The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 137 Shocking for Ten Thousand Years! Is Miaoyin'er really having an affair with her brother?

Two quarters of an hour later, at Chongrenfang.

Chongrenfang, being the closest ward to the imperial palace, was a gathering place for the powerful and wealthy.

The stone slabs paving the ground are flat and clean, without a trace of dirt.

There were no vendors hawking their wares on either side of the street, making it very quiet.

Every mansion along the way was basically a three-courtyard house or even larger, and none of the people we met on the road were poorly dressed.

The feeling Liu Shuyi got from the entire neighborhood was just like the feeling he had after being promoted to the fifth rank—it was like a different world. Chongren Neighborhood was completely different from any other neighborhood Liu Shuyi had ever been to, as if it were another world.

There are no poor people or beggars here; everywhere you look, there is wealth and prosperity, and the world is peaceful and serene.

"Uu——"

Mo Xiaofan stopped the carriage and said, "Young Master, we've arrived."

Hearing Mo Xiaofan's words, Liu Shuyi came back to his senses.

The invitation from Han Xi made him very concerned. In order to find out what the relationship was between Han Xi and his brother, Liu Shuyi decided to attend the banquet at Han's residence.

However, his original plan was to ride here alone.

But when Mo Xiaofan learned that he was going to the banquet, he offered to be his coachman so that he could ride in the carriage to the banquet.

Mo Xiaofan said that he would likely drink at the banquet, and it would be unsafe to ride a horse after drinking. Moreover, he wanted to do something for himself while staying at the Liu residence, so after thinking it over, he agreed to Mo Xiaofan's request.

After getting off the carriage, I saw a magnificent mansion in front of me.

The mansion was extremely large, with tall and clean walls, and a plaque with two large black characters that read "Han Mansion".

The vermilion gate is adorned with neatly arranged copper nails, and the silver door knockers appear to be made of real silver, exuding luxury and grandeur.

Mo Xiaofan grabbed the door knocker and pulled it open forcefully.

Tuk-tuk-tuk.

A slightly muffled sound rang out.

The sound wasn't loud, and Mo Xiaofan was worried that the servants in the Han household wouldn't hear it, so he was about to knock again.

But then a creaking sound was heard, and the tightly closed door was quickly opened a crack.

An eye appeared through the crack, sizing up the two people outside the door, and asked very politely, "Who are you looking for?"

Mo Xiaofan was somewhat surprised, not expecting that such a small knock would be heard. He quickly stepped aside to let Liu Shuyi out from behind him and said, "Doctor Liu has come to the banquet."

Upon hearing the name "Liu Langzhong," the gatekeeper immediately opened the door.

He quickly bowed to Liu Shuyi and said, "Master had instructed me to wait at the door to welcome Doctor Liu. Doctor Liu, please come in."

Hearing the doorman's words, Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow.

Judging from Mo Xiaofan's soft knocking, the doorman wouldn't have heard it if he wasn't right at the door, let alone opened it so quickly.

It seems that Han Xi really values ​​his arrival, even though he wasn't sure if he would come.

Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "Thank you for your trouble."

"Don't dare."

The gatekeeper quickly made way and invited Liu Shuyi inside.

Liu Shuyi and Mo Xiaofan entered the Han residence. Not far away, Mo Xiaofan was led by a servant to a side room, which was a place for entertaining distinguished guests and their attendants.

Liu Shuyi followed the gatekeeper through the spacious courtyard, across the covered bridge, and arrived at the main hall of the Han residence.

As soon as I reached the door, I heard a hearty laugh coming from inside the room.

"Dr. Liu, you've finally arrived."

Han Xi stepped out and said with a smile, "I was worried that you were still angry with me and didn't want to attend the banquet, so I was very uneasy. Now that you're here, I can rest assured."

Liu Shuyi understood that Han Xi was apologizing for his previous misunderstanding. He smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "I have already made it clear that it was all Kong Xiang's conspiracy and had nothing to do with Han Shaoqing. How could I be angry with Han Shaoqing because of this?"

"Hahaha."

Han Xi laughed loudly: "With your words, I am completely relieved. Otherwise, I would not be able to explain myself to your brother."

Upon hearing Han Xi mention Liu Shuzhong, Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered slightly, and he said, "Is Han Shaoqing very familiar with my brother?"

