novelraw Chapter 108 : Qin An Must Not Die!
Chapter 108 : Qin An Must Not Die!
108: Qin An Must Not Die!
Yue Ning's eye twitched. Qin Wan, fully understanding, said, "Young Princess truly does not need to force yourself. Besides, more help is not needed here. The weather outside is also rather cold. It would be better to return to Tinglan Pavilion to sit..."
"No forcing!" Yue Ning asserted in a low voice, suddenly striding purposefully toward the long table.
Qin Wan raised an eyebrow and exchanged a glance with Fuling. By the table, Xu He, upon seeing Yue Ning approach, hastily bowed.
"My respects to Young Princess..."
Yue Ning waved a hand, her gaze sweeping the surroundings. "What needs to be done right now?"
Xu He looked questioningly at Qin Wan. Receiving a reassuring shake of her head, he answered, "Because multiple skeletons have been found, we now need to sort all the bones skeleton by skeleton, then pack them separately and register each set for easier investigation later."
Yue Ning gave an "Mmm" of acknowledgment and looked back at Qin Wan. "How is it done?"
Qin Wan sighed, stepping forward. "Bones are difficult to identify, and these are all from children of similar ages. Young Princess, please leave it to us."
Yue Ning frowned. "Can't you teach me?"
Qin Wan couldn't help a small laugh. "This isn't something that can be taught in a few sentences." Seeing Yue Ning's somewhat disappointed expression, Qin Wan turned to look at several ledgers to the side. "Perhaps... Young Princess could assist with the recording?"
Yue Ning's eyes brightened. "Good, that's good. Thinking back, I helped you record the first time, though... though I only managed half. But I'm different from before now."
Yue Ning recalled that first time she'd helped Qin Wan record notes, only to end up vomiting and fleeing. A flicker of embarrassment crossed her face. Qin Wan, remembering as well, Yue Ning had bravely stepped up then, not knowing what an autopsy scene entailed, and ultimately couldn't handle it, said, "Paper and brush are over there. I must trouble you, Young Princess..."
Yue Ning gave a light huff and went to pick up the writing tools. Qin Wan stepped forward and began meticulously sorting the bone piles she had roughly grouped earlier. Soon, Qin Wan spoke. "Let's temporarily designate it as Skeleton One. First human skeleton: At death, the deceased was likely between ten and ten and a half years old. Skeleton is complete. No obvious mortal injury traces. No signs of poisoning. Cause of death temporarily unknown. Estimated time since death: at least eight years. Precise timing difficult to determine."
Yue Ning diligently recorded each point Qin Wan listed. Meanwhile, Xu He produced a cloth bundle. Qin Wan carefully placed the bones into it one by one, and Xu He then took a brush and marked a "one" on the bundle.
Yue Ning couldn't help but nod approvingly. "This method is quite good." Pausing slightly, her curiosity got the better of her. "But... how can you determine the deceased's age upon death just from bones? And why can't you determine the time of death?"
A slight smile touched Qin Wan's lips. Yue Ning's question almost sounded like a test. "Bones continually change as one ages. A child's skeleton is small, an adult's large, that's basic. An elderly person's bones become porous; joints show wear and tear. For bones from infancy to youth, before full maturation, specific characteristics appear at each age. The most obvious is the teeth..."
As she spoke, Qin Wan walked to a bone pile nearby and picked up a tooth.
"Look. This is the deceased's second molar. This tooth erupts around age eleven. Therefore, we can determine the deceased was at least eleven. Then, examining other subtle bony features allows a more precise estimation of her age at death."
She paused, sighing. "Generally, an adult's body buried in soil takes seven to ten years to completely skeletonize. For younger ages, the time is shorter. Meaning these children have been dead at least six to nine years. This time, when the skeletons were excavated, the bones of the Second Concubine were above, theirs below. This clearly indicates they have been dead for at least eight years or more. But whether exactly eight, nine, ten, or more, I cannot ascertain. Moreover, the well bottom is all sand and mud, with virtually nothing providing temporal reference. So the precise time is truly difficult to determine..."
Even without calculating the exact time of death, hearing all this left Yue Ning somewhat dumbfounded. "Your medical knowledge is truly sublime." She then looked at Xu He. "Do other physicians know when each human tooth grows in?"
Xu He shook his head. "It is unlikely they do..."
"Did Ninth Young Miss learn this from Lord Shen's writings?"
A clear, resonant voice suddenly sounded. Qin Wan turned and saw Yan Chi striding over from the Purple Bamboo Grove, his gaze falling upon her.
