The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 88 Li Shimin's Emergency Summoning: Li Chengqian is in Trouble! (9K)

"Let me go! Let me go!"

"I didn't kill anyone! I'm not the murderer! I've been framed!"

Just then, a series of angry roars suddenly rang out.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Lu Yangyuan leading a group of people, bringing over a young man whose clothes were disheveled and who seemed to have hastily thrown on some clothes before fleeing.

Upon seeing this man, Zhao Feng's eyes dimmed somewhat.

He looked at his close friend, who was struggling but had been kicked in the knee by Lu Yangyuan and was now kneeling on the ground, with a complicated expression. He said, "Why did you do this? Why did you frame me and use me as your scapegoat? We've known each other for ten years, ten years of heartfelt friendship, ten years of being confidants, and this is how you treat me?"

Upon hearing Zhao Feng's words of sadness and disappointment, Guo Lu's expression changed. He quickly shook his head and said, "Zhao Feng, believe me, I didn't frame you!"

"We've known each other for ten years, I consider you a brother, how could I possibly harm you! There must be some misunderstanding!"

"You know me best, you know I'm not that kind of person. Please help me, please tell them to let me go—"

Snapped!
Before Guo Lu could finish speaking, Lu Yangyuan slapped him hard across the face.

This instantly silenced Guo Lu's words and left a very clear handprint on Guo Lu's face.

"Pooh!"

Lu Yangyuan spat out a mouthful of saliva: "You still have the nerve to ask Zhao Lingshi for help? Zhao Lingshi trusted you so much. When he first heard Liu Yuanwailang say that the murderer was among you, he even told Liu Yuanwailang that it couldn't be you."

"And what was the result? You treated Zhao Lingshi even worse than an enemy! You wanted to turn the false evidence used to frame Zhao Lingshi into irrefutable proof!"

"You still have the nerve to keep saying there was a misunderstanding, and even ask Zhao Lingshi to plead for you and ask Liu Yuanwailang to release you? Where do you get the nerve?"

As he spoke, he raised his head and looked at Zhao Feng, saying, "Zhao Lingshi, don't be fooled by him. That bastard doesn't tell the truth."

"Do you know where I found him? After hearing Liu Yuanwailang's instructions, I immediately led my men to rush to the back door. But when we got there, the back door had already been opened. I was shocked and knew that this bastard had already run away when things got bad, so I quickly led my men to chase after him and that's how we caught him."

"If Liu Yuanwailang had been even a little slower in assessing his situation, he might have escaped."

"If he hadn't done these things, why would he have fled in such a panic? It's obvious he's lying!"

Hearing Lu Yangyuan's words, Guo Lu quickly shook his head: "No, it wasn't me. I just suddenly heard someone coming to see me late at night, and I was a little worried that it might be a thief with malicious intent, so I left through the back door. I really wasn't—"

"enough!"

Zhao Feng suddenly shouted.

Guo Lu was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously looked at Zhao Feng.

Zhao Feng's face was still deathly pale, but his dark eyes held a sharpness and coldness he had never seen before.

“Attorney Guo, we’ve been best friends for ten years. I know best what you’re like when you lie. Do you think you can fool me?”

“I—” Guo Lu opened his mouth, but did not continue to refute.

Zhao Feng said, "If you still have even the slightest bit of friendship with me, then tell me the truth: why did you frame me? Have I ever done anything to wrong you?"

"I--"

Guo Lu remained silent for a moment, then suddenly glared at him angrily and said, "Zhao Feng, if you don't want to help, then don't! Why collude with outsiders to frame me? I've said I didn't kill anyone, and I never will!"

"I treated you like a brother, and this is how you treat me! I really misjudged you!"

"You!! Damn it, I really want to slap you to death!"

Lu Yangyuan never expected that even at a time like this, Guo Lu would still dare to turn the tables and even have the nerve to question Zhao Feng about why he didn't help him.

He was poor in his childhood and never had enough to eat. Later, in order to survive, he joined the army and fought on the battlefield for several years. He was discharged due to injury and was given a military honorary title with no real power based on his military merits. He lived a meager life with a meager salary. He believed that he had seen all kinds of monsters and demons in his life, but he had never seen a shameless person like Guo Lü.

Why would Zhao Feng choose such a person as his close friend?
He felt that Zhao Feng should wash his eyes and not be so blind again.

