The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 161: Case Closed! The Truth Revealed!
As Liu Shuyi finished speaking, the atmosphere in the Ministry of Justice's main hall became increasingly tense.

After Mu Ping moved away from Dai Fei, he stared intently at Dai Fei. He was the most familiar with Dai Fei and they had a very good relationship. Even though Dai Fei was in mourning and temporarily powerless, he would still visit Dai Fei every year to drink together. So he couldn't believe that his best friend was so insidious and had used him as a pawn to scheme against him!

He couldn't help but ask, "Minister Dai, is what Ren Xing said true? Was our choice of Feng Mu really your conspiracy? Did you deliberately distort our investigation and lead us down this path of no return?"

Wu Chenyang, who already had a fiery temper, directly demanded, "Dai Fei! Answer us!"

Xue Ming and other officials from the Ministry of Revenue exchanged glances and stared intently at Dai Fei. They also wanted to know the truth behind the salary case!

Wasn't it said that the salary was lost at the Ministry of Revenue? Then the person who stole the salary should be someone from the Ministry of Revenue, so why is Dai Fei involved?

Could Dai Fei be an accomplice of the thieves?!
All eyes were on Dai Fei, and Lu Yangyuan even drew his sword, watching Dai Fei warily to prevent him from resorting to desperate measures.

"Ugh."

Seeing the anger and vigilance of everyone who regarded him as their mortal enemy, Dai Fei, whose face was full of wrinkles, shook his head and sighed.

He looked at Ren Xing with a puzzled expression: "Ren Shaoqing, I was in the Ministry of Justice at the time, and you were in the Court of Judicial Review. We didn't have much contact. I shouldn't have offended you, right? Now I'm just an ordinary person with no power whatsoever, just a commoner guarding my mother's grave. Why would you frame me like this?"

"Just because I'm powerless and vulnerable now, do you think I'm easy to bully and that no one will help me, so you're framing me like this?"

Ren Xing frowned: "I didn't frame you, I'm telling the truth!"

"truth?"

Dai Fei's tone remained calm: "Feng Mu is dead, and there is no way to verify your words. Who can prove that you are telling the truth? In my opinion, it's probably because you were the one who suggested Feng Mu that you were afraid of taking the biggest responsibility, so you chose me as the scapegoat, hoping that I would bear the main responsibility."

"You—" Ren Xing didn't expect Dai Fei to be so good at arguing, and for a moment he couldn't think of any words to defend himself.

After all, Dai Fei was right. Only Feng Mu, himself, and Dai Fei knew about this. Now that Feng Mu was long dead, there was no way for him to prove his words.

He couldn't help but look at Liu Shuyi and said, "Doctor Liu, believe me, I'm not lying. It really was Dai Fei who altered the testimony."

Upon seeing this, Mu Ping and the others couldn't help but frown.

Ren Xing's behavior didn't seem fake, but Dai Fei's words weren't without reason either, leaving them unsure who was telling the truth.

They instinctively looked at Liu Shuyi, wondering how he would decide.

Then they discovered... Liu Shuyi, upon hearing their words, didn't even blink, and calmly said, "Minister Dai, is this interesting?"

"Do you really think your excuses can influence my judgment?"

"Or..." Liu Shuyi said with a half-smile, "are you deliberately stalling for time, thinking your accomplices will come to rescue you?"

Dai Fei frowned subconsciously as Liu Shuyi stared at him with eyes that seemed to see through everything.

Liu Shuyi said calmly, "Although Feng Mu is dead, the truth will not become impossible to verify just because he is dead."

"Now we know for certain that Feng Mu has nothing to do with the theft of the military pay. Since he has nothing to do with it, he has no reason to lie when he is interrogated. In other words, he will definitely tell us the truth about where he left Chang'an."

“Since he tells the truth, the statement that he ‘did not leave Chang’an’s city’s city must have been altered by someone.”

"And in the case file of the military pay..."

Liu Shuyi took out the case file of the salary payment, which he considered useless, from his pocket, slowly opened it, and then pointed to a certain place in the confession, saying, "It is written in black and white that the confession of the trail... was obtained by you during the interrogation."

"You can conceal whether Feng Mu's words are true or false, but you cannot conceal the fact that the confession was obtained through questioning..."

"All of this is enough to prove that it was you who altered Feng Mu's testimony... There is no point in making excuses."

