The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 128 Yao Guang! We've finally found you!
Two quarters of an hour later.

Dunyifang, Chang'an County.

Dunyifang was located to the west of Dayefang. It was less prosperous than Xuanyangfang and Pingkangfang, and was mostly inhabited by ordinary people or low-ranking officials.

The pedestrians on the streets of the neighborhood were mostly dressed simply, and they spoke louder as they bargained with the vendors.

Liu Shuyi rode his horse through two streets in Dunyifang, surrounded by the sounds of people haggling over prices with vendors. They would argue until their faces turned red over even for a difference of one coin. However, Liu Shuyi did not find it noisy. On the contrary, he felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had been haggling in his previous life.

Spending too much time in places like Xuanyangfang and Pingkangfang can easily make you feel out of touch with reality.

"arrive!"

At that moment, Du Gou's voice rang out from the side.

Liu Shuyi turned his head in the direction of the sound and saw that they had arrived in front of a mansion.

The courtyard was not large, about a quarter larger than the courtyard where Wei Ji was seized, but it was still just a single-entrance courtyard, and compared to the residences of high-ranking officials and wealthy gentry, it was only the size of a backyard.

This is the residence of Qin Xiguang, the imperial chef.

After confirming that Qin Xiguang was observing mourning and had plenty of time to teach Wei Ji, and was most likely the mentor Wei Ji had mentioned, Liu Shuyi immediately had someone inquire about the location of Qin Xiguang's residence and then rushed over without stopping.

"Knock on the door."

Without any delay, Liu Shuyi gave the instructions directly to Lu Yangyuan.

"Yes!"

Lu Yangyuan dismounted and arrived at the gate of Qin Xiguang's residence, raising his hand to knock on the gate.

dong dong dong.

The knocking sound quickly spread.

Not long after, a voice came from behind the door: "Who's knocking? What is it?"

Lu Yangyuan said, "The Ministry of Justice is handling this case; open the door immediately."

"Criminal Department?"

The voice behind the door sounded somewhat surprised. Soon, Lu Yangyuan heard the sound of the door latch being pulled open, and then the tightly closed courtyard door opened a crack. An eye appeared behind the crack and looked out through it.

Upon seeing Liu Shuyi and others on horseback outside the door, as well as the green official robes worn by Liu Shuyi and Du Gou, the door, which had only been slightly ajar, was quickly pushed open.

Immediately, a simply dressed young man strode out from behind the door.

He approached Liu Shuyi and Du Gou, and quickly bowed, saying, "This humble citizen, Qin Mingfeng, greets the two officials."

"Qin Mingfeng?"

Liu Shuyi sized up the man in front of him. The man looked to be in his early twenties, slightly overweight, and smelled of food. He asked, "What is your relationship with Chef Qin?"

The man quickly replied, "That's my father."

really……

Liu Shuyi nodded and said, "You don't need to be nervous. I am Liu Shuyi, an assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice. I came to the Qin residence because I encountered a case. Chef Qin may know some information about this case, so I have some questions to ask him."

"So it's Detective Liu, the wealthy landowner..."

Qin Mingfeng had clearly heard the rumors about Liu Shuyi, but he added, "However, my father is not at home."

"Not at the mansion? Then where is he?" Liu Shuyi asked.

Qin Mingfeng said, "My father is a filial son. After my grandmother died, he begged the palace to observe mourning for her. After the palace agreed, my father built a wooden house in front of my grandmother's grave. Except for occasionally coming back to change clothes that needed washing, he spent most of his time there."

Although Liu Shuyi knew that Qin Xiguang was observing mourning, he did not expect that Qin Xiguang would be able to observe mourning to this extent.

From this perspective, Qin Xiguang is indeed a very filial person.

He looked up at the sky; the setting sun hung on the treetops. There was still some time before curfew, and at their speed, they should be able to make a round trip.

He said, "Do you have something urgent to do? If not, please show us the way."

Liu Shuyi could have given a direct order, but instead he asked gently, making Qin Mingfeng feel valued and respected. As a result, he had a very good impression of Liu Shuyi and said without hesitation, "I have nothing to do and am willing to lead the way for you, sir."

"but……"

He looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "Could you wait a moment, sir? My father has not returned for a month, and the clothes he brought must be dirty by now. I would like to take the washed clothes to my father."

Liu Shuyi smiled and nodded: "Of course."

Qin Mingfeng bowed to Liu Shuyi once again, then quickly ran back to the courtyard. Not long after, he came out carrying a bundle.