"Do you think that although we've found you, I don't have any evidence, so I can't convict you completely?"

At this moment, Liu Shuyi's voice suddenly rang out.

Guo Lu subconsciously looked at Liu Shuyi, who was dressed in a green official robe, with a handsome face and dignified eyes.

Whether it was his imagination or not, the moment he met Liu Shuyi's gaze, he had the illusion that all his secrets had been seen through, as if everything about him was laid bare before Liu Shuyi.

He felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively looked away, but still insisted, "I am not the murderer, so of course you have no evidence."

"No?"

Liu Shuyi gave him a knowing look of sarcasm: "I just met your wife, and I learned something from her."

Guo Lu frowned.

Liu Shuyi said, “Your wife told me that today… no, it’s already late at night, let’s say yesterday, yesterday morning, she met you at home and found that you were not wearing the official robes you wore the day before.”

"It's not exactly close to your residence from here, and you still have to go to the yamen. This round trip will require you to get up quite early. And judging from your wife's tone, she seems quite surprised that you're going back. In other words, you usually don't rush back to the residence the next morning when you spend the night at the mistress's place."

"So, if I'm not mistaken, the reason you returned to the mansion this time was to change into your official robes and go to the yamen to report for duty, right?"

"And that's where the interesting part comes in..."

Liu Shuyi stared intently at Guo Lu: "Why did you never go back to change your official robes when you were staying in the outer quarters before, but you did this time?"

"Is your official robe dirty, or..."

He narrowed his eyes, a half-smile playing on his lips, and said, "The bloodstains are indelible, so you can't wear them anymore."

Guo Lu's pupils contracted, and his expression changed instantly.

"I……"

Guo Lu subconsciously said, "What do you mean by bloodstains? I just want to change my clothes, is that not allowed?"

Liu Shuyi chuckled: "You originally didn't intend to kill Xu Xi. Your initial idea was to give him a gift so that Xu Xi would let you go."

"You know Xu Xi's character. Xu Xi is upright and meticulous in his work, so when you go to ask him for help, you should dress formally. Therefore, you should be wearing an official robe."

"Your ruthless killing was a last-minute decision. You couldn't possibly take off your official robes before taking action, so your robes must have been covered in blood. And once blood gets on your clothes, it's very difficult to clean them with current washing techniques."

"When I was questioning your mistress just now, I deliberately said that you came home covered in blood last night. She couldn't possibly not know what you did. Since she didn't deny it, it means she agreed..."

"What!?" Guo Lu suddenly looked at his mistress.

His mistress, her eyes also red and swollen, stared wide-eyed, filled with bewilderment and astonishment: "This... I didn't expect this to be a test."

Guo Lu's expression changed drastically, and he couldn't help but curse, "Useless! Stupid!"

Hearing Guo Lu's curses, the woman in the outer room pursed her lips, her thin hands unconsciously clenching.

Liu Shuyi glanced at Guo Lu's mistress and continued, "So, Guo Lu, it's easy for you to clear your name. Take out your old official robe and let me see it. If there's no blood on it, then you're innocent. But if there is blood..."

Liu Shuyi did not continue speaking.

Zhao Feng and the others also kept a close eye on Guo Lu.

Guo Lu gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing intensely, and suddenly said, "My official robe has been stolen! I can't find it."

"Stolen?" Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow. "Do you think that's a plausible reason for us?"

Guo Lu retorted sharply, "Anyway, it was stolen. There's nothing I can do if you don't believe me!"

“There was a thief here last night, and my official robe was stolen. That’s why I had to go back and change into a new one before going to the yamen! I know it’s a coincidence, but that’s the truth.”

Liu Shuyi gave Guo Lu a deep look, then looked at Guo Lu's mistress and said, "Now the opportunity is right in front of you. You can see how Guo Lu treats you. So, what will you choose next?"

Guo Lu was shocked that Liu Shuyi would disregard him and say things he didn't understand to his mistress. A bad feeling crept into his heart, and he couldn't help but say, "Don't talk nonsense! You're my woman, you can only listen to me. If you dare to say anything out of line, believe me—"

boom!
Lu Yangyuan kicked Guo Lu to the ground, causing Guo Lu to grimace in pain and his voice to stop abruptly.

