The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 85 Rescuing Zhao Feng resulted in Qin Wuyang losing both his wife and his army!

Dali Temple Prison.

In the dark and damp interrogation room, cold laughter echoed continuously.

"Qin Wuyang, give up on that idea! No matter how much you plead, I will never admit to murder as you wish. I didn't kill anyone!"

"I was wronged!"

"Don't even think about using me to get back at Liu Yuanwailang!"

"Master Liu never intended to target you. It was your own incompetence that led you to misjudge the case. Master Liu then helped you correct your mistake to prevent innocent people from being wronged. Yet, instead of being grateful to Master Liu, you pettily believe that he is making things difficult for you! How ridiculous!"

"It's true that you see others the way you are!"

"Master Liu has been incredibly kind to me. Even if I die, I will never let you succeed! Don't even think about using me to get back at Master Liu!"

Zhao Feng was tied to a pillar, his body bearing obvious whip marks. His once clean and tidy clothes were now tattered and stained with blood from the whipping. His hair was disheveled, and sweat soaked the strands, which clung tightly to his pale cheeks.

Even so, Zhao Feng remained sneer and showed no fear whatsoever when faced with Qin Wuyang and the others' interrogation.

If Qin Wuyang and Liu Shuyi had no grudges and he had only been involved in the case by chance, he might have been willing to cooperate. However, after learning that Liu Shuyi had come to see him but was turned away by Qin Wuyang, and that Qin Wuyang had even mocked Liu Shuyi in front of him, Zhao Feng understood everything.

Getting involved in the case might have been accidental, but once I fell into Qin Wuyang's hands, that accident became inevitable.

He himself had become Qin Wuyang's weapon against Liu Yuanwailang.

Therefore, how could he possibly do as Qin Wuyang wished!
"Zhao Feng, why make yourself work so hard?"

Qin Wuyang sat on the stool in front of Zhao Feng, legs crossed, looking calm and composed, showing no anger at Zhao Feng's words.

He lightly ran his fingertips across the whip, looking at the bloodstains on his fingers, and Qin Wuyang shook his head and said, "Humans are really fragile. Even such a soft whip can easily bring out so much blood when it falls on your body."

"Tell me, what will you do if I switch to other hard instruments of torture?"

His gaze swept over Zhao Feng's thin body, and he sighed, "Look at your small frame. I'm afraid I'll break your bones if I whip you a few times. You can't withstand any other instruments of torture."

So, don't force yourself.

Qin Wuyang said in a considerate tone to Zhao Feng, "Just sign and put your fingerprint on it. No matter how hard you try to hold on, you'll eventually be beheaded for murder. Why make trouble for yourself and suffer such torment for nothing?"

"Pooh!"

Zhao Feng spat out a mouthful of saliva and gritted his teeth, saying, "I've never killed anyone, so don't even think about making me confess! Besides, Master Liu is here to rescue me. With Master Liu's abilities, he will definitely save me! Your scheme will never succeed!"

"save you?"

"Do you really think Liu Shuyi can get you out of here?"

When Qin Wuyang heard Liu Shuyi's name, his expression finally changed. His face darkened, and the coldness in his eyes became more obvious.

Liu Shuyi openly rejected his own case file, showing no regard for him, which caused him to lose face.

Today, I don't know how many people are secretly criticizing and ridiculing me behind my back.

If he doesn't avenge this, he'll never be able to survive in the officialdom again.

However, Liu Shuyi's rank was no lower than his own, and he had been riding high recently. He couldn't find an opportunity to retaliate against Liu Shuyi for the time being. He thought he would have to swallow this anger for a while, but who would have thought that Zhao Feng would fall into his hands.

This immediately invigorated him, and he felt that this was the will of Heaven, that even the heavens couldn't stand Liu Shuyi's arrogance and wanted to help him get revenge.

Therefore, no matter what, he must first use Zhao Feng to cut off one of Liu Shuyi's arms. If possible, he should also use Zhao Feng to implicate Liu Shuyi, at least to damage Liu Shuyi's reputation and stop the momentum of Liu Shuyi's rising fame.

