The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 94 Sword Pointed at Li Shimin! My bloodline shall return to the throne!

"It's him!?"

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, everyone's gaze instantly fell upon Hulile.

There was vigilance, there was surprise, and even more anger and shame.

Feng Chenggong immediately shouted, "Grab him!"

Keng! Keng!
The sound of swords being drawn rang out repeatedly as the guards swiftly drew their swords and charged directly at Hulile.

Huli's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly said, "It wasn't me! I'm not some Turkic spy. I had no idea that the Yabghu at that time was an imposter. I was deceived by him too!"

But nobody believed him at all.

Even fellow envoys like Fei Qin and Showa quickly retreated at the same time, widening the distance between themselves and Huril.

"you--"

Hulier hadn't expected that Showa and the others would be so ruthless, preferring to believe Liu Shuyi, an outsider, rather than his own words.

He quickly looked at Jiezhuo and said, "Jiezhuo, you are the smartest among us, you must know that I am innocent, right?"

Jiezhuo frowned, a look of hesitation on his face.

"Humph!"

At this moment, Cui Lin snorted coldly and said, "Hulile, what are you pretending to be innocent for?"

“I deal with you Turkic spies every day while I’m in Bingzhou. Others may not know you, but I know you all too well.”

"Your eyes, your way of speaking, your habit of putting your hands behind your back when facing danger, ready to draw a hidden weapon to kill or commit suicide at any time, and the ruthlessness of desperados in you... I will never forget you, even in my next life!"

Everyone looked at Hulile after hearing Cui Lin's words.

really……

At this moment, Hulile had his right hand behind his back, and his eyes flashed with a fierce light. His appearance was exactly as Cui Lin had described.

At this moment, even Jiezhuo's gaze towards Hulile changed.

Huril was startled, realizing his habitual action, and quickly raised his hand that was behind his back.

He said, "Don't listen to his nonsense. I don't have anything in my hand. I was just too nervous and didn't know what to do."

Liu Shuyi looked at the defending Hulile and said, "Of course you have nothing in your hands... You know very well that after this case happened, we will definitely suspect that it was done by Turkic spies, and we don't know who the Turkic spies are. Therefore, we may search your room and even search your bodies in order to find clues."

"Under these circumstances, how dare you carry concealed weapons or anything like that? If we find them, wouldn't we be exposed immediately?"

"I……"

Hulile opened his mouth to continue arguing, but Liu Shuyi didn't give him a chance: "Hulile, there's no point in struggling. Just surrender."

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, Feng Chenggong gripped the hilt of his knife and immediately slashed at Hulile.

The other guards also attacked at the same time.

"you……"

Huli's pupils contracted. He never expected that Liu Shuyi, who was usually the most reasonable and evidence-oriented, would not even give him a chance to defend himself before he could produce solid evidence.

But what if I really get caught...?

His mind raced, and in a split second, he made a decision.

His previously flustered eyes suddenly turned fierce and sharp in the next moment.

He glared fiercely at Liu Shuyi: "Liu Shuyi, you deserve to die! I won't let you get away with this!"

After saying that, he suddenly turned around and slammed himself against the window.

boom!
The straight-lattice window shattered instantly, and he was sent flying out of the window like a cannonball.

"Oh no, chase after them!" Feng Chenggong was startled and immediately shouted.

"rest assured."

Before he could give chase, Liu Shuyi said, "He can't escape."

"what!!"

No sooner had Liu Shuyi finished speaking than a scream suddenly came from outside the room.

And this sound...

"Hulil!?"

Feng Chenggong's eyes flashed, and he immediately led his men out.

Upon seeing this, Li Chengqian and the others quickly came out of the room.

At that moment, they discovered that Hulile, who had just made a threatening statement and smashed the window to escape, was trapped in a fishing net, and Cheng Chumo and Lu Yangyuan outside the net were kicking him hard.

Hulile, that big guy, was kicked so hard that his face was bruised and swollen, and he curled up into a ball.

