Coroner's Diary

Qin Guan's brows furrowed deeply. The mortuary temple was on fire?! The mortuary temple was on fire?!

Just last night, they had decided to conduct the corpse examination this morning, and now, on this very night, the mortuary temple had caught fire?!

Qin Guan took a deep breath. "When did the fire start? What's the current situation?"

"It started in the latter half of the night. At dawn, the guards from the mortuary temple went to the magistrate's residence to report. Lord Huo went to the mortuary temple first. Seeing the situation was unfavorable, he sent someone to the Marquis's residence. Now, the Marquis and my master have already gone there. The Marquis asked me to inform Ninth Miss that, due to the fire, the corpse examination might not be possible, so you need not go for now."

The time was set early, and even now, the sky was only a pale gray, not yet fully bright. The crisp chill of the autumn morning made Qin Guan feel a bit cold. She tightened her cape, but her brows remained tightly knit. "Whether we can proceed with the examination will only be known after we go."

Bai Feng was taken aback. Qin Guan then said, "I’d still like to trouble you, Bai Feng, to escort me to the mortuary temple."

Bai Feng listened, and for the first time, a faint smile appeared on his perpetually calm face. Qin Guan was slightly surprised. "What is it?"

Bai Feng stepped aside and pointed to a simple green-canopied carriage parked not far from the gate. "Both the Marquis and my master initially instructed me to inform you not to go. But later, my master said to bring the carriage anyway, as he figured you would likely want to visit the mortuary temple. If I had only come on horseback, it wouldn’t have been suitable."

Qin Guan blinked, feeling inexplicably unsettled under Bai Feng’s faintly smiling gaze. She walked toward the carriage, thinking to herself that Yan Chi was indeed sharp-eyed and perceptive—he had accurately predicted her thoughts.

Once inside the carriage, Qin Guan composed herself. Last night, everyone present had seemed trustworthy. The Grand Princess had scheduled the corpse examination for this morning precisely to avoid complications, yet trouble had still arisen in just one night.

First, there was an attempt to kill her, and now, upon learning about the planned examination, someone had set the mortuary temple on fire. The motive was glaringly obvious.

The more desperate the mastermind was to stop her from examining the corpse, the more fearful they were—and the more likely it was that Song Rou’s body held crucial clues.

With this in mind, Qin Guan could only hope that Song Rou’s remains had not been too badly burned.

"Miss, autumn is dry, and the mortuary temple is full of incense and old paper offerings. It’s indeed very dangerous. If there’s a fire, Miss Song’s body must be badly charred. Going there won’t help," Fuling said.

Qin Guan shook her head. "Whether we can proceed with the examination will only be known after we see it."

Fuling nodded silently, committing Qin Guan’s words to memory.

The carriage wheels rolled on, and the interior was quiet. Qin Guan carefully recalled everyone’s demeanor from the previous night, and no matter how she thought about it, Wei Yanzhi seemed suspicious. She steadied her thoughts, and before long, the carriage came to a stop in front of the mortuary temple.

By now, the sky had brightened slightly. As the carriage halted, Qin Guan stepped out and saw Huo Huaixin striding out from inside. "Ninth Miss, you’ve come? Ah, there was a fire last night. You didn’t need to make this trip today. It’s a wasted journey..."

Before he could finish, Yan Chi and Yue Qiong emerged. Qin Guan curtsied to them. "Has the cause of the fire been determined?"While Qin Guan was asking questions, she noticed smoke still rising from the left rear side of the mortuary temple, unsure if the fire had been completely extinguished.

"The cause... is still unknown at the moment, but the mortuary temple is indeed prone to fires. This place has stood for many years, with most of its beams dried and decayed. Add to that the constant incense smoke and the abundance of paper offerings—just a single spark could set it ablaze. Uncle Kuan has been overseeing the mortuary temple for years, and there’s never been trouble before, but last night..."

"Is the fire out? Which areas were affected?"

Qin Guan showed no intention of leaving. She merely glanced at the relatively intact front gate of the mortuary temple. From this angle, it was impossible to tell which parts had been burned. Huo Huaixin sighed. "The fire is out for now. The main damage was to the three or four rooms on the left. Among them, the worst was the side hall where Miss Song’s body was kept."

Huo Huaixin crossed his arms, his face full of distress. "We had agreed to conduct the corpse examination today, but now that’s impossible. Miss Song’s remains were badly burned. Ah, I truly don’t know what to do..."

