A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 237 Headless Female Corpse (25)

Mu Qingcheng was stunned for a moment. Suppressing her surprise, she did not answer directly, but instead asked in a calm tone, "Why does Your Excellency ask such a question?"

Song Shuyu dared not tell her the truth, because Mu Qingcheng's aversion to "A Yuan" made him hesitant. Bringing up this topic again might make her mistakenly believe that the person he liked was A Yuan, not her, Mu Qingcheng.

Therefore, Song Shuyu carefully chose his words and said, "Qingcheng, I have no other intention. It's just that you once asked me if we had met before. I think we have, but you have no recollection of it. So I was wondering if you had an accident that caused you to lose some of your memories?"

Upon hearing this, Mu Qingcheng made up her mind in an instant. She reached out and pulled Song Shuyu over, taking his large hand and placing it on the back of her head. "Please feel it, sir."

Song Shuyu ran his fingers through her hair, his fingertips touching an uneven patch. His gaze sharpened, and he quickly parted her hair to examine it closely. "How did you get this scar? When were you injured?"

“My dad said that when I was little, I accidentally fell and hit my head on a rock, which is why I have this scar,” Mu Qingcheng said quietly. “As for whether it was after I was seven years old, I don’t know, my dad didn’t say.”

Song Shuyu sat on the armrest, pulled her into his arms with one hand, and asked softly, "Does it still hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt," Mu Qingcheng shook her head.

Song Shuyu pondered for a moment and said, "Qingcheng, I'll take you to see Jin Zesheng to see if there's a blood clot in your brain that's affecting your memory. We also need to find a way to remove this scar, otherwise, if you bump into something again, the consequences could be unpredictable."

“That’s what Zhizhi said too.” Mu Qingcheng tilted her head slightly and gave him a gentle smile. “However, I’m busy right now and can’t worry about it. We’ll talk about it after we solve the case. Anyway, it’s been more than ten years, so there’s no rush.”

Song Shuyu kissed her lips, then gently stroked the back of her head with his large hand, his eyes full of heartache. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? Qingcheng, you shouldn't have been so formal with me."

A blush crept up her face and ears. Mu Qingcheng nodded, unusually obedient, "Yes, I know I was wrong."

Song Shuyu sighed helplessly, "You keep everything to yourself. Unless I ask, you never tell me anything on your own initiative."

Mu Qingcheng smiled and said, "In Jiangnan, the status of coroners is very low. They have no one to rely on and can only rely on themselves for everything. Over time, they get used to being alone and won't have any unrealistic expectations."

“From now on, you are not alone.” Song Shuyu sighed and held the woman in his arms even tighter. “Officially, I am an official, and it is my duty to solve all difficulties and resolve all troubles for my subordinates; personally, I am your future husband, and it is my duty to be your support. This is not wishful thinking, but a matter of course.”

"My future husband?" Mu Qingcheng was not as optimistic as Song Shuyu. "My lord, my father is not an easy person to talk to. I have seen his affection for Mu Xun. I'm afraid your path to wooing him will be full of hardships and obstacles!"

Upon hearing this, Song Shuyu remained confident, saying, "It's alright. As long as we are mutually in love, I have a way to persuade Uncle Mu to choose me as his son-in-law."

Mu Qingcheng smiled and joked, "Then I wish you good luck, sir!"

However, she was not as relaxed as she appeared. For some reason, her intuition told her that if she had indeed lost her memories, it couldn't just be the mass grave and her interactions with the boy; there must be other, more important memories!
……

The next day.

Chamber.

Song Shuyu announced that Bai Zhizhi had joined the Jingzhao Prefecture and become its first female constable!

Upon hearing this news, the four chief constables, led by Liu Heng, were both shocked and excited, vying to bring Bai Zhizhi under their command. In fact, Liu Heng, relying on his position as chief constable, even wanted to exercise his privileges and directly promote Bai Zhizhi to his deputy!
This little girl, who had been hanging out with them for several months, was not only loyal and righteous, but also rich and interesting. She was also beautiful, smart, lively, and cheerful. What impressed these men who were skilled in martial arts the most was that she also possessed a hidden talent for martial arts. Who wouldn't like that?

Seeing the four constables arguing heatedly over her, Bai Zhizhi felt a surge of pride. "Wow, I didn't expect I'd be so popular!"

At this moment, she deeply understood Mu Qingcheng's choices and aspirations. Before, she had unconditionally supported Mu Qingcheng simply because she wanted to repay Mu Qingcheng's kindness. Now, she finally understood how exhilarating it was to find a wider world outside the traditional household, to be recognized, respected, and needed!

