CHAPTER 613: CHAPTER 399: IS THE MURDERER THE CROWN PRINCE?_2

He couldn’t help feeling a sense of dread, gently chastising, "How could you do something so dangerous! When I asked you to keep it a secret, it was from He Sizheng and the like, but once the Emperor arrived in person, you should have weighed the importance."

"At first, when I saw He Sizheng, I was so flustered that I didn’t want to tell him, and I only remembered to hide the clue. I didn’t consider much else, but later I did use my head," Ran Yan admitted with shame. Seeing his brows relax slightly, she continued, "Don’t worry, I won’t recklessly do something foolish."

Later, it was Li Shimin who grew angry and stopped asking; it was not her who kept silent.

"What have you discovered?" Xiao Song asked.

Ran Yan replied, "The soil we use for planting flowers in our residence, it’s all transported from Qujiang, right?"

"Yes, not only our residence, even the harem of the palace gets soil from there. It’s said the soil is fertile and suited for nurturing delicate flowers." Xiao Song paused for a moment, then inquired with curiosity, "Does it relate to the case?"

Ran Yan nodded, "Yes, the victim’s clothes were neat and intact, but when I removed his socks, I found several black marks on the soles of his feet and between his toes, as if hastily cleaned but not thoroughly, while the other foot was very clean. That special black soil is not commonly found in Chang’an, which is why I suspected it was the planting soil."

"Your thinking makes sense. The palace uses this soil only for cultivating precious plants and flowers, and it’s mainly concentrated in the harem. The Eastern Palace seldom uses it; it shouldn’t be too hard to investigate. I will order someone to look into the area near Qujiang," Xiao Song said.

The Eastern Palace was not a place where just anyone could enter at will; conducting a covert investigation would not be easy.

Ran Yan continued, "The victim had numerous lash marks on his back, inflicted while he was alive. There were bruises on his neck, but they were intermixed with livor mortis, making them difficult to distinguish. Additionally, his occipital bone had suffered a blow from a blunt object without breaking the skin, which was different from ordinary bruises. I suspect it was inflicted post-mortem."

Xiao Song nodded, questioning, "There were no marks on his body indicating he was bound?"

Communicating with Xiao Song about the case was almost without barriers, and Ran Yan spoke in greater detail, "Right, which suggests the murderer might have threatened him in some way, causing him not to dare to dodge. Moreover, new and old wounds overlapped on his body, clearly indicating he was frequently abused."

The victim had died of sudden death, and it was possible that the murderer did not intend to kill him.

From various traces on the victim’s body, I suspect that this time, like usual, he was coerced by the murderer to a certain place, once again subjected to abuse. He might have reached his limit, unable to endure such hellish days, and decided to risk it all, thinking of fleeing to expose the murderer. In his haste, he even lost his shoes without noticing, but after desperately running for his life, he suddenly died. The pursuing murderer arrived to find him lying on the ground. Without knowing he was already dead, the murderer felt he was a threat to leave alive, so with a stick or some other blunt object, the murderer struck his occipital bone..."

Xiao Song looked at her, a smile unconsciously spreading across his face. Ran Yan looked truly beautiful when she was so earnest.

Once she finished speaking, Xiao Song reined in his smile and said, "Your conjecture must not differ much from the truth; we can verify based on this."

Ran Yan leaned forward slightly, whispering, "If the murderer is the Crown Prince, does that mean the crime scene must be within the palace?"

Xiao Song’s expression changed slightly, "How could you suspect the Crown Prince? And not someone else framing him?"

Indeed, what Xiao Song considered was the normal line of thought. After all, although Li Chengqian was notorious for his misdeeds, it was hard to believe he would be so audacious.

"Aside from him, who else would regularly abuse a Courtier of the Eastern Palace? After all, it’s not the first time such a murder has occurred there," Ran Yan argued.

"You make sense with that line of thought, but do not bring it up again, nor think about it. Tomorrow at the autopsy, just mention what you’ve seen; as for guessing and thinking, leave that to others," Xiao Song said, knowing Ran Yan was sensible but still felt compelled to caution her.

Ran Yan nodded in agreement and then asked, "Husband, what did you feel the first time you saw me perform an autopsy?"

Understanding her concerns, Xiao Song smiled slightly and reassured, "Surprised, that’s all. Don’t worry, this matter concerns the Crown Prince; nobody is rash enough to disclose it. As for the Emperor and others, I will find a way to help you through it."

"Will it be difficult?" If it weren’t for Xiao Song and her children, Ran Yan would have risked everything. A successful path often accompanies risks and gambles; a life without a few risks is not a complete life. But now, with attachments and responsibilities, she no longer had the privilege to risk it all.

"Daring to torture and kill a Court official, no matter who the murderer is, once the case is cracked, the Emperor will not be in a good mood. Those who watched your autopsy were officials from the Imperial Medical Bureau, not members of the remonstrance office who would randomly talk; moreover, I have good relationships with several at the Imperial Medical Bureau. With a bit more maneuvering, there should be no problem," Xiao Song said with assurance.

"Then that’s good," Ran Yan acknowledged, aware that this was an optimistic view and that reality would not be so straightforward, but she trusted Xiao Song.

Having finished their conversation, they realized that all three children had already fallen asleep in Xiao Song’s arms; the two slept peacefully. The oldest Xiao child smacked his lips and blew bubbles, while the second Xiao child sucked on his thumb.

Ran Yan frowned slightly and called for the Maid to bring a pacifier to replace his thumb.

"Let’s go back; the evening dew is heavy," Ran Yan said, getting up with Ruoruo in her arms.

Xiao Song rose steadily, carrying one child on each side, walking shoulder to shoulder with Ran Yan along the corridor back to their chamber.

The following morning arrived early.

Upon the sound of the morning drum, Xiao Song got out of bed, ready to attend Court. Ran Yan also got up with him. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket, monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)