The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 152 has been found! Fu Wuwei was stunned. You really found the result!?
The night grew deeper, and it was almost midnight.

Liu Shuyi and the others left Yue Lei's residence and headed towards the Bureau of Astronomy, which was the official agency in charge of astronomy and calendar in the Tang Dynasty and was renamed the Imperial Observatory in the Ming Dynasty.

As they rode forward, Liu Shuyi asked Du Gou, "Has Vice Minister Du ever heard of Yuan Tiangang?"

Du Gou looked up at the starry night sky and said, "I have heard a little about it."

"It is said that Yuan Tiangang was skilled in physiognomy and had superb Taoist skills. He had read the faces of Du Yan, Wang Gui, Wei Ting and others, and his readings were very accurate. However, my father did not believe in such things, and I had no interest in them. I have never had any contact with him."

“I have met him.” At this moment, Du Ying’s cold voice suddenly rang out.

The two turned their heads in surprise and looked at the cold and beautiful coroner.

Du Ying ignored her brother's gaze and looked directly into Liu Shuyi's eyes, saying, "When my master and I were practicing medicine and cultivating in Zhongnan Mountain, Yuan Tiangang once went to Zhongnan Mountain to ask my master for guidance."

Yuan Tiangang and Sun Simiao asked, "?"

Liu Shuyi was somewhat surprised.

However, considering Sun Simiao's situation, it's understandable that he is both a medicine king and a Taoist priest, and that he is currently living in seclusion in Zhongnan Mountain in order to seek the Tao and cultivate himself. It's also normal for him to exchange Taoist techniques with Yuan Tiangang.

Liu Shuyi asked, "What kind of person do you think Yuan Tiangang was?"

A thoughtful look flashed in Du Ying's beautiful and dignified eyes, and she said, "He has an extraordinary demeanor and the air of a highly accomplished Taoist master. He has a deep understanding of Taoist arts. According to my master, if Yuan Tiangang can devote himself to cultivation, he may have the opportunity to become a legendary immortal."

"Fairy?"

Liu Shuyi was taken aback.

Why are even immortals appearing?

But thinking about Yuan Tiangang's reputation... even in later generations, a staunch materialist like him had heard of Yuan Tiangang's name; Yuan Tiangang was indeed very capable.

Furthermore, the physiognomy results of Yuan Tiangang recorded in historical records are basically correct.

From this perspective, Yuan Tiangang... might indeed possess some extraordinary abilities.

In feudal ancient society, such abilities would have been considered those of a deity, so it's not surprising.

After all, many people these days claim to be detectives reincarnated or even gods...

"but……"

Du Ying continued, "Yuan Tiangang was unwilling to stay in Zhongnan Mountain to cultivate, but instead served as an official in the imperial court, becoming entangled with worldly affairs and influenced by worldly karma. His master said that he would probably never have the chance to become an immortal in this lifetime."

Liu Shuyi nodded. Yuan Tiangang was indeed different from many enlightened masters. He had served as an official in the court since the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui. Later, when Li Yuan established the Tang Dynasty, he served as an official in the Tang Dynasty and seemed to have never left the officialdom until his death.

I wonder if such a peculiar and enlightened person as Yuan Tiangang can help me unravel the mystery of the Ministry of Revenue's treasury.

"arrive."

As I was lost in thought, Du Gou's voice rang out.

Liu Shuyi stopped his horse and turned around to see that they had stopped in front of a government office.

This government office was much smaller than the offices of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Revenue. The plaque was only a small piece, and it didn't look like a government office. Instead, it looked like the residence of an ordinary person.

The plaque bears three large ancient seal characters: Taishiju (太史局).

Yuan Tiangang currently holds the position of Lingtai Lang, a seventh-rank official, within the Bureau of Astronomy, where he is responsible for the crucial task of astronomical observation.

Since Liu Shuyi did not know where Yuan Tiangang lived, he could only go to the place where Yuan Tiangang was working to inquire, and then go to Yuan Tiangang's residence to find him.

Liu Shuyi dismounted and went to the gate of the Imperial Observatory, knocking directly on the tightly closed door.