Let Liu Shuyi know the consequences of offending me! Let Liu Shuyi regret his actions today!
Originally, everything was proceeding according to plan. Liu Shuyi's high regard for Zhao Feng convinced him that killing Zhao Feng would severely damage Liu Shuyi.

But to everyone's surprise, this ant Zhao Feng, whom he had never taken seriously, was so stubborn. No matter what he did, he used torture, mental attacks, or even bribery, Zhao Feng still wouldn't budge.

Instead, they're now using Liu Shuyi to mock and ridicule them...

Seeing the hopeful look on Zhao Feng's face as he looked at Liu Shuyi, Qin Wuyang sneered, "I advise you not to harbor such unrealistic fantasies."

“I know that in your heart, your master Liu Shuyi is very powerful.”

"But I want to tell you that's only because Liu Shuyi hasn't met me yet."

"Liu Shuyi is indeed very good at investigating cases, but no matter how good he is, what can he do if I don't give him any evidence or clues about this case?"

"Even a clever housewife can't cook without rice! Liu Shuyi can't just spout nonsense and make up the truth, can he?"

"But I actually hope he just makes things up. That way, you won't even have to implicate him; he'll be in trouble on his own!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Feng frowned slightly, his face pale.

But he still said, "I believe in Master Liu. His abilities are far beyond what you, a useless person who can do nothing but extract confessions through torture, can compare to!"

"Ha! It's true what they say, good advice is useless against someone who's courting death!"

Qin Wuyang scoffed at Zhao Feng's words.

He put himself in Liu Shuyi's shoes and wondered what he would do if he were in Liu Shuyi's situation.

The answer is no.

With the case files firmly in his hands, even if Liu Shuyi inquired, he could only get inconsequential information. He had no chance to access the real details, the truly useful clues and evidence.

Under these circumstances, does Liu Shuyi still want to solve the case? Does he still want to save Zhao Feng?
Go dream!

Not to mention, he wouldn't give Liu Shuyi any time at all...

He said coldly, "Guards! Continue the torture!"

"The criminal Zhao Feng, relying on the support of his master Liu Shuyi, has shown contempt for this official. Let him know the consequences of his actions!"

"Zhao Feng, I advise you to speak up as soon as possible, otherwise I will not show you any mercy."

“You can withstand the whipping, but you may not be able to withstand the branding iron. Even if you can withstand the branding iron, what about the splints or the tiger bench? There’s always one that you can’t withstand!”

"And by then, even if you speak up, the pain will not be lessened! So, take my kind advice and confess as soon as possible. Tell me everything about your collusion with Liu Shuyi. This will only benefit you and not harm you!"

"Pooh!"

Zhao Feng spat again: "Don't even think about using me to implicate Liu Yuanwailang! And do you really dare to continue torturing me? You just promised Du Sicheng, aren't you afraid that Du Sicheng will find out that you are outwardly compliant but inwardly disobedient and will be dissatisfied with you?"

"Heh, dissatisfied?"

Qin Wuyang crossed his arms, casually swinging his legs, and smiled disdainfully at Zhao Feng's questioning: "Everyone here is my man. As long as I say I didn't torture you, how could Du Gou possibly know?"

Zhao Feng's pupils contracted. He hadn't expected Qin Wuyang to agree to Du Gou's request so readily, only to turn on him immediately after Du Gou left.

He finally understood what kind of person Qin Wuyang was.

To achieve the goal, whatever means necessary!
He didn't know if Qin Wuyang had truly concluded from that evidence that he was the murderer.

But he knew that if Liu Yuanwailang did not rescue him as soon as possible, Qin Wuyang might use other means, such as forging his signature and seal, and then causing an accident to kill him, so that there would be no way to prove it!

Seeing Zhao Feng's drastic change in expression and the look of alarm on his face, Qin Wuyang's lips curled into a cold smile.

He could actually sense that Zhao Feng didn't really seem like the murderer...

But so what?
All the clues found so far point to Zhao Feng.

And he himself couldn't find any clues that pointed to other people.

