Grudge Breaker

Chapter 270: Autopsy (Part )
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[Name of the deceased]: Xiaoan
【Gender: Female

[Age]: 16 years old

[Identity]: Fourth-rank maid in Sichen Mansion

【Time of death】：
At noon, someone had seen the victim in the Venerable's residence, and at twilight hour, his body was found on a pleasure boat on the water street. The time of death must have been between noon and twilight hour.

【Clothing and accessories】:
※Wearing the spring silk skirt of a maid in Si Chen Mansion, the clothes are not damaged, but the shoes are missing.

※A silver coin bag was found inside the lapel, with one or two coins in it. On the left hand, there was a Xiuyu jade bracelet, a silver filigree ring, and a Xiuyu jade earring on the left ear (the earring on the right ear was missing).

【Physical characteristics】：
※ About five feet long, the skin does not show any signs of "water-soaked wrinkles". There are white and grayish white patches on the fingers, toes, arms, and ankles, and some areas show bluish-purple "early corpse spots". The fingernails are cyanotic, the skin feels cold to the touch, and the skin and muscles are stiff.

※There is no obvious skin injury when observed with naked eyes. For the sake of caution, we use the traditional autopsy technique "scallion paper vinegar method" to examine again. That is, wet the body with water, apply chopped scallion to the skin, cover it with vinegar paper for an hour and then wash it off. If there is any skin injury, it will be visible. Therefore, it is confirmed that there is no skin injury.

※Wipe the silver plate with soapberry and put it in the mouth and throat of the deceased to test for poisons. No toxic reaction was found, confirming that there were no signs of poisoning before death.

※Wipe silver chopsticks with soapberry and insert them into the nasal cavity of the deceased to test for poisons and drugs. No toxic reaction was found, confirming that there was no sign of inhalation of poisons or drugs before death.

【Head and face features】：
※No external injuries or swelling on the face.

※The skin color is grayish white to bluish, the lips and earlobes are cyanotic and bluish purple, and a small amount of foamy secretions overflow from the mouth and nose.
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"That's it?"

After listening to Ye Wujiu reading out the autopsy conclusion of Song Weichen that he had recorded, Coroner Xu looked quite smug. He had sounded so impressive before, but this autopsy report not only did not point out the "first scene", it didn't even have a "conclusion".

"Miss Sang, you are of such a noble status that you should be playing the strings and shadows under the moon and flowers. You should leave these dirty and tiring jobs dealing with the dead to Xu."

There seems to be nothing wrong with these words at first glance, but the look in Xu's eyes as he turned his back to Mo Tingfeng and looked at Song Weichen was not the case. His expression was full of undisguised contempt and provocation.

That expression clearly means, go back to where you came from. Are you worthy of pretending to be so high and mighty in front of this old veteran?
Song Weichen smiled and didn't get angry. She took off her gloves, washed her hands with white wine again, and straightened her clothes. Mo Tingfeng considerately put the cloak back on her.

"Mr. Xu, this is just a preliminary external examination. I don't dare to do an autopsy, and I can't do it, but I don't think it's necessary for now. To be cautious, I need to go back to the meeting hall to verify some issues, and then form an autopsy conclusion. If you are willing, why not come with me?"

Coroner Xu raised his eyebrows, he just thought Song Weichen wanted to retreat in order to advance.

Her purpose of degrading herself in front of Mo Tingfeng and taking every opportunity to improve her own favorability has been achieved, so she started to be mysterious and try to use delaying tactics.

How could he possibly let her have her way?

"I'm very happy to do so. Today, I will definitely ask Miss Sang for advice!"

……

Except for Ding Heran, everyone returned to the meeting hall again. Song Weichen asked someone to hang up the map of Sichen Mansion. She observed it carefully for a while, and wrote something in the small notebook in her hand with a very serious expression from time to time. Mo Tingfeng wanted to see what surprise Song Weichen would give him, so he did not interfere throughout the process, but just tried his best to meet all her needs.

