A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 419 Ending (88)

"Shut up!"

A sharp, piercing shout, its tone cracked, interrupted Mu Yan's recollection.

The colder and calmer Mu Yan appeared, the more the Empress Dowager felt that the blood feud between them, which had lasted for more than a decade, was both deeply ingrained and insignificant.

He was Bai Li's husband and also the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. Even though he was dressed in plain clothes and his official position had changed hands, his aura remained as imposing as ever.

He hated her because of a personal grudge, but restrained himself because of the public case.

Looking at Mu Yan, who seemed unchanged, the Empress Dowager slowly conjured up a bright and beautiful face in her mind. However, she instinctively did not want to face it. Her eyes flashed, she withdrew her thoughts, and said arrogantly and coldly, "Why bring up old grievances again? Bai Li and Yang Caiyu were killed by Liu Changqing at my behest. I admit it."

"And the motive?" Mu Yan asked.

The Empress Dowager frowned. "Isn't it all just to seize medical classics and ancient texts for themselves?"

Mu Yan's tone suddenly became pressing, "Killing Yang Caiyu was the reason, but was killing Bai Li the same? Is that all?"

The Empress Dowager's face darkened, and she fell silent.

The mockery in Mu Yan's eyes pierced the Empress Dowager's heart. Before she could devise a solution, he continued, "Bai Li fell off a cliff and was fortunate enough to be rescued, but the rescuer was a madwoman with a face full of pustules! This woman was mentally unstable, yet somehow she possessed exceptional medical skills. She imprisoned Bai Li, forcing her to learn medicine from her while using Bai Li as a test subject for medicine, attempting to cure her pustules and restore her appearance. After a year, the madwoman not only cured her pustules but also beautified her skin, possessing a stunning beauty. Bai Li secretly recorded the madwoman's medical prescriptions and compiled them into an ancient medical book. Later, Bai Li found an opportunity to escape the madwoman's clutches and returned to the capital."

"But Bai Li had been missing for over a year, and rumors were rampant. To protect Bai Li's reputation, the Bai family claimed that she had returned to her hometown to pay respects to her ancestors. Bai Li did not hide anything from Yang Caiyu and Song Zi, and told them all about her extraordinary experience. Unexpectedly, a few months later, rumors spread in the capital that Bai Li had been kidnapped and imprisoned by bandits for over a year, and that the Bai family had spent a large sum of money to ransom her. In an instant, malicious words poured in like paper scraps. The man who had originally been engaged to the Bai family suspected that Bai Li's innocence had been lost and insisted on breaking off the engagement. Families with even a little standing in the capital avoided Bai Li like the plague."

"Upon hearing of this, I visited Bai Li's home, intending to apprehend the thief for the Bai family and seek justice for Bai Li. However, Bai Li said that she knew she was innocent and knew who had spread rumors and harmed her, but she did not intend to pursue the matter further. To see a person for who they truly are through an incident is both a loss and a gain, and not a bad deal. Such a free-spirited and insightful woman deserves to be cherished. Therefore, I proposed to Bai Li, promising her a lifetime of love. Bai Li was moved by my proposal and married me."

"In the years following their marriage, Bai Li devoted herself to her husband and daughter, living a secluded life and rarely interacting with others. Until one day, Yang Caiyu came to her door, asking Bai Li for a beauty formula on behalf of Song Zi. She said that Song Zi had entered the harem, offended a noble lady, and had her face injured, urgently needing help. Bai Li was initially reluctant to agree, but she couldn't resist Yang Caiyu's pleading and softened her heart. However, Bai Li did not give her the formula; instead, she personally refined a muscle-regenerating pill and asked Yang Caiyu to give it to Song Zi. Unexpectedly, Song Zi was insatiable and continued to pester her for many years afterward. Yang Caiyu, under his influence, would come to her door every six months to ask for a muscle-regenerating pill."