A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 390 Ending (59)

Another life lost?
A look of surprise and doubt quickly spread across everyone's eyes!
"Why did the quack doctor die? Master, he saved Pingping's life, he didn't deserve to die!"

Madam Guo broke down again, feeling as if the person beside her in bed was a stranger, which sent chills down her spine and made her feel terrified!
"idiot!"

Guo Xuan was furious and wanted to slap Madam Guo twice more, but the pain in his arm reminded him that if he couldn't bear it, he would break his arms and legs!
Therefore, he took a few deep breaths, forcefully suppressing his boiling anger, and warned Madam Guo, "If you dare to talk nonsense again and smear me, I will divorce you!"

Madam Guo was stunned at first, then she began to beat Guo Xuan like a madwoman, cursing incessantly, "Divorce me? What right do you have to divorce me? You haven't even given me an explanation for Pingping's death, and now, even the quack doctor is dead! Tell me, what exactly have you done?"

Guo Xuan's old face turned pale and blue. He couldn't lift a finger, but the yamen runners turned a blind eye and watched as Madam Guo went mad without doing anything to stop her!

"Master Mu, just because you are a woman, does that mean you should openly favor women?"

Hearing Guo Xuan's question through gritted teeth, Mu Qingcheng merely lifted her eyelids, her expression remaining indifferent. "You want to divorce your wife, and she disagrees. You two had physical contact. To put it mildly, it's your family matter, and outsiders have no right to interfere. To put it more seriously, it's contempt of court, and you should both receive twenty strokes of the cane as a minor punishment to serve as a warning. So, how do you want me to handle this?"

Guo Xuan was left speechless!

He naturally didn't want to be punished; just thinking about Liang Ruoming's miserable experience made his backside ache. So, he wisely lowered his head and said, "Master Mu is right to reprimand me; please forgive me."

Madam Guo wasn't entirely brainless. Mu Qingcheng offered her a way out, and she quickly followed suit, ceasing her attacks on Guo Xuan and saying, "Master Mu, I know I was wrong."

Mu Qingcheng nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping over the group of people kneeling in the hall, and said, "During the interrogation, no one is allowed to interrupt or lay a hand on anyone; otherwise, they will be punished with caning!"

"Yes!" the prisoners replied in unison.

Mu Qingcheng said, "Guo Xuan, let me ask you, what is the name of the itinerant doctor, where is he from, how old is he, how did he die, where did he die, and where is his body?"

"The itinerant doctor's surname was Lin, his name was Lin Ling, he was twenty-six years old, and he was from Quzhou. My wife secretly released Lin Ling, letting him elope with Pingping. I sent people to capture them and bring them back, but Pingping was strong-willed and would rather die than return. They fled all the way to the Sanqing Temple in Sanqing Mountain. That night, Pingping suddenly fell seriously ill. Lin Ling went to the back mountain to collect herbs, but he fell off a cliff and fell into the Sanqing River, where he was swept away by the river."

Guo Xuan's tone lowered as he spoke, as if filled with regret and remorse. "That night, the rain was heavy and the wind was strong, and the river was swift. My men couldn't rescue Lin Ling in time, and his body was never found. After that, I felt guilty and thought of finding Lin Ling's family to comfort and compensate them. As for Pingping, I brought her back to the farm to recuperate after she recovered. Three days ago, I did find a palace maid who had died of illness and intended to replace Yuan Ke. I don't know why, but Pingping actually died in the wine jar."

Upon hearing this, Mu Qingcheng curled her lips into a strange smile. "Guo Xuan, you are indeed worthy of being a former Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. You know how much truth and falsehood a confession can contain, how much authenticity it can achieve, and you also know how to exonerate yourself and portray yourself as a pitiful person who evokes sympathy and makes people reluctant to punish you severely."

"What...what do you mean by that? If you don't believe me, why interrogate me?" A moment of panic flashed across Guo Xuan's face, and his voice unconsciously rose.

Mu Qingcheng's smile remained unchanged. "Have Lin Ling's relatives been found?"

"...Not yet." Guo Xuan said hesitantly.

"Like a mountain, like a hill, like a ridge, like a mausoleum. As stable as a mountain, as lofty as a hill."

"Why are you reciting poetry?"

Mu Qingcheng looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Lin Ling's brother is named Lin Fu, right?"

Without waiting for Guo Xuan's reply, Mu Qingcheng could tell from his shocked expression that her guess was correct. She then coldly snorted, "Is it that hard to guess? My clerk in the Jingzhao Prefecture is named Lin Fu, a native of Quzhou, and twenty-one years old. Lin Ling and Lin Fu perfectly match this line of poetry. Moreover, I've been pondering why Clerk Lin would get involved in the case of the corpse hidden in the wine jar? What was his motive? After what you've said, I think I understand." The look of surprise in Guo Xuan's eyes deepened!

Mu Qingcheng raised an eyebrow, her smile not reaching her eyes, "It seems that the exposure of Secretary Lin was unexpected, wasn't it?"

"I... I don't understand what you're saying. What does Lin Shuban's involvement in the case have to do with me?" Guo Xuan said angrily.

Mu Qingcheng nodded. "Alright, let's put aside Lin Shuban for now and talk about that night at Sanqing Temple. What was the date? Are there any witnesses or physical evidence to prove that what you said is true?"

"On March 26th, the abbot of Sanqing Temple can testify that the physical evidence... oh right, before Lin Ling left to collect herbs, he left a note for Pingping."

"is it?"

"Of course!" Guo Xuan said confidently, and took out a slip of paper from his sleeve and handed it over.

After reading it, Mu Qingcheng checked it again, "Is the time correct?"

"No," Guo Xuan said.

When did Lin Ling fall into the water?

"It's probably... around 7 PM."

Mu Qingcheng turned to look at Madam Guo, "Can Pingping read?"

Madam Guo was stunned and subconsciously looked at Guo Xuan, but Mu Qingcheng stepped aside, blocking her view. "Madam Guo, lying in court is a crime of harboring a criminal. You must answer carefully!"

“Pingping is illiterate!” Madam Guo blurted out. Husband and wife are birds of a feather, and Guo Xuan has already committed the crime of deceiving the emperor. She doesn’t care about adding another crime. But behind her, there is her maternal clan that needs to be taken care of.

Enraged, Guo Xuan's features were almost contorted. "Ignorant woman, you...you want to kill me!"

After being repeatedly scolded, Madam Guo's temper flared up, and she retorted, "Did I say something wrong? Pingping was abandoned by you on the farm. It's already difficult enough for her to have enough to eat and wear. How could she have the opportunity to study and learn to read? Did you hire a tutor for Pingping? Or did you let Pingping attend school? Even now, you still want to deceive Master Mu? You still want to implicate the whole family?"

Guo Xuan felt his blood rush to his head and almost fainted on the spot!

Mu Qingcheng was not one to believe only one side of the story. She faced the audience, clasped her hands in a fist salute, and raised her voice, "Are there any people from the vicinity of Sanqing Mountain present?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a burly man raised his arm from the crowd and said, "Master Mu, I am a hunter and I go hunting in Sanqing Mountain every day. I wonder what advice Master Mu has for me?"

Mu Qingcheng immediately asked, "Please tell me, was it windy and rainy on the night of March 26th at Sanqing Mountain?"

"Yes." The man nodded, but then frowned. "However, the rain stopped around 3:45 PM, because I came down the mountain at the beginning of 7:00 PM."