Chapter 110: I'm not afraid; it would be shameful if Shen Chu couldn't find out.

Shen Chu rubbed her fingers together and saw through Geng Huaiyi's thoughts at a glance.

His Majesty appointed her as a special envoy to investigate whether any departments were neglecting their duties or engaging in corruption, but this does not mean that she has the power to interfere in the affairs of any department.

"You, Geng Huaiyi!" Li Chengxuan slammed his fist on the table in anger. "Do you think we can't tell? You're setting a trap for A-Chu."

If Achu says he is asking questions as His Majesty's special envoy, I'm afraid you'll tell us the details of the case and then go to the palace to accuse Achu of abusing his power and interfering with the Dali Temple's trial, right?

Do you think we're fools?

"Oh dear, young master, please calm down." Geng Huaiyi looked troubled. "To put it bluntly, if a plaque falls from the sky in the capital, nine out of ten people will be either nobles or officials."

If everyone comes to inquire about the progress of the case, how am I supposed to adjudicate cases in the future?

Of course, if the young master and Lord Shen insist on using their power to interfere in this case, I have no choice but to ask His Majesty for a judgment.

"You!" Li Chengxuan was so angry he wanted to throw a punch.

Shen Chu pulled him back, her expression indifferent, "Lord Geng is overthinking it. Neither Shen Chu nor the young master had any intention of interfering with Lord Geng's trial."

Shen Chu and the young master came only to provide clues. Last night, I drank with Zhou Jun and the young master to understand Zhou Jun's state at the time.

When Zhou Jun injured someone on horseback last night, the young master was also present. Doesn't Lord Geng need to question all the eyewitnesses from last night during his trial?

Or is it that Lord Geng can determine the truth of a case simply by relying on his eyes and his mouth?

Geng Huaiyi's face stiffened. "How I decide the case is none of Lord Shen's concern."

"Yang, you will record the clues and testimonies for the young master and Lord Shen."

Shen Chu gave Li Chengxuan a wink.

Li Chengxuan understood and described the situation from last night in detail: "...We discovered that someone had been injured in the accident, and we immediately took the injured person to the nearest Huimin Pharmacy."

At the time, Dr. Du from Huimin Pharmacy was on duty. After taking the injured person's pulse, he said that there was no serious internal injury and that the person would recover in a few days.

Dr. Du prescribed topical wound medicine and oral medication, and we personally took the injured person home.

The injured person was conscious and walking normally at the time, indicating that the injury was not serious. For a detailed medical record, Lord Geng can consult Dr. Du at Huimin Pharmacy.

Geng Huaiyi said, "What the young master said is all what you saw with your own eyes, but the injury is in the inner palace. Whether it is serious or not depends on the doctor's diagnosis."

"We can't rely solely on the young master's words as evidence, Lord Shen, don't you agree?"

Shen Chu smiled and said, "This case is being handled by Lord Geng, so I cannot offer any opinions. Only after the case is concluded, approved by the Ministry of Justice, and the case file arrives at the Censorate can I offer my opinion on this case."

Geng Huaiyi's expression changed. "Is Lord Shen implying that I am preparing to review this case?"

“No, it’s a direct indication,” Shen Chu said with a smile.

“I believe that Your Excellency will handle the case impartially. However, if Shen Chu finds any doubts when the case file is being archived at the Censorate, he can naturally request a review. This is a power that His Majesty has granted to the Censorate, isn’t it?”

"Of course, Lord Shen can request a review at any time."

Geng Huaiyi glanced impatiently at Yang Sicheng, "Haven't you finished writing it down yet? Why are you taking so long today?"

Yang, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, put down his pen. “It’s finished. Please take a look, Your Excellency.”

Geng Huaiyi glanced at them casually, then stood up with a smile. "Now that the testimonies have been provided, and I have official duties to attend to, I will not keep you any longer, young master and Lord Shen."

Li Chengxuan was somewhat disappointed and wanted to say something, but Shen Chu pulled him aside, and the two said goodbye and left.

Watching the two figures walk away, Yang Sicheng leaned close to Geng Huaiyi and whispered, "Sir, if Lord Shen were to review this case, would there be any trouble?"

