The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 81 Testing the Elder Brother's Superior! Has Du Ruhui's Secret Been Exposed?

Liu Shuyi's mind raced, and he got up and went straight to the door.

He opened the door, looked at Uncle Chang outside, and asked, "Has the person who delivered the invitation left?"

Uncle Chang shook his head: "Not yet, he is waiting for the young master's reply."

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly, took the invitation from Uncle Chang, and saw a very concise and clear statement inside.

"I will never forget your kindness in saving my life. Today, I have prepared a simple banquet at my humble abode to express my gratitude."

The content is simple and concise, without any unnecessary words.

This aligns with Changsun Chong's unruly personality.

He glanced at the time; it was the hour of You (5-7 PM).

It was just right that his work wouldn't be delayed after he finished his shift; Changsun Chong had considered everything very carefully.

The mastermind behind Miaoyin'er is eager to find "Lianshan". Although he himself thwarted the plot to seize Changsun Chong this time, he will never give up.

A new conspiracy may have already begun.

The opponent is powerful, and my victory this time was the result of the help of many forces. If I were to fight them alone, my disadvantages would far outweigh my advantages.

Therefore, I must seize this opportunity and achieve my goal in one fell swoop, directly obtaining "Lianshan".

Then take a good look at what secrets this ancient book, which the mysterious mastermind went to such lengths to obtain, holds.

Thinking of this, Liu Shuyi immediately said, "Uncle Chang, please tell him that I will be at the banquet on time."

…………

Ministry of Punishment.

After having breakfast prepared by Wan'er, Liu Shuyi went to the Ministry of Justice to take his shift.

As yesterday, he was surrounded by the staff of the Ministry of Justice as soon as he arrived.

"Greetings, Magistrate Liu!"

"In just half a day, Assistant Minister Liu cracked a major case of human trafficking and even rescued Vice Minister Changsun, achieving another great merit! I admire him greatly!"

“Master Liu is truly a detective reincarnated. I heard about the human trafficking, which was extremely well-kept and had not been exposed for many years. Yet, in a short time, it was all thwarted by Master Liu. My admiration for Master Liu is as boundless as a surging river.”

“Since Assistant Minister Liu saved Vice Minister Changsun, he will surely gain the favor of Minister Changsun in the future, and his future is limitless.”

"If you rise to prominence in the future, you must help me out."

There were more flattering words and praise than yesterday.

Moreover, Liu Shuyi could clearly sense envy, and even a hint of jealousy, in these words…

After all, saving Changsun Chong not only meant making a contribution, but more importantly, it meant becoming a benefactor of the Changsun family.

Although the Changsun family was not a prominent clan like the Seven Clans and Five Surnames, it was the Empress's maternal family and the most powerful maternal relative in the court.

Furthermore, the head of the family, Changsun Wuji, was deeply favored by the emperor and wielded immense power.

Liu Shuyi became a benefactor to this family, and it was Changsun Wuji who personally asked Liu Shuyi for help... So you can imagine what kind of support Liu Shuyi will receive from Changsun Wuji in the future.

Liu Shuyi was originally promoted by Du Ruhui, and now he has the support of Changsun Wuji, with two powerful ministers standing behind him...

Even the slowest person could tell that as long as Liu Shuyi didn't encounter any accidents along the way, he would definitely rise through the ranks.

The position of Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice, which they revered, was merely Liu Shuyi's starting point.

In this situation, how could they not be envious? And how could they not be jealous?

However, no matter how jealous they were, they dared not show it. Instead, they became even more respectful to Liu Shuyi. They did not ask Liu Shuyi to help them after he rose to prominence; they only hoped that Liu Shuyi would not hold a grudge against them for their past actions, which would be a great blessing.

Liu Shuyi knew countless people and could easily see through their thoughts. He simply smiled and returned their greetings as always, not letting anyone find fault with him.

As for how to treat them in the future, that depends on their behavior.

Soon, Liu Shuyi broke free from the crowd and headed towards the Ministry of Justice.

He paused as soon as he reached the gate of the Ministry of Justice.

His eyebrows were slightly raised, and his face showed a look of surprise that even he found surprising.

What a coincidence... I ran into Qian Wenqing again.

Although the predecessor was suppressed by Qian Wenqing, in reality, Qian Wenqing, as an assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice, had many official duties and could only see him a few times a month. Most of the suppression of the predecessor was achieved through the passive violence of others.

Unexpectedly, after transmigrating, he would run into Qian Wenqing almost every day whenever he came to the Ministry of Justice.

Qian Wenqing's expression was the same as Liu Shuyi's, first surprised and stunned, then as ugly as if he had eaten shit.

