A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 262 Headless Female Corpse (50)

Steward An Zhong was escorted back to the Jingzhao Prefecture by the constables and will be tried again at a later date.

Lady Bo was mentally confused and could no longer communicate normally, so Mu Qingcheng had no choice but to give up for the time being and lead his people away from the Pingnan Marquis's residence.

After leaving the Earl's residence, Liu Heng asked, "Master Mu, shall we go straight back to the yamen?"

After a moment's thought, Mu Qingcheng said, "No, let's strike while the iron is hot and go to the residence of Imperial Censor Xu to question the young master's wife."

"it is good."

"You lead the way. There are too many official residences in the capital, and they change hands every day. I'm afraid I won't remember them accurately."

“Then let’s walk along the street, and I’ll introduce them to Master Mu one by one.”

"Row."

Police officers patrolling the streets is a daily duty. As the chief constable, Liu Heng knows almost everything about which streets and alleys are inhabited by which people, and which river channels lead to which roads.

The residence of Imperial Censor Xu was located at the entrance of Xingqing Lane, quite far from the residence of the Earl of Pingnan.

Looking at the two characters "Xu Residence" on the plaque above the door, Mu Qingcheng frowned almost imperceptibly. Her gaze shifted, taking in the layout and furnishings of the surrounding streets, her thoughts somewhat unsettled.

Liu, the constable, stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Mu Qingcheng walked along the courtyard wall of the mansion. When she reached the back gate and saw the bluestone slab at the corner of the wall, she slowly stopped.

"Master Mu!"

Liu Heng caught up and asked, puzzled, "Imperial Censor Xu opened the door and invited us in!"

Mu Qingcheng nodded.

"Why did Master Mu come to the back door? Did he discover something?" Liu Heng had become much smarter lately and actually noticed that Mu Qingcheng's behavior was abnormal.

Mu Qingcheng said, "I just remembered that I've been to the Xu Imperial Censor's residence before. Look, I entered and exited through this back door."

Liu Heng was astonished. "What brings Master Mu here?"

“Corpse mortician, huh?” Mu Qingcheng smiled faintly. “After I came to the capital, I worked as a corpse mortician for three years for various reasons. The Xu family was the first client I got.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Heng felt a pang of sadness. "I never imagined that Master Mu's life used to be so difficult." After a pause, he adopted a relieved tone. "Fortunately, Master Mu is a blessed man. He met our lord, and his life now is truly wonderful. Hmm, following the lord will only make things better."

"Hmm?" The first part sounded alright, but the last sentence made Mu Qingcheng's eyes widen. "What do you mean by 'following the master'?"

Liu Heng scratched his nose sheepishly, his voice low, "Master Mu, your colleagues aren't blind. You and the lord, tsk tsk, whether you're interested or not, the lord has fallen in love."

"Cough cough—" Mu Qingcheng coughed for a while after being choked, but Liu Heng was alert and ran away!
Seeing this, she felt both helpless and amused. Thinking of Song Shuyu, she couldn't help but raise her hand and touch the mutton fat jade Guanyin pendant she wore around her neck.

Upon returning to the main gate, the steward of the Imperial Censorate invited them into the main hall.

Censor Xu, dressed in official robes, sat in the main seat, holding a teacup in his hand, slowly pushing the lid of the teacup, his expression arrogant and dignified.

From the moment Mu Qingcheng and Liu Heng stepped into the hall until they stood still, Imperial Censor Xu only focused on drinking tea and didn't even glance at the two of them.

"Mu Qingcheng, the criminal clerk of the Jingzhao Prefecture, and Liu Heng, the chief constable, greet Your Excellency the Censor!"

The two men bowed respectfully, but Imperial Censor Xu did not urge them to rise, treating them as if they were nothing.

Even though Liu Heng was angry, he didn't dare to disobey his superior and remained motionless, bowing with his hands clasped in front of him.

However, Mu Qingcheng slowly straightened his back and said in a calm voice, "Officer Liu, we are here to investigate a case, not to ask for favors. There is no need for us to be so humble."

