At Yan Chi’s question, Meng Hui instinctively withdrew his hands behind his back.

“I… my hands are…” Meng Hui’s eyes darted around for a moment, clearly intending to conceal the truth. However, Yan Chi’s eyes were like swords, seeing through Meng Hui completely. Meng Hui’s face grew increasingly pale before he finally admitted, “I dare not deceive Your Highness. Yesterday, after my elder brother left, I did indeed beat that boy with my fists. Mainly because… mainly because that boy was speaking offensively, constantly saying his father’s death was my doing and that I would face retribution. But now, he’s the one facing retribution—”

Meng Zhou stomped his foot in frustration beside him, “Fourth Brother! You’re his elder! You should act like one!”

Meng Hui’s face flushed red and white at Meng Zhou’s rebuke. Under Yan Chi’s gaze, he dared not raise his head. Yan Chi gave them both a cool glance before turning to Zheng Baishi beside him, “Official Zheng, find someone to question them thoroughly about what they used to beat Meng Wei and where exactly they struck him. Get all the details.”

Zheng Baishi looked at Zhan Yang, who immediately went to carry out the order.

Zheng Baishi then lowered his voice, “Your Highness, regarding Meng Wei’s death…”

“Once she completes the examination, we’ll have results.”

Hearing this, Zheng Baishi nodded and continued in a low voice, “Early this morning, I had already entered the palace once. His Majesty didn’t expect another case to arise just as the previous one concluded, and he was quite displeased. This case involves court officials… Sigh, with envoys from Northern Wei and Western Liang visiting after spring, His Majesty has ordered us to investigate thoroughly within ten days.”

Yan Chi narrowed his eyes, “I anticipated this. When His Majesty summoned me yesterday, his words were very grave.”

Zheng Baishi glanced at Meng Zhou and Meng Hui in the corner of the courtyard, then back at the half-closed door, sighing, “Though we have ten days, who knows if we can solve it within that time.”

Yan Chi lifted his chin slightly, “Ninth Miss is the capital’s best coroner. Official Zheng need not worry too much.”

At this, Zheng Baishi’s lips curved upward, “That’s true indeed. This morning, His Majesty even inquired about Ninth Miss. When I mentioned she was helping with the autopsy, His Majesty seemed somewhat relieved.”

Yan Chi looked at Meng Zhou in the distance, “Is Meng Zhou still unwilling to allow the autopsy?”

“When asked yesterday, he was still hesitant. I’ll ask him again later. Their family is very superstitious about this matter, stubbornly refusing to be flexible.”

Hearing Zheng Baishi’s words, Yan Chi said, “If he’s still unwilling, I’ll speak with him.”

Though Yan Chi spoke quietly, Zheng Baishi felt his heart skip a beat. There was an inexplicable force in Yan Chi’s words. Thinking of Yan Chi’s previous reputation, Zheng Baishi hurriedly said, “Your Highness, rest assured, I will certainly persuade him later.”

Soon, Zhan Yang’s questioning yielded results. He had recorded everything Meng Hui and Meng Zhou said and handed it to Yan Chi. After reviewing it, Yan Chi said, “They’re still examining the body inside. Lord Meng, please take the Meng household people and withdraw for now.”

Meng Zhou seemed to want to speak but held back. Zheng Baishi walked forward helplessly, “Brother Meng, please, please trust in the authorities—”

As fellow officials, Meng Zhou and Zheng Baishi were naturally familiar with each other. After his words, Meng Zhou finally had no choice but to bow to Yan Chi before withdrawing. The courtyard returned to silence, and only then did Yan Chi turn to enter the room.

Inside, Qin Wan was carefully examining the injuries on Meng Wei’s body. Seeing Yan Chi enter, she asked, “What did they say?”

Yan Chi walked to Qin Wan with the recorded testimonies, “Meng Zhou only used the family discipline rod to strike Meng Wei’s shoulders and back, possibly including both arms and lower buttocks. Besides hitting these areas, Meng Hui also punched Meng Wei’s face, kneed his chest and abdomen, and kicked his legs during the scuffle. After knocking Meng Wei down, he kicked his back twice more.”

As he spoke, Yan Chi handed the statement to Qin Wan. She didn’t take it but moved closer to his side and looked at it briefly. Then her brows furrowed, and she quickly turned Meng Wei’s body over. Once turned, they saw that Meng Wei’s back was covered in even more injuries, particularly a notable bruise at the Fengfu acupoint below the occipital bone.

