Chapter 29: Du Ruhui Has His Back! A Chance for Promotion! (6K)

Early morning, Ministry of Justice.

Since Liu Shuyi had transmigrated, this was his first time visiting the Ministry of Justice. Upon entering the main gate, he was greeted by a stone mountain carved with four vigorous, powerful characters: "Clarify Penalties, Supplement Morality."

Standing beneath the stone, gazing up at the inscription, he felt a sense of majestic oppression surge into his heart. It involuntarily made one feel solemn and respectful, stifling any impulse for levity. Through his predecessor’s memories, Liu Shuyi knew these words originated from the *Classic of History*: "Be clear about the five punishments to supplement the five teachings, aiming for governance." The essence was to use legal punishment to ensure the people understood, feared, and obeyed the law, achieving results that mere moral education could not. This was the foundational philosophy of the Tang Dynasty's Ministry of Justice.

He stared deeply at the characters for a long moment before withdrawing his gaze and continuing inward. Not far away stood the main hall, where the Minister and Vice Ministers deliberated on major cases and held tripartite trials. He bypassed the hall, turned into the corridor on the right, and arrived at the offices of the Justice Bureau.

The Ministry of Justice was divided into four bureaus: the Justice Bureau, the Metropolitan Bureau, the Review Bureau, and the Gate Bureau. Liu Shuyi was a Chief Clerk in the Justice Bureau, primarily responsible for investigating cases, conducting interrogations, and reviewing dossiers from the Supreme Court.

As he entered the courtyard of the Justice Bureau, a cacophony of voices reached him.

"Have you heard? Liu Shuyi performed a great service again last night!"

"Really?"

"Could it be fake? My brother is a jailer; he told me when he came off shift this morning that a beautiful woman was locked up last night, sent by order of Minister Du himself. They say she’s the murderer of Zhao Chengyi’s wife and children, and the one who cracked the case was Liu Shuyi!"

"Since when did Liu Shuyi become so capable?"

"Exactly! We all know what he’s usually like—meek and weak. How did he solve two major cases in two days?"

"Who knows!"

"Is Liu Shuyi about to become a rising star? Does that mean we can’t dump all our work on him anymore?"

"Obviously! I heard Minister Du specifically requested a reward for him at the morning court session. Even the Emperor knows his name now. You dare to exploit him? Do you have a death wish?"

"We are fine; at most, we made him do extra work, and we can make it up to him later. But Assistant Minister Qian..."

The official glanced nervously at the closed door of the office and lowered his voice. "Assistant Minister Qian is likely having a hard time. He bullied Liu Shuyi the worst and was the one who ordered us to squeeze him. Now that Liu Shuyi is on the rise, who knows how their feud will end."

*Assistant Minister Qian?*

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow, recalling who that was. Qian Wenqing, a sixth-rank Assistant Minister of the Justice Bureau. A conceited man who had climbed the ladder through his wife—the niece of Pei Ji—and used that connection to enter the Ministry. However, that was during the Wude era; after Li Shimin ascended the throne, Pei Ji no longer dared to act so brazenly. Since Pei Ji was a bitter political enemy of Liu’s father, he harbored a grudge against the entire Liu family. Thus, Qian Wenqing, either under Pei Ji’s direction or anticipating his master’s distaste, had spent years bullying and exploiting the original Liu Shuyi. It was fair to say that the predecessor’s timidity and inferiority complex were inextricably linked to this immediate superior.

Now that he had accidentally cracked two major cases and gained fame, he wondered what Qian Wenqing would think.

As he mused, someone looked toward the door and caught sight of Liu Shuyi. They froze, then straightened their back and hurriedly said, "Chief Clerk Liu, you’re here!" The tone carried an unprecedented level of respect.

Hearing this, the other officials realized Liu Shuyi had arrived. Worried he might have overheard them, yet acting as if they were greeting a superior, they all stood straight and called out in unison, "Chief Clerk Liu!"

"Isn't today a rest day? Why are you here?"

"We heard you solved two cases in a row—a god of investigation! You must tell us how you did it later; let us broaden our horizons."

"Indeed, it is our honor to have a genius like Chief Clerk Liu in our bureau."

Flattery and expressions of awe filled the air. These were the same people from his memories, yet their faces were entirely different. No longer were they icy or impatient; no longer did they sneer. Watching them, Liu Shuyi couldn't help but find it amusing. He hadn't even been promoted yet, and everything had already changed. This was the power of status and authority.

