Coroner's Diary

"Frozen to death?!" Qin Guan frowned. In the cold case from six years ago, the third victim had been buried alive in the snow and frozen to death. This manner of death corresponded to the Moon Worship Sect's Icy Hell, specifically designed to punish those cold-hearted individuals who denied their kin. The victim from six years back had starved his own elderly father to death. And this time?!

Qin Guan glanced at the spring scenery around her. "It's already late spring, almost summer. Where was this person frozen to death?"

If it were the depths of winter with heavy snow, freezing someone to death might be easier. But in this weather, not only was there no snow, there had been few rains either. Under normal circumstances, it was absolutely impossible for anyone to freeze to death.

"In the ice cellar at Zuixian Lou's west city location..."

Ice cellar?! Qin Guan's heart sank. "I'll go with you right now!"

At Qin Guan's command, Fuling immediately brought her cape, while Baiying gathered the tools for the Corpse Examination. They followed Qin Guan out of the Marquis residence, heading straight for the west city.

The carriage moved at a brisk pace, with Zhan Yang handling the reins outside.

Qin Guan quickly lifted the curtain to ask, "Has the victim's identity been confirmed?"

Zhan Yang promptly replied, "Yes, it's the ice cellar keeper named Hu Dequan, over forty years old. He worked for Zuixian Lou, but having lost a leg, he couldn't serve as a waiter. Due to his limited mobility, he was assigned to guard the ice cellar. It's late April now, not yet time for Zuixian Lou to use ice, so usually Hu Dequan was alone at the cellar. Today, another employee came to instruct about opening the cellar for ice retrieval next month. When he arrived, he found the courtyard gate wide open with no one in sight, and the door to the ice cellar was also open. Thinking Hu Dequan might be working downstairs, the employee went down and discovered that all the inner doors of the ice cellar were open..."

"Hu Dequan was just the keeper; he wasn't allowed to open the cellar without orders. Suspecting Hu Dequan of stealing ice, the employee entered and found him dead in the farthest corner, already stiff. Terrified, the employee rushed out, first alerted Zuixian Lou, then reported to the authorities."

Qin Guan listened with a deepening frown, remaining silent for a moment. The carriage continued westward, soon arriving at a relatively remote residential area in the west city. It turned into an alley and stopped before a somewhat dilapidated two-courtyard house. Guards stood at the entrance, bowing upon Qin Guan's arrival.

Qin Guan and Zhan Yang entered. Immediately inside, Qin Guan scanned the courtyard—overgrown with weeds, utterly neglected. Looking at the main hall, she saw moss covering the roof ridge and dust and cobwebs thick on the doorframe. Many guards were stationed outside the main door, and inside, Zheng Baishi sat in the chief seat of the main hall. To his left sat a middle-aged man in luxurious attire, slightly overweight. Zheng Baishi was the first to notice Qin Guan's arrival and quickly stood to greet her.

"The Lady has arrived—"

Zheng Baishi bowed in salute, and the middle-aged man followed suit.

Zheng Baishi then said, "Lady, this is Chen Wanfu, manager of Zuixian Lou."

Chen Wanfu was not only portly but had a face as large and round as a bowl, though his eyes gleamed shrewdly. He quickly assessed Qin Guan in a glance before kneeling in respect. Qin Guan waved her hand. "Where is the body?""Your Highness, this way please. We haven't moved the body—it's still in the ice cellar." Zheng Baishi headed toward the east wing room, then after a few steps, glanced at Qin Guan's clothing. "The ice cellar is extremely cold. I'm afraid Your Highness's garments might be too thin..."

Qin Guan replied gratefully, "It's no trouble. Please lead the way, sir."

