A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 235 Headless Female Corpse (23)

Mu Qingcheng understood what a soft heart lay beneath Bai Zhizhi's seemingly strong exterior. She squeezed Bai Zhizhi's slightly cool hand and gently comforted her, "It's no use being sad about old people and old things. It's only natural that Mr. Bai loves his daughter so much that he doesn't think things through."

“It’s definitely not right for you to deliver the bracelet to their door in public. It will make the Earl’s wife suspicious of Wu Fei.” Song Shuyu pondered. “As far as I know, the Earl of Pingnan is a mediocre man. He has inherited the title for many years but has not accomplished anything. If it weren’t for the title of his ancestors and the protection of the Earl’s wife’s family, the Pingnan Earl’s mansion would probably have declined long ago.”

Bai Zhizhi's mind raced. "So, does that mean the Earl's wife wields great power in the Earl's mansion? Then... could it be that the Earl's wife killed the deceased?"

"It's too early to draw conclusions now." Song Shuyu shook her head, and seeing Bai Zhizhi's momentary dejected expression, she added, "However, we can't rule out that possibility."

Mu Qingcheng thought for a moment and asked, "Zhizhi, do the Hejia family's totem get tattooed on their bodies?"

"I don't know, I didn't undress anyone." Bai Zhizhi blinked her eyelashes, her tone very serious. "Although everyone thinks I'm a scoundrel, I'm actually a decent person."

"hehe."

The serious atmosphere was instantly shattered, and Mu Qingcheng laughed so hard she was rubbing her forehead and back, "Zhizhi, laughing so hard you die is a crime."

Song Shuyu helped her to sit down in the armchair, and jokingly said with a smile, "Qingcheng, with your cheerful little sister by your side, I'm not afraid that you'll feel depressed."

Bai Zhizhi was exceptionally confident, her lively face revealing the charm of a young girl. "Hmph, I knew it, I'm a useful person too."

"Yes, indeed," Song Shuyu praised, echoing her words.

Bai Zhizhi immediately seized the opportunity, "In that case, Lord Song, how about recruiting me into the Jingzhao Prefecture? I know martial arts, I know lightness skills, and I have money. I can donate silver to the yamen and become a female constable, how about that?"

Upon hearing this, Song Shuyu looked at Mu Qingcheng in surprise, "Was she acting on impulse, or did she have a plan all along?"

“My lord, Zhizhi is serious. Please consider it.” Mu Qingcheng smiled. “I can testify that she is more than capable of being a constable.”

Song Shuyu nodded and said, "Very well, I grant your permission!"

"Wow, that's wonderful!" Bai Zhizhi's eyes sparkled, and she clapped her hands with joy. "Lord Song is wise! Thank you, Lord Song!"

Mu Qingcheng couldn't help but chuckle, "Zhizhi, I forgot to remind you, now that you're a constable, you're the lord's subordinate. It might not be so easy for you to freely tease the lord anymore."

Song Shuyu smiled and said, "So, Miss Bai, you should think it over carefully, lest you lose more than you gain."

"Hmph, I, Bai Zhizhi, keep my word and never go back on my word!" Bai Zhizhi said confidently, cupping her hands in a salute and saying solemnly, "Your Excellency, please accept my bow!"

Song Shuyu and Mu Qingcheng exchanged a smile, then said seriously, "Bai Zhizhi, starting tomorrow, you will be Constable Bai! You will no longer be under the jurisdiction of the Four Great Constables, but will be directly under the command of me and Master Mu, understand?"

"Yes, sir!" Bai Zhizhi replied loudly.

Song Shuyu continued, “As for donating money, that’s unnecessary. I’m recruiting talent, not selling official positions. Now that you’ve entered the Jingzhao Prefecture, you’re an official. You must remember your place, abide by the law, and never commit crimes or break the law!” Bai Zhizhi’s face turned solemn, and he bowed again, saying, “Thank you for your instruction, sir. I will remember it!”

Mu Qingcheng smiled and said, "Congratulations, sir, on gaining another valiant general!"

"No, I'm not a fierce general. I haven't reached that level yet. I know my limitations and I need to work hard!" Bai Zhizhi was unusually modest.

Mu Qingcheng was very pleased. "Alright, let's continue discussing the case. Zhizhi, write back to Master Bai and ask him to find out if the Hejia family's totem is tattooed on their bodies. Besides Wu Fei, are there any other members of the Hejia family in the capital? If so, please inform us of their numbers, identities, and names so that we can verify the deceased."

“Alright, I’ll write the letter now and have the undercover agent send it out overnight.” Bai Zhizhi agreed.

Song Shuyu pointed to the official desk, and Bai Zhizhi understood. She sat down directly behind the desk, spread out the letter paper, and picked up her pen to write.

Mu Qingcheng continued, "There are several possibilities regarding the deceased's identity. One is that he was a member of the Hejia family, another is a coincidence, and the third is an imposter. Now that we have Wu Fei as a lead, no matter what the outcome, we must investigate further. Tomorrow, Zhizhi and I will go to the Pingnan Marquis's residence to meet Wu Fei and sound him out first."

"To prevent this case from ultimately being unrelated to Wu Fei and implicating the relationship between Wu Fei and the Earl's wife, you should bring my calling card and request an audience in my name," Song Shuyu suggested after a moment's consideration.

"Sir, you are indeed very prudent in your actions." Mu Qingcheng nodded, then thought for a moment and said, "Sir, how much do you know about the Pingnan Marquis's Mansion? Please tell me as well."

Song Shuyu said, "The Earl of Pingnan, Wu Feiyan, serves in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices as a fourth-rank official, in charge of rites and music, suburban temples, and matters related to the state. It is said that he obtained this position through the efforts of his wife, who used her connections with the imperial family. As for the heir, Wu Fei, he bears the weight of the Earl's family's rise and fall. His family's title is hereditary for three generations, and Wu Fei is the third generation. Therefore, his wife sent him to the army to gain experience, hoping that he could achieve something and continue the glory of the Earl's family."

"It sounds like the Earl's wife is a woman of great vision and outstanding ability to manage a household, and she genuinely cares for Wu Fei."

“In noble families, ‘sincerity’ is a rare word. The Earl’s wife was just weighing the pros and cons. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have used Wu Fei’s future to force Wu Fei’s birth mother to her death.”

"Ah."

“The Earl of Pingnan was afraid of his wife. Although he had several concubines, they rarely bore children. It was clear that the principal wife did not allow the existence of illegitimate children. Wu Fei was one of those who escaped the net and was fortunate enough to wait until his legitimate son died before he had the opportunity to rise to power.”

"Unfortunately, his future was bought with the life of his birth mother. I wonder what he himself thought about it."

"Even if he had a conscience and was unwilling to sell his mother for personal gain, he was too weak back then and had no right to decide his own fate."

At this point in the conversation, Mu Qingcheng, with a sigh, suddenly remembered something, "By the way, sir, Wu Fei is in the army, so how can we see him?"

Song Shuyu said, "Go to the Pingnan Marquis's residence first. If Wu Fei is not at home, I will take you to the Jingwei Army's garrison to look for him."

"Yes." Mu Qingcheng said thoughtfully, "My lord, do you know if Wu Fei is married? Does he have any concubines or maids? Among the information we investigated earlier, there seem to be a few pieces of information about the Pingnan Marquis's mansion."

(End of this chapter)