The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 58 The Fifth-Rank Nobility, Li Shimin's Promise!
In less than a quarter of an hour, Liu Shuyi followed the eunuch to the palace gate.

Liu Shuyi dismounted and looked up at the majestic palace walls and gates before him. Before he could even express his feelings, he was urged by the eunuchs to come to the gate. The gatekeepers first checked his imperial edict, fish tally, and other items that proved his reason for entering the palace and his identity. Then they searched him carefully to confirm whether he was carrying any weapons that could threaten the emperor's safety.

After the verification and search were completed and it was confirmed that there were no abnormalities, Liu Shuyi was allowed to enter the palace.

Passing through the palace gate and onto the imperial road paved with bluestone slabs, one sees armored guards and swordsmen on both sides of the road.

These Thousand Bull Guards were all burly and had piercing eyes. As Liu Shuyi approached, their gazes immediately turned sharp, and a terrifying killing intent and baleful aura pressed down on him like a mountain abyss.

They only looked away when Liu Shuyi was out of their sight.

But then, the sharp gazes of the next batch of Thousand Bull Guards were cast upon them...

With every step Liu Shuyi took, at least dozens of eyes were watching him. Let alone harboring ulterior motives and plotting something, Liu Shuyi estimated that even if he coughed, he would be surrounded and be met with the blades of the Thousand Bull Guards.

This was his first time entering the palace, so he wasn't sure whether the palace was always so heavily guarded, or whether the recent spate of unexpected events had made Li Shimin uneasy and thus ordered such strict security.

To avoid trouble, Liu Shuyi, despite his curiosity about the palace, did not look around. He followed closely behind the eunuch, kept his head down, and moved forward cautiously and swiftly.

And so they walked along the imperial road, through the gate, and turned two corners, soon arriving in front of a palace guarded by imperial guards.

The eunuch leading the way said to Liu Shuyi, "His Majesty has ordered that once you arrive, you need not announce your arrival and may enter directly."

It is said that when eunuchs interact with officials, the eunuchs' attitude reflects the emperor's attitude.

Along the way, the eunuch didn't say much, but his pace was extremely fast, giving Liu Shuyi the illusion that if he hadn't been running too wildly in the palace, the eunuch would have definitely taken him on a mad dash.

And this undoubtedly shows that the eunuchs were in a hurry!
Very urgent!
Does his representation of Li Shimin's attitude mean that Li Shimin is also in a hurry to see him?
But he hadn't heard of anything particularly big or urgent happening in the Tang Dynasty, and even if it were something big, it shouldn't be something a sixth-rank official like him, a junior official in the Ministry of Justice, could get involved in...

He originally thought that Li Shimin wanted to see him because he had seen through Liu Yuanming's scheme the night before.

But now it seems that it wasn't for that reason.

At least, there's no need to rush into something like this and skip the reporting process altogether.

What exactly happened that made Li Shimin so eager to see him?
Liu Shuyi was puzzled, but showed no emotion on his face. He thanked the eunuch and turned to look at the majestic palace whose doors were slowly opening.

Taking a deep breath, Liu Shuyi didn't hesitate and strode towards the Liangyi Hall.

Upon entering the main hall, the warm atmosphere instantly enveloped him, giving Liu Shuyi a sense of the chill of the outside world, as if he knew wisely to stay away from the emperor.

His gaze swept quickly across the main hall, and he saw that besides Li Shimin, there were only two other people in the spacious and solemn hall.

Du Ruhui and a middle-aged man dressed in purple robes stood in front of the hall.

The original owner of this body had the good fortune to see this middle-aged man from afar a year ago.

Therefore, Liu Shuyi knew that this person was none other than Changsun Wuji, the Minister of Personnel who was the most trusted by Li Shimin and held the title of Grand Master of the Three Offices.

Similarly... it was not long ago that Miaoyin'er told her about Changsun Wuji, who had hidden the secret of the Imperial Seal of the State within his residence.

Liu Shuyi didn't know whether Miaoyin'er's words were true or false, nor had he decided whether to look for the Imperial Seal of the State. Therefore, he had no particular thoughts when facing Changsun Wuji.

He simply gave a respectful greeting as an ordinary official would when meeting his superior, and then bowed directly to Li Shimin, who was seated high on the dragon throne, and said loudly, "Your subject Liu Shuyi, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice, pays his respects to Your Majesty."