"Prefect, may I take a look?"

Huo Huaixin naturally didn’t refuse. He stepped aside and gestured for her to enter. "Ninth Miss, please come in. Though the mortuary temple is now filled with smoke and soot—I apologize for the unpleasantness..."

Qin Guan ascended the steps and immediately met Yan Chi’s gaze. Their eyes locked briefly before she turned her attention inside. Uncle Kuan, still dressed in black, stood in the shadows and nodded at her as she entered.

"Ninth Miss, this way. Miss Song’s remains have been moved from the side hall to that room."

Huo Huaixin pointed to another room, but Qin Guan walked toward the original side hall. Standing outside, she saw that, as Huo Huaixin had said, the left section of the building had suffered severe damage—especially the room where Song Rou had been kept. The doors and windows were completely burned away, and one of the roof beams was charred to the point of near collapse.

"Fortunately, Uncle Kuan noticed it early. Otherwise, the entire mortuary temple might have been lost. Still, it’s such a shame. If only we had conducted the corpse examination last night..."

Huo Huaixin sighed regretfully. Qin Guan frowned. "This room was the most severely burned, but that doesn’t make sense. There were many ice basins placed here. Ice melts into water—there’s no reason this room should have burned the worst."

As she spoke, Qin Guan suddenly sniffed the air. She took two deliberate sniffs, then slowly stepped forward. Just as she was about to enter the charred ruins of the room, Yan Chi spoke up. "Don’t go in. It’s dangerous."

Qin Guan paused and didn’t proceed further, instead circling along the wall. She walked straight to where the window had been—now just a gaping hole in the wall—and looked outside. Beyond the mortuary temple lay a stretch of dilapidated houses, the closest of which had been abandoned for years.

"Ninth Miss, what’s wrong?" Huo Huaixin asked, noticing her solemn expression.

"Don’t you smell it? There’s a strange odor..."

At this, Huo Huaixin sniffed the air as he approached. "What odor? The mortuary temple only smells of incense and... Hmm, now that you mention it, there is something odd here..."Yue Qiong and Yan Chi exchanged a glance. Yan Chi stepped forward, sniffed the air, and suddenly frowned. "It's tung oil—"

Qin Guan turned to look at Yan Chi. "Yes, it is indeed tung oil." She then added, "No wonder the ice basins in this room had no effect. So it was tung oil..."

Huo Huaixin was momentarily stunned. "The oil used for lamps in the mortuary temple is butter."

Qin Guan narrowed her eyes. "Tung oil is highly flammable, common, and difficult to extinguish with water. Since the mortuary temple doesn't have tung oil, it must have been brought in from outside. Someone knew we were coming to examine the corpse this morning, so they set the fire overnight. They were aware the burning tung oil would leave a smell, but the strong incense and stench of corpses here masked it, so they weren't worried."

Huo Huaixin's eyes flickered slightly. "Ninth Miss, are you saying the arsonist is the murderer? But how did the murderer know we were coming to examine the corpse this morning..." His brow furrowed. "Could the killer have been among those present last night?"

Qin Guan nodded. "That's a possibility..."

"But among those present last night, only Young Master Wei was a Song family guard!"

With just the four of them present, Huo Huaixin spoke bluntly.

Qin Guan lifted her chin slightly. "Sometimes, the least suspicious person is the one most worthy of suspicion." With that, she walked toward the room Huo Huaixin had pointed out earlier. "In any case, let's proceed with the corpse examination first..."

Huo Huaixin sighed worriedly. "Ninth Miss, I'm afraid that might not be possible. You'll understand once you see."

Qin Guan felt a weight in her heart. Given how badly the room had burned, Song Rou's remains were unlikely to be well-preserved. With this expectation, she wasn't as disappointed when she finally saw the body.

This was another side chamber, much more spacious and brighter than the previous one. Without the colorful paper offerings or the striking red wedding gown, the eerie atmosphere was gone. Song Rou's body had been placed on a long table, looking as ordinary as any corpse Qin Guan had seen before.

The body had only been moved here recently. White vinegar had been sprinkled in the corners of the room, yet it still couldn't fully mask the stench of decay. But it was precisely this smell that eased Qin Guan's mind slightly.

If even the stench of decay had been burned away, she would have been truly at a loss.

"It's all charred. Ninth Miss, can you still examine it?"

