Chapter 111: Examining the Bones

Beneath the pine tree, Wang Jue picked up two fallen leaves from the ground; it was time to leave.

Watching Wang Jue’s tall, departing figure, Ji Changge felt a sudden, inexplicable agitation budding within him. This man, whom he had almost entirely ignored, had exerted immense pressure on him with his unparalleled intellect.

Sensing the burning gaze behind him, Wang Jue turned. He looked at Ji Changge, whose eyes were fixed on him but lacked focus, as if deep in thought. Naturally, Wang Jue knew exactly what he was pondering.

"How did you know Wen Jing was locked in that cave?" Ji Changge asked.

"Because of Seventh Uncle. To Wang Erlang, Seventh Uncle is the only person in this world with whom he can share his joys and sorrows. Because he doesn't understand, Wang Erlang both relies on him and detests him. He forgot one thing: although a madman speaks nonsense, he does not lie. It depends on how you ask," Wang Jue replied.

Seeing Ji Changge remain silent, Wang Jue added, "I told him that Erlang had made roasted meat and asked me to pass a message for him to come eat. He then led me to the cave. It was actually that simple."

Ji Changge nodded. Indeed, many animal bones had been discovered in the cave. Wang Erlang must have killed those cats and dogs there to vent the dark impulses in his heart.

"There is just one thing I don't understand," Ji Changge said, puzzled. "Why didn't he go to the cellar? Compared to the cave, the cellar is more enclosed and secure. If he locked the door from the inside, no one could get in. Even if we had suspected that place, we likely couldn't have entered it in a short time."

Wang Jue glanced into the distance. "To Wang Erlang, the cellar might be a sacred place. Would you kill and dismember someone in your own home?"

This explained why Wang Erlang chose the cave instead of the more secluded cellar, Ji Changge mused.

"Your leg..." Ji Changge looked at Wang Jue.

"It has fully recovered. I should be going."

"Back to Jinling?"

"Yes, I leave today," Wang Jue said with a faint smile. After all, Wang Sinian had died at his hands; regardless of the reason, he could no longer remain at the Wang estate.

"Take care on your journey," Ji Changge said with a smile.

Wang Jue glanced at Ji Changge, his eyes showing a trace of hesitation. After a long moment, he spoke: "Take care of her."

"Naturally."

The two men exchanged a smile.

...

"What? You want to open the coffin?" Wang Xuelin stared at Ji Changge in astonishment.

"Yes. Erlang's father, in all likelihood, did not die of illness," Ji Changge said.

"You mean..." Wang Xuelin seemed to have aged significantly overnight, his hair turning white. He dared not think further. He didn't know how many more things were hidden from him; he could no longer bear any more shocks.

Seeing Wang Xuelin’s state, Ji Changge found it difficult to continue. If Wang Erlang had truly killed his father, Wang Xuelin would surely find it hard to accept such a truth.

"Open it," Wang Xuelin said with a bitter smile. "I have lived for so many years; what haven't I seen? I have even seen men eating men." Though difficult to accept, he was not foolish; the truth could never be buried forever.

Madam Wang, surprised that Wang Xuelin had agreed so readily to open the coffin, hurriedly interjected, "Master, this must not be done! Zhaonian has been laid to rest for so many years. To open a coffin and examine the corpse is truly absurd. If nothing is found, it will only disturb Zhaonian's peace."

Wang Xuelin glared at his wife. "Even now, you do not reflect on your actions. If you hadn't insisted that Zhaonian marry Fengyi, there would be no such tragedy today. You clearly knew Sinian loved Fengyi, alas."

It turned out that Wang Sinian had secretly loved his sister-in-law. When he learned she had been unfaithful with a servant, love turned to deep hatred. He could not accept that the woman he loved had become so "defiled," so he decided to wash away her filth with blood. Karma is a cycle; if Fengyi had married Wang Sinian in the first place, perhaps things would have been different. A single decision had ruined several lives, but without living through it, who could predict the outcome? Ji Changge could not help but sigh.

Madam Wang froze, wiped away her tears, and said, "I was wrong back then. I liked that child Fengyi and thought of handing this family over to her in the future. Who knew I was pushing her into a pit of fire? It was my own wishful thinking that she and Zhaonian would live in harmony. It is all my fault..."

Wang Xuelin sighed. "What is the use of saying this now? Enough. The most important thing is to find out how Zhaonian died."

Madam Wang fell silent, effectively consenting.

...

Wang Zhaonian’s coffin was opened. Inside lay only a skeleton. To the naked eye, there was nothing unusual; no fractures, no discoloration.

Wang Xuelin and Madam Wang stood to the side. Upon seeing her son’s remains, Madam Wang could not hold back her tears.

Zhongsun Yan carefully wrapped the bones and placed them on a cloth to begin a meticulous examination, bone by bone.

After a long time, Ji Changge asked, "Any findings?"

Zhongsun Yan looked ashamed and shook his head. "There are no marks on the bones and no signs of poisoning. He must have died of a sudden illness."

