The guards wielded iron shovels to dig into the earth, and the moment they struck the first blow, the clear sky began to drizzle.
Song Yu and Song Shihuan watched silently as Song Yu’s coffin was gradually unearthed.
"Your Highness, Princess, the coffin of Prince Ping was sealed using a craftsman’s secret technique before burial. It may not be easy to open," one of the guards observed the coffin’s edges and rose to address Song Yu and Song Shihuan.
"Dig it out first," Song Yu replied, his tone devoid of emotion. He knew the royal family employed such methods for burials, so he had specifically brought skilled artisans for this purpose.
"Even if it takes three days and nights to open this coffin, I can wait."
The rain grew heavier.
Baoxia and Liuxi held umbrellas over the father and daughter, but droplets still found their way onto their clothes.
"Princess, perhaps we should take shelter from the rain," someone suggested.
Song Shihuan shook her head. "I want to witness the coffin being unearthed myself."
In her past life, she had died on the day Song Ling ascended the throne. While she lost her breath in the icy depths of a lake, Song Ling must have been clad in imperial robes, basking in triumph.
Now, the roles were reversed—she stood alive, while Song Ling lay cold in his coffin.
Poetic justice.
She would stir the winds and rains, ensuring Song Ling found no peace even in death.
Boom—
Just as the coffin was fully exposed, a bolt of lightning struck it directly. The guards instinctively scattered.
With a deafening crack, the coffin split in two, forced open by the force of nature.
"Y-Your Highness... the coffin... it’s open..."
The guard’s voice trembled—this was far too eerie.
No sooner had they dug up the coffin than lightning tore it apart?
Had Prince Ping offended the heavens in his lifetime?
At this moment, Song Yu and Song Shihuan could hardly contain their satisfaction. A faint smirk curled on Song Yu’s lips as he addressed the crowd:
"Where are the coroners?"
"W-we are here..."
Coroners were considered the lowest of professions, so they could only refer to themselves as humble commoners before nobility.
Two coroners approached hesitantly, their expressions shifting when they glimpsed the remains inside the coffin. Still, they steeled themselves to move closer.
"Your Highness, Princess, these two have often assisted the Ministry of Justice in investigations," Liuxi explained. "They are experienced. They will surely determine whether Prince Ping was poisoned before his death."
At Liuxi’s words, the coroners’ hands began to shake.
Song Shihuan noticed this and frowned imperceptibly.
Minutes ticked by, yet the coroners made no progress.
Finally, Song Yu’s patience snapped:
"Are the two of you even capable?"
Swish—
The guards drew their swords, pressing the blades against the coroners’ throats.
"Spare us, Your Highness! We dare not disrespect Prince Ping! He was a royal prince—how could we... how could we dissect him?"
"Is this the best you could find?" Song Yu’s glare turned toward Liuxi, who dropped to his knees. "This servant deserves punishment."
Liuxi had always served Prince Qin and the Princess flawlessly—who would have thought he’d be undone by these cowards?
"Are there other coroners who can perform the examination?" Song Shihuan interjected.
Now that the coffin was open, the autopsy was inevitable.
"There is one, Princess—a female coroner. She has great courage."
One of the coroners suddenly raised his head. "Her name is Yue Qing. Her forensic skills are unparalleled. We two brothers are far inferior to her."
"Didn’t you say Yue Qing is timid and always terrified after examining corpses?"
Liuxi widened his eyes—had he been set up?
"Return to the manor and receive twenty lashes."
Song Yu glanced at Liuxi, who immediately felt a phantom pain in his backside. "This servant deserves punishment."
"Someone, summon Yue Qing here."
......
A quarter of an hour later, a woman with her sleeves and trousers rolled up dashed through the rain. She wore coarse hemp clothing, like that of a commoner, and held a somewhat tattered oil-paper umbrella.
"This humble woman, Yue Qing, pays her respects to Prince Qin and the Princess."
"This prince orders you to examine the remains of Prince Ping—primarily to determine whether he was poisoned before death."
Song Yu’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Of course, be quick. Those two incompetents have already wasted enough of my time."
He had entered the imperial mausoleum under the pretext of paying respects to the late empress, so he had to leave before nightfall.
"This humble woman obeys."
Yue Qing said nothing more, simply lifting her coroner’s case and heading toward Song Ling’s coffin.
The dampness from the downpour mingled with the stench of decay from the opened coffin, creating a nauseating atmosphere.
"Ahuan, do you think the dead still feel pain?"
Song Yu’s gaze grew distant. If they felt nothing, then whipping a corpse someday would mean Song Ling wouldn’t suffer at all.
"They do."
Song Shihuan curled her lips. After death, the soul departs the body, yet upon witnessing certain things, it can still feel agony.
"Your Highness, Princess."
A cool voice interrupted. Song Yu and Song Shihuan both turned their attention to Yue Qing.
"Poisoning can be detected through the bones. Since Prince Ping’s body has not fully decomposed to skeletal remains, may this humble woman perform a bone dissection for verification?"
Bone dissection?
Every guard present shuddered involuntarily.
"Very well."
Song Yu agreed with startling ease, his gaze even carrying a hint of admiration as he looked at Yue Qing.
This was excellent.
Truly excellent.
Even Song Shihuan couldn’t suppress a slight upward curve of her lips.
"Many thanks, Your Highness."
Yue Qing was also surprised. She had expected Prince Qin to fly into a rage and had braced herself for punishment—yet the prince had simply... calmly consented.
......
As Yue Qing worked beside the coffin, Song Yu and Song Shihuan stood with hands outstretched, letting the rain fall on their skin, savoring the cool touch of the droplets.
Song Ling’s bones being dissected—the heavens had eyes.
"So... is there a result?" Shen Qingping, having just finished handling official duties, arrived to find father and daughter standing together, their expressions radiating unmistakable satisfaction.
"Not yet. The coroner is still dissecting Song Ling’s bones. We’ll know about the poisoning afterward." Song Yu spoke as casually as if discussing which tea was more fragrant.
"Cough—!"
The newly appointed Second-Rank Grand Tutor choked on his own saliva, his handsome face flushing red.
"Bone dissection?"
"Who is performing it?"
Such a horrifying act—how could anyone dare?
"A female coroner," Song Shihuan said, blinking at Shen Qingping.
The sound of instruments scraping against bone made Shen Qingping’s brow twitch.
"Your Highness, Princess, the skull shows dark discoloration."
Yue Qing, still wearing her sleeves, spoke with utmost seriousness:
"This indicates poisoning before death."
