The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 99 Shocking Information! How could it be such a secret?

Chapter 99 Shocking Information! How could it be such a secret?
Led by Liu Shuyi, the group quickly passed through the cave and returned to the shrine.

Just then, Du Gou, who had ordered his men to return to Chang'an by fast horse, was about to enter the secret passage.

Seeing the group hurrying out, Du Gou couldn't help but ask, "Where are you all going?"

Zhao Feng then briefly recounted the incident of Wan Rong's broken right middle finger and Liu Shuyi's deduction.

Du Gou looked somewhat surprised. He also felt that Liu Shuyi's guess was a bit simplistic. However, remembering Liu Shuyi's detective skills, which far surpassed theirs, he didn't say much. He simply made way and followed Liu Shuyi down the mountain.

The mountain road was dusty, and the dust kicked up everywhere as the horses trod.

From a distance, it looked as if some monster was hiding in the dark clouds, chasing after the group of people on horseback.

Not long after, Liu Shuyi tightened the reins and stopped.

Looking at the firewood placed by the roadside, Liu Shuyi laughed and said, "I'm not familiar with Cuihua Mountain. Without this firewood, I really wouldn't have been able to find this place accurately."

Lu Yangyuan grinned and said, "This is what they mean by good deeds being rewarded. The gentleman's kindness has already left its mark on fate."

Liu Shuyi glanced at Lu Yangyuan and found that although Lu Yangyuan was a martial artist, he was very good at talking and his emotional intelligence was much higher than that of many martial artists who only knew how to fight.

"While talking with the old man, I took the opportunity to look around, thinking about how to learn about Cuihua Mountain, and it was at that moment..."

Liu Shuyi thought for a moment, then turned to the west and said, "I saw five trees with interesting growth patterns. They were short at both ends, thick at one end and thin at the other, and very tall in the middle. They looked like fingers, so I have some impression of them."

"I thought it was just a casual glance, something that would be over and done with, but I never expected it would come in handy now..."

As he spoke, he dismounted and came to the five finger-shaped trees by the roadside.

Everyone followed and looked, and saw that the five trees were indeed just as Liu Shuyi had described, very lifelike...

And because it is early spring, the trees are bare with clear trunks, making them even more like fingers.

The tree in the middle of these five trees, whether due to illness or some other reason, bends inwards into the mountain, looking as if it might collapse completely at any moment. It is not exactly the same as the bent middle finger in Wanrong, but it is remarkably similar.

At this moment, Cui Lin and the others couldn't help but frown, their hearts beginning to waver.

"Could it be that what Liu Yuanwailang said was right? Was Wan Langzhong's hint really that simple and straightforward?"

As Wang Gui pondered this, he walked to the bent tree in the middle.

Looking at the tree in front of him, which was as thick as himself, he said, "If Wan Langzhong's hint really is about this tree, then what does this tree mean?"

Although the tree has been found, it remains a mystery.

Wang Gui couldn't imagine what secret a tree could represent.

The others circled the tree, all looking thoughtful.

Liu Shuyi gently stroked the jade pendant at his waist with his fingertips. He carefully examined the tree and said, "As I said before, Wan Langzhong's hint will not be too complicated. Therefore, we certainly don't need to guess the deeper meaning of the tree he is pointing to."

"The answer should be right in front of you..."

Right in front of me?

Upon hearing this, everyone examined the tree even more closely.

This is a poplar tree. Although the trunk is bent, the roots are still firmly planted in the ground. The branches are weighed down by the snow. When the wind blows, the snowflakes fall gently, just like a snowfall.

But apart from that, they didn't find anything special about the tree.

"There is a series of marks on the snow to the right front of this tree."

Just then, Liu Shuyi's voice suddenly rang out.

Everyone was startled and quickly looked in the direction of the sound.

Sure enough, two steps away from the tree, there was a trail of liquid on the snow.

And these marks... everyone present knew very well how they were caused.

Wang Gui blinked and couldn't help but ask, "Has someone urinated here?"

Liu Shuyi said, "It snowed early the day before yesterday when Chief Zhao had his accident, but these marks were not covered by snow and are very clear, which means they only appeared in the last day or two."

"Wan Langzhong has led us here again... If I'm not mistaken, this must be something Wan Langzhong left behind."

"He urinated here and discovered that this tree was special; it could be used as a beacon, so..."

Liu Shuyi stood where Wan Rong had been, turned around and looked at the tree, his gaze sweeping over it inch by inch...