Coroner Xu stared at the map for a long time, but couldn't figure out what was going on. He wanted to see what tricks she was going to play, so he followed her like a sticky candy. Song Weichen thought he was concerned about the case and took the initiative to talk to him.

"Mr. Xu, after looking at the map and based on my daughter's autopsy results, can you now determine the primary scene of Xiao An's death?"

Song Weichen seemed to have come to some conclusions. He closed the book in his hand and looked at him.

"Oh, I have only been a coroner for forty years. I am not even one ten-thousandth as talented as Miss Sang. I really can't see anything. I am just waiting to ask Miss Sang for advice!"

……

It turned out that I had misunderstood and expressed the wrong feelings. Song Weichen nodded indifferently.

"Row."

Then she bowed to Mo Tingfeng as usual, "Master Si Chen, I have made some discoveries. Please judge for me."

She handed the small notebook in her hand to Ye Wujiu,
"Thank you for reading it to everyone. It will be copied into Xiao'an's medical report. I can't hold on any longer. I will slow down for a moment. Thank you for your help."

Ye Wujiu took the notebook and looked at Song Weichen's face which was so white that it was almost transparent. He subconsciously reached out to help her sit down, but due to the differences between men and women and etiquette, he hesitated in the air and finally retracted his hand, only saying something very solemnly.

"give it to me."
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【Autopsy conclusion (not dissected)】:
※【一】Properties and jewelry were still there, and there were no signs of physical assault, which basically ruled out the possibility of negligent injury due to robbery, rape, etc.

※【二】Determination of the cause of death: homicide. The victim should have been frozen stiff first, and then thrown into the water when on the verge of death and suffocated to death.

※【三】Specific time of death: noon.

※【四】First scene: The deceased was on duty at the Venerable Mansion during noon. At that time, the eldest princess arrived and the security of the Venerable Mansion was upgraded. This proves that the possibility of the victim being attacked or abducted and then killed when going out is not high. It is very likely that the [first scene of the murder] is the Venerable Mansion. This inference will be supported by evidence later.

……

Ye Wujiu finished reading the autopsy conclusion, and before Mo Tingfeng could say anything, Coroner Xu was the first to become restless.

"Miss Sang has an overly vivid imagination!"

"You just blurted out the cause of death, the exact time of death, and the scene of death. May I ask what basis you have for this? Human life is at stake. Miss Sang, please don't take it lightly!"

Song Weichen had been resting with her eyes closed. When she heard the question from the coroner Xu, she opened her eyes with deep disappointment - he really couldn't figure out the solution even after the answer was fed to him.

"In this case, Sang Pu, although not talented, will be willing to be a teacher for once."

She elaborated on the process of deriving the conclusion:

"There are two reasons why I believe she froze first and then suffocated. First, although it is early spring, the water is still a little cold, but it is definitely not cold enough to cause 'frostbite'."

"And there are obvious gray-white spots on Xiao Eucalyptus' body that are only seen with frostbite, especially at the end of nerve endings that are not getting enough blood, such as fingers, toes, and ankles. This is obviously not caused by soaking in water for a long time."

"Coroner Xu should know that in the early stages of frostbite, the skin will appear carrot red or purple, and only in the middle and late stages of frostbite will it turn into grayish white patches. These skin reactions mean that the deceased had been placed in an icy place - the stiffness and tightness of her skin and muscles can also support this point."

"This also explains why the deceased showed no signs of resistance. How could a weak woman who was frozen to death possibly resist?"

"Secondly, why do I assert that the murderer threw the victim into the water and suffocated him to death after he lost the ability to resist? This is because if a person who is close to freezing to death is thrown into the water, the skin will show the dual manifestations of hypothermia and drowning."

"Drowning causes the skin to become more cyanotic and foamy liquid to leak out of the mouth and nose. If Xiao Eucalyptus died before falling into the water, there would be no foamy liquid left in the mouth and nose."

