The Powerful and Favored Coroner Imperial Concubine

Chapter 79 : Re-examining the Headless Female Corpse

79: Re-examining the Headless Female Corpse

Qin Wan's brow furrowed deeply. The mortuary caught fire?! The mortuary caught fire?!

They had just decided last night to perform the autopsy this morning, and tonight the mortuary just happened to catch fire?!

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

"It started in the latter half of the night. Around the hour of the Rabbit, the mortuary guards went to report to the yamen residence. Prefect Huo went to the mortuary first. Probably seeing the situation was unfavorable, he sent someone to the Marquis's household. Right now, the Marquis and my master have gone over. The Marquis asked me to inform the young lady that due to this fire, an autopsy likely cannot be performed. He asks the young lady to temporarily not go."

The scheduled time was early; even now, the sky was just turning gray, not yet fully bright. The coolness of the autumn morning made Qin Wan feel a bit cold. She tightened her cloak, but her brow remained tightly knit. "Whether we can perform the autopsy or not, we'll know after going."

Bai Feng was taken aback. Qin Wan said, "I must trouble Guard Bai to take me to the mortuary."

Hearing this, a faint smile appeared on Bai Feng's always calm and expressionless face. Qin Wan was slightly surprised. "What is it?"

Bai Feng stepped aside, pointing to a simple green-cloth carriage parked not far from the manor gate. "The Marquis and my master originally told me to come inform the young lady not to go. But later, my master said I should still bring the carriage. Given the young lady's temperament, you'd likely want to go to the mortuary. If I only came on horseback, it wouldn't be suitable."

Qin Wan blinked, feeling somewhat uneasy under Bai Feng's faintly smiling gaze for some reason. She stepped toward the carriage, thinking as she walked: Yan Chi truly had sharp eyes and a perceptive mind, able to guess her thoughts.

Once in the carriage, Qin Wan settled her mind. Last night, everyone present seemed trustworthy. Grand Princess Jiayi had scheduled the autopsy for this morning precisely to avoid complications, yet in just one night, something still went wrong.

First, an attempt on her life, then, after learning about the planned autopsy at the mortuary, someone set fire to it. The purpose was truly obvious.

The more desperately the person behind the scenes tried to stop the autopsy, the more it showed their fear. And on Song Rou's body, there was an even greater chance of finding crucial clues.

Thinking this, Qin Wan could only hope Song Rou's body wasn't burned beyond recognition.

"Young Mistress, autumn is dry. The mortuary is full of incense and candles, with piles of old paper offerings inside. It's indeed very dangerous. Since it caught fire, Miss Song's remains are likely burned beyond recognition. Even if you go, it might be useless."

Qin Wan shook her head. "Whether an autopsy can be performed depends on seeing it first."

Fuling nodded inwardly, memorizing Qin Wan's words.

The carriage wheels rolled, the interior quiet. Qin Wan carefully considered everyone's demeanor from last night. The more she thought, the more she felt Wei Yanzhi seemed strange. She composed herself. Not long after, the carriage stopped in front of the mortuary.

By now, the sky had brightened slightly. As the carriage steadied, Qin Wan stepped down and saw Huo Huaixin stride out from inside. "Ninth Young Miss, you've come? Ah, there was a fire last night. Ninth Young Miss didn't need to make this trip today, troubling you for nothing..."

Before he finished speaking, Yan Chi and Yue Qiong also came out. Qin Wan curtseyed to them. "Has the cause of the fire been determined?"

As she asked, Qin Wan saw smoke still rising from the left rear side of the mortuary. She didn't know if the fire was fully extinguished.

"The cause... is still unknown for now. But the mortuary is indeed a place prone to fires. This mortuary is many years old; most of the beams are dry and rotten. Add to that years of incense smoke and paper offerings everywhere, a single spark can start a fire. Old Kuan has watched over the mortuary for years, and there's never been trouble before. But last night..."

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

Qin Wan showed no intention of leaving. She glanced at the still-intact main gate of the mortuary. From this angle, she couldn't immediately tell which areas were burned. Huo Huaixin sighed. "The fire is temporarily out. The main areas burned are the three or four rooms on the left. Among these, the most important was the side hall where Miss Song's body was kept."

Huo Huaixin clasped his hands, his face full of distress. "Last night, we agreed to perform the autopsy today. Now it can't be done, and Miss Song's body is burned beyond recognition. Ah, I really don't know what to do..."