"How did I run into him again!?"

"Why is he so persistent? I run into him everywhere I go?"

Qian Wenqing couldn't help but roar inwardly.

Previously, he had been looking forward to meeting Liu Shuyi, so that he could gain favor with Pei Ji by bullying Liu Shuyi.

But now, he has become somewhat afraid of running into Liu Shuyi, though he doesn't know when it started.

Every time I run into Liu Shuyi, nothing good ever comes of it!

Not to mention, Liu Shuyi is currently a county viscount of the fifth rank, and I don't even have the right to stand up straight when I see him.

Qian Wenqing was extremely frustrated, but he could only bow to Liu Shuyi and say, "Greetings, County Magistrate."

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow and said with a smile, "We're all colleagues, why is there such formality, Mr. Qian? Please rise."

Qian Wenqing thought to himself, "Why didn't you say so earlier if you didn't want me to be so polite? Why did you have to wait until I finished bowing?"
On the surface, he could only express his gratitude to Liu Shuyi.

"Thank you, Magistrate."

Looking at Qian Wenqing's hurried figure, Liu Shuyi asked curiously, "Master Qian, why are you in such a hurry to go out? Has some case happened?"

Qian Wenqing immediately became alarmed.

The scene of Liu Shuyi stealing credit from him is still replaying in his nightmares.

He quickly replied, "It's not a major case; I can handle it."

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow, noticing Qian Wenqing's guilty conscience.

This is because they're afraid of stealing the credit...

However, Qian Wenqing was overthinking it. He had many things to do and really didn't have time to waste on Qian Wenqing.

The gap between the two is gradually widening.

If he hadn't run into him by chance, he really wouldn't have remembered Qian Wenqing.

"Master Liu..."

At this moment, Zhao Feng came to greet him.

Seeing that Liu Shuyi and Qian Wenqing had met again, he was taken aback for a moment, then his eyes flashed and he bowed to Qian Wenqing as well: "Greetings, Qian Yuanwailang. Did you come to congratulate me on your success in cracking a major human trafficking case and saving Changsun Sicheng, who has gained the favor of Minister Changsun?"

The subordinates behind Qian Wenqing twitched their eyelids violently a few times.

This is really like bringing up a sore subject!
They knew very well how furious Qian Wenqing was when he heard that Liu Shuyi had become the benefactor of the Changsun family.

Yesterday at the restaurant, Qian Wenqing drank himself into a stupor and got completely drunk, muttering "lucky as hell" countless times.

But they knew that Qian Wenqing also wanted that stroke of luck, but when Changsun Wuji came to the Ministry of Justice, he went straight to Liu Shuyi and didn't mention Qian Wenqing at all.

This left Qian Wenqing with no choice but to watch as Liu Shuyi befriended the Changsun family.

Jealousy twisted Qian Wenqing's expression last night.

When they arrived at the Ministry of Justice today, they were all still trembling with fear, afraid that Qian Wenqing would show his dissatisfaction and jealousy.

Fortunately, Qian Wenqing has regained her composure.

They thought it was all over.

But to everyone's surprise, they ran into Liu Shuyi here.

Fortunately, Liu Shuyi didn't have the habit of showing off and didn't mention his meritorious service yesterday. Qian Wenqing's behavior was also quite normal.

But to their surprise, just as they breathed a sigh of relief, Zhao Feng directly provoked Qian Wenqing...

This made their hearts jump, and they looked at Qian Wenqing nervously, fearing that he might be provoked into a frenzy.

then……

They saw Qian Wenqing's face turn pale and then flushed.

He clenched his fists, then released them, then clenched them again.

He lingered on the verge of erupting for a long time, seemingly hovering between a volcanic eruption and not erupting, before finally taking a deep breath and gritting his teeth, saying, "I was just about to say something..."

His eyes held an undisguised jealousy and hatred as he stared at Liu Shuyi: "Congratulations, Mr. Liu."

After saying that, without waiting for Liu Shuyi's response, he glanced at Zhao Feng with a gloomy look in his eyes, flicked his sleeves, and led everyone away quickly.

His speed was almost the limit of walking, as if some ferocious beast was behind him.

Seeing this, Liu Shuyi said helplessly to Zhao Feng, "Why provoke him? What if he resents you and causes you trouble later?"

Zhao Feng coldly watched the backs of Qian Wenqing and the others, and said with a sneer, "With Liu Yuanwailang protecting me, I am not afraid of him. Besides, I have already followed Liu Yuanwailang. Even if I do not offend him, he will not treat me well."

Of course, these are not the main reasons.

