Chapter 27 Inquiry

Although Brother Li was a member of the Imperial Guard, he didn't actually own a horse. He always rode the horses provided by the guard post when he was on duty. Therefore, the Li family didn't have a stable, nor were they a family of military officers, and there were no hitching posts at the gate.

This made Di Shaoqing, who had arrived on horseback, and his two subordinates feel somewhat awkward.

Finally, it was Brother Li who stepped forward, found a cart driver who hadn't returned home yet, bought a basket of hay, found a stone to use as a hitching post, weighed down the reins of the three horses, and then gave the horses a basin to drink water before it was all over.

All three were dressed in round-necked official robes, except for Di Shaoqing, whose robe was crimson with a silver fish-shaped pouch, while the two lower-ranking officials wore blue robes.

Witnessing the moment of a historical figure, Li Sanniang truly did not want to miss a single glance, staring intently at Di Shaoqing, who had a short beard and was about thirty years old.

It was hard to ignore that gaze, and Li's mother reached out and patted Li San Niang to tell her to tone it down.

Adhering to his upbringing and respect for etiquette, Di Shaoqing deliberately ignored Li San Niang's gaze and first bowed to Li's father and mother.

"Doctor Li, Midwife Li, I am Di Renjie, ordered by the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review to thoroughly investigate the case of the daughter of the Duke of Liang falling into the water. I have come to bother you. These two are my right and left hands."

“Wang Jian, Registrar of the Court of Judicial Review.”

"Si Zhi of Dali Temple, Su Qi."

After introducing himself, Di Shaoqing called on two subordinates. The subordinates were quick and efficient, stating their official titles and names, and bowing respectfully.

This surprised the Li family, who had only encountered civil officials like the Qian family so far. They realized that civil officials could be just as straightforward and unpretentious as military officials.

"Young Master Di, you are too polite. Please come in."

After they sat down and exchanged greetings, the two subordinates opened the cloth bags they carried with them. It turned out that these were the charcoal pencils and notebooks that Li San Niang had seen at the Ministry of Revenue when the official came to check on Xiao Lu Zhu'er's condition.

Without further ado, Di Shaoqing began by asking about the four little ones and Little Dewdrop.

Little Dewdrop was small, but she answered quite a few questions. I guess Di Shaoqing thought that children were less likely to lie.

However, at that time, in order to avoid trouble with etiquette, when Li San Niang removed the foreign clothes of the daughter of the Duke of Liang, she had already asked the four little ones and Lu Zhu'er to turn their backs. Therefore, the four little ones and Lu Zhu'er could only answer the questions they had seen before.

However, Di Shaoqing, being a master detective, didn't overlook even the smallest details, and still asked the four children about the conversation and sounds they heard behind their backs.

As Di Shaoqing asked questions, his two subordinates kept taking notes.

Li San Niang was quite curious. Why did it have to be two people recording together? Was it because one person's memory wasn't clear enough? Were they checking for omissions and filling in the gaps?

Before Li San Niang could figure out the reason, the conversation had already turned to her.

Why did Li San Niangzi intervene to help? Wasn't she afraid of bringing trouble upon herself instead of saving the person?

Li San Niang explained her passion as a doctor and her willingness to risk her life to save others. She explained that the situation was urgent, like snatching someone from the jaws of death, and she hadn't even considered the risks before she stepped forward.

Di Shaoqing stroked his beard and praised Li Sanniang for her benevolent medical skills.

Then he asked Li San Niang again about the entire process from her perspective—from hearing the argument upstream to being rescued and then being sent back—and finally posed the crucial question: "How did Li San Niang know that this method could save lives?!"

Li San Niang's mind went blank for a moment. This question was way too much. She hadn't discussed how to answer it with her father and second brother. She couldn't just reveal that she knew the method after she saved the female Taoist priest and was taught the way, could she?

"Lord Di, this is all from the experience that Third Sister gained from learning medicine and treating patients with Father. Even after Third Sister got married, she didn't forget these things. Since the Imperial Medical Bureau started printing books, Third Sister has never missed a single issue. So when Third Sister encountered the daughter of the Duke of Liang falling into the water, she only thought about saving her. She quickly came up with this method after thinking for a while. Third Sister also saved the person by sheer chance."

"Lord Di, my family has already planned to share this method with the Chang'an Medical Alliance free of charge. After verifying its effectiveness with our colleagues, we will then promote it to the Imperial Medical Bureau so that this method can be widely promoted and used to save people."

Upon hearing this, the two subordinates who were recording stopped. These words were not insignificant, and Wu Ci could be considered to have a strong sense of public duty and concern for the people. After a pause, the two exchanged a glance before continuing to record.

"Oh, I see. Doctor Li and Li Sanniang's selfless dedication to the people is a blessing for them! I hope this method will be implemented soon so that it can benefit the world!"

Di Shaoqing hadn't expected the Li family to be willing to make this method public without asking for money. That was truly a great thing. After hearing what Li's father said, Di Shaoqing cupped his hands and expressed his opinion.

The interrogation concluded with mutual flattery. The Li family praised Di Shaoqing for his impartiality and brilliant detective skills, while Di Shaoqing praised the Li family for their concern for the people, their lack of ambition for fame and fortune, and their good citizens of the Tang Dynasty, deserving of praise.

"I have already made a decision on this case, and the result will be available within three days. During this period, I request that Li San Niang not leave the city to avoid any oversights. It is late, so I will take my leave. Please stay."

After Di Shaoqing said this, how could Li's father and second brother really stay? They saw him off and bowed to each other in farewell.

Even after everyone in the Li family had finished their dinner by lamplight, Li the eldest still hadn't returned.

Mother Li took Lu Zhu back to her room to lull her to sleep, and Second Sister-in-law Li also went back to her room to take Xiao Wulang. In the main hall, everyone was there except for the four little ones. First Sister-in-law Li said that although Di Shaoqing was a fourth-rank official and a bit serious, he was easy to talk to.

After waiting for another half an hour, Sister-in-law Li reheated the food she had left for Brother Li before he finally returned home, his body half-soaked by the torrential rain.

By the time Brother Li finished tidying up and had dinner, it was already late at night and everyone was able to talk.

Brother Li said that his team was temporarily reassigned to patrol, while the team that was originally on patrol was reassigned to do other things. He overheard his colleagues whispering that they had gone to surround the residence of Minister Gao of the Ministry of Revenue.

Even those at their level didn't know the reason, but after listening to a few words, they said it was related to some Korean spies.

Father Li realized the seriousness of the problem. “Third Sister, please listen to Di Shaoqing and stay home to rest these past few days. Don’t spread what Di Shaoqing said today or what Dalang said when he came back. Be careful until things settle down. Alright, it’s late, go to sleep.”

Just as she lay down, Li San Niang heard the rain outside start to drizzle again. She closed her eyes but couldn't fall asleep, and even holding her precious baby, she had something on her mind.

Li San Niang thought to herself, she didn't know if she had managed to get away with it this time, and she wondered if she would have a chance to complete the fourth task of the system. She also wondered what was going on with getting involved with some foreign spies.

I used to think it was just a time-travel story that promoted the development and progress of medicine in the Tang Dynasty. How come it turned into a historical novel with a strong female protagonist, a story of family, country, and world, a story of treacherous court intrigue, and a suspenseful detective story before it even got started?