"Prefect, may Qin Wan go take a look?"

Huo Huaixin naturally wouldn't refuse. He stepped aside and gestured. "Please come in, Ninth Young Miss. But the mortuary is now filled with smoke and grime. I apologize for the inconvenience..."

Qin Wan stepped up the stairs. Lifting her gaze, she met Yan Chi's eyes. Their eyes met for a moment before Qin Wan's gaze turned toward the mortuary interior. Old Kuan, still in his black clothes, stood in the shadows. Seeing Qin Wan enter, he nodded to her.

"Ninth Young 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 Wan walked to the previous side hall first. Looking from outside, she saw that, as Huo Huaixin said, the rooms on the left side were indeed severely burned, with the one holding Song Rou's body being the worst. The doors and windows were burned away, and a corner beam was charred, on the verge of collapse.

"Fortunately, Old Kuan discovered it early. Otherwise, the entire mortuary might have been reduced to ashes. But it's still a great pity. If only we had performed the autopsy last night..."

Huo Huaixin sighed regretfully. Qin Wan frowned. "Only this room was burned the worst. But that shouldn't be. This room had many ice basins. Ice melts when it meets fire; there's no reason this room should be the most severely burned."

As she spoke, Qin Wan suddenly sniffed lightly. She sniffed twice, then slowly walked forward. Just as she was about to enter the charred, ruined room, Yan Chi spoke. "Don't go in. It's dangerous."

Qin Wan stopped but didn't enter. Instead, she walked around the walls, heading straight to the window. The wooden window was burned away, leaving only a few square holes in the wall. Qin Wan looked outside and saw dilapidated civilian houses behind the mortuary. The houses closest to the mortuary had been uninhabited for many years.

"Ninth Young Miss, what is it?" Seeing Qin Wan's grave expression, Huo Huaixin couldn't help asking.

"Don't you smell it? A strange odor..."

Hearing this, Huo Huaixin sniffed as he walked over. "What odor? The mortuary only smells of incense and... Huh, there does seem to be a strange smell here..."

Yue Qiong and Yan Chi exchanged a glance. Yan Chi also stepped forward. He sniffed, then suddenly frowned. "Tung oil."

Qin Wan turned to look at Yan Chi. "Yes, it is indeed tung oil." Qin Wan then said, "No wonder this room, despite having so many ice basins, was of no use. It was tung oil..."

Huo Huaixin was slightly stunned. "The lamp oil used in the mortuary is butter oil."

Qin Wan narrowed her eyes. "Tung oil is highly flammable and common, and not easily extinguished by water. The mortuary doesn't have tung oil, so this oil came from outside. Someone knew we were coming for an autopsy this morning, so they came last night to set the fire. They knew burning tung oil would leave a smell, but the mortuary's incense and corpse odors are extremely strong, so they weren't worried."

Huo Huaixin's eyes widened slightly. "Ninth Young Miss means the arsonist is the murderer? But how did the murderer know we were coming for an autopsy this morning..." He frowned. "Is the murderer among those present last night?"

Qin Wan nodded. "That's possible..."

"But among those present last night, only Young Master Wei was from the Song family's escort!"

Only the four of them were present; Huo Huixin stated it bluntly.

Qin Wan lifted her chin slightly. "Sometimes, the person who seems least likely is the most suspicious." With that, she walked toward the room Huo Huaixin had pointed to earlier. "Regardless, let's perform the autopsy first..."

Huo Huaixin said worriedly, "Ninth Young Miss, I'm afraid it can't be done. You'll understand when you see."

Qin Wan felt somewhat heavy-hearted. Judging by the extent of the room's destruction, Song Rou's body likely wasn't well-preserved. With this thought, when Qin Wan actually saw Song Rou's remains, she was less disappointed.

This was another side hall, more spacious and brighter than the previous one. Without the colorful paper offerings and that bright red wedding dress, there was no eerie feeling. Song Rou's body was placed on a long table, ordinary like every other corpse Qin Wan had seen before.

Song Rou's body hadn't been moved here long. White vinegar was sprinkled in the corners, but it still couldn't mask the stench of decay. Yet, it was precisely this stench that made Qin Wan's heart relax slightly.

If even the corpse smell was burned away, then Qin Wan would truly be at a loss.

"It's all charred, Ninth Young Miss. Can an autopsy still be done?"

