Ran Yan lifted over the burning patches of Atractylodes and Gleditsia Sinensis* on the coffin. She then put on her gloves and carefully flipped over the bones in the coffin. Because the corpse had been buried for some time, the information and clues about the corpse and its surroundings gradually disappeared due to environmental influences, nearby plants, and the weather. Moreover, the corpse had been moved and with its original appearance destroyed, examining the corpse would be a difficult task.
Based on the evidence presented on the bone, Ran Yan could tell that the corpse belonged to a woman aged between 24 and 30 years old. There were obvious scarrings on the pelvic bones and a blackish-green discoloration on the bones was a shocking sight to behold. In such a situation, one would suspect that the deceased had been poisoned before her death. As for the poison used against the deceased, the first thing that came into Ran Yan’s mind was arsenic.
However, not all poisoned corpses would turn black, and not all corpses with black discoloration were necessarily poisoned. The human body would turn black when the bones undergo oxidation and degradation through organic matter. So this train of thought could only be an assumption.
The main component of this poison could be arsenic. If the deceased did indeed die of arsenic poisoning, then the deceased’s bones must have contained traces of arsenic. However, there were no advanced medical tools in the Tang Dynasty. How can she determine that the decedent’s bones did contain poison?
This was a problem. Ran Yan paused and glanced at Su Fu. He would rather show his naked body than examine the corpse. This was challenging for her. Did he trust her so much that if she could not do an autopsy on the body, no one in Datang could? Or is it that he could not find anyone, so he had to agree to her demands? This time, he was just looking for someone to fill-in?
Su Fu was acutely aware of her gaze. He raised his eyes to match with hers. At that instant, he caught a glimpse of determination flashing through her eyes. That pair of eyes were filled with resolution and confidence. Su Fu looked away indifferently and his gaze fell back on the body being examined.
After observing, Ran Yan raised her hand and kept pressing on the bones. When her hands reached the spine, she noticed something strange. She beckoned a man with a torch to come closer. She lowered her head and carefully examined the fractures along the second and third sternum1https://www.yorku.ca/earmstro/journey/sternum.html .
There was a black substance inside the fractures. The substance was likely to be left from the oxidation and the weathering of the soft tissues of the corpse. Therefore, this fracture was not something that would happen during the process of transporting the corpse. However, as to whether it was caused before or after her death, further examination was needed.
This part was close to the heart and lungs. It’s worth a shot if there was such fracture.
Ran Yan continued pressing downward; the pelvic, pubic, and leg bones were normal. When she reached the foot, she carefully observed the missing toe on the corpse’s left foot. The incision on the foot was executed well. It could be concluded that the toe had been amputated before her death. In addition, after the amputation, the person had lived for a minimum of half a year.
After the examination, Ran Yan approached the men and picked up a pen. Everyone expected her to write the results of the autopsy, but what she wrote was a single sentence: Can the bones be damaged?
She took the paper and handed it over to Su Fu.
Su Fu took a look at the paper, held it, and asked, “He asked if he could damage the bones.”
The leader whispered a few words to the person next to him. The person replied, “Yes, but we have to know the reason for damaging the bones.”
Ran Yan bowed down and wrote a few words on the paper. She then handed the notes to Su Fu. “The bones turned black. I suspect she was poisoned by arsenic, but I can’t ascertain this claim. After some tests, we will get the exact results.”
The leader slightly nodded, indicating that she could begin.
Ran Yan didn’t immediately start. Instead, she asked Su Fu to borrow a broadsword. A strand of hair was cut from the corpse together with a rib near the stomach.
When the men saw the bone, they couldn’t help but feel their bodies chilling. Su Fu, the only one who knew that Ran Yan was a woman, felt even stranger.
Ran Yan, however, was focused on the tests. She first placed the rib above the fire until smoke came out from it, she then quickly put the rib close to the broadsword blade.
In 1790, a chemist discovered that if there was arsenic in the material, after the material was heated, and a cool metal plate was placed above the steam, there would be a white arsenic oxide layer on the metal plate.
This was the solution for their limited tools. Ran Yan narrowed her eyes and saw a layer of frost-like, white dust appearing on the broadsword blade. She gently swept it over the paper with a small brush. In fear that the material would be blown by the wind, she immediately wrapped it up before anyone could see it.
Then, she used the same method to test the hair.
Most people believed that if a person died from arsenic, most of the toxins would be in the deceased’s body. On the contrary, if a person were to die from arsenic, the most toxic part of the body would be the hair.
