The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 69 Changsun Wuji's promise: Please ask Liu Yuanwailang for help!
Upon hearing Zhao Feng's words, Liu Shuyi quickly entered the room.

Then they saw Lu Yangyuan, who had been unconscious, sitting against the headboard on the bed.

His face was slightly pale, but his spirits were still quite good. Hearing footsteps, he turned around and saw Liu Shuyi. He was only slightly taken aback before guessing Liu Shuyi's identity. He was about to stand up and pay his respects when he said, "Greetings, Assistant Minister Liu..."

"You're not feeling well, no need for such formalities."

Liu Shuyi took two quick steps and stopped Lu Yangyuan.

Lu Yangyuan looked at Liu Shuyi with gratitude and said, "I have heard from Zhao Lingshi about what happened these past two days. I know that Liu Yuanwailang saved me from the brink of death twice. If it weren't for Liu Yuanwailang, I might have died a miserable death long ago."

"I have nothing to repay Master Liu with but this strength and this worthless life. If Master Liu does not find it offensive, I am willing to serve you like a dog or a horse in the future!"

Liu Shuyi could tell that Lu Yangyuan's words were all from the heart, without the slightest hypocrisy or pretense, which made him glance at Zhao Feng.

Before he could even have a proper conversation with Lu Yangyuan, he immediately started talking about repaying kindness, and in such a subservient way. He absolutely refused to believe that Zhao Feng wasn't behind it.

It must have been Zhao Feng who said many good things about him...

He might even have told Lu Yangyuan how he had been promoted beyond his rank and received a noble title, making Lu Yangyuan believe that his future was limitless and that following him was far more promising than his lowly eighth-rank military officer position, whose future seemed predictable...

Otherwise, even if Lu Yangyuan were grateful, he wouldn't have so eagerly expressed his desire to follow him and repay him before he had even said anything.

When Zhao Feng saw Liu Shuyi looking at him, he knew that Liu Shuyi had guessed what he had done. He immediately felt a little flustered, not knowing whether what he had done was right or wrong.

Liu Shuyi noticed Zhao Feng's worry, nodded to Zhao Feng, and then looked at Lu Yangyuan again, smiling, "I am a colleague of Deputy Lieutenant Lu. Seeing that Deputy Lieutenant Lu was in danger, it was only natural that I should help him. Deputy Lieutenant Lu does not need to think about repaying me for this."

"but……"

He then changed the subject, saying, "I have only been promoted for a short time and am indeed lacking some capable assistants. If Deputy Lieutenant Lu is willing to come to the Ministry of Justice to assist me, I would be more than happy to do so."

He currently lacks a bodyguard to protect him, and with the number of enemies increasing, he must begin to consider his own safety.

If the master behind Pei Ji and Miao Yin'er were to send assassins to deal with him, he might not be able to fight them off given his current physical condition.

So he had actually been looking for a bodyguard for a long time, but had not yet found a suitable person.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Feng solved the problem for him.

Lu Yangyuan was able to make meritorious contributions on the battlefield and was even granted the title of eighth-rank military officer, so his own abilities were definitely not bad.

I have saved his life twice, and I owe him a debt of gratitude that is as heavy as a mountain. I don’t need to worry about his loyalty.

Furthermore, I have investigated his background; he has a clean background, a respectable family history, upright character, and possesses the straightforwardness and frankness of a martial artist…

If I were to approach Du Ruhui and ask him for a position in the Ministry of Justice, he would be the most suitable candidate to be my bodyguard.

At first, Lu Yangyuan was somewhat disappointed when Liu Shuyi didn't ask him to repay the favor, thinking that Liu Shuyi didn't think much of him. But then Liu Shuyi changed his tone, and Lu Yangyuan understood what Liu Shuyi meant.

He quickly replied, "From now on, I will follow the lead of Assistant Minister Liu without hesitation. No matter if it means going through fire or water, I will not flinch."

Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "Vice Lieutenant Lu, you flatter us. We are just cooperating with each other and doing things for His Majesty."

"Yes, yes, it's all for His Majesty's loyalty." Lu Yangyuan nodded repeatedly.

