Yue Ning's eyelids twitched. Qin Guan, understanding her discomfort, said, "Princess, if you're truly unwell, there's no need to force yourself. Besides, we don't require so many hands here, and the weather outside is quite chilly. Perhaps it would be better to return to Orchid Isle Courtyard—"
"No forcing!" Yue Ning snapped abruptly, striding decisively toward the long table.
Qin Guan raised an eyebrow and exchanged a glance with Fuling. At the table, Xu He hastily bowed upon seeing Yue Ning approach.
"Greetings, Princess..."
Yue Ning waved a hand and glanced around. "What needs to be done now?"
Xu He looked questioningly at Qin Guan, who shook her head reassuringly before he replied, "Since multiple remains have been discovered, we must now sort and organize each set one by one, then bundle them separately and record them in the register. This will make the subsequent investigation more convenient."
Yue Ning gave a hum of acknowledgment and turned to Qin Guan. "How do we proceed?"
Qin Guan sighed and stepped forward. "The bones are difficult to identify, and the ages are all quite similar. Princess, perhaps it's best to leave this to us."
Yue Ning frowned. "Can't you teach me?"
Qin Guan chuckled. "This isn't something that can be taught in a few words." Noticing Yue Ning's disappointment, she turned to the stack of case files nearby. "How about assisting with the documentation instead?"
Yue Ning's eyes brightened. "Yes, that's perfect! Remember the first time I helped you with this? Though... though I only managed half, I'm not the same as I was back then."
Recalling how she had fled mid-task, vomiting from the gruesome sight of the corpse examination, Yue Ning flushed with embarrassment. Qin Guan remembered it too—Yue Ning had boldly volunteered without knowing what to expect, only to succumb to nausea. "The paper and brush are over there. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated..."
Yue Ning scoffed lightly and picked up the writing tools. Qin Guan approached the pre-sorted piles of bones and began meticulously organizing them. Soon, she spoke up, "Let's label this as Skeleton One. First set of remains—estimated age at death between ten and ten and a half years old. Bones are intact, no obvious signs of injury or poisoning. Cause of death currently unknown. Estimated time since death: at least eight years, though precise dating is difficult."
Yue Ning diligently recorded each detail as Qin Guan dictated. Meanwhile, Xu He produced a cloth bundle, and Qin Guan carefully placed the bones inside. Xu He then took a brush and marked the bundle with the character for "One."
Yue Ning nodded approvingly. "This method is quite efficient." After a pause, she couldn't resist asking, "But... how do you determine the age at death just from the bones? And why can't you pinpoint the time of death?"
Qin Guan's lips curved slightly—Yue Ning's tone made it sound like a test. "Bones change continuously as one ages. Children have smaller frames, adults larger ones—that's basic. Elderly bones become porous, with wear at the joints. For children and youths, before full development, each year leaves distinct markers on the bones. The most obvious indicator is the teeth..."
As she spoke, Qin Guan walked to another bone pile and picked up a tooth."Look, this is the victim's second molar, and this tooth begins to emerge at the age of eleven. Therefore, we can confirm that the victim was at least eleven years old. By examining other subtle skeletal features, we can roughly determine her age at death."
After a brief pause, Qin Guan sighed and said, "Generally, it takes seven to ten years for an adult's body buried in the ground to completely turn into white bones. For younger individuals, the time is shorter. This means these children have been dead for at least six to nine years. When these remains were unearthed, the Second Concubine's remains were on top, while theirs were below, indicating they had been dead for at least eight years. As for whether it was eight, nine, ten years, or even longer, I cannot be certain. Moreover, the well was filled with sand, stones, and silt, leaving almost no reference points to determine the exact time, making it truly difficult to pinpoint..."
Even without calculating the exact time of death, Yue Ning was still stunned after hearing this. "Your medical knowledge is truly extraordinary." She then turned to Xu He and asked, "Do other physicians know when each of a person's teeth grows in?"
Xu He shook his head. "They likely wouldn’t be able to..."
"Did Ninth Miss read Lord Shen's writings?"
A clear voice suddenly rang out. Qin Guan turned and saw Yan Chi striding toward her from the Purple Bamboo Forest, his gaze fixed on her.
Yue Ning also looked at Qin Guan. "Did you read Lord Shen's writings?"