After storing a lot of arsenic oxide, Ran Yan continued to study the fracture on the spine. The fracture was near the second and third segments of the chest, close to the heart and lungs. The fracture was inflicted from the right side. The fracture was quite neat, and there was no sign of healing. So it is speculated that this wound was inflicted after her death.
Ran Yan believed that after the murderer had killed the deceased with poison, the murderer then stabbed the deceased’s heart and lungs with a sword to create a different judgment on the cause of death. So, she carefully examined the ribs corresponding to these vertebrae, and she looked over and over until she finally found a small scar on the upper side of the fourth rib on the left. Perhaps, this scar could be seen clearer on the newer bones, but this bone has been slightly weathered. A tiny scar such as this could hardly be noticed by anyone.
This discovery led Ran Yan to conclude that the deceased was stabbed after her death. There were many explanations for this action. One possibility was for the murderer to vent their anger. Another was for the perpetrator to make sure that the target was truly dead by stabbing the body. There was a possibility that the murderer did it to confuse the coroner’s judgment on the corpse. There was also another possibility that the murder weapon stabbed in the deceased’s heart was coated with a large amount of arsenic…
Ran Yan preferred the two latter possibilities. If the wounds were made out of anger, why would the assailant merely knife the body? It would take at least two or three stabs to sate one’s anger! She carefully examined the corpse just now; there were no other scars on the bones.
Ran Yan splashed vinegar on the burning patches of Atractylodes and Gleditsia sinensis on the coffin. A whiff of smoke from the burning patches brushed along her nose. She pulled Su Fu to step away and signaled for others to follow suit.
Then, Ran Yan sat down and wrote a comprehensive report of her autopsy on the paper. She kept note of Su Fu’s instructions to change her handwriting, so she deliberately wrote the autopsy report with her left hand. Ran Yan had practiced writing with her left hand in the past. Although her handwriting was messy, the writing pace was not slow.
After writing five pages, Ran Yan paused and handed the five pages along with two wrapped papers to Su Fu.
Su Fu glanced at the wrapped papers and while holding the paper upward, he said, “The remains of arsenic inside the corpse were taken out by me. I have them wrapped in these two pieces of paper. If you doubt me, you can take it for testing.”
Su Fu handed over the two wrapped papers to the man in black followed by the autopsy results.
The man took advantage of the brightness from the torch and skimmed over the paper. The more he read, the more surprised he became. There has never been anyone who could make an autopsy finding as detailed as this. All sorts of speculations were even contained in the paper. What surprised him, even more, was that the paper included the angle and the position of when the knife was thrust into the body. There were also speculations on the positions the deceased have assumed before she had been stabbed.
These reports were made because of Ran Yan’s compulsive professionalism. Once she starts writing an autopsy report, she would dig out all the details to the point where nobody could question her findings.
“Ziqi, where did you find this coroner?” The leader suddenly spoke out. His voice was clear and attractive. It was the voice of a young man.
The young man was speaking to Su Fu.
Ran Yan made the conjunction that the “Ziqi” might be Su Fu’s other name. Su Fu, Su Ziqi.
“He’s not one of my men. Since this matter has been concluded, we will leave.” Su Fu’s voice was frosty, especially in the wilderness; it caused people to feel cold.
The young man didn’t care about Su Fu’s tone. He smiled lightly and said, “Let us meet again in the future.”
“Don’t forget your promise!” Su Fu didn’t want to be polite with him and coldly reminded him.
Ran Yan saw Su Fu turn around to leave. She hurriedly picked up her toolbox and followed.
The wilderness was quiet, left with only the crackling sounds of the scorching flame. The air was filled with the sour smell of Atractylodes, Gleditsia sinensis, and vinegar.
The rugged man looked at Su Fu as he walked away. He lowered his voice and asked, “Sir, do you want to track him?”
“Track?” The young man sneered and seemed to remember something. He unhappily replied, “Are you sure he won’t discover you? You’ve known him for so long, when have you seen him show mercy?!”
The rugged man became silent. Previously, his master sent people to follow Su Fu. Unfortunately, not only did they fail to inquire about Su Fu’s background, they all have been killed. His master even received a warning in return. As a result, his master was enraged.
A trace of malice flashed through the young man’s eyes. He muttered to himself, “Ziqi if you won’t work for me, I will take down your head at all costs.”
Although this remark was only said as a warning, his men became silent.
Su Fu and Ran Yan have walked for around two hundred feet, and only after they had passed the mountain did Su Fu start carrying her and running away.
