Miss Truth
Chapter 135 - 86: Determined to Win

Chapter 135: Chapter 86: Determined to Win

Ran Yan lit some Atractylodes and Gleditsia sinensis in front of the coffin, and then put on gloves, carefully examining the skeletal remains inside the coffin. The corpse had been buried for some time; information and trace evidence around the body would gradually disappear with the influence of the environment, vegetation, and weather. Furthermore, the skeletal remains had been moved, destroying their initial condition, which undoubtedly increased the difficulty of the examination.

Based on everything presented by the skeleton, Ran Yan deduced that this was a woman between twenty-four and thirty years of age. The pelvis bore obvious childbirth scars, and the bones had a pervasive blackish hue, which was quite startling to behold. In such a case, one should suspect that the deceased had died of poisoning. As for what poison, Ran Yan’s first thought was arsenic.

However, not all bodies that die from poisoning turn black, nor do all blackened bodies result from poisoning. Human bones can also turn black when oxidized or degraded by organic materials. Therefore, it could only be considered suspicious.

The main component of arsenic is, well, arsenic. If the deceased truly died from arsenic poisoning, then arsenic would inevitably be present in the bones. However, the Tang Dynasty lacked advanced instruments, so how could one confirm the presence of toxins in the deceased’s bones?

This was indeed a problem. Ran Yan glanced at Su Fu, who would rather expose a body than not examine it at all. Was he overly confident in her, thinking that if she couldn’t get results, then no one in the Great Tang could? Or was he certain that no one could produce results, and so he dared to agree, merely looking for someone to fill the role?

Su Fu, too, keenly sensed her gaze and looked up, catching only a flash of amusement in her eyes—a confidence, a certainty of success. Su Fu indifferently shifted his gaze, watching her continue the examination.

After observing, Ran Yan pressed and kneaded the skeleton inch by inch until she noticed something unusual when she squeezed a section of the spine. She beckoned someone holding a torch to come closer and carefully observed that there was a crack between the second and third sections of the sternum.

The crack contained black residue, likely left over as the body’s soft tissues oxidized and decomposed. This meant that the crack was definitely not created by the people who moved the body. However, whether it was caused before or after the death of the deceased required further judgment.

This area was close to the heart and lungs, making the crack especially worthy of contemplation.

Continuing her probing, Ran Yan examined the pelvis, pubic bone, and leg bones, all of which appeared normal. When she reached the feet, she closely inspected a missing toe on the left foot. The bone at the amputation site had healed well, leading her to conclude that the toe had been removed while the person was alive, and they had lived for at least another half year after that.

After completing the examination, Ran Yan approached and picked up a pen. Everyone was waiting for her to write down the autopsy results, but instead, she wrote a question: May I damage a portion of the skeleton?

She handed the paper to Su Fu.

Su Fu glanced at it and then clasped the sheet in his hand, announcing, "The Forensic Doctor asks if she may damage a portion of the skeleton."

The man in charge whispered a few words to someone nearby, who relayed, "You may, but you must tell us the purpose of damaging the skeleton."

Ran Yan bowed and wrote several sentences on the paper, handing it to Su Fu to convey, "The skeleton is blackened in its entirety, raising suspicion of arsenic poisoning; however, it cannot be confirmed without further testing to yield definitive results."

The man in charge nodded slightly, indicating she could proceed.

Ran Yan did not rush to start but instead asked Su Fu to borrow a broadsword. She cut a tuft of hair from the body, and also took a section of rib near the stomach.

The group of men, watching the Forensic Doctor sawing bone with the knife’s edge, couldn’t help but feel a chill starting from their feet. Especially for Su Fu, knowing she was a woman made it even weirder for him.

Ran Yan, however, continued her examination with dedication. She first heated the rib over a fire until a thin stream of smoky vapor rose, then quickly brought it close to the broadsword’s blade.

This was a very rudimentary way to determine if arsenic was still present in the bones; in 1790, a chemist discovered that if a material contained arsenic, heating it and then placing a cold metal plate above the vapor would result in a white arsenic oxide layer forming on the plate.

Under the circumstances, it was a viable method. Narrowing her eyes, Ran Yan saw a layer of white frost-like material appear on the broadsword’s surface. She gently brushed it onto a piece of paper, careful not to let the wind disperse it, and without waiting for others to observe, she immediately wrapped it up.