The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 117 An Qingxi confesses, revealing the secret of his resurrection!

The next day, early in the morning.

Liu Shuyi stretched and felt refreshed.

To rescue Mo Xiaofan, I barely slept the night before and was exhausted. Last night, I slept comfortably for nearly five hours and finally came back to life.

I got up, dressed, and opened the door, only to see two figures standing outside.

Wearing a green sweater, Wan'er held a glass of water and looked at me with a smile. A youthful smile returned to her pretty face.

Beside her stood Mo Xiaofan, a simply dressed young man nervously rubbing his hands together.

Upon seeing Liu Shuyi, Mo Xiaofan immediately knelt down before him and earnestly said, "Thank you, Lord Liu, for saving my life. I have no way to repay you and wish to serve you for the rest of my life."

After saying that, he kowtowed several times.

Hearing the banging sound, Liu Shuyi's eyelids twitched, and he couldn't help but look at Wan'er.

Then Wan'er chuckled and said, "He woke up an hour ago. After he woke up, I told him how the young master saved him. After hearing that, he came here to wait for the young master to wake up, saying that he wanted to thank the young master in person."

Liu Shuyi nodded, took two steps forward, helped Mo Xiaofan up, and said, "You have helped me twice before. Knowing that you were in danger, I should save you for both personal and professional reasons. You don't need to do this."

Mo Xiaofan shook his head and said, "The Master has had the Liu family provide us with food many times, so that we don't go hungry or cold. He has already repaid me for the two times he helped me before. Moreover, this time it is a life-saving grace, which is different from others."

"Although I am not well-educated, I understand the principle of repaying kindness with kindness, but I have nothing to offer, so I can only repay you with my own hands."

Seeing that Liu Shuyi was still hesitant, Wan'er said, "Young Master, just agree to him. This kid is a stubborn mule. If you don't agree, he'll bother us every day."

Mo Xiaofan was a little embarrassed, but still looked at Liu Shuyi firmly.

Seeing this, Liu Shuyi finally couldn't persuade the young man who was full of gratitude, so he nodded and said, "From now on, you can stay at the Liu residence and help out. But I won't let you work for free. Just like I promised you before, I will give you a normal salary."

Seeing Liu Shuyi's agreement, Mo Xiaofan nodded emphatically: "I will listen to whatever you say, young master."

Young master... you changed your mind quickly.

Liu Shuyi thought for a moment and then said, "After you recover, you can go and find your friends and ask them if they would also like to come to the Liu family. I promised them before that if they want to study and change their lives, I can help them. I was not joking. Tell them to think it over carefully."

Mo Xiaofan was stunned; he had no idea about this.

Because he was the oldest and had experienced the most of life's hardships, he understood better than the other beggars how precious Liu Shuyi's promise was.

He took a step back and bowed to Liu Shuyi again: "I thank you on their behalf, young master, for your high regard."

Liu Shuyi waved his hand: "They are all very polite and have already thanked you. They are just worried about your safety and can't make a decision right now. You can find some time to talk to them."

"in addition……"

Liu Shuyi looked at Mo Xiaofan and said, "You just said that although you haven't read much, it means you have read books. So if you want to continue your studies, you can join them."

Mo Xiaofan was stunned. He hadn't expected that Liu Shuyi would not only save him, but also give him the opportunity to study. This...

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but not knowing what to say.

Should I say thank you? I've already said it many times today.

But what else could he say besides thank you?
Finally, Mo Xiaofan could only take a deep breath and bow to Liu Shuyi once again.

Liu Shuyi smiled and shook his head: "Alright, stop bowing. My Liu family doesn't have that many rules."

He looked up at the position of the sun, estimated the time, took the basin of water from Wan'er's hand, and said, "You guys go ahead and do your work. I'll wash up first; I still have to go to the Ministry of Justice later."

…………

"How about it?"

As Wan'er and Mo Xiaofan walked, Wan'er looked at Mo Xiaofan, who was looking down and pursing his lips, and said with a smile, "Isn't Young Master even better than I described? Don't you regret not following Young Master sooner?"

Mo Xiaofan said sullenly, "I feel guilty."

Wan'er understood what Mo Xiaofan meant. She raised her head and looked at the azure sky: "Yes, the young master is so open with us and trusts us so much, but we have so many secrets behind his back. I also feel guilty."