“The injuries on his back are indeed mostly from the rod, and the two wounds on his lower back should be from Meng Hui’s kicks. However, this bruise here doesn’t seem to be from a rod, and would Meng Hui directly kick his head?”

As she spoke, Qin Wan pointed to other injuries on Meng Wei’s body, “The rod injuries are very regular, but this bruise looks like it was made by a fist. Meng Hui didn’t mention striking him here.”

The Fengfu acupoint is located below the occipital bone, a very dangerous point. Striking it can cause unconsciousness in mild cases and death in severe cases. This is known not only to doctors and coroners but to any martial artist.

If Meng Hui had kicked this spot, it would mean he intended to kill Meng Wei.

Yan Chi narrowed his eyes, “Meng Hui emphasized that he only wanted to teach Meng Wei a lesson and didn’t touch above his neck.”

Qin Wan frowned, “Then this wasn’t left by Meng Hui. Moreover, this bruise hasn’t been treated with medicinal salve, suggesting it occurred after Meng Wei returned to his quarters. After he returned, servants applied medicine, and he didn’t leave his quarters afterward. By this calculation, this injury must have occurred when he went out at night.”

Yan Chi looked at Qin Wan, “So Meng Wei was murdered?”

Qin Wan nodded, “Given Meng Wei’s personality, he would surely seek revenge after a conflict. He wasn’t in the mood for suicide. The only explanation is that his death was caused by the person who struck him. This injury is quite severe; the attacker must have been swift, precise, and forceful enough to cause unconsciousness. If the killer knocked him out and then staged it to look like suicide, it would be hard to distinguish.”

As she spoke, Qin Wan added, “There’s nothing unusual about his other injuries, but if we could perform an autopsy, we should.” Then she looked at Zhan Yang, “Captain Zhan, did you find anything by the lake?”

Zhan Yang nodded, “We’ve examined the lakeside. The rope has ordinary knots, and it’s common hemp rope. As for footprints, we tested them – they match the size of Meng Wei’s shoes.”

Qin Wan’s brows furrowed slightly, “It can’t be this simple. What about the depth of the footprints?”

Zhan Yang frowned, “Though there’s mud by the lake, it’s not very thick. When we tested – one person walking alone versus one person carrying another – the footprints were about the same depth.”

He then turned his eyes slightly, “If Ninth Miss determines this was murder, could the killer have carried Meng Wei to the tree, staged the suicide scene, then walked backward in the original footprints to leave?”

Qin Wan looked at Meng Wei’s shoes on the ground. The shoes were neither new nor old, worn for an unknown time, with some dirt on the surface and thick mud on the soles…

“Did the killer put the walked-in shoes on Meng Wei’s feet? If so, when walking backward, the footprints wouldn’t be perfectly aligned. Captain Zhan, did you notice anything like that?”

Zhan Yang shook his head, “We examined carefully. Each footprint was complete, with no other marks.”

Qin Wan’s eyes remained full of contemplation, “This cannot be explained then.”

Just as she finished speaking, Zheng Baishi returned and announced from the doorway, “Your Highness, Ninth Miss, I’ve convinced Lord Meng. He agrees to the autopsy of both father and son.”

Yan Chi’s expression softened slightly, while Qin Wan’s eyes brightened. She looked at the sky outside and hurriedly said, “Time is of the essence. Let’s start now. I still need to enter the palace before noon to check the Empress Dowager’s pulse.”

Hearing this, Zheng Baishi also became tense. Though it was still early, autopsies took considerable time.

Yan Chi stepped forward, “What do you need me to do?”

As Yan Chi approached, Zheng Baishi and Zhan Yang stood at the door. Qin Wan walked to the coffin bed where Meng Jin’s body lay, lifted the covering cloth, and said, “Just help me record.”

Qin Wan had brought her small package today. She opened it, revealing items like deodorizing incense and other necessities.

After lighting the deodorizing incense and taking a Suhe pill, Qin Wan took two porcelain dishes from the offering table in the room.

Once prepared, Qin Wan used Han Yue to begin. Having examined the external injuries earlier, she immediately cut into Meng Jin’s chest and lung area. Though it was the first month of the year, Meng Jin had been dead for several days, and decay had set in. Soon, the stench of death mixed with acidic decomposition spread throughout the room, though fortunately, everyone present could endure it.

