A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 343 Ending (12)

In the capital city, where powerful and wealthy people gathered, official rank was only one part of the symbol of power. Both Liang Ruoming and Song Shuyu were third-rank officials, but Liang Ruoming came from a poor family, while Song Shuyu came from a noble family. The difference in their wealth and power was like heaven and earth, which could be seen from the size of their mansions and the level of security they had.

Therefore, after Mu Qingcheng infiltrated, she easily captured a witness, found out Liang Ruoming's location, and then approached the main courtyard, climbing through the back window into Liang Ruoming's bedroom.

At that time, Liang Ruoming was sleeping.

But he clearly didn't sleep well, tossing and turning with a furrowed brow.

The servants who attended to him slept in the adjacent side room. There was no one guarding the outer room, and Liang Ruoming was the only person in the entire room, which made it convenient for Mu Qingcheng to carry out his duties.

Mu Qingcheng was lucky. Liang Ruoming had many wives and concubines and rarely slept alone. But today, a big incident had occurred, and he was very uneasy. After returning from the palace, he asked the Ministry of Justice for leave and locked himself in the main courtyard, refusing to come out.

It was a dark night after the rain, with no moonlight and the room pitch black.

Mu Qingcheng took out a tinderbox from his person, blew on it to light it, found a candlestick, lit the wick, and then sat down on the yellow pearwood chair in front of the table.

Liang Ruoming was fairly alert; the slightest movement and the light reflected in his eyes made him suddenly open his eyelids!
"I have come uninvited, and I hope Vice Minister Liang will forgive me!"

To prevent Liang Ruoming from shouting in a panic and alerting the servants, Mu Qingcheng spoke first, offering a calm greeting.

Upon hearing the sound, Liang Ruoming looked over and was immediately horrified!

The newcomer was dressed in black and masked, sitting leisurely in his room. He had no weapon in his hand and his eyes were calm, showing no sign of ferocity.
"Someone is coming..."

He immediately sat up, instinctively opening his mouth to call for help, but as the words reached his lips, he suddenly realized that the person's voice sounded very familiar. After a few moments of stunned silence, he suddenly widened his eyes and exclaimed, "You...you are Master Mu!"

Mu Qingcheng nodded slightly. "It's me. I'm so sorry to have disturbed Lord Liang in the middle of the night."

After confirming his identity, Liang Ruoming was even more shocked. "You, how did you get in? What are you doing here? Aren't you waiting to be married at the Prince of Zhongshan's mansion?"

"Lord Liang's information network is quite impressive," Mu Qingcheng said with a noncommittal smile. "Lord Liang, please don't panic or call for help. I'm not here to assassinate you. Why don't you put on your clothes and we can have a proper chat?"

Upon hearing this, Liang Ruoming blushed and hurriedly grabbed his outer robe from the bedside and put it on. Then he put on his boots and got out of bed, scolding, "What kind of unmarried girl sneaks into a man's bedroom in the middle of the night? She's shameless!"

Mu Qingcheng curled her lips and casually comforted him, "Don't worry, Lord Liang, no one knows about tonight's incident, so your reputation will not be affected."

Liang Ruoming: "..."

Then, Mu Qingcheng changed the subject, "However, I sincerely suggest that Lord Liang strengthen the security of the mansion and the loyalty of the servants."

Liang Ruoming coughed up a mouthful of blood. He stared at Mu Qingcheng with a dark expression and questioned, "Master Mu, we are both government officials. You are well aware of the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, aren't you? What is the punishment for breaking into the residence of a third-rank official at night?"

Mu Qingcheng chuckled lightly, "Lord Liang, I've come to save you. Are you sure you want to punish me?"

"Save me?" Liang Ruoming's eyes narrowed, a hint of suspicion appearing in them. "I'm perfectly fine, why would I need your help? What ability do you, a mere clerk, have to save me?" Mu Qingcheng asked, "How did Lord Liang sleep tonight?"

Liang Ruoming paused for a moment.

Mu Qingcheng smiled and said, "If I were Lord Liang, I wouldn't be able to sleep well either. After all, only if Song Shuyu walks out of the Ministry of Justice alive can Lord Liang's head and future be secure!"

Liang Ruoming was immediately alarmed and quickly pulled up a chair to sit opposite Mu Qingcheng, defending himself, "Master Mu, we need to make this clear. Lord Song committed the crime himself, it has nothing to do with me. I was just stating the facts!"

Mu Qingcheng raised an eyebrow, her smile deepening. "Logically speaking, Lord Liang is not wrong, but will the Duke's Mansion reason with Lord Liang?"

Liang Ruoming had already considered the consequences during the day, and now that Mu Qingcheng had confirmed it, his last shred of hope was gone.

He sat there for a while, his face ashen, when suddenly he remembered something. "Master Mu, didn't you say you would save me? How?"

"It's simple: find the real culprit and clear Song Shuyu's name," Mu Qingcheng said.

Liang Ruoming frowned. "Aren't the three judicial departments investigating? What if... what if the murderer really is Lord Song? What then?"

"Ha, Lord Liang doesn't understand Song Shuyu at all, or rather, Lord Liang underestimates him. Putting aside how many people he has working for him and have no reason to dirty his hands, just considering his character as a person and an official, does Lord Liang think he's a fool to kill someone in broad daylight? Or is all the praise he's received from the people since taking office fake?"

At this point, Mu Qingcheng sighed slightly, "Moreover, the reason Miss Guo's body was discovered was because Song Shuyu insisted on the investigation. If he really committed the crime, would he expose his own shortcomings?"

Liang Ruoming was speechless.

"Was that figure you saw, Lord Liang, really Song Shuyu? Would you like to reconsider?" Mu Qingcheng said patiently, "As far as I know, Lord Liang owes his current position to the Empress Dowager. But times have changed. Now the Song family supports the Emperor in seizing power from the Empress Dowager. This power struggle will eventually have a winner and a loser. Lord Liang has been in the political arena for so many years; you should understand the consequences of choosing the wrong side."

Liang Ruoming stiffened, his face paling even more.

Mu Qingcheng tapped the table with his finger, his tone becoming more authoritative, "So, whether or not to seize this chance to live depends on Lord Liang's decision."

Liang Ruoming knew very well that the emperor was the legitimate ruler and not an incompetent one. In addition, the Duke of Song abandoned the Empress Dowager and turned to help the emperor. Therefore, the outcome of this game was a foregone conclusion.

This is why he was uneasy.

If the emperor wins, he will be purged for supporting the empress dowager; if Song Shuyu is convicted and executed, he will be purged by the Duke of Song. In short, only death awaits him.

After pondering for a long time, Liang Ruoming composed himself and asked solemnly, "Master Mu, are you here on behalf of Lord Song to persuade me to defect?"

"No." Mu Qingcheng shook her head and said truthfully, "My master had no intention of saving Lord Liang. It was my own decision because I felt that Lord Liang was not beyond redemption."

Liang Ruoming was taken aback, his eyes flickering as he asked, "Then can you make decisions for Lord Song?"

Mu Qingcheng considered for a moment and replied, "It should be possible."