The First Criminal Judge of the Zhenguan Era

Chapter 195 is here! Important intelligence from Changsun Chong! Liu Shuyi VS Chu Xiong! (5K)

There was complete silence in front of the morgue.

Both the Imperial Guards and the yamen runners of the governor's office watched Liu Shuyi sitting quietly in front of the door with his eyes closed.

Liu Shuyi was like a god statue. He sat there silently, which made others feel an indescribable pressure, and they didn't even dare to breathe.

Everyone instinctively held their breath, not daring to disturb Liu Shuyi's rest.

stomping on...

Just then, a series of footsteps broke the silence.

Liu Shuyi slowly exhaled, knowing that the trouble he was bound to encounter had finally arrived.

He opened his eyes and looked out of the courtyard.

This sight surprised him.

He had expected that the person who came would be Chu Xiong or other officials from the governor's office who wanted to obstruct his investigation, but to his surprise, it was Changsun Chong.

Dressed in an expensive robe and holding a folding fan, Changsun Chong walked slowly and gracefully to Liu Shuyi under the watchful eyes of the crowd. He glanced at the closed morgue behind Liu Shuyi, cupped his hands and smiled, "Is Doctor Liu acting as a doorman for Miss Du?"

Liu Shuyi shrugged, not responding to Changsun Chong's teasing. He patted the steps beside him and said, "Sit down."

Changsun Chong didn't mind the dirty steps and plopped down next to Liu Shuyi.

Before Liu Shuyi could ask, he took the initiative to say, "I have found out everything you asked me to find out."

Liu Shuyi's heart stirred. In order to find out the truth and understand the situation as quickly as possible, Liu Shuyi divided his forces into three groups. He specifically sent Changsun Chong to the government office to gather intelligence, grasp the progress of Chu Xiong and others' investigation, and the relevant circumstances before Jiang Rui's case.

Unexpectedly, Changsun Chong found out the news so quickly, even when most people were hostile to the court.

As expected, Changsun Chong's financial prowess did not disappoint.

He said, "How is it?"

Changsun Chong's gaze swept over the constables, some openly and others furtively peeking at him. He snapped open his folding fan, covered his mouth, and said, "Although most people in this governor's mansion dislike us, there are still some who are loyal to the court or do not want war to break out."

"Moreover, both Jiang Rui and Chu Xiong are extremely greedy. They not only prey on the common people but also exploit ordinary officials... This makes ordinary officials very poor, and they can only rely on further oppressing the people to fill their own pockets."

"Therefore, when I accidentally dropped my money bag behind them and asked them if it was their money bag, they were happy to accept it and were willing to chat with me, this great person who 'returned lost property'."

Liu Shuyi estimated that these ordinary officials in remote areas had never experienced a "money bag drop" attack before, so Changsun Chong's casual move stunned them.

He nodded: "I'm sorry to have troubled you. Remember how many copper coins you spent. Tell me when you return to Chang'an and I'll help you get reimbursed by the Ministry of Revenue."

to reimburse?

Changsun Chong was taken aback. Although he had never heard of the term "reimbursement," he could understand what Liu Shuyi meant.

In Chang'an, he spent an unknown amount of money to build connections as efficiently as possible. Even his father never offered to make up for it. Unexpectedly, Liu Shuyi actually got the court to make up for it.

This was truly an experience he had never had before.

He was right about Liu Shuyi. He knew that Liu Shuyi was different from others. Liu Shuyi was not someone who liked to take advantage of others, much less someone who would let those around him suffer losses.

He laughed and said, "I appreciate Doctor Liu's kindness, but there's no need for reimbursement. I'm not short of money."

"This is different."

Liu Shuyi said seriously, "Public affairs are public affairs, and private affairs are private affairs. They should be kept separate. When you lost your money bag before, that was your personal choice. But now, you are working for the court. If everyone pays the same price as you but doesn't ask the court for compensation, then gradually everyone will think that working for the court is a loss, and no one will be willing to work anymore... Moreover, if you set this precedent, and others ask the court for compensation, won't they seem less noble than you? This is also not in the best interests of others."

Changsun Chong was stunned for a moment; he had never thought of these things before.

