Medical knowledge

Huaiqing frowned slightly. Following Xu Qi'an's movements, she looked at the dull yellow silk cloth, her clear, cold voice tinged with urgency. "What did you find?"

Xu Qi'an shrugged. "I guess the secret lies in this cloth, but I don't know what kind of secret it contains."

A question mark flashed in Huaiqing's beautiful eyes; she didn't understand why he had spoken so forcefully just now.

Wei Yuan's gaze then fell on the yellow silk cloth, and he said, "This is a material that Principal Third Rank or above in the palace can use."

Imperial concubines also had ranks, with the Empress, Imperial Noble Consort, and Noble Consort ranking at the top. Consort Fu, who had a fixed title, was of the Principal First Rank.

Further down the ranks, there are ladies, noble ladies, and imperial concubines, all of whom are within the Principal Third Rank.

The ranking system of the imperial concubines touched on a blind spot in Xu Qi'an's knowledge, but it wasn't a big problem. He asked, "So, how could a palace maid have such potential?"

The fourth prince replied, "Either it was a gift from a noble person, or it was stolen."

Xu Qi'an nodded.

Wei Yuan took the faded, somewhat aged yellow silk cloth and examined it closely. "Spring of the thirty-first year of Yuanjing."

"Did anything happen this year? I mean, in the palace." Xu Qi'an had a sudden inspiration and directly asked if any major events had occurred that year.

This was inspired by the previous instance of the empress being deposed.

In the 13th year of the Yuanjing era, the Empress was banished to the Cold Palace.

The following year, Wei Yuan led an expedition and won a crushing victory against the northern barbarians. The Empress was released from the cold palace. If Xu Qi'an hadn't known about this incident, he could only have guessed that Emperor Yuanjing had pardoned the Empress out of consideration for their past relationship.

Therefore, the fabric left behind by the palace maid Huang Xiaorou, embroidered with the year Yuanjing 31, may provide clues from the major historical records of the year.

Wei Yuan and Huai Qing both shook their heads.

"Think about it again?" Xu Qi'an was unwilling to give up.

They both shook their heads.

Well, if two top students have joined forces to veto it, then there's probably no hope. How could a mere palace maid possibly be involved in such a major event?

Xu Qi'an licked his lips, somewhat excited.

The investigation into the Consort Fu case has finally entered the difficult phase. The previous clues were all deliberately thrown out by the mastermind, and the case itself was not very difficult.

In other words, even if he wasn't the one who took on the case, someone else could have found out; the only difference was how long it would take.

Now that he has broken free from the manipulation of the mastermind, it is finally Xu Baipiao's turn to show his skills.

etc.

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Xu Qi'an, reminding him of a detail he had overlooked.

He straightened his back, his face serious, and said, "Duke Wei, I have something to ask you."

Seeing that the little gong he admired was so serious, Wei Yuan put down his teacup and said gently, "Speak."

"Before I returned to the capital, the case of Consort Fu had been dragging on, with the three judicial departments shirking their responsibilities and unwilling to investigate. If I were to die, would it confirm that the Crown Prince was behind it?"

Xu Qi'an initially thought that the case was too complicated for the three departments to handle, but after his resurrection, he happened to take on this hot potato.

When he met the Crown Prince that day, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review also subtly mocked him as a pawn.

Wei Yuan picked up his teacup again and took a sip of tea slowly. "Today, Your Majesty wants to depose the Empress, but the Three Departments and the other officials disagree. They believe that the Three Departments should confirm the matter first before discussing the deposition, rather than Your Majesty deposing her on a whim."

"The officials' thoughts boil down to three points: First, deposing the empress is a matter of great importance and must be done according to procedure; it cannot be taken lightly. Second, the officials dislike this kind of sudden incident, as it makes them feel that they lack control over the court. Third, they need time to consider the matters following the deposition of the empress."

Therefore, rulers and ministers have always been adversaries. Xu Qi'an understood, "So, the matter of the Crown Prince is also like this?"

Wei Yuan nodded. "The Crown Prince's affairs concern the foundation of the nation. How can Your Majesty decide to investigate in just three days? It's not that the Three Departments are unwilling to investigate, but rather that they have informed Your Majesty that they need time."