The court and His Majesty are paying close attention to this case, putting them under immense pressure.

In this situation, it's natural to close the case as soon as possible.

Anyway, he wasn't without evidence. As long as Zhao Feng nodded, the so-called slight anomalies in the evidence would no longer be a problem.

Everyone will accept their own outcome.

At that time, he would not only be able to avenge Liu Shuyi, but also make a great contribution by solving the case in just one day... This is an achievement that only Liu Shuyi can currently accomplish.

And now, I can do it too.

Furthermore, since the perpetrator was Liu Shuyi's confidant, Liu Shuyi would inevitably suffer a blow as a result. Wouldn't I be able to take this opportunity to step on Liu Shuyi and rise to prominence, perhaps even becoming the second detective known as a genius at solving cases?

Thinking of all this, Qin Wuyang felt a surge of excitement and could no longer restrain himself. He coldly shouted, "Make your move!"

Upon hearing this, his trusted subordinates naturally did not hesitate at all.

He picked up the red-hot branding iron from the charcoal brazier, ready to press it hard against Zhao Feng—

"Chief Qin, something terrible has happened!"

But then, the door to the interrogation room was suddenly pushed open.

A jailer rushed in.

"Liu Yuanwailang and Du Sicheng have arrived, saying they want to take Zhao Feng away!"

Everyone in the room was taken aback by the jailer's words.

The Dali Temple official, who was about to carry out the punishment, subconsciously stopped what he was doing and was momentarily at a loss.

Zhao Feng, who was preparing to grit his teeth and endure it, suddenly raised his head and his eyes lit up: "Master Liu has come to save me!"

Qin Wuyang's face immediately turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

"I've already said that this case belongs to the Court of Judicial Review, and has nothing to do with the Ministry of Justice! What right does he have to take away the prisoners in this case?"

He said coldly, "Guards, tell him to leave the Dali Temple immediately! I have reason to suspect that he has a secret with the criminal Zhao Feng. Otherwise, why would he repeatedly disrupt my investigation?"

"If he dares to interfere with my investigation of the real culprit again, don't blame me for not showing any camaraderie as a colleague and arresting him as well!"

"Interfering with your investigation?"

But to everyone's surprise, just as Qin Wuyang finished speaking, a faint voice suddenly rang out from behind the door: "Director Qin, you have misunderstood me. I came here specifically to help you because I discovered that you had arrested the wrong person, which could lead to a miscarriage of justice and allow the real culprit to go unpunished. How is that interfering with your investigation? Don't wrong me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door to the tightly closed interrogation room was pushed open.

Liu Shuyi and Du Gou walked in slowly, one after the other.

Qin Wuyang was shocked that Liu Shuyi had come directly here. He immediately shouted, "Liu Shuyi, do you know where this is? This is the Dali Temple prison, a very important place. No one is allowed to enter without permission. How dare you force your way in? What do you take my Dali Temple for?!"

"Somebody come!"

He preemptively declared, "Arrest Liu Shuyi! I will immediately submit a petition to Minister Xiao of the Court of Judicial Review, requesting him to deal with Liu Shuyi!"

"Wait!"

Du Gou immediately intervened, saying, "Director Qin has misunderstood. Assistant Minister Liu did not force his way into the prison; I invited him in."

Qin Wuyang frowned deeply, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. How could he not know that Du Gou had brought Liu Shuyi in? He wanted to give Liu Shuyi a hard time and gain the upper hand in the confrontation.

If we could take this opportunity to arrest Liu Shuyi and frame him for a crime, that would be even better.

He looked at Du Gou and said coldly, "What does Vice Minister Du mean by this? Wasn't I clear enough before? Although Vice Minister Du and I are both officials of the Court of Judicial Review, I am in charge of this case now, and even Vice Minister Du cannot interfere. Yet Vice Minister Du brings an outsider here. What? Did I offend Vice Minister Du in some way that he would bring an outsider to humiliate me?"

Du Gou, who always considered himself a gentleman, had never been so confrontational with anyone before. Hearing Qin Wuyang's question, which was almost like pointing a finger at his head, he was at a loss for words.