Qin Guan pursed her lips slightly. "Indeed..."
Xu He's eyes lit up, as if he had found a method to learn. Meanwhile, Yan Chi said, "Lord Shen's writings specifically discuss bone examination, even detailing how many bones a person has and how they connect."
Qin Guan nodded calmly. "Exactly. After reading Lord Shen's writings and studying medicine, I gained deeper and broader knowledge in these areas."
After a pause, Qin Guan suddenly asked, "How did the Crown Prince know?"
Yan Chi's lips curved slightly. "The reading list you gave me only mentioned two of Lord Shen's works, so I had someone find his other books. Yesterday, while flipping through them, I happened to come across this very passage."
Qin Guan nodded silently in her heart but hadn’t yet spoken when Huo Huaixin hurried over from the outer courtyard. Seeing Yue Ning present, he first paid his respects to her before addressing Yan Chi. "Crown Prince, Old Madam of Qin Manor refuses to say anything, and Qin Laoye is still unconscious. This is truly..."
Jiang Shi was elderly and advanced in years, while Lin Shi was a woman, making it difficult for Huo Huaixin to take forceful action. He was utterly frustrated.
Hearing this, Yan Chi chuckled lightly. "It seems Old Madam wants us to question Qin Laoye. What did their family physician say? When will Qin Laoye regain consciousness?"
"The physician said he won’t wake until tomorrow morning..."
Huo Huaixin was visibly troubled, but Yan Chi remained unhurried. "No need to rush. Let him recover properly so he has the energy to answer our questions. Besides, there are many details of this case we still don’t know. We can wait until my men return from Yang County before questioning him—there’s no hurry." After a brief pause, Yan Chi's expression darkened. "Currently, these two cases were not committed by the same person. One is an old case, and the other is a new one within the manor. They must be treated separately."Huo Huaixin nodded, "This official understands. In that case, it would be best to first excavate the remaining remains."
The Second Concubine and the unearthed child's skeleton were naturally part of an old case, with the culprit likely being a master of Qin Manor. However, the new case was different. Yan Chi pondered for a moment before looking at Qin Guan, "From the current perspective, the murderer's first and second killings were intended to draw attention to these two wells. Considering this, the murderer must be connected to the case from eight years ago."
Lowering his voice slightly, Yan Chi continued, "Could it be revenge?"
Qin Guan glanced at the now-ruined area beneath the flower shed and nodded, "It does seem that way. However, too many people died eight years ago, so it's unclear whether this person is connected to the Second Concubine or these children."
"The people sent to Yang County will return soon, and those dispatched to neighboring prefectures have already left. We should receive a reply within seven to ten days at the latest," Yan Chi said, having sent out his men. With his reputation, matters could be handled smoothly in any nearby prefecture.
Qin Guan nodded and turned back to continue organizing the white bones on the table with Xu He. Before long, another report came from the Purple Bamboo Forest—another skeleton had been unearthed. By now, eleven skeletons had been excavated beneath the Second Concubine's remains.
Just by examining the skull of the newly discovered skeleton, Qin Guan knew it was another child's remains. All the victims were young children who never had the chance to grow up. Had they lived, they would now be around Yan Chi's age. Yet their lives had ended then, reduced to these stark white bones. The expressions of Qin Guan and the others grew increasingly somber, their faces unconsciously reflecting sorrow. What kind of person could harm so many children?
The continuous rain had finally stopped, and the weather had grown noticeably cooler. Yue Ning stayed at Qin Manor until dusk before leaving. By then, another skeleton had been unearthed in the Purple Bamboo Forest. To ensure all remains were recovered, the ground between the Purple Bamboo Forest and the flower shed had been dug up, leaving a deep trench. Huo Huaixin had mobilized most of the yamen's constables, and even into the evening of the second day, they continued working, determined to finish the excavation overnight.
"Miss, they're still busy in the Purple Bamboo Forest. You should rest now," Fuling urged Qin Guan as usual.
Having stood outside all day, Qin Guan was indeed exhausted. Without further protest, she went to bed early. As soon as her head touched the pillow, drowsiness overwhelmed her, and she soon fell into a deep sleep.