The most important reason was that after he arrived at the Ministry of Justice, he heard his colleagues there recount how Liu Shuyi had been bullied by Qian Wenqing over the years. Only then did he realize what kind of life Liu Shuyi had been living all these years.

Violence in this world is not just about punches and kicks.

Isolation, exclusion, suppression... these forms of psychological torment are far more terrifying than physical harm.

He felt a chill run through his body and a sense of despair and helplessness just from hearing his colleagues talk about it; this was a different kind of despair than when he was exiled.

Liu Shuyi was Zhao's benefactor and his second parent, so when he learned what Qian Wenqing had done to Liu Shuyi, he only wished he could kill Qian Wenqing with his own hands!
He's only using words to provoke us now, which shows he's been quite calm and rational.

Liu Shuyi knew that Zhao Feng was doing this for his own sake, so he didn't blame Zhao Feng, but he did have a plan in his mind.

Given Qian Wenqing's vindictive nature, he would never let Zhao Feng's provocation go unpunished.

Or, given the grudges between him and himself, he may have already been considering how to deal with the people around him.

It seems that... it's time to put getting Qian Wenqing out of the Ministry of Justice on the agenda.

The Ministry of Justice is our rear base and headquarters; we cannot leave a ticking time bomb here.

However, how to proceed still requires careful consideration and long-term planning.

Dealing with Qian Wenqing is not difficult, but behind Qian Wenqing is Pei Ji. The most important thing is to prevent Pei Ji from supporting Qian Wenqing and from finding any weaknesses to attack him.

Either don't take action, or if you do, make sure there are no future problems.

His mind was racing with thoughts, but his face remained impassive.

As he walked with Zhao Feng toward the office, he asked, "How is Lu Yangyuan?"

Zhao Feng said, "Miss Du's medicine is very effective. After Lu Yangyuan took the medicine, he was able to move around normally in just one day."

“This morning he specifically sought me out and asked me to inform the Master that he has recovered and is ready to come to the Master’s side at any time to protect him.”

Liu Shuyi laughed and said, "I didn't expect him to be so enthusiastic."

Zhao Feng recalled how Lu Yangyuan had approached him this morning and nodded with a smile: "He was indeed very proactive. Last night at the Ministry of Justice, he overheard everyone's discussions about the Assistant Minister and learned that the Assistant Minister had already made good relations with the Changsun family. He probably feared that if he didn't come to the Assistant Minister's side soon, there would be more competitors in the future."

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow: "He has quite a few thoughts, but that's only human nature."

The reason Lu Yangyuan chose to follow him without hesitation, besides repaying a debt of gratitude, was that he wanted to follow him and strive for a better future. It's understandable that Lu Yangyuan would be anxious as his influence grew day by day.

Liu Shuyi thought for a moment and said, "I'll go see Master Du in a bit and see if I can get him a vacancy. Tell him to wait patiently."

Zhao Feng nodded: "This subordinate understands."

Liu Shuyi smiled, pushed open the door, and went into his office.

He casually picked up the case file sent by the Court of Judicial Review from his desk, and while reviewing it, asked, "Is Lord Du at the Ministry of Justice today?"

"He's here, but he just arrived this morning and went to jail."

"The prison?"

Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered, and he said, "Should we interrogate Miaoyin'er and An Qingxi, or should we interrogate those two men in black from yesterday?"

Zhao Feng shook his head: "This humble official is not aware of the situation. The prison is now heavily guarded, with the Imperial Guards watching over it around the clock. Not a single piece of information can get out."

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly. Ever since a traitor appeared among the prison guards, Du Ruhui had been very concerned about the prison. In addition, the prison was currently holding serious criminals like Liu Yuanming and An Qingxi who had ulterior motives. They also had deeply hidden masters and accomplices outside. Du Ruhui did not want outsiders to know whether they had revealed any secrets.

This allows us to engage with them psychologically, forcing them to reveal their weaknesses.

Therefore, the current prison can truly be described as a place where not even a fly can get out.

"I see."

He picked up a vermilion pen, wrote his review comments on the file, put the file aside, picked up another file to continue reviewing, and said, "You go ahead and get busy. I'll call you if I need anything."

…………

Liu Shuyi was busy for a full two hours.

Liu Shuyi only finished reviewing the last file when his stomach started growling in protest.

As an assistant director of the Ministry of Justice, he was required to review all cases initially tried by the Court of Judicial Review.

If the review is successful, the prisoner will be punished according to the judgment of the Dali Temple.

If there are problems with the case, or the evidence is insufficient, or the punishment is inappropriate, he will send the case back to the Dali Temple. The Dali Temple will either retry the case or send it back to the yamen that submitted the case file for a new investigation and trial.

