Chapter 34: A Massive Breakthrough! Unlocking the Mystery of Time!

"What!?"

Upon hearing Du Ruhui's words, the composed and refined Pei Ji could not help but see his expression shift. His face wore an expression of disbelief that he could not hide: "You say Liu Shuyi has made a breakthrough? Has he already found a gap in the case? This..."

How could this be possible? From the moment Liu Shuyi accepted the task until now, counting generously, it had not been more than two hours, right? In such a short time, one could barely make a round trip to Li Jiancheng's mausoleum! How could Liu Shuyi have already made a discovery?

One must realize that they, with so many people, had spent a full twelve days without finding a single clue. How could Liu Shuyi accomplish more in two hours than they had in twelve days of effort? Pei Ji truly found it hard to believe.

Li Shimin glanced at the visibly shaken Pei Ji and then at the resolute Du Ruhui, his dark, deep eyes revealing a rare trace of astonishment. "Tell me about it," he said.

Du Ruhui did not hesitate and recounted Liu Shuyi's process of deduction in detail.

"...Based on all this, Liu Shuyi concluded that the body of the Prince of Xi did not go missing on the night of the blizzard at all."

"The true time it was stolen was at least a month ago, before the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, when we reburied the Prince of Xi!"

"This is also why thousands of us spent twelve days unable to find the thieves or any clues. Our starting point was wrong from the very beginning; how could we have possibly found any leads?"

As Pei Ji listened to Du Ruhui's account, his face changed repeatedly. He had not expected that what Du Ruhui said was actually true. Liu Shuyi had indeed made a breakthrough! No wonder he had personally gone to investigate and found nothing. So, the body hadn't been lost that night after all.

How did Liu Shuyi even know so much about the earthquake? How vast was his knowledge? Pei Ji could not help but wonder: when Liu Wenjing was young, was he more capable than Liu Shuyi? The answer seemed to be no! This realization made his heart grow heavier.

"Your Majesty," Du Ruhui's voice continued, "Minister Pei was concerned that Liu Shuyi might have ulterior motives and would not dedicate himself fully to the investigation. But the facts have proven that in less than two hours after taking the assignment, he achieved what thousands of us could not do in twelve days. He found the breakthrough point and clarified the direction of the investigation..."

"If this cannot be called dedicated, then I cannot imagine what would be."

"Moreover, Your Majesty may not know that when Liu Shuyi accepted this task, he told me he understood the difficulty of the case. He knew that if he could not solve it, he would be a sinner against the Tang Dynasty. But with the nation in peril, as a son of Tang, how could he turn away?"

"Therefore, the moment he took the case, he was prepared to lose his office and his life if he failed. If this cannot prove his loyalty to you, Your Majesty, I cannot think of anything that could."

"As for Minister Pei's concern that he is young and lacks experience..." Du Ruhui turned his head to look at the disgruntled Pei Ji. "I think there is no need for me to explain any further."

The facts had proven everything. Liu Shuyi’s two hours of work surpassed their twelve days. All talk of his youth or lack of experience held no weight in the face of such ironclad evidence. Watching Du Ruhui’s calm demeanor and hearing his rebuttal of every objection, Pei Ji felt as if his heart had been struck by a massive boulder—it was suffocatingly heavy, yet he was helpless to do anything about it.

Li Shimin glanced at the silent Pei Ji and understood everything.

"A hero truly arises from youth!" Li Shimin laughed heartily. "Liu Shuyi has truly not disappointed me. I was indeed worried at first, but now, I have never felt more at ease leaving this case to him!"

This settled the matter completely. The case would be under the sole responsibility of Liu Shuyi, and no one else needed to say another word. Pei Ji dared not object further and could only nod in agreement.

"Your Majesty, Liu Shuyi had this news relayed to me not only to let me report the good news to you but also to urge us to increase our vigilance." Du Ruhui looked at Li Shimin, his voice dropping. "After all, this means the thieves have been active for at least a month, and we were completely unaware. We have no idea how much they have done in the dark during this time, or if they have already finished their plotting..."