"but……"

She withdrew her gaze and looked at Mo Xiaofan again, saying, "We kept it from you, young master, for your own good. Before you are fully capable, knowing about us will only do you harm, not benefit you."

"Wait a minute."

Her voice grew softer and softer, as if she were speaking to Mo Xiaofan, or perhaps to herself: "Young Master is competing for the position of a fifth-rank physician. With your abilities, you will surely be able to defeat the others. Once you become a fifth-rank physician, and then a fourth-rank physician... there are some things I can tell you."

…………

Half an hour later.

The Ministry of Justice.

As soon as Liu Shuyi entered the courtyard of the Ministry of Justice, a clerk greeted him with great enthusiasm and respect.

"Greetings, Your Excellency. I heard that Your Excellency displayed great prowess yesterday, easily solving the murder case that shocked the entire Tang Dynasty. Congratulations, Your Excellency! You have made another great contribution and are not far from the position of Physician."

Upon hearing this person's congratulations, Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow.

If he remembered correctly, this person was one of Qian Wenqing's men, right?
Instead of joining Qian Wenqing in his sarcastic remarks, he offered such warm and respectful congratulations...

His eyes flickered slightly, as if he were deep in thought.

However, on the surface, Liu Shuyi showed no change, only nodding slightly: "Thank you."

Seeing that Liu Shuyi did not show any disgust towards him because of his status, the man was delighted and hurriedly said, "I recently obtained a calligraphy scroll, which is said to be written by Wang Xizhi. I am foolish and do not know how to appreciate it. As the saying goes, a fine sword is given to a hero. I have heard that you, Mr. Liu, are learned and talented, so I hope you will accept it."

As he spoke, he held up the calligraphy copybook he had prepared with both hands and handed it forward with great respect.

Learned and talented... Is this really me? I'm really just spouting nonsense to give as a gift.

Liu Shuyi gave him a deep look, but did not take the calligraphy scroll. He said indifferently, "As the saying goes, one should not accept a reward without merit. I will not accept this precious calligraphy scroll, but I appreciate Chief Wang's kindness."

When Wang Xun heard Liu Shuyi say he wouldn't accept calligraphy copybooks, his heart tightened, thinking Liu Shuyi was going to reject his goodwill. He was about to speak to persuade him when he heard what Liu Shuyi said next.

This immediately relieved him. Whether or not he accepted the gift was not important; what mattered most was that Liu Shuyi understood his thoughts and expressed his attitude.

Liu Shuyi's response of "I appreciate it" indicates that he is not resistant to the gesture of goodwill and that it may not be too late for him to switch sides.

He quickly replied, "Master Liu is truly incorruptible and upright; I admire him greatly."

Liu Shuyi shook his head slightly. He glanced at Qian Wenqing's office. Without him saying a word, Wang Xun immediately understood and said, "Last night, Qian Yuanwailang went to see Pei Sikong. He only returned this morning. After returning, he said he had a case to investigate and then left quickly."

Looking for Pei Ji?
A cold glint flashed in Liu Shuyi's eyes. Just as he had expected, Qian Wenqing had still managed to get help from Pei Ji.

Given Pei Ji's influence, if he were to help, the case he would likely find for Qian Wenqing would not be a simple one.

He asked, "Do you know what kind of case it is?"

Wang Xun hurriedly said, "It seems to be a previously unsolved cold case..."

After hesitating for a moment, Wang Xun continued, "Master Liu has just solved a murder case and made a great contribution. If Master Qian wants to surpass Master Liu, small cases are not enough. It must be a case of the same level."

"Such cases don't just happen out of nowhere, so only unsolved cases from the past can be readily accessed. But most of these cases are extremely difficult. For Master Qian to be so confident in investigating them, I'm afraid..."

He glanced at Liu Shuyi furtively and said in a low voice, "It was Pei Sikong who helped us from the shadows."

Is it also an unsolved mystery?

I wonder which unsolved case it is, and how much credit would be given if it were solved?

Liu Shuyi gently stroked the jade pendant at his waist with his fingertips, pondered for a moment, and said, "Since Master Qian has a case, as the head of the Ministry of Justice, you should also go and help investigate. Go, help Master Qian investigate the case well, and don't tarnish the reputation of my Ministry of Justice."

