The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 158 The Truth Revealed! The terror of the former top executives of the three departments, all captured in one fell swoop!
As the red glow of the rising sun gradually appeared in the east, it dispelled the darkness that had enveloped Chang'an City, and the night finally came to an end.

At this moment, in the main hall of the Ministry of Justice.

Zhao Feng came to the door and asked Lu Yangyuan, "Hasn't Doctor Liu returned yet?"

Lu Yangyuan shook his head: "We've already sent people to look for them, they should be back soon."

Zhao Feng raised his hand and rubbed his throbbing temples. He looked back at the situation in the lobby and felt a splitting headache.

"If Doctor Liu doesn't come back soon, I really won't be able to hold on any longer."

Lu Yangyuan knew how troublesome these people in the hall were. He patted Zhao Feng on the shoulder and said, "Hold on a little longer. We can't have all these people gone by the time Doctor Liu comes back... I will go find Doctor Liu myself and bring him back as quickly as possible."

Zhao Feng naturally knew all this. He looked outside again, then took a deep breath, turned around and walked back to the main hall. The moment he turned around, the worry on his face quickly turned into a forced smile.

"Please wait a moment, esteemed officials. Physician Liu will be here shortly."

"Ha! Physician Liu really has quite the airs." Upon hearing this, Mu Ping, the former Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and now Grand Master of the Palace, put down his cup with a loud bang, as if the powder keg of his emotions had been ignited.

He said coldly, “He invited us from his residence to the Ministry of Justice late at night, but he has been slow to show up and has just left us hanging here. What’s wrong with him? Does he think we are not as favored by His Majesty as he is, and that we are easy to bully, so he’s deliberately humiliating us?”

Zhao Feng's expression changed slightly. Among the people in the hall were Mu Ping, who had been invited earlier by Lu Yangyuan, and Dai Fei, the former Minister of Justice. There was also Wei Qian, the Vice Minister of Justice, who had not left, as well as Deng Chengren, the former Vice Minister of Revenue, and Xue Ming, the former Director of Revenue and now Vice Minister of Revenue, who had just been invited. All the former important officials and current high-ranking officials were present, and several of them held higher positions than Liu Langzhong. If Mu Ping really pinned this label on Liu Langzhong, then Liu Langzhong's situation would be in trouble.

He quickly explained, "Doctor Mu has misunderstood Physician Liu. Physician Liu did not mean to avoid seeing you all; it was simply that he had been investigating the case all night and was unable to get away, which is why he was unable to meet with you in time."

"Can't get away?"

Mu Ping scoffed, "Master Zhao, don't forget that I used to be the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. I have handled far more cases than he, Physician Liu."

“Investigating a case is a long process, and His Majesty has not given him a deadline to solve it. How could he not have time to spare? Besides, he is a physician. He can just instruct his subordinates if he needs anything. There is no need for him to go out in person.”

"Therefore, your claim that he is too busy to get away is laughable in my opinion. He clearly thinks that our status is not as good as before, that we are of little importance, and that there is no need for him to care about us."

Hearing Mu Ping's words, Dai Fei, the former Minister of Justice who was now observing mourning for his mother, dressed in hemp clothing, with a dark complexion and a brow that seemed to always be etched with unresolved sorrow, sighed: "If I had known that Physician Liu was not in a hurry, I would have burned paper money for my mother before coming... Today is the anniversary of my mother's death. I should have stayed by my mother's grave at all times, but I heard that Physician Liu had important business to discuss with me, and I was afraid of delaying Physician Liu's important business, so I rushed over."

“Who would have thought…”

Dai Fei shook his head. Although his tone wasn't as displeased as Mu Ping's, it only made everyone feel more ashamed and annoyed that Liu Shuyi was so late.

Xue Ming, the current Vice Minister of Revenue, glanced at Zhao Feng, who was sweating profusely with anxiety, and then turned his gaze to Wei Qian, the Vice Minister of Justice, and said, "Vice Minister Wei, Liu Langzhong is treating us so rudely. As his superior, you can't just stand by and watch, can you?"

Wei Qian smiled wryly and said, "Minister Xue, please don't make things difficult for me. Didn't you see that I've been sitting here all night?"