*Bang!*

Suddenly, the office door swung open. A man in green official robes with a feminine, sinister appearance stepped out, shouting, "What’s all the noise? Do you have nothing to do?"

As Qian Wenqing spoke, the officials shrank back, not daring to utter another word, and quickly dispersed. Liu Shuyi ignored them and locked eyes with Qian Wenqing.

Seeing Liu Shuyi’s calm, steady gaze and the newfound confidence that stood in stark contrast to the past, Qian Wenqing frowned. He hadn't expected the rumors to be true.

"What are you looking at? Do you have nothing to do?" Qian Wenqing sneered, resorting to his usual tactics. "Go copy all the dossiers the Supreme Court just sent over. You aren't to eat or return home until they are finished!"

Liu Shuyi raised an eyebrow. "There are four Chief Clerks in the Justice Bureau. These dossiers should be a collective responsibility. Why is Assistant Minister Qian assigning the task to me alone?"

"You dare question me?" Qian Wenqing said coldly. "Don’t think that just because you cracked a few cases, no one can control you! As long as you are under my command, you must obey!"

It was the same tone, the same reprimands, and the same commanding style from his memories. But Liu Shuyi was no longer the man he used to be.

"And if I refuse?" Liu Shuyi replied.

"You..." Qian Wenqing’s sinister eyes sharpened. "Do you believe I can suspend you? I’ll make sure you fail your year-end evaluation!"

If it were the original, he might have been terrified, but Liu Shuyi simply yawned. "I’ve never heard of an Assistant Minister having the authority to suspend a Chief Clerk. Why don't you try it and see if you can actually do it?"

He had even made Pei Ji back down; why would he fear Qian Wenqing? Especially since the head of the Ministry was Du Ruhui, who valued him—would he discard such a capable subordinate? Du Ruhui would be the first to disagree with any such suspension.

"What is all this commotion?"

At that moment, Du Ruhui’s voice rang out from behind.

Liu Shuyi’s eyes flickered. Was it a coincidence, or had he been watching from the shadows all along? He turned and bowed. "Greetings, Minister Du. Assistant Minister Qian says he wants to suspend me—"

"Minister Du, we haven't seen each other for two days, just some idle chatter," Qian Wenqing interrupted, his face changing slightly.

Liu Shuyi arched an eyebrow, looking deeply at Qian Wenqing, who turned pale. Du Ruhui observed the tension between them and smiled. "A lot has happened in the last two days; it's natural to have things to discuss. But you’ll have to wait. I have something to discuss with Liu Shuyi."

Qian Wenqing didn't dare argue and nodded subserviently. Du Ruhui looked at Liu Shuyi and said, "Let’s go."

As he turned to leave, he paused. "From now on, Liu Shuyi will report directly to me. His tasks will be handled by Assistant Minister Qian for the time being. Are you willing, Assistant Minister?"

Qian Wenqing’s expression shifted violently. He understood clearly: Du Ruhui had heard everything and was taking Liu Shuyi's side. Previously, when the Minister of Justice position was held concurrently, the bureaus were managed by the Assistant Ministers. No one dared to oppose him. But in just two days, everything had changed. Du Ruhui was personally intervening.

"I... I naturally obey Minister Du’s orders," he said through gritted teeth.

Liu Shuyi looked at him and said with a smile, "Then I leave it to you, Assistant Minister Qian. Oh, and don't forget, the task you just assigned me—copying all the dossiers—is now your responsibility. You can't eat or leave until they are finished. Please be sure to complete the task thoroughly."

Qian Wenqing’s eyes widened, but as he looked up, he met Du Ruhui’s sharp, piercing gaze. He turned deathly pale, as if drenched in ice water, and didn't dare say another word.

Seeing Qian Wenqing hoist himself with his own petard, Liu Shuyi felt a sense of relief and walked out of the courtyard with Du Ruhui. Once outside, he bowed. "Thank you for your help, Minister."

Du Ruhui shook his head. "I am not helping you. You earned this position through your own talent and calm wisdom."

In other words, without his investigative talent and achievements, Du Ruhui wouldn't have noticed him, and no one would help a lowly Chief Clerk at the risk of offending a higher-ranking official. It was a cruel reality.

Liu Shuyi smiled. "Even so, it was you who gave me the opportunity. If you hadn't insisted on letting me investigate the Zhao Chengyi case, I wouldn't be where I am today."

True talent scouts favor those who know how to be grateful; no one wants to cultivate an ingrate who will bite back. Du Ruhui felt pleased and even more satisfied with him.