"Be flat."

A gentle voice came from above.

Li Shimin's first impression on Liu Shuyi was not like the unapproachable imperial majesty described in history books, or the unpredictable mood swings of serving a ruler. Instead, he was as gentle as an elder, and Liu Shuyi felt an immediate sense of closeness to him.

But of course he wasn't foolish enough to truly consider Li Shimin a family member; on the contrary, he became even more cautious and careful.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

After Liu Shuyi finished speaking loudly, he straightened up, but he still kept his head down and did not look directly at Li Shimin.

Li Shimin looked Liu Shuyi up and down and said, "He looks just like him! He really does!"

“You and your father, Liu Wenjing, are practically identical.”

Liu Shuyi didn't know why Li Shimin would suddenly bring up his father. Unable to figure out Li Shimin's thoughts, he kept his head down and didn't reply.

Li Shimin continued, "When I met your father, you were still very young. At that time, your father was truly a man of extraordinary talent and brilliance, a dragon among men. I admired him greatly, but alas..."

He shook his head and didn't say anything more.

Everyone present knew why he didn't continue.

The case of Liu Wenjing's treason was investigated jointly by Pei Ji and Xiao Yu, and Li Yuan ultimately made the final decision himself.

Li Shimin had only been on the throne for two years, so he couldn't just casually talk about the cases decided by Li Yuan. Otherwise, if the news got out, there would inevitably be rumors of him criticizing the former emperor or even being unfilial.

But Li Shimin, being a qualified emperor, would never make sentimental remarks lightly.

Therefore, the first thing he said to Liu Shuyi was about Liu Shuyi's father, Liu Wenjing, and his words also showed his high regard for Liu Wenjing... Liu Shuyi felt that he needed to carefully consider the deeper meaning behind this.

However, Li Shimin did not give Liu Shuyi much time to ponder. After saying this, he continued, "Minister Du told me about your discovery last night. You were able to discover that Liu Yuanming was lying and helped us thwart their conspiracy in time, preventing a conflict between the court and the former subordinates of the Prince of Xi in Hebei Province. You did a very good job."

Liu Shuyi hurriedly replied, "Your Majesty trusts me and has appointed me as an Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice. I should do my utmost to repay Your Majesty! It is my honor to be able to share Your Majesty's burdens."

Li Shimin smiled and nodded: "You certainly know how to talk."

“Everything I have said is from the heart.”

Li Shimin's smile deepened. He looked at Du Ruhui and said, "Minister Du, no wonder you have recommended Minister Liu to me so many times and value him so highly. Minister Liu is capable and eloquent, and I like him very much too."

Du Ruhui smiled and said, "Being eloquent is not important. What is most important is having the ability to share Your Majesty's burdens and having a sincere and loyal heart that always wants to repay Your Majesty."

Li Shimin listened to Du Ruhui's words, looked at Liu Shuyi with deep eyes, and after a moment, spoke again.

But this time, his tone was a bit more serious.

"Minister Liu, do you know why I summoned you to the palace today?"

Sensing the change in Li Shimin's tone, Liu Shuyi felt a chill, knowing that the pleasantries were over and the main topic was about to begin.

Instead of making wild guesses out of cleverness, he honestly shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, I do not know. Please enlighten me."

He kept his head down, his gaze fixed on his toes. Although he didn't look up, Liu Shuyi knew that Li Shimin's gaze was on him.

That gaze was dignified and solemn, yet it also carried a hint of scrutiny.

It seems like they want to domineeringly see right through themselves.

Then he heard Li Shimin's voice: "It may be too late to stop Liu Yuanming and his accomplices' conspiracy."

what?
Liu Shuyi was startled and subconsciously looked up.

It met Li Shimin's deep, unfathomable eyes.

Li Shimin said, "Minister Du, you speak."

Liu Shuyi quickly averted his gaze, for it was not something a subject should do to look directly at the emperor.

He turned his head and looked at Du Ruhui.

Du Ruhui nodded to him, the smile that had appeared when he spoke up for him fading away, replaced by a solemn expression. He said, "Do you remember what I told you last night when we parted, that officials from Hebei Province had come to Chang'an to report on their duties?"

A bad feeling crept into Liu Shuyi's mind: "Could something have happened to them?"