Liu Shuyi smiled. At this moment, Zhao Feng brought him a low stool, and Liu Shuyi sat down.

He looked at Lu Yangyuan, who was now even more respectful to him, took a deep breath, and said, "Deputy Lieutenant Lu, let's get down to business now."

Since Zhao Feng had already explained the whole story to him, he knew what Liu Shuyi wanted to ask.

Before Liu Shuyi could ask, Lu Yangyuan said directly, "We haven't offended anyone, nor have we had any conflicts with anyone..."

Liu Shuyi frowned, not expecting this outcome.

Lu Yangyuan said, “Liu Yuanwailang is also aware of our situation. Although we are military officers with honorary titles and can receive some salary, it is only a small amount. We have no real power, and we don’t even need to show up at the yamen. We have no one above us to take care of us, so we will just live a mediocre life.”

"Therefore, in Chang'an, where high-ranking officials and nobles are everywhere, we dare not offend anyone, for fear that if we accidentally offend someone with a powerful background, our lives will be ruined."

"Therefore, we dare not offend even a lowly gatekeeper in the Ministry of War, let alone such a mysterious and terrifying big shot!"

After listening to Lu Yangyuan's words, Liu Shuyi pondered for a moment and said, "Is it possible that the other two offended someone you don't know... and the mastermind behind it all is actually targeting the other two, or one of them, and you were just caught in the crossfire?"

"This……"

Lu Yangyuan frowned and thought for a moment, then shook his head again: "Probably not."

“We often get together for drinks, and once we start drinking, we start talking non-stop and we’ll say anything. We’re best friends, and we don’t hide anything from each other. We basically say whatever comes to mind. If they accidentally offend someone, they would definitely tell me.”

"Moreover, the only place we can contact important figures is the Ministry of War. If we really offended someone or had a conflict with someone in the Ministry of War, it would be impossible to keep it a secret. It would have spread long ago."

"But I haven't heard anything about it, so the possibility that what Assistant Minister Liu said is unlikely."

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly.

Lu Yangyuan knew the other two better than he did, and Liu Shuyi trusted his judgment to a large extent.

"If you didn't offend the mastermind... then what else could it be? Did you learn some important secret of his? Is that why he wants to kill you to silence you?"

"An important secret?"

Lu Yangyuan looked bewildered: "I don't know any secrets..."

"Besides, we're either at home, at the Ministry of War, or out drinking every day. How could we possibly have access to any important secrets?"

Liu Shuyi frowned. The mastermind behind the scenes must have had a compelling reason for going to such lengths to kill them.

However, Lu Yangyuan and his men, being from military backgrounds, lacked sensitivity and were too rough around the edges. They probably didn't even realize that they had come into contact with some important secrets...

He thought for a moment and said, "Let's try a different approach."

"How about we change our approach?" Lu Yangyuan looked at Liu Shuyi with a puzzled expression.

Liu Shuyi said, "We'll use the method the mastermind used to kill you to deduce the truth..."

"You yourself said that you have no background, no one above you to take care of you, and your status and rank are not high. Under such circumstances, with the power of the mastermind behind the scenes, killing you would be as easy as turning his hand. He doesn't even need to do it himself. He can just arrange some assassins to take advantage of your drunkenness and easily take care of you."

"You don't have to worry about anyone paying attention to you or keeping an eye on your deaths."

Although it wasn't pleasant to hear, Lu Yangyuan knew it was the truth.

In Chang'an, a city teeming with powerful and influential people, these three minor officials with no real power were hardly any better than ants.

If someone dies, there might be an investigation, but if the authorities can't find any clues, they'll quickly treat it as a cold case and leave it unresolved.

"Therefore, the mastermind behind it all has too many simple and safe ways to get rid of you."

"But instead of using those methods, he went and used Bai Jinghong's help, deceiving him into letting Bai Jinghong deal with you..."

“Doing this will not only cause a lot of trouble, but once Bai Jinghong notices something amiss, his plan will fail completely, and it will also alert the enemy, making you aware of the danger…”

"It can be said that the method used by the mastermind was the most difficult of all the methods he could use, but he chose to use this method anyway..."

"Why?"