He did not send Ran Yan to Yingmei Nunnery but instead went directly to his secluded bamboo courtyard.
As it was already the middle of the month, the flowers in the bamboo courtyard were beautiful, it swayed alongside the mountain breeze. Su Fu pulled off a towel and walked inside the room as if there was nobody inside the courtyard. His posture was natural as he raised his hand to unfasten his black coat. Afterward, he stepped inside the room.
Ran Yan was stunned. She thought to herself: Isn’t this her reward being fulfilled? With this thought in mind, she hurriedly placed down the cumbersome toolbox and followed Su Fu inside.
Su Fu only took off his clothes and loosened his hair. After washing his hands, he put on a new coat, and then picked up two cups of tea before he walked out. Seeing her block the door, he apathetically said, “Move.”
Ran Yan gulped down her saliva, thinking that it was hot in here, and slowly got out of her state of shock. She retreated to the side and then said, “I don’t want just a casual inspection. What I want is a careful inspection in a well-lit place.”
Su Fu took a sip of tea as he stood in front of the corridor. He hung the robe behind his broad shoulders. He stood there like a calm mountain. The moonlight shone on his side like a reflection of a blade, and it reflected the cockscomb flowers2https://archive.shine.cn/sunday/now-and-then/TCM-Treasures-Cockscomb-flower-%E9%B8%A1%E5%86%A0%E8%8A%B1/shdaily.shtml in front of him. This view was ethereal.
Ran Yan stared at this breathtaking scene and unconsciously held her breath …
*Atractylodes – A plant with its root being used for obesity, indigestion, stomach ache, bloating, fluid retention, diarrhea, loss of appetite, sweating, night blindness, weight loss due to cancer, allergies to dust mites, and joint pain (rheumatism). It is also used for colds, flu, and fever.
Gleditsia sinensis – Gleditsia sinensis has been used in China for at least 2000 years as a detergent. The thorns of Gleditsia sinensis LAM. (Leguminosae) have been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases including swelling, suppuration, carbuncle, and skin diseases.
*The sternum has three parts: the manubrium, the body, and the xiphoid process. I assume from this chapter that the second and third part of the sternum that Ran Yan was talking about is the body and the xiphoid process of the sternum.
Ran Yan lifted over the burning patches of Atractylodes and Gleditsia Sinensis* on the coffin. She then put on her gloves and carefully flipped over the bones in the coffin. Because the corpse had been buried for some time, the information and clues about the corpse and its surroundings gradually disappeared due to environmental influences, nearby plants, and the weather. Moreover, the corpse had been moved and with its original appearance destroyed, examining the corpse would be a difficult task.
Based on the evidence presented on the bone, Ran Yan could tell that the corpse belonged to a woman aged between 24 and 30 years old. There were obvious scarrings on the pelvic bones and a blackish-green discoloration on the bones was a shocking sight to behold. In such a situation, one would suspect that the deceased had been poisoned before her death. As for the poison used against the deceased, the first thing that came into Ran Yan’s mind was arsenic.
However, not all poisoned corpses would turn black, and not all corpses with black discoloration were necessarily poisoned. The human body would turn black when the bones undergo oxidation and degradation through organic matter. So this train of thought could only be an assumption.
The main component of this poison could be arsenic. If the deceased did indeed die of arsenic poisoning, then the deceased’s bones must have contained traces of arsenic. However, there were no advanced medical tools in the Tang Dynasty. How can she determine that the decedent’s bones did contain poison?
This was a problem. Ran Yan paused and glanced at Su Fu. He would rather show his naked body than examine the corpse. This was challenging for her. Did he trust her so much that if she could not do an autopsy on the body, no one in Datang could? Or is it that he could not find anyone, so he had to agree to her demands? This time, he was just looking for someone to fill-in?
Su Fu was acutely aware of her gaze. He raised his eyes to match with hers. At that instant, he caught a glimpse of determination flashing through her eyes. That pair of eyes were filled with resolution and confidence. Su Fu looked away indifferently and his gaze fell back on the body being examined.
After observing, Ran Yan raised her hand and kept pressing on the bones. When her hands reached the spine, she noticed something strange. She beckoned a man with a torch to come closer. She lowered her head and carefully examined the fractures along the second and third sternum1https://www.yorku.ca/earmstro/journey/sternum.html .
There was a black substance inside the fractures. The substance was likely to be left from the oxidation and the weathering of the soft tissues of the corpse. Therefore, this fracture was not something that would happen during the process of transporting the corpse. However, as to whether it was caused before or after her death, further examination was needed.
