125 — Cut Open The Neck

Mechanical asphyxiation cases were split into two main categories. One was an external force exerted on a person, and the other was a blockage of air passageways. For the latter to happen, the person might have swallowed a liquid or solid that made them stop breathing, while the former was clearly done by someone else making sure you couldn’t breathe.

It was obvious that this was a case of the former.

“If Madam Liang’s breathing was restricted, she wouldn’t die immediately,” Song Caitang raised one finger, “During the first phase, it’s alright even if you can’t breathe, since the air temporarily stored in the body can provide the oxygen that the body needs. Everyone can hold their breath for a while, after all. If the killer moved their hand away, her life would not be in danger and nothing bad would happen to her.”

“It won’t be too uncomfortable either. If she woke up, she might have even told the servants not to make any commotion.”

“If the air in the body is all used up and the killer has not moved their hand away, the body will suffer from a lack of oxygen and her breathing would become faster and harder, as she would use all her might to breathe. Her inhalation would be greater than her exhalation, so her heart rate would definitely quicken and her arteries would swell.”

Song Caitang raised a second finger, “During this process, her heart would have been working very hard. She would have wished that someone would save her and must have tried screaming…”

“If we could have done a dissection at that point, you would see that the heart would be swollen to a point where capillaries would burst and it would be an obvious purplish blue.”

“And if the killer still refuses to let go, her reflexes would kick in. Her exhalation would become greater than her inhalation, she would slowly lose her consciousness, her muscles would tense up and her back would arch backward – during this process, she might lose control of her bowel movement and she might not even be able to shout for help anymore.”

That was the third phase.

“If the killer continues holding on, her breathing would stop temporarily, the muscle tension would disappear, and her heart rate would go down…” Song Caitang raised a fourth finger, “And till this point, as long as the killer is willing to stop, she still can be saved.”

Song Caitang’s gaze was bright as she stared straight at Mi Xiaowen, “After that, she would take a deep breath from time to time, her pupils would dilate and her body would relax, until the point she stops breathing.”

Being suffocated to death was a common method used in homicide cases and the authorities had seen a good number of them, so nobody was really surprised. At most, they would just sigh and say that it was a pity. But now that Song Caitang had broken every step down in such detail, it seemed… so much more terrifying.

“Every person’s body is different, each person can hold their breath for a different amount of time. From the time when your breathing is restricted, until the time your heart slows down and finally stops, this entire process actually takes a lot longer than you imagine. The suffering that such victims go through, according to those who were rescued from such situations, is one they would never want to go through ever again.”

Song Caitang looked at Mi Xiaowen, “I hear that Squire Mi is a filial son.”

Mi Xiaowen was too horrified by her description earlier to take issue with her.

This was really frightening. And if his mother had really been tortured little by little, thrown into a suffering filled with despair, and dying such a slow and painful death…

His expression crumpled for the first time. He dared not look at his mother’s dead body anymore.

Song Caitang went on, “So, I suppose you won’t mind if I dissect her body.”

Mi Xiaowen stared blankly at her, “Wh-whut?”

“Dissect her body,” Song Caitang had already picked out a scalpel from her other box and it gleamed brightly in her hand, “After all, that’s what I do best.”

Mi Xiaowen was still thinking about how much his mother had suffered while dying and nodded without giving what Song Caitang said much thought, “Alright.”

Wen Yuansi knew Song Caitang had done that on purpose. Once she had convinced Mi Xiaowen, nobody else would protest.

What a clever young lady!

Since Mi Xiaowen had already agreed, Song Caitang did not wait any longer. She rotated the scalpel in her hand and made a cut in the victim’s neck.

The victim had died for too long, so it would be too hard to check for things like blood clots, water retention, blood under the skin, bruises, the color of the blood, or even whether the internal organs suffered any bleeding. And because the victim had been severely ill before she died, it was also normal for her head to be swollen, to suffer incontinence and things like that. Cutting her organs open was not going to help with the investigation.

