The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 107 A Night Meeting with Li Shimin: A Chance for Promotion!
Upon hearing this, everyone subconsciously looked at Zhang Xu, who was bound hand and foot.

Zhang Xu stared intently at Liu Shuyi, his face filled with unconcealed horror, his whole body trembling slightly, as if he had never expected that Liu Shuyi would see through all their secrets.

Hearing Liu Shuyi's question, he could only grit his teeth and say, "What a ridiculous deduction!"

Even so, were any of the people present foolish?

Just by looking at the changes in his expression, one could tell that everything was as Liu Shuyi had said.

The Wanrong murder case, which they considered incredibly important, was merely a small part of Zhang Xu's massive conspiracy.

Ding Feng and Ren Cheng, two veterans of the criminal justice system, thought they had seen all sorts of treacherous conspiracies through their years of investigations, but at this moment, their hearts were still filled with unease.

Ding Feng couldn't help but sigh, "The twists and turns of this case are so complex and difficult to discern that it is truly rare in my career of investigating cases."

Ren Cheng looked at Zhang Xu's distorted face and nodded, saying, "When I first met Zhang Xu, I thought he was a diligent and people-loving, decisive and efficient person. I never expected that his mind was so deep that he completely deceived us. If it weren't for Liu Yuanwailang, I'm afraid I would never have known his true colors in this lifetime."

The others nodded in agreement.

The more they learned about the truth of the case, the more they were impressed by Zhang Xu's insidious ruthlessness and the more shocked they became by Liu Shuyi's abilities.

Seeing this, Liu Shuyi just smiled and said, "Actually, the reason I am so sure that there are no thieves among you is also related to the confessions you gave me."

"Ok?"

Ding Feng and the others looked at Liu Shuyi with suspicion.

Liu Shuyi said, "Do you all remember the question I asked you? I asked you, who in the inspection team do you think is problematic, who is a suspect..."

"And the answer you all gave me was that you didn't think anyone had a problem."

"If it were just one or two people saying this, that would be fine, but the key is that all of you are giving me the same answer!"

"If the thief is really hiding among you, not to mention whether he can truly hide himself so perfectly day and night, every moment, that no one can detect anything amiss... just the fact that when he hears my question, if he wants to shift the suspicion to someone else or interfere with my judgment, he will definitely name one or even several people."

"But nobody does that."

"So, at that time I was 80% sure that there was no thief among you. When I learned that the murderer was Zhang Xu, my certainty became 100%."

Ding Feng and the others never expected that their adherence to principles and their refusal to spread falsehoods would actually help clear them of suspicion.

Liu Shuyi said, “The more critical the moment, the more difficult it is to maintain one’s principles. Yet none of you have abandoned your principles. I think this is why His Majesty chose you to inspect the affairs of the various prefectures. You are worthy of His Majesty’s trust.”

After being praised by Liu Shuyi, Ding Feng and the others became somewhat flustered, their ears turning slightly red.

They've been praised like this before.

But most of those people were just trying to flatter them, hoping they would go easy on them during the inspections.

But Liu Shuyi was different. He had no vested interests with them, and his miraculous case-solving skills made him seem like a god descending from heaven in their eyes. Therefore, Liu Shuyi's praise was no less powerful than His Majesty's, making them feel a sense of pride.

Ding Fengdao said, "Professor Liu is too kind. We were just saying what needed to be said."

Liu Shuyi just smiled and didn't say anything more.

Ren Cheng thought for a moment and said, "Now that the murderer has been caught, I wonder what the next step is for Assistant Minister Liu?"

Upon hearing Ren Cheng's words, everyone looked at Liu Shuyi.

This case is different from ordinary murder cases. Catching the murderer only solves one part of the problem. The real trouble is the open conspiracy they carried out by using Wanrong.

From this perspective, the case is far from over.

Moreover, if the follow-up is not handled properly, the outcome is unpredictable.

Liu Shuyi tapped his fingertips lightly on the table. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "I need to return to Chang'an immediately to report the truth of this case to His Majesty, and then His Majesty will make a decision on what to do next."

