The Imperial Coroner

Xiao Jinyu's face darkened slightly as he watched, letting out a few stiff, dry coughs. "Chu Chu... check that one."

"Oh... alright!" Before releasing her grip, she glared at the person beneath her. "Don't you move!"

"Yes, yes..."

Chu Chu felt the other person's pulse, pried open their eyelids to examine them, and attempted to give them water, but the liquid simply trickled out from the corners of their mouth.

Chu Chu furrowed her brow. "Wang Ye... we need to call a physician for him."

Xiao Jinyu gave a slight nod, then turned his gaze to the person lying motionless. "I have a few questions for you... while you were on duty last night, were there any unusual sounds inside the room?"

"N... no..."

"What about outside?"

"None either..."

"Did any of the three of them go out?"

"No..."

"Did any outsiders enter?"

"No..."

"Hmm..." Xiao Jinyu remained expressionless, his tone detached. "Rest for now. A physician will come later."

"Thank you, Wang Ye. Thank you, Imperial Concubine..."

When Chu Chu accompanied Xiao Jinyu to the crime scene, Wu Jiang and Xue Rucheng were already waiting at the entrance.

Xiao Jinyu gave a slight nod to Xue Rucheng. "Sir."

Chu Chu promptly followed with a clear, bright greeting, "Hello, Sir!"

Xue Rucheng glanced at the blanket draped over Xiao Jinyu's legs, his eyebrows lifting slightly as a faint smile flickered in his eyes. He looked up at Xiao Jinyu and said, "The Imperial Concubine isn't bad either."

Xiao Jinyu's face flushed red. "Sir... Jinyu has important matters to consult you about."

"Please proceed, Wang Ye."

The room consisted of a small hall and four bedrooms. The three individuals had hanged themselves in the hall, yet Chu Chu pushed Xiao Jinyu straight into one of the bedrooms. After Xue Rucheng and Wu Jiang entered, Chu Chu rushed to the bed and pulled back the covers with a flourish. "Look!"

The bedding was deep blue, making the irregularly shaped, pale yellow stains particularly conspicuous. The two young men glanced briefly, their faces tinged with redness. Xue Rucheng, however, stared calmly for a long while, thoughtfully stroking his beard. "Hmm... they must have been holding it in for quite some time."

"Sir..."

Xue Rucheng gave a slight nod. Before Xiao Jinyu could speak, he already knew what his student wanted to ask. "Matters at the examination hall aren't too pressing. Attend to your duties."

"Thank you, Sir."

Once Xue Rucheng left, Xiao Jinyu silently let out a relieved sigh and turned to Wu Jiang, who was quietly studying the ceiling beams. "Collect the bedding... as evidence for this case."

"...Yes..."

By the time they returned to the room, Xiao Jinyu's forehead was beaded with cold sweat, his hands devoid of any warmth. Chu Chu held them for a long while before those slender, pale hands finally regained some heat.

Seeing his nearly translucent complexion, Chu Chu said, "Wang Ye, you should lie down for a bit."

"It's nothing... bring out those three cloth strips."

Hearing Xiao Jinyu's gentle and calm tone, Chu Chu retrieved the hanging cloth strips he had asked her to fetch from the firewood room where the bodies were stored.

Xiao Jinyu wanted to take them for a closer look, but his arms felt as heavy as lead. After two failed attempts to lift them, he had to say to Chu Chu, "Bring them closer. I want to see..."

Chu Chu held the three cloth strips in her hands and presented them before him. Leaning back in his wheelchair, Xiao Jinyu frowned as he examined them for a while, then offered a pale, wry smile, murmuring as if to himself, "I wouldn't be wronged even if I died in prison..."

Chu Chu's heart fluttered with alarm at his words. "Wang Ye?"Xiao Jinyu forced a smile devoid of any mirth. "Chuchu... look at these knots."

"What about these knots?"

Xiao Jinyu sighed silently. "They're all identical..."

Chuchu froze for a moment, then brought the three cloth strips closer to examine them carefully. Just as Xiao Jinyu had said, all the knots on the three strips were identical. Though the directions of the loops differed, the tightness of the knots and the method of tying were exactly the same—as if three people had conspired to make them uniform.

Of course, it was impossible for these three individuals to have discussed how to tie the cloth strips before hanging themselves together. It was equally unlikely that one of them, before committing suicide, would have been so enthusiastic as to help the other two prepare their suicide tools. That left only one possibility: the murderer who had first strangled them nearly to death before hanging them from the beam.

Suddenly understanding the meaning behind Xiao Jinyu's words, Chuchu quickly set down the cloth strips and grabbed his still-stiff hand. Urgently, she said, "Wang Ye, this isn't your fault!"

Xiao Jinyu smiled bitterly. Such obvious evidence—how could he have been so blind...

"Wang Ye, I'm sure you'll catch the murderer!""

"Mmm... Help me with one more thing..."

"Tell me!"

"Untie one of the cloth strips... See if it can be reassembled into a piece of clothing."

"Alright!"

☆ 93 Braised Pork Knuckle with Rock Sugar (VII)

Chuchu immediately picked up a cloth strip and began working on it with intense concentration. Xiao Jinyu watched her quietly, but as he watched, his vision grew blurry. By the time he wanted to call out to her, he no longer had the strength to speak, and before he knew it, he had lost consciousness.

When he woke again, it was already past midnight. His body felt as hot as burning kindling. Chuchu, fully dressed, sat beside him, wiping his face with a cool towel, her eyes filled with anxiety as if she had been waiting for him to wake for quite some time.

Xiao Jinyu's throat was dry and sore from the fever, his voice hoarse. "Chuchu..."

"Wang Ye, you're awake... Are you still feeling unwell?"

"It's nothing serious..." Noticing that the worry in Chuchu's eyes hadn't diminished in the slightest, Xiao Jinyu couldn't help but ask, "Has Grand Tutor Xue been here?"

Chuchu bit her lip and nodded.

Xiao Jinyu reached out with effort to cover her hand resting on the bedside, forcing a weak smile. "It's alright... It's always like this when the seasons change. I'll be better in a few days..."

Chuchu clasped his burning hand and nodded, her lips pressed together slightly. "Mmm... Grand Tutor Xue said you've just caught a chill. It's because your organs were already weakened that you fell so seriously ill. As long as you take your medicine on time, drink more nourishing broth, and rest, you'll be fine."

Xiao Jinyu's brow furrowed slightly. Her eyes were clear and transparent, incapable of hiding even the smallest matter. "Chuchu... is something wrong?"