Liu Shuyi stroked his chin, pondering, and said, "Is it because if he takes action himself, he's afraid the authorities will investigate and find him?"

"But if he arranges assassins, even if we investigate, we'll only find the assassins and killers, not him..."

"That's out of the question..."

"So, could it be because of the motive?"

Suddenly, Liu Shuyi seemed to have thought of something, and abruptly raised his head to look at Lu Yangyuan: "That's right! The motive!"

"Uh... motive, what's wrong?" Lu Yangyuan didn't understand Liu Shuyi's meaning.

Liu Shuyi stared intently at him and said, "The mastermind behind this has completely deceived Bai Jinghong, so Bai Jinghong will believe that he killed you to avenge his parents..."

"In that case, even if the authorities eventually find out that he committed the crime, their perceived motive will be the same as Bai Jinghong's. Therefore, the authorities will not conduct a more detailed investigation into his motives for killing you..."

"Furthermore, Bai Jinghong's original plan was to announce your 'crimes' even if the authorities didn't catch him! In other words, regardless of whether the authorities solved the case or not, they would know that you were killed by Bai Jinghong in revenge, and they wouldn't investigate you to find a motive..."

"So, can we conclude from this that his purpose was the motive for the crime?"

"He went to great lengths to get Bai Jinghong to do it, just so the authorities would know his motive and therefore not investigate your past..."

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, Lu Yangyuan's pupils dilated involuntarily: "This...this..."

He felt that what Liu Shuyi said made perfect sense, and he couldn't find any reason to object.

Zhao Feng's heart skipped a beat, and he said, "So, all we need to do is investigate their past to find out the mastermind's purpose?"

Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered as he said, "Generally speaking, when we encounter a murder case, when investigating the motive, we mainly investigate what happened to the deceased recently..."

Therefore…

He looked at Lu Yangyuan and said, "Something must have happened to you recently, and if the authorities find out about it, they might take it to heart, and even think it's related to your murder..."

"Lieutenant Lu, are you sure you haven't had any conflicts with anyone? Have you really not encountered anything unusual recently?"

"This……"

Lu Yangyuan frowned, a thoughtful look flashing across his face. Suddenly, his eyes widened: "Could it be that matter?"

"What is it?" Liu Shuyi and Zhao Feng immediately stared intently at him.

Lu Yangyuan said, "We caught a thief stealing something, and we yelled at him, scaring him away... Could it be related to him? But he was just a petty thief, and we didn't even have a physical altercation with him. We just yelled. It's such a small matter. It shouldn't be the reason why this mysterious big shot wants to kill us, right?"

"thief?"

Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes and said, "Tell me in detail."

Lu Yangyuan recalled carefully for a while before saying, "More than half a month ago, one evening, the three of us agreed to have drinks together. We were on our way to the restaurant when I spotted a thief reaching into a man's waist to steal his purse."

"While I wouldn't say I'm a righteous villain, I naturally have to intervene since I've seen it."

"So I shouted, which startled the thief so much that he trembled. After I reminded him, the man realized that someone was trying to steal his purse. He quickly grabbed the thief's sleeve and shouted 'Stop thief!'"

"The thief was afraid of being caught, so he panicked and turned to run. In his haste, he tripped and fell flat on his face, but in the end, he still got away."

"However, as he fell in panic, a book fell off him, but he didn't bother to pick it up and ran away as fast as he could."

"That's the whole story. We didn't even fight the thief. No matter what, they shouldn't kill us over such a trivial matter, right?"

A thief might not kill someone just because they're stopped from stealing...

But... a book?

Liu Shuyi's gaze suddenly deepened, showing some concern.

Indeed, during this period, he received several pieces of news about books.

Miaoyin'er said that there is a book in Changsun Wuji's mansion that contains the secret of the whereabouts of the Imperial Seal of the State.

There was also a book in the box that my brother left for me two years ago.

Now, the word "book" is appearing again...

He thought for a moment and said, "That book ended up in your hands?"

How did Master Liu know?

Lu Yangyuan was somewhat surprised. He said, "Because the thief had already run away, no one wanted the book, so I picked it up and was thinking about whether to take it to the government."