"This……"

Everyone was stunned for a moment.

It's truly unexpected that Hulile, who was just arrogantly saying he wouldn't let Liu Shuyi off the hook, has become such a miserable figure in the blink of an eye.

Li Chengqian couldn't help but look at Liu Shuyi, who was walking out unhurriedly, and asked, "Master Liu, did you arrange this?"

Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "A person who can become a spy will not easily accept his fate. Qin Wuyuan is not good at martial arts and has no way to escape, but Hulile is a general. Even without weapons, his fists are not something that ordinary people can resist."

"Therefore, I guessed that once his identity was exposed, he would definitely try to escape. So I informed Lu Yangyuan in advance and asked him to secretly tell General Cheng to quietly keep watch outside the room while I was making my deductions. If anyone tried to escape, he should be caught immediately."

Everyone nodded in understanding.

Li Chengqian gave Liu Shuyi a thumbs up and said, "This is what Father Emperor meant by being prepared for a rainy day."

Liu Shuyi laughed and said, "It's not so much about being prepared for a rainy day, it's just about having an extra layer of insurance."

Li Chengqian's bright black eyes darted around, and a thoughtful look appeared on his face, as if he had learned something from Liu Shuyi.

Liu Shuyi squatted down in front of Hulile, who was clutching his stomach and had a bruised and swollen face.

He said, "You shouldn't have run away."

Huli was taken aback.

Liu Shuyi stared at him and said, "Although I found you through logical reasoning, and Military Advisor Cui also confirmed you through his experience, in the end, we have no actual evidence to prove your identity."

"I didn't give you any chance to defend yourself just now, which was actually to put you in a difficult position. I was provoking your anger so that you wouldn't have time to think things through in this critical moment, forcing you to make an immediate decision and expose yourself."

"If you can suppress your outburst, stand there and be bound by the guards without resistance, and show a willingness to cooperate and a very aggrieved appearance from beginning to end... even if I am convinced that you are a spy, your Xueyantuo companions will probably have doubts in their hearts."

"And once they think you might be framed, you'll have a chance to escape. If you plan it well, you might even be able to turn the tables on me."

"But unfortunately, you made the worst decision."

Huli's pupils trembled violently, and his expression as he looked at Liu Shuyi was ferocious and twisted.

"you you……"

He never imagined that everything that had just happened was actually Liu Shuyi's scheme against him.

Isn't Liu Shuyi said to be upright, selfless, and full of a sense of justice?

How could Liu Shuyi, whom I am facing, be so insidious and despicable?

Huli glared at Liu Shuyi with resentment, gritting his teeth as he said, "Liu Shuyi, don't be so arrogant! You've ruined our plans. From now on, you'll face endless pursuit from the Great Liang and the Turks. You won't have a good end! I'll die, and you won't escape either!"

boom!
Lu Yangyuan kicked Hulile so hard that he rolled over.

"You Turkic traitor, you dare to threaten Master Liu even when you're about to die? You're asking for it!"

He had fought against the Turks on the battlefield and had scars on his body from that time, so he had no good impression of these Turks. If it weren't for the fact that this person was still useful, he would have killed Huli on the spot.

Liu Shuyi ignored Hulile and stood up. He turned to the Xueyantuo envoy and said, "Hulile has a special identity and may know a lot of important information about the Turks. So we need to take him away and see if we can get him to talk. I hope you all understand."

Upon hearing this, Showa and the others exchanged glances and then nodded.

Showa, being a composed man, said, "Since he is a Turkic spy and has framed Yabghu in this way, attempting to undermine the alliance between the Tang Dynasty and Xueyantuo, he has nothing to do with us Xueyantuo anymore. He will be handed over to the Tang Dynasty for them to deal with as they see fit. We Xueyantuo have no objection."

"With your words of advice, I am relieved. We will now interrogate Huril, and we will share any findings with you as soon as possible."

Of course, that's what Liu Shuyi said, but whether he would actually share it with Xueyantuo depended on what information was extracted from Hulile.