"Liu Langzhong has His Majesty's edict and is the person His Majesty has personally appointed to investigate the case of the military funds. With His Majesty's support, even I, an official, have no choice but to obey."

boom!
Mu Ping slammed his fist on the table: "He's a traitor! Relying on His Majesty's trust, he disregards his superiors, commits insubordination, insults court officials, and shows contempt for rank... I must submit a memorial to His Majesty, so that His Majesty will know exactly what he has done in His Majesty's name! I refuse to believe that His Majesty will continue to let him run rampant after knowing what he has done!"

With that, he stood up and said, “Fellow colleagues, Liu Shuyi has not returned for a long time, clearly showing that he does not take us seriously. Why are we wasting our time here? Let us go to the palace with the Emperor and denounce Liu Shuyi’s evil deeds to His Majesty. His Majesty will surely stand up for us!”

Upon hearing Mu Ping's words, the others exchanged glances. After a moment's hesitation, Dai Fei, dressed in hemp clothing, sighed and stood up: "I still need to go back to burn paper money and guard my mother's grave. I can't waste any more time here."

Xue Ming straightened his robes and stood up as well: "I originally had important official business to report to His Majesty at the court assembly, but because of Liu Shuyi, I am unable to participate in the assembly. I will just go with you and report to His Majesty."

Xue Ming is currently the highest-ranking person in the Ministry of Revenue. The others have either been demoted by Li Shimin or marginalized. Therefore, Xue Ming is their leader. As Xue Ming stood up, Deng Chengren and Guan Qi also stood up.

When Zhao Feng saw this scene, he felt like his head was about to explode.

This is far more serious than Mu Ping and others leaving the Ministry of Justice simply because they were unhappy.

If they were to actually go to the palace and rebuke Physician Liu to His Majesty, and then add fuel to the fire, one can imagine the trouble that would ensue for Physician Liu.

Zhao Feng quickly said, "Gentlemen, please don't be impulsive. Physician Liu really has no intention of belittling you. He will be back soon."

But he was just a minor official, and even if these people were demoted or marginalized, they were still far more powerful than him, so no one paid any attention to his words.

Mu Ping and the others treated him as if he were invisible, not even glancing at him, and started to walk away.

Zhao Feng was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Having no other choice, he had to ask Wei Qian for help, saying, "Minister Wei, you know Physician Liu. Please persuade them for Physician Liu."

Wei Qian looked troubled and said, "Steward Zhao, as you can see, it's not that I don't want to explain for Physician Liu, but Physician Liu really did something wrong. I can't let personal feelings cloud my judgment of right and wrong, can I?"

"However, I am a colleague of Physician Liu, and I will not really do nothing."

Zhao Feng's eyes lit up, and then he heard Wei Qian say, "I will personally go with them. When we arrive before His Majesty, I will speak well of Liu Lang. I only hope it will be of some use."

Zhao Feng's face turned deathly pale.

He thought Wei Qian would use his position as Vice Minister of Justice to force everyone to stay, but who knew that Wei Qian would also go along.

Are we going to help Doctor Liu?

It's likely that Mu Ping and others see this as support for them, which only makes them more powerful.

When they actually stand before His Majesty, how can Wei Qian alone compare to Mu Ping and so many others?

Not to mention, would Wei Qian really help Doctor Liu?

Zhao Feng didn't perceive Wei Qian's words as him speaking up for Liu Langzhong. Instead, they seemed to be implying that Liu Langzhong was abusing his power by using the Emperor's name...

Seeing Wei Qian and Mu Ping join up and leave the main hall, heading towards the Ministry of Justice, Zhao Feng felt his hands and feet turn cold and his mind was in turmoil.

How to do?
Should we have the guards force them to stay?

However, with Wei Qian around, and Wei Qian being the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, he wielded far more power than himself, so he had no way to mobilize the guards in front of Wei Qian.

Finished!

Zhao Feng felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He realized that he could do nothing, that his status and rank were too low, and that he was utterly useless.

"Doctor Liu, where are you? If you don't come back soon, it will really be too late—"

Just then, as Zhao Feng was feeling anxious and desperate, a voice suddenly came from outside the room.

"Did you all know I had returned and come to welcome me? You are all too kind. I am unworthy of such hospitality!"

This sound...

Zhao Feng paused for a moment, then realized what was happening and rushed out of the lobby.

Then, he saw a scene that almost made him cry tears of joy.

