The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 79 The Truth Revealed! The Mastermind Was Actually Him!
Seeing that the two men in black were both distracted by Liu Shuyi and were in a daze, Cheng Chumo's eyes flashed and he immediately rushed over.

brush!
He moved with incredible speed, his massive body moving like a tiger charging forward.

Everyone only had time to catch a glimpse of a fleeting shadow before Cheng Chumo rushed in front of the two.

"not good!"

Only then did the two of them react.

Their instinct was to push the counterfeit goods toward Cheng Chumo in order to hinder his actions.

But to everyone's surprise, Cheng Chumo swayed and stomped his right foot on the ground, as if he had anticipated their reaction and easily avoided the imposter's obstruction.

Then, his fists, each the size of a sandbag, slammed down towards the two terrified men—

Boom!

Two loud, chilling sounds rang out as two men in black were struck in the face almost simultaneously, flying sideways as if hit by a charging bull.

With a bang, it crashed into the wall on one side.

Then it fell straight to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

A piercing scream immediately followed.

Before they could make any further moves, Cheng Chumo had already arrived.

His feet, as hard as stone, suddenly kicked out...

Then came two more loud bangs.

The two men were shot out like cannonballs from the waist and abdomen, crashing into the wall again and falling down once more.

This time, however, they could no longer struggle; they could only hunch over, spitting blood and convulsing all over.

"Tie them up!"

Seeing that the two were unable to resist, Cheng Chumo calmly gave orders to the Imperial Guards.

Only then did Zhao Feng and the others realize what was happening.

"Wow...that's amazing!" Zhao Feng couldn't help but exclaim.

This was the first time he had seen Cheng Chumo take such a serious approach.

Liu Shuyi nodded: "It's very impressive."

The move was swift and decisive, without any unnecessary actions.

No wonder he's a little devil personally trained by Cheng Yaojin.

Liu Shuyi was truly envious of that skill.

I wonder how skilled Lu Yangyuan is. If he is, then I can truly rest assured about my safety in the future.

Liu Shuyi said to Cheng Chumo, "Gag them, send them to the Ministry of Justice prison, and tell the jailers to keep them in separate cells to prevent them from colluding."

"I'll have a proper talk with them after I've dealt with things here."

Cheng Chumo immediately nodded: "Okay!"

With that, he waved his hand, ordering the Imperial Guards to carry the man away.

"Save me, I don't want to die..."

At this moment, the imposter Changsun Chong knelt on the ground, clutching his bleeding neck, and begged Liu Shuyi for help.

Liu Shuyi thought for a moment and looked at Du Ying.

Without him saying a word, Du Ying understood what Liu Shuyi meant.

She approached the imposter Changsun Chong, squatted down, examined him carefully, and said, "It's just a superficial wound. Once the bleeding stops, he won't die."

Hearing Du Ying's words, the imposter Changsun Chong finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Then he said to Liu Shuyi, "Master Liu, I am not with them. I was forced. You must believe me."

"I believe you?"

Liu Shuyi nodded slowly: "Okay, tell me where the real Changsun Temple Assistant is being held."

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, everyone immediately looked at the imposter Changsun Chong.

But to everyone's surprise, he shook his head: "I don't know. They didn't tell me. They just told me to impersonate Changsun Chong and said that as long as I could deceive you, they would give me endless wealth... Other than that, they didn't say anything."

Liu Shuyi frowned.

"Although I don't know, he must know..."

Seeing Liu Shuyi frown, the imposter Changsun Chong felt a pang of anxiety. He quickly raised his hand and pointed to the man in red who had been severely injured by the man in black and kicked off the carriage. He said, "He is the leader of the theater. He is the one who brought me here. He must know where Changsun Chong is."

Upon hearing his words, everyone immediately looked at the man in red.

The man in red was sitting slumped against the wall, surrounded by blood and his face was deathly pale. He was being watched by two constables.

Liu Shuyi and the others came directly to his side.

"Where are you locking up the young master?"

Jia Ping grabbed the man by the collar of his bright red robe, his eyes filled with resentment: "Speak! Where exactly have you locked the young master up?"

