Wax-hole water corpse
Originally, she thought that she would have to meet Qi's parents, which would make things difficult. However, she didn't expect that Qi Heng, at such a young age, had already sealed his mansion and lived away from home, which was exactly what Yuanli wanted.
Although they were separate houses, the house rewarded by the emperor was only separated from the old house of Qi Mansion by a fruit forest.
As soon as they entered the mansion, before they even had their meals, the old lady came in with an unhappy look on her face, accompanied by a graceful lady from a famous family.
"Qingrui, please go check with the chefs in the kitchen to see if they have any dishes that Heng'er likes."
After sending her away, the old lady, who had just smiled and looked so kind, suddenly changed her expression. She slammed the table and said angrily, "Look at how well-behaved and obedient Rui'er is. You are such an ungrateful and rebellious child! You've been running away for two months. Are you afraid that I'll be buried too late?"
"Since mother loves my cousin Zhao Qingrui so much..." Qi Heng paused, handed the teacup to Yuanli, and quickly looked at her, then quickly retracted his gaze. "Mother, you can adopt her as your adopted daughter. I have no objection."
"What's wrong with you? Do you have to act crazy and stupid and pretend to have lost your memory? Your mother is talking to you about marriage, marriage, you idiot!"
"Mother, you have been extremely thoughtful. Let me think about it."
Qi Heng pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized something. He said happily, "I've already observed that the eldest son of the Minister of Justice, Gu Shengshu, is young and promising, handsome, and doesn't visit prostitutes or drink. He comes from a wealthy family and is well-educated. He is more than a good match for my cousin."
"Qi Heng! How dare you tease your father and mother!" The old lady's face instantly darkened several degrees. After adjusting her breathing, she said calmly, "Don't think I don't know that when you returned to the imperial capital, you brought a personal servant with you."
"Let me be frank. The future mistress of the Qi Mansion must be of equal status to you. Those who are philandering can be concubines, but if they dare to dream of anything else..."
The old lady prolonged her speech, and when she said the word "longing", she did not forget to increase her voice with earnestness.
Although these words were apparently spoken to Qi Heng in a casual conversation, in reality, every word was warning Yuanli that with her status, she could only be a concubine at best.
Qi Heng put away his playful and nonchalant look and said seriously, "Mother, let me tell you, I, Qi Heng, will only marry a wife in this life and will not take concubines, and I will only marry the woman I like. You don't have to waste your time and energy on forcing a woman on me."
The sound of a paper bag falling outside the door brought the argument to an abrupt end. Zhao Qingrui hurriedly picked up the bag and shook off the dust.
Seeing her coming, the old lady suppressed her displeasure, smiled, and waved to her.
"Rui'er bought your favorite candy cake on Changjie Street. Unfortunately, Rui'er was clumsy and didn't hold it firmly, so the paper package fell to the ground. Although the cake inside is clean, it can't be eaten by you anymore. Rui'er will buy you a new one tomorrow."
"I don't like sweet things, so don't waste your time on me."
As soon as Qi Heng refused, the "knife" in the old lady's eyes flew over, but he ignored and resolved it.
"Mother and aunt are always thinking about your marriage. As your elder brother, I should naturally think more about you. Gu Shengshu, the eldest son of the Minister of Justice, is a good person in all aspects and will not let you down."
Before she could refuse, Qi Heng stood up and bowed to the old lady, saying, "Mother, there is an urgent case waiting for me to handle at the Dali Temple. I will go first."
After saying that, Qi Heng winked at Yuanli and took her away with him. They hurriedly got on the carriage and Qi Heng ordered them to set off immediately.
"I'm sorry to have embarrassed you. My mother was too hasty in arranging my marriage, so she arranged the match so hastily. My mother comes from a family of merchants, so please don't take it to heart if she says anything inconsiderate in the future."
Qi Heng's sudden explanation really surprised Yuanli. When the words came to her lips, she thought of his current status and position. Yuanli was afraid that he would cause gossip, so she adjusted her attitude and behaved like a servant.
She clasped her hands together and placed them in front of her belly in greeting, then nodded and bowed her head, saying, "The old lady is an elder and also the master. She should be respected. Even if she has made a mistake, I will accept it."
"You are not allowed to call yourself a slave anymore."
"But sir, we are now in the imperial capital, which is no longer like a rural village. You are also a noble person. If others hear that the servants around you are not disciplined, they will inevitably laugh at the Qi Mansion's lax stewardship."
"When did I ever say you were a slave? I only said you were my personal servant."
Yuanli couldn't open her mouth to refute, and the carriage returned to silence again. She peeked at the bustling imperial capital through the small window, and many novel things came into view.
In the imperial capital, there seemed to be no restrictions like in Liangzhu Royal City. Here, merchants from all corners of the world came.
All Hu merchants can openly display their goods for sale, people with different skin and hair colors will be accepted, and they can chat and laugh together on the streets of the imperial capital.
The change of dynasties is a common thing. Although Xiao Yan'an destroyed her country, if the people on the streets of Liangzhu can be so healthy and happy at this moment, it can be a blessing in disguise.
Just as he was reading with great interest, Qi Heng beside him whispered, "She is the daughter of my mother's uncle's cousin. The elders of my mother's clan found an excuse and forced her in. She is just a distant relative."
Yuanli responded with a smile, and Qi Heng's tense body finally relaxed a little, with an imperceptible smile on the corner of his mouth.
He seemed genuinely happy to have avoided this marriage.
