Ji Yunshu’s appearance in the yamen courtroom caused a collective shock!

“This is Master Ji, the former portrait artist from the yamen!”

“Yes, it’s Master Ji.”

Someone wondered, “But didn’t he leave Jinjiang several months ago? Why has he suddenly returned?”

Someone replied, “I think Master Ji came specifically to investigate Fu Bo’s case. So this case must have another truth to it. Otherwise, why would Master Ji appear?”

“It must be so!”

“Yes!”

…

The crowd was extremely excited!

And extremely agitated!

Ji Yunshu had already walked to the center of the courtroom. Those clear, solemn brows and eyes boldly met Liu Qian’s sharp gaze without the slightest timidity. Instead, it made Liu Qian’s heart grow anxious.

So this was that extraordinarily clever portrait artist Master Ji from the yamen?

Before coming to take office in Jinjiang, Liu Qian had done some research.

He had heard that this person possessed a pair of skillful hands that could restore the likeness of the dead before their demise. Whether rotting corpses or mere white bones, all could be restored, and he had never failed. Moreover, he had solved countless strange cases. During his five years at the yamen, not a single case that passed through his hands remained unsolved, nor had any case been sent to the Court of Judicial Review for a second trial.

Liu Qian was a greedy man. When he first heard of this, he had the idea of bringing this person under his wing, which was why he accepted the position of Jinjiang county magistrate. Who knew that upon arrival, he would learn that Master Ji had already left.

“Magistrate Liu, this case hasn’t been investigated clearly yet. Isn’t it too hasty for you to be rushing to judgment?”

Ji Yunshu’s voice was cold and clear, her expression serious.

Liu Qian narrowed his eyes, his lips curving with a slight smile. “Everyone says Master Ji is excellent at solving cases. This official has often hoped to witness it firsthand. Today I finally encounter Master Ji here, and it’s for Fu Bo’s case no less. I wonder what brilliant insights the master has.”

“I dare not claim brilliance. I left Jinjiang several months ago. Now I’ve returned to this place, originally intending to revisit old haunts. I didn’t expect to encounter a murder case. What’s even more coincidental is that the suspect in this murder case is someone I know well. I had intended to remain an observer and wait for Your Honor to judge the case and uncover the truth. But who knew that not only is Your Honor handling this case carelessly, but it’s also quite absurd.”

“How dare you! You dare speak insolently to this official!” Liu Qian was furious.

She said calmly, “I’m discussing the case, not attacking Your Honor personally.”

“Oh? Then tell me, where is this case careless? And where is it absurd?”

The crowd was also curious!

Only Jingrong among the onlookers curved his lips in a shallow smile, his eyes showing admiration and worship as he looked at that young scholar.

His own woman—if he didn’t admire her, who would he admire?

Ji Yunshu looked coldly at the sash coiled on the tray, then asked the coroner, “Your surname is Chu, so I shall respectfully address you as Master Chu. You just said the deceased was strangled to death?”

Though this coroner was over forty years old and had examined countless corpses, in front of Ji Yunshu, he felt like he was showing off before an expert.

He nodded woodenly. “Of course!”

“Then, did you carefully examine the deceased’s neck?”

“It was precisely because I examined it that I said she was strangled to death.”

“And what about the bluish-purple grip marks on the wrists?”

“Of course I examined them too. They were caused by Fu Bo forcibly holding her down.”

“Absolutely absurd!” Ji Yunshu scolded sternly, glaring coldly at him. “As a coroner, you should assist the yamen in uncovering the true cause of the deceased’s death through corpse examination, to redress the deceased’s grievances. Yet based solely on what you see with the naked eye, you present impractical evidence and bring it to this courtroom. It’s simply absurd.”

She said “absurd” twice!

Uh!

Old Chu was so shocked by her imposing manner that he nearly stumbled to the ground.

“What nonsense are you talking?”

“I’m talking nonsense? Fine, then I’ll recount the evidence you just presented, point by point.”

Ji Yunshu directly picked up the sash. “First, the deceased did indeed die from this sash, but she wasn’t strangled to death—she hanged herself.”

A collective gasp!

“How is that possible?” Old Chu questioned, though clearly lacking confidence.

“You needn’t be anxious. Since I dare make this determination, I naturally have grounds for it. Everyone can look at this sash—it’s a full eighteen feet long. Who would wrap a six-meter-long sash around their waist? Moreover, this sash wasn’t what Fu Bo normally used, but was used for moving corpses. Bodies placed in a mortuary face one of two outcomes: one, burial in the earth; two, direct cremation. This sash was used by Fu Bo, tied to the long board where corpses are placed, using the sash in place of rope to drag the body to the burial site. Now I ask you, if he was violating the deceased, shouldn’t he have simply untied the sash from his own waist to strangle the deceased? Why would he go out of his way to untie the sash bound in a dead knot on the long board to strangle the deceased?”

After speaking, she solemnly said to Old Chu, “This is your first absurdity.”

Old Chu’s mouth twitched!

Ji Yunshu had already turned to Liu Qian, saying, “Magistrate Liu, if you want to know the truth, we need to bring up the deceased’s body.”

Liu Qian hesitated for a moment, but still ordered someone to carry it up.

When the corpse was brought up, a putrid stench came with it—the smell was even more nauseating than last night.

The onlookers all covered their noses!

The corpse was placed in the courtroom. The faces of many yamen runners turned green, their stomachs churning with acid as they dry-heaved continuously.

Liu Qian had been a military general and had killed countless enemies in battle, but the smell still made him somewhat uncomfortable. His brow furrowed tighter, his gaze shifting to Ji Yunshu. “Master Ji, don’t waste time. Hurry and examine it.”

She nodded!

The next moment, she immediately lifted the white cloth covering the corpse.

“Good heavens!” someone exclaimed!

The corpse was so decomposed it was unrecognizable, soaked by water until it was extremely disgusting.

Ji Yunshu took out a handkerchief to wrap her hands, then turned the corpse’s head to one side, revealing the reddish-purple tear-like mark on the neck.

“From the front of the neck, it appears to be strangulation, but…” She lifted the deceased’s head and tilted it to one side. Following this motion, she also swept aside the dry, long hair, revealing the deceased’s ear and the back of the neck. She continued, “Generally, when coroners determine whether the deceased was strangled or hanged, besides looking at the direction of the tongue’s curl, they must also look at the direction of the ligature mark. If the ligature mark extends to the back of the neck with a crisscross pattern, it can be determined as strangulation by another person. If it extends upward behind the ear root with no ligature mark on the back of the neck, there are two situations: one, death by hanging; two, strangulation by someone using their knee or an object against the back or back of the neck. However, the ligature mark on this deceased’s neck extends upward to the ear root. I also examined the deceased’s back of the neck and back—there are no bruises from being pressed by anything. Combining these points, we can determine that the deceased indeed committed suicide by hanging!”

Death by hanging and suicide?

Shock!

Ji Yunshu put down the deceased’s head and said to Old Chu again, “You examined the ligature mark but didn’t distinguish between situations. This is your second absurdity.”

Old Chu trembled with fear.

He tried to defend himself, “Then how do you explain the grip marks on the deceased’s wrists?”

“This is precisely your third absurdity!”