Liu Shuyi asked, "Can you ride a horse?"

Qin Mingfeng nodded: "I've studied it."

Liu Shuyi gave Lu Yangyuan a wink, and Lu Yangyuan quickly brought Qin Mingfeng a horse.

Qin Mingfeng tied up the bundle, then mounted his horse and said, "Grandmother's grave is five li outside Chang'an City. If we ride horses, we should be able to get there in two or three quarters of an hour."

"Let's go," Liu Shuyi said.

Without the slightest hesitation, Qin Mingfeng spurred his horse and charged straight toward the intersection.

Liu Shuyi and the others quickly followed, and soon they arrived at Zhuque Avenue, and then left Chang'an City along Zhuque Avenue.

After driving for nearly 25 minutes, the mountain road became increasingly winding and tortuous, forcing everyone to slow down.

Qin Mingfeng said, "It's not far ahead, we'll be there soon."

Liu Shuyi nodded and said casually, "Although this place is not too far from the Qin family, it would still take two or three hours to walk. Do you usually travel on foot or by carriage?"

"carriage?"

Qin Mingfeng didn't detect the probing in Liu Shuyi's question and shook his head, saying, "Our Qin family isn't considered a wealthy or powerful family, how could we afford a carriage?"

The Qin family doesn't have a carriage!?
Liu Shuyi's heart stirred slightly. The woman said that when Wei Ji left around the New Year of the ninth year of Wude, he departed in a luxurious carriage. If Wei Ji really came to Qin Xiguang to learn cooking skills, but the Qin family did not have a carriage...

Then... whose carriage was Wei Ji riding in?

The woman added that the carriage wasn't the usual kind; it was a carriage rented out by a horse rental company…

So, could it be Yao Guang's carriage?

In order to conceal Wei Ji's whereabouts and prevent others from knowing the relationship between Wei Ji and Qin Xiguang, Yao Guang hid Wei Ji in his own carriage.
Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered, and he continued, "I have long heard that Chef Qin's culinary skills are superb. After the Emperor Emeritus tasted his food once, he immediately decided to bring Chef Qin into the Imperial Kitchen. I wonder if Chef Qin has any successors to his superb culinary skills?"

Qin Mingfeng said somewhat embarrassedly, "I am not very talented. I have been learning from my father for a few years, but my cooking skills are still far inferior to his."

When Liu Shuyi smelled the aroma of food on Qin Mingfeng in front of the Qin residence, he guessed that Qin Mingfeng must have also learned cooking skills, so he was not surprised to hear this now.

Moreover, that was not what he cared about. He continued, "Besides you, does Chef Qin have any other disciples? I have a craving for food and would like to know if I can taste Chef Qin's signature dishes in other places in the future."

Qin Mingfeng shook his head and said, "After entering the palace, Father rarely left the palace and could not take on any apprentices. After Grandmother passed away, Father observed mourning and had no intention of taking on any apprentices. So, until now, only I have learned Father's cooking skills."

“However…” He looked at Liu Shuyi and said, “If Master Liu does not mind, I can cook for you.”

Liu Shuyi laughed heartily: "You have truly mastered the skills of Imperial Chef Qin, how could I possibly look down on you! It's settled then, whenever I'm craving something sweet, I'll come to you, and you can't go back on your word."

Qin Mingfeng smiled and said, "It is my honor to cook for you, sir, and I will never go back on my word."

Liu Shuyi smiled and nodded, and at the same time, he was certain of something in his heart.

That is... Qin Xiguang did not tell anyone about Wei Ji's apprenticeship, not even his own son.

why?
He didn't really value Wei Ji or want to teach him cooking skills.
Instead... he was forced to teach cooking skills?
So, is Yaoguang's role here that of a coercer?
Yao Guang discovered a secret about Qin Xiguang and coerced him into teaching Wei Ji cooking skills.

If so, did Qin Xiguang know what Wei Ji did with the cooking skills he taught him? Did he know that his cooking skills indirectly caused the deaths of more than thirty members of the Ma family?

"Here we are."

While he was deep in thought, Qin Mingfeng's voice rang out: "Father lives in the wooden house up ahead."

Upon hearing this, Liu Shuyi looked up and saw a grave not far ahead. The snow around the grave had been cleared away, and there wasn't a single withered blade of grass.

To the east of the grave stands a wooden house, its door tightly shut, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, exuding peace and tranquility.

"Aye!"

