"How does the young lady know how to examine corpses?" Fuling finally blurted out after holding it in all night. She had wanted to get to the bottom of it yesterday, but Qin Guan had been too exhausted, and Fuling's heart ached too much to ask.
Qin Guan set down her spoon after finishing her porridge, wiped the corners of her mouth with a silk handkerchief, and then replied, "As a physician, capable of treating all ailments, naturally I can also assist in corpse examinations. Should we just stand by and let the Second Young Master be wrongfully accused?"
Fuling pressed her lips together. "But... but if others find out the young lady has touched the dead, what then? And corpse examinations are the work of coroners—lowly in status. How could the young lady..."
Qin Guan stood up. "What of touching the dead? I’ve even lain on a funeral bier before."
Fuling was momentarily speechless. Seeing Qin Guan's composed demeanor, she realized she might be worrying too much.
Qin Guan was wearing the sky-blue silk embroidered hundred-flower winding branch pleated skirt Jiang Shi had sent over the previous night. The skirt flowed gracefully, its gauzy layers like mist, as if tailored from the verdant hues of spring or a patch of the clear blue sky, enhancing Qin Guan's jade-like complexion—ethereal and exquisite.
"Don’t worry. Only a few know of this. Outside, people only know I practice medicine, not that I assisted in a corpse examination." It was still early. Qin Guan pushed open the window lattice, admiring the serene and pleasant scenery of the courtyard.
She paused, then suddenly turned to Fuling. "Would you like to learn medicine with me?"
Fuling froze, staring at Qin Guan in astonishment.
She was merely a servant. Though she had resolved to follow Qin Guan, she had never expected to gain anything beyond food and shelter. She had only a vague understanding of how Qin Guan had acquired such remarkable medical skills and never imagined she would teach her.
"This servant... why would the young lady think of teaching me medicine?"
Qin Guan felt a pang of guilt. She wasn’t the real Qin Guan, yet she had taken this little maid’s loyalty without her knowing her true mistress had long passed.
In this world, survival was hard for women. If misfortune struck one day, she didn’t want this girl to hang herself for her sake again. Teaching her medicine would mean no longer having to hide everything from her, and having a skill would always be beneficial.
"Our lives as mistress and servant have been difficult. Before, I was too meek and couldn’t think things through. Now, I refuse to let others bully us anymore. Practicing medicine to save lives is both virtuous and a means to secure our future."
Fuling’s eyes reddened. "Young lady... alright. Whatever the young lady says, Fuling will obey. I’m willing to learn!"
The corners of Qin Guan’s lips curved slightly, a faint dimple appearing on her right cheek. "Good. We’ll start simple and progress gradually. Learn as much as you can—no pressure."
Fuling nodded repeatedly, about to speak when hurried footsteps sounded outside. Qin Guan turned to see Lü Yun approaching swiftly. "Ninth Miss, the Grand Princess has woken. She requests your presence at once—"
Qin Guan’s expression turned serious as she immediately stepped out. She had been waiting for news from there.
Moving swiftly, she reached the Grand Princess’s wooden hairpin flower courtyard in less than half the time it took to drink a cup of tea. Jiang Shi, Yue Qiong, and others were already there, making way as Qin Guan arrived. Without time for formalities, Qin Guan hurried to the Grand Princess’s bedside.
On the bed, the Grand Princess’s eyes were slightly open—clearly awake.
"Your Highness, the Grand Princess?"
Qin Guan softened her voice, calling gently by the Grand Princess’s ear. The Grand Princess’s lashes fluttered, her lips moving slightly, but no words came out. Qin Guan examined her pupils, checked her pulse, and inspected her wound before finally letting out a relieved breath."Marquis, Madam, Grand Princess's wound shows no signs of festering, and her pulse has stabilized. It seems this time we've succeeded, but we must not slacken our vigilance. Her full recovery will still be quite arduous."
Qin Guan's words reassured everyone, and Jiang Shi couldn't help but clasp her hands together in prayer to the Bodhisattva.
Just two days prior, Yue Jia's wedding had descended into chaos, followed by Grand Princess's critical illness yesterday, and then Yue Qing was implicated in a murder charge. The entire Marquis Anyang Manor had been plunged into dire straits. Yet, in just one night—aside from the lingering pain of Yue Jia's failed marriage—the latter two crises had been narrowly averted, all thanks to Qin Guan's efforts alone.
"Grand Princess waking is a good sign, but she needs absolute rest. The Marquis and Madam can rest assured."
Qin Guan added this as she noticed Grand Princess drifting back into sleep. The group began withdrawing from the chamber. They had barely stepped out when Yang Xi hurried over from outside. "Marquis, the Prefect has arrived. He says the truth behind Lin Daxing's case has been uncovered and requests the presence of the Marquis, Madam, and the young masters and misses to hear the verdict. He specifically asked for Ninth Miss to attend as well—"
Yue Qiong and Jiang Shi exchanged glances before Jiang Shi quickly pulled Qin Guan toward the front courtyard.
There, Huo Huaixin was indeed waiting. A night had passed, yet he still wore the same formal attire from the previous evening, now wrinkled and disheveled. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his unshaven jaw bore testament to a sleepless night.