Three days ago, when Qin Guan had last seen the body, it had already begun to swell and decompose. Another three days had passed, and even with the ice basins, the decay would have worsened. But now, it was hard to tell—the fresh hemp clothing on Song Rou's body had burned and fused with the rotting flesh, while her exposed limbs and bare neck were blackened by the smoke. From a distance, Qin Guan could tell without touching that the skin and flesh must now be as hard as leather.

Though Song Rou appeared thoroughly charred, Qin Guan nodded. "It can be examined."

Huo Huaixin's eyes lit up, almost unable to contain his excitement. "Even burned like this? Are you serious, Ninth Miss?"

Qin Guan nodded again. "Have all the necessary items been prepared?"At this question, Huo Huaixin's face showed a hint of apology. "I'm afraid Ninth Miss will have to wait a moment. Earlier, Xu He came with the items, but upon seeing the situation, both he and I thought an examination might not be possible. So I sent him back to the yamen. Please wait a while, Ninth Miss. I'll send someone to fetch him immediately. It shouldn't take more than half an hour."

Qin Guan nodded, and Huo Huaixin turned to give the order.

Once Huo Huaixin left, Yan Chi stepped forward. "The body is burned like this. How can it still be examined?"

Qin Guan explained, "Burns on a person can be categorized into several degrees. The mildest is when red patches appear on the skin, accompanied by a burning sensation. Applying some ointment can heal it—like when warming oneself by a charcoal fire in winter and accidentally getting singed by the flames. A more severe degree involves blisters forming, such as when accidentally splashed by sparks. These burns are extremely painful, must avoid water, and are prone to festering. They take many days to heal and inevitably leave scars."

Since they had to wait for Xu He, Qin Guan leisurely continued her explanation to Yan Chi. Halfway through, Huo Huaixin returned but didn't interrupt, listening as she went on calmly, "Even more severe is like Miss Song's remains—the burned parts have turned into black eschar, feeling like leather with no semblance of skin left, and the surface temperature is very low. If the victim were alive and the burned area wasn't extensive, they could still be treated, though healing would be slow. For the deceased, the examination focuses on the internal layers, searching for traces left in the deeper tissues and organs. So even if the surface is severely burned, an autopsy is still possible. However, examining the external body becomes difficult—for instance, calluses on the hands would no longer be visible."

Huo Huaixin couldn't help but ask, "What about more severe cases?"

Qin Guan narrowed her eyes. "The most severe is when part or all of the body is burned to charcoal."

Huo Huaixin's eyes widened slightly as Qin Guan continued, "Generally, if someone is burned alive to the point of turning into charcoal, their body tends to curl into a defensive posture, becoming blackened, lightweight, and brittle."

After hearing this, Huo Huaixin couldn't hide his admiration. "Ninth Miss, did you learn this from medical texts or from Lord Shen Yi's writings?"

Qin Guan glanced at him. "I've read some in Lord Shen's medical books, and combined with my own studies, I've gained a more complete understanding."

Huo Huaixin praised repeatedly, "Ninth Miss is not only knowledgeable in coroner techniques but also highly skilled in medicine. Truly different from ordinary coroners."

Qin Guan curved her lips slightly without responding, then turned her attention to Miss Song's remains. The body's surface had formed eschar, covering the terrifying purplish-green cadaveric spots. Similarly, the revolting, decomposing blood and flesh had been burned away. Now, Miss Song's corpse resembled an irregularly shaped piece of charred wood.

After a brief examination, Qin Guan tilted her chin, signaling Fuling to remove her cape. Today, Fuling wasn't as frightened as before. Gathering her courage, she stepped forward to assist Qin Guan, holding the cape aside. The look in Fuling's eyes was nothing short of worship—she had never imagined her mistress could be so erudite and talented.Qin Guan took out a sachet from her sleeve pocket, then retrieved some Storax Scent Pills, giving one each to Yan Chi and the others while placing one in her own mouth. She drew out Cold Moon, donned her Gauntlet, and then produced a peculiar item from her sleeve to wear over her face.

It wasn't quite a mask—it only covered her mouth and nose, made of cotton cloth, and oddly enough, had two loops that hooked over her ears. Though the design seemed strange, it was a simple yet ingenious way to prevent the miasma from the corpse examination from being directly inhaled, nor would it allow blood or debris to splatter onto her face. With her delicate features partially obscured, the air of meticulous solemnity around her intensified. The icy Cold Moon seemed to merge with her being, exuding an inexplicable gravity.