There are no permanent partners in this world. Once the Turkic Khaganate is destroyed, the foundation for the alliance between the Xueyantuo and the Tang Dynasty will disappear. How the relationship between the two countries will develop at that time remains to be seen.

However, that wasn't something he needed to worry about; his task was to solve the case.

This case is now completely closed.

And the result was the one that Li Shimin, Du Ruhui, and others had been most looking forward to.

He completed his task perfectly.

Liu Shuyi looked at Li Chengqian and said, "The case has been solved and the murderers have all been apprehended. Your Highness and all your superiors can go back and rest with peace of mind."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengqian seemed somewhat unsatisfied.

Only by personally experiencing Liu Shuyi's investigation can one truly understand how thrilling and surprising it was.

All his experiences in the past nine years have been as novel and interesting as the experience Liu Shuyi gave him tonight.

He thought for a moment and said, "Liu Yuanwailang, if I wish to see you in the future, may I summon you to the Eastern Palace to see me?"

Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "Of course, as your subject, I am always ready to serve Your Highness."

Li Chengqian's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly: "Alright, then whenever I want to see you in the future, I will send someone to find you, and you must come."

As he spoke, he yawned.

It was already past midnight, and Li Chengqian, being only a nine-year-old boy, was already extremely sleepy.

After receiving Liu Shuyi's promise, he happily left with his men.

Liu Shuyi then turned to Du Gou and the others, and said with a smile, "I won't stand on ceremony to thank you all. When we have the chance, I'll treat you to drinks again, and we'll drink until we're drunk."

Cheng Chumo laughed heartily: "Alright! I just hope that next time, Master Liu won't be so drunk that I have to carry you back. To be honest, Master Liu, you look quite thin, but you're actually quite heavy."

Liu Shuyi touched his nose, feeling that he would be laughed at for the rest of his life for this.

Everyone else burst into laughter upon seeing this.

Liu Shuyi sighed helplessly, then turned around and saw Cui Lin standing there somewhat awkwardly. A thought struck him, and he said, "Military Advisor Cui, you have helped me a lot tonight. Without you, I might not have been so certain about Hulile's identity. So when I host a banquet next time to thank you for your help, I wonder if Military Advisor Cui would do me the honor of joining me?"

Upon hearing Liu Shuyi's words, Zhao Feng and Du Gou's eyes flashed, realizing that Liu Shuyi was trying to win over Cui Lin.

Both of them secretly glanced at Cui Lin.

Upon receiving Liu Shuyi's invitation, Cui Lin was initially taken aback, but then his embarrassed eyes lit up.

"Cough cough."

He coughed and said, "I rarely attend such private banquets, but since Master Liu has sincerely invited me, I cannot refuse him. So I will go."

Truly arrogant...

Liu Shuyi felt he had completely grasped Cui Lin's temperament, and he said with a smile, "Okay, I will send an invitation to Military Advisor Cui."

…………

The following day, the Ministry of Justice.

Opening his eyes and looking at the no longer unfamiliar room, Liu Shuyi stretched.

When he left Duting Post Station last night, it was already late. He couldn't bear to go back and disturb Wan'er and Chang Bo's sweet dreams, so he spent the night at the Ministry of Justice again.

Listening to the clear birdsong outside, Liu Shuyi took stock of last night's harvest.

They captured the thief impersonating Ba Zhuo, uncovered Liang Shidu's spy hiding in Duting Post Station, found the Turkic spy the court had been searching for, gained the favor of Crown Prince Li Chengqian, won over Cui Lin, and made considerable contributions, perfectly completing the task assigned by Li Shimin.

Oh, and Qin Wuyang was also demoted two ranks... This night was truly a great harvest.

Liu Shuyi smiled and got up and dressed feeling refreshed.

Stepping out of the room, I felt the morning sun warmer than usual.

After getting a basin of warm water from the kitchen and washing up briefly, Liu Shuyi ate half a naan and drank a large bowl of porridge in the dining hall before heading to the Ministry of Justice with renewed energy.