Then they saw Mu Ping and his entourage walking angrily through the courtyard of the Ministry of Justice, heading towards the main gate.

As a result, they had just arrived at the gate and hadn't even taken a single step out when they ran into Liu Shuyi, who had just arrived.

And it was at this encounter that... the surging momentum of Mu Ping and the others, like a flood, was instantly blocked in place as if it had encountered an indestructible rock, and then quickly fell back.

Despite the fact that Mu Ping and the others were all important officials in the past, each of whom was of a higher rank than Liu Shuyi, and even some of whom were of higher rank and status than Liu Shuyi now, when Liu Shuyi stood in front of them, they did not ignore him as if he were an insurmountable chasm. Not one of them could take another step forward.

Seeing this scene, Zhao Feng felt as if his blood was boiling, and his nose couldn't help but sting.

Doctor Liu is finally back!

That's great! As long as Doctor Liu comes back, even the biggest problems can be solved!

"Physician Liu has finally decided to come back! I thought he had forgotten about us because he thought we were easy to bully!"

Mu Ping hadn't expected to run into Liu Shuyi here. After a slight surprise, he snorted coldly and spoke sarcastically.

Liu Shuyi was not angry at Mu Ping's sarcasm. He simply cupped his hands and smiled lightly, "The case was difficult to investigate, which delayed things for a while. I apologize for neglecting my colleagues."

"However, the situation of the case is now basically clear, and I know the truth of the case, so this time has not been wasted."

"What?" Mu Ping and the others were all shocked when they heard Liu Shuyi's words.

"You've already uncovered the truth behind the salary fraud case?" Mu Ping was somewhat incredulous; how long had it been?

All in all, it's less than a day. In such a short time, even if Liu Shuyi is incredibly capable, it's impossible for him to uncover the case that happened four years ago, in which all those who knew about it were killed or exiled.

He felt that Liu Shuyi was deceiving them, but Liu Shuyi's expression was very calm and he had a good reputation, which made Mu Ping hesitate and not dare to be sure of Liu Shuyi's background.

The others shared the same thought as Mu Ping, and were all surprised and skeptical of Liu Shuyi's words.

Wei Qian, with his refined and scholarly demeanor, glanced at her and stepped forward with a smile, saying, "Doctor Liu, you're finally back. If you hadn't returned, I wouldn't have been able to persuade them."

Advise? What did you advise?

Zhao Feng couldn't help but grumble inwardly as he listened to Wei Qian's words, but Wei Qian was, after all, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, so he dared not contradict him to his face.

Liu Shuyi, seemingly unaware of the specifics, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Vice Minister Wei." Wei Qian smiled and shook his head, "We're all colleagues in the Ministry of Justice, no need to be so formal..."

As he spoke, he stepped forward and lowered his voice, saying, "Doctor Mu and the others are very dissatisfied with your delayed arrival. Have you really found out the truth? If it's false, I'm afraid things will get very troublesome later."

Liu Shuyi's heart stirred slightly, and he said with a smile, "Minister Wei, don't worry, the situation won't get any worse."

After saying that, without waiting for Wei Qian to ask any further questions, he walked directly to the main hall and said, "Please don't stand here, everyone. Please come into the main hall and let's have a good talk about the matter of the salary case."

Seeing this, Mu Ping and the others exchanged glances. Now that Liu Shuyi had returned, their reason for leaving no longer existed. Moreover, they wanted to know what Liu Shuyi had found out. After pondering for a moment, they all nodded and followed Liu Shuyi back to the main hall.

As soon as he entered the hall, Mu Ping couldn't wait to speak, asking, "What is the truth behind the silver coin case that Physician Liu has investigated?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Qian and the others immediately looked intently at Liu Shuyi.

Even officials from the Ministry of Revenue, including Deng Chengren, showed curiosity. Although the silver tael case was unrelated to their Ministry of Revenue, it was, after all, the biggest case of the Wude era. They were still very curious to know what the results of the reinvestigation would be and whether they would be the same as the original results.

Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Liu Shuyi didn't delay.

After he sat down, he took the water glass that Zhao Feng handed him, gently swirled the glass, and said, "Before I reveal the truth I have discovered, I have two questions for you all."

"What?" Mu Ping was somewhat annoyed by Liu Shuyi's suspense.