She stood quietly before the long table, observing the corpse laid upon it. With all preparations complete, it wasn't long before Xu He rushed in, sweating profusely, carrying a large box that looked disproportionate to his frame.

"My lord! I've arrived!"

Xu He was panting heavily, but his eyes lit up the moment he saw Qin Guan standing behind the table, Cold Moon in hand. Without sparing a moment to greet Yue Qiong or Yan Chi, he hastily opened his box to light the Aversion Incense, placed white vinegar and other items Qin Guan might need nearby, and laid out the paper and brush for the Examination Report. By the time he stood up, his legs were still trembling!

He never expected that when both he and Huo Huaixin believed an autopsy was impossible, Qin Guan had declared it feasible!

Xu He's eyes gleamed with excitement. He wasn't afraid of the charred corpse before him—he simply didn't know how to approach such a body. Glancing at Qin Guan, who now wore an additional face covering, he couldn't help but feel his blood surge with fervor.

"I'm beginning. Coroner Xu, please assist with the records."

Xu He nodded vigorously. This time, Yan Chi didn't compete with him; in his view, standing aside to watch Qin Guan conduct the examination was a delightful experience in itself.

Qin Guan steadied herself and made the first incision two inches below the left ribcage of the corpse.

Cold Moon had an exquisite design, far more refined and convenient than any autopsy knife she had used before. Qin Guan began to feel grateful for Yan Chi's generous gift. She didn't proceed with the dissection immediately but instead meticulously cleared away the charred scabs on the abdomen—remnants of the burnt hemp clothing and the corpse's former skin.

Huo Huaixin had initially believed Song Rou's body was completely charred, at least in appearance. But as Qin Guan carefully peeled away the outer layers with Cold Moon, the grotesquely discolored flesh beneath was revealed. Huo Huaixin felt his stomach churn violently, and he clenched his teeth to suppress the nausea.

This wasn't his first time witnessing Qin Guan's corpse examination—how could he disgrace himself now?

Huo Huaixin wasn't the only one struggling. Beside him, Fuling was barely holding on, as Qin Guan wasn't clearing just a small patch but the entire area from the chest down to the abdomen. The exposed flesh was a mottled mess of colors—no blood flowed from the subcutaneous layer, only purplish-black vascular networks and yellowish lumps of fat Fuling couldn't identify, all intermingled in a revolting tableau that tested her limits.

Yet Qin Guan remained composed, her expression unreadably calm.

"The body's surface is severely burned. This examination will focus solely on internal dissection."After clearing away the charred scabs from the chest and abdomen, she finally began to make the incision. The Cold Moon blade easily sliced open the corpse's abdomen, releasing a wave of overwhelming stench. Fuling, standing nearby, nearly fainted from the smell—it was unimaginable how Qin Guan had endured such torment in recent days. Yet Qin Guan's hand did not falter in the slightest as she made a deep cut. Soon, she had opened the corpse's abdomen, her blade moving carefully within. Before long, she extracted something and placed it on a nearby tray.

"The deceased has been dead for nearly nine days. Only a small amount of residue remains in the stomach, though its nature is unclear for now."

With these words, her blade slowly descended toward Song Rou's lower abdomen. Huo Huaixin and the others watched from a distance. This time, observing her dissect a female corpse was entirely different from the last time she had examined a male one. The previous instance had been vivid and bloody, but this time, the body was already decomposed and burned, making the task far more challenging. Beyond the bloodshed, there was an added layer of revolting scenes that most could not endure. Yet Qin Guan remained as composed as before.

Huo Huaixin had admired Qin Guan greatly the last time, but now, his feelings leaned more toward reverence. As he watched her, he couldn't help but think of his own son, Huo Ning, who had secluded himself these past few days. With a long sigh, Huo Huaixin realized he would likely never have the chance to make Qin Guan his daughter-in-law. Huo Ning lacked such fortune, and neither did the Huo family.

Qin Guan's movements were minimal, yet her hand was steady. At one point, however, her slightly bent posture suddenly stiffened—a change so noticeable that even Yue Qiong, standing the farthest away, noticed it. Huo Huaixin couldn't help but ask, "Ninth Miss, what's wrong?"

Qin Guan snapped out of her daze and bent down again, as if to confirm something. After a moment, she straightened up, her usually calm and composed eyes now tinged with gravity and disbelief.

