Flower Kiln Guest
"In your opinion, how long has his body been in the river?"
Yuanli moved closer to the corpse to examine the details. The white cloth was only uncovered to the lower abdomen, and the details of the legs could not be directly judged.
Just as he was about to reach out and open it to take a look, Qi Heng suddenly slapped his hand down and stopped him.
Just when they were puzzled, Qi Heng walked back a little and lifted the white cloth of the Third Prince from his feet, covering his thighs to his waist and abdomen.
"I can't perform an autopsy, so I'm unsure. When a person submerges in water, the cold water stimulates the skin, causing the small muscles beneath the hair follicles to contract, causing the follicles to swell and form goose-skin-like bumps, known as goose bumps. These bumps often appear on the sides of the chest and abdomen, buttocks, upper arms, and outer thighs. Judging by the Third Prince's body, he must have been submerged within two days. These characteristics can also appear on a body thrown into cold water shortly after death. They're not specific signs of drowning, but they can provide some basis for determining how long the body had been submerged."
As she spoke, Yuanli found a spot with few wax holes and said to Chu Xiao, "I'm a little timid. Could you please ask Mr. Chu to help me press down this corpse spot?"
Before Chu Xiao made a move, Qi Heng felt like extending a hand to help. Yuanli quickly pulled himself back and gestured to Chu Xiao with a smile.
"Lord Chu, press lightly with your fingertips and it will happen immediately."
Chu Xiao had been following Qi Heng to assist in investigating cases since he was sixteen years old. He had long since lost his fear of corpses and acted without hesitation.
The moment he pressed and released the button, Yuanli took a few steps forward, leaning over with her hands behind her back to look carefully.
Qi Heng's fingers were still held in her palm. The moment she approached, Qi Heng moved with her steps and leaned over to take a closer look.
After watching, Yuanli explained, "The corpse spots will fade somewhat when pressed within six or seven hours after death, but after six or seven hours, they will basically not fade."
"Young lady, do you know anything about autopsies?"
"I've only heard a few superficial things about this. I'm just saying it as you said, jokingly. It still needs a professional coroner to examine it."
Speaking of professional coroners, the person who went to invite the coroner came back in a hurry, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the corner of his sleeve.
"Where's the coroner?"
"Reply, Lord Chu, both coroners from the Dali Temple died of a sudden illness."
If one coroner died of a sudden illness, it would still be understandable, but at this critical moment, two coroners died of sudden illness at the same time...
"You, take my token and go to the Ministry of Justice to ask Gu Shengshu to borrow a coroner."
After receiving Qi Heng's order, he hurried out of the morgue.
"Chu Xiao, close the door and let everyone go. I will personally perform the autopsy."
"Didn't you go to Gu Shengshu and ask for a coroner? This involves the royal family, so why would you personally perform an autopsy and anger the Holy Emperor? You clearly understood what he meant... No, you've been planning to perform the autopsy yourself since you said that, right?"
Qi Heng ignored her and turned to her, saying, "Let Xiang Yao take you to my study to sit and have some lunch. I'll take you back home after I finish the autopsy."
Yuanli nodded in agreement, bowed, and then followed Xiang Yao to the study to wait. A little after half an incense stick of time, Xiang Yao brought the meal, but Qi Heng had not returned yet.
This matter seemed to be tricky, but Yuanli knew very little and could not help much. Even what she knew about coroner skills was what she heard from the coroner sister in the underworld.
The food was heated up again and again. Xiang Yao came in several times to persuade her to eat, but she refused to eat alone and insisted on waiting until Qi Heng came back.
Until sleepiness came over her, her eyelids felt heavy and lazy, Yuanli lay on the table with her eyes half closed, and fell into a deep dream. She slept for a long time, and she felt someone stroking her head gently, which made her feel a little comfortable.
Yuanli woke up again because she was hungry. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Qi Heng sitting upright with his hands on the table.
Accidentally meeting his eyes, Yuanli suddenly stood up and stood aside, lowering her head in annoyance.
Qi Heng put down the case file in his hand and stretched his joints, which had become stiff and numb from sitting for so long. "Awake? I'm hungry too. Eating alone is too boring. Why don't you have dinner with me?"
As he spoke, he lifted the lid of the bowl on the table. The aroma of food filled the air. Yuanli quickly took over his work and prepared for the two of them to eat.
The lid still felt warm to the touch, and the bowls were still a little hot. I guess Qi Heng kept heating the food over and over again while she was sleeping, just like she did.
Xiang Yao brought hot rice and said, "Miss, if you don't wake up, our master will starve. In order to give you a hot meal when you wake up, I'll heat up the rice if it's a little cold..."
"Xiang Yao, you've talked too much. Please get out."
After Xiang Yao closed the door, Yuanli moved the dishes closer to him and poured him a bowl of corn and pork rib soup, saying, "Young Master, you've worked hard on the case today. Eat some meat to replenish your energy."
Qi Heng looked at the dish of corn and pork ribs soup in front of him, wanting to say something but stopping himself with a complicated expression, but he finally drank the bowl of corn and pork ribs in one gulp.
Throughout the dinner, Yuanli kept picking up dishes for him with her serving chopsticks, and he ate them all without refusing them, until he was full and politely asked to stop.
When I got up and went back home, I just opened the door and saw Chu Xiao standing at the door.
He leaned over, peered through the gap between them at the leftovers on the table, and jokingly said, "Your Excellency is in such a good mood. You just did the autopsy this afternoon, and you're having spare ribs and meatballs tonight."