“There are still traces of drowning fluid and foam in the nasal cavity and respiratory tract. Fluid flows from the lungs, which are swollen, with marks from rib compression on the surface. This proves without doubt that the deceased was drowned alive…”

Quickly, Qin Wan cut open Meng Jin’s abdomen, intensifying the putrid smell. This was the crucial part of her examination. Han Yue was incredibly sharp, and they watched as Meng Jin’s belly was cut open effortlessly, revealing the red, white, and yellow internal organs and tissues. Official Zheng pressed his lips together and stepped back toward the doorway.

Qin Wan examined everything meticulously. Her protective gloves were soon covered in filth, yet she didn’t even furrow her brow at the sight. She carefully placed the contents into porcelain dishes, then continued to search carefully through Meng Jin’s abdomen.

This was Zhan Yang’s second time watching Qin Wan perform an autopsy, and that peculiar feeling returned.

As an experienced captain, Zhan Yang wasn’t afraid of corpses, but he never expected to find anything pleasant about places with dead bodies. Yet this was different. Qin Wan’s face was as pure as the autumn moon, pristine as an orchid. Even knowing she was handling the filthiest of corpses, she remained pleasing to behold. Suddenly, the flesh and pungent smell of death seemed insignificant. Zhan Yang narrowed his eyes, wondering how Qin Wan could achieve this level of composure.

“There’s a large amount of drowning fluid in the deceased’s stomach. The fluid is turbid but shows no signs of sand or aquatic plants.”

As she spoke, Qin Wan’s brows suddenly furrowed. She was always composed during autopsies, so this change in expression alerted all three men in the room. Zhan Yang wanted to ask, but Qin Wan bent down, seeming to search for something more intently in the deceased’s abdomen, so he held his tongue.

Seeing this, Yan Chi stepped closer, getting a clearer view of Meng Jin’s internal organs. As a battlefield warrior, his spear had pierced countless enemies’ hearts and bellies, often leaving their entrails spilling out. Yet this was one of the rare times he’d deliberately observed a corpse’s internal organs.

Perhaps aware of time constraints, Qin Wan concluded the autopsy after another round of examination.

Despite the winter cold, her forehead was covered in sweat. While stitching up the corpse, she said, “I remember the bottom of Meng Manor’s inner lake has warm stones and fine sand—”

Yan Chi quickly nodded, “There’s also quite a bit of moss near the shore.”

Qin Wan’s hands paused. She quickly finished stitching Meng Jin’s abdomen. Official Zheng glanced at Zhan Yang, who hurried to fetch water. Meanwhile, Qin Wan examined what she had retrieved from Meng Jin’s stomach, then frowned after a while and said, “There’s a problem. Meng Jin didn’t die in the lake.”

Official Zheng was startled, and Zhan Yang, who had just returned with water, also froze.

Official Zheng said, “But he was found in the lake, and he drowned.”

Qin Wan first washed the contents in the porcelain dish several times. After washing, she found seven or eight tiny particles in the mass. She quickly picked these out and set them aside before cleaning her hands.

“Meng Jin drowned, but people don’t only drown in lakes. When I came in, I saw a water vat in the corner of the courtyard. A vat that size could easily drown a grown man.”

At Qin Wan’s words, Official Zheng’s heart skipped a beat. Looking over, he indeed saw an old water vat in the courtyard corner. This reminded him that many wealthy households used large vats to grow lotus flowers.

“Is Ninth Miss certain? If he didn’t drown in the lake, then where?”

Qin Wan cleaned her hands and held a clean white porcelain dish containing the particles she had isolated.

“To know where he drowned, we must first identify these.”

As she spoke, Yan Chi’s eyes darkened, “They look like plant seeds.”

The white porcelain dish contained pin-tip-sized round brownish particles. However, having been soaked in gastric juice for too long, their original color and shape were barely discernible. Based on appearance alone, they did resemble plant seeds.

Zhan Yang looked at the large vat, “Could it be… flowers were grown in the vat, their seeds fell into the water, and then the deceased was drowned there?”