This part was close to the heart and lungs. It’s worth a shot if there was such fracture.
Ran Yan continued pressing downward; the pelvic, pubic, and leg bones were normal. When she reached the foot, she carefully observed the missing toe on the corpse’s left foot. The incision on the foot was executed well. It could be concluded that the toe had been amputated before her death. In addition, after the amputation, the person had lived for a minimum of half a year.
After the examination, Ran Yan approached the men and picked up a pen. Everyone expected her to write the results of the autopsy, but what she wrote was a single sentence: Can the bones be damaged?
She took the paper and handed it over to Su Fu.
Su Fu took a look at the paper, held it, and asked, “He asked if he could damage the bones.”
The leader whispered a few words to the person next to him. The person replied, “Yes, but we have to know the reason for damaging the bones.”
Ran Yan bowed down and wrote a few words on the paper. She then handed the notes to Su Fu. “The bones turned black. I suspect she was poisoned by arsenic, but I can’t ascertain this claim. After some tests, we will get the exact results.”
The leader slightly nodded, indicating that she could begin.
Ran Yan didn’t immediately start. Instead, she asked Su Fu to borrow a broadsword. A strand of hair was cut from the corpse together with a rib near the stomach.
When the men saw the bone, they couldn’t help but feel their bodies chilling. Su Fu, the only one who knew that Ran Yan was a woman, felt even stranger.
Ran Yan, however, was focused on the tests. She first placed the rib above the fire until smoke came out from it, she then quickly put the rib close to the broadsword blade.
In 1790, a chemist discovered that if there was arsenic in the material, after the material was heated, and a cool metal plate was placed above the steam, there would be a white arsenic oxide layer on the metal plate.
This was the solution for their limited tools. Ran Yan narrowed her eyes and saw a layer of frost-like, white dust appearing on the broadsword blade. She gently swept it over the paper with a small brush. In fear that the material would be blown by the wind, she immediately wrapped it up before anyone could see it.
Then, she used the same method to test the hair.
Most people believed that if a person died from arsenic, most of the toxins would be in the deceased’s body. On the contrary, if a person were to die from arsenic, the most toxic part of the body would be the hair.
After storing a lot of arsenic oxide, Ran Yan continued to study the fracture on the spine. The fracture was near the second and third segments of the chest, close to the heart and lungs. The fracture was inflicted from the right side. The fracture was quite neat, and there was no sign of healing. So it is speculated that this wound was inflicted after her death.
Ran Yan believed that after the murderer had killed the deceased with poison, the murderer then stabbed the deceased’s heart and lungs with a sword to create a different judgment on the cause of death. So, she carefully examined the ribs corresponding to these vertebrae, and she looked over and over until she finally found a small scar on the upper side of the fourth rib on the left. Perhaps, this scar could be seen clearer on the newer bones, but this bone has been slightly weathered. A tiny scar such as this could hardly be noticed by anyone.
This discovery led Ran Yan to conclude that the deceased was stabbed after her death. There were many explanations for this action. One possibility was for the murderer to vent their anger. Another was for the perpetrator to make sure that the target was truly dead by stabbing the body. There was a possibility that the murderer did it to confuse the coroner’s judgment on the corpse. There was also another possibility that the murder weapon stabbed in the deceased’s heart was coated with a large amount of arsenic…
Ran Yan preferred the two latter possibilities. If the wounds were made out of anger, why would the assailant merely knife the body? It would take at least two or three stabs to sate one’s anger! She carefully examined the corpse just now; there were no other scars on the bones.
Ran Yan splashed vinegar on the burning patches of Atractylodes and Gleditsia sinensis on the coffin. A whiff of smoke from the burning patches brushed along her nose. She pulled Su Fu to step away and signaled for others to follow suit.
Then, Ran Yan sat down and wrote a comprehensive report of her autopsy on the paper. She kept note of Su Fu’s instructions to change her handwriting, so she deliberately wrote the autopsy report with her left hand. Ran Yan had practiced writing with her left hand in the past. Although her handwriting was messy, the writing pace was not slow.
After writing five pages, Ran Yan paused and handed the five pages along with two wrapped papers to Su Fu.
Su Fu glanced at the wrapped papers and while holding the paper upward, he said, “The remains of arsenic inside the corpse were taken out by me. I have them wrapped in these two pieces of paper. If you doubt me, you can take it for testing.”
