Chapter 10, Han Qi

However, it is regrettable that the answer is essentially impossible, because when a person hangs themselves, the neck suddenly experiences great pressure, which can cause a loss of consciousness in a very short time. Even if one were to regain consciousness, the pressure on the nerves would prevent the arms from being raised, and sometimes, due to excessive body weight, the cervical vertebrae may be directly torn apart. Therefore, this act of hanging is extremely dangerous, and ordinary individuals should never attempt it lightly

It is worth mentioning that the county magistrate of Han did not lie when introducing his younger brother. Although he is young and has already passed the imperial examination, he believes that in terms of talent and learning, he is far inferior to his brother. In their hometown, his brother has long been known as a child prodigy, and many people even say that he is destined to become a prime minister in the future. Therefore, he is devoted to nurturing his brother and even took him along when he assumed office.

Student Han Qi originally was not allowed to come by his second brother, but I quietly followed him here, mainly to witness how cases are handled in the yamen. I hope that Chief Lu will not hold it against me!" At this moment, the young man smiled and bowed to Lu Wuxing.

Certainly, Han Qi's achievements extend far beyond this. Beginning in the reign of Emperor Renzong, he served as Prime Minister and held this position through three successive reigns. He played a decisive role during the ascensions of Emperors Yingzong and Shenzong. Furthermore, he was highly accomplished in both governance and military affairs, having participated in the Qingli Reforms initiated by Fan Zhongyan. It can be said that his life was one of glory. The Han family, starting from his generation, became an important political family in the Song Dynasty, with several of his sons attaining high positions in the government. His eldest son succeeded him as the second Prime Minister of the Han family.

Although Han Qi did not believe in Li Zhang's visit to the King of Hell, he was very interested in the methods he used for corpse examination. At this moment, he could not help but ask again: "Li Zhang, could you tell me more about the matters of corpse examination?"

The young man behind the county magistrate Han questioned the conclusion of Li Zhang's autopsy, which prompted a displeased glare from Lü Wu beside him. Although he knew the young man was likely brought by the county magistrate, he was still just a child, and it was not his place to interject at that moment. Thus, he asked with considerable annoyance, "Who are you?"

The book does not contain these things, as many scholars disdain to record this knowledge. However, someone will certainly do so in the future. As for where I learned it from?" At this point, Li Zhang suddenly felt a playful mood and turned to Han Qi with a grin, saying, "That is because I was injured and fell into a coma, my soul wandered around the Yama King's hall for a while. When I woke up, I understood many things about dealing with the dead!

I don't know!'' Li Zhang hurriedly denied

"Nonsense! There are no such things as Yama in this world; only foolish men and women would believe in such things!" Li Zhang did not expect Han Qi to be so bold, as he not only showed no fear but also pointed out that Li Zhang was lying.

Han Qi, seeing how agreeable Li Zhang was, immediately showed a pleased expression. Just as he was about to ask something, his gaze inadvertently swept across the river surface, and he suddenly jumped up, his face revealing a look of fear.

"My name is Li Zhang, not 'Hey!'" Li Zhang replied without turning his head. After saying this, he grabbed a handful of soil from the riverbank and rubbed it on his hands. The soil and water here are not very good; the riverbank is mostly saline-alkali land. However, due to its natural alkalinity, it can help clean his hands a bit better. After all, there is no soap available now, so Li Zhang had to make do.

Indeed, there are several scratch marks on the front of the deceased's neck. Generally, a person who hangs themselves would find it difficult to grasp their own neck with both hands. It is only when someone is strangled from behind, during which the deceased struggles desperately, that scratch marks would be left on the neck. At this moment, Li Zhang spoke again with a smile. Like many others, he had once harbored doubts about the method of hanging oneself. He wondered whether, in the event of regret, a person could grasp the rope with their hands and thereby save their own life.

Recalling Han Qi's achievements in history, Li Zhang couldn't help but glance at the other person a few more times. Then, fearing that others might notice his unusual behavior, he pointed to the deceased's neck to change the subject and said, "Ahem~ If one scar is not enough, then you can take another look at the deceased's neck; there are not just two strangulation marks on it!"

As soon as Li Zhang finished speaking, Han Qi jumped up and ran out. Moments later, he returned with an excited expression and said: "Just as you said, there are no signs of friction on the branches, only a mark from a rope, indicating that he was already dead when he was hung up"

... ...

Han Qi is a genius in academics, but he is still a child with a strong curiosity. When he first met Li Zhang, he mistakenly thought the latter was a little beggar. However, he no longer dares to underestimate Li Zhang; instead, he is very curious about him. Therefore, upon hearing Li Zhang's words, he actually leaned in closely to examine the corpse's neck.

At this moment, Li Zhang carefully washed his hands while responding: "Actually, it's nothing much. If a person hangs themselves, they will definitely struggle before death, and the rope, being tied to a branch, will leave friction marks on the branch due to the struggle. However, if a person is hung on a tree after death, there will only be a single rope mark!"

