Coroner's Diary

"Ninth Miss, what do you think? Have you found any location that might be the crime scene?"

Zheng Baishi approached Qin Guan and asked gently. Qin Guan, who had been half-crouching, stood up and shook her head. "No. The wounds on Meng Jin's abdomen are very neat, but after walking around this inner lake, I haven't found any flat stones. If we follow our earlier deduction that Meng Jin was held underwater and drowned by the lake, there must have been something flat pressing against him. I've looked around, but the Archaic Stones by the lake are all jagged and uneven."

As she spoke, Qin Guan's gaze shifted to the distant railing. "The marks on his body seem more like he was pressed against a railing or the edge of a table."

Zheng Baishi raised an eyebrow. Li Muyun, standing nearby, suggested, "Could it be that he was first attacked near the corridor and then dragged to the lake? If he was dragged, there would likely be traces on his shoes or clothing. Since his clothes are missing now, we can't find evidence, but it's still a possibility, right?"

Qin Guan immediately nodded. "That is indeed possible. However, Meng Wei mentioned that his father wasn't completely drunk that night—at least sober enough to order the servants not to follow him and then walk out alone. This suggests he wasn't heavily intoxicated. In such a state, given Meng Jin's fairly robust physique, he would have struggled. If he had struggled, he would have sustained additional bruises, but there are no extra injuries on his body."

Li Muyun, the esteemed Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, showed no annoyance at having his theory rebutted and simply smiled. "Ninth Miss is very thorough. Then it's strange—under what circumstances was Meng Jin drowned?"

Qin Guan sighed. "There's no answer yet. It's just a pity we can't perform an autopsy."

Zheng Baishi and Zhan Yang exchanged a glance. Zheng Baishi said, "I can discuss the possibility of an autopsy with the Meng family. It would be best if we could persuade them."

Qin Guan nodded. Just then, Yan Chi approached with his men. Zheng Baishi quickly asked, "Your Highness, any luck?"

Yan Chi had taken his men to search the lake for the key. Since the key was too small to be retrieved by ordinary means, Zhan Yang suggested having the officers dive into the water. Although the Meng family's inner lake was clear, it was the dead of winter, and ordinary officers couldn't endure the cold. As a last resort, Yan Chi summoned his own guards.

These young men, who usually appeared imposing in their black attire, didn't hesitate to strip and enter the lake. Each of them was an excellent swimmer, moving effortlessly through the icy water dotted with floating ice.

Bai Feng, his hair still wet, followed behind Yan Chi—he had been the first to dive in.

Shaking his head, Yan Chi replied, "We didn't find it. The body was discovered downstream, and they searched against the undercurrent but found nothing. The key likely isn't at the bottom of the lake."

Bai Feng added, "The lake is very clean, with only fine sand and small pebbles at the bottom. Young Master Meng said his father's key had a chain attached, which should have made it easy to spot, but we still couldn't find it."

Zheng Baishi frowned. "Could it have been taken by someone else?"

No one could answer Zheng Baishi's question. Qin Guan glanced at Yan Chi for a moment. "I'd like to examine the body again."Yan Chi naturally deferred to Qin Guan, while Zheng Baishi and Li Muyun raised no objections. Zhan Yang led the team to continue searching the lakeside, while Qin Guan’s group headed toward the side courtyard where Meng Jin’s body was laid. Qin Guan intended to conduct another Corpse Examination, but before they reached the courtyard, they noticed a crowd gathered outside. For some reason, all the servants of the Meng residence had assembled there.

Qin Guan paused briefly, and Yan Chi halted as well. Several Ink Guards stepped forward and reported respectfully, “Your Highness, Lord Meng has gathered the entire household to enforce Family Law before the coffin of Second Master Meng!”

Yan Chi raised an eyebrow, while Zheng Baishi sighed helplessly.

Meng Zhou intended to punish Meng Wei and his father for their scheme—an offense that would be considered grave in any family. Qin Guan glanced at Yan Chi and said, “In that case, we’ll return tomorrow.”

It was clear Meng Zhou had assembled the entire household, and enforcing Family Law under such circumstances was only natural. It would be inappropriate to dismiss everyone. Yan Chi also felt it was an inopportune moment to intervene, and as Qin Guan was still an unfamiliar face, her presence would inevitably draw attention.