After being reminded by Chu Xiao's words, Yuanli finally remembered and said with some guilt, "It's my fault for not thinking it through."
"I don't mind these things. The dishes I picked today are just what I want." Qi Heng walked around him and headed straight out of the Dali Temple without even turning his head. "We'll discuss this business tomorrow."
When they returned to Qi Mansion, the old lady and Zhao Qingrui had already left. Qi Heng immediately called all the managers in the mansion to the courtyard.
He only left a sentence: "From now on, Miss Yuanli will be the head of my Qi Mansion. Seeing her is like seeing me. All matters, big or small, will be approved by her. Anyone who disobeys or shows disrespect will be expelled from the mansion immediately."
After saying this, without waiting for everyone to react, Qi Heng stood up and went back to his study to light a candle and continue reading the case file.
When she brought him tea, the study was so quiet that only the chirping of insects could be heard outside. While he was resting and drinking tea, Yuanli lowered her voice and asked, "Sir, did you get the jade hairpin from Qingshui Town?"
"I got it and put it in a very safe place. No one can steal it."
After receiving Qi Heng's affirmative answer, Yuanli left contentedly and returned to her room. After washing up and going to bed, she fell asleep almost as soon as she touched the pillow.
Tianshu's spirit appeared in the dream, and Yuanli's eyes showed resentment and dissatisfaction.
"Don't be angry, Immortal Ahri. Listen to my explanation. I was truly sorry for what happened in Qingshui Ghost Town. Although I had my doubts and warned you, in the end... Ahri, I cannot disobey the will of heaven and can only obey you wherever it has assigned you."
"Since you don't know, how can I blame you? However, the Willow Demon's power isn't even that of a great demon. Why hasn't the Heaven Realm dealt with the hundreds of rotting corpses and wronged souls in Qingshui Town?"
"Before sending you to Qingshui Town, the Heavenly Realm was completely unaware of the Ghost Town barrier. The Willow Demon burned her lifespan demon essence and used the divine power of a divine artifact to condense the barrier. She used the long-lost Huntian Mirror, which is why she was able to deceive the Heavenly Realm for over a month. Furthermore, that demon was a fallen god."
Yuanli asked, "Fallen Angel?"
"Yes, he is the Heavenly General Cang Shen. The reasons for his ascension and fall are somewhat complicated. I will explain it to you in detail another day. He and the Willow Demon have been taken back to the Heavenly Prison to await punishment."
Yuanli was not interested in cause and effect or anything like that, she just treated it as a story.
The next day, Yuanli woke up very early. She felt refreshed after a good sleep last night. It was worthy of the divine power brought by the consciousness of Tianshu Star Lord.
With Qi Heng's "instructions" yesterday, the servants in the entire Qi Mansion treated her much more warmly. However, the maids who had joked and laughed with her before now did not dare to chat and gossip with her casually.
At daybreak, Qi Heng went to the Dali Temple to handle a case, and Chi Xun was nowhere to be found. Yuanli had no choice but to wander around the mansion to relieve her boredom.
As she turned the corner of the corridor, she heard several servants talking about the recent interesting things in the imperial capital, chatting animatedly.
"Have you heard about that new Mudan Restaurant that opened down the street?"
"Which man in the capital doesn't know about the Peony Tower these days? It's said that the girls there are as beautiful as fairies, as soft as if they have no bones, with skin as white as white, and voices as sweet as larks, wow."
The servant who was speaking had an extremely vulgar smile, the rubbish in his mind making his expression extremely vulgar. Another servant beside him sneered and said, "You speak so convincingly. If you didn't know better, you would think you, Zhao Gangzhu, have been there before."
"You've never eaten pork, but you can't just listen to other people's descriptions of a pig running away? My second uncle is in the palace. He heard from a prince's eunuch that the prince had been sickly since childhood, but no one knew that he was a patron of all the major brothels in the imperial capital. You know Miss Li Nu from the Peony Tower? Her first customer was him."
Zhao Gangzhu's words sounded so miraculous that the servants nearby were stunned and believed them without a doubt.
"What you said, couldn't be..." Seeing that there was no one around, the servant bent his fingers and made the number three before quickly putting them away. Zhao Gangzhu nodded vigorously, trying to keep the secret.
The servant with a slightly flat head and a clean face sighed dejectedly, "Don't you think Miss Li Nu only considers appearance when accepting customers, regardless of status or power? How could that sickly guy catch Miss Li Nu's eye?"
"Come on, in this place of brothels, who among the girls doesn't want money and power? Fate and the like are just gimmicks to please those noble men."
Everyone shook their heads and dispersed to continue with their work. Yuanli left quietly and returned to her room.
When it was time for dinner, Qi Heng returned home and Yuanli told him the gossip she had heard, but he seemed not surprised at all.
After sending the servants away and closing the door, Qi Heng gestured for Yuanli to sit down and have the meal with him, and casually picked up a piece of roast chicken and put it in her bowl.
"Tonight, I have to go out of the house to handle a case, so I can't take you with me. Please don't let anyone know. You sleep in my room. Remember, keep the candles bright and follow my usual routine when investigating cases."
"Okay, it's cold at night, so please wear more underwear, sir."
Yuanli rarely stopped pestering him to take her with him. Qi Heng was still a little uncomfortable with this and looked a little surprised.
After dinner, Qi Heng entered the bedroom in full view of everyone. The figure reflected in the window lit a candle and walked towards the desk. The shadow disappeared. After half an incense stick of time, the shadow on the window paced for a long time with a book in hand before disappearing again.
At this moment, the people in the mansion were completely unaware of the several black shadows flashing past on the wall.
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