"Shut up!" Lu Yangyuan spat at Guo Lu again.

Liu Shuyi ignored Guo Lu and simply looked gently at Guo Lu's mistress.

"I……"

At this moment, Guo Lu's mistress secretly glanced at the fierce look in Guo Lu's eyes, which seemed to want to devour her, pursed her lips, and finally said, "His official robe was indeed stained with a lot of blood. He made me wash it, but I couldn't wash it clean at all. He got angry, hit me, scolded me, and said that I was useless and couldn't even do such a small thing well."

"Then he told me to burn my official robes, but I... I didn't listen to him."

“He killed people, so many people. I’m afraid he’ll kill me one day, so…”

Guo Lu's mistress was too nervous and her words were somewhat incoherent, but Liu Shuyi and the others still understood what she meant.

Liu Shuyi said, "You hid that official robe, didn't you?"

"Yes……"

"You bitch!!"

Upon hearing this, Guo Lu's eyes widened in fury.

He angrily cursed at his mistress, "You bitch! How dare you disobey me! Shut up, shut up!"

Liu Shuyi took a step forward, blocking the view between Guo Lu and his mistress, and said, "Bring him here. I can make sure you won't get hurt."

"Yes Yes……"

Guo Lu's mistress felt as if she had been granted a pardon and hurriedly walked into the mansion.

Guo Lu was still shouting "bitch," but as the woman's figure disappeared from sight, Guo Lu's voice grew weaker and weaker.

In the end, his face turned deathly pale, and he had lost all of his previous confidence.

Looking at Guo Lu's desperate face, Liu Shuyi said, "Do you still want to struggle? Besides, I actually have another piece of evidence. There is a trace of flesh under Xu Xi's fingernail. He pried it off from the murderer. So even without your official robes, if we take off your clothes and find that wound, you still can't escape."

“Attorney Guo, you never had a chance from the very beginning. The moment you committed your heinous crimes, your fate was sealed.”

Guo closed his eyes, unable to utter another word in rebuttal.

He gave up struggling.

Looking at the despairing Guo Lu, Zhao Feng sighed and said, "Now are you willing to tell me why you did this to me?"

Why did I do this to you?

Upon hearing Zhao Feng's words, Guo Lu suddenly opened his eyes. His eyes bulged and were bloodshot, giving everyone the impression of a wild beast making a desperate attack before death. He gritted his teeth and said, "Isn't it because you were born superior! You can't beat me in school, and you're not as capable as me, but just because you have a good father, everyone only has eyes for you and no one for me!"

"When your father died and you were exiled, do you know how happy I was? I was finally free from living in your shadow forever!"

"But who knew, who knew you would actually come back!"

"It's good that you've come back..."

Guo Lu stared at Zhao Feng with eyes full of jealousy: "You even managed to get on Liu Shuyi's good side. What kind of luck do you have? Why can you always find a backer!"

"And what about me? In order to climb the ranks, I had to collude with them and I didn't even have the chance to be a good official."

“I didn’t actually embezzle much money, I only took a tiny bit, but Xu Xi still set his sights on me.”

“I took out all the money I had and bought an inkstone that had been used by a famous scholar of the Wei and Jin dynasties, hoping to beg Xu Xi to let me go. But not only did he not let me go, he also scolded me in front of me.”

He said that although we grew up together, I'm becoming less and less like you. He said that you've weathered many storms but still stayed true to your original aspirations, and that you have a bright future. He said that I can't compare to you at all...

Guo Lu gritted his teeth so hard they were about to break. He roared, "Tell me, what can I do? If he won't let me live, I won't let him live either!"

"Didn't he praise you? Didn't he say you had a bright future? Then I'll make you die with him, and make you bear the guilt of killing him!"

"I am innocent! I was forced into this! You all forced me into this!"

Hearing Guo Lu's words, Lu Yangyuan was dumbfounded.

He never imagined that a person's thoughts could be so distorted.

This whole thing was just Guo Lu's own unbalanced mentality; he was jealous of Zhao Feng, wasn't he? What does it have to do with Zhao Feng?
Zhao Feng closed his eyes, clenched his fists tightly, and his whole body trembled at that moment.

After a long while, Zhao Feng finally opened his eyes again.

He looked at Guo Lu's distorted face and said, "I should have discovered your twisted mentality sooner. If I had discovered it sooner, perhaps I could have guided you and avoided all of this today."