Yan Chi nodded. “Very well, you may come back tomorrow.”

Qin Guan murmured an acknowledgment and was about to turn away when a pained scream suddenly erupted from the side courtyard.

Then, Meng Zhou’s furious voice rang out, “Will you admit your wrongdoing?! Admit it now!”

Meng Wei cried out defiantly, “I won’t! Uncle, my father’s Remains are not yet cold, and you treat me like this in front of him?! That silver was rightfully my father’s—and mine! Why should I admit to any fault?!”

“You wretched ingrate! Still unrepentant even now! Don’t think your father’s death excuses you—if he were still here, I’d thrash him alongside you! You and your father, greedy and heartless, dared to deceive your own kin with such schemes! Do you even consider this family your own?!”

This rebuke came from Meng Hui, a rough and impulsive man whose roar echoed thunderously, clearly intended to publicly humiliate Meng Wei before the entire household.

Provoked, Meng Wei retorted defiantly, “My own family?! It was you who killed my father! You’re the murderer! Why should I regard you as family?! If not for you, my father would never have resorted to this! And now you’re urging Uncle to punish me with Family Law! Unless you and Uncle beat me to death today, I will uncover the evidence that proves you’re the killer!”

Meng Wei, accused by Meng Hui of being a traitor who deceived his own family, now directly labeled Meng Hui the murderer. No sooner had he spoken than he let out a sharp cry of pain, as if struck.

Meng Zhou fumed, “You unfilial wretch! How dare you spout such nonsense even now! Your fourth uncle is your elder—how can you speak to him like that?! Disrespectful and ungrateful! What has become of the Meng family teachings?! If you refuse to admit your fault, today—today I will teach you a lesson you won’t forget—”

“I won’t admit it! Why should I?! In this entire household, who else but him would want my father dead?!”

Meng Wei retorted with all his might, and Meng Hui interjected, “Elder Brother, you see—this boy shows no remorse. Leave him to me. I’ll beat him to death today—”Every family has its own troubles to bear. Though Qin Guan and the others were unaware of the situation within the courtyard, these words alone were enough to send shivers down one's spine.

Yan Chi shook his head and turned to leave first. "It's getting late. Let me escort you back."

Li Muyun added, "I should return to the Court of Judicial Review as well."

Zheng Baishi said, "Then I'll stay for a while to see if Zhan Yang can uncover anything. I'll also discuss the matter of the corpse examination with Lord Meng. Ideally, we can proceed with the dissection by the time Ninth Miss returns."

Yan Chi agreed this arrangement was best. After bidding farewell to Zheng Baishi, he led Qin Guan toward the side gate, with Li Muyun accompanying them. As they walked, Li Muyun remarked, "Ninth Miss's analysis of the case is remarkably thorough. Not only that, she has considered even the smallest details with great care. If one didn't know better, they might mistake her for a constable from the magistrate's office."

Qin Guan felt a chill in her heart but replied calmly, "I usually enjoy reading miscellaneous books. There are many folk tales and illustrated volumes about detective work in the market, which exaggerate the anecdotes of famous incorruptible officials from previous dynasties. Though much of it is embellished, the process of unraveling clues in these stories has given me quite a bit of inspiration."

A flicker of surprise crossed Li Muyun's eyes. "Ninth Miss actually enjoys such books?"

A faint smile touched Qin Guan's lips. "I'm afraid you must find it amusing, sir."

Li Muyun looked at her and sighed. "What a pity Ninth Miss wasn't born a man."

A glint of cunning flashed in Qin Guan's eyes. "What if I were? Am I not doing a man's work as we speak?"

Li Muyun was taken aback at first, then burst into hearty laughter. "Ninth Miss is right. I was being narrow-minded. What does it matter if one is male or female? With your medical skills, you can heal the wounded and save the dying, and even seek justice for the deceased. That has nothing to do with gender."

"You flatter me, Lord Li." Qin Guan lowered her gaze.

Yan Chi, walking ahead, glanced back upon hearing this. From the tone of Qin Guan's conversation with Li Muyun, he had assumed she was content to exchange a few pleasantries. Yet, when he turned, he caught a trace of coldness in the corner of her eye.

Yan Chi subtly averted his gaze, a doubt forming in his mind.