Although it was already late at night, the imperial court had a rule that every government office must have someone on duty at night to deal with any unexpected events, so Liu Shuyi didn't need to worry about making a wasted trip.

Not long after, footsteps came from behind the door.

At the same time, a young voice called out: "Who's knocking on the door?"

Liu Shuyi announced loudly, "Liu Shuyi, a senior official of the Ministry of Justice, has come to investigate a case. Please open the door."

"A senior official in the Ministry of Justice?"

The voice behind the door sounded surprised. He quickly opened the door and, upon seeing Liu Shuyi, bowed respectfully: "This humble official is Hu Jing, the Water Clock Attendant of the Imperial Observatory. I have come to see Physician Liu. Physician Liu said he wants to investigate a case, but I don't know..."

He looked at Liu Shuyi nervously: "What case is it?"

The Louke Lang was in charge of timekeeping and reporting the watch, and had the authority to open and close the bell and drum towers. He was a junior official in the Imperial Observatory.

Seeing that Hu Jing was very nervous, Liu Shuyi said gently, "There's no need to be nervous. I'm not here to investigate you. I'm currently investigating a case. There's some information about this case that your Lingtai Lang Yuan Tiangang from the Taishi Bureau might know, so I just need to ask him some questions."

Hearing Liu Shuyi's words, Hu Jing breathed a sigh of relief.

He thought someone in their Bureau of Astronomy was in trouble.

Seeing that Hu Jing had relaxed, Liu Shuyi continued, "However, I do not know where Yuan Tiangang lives, so I came to the Bureau of Astronomy to inquire. Do you know the location of Yuan Tiangang's residence?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Jing quickly replied, "Doctor Liu, there's no need to go to Yuan Lingtai's residence to look for him. He's currently inside the Bureau of Astronomy."

"Is it in the Imperial Observatory?" Liu Shuyi looked directly at the Imperial Observatory office behind Hu Jing.

Hu Jingdao said, "Yuan Lingtai is observing the stars and has not returned home tonight."

Liu Shuyi and Du Gou exchanged a glance and laughed, "It's true that being early is not as good as being lucky. This way we can save time."

He looked at Hu Jing: "Can you lead the way for me?"

"of course."

Hu Jing dared not refuse and quickly turned around to invite Liu Shuyi in.

As they followed Hu Jing into the Bureau of Astronomy, they discovered that although the Bureau of Astronomy was not a large government office, it was built in a very distinctive way due to the special nature of its mission.

Entering through the main gate, you enter a courtyard that is not very large. Unlike other government offices, the courtyard is not paved with stone slabs, but rather with many stones that are uneven and even a bit rough to walk on. These stones are mainly black, but there are also many white stones mixed in. Under the warm light of the lanterns, these white stones gleam slightly, as if the stars above have been moved to the ground.

At the end of the stone path was a three-story platform with a circular outline. The exterior walls were half black and half white, which looked quite strange.

But when Liu Shuyi stepped onto the platform, he realized that the platform was actually a giant Tai Chi diagram.

Each floor has a complete Tai Chi pattern.

Climbing the steps to the top floor, you'll see a table in the center of the Tai Chi diagram, with an incense burner and some offerings on it.

On a futon beside the table, a middle-aged man with an otherworldly air sat cross-legged, holding a book in one hand and a brush in the other. He would occasionally look up at the night sky and then quickly write something on the book with the brush.

"Yuan Lingtai".

Upon seeing the middle-aged man, Hu Jing quickly said, "Liu, the clerk of the Ministry of Justice, has something to discuss with you."

Upon hearing Hu Jing's words, Yuan Tiangang did not immediately turn around to respond. Instead, he continued writing until he finished, at which point he put down his brush, closed the book, and slowly stood up.

Upon seeing Hu Jing and Liu Shuyi and the others beside him, he showed no change in expression, seemingly unsurprised by their arrival.

After taking a few steps to stand in front of Liu Shuyi, Yuan Tiangang bowed to Liu Shuyi and said, "Doctor Liu."

Liu Shuyi sized up Yuan Tiangang. Yuan Tiangang had a very long black beard and his eyebrows were longer than average, slightly drooping at the corners of his eyes. When the wind blew, his beard and eyebrows swayed in the wind, and with his deep, wise eyes, he truly had the air of a hermit sage.

