“Who died? Looks like a woman.”

“She was dressed quite nicely. Just now when her face flashed into view — pale as could be. Gave me quite a fright.”

“Did anyone get a clear look at who it was?”

“Seems like it might be that Miss Yin who was staying here in our Shi Mansion…”

At the words ‘Miss Yin,’ Qian Lan — who had just arrived — nearly lost her footing.

Qian Lan pushed through the crowd of onlookers and reached the lakeside, where she saw a person lying on the ground. The figure’s clothing and build allowed her to recognize them at a single glance.

It was truly Yin Minghui.

Although Qian Lan was Yin Minghui’s aunt, she had never felt any genuine affection for her niece. Even if Yin Minghui died, she would feel no grief or sorrow. But since Yin Minghui had been staying at the Shi Mansion under her responsibility, Yin Minghui’s death left her with no way to account for herself to the Qian Madam or the Yin family.

Qian Lan was thinking of how to handle this situation, but on the outside she had to put on an expression of heartbroken devastation.

“Minghui, how can it be Minghui? She was perfectly fine just yesterday.” Qian Lan made as if to rush forward, but was held back by the maids.

“Madam, please restrain your grief.”

“Madam, please do not get too worked up. Your health has been poor recently.”

The maids consoled her one after another and finally managed to pull Qian Lan back.

Yan Qin ignored Qian Lan’s weeping from outside and crouched down by Yin Minghui’s body to carefully examine the external condition of the corpse.

Yin Minghui’s clothing was intact, showing no signs of a struggle. The garments bore no obvious damage and no injuries from sharp implements.

From having been submerged in cold water for so long, her lips were livid blue and purple, her face drained of all color.

Yan Qin’s hand moved around the skull — no sense of fracture. She then examined Yin Minghui’s oral cavity: the labial mucosa was undamaged, the teeth unloosened. There was also no ligature mark on the neck.

“Seventh Young Madam, was the person drowned?” Liu Yin asked from beside her.

Liu Yin understood Yan Qin’s capabilities, but the onlooking crowd was quite taken aback. They could only see that this Seventh Young Madam was pressing and probing the corpse from all angles, her expression completely fearless — and what exactly she was examining, they couldn’t tell.

Everyone kept their distance from a corpse, yet she showed no fear whatsoever.

“Don’t you all know? Seventh Young Madam is a forensic physician.” A maidservant whispered. “A forensic physician specializes in examining bodies.”

“A forensic physician — isn’t that like the old coroners?”

“Seventh Young Madam is also a specially appointed lecturer in forensic medicine at Shun Cheng University. Naturally she has skill. I’ve heard she can make a corpse speak.”

“Make a corpse speak? That’s too frightening.”

The maid shook her head. “Making a corpse speak doesn’t mean literally making it open its mouth. It means finding clues from the body — for instance, this Miss Yin, although she was pulled from the water, may not necessarily have drowned.”

“There’s no visible external injury. Whether it’s a drowning death or not — that requires bringing her back to the Military Police Division for an autopsy before I can draw a conclusion.” Yan Qin stood, pointing at the dead flies scattered around the body. “Captain Liu, please have someone collect these flies and bring them along.”

Liu Yin, having heard that Yan Qin wanted to take some flies, was surprised but asked no further questions.

He turned and found a man among the guards. “You — go collect those flies.”

Seeing Yan Qin approaching, Qian Lan immediately stepped forward. “How did Minghui die? Why would she throw herself into the lake like that — out of nowhere?”

Yan Qin looked at Qian Lan’s face, which showed tension and grief. “Madam, when did you last see Miss Yin?”

“Last night. After she had dinner at my place, she left. Dinner was around half past five; she left around seven or so. I can’t remember exactly. Xique might have a clearer idea.” Qian Lan dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. “How am I going to face Mother and my cousin and his wife?”

“When Miss Yin was dining with you, did she display anything unusual — such as being in low spirits?”

Qian Lan said, “Since that last incident, Minghui’s mood had been poor for some time. I made a point every day to chat with her and lift her spirits. But I never imagined she would end her life over something like this. Ah — such a wonderful girl. How could she have been so unthinking?”

“Madam, do you think Miss Yin was the kind of person to throw herself into a lake over something like this?”

Qian Lan shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“Please, Madam, contact Miss Yin’s family. The body will be taken to the Military Police Division for autopsy.”

“Autopsy?” Qian Lan’s eyes widened. “Didn’t Minghui throw herself into the lake? Why would there be an autopsy?”

Yan Qin had no desire to explain too much to Qian Lan. “Madam, please contact Miss Yin’s family as soon as possible.”

“Her family is all the way in Hai Cheng. Even if I notify them now, it will take several days to travel from Hai Cheng to Shun Cheng. I suppose I’d better have my father and mother go over first.”

Liu Yin had Yin Minghui’s body taken to the Military Police Division. Before long, Qian Yongfu and the Qian Madam had arrived.

The moment the Qian Madam saw Yin Minghui, she immediately burst into cries and tried to rush forward — only to be swiftly restrained by two young officers.

“Minghui, Minghui! How could you have been so rash?” Qian Madam wept. “How am I going to face your parents?”

