sbdcsierra Chapter 799 Retrieving the Needle
Chapter 799 Retrieving the Needle
Consort Yu's eyes were brimming with tears, which, against the backdrop of bloodshot veins, made them appear as if they were filled with blood.
But her voice was incredibly clear and firm.
Shen Sanye, who had originally wanted to persuade her, couldn't bear it. He sighed inwardly, looked at Lu Yangyang, and bowed, saying, "I'm sorry to trouble you. Please don't let the Tenth Prince suffer any more."
This gesture startled everyone in the room.
Master Shen, who held the official rank of Commander of the Capital, a third-rank official, would never have given a coroner a second glance before entering this room. Yet, he was now making such a solemn request to the other party, which showed his sincerity.
Lu Yangyang was also somewhat surprised. Before this, she had guessed that the Shen family might care more about future interests than the truth of the Tenth Prince's case, but now it seemed that was not entirely the case.
What others think is unknown, but as a mother, Consort Yu wholeheartedly wanted to seek justice for the Tenth Prince.
In fact, everyone knows that the death of the Tenth Prince was mostly due to the struggle for the throne.
The struggle for the throne involves too many interests, not only the struggle between princes, but also the balance of power in the emperor's court, factions in the court, and the struggle between powerful families. Sometimes, the truth is not so important.
The case of the Tenth Prince will likely be shelved and eventually be left unresolved.
Just like the case of Duke Rong's defection to the enemy back then, it was obvious to everyone that there were many suspicious points and it could not stand up to scrutiny. However, a few letters and some unfounded testimonies led to a hasty conviction and cost the lives of hundreds of people in Duke Rong's family.
Duke Rong died on the battlefield, sacrificing his life for his country, but ultimately suffered the fate of having his entire family executed and his home destroyed.
The extent of the sordidness hidden behind this is self-evident.
Lu Yangyang agreed to help Xue Wanyue find the truth, partly out of personal motives. But at this moment, whether it was to find out the cause of the late empress's death, or for the innocent young man who had died in the struggle for the throne, or for justice, Lu Yangyang wanted to do everything in her power to find out the truth of the case.
Lu Yangyang cupped his hands in response: "Master and I will do our utmost."
Seeing this, Ying Xun spoke up at the opportune moment: "Your Majesty and Commander Shen, please rest assured. Min Lingshi has worked diligently for the Dali Temple for more than 20 years. Within his capabilities, he has never made any oversights. I guarantee with my life that I will definitely give the Tenth Prince justice."
Lu Wei also spoke up: "This humble official is ordered by His Majesty to assist the Junior Minister in investigating the case, and will accompany Clerk Min throughout the process to find the murder weapon that harmed the Tenth Prince."
Upon hearing their conversation, Master Shen's grave expression softened slightly. After thanking them, he discussed with Consort Yu, "I'll accompany you outside to wait."
Consort Yu closed her eyes briefly and nodded silently.
Master Shen helped her leave.
Ying Xun glanced at Lu Yangyang, who nodded almost imperceptibly, and Ying Xun felt relieved.
Ying Xun instructed Lu Wei, "I'll leave the rest to Lord Lu."
"It is my duty, Your Excellency, please rest assured," Lu Wei replied.
Ying Xun then left with Master Shen and Consort Yu.
After the three left, Lu Wei closed the door.
Min Lingshi carefully wiped the sweat from his brow and asked Lu Yangyang uncertainly, "Sixth Prince, are you confident about performing the craniotomy to remove the needles? To be honest, this person's skull is hard, and craniotomy is no easy task. Moreover, His Highness the Tenth Prince is of noble status, so we must not damage the body..."
This is really difficult.
However, since Lu Yangyang had already agreed, Min Lingshi knew his role today and naturally couldn't voice his opposition, but he really couldn't think of any good solution.
"Master, don't worry. Craniotomy is indeed not easy, but I have a way." The skull is hard, and it's difficult to avoid minor damage during craniotomy. If it causes large-scale damage, even if Consort Yu doesn't pursue the matter, the Dali Temple will still be implicated. Fortunately, Lu Yangyang has another skill: she is very strong.
As the saying goes, strength can overcome skill. Lu Yangyang's previous rudimentary martial arts skills have allowed her to make it this far safely, thanks to her great strength.
Time was of the essence, and there was no telling what might happen next. Without further ado, Lu Yangyang asked Min Lingshi directly, "Could I borrow your tools?"
Min Lingshi routinely carries a toolbox when performing autopsies, and today was no exception; the toolbox was brought by Lu Yangyang.
Min Lingshi hurriedly opened his toolbox and laid out all the tools he used for autopsies.
Lu Yangyang found the hammer and then rummaged through her small first-aid kit to find a nail about the thickness of her little finger. This surprised Lu Wei so much that his gaze towards her changed. If the timing hadn't been inappropriate, he would have asked her why she carried such a thick nail with her.
Ignoring his shocked gaze, Lu Yangyang took the nails and hammer and walked behind the ice chisel. Finding a suitable spot, she called Lu Wei over to help her turn the Tenth Prince over and then held his head down. Lu Yangyang ran her fingers along the back of the Tenth Prince's head for a while, and after finding the right spot, she said to Min Lingshi, "Master, please be careful with the clippers and shave off this small patch of hair. Not too much, just the size of your fingertip."
Actually, it would be more convenient to push that whole area down, but Lu Yangyang didn't dare to.
People believe that one's body and hair are given to one's parents. If the Tenth Prince loses too much hair, she fears that if the higher-ups blame him, it will implicate Min Lingshi.
Min Lingshi was experienced and quickly dealt with the small piece of hair as Lu Yangyang had instructed. He then personally brought over a candlestick to light the lamp for Lu Yangyang.
To prevent the ice from melting, there were not many lights in this small room. The surrounding walls were made of cast iron, and the shelves on the walls were filled with ice. Such a grand setup was rarely used and was only employed in major cases.
With one hand holding a nail and the other a small hammer, Lu Yangyang carefully hammered the nail into the small patch of scalp where her hair had just been shaved.
This process was not easy. If too much force was used, it would affect the surrounding area; if too little force was used, it would not go in. So, for such a small hole, Lu Yangyang spent almost half an hour chiseling it out. When she took out the nail, Lu Yangyang couldn't help but tremble a little.
But she didn't care about that. She hurriedly grabbed the tweezers and the magnet, and slowly guided the needle inside to the vicinity of the small hole. Then she inserted the tiny tweezers and spent about fifteen minutes hooking the needle, and then slowly took it out.
The moment the tweezers held the needle and placed it on the porcelain plate, the three of them almost simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.
Although Lu Yangyang spoke with great certainty earlier, no one could be at ease until the very last moment, worrying about whether there would be any mistakes or whether the needle could be removed. Now that the needle has been clearly removed, it has finally proven that her previous judgment was correct.
The Tenth Prince's death was indeed related to this needle.