Those present, whether Li Shimin or Pei Ji, were extremely sharp-minded. Hearing Du Ruhui’s words, they understood the gravity of the situation without further explanation. Pei Ji’s face shifted again. Li Shimin’s expression remained deep, but his slightly stiffened posture betrayed his inner turmoil.

After a moment of contemplation, he commanded, "Someone, go immediately! Summon Zhangsun Wuji, Fang Xuanling, Li Jing, Cheng Yaojin, Li Xiaogong, and the ministers of the various departments to the palace to see me..."

As he spoke, he looked at Du Ruhui again. "Send word to Liu Shuyi. Tell him to use every effort to find the thieves as quickly as possible. Tell him that if he can solve the case, catch the culprits, and uncover their true intentions, I will reward him handsomely!"

***

Ministry of Works.

Within the offices of the Ministry of Works, whispers were constant. The officials glanced toward the front courtyard, unable to help themselves. "Did I see that right? Is that a coffin?"

"Don't doubt your eyes; that is indeed a coffin."

"Who is so bold as to bring a coffin into the Ministry of Works? What are they trying to do?"

"I heard it was brought in by Cheng Chumo, the General of the Jinwu Guard. It seems to be the coffin of the Prince of Xi."

"What!? The Prince of Xi's coffin!?" An exclamation erupted. "You mean... the one from which the body went missing? The one brought from the collapsed mausoleum?"

"Shh! Why are you shouting so loud? Are you afraid people won't know we're discussing it?" An official quickly covered his colleague's mouth and whispered, "You know how sensitive this case is. If someone hears us and takes it out on us, dragging us away, it would be an unjust disaster!"

Hearing this, the others fell silent. But their curiosity still drew their eyes to the coffin in the courtyard and the officials who had brought it. They were desperate to know why Li Jiancheng’s coffin had been delivered here. What exactly were those investigators trying to do?

***

Ministry of Works, Front Courtyard.

Wang Kun, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, hurried out. When he saw the black coffin on the ground with a crack on its side, his eyelids twitched violently. He quickly averted his gaze and looked at Liu Shuyi, who stood at the forefront. He cupped his hands and said, "This must be the legendary Liu, who is said to be as divine as a god in solving crimes. Your name has been ringing in my ears these past two days. I have long wanted to see you in person; seeing you today, you truly have an extraordinary bearing—the reputation is well-deserved."

On the way, Du Gou had already introduced the situation of the Ministry of Works to Liu Shuyi, so he knew the man's identity. He bowed with a smile, "Greetings, Vice Minister Wang. You are too kind. I have just been lucky enough to solve a couple of cases; I am certainly not worthy of being called 'divine in solving crimes'."

Wang Kun was broad-shouldered with a booming voice. If not for his official robes, one might mistake him for a military general. In fact, he did have a connection to the military. When Li Shimin was campaigning, Wang Kun had been a soldier under him. Due to his ancestral craftsmanship, he had manufactured and improved many siege weapons, earning great merit. Later, he transferred to the Ministry of Works, specializing in weapons and equipment. During the Xuanwu Gate Incident, some of the arrows used by Li Shimin’s forces were secretly provided by him, bypassing Li Jiancheng’s spies. Thus, after Li Shimin ascended the throne, he was promoted to Vice Minister.

Hearing Liu Shuyi’s humble words, Wang Kun shook his head. "To solve two strange cases in just two days—you won't find another person in the world with such skill. Humility is good, but excessive humility is hypocrisy. You are like our craftsmen here: if you are talented, you are talented. It’s visible. If you are blindly humble, wouldn't others feel incompetent? How would they go on?"

Due to his military background and technical expertise, he was more straightforward than the average civil official. Hearing this, Liu Shuyi couldn't continue to be humble and had to nod helplessly, acknowledging his own skill.