However, he was exceptionally intelligent, and after Liu Shuyi pointed it out, he realized that his generosity was something that was neither beneficial to others nor to himself.

He exclaimed, "It is indeed Dr. Liu who has a far-sighted vision; I am ashamed of my own inferiority."

No wonder Aye told him to befriend Liu Shuyi. With Liu Shuyi's vision and abilities, his future status would probably be no worse than Aye's, who had the support of his father.

Liu Shuyi was unaware that his casual remark had further enhanced Changsun Chong's image in his mind. He simply didn't want his people to work for free.

If you risk your life, and in the end, because of the generosity of others, you are forced to be generous as well, and thus lose the reward you deserve... that would be a real loss.

"Let's continue," Liu Shuyi said to Changsun Chong.

Changsun Chong nodded and continued, "They weren't entirely on Jiang Rui's side to begin with, and after receiving my money, they were willing to say anything."

"And from them, I obtained three important pieces of information."

Liu Shuyi looked him straight in the eye: "Which three?"

"First..." Changsun Chong said, "On the day Jiang Rui's murder was discovered, Chu Xiong ordered Zhang, the judicial officer of Xingzhou, to investigate the case."

"They say that Zhang is quite good at investigating cases. When no one is giving Jiang Rui money to bribe officials, Zhang can solve five out of ten cases."

Five out of ten cases were solved... the case-solving rate was as high as fifty percent.

In ancient times, when the criminal investigation system was not mature, and in the Tang Dynasty without the assistance of advanced technology, a 50% case-solving rate already surpassed that of many officials in the criminal investigation system.

Even among officials in the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review, very few can achieve a 50% case-solving rate.

This Zhang Bu is indeed quite capable.

Liu Shuyi thought for a moment and said, "When we arrived in Xingzhou City, among the people Chu Xiong brought to greet us, I did not see anyone wearing the robes of a judicial officer."

Changsun Chong nodded: "Minister Zhang didn't come to greet us..."

"According to those yamen runners, Zhang initially did not make much progress, and the investigation was difficult to advance. However, yesterday, Zhang suddenly discovered an important clue. After taking people to investigate, he has not returned to the yamen since."

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow: "They haven't returned since yesterday?"

His heart sank.

If the case hadn't made a major breakthrough and the direction of the investigation hadn't been so clear, allowing time to yield results, they wouldn't have been able to work non-stop, without resting at night.

Moreover, the case suddenly had a crucial lead yesterday...

Also last night, Chu Xiong and his men hid Jiang Rui's body to stop them...

This couldn't be a coincidence. It meant they received the news yesterday and knew they would arrive in Xingzhou City today... Otherwise, Chu Xiong and his group could have hidden Jiang Rui's body a few days in advance without resorting to extreme measures. They could have acted the night before Chu Xiong's arrival. If Chu Xiong's speed had suddenly increased and he had arrived in Xingzhou City overnight, their plan might have failed.

Given Chu Xiong and his group's hostility and resistance towards him, they would never have taken extreme measures if they could have acted more cautiously.

In other words, the murderer may have known about the impending arrival in Xingzhou City as early as yesterday.

Therefore, the important clue that Zhang suddenly discovered yesterday was likely given to him by the murderer in preparation for his arrival.

The fact that Zhang was conducting a relentless investigation, and that no one even showed up to greet him when he arrived in Xingzhou City... probably meant that the situation, as he had predicted, had reached its most dire point.

Zhang Bu has definitely obtained clues and evidence that are extremely detrimental to the imperial court, and he has been investigating for a day and a night. He may at any time believe that the evidence is conclusive and close the case directly.

The moment he closed the case was the moment when Chu Xiong and other former subordinates of the Prince of Xi turned against him.

Liu Shuyi felt the executioner's blade above his head descend even further, getting closer to their heads.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart. It was precisely at times like these that calmness was crucial. "What about the other two pieces of information?" Liu Shuyi continued to inquire.

Changsun Chong glanced at Liu Shuyi, and his smiling face unconsciously turned serious.

"The second piece of intelligence is that Jiang Rui has issued two very strange orders recently."

“A strange order?” Liu Shuyi suddenly recalled the one-way communication between Jiang Rui and the three guests in Chunxiang Pavilion.

He said, "What strange order?"