Three days ago when Qin Wan came, the body had already begun to swell and decay. Another three days had passed; even with ice basins, Song Rou's body would have decomposed further. But now, it wasn't so obvious because the new hemp clothing on Song Rou's body was charred, sticking to the decayed flesh on her surface. The exposed hands, feet, and bare neck were also blackened by smoke. From a distance, without touching, Qin Wan knew that skin and flesh must now be hard as leather.

Seeing Song Rou indeed seemed charred, Qin Wan nodded. "It can be done."

Delight flashed in Huo Huaixin's eyes, almost uncontrollable. "Even burned like this, it can still be done? Ninth Young Miss is certain?"

Qin Wan nodded. "Are the necessary items prepared?"

At this question, Huo Huaixin's face showed apology. "I'm afraid Ninth Young Miss will have to wait a moment. Earlier, Xu He came with the items, but upon seeing the condition, both he and I thought an autopsy might not be possible. I sent him back to the yamen. Ninth Young Miss, please wait. I'll send someone to fetch him. It'll take at most two quarters of an hour."

Qin Wan nodded. Huo Huaixin turned and went out to give orders.

Once Huo Huaixin left, Yan Chi stepped forward. "The person is burned like this. How can an autopsy still be done?"

Qin Wan explained, "Burns on a person can be classified into several degrees. The most superficial: red patches appear on the skin, with a burning pain. Applying some medicinal ointment can heal it. For example, warming oneself by a charcoal fire in winter and accidentally getting singed. More severe: blisters form, like accidentally being splashed by sparks. Such burns are extremely painful, must not get wet, and are prone to festering. It takes many days to heal and will definitely leave scars."

Since they had to wait for Xu He, Qin Wan explained unhurriedly to Yan Chi. Halfway through, Huo Huaixin returned but didn't interrupt, just listened as she continued calmly. "Even more severe is like Miss Song's remains here: the burned parts form black eschar, feeling like leather to the touch, losing the appearance of skin, with very low surface temperature. But for a living person with this degree of burn, if the affected area isn't large, they can still be treated, though healing is very slow. For the deceased, an autopsy examines the interior, looking for traces left in the deeper flesh and organs. So even if the surface is burned like this, an autopsy can still be performed. But examining the body surface becomes difficult. For example, calluses on the deceased's hands can no longer be seen."

Huo Huaixin couldn't help asking, "What about even more severe?"

Qin Wan narrowed her eyes. "Even more severe: burning a part or the whole person until it's like charcoal."

Huo Huaixin's eyes widened slightly. Qin Wan continued, "Generally, if a person is burned alive to the point of resembling charcoal, the body will mostly be in a curled, defensive posture, charred black, light and brittle."

After Qin Wan finished, Huo Huaixin said with admiration, "Ninth Young Miss knows all this. Did you read it in medical texts or in Lord Shen Yi's writings?"

Qin Wan glanced at him. "I saw some in Lord Shen's medical books. Combined with my medical studies, I know more completely."

Huo Huaixin repeatedly praised, "Ninth Young Miss knows forensic techniques and is highly skilled in medicine. Truly different from ordinary coroners."

A slight curve touched Qin Wan's lips, but she didn't speak further. Instead, she examined Song Rou's remains. The body's surface was charred with eschar, ironically covering the terrifying purple-green lividity. Similarly, the decaying blood and putrid flesh that had begun to disgust viewers were burned away. Now, Song Rou's body looked more like an irregularly shaped piece of charred wood.

Qin Wan observed for a few moments, then lifted her chin, signaling Fuling to remove her cloak. Today, Fuling wasn't as scared as last time. Gathering courage, she stepped forward to assist Qin Wan, holding the cloak aside. The look in Fuling's eyes as she watched Qin Wan was one of utter admiration. She never imagined her young mistress was so knowledgeable.

Qin Wan took out a sachet from her sleeve, then took out Suhexiang Pills, giving one each to Yan Chi and the others. She also placed one in her own mouth. She drew out Cold Moon, put on her protective gloves, then took out a strange item from her sleeve and put it on her face.

It resembled a mask but only covered her mouth and nose. Moreover, it was made of cotton cloth. Strangely, it had two loops to hang over the ears. Though somewhat odd-looking, it was a simple yet clever way to prevent directly inhaling the miasma during the autopsy and to keep blood and debris from splattering on her face. With her delicate features mostly obscured, the cold, meticulous solemnity about her intensified. The icy Cold Moon seemed to merge with her, creating an inexplicable, solemn aura.

