A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 332 Ending (1)

Her blood ran cold, and Mu Qingcheng took a step forward, her sharp, murderous gaze like a blade, piercing the Empress Dowager. "Who is it?"

With a flick of his whisk, Eunuch Qin blocked Mu Qingcheng's path. "Miss Mu had better act calmly. It would be a great loss if you were to harm the Empress Dowager's health."

Mu Qingcheng's mind raced.

If she wants to leave Shou Kang Palace unscathed, it all depends on what she chooses today!
Throughout her life, the Empress Dowager had seen countless people, from concubines to empresses and back to Empress Dowager. She trampled countless people underfoot and lived her days in a world of scheming and being schemed against. Understanding people's hearts and discerning the wicked was not difficult for her.

However, there were two people she couldn't distinguish between clearly.

One of them was Song Shuyu.

The other person was Mu Qingcheng, who was standing in front of them.

At only twenty years old, he was able to conceal his emotions so well that she could never glean any information from them.

But at this moment, she finally saw the word "out of control" on Mu Qingcheng's face!
"Giggle."

The Empress Dowager smiled with pleasure, "With your intelligence, how could you not guess who that person is? Or is Song Shuyu deliberately hiding it from you and deceiving you?"

A fire burned in Mu Qingcheng's chest. She had been suppressing her mother's death, not letting it control her reason. Even today, when she finally met her mother's killer, she remembered that the big picture was more important. But now, this thin veil of secrecy had been torn away by her own enemy!

She clenched her fist, her eyes growing even colder. "Your Majesty, if you have something to say, please speak plainly. Will beating around the bush and guessing change the outcome?"

"Excellent, excellent! As expected of the person I have chosen, decisive and efficient, courageous and resourceful!" The Empress Dowager clapped her hands excitedly, staring at Mu Qingcheng with eyes that gleamed with the determination of someone eyeing prey in a cage. "I have long known about your background. Your father is Mu Yan, your mother is Bai Li, and you are their only daughter. When you were seven, Bai Li was poisoned. Your father, who was in charge of the Dali Temple, knew who the murderer was, but he could only watch helplessly as the murderer went unpunished! Later, the 'Shuiyunjian' family massacre case was reported to the court. Mu Yan wanted to reopen the investigation, but he was obstructed by the murderer. The murderer even dismissed Mu Yan from his post and demoted him, threatening him with your life, forcing Mu Yan to resign and flee to Jiangnan."

Upon hearing this, Mu Qingcheng's breathing became erratic, and her head began to spin. "So the murderer is..."

The Empress Dowager softly uttered, "Duke of Song, Song Yan!"

Mu Qingcheng's breathing became labored, and her pupils dilated continuously!

My father wrote that the Mu and Song families are sworn enemies, and they will not marry unless they die!

She kept wondering what kind of grudge could be so serious as to be called a blood feud...

“From the moment you followed Song Shuyu and entered the Jingzhao Prefecture, your vision was limited to Song Shuyu. What you saw, heard, and knew was all what Song Shuyu wanted you to know, but things he didn’t want you to know. For example, how could you know a single word about the evil deeds of his father, the Duke of Song? Heh, Song Shuyu has been backed by his father and brothers for years, wielding immense power in the capital and having absolute authority among the Song family. Which member of the Song family, what they did, could be kept from him? I remember that Song Shuyu was nine years old that year, and the Duke of Song doted on him to the extreme. Except for going to court, he took him everywhere. He knew all about your family’s affairs better than anyone else.”

As the Empress Dowager spoke of this, her gaze shifted, filled with sympathy for Mu Qingcheng. "Poor you! You thought that boy loved you so much, but he's just a good actor. He's using you to get back at me and to make you a stepping stone in his career!"

Mu Qingcheng suddenly felt a splitting headache. The fragmented memories that were gradually recovering flashed through her mind until they connected to form a complete memory network!
"I remember now! I remember everything!"

Her legs were weak and she was drenched in sweat. Her eyes flashed with shock and madness, sorrow and pain. With suppressed, heavy breathing, she gritted her teeth and uttered words filled with blood, tears and hatred: "Song Shuyu lied to me. He suddenly lied to me!"

(End of this chapter)