Chapter 151 Meeting
While Di Renjie and Judge Chai were questioning each member of the Li family, they learned that Li San Niang had fainted due to her severe injuries and lack of timely medical treatment.
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Chai Fashi's face. He was very reluctant to admit that it was his oversight that he hadn't thought to ask a doctor to take a look at Li San Niang.
Li's father, who was being questioned, could tell what the clerk and the officials above him were reporting, and judging from their expressions, it wasn't a good thing.
After all that work, it was time for lunch.
The Li family members were naturally released from Jingzhao Prefecture, but the second brother Li was really worried and wanted to stay here and find a teahouse to wait, so that if anything happened to the third sister Li, he could go and check on her in time.
Changshoufang is too far from Jingzhao Prefecture. If any news comes out, there won't be enough time to respond.
"Erlang stays here, and Dalang will replace him this afternoon."
Brother Li shook his head. Because of Li San Niang's murder case, Brother Li, who is related to her by blood, is not allowed to go on duty. He will probably have to wait until Li San Niang's matter is resolved before he can go on duty.
"Forget it, I'll stay here. My second brother is familiar with the people in the alliance, so let him ask my third sister for leave."
Brother Li was so concerned that he forgot about asking for leave from Li San Niang that morning. He had suggested it, but he forgot as soon as he left the Jingzhao Prefecture.
"Alright, since you're here, I'll go ask for leave from Third Sister first, and I'll come back to relieve you this afternoon."
Before they came out, they asked Di Shaoqing when Li Sanniang could go home. Di Shaoqing did not give a specific time, but said, "The Dali Temple will not let a bad person go, nor will it wrong an innocent person."
At the time, Brother Li muttered to himself, "Isn't this the same as not saying anything at all? They're just trying to brush us off."
After lunch, Di Renjie went to the men's prison to interrogate the shrew and the big man.
Li San Niang sprayed a large amount of sleeping potion at the big man, which would make him fall asleep for a few hours. Except for the big man, whose eyes were directly drugged and who is still unable to open them, he and Qingpi are currently lively and energetic in the prison.
Qingpi now knows that Li Sanniang didn't use poison. He also understands that he was tricked and set up because of his greed for money. Now he has kicked a hornet's nest. The Jingzhao Prefecture is a formidable place for them, let alone the Dali Temple.
Therefore, Qingpi will answer any question.
Of course, if they don't answer properly, the jailer who has been in charge of the prison for many years will make them speak properly.
Di Renjie had a rough idea of what was going on. These two thugs were indeed the most common and ordinary people on the streets of Chang'an. They knew a little bit of rudimentary martial arts, didn't want to make money honestly, and did petty theft, intimidation, fighting, and bullying of good people.
He didn't even bother to ask why they had asked him to tie up Li Sanniang and cripple her hands.
Furthermore, neither of them knew at all whether the person who found them, the masked man who offered them one hundred taels of silver to cripple Li San Niang's hands, was the same person as the man in black.
Di Renjie even sent Qingpi to the morgue to see the body of the man in black, but Qingpi himself said he couldn't be sure if the two were the same person.
Di Renjie also saw the coroner's autopsy results. The man in black only had one wound on his upper abdomen, which was also his fatal injury.
The coroner wrote on the document, "The murderer must have been extremely familiar with the human body. He could have been a doctor or a martial artist, but a doctor is more likely, because a martial artist would not have inserted the blade at such a tricky angle."
This is consistent with Li San Niang's identity as a doctor, because she is weak and does not know martial arts, so she can only win by using tricky angles.
Naturally, Li San Niang also showed Di Renjie the scalpel she used to kill someone in self-defense.
"This woman has an extraordinary temperament."
Su Qi, the Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, paused his charcoal pen while recording the sentence, but did not write it into the case file.
"Alright, let's go to the palace."
Su Qi was surprised. He hadn't even gone to see Li San Niang yet, so why was he already going to the palace to meet the emperor?
"Shaoqing, you already know the truth?"
Di Renjie shook his head and gestured to Su Qi, urging him to hurry up and get things done before the palace gates were locked.