Changsun Chong said, "A strange order was issued about twenty days ago by Jiang Rui, who suddenly ordered the government to collect taxes from the people, requiring that five thousand strings of cash be collected within seven days."

Five thousand strings of cash in taxes?
Five thousand strings of cash isn't an outrageous amount, but it's springtime, and the people have just started spring plowing in the fields.

It can be said that this was the poorest time for the people. Where would they get the money to pay taxes? Even grain, after paying taxes last autumn and winter, was almost gone.

Making the people pay taxes at this moment is no different from robbing them of their life-sustaining food and forcing them to their deaths.

Twenty days ago... that was the time when Jiang Rui first went to Chunxiang Pavilion.

Liu Shuyi's eyes flickered as he asked, "What about the other order?"

Changsun Chong continued, "Another order was given about ten days ago by Jiang Rui, which ordered the release of half of the prisoners in the jail."

"Release the prisoners?"

Liu Shuyi frowned slightly.

He could understand the collection of taxes; the illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi needed money to support his actions, hence his demand for money from Jiang Rui.

The prisoners can be released... Could it be that the illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi has accomplices who have been imprisoned?

If that's the case, wouldn't it be better to just release their accomplices? Why release so many prisoners?
Liu Shuyi asked, "Which prisoners were released?"

"Most of them are petty thieves who steal and pickpocket, and a few are criminals who got into fights... They are all minor offenders."

Liu Shuyi nodded. According to his previous guess, the illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi sent someone to contact Jiang Rui in order to determine whether Jiang Rui was trustworthy.

In other words, these two orders were likely a test and a test of obedience by the illegitimate son of the Prince of Xi.

He pondered for a moment, then asked, "What about the last piece of information?"

Changsun Chong looked at Liu Shuyi: "The last piece of information is not as important as the first two... Jiang Rui and Chu Xiong had a conflict a few days before the incident."

"Chu Xiong and Jiang Rui had a conflict?" Liu Shuyi's eyes flashed.

Changsun Chong nodded: "The constables didn't know what caused the conflict between the two, but many people heard them arguing loudly. When Chu Xiong left, his face was ashen and he looked very unwell."

Liu Shuyi stroked his chin, seemingly lost in thought.

Judging from his interactions with Chu Xiong today, he did not find any dissatisfaction from Chu Xiong towards Jiang Rui. Even when stealing Jiang Rui's body, he carefully protected it with soft padding. If Changsun Chong had not told him, he would have thought that the two were very close.

Jiang Rui is the top leader of Xingzhou City, and Chu Xiong is the second-in-command. Both of them are staunch rebels... What could have caused such a big conflict between them?
"Why didn't you have someone inform me when Doctor Liu arrived at the government office?"

At that moment, Chu Xiong's cheerful voice came from outside the courtyard.

Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes and looked up. He saw Chu Xiong, dressed in an official robe, walking towards him with a smile. Behind Chu Xiong was a yamen runner, the same yamen runner who had secretly slipped away after he arrived here.

Sure enough, it came...

Liu Shuyi's mind raced, but his face wore the same hearty smile. He stood up and said, "I know that Prefect Chu is busy with official duties, and I don't have anything important to do, so I didn't want to bother you."

As Chu Xiong walked towards Liu Shuyi, his gaze swept over the constables resting on the ground. His face darkened, and he said coldly, "Is this how you behave in front of Physician Liu? When have the constables of my prefectural government ever been so unruly?"

Upon hearing this, the constables fell silent and immediately stood up.

Chu Xiong sneered, "Everyone will be fined half a month's salary. Go and reflect on your actions."

Upon hearing that they would be fined half a month's salary, the already heavily exploited yamen runners couldn't help but change their expressions.

Seeing this, Liu Shuyi said, "They have worked very hard to find Governor Jiang's body, so I let them rest for a while. If you want to blame me, blame me instead. They were just following orders."

Upon hearing this, the constables looked at Liu Shuyi with complicated expressions.

Chu Xiong hadn't expected Liu Shuyi to take all the blame. He said, "Doctor Liu, there's no need to defend them. Our prefectural government has a clear system of rewards and punishments. If someone does something wrong, they should be punished. That's the rule."

