景云元年,2月1日.洛阳市郊.
天还没亮,陈玄礼就已经带着手下在东宫门口等候了.
二十名卫兵,盔甲整齐,刀剑出鞘,弓弦已上.他站在队伍最前面,左臂还缠着昨天的绷带,但已换上一件崭新的黑色大斗篷.晨光尚未升起,火把的光芒照在他的脸上,勾勒出他眉宇间深邃的轮廓.
"殿下,人马已备好."陈玄礼攥拳放在胸前,鞠了一躬.
"我们走吧."
这次,他骑在我左边,陈玄礼在我右边.侦察兵开路,卫兵殿后.马蹄踏在冻土上,哒哒哒,不再像昨天那样孤寂.
"殿下,今天人是不是太多了?"
"不多."他瞥了我一眼."昨天发生的事不会再发生了."
他的声音很平静,但握着缰绳的手却微微收紧了.我突然想起昨天在乱葬岗里他的举动——他一把把我推上马背.果断,毫不犹豫.仿佛我的命比他的命更重要.
挖坟墓
当地平线开始变成鱼肚白的时候,我们再次到达了万人坑.
晨雾比昨日稀薄,但依然浓重.那些土堆在雾中隐约可见,宛如无声的坟墓.陈玄礼率部下先行侦察,确认无埋伏后才返回汇报.
"殿下,周围没有人."
他从马上跳下来,走过来扶我下马.他的左臂使不上劲,只好用右臂.
"青妍,你确定要下去吗?"
"我相信."
乱葬岗里的坟墓都没有墓碑.有些坟墓里插着一块木板,但上面的字迹早已被风吹雨打侵蚀殆尽.还有一些坟墓则完全没有墓碑,只有光秃秃的土堆.陈宣礼带领部下搜寻了很久,才在最东边找到了第五座坟墓.
"殿下,应该是这个."他指着土堆说,"第三排,第五座坟墓.位置对得上."
土堆很小,比周围的土堆都小.没有木牌,没有招魂幡,什么也没有.只留有匆匆埋葬的痕迹;土质与周围的土不同,又黑又重.
"挖,"他说.
卫兵们开始挖掘.铁锹插进泥土里,发出沉闷的撞击声.一铲又一铲的泥土被翻了过来,散发出腐臭的气味.我感到一阵恶心,但我强忍着.他站在我旁边,一言不发,只是递给我一块手帕.
"捂住鼻子."
我拿起手帕,贴在鼻子上.手帕上散发着沉香的香味——那是他的气味.
当他们挖到三英尺深时,铲子碰到了什么东西.声音不对劲;不是石头,而是——柔软的东西.
"Your Highness, we've reached it."
The guards stopped, looking at him. He walked over and squatted by the pit.
"Qingyan, you come."
Examining the Bones
I walked over and squatted beside him.
In the pit, a straw mat had mostly rotted away, revealing what lay inside—white bones.
Not complete skeletons. The clothes had rotted, the flesh had rotted, leaving only bones and some tendons that hadn't fully decomposed connecting them. The skull lay askew; the mandible had detached; several ribs near the sternum were broken in two, the bone color at the break points turned black.
I squatted there, my hand trembling slightly.
In Vancouver, I had seen bones in the laboratory. Those models were white, clean, odorless. The lab lights were white, the air cold, smelling of disinfectant.
But this was real. This was a person's. A person who had been killed, buried in a mass grave, left unclaimed for nearly a year.
"Qingyan." His voice came from behind, very soft. "Can you do it?"
"I can." I took a deep breath. The stench of decay in the fog mixed with the agarwood scent on his handkerchief, two scents intertwining like life and death layered in the same air. "Take the remains out. Carefully. Do not break the bones."
The guards took the bones out piece by piece, laying them on a white cloth they had brought. Skull, mandible, spine, ribs, limb bones. I squatted before the white cloth, examining them one by one.
Chen Xuanli dismissed the others to a distance, leaving only two men to guard the pit edge.