But there one thing that was worth looking for.

During the process of suffocation, the victim would have tried to breathe very, very hard. If the killer had used something soft to cover her face, she would definitely have breathed something in. What the killer used would appear in her windpipe or somewhere along her respiratory system. If all went well, Song Caitang was certain she would be able to find it.

She made an incision by placing the tip of the blade in the middle of the chin, then cut downward into the mouth cavity, cutting left and right along the inside, pulling out the tongue, then cutting through the pharyngeal wall and gullet…

The corpse was completely dry, so it was void of blood or flesh, and even the arteries had shrunk. Yet, Song Caitang still knew exactly where to make an incision and how to cut through the body!

The dry corpse did not carry the usual stench and it wasn’t as horrifying to watch as the dissection of a freshly dead body, so everyone felt bolder and were willing to stand right next to Song Caitang. They were able to take a much closer look than before.

Everyone watched as she gently but firmly pulled out the victim’s tongue, gullet and other parts like she had done this a million times. There was nothing but pure admiration in their eyes!

Miss Song was indeed capable!

By the time Mi Xiaowen finally realized what was going on…

His mother had already been sliced open!

“Found it!”

Song Caitang took a pair of tweezers and pulled something out.

Everyone could see it very clearly. It was a ball of cotton.

And there wasn’t just one ball. There was more in the victim’s windpipe!

Who would breathe so much cotton in? Madam Liang had died lying on her bed, not lying in a cotton field.

The answer was very clear.

“There are some things that will fade with time, but there are some things that don’t change even as time passes and are just waiting for you to dig them up and find them. That’s why we inspect and dissect dead bodies.”

Her brows were lifted and her gaze burning, “Someone must have used a soft pillow to cover her face and suffocated her to death. There is no other possibility.”

This was a murder!

Song Caitang had reached a conclusive conclusion, and Wen Yuansi was even prouder and stood even straighter than her. Even his gaze was more stern and resolute, “I’m sorry, but I will have to continue further investigation on this case and I hope the Mis will cooperate with the authorities.”

Wait, what?!

Further investigation?!

Mi Xiaowen’s first reaction was to protest, “No! Why do we have to go through this trouble?” Didn’t they already agree to close the case today?

“I said, if we don’t find anything suspicious about the case, I will close the case immediately, which will make things easier for both yourself and myself,” said Wen Yuansi slowly, “But now that we have evidence…”

Mi Xiaowen got it now. He pointed at Wen Yuansi and shouted angrily, “You tricked me!”

The young man had been so friendly and so good with words, but it was because this was his plan all along!

Wen Yuansi smiled faintly to reveal his pearly whites.

Mi Xiaowen was about to cough up blood from how angry he was.

Evidence had been found and it had been officially recorded. Song Caitang started sewing up the body and said, “Squire Mi, please watch your words. Your mother is watching.”

Her voice was clear and unhurried. It didn’t sound angry and did not sound antagonistic, but it was enough to stop Mi Xiaowen from going ballistic.

“I hear that the Mis place a lot of emphasis on filial piety, and the moral values of family members is important, because you don’t want to disgrace the empress. Right now, we have found out that the late Madam Liang has not been resting in peace, because she has died a wrongful death, yet you’re not willing to investigate the truth? If others find out about this…”

“Madam Liang was the one who gave birth to you and brought you up, and she’s the one who gave you all the blessings you enjoy now.”

Song Caitang didn’t have to go on. Mi Xiaowen knew what would happen next.

Not only would others call him unfilial, but they would accuse him of having no conscience. If this matter blew up, not only would the Mi family be ruined, but the empress would also not help the family!

Like the saying goes, don’t bite the hand that feeds you!

