Case One: Double Corpse in the Flowerbed
Due to Lu Wuxie’s involvement, the two corpses previously placed in the dilapidated courtyard by Prefect Ren were now moved to the newly built morgue at the yamen.
When Zhong Li entered, the room, perhaps recently cleaned, surprisingly lacked the usual putrid smell, instead carrying a faint acidic odor.
She knew this was the result of fumigation with vinegar.
The bodies were positioned near the entrance, easy to find. Zhong Li stepped forward, pulled back the white sheet, and began cleaning the clinging mud and bloodstains, preparing the ground for Lu Wuxie to bring the clay for restoration.
Not long after, Lu Wuxie entered. Following behind him, Lin Jin carried a large bag of clay. By the time Zhong Li finished her task, the clay was neatly arranged on a clean wooden bed.
Lu Wuxie was quite curious about Zhong Li’s skill in skull restoration. He pulled up a chair and watched her mix the clay and begin to fill the damaged areas of the corpses inch by inch. He could no longer resist asking, "How did you know that the skeletal structure of someone missing half their face should be like this?"
Zhong Li continued her work while explaining, "A human skull is composed of 23 flat and irregular bones of varying shapes and sizes. Although this deceased person’s head was bashed in, their teeth, cranial sutures, and the circumference of the skull can still be determined. Restoration is not difficult."
Lu Wuxie looked enlightened. He hadn't expected human skulls to involve such intricate knowledge. What surprised him was that, to his knowledge, there was no one in the entire Southern Yue Kingdom with skills like Zhong Li. How had she mastered this craft?
"Li'er, who was your mentor?" He pulled over a chair and sat beside her, watching her meticulously restore the corpse with only half its skull remaining, and asked.
Zhong Li, focused on her task, casually replied, "University A, graduate studies. My advisor was Thomas, a renowned skull restoration expert from Britain."
"Tho... Thomas?" Lu Wuxie stammered for the first time, thinking he had misheard. He repeated Zhong Li's words in surprise.
Zhong Li was about to repeat herself when she realized Lu Wuxie was from ancient times and wouldn't know such an unusual name. She casually said, "Lord Shizi, you don't know him, and there's no need to remember the name."
Lu Wuxie felt a pang of displeasure. Who was this Thomas that Zhong Li was so reluctant to speak about?
However, he could somewhat guess that such a difficult name to pronounce and remember likely belonged to a Persian. Then again, based on his understanding of Zhong Li over this period, she had been with Gai Chen since she was three. When did she go to Persia to learn this?
With this thought, Lu Wuxie narrowed his eyes and gazed at Zhong Li. Who exactly was she?
The skull restoration was a long and tedious process, but Zhong Li was accustomed to it. She had initially thought Lu Wuxie was merely observing out of momentary curiosity and would soon leave. When she finished restoring the relatively less damaged skull, she found Lu Wuxie still sitting in the same spot, propping his head with one hand, fighting off sleep, keeping her company.
A warmth flowed through Zhong Li's heart. She glanced out the window. The moon hung from the branches, and a cold wind howled outside. She stood up, walked to a corner, found an outer garment from her bag, and walked over to Lu Wuxie, draping it over him.
Perhaps it was her movement, or perhaps Lu Wuxie was incredibly light-sleeping, but the moment her garment touched his shoulder, he opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on her with a hint of wariness.
"Did I disturb you?" Zhong Li sat back in her original position. She asked casually, accustomed to Lu Wuxie's uncharacteristic guarded expression when roused from sleep.
Hearing her voice and clearly seeing her, Lu Wuxie retracted his guard. He glanced at the sky, which was just beginning to brighten, realizing dawn was near. He was about to ask Zhong Li about her progress when he saw the male corpse lying on the table, appearing to be asleep, and his expression froze. "Finished?"
"Mm, one is finished," Zhong Li replied, washing the restoration knife in her hand. Her gaze shifted to the other male corpse, the one with the key in its mouth. Half of its head was crushed, making restoration much more difficult than the previous one. However, the clay was already mixed, saving a significant amount of time.
Lu Wuxie stood up and walked to the male corpse whose face had been restored. The man was not particularly striking, with a square face, a round nose, and narrow eyes. Judging by his appearance, he seemed like a calculating and cunning individual.
"I've seen your autopsy report," Lu Wuxie said, looking at the man's face, addressing Zhong Li, who continued her work. "I have no questions regarding the cause of death for these two men, but what is this 'Arabian tea' written on your report?"
Zhong Li hadn't expected Lu Wuxie's attention to be drawn to this point.
Her hand paused mid-restoration. She glanced at the autopsy report in his hand, thought for a moment, then picked up a brush and ink from a nearby spot and drew a plant on Xuan paper. "Lord Shizi, have you seen this?"
Lu Wuxie took it and examined it closely. After a while, he said, "I seem to have seen it somewhere, but my impression is not deep."
"This is called Khat. It primarily grows in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, hence also called Arabian tea," she said, pausing. Seeing the utterly bewildered expression on the man opposite her, she knew the people of Southern Yue were completely unaware of places like East Africa or Arabia.
She had no choice but to explain, "Lord Shizi, you can understand it as Khat not growing in any part of Southern Yue."
Lu Wuxie’s comprehension was quick. Hearing this, he realized and responded, "So, Lord Shizi can understand that this... Khat, is an imported product?"
Zhong Li nodded emphatically.
"Since it's tea, why did you, Li'er, write it separately on the autopsy report and mark it with red cinnabar?" Lu Wuxie asked.
Zhong Li took the drawing from Lu Wuxie's hand and said, "This Arabian tea, though it sounds like tea, is actually a type of soft drug."
"Soft... drug?" Lu Wuxie was taken aback again. He now suspected Zhong Li's identity even more. Where did she get these new terms?
Zhong Li didn't want to explain her own affairs to Lu Wuxie. She deliberately sidestepped his doubts about her identity and, instead, explained the Arabian tea in the drawing. "This Khat, its stems and leaves contain natural amphetamines. When people drink its juice or chew it, their central nervous system experiences stimulation, leading to addiction. This is a soft drug."
Lu Wuxie finally understood. This was similar to how Southern Yue strictly prohibited the sale of opium.
"So, Li'er now suspects that the deaths of these two are related to this Khat?" Lu Wuxie asked.
Zhong Li shook her head. Without concrete evidence, she couldn't jump to conclusions. However, since Khat was found in the deceased's mouth, it proved that this person was aware of Khat's properties. Whether their death was connected to it had a fifty-fifty chance.
"To make a definitive judgment, we must investigate the scene where the bodies were discovered. Furthermore..." she said, her fingertip resting on the deceased's clothing.
"It is winter now, and both deceased were wearing only a light padded jacket. The outer garment for wind and cold protection is not on them. One thing is that, according to the worn footwear, apart from the mud splashed at the time of death, the soles of their shoes also had thick dust and severe wear, yet the brocade on the instep appeared unwashed. I suspect these two are not from Jinzhou but came to Jinzhou on business from elsewhere."