"Didn't you send it?" Liu Shuyi asked.

"Yes."

Lu Yangyuan was a little embarrassed and said, "That book was very old. I took it to a bookstall and had the bookseller take a look. The bookseller said that the book was an ancient book, possibly even a unique copy, and priceless. He asked if I wanted to sell it, saying he was willing to pay a high price to buy it..."

"But I didn't sell it."

Zhao Feng said, "Is it because you think it was stolen by a thief, so you want to return it to the owner?"

Lu Yangyuan shook his head: "The thief has long since disappeared without a trace. He could not say where he stole it, so how could we find the owner? Moreover, if it is handed over to the yamen, it will probably end up in the hands of some official."

"so……"

He glanced at Liu Shuyi furtively, hesitated for a moment, and said, "We'll use it ourselves."

"Used it? How did you use it?" Zhao Feng asked curiously.

Lu Yangyuan said, "As you all know, we've been mediocre because no one above us cares about us. But we don't want to live like this. We want to climb higher."

"But our salaries are so low, and even if we ask around and pull strings, we don't have anything worthwhile to offer..."

"At that moment, a rare copy of the book fell from the sky... We all felt that this was a reward from heaven for our good deeds of driving away thieves."

Zhao Feng's eyes widened: "So, you gave that rare book as a gift?"

Lu Yangyuan, fearing that Liu Shuyi would dislike his opportunistic behavior, lowered his head, not daring to look at Liu Shuyi: "Yes."

"Who did you give it to?"

“We want official positions with real power, and the only one that can give us these is the Ministry of Personnel…”

Lu Yangyuan said, "Therefore, we used our connections to send this book to Changsun Chong, the eldest son of Changsun Wuji, the Minister of Personnel, who is fond of reading, hoping that he could put in a good word for us with Minister Changsun..."

"who!?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Shuyi felt as if a thunderbolt had instantly exploded in his ears.

He suddenly raised his head, staring intently at Lu Yangyuan, directly interrupting Lu Yangyuan's words.

Lu Yangyuan was taken aback by Liu Shuyi's strong reaction. He paused for a moment before asking in a daze, "What...what happened to Changsun Chong of Minister Changsun's family?"

Changsun Wuji!

Rare and unique ancient book!

In Changsun Wuji's residence, thanks to Lu Yangyuan and his companions, a rare and ancient book was acquired...

Miao Yin'er told herself that there was a book in Changsun Wuji's mansion that contained the secret of the whereabouts of the Imperial Seal of the State... Was it a coincidence?

Or are these two books the same one?
Miao Yin'er wants to find this book herself?

If so, does that ancient book contain the secret of the whereabouts of the Imperial Seal of the State, or some other secret?

How could a thief have stolen such a secret ancient book? Where did he steal it from?
If we can find this thief, could we find the original owner of the ancient book, and then follow the clues to uncover more secrets about the mastermind behind Miaoyin'er?

wrong!

Liu Shuyi frowned.

If this book is indeed the reason why the mastermind behind Miaoyin'er wanted to kill Lu Yangyuan and the others, then how did the mastermind know that the book would eventually fall into the hands of Lu Yangyuan and the other two?
It's likely that the mastermind behind this has already found the thief and then extracted information about Lu Yangyuan and the other two from the thief.

If that's the case... this scoundrel has probably already been silenced.

However, this doesn't mean the trail of the thief has ended...

If this thief has relatives or belongs to a thief organization, perhaps someone else knows clues about that ancient book.

Therefore, we can follow this clue and investigate. It would be best if we could find something, but he won't be disappointed if we don't.

Liu Shuyi took a deep breath to suppress the turmoil in his heart.

He looked at Lu Yangyuan and asked, "Have you even opened this book?"

Seeing that Liu Shuyi did not look at him with disdain or displeasure because he had given gifts to Changsun Chong, Lu Yangyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

He nodded quickly: "I just flipped through a few pages."

"What kind of book is that? What's inside?" Liu Shuyi pressed.

Lu Yangyuan scratched his head and said, "This humble general is a rough fellow and only knows a few words. That book should be a Taoist book. The specific content is very obscure and difficult to understand. This humble general did not understand it."

