The Thirsty Bones Cannot Hide the Truth
After Wang Baitian finished his statement, the prison cell fell into silence.
Governor Yu opened his mouth, his face dark with concern, but in the end, he did not dare to speak.
Only the small officials recording the testimony continued writing furiously, heads lowered, while the rest of the people stood in deep thought.
"Wang Baitian, do you realize the impact this accusation will have on the Liang Palace?" Chen Buyu stared at him intently. "If there is no evidence, do you understand the crime of falsely accusing the royal family? Do you?"
"The evidence is on the western slope of East Mountain," Wang Baitian said coldly. "Take the coroner and dig up the deserted tomb on the left. You'll find more than a dozen—maybe even twenty—pregnant women, their bodies covered in bruises. Shovel the dirt away, one by one. Won't that be enough evidence?"
"Of course, you can argue with me. You can ask what proof I have that these female corpses were discarded by the Liang Palace. Right now, the dead have no voice. Only bones remain beneath the earth, and much of the past has already been erased."
"I have my revenge, and I have done what I set out to do. I don't care about the rest. Whether I stretch my head or lower it, the blade will fall just the same. Why should I fear death?"
Chen Buyu narrowed his eyes. "Wang Baitian, I'll ask you again—was it you who killed King Liang?"
"I killed them all. Every last one of them! It was easy—just a group of scum, too weak to resist. Why should I bother hiding it?"
"You also set fire to the Liang Palace?"
"Yes!" Wang Baitian's voice did not waver. "I killed that depraved old beast and deliberately started the fire to create chaos—just enough for me to escape."
He sat on the bench like a king on his throne. Even though his waist and back were injured, he remained upright, his posture unshaken.
Chen Buyu's expression darkened. "I remind you again—your words are being recorded. Think carefully. No matter your reasons, murdering the royal family is an act of treason, punishable by death. Can you bear the consequences? If King Liang wasn't actually killed by you, don't take the blame just to be a hero."
Wang Baitian let out a loud laugh. "Sir, I hated that lecherous old bastard to the bone! I've killed him a dozen times over in my dreams. When I snuck into the Liang Palace, it was for one reason only—to end his life! Do you think I'd deny it?"
"A single life like mine is nothing. But if I can take a few more down with me, it's worth it. Killing one or killing many—the punishment is the same. Why would I lie?"
Mu Zhao glanced at Wang Baitian deeply.
Chen Buyu's voice was steady. "Wang Baitian, tell me in detail—how did you kill Chen Ergou, the Niu family, and the others?"
---
After an entire night of interrogation, Mu Zhao led his men out of the dark prison cell. As light and shadow danced around them, it felt as though they were returning to the world of the living.
"Huaizhi, do you think he's telling the truth? If King Liang was really killed by him, why did he first say, 'King Liang is indeed dead'?"
Mu Zhao took a deep breath. "He's hiding something. There are inconsistencies in the evidence, but we have no proof that he's lying."
"He had an irreconcilable grudge against King Liang. Killing him for revenge makes perfect sense."
Lu Qian followed him out of the dungeon and realized that dawn had already broken. "Should we call all the coroners in the yamen to inspect the deserted tomb on East Mountain?"
"Yes. Go call them." Mu Zhao nodded, his voice heavy.
"Prince, if what Wang Baitian said is true, and the deserted tomb contains the corpses of many pregnant women, would it be appropriate to send coroners for the examination?" Governor Yu asked anxiously. "Perhaps we should find some experienced midwives instead..."
"The dead have been buried for years," Mu Zhao responded, his tone firm. "Some of them may have been there for six or seven years. By now, all that remains are bones. What's the point of modesty? We must ensure that the dead are properly handled and that their families are found. Only by bringing justice to the deceased can we restore the dignity they lost in life."
"Sir, as the governor of Weizhou Prefecture, you receive the imperial court's salary. You should serve the people—not turn a blind eye and act like a foolish official."
"Relay my orders: summon all the yamen runners and coroners. They are to dig up the tomb and examine the corpses. Bring in any free women in the city who are willing to assist."
"The Qi Dynasty is a place of righteousness, where the sun shines brightly. We will not allow such filth to remain buried in the soil. I don't care if this case takes three years, five years, or even eight—we will dig, and we will find the truth!"
The small official who had been writing furiously suddenly looked up, his eyes shining as he gazed at the prince.
The yamen officers, including Wu Yong, felt their blood stir. They responded in unison: "Yes!"
---
"The deceased was a female, approximately twenty years old. Preliminary examination shows that she was more than eight months pregnant. There are signs of fractured leg bones, with the tibia abnormally bent outward. She appears to have been cruelly abused before her death."
"The lower body of the corpse was burned. A light pat on the abdomen indicates the presence of a fetus. Preliminary findings suggest that she suffered violence before her death. Her legs were broken, and the fetus remains in the womb."
Yu Linlang spoke clearly as a small official took notes beside her. The winter wind was biting, but everyone was drenched in sweat from their work.
The deserted tomb on East Mountain had been excavated. Corpses were now lined up in rows, with coroners and experienced midwives carefully examining them one by one.
Yamen officers were responsible for digging up the bodies, cautiously extracting them from the earth.
The scene was orderly, though many struggled to hold back their nausea.
The officers took turns working, their faces grim. The sky above Weizhou City seemed ready to collapse.
Yu Linlang had been called to assist early in the morning, having only had half a bowl of warm water since.
Around noon, Baliang handed her a handkerchief to wipe her sweat. "My lady, take a break and have some food first. You can return later."
Yu Linlang had already examined four corpses. She finally felt the need to stretch her limbs.
Just then, Wei Ling hurried over.
Yu Linlang spoke calmly. "The bodies that are still intact have already been examined. Many of the others have decomposed into bones. If we want to determine the truth, we should dig a large pit and use the bone-steaming method to identify them."
Wei Ling nodded seriously. "Some bodies were buried in groups, making it difficult to distinguish them."
"Everyone's bones are unique. The spine, hips, legs, neck—all of it can be identified. Go eat first. You'll need strength to keep working. Have the officers carefully separate the bones onto large pieces of cloth and match them accordingly."
"Once everything is sorted, we'll begin proper examinations. If we can't finish today, we'll continue tomorrow. Forensic work requires patience—rushing will only lead to mistakes."
"Understood," Wei Ling responded.
As Yu Linlang walked away, Wei Ling blinked in confusion.
How strange… Why did I just instinctively follow her orders?