The Tang Dynasty relied on this complex and rigorous penal system to ensure the fairness and impartiality of cases to the greatest extent possible, so as to prevent local officials from fabricating wrongful convictions and abusing their power.

He glanced at the left side of the desk, where there were two files.

These are case files that I failed to review.

One reason he believed the case had problems and needed to be reinvestigated was that the evidence was insufficient, and he needed the Dali Temple or local government to supplement the evidence.

Both of these files are signed by the same person.

—Qin Wuyang, a clerk at the Dali Temple.

Upon seeing this name, Liu Shuyi's eyes narrowed.

He recalled the case of Bai Jinghong's parents' deaths. After the case was submitted to the Dali Temple, the people in charge of the investigation were his own brother and Qin Wuyang.

Later, the elder brother discovered the problem and went to Bai Jinghong to say he would investigate.

In the end, the elder brother just kept apologizing to Bai Jinghong, then drank alone in silence, saying in a very negative way that he was too insignificant to change anything.

As a judge of the Court of Judicial Review, the elder brother should have reported the case to his superior, Qin Wuyang, who was also in charge of the case, as soon as he discovered a problem with the case, according to normal procedures.

So, does this mean... that the elder brother's setbacks were caused by Qin Wuyang?
If so...

Liu Shuyi tapped his fingertips lightly on the desk.

"Somebody come!"

crunch--

The door opened, and a clerk strode in: "Master Yuanwailang."

Liu Shuyi pointed to the two case files on the table and said, "After reviewing them, I found problems with these two case files. I have marked the specific problems on them. Take them away and report them according to the procedure so that the Dali Temple can re-examine them."

Ling Shi was startled. The Ministry of Justice had not rejected the Dali Temple's case files for a long time, but unexpectedly, two of them failed the review today.

He dared not delay, quickly put away the files, and said, "I will take care of it right away."

With that, he turned to leave.

"Wait a moment."

Liu Shuyi stopped him and asked, "Have you seen Master Du?"

The clerk hurriedly replied, "Lord Du is currently having a meal."

The Ministry of Justice had a dining hall or canteen.

Officials could eat lunch in the dining hall, but the food they could eat varied depending on their rank.

The higher the rank, the more abundant the meals.

Liu Shuyi nodded slightly: "Go ahead."

The clerk then took the files and hurriedly left.

Liu Shuyi rubbed his protesting belly, stood up, and headed towards the dining hall.

He was currently unsure whether his brother's negativity was related to Qin Wuyang, so he could try to find out by examining these two files.

If Qin Wuyang receives the case file that he rejected and immediately handles it seriously, it shows that he is a very conscientious and responsible official and would not knowingly oppose his brother's investigation into the case of Bai Jinghong's parents.

If Qin Wuyang receives the news that the review failed and becomes furious, thinking that he is being targeted... then I need to seriously consider whether he did anything to my brother at that time, and whether my brother's disappearance is related to it.

Lost in thought, Liu Shuyi arrived at the canteen.

His current official position is a sixth-rank assistant minister, but because he holds a fifth-rank noble title, the food he can eat is on the same level as that of a fifth-rank minister in the Ministry of Justice.

They can enjoy a wider variety of dishes.

After serving the food, I glanced around and noticed that Du Ruhui was sitting alone by the window.

Liu Shuyi carried the food over.

"Master Du."

He first bowed to Du Ruhui, then placed the food beside Du Ruhui and sat down.

Du Ruhui looked at Liu Shuyi and said with a smile, "You are the first person in the Ministry of Justice, besides the Vice Minister, who dares to dine with me in front of me."

Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "This is all thanks to Lord Du's kindness, which gave me the courage."

"You do know how to talk."

Looking at Liu Shuyi, whose appearance was handsome and whose temperament was becoming increasingly extraordinary, Du Ruhui said, "I have heard about your performance yesterday. You did very well."

"Not only did you rescue Changsun Chong, but you also shattered the black market human trafficking chain that had harmed countless people. This morning I met Minister Changsun, and he kept praising you in front of me."

"You truly are a brilliant detective, fully deserving of the title 'super detective'."

Liu Shuyi humbly replied, "Minister Changsun is too kind; I was simply lucky."

Du Ruhui shook his head: "Don't be modest in front of me."

Liu Shuyi laughed heartily.

Du Ruhui looked at Liu Shuyi and became more and more satisfied. He had personally witnessed how Liu Shuyi had risen to power step by step and was the person who knew Liu Shuyi's temperament and abilities best.

Now, Liu Shuyi is like a bright pearl, and more and more people are seeing his brilliance.