He nodded slightly and said, "Yuan Lingtai doesn't seem surprised by my arrival?"

Yuan Tiangang straightened up, smiled gently, and said, "Pine cones fall, clouds gather and disperse. I and Physician Liu serve in the same court and are both in Chang'an. It was only a matter of time before we met. Since it was inevitable, it was like spring flowers blooming and snow melting. Why be surprised?"

Liu Shuyi replied, "Meeting you is not the same as me coming to you on my own initiative."

Yuan Tiangang was slightly thin, and his wide sleeves fluttered in the wind. He stood in the wind, raised his hand to stroke his beard, and still chuckled: "There is no cause and effect between me and Physician Liu, so Physician Liu took the initiative to find me. It must be because of other things. And tracing back that matter, there must be other reasons. But in the end, it all comes down to coincidence and fate. It is this fate that led me and Physician Liu to meet here under the guidance of the unseen world."

"A chance encounter is fate, and so is actively seeking me out. Therefore, in my eyes, they are ultimately the same, without any difference."

Liu Shuyi was taken aback. He had to admit that Yuan Tiangang was indeed eloquent.

These mysterious words almost convinced even Liu Shuyi.

However, Yuan Tiangang ultimately overlooked one thing.

That was the case of the salary payment, which was different from other cases.

Other prison officials generally investigate whatever cases they encounter.

The case of the silver payment... was not something he encountered by chance, but rather something he actively sought out in order to find clues about his brother.

In other words, his meeting with Yuan Tiangang was entirely due to his initiative, and it was no coincidence.

Of course, Liu Shuyi did not directly refute Yuan Tiangang. He came here to learn about the secrets of the Ministry of Revenue's treasury from Yuan Tiangang, not to argue or find fault with him.

“What Yuan Lingtai said makes sense…”

Liu Shuyi nodded, then abruptly changed the subject, not giving Yuan Tiangang a chance to react, and said, "Now, let's get down to business."

Yuan Tiangang paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Liu Langzhong is indeed a remarkable person."

"I wonder what business Doctor Liu wishes to ask me?"

Liu Shuyi stared into Yuan Tiangang's deep eyes and went straight to the point: "I wonder if Yuan Lingtai knows Yuan Shoucheng?"

"Yuan Shoucheng?"

Yuan Tiangang's usually composed face finally showed a hint of surprise: "Dr. Liu came to see me because of him?"

Liu Shuyi did not hide anything and nodded, saying, "He is somewhat related to the case I am currently investigating."

Yuan Tiangang nodded knowingly, his face showing reminiscence, and said, "Yuan Shoucheng is my uncle, and also my guide in the path of cultivation."

uncle?

Sure enough... after hearing Yuan Shoucheng's surname, Liu Shuyi suspected whether he was related to Yuan Tiangang.

Liu Shuyi said, "Yuan Shoucheng is both your uncle and your mentor, so you should know him very well, right?"

“Yes.” Yuan Tiangang replied truthfully, “My father passed away early, and I was raised by my uncle when I was young.”

He followed Yuan Shoucheng since childhood... Yue Lei also said that when Emperor Yang of Sui moved the capital, he saw Yuan Tiangang next to Yuan Shoucheng. Does this mean that when Yuan Shoucheng divined and predicted the construction of government offices for Emperor Wen of Sui, Yuan Tiangang was also by Yuan Shoucheng's side?
He asked the question.

Yuan Tiangang nodded: "That's right. When my uncle was serving in the former Sui Dynasty, I always stayed by his side until he sensed that his time was coming to an end and was afraid that I would have no one to rely on after his death. So he recommended me to be a minor official, and that's when I left my uncle."

He could foresee his impending death and made arrangements for the future of his children and nephews in advance... It seems that this Yuan Shoucheng was quite capable.

Liu Shuyi turned to Hu Jing and said, "I have important matters to inquire of Yuan Lingtai, so..."

Without Liu Shuyi needing to say anything more, Hu Jing immediately said tactfully, "I still have some official business to attend to, so I won't disturb Physician Liu and Yuan Lingtai any longer. If Physician Liu needs anything from me later, just send someone to summon me, and I will come immediately."

