Chapter 1: Starting with a Huge Black Pot

Chapter 1: Starting with a Huge Black Pot

In the Jinming Dynasty, peace and prosperity reigned across the land, enlightenment prevailing.

Before an imposing gate, five grand characters were inscribed on a plaque.

The Office of the Censor for Criminal Cases.

Amidst brewing storm clouds and howling winds, Jiang Yunxin discreetly massaged her legs. The ground outside the morgue was far too hard. Barely a month had passed since she arrived in this era, and she still wasn't accustomed to the custom of constant kneeling.

Her current role was that of an intern forensic examiner in the Office of the Censor for Criminal Cases. Today, she knelt here due to the misdeeds of her mentor, a seasoned forensic examiner. She had a vague understanding that a significant case had gone awry.

Accompanying her mentor in kneeling and receiving scolding, at least the high-ranking official was pleasing to the eye. A stealthy glance could pass the time.

Raising her gaze, Jiang Yunxin looked up at the figure standing on the steps - Fang Mingyan, the head of the Office of the Censor for Criminal Cases.

Fang Mingyan was young, exuding the grace of a nobleman. At first glance, one might think his position was won through a beauty contest.

He was tall and well-built, with strikingly handsome features. If he had been dressed differently or in a different setting, he would have been the epitome of an elegant nobleman, flawless in this world.

However, his face was dark, his eyes lowered, clearly showing his displeasure.

"Fang Mingyan," he scolded, "Qiu Xingfa's body was examined by you. As an experienced coroner, how could you make such a basic mistake? His internal organs were damaged, yet you failed to notice it after performing an autopsy."

Fang Mingyan's target of criticism was a man in his fifties kneeling before Jiang Yunxin, the seasoned forensic examiner of the Criminal Court.

He had committed an error that even a novice coroner should not have made.

For an experienced examiner to commit such a blunder, it could be forgiven as a momentary lapse of judgment. But if it wasn't, then could it be due to bribery? Or was it an intentional misdirection in the investigation?

The former might warrant a light punishment as a warning, but the latter was a crime that couldn't be pardoned.

Lian Tianlu felt Fang Mingyan's fury, beads of sweat trickling down his forehead as he trembled with fear.

In truth, considering Lian Tianlu's decades of service in the Criminal Court, Fang Mingyan had already shown remarkable restraint in his tone.

Lian Tianlu repeatedly knocked his head on the ground. "Your Excellency, Your Excellency, I didn't examine Qiu Xingfa's body."

"If it wasn't you, then who was it?"

In the Office of the Censorate for Punishments, there were originally two forensic examiners. However, one fell ill recently, leaving only Lian Tianlu behind.

"Lady Jiang," Lian Tianlu pointed without hesitation to Jiang Yunxin beside him. "She insisted on gaining some experience and learning, so I trusted her. Who knew she could make such an obvious mistake?"

"I?" Jiang Yunxin was taken aback, pointing at herself.

She had thought that today's case had gone awry, and her master would be scolded while she played the role of a mere accompaniment. Never did she expect to be thrown into the deep end.

"Yes, it's her. She's a student recommended by the Wenshixin Academy and is interning under me, assisting with the work."

Fang Mingyan had noticed the young girl following Lian Tianlu these past few days, but he was too busy to pay much attention. Now, he finally gave her a closer look.

She seemed gentle and refined, not at all like a forensic examiner.

"You're from the Wenshixin Academy, an intern forensic examiner?"

The Wenshixin Academy was one of the four major academies in the capital, known for training various talents for the government. In the past, there had been great detectives among its graduates, and the previous Chief Justice had also been a student there. However, forensic examiners were a niche profession, and even fewer students pursued it, let alone women, who were as rare as phoenix feathers.

In most cases, students who initially showed some interest would break down and switch majors after their first night with cadavers, with some even dropping out altogether.

Jiang Yunxin was one such female student.

She had wanted to quit too, but her family situation took a turn for the worse when her biological mother passed away suddenly from an illness, leaving her stepmother in charge.

Word had been spread that if she were to drop out, marriage would be her only option – to a notorious playboy known for his debauchery, violent temper, and even the abuse that led to the death of his concubine. If Jiang Yunxin were to marry him, her days would surely be numbered.

