Chapter 13: Criminal Justice Official (1)

"Last night?!" Wu Zhigang's already small eyes widened in rage, glaring fiercely at Wang Bingsheng, who stood to the side in a state of unease, as he scolded: "You tell me, what exactly is going on?! You can't even state the time of death clearly, what kind of Coroner are you!"

"The body..." Wang Bingsheng's voice even trembled slightly. He glanced cautiously at Zhuo Qing, and seeing her remain silent, he whispered in reply: "The body showing these fire-like mottled marks, and having begun to stiffen, indicates that the deceased died not long ago."

Zhuo Qing slowly raised her head, and Wang Bingsheng immediately dared not continue. Having just seen the wounds on the deceased's back, he truly felt ashamed; it was only because he had been too confident that he had overlooked such an important point. This strange youth had said he was not wrong, and he indeed felt guilty.

Wang Bingsheng stammered and could not say anything else. Zhuo Qing said coldly: "Come here."

What does he want to do?! Wang Bingsheng was startled, considering whether or not to step forward.

Seeing him still standing there with a guarded expression, Zhuo Qing impatiently barked: "Come here!" What was he dawdling for? Could she eat him!

Wang Bingsheng swallowed hard, but still walked slowly behind Zhuo Qing. He did not know what was wrong with himself; at his age, facing such a youth wrapped up tightly from head to toe, he always felt inexplicably guilty.

Lou Xiyan had his hands behind his back, his index finger tapping rhythmically. His face maintained its usual gentle and refined smile, but his eyes, fixed on Zhuo Qing, were exceptionally bright.

Squatting down at the feet of the deceased, Zhuo Qing calmly explained: "These mottled marks that appear after death are called Corpse Spots. Under normal circumstances, two hours after death..." No, what was the unit of time called here?

It should be two-hour periods, right? What a nuisance. After silently converting the time, Zhuo Qing continued: "They begin to appear after two to four hours, and become clearly visible after six to eight hours. At this time, pressing on the Corpse Spots will cause them to fade or disappear, and they will reappear once the hand is lifted. Twelve hours after death, the Corpse Spots merge into a single patch and the color deepens; at this point, pressing them will not make them disappear completely, only fade slightly, and they will return to their original color slowly after the pressure stops. After twenty-four hours, pressing the Corpse Spots with a finger will no longer change their color, nor will they disappear."

Wang Bingsheng listened very attentively, though his brows furrowed deeper and deeper.

Not believing it? Zhuo Qing pointed at the Corpse Spots and said: "You, press it."

Wang Bingsheng nodded; he also wanted to verify it. He applied some force with his index finger onto the Corpse Spots. After releasing, the marks had indeed faded somewhat, and after a moment, they slowly returned to their original color.

According to his previous statement, the deceased had indeed been dead for twelve hours. Wu Zhigang asked anxiously: "Wang Bingsheng, is what he said true?!" If it were true, Li Ming would be the prime suspect!

"This..." Wang Bingsheng hesitated. He glanced at the youth beside him and reported truthfully: "I don't know. I only know that a body will show mottled marks after two to four hours, and the longer the time since death, the deeper the marks. As for what he said, I really don't know."

Shamefully, he truly did not know that one could determine such an accurate time of death from these marks. If it were at the beginning, he would have directly dismissed the youth's words, but having listened all the way through, the youth spoke with such certainty that he dared not make a rash judgment.

Wang Bingsheng's "I don't know" made Wu Zhigang furious, and he shouted: "Then how is this official to know whether what he says is the truth or just nonsense?"

Coughing lightly and glancing sideways at Zhuo Qing, Wu Zhigang asked loudly: "How can you prove that what you said is the truth?!" He had felt this youth was strange from the start, but out of respect for the Prime Minister, he could not easily lash out.

Oh, oh!

Very well, the answer to this question is—he can't!

In this historical setting, how was she supposed to prove that what she said had a scientific basis? Was she supposed to say she was a Master of Forensic Medicine, a young chief forensic examiner, and had published many academic papers... or perhaps perform a biological dissection on the spot? The Madam Lin would probably pounce on her and tear her apart!

Zhuo Qing self-deprecatingly patted her head. Why was she getting involved with these ancients?! Leaning against the cold stone wall of the cell, Zhuo Qing replied indifferently: "What I said is the truth, but I don't know how to prove it in a way you can understand."

"That means you still cannot prove it!" Wu Zhigang was just about to make trouble, but then he thought that this youth seemed to have some connection with the Prime Minister. Better to be safe than sorry, so he turned to Lou Xiyan, bowed, and asked softly: "Prime Minister, what do you think?"

He believed that everything the youth said was the truth, so he must have been guided by a famous master, and his master must also be a person of great reputation. As long as he revealed his master's name, it would prove whether what he said was the truth. If he refused to say it, there could only be one reason: he did not want to reveal his identity!

Did he not know that the more he kept it a secret, the more people wanted to pry? Fortunately, he was not in a hurry! With a slight lift of his lips, just as Lou Xiyan was about to speak, a clear yet firm voice suddenly rang out: "What he said is indeed the truth."

Everyone looked toward the source of the voice. Zhuo Qing lifted her hat brim slightly to see a man in his early thirties standing outside the cell, who seemed to have been there for a long time. He looked tall, about the same as Lou Xiyan, though Lou Xiyan appeared a bit thinner. His features were not as handsome as Lou Xiyan's, but he had a pair of deep, resolute eyes, unlike Lou Xiyan, whose pair of narrow eyes, forever carrying a smile, always made people unable to guess what he was thinking. This man was dressed in a simple dark blue robe and looked a bit travel-worn, as if he had rushed over from somewhere. Although not disheveled, he was inevitably a bit hurried. Unlike Lou Xiyan, who was always composed and impeccably dressed. And...

Wait, why did she keep comparing him to Lou Xiyan? Was she crazy?

Zhuo Qing could not understand why she was acting so out of character. Wu Zhigang and the other Yamen Runners shouted in unison: "Lord Criminal Justice Official!"

Criminal Justice Official?! Zhuo Qing raised an eyebrow, becoming even more interested in him. Anyone who studied forensic medicine would know Song Ci. This person held the same official title as Song Ci; she just didn't know if he had Song Ci's skills!

Raising his hand slightly toward the crowd, Dan Yulan bowed lightly to Lou Xiyan. His low voice was not lacking in respect, yet it was merely indifferent: "Prime Minister."

Lou Xiyan took a step forward, a hint of mockery flashing in his slightly raised eyes as he smiled: "Lord Criminal Justice Official has returned at just the right time." Not a moment too early or too late!

Dan Yulan remained unmoved and replied stiffly: "This is merely my duty as an official; it is improper to trouble the Prime Minister."

Lou Xiyan, appearing accustomed to this, smiled lightly: "Lord Criminal Justice Official, you are too formal. We both serve the Imperial Court."

Is this the legendary officialdom hypocrisy?! Zhuo Qing wanted to yawn out of boredom. And she did indeed yawn; she was really, truly sleepy!

Just as she was yawning without restraint, Dan Yulan had already walked into the cell and bore down on her: "What you said is indeed the truth, and not a word was wrong. What is your name? Where are you from? Who is your master?"

In fact, he had arrived long before the youth scolded Wang Bingsheng. The reason he had remained silent was that he wanted to know how much the youth understood about autopsies, and he had not been disappointed. The youth's understanding of Corpse Spots was far more thorough than that of an ordinary Coroner. Dan Yulan knew his questions were abrupt, but he was anxious to know the identity of this gray-robed youth, especially his master—what kind of person could teach such a disciple.

(End of chapter)