Finally, the morning light pierced through the fog. The first ray of sunlight fell on the white cloth, making that pile of bones gleam. I picked up the two broken ribs and held them up to the light.
"Your Highness, look here."
I pointed to the break points of the ribs. He leaned in, his shoulder touching mine.
"These two ribs are broken. The fracture surfaces are fresh, not caused by post-mortem decay. They were broken while the person was alive."
"Can you be sure?"
"Yes. When bones break after death, the fracture surfaces are flat and blunt because the bones are dry and brittle. When broken during life, the surfaces are sharp and acute because the bones are still wet and resilient. Look here—" I used tweezers to pick up a small bone fragment and held it before him. "The fracture is very sharp, like a blade edge. This indicates that when it broke, the bone was still alive. Blood was still flowing."
He took the bone fragment and rubbed it between his fingertips. Morning light fell on his hand, making that small piece of bone semi-transparent.
"And here." I put down the ribs and picked up the skull, turning it to the back. "There is a crack here. Not a natural crack, but caused by a heavy blow. Look at the shape of the crack—wide on the outside, narrow on the inside, like a wedge. This means it was struck from the outside with great force; the skull is even depressed."
"Fatal injury?"
"Likely. This single blow would be enough to cause immediate unconsciousness. And then—" I looked at the two broken ribs. "Then the ribs were broken. And then—"
I did not continue. There was no need. And then, the person died. Wrapped in a straw mat, buried in the mass grave. No one came to collect the body, no one came to burn paper money, no one came to erect a stele.
He was silent for a long time. Morning light filtered through the fog, falling on that pile of white bones, blindingly white.
"Can you tell what weapon was used?"
"Circular, with edges. Roughly—" I gestured. "Roughly this thick. Like a hammer or an iron rod. Not a knife; a knife would leave cut marks. This is a blunt instrument, smashed down. Once, twice, thrice—"
"Zhou Ping, the secretary of the Luoyang County Magistrate, uses an iron rod." His voice was cold, cold as the Luo River in winter. "Someone saw him leaving through Qian Wansan's back door that night, carrying a bundle. There seemed to be blood on the bundle."
He stood up, looking at that pile of white bones.
"Qingyan, what else can be seen?"
"The teeth." I picked up the mandible. It was loose; a light touch caused it to detach from the skull. I placed it in my palm; it was very light. A person's jawbone, lighter than a Hu cake.
I pried open the mandible; the teeth were still there. Most of them. Incisors, canines, premolars, molars. I wiped them clean with cotton cloth and examined them one by one. Incisors intact, canines intact, premolars intact. Molars—
"Your Highness, look here."
He leaned in. I pointed to the root position of the lower right first molar—no, the gums were gone, but at the junction where the tooth root connected to the alveolar bone. There was a thin black line embedded in the bone, like a winding snake.
"What is this?"
"Poisoning." My voice was very soft. In the morning light, that black line looked like a wound. "Chronic poisoning. Not a single dose, but long-term, small amounts, continuous ingestion. Toxins deposited in the bones, leaving traces at the tooth roots. The depth and width of this line indicate poisoning for at least three months."
"Three months?"
"Yes. Three months to half a year." I placed the mandible on the white cloth and picked up a magnifying glass—one I had asked Qingyuan to have a craftsman make, with a copper frame and crystal lens. The magnification wasn't high, but it was sufficient. "It wasn't self-administered; it was administered by someone else. In food, in wine. A little bit each time, undetectable, but accumulating day by day, the body collapsed. The person would become thinner and thinner, weaker and weaker, lose appetite, sleep poorly. By the time the poison took fatal effect, it was too late."
I put down the magnifying glass and looked at that pile of white bones.
"Your Highness, Qian Wansan was not killed by a single stab. He was tortured to death. First poisoned, poisoned for months until his body collapsed. Then his ribs were broken with an iron rod. Then his skull was smashed. And then—" I did not finish.
The morning light finally fully penetrated the fog, falling on that pile of white bones. His face was expressionless, but his jaw was tightly clenched; a blue vein pulsed on his temple.