Wang Kun nodded with satisfaction, then glanced at the black coffin, which seemed to exude an eerie aura. "Official Liu, may I ask why you brought this coffin here?"

Hearing Wang Kun’s question, the officials behind him, as well as Du Gou and Cheng Chumo, looked at Liu Shuyi as well.

Liu Shuyi did not keep them in suspense. "I have come for two things, and I need the Ministry of Works' help."

"Oh? What are those two things?"

Liu Shuyi looked at the officials behind Wang Kun. "Vice Minister Wang, let us speak in private."

Wang Kun frowned, hesitated, then nodded. "Very well."

The two moved to a secluded spot. Liu Shuyi went straight to the point: "I want to know, who cut and polished the stone door of the Prince of Xi's tomb? If someone wanted to tamper with the stone door, who in the Ministry of Works would be capable of doing so?"

Wang Kun’s brow furrowed instantly. He looked at Liu Shuyi with sharp eyes. "What do you mean, Official Liu? Are you suspecting that the disappearance of the Prince of Xi's body is related to someone in my Ministry?"

Wang Kun had served in the military; his glare was fierce and intimidating. But Liu Shuyi remained unmoved. He said calmly, "After investigation, it is certain that the stone door has been tampered with. That door was selected from Mount Lao by the Ministry’s skilled craftsmen, and then cut and polished by them. The entire process took place almost entirely within the Ministry... Vice Minister Wang, please tell me, does this sound like it has nothing to do with your people?"

"This..." Wang Kun had not expected the stone door to truly be the source of the problem. His eyes flickered, and his expression turned grim. "Who could be the traitor damaging the reputation of my Ministry!"

He immediately apologized to Liu Shuyi: "My apologies, Official Liu. I was rude just now."

He was a man who could take responsibility. He protected his own first, but upon realizing he was wrong, he admitted it immediately. Liu Shuyi had a favorable impression of this technically-minded Vice Minister.

He shook his head. "It is human nature. I understand, Vice Minister Wang."

Seeing that Liu Shuyi was not angry, Wang Kun breathed a sigh of relief. He thought for a moment and said, "The stone used for the door was extremely hard and massive; no one person could handle it. Nine of our craftsmen participated in the cutting and polishing. It took them a full month to finish the work."

"After that, the door was sent to the mausoleum..."

"If the problem didn't arise at the mausoleum, then it had to be one of these nine craftsmen. They were in contact with the stone door day and night. Aside from them, no one else had a legitimate reason to touch it. Only they would have the opportunity to tamper with it secretly without being suspected or discovered."

Liu Shuyi nodded. "Where are these nine men now?"

Wang Kun replied, "Five are in the Ministry, and four are at home resting." He looked at Liu Shuyi. "Do you need me to summon them?"

Liu Shuyi pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "We don't have direct evidence pointing to the culprit. Calling them in now would only alert the enemy."

"Then what should we do?" Wang Kun asked.

Liu Shuyi did not answer directly but changed the question: "What are their backgrounds? How long have they been in the Ministry, and what is their skill level?"

Wang Kun was very familiar with his men. "They all come from poor backgrounds—either from families of craftsmen or former apprentices who learned the trade to survive. The longest-serving ones have been here since the previous Sui Dynasty, over twenty years. The newest ones came during the third year of Wude, about eight years ago."

"As for their skill... to be chosen to craft the final door for the Prince of Xi's mausoleum, they are among the best carvers we have."

Clean backgrounds, long tenure in the Ministry, top-tier skills... Liu Shuyi’s brain analyzed Wang Kun’s words and reached a conclusion. These craftsmen were likely not plants from some faction. The time required for such an operation would be too great—from learning the trade to being placed in the Ministry, at least a dozen years would have passed. And back then, the Tang Dynasty hadn't even been established! Moreover, these craftsmen were of low status and could not reach high-level circles. The cost and benefit of grooming them for such a task did not align. No faction would make such an investment.

