Chapter 75: Retrial (4)

At this moment, while no one was paying attention to her, Magistrate Jing Tangmu quietly gestured for a servant nearby to come over.

“What’s the matter, Magistrate?” the servant asked.

“Shh, keep your voice down. I need you to do something immediately… Do you understand?” Magistrate Jing Tangmu glanced around, making sure no one was eavesdropping, then whispered to the servant.

The servant’s heart raced upon hearing the instructions, and then she nodded meekly, “Yes, Magistrate, I’ll go right away.”

Watching the servant walk away, Magistrate Jing Tangmu seemed to see a favorable outcome. “Head Sheriff, there are coroners in the yamen. Shall I have them brought over?” she suggested.

Head Sheriff Tian nodded, “Yes.”

Meanwhile, Xiaoxiao heard Chen Xin’s words again and immediately said to Head Sheriff Tian, “Head Sheriff, there are coroners in the yamen, but relying on just one coroner might lead to errors. So, I suggest bringing in more coroners from outside the yamen for verification. It would be safer, don’t you think, Magistrate?” With the last sentence, Xiaoxiao grinned innocently at Magistrate Jing Tangmu, flashing a row of white teeth, looking as honest as can be.

Head Sheriff Tian nodded at Xiaoxiao’s words, pondering, “You’re right. That’s very thoughtful of you. Let’s do as you suggested.” Afterward, she instructed another guard to handle it.

Magistrate Jing Tangmu was dumbfounded. Was this just a coincidence?

At that moment, footsteps approached the door. Four people were carrying a wooden plank covered with a white cloth at a steady pace, clearly outlining the shape of a person underneath.

The crowd blocking the exit quickly retreated, their movements coordinated as if they were facing a ferocious beast from ancient times.

Seeing her own mother being carried in, Head Sheriff Tian hurriedly got up, saying, “Careful, careful, gently lay her down.”

As the people slowly laid the body on the ground, the coroner who had been residing in the yamen also arrived, carrying an old wooden box on his back. No one noticed that his hands were trembling slightly, hidden under his loose sleeves.

Head Sheriff Tian watched as her mother’s body, covered in white cloth, was laid down, feeling choked up.

With tearful eyes, she said, “Mother, I’ve been unfilial. Even in death, you cannot rest peacefully. But I will find the culprit and apologize to you.” Afterward, she kowtowed three times.

The people sighed with emotion. Head Sheriff Tian was not only a just official but also a filial daughter, a rare combination. To lose one’s mother over a meal for no reason was truly an unjust tragedy.

Standing up, she said to the coroner beside her, “Let’s begin.” Then she sat back down, intending to see how the coroner would examine her mother’s body.

“Yes, Head Sheriff,” the coroner replied respectfully, glancing at Magistrate Jing Tangmu sitting high up before proceeding.

Setting down the wooden box, the coroner uncovered the white cloth and began examining the body, starting from the head and moving down to the scalp, ears, eyes, neck, and so on. His face changed color several times during the process, and then, as if he had made a significant decision, he said to Head Sheriff Tian, “Head Sheriff, there are no signs of poisoning on your mother’s body.”

Upon hearing this, Head Sheriff Tian, who had suppressed her explosive temper due to the death of her loved one, furrowed her brow deeply and pursed her lips. “Really?” she asked.

She wasn’t stupid. Magistrate Jing Tangmu’s behavior had been strange from the beginning to end, and she didn’t believe there was anything fishy going on. After all, she had been in office for over a decade and knew all the tricks of the trade.

Moreover, Magistrate Jing Tangmu’s reputation wasn’t very good. Head Sheriff Tian had heard about her misconduct. If she hadn’t done anything too outrageous, she wouldn’t have turned a blind eye.

And now, she dared to scheme against her? Did she think she could fool her just because she hadn’t made any moves in recent years? She was gravely mistaken!