Upon hearing this, Madam Wang stepped forward. "I told you long ago that Zhaonian died of illness. You wouldn't give up until you hit a wall, right? Can you finally rest easy now?"

Ji Changge bowed slightly. "Please calm your anger, Madam. The remains cannot be buried yet. I must take them back to the Ministry of Justice for a re-examination to be certain."

Madam Wang’s expression soured. "You are taking them away?" She turned to Wang Xuelin, "Master, look at this..."

Wang Xuelin waved his hand. "Let them take them. If there is no issue, release Erlang soon. Rest assured, when he returns, I will have a physician treat him and keep a close watch on him."

Ji Changge nodded. "If it is proven that Wang Erlang is innocent, he will naturally be released."

Zhongsun Yan wrapped up the bones. In his view, there was no need for re-examination; after so many years, even if there had been traces, they would be long gone.

Carrying Wang Zhaonian’s remains, the group returned to the Ministry of Justice.

"Ding Wu, go to the Wen residence and bring Wen Qiniang here," Ji Changge commanded.

"Yes, My Lord."

"My Lord," Zhongsun Yan said, keeping his head low, "I am getting old, and my health has been poor lately. I would like to retire early..."

Ji Changge looked at Zhongsun Yan, his eyes filled with probing intent. He paused and said, "Very well. You may go to the accounting office to collect your wages and leave."

Zhongsun Yan looked up at Ji Changge, seemingly unable to believe he had agreed so readily. He had been feigning illness at home for days. Having learned that Wen Jing would no longer serve at the Ministry of Justice, he hoped to use this opportunity to demand a salary increase. After all, the position of a coroner was not one everyone was willing to take, and those who were good at it were even rarer. Now that Wen Jing was leaving, the Ministry of Justice had no competent coroner left, and Ji Changge would have to rely on him.

Unfortunately, he had miscalculated one thing: Ji Changge hated nothing more than being coerced. If he wanted to leave, he could leave.

When Wen Jing arrived at the Ministry of Justice, she saw Zhongsun Yan leaving, looking dejected. She thought to herself, *What’s wrong with this old man? Did Ji Changge fire him?*

Zhongsun Yan gave Wen Jing a sullen look and hurried away without a word.

"Lord Ji, why did you summon me?" Wen Jing asked.

When Wen Qiran saw Ding Wu, he looked slightly displeased, but ultimately did not stop her. After all, Wen Jing was still on the Ministry of Justice's payroll, and a resignation could not be approved overnight. Wen Jing followed Ding Wu, perhaps for the last time setting foot in the Ministry of Justice’s morgue.

"Qiniang, look at these remains. Can you determine the cause of death?" Ji Changge pointed to the skeleton.

Wen Jing examined the remains laid out on the ground. "Hard to say. I will have to examine them first."

"Then begin," Ji Changge said. If even Wen Qiniang could not determine the cause of death, then perhaps no one could, and he would have to let it go.

Looking up at the sky, Wen Jing suddenly asked, "Does the Ministry of Justice have a cellar?"

Ji Changge, already accustomed to Wen Jing’s sudden questions, replied, "No."

"Dig a large pit, five feet long, three feet wide, and two feet deep. Then, burn charcoal in the pit until the ground turns red."

Ji Changge gave Ding Wu a look, and Ding Wu nodded, leading several guards to dig the pit.

Once the pit burned red, Wen Jing ordered the guards to remove the charcoal and firewood. She then took two liters of wine and five liters of vinegar and sprinkled them evenly into the pit. A wave of heat rose instantly. Taking advantage of the heat, Wen Jing placed the bones from the bamboo mat into the pit and covered it with straw mats.

The others watched this strange method of examination with puzzled expressions.

"What method is this?" Ji Changge asked.

"This is the 'Bone Steaming Method,' created by Song Ci of the previous dynasty," Wen Jing explained.

The guards stretched their necks, waiting. As time passed and Wen Jing remained indifferent, they began to grow impatient.

An hour later, Wen Jing touched the ground; it had cooled. She ordered two guards to remove the mats and carry Wang Zhaonian’s bones into the sunlight.

"Bring me a red oil-paper umbrella," Wen Jing said to a guard.

The guard hurried to find an old, dusty red oil-paper umbrella.

"There aren't many left; this is the only one. It’s a bit tattered. Will it do?"

"It’s fine."

Wen Jing opened the umbrella, placed it over the bones, and picked up each piece of bone, inspecting them against the light.

Watching Wen Jing pick up bone after bone without saying a word, Ji Changge could not help but ask, "Any findings?"

"Judging by the bones, he had no injuries during his lifetime. Look, there are no red patterns on the bones, and no fractures. He was not beaten to death," Wen Jing said.

Ji Changge felt a slight disappointment, then added, "Could it be poisoning?"

"It’s hard to tell. However, some poisons do not cause the bones to turn black, or perhaps the bones were originally black but were treated with some method to mask the color."

"Is there a way to verify?" Ji Changge asked.

"Yes, boiling the bones," Wen Jing said, standing up calmly.