A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 126 The Truth Revealed to the World (12)

Seeing the clerks' humble and eager-to-learn manner, the coroners Jiang and Tian exchanged a glance and couldn't help but feel moved.

The world has really changed.

The emergence of Song Shuyu changed the fate of many officials. He freed lower-level officials from having to toil like oxen and horses just to make a living. He created a relatively fair promotion system within the Jingzhao Prefecture, giving everyone dignity and the desire to improve themselves.

Nowadays, the entire government is united, and the atmosphere is clean and upright, which is really good.

After the officials and servants finished cleaning the body, coroner Jiang and coroner Tian were in charge of making pancakes, while the officials and servants brought large sheets of paper to line the body.

Mu Qingcheng put on pigskin gloves and conducted a preliminary examination of the corpse.

The three deceased all had purplish-red faces, their muscles were not sunken, there was saliva but no water foam in their mouths and noses, their stomachs were empty and not bloated, and their skin was slightly yellow and thin, consistent with the characteristics of corpses thrown into water after sudden death.

Then, they applied hot roasted rice cakes to the wound. The body was clean, with no obvious injuries or signs of violation. However, there was a round wound the size of a water droplet on the chest area. The wound was slanted, penetrated deep into the body, and the skin and flesh were unevenly contracted with interwoven patterns and bloodstains.
"All three victims died from having their hearts stabbed with a sharp instrument, damaging their blood vessels. After death, their bodies were soaked in a medicinal solution to preserve them from decay, making them resemble human specimens!"

Mu Qingcheng revealed the cause of death, which was recorded by the coroner. Although they were not at the scene and did not witness it firsthand, they could imagine the scene and couldn't help but spit out, "The murderer is simply a pervert!"

The coroner sighed, "They didn't suffer too much before they died, and their deaths were quick. They didn't experience much pain, which is the only consolation."

"Have they really been dead for two months?" The official examined the state of the corpses and couldn't help but marvel. "That potion is truly potent!"

Mu Qingcheng pondered, "The bodies have undergone special treatment, altering their appearance, making it impossible to determine the exact date of death. We can only determine the time zone of death based on their disappearance time. However, according to the correspondence between the twelve earthly branches and the twelve two-hour periods, we can determine the specific time of death."

She pointed to the three corpses in turn, saying, "For those born in the years of Zi, Wu, Mao, and You, pinch your middle finger; for those born in the years of Chen, Xu, Chou, and Wei, keep your palm open; for those born in the years of Yin, Shen, Si, and Hai, keep your fist closed. The time of death is never wrong." According to the formula, Huang Yiyi's hand was open, Shuang Cui pinched her middle finger, and Linglong's hand was clenched into a fist. Since Li Mubai was on duty during the day, he basically did not have the time to commit the crime. Therefore, Huang Yiyi probably died at Chen time, Shuang Cui died at Zi time, and Linglong died at Yin time or Hai time, but it is uncertain whether they died on the same day.

The sun sets in the west.

The lamps in the South Prison were lit one after another.

The call to serve meals rang out again and again.

The autopsy is over.

The officials carried the body back to the morgue and covered it with a white sheet.

Mu Qingcheng thanked everyone, took the autopsy report, and slowly walked towards the side room.

……

The main courtyard of the rear office.

When Song Shuyu woke up, the raindrops were falling softly from the eaves.

Outside the pitch-black window, there was almost no light to be seen.

The room was quiet and deserted, with only a dim light from a single lamp.

He felt like he had a very long dream, but he had completely forgotten what happened in it. He was confused for a moment, then realized that he was covered in sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of the water.

He tried to get up, but his elbow gave him a sharp pain in his left arm!

Song Shuyu glanced to the side and saw that his left arm was wrapped in white gauze, faintly tinged with blood. He remained silent for a long time before calling out in a hoarse voice, "Someone come here!"

The maid Xue'er was waiting in the outer room, with a medicine pot simmering on the stove. Upon hearing the summons, she quickly ladled the medicine into a white porcelain bowl and carried it into the inner room on a tray.

"Master!" Xue'er said softly, her eyes red, "This servant will serve you your medicine."

Song Shuyu nodded. This was customary, something the master and servant tacitly understood.

After administering the herbal medicine to relieve pain and reduce inflammation, Xue'er changed the dressing on Song Shuyu's external wounds again.

While bandaging, Song Shuyu noticed the knot Xue'er often used and remembered that it was a different cross knot before. Her eyes suddenly narrowed. "Who bandaged me before?"

Xue'er hesitated for a moment, "Yes, yes..."

"Speak!" Song Shuyu's face was filled with anger. "The knotting techniques were different on both occasions. How dare you hide it from me?"

Xue'er was terrified and immediately knelt on the ground, confessing everything: "My master had a severe attack today. Both I and Granny Liu were driven away by my master. Granny Liu was afraid that my master would harm herself too much, so she had no choice but to call for Coroner Mu..."

"Mu Qingcheng!"

"Yes."

Song Shuyu sat bolt upright in bed, his long, slender hand suddenly gripping Xue'er's throat, his words chillingly cold, "She knows everything? How dare you approach her without my permission? How dare you let her know that your master is a madman, a psychopath!"

Xue'er's eyes filled with tears. She didn't feel the fear of dying. Instead, she said with heartache, "No, Master is not crazy. Master, you... you are just sick. Physician Jin said that as long as someone takes good care of Master's emotions, gives Master a sense of security, and guides Master out of the shadows in her heart, then... it will gradually stop recurring and you will get better completely."

Song Shuyu was filled with fear, and even her voice trembled. "Did I scare her? When she sees me in this wretched state, she'll definitely despise me and hate me. She... she finally came back to my side, and I haven't even acknowledged her yet..."

"master……"

"Did I hurt her? Did I yell at her or hit her?"

Xue'er's breathing became increasingly labored, and her face turned red, but she still tried her best to comfort Song Shuyu, "No, although Master is ill, he seems to recognize Coroner Mu. He didn't scold or hit anyone."

Grabbing Xue'er's large hand, he suddenly lost his grip, and Xue'er fell to the ground. Looking at Song Shuyu's relieved expression, she felt extremely complicated. She both envied Mu Qingcheng for being able to enter Song Shuyu's heart and was grateful for Mu Qingcheng's appearance, which allowed Song Shuyu to find salvation.

Song Shuyu waved his hand, "Go down."

"Yes!"

After Xue'er left, Song Shuyu fell into a state of unease and regret, fearing that Mu Qingcheng would be disappointed in him, find him disgusting, and be unworthy of entrusting her life to him.

Without being summoned, Liu's mother brought in dinner.

Song Shuyu turned her head away. "I don't want to eat it. Take it away."

"Second Young Master, I have fully furnished Miss Mu's wing room according to your requirements, and I have also assigned people to cook, clean, and wash clothes for her. Miss Mu is kind and polite, and she asked me to convey her thanks to you!"

Upon hearing Liu's mother's words, Song Shuyu's lifeless pupils slowly brightened. He looked back at Liu's mother, his tone tense, "Besides thanking her, what else did she... say?"

(End of this chapter)