A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 248 Headless Female Corpse (36)

When Song Shuyu left the palace, he passed by the palace's teaching center. The sound of students reading aloud reached his ears, and he paused for a moment, making a plan in his mind.

Upon returning to the capital, Song Shuyu summoned his deputies, Xu Chunshan and Fu Qi, to discuss matters.

"I have an idea and would like to hear your opinions."

"Please speak, sir!"

Song Shuyu ordered someone to bring out a topographical map of Jingzhao Prefecture and spread it on the official desk. He scanned the map with his eyes and said, "Take a look and see which places are unused. I want to build a small school in the yamen. The teaching area will be divided into civil and military areas, and a dormitory area will be built for the teachers to live in."

Upon hearing this, Xu Chunshan and Fu Qi stared in astonishment!

When Song Shuyu heard no reply, he turned his head to look at the two men, who quickly composed themselves and gave him awkward smiles.

He tapped the table with his finger. "What are you standing there for? Tell me."

Having followed Song Shuyu for a long time, they had figured out his temperament and character. They were told to speak their minds honestly and not to use the usual sycophantic and obsequious manner of officialdom.

Therefore, Xu Chunshan said frankly, "Sir, I don't understand why we need to build a school? Isn't that the Ministry of Rites' business?"

“Yes, who will use the school? Where will the funding come from? Will the Ministry of Revenue approve it? Are we going to bypass the Ministry of Rites and build it directly? Won’t we be impeached by the censors?” Fu Qi also had a lot of questions and rushed to pour them out.

Song Shuyu smiled and said, "The school built inside the yamen will naturally benefit the people of our Jingzhao Prefecture. As far as I know, there are many constables, yamen runners, clerks, and laborers who are illiterate or only know a few simple characters. They have the desire to improve, but they lack the ability to do so. Therefore, I have considered building a school and hiring teachers to carry out literacy education within the prefecture."

Xu Chunshan and Fu Qi exchanged a glance, both utterly shocked!

This is the first of its kind in the entire country!
Song Shuyu picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and continued, "As for the expenses, the Ministry of Revenue will not provide them. If this precedent is set, all the major government offices in the capital will follow suit, and the Minister of Revenue will inevitably have to jump into the river. Therefore, as always, I will bear the cost myself."

"My lord, you have already spent enough money on the Jingzhao Prefecture. If you continue to pour money into it like a bottomless pit, how will you manage to live your own life?"

"That's right. Although the Duke's mansion is large and prosperous, there are many people and many things to do, and the expenses are also high! Aren't you afraid of squandering the Duke's mansion?"

The two subordinates spoke frankly about their worries and concerns, which moved Song Shuyu deeply. He smiled and said, "In that case, I'll trouble you two to work hard and achieve more good results for the country and the people, so that our Jingzhao Prefecture can get an 'excellent' rating in the Ministry of Personnel's assessment and receive the highest reward. In a couple of days, the Emperor's rewards for all officials should also be issued. I'll use my share to build a school. If that's not enough, I'll go home and live off my parents, or sell my antiques and paintings."

"My lord, you really are..."

Xu Chunshan and Fu Qi were deeply moved. There was no point in saying more. The two clasped their hands, bowed deeply, and said in unison, "Your humble servants will do their utmost and serve with all their might!"

Song Shuyu tapped the map. "So we need to find a place quickly, design the construction plans, and try to start construction after the New Year so that it can be used by March next year."

The three studied the topographical map for a long time and finally circled four usable sites. However, the most ideal site had a rockery and fish pond in the middle, which was built by the previous Prefect of the Capital for his enjoyment.

After a moment's thought, Song Shuyu made the final decision: "Use this land! Tear down the artificial hill and fishpond; they're just pretty but useless things, it's a waste to keep them!"

"Yes!" The two bowed.

Song Shuyu assigned tasks as appropriate: "Xu Shaoyin is in charge of building the school, and Fu Shaoyin is in charge of recruiting teachers and customizing the teaching plan."

"May I ask, sir, do you have any requirements regarding the teacher's academic level and salary?" Fu Qi further inquired.

Song Shuyu thought for a moment and said, "Our initial goal is to eradicate illiteracy, not to train people to become top scholars, so we don't need teachers of a very high standard. We will mainly recruit scholars from poor families, and their salaries will be 20% higher than the normal market rate, with room and board provided. As for the students, you should spread the word that anyone under the jurisdiction of the Jingzhao Prefecture, regardless of their rank, even if they are just a janitor cleaning the courtyard or a kitchen maid washing vegetables and emptying swill, regardless of gender, can attend classes for free as long as they want to learn."

Fu Qi was a little worried, "Won't that affect our normal work? If everyone goes to the lectures, who will do the work?"