As they walked along the corridor, officials passed by, bowing to Du Ruhui while casting curious and envious glances at Liu Shuyi.

Du Ruhui spoke as they walked. "After I had Miaoyin'er thrown into the dungeon last night, I ordered her interrogated through the night. Guess what happened?"

Liu Shuyi recalled her demeanor from the previous night. "Cooperative, but likely mostly lies."

"She fell into your hands; it is no surprise," Du Ruhui nodded. "She answered every question, but her answers were impossible to verify. When asked about her master, she changed the name to Minister of Personnel Zhangsun Wuji. When asked about the Turkic hunting falcons, she claimed she trained them herself and bought them from the Turks for two hundred strings of cash. When asked where they are now, she said she released them."

Liu Shuyi narrowed his eyes. The story about the falcons was clearly a fabrication. Falcons that difficult to train wouldn't simply be released. Given she hadn't known she would be caught, she wouldn't have discarded her tools. Either the falcons belonged to someone else, or they were hidden in a secret location. As for changing her master to Zhangsun Wuji—she was picking names of powerful officials who could shake the court, clearly trying to stir up chaos.

Du Ruhui slowed his pace. "Whether we used torture or not, her answers remained the same. I have ordered the interrogations stopped for now; we will starve her for a few days to wear down her spirit."

Liu Shuyi nodded. "Perhaps I could try, Minister?"

"Very well," Du Ruhui agreed. "She was captured by you, and I can see her attitude toward you is different. You might have some success."

"What are your thoughts on the mastermind behind her and Zhao Chengyi?" Du Ruhui asked.

Liu Shuyi shook his head. "Very mysterious. They have never acted personally, and without them stepping out, we have no leads."

"Indeed, mysterious and cautious..." Du Ruhui frowned, deep in thought.

After a while, he shook his head. "Let us focus on prying open Miaoyin'er’s mouth first."

They arrived at Du Ruhui’s office, where he poured Liu Shuyi a cup of water. "I called you here because there is something I want to ask you."

"Please speak, Minister."

"At today’s morning court, I requested a reward for you from the Emperor."

Liu Shuyi’s eyes brightened. "Thank you, Minister!"

Du Ruhui held up his hands. "It is what I promised. But there is more. You have solved two major, difficult cases in two days—the case of the Sui Prince's ghost and the case of the falconer's head. Your contributions are significant. Ordinarily, a promotion to seventh rank would be possible. However..."

He paused, looking at Liu Shuyi. "There are currently no vacancies in the judicial system for the eighth or seventh rank."

"How long would I have to wait?" Liu Shuyi asked.

Du Ruhui shook his head. "Hard to say... but there is a vacancy for a sixth-rank Assistant Minister in the Justice Bureau. You know that the bureau should have two, but currently, there is only Qian Wenqing."

Liu Shuyi was startled. "A sixth-rank Assistant Minister... Minister, are you suggesting?"

Du Ruhui shook his head with a smile. "Don't think about it yet. You don't have enough merit. If you filled that post now, the Censorate would be all over you."

"Then why mention it?"

Du Ruhui looked at him with profound eyes. "Your merit isn't enough yet, but there is one case. If you can solve it, your merit will be more than enough."

Liu Shuyi’s eyes flashed. "The case of the missing corpse of the former Prince of Xi?"

Du Ruhui sighed. "Indeed! You know how terrible the influence of this case is. Even though you solved the ghost case, the mysterious disappearance of the body has caused huge waves. Former officials of the Prince of Xi are showing signs of unrest. With the Turks and Liang Shidu eyeing us from the outside, and former Sui remnants causing trouble within, if the old faction of the Prince of Xi stirs... the consequences would be unimaginable!"

"We have been investigating for over ten days with no leads. The Emperor is furious, and the rumors are spreading. The only person I can think of who might break this deadlock..." Du Ruhui looked at him, "...is you."

Liu Shuyi listened quietly. He knew this was a gamble. Thousands had searched for ten days without a clue; it was possible the body was already out of Chang'an. But he needed this. As a ninth-rank official, he was a mere errand boy with no authority. He needed to rise, to hold power, to have a voice. And he knew that if he could solve this, he would leave an indelible impression on Li Shimin.

The risk was high, but the potential rewards were immense.

After a moment of reflection, he stood up, bowed, and spoke in a clear, resolute voice. "Minister, I know how difficult this case is and the consequences of failure. But I have received the Emperor’s grace and your trust. In this time of crisis for the Tang, how can I retreat and care only for myself?"

"Therefore," he declared, "I accept the case!"