As Han Xi invited Liu Shuyi into the main hall, he said, "I have already written on the invitation I gave to Physician Liu. Your brother and I hit it off immediately and felt like we had known each other for a long time."

After Liu Shuyi took his seat, he deliberately feigned curiosity and asked, "Where did you and my brother first meet, Han Shaoqing? How did you become acquainted?"

Where did we meet...?

Upon hearing this question, Han Xi winked at Liu Shuyi and chuckled, "Doctor Liu should be very familiar with this; I just spoke with him about it not long ago."

I am very familiar with it...

Liu Shuyi suddenly realized something, and his eyes widened: "Miaoyinfang!?"

Han Xi laughed heartily: "That's right, it's Miaoyin Pavilion!"

How could it be Miaoyinfang?!

In the original owner's memories, Liu Shuzhong would go straight home after each shift to save money and would never socialize outside.

Under these circumstances, why would Liu Shuzhong go to Miaoyinfang?
When did he go to Miaoyinfang?

and also……

Liu Shuyi recalled what Miao Yin'er had said to him when they last met.

Miao Yin'er said... she had accompanied Liu Shuzhong many times, had deep feelings for him, and Liu Shuzhong had even promised to redeem her from her servitude.

At the time, I thought Miaoyin was full of lies and just making things up to fool me, so I didn't pay any attention to her words.

But now, Han Xi says she saw Liu Shuzhong inside Miaoyinfang...

At this moment, Liu Shuyi's previously firm judgment began to waver slightly.

Could Liu Shuzhong and Miaoyin'er really know each other?

Liu Shuyi's heart was filled with turmoil, but he showed no emotion on his face. He only showed a little surprise and said, "In my memory, my brother never went to brothels."

Han Xi waved his hand with a smile: "It's normal. I would never tell my son that his father goes to brothels every month. After all, we have to save face."

Liu Shuyi's eyelids twitched involuntarily. This Han Xi was truly a remarkable person, showing none of the airs of a fourth-rank official.

Of course, he wasn't naive enough to think that Han Xizhen was just spouting nonsense... After all, someone who talks nonsense and doesn't keep their mouth shut couldn't possibly sit in a fourth-rank position.

Liu Shuyi thought for a moment and said, "I wonder on what day Han Shaoqing met my brother?"

Which day?

Han Xi frowned and thought for a moment, then said, "It was probably two years ago, but I can't remember the exact date."

Liu Shuyi was not surprised. If Han Xi had just given a specific date, he would have suspected that Han Xi might have ulterior motives.

However, Han Xi said that two years ago...

Wasn't that the year Liu Shuzhong disappeared?
Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered as he guided, "It doesn't matter if you don't remember the exact date. Does Han Shaoqing remember what major events happened in the court and among the people during the time you met your brother?"

"event?"

Han Xi seemed to have thought of something, and his expression changed.

He glanced at the maids attending him and said, "You may all leave."

The maids put down the wine pot, bowed, and then withdrew.

Then Han Xi lowered his voice and said, "Now that you mention it, I do remember that not long after I met your brother, the Xuanwu Gate incident happened."

The Xuanwu Gate Incident... The Xuanwu Gate Coup?

Liu Shuyi's heart skipped a beat. His elder brother had disappeared on the fourth day of the fifth month of the ninth year of the Wude era, and the Xuanwu Gate Incident had occurred on the fourth day of the sixth month. Han Xi had said that the time difference was not long...

Could it be after my brother went missing?

He said, "I wonder how long Han Shaoqing means by 'not long'? Is it about a month?"

"This……"

Han Xi frowned and pondered.

Liu Shuyi was skilled at guiding witness testimonies. Seeing Han Xi frowning in thought, he pondered for a moment and said, "Young Master Han, didn't you go to the brothel on a very regular schedule? Do you remember that after you met my brother, you went to the brothel a few more times before the Xuanwu Gate incident happened?"

Han Xi thought for a moment and said, "Four times? No, it's five times. I remember once in the middle of the trip, the girl suddenly got her period and couldn't continue to accompany me. That was the only time I wasn't satisfied and almost couldn't get an erection, which made me very angry. So I remember it very well!"

"Even now, I still dream about that blood in the middle of the night. It's like I've had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to encounter something like that on my way to a brothel!"

I almost lost my erection... Han Xi really doesn't treat himself like an outsider, he tells everyone anything.

