physician's Department within the palace. However, as you can see, their flesh is covered in knife wounds. Aside from their faces, which are barely recognizable, they are barely recognizable."
Chen Yan looked at the report in his hand, touched his chin and said to himself: "Well... it's not that there is no chance..." Then Chen Yan looked at Chen Youyou and Li Zi again.
Seeing Chen Yun staring at the three people without saying a word but talking to himself, Li Lieao said, "It's okay, just go ahead and do it."
Chen Yun looked at Li Lie'ao. He had a kind face, yet it was full of vicissitudes, and his face always wore an undetectable expression. "This emperor is a good man. But he's probably not easy to get along with." Thinking of this, Chen Yun smiled and said, "Then, Your Majesty, if you can solve this case, I would like to ask for a reward. I hope for one hundred taels."
Li Lie'ao was unhappy when he heard this: "How dare you bargain with me? I order you to investigate immediately."
"As expected, you're so domineering! I'm determined to conquer you." Chen Yun handed the autopsy report back to the soldier and said unconvincedly, "Then just check it casually. If there's no result, you can investigate it yourself. If not, I'll accept the punishment."
Seeing that Li Lie'ao was about to lose his temper, Li Lin immediately stepped forward and said, "Father, calm down. This man may be arrogant, but he does have some skills."
"What good is your talent if you can't be used by the Qiankun Kingdom? Since you're willing to die, I'll grant your wish! Come!"
Chen Yun spoke fearlessly and without arrogance, "The vast Qiankun Kingdom is peaceful under Your Majesty's rule. This is because Qiankun Kingdom is growing stronger and more talented. So, Your Majesty, have you ever considered that only the wise can be employed, not the slaves? Is a single breath of Qi so valuable that it can be equal to the lives of humble people like us?"
Xue Lian said helplessly, "Just now he was also reckless in contradicting me. But Lin'er tried his best to protect him."
After hearing this, Li Lie'ao said, "What if you can't solve it?"
Chen Yun continued, "If Your Majesty does not trust me, I can recommend another talented person. As long as Your Majesty agrees to give this person silver as a reward, this case will be solved."
Li Lie'ao said, "Okay! But if we can't resolve this, you'll definitely lose your head."
Chen Yun smiled and bowed, then said, "Please prepare a red umbrella and four long screens. Next, we will inspect it outdoors in the sunlight. Then, Your Highness, please arrange clothes and a palace for me. You understand."
Soon, everyone was waiting outside, and the emperor, empress and prince were sitting under the shade of a canopy waiting for Chen Yun.
At this moment, Chen Yun arrived at the scene as a woman, surprising everyone. Li Lin, however, simply smiled.
"I pay my respects to Your Majesty, the Empress, and the Crown Prince."
Xue Lian looked at him and felt a sense of familiarity, then asked, "What's your name?"
"A hero's origins are not to be questioned. Let's get started! Give me the red umbrella."
A palace maid handed the umbrella to Chen Yin.
"Chen Youyou and Li Zi, please stand here, surrounded by all the screens. Then you two should take off all your clothes. Your Majesty, please arrange for someone to come in with me to record the injuries."
"No wonder you switched to a female identity. It's true that being a man is inconvenient. Xiaoyun, as the heir of the Yuantian Sect, how will you handle this?"
After a while, the three of them straightened their clothes and walked out from behind the screen. Chen Youyou, Li Zi, and the nanny all came out trembling with fear. On the other hand, Chen Yun walked up to Fang Zheng with a calm expression, holding an umbrella.
Coming in front of Fang Zheng, Chen Yan placed the red umbrella on Doctor Fang's head. Then she looked at Fang Zheng again and found a fingerprint on the side of his shoe.
Chen Yun fiddled with Fang Zheng's clothes and looked at them, then jokingly asked, "Doctor Fang, you're wearing clothes and shoes... you wouldn't let anyone else wear them, or wear someone else's things, would you?"
Feeling guilty, Fang Zheng pushed Chen Yin away and said, "Nonsense! How can you prove that I've ever hurt anyone?"
Chen Ying smiled slightly, then pulled Fang Zheng to the side of the coffin and continued, "Blood clots under the skin are usually bluish-purple, and difficult to distinguish under white light. Under red light, they appear black. So..." Chen Ying showed the corpse's finger, "We can use the fingerprints of this corpse to compare with the fingerprints on Fang Zheng's shoes to find out."
Everyone looked at Fang Zheng's feet. Under the red light, the fingerprints were clearly visible.
Chen Ying said, "If I'm not mistaken, those fingerprints were left by the deceased, using his blood to grab the other person. So there must be bleeding spots on the deceased's fingers. Bring me some water."
Chen Ying removed the hairpin and cut open the flesh of the corpse's fingers. He poured water on the finger bones and discovered several black lines under the red umbrella. He held up the finger bones for everyone to see. "Oh, look, there are black lines on the finger bones. When a person is beaten while alive, blood seeps into the bones, leaving bloodstains. Sunlight has seven colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. By using the principle that the red umbrella absorbs red light in sunlight, the injuries and fractures on the deceased's body can be revealed."
Nanny Lin said, "Your Majesty, I just noticed that Miss Chen and Miss Li both had multiple black marks on their arms and backs beneath their red umbrellas."
Li Lin concluded, "In other words, after inflicting violence on the two, he harbored resentment and murdered the two maids. The maids struggled during the beating, hoping to catch the murderer and seek revenge, which is why they accidentally stained the victim with blood."
Chen Youyou quickly said, "That's right! If the guards hadn't arrived, we would have been in trouble! There were also people at the inn who testified that he had threatened to kill me!"
Chen Yun looked at Fang Zheng calmly, "The motive for the crime was revenge after failing to commit violence. The evidence is the fingerprints left on the murderer's clothes from his bleeding fingers. Oh! Fang Zheng, you're done."
After hearing this, Fang Zheng knelt heavily, "Your Majesty, please forgive me! Your Majesty, please forgive me! I was simply possessed by a demon for a moment!"
Li Lie'ao shouted, "Take him away and execute him on another day!"
While Li Lin and Chen Yun were still smiling smugly, a eunuch came up to Li Lie'ao and said a few words. Li Lie'ao nodded, then stood up and said, "Let's go to the study in the Qianqing Palace. This young lady, Miss Chen, and Miss Li will accompany me."
When they arrived at the study, they saw people already waiting for them there. These people happened to be the people Chen Yun least wanted to see at the moment—Lan Xixi and Chen Yun's family.
Chen Yun's eyes stopped abruptly, and her trembling lips made it difficult for her to close.
"Lan Xixi... Dad? Mom? Big Brother? Xiaoyu? Why... are they in the palace..."
Similarly, Chen Lu's family members were glaring at each other.
Similarly, Lan Xixi also noticed Chen Yun's presence. Her complex and evasive eyes were intriguing.
At that moment, Chen Yin seemed to be unable to breathe, and the whole world seemed to become heavy.
When everyone sat down, Li Lie'ao asked, "Young lady, I promised the doctor I'd give you a hundred taels."
Chen Yun did not respond, but simply thanked him. This unusual behavior confused Li Lin.
Lan Xixi said, "Your Majesty, I wish to withdraw from the Crown Prince's harem. This is because... this woman, Chen Yun, was the one the Crown Prince had been longing for five months ago."
Xue Lian asked in surprise, "Chen Yun, isn't that the medical worker from before?"
Chen Lu walked forward: "Qing'er?"
Everyone present was surprised. But Chen Yan could only hold the edge of his clothes tightly, lowering his head in silence.
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