Seeing Yue Qiong and the others arrive, Huo Huaixin hastily clasped his hands in greeting. "Marquis, Madam, with Ninth Miss's assistance last night, I returned to the yamen and reinvestigated the case overnight. The true culprit has now been identified!"
Despite his exhaustion and disheveled appearance, Huo Huaixin's eyes burned with intensity as he remained standing.
Yue Qing couldn't resist asking, "Who is the murderer?"
Huo Huaixin frowned and looked at Qin Guan. "The culprit is none other than Wei Wu, whom Ninth Miss caught lying!"
Gasps erupted from the crowd as Huo Huaixin continued, "When Wei Wu was first brought back to the yamen, unaware of what had transpired, he stubbornly insisted on Second Young Master's guilt. I left him to stew while separately interrogating the other witnesses. Under prolonged questioning, inconsistencies emerged in their statements. It turned out they hadn't discovered Lin Daxing's body together—Wei Wu had found it first. Moreover, it was Wei Wu who incited the others to demand justice for Lin Daxing, even promising them a share of any compensation money from Marquis Anyang Manor!"
Having uncovered the truth overnight, Huo Huaixin spoke with considerably more confidence than the previous evening.
"Recognizing Wei Wu's suspicious behavior, I ordered a search of his residence while continuing his interrogation. The search yielded bloodstained clothing. Further questioning revealed that although Wei Wu was currently a foreman, he had previously worked as a pile driver and indeed regularly used an iron hammer as his tool. Confronted with the bloodied garment, the witnesses' statements, and Ninth Miss's Examination Report, Wei Wu's defenses crumbled. By dawn, he had confessed everything!"
Yue Qing frowned. "So he truly killed Lin Daxing?"
Huo Huaixin nodded gravely. "Indeed. After Second Young Master struck Lin Daxing that day, the injured man went to seek medicine but lacked money. He approached foreman Wei Wu to demand unpaid wages. Wei Wu, a chronic drunkard who habitually withheld his workers' pay, had just spent all his money on alcohol that very day—how could he possibly pay up?""Lin Daxing was well aware of his temper and immediately exposed him, shouting insults and even threatening to report him to the city guard captain. Wei Wu panicked, and in the scuffle with Lin Daxing, he swung his hammer and struck. Lin Daxing vomited blood on the spot and died. Wei Wu, now terrified, remembered that Lin Daxing had recently fought with the Second Young Master, so he pinned the blame on him."
Huo Huaixin recounted the events in one breath, his face showing both satisfaction at catching the real culprit and a hint of pride. Although he had nearly wronged Yue Qing, solving the entire case overnight was quite an impressive feat.
With the facts of the case now clear, it provided closure for the Yue family and Qin Guan. Jiang Shi's face twisted in disgust. "Wei Wu was the one demanding justice for Lin Daxing—I thought he was righteous. Who knew he was the murderer!"
Yue Jia and Yue Ning nodded in agreement, but Qin Guan's expression remained unchanged. She had already guessed as much.
The wickedness of human hearts is beyond the imagination of ordinary, kind people. Wei Wu and Lin Daxing were neither relatives nor close friends, yet Wei Wu dared to challenge Marquis Anyang Manor for him. Either he sought profit, or he was trying to cover something up. The slim possibility that he was acting out of brotherly loyalty was dashed when she caught him lying. Why would an upright person lie?
"This nearly became a miscarriage of justice. Fortunately, Ninth Miss was here. Rest assured, Ninth Miss, I will honor our bet—I’ll copy the books as promised. Now that the case is resolved, I can finally breathe easy. Otherwise, I’d have been ashamed to face the Marquis."
Yue Qiong patted Huo Huaixin’s shoulder. "Brother Huo is forthright and honorable. Since the case is solved, let’s put it behind us. Lin Daxing’s death is still indirectly linked to Qing’er, so let him handle the compensation and aftermath."
Yue Qing quickly bowed. "Exactly. Rest assured, my lord, I will take full responsibility for Lin Daxing’s mother."
The outcome was quite satisfactory. Huo Huaixin clasped his hands again. "The Marquis’s magnanimity is admirable. Now that everything is clarified, I’ll take my leave. I haven’t slept all night, and I still have to visit the Mortuary Temple this afternoon, so I’ll bid you farewell."
Yue Qiong frowned. "The Mortuary Temple—is it about Miss Song…?"
Huo Huaixin nodded. "Indeed. Frankly, this case is the most troublesome. The Marquis understands—I won’t say more. Rest assured, I’ll inform the manor as soon as there’s news."
With another bow, Huo Huaixin turned to leave. Qin Guan frowned and asked, "Is there no lead at all in Miss Song’s case?"
Yue Qiong sighed. "None. Logically, if the killer struck inside the wedding sedan, there should be traces. But there were no mechanisms in the sedan, nor any excess bloodstains. It’s as if Miss Song’s head was taken away into thin air…"
Jiang Shi’s face paled. "Could it be a vengeful ghost—?"
To take a living person’s head inside a crowded wedding sedan without leaving a trace—such brutality defies human capability. It does seem like the work of a ghost. But do ghosts truly exist?
Qin Guan narrowed her eyes. Something far more terrifying than ghosts exists—people.
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