Daming: Internship also counts as work experience

Chapter 17 Identification of the Corpse
Soon, a group of armored soldiers approached. The leader, riding on a horse, raised his head and asked dignifiedly, "Is the head of the county government here?"

Gao Yuntian immediately dismounted and stepped forward to clasp his fists, then gave a comprehensive introduction. In addition to introducing himself, he also covered the inspection and burial of the body after the autopsy, and the burning of the house. Jia Chuan wanted to scratch his head after hearing this, but he didn't dare to use his hands for the time being.

The general seemed very satisfied with what he heard. He waved his whip and said, "You can go now. We will take over this place. No one else is allowed to enter the forest."

Only then did Jia Chuan think of sealing off the scene. He sighed lightly. He thought he was capable, but in fact he had never encountered such a big thing. Only when he encountered it did he realize that his brain was just a decoration and he even forgot such an important step.

Gao Yuntian felt that he had performed very well at this moment. He glanced at Jia Chuan with pride, and just as he was about to remount his horse and politely bow and say goodbye, the man asked again, "How many roads are there into the mountain?"

"Uh..." Gao Yuntian looked at Jia Chuan.

Jia Chuan thought for a moment and said, "The patrol inspection department... has been dealt with now. It would be more appropriate to guard the surrounding area. This forest is quite large. Although the road is difficult to walk on, it can be entered from all directions. I'm afraid it will take a lot of manpower to guard the outside of the forest..."

"There's no point in you teaching me how to do things! Send someone to take us to the Inspection Office."

Gao Yuntian pointed at Jia Chuan and said, "You go!"

Jia Chuan pointed to the corpse on his horse and asked, "Leave him to you?"

Gao Yuntian was stunned. He glanced at Old Zheng, who was riding on a donkey. The county government didn't have enough horses. Cui Youzhi had left four horses, which was the limit. He couldn't let a corpse ride on a donkey. Old Zheng was walking...

At this time, anyone with a brain would be useless, let alone Gao Yuntian. He didn't even think of leaving the body on the roadside and waiting.

"You take us in." The man pointed at Gao Yuntian.

This was a life-threatening situation for Gao Yuntian. He hurriedly said, "The path in the mountains is difficult to navigate, and it's even harder with only moonlight. If you don't know the way, it's hard to reach the Inspection Office alive. I think we should guard the entrance to this road..."

"There is another road leading into the forest to the west. It will be dawn by the time you get around it." Jia Chuan reminded.

The man lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said, "Then we'll hold our position here first. The mountain path inside is difficult to navigate, and I think it will be difficult for others to enter as well. We'll dispatch troops to the west tomorrow. You guys go now."

Gao Yuntian's horse was the first to rush out.

Jia Chuan understood that everything that happened here would be spread ten times more terrifyingly when the people in the yamen returned. At this late hour, the soldiers did not want to take risks and scare themselves.

Jia Chuan urged his horse to catch up, feeling mixed emotions.

……

When the group arrived at the city gate, it happened to be open.

Although Jia Chuan had his eyes open, he didn't think he could see anything and just followed the team forward in a daze. Fortunately, someone rode back to the yamen to report, and soon a carriage came towards them. Jia Chuan watched the yamen runners carry away the corpse lying in front of him, and he knew nothing about what happened afterwards.

Come to think of it, he hadn't slept properly for several nights, but he was just relying on his youth to hold on. Shunzi was the same. When he saw Jia Chuan fall off the horse, he felt dizzy without even thinking.

Jia Chuan woke up three times during his sleep, twice because of hunger and once because of suffocation. When he was fully awake, he pondered for a while what day it was before he remembered that there was a rotting corpse waiting for him. He sat up suddenly, and scared Dong Shuben who was dozing on the edge of the bed.

"Are you awake..." Dong Shuben asked while rubbing his eyes.

"How long have I slept?"

"They say you fainted as soon as you entered the city yesterday morning. Shunzi also fainted, but he... where were you going?"

"I brought back a body. I have to go check it out. There's no storage conditions here. I'm afraid it will rot too quickly..."

Dong Shuben grabbed Jia Chuan who had just gotten out of bed and asked in confusion, "Have you changed after a good night's sleep? I've never seen you work so diligently before. Don't worry, there's no need to wait a moment. I have something to tell you first."

When Jia Chuan saw Dong Shuben's expression, he thought it was a big deal. He took a deep breath, sat on the edge of the bed, and listened carefully.

"The emperor... passed away."

Jia Chuan waited for the next one, but there was no one behind him.

"Are you done?" Jia Chuan asked puzzledly.

"It's over. Oh, the prince should have arrived in Beijing safely."

"You need to tell me?! The prince should have arrived in the capital by the time we arrived at the Inspection Office. Otherwise, how would you have known about the emperor's death so quickly?"

Dong Shuben released his hand and continued seriously, "If the Crown Prince hasn't arrived in the capital... then the time has come to announce the Emperor's death to the world."