Suddenly, he raised his hand and pointed to the bottom of the tree, saying, "The snow here is higher than in other places. Lieutenant Lu, go and dig it up."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yangyuan did not hesitate and immediately went over.

Then he squatted down and, without using any tools, used his bare hands to scoop out the snow.

"what?"

His hand had barely touched the snow when he made an unexpected sound.

"Lieutenant Lu? What's wrong?" Wang Gui and the others looked at Lu Yangyuan with a mixture of tension and anticipation. Upon seeing Lu Yangyuan's strange reaction, Wang Gui couldn't help but ask.

Lu Yangyuan said, "The snow here is very soft, much softer than other snow layers."

"soft?"

Liu Shuyi's eyes flashed, and the corners of his mouth curled up: "It seems that this snow was spread up later to cover up the traces that it had been disturbed."

"Dig it."

Liu Shuyi said, "If nothing unexpected happens, what Wan Langzhong left us is right here."

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, Lu Yangyuan didn't hesitate any longer and quickly dug away the snow outside. Seeing this, Wang Gui also ran over and started digging with him.

Before long, they had dug through all the snow in that area, and then...

"found it!"

Lu Yangyuan's voice suddenly rang out.

Everyone looked over and saw that his hands, red from the cold snow, were tightly clutching an envelope.

"It's actually here..."

Cui Lin's pupils dilated involuntarily. He hadn't expected that everything was really as Liu Shuyi had deduced. The clues left by Wan Rong were indeed so simple and straightforward!
Wang Gui couldn't help but say, "Sir, I am completely convinced! I will never doubt your judgment again!"

Liu Shuyi smiled, took the envelope from Lu Yangyuan, and said, "You've worked hard. Warm your hands."

Lu Yangyuan grinned and shook his head: "This is nothing. When we fought against the Turks before, my hands were often covered in frostbite, and they would bleed if I exerted myself even slightly. This is just child's play."

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly, now understanding even more why Lu Yangyuan possessed such abilities.

He looked at the envelope in his hand and saw that part of it was wet with snow and frozen into ice crystals due to the cold weather. There were no words or patterns on the envelope, not even a single ink spot; it was pure white.

The letter was not sealed with wax, nor were there any signs that it had been opened... It seems that Wan Rong wrote something and put it in the envelope, but did not intend to send it to anyone.

The purpose of this envelope is to protect and store the papers inside.

Without any delay, Liu Shuyi opened the envelope and took out the papers inside.

Thanks to the protection of the envelope, the paper inside was not wet like the outer cover. When everyone saw Liu Shuyi take out the paper, they all subconsciously moved closer to him, wanting to know what was written on the paper that Wan Rong had guided them to find in his last moments.

Is it key evidence and clues pointing to the real culprit?
Or is there another secret?
Under the tense yet expectant gazes of everyone, Liu Shuyi opened the paper.

then……

Everyone saw Liu Shuyi's pupils suddenly jump, and his eyes, which had been smiling, suddenly narrowed.

"Sir, what's written on this paper?"

Seeing Liu Shuyi's unusual reaction, Wang Gui couldn't help but ask him.

The others were also keeping a close eye on Liu Shuyi.

But Liu Shuyi looked up at them, paused for a moment, and then said, "Come with me."

With that, he turned around and walked towards the shrine halfway up the mountain.

Seeing Liu Shuyi's even more unusual behavior, everyone's hearts were filled with unease, realizing that the secret left behind by Wan Rong was probably quite terrifying.

They exchanged glances, and without any hesitation, followed.

As they walked, Du Gou whispered to Wang Gui, "Have the others stay here for now and don't follow us."

Wang Gui pursed his lips, realizing that what he was about to say was not something these ordinary yamen runners could hear.

He nodded directly, gave a few instructions to the constables, and then chased after them.

At this moment, Liu Shuyi stopped.

He turned around and saw that only Du Gou and a few others were with him, while the ordinary yamen runners remained in place. He nodded slightly and got straight to the point: "There is only one line of text on this piece of paper."

"This line of writing is rather hasty, and you can tell that it was written in a very tight and limited time."

"Next, I'm going to give you a heads-up."

Du Gou and the others held their breath, feeling a sense of unease and oppression in the atmosphere.

Liu Shuyi looked at them and said, "This secret is of great importance!"

"Listening to this will not do you any good; on the contrary, it may bring you trouble."