"I am not defending them, nor am I asking Prefect Chu to make an exception for them," Liu Shuyi said. "It's just that as subordinates, they dare not disobey my orders. They did nothing wrong, so Prefect Chu's punishment is inappropriate."

Chu Xiong narrowed his eyes: "Does Physician Liu really want to protect them?"

Since Liu Shuyi had already done the favor, he naturally had to go all the way, otherwise the favor would turn into hatred. He said with a smile, "It's not about protecting them, it's just telling the truth."

Chu Xiong and Liu Shuyi exchanged a glance, then Chu Xiong glanced at the constables who were showing gratitude to Liu Shuyi. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, but in the end he did not break off relations with Liu Shuyi. He smiled and said, "Since Doctor Liu says so, then I will naturally give Doctor Liu face."

He looked at the constables and said coldly, "Why aren't you thanking Doctor Liu yet?"

The constables instinctively shrank back, and not one of them dared to say thank you.

Liu Shuyi didn't mind. He waved his hand and said, "I only said what needed to be said. There's no need for thanks."

Chu Xiong did not expect that Liu Shuyi would start sowing discord between him and the yamen runners as soon as he arrived at the governor's office. His heart grew colder, but his face still had a smile that no one could find fault with.

He looked at the morgue behind Liu Shuyi and said, "I heard that Physician Liu sent someone to re-examine Governor Jiang's body? Physician Liu, why go to such trouble? The coroner of my governor's office has already examined the body several times. If you want to know the results, you can just ask the coroner."

As he spoke, a middle-aged man dressed in gray stepped forward from behind him: "I am a coroner from the Prefectural Governor's Office, greetings to Physician Liu."

Liu Shuyi's smile remained unchanged: "It might be funny to say this, but I have a bad habit. Whenever I encounter a murder case, I have to have my coroner examine it personally. Otherwise, I'll always worry that some details might have been missed, or that this might delay the investigation... This anxiety makes me unable to feel at ease if I don't do it."

"Of course, I'm not saying that the coroner in the prefectural government office is incompetent, nor am I distrustful of him. It's just that I've had this bad habit for many years and I just can't get rid of it, so I hope you'll forgive me."

"I see." Chu Xiong nodded in understanding and said, "Everyone has their own habits, and I understand Doctor Liu very well."

"However, Governor Jiang has been murdered for seven days, and his body has begun to decompose. In addition, it was lost once, so many details may have been lost..."

He looked at Liu Shuyi and said, “The coroner from my prefectural office has been in contact with Prefect Jiang’s body from the very beginning. He has been examining the body almost every day these days, looking for clues. So why not let the coroner go in and help? That way, if your people miss any details, the coroner can point them out.”

With that, Chu Xiong looked directly at the coroner and said, "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and go in to help!"

The coroner's expression flickered slightly, and he quickly agreed, then tried to walk past Liu Shuyi into the morgue.

But as soon as he reached Liu Shuyi's side, before he could even take a step, Liu Shuyi moved sideways and blocked his way.

Liu Shuyi said with a smile, "I appreciate Prefect Chu's kindness, but the person I brought has a very strange temper. She doesn't like anyone to accompany her when she performs autopsies... That's why even I have to wait outside, so there's no need for the coroner to go through the trouble."

Chu Xiong narrowed his eyes: "Isn't this insubordination? How can this be allowed? Doctor Liu is kind-hearted and can tolerate such things, but I cannot. Hand Doctor Liu over to me, and I will help you teach her a good lesson!"

As he spoke, Chu Xiong was about to enter the morgue himself.

But Liu Shuyi moved aside again, blocking Chu Xiong's way. Before Liu Shuyi could refuse, Chu Xiong said directly, "Doctor Liu, there's no need to persuade me. I hate those who disobey their superiors the most. Just as Doctor Liu has a special habit, so do I. If Doctor Liu obstructs me, I will feel very uncomfortable. I believe Doctor Liu will understand me."

Having said that, without giving Liu Shuyi a chance to reply, Chu Xiong went straight up the steps, intending to force his way into the morgue.

Just then, Liu Shuyi's calm voice suddenly came to his ear: "I heard... that before Governor Jiang was killed, Prefect Chu had a fierce conflict with Governor Jiang. Is that true, Prefect Chu?"

(End of this chapter)