Seeing that Liu Shuyi had shut down Dai Fei's sophistry with logic in just a few words, Ren Xing first nodded in admiration, then looked at Dai Fei with a sneer: "You really are insidious and cunning, but when you meet Doctor Liu, no matter how cunning you are, it's useless!"

The eyes of Mu Ping and the others turned completely cold.

They all agreed with Liu Shuyi's words and had no doubt that Dai Fei was the mastermind behind all of this.

"Dai Fei, we've been friends for over a decade! I never imagined you'd even betray me!" Mu Ping gritted his teeth.

Hearing his close friend's disgusted voice, Dai Fei trembled slightly and involuntarily closed his eyes tightly.

Liu Shuyi took in Dai Fei's reaction, his eyes flickering thoughtfully.

"Minister Dai, don't count on anyone coming to save you. First of all, this is the Ministry of Justice; no one would dare to be so audacious as to barge into the Ministry of Justice to rescue you, let alone..."

He squinted at Dai Fei, his gaze meaningful: "I think that your accomplices... might want to kill you more than save you! After all, they can even silence an important pawn like Zhao Chengyi for fear of him revealing secrets."

"As you said, you are now a powerless commoner. What qualifications do you think you have that make them risk their lives to save you instead of killing you?"

brush!
Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, Dai Fei suddenly opened his tightly closed eyes.

His usually calm and composed dark face now betrayed his surprise: "Who are you talking about? Zhao Chengyi!?"

Seeing Dai Fei's actions, a glint of light flashed in Liu Shuyi's eyes: "I forgot to mention that there is an entrance and exit in the underground space beneath the Ministry of Revenue's warehouse, and this entrance and exit is located in Zhao Chengyi's residence."

"So it's obvious..."

His gaze swept across Xue Ming and the others, and he said in a deep voice, "The silver treasury case was committed by the forces of Zhao Chengyi and Miao Yin'er! And I think I don't need to tell you what this force has done."

"Zhao Chengyi? Miaoyin'er?"

"It's this force!?"

The reaction of the officials in the Ministry of Revenue was even greater than that of Mu Ping and the others, after all, Zhao Chengyi was their colleague and they met with him every day before Liu Shuyi exposed his true colors.

"He was involved in the salary embezzlement case too!" Guan Qi couldn't help but say, "But wasn't he not involved in the embezzlement of salaries?"

Xue Ming's eyes flashed intensely: "Logically speaking, given his responsibilities, he should have participated, but he didn't... Could it be..."

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes fixed on Liu Shuyi: "Besides him, the Ministry of Revenue has other accomplices. And this person deliberately excluded Zhao Chengyi from the salary task in order to prevent Zhao Chengyi from being involved in the salary payment and to avoid being investigated by others?"

Liu Shuyi glanced at Xue Ming. As expected of someone who remained in the Ministry of Revenue after Li Shimin ascended the throne and held the second-highest position in the ministry, his thinking was indeed sharp.

However, he did not answer Xue Ming, but instead looked at Dai Fei again.

The Dai Fei of this moment was completely different from the calm and collected Dai Fei who seemed to have seen through the world at first.

His dark hands were clenched tightly, his brows furrowed so deeply they looked like they could trap a mosquito, his expression constantly shifting, and in the candlelight, his forehead even reflected light—that was the sweat dripping down his face.

Even when Ren Xing mentioned his name, even when he used logic to shut down Ren Xing's sophistry, he didn't break a sweat.

But now, after revealing Zhao Chengyi's name and influence, things have turned out like this...

"I see……"

Liu Shuyi suddenly understood.

He leaned back slightly and said slowly, "Minister Dai, you've already been exposed. You didn't really want to help them. You did these things out of necessity."

"If that's the case, what's the point of hiding it?"

"What!?" Mu Ping and the others were all astonished upon hearing this.

Mu Ping couldn't help but ask, "Doctor Liu, you said Dai Fei had no choice but to do it... Is that really true?"

Wu Chenyang, having been wronged by Dai Fei and now suffering such a fate, wished he could tear him apart and drink his blood. He didn't believe Liu Shuyi's words at all. He said coldly, "What do you mean by 'having no choice'? He's not Ren Xing, whose status and rank aren't high enough to force him to cooperate! With his position as Minister of Justice at the time, who could coerce him into doing such a treacherous and vicious thing! He's clearly in cahoots with Zhao Chengyi and the others. Liu Shuyi, stop making excuses for him!"