Wang Xun was initially taken aback, wondering if Liu Shuyi and Qian Wenqing had reconciled. However, when he saw the deeper meaning on Liu Shuyi's face, he quickly realized what Liu Shuyi meant.

He hurriedly said, "This humble official will go find Master Qian right away. No matter what happens to Master Qian, this humble official will report to Master Liu immediately."

After saying that, he didn't linger any longer. He put the calligraphy back, bowed to Liu Shuyi again, and then turned and left quickly.

As Liu Shuyi watched Wang Xun's departing figure, his gaze deepened.

"Master Liu..."

Just then, Zhao Feng's voice suddenly came from the side.

Zhao Feng approached Liu Shuyi's side, watching Wang Xun's retreating figure, and couldn't help but ask, "Isn't Manager Wang Qian Wenqing's man? Why do he seem to be having such a pleasant conversation with Assistant Minister Liu?"

Liu Shuyi didn't hide anything and slowly said, "He wants to come and join me."

"Huh?" Zhao Feng's eyes widened in surprise. "He's going to betray Qian Wenqing?"

Liu Shuyi chuckled and said, "Calling it betrayal sounds awful. It's like a wise bird choosing a good tree to perch on."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Feng couldn't help but look at Liu Shuyi: "Has Master Liu agreed?"

"promise?"

Liu Shuyi said calmly, "When I first became a Yuanwailang, I gave everyone a chance. At that time, Qian Wenqing was a veteran Yuanwailang, while I was newly promoted and my foundation was not stable, so he did not choose me."

"This competition for the fifth-rank physician has only been going on for two days, but because Qian Wenqing is lagging behind me, he thinks Qian Wenqing might lose, so he can't wait to leave Qian Wenqing and come to me..."

"To call someone like that a weather vane is an understatement."

"He has no firm loyalty whatsoever; he is a pure egoist."

"Do you think I dare to accept him?"

Zhao Feng breathed a sigh of relief. He was afraid that Liu Yuanwailang was too kind and would not be able to resist Wang Xun's sweet talk.

But recalling Wang Xun's expression when he left, which didn't seem like he was frustrated, he asked curiously, "Who is that official?"

Liu Shuyi smiled deeply and said, "I neither agreed nor refused."

Neither agreed nor refused...

What's that?
Zhao Feng racked his brains but couldn't think of a suitable word to describe it.

So, did Wang Xun leave satisfied because he had imagined some wonderful outcome?
"All right."

Liu Shuyi turned around and walked towards his office, saying as he went, "No need to talk about him. Although opportunists can't be trusted, the Ministry of Justice still needs someone to do the work. If he can really make some contributions this time, I wouldn't mind keeping him in the Ministry of Justice to do some hard and tiring work."

It's certain that Pei Ji has already made his move.

Given the hatred between Pei Ji and him, Pei Ji would never allow himself to defeat Qian Wenqing.

In other words, Qian Wenqing might become his biggest competitor. He didn't know how Pei Ji would help Qian Wenqing, nor how much merit Qian Wenqing would accumulate. Therefore, in this situation, it was essential to have an inside man who could constantly provide him with information about Qian Wenqing, so that he could know his enemy and himself.

"correct."

Zhao Feng, who was following Liu Shuyi, suddenly thought of something. He paused and said, "I came to see Yuanwailang on the orders of Minister Du. He wants Yuanwailang to go to the prison immediately."

…………

Even during the day, the Ministry of Justice's prison was dark and damp, just like nighttime.

When Liu Shuyi entered the prison, he found that the people inside were different from those before.

They were no longer the Jinwu Guards who had been temporarily transferred, but a new batch of prison guards.

It seems that Du Ruhui has completed the selection of a new batch of prison guards and put them into use.

Liu Shuyi's gaze swept over the prison guards, and he saw that they were all tall and strong, with straight eyes, and at least they had a good spirit.

These guards look much more elite than the previous ones.

Liu Shuyi nodded and walked along the familiar road, soon arriving at the interrogation room.

The last time he came here, he clashed with Pei Ji and saw through Liu Yuanming's conspiracy.

Before I knew it, more than ten days had passed.

Liu Shuyi took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and saw that there were only two people in the interrogation room.

Du Ruhui, dressed in official robes, sat on a low stool, slowly drinking water from a cup.

And on the pillar in front of him, An Qingxi, the former governor of Bingzhou, was tied up.