Du Ruhui nodded: "Just last night, Ma Fuyuan, the prefect of Yizhou in Hebei Province, was murdered at Duting Post Station!"

"The governor of Yizhou was murdered inside the post station?"

Liu Shuyi's pupils twitched violently a few times.

He had just learned of the other party's conspiracy from Liu Yuanming, and had just reminded Du Ruhui to avoid conflict with the former subordinates of the Prince of Xi in Hebei Province, and to prevent them from thinking that the imperial court was going to take action against them...

As a result, that very night, the Prefect of Yizhou, a fourth-rank official from Hebei Province, was killed in the imperial post station!

Moreover, Duting Post Station was a residence specifically prepared for high-ranking officials at the prefectural level, located within Chang'an City and not far from the imperial palace.

As a result, the dignified governor was murdered right under the nose of the imperial city!
If this gets out, how will the people view it?

If this news were to reach the ears of the former subordinates of the Prince of Xi in Hebei, what would these officials, who were already nervous and afraid of being purged by the court, think?

No wonder Li Shimin was so eager to see me.

No wonder Li Shimin said that Liu Yuanming and his accomplices' conspiracy might be too late to stop...

If this case cannot be resolved perfectly, it is very likely that the former subordinates of the Prince of Xi in Hebei Province will believe that this matter is related to the imperial court and that the court wanted their lives, which is why they took action.

If that's the case, Hebei Province will surely descend into chaos!

Liu Yuanming and his group's conspiracy was essentially successful.

For the Tang Dynasty, this would be an unavoidable and undeserved disaster!
Having figured this out, Liu Shuyi's expression also became serious. He said, "Have you investigated?"

Du Ruhui shook his head: "This matter is of utmost importance and absolutely cannot be lost."

He looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "Your abilities are evident to all, and you also discovered Liu Yuanming's conspiracy. You have already dealt with them and have some experience... Therefore, after communicating with His Majesty and Minister Changsun, we unanimously believe that it is the safest course of action to entrust this case to you."

"Therefore, we ordered the Imperial Guards to seal off Duting Post Station, forbidding anyone from entering or leaving, and also forbidding any news from spreading out. At the same time, we immediately ordered someone to summon you here."

Liu Shuyi suddenly realized something.

No wonder he didn't hear a thing; the news was blocked the moment the crime occurred.

This approach has its advantages; it delays the time it takes for the news to reach Hebei Province, giving them more time to solve the case.

But there are downsides.

The fact that the Imperial Guards had sealed off Duting Post Station would surely become known to others.

Due to the information blockade, the officials did not know what had happened at the Duting Post Station and could only make wild guesses.

Such speculation will inevitably lead to a flurry of rumors.

If the news were to reach Hebei Province, even if the former subordinates of the Prince of Xi did not know the specifics of what had happened, they would probably speculate whether an official on his way to Chang'an to report on his duties had encountered an accident, and thus wonder if the court intended to settle scores with them.

At this point, if Liu Yuanming's accomplices were to fan the flames and add fuel to the fire...

They even went so far as to publicly announce the murder of the prefect of Yizhou, a fact that had been kept secret by the imperial court...

What will the former subordinates of the Prince of Xi think?

They would only believe that the court's deliberate concealment was intended to lull them into a false sense of security and lower their guard...

At that point, the situation will actually be worse than if it hadn't been concealed!

Therefore, blocking information is a double-edged sword.

If the case can be solved quickly and the truth revealed before Liu Yuanming's accomplices incite the former subordinates of the Prince of Xi, then the crisis will be resolved on its own.

However, if the case cannot be solved quickly, and if the former subordinates of Prince Xi find out what the court is hiding, unrest... may break out at any moment!
The situation has become so perilous!
His mind raced, and he asked, "Can we be certain that this was the work of Liu Yuanming's accomplices?"

Du Ruhui shook his head: "It hasn't been investigated yet, so we can't be sure for now. But regardless of whether it was done by Liu Yuanming's accomplices, once the news of Ma Fuyuan's death spreads, they will definitely seize the opportunity!"

"So, whether it was Liu Yuanming's accomplice or not is not important. What is important is that if Ma Fuyuan dies and the real culprit cannot be found and the truth cannot be revealed... things will definitely turn into the worst possible situation!"

Liu Shuyi frowned and nodded.

He understands this too.

