CHAPTER 612: CHAPTER 399: IS THE MURDERER THE CROWN PRINCE?

Chapter 399

After laughing, Liu Qingsong spoke of his concerns, "Your reasoning makes sense, but what worries me is not that. So many people will be watching this time! Just like before I had ever witnessed an autopsy, I thought the job of a forensic doctor was pretty cool, but the first time I saw one, I felt so sick that I couldn’t eat for a day or two."

Compared to a fresh human body, an autopsy on a corpse that has undergone certain decay is, sensorially, more repulsive than performing a regular surgery. Just like how many people can stomach slaughtering a live chicken, but few can handle stripping a dead one that’s been decomposing for seven or eight days, crawling with maggots and stinking to high heaven.

Seeing Ran Yan deep in thought, Liu Qingsong continued, "Liu Pinrang and the others can accept it because they are in a unique situation, often having to watch and examine the autopsy process firsthand, giving them a certain psychological foundation. And the officials below might have many things they have to compromise on, but it’s different with the Emperor and those old Imperial Physicians at the Imperial Medical Bureau, many of whom are defenders of morality; they could easily cause you deadly trouble."

Rumors are more frightening than tigers.

Liu Qingsong also recalled the several autopsies Ran Yan mentioned having done in Suzhou, and after careful reflection, he noted: Most of the autopsies she performed before were private affairs; in fact, not many people had watched the whole process. And just like Liu Pinrang and the others who demanded an autopsy, they did it out of self-interest, secretly and without the knowledge of the deceased’s family. They would not only keep it to themselves but would also do their best to conceal it.

If the matter were to leak out, the first to get pointed spines would not be Ran Yan, but them.

So, in Suzhou, the word on the street was only that she performed the duties of a forensic doctor. The Great Tang’s populace’s impression of the forensic profession still revolved around "touching and observing" the corpse, so the gossip didn’t seem too unacceptable to them. Besides astonishment, at most, they would feel that Ran Yan touching corpses was disgusting or ominous.

But this time... It’s really hard to predict good or bad fortune.

Liu Qingsong lost himself in thought for a moment, then suddenly became optimistic again, "Actually, you needn’t worry too much. I trust the Emperor will not allow the matter of dissecting corpses to be spread, right?"

Ran Yan looked at him expressionlessly, as if the one who was overly worried or overly optimistic was him!

No one knew that Liu Qingsong was also capable of performing autopsies, so the danger he was implicated in was much less than that for Ran Yan. Although Ran Yan despised Liu Qingsong’s restlessness, she was touched in her heart; his alternating worry and joy were mostly out of concern for her safety.

After returning to the residence, Ran Yan did not first go to see Xiao Song and the children but went to the bathhouse, using pelargonium and traditional Chinese medicinal herbs to bathe and cleanse herself of the corpse stench.

Afterward, she put on loose robes with a crossed collar and went to the Water Pavilion.

The three children had long since woken up and were sitting in a row on the felt mats, listening to Xiao Song tell a story.

Ran Yan couldn’t tell if it was because Xiao Song’s voice was too appealing or if the little ones truly understood the story, but they were all sitting there quietly. Ruoruo was the first to notice Ran Yan, happily crying out and stretching out little hands to be held.

Ran Yan smiled faintly, walked over and bent down to pick her up. Xiao the eldest and Xiao the second also crawled over to hug her legs. In no time, Ran Yan was encumbered with several koala-like children.

The children are all recognizing people now," Ran Yan said, her expression softening as she looked at the three of them.

Xiao Song had the surrounding maids retreat and pulled the two little ones off her. After Ran Yan sat down, she also kissed their little faces, and Xiao the eldest and Xiao the second happily clapped their chubby little hands, giggling.

"My lady," Xiao Song said sourly, "you’ve never been so affectionate with me."

Ran Yan paused for a moment and then leaned over to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"To be so jealous of the children at your age," Ran Yan remarked.

Xiao Song smiled contentedly, not minding at all, and took his two sons in his arms, asking, "How did it go today?"

"The Emperor has requested an autopsy," Ran Yan said, getting straight to the point without wasting words.

With that statement, Xiao Song could immediately infer many things, such as the Emperor personally attending and the Emperor would not speak of such matters openly, meaning he must have summoned them privately again...

"My lady has had a hard day," Xiao Song said, looking at her softly.

Ran Yan smiled slightly and then said, "Following your advice, I managed to hide some clues."

Xiao Song was surprised. He had always thought she was different from ordinary women, but now he realized he had underestimated his own wife; in the entire imperial court, not to mention deceiving the current Emperor, there were very few who even had the guts to try.