"So, there's really no need for me. Even if I hadn't returned, someone would have taken over the case in a few days. Then, based on the clues provided by the mastermind, they would have followed the trail step by step, ultimately tracing it back to the Empress."

Xu Qi'an's words made the Fourth Prince's eyes widen in surprise.

Wei Yuan seemed to be deep in thought.

"So, the reason you were assassinated last night was because the person behind it didn't want you to investigate any further. He was afraid." Princess Huaiqing hit the nail on the head, revealing Xu Qi'an's suspicions.

"Afraid?" the fourth prince asked, puzzled.

"Lord Xu's resurrection exceeded the expectations of those behind the scenes, and his reputation was too great for them to allow him to continue the investigation. Therefore, when the clues pointed to the Empress Dowager, they immediately dispatched assassins to eliminate Lord Xu."

Huaiqing explained to his elder brother.

"I see."

The fourth prince asked, "So, how do we investigate now?"

Wei Yuan and Huai Qing remained silent, looking at Xu Qi'an.

They are all extremely intelligent people, but solving cases still requires professionals.

Just as Xu Qi'an often felt that his IQ was comparable to Einstein's, he also had to admit that when it came to something as trivial as building an atomic bomb, he was still a tiny bit short and needed the help of professional scientists.

Meeting the gazes of the three, the renowned detective Xu Ningyan said in a deep voice, "I, this official, demand to exhume the body for examination."

The Imperial Palace.

The Fourth Prince and Princess Huaiqing led Xu Qi'an into the palace. As the carriage entered the palace gates, Xu Qi'an lifted the curtain and suggested:

"I still need to inform that young eunuch; after all, this is a rule His Majesty set for me."

The fourth prince thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Indeed, Lord Xu is a law-abiding and loyal man, devoted to the Great Feng and to my father."

"You're overthinking it. I was just speaking from the heart," Xu Qi'an said, moved. "The Fourth Prince has a discerning eye."

Huaiqing was in another carriage. It was certainly not allowed for an unmarried princess to ride in the same carriage as a young man.

If it weren't for the troublesome fourth prince as his brother-in-law, Xu Qi'an might have shamelessly tried to ask to ride with the princess.

The fourth prince immediately sent someone to inform them, and a quarter of an hour later, the young eunuch, dressed in a light blue flying fish robe, rushed over.

He looked at Xu Qi'an with a puzzled expression and said, "Lord Xu, wasn't the case already closed?"

Xu Qi'an replied, "As long as His Majesty has not revoked the gold medal, I will continue the investigation."

"Okay, alright."

The young eunuch actually didn't want to take on this job anymore; he wanted to live a few more years.

But with Huaiqing and the Fourth Prince by his side, he dared not refuse and reluctantly followed Xu Qi'an to the ice cellar.

As they approached the ice cellar, Xu Qi'an suddenly ordered, "Go and fetch an old nanny."

After dismissing the young eunuch, Xu Qi'an, Princess Huaiqing, and the Fourth Prince entered the ice cellar and found the corpse of the palace maid Huang Xiaorou.

The anatomical scars on her neck and chest have been stitched up.

"His Majesty has performed a second autopsy." Xu Qi'an stared at the body of the palace maid Huang Xiaorou.

Upon seeing the swollen, pale corpse, the Fourth Prince frowned repeatedly and looked away.

"What else do you want to test?" Huaiqing asked without changing his expression.

"Do you remember the 'rules' I discussed with Your Highness yesterday during the autopsy?" Xu Qi'an beckoned to the eunuch in charge of the ice cellar and said, "Carry her to the courtyard; it's too dark here."

Huaiqing was stunned for a moment, then understood Xu Qi'an's meaning, and a blush quietly appeared on her fair cheeks.

She knew what Xu Qi'an was up to.

Two eunuchs came in from outside, carried the simple wooden plank out of the ice cellar, and placed the body in the courtyard, exposing it to the sunlight.

Xu Qi'an left the body to stand still in the sunlight for a while, until the young eunuch led an old nanny over. Xu Qi'an chuckled when he saw her.

It was that old woman whose driving skills were even better than his.