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in this world, and nothing can be done again.

"As for the reason you mentioned, I'm sorry, I can't agree with it. As Liu Yuanwailang once said, 'Don't punish yourself for the mistakes of others.'"

"Your words will not have any effect on me, and you shouldn't try to plant a seed of self-blame in my heart."

"today……"

Zhao Feng tore off a corner of his robe and said, "I sever all ties with you. From now on, we are no longer brothers. All the past is like smoke, completely vanished!"

After saying that, he turned around and got into the carriage.

The piece of robe he had torn off fluttered and fell to the ground.

Guo Lu stared blankly at the robes that had fallen to the ground, and couldn't help but shake his head: "You're not that kind of person. You should blame yourself, you should feel remorse, you should understand me, you should..."

Liu Shuyi said calmly, "Zhao Feng has experienced far more suffering than you, but he still held onto his true self, bravely stepped over the thorns, and moved forward courageously. You, on the other hand, chose to stay where you are, keeping company with the thorns. Xu Xi is right, you are indeed not worthy of being his friend."

After saying that, Liu Shuyi didn't even glance at Guo Lu again, and simply waved his hand: "Take him away!"

"Send word to the Court of Judicial Review that... this case is closed!"

…………

Dali Temple Yamen.

Qin Wuyang's office.

The flickering candlelight stretched and flattened the shadows of everyone in the room.

Qin Wuyang's eyes were bloodshot as he stared at his trusted confidants before him. He asked, "Well? Have you come up with a breakthrough in the case?"

Upon hearing this, the officials of the Court of Judicial Review looked at each other and then shook their heads with worried expressions.

"Director Qin, judging from the case file, the murderer should be Zhao Feng."

"Yes, the only clue we found was Zhao Feng."

"There's simply no other way to break through."

Hearing his subordinate's words, Qin Wuyang angrily slammed his fist on the table.

He roared, "If I could turn Zhao Feng into a murderer, would I be standing here staring at you guys like this?"

"You all heard what Liu Shuyi said in prison. There is clear evidence that Zhao Feng is not the murderer. How do you expect me to arrest him?"

"Liu Shuyi has already gone to investigate. If he really finds the real culprit and solves the case, wouldn't my whole day have been for nothing?! Moreover, I'm about to be promoted and I'm waiting for the credit from this case. If Liu Shuyi steals the credit, how am I supposed to get promoted?"

Qin Wuyang has been in the position of Dali Sizhi for almost four years.

According to the rules, he will be reassigned after four years.

They could either be transferred to another government office or promoted and remain in the Dali Temple.

Having worked at the Dali Temple for so many years, he certainly didn't want to leave. However, promotion wasn't very reliable, and he hadn't accumulated enough merit. Therefore, he urgently needed to gain merit from major cases.

The Imperial Censor was a sixth-rank official. The murder of his entire family of four was a major case, and he was counting on this case to accumulate the most important merit for him.

Unexpectedly, Liu Shuyi suddenly appeared at this moment, not only finding fault with his case file but also trying to steal his credit.

He really hated Liu Shuyi to death.

"Director Qin doesn't really need to worry too much."

At this moment, one of his confidants said, "Liu Shuyi has indeed solved several major cases, but those cases were the result of everyone's full cooperation with him. Whatever clues or information he wants, countless people can provide them to him."

"But in this case, the case files are firmly in our hands, and the information Liu Shuyi knows is only the most basic stuff."

"He has no way of knowing the important details of this case, such as which white silk the corpses were hung on, or which books we found the kitchen knife from." "In this situation, no matter how skilled he is at investigating cases, he can't cook without rice."

"As for us, we have firsthand clues and all the details. The advantage is still in our hands, so Qin Sizhi, please relax. After dawn tomorrow, you can find some experienced friends to investigate together. I believe that with so many of us investigating together and having the most comprehensive information, we will definitely be able to defeat Liu Shuyi."

Hearing his words, the others nodded in agreement.

"That's right, the advantage still lies with us."

"If Chief Justice Qin can outperform Liu Shuyi in the same case, wouldn't that prove that Chief Justice Qin is even more capable than Liu Shuyi? At that time, Chief Justice Qin's reputation will surely soar, and his promotion will be a sure thing."

