Chapter 48 - 47: What Kind of Hellish Talk Is That? (First Update)

Chapter 48: Chapter 47: What Kind of Hellish Talk Is That? (First Update)

Xiao Yi was slightly stunned and said, "No, none of the families of the deceased mentioned any discomfort they had before their deaths.

Except... the victim from the case in the Western Capital. However, that victim had been ill for a while and had been secretly seeking treatment from doctors, which likely has little to do with the case."

Secretly seeking treatment?

Xu Jing blinked and asked, "Could it be that he was suffering from some secret illness?"

Xiao Yi did not hide anything and said, "The deceased in the Western Capital case had contracted syphilis some time ago and had been seeking treatment in secret. He was ashamed of it, so much so that even his wife was unaware of his illness, only a long-term follower knew about it."

Syphilis? In the ancient times, before the invention of penicillin, syphilis was akin to a terminal illness, and a rather disgraceful one at that.

Although Xiao Yi didn’t explicitly state it, from his words, it was clear that the deceased from the Western Capital was someone of considerable status, likely an official in the court, which explained why he kept it so closely guarded a secret.

Xu Jing was merely curious and asked further, and upon hearing this, she internally critiqued the situation, saying, "According to what you’re saying, the intestinal damage shouldn’t be the cause of death. However, the perpetrator went to such lengths to conceal this wound, it can’t be without reason."

Xiao Yi couldn’t help but frown slightly and looked down at the small dot.

He thought the same as well, but how exactly could they determine what this small dot was?

"Unless," the woman beside him spoke calmly, "we can cut open the deceased’s abdomen to inspect the internal state."

Xiao Yi shuddered, sharply lifting his gaze to the woman in front of him.

He had not yet managed to say anything before a loud crash sounded from behind them, immediately causing both to instinctively turn around.

In a deep voice, Xiao Yi asked, "Who is it?"

"Vice Minister Xiao, Miss Xu, it’s me!"

A somewhat flustered voice sounded out, revealing Chen Hu’s return.

Beside Chen Hu was a familiar figure - the little attendant beside Xiao Yi, Dongli.

The two of them held trays, Chen Hu’s tray carrying some snacks and easy-to-eat buns, while Dongli’s tray bore a teapot and several cups.

Apparently, Dongli had not held his tray steadily, causing the cups to topple, fortunately not falling to the ground and shattering.

Xiao Yi’s eyebrows immediately knitted together, "Dongli, why are you here?"

Dongli was still stuck in shock from hearing the woman’s earlier words, but as the lord spoke, he quickly responded, "My lord, I ran into Mr. Chen while he was looking for food, so I helped him bring things over.

Who would have thought... who would have thought..."

He had heard that his lord had invited that woman back to the county government, leaving him both shocked and anxious, and so he managed to follow along.

Who could have guessed, upon entering, he would see the lord and that woman standing side by side, and that woman even speaking of... speaking of opening up the deceased’s abdomen!

What... what kind of hellish talk was that? Anyone with a sane mind wouldn’t utter such words!

Dongli, having been beside Xiao Yi for so many years, was adept at interpreting intentions, no matter how astonished he was inside. He could see how much the lord valued this woman now, hence dared not speak carelessly as before.

Yet, his eyes couldn’t help but resentfully glare at the woman.

This truly was a venomous woman! After ruining their young lord, she’s here to ruin their lord!

If the lord allows the rumor of dissecting corpses to spread, what would happen to their lord’s reputation?!

Even Chen Hu couldn’t quite accept it, taking a deep breath as he asked, "Miss Xu, you were just joking, right?"

Humans aren’t animals; how could they... how could they cut them open!

Xu Jing knew they wouldn’t easily accept such a method, which was why she’d initially tried to examine the corpse without resorting to dissection.

However, in this situation now, merely inspecting the body’s surface reveals nothing.

She met their gaze with composure, calmly saying, "I’m not joking. The method of dissecting for investigation is something I read in a book, and I believe it makes sense.

By only examining the body’s surface, we only see the superficial injuries. Those internal wounds cannot be seen from the outside.

To understand what that small dot is, and whether it was the cause of death, we must open his abdomen for inspection!"

Xu Jing did have a hypothesis in mind, but as a forensic doctor who speaks for the dead, every word she utters ought to be based on solid evidence. To conclude merely from a guess would make her no different from Wu Wuzuo.

This was her steadfast principle as a forensic doctor, a stance she would not yield on.

Chen Hu stared silently for quite a while, speechless.

Dongli appeared as though he wanted to speak but held back.

Nevertheless, he trusted their lord. Their lord was never the rash type...

A stable and pleasant male voice suddenly arose, "How do you intend to cut open the deceased’s abdomen?"

Dongli: "!!!"

Xu Jing paused and looked over at Xiao Yi, noticing his countenance remained calm, unexpectedly smiling, "Truly, Vice Minister Xiao’s composure is beyond the ordinary. The human body is intricate, and one cannot simply pick up a kitchen knife to dissect it randomly.

If Vice Minister Xiao finds my method feasible, I’ll need time to craft a set of specialized dissection tools, which would take about five or six days."

Just the most basic of dissection tools should be doable in five or six days.

"Alright."

Xiao Yi readily nodded, "Draw the design, and I’ll find the best craftsmen in the county to make them immediately."

Chen Hu’s eyes widened even larger.

Dongli looked at his lord in disbelief, finally unable to hold back, "My lord!"

Yet Xiao Yi did not glance at them, stating, "Securing the safety of the people is the government’s duty. Currently, nothing is as crucial as solving the case. If another person dies, the government would indeed be labeled as incompetent."

Xu Jing was genuinely a bit surprised.

She had initially thought, even with Xiao Yi, it would take a day or two for him to come around to this idea.

But she had to admit, having such an open-minded leader was a blessing for the people.

It also made her work much easier.

However, she didn’t show these thoughts, merely responding calmly, "Vice Minister Xiao indeed has the people’s welfare at heart, and I’ll do my utmost to help Vice Minister Xiao capture the culprit.

As of now, although we can’t confirm if the small dot was the fatal wound, if it was, then the perpetrator is not simple."

Xu Jing pursed her lips and suggested, "To inflict a deadly wound with such a small injury suggests the deceased knew a lot about human anatomy. I advise Vice Minister Xiao to initially look into whether the deceased had any contact with doctors during his lifetime."