A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 143 The Truth Revealed to the World (29)

"Yes!" Liu Pei answered crisply, without the slightest hesitation.

Song Shuyu found it amusing. "What makes you think I'll believe whatever you say? Do you think I and my men are all good-for-nothings?"

Liu Pei had experienced Mu Qingcheng's meticulousness and decisiveness, but he never expected that Song Shuyu would be just as difficult and meticulous!

This discovery piqued Liu Pei's interest. His empty, dark pupils finally flickered with a faint, dim light. "Heh, on what basis does Your Excellency believe that the criminal's confession is false?"

Upon hearing this, Song Shuyu was not angry at all, but rather intrigued. "Liu Pei, do you want to guess why I arrested you?"

Seeing this, the officials on the jury and in charge of the trial all had complicated expressions. Was Song Shuyu really conducting a trial? In such a solemn and dignified setting, he was actually joking around and passing the buck back and forth with the defendant?
Because of Song Shuyu's methods of confronting the Empress Dowager and Guo Xuan, and the poison Song Shuyu had put on him when he entered the room, Liang Ruoming had a preconceived fear of Song Shuyu. But now, looking at him, wasn't Song Shuyu just a good-for-nothing?

So Liang Ruoming leaned forward and whispered, "Lord Song, you've only been in office as the Prefect of the Capital for a short time, and you may not be familiar with the interrogation procedures and terminology for criminal cases. Since the perpetrator has confessed, present the witnesses and physical evidence, let the perpetrator explain the process and motive of the crime, and then make a judgment. Murder is a serious crime, and the case should be reported to the Court of Judicial Review for review..."

"What, is Vice Minister Liang instructing me on how to do things?"

Song Shuyu leaned back in his round-backed chair and said leisurely, "Now that I think about it, it was my oversight. The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review is a third-rank official, and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice is also a third-rank official. Since Lord Guo is not suitable to be a juror, then Vice Minister Liang..."

Liang Ruoming's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly said, "Lord Song, you have misunderstood. I had no other intentions. Please continue to preside over the trial, Lord Song!"

Song Shuyu laughed, "Minister Liang, you may not know me very well. When I, Song, judge cases, I tend to do things my own way. If the process is interesting, the result is often unexpected and even more interesting. Otherwise, Minister Liang, please be more patient and see what happens?"

Liang Ruoming was embarrassed and said with an awkward smile, "Thank you for your understanding, Lord Song."

Liu Pei watched this scene quietly, pondered their conversation for a moment, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.

“Indeed, a strong general has no weak soldiers. I have witnessed Lord Song’s relaxed and confident attitude in Coroner Mu as well.” Liu Pei chuckled suddenly and said lazily, “Since Lord Song likes to play cat and mouse games, I will do my best to cooperate.”

Song Shuyu straightened up, resting his elbows on the desk and rubbing his temples, and said with a smile, "Alright. Then answer my question: why did I arrest you? With your pathetic martial arts skills, you can't even beat my female coroner. Why would I need to deploy heavy troops and seal off your general's mansion? Don't you think I'm wasting manpower and disturbing the people?"

Ji Yue, the Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, was also baffled. Why was there such a talkative trial mode? And why did he even expose his own shortcomings?

Lu Xun, on the other hand, watched with an appreciative attitude as Song Shuyu, amidst his casual conversation, meticulously planned how to orchestrate the situation and how he would ultimately resolve it.

Liu Pei's gaze darkened for a moment, then he put on an indifferent expression again, "Isn't it just murder and disposal of a body? The criminal has already confessed, why is Your Honor still dragging your feet? Whether it's death by a thousand cuts or immediate execution, the criminal will have no objection to Your Honor's verdict!"

"Hmm, it sounds like you really want me to execute you right now, doesn't it?"

“The criminals who committed serious crimes knew they could not escape death, so they did not want to make any more futile struggles.”

Song Shuyu seemed to ponder for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter, "That won't do! I've been working tirelessly for five or six days, hoping to solve this case and become famous throughout the land! How can I act impulsively and kill someone to cover it up? Oh, no, I mean, to cover up for the real murderer..." "My lord, I am a criminal, and I must take responsibility for my actions. Please investigate thoroughly and don't make wild guesses!" Liu Pei interrupted quickly, his eyes revealing a resolute determination.

"How do you know my speculation is without evidence? Liu Pei, do you want Li Yunyao to die in vain? Li Yunyao went to great lengths to set up her death trap, and the whole world knows that she died a worthy death. But I, in order to help her, pushed for a public trial, attracting thousands of people to watch. Are you really willing to let her die with her eyes open in disgrace?"

Song Shuyu spoke calmly, without a trace of anger in his voice. For truly vicious people, intimidation and torture are powerful interrogation tools, but Liu Pei is different. Only by being smarter than him can one arouse his interest in the confrontation; only by being more unconventional than him can one catch him off guard and make him reveal his true colors.

Destroying his spirit is the best way to deal with Liu Pei!
Liu Pei stared at Song Shuyu, his eyes surging with a myriad of emotions. He remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "If Your Excellency has evidence, the criminal will not stubbornly deny it. If there is no evidence, the criminal has nothing to say."

After exchanging glances, Song Shuyu roughly understood Liu Pei's intentions. Clearly, Liu Pei had handed the choice over to him, depending on whether the evidence he possessed could persuade Liu Pei to reveal the truth.

Song Shuyu then said, "Officer Lin, bring up the evidence! Also, summon witness Liu Xiao to the court!"

"Yes, my lord!"

Lin Shuban bowed and accepted the order.

However, in the brief moment of waiting, a series of chaotic footsteps suddenly shattered the tranquility inside and outside the courtroom!

Everyone in the hall was startled, and in the blink of an eye, a person rushed in!
"Your Excellency, Coroner Mu has committed a crime!"

The visitor was none other than Constable Luo!
Song Shuyu suddenly stood up, rushed down from the hall, grabbed Constable Luo by the collar, and shouted sternly, "What did you say? Explain yourself to me, who is in trouble? What happened?"

Constable Luo's face and head were covered in black ash, and his hoarse voice was choked with sobs: "Sir, two quarters of an hour ago, Liu Changqing's house suddenly caught fire. Constable Liu protected the magistrate and they escaped the fire by sheer luck, but Counselor Mu didn't make it out! Constable Jiang tried to rush in, and just then, the entire house collapsed with a crash..."

"And then what?" Song Shuyu's roar made everyone's ears ring.

A hand landed on Song Shuyu's shoulder. "Calm down!"

Song Shuyu turned her head and looked at Lu Xun, whose face was pale but who was trying to remain calm. Her lips trembled and she could not speak.

Constable Luo said sadly, "Constable Liu and the judge have been burned. Constable Jiang and his men are putting out the fire. I don't know the current situation either."

Song Shuyu's vision went black, and he almost fell to the ground!
"Where's my mother?"

Overwhelmed with anger and anxiety, Liu Pei stared at Constable Luo and asked repeatedly, "Was my mother taken away by my father? How is my mother? Is she alright?"

(End of this chapter)