Cough ~ This is my younger brother. Do not be deceived by his young age; his talents surpass mine a hundredfold. Sooner or later, he will enter the officialdom, which is why I am bringing him to gain some experience! At this moment, County Lieutenant Han cleared his throat and began to introduce.

"Oh? Do you know me?" Han Qi looked at Li Zhang in surprise as he heard his words and asked.

Upon hearing Li Zhang's words, Han County Lieutenant and Lü Wu also leaned in to take a look. Following his指点, they indeed saw several scratch marks, which made Lü Wu nod in agreement and say: "Indeed, it seems that Liu Da truly died from homicide"

Upon hearing Li Zhang's words, Lü Wu's eyes lit up, and he immediately ordered all the officers to conduct an investigation. Generally, in cases like this, the murderer is often someone from the vicinity, or even an acquaintance of the victim. With such obvious signs of being scratched on the hands, it should not be difficult to find the culprit

"Alright, Li Zhang, can you tell me why you were looking at the branches just now? What was up there?" Han Qi seemed to have grown accustomed to Li Zhang's speaking rhythm, and he lifted his clothes to squat beside him and asked again. Just now, after Li Zhang examined the corpse, he had Lu Wu hold him up to take a look at the tree, but Li Zhang did not explain this matter at the time, which made him quite curious.

Although his explanation seems reasonable, it is, after all, an official matter within the government office. It is somewhat inappropriate for him to involve his younger brother in the case at the office. Of course, he is the highest authority here, and even if the county magistrate learns of this later, he would not blame him for such a trivial matter

Han Qi observed for a while and unexpectedly discovered something. He immediately exclaimed, "There are scratch marks on his neck!"

Li Zhang, who did you learn all these things from? They seem quite interesting, and you won't find them in books. After his excitement, Han Qi sat down in front of Li Zhang again. Now that his elder brother and Lu Wu were busy with a case, the two young men were left unattended. Moreover, since they were of similar age, it naturally fostered a sense of closeness between him and Li Zhang

Observing Han Qi's excited demeanor, Li Zhang merely smiled faintly. Regardless of how high-ranking and powerful Han Qi may become in the future, he is still just a youth comparable to himself at present. It is only because he has read extensively that he appears composed on the surface, yet deep down, he remains a spirited young man.

At this point, Li Zhang was no longer involved in the matter. Lu Wu was busy investigating the murderer and could not arrange for anyone to take him back. Therefore, Li Zhang leaned on his cane and walked to the nearby small river, squatting down to wash his hands. Although he had long since become accustomed to corpses, touching one with his hands still felt somewhat disgusting. This also led him to secretly decide that he must make a pair of gloves when he returned; otherwise, if he encountered a decaying corpse again, he would not be able to keep his hands.

"You are Han Qi!" Before Lü Wu could speak, Li Zhang beside him couldn't help but exclaim in shock.

In fact, Han Qi has wrongly judged Li Zhang; how could he possibly not have heard of the renowned Han Qi? Of course, this "renowned" status is in hindsight. At present, Han Qi is merely a child of similar age to Li Zhang, at most known as a "prodigy." However, it was not until a few years later, when he achieved second place in the imperial examination at the age of nineteen, that he became widely known across the realm. It is even said that if it were not for his young age, he might have been the top scholar in that examination.

Uncle Wu is correct. Additionally, when Liu Da was struggling, he could have injured himself, which means he is also likely to have injured the murderer. Therefore, I believe that when you, Uncle Wu, are apprehending the murderer, you should pay attention to those who have scars on their hands

"Hello, can you tell me why you just had Lǚ Bāntóu hold you to look at the branches above?" At that moment, a familiar voice suddenly asked, and without turning around, Lǐ Zhāng knew it was definitely Hán Qí, the curious young boy in his prime of curiosity.

If you don't believe it, so be it! Li Zhang, however, glanced at him indifferently and said, as an outstanding salesperson, he had an exceptionally thick skin; even when someone exposed his lies to his face, he could remain unfazed.

Lü Wu was somewhat surprised and glanced at Han Qi upon hearing his words. Despite Han Qi's young age, he spoke with such precision, even taking full responsibility for the reason for their presence here. In the future, even if someone wanted to use this matter to attack Han County's official, it would likely be of no use.

"What do you want to hear?" At this moment, Li Zhang also glanced at Han Qi with a hint of helplessness, estimating that this young man, who usually stays at home reading every day, rarely gets the chance to go out and has now encountered a peer like himself who understands autopsy, which piqued his interest. However, this interest seemed more like a diversion during his study breaks, and he would likely forget about it in a few days.

At this moment, Han Qi couldn't help but cast a frustrated glance at Li Zhang, who called out so loudly without even knowing him. It made Han Qi initially think that the other party had heard of his reputation as a 'prodigy,' which brought him a bit of secret delight, only to realize that the other party did not recognize him at all