"And the above cause of death determines that she could not have committed suicide!"

……

"As for why we judged the time of death to be noon, it is based on the livor mortis. The livor mortis appears in three stages. The 'early livor mortis' appears about 15 minutes to 1.5 hours after death, but the color of the livor mortis at this time is lighter, mostly pink or light pink-purple, and it can still be temporarily made to disappear by pressing the skin."

"'Fixed livor mortis' appears in the lower part of the body within two to three hours after death, and will not disappear even if the skin is pressed. This is because the red blood cells in the blood begin to gradually disintegrate and the blood coagulates in the tissues. The third stage, 'completely fixed livor mortis', takes four to six hours, the position no longer changes, and the color turns purple-blue." ...

"and many more!"

Coroner Xu suddenly interrupted Song Weichen's statement with a red face as if he had caught someone wrong.

"Your report states that 'initial bluish-purple livor mortis appeared on parts of the body', and that the time of death was between noon and evening hours - isn't this contradictory? The time of death was less than four hours, but the livor mortis on his body was the color of what Miss Sang called 'completely fixed livor mortis'. I'm afraid your autopsy results will be hard to convince the public!"

"Mr. Xu, aren't you an old hand? How come you don't even know such a basic reason?"

Song Weichen couldn't help but belittle him.

"Because the corpse is stored in a cold environment, such as in an ice cellar or in cold water, the appearance of livor mortis will be delayed. In other words, when the 'fixed livor mortis' is supposed to appear, only the 'initial livor mortis' actually appears. But it is also because of the cold environment that the livor mortis appears purple, which should be the color of 'completely fixed livor mortis'."

"The reason why I can assert that there was ice in the deceased's environment before her death is because of the color of the corpse spots. In extremely cold environments, the corpse spots will appear gray-blue. If Coroner Xu had carefully observed the corpse spots on Xiao An's body, it would not be difficult to find that her purple was mixed with gray-blue. Her body temperature and stiffness were also consistent with being in an icy environment before her death."

"The reason why I determined that the time of death was noon is that the low temperature environment delayed the formation of livor mortis. The initial stage of livor mortis also takes about three hours to appear."

"Secondly, the body did not show any water-soaked wrinkles. If a person was frozen and then fell into room temperature water and suffocated to death, most of the skin would have water-soaked wrinkles after an hour. However, the deceased did not have these wrinkles, which means that she was not in the water for a long time, less than an hour. Combining these two factors, we can infer that Xiao An died at noon."

……

When Song Weichen said this, Coroner Xu's face could no longer hold back, turning red and white. He never expected that Song Weichen was serious, and he also never expected that a young girl with no experience as a coroner could be so methodical and organized.

"I've learned a lesson, I've learned a lesson..."

Coroner Xu muttered and took a step back, looking dejected like a defeated rooster. For the first time, he felt ashamed of his hasty conclusion due to his habit.

Seeing this, Song Weichen did not "pursue the victory" anymore, but instead bowed to Xu the coroner.

"You are too kind. I am just showing off my skills. Coroner Xu has decades of experience and is a highly skilled person recommended by the government. He must have some outstanding qualities. Your behavior this time is just an intentional attempt to test me."

"This murder case not only involves the eldest princess and the Sichen Mansion, but also involves a living flower-like life. I believe that no life can be despised or killed in vain."

"The reason why I care so much is not because it involves the rich and powerful, but because it involves a living person. If an autopsy is required later, it is beyond my ability. Sang Pu asks Xu the coroner to redress the injustice and punish the evildoer as a small case."

……

Coroner Xu suddenly understood why Mo Tingfeng was so obedient to a little girl. It was not because he was infatuated with her. And Ding Heran and Ye Wujiu were so responsive to her requests not because they succumbed to Mo Tingfeng's power, but because they were impressed by her professionalism and character.

"Miss Sangpu, your opinion and autopsy methods are as noble as mine. I am ashamed. Please accept my respect!"