Jia Chuan thought about it and it made sense. If Zhu Zhanji fell at the last moment, Zhu Gaoxu would not wait any longer. Regardless of whether other places were prepared adequately, the preparations in the palace were probably in place.

"Okay, Old Dong, it's rare to see you have a clear mind."

Dong Shuben smiled sheepishly and said, "I also heard from Magistrate Cui that the Crown Prince is currently busy with the national mourning and the coronation, and I'm afraid he doesn't have time to take care of things here for the time being."

"Has it been reported?"

"I did report it, but you didn't see how Magistrate Cui and the officials from the Military Preparation Department blamed each other yesterday. You know, the abolition, establishment, and assessment of our inspection offices are all under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War, but the others fall under the jurisdiction of the local authorities. So, who should be in charge of such a big thing?"

Jia Chuan stretched and said, "No one can control them."

"Yes, the capital will definitely send someone later, but I didn't see them ask you before reporting. The magistrate should know something, the military preparation department..."

"Seeing you worry about such a small matter, they will all report it, but it depends on who is in charge. Only the county government sent people to the scene, which means the military governor didn't want to get involved too much. It's a good thing they didn't get involved. There are actually several gangs committing crimes around Huangluling, and they have bows and arrows in hand. The military department cannot escape responsibility. Shouldn't the military governor inform the higher-ups first? Those ten soldiers went back, right?"

"Well, who would have thought that ten people would finally gather at the county government office."

Jia Chuan stood up and said, "If there's any news from above, it will reach the county office first. We'll just wait here. Magistrate Cui won't make things difficult for us, but I still have some questions. Before the news arrives, I have to find a way to figure it out. Otherwise, I'll be in trouble if I can't answer it."

Dong Shuben grabbed Jia Chuan's arm again and asked nervously, "Tell me, what crime can I be charged with?"

Jia Chuan pulled Dong Shuben up and said, "The case has been thoroughly investigated. You will not be charged with any crime. Come with me to identify the body first."

"Identify the body?"

……

When Old Zheng heard that Jia Chuan had woken up, he stood at the door of his deserted courtyard and waited for a long time. Finally, he saw Jia Chuan coming with Dong Shuben and Shunzi.

At this time, the three of them had changed into the dark blue robes of yamen runners. It was not that he asked for it, but his experiences in the past few days made him naturally emit an unpleasant odor. When he dragged Dong Shuben to find Old Zheng, he met Gao Yuntian first.

Gao Yuntian covered his nose and said, "What a smell! Did you fall into a cesspool?"

Jia Chuan sniffed it hard and asked, "Are you sure it's not your smell?"

Gao Yuntian glared and said, "I washed myself as soon as I got home yesterday. If you're in this state and really say you've seen the Crown Prince, there's no need to say anything else. I'll just drag you out and chop off your head!"

Jia Chuan frowned and asked, "Did I provoke you?"

"I'm doing this for your own good. There are many officials in the county government. If you meet anyone like this, you will be committing an offense. Locking you up for a few days is the least you can do." Jia Chuan looked at Gao Yuntian with disdain, and he really couldn't figure out how he had offended this... captain of the police.

But Jia Chuan still followed Gao Yuntian's instructions, simply washed himself, and changed into the yamen runner's uniform.

Shunzi was also woken up and followed Jia Chuan and Dong Shuben to complete this task.

The smell of the three of them was equally good.

Then Jia Chuan followed Gao Yuntian to meet Cui Youzhi.

Cui Youzhi was dressed in plain clothes and had a sad expression, but this did not stop him from expressing concern and euphemisms to Jia Chuan.

Jia Chuan listened solemnly, wondering who in the magistrate's family had passed away. He wanted to ask, but felt it was difficult to open his mouth. He thought about asking Old Zheng later if he should give a gift.
Seeing that Jia Chuan was listening attentively but did not answer, Cui Youzhi asked about his rest out of concern.

After receiving the reminder, Jia Chuan humbly gave the beginning of his preliminary report on the case. Cui Youzhi stopped him and just said, "Go ahead and get busy, but make sure to rest and don't go hungry."

Jia Chuan came out of the back hall and touched his stomach. He was indeed a little hungry, but Gao Yuntian was already leading the way, so he had to work first.

Gao Yuntian simply brought the three of them to the courtyard, pointed at the gate and said, "Go ahead by yourselves. When you're done, come find me and tell me in detail what you've discovered."

Jia Chuan snorted coldly and walked towards the courtyard with Dong Shuben and Shunzi.

……

"Do you still remember the appearance of the person who showed you the badge that night?" Jia Chuan asked Dong Shuben at the door of the morgue.

Dong Shuben was stunned for a moment and said, "It was so dark that night, and so was I. Anyway, it should be possible, but, can the person inside still be seen?"

"The mistake I made that night was not bringing them back and letting you identify them." Jia Chuan sighed.

"Who could have been thinking straight that night?" Shunzi advised. "First I saw the men holding knives, then they said the prince was coming, and then another group arrived. Before I could figure out if I was dreaming, I escorted the prince on his way. I had to hold my pee, but I didn't remember until daybreak."

