Lin Jin followed Zhong Li's words and carefully examined the two places where Zhao Jun was bound.
After much thought, he said, "This should be the common binding method used by small vendors to package items."
Zhong Li nodded. In ancient times, without modern portable plastic bags and packaging pouches, most things were packaged using items like brown paper, Xuan paper, oiled paper, coarse cloth, and so on. This naturally required ropes for handles, and the knotting method used on Zhao Jun's wrists and ankles was precisely this technique.
"The killer is a vendor?" Lin Jin frowned, his tone carrying a hint of uncertainty.
Zhong Li said, "There are many vendors, selling fish, meat, medicine... Moreover, yesterday there were many pilgrims. Although Master Liao Chen dispersed most of them due to the issue of the Buddha statue shedding tears, it's possible someone hid. The scope is too broad, and we need to continue searching for clues."
As she spoke, she continued to examine Zhao Jun's external body. Finding no other useful clues besides him dying of excessive blood loss due to his body being unrecognizable from rat gnawing, she casually took a scalpel from the medicine chest and began to examine the corpse.
When the partially eaten stomach of Zhao Jun appeared in Zhong Li's hand, Lin Jin beside her almost vomited up his morning meal.
Zhong Li glanced at him indifferently.
Lin Jin quickly covered his mouth and nose.
Zhong Li's gaze returned, continuing to examine the contents of Zhao Jun's stomach.
As the midday sun illuminated the entire autopsy room, the door finally opened from the inside. Zhong Li, carrying her medicine chest and holding an autopsy report, walked out of the room with Lin Jin and headed straight to the back garden of the yamen.
Lu Wuxie, who had been waiting outside, was nearly pacing back and forth across the county office.
"Your Highness, mind your step."
"Your Highness, have some tea."
"Your Highness, please sit, don't tire yourself."
The county magistrate of Suqing County, Li Kun, with a teacup in one hand and a chair in the other, followed Lu Wuxie, who was admiring flowers in the back garden. He seemed fearful of even the slightest dissatisfaction from Lu Wuxie, offering flattery and greetings with a smiling face.
However, others did not find this strange. After all, Lu Wuxie, as the Imperial Investigator of Nanyue Kingdom, had a major incident occur upon his arrival at Lingshan Temple. The fact that he personally delivered the body instead of holding the local magistrate accountable was already considered immense leniency.
"Your Highness," Lin Jin led Zhong Li into the pavilion and cupped his hands towards Lu Wuxie.
Lu Wuxie casually scattered all the fish food in his hand into the pond below the pavilion. Watching the koi carp scramble for food, he then looked at Zhong Li, who was gracefully walking towards them, and said to Lin Jin, "Finished?"
"Finished," Lin Jin nodded and handed an autopsy report to Lu Wuxie.
Lu Wuxie glanced over it, his gaze focusing on the last few lines written by Zhong Li: Zhao Jun, height five feet four inches, approximately fifty-three years old, cause of death excessive blood loss, time of death approximately yesterday's Xushi hour. Both hands and feet showed signs of binding. The stomach contents contained undigested Brassica oleracea and millet porridge. A slight component of Meng Han Yao was detected in the millet porridge.
He smiled and handed the autopsy report to Li Kun, who was trembling opposite him.
Li Kun took it, his face darkening, and quickly said, "Your Highness, it is my negligence in management. With a death occurring at this juncture, I cannot escape my responsibility. I..."
Lu Wuxie, having heard such insincere pleasantries many times, waved a hand at Li Kun, who immediately fell silent, daring not to say another word.
"If I recall correctly, the deceased, Zhao Jun, was a scribe at the yamen?" Lu Wuxie asked.
Li Kun nodded and replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, that is correct. However... with the Ghost Festival approaching, Zhao Jun requested three days of leave from me. He has not appeared at the yamen these past few days."
Lu Wuxie looked at Li Kun and pondered for a moment, then said, "Then tell me, was there anything unusual about Zhao Jun, or did he offend anyone?"
Li Kun furrowed his brow upon hearing this and thought for a long time, finally shaking his head. "Reporting to Your Highness, Zhao Jun has served in the yamen for over twenty years, and we are considered old partners. However, I generally do not inquire about his private affairs. As for whether he offended anyone, I truly do not know."
Lu Wuxie raised an eyebrow and remained silent upon hearing this.
Seeing this, Li Kun shivered and quickly changed the subject, saying, "However, I do have a clue that I can offer Your Highness."
"Speak."
Li Kun swallowed a few times and said, "Zhao Jun has a sickly child at home."
"What do you mean?" Lu Wuxie narrowed his eyes, for some reason feeling that this clue might be directly related to Zhao Jun's cause of death.
"Zhao Jun is fifty-three years old this year. By rights, at his age, he should have grandchildren. However, he only had his own child two years ago."
As Li Kun finished speaking, Zhong Li had already walked into the pavilion. Hearing his words, she recalled the woman she saw in the corridor yesterday. Based on that woman's appearance, she looked to be around thirty years old.
"May I ask Magistrate Li," Zhong Li walked up to Li Kun and bowed, "What is the current wife of Master Zhao, the number of his marriages?"
Li Kun, asked by someone who suddenly appeared, had a hint of doubt in his eyes. But seeing that she was carrying a chest, he instantly understood that she was the coroner accompanying Your Highness Lu.
"Young man, you are quite clever to have guessed that Master Zhao has been married several times."
Zhong Li glanced at Li Kun indifferently, too lazy to engage with his flattering words.
Li Kun felt a bit awkward, let out a self-deprecating chuckle, and said, "Madam Jia is Zhao Jun's fourth official wife."
The fourth one.
Upon hearing this, Zhong Li and the others all showed surprised expressions.
However, what surprised them was not the status of the official wife. After all, in some places, it was difficult for commoners to marry, let alone have several concubines. What surprised them was why Master Zhao frequently divorced and remarried.
Li Kun couldn't help but know what everyone was thinking.
He sighed and said, "Master Zhao previously had three official wives, but for some unknown reason, none of these successive three women ever conceived. The Zhao family is solely passed down through Zhao Jun, and the continuation of the lineage was destined to fall upon him. Especially five years ago, when Zhao Jun's mother passed away without ever seeing a grandchild, this matter became a hurdle Zhao Jun could not overcome.
Later, Zhao Jun kept a woman outside. Three years ago, the woman became pregnant, and Zhao Jun divorced his former wife and married Madam Jia."
Upon hearing this, everyone understood.
"Does Zhao Jun's death have anything to do with this child?" Zhong Li asked.
"Alas," Li Kun sighed, his eyes full of helplessness. "I don't know which deity Zhao Jun offended. This child was very healthy right after birth, but over a year ago, problems arose.
He couldn't walk, nor did he want to sit, lying on the bed all day. Initially, Zhao Jun thought the child was just being lazy. Who knew that gradually, the child stopped eating properly, and his hands became like eagle's claws."
Zhong Li furrowed her brow, analyzing Li Kun's words. She felt that this illness sounded somewhat familiar.
"Did he see a doctor?" she asked.
"Speaking of doctors, Zhao Jun nearly scoured the entire Suqing County. Last year, he even took a few days off to go to Jincheng to see a doctor, but the result..." Li Kun shook his head.
Zhong Li pursed her lips and asked, "Is his frequent seeking out of Master Liao Chen at Lingshan Temple related to this child?"
"Of course. Young man, don't you know that Liao Chen understands medical skills?"