Du Ruhui looked at him and said, "If this case was indeed committed by Liu Yuanming's accomplices, the news is probably already on its way to Hebei Province. We may not have even a day left to spare, and we must send people to Hebei Province as soon as possible..."

"Throughout the court and the country, you are the only person capable of solving a case in a single day!"

"so……"

Du Ruhui looked at him with deep eyes, his voice more serious and earnest than ever before.

"Liu Shuyi, at this critical juncture for the Tang Dynasty, are you... willing to accept this mission and turn the tide?"

As Du Ruhui's voice fell, Changsun Wuji, who had been standing silently to the side, turned his deep, calm eyes toward Liu Shuyi.

Li Shimin, seated on the dragon throne, also watched him in silence.

Being stared at like this by three of the most powerful people in the Tang Dynasty, Liu Shuyi felt a weight on his shoulders.

It wasn't just the pressure they put on themselves, but also the immense responsibility this case carried for the safety of the Tang Dynasty.

Even though Liu Shuyi had lived two lives, he had never dealt with a case that could directly affect the state of the nation.

He understood that at this moment, he actually had no other choice.

Instead of directly ordering him to solve the case within a day and threatening him with execution if he failed, Li Shimin summoned him privately, bestowed upon him great honor, and treated him with such gentleness at the beginning of their meeting, even mentioning his father in detail...

You have treated me with the respect due to a national hero.

Liu Shuyi took a deep breath, then bowed deeply, his voice ringing out: "As a subject of the Great Tang, I have long been determined and prepared to give my life for Your Majesty and for the Great Tang!"

"I am willing to sign a pledge: if I cannot solve this case within one day, I will leave it to Your Majesty to decide."

If the case cannot be solved in time and it really leads to chaos in Hebei, I will be the person primarily responsible.

At that time, even if Du Ruhui protects him again, he will inevitably have to bear the greatest responsibility.

The consequences range from losing one's official position to death.

Therefore, no matter what he said, the result would be the same, so he might as well appear more resolute and respond with a military pledge, so that Li Shimin could feel his loyalty.

In this way, his impression on Li Shimin might be even better.

Once the case is solved, Li Shimin will likely reward him even more.

"it is good!"

Sure enough, after Liu Shuyi firmly said those words, Li Shimin immediately exclaimed "Good!"

He looked directly at Liu Shuyi, his voice carrying an undeniable authority: "As a subject of the Great Tang, I should naturally possess such courage!"

"Liu Shuyi, I am not a foolish ruler. I know how difficult it is to solve a case in a day."

"But as Minister Du said, this is a critical juncture. I can wait, but the rebels will not. Once chaos breaks out in Hebei, the land will be devastated and countless people will die..."

"Therefore, I have no choice but to pass the pressure on to you."

"But I can promise you..."

Liu Shuyi subconsciously looked at Li Shimin.

Li Shimin then said in a deep voice, "If you can solve the case in a single day, turn the tide, and thwart the villains' conspiracy, I will grant you the title of county magistrate!"

The title of Viscount!

Upon hearing Li Shimin's words, both Changsun Wuji and Du Ruhui showed expressions of surprise.

Clearly, this reward was something they hadn't discussed beforehand.

The Tang Dynasty had nine ranks of nobility, from top to bottom: King, Heir Apparent, Duke of a State, Duke of a Prefecture, Duke of a County, Marquis of a County, Earl of a County, Viscount of a County, and Baron of a County. Nobility was different from official positions. Official positions represented power, while nobility represented honor and status, reflecting one's position in the Emperor's heart and the extent of one's contributions to the Tang Dynasty.

Moreover, some of the titles above the rank of county marquis can be inherited.

Having a title means having the foundation for a family's legacy. If the title is hereditary, it can guarantee that the family will not decline for several generations.

Although he is only a county magistrate now and is not eligible for hereditary succession, having a title means having the opportunity to advance in rank. Who knows if he will not be able to continue to rise in rank and become a county marquis, county duke, or even a state duke?
Therefore, many people spend their entire lives trying to obtain a noble title.

However, this was the early Tang Dynasty, and titles of nobility were not yet widely distributed. Li Shimin held onto these titles tightly, and apart from his meritorious followers, he had not yet bestowed titles upon anyone else. Therefore, the fact that Li Shimin could promise Liu Shuyi a title, and not just the lowest rank of county baron, but the next highest rank of county viscount, clearly shows that he truly valued Liu Shuyi highly.

