A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 267 Headless Female Corpse (55)

Mu Qingcheng was annoyed that Song Shuyu was dragging her by the arm without any hesitation. She tried several times but could not break free from his iron grip.

She wanted to get angry, but after a moment's thought, she dismissed the idea.

Arguing with her boss is detrimental to work and slows down her investigation!

So she patiently softened his anger, "My lord, aren't you hungry? I haven't eaten either, shall I have lunch with you?"

Song Shuyu pursed his thin lips and remained silent.

Mu Qingcheng felt rather helpless, so she reluctantly resorted to a coquettish tone, "My lord, you're hurting me."

Song Shuyu seemed to have been struck by lightning, and suddenly let go!
Considering the large number of people coming and going in the government compound, Mu Qingcheng didn't say anything, so she glared at him fiercely and quickly headed towards the back courtyard.

Knowing he had lost control of his emotions and done something foolish, Song Shuyu followed behind her sheepishly, like a timid young wife who had made a mistake, barely daring to breathe.

Once they entered the main courtyard and the meal was served, the two silently ate their fill. Only then did Mu Qingcheng raise the issue, asking, "Sir, what just happened? I've made some progress on the identity of the headless female corpse and was discussing it with Secretary Lin. Why did you pull me like that? There was no reason, and you didn't even give me a heads-up. What do you think Secretary Lin will think of this?"

Song Shuyu's heart pounded. She even used the honorific "you" (您), what if he didn't answer well? Would she revert to her traditional self-reference as "this humble servant" (卑职)? He had worked so hard to build that intimacy...

"cough--"

Song Shuyu cleared her throat guiltily and forced a fawning smile. "Qingcheng, you've misunderstood. I suddenly remembered something urgent and didn't have time to explain..."

"Is that so?" Mu Qingcheng narrowed her eyes, mercilessly exposing his lie. "But it doesn't seem like it to me! My lord, tell the truth, are you just jealous again?"

Song Shuyu denied it without hesitation, "No! Absolutely not!"

Mu Qingcheng was so angry she laughed. "My lord, can't you have a little self-confidence? Looking around the capital, in terms of looks and temperament, which man can compare to you?"

"It seems there really isn't..."

"Can we discuss official business now?"

"..."

Song Shuyu rubbed his temples. Finding a diligent and dedicated wife was a good thing, wasn't it? At least she wouldn't have the extra energy to covet others!
Mu Qingcheng gave a detailed report on the official matters she had handled that day, and she also gave a complete account of the situation regarding Shen Che, the heir apparent of the Prince of Zhongshan.

"My lord, at first I thought this young master was a bit dim-witted, seemingly heartless. He paid the fine of ten thousand taels without hesitation, and when his own men were defeated, he not only wasn't angry, but laughed with us. Even when I forced him to kneel, he didn't get angry or ashamed. His behavior is completely unlike that of a noble son. Especially after reading his 'Records of the Great Zhou Dynasty,' I feel even more confused about this person, making it impossible to see his true colors."

After Mu Qingcheng finished speaking, he handed the book to Song Shuyu and said further, "The book records the customs and traditions of different regions in the Great Zhou Dynasty, as well as the ancient kingdoms and ethnic groups that disappeared from that land with the passage of history. Although I have only read a dozen pages, it is not difficult to see that the author is quite talented and is by no means a brainless person."

Song Shuyu frowned and said, "You're saying this book was written by Shen Che?"

Mu Qingcheng nodded, "Yes, he said it himself. He even gave himself a pen name, 'Sui Wuyou,' and planned to have the Hanlin Academy revise his book before printing and selling it."

Song Shuyu pondered for a long time before saying, "Qingcheng, this person is probably not simple. Let's wait and see how the Prince of Zhongshan reacts."

"it is good."

Mu Qingcheng stood up from the dining table. "Sir, the doctor should have finished bandaging the injured constable. Shall we go and visit him now?"

Because of the distinction between men and women, the constables were embarrassed to undress and treat their injuries in front of Mu Qingcheng, which is why Mu Qingcheng skipped lunch and waited in the administration office. As the chief official, Song Shuyu had to go.

The two went to the side room together and learned about each person's injuries in detail from the doctor. For those whose family members could come to take care of them, they sent someone to invite them. For those whose family members could not come, Song Shuyu asked Liu Mama to arrange for a servant to come and take care of them.

Needless to say, Song Shuyu never hesitated to spend money on medicine and food, as long as it helped the constables recover as quickly as possible. Furthermore, because of their bravery and dedication, Song Shuyu awarded a reward to Duan Qianzhong's entire team, and the entire yamen issued a commendation.

This move not only boosted morale but also strengthened the cohesion of the entire Jingzhao Prefecture!

……

In the afternoon, Lu Xun arrived at the yamen as the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review to participate in the joint investigation.

Mu Qingcheng convened a meeting and informed Lu Xun of all the details and progress of the Suhe female corpse case and the Liao Ruyi disappearance case.

Given the unforeseen events surrounding the Prince of Zhongshan, Song Shuyu was temporarily unable to leave the capital. Furthermore, with new developments in the identification of the female corpse from the Suhe River, Mu Qingcheng decided to postpone his search for Shenmo Village for a few days.

There was another reason, which she did not state.

She hadn't finished reading Shen Che's "Chronicles of the Great Zhou Dynasty" yet, but perhaps it was a criminal's intuition, she vaguely felt that the whereabouts of Shenmo Village would be related to this book.

However, without any evidence or proof, it's difficult to convince people.

Lu Xun joined in solving the riddle of "Floating egrets fly, black egrets enter Wolf Mountain" and the parchment scroll.

Mu Qingcheng found a corner and settled down to read the Records of Customs and Scenery of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

A busy afternoon flew by.

Song Shuyu changed into casual clothes and went to the Northern Prison.

He didn't have anyone announce his arrival, but observed Shen Che from the shadows. He saw that this man was being unreasonable and demanding. One moment he complained that the bed was too hard and hurt his buttocks and back, the next he complained that the food was worse than pig slop, and he even complained that his days in prison were too boring and asked the yamen runners to play dice with him to pass the time.

The yamen runners naturally ignored them, not even sparing them a glance.

So Shen Che started shouting at the top of his lungs, calling her "heroine" over and over again until his throat was hoarse and he could no longer speak. Only then did he lazily lie down on the bed and change his mind, asking someone to invite the Prefect of the Capital.

Song Shuyu never showed up and left quietly.

It's getting dark.

Everyone was about to finish their shifts when Lin Shuban and Liu Heng arrived.

"Master Mu, the investigation of Imperial Censor Xu's private residence and estate has been completed." Lin, the clerk, presented a draft and explained, "These are eleven locations that have been identified. Five of them are located in the suburbs and have been marked. Please take a look."

Mu Qingcheng carefully examined the map. After reading it all, she pondered for a moment, then unfolded the map of the capital and marked the locations of the five manors, the mass grave, and the Su River.

Everyone crowded around to take a look and almost simultaneously noticed a problem: "The closest manor to the mass grave, Yangpo Manor, is only half an hour away!"

(End of this chapter)