"Zhou Ping." He repeated the name. "The Luoyang County Magistrate's secretary."
"Your Highness—"
"This case, I am determined to investigate." He stood up, his voice calm, but every word seemed ground out from his chest. "No matter who it leads to."
Collecting the Bones
Chen Xuanli found a wooden box. Made of cypress, not large, but sufficient.
I placed the bones into the box piece by piece. The skull at the bottom, then the spine, ribs, limb bones. Finally, the mandible. I placed it beside the skull, aligning the teeth in their occlusal position—just as they were in life.
"Your Highness, it is done."
He walked over and closed the lid of the box.
"Take it back," he said. "Let Li Rizhi see it. Let the people of the Ministry of Justice see it. Let those people in the court see—what a person they called 'suicide' actually looks like."
Chen Xuanli held the box on his horse, wrapping it in black cloth. He vaulted onto his horse and extended his hand, pulling me up.
"Qingyan."
"Hmm?"
"When you were examining the bones just now, your hand didn't tremble."
"No."
"Steadier than my soldiers."
"I am a doctor."
"No." He spurred his horse to walk beside me, his voice somewhat scattered by the wind. "You are not an ordinary doctor."
The Ministry of Justice
By the time we returned to Luoyang City, it was already afternoon.
He did not return to the Eastern Palace but went directly to the Ministry of Justice. I followed him.
The courtroom of the Ministry was large but dim. On both sides stood signs reading "Silence" and "Avoid," their characters yellowed by candlelight. Li Rizhi was already there, wearing a faded gray cotton robe, standing behind the judge's desk.
"Your Highness."
"Minister Li." He placed the wooden box on the desk. "The remains of Qian Wansan."
Li Rizhi looked at that box, silent for a long time.
"Your Highness, this subject wishes to request Doctor Gu to testify in the Ministry of Justice."
"Testify?"
"The case of Qian Wansan must be overturned. Relying solely on files is insufficient; we need witness testimony and physical evidence. The remains examined by Doctor Gu constitute physical evidence." He looked at me. "Doctor Gu, are you willing?"
I paused. Testify. In the courtroom of the Ministry of Justice. Before a group of Tang officials, stating what Qian Wansan's bones told me.
"I am willing," I said.
Li Rizhi nodded and picked up a file from the desk.
"Your Highness, this subject has another matter to report."
"What matter?"
"The whereabouts of Zhou Ping have been found."
The courtroom suddenly fell silent. The candlelight flickered, casting deep shadows on his face.
"Where is he?"
"In Luoyang City." Li Rizhi's voice was very low. "He never left. Princess Taiping's people hid him in a residence in the southern part of the city. Changed his name, changed his identity, but the person is still in Luoyang."
"Why not send him away?"
"Because he knows too much." Li Rizhi looked into his eyes. "Princess Taiping dares not kill him, fearing he left a backup plan. Nor dares she let him go, fearing he might be captured by others. So she can only hide him. Hiding him under her very nose is the safest place."
He was silent for a long time. Candlelight danced on his face, flickering bright and dim.
"Where is the residence?"
"Southern city, Yongtai Ward. Third alley, the innermost house." Li Rizhi pulled a slip of paper from his sleeve and handed it over. "Your Highness, this subject has already sent people to watch it. Zhou Ping cannot step out of that door."
He took the slip, glanced at it, folded it, and tucked it into his sleeve.
"Minister Li."
"This subject is here."
"The case of Qian Wansan, I will overturn. The case of Liu San, I will overturn. The cases of those seventeen people, I will overturn them all." His voice was calm, but every word nailed itself onto the desk like a spike. "No matter who it leads to."
Li Rizhi bowed deeply. "This subject accepts the order."
The Return Journey
Walking out of the Ministry of Justice, the sky had already darkened.
The lamps of Luoyang City lit up one by one, stretching from the street before the Ministry all the way to the Eastern Palace. He walked on my left, his large cloak billowing slightly in the wind.
