A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 277 The Corpse at the Spring Banquet (8)

The unconscious Imperial Censor Xu was awakened by the sharp screams around him.

He looked around, stunned for a long time, before vaguely remembering what had happened. He quickly got up, pushed through the crowd, and tried to rush to the backyard!

The Imperial Guards naturally refused, blocking Censor Xu from entering the crime scene without permission!
Censor Xu wept uncontrollably, his cries filled with anguish, "The deceased is my daughter! My daughter! I want to go in! I want to see for myself if they're lying to me!"

Song Shuyu finally emerged from the ordeal.

He frowned and sternly rebuked, "Master Mu is examining the body; everyone must be quiet!"

The commotion and exclamations gradually subsided.

The crowd watched Xu Yushi silently, unsure whether to sympathize with him, feel regret, or curse him with something like "he deserved it" or "he got what he deserved."

Censor Xu grabbed Song Shuyu's arm excitedly, "Lord Song, the deceased wasn't my daughter, was she? You must have made a mistake..."

"Imperial Censor Xu, you know how long Master Mu investigated from the headless female corpse in the Suhe River to the disappearance of Liao Ruyi. Therefore, there is absolutely no mistake in identifying the deceased!"

Song Shuyu remained expressionless, his tone icy, "But what's surprising is that the corpses inside might not just be your daughter!"

"Wh-what?" Imperial Censor Xu was taken aback and looked completely bewildered.

Everyone held their breath.

Song Shuyu said, "Imperial Censor Xu might as well think about your other daughter, Xu Yuxiao!"

Imperial Censor Xu was greatly alarmed!
However, Song Shuyu said no more and turned to go into the kitchen.

Imperial Censor Xu seemed to have figured something out, but he didn't quite understand it. Everyone's curiosity was piqued, but they couldn't hear what he was going to say next, which made them feel restless and anxious.

After separating the corpse, Mu Qingcheng placed the head aside and examined the condition of the head and neck.

After vomiting, Jiang Zhan staggered back, but his expression and condition were as weak as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. He said, "Master Mu, you can't just favor the master. You should at least care about my life!"

However, Mu Qingcheng replied slowly, "In our Jingzhao Prefecture, there can only be one lord who faints; there can't be a second. So, you'll have to see more of them and get used to it gradually."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhan felt extremely aggrieved, "Such blatant favoritism is truly heartbreaking."

Mu Qingcheng said calmly, "There's nothing we can do. After all, the adults are our providers."

"Now that you say that, I feel much better." Jiang Zhan breathed a sigh of relief. For a promotion and a raise, there was nothing he couldn't tolerate.

Mu Qingcheng beckoned to him, "Come here, I'll teach you how to distinguish between injuries sustained before death and injuries sustained after death."

Jiang Zhan leaned closer, covered his mouth, and held his breath to prevent himself from vomiting again.

Today's event was unexpected, and we hadn't prepared anything to cleanse ourselves of the negative energy, so we had to proceed as planned.

Mu Qingcheng pointed to the area above the shoulders and neck and said, "Look, the skin on the deceased's head and neck is rolled up and the flesh is bulging. The shoulder bones are raised and the skin is peeling off, which means that the head was cut off before death. Conversely, it means that it was cut off after death."

"Xu Yuxiao had her head chopped off after she died, while Xu Yuying had her head taken while she was still alive. These two sisters met the same fate, albeit by different paths!" Jiang Zhan exclaimed in astonishment.

Mu Qingcheng corrected him, "Whether the identities of these two people match the corpse still needs to be confirmed. We cannot draw any conclusions now!"

She had to take the head back to the yamen to piece it together with the headless female corpse. The body also needed to be identified by Xu Yuying's maid.

Jiang Zhan nodded repeatedly, "Yes, we need to be more rigorous."

Mu Qingcheng sighed almost imperceptibly, "The wound is clean and smooth, clearly indicating that the murderer used a sharp weapon. The attack was swift, accurate, and ruthless, and it didn't cause her much pain, which is the only consolation." "If it really is Xu Yuying, even if she is brought to justice, she will still be sentenced to death. In that case, she will still have to endure the knife wound. In this way, she has already gone through this ordeal." Jiang Zhan had little sympathy for this woman and analyzed the situation very rationally.

Mu Qingcheng began examining the body.

She found no injuries on the front of the body, and when she turned the body over, there were no injuries on the back as well.

Thus, the cause of death is certain and unique.

"Master Mu, was the head, which belonged to the body, taken away by the murderer?" Jiang Zhan asked.

"if not?"

"What does the murderer want to do?"

Mu Qingcheng pondered, "The murderer sent Xu Yuxiao's head, but took away what appears to be Xu Yuying's head. His intention is not hard to guess."

"What's the intention?" Jiang Zhan asked, his eyes full of curiosity.

Mu Qingcheng raised an eyebrow, "To find Liao Ruyi, of course."

Just then, a constable arrived with a maid. "Master Mu, Xu Yuying's maid, Xiaodie, has woken up!"

Upon seeing this, Xiaodie's legs went weak, and she burst into tears!

Mu Qingcheng washed the bloodstains off her hands, took Xiaodie from the constable, and said gently, "The head of this corpse belongs to Miss Yuxiao, but we are not sure who the body belongs to. Can you help me identify it?"

"Miss Yuxiao?"

Xiao Die was stunned for a moment, then suddenly broke free from Mu Qingcheng and rushed to the chopping board. Her eyes darted from head to toe, and she was dumbfounded. "How could this be? How could it be Miss Yu Xiao? Miss... where is my young lady's head?"

"Xiaodie, don't worry, take your time to identify it clearly," Mu Qingcheng reassured her.

“I recognize it. This head is definitely Miss Yuxiao.” Xiaodie nodded firmly, then pointed to the corpse and said, “This dress belongs to my Miss Yuying. There’s no mistake!”

Mu Qingcheng said, "Clothes can be changed, so they are not unique. Think about whether Xu Yuying has any other distinctive features?"

Upon hearing this, Xiaodie hurriedly lifted the corpse's clothes. When she saw the red birthmark on the lower left side of the body, tears welled up in her eyes again. "It's Miss, it really is my eldest young lady, Xu Yuying!"

Mu Qingcheng nodded. "Alright, that's good. Officer Jiang, I'll take Xiaodie down for questioning. You collect the body and send it back to the yamen as soon as possible."

"Yes!" Jiang Zhan accepted the order.

Mu Qingcheng took Xiaodie to the kitchen and asked Song Shuyu to listen to what was happening.

Jiang Zhan found some sticks and planks and made a makeshift stretcher. After lifting the body onto the stretcher, he thought that the severed head might roll off the stretcher, so he simply found a piece of cloth, wrapped the head up, and carried it separately in his hand.

When two constables carried out the stretcher, the crowd was so shocked that they all stepped back!

Jiang Zhan followed, carrying the blood-soaked package. Wherever he went, people felt a murderous aura, and the timid women couldn't help but sob.
Princess Ningchang leaned against Shen Che, her face completely drained of color. "Brother, someone's dead, someone's really dead..."

Shen Che's eyes were cold and sharp. He was lost in thought for a long time before suddenly whispering, "Ning Chang, you are to be confined to your residence after you return today. You are not to come out without my permission!"

"Why?" Princess Ningchang asked, puzzled.

Shen Che's expression was gloomy. "If you want to be safe and sound, from now on, abandon Song Shuyu and listen to my plans in everything!"

(End of this chapter)