Chapter 72

When Old Master came to look for her, Gu Qiancheng knew exactly what was going on.

If Qin Jiyi didn’t seek her out, Old Master would never have made such a big fuss by going to the old lady’s courtyard to demand her presence, nor would he have embarrassed the old lady in public.

Gu Qiancheng didn’t even ask a single extra question. She went to the courtyard, packed her things, and obediently got into the carriage, leaving with the person who came for her.

Gu Qiancheng didn’t need to think to know that Qin Jiyi’s urgent search for her at this time was most likely related to the case he mentioned earlier. What she didn’t expect was that the place Qin Jiyi wanted her to go was a brothel.

Gu Qiancheng couldn’t say she disliked brothels, but she certainly had no curiosity about them, nor did she have any desire to visit one to see what it was like.

Brothels were places where women’s tragedies were manufactured. As a woman, she couldn’t change others’ fates, but she didn’t want to witness their misery. Out of sight, out of mind.

The carriage stopped at the back door of the brothel. Entering from here, no one would see her. Gu Qiancheng got off the carriage and followed the person guiding her to the second floor.

Perhaps due to a murder, Chunyi Tower was unusually quiet and empty. The red lanterns hanging around didn’t bring any festive atmosphere.

Gu Qiancheng didn’t see a single person on her way until she was brought to Qin Jiyi.

"Why did it take so long?" Qin Jiyi’s face showed dissatisfaction. Gu Qiancheng bowed and said, "I was punished by Grandmother to pick Buddha beans, and Old Master couldn’t find anyone for a while."

"Picking Buddha beans? Aren’t you smart enough? How could you not even outsmart an old woman?" Qin Jiyi had no good feelings towards the old lady of the Gu family, who acted like she was above everyone else.

"She is my grandmother." Gu Qiancheng looked helpless. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to fight back; it was just that she had no way to do so.

The old lady didn’t care about her reputation or reason; she was extremely unreasonable and always looking for trouble. What could she do?

"You don’t even care about your own father, so why would you care about your grandmother?" Qin Jiyi mocked, and Gu Qiancheng laughed self-deprecatingly, "It’s better to keep such things in mind, Your Highness. You really don’t need to say it out loud."

Seeing Gu Qiancheng’s expression, Qin Jiyi couldn’t help but smile slightly, but he quickly composed himself and said seriously, "The Six Ministries received a case of a murder in a locked room. This is the twelfth victim. We received the report this morning. The scene and the body have not been moved. Go take a look."

Qin Jiyi stood up and led Gu Qiancheng to the adjacent room.

Inside the room, four sword-wielding guards were on watch. From their attire and demeanor, it was clear they were not ordinary officials. They bowed to Qin Jiyi and stepped back to make way.

Gu Qiancheng took out a small bag she always carried, took out gloves, shoe covers, and a mask, and put them on...

Gu Qiancheng remembered that when she specifically went to get this bag, Old Master looked at her strangely. She didn’t need to think to know that Old Master had misunderstood...

"Is there any more? Give me a set." Qin Jiyi didn’t know the meaning of politeness. Gu Qiancheng glanced at him and silently took out the last set, handing it to Qin Jiyi.

In an era without rubber, making two pairs of thin gloves was no easy task. She had worked hard to make just two pairs, hoping that His Highness would return them after use.

After getting ready, Gu Qiancheng entered the crime scene...

The room of a famous courtesan, as expected, was filled with sensuality. Clothes were scattered everywhere, and the intimate garments were thrown about. The screens were bold and provocative, creating a strong visual impact. However...

These had no effect on Gu Qiancheng. As for Qin Jiyi?

He had probably seen it all before!

Gu Qiancheng scanned the room and walked to the bed.

The red quilt and messy sheets clearly indicated what the victim was doing before her death...

The victim’s face was peaceful, and her body was completely naked, covered only by a brocade quilt. The exposed skin had numerous intimate kiss marks and finger marks, but they were not the cause of her death.

"Let’s start." Gu Qiancheng nodded at Qin Jiyi and began her examination without waiting for his reaction.

Victim, female, aged between eighteen and twenty-five, oval face, fair skin without blemishes, beautiful features, a small mole behind the left ear. Slim figure, smooth skin without marks...

As Gu Qiancheng continued, she lifted the quilt and her eyes fell on the victim’s private area, her brows furrowing. Qin Jiyi’s face turned slightly awkward, and he coughed to remind her when she didn’t move her gaze.

Gu Qiancheng looked at Qin Jiyi, "Your Highness, this is an autopsy. I have no other intentions."

"Can you find me a chopstick? Preferably an unused one." Gu Qiancheng made her request.

She was restricted in the Gu family and couldn’t gather the tools needed for an autopsy.

"Go get it." Qin Jiyi ordered, and the guard quickly brought in a chopstick, keeping his head down the entire time.

Gu Qiancheng took the chopstick, moved the victim’s legs apart, and used the chopstick to part the victim’s private area, revealing the red flesh inside...

The victim had just been with a client and was not fully conscious. The area still had a mixture of fluids, which not only smelled bad but was also unclean.

Qin Jiyi admitted that when he saw Gu Qiancheng’s actions, his first reaction was to turn away, and his second reaction was to wonder if Gu Qiancheng was still a woman.

Fortunately, there were no outsiders, or he would have lost all his dignity.

"Cough, cough..." Qin Jiyi reminded Gu Qiancheng again. They were there to solve a case, not to stare. But Gu Qiancheng ignored him and continued her examination more seriously...

Just as Qin Jiyi was about to lose his patience, Gu Qiancheng finally finished and closed the victim’s legs.

"The victim has a mild case of syphilis." This might not be related to the cause of death, but as a forensic examiner, she had to report everything she saw on the body.

"Syphilis?" Qin Jiyi was slightly taken aback when he heard this term, but he couldn’t afford to be embarrassed and stared straight at Gu Qiancheng.

Gu Qiancheng nodded, a hint of suspicion in her eyes: Could it be that Qin Jiyi was one of the courtesan’s clients?

Of course, Gu Qiancheng didn’t have the courage to say it out loud.

Qin Jiyi didn’t know what Gu Qiancheng was thinking. If he did, he wouldn’t mind letting her personally verify how healthy his body was.

"The last client was Yun Chu." Qin Jiyi closed his eyes after saying this.

The royal prince visiting a brothel and contracting syphilis was a matter that would embarrass Qin Jiyi if it were known.

"Prince Chu?" Gu Qiancheng was also shocked.

Was Qin Yunchu so trendy? Didn’t he have concubines and bed companions? Why would he come to a brothel to vent?

Judging from the marks on the bed and the injuries on the victim, last night seemed to have been quite intense...

Cough, cough, Gu Qiancheng admitted she was overthinking. Whether Qin Yunchu visited prostitutes or had syphilis had nothing to do with her. Her job was to find all the suspicious points on the victim’s body. The rest really had nothing to do with her...