The aftermath of this case is related to whether it will trigger internal strife in the Tang Dynasty; it cannot be summarized by a simple case.

Liu Shuyi cannot and should not make a decision lightly; this is not a responsibility he can bear at his current rank.

Therefore, it is best to leave the decision to Li Shimin and Du Ruhui.

The higher the rank, the greater the responsibilities – this is Liu Shuyi's experience from two lifetimes.

“However, Zhang Xu definitely has other helpers here in Shangzhou…”

Liu Shuyi said, "For example, after he and Wan Langzhong left through the back door, who locked the door again for him? For example, last night when he knew I was going to investigate Ma Xing, who did he arrange to silence them? And for example, after he left the cliff, who pulled up the rope for him? He must have other henchmen working for him."

I'll stay.

Cui Lin's voice suddenly rang out.

Liu Shuyi looked at this scion of a prominent family from a branch of the Cui family in Qinghe, and then Cui Lin said, "You have solved all the difficulties in this case, so the rest is no longer difficult."

"Leave it to me. I promise I will find all the thieves and not let any of them get away."

Liu Shuyi considered Cui Lin's abilities.

Although Cui Lin was proud and sometimes arrogant, he was able to rise from a lower state to a judicial officer in an upper state, and was about to be promoted to an important position in the Three Judicial Offices. In terms of the ability to investigate cases, he was even better than Du Gou.

The follow-up to this case should be handled by him without much problem.

Moreover, this was the first time Cui Lin had offered to do something for him, which meant that Cui Lin was showing him goodwill. He was looking to bring Cui Lin into his sphere of influence, so he naturally had to accept Cui Lin's kindness.

Thinking of this, Liu Shuyi said, "Alright, the follow-up to this case will be left to Military Advisor Cui."

“I will take the main culprit Zhang Xu away, but I will leave the accomplice, Chang Shi, to you. Zhang Xu trusted him so much that he allowed him to impersonate him, so he must know a lot of secrets. Through him, you should be able to find out information about those accomplices.”

"I will also have General Cheng leave some Imperial Guards for you to command..."

At this point, Liu Shuyi's gaze swept over the people in the courtroom, then over the people from the prefectural government office outside the courtroom, and he said coldly, "I am here on His Majesty's orders to investigate this case. His Majesty has granted me the power to execute first and report later. Anyone who dares to conceal, lie, or even disobey during the investigation can be executed on my own!"

"After I leave, Military Advisor Cui will continue the investigation on my behalf. In other words, Military Advisor Cui also has the right to act first and report later. Anyone who dares to delay the investigation will bear the consequences!"

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's cold yet intimidating words, not only the officials of the governor's office outside the hall, but also Ding Feng and others felt a chill run down their spines and subconsciously hunched over, not daring to look Liu Shuyi in the eye.

At this moment, Liu Shuyi represented not only himself, but also the Tang Dynasty court and the will of the emperor.

Cui Lin couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

He understood perfectly well that Liu Shuyi was building momentum and supporting him.

Looking at Liu Shuyi, who was sitting in the main seat, he felt a sense of oppression and authority that only the head of the family possessed, but also a sense of humanity and trust that the head of the family lacked.

Cui Lin pursed his lips, finally took a deep breath, and formally bowed to Liu Shuyi: "This humble official will certainly live up to the trust of the Assistant Minister."

Seeing that he had intimidated the others and that Cui Lin understood his meaning, Liu Shuyi nodded in satisfaction.

Seeing that the follow-up arrangements were in place, Liu Shuyi did not delay any longer.

He stood up abruptly and said, "General Cheng, prepare the carriages and horses; we shall depart immediately."

Knowing the urgency of the matter, Cheng Chumo replied without hesitation, "Immediately."

With that, he quickly ran off.

Liu Shuyi thought for a moment, then looked at Cui Lin and whispered, "Military Advisor Cui, when you're investigating the case, make sure to protect the Prefect of Shangzhou and prevent him from being silenced."

Cui Lin's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but ask, "What does Assistant Minister Liu mean?"