Only then did Zheng Baishi nod and guide Qin Guan and the others into the wing room. The entrance to the underground ice cellar was located within this wing room, which consisted of three chambers. Two of them had been excavated, containing not only the descending staircase but also a pulley system for transporting items up and down. As Zheng Baishi led Qin Guan downward, she noted that although the courtyard outside was overgrown, the wing room and ice cellar were remarkably well-maintained. Halfway down, she already felt the chill rising from below, and the thought of a dead body inside made the cold feel even more piercing.

"Is this ice cellar part of Zuixian Lou's property?"

At her question, Chen Wanfu, who was following behind, promptly replied, "Your Highness, indeed it is. This was originally a small ice cellar owned by a tavern in the west of the city. Five years ago, when that tavern went out of business and put this place up for sale, our proprietor purchased it. After some expansion, it became our dedicated ice storage."

As the manager of Zuixian Lou, Chen Wanfu was naturally observant and articulate. While walking further in, he continued, "Zuixian Lou's original ice cellar was located in its own backyard, but it wasn't as large as this one. Because of that, we often ran short of ice during the summer. Ever since we acquired this place, Zuixian Lou's summer business has improved significantly."

"The deceased, Hu Dequan, came here three years ago. At first, he seemed strong and healthy and was responsible for procurement. But one day, he got drunk outside, got into a fight, and lost a leg, making him unfit for procurement duties. We initially considered dismissing him outright, but in his condition, he likely wouldn't have survived if cast out. Out of pity, I assigned him to guard the ice cellar. For over a year here, everything was peaceful, but this time..."

As they spoke, the group reached the entrance of the ice cellar. Two guards were stationed there, shivering and hunching their shoulders against the cold. Zheng Baishi glanced at them and instructed them to go up and rest, then led Qin Guan inside.

The ice cellar door was a thick iron gate, coated on both sides with lead paint for insulation. Despite this, the ice nearest the entrance had begun to melt, soaking the ground with water. Deeper inside, however, ice blocks as tall as a person stood neatly arranged. The cellar comprised three large chambers, each as spacious as the Pine Breeze Courtyard, all tightly packed with massive ice blocks. The sight was quite impressive at first glance, and Hu Dequan lay dead in a corner against the wall.

Qin Guan spotted Hu Dequan as soon as she entered the third chamber.

Hu Dequan was curled up on the ground, his exposed wrists and hands deathly pale. Moving closer, she saw his face was equally ashen, with a thin layer of frost on his eyebrows and eyelashes.

Qin Guan quickened her pace, approached the body, and cast a sharp gaze around the surroundings.

The ice blocks were stacked orderly on both sides, with Hu Dequan curled up in the central aisle. To an ordinary observer, the scene was utterly eerie, and most unsettling of all, there seemed to be a faint, elusive smile on Hu Dequan's face.Zheng Baishi stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, this is exactly how we found it when we arrived. He was lying on the ground just like this, with the outer door half-open. Our men have searched the surrounding area and found no traces of anyone else. We also asked the local residents outside, and they said the gate of this courtyard is often left ajar. No one knows for sure whether anyone actually lives here..."

Qin Guan didn't say much, responding only, "Let me examine things first."

Qin Guan crouched down and conducted a preliminary examination of Hu Dequan's corpse, then instructed, "This place isn't suitable. The body needs to be moved outside for proper examination. At first glance, it does appear he froze to death. But with the door open, it doesn't make sense that he would just lie here and freeze himself to death under normal circumstances."

Zheng Baishi immediately ordered his men to remove Hu Dequan's body. As soon as Hu Dequan was carried away, Qin Guan noticed a mark beneath where the body had lain. The ice cellar floor was paved with bluestone slabs, but where Hu Dequan's body had covered, there was a distinct imprint. Qin Guan knelt down and discovered it was a mark left by mud.

"Lord Zheng, take a look at this. Doesn't this resemble a human footprint?"

Upon hearing this, Zheng Baishi hurried over to examine it. "It really does look like one - like the front part of a foot."

Straightening up, Zheng Baishi asked, "Could it be Hu Dequan's footprint?"