She stood quietly before the long table, observing the corpse. With this, her preparations were complete. After waiting a short while longer, Xu He, carrying the large box disproportionate to his size, ran in sweating profusely...

"Lord! This humble one is here!"

Xu He was out of breath but, upon entering and seeing Qin Wan holding Cold Moon behind the long table, his eyes lit up. Forgetting to bow to Yue Qiong and Yan Chi, he hurriedly opened the box, lit the incense to dispel miasma, placed items Qin Wan might need like white vinegar nearby, then took out paper and brush for recording the examination. When he stood up, his legs were still weak!

He never expected that when both he and Huo Huaixin thought an autopsy impossible, Qin Wan said it could be done!

Xu He's eyes shone. He wasn't afraid of the charred corpse before him; he just didn't know how to proceed with such a body. Looking at Qin Wan, who wore an additional face covering today, Xu He couldn't help but feel his blood boiling with excitement!

"I'm beginning. Please assist with recording, Coroner Xu."

Xu He nodded vigorously. This time, Yan Chi didn't compete with Xu He. In his view, standing aside and watching Qin Wan perform the autopsy was also a rather pleasing thing.

Qin Wan composed herself and made the first incision two cun below the left rib.

Cold Moon had a unique design, more delicate and convenient than any autopsy knife she had ever seen before. Qin Wan began to feel grateful for Yan Chi's generous gift. She didn't start the autopsy immediately but slowly cleaned the eschar from the abdomen. The eschar consisted of both the charred hemp clothing and the corpse's former skin.

Huo Huaixin initially thought Song Rou's body was charred, at least superficially. But as Qin Wan used Cold Moon to meticulously clean the eschar from the body's exterior, the bizarrely colored flesh beneath was revealed again. Huo Huaixin felt acid rising in his stomach. He clenched his teeth to hold it back.

This wasn't his first time seeing Qin Wan perform an autopsy. How could he lose face now?!

Huo Huaixin felt this way; Fuling beside him also struggled to endure. Because Qin Wan wasn't cleaning a small area but the entire section from Song Rou's chest down to her lower abdomen. It was a large patch of mottled flesh. No blood flowed from the subcutaneous tissue now, only purplish-black vascular networks and yellowish fatty masses Fuling couldn't identify, intermingled in a mottled, nauseating display that tested Fuling's limits.

Yet Qin Wan's face remained as composed as ever.

"The body surface is severely burned. This autopsy will only involve internal examination."

After cleaning the eschar from the chest and abdomen, she began the incision. Cold Moon easily cut through the corpse's abdomen. Immediately, a tremendous stench spread. Fuling, standing nearby, nearly fainted from the smell. It was hard to imagine what Qin Wan, closest to it, was enduring. But Qin Wan's hand holding the knife didn't hesitate in the slightest. She cut deeper. Soon, she opened an incision in the abdomen. Her knife moved carefully within the abdominal cavity. Before long, she extracted something and placed it on a tray nearby.

"The deceased has been dead for nearly nine days. Only a small amount of residue remains in the stomach. It's unclear what it is for now."

After saying this, her knife slowly moved downward, toward Song Rou's lower abdomen. Huo Huixin and the others watched her movements from a distance. This time, watching her examine a female corpse was absolutely different from the last time she examined a male corpse. Last time was vividly bloody; this time, it was under conditions of decay and burns, more difficult. Besides the blood, there was a level of revulsion most couldn't tolerate. Yet Qin Wan remained as calm and composed as before.

Last time, Huo Huaixin mostly admired Qin Wan. Now, it was more akin to reverence. Looking at Qin Wan, then thinking of his own Huo Ning, who had secluded himself these past few days, Huo Huaixin could only sigh deeply. He probably had no chance of making Qin Wan his daughter-in-law. Huo Ning didn't have that fortune; their Huo family didn't have that fortune!

Qin Wan's hand movements were minimal, but her hand was extremely steady. At one point, her slightly bent form suddenly stiffened. This stiffness was noticeable even to Yue Qiong, farthest away. Huo Huaixin couldn't help asking, "Ninth Young Miss, what is it?"

Qin Wan snapped back to attention, as if needing to confirm something, and bent to examine for another moment. Shortly after, she straightened up. Besides her usual calm and composure, her eyes held an added gravity and incredulity.