Liu Shuyi stared intently at Zhang Xu, while Zhang Xu continued to glare at him fiercely. Liu Shuyi saw no despair on Zhang Xu's face.

This suggests that Zhang Xu was either fearless or had a trump card up his sleeve, believing he wouldn't die.

In either case, it means that the forces behind Zhang Xu are not simple.

Zhang Xu is guarded by the Imperial Guards, making it difficult to silence him, but the Chief Clerk... that might not be the case.

Of course, perhaps this chief clerk didn't know many secrets and didn't deserve to be silenced, but it's better to be safe than sorry...

He said, "Better safe than sorry. Also, protect yourself and always have the Imperial Guards with you. Never put yourself in danger."

Cui Lin knew Liu Shuyi's temperament; Liu Shuyi was definitely not someone who would talk nonsense.

He immediately became more vigilant and cautious, and said, "This humble official understands."

Liu Shuyi thought for a moment and then said, "Zhang Xu was sick for a period of time, which delayed his official duties... I think it's very likely that during that time he secretly went to Cuihua Mountain to arrange the miracle. You can focus your investigation on who else disappeared during that period, or who provided evidence that Zhang Xu was still alive..."

Cui Lin's eyes flashed, realizing that Liu Shuyi was pointing out the direction of his investigation.

He said, "I know."

At this moment, Cheng Chumo's loud voice came over, informing Liu Shuyi that they could set off.

Liu Shuyi didn't delay any longer. He cupped his hands to Cui Lin and said, "I'll be waiting for your good news in Chang'an."

After that, he turned and left.

…………

The night was dark.

Three quarters of a hour.

Liu Shuyi and his entourage passed through the city gates of Chang'an and entered the quiet city.

Liu Shuyi looked at Du Gou and the others and said, "I'm going to the palace to see His Majesty next. It's getting late, so you should go back and rest first. We can contact each other again tomorrow if there's anything else."

Du Gou and his group knew that they were not qualified to enter the palace at the moment, and that what happened afterward was beyond their current rank to interfere with.

He simply nodded.

Du Gou said, "Let's go back first. If there's anything we need to do, just send someone to call us."

Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "Of course."

As he spoke, he looked at Du Ying, who had followed him all the way without ever complaining of being tired, and said, "Miss Du, you've worked hard this time. I'll treat you to a big meal another day, and we'll go to a better restaurant."

Upon hearing that there were even better restaurants, Du Ying's tired eyes immediately brightened.

But with her brother, who frequented brothels, and Cheng Chumo, who couldn't speak, beside her, Du Ying thought for a moment and then nodded coolly: "Okay."

Seeing Du Yingming's obvious joy yet feigned indifference, Liu Shuyi couldn't help but smile inwardly. He cupped his hands and said, "Gentlemen, farewell then."

Having said that, he didn't linger any longer and, escorted by Lu Yangyuan, quickly arrived at the palace.

What followed was a series of messages being relayed and a body search. By the time Liu Shuyi entered the Liangyi Hall and met Li Shimin, it was already half an hour later.

The flickering candlelight stretched and flattened the two shadows in the hall.

Liu Shuyi looked at Li Shimin and bowed respectfully: "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

Li Shimin's eyes were deep as he said, "No need for formalities. My dear minister, have you found out the truth since you returned from Shangzhou?"

This was Liu Shuyi's first time meeting Li Shimin alone. In the past, Du Ruhui had always been by his side to help with communication. Although Liu Shuyi could feel the imperial pressure emanating from Li Shimin, it was far less formidable than when he faced him alone now.

He took a deep breath, straightened up, and said, "It has been determined..."

Then, he recounted in detail everything he had done in Shangzhou.

Li Shimin listened quietly without saying a word. After Liu Shuyi finished speaking, his already deep eyes became even more profound.

Liu Shuyi wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he clearly felt that the temperature around him seemed to drop a few degrees after he revealed Zhang Xu's conspiracy, causing him to subconsciously tighten his sleeves.

But Li Shimin's expression did not change at all.

It was as if he felt no anger whatsoever at Zhang Xu's conspiracy, which even Li Shimin had exploited.