Qin Mingfeng rode his horse to the front of the wooden house and shouted, "Liu, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice, is here too. He says he has something to ask you. Come out quickly."

But as soon as Qin Mingfeng finished speaking, there was no sound from inside the wooden house, and no one came out.

Qin Mingfeng found it strange and called out again, "Father, are you sleeping?"

As he called out, he looked at Liu Shuyi and explained, "Father is getting older and his health is not as good as before. Sometimes during the day he has nothing to do, so he takes a nap. I'll go and call him now..."

With that, he dismounted and went into the wooden house.

next moment--

"What!?"

"Father! Father, what's wrong?"

"Someone! Come quickly!"

Qin Mingfeng's scream, mixed with terror and panic, suddenly came from the wooden house.

Hearing that Qin Mingfeng's tone was off, Lu Yangyuan quickly looked at Liu Shuyi and saw that Liu Shuyi had already dismounted the moment Qin Mingfeng screamed and walked quickly toward the wooden house.

Upon seeing this, Lu Yangyuan and the others quickly dismounted and followed them inside.

then……

"what?"

"This……"

Exclamations of surprise, tinged with disbelief, rang out repeatedly.

Lu Yangyuan's pupils suddenly contracted.

On the ground of the wooden house, a slightly overweight middle-aged man was lying in a pool of blood.

He had a clear wound on his chest, from which blood flowed, staining his clothes red.

Qin Mingfeng kept pushing the middle-aged man's body, his face pale and filled with panic as he said to Liu Shuyi, "Master Liu, Father, Father he..."

Liu Shuyi quickly walked to Qin Mingfeng's side, squatted down, reached out and pressed on Qin Xiguang's neck, then took Qin Xiguang's hand and felt his pulse.

"We're late."

Liu Shuyi shook his head and said, "Chef Qin has no pulse." "How could that be!?"

Qin Mingfeng slumped to the ground, staring at his father's corpse. His face was deathly pale, and he shook his head repeatedly, unwilling to believe what he was seeing.

Lu Yangyuan and the others also looked grim.

They thought that once they arrived here and found Qin Xiguang, they would immediately learn Yaoguang's identity, arrest him, and close the case perfectly.

But who would have thought that upon arriving here, they would find Qin Xiguang's corpse.

Du Gou pursed his lips, took off Qin Xiguang's clothes, and looked at the wound on Qin Xiguang's chest.

After examining the wound for a moment, he said to Liu Shuyi, "The murder weapon is some kind of narrow and slender blade. Judging from the condition of the wound, the blade must have been pulled out and stabbed multiple times... There are no other wounds on the body, and the clothes are not wrinkled or dusty, so Qin Yuchu should not have fought with it."

"Time of death..."

He glanced at the condition of Qin Xiguang's corpse, then at the blood on the ground, and said, "It should be within an hour."

Within an hour!?

Lu Yangyuan couldn't help but say, "Doesn't that mean the murderer just left not long ago?"

He quickly looked outside, but the place was empty; there wasn't a soul in sight.

On their way here, they didn't encounter anyone walking in the opposite direction. Clearly, either the murderer had already killed them and left before they set off, or he had discovered their trail and hidden himself in advance.

In either case, it's impossible to find the murderer if we go out now.

He couldn't help but feel frustrated and annoyed. He had painstakingly and painstakingly come here, and victory was just around the corner, but in the end... he was still a step too late!
Du Gou also frowned. He looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "The mouth of Yaoguangmie?"

Liu Shuyi looked at Qin Xiguang and saw that Qin Xiguang's face was contorted with pain, but his wide eyes showed shock and disbelief. It seemed that even though the murderer had already stabbed him with that fatal blow, Qin Xiguang felt more incomprehension than pain and anger, and did not understand why the murderer would do such a thing.

He narrowed his eyes and nodded, saying, "It must be that the news of your investigation into the Imperial Kitchen chefs was leaked. When Yao Guang learned that I had started investigating the Imperial Kitchen chefs, he was worried that I would find out about Chef Qin, so he hurriedly came here to silence Chef Qin to prevent him from betraying him."

"sell?"

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, the distraught Qin Mingfeng quickly turned to look at him and couldn't help but ask, "Master, what... what exactly is going on?"

"What betrayal? Who could be so cruel as to kill my father? My father was a kind man who never did anything evil. Why would that person kill him?!"

Qin Mingfeng was completely unprepared; at this moment, besides pain, he felt mostly bewilderment.

He knew his father well. He thought for a long time but couldn't think of anyone or anything that would kill him so cruelly.

