Under One Person: Starting from the Inheritance of Gods

Chapter 399 I'm going to dig them all out and put them out in the sun!
Wang Qinian covered his nose as he walked into the room, casually flipping through a file. He was immediately choked by the dust and coughed repeatedly: "Cough cough, this isn't a backlog of cases, it's just a pile of dust!"

Deng Ziyue silently walked to the window and opened it to let in some fresh air. Sunlight streamed in, and dust motes floated in the beams of light, like wronged souls dissipating into the smoke and dust.

Fan Xian picked up the most recent case file, blew off the dust, and saw the cover read: "The Case of the Sunken Ship in the Grand Canal in the Fourth Year of the Qingli Era".

He frowned as soon as he turned to the first page.

"A government ship laden with tax silver sank thirty miles outside the capital. All the tax silver disappeared, and all twelve escorting officers and soldiers drowned..."

Fan Xian quickly scanned the document: "Full of suspicious points, yet the case was hastily closed and ruled an accident?"

Deng Ziyue suddenly spoke up: "That ship was sunk by chiseling."

Fan Xian and Wang Qinian both looked at him at the same time.

Deng Ziyue lowered his head and spoke softly: "Back then, I and other people from the Oversight Council participated in the salvage operation. There were neat chisel marks on the bottom of the ship, which was definitely not natural damage."

"Then why is it on the case file..." Wang Qinian asked in confusion.

Deng Ziyue gave a bitter smile and did not answer, but the answer was self-evident: someone had suppressed the truth.

Fan Xian put down the first volume and picked up another, thicker case file. The five large characters "The Qian Family Annihilation Case" came into view, the ink already somewhat faded.

"In the winter of the second year of the Qingli era, the entire family of seventeen, including the wealthy merchant Qian Hongtu in the capital, was brutally murdered. Only the youngest daughter survived because she was staying at her maternal grandparents' home..."

Fan Xian's expression grew increasingly grim as he read on. "After this case occurred, the young girl appealed multiple times, but for some unknown reason, she ended up in prostitution and went insane. Ultimately, the case was closed due to insufficient evidence?"

Wang Qinian gasped: "The youngest daughter of the Qian family, that's not Qian Qianqian..."

"Well!"

Wang Qinian seemed to have thought of something and immediately covered his mouth, clearly knowing some inside information.

Fan Xian looked at Wang Qinian with a questioning expression, but Wang Qinian shook his head repeatedly, refusing to continue.

Fan Xian had no choice but to take out a silver note.

Wang Qinian immediately beamed with joy, deftly stuffing the silver notes into his sleeve, and said righteously, "Very well, for the sake of justice and fairness."

Then he whispered, "Young Master Fan, come closer!"

After hearing the inside story, Fan Xian's face turned extremely ugly: "Not only did they wipe out his family and destroy his home, but... their behavior is just too disgusting!"

In addition, there were the Kyoto child abduction case, the missing girl and body dumping case…

And so on, the list goes on and on, but in the end, they all fizzled out.

The three fell silent.

The sun shone brightly, but it couldn't dispel the heavy atmosphere inside. These unsolved cases were like a mirror, reflecting the sordid side of Kyoto's powerful and wealthy.

“Lord Deng,” Fan Xian suddenly spoke up, “You’ve been in the capital for many years, you must be familiar with these cases, why not continue the investigation?”

Deng Ziyue stiffened, and after a long while, he said in a low voice, "It was investigated, and then he was demoted to a clerical position in the Supervisory Council."

He raised his head, a hint of caution flashing in his eyes, and reminded him, "Lord Fan, the people behind these cases are either ministers or generals, and even members of the imperial family. Do you really want to investigate?"

Fan Xian did not answer immediately.

He walked to the window, gazing at the officials coming and going in the government office. How many of these people genuinely spoke out for the people? And how many were merely henchmen of the powerful?
“Wang Qinian,” Fan Xian suddenly said.

"My subordinate is here."

