A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 1 The Corpse Hanging at the Temple Gate
The morning light is dim.

The long-neglected vermilion temple gate, unlocked, stood half-open in the morning breeze, like a listless old man who had lost his strength.

Every day, the young monks in the temple would go through the temple gate to enter and exit the back mountain, fetching spring water from the stream to make tea and cook porridge.

But today is different.

The young novice monk woke up later than usual. When the morning bell rang, he, who was usually alert, was fast asleep until his roommate, the monk Yuanqing, kicked him out of bed, at which point he slowly woke up.

Knowing he was late, the young novice monk ignored Yuan Qing's admonition, picked up the water buckets, and hurriedly ran towards the temple gate.

From afar, he could see something hanging on the temple gate. The young novice thought to himself, "Whose clothes have been blown over by the wind again?"
However, as they got closer, two feet dangled out from under the hem of her dress!

The young novice monk's hurried figure suddenly stopped!
The pink embroidered shoes, typical of women, magnified in the young monk's pupils. He unconsciously held his breath, his gaze slowly moving upwards—

The next moment, terrified screams echoed throughout Yuntai Mountain: "Someone's dead—"

……

Yuntaiji Temple is a popular destination for women in Kyoto, and its incense is very strong.

On the first and fifteenth of each lunar month, kind-hearted ladies would distribute porridge and grain at Yuntai Temple to help the poor.

Today happens to be the fifteenth day of the lunar month.

The hour of Si (9-11 AM) is approaching.

Outside the Guanyin Temple, villagers from all over the country spontaneously formed a long queue. In front of the long table used for donations, four servants laid out rice, flour, vegetables, and cloth transported from the foot of the mountain.

"Who is the kind-hearted person today?"

"General Ningyuan's Residence".

"Is that Madam Li?"

"In the Ningyuan General's Mansion, there is only one eldest daughter-in-law, Madam Li, who is also in charge of managing the household affairs. So it is naturally Madam Li."

"I've heard that Madam Li's beauty and talent are unparalleled in the capital!"

"Of course! Madam Li comes from a scholarly family and is the only daughter of a compiler in the Hanlin Academy!"

"..."

Gossip in the capital, whether from noble families or the poorest of the lowly, spread like snowflakes, almost covering every corner of the city.

The bell rang precisely at the hour of Si (9-11 AM).

The people chatting immediately stood up straight, and countless eyes looked ahead, eagerly anticipating the grand entrance of Madam Li.

However, two quarters of an hour passed, and there was still no sign of Madam Li! In fact, apart from the four servants who were carrying the load, not a single steward or old woman from the Ningyuan General's Mansion showed up!
This is unprecedented since the charity event began!
The waiting crowd gradually became restless, and various complaints, criticisms, and impatient voices flowed out!

Just as the situation was about to get out of control, a group of officials rushed up from the foot of the mountain and hurried towards the northwest of Yuntai Temple!

"They're constables from the Jingzhao Prefecture!"

"Something's happened! Something really bad has happened!"

"Go and have a look!"

Those who enjoy watching a spectacle are naturally unwilling to miss the opportunity, so they immediately left the group and ran after the constables!
……

Outside the temple gate, the young novice monk sat limply under a tree, his face ashen, completely terrified.

Yuan Qing led the patrol officers back and, seeing the little novice's appearance, scolded him impatiently, "Yuanbao, can't you be a little more dignified?"

"Senior brother, I'm scared..." The little novice opened his mouth and burst into tears like a child.

"No noise allowed in this sensitive area!" Constable Liu Heng's brows furrowed, and with a wave of his hand, a constable stepped forward, pulled Yuanbao up from the ground, and warned him, "Cooperate properly with the authorities in handling the case!"

Yuanbao barely managed to stop his tears and nodded haphazardly.

The dozen or so elite constables led by Constable Liu all looked toward the temple gate. Even though they were experienced and had long since developed a resilient mind, they were still shocked by the horrifying scene before them and gasped in shock, their faces showing a hint of fear!
"Protect the scene!"