After saying that, he turned and left very quickly, as if he was afraid of hearing something he shouldn't have and getting into trouble.

Seeing Hu Jing leave, Liu Shuyi took a deep breath and finally explained his purpose to Yuan Tiangang: "I wonder if Yuan Lingtai is aware of your uncle's deduction about building the Ministry of Revenue's warehouse?"

"The Ministry of Revenue's treasury?"

Yuan Tiangang was somewhat surprised. Seeing Liu Shuyi's serious and cautious demeanor, he had expected Liu to ask some terrible question. But to his surprise, Liu asked him about the construction of a government warehouse. When did a warehouse become so important?
Liu Shuyi pointed out, "The Ministry of Revenue's treasury is different from the treasuries of other government offices. According to your uncle's calculations at the time, there were some problems with the feng shui of the Ministry of Revenue's treasury. It needs to be built in the shape of a tower or pavilion... I wonder if Yuan Lingtai has any memory of this matter?"

"So this is the warehouse..."

Yuan Tiangang finally remembered which warehouse Liu Shuyi was referring to. He said, "My uncle told me about this. He said that the place where those two warehouses are located is where the wealth of Chang'an gathers. Building the Ministry of Revenue's warehouses there can accumulate wealth for the Sui Dynasty, making the Sui Dynasty's treasury full and ensuring good weather and abundant harvests."

"However, there was a slight problem with the feng shui there, which needed to be adjusted through some means. My uncle proposed three solutions to Emperor Wen of Sui. In the end, Emperor Wen of Sui chose the special style of the warehouse as a solution to the feng shui problem."

Emperor Wen of Sui...was it his final choice?

If it were him...

Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered slightly, and a bold guess gradually took shape in his mind.

He continued, "Has Yuan Lingtai ever visited those two warehouses at the Ministry of Revenue?"

“No.” Yuan Tiangang shook his head: “The matters I am in charge of have nothing to do with the Ministry of Revenue, so I have no opportunity to go to the Ministry of Revenue.”

"Do you think..." Liu Shuyi looked directly into Yuan Tiangang's eyes, "that your uncle might lie about feng shui at Emperor Wen of Sui's request, and use the results of his calculations to deceive the people for Emperor Wen of Sui?"

For the first time, Yuan Tiangang's usually calm face showed a furrowed brow.

"What does Doctor Liu mean by that?"

Liu Shuyi stared at Yuan Tiangang: "Yuan Lingtai, you only need to answer this official: would he do such a thing?"

Yuan Tiangang's deep-set brows seemed to ripple slightly as if a stone had been thrown into a calm lake. After a moment of silence, he shook his head and said, "I don't think so."

"Liu Langzhong does not practice Taoism and does not understand the situation of those of us who practice Taoism. If he lies to others and fools the masses about his own cultivation, it is equivalent to betraying his Taoist heart and becoming an enemy of faith."

"At best, one will suffer a qi deviation and never make any further progress; at worst, one will die and one's life's efforts will turn to ashes."

“After my uncle finished planning and building those government offices for the Sui Dynasty, he continued on the path of cultivation. This was by no means a case of abandoning his Daoist heart.”

Liu Shuyi never expected that Yuan Tiangang would have such a firm belief in Yuan Shoucheng.

However, there were obvious problems with the construction of the Ministry of Revenue's warehouse...

If Yuan Shoucheng did not lose his Daoist heart because of this, does that mean...?

Liu Shuyi said, "I have a guess, and I would like to ask Yuan Lingtai to help me confirm whether this is possible."

Yuan Tiangang looked at Liu Shuyi in confusion.

Liu Shuyi said, "If the situation was like this... your uncle wanted to uphold his Daoist beliefs, but Emperor Wen of Sui, as the emperor, used his imperial power to force him to cover for him. This was not what your uncle wanted, but he had no choice but to comply."

"But your uncle was unwilling to destroy his Daoist heart because of this, so even though he lied about some things for Emperor Wen of Sui, he also took remedial measures, so that even though he helped Emperor Wen of Sui, the final result was still as he had said."

"The process was tortuous, but the result remained unchanged... In this situation, would your uncle's Dao heart be affected? Based on your understanding of him, is it possible that he would do such a thing?"