Qin Wan nodded, “That’s possible. Moreover, the deceased has a mark on his abdomen and bruising behind his head, which would well explain the origins of these injuries. The deceased was drowned first, then thrown into the lake to create the illusion of an accidental fall. Therefore, we must reconsider where Meng Jin was killed.”

As she spoke, Qin Wan’s gaze remained fixed on the brown particles.

“The drowning fluid is turbid but contains no sand, moss, or aquatic plants. However, mixed with gastric juices and body decomposition, it’s impossible to determine what kind of water it was. Give me some time to study these small objects.”

Official Zheng looked at Qin Wan, and knowing she was a physician, asked, “Could they be medicine or food residue?”

Qin Wan set down the dish, “No because these particles were also found in the drowning fluid from the intestines and airways. If they were food, they should only be in the esophagus. However, they could be medicinal herbs – some people brew herbs to wash chilblains or rashes. The deceased might have been drowned in such medicinal water.”

She added, “Actually, even a washbasin is enough to drown someone.”

As she said this, Qin Wan turned to look at Meng Wei’s body lying nearby.

Though Meng Wei died by hanging, making an autopsy less significant, Qin Wan carefully examined his nasal cavity and stomach for safety, along with several severe bruises on his body. However, the examination yielded little.

“There are no traces of anesthetic in his nasal cavity, so he wasn’t drugged unconscious. His stomach only contains last night’s food remnants and medicine soup residue, nothing unusual. As for his injuries, the most severe is on his lower left back, with serious subcutaneous bleeding – any harder would have damaged the bone. Then there’s the injury at the Fengfu acupoint. Though the mark looks small, there’s significant subcutaneous bleeding, and it’s precisely on the acupoint.” She looked at Yan Chi, “What does Your Highness think?”

Yan Chi frowned, “The attacker had extremely strong control over their strength and succeeded with one strike. Must be someone trained in martial arts.”

Hearing this, Official Zheng hurriedly said, “But… only Fourth Master Meng Hui practices martial arts in the Meng household… besides a few guards. Could it be a treacherous servant killing their master?”

Zhan Yang quickly responded, “But last night, all guards were patrolling in groups of four. With a death in the manor, everyone was anxious. I asked about this early this morning.”

The theory of a treacherous servant seemed unlikely, shifting suspicion back to Meng Hui.

Seeing this, Yan Chi said, “It seems we need to question the household staff again. Perhaps someone practices martial arts without our knowledge.”

Zhan Yang nodded, “Yes, I’ll go right away.”

Official Zheng pondered for a moment, “Your Highness, what do you think about Meng Hui’s possible involvement? Meng Wei insisted Meng Hui was the killer. Though we haven’t found evidence linking to Meng Hui yet, he remains suspicious. Could Meng Wei have discovered something? Or perhaps found that key, making Meng Hui panic?”

“Official Zheng’s speculation isn’t groundless. Though there’s no direct evidence, if we assume both deaths came from the same hand, the killer had a direct conflict with Meng Jin, and Meng Wei might have discovered the killer’s tracks.”

Listening to their conversation, Qin Wan wrapped the brown-black particles from the porcelain dish in a handkerchief, “Your Highness, Official Zheng, let me take this back for examination. I’ll inform you immediately if I can identify what it is.”

Yan Chi personally packed up Qin Wan’s bundle, “It’s getting late. I’ll escort you back to the Marquis Manor first, then take you to the palace to see the Empress Dowager.”

Qin Wan nodded and followed Yan Chi out of the courtyard, with Official Zheng accompanying them.

Official Zheng said, “Now we need to investigate where Meng Jin went that night. He drowned at midnight, but we can’t be sure if it was indoors or outdoors. We should investigate this, and regarding Meng Wei’s death, knowing the killer practices martial arts gives us a new direction.”

Qin Wan nodded, “That’s exactly what Official Zheng means.”

As they spoke, Qin Wan, Yan Chi, and the third person walked to a spot not far from the manor’s inner lake. After some consideration, Qin Wan approached the lakeside, “I’ll take a look—”

The three reached the lake’s edge. Qin Wan first went to where Meng Jin was discovered. Indeed, small four-leaf moss floated at the water’s edge. The lake water was clear, with the warm stones and fine sand visible at the bottom. Qin Wan casually picked up a small stone and tossed it in. As expected, it stirred up the fine sand with a “plunk.”

Growing more confident in her theory, Qin Wan moved to where Meng Wei was found.