Therefore, these craftsmen themselves were likely not the problem. If someone among them tampered with the stone door, it was likely due to external factors.

He turned to Du Gou and whispered, "Official Du, please help me investigate these nine craftsmen. Focus on whether any of them have gambling debts, are fond of women, are greedy, have encountered financial distress at home, or have suddenly seen an improvement in their living standards or are spending money lavishly..."

Hearing this, Du Gou’s eyes lit up. "You suspect?"

Liu Shuyi nodded. "One of them must have been bought. Find that person!"

"Understood!" Du Gou nodded immediately. "Leave it to me."

He turned and went to see it done. The first breakthrough had been found. Next was the second.

He returned to Wang Kun. "The second thing I need from the Ministry is a skilled craftsman to help me examine the coffin nails of the Prince of Xi."

"Coffin nails?" Wang Kun was startled. "What is there to look at with coffin nails?"

Then, he saw Liu Shuyi’s eyes darken. "I want to know if those nails have ever been pried open!"

Pried open? Wang Kun pondered this, and suddenly, he realized something. He looked sharply at Liu Shuyi: "Are you trying to find out exactly how the body of the Prince of Xi was lost?"

Liu Shuyi smiled. "Vice Minister Wang is sharp. While not entirely accurate, that is close enough."

"Can you arrange such a craftsman? The skill must be exquisite, as I haven't seen any signs of tampering. If there is a problem, it must be hidden very deeply."

"Why arrange someone else?" Wang Kun slapped his chest with a loud thud, his voice booming. "I can do it myself!"

He walked over to the coffin. Looking at the black, oversized coffin—which, covered in frost, radiated a chilling aura—Wang Kun, who held a healthy fear of the supernatural, secretly swallowed his saliva. After muttering "Amitabha" a few times, he took a deep breath and crouched down to carefully examine the nails pinning the lid.

Though broad-shouldered and quick-tempered like a military man, he was gentle and meticulous when performing his craft. He touched the lid with his tool and tapped lightly; the frost fell away, but there was not a single mark on the lid. His control of force was remarkably precise. Liu Shuyi hadn't expected Wang Kun to be this skilled; it was no wonder he had caught Li Shimin’s eye.

"Hmm?" Wang Kun suddenly let out a soft sound.

Liu Shuyi’s eyes flashed, and he stepped forward. "What is it?"

Wang Kun frowned. "The places where the nails meet the coffin... they have sunk in somewhat."

"What does that mean?"

"They were hammered with too much force. Normally, the nails should be flush with the lid. But these are all sunken. One or two could be an accident, but all of them..."

Liu Shuyi’s eyes flickered, realizing what Wang Kun meant. "You mean to say... someone pulled the nails out and then hammered them back into the original holes? But because they had been removed, the nails would have become loose, so they had to be hammered in deeper to secure them?"

Wang Kun’s eyes lit up. "How do you know this? Do you have experience in craftsmanship?"

*I don't have experience in craftsmanship, but in my past life, I repaired the cabinet doors at home many times...*

"So that's it. The nails were indeed pulled out..." Liu Shuyi’s mind raced with countless ideas. He looked at Wang Kun. "Can you tell when the nails were pulled out?"

Wang Kun shook his head. "Impossible to judge."

"No!" Liu Shuyi stared at him. "You can!"

Wang Kun: "...I really can't!"

"I can!"

"I told you I can't... wait, you said... *you* can!?"

Wang Kun’s eyes widened, staring at Liu Shuyi in disbelief. He wondered if he had heard wrong.

Liu Shuyi did not pay attention to Wang Kun. He stared intently at the coffin nails, feeling the fog that had been clouding his vision dissipate instantly.

"So that's it." He exhaled a long breath and finally smiled.

Du Gou, who had just returned, saw the smile on Liu Shuyi’s face and asked curiously, "Official Liu, what are you so happy about?"

Then, he heard Liu Shuyi say something that almost made him lose his composure...

"I know exactly when the body of the Prince of Xi disappeared!"