Xu Chunshan said, "Official duties must come first and cannot be delayed in the slightest. We can hire more teachers and arrange class times flexibly so that students can attend classes during their days off or when they are on duty."

Song Shuyu nodded, "Hmm, this method is good..."

"grown ups!"

Just then, Constable Duan Qianzhong burst in, his travel-worn face filled with a grave expression. "Reporting to Your Excellency, Young Master Lu has been forcibly taken away by the people from the Dali Temple!"

Song Shuyu was startled. "What do you mean? Tell me in detail, what's going on?"

"My lord, I was assigned by Master Mu to go to Xiahegou to meet Lu Shaoqing. We met on the way and returned together. But as soon as we entered the city gate, we were stopped by Xu Ning, the chief constable of the Dali Temple! Chief Constable Xu claimed that he was ordered by Lord Guo, the Minister of the Dali Temple, to take Lu Shaoqing back to the Dali Temple for questioning!"

"condemn?"

"It is said that Lu Shaoqing neglected his duties and lost an important file. Chief Constable Xu made a big move, bringing forty or fifty men. Our two sides were facing off, and the commotion was too great, which attracted the deputy commander of the city. We were outnumbered and could not stop the attack from both the Dali Temple and the city guards. In the end, in order not to implicate the brothers, Lu Shaoqing went with Chief Constable Xu."

“The case file…” Song Shuyu pondered these two words. After a moment, he suddenly stood up. “Xu Chunshan, Fu Qi, you two continue to discuss this. I entrust the entire matter to you.”

"Yes, sir!" The two men bowed and accepted the order.

Song Shuyu strode out, saying as he went, "Officer Duan, I'm going to the palace to see the Emperor. Go to the Censorate and find Lord Ji Yue, explain the matter, and ask for his assistance!"

"Understood!" Duan Qianzhong bowed and ran off.

……

After Bai Zhizhi woke up, she learned that Wang Ruhua, whom she had tried her best to protect, had died in the end. She was dejected and felt like she had been stabbed in the back.

"Zhizhi, you've done your best, don't be too hard on yourself."

Mu Qingcheng gently wiped the little girl's face with a damp cloth. The girl's still pale and bloodless face caused her heart to ache terribly.

"I'm so angry!" Bai Zhizhi punched the bed, which aggravated her wound, causing her to wince in pain. However, she gritted her teeth and did not make a sound.

Seeing this, Mu Qingcheng felt even more distressed. "Zhizhi, does your wound hurt? Physician Jin added painkillers to the prescription and left behind a lot of painkiller pills. If it hurts, you must tell your sister."

Bai Zhizhi took a deep breath and forced herself to say, "It's okay, it doesn't hurt."

Mu Qingcheng knew the girl's temperament best. She poured a pill from the medicine bottle and fed it to Bai Zhizhi's mouth, saying, "You can take it even if it doesn't hurt. It's a preventative measure."

"Oh." Bai Zhizhi, having gotten a way out, obediently accepted.

At this moment, the maids Huang Ying and Lu Shui entered. They had been transferred by Granny Liu specifically to serve Bai Zhizhi. Huang Ying carried a red tray with a bowl of medicinal soup and a bowl of candied fruit. Lu Shui carried ginseng chicken porridge and osmanthus jujube cake.

I never expected that our reunion would be like this.

The two maids suppressed their sadness and took care of Bai Zhizhi, helping her take her medicine and eat.

Seeing that their eyes had reddened several times, Bai Zhizhi couldn't help but sigh inwardly and comforted them, "Don't worry, in less than half a month, I'll be a hero again!"

"Pfft!"

Not only did the two maids lose their composure, but even Mu Qingcheng broke down in laughter, unable to straighten up.

Bai Zhizhi's optimism and cheerfulness infected the two maids, easing some of Mu Qingcheng's self-blame. Looking at the girl who was like a little sun, the gloom in her heart seemed to be broken through by the light, gradually becoming clear.

Mo Yu and Constable Luo woke up one after the other. The servants took great care of them, helping them wash, drink medicine, and eat. They had never been served before and were flustered and at a loss.

So much so that when they saw Mu Qingcheng appear, the two men in the room argued, "Master Mu, we are men, tough as nails, this little injury is nothing, no need to trouble anyone to take care of us, we can manage on our own."

There were two beds, one on the north side and one on the south side, each occupied by a person.

Mu Qingcheng stood in the middle, glanced to the left and right, and said with feigned difficulty, "It's not easy for a servant to find a job to support his family. If you send him away, won't he starve in the dead of winter?"

The two simple-minded people were completely taken aback by this cyclical relationship and were stunned.

Mu Qingcheng's lips curled slightly, revealing a faint smile. "Alright, you should all comply with the master's arrangements. Rest well and strive to recover as soon as possible, so as not to waste the master's good intentions."