But no one paid any attention to Wu Chenyang.

Dai Fei listened to Liu Shuyi's words and just stared at Liu Shuyi in surprise.

Liu Shuyi met Dai Fei's gaze without flinching and continued, "Minister Dai, you should be aware of the ruthless methods of the forces behind Miaoyin'er."

"The night Zhao Chengyi was exposed, they silenced him! At the same time, they also brutally murdered Zhao Chengyi's only wife and child..."

"The people in this faction are all cold-blooded and ruthless. There's nothing they wouldn't do to keep their secrets!"

"So now that you've been exposed, it's not just you who will be seen as a thorn in their side; your family members are also likely being targeted by them."

"At this time, only the imperial court can help you and protect your family..."

“You are a smart person, and I think you should understand who your best choice is right now.”

The night wind blew into the hall, causing the candlelight to flicker violently. Dai Fei's heart, like the flickering candle flame, was restless.

He pursed his lips, his face, aged like that of an ordinary old farmer, constantly showing signs of struggle and contemplation.

After a while...

Dai Fei sighed deeply and remarked, "Truly, the student has surpassed the teacher."

"Although Doctor Liu is young, when it comes to winning people's hearts, he is far more capable than this old man."

"Although I know you said these things hoping I would speak... I can't deny that you hit me right where it hurts. My little grandson was just born, and I absolutely cannot let anything happen to him."

Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered slightly, and he said with a smile, "This isn't a psychological tactic, it's the truth."

Dai Fei thought for a moment and nodded, saying, "That's the truth. From the moment I was exposed, I really had no choice."

“Even Zhao Chengyi, one of their members, could be wiped out without a second thought… So, as an outsider who was coerced into working for them, they would certainly not let me go.”

really!

When Liu Shuyi mentioned Zhao Chengyi's name, he noticed that Dai Fei was very surprised, which made him realize that Dai Fei did not know that the silver coin case was the work of Zhao Chengyi's forces.

This made him begin to suspect that Dai Fei was not a member of Zhao Chengyi's faction, but rather, like Ren Xing, was forced to participate.

Later, he noticed that Dai Fei's expression changed noticeably after learning that Zhao Chengyi was also involved in the silver treasury case. His whole body tensed up, and he even broke out in a cold sweat... This was something that Dai Fei had never done even after his identity was exposed.

This made Liu Shuyi realize that Dai Fei must be worried or nervous about something. But what could make him more nervous than Dai Fei exposing himself?

Considering the well-known massacre of Zhao Chengyi's family and witnesses...

Liu Shuyi had a guess in his mind and guessed Dai Fei's weakness.

Then he used Zhao Chengyi's experience to test Dai Fei... and the result was exactly as he expected.

Dai Fei was hit where it hurt, and his mental defenses finally crumbled.

Liu Shuyi seized the opportunity and said directly, "Now, Minister Dai should be willing to tell you everything, right?"

Dai Fei's aged eyes were fixed on Liu Shuyi: "You really will protect my family?"

Liu Shuyi did not answer Dai Fei's question, but looked directly at Lu Yangyuan and said, "Deputy Lieutenant Lu, I'll trouble you again. You personally lead people to the Dai residence and bring Minister Dai's family to Chang'an City."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yangyuan did not hesitate at all. He cupped his hands and said, "This humble official will take care of it immediately."

After saying that, he sheathed his sword and strode away from the hall.

Liu Shuyi then looked at Dai Fei again and said with a smile, "Minister Dai, you can rest assured now, right?"

Dai Fei took a deep breath and exclaimed, "Doctor Liu is decisive and efficient. No wonder he has become so famous in such a short time. Now I understand why."

Liu Shuyi sent people to bring his family to Chang'an, partly to protect them from being silenced by Zhao Chengyi's forces, and partly to better control him. Dai Fei understood this and, in order to ensure his family's well-being, did not delay any longer.

He said, "That's right, I did indeed tamper with Feng Mu's confession."

"But this was not my intention; I was forced into it."

Liu Shuyi finally heard the most important information. He leaned forward slightly and asked, "Who coerced you? How did they coerce you? What did they make you do?"

Dai Fei replied, "I don't know who coerced me..."

"Don't know?" Liu Shuyi frowned.

