A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 49: Game Theory Requires Weapons of War

"Huang Yiyi!"

Mu Qingcheng, who was in a daze, suddenly came to her senses, "That female benefactor is Wan Tang, who is also Huang Shi, the wife who was divorced by Liu Xiao!"

Song Shuyu nodded, "Fortunately, Zisong just delivered the message, otherwise it would have been time-consuming and laborious to verify it."

The more clues they uncover about the Liu and Li families, the more perplexing and confusing they become. However, the more they uncover, the more initiative they gain in investigating and questioning the Liu family.

"Coroner Mu, what are your next plans? When are you going to the Liu family?"

"My lord, based on the information we have so far, the Liu family is the prime suspect. Liu Pei has a motive to kill Li Mu, and Liu Pei's life or death is related to Li Yunyao's motive for committing suicide with her son. However, I do not intend to go to the Liu family immediately, lest I alert them. I think I need to talk to the servants who transported the grain and goods for the Liu family first, and then go to the Li residence to find the scene of Li Mu's murder. In this game, you need to have bargaining chips."

After Mu Qingcheng finished speaking, he solemnly raised another matter, "Sir, I am only discussing the case on its own merits, and I am not denying Officer Liu's abilities. Therefore, I request to work with Officer Liu on this matter, and I hope that you will grant my request!"

Officer Liu was not allowed to enter without being summoned, so he remained waiting outside.

Song Shuyu thought for a moment and then said, "I am granting you authority. You can decide with whom you want to handle cases. But there is one thing you must remember: in this world, women are treated harshly. Even if I intend to cultivate you and entrust you with important responsibilities, if your words or actions are slightly off, you will still be criticized and suffer eternal infamy. Therefore, you must always be careful with your words and actions, and protecting yourself should be your top priority."

"Your humble servant will heed your teachings!"

Mu Qingcheng bowed sincerely. She could tell the difference between the official's kind words and his unkind ones. He did not want the female coroner he promoted and relied on to suffer abuse and have her career cut off because of her excessive and inappropriate words or breaking of social etiquette.

Supporting women in official positions is like sowing seeds and nurturing seedlings; it requires both gradual planning and the women's upright conduct, otherwise they will be broken off and uprooted halfway through. The meeting concluded, and everyone went about their respective duties.

With Bai Zhizhi taking Zisong away, Mu Qingcheng no longer needed to worry about Zisong's safety. She calmed herself down and took the initiative to find Constable Liu, hoping that he could put aside his grudges and work with her to solve the case.

Little did she know, Liu Heng's previous courteous treatment of her wasn't entirely out of recognition of her abilities; a large part of it was to curry favor with Song Shuyu. As the son of his former master and his direct superior, Liu Heng wasn't stupid; he knew his life was in the hands of the Song family. But now, because of Mu Qingcheng, he had been abandoned by Song Shuyu, and he resented her even more.

Seeing Mu Qingcheng walking towards him, Liu Heng stiffened his neck and turned his head to avoid her gaze.

"Coroner Mu!"

Just then, Constable Jiang Zhan returned from his patrol, carrying a basket of wine and food. He enthusiastically invited, "After you finish your shift at noon, let's have a couple of drinks together. I was fortunate enough to have you save the magistrate yesterday, otherwise my head would have been sacrificed to the heavens! I will never forget the great kindness of Counselor Mu!"

After saying that, he casually invited Liu Heng, "Chief Constable Liu, would you do me the honor? The brothers said they would take turns treating Counselor Mu to drinks to show their gratitude."

Jiang Zhan's group had all gone out to patrol the streets that morning and were unaware of what had happened in the council hall.

Liu Heng was somewhat embarrassed and lightly scolded, "Don't you have to be on duty this afternoon? You smell of alcohol on you. If the adults find out, you'll definitely get a beating!"

Thank you everyone for the tips and monthly tickets! I've received all your support, thank you so much!


(End of this chapter)