"Ha ha……"

But to everyone's surprise, the man in red suddenly chuckled upon hearing this.

His throat seemed to be blocked with blood, and the sounds he made were very muffled.

"I won't tell you that you won't find him, that he'll starve to death, die of thirst, and you can just wait to collect his corpse, hahahaha..."

His voice wasn't loud; his injuries were so severe that he could no longer produce that piercing laugh he used to. Even so, his words struck like a heavy blow to everyone's hearts, causing their expressions to change.

"you……"

Jia Ping's eyes widened, his face extremely ugly: "You're asking for death!"

"court death?"

The man in red was deathly pale, barely breathing, yet he laughed wildly: "You were absolutely right. And I'm not just courting death, I'm about to really die..."

"I know my injuries, I'm not going to make it..."

"So, seeing you go through all that trouble and schemes, only to end in despair before I die, makes me very happy. It makes my life worthwhile!"

"And with someone of such high status as Changsun Chong accompanying me on the road to the underworld, I will not be alone!"

"I'm satisfied, I'm extremely satisfied, hahaha..."

He was clearly extremely weak; if you didn't listen carefully, you couldn't hear what he was saying...

But even such extreme weakness caused everyone's expression to change drastically.

Finding the hideout of the human trafficking operation is important, as is capturing the third-party forces that are detrimental to Changsun Chong. But no matter how important these things are, they cannot outweigh the safety of Changsun Chong!

It's important to know that their initial goal was to find Changsun Chong.

If they can't find Changsun Chong, and if Changsun Chong really starves or dies of thirst... then everything they've done before will be meaningless.

Let alone any reward for meritorious service, it would be considered Changsun Wuji's magnanimity if he didn't take his anger out on them.

"you!!"

Jia Ping was furious to the extreme; his hand, gripping the man in red's collar, trembled violently with rage.

But he didn't dare to actually do anything.

They didn't dare to actually kill the man in red.

Jia Ping turned to look at Liu Shuyi: "Master Liu, what... what should we do?"

The man in red looked at Liu Shuyi after hearing Jia Ping's words.

He ended up in this predicament entirely because of Liu Shuyi, so his gaze towards Liu Shuyi was filled with resentment and hatred.

He grinned, his mouth stretching all the way to his ears, looking eerie and sinister: "Liu Shuyi, I have to admit, you are indeed very capable, able to discover so many of our secrets and devise such a scheme to kill two birds with one stone..."

"But you didn't save Changsun Chong!"

"Then no matter how amazing your performance is, it will be meaningless."

"You've lost! You've lost to me! You won't be able to rescue Changsun Chong. Just wait and see what Changsun Wuji's wrath brings, hahaha..."

The man in red laughed softly, but to the ears of the crowd, it sounded even more jarring than the loud laughter in the theater.

Zhao Feng and the others couldn't help but look at Liu Shuyi with concern.

If the man in red really doesn't speak, and they really can't find Changsun Chong... then the trouble will be huge! The others might be fine, but Liu Shuyi, who is mainly in charge of this case, will definitely not get away with it so easily from Changsun Wuji.

The atmosphere became tense and oppressive once again.

But who knows...

Hearing the man in red's malicious words, Liu Shuyi's reaction was completely different from the others.

Instead of feeling nervous or worried, he sighed and shook his head with admiration: "You really are a qualified comrade. Even though you are about to die, you are still willing to use your last bit of strength to help your comrade turn the tide before you die. To be honest, I am a little envious of your comrade."

"What!?"

Everyone was stunned for a moment.

What is Liu Yuanwailang saying?
What makes a good partner?

What is it that, on the verge of death, one uses their last ounce of strength to help their companion turn the tide?
Why can't I understand it?

Wang Gui and the others couldn't help but look at the man in red, only to see that the man's expression froze the moment Liu Shuyi uttered those words.

His eyes widened as he stared at Liu Shuyi in disbelief. The intense emotional turmoil made his already pale face turn even paler.

"Cough cough cough..."

He suddenly coughed violently, his eyes fixed on Liu Shuyi: "You...you..."

