Chapter 75 - 74: The Most Suitable Place for Him (2 Updates)

Chapter 75: Chapter 74: The Most Suitable Place for Him (2 Updates)

Xu Jing couldn’t help but glance at the young man in front of her.

This new County Magistrate not only looks down on women but is also a self-conscious, sensitive stutterer.

No wonder Xiao Yi insisted on paving the way for her before leaving; this new County Magistrate is clearly difficult to deal with.

Xiao Yi looked at the man in front of him with slightly cold eyes, but instead of reprimanding him for his earlier words, he said, "Deng Youwei, in the third year of Tianxi, you passed the imperial examination and then stayed in the Western Capital, awaiting the appointment from the Ministry of Personnel.

However, for three entire years thereafter, the Ministry never granted you any position, while your peers who passed the examination have all started working in various government offices. Do you know why?"

Deng Youwei was stunned, his face flushed even redder, and he replied with anger and disappointment, "I...I’ve always admired Vice Minister Xiao, thinking Vice Minister Xiao would...would be different from those people..."

Xiao Yi’s lips twisted into a mocking smile as he said, "So, you think the Ministry of Personnel hasn’t appointed you to a position because they look down on you for being a stutterer?"

Deng Youwei’s jaw muscles tightened, his eyes full of humiliation and defiance, clearly sharing that belief.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Yi lowered his voice and said, "Deng Youwei, having studied the sages’ writings for so many years, you must know the saying ’a hero is judged not by his origins.’ If the court truly looked down on you for being a stutterer, it wouldn’t have allowed someone with a disability to take the imperial examination at all.

Since the founding of Great Chu, the Holy Emperor has been eager to seek talent, needing talented individuals irrespective of their background, past, or wealth.

You believe the Ministry hasn’t granted you a position because you stutter, but do you question the good intentions behind the Emperor establishing the examination system?"

Deng Youwei’s face suddenly turned pale, and he hastily said, "I...I didn’t mean..."

But Xiao Yi did not let him speak, continuing coldly, "I know you’re not that kind of person, but you have been blinded by your physical flaw and self-esteem issues, unable to see your real problems or your exceptional capabilities.

Deng Youwei, let me tell you frankly, I noticed you as early as a year ago. While others tried to connect with the powerful and flatter the influential, you disdained associating with such people. Instead, you often went to offices to investigate circumstances, understanding the people’s hardships and criticizing the bureaucracy, writing two articles about how government offices could improve in ways more aligned with the people’s needs.

Both of those articles were personally reviewed by me and the Holy Emperor. Your appointment as County Magistrate in Anping County resulted from my recommendation to the Ministry of Personnel."

Deng Youwei looked at Xiao Yi in shock, clearly hearing this for the first time.

"The reason the Ministry hasn’t appointed you in three years is due to your lack of understanding of court politics and your aloof pride. But being righteous and high-minded isn’t inherently a problem, and indeed, the court needs more officials like you who care about the people. However, if you can’t survive in the political arena, no amount of ambition will matter."

In a calm voice, Xiao Yi said, "But I believe, considering your character, that you deserve a chance, which is why I recommended you to the Ministry. You claim I look down on you and specially humiliate you, yet I cannot bear such guilt."

Deng Youwei turned pale and suddenly knelt to the ground, tremblingly saying, "It...I am foolish..."

Looking down at him, Xiao Yi spoke sharply, "Recommending Miss Xu to you is no different from recommending you to the Ministry.

The Holy Emperor can choose people regardless of background, past, or wealth, but just because Miss Xu is a woman, you prejudge her, thinking I brought her to humiliate you. How does this behavior differ from those who look down on you for stuttering?"

Deng Youwei trembled all over, completely speechless.

Indeed, he had always hated those who mocked and looked down on him just because he stuttered.

But how was his behavior just now any different from theirs?

Still, a woman working as a forensic doctor was truly unheard of and unseen! Could this woman really do it?

Xu Jing looked at the man beside her in slight amazement, feeling, for the first time, that he indeed was the renowned young genius of Great Chu, a court minister holding high office at a young age.

Someone like him staying in Anping County truly seemed beneath his talents.

