A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

Chapter 458 Double Act
A horse-drawn carriage was traveling on the bluestone streets of Shenyun Mansion.

The wooden wheels were wrapped in animal skins and rolled over the bluestone slabs, making a rumbling sound.

This carriage is not very conspicuous in the streets of Shenyun Mansion. Not only is it not luxurious, it even looks a little shabby.

In the carriage, Jiang Zhe stretched lazily, lifted a corner of the curtain, glanced at the street scene outside, and smiled: "It's a coincidence that I woke up and arrived here."

Jiang Zhe lowered the car curtain and looked at Liu Shushan who was sitting opposite him in a somewhat reserved manner. He said, "Shushan, you should have been to Shenyun Mansion before, right?"

Liu Shushan smiled with a slightly awkward expression and said, "I came here a few times in a hurry."

In a corner not far from Liu Shushan, there sat an old man with a gloomy face. He looked as if he didn't want strangers to come in, and he was sitting there with his eyes closed to rest.

Jiang Zhe and Liu Shushan have become accustomed to the old man's strange temper along the way. The two of them chatted among themselves, pretending that the old man did not exist.

Jiang Zhe nodded and said, "Master asked me to bring you here to gain experience, and also to help you grow up as quickly as possible. We are short of manpower on Qingling Peak, so if you pay attention, you may be able to take charge of things on your own next time you come!"

Liu Shushan said respectfully: "Brother, rest assured, I will do my best."

"Yes." Jiang Zhe said, "When we get to the Dali Temple, we should watch more and talk less."

"Yes, senior brother."

Not long after, this slightly shabby carriage stopped in front of the stone steps in front of the Dali Temple.

The pockmarked-faced outer disciple who was lying in front of a simple table not far from the stone steps and was assigned to handle business at the Dali Temple turned his head when he heard the sound, and saw two young men in blue shirts jumping off the carriage, and then an old man in wrinkled clothes also jumped off, with a black iron box on his back.

The young man, who was obviously older, told the servant driving the carriage, "Please stop the carriage at the post house."

"Yes, sir!" the servant coachman replied, then he whipped the horse's butt lightly with the whip and drove away with the sound of rumbling wheels.

When the pockmarked man heard the word "inn", his eyes swept across the faces of the two young men.

At the entrance of the Dali Temple, a middle-aged clerk had been waiting there. When he saw two young men and an old man jumping off the carriage, he was slightly stunned, because Chen Shanmeng had told him that there was a Lord Jiang Zhe who had not arrived yet, so he should greet him at the door.

Chen Shanmeng was talking about an adult, but there were actually two people who came, including an old man.

The middle-aged clerk hesitated for a moment, then quickly walked down the steps, bowed to the two young men, and asked respectfully, "Excuse me, has Lord Jiang Zhe arrived?"

"I'm Jiang Zhe."

The middle-aged clerk immediately knelt down upon hearing the voice and shouted, "I am here to greet you, sir."

"Get up!" Jiang Zhe said, "Have Lord Yang and Lord Lu arrived?"

The middle-aged clerk stood up and replied, "The two gentlemen have arrived. They are in the lobby."

Jiang Zhe said: "Let's go, lead the way."

"Yes!" The middle-aged clerk glanced at Liu Shushan standing behind Jiang Zhe, and then walked up the stairs. Jiang Zhe, Liu Shushan and the old man followed the middle-aged clerk into the Dali Temple.

Although Chen Shanmeng said that one of them had not arrived yet, there were two others who were obviously brought by Lord Jiang. He could not do anything about them and naturally brought them all into the Dali Temple.

Although the old man looked weird, he didn't dare to stop him.

After all, he was just a small clerk in the Dali Temple. The person who came here was a direct disciple of the sect. Even Wang Maochun and Chen Shanmeng would have to prostrate themselves and kowtow to him. How could he care? Even if Lord Jiang brought a naked woman, he would bring her into the Dali Temple without saying a word.

Why should he care about adults' affairs?
The middle-aged clerk led Jiang Zhe and the others to the entrance of the lobby. He stood at the entrance, bowed deeply, and said respectfully, "Sir, we are at the lobby!"

Before he could finish his words, Jiang Zhe had already stepped in.

After a while, the middle-aged clerk straightened up and walked out.