"Your Highness, what do you plan to do?"
"First, capture Zhou Ping. Make him confess. Then follow Zhou Ping to investigate upwards." He looked at the lights ahead. "The Luoyang County Magistrate, the Henan Prefecture, the person in the Ministry of Justice who altered the autopsy report—one by one, investigate them all."
"Princess Taiping will not let you continue investigating."
"I know." He stopped walking, turned around, and looked at me. Lights spread out behind him, outlining his silhouette with a golden rim. "But I do not want her to stop me."
"Your Highness—"
"Qingyan." He looked at me, his gaze very deep. "Do you know, today in the mass grave, when you squatted in front of that pile of white bones—I was thinking about one thing."
"What thing?"
"I was thinking, what kind of person are you." He looked at me. "A female doctor who can examine teeth, suture wounds, perform autopsies, and make bones speak. What kind of person are you?"
I looked at him. Lights reflected in his eyes, flickering bright and dim.
"Your Highness, I told you, I come from a very faraway place."
"Farther than Changzhou?"
"Much farther than Changzhou."
"Farther than the Western Regions?"
"...Farther than the Western Regions."
He did not press further. He simply reached out and held my hand.
"No matter how far you come from," he said, "now you are here. By my side."
Undercurrents
February 2nd. Something happened in court.
Princess Taiping's faction impeached Li Rizhi for "abusing authority, privately opening coffins, disturbing the spirits of the dead." The impeachment memorial filled three full pages, quoting classics, accusing Li Rizhi of "disrespecting the dead, violating heavenly harmony."
When the news reached the Eastern Palace, he was in my study. He held Qian Wansan's autopsy report, staring at it for a long time.
"What does Your Highness plan to do?" I asked.
"Go to court. Debate with them."
"Debate what?"
"Debate how Qian Wansan died." He put down the report and stood up. "Debate how the Luoyang County Magistrate judged the case. Debate where Zhou Ping went. Debate how those seventeen people actually died."
"Your Highness, Princess Taiping will not let you say these things in court."
"I know." He walked to the door, turned back, and looked at me. "But she cannot stop me."
He left. I stood by the window, watching his back disappear at the end of the corridor. His large cloak fluttered in the wind; his steps were steady; he did not look back.
In the afternoon, he returned. His expression was grim, but his eyes were bright.
"Your Highness, how was court?"
"争论还没结束."他坐回椅子上,接过我递给他的茶."太平公主的人说尸检报告不能作为证据.他们说由女医生进行尸检有违礼仪.他们说钱婉三的案子已经结案,不能再重审."
"那么,殿下——"
"我说过,案子可以结,但人命不能白白牺牲."他看着我."我说过,钱万三的牙齿会说话,他的骨头会说话,它们的话语不容忽视."
"殿下——"
"太平公主的人就此闭嘴了."他向后靠在椅背上,嘴角带着一丝笑意."不是因为他们相信了,而是因为他们不敢再争辩了."
"为什么?"
"因为如果他们继续争辩下去,我们就不得不调查周平.调查周平去了哪里,是谁派他去杀钱万三,又是谁真正杀害了那十七个人.如果我们继续调查下去——"他顿了顿,"就会直接牵扯到太平公主."
风从窗户吹进来,吹得桌上的尸检报告沙沙作响.
"青岩."
"唔?"
"这起案件才刚刚开始."
他站起身,走到窗边,推开窗户.洛阳市上万户人家的灯光在夜空中蔓延开来,宛如地球上的星系.
"清妍,你害怕吗?"
"怕什么?"
"害怕太平公主.害怕她的人民.害怕到最后——"他停顿了一下,没有说完.
"殿下害怕吗?"
他沉默了一会儿.
"不,"他说,"但我不想让你受伤."
"殿下也不会让我受伤的."
他转过头来看我.他的眼睛里映着光芒,忽明忽暗.
"你怎么知道?"
"因为殿下答应过我."
他顿了顿,然后笑了.
"很好,"他说."我向你保证."
（第十五章完）