Hua Jinrong, who had initially planned to go for a celebratory meal, fanned herself, a slight smile playing on her lips.
"Oh ho, is this the gift for your assumption of office?"
"I want not a shred of this kind of welcome gift. Shall I send it all to you?"
Hua Jinrong, met with Lin Qingge's death stare, put away her fan and clasped her hands.
"This student is of humble fortune and cannot possibly accept such a grand gift."
"Indeed, ordinary people cannot bear it. They are easily sent on their way!"
Yan Tinghao said, stealing glances at Ling Han from the corner of his eye. If he recalled correctly, the first case their superior handled upon taking office was committed by this very Ling Han...
Unaware of this, Ye Shengge nudged Lu Mingxuan beside him and whispered,
"Is this Lord Lin someone who attracts a lot of trouble?
Does that mean this Lord Lin has a particularly high chance of dying from overwork or being murdered by an enemy?
In that case, wouldn't Xiao Yueyue rightfully fall into my embrace?"
Lu Mingxuan, thinking the other man was not only overthinking things but also a dreamer, hastily retreated a good distance away, fearing he might be implicated by this garrulous fellow.
He didn't know the probability of Lord Lin's demise, but he was certain Lord Lin attracted trouble.
Otherwise, why would all of them be gathered here?
"Alright, let's go take a look together."
Lin Qingge said, then signaled Er Niu to lead the way.
Willow River was a small river within Fengtian Prefecture city, not too far from Qiyun Society.
Lin Qingge and his group walked for about two quarter-hours before arriving at the so-called crime scene.
Among the crowd of onlookers, a figure clad in pure white stood out exceptionally.
Seeing this, Er Niu couldn't help but explain, "My Lord, before I left, I took the liberty of notifying Coroner Murong."
Lin Qingge nodded, casting a look of approval at the honest Er Niu.
It had to be said that after this period of training, Er Niu had made rapid progress.
In contrast, a certain foolish deer remained as foolish and indescribable as ever...
"Make way, way! Fengtian Prefecture's new Prefect, Lord Lin Jingxing, has arrived! Everyone, move aside!"
Yan Tinghao followed closely behind Lin Qingge, and it was Ye Shengxiao, leveraging Lin Qingge's authority and practically puffing up his tail, who shouted the announcement.
Although Lin Qingge and his group were all dressed in light and practical short jackets, their imposing demeanor, especially upon hearing Ye Shengxiao's shout, caused the crowd to part and move to the sides.
Hua Jinrong investigated the situation, Murong Bai examined the body, while Yan Tinghao and Ling Han drove the nearby onlookers further away. Everyone seemed to have their respective tasks clearly defined.
Thus, when Constable Li Yi arrived with his subordinates upon hearing the news, he felt somewhat redundant...
"My Lord, this student has inquired. Initially, it was children playing nearby who spotted something floating on the river. When they got closer, they realized it was a person and immediately called for Your Lordship.
A few brave ones who were good swimmers retrieved the person, only to find they had already breathed their last. They then rushed to the Prefectural Office to report the case.
Furthermore, this student questioned the surrounding residents, and some recognized the deceased as Zhao Si from the Hengtong gambling house."
"Since the identity and name of the deceased are known, we should investigate who he had grievances with in his life, who his family members are, and also check his residence."
"Yes, My Lord."
After giving instructions to Hua Jinrong, Lin Qingge turned to Murong Bai, who slowly stood up, "How is it?"
"The deceased is male, in his early thirties, seven feet five inches tall. There are signs of a blow from a hard object on the back of his head, and two scratch marks on his neck.
Also, I found some faint red marks on the deceased's teeth.
Judging from the fact that the deceased's mouth was tightly shut when he was found, these red marks were likely from when the deceased was alive, but it is unknown if they are related to the case.
From my observation, these red marks do not resemble rouge used by women. Instead, they are somewhat like dye.
And judging from the degree of swelling on the deceased's entire body, the deceased should have been thrown into the water for no more than twelve hours, or even less."
"The deceased was thrown into the water?
You mean to say he did not drown?"
"As expected of Lord Lin, your insight is indeed sharp.
If the deceased had drowned, there would be foam, mud, or weeds in his mouth and nose, and his stomach would also be swollen with ingested water.
However, from my observation, although the deceased's skin surface was pale and swollen from the river water,
there was no mud or debris in his mouth or nose, nor was there any water accumulation in his abdomen. Drowning has been essentially ruled out.
Furthermore, although the back of the deceased's head was struck by a hard object, it should not be considered a fatal wound.
Based on my years of experience in autopsies, the deceased most likely died of suffocation and was then dumped into the river.
Of course, it is also possible that the deceased suffered internal injuries or died of a sudden heart condition.
Whether it was suffocation or not, I will need to take the body back for further examination before I can make a definitive conclusion."
Hearing that the body was to be taken back, Lin Qingge looked over in surprise.
As if understanding what he was thinking, Murong Bai said softly,
"Lord Lin, rest assured, it is not being taken back to the Prefectural Office, but to the Fengtian Prefecture's Yi Zhuang (mortuary).
Also, the deceased was completely empty-handed. Forget a money pouch, not even a single valuable item was found on him."
Hearing the slight hint of regret in Murong Bai's tone, Lin Qingge had reason to suspect that this fellow had absolutely pocketed some of the deceased's belongings!
Though he thought it, Lin Qingge, relieved, called Ling Han and the others to the riverbank, "Who among you knows how to swim?"
Ye Shengxiao immediately stepped forward, "My Lord, you've come to the right person! My title 'White Dragon of the Waves' is not for naught!"
"That's wonderful. The important task of searching the river will be entrusted to you."
As soon as Lin Qingge finished speaking, Ling Han had already stepped forward and kicked Ye Shengxiao into Willow River.
With a splash, water erupted.
Fortunately, Lin Qingge had the foresight to step back a couple of paces. Yan Tinghao, standing at the very edge, was directly splashed, wetting half of his coat.
It was in the awkward position between his waist and legs.
He immediately received stares from all directions.
"My Lord, your humble servant..."
Yan Tinghao, looking bewildered, instinctively sought help from his superior, but Lin Qingge chuckled ungenerously, "As men, who hasn't had their pants wet before?
If Constable Yan truly feels embarrassed, you can take off your pants.
Don't worry, I certainly won't charge you with indecent exposure."
"My Lord!"
No matter how honest Yan Tinghao was, he understood the teasing in those words and his face turned red with anger.
At this moment, Ye Shengxiao, who had been kicked into Willow River by Ling Han, flailed his arms and shouted,
"You, Ling Han, I and you are irreconcilable!
Wait until I get out of here, and I swear, I swear..."
Ye Shengxiao thought for a long time but couldn't come up with a threat. Lin Qingge seized the opportunity and shouted to him,
"Search carefully underwater, and see if you can find anything resembling the deceased's belongings?"