The two did not speak again until the carriage arrived at its destination, but the atmosphere in the carriage was always relaxed and cheerful.
Qi Heng got off the carriage first, and Yuanli followed closely behind him and quickly stood up. Just as she leaned half of her body out, she saw a wooden box in front of her for her feet to rest on. He stood sideways in front of her and waited quietly.
Just as Yuanli was hesitating and not knowing how to step so as not to get embarrassed, Qi Heng stretched out his arm to her, motioning her to hold on.
"I forgot to prepare the saddle in a hurry when I went out today. It's inconvenient with so many people outside. You can help me get down by yourself, holding my arm."
As soon as he said this, all the people on duty outside the Dali Temple pretended not to see anything and shifted their gaze elsewhere. Yuanli, on the other hand, was not shy at all. She took his strong forearm and got off the carriage.
Before entering the Dali Temple, the noisy chirping of birds came from behind.
A cart stopped steadily, and the accompanying boss hurriedly handed the document to the manager at the door. The driver untied the black cloth, and more than a dozen bird cages were neatly stacked. The birds inside had brightly colored feathers and were very beautiful.
If such rare feathers were given to Xiaotao, Changxiangsi Pearl Hairpin Shop would definitely make a fortune, enough to repair the roof of a temple.
Yuanli's gaze unconsciously lingered, but Qi Heng did not urge her. Instead, he stood silently by her side, waiting for Xiang Yao's signal. Soon, he had a pair of the most beautiful birds in his hands.
He hooked his fingers around the birdcage, leaving enough space for her to hold it, and handed it to her, saying, "There are few living creatures in the mansion, so it's a good opportunity to add some more."
Yuanli quickly accepted the "way to make money." Seeing her joy, Qi Heng put his hands behind his back, coughed lightly, and turned to walk in. Yuanli followed him with a joyful stride and asked, "Sir, do you like beautiful birds?"
“Compared to a canary in a cage, I prefer the eagle soaring in the sky, untainted by worldly constraints.”
Before she could think more, a young man in a black shirt and red collar suddenly appeared and hurriedly stopped Qi Heng.
The young man bowed and said worriedly, "Master Qi, the Third Prince's body was found in the moat at three o'clock in the afternoon. The body had many holes, all plugged with wax, and no obvious external injuries. The emperor has ordered a city-wide lockdown, and you are required to conduct a thorough investigation within three days."
"Where is the body?"
"It's in the Dali Temple."
"Xiang Yao, take the young lady to the main hall and sit for a while." Qi Heng was about to follow the young man. Yuan Li subconsciously grabbed his sleeve and said hurriedly: "Sir, I am not afraid of dead people..."
"It's been soaked in water and doesn't look good. If you're scared, feel free to ask Xiang Yao to take you out."
Yuanli nodded in delight, and she unconsciously tightened her grip in her hands due to excessive joy, forgetting to let go. It was only after a while that she realized it, but Qi Heng was not annoyed and did not let go, and continued to walk forward with her holding on.
The Dali Temple morgue is located in the dungeon, which makes the corridor cold, damp and dark.
Qi Heng suddenly slowed down his pace, shortening the distance between them, and felt completely safe.
These details caught the young man's attention, causing him to tilt his head frequently and look at her from time to time. Yuanli felt a little uneasy and hid half of her body behind Qi Heng.
"Chu Xiao, keep your eyes straight and don't look at what you shouldn't look at."
"I will follow Lord Qi's instructions." Chu Xiao replied in a serious tone, but turned around and couldn't help laughing.
As soon as I entered the morgue, the cold wind gave me goose bumps all over my body.
Chu Xiao accurately found the location of the third prince's body covered with a white cloth. After getting Qi Heng's nod of permission, he uncovered the white cloth.
The third prince's body had turned white due to being soaked for a long time, his hands and feet were swollen and his skin was wrinkled, and there were chicken skin-like bumps on both sides of his chest, abdomen and upper arms.
Although it had become somewhat ugly due to being soaked in water, the wax spots on the Third Prince's body were clearly visible, and where the wax had fallen off, there were pits of neither deep nor shallow, indicating that it was not caused by any external injuries before death.
It's more like someone deliberately dug a hole, maintained it a little, and then filled it with wax.
"Has the coroner examined the body? What's the conclusion?"
"My Lord Qi, without the imperial decree, which coroner in the imperial capital would dare to perform an autopsy on the Third Prince?" Chu Xiao said with tears in his eyes.
"Can we draw conclusions just by staring at the body without performing an autopsy? Come, call the coroner. I will personally perform the autopsy."
While waiting, Yuanli hesitated several times to speak, and finally whispered behind him, "Sir, the Third Prince might have been thrown into the icy river shortly after his death."
"Miss, this is a matter concerning state affairs. You can't say anything without being absolutely sure..." Chu Xiao was halfway through his words when Qi Heng's eyes blocked his preaching.
"Speak boldly. Even if you're wrong, just treat it as a joke."
"Due to the impact of the current and underwater pressure, the body couldn't be easily fixed in place. Furthermore, due to the stimulation of the cold water, the livor mortis appeared slowly. Most drowned bodies have livor mortis that is light pink, but the Third Prince's was clearly a different color. Furthermore, ordinary people who fall into the water would show signs of struggle. When drowning, due to the emotional stress of dying, people will frantically struggle, flailing their hands and grasping at random, often catching water plants and mud, or having mud embedded in the nails. The river was full of water plants and mud, but the Third Prince's nails were clean, and his fingertips were undamaged."
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