However, this memorable point can actually serve as a marker, allowing Han Xi to clearly count the number of times.

Five times... Han Xi went once every five days, so five times would be twenty-five days.

He pondered for a moment, then asked, "On the day of the Xuanwu Gate incident, I wonder who was with Han Shaoqing as he fell asleep?"

The Xuanwu Gate Incident was a momentous event etched into Han Xi's very being, so his memory of that day was remarkably clear. Without much recollection, he said, "Normally, that day was a rare opportunity for me to relax at a brothel after four hard days of work, but..."

He shrugged and said, "You know what happened. How could I dare to go to a brothel at such a critical moment? So I had to rest at home that day. Fortunately, my wife was understanding and didn't let me accompany them. Otherwise, I would have gone crazy."

The day of the Xuanwu Gate Incident happened to be the day I went to the brothel... which means that five days later...

Combining this with the intervals between the previous five visits to brothels... that's thirty days, or a month!

In other words, the date Han Xi met Liu Shuzhong was exactly the day Liu Shuzhong disappeared!
No wonder, in the original owner's memories, Liu Shuzhong never socialized outside, so how could he suddenly visit a brothel... If it was on the night of his disappearance, then it makes sense.

After all, Liu Shuzhong disappeared without a trace after leaving the Liu residence that night, and the original owner had no idea where Liu Shuzhong went.

But why did Liu Shuzhong go to Miaoyinfang?
When Liu Shuzhong left the Liu residence, he excitedly told the original owner that the opportunity to restore the Liu family's glory was coming... but he turned around and went to a brothel.

Could it be the opportunity Liu Shuzhong mentioned, inside Miaoyinfang?
Or did Liu Shuzhong encounter something that led him to a brothel?
His mind raced, but his expression remained impassive. He merely feigned curiosity and asked, "As Han Shaoqing said, the time you met my brother must have been the night he disappeared. I wonder what time you met my brother, what he was doing at the time, and whether he was accompanied by anyone?"

Upon hearing this, Han Xi couldn't help but show a look of surprise: "That day was the time your brother disappeared? Is that true? I only know that your brother disappeared later, but that was a long time later. I don't know exactly when your brother disappeared."

Liu Shuyi said, "If Minister Han hasn't miscounted, that day is the day my elder brother went missing." Han Xi thought carefully for a moment and said, "I believe I haven't miscounted; it really is that day..."

A look of recollection flashed in his eyes, and after a long while, he continued, "I remember that after I finished my shift that day, I first entertained my colleagues at a restaurant, and then went to Miaoyinfang."

"I don't remember the exact time, but based on our usual social engagements, it should have been past 9 PM by now."

After 9 PM...

Liu Shuyi gently stroked the wine glass with his fingertips. The time Liu Shuzhong left for himself with the mysterious black box at the restaurant manager was 7:45 PM. He left about 15 minutes later, but Han Xi discovered it at Miaoyinfang after 9:00 PM.

This indicates that Liu Shuzhong came directly to Miaoyinfang after leaving the restaurant.

"After I arrived at Miaoyinfang, I was just about to call out to the madam, Miaoyin'er, the girl I knew, as I always did."

"I looked around but couldn't find Miaoyin'er. Instead, I saw a man drinking alone by the window at a table."

Han Xi looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "Doctor Liu has never been to a brothel, so he may not understand how strange it is for a man to drink alone in a brothel without a woman serving him. It's like a fat sheep entering a pack of wolves, and the wolves act as if they don't even see the fat sheep."

"So I immediately became interested. Since I couldn't find any girls and had nothing else to do, I sat down next to the man."

"I asked him if I could have a drink with him, and guess what he said?"

Liu Shuyi knew that the "he" Han Xi was referring to was his elder brother, Liu Shuzhong.

At that time, Liu Shuzhong was drinking alone and on the verge of disappearing, so something might have happened to him, and he was in a bad mood... He guessed, "He rejected you?"

Han Xi shook his head and laughed, "Your brother said I can keep him company, but I have to pay for the drinks myself. He doesn't have any copper coins to buy me any..."

At this point, Han Xi burst into laughter: "You've come all the way to Miaoyinfang, this den of extravagance, and yet you say you don't even have a copper coin to buy me a pot of wine? Isn't your brother quite amusing? His amusement captivated me instantly."

Liu Shuyi had a complicated expression on his face.

