The west gate of Chang'an City is usually not open, but now it's during the Spring Festival.

  After Zhong Zong was reinstated, the first spring examination, candidates from all over the Great Tang gathered in the capital city, and each government office was waiting with a strict array.

  The guards at the four city gates were strictly checking every passerby.

  "Halt! What are you doing?!" The guard glared fiercely at a furtive-looking man.

  The man attempted to sneak in, following behind a merchant caravan, but was still caught by the sharp-eyed guards.

  The man began to plead: "I've lost my way halfway, please, sir..."

  The expressionless guard: "No guide, dare to enter Chang'an City? Throw him out."

  The man struggled desperately, "Officer! I'm really here to take the exam! I really... Ah!" The voice was mournful, but he was still ruthlessly thrown out of the city gate.

  The people queuing up behind him to enter the city were all nervous and worried in their hearts.

  Those who came to Beijing for the imperial examination, who didn't spend ten years studying behind cold windows? Even before taking the exam, they were thrown out, it's really heartbreaking.

  To know that coming to Chang'an is a long way, some thieves even specialize in ambush on the roadside, specializing in robbing the money and silver of candidates who have lost their way, it's not unusual for someone like this to lose their way.

  Just as everyone was in a state of panic, the sound of horseshoes echoed.

  Outside the city, a team of light cavalry kicked up dust and smoke, with about a dozen or so men wearing the uniform of the Tang Dynasty's Thousand Bull Guards riding their horses all the way to the city gate.

  The people who were originally waiting to enter the city changed their expressions and dodged one after another.

  The man in front reined in his horse, his eyes coldly sweeping over the guards as he removed the badge from his waist.

  A loud and arrogant voice rang out: "The Qian Niu Guard is on patrol by order, all idle people clear the way immediately!"

  When he saw the waist card in the palace, he nodded and agreed at first, but after a glance back, his face changed.

  "May I ask, what's in the coffin..."

  After these thousands of oxen guarded the city gate, what was pulled in? A coffin.

  Qian Niu Wei continued coldly: "That's a charred corpse we found outside the city. Do you want to examine it?"

  The guard's expression changed and he lowered his head: "Open the city gate."

  Qian Niu Wei Ang first, just see suddenly raise whip, a line of carriages and horses from the city gate surged in.

  Needless to say, the common people saw the coffin and hid if they could. These thousand cow guards were able to drive straight into Chang'an Street, carrying this thin coffin all the way through the main streets of Chang'an City, without caring about the commotion caused by their passage.

  After passing through several streets, Qian Niuwei arrived in front of a majestic mansion. The leader raised his hand: "Halt."

  All the Qian Niu guards, including Bao Guan, slowly stopped in front of this door.

  The cold and stern-looking man raised his head and glanced at the plaque of the mansion, Dalisi Temple.

  Qian Niu Wei finally dismounted his horse. The man looked at the yamen runner at the gate of the temple: "Please inform Temple Master, Qian Niu Wei has come to pay respects under orders."

  The guards at the Temple of Dali exchanged a glance, for all the affairs handled by Qian Niuwei were imperial decrees. Such an array also made them somewhat change color.

  After burning one stick of incense, Pei Tan changed into official robes and sat upright in the main hall.

  Four or five people were seen carrying a rickety coffin, which they placed with some difficulty in the main hall.

  Since ancient times, coffins have been placed in public halls, which is not a very auspicious thing. Even in the Temple of Justice, such an unusual scene is rarely seen.

  Pei Tan's eyes glanced at the face of the leader of the Qian Niu Guard, recognizing that this person was a brother-in-law of the Bo Ling Cui family. In this Chang'an City, all officials, big and small, were related to one of the five major families.

  "What's in the coffin?" Pei Tan asked naturally, looking at Qian Niuwei.

  The leader of the Qian Niu Wei bowed his hands: "Recently, many candidates have entered Chang'an. We were ordered to patrol the outskirts of Chang'an and found this body on an official road this morning."

  Pei Tan's eyes moved slightly.

  A major exam every three years, this situation is not unfamiliar.

  Qian Niu Wei continued, "When we discovered the body, its face had already rotted away and was unrecognizable. Therefore, following procedure, we could only first send the body to be kept at Lord Pei's Dalisi Temple."

  The Dalish Temple is in charge of criminal cases, and a nameless corpse appears outside the city, which indeed follows the procedure of the Dalish Temple.

  The Ministry of Justice will not intervene in these matters.

  Pei Tan did not leave the main hall, but instead walked along the coffin and took a few glances.

  The coffin was simple and looked like a few wooden boards were casually assembled, and Qian Niuwei would not prepare a decent burial for an unknown corpse.

  Was it a test-taker who died halfway?

  Pei Tan sank into thought for a moment before saying, "Was this corpse found on the official road?"

  There are many people and horses coming and going on the official road, it is unlikely that a dead person would be directly thrown onto the road...

  Qian Niu hesitated for a moment before saying: "This person was found in the grass by the side of the official road, with no belongings on him."

  His face is rotten and his body has no long objects, this is what he said about the person having completely unidentifiable identity.

  It's indeed only such troublesome matters that would come to Dali Temple.

  "Does Temple Master still have any other questions?" asked Qian Niu Wei in a low voice.

  Pai Tan's hand, seemingly unintentional, stroked the bottom of the coffin once, and in that moment, his eyes suddenly became deep and profound.

  "It's all gone." he said slowly.

  Qian Niu bowed his hands, "Since that's the case, we'll return to the palace first and report back to Your Majesty."

  Having said that, all of them left the main hall, leaving behind the coffin and departing with a flourish. The royal guards were indeed arrogant and looked down on others.