Huo Huaixin and Yue Qiong exchanged glances before Huo Huaixin pressed, "Ninth Miss, what is it? What happened?"

Qin Guan glanced at Huo Huaixin, then at Yue Qiong, before lowering her gaze and speaking in her usual measured tone during corpse examinations: "The deceased has a relatively large pelvis, tilted backward, with a pubic bone wider than that of an average woman. The position of the womb is lower..."

Her voice carried a hint of difficulty. Before she could finish, Huo Huaixin urgently asked, "What does this mean?"

Xu He's examination report and brush clattered to the ground. "My lord... Ninth Miss means... Miss Song was pregnant before this..."

"What?!" Huo Huaixin's eyes widened in shock as he turned to look at Yue Qiong, whose brows were tightly furrowed, his face deathly pale. Huo Huaixin's throat tightened. "Marquis, this..."

The marriage alliance between Duke Song's household and Marquis Anyang Manor had seemed like a favorable arrangement, especially with the Emperor's tacit approval, making it practically an imperial match. Yet now, they had discovered that Miss Song had been pregnant before?

According to Song Rou's birth records, she was only seventeen this year—barely of marriageable age. How could she have been pregnant?!Thinking this through, it became clear that Song Rou had already behaved improperly before this. Not only had she engaged in that disgraceful act, but she had also become pregnant. And the Duke Song's household must have known about it. Yue Qiong clenched her fists tightly, recalling the earlier discovery that all of Song Rou's attendants had been replaced. Finally, she understood the reason—it was to cover up this very matter!

Yue Qiong was not one to lose her temper or act recklessly. Suppressing her emotions, she said in a low voice, "Let Ninth Miss finish speaking first! This matter may not necessarily be related to her murder case. This... is another issue entirely!"

Yue Qiong's tone carried a dangerous edge by the time he finished speaking. Huo Huaixin understood Yue Qiong's fury at having been dealt this underhanded blow and was equally astonished by Duke Song's audacity. Yet he had no desire to be caught in the crossfire between these two powerful families, so he quickly steered the conversation as Yue Qiong had instructed. "Ninth Miss, please continue the examination..."

"Based on the width of the deceased's pelvis and the degree of posterior tilt, the pregnancy was not full-term. The uterus has already returned to its original size, indicating she likely miscarried about two months ago."

Qin Guan's voice remained calm. "The private areas and lower abdomen are too decomposed to determine the exact timing of the miscarriage. However, we can estimate she was five to six months pregnant—likely an early miscarriage."

A miscarriage two months prior, having been five to six months pregnant—this timeline aligned perfectly with the bite mark on Song Rou's shoulder. This confirmed Qin Guan's earlier suspicion: Song Rou had indeed been involved with another man, even becoming pregnant by him. But who was this man?

Considering what Yue Ning had mentioned—that Song Shi had originally intended for Wei Yanzhi's elder brother to escort the bride but changed plans at the last moment—could it be that Wei Yanzhi's brother was the one involved with Song Rou? But how did this connect to her death?

"If this estimation is correct, she miscarried one month before the wedding and recovered in time for the marriage," Huo Huaixin said cautiously, wary of provoking Yue Qiong's anger. Fortunately, Yue Qiong understood the gravity of the situation.

Yue Qiong added, "Miss Song was involved with another man before the wedding—likely someone very close to Duke Song's household. Yet Wei Yanzhi was the one sent to escort her. Surely Duke Song wouldn't have allowed the very man who'd been intimate with his daughter to accompany her?"

Yue Qiong's tone was icy. Duke Song's household had knowingly married off their impure daughter to the unsuspecting Marquis Anyang Manor—a blatant insult. They had replaced Song Rou's attendants to cover up the scandal; it made no sense to then send her lover as her escort. Even Duke Song wouldn't dare be so brazen.

Huo Huaixin nodded. "That makes sense. Also, Young Master Wei mentioned his elder brother was originally supposed to escort her but broke his leg in a riding accident, forcing the last-minute substitution. Could it be...?"

He glanced at Yue Qiong, who sneered. "It's entirely possible. In fact, I suspect Young Master Wei couldn't have been completely unaware. When we return to the manor, I'll question him thoroughly."

"But how did Song Rou die? Wei's elder brother didn't even come with them!"