Dai Fei nodded and said, "I remember it was the tenth day after the silver treasury case. At that time, we had already brought Feng Mu and others back to Chang'an for questioning, but no matter how we questioned or investigated, we did not get any useful clues."

"This makes me both exhausted and anxious. Although there are still twenty days left before the Emperor Emeritus gives us time, I am experienced and can deduce from the progress of these ten days that we will never be able to solve the silver coin case within twenty days! In fact, even if we have two more months, we will not be able to find the truth without any clues or leads."

“That morning, I dragged my exhausted body back to my room in the Ministry of Justice, thinking I'd get some sleep and recharge… But as soon as I got to my room, I found a letter on the table.” “A letter?” Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow.

Dai Fei said, "It was an unsigned letter. I opened it out of curiosity, and when I saw its contents, my heart sank, as if I had fallen into an ice cave."

A look of reminiscence crossed his face. Even though four years had passed, he still felt his hands and feet go cold when he thought about that day again.

He said, “The letter was short, containing only a few sentences—not wanting anyone to know that you were corrupt and abused your power to exonerate criminals, you came to see me alone at noon.”

Liu Shuyi stared at Dai Fei: "Corruption, abuse of power, and exonerating others?"

Even though his crimes in the silver treasury case were enough to condemn him to a death sentence, Dai Fei still felt ashamed when facing Liu Shuyi and hearing Liu Shuyi recount his crimes, which were insignificant compared to the silver treasury case.

He lowered his head, feeling his cheeks burning, and dared not continue to look Liu Shuyi in the eye.

“I made some mistakes when I worked in the Ministry of Justice in the past… but that’s not important.”

Dai Fei continued, "The important thing is that I did these things very discreetly, and even my colleagues in the Ministry of Justice did not notice. So when I saw the contents of this letter, I felt a chill run down my spine, and I had a terrifying feeling of being stared at by a poisonous snake."

"Moreover, the case of the salary payment was still unsolved at the time. If these things were to get out, I might not only be demoted, but I might also lose my official robes and even end up in jail."

Liu Shuyi said, "So you went to see the person who wrote the letter, just as it said?"

"Yes."

Dai Fei nodded: "I dare not gamble with my future and my life."

"Have you seen this person?" Liu Shuyi asked.

Dai Fei shook his head: "After I arrived in Xishi, I was having a headache about where to see him when someone bumped into me and slipped a note into my hand. When I opened the note, I saw the name of a restaurant written on it."

"I knew this person was secretly watching me and had asked me to meet him at this restaurant. I didn't dare to delay, so I went to the restaurant immediately."

"When I arrived at the restaurant, a waiter asked me if my surname was Dai. I said yes, and the waiter led me to a private room. But when I entered the private room..."

Dai Fei raised his head again, looked at Liu Shuyi, and said, "But I found that there was no one in the private room at all."

Guan Qi was taken aback: "No one? That person specifically led you to the private room, how come he wasn't waiting for you there? Did he watch you from behind the whole time and arrive later than you?"

Dai Fei shook his head again: "After me, no one else entered the private room."

He said, "At the time, I was also very confused. I didn't understand what it meant that this person led me here but didn't see me... Then, I heard a sound coming from next door."

next door?

Liu Shuyi's eyes flashed: "That person is hiding in another private room?"

“Yes!” Dai Fei nodded emphatically. He took a deep breath and said, “Just as Doctor Liu predicted, this person is extremely cautious and has never considered meeting me face to face.”

"In another room, he meticulously recounted the mistakes I had made... This terrified me, because I had always thought I was being very discreet, and even felt quite pleased with myself for it. I never imagined that someone would know everything I had done so clearly."

"When the man saw that he had frightened me, he threatened me, saying that I should change Feng Mu's testimony and do everything I could to make Feng Mu the thief in the silver case so that the silver case could be closed as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Du Gou quickly looked at Liu Shuyi.

Liu Shuyi had previously analyzed to Du Gou that stealing military pay was a heinous crime. As long as the case remained unresolved, Li Yuan would not stop investigating. Perhaps, in Li Yuan's rage, he might directly destroy everything related to the military pay... At that time, the secret beneath the Ministry of Revenue's treasury might be discovered.

Therefore, in order to ensure that no accidents occur, Zhao Chengyi's forces will likely try to find a scapegoat to bring the silver payment case to a swift conclusion...

