A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 298 The Curtain Will Eventually Fall (1)

Shen Che remained expressionless and silent.

The Prince of Zhongshan smashed everything he could in his study, but his anger was still not appeased!
"Guards, bring me the family law!"

"Your Highness, please reconsider! The young master is young and doesn't understand things. Please teach him slowly..."

"Please use family rules!"

"……Yes!"

Unable to persuade him, the head steward of the Prince's mansion could only bow and retreat, winking at Shen Che to imply that Shen Che should apologize and beg for forgiveness from the Prince of Zhongshan.

But Shen Che was incredibly stubborn and refused to back down.

Helpless, the old steward took out the whip and presented it to the King of Zhongshan.

Prince Zhongshan rushed out of the study, raised his whip to lash Shen Che, but the head steward, in desperation, threw himself on Shen Che's back and pleaded, "Your Highness, let this old servant take the punishment for the young master! The young master is the princess's darling and Your Highness's only son. If he is beaten badly, how will the princess rest in peace in heaven!"

"Ha, does Father still remember what my mother looked like?"

Shen Che suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with undisguised mockery and even mixed with grievance and resentment. "If Father had any regard for Mother's meager affection, he wouldn't have risked the honor and disgrace of the royal family, and he wouldn't have disregarded the lives of my sister and me!"

"You scoundrel!" King Zhongshan trembled with rage. "Chen Ji, get out of my way! I'm going to beat this disobedient and unfilial wretch to death today!"

The head steward held Shen Che tightly, tears streaming down his face, crying out, "Your Highness, you mustn't! You mustn't!"

“Uncle Chen, my father is confused. He is determined to take that path. I am going to die sooner or later anyway. I might as well die under my father’s whip in advance, so that I can leave with a whole body and a reputation for loyalty to the emperor!” Shen Chai’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and his whole body slowly calmed down, like a pool of stagnant water.

The King of Zhongshan could no longer swing the whip, his arm gripping it. He gasped for breath and gritted his teeth, saying, "You're loyal to the emperor? You almost became a traitor, and you still dare to speak so arrogantly?"

Shen Che looked straight ahead, not glancing at the Prince of Zhongshan twice. He said in a calm tone, "After today, the Emperor will understand my loyalty. The Emperor is a wise ruler. As long as my father pulls back from the brink and takes the initiative to apologize to the Emperor, I believe the Emperor will give our Prince of Zhongshan's mansion a way out."

The Prince of Zhongshan was taken aback. "What did you say? You've seen the Emperor?"

“I have no chance to see the Emperor.” Shen Che paused, then said truthfully, “Father, if I am not mistaken, Song Shuyu will clear my name to the Emperor on my behalf.”

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Zhongshan's anger flared up again. "Have you lost your mind? You actually believe Song Shuyu? Have you forgotten how he treated your sister at the Spring Banquet?"

Shen Chai was speechless. "Father, it's you and my sister who are blind and unable to see things clearly! It's true that my sister admires Song Shuyu, and it's not wrong for Father to want to arrange a good marriage for her. But the reality is that the Song family has no mediocre talents. Song Shuyu is much smarter than Father imagines. His scheming and the Song family's strength are not something Father can easily bring down or win over!"

"How is my beloved daughter unworthy of Song Shuyu? No matter how high the rank of his Duke's mansion is, he is still just the son of a duke. Besides, he is not the heir apparent and cannot inherit the title of Duke!" The King of Zhongshan was so angry that he kicked Shen Che instead of striking with his whip.

Shen Che, who was kneeling, was kicked to the ground. He looked up at the King of Zhongshan, who was blinded by greed, and felt a sense of defeat, as if all his strength had been drained.

After a long silence, he finally managed to calm himself down and patiently advised again, "Since the Duke of Song and his son have severed ties with the Empress Dowager, the rift is already formed. It is impossible for Song Shuyu to reconcile with the Empress Dowager just to marry Ningchang! Furthermore, although the Duke's family is a military family, the old Duchess comes from a family of civil officials. She values ​​talent, virtue, and character far more than mere social standing. My sister is arrogant and domineering, wantonly bullying others. How could the old Duchess possibly respect her? Besides, she bullied Song Shuyu's capable lieutenant and slapped Song Shuyu in the face. How could he possibly give his sister any respect?"

At this point, Shen Che stood up impatiently, "If you ask me, it's Ning Chang who's stupid and brainless, and he just gave Song Shuyu the opportunity to despise her!"

How could you say that about your sister?

"Father, please wake up!"

Shen Che felt a sense of disappointment and frustration. "Since things are out in the open, I'll be frank with my father. I will never side with the Empress Dowager. I am a descendant of the Shen royal family, and I am loyal only to the King and to the Great Zhou! I will do everything in my power to protect the Zhongshan Prince's Mansion and the lives of my entire family! If my father insists on losing his mind and working for others, I am not afraid to put righteousness before family!"

