A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 128 The Truth Revealed to the World (14)

“If the process is incomplete, the result will inevitably be wrong.” Song Shuyu said thoughtfully, “But I wonder if the missing pages are even more heinous, or…”

Before he could finish his thought, Mu Qingcheng habitually continued, "The missing part must be the most crucial part of the entire prescription! The person who took the missing page may have two motives: either to stop the alchemist from harming more lives, or to prevent the 'Muscle Regeneration Pill' and 'Love Regeneration Pill' from being successfully refined."

The familiar sense of understanding seemed to have suddenly returned. Song Shuyu's gaze fell uncontrollably on Mu Qingcheng's face, and a faint excitement rose in his heart. Did she not particularly dislike him?
"I'm very curious about what's written on the missing page!" As a fellow practitioner of medicine, the court judge had mixed feelings about ancient medical texts. He found them both miraculous and revered them as infallible, yet also terrifying. Was the creation of anti-human elixirs that could make people ageless and develop feelings of love, at the cost of harming living people, truly saving or harming them?
However, Song Shuyu's burning gaze made Mu Qingcheng very uncomfortable. The matter of the substitute made her feel disgusted, angry, and ashamed that he had teased her.

Especially that unexpected kiss...

But strangely, since the two of them had already made things clear yesterday, why was he looking at her the same way he had before today?
However, she wouldn't get involved in his mess. Aside from their superior-subordinate relationship, they shouldn't cross any lines. Besides, he was right; the strict separation of men and women shouldn't be disregarded by her.

Therefore, Mu Qingcheng subtly turned to face the judge, avoiding eye contact with Song Shuyu. She voiced her doubts, "Why does this 'Love-Generating Pill' only take a woman's heart's blood? Is it only for women?"

The judge replied, "I have consulted medical classics and ancient books many times. They only record 'love-generating pills' for women, not for men."

Mu Qingcheng pondered and said, "So, Li Mu's motive for refining medicine is for the benefit of many women? Is it to make a profit, or simply to bring good to women? Or is it to satisfy his obsession with pharmacology?"

“Li Mu is not short of money. The collection in his study alone is priceless. The secret passages he built also required a lot of financial and material resources. And the medicinal herbs he uses to refine medicines are all expensive, top-quality goods.” Song Shuyu interjected, his face ashen. “So, a new problem arises. Li Mu is just a minor compiler in the Hanlin Academy with a limited salary and no opportunity to make extra money. His relatives are not wealthy merchants either. Where did he get such a huge amount of wealth?”

Upon hearing this, Mu Qingcheng felt as if the threads had been pulled back and the cocoon peeled away, and the truth she sought was about to surface. "Then there is only one possibility left: the person who drove Li Mu to refine the medicine was a woman, and the 'Muscle Regeneration Pill' and 'Love Enhancement Pill' were all used by this woman alone! Li Mu's wealth was also provided by this woman!"

A face flashed through Song Shuyu's mind: fair skin, radiant beauty, and a charm that rivaled any young woman in the capital. Could it be... her?
"But we don't know who wrote this ancient medical text, or who created the medical techniques and prescriptions recorded within. If we could remove the harmful ingredients and improve the prescriptions, it would surely be..."

"The court will decide!"

Song Shuyu suddenly interrupted the chief physician's excited words, took the medical classic from Mu Qingcheng's hand, and instructed, "Coroner Mu, you may leave now. I need to have a private talk with the chief physician."

"Yes, my lord!"

Mu Qingcheng was only slightly taken aback before immediately bowing and taking her leave.

The doors to the council chamber were closed from the outside, cutting off all sound.

Song Shuyu invited the judge to take a seat.

The judge realized something from his solemn expression, and said frankly, "Lord Song, please speak freely! Now that I have entered the Jingzhao Prefecture, I will naturally follow Lord Song's arrangements in everything."

Song Shuyu nodded slightly: "Until this case is resolved, I hope that you and your two colleagues will not leave the Jingzhao Prefecture. Moreover, you must not divulge a single word about medical classics and all the contents recorded in them during your lifetime! Otherwise, you may face utter annihilation!"

The judge was shocked, but in a short while, he understood the reason.

Li Mu's failure to refine medicine does not mean that the people behind him have given up on finding someone to refine medicine. Now that the ancient medical book has fallen into the hands of the government and cannot be taken back, those who have read the ancient medical book, especially since he is an imperial physician, will become their targets! Secondly, once the ancient medical book is published, it will inevitably cause turmoil in the medical world, with women all over the world vying for it. At that time, wouldn't they face annihilation?
Song Shuyu clasped his hands and bowed, saying, "It is I who have implicated you all! After the case is closed, I will inform His Majesty to have this ancient medical book destroyed!"

The court judge returned the greeting and replied sincerely, "Lord Song's considerations are thorough. I will certainly ensure that the physicians in the herbal medicine storehouse and the female doctors in the workshops keep this a secret! Once we leave the capital, we will completely forget the contents of the medical classics!"

...Southern Prison.

In the solitary confinement cell where serious offenders were held, Liu Xiao lay on the wooden bed, listless and despondent.

Mu Qingcheng stood with his hands behind his back.

Through the iron bars, she said calmly, "Liu Xiao, I heard that you haven't eaten or drunk anything since you returned yesterday. Are you planning to go down and keep Huang Yiyi company early? But how do you know she'll want to see you?"

Liu Xiao's lips moved slightly, and he said in a barely audible voice, "Yiyi is my wife. Our love is stronger than gold. How could she not want to see me?"

Mu Qingcheng raised an eyebrow, a cold laugh escaping her lips: "She was murdered, the killer has not been brought to justice, and the great revenge has not been achieved. How will you comfort her when you see her?"

Liu Xiao fell silent.

Mu Qingcheng pressed on, "Ha, you were just saying your love as a couple was stronger than gold, but now you're silent? Is it because the murderer might be your father or brother?"

"impossible!"

Liu Xiao suddenly jumped off the wooden bed, his eyes bloodshot, and shouted, "How could my father possibly kill Yiyi? Whether my older brother is dead or alive is still undetermined. You have no evidence, so don't make wild guesses!"

Mu Qingcheng gestured, and Constable Luo stepped forward carrying a dark blue Shu brocade garment. Mu Qingcheng immediately said, "Liu Xiao, since you want evidence, then I will give you evidence. Come and take a look, whose garment is this?"

Liu Xiao paused for a moment, then approached the iron fence. Officer Luo unfolded and lifted the clothes to make it easier for Liu Xiao to identify them.

Mu Qingcheng stared at Liu Xiao silently, not missing any change in his expression.

Liu Xiao's eyes were initially blank, but after a moment of recollection, they gradually turned to shock. He even subconsciously staggered back half a step, his lips trembling, "This, this is..."

Mu Qingcheng immediately asked, "Whose clothes are these?"

"I...I don't know, I don't recognize them..."

"Say!"

"..."

"Do you want Huang Yiyi to die with her eyes wide open in disbelief? Do you know how she died? Someone took her heart's blood!"

She was all bark and no bite, and went straight for Liu Xiao's weak spot. Liu Xiao was drenched in sweat and his composure completely collapsed. He blurted out, "It's my older brother Liu Pei's clothes!"

(End of this chapter)