A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 165 The Truth Revealed to the World (51)

Inside and outside the courtroom, there was complete silence.

Liu Pei's life experience is pitiful, tragic, lamentable, and also laughable.

His fate was controlled by Liu Changqing from birth; he had no say in right or wrong, good or evil, and even life and death were luxuries. He spent the rest of his life living for others, never thinking of himself.

It wasn't until he met Li Yunyao that he fell in love and began to consider her for himself.

However, he was always a step too late.

He was a step too late in matters of the heart; Li Yunyao fell in love with someone else. He wanted to save Li Mu, but he was a step too late. He wanted to take Li Yunyao away, but he was a step too late. He wanted to protect Liu Xiao, but he was a step too late. He wanted to protect his mother, but he was a step too late.

With each step he slowed, he lost a person. Until he had nothing left.

Perhaps, from the moment Madam Liu encountered the bandits, the gears of his fate were turned back a step, which is why everything was slow, even his father arrived a step late.

As the saying goes, one should not comment without knowing the whole story. But now, it's more like knowing the whole story makes it difficult to comment.

Liu Pei was both a perpetrator and a victim; he stood on the middle line between good and evil, black and white. The simple word "human nature" is not enough to definitively judge him.

Madam Liu held Liu Pei's hand and placed it on her heart, overwhelmed with unbearable heartache. Apart from repeatedly saying, "It was my mother who ruined my son," she could say nothing else.

Overwhelmed by the shock, Liu Xiao's expression became erratic, a mixture of laughter and tears. "My revered father abused my brother, murdered my wife, treated me like a pawn, and committed so many heinous crimes... I... I feel like I've never known this person before. It's all fake, everything is fake. The filial piety and loving relationship I imagined were all fake. You are all actors, performing a grand play on stage, and I am the only spectator..."

Liu Changqing stared intently at Liu Pei, his eyes bloodshot. He whimpered, whether out of regret or hatred, it was unclear. But now, no one cared about him.

Song Shuyu rested his elbows on the desk, his eyes slightly lowered, looking worried.

This case is becoming increasingly intertwined with the Mu family. If we continue to investigate and uncover the source of this evil, which is related to Mu Yan, what will happen to Mu Qingcheng?
Just as he was pondering, Mu Qingcheng, who was below the hall, suddenly leaned down, grabbed Liu Pei by the collar, and said in a cold, sharp voice, "Liu Pei, more than ten years ago, you sneaked into the Mu Yan family to find medical books and ancient texts. Now you have sneaked into the Mu residence to find a third dagger and its sheath. What is the connection between all of this and Mu Yan? And why is the source of this evil related to a dagger? Liu Pei, I want you to tell me everything you know!"

"Coroner Mu..." Song Shuyu opened her lips, wanting to say something, but in the end said nothing.

She was stronger, more open, and more opinionated than he had imagined; the weight she could bear was comparable to a thousand pounds.

Liu Pei comforted Madam Liu and Liu Xiao for a few moments, and only after they stopped crying did he reply, "Actually, I've had this thought for a long time. Lord Song called me cowardly because I know that Liu Changqing's master, though a woman, is incredibly wealthy and powerful! If the only person threatening me were Liu Changqing, I could simply kill him and be done with it. However, Liu Changqing is just a pawn, and that woman can take anyone's life anytime, anywhere. That's why I'm determined to take the blame for Liu Changqing no matter what. Now, I've confessed everything, and I hope Lord Song will keep his word and protect my mother and Liu Xiao." Song Shuyu nodded slightly.

Liu Pei continued, "Therefore, over the past few years, while completing the tasks assigned by Liu Changqing, I secretly investigated the woman's identity. However, Liu Changqing was very discreet and never revealed a single detail, so I never obtained any useful clues. It wasn't until I entered the Li family and poisoned Yang Caiyu that I accidentally discovered a dagger without a sheath! I had seen the same dagger in Liu Changqing's study before; their materials, size, and patterns were exactly the same. I immediately became suspicious and began to investigate the origin of the dagger!"

"This investigation led them to the famous swordsmith Li Xiang. Li Xiang said that many years ago, a young woman surnamed Bai commissioned him to make three identical daggers as gifts for her close friend. Li Xiang remembered them clearly because this young woman, Bai, was a remarkable person. Unlike women from wealthy families, she disliked needlework, embroidery, music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Instead, she loved martial arts and adventure, studying medicine, and inventing novel gadgets. After the daggers were made, she personally engraved her and her close friend's names on the scabbards as a testament to their friendship."

"Liu Changqing sent me to infiltrate the Mu Yan family to search for ancient medical texts. Mu Yan's wife happens to be surnamed Bai, so I deduce that Madam Mu is the Bai girl who commissioned the dagger, and Yang Caiyu is one of Bai girl's confidantes. As for Liu Changqing's dagger, judging from the degree of importance he attaches to it, it must have been a gift from the woman behind him, and this woman should be another confidante of Bai girl. Therefore, finding the third dagger will prove the relationship between the three women, and finding the scabbard will reveal the woman's name, thus confirming her identity!"

Mu Qingcheng's chest heaved with turmoil, and her eyes filled with tears. "So, the one related to the medical classics and the dagger is not Mu Yan, but Madam Mu!"

Liu Pei said, "According to my investigation, it should be correct. It's just a pity that I searched the entire Mu residence but found nothing."

"Madam Mu has been dead for many years, and the whereabouts of the dagger are unknown. How do you plan to find it?" Mu Qingcheng released her grip on Liu Pei's collar and swayed slightly as she stood up.

Song Shuyu hurriedly said, "Coroner Mu, you've been presiding over the case for a long time. Go back to your seat and rest for a moment!"

Mu Qingcheng waved his hand, forcing himself to stay awake despite his dizziness, and said, "My lord, I'm fine. Let's continue the interrogation. It's time to summon the imperial physician!"

Song Shuyu frowned, his eyes filled with worry. "Leave the interrogation of the imperial physician to me. Come back and sit for a while."

"Yes!"

Mu Qingcheng didn't insist any further and sat down next to Song Shuyu. Song Shuyu leaned closer and lowered her voice, saying, "Take a break, sort out your thoughts, and don't get stuck on this."

"Mm." Mu Qingcheng nodded.

When the physician entered the courtroom and saw Liu Changqing being tortured, he cried out his innocence before Song Shuyu could even speak: "Lord Song, I am innocent! I am a doctor, and it is my duty to treat and save lives. How could I poison a patient? I beg Lord Song to investigate thoroughly and uphold justice for me!"

"Coroner Mu caught you red-handed that day, and you still dare to argue? A doctor, yet you have the mouth of a scholar, truly capable of blatantly lying!" Song Shuyu was too lazy to waste any more words and directly shouted, "Guards, drag him out and flog him! There's no limit to how much he can be flogged, keep beating him until he's willing to confess honestly!"

(End of this chapter)