Seeing the red-clad man's flustered reaction, Liu Shuyi calmly said, "You don't actually think that I can see through your disguise as an imposter, but not your companion's, do you?"

As he spoke, he turned his gaze to the butler, Jia Ping, who was still clutching the man in red by the collar, and slowly said, "Butler Jia, are you going to continue feigning anger? You..."

He squinted and said, "That must be his companion!"

hum!
Liu Shuyi's words were like an invisible hand pressing the mute button.

The once bustling alleyway fell silent in an instant.

The crowd stood there, stunned, their ears ringing and their minds blank.

What did they hear?
Liu Yuanwailang said... that Steward Jia was the man in red's companion?
How can this be?

How could he possibly be an accomplice of the man in red!?
Wang Gui and the others stared wide-eyed, and almost at the same moment, they all turned their incredulous gazes to Jia Ping.

Jia Ping was also taken aback at first, his whole body stiffening for a moment as if his pressure points had been frozen, but he quickly said with a bewildered look, "Master Liu, are you joking? This joke is not funny..."

"I have always been loyal to you, sir and young master. If word gets out that you're saying this, how am I supposed to live?"

"joke?"

Liu Shuyi listened to Jia Ping's words and simply shook his head: "Those who know me well know that I may joke around in normal times, but when it comes to cases, I am always the most serious and dedicated one."

Jia Ping's eyelids twitched violently.

Seeing this, Wang Gui couldn't hold back any longer: "Master Liu, what... what exactly is going on?"

"You're saying that Steward Jia is an accomplice of the thieves... Is that really true?"

Upon hearing this, everyone—from Du Gou and others who had been accompanying Liu Shuyi on the investigation, to Cheng Chumo and others who came to his aid, and even the guards at the Changsun residence—immediately turned their attention to Liu Shuyi.

Their minds were still buzzing, and they just wanted to know what was going on.

Is Jia Ping, the steward of the Changsun residence, really an accomplice of the thieves?

Liu Shuyi's gaze swept over the crowd, and without keeping them in suspense, he said calmly, "I wonder if any of you have thought about something..."

"What?" Wang Gui asked instinctively.

"When Changsun, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was about to leave his post, he told his colleagues that he was going back to his residence..."

"Given Changsun Temple Assistant's habit, if he is delayed and cannot return home in time, he will arrange for someone to notify his family so as not to worry them..."

“But…” Liu Shuyi shook his head and said, “The Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices did not do any of the things he should have done. Instead, at the intersection of Zhuque Street, he suddenly turned into Guanglu Lane, which he should not have entered.”

"Why? Why did he enter Guanglu Lane? And why did he cross Guanglu Lane and come to the Lin residence in the south?"

"This..." Everyone frowned.

They had certainly thought about this problem, but they hadn't figured it out.

"That might be a bit difficult to say, so let's try a different way of thinking..."

Seeing everyone frowning and silent, Liu Shuyi said, "He had no reason to deceive his colleagues, which means that his original plan was to really go home! And the fact that he did not inform his family in advance also means that he originally had no intention of changing his plan to go home. However, when he reached the intersection, he entered Guanglu Lane, which means that he changed his plan at the last minute."

"The fact that he changed his plans at the last minute means that he must have encountered something unexpected at the intersection, which led him to decide to change course and enter Guanglu Lane..."

"But you must know that the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices is a very intelligent man. It was already dark at the time, and he rarely entered the Guanglu Ward, so he wasn't very familiar with it. Moreover, he was all alone. All these factors combined meant danger. So why would someone as intelligent as him risk his life?"

"Not to mention that the intersection is not far from the gate of the imperial city. If he really felt there was danger, he could simply go back and call the Imperial Guards for protection, which would be perfectly timely."

"But... he didn't. He neither called for the Imperial Guards to protect him, nor, as was his custom, sent word to his family before changing the route to inform them that he would be returning late..."

Liu Shuyi looked at the crowd, guiding their thoughts, his voice neither fast nor slow: "Why do you all think he didn't do these things that we believe he should have done?"

"Or to put it another way, what happened to Changsun Sicheng at that intersection, or who did he meet, that made him feel safe to enter Guanglu Lane late at night, believing there would be no danger, while also feeling that he didn't need to notify his family and that his family wouldn't worry about him?"

