A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 391 Ending (60)

Mu Qingcheng then questioned several other villagers, whose accounts were almost identical to those of the hunters. However, there were no eyewitnesses to Lin Ling falling off the cliff and into the Sanqing River.

Lu Xun was not idle either; he sent someone to the Sanqing Temple immediately to invite the abbot to court.

After all, human memory can be flawed, and even if it is correct, it needs corroboration from other witnesses.

Mu Qingcheng continued to search for flaws in Guo Xuan's testimony, "Guo Xuan, you said Lin Ling fell into the water at 7:00 PM, that night the rain was heavy and the wind was strong, and the river was swift. But you also heard what the people said: the rain on Sanqing Mountain stopped at 5:45 PM, it didn't rain at 7:00 PM, and although the sun had already set at 7:00 PM, it was still dark, so it couldn't be considered night. Moreover, Madam Guo testified that Pingping is illiterate, so what was the point of Lin Ling leaving a note for Pingping?"

Guo Xuan's eyes flickered, but he did not answer.

"Full of holes and a liar's mouth!" Mu Qingcheng's eyes were sharp as knives. "Guo Xuan, stop trying to be clever. Tell us the truth about Lin Ling's fate!"

Guo Xuan gritted his teeth, still stubbornly insisting, "Lin Ling did indeed drown, and his body was never found. As for the exact time, I might have misremembered. After all, it happened recently. I'm getting old, and it's normal for my memory to be failing. You..."

"Guo An, you speak!" Mu Qingcheng interrupted sharply.

The middle-aged man who was mentioned shuddered, his voice filled with fear, "Lin Ling... he's really dead! Master got the time wrong. It wasn't raining when the accident happened that night; it had just rained, and the cliff was slippery. Lin Ling accidentally fell down!"

Guo An's confession relaxed Guo Xuan's tense face, and he even gave Mu Qingcheng a provocative smile!

Mu Qingcheng was so angry she laughed. "Do you think that just because there's no evidence to prove it, you can deny it to the end?"

Having been suppressed for so long, Guo Xuan finally had the chance, so how could he remain calm? He met Mu Qingcheng's gaze, and a hint of smugness even showed in his eyes. "Doesn't Master Mu boast that he never tortures confessions? Doesn't he advocate convicting people based on evidence and persuading them with legal principles? As long as Master Mu can do it, I will definitely cooperate with the interrogation."

Mu Qingcheng frowned and fell into deep thought.

"Guo Xuan, the charge of deceiving the emperor is already set in stone. Do you still dare to be arrogant now?"

Upon hearing Song Shuyu speak, Guo Xuan felt a chill run down his spine as if by reflex. He forced himself to retort, "Did I say something wrong? Does Master Mu intend to accuse me of murder based solely on the words of a few commoners?"

Before Song Shuyu could say anything more, Mu Qingcheng suddenly looked at him. He quickly pursed his lips, nodded, and indicated that he would obey and remain silent. However, Mu Qingcheng's gaze remained fixed on his face, and she slowly walked towards him.

Song Shuyu swallowed hard, gave a cautious, apologetic smile, and whispered, "I really know I was wrong. Qingcheng, don't be angry, I promise I won't..."

"My lord, you say that since Guo Xuan has already committed the heinous crime of deceiving the emperor, which warrants the execution of his entire family, why is he still resisting interrogation? Doesn't he understand the importance of confessing for leniency or making amends for his crimes?" Mu Qingcheng also deliberately lowered his voice, his eyes showing both confusion and a sharp glint. "What benefit would it bring him to forcefully argue for Lin Ling's death?"

Upon hearing this, Song Shuyu immediately put aside his distracting thoughts and seriously considered Mu Qingcheng's question. After a moment, he said, "Could it be that his purpose wasn't to escape punishment? What if Lin Ling hadn't died..."

Mu Qingcheng's expression hardened. "Since they have the ability to disguise themselves as adults, then..."

"Secretary Lin's office!"

"Lin Fu!"

The two of them, almost simultaneously, thought of the same person and the same thing!

Then, Mu Qingcheng suddenly turned around and shouted, "Guo Xuan, you think you can deal with the serious criminals of my Jingzhao Prefecture? That's just wishful thinking!"

At the same time, Song Shuyu coldly ordered: "Song Li, return to the yamen immediately to provide support!"

The sudden change in atmosphere startled everyone, including the emperor and Lu Xun, but no one knew what had happened!
Guo Xuan, on the other hand, sprang to his feet like a fighting cock, baring his teeth and claws as he lunged at Mu Qingcheng, yelling, "What nonsense are you spouting? You bitch..."

"boom--"

Mu Qingcheng spun around and kicked Guo Xuan, sending him sprawling face-first into the dirt!

The constables immediately stepped forward, dragged the howling Guo Xuan back to his original position, and brought him back under control!
Song Li had already left in a hurry.

Mu Qingcheng was about to take the opportunity to interrogate Guo Xuan, but she suddenly realized something, hurriedly turned around, and grabbed Song Shuyu who was passing by her!