Back in Yuanzhou, Qin Guan had changed her mind about attending Prince Yu's birthday banquet after seeing Li Muyun's name, which struck Yan Chi as odd at the time. However, since then, she hadn't shown any particular interest in Li Muyun, so he had dismissed the thought. After returning to the capital, she seemed normal, but just now, he had clearly seen genuine coldness in her eyes—a stark contrast to her usual demeanor.

As he pondered this, Yan Chi's expression darkened. What kind of wish required both power and opportunity to fulfill?

They continued toward the side gate. Just as they reached the entrance, a man in a blue robe entered, carrying several scrolls in his arms. He nearly collided with Yan Chi, who was leading the way.

The man stepped back, steadying the scrolls that were about to fall, then looked up at the group. His expression was puzzled when he saw Yan Chi and Qin Guan, but his eyes lit up upon recognizing Li Muyun. "Lord Li?"

Li Muyun smiled. "Master Ning, what brings you here?"

He then turned to Yan Chi. "This is Prince Rui's heir."Upon hearing this, Ning Buyi promptly bowed to Yan Chi. "Greetings, Crown Prince, greetings, Lord Li."

Yan Chi nodded, and only then did Ning Buyi straighten up. Smiling at Li Muyun, he said, "I came to the Meng residence before the New Year to paint several works. Now that they're mounted, I've brought them for Lord Meng."

As Yan Chi observed Ning Buyi, Li Muyun explained, "Your Highness, this is Master Ning from the Ink-Stained Painting House in the city. He's a renowned painter and the proprietor of the gallery. All the artists there are highly skilled. When noble families in the capital need paintings, they always go to his gallery to commission artists. By the way, Master Ning often enters the palace to paint as well."

Being introduced in such a manner, Ning Buyi hastily bowed and said, "You flatter me." Yan Chi nodded in acknowledgment. Qin Guan was also observing Ning Buyi, who wore an untroubled blue robe and stood as straight as a bamboo stalk. His fingers, holding the scrolls, were slender and fair, and his gentle eyes and brows indeed gave him the appearance of a refined scholar.

Li Muyun continued, "During that recent case in the city, after the spy was identified, we needed a portrait of the person who paid him. We asked Master Ning to paint it then. Unfortunately, we never found the man. Although Master Ning charges high prices for paintings for noble families, he never accepts payment when assisting the magistrate's office. Lord Zheng is also quite familiar with him."

Ning Buyi humbly bowed repeatedly. Yan Chi smiled slightly and said, "Master Ning must be a man of great integrity."

Ning Buyi quickly replied, "You honor me too much. With my humble skills, it is only right to assist the magistrate's office. Moreover, I have a personal acquaintance with Lord Zheng, so it is my duty to help."

Li Muyun chuckled. "Master Ning, no need to be modest. The Crown Prince has only recently returned to the capital and may not know yet, but he will surely come to learn of it." He then added, "However, your timing for delivering the paintings today might be unfortunate."

Ning Buyi seemed puzzled. Li Muyun sighed and explained, "You're aware of the situation at the Meng residence. Lord Meng is quite upset today, and Lord Zheng is still here. I'm afraid it will be some time before they're available."

Ning Buyi naturally didn't know the details, but since Li Muyun said so, he knew it must be true. After a moment's hesitation, Ning Buyi said, "In that case, I shall return another day. I wouldn't want to disrupt the officials' affairs."

With that, Ning Buyi stepped aside. "Please proceed first, Your Highness."

Yan Chi strode forward, and Qin Guan followed behind him. As she passed Ning Buyi, he instinctively glanced at her twice. At first, he seemed surprised, but he quickly lowered his gaze, not daring to look further.

Yan Chi and Qin Guan walked ahead, while Li Muyun and Ning Buyi followed behind, discussing the paintings in Ning Buyi's hands.

Ning Buyi said, "These were painted during the Laba Festival. The residence was holding a banquet, and Lord Meng asked us to paint several Banquet Paintings. We also painted individual portraits of the several lords and young masters of the household, and finally, a Family Portrait of the entire family. At the time, we even painted a portrait of the Second Lord. Who would have thought such a tragedy would occur?"

Li Muyun sighed as well. "Such things are truly unforeseeable."

Ning Buyi nodded. "Indeed. The portrait of the Second Lord has become his final work."