"The heart of an emperor is truly unfathomable," Liu Shuyi thought to himself.

After about ten breaths, Li Shimin's voice finally rang out: "Do you think this Prince Xi, who is a concubine's son, is real or fake?"

Sure enough, Li Shimin asked him...

Liu Shuyi's eyes flashed; he had been thinking about this question all the way back.

Without any hesitation, he said, "I believe it is fake."

"Oh?"

Li Shimin raised an eyebrow, and his expression finally changed: "Tell me about it?"

Liu Shuyi said, "Your Majesty was most familiar with Prince Xi in the past. No one knows better than Your Majesty whether Prince Xi has any blood relatives living outside the country."

"Moreover, putting aside Prince Xi's other character traits, his integrity and respect for rules are widely acknowledged."

"So, given his character, he would never have secretly cheated on his wife and left behind such an illegitimate child who is not presentable in public."

Li Shimin tapped the armrest of the dragon throne lightly with his fingertips, without saying a word.

Liu Shuyi continued, "You can actually see that from Zhang Xu and the others' actions."

"If this person is truly of the bloodline of the Prince of Xi, then why would they need to use us to let the world know about the existence of the Prince of Xi's illegitimate son?"

"The reason they're doing this is because they can't produce any concrete evidence to verify the identity of the Prince of Xi as an illegitimate son. In the end, they're just feeling guilty and lack confidence. All of this is enough to prove that this so-called illegitimate Prince of Xi is a conspiracy they've put forward to incite internal strife in the Tang Dynasty!"

Upon hearing this, a smile finally appeared on Li Shimin's face.

He nodded to Liu Shuyi with satisfaction: "Your analysis makes a lot of sense, and I think so too."

Seeing Li Shimin nod, Liu Shuyi's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

Is this illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi really a fake?

Liu Shuyi didn't actually know, nor was he sure.

But he knew what answer Li Shimin wanted.

Regardless of whether the Prince of Xi's illegitimate son is real or not, he must be fake!
Li Shimin absolutely could not allow the true illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi to exist!
Even though the rumors of Prince Xi being a son of a concubine had already spread, Li Shimin would not acknowledge his identity.

Now it seems I made the right bet.

His answer satisfied Li Shimin, which meant he had passed this test.

If he were to tell Li Shimin that he was telling the truth, who knows what Li Shimin would think of him.

Li Shimin's smile widened as he asked, "What do you think I should do next?"

Why are you asking me...?

Liu Shuyi really didn't want to give advice, because he couldn't bear the consequences if problems arose later.

But since Li Shimin had come to him directly, he couldn't just say he didn't know.

After a moment of contemplation, Liu Shuyi said, "Next, Zhang Xu's forces might try to spread news about the stone tablet and the illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi, in order to build momentum for the illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi..."

"Therefore, I believe that we should first reveal the secret of the stone tablet, so that the people will know that the stone tablet is not a miracle at all, but a man-made creation intended to shake the foundation of the Tang Dynasty."

"As for the illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi... I believe we should leave him alone. Whatever we do to him now is to help him confirm his identity."

"Moreover, with the secret of the stone tablet already revealed, when the people hear the news about the illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi, they will probably spontaneously believe that this is a fabricated message by traitors who want to shake the foundation of the Tang Dynasty."

"We only need to subtly manipulate public opinion behind the scenes, fanning the flames, and after the secret of the stone tablet is revealed, spread the message that the thieves will inevitably use the prophecy on the stone tablet to further spread rumors, and even fabricate news about the bloodline of the Prince of Xi..."

"Aren't they trying to promote the illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi? Let's make him shoot himself in the foot. We'll leave a hint in the minds of the people first, and when there's news about the illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi again, the people will probably spontaneously clarify that it's all a conspiracy and a rumor."

Li Shimin was originally lying back, but gradually, as Liu Shuyi narrated, he unconsciously sat up straight.

Now, she was staring intently at Liu Shuyi.

He didn't expect to hear any unique solutions from Liu Shuyi; he just wanted to hear Liu Shuyi's ideas, then combine the strengths of various approaches before making a final decision.

