Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 79 - 78: Pregnancy

Since Zhuang Zhi was no longer stubborn, Cao Tianbao glared fiercely at his nephew and cupped his hands again towards Zhu Yu: "Then I’ll have to trouble you to examine it carefully!"

"It’s only right." Zhu Yu returned the courtesy politely. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Cao Tianbao gave Zhu Yu a look with indiscernible meaning, grabbed his nephew Cao Chenfeng by the collar, and strode out.

The Capital Governor did not dare to delay either and quickly followed. As he passed by Zhu Yu, he also cupped his hands in salute.

Of course, the corpse room at Jingzhao Mansion would not be located in a bustling area of the Capital. The way from the General Mansion was not close. As soon as Lu Qing and Zhu Yu exited the General Mansion, Fu Lu had already parked the carriage there waiting for them. After getting on the carriage, they headed straight towards the corpse room.

Accompanying them were carriages from the Duke Yan Mansion and the Prince Yi Mansion. Others might follow as well, but most people took the opportunity to avoid the situation at this moment.

After all, if it could be proven that Cao Chenfeng was innocent, it would be easily explained; if not, all witnesses to these events would undoubtedly become proof of General Cao’s disgrace.

Such troubles should be avoided as much as possible.

Even Lu Ze, who usually loved to join the excitement, held back this time, staying at the General Mansion to wait for news and did not follow.

Even so, for the corpse room, the scene was indeed somewhat overwhelming this time. As the carriages stopped outside, the governmental officials guarding the corpse room all ran out in fright, not knowing what was happening today.

The Capital Governor was the first to get off the carriage. He hurriedly signaled the officials to carry Miss Zhuang’s body to the table in the corpse room for Zhu Yu’s examination, and he arranged for some chairs to be brought out and placed under the shade, a bit away from the corpse room.

After all, Duke Yan and the others are notable figures and cannot be left to bake in the sun.

Zhu Yu quickly got into the swing of things. She was already wearing tight-sleeved clothing today, so it wasn’t too troublesome. She directly took a plain linen coat from the servants at the corpse room and put it on, entering the corpse room alone.

This time, Lu Qing didn’t follow. After all, Zhuang Lanlan was an unmarried young lady. Even though the dead are like extinguished lamps, her father, Zhuang Zhi, is still alive, and consideration must be given to his feelings.

Inside, Zhu Yu closed the door and moved her somewhat stiff shoulders and neck. Now that she was the only one here, she felt much more at ease.

Approaching the table, Zhuang Lanlan’s body was already laid out on it. Since she died without any clothing, only a sheet covered her body. Lifting the sheet revealed the situation of the corpse.

Although Zhuang Lanlan had been dead for five or six days, because the corpse room’s temperature was low and particularly cold, and due to the large ice blocks Zhuang Zhi had bought to cool it down, her skin appeared a deathly pale gray but without obvious decay, overall still in good condition.

Zhu Yu immediately noticed the striking knife wound on Zhuang Lanlan’s left chest. It was clear that the cut was deep. She carefully lifted the body slightly to examine the back, and found a corresponding wound at the back, appearing narrower than the one in front. Judging by the location, it was a penetrating wound.

Besides post-mortem lividity, Zhuang Lanlan’s body showed no apparent injuries. All ten fingernails were intact, and the fingertips were clean and uninjured.

Zhu Yu inserted her hands into Zhuang Lanlan’s loose hair, carefully feeling for her skull from the forehead to the back of the head, not daring to miss a spot. She found that Zhuang Lanlan’s skull was intact without blood clots or injuries, internal or external.

She then went to the door to fetch some items prepared by the Jingzhao Mansion’s coroner — scallions, pepper, and white plum — and carefully wiped Zhuang Lanlan’s body, inspecting every part.

After such efforts, no other injuries appeared on Zhuang Lanlan’s body, confirming to Zhu Yu that she was likely caught off guard when someone stabbed her in the chest, piercing straight through to the back.

The stab was quite clean and swift, leaving no room for preparation or avoidance for Zhuang Lanlan.

It is estimated that the poor girl hadn’t even had time to react before her name was crossed off the book of life by King Yama.

First, Zhu Yu examined the lower part of Zhuang Lanlan, then, gauging the pressure, she gently pressed from her chest down to her navel.

Zhuang Lanlan’s lower abdomen had a noticeable rigidity, unlike the texture of other parts of her body.

Having made a judgment in her heart, after examining Zhuang Lanlan inside and out, Zhu Yu once again focused on the knife wound on her chest.

At first glance, the wound seemed unremarkable, just an incision left by a sharp weapon cutting through the flesh, but a closer look revealed something unusual.

The wound was approximately two inches wide, with the skin and flesh in the middle slightly curling inward, and the coloration deep, a dark red.

However, there was no sign of curling on the skin and flesh on both sides of the wound, and the exposed cut had a ghastly pale appearance.

Zhu Yu took another look at the wound on Zhuang Lanlan’s back, noting its length.

The wound on the back had consistent curling of the skin and flesh throughout, and its coloration remained uniform.

Zhu Yu frowned in thought, but soon her brow smoothed out.

She covered Zhuang Lanlan with the sheet again, opened the door of the corpse room, and found that Lu Qing had already had people prepare hot charcoal and vinegar, waiting for her to come out.

Following tradition, Zhu Yu stepped over a vinegar-water pot, and the sour steam purified her as she came to Lu Qing’s side.

About to speak to Lu Qing, she saw him signaling toward Cao Tianbao and knew what to do. She bypassed Lu Qing and went directly to Cao Tianbao, saying, "Great General, I have carefully examined the girl’s body.

This girl was killed with a single stab, the knife penetrating her chest with great force and accuracy.

Before being murdered, she had sexual intercourse with someone, and based on my initial examination, she appeared to be two to three months pregnant at the time of death."

Cao Tianbao looked shocked and immediately turned to his nephew Cao Chenfeng, who was kneeling nearby.

Cao Chenfeng’s face was already ashen, and hearing that Zhuang Lanlan was pregnant, he looked even more lifeless. He hurriedly crawled forward on his knees, trembling as he reached his uncle’s feet, saying, "Uncle, it was only that night she told me she was pregnant and in panic, I hurriedly left, but I truly did not kill her!"

Cao Tianbao ignored him and instead asked Zhu Yu, "Have you discovered anything else?"

Zhu Yu nodded and asked Cao Chenfeng, "Could you lend me the knife you usually carry for a look, Mr. Cao?"