Sudi's face was pale, almost to the point of being dead white. He almost vomited several times but forced himself to hold it back.
Li Xingye glanced at Zhao Lin and found him calm. He was very satisfied that he could maintain his composure despite the stench. He said to Zhao Lin, "I've seen many corpses in my past trials, so I'm used to it. I didn't expect you to be able to tolerate this smell. You're truly extraordinary."
Zhao Lin smiled and said, "Your Excellency is too kind. I can only try to remain calm."
Li Xingye said, "That's not bad either."
Zhang Mingzhen, a doctor in the Ministry of Justice, sneered, "This shows that Mr. Zhao is truly knowledgeable and experienced. I couldn't stand this when I was my age, and neither could my colleagues. In the past few years, they basically vomited every time. If we had Mr. Zhao's mental fortitude, we wouldn't have to endure so much."
One of the duties of a doctor in the Ministry of Justice is to review various cases, especially homicide cases, and he often sees various corpses.
Before Zhao Lin could say anything, Sun Xiaohui spoke up: "This just proves that Mr. Zhao is not only talented, but also capable. He is exactly the talent our dynasty urgently needs."
Li Xingye watched coldly.
Zhang Mingzhen was the prince's man. He was very angry that Zhao Lin had brought up the matter of Guo Maoliang's death again, so he naturally didn't treat him well.
Sun Xiaohui is Prince Yu's man, so he naturally protects Zhao Lin.
So there was no need for Zhao Lin to show up himself, the two men had already started fighting.
The coroner over there finally finished the autopsy and stood up.
"How is it?" Li Xingye asked.
The coroner said, "Your Excellency, Lord Guo was indeed murdered."
Zhang Mingzhen's face darkened. "Are you sure? Zhao Lin didn't make this up?"
The coroner glanced at Li Xingye and saw that he had no expression on his face. He then said to Zhang Mingzhen, "Your Excellency, I am certain. Although Lord Guo's body has decayed and no trace of flesh wounds can be seen, the fracture at the neck can reveal something. Your Excellency is also an official from the Ministry of Justice, so you should understand this."
"Humph! Of course I understand."
Zhang Mingzhen was furious at being outmaneuvered by the coroner. He said to Li Xingye, "Since it's confirmed that Lord Guo was murdered, Lord Li, please solve the case as soon as possible and find the murderer so that Lord Guo can receive justice."
"Of course." Li Xingye nodded slightly and said, "But I still need your assistance in the investigation."
"I dare not disobey your command." Sun Xiaohui immediately bowed and said, "It's all at the command of Lord Li."
"Master Li, please feel free to dispatch them." Zhang Mingzhen also said quickly.
Li Xingye said, "Very good. With the assistance of the two gentlemen, we will surely solve the case quickly and let Lord Guo rest in peace. Lord Zhang, investigate Lord Guo's various relationships and personal connections. Lord Sun, investigate what Lord Guo did during his lifetime, starting with his position. Do you have any questions?"
Sun Xiaohui immediately said, "I'll go right away."
Zhang Mingzhen's expression changed slightly.
Where are Guo Maoliang's connections?
They are all from the prince's family.
Asking Zhang Mingzhen to investigate is to force him to confess, or at least to provide a scapegoat.
Asking Sun Xiaohui to investigate Guo Maoliang's past positions was obviously aimed at disaster relief.
Li Xingye really wants to get to the bottom of the embezzlement case of disaster relief funds!
Zhang Mingzhen was a little panicked. Didn't he know the stakes involved? Wasn't he afraid that if he found out about the Crown Prince, he wouldn't be able to deliver on his mission, and end up angering the Emperor?
But looking at Li Xingye's solemn face, Zhang Mingzhen could only bow and say, "I will do it right away."
"Um."
Li Xingye nodded and said, "Lord Guo is a fifth-rank official. While his rank isn't high, he's still an official. His murder is a serious matter that cannot be tolerated. Otherwise, where is the dignity of our officials? We must investigate thoroughly and absolutely not let the murderer go unpunished."
"I will follow your orders, sir."
Everyone present bowed their heads in response.
Back at the Shengjing government office, Zhao Lin said to Li Xingye, "Sir, do you really want to get to the bottom of the embezzlement of disaster relief funds?"
"Um."
Li Xingye didn't hide anything from this person he valued, saying, "Someone dared to interfere in such a major undertaking as disaster relief. If I don't catch him and chop him off, I'd be unworthy of being the prefect of Shengjing."
Zhao Lin stood in awe.
He could see that Li Xingye did this for no other reason than to catch the person who actually embezzled the disaster relief funds.
Even if that person is the prince.
"Aren't you afraid of His Majesty's wrath?" Zhao Lin asked.
"I have a golden medal bestowed by the late emperor. I can use it to admonish the king and punish treacherous ministers. So what if Your Majesty is furious? Doesn't his son need to be punished just because he broke the law?" Every word of Li Xingye's was as firm as iron and sonorous.
Zhao Lin said admiringly: "Your Excellency is dedicated to the country and the people. I admire you."
Li Xingye sighed, "How much can I, an official, do alone? If there were a group of people like me, the court would be blessed."
Zhao Lin said: "Of course there is."
Li Xingye shook his head: "It's difficult!"
The current emperor is incompetent, appointing corrupt officials, and indulging in extravagance and debauchery, focusing solely on pleasure. A flood has struck Qingzhou, with varying degrees of damage affecting various regions, leaving the people destitute. Far from concentrating on governing the empire, the emperor is demanding that all regions contribute granite for the construction of gardens, exacerbating the suffering of the people. Several rebellions have erupted.
Although these rebellions were quickly quelled by officers and soldiers from all over the country, they were a sign of the country's demise, and Li Xingye was very worried.
Li Xingye suddenly asked, "If you were me, what would you do?"
Zhao Lin knew this was a test, and said without hesitation, "I'll get to the bottom of it, just like an adult."
"Oh? Why?" Li Xingye asked.
Zhao Lin said, "If you want to inherit the throne, you must not only be a saintly emperor, but also be compassionate to the people. He even dared to embezzle disaster relief funds. Such a person deserves death, even a thousand cuts. If it was really the Crown Prince who ordered this, then he should not be the crown prince. Otherwise, when he succeeds to the throne, the world will be in chaos."
Sudi was standing by, hesitant to speak.
Zhao Lin continued, "If the investigation ultimately reveals that the Crown Prince wasn't responsible, then everyone will be happy. It would prove the Crown Prince's innocence and identify the criminal, killing two birds with one stone. Why not? By then, His Excellency will not only not oppose the Crown Prince's succession to the throne, but will probably even support him."
Li Xingye smiled and said, "You put it very well. Don't get involved in this matter anymore. Just focus on your studies."
"Thank you, sir." Zhao Lin bowed.
He knew that this was Li Xingye's way of taking care of him, wanting him to stay away from the sight of the Crown Prince and Prince Yu so as not to be affected by their struggle.
"His Majesty will definitely blame you this time, which may affect the palace examination after the new year. What do you think?" Li Xingye suddenly asked again.
Zhao Lin said without hesitation, "I once met the victims of the Qingzhou disaster. They went to the capital to file a complaint, but were unable to do so. Instead, they were forced to sell themselves into slavery to survive. Therefore, I believe that people should do something."
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