Given the Liu family's predicament at the time, he felt that his elder brother might not be funny, but genuinely poor.

Especially after he left himself a black box containing those precious pearls... Liu Shuzhong likely gave him all the money he had accumulated over the years, leaving him penniless.

"I ordered a pot of wine and will drink with your brother."

Han Xi continued, "I asked him why he didn't have a girl accompany him?"

He said he didn't dare to look for it.

“I laughed at that moment. You’ve come all the way to a brothel and you’re saying you don’t dare to look for girls? Your brother is really a remarkable person, quite different from others. I asked him why he didn’t dare to look for girls, and he just shook his head and didn’t say anything more.”

Liu Shuyi frowned.

If Han Xi's memory is correct and he is not lying... Liu Shuzhong's answer at the time should not be a lie.

I went to Miaoyinfang, but they said they didn't dare to have a girl accompany them...

If Liu Shuzhong said he didn't have the money to pay, he could understand, since that was the truth.

But what Liu Shuzhong said was that he didn't dare to look for help, and not daring to look for help and not having money to look for help are two completely different things.

This means that even if he has no money, he can still find...

But why?
In a brothel, how could a girl be willing to accompany someone who has no money?

unless……

Liu Shuyi's eyes flashed wildly; at that moment, he seemed to hear his own heart pounding.

He remembered Miaoyin'er's words once again.

Miao Yin'er said that she and Liu Shuzhong were mutually in love, and they almost became sisters-in-law...

He used to scoff at this.

But what if that really is true?
That would explain Liu Shuzhong's special circumstances at Miaoyinfang.

But... isn't this a bit too fantastical?

Liu Shuyi frowned, because there was too little crucial information; he couldn't further confirm the matter between Liu Shuzhong and Miaoyin'er, and...

He looked at Han Xi, who was seated above him. He was still unsure whether Han Xi was related to the forces behind Miao Yin'er.

If Han Xi is related to Miao Yin'er, then it's not impossible that he cooperated with Miao Yin'er in this charade, deliberately deceiving himself.

Liu Shuyi let out a soft breath. Before confirming Han Xi's exact identity, Han Xi's words could only be taken as a reference and not believed. He must not fall into the enemy's trap.

Thinking about this, Liu Shuyi calmed down again.

He said, "And then?"

With a look of reminiscence, Han Xi tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup, just as he had drunk heartily with Liu Shuzhong that night. He continued, "After your brother and I each drank three cups of wine, I asked him out of curiosity why he was drinking alone and what had happened. At that time, although I was not yet the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, I was still a fifth-rank official, and I could usually help with things."

“Your brother is very interesting, and he suits my taste. If I can help him, I would be happy to do so.”

"But who knew..."

Han Xi shook his head and sighed, "Your brother just shook his head and said I can't help him."

"Perhaps I was a little tipsy, but I was defiant and said to him, 'Do you know who I am? Just tell me I can't help you?'"

"Your brother drinks just as much as I do, but he doesn't seem to get drunk at all. Instead, he's so calm that he gives me a deathly feeling. He looks at me calmly and says that no matter who I am, I can't help him."

"The problem he encountered is unsolvable."

Liu Shuyi's brows furrowed deeper and deeper. What on earth had happened to Liu Shuzhong that made him say no one could help him and that there was no solution?

When he saw the original owner of this body in the evening, he was still full of hope for the future. How could he have become so depressed after only one or two hours?

No, it wasn't just an hour or two. When Liu Shuzhong went to the restaurant to leave himself the black box, his emotions were already off.

So, what exactly happened to him in the half hour after he left home?

Han Xi poured himself another glass of wine and said, "Many people say I'm smooth in dealing with people, but I know myself well. I am indeed smooth, but when I get serious, not even ten oxen could pull me back!"

"So I told my brother my identity directly, and said to him, 'I am a fifth-rank official, and I know many important officials in the court. Do you still think I can't help you?'"

"Your brother is really infuriating. He just poured me a glass of wine and told me to finish it and go to sleep, and stop having sweet dreams."

Liu Shuyi's eye twitched; his older brother was quite sharp-tongued.

This is clearly saying that Han Xi, a mere fifth-rank official, wants to interfere in his affairs; he's far too arrogant and presumptuous!

but……

Han Xi was already a fifth-rank official at that time. Even if a fifth-rank official didn't have much power, he was still in the core circle of the Tang Dynasty and had considerable connections. Even so, Liu Shuzhong believed without hesitation that Han Xi couldn't help him.