"As for the book title..."

He thought about it carefully, and it seemed to be something like, "Lian...Lian..."

"Lianshan?" Zhao Feng suddenly said from the side.

"Correct!"

Lu Yangyuan slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "It's 'Lianshan'!"

"Lianshan?"

Liu Shuyi did not recognize the book, nor did his predecessor have any related memories. He couldn't help but look at Zhao Feng.

Zhao Feng explained: "The Rites of Zhou says: The Grand Diviner is in charge of the three methods of change: the first is the Lianshan Yi, the second is the Guicang, and the third is the Zhou Yi. The Lianshan Yi is one of the classics of Taoism, but it has been lost for many years. I have only seen the corresponding records in other books and have never actually seen this book."

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly: "That does fit the theory of a unique ancient book. However, the Lianshan was completed very early, when bamboo slips were still in use. Therefore, this so-called unique ancient book should be a copy made by later generations."

Zhao Feng nodded: "Even so, there may only be one in the entire Tang Dynasty, so it can be considered priceless."

Liu Shuyi thought for a moment, then asked Lu Yangyuan, "When you were looking through this book, did you find anything unusual about it? Are there any handwriting marks on it?"

"abnormal……"

Lu Yangyuan shook his head: "I didn't find anything unusual about it. As for the ink marks in the notes, there are indeed some, but those should be annotations commonly used by scholars, right? I didn't pay too much attention to them."

There is ink and brush...

That means there's a possibility that someone might be using this ancient book to send messages.

However, this ancient book has now fallen into the hands of Changsun Chong, and may even have ended up in the hands of Changsun Wuji...

Even a powerful force like Miao Yin'er couldn't directly storm into Changsun Wuji's residence to search for him, so how could I possibly search for him?

Liu Shuyi frowned. He already knew what the mastermind was concerned about, but he couldn't find him... This feeling was really unpleasant.

Moreover, even if Lu Yangyuan and the other two couldn't understand it and didn't find any clues, the mastermind behind it still wanted to silence them. This shows how important the book was to the mastermind... Now that he knows the book is in Changsun Wuji's residence, he certainly won't do nothing.

Perhaps right now, they're already plotting how to acquire this book...

Once they take the book, it will be too late.

I must act quickly!

But... what should we do?
Should we go directly to Changsun Wuji's residence for a visit?
But he only met Changsun Wuji once yesterday in the Liangyi Hall, and they didn't even have a chance to speak. If he were to visit him so abruptly, would Changsun Wuji even see him? Would he suspect that he had ulterior motives?
"Master Liu..."

Just as Liu Shuyi was frowning in deep thought, a clerk suddenly strode in.

He said to Liu Shuyi, "Minister Changsun has arrived and says he wants to see Assistant Minister Liu."

"Who?"

Liu Shuyi was stunned for a moment, and even doubted whether he had misheard.

The clerk said, "Minister Sun, the Minister of Personnel, is currently with Minister Du. Minister Du instructed me to summon Assistant Minister Liu."

It really was Changsun Wuji!
Why is he at the Ministry of Justice?

Moreover, he specifically asked to see me by name.

Could it be that Li Shimin gave him a task yesterday that requires his help?
Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered. Regardless of why Changsun Wuji wanted to see him, this was an opportunity for him to get to know Changsun Wuji.

If we can establish a connection with Changsun Wuji this time, then it will be perfectly reasonable to visit him again in the future.

As for whether the ancient book "Lianshan" can be found in Changsun Wuji's residence, we can only wait and see.

Thinking of this, Liu Shuyi immediately looked at Lu Yangyuan and said, "Have someone send a message to your family first to put their minds at ease, and then you can recuperate at the Ministry of Justice."

"The mastermind behind this didn't eliminate you, but might still try to harm you. You're safest here."

Lu Yangyuan was well aware of his situation. Two life-or-death crises made him realize that only Liu Shuyi could save his life.

Therefore, he replied without hesitation, "I understand. I will recover as soon as possible and assist and protect Liu Yuanwailang."

Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "This matter is not urgent. You should rest first."

After saying that, he and Zhao Feng quickly left the room.