Geng Huaiyi scoffed dismissively, "What trouble could there be? He'd have to be able to find anything suspicious before he could review it."

Hmph, that brat who hasn't even grown his first hair yet, relying on His Majesty's favor, dares to interfere with my handling of cases. Does he really think he's omnipotent?

I'm not afraid of him reviewing it; I'm afraid he won't find any doubts and will raise objections, or that the review will find no doubts at all—that would be truly shameful.

Let's see how he'll have the nerve to inspect our Dali Temple then!

Yang Sicheng said with a fawning expression, "Your Excellency is wise. Your Excellency is always meticulous in handling cases. No one can overturn the cases you have handled."

Geng Huaiyi gave a proud "hmm," and said, "Cheer up, and bring me the case file and all the testimonies and evidence after you've prepared them."

"Yes, with an adult overseeing the process, I believe Shen Chu will definitely not be able to find any suspicious points in the case file."

-----

Emerging from the Dali Temple, Li Chengxuan was filled with frustration. "I thought I could get some information out of him, but this Geng Huaiyi is so cunning and shrewd, he won't reveal anything! How infuriating!"

Shen Chu was not surprised. Putting herself in her shoes, if she were the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, she would not casually reveal information when others inquired about the progress of the case.

She comforted Li Chengxuan, saying, "After the Dali Temple reviews and finalizes the case, it will be sent to the Ministry of Justice for approval. Finally, the case file will be sent to the Censorate. If there is anything suspicious about this case, I will request a review of the case in the name of the Censorate."

Li Chengxuan's eyes lit up. "You just deliberately said you wanted to review this case. Were you trying to put pressure on Geng Huaiyi to ensure a fair trial?"

"Yes, applying pressure is one aspect, but it's also a test."

"Testing?" Li Chengxuan looked puzzled. "Testing what? Achu, have you discovered something?"

Shen Chu shook her head. "We haven't found anything yet, but I always feel that Geng Huaiyi seems very wary of us."

Geng Huaiyi was the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, she was the Censor, and Li Chengxuan was the young master.

Normally, when they came to inquire about the case, Geng Huaiyi, out of his principles as an official, could have refused them.

But there's no need to deliberately set a trap for her, or even to subtly exclude her, as if afraid she'd get involved in the case.

“When you provided your clues and testimony, I observed Geng Huaiyi carefully. He didn’t listen attentively and even seemed a little distracted, which is somewhat illogical.”

"What common sense does this violate?"

Do you know who the deceased was?

"Yes, I know. We asked him when we took him back last night. He was a small vendor who stayed out late to earn more money, which is why we hit him."

Shen Chu nodded. "That's the problem. The deceased was a small merchant, and the one who injured him, Ah Jun, is the son of Princess Qinghe. If Geng Huaiyi is an upright and good official, he will definitely handle this case seriously. Therefore, he should listen carefully to the testimony we provide."

If he were not a good official, even though the Qinghe Princess's family was not favored by His Majesty, the princess was, after all, of royal lineage, and Geng Huaiyi should not have dared to deliberately make things difficult for Ajun.

"If we go there, even if he doesn't offer to exonerate Ah Jun, his attitude won't be like this."

Li Chengxuan understood what he meant. "You mean there's something wrong with Geng Huaiyi?"

“I didn’t think this case was complicated at first, but now I feel that it may not be as simple as we thought.”

I deliberately said I wanted to review the case to test the waters. If there really was a problem with the case and Geng Huaiyi couldn't conduct a fair trial, he would definitely try to tamper with the case files and testimonies.

The more they do, the easier it is for us to spot problems.

Li Chengxuan was getting anxious. "Are we just supposed to wait here? Isn't there any other way?"

Chen Chu stroked his chin, seemingly lost in thought.

"This case doesn't seem complicated on the surface, and the Dali Temple should close it soon, but we don't need to just wait around."

Li Chengxuan's eyes lit up. "What can we do? Where can we go?"

Chen Chu snapped her fingers. "Come on, I'll take you shopping."

Li Chengxuan: ?

What kind of streets should I go to at this time of day?