When he encountered colleagues on the road, they all quickly bowed and greeted him.

News of his solving another major case last night has spread, making Liu Shuyi the most watched person in the Ministry of Justice once again today.

Liu Shuyi was already very familiar with this kind of thing. He smiled and responded to his colleagues, making everyone feel like they were basking in a spring breeze, while quickly leaving to avoid being surrounded by them asking all sorts of questions and being unable to move for a long time.

Liu Shuyi only breathed a sigh of relief after entering his office.

"So being too popular can also be a problem..."

He smiled and shook his head, looking at the files that Zhao Feng had brought and neatly stacked on the desk. Liu Shuyi sat down behind the desk, ready to begin dealing with today's official business.

At that moment, he suddenly paused.

He remembered something...

Compared to usual, he seemed to be missing a step today.

He didn't run into Qian Wenqing, nor did he see Qian Wenqing's bitter face, filled with jealousy and resentment.

In the past, whenever he made meritorious contributions or got promoted, he would run into Qian Wenqing and be forced to show off in front of Qian Wenqing.

He felt a little uneasy not running into Qian Wenqing today.

I wonder if Qian Wenqing is deliberately avoiding me because she's afraid of running into me. If that's the case, then things will get very interesting.

dong dong dong.

There was a knock on the door suddenly.

"Yuanwailang."

Zhao Feng's voice came from outside the door.

"Come in," Liu Shuyi said softly, gathering his thoughts.

crunch--

Zhao Feng pushed open the door and entered. Liu Shuyi picked up the file, glanced at Zhao Feng casually, and then his gaze suddenly became fixed.

Seeing Zhao Feng's familiar blue official robe, Liu Shuyi smiled and asked, "The Ministry of Personnel's documents have arrived?"

Zhao Feng nodded: "They arrived this morning. I have officially become the Chief Clerk of the Ministry of Justice, and Lieutenant Lu has also officially entered the Ministry of Justice as a clerk."

Liu Shuyi nodded repeatedly: "After all the storm comes the calm, Manager Zhao, congratulations!"

Hearing Liu Shuyi address him as "Master Zhao," Zhao Feng felt a mix of emotions.

Six months ago, I was worried about whether my whole family would survive the following year after being exiled.

Now, not only has his family been exonerated, but he himself, like his father, has become an official in the Tang Dynasty, with the opportunity to restore his family's glory...

And all of this is because of Liu Shuyi.

He wondered more than once if he had saved the world in his past life, otherwise why would he have met Liu Shuyi when he was at his lowest point in this life?

Taking a deep breath, Zhao Feng solemnly bowed to Liu Shuyi: "I owe my success today entirely to the trust and kindness of Master Liu. I will not say any empty words. From now on, I will follow Master Liu's lead. Whenever Master Liu needs me, I will go through fire and water, even if it means death, I will never refuse!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Shuyi immediately stood up and helped Zhao Feng up.

He laughed and said, "Why do we need to say these things between us? Life is unpredictable. Not everyone can climb out of the mire of despair, and not everyone who falls can stand up again and be willing to keep running... Zhao Feng, you deserve everything you have today."

Liu Shuyi's recognition and understanding moved Zhao Feng even more.

But he knew that if he said something to express his gratitude, it would seem too formal, and there was really no need for him and Liu Shuyi to say such things.

Remembering all kindness in your heart and putting it into action is better than anything else.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Liu Shuyi sat back down at his desk.

Zhao Feng then said, "Sir, guess who I encountered when I came to find you just now?"

Seeing Zhao Feng's somewhat smug look, Liu Shuyi's heart stirred slightly, and he guessed, "Qian Wenqing?"

"Yes!"

Zhao Feng said, "When I arrived, I saw Qian Wenqing walking out cautiously. As he walked, he ordered his men to scout ahead. Anyone who didn't know better would think he was on some dangerous mission."

"What dangerous mission? Is he afraid of running into me?"