Stepping out of the room, Liu Shuyi said to Zhao Feng, "Arrange for someone to guard the door. No one is allowed to enter except for you and me. It's best to test any food for poison before sending it in."

Zhao Feng understood Lu Yangyuan's importance and nodded, saying, "Understood."

After doing all this, Liu Shuyi said to the clerk who had summoned him, "Let's go."

The two walked quickly toward Du Ruhui's office, and as they walked, he asked, "When did you arrive, Master Du?"

When he arrived at the Ministry of Justice, Du Ruhui had not yet come.

The clerk replied, "He arrived with Minister Changsun."

Did they come with Changsun Wuji?
It seems they came together after attending the court assembly.

As the Minister of Personnel, Changsun Wuji didn't rush to the Ministry of Personnel after the court assembly; instead, he came to the Ministry of Justice with Du Ruhui to find him...

It seems he's in a hurry to find his own business.

Moreover, there should be important things that require of oneself...

Otherwise, if Changsun Wuji, a high-ranking official with the title of Grand Master of the Three Departments and Minister of Personnel, wanted to see me, he could have simply sent someone to tell me to go and pay my respects to him. Why would he need to come to the Ministry of Justice in person?
Lost in thought, the two arrived outside Du Ruhui's office.

Liu Shuyi knocked lightly on the door twice and said, "Master Du."

"Come in," came Du Ruhui's gentle voice from inside the door.

Liu Shuyi pushed open the door and entered.

At first glance, I saw Changsun Wuji sitting next to Du Ruhui, his brows furrowed and his eyes bloodshot.

A thought struck him: when he saw Changsun Wuji at the Liangyi Hall yesterday, Changsun Wuji had a refined and elegant appearance, and his every move exuded the same wisdom and detachment as Du Ruhui.

But now, even his official robes were wrinkled, his usually composed face was now filled with worry, and the bloodshot in his eyes showed that he hadn't slept all night... What exactly happened to Changsun Wuji? Why was the change so drastic?
"Greetings to Minister Du, Minister Changsun..." Liu Shuyi greeted them one by one.

Du Ruhui waved his hand: "No need for formalities."

After Liu Shuyi straightened up, he glanced at Changsun Wuji and said, "Liu Shuyi, I have summoned you here because Minister Changsun has a matter that requires your help."

Liu Shuyi had already guessed, so he was not surprised to hear this. He looked at Changsun Wuji and said, "Minister Changsun, please tell me what you need me to do. As long as it is within my power, I will do my best."

Hearing Liu Shuyi's unwavering words, Changsun Wuji's tightly furrowed brows relaxed somewhat.

He looked at Liu Shuyi, sighed, and said, "My son, Changsun Chong, has gone missing."

Changsun Chong has gone missing!?

Liu Shuyi's brain went blank for a moment.

His first thought was... that the mastermind behind Miaoyin'er had made the move!
In order to obtain the ancient book "Lianshan", they kidnapped Changsun Chong!

But upon further reflection, it seemed somewhat unlike the original.

In order to avoid drawing attention to the ancient book "Lianshan", he was extremely cautious in dealing with the three minor figures, Lu Yangyuan, spending half a month of time and effort to set up this scheme...

At this time, how could they possibly take such a simple and brutal approach against someone like Changsun Chong, whose status and position were outstanding in Chang'an?

Wouldn't that directly draw everyone's attention?
Regardless of whether the secrets of the ancient book "Lianshan" will be exposed, if Changsun Wuji goes mad, he might search the entire city of Chang'an. At that point, perhaps all of their people will be exposed...

Miao Yin'er, the mastermind behind the scenes, is skilled at planning and prefers to achieve her goals quietly. Therefore, her kidnapping of Changsun Chong is significantly different from her previous actions and objectives.

But if it weren't for the master behind Miaoyin'er, who would dare to be so audacious as to attack Changsun Chong?
While pondering, Liu Shuyi asked, "When and how did your son disappear?"

Changsun Wuji said, "Last night at Hai hour, I returned to my residence, and my wife came looking for me, saying that my son had not yet returned home."

"My son serves as the Assistant Director of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs. Since the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs closes at 5 PM, it only takes a quarter of an hour to travel from the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs to my residence by horseback, and less than a quarter of an hour on foot."