Officer Liu slowly came to his senses, pointed to the several entrances and exits leading to this place, and sternly ordered: "No unauthorized personnel are allowed to approach!"

He paused, then asked, "Has Abbot Huiming arrived yet?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of eminent monks from Yuntai Temple walked in, chanting the Buddhist mantra "Amitabha." The one leading them was none other than the highly respected Abbot Huiming.

Officer Liu clasped his hands together and bowed.

The monks returned the greeting, saying, "Excellent! Excellent!"

The pursuing civilians were stopped by the constables at a distance of three zhang (approximately 10 meters).

Despite the constables' repeated warnings against making noise, there were too many people, and some couldn't help but whisper among themselves. Especially after seeing the corpse, screams erupted one after another, causing chaos on the spot!

"dead!"

"The one who died was... a woman!"

"A murder has occurred in this sacred Buddhist site!"

"That death was horrific!"

Was the deceased nailed to the door?

"Who is the deceased? What grudge could they have against him?"

"..."

Seeing this, Constable Xiao Luo stepped forward and asked, "Chief Liu, should we disperse the people?"

Officer Liu scanned the area and whispered, "Don't move for now. Anyone who appeared at Yuntai Mountain today could be the murderer. Or perhaps, the murderer is hiding among the people. Tell everyone to keep their eyes peeled and report immediately if you spot anyone suspicious!"

"Yes!" Xiao Luo replied and immediately went to do it.

The high monks glanced at the woman's corpse and immediately chanted, "Excellent, excellent!" Then they began to chant the Great Compassion Mantra while holding their prayer beads.

As more and more people gathered, the sudden murder case spread like wildfire, quickly filling the surrounding area to capacity!
"Lord Song Shuyu, the Prefect of the Capital, has arrived—"

The sudden announcement from the government office silenced the restless crowd instantly, and they spontaneously parted to the sides, making way for a path several feet wide.

A young man in his early twenties, dressed in a purple official robe and wearing an official hat, led his entourage with a brisk pace!

Following Song Shuyu were Xu Chunshan, the Junior Magistrate of Jingzhao; Zhang Xingzhong, the Registrar; Lin Fu, the Clerk; and a girl who looked about eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing a narrow blue dress with tied sleeves, and with a high ponytail. She was beautiful but had a cool and aloof look and wore no makeup.

Wherever they went, exclamations of amazement and disbelief filled the air.

Song Shuyu was born with good looks and a privileged background. As the pampered young master of the Duke's mansion, he was renowned throughout the capital for his refined and elegant appearance, and his ethereal good looks were known to all. However, when he went out on official business, he was always accompanied by his wife, which inevitably caused people to sigh with confusion, and the women in the family made no attempt to hide their heartache.

"Your subordinate greets Lord Song!"

Liu, the head constable, was surprised that Song Shuyu would come in person. He quickly stepped forward to bow and kindly reminded him, "The deceased's death was suspicious and quite gruesome. Moreover, there is already a slight stench of decay. Sir, you might as well wait until the coroner has finished his work before you take a look."

Upon hearing this, Song Shuyu's expression became animated. "I am an upright official, what do I have to fear? Are you looking down on me?" After speaking, his dark, bright eyes turned defiantly toward the temple gate.

The corpse hanging from the temple gate was dressed in a light pink pleated satin skirt, its limbs outstretched in a spread-eagle position. Instead of ropes, it was secured with nails as thick as fingers! The victim's long, black hair was completely disheveled, obscuring her face entirely; if seen at night, one might mistake it for a headless female ghost! Even more horrifying, the victim's abdomen was noticeably swollen, and a knife was embedded in her navel! The gushing blood soaked her clothes, trickling down the temple gate and pooling on the stone steps, where numerous tsetse flies landed, feeding on the blood!

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(End of this chapter)