And this high regard is not because of Du Ruhui.

Otherwise, at most, rewarding a county magistrate would be an immense imperial favor.

Noble titles also have ranks. Although they are not official positions with real power, having a noble title is equivalent to having the same treatment.

The title of "County Viscount" corresponds to the rank of a fifth-grade official.

In other words, if Liu Shuyi can solve this case and truly become a county magistrate, his rank will jump from the sixth rank to the fifth rank, and his salary will be much more generous.

As Miaoyin'er had suggested, he was to be promoted to the fifth rank as soon as possible. Although he hadn't reached the official rank yet, his status and salary had coincidentally arrived first...

Liu Shuyi knew that Li Shimin would reward him handsomely, but he did not expect the reward to be this generous.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and bowed again, saying, "Your Majesty, I will do my utmost to solve this case and live up to Your Majesty's trust!"

Seeing His Majesty's promise, Liu Shuyi remained calm and composed, without losing his composure in the slightest. A glint of light flashed in the depths of Changsun Wuji's eyes. He finally understood why Du Ruhui valued Liu Shuyi so much.

Du Ruhui stroked his beard, looking at Liu Shuyi with a mixture of worry and relief.

Worrying is that the greater the reward, the greater the crisis. If Liu Shuyi cannot solve this case, he doesn't know if he can save Liu Shuyi's life.

What is gratifying is that Liu Shuyi remained calm and composed even in front of His Majesty, far more so than other young officials of the same age, which will surely leave a better impression on His Majesty.

Seeing that Liu Shuyi remained calm in the face of both honor and disgrace, just as Du Ruhui had predicted, Li Shimin nodded in satisfaction.

"Time is of the essence; I will not delay your investigation."

"With my imperial edict in hand..."

He picked up the edict from the desk and handed it to Du Ruhui, who then passed it on to Liu Shuyi.

Seeing Liu Shuyi accept the edict with both hands, Li Shimin continued, "You may mobilize any personnel to assist you, and you may investigate any person or matter. Anyone who dares to disobey will be disobeying my orders, and I grant you the right to execute first and report later..."

"I only want results!"

"As long as you can solve the case, even if you turn the sky upside down, I will back you up!"

Liu Shuyi felt a chill run down his spine, sensing Li Shimin's resolute determination, and quickly bowed, saying, "Your subject understands."

"Go, I await your good news."

"Yes!"

Liu Shuyi didn't linger any longer. After exchanging a glance with Du Ruhui, he quickly left.

As Liu Shuyi's figure gradually receded into the distance and finally disappeared from sight, Li Shimin remained silent for a moment before saying, "My dear minister Changsun."

"The minister is here."

"Go see Li Jing and ask him to secretly deploy troops and keep a close eye on the movements in Hebei."

His gaze was deep and his voice was full of imperial authority: "If there is any disturbance... I authorize him to send troops to suppress it first, and then report to me."

Both Changsun Wuji and Du Ruhui were startled and quickly bowed in agreement.

When it comes to matters of national importance, we must never put all our eggs in one basket.

Li Shimin raised his eyes and looked back towards the direction outside the palace.

"I do not wish to wage war within the Tang Dynasty, therefore..."

"Liu Shuyi, don't let me down!"

…………

Duting Post Station is located on the west side of Zhuque Street, in the second ward south of Hanguang Gate, also known as Tongyi Ward.

Liu Shuyi spurred his horse and galloped away. Before long, he arrived outside the Duting Post Station.

"Who is coming?"

As soon as Liu Shuyi approached Duting Post Station, he was quickly questioned by the Jinwu Guards on duty.

Each of these Imperial Guards looked tense, their hands gripping the hilts of their swords tightly, the veins on the backs of their hands throbbing, as if they would be attacked immediately if they uttered even a single wrong word.

"Master Liu?"

Before Liu Shuyi could speak, a familiar voice suddenly came from inside the post station.

Then Cheng Chumo, with his dark complexion and carrying two huge battle axes on his back, strode over.

"Really you?"

Cheng Chumo asked curiously, "What are you doing here? Could it be that you...?"

He thought about the case that had occurred at Duting Post Station, and a guess immediately came to mind: "Are you here to investigate the case?"

