But on the other hand...

After being expelled from the Prince Jing's residence in the morning, Prince Xuan and his wife did not return home.

Instead, they parked the carriage in a secluded spot and secretly watched every move of the Prince Jing's residence. They even saw the scene of Madam Zhou coming out in grief.

The "little embroidered ball" kept hovering in the sky, bringing new news to the Xuanwang couple from time to time.

First, it was said that Ye Qingxue suffered a huge blow and was on the verge of death.

Then it was said that Ye Qingxue suddenly cheered up and wanted to eat.

Then Ye Qingxue led a group of people into the palace to exhume the Ninth Prince's body for an autopsy.

Yun Xun immediately frowned: "Ye Qingxue reacted too quickly, thinking of opening the coffin and examining the body so soon."

Ji Mingwei smiled and said, "She is indeed capable, but will Consort Cui allow her to open the coffin and examine the body? The cause of the Ninth Prince's death has been determined. Any mother at this time would hope that her child can rest in peace and that the murderer will pay with his life."

So when Ye Qingxue requested to open the coffin and examine the body in the palace, Consort Cui arrived.

However, soon after, Prince Xuan and his wife received news that Consort Cui and the Emperor had actually agreed to Ye Qingxue's request.

Yun Xun couldn't sit still any longer: "How can Ye Qingxue be so capable?"

Ji Mingwei chimed in, "She is indeed capable. If we don't suppress her, the prince will have no chance of rising to prominence."

She comforted Yun Xun: "Your Highness, don't worry. Even if we open the coffin and examine the body, we may not be able to find anything. The Ninth Prince did indeed die by a long sword."

Ji Mingwei smiled and said, "However, we can take advantage of the time when they open the coffin to examine the body and put Yun Zhuo, Ye Qingxue, and the Marquis's mansion behind her to death."

Yun Xun took a deep breath: "What brilliant plan does Your Highness have?"

Ji Mingwei immediately told him a few methods, and after listening, Yun Xun clapped his hands and laughed: "Now it seems that although Ye Qingxue is capable, she is no match for you, Your Highness."

"Your Highness is too kind."

...

Jing'an Hall.

The guards stepped forward and lifted the coffin lid, and a faint smell wafted out of the coffin.

The weather in early September was neither too hot nor too cold. The Ninth Prince had been dead for a day and a night, and his body had begun to smell.

Ye Qingxue and Xiang Sizi stood still, while the two coroners sent by the emperor went up first to conduct the examination.

These two coroners were hired by Cui Shao; I heard they were the two most skilled coroners in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Several guards held glass lamps above the coffin, partly to increase the light so the coroner could examine the body, and partly to supervise them and ensure fairness and impartiality.

The emperor and Consort Cui sat on a chair to one side.

Choi Jae-in kept silently shedding tears.

A quarter of an hour later, the two coroners finished their examination of the body and knelt before the emperor, who asked, "How was it?"

In an instant, it felt as if the wind and rain had stopped, and everyone involuntarily held their breath. Even Choi Jae-in stopped crying.

"I have examined the Ninth Prince's eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and fingernails, and found nothing else unusual."

"The smell of the Ninth Prince's body, as well as the lividity, are all normal for a corpse."

"Therefore, I believe that the Ninth Prince died from two fatal wounds to his abdomen."

The emperor frowned: "Two paths?"

The coroner replied, "Yes, the first sword pierced through, leaving the Ninth Prince unable to resist. The murderer then stabbed him a second time, exposing his internal organs..."

Consort Cui was also stunned. She really didn't know that her son had suffered two sword wounds!

The first sword strike had already taken the Ninth Prince's life, but the murderer stabbed him a second time and disemboweled him, which was truly a brutal killing.

Like Consort Cui, the Emperor only just learned that the Ninth Prince had been stabbed twice.

He was immediately enraged and slammed his fist on the table: "Ye Qingxue, what do you have to say now?"

"Yun Zhuo is so heartless and insane, and you still want to overturn his case? Ye Qingxue, die now and pay for my son's life!" Consort Cui rushed over, wanting to beat Ye Qingxue.

Ye Qingxue grabbed her hands, preventing her fists from landing on her.

The surrounding air was sharp and frosty, pressing in on Ye Qingxue. Her head was practically hanging under a sharp guillotine, at risk of being severed at any moment.

At this moment, Ye Qingxue seemed to stand amidst the wind and frost, yet she remained unmoved, and Cui Cairen could not struggle in her grasp.

"Your Majesty, our son died so tragically. Yun Zhuo's sword was enough to take his life, why did he have to give him a second one... Our son was in so much pain at that time. Little Jiu'er has always been most afraid of pain since he was a child."

"Your Majesty, I beg you to execute Ye Qingxue on the spot! She has exonerated Yun Zhuo, a heinous murderer, and she truly deserves to die! If Your Majesty does not order Ye Qingxue's death, I will have no choice but to kill myself in front of you!"

The emperor was enveloped in layers of murderous aura, his eyes filled with coldness. His hand gripped the hilt of the sword of the guard beside him, and he was about to draw it—

Everyone knelt down in a rush, a huge crowd.

Only Ye Qingxue remained standing.

Even the most formidable forces, like wind, frost, swords, and spears, cannot withstand such pressure.

But Ye Qingxue said, "Father, these two coroners, out of consideration for the Ninth Prince's status, dared not disrespect him, and I'm afraid their examination of the body was not thorough enough. Please allow my people to perform the examination themselves!"

She pulled Choi Jae-in down to kneel with her, holding Choi Jae-in's hand tightly and refusing to let go for even a moment.

Cui Cairen was furious: "Ye Qingxue, are you afraid to die? So you're deliberately delaying?"

The emperor's eyes were deep and thoughtful, clearly sharing the same thoughts as Consort Cui.

While they were arguing, Xiang Si Zi quietly approached the coffin and, by the light of the lanterns held by the guards, saw the Ninth Prince inside.

When a guard reached out to stop him, he didn't get angry; he just craned his neck to look.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!