Listening to his confidant's flattery and praise, Qin Wuyang's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed a little.

Indeed, the advantage remains in our own hands.

My investigative skills might not be as good as Liu Shuyi's, but after so many years of working in this field, I can definitely find some help. At that point…

With that thought in mind, he finally felt relieved.

"Then let's wait until dawn. As soon as it's light, I'll set off immediately. This time, I'll make Liu Shuyi regret being my enemy!"

"Oh no!!!"

Before Qin Wuyang could finish speaking, a panicked voice suddenly came from outside.

Then, with a bang, the tightly closed door was pushed open.

A clerk from the Court of Judicial Review looked at Qin Wuyang in alarm and said, "Director Qin, something terrible has happened! Liu Shuyi sent word that they have solved the case! The real culprit is Guo Lü, the registrar of the Water Conservancy Bureau. There are witnesses and physical evidence, and Guo Lü has confessed!"

It was like a heavy stick hitting everyone on the head.

It made them feel a buzzing in their heads, and their minds went completely blank.

What did they hear?
The case is solved?
There is still both witness testimony and physical evidence!

Didn't Liu Shuyi not see the case file? Didn't he have limited information?
How could he possibly solve the case?!

Everyone was stunned, and they instinctively looked at Qin Wuyang.

The moment Qin Wuyang heard the official's voice, he stood up abruptly.

His eyes widened, his pupils contracted sharply, and his expression seemed to freeze at that moment.

Shocked, incredulous, then pale.

"how come……"

"It's over, the credit has really been stolen."

Qin Wuyang plopped back down, his eyes glazed over, and remained silent for a long time.

…………

The next day.

Liu Shuyi opened his eyes groggily, looked at the unfamiliar room, and it took him a long time to come to his senses.

After arresting Guo Lu last night, it was already late, so he didn't go back to disturb Wan'er and Chang Bo. Instead, he found a room in the Ministry of Justice and went to sleep.

When I woke up, it was already bright.

Stretching, Liu Shuyi got up, dressed, and left the room.

At that moment, he saw a familiar, beautiful figure.

"Miss Du?"

Liu Shuyi was somewhat surprised.

Du Ying was dressed in a dark-colored dress today. Her fair skin and dark dress complemented each other, making her look even more radiant and aloof.

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's voice, Du Ying, who was carrying a black wooden box, turned around. Her eyes, which had been cold and aloof, seemed to melt away the moment she saw Liu Shuyi, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her face.

“When we were having breakfast this morning, my brother told me that Zhao Lingshi was injured and asked me to take a look at him.”

Du Gou was really thoughtful. Liu Shuyi had originally planned to find a doctor for Zhao Feng after dawn, but Du Gou had directly summoned Du Ying.

"How is it?" Liu Shuyi asked.

"They are all superficial injuries."

Du Ying's voice was pleasant: "I gave him a bottle of wound medicine that I personally prepared. After using it, he recovered in a few days."

Liu Shuyi breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he rescued Zhao Feng in time. Otherwise, if Qin Wuyang had been subjected to severe torture, it would have been a matter that would not have been resolved in just a few days.

He cupped his hands and smiled, "Thank you for making this special trip, Miss Du. I owe you another favor now."

Du Ying shook her head: "It has nothing to do with you. My brother sent me here this time. He's the one who owes me."

Liu Shuyi said with a smile, "I've helped Du Sicheng and I owe him a favor. I don't know how to thank him enough."

"Thank you, brother? Easy."

Du Ying looked at Liu Shuyi with her beautiful eyes and said, "Brother likes to go to brothels, so you can invite him to visit one."

what?
Liu Shuyi was stunned for a moment.

But they soon realized that this was a potentially disastrous question.

He immediately said righteously, "Although Minister Du has such a hobby, it's a pity that I have never been to such a place of pleasure since I was a child, nor do I want to go to such places to seek pleasure. So I'll thank Minister Du in another way."

Du Ying gave Liu Shuyi a deep look, then smiled and said, "That's between you and my brother, I won't interfere."

"Alright, I still have to go to the Imperial Medical Bureau, I can't talk to you any longer."

Liu Shuyi nodded: "I'll treat you to a big meal another day."

Upon hearing about the lavish meal, Du Yingqing's usually cold eyes suddenly brightened. This time, she didn't refuse and nodded directly: "Okay, you can contact me anytime you have time."