Qin Guan shook her head, using her hand to measure the size of the print. "Probably not. This footprint is larger - Hu Dequan's feet should be smaller..."

Qin Guan turned her gaze to Chen Wanfu standing at the back. "Shopkeeper Chen, has anyone else been in this ice cellar?"

Chen Wanfu quickly shook his head. "No, no one. This ice cellar hasn't been visited by anyone since we stored ice here last winter. Normally, there are two keys to the storage room - I have one, and Hu Dequan had the other. He kept a key so he could check periodically to prevent the ice from melting or water accumulation from rainfall. No one will come again to move the ice until the beginning of next month."

Qin Guan then looked at Zheng Baishi, who immediately said, "I'll have someone make an impression of this footprint."

Qin Guan nodded and continued surveying the area. After completing her inspection without finding any other traces, she took a few steps along the narrow passage toward the exit. That's when she spotted the damp patch near the entrance.

"Earlier I noticed signs of wear and mud stains on Hu Dequan's clothing. I suspect the killer dragged Hu Dequan in from outside. The murderer's shoes were muddy, and when they entered, they stepped in water, leaving footprints along the way. However, since they were dragging Hu Dequan in front of them, the forward footprints were wiped out by Hu Dequan's body. By the time they reached the very end, the footprints were incomplete. When they placed Hu Dequan down, they didn't realize their remaining footprint would be covered by his body..."

Zheng Baishi had been wondering why they only discovered the footprint at the very end of the passage. Qin Guan's explanation made perfect sense, and he repeatedly expressed admiration. Qin Guan then left the ice cellar and ascended to the upper level. As she emerged, she let out a deep breath. While the entrance to the underground ice cellar was tolerable, the deeper areas were intensely cold. Dressed in spring clothing, even though she had only been inside for the time it takes a stick of incense to burn, she felt chilled to the bone throughout her entire body.Hu Dequan had already been placed in a side chamber on the other side. When Qin Guan arrived at the chamber, she saw that Hu Dequan's body remained curled up, and he was only wearing a spring silk robe.

Zheng Baishi followed and said, "He was perfectly fine—there's no way he would have gone to the ice cellar on his own to freeze to death. We found several dishes and half a pot of wine in his inner chamber. Would the County Princess like to take a look first?"

Qin Guan shook her head. "I'll examine the corpse first and check that later."

After speaking, Qin Guan removed her cape, put on her gauntlet, lit the Aversion Incense, and began the corpse examination.

Because he had frozen to death, Hu Dequan's body showed little decomposition and had almost no odor of decay. The cadaveric spots on his body appeared red. Chen Wanfu, who had never witnessed a corpse examination and was not from the yamen, was first invited by Zheng Baishi to the main hall. As Chen Wanfu walked toward the main hall, he thought about Qin Guan's appearance, quite astonished that Yongci County Princess was indeed as the rumors described.

In the side chamber, only Zheng Baishi and Zhan Yang remained.

While examining the corpse, Qin Guan said, "The deceased, Hu Dequan, is five and a half feet tall, with a pale face and purple lips. The body's characteristics are consistent with death by freezing. Based on the estimated time of death in winter, the deceased likely died in the latter half of the night before last, that is, before dawn yesterday morning. It has been fifteen hours since then. There are no obvious external injuries on the body's surface, but there are bluish-purple marks on both hands and abrasions on the legs, suspected to have been left when the perpetrator dragged him."

Before dawn yesterday morning! Zheng Baishi and Zhan Yang exchanged a glance!

After saying this, Qin Guan paused briefly. "The deceased appears to have been chronically ill and weak. A person in poor health and lightly dressed would fall unconscious after one or two hours in the ice cellar. As the body's temperature gradually drops, especially when the internal organs become as cold as winter water, the heart will stop beating. In severe winter weather, the process from onset to death takes only one or two hours. In the ice cellar, death would occur within two to three hours. Therefore, it is inferred that the deceased was likely taken into the ice cellar around midnight the night before last. He was curled up, indicating he could feel the cold before death. I suspect the perpetrator may have used an aphrodisiac or similar substance to incapacitate him before taking him inside."