As Huo Huaixin and Yue Qiong debated, Qin Guan continued examining Song Rou's internal organs. Gradually, beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and the stench of decay grew overpowering, drowning out even the Aversion Incense. Qin Guan wiped her brow awkwardly with her forearm, her frown deepening.Although a shocking secret had been uncovered, it bore no direct relation to the case. What Qin Guan sought were clues directly connected to the crime. She felt a growing urgency—this autopsy might already be causing difficulties for the Grand Princess and Yan Chi. If no useful evidence was found, this opportunity would be wasted. Moreover, with each passing day, Song Rou's corpse would decay further, until eventually nothing could be discerned.

Qin Guan's expression was grave. Nine days had passed, yet the examination of the body's surface had yielded no special leads. Even the location of the murder had been identified, but Song Rou's head remained missing. Qin Guan had a strong intuition that the most crucial evidence lay with the head, yet it was nowhere to be found...

Unwilling to give up, Qin Guan turned her attention to Song Rou's stomach. After so much time, this was the most likely place to uncover additional clues. Song Rou's body had begun decomposing from the private areas, and in another ten days or so, her internal organs would be entirely consumed by maggots. By then, even if an autopsy were performed, nothing useful could be retrieved.

After nine days, the contents of Song Rou's stomach were minimal, mixed with other decomposed matter into a revolting black paste. Qin Guan meticulously scraped every corner of the stomach clean, then turned to Xu He. "Bring me some water."

Xu He hurried to fetch clean water. Qin Guan pondered for a moment. "Could you also find a white porcelain teacup?"

Huo Huaixin was always eager to fulfill Qin Guan's requests, but given their location in the Mortuary Temple, resources were limited. "Ninth Miss, please wait. I'll have someone fetch the finest one from the street ahead."

"No need. As long as it's clean."

At Qin Guan's instruction, both Xu He and Huo Huaixin stepped out.

Before long, Xu He returned, holding a chipped teacup. "Ninth Miss, will this do?"

Qin Guan took it and examined it. Though the rim was damaged, the interior was as smooth and white as a mirror. She nodded in approval. Turning back, she carefully transferred every bit of the decomposed matter from the tray into the cup, then poured in water. The filth dissolved, and after letting it settle, she poured off the murky liquid. Repeating this process several times, only a residue remained at the bottom.

"Ninth Miss, what are you doing?"

Qin Guan pressed her lips together. "This is the contents of Song Rou's stomach. I want to see if there's anything related to the case." She paused. "Too little, and too decomposed. It's hard to determine anything."

With that, she returned to the corpse. Soon, a foul stench of feces filled the air.

Huo Huaixin covered his nose. "Ninth Miss, this—"

"As the body decomposes, gases form inside, forcing stomach contents into the intestines."

Huo Huaixin exchanged a glance with Xu He, who also looked on the verge of retching. Yet he understood Qin Guan's intent—she had likely opened the large intestine, where human waste was typically stored.

Before long, Qin Guan placed something else on the tray. Xu He looked and nearly vomited—the black mass was unmistakably the corpse's excrement...Huo Huaixin couldn't help but turn away. Yan Chi, though unafraid of blood, couldn't help but slightly furrow his brows at the smell in the room. When he looked at Qin Guan, however, he saw no trace of disgust on her face—only the solemn tension of corpse examination. Moved by her composure, his furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

Qin Guan followed the same method, and soon, more residue appeared at the bottom of the white porcelain teacup.

Huo Huaixin blinked, suppressing the sour churning in his stomach. "Ahem, actually, discovering that Miss Song was pregnant is already a huge help. I believe no one else knew about this, but Wei Yanzhi must have known. A pregnancy followed by an abortion—such a major event can't be hidden from everyone. They could only try to cover it up with lies. Wei Yanzhi must know something."

After a pause, Huo Huaixin turned to Yue Qiong. "Marquis, perhaps we should return to the marquis's residence now and interrogate Wei Yanzhi, see what he has to say..." He then glanced at Qin Guan. "Ninth Miss, you should come along as well."

Qin Guan was indeed curious about what Wei Yanzhi might reveal. After examining the corpse, she had considered all possible leads she could think of. The rest would depend on Huo Huaixin gathering more clues. After a moment's thought, she nodded. She then performed a simple restoration of the corpse. Apart from the exposed flesh in the chest and abdomen, which couldn't be concealed, it now appeared as if it had never been dissected. After washing her hands, Qin Guan took out a silk handkerchief and carefully wrapped the residue from the bottom of the white porcelain teacup.