Looking at Qin Mingfeng's pained and desperate appearance, Liu Shuyi remained silent for a moment before finally saying, "The reason I came to see your father is because in the case I was investigating, I found out that the murderer had excellent cooking skills, and those skills were most likely learned from your father."

"What? The murderer learned his cooking skills from Aye? This... how is this possible?" Qin Mingfeng looked incredulous. He had never heard Aye mention teaching anyone else how to cook.

Liu Shuyi said, "Originally, I only had a very confident deduction, but now..."

He looked at Qin Xiguang, who had just died, and said, "Facts have proven that my deduction was correct."

Qin Mingfeng's eyes widened, his brain buzzing. He never imagined that his kind and filial father, who also possessed superb culinary skills, would be involved with any murderer, and even secretly teach the murderer cooking skills behind his back.

"How could Father do such a thing?"

"What...what was he doing this for?"

Qin Mingfeng couldn't understand it.

"Yes, why exactly did Chef Qin hide it from his family and secretly teach a stranger how to cook..."

Liu Shuyi stared intently at Qin Mingfeng with his dark eyes and said, "My original guess was that the person behind it all had something on your father, so they forced him to do this—"

"impossible!"

No sooner had Liu Shuyi finished speaking than Qin Mingfeng interrupted him, shaking his head firmly and saying, "My father is gentle and kind-hearted. He would never do anything bad and give anyone a handle to use against him."

"Moreover, my father always taught me that a person can be poor, but he must never be without principles and bottom lines. Only by acting uprightly and being true to one's conscience can one sleep soundly at night."

"Therefore, I absolutely do not believe that anyone has any leverage over Father! I also do not believe that Father knowingly taught this person cooking skills so that he would harm others!"

Hearing Qin Mingfeng defend his father, Lu Yangyuan clicked his tongue and said, "I understand that you believe in your father and don't want him to be a bad person, but you also have to respect the facts."

"If your father were a normal professor's student, would he have needed to hide it from you?"

"He even hid it from you, his own son. Do you think he doesn't know that what he's doing isn't a good thing?"

Qin Mingfeng stared, mouth agape: "I..."

He wanted to defend his father, but for a moment, he didn't know how to do so.

After all, the facts were undeniable: his father had indeed been silenced.

Lu Yangyuan's words make sense. If his father had nothing to hide, why would he conceal it from him?

Could it be that my father really did something bad...?

Qin Mingfeng closed his eyes in pain.

Liu Shuyi took in Qin Mingfeng's expression and then slowly said, "I believe your judgment of your father, and I also believe that he has not done anything wrong and that no one has been able to use his power against him."

brush!
Qin Mingfeng's eyes, which had been tightly closed, suddenly opened.

He looked at Liu Shuyi in disbelief: "Master, you..."

Lu Yangyuan also looked surprised: "Master, what makes you say that?"

Du Gou and Gu Wen, who had been eavesdropping, both subconsciously looked at Liu Shuyi.

Then Liu Shuyi looked at Qin Xiguang's corpse and said, "Chef Qin's hands were not bound, there were no other wounds on his body, and even his robes were not wrinkled. This shows that the murderer's attack on him was sudden and he was not prepared at all."

"If the murderer, that is, the person behind the scenes, had previously threatened Qin Yuchu with something, then Qin Yuchu would not have been so unprepared when he saw the murderer again, nor would he have allowed the murderer to get so close that the murderer could directly pull out a dagger and stab Qin Yuchu in the heart."

"Moreover, after the murderer stabbed Qin Yuchu in the heart with the dagger, he pulled it out and stabbed it in again several times. This shows that the murderer did not kill Qin Yuchu with one blow. He hoped to kill Qin Yuchu completely through multiple injuries."

"Therefore, between the time the murderer made his move and the time he died, Qin Yuchu had a chance to resist, at least he could have pushed and shoved a few times, giving himself a chance to struggle."

"However, there was no blood dripping from his body on the ground, and Qin Yuchu's clothes and wounds proved that he did not resist... If the murderer had threatened him, he would surely be filled with hatred for the murderer. How could he not struggle at all when faced with the murderer's assassination attempt?"

"besides……"

Liu Shuyi looked at Qin Xiguang's unclosed eyes: "In Chef Qin's eyes, I didn't see any ferocity or resentment before death..."

"All of this indicates that the murderer and Chef Qin were not on opposing sides."

"On the contrary, the murderer and Chef Qin should be very familiar with each other, and Chef Qin trusts him very much. That's why he didn't resist after the murderer made his move because he was too shocked and surprised."