In the lobby of the Dali Temple, the original table with a raised head had been removed and replaced with a longer table, with three armchairs placed behind it. At this time, Yang Yi and Lu Geng had already sat on the two armchairs on the left and right, leaving the one in the middle empty. When he saw Jiang Zhe coming in, Yang Yi immediately stood up, clasped his fists and said with a smile: "Master Jiang, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

Lu Geng also stood up and said, "Brother Jiang, how are you?"

The two people addressed Jiang Zhe slightly differently, which was actually because of their different identities.

Yang Yi and Lu Geng, although one represented the Zongzhengsi and the other represented the Neishisi.

But like Jiang Zhe, Lu Geng was a direct disciple.

Yang Yi was actually just a nominal disciple. He didn't even pass the test in Yougu that year. It was only because he was Yang Sixuan's nephew and Yang Sixuan hadn't accepted him as a disciple yet, so many things were handed over to him. Although his status was low, he had real power. When he met Jiang Zhe, he naturally had to call him "sir" according to etiquette.

Under the judgment room in the hall, Chen Shanmeng, Ge Hengtai and Lin Yuan were sitting on two rows of armchairs. When they saw Yang Yi and Lu Geng stand up, they knew that Jiang Zhe had arrived and immediately stood up and knelt.

Jiang Zhe acted as if he hadn't noticed the three people kneeling down. He just walked straight to Yang Yi and Lu Geng, clasped his fists and said with a smile: "Brothers, I'm late!"

"Not too late, just right." Lu Geng said with a smile, and pointed to the seat in the middle, saying, "Brother Jiang, please take a seat!"

Jiang Zhe laughed and said, "Brother Lu, you are putting me on the spot! How can I sit in the main seat in the hall?"

Jiang Zhe glanced at Yang Yi and said, "This is a trial after all! The three departments of the Imperial Clan, the Imperial History Department, and the Imperial Public Security Department, the Imperial Clan Department is responsible for handling major cases of the clan. I think the main seat in this hall is the most suitable for Brother Yang to sit in."

Upon hearing this, Yang Yi immediately waved his hands and said, "Since Lord Jiang said so, I dare not even sit in the seat next to you."

Although Yang Yi was only a nominal disciple, Yang Sixuan was Chu Qiushan's confidant. For this reason alone, no one dared to underestimate him.

Lu Geng said, "Brother Jiang, if we keep pushing each other like this, we will be laughed at."

Jiang Zhe glanced at the three people who were kneeling on the ground in the hall, smiled slightly, and said, "Well, it's Jiang's fault for being late. He deserves this punishment."

Jiang Zhe said as he stepped over to the middle seat. He stood there, looking at the old man at the door carrying a black iron medicine box on his back, and said, "Pharmacist Guo, please sit there and wait for a while."

Upon hearing this, the old man sat down on a throne without saying a word.

Lu Geng had already looked at the old man several times, especially the box he was carrying, which looked strange no matter how he looked at it. When he heard Jiang Zhe calling him pharmacist, Lu Geng's mind suddenly brightened.

Jiang Zhe then lifted up the corner of his robe and sat in the middle seat of the hall, after which Lu Geng and Yang Yi also returned to their seats.

Jiang Zhe sat there, glanced at Liu Shushan who was standing at the bottom of the hall, and said, "Shushan, sit down below and pay more attention."

"Yes, senior brother!" Liu Shushan clasped his fists and sat on the armchair closest to the door.

Before, Lu Geng and Yang Yi were still wondering who the young man who came in with Jiang Zhe was. When they saw him calling Jiang Zhe "Senior Brother", they immediately understood that Ge Rushong had just accepted an apprentice more than two months ago, and it was said that the apprentice had good talent.

After Liu Shushan sat down, Yang Yi looked at the three people crawling on the ground and said, "You three, please stand up. It's time to discuss the matter."

"Yes!" Chen Shanmeng, Ge Hengtai and Lin Yuan then stood up and sat down with their backs bent.

Yang Yi glanced at Chen Shanmeng and said, "Master Chen, the Dali Temple should have conducted a preliminary investigation into the Li Shensi case. Do you have a document with the preliminary investigation results?"