Huo Huaixin and Yue Qiong exchanged a glance. Huo Huaixin asked again, "Ninth Young Miss, what is it? What happened?"

Qin Wan looked at Huo Huaixin, then at Yue Qiong, before lowering her gaze and speaking in her usual calm autopsy tone. "The deceased has a relatively large pelvis, tilted backward. The pubic bone is wider than average for a woman. The position of the womb is lower..."

Qin Wan's voice held a slight difficulty. When she finished, Huo Huaixin urgently asked, "What does this mean?"

The paper and brush in Xu He's hands clattered to the floor. "Lord... Ninth Young Miss means... means Miss Song was pregnant before..."

"What?!" Huo Huaixin's eyes widened sharply. He turned to look; Yue Qiong's brow was tightly furrowed, his face pale. Huo Huaixin's throat tightened. "Marquis, this..."

The marriage alliance between Duke Song's household and the Anyang Marquis's household seemed a good match. Moreover, with the Emperor's intention behind it, it could be considered an imperial marriage. Yet now they learned Miss Song had been pregnant before?!

Song Rou's birth certificate stated she was only seventeen this year, just at the right age. How could she have been pregnant?!

Thinking this, it was clear Song Rou had engaged in improper behavior before. Not only had she done that disgraceful act, but she also became pregnant. And Duke Song's household must have known. Yue Qiong clenched his fist, thinking of the earlier discovery that all of Song Rou's attendants had been replaced. He finally understood the reason: to conceal this matter!

Yue Qiong, after all, wasn't an impulsive person who didn't know what was important. He only said in a low voice, "First, let Ninth Young Miss finish! This matter may not necessarily be related to her murder case... This is another matter entirely!"

By the last word, Yue Qiong's tone carried a dangerous edge. Huo Huaixin understood Yue Qiong's anger at being deceived and was also shocked at Duke Song's household's audacity. But he didn't want to get involved in the strife between these two powerful families. He hurriedly followed Yue Qiong's lead and changed the topic. "Ninth Young Miss, please continue the examination..."

"Judging from the width of the pelvis and the degree of backward tilt, the pregnancy was not full-term. The deceased's uterus has returned to its original size, leading to the speculation that she miscarried approximately two months ago."

Qin Wan's tone remained calm. "The private areas and lower abdomen of the corpse are too decomposed to determine the exact time of miscarriage. However, it can be inferred that the pregnancy was around five to six months, likely an early miscarriage."

Miscarried two months ago, pregnant for five to six months. Calculating this, it coincided with the time of the bite marks on Song Rou's shoulder. Thus, Qin Wan's previous suspicion was confirmed: Song Rou indeed had an intimate relationship with another man. Moreover, she had become pregnant. But who was the man she was involved with?

Connecting this to what Yue Ning said, the Song family originally intended to have Wei Yanzhi's legitimate elder brother escort the bridal procession but changed plans at the last moment, could it be... Wei Yanzhi's legitimate elder brother had an affair with Song Rou? But what did this have to do with Song Rou's death?

"Inferred this way, she miscarried one month before the wedding. After recovering, she married." Huo Huaixin spoke somewhat apprehensively, afraid of provoking Yue Qiong's anger. Fortunately, Yue Qiong knew the gravity of the matter.

Yue Qiong also said, "Miss Song had an affair with another man before. This man is most likely someone very close to the Duke's household. But this time, Wei Yanzhi came to escort the procession. Surely Duke Song wouldn't have the man who had an affair with his daughter escort her, right?"

Yue Qiong's tone was unfriendly. Duke Song's household knew about Song Rou's affair yet married such an impure daughter to the completely unaware Anyang Marquis's household. This was a great insult to the Marquis's household. They replaced Song Rou's attendants to conceal the matter. It made no sense to have the man involved escort her. No matter how arrogant Duke Song's household was, they wouldn't dare act so recklessly!

Huo Huaixin nodded. "Right, that makes sense. Also, Young Master Wei said his legitimate elder brother was originally supposed to escort the procession but broke his leg falling from a horse, so he was substituted last minute. Could it be..."

Huo Huaixin looked at Yue Qiong. Yue Qiong gave a cold laugh. "It's not impossible. Moreover, I think Nephew Wei couldn't be completely unaware of this matter. When we return to the Marquis's household later, I will question him thoroughly."

"But how did Song Rou die? Nephew Wei's legitimate elder brother didn't come along either!"

