For Murong, who by now was consumed with curiosity, fear had long since been pushed aside — though the rigor mortis in the jaw was stubbornly set, and it took every ounce of her considerable strength to force it open.
While she worked, Yan Qing continued instructing both maids in the principles of forensic science. “If rigor mortis is forcibly broken within four to six hours of forming, it will reconstitute itself shortly afterward. However, if it is broken within seven to eight hours after having fully set, new rigor mortis will not reform. Therefore, whether or not rigor mortis reconstitutes can indicate whether a body has been moved or disturbed.”
By the time Yan Qing finished speaking, Murong had already forced the rigor mortis of the jaw apart. She raised a hand to dab lightly at the fine sweat on her forehead — this had truly been physical labor.
Yan Qing took the torch Jing Zhi handed her and carefully shone it inside Cui Nong’s mouth. “Cyanosis of the face, petechial hemorrhaging in the conjunctivae of the eyeballs, very pronounced asphyxial signs — yet no obvious bruising on the neck, mouth, or nose. No injury or bleeding in the oral mucosa or gum tissue. She was not smothered with a hand, and she was not strangled. Then how exactly did the killer…” She murmured the thought as much to herself as to the others.
Jing Zhi and Murong listened to Yan Qing thinking aloud, and found themselves involuntarily drawn into her rhythm, both quietly speculating about how Cui Nong had actually died.
“What is this?” Using the torchlight, Yan Qing extracted something from between Cui Nong’s teeth, drawing both maids closer to look.
“Is that… fabric?” Jing Zhi ventured.
“It looks more like silk thread to me,” Murong offered a different opinion.
Yan Qing wiped the object clean with a handkerchief and spread it open for everyone to see. It was neither fabric nor silk — it was a goose feather.
The moment she saw the feather, Yan Qing had a very clear picture of how the killer had ended Cui Nong’s life.
She examined Cui Nong’s ten fingernails in turn and used a fine needle to extract traces of debris from beneath them. These findings only strengthened her certainty about the killer’s method.
“All right — help her back into her clothes,” Yan Qing said, removing her gloves and inclining her head slightly toward the body. “Rest easy. I will bring you justice.”
To give the dead their peace, to give them their justice — regardless of who they were in life, this was to honor the dignity of every human life. It was what her second uncle had always taught her, and it was the creed she had upheld without fail throughout her years as a forensic examiner.
Once they returned to the courtyard, Jing Zhi pressed eagerly: “Miss, can you tell how Cui Nong died? And who killed her?”
Yan Qing took the cup of tea Murong had poured for her, unhurriedly lifted it, and took a small sip. Under the two maids’ intensely curious gazes, she spoke quietly and steadily.
“First: Cui Nong was smothered to death.”
“But Miss, didn’t you just say she wasn’t smothered by hand?”
“To smother someone, you don’t necessarily need to use your hands. There are other ways.” She spread open the handkerchief. “The fact that there was a goose feather inside Cui Nong’s mouth proves that what was used to smother her contained goose down.”
“I know — a goose-down pillow!” Jing Zhi called out delightedly. “Many of the household masters use goose-down pillows, and it would be very convenient as a murder weapon.”
Yan Qing gave an approving nod. “Jing Zhi’s guess is correct. The murder weapon was a goose-down pillow. Because the pillow is very soft, it would leave no bruising on the lips. Furthermore, I extracted some epidermal tissue from the deceased’s fingernails, mixed with traces of blood. Think about what that means.”
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