A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 299 The Curtain Will Eventually Fall (2)

Mu Qingcheng unconsciously chased after him.

She seemed to suddenly understand Wu Fei, and understand the relationship between Wu Fei and Xu Yuxiao.

Because of her personality and profession, she has become accustomed to being insightful and clear-headed in dealing with people and things. She always observes things from an outsider's perspective, objectively analyzing right and wrong from a third-person point of view to determine what is right and wrong.

She has never passionately and actively pursued love like a moth drawn to a flame, nor has she immersed herself in it or experienced it deeply. How could she understand the pain that cuts to the bone? And what right does she have to judge others?

Beneath Wu Fei's glamorous exterior lies the heartache of losing his mother and the inferiority complex of living under someone else's roof. His courage is swayed by the future his mother risked her life for, leaving him unable to resist and only able to cowardly accept the dictates of fate.

Xu Yuxiao, though nominally a young lady, lived a life burdened with hardship. The word "birth" was like an invisible, blood-stained blade, severing her and Xu Yuying's social standing to the extremes, their lives entirely at the mercy of others. Following Wu Fei without any status or recognition was perhaps the bravest choice she ever made regarding her destiny.

Wu Fei and Xu Yuying, sharing the same plight, sympathized with each other and found solace in each other. Under the influence of their emotions, they ignored the cruelty of reality.

The high walls of the backyard have trapped countless skeletons.

Their love, in the end, was like a mirage, shattered by death, and they were separated by life and death.

Everyone is different, so who can say who is right and who is wrong? They are just making different life choices.

"Qingcheng".

The soft call from behind pulled Mu Qingcheng back from her reverie. She slowly turned around and met Song Shuyu's concerned eyes. She suppressed her myriad thoughts and gave him a reassuring smile, "I'm fine, nothing's wrong."

"With his lover's tragic death, his beliefs shattered, and his world lost in despair and disgust, I'm afraid Wu Fei..." Song Shuyu sighed, her words filled with regret and sympathy. "He is still young and inexperienced, without wealth or power, and without the support of his maternal clan. His hardships are no less than those of the women in the inner quarters. Qingcheng, he also fought back. His cold treatment of his wife was not just because he disliked her, but also because it was his silent resistance against his maternal aunt. However, his strength was too weak; he had the will but not the power."

Mu Qingcheng was extremely ashamed. "I was too arbitrary and one-sided. I just realized that people cannot be generalized and need to put themselves in each other's shoes. Sometimes, we need to put aside some of our rationality and replace it with some empathy to put ourselves in others' shoes and understand them."

"Hmm, my Master Mu is becoming more and more open-minded. That's good. It can prevent him from harboring resentment and help him live a long and healthy life." Song Shuyu smiled with narrowed eyes. "Considering the connection between the Bai family and Wu Fei, I can give Wu Fei a chance to strengthen himself and break free from the control of the Marquis of Pingnan and his wife."

Mu Qingcheng's eyes lit up. "What opportunity?"

Song Shuyu said, “I sent someone to tell Wu Fei. If he is willing to do so, I can transfer him to the frontier. For a soldier to stand firm, there is no shortcut other than fighting on the battlefield and making meritorious contributions. If he is afraid of death and only wants to enjoy wealth and honor, then he is a hopeless case and deserves to be trapped in darkness for the rest of his life as a puppet.”

"My lord is truly..." Mu Qingcheng's eyes burned, as if a fishbone was stuck in her throat.

Song Shuyu pressed on, asking, "Really what?"

"Beautiful inside and out." Mu Qingcheng uttered four words softly, then turned back to the courtroom. "Let's move on to the next case!"

Song Shuyu smiled. This girl, when she's being playful sometimes, is even more endearing.

Next, the presiding judge will preside over the case of Xu Yuying's murder.