The proximity to the center of power in the imperial city, closest to the ruler of the world, was his rightful stage to showcase his abilities.

Having finished speaking, Xiao Yi no longer looked at Deng Youwei, who was still kneeling, but turned to the woman beside him and said, "The deceased is over there. Miss Xu, if you have no objection, shall we begin the autopsy?"

Xu Jing quickly gathered her scattered thoughts, nodded, and asked, "Alright. Did Vice Minister Xiao bring my tools for the autopsy?"

In modern forensic examinations, to easily inspect and analyze the body’s condition, it’s usually taken back to a professional laboratory for dissection.

But in ancient times, there was no such need for formality; autopsies were conducted right at the crime scene, examining all onsite details to possibly discover more issues.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yi glanced at Meng Anhe, who immediately replied, "Brought, brought, I brought everything! I was wondering why Vice Minister Xiao asked me to bring Miss Xu’s autopsy tools this morning—it seems he planned to ask for her help all along!"

He said this while handing over a plain bundle he carried to Xu Jing.

Upon opening it and seeing her usual tools inside, Xu Jing couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction, saying to Chen Hu, "Prepare for the autopsy."

Chen Hu eagerly responded, skillfully laying two white cloths beside the deceased—one for Xu Jing’s tools, one empty, meant for temporarily placing various items.

Next, he lit cangzhu and soap, dispersing much of the overpowering stench at the crime scene.

While Chen Hu was preparing, Xu Jing had already put on gloves and a face mask, then stood up with a quick hop similar to a rabbit, and approached the body, squatting down slowly.

Her sudden movements were so abrupt that Xiao Yi didn’t even react, merely watching her hop over.

Seeing the deceased had been removed from the tree hollow and placed flat on the ground on an improvised bed of wooden planks.

Just as Xiao Yi described, the body was completely naked and had already shown severe bloating with widespread vein discoloration, the lower body bloodied and barely recognizable.

Fortunately, although this place was in the woods, it was near a village, which kept wild animals at bay, thus preserving the deceased’s body from being scavenged by beasts.

In the eyes, ears, and other parts of the body were clusters of white fly eggs, and the severely deformed face was crawling with many white, wriggling maggots.

Originally, there were numerous flies around the corpse, which the county government’s bailiffs had already driven away with fire once. Since burning the cangzhu and soap, many of the flies around the body had been repelled.

Even so, the body on the ground still made many of the bailiffs uncomfortable, and they couldn’t help but be slightly surprised seeing Xu Jing calmly approaching it.

And more so, as they watched her directly touch the body, their eyes nearly popped out.

However, Xu Jing had already entered a working state and said calmly, "The deceased is female, approximately five chi (160cm) tall, with multiple wounds and bruises on the body, most of them inflicted while alive, indicating fierce resistance before being killed. Rigor mortis has fully subsided, and the body has started to show maggots, the longest among them about..."

She used tweezers to pick up the longest maggot, signaling Chen Hu beside her to measure its length with a soft ruler.

Chen Hu, looking at the lively maggot wriggling tirelessly under Xu Jing’s tweezers and then at Xu Jing’s emotionless gaze, even though he had assisted Xu Jing in autopsies several times, could not help but twitch an eye.

Taking a deep breath, he quickly measured it with the ruler and said, "The maggot is about half an inch (16 millimeters) long."

Xu Jing nodded and said, "Preliminary estimate, the deceased died about four days ago."

Entomology indeed can be used to determine the time of death, but because the growth rate of flies is affected by their species and environment, it can vary. To accurately calculate the time of death requires collecting larvae from the deceased, simulating the environment to rear them, and comparing them with those found at the time of the incident.

Xu Jing could currently only estimate a rough time of death based on similar past situations.

But this was already enough to astound Deng Youwei and the other bailiffs.

It was known that during Wu Wuzuo’s autopsy, he mentioned the decaying state of the body was too severe, making it impossible to confirm the precise time of death, only estimating the death to have occurred two to three days prior.

Yet, Miss Xu immediately provided a much more precise number, and she mentioned it as just a preliminary estimate?!