Unable to withstand the pressure, Jiang Yunxin attempted suicide by hanging herself one fateful night. However, she didn't die; someone saved her, and upon waking up, she found her body inhabited by the soul of a 21st-century seasoned female forensic doctor who had been involved in a car accident.

Transplanted into the body of a female student in an unknown dynasty, Jiang Yunxin quickly adapted to her new identity. Her expertise aligned perfectly with her studies, allowing her to excel and secure an internship at the Office of Imperial Censors. Should she manage to secure a permanent position there, she would become a government employee, freeing herself from the threat of forced marriage. Of course, no groom would willingly marry a mortician.

"I must stay and not be unjustly framed," Jiang Yunxin resolved, maintaining her composure. "Yes, I did study under Master Lian for five days, but he never allowed me to touch a corpse."

Lian Tianlu's exact words were, "What can a little girl do? Get out of the way and stop causing trouble."

He was planning to dismiss her right after the two-week internship ended.

Lian Tianlu seemed to have some conflict with the forensic teacher from Wenxin Academy, constantly mocking her. Before she could figure out how to win him over, this incident occurred.

And it was a major one. If she were to bear the blame for this, not only would she fail to ingratiate herself with Lian Tianlu, but she might also face imprisonment.

In the capital, there was a case of a brawl resulting in injury, where the victim was a noble offspring named Mu Ziqi. The participants were mostly other noble children and their subordinates. Mu Ziqi had three wounds on his body. After Lian Tianlu conducted the autopsy, he concluded that one was on the neck and the other two were on the chest and abdomen.

According to Lian Tianlu's examination, the fatal wound was on the neck. The two on the chest and abdomen were non-fatal, piercing no more than two inches into the body.

In a mass brawl where everyone wielded weapons, ranging from daggers to wooden sticks to short swords, identifying the fatal wound was crucial.

Although they were all perpetrators, whoever inflicted the fatal blow would bear the greatest responsibility.

Once Lian Tianlu confirmed this, the case should have been closed. However, a sudden witness came forward, clearly stating that they saw one of the individuals stab the deceased in the abdomen with a blade half the length of an arm.

It was absolutely impossible for such a wound to be only two inches deep, merely grazing the skin.

As sons of high-ranking officials, the original perpetrators' families immediately became discontent upon hearing this. They suspected that Fang Mingyan might have received favors from the other side, intentionally biased, or lacked competence.

Fang Mingyan returned from the palace and closed the gate, beginning with the interrogation of his own people.

"Lies," Lian Tianlu said. "You were the one who examined the corpse. I only allowed you to do so because of your pleading. Now, how can you not take responsibility for your actions?"

Jiang Yunxin composed herself. "Although I'm new, I studied at Wenshixin Academy for five years and have had practical experience. I'm capable of handling most situations. Besides, my natural talent is exceptional; my teacher even said I was born to be an undertaker. This case isn't complicated. If I conducted the examination, I swear on my life that there couldn't have been any mistakes."

Not only did she not examine the body, but she hadn't even laid eyes on it. Otherwise, she would have noticed something amiss right away.

Being a recent graduate from the academy, her lack of real-world experience made others skeptical despite her confident words.

"You're sure you won't make a mistake?" The senior undertaker found it amusing and turned his head to mock her. "Young lady, don't speak so arrogantly. I've been an undertaker for thirty years, and even I dare not claim to be infallible. You just graduated from the academy and assisted me for two days. How can you say you won't make a mistake?"

Fang Mingyan didn't expect such a straightforward matter to turn into a blame game between Lian Tianlu and Jiang Yunxin.

Fortunately, the Criminal Court had only two undertakers; otherwise, they might have engaged in a live game of hot potato to evade responsibility.

His gaze shifted slowly between the two.

"Who actually examined the corpse this time?" Fang Mingyan asked. "In the Office of the Supreme Censor, false statements are not tolerated. This incident is severe. Whoever did it should come forward, lest they suffer additional torment before their inevitable demise in the interrogation room."

They were actually planning to decapitate? Panic surged within Jiang Yunxin; was the situation that grave?

Lian Tianlu trembled even more intensely.