Mu Qingcheng raised her hand to signal the four constables to be quiet. She said, "My lord means that Constable Bai should follow me closely and be under my command, so as to prevent you from fighting over him."

Bringing Song Shuyu into the picture is the most effective way to quell the internal strife.

Sure enough, the four constables immediately ceased fighting and all wilted!
Seeing this, Song Shuyu smiled slightly, "Since you all have no aversion to female constables, then I will pay more attention in the future and recruit a few more female constables to join you, how about that?"

"Your Excellency is wise!" The four men's eyes lit up, and they immediately became energetic again.

Song Shuyu listened to Liu Heng's report on the arrangements for street patrols, manpower deployment, and prison management during the Spring Festival. Mu Qingcheng then summoned Zhang Zhubu, Lin Shuban, and Dou Changwen, among others, to review, sort out, and cross-compare the information collected from all parties.

After a busy morning, the team had only processed 30% of the thick stack of papers, and had not yet found any useful clues.

Mu Qingcheng made a decisive decision, "You guys continue investigating this afternoon, and I'll take Zhizhi to the Marquis of Pingnan's residence. We'll take a two-pronged approach!"

So, after lunch, the two rested for a while, then took Song Shuyu's name card and a cleaned silver bracelet and went to the Pingnan Earl's residence.

With the Spring Festival approaching, the streets are bustling with activity.

The Jingzhao Prefecture specially designated several areas for villagers and street vendors to sell their New Year's goods. During this period, no additional taxes or stall fees were levied. To prevent displaced people from causing trouble or rioters from causing disturbances, the Jingzhao Prefecture also specially dispatched constables to patrol these areas to ensure the safety and well-being of the people.

This is the first time this has been done this year.

Half a month in advance, Song Shuyu arranged for Xu Chunshan, the Junior Magistrate of Jingzhao, to visit impoverished households in the countryside. Afterward, he reorganized the streets and markets, creating an opportunity for ordinary people to earn money.

These measures won the praise of the people. Upon hearing this, the emperor praised Song Shuyu's governing ability and the benevolence and virtue of an official in court. With the joint proposal of Song Shuyu and Ji Yue, the emperor took the opportunity to issue an edict, ordering the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works to take the people's livelihood as the foundation, rebuild streets for people without shops, plan special commercial zones, and promote them throughout the country, taking the capital as a model.

As Mu Qingcheng walked through this thriving place, her eyes were filled with joy and pride. Especially when she heard people praising Song Shuyu in the street, the corners of her lips remained upturned for a long time.

……

The Pingnan Earl's Mansion.

Mu Qingcheng and Bai Zhizhi visited Prince Wu Fei in a private capacity, so they did not wear official robes.

The two bright-eyed and white-toothed girls were neither accompanied by any servants nor had any carriages or horses. Judging from their attire—tight-sleeved skirts and narrow skirts—they were capable and dashing, not at all like young ladies from a wealthy family.

Therefore, the gatekeeper looked the two up and down several times. He dared not be negligent, nor did he dare to invite them in rashly. So he tentatively asked, "May I ask where the two young ladies live? What is your name? Have you sent a visiting card?"

Mu Qingcheng took out his name card and handed it over, saying in a calm tone, "We are from the second young master of the Duke of Song's mansion. We have been ordered to visit the heir of the Earl's mansion. Please inform him of our presence."

The servant looked at the name card and immediately adopted a respectful posture. "I apologize for my rudeness! To be honest, my young master is not in the manor and has been away for some time now."

Mu Qingcheng raised an eyebrow. "Is the young master in the army?" "I don't know for sure," the servant replied.

Mu Qingcheng pondered for a moment and asked, "I wonder if the mistress of the household is here?"

"The Earl's wife and the Heir's wife are both here."

"Okay, please inform them and see if anyone is willing to see us."

"Yes, please wait a moment!"

The servant took the visiting card and ran back to the mansion.

Bai Zhizhi asked in a low voice, "Sister Mu, you're not planning to give the bracelet directly to the Earl and his wife to test them, are you?"

"How could that be?" Mu Qingcheng laughed. "Since we're here, we can't leave empty-handed. Let's meet these two ladies first and see if they're round or flat."

Bai Zhizhi's eyes darted around. "Sister Mu, do you think that when Lady Xu Yuying hears that we were sent by Song Shuyu, she might misunderstand?"

Mu Qingcheng quickly said, "Don't talk nonsense. The young lady is already married. Bringing up her past will only ruin her reputation. How will she face the Earl's mansion in the future?"

"Hehe, I was just chatting with you. I'm not stupid, so I wouldn't say it in public." Bai Zhizhi playfully stuck out her tongue.