Zhao Feng laughed and said, "I think so, because when I met him, I asked him if he had seen the Minister, but he ignored me completely and left as if he were standing on a hot plate."

Liu Shuyi looked a little strange; he hadn't expected that his guess had actually come true.

Qian Wenqing really was avoiding him.

Qian Wenqing probably also felt it was a coincidence, wondering why he always seemed to run into bad luck whenever he was about to make a name for himself or get promoted.

He smiled and shook his head, then asked, "Has Lord Du come to the Ministry of Justice?"

Zhao Feng said, "I just passed by Minister Du's office and did not see Minister Du."

Du Ruhui was not only the Minister of Justice, but also the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice. He also had a fixed office in the Ministry of Justice, so he did not come to the Ministry of Justice every day.

Liu Shuyi wasn't surprised. He said, "If Master Du comes, let me know."

"Yes." Zhao Feng nodded.

Liu Shuyi laughed and said, "Alright, you've just been promoted to a manager, there are many things you need to learn. Go and get busy. I'll call you if anything comes up. If nothing's going on tonight, I'll host a banquet to celebrate for you."

Zhao Feng quickly replied, "How could I let the official invite me? Since this is to celebrate for me, it should be me who invites the official."

"You've just been promoted, and your salary hasn't been paid yet. How many copper coins do you have?"

Liu Shuyi waved his hand and said, "Besides, I need to thank you for helping me yesterday. Let's celebrate both things together. My mind is made up, so don't refuse."

Zhao Feng knew that Liu Shuyi was trying to save him money, and that he was indeed short of money. He was touched and nodded emphatically without saying anything more.

…………

Liu Shuyi processed the case files very quickly, finishing all of them in just half a day.

After lunch, upon learning that Du Ruhui had not yet come to the Ministry of Justice, he began copying the ancient book "Lianshan".

According to the plan, Liu Shuyi intends to divide "Lianshan" into five parts.

They secretly selected five people skilled in divination, had them read the book, and then asked them to interpret the contents of "Lianshan". Afterwards, they compiled these five interpretations, using the insights of others to improve their own understanding.

To confirm the secret of "Lianshan," we need to fully understand its contents in order to decipher it.

The book "Lianshan" is not very thick, only slightly thicker than "The Analects".

However, because the content was obscure and difficult to understand, Liu Shuyi could not remember much after just one glance, so his copying speed was not fast.

His wrists ached from copying all afternoon, and he had only managed to copy one-fifth of it.

And this speed was achieved by the original owner of the body through years of being harassed by Qian Wenqing and copying documents every day. If it were someone else, it would probably be even slower.

"At the current pace, it will take another four days to finish copying everything. If we continue copying at night, the speed will be even faster..."

Liu Shuyi nodded. With "Lianshan" now in his hands, he already had a greater advantage than the person behind Miaoyin'er, so he wasn't in a hurry. For him, taking steady steps and avoiding detours was more important than anything else.

After putting away the "Lianshan" book and the copied contents, Liu Shuyi put them in his bosom and kept them close to his body. He then tidied up his desk and left the office.

There are no cases today, and we finally have some free time tonight. We can host a banquet for Cheng Chumo and the others to celebrate Zhao Feng's success. At the same time, we can take advantage of this opportunity to further strengthen our relationship with Cui Lin and bring him into our camp as soon as possible.

…………

He opened his eyes drowsily.

Thinking back to last night's banquet, Liu Shuyi couldn't help but rub his head.

Cheng Chumo is a scoundrel with ill intentions; he wants to get me drunk so he can embarrass me.

Unfortunately, his tricks couldn't outsmart him. In the end, Cheng Chumo was even more drunk than he had been last time, and had to be carried away by Lu Yangyuan and Zhao Feng.

Liu Shuyi stood up with a smile.

Stepping out of the room, one sees Wan'er, a beautiful maidservant dressed in a green dress, exuding youthful energy, directing some people dressed as craftsmen to move things into the courtyard.

"Wan'er, what's going on here?" Liu Shuyi asked curiously.