"This……"

Upon hearing this, everyone felt that the fog before them seemed to have thinned out somewhat.

They seemed to be able to see the outline of the truth.

But that last layer of mist just wouldn't budge.

Almost, just a little bit...

Just as they were racking their brains, Du Gou's voice suddenly rang out: "An acquaintance! A trustworthy acquaintance from the Changsun residence!"

"what?"

"An acquaintance from the Changsun residence!?"

It was as if a bolt of lightning had suddenly flashed through everyone's minds, instantly shattering the last wisp of mist.

Du Gou looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "If the person Changsun, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, encountered at the crossroads was someone from the Changsun residence, and this person deceived him, lured him into Guanglu Lane, and informed Changsun that Changsun's family knew about this matter, or even that it was Changsun's family's doing..."

"Then the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices naturally wouldn't have any doubts, and also thought there was no need to send a message to his family... After all, in his understanding, this was what his family wanted!"

Wang Gui's eyes lit up: "That's right! That's exactly it!"

"This is the only reason that best fits the situation at the time!"

"so……"

Wang Gui said to Liu Shuyi, "Master Liu, did you already suspect Jia Ping back then?"

He no longer addressed Jia Ping as "steward." With Liu Shuyi and Du Gou's analysis, he had already decided in his heart that Jia Ping was an accomplice of the thieves.

Liu Shuyi shook his head and said, "At that time, I only had some suspicions about the people in the Changsun residence. However, because Steward Jia was very eager and serious about finding the Changsun Temple Assistant, and his face was always filled with anxiety and worry, my suspicions about him were actually the least."

Wang Gui and Du Gou considered Jia Ping's performance over the years and nodded in agreement.

Let alone back then, even now...

They still found it hard to believe that Jia Ping, the steward who had served the Changsun family for more than ten years, the Jia Ping who was always worried and anxious and whose brows were never relaxed, would be an accomplice of the thieves who kidnapped Changsun Chong!
They looked at Jia Ping, who was frowning deeply, staring intently at Liu Shuyi with a puzzled yet slightly embarrassed expression: "Master Liu, I believe I have never offended you, and I have been very cooperative with you the whole way. So I don't know what you see in me that you would want to frame me like this?"

"Slander? Still not admitting it?"

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow and said, "Do you know why I initially had no suspicions about you at all, but eventually concluded that you were the thief's accomplice?"

Jia Ping did not answer; of course, he didn't know.

Liu Shuyi looked at him intently and said slowly, "In fact, before leaving the Lin residence, your behavior was very much in line with the image of a steward who cares about his young master. In addition, you were recommended by Minister Changsun to help me, so at that time, I still had complete faith in you."

"But……"

He changed the subject, saying, "After arriving in Da'anfang, whether to warn your companions or to cooperate with their performance, you ended up doing something that exposed yourself."

"He did something that exposed himself?"

Wang Gui and Zhao Feng exchanged a glance, both looking bewildered.

Wang Gui couldn't help but ask, "What did he do? How come I didn't notice?"

Liu Shuyi shook his head: "It's not that you didn't notice, it's just that you didn't suspect the people at the Changsun residence beforehand, so you didn't think much of it..."

He said, "Do you remember what happened when we first arrived at the vegetable market?"

"Vegetable shop?"

Wang Gui frowned and thought for a moment. Suddenly, he remembered something about Jia Ping and said, "When we first arrived at the vegetable market, you confirmed that it was Zhang Shu's pretext. Then, before you could give the order, Jia Ping ordered the guards from the Changsun residence to rush into the vegetable market and search it?"

Upon hearing Wang Gui's words, everyone remembered this incident.

They all nodded in agreement.

Liu Shuyi said, "Because at the time I was not sure whether the vegetable market was the thieves' stronghold, if I were to make the arrangements, I would not have made such a big fuss, alarming so many people, and just rushed in to search."

"After all, if the vegetable market isn't the thieves' hideout, but there are thieves' spies around, our actions will be known to the thieves directly, thus alerting them."

