Chapter 1 The Murder of a Prostitute (Part 1)
Early spring of the 210th year of the Great Wei Dynasty, Dingzhou in Jiangnan.
Jin Shu stared intently at the corpse in front of her, put on gloves, wrapped a square scarf around her face, and took out a sharp knife from a wide, flat box beside her.
She was dressed in black men's clothing, her hands were bound to her cuffs, and she bent over: "Her corneas were completely cloudy, the skin on her hands and feet was easily peeling off, rigor mortis had subsided, there were signs of binding on her hands and feet, and the time of death was 4 to 5 days ago."
After saying that, she raised her eyes and glanced at Liu Cheng'an, who was standing at the door with a pale face: "Lord Liu, you should leave."
Hearing her say that, Liu Chengan pinched his sleeve and wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead: "Then, then I'll trouble you, Mr. Jin."
Although she was called a gentleman, she was actually a 22-year-old woman.
She was always dressed as a man, had a handsome appearance, and possessed superb "corpse-talking skills," which earned her the respect of everyone in the Dingzhou government office, who respectfully called her Mr. Jin.
Liu Cheng'an didn't stand on ceremony with her at all. He turned around and left. As soon as he stepped out the door, he vomited.
The mangled corpse and Liu Cheng'an vomiting profusely outside the door—Jin Shu had seen this scene countless times over the years and found it not strange at all.
Her hands didn't stop; head down, wrist slightly tightened, expression exceptionally focused. She moved the knife unhurriedly while intently watching everything gradually unfold before her, as if time had stopped, and at this moment, the world outside was no longer relevant to her.
About fifteen minutes later, Jin Shu straightened up, took out a clean handkerchief, and wiped the small knife in her hand clean.
"This girl was of lowly status, and there were signs that she had been beaten before she died. If Lord Liu wants to confirm her identity, he might as well go to the brothels in Dingzhou City to ask her."
At the doorway, Liu Cheng'an paused for a moment, "This...a courtesan?"
Jin Shu nodded and put the knife back into the wide, flat wooden box next to her.
In this small room, besides three beds that no living person lies on, there is also a rosewood display shelf with five or six flat boxes on it.
Besides the knives and hammers commonly used by coroners, there are two special boxes for artists.
She slowly opened the artist's box, took out the bottom layer containing paints separated in small wooden compartments, and a wooden board with small grooves carved into it, and began to mix them with a brush.
"She was only in her early twenties, and her intestines were filled with the leftovers from eating bran and drinking thin gruel. She was malnourished, thin, and had a disease that caused prostitution. She was probably a prostitute."
She paused, then continued, "Including the marks of being bound hand and foot, and the bruises all over my body from being beaten... it's possible they were after money or rape."
After hearing this, Liu Cheng'an, who was standing outside the door, closed his eyes, frowned, and took a deep breath.
It was March, a time of warm spring and blooming flowers, but the narrow little house behind him exuded a chilling, deathly aura, causing Liu Cheng'an to break out in a cold sweat.
Liu Cheng'an didn't dare to look back until Jin Shu finished writing the protective text, put away her painting tools and placed them back on the antique shelf, covered the corpse's face with a piece of linen, and then walked out gracefully.
“Lord Liu, this is the protective book.” After saying that, she handed another piece of paper to Liu Cheng’an. “This girl has a birthmark on her body. I’ve made a rubbing for you, Lord Liu. You might find it useful when you’re investigating the source of the body.”
Liu Chengan glanced down and thanked him repeatedly, "Oh! Thank you so much, Mr. Jin!"
Unfold the page of rice paper, and you'll see a small birthmark drawn on it, shaped like a crescent moon.
"Everything's packed up inside, I'll head back now." Jin Shu nodded and smiled, then turned to leave.
"Mr. Jin, please wait." Liu Cheng'an hurriedly called out to her, "Sir, you are proficient in the language of corpses and understand some of the mysteries of solving cases. In the next few days, would you be willing to lend me a couple more days' work?"