When Wan'er saw Liu Shuyi, her bright eyes immediately curved into a smile. She said, "Yesterday, some of the people who had forcibly occupied the Liu family's shop took the initiative to return the rent they owed over the years. Uncle Chang said that the young master has suffered too much over the years and wants to redecorate the young master's bedroom and study so that the young master can live as comfortably as those sons of wealthy families."

Another overdue rent payment was delivered...

Liu Shuyi has been too busy lately to spare the energy to deal with those ungrateful wretches who took advantage of the Liu family's downfall.

Unexpectedly, they were quite perceptive, realizing that the Liu family was gaining momentum, and quickly took the initiative to show goodwill.

However, to think that past grudges can be completely erased in this way is far too simplistic.

Liu Shuyi said, "Have Uncle Chang keep a record of which day they sent the money, whether it was just rent or if they also paid the interest on the outstanding payments... Have Uncle Chang remember every single transaction clearly. When I have time another day, I will have a good talk with them based on the account book."

Wan'er didn't think Liu Shuyi was being aggressive. After all, she knew all too well how those people had rented the Liu family's shops before, how the Liu family had helped them, and how they had bullied the down-on-their-luck Liu family and colluded with outsiders to embezzle the Liu family's shops in recent years.

She raised her delicate, fair fist and said, "When you go to find them, take me with you. If they don't admit their mistake, I'll beat them up for you and make sure they regret it for the rest of their lives."

Liu Shuyi gave Wan'er a deep look. At that moment, he didn't think Wan'er was joking.

With Wan'er's mystery and abilities, she might just make those ungrateful wretches regret it for the rest of their lives.

He laughed and said, "Alright, then we'll have to rely on the heroine Wan'er."

Wan'er chuckled.

Liu Shuyi thought for a moment and said, "Not only my room needs to be redecorated, but your room, Uncle Chang's room, and my brother's room also need to be redecorated. If Uncle Chang is reluctant to spend money, you can tell him that the Liu family is now just a few of us living together. To me, you are not servants, but family."

“If I only care about my own comfort and ignore my family, my father and mother will definitely blame me. If I go to the underworld and my father and mother blame me, that will be Uncle Chang’s responsibility.”

Wan'er's eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands, saying, "Young Master understands Uncle Chang best. This time, Uncle Chang will definitely not refuse."

Liu Shuyi smiled and said, "Alright, you go ahead with your work. I'll go wash up and have dinner, then I'll head to the Ministry of Justice."

…………

After eating the sumptuous breakfast that Wan'er had prepared for him, Liu Shuyi led out his horse and prepared to go to the Ministry of Justice.

He had just stepped out of the Liu residence when he suddenly heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats.

Liu Shuyi looked in the direction of the sound and saw Lu Yangyuan riding towards him.

"Liu Yuanwailang".

Lu Yangyuan came to Liu Shuyi's side, quickly dismounted, and said, "Minister Du has ordered you to leave the city immediately and go to Cuihua Mountain, which is forty miles south of the city."

"Cuihua Mountain?"

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow, immediately realizing that something unexpected had happened.

Otherwise, Du Ruhui wouldn't have waited for him to go to the Ministry of Justice, but instead sent Lu Yangyuan directly to find him on horseback.

He said, "But what happened?"

Lu Yangyuan nodded emphatically: "This morning, Wang Gui, the county magistrate of Chang'an, sent someone to the Ministry of Justice to deliver a letter saying that someone reported to the Chang'an County government that a divine light suddenly appeared in an abandoned shrine in Cuihua Mountain last night, which alarmed the surrounding villagers."

"The villagers went to check the shrine in the morning and found..."

"The statues inside the shrine have disappeared, and where the statues once stood, there is now a huge black stone tablet with sixteen large characters inscribed on it—"

He took a deep breath, his voice trembling with nervousness, and said:

"Those who seize the throne illegitimately will ultimately suffer divine retribution; those of legitimate blood will reclaim the throne!"

(End of this chapter)