"you……"

"Also, don't touch Mu Qingcheng again! Otherwise, Father will truly have no heir!"

Shen Che left after saying that.

The King of Zhongshan stood there like a statue for a long time. It wasn't that he didn't understand the reasoning Shen Che was talking about, but a gentleman values ​​his promises, and he found it hard to overcome the hurdle of emotions...

"Your Highness, does the young master have a crush on that Master Mu from the Jingzhao Prefecture?"

The old steward's suspicious words abruptly brought the Prince of Zhongshan back to his senses. He stared in disbelief, "What did you say? Che'er suddenly likes that female coroner? Has he gone mad? How can a woman of that background be worthy of entering the gates of my palace?"

Startled, the head steward quickly added, "Your Highness, this old servant doesn't know. I only heard the young master's implication just now: if Your Highness kills Mu Qingcheng, the young master will not marry and have children, then... then he will have no descendants."

The King of Zhongshan's brows furrowed deeply. "It seems this matter needs further consideration."

……

Two days later.

The Jingzhao Prefecture held a court hearing.

The two female corpses were brought to the courtroom at the same time.

Lin Jiao handed over Xu Yuying's head, and Mu Qingcheng put the two heads back into their respective bodies, sewing them together with hemp thread to create two complete corpses.

Wu Fei and Imperial Censor Xu were both summoned to court.

After waiting for so many days, I finally met Wu Fei.

Mu Qingcheng's calm gaze fell on Wu Fei, and she said indifferently, "Young Master Wu, these two female corpses are your wife Xu Yuying and your wife's younger sister Xu Yuxiao. Which corpse do you intend to identify first?"

Wu Fei is of ethnic minority descent, with bronze skin, sharp facial features, a tall and lean physique, and an overall presence that exudes masculine strength.

However, the soldier, who should have been full of energy, appeared blank and unfocused in court, his pupils seemingly unfocused and dazed.

A moment after Mu Qingcheng asked the question, Wu Fei replied in a hoarse voice, "Let's go together."

With Mu Qingcheng's approval, the officials simultaneously removed the two white cloths covering the corpse.

Wu Fei stood in the middle. He first looked at Xu Yuying on his left, but his gaze lingered for only a few moments before he turned to look at his right. After that, his gaze never left her. After being frozen, Xu Yuxiao's face had basically retained its original appearance.

Wu Fei's body, weakened, slowly slid down, and he knelt heavily beside Xu Yuxiao.

His outstretched hand trembled uncontrollably, his eyes gradually turning red as he stared intently at the ashen face. When his fingers finally touched it, the icy touch made his fingertips instinctively spring back, but they immediately fell back down, stroking it inch by inch, calm and sorrowful.

This scene is so beautiful that one can hardly bear to break it.

But the courtroom is not a place for romance. Mu Qingcheng spoke up to remind him: "Young Master Wu, when the magistrate is judging a case, you must answer his questions truthfully. If you dare to give false testimony, you will be punished for the crime of harboring a criminal!"

"Yes, I understand." Wu Fei nodded, his voice hoarse and strained.

Song Shuyu slammed his gavel and asked, "Wu Fei, do you have any objections to the identities of the two deceased in the courtroom?"

Wu Fei cupped his hands in greeting, “Reporting to Your Excellency, there are no objections. The deceased on the left is Xu Yuying, and the one on the right is Xu Yuxiao.”

What is your relationship with Xu Yuxiao?

"Xu Yuxiao is my wife's younger sister, and also my woman."

"Is Xu Yuxiao your concubine or your mistress?"

"Neither." Wu Fei paused for a moment, as if making a decision, and said in a very serious tone, "Yu Xiao, she is my lover!"

Upon hearing this, Mu Qingcheng frowned and said in a mocking tone, "Young Master Wu, your word 'lover' led to her untimely death! How could you have the nerve to say such irresponsible things?"

Wu Fei was startled. "What do you mean?"

Mu Qingcheng did not answer. Instead, she cupped her hands and said, "Please summon the maid Xiaodie and the Fifth Guardian to the court!"

Song Shuyu nodded.

Five criminals, handcuffed and bound, were brought into the courtroom, trembling like leaves. "The charges against Xu Sanji, Wang Fushan, Wang Fushui, Zhang Xiao, and Zhang Heng are to pay their respects to Your Honor!"

Xiao Die knelt beside him, kowtowed, and said, "This servant greets Your Excellency!"

With a firm yet authoritative tone, Song Shuyu said, "Prisoners, confess truthfully: who instructed you, and how did you murder Xu Yuxiao?"

"Your Excellency is wise, it was...it was Xu Yuying's order, we dared not disobey!"

“That’s right! On the eve of the winter solstice, Xu Yuying brought Xu Yuxiao to Yangpo Manor, and berated Xu Yuxiao for being shameless, vixen, and seducing the young master. She ordered us to beat Xu Yuxiao to death with sticks, put her body in a sack, and throw it into a mass grave for wild dogs to eat!”