So, Mi Xiaowen had no choice but to agree to an investigation of his mother’s murderer…

“Fine, I’ll let you investigate!” Mi Xiaowen narrowed his eyes maliciously and snorted twice, “My family will cooperate with the investigation! But if you end up spending a long time without finding anything…”

He didn’t complete his sentence and stared threateningly at Wen Yuansi.

Wen Yuansi remained calm and his smile only grew wider, “If we can’t find anything, then that will definitely be a blemish on my reputation and it will make it hard for me to be promoted in the future. If that happens, then Squire Mi will be implicated too, since others will misunderstand what sort of person you are and your reputation would take a hit too… so, I’d like to apologize in advance should that happen.”

What did that mean?

Wen Yuansi was going to drag him down as well even if the investigation didn’t turn out well?

Mi Xiaowen’s teeth chattered in fury.

Wen Yuansi was an official and he was just an ordinary citizen, but reputation was very important to Mi Xiaowen. Their names had a “xiao” in it, which was the word that meant filial piety, so they couldn’t afford to allow anyone to say they weren’t filial!

Wen Yuansi glanced at Song Caitang to find that she was almost done with the sewing. He continued putting his papers together as he said to Mi Xiaowen, “I’d have to trouble you to gather everyone connected to the case, and I’ll do some questioning tomorrow.”

Mi Xiaowen was scowling angrily, but there was nothing else he could do.

Neither Wen Yuansi nor Song Caitang cared about his opinion at all, and did not care if he thought well or poorly of them at all. They used their words to trap him again and again and now he couldn’t get out of this!

He thought that he was a clever man, yet he had been played out this time. From the moment these two had stepped into his house until now, he had never had control over the situation. He had just been led on by them!

And now, there was nothing he could do to turn the situation around.

He had no choice but to agree to this arrangement.

“Fine! We’ll do what you say!” Mi Xiaowen gnashed his teeth, “If you can’t find the killer, I’ll make sure you can’t be a magistrate anymore!”

Wen Yuansi raised an eyebrow, “Wow, that’s some motivation coming from you, Squire Mi. I’ll be sure to work even harder on the case.”

That was NOT motivation!!!!

“Why, you…”

While the two of them were squabbling, Song Caitang was done sewing up the body.

Mi Xiaowen’s attention was clearly already drawn away from his mother’s body, but Song Caitang could not do that.

She took a warm, damp cloth to slowly wipe the deceased’s body, then put her clothes back on one by one.

After the autopsy, her body was still dry, but the color looked better. Her face even looked more kindly.

Song Caitang picked up her hand and carefully adjusted her sleeve so that it didn’t get caught on her broken nail.

She then put a fresh piece of cloth inside the coffin before carrying the body and placing it back inside.

After one last look at the body, she lowered her gaze and said, “Close the coffin.”

---

By the time Song Caitang and Wen Yuansi got down the mountain and back to the city and bid farewell to the Mis, it was evening.

“It’s been a long day. If Miss Song doesn’t mind, perhaps we could have a meal together?”

Song Caitang actually really missed Guan Wan’s cooking, but after a long and busy day, she didn’t have much of an appetite. And if she couldn’t eat much, that would make the girl so sad.

Given Guan Wan’s recent behavior, it was better if she didn’t go home to eat. If she went home, Guan Wan would end up cooking an entire table’s worth of food for her.

As an orphan, Song Caitang had always envied those who could go home to a lively, warm home filled with home cooked dishes. She had that option now, but this was the first time that option wasn’t appealing.

It was a nice feeling, still.

It could be burdensome, but it was a sweet sort of burdensome.

Family… was really something that made her feel warm and fuzzy inside. Something that made her want to protect and take care of them.

And so, Song Caitang agreed to have a meal with Wen Yuansi, “Sure.”

But little did Wen Yuansi know that this meal wasn’t going to only involve the two of them.

“Humph!! You didn’t tell me you were going out to play, and you were going to eat good food without telling me too?!”

Qi Yan popped out from absolutely nowhere, leaping in through the window when he smelled food.

