The Famous Detective of the Red Mansion

Chapter 277: Invest in the Future

After helping with the marriage of Jia Yingchun, Sun Shaozong rested at home for another day before resuming his daily routine of working life.

And this time, when he arrived at the government office again, Wei Ruolan didn’t avoid it. However, when he met Sun Shaozong, his face lost a bit of sharpness and a bit of melancholy.

Sun Shaozong naturally remained friendly and tight. After giving him a few words of encouragement, he assigned several tasks that were difficult to complete and couldn’t be postponed.

So in the next few days, the six Private Advisors under Wei Ruolan were so busy that even Wei Ruolan had to endure and personally review the official documents and files. Naturally, they couldn't spare any time to find trouble for Sun Shaozong.

After a few peaceful days, on the 24th afternoon, Sun Shaozong finished his official duties and was teasing Xue Pan's parrot when he saw Cheng Rixing hurriedly enter from outside, looking startled.

Sun Shaozong placed the slender wooden spoon used to feed the birds on the nearby shelf and casually asked, "Why, what big deal has happened again?”

“There... There's no big deal.”

Cheng Rixing hesitated and said, "It's just that there were two families who had a conflict over their homestead near Shicha Lake. Yesterday evening, they fought and died on the spot. A young student, Qiu Jianxiao, and Constable Zhao had been investigating for most of the time, but they couldn't figure out who killed him. They were afraid and would ask you to raise the Court and make a clear decision.”

Tch!

This kind of muddled death method in the melee made it most difficult to identify the true culprit after the fact, and if there was no unexpected evidence, it might only be a loss of money.

He was afraid that those who died were wealthy, but those who killed were the impoverished proletariat.

As Sun Shaozong thought, he quickly ordered, "Notify Qiu Yunfei to organize the case file and inquiry records and quickly transcribe a copy for me.”

“Ask Constable Zhao to send more personnel and quietly keep an eye on the people to see if there are any who are afraid and have the intention of escaping. Also, ask Lin Delu to send a few clerks to check the property status of both sides.”

When Cheng Rixing answered one by one, Sun Shaozong waited for a moment. Seeing that he had no intention of continuing, he smiled and said, "After taking the Palace Exam for half a month, you can't be separated from me? If you have anything to say, just let me know.”

The words were spoken lightly and cleverly, but the listener had to weigh them carefully.

Therefore, after Cheng Rixing's face changed a few times, he sneaked out and locked the door before returning cautiously, saying, "Master, rumors are circulating outside at the moment that your niece's son-in-law's strategy during the Palace Examination was quite offensive, causing His Majesty to be furious and even lifting the table in the Imperial Study.”

This matter has indeed spread!

After Minister Wang angrily left that day, Sun Shaozong called Yu Qian into the room and carefully questioned him.

As for the results of the interrogation…

Sun Shaozong was speechless for a moment. Should he say that Yu Qian had no political consciousness, or was he too politically aware?

In the strategy of the Palace Examination, he extensively listed several counts, denouncing the Court's two expeditions to Goryeo, which resulted in the depletion of national strength and the current state treasury being empty and powerless to subdue the barbarians.

Although it might seem that he was talking about the decision made by the Court, in reality, every sentence was alluding to the Supreme Emperor!

In the eyes of ordinary people, such behavior was simply killing!

After all, although the Supreme Emperor abdicated, he remained the Supreme Ruler of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Such blatant criticism of his proudest achievements was a matter of death.

However, after carefully analyzing and deliberating the information from the Court, Sun Shaozong felt that Yu Qian was sacrificing the present and investing in the future rather than committing suicide!

The current external environment of the Great Zhou Dynasty was deteriorating year by year, and the forced diversion of the North Korean embassy to sea routes was a landmark event.

The reason for this situation was that the Supreme Emperor wasted the country's strength by invading Korea and Mount Tai twice and fell in love with power after abdication.

It was absolutely inseparable from the relationship.

However, the current ruler was Emperor Guangde, and due to the rule of his son not speaking up about his father's past, he was unable to disclose the truth to the public. Therefore, he could only silently endure the reputation of ”external weakness, watching the Hu people wreak havoc.”

At this moment, a sudden figure named Yu Qian appeared in the Palace Examination, clearly linking the waste of the country’s strength in the conquest of Goryeo with the current difficulties of the Court. Emperor Guangde was furious on the surface, but he couldn't help but chuckle at the bottom of his heart.