Liu Shuyi took a sip of water and said slowly, "The first thing is, Doctor Mu, after you arrived at the Ministry of Justice, did you go to see Vice Minister Wu?"

Mu Ping frowned: "Hearing that Wu Zhongcheng suddenly fell ill, considering our past cooperation, it is only right that I go to visit him... What? Doctor Liu wouldn't even interfere with our little bit of freedom, would he?"

Liu Shuyi smiled and shook his head: "Doctor Mu is overthinking it. I just wanted to know if you went to visit Wu Zhongcheng. I wonder if Wu Zhongcheng was happy to see you?"

Mu Ping thought about Wu Chenyang's situation at the time and said, "Although Wu Zhongcheng could not speak or move, he was clearly conscious. When he saw us, he even shed tears, which was obviously tears of joy."

"Tears of joy?"

Upon hearing this, Du Gou and Du Ying, who had entered the hall with Liu Shuyi, couldn't help but twitch at the corner of their eyes.

Think about what Liu Shuyi instructed Du Ying to do to Wu Chenyang...

Crying with joy?

They couldn't help but look at Mu Ping, never expecting him to be such an optimistic person.

"I never expected that Wu Zhongcheng would be so happy to see Doctor Mu that he shed tears. It seems that Doctor Mu and Wu Zhongcheng have a very good relationship. It's truly an enviable friendship," Liu Shuyi said with a serious expression.

Mu Ping neither confirmed nor denied this. Maintaining a good relationship with the second-in-command of the Censorate was one of the reasons why he was still able to maintain a certain level of power after being marginalized by Li Shimin.

Seeing that Mu Ping was still very proud of this, Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "Wu Zhongcheng was also an important investigator in the silver coin case. How could he be absent when telling the truth about the silver coin case? Someone, please invite Wu Zhongcheng over."

Mu Ping frowned: "Wu Zhongcheng is so ill, why bother him?"

Liu Shuyi smiled meaningfully and said, "Doctor Mu, rest assured. Miss Du, a disciple of the Medicine King Sun Simiao, is here. She examined Wu Zhongcheng's illness before and said that there is a special medicine that can cure the disease quickly and make Wu Zhongcheng recover rapidly... She came with me this time specifically to retrieve the medicine. As soon as Wu Zhongcheng arrives, he will be cured. I will definitely not let anything happen to Wu Zhongcheng."

Upon hearing this, everyone subconsciously looked at Du Ying, who stood beside Liu Shuyi with a cool and aloof demeanor.

Du Ying, as cold as an iceberg, never smiled at anyone, but nodded slightly at Liu Shuyi's words, saying sparingly, "Yes."

Putting aside the fact that Du Ying was Sun Simiao's disciple, her identity as Du Ruhui's daughter alone made people dare not express any doubt about Du Ying.

Mu Ping naturally did not want to offend Du Ying over such a trivial matter, and thus create conflict with Du Ruhui, so he did not object further.

Liu Shuyi smiled and continued, "The second thing..."

His gaze swept over everyone in the room, and his tone finally became serious: "Then I would like to ask you all, what do you think is more important for officials: the impartiality and incorruptibility that our Three Judicial Offices have always pursued, and the innocence of wrongful convictions? Or... personal interests and one's own official position?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone in the audience was shocked.

Mu Ping and the others seemed to have thought of something, and their expressions changed slightly.

"What does Doctor Liu mean by that?" Mu Ping stared intently at Liu Shuyi.

Dai Fei, Wei Qian, and the others also stared intently at Liu Shuyi.

Meanwhile, Xue Ming and the other officials from the Ministry of Revenue exchanged glances, all sensing an unusual atmosphere...

Liu Shuyi said, "I have recently encountered some issues that I am puzzled by, which is why I asked this question."

Mu Ping looked intently at Liu Shuyi and then said, "I was once the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, responsible for convicting all major cases in the Tang Dynasty. Naturally, I pursued fairness and impartiality. Under my leadership, there has never been a wrongful conviction!"

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly, then looked at Dai Fei, who was dressed in hemp clothing, tanned dark by the sun, and whose entire body no longer bore any resemblance to the Minister of Justice, but rather resembled an ordinary old farmer.