Chen Shanmeng immediately stood up, took out three documents from his sleeve, placed them one by one on the case table, stood in front of the three of them, stepped back a few steps, bowed, and said, "This is the result of the preliminary investigation by the Dali Temple, the Jianyi Mansion, and the Guanglu Mansion. Please take a look, my three adults." Jiang Zhe, Lu Geng, and Yang Yi picked up the documents and quickly glanced through them.

Jiang Zhe said, "Master Chen, there is no conclusion from this preliminary investigation?"

Chen Shanmeng said: "I am stupid and have not found out the cause of Li Shensi's death."

Jiang Zhe asked, "What about the inference?"

"This..." Chen Shanmeng hesitated.

Jiang Zhe said, "Lord Chen has been an expert in criminal law for decades. As for that, Li Shensi died after colliding with the Rhinoceros Immortal... Lord Chen wouldn't believe such absurd statements, would he? After all the investigation, you wouldn't have no idea at all, right? It doesn't matter if it's not written in the document. Now we are discussing matters. Lord Chen, don't worry, just say whatever you think."

Chen Shanmeng stood there, sweating profusely. He took a deep breath and clasped his fists boldly, saying, "My Lords, although Li Shensi's death is very strange, I have not found any clues, let alone any direction for investigation. I hope you will forgive me."

Chen Shanmeng said this and knelt down again.

Jiang Zhe looked at Chen Shanmeng who was kneeling there, and his face suddenly became very ugly.

Although Chen Shanmeng was polite, his words were firm, and it was obvious that this person had resisted his coercion in court.

At this moment, Ge Hengtai suddenly stood up, clasped his fists, and said in a deep voice: "My three lords, I have something to say!"

Jiang Zhe's expression eased slightly, and he looked at Ge Hengtai and said, "Master Ge, please speak!"

Ge Hengtai said: "What the Rhinoceros Immortal said is just a bunch of gossip. In my opinion, Li Shensi was poisoned by something, so he went insane and jumped off a cliff to his death."

Jiang Zhe nodded slightly after hearing this, while Yang Yi and Lu Geng looked at him expressionlessly.

Ge Hengtai continued, "It's just that Li Shensi is at the fourth level of the Qi Realm. Ordinary poisons can no longer penetrate his protective Qi. The only explanation is that the poison came from the dark forest in the underground world under Changliu Mountain. Only the poisons in the dark forest can corrode the Qi, and some poisons can even penetrate the vital energy."

When Ge Hengtai said this, the old man who had been sitting in the corner with his head down and silent, suddenly looked up and looked straight at Ge Hengtai.

Yang Yi and Lu Geng also had strange expressions on their faces. Ge Hengtai was just a person in the secular world. The details in the dark forest could be regarded as the secrets of the sect. How could he know so much about it and tell it with such confidence at this moment?
It was obvious that someone taught him to say these words!
Jiang Zhe said, "That makes sense! If Li Shensi wasn't poisoned, could he have really been killed by some rhinoceros immortal? How could the Dali Temple be so absurd!"

Jiang Zhe said the last sentence and glared at Chen Shanmeng who was crawling on the ground not far away.

"Your Excellency is wise!" Ge Hengtai clasped his fists and said, "Moreover, when Li Shensi was killed, there was a direct disciple of the sect lurking in Shenyun Mansion. I strongly suspect that this person is related to Li Shensi's death."

Jiang Zhe cleared his throat after hearing this, and glanced at Lu Geng beside him, saying, "Brother Lu, as far as I know, the person that Master Ge is talking about should be your junior brother Duan Rong, right?"

Lu Geng sneered. Jiang Zhe and Ge Hengtai's double act really made him want to vomit, but he suppressed the nausea in his heart and said solemnly: "Yes, Lu's junior brother Duan Rong did enter Shenyun Mansion a few days ago, but he was ordered by my master to secretly investigate the spies in Shenyun Mansion. He has nothing to do with Li Shensi's death."

Jiang Zhe's face flashed with anger, and he taunted, "Brother Lu, you are so accurate in your predictions! I think you should just set up a fortune-telling stand and tell people's fortunes at the street corner."

"you……"

Jiang Zhe said: "You said there is no connection, then it is connected! I think your junior brother is very suspicious!"

Before Jiang Zhe came, Ge Rusong had told him to kill Duan Rong, prove his guilt, and expose Zhu He. He had never thought about talking to Lu Geng properly since he came in.