While Huo Huixin and Yue Qiong discussed, Qin Wan continued examining something within Song Rou's organs. Gradually, sweat gathered on her forehead. The stench of decay in the room grew stronger, overpowering even the incense to dispel miasma. Qin Wan raised her hand, somewhat inconveniently using her arm to wipe the sweat from her brow, her frown deepening.

Although they had discovered a shocking secret, it wasn't directly related to the case. What Qin Wan wanted to find were clues directly connected to the case. She felt somewhat anxious. This autopsy would likely cause some difficulty for Grand Princess Jiayi and Yan Chi. If she could not find favorable evidence, it would truly be a wasted opportunity. Moreover, the longer they waited, the more Song Rou's body would decay, making it impossible to find anything later.

Qin Wan's expression was grave. Nine days had passed. The external examination yielded no special indicators. Even after finding the murder site, Song Rou's head hadn't been found. Qin Wan intuitively felt that the most crucial evidence would be on Song Rou's head. Yet precisely when it mattered, Song Rou's head could not be found...

Qin Wan refused to give up. She examined Song Rou's stomach again. After so long, this was the most likely place to find other clues. Song Rou's body had begun decaying from the private areas. In another ten days to half a month, her internal organs would be consumed by maggots. By then, even if an autopsy were possible, nothing could be found.

After nine days, there was very little in Song Rou's stomach, mixed with other decomposed matter into a disgusting black paste. Qin Wan scraped every corner of Song Rou's stomach clean, then looked at Xu He. "Bring water."

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

Qin Wan's request was something Huo Huaixin would naturally fulfill. But they were at the mortuary, which had limitations. "Ninth Young Miss, please wait. I'll have someone buy the best one from the street ahead."

"No need. Just clean will do."

At Qin Wan's instruction, both Xu He and Huo Huaixin went out.

In no time, Xu He returned, holding a teacup with a chipped rim. "Will this do, Ninth Young Miss?"

Qin Wan took it. Though the rim was chipped, the inside was white and bright as a mirror. She immediately nodded. She turned and placed all the debris from the tray into the teacup without missing a bit, then poured in clean water. The debris dissolved. After letting it settle, she poured off the dirty water. Repeating this several times, only some residue remained at the bottom.

"Ninth Young Miss, what are you doing?"

Qin Wan pressed her lips together. "This is from Song Rou's stomach. I want to see if there's anything related to the case." She paused. "Too little, and too decomposed. Not enough to determine."

With that, Qin Wan bent over the corpse again. Soon, a foul stench of feces filled the air!

Huo Huaixin couldn't help covering his nose and mouth. "Ninth Young Miss, this..."

"When a corpse decomposes, internal gases form, causing stomach contents to flow into the intestines."

Huo Huaixin glanced at Xu He, who also looked like he could barely stand it. But he understood Qin Wan's meaning. Qin Wan had likely opened the deceased's large intestine, the place usually containing feces.

Shortly after, Qin Wan took out something else and placed it on the tray. Xu He looked and almost vomited. That black mass was clearly the corpse's feces...

Huo Huaixin couldn't help but turn away. Yan Chi wasn't afraid of blood, but the smell in the room now made him frown slightly. Looking at Qin Wan, he saw only the focused intensity of the autopsy on her brow, without a trace of disgust. Moved by this, his frown gradually eased.

Qin Wan repeated the process. Soon, more residue appeared at the bottom of the white porcelain cup.

Huo Huaixin blinked, suppressing the acid rising in his stomach. "Ahem, actually, discovering Miss Song was pregnant is already a great help. I believe others didn't know, but Wei Yanzhi must have known. Becoming pregnant and then miscarrying, such a major event can't be hidden from everyone. They could only try to cover it up. Wei Yanzhi must know something."

He paused, looking at Yue Qiong. "Marquis, why don't we return to the Marquis's household now and interrogate Wei Yanzhi, see what he has to say..." He looked at Qin Wan. "Ninth Young Miss, please come too."

Qin Wan was indeed curious what Wei Yanzhi would say. Looking at the corpse before her, she had considered all possible entry points for solving the case. The rest depended on Huo Huixin gathering clues. After a moment's thought, she nodded. She performed a simple treatment on the corpse. Besides the visible flesh and blood on the chest and abdomen that couldn't be covered, it looked as if it hadn't been autopsied. After washing her hands, Qin Wan took out a silk handkerchief and wrapped the residue from the bottom of the white porcelain cup.