"This……"

Yuan Tiangang hesitated for the first time.

He did not answer Liu Shuyi immediately, but instead gently stroked his beard with his left hand, his eyes flickering as if he were recalling something.

After a moment, Yuan Tiangang let out a long breath and said, "As Doctor Liu said, if my uncle really encountered this situation, he would indeed do the same."

“My uncle’s approach to Taoism is different from mine. I like to follow my own nature, my feelings, and my destiny, but my uncle values ​​cause and effect more. Therefore, he is more persistent in terms of the ‘result’ and will try his best to ensure that the ‘result’ is not affected.”

A glint of light flashed in Liu Shuyi's eyes!
He stepped forward directly: "If your uncle took remedial measures, would you have noticed?"

Yuan Tiangang thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "I learned many of my skills from my uncle, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

"it is good!"

Liu Shuyi stopped wasting words and said, "I would like to ask Yuan Lingtai to accompany me to the Ministry of Revenue. There is something I need Yuan Lingtai to help me find."

Even with Yuan Tiangang's exceptional composure, he couldn't help but ask, "I wonder what Doctor Liu needs me to find?"

"The path leading underground!"

…………

Fifteen minutes later, the Ministry of Revenue.

Liu Shuyi led Yuan Tiangang to the fork in the road in front of the warehouse and said, "Yuan Lingtai, please take a look at these two warehouses. Is there anything special about their feng shui?"

The phrase "the road to the underground" still echoed in Yuan Tiangang's mind, and to this day, he still did not understand what it meant.

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, he finally composed himself and looked up.

Upon seeing the tower-shaped warehouse, his brows immediately furrowed: "Strange."

"Strange?" Liu Shuyi's mind raced, and he quickly asked, "What's strange about it?"

Du Gou and Du Ying exchanged a glance and then looked at him.

Yuan Tiangang carefully examined the warehouse in front of him and said, "The location is wrong."

"The position is wrong?" A thoughtful look flashed in Liu Shuyi's eyes. "How is it wrong?"

Yuan Tiangang said, "This place is indeed a gathering place of wealth, but there are certain feng shui problems. In my humble opinion, this tower-shaped warehouse should be moved three feet to the left to truly suppress the feng shui of this place."

"But it did not do that. Doing so would only cause wealth to leak away... That's not good, extremely not good!"

Liu Shuyi didn't understand feng shui, nor did he care about it. However, as Yuan Tiangang had said, the tower-shaped warehouse needed to be moved three feet to the left, but it hadn't…

Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered as he asked, "If the underground of that warehouse is hollowed out, will it affect the feng shui of this place?"

"Drain it?"

Yuan Tiangang paused for a moment, then said, "Of course it will have an impact. Let alone digging it all out, even just digging a spot that shouldn't be dug will affect the feng shui."

"I can tell you now that the ground underground has likely been hollowed out. Your uncle moved the warehouse to counteract the change in feng shui..."

Liu Shuyi looked at Yuan Tiangang: "Yuan Lingtai, can you deduce from the feng shui of the warehouse location where the underground space was hollowed out? And could your uncle have left a door leading underground using feng shui principles?"

Even Yuan Tiangang, a man of great experience and knowledge, was stunned into silence by Liu Shuyi's words.

After a moment, he took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "I understand what Doctor Liu means. Doctor Liu, please wait a moment while I search for something."

After saying that, Yuan Tiangang strode towards the warehouse.

Watching Yuan Tiangang circle the tower-shaped warehouse a few times before entering it, Du Gou couldn't help but ask, "Can he do it? Can he really help us find the secret passage?"

Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes and shook his head, saying, "I don't know if it will work, but as long as he hasn't lied to me about Yuan Shoucheng, and Yuan Shoucheng can take charge of the feng shui construction here, then in this world, no one but him can help me."

"Let's wait and see. We went to great lengths to find him, so we should let him give it a try."

Du Gou understood Liu Shuyi's meaning: "I hope he can live up to your hard work."

"Dr. Liu...didn't you go back? Why are you back again?"

Just then, a familiar voice came from behind them.

Liu Shuyi turned his head and saw Fu Wuwei, the Ministry of Revenue official who had previously entertained him, rushing over.

