HomeCoroner's DiaryChapter 366: Identity of the Dead

Chapter 366: Identity of the Dead

As darkness fell, Qin Wan’s heart gradually sank. No one from the Lin’an Prefecture had come to the Marquis Manor to seek her, suggesting that Zheng Baishi’s audience with the Emperor likely hadn’t gone well.

The words of Zheng Baishi and Li Muyun still echoed in her ears. The Emperor couldn’t possibly treat the Prince Jin Manor case as ordinary, and after a year, what did the discovery of skeletal remains within Prince Jin’s Manor truly signify?

The deceased was male, with Western Region or Rong ancestry. Regardless of how he died or his identity, the discovery of his remains in Prince Jin’s Manor inevitably drew connections to the Prince Jin case from a year ago.

This point was clear not only to Zheng Baishi and Li Muyun but to Qin Wan as well.

This case presented an excellent opportunity, especially considering the earlier conflict where Zheng Baishi was attacked. However, Qin Wan had no control over the Emperor’s attitude unless someone with greater authority than her intervened.

Naturally, Qin Wan thought of Yan Chi, but he was currently handling Prince Rui’s funeral arrangements, and Prince Rui’s remains were due to return soon. Qin Wan absolutely couldn’t disturb him at this time. She shook her head, realizing she could only wait for now.

That night, Qin Wan slept restlessly.

This opportunity had come suddenly, and she lacked complete confidence in seizing it. Even if she could conceal clues during the autopsy, the case needed to continue for it to be useful. If the Emperor decided to cut it short, all her plans would be in vain.

Qin Wan tossed and turned all night. When she awoke the next day, she never expected the Prince Jin Manor case would spread like wildfire throughout the capital, sparking discussions both in and out of court. What surprised her even more was that the Emperor hadn’t stopped Zheng Baishi from investigating the case. Without imperial suppression, Zheng Baishi and Li Muyun were naturally overjoyed.

That evening, Zhan Yang arrived at the Marquis Manor.

When Qin Wan reached the front courtyard, she saw Zhan Yang’s grave expression. Upon seeing him, her heart sank. After he paid his respects, Qin Wan hurriedly asked, “Captain Zhan, have you discovered anything?”

Zhan Yang nodded, “Indeed, we found something…”

He hesitated before continuing, “Yesterday, Princess, during your examination, you mentioned the deceased was six and a half feet tall, in his twenties, and had Rong ancestry. Combining these points, we investigated and discovered there was indeed such a person in Prince Jin’s Manor.”

Qin Wan’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?”

Zhan Yang pressed his lips together and said, “The servants in Prince Jin’s Manor were all registered with the internal court. Upon checking each one, we found a man named Song Xiwen. He was from Great Zhou, but his mother was from the Yuezhi nation in the Western Region. Due to his unique appearance, he was initially scrutinized, but once it was understood that only his mother wasn’t from Zhou, he was allowed into the palace. He had been Prince Jin’s guard since childhood and was one of his trusted confidants.”

Qin Wan frowned, “After Prince Jin’s incident, where did he go?”

This seemed to be the source of Zhan Yang’s hesitation. After a pause, he continued, “On the day of the incident, this Song Xiwen was the guard who accompanied Prince Jin into the palace. That night, after everything happened, Prince Jin was arrested, and Song Xiwen was also detained in the palace’s Punishment Division, separately from Prince Jin. Everyone present at the time knew this. However, when His Majesty handed the case to the Ministry of Justice for a thorough investigation, this person vanished. The Punishment Division had no record of how Song Xiwen left, and no one there knew where he went. Notably, the Ministry of Justice didn’t pursue this matter at the time…”

The Punishment Division was where palace personnel were punished. Whenever there was an incident in the palace, whether master or servant, they were first detained in the Punishment Division. Yet somehow, this Song Xiwen had simply disappeared!

“At the time, everyone suspected he died in the Punishment Division, but no one imagined that this guard’s remains would appear in Prince Jin’s Manor. How did he escape from the Punishment Division?”

As Zhan Yang finished speaking, his brows furrowed even more deeply.

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