Emperor Guangde had been on the throne for more than ten years, and his control over the Court was not comparable to before. He held high and fell lightly, so it wasn’t a problem to protect Yu Qian from this matter.

Although it was inevitable that Yu Qian would suffer some hardships at the moment, once the Emperor passed away, relying solely on today's strategy, Yu Qian would have a secure future!

Moreover, Yu Tingyi was originally a prominent figure of this dynasty, and he was not the kind of person who disappeared from the public after making a big splash.

Therefore, after thinking through all of this, Sun Shaozong was a bit confused as to whether Yu Qian was intentionally doing it or was playing it straight.

According to historical evaluation, it was normal for the protagonist to be fearless and innocent and dare to speak out and speak up.

Could it be said that this was just a slap in the face? With Yu Qian's usual shrewdness and ability, what could Sun Shaozong think of, wouldn't he have thought of it too?

Therefore, at that time, Sun Shaozong even had a feeling similar to Jia Yucun, in a few years, he would say goodbye to Yu Qian, and perhaps he would respectfully call him ”Superior.”

Of course, it depended on when would the Supreme Emperor die. In case the old man, like the Queen of England, has a long life, he might really live longer than Emperor Guangde.

“Master? Master?”

Sun Shaozong fell into memory without paying attention and was called out a few times by Cheng Rixing before he finally regained his composure.

However, his psychological analysis was naturally not easy to tell others, so he let out a long sigh and pretended, saying, "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. If he causes trouble himself, he can only bear it himself. After all, I am just his wife's uncle, and I really can't manage all of them.”

“That's all we can do.”

Cheng Rixing also sighed, secretly feeling lucky that his Master and Yu Qian were only distant relatives and not yet implicated.

It was also Sun Shaozong's usual behavior of being too steady and mature. A 22-year-old person said to a 23-year-old Yu Qian ”Children and grandchildren have their own blessings,” but Cheng Rixing didn't feel anything wrong at all.

When Cheng Rixing bowed and retreated out, Sun Shaozong picked up the wooden spoon again but had no intention of continuing to play with the birds. He was pondering what to do to pass the time so that he could endure until he returned home when he saw Cheng Rixing turning back.

“Master, there's a Dragon Guard outside who says he is Jia Shanyao, the hundred household Inspector from Jinmen Mansion.”

Jia Shanyao was here?

Has he been transferred to the Capital, or was he responsible for escorting Zhou Ruqing into the Capital?

Anyway, no matter what the situation was, it was always important to meet.

Therefore, Sun Shaozong ordered, "Bring him in."

Not long after, Jia Shanyao rushed in, and the one who nodded and bowed to lead the way was not the factotum or servant in the Criminal Division, but Zhao Wuwei, the Constable.

Wasn’t this guy…

Sun Shaozong's heart moved, but his body remained motionless. He sat steadily behind the desk and waited for Jia Shanyao to come forward and pay his respects. He then reached out his hand and supported him weakly, saying, "Get up and speak.”

After Jia Shanyao got up, he asked, "Why did you come to the Capital and not stay at Jinmen Mansion?”

“Report to the Lord.”

Jia Shanyao respectfully said, "I was ordered by the Superior to escort the culprit into the Capital. As I set out in the middle of the night, I arrived at the Capital by noon. After sending the culprit to the Governor of the North, I rushed over to greet you.”

Departed in the middle of the night?

Handing over the culprit to the Northern Dragon Detective Department?

Sun Shaozong furrowed his brows and waved to Cheng Rixing and Zhao Wuwei to step out. Then he asked, "Who is the prisoner you are escorting?”

If the culprit was Zhou Ruqing, he should have been placed in the custody of Dali Temple, and there was no need to leave in the middle of the night.

Jia Shanyao didn't say it clearly just now, he was just concerned about the presence of others, and Sun Shaozong himself was considered a high-level official of the Northern Dragon Detective Department, which was not a shocking secret.

So when Sun Shaozong asked, he bowed himself and said, "To be honest, it is Zhao Wutong, the Officer of Jinmen Mansion, who I’m escorting."

"Zhao Wutong?"

Upon hearing this name, Sun Shaozong couldn't help but be slightly surprised and said, "Is he also involved in the corruption case of Zhou Ruqing?”

“It was exactly the opposite.”

Jia Shanyao said with a wry smile, "After a lot of investigation and undercover investigation, Zhao Wutong is the person who changed the couplets and exposed Zhou Ruqing!"