After saying that, he turned around and walked away quickly.

The wind blew, causing Du Ying's dark-colored dress to flutter, like a dark butterfly, and she drifted away.

Liu Shuyi only looked away after Du Ying's figure disappeared.

Elegant and decisive, exceptionally capable, and stunningly beautiful… He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, she was truly an irresistible girl.

Liu Shuyi shook his head and turned to go to Zhao Feng's room.

Zhao Feng was applying ointment to his wounds, but he couldn't reach the wound on his back.

"I come."

Liu Shuyi took the wound medicine directly and applied it to Zhao Feng.

Zhao Feng said, "Thank you, Assistant Minister."

Liu Shuyi laughed and said, "No need to thank me. Let's avoid such formalities in the future."

Zhao Feng scratched his head awkwardly.

"How are you feeling? Does it still hurt?"

"A little, but it's not serious and won't interfere with official business."

"It still hurts a little, so I'll rest today."

Liu Shuyi said to Zhao Feng, "I'll ask for leave for you. Take good care of your injury. There's no end to official business to be done, and one more day won't make a difference."

Zhao Feng really felt that this pain was nothing. Compared with the torment he suffered during his exile, he now had excellent wound medicine and didn't have to do hard labor. It was much better. Back then, he had to work no matter how serious his injuries were. Now, he really didn't need to ask for leave to rest.

But he also knew that this was Liu Shuyi's way of showing concern for him.

Since Aye's accident, such care has become extremely rare, so he cherishes this kind of care from others.

He hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded: "Alright, then I will take a day off."

Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "There's one more thing I forgot to mention."

Zhao Feng looked at Liu Shuyi with a puzzled expression, only to see Liu Shuyi smile at him and say, "Du Gong and I have decided to promote you to the position of Principal of the Ministry of Justice. The appointment from the Ministry of Personnel will be issued no later than tomorrow. At that time, you will also be an official of our Great Tang Dynasty."

Zhao Feng was completely stunned.

"Me...I'm going to become an official too?"

Liu Shuyi nodded: "If nothing unexpected happens, the appointment should arrive today."

Zhao Feng was stunned for a long time, and then his eyes suddenly reddened.

The difference between "official" and "clerk" is only one word, but their social status is vastly different.

He already felt lucky to have entered the Ministry of Justice, but he never expected that he would be promoted from a clerk to an official in just a few days.

He knew that all of this was because of Liu Shuyi.

Without Liu Shuyi, let alone a few days, perhaps several years, or even decades, he might not have had the opportunity to become an official of the Tang Dynasty.

He had just lost a brother of ten years, and had just been betrayed by a brother he could entrust his back to. But when he turned around, he felt the warmest care in the world from Liu Shuyi...

Zhao Feng sniffed and choked up, saying, "Master Liu, thank you."

…………

Zhao Feng rested for a day, and Liu Shuyi also had a rare day without having to travel around investigating cases.

Since he transmigrated, he has had cases almost every day, so much so that he was actually a little unaccustomed to a day when no cases came his way.

During his normal shift, Liu Shuyi, seeing that he had some rare free time, treated Du Ying to another big meal.

But this time, when Liu Shuyi went to pay the bill, he was told that Du Ying had already paid.

He asked Du Ying, who only said that she was better off than Liu Shuyi and that she couldn't keep letting Liu Shuyi pay and taking advantage of him.

Liu Shuyi couldn't help but feel emotional about this; Du Ying had practically cheated him by rushing into his heart.

…………

At 9:00 PM, Liu Shuyi was in his bedroom.

The flames, as small as pea shoots, flickered slightly.

Liu Shuyi sat at his desk and took out the ancient book "Lianshan" that he had obtained from Changsun Chong.

Since obtaining "Lianshan", he has been busy saving Zhao Feng and investigating cases. During the day, he was surrounded by many people and had heavy official duties at the Ministry of Justice. So only now has he had the opportunity to study "Lianshan" carefully.

As something that the master behind Miaoyin'er must obtain, "Lianshan" definitely contains an important secret.

What could this secret be...?

Liu Shuyi examined the outer skin carefully. Apart from its rustic appearance and signs of age, there was nothing special about it.

He opened the book "Lianshan" and read its contents carefully.

But after reading only three pages, he felt dizzy and lightheaded.