Wang Gui then realized: "So you ordered me to immediately seal off the front and back gates of the vegetable market to prevent Jia Ping from alerting the enemy?"

Liu Shuyi nodded.

“However…” He looked at Jia Ping with a deep gaze and said, “My attempt to mend the fence after the sheep are lost is too late. These thieves still know we are coming.”

"That's why we fell into their elaborate scam after we arrived at the theater."

Recalling what happened in the theater, Du Gou nodded heavily and said, "There was nothing we could do about it. After all, who would have thought that Steward Jia, who was most eager to find the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, would actually be an accomplice of the thieves?"

"He probably didn't expect us to find Da'anfang so easily, so he used this method to remind his accomplices that we had come looking for them, so that they could take action as soon as possible."

Liu Shuyi nodded.

Du Gou looked at him: "So that's when you started to suspect him?"

Upon hearing this, Jia Ping also stared intently at Liu Shuyi.

Liu Shuyi shook his head: "It's not accurate to say I suspect him, it's just that I'm paying more attention to him..."

"After all, his previous disguise was too perfect, so there is a certain probability that he did that because he was too worried about Changsun Sicheng and wanted to find him too much, which led him to act impulsively."

Du Gou and the others thought for a moment and then nodded.

That's true. If Jia Ping was really worried about Changsun Chong to the extreme, it's understandable that he might act impulsively when he suddenly learned where Changsun Chong might be hidden.

"When did you begin to completely doubt him?" Du Gou couldn't help but ask.

Everyone looked at Liu Shuyi with curiosity.

Liu Shuyi didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "Inside the theater."

He looked at everyone and said, "Do you remember who was the first person to speak when the man in red took the imposter Changsun Chong out of the room?"

"The first person to speak..."

Zhao Feng's eyes flashed, and he said, "It's Jia Ping!"

"Do you remember what Jia Ping's first words were?" Liu Shuyi asked again.

The first sentence...

Zhao Feng almost blurted out, "Tell the man in red not to act impulsively, and promise that as long as he doesn't harm Changsun, the Minister of the Imperial Academy, we'll agree to any conditions..."

Liu Shuyi nodded and said, "Just as Zhao Lingshi said, when the man in red was holding the imposter Changsun Chong hostage, Steward Jia spoke up before any of us. It was because of his words that the topic was immediately shifted to the fact that the man in red could make any demands and we could only agree to them."

"At that moment, the situation was completely under the control of the man in red."

"This……"

They hadn't even thought of it until Liu Shuyi said so.

Only after his reminder did Wang Gui and the others realize that this was indeed the case.

It was as if Jia Ping had deliberately handed a knife to the man in red, putting them all under the blade.

If Jia Ping hadn't spoken up, perhaps the situation wouldn't have fallen into the hands of the man in red so quickly... After all, all of the man in red's accomplices had either been captured or killed, and he had only managed to pull the imposter Changsun Chong out of the iron cage in a panic.

His mind and emotions have not yet fully calmed down.

In this situation, they might have other ways to deal with the men in red.

Jia Ping's words gave the red-clad men, no matter how irrational they were, a handle, allowing them to know how to manipulate them and control the situation.

Wang Gui frowned and said, "So, Jia Ping was worried that his accomplice wouldn't act rashly, so he specifically reminded him and told him what to do?"

Liu Shuyi said, "It's not just accomplices..."

"Think about those two men in black."

"When the two men in black held the imposter, the Imperial Censor, hostage, and the steward Jia's actions and words..."

Wang Gui's pupils dilated, and he said directly, "When those two held the imposter Changsun Sicheng at knifepoint, Jia Ping was the first to speak, and his first words were still to tell them not to harm Changsun Sicheng, and he still promised to do anything..."

"At the time, I was still a little dissatisfied with what he said, thinking that the situation hadn't gotten to that point at all, since the two men were so badly injured that their hands holding the knives were unsteady... But because of what he said, we were put at a disadvantage once again."

"so……"

He looked at Jia Ping with a chill in his heart, at Jia Ping's already gloomy face, and said, "You did this to remind those two men in black, to let them know what they can do to take away the fake Changsun Chong safely, so that it will be easier for you to really take Changsun Sicheng out of Chang'an!"