At this point, An Qingxi's entire body was covered in sores that it was impossible to see a single unscathed spot. To say that he was seriously injured would be an understatement; it would be more accurate to say that a person had grown out of his wounds.

His face was covered in whip marks, with two hideous scars running from the corners of his eyes to the corners of his mouth. His face was deathly pale and bloodless, and his once cold and arrogant eyes had lost their former luster. One could imagine the terrible torture he had suffered these past few days.

"Master Du."

Liu Shuyi withdrew his gaze and bowed to Du Ruhui.

Du Ruhui raised his chin and asked, "Would you like some water?"

In the blood-soaked interrogation room, Liu Shuyi had no desire to eat or drink; he shook his head.

Du Ruhui nodded slightly, put down his water glass, and said, "I called you over for two things."

"The first thing is to congratulate you on solving the murder case. This morning at the court assembly, His Majesty specifically mentioned this case, saying that the Emperor Emeritus also attached great importance to it. Your ability to catch the murderer not only avenged those innocent people, but also restored the image of the Tang Dynasty."

"His Majesty is very pleased, so your contribution to solving this case is definitely greater than the contribution to the case itself."

Upon hearing the words "murderer," An Qingxi struggled to lift his head and look at Liu Shuyi.

When the murderer was rampaging, he was not yet the governor. He had also fought against the murderer before. He never expected that such a cunning and troublesome murderer would be captured by Liu Shuyi.

Is there anyone in this world he can't catch?

"And the second thing..."

Du Ruhui looked at An Qingxi and said calmly, "He confessed."

Liu Shuyi's eyes flashed. On the way to the prison, he had been wondering if An Qingxi had confessed.

After all, the last time he met Du Ruhui, Du Ruhui told him that Anqingxi was about to collapse.

Just as I guessed...

He looked up at An Qingxi, only to see An Qingxi staring at him with undisguised worry and fear in his eyes.

Taking in An Qingxi's expression, Liu Shuyi seemed thoughtful and smiled, "Prefect An, congratulations, you have finally chosen the right path."

"Is this the right path?"

An Qingxi shook his head: "It was just that I was cowardly and couldn't bear the pain, so I betrayed my vow."

"Hmph! A vow?"

Du Ruhui snorted coldly, looking at him with an icy expression: "A bunch of traitors who refuse to accept reality, your so-called oaths have been nothing but wishful thinking from beginning to end."

Rebellious traitors who refuse to accept reality?
Liu Shuyi's heart stirred slightly. He looked at An Qingxi and said, "Prefect An, what is this so-called oath you made? And what kind of power is behind you?"

An Qingxi had already told Du Ruhui these things, and when Liu Shuyi asked him about it, he did not do anything ridiculous like he would rather die than submit.

He said, "The faction I belong to is called Fusheng Tower."

"Floating Life Pavilion?" Liu Shuyi frowned.

He had never heard of that name before.

An Qingxi said: "The word 'floating life' is taken from Zhuangzi's 'Life is like floating, death is like rest,' meaning that life and death are impermanent, life can be death in an instant, and death can be reborn in an instant."

Du Ruhui sneered, "What do you mean by 'life can turn into death in an instant, and death can be brought back to life in an instant'? You are clearly misinterpreting Zhuangzi."

An Qingxi said with a wry smile, "Whether it's a misinterpretation or not doesn't matter, anyway, that's what we all think."

"Life and death can be reversed; even the dead can be brought back to life..."

Liu Shuyi stroked his chin and said, "You wouldn't happen to be an organization formed by former Sui dynasty officials to oppose the Tang dynasty and restore the Sui dynasty, would you?"

An Qingxi was taken aback for a moment, then exclaimed in admiration, "You are truly frighteningly intelligent; you guessed everything just from the name..."

He nodded: "That's right. Most of the people in Fusheng Tower are officials of the Sui Dynasty, or their descendants, or people who have received favors from the Sui Dynasty and are grateful to the Sui Dynasty."

"Therefore, we have only one vow, which is to bring the dead Sui Dynasty back to life and restore its glory."

Liu Shuyi couldn't help but click his tongue... he had actually guessed right.

Isn't this the Heaven and Earth Society?

No wonder their power is so great; it is the result of inheriting the legacy of the former Sui Dynasty and secretly developing for more than ten years with the last strength of the Sui Dynasty.

in this case……

He said, "You and Liu Yuanming are both former officials of the Sui Dynasty?"