This made Du Ruhui both gratified and worried.

Liu Shuyi had done Changsun Wuji such a great favor, and Changsun Wuji had praised Liu Shuyi so highly in front of him. He was truly afraid that Changsun Wuji would eventually say that he had no way to repay him except by offering his daughter in marriage...

Fortunately, Changsun Wuji wasn't that shameless.

But he knew that Changsun Wuji wasn't saying anything now because he didn't want Changsun Wuji to poach his man right after he had helped him.

However, if the relationship between his daughter and Liu Shuyi remains uncertain, then Changsun Wuji might take action at any time.

Du Ruhui hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "You're twenty this year. Have you ever thought about getting married?"

Liu Shuyi was taken aback. Why did Du Ruhui suddenly change the topic to Cheng Jia?
He pondered Du Ruhui's intentions and smiled, "Normally speaking, I should have thought about it. After all, people my age already have kids running around."

"But Lord Du is well aware of the Liu family's situation. I am still the son of a disgraced official, and I'm afraid a suitable woman wouldn't be willing..."

Upon hearing this, Du Ruhui retorted directly: "What do you mean by the son of a disgraced official? You are now a meritorious official of the Tang Dynasty, a meritorious official acknowledged and personally rewarded by His Majesty! If anyone dares to say that you are not good enough for his daughter, tell me, and I will ask him whether it is his opinion or His Majesty's opinion that matters!"

Liu Shuyi was surprised by Du Ruhui's reaction. He was slightly moved and said, "With you saying that, I feel much more at ease. It seems that I can indeed consider this important matter in my life."

Du Ruhui smiled and tentatively asked, "Do you have a woman you admire?"

Is Xin Yue's daughter okay?
Liu Shuyi wanted to answer in that way, but he was afraid of angering Du Ruhui... After all, Du Ruhui had just strongly supported him, and it seemed a bit unfair for him to turn around and try to snatch someone else's daughter.

He thought for a moment and said, “There is a woman who often helps me. Whenever I need her, she always appears immediately and helps me without asking for anything in return. I am very grateful to her and I always think of her. When I encounter delicious food or interesting things, I want to share them with her immediately… I have never been married, so I don’t know if this counts as love.”

"Furthermore, I am unaware of her feelings for me, so..."

Du Ruhui's heart stirred.

She often helps him... isn't that like having her own daughter?

It seems my plan was quite effective. I deliberately put my daughter in front of Liu Shuyi, giving them frequent opportunities to meet so they could support each other on the case...

The plan goes through!
He is not worried about his daughter.

As long as Liu Shuyi has designs on his daughter, there will be no more problems.

Du Ruhui's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

He could give Liu Shuyi and his daughter some more time to truly understand each other's feelings and wait for Liu Shuyi to take the initiative to propose marriage.

He hoped that the Du family's son-in-law and daughter had genuine feelings for each other. Only in this way could the son-in-law be willing to help the Du family from the bottom of his heart after he was gone.

Otherwise, if he were to marry a son-in-law who had no feelings for the family and was only after the Du family's power, then once he was gone, or if the Du family were to fall into decline, the son would likely be the first to kick him while he was down and leave the Du family.

Therefore, no matter how anxious Du Ruhui was, he was willing to wait a little longer in such matters.

He looked at Liu Shuyi, thought for a moment, and said, "From what you've said, that must be Xinyue."

"Our Tang Dynasty has an open and free-spirited culture, so if you are truly in love with that woman and really want to marry her, then you don't need to care about her background. Take the initiative, let her know your feelings, and then go directly to propose marriage."

"With your abilities and your future potential, I believe that any family would absolutely agree."

Liu Shuyi's eyes flashed.

He didn't believe that Du Ruhui couldn't tell who the woman he was talking about was.

So, does Du Ruhui's statement prove...?

Liu Shuyi suddenly realized something.

Could it be that Du Ruhui had this idea all along?
No wonder he felt comfortable letting his daughter stay with him day and night.

No wonder, the Du family's daughter works so hard for herself, and there isn't a single complaint from anyone in the Du family.

No wonder Du Ruhui treated him so well, making him wonder if he was Du Ruhui's illegitimate son.

Now, he understands everything.

He was indeed not Du Ruhui's illegitimate son, but Du Ruhui did want to be his father.

　I traveled a long way these past two days and only got home this afternoon. The journey was so tiring that I originally wanted to take a day off to rest, but then I realized that being tired wasn't such a big deal. It's just that my efficiency was a bit low. I had been writing for several hours and I just couldn't write anymore.

　　That's all for today. I'll resume normal updates tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)