By the time they finished speaking, Yan Chi and Qin Guan had reached the carriage. Yan Chi turned to say a few words to Li Muyun, then boarded the carriage with Qin Guan. Li Muyun and Ning Buyi both bowed respectfully to see them off.In the carriage, Qin Guan said, "Just now, listening to Meng Hui, although his words were filled with anger and he repeatedly demanded severe punishment for Meng Wei, it actually made me feel that he isn’t the one who killed Meng Jin." As she spoke, Qin Guan continued, "But today in the courtroom, someone’s behavior truly took me by surprise—"

Yan Chi raised an eyebrow, "Are you referring to the Second Madam?"

Once inside the carriage, the two were alone. Yan Chi casually brushed aside a stray lock of Qin Guan’s ink-black hair and then held her hand close to his chest. Qin Guan was dressed in men’s attire today and, though she wore a cape, it wasn’t as warm as the layered skirts she usually wore. Sure enough, her hand felt cold to the touch.

Qin Guan hadn’t expected Yan Chi to be thinking the same thing. Her eyes brightened instantly, "Exactly. The Second Madam is, after all, the Second Master’s wife. It’s not entirely incomprehensible that she showed no grief over her husband’s death. Meng Jin had two concubines, and their marital relationship had long been strained, with no affection left between them over the years. Yet, she doesn’t seem to care much about Meng Wei either."

Yan Chi nodded, "I noticed this during our first visit to the Meng residence. But since she seemed devoted to Buddhism, we assumed she had detached herself from worldly concerns. However, today in the courtroom, when Meng Wei and Meng Hui were arguing so fiercely, she showed no reaction at all, which felt rather eerie."

Qin Guan nodded in agreement, "Under normal circumstances, no matter how much resentment or indifference a woman holds toward her husband, she would still harbor affection and concern for her own son."

Yan Chi also nodded, "Don’t worry, I’ll have someone investigate this matter. Besides the Second Madam, we should also look into the First, Third, and Fourth branches of the family. If Meng Jin was murdered, it might not necessarily be over the inheritance dispute. Right now, we’re all trapped by the deception surrounding the inheritance and Meng Wei and his son, making it hard to see other possibilities."

Qin Guan smiled slightly, "You’ve thought of everything, as always."

Yan Chi drew her halfway into his embrace, "When it comes to cases, you’re the more meticulous one." He then added, "Even Lord Li has praised you highly, and he is the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review."

Qin Guan remained silent at this. Yan Chi looked down at her for a moment, "Do you dislike Lord Li?"

Knowing she couldn’t hide it from him, Qin Guan admitted frankly, "I heard he was the one who exposed Lord Shen Yi. Even before coming to the capital, I wondered what kind of person he was. Now that I’ve met him, I can’t pinpoint anything wrong, but still…"

A faint smile touched Yan Chi’s lips, "I understand what you mean. If you don’t like him, you can avoid him in the future."

Qin Guan shook her head, "I have a passion for the Path of criminal justice. Just like this time, it’s not something I can easily avoid. It’s fine—let’s keep this between us. I won’t let it show."

Yan Chi nodded, "Then do as you wish. Setting him aside for now, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to interact with Zheng Baishi and Zhan Yang in the future. What do you think of them?"

At the mention of these two, Qin Guan spoke with approval, "Lord Zheng’s reputation precedes him. After several interactions, I’ve found him courteous and measured in his dealings, with the demeanor of a refined scholar. In the courtroom, however, he is an impartial and stern judge, truly living up to his fame. As for Zhan Butou… although he isn’t very expressive, it’s clear that he deeply values his role as a constable and carries out his duties diligently and meticulously. With Lord Zheng and him working together, the people of Lin’an Prefecture are fortunate."Yan Chi gently stroked Qin Guan's back and said, "Lord Zheng is one thing, but there's a particular reason why Zhan Yang became a constable."

Qin Guan looked up, "What is it?"

Yan Chi explained, "He became a constable at a young age and has accomplished many merits over the years, making him the youngest constable in Lin'an Prefecture. All this seems to be because of his sister."

Qin Guan was slightly surprised, "His sister?"

Yan Chi nodded, "His sister was murdered earlier this year, and the killer still hasn't been caught."

A flash of insight struck Qin Guan's mind—she finally remembered who the shadow was that she had seen when paying respects to Ninth Miss's parents outside the city that day. Wasn't it Zhan Yang?!