"It surprised me that……"

Wang Gui couldn't help but shake his head: "You kept saying you were worried about Changsun Sicheng, and you acted so eager and anxious, but it was all a lie!"

"Hypocritical! Cruel! You watched Changsun Temple Assistant grow up, and yet you harm him like this! Do you have any conscience?"

Jia Ping's expression grew increasingly gloomy, and his eyes, which had previously looked at everyone with sincerity, now turned cold.

He released his grip on the man in red's collar, his eyes fixed on Liu Shuyi with a sinister glint: "Just because of this, you've concluded that I'm their accomplice?"

Meeting Jia Ping's fierce gaze, Liu Shuyi calmly said, "You are the steward of the Changsun residence. Whether it is your knowledge or your calmness, you are definitely not someone that ordinary people can compare to."

"So, you could say that your first mistake was because you were too hasty."

"But the second time, I had clearly shown my backup plan, and I had clearly gained some control over the situation... yet you still couldn't wait to make the same mistake again."

He said slowly, "Tell me, how could I not suspect you?"

Jia Ping involuntarily closed his eyes.

He knew how difficult Liu Shuyi was to deal with, so he had done everything he could to avoid revealing any weaknesses.

He did not personally participate in any part of the whole affair.

Only at crucial moments, do they give a slight push.

Unexpectedly, Liu Shuyi noticed even this small boost.

But there was nothing he could do...

He also knew that doing the same thing twice would inevitably carry risks.

But who knew that Liu Shuyi had prepared a backup plan in advance, and had arranged for Cheng Chumo to ambush him...

Whether it was the intervention of a third party or the existence of Cheng Chumo, it all far exceeded his plans.

So he could only give it another push...

After all, if Liu Shuyi and his group really rescued the fake Changsun Chong, they would be able to quickly see through their plan.

In the end, the plan will still fail.

"A master detective..."

Jia Ping shook his head inwardly and said, "It's true that a great reputation is well-deserved. Master has really found a reliable helper."

He took a deep breath and then opened his eyes again.

When he looked at Liu Shuyi again, his expression had returned to its usual calm.

He said, "Good reasoning, but... you have no evidence."

"I am the steward of the Changsun family. Who doesn't know how much I love the young master? The master specifically sent me to cooperate with you because he believes that I would never harm the young master!"

"If the master trusts me so much, who would dare to doubt me?"

"Liu Shuyi, although I don't know why you're targeting me, you can't produce any evidence; it's a frame-up! I will definitely seek justice from the master!"

Wang Gui and the others never expected that even at a time like this, Jia Ping could still calmly turn the tables on Liu Shuyi.

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow and said, "Truly worthy of being the steward of the Changsun residence, your composure surpasses that of many officials..."

“You’re right. Aside from saying a few words, you didn’t actually participate in any of the specific steps. I really can’t find any evidence against you…”

Wang Gui and the others' expressions changed. This was the first time Liu Shuyi had admitted that he couldn't find any evidence.

Jia Ping's lips curled up, and he was about to say something with a smile when Liu Shuyi's voice continued: "However, just because I don't have evidence now doesn't mean I won't have evidence in the future."

Liu Shuyi looked at Jia Ping meaningfully: "With the intelligence and caution of Changsun Temple Assistant, it is probably impossible for an ordinary person to completely deceive him. Therefore, only if you, the steward who has watched him grow up since childhood and who is on the surface the most fond of him, take action personally, can he completely let down his guard."

"Therefore, as long as I can find the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, he will naturally be able to confirm whether my guess about you is right or wrong."

Jia Ping's pupils contracted involuntarily.

His previously calm expression suddenly changed.

But he quickly regained his composure and said, "Alright! Anyway, I didn't do any of these things. As long as I can find the young master, my grievances can be cleared, which suits me just fine."

"Then what happens next..."

He looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "I only hope that Master Liu can find the young master!"

Hearing Jia Ping's calm words, Liu Shuyi laughed and said, "Does Steward Jia think that you have hidden the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices very well, so that I cannot find him, and that's why you are so fearless?"