“If you don’t listen, your investigation is over. I allow you to leave immediately and no longer participate in the investigation. Of course… you don’t need to feel sorry for me or that this will affect our relationship. I’m giving you this opportunity, and I won’t think anything of you just because you’re leaving.”

"Now, I'll give you ten breaths to consider. After ten breaths, give me your answer: will you listen or not?" No one expected Liu Shuyi to give them this choice.

This wasn't the first time they had followed Liu Shuyi in investigating a case. Even Cui Lin, who was originally hostile towards Liu Shuyi, was involved in Liu Shuyi's case for the third time, including this one.

No matter which case it was, no matter how strange or dangerous it was, Liu Shuyi never said that they should leave in the middle of the investigation.

Therefore, Liu Shuyi's unexpected choice surprised them and made them feel uneasy.

They became increasingly aware of just how big the secrets left behind by Wan Rong were!

But even so, so what?

Zhao Feng immediately replied, "I have an answer in less than ten breaths. I'm ready to hear it!"

He looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "My life was saved by Master Liu, and my current career is also entirely due to you. I have long sworn in my heart that no matter what happens, I will stay by your side. So I will not leave. I will stay with you until the truth comes out."

Lu Yangyuan grinned and said, "I need to say even less. I've just started following the Master and I need to make a good impression. How can I abandon him?"

Du Gou calmly replied, "Do I need to give an answer?"

Wang Gui laughed and said, "This case will fall on my shoulders first, and I can't escape it even if I want to."

Cheng Chumo touched his nose: "I'm bad with words, so I won't make up any excuses. Anyway, I'm not leaving."

After he finished speaking, everyone's eyes fell on Cui Lin.

Cui Lin raised his chin high: "What are you looking at me for? You all refuse to be deserters, but I come from a prestigious family, do you think I don't have any shame?"

Listening to their completely different reasons and seeing the determined looks on their faces, Liu Shuyi took a deep breath and then laughed: "You guys, I really don't know whether to say you're loyal or stupid. I've already reminded you like this, and you still haven't run away..."

Everyone just smiled.

Liu Shuyi let out a long breath and said seriously, "In that case, I won't waste any more words."

He looked at Du Gou and the others and said in a deep voice, "Wan Langzhong only wrote this one sentence on this piece of paper—'The illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi intends to take the remains of the Prince of Xi to Hebei Province.'"

Buzz!
Everyone felt as if they had been hit on the head with a stick.

My brain started buzzing.

His expression changed drastically!

"Shu Nie" refers to the illegitimate children born out of wedlock to nobles and officials.

Such people usually do not have inheritance rights.

However, if all those who have the right to inherit are dead, then he will have the right to inherit!
After the Xuanwu Gate Incident, all of Prince Xi Li Jiancheng's sons were killed, and Li Jiancheng had no bloodline left in the world.

Therefore, even though many people were dissatisfied with Li Shimin's ascension to the throne, and even though some of the former officials of Prince Xi harbored ulterior motives, they could only act secretly. Moreover, they did not have a unified leader, and were like a pile of loose sand, without a leader.

But now, Wan Rong says that Li Jiancheng has another illegitimate son, and this illegitimate son is taking Li Jiancheng's remains to Hebei Province!

Hebei Province is the stronghold of the former subordinates of Prince Xi. If Li Jiancheng's illegitimate son really went to Hebei Province, one can imagine what would happen.

A disorganized group has found a leader...

The plot to rebel now had a suitable reason...

Add to that the prophecy on this so-called miracle stele...

Du Gou and his group didn't dare to think about what would happen next.

"How did a illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi suddenly appear? Is this true?" Wang Gui couldn't help but ask.

Zhao Feng frowned and said gravely, "This is a secret that Dr. Wan risked his life to leave for us. If it were false, would he need to do this?"

Wang Gui's heart sank: "How could this be? We were just investigating a stone tablet that appeared out of nowhere, how did it suddenly turn into the appearance of the bloodline of the Prince of Xi?"

Du Gou said with a serious expression, "No wonder they made the stone tablet appear at this time and even wrote the words 'legitimate bloodline' on it. They probably did it to create momentum for this illegitimate Prince Xi!"

Everyone felt a heavy weight in their hearts.

They also understood why Liu Shuyi had given them a choice.

Because Li Shimin absolutely could not allow the existence of the illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi.

He would never acknowledge this so-called illegitimate Prince Xi, so Li Shimin would likely pretend to be ignorant of the matter and try to deal with this illegitimate Prince Xi as soon as possible.

