Officials from the Ministry of Rites really lived up to their namesake – their mannerisms and words were completely different! Ji Wanxin would definitely be well-treated when she would eventually marry that man.
Ji Yunshu nodded and made no further comment.
On the other hand, Jing Rong’s face turned more and more dark. A thousand-year-old vinegar pot was just like that; it could be triggered anytime and anywhere. They had just sent off a Su Ziluo, why did a Shen Changqin enter the picture now? Jing Rong was not worried, however.
Just then, someone shouted, “It’s out.” A freshly unearthed coffin was being pulled up by a thick rope in the leftmost area. Everyone rushed forward, bringing their flames in for a closer look. The heavy coffin was slowly hoisted up, then placed steadily onto the ground.
The musty stench of decades-old rotten wood abruptly filled the air and everyone else immediately pinched their noses. Ji Yunshu moved closer towards the coffin; she was the only one unaffected by the stench. She lightly rapped her finger on the coffin, remarking, “This wood is from the Phoebe tree – it is much sturdier and has a low density so water should not have seeped in.”
“Density?” the capital governor was puzzled.
She instructed further, “Use some paper dampened with water to seal the coffin before you bring it back. We will open it tomorrow.”
Jing Rong was curious, “Why use damp paper?”
“Not to expose the bones to the air contaminants. Moreover, it will be humid on the road back to the manor. Using the damp paper to seal the coffin is almost like countering poison with poison, or in this case, water with water.”
Huh? The more he listened, the more puzzled he was.
Everyone else was scratching their heads in utter confusion, but Jing Rong was already used to the strange terms Ji Yunshu used, having heard too many.
The Capital Governor’s men did as they were told and quickly finished up with that coffin before carrying it to the empty manor in the city’s west. Several others were unearthed soon after.
As time passed and the night deepened, the air naturally grew chillier on the mountain. Afraid that these men would handle the coffins incorrectly and hence cause problems, Ji Yunshu could not bring herself to leave and so remained throughout the night on Lin Mountain. Since she stayed, Jing Rong stayed too; since Jing Rong did not return, the officials naturally remained.
All 67 coffins were finally unearthed only the following morning. Ji Yunshu followed the last coffin to the manor in the city’s west, but before that, Jing Rong pulled her aside. “Rest first.”
“I’m not tired!”
“Stubborn woman.”
Ji Yunshu had nothing to say. This was how she investigated a case! Not eating or drinking for three days straight was normal.
In the end, Jing Rong had to follow along. That manor situated in the city’s west was called Bamboo Creek Garden. Although it was only about half the size of the Rong Estate, it had a good layout. As its name suggested, there was a bamboo garden, and there was a little stream.
It was peaceful and quiet! But it was also slightly eerie with the 67 coffins laid out neatly in the back courtyard.
Ji Yunshu dismissed all of the Capital Governor’s men, saying, “There’s no need to be here until the portraits are finished.”
“Would you need any help?”
“Not now.”
“Oh, good!” The Capital Governor raised his fists and saluted Jing Rong, then he took all his men and left. Lord Yu and Shen Changqin also returned home to have a good sleep.
Only Ji Yunshu, Jing Rong, and a few of his bodyguards remained in the spacious backyard.
“Fourteen years, 67 bodies, all of them burnt alive… If each one had to be sketched, it would be difficult to finish it all in a year.”
1.Hour of the horse = 11am-1pm