Mu Qingcheng glanced at her a few times and warned, "You'd better watch your mouth, and your expression and eyes. Don't stare at people too much! Otherwise, they might think we adults have some ulterior motives!"

"Understood!" Bai Zhizhi nodded vigorously.

Little did anyone know that inside the inner courtyard, Xu Yuying, who was taking a midday nap, sat up abruptly from her bed upon hearing the head maid's report!

She stared at the head maid, her voice trembling slightly, "What did you say? The second young master of the Song family sent two young ladies to visit the young master?"

"Yes!" the head maid replied.

Xu Yuying's breathing was disordered. She got off the ground and walked around without even putting on her embroidered shoes, her expression clearly abnormal.

The head maid asked, puzzled, "Madam, what's wrong? The floor is cold. Let me help you put on your shoes."

To everyone's surprise, the moment the head maid's hand touched Xu Yuying, she was violently pushed away. Xu Yuying was panting, "Are there only two girls? Has Young Master Song arrived?"

The head maid, puzzled, said cautiously, "I heard from the servant that there were no other people besides the two girls. They came on foot, without any servants or maids. They don't look like young ladies from wealthy families."

"Is she a maid from the Duke's mansion?" Xu Yuying pressed.

The head maid shook her head. "This servant doesn't know."

“There are no young women in the Duke’s mansion. If it’s not a maid, could it be…” Xu Yuying muttered to herself, then suddenly stopped talking. She pondered for a while before asking again, “Did the other party say what they wanted to see the young master about?”

The head maid continued to shake her head, "The other party didn't say, and the servants didn't dare to ask any more questions. After all, they had Young Master Song's visiting card, and they didn't dare to offend him."

"Help me get ready, I'm going to meet them." Xu Yuying took a deep breath and instructed, "Mother will probably be there too. Send someone to check the situation first, and if she mentions me, come back and report immediately."

The head maid curtsied and replied, "Yes, Madam."

Outside the Earl's mansion, the two waited for a short while before a servant rushed out and respectfully invited, "Ladies, my mistress invites you!"

"Thank you."

Mu Qingcheng nodded slightly and led Bai Zhizhi through the gates of the Earl's Mansion.

The servant ushered them into the main hall.

The aunt was already waiting in the main seat of the hall. She was a woman in her forties, elegant and graceful, with a captivating charm.

The two approached and performed a proper young lady's greeting, "Greetings, Madam!"

The lady of the house had a serene expression, and her sharp eyes subtly observed the two women before she spoke, "May I ask how you two young ladies are addressed? Is there something important you wish to discuss with the young master?"

Mu Qingcheng smiled slightly and replied calmly, "Please forgive my intrusion, Madam. My surname is Mu, and she is my younger sister. We are servants of the second young master of the Duke's mansion. The second young master recently acquired something, and upon hearing that it originally belonged to Wu Fei, the heir of the Earl's mansion, he instructed the two of us to personally deliver it to him. The second young master said that although he has no dealings with the mansion, he serves in the same court as the Earl and it is not appropriate to forcibly take what belongs to others. Therefore, he returned the item to its rightful owner."

Lady Bo was surprised. "Oh? What is it? The young master has gone to the army and will not be back for a while. You can give this to me, young lady. When the young master returns, I will give it to him and ask him to personally visit the Duke's mansion to pay his respects to the second young master Song to express his gratitude."

Mu Qingcheng looked troubled. "Please forgive me, Madam. The Second Young Master instructed me to deliver this to the Young Master personally, and I dare not disobey. When will the Young Master return home? I will come again then."

"Hehe, Young Master Song is truly thoughtful." Madam Bo raised an eyebrow and smiled. "It seems this item is quite rare, but may I ask what it is?"

Mu Qingcheng thought for a moment, then shook her head again, "I'm sorry, Madam, the Second Young Master forbids this from being spread. As a servant, I shouldn't say anything."

"Alright, since Young Master Song doesn't trust me, I won't meddle in his affairs. The young master's return is uncertain, so you'll just have to wait and see."

The lady was clearly angry. She stood up and said, "Someone, show the guest out!"

"Mother!"

Just then, a woman entered through the hall door. She was beautiful and had a graceful figure, but her eyes were arrogant. As she passed by Mu Qingcheng and Bai Zhizhi, she glanced at them sideways with a hint of disdain in her eyes.

"Greetings, Mother!" Xu Yuying curtsied to her mother-in-law, appearing dignified and virtuous. "Hearing that someone was looking for the young master, I came to check on him."

The aunt glanced down and said indifferently, "It's over there."

Xu Yuying turned around, her gaze sweeping over the two women's faces. Bai Zhizhi gave a fake smile, "This must be the young master's wife, right? I'm so sorry to have disturbed her."

(End of this chapter)