A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 282 Entering Langshan (3)

The next day.

Song Shuyu led his men away from the capital and hurried to Yuyang.

To ensure stability in the rear, Mu Qingcheng left Chief Constable Liu Heng to oversee the capital, with Constable Yang Bing as his deputy. He took Jiang Zhan and Duan Qianzhong with him, and also selected twenty capable constables to accompany him.

Lu Xun didn't trust any of the constables from the Dali Temple who had followed Guo Xuan for a long time, so he brought five elite guards from the Marquis of Huai'an's residence with him.

Song Li led four bodyguards to follow in the shadows, partly to keep an eye on the man in black, Lin Jiao, and partly to monitor Shen Che, the heir apparent of the Prince of Zhongshan.

Yuyang is a town that spans two counties: the eastern part belongs to Meishan County, and the western part belongs to Fengxian County. To the north is a tributary of the Su River, and to the south is the Dahuang Mountain, a primeval forest. Because of an incident many years ago where a pack of wolves came down the mountain to eat people, Dahuang Mountain is also known as Wild Wolf Mountain.

As dusk fell, the large group of people arrived at Yuyang Town.

After a long day of travel, everyone was exhausted, so Song Shuyu booked the largest inn in town for them to rest.

After dinner and a short rest, the constables split into several groups to take turns keeping watch, replenishing supplies, familiarizing themselves with the surroundings, and gathering intelligence.

In addition to her soft sword, Mu Qingcheng also brought a whip and a telescope for this trip.

The Thousand-Mile Eyes was a gift from Song Shuyu.

According to Song Li, it was Song Shuyu who went to the palace yesterday to ask the emperor for it. The emperor didn't want Song Shuyu to leave the capital and risk danger, so Song Shuyu pinched his thigh and forced out a few tears. The emperor was startled and waved him away repeatedly, scolding him for learning the ways of the concubines in the harem...

Of course, Song Shuyu did not acknowledge this.

To punish Song Li for fabricating lies and ruining his reputation, he was forced to kneel in the ancestral hall for two hours overnight.

Regardless of the process, Mu Qingcheng really liked the gift.

Instead of rushing back to her room, she chatted with the innkeeper downstairs.

After the shopkeeper introduced the basic situation of Yuyang, she stood at the door, holding a telescope and gazing at the Great Wilderness Mountain. Although it was far away and the details were hard to see clearly, the general outline of the mountain range was still clearly visible.

"Shopkeeper, is there another mountain next to the Great Wilderness Mountain?"

Upon hearing Mu Qingcheng's question, the shopkeeper hurriedly replied, "Yes, there is. Ten miles west of the Great Wilderness Mountain, there is an Eagle Beak Mountain. It is named after its shape, which resembles an eagle's beak. However, you'd better not even think about going to that mountain."

Mu Qingcheng took out the clairvoyant and looked at the shopkeeper, asking curiously, "Why can't we go?"

"Not clean," the shopkeeper whispered, shaking his head.

"How is it unclean?"

A male voice sounded from behind. The shopkeeper turned around and saw that it was Song Shuyu, a big customer. He immediately put on a smile and said, "Sir, you outsiders may not know this, but Eagle Beak Mountain is haunted from time to time. There are always some unclean things that appear. Many years ago, they were sealed by a Taoist priest with high magic skills!"

Song Shuyu walked over with his hands behind his back, frowning, and said, "What ghosts and gods are there in this world? It's just that people's hearts have changed, and they've done too many bad things, so they scare themselves." The shopkeeper didn't argue, but just smiled and walked away.

Mu Qingcheng didn't pay much attention; they had come for Shenmo Village. There were six towns and a dozen villages along the border of the two counties. Shen Che pinpointed Yuyang Town, and the Great Wilderness Mountain in Yuyang Town was also known as Wild Wolf Mountain. Therefore, Shenmo Village was most likely located in the Great Wilderness Mountain, rather than Eagle Beak Mountain.

"Qingcheng, if you're tired, go back to your room and get some sleep." Song Shuyu noticed the weariness in her eyes and gently took her slender fingers through her wide sleeves.

Just as Mu Qingcheng was about to speak, she caught a glimpse of Lu Xun coming downstairs out of the corner of her eye. She withdrew her hand, went up to him, and said, "Brother Lu, you should rest more in your room."

To avoid drawing too much attention and alerting the enemy, everyone changed into casual clothes for this trip, and their official titles were also omitted.

Therefore, Mu Qingcheng changed his address to Lu Xun as elder brother.

Looking at his empty hands, Song Shuyu felt a pang of jealousy. Should he also stage a self-inflicted injury?

Wearing a thick cloak, Lu Xun was still in good spirits despite being tired from riding a horse all day. He said gently, "I want to go out for a walk. The waiter just told me that the black tea produced in Yuyang Town is very good for the spleen and stomach. I want to buy some and send it to Jiangnan to help my father take care of his health."

Mu Qingcheng was momentarily at a loss for words. If Lu Xun, the adopted son, was derelict in his duties and unfilial, then she, the biological daughter, was no better. She had devoted herself entirely to her official duties, and her neglect of her father filled her with shame and unease.

Lu Xun's gaze was fixed on Mu Qingcheng, his eyes filled with anticipation. "Qing'er, will you come with me?"

Before Mu Qingcheng could answer, Song Shuyu interrupted, saying, "Since it's to buy tonics for my father-in-law, Qingcheng and I will naturally go."

He spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, calling his father-in-law "father-in-law" with such ease and familiarity, as if he did it every day, which made Mu Qingcheng extremely embarrassed.

She glared at him slightly, then said shyly, "Young Master Song, you mustn't talk nonsense."

"This is nothing, Brother Song, you really don't care about Qing'er's reputation at all." Lu Xun's face darkened, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes. "Even if I am just Qing'er's brother, I will not allow you to act so recklessly!"

Mu Qingcheng could tell that Lu Xun was really angry!

But she knew Song Shuyu's temper better than anyone. Whenever she encountered Lu Xun, her number one rival in love, she would act like a lion with its mane bristling, ready to overturn the table at any moment!

Just as she was thinking about how to resolve the situation, Song Shuyu, contrary to his usual behavior, took Mu Qingcheng's hand back into his palm and said with a smile, "Brother is right. My wording was not precise enough. I should have added the word 'future' before 'father-in-law'."

Tsk, you've leveled up?
Mu Qingcheng was both surprised and amused. "Young Master Song, you are truly a brilliant man!"

Looking at the gleam in Mu Qingcheng's eyes, her hand being held by Song Shuyu, and their sweet, affectionate appearance, Lu Xun felt a pang of sadness and turned to leave.

"Hey……"

In her haste, Mu Qingcheng tried to chase after them, but Song Shuyu forcefully led her upstairs to the guest room.

As he walked, he said, “I sent the tonics I needed to give to my father-in-law before the New Year. However, since he will be coming to the capital soon after the New Year, I prepared a small quantity of each kind to avoid having to carry them back and forth. The most convenient thing is still silver notes. I have prepared two thousand taels in advance. I will hire a comfortable carriage and a few martial arts practitioners to escort him, or I will send someone to Jiangnan to welcome him. Qingcheng, write to your father-in-law more often when you have free time, keep in touch, and remember to let me know when you have agreed on the date of your return to the capital so that I can make arrangements in advance. By the way, your Mu residence is no longer habitable. I have asked the steward to choose a house near the Duke's mansion. Choose several places, and you can choose carefully, repair and furnish them in advance so that your father-in-law can move in directly when he arrives. I didn't discuss this with you in advance because I had a little ulterior motive. I was afraid you would refuse…”

(End of this chapter)