Jin Shu was puzzled. She turned around and looked at him, who seemed to want to say something but hesitated, his brows furrowed. "...Has Lord Liu encountered some difficulty?"
Liu Chengan almost cried when he mentioned this.
"Oh dear, don't even mention it. A few years ago, after Prince Jing was stripped of his military power, he went to Jiangnan every year to enjoy the scenery. This year, I don't know who told me that the peach blossoms in Dingzhou are in full bloom in March. He's already on his way and said he'll arrive in a couple of days."
Prince Jing, Li Jin?
Jin Shu saw that he spoke with sincerity, but she was completely confused and had no idea what this matter had to do with her, a lowly coroner.
"Sigh..." Seeing her confusion, Liu Cheng'an glanced back at the corpse lying in the room, his expression solemn. "It was just bad luck. This woman's corpse was pulled out of the well in Peach Blossom Valley, the most beautiful place in the area..."
After he finished speaking, he looked at Jin Shu in front of him and began to explain the whole story from the beginning.
“His Highness Prince Jing is no ordinary prince. A few years ago, he was a master of military command on the battlefield, known as the God of War. However… after the borders have been stabilized in recent years, for some unknown reason, he voluntarily relinquished his military power and went to the capital to become a leisurely prince.”
He paused, then spread his hands: "But he wasn't idle either. His Majesty wouldn't let someone as talented in both literature and martial arts have a chance to be idle, so he handed over the Jingzhao Prefecture and the Six Doors to him."
At this point, Jin Shu understood.
The Six Doors and the Three Judicial Offices of the Great Wei Dynasty are just like the Public Security Bureau where Jin Shu worked for more than ten years in his previous life.
"At this critical juncture, such a huge Buddha has fallen from the sky. If our county government can't solve this case quickly, and then we get blamed, sigh..."
She nodded as she looked at Liu Chengan's repeated sighs.
Since her parents passed away unexpectedly, Liu Chengan, a close friend of her father, has helped Jin Shu a lot, both with family matters and financial matters.
Now that he was in trouble, Jin Shu was naturally happy to lend a helping hand: "I understand, don't worry, sir."
Seeing that she agreed, Liu Chengan's brows relaxed a little, and he quickly said, "Don't worry about the wages, sir! The original monthly salary was ten taels of silver, but this month I will give fifteen taels, as a small gift for your brother to go to school next month."
“But…” he pursed his lips, “It is said that His Highness Prince Jing is meticulous and decisive, and your identity as a woman is a big secret. If it is exposed, both you and I will be in deep trouble.”
Having said that, Jin Shu looked enlightened and bowed, saying, "Jin Shu understands and will avoid His Highness Prince Jing."
However, Liu Cheng'an miscalculated. Just as he was talking, the carriage of Li Jin, the Prince of Dawei, had already stopped at the entrance of the Dingzhou government office.
Lifting the carriage curtain, the handsome Li Jin, dressed in a light yellow robe, leaped down from the carriage and gazed at the plaque that read "Dingzhou Prefecture Government Office" in front of him.
Behind him, Zhou Zheng, dressed in a black robe, gripped the hilt of his knife and took two steps forward: "Liu Cheng'an, the prefect of Dingzhou, is too upright and has not been promoted for more than ten years. But he is a good official, meticulous in handling cases, and has solved many strange cases in recent years. He is known as 'Liu Qingtian' among the people."
Although Li Jin didn't respond, he had taken Zhou Zheng's words to heart. As he walked towards the government office, he asked in a low voice, "Did you get a clear look at the corpse in Peach Blossom Valley?"
"I can see it clearly now."
"We'll find out soon enough whether it's Liu Qingtian or not."
Li Jin stepped over the threshold, looked up, and met Liu Cheng'an, who was seeing Jin Shu off.
He stopped and stood there, his eyes slightly narrowed, a half-smile on his face.
Liu Cheng'an, walking beside Jin Shu, saw the jade pendant on Jin Shu's waist and was so startled that he almost fell over.
What a small world!
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