When the old nanny saw Huaiqing and the Fourth Prince, she quickly bowed.

Then, he complained to Xu Qi'an in a low voice, "Sir, why did you make this old servant examine the body again? I'm not a coroner, and all I do is examine corpses all day long. I can't even eat."

As they drew closer, they saw a swollen and ugly female corpse. The old nanny cried out, covering her eyes, "I can't examine her, I can't examine her! Please, sir, don't make things difficult for this old servant!"

The Fourth Prince frowned, about to reprimand him, but Xu Qi'an waved his hand, then took out a small piece of silver, about five qian, placed it in his palm, and smiled, "Granny, can you check it?"

"This old servant is still happy to serve you, sir," the old nanny said kindly. "What would you like to test, sir?"

Xu Qi'an pointed at the female corpse, "Examine whether her body is perfectly sealed."

The old woman wrapped her hands in coarse cloth and parted the woman's legs.

The Fourth Prince and Huaiqing turned around at the same time, refusing to watch what was about to happen.

About ten seconds later, the two heard the old woman exclaim, "Eh?": "This female corpse is not a virgin."

Huaiqing, who was not a virgin, and the Fourth Prince exchanged a glance, both astonished and shocked.

The saying goes that there were three thousand beauties in the imperial harem, but this actually included palace maids.

Throughout history, there have been numerous instances of emperors favoring palace maids. During the five hundred years of the founding of the Great Feng Dynasty, there were many concubines who rose from the ranks of palace maids.

Although Huang Xiaorou was an insignificant palace maid, she was essentially the emperor's woman and the private property of Emperor Yuanjing.

All the women in the harem belonged to the emperor. Whether he favored them or not was another matter, but that was the system.

Xu Qi'an's eyes lit up, as if some of his guesses had been confirmed. He stepped forward and said, "Granny, take another look. Has she ever been pregnant?"

"This..." The old nanny glanced at the swollen female corpse, her old face contorting in disbelief. "This old servant can't tell."

"What use are you? Give me back my money." Xu Qi'an thought to himself, hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "Fine, get lost, I'll do it myself."

So she took over from the old nanny and separated the woman's legs.

Fifteen minutes later, in the courtyard, Xu Qi'an placed his hands in a bucket of water and rubbed and rubbed the soapberry piece, making it smaller and smaller with each use.

Princess Huaiqing, dressed in a white palace gown, stood to one side with a tall and slender figure. A cool breeze tugged at her skirt and ruffled her hair, making her appear pure, elegant, and stunningly beautiful.

How much longer are you going to shower?

Huaiqing's voice was tinged with helplessness.

"Wash it until you're skinned alive," Xu Qi'an said irritably.

Although his middle and ring fingers had also traversed muddy roads, they should never have suffered such injustice.

"It's all that old nanny's fault. She's not very capable, and she even embezzled five taels of silver from me. Your Highness, you must reimburse me."

Huaiqing ignored his complaints and asked, "What's your evidence that she was pregnant?"

"There are many more. After a woman becomes pregnant, fine, spark-like lines will appear on her lower abdomen and groin; these are called stretch marks."

"If that's the case, how come the old nanny didn't notice it just now?"

"With proper care, stretch marks will disappear. Huang Xiaorou's stretch marks are very faint, and with the swelling from being submerged in water, they've become even harder to spot. Even I'm not sure, so the old nanny probably isn't either," Xu Qi'an explained, rubbing his hands together.

"Furthermore, during yesterday's autopsy, I showed Your Highness the scar under Huang Xiaorou's breast. Do you remember my gesture?"

Xu Qi'an made a forceful upward flipping motion.

Huaiqing felt a little embarrassed; this guy always did some rude things in front of her.

No matter how unconventional she may be, she is still an unmarried princess.

"Of course, exceptionally talented women can also reach that level, so this is just for reference," Xu Qi'an added in his mind.

Your Highness, you are a woman of extraordinary talent.

"Then why did you personally examine the body just now?" Huaiqing asked. If it were just these two reasons, Xu Qi'an wouldn't have needed to do it himself.

Xu Qi'an fell silent.

Besides stretch marks, the shape of the cervix can also indicate whether someone has given birth.