"Could it be that Chief Qin is hard of hearing?"

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

"What did you say?!" Qin Wuyang looked at Liu Shuyi with an icy expression.

Liu Shuyi smiled slightly: "I have already made myself very clear. We are here to help you, so that you will not make a wrongful judgment. How can this be considered an insult in the eyes of Chief Justice Qin?"

"Could it be..."

Liu Shuyi's eyes suddenly narrowed as he glanced at the battered Zhao Feng. His voice was low as he said, "Chief Qin knows that Zhao Feng is innocent, but in order to get revenge on me and to gain merit, he deliberately disregards the facts. Knowing it's a miscarriage of justice, he still wants to continue, doesn't he?"

"Nonsense!"

Qin Wuyang's voice became shrill.

He seemed to have been greatly insulted, and his whole body was trembling: "Liu Shuyi, don't you dare to make false accusations!"

"Who doesn't know that I am the most fair and just official! In order to investigate the truth, I haven't even had a sip of water since I took on this case. I have been working so diligently and tirelessly, how can you speak nonsense like this!"

Liu Shuyi's tone remained calm: "Since Chief Qin values ​​the truth so much and is unwilling to wrong an innocent person, then Chief Qin should quickly release Zhao Lingshi and apologize for his mistake that caused Zhao Lingshi to be seriously injured and his reputation to be damaged."

"What!?"

Qin Wuyang seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world: "You want me to apologize to a murderer? Mr. Liu, are you out of your mind?"

"of course."

Qin Wuyang was surprised that Liu Shuyi didn't even bother to pretend. His face darkened as he said, "I arrested Zhao Feng with conclusive evidence, but now, Liu, the Assistant Minister, is saying that Zhao Feng is innocent!"

"Then I'd like to ask you, Mr. Liu, do you have any evidence to prove that Zhao Feng is innocent?"

“If not, in my opinion, Liu’s actions are a disregard for the laws of the Tang Dynasty and an abuse of power for personal gain. This makes me wonder if Liu is also involved in this case.”

He was afraid that Liu Shuyi would get involved in the case, so he kept a tight grip on the case files. He didn't believe that Liu Shuyi had any evidence to clear Zhao Feng's name.

Not to mention, how long has it been since Liu Shuyi learned of Zhao Feng's accident?
In such a short time, they might not even have a clear understanding of the case, so how could they possibly have any evidence?

Therefore, he was quite certain that Liu Shuyi could not produce anything substantial.

But to his surprise, something unexpected happened.

Liu Shuyi said, "Director Qin, rest assured. As an official of the Ministry of Justice, I am naturally familiar with the laws of the Tang Dynasty. If I didn't have solid evidence, why would I come to ask for Zhao Feng?"

"You have evidence!?" Qin Wuyang suddenly raised his head.

The other prison guards and Dali Temple personnel also looked surprised.

Zhao Feng, on the other hand, stared intently at Liu Shuyi the moment he appeared, his eyes brighter than ever before.

He knew Liu Shuyi best, so he knew that the moment Liu Shuyi appeared, everything was settled.

Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "To be honest, Chief Inspector Qin, I just went to the morgue and examined the body of the deceased."

Qin Wuyang frowned. He didn't know about this, but he didn't think it was a big deal.

After all, he had already ordered the coroner to examine the bodies of Xu Xi and the other three. Apart from the cause of death, there was nothing noteworthy. Even if Liu Shuyi were to examine them, it would probably be of no use.

He looked at Liu Shuyi, squinted, and said, "Master Liu, you wouldn't be saying that you found some special clues on these corpses, would you?"

"Director Qin is indeed very intelligent; I have actually made some small discoveries."

"What? You've discovered something?" Qin Wuyang was taken aback.

Liu Shuyi didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "I found a wound on the back of Xu Xi's head. Based on the condition of the wound, I deduced that it was caused by a heavy object hitting him."

Qin Wuyang secretly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

He had thought Liu Shuyi had discovered some clue he didn't know about, but it turns out it was about this...

