There is a god in the sky

Chapter 106 The Strange Case of Fuchunju 4

Xiao Ji hummed in agreement. "Then we'll split into two groups. Suiying will lead the search, while you and I will re-examine the body."

Shen Lan also felt that this would be more efficient, and nodded in agreement.

Ma Long asked hesitantly, "Does Lord Xiao really want to re-examine the bodies? The previous bodies are probably beyond repair."

It's easy to imagine what would happen to a corpse buried in the ground.

"Officer Ma, make the arrangements. The autopsy station can be set up at the burial site."

Shen Lan looked up at the weather. The sun was shining brightly, and there was plenty of light. It was a beautiful day.

Seeing their insistence, Ma Long stopped trying to dissuade them and quickly sent people to dig up the body.

Xiao Ji handed the list of the deceased to Shen Lan. Except for the last body which was missing, the identities of the rest were confirmed.

“They were all servants of Fuchun Residence: grooms, stewards, servants, guards, eunuchs. They actually killed everyone in the mansion, regardless of their social status.”

Shen Lan's words surprised Xiao Ji. He had looked at the list several times, but he hadn't thought of it from this perspective.

"Therefore, the murderer did not randomly choose people to kill."

“His way of doing things is very interesting, as if it involves a certain sense of ritual, so it is impossible for him to kill people randomly.”

A normal person, once they commit murder, they commit murder. Why would they dismember the body in order, and then deliberately hide some parts? It can't be that they have a collecting fetish, right? Shen Lan hesitated and said, "Although it's far-fetched, you can have someone investigate whether there are any special collectors nearby."

Xiao Ji noted it down.

When Ma Long returned, Xiao Ji asked, "The identities of yesterday's victims haven't been confirmed yet? Shouldn't they be confirmed once the list is checked?"

Ma Long sighed, "We've checked the list, but strangely, we haven't found any missing people, so we can't confirm the identities of the deceased yet."

"In other words, the murderer may not have committed the crime at Fuchun Residence." Xiao Ji came to this conclusion and realized that the scope of the investigation had broadened.

But it's better than having no direction at all.

Upon hearing that Xiao Ji wanted to conduct a second autopsy, not only did the young prince arrive at the scene, but Prefect Dou also came.

When King Zheng learned of this, although he did not come in person, he sent Eunuch De to keep an eye on things.

Although the constables who were tasked with exhuming the body were prepared, they were still so frightened that their legs went weak when they carried the coffin out.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry for disturbing your peace. It's all for the sake of solving the case as soon as possible!" They bowed in front of the coffin before picking up the iron rod and knocking off the coffin nails.

The coffin lid was pried open, and an indescribable stench rose into the air.

Several constables who were nearby couldn't help but vomit, and then scrambled away to a great distance.

Shen Lan stopped Xiao Ji, who was about to step forward, "My lord, please wait a little longer."

The body had been sealed for a long time, so the smell needed to dissipate.

The young prince's gaze frequently swept over Shen Lan, and upon learning that she was a coroner, his expression became quite strange.

Seeing that she dared not step forward, the young prince was somewhat disheartened.

After a stick of incense had burned, Shen Lan took out a packet of medicinal powder from the box and sprinkled it into the coffin.

Everyone saw countless tiny insects crawling out of the coffin, which gave them goosebumps.

"Alright, please remove the coffin lid now."

The bailiffs used axes to split the coffin in four directions, and many people closed their eyes, unable to bear the sight of the horrific scene inside.

Shen Lan wore a homemade protective suit this time, covering her from head to toe, with only her eyes showing.

She started with the first corpse, which was a headless one.

"The examination revealed that the wound was clean and the victim's head had been severed with a single blow. The murderer was extremely strong, and the weapon is suspected to be a sharp boning knife or guillotine."

Boning knives are generally only used by butchers, and the government has records of them. Officials immediately went to find the register.

"The deceased was male, and his identity was that of a rickshaw driver. He was also quite strong. According to previous records, there were no signs of struggle on his body. The murderer may be an acquaintance."

The audience erupted in uproar.

"How could it be someone we know? What kind of deep-seated grudge could there be?"

"So why did the murderer kill him?"

"Old Zhang is a recluse, and he probably doesn't have many people who know him well, right?"

The first corpse was already decomposed beyond recognition, and it was difficult to see anything else on the skin and flesh. Shen Lan focused on checking whether the deceased had been poisoned before death.

Poisoning before death can cause the bones to change color, but this body did not.

She opened the red umbrella she had prepared beforehand and held it over the corpse, carefully examining the bones, but found no injuries.

The young prince became somewhat excited.

"Is this the Red Umbrella Bone Examination Method? She actually knows about it."

The young prince had a fondness for crime-solving stories since childhood and had also read extensively on the experiences left behind by his predecessors.

He had learned about this method of coroner's examination from a book of strange tales, and he never expected that this young lady would know it.

Shen Lan took a break halfway through, because even with a mask on, the stench made her dizzy.

Without a strong will, most people can't do the job of a coroner.

After examining the five corpses, she went to the side to wash her hands and face with mugwort water and took off her hooded blouse, and only then did she feel like she had come back to life.

Five corpses, five identities, but the wounds were inflicted by the same weapon.

"The murderer is indeed the same person." This was Shen Lan's first conclusion.

Of course, no one doubted that the murderer was a different person.

After all, there aren't many psychopathic killers.

"None of the five men were weak scholars; they were all quite tall and didn't seem like people who were defenseless. Therefore, the probability that the murderer was someone they knew is extremely high."

The young prince said, "If someone is acquainted with all of these people at the same time, then that person is very likely someone from my household."

Xiao Ji analyzed from the side, "Fuchun Residence is only separated from the government office by a road, and the young prince goes in and out of the government office every day, so he may also be a person from the government office."

Shen Lan nodded, "That possibility cannot be ruled out."

She continued, “These people all died from blood loss, but apart from the first victim who was beheaded, the others couldn’t have died immediately. So how did the killer subdue them?”

It's impossible that no one thought of this problem; it's just that no one has been able to solve it.

Xiao Ji stood beside the last corpse, which was missing its left leg, and asked Ma Long, "Where is the coroner from the prefectural government? I have some questions for him."

Ma Long sent someone to invite him early this morning, but he hasn't come yet.

"That person is eccentric and often goes out to enjoy the mountains; I'm afraid he won't be able to come today."

The young prince stood at a distance with his hands behind his back and said loudly, "If Lord Xiao has any questions, he can ask me, the young prince, just as well."

"Very well, may I ask Your Highness, were there any signs of binding on the deceased's body?"

Those minor injuries, like cuts to the skin and flesh, are now very difficult to distinguish; you can only ask the person who handled them before.

"No."

Are all ten fingers normal? Is there anything under your fingernails?

The young prince paused for a moment, then replied, "I don't know."

Is there a foreign object in your mouth?

"...I don't know."

What color is the wound?

"...I didn't notice."

Were the clothes the deceased were wearing everyday clothes?

"I don't know."

"Were these deceased people allowed near you on ordinary days?"

"Yes, but it's rare."

"Were the deceased already dead when you saw them?"

"Yes." The young prince secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Are you always the first to discover a body?"

"Yes."

"You always fall into a deep sleep?"

"Sometimes it's just a matter of taking a nap."

"How many people in your household know your daily routine so well?"

The young prince thought about it carefully and realized that apart from his eunuch and personal guards, there seemed to be no one else.

However, he did change a group of personal servants after the incident.

"Someone, go and invite them over so Lord Xiao can interrogate them in person," the young prince ordered, secretly wiping away a bead of cold sweat.