Liu Shuyi nodded, dismounted, and handed the edict given to him by Li Shimin to Cheng Chumo.

Cheng Chumo took the edict blankly and subconsciously opened it.

then……

His hand trembled, and he almost dropped the edict.

Cheng Chumo quickly shoved the edict back into Liu Shuyi's hands, saying, "Why didn't you tell me this was His Majesty's edict? If I had accidentally dropped it, I would have lost my head."

Seeing Cheng Chumo's pale face, Liu Shuyi laughed and said, "Isn't this to let you know why I'm here?"

"You can just tell me, you don't need to show it to me in person..."

Cheng Chumo slapped his chest hard with his large palm, making a series of thuds. Liu Shuyi's eyelids twitched, fearing that Cheng Chumo had broken his ribs.

A moment later, Cheng Chumo let out a long breath, as if the fright had finally passed.

His dark eyes darted around, then he leaned closer to Liu Shuyi, lowered his voice, and said, "This case probably won't be easy to investigate. You shouldn't have taken this case."

"How could I possibly refuse His Majesty's decree?"

"That's true."

Cheng Chumo looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "Then you'll be very busy. There are quite a few people in this post station, and there are four factions involved."

"correct……"

He asked curiously, "His Majesty has given you a few days to solve the case?"

As Liu Shuyi walked towards the post station, he casually remarked, "One day."

"one day!?"

Cheng Chumo stopped in her tracks, staring at him with wide eyes: "Really?"

Liu Shuyi said with a wry smile, "What do you think?"

"It's over!"

Cheng Chumo frowned, and a look of sorrow appeared in his eyes as he looked at Liu Shuyi: "You might not even finish getting all the statements in a day, how could you possibly find the murderer?"

Cheng Chumo was ordered to blockade Duting Post Station. He arrived earlier than me and clearly knew more information.

Liu Shuyi asked directly, "Tell me, what happened?"

Cheng Chumo took a deep breath and said, "Didn't I just tell you that there are four groups of people in this Duting Post Station right now..."

"It was a group of officials from Hebei. There were ten of them in total, led by the deceased, Ma Fuyuan, the prefect of Yizhou. The yamen runners responsible for protecting them stayed at a post station outside Chang'an City. Otherwise, there would have been more people."

"It was a group of officials who came from Taiyuan to report to the capital. There were only five of them, led by Prefect An Qingxi and Judicial Advisor Cui Lin."

"One group is an envoy delegation from Xueyantuo. The Xueyantuo leader, Yinan, hopes to gain the recognition and support of the Tang Dynasty and has specially sent an envoy to pay tribute."

"And the last group was the officials and guards inside the post station, which numbered nearly a hundred."

He looked at Liu Shuyi and couldn't help but shake his head, saying, "These four groups have a large number of people, including foreign envoys, officials from Chang'an, and officials from other places... Their composition is so complex that when I first heard about it, I just felt a headache coming on."

"And they were all staying here last night, which means they all had the opportunity to commit the crime. It won't be easy to find out who did it."

"Not to mention……"

Cheng Chumo looked around, then approached Liu Shuyi and lowered his voice, saying, "I'm worried that the officials in Hebei Province, as well as the envoys from Xueyantuo, might not be willing to cooperate."

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why do you say that? What did they do?"

Cheng Chumo said, "The officials in Hebei are so easily startled. It gives me the feeling that I am not here to protect them, but to harm them. They are extremely wary of us."

"And the envoys of Xueyantuo... as you know, they were originally Turks. Later, with His Majesty's support, they established the Xueyantuo Khanate, but this does not change the fact that they once fought a bloody battle with the elite troops of our Great Tang."

"This is also their first time being sent as envoys to the Tang Dynasty as subjects of the Xueyantuo. Their wariness of us is not much lower than that of the officials of Hebei Province."

Liu Shuyi nodded thoughtfully.

He never expected that such a small inn would gather so many forces last night.

Two delegations of officials from other regions, an envoy delegation from a newly established country, and the original officials of the post station...

The four factions are unfamiliar with each other and may even be wary of one another.

The situation was more complicated than he had anticipated.

No wonder Du Ruhui, after learning about the case, didn't have anyone else investigate first, but came directly to me...

Given the current situation, if the investigation is carried out haphazardly, it will only provoke the Hebei officials and the Xueyantuo envoys, making them more vigilant and cautious, and the situation will only get worse.