Unexpectedly, Liu Shuyi gave him such a pleasant surprise.

"The thieves wanted to use the stone tablet to stir up public opinion, so we used the truth behind the stone tablet to stir up public opinion first..."

Li Shimin's eyes flashed intensely, and he couldn't help but say, "A very clever method! Doing it this way is far better than denying it or even sending people to intercept and kill this person!"

Liu Shuyi smiled succinctly and said, "If this is not enough, we can go even further to stir up public opinion."

"Can we increase the intensity?"

How to enlarge it?

Li Shimin leaned forward slightly, his expression becoming even more serious as he looked at Liu Shuyi.

Liu Shuyi said, "If anyone still questions the identity of the Prince of Xi's illegitimate son, then we can forge a few more Prince of Xi's illegitimate sons, creating twenty or thirty in total..."

He looked at Li Shimin and smiled, “Your Majesty thinks that if one illegitimate Prince Xi appears, the people will believe it, but what will they think if twenty or thirty illegitimate Prince Xi appear all at once?”

Li Shimin's eyes shone even brighter.

No matter how outrageous her brother was, he could never have left behind twenty or thirty illegitimate children!

Therefore, when so many of the princes' illegitimate sons appear at the same time, even a fool would know that they are all fake.

Liu Shuyi said, "When the people begin to doubt the identities of these illegitimate sons of the Prince of Xi, we can reveal their identities, explain how they impersonated the illegitimate sons of the Prince of Xi, and what their purpose was..."

"When the people already have doubts, let's add confirmation. Does Your Majesty think so..."

Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "Back then, would the common people still care about the so-called identity of the prince's illegitimate son?"

of course not!

This wasn't an idea imposed on them by outsiders; it was their own suspicion, which they already had. Then, solid evidence emerged, so how could they possibly doubt it?
It's not just ordinary people; even those former subordinates of the Prince of Xi will probably no longer believe anyone who claims to be a son of the Prince of Xi.

Even if it's true, it becomes false!

Li Shimin looked at Liu Shuyi with approval.

"Your method is brilliant! It is far more ingenious than any other method I have heard of so far!"

Liu Shuyi humbly replied, "This was just a sudden inspiration of mine. I don't know if it will be effective. Your Majesty would be better off discussing it with Minister Du and the others before making a decision."

Of course, this wasn't a sudden inspiration. Having experienced countless propaganda battles in his previous life, he knew all too well how to manipulate public opinion, distort the truth, and stir up trouble.

However, ancient times are not the same as later times, and he was not sure if this method would actually work.

Therefore, an extra layer of insurance was added, letting Li Shimin and Du Ruhui make the decision. If it worked, it would be their credit.

If it fails, it will be Li Shimin and others who make the final decision, and even if I am responsible, I will not be the one with the greatest responsibility.

Li Shimin was unaware of Liu Shuyi's thoughts. He only felt that Liu Shuyi was calm and cautious enough that even after coming up with such a brilliant idea, he still wanted to discuss it with everyone in a safe way, instead of rushing to do it and taking all the credit.

"If all officials of my Great Tang were like him, why would I have to work so hard and exhaust myself..."

Li Shimin sighed inwardly.

Looking at Liu Shuyi's expression, he became increasingly satisfied.

He said, "You have worked hard on this trip, my dear minister. Your ability to solve this case so quickly and uncover the thieves' conspiracy is a great achievement. I will have the Ministry of Personnel calculate your merits."

"If the merit is sufficient..."

He looked intently at Liu Shuyi and said, "Even a promotion beyond the usual ranks is not impossible."

Liu Shuyi's heart skipped a beat; he hadn't expected Li Shimin to give him such a hint.

He had only been promoted to Assistant Minister not long ago, and in principle, he should not be able to be promoted further, and even if he were promoted, there would be no position available.

After all, the next step up requires the fifth rank.

The fifth-rank positions were all full, so even if he had enough merit, he would still have to wait in line.

But now...

Although it's not quite appropriate to say it that way.

But with the death of his superior, Wan Rong, a fifth-rank official position became vacant.

(End of this chapter)