A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 372 Ending (41)

Shen Che, standing on his horse, had a limited view and had to tiptoe to get a clear look at Song Shuyu. Even that fleeting glimpse left him speechless with astonishment!

Wearing prison clothes, with disheveled black hair, a pale face, sunken eyes, and dark circles under his eyes, he looked extremely haggard, as if he had suffered immense pain!

This... is completely different from the noble and handsome Song Shuyu he saw yesterday!

Most incredibly, a gust of wind blew by, and a strand of Song Shuyu's hair flew up in the wind, revealing a bright red bloodstain on his forehead, which made people's hearts skip a beat!
Shen Che gasped!
Without waiting for a reply, he looked at Mu Qingcheng, wanting to expose Song Shuyu's disguise, "Don't be fooled by him, he's definitely wearing battle-damaged makeup..."

Mu Qingcheng raised her eyes, and with just one glance, Shen Che shut his mouth on his own.

She didn't say a word, but her eyes seemed to say everything.

She not only believed Song Shuyu's tragic story, but also felt anger and heartache!
Shen Che looked down at himself. He was also deliberately playing the victim, but he did his best to protect his face. Song Shuyu did the opposite. She was completely fine, but she focused on her face, which triggered Mu Qingcheng's protective instincts!
Having figured this out, Shen Che couldn't help but feel remorseful, angry, and resentful. Song Shuyu truly lived up to the status of a principal wife, the methods of a concubine, and the mannerisms of a brothel owner!
To avoid making a fool of himself and being ridiculed by Song Shuyu, Shen Che quickly cleaned the dirt off his wedding dress by hand, trying his best not to look like a joke.

Mu Qingcheng remained calm enough that her gaze did not linger on Song Shuyu for long, and her expression showed no abnormality.

She calmly dismounted, and the matchmaker handed her and Shen Che the two ends of a wedding ribbon tied with large flowers, reminding her, "Please have the bride put on the veil."

The veil had been crumpled into a mess by Mu Qingcheng. She stretched it out casually and put it on her head.

Seeing that they were ready, the matchmaker beamed, waved a red handkerchief, helped Mu Qingcheng up, and called out loudly, "The newlyweds enter the wedding hall—"

Shen Che composed himself, took the wedding silk, and led the bride to the steps paved with red carpet, and up to the wedding hall!
Throughout, Song Shuyu's eyes remained indifferent and lifeless, as if she had been manipulated and lost her soul, or as if she was utterly despondent and devoid of any emotion.

In the courtroom, Qin Songyang slammed his gavel and shouted sternly, "Suspect Song Shuyu, do you plead guilty to the case of the corpse hidden in the wine jar?"

"I don't admit it." Song Shuyu's tone was indifferent and unusually calm. "I was just attending a banquet when I was accused of murder, imprisoned for three days, and tortured like this. To whom can I tell my grievances?"

Upon hearing this, the people below the stage immediately became excited!
Although Song Shuyu had been in office for less than a year, his reputation and prestige were widely praised and admired by everyone.

Public opinion is the greatest bargaining chip in the struggle!

As expected, the emperor took note of the people's reaction and his eyes narrowed sharply. "Minister Qin, what's going on? Song Shuyu's official position is still intact, and his crime is still undetermined. How dare your Ministry of Justice touch him?"

Qin Songyang was shocked and immediately stepped out of the office, knelt down and pleaded, "Your Majesty, since Lord Song entered the Ministry of Justice prison, I have strictly abided by the law and have never tortured or mistreated him. I beg Your Majesty to investigate!"

Upon hearing this, the emperor immediately flew into a rage. "Do you think I'm blind? Minister Song is cooperating with the investigation; he is not a criminal. Why is he wearing prison clothes and has an injury on his head?"

Qin Songyang hesitated. He had seen Song Shuyu just last night, who was wearing the official robes he wore when he was imprisoned, eating perch and bird's nest, and drinking peach blossom wine, completely unharmed. So when he suddenly saw Song Shuyu today, he was also taken aback and didn't understand what was going on.

But looking at the current situation, he vaguely understood what Song Shuyu was up to. However, if he were to reveal it, the lives of the entire Qin family would be hanging by a thread!

Fortunately, Song Shuyu spoke up in time, "Your Majesty, this matter has nothing to do with Minister Qin!"

The emperor slightly raised his chin. "Go on!"

“Since I was imprisoned, Eunuch Qin has always visited me on the orders of the Empress Dowager. With so many visits, I have become like this.” Midway through his speech, Song Shuyu glanced at the Empress Dowager, then quickly lowered his head, his tone filled with anxiety, “Fortunately, I was only imprisoned for three days. If it had been a few more days, I fear His Majesty would never have seen me again.”

The Empress Dowager froze, unable to explain herself, when she heard the people sighing and stirring up a commotion!

I highly recommend my completed suspense/detective novel of the same genre, "Dragon's Bone Mirror." The female lead is super cool, I guarantee you won't regret reading it!