Officer Luo suddenly lowered his head, feeling ashamed and sad. "Master Mu, I am truly ashamed to face you and my lord. Last time, I was kidnapped by a criminal, causing you and Master Mu to have to deal with it all. This time, not only did I fail to rescue Wang Ruhua, but Officer Bai was also seriously injured, and the thief escaped... I have troubled you and Master Mu several times, all because of my lack of knowledge and skills..."

"You have been loyal to your duty and brave and fearless. What wrong have you done?" Mu Qingcheng walked over, gently put his hand on Constable Luo's shoulder, and comforted him, "The magistrate and I both admire you! Little Luo, instead of blaming yourself, you should recover from your injuries and work hard to improve your martial arts so that you can do better in the future!"

Officer Luo was deeply moved.

He abruptly raised his hand, forcefully wiping away his tear-filled eyes, his expression resolute, his tone firm, "I definitely will!"

Mu Qingcheng was overjoyed. "Once you're better, I'll personally instruct you in martial arts."

"Really? This subordinate thanks Master Mu!" Constable Luo was overjoyed and immediately felt full of energy.

Mo Yu, watching this scene from the opposite side, couldn't help but wonder: Is this female advisor really that skilled in martial arts?

Just then, Mu Qingcheng walked towards him, stopped half a step away, clasped her hands in a fist and bowed solemnly, "Thank you very much!"

Mo Yu hurriedly replied, "Master Mu, you flatter me! I was acting on orders from my young master; it was simply my duty. I dare not accept your thanks!"

"I'd like to ask you a few questions, is that alright?" Mu Qingcheng asked directly, no longer standing on ceremony.

Mo Yu extended one hand politely and said, "Please ask, Master Mu!"

Mu Qingcheng then said, "When Constable Bai left, Wang Ruhua was still breathing. So, the last person Wang Ruhua saw before she died was you?"

"Yes."

"Did Wang Ruhua say anything? Did she mention Liao Ruyi?"

“Wang Ruhua didn’t mention Liao Ruyi, but she said some strange things, speaking haltingly and in a very weak voice. I’m not sure if I heard her clearly…”

"What did you say?"

Mo Yu buried his head in thought for a long time before finally saying, "God... God... Mo Village... Floating... Flying White Egret... Black Maru... Enter... Enter Wolf... Wolf Mountain..."

He immediately sensed that these words were of great importance, so after hearing them once, he repeated them in his mind several times to reinforce his memory. Later, when he met Lu Xun and the others, the chaotic situation made him forget about it for a moment.

Mu Qingcheng immediately ordered someone to bring paper and pen, and then had Mo Yu repeat it again.

After she finished writing, she looked at it several times, then picked up her pen, crossed out the repeated words, and then copied it over again.

"Shenmo Village".

"White egrets float and fly, while black egrets enter Wolf Mountain."

Mu Qingcheng pondered for a moment, put away the manuscript, and said, "Guard Moyu, you provided a very crucial clue, and you deserve a generous reward. Hmm, what do you want? I'll tell Lu Shaoqing."

"Uh, this subordinate wouldn't dare." Mo Yu was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly shook his head.

Mu Qingcheng smiled slightly, "Don't worry, take your time to think about it. Lu Shaoqing will definitely be happy and won't be angry with you."

Upon hearing this, Mo Yu couldn't help but take a closer look at the woman in front of him, feeling as if something was amiss.

"Master Mu, how is Constable Bai?" Constable Luo asked at this moment.

Mu Qingcheng turned around and saw that his eyes were full of concern. She said, "Zhizhi is fine. She has woken up and is in good condition."

"Oh, that's good." Constable Luo thought for a moment, then frowned and said, "There's something I'm not sure about, and I'm afraid I've misjudged or misjudged it. I'd like to discuss it with Constable Bai. Is that convenient?"

Mu Qingcheng asked in surprise, "What is it?"

"Regarding Wang Ruhua being stabbed," Constable Luo replied.

Mu Qingcheng's mind raced. She approached Constable Luo and said, "You'd better not get out of bed, lest you reopen your wound. Tell me, and I'll go find Zhizhi to verify."

Constable Luo then said, "Yesterday night, after we arrived at Xiahegou, we asked the villagers and found Wang Ruhua's house. We saw that the house was lit, and there seemed to be shadows in the windows, and more than one, so we crouched down and approached to investigate. Unexpectedly, we heard a fight coming from inside. Wang Ruhua said in a panic, 'I don't know, I really don't know, you've got the wrong person!' Another man said, 'Whether you've got the wrong person or not depends on whether you want to live or not!' Then, Wang Ruhua picked up a knife, and the two men started fighting. We rushed in and joined the fight with the man. In the middle of the fight, I think I saw Wang Ruhua try to stab the man with the knife. The man dodged, raised his arm, and somehow, the knife pierced Wang Ruhua's heart!"

(End of this chapter)