An Qingxi said, "I was once an official of the Sui Dynasty, but Liu Yuanming was not... However, he received favors from the Sui Dynasty. If it weren't for the Sui Dynasty, his family of three would have died long ago."

Liu Shuyi nodded, thought for a moment, and then said, "The stone tablet on Cuihua Mountain, you placed it there, didn't you?"

"The stone tablet at Cuihua Mountain?"

An Qingxi asked blankly, "What's that?"

Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes. He could tell that Anqingxi's backbone had collapsed and he was no longer trying to outsmart him.

So, did the stone tablet incident occur after An Qingxi was arrested, and An Qingxi was unaware of it, or did he make a wrong guess, and the stone tablet was not the work of the forces to which An Qingxi belonged?
Liu Shuyi asked, "Is Zhang Xu, the Prefect of Shangzhou, an accomplice of your Fusheng Tower?"

An Qingxi shook his head: "I don't know."

"do not know?"

An Qingxi said, "In order to ensure that we are not wiped out and that the flame of the Sui Dynasty can be rekindled, we only know the identities of those who are in the same place as us or have the same mission. We do not know the identities of others."

"In this way, even if we are caught, we will not be able to implicate others, and Fusheng Tower can continue to exist."

Liu Shuyi frowned. These weren't the rules of the Heaven and Earth Society; they were clearly the rules of a spy organization.

They don't know each other, only the person above them knows the person below them... This is troublesome.

Even if An Qingxi were to speak up, he probably wouldn't get many secrets.

Liu Shuyi pondered for a moment and said, "Tell me about Fusheng Tower. Do you know the identities of its members?"

An Qingxi pursed his lips and said, "The Floating Life Pavilion has a three-tiered structure. The first tier is the Pavilion Master, the second tier is the Seven Stars, and the last tier is the people who actually do the work."

“I am Kaiyang, one of the Seven Stars. I know the identities of all those under me, and I have already informed Minister Du of their specific identities.”

Kaiyang… Liu Shuyi said, “Your Seven Stars are named after the Big Dipper?”

“Yes, we will use Seven Stars as our code name.” An Qingxi nodded.

"What about Liu Yuanming?" Liu Shuyi asked. "His status and position are not low either; he should be one of the Seven Stars, right?"

An Qingxi said, "He is from Tianquan. After we arrived in Chang'an, we all had to contact him, so his identity is the only one among the Seven Stars who is publicly known."

"You and Liu Yuanming are both fourth-rank officials, which means the other five stars are also fourth-rank officials?"

“Not necessarily,” An Qingxi said. “When we were first appointed as the Seven Stars, it was only because the Lord of the Tower contacted us first. At that time, I was not a governor, so I am not sure what the status of the others is now, but with the support of the Floating Life Tower, it should not be too low.”

Liu Shuyi nodded: "Tell me about your host."

An Qingxi shook his head: "I know nothing about him. When we meet, there is always a wall between us. I have never seen him in person. He is always the one who contacts me. I have no way to contact him."

"So mysterious?" Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow. He originally thought that even if the owner of Fusheng Tower was cautious, wearing a black robe and a hood to cover his face and body would be enough. He didn't expect the other party to be even more cautious than he had imagined.

"but……"

An Qingxi hesitated for a moment, then said, "Once when I came to Chang'an and met with Liu Yuanming, I heard him mention the Master of the Pavilion."

"What is it?" Liu Shuyi stared intently at him.

An Qingxi took a deep breath and said, "He said... The reason why the Lord named our organization Fusheng Tower is not only because he wanted to bring the Great Sui Dynasty back to life, but also because the Lord himself is a person who has been resurrected from the dead."

"Back from the dead?" Liu Shuyi's brows furrowed suddenly. "What do you mean?"

An Qingxi shook his head: "I asked Liu Yuanming the same question, but Liu Yuanming didn't say anything. Maybe he just heard it from others, or maybe he didn't dare to say it."

The phrase "to come back to life" is usually used to refer to someone who has already died.

Is it...

Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered. This mysterious man, the founder of Fusheng Tower, was someone everyone thought was dead.

He also wanted to restore the former Sui Dynasty.

Which deceased Sui Dynasty official was it?! Or even... a member of the former Sui imperial family?
Who is it?
(End of this chapter)