"Therefore, my son has not returned home by 9 PM, and my wife is somewhat worried."

"I then sent someone to the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs to inquire, and learned that..."

He looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "Yesterday, due to the heavy workload at the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs, my son finished his shift late, around 7 PM."

“But even if he left the Imperial Clan Court at 7 p.m., according to the time calculation, he should have arrived at his residence much earlier.”

"My son is a filial son. If he has social engagements and needs to drink and dine with colleagues and friends late at night, he will always send someone to inform the family in advance so as not to worry us. But last night, he did not send anyone back to deliver the message. Moreover, the servant who went to the Imperial Clan Court to inquire said that when my son parted with his colleagues, he said that he was going back to the residence, not somewhere else."

Liu Shuyi frowned and said, "So, Minister Changsun believes that something unexpected happened to Vice Minister Changsun?"

"Yes."

Changsun Wuji said, "I know Chong'er very well. Others might forget to tell their families about something, but he would never do that."

"Therefore, I immediately sent people to inquire along the way to see if anyone had seen Chong'er."

"At the same time, we also sent people to investigate the places Chong'er used to frequent..."

"But the result..."

He shook his head, his expression grave: "There are no results."

"When I sent people to inquire, it was already curfew and there was no one on the road. My men could only knock on the doors of the houses along the way to ask, but they all went home early after dark and did not linger on the road, so they did not see Chong'er."

"As for the places Chong'er frequents, there is no trace of them."

Liu Shuyi also realized the predicament.

Changsun Wuji discovered it too late. After 9 PM, normal people would have already gone home and fallen asleep. Even if he went to investigate, the residents along the way might not be the same people who were on the street at 7 PM.

Since everyone is different, there will be no gain.

Changsun Chong is a grown man who frequently travels between the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs and his residence. He could probably navigate that road with his eyes closed. Moreover, the area along the way is a bustling part of Chang'an, and there should still be many pedestrians on the road at the hour of Xu (7-9 PM)...

In this situation, how could the thief have done it without alerting passersby and abducted Changsun Chong, a strong and healthy man?
Not to mention, Changsun Chong should still be riding a horse.

Kidnapping a person on horseback is far more difficult than kidnapping a person on foot.

If anything seemed amiss, Changsun Chong could simply spur his horse and run away, making it nearly impossible to catch him...

However, Changsun Chong mysteriously disappeared amidst all these improbable circumstances.

Liu Shuyi thought for a moment and said, "Did the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs exhibit any unusual behavior before he left the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs?"

Changsun Wuji understood Liu Shuyi's meaning and said, "I have also asked, and the officials of the Court of Imperial Clan Affairs all said there was nothing unusual."

"Moreover, Chong'er behaves normally at home and has not encountered any major difficulties or traumas... Therefore, he could not have run away from home and disappeared on his own."

Although Changsun Wuji was not good at investigating cases, he had experienced so many storms that he was shrewd, resourceful, and had thought of everything that could be thought of on the surface.

Therefore, after searching all night, he realized that he could not find Changsun Chong by himself, and that Changsun Chong's situation might become more and more dangerous as time went by. So he made a decisive decision to go directly to Liu Shuyi for help.

In his view, only if Liu Shuyi solves the mystery of Duting Post Station within three hours will he have a chance to find his son in the shortest possible time.

He looked at Liu Shuyi, took a deep breath, and said, "Master Liu, I beg you to help me find my son. If you can find my son, I, Changsun Wuji, will owe you a favor. In the future, if you need anything, just come to me, and as long as I can do it, I will not refuse."

Liu Shuyi never expected that Changsun Wuji would beg him in such a humble manner...

It seems that no matter how powerful or cunning Changsun Wuji appears to outsiders, he cannot change his status as a father, nor can he change his love for his children.

And Changsun Wuji's favors...

There's also the ancient book "Lianshan" that I need...

Liu Shuyi made his decision in a split second.

He stepped forward and said directly, "Minister Changsun, rest assured, this humble official will do his utmost to find Minister Changsun."

He took the case!

(End of this chapter)