A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 192 I shouldn't be bullied!

From Song Shuyu's perspective, he felt that the two were not in conflict and that he could not choose one over the other, but Mu Qingcheng's obvious reluctance to discuss the matter further left him with no choice but to stop there.

He sat back in his chair and said, "Alright, let's get back to the case."

"You just said that I wronged you? What do you mean?" Mu Qingcheng got straight to the point.

Ever since Mu Xun's accident, Mu Qingcheng has given up on the idea of ​​marriage. She schemes and plots every day, just to find Mu Xun's body, find out the cause of death, and fulfill their brother-sister relationship.

Now that she knows Mu Xun is still alive, whether he acknowledges his identity or not, in her heart, this matter has come to a peaceful end.

But once one matter was resolved, another arose.

The real culprit who poisoned her mother is still hiding behind the scenes and has not yet been brought to justice. How could she have the face to discuss marriage? Moreover, Song Shuyu is the Empress Dowager's own nephew, which makes her very uneasy.

Song Shuyu couldn't help but feel aggrieved. "Coroner Mu, if I had intended to protect Lu Ruyue, why would I have repeatedly questioned her in court? Why would I have become enemies with Vice Minister Liang and not given him any opportunity to intervene in the case? I detained Vice Minister Liang in the Jingzhao Prefecture and sent people to monitor him, wasn't it all to prevent him from leaking information to the outside world?"

"Uh...Does Vice Minister Liang have a problem?" Mu Qingcheng asked in surprise.

Song Shuyu didn't want to say much, so he only touched on the point: "Vice Minister Liang was a juror recommended by the Empress Dowager."

Mu Qingcheng was unfamiliar with the political situation at court, but she keenly sensed the intrigue. So she cautiously probed, "My lord, the Empress Dowager sent Vice Minister Liang to assist you in the trial, right?"

Song Shuyu chuckled helplessly, "You still don't believe me."

Mu Qingcheng hesitated for a moment before boldly replying, "This humble servant trusts you, sir, but the Empress Dowager is your aunt, and this humble servant dares not sow discord between you and the Empress Dowager."

Song Shuyu remained silent for a long time, his expression composed.

Seeing this, Mu Qingcheng felt uneasy and knelt down to beg for forgiveness, "My lord, it was this humble servant who overstepped his bounds..."

Song Shuyu snapped back to his senses and quickly bent down to help Mu Qingcheng up, pressing her down into a chair. He sighed and said, "What should I do to make you believe that no matter what you say or do, I won't blame you? Qingcheng, remember, when we're alone, whether it's official business or personal matters, you can speak freely without being cautious or trying to read between the lines. Also, protect your knees; don't kneel down to beg for forgiveness at the drop of a hat. I can't bear to see that."

Mu Qingcheng felt as if a fishbone was stuck in his throat.

After much deliberation, Song Shuyu finally decided to speak frankly: "Qingcheng, my relationship with the Empress Dowager is not as harmonious as outsiders believe. It involves a hidden scandal of our Song family and concerns the grudges and grievances of three generations. It is difficult to explain in a few words. I will tell you when the time is right. What I can tell you now is that our Song family is breaking with the Empress Dowager!"

"In fact, I joined His Majesty's camp several years ago, secretly supporting him in seizing the throne. Now, it's time to assist His Majesty in taking power from the Empress Dowager and eliminating her! However, we must have irrefutable evidence to rightfully bring the Empress Dowager down! So even though I suspect that Liu Changqing's beloved is the Empress Dowager, I dare not say it, because speculation without evidence will bring us annihilation!"

“Qingcheng, I didn’t want to tell you this. I was afraid that knowing too much would bring you danger. But I just thought about it again. For Madam Mu Bai Li, Madam Li Yang Caiyu, and so many innocent lives lost, you will definitely investigate persistently. Rather than letting you be unaware of the dangers, I’d better give you a heads-up so you can be aware and take precautions.” “My lord…” Mu Qingcheng’s eyes were moist, and she was filled with shame. “I’m sorry, I misunderstood you, my lord.”

Song Shuyu chuckled deeply, "If you ever falsely accuse me again in the future, I'll use the same method to punish you, okay?"

Mu Qingcheng was a beat slow to react. When she saw the malicious smile on his lips and thought of that kiss, she suddenly understood his implication. She immediately said in embarrassment and anger, "My lord, please don't force me to slap you!"

"Just kidding, don't be angry." Song Shuyu teased him, then stopped while she was ahead. "Now, it's your turn to be honest with me. Do you also suspect the Empress Dowager?"

"Yes." Mu Qingcheng nodded. "That day at Yuntai Mountain, when you were chatting with me, you mentioned that the Empress Dowager and Li Yunyao's mother were close friends, and Bai Li and Yang Caiyu were also close friends. So, the possibility that the three of them were confidants is extremely high! Furthermore, from what Granny Yang, Liu Pei, and Madam Liu said, this woman hiding behind the scenes has extraordinary power and wealth, which also matches the characteristics of the Empress Dowager. Third, Lord Ji suspects that she is a widow. After the late Emperor's death, wasn't the Empress Dowager a widow? Combining all of the above, since I can connect this to the Empress Dowager, I estimate that given your familiarity with the Empress Dowager, you should have guessed it long ago."

Song Shuyu nodded repeatedly, "As expected of my coroner, Mu, you are truly intelligent and wise!"

"My lord..." Mu Qingcheng said helplessly, "Why do compliments sound so...so ambiguous when they come from your mouth?"

Song Shuyu's dark eyes sparkled with a smile. "You don't understand. This isn't called ambiguity; it's called declaring ownership. I need to let everyone know that you belong to me alone..."

"grown ups!"

Mu Qingcheng was both embarrassed and angry, her face turning red and then pale. "Can't you be serious for once?"

Song Shuyu was an obedient and sensible person. He immediately stopped smiling and sat up straight. "Actually, I began to suspect the Empress Dowager a few days earlier. When the Empress Dowager summoned me to the palace to pay my respects, she ordered me to hand over the case and forbade me to continue investigating. That's when I began to suspect her."

"Was it the noon of the day we returned from the Mu residence?" Mu Qingcheng asked immediately, startled.

Song Shuyu nodded, a hint of embarrassment creeping onto his face.

His reaction was like a heavy hammer, suddenly cracking open Mu Qingcheng's chaotic mind, making things that were previously incomprehensible gradually clear!

She grabbed his hand suddenly, her voice trembling uncontrollably, "My lord, you suffer from hysteria and have been self-harming with a knife. Is it related to the Empress Dowager? It was the Empress Dowager who hurt you, and not just once, right?"

Song Shuyu opened her lips, only managing to utter a muffled "hmm," before her throat felt as if something was blocking it, making it too uncomfortable to speak any more.

"I, I..." Mu Qingcheng's eyes were bloodshot, and tears instantly filled her eyes. She said, word by word, "What did the Empress Dowager do to you? I want her to pay back for everything, a hundredfold, a thousandfold! My lord is so good, he shouldn't be bullied!"

Thank you all for your support! Love you all!
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(End of this chapter)