Dai Fei looked on with a look of reminiscence and said, "When my mother passed away, I was about to resign from my post and return home to observe mourning for her. Fortunately, His Majesty was kind enough to allow me to observe mourning first and then return to the court... His Majesty trusted me and the Emperor Emeritus valued me. I have no way to repay him except to uphold my principles, devote myself wholeheartedly, and vow to make the laws of the Tang Dynasty clear and just and not to create any wrongful cases."

“Dai Gong is right.”

Wei Qian continued, "I am highly regarded by the Emperor Emeritus and His Majesty and hold an important position in the Ministry of Justice. I only regret that I do not have three heads and six arms, so that I cannot serve His Majesty day and night. I can only remind myself at all times to safeguard the prestige of the Ministry of Justice for His Majesty and to make all the people and officials in the world trust the Ministry of Justice. To achieve this, we must adhere to the bottom line, not be afraid of the powerful and wealthy, and not be tempted by profit."

Listening to the three men's words, Liu Shuyi couldn't help but clap his hands and exclaim, "The spirit and character of you superiors are truly worthy of my emulation."

Mu Ping snorted coldly, "We've been in the Three Departments for much longer than you, and the cases we've investigated far surpass what you can even dream of. You should naturally humbly learn from us."

"But none of that matters now. We've finished our rambling. Now, tell us what you've found out about the salary case, shall we?"

Liu Shuyi laughed and said, "No rush, we can talk about it when Wu Zhongcheng arrives. Otherwise, I would have to explain it to him again."

As soon as he finished speaking, the guards carried in Wu Chenyang, the Imperial Censor and Pei Ji's student.

As soon as Wu Chenyang entered the lobby, he saw Mu Ping and the others, as well as Liu Shuyi who was smiling at him. This made him realize something, and his eyes widened immediately. He wanted to remind Mu Ping and the others, but because he couldn't speak, he couldn't do anything.

He could only repeatedly signal to Mu Ping and the others with his eyes.

But Mu Ping and the others didn't understand Wu Chenyang's meaning at all; they just thought that Wu Chenyang was making a tacit eye contact with them.

They gave Wu Chenyang reassuring looks, signaling him to remain calm and not panic, especially since he was unsure of what Liu Shuyi had found out and to what extent.

Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes as he saw Wu Chenyang and Mu Ping exchange glances, then looked at Du Ying and said, "Miss Du, please treat Wu Zhongcheng."

Du Ying nodded slightly. Without saying a word, she went straight to Wu Chenyang.

When Wu Chenyang saw Du Ying, his pupils trembled violently as if he had thought of something terrible.

He wanted to say something, to get away from this terrifying woman, but he couldn't move his body, couldn't speak, and couldn't do anything.

He could only let Du Ying tap his acupoints a few times while stuffing an unknown pill into his mouth.

"No...don't hurt me..."

Wu Chenyang shook his head in panic, then suddenly froze.

"Huh? I can talk now!?"

"I can move again?"

"I've really recovered!?"

Wu Chenyang's eyes widened, not expecting that Du Ying wasn't trying to torture him this time.

Mu Ping and the others were also shocked when they saw this.

Although Liu Shuyi had just said that Du Ying could cure Wu Chenyang, they had all seen Wu Chenyang's condition, which was no different from being paralyzed. In their eyes, this disease was incurable, and he would never be able to get out of bed for the rest of his life... But who would have thought that Du Ying would actually cure Wu Chenyang as Liu Shuyi had said, with just one treatment.

Look at Wu Chenyang now, he can talk and move around, just like a normal person.

"Amazing!" someone couldn't help but exclaim.

Mu Ping looked at Wu Chenyang and asked, "Minister Wu, how are you feeling? Have you really recovered?"

Wu Chenyang carefully examined the area and nodded, saying, "There are no problems at all."

Suddenly, he paused, as if realizing something, and quickly looked at Mu Ping and the others, saying urgently, "We've been exposed! Liu Shuyi knows everything! He brought us here not to get our cooperation, but to wipe us all out!"

"What!?"

Wu Chenyang's words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, causing Mu Ping's brain to buzz.

Dai Fei and Wei Qian also turned their heads sharply, their expressions changing drastically as they looked at Liu Shuyi.

Then, they saw Liu Shuyi put down his water glass, his dark eyes sweeping over them, and he calmly said, "Dr. Mu just said that I should humbly learn from you all... So, is it to learn your hypocrisy of saying one thing to your face and another behind your back?"

(End of this chapter)