He said calmly, "I noticed it at first glance, but it's not a fatal wound, so there's nothing to worry about."

"It's not a fatal injury, but I think it's something to be concerned about."

Qin Wuyang frowned and stared at Liu Shuyi, who then said, "From Xu Xi's corpse, we can know that his cause of death was that the murderer used a kitchen knife to frantically slash at his heart and abdomen, causing him to die from his injuries." "Besides Xu Xi, the other three were in the same situation, so we can know the murderer's habits."

"The murderer killed people swiftly and decisively; he wasn't someone who enjoyed torturing people slowly."

"If that's the case, and he didn't leave any other marks on anyone else, then why would he leave such a wound on the back of Xu Xi's head?"

"This..." Qin Wuyang had never really thought about this question.

He pondered for a moment and said, "Xu Xi's robes are wrinkled and dusty, which clearly indicates that he struggled. Perhaps the murderer was very angry when he saw him struggling, so he attacked him again."

"Reasonable!"

Liu Shuyi nodded at first, but then changed the subject: "The murderer could act out of anger, but that's where the problem lies..."

He looked at Qin Wuyang and said in a deep voice, "The murderer clearly had a weapon, so why did he switch weapons when he made the move?"

"Furthermore, you said that Xu Xi fought with the murderer, which angered the murderer, so he attacked again... But if it was a fight, how could Xu Xi possibly have his most vulnerable back of his head facing the murderer? Under normal circumstances, in a fight, shouldn't he always face the murderer and keep a close eye on the murderer's movements to increase his chances of winning?"

"This……"

Qin Wuyang's eyes flickered for a while before he said, "Perhaps Xu Xi knew he was no match for the enemy and wanted to escape, which is why he was shot from behind by the murderer."

"Knowing you're no match?"

Liu Shuyi nodded: "That is indeed a possibility. I haven't been to the scene to investigate, so I can't make a more accurate judgment about the situation at the time. So let's assume, as you said, that he wanted to escape. Then let's change the question back: why didn't the murderer use his most handy kitchen knife, but instead used other weapons?"

"Since he wanted to stop Xu Xi from escaping, shouldn't he have used a kitchen knife, which is obviously a deadly weapon? Why did he have to use a blunt object to strike the back of the victim's head? We can now confirm that his blunt object did not kill the victim. If it had been a kitchen knife, I think that strike would have been enough to kill the victim."

"But he didn't. Can you tell me why, Chief Qin?"

Qin Wuyang's expression changed slightly.

How could he know why?
He hadn't even thought about those things.

Since it wasn't a fatal injury, why bother what the killer's motive was?

He couldn't answer like that, otherwise Liu Shuyi would have an excuse to keep pressing the issue.

He racked his brains for a while, then his eyes lit up and he came up with a reason, saying, "Maybe the kitchen knife wasn't with the murderer at the time, so the murderer had to use other weapons."

"The murder weapon isn't on hand?"

Liu Shuyi laughed and said, "The murderer went to kill someone and wipe out their whole family, but the murder weapon was not with him on the way. It's a very interesting guess."

Qin Wuyang's expression froze, while Zhao Feng grinned.

He knew that as soon as Liu Yuanwailang arrived, the incompetent Qin Wuyang would be crushed.

"but……"

Liu Shuyi said, "What you said isn't entirely impossible."

Qin Wuyang didn't want to waste any more words with Liu Shuyi. The more he interacted with Liu Shuyi, the more he felt like he was being led by the nose. He was afraid that if Liu Shuyi continued talking, he would really be unable to cope.

He said directly, "Master Liu, you should stop talking about things that are uncertain. If you want me to release Zhao Feng, then produce concrete evidence. If you don't have concrete evidence, then don't waste each other's time."

"Wait, I was just about to say that."

Liu Shuyi was not surprised at all by Qin Wuyang's urging, as if he had expected Qin Wuyang's reaction.

This gave Qin Wuyang a sudden, ominous feeling.

Liu Shuyi said, "Let's not talk about the murder weapon for now, but only about the blunt instrument the murderer used to strike Xu Xi on the back of the head. I don't know..."

He narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Qin Wuyang, and said, "I wonder if Commander Qin found this blunt weapon at the deceased's residence?"

Qin Wuyang frowned and subconsciously said, "No."

"No?"

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow: "Did you not find it, or did you think it wasn't important and didn't look for it carefully?"

Qin Wuyang said coldly, "How could I, having participated in the investigation of many cases, knowing that the deceased suffered a blunt force injury but not looking for the blunt force? Liu Yuanwailang, don't underestimate others."

"Oh?"

Liu Shuyi said, "In other words, you searched carefully but couldn't find this blunt weapon. Does that prove that this blunt weapon, like the murder weapon, the kitchen knife, was also taken away by the murderer?"

"certainly--"

Qin Wuyang spoke subconsciously, but as soon as he finished saying "of course," he suddenly realized something, his eyes widened, and his expression changed abruptly.

Then, he saw Liu Shuyi looking at him with a half-smile: "I heard that you found the murder weapon, a kitchen knife, at the Zhao residence, but I didn't hear that you found anything else. So, can I understand that the murderer took both the kitchen knife and the blunt weapon he used to commit the crime, but you only found one of them?"

Qin Wuyang pursed his lips tightly. He finally understood what Liu Shuyi was trying to say after going through all that trouble.

Zhao Feng said directly, "That's right, they only found the kitchen knife, nothing else."

Liu Shuyi laughed: "That's interesting. For the murderer, a kitchen knife is far more important than a blunt weapon, but you only found a kitchen knife at the Zhao residence..."

He looked at Qin Wuyang and said meaningfully, "Chief Qin, can you explain where the blunt weapon went?"

Qin Wuyang's expression flickered violently, and his hands clenched unconsciously. He said coldly, "Who knows where he hid the blunt weapon?"

"Tibetan?"

Liu Shuyi said, "Does Chief Qin really think that he carefully hid the blunt weapon, which was in a less important position, but ignored the kitchen knife that killed four people?"

Qin Wuyang pursed his lips tightly and remained silent.

He didn't know how to refute it; indeed, compared to a blunt weapon, a kitchen knife was clearly more important.

It is indeed unreasonable to say that the murderer only hid blunt weapons and not kitchen knives.

"That only proves that there are some suspicious points in this matter, but it doesn't mean that Zhao Feng is definitely not the murderer!"

Qin Wuyang couldn't find a reason to refute it, but he was unwilling to give up.

Upon seeing this, Du Gou frowned slightly.

This is already a clear loophole. Without fixing this loophole and finding the blunt weapon, even if Zhao Feng admits to being the murderer, it will be difficult to form a complete and effective chain of evidence.

It is safe to say that convicting Zhao Feng is extremely difficult.

Even so, Qin Wuyang persisted relentlessly, making no attempt to conceal his intentions.

However, Liu Shuyi seemed to have anticipated this, and showed no shame or anger in the face of Qin Wuyang's targeting.

He simply said, "Indeed, this only proves that your investigation was ineffective; you even overlooked such important physical evidence..."

“You…” Qin Wuyang glared angrily.

Then Liu Shuyi said unhurriedly, "Therefore, I still have decisive evidence."

"What?" Qin Wuyang was taken aback.

Liu Shuyi calmly looked at him and said, "Director Qin, I don't know if when you investigate a case, you completely trust the coroner and never examine the corpse carefully, or if you do examine the corpse but are too careless..."

"So, you probably don't know that there's a tiny thing under the nail of Xu Xi's right index finger."

The fingernail of the right index finger?

A tiny thing?
Qin Wuyang looked somewhat bewildered.

As a high-ranking official of the sixth rank, he naturally wouldn't bend over and circle around the corpse. He only needed the coroner to examine the body and inform him of the important clues.

So he really didn't know what else was in Xu Xi's fingers.

"What is it?" he couldn't help but ask.

Du Gou and Zhao Feng both looked at Liu Shuyi, who then said calmly, "Shredded meat with blood."

Bloody bits of meat?