Liu Heng was startled, turned his head to look at Mu Qingcheng, and straightened his bent back.

The Imperial Censor Xu, sitting at the head of the table, slammed down his teacup and finally looked up. His eyes, clouded by years of experience, were full of disdain and contempt. "A mere ignorant woman, yet she dares to stand on the stage, calling herself a clerk and handling cases?"

Liu Heng was immediately enraged and said without any politeness, "Your Excellency, Master Mu was personally appointed by Lord Song, the Prefect of the Capital, and has full authority over criminal cases in the capital!"

Liu Heng's thoughts were simple and pure. He was a junior constable and could tolerate being belittled and insulted, but he absolutely could not tolerate being mocked by Mu Qingcheng! She was a woman cherished by the adults and respected by the entire yamen. How could she be ridiculed like this?

Mu Qingcheng raised her eyebrows, somewhat surprised and touched. This rough-around-the-edges guy was actually very thoughtful and loyal!
But she was determined not to let Liu Heng be implicated. She took out her waist token, held it up in front of Censor Xu, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your Excellency, when it comes to mobilizing troops, we recognize the tiger tally; when it comes to implementing national policies, we recognize the imperial seal; and when it comes to enforcing the law in the capital, we recognize the official token! May I ask Your Excellency, is this case something I, a mere woman, can handle, or not?"

"Sharp teeth and sharp mouths!"

Censor Xu laughed in anger, "The Prefect of the Capital, Song Shuyu, abuses his power by allowing women into public offices and granting them such great authority. Isn't he afraid of being impeached by the Censorate?"

Mu Qingcheng put the waist token back into his sleeve pocket, his eyes indifferent and his tone fearless and calm, "It is the Censor's duty to impeach whomever he wishes to do and for what reason. It is my duty, Mu Qingcheng, as the Criminal Clerk of the Capital Prefecture, to investigate all criminal cases within the jurisdiction of the Capital Prefecture. These two are not in conflict!"

"Insolence!" Imperial Censor Xu was so angry that his beard bristled. "How dare a mere woman lecture me? Guards, throw her out..."

"Your Excellency, the Imperial Censor!"

Mu Qingcheng raised her voice to interrupt, her eyes flashing with coldness, "Even if you submit a memorial tomorrow requesting the imperial decree to remove me from my post, that's a matter for tomorrow. Today, at this very moment, I am still the criminal clerk of the Jingzhao Prefecture! It's fine if the Censor looks down on women, but what crime will you be charged with for fighting with officials and obstructing them from handling cases? The Censor must know better than anyone else!"

Liu Heng drew his official sword with a swift motion, his aura fierce. "Yesterday, my Jingzhao Prefecture dared to fight a bloody battle with the Dali Temple at the city gate. Today, I am not afraid of bloodshed at the Censorate!"

Upon hearing the commotion, the constables who remained outside the hall immediately drew their swords and surrounded the main hall!

With this display of force, which servant in the Imperial Censor's office would dare to make a move?
Even though Imperial Censor Xu relied on his special status as an imperial censor and was fearless, he was still a civil official and could not bear to fight. His usually sharp tongue could neither win against Mu Qingcheng nor intimidate Liu Heng. For a moment, all that was left was impotent rage!
Mu Qingcheng's lips curled into a cold smile. "Your Excellency, we've wasted so much time. Let's get down to business. Our Jingzhao Prefecture has conducted extensive investigations. Xu Yuying, the wife of the Marquis of Pingnan's heir, is suspected of abducting a respectable woman, Liao Ruyi. Her accomplice, An Zhong, the steward of the Marquis of Pingnan's household, has been arrested, and the matchmaker, Wang Ruhua, is dead. We heard that Xu Yuying has returned to her maternal home, the Imperial Censor's residence, and have come specifically to inquire. We hope Your Excellency will summon Xu Yuying to cooperate with the investigation!"

(End of this chapter)