The rope had been taken as evidence. Standing at a distance, Qin Wan saw a red cinnabar mark on the horizontal ancient willow branch. Official Zheng said, “That’s where the rope was hung.”

Qin Wan looked at it, then at the ancient stone placed below, and considering Meng Wei’s height, she said, “The killer could drown Meng Jin and kill Meng Wei this way – must be someone of considerable strength. Add to that martial arts skills, and our circle of suspects grows smaller.”

Given the requirement for strength, women could be ruled out immediately, limiting suspects to men.

As for those skilled in martial arts, a proper test would reveal them.

Speaking thus, Qin Wan slowly walked to the ancient willow. Among the somewhat chaotic footprints, Meng Wei’s had been marked. Qin Wan was about to scan when her brows suddenly furrowed.

She hurried to the first few footprints and reached into the muddy ground. Yan Chi and Official Zheng frowned, but in the next moment, Qin Wan extracted a small leaf from the mud.

The leaf was tiny, crushed to half its size, and covered in mud. Qin Wan carefully brushed away the dirt and narrowed her eyes, “Holly tree?”

She looked around, but no holly trees were in sight.

Qin Wan quickly asked, “Are there any holly trees in the Meng Manor?”

Official Zheng shook his head, “I haven’t seen any.” He immediately ordered a nearby constable to inquire.

Qin Wan then said, “Please have someone bring Meng Wei’s shoes.”

Official Zheng naturally complied, and Qin Wan explained, “This leaf appeared in the footprints, but there are no holly trees nearby. Most likely, it was carried here by Meng Wei’s shoes.”

Official Zheng’s eyes brightened, “When Meng Wei was discovered this morning, there was only one set of footprints in this mud. It must have been brought by him. If we can find where the holly trees are, we’ll know where he went last night.”

Qin Wan nodded, “If there are holly trees in the Second Branch’s courtyard, that wouldn’t be surprising.”

Official Zheng nodded repeatedly. Soon, the constable returned with the shoes. Qin Wan examined them and indeed found the other half of the leaf, further proving the leaf came from Meng Wei’s shoes. But where did the leaf come from?

Just then, the constable who went to inquire returned.

“Your Highness, Sir, the manor’s steward says holly trees are only planted along the pathway leading to the Third and Fourth Branch courtyards.”

At these words, Yan Chi frowned, “Near the Third and Fourth Branches?”

Official Zheng’s expression darkened, “This makes the Fourth Branch even more suspicious?”

Qin Wan remained silent, putting down the evidence and turning to examine the footprints and marked areas again. Looking at the clear, even footprints, she asked, “How did the killer leave after staging this?”

There were still footprints around the ancient stone, but they only circled the stone used for tiptoeing, not going far.

Raising her gaze, Qin Wan looked at the clear icy lake behind the ancient willow.

Yan Chi noticed the lake at the same moment, “The killer wore Meng Wei’s shoes to walk here, then after hanging him, put the shoes back on him and left through the lake. It’s a possible method. Further ahead is the ancient stone mountain – the killer could step on that without leaving any traces.”

It wasn’t surprising that both Qin Wan and Yan Chi thought of this method, as there was no other path, and going through the lake would leave no traces. Moreover, several of Yan Chi’s guards had entered the lake that day to search for Meng Jin’s key. The Meng household surely knew about this, perhaps inspiring the killer.

Official Zheng clicked his tongue, “This… this can’t be possible. Ice floes are floating on the lake. Only Your Highness’s elite guards dared enter the lake that day. How could the killer dare? And at night no less.”

Qin Wan didn’t argue, only saying, “Sir might try sending someone to check the other side of the lake. There might be clues.”

Official Zheng valued Qin Wan’s opinion and smiled, “Good, I’ll have someone investigate right away.” Then he added, “It’s getting late, and we’ve troubled Ninth Miss again today. His Majesty is pressing for results – please let His Highness escort you back.”

Yan Chi also said, “Leave this to Official Zheng. I’ll escort you.”

Qin Wan nodded and followed Yan Chi. After walking a few steps, she suddenly felt someone’s gaze upon her. She instinctively looked back, scanning the area, but only saw Official Zheng directing the constables. Qin Wan shook her head, thinking she was being paranoid, and hurried back to the Marquis Manor to change clothes before entering the palace.