Chapter 13: You Won’t Be Able to Keep Jumping for Long

“Indeed there is! The Assistant Director of the Ministry of Justice, Lord Sun Yue! He kept urging me to exaggerate your embezzlement and bribery so that I could earn merit and save my life!”

Upon hearing this, Qin Yu’s eyes grew cold.

It was exactly this Sun Yue.

He had no enmity with him, yet Sun Yue sought to ruin him utterly. To say it was merely because the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review were at odds seemed far-fetched.

Perhaps this was connected to what happened at Prince Su’s residence—either directly involving Sun Yue or the forces behind him. This could be a breakthrough.

“Anyone else involved?” Qin Yu asked.

“No one else.”

Satisfied with the answer, Qin Yu turned and left.

Liu Quan shouted hoarsely after him, “My lord, where are you going? You can’t just go back on your word! Please, save me—I don’t want to die!”

Qin Yu had no interest in wasting another word on such a scoundrel. He briskly walked out of the prison, intent on confronting Sun Yue.

Coincidentally, just as he stepped out of the Ministry of Justice’s prison, Sun Yue appeared, walking toward him.

Sun Yue’s face was sullen as he half-heartedly cupped his hands. “Lord Qin, the Ministry’s prison isn’t a place for you.”

Qin Yu gave him a cold glare. “I’m here now. What can you do to me?”

As he spoke, Qin Yu silently instructed the system to rewind the past twenty-four hours, hoping to uncover valuable clues.

Sun Yue sneered, “Qin Yu, don’t get cocky. Not everyone will always protect you. Next time, I’ll make sure you perish!”

Qin Yu frowned. “Sun Yue, I don’t understand. I never provoked you. Why are you so intent on opposing me?”

“I’m not opposing you personally. I just can’t stand corruption like yours. Scoundrels like you are the rot of Great Qian and deserve the harshest punishment!” Sun Yue hissed with hatred.

If a righteous official had said this, considering Qin Yu’s predecessor had indeed committed such crimes, though unpleasant, Qin Yu would have respected such a man.

But Sun Yue was unworthy.

According to his predecessor’s memories, Sun Yue himself was no stranger to corruption—his misdeeds even surpassed those of Qin Yu’s previous self.

At that moment, a crucial piece of information appeared in the rewind video. Around midnight last night, a figure dressed in black suddenly visited Sun Yue’s chambers.

The black-clad man handed over fifty thousand silver taels and instructed Sun Yue not to fear Prince Su, nor Qin Yu, and to keep his secrets close.

He said the maid hidden beside the princess was a sworn assassin—if suspicious, she would never confess to anyone.

This confirmed Qin Yu’s suspicions.

It also confirmed the princess’s.

Their retaliation was because Qin Yu had foiled their grand scheme—a warning to the Court of Judicial Review.

With such events, who in the Court would dare to zealously investigate major cases in the future?

Unfortunately, the black-clad man’s face was obscured. After delivering the message, he left without further inquiry from Sun Yue.

Sun Yue continued to scold Qin Yu under the guise of a righteous official, while Qin Yu fast-forwarded the rewind footage to this morning.

Sun Yue woke, washed, but instead of reporting to the Ministry as scheduled, he first went to a teahouse called Tongfu Pavilion for morning tea.

The teahouse’s proprietor greeted him, then closed the door behind them. Sun Yue handed over the silver notes from last night before leaving.

Qin Yu took note of this vital clue.

The proprietor was highly suspicious. He decided to visit Tongfu Pavilion immediately, rewind this man’s timeline, and see where he hid the money after receiving it.

This might lead him to the people behind Sun Yue.

“Why so silent? Ashamed and speechless?” Sun Yue taunted, clearly pleased with himself.

By now, Qin Yu had finished watching the rewind footage. Collecting himself, he sneered coldly, “If you’re someone’s dog, you must be prepared to be slaughtered. Your days are numbered.”

With that, Qin Yu swept his sleeves and left.

Sun Yue’s face darkened, wounded by the barb.

Having reached his position through cunning, he was no fool. Coldly, he retorted, “If I’m a dog, then what are you? Whose dog are you?”

Qin Yu paused briefly but said nothing, departing with his men.

One of the constables noticed Qin Yu wasn’t heading toward the Court of Judicial Review and cautioned, “My lord, the Court isn’t in this direction.”

Qin Yu replied casually, “It’s nearly noon. Let’s find a tavern, eat well, then return. You’ve all worked hard following me. Today, it’s on me.”

The constables rejoiced, bowing gratefully.

Using this excuse, Qin Yu led them to Tongfu Pavilion.

Upon entering, his men shouted toward the counter, “Where’s the proprietor? Quickly arrange a private room for Lord Qin of the Court of Judicial Review. If you neglect him, don’t blame us for being rude!”

Qin Yu frowned slightly, then relaxed.

His men’s behavior was somewhat overbearing—something his past self despised—but in this world, it was commonplace.

Qin Yu had no intention of changing this world.

Their conduct had its advantages. The proprietor behind the counter, fiddling with an abacus, quickly forced a smile and hurried over to Qin Yu.

This was the very man Qin Yu sought.

“Lord Qin, you’ve arrived. What would you like to eat today?” the proprietor bowed repeatedly.

“Bring the finest food and drink, quickly. I need to eat well; I still have cases to investigate,” Qin Yu replied coldly.

Silently, he ordered the system to rewind the proprietor’s timeline.

“Certainly! Follow me, Lord Qin. There’s a top-tier private room upstairs,” the proprietor said enthusiastically, leading him up.

Once Qin Yu was settled, he finished watching the rewind video and was overjoyed.

A golden opportunity had arrived!

Sun Yue secretly entrusted all his ill-gotten gains to this man. Large sums of gold and silver were hidden in a secret compartment in the proprietor’s room in the teahouse’s backyard.

Curious about their relationship—why Sun Yue trusted him with such a fortune—Qin Yu set that aside.

What mattered now was how to seize Sun Yue’s wealth to compensate for what he lost when Emperor Qianwu stripped him of his riches.

However, entering the proprietor’s room in broad daylight posed a problem. Qin Yu wracked his mind for a solution.

Having a treasure trove before him but unable to access it was maddening, like a cat clawing at its own heart.

Even as the meal neared its end, no plan came to mind. He considered returning at night to set fire to the teahouse—if he couldn’t have it, neither could Sun Yue.

At that moment, the door suddenly opened.

A middle-aged man entered, knelt with a thud, and raised his hands high, holding a roughly wrapped bundle resembling a book.

“Lord Qin, please act on my behalf!” he pleaded.