"Go and summon a team from the Bureau of Investigation and move all these case files to my office." Fan Xian turned around, his gaze firm. "Not a single one will be missed."

Wang Qinian hesitated, "Young Master Fan, isn't this commotion a bit too much?" "Too much?"

Fan Xian sneered.

"What I want is a big commotion. Since some people want to bury these dirty deeds in the ground, I'm going to dig them all up and expose them to the sun!"

Deng Ziyue stared blankly at Fan Xian, his eyes gradually brightening. For the first time in many years, he had seen such a sharp and talented young man in the Qing Kingdom's court.

A flicker of excitement crossed his eyes, but it quickly faded and disappeared into silence.

"Lord Deng," Fan Xian looked at him, "would you be willing to join me in bringing justice to these wronged souls?"

Deng Ziyue took a deep breath, straightening his back which had been hunched for many years. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "This humble official... is willing to serve you like a dog or a horse!"

That evening, the Imperial Censorate's black-clad guards escorted over a dozen boxes of case files into the capital city, drawing the attention of countless officials. Zhao Lei stood under the eaves, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

"Lord Zhao."

Fan Xian stopped as he passed by him and said softly, "Starting tomorrow, I will reopen these cold cases. I hope you will cooperate fully."

Zhao Leiqiang laughed and said, "Of course, of course..."

After Fan Xian had gone far away, Zhao Lei immediately turned around and returned to his duty room. He hurriedly wrote a letter and handed it to his confidant: "Send this to the Crown Prince's residence immediately!"

As night deepened, Fan Xian's duty room was brightly lit, with case files piled on the desk and various pieces of evidence and notes spread on the floor.

Wang Qinian yawned as he organized the documents, while Deng Ziyue hunched over his desk, writing furiously as he recorded the key points of the case.

Fan Xian stood by the window, holding a list in his hand. This was a list of powerful figures involved in the case that he had compiled from numerous case files.

Minister of Works, Vice Minister of War, General Zhenyuan... Behind each of these names lies an unshakeable mountain.

Clearing up these long-standing cases would inevitably offend most of the officials in the imperial court, whose power structures are deeply entrenched and intertwined through marriage alliances.

"Are there any clean people left in the Qing Kingdom's court?"

Fan Xian said angrily.

Wang Qinian sighed: "Lord Fan, the law is not without human sentiment. Even if an official is honest and upright, who can guarantee that his relatives won't commit some kind of crime?"

"Water that is too clear has no fish, and a person who is too discerning has no followers!"

Just as Fan Xian was slumped on the ground reflecting on his actions...

Suddenly, two figures appeared in front of Fan Xian.

Upon seeing this, Wang Qinian and Deng Ziyue immediately stepped in front of Fan Xian, but Fan Xian stopped them, saying, "Don't worry, they are Ci Xian's subordinates."

Then, Fan Xian looked at the Black and White Impermanence and asked, "Old Meng, do you need something from me?"

Black Impermanence frowned almost imperceptibly, but still said truthfully, "My master sent the two of us to present Young Master Fan with a poem as a gift for his promotion."

After saying that, the two figures, Black and White Impermanence, disappeared, leaving only a calligraphy scroll behind.

"The Grandmaster's subordinates are indeed elusive, appearing and disappearing without a trace!" Fan Xian sighed.

Immediately, the calligraphy copybook was unfolded.

Throughout the ages, how many wronged souls have lamented? A profound sense of loss fills the boundless human world, rife with sorrow and resentment. Flies, weeping blood, laugh at the heavens; a lone sail, its shadow etched on a white chain. The waning moon rises, then a fierce wind suddenly arises, scattering everything.

Torrential rain, bottomless ravine. Wading through the rapids, reaching the other shore. Striving to push aside the clouds, dispelling the fog. The nation is at peace, its subjects' hearts at ease, relentlessly driving away the demons. See the setting sun, illuminating the fields and paths of the earth, turning a new beginning.

(End of this chapter)