  ——

  In the public hall, Pei Tan stared at the neatly placed coffin for a moment before saying: "First, take the coffin to the autopsy room."

  Several attendants immediately took action and with great effort carried the heavy coffin into the autopsy room.

  The coroner, who had been waiting for some time, immediately stepped forward and wanted to open the coffin to examine the body.

  "Everyone get out." Unexpectedly, at this time, Pei Tan said lightly.

  "Sir, the corpse already has a foul odor from decay. It would be best to let me examine it as soon as possible."

  Especially this coffin is so poor in quality that it can't stop the corpse from rotting. The smell has already spread all the way from the main hall.

  "His Excellency has his own plans."

  The doctor wanted to say something else, but was stared down by a pair of cold eyes and could only stiffen his scalp and lower his head to exit.

  Pei County coldly stared at the bailiff: "The master ordered to bring the door of the autopsy room."

  This action was even more astonishing, but adults are adults after all. The yamen runners closed the door without a word.

  The morgue was originally windowless and dimly lit, with only two oil lamps that flickered like ghosts from time to time.

  Pei Tan slowly raised his eyes, with a hint of meaning in his gaze, and glanced at the cold guard beside him.

  Pei County walked to the coffin with a blank expression, one hand pressed on the coffin board. After a burst of white smoke, the coffin lid shattered into four or five pieces under his powerful energy.

  In the stench of heaven, a narrow coffin, all is laid bare.

  Even the seemingly immobile and expressionless guards had a fleeting crack on their faces.

  In the coffin lay a lovely young girl with red lips and white teeth.

  The girl's breathing was steady and clear.

  ——

  As soon as the coffin was placed on the public hall, Pei Tan noticed that something was off about it. He vaguely felt that this coffin was heavier than usual.

  Later, Pei Tan stroked the coffin with his hand and found that this thin layer of coffin board was slightly warm.

  To know that dead people have no temperature.

  Pei Tan had previously suspected that Qian Niu Wei was doing it on purpose, but after probing him with a few sentences, he found that Qian Niu Wei had no reaction at all.

  So he dismissed everyone and opened the coffin in this empty autopsy room to investigate.

  Even if he was fully prepared, when he saw the girl's face in the coffin, Pei Tan was almost stunned.

  At this time, the girl's eyelashes moved slightly, as if she had just woken up from a long sleep, and slowly opened her eyes.

  At that moment, her and Pei Tan's eyes met, as if destined, directly opposite each other.

  The stench from the coffin is overwhelming, but it seems as if no one has noticed.

  After a long time, the girl's lips moved slightly, and a smile actually appeared on her delicate face, saying: "Sir."

  Pei Tan didn't know when he had grasped the tightly clenched hand, and slowly loosened it, staring at the girl in a measured tone: "Jing Wanyu?"

  Jing Wan'er moved her hands and feet, and with some difficulty, she sat up against the wall of the coffin. Her hands and feet had become stiff from lying down for a long time, and the narrow space inside the coffin made it difficult for her to even turn over.

  As she sat up, she saw the real corpse under her body. Wrapped in a white cloth, it had already stiffened underneath.

  She was actually lying on top of this corpse all along.

  "Finally, Pei Tan asked: 'How did you end up here?' She shouldn't have left long ago and at least wouldn't let anyone find her again?"

  It was astonishing enough to see Jing Wan'er, but she had to appear in such a shocking and unconventional manner.

  Jing Yuanyu slowly smiled after patting her skirt, "I wandered outside the city for many days before I saw the Qian Niu guard passing by with this coffin. That's when I came up with a plan and hid inside."

  What she said was easy to deceive the thousand cow guards of the Tang Dynasty, but it's not easy. However, in Wuzhou that time, everyone had already seen the girl's cunning and cleverness.

  Now Chang'an City has no way to stop absolutely, just look at those examinees who are thrown out every day. Only the chariots and horses of Qian Niuwei can do it, no one dares to check them. Can let Jing Yuanyu muddy the waters and smoothly enter the city.

  But Pei Tan's words obviously asked something else.

  "Why return to Chang'an?" Pei Tan's voice was already somewhat restrained.

  Having already gained freedom, who would be foolish enough to return to prison?

  Jing Wan'er stood in the dimly lit morgue, her skin a sickly pale hue, which could be imagined how much wind and frost she had endured for nearly half a year.

  But her face didn't show any sign of concern, with a smile at the corner of her mouth: "Thank you, sir, for showing mercy to Ruan Er in Wuzhou, but Ruan Er still has unfinished business in Chang'an, so I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint your kind intentions."

  She spoke lightly and casually, but in one sentence, she explained how she had bravely snuck into the Golden Armor Guard's funeral procession and escaped back to Chang'an.

  This look, isn't it making people somewhat indignant?

  "Do you think this is a joke?" The elegant and refined Lord Pei's face was actually somewhat gloomy.

  Jing Wan'er gazed at Pei Tan, this familiar face,

  She suddenly felt a little dazed and smiled brightly.

  "Thank you, sir."

  It was because of these six months that she traveled thousands of miles in the Great Tang, saw the beautiful mountains and rivers, and even thought about going to Lingnan to reunite with her family who had been exiled.

  But all of these ultimately still laid the foundation for her return to Chang'an.

  Who would have thought of such a way to sneak into a coffin?

  It's probably just sleeping in a coffin with dead people that can scare ordinary people.

  Ke Jing Wan'er was different, she had been in the palace for five years, accompanying a corpse. The stench on her body would have been unbearable for anyone else, but she took it as normal.

  There wasn't a hint of regret on Jing Wan's face. What could have happened that would make her go to such great lengths to return?