A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 210 Headless Female Corpse (4)

"A headless female corpse?" Upon hearing this, Lu Xun squeezed in, "Was it discovered this morning? Has the victim's head been recovered? Do you need any help? The Dali Temple has..."

"unnecessary!"

Before Mu Qingcheng could answer, Song Shuyu immediately rejected the idea. He subtly shifted his body to the side, blocking Lu Xun's view, and said with a half-smile, "I appreciate Lu Shaoqing's kindness. However, my Jingzhao Prefecture is full of talented people and does not need to seek help from outside."

“I’m asking Master Mu. Although Brother Song is the superior, shouldn’t he give his subordinates some autonomy?” Lu Xun deftly deflected the question, easily turning the tables on him.

Song Shuyu immediately retorted in an annoyed tone, "Stop trying to sow discord! My advisor, Master Mu, is an expert in autopsies, detective work, and forensic examination. Looking across the three judicial departments, with thousands of staff, how many are as versatile as her? I never interfere with her, and I believe she can solve cases independently!"

Mu Qingcheng pursed her lips and remained silent.

She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but the relationship between the two seemed to have soured, especially the adult; there was a hint of hostility in his eyes...

"Master Mu, tell me, am I right?"

However, Song Shuyu, like a child who desperately needed recognition, insisted on getting her to express her opinion, and even childishly nudged her with her shoulder, her eyes full of expectation.

"That's not quite right." Mu Qingcheng thought for a moment. She wasn't as shameless as Song Shuyu. At least, when others praised her to the skies, she had to show some humility. "You flatter me, sir. I am not very knowledgeable and have many shortcomings. I need your guidance. I will do my best to solve this case of the headless female corpse. If necessary, I will ask for your assistance!"

Upon hearing this, Song Shuyu was quite pleased with himself. "Did you hear me clearly, Lu Shaoqing? Why don't you wait in the council hall first, and we can discuss the case with Master Mu before you two connect? After all, this is an internal matter of our Jingzhao Prefecture, and it is not convenient for outsiders to listen in."

Since they publicly revealed their identities as rivals, Lu Xun has come to a new understanding of Song Shuyu. In order to compete with him for Mu Qingcheng, Song Shuyu has acted in a despicable and shameless manner, resorting to any means necessary!

Unfortunately, Mu Qingcheng was Song Shuyu's subordinate, and Song Shuyu had all the advantages of timing and location, being in a very advantageous position!
Lu Xun felt a strong sense of crisis. For example, at this moment, Song Shuyu had legitimately taken Mu Qingcheng as his own, but he was powerless to do anything about it and could only compromise.

Fortunately, Mu Qingcheng felt sorry for him and comforted him, saying, "Young Master Lu, I will be there soon, please wait a moment."

Lu Xun felt a little better. He nodded and showed the familiar, warm smile she knew. "Okay, I'll wait for you."

Although she said, "From now on, may we each be well," how could the deep affection that had taken root after eight years of mutual support truly be erased?
Mu Qingcheng watched Lu Xun leave the hall, her eyes moist and her expression blank.

"What, you're reluctant to part with it?"

The familiar male voice, like spilled aged vinegar, filled the entire administration hall with its sour smell.

Mu Qingcheng withdrew his gaze, met Song Shuyu's slightly displeased handsome face, and chuckled softly, "My lord, your actions towards Lu Shaoqing lacked a bit of gentlemanly conduct."

"What gentlemanly manners do I need? What I want is a person. If only you..." Song Shuyu stopped midway through his sentence, suddenly moved closer to Mu Qingcheng, his restless hands pulling her directly into his arms. His thin lips brushed against her face, the wet, ticklish breath penetrating her eardrums, making her heart tremble. He said in a hoarse voice, "If only you said you liked me, I wouldn't consider him an enemy!"

"My lord!" Mu Qingcheng was both embarrassed and ashamed, and hurriedly dodged away, saying coquettishly, "Can't you be serious for once? It's duty time now, what if someone sees us? Don't you have any face left, my lord?"

The hall doors were wide open, and not only were there constables on duty outside, but people could also pass by at any time. Song Shuyu, that lecher, was becoming more and more audacious!

"What is face? Is it more important than your wife?" Song Shuyu was not afraid at all. Her eyebrows relaxed, and the corners of her lips lifted slightly, making people's hearts flutter with a smile.

Mu Qingcheng's fair face flushed even more. "My lord, can you... can you speak properly? I'm very busy, I have a lot of things to do!" That damned Song Shuyu, her flirting skills are getting better and better.

"Unless you promise me you will never give Lu Xun the chance to renew your marriage contract!"

"..."

Mu Qingcheng returned Song Shuyu's speechless expression, then turned and walked outside.

"Since you don't want to hear about the case, then I'll report back to you after I've solved it!"

"Coroner Mu!"

Song Shuyu's handsome face turned pale with anger. He stretched out his long arm and pulled Mu Qingcheng back. "You know how to take my life without shedding a drop of blood."

“My lord…” Mu Qingcheng saw his eyes redden, as if he was about to cry, and she couldn’t help but sigh deeply. She patiently explained, “Didn’t I say? To me, he is family, he is an older brother. The reason why we made a verbal engagement back then was my father’s idea. He was afraid that I would become a coroner and not be able to get married, so he took advantage of my kindness and asked Mu Xun to marry me. Mu Xun is a man of loyalty and righteousness, so he naturally wanted to protect me, which is why he came up with this.”

Song Shuyu immediately pressed on, "And now? If Mu Xun insists on fulfilling the marriage agreement, what will you choose? Me, or him?"

"...I won't choose either." Mu Qingcheng hesitated for a moment before giving her answer.

Song Shuyu's eyes widened. "Why?"

Mu Qingcheng said, "My father raised me all by himself, without anyone to care for me. If I get married, what will happen to my father? Besides, marriage and childbirth are not the only paths for women. My current job and the path I'm on are quite good, aren't they?"

Song Shuyu was utterly astonished. "I schemed for your future, and you ended up losing my wife? Mu Qingcheng, do you even have a heart? Either you marry into the Duke's mansion with your father, or I'll marry into the family and become your father's son-in-law! The choice is yours!"

"My lord, are you out of your mind?" Mu Qingcheng's heart pounded, and she said incredulously, "How can you do this? Forcing me to get married every day, do you even want me to live? From now on, if you say another word unrelated to official business, I will... I will choose him!"

Song Shuyu was overjoyed. "Alright, I understand. Let's talk business, only business!"

Mu Qingcheng finally breathed a sigh of relief and continued the previous topic: "Sir, there are many logical contradictions in this case. The murderer is skilled in light-footed martial arts and his decapitation technique is also excellent. He only used one cut, and the wound was flat without any oblique angle. Therefore, I speculate that the deceased was lying on his back when he was decapitated and had no ability to resist. Of course, we can only confirm this after the autopsy."

(End of this chapter)