"Alas, those two, no one but the sage can get a single truth out of them."
The main base of the Bad Guys in Chang'an City.
"Sir, when the scouts arrived, there were only two female slaves and a coachman left. They didn't see anyone else. They must have escaped."
Mr. Ke put down his book, wheeled himself to the bedside, looked at the vibrant scene in the market, and turned to the person reporting, saying, "They ran away quickly. Carefully examine the scene and see if any clues were left behind. Interrogate those who were left behind rigorously. Even if they don't know anything, they can still tell you something."
"yes."
The spy from the Bad Guys remained kneeling on one knee, not rising to leave. Mr. Bu Ke asked suspiciously, "What? Is there any other news?"
"Sir, our spies who were sent to secretly protect Li San Niang have reported that Li San Niang, she..."
"explain."
"Li San Niangzi has developed a high fever due to an infection at her wound site and is currently unconscious."
After the scout finished speaking, he didn't dare to look at Mr. Ke's face and quickly looked down at the floor.
"Send one of our people from within the alliance to treat her. We must ensure Li San Niang lives, as we still need her for the subsequent alcohol purification. Also, select a skilled female warrior from among our people. Once we've secured Li San Niang's safety, we'll find an opportunity to arrange for her to become her personal bodyguard. Li San Niang will be of great use to us."
"promise."
The sound of knocking on the door was followed by a hunchbacked servant entering three breaths later. "Sir," the servant said, "news has arrived from the palace; the Emperor summons you."
"Hmph, I knew it. Meeting the Xue family's son never ends well. Change your clothes and go to the palace for an audience."
The Imperial Guard Station, main hall.
"Commander, someone from the palace has arrived; the Emperor summons you."
Xue Yao had no suspicions, assuming that Emperor Wu had some other instructions, and got up to walk directly out the door.
As fate would have it, Mr. Bu Ke, who was being pushed in his wheelchair by a hunchbacked servant to the small square in front of the Xuande Hall, met Xue Yao, who had come alone.
The two exchanged a glance and immediately knew that it was because of Li San Niang's matter.
Upon arriving at the entrance of Xuande Hall, Xue Yao stepped forward to help the hunchbacked servant lift the wheelchair over the threshold, but Mr. Bu Ke was not grateful at all, saying, "My hunchback can manage on his own, there's no need to trouble Commander Xue."
Because the hunchbacked servant had been left outside the Xuande Hall, Xue Yao, who had wanted to help Mr. Bu Ke push his wheelchair, ignored what he heard and strode forward.
Mr. Tu Liu Ke slowly propelled his wheelchair forward using his arms.
Emperor Wu, naturally, saw the lawsuit between his two favorite ministers below. He gave Wang Da Dang a look, and Wang Da Dang walked from the front of the hall to the door, came to Mr. Bu Ke's side, and helped push Mr. Bu Ke's wheelchair.
"Alright, my trusted ministers, come, come, the fresh fruit sent from Jiangnan, my beloved ministers, please have a taste."
Although Di Renjie, Xue Yao, and Mr. Bu Ke were all promoted by Emperor Wu himself from their humble beginnings, everyone present was one of Emperor Wu's own people.
However, Emperor Wu had a headache dealing with just one arrogant minister, let alone two, especially two ministers who had been at odds with each other for a long time due to various matters.
Emperor Wu was still an emperor, and the emperor was the greatest. One had to give the emperor face.
Di Renjie picked up some fresh fruit from the fruit platter on the table and began to taste it. Looking at the two hot-blooded young men beside him, who were looking down on each other, he couldn't help but find it amusing.
The man, who remained as arrogant as ever even while sitting in a wheelchair, was none other than the head of the entire Bad Guys in Chang'an, known as Mr. Unreliable.
Xue Yao, the commander of the Imperial Guard, needs no introduction; he is a formidable young man who strikes fear into the hearts of all civil and military officials.
Di Renjie glanced at Emperor Wu, who put down the half-eaten fruit in his hand, cleared his throat, and said, "Xue Yao, Bai Zhi, this is Di Renjie, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. You all know him. Vice Minister Di has a few questions he wants to ask you. You can have a chat."
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