The contents were indeed too obscure and difficult to understand. He did not understand basic knowledge such as divination, so reading "Lianshan" at this moment was like reading a book written in heaven.

Liu Shuyi frowned, deep in thought: "To uncover the secret of 'Lianshan,' must one thoroughly understand its contents? Or is the secret unrelated to its contents, hidden elsewhere?"

He tapped his fingertips lightly on the desk, pondering a way to verify his findings.

"If it's related to the content, I definitely can't decipher it on my own; I'll need more specialized help. But if it's unrelated to the content, handing the ancient book over to someone else could be dangerous..."

"There is."

Liu Shuyi's eyes flashed: "We can make a copy of 'Lianshan,' divide the copied content into several parts, and then have different people interpret it. After that, we can summarize these contents and see if we can find any secrets. If we can't find any, it means that the secret is not in the contents, but in the book itself."

Thinking of this, Liu Shuyi immediately took out his writing implements and prepared to copy them.

dong dong dong.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

Wan'er's voice came in: "Young Master, someone from the palace has come and said that His Majesty requests that you enter the palace immediately for an audience."

Should we immediately proceed to the palace for an audience?

Liu Shuyi was somewhat surprised.

It was already the hour of Hai (9-11 PM), and ordinary people were already asleep. Why was Li Shimin looking for him so late?
And it was so urgent that he was made to enter the palace immediately.

Has something unexpected happened?

He quickly put the book "Lianshan" away and placed it back in his pocket before going to the door and opening it.

"What about people?"

"They were right at the door, saying they were waiting for the young master to leave together."

Liu Shuyi nodded and said, "I probably won't be back to rest tonight, so you don't need to wait for me."

After saying that, he quickly left.

…………

Following the palace eunuchs on horseback, he quickly arrived at the palace gate. After a simple identity verification, he was led by the eunuchs to the Liangyi Hall.

The eunuch said, "Liu Yuanwailang, His Majesty has ordered that you do not need to announce your arrival; you may enter directly."

"Thank you."

Knowing the urgency of the situation, Liu Shuyi didn't say much to the eunuch and went directly to the Liangyi Hall.

Upon entering the Liangyi Hall, he noticed that the hall, which was brightly lit during the day, was now somewhat dim under the candlelight.

Li Shimin sat high on the dragon throne, with two figures standing in front of him—Du Ruhui and Changsun Wuji.

Upon seeing Du Ruhui and the other person, Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered slightly, and he began to have some guesses.

Without delay, he strode to the front of the hall, bowed, and said, "Your subject, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice, pays respects to Your Majesty."

"No need to be polite."

Li Shimin waved his hand, his deep eyes falling on Liu Shuyi, and said, "Minister Du, come and explain the situation to Minister Liu."

"Yes."

Du Ruhui looked at Liu Shuyi and said bluntly, "The details of the alliance between Xueyantuo and the Tang Dynasty have been finalized. All that's left is for the two countries to affix their seals. Therefore, His Highness the Crown Prince will host a banquet for the Xueyantuo envoys at Duting Post Station to foster good relations between the two countries tonight."

“Who would have thought…”

He took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Xueyantuo Yehu Bazhuo actually murdered Kang Wei, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies of the Great Tang Dynasty, in full view of everyone. The diplomatic relations between the two countries have encountered a change, and whether they can eventually unite smoothly is now unknown."

Upon hearing Du Ruhui's words, Liu Shuyi's pupils dilated involuntarily.

He knew exactly what this meant.

At a banquet hosted by the Crown Prince of the Tang Dynasty, the Xueyantuo Yehu, who was equivalent to the Crown Prince of Xueyantuo, openly murdered a fourth-rank diplomat of the Tang Dynasty. This was no longer a matter of giving face!

This is simply a provocation against the Tang Dynasty!
However, everyone knew that Xueyantuo needed the support of the Tang Dynasty, and Bazhuo had always shown a very positive and humble attitude.

How could he do such a thing?
Regardless of his motives or circumstances, he should not have murdered a high-ranking official of the Tang Dynasty in broad daylight.

and so……

Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered, and he had a guess in his mind. He said, "The work of Turkic spies? They've made their move. Is this a Turkic conspiracy to sabotage the alliance between the Tang Dynasty and the Xueyantuo?!"

(End of this chapter)