A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 115 The Truth Revealed to the World (3)

Emperor Shen Zhu decreed: No government office or official may, in any way, obstruct the Jingzhao Prefecture from handling cases! Violators will be severely punished!
In other words, every government office and every official must fully cooperate with the Jingzhao Prefecture in handling the case!
Therefore, after receiving the token from the Prefect of the Capital, the Imperial Medical Academy Director dared not be negligent in the slightest and sent a Chief Physician, a Physician from the Herbal Medicine Storehouse, and a female physician from the Imperial Medical Academy's workshop that made ointments, pills, and powders.

The three men greeted Song Shuyu, who then asked the academy judge to first examine Liu Xiao's pulse.

After taking the patient's pulse, the physician said, "The patient's liver qi is rising in reverse, causing blood to rise with the qi, and he is experiencing depression, anger, and worry. He needs to relax and take good care of himself. However..."

At this point, the judge suddenly paused, a complicated expression on his face. Liu Xiao said nonchalantly, "Is it some incurable disease? It doesn't matter, life and death are in the hands of fate."

Seeing that Liu Xiao was in low spirits, the judge held back and did not say anything.

Song Shuyu ushered the physician outside and asked in a low voice, "Does Young Master Liu have any other ailments?"

The court judge, avoiding those around him, lowered his voice and asked, "Lord Song, I wonder if the patient frequently takes medications such as Sophora flavescens, Paris polyphylla, and Tripterygium wilfordii?"

"Hmm?" Song Shuyu was taken aback. "Is there something wrong with these herbs?"

The court ruled, "Prolonged use or high-dose use of this drug can affect fertility."

Song Shuyu stared in disbelief: "You mean, Young Master Liu the Second, he..."

"Judging from the pulse, he has been taking it for some time now."

"..."

As a fellow man, Song Shuyu found it quite unbelievable. Being childless was considered a grave act of filial impiety; no man would intentionally harm his body to refuse offspring, unless he was born with a deficiency or harmed by someone else. Moreover, Huang Yiyi was divorced by Liu Xiao on the grounds of being childless. Even though it was the public narrative, it was clear that Liu Xiao deeply loved Huang Yiyi and wanted to have children with her. Furthermore, Liu Xiao had a plan: first, solidify their relationship, and then, after Huang Yiyi gave birth to a child, he would ask his father to officially recognize her status.

So why did Liu Xiao take those infertile drugs? Was someone trying to harm him?

A dozen steps away, Mu Qingcheng couldn't hear what they were saying, but Song Shuyu's expression piqued her interest.

She strode over and asked him directly, "Sir, is there something wrong with Liu Xiao's health?"

“Hmm…” Song Shuyu’s expression turned slightly embarrassed. “Liu Xiao’s illness is something that’s hard to talk about.”

"An unspeakable secret?" Mu Qingcheng was taken aback at first, then blurted out, "Is it that you can't have sex?"

"Cough-cough-"

Song Shuyu never expected Mu Qingcheng to be so unrestrained, to say such shameless things so casually. He was choked and coughed incessantly, and the judge next to him was also embarrassed and blushed!

Seeing this, Mu Qingcheng naturally and skillfully patted Song Shuyu's back while frowning, looking puzzled. "What's wrong, sir? Did I say something wrong? Could it be that Liu Xiao is not impotent, but suffers from some other intractable disease?"

"Coroner Mu, you...you shut up!" Song Shuyu's handsome face turned bright red. Afraid that the judge would laugh at him, he grabbed Mu Qingcheng's arm and walked towards a less crowded corner.

The judge clicked his tongue twice, thinking to himself, "This is the first-class female coroner of the Jingzhao Prefecture, whose reputation is better than ever before? She is truly extraordinary!"
"grown ups!"

Mu Qingcheng simply couldn't understand Song Shuyu's behavior, as if she had done something shameful and was in a hurry to hide her away.

So she stopped halfway and angrily shook off Song Shuyu.

"Qingcheng, are you angry?" Noticing her change in mood, Song Shuyu quickly comforted her, "These kinds of things can only be said between the two of us in private. It's not good for outsiders to hear them. If it gets out, it might cause gossip and damage your reputation."

Mu Qingcheng retorted, "Does that mean I, as a woman, won't attract criticism for working as a coroner? Is my reputation built on the gossip of others? Doctors and coroners, one heals the living, the other examines the dead. Whether prolonging the lives of the living or seeking justice for the dead, if one cannot transcend the distinction between men and women, one cannot achieve anything!" "Qingcheng, don't misunderstand, I don't disagree with you, I just want to protect you," Song Shuyu said urgently.

Mu Qingcheng pouted, "As you know, I am upright and honest, and I don't care what others think of me."

Song Shuyu stared at her with his dark, unblinking eyes, his gaze stubborn and resolute. "But I care. I don't want you to be hurt in any way, not even a single word!"

Mu Qingcheng suddenly fell silent.

Their starting points were different, so there's no right or wrong.

After thinking for a moment, Mu Qingcheng whispered, "My lord, I'm sorry. It was my slow reaction that made me fail to appreciate your kindness and I have let you down."

Song Shuyu paused for a moment, then couldn't help but extend her index finger and gently poke Mu Qingcheng's forehead, her words filled with affection, "You, you speak Mandarin with such ease. But is this what I wanted to hear?"

Mu Qingcheng blinked blankly, "Then... what does Your Excellency want to hear?"

Song Shuyu's gaze deepened as he stared at her. He slowly said, "I want to hear you say you're willing to marry me."

"..."

Mu Qingcheng turned and left.

The adults are far too fixated on the word "reputation"!

Song Shuyu was both angry and amused. This was his fourth time proposing marriage. He wondered how many more times he would have to propose before his wish would come true.

After regaining consciousness, Liu Xiao stood there in a daze for a long time before finally leaving the room and pleading, "May I see Madam one more time?"

The constables reported to Song Shuyu, and after receiving his approval, they took Liu Xiao back to the underground room.

Mu Qingcheng personally took notes on the confession.

After the initial shock, Liu Xiao calmed down considerably. He approached the glass jar in the center, knelt down, and with trembling hands, gently stroked the face of the woman's corpse within. He murmured, "Yiyi, what are you doing here? You're dressed so lightly, aren't you cold? Your husband missed you so much, searched for you for so long, and finally found you..."

Everyone present was deeply moved by the scene, and tears welled up in their eyes.

Mu Qingcheng sniffed and said seriously, "Liu Xiao, according to the procedures for handling cases, I need to ask you a few questions. Please answer them honestly."

Liu Xiao did not respond.

Mu Qingcheng continued, "Are you sure the woman who died in the second glass jar was your wife, Huang Yiyi?"

Hot tears welled up in Liu Xiao's eyes, and he sobbed uncontrollably, "Yes, she is my wife."

While taking notes, Mu Qingcheng asked, "Do you know the other two victims?"

Liu Xiao glanced at the glass jars on the left and right, and replied, "The person on the left is the maid Shuangcui, and the person on the right is the maid Linglong."

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(End of this chapter)