However, Magistrate Cao shook his head and pointed to an old man who had arrived behind him, panting heavily: “Although Lord Qin has already investigated clearly, since this official has already come, how can there be any reason to abandon the task halfway? Lord Qin also knows that when someone reports a case, Shuntian Prefecture must definitely provide a response. This is the coroner this official brought. This official will still have the coroner examine the corpse first. Lord Qin, you are the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, so naturally you know that this official must submit written records—this is the case handling procedure.”
Qin Yongtao looked at Magistrate Cao with chilling coldness. Reports must have responses—this was the rule. But who didn’t know that rules were dead while people were alive? Some cases took several years to handle—to whom should they respond, and how? Some cases implicated the powerful and wealthy—how to respond, and in what manner?
Everyone mixed in these circles—did he think others didn’t understand the situation?
After a moment, Qin Yongtao resumed his calm expression: “Of course, please proceed!”
The coroner stepped forward, about to lift the white cloth covering Cai Luan’s body.
“What are you doing! Don’t touch her!” In her urgency, Cai Luan’s mother rushed forward to stop him.
“Child’s mother, this is just an examination, it won’t… won’t do that…” Cai Luan’s father grabbed his wife’s hand.
Cai Luan’s mother asked doubtfully: “Really, really?”
She had always thought that coroners must necessarily cut open corpses, and many people present shared this belief.
Cai Luan’s father said: “Yes, just watch.”
Watching the coroner’s methodical movements, Qin Yongtao asked Magistrate Cao: “Magistrate Cao, this official just discovered the body and hadn’t yet had time to report to the authorities. How did you know so quickly? Also, where is the person who reported this?”
Magistrate Cao patted his sleeves, appearing nonchalant: “This official doesn’t know either. This official is merely following orders.”
Qin Yongtao stopped pursuing the matter. Obviously, Magistrate Cao simply wouldn’t give him any face. Asking would be pointless. Although Magistrate Cao was sixth rank while he was third rank, they weren’t in a superior-subordinate relationship, so when Magistrate Cao wouldn’t give him face, Qin Yongtao had no recourse.
Not only that, but he seemed quite pleased to see him suffer a setback. Could it be that he had offended him before? Or perhaps he was acting on someone’s instructions?
In an instant, Qin Yongtao thought of more than ten possibilities.
Because Magistrate Cao had arrived too timely, and his attitude was too arrogant—he appeared determined not to give up until he achieved his goal.
Everyone waited anxiously until the old coroner stood up trembling, and all eyes focused intently on him.
“Magistrate Cao, this woman died by drowning and was two months pregnant. Before death, someone had kicked and beaten her knees, leaving bruises. Apart from this, there are no other abnormalities.”
Hearing this assessment, everyone present exchanged looks of shock. Because Qin Yongtao was there, no one dared discuss it, but this didn’t prevent them from already concocting more than ten versions of Cai Luan’s death in their minds.
“Wh-what?” Cai Luan’s mother cried out. “Great Lord, Great Lord, Cai Luan must have been kicked into the water pool by someone! Great Lord, please seek justice for me! My poor child, you died so miserably! Who was so heartless as to kill you! My child, you died so tragically! Great Lord, I beg you, please seek justice for me…”
Cai Luan’s mother wept tears like rain, and everyone couldn’t bear to watch, turning their faces away.
Besides the old coroner, Magistrate Cao had also brought two official runners. One had a very loud voice, was tall and burly, and looked somewhat fierce: “Don’t disturb the corpse carelessly. With Magistrate Cao here, he will definitely get to the bottom of this matter.”
Magistrate Cao nodded and said to Qin Yongtao: “Lord Qin, it seems this matter is somewhat complicated. This official needs to investigate further. Please forgive any offense.”
Then, without caring whether Qin Yongtao had anything to say, he pointed to the two men he’d brought: “Go notify people to come over.”
Qin Yongtao’s face turned iron-blue. Everyone who mixed in official circles could understand each other’s meaning without explicit words. Magistrate Cao’s refusal to show him any respect meant he was determined to pursue the truth of this matter.
Even if questioned, Qin Yongtao had nothing to fear. Regardless of whether it was related to his pair of children, Cai Luan had gone to the water pool to drown by herself—no one had murdered her.
What angered him was that he was completely disregarded by the other party. He was merely a sixth-rank official—where did his confidence come from!
The fist in Qin Yongtao’s sleeve clenched tight. He must rise to the highest position of power, making everyone have no choice but to respect him!
Steward Qin wiped away sweat.
He busily directed the servants to attend to these officials who held low positions but had considerable tempers. Following Magistrate Cao’s requirements, he had Cai Luan’s corpse moved to a secluded room for placement. After Magistrate Cao’s people arrived, they began questioning the Qin household members one by one and examining the scene. For a time, the Qin residence was thrown into complete chaos.
Qin Yongtao was truly furious and sat in his study, leaving Magistrate Cao to cool his heels. He had someone request leave from the Court of Judicial Review. Naturally, Qin Kaiyu also remained at home, though he stayed behind Magistrate Cao.
Cai Luan’s father kept his head lowered, wiping away tears.
He was a steward of the outer courtyard and usually commanded some respect, but today he had been too grief-stricken to lift his head. Cai Luan’s mother also had duties—she was the head cook in the inner courtyard’s main kitchen. With skills in hand, her monthly wages were substantial.
Cai Luan’s parents had two daughters and one son. Cai Luan had duties, and her younger sister and brother also had positions. Therefore, the family lived quite prosperously.
With the other party being so aggressive, logically the Old Madam should have been alarmed, but the Old Madam had taken Nanny Gu to stay at a temple several days ago. She spent time in the mountains every year during June and July—sometimes for two months, sometimes for a month, or just three to five days.
This was also why Qin Yongtao dared to act so quickly regarding Qin Shuying’s marriage.
By the time the Old Madam returned, Qin Shuying’s wedding ceremonies would have passed, and no matter how the Old Madam raged, it would be useless.
Since they were conducting interrogations, everyone in the entire household, including all the young misses and even the confined Xu Shi, were questioned thoroughly.
Before long, Magistrate Cao’s people had clarified the entire matter: It turned out that Cai Luan and Qin Yunyun had encountered Qin Shuying’s maid Lu Ye by the water pool, and Qin Yunyun had accidentally knocked the bracelet from Lu Ye’s hand into the water. Because Cai Luan knew she had instigated the incident, she went down to the water pool that night to retrieve it.
Magistrate Cao required people from the Qin household to dive into the water pool to bring up the bracelet. The water in the pool wasn’t actually very deep—since the inner quarters housed many women, most wealthy households only created water pools to cultivate flowers and plants, not making them too deep.
When two men jumped down, the water only reached their chests. Under normal circumstances, such water couldn’t drown an adult, even a woman couldn’t drown in it.
With Lu Ye’s testimony, they quickly retrieved the bracelet.
The matter of why Cai Luan went to the water pool was clarified, but what about the injuries on her knees and the child in her belly? Especially the child in her belly—whose was it?
Magistrate Cao smiled without warmth at Qin Kaiyu: “This matter must be clarified properly. This Cai Luan was the personal maid of a legitimate young miss. Sixth Miss Qin must know very clearly. Summon Sixth Miss Qin!”