The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 5 Du Ruhui's Expectations!

Although Li Shimin ordered Pei Ji, Du Ruhui, and Wei Zheng to jointly lead the investigation, Du Ruhui, as Li Shimin's trusted minister, held a higher position than the other two.

Therefore, once Du Ruhui agreed to Liu Shuyi's request, even if Pei Ji was unwilling, he could no longer object.

After all, if they were to oppose it again, it wouldn't be targeting Liu Shuyi, but rather going against Du Ruhui.

"Since Minister Du is willing to give you a chance, then I will give you three days."

Pei Ji stared at Liu Shuyi with the same expression he used when interrogating a prisoner in court, his voice cold and full of the authority of a superior.

"If you still cannot hand over the murderer by this time three days from now, I will personally come to arrest you and bring you to justice!"

"At that time..."

He glanced at Du Ruhui and Wei Zheng and said, "No one can save you!"

After saying that, Pei Ji turned around and strode away from the dilapidated courtyard that he found extremely shabby.

Du Ruhui looked at Pei Ji's unwavering back, his gaze deepening slightly.

How could he not understand that Pei Ji's last words were addressed to him?

Pei Ji was reminding himself that he was giving Liu Shuyi face now and not making things difficult for him, so he should be just as sensible when Liu Shuyi was dealt with three days later.

That's quite a fair exchange...

Du Ruhui narrowed his eyes, then looked away and focused his gaze back on Liu Shuyi.

As the sun rose, its rays came from the east and fell upon Liu Shuyi, as if draping him in a magnificent crimson official robe.

Even with the most critical eye, Liu Shuyi's response was flawless. He couldn't help but wonder if he could handle the same crisis as Liu Shuyi.

The answer seems to be no.

This was an outstanding person whom even he himself had misjudged, so he was really looking forward to seeing what the outcome would be in three days.

“Since the disappearance of Prince Xi’s body and the murder of Zhao Ci and others are two separate cases, we cannot devote all our time and energy to the same case. Therefore, I will not accompany you to investigate the case of the murder of Zhao Ci and others.”

Du Ruhui spoke slowly, his voice still very gentle.

"I will arrange for two people to assist you. You can just focus on your investigation without worrying about their official positions or ranks. Just remember one thing..."

Du Ruhui looked at him, his tone calm but filled with an undeniable force: "You are a member of my Ministry of Justice, and I have your backing. I have authorized you to investigate cases on my behalf. Anyone who resists or shirks responsibility is going against me! I will personally settle accounts with them!"

"so……"

He raised his hand, patted Liu Shuyi on the shoulder, and said, "Investigate thoroughly! Don't let my lifelong reputation be ruined by you. I don't want to become a laughing stock in three days."

Hearing Du Ruhui's words, even Liu Shuyi, who had lived two lives, felt a sense of comfort.

He grew increasingly fond of Du Ruhui.

He nodded emphatically: "I will prove that Master Du did not trust the wrong person."

"it is good!"

Du Ruhui laughed heartily: "We, the people of the Ministry of Justice, should have this kind of confidence!"

With that, he turned around and looked at the crowd behind him, saying, "Cheng Chumo, Du Gou, come here!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two figures stepped out.

The man on the left is about twenty years old, wearing a green official robe. He is tall and slender, with a gentle and scholarly demeanor.

The man on the right was around twenty years old, wearing black armor and carrying two huge battle axes on his back. He was burly and had a dark face, resembling a combination of Bao Zheng and Zhang Fei.

Du Ruhui introduced the two men: "Cheng Chumo, Left Assistant General of the Golden Guard, and my son Du Gou, Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. They will assist you in the investigation. If you need anything, just tell them."

Upon hearing Du Ruhui's words, Du Gou, with his refined and gentle demeanor, looked at Liu Shuyi with clear and bright eyes, cupped his hands, and said, "Master Liu is quick-witted and insightful. I greatly admire him."

"You flatter me, you flatter me. I'm just lucky," Liu Shuyi quickly returned the greeting.

