Chapter Forty-Four: A Conversation Between Father and Daughter

During the evening meal, Wen Qiran sat at the table with his brows tightly furrowed. Wen Shilang, who shared the table with him, barely dared to breathe, terrified that any misstep might incur his father's wrath. But he soon realized that his father simply held his chopsticks in his right hand, suspended in the air, not picking up any food, his mind clearly absorbed elsewhere.

On the other hand, Wen Qi was entirely unaffected. In the beginning, when she first encountered corpses, she often lost her appetite, but the result was hunger-induced dizziness. Over time, she grew accustomed, and now it barely fazed her. She recalled two former colleagues who would discuss autopsies at the dining table, and the memory brought a smile to her face.

"Seventh Sister, what are you laughing at?" Wen Baniang asked, glancing at her.

"Because tonight's food smells especially delicious," Wen Qi replied with a smile. After a long and tiring afternoon, she was indeed famished, and today there was her favorite—steamed perch.

Wen Wuniang sniffed the air and frowned. "I don't know why, but I keep thinking there's a foul odor lingering in the house today."

Wen Qi lowered her head and took a mouthful of rice, thinking to herself that Wen Wuniang truly had a dog's nose. She had bathed twice and changed her clothes, yet the girl could still pick up the scent.

"Eat your meal and stop chattering," Aunt Cui reprimanded, stealing a glance at Wen Qiran's grim expression.

Seeing no one respond, Wen Wuniang wisely fell silent.

After supper, Wen Qiran called out to Wen Qi, "Seventh Daughter, come with me to the study."

Wen Qi agreed, thinking to herself that it seemed her father had made his decision.

Wen Baniang and Wen Wuniang watched as Wen Qi followed their father out. Even Wen Shilang felt that their father had been neglecting him lately, which suited him just fine.

"Seventh Daughter, where did you learn this method of examining corpses?" Wen Qiran asked in a grave tone.

She replied, "I learned from the 'Collected Cases of Injustice Rectified' by Song Ci of the previous dynasty, as well as from Master Lin Bai's oral teachings."

Much as he had surmised, Wen Qiran thought to himself.

"Seventh Daughter, if your father wished for you to lead a simple life as an ordinary woman, would you be willing?"

Wen Qi was not surprised by this question. She knew her father meant well, but she could not muster any joy. Aside from autopsies, she had no other skills. Before long, a matchmaker would surely come calling; if her father deemed the match suitable, she would have to marry, regardless of her own feelings. Then, like other women, she would spend her days managing household affairs, entangled in domestic squabbles, with less freedom than a modern housewife. If that were her fate, she would rather she had never crossed time at all.

Wen Qiran saw the faint gloom in her expression and sighed. Though his seventh daughter indeed had a talent for examining corpses, she was still a woman, and for women, virtue lay in lacking talent; her duty was to marry and manage a household. If word spread that she examined corpses, it would disgrace the Wen family, and who would then seek a match with them? After weighing the matter over and over, Wen Qiran still could not bring himself to relent.

"I am willing," Wen Qi answered calmly. If she could not change her fate, she could only accept it. But that did not mean there would never be a place for her skills, unless there were never any more cases in the future.

Wen Qiran smiled and nodded. He had no idea that in just a month's time, he would regret his decision tonight with every fiber of his being.

"I will from now on conduct myself properly, cultivate my character, and never again bring shame to the family," Wen Qi continued.

Wen Qiran waved his hand in satisfaction. "Then I am at ease. Go rest early."

Wen Qi bid him goodnight and left.

As soon as she stepped outside, she saw Ji Changge waiting nearby, with Uncle Quan silently standing behind him, half his body hidden in the shadows like Ji Changge's own shadow.

Ji Changge gave her a look, signaling her to follow. Wen Qi hesitated for a moment, then went with him.

In the darkness, she felt as though a pair of eyes were fixed on her, sending a chill down her spine.

"That servant boy, Wang Yong, was found dead at his old home in Qinghe County," Ji Changge said bluntly.

Wen Qi was startled—another death. The murderer was truly ruthless. If the culprit was not apprehended soon, Wang Yong would not be the last.

"The body... Uncle Quan brought it back. It's at the Yangzhou Prefecture office," Ji Changge continued before she could respond.

Wen Qi sighed. "If Lord Ji wishes me to examine the body, then I must decline. I already promised my father I would no longer perform autopsies."

Ji Changge was taken aback. Seeing her calm expression earlier, he had thought Wen Qiran no longer objected to her assisting in such matters, but now...

"Zhao Panshi, the coroner at Yangzhou Prefecture, is an experienced examiner. You can ask him," Wen Qi added.

"Very well," Ji Changge lowered his gaze, the shadow of his lashes concealing the trace of disappointment in his eyes.

Wen Qi continued, "Don't you find the death of the woman we examined today rather suspicious?"

Ji Changge pondered, "That's exactly what I wanted to discuss. The time of her death is very close to that of Wang Junfu. And if it is confirmed she was a courtesan, and if she had relations with Wang Junfu, it would explain why no trace of the woman involved with him was ever found in Yangzhou. I have investigated: Wang Junfu was quite discreet in private, had no concubines or lovers, nor was he rumored to have any unusual preferences."

"Detective Nie is already looking into the woman's identity. I suspect Wang Junfu may have had a pre-existing health condition. Moreover, if we wish to know whether he was connected to the dead woman, I have an idea, but..." Wen Qi hesitated.

Ji Changge's eyes lit up. "What method?"

"If we could dissect Wang Junfu's body and examine what he last ate, if the contents are similar to what the woman consumed, and both are digested to a similar degree, then we could prove a connection between the two. The converse, of course, would not prove there was no connection. But the Wang family is unlikely to allow Zhao the coroner to dissect the body," Wen Qi explained.

Ji Changge's face grew more somber. It was indeed a good idea, but unless the family gave consent, there was little they could do. Though they could proceed by force, he was unwilling to cause further pain to those already grieving.

"If the two cases truly are connected, then there must have been a third person, or even more, present at the time. They are likely the culprits behind these incidents, killing one after another to cover up their crimes," Wen Qi analyzed further.

"But Wang Junfu did not die by another's hand."

Wen Qi shook her head. "That's only the preliminary conclusion. To determine the true cause of death, a full autopsy is necessary; only by considering all the findings can we avoid errors. On the surface, Wang Junfu appeared to have died from shock due to overexcitement, but there could be many hidden reasons. The human body is exceedingly complex; many things cannot be seen from the outside."

Ji Changge nodded slightly, his expression growing heavier.