Xu He asked in surprise, "Ninth Miss, what are you doing?"

Qin Guan replied calmly, "Taking it back to see if we can identify what it is. It's been nine days—normally, her stomach should be empty. But since this residue remains, it's likely not food but something else."

Xu He nodded, though Huo Huaixin didn't hold much hope. Song Rou had traveled south under harsh conditions, and it was possible she had eaten some indigestible dry rations along the way. After instructing Uncle Kuan, Huo Huaixin led the group straight to the marquis's residence.

In the carriage, Qin Guan held the still foul-smelling silk handkerchief, lost in thought. Fuling frowned, visibly displeased, and took the handkerchief from her. "This smells awful, miss. Let me hold it for you. You shouldn't touch it. We're going to the marquis's residence soon—you should apply some scented balm to yourself." She then took out her own silk handkerchief, wrapping the residue layer by layer until the smell was completely contained before tucking it into her sleeve pocket.

Qin Guan cautioned, "Make sure you don't lose it."

Fuling nodded. Though she disliked the smell, she would take Qin Guan's instructions to heart without fail.

With a sigh, Fuling murmured, "Who would have thought such a widely envied marriage would have such a dark secret? If I were the marquis, I'd probably faint from anger..."

Qin Guan shook her head at Fuling. "This isn't something to discuss lightly."

Fuling immediately lowered her voice. "I understand, miss. Once I step out of the carriage, I won't say another word about it."

Qin Guan nodded and closed her eyes, sinking into deep thought.No one had anticipated such a scandal surrounding this marriage. Song Rou was the legitimate daughter of Duke Song's household, so naturally they would suppress the matter. But for Marquis Anyang Manor, this was an utter humiliation. It was likely that after discovering the situation, Duke Song's household arranged for Song Rou to terminate the pregnancy. To prevent her from marrying the man involved, they leveraged their connection with Consort Ru in the palace to have the emperor arrange a distant marriage match. When Song Rou came to Jinzhou, if properly concealed, the people of the marquis's household might never have discovered her past...

The Duke Song household took enormous risks with this approach. If exposed, Marquis Anyang Manor would surely become their sworn enemy. Yet why would they rather send their daughter far away than marry her to the man in question?

In the Great Zhou dynasty, when such incidents occurred involving unmarried daughters, most families would simply arrange the daughter's marriage to the man involved—this being the safest way to preserve the family's reputation. Yet the Duke Song household refused to do so...

Suddenly, Qin Guan's expression darkened. There could only be one explanation: the man was either detested by the Duke Song household, or his family background was so inferior that marrying Song Rou to him would disgrace their lineage in another way. Rather than becoming the laughingstock of society, they chose to take this risk—as long as Song Rou remained discreet, the matter could be buried. On the surface, the Duke Song household would still appear to have secured an excellent marriage alliance...

Having reached this conclusion, a shadow flashed through Qin Guan's mind.

Since this case began, she had conducted two autopsies, been frightened once, and nearly killed last night. Yet she had never hastily suspected anyone, for beyond the limited information she'd gathered, she lacked other crucial details. Jumping to conclusions without complete evidence was unwise—it could cloud her judgment later.

But now, Qin Guan had a suspect in mind. If her suspicion proved true, the situation would become complicated, because they possessed no direct evidence against that person...

"Miss, we've arrived..."

Fuling's voice snapped Qin Guan back to the present. Straightening up, she saw the carriage slowing to a stop. Qin Guan and Fuling alighted one after another. Yue Qiong approached and said, "Ninth Miss, we must inform Mother about this. However, I fear the shock might worsen her illness. Please keep a close watch on her condition later."

Qin Guan curtsied. "Understood. Please rest assured, Marquis."

Yue Qiong nodded and led the group into the manor, heading straight for the Grand Princess's courtyard.

Upon Yue Qiong's return, servants had already gone ahead to announce them. By the time they arrived at the Grand Princess's quarters, she was already dressed and waiting. The moment they entered, her stern gaze swept over them. After Yue Qiong and the others paid their respects, the Grand Princess gave a cold laugh. "Your expressions tell me things have reached the worst possible outcome."

Her piercing eyes fixed on Yue Qiong. "Qiong'er, speak. Let me see just how bold the Song family dares to be!"

Yue Qiong sighed and stepped forward to explain in measured tones.

Listening nearby, Qin Guan felt the Grand Princess's chamber had never felt so oppressively heavy before.