"My lord, spare our lives! We are guards of the Xu family, and our indentures are with the Xu family. How dare we disobey our master's orders?"

"You beast!" Wu Fei cried out in anguish, raising his fist to kill the guard, but the constable acted swiftly, grabbing Wu Fei and shouting, "Don't be so insolent in court!"

Mu Qingcheng glanced at Wu Fei, "Xiao Die, tell me, what evil things has Xu Yuying done?"

"Miss, oh no, after Xu Yuying married into the Pingnan Marquis's mansion, the young master treated her very coldly. She didn't like the young master either, so she just made do with the situation. However, because she had no children, the Pingnan Marquis's wife wanted to arrange for the young master to take a concubine. In order to prevent the concubine from having children and threatening her position, Xu Yuying sent people to arrest the parents of Steward An of the Marquis's mansion and forced Steward An to sell the concubine Liao Ruyi. Later, Xu Yuying discovered that the young master and Xu Yuxiao were exchanging glances, so she privately warned Xu Yuxiao. However, Xu Yuxiao did not listen to advice and secretly climbed into the young master's bed."

As Xiaodie finished speaking, she secretly glanced at Wu Fei, hesitatingly uttering the words that were difficult to say: "Xu Yuying could not win the prince's heart, but the lowly concubine's daughter Xu Yuxiao easily made the prince fall into a gentle embrace. This matter greatly stimulated and hurt Xu Yuying. Therefore, while the prince was away on official business, Xu Yuying had Xu Yuxiao dealt with."

"Vicious woman!"

Wu Fei was utterly devastated, her eyes blazing with fury. "How dare she kill someone! I'm going to divorce her and grind her bones to dust!"

Mu Qingcheng sighed sadly: "You loved her, but you didn't give her a title. Instead, you secretly pledged your life to her without any matchmaker. Wu Fei, since you were incapable of marrying her and protecting her, you shouldn't have crossed the line, ruined her life, and caused her to lose her life."

Wu Fei buried her head and wept bitterly.

Suppressed sobs echoed in the courtroom, mingled with his sorrowful murmurs: "It was my fault, it was all my fault... Xiao'er looks like my mother. The moment I saw her, I wanted to keep her by my side. But I'm just a prince who was taken in halfway through life. My noble status was given to me by them, my future was planned by them, and who I marry as a wife or concubine is all decided by them. I'm nothing but a puppet being manipulated..."

The hall was quiet and still.

Endless sighs and lamentations churned in everyone's hearts.

After a long while, Mu Qingcheng suddenly thought of something, "Did you tattoo the Hejia family totem on Xu Yuxiao's shoulder?"

“Yes.” Wu Fei moved his hand to Xu Yuxiao’s right shoulder, tears streaming down his face. “When Xiao’er saw the totem tattoo on my body, she asked me to get one for her too, as a token of our love.”

Mu Qingcheng couldn't suppress her curiosity and asked, "Young Master Wu, is your affection for Xu Yuxiao due to an Oedipus complex?"

This question was actually quite rude and offensive, but Wu Fei wasn't angry. He lowered his eyes, looking slightly embarrassed. "Initially, I was indeed interested in Xiao'er because she resembled my birth mother. In the process of getting to know her, her personality, her every smile and frown, reminded me of my mother. I became infatuated with her and couldn't extricate myself. To the point that I couldn't even tell whether this feeling was normal or not?"

"Actually, I am often filled with fear. I couldn't protect my mother back then, so can I protect Xiao'er now? I don't dare to ask my aunt to take Xiao'er as a concubine. I'm afraid that once my aunt finds out why I like Xiao'er, she will force Xiao'er to her death just like she forced my mother to hang herself!"

"I've already lost my mother, I dare not gamble anymore, but... but what was the result? I still couldn't escape the fate of causing Xiao'er's death..."

Who would have thought that the dignified and noble heir of the Earl's Mansion in public was actually a pitiful and pathetic person in private?

But even the most pitiful person has their hateful aspects.

"The thing people fear most is greed," Mu Qingcheng sighed. "When one lacks the ability, wanting both a future and love is undoubtedly like a moth drawn to a flame. But cowardice is also one of the causes of tragedy."

Wu Fei was stunned and speechless.

Mu Qingcheng ordered someone to take Wu Fei and the Fifth Guardian away.

"Hahaha... Aren't all these so-called noble ladies and refined young women wearing a mask of high-minded hypocrisy, standing atop the clouds while wielding bloody knives to stab downwards? The lives of us ants struggling in the mud are like weeds, pierced through one bloody hole after another by them, trampled and slaughtered at will..."

Wu Fei seemed to have suddenly gone mad. He was crying and laughing at the same time, and he was dragged a long way away. His soul-stirring words echoed for a long time...

(End of this chapter)