Yue Ning also looked at Qin Wan. "You read Lord Shen's writings?"
Qin Wan's lips pressed slightly together. "Indeed..."
Xu He's eyes lit up, as if he had found a method for study. Yan Chi continued, "Lord Shen's writings specifically discuss the examination of bones and meridians. He even details how many bones are in the human body, how they connect, with great clarity."
Qin Wan nodded calmly. "Exactly so. I read Lord Shen's writings, and combined with studying medicine, my understanding in these areas is somewhat deeper and broader than average."
After a pause, Qin Wan suddenly asked, "How did Lord Heir know?"
A slight curve touched Yan Chi's lips. "The book list you gave me only noted two works by Lord Shen. I had people search for his other books. Yesterday, while flipping through them, I happened upon that very passage."
Qin Wan gave an inward nod of approval. Before she could speak, Huo Huaixin strode over from the direction of the outer courtyard. Seeing Yue Ning present, he first bowed to her, then looked at Yan Chi. "Lord Heir, the Qin family's Old Madam refuses to say anything. Mistress Qin also claims she knows nothing. Master Qin is still unconscious. This is truly..."
Madam Jiang was elderly, advanced in years. Madam Lin was a woman. Huo Huaixin, for the moment, could not resort to forceful methods and was quite vexed.
Hearing this, Yan Chi gave a light chuckle. "It seems the Old Madam hopes we will question Master Qin. What did the household physician say? When will Master Qin regain consciousness?"
"The physician said he likely won't wake until tomorrow morning..."
Huo Huaixin looked quite troubled. Yan Chi, however, remained unhurried. "No rush. Let him recover a bit, so he has the energy to answer our questions. Besides, there is much we still don't know about the details of this case. We can wait until my men return from Yang County before questioning him. There's no hurry." He paused briefly, his gaze turning grave. "Currently, these two cases are not committed by the same person. One is an old cold case, the other is a new crime within the residence. They must be considered separately."
Huo Huaixin nodded. "This humble official understands. In that case, it's best to first fully excavate the remaining skeletons."
The Second Concubine and the excavated children's remains were naturally the old case; the perpetrator was likely a master of the Qin household. The new case was different. Yan Chi contemplated briefly before looking at Qin Wan. "Based on what we see now, the murderer's first and second killings were actually intended to draw attention to these two wells. Thinking about it this way, the murderer must be connected to the case from eight years ago."
Lowering his voice slightly, he continued, "Could it be revenge?"
Qin Wan glanced at the now chaotic area beneath the Flower Arbor and nodded. "It does seem somewhat like it. But eight years ago, too many people died. We don't know if this person is connected to the Second Concubine or to these children."
"The men sent to Yang County will return soon. Those dispatched to neighboring prefectures have also set out. We will have a reply within seven to ten days at most." Yan Chi had already sent men out. With his authority, matters would proceed smoothly in any nearby prefecture or county.
Qin Wan nodded and turned back to continue helping Xu He organize the bones on the table. Not long after, another message came from the Purple Bamboo Grove: another skeleton had been unearthed. By now, eleven skeletons in total had been excavated from beneath the Second Concubine's remains.
With just a glance at the new skull, Qin Wan knew the latest find was also a child's skeleton. The deceased were all young girls who never grew up. If they hadn't died, they would be about Yan Chi's age now. But their lives had ended at that point, ultimately reduced to these stark white bones. The expressions of Qin Wan and the others grew increasingly somber, their faces unconsciously revealing grief. What kind of person could bring harm to so many children?
The rain that had lasted several days finally stopped, and the weather indeed grew cooler. Yue Ning stayed at the Qin residence until almost dusk before leaving. By then, another skeleton had been unearthed from the Purple Bamboo Grove area. To fully excavate all remains, the ground between the Purple Bamboo Grove and the Flower Arbor had been dug up, creating a deep trench. Huo Huaixin had mobilized nearly half the prefectural yamen's bailiffs. On this second evening, the men did not rest, intending to finish digging out the rest overnight.
"Miss, they are still busy over at the Purple Bamboo Grove. You should rest first."
Fuling urged Qin Wan as usual. Having stood outside all day, Qin Wan was indeed utterly exhausted. Without further urging from Fuling, she went to bed early. The moment her head touched the pillow, drowsiness washed over her, and she soon fell into a deep sleep.