Indeed, there's no such thing as a free lunch.

The rewards bestowed by Li Shimin had already been secretly priced.

Liu Shuyi took a deep breath, calmed his chaotic thoughts, and focused on the case, asking, "When did the incident occur? Did anyone enter or leave the inn last night?"

Cheng Chumo said, "It is not yet certain when Ma Fuyuan died. This morning at Chenshi (7-9 AM), the officials of Hebei Circuit, seeing that Ma Fuyuan had not gone to eat, sent someone to summon him."

"As soon as the person went there knocked on the door, he found that the door was pushed open a crack. Only then did he realize that the door was not locked."

"The courier saw a crack in the door and tried to peer into the room through it to see if Ma Fuyuan was resting inside or had already left."

"And then he looked..."

Cheng Chumo paused for a moment, his tone immediately dropping to a low level. He looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "I was almost scared to death!"

"The room was covered in blood!"

"A headless corpse lies in a pool of blood."

"And on the table next to it, a head was placed upside down."

"The head's eyes were wide open, its pupils long since dulled, staring straight out of the room, as if meeting the gaze of the courier peeking through the door."

"And inside the head's nose were three incense sticks, their blue smoke rising in wisps, like a ritual offering..."

Liu Shuyi's pupils narrowed slightly.

Just from Cheng Chumo's description, he could imagine what a bizarre scene it must have been.

He originally thought that Ma Fuyuan had simply been killed.

But unexpectedly, the manner of his death was so bizarre!
His head was cut off, his skull was turned upside down, and incense was even burned on his head...

Is this some kind of ritual?

"The courier was so frightened that he ran away in a panic, screaming as he went..."

Cheng Chumo continued, "And so, others were attracted. Everyone rushed to Ma Fuyuan's room and finally confirmed that the deceased was Ma Fuyuan."

"Then, they immediately reported to the imperial court, and after receiving the order, I also rushed over to seal off the post station."

Liu Shuyi frowned and pondered for a moment, then said, "In other words, Chenshi (7-9 AM) is only the time when Ma Fuyuan's accident was discovered. The actual time of Ma Fuyuan's death needs to be counted back, but no one knows exactly how long ago."

"Yes."

"Did anyone enter or leave the inn last night?"

"No."

Cheng Chumo said, "The post station has two gates, and both gates are always guarded by postmen. They said there was nothing unusual last night, and no one went in or out."

"No one has entered or left, which means the murderer..."

Liu Shuyi paused, looked at the utterly silent post station before him, and said, "It's right here in the post station!"

Cheng Chumo nodded: "But like I said, there are too many people. You only have one day. Relying on yourself, you may not even be able to finish getting all the statements, let alone solve the case."

"Who said I'm going to rely on myself alone?"

"Huh?" Cheng Chumo was taken aback.

Liu Shuyi smiled, but before he could speak, the Imperial Guards suddenly appeared behind him.

“Liu Yuanwailang, more than thirty people have arrived outside the post station. They say they have received your orders and come to assist you.”

"More than thirty people? To assist you?"

Cheng Chumo suddenly realized and said, "You found someone to help you?"

Liu Shuyi laughed and said, "How could I overlook something that you could think of?"

With that, he turned and walked outside.

As soon as I arrived at the entrance, I saw many familiar figures appear in front of me.

Du Gou rushed over from Dali Temple.

Wang Gui, the county magistrate of Chang'an, was covered in sweat from rushing to his destination.

The aloof and beautiful coroner Zhao Feng, the clerk from the Ministry of Justice, and many other officials from the Ministry of Justice who had decided to follow him...

Seeing their travel-worn and hurried appearance, Liu Shuyi slowly exhaled.

He is no longer the person he was when he first traveled through time.

He was no longer the lonely person who was bullied.

He has friends, partners, and subordinates.

They have already established their own power.

Therefore, Cheng Chumo's worries can never truly hold him back.

Why does it take a whole day to get a clear statement from someone?
…………

P.S.: A new case has started. This is a very important case, and I will try my best to write it well!

While waiting for updates, friends who haven't read my old book can check out my completed book, "People in Zhenguan, Solving Cases with Science." The first few hundred thousand words are a bit awkward, but I guarantee it will be exciting later on.

(End of this chapter)