Qin Wuyang was taken aback at first, then seemed to realize something, and his expression changed drastically in an instant.

His pupils contracted, and he stared intently at Liu Shuyi.

Liu Shuyi calmly said, "Do you remember what you just said, that the deceased fought with the murderer before he died?"

“I just took off the deceased’s robe and carefully examined his body. Apart from the gruesome knife wounds, I found no missing flesh or blood on his body.”

"Furthermore, there wasn't much blood on his fingertips, which means the flesh and blood in his fingertips didn't come from his own wounds, otherwise his fingertips should have been bright red."

"And this proves one thing..."

Qin Wuyang subconsciously swallowed, and then heard Liu Shuyi say, "That means this piece of flesh and blood can only come from the murderer! It must have been caused when he fought with the murderer."

"In other words, the murderer was also injured, and there must be a shallow wound on his body."

"But Zhao Feng..."

Liu Shuyi looked at Zhao Feng, who was bound and covered in blood from being whipped, and said, "After you arrested him, you changed him into prison clothes, so you should know whether he had these kinds of injuries?"

Du Gou suddenly looked at Qin Wuyang, and the other prison guards and people from the Dali Temple also subconsciously looked at Qin Wuyang.

He noticed that Qin Wuyang's face was a little pale. He hesitated for a moment and said, "I didn't notice at the time, and now he has so many wounds on his body, it's impossible to be sure..."

"you……"

Zhao Feng never expected Qin Wuyang to be so shameless.

They still wouldn't let him go.

"Can't be sure?"

To everyone's surprise, Liu Shuyi shook his head upon hearing this: "It seems that Qin Sizhi is unaware of how skilled the doctors of our Great Tang are. Your whip marks only drew blood, they didn't take away flesh. So as long as an experienced imperial physician examines it, I think it will be easy to determine whether the injury was caused by a whip or by fingernails."

Qin Wuyang's expression changed completely.

Liu Shuyi suddenly stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Qin Wuyang, giving Qin Wuyang no chance to dodge: "Chief Qin, now, won't you let me take Zhao Feng away? Or..."

He said with a half-smile, "Do you really need me to bring the imperial physician here and make this matter known to everyone?"

Qin Wuyang's pupils trembled violently, and his hands inside his sleeves clenched so tightly that his nails were about to dig through his skin.

The look in his eyes as he looked at Liu Shuyi was filled with resentment and anger.

He never imagined that such a promising situation, where he was on the verge of solving the case and replacing Liu Shuyi... would be completely ruined by Liu Shuyi in such a short time!
He was filled with resentment, but he also knew that the situation was hopeless.

He knew very well whether Zhao Feng had any injuries, and he also knew that if he really called the imperial physician, he would only lose face even more.

Taking a deep breath, Qin Wuyang concealed his anger and then put on a fake smile: "Actually, I also think that Zhao Lingshi is not the murderer. However, when I investigate a case, everything is based on evidence, so I can only wrong Zhao Lingshi for now... Now that Liu Yuanwailang has provided enough evidence to prove that Zhao Lingshi is not the murderer, I will naturally clear Zhao Lingshi's name."

As he spoke, he immediately looked at his trusted aide and said coldly, "What are you all standing there for? Release Zhao Lingshi at once!"

The confidant was stunned for a moment before quickly untying Zhao Feng.

"hiss……"

When the rope was untied, it grazed the wound, causing Zhao Feng to gasp in shock.

Liu Shuyi frowned. He went to Zhao Feng, helped him up, and asked, "How are you? Can you walk on your own?"

Zhao Feng gritted his teeth and said, "Don't worry, Master Liu, I won't be tortured for more than an hour and be unable to walk."

Upon hearing this, both Du Gou and Liu Shuyi's expressions turned cold.

This means that ever since Zhao Feng was captured by Qin Wuyang, Qin Wuyang has been torturing him to extract a confession. If Zhao Feng hadn't been so resolute and if Liu Shuyi hadn't arrived so quickly, Zhao Feng might have been forced to confess under torture at any time.