“I want to eat too!”

He demanded to join the meal, and as an elegant gentleman, Wen Yuansi couldn’t throw him out. He could only smile and invite him to eat, “Sure. I was just thinking about how it’s sad I didn’t get to speak more to you, Mr. Qi.”

Qi Yan did not notice that the smile on Wen Yuansi’s face had stiffened or that his tone of voice was more unnatural than usual as he plonked down unceremoniously onto the chair. “I just knew you liked me! Not like Brother Zhi – he totally thinks that way, but he always sounds like he can’t stand me!”

Wen Yuansi was speechless. Couldn’t he put it in another way?!

Song Caitang was tired from the day’s activity and her brain wasn’t really working anymore. She picked up her chopsticks and looked at the appetizers on the table, thinking about whether she wanted to eat the shredded potato, carrot and onion salad first, or the braised duck tongue first. She didn’t pay any attention to the conversation between the two men until Qi Yan started talking about the female corpse that was fished out the other day.

“…That female corpse found that day? She’s been identified as a boat courtesan! She’s one of Miaoyin Court’s biggest names, Yuetao!”

She had been identified?

Song Caitang’s brain suddenly woke up and she furrowed her pretty brows, “Boat courtesan? You mean the courtesans on those large, decorated boats that are supposed to compete with one another soon?”

“That’s them!” Qi Yan slapped his thigh, “And a lot of people had bet on her! Too bad, all their money’s going down the drain!”

Song Caitang recalled the way that female corpse had been dressed. Her clothing was pretty and expensive, and even though she had suffered abuse, Song Caitang could tell that she had put in a lot of effort to upkeep her beauty. Her skin glowed, her fingers were smooth and supple, her nails were painted and her hair was black and shiny as silk. It would make sense for her to be a boat courtesan.

Wen Yuansi asked, “What was the last thing she did before she died, and have they found any suspects?”

“What else would a courtesan be doing? She was with customers, and she was at a really big party too! Suspects, you say? There are SO MANY of them! Every guest at that party would be a suspect!”

Qi Yan was someone who loved juicy gossip and loved to tell others about it, so he quickly started telling them everything he knew.

The victim, Yuetao, was a boat courtesan. She was one of the biggest names of her courtesan house and enjoyed a roaring business. Because of the upcoming top courtesan competition, she was invited to more events than she could attend. Just the day before, which was the Ghost Festival, there were parties being held everywhere and Yuetao had gone to three that day. The one held really late at night was one held by a whole bunch of young men, all sons to wealthy fathers, so they were all pretty well-known around town…

“…Yuetao was quite young, so the customers were all used to letting her have her way, and she was quite bold as a result too. Firstly, she threw a tantrum with Mi Gaojie, while Fan Zishi was the mediator…”

Song Caitang had gone to investigate a case involving a family with the surname Mi, and had just conducted an autopsy for the late matriarch of the family, so she immediately picked up on the surname and asked, “Mi Gaojie? Which Mi family does he belong to? Do you know?”

“Of course,” Qi Yan unfolded his fan with flourish and thought he looked really cool, “Of course I know a thing or two about all these suspects. This Mi Gaojie is the son of the current head of the Mi family. You know which Mi family it is, right? The one especially famous in Luanze? The one with connections to the empress…”

Wen Yuansi gripped his wine cup, “Is Mi Gaojie’s father called Mi Xiaowen?”

“Oh my! How did you know?” Qi Yan folded his fan again and stared wide-eyed at Wen Yuansi.

Wen Yuansi looked at Song Caitang. He wasn’t the only one who knew that name.

Song Caitang looked very surprised too.

She didn’t expect to find two linked cases again, and she was surprised by the way these cases were even linked.

“Doesn’t the Mi family emphasize on morals and filial piety, in particular? Aren’t the men of the family supposed to be well-behaved and upright people? Why would one of them be found at such a party?”