Lu Geng sneered: "Brother Jiang, we are investigating a case, not accusing someone. You can't just take the suspicion, you have to have evidence."

Jiang Zhe said: "Well said! The evidence will be there after the trial."

After Jiang Zhe finished speaking, he suddenly looked at Chen Shanmeng who was still prostrating himself in front of the case and shouted, "Master Chen, bring your people from the Dali Temple to bring Duan Rong here for trial!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Shanmeng let out a cry, his eyes hesitant, not knowing how to respond.

Lu Geng said, "Wait a minute! My junior brother has a mission to complete, so how can he have time to play with you? It's written in the document that the coroner from the Dali Temple has already experienced that Li Shensi was not poisoned at all."

Jiang Zhe said: "How can an ordinary coroner detect the poison in the dark forest? I have brought the sect's pharmacist with me."

Lu Geng said: "Since you brought a pharmacist with you, let's test the poison first."

Lu Geng knew that Duan Rong had said that the poison in Li Shensi's body had already evaporated and even a pharmacist would not be able to detect it, so he said this to prevent Duan Rong from being brought here and humiliated.

Jiang Zhe said: "Since there is suspicion, we should interrogate him first and then test him."

Lu Geng said: "Inspect first, then judge!"

The two of them couldn't agree on a solution, and they both looked at Yang Yi who was sitting next to them. "Yang Yi, you say!"

After all, this case is handled by the three of them. Since the two of them have different opinions, it depends on who Yang Yi agrees with.

When Yang Yi saw the two people looking at him, he was not in a hurry. He had tried countless cases with Yang Sixian. Although his cultivation was not very good, his thoughts were very clear.

Yang Yi turned his head to look at the old man sitting in the corner and asked, "Pharmacist Guo, may I ask, how long will it take to get the results of the test for the poison in the Dark Forest?"

When the old man saw someone asking him questions, he opened his eyes, but his gaze was staring straight ahead into the void, without even looking at Yang Yi and the others, and he said, "If it's fast, we can find out in a while. If it's slow, it will take at most an hour."

Yang Yi smiled slightly, looked at Jiang Zhe and Lu Geng, and said, "I think we should let Pharmacist Guo check it first. It will only take an hour at most."

When Jiang Zhe heard Yang Yi say this, he sat there with a stern face and said nothing.

Seeing that Jiang Zhe and Lu Geng were silent, Yang Yi looked at Chen Shanmeng and asked, "Master Chen, where is Li Shensi's body?"

Before Chen Shanmeng could say anything, Ge Hengtai interrupted him and said, "Your Excellency, Li Shensi's body was brought back to the Dali Temple that day and sealed in an ice cellar! People from the Dali Temple, the Jianyi Palace, and the Guanglu Palace are on guard there together."

Yang Yi said, "That's great. Then Lord Ge, lead the way. We will go with Pharmacist Guo to see Li Shensi's body. We can't spend so much time investigating the case and still not even see the body, right?"

Yang Yi works in the Judgment and Adjudication Division of the Imperial Clan, and is also on the front line handling cases all year round. He cannot stand the style of Jiang Zhe and Lu Geng who use documents to talk nonsense.

As Yang Yi spoke, he turned to look at Jiang Zhe and Lu Geng and asked, "Master Jiang, Master Lu, do you want to go together?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Zhe and Lu Geng stood up with Yang Yi, and they all left the hall together.

After everyone left, Chen Shanmeng collapsed, and suddenly a hand supported him. It was Lin Yuan, the director of the Privy Council.

Lin Yuan helped up the limp Chen Shanmeng and said, "Master Chen, you did a good job today!"

Chen Shanmeng's forehead was covered with sweat. He smiled bitterly and said, "Master Lin, it doesn't matter whether it's good or bad. I can only do this. I can't get involved in the vortex of the fight between these two parties!"

Lin Yuan sighed and said, "Yes! It is true that you cannot touch it at all."

"It's like walking on thin ice!" Chen Shanmeng said as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

Lin Yuan said: "It's safe to stand on the shore, but if you stand in the wrong place, you will die miserably. Although it looks dangerous on the ice, as long as you can paddle, you won't die, right?"

Chen Shanmeng chuckled and said, "I understand it thoroughly! I understand it thoroughly!"

(End of this chapter)