Zhong Li walked out of the Zhaoyang Hall, and it was already the hour of Wei.
In the dispute between the Southern Yue Kingdom and Yingzhou, Shang Yuanhong's attitude also changed. He was willing to give the Southern Yue Kingdom one month to thoroughly investigate the case, and naturally, this matter fell upon her.
She carried the bundle containing Shen Tuju's remains and walked slowly behind a large group of envoys.
During this time, Eunuch Hua offered to help carry it, but she politely declined. In her opinion, in the ancient mindset, corpses were considered inauspicious. Eunuch Hua served the Emperor, and naturally, he should not come into contact with such things.
As she walked, she recalled the scene of opening the bundle in the hall.
She remembered Shen Tuju being a man about six feet tall. She didn't expect that after being dismembered, her single person could carry his hands and feet. As for the other remains, she needed to question Shang Yuanhong carefully to see if he could provide any important clues.
Unknowingly, she had followed everyone to the Imperial Garden.
They seemed to have forgotten her existence, chatting and joking with Lu Wuxie all the way.
“I heard the young marquis is getting married soon?”
Zhong Li was already struggling with her medicine box and Shen Tuju's dismembered remains. In her haste, she vaguely heard this sentence and instinctively looked up.
She saw an envoy from Yingzhou approach Lu Wuxie and offer congratulations with cupped hands.
Lu Wuxie, who had been discussing trade agreements between the two countries with Shang Yuanhong, paused upon hearing this.
The envoy, not noticing his discomfort, continued with a smile, “I saw Miss Shen Ying perform the Red Silk Dance at the banquet half a month ago. It was a breathtaking sight. Such a rare lady and the young marquis Lu are truly a perfect match.”
Lu Wuxie frowned slightly and was about to say something when Shang Yuanhong, standing beside him, heard this and put on a polite smile. He cupped his hands and said, “So the young marquis is about to become a groom! Congratulations.”
Lu Wuxie waved his hand and quickly turned back. Zhong Li was nowhere to be seen behind him.
Zhong Li didn't know why she hid. Peeking through the gaps in the rockery at the man anxiously searching for her, she turned into another small岔道 in the Imperial Garden and quickly left the imperial palace.
The murder of Shen Tuju was considered a major secret of the Southern Yue Kingdom.
Zhong Li returned to the Dali Temple and, without even having dinner, buried herself in the mortuary, busy with work.
The bundle was already stained with blood. She first examined the style of the bundle, confirming it was ordinary linen. Then, she opened the bundle and took out the hands and feet.
The night was long. Zhong Li lit the oil lamp, ground the ink, and began the autopsy, recording as she went.
As the rooster crowed and dawn broke, she carefully re-packed Shen Tuju's remains and, with an autopsy report, headed straight for the post station.
When Zhong Li arrived at the post station, Shang Yuanhong and the others were still fast asleep.
She ate a bit of breakfast and curled up in the carriage, pretending to be asleep.
After a while, she felt a weight on her and opened her eyes alertly. The first thing she saw was Lu Wuxie holding an outer cloak, making a motion as if to cover her with it.
“Sorry, did I wake you?” Lu Wuxie's face showed embarrassment, his voice carrying a hint of vagueness.
Zhong Li shook her head and slowly sat up.
“Early autumn is not like summer. Although it's not cold, the body should not be exposed to the wind.” He draped the outer cloak over his arm, then sat opposite her and began to brew tea.
The brazier was still busy. Soon, a steaming cup of Lychee Red was placed before her.
Zhong Li glanced at it, showing no intention of taking it.
Lu Wuxie lowered his gaze, hiding the hurt in his eyes. “I just arrived. Seeing your carriage parked at the entrance of the post station, I came to take a look. Please don't overthink it.”
Zhong Li licked her slightly dry lips, hesitated for a long time, then picked up the cup and drank it all down.
Lu Wuxie's way of brewing tea was different from others. Most people liked to rinse the tea leaves. He did not. He preferred the first infusion of tea. She remembered him saying that only then was the taste of the tea the most intense and original.