Fu Wuwei wiped the sweat from his face, his expression full of doubt. He had finally managed to send away Liu Shuyi, this big shot, and thought the Ministry of Revenue would not be affected. But who knew that Liu Shuyi would come back so soon.

Seeing the undisguised unwelcome look on Fu Wuwei's face, Liu Shuyi didn't mind. He simply smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "I suddenly remembered some things that I need to investigate again. I'm sorry to bother you again, Doctor Fu."

Fu Wuwei said he didn't mind, but his disdain was almost palpable. He said, "Physician Liu, of course I don't mind you, but you keep coming to the Ministry of Revenue to investigate... I understand you, but if Minister Tang hears about this, I'm afraid he might have some thoughts."

"After all, your repeated investigations make it hard not to suspect that you have designs on our Ministry of Revenue, don't you think?"

Du Gou frowned slightly upon hearing Fu Wuwei's words: "Doctor Fu, do you think Doctor Liu is deliberately causing trouble for the Ministry of Revenue?"

Fu Wuwei quickly smiled apologetically: "Minister Du, you're exaggerating. I was just reminding Physician Liu because I was afraid he would get himself into trouble. I meant well."

kindness?

Even the gentle and mild-mannered Du Gou was amused by Fu Wuwei's words.

Whose good intention was to threaten Liu Shuyi, rather than to proactively help Liu Shuyi explain to Tang Jian?
Fu Wuwei looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "Physician Liu, I am loyal enough to His Majesty. It is only right and proper for me to cooperate with you in investigating cases for His Majesty. However, there are many people in the Ministry of Revenue, and not everyone may be as understanding as I am. If you can find something out, that's fine. But if you keep coming to the Ministry of Revenue without finding anything... I am really worried that some people will misunderstand you. If something unpleasant happens in the end, it will not be good for you either. Don't you think so?"

Liu Shuyi did not respond to Fu Wuwei. Fu Wuwei was clearly warning him that nothing he said at this moment would make a difference.

Nodding means you're cowardly.

Shaking one's head would also offend the Ministry of Revenue.

Since that's the case, and Fu Wuwei said he wanted the results of the investigation, then he would just wait for the results.

If there is a result, all the troubles can be resolved, and the situation will be reversed instantly.

If there's no result, it's better to leave quickly to avoid wasting your breath.

Seeing that Liu Shuyi did not respond, Fu Wuwei sneered inwardly. So what if Liu Shuyi had the Emperor's edict? He had already cooperated with everything he needed to. He was not afraid of the Emperor. But if Liu Shuyi really thought that he could bully the Ministry of Revenue and control him at will because he had the Emperor's edict, he was dreaming too much.

Do you really think the Ministry of Revenue is some powerless little government office?

Fu Wuwei crossed his arms, ready to continue his "kind" advice to Liu Shuyi to get rid of this plague so he could catch some sleep.

"Dr. Liu, please heed my advice, this..."

"Dr. Liu!"

Just then, before Fu Wuwei could finish speaking, a voice suddenly came from inside the warehouse. The voice was calm yet urgent, as if the person was facing a huge shock.

"There really is something wrong with what's underground!"

"As Dr. Liu said, my uncle restored the feng shui by changing the location of the warehouse."

"If I am not mistaken, if my uncle intended to leave behind a door leading to the underworld, then this door... I should have found it!"

"What!?" Fu Wuwei was completely stunned when he heard the words coming from the warehouse without any warning.

"What feng shui? What door? What underground problem? What is Doctor Liu saying?"

Fu Wuwei looked at Liu Shuyi blankly, completely unaware of who Liu Shuyi had contacted or what he was doing.

Then he saw Liu Shuyi exhale a long breath, and his hands, which had been tightly clenched, slowly loosened.

Liu Shuyi turned his head to look at Fu Wuwei, smiled slightly, and said, "Thank you for your reminder, Physician Fu. Physician Fu is right. I have come to the Ministry of Revenue to investigate several times. If I do not get any results, it will be easy for people to misunderstand and cause unnecessary trouble."

"Fortunately, I was lucky."

"The result you want..."

He laughed and said, "I've got it!"

(End of this chapter)