This is a difficult question to answer; it's too academic. Just like when he taught Xu Lingyin about the differences between boys and girls as they grow up, he used a simple and easy-to-understand method suitable for all ages.

"Before a woman gives birth, she is like a fledgling bird, crying for food, her mouth open. After giving birth, she is content, so her mouth is closed," Xu Qi'an said cautiously.

"???" Huaiqing looked at him blankly.

Xu Qi'an scratched his head. "Princess, have you read any medical books?"

Huaiqing looked at him coldly and said, "When I examined the body yesterday, you suddenly had a splitting headache. When I took your pulse, I mentioned that you had some medical knowledge."

"Oh, that's simple then." Xu Qi'an clapped his hands and laughed, "For women who haven't given birth, the cervix is shaped like an 'O', but after giving birth, it becomes a straight line."

The intelligent Princess Huaiqing understood this explanation instantly, but remembering his earlier outrageous words, she didn't want to pay him any attention.

The fourth prince, who knew nothing of medicine, seemed to understand but not quite, and exclaimed in admiration, "Young Master Xu is truly learned and talented."

This knowledge point comes from a crime of passion that Xu Qi'an encountered in his previous life. The victim was a woman who was two-timing and followed in Cheng Ge's footsteps.

When the old forensic doctor was dissecting the body, he said, "Don't be fooled by the fact that she wasn't married; someone actually died in that house."

Xu Qi'an, who was acting as his assistant at the time, said, "Old driver, take me with you."

This leads to the introduction of this knowledge point.

"I had someone investigate Huang Xiaorou; she entered the palace in the 28th year of the Yuanjing era." Xu Qi'an glanced at the two princes.

The subtext is that someone is trying to undermine Emperor Yuanjing's power.

By the 28th year of the Yuanjing reign, the old emperor had long since abstained from sex and cultivated Daoism. He wouldn't even touch the stunningly beautiful empress or the peerless Consort Chen, so how could he possibly touch a mere palace maid?

"Who could it be?" The fourth prince fell into deep thought.

Xu Qi'an watched him silently.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" The fourth prince felt offended.

Xu Qi'an withdrew his gaze and analyzed, "This person is actually easy to find. He must meet two conditions: First, he can enter and leave the inner palace relatively freely, and members of the imperial family meet this requirement."

"Secondly, they are very bold and fearless; otherwise, they wouldn't dare to lay a hand on the palace maids."

At this moment, Huaiqing suddenly said, "Your Majesty, I have something I wish to say to Lord Xu."

The fourth prince frowned, glanced at his younger sister, and slowly nodded. "I'll be leaving now."

Watching the Fourth Prince leave, Huaiqing coldly glanced at Yuan Jing Emperor's eyes and ears—the little eunuch.

"Get out."

The young eunuch lowered his head and left without a word.

After dismissing everyone, Huaiqing stared at Xu Qi'an with a solemn expression. "Lord Xu, Huang Xiaorou's suicide and the Empress Dowager's confession are most likely related to this man."

Xu Qi'an poked at the water in the bucket, his pupils dilated and unfocused. "Princess, you're being too subjective. Investigating a case requires calmness. We need to formulate hypotheses based on the clues. We've discovered that Huang Xiaorou was once pregnant. Let's assume that the man wasn't His Majesty, but someone else."

"Assuming Huang Xiaorou commits suicide, and the Empress saves her and confesses, all because of that man, then he also needs to meet one more condition:"

"This man has a close relationship with the Empress, but not much to do with His Majesty, so he can come and go from the inner palace. However, if he does anything to cause trouble in the inner palace, His Majesty will not hesitate to execute him."

"The Fourth Prince is His Majesty's legitimate son. Even if he bullied a palace maid, His Majesty, no matter how angry, wouldn't kill him. The Empress naturally has no reason to 'confess,' because there's no need."

At this point, he raised his head and met Huaiqing's bright, clear eyes. "Does Your Highness have someone in mind?"

Huaiqing's face was grim, and his tone was icy. "I thought of someone."

P. S.: When I was writing this chapter, I reviewed the case again to make sure I didn't miss any details. I kept refining it, so I'm glad I could update it as soon as possible.

Today's number is still 10,000.