A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 216 Headless Female Corpse (10)

Southern Prison.

Lu Xichun was summoned back to the Jingzhao Prefecture for questioning. The yamen runners led him into the interrogation room, where the instruments of torture and the dim lighting filled him with an unprecedented sense of fear, making him nervous, scared, and at a loss.

"Sit properly!" the constable Wang Tianzhu ordered. "Master Mu is personally questioning you. Answer honestly. If you conceal anything or lie, you will be severely punished!"

Lu Xichun shrugged and nodded vigorously, "Yes, yes, I understand."

"Master Mu!"

A moment later, voices sounded outside the door. Lu Xichun instinctively looked over and saw a girl wearing a narrow-sleeved blue shirt and skirt with a high ponytail walk in.

Lu Xichun was taken aback, surprised and puzzled.

After reporting the crime in the morning, he was taken to the scene by the police to confirm the crime scene, and then taken back to the Jingzhao Prefecture to await questioning.

He had never met Mu Qingcheng before, so when he saw Mu Qingcheng sit down at the gong jian table opposite him, he couldn't help but frown and his eyes revealed a hint of disdain.

Wang Tianzhu reported all the findings of his investigation: "Master Mu, this man is the one who reported the case. His name is Lu Xichun, and he lives in Lujia Village, not far from the west bank of the Su River. His family has made a living by fishing for generations, and Lu Xichun has been a fisherman for many years."

Mu Qingcheng nodded slightly, turned her gaze to Lu Xichun, and asked pointedly, "What, do you think I'm a woman and don't take me seriously?"

Lu Xichun was suddenly jolted awake. He never expected that the slight thought he had revealed would not only be seen through by the other party, but also be directly pointed out!

"It doesn't matter. You're not the first person to look down on women, nor will you be the last."

Mu Qingcheng wasn't angry. Instead, a faint smile appeared on her bright face. She asked, "Lu Xichun, did you fish in the Su River yesterday?"

Lu Xichun abandoned his contempt and dared not act presumptuously again. "Reporting to Your Excellency, I go fishing in the Su River every day, and I did yesterday as well."

Mu Qingcheng then asked, "Is there anything different about the Suhe River yesterday and today?"

“What’s different?” Lu Xichun asked in surprise. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said, “There’s no difference, except that there’s an extra dead person today.”

"When you discovered the body, were there any other people around? Or did you sense anything unusual in the vicinity?"

"In order to get the best catch, I arrive at the fishermen's place half an hour earlier every day. In addition, the fog was thick this morning and the visibility was low, so I did not discover that there was a second person in the Suhe River."

"What time did you arrive in Suhe?"

"1:15 AM".

"When you found the body, was it already completely frozen to the surface of the river?"

"More or less. When I reached out and touched the dead man's shoulder, it was clear that it had been frozen for a long time, like an ice block, and it didn't move an inch."

"Are there any wealthy families in the villages near the Suhe River who have young women in their households?"

“Yes, after all, it’s under the emperor’s nose. Which village doesn’t have a few rich lords?” Mu Qingcheng turned to look at Wang Tianzhu and gestured for him to hand paper and pen to Lu Xichun. “Can you write? Write down all the families you know.”

Lu Xichun was stumped. "I'm good at accounting, but I don't know many characters."

“Then you dictate, and I’ll write it down,” Wang Tianzhu said.

Lu Xichun was indeed a native of the area, and he knew the situation of the dozen or so villages around the Suhe River like the back of his hand. Once he started talking, he could recount them all in great detail, such as which young lady had abandoned her wealth to elope with a poor scholar, which girl had married an official as his second wife, and which young lady had given up being the principal wife of a commoner to become a concubine of a nobleman...

He spoke eloquently, and Mu Qingcheng listened quietly. Wang Tianzhu took notes page after page until almost half an hour had passed before Lu Xichun finally stopped.

Mu Qingcheng instructed, "Get him some water."

Another yamen runner, Li Daguo, brought over a water jug, and Lu Xichun gulped down most of it before his thirst was quenched.

Mu Qingcheng then asked, "Did you hear anything yesterday about any incidents? Like people being beaten with sticks or something?"

“No,” Lu Xichun replied without hesitation. “Even if there were, we wouldn’t hear about these gossips anytime soon.”

"why?"

"Which wealthy family doesn't have a few dirty secrets? When something first happens, they'll definitely try their best to cover it up and forbid the servants from spreading rumors. Only after three to five months, when things have calmed down and the servants see that their masters have lowered their guard, might they say a few words. Or, if a family mistreats a servant and kicks them out, that servant might harbor resentment and deliberately spread rumors about their master's affairs to ruin their reputation. In short, someone like me, an outsider, could never know what happened yesterday."

"Alright, let's stop here for today. Wang Tianzhu, see them out."

After saying this, Mu Qingcheng took a handful of copper coins from his purse and handed them to Lu Xichun, saying, "You delayed the fishing today, which must have affected your family's livelihood. Take this money, go out through the side door, and don't tell anyone about today's events when you get home, including your family, understand?"

Lu Xichun was stunned for a moment before taking the copper coin with trembling hands. His voice choked slightly as he said, "Master Mu, I'm sorry. I was disrespectful when I first met you. I shouldn't have judged you by your appearance. I know I was wrong."

Mu Qingcheng laughed and said, "It's alright, go home quickly. The Su River will be blocked for a few days, so you'll probably have to go fishing elsewhere soon."

"Yes!" Lu Xichun nodded, his expression moved, and also a little ashamed.

After Wang Tianzhu led Lu Xichun away, Mu Qingcheng picked up the record, looked it over carefully, and then called out, "Li Daguo, Zhao Chengsi, would you two like to do some extra work?"

"Master Mu, just give the order. We'll go through fire and water for you, and we won't dare disobey!" Li Daguo immediately patted his chest to express his determination.

Zhao Chengsi followed closely behind, "I second that!"

Mu Qingcheng's smile held a hint of amusement. "Li Daguo, let me make this clear: if you dare to tarnish my reputation in broad daylight again, I'll really put a sack over your head and give you a good beating!"

"No, no, that won't happen again. Last time I didn't understand. I thought Master Mu had booked the courtesans of Shuanghua Pavilion..." Seeing Mu Qingcheng's face darken, Li Daguo quickly tried to salvage the situation. "In the future, no matter which man Master Mu has an affair with, I will keep it a secret for Master Mu and will never dare to make it public again!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chengsi couldn't help but facepalm, nudged Li Daguo with his elbow, and lamented, "My God, just shut up!"

Mu Qingcheng took a few deep breaths before saying, "Zhao Chengsi, bring a sack over here. Let's do some extra work together!"

(End of this chapter)