Spoiled and mad critic of powerful ministers

These words resonated deeply.

The people who were initially discussing the matter gradually quieted down.

Yes.

If the government can arrest and convict people at will, who will dare to live a peaceful life in the future?

Gao Hong closed the folding fan at just the right moment, making a crisp sound.

"Lord Chen, my partner is stubborn. If she doesn't even look at me, she'll get upset. If she's upset, the business can't continue. If the business fails, the money my Gao family has invested..."

He drew out his words, looking at Prefect Chen with a playful expression.

"That's all real money. If we lose it, my father will probably come to the government office to have a chat with the officials."

Prefect Chen's face instantly turned a deep liver color.

On one side is the Hu family, who have taken the money and are obligated to do things; on the other side is the Gao family, who control the commercial lifeline of Liangzhou.

This isn't a trial; it's putting him on the hot seat!

"If you, sir, refuse to allow an examination, is there some unspeakable secret about this corpse?"

Shen Qiongju took another step closer, her eyes sharp as knives.

"Or is it that the laws of Liangzhou Prefecture are merely a tool for certain powerful and influential people to exercise their power?"

"presumptuous!"

Prefect Chen roared, but his voice was clearly weak.

The commotion outside the hall grew louder and louder, with some even shouting "Let it be tested" and "A straight body has nothing to fear."

Prefect Chen wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

This woman is too difficult to deal with.

If the stalemate continues, it may incite a popular uprising.

Rather than...

His eyes lit up, and an idea came to him.

"Fine! Since you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin, I'll grant your wish!"

Prefect Chen sat down again, a sinister smile on his face.

"The coffin will be opened at the mortuary at noon tomorrow. However, the mortuary is a restricted area, and unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter. Only you, Shen Qiongju, are permitted to go in and inspect the body!"

He simply couldn't believe that a delicate woman would dare to face a rotting, stinking corpse alone.

She'll be terrified then, let's see how she can still be so stubborn!

"Thank you for your kindness, sir."

Shen Qiongju gave a slight curtsy, her expression so calm that it was impossible to discern her true feelings.

……

After the court session ended, the crowd dispersed.

As Shen Qiongju walked out of the yamen, she felt her back was soaked with cold sweat.

The early spring wind was chillingly cold.

She glanced back instinctively.

On the second floor of a teahouse not far away, a window was half-open.

A young man dressed in brocade robes was leaning against the window, toying with a wine cup in his hand.

That's Hu Yulou.

Although they were far apart, Shen Qiongju could still feel that gaze, as sticky and disgusting as a snake's tongue.

Hu Yulou looked down at Shen Qiongju and a twisted smile appeared on his lips.

He subconsciously reached down and pressed his groin.

Even now, the place still aches faintly on rainy days.

"Young Master," the attendant behind him whispered, "that woman is going to the mortuary tomorrow."

"Since she wants to see, let her see as much as she wants."

Hu Yulou downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, a cruel glint in his eyes.

"Give the old man at the mortuary a heads-up tonight and tell him to turn off all the lights. Then... add some more ingredients for her."

"I want her to go in vertically and come out horizontally."

……

It was already late when I returned to the rented courtyard.

Shen Qiongju slumped in the chair, not wanting to move a single finger.

Today's battle has exhausted all her energy.

"You're incredibly bold."

Gao Hong sat to the side, cracking sunflower seeds and complaining, "That's a mortuary! It's full of dead people! You really dare to go?"

"Is it okay if I don't go?"

Shen Qiongju closed her eyes, her voice a little hoarse, "If we don't go, this dirty water will never be washed away."

Just then, the sound of flapping wings came from outside the window.

Pei An strode over and caught a carrier pigeon that had landed on the windowsill.

He took the small note from the bamboo tube, glanced at it, his expression changed slightly, and then respectfully handed it to Shen Qiongju.

"Young Madam, a letter from the Second Master."

Shen Qiongju suddenly opened her eyes.

She took the paper, as thin as a cicada's wing, and unfolded it.

There are only four characters on it, written in a vigorous and forceful style, conveying a ruthless and decisive air.

Go ahead and investigate.

Even across mountains and rivers, she could almost see that aloof young man sitting under the lamp, writing those four characters.

The hand, which had been trembling, miraculously steadied itself.

Shen Qiongju clutched the note tightly in her hand, the weariness in her eyes vanishing, replaced by an unprecedented determination.

Pei An.

"exist."

"Make preparations, tomorrow's trip to the mortuary may not be peaceful."

She looked out at the pitch-black night, a cold smile playing on her lips.

"Since they want to play dirty tricks, then I'll show them who's really scared of whom."

.

At noon, dark clouds loomed over the city.

The mortuary stood alone beside the mass grave in the west of the city, with a few crows perched on the branches of withered trees, cawing hoarsely.

Before even entering, a nauseating stench hit me, like spoiled pork mixed with years of mold.

Shen Qiongju stood at the door, her stomach churning.

The coroner guarding the mortuary was an old man surnamed Ma. He had taken money from the Hu family and was sitting on the threshold with his legs crossed, picking his teeth.

Seeing Shen Qiongju arrive, he didn't get up. His cloudy old eyes sized her up and down, and he chuckled strangely:

"Oh, Master Shen really came? This isn't a boudoir. The distinguished guests inside are all 'sleeping,' and they're not exactly handsome either. Don't be so scared of your delicate skin, or you'll blame me for not warning you."

Shen Qiongju ignored his sarcastic remarks.

She pulled a handkerchief soaked in ginger and mint juice from her sleeve and covered her mouth and nose tightly.

"Open the door."

Although the voice was muffled inside the handkerchief, it still carried a cold and hard tone.

Old Ma snorted, slowly took out his key, and opened the heavy wooden door.

"Squeak—"

An even stronger stench wafted out, stinging people's eyes.

The mortuary was dimly lit, with only a few pale rays of light filtering through a few small windows high up.

On a wooden board in the very center lay a corpse covered with a white sheet.

Shen Qiongju's legs felt a little weak.

Having lived two lives, she had seen the dead and experienced life and death, but faced with this unknown fear, her instinctive repulsion still made her fingertips feel cold.

But she cannot back down.

To back down is to admit guilt.

If they quit, Shen Song and Master Lu will die.

She took a deep breath, and even through the handkerchief, the stench of the corpse still filled her nostrils.

Shen Qiongju walked step by step to the wooden board and reached out her hand to the white cloth.

Old Ma said in a sinister tone, "Master Shen, this woman's face is all bloated from being soaked in water, her eyeballs are bulging out. Are you sure you want to see it?"

Shen Qiongju's hand paused, then she suddenly pulled back the white cloth.

"vomit--"

Despite being mentally prepared, she almost vomited when she saw that swollen, bruised, and distorted face.

It was indeed a terrifying face, completely unrecognizable from its appearance before birth.

His clothes were disheveled, and large areas of skin were exposed, covered with purplish-blue bruises, clearly indicating that he had suffered inhuman torture before his death.

"Tsk tsk, what a tragedy," Old Ma added fuel to the fire. "That prostitute is really unlucky to have run into a perverted client. Mr. Shen, are you done watching? If you are, hurry up and leave, don't get tainted by bad luck."

Shen Qiongju forced herself to calm down.

wrong.

These hands are not right.

She stared at the dead man's hands.