Everyone carefully considered Liu Shuyi's words, and then subconsciously nodded.

"So that's it..."

Lu Yangyuan stroked his chin and said, "In that case, perhaps Imperial Chef Qin really hasn't done anything wrong."

He looked at Qin Mingfeng and said, "I apologize for what I just said."

As a martial artist, Lu Yangyuan didn't care much about face. Right was right, and wrong was wrong. He could take things in stride.

Qin Mingfeng didn't expect Lu Yangyuan to apologize directly. He subconsciously shook his head: "It's not your fault. After all, I almost wavered just now too."

Liu Shuyi ignored their apologies and misunderstandings. After a moment of contemplation, he turned to Qin Mingfeng and said, "Qin Mingfeng, do you know anyone who has an excellent relationship with your father and who would agree without hesitation to have your father secretly teach others cooking skills?"

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, everyone's gaze immediately fell upon Qin Mingfeng.

They knew very well that this might directly determine Yao Guang's identity.

Under the intense gaze of so many people, Qin Mingfeng suddenly felt immense pressure. He swallowed hard, frowned, and thought for a moment before saying, "My father is very principled. He told me that his culinary skills will definitely be passed down, but not easily. He will test the character of those who learn his skills, whether they are kind, hardworking, and passionate about cooking..."

"So, if you ask me, Father would never accept anyone as a disciple just because of what other people say, not even Mother."

"but……"

He then changed the subject, saying, "If someone has been kind to Father in the past, and Father makes an exception to repay that kindness, then that's not necessarily the case."

"Someone who did Qin Yuchu a favor?" Liu Shuyi's eyes flashed, and he asked, "Why do you say that?"

Qin Mingfeng said, "My father has told me more than once that his achievements today are all thanks to the help of benefactors. Without their support, he might still be struggling to make ends meet."

“My father often said that a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring of gratitude. People should have a grateful heart. Even if those who have helped us do not need to repay us, we must remember their kindness.”

"so……"

He looked back at Liu Shuyi and said, "If it were a benefactor who asked, Father might make an exception to repay the debt of gratitude."

benefactor……

Liu Shuyi's pupils twitched violently; he understood completely.

Qin Mingfeng is right...

If it were a benefactor seeking help from Qin Xiguang, Qin Xiguang would probably not only not be displeased, but would be happy to have the opportunity to repay the favor.

If this benefactor were to further package Wei Ji, portraying him as a talented and hardworking individual, and then find a reason for Qin Xiguang not to make their relationship public, even claiming it was for Qin Xiguang's sake and that he didn't want others to know that Qin Xiguang had broken the rule, and that Qin Xiguang was still the same person who was strict in accepting disciples... then Qin Xiguang would probably thank this benefactor again for thinking of him.

Moreover, given that he was Qin Xiguang's benefactor, Qin Xiguang would naturally not be wary of him upon meeting him.

Being assassinated by his benefactor... Qin Xiguang's mind must have gone blank at that moment. After all, in his heart, his benefactor was the one who saved his life and gave him a future. How could he possibly kill him with his own hands?

That's why he looked like that before he died.

Liu Shuyi understood everything. He stared intently at Qin Mingfeng and asked, "Do you know who your father's benefactors are?"

Qin Mingfeng felt as if a mountain was pressing down on his shoulders when Liu Shuyi stared at him with that kind of gaze. He subconsciously swallowed and said, "Because my father always asks me to deliver some dishes to these benefactors during festivals, so... so I happen to know who they are."

"Write it down!"

Liu Shuyi immediately pointed to the writing implements on the table in the wooden house and said, "Write down all the benefactors of your Qin family!"

He originally thought he was too late, that Yao Guang had silenced Qin Xiguang, and that the trail had ended there.

But unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better!

Yao Guang had calculated everything and gained the upper hand, but he never expected that his attempt to silence someone would instead reveal their true identity to him!
Qin Mingfeng didn't dare to delay. He quickly went to the table, picked up a brush, and began to write rapidly on the paper.

My hands were shaking a little from being so nervous, but thankfully the handwriting was still legible.

Not long after, he put down his brush and said, "Master Liu, I've finished writing... I'm done."

Liu Shuyi walked over quickly and looked down.

On the paper were four crookedly written names.

And this also means that... the Yao Guang he is looking for is among these four people!
After overcoming countless hardships... he was finally just one step away from Yao Guang!
(End of this chapter)