Qian Yongfu soothed her. “Madam, mind your health. Don’t weep yourself into illness.”

Qian Madam leaned against Qian Yongfu’s side, wiping her tears with a handkerchief. “What is to be done? A perfectly good person — gone just like that. I was still thinking of finding her a good match this year and seeing her married off in proper style. Ah — I have no face to see her parents.”

Qian Yongfu sighed and turned to look at Shi Ting, who was striding over.

“Director Shi, what is all this about? Minghui didn’t drown herself? Why has she been brought to the Military Police Division? I heard she’s to be dissected — is that true?”

Shi Ting wore his uniform, his tall, trim figure crisp and upright. Beneath his peaked cap, his eyes were deep and fathomless.

Facing Qian Yongfu’s inquiry, he said in a measured tone, “The forensic physician suspects Yin Minghui’s death had other causes, so an autopsy must be performed.”

“Other causes?” The Qian Madam interjected. “Wasn’t there a maidservant who saw her floating in the lake? Doesn’t that mean she drowned?”

“When a body is discovered in a lake, possibilities other than drowning include homicide — cases of killing and dumping a body in water are not uncommon.”

Qian Yongfu said with some discomfort, “The dead deserve respect. She’s already dead, and to have her opened up like that — I’m not sure that’s quite right.”

At that moment, Yan Qin, who had been preparing to put on her autopsy clothing, heard the voices and walked out. Seeing the Qian couple, she finished putting on her mask and said, “I suspect the deceased had signs of poisoning before she entered the water.”

“Poisoning?” Qian Madam momentarily forgot her weeping. “She was in the Shi Mansion. How could she have been poisoned?”

Yan Qin said, “The body was surrounded by dead flies. The flies died without apparent cause because they had fed on the blood that seeped from the deceased’s orifices — blood that contained a toxic component. I therefore suspect the deceased was poisoned before she entered the water.”

“This — this can’t be possible.” Qian Yongfu’s eyes also widened.

“If the deceased took her own life by jumping into the lake, why would she have swallowed poison beforehand? Given the potency of a substance capable of killing flies from the blood water alone, the deceased must have ingested an extremely powerful poison. Having already decided to take poison, she need only wait for it to take effect — there would be no need to then walk to the lake and jump in again. Furthermore, if she intended to drown herself, she would have chosen the covered bridge over the lake — that leads to the deepest point at the center — yet the body was found very close to the bank. That’s less consistent with having jumped in and more consistent with having been dragged in.”

Yan Qin’s series of analyses left Qian Yongfu and his wife dumbstruck. They had come to prevent the autopsy, to avoid causing themselves unnecessary trouble. But they had not expected that Yin Minghui might truly have been murdered.

“But who would want to kill Minghui?” Qian Madam clutched her handkerchief. “Even though Minghui had some of that spoiled young lady temperament, she hadn’t offended anyone significant. Even if there had been minor quarrels, it wouldn’t be enough for someone to poison her and throw her into the lake. What kind of hatred could justify that?”

Shi Ting spoke up. “Master Qian, the Shun Cheng Code stipulates that for any case the Military Police Division deems suspicious, the Division has the authority to perform an autopsy without requiring the family’s consent. You are familiar faces to us — I merely inform you as a matter of procedure. Please wait outside. The autopsy results should be available in approximately four hours.”

Upon hearing four hours, Qian Madam immediately said, “My health is poor. I’ll head home first. Dear, have one of the servants stay here — come and notify us the moment there’s any news.”

Qian Yongfu quickly agreed.

Qian Yongfu again thanked Shi Ting, then escorted Qian Madam out.

Yan Qin watched their retreating figures and shook her head. “This Yin Minghui truly was to be pitied. She lived under others’ roofs, yet no one truly regarded her as family. Looking at Master Qian’s and the Qian Madam’s attitude, they were clearly trying to keep things quiet and avoid adding to their own troubles. As for Yin Minghui’s death — from their faces, not a trace of genuine grief was visible.”

Shi Ting said, “Wealthy families care most about their interests. Human feelings and personal dealings have long grown cold and indifferent. I’ve heard that Yin Minghui had several brothers and sisters at home, and she was the least favored. Not wanting to endure being overlooked at home, she came to Shun Cheng to study and seek shelter with the Qian Family. During these years in Shun Cheng, apart from Yin Family regularly sending her money, she had barely any contact with the Yin family. I imagine that even upon her death, no one from the Yin family will come.”

E’Yuan was giving a lecture at the medical college today. Shi Ting had originally planned to call him back, but Yan Qin realized it had been a very long time since she had touched an autopsy blade — and so she took the initiative and volunteered for the task.

Picking up the familiar autopsy knife, Yan Qin weighed it in her hand. Autopsy knives in this era were far inferior to those in the modern age — only ordinary materials. Modern autopsy knives used the finest stainless steel alloys, or even diamond blades: sharper, more comfortable to grip.

But to Yan Qin, as long as she had the blade, its quality would never affect her judgment.

“Qingqing.” Shi Ting watched her pick up the small knife with practiced ease. “Have I ever told you — I like watching you hold an autopsy knife.”