Jia Chuan patted Shunzi and said, "You're talking a bit too much."

Shunzi said hurriedly, "I won't go in. I didn't remember anyone's face that night. If you ask me what the prince looks like now, I don't know."

Dong Shuben took a deep breath, closed his eyes and said, "Go ahead, we have to pass this level."

"How can I identify the body if you don't open your eyes?"

"Tell me what he looks like..."

……

Jia Chuan didn't expect that the morgue could be so cold, and the body was placed on three blocks of ice.

Old Zheng explained that this was County Magistrate Cui's consideration, as he had moved a few blocks of ice from the ice cellar in the backyard.

But when Dong Shuben mustered up the courage and tried to open his eyes a crack to look at the corpse, he said, "I've never seen it before."

"Look carefully!"

Dong Shuben opened his eyes wide, looked again and again, and said, "I've never seen this before. The person who showed me the badge that day had a round face, but this person has an oval face."

Disappointed, Jia Chuan left the mortuary and walked straight to the gate, shouting outside, "Captain Gao, find a painter. I need a portrait of the person in the mortuary. Find someone who's good at it. If you don't know, ask more people. The sooner the better!"

Gao Yuntian shouted twice from somewhere. Jia Chuan didn't hear clearly, but he said it anyway, so he turned around and went back to the yard.

Old Zheng hurriedly brought out a few wooden stools, and the others sat in the courtyard. Jia Chuan asked Dong Shuben, "You performed the autopsy with me, but didn't you see the person who gave you the badge?"

"He's already in that state. How can he look like a human being? Besides, I didn't dare to look at him."

Jia Chuan scratched his head and said, "There's nothing at the scene, and there's nothing in the woods. Could it be among those who died first? But they were buried after we left, and we don't know where they were buried. We still have to look for... What does the waist badge look like?"

Dong Shuben was stunned again, then thought about it very seriously and said, "It was too dark. I only saw a sign, which looked like copper or ivory, palm-sized, black. I couldn't see what was on it clearly."

"So you believe it?"

"Who dares to talk nonsense about this?"

"Then it's enough for him to say it. Why should I show you the badge?"

"Let me see it, so that I can give an explanation in the future. Otherwise, I can't just say I heard it from someone."

Jia Chuan snorted and muttered, "It's really just doing homework for the sake of doing homework. This matter can still be coordinated."

Shunzi said with the tone of someone who has experienced it: "This is how it is in the officialdom."

Jia Chuan raised his eyebrows, then sighed and said, "Originally, I thought that at least the first group of people at the Earth God Temple that night were from the Han Palace. I have always been sure of this. The second group of people were people they found from the underworld, but now I am a little unsure."

"Just because I couldn't find someone to show me the badge?" Dong Shuben asked.

"This person must have been kept because he knew the plan in detail and was even very close to the King of Han. He was strong evidence that the King of Han was plotting a rebellion. His inner garments were made of better material, his hair was cleaner, and he had fewer calluses on his hands and feet, indicating that he was of higher status than the others. But he didn't have the waist badge. Shouldn't such an important item be held by the gang leader?"

Dong Shuben said hurriedly: "The person who came to me with the badge may not be the leader. It is also possible that the leader asked him to come with the badge."

Jia Chuan nodded and said, "If this person's identity is so important, is it necessary for him to be present and command the battle in person? That night, the Crown Prince was fleeing for his life, and the King of Han's men were chasing him. They must have split into several groups..."

"I understand what you mean. Among the people who have chased us to the Earth God Temple, not everyone may be close to the King of Han." Shunzi interjected.

"Yes, that's why I've always firmly believed that the first group that night must have been people from the Prince of Han's palace. The prince didn't know there was an ambush, and the Prince of Han didn't know where the prince would escape to. It's impossible for a group of people who knew everything in advance to come to the land temple and frame the Prince of Han. The most important thing is that the Prince of Han didn't need to be framed."

Dong Shuben nodded frequently.

"They killed over forty people from the Inspection Office and other survivors, but left behind this one person who was indeed a little different from the others. Old Zheng said that this person's face might be useful and could lead directly to the Prince of Han's Palace. I think the waist badge is no worse than this face, but the waist badge disappeared..."

　Thank you very much for your reading and collecting these days. This round of recommendations is about to expire. I will know in the evening whether I can be included in the next round. I am a little nervous, but I will try my best to keep writing. There are many things to do before the New Year, so I have to devote some energy to it. I guess you are busy too, right?

　　I heard that snow is also waiting for the New Year. The northwest wind was howling two days ago, but there is no wind where I am starting today, and the temperature has risen by two degrees. It is said that there will be snow before the New Year. I am looking forward to it.

　　Friends who are away from home, I hope you can all buy tickets to go home!

　　There is a book club in February, Penguin ID: 818940034. There are not many people, just chatting when you have nothing to do. If you are interested, you can come and take a look.

　　Most importantly: have a great weekend!

(End of this chapter)