The night passed without dreams. When Qin Guan opened her eyes again, it was still dark outside. Perhaps because she had slept early and soundly, she no longer felt as heavy with sleep. However, since dawn had not yet broken, it was not yet time to rise. Qin Manor was now guarded day and night by the yamen's sentries, and she couldn't recklessly rush to the Purple Bamboo Forest at this hour.
Qin Guan closed her eyes again to rest. In the quiet of dawn, the manor was utterly silent, her small courtyard so still one could hear a pin drop. The tranquility soon lulled her back into a hazy state of near-sleep—until suddenly, she heard strange cries...
Her eyes snapped open. But when she strained to listen, there was nothing.Dazed for a moment, the faint light of dawn had just begun to appear outside. Qin Guan felt that the strange cries she heard earlier were somewhat eerie, so she lifted the tent curtain and stepped down. The room was slightly chilly. Wrapping herself in an outer robe, she walked to the window, pushed open the lattice with a creak, and listened intently, but still heard nothing.
Frowning slightly, Qin Guan wondered to herself, "Was it just a dream?"
Just as she was thinking this, footsteps sounded outside. Fuling entered, looking rather surprised to see Qin Guan standing by the window. "Miss, what's wrong? Why are you up?"
Qin Guan shook her head and quickly asked, "Just now, I thought I heard some shouts. Did you hear anything?"
Fuling, still half-asleep, rubbed her eyes. "What shouts? I didn't hear anything. I only woke up when I heard you opening the window. What happened? What did you hear?"
Qin Guan slowly shook her head. "It's hard to say. Maybe I was dreaming."
"You must be too tired these past few days, thinking too much. Even in your dreams, you're probably still solving cases." Fuling approached and tried to close the window. "Miss, go back to sleep for a while. Don't stand in the draft and catch a chill."
The early morning was indeed cold. Qin Guan felt a chill run through her body. She tightened her robe and turned back toward the bed. "Perhaps I misheard. It's still early. You should rest a bit more too. The Purple Bamboo Forest should be fully excavated today."
Fuling nodded as she closed the window. "Alright, Miss. Don't worry. I'll go check later."
Qin Guan nodded and lay back down. The brief time out of bed had left her feeling cold, but fortunately, the warmth beneath the brocade quilt gradually eased her discomfort.
This time, lying down, Qin Guan found herself truly awake, simply waiting for the sky to brighten a little more before rising.
However, just as she was about to get up, a flurry of hurried footsteps suddenly echoed in the courtyard outside, followed by several voices. Someone seemed to let out a startled cry, and soon after, Fuling rushed in.
"Miss, something's happened! Third Master Qin An is in trouble..."
Qin Guan sat up abruptly. "What happened?"
Fuling pressed her lips together. "The Crown Prince came personally. He didn't give details, but he seemed very urgent..."
Qin Guan's heart skipped a beat. Qin An hadn't even faced trial yet—how could something have happened to him? With this thought, she turned and stepped out of bed, hastily throwing on an outer robe to head outside. In her urgency, she momentarily forgot that she hadn't slept in her clothes tonight as she had the previous night. Pushing the door open in a hurry, Qin Guan immediately spotted Yan Chi standing under the corridor outside.
Perhaps her movements were too loud, because Yan Chi turned and saw her at once. Their eyes met, and his gaze flickered over the inner garments visible beneath her robe before he averted his eyes.
Fuling, equally alarmed, hurried after her. "Miss, you haven't changed yet..."
Yan Chi's reaction and Fuling's words made Qin Guan pause. She looked down and her expression instantly changed. A faint blush spread across her jade-like cheeks. Clutching her robe tightly, she turned and retreated into the room.
Fuling looked distressed. "Miss..."
Qin Guan frowned. "I was too hasty. It's fine—it wasn't too improper."Her words were somewhat meant to comfort herself, but given the urgency of the situation, Fuling didn’t say much more. She quickly helped Qin Guan change her clothes and tied up her hair before turning to leave.
Once outside, the faint blush on Qin Guan’s face had faded. Yan Chi stood tall and composed under the corridor, his gaze calm as he turned to her. Qin Guan asked urgently, “What happened to Third Uncle?”
Yan Chi’s eyes darkened slightly. “About half an hour ago, he suddenly went into a frenzy. Now, he’s in critical condition.”
Qin Guan’s heart skipped a beat—Qin An couldn’t die now!
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