Mysteries of the Great Zhou Dynasty

Chapter 94 Opening the Coffin

The coffin was pried open, and inside, a corpse was wrapped in an oilcloth.

Several people hurriedly carried the body out along with the oilcloth bundle.

Coroner Lü squatted down to examine the body, with Mo Yun assisting him. He opened the oilcloth package with his hands, and although he was somewhat prepared, he still frowned. The corpse was dark yellow and shriveled, dressed in a metal mesh garment and wearing a metal mask. The corpse was slender with a bulging abdomen.

"This is... a mummified corpse..." Su Zhan felt both frightened and curious. "And she was pregnant?"

"Not necessarily. The Khitan people generally use tree burial or net burial. They first place the body on a tree to dry naturally before burying it. They may also remove the deceased's internal organs and bleed them, stuff the abdomen with fragrant medicine, sew it up, wrap it in silk, dress it in a net-like burial garment woven with silver or copper wire, and finally put on a metal mask. As for whether she is pregnant, we'll see what coroner Lü does in his examination later."

The coroner, Lü, had finished his examination and stood up. "It's...it's a female corpse!...No, it's two! She was pregnant with a child! Judging by the size, she was at least five or six months along."

After carefully examining the female corpse and washing his hands, the coroner, Lü, said, "The deceased was a woman, about twenty years old, five feet tall, with a fetus in her womb, approximately five months along. Cause of death: more than ten stab wounds to the abdomen, broken ribs, and excessive blood loss. Wait... the method of preserving this female corpse is quite interesting! It seems that salt and alum were used..."

Abao felt her heart clench, and tears streamed down her face involuntarily: "In the last letter my sister wrote to me, she mentioned that she was pregnant. She is my sister..."

Ah Bao was determined to pounce on the corpse, but Yan Mingzhang stopped her: "Ah Bao, we can't touch her yet. We need to preserve the evidence. Once the murderer is brought to justice, I promise you, I will make sure your sister is laid to rest."

Yan Mingzhang bent down and hugged Abao. Abao sobbed in Yan Mingzhang's arms, babbling incoherently, "Sister... Sister... Why? Why? Sister is so kind, why was she hurt so badly? Isn't it said that good people are rewarded?"

Yan Mingzhang held him, recalling that blood-stained blue sky. His eyes reddened, and he didn't know if he was saying it to Abao or to himself: "Abao, sometimes, bad things happen to good people too..."

Ah Bao looked up and burst into tears, moving everyone present.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The cellar of A-Wu's room was opened again, letting in the outdoor light. The candlelight in their hands was dim, and Yan Mingzhang and the others could only barely make out the things inside the cellar. The cellar was in disarray, with various boots and drums scattered all over the floor.

"Wow, so many boots!" Su Zhan picked up a pair of boots. "What kind of leather is this? The workmanship is quite good. It's just a bit smelly."

“Human skin…” Yan Mingzhang calmly uttered two words.

"Huh?" Su Zhan was terrified when he saw that Yan Mingzhang's expression was not joking. He quickly dropped the boots he was holding and huddled close to Yan Mingzhang.

"Jingjun, I can't do anything if you're like this. If you're scared, why don't you go up there?" Yan Mingzhang said, both amused and exasperated.

Su Zhan took a step back, feeling somewhat embarrassed: "Who's afraid? I just... I just can't accept it right now... I..."

Yan Mingzhang smiled and shook his head. He walked to a wooden shelf with several books on it. His expression changed, and he brought the candle closer to his eyes and began to read.

These books felt different from ordinary paper; they were exceptionally soft and resilient, undoubtedly made of human skin. The books detailed the methods used to create these human skin artifacts. The last book was surprisingly a pharmacology book! Yan Mingzhang's pupils constricted as he carefully flipped through it. It described how to use drugs to preserve corpses, how to mask the stench of decay, and how to make "cartilage-softening powder"!
Yan Mingzhang carefully wrapped the books and carried them himself, afraid that someone might damage them.

Su Zhan looked puzzled: "What, Cheng Xuan, you want to learn more?"

Yan Mingzhang smiled faintly: "These are the most important pieces of information and evidence."

Then, Yan Mingzhang began to look through the other items.

"Take all of these back." A hint of coldness flashed in Yan Mingzhang's eyes. He was determined to bring the murderer to justice. "Go check the other houses as well. Leave a few people behind to guard the scene and prevent anyone from tampering with it."

These people, in groups of five, carefully searched the other houses and found a lot of evidence, indicating they had targeted many passing convoys. Abao also ran around helping as much as he could; the child was very intelligent and sensible.

Yan Mingzhang looked at him and it was as if he saw his former self.

------

"My lord, something terrible has happened! Miss Rong has caught a fever again..." Mo Yun rushed into the small kitchen.

Yan Mingzhang was preparing medicine for Rong Wanyin, and he was fanning the fire while lost in thought.

Upon hearing Mo Yun's words, Yan Mingzhang put down his fan and instructed, "Mo Yun, keep an eye on the fire. Boil three bowls of water down to one bowl, and make sure it doesn't boil dry!"

In the room, on the bed, Rong Wanyin lay with her eyes closed, her pale face completely devoid of its usual vitality. Doctor Yan had said that as long as she could get through the first three days, the fever would subside, and she would wake up, then she would be considered to have overcome this difficult time. But now, the three-day period was almost up, and Rong Wanyin's fever was still high. All the medicine she had taken seemed to be of no use. Yan Mingzhang sat by her bedside, holding her hand, his forehead pressed against her fist, and remained motionless for a long time.

He realized that something in his heart had changed; a tender sprout had broken through the soil in his heart. This sprout had not appeared today, but had been gestating in his heart for a long time. Only now did he realize the existence of this feeling. He only knew that she was very important!

Seeing Yan Mingzhang sitting there the whole time, Mo Yun was extremely anxious. Although Doctor Yan said that the dizziness the other day was just due to exhaustion and nothing serious, seeing the master staying like this would also damage his health. Mo Yun said, "Changfeng, please persuade the master!"

Changfeng, also looking gloomy, shook his head: "If Miss Rong doesn't wake up, how can we persuade her!"

Su Zhan was covered in plasters and winced in pain, but he still slowly moved over and stood outside the door: "Changfeng, how are your masters?"

Changfeng sighed: "Still the same, not moving at all."

Su Zhan stepped forward: "Chengxuan, cheer up, don't be like this, Miss Rong will definitely get better."

Yan Mingzhang's lips were chapped. He opened his mouth but couldn't speak for a moment. He took the water Su Zhan handed him, took a sip to moisten his throat, and was then able to make a sound.

Yan Mingzhang's voice was hoarse, filled with self-reproach: "Jing Jun, I've always prided myself on being clever and having perfect strategies, but now that I think about it, I was truly foolish. Where did I get the confidence to be so sure I could protect her? I couldn't protect her; on the contrary, she saved me so many times... Why didn't I learn martial arts back then? How could I be so useless? Why didn't I bring more people with me? It's all my fault..."