The night passed dreamlessly. When Qin Wan opened her eyes again, the sky outside was not yet light. Perhaps because she had slept early and soundly, she didn't feel overwhelmingly sleepy now. However, with the sky still dark, it wasn't time to rise. The Qin residence was guarded by yamen constables day and night now. Not knowing the situation at the Purple Bamboo Grove, it wasn't a good time for her to go there rashly.
Qin Wan closed her eyes again to rest. At dawn, the residence was extremely quiet, her small courtyard especially so, quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Perhaps because of this silence, Qin Wan's consciousness soon grew hazy again. But just as she was drifting back toward sleep, she suddenly heard several strange cries...
Qin Wan's eyes snapped open. Straining to listen, she heard nothing.
Having dozed briefly, the sky outside was just beginning to lighten. Qin Wan felt the strange cries she'd heard moments ago were somewhat eerie. Unable to resist, she pushed aside the bed curtains and got up. The room was slightly chilly. Qin Wan threw on an outer robe and walked to the window. With a creak, she pushed open the lattice to listen, but still heard nothing.
Frowning, Qin Wan wondered if she had been dreaming.
Just as this thought arose, footsteps sounded outside. Fuling walked in, looking rather surprised to see Qin Wan standing by the window. "Miss, what's wrong? Why are you up?"
Qin Wan shook her head and asked urgently, "Just now, I thought I heard some shouting. Did you hear it?"
Fuling looked still half-asleep, rubbing her eyes upon hearing the question. "What shouting? This servant didn't hear anything. I only woke when I heard you push open the window. What is it, Miss? What did you hear?"
Qin Wan slowly shook her head. "Hard to say. Maybe I was dreaming."
"It must be because Miss has been too tired these past two days, thinking too much. You're probably still solving the case in your dreams." As she spoke, Fuling walked closer, intending to close the window. "Miss, go back to sleep for a while. Don't stand in the draft and catch a chill."
The early morning hours were the coldest. Qin Wan also felt a chill. She pulled her robe tighter and turned back toward the bed. "Perhaps I misheard. It's still early. You rest a while longer too. The Purple Bamboo Grove excavation should finish today."
Fuling closed the window lattice and nodded. "Alright. Miss, please rest assured. This servant will go check later."
Qin Wan nodded and lay back down. This brief rising left her feeling chilled. Fortunately, there was still some warmth beneath the brocade quilt. Qin Wan quietly waited a while before finally warming up.
This time lying down, Qin Wan truly felt no sleepiness. She quietly waited for the sky to grow a bit brighter before intending to rise.
However, just as Qin Wan was lying there preparing to get up, a cacophony of hurried footsteps suddenly sounded in the courtyard outside, followed by several shouts. It seemed someone cried out in alarm. Soon, Fuling rushed in.
"Miss, something's happened! Something's happened to Third Master!"
Qin Wan sat bolt upright in bed, looking at Fuling. "What happened?"
Fuling pressed her lips together. "The Lord Heir came personally. He didn't specify details, but he looked quite urgent..."
Qin Wan's heart lurched. Qin An hadn't been interrogated yet. How could something happen to him? With this thought, Qin Wan turned, got out of bed, threw on an outer robe, and headed for the door. In her haste, for a moment she thought this was the previous night when she had slept in her clothes. But it wasn't. She pushed the door open urgently and immediately saw Yan Chi standing under the covered walkway outside her room.
Perhaps her movement was too abrupt. Yan Chi turned and also caught sight of Qin Wan. Their eyes met. Yan Chi's glance took in the undergarments visible beneath Qin Wan's loosely worn outer robe. His gaze swept over her and then shifted aside.
Fuling, also shocked, chased after her. "Miss, you haven't changed your clothes..."
Yan Chi's odd reaction and Fuling's words made Qin Wan freeze. She looked down, and her face immediately changed color. A light blush rose on her jade-like cheeks. Clutching her robe tightly, she turned and re-entered the room.
Fuling wore a pained expression. "Miss..."
Qin Wan frowned. "I was too hasty. It's fine. It wasn't that improper."
Her words held a note of self-reassurance. However, the situation was urgent, so Fuling didn't press the point. She quickly helped Qin Wan change clothes and pin up her hair before they went back out.
By the time she stepped outside, the faint blush on Qin Wan's face had faded. Yan Chi stood tall and composed under the corridor eaves. When he turned his head, his expression was perfectly calm. Qin Wan asked urgently, "What happened to Third Uncle?"
Yan Chi's gaze darkened. "About half a shichen ago, he suddenly went violently insane. Now, he is in critical condition."
Qin Wan's heart skipped a beat. Qin An must not die now!