At the same time, the news will be blocked to prevent it from spreading.

Therefore... in Li Shimin's eyes, those who knew this news might be at risk of leaking it.

No one dared to imagine what Li Shimin would do at that time.

Du Gou looked at Liu Shuyi and asked, "What do you think about this?"

Upon hearing this, everyone instinctively looked at Liu Shuyi.

Then Liu Shuyi's eyes became deep, and he said, "I'm thinking about two things."

"Which two things?" Du Gou asked.

Liu Shuyi said, "First, how did Wan Langzhong know this secret? This is something that even His Majesty and the court do not know."

After thinking about it, everyone nodded.

"really."

Cui Lin said, "Even my Cui family hasn't heard the slightest bit of news."

The Cui family of Qinghe, being one of the top families among the seven clans and five surnames, is even more powerful than the imperial court in some aspects. If they say they don't know, it means that this matter is absolutely secretive.

So how did Wan Rong, a mere junior official in the Ministry of Justice, with no special skills or connections, know this secret? It is indeed worth pondering.

"second."

Liu Shuyi continued, "Wan Langzhong said that the illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi took the Prince of Xi's remains to Hebei Province... How did he obtain the Prince of Xi's remains?"

"I have solved the case of the disappearance of Prince Xi's remains, and I know that they were stolen by the forces of Liu Yuanming and An Qingxi..."

"The imperial court went to great lengths to find the remains of Prince Xi, but now they are in the hands of his illegitimate son. Did the illegitimate son snatch them from Liu Yuanming's faction, or...?"

He looked at the group and said in a low voice, "Is he in league with Liu Yuanming's faction, or was this simply given to him by Liu Yuanming's faction on their own initiative?"

"This……"

Everyone frowned and fell into deep thought.

"If he is in league with Liu Yuanming's forces, that would be good, because then we would understand the true purpose of Liu Yuanming's forces in stealing the remains of the Prince of Xi."

Liu Shuyi's voice continued: "But if he is not in cahoots with Liu Yuanming's forces, and the remains of the Prince of Xi were given to him by Liu Yuanming's forces, then what we need to consider now is not only the matter of the Prince of Xi's illegitimate son and Hebei Province, but also what kind of conspiracy Liu Yuanming's forces may be plotting!"

Everyone's hearts sank lower and lower.

Even the usually arrogant and proud Cui Lin felt a little breathless at this moment.

He couldn't help but ask, "Then what should we do?"

This was the first time he had ever been so indecisive. In fact, any one of these matters could shake the foundation and stability of the Tang Dynasty. Even for him, this was the first time he had encountered such a major issue.

Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes, a sharp glint in them, and said, "It's very simple."

“Simple?” Cui Lin was taken aback.

Liu Shuyi said, "Immediately inform His Majesty of the intelligence we have obtained. His Majesty and Lord Du will decide how to deal with the matter of the illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi and the Hebei Circuit. We don't need to worry about it."

"There's only one thing we need to do..."

His gaze swept over the crowd: "The goal is to uncover the truth! Find out who placed the stone tablet, and find the murderer who killed Wan Langzhong!"

"The murderer killed Wan Langzhong because Wan Langzhong knew the secret of the Prince of Xi's illegitimate son. We just need to find the murderer and follow the clues to clear up all the mysteries."

"Moreover, Wan Langzhong said that the illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi was heading to Hebei Province, which means that he has not yet arrived in Hebei Province. Therefore, we have a chance to intercept him en route!"

"Therefore, we must not only find out the truth, but we must do it quickly! Find out the truth as quickly as possible! As long as we are fast enough, faster than the speed of the Prince of Xi's illegitimate son, and faster than the speed of Liu Yuanming's forces, then everything is still under control!"

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, Cui Lin's pupils twitched a few times.

He hadn't expected Liu Shuyi to be so calm and rational at this moment.

Even within the Cui family, very few people possess such a temperament.

“But we have absolutely no leads right now, how can we investigate?” Cui Lin frowned.

The others also felt a chill run down their spines.

rumbling...

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats suddenly rang out.

Everyone subconsciously followed the sound.

Then you can see dust rising into the air along the winding road.

Ahead, amidst the dust, stood a dozen or so figures riding fine horses.

Among those figures was a beautiful woman dressed in a white dress, with a cool and aloof demeanor.

Looking at her, Liu Shuyi smiled gently: "Look, the person who brought us clues, the person who searched for clues for us, is here, isn't he?"