Su Fu handed over the two wrapped papers to the man in black followed by the autopsy results.
The man took advantage of the brightness from the torch and skimmed over the paper. The more he read, the more surprised he became. There has never been anyone who could make an autopsy finding as detailed as this. All sorts of speculations were even contained in the paper. What surprised him, even more, was that the paper included the angle and the position of when the knife was thrust into the body. There were also speculations on the positions the deceased have assumed before she had been stabbed.
These reports were made because of Ran Yan’s compulsive professionalism. Once she starts writing an autopsy report, she would dig out all the details to the point where nobody could question her findings.
“Ziqi, where did you find this coroner?” The leader suddenly spoke out. His voice was clear and attractive. It was the voice of a young man.
The young man was speaking to Su Fu.
Ran Yan made the conjunction that the “Ziqi” might be Su Fu’s other name. Su Fu, Su Ziqi.
“He’s not one of my men. Since this matter has been concluded, we will leave.” Su Fu’s voice was frosty, especially in the wilderness; it caused people to feel cold.
The young man didn’t care about Su Fu’s tone. He smiled lightly and said, “Let us meet again in the future.”
“Don’t forget your promise!” Su Fu didn’t want to be polite with him and coldly reminded him.
Ran Yan saw Su Fu turn around to leave. She hurriedly picked up her toolbox and followed.
The wilderness was quiet, left with only the crackling sounds of the scorching flame. The air was filled with the sour smell of Atractylodes, Gleditsia sinensis, and vinegar.
The rugged man looked at Su Fu as he walked away. He lowered his voice and asked, “Sir, do you want to track him?”
“Track?” The young man sneered and seemed to remember something. He unhappily replied, “Are you sure he won’t discover you? You’ve known him for so long, when have you seen him show mercy?!”
The rugged man became silent. Previously, his master sent people to follow Su Fu. Unfortunately, not only did they fail to inquire about Su Fu’s background, they all have been killed. His master even received a warning in return. As a result, his master was enraged.
A trace of malice flashed through the young man’s eyes. He muttered to himself, “Ziqi if you won’t work for me, I will take down your head at all costs.”
Although this remark was only said as a warning, his men became silent.
Su Fu and Ran Yan have walked for around two hundred feet, and only after they had passed the mountain did Su Fu start carrying her and running away.
He did not send Ran Yan to Yingmei Nunnery but instead went directly to his secluded bamboo courtyard.
As it was already the middle of the month, the flowers in the bamboo courtyard were beautiful, it swayed alongside the mountain breeze. Su Fu pulled off a towel and walked inside the room as if there was nobody inside the courtyard. His posture was natural as he raised his hand to unfasten his black coat. Afterward, he stepped inside the room.
Ran Yan was stunned. She thought to herself: Isn’t this her reward being fulfilled? With this thought in mind, she hurriedly placed down the cumbersome toolbox and followed Su Fu inside.
Su Fu only took off his clothes and loosened his hair. After washing his hands, he put on a new coat, and then picked up two cups of tea before he walked out. Seeing her block the door, he apathetically said, “Move.”
Ran Yan gulped down her saliva, thinking that it was hot in here, and slowly got out of her state of shock. She retreated to the side and then said, “I don’t want just a casual inspection. What I want is a careful inspection in a well-lit place.”
Su Fu took a sip of tea as he stood in front of the corridor. He hung the robe behind his broad shoulders. He stood there like a calm mountain. The moonlight shone on his side like a reflection of a blade, and it reflected the cockscomb flowers2https://archive.shine.cn/sunday/now-and-then/TCM-Treasures-Cockscomb-flower-%E9%B8%A1%E5%86%A0%E8%8A%B1/shdaily.shtml in front of him. This view was ethereal.
Ran Yan stared at this breathtaking scene and unconsciously held her breath …
*Atractylodes – A plant with its root being used for obesity, indigestion, stomach ache, bloating, fluid retention, diarrhea, loss of appetite, sweating, night blindness, weight loss due to cancer, allergies to dust mites, and joint pain (rheumatism). It is also used for colds, flu, and fever.
Gleditsia sinensis – Gleditsia sinensis has been used in China for at least 2000 years as a detergent. The thorns of Gleditsia sinensis LAM. (Leguminosae) have been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases including swelling, suppuration, carbuncle, and skin diseases.
*The sternum has three parts: the manubrium, the body, and the xiphoid process. I assume from this chapter that the second and third part of the sternum that Ran Yan was talking about is the body and the xiphoid process of the sternum.