"Master Si Chen, today I have been taught by Miss Sang Pu. I admit my mistakes! Please don't send me back to the government office. I will never let you down again!"

Upon hearing this, Mo Tingfeng subconsciously looked at Song Weichen. The latter smiled and nodded at him, so he also smiled slightly.

"Mr. Xu, please make up for your crime and make up for your crime."

"Yes! Thank you, sir!"

……

As they were talking, Ding Heran came back. It turned out that the reason he left halfway was because Song Weichen asked him to do something.

Ding Heran was seen holding a tray with a bag of evidence from the Si Chen Mansion and a dish of ice on it.

"Master Si Chen, I have just brought a few of my trusted followers to the Venerable's Mansion in a low-key manner. Miss Sang Pu's prediction is true. There is a lot of ice in the cellar of the Venerable's Mansion right now!"

It was a coincidence that the princess had recently become very fond of eating iceberg snow lotus, which was extremely easy to spoil and needed to be chilled to be preserved. It just so happened that the Si Chen Mansion had bought an ice cellar for Jianyi Manor, so they moved all the ice inside to the cellar of the Venerable Mansion.

Ding Heran placed the evidence tray on the desk in front of Mo Tingfeng and took out the contents of the evidence bag - it was a Xiuyan jade earring, which formed a pair with the one on the left ear of Xiao'an's corpse!
"The earrings were found in the cellar. It is reasonable to infer that the deceased had been here before his death. At present, the cellar has been guarded by several resentment-breaking masters in a low-key manner. This move did not alarm the princess."

"good very good."

Mo Tingfeng nodded, then looked at Song Weichen. He didn't think the cellar was the first scene, but he wanted to continue testing it.

"Sang Pu, so this cellar is the first scene, right?"

"wrong."

Song Weichen replied with absolute certainty.

"The cellar can only be considered the scene of the incident, but not the crime scene. Since the deceased died of drowning and suffocation, the first scene must be near the water."

She walked to the map of Si Chen Mansion and pointed to the wall of the Venerable Mansion.

"I just looked at the map carefully. There are three points between the Venerable Mansion and the Water Street, one open and two hidden. This point is the open gate. Because the Venerable Mansion is adjacent to the busy Water Street, in order to facilitate the unloading of vegetable vendors on boats, an opening was opened on the side of the courtyard wall to connect to the Water Street. However, there are special guards here, so the possibility of the murderer committing the crime here is not high."

She pointed to another location on the map, which was the pond in the Venerable Mansion.

"The pond in the mansion is a pool of running water. There is an outlet upstream and downstream that connects to the water street. Because of the terrain, the upstream mainly draws water into the pond, and the downstream flows back to the water street, thus forming a natural cycle. This is the hidden outlet."

"But in order to prevent the goldfish in the pond from swimming into the water along the ditch, and to prevent the decaying leaves and sediment in the pond from flowing into the water and causing pollution, fine iron mesh fences are installed at the entrances of the ditch upstream and downstream of the pond."

"The Venerable Mansion will clean the fence entrance every other day. Even if there are dead fish and rotten leaves in the pond, they will only be piled up here and discovered by the cleaning staff."

"It stands to reason that Xiao'an's body could not have gotten out of this iron mesh fence, unless the perpetrator got the key to the closed fence, or it is not ruled out that Xiao'an was the one responsible for cleaning the fence."

Song Weichen pointed to the location of the secret entrance to the Venerable Mansion into the water street on the map.

"I tend to think that this is the first scene of the water corpse case."

"Okay, I'll send a message to the resentment-breakers guarding the cellar and have them send two people to conduct a low-key investigation."

Ding Heran responded proactively.

Song Weichen nodded gratefully, then looked at Mo Tingfeng.

"I tend to think that the murderer who killed Xiao An is still in the Venerable Mansion."

"Who is this person? Why did he want to kill Xiao An? What was his motive? What incredible secret did Xiao An uncover?"