What exactly happened to Liu Shuzhong?

Does this prove that even if I were to find out the problems Liu Shuzhong is facing, I still wouldn't be able to solve them?
Liu Shuyi's heart sank. He had thought that once he was promoted to the fifth rank, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief, but now it seemed that... it was far from enough.

The troubles involving my brother were more terrible than I had imagined.

Liu Shuyi felt an urgency to get promoted as soon as possible.

Han Xi was unaware of Liu Shuyi's change in mood. He tilted his head back and finished the wine in his glass, saying, "His words were infuriating. I slammed my fist on the table and told him, 'Don't worry about whether I can help you or not. Just tell me what's wrong with you. If I can't help you, I'll stay as far away as possible without you even having to ask.'"

"Your brother didn't seem to expect me to be so persistent. This time, he didn't get angry with me. Instead, he remained silent for a while and then asked me, 'Can time be turned back?'"

what?
Liu Shuyi was stunned for a moment.

Han Xi looked at Liu Shuyi, slammed his hand on the table, and said, "That's right, I had the same expression as you back then, completely bewildered, thinking I had misheard."

"Your brother repeated the same question again!"

Han Xi slammed his fist on the table, making the plates jump. He said, "Seeing how profound your brother was, I thought he'd say something earth-shattering, but he actually asked me if I could turn back time! I'm so pissed off..."

"Pah! We're officials, we can't speak so rudely. Anyway, I thought your brother was playing a trick on me, and I almost got into a fight with him."

Liu Shuyi completely understood Han Xi, and Liu Shuzhong's words did indeed give one the feeling of being mocked.

However, based on his understanding of Liu Shuzhong, Liu Shuzhong would not play tricks on Han Xi in this way if he knew Han Xi's status as a fifth-rank official.

But if it wasn't a joke, what did Liu Shuzhong's question really mean?
Is it possible to turn back time...?

This means that Liu Shuzhong wants to turn back time.

Why does he want to turn back time?

Is it because he did something wrong in the past and wants to make amends?
Or is it that a decision was made wrong and you want to change it?

Or perhaps, both?
Liu Shuyi said, "Didn't your brother explain to you why he said that?"

Han Xi said, "When your brother saw that my expression was not right, he knew that I was angry, so he immediately raised his cup to toast me and apologized, saying that he had drunk too much and was talking without thinking. Seeing that your brother was sincere and had the appearance of an honest man, I did not hold it against him."

"After that, we drank and drank until I was dizzy and couldn't take it anymore, so we stopped."

"At this time, I found that Miaoyin'er had returned at some point, so I went to Miaoyin'er to ask for a girl, and also asked your brother if he needed to find a girl to serve him, but your brother just shook his head and said that he would be leaving soon and there was no need to trouble me."

Are you leaving again?

Did Liu Shuzhong disappear completely after leaving Miaoyinfang?

He said, "Did my elder brother say what he was going to do?"

Han Xi shrugged: "Seeing how dark it was, I was curious and asked him why he was leaving at this time, but your brother didn't say. Later, I couldn't take it anymore, so I made a promise with your brother that we wouldn't leave until we were drunk next time, and then I took the girl upstairs."

Liu Shuyi frowned. Judging from the speed at which Han Xi and the others drank, it must have been past midnight by now, and there was still a curfew outside. Where could Liu Shuzhong be so late? What could he possibly be doing that required him to do so late at night?
"Oh, right!"

Seeing Liu Shuyi frowning in thought, Han Xi said, "I've just remembered something else."

Liu Shuyi subconsciously looked at him, and then heard Han Xi say, "When the young lady and I got to the second floor, I looked back at your brother, and then I noticed... the madam, also known as Miaoyin'er, threw something to your brother."

Miaoyin gave Liu Shuzhong something!?

Liu Shuyi hurriedly asked, "What is it?"

Han Xi thought for a moment and said, "It looks like a pink... purse?"

"A money bag?" Liu Shuyi was taken aback.

Han Xi said, "Can't believe it? To be honest, I'm starting to wonder if I've had too much to drink and am seeing things."

"After all, when we go to brothels, we're there to spend money. The madam wants to take every penny from us, so why would she willingly give money to a man?"

(End of this chapter)