A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 386 Ending (55)

"Guo Yuanke had green eyebrows, no tiger teeth, no scars, no freckles, no red moles, and her skin condition was also clearly different from that of the deceased."

As Mu Qingcheng spoke, he slowly rose, looking down at Guo Xuan with a cold smile. "At first glance, Guo Yuanke and the deceased have the same facial features and appearance, seemingly the same person. But upon closer inspection, they are different in many ways. It's understandable for outsiders to mistake one for the other, but Lord Guo is Guo Yuanke's biological father. You and your daughter have been together for over ten years, and you still can't tell the difference?"

Guo Xuan's legs, which had been half-squatting, suddenly buckled to his knees, nearly collapsing. "I, I..."

"Why do you think Lord Lu requires you to identify corpses every day? He has given you chances time and time again, but you have been too clever for your own good, thinking you can get away with it?"

By this point, Mu Qingcheng was too tired to engage in psychological warfare with Guo Xuan anymore. She stared at the deceased's face, her eyes full of mockery, "Lord Guo, when you go to identify the body every night, don't you feel even the slightest bit of fear when you look at this face?"

Upon hearing this, Guo Xuan closed his eyes, turned his head away, and dared not look or reply, his whole body swaying precariously!
Upon seeing this, Mu Qingcheng shouted sternly, "Who exactly is the deceased? Where is the real Guo Yuanke?"

Guo Xuan's facial muscles twitched violently, as if he were going through an extremely difficult psychological struggle, but in the end, he still refused to reveal the truth. "I don't know. I mistook my daughter for someone else. It was my negligence as a father. It was my fault. As for the rest, I know nothing."

"Master Mu!"

At this moment, Lu Xun spoke up: "Since Lord Guo's eyesight is failing and he cannot recognize the deceased, then please ask Lord Guo's family members to help identify him."

Receiving Lu Xun's hint, Mu Qingcheng nodded happily, "Lord Lu is right. It's impossible for the entire Guo family to be completely blind."

Guo Xuan was startled, something suddenly flashed through his mind, but before he could react, Mu Qingcheng swiftly extended two fingers and sealed his speech acupoint!

"If Lord Guo has a mouth but doesn't want to use it, then let it be useless!"

Upon hearing Mu Qingcheng's words, Guo Xuan instinctively opened his mouth, but could not utter a sound. He immediately jumped up in panic, and the yamen runners cut off his arm, rendering him unable to move!

Soon, Madam Guo was summoned to the court.

As she passed by Liang Ruoming, Madam Guo paused almost imperceptibly, while Liang Ruoming quickly turned his face away, a hint of unease creeping into his expression.

Mu Qingcheng narrowed her eyes imperceptibly.

When Guo Xuan saw Madam Guo, he was speechless and could only desperately try to signal with his eyes. However, Madam Guo could only sense Guo Xuan's excitement, but she did not understand what Guo Xuan wanted to express at all!
Of course, Mu Qingcheng wouldn't give the couple time to coordinate their stories. She instructed the bailiffs, "Please have Madam Guo identify the body!"

The yamen runners made the request.

Madam Guo, wringing her handkerchief, approached the corpse with unease. She glanced casually at the deceased's face before looking away. However, a few moments later, as if realizing something, she hurriedly turned back to re-examine the body!
The next moment, Madam Guo's legs went weak and she collapsed onto the body of the deceased!
"Pingping!" "Pingping, what's wrong?"

Madam Guo called out urgently, shaking the body a few times. Seeing that the deceased in her arms remained motionless, she quickly cupped the body's cold face in her hands, large tears streaming down her face. "Pingping, don't scare your mother! Open your eyes and look at your mother..."

This scene is both shocking and heartbreaking!
Guo Xuan closed his eyes, overwhelmed by the sense of powerlessness that all was lost, causing him to bend over completely.

Seeing that the time was right, Mu Qingcheng signaled the constables to act, and they immediately dragged Madam Guo away. "The corpse must not be touched! Madam Guo, please calm down!"

Madam Guo was heartbroken. She reached out with both hands to grab the body and shouted, "She is not a corpse, she is Pingping, my daughter!"

"The person has been dead for three days, and you, as their mother, are only just finding out?"

Mu Qingcheng's tone was calm, but her eyes held an indescribable complexity. "Everyone in the capital knows that the deceased is Guo Yuanke, and Lord Guo, as her father, has also confirmed that the deceased is Guo Yuanke. Why does Madam Guo say that the deceased's name is Pingping? Which daughter is Pingping to you?"

Madam Guo's tear-streaked eyes gradually cleared.

She didn't have time to answer Mu Qingcheng. She looked around anxiously, found Guo Xuan, and struggled to break free from the yamen runners. She rushed over, grabbed Guo Xuan's clothes, and demanded in a hoarse voice, "Why is it Pingping who died? Master, didn't you say that the person who replaced Yuan Ke was a palace maid who died of illness?"

Guo Xuan couldn't say it, nor did he dare to.

Overwhelmed with anger and frustration, Madam Guo punched Guo Xuan repeatedly, shouting, "Speak up! Why did Pingping die? Who killed Pingping?"

Mu Qingcheng lifted her eyelids and said calmly, "Madam Guo, do you genuinely want to find out the truth about your daughter's death? Or are you and your husband putting on a show for the world?"

“You…” Madam Guo turned around at the sound of her voice, and then focused her attention on Mu Qingcheng. “You are the female criminal clerk of the Jingzhao Prefecture?”

Mu Qingcheng nodded slightly.

Madam Guo knelt down with a thud, crawled over on her hands and feet, grabbed Mu Qingcheng's collar, and looked up at him, crying and pleading, "Master Mu, please tell me, how exactly did my Pingping die? I wasn't acting, I was sincere, please believe in a mother's determination!"

Mu Qingcheng lowered her eyes, meeting Madam Guo's seemingly genuine gaze, and said sternly, "In that case, you must tell the truth in court. If there is even a single falsehood, you will be severely punished according to the law!"

"Okay!" Madam Guo quickly agreed, her face still showing grief, but with a newfound strength and determination.