Even if Du Gou used his influence, Qin Wuyang probably wouldn't have paid any attention, or perhaps he would have readily agreed on the surface but then failed to fulfill his promise behind the scenes.

Qin Wuyang's expression changed slightly; he hadn't expected Zhao Feng to dare to tell the truth.

He gave Zhao Feng a gloomy look, then smiled and said, "It's all a misunderstanding. I'm just trying to find out the truth. Zhao Lingshi is from the Ministry of Justice, so I believe he can understand my good intentions."

Zhao Feng pursed his lips tightly and did not answer.

He couldn't answer either. Qin Wuyang was so shameless, turning black into white. If he said he wasn't understanding, wouldn't that mean he didn't want to find the truth?
Du Gou frowned deeply, never expecting Qin Wuyang's true colors to be so despicable.

Liu Shuyi took off his robe and wrapped it around Zhao Feng to prevent him from getting cold and aggravating his injuries.

Then, he looked at Qin Wuyang and suddenly said, "Does Chief Justice Qin really want to solve the case? Does he really want to make a contribution?"

Qin Wuyang was taken aback, unsure of Liu Shuyi's meaning.

Then he saw Liu Shuyi staring at him coldly, his voice even calmer than before, saying, "I've taken this case. If Director Qin thinks he can stop me, then try and see if you can stop me."

"If we can't stop them, then Chief Qin will have to do his best, in case I manage to solve this case..."

Qin Wuyang's pupils dilated slightly, and then he heard Liu Shuyi chuckle: "Then Qin Sizhi's chance to make a contribution is gone."

"You..." Qin Wuyang stared intently at Liu Shuyi, about to say something, when Liu Shuyi's voice continued: "Director Qin, there's no need to thank me. Consider this my way of repaying you for taking such good care of Zhao Feng!"

After saying that, Liu Shuyi helped Zhao Feng up and turned to leave.

Du Gou gave Qin Wuyang a deep look before following him outside.

Qin Wuyang stood frozen in place until Liu Shuyi and the other two disappeared from sight, then angrily kicked over the low stool he had just been sitting on!
"This is too much!"

Angry voices echoed throughout the interrogation room.

Outside.

Walking through the narrow, cramped passage, Du Gou heard Qin Wuyang's furious voice and couldn't help but look at Liu Shuyi, asking, "Are you really going to do this?"

Liu Shuyi gently helped Zhao Feng up, saying without looking up, "What else? He bullied my people and caused them to be seriously injured. Isn't it only right that I take away his credit and ruin his efforts?"

Despite the physical pain, Zhao Feng felt a warm glow in his heart as he listened to Liu Shuyi's words.

It was through this incident that he realized how highly Liu Shuyi regarded him and what kind of person Liu Shuyi was worthy of following.

Liu Shuyi raised his eyes and looked into the darkness ahead. His dark eyes reflected the flickering torchlight. His answer was incomplete.

He was still unsure whether his elder brother had also suffered oppression and humiliation at the hands of Qin Wuyang.

If there is...

So this so-called attempt to steal credit is just the beginning.

He took a deep breath and looked down at Zhao Feng: "I'll send someone to take you to the Ministry of Justice to recuperate later, so that he won't take advantage of my absence and attack you again..."

"No!"

Zhao Feng shook his head: "I need to accompany Master Liu on the investigation. I know Xu Xi to some extent, and the murder weapon was found in my house. Perhaps I have a way to help Master Liu."

Zhao Feng raised his head and met Liu Shuyi's gaze.

His face was pale, and the pain from walking aggravated his wounds, causing cold sweat to pour down his forehead. Yet, he still met Liu Shuyi's gaze firmly and said, "Master, let me help you. When Qin Wuyang was torturing me, he also casually mentioned a lot of information about the case. I know more details than anyone else."

Liu Shuyi hesitated for a moment, but after seeing Zhao Feng's determined expression, he finally nodded: "Alright, then let's find out the truth together, find the real culprit, take away Qin Wuyang's credit, and make him lose everything in his attempt to steal a chicken!"

(End of this chapter)