Jia Ping sneered, "I only know that I am being framed, so I am not afraid of verification! Don't judge a gentleman by your own petty standards."

"is it?"

Liu Shuyi looked at him intently and said, "Then I hope that when I really find the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Steward Jia will still say such things."

Jia Ping frowned, wondering where Liu Shuyi got his confidence from. Chang'an was such a big city; he didn't believe Liu Shuyi could find Changsun Chong without any clues.

Wang Gui and the others also understood that the key now was no longer the confrontation between Liu Shuyi and Jia Ping, but whether they could find Changsun Chong.

The man in red had already lost consciousness due to excessive blood loss and severe injuries. Not only could he not speak, but even if he wanted to, he couldn't say anything now.

Zhao Feng asked with concern, "Master Liu, how are we supposed to find Chancellor Changsun?"

"It's very simple..."

"Simple!?" Everyone was taken aback.

Jia Ping's expression also tightened.

Liu Shuyi's deep eyes sized up Jia Ping, and he said slowly, "Have you all forgotten what I just said? I said that only if Steward Jia takes action personally can we deceive the wise and cautious Minister Changsun."

"In other words, Steward Jia must have personally participated in the kidnapping and hiding of Vice Minister Changsun last night."

"After hiding the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Steward Jia would have immediately returned to the Changsun residence. He could not have gone anywhere else in between, since Minister Changsun might discover the Vice Minister's disappearance at any time, and if he did, he, the steward, would inevitably be summoned."

"Therefore, he would return home immediately, and not long after, Minister Changsun arranged for him to search for Vice Minister Changsun, and then, as we are now..."

"The only time he had to change his clothes and shoes during the entire process was the short few quarters of an hour when he returned to the Changsun residence to wait for the summons."

"But……"

Looking at Jia Ping's robes, Liu Shuyi said, "There are still obvious food stains on Steward Jia's robes. This means that after Steward Jia went back last night, he did not cherish the time to change his clothes, or rather, he did not think that he needed to change his clothes. After all, he knew very well that he would soon be traveling and would soon be covered in dust after changing his clothes."

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, everyone quickly and carefully examined Jia Ping's robes.

Then, as expected, they discovered a noticeable vegetable stain on the lower right side of Jia Ping's robe.

Jia Ping subconsciously looked down and realized that he hadn't even noticed when he had spilled food stains.

But what's the point?
He said coldly, "Why is Master Liu paying attention to my vegetable stains? Will that be of any use in finding the young master?"

"Of course it works."

Liu Shuyi said with a half-smile, "After all, this way I can determine where you went last night based on your clothes."

"What?" Jia Ping exclaimed in surprise.

The others also quickly looked at Liu Shuyi.

Liu Shuyi stared intently at Jia Ping's dusty robes and said, "There is some red dust on the hem of Steward Jia's robes and the edges of his boots."

"This means that Steward Jia must have been to a place where there is red soil or something similar on the ground yesterday."

As he spoke, he looked at Du Gou and said, "Du, you are more familiar with Chang'an than I am. Do you know where in Chang'an there is red clay?"

"Red clay?"

Du Gou thought for a moment and said, "Chang'an City is mainly composed of loess, and red soil is extremely rare. As far as I know, there are only three places in Chang'an City with red clay."

"One place, in the Imperial Garden of the Royal Palace."

“One place is Lanbo Temple outside the city.”

"And the last place..."

He hesitated for a moment, then secretly glanced at his aloof younger sister, and said, "In the brothel near the north gate of the breeding workshop—Chunxiang Pavilion."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a "tsk" sound rang out.

Then, the thing Du Gou feared most happened.

"Brother, you are truly extraordinary. You know the brothels of Chang'an like the back of your hand. I admire you greatly."

Du Ying said with a half-smile.

Du Gou's eyelids twitched violently. He had hesitated just now precisely because he was afraid of Du Ying's reaction.

His image had already been damaged during the Miaoyin'er case, and he had finally managed to salvage some of his good image as an elder brother in the past few days. But then Liu Shuyi asked him about the brothel again.

