A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 418 Ending (87)

Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager finally spoke again, bestowing upon Liu Changqing a familiar assessment: "Indeed, a useless piece of trash!"

Liu Changqing was probably numb from listening, or perhaps he was thinking of revenge, so he returned the Empress Dowager with an indifferent expression.

"Where's the scabbard?"

Hearing Song Shuyu's question, Liu Changqing was filled with shame. "The dagger and poison were given to me by the Empress Dowager at the same time. She told me to take them to a blacksmith's shop in the countryside to be melted down. I saw that the Empress Dowager's name was engraved on the scabbard, and I thought that this was the only thing I could get that represented the Empress Dowager's personal belongings, and it was a fine knife that could cut iron like mud. I thought that keeping it secretly shouldn't cause any problems. However, the unexpected happened on the night of Bai Li's funeral!"

"Unable to find any medical texts or ancient books, I always felt guilty towards the Empress Dowager. That night, I drank and lost my senses. I took a dagger and sneaked into the Mu residence, hoping to atone for my sins. Unexpectedly, just as I was rummaging through the drawers in the stilted building in the central courtyard looking for books, Mu Yan suddenly appeared! I was wearing black clothes and my face was covered. Mu Yan was focused on capturing me alive, so he didn't use his full strength when we fought, but I was still no match for him. In a panic, I took out my dagger to defend myself. Mu Yan seemed to recognize the dagger and was momentarily distracted, so I took the opportunity to escape. It wasn't until I returned to the Liu family that I discovered I had lost the scabbard!"

After a moment's thought, Song Shuyu met Mu Yan's cold and stern face and boldly asked, "Uncle Mu, you said you found evidence, but is it the scabbard of the Empress Dowager's dagger?"

Mu Yan replied, "The scabbard is only one piece of evidence. There is also..."

"Master, we've got the murder weapon." At this moment, Song Li returned and presented the evidence box.

Song Shuyu ordered, "Open it and let Master Mu take a look and confirm."

Song Li lifted the locked box lid, inside lay two daggers without sheaths.

Mu Yan picked them up one by one to examine them, then took out a cloth bag from his wide sleeves, untied the rope, and took out a sheathed dagger and two sheaths.

With everyone present as witnesses, the sword and scabbard were united as one!

Thus, three identical daggers, each engraved with a name, appeared in the world intact!

Whether out of guilt or some other emotion, the Empress Dowager slowly closed her eyes, her body gradually stiffening as her eyelids trembled. Mu Qingcheng touched the dagger that belonged to her mother, Bai Li, and could no longer contain the turmoil in her heart. Her legs went weak, and she knelt down heavily, tears streaming down her face.

Song Shuyu suddenly stood up, ignoring Mu Yan's warning. He hurriedly stepped down from the judge's table, disregarding the many eyes watching, and squatted down in front of Mu Qingcheng, whispering gently, "Qingcheng, the ground is hard and cold. You'll hurt your knees kneeling on it. I'll have someone bring you a stool, okay?"

Mu Qingcheng was too upset to speak and could only shake her head in refusal.

Song Shuyu frowned and said, "Song Li, get some sweet soup and send it over."

Without saying a word, Song Li headed towards a nearby restaurant.

Surprisingly, Song Shuyu knelt down beside Mu Qingcheng and said, "I'll stay with you."

The Emperor and Song Shuxing sighed in unison, hoping that Song Shuyu's bright and open favoritism could warm Mu Qingcheng's heart.

Mu Yan's calm eyes welled up with tears. He leaned down and grasped Mu Qingcheng's shoulders, saying, "Qing'er, seeking justice for your mother is the most important thing."

Mu Qingcheng was already thinking of getting up because of Song Shuyu's inappropriate behavior, so she wiped away her tears and pulled Song Shuyu up with her.

She forced herself to remain calm. "Sir, I'm fine now. Please continue the interrogation."

Song Shuyu nodded, returned to his seat as the presiding judge, and asked, "Uncle Mu, why is Yang Caiyu's scabbard also in your possession? What exactly happened between those three women back then?"

Mu Yan recounted a long-forgotten story: "Bai Li, Yang Caiyu, and Empress Dowager Song Zi became close friends before they were married. Bai Li was a passionate person who disliked being confined to the inner quarters. She often sneaked out to explore and search for treasure, and each time she returned, she would share her experiences with Yang Caiyu and Song Zi. Once, she encountered a mudslide and, during her escape, fell off a cliff..."