A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 247 Headless Female Corpse (35)

The main bedroom.

Song Shuyu had two pots of hot wine prepared and drank with Mu Qingcheng.

Neither of them spoke; they simply drank in silence, one glass after another.

After a long while, the pot was emptied. As Mu Qingcheng reached for the second pot, a large hand covered the back of her hand.

“You can blame yourself, you can be sad, but you can’t be depressed,” Song Shuyu said in a hoarse voice. “Besides, this was an accident, not a mistake in your decision-making.”

Mu Qingcheng closed her eyes, her voice choked with emotion, "I was originally worried that Butler Liao and his wife would be ambushed, but who knew that protecting one thing would harm the other. If I had known that Wang Ruhua would be the one to get into trouble, I should have gone myself and brought the murderer back to me!"

Song Shuyu said, "Neither Secretary Lin nor Registrar Zhang knows martial arts, so your assignment is correct. I believe that Miss Bai and Xiao Luo will not blame you. Once you enter this profession, you are putting your life on the edge of a knife. You may get injured or even die at any time. I think they are prepared."

Mu Qingcheng lowered her head, her knuckles gripping the wine glass turning white from the constant pressure, and the veins on the back of her hand bulging. Only when the glass shattered in her palm, the broken pieces scattering across the table and the floor, did she slowly loosen her grip.

The punctured skin oozed beads of blood.

Song Shuyu's Adam's apple bobbed. He suppressed his heartache, quickly got up, grabbed the medicine box, took her hand, cleaned up the residue, and applied medicine to stop the bleeding.

"My lord, rest assured, I will not give up. I will catch that scoundrel and show him what the consequences are for provoking the government and seriously injuring an officer!"

Song Shuyu knew that Mu Qingcheng was never a weak person. She was gentle on the surface but strong inside. No one could make her give up easily.

But recalling the black-clad man's martial arts style, he was filled with worry. "Qingcheng, I know you're burning with anger right now, but you must plan carefully before you act, understand? Before that man fought us, he had already exhausted a lot of his internal energy and strength with Xiao Luo and the other two. If he recovers, in a one-on-one fight, the two of us might not be able to win. This person is no ordinary person!"

"Yes." Mu Qingcheng nodded in acknowledgment, "I noticed."

Song Shuyu continued, “I have never encountered a top expert like him in the capital. Therefore, capturing him alive is not something you can do alone! Qingcheng, promise me you will not be reckless or impulsive. We are government officials, not江湖人 (jianghu people). What are you talking about, gentlemanly chivalry? We are outnumbered to reduce unnecessary casualties, so it is not an unfair victory.”

"Yes, I understand." Mu Qingcheng still felt like she had a fishbone stuck in her throat.

Song Shuyu tapped her forehead with his finger and said in a serious tone, "Then remember this: once you find his whereabouts, you must tell me immediately. I will bring Song Li and the secret guards, and we will join forces to surround and kill him!"

Mu Qingcheng hummed in agreement. "Okay, I've got it."

Song Shuyu breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted to lighten the mood and pull her out of her oppressive mood, so he jokingly said, "I am very pleased with how obedient and well-behaved Master Mu is."

"If you could be obedient and well-behaved sometimes, I would be very pleased." Mu Qingcheng's thoughts shifted, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

Song Shuyu glared at him with his dark eyes. "What? Am I not obedient and compliant in front of you? No matter what you say, I can only nod. When have I ever objected?"

"Then..." Mu Qingcheng opened her mouth, then simply stroked Song Shuyu's arm and said softly, "I told you not to hurt yourself anymore, did you listen?"

Song Shuyu's eyes reddened instantly, but he replied firmly, "I haven't had a hysterical episode since last time. With you by my side, I feel a sense of light in my heart. I will take good care of myself and you."

Mu Qingcheng leaned over and hugged him, her voice choked with emotion, and murmured, "My lord, has Imperial Physician Jin witnessed this many times?"

"Yes. In the past, whenever I was injured by the Empress Dowager, it was Imperial Physician Jin who secretly treated me. Sometimes, when the injuries I caused myself were too serious, Song Li would also ask Imperial Physician Jin for help."

Song Shuyu mentioned it casually, glossing over the details. He dared not let his grandmother, father, brothers, or Mu Qingcheng know a single word about the abusive methods Song Zi used on him.

Mu Qingcheng held Song Shuyu tightly, hot tears dripping onto his neck, burning his heart with pain. "My lord."

She moved her lips, making indistinct sounds, "I will stay with you, Master, and always... From now on, Master, you must take good care of yourself, and Zhizhi, you must take good care of yourself too. We must all stay together and never be separated."

"Yes, I'll listen to you. I'll listen to whatever you say." Song Shuyu held the person in his arms, his smile tinged with tears. "I'll listen to you for the rest of my life, okay?"

"it is good."

Mu Qingcheng responded with a single word, burying her head in his shoulder and neck. In this cold late winter season, in this desolate night, she felt her heart burning hot.

……

The next day.

Bai Zhizhi, who had been unconscious all night, finally woke up in the middle of the morning.

Mu Qingcheng stayed by the bedside the whole time.

She temporarily shelved her original plan to go to the Pingnan Earl's Mansion to inquire about Steward An and the Earl's wife.

She wanted to wait for Lu Xun to return to see if there were any results before deciding what to do next.

However, at dawn, Constable Xiao Linzi rushed back to report some news: the Crown Prince's wife, Xu Yuying, had sneaked out of the manor!
So, Xiao Linzi followed her all the way and discovered that Xu Yuying had returned to her maternal family's residence, the Imperial Censor's Mansion!

"Keep an eye on them, and be careful to conceal your identity. Don't alert them!"

"Yes, I understand!"

Xiao Linzi took his leave.

After thinking it over, Mu Qingcheng summoned the head constable Duan Qianzhong and ordered him to lead a team of men to Xiahegou to meet Lu Xun.

After the morning court session today, Song Shuyu was kept behind by the emperor for a private talk.

He reported the danger of the previous night and boldly voiced his suspicions, "Your Majesty, I am wondering if that expert in black might have come from the Imperial Palace?"

"The Imperial Palace?" The Emperor's expression hardened. "What makes you say that?"

Song Shuyu pondered for a moment and said, "To be honest, Your Majesty, I once heard my father mention that many years ago, my grandfather secretly trained a group of masters in the army for the late Emperor. Afterwards, those masters were sent to the palace. And the martial arts style of that person last night, I noticed, actually bore some resemblance to my grandfather's..."

"Minister Song!" The emperor's gaze darkened, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "This matter involves the late emperor and your grandfather; you must not jump to conclusions so easily!"

Song Shuyu nodded. "Your Majesty, please rest assured, unless there is conclusive evidence."

"Hmm." The emperor pondered for a moment and said, "You continue with your case and do not be distracted. I will send other people to secretly investigate the list and whereabouts of those experts."

Song Shuyu cupped his hands and said, "Your humble servant obeys the decree!"

(End of this chapter)