This matter concerned whether the case could be solved, and he couldn't hide it, so... his image as a good older brother collapsed again.

Du Gou looked at Liu Shuyi wearily, thinking to himself that if he had the chance in the future, he should take Liu Shuyi to these brothels more often, so that he wouldn't have to ask him questions again.

Seeing Du Gou's exhausted appearance, Liu Shuyi shook his head with amusement.

He turned around, looked at the guards of the Changsun residence, and asked, "Did Steward Jia leave the Changsun residence yesterday? Did he go to Lanbo Temple?"

The guards looked at each other, then all shook their heads.

"No, Steward Jia did not have any assignments to go out yesterday."

Liu Shuyi nodded, looked at Jia Ping again, and said, "On the surface, you have never left the Changsun residence, so you could not have been the one who got this red soil on you during the day."

"So, you must have accidentally gotten them on you while you were out at night."

“The curfew began shortly after the disappearance of the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices last night, so it was impossible for you to leave the city to go to Lanbo Temple.”

"And needless to say, you're not qualified to enter the palace."

"Therefore, the only place you might go is Chunxiang Pavilion in the Breeding Industry."

As Liu Shuyi uttered those words, Jia Ping's slightly chubby cheeks twitched uncontrollably.

"ridiculous!"

Jia Ping said coldly, "I stayed in the manor all day yesterday and didn't go out at all. How could I have gone to a brothel! These guards can all vouch for me. Are you deaf? Didn't you hear what they said?"

"Oh?"

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on his face, and said, "Never been to Chunxiang Pavilion..."

He suddenly stepped forward, almost touching Jia Ping, which startled Jia Ping, who subconsciously took a step back.

Liu Shuyi sniffed and said, "If he hasn't been to a brothel, how did Steward Jia get that rouge scent and the medicinal scent similar to that of Miaoyinfang on his body?"

"What?" Jia Ping's expression changed.

I subconsciously sniffed it.

But I still couldn't smell anything.

Du Ying's delicate nose twitched slightly, and her eyes darted around: "It really does smell of rouge and medicine. The ingredients of the medicine are somewhat similar to those of Miaoyinfang. They are both aphrodisiacs, the kind that brothels would use."

Jia Ping had heard how amazing Du Ying's nose was; Liu Shuyi had solved many cases thanks to Du Ying's nose.

The fact that Du Ying said the same thing at this moment is irrefutable proof.

His face changed completely. He opened his mouth to explain, but didn't know how to defend himself.

Looking at Jia Ping's suddenly changed expression, Liu Shuyi said meaningfully, "Steward Jia said that he did not leave the Changsun residence yesterday except to look for the Changsun Temple Assistant. How does Steward Jia explain the smell of the brothel on you, and the red soil on your feet and robes?"

"I……"

Jia Ping was speechless.

"besides……"

Liu Shuyi turned his gaze to the unconscious man in red, who seemed lifeless, and said, "The edges of his shoes are also stained with red soil..."

Everyone looked around quickly.

as predicted!

"There really is red soil!"

"It really is!"

"So they went to the same place!"

"This is irrefutable evidence! They really are in cahoots!"

"Last night, besides killing members of the Lin family, they also hid the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, but the Lin family doesn't have any red clay, so... does this prove that the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was hidden by them...?"

Everyone's eyes widened instinctively, and they quickly looked at Liu Shuyi.

Then Liu Shuyi saw Jia Ping's face turn deathly pale and chuckled, "Steward Jia, can you still say that I'm framing you now?"

"I--"

Jia Ping opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

He was powerless to refute.

Seeing this, Liu Shuyi smiled and turned around: "Let's go, take Steward Jia with us, let's...go to a brothel together."

　I saw some friends say the pacing is too slow, so it seems I've been rambling again. I've been rushing these past few days, writing and posting as soon as I finish, which means I haven't had time to condense it... Sometimes I also want to make the plot richer and more intricate, so I lay a lot of groundwork. If I don't explain all that groundwork, there will be bugs after the case ends, so sometimes it's not that I really want to ramble.

　　In the future, I will consider the length of each case before writing it, and strive to make it more concise.

　　Finally, thank you all for your support.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)