Now, the facts are clear: everything is exactly as Liu Shuyi analyzed!
Liu Shuyi had already confirmed this deduction when he learned of Dai Fei's existence, so he was not surprised by this. He pondered Dai Fei's words for a moment and asked, "Has this person seen you again after the salary case?"

Dai Fei shook his head: "No, I only met him once. After that, he seemed to have vanished into thin air and never appeared again. If I didn't still have his letters and notes, I might have doubted whether all of this was a dream."

Liu Shuyi nodded. He had only appeared once, and even then, he hadn't actually met Dai Fei... This was enough to demonstrate his caution and confidence. He was confident that even if he only met Dai Fei once, he could completely control him.

"The content you altered was discovered by my brother..." Liu Shuyi then asked, "Did he choose my brother?"

Dai Fei frowned and said, "I guess so... Anyway, the issue of Feng Mu's whereabouts was something he specifically asked me to modify in that way. I even asked him what to do after the modification, and he said that someone would naturally discover the problem, and I just need to go with the flow."

Liu Shuyi stroked his chin. It seemed that this person had already chosen his elder brother as the discoverer long before making Feng Mu the scapegoat.

Why did he choose his elder brother?

At that time, Liu Shuzhong was not even a low-ranking official, so how could he be qualified to enter the sight of such an important person?

Liu Shuyi thought for a moment and continued, "So, you have absolutely no idea who this mysterious person is?"

“Yes.” Dai Fei nodded: “When this person spoke to me, his voice was very hoarse, which sounded a bit awkward. I suspect that he deliberately changed his voice to talk to me, just so I wouldn’t remember his voice.”

Liu Shuyi frowned. He hadn't seen Dai Fei's face, and his voice was disguised. Didn't that mean Dai Fei was completely unable to provide him with any help?

Then all my efforts to find Dai Fei would have been in vain.

Seeing Liu Shuyi frown, seemingly dissatisfied, Dai Fei's expression changed. Now, the lives of his entire family were in Liu Shuyi's hands, and he dared not offend Liu Shuyi at all.

"I just remembered something, I wonder if it will be of any use to Doctor Liu," Dai Fei suddenly said, as if he had thought of something.

Liu Shuyi looked at him, and Dai Fei quickly said, "He coughed a few times every now and then while we were talking."

"cough?"

Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered slightly: "What kind of cough? A cough deliberately meant to attract attention, or a pathological cough?"

"pathology!"

Dai Fei said, "It sounds like a cough from a cold, with phlegm in the voice. I remember having this kind of cough when I had a cold."

pathology?

That person was sick at the time!?
Liu Shuyi looked directly at Xue Ming and the others, and was about to speak when a guard outside the door said, "President Liu, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue requests an audience."

"Fu Wuwei?"

Liu Shuyi's heart skipped a beat. Before he left Zhao Chengyi's residence, he had asked Fu Wuwei to investigate some things for him. Now that Fu Wuwei had come... could it be that he had already found out?
"Please let him in," Liu Shuyi said quickly.

Soon, Fu Wuwei, dressed in official robes, entered the main hall.

Fu Wuwei had been standing upright, but when he saw Xue Ming and the others in the hall, his back bent unconsciously.

When he arrived in front of Liu Shuyi, his head was practically hanging down to his chest.

He never expected that important figures from the Three Departments, as well as Vice Minister Xue, would be here.

Liu Shuyi didn't give Fu Wuwei time to think, and said directly, "Doctor Fu, you've come here... is it because of the matter I asked you to investigate? Have you found anything?"

Fu Wuwei took a deep breath and said, "Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Guan Qi couldn't help but ask curiously, "Doctor Fu, what did Doctor Liu ask you to investigate?"

Fu Wuwei looked at Liu Shuyi, and seeing Liu Shuyi nod, he said, "Doctor Liu asked me to investigate two matters."

"The first thing is, before Zhao Chengyi bought the mansion at the exit of the secret passage, who was the owner of that mansion?"

"According to my investigation, the previous owner of that mansion was a wealthy merchant, and this merchant had a godfather who was a eunuch from the former Sui Dynasty. It is said that he was a trusted eunuch who served Emperor Wen of Sui."

Liu Shuyi suddenly realized, and he thought that such an important exit would not be handed over to just anyone by Emperor Wen of Sui... It was reasonable for it to be guarded by the adopted son of his trusted eunuch.