Song Shuyu summoned Lin Jiao to the court. Perhaps due to his illness of several days, coupled with the fact that he had been forced to shave by the yamen runners, his previous bandit-like and violent demeanor had completely disappeared. His face was pale, his spirits were low, and he looked fragile and thin, almost unrecognizable from his previous image.

Lu Xun listened to the trial on behalf of the Dali Temple.

His sharp, piercing gaze remained fixed on Lin Jiao's face, unwavering.

Lin Jiao felt like a thorn in his side. This wasn't the first time Lu Xun had met him, but ever since Shenmo Village, the way Lu Xun looked at him had become rather intriguing.

At this moment, his face looked as if it were being entangled by the tongue of a venomous snake, which inexplicably instilled a sense of fear in him!
Lin Jiao couldn't help but turn his head to look at Lu Xun. Their eyes met, and he noticed a new emotion in Lu Xun's eyes that seemed to be "hatred"!

Lin Jiao was puzzled.

He was certain that he had never met Lu Xun before, and since he had not set foot in the capital for many years, it was impossible for Lu Xun to have met him.

What exactly is the reason?

"Who is here? Tell me your name!"

The sound of the gavel falling startled Lin Jiao. He composed himself, kowtowed, and said, "The crime is Lin Jiao's; I pay my respects, Your Honor!"

Song Shuyu demanded sternly, "Confess to the truth about what crime you have committed!"

Lin Jiao said, "Reporting to you, sir, after my sister Ruyi disappeared, I investigated extensively and learned that Xu Yuying was involved in Ruyi's disappearance, so I began to keep an eye on Xu Yuying. On the eve of the winter solstice, I followed Xu Yuying to Yangpo Manor. After Xu Yuying killed Xu Yuxiao and threw the body into a mass grave, I cut off Xu Yuxiao's head and threw the body onto the frozen surface of the Suhe River, which attracted the attention of the Jingzhao Prefecture to open an investigation. Then, I hid the head and forced Xu Yuying to hand over Ruyi!"

"Who would have thought that Xu Yuying would collude with Wang Ruhua to sell Ruyi to someone else! I found Wang Ruhua through the information provided by Xu Yuying, but Wang Ruhua said that she sold Ruyi to Shenmo Village, but she didn't know the exact location of Shenmo Village. She was always led there blindfolded. The only clue she could give me was a line of poetry, 'Floating egrets fly, black egrets enter Wolf Mountain.' But I can't solve the riddle of the poem at all!"

"Therefore, I could only place my hopes on the Jingzhao Prefecture, waiting for Lord Song and Master Mu to unravel the secret of Shenmo Village. Several days passed in this wait, and I was extremely anxious. So every night I sneaked into the residence of Imperial Censor Xu to increase the pressure on the Jingzhao Prefecture. On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, at Imperial Censor Xu's suggestion, Xu Yuying went to the Royal Garden to attend the Spring Banquet. She and her father wanted to seek the protection of the Prince of Zhongshan to eliminate me, this threat! Before confirming Ruyi's safety, I originally did not intend to kill Xu Yuying. She brought this upon herself, so I had no choice but to grant her wish!"

"The night I went down into the ditch, I promised to hand over Xu Yuxiao's head at the right time, so I kept my promise. I cut off Xu Yuying's head, sewed Xu Yuxiao's head back on, and took Xu Yuying's head with me. Although this operation was time-consuming and laborious, it was quite effective. Lord Song and Master Mu set off the next day."

"Now that my sister has been found and is under the care of Lord Song and Master Mu, I have no other wish but to ask for your forgiveness. I beg Lord Song to punish me!"

Lin Jiao sincerely kowtowed, expressing both gratitude and willingness to submit to the law.

Song Shuyu pondered for a moment and said, "Lin Jiao, you think I'm easy to fool, don't you?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiao suddenly looked up and asked, "What do you mean by that, sir?"

Chapter 298 has been partially revised. Those who have already read it can reread it.

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(End of this chapter)