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

Qin Wan replied calmly, "Taking it back to see if we can identify what these are. It's been nine days. Normally, her stomach should be empty. But this residue remains. Presumably, it's not food but something else."

Xu He nodded. Huo Huixin didn't hold much hope. Song Rou had traveled south; conditions on the road were harsh. It was possible she ate some dry rations that were hard to digest. He gave instructions to Old Kuan, then led the group straight to the Marquis's household.

In the carriage, Qin Wan held the still somewhat foul-smelling silk handkerchief, lost in thought. Fuling frowned, somewhat reluctantly, and took the handkerchief. "It smells so bad, Young Mistress, let this servant hold it. Don't touch it. We're going to the Marquis's household soon. Young Mistress, apply some scented ointment." As she spoke, she took out her own silk handkerchief, wrapping it layer upon layer until the smell was contained, then placed it in her sleeve.

Qin Wan instructed, "Be careful not to lose it."

Fuling nodded. Though she disliked the smell, she would take Qin Wan's instructions to heart ten thousand times.

Thinking this, Fuling sighed. "I never imagined such an enviable marriage would have such hidden circumstances. If I were the Marquis, I'd probably be furious to the point of collapse..."

Qin Wan shook her head at Fuling. "Don't speak of this matter further."

Fuling quickly lowered her voice. "This servant knows. Once out of the carriage, I won't say another word."

Qin Wan nodded, then closed her eyes to ponder.

No one expected such a scandal in this marriage. Song Rou was the legitimate daughter of a ducal household; naturally, they would suppress this matter. But for the Anyang Marquis's household, it was a great humiliation. Presumably, after Duke Song's household discovered it, they had Song Rou miscarry. To prevent her from being with that man, they used Consort Ru's influence in the palace to have the Emperor arrange a distant marriage. Song Rou came to Jinzhou. If concealed properly, the Marquis's household might never have discovered the past...

Duke Song's household took a great risk acting this way. If exposed, the Anyang Marquis's household would surely become their enemy. But why would they rather marry their daughter far away than rectify the mistake and marry her to that man?

In Great Zhou, if a daughter had such an incident in the inner chambers, the family would usually marry her to that man's family to cover it up, thus preserving the family's reputation without risk. But Duke Song's household didn't do that...

Suddenly, Qin Wan's eyes darkened. There was only one reason: that man was disliked by the ducal household, or his family status was clearly far beneath the ducal household. Marrying Song Rou to him would be another disgrace to the family's honor! Rather than let everyone laugh at the ducal household, they took a risk. As long as Song Rou was careful, the matter would likely be concealed. On the surface, Duke Song's household still made an excellent marriage alliance...

Qin Wan's mind settled, and a figure flashed through her thoughts.

Since this case began, she had performed two autopsies, been frightened once, and nearly killed last night. But she had never hastily identified a suspect. Besides the information she obtained these times, she knew little of other details. It was unwise to form one-sided suspicions without knowing those details, as it could affect subsequent judgment.

However, at this point, Qin Wan had a suspect in mind. If her suspicion was true, things would be somewhat troublesome because they had no direct evidence pointing to that person...

"Young Mistress, we've arrived..."

Fuling's voice brought Qin Wan back to reality. She straightened up. The carriage had indeed slowed to a stop. Qin Wan and Fuling alighted one after the other. Yue Qiong walked over. "Ninth Young Miss, this matter must be told to Mother. But I fear knowing might anger her and harm her health. Later, I'll trouble you to keep an eye on her."

Qin Wan curtseyed. "Yes, please rest assured, Marquis."

Yue Qiong nodded and led everyone into the mansion, heading straight for Grand Princess Jiayi's courtyard.

Seeing Yue Qiong return, someone had already gone to announce them. By the time Yue Qiong and the others reached Grand Princess Jiayi's courtyard, she was already seated, fully dressed, waiting for them. Upon entering, Grand Princess Jiayi's stern gaze swept over them. Yue Qiong led the others in bowing. Grand Princess Jiayi gave a cold laugh. "Looking at your expressions, I know things have reached an extremely bad point."

Grand Princess Jiayi looked directly at Yue Qiong. "Qiong'er, speak. Let me see how bold the Song family is!"

Yue Qiong sighed and stepped forward to speak slowly.

Qin Wan listened beside them, feeling that the inner chamber of Grand Princess Jiayi was unusually oppressive and heavy.