After Qin Guan finished speaking, Zheng Baishi looked at Hu Dequan's face and said, "He clearly froze to death, so why is there a smile on his face?"

Although Hu Dequan was dead, his features had not yet decomposed, making the smile particularly noticeable and eerie. Qin Guan explained, "Before freezing to death, people often experience hallucinations. Some may even feel excessively hot, which is why sometimes, when a frozen body is found in the winter wilderness, the person has removed their clothing. Although Hu Dequan froze to death, he felt no pain beforehand and instead fell into delusions. At such times, people often think of pleasant memories, so those who freeze to death usually have a smile on their face."

Zheng Baishi clicked his tongue in amazement. "Even during heavy snow in the capital, it never leads to disasters from snow. I’ve truly never encountered a case of death by freezing before."After speaking, Qin Guan continued the corpse examination. "When death occurs under extremely low temperatures, the blood in the deceased's body spreads very slowly, so the cadaveric spots appear quite faint. No fatal or dizziness-inducing external injuries were found. It's most likely the aphrodisiac. Lord Zheng, I need to perform an autopsy..."

Zheng Baishi promptly replied, "Naturally, we defer to Your Ladyship's judgment."

Qin Guan proceeded with the autopsy as she proposed. Zheng Baishi and Zhan Yang watched from the side as Hu Dequan's blood gushed out in streams. Despite having been dead for a day and a night, Hu Dequan's corpse remained remarkably fresh. When Qin Guan finished the autopsy, they saw her scrape out a speck of black powder with a small knife. "This is datura leaf powder, commonly the main component of intoxicating incense. Lord Zheng, I suggest searching the oil lamp Hu Dequan used before his death."

The pungent smell of blood churned Zheng Baishi's stomach, making him nauseous. Upon hearing this, he immediately complied and went out to issue the order.

After tidying up the corpse in the side room, Qin Guan washed her hands and freshened up before heading to the main hall.

In the main hall, Chen Wanfu quickly stood up upon seeing Qin Guan arrive. Zheng Baishi emerged from the adjacent Warm Chamber and said, "Your Ladyship, please take a look. The wick in the oil lamp has burned out."

Qin Guan hurried to the Warm Chamber and indeed saw that the lamp wick had completely burned out. Nevertheless, there was still black powder inside. "It's this oil lamp causing the trouble! This powder is from datura leaves."

Zheng Baishi frowned. "But this is his own oil lamp. How did these things get inside?"

Qin Guan also frowned. Turning her gaze, she noticed several small dishes and a pot of wine on the table in the Warm Chamber. With a furrowed brow, she walked over. The dishes were ordinary home-style fare, and the wine was nothing special. Two sets of bowls and chopsticks were on the table, both showing signs of use. Qin Guan said with a concerned expression, "It seems someone visited him that night."

She turned to ask Chen Wanfu, "Shopkeeper Chen, did Hu Dequan have any close friends?"

Chen Wanfu shook his head. "I don't know about that. However, his reputation at our tavern wasn't very good. He was fond of drinking, which caused him to mess up several times. On top of that, he often borrowed money from the staff and never paid it back, so nobody liked him."

The Icy Hell is a punishment for those who deny the six paths. Qin Guan quickly asked again, "Did he have any family?"

Chen Wanfu shook his head once more but soon added, "I don't know if he did. He's been alone for the past three years, so it seemed like he had no family. But I heard from a staff member before that he might have had a daughter..."

Zheng Baishi raised an eyebrow. "Then where is his daughter now?"

Chen Wanfu sighed. "It's said that five years ago, he couldn't pay off his gambling debts, so he sold his daughter to a brothel..."