"Can you find out why this wealthy businessman sold his mansion to Zhao Chengyi? Where is the businessman currently located?" Liu Shuyi asked.

Fu Wuwei shook his head: "Four years have passed, and there's no way of knowing why the mansion was sold, and this wealthy businessman..."

He looked at Liu Shuyi: "He hasn't been back to Chang'an for many years, and I can't find any trace of him."

"Missing?" Liu Shuyi asked.

Fu Wuwei nodded: "Pretty much. Anyway, so far, I haven't found any information about him. According to the notice sent to him back then, he should have returned to Chang'an long ago, but he hasn't come back, and the government has no news about him either."

Were they silenced by Zhao Chengyi's forces?
Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes, not dwelling on it too much, and continued, "And the second thing?"

This matter is far more important than the first one.

Fu Wuwei said, "It has been investigated and confirmed."

He said, "Following what Doctor Liu said, I investigated who entered the warehouse during the three days after the funds left..."

"As a result, I found three people."

As he spoke, he looked at the officials from the Ministry of Revenue standing to the side and said, "These three are Vice Minister Xue, Assistant Minister Deng, and Minister Wen."

Upon hearing their names, Xue Ming and Deng Chengren's expressions changed. Although they didn't know why Liu Shuyi had asked Fu Wuwei to investigate this matter, there was no doubt that their names appearing was not a good thing.

Xue Ming said, "I went to the warehouse because a new batch of goods had arrived and needed to be stored there. I was just there to put them into storage."

Deng Chengren quickly added, "As the Director of the Ministry of Finance, I naturally need to lead people to clean the warehouse after the funds were transported away... I didn't do anything else unrelated."

Seeing the two men's eagerness to explain, Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "You two don't need to be nervous. Your presence in the warehouse doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong with you."

He looked at Fu Wuwei again: "Did anyone enter the warehouse alone without anyone else accompanying them?"

Fu Wuwei took a deep breath and said, "Minister Wen."

"It's him?"

Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes.

The reason he asked Fu Wuwei to investigate who had been to the warehouse was that as the mechanism in the warehouse wall was activated, a noticeable gap would inevitably be left in the wall.

When no one is paying attention, the gap will not be noticed. However, if news of the missing silver is reported and someone goes to the warehouse to investigate, the gap will be easily discovered, thus revealing that there is a secret passage in the warehouse.

Therefore, Zhao Chengyi's forces would inevitably need to repaint to hide the gaps.

However, the Ministry of Revenue's warehouse was heavily guarded and not outsiders could enter. Moreover, even if someone did enter, they would usually be accompanied by guards.

Therefore, to accomplish this, the person behind the scheme who orchestrated the payment scheme must personally go there and have a reasonable reason not to allow guards to accompany them.

"Do you know why Minister Wen didn't have any guards accompany him?" Liu Shuyi asked.

Fu Wuwei said, "The record book does not state the reason, but I asked the guards, and they did not remember clearly either. They said that it seemed that Minister Wen was ordered by the Emperor Emeritus to secretly inspect something in the storeroom, so they were not allowed to follow him."

By order of the Emperor Emeritus?

Judging from Miao Yin'er and Zhao Chengyi's caution and thorough planning, this is very likely true... As long as preparations are thorough and plans are made in advance, obtaining an insignificant imperial edict is not difficult.

Whether it's true or false is not important.

He also has important leads regarding Dai Fei.

Liu Shuyi looked directly at Xue Ming and the others and said, "I want to know, during the period when the military pay was lost, did your Minister of Revenue, Wen Jun, catch a cold? Did he have any cough symptoms?"

"This……"

Xue Ming and the others exchanged glances, all seeing shock and horror on each other's faces.

Now that things have come to this, they understand everything.

Seeing the reactions of Xue Ming and the others, Liu Shuyi already knew the answer without them needing to reply.

He let out a soft breath and said, "It seems things are quite clear now..."

"The salary case was a carefully planned and meticulously orchestrated conspiracy by Zhao Chengyi's forces, who had already found a scapegoat in advance."

"Its true mastermind..."

Liu Shuyi glanced at everyone, then looked at Xue Ming and the other officials from the Ministry of Revenue, and said, "This is the former Minister of Revenue, who has retired to his hometown... Lord Wen!"

(End of this chapter)