A female coroner arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture.

Chapter 99 The Mysterious Study (3)

It must be said that Mu Qingcheng knew how to manipulate Song Shuyu's weaknesses.

Fearing that Mu Qingcheng's charming appearance would please others, Song Shuyu immediately said, "I will agree to your request. You should speak properly to me!"

Mu Qingcheng was delighted and casually added, "Your Excellency is wise!"

"Sycophant!" Song Shuyu chuckled.

Mu Qingcheng smiled secretly, "Thank you for the compliment, Your Excellency! This humble servant will go to Wangjing Tower immediately..."

"No." Song Shuyu interrupted her, then turned and ordered, "Captain Jiang, go to Wangjing Tower immediately and bring Miss Bai Zhizhi here."

Jiang Zhan accepted the order, but as he left, he couldn't help but glance at Mu Qingcheng again out of curiosity. Based on his experience as a married man, he felt that there was definitely an abnormal relationship between the adults and the coroner Mu that went beyond that between superiors and subordinates!
Zhang, the registrar, had grown accustomed to the adults' favoritism and had learned to feign deafness and blindness when necessary. So, he looked down at his toes, then up at the old steward, and suddenly asked, "How is Li Mu's medical skill?"

The old butler was taken aback, then said, "Master only knows some pharmacology, not medicine."

"Hmm, I understand." Zhang, the registrar, looked at the abacus shaped like Lü Dongbin. His doubts seemed to have been resolved, yet something still seemed to be missing.

"A person who works as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy should be on the path of a civil official, such as a Grand Secretary. Why is he also proficient in mathematics and knowledgeable in pharmacology?"

Song Shuyu's questioning words displeased the old butler, who retorted, "My master is learned and talented; surely he hasn't made a mistake?"

"As far as I know, Li Mu has been in the position of compiler for eight years. Looking across the court, how many officials have not been promoted or transferred in eight years?"

The more Song Shuyu pondered, the tighter her brow furrowed. "So, what is Li Mu's purpose?"

No one could answer him. Even the old steward fell into deep thought. Even if the master had no interest in an official career, why hadn't the higher-ups ever transferred him to a different position? The officials who had joined the Hanlin Academy in the same year as the master had all been promoted or transferred to the Six Ministries, while the master had been stuck in this sinecure for eight years…

Unable to solve the mystery, Mu Qingcheng chose to set it aside for the time being. She turned her attention back to the last three abacuses. Since Lü Dongbin's abacus was related to Li Mu's expertise in pharmacology, then... Thinking of this, she had a thought, "Old steward, what musical instrument is Li Yunyao good at?"

"Pipa." The old steward answered without hesitation, his words brimming with pride. "My young lady's pipa skills are among the best of all the noble ladies in the capital."

Mu Qingcheng suddenly understood. She smiled and said, "The remaining 'Pine and Crane Longevity' must have been collected by Madam Li Mu when she was alive, right?"

The old steward was taken aback. "How did the official know?"

"I guess that at that time, Madam Li Mu was already seriously ill and beyond cure. Li Mu acquired this lotus leaf patterned abacus in order to pray for her longevity and change her fate, right?"

"Sir, you even know about these things?"

Mu Qingcheng had no desire to find the answer. She approached the pipa and abacus, her fingers tracing the surface, and she couldn't help but feel a pang of regret. These two, Li Mu and his daughter, were cunning enough to have eight hundred schemes between them!
However, even someone with such a meticulous and cunning mind couldn't leave themselves a way out! This shows that the mastermind behind the murder is someone capable of manipulating events and bringing down a empire!
Song Shuyu pondered alone for a long time, his mind filled with growing doubts. What exactly had Li Mu done to invite such a calamity? Compiling books, pharmacology, mathematics…

Lost in thought, he heard Mu Qingcheng's voice, "Old steward, have any strange things happened in the study these past few years? For example, Li Mu clearly entered the study, but couldn't be found? Or is there a secret room hidden behind the walls of this study?"

Upon hearing this, the old butler's expression became complicated. "I haven't seen what you're talking about, so I dare not speak presumptuously. However..." Seeing the old man hesitate and waver, Mu Qingcheng suddenly shouted sharply, "However what? Speak quickly!"

The old butler was startled and blurted out, "But this study was built by the master himself, and he doesn't let me interfere at all. I feel that the master has changed and doesn't trust me as much as before."

"Li Mu found people himself? Who did he find?" Song Shuyu came over and stared intently at the old butler.

Under his piercing gaze, the old butler grew increasingly nervous. "I don't know where the craftsman came from. He worked very slowly, taking a full three months to finish."

Song Shuyu nodded, "That's right!"

"What?" The old butler looked completely bewildered.

"Li Mu doesn't distrust you; he's probably trying to protect you. The less you know, the safer you are."

"..."

With his hands behind his back, Song Shuyu's dark eyes flashed with a deep, unfathomable light. "We'll try to crack the mechanism ourselves first. If we really can't, we'll bring in people from the Ministry of Works to measure the size and depth of the study, and determine if there are any secret rooms, hidden compartments, or secret passages. We'll try to preserve the study if we can; if we can't, we'll dismantle it manually!"

"Demolish it?" the old butler exclaimed in shock. "How can this be allowed? This is my master's life's work..."

Song Shuyu had no intention of explaining further, and directly summoned the constables to take the old steward away.

While waiting for Bai Zhizhi, Zhang Zhubu, having nothing to do, simply touched and fiddled with things here and there, hoping to have Jiang Zhan's luck and accidentally find the hidden switch.

Since the fake Li Mu walked out of the study, there must be a secret door in the study that allowed the fake Li Mu to enter from the outside.

"What are you thinking about?"

A voice beside her ear pulled Mu Qingcheng back to reality. She turned to look at Song Shuyu, then returned her gaze to the three abacuses, and whispered, "My lord, Li Mu is a loving husband and father. These three abacuses are different from other abacuses; they represent Li Mu's family of three and should be what he cherishes most. Yet, they are placed in the most inconspicuous place. Isn't that strange?"

“Yes, it certainly doesn’t make sense.” Song Shuyu nodded, then suddenly thought of a possibility, “Could it be that these three sets of numbers are the key to solving the mechanism?”

Mu Qingcheng read out the numbers one by one: "6721, 1591, 8341... How should these be calculated in mathematics?"

"How about we go inside and take a look?" Song Shuyu was afraid that she would overthink and drive herself crazy.

Mu Qingcheng sighed, "Alright. Maybe looking at other things and clearing my head will give me some new ideas."

The two walked around the partition and entered the inner room of the study.

On a three-foot square long table in the center are many precious brushes, ink, Xuan paper, inkstones, seals, paperweights, two hand-carved kittens, and a calligraphy work with the following content: "As heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should constantly strive for self-improvement; as earth's nature is receptive, a gentleman should cultivate virtue and bear all things with magnanimity."

My darlings, please leave comments, votes, and tips! Your support is appreciated!
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(End of this chapter)