The Lychee Red in her hand was now a bit astringent, but it carried his unique brewing aroma.
“No, I'm just surprised. Why did you come to the post station?” Zhong Li asked, setting down the empty teacup.
Lu Wuxie lifted the carriage curtain and glanced at the post station. Seeing that Shang Yuanhong and the others were still asleep, he said, “As you saw in the Zhaoyang Hall yesterday, the envoy from Yingzhou was very aggressive. Based on the origin of the bundle containing Shen Tuju's remains, you are very likely to go to Linzhou. The Emperor feared you might not be able to handle it, so he specifically asked me to assist you.”
Hearing this, Zhong Li’s gaze scrutinized him. Assist her? She couldn't help but inwardly smile. It should be she assisting Lu Wuxie, shouldn't it?
“Li'er.” Lu Wuxie seemed to read her thoughts and said, “You can actually try to trust…”
“Young Marquis, Shang Yuanhong and the others are awake.”
Lu Wuxie’s words were cut short as Lin Jin, who had been waiting outside, approached the carriage and announced this.
Zhong Li heard this and quickly put on her outer wrap, jumping down from the carriage.
Lu Wuxie followed behind. As he passed Lin Jin, he shot him a fierce glare.
Lin Jin looked bewildered, scratching his head with a wronged expression.
“Lord Shang Yuan.” Zhong Li walked into Shang Yuanhong’s room. He was sitting at the round table, having breakfast with several colleagues.
“Lord Zhong mentioned earlier that you would come to ask me about Master Shen Tu. I didn’t expect it to be so early,” Shang Yuanhong said, standing up and greeting Zhong Li.
Zhong Li, along with Lu Wuxie, sat at the round table. She casually took out an autopsy report from her sleeve and placed it on the table.
Shang Yuanhong looked surprised. He took the autopsy report and said, “Lord Zhong must have returned after the court session yesterday, and it was already dark. This autopsy report…”
“I was in the mortuary all night,” Zhong Li replied simply.
Shang Yuanhong's eyes showed a hint of admiration. He looked down at the contents of the autopsy report and said after a while, “According to what is written on Lord Zhong's autopsy report, what is your basis for concluding that the murderer is a habitual offender?”
Zhong Li did not answer immediately. She glanced at the chicken feet on the table, picked them up with wooden chopsticks, and placed them in front of Shang Yuanhong.
“What does this mean?” Shang Yuanhong looked confused.
“Does Lord Shang Yuan know the Chinese idiom ‘a skill for a craftsman’?” Zhong Li asked.
“You mean…”
“Based on the cuts on the hands and feet in the bundle, I can conclude that the murderer is a habitual offender. Firstly, the deceased’s hands and feet were cut along the bone seams, which requires the murderer to be very familiar with the human structure. Secondly, the amount of bleeding was not as much as imagined. Furthermore, based on the color change around the severed edges and the condition of the wound surface, I can boldly infer that the deceased was bled first before his hands and feet were chopped off. This has an advantage: the blood does not splash everywhere, making it easier for the murderer to clean the scene.”
Zhong Li spoke calmly. The envoys eating around them all looked grim and put down their wooden chopsticks, falling silent.
Shang Yuanhong nodded, seemingly in full agreement with Zhong Li’s analysis. He said, “As expected of Jin Cheng’s best coroner. If I had any concerns before about whether you could thoroughly investigate the murderer, I now find it to be unnecessary.”
Zhong Li smiled at Shang Yuanhong, considering it an affirmative response to his compliment.
“Lord Shang Yuan, I came to see you today not just to show you the autopsy report. According to the plan, the young marquis and I will go to Linzhou to investigate the case tomorrow. Before we leave, I have a few questions I'd like to ask Lord Shang Yuan.”
“Ask me?” Shang Yuanhong was somewhat surprised.
Zhong Li nodded, took the autopsy report from Shang Yuanhong, and asked, “There was only a pair of hands and feet in the bundle. How did Lord Shang Yuan conclude that just by looking at the hands and feet, they belonged to Master Shen Tu?”