The burly, dark-skinned Cheng Chumo also casually cupped his hands in greeting. With his movement, the axes behind him clashed together, producing a crisp sound. "Really just lucky? Can you find the murderer then? If you can't, aren't you doomed?"

Are all military generals so stubborn and inflexible?

Liu Shuyi's eyelids twitched, but he still smiled and returned the greeting: "In order to survive, I will do everything in my power to find the murderer."

Looking at the two men before him, one a scholar and the other a warrior, both of noble status, Liu Shuyi began to understand Du Ruhui's intention in arranging them.

On the one hand, Du Gou and Cheng Chumo are of noble status, and with them by his side, he doesn't need to worry about ordinary officials deliberately making things difficult for him.

On the other hand, their identities also mean they cannot be bribed by him, so with them watching him, he doesn't have to worry about them taking the opportunity of investigating the case to secretly escape.

Du Ruhui considered everything very thoroughly, leaving no loopholes.

"All right."

After the group finished exchanging pleasantries, Du Ruhui didn't linger any longer and said to Liu Shuyi, "Time is of the essence, so I won't delay your investigation any longer. Remember, you only have three days. I can tolerate you for even a quarter of an hour more, but Pei Sikong cannot. This is the most time I can buy for you, so hurry up!"

Liu Shuyi replied solemnly, "This humble official understands."

Du Ruhui nodded, said nothing more, exchanged a glance with Wei Zheng, and then left with Wei Zheng without any further entanglement.

Soon, the crowded courtyard quickly became spacious.

As Wan'er watched the dark mass of people leaving, recalling their aggressive arrival, she felt momentarily dazed.

She never expected that the young master would actually survive this ordeal.

Moreover, he has also secured the opportunity to investigate the case and make meritorious contributions. Once the young master really solves the case, and leaves such a good impression on Du Ruhui, will he still have the opportunity to be promoted in the future?

It can be said that the young master not only weathered the immediate crisis, but also brought a glimmer of hope for his future...

Was the young master really hiding his true abilities all along?
Is this the young master as he truly is?
Wan'er stared blankly at the tall and handsome man before her, her bright, watery eyes filled with a sense of bewilderment.

Feeling the pretty maid's scrutiny, Liu Shuyi knew how different his current behavior was from that of the original owner.

But in a critical moment, he didn't care about ruining his public image.

He raised his hand and gently rubbed Wan'er's head, saying with a smile, "You must have been frightened. You're alright now, go and get some rest."

Although Wan'er's origins were still unknown to him, and she happened to appear at the exact time his brother mysteriously disappeared... just because Wan'er had taken the initiative to shield him from danger and protect him, he couldn't harbor any resentment towards her.

Feeling the warmth from the hands on her head, Wan'er's pretty face flushed slightly. She asked with concern, "Then, young master?"

"Of course I have to investigate the case. I only have three days, so I can't afford to slack off."

Liu Shuyi raised his eyes and looked at the bright sun hanging in the east. It is said that the moon of Qin and the pass of Han are the same. Even though the times are different, the sun and moon in the sky are always the same.

Even if I were to return to more than a thousand years ago, it seems I would still have to embark on that mysterious, dangerous, and exciting path of investigation.

He took a deep breath, and without further delay, looked directly at Du Gou and Cheng Chumo in front of him and said, "Let's go."

"Where to?" Cheng Chumo asked curiously.

The gentle and refined Du Gou also looked at Liu Shuyi.

Then, a glint of light flashed in Liu Shuyi's dark eyes. At that moment, he seemed to overlap with his past self.

A sharp mind is working at full speed.

"The case file containing Han Du and the other three is a case from the Ministry of Revenue."

"The first person to die was Han Du, who was also an official of the Ministry of Revenue, and he died in the Ministry of Revenue."

"Therefore, the Ministry of